Anchorage system and apparatus for a child safety seat and method of using same

A child restraint anchor assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

• a support panel of a body of the vehicle;
• an anchor plate having multiple portions thereof fixed to the support panel;
• and
• a rigid rod member having ends welded to a central portion of said anchor plate, said rod member having a loop shaped portion projecting away from said plate in a direction substantially perpendicular to said anchor plate, said loop shaped portion being adapted to securely receive a child restraint seat attachment tether;
• the support panel including a main panel and a stiffener connected thereto, and said anchor plate has one portion thereof connected to said main panel and another portion thereof connected between portions of the main panel and the stiffener.

A child restraint anchor assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

• a support panel of a body of the vehicle;
• an anchor plate having multiple portions thereof fixed to the support panel;
• and
• a rigid rod member having ends welded to a central portion of said anchor plate, said rod member having a loop shaped portion projecting away from said plate in a direction substantially perpendicular to said anchor plate, said loop shaped portion being adapted to securely receive a child restraint seat attachment tether;
• said support panel has an opening defined therethrough;
• said anchor plate has an opening defined therethrough and is fixed to a lower surface of said support panel such that the opening of said anchor plate is aligned with the opening of said support panel, and
• said loop shaped portion of said rigid rod member extends through said openings in said anchor plate and in said support panel, and projects away from the upper surface of said support panel.

A child restraint anchor assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

• a support panel of a body of the vehicle;
• an anchor plate having multiple portions thereof fixed to the support panel;
• and
• a rigid rod member having ends welded to a central portion of said anchor plate, said rod member having a loop shaped portion projecting away from said plate in a direction substantially perpendicular to said anchor plate, said loop shaped portion being adapted to securely receive a child restraint seat attachment tether;
• said anchor plate has opposite ends thereof welded to the lower surface of the support panel;
• and
• said rod member ends are welded to a lower surface of said anchor plate, and said loop shaped portion extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to said ends.

A method for forming a child restraint anchor structure in a vehicle, comprising the following steps:

• forming a child restraint anchor assembly, including an anchor plate having an opening defined therein and a rod member fixedly attached to the underside of said anchor plate with a loop shaped portion extending through said opening;
• and
• fixing said anchor assembly to a support panel of a vehicle body having an opening formed therein such that said loop shaped portion of the rod member also extends through said opening in the support panel;
• said fixing step involves securing one end of the anchor plate to a portion of the support panel, and then securing an opposite end of the anchor plate to another portion of the support panel.