Child restraint apparatus for a vehicle

A restraint apparatus for a child, comprising:

• a base connectable to a vehicle, the base having a chassis with a back portion and a seat portion;
• a seat member connected to the seat portion of the chassis;
• a harness assembly comprising a torso strap having a lower end and a pair of upper ends, the lower end of the torso strap connected to the chassis and positionable between the legs of the child;
• a substantially U-shaped guard having a first end and a second end pivotally connected to the chassis so as to be movable between an up position and a down position, in the down position the guard forming a frontal and lateral barrier around the child, wherein the guard has a front end and wherein the front end of the guard has a pair of side scoops to facilitate positioning of the guard between front seats of the vehicle when the chassis is secured in the center of a rear seat of the vehicle;
• a helmet connected to the chassis, the helmet having a rigid shell shaped to extend about at least a portion the head of the child;
• and
• a latch assembly for releasably receiving the upper ends of the torso strap, the latch assembly connected to the helmet.

A restraint apparatus for a child, comprising:

• a base connectable to a vehicle, the base having a chassis with a back portion and a seat portion;
• a seat member connected to the seat portion of the chassis;
• a harness assembly comprising a torso strap having a lower end and a pair of upper ends, the lower end of the torso strap connected to the chassis and positionable between the legs of the child;
• a substantially U-shaped guard having a first end and a second end pivotally connected to the chassis so as to be movable between an up position and a down position, in the down position the guard forming a frontal and lateral barrier around the child, wherein the guard has a latch mechanism for locking the guard in the up position and the down position, wherein the latch mechanism comprises:
• a hub connected to the seat;
• a spring-loaded pin mateable with the hub to lock the guard in the up position and the down position, the spring-loaded pin being substantially vertically oriented when the guard is in the down position to minimize inertial effects on the spring-loaded pin;
• and
• a release handle connected to the spring-loaded pin for disengaging the spring-loaded pin from the hub;
• a helmet connected to the chassis, the helmet having a rigid shell shaped to extend about at least a portion the head of the child;
• and
• a latch assembly for releasably receiving the upper ends of the torso strap, the latch assembly connected to the helmet.

A restraint apparatus for a child, comprising:

• a base connectable to a vehicle, the base having a chassis with a back portion and a seat portion;
• a seat member connected to the seat portion of the chassis;
• a harness assembly comprising a torso strap having a lower end and a pair of upper ends, the lower end of the torso strap connected to the chassis and positionable between the legs of the child;
• a helmet connected to the chassis, the helmet having a rigid shell shared to extend about at least a portion the head of the child;
• and
• a latch assembly for releasably receiving the upper ends of the torso strap, the latch assembly connected to the helmet,
• wherein the chassis has an upper end extending above the helmet so as to function as a roll bar to provide protection in the event the vehicle rolls over.

A restraint apparatus for a child, comprising:

• a base connectable to a vehicle, the base having a chassis;
• a rear-facing seat assembly detachably connectable to the chassis;
• and
• a forward-facing seat assembly detachably connectable to the chassis, the forward-facing seat assembly comprising:
• a forward-facing seat member having a horn formed on an upper surface of the seat member to impede longitudinal movement of the child along the seat member, the horn having a slot;
• a harness assembly, the harness assembly comprising:
• a retractor assembly connected to the forward-facing seat member;
• and
• a torso strap having a lower end and a pair of upper ends, the lower end of the torso strap fixed to the retractor assembly, extending through the slot formed in the horn, and positionable between the legs of the child;
• and
• a latch assembly connected to the back portion of the seat, the latch assembly releasably receiving the upper ends of the torso strap to secure the torso strap about the child,
• wherein the rear-facing seat assembly and the forward-facing seat assembly may be used interchangeably with the chassis.

A restraint apparatus for a child, comprising:

• a base connectable to a vehicle, the base having a chassis;
• a rear-facing seat assembly detachably connectable to the chassis;
• a forward-facing seat assembly detachably connectable to the chassis, wherein the rear-facing seat assembly and the forward-facing seat assembly may be used interchangeably with the chassis;
• and
• a substantially U-shaped guard having a first end and a second end pivotally connected to the chassis so as to be movable between an up position and a down position, in the down position the guard forming a frontal and lateral barrier around the child, wherein the guard has a longitudinal groove extending from a leading end toward the first end and the second end along an exterior thereof for receiving a portion of a guard of an adjacently positioned restraint apparatus.

A restraint apparatus for a child, comprising:

• a base connectable to a vehicle, the base having a chassis;
• a rear-facing seat assembly detachably connectable to the chassis;
• a forward-facing seat assembly detachably connectable to the chassis, wherein the rear-facing seat assembly and the forward-facing seat assembly may be used interchangeably with the chassis;
• and
• a substantially U-shaped guard having a first end and a second end pivotally connected to the chassis so as to be movable between an up position and a down position, in the down position the guard forming a frontal and lateral barrier around the child, wherein the guard has a front end and wherein the front end of the guard has a pair of side scoops to facilitate positioning of the guard between front seats of the vehicle when the chassis is secured in the center of a rear seat of the vehicle.

A restraint apparatus for a child, comprising:

• a base connectable to a vehicle, the base having a chassis;
• a rear-facing seat assembly detachably connectable to the chassis;
• a forward-facing seat assembly detachably connectable to the chassis, wherein the rear-facing seat assembly and the forward-facing seat assembly may be used interchangeably with the chassis;
• and
• a substantially U-shaped guard having a first end and a second end pivotally connected to the chassis so as to be movable between an up position and a down position, in the down position the guard forming a frontal and lateral barrier around the child, wherein the guard has a latch mechanism for locking the guard in the up position and the down position, wherein the latch mechanism comprises:
• a hub connected to the seat;
• a spring-loaded pin mateable with the hub to lock the guard in the up position and the down position, the spring-loaded pin being substantially vertically oriented when the guard is in the down position to minimize inertial effects on the spring-loaded pin;
• and
• a release handle connected to the spring-loaded pin for disengaging the spring-loaded pin from the hub.

A restraint apparatus for a child, comprising:

• a base connectable to a vehicle, the base having a chassis;
• a first forward-facing seat assembly detachably connectable to the chassis;
• and
• a second forward-facing seat assembly detachably connectable to the chassis,
• wherein the first forward-facing seat assembly and the second forward-facing seat assembly are different in size and may be used interchangeably with the chassis.

A restraint apparatus for a child, comprising:

• a seat connectable to a vehicle and having a seat portion and a back portion;
• and
• a substantially U-shaped guard having a first end and a second end pivotally connected to the back portion of the seat so as to be movable between an up position and a down position, in the down position the guard extending at an angle so as to be oriented substantially perpendicularly to a back of a front seat of the vehicle upon the front seat rotating backwards when the seat is connected to a rear seat of the vehicle to prevent the front seat from collapsing onto the child, wherein the guard has a latch mechanism for locking the guard in the up position and the down position, wherein the latch mechanism comprises:
• a hub connected to the seat;
• a spring-loaded pin mateable with the hub to lock the guard in the up position and the down position, the spring-loaded pin being substantially vertically oriented when the guard is in the down position to minimize inertial effects on the spring-loaded pin;
• and
• a release handle connected to the spring-loaded pin for disengaging the spring-loaded pin from the hub.

A restraint apparatus for a child, comprising:

• a base connectable to a vehicle, the base having a chassis with a back portion and a seat portion;
• a substantially U-shaped guard having a first end and a second end pivotally connected to the chassis so as to be movable between an up position and a down position, in the down position the guard forming a frontal and lateral barrier around the child;
• a seat member detachably connected to the seat portion of the chassis;
• a harness assembly comprising:
• a retractor assembly connected to the seat member;
• and
• a torso strap having a lower end and a pair of upper ends, the lower end of the torso strap fixed to the retractor assembly and positionable between the legs of the child;
• a helmet connected to the chassis, the helmet having a rigid shell shaped to extend about at least a portion the head of the child;
• and
• a latch assembly for releasably receiving the upper ends of the torso strap, the latch assembly connected to the helmet,
• wherein the chassis has an upper end extending above the helmet so as to function as a roll bar to provide protection in the event the vehicle rolls over.