CN118306280A - Convertible infant safety car seat assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

A convertible infant safety car seat assembly includes: an upper seat maneuverable between an upright position and an extended position; and a leg having a wheeled distal end and maneuverable between a storage position that can only be combined with the upright position of the upper seat and an operational position that allows the seat assembly to roll on the wheels; the extended position of the upper seat can only be combined with the operational position of the leg, and the operational position of the leg and the upright position of the upper seat can also be combined with at least one other. The seat assembly may include at least one of the following features: a spaced apart seat control assembly and a leg control assembly; a side protection module; a zipper device for removably connecting a cover and a top cover of the seat; and removable wheels.

Description

Convertible Infant Safety Car Seat Components

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an infant safety car seat assembly that can be used as an infant carrier and can be converted for rolling use, for example, as a stroller.

Background technique

For example, an infant safety car seat assembly of the type to which the presently disclosed subject matter relates is disclosed in US 8434781. It generally includes a leg having a distal end with wheels and is maneuverable between a storage state in which the seat is configured to be installed in a car and an operating state in which the seat assembly is allowed to roll on wheels.

US9629476 discloses a device that can be converted from a toddler sleeping cot to a toddler or child seat. The device has a frame assembly and a seat structure supported by the frame assembly. The seat structure defines a seat surface and can be moved between at least an inclined seat position and an inclined sleeping position.

Summary of the invention

According to one of the aspects of the presently disclosed subject matter, there is provided a convertible infant safety car seat assembly comprising: a seat having a back portion and a foot portion, the seat being maneuverable between an upright state in which the back portion and the foot portion form a first angle therebetween and an extended state in which the back portion and the foot portion form a second angle therebetween that is greater than the first angle; the assembly further comprising a support rod having a distal end with wheels and being maneuverable between a storage state and an operating state, the storage state being at least combinable with the seat's upright state to allow the seat assembly to be mounted in a vehicle or on an external support surface in a position suitable for securing an infant therein, and the operating state allowing the seat assembly to be rolled via the wheels.

The orientation of the backrest in the upright position and in the extended position can also be defined by the angle it forms with an imaginary horizontal plane, whereby the angle is greater in the former position than in the latter position.

In the present application and claims, several features are described with respect to an imaginary horizontal plane, which may also be referred to as a "reference plane," "datum plane," or the like.

The seat assembly further includes a handlebar that is pivotable between different positions and has an adjustable length, thereby allowing the handlebar to assume a plurality of states depending on the mode in which the safety car seat assembly is used. More specifically, the handlebar can assume at least a carrier state in which the handlebar is oriented generally vertically and a stroller state in which the handlebar extends forward and may have a length greater than the carrier state. Optionally, the handlebar can also assume a storage state in which the handlebar is oriented rearwardly and is positioned adjacent to the backrest portion of the seat.

According to one aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, the storage condition of the support bar can be combined only with the upright condition of the seat.

Thus, the seat assembly may be used in at least the following modes:

A car seat installation mode that may also constitute a storage mode of the assembly, wherein the seat is in its upright position, the struts are in the storage position, and the handles are in any position appropriate for the vehicle in which it is to be installed (e.g., it may be in the storage position, or it may be in an anti-rebound position in which it has the same orientation as in the stroller position but has a shorter length, thereby providing stabilization capabilities to the safety car seat during and after a possible front-to-back collision of a vehicle in which the seat is installed with an infant facing a vehicle surface (e.g., a seat back) by minimizing rotational forces associated with such a collision, thereby preventing the infant from striking the surface with his/her head);

a rollable carrier mode in which the seat is in its upright position, the struts are in the operational position, and the handles are in the carrier position;

an upright stroller mode in which the seat is in its upright position, the support bars are in an operational position, and the handlebars are in a stroller position; and

An extended stroller mode wherein the seat is in its extended state, the support bars are in the operational state, and the handlebars are in the stroller state.

According to yet another aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, in the second mode of the seat assembly, the extended state of the seat can only be combined with the operational state of the strut, while the operational state of the strut and the upright state of the seat can also be combined with at least each other.

Optionally, in the third mode of the seat assembly, the operational state of the strut can be combined with the upright state of the seat, and the seat assembly can enter its first and second modes only from its third mode.

Optionally, the convertible infant-safety car seat assembly is configured such that manipulation of the support post in the second mode of the seat assembly is at least indirectly prevented by the seat being in the extended condition.

Manipulation of the seat in the first mode of the seat assembly may be at least indirectly prevented by the strut being in the stored condition.

Alternatively, or in addition, the convertible infant-safety car seat assembly may further include a seat manipulation prevention device configured to prevent the seat from being manipulated from the upright position to the extended position at least when the support bar is in the storage position.

Therefore, according to another aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, a convertible infant safety car seat assembly is provided, comprising: a seat having a backrest portion and a support rod portion, a seat operating mechanism being provided, the mechanism being operable to operate the seat between an upright state in which the backrest portion and the foot portion form a first angle therebetween and an extended state in which the backrest portion and the foot portion form a second angle therebetween that is greater than the first angle; and a seat operation preventing device, the seat operation preventing device being configured to prevent the seat from being operated from the upright state to the extended state at least when the support rod is in the storage state.

In any of the above aspects, the convertible infant safety car seat may further include a support rod manipulation prevention device configured to prevent manipulation of the support rod from the operating state to the storage state at least when the seat is in the extended state.

Therefore, according to another aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, there is provided a convertible infant safety car seat assembly, comprising: a strut manipulation mechanism operable to manipulate the strut between a storage state and an operational state of the strut; and a strut manipulation prevention device configured to prevent manipulation of the strut from the operational state to the storage state at least when the seat is in the extended state. The convertible infant safety car seat assembly of this aspect may also include the seat manipulation prevention device of the aforementioned aspect.

Regarding the seat manipulation prevention device in the convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to any of the above aspects, it can have any combination of at least one or more of the following features:

The seat manipulation preventing device may be configured to change its state between a locked state in which the seat manipulation preventing device prevents manipulation of the seat toward the extended state and an unlocked state in which the seat manipulation preventing device enables manipulation of the seat between the upright state and the extended state;

The seat manipulation prevention device may be configured to prevent manipulation of the seat toward the extended state by arresting the seat in the locked state;

The seat manipulation prevention device may be configured to prevent manipulation of the seat toward the extended state by immobilizing the seat manipulation mechanism in the locked state;

The seat operation prevention device may be configured to immobilize the seat operation mechanism only when the seat is in its upright state;

The seat manipulation prevention device may be constituted by the strut in its stored state, for example by the distal end of the strut;

When the backrest portion of the seat is positioned at a first rear angle with respect to a reference plane in an upright state and at a second rear angle smaller than the first rear angle in an extended state, and the backrest portion can be manipulated from the upright state to the extended state, the distal end of the support rod can be constructed to be firmly positioned in contact with the rear surface of the backrest portion of the seat in the storage state of the support rod to prevent rearward manipulation of the backrest portion, thereby preventing the seat from being manipulated from the upright state to the extended state at least when the support rod is in the storage state.

Regarding the support rod manipulation prevention device in the convertible infant safety car seat according to any of the above aspects, it can further have any combination of at least one or more of the following features:

The strut manipulation prevention device may be configured to prevent manipulation of the strut from the operative state to the storage state at least when the seat is in the extended state;

The strut manipulation preventing device may be configured to change its state between a locked state in which the strut manipulation preventing device prevents manipulation of the strut toward the storage state and an unlocked state in which the strut manipulation preventing device allows manipulation of the strut between the storage state and the operating state;

The strut manipulation prevention device may be configured to prevent manipulation of the strut toward the storage state by stopping the strut in the locked state;

The strut manipulation prevention device may be configured to prevent manipulation of the strut toward the storage state by stopping the strut manipulation mechanism in the locked state;

The strut manipulation prevention device may be configured to stop the strut manipulation mechanism when the strut is in its operative state;

The strut manipulation prevention device can be formed by the seat in its extended state, for example by the backrest part of the seat.

When the convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to any of the above aspects includes the seat steering mechanism and the strut steering mechanism as described above, the seat assembly may also include: a seat steering actuator configured to enable a user to manipulate the seat steering mechanism; and at least one strut steering actuator configured to enable a user to manipulate the strut steering mechanism, the seat steering actuator or the strut steering actuator, the former or the latter, being positioned relative to the front of the seat assembly, while the latter or the former is positioned spaced rearwardly from the front of the seat assembly. For example, the seat steering actuator may be positioned at the front of the lower support member.

Thus, according to yet another aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, there is provided a convertible infant safety car seat assembly comprising: a seat having a backrest portion and a foot portion, a strut, a strut operating mechanism operable to operate the strut between a storage state and an operational state, and a seat operating mechanism operable to operate the seat between an upright state in which the backrest portion and the foot portion form a first angle therebetween and an extended state in which the backrest portion and the foot portion form a second angle therebetween greater than the first angle, the seat assembly further comprising: a seat operating actuator configured to enable a user to operate the seat operating mechanism; and at least one strut operating actuator configured to enable a user to operate the strut operating mechanism, one of the seat operating actuator and the strut operating actuator being positioned at a position associated with a front portion of the assembly and the other being positioned at a position longitudinally spaced therefrom to reduce the risk of them being mixed together. For example, the seat operating actuator may be positioned adjacent to the foot portion and the strut operating actuator may be positioned adjacent to the backrest portion. More specifically, the seat operating actuator may be in the form of a seat handle positioned at the forwardmost portion of the foot portion, and the at least one strut operating actuator may be in the form of a strut handle positioned at the top rear side of the backrest portion.

In other words, when there is more than one strut-operated actuator, each of them meets the above-mentioned conditions regarding their spacing position from the seat-operating actuator.

In a convertible infant-safe car seat assembly according to any of the above aspects or according to a further aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, the proximal portions of the support bar may be hingedly connected to opposite lateral sides of the seat, and the assembly may further include at least one side protection module.

Each of the (multiple) side protection modules can be mounted on the corresponding left and right lateral sides of the seat. The seat can be composed of a lower support member and an upper seat portion, which have a structure and can operate together in a manner similar to any of the above aspects. In some examples, the seat can be composed of a lower support member and an upper seat portion formed together integrally or monolithically. When the seat assembly is in its storage mode or car seat installation mode and is positioned in a position near the side door of the vehicle in the vehicle, in the event that the vehicle door hits the assembly, the side protection module mounted on the side of the assembly facing the door will absorb at least a portion of the impact energy, thereby preventing the baby sitting in the assembly from being injured.

Therefore, according to another aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, there is provided a convertible infant safety car seat assembly comprising: a seat having a backrest portion and a foot portion; a handle connected to the seat at a handle attachment area of the seat by a pivotable attachment, the pivotable attachment enabling the handle to pivot between a plurality of different positions, the handle having a seat facing area facing the handle attachment area and an opposite outward facing area; and a side protection module for absorbing at least a portion of impact energy thereon, the side protection module being selectively mountable at the outward facing area of the handle.

In the convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to any of the above aspects or any of the following aspects, the backrest portion and the foot portion of the seat can be manipulated in different ways to change the state of the seat between the upright state and the extended state. For example, the backrest portion and the foot portion can be mounted to a lower support member, the lower support member includes a rear hinged portion located at the rear of the lower support member and a front hinged portion located at the front of the lower support member, the backrest portion is pivotally hinged to the rear hinged portion, and the foot portion of the upper seat is configured to be slidably hinged to the front hinged portion, and the change of the seat between the upright state and the extended state can be achieved by the pivotal hinge of the backrest portion in conjunction with the sliding hinge of the foot portion.

Thus, according to yet another aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, there is provided a convertible infant-safety car seat assembly comprising:

A lower support having a front portion and a rear portion and a reference plane extending horizontally through a lowermost region of the lower support; an upper seat connected to the lower support and having a backrest portion associated with the rear portion of the lower support and a foot portion associated with the front portion of the lower support; the upper seat being maneuverable between an upright position in which the backrest portion and the foot portion form a first angle therebetween and an extended position in which the backrest portion and the foot portion form a second angle therebetween that is greater than the first angle; a support rod having wheels that can be attached to at least the vehicle in a storage position in which at least the wheels are located above the reference plane. The wheels are located below the reference plane so that the seat assembly can be manipulated between operating states by rolling with the aid of the wheels; the lower support member includes a rear hinged portion located at the rear of the lower support member and a front hinged portion located at the front of the lower support member, the backrest portion is pivotally hinged to the rear hinged portion, and the foot portion of the upper seat is configured to be slidably hinged to the front hinged portion, and the change of the state of the upper seat between the upright state and the extended state can be achieved by the pivotal hinge of the backrest portion together with the sliding hinge of the foot portion. The backrest portion can be pivotally hinged about a pivot axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the lower support member, and the foot portion can be slidably hinged along the longitudinal axis of the lower support member. The backrest portion and the foot portion can be connected to each other so that manipulation of one of them causes manipulation of the other.

In all of the above aspects, the seat may optionally include an upper seat and a lower support, the upper seat being hinged and mounted on the lower support so as to allow the upper seat to assume the above-mentioned upright and extended states in the corresponding modes of the seat assembly. Additionally or alternatively, the backrest portion of the seat, or the backrest portion of the upper seat in the case where the seat also includes a lower support, may include an intermediate portion to which the foot portion is connected and which is movable about a vertical axis when the seat or upper seat is manipulated between the upright and extended states.

In all of the above aspects, the back portion of the seat may include a shell having an upper edge, the shell or at least a portion thereof near the upper edge being made of a plastic material and configured to be sewn thereto near the upper edge, and at least one zipper being used to attach fabric to the shell to cover at least the back portion and/or the canopy.

Thus, according to a further aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, there is provided an infant seat which, at least in use, comprises:

a shell made of plastic material, the shell having an outer side facing outwards and an inner side of the shell at which a fabric cover of the seat can be attached, the shell having a rear wall and two side walls, each of the rear wall and the two side walls having a respective inner surface and an outer surface merging at a respective upper edge, the upper edges of the rear wall and the side walls merging continuously and constituting the upper edge of the shell,

a fabric cover for covering at least the inner side of the housing when the fabric cover is detachably connected to the inner side of the housing;

Top cover; and

A zipper arrangement for removably connecting a cover and a top cover to the shell adjacent an upper edge of the shell, the zipper arrangement comprising a top cover zipper and a cover zipper, each zipper being separable and comprising a zipper box and a zipper pin and having:

a shell zipper half having one of the zipper box and the zipper pin, the one of the zipper box and the zipper pin being sewn to the shell at the outer surfaces of the rear wall and the side walls adjacent to an upper edge of the shell at least along a portion of the shell zipper half adjacent to the rear wall, and

There are matching zipper halves of the other of the zipper box and the zipper pin, the matching zipper halves of the first zipper are sewn to the cover, and the matching zipper halves of the second zipper are sewn to the top cover.

Alternatively, the zipper box may be located on the housing zipper half and the zipper pin may be located on the mating zipper half.

The above-described infant seat including any of the optional features listed below may constitute a part of a convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to each of the aforementioned aspects of the presently disclosed subject matter as well as any other infant safety car seat assembly. It may also constitute a part of any other infant carrier or stroller, etc.

The infant seat according to this aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter may include any combination of at least one or more of the following features:

The shell zipper half of each zipper may have: a base at which the shell zipper half is sewn to the shell; and a flapping portion having zipper teeth, and the shell zipper halves of both zippers may be sewn to the shell at the base of the shell zipper halves so that the flapping portions of the shell zipper halves can be separated and manipulated independently from each other when engaging corresponding mating halves of the zipper;

The shell zipper half of the cover zipper may be spaced from the upper edge of the shell to a first extent, and the shell zipper half of the top cover zipper may be spaced from the upper edge of the shell to a second extent that is less than the first extent;

The shell zipper half of the cover zipper may extend along at least a portion of the upper edge of the shell, and the shell zipper half of the top cover zipper may extend along a portion of the shell zipper half of the cover zipper;

When both the lid and top cover are zipped to the housing, the top cover zipper may overlap the lid zipper along the length of the top cover zipper;

The zipper boxes of the two zippered housing halves may be located at or adjacent to different side walls of the housing, thereby enabling the lid zipper to be fastened in a direction opposite to that of the top cover zipper;

The two shell zipper halves may be at least indirectly sewn together to the shell by at least one commonly sewn seam;

The upper edge of the shell may be a stepped zipper receiving recess having: a first wall at which the shell half of the zipper is sewn to the shell; and a second wall oriented transversely to the first wall and having a height defining the depth of the recess;

The zipper arrangement may further comprise a fabric binding which receives the base of the shell half and is sewn to the shell with the fabric binding by the at least one common sewing seam; in this case, the binding with the base of the shell zipper half may have a thickness corresponding to the depth of the zipper receiving recess;

In addition to the at least one commonly stitched seam, the bases of the shell zipper halves may also be connected to each other by a preformed connection, which may optionally be formed by welding and/or stitching;

The lid zipper may be longer than the top cover zipper and extend further downwardly along each of the two side walls of the housing relative to the top cover zipper;

When the top cover is fastened, only the top cover zipper can be released and the lid zipper remains at least partially inaccessible.

In a convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to any of the above aspects or according to yet another aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, the assembly can be rockable thereon between a neutral position and at least one of a forward tilted position and a rearward tilted position when in the storage mode and positioned on an external support surface. At least some areas of the assembly that contact the external support surface during rocking thereof can be made of a material that improves at least one rocking quality compared to the rocking quality that the areas would have if made of a material of some other areas that do not contact the external support surface during rocking.

Thus, according to yet another aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, there is provided a convertible infant safety car seat assembly adapted to secure an infant therein and having a first storage mode in which the assembly is adapted to be positioned within a vehicle and a second operating mode in which the assembly is capable of rolling along an external support surface on which the assembly, when in the storage mode and positioned on the external support surface, is capable of rocking between a neutral position and at least one of a forward reclined position and a rearward reclined position, the assembly comprising: one or more lowermost regions operable to be positioned in a neutral position; a front region and a rear region operable to contact the external support surface when in at least one of the front tilted position and the rear tilted position; a horizontal reference plane including one or more lowermost regions of the assembly when in the neutral position and imaginatively representing the external support surface; a lower support having a front and a rear and a lowermost region of the seat closest to the horizontal reference plane when the assembly is in the neutral position; an upper seat connected to the lower support and having a backrest portion associated with the rear of the lower support and an upper backrest portion associated with the lower support a foot portion associated with the front of the component; a support rod connected to the lower support member at its proximal end and having a distal end, the distal end having wheels fixed to the distal end at least in the operating mode, the support rod being able to be manipulated between a storage state associated with at least the storage mode of the assembly and an operating state associated with at least the operating mode of the assembly, in which storage state at least a portion of each support rod having the wheels is located above the reference plane, and in the operating state at least the portion of each support rod having the wheels is located below the reference plane so that the seat assembly can be rolled by the wheels; the support rods constitute a pair a rear strut and a pair of front struts; at least one pair of struts having a curved shape so that when in a stored state, the at least one pair of struts have a first region positioned above a reference plane in a neutral position, at least one second region constituting at least one of the front region and the rear region, and at least one third region spaced apart from the first region and the second region, at least the second region having a swing participation portion made of a material different from the material of at least one third region, such as for improving at least one swing mass compared to the swing mass that the swing participation portion would have if it were made of the material of the third region.

In a convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to any of the above aspects or according to a further aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, at least the front wheels may be connected to the front support bar by a quick release mechanism, thereby allowing removal of the front wheels at least when the assembly is to be positioned in a car.

Thus, according to yet another aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, there is provided a convertible infant safety car seat assembly comprising: a lower support having a front portion and a rear portion and a reference plane extending horizontally through a lowermost region of the lower support; an upper seat connected to the lower support and having a backrest portion associated with the rear portion of the lower support and a foot portion associated with the front portion of the lower support; a support post having wheels, the support post being maneuverable between a storage state and an operating state in which at least the wheels are located above the reference plane and the assembly is adapted to be positioned in a vehicle or on a support surface adapted to secure an infant wherein the front wheels are located closer to the backrest portion than the foot portion in the storage state; wherein the front wheels are connected to the front wheels by a quick release mechanism.

The above-mentioned aspects and features of the presently disclosed subject matter as well as additional aspects and features are further specified in the examples of the presently disclosed subject matter presented below.

1. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly, comprising:

an upper seat having a back portion and a leg portion, the upper seat being operable between an upright position in which the back portion and the leg portion define a first angle therebetween and an extended position in which the back portion and the leg portion define a second angle therebetween that is greater than the first angle; and

A support rod having a distal end with wheels and operable between a storage state and an operating state, wherein the storage state can only be combined with an upright state of the upper seat of the seat assembly in a first mode that is installable in a car and is suitable for fixing a child therein, and the operating state allows the seat assembly to roll with the aid of the wheels; the extended state of the upper seat can only be combined with the operating state of the support rod in the second mode of the seat assembly, and the operating state of the support rod and the upright state of the upper seat can also be combined with at least each other.

2. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to Example 1, wherein the operating state of the support rod can be combined with the upright state of the upper seat in the third mode of the seat assembly, and the seat assembly can enter its first mode and second mode only from its third mode.

3. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 1 or 2, configured such that manipulation of the support rod in the second mode of the seat assembly is at least indirectly prevented by the upper seat being in the extended condition.

4. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 1, 2 or 3, further configured such that manipulation of the upper seat in the first mode of the seat assembly is at least indirectly prevented by the support bar being in the storage condition.

5. The convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to any one of embodiments 1 to 4 further includes a seat manipulation prevention device, which is configured to prevent the upper seat from being manipulated from the upright state to the extended state at least when the support rod is in the storage state.

6. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to Example 5, wherein the seat manipulation prevention device is configured to change its state between a locked state and an unlocked state, wherein in the locked state, the seat manipulation prevention device prevents manipulation of the upper seat toward the extended state, and in the unlocked state, the seat manipulation prevention device enables manipulation of the upper seat between the upright state and the extended state.

7. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 6, wherein the seat manipulation prevention device is configured to prevent manipulation of the upper seat toward the extended state by arresting the upper seat in the locked state.

8. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of Example 6, wherein the seat manipulation prevention device is configured to prevent manipulation of the upper seat toward the extended state by stopping the seat manipulation mechanism in the locked state.

9. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 8, wherein the seat manipulation prevention device is configured to inhibit the seat manipulation mechanism only when the upper seat is in its upright position.

10. The convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to embodiment 8 or 9,

Wherein, the seat manipulation prevention device comprises a seat triggering member and a seat stopping member,

wherein the seat triggering member is configured to operate the seat stop member when the seat triggering member is triggered by the bracket when the strut is in its operative state; and

Therein, the seat stop member is operable by the seat triggering member to be manipulated from its stop state to its release state when it is operated, in which the seat operating mechanism is released from the stop.

11. The convertible infant-safe car seat assembly of embodiment 10, wherein the support bar is configured to trigger the seat triggering member only when the support bar is in its operational state.

12. The convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to embodiment 10 or 11 further includes a lower support member having two support rod attachment areas on two lateral sides of the lower support member, wherein the seat trigger member is arranged on the lower support member adjacent to at least one of the support rod attachment areas, wherein at least one of the support rods includes a front protrusion positioned around the proximal end of at least one of the support rods, and wherein the front protrusion is configured to trigger the seat trigger member when the support rod is in its operating state.

13. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 5, wherein the seat manipulation prevention device is comprised of a support rod in its stored state.

14. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 13, wherein the seat manipulation prevention device is constituted by a distal end of a support rod.

15. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the backrest portion of the upper seat is positioned at a first rear angle with respect to a reference plane in the upright state, and is positioned at a second rear angle less than the first rear angle in the extended state, and wherein the backrest can be manipulated rearwardly from the upright state to the extended state.

16. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to Example 15, wherein the distal end of the support rod is configured to be securely positioned in contact with the rear surface of the backrest portion of the upper seat in the storage state of the support rod to prevent rearward manipulation of the backrest portion, thereby preventing the upper seat from being manipulated from the upright state to the extended state at least when the support rod is in the storage state.

17. The convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to any one of embodiments 1 to 16 further includes a support rod manipulation prevention device, which is configured to prevent the support rod from being manipulated from the operating state to the storage state at least when the upper seat is in the extended state.

18. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to Example 17, wherein the support rod manipulation prevention device is configured to change its state between a locked state and an unlocked state, wherein in the locked state, the support rod manipulation prevention device prevents manipulation of the support rod toward the storage state, and in the unlocked state, the support rod manipulation prevention device enables manipulation of the support rod between the storage state and the operating state.

19. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 18, wherein the leg manipulation prevention device is configured to prevent manipulation of the leg toward the storage state by stopping the leg in the locked state.

20. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 19, wherein the strut manipulation prevention device is configured to prevent operation of the strut toward the storage state by stopping the strut manipulation mechanism in the locked state.

21. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 20, wherein the pole manipulation prevention device is configured to stop the pole manipulation mechanism when the pole is in its operative state.

22. The convertible infant-safe car seat assembly of embodiment 20 or 21, wherein the strut manipulation prevention device comprises a strut triggering member and a strut stopping member.

wherein the strut triggering member is configured to operate the strut stopping member when the strut triggering member is triggered by the upper seat when the upper seat is in its upright state; and

The strut stop member is operable by the strut trigger member to be manipulated from its stopped state to its released state when it is operated, in which the strut manipulation mechanism is released from the stop.

23. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 22, wherein the upper seat is configured to trigger the strut triggering member only when the upper seat is in its upright position.

24. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to Example 23, wherein the support rod trigger member is connected to the upper seat and is constructed as a part of the seat operating mechanism, so that when the upper seat is operated to the upright state, the support rod trigger member is also constructed to maintain the upper seat in the upright state.

25. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 20 or 21, wherein the pole manipulation prevention device is constituted by the upper seat in its extended state.

26. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 25, wherein the pole manipulation prevention device is formed by a backrest portion of the upper seat.

27. The convertible infant-safe car seat assembly of any one of embodiments 17 to 26, wherein the back portion includes a middle portion to which the foot portion is connected.

28. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to embodiment 27, wherein the intermediate portion constitutes a lowermost portion of the upper seat, and wherein the lowermost portion of the upper seat is movable about a vertical axis when the upper seat is manipulated between the upright state and the extended state.

29. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 27 or 28, wherein at least a middle portion of the back portion is formed of a flexible material.

30. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly comprising:

an upper seat having a backrest portion and a foot portion;

a seat operating mechanism operable to operate the upper seat between an upright position in which the back portion and the foot portion form a first angle therebetween and an extended position in which the back portion and the foot portion form a second angle therebetween that is greater than the first angle;

a support bar having a distal end associated with the wheels and configured to operate between a storage position in which the car seat assembly can be installed in a vehicle in a position suitable for securing a child therein and an operating position in which the seat assembly can be rolled on the wheels; and

A seat manipulation prevention device is configured to prevent the upper seat from being manipulated from the upright position to the extended position at least when the support rod is in the storage position.

31. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to Example 30, wherein the seat manipulation prevention device is configured to change state between a locked state and an unlocked state, wherein in the locked state, the seat manipulation prevention device prevents manipulation of the upper seat toward the extended state, and in the unlocked state, the seat manipulation prevention device enables manipulation of the upper seat between the upright state and the extended state.

32. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 31, wherein the seat manipulation prevention device is configured to prevent manipulation of the upper seat toward the extended state by arresting the upper seat in the locked state.

33. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 31, wherein the seat manipulation prevention device is configured to prevent manipulation of the upper seat toward the extended state by stopping the seat manipulation mechanism in the locked state.

34. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 33, wherein the seat manipulation prevention device is configured to inhibit the seat manipulation mechanism only when the upper seat is in its upright state.

35. The convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to embodiment 33 or 34,

Wherein, the seat manipulation prevention device comprises a seat triggering member and a seat stopping member,

wherein the seat triggering member is configured to operate the seat stop member when the seat triggering member is triggered by the bracket when the bracket is in its operative state; and

Therein, the seat stop member is operable by the seat triggering member to be manipulated from its stop state to its release state when it is operated, in which the seat operating mechanism is released from the stop.

36. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 35, wherein the support bar is configured to trigger the seat triggering member only when the support bar is in its operational state.

37. The convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to embodiment 35 or 36 further includes: a lower support member, which has two support rod attachment areas on two lateral sides of the lower support member, wherein the seat trigger member is arranged on the lower support member adjacent to at least one of the support rod attachment areas, wherein at least one of the support rods includes a front protrusion positioned around the proximal end of at least one of the support rods, and wherein the front protrusion is configured to trigger the seat trigger member when the support rod is in its operating state.

38. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 30, wherein the seat manipulation prevention device is constituted by the bracket in its storage state.

39. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 38, wherein the seat manipulation prevention device is constituted by a distal end of a support rod.

40. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to any one of Examples 30 to 39, wherein the backrest portion of the upper seat is positioned at a first rear angle with respect to a reference plane in the upright state, and is positioned at a second rear angle less than the first rear angle in the extended state, and wherein the backrest is capable of being manipulated rearwardly from the upright state to the extended state.

41. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to Example 40, when subordinate to any one of Examples 32 or 33, wherein the distal end of the bracket is constructed to be securely positioned in contact with the rear surface of the backrest portion of the upper seat in the storage state of the bracket to prevent rearward manipulation of the backrest portion, thereby preventing the upper seat from being manipulated from the upright state to the extended state at least when the support rod is in the storage state.

42. The convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to any one of embodiments 30 to 41 further includes a support rod manipulation prevention device, which is configured to prevent the support rod from being manipulated from the operating state to the storage state at least when the upper seat is in the extended state.

43. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to Example 42, wherein the support rod manipulation prevention device is configured to change its state between a locked state and an unlocked state, wherein in the locked state, the support rod manipulation prevention device prevents the support rod from being manipulated toward the storage state, and in the unlocked state, the support rod manipulation prevention device enables manipulation of the support rod between the storage state and the operating state.

44. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 43, wherein the support rod manipulation prevention device is configured to prevent manipulation of the support rod toward the storage state by stopping the support rod in the locked state.

45. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 43, wherein the strut manipulation prevention device is configured to prevent manipulation of the strut toward the storage state by stopping the strut manipulation mechanism in the locked state.

46. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 45, wherein the strut manipulation prevention device is configured to stop the strut manipulation mechanism when the strut is in its operative state.

47. The convertible infant-safe car seat assembly of embodiment 45 or 46, wherein the strut manipulation prevention device comprises a strut triggering member and a strut stopping member.

wherein the strut triggering member is configured to operate the strut stopping member when the strut triggering member is triggered by the upper seat when the upper seat is in its upright state; and

Wherein, the strut stop member is operable by the strut trigger member to be manipulated from its stop state to its release state when operated, in which the leg operating mechanism is released from the stopper.

48. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 47, wherein the upper seat is configured to trigger the strut triggering member only when the upper seat is in its upright position.

49. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to Example 48, wherein the support rod trigger member is connected to the upper seat and constitutes a part of the seat operating mechanism, so that when the upper seat is operated to the upright state, the support rod trigger member is also configured to maintain the upper seat in the upright state.

50. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 42 or 43, wherein the pole manipulation prevention device is constituted by the upper seat in its extended state.

51. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 50, wherein the pole manipulation prevention device is formed by a backrest portion of the upper seat.

52. The convertible infant-safe car seat assembly of any one of embodiments 42 to 51, wherein the back portion includes a middle portion to which the foot portion is connected.

53. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to embodiment 52, wherein the intermediate portion constitutes a lowermost portion of the upper seat, and wherein the lowermost portion of the upper seat is movable about a vertical axis when the upper seat is manipulated between the upright state and the extended state.

54. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 52 or 53, wherein at least a middle portion of the back portion is formed of a flexible material.

55. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly comprising:

an upper seat having a backrest portion and a foot portion;

a seat operating mechanism operable to operate the upper seat between an upright position in which the back portion and the foot portion form a first angle therebetween and an extended position in which the back portion and the foot portion form a second angle therebetween that is greater than the first angle;

a strut having a distal end associated with the wheel;

a strut steering mechanism operable to manipulate the strut between a storage configuration in which the vehicle seat assembly can be mounted in a vehicle in a position suitable for securing a child therein and an operating configuration in which the seat assembly can be rolled on the wheels; and

A support rod manipulation prevention device is configured to prevent the support rod from being manipulated from the operating state to the storage state at least when the upper seat is in the extended state.

56. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to Example 55, wherein the support rod manipulation prevention device is configured to change its state between a locked state and an unlocked state, wherein in the locked state, the support rod manipulation prevention device prevents manipulation of the support rod toward the storage state, and in the unlocked state, the support rod manipulation prevention device enables manipulation of the support rod between the storage state and the operating state.

57. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 56, wherein the support rod manipulation prevention device is configured to prevent manipulation of the support rod toward the storage state by stopping the support rod in the locked state.

58. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 56, wherein the strut manipulation prevention device is configured to prevent manipulation of the strut toward the storage state by stopping the strut manipulation mechanism in the locked state.

59. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 58, wherein the strut manipulation prevention device is configured to stop the strut manipulation mechanism when the strut is in its operative state.

60. The convertible infant-safe car seat assembly of embodiment 58 or 59, wherein the strut manipulation prevention device comprises a strut triggering member and a strut stopping member.

wherein the strut triggering member is configured to operate the strut stopping member when the strut triggering member is triggered by the upper seat when the upper seat is in its upright state; and

The strut stop member is operable by the strut trigger member to be manipulated from a stop state to a release state thereof when it is operated, in which the strut manipulation mechanism is released from the stop.

61. The convertible infant-safe car seat assembly of embodiment 60, wherein the upper seat is configured to trigger the strut triggering member only when the upper seat is in its operational state.

62. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to Example 61, wherein the support rod trigger member is connected to the upper seat and constitutes a part of the seat operating mechanism, so that when the upper seat is operated to the upright state, the support rod trigger member is also configured to maintain the upper seat in the upright state.

63. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of Embodiment 55, wherein the pole manipulation prevention device is constituted by the upper seat in its extended state.

64. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 63, wherein the pole manipulation prevention device is formed by a backrest portion of the upper seat.

65. The convertible infant-safe car seat assembly of any one of Embodiments 55 to 64, wherein the back portion includes a middle portion to which the foot portion is connected.

66. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to embodiment 65, wherein the intermediate portion constitutes a lowermost portion of the upper seat, and wherein the lowermost portion of the upper seat is movable about a vertical axis when the upper seat is manipulated between the upright state and the extended state.

67. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 65 or 66, wherein at least the middle portion of the back portion is formed of a flexible material.

68. The convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to any one of Examples 55 to 67 further includes a seat manipulation prevention device, which is configured to prevent the upper seat from being manipulated from the upright state to the extended state at least when the support rod is in the storage state.

69. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to Example 68, wherein the seat manipulation prevention device is configured to change state between a locked state and an unlocked state, wherein in the locked state, the seat manipulation prevention device prevents manipulation of the upper seat toward the extended state, and in the unlocked state, the seat manipulation prevention device enables manipulation of the upper seat between the upright state and the extended state.

70. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to embodiment 68 or 69, wherein the seat manipulation prevention device is configured to prevent manipulation of the upper seat toward the extended state by stopping the upper seat in the locked state.

71. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to embodiment 68 or 69, wherein the seat manipulation prevention device is configured to prevent manipulation of the upper seat toward the extended state by stopping the seat manipulation mechanism in the locked state.

72. A convertible infant-safety car seat assembly according to embodiment 71, wherein the seat manipulation prevention device is configured to stop the seat manipulation mechanism only when the upper seat is in its upright state.

73. The convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to embodiment 71 or 72,

Wherein, the seat manipulation prevention device comprises a seat triggering member and a seat stopping member,

wherein the seat triggering member is configured to operate the seat stopping member when the seat triggering member is triggered by the strut when the strut is in its operative state; and

Therein, the seat stop member is operable by the seat triggering member to be manipulated from a stop state to a release state thereof when operated, in which the seat operating mechanism is released from the stop.

74. The convertible infant-safe car seat assembly of embodiment 73, wherein the support bar is configured to trigger the seat triggering member only when the support bar is in its operational state.

75. The convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to embodiment 73 or 74 further includes: a lower support member, which has two support rod attachment areas on two lateral sides of the lower support member, wherein the seat trigger member is arranged on the lower support member adjacent to at least one of the support rod attachment areas, wherein at least one of the support rods includes a front protrusion positioned around the proximal end of at least one of the support rods, and wherein the front protrusion is configured to trigger the seat trigger member when the support rod is in its operating state.

76. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 68, wherein the seat manipulation prevention device is constituted by a support rod in its storage state.

77. The convertible infant safety car seat assembly of embodiment 76, wherein the seat manipulation prevention device is constituted by the distal end of the support rod.

78. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to any one of Examples 68 to 77, wherein the backrest portion of the upper seat is positioned at a first rear angle with respect to a reference plane in the upright state, and is positioned at a second rear angle less than the first rear angle in the extended state, and wherein the backrest is capable of being manipulated rearwardly from the upright state to the extended state.

79. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to Example 78, when subordinate to any one of Examples 70 or 71, wherein the distal end of the support rod is constructed to be securely positioned in contact with the rear surface of the backrest portion of the upper seat in the storage state of the support rod to prevent rearward manipulation of the backrest portion, thereby preventing the upper seat from being manipulated from the upright state to the extended state at least when the support rod is in the storage state.

80. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly comprising:

a lower support member having a front portion and a rear portion and a reference plane extending horizontally through a lowermost region of the lower support member;

an upper seat hingeably connected to the lower support and having a backrest portion associated with a rear portion of the lower support and a foot portion associated with a front portion of the lower support;

a support bar having wheels, the support bar being operable between a storage state in which at least the wheels are located above the reference surface and the assembly is mountable in a vehicle at a location suitable for securing an infant therein, and an operating state in which at least the wheels are located below the reference surface so that the seat assembly can be rolled by means of the wheels;

a strut manipulation mechanism operable to manipulate the strut between a stored condition and an operational condition;

a seat operating mechanism operable to operate the upper seat between an upright position in which the back portion and the foot portion form a first angle therebetween and an extended position in which the back portion and the foot portion form a second angle therebetween that is greater than the first angle;

a seat manipulation actuator configured to enable a user to manipulate the seat manipulation mechanism, and a strut manipulation actuator configured to enable a user to manipulate the strut manipulation mechanism, one of the seat and the strut manipulation actuator being positioned at a position associated with the front of the lower support member, and the other being positioned at a position spaced rearwardly from the front of the lower support member.

81. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 80, wherein the seat maneuver actuator is positioned forward of the lower support member.

82. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to embodiment 80 or 81, wherein the storage state of the support rod can only be combined with the upright state of the upper seat, thereby defining a first mode of the seat assembly; the extended state of the upper seat can only be combined with the operating state of the support rod, thereby defining a second mode of the seat assembly; and the operating state of the support rod and the upright state of the upper seat can also be at least combined with each other, thereby defining a third mode of the seat assembly.

83. A convertible infant-safe car seat assembly according to embodiment 80, 81 or 82, wherein the seat assembly can enter its first mode and its second mode only from its third mode.

84. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 82 or 83, configured such that manipulation of the support rod in the second mode of the seat assembly is at least indirectly prevented by the upper seat being in the extended state.

85. The convertible infant-safe car seat assembly of any one of embodiments 80 to 84, further configured such that manipulation of the upper seat in the first mode of the seat assembly is at least indirectly prevented by the support rod being in the storage state.

86. The convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to any one of embodiments 80 to 85 further includes a support rod manipulation prevention device, which is configured to prevent the support rod from being manipulated from the operating state to the storage state at least when the upper seat is in the extended state.

87. The convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to any one of embodiments 80 to 86 further includes a seat manipulation prevention device, which is configured to prevent the upper seat from being manipulated from the upright state to the extended state at least when the support rod is in the storage state.

88. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to Example 87, wherein the seat manipulation prevention device is configured to change state between a locked state and an unlocked state, wherein in the locked state, the seat manipulation prevention device prevents manipulation of the upper seat toward the extended state, and in the unlocked state, the seat manipulation prevention device enables manipulation of the upper seat between the upright state and the extended state.

89. A convertible infant-safe car seat assembly according to embodiment 88, wherein the seat manipulation prevention device is configured to prevent manipulation of the upper seat toward the extended state by stopping the upper seat in the locked state.

90. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to embodiment 88 or 89, wherein the seat manipulation prevention device is configured to prevent manipulation of the upper seat toward the extended state by stopping the seat manipulation mechanism in the locked state.

91. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to embodiment 89 or 90, wherein the seat operation prevention device is configured to stop the seat operation mechanism only when the upper seat is in its upright state.

92. The convertible infant-safe car seat assembly of any one of embodiments 87 to 91, wherein the seat manipulation prevention device comprises a support rod in its storage state.

93. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 92, wherein the seat manipulation prevention device comprises a distal end of the support rod.

94. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of any one of embodiments 80 to 93, wherein the backrest portion of the upper seat is maneuverable rearwardly from the upright position to the extended position.

95. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to Example 94, wherein the distal end of the support rod is configured to be securely positioned in contact with the rear surface of the backrest portion of the upper seat in the storage state of the support rod to prevent rearward manipulation of the backrest portion, thereby preventing the upper seat from being manipulated from the upright state to the extended state at least when the support is in the storage state.

96. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to any one of Example 86 and Examples 87 to 95 directly or indirectly subordinate to Example 86, wherein the support rod manipulation prevention device is configured to change its state between a locked state and an unlocked state, wherein in the locked state, the support rod manipulation prevention device prevents manipulation of the support rod toward the storage state, and in the unlocked state, the support rod manipulation prevention device enables manipulation of the support rod between the storage state and the operating state.

97. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to embodiment 96, wherein the support rod manipulation prevention device is configured to prevent operation of the support rod toward the storage state by stopping the support rod in the locked state.

98. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to embodiment 96 or 97, wherein the pole manipulation prevention device is configured to prevent operation of the pole toward the storage state by stopping the pole manipulation mechanism in the locked state.

99. The convertible infant safety car seat assembly of embodiment 98, wherein the strut manipulation prevention device is configured to stop the strut manipulation mechanism when the strut is in its operative state.

100. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to Example 86 or any one of Examples 87 to 99 when directly or indirectly dependent upon Example 86, wherein the pole manipulation prevention device is constituted by the upper seat in its extended state.

101. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of embodiment 100, wherein the pole manipulation prevention device comprises a backrest portion of the upper seat.

102. An infant seat, which, at least in use, comprises:

a shell made of plastic material and having an outer side facing outwards and an inner side of the shell at which the fabric cover of the seat can be attached, the shell having a rear wall and two side walls, each side wall having a respective inner surface and an outer surface merging at a respective upper edge, the upper edges of the rear wall and the side walls merging continuously and constituting the upper shell edge,

a fabric cover for covering at least the inner side of the housing when the fabric cover is removably connected to the inner side of the housing;

Top cover; and

A zipper assembly for removably connecting a cover and a top cover to a shell adjacent an upper edge of the shell, the zipper assembly comprising a top cover zipper and a cover zipper, each zipper being separable and comprising a zipper box and a zipper pin and having:

a shell zipper half having one of a zipper box and a zipper pin sewn to the shell adjacent an upper edge of the shell at least along a portion thereof adjacent the rear wall at an outer surface of the rear wall and the side walls, and

having matching zipper halves of the other of the zipper box and the zipper pin, the matching zipper halves of the first zipper being sewn to the cover, the matching zipper halves of the second zipper being sewn to the top cover,

Wherein, optionally, the zipper box is located on the shell zipper half and the zipper pin is located on the matching zipper half.

103. An infant seat according to embodiment 102, wherein the shell zipper half of each of the zippers has: a base, at which the shell zipper half is sewn to the shell; and a flapping portion having zipper teeth, and the shell zipper halves of both zippers are sewn to the shell at the base of the shell zipper halves, so that the flapping portions of the shell zipper halves can be separated and manipulated independently from each other when the corresponding matching halves of the zippers are engaged.

104. An infant seat according to embodiment 102 or 103, wherein the shell zipper half of the cover zipper is spaced from the upper edge of the shell to a first degree, and the shell zipper half of the top cover zipper is spaced from the upper edge of the shell to a second degree that is less than the first degree.

105. An infant seat according to any one of embodiments 102 to 104, wherein the shell zipper half of the cover zipper extends along at least a portion of the upper edge of the shell, and the shell zipper half of the top cover zipper extends along a portion of the shell zipper half of the cover zipper.

106. The infant seat of any one of embodiments 102 to 105, wherein when both the lid and the top cover are zipped to the shell, the top cover zipper covers the lid zipper along the length of the top cover zipper.

107. An infant seat according to any one of embodiments 102 to 106, wherein the zipper boxes of the shell halves of the two zippers are located at or adjacent to different side walls of the shell, so that the cover zipper can be fastened in a direction opposite to the direction of the top cover zipper.

108. The infant seat according to any one of embodiments 102 to 107, wherein the two shell zipper halves are sewn together to the shell by at least one common sewn seam.

109. An infant seat according to any one of embodiments 102 to 108, wherein the upper edge of the shell includes a stepped zipper retraction recess, the zipper retraction recess having: a first wall at which the shell half of the zipper is sewn to the shell; and a second wall oriented transversely to the first wall and having a height that limits the depth of the recess.

110. An infant seat according to embodiment 108 or 109, when directly or indirectly subordinate to embodiment 111, wherein the zipper device also includes a fabric binding piece, which accommodates the base of the shell half and is sewn to the shell with the plant binding piece by at least one common sewing seam.

111. An infant seat according to embodiment 110 when dependent upon embodiment 109, wherein the binding with the base of the shell zipper half has a thickness corresponding to the depth of the zipper receiving recess.

112. An infant seat according to embodiment 108 or any one of embodiments 109 to 111 when directly or indirectly subordinate to embodiment 108, when embodiment 108 is directly or indirectly subordinate to embodiment 103, wherein, in addition to the at least one common stitched seam, the bases of the shell zipper halves are also connected to each other by a preformed connection, and the preformed connection can optionally be formed by welding.

113. An infant seat according to any one of embodiments 102 to 112, wherein the cover zipper is longer than the top cover zipper, and the cover zipper extends further downward along each of the two side walls of the shell relative to the top cover zipper.

114. The infant seat according to any one of embodiments 102 to 113, wherein when the top cover is fastened, only the top cover zipper can be released and the lid zipper remains at least partially inaccessible.

115. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly adapted to secure an infant therein and having a first storage mode and a second operating mode, wherein in the first storage mode the assembly is adapted to be positioned within a vehicle, and in the second operating mode the assembly is capable of rolling along an external support surface, wherein the assembly is capable of rocking on the external support surface between a neutral position and at least one of a forward reclined position and a rearward reclined position when in the storage mode and positioned on the external support surface, the assembly comprising:

one or more lowermost regions operable to contact an external support surface in a neutral position;

at least one of a front region and a rear region operable to contact said exterior support surface when in a respective at least one of said front inclined position and rear inclined position;

a horizontal reference plane comprising the lowermost region or regions of the assembly when in a neutral position and notionally representing said outer support surface;

a lower support member having a front portion and a rear portion and a lowermost area of the seat closest to said horizontal reference plane when said assembly is in said neutral position;

an upper seat connected to the lower support and having a backrest portion associated with a rear portion of the lower support and a foot portion associated with a front portion of the lower support;

struts connected at their proximal ends to the lower support and having distal ends with wheels fixed thereto at least in an operational mode, said struts being operable between a storage state associated at least with the storage mode of the assembly, in which at least a portion of each strut having said wheels is located above said reference plane, and an operational state associated at least with the operational mode of the assembly, in which at least a portion of each strut having said wheels is located below said reference plane so as to enable rolling of the seat assembly by means of said wheels; said struts constituting a pair of rear struts and a pair of front struts;

At least one pair of struts has a curved shape so that when in the storage state, the at least one pair of struts has a first area positioned above a reference plane in a neutral position, at least one second area constituting at least one of the front area and the rear area, and at least one third area spaced apart from the first area and the second area, at least the second area having a swing participation portion made of a material different from that of at least one third area, such as for improving at least one swing mass compared to the swing mass that the swing participation portion would have if it was made of the material of the third area.

116. The assembly of embodiment 115, wherein the swaying mass is at least one of:

Higher friction capacity, so that the swing participation part constitutes the friction increasing part; or

The softness makes the swing participation part constitute a soft contact part.

117. A component according to embodiment 115 or 116, wherein the one or more lowermost regions and the at least one second region form a continuous curved shape at least as shown in a side view of the component.

118. The assembly of any one of embodiments 115 to 117, wherein the at least one second region, in the storage state of the corresponding pole, constitutes at least one of the following:

The rear region of at least one of the front region and the rear region and further extends rearward from the rear of the lower support member

The front region of the at least one of the front region and the rear region and extends further forward from the front of the lower support member.

119. A component according to any one of embodiments 115 to 118, wherein at least one of the lower support member and the support rod includes at least one other region separated from the one or more lowermost regions and the at least one second region, wherein at least one of the one or more lowermost regions includes a swing participating portion made of a material different from the material of the at least one other region, such as for improving at least one swing mass compared to the swing mass that the swing participating portion would have if it was made of the material of the other regions.

120. A component according to embodiment 119, wherein the rocking participation portion of the second region and the rocking participation portion of at least one of the one or more lowermost regions are made of the same material.

121. The assembly of embodiments 119 or 120, wherein the at least one other region constitutes a majority of the area of the at least one of the lower support member and the strut.

122. An assembly as described in any one of embodiments 115 to 121, wherein the one or more lowermost regions of the assembly include a lowermost region of the seat.

123. An assembly according to embodiment 122, wherein the lower support member includes a curved bottom that extends between the front and rear portions of the lower support member and includes the lowermost area of the seat, wherein the curved bottom at least partially participates in the ability of the assembly to rock on the external support surface when in the storage mode and positioned on the external support surface between the neutral position and at least one of the front tilt position and the rear tilt position.

124. The assembly of any one of embodiments 115 to 123, wherein the one or more lowermost regions of the assembly include a first region of the at least one pair of struts.

125. In the component of embodiment 124, the first region has a swing participating portion made of a material different from that of the at least one third region, such as to improve at least one swing mass compared to the swing mass that the swing participating portion would have if it was made of the material from which the third region was made.

126. A component according to embodiment 125, wherein the rocking participating portion of the second region and the rocking participating portion of the first region are made of the same material.

127. A component according to any one of embodiments 124 to 126, wherein the first region at least partially overlaps with one of the at least one second region at least in a side view of the component.

128. An assembly according to any one of embodiments 115 to 127, wherein the wheels of the struts of the at least one pair of struts, when connected to the struts, constitute stoppers for limiting the swaying of the assembly in at least one of the front tilt position and the rear tilt position.

129. The assembly of any one of embodiments 115 to 127, wherein the wheels of the poles of the at least one pair of poles are detachably connected to the poles.

130. An assembly according to embodiment 129, wherein, when the wheel is removed from the support pole, the range of swing of the assembly is increased compared to when the wheel is connected to the support pole, and the range is limited by the total area of the assembly that coincides with the horizontal reference plane during the swing of the assembly.

131. The assembly of any one of embodiments 115 to 130, wherein the at least one pair of struts is a front pair of struts.

132. In the component of embodiment 131, the at least one second region constitutes a rear region that coincides with the reference plane at a corresponding rear inclined position of the component.

133. A component according to embodiment 116 or any one of embodiments 117 to 132 when directly or indirectly subordinate to embodiment 116, wherein the material used to make the friction increasing portion is softer than the material of at least one third region, and the rocking participation portion thereby constitutes the soft contact portion.

134. The assembly of embodiment 133, wherein the soft contact portion provides damping to rocking of the assembly.

135. An assembly according to any one of embodiments 115 to 134, wherein the material used to manufacture the rocking participation portion prevents mechanical damage to the at least one pair of struts.

136. The assembly of any one of embodiments 115 to 135, wherein the at least one third region constitutes a majority of the at least one pair of struts.

137. A component according to any one of embodiments 115 to 136, wherein each branch having the rocking participation portion is made of a first material, and the rocking participation portion is made of a second material different from the first material.

138. An assembly according to embodiment 137, wherein the rocking participation part is in the form of a liner, which is attached to the corresponding support rod at its surface facing the reference surface.

139. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly comprising:

a lower support member having a front portion and a rear portion and a reference plane extending horizontally through a lowermost region of the lower support member;

an upper seat connected to the lower support and having a backrest portion associated with a rear portion of the lower support and a foot portion associated with a front portion of the lower support;

a support rod having wheels, the support rod being operable between a storage state and an operating state, in which at least the wheels are located above the reference surface and the assembly is suitable for being positioned in a vehicle or on a support surface in a position suitable for securing an infant therein, and in which at least the wheels are located below the reference surface so that the seat assembly can be rolled by the wheels; the support rod constituting a pair of rear support rods associated with the rear wheels and a pair of front support rods associated with the front wheels, the front wheels in their storage state laterally projecting from the lower support to a greater extent than the rear wheels at least in a rear view of the assembly; the front support rods being pivotally maneuverable from the operating state to the storage state so that in the storage state the front wheels are positioned closer to the backrest portion than the foot portion;

Wherein, at least the front wheel is connected to the front support rod via a quick release mechanism.

140. The assembly of embodiment 139, wherein the front wheel is removable from the front strut in a wheel removal direction extending laterally relative to the lower support.

141. A component according to embodiment 140, wherein each of the front wheels includes a strut connecting element extending along the wheel removal direction when the wheel is connected to the corresponding front strut, and each of the front struts includes a wheel connecting element extending along the wheel removal direction.

142. The assembly of embodiment 141, wherein the strut connection element and the wheel connection element are removably connected to each other, thereby allowing the wheel to rotate with the strut connection element relative to the wheel connection element about a wheel rotation axis parallel to the wheel removal direction.

143. The assembly of embodiment 142, wherein the branch connection element and the wheel connection element at least partially constitute a quick release mechanism.

144. The assembly of embodiment 143, wherein the quick release mechanism further comprises a release actuator for actuating the release of the bracket connection element from the wheel connection element.

145. An assembly according to embodiment 144, wherein the release actuator is positioned at one of the front wheel and the corresponding front strut.

146. A component according to any one of embodiments 139 to 145, wherein each of the front wheels comprises: a rolling area, which is configured to contact the support surface when the component rolls on the support surface with the aid of the wheel; and a remaining area, which is configured not to contact the support surface when the component rolls on the support surface, and each of the front wheels comprises a wheel holding portion positioned at the remaining area, and the wheel holding portion is suitable for being held by a user for at least removing the wheel from the corresponding front support rod.

147. An assembly according to any one of embodiments 139 to 146, wherein the rear wheel is connected to the rear support rod by a quick release mechanism.

148. An infant safety car seat assembly, comprising:

A seat having a back portion and a foot portion;

a handle connected to the seat at a handle attachment area of the seat by a pivotable attachment that enables the handle to pivot between a plurality of different positions, the handle having a seat facing area facing the handle attachment area and an opposing exterior facing area; and

A side protection module for absorbing at least a portion of impact energy thereon, the side protection module being selectively mountable at an outwardly facing region of the handle.

149. An assembly according to embodiment 148, wherein the side protection module is configured to be pivotable together with the handle when mounted to the handle.

150. An assembly according to embodiment 148 or 149, wherein the side protection module has an elongated shape extending along a longitudinal axis and includes a first handle engagement portion and a second handle engagement portion spaced apart from each other at least partially along the longitudinal axis.

151. An assembly according to embodiment 150, wherein, when the side protection module is mounted to the handle, the outward-facing area of the handle includes a first module engagement portion for engaging the first handle engagement portion and a second module engagement portion for engaging the second handle engagement portion.

152. A component according to embodiment 151, wherein at least one of the first handle joining portion and the second handle joining portion includes a handle connecting element, and correspondingly at least one of the first module joining portion and the second module joining portion includes a module connecting element, and the handle connecting element and the module connecting element are detachably connected to each other.

153. According to the component of embodiment 152, the handle connecting element and the module connecting element are detachably connected to each other by a quick release mechanism.

154. The assembly of embodiment 153, wherein the quick release mechanism is a magnetic connection mechanism.

155. A component according to any one of embodiments 151 to 154, wherein at least one of the first handle engaging portion and the second handle engaging portion includes a first portion of an orientation fixing mechanism, and at least one of the first module engaging portion and the second module engaging portion includes a second portion of the orientation fixing mechanism, wherein the first portion and the second portion of the orientation fixing mechanism are configured to engage with each other when the side protection module is mounted to the handle to fix the orientation of the side protection module relative to the handle.

156. An assembly according to embodiment 155, wherein the orientation securing mechanism is configured to maintain the orientation of the side protection module relative to the handle during pivoting of the handle.

157. A component according to any one of embodiments 151 to 156, wherein the side protection module includes at least one third handle engagement portion positioned offset from the longitudinal axis, and the outward-facing area of the handle includes at least one third module engagement portion, and the at least one third module engagement portion is configured to engage the at least one third handle engagement portion when the side protection module is mounted to the handle.

158. A component according to embodiment 157, wherein the at least one third handle engaging portion includes a handle connecting element, and the at least one module engaging portion includes a module connecting element, and the handle connecting element and the module connecting element are detachably connected to each other.

159. In the assembly of embodiment 158, the handle connection element and the module connection element are detachably connected to each other via a quick release mechanism.

160. In the assembly of embodiment 159, the quick release mechanism is a magnetic connection mechanism.

161. The assembly according to any one of embodiments 148 to 160 further includes a cable connection device, which is used to connect the side protection module to at least one of the handle and the seat when the side protection module is mounted to the handle.

162. An assembly according to embodiment 161, wherein the cable connection device includes a cable having a first end connectable to the side protection module and a second end connectable to at least one of the handle and the seat.

163. An assembly according to any one of embodiments 148 to 162, wherein the side protection module includes a first module component selectively mountable to the handle and a second module component selectively mountable to the first module component.

164. An assembly according to embodiment 163, wherein the side protection module includes a locking device for selectively locking the first module part and the second module part to each other when the second module part is mounted to the first module part.

165. The assembly of any one of embodiments 148 to 164, further comprising a support pole having a distal end with wheels and a relative proximal end connected to the seat at a support pole attachment area thereof, wherein the support pole attachment area at least partially overlaps with the handle attachment area at least in a side view of the assembly.

166. An assembly according to embodiment 165, wherein the seat has a reference plane horizontally passing through its lowermost area, the support rod is capable of operating between a storage state and an operating state, in which the storage state at least the distal end is located above the reference plane, and the assembly is suitable for being positioned in a car in which a young child is secured, in which the operating state at least the distal end is located below the reference plane so that the seat assembly can roll with the aid of wheels connected at the distal end, the support rod is capable of pivoting rearwardly toward the backrest portion of the seat for maneuvering from the operating state to the storage state, so that in the storage state the distal end is positioned closer to the backrest portion than the foot portion; the support rod constitutes a pair of rear support rods associated with the rear wheels at least in the operating state and a pair of front support rods associated with the front wheels at least in the operating state.

167. An assembly according to embodiment 166, wherein at least one of the front and rear wheels constitutes an additional side protection module when connected to the corresponding support rod in its storage state.

168. An assembly according to embodiment 167, wherein, in the storage state of the support rod, the extent to which the at least one wheel protrudes laterally from the seat is greater than the extent to which at least another wheel on the same side of the seat as the at least one wheel protrudes laterally from the seat, at least in a rear view of the assembly.

169. An assembly according to embodiment 168, wherein the at least one wheel is a front wheel and the at least another wheel is a rear wheel.

170. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly comprising:

a lower support member having a front portion and a rear portion and a reference plane extending horizontally through a lowermost region of the lower support member;

an upper seat connected to the lower support and having a back portion associated with a rear portion of the lower support and a foot portion associated with a front portion of the lower support; the upper seat being operable between an upright position in which the back portion and the foot portion define a first angle therebetween and an extended position in which the back portion and the foot portion define a second angle therebetween that is greater than the first angle;

a support post having wheels, the support post being manipulable between a storage position in which at least the wheels are above the reference surface and an operational position in which at least the wheels are below the reference surface so that the seat assembly can be rolled by means of the wheels;

The lower support member includes a rear hinged portion located at the rear of the lower support member and a front hinged portion located at the front of the lower support member, the backrest portion is pivotally hinged to the rear hinged portion, the foot portion of the upper seat is configured to be slidably hinged to the front hinged portion, and the change of the state of the upper seat between the upright state and the extended state can be achieved by the pivotal hinge of the backrest portion in conjunction with the sliding hinge of the foot portion.

171. An assembly as described in embodiment 170, wherein the backrest portion is pivotally hinged about a pivot axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the lower support member, and the foot portion is slidably hinged along the longitudinal axis of the lower support member.

172. An assembly according to embodiment 170 or 171, wherein the back portion and the foot portion of the upper seat are connected to each other so that manipulation of one of the back portion and the foot portion causes manipulation of the other.

173. An assembly as described in any one of embodiments 170 to 172, wherein the upper seat further includes an intermediate portion that fixedly connects the back portion and the foot portion to each other.

174. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to embodiment 173, wherein the middle portion constitutes the lowermost portion of the upper seat, and wherein the lowermost portion of the upper seat is movable about a vertical axis when the upper seat is manipulated between the upright state and the extended state.

175. A convertible infant-safety car seat assembly according to embodiment 173 or 174, wherein at least a middle portion of the backrest portion is formed from a flexible material.

176. An assembly according to any one of embodiments 173 to 175, wherein the intermediate portion is concave and formed from a flexible material so that it can bend when the upper seat is manipulated to the extended state.

177. The component according to any one of embodiments 170 to 176 further includes a seat operating mechanism, which is operable to operate the upper seat between the upright state and the extended state; and a seat operation prevention device, which is operable to prevent the upper seat from being operated from the upright state to the extended state.

178. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to Example 177, wherein the seat manipulation prevention device is configured to change state between a locked state and an unlocked state, wherein in the locked state, the seat manipulation prevention device prevents manipulation of the upper seat toward the extended state, and in the unlocked state, the seat manipulation prevention device enables manipulation of the upper seat between the upright state and the extended state.

179. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to embodiment 177 or 178, wherein the seat manipulation prevention device is operable to prevent manipulation of the upper seat toward the extended state by stopping the upper seat in the locked state.

180. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to embodiment 177 or 178, wherein the seat manipulation prevention device is operable to prevent manipulation of the upper seat toward the extended state by stopping the seat manipulation mechanism in the locked state.

181. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to embodiment 180, wherein the seat operation prevention device is operable to stop the seat operation mechanism only when the upper seat is in its upright state.

182. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to any one of embodiments 177 to 181, wherein the seat manipulation prevention device is constituted by a support rod in its storage state.

183. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to embodiment 182, wherein the seat manipulation prevention device is formed by the distal end of the support rod.

184. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to any one of Example 170 or Examples 171 to 183 when directly or indirectly subordinate to Example 170, wherein the rear hinged portion is in the form of a hinge recess positioned in the side wall of the lower support member, and the hinge recess is configured to freely receive one or more hinged elements of the backrest portion therein to allow these elements to pivot about the pivot axis.

185. The convertible infant-safe car seat assembly of embodiment 184, wherein the one or more hinged elements of the backrest portion include a rear pivot shaft integrally formed or assembled with the backrest portion.

186. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to Example 170 or Example 171 when directly or indirectly subordinate to Example 170, wherein the front hinge portion is in the form of an elongated hinge groove extending parallel to the longitudinal axis and is configured to slidably receive at least one corresponding hinged element of the foot portion therein.

187. The convertible infant-safe car seat assembly of embodiment 186, wherein the hingeable element of the foot portion comprises a sliding rod integrally formed or assembled with the foot portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to better understand the subject matter disclosed herein and to illustrate how the invention may be implemented in practice, embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

1A , 1B, 1C and 1D illustrate side views of an infant safety car seat assembly according to one example of the presently disclosed subject matter in respective car seat installation or storage modes, extended stroller modes, upright stroller modes, and rollable carrier modes in which the assembly may be used;

FIG. 1E is a schematic diagram illustrating possible transitions between the modes shown in FIG. 1A to FIG. 1C / 1D ;

2A is a front perspective view of a lower support member that may be used with an infant-safe car seat assembly according to one example of the presently disclosed subject matter;

FIG2B is a view of a side wall of the lower support member shown in FIG2A taken along the A-A direction perpendicular to the inner surface of the side wall in FIG2A;

FIG. 3A is a front perspective view of an upper seat without a cover that may be used with the lower support member shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B in an infant-safe car seat assembly according to one example of the presently disclosed subject matter, the upper seat being in its upright position;

FIG3B is a side view of the upper seat of FIG3A ;

FIG3C is a perspective cutaway side view of the upper seat shown in FIG3A , viewed along the direction B-B perpendicular to the cutaway plane in FIG3A ;

Fig. 3D is a front perspective view of the upper seat shown in Figs. 3A to 3C, the upper seat being in its extended state;

FIG3E is a side view of the upper seat of FIG3D ;

FIG4A is a top perspective view of a seat assembly having the upper seat of FIGS. 3A-3E mounted to the lower support member of FIGS. 2A and 2B , the upper seat being in the upright position of FIGS. 3A-3C with its foot portion removed to simplify illustration;

4B is an enlarged perspective view of area 4B of the seat assembly shown in FIG. 4A , including the seat manipulation mechanism and the seat manipulation prevention device, with the foot portion of the upper seat removed to simplify the illustration;

FIG4C is an enlarged view of area 4C of the seat assembly shown in FIG4B;

FIG4D is an enlarged view of area 4D of the seat assembly shown in FIG4A;

Fig. 4E illustrates the area shown in Fig. 4D when the upper seat of the seat assembly is in its extended state as shown in Figs. 3D and 3E;

4F is a close-up view of the proximal end of a leg of an infant-safe car seat assembly according to one example of the presently disclosed subject matter, the strut being shown in its operative state;

FIG4G is a proximal end of the strut of FIG4F , the strut being shown in its stored state;

FIG5A is a rear perspective view of the seat assembly shown in FIG4A;

FIG5B is an enlarged view of area 5B in FIG5A, including a strut manipulation mechanism and a strut manipulation prevention device;

FIG. 5C illustrates the area 62 of the seat shown in FIG. 5B when the upper seat of the seat assembly is in its extended state;

6 is a rear perspective view of the seat assembly of FIG. 4A , illustrating a seat manipulation prevention device according to another example of the presently disclosed subject matter;

7A is a rear perspective view schematically illustrating an infant-safety car seat assembly in a storage mode having a side protection module according to one example of the presently disclosed subject matter;

7B is a diagram schematically illustrating a rear view of two infant-safety car seat assemblies, each located within a vehicle in a storage mode, each having a side protection module, according to one example of the presently disclosed subject matter;

7C is a side view of an infant-safe car seat assembly in a storage mode with its handle in an anti-bounce position and with a side protection module according to one example of the presently disclosed subject matter;

7D and 7E are side views of the infant safety car seat assembly of FIG. 7C , with the handle in a carrier state and a storage state, respectively;

FIG. 7F illustrates a different view of the handle and side protection module of the infant safety car seat assembly of FIG. 7C ;

FIG. 7G illustrates a different view of a side protection module having two module components according to one example of the presently disclosed subject matter;

7H is a side perspective view of a side protection module further connected to a handle via a cable connection according to one example of the presently disclosed subject matter;

8A is a front perspective view of an infant-safety car seat assembly in an upright operating mode according to one example of the presently disclosed subject matter;

8B is a rear perspective view of a seat assembly according to one example of the presently disclosed subject matter having a top cover attached thereto;

9 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of an upper seat having a zipper arrangement in a seat assembly according to one example of the presently disclosed subject matter, with a fabric cover zipped thereto along a majority of the zipper length;

FIG10 is the same view as FIG9 without the fabric cover;

11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of what a zipper arrangement for mounting a fabric cover and top cover to a backrest of an infant seat may have according to another example of the presently disclosed subject matter;

12A is a side view of an infant-safe car seat assembly in a storage mode according to one example of the presently disclosed subject matter, shown in its neutral position;

FIG12B is a side view of the infant safety car seat assembly shown in FIG12A, shown in its rearward reclined position;

FIG. 12C is a side perspective view of the infant safety car seat assembly of FIG. 12A , shown in its rearward reclined position

FIG12D is a side perspective view of the infant-safety car seat assembly of FIG12A, shown in its neutral position;

FIG12E is a bottom perspective view of the infant safety car seat assembly of FIG12A;

13A is a front perspective view of an infant-safety car seat assembly in a storage mode according to one example of the presently disclosed subject matter;

FIG13B is a rear perspective view of the infant safety car seat assembly of FIG13A;

FIG13C is a rear view of the infant safety car seat assembly of FIG13A;

Fig. 13D is the same view as Fig. 13A showing the front wheels removed from the corresponding front struts;

FIG13E is the same view as FIG13B showing the two front wheels removed from the respective front struts; and

13F illustrates the front support bar of the infant-safety car seat assembly of FIG. 13A with the front wheels removed from the front support bar.

Detailed ways

An example convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to the presently disclosed subject matter can be any seat assembly configured to be used in the operating modes shown in Figures 1A-1D. These operating modes are the car seat installation mode shown in Figure 1A, which will be referred to as the storage mode 20 hereinafter; the extended stroller mode shown in Figure 1B, which will be referred to as the extended operating mode 24 hereinafter; the upright stroller mode shown in Figure 1C and the rollable carrier mode shown in Figure 1D, both of which will be referred to as the upright operating mode 22 hereinafter.

In this example, the convertible infant safety car seat assembly shown in Figures 1A to 1D is represented by 10, and includes: a lower support member 30; an upper seat 50 hinged to and mounted on the lower support member 30; a support rod 70 having a distal end 71 associated with a wheel and a proximal end 72 pivotally hinged to the lower support member 30; and a handle bar 12 configured to pivot between multiple positions as shown in Figures 1A to 1D.

The handle bar may have an adjustable length, thereby allowing the handle bar to adopt multiple positions depending on the mode in which the safety car seat assembly is to be used.

The handle bar 12 of this embodiment can take at least: a carrier state (Figure 1D), in which the handle bar 12 is oriented approximately vertically (Figure 1D); a stroller state (Figures 1B and 1C), in which the handle bar 12 extends forward and may have a length greater than that in the carrier state; and a storage state (Figure 1A), in which the handle bar 12 is oriented backward.

The lower support member 30 includes a seat lowermost region 32 configured to contact a support surface 26, which may be, for example, a vehicle seat or a base or ground surface securely mounted thereon, with the seat assembly configured to function as a safety seat. The support surface 26 is adapted to mount/position the seat assembly 10 thereon when the seat assembly 10 is in the storage mode 20. The seat lowermost region 32 defines an imaginary horizontal reference plane 34 and also includes two strut attachment regions 42 to which the proximal ends 72 of the struts are pivotally hinged between the following two states:

(a) a storage position ( FIG. 1A ) in which the distal ends of the struts are positioned on or above a horizontal reference plane 34 such that a seat-most region 32 of the seat assembly 10 may contact a support surface 26 on which the seat assembly is to be mounted or on which it is to be positioned; and

(b) An operating state ( FIGS. 1B , 1C and 1D ) in which the seat assembly can be rolled on wheels on the support surface 26 , which are positioned below the horizontal reference plane 34 .

The upper seat 50 includes a rear backrest portion 52 and a front foot portion 54, the front foot portion 54 being spaced a distance less than the backrest portion 52 from the horizontal reference plane 34. The backrest portion 52 is configured to support the head and back of an infant sitting on the seat assembly 10, and in order to better support the head, the backrest portion 52 may be provided with a headrest assembly 53, which is configured to be adjusted between a default position and a raised position, as is well known in the art.

The upper seat 50 can be manipulated between the following two states:

(a) an upright position ( FIGS. 1A , 1C and 1D ) enabling an infant to be positioned to be secured to the upper seat 50 , wherein the backrest portion 52 has a first orientation and forms a first angle α with the foot portion 54 ; and

(b) an extended state ( FIG. 1B ) enabling a lying-flat position for an infant secured to the upper seat 50 , wherein the backrest portion 52 has a second orientation closer to a horizontal orientation than the first orientation and forms a second angle β with the foot portion 54 that is greater than the first angle α.

Specifically, the first angle α may be about 90-130 degrees, and the second angle β may be about 140-170 degrees.

Typically, the seat assembly can be configured to enable a plurality of combinations between the above-mentioned states of the upper seat and the above-mentioned states of the support rods, while preventing at least one such combination. For example, the combination prevented can be between the storage state of the support rods and the extended state of the upper seat, by which the possibility of inserting the seat assembly into a vehicle with an infant lying thereon is precluded.

According to the latter example, as shown in FIG. 1E , the seat assembly 10 is configured to enable the extended state of the upper seat 50 to be combined only with the operational state of the support rod 70. In this way, the seat assembly is configured to enable the upper seat 50 to be manipulated between the upright state and the extended state only when the support rod 70 is in its operational state. This manipulation can occur in the transition between the upright operating mode 24 and the extended operating mode 22. The seat assembly 10 is also configured to enable the storage state of the support rod 70 to be combined only with the upright state of the upper seat 50. In this way, the seat assembly is configured to enable the support rod 70 to be manipulated between the operational state and the storage state only when the upper seat 50 is in its upright state. This manipulation can occur in the transition between the upright operating mode 24 and the storage mode 20.

Thus, in the seat assembly's upright operating mode 24 , the operational state of the strut 70 may be combined with the upright state of the upper seat 50 , and the seat assembly may enter its first storage mode 20 and second extended operating mode 22 only from its third upright operating mode 24 .

The structures of the lower support 30 and the upper seat 50 and non-limiting examples of their assembly and operation methods will be described in detail below with reference to the corresponding drawings, thereby allowing the above-mentioned combination of the support rod and the upper seat.

Typically, the basic structure of the lower support may include at least one hinged portion to which at least a portion of the upper seat is configured to be hinged so as to allow its state to be changed between an erected state and an extended state.

The lower support may include a rear articulated portion and a front articulated portion, to which a backrest portion and a foot portion of the upper seat may be articulated, respectively. The articulated portions may be configured to provide the same or different types of articulation to the relevant portion of the upper seat, i.e., they may both be configured to provide pivotal or linear articulation, or one of them may provide a pivotal articulation and the other may provide a linear articulation of the relevant portion of the upper seat. More specifically, the lower support may include a rear articulated portion located at the rear of the lower support and a front articulated portion located at the front of the lower support, the backrest portion being configured to be pivotally articulated to the rear articulated portion and the foot portion of the upper seat being configured to be slidably articulated to the front articulated portion.

The lower support member may be in the form of an asymmetric bowl including a bottom, a high rear wall and a low front wall spaced from one another along a longitudinal axis of the lower portion, and two side walls extending therebetween parallel to the longitudinal axis, as best seen in a side view of each side wall taken perpendicular to its inner surface. As shown in a side view of the lower support member, the rear wall and the front wall may generally extend away from one another such that the distance therebetween along the longitudinal axis increases in a direction away from the bottom of the lower support member.

The rear hinged portion may be located at a rear region of the side wall of the lower support, for example, closer to the top of the side wall than the bottom of the lower support, and the front hinged portion may be located at the front wall of the lower support. Thus, the backrest portion of the upper seat may be configured to be pivotally hinged to the rear hinged portion about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal direction D of the lower support, and the foot portion of the upper seat may be configured to be slidably hinged to the front hinged portion in the longitudinal direction.

In this example, the lower support member 30, shown in detail in Figures 2A and 2B, includes: a bottom 33 constituting its lowermost area; a high rear wall 36; a low front wall 37, the front and rear walls extending away from the bottom and away from each other in the longitudinal direction D of the lower support member 30; and two side walls 35, which are oriented to be roughly parallel to the direction D and have a top rear area 31.

The lower support member 30 also includes: a rear hinged portion 38 located at the top rear area 31 of the side wall 35, and the backrest portion 52 is constructed to be pivotally hinged to the rear hinged portion 38 around a pivot axis (not shown) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction D of the lower support member; and a front hinged portion 39 located at the front wall 37, and the foot portion 54 of the upper seat 50 is constructed to be slidably hinged to the front hinged portion 39 along the longitudinal direction.

More specifically, in the present example, the rear hinged portion 38 is in the form of a hinged recess which is positioned in the top rear region 31 of the side wall 35 and is configured to freely receive therein one or more hinged elements of the backrest portion 52 of the upper seat 50 so as to allow these elements to pivot about the pivot axis together with the backrest, and the front hinged portion 39 is in the form of elongated hinged grooves 39A and 39B extending parallel to the longitudinal direction D and is configured to slidably receive therein corresponding hinged elements of the foot portion 54 of the upper seat 50.

As described above, the lower support 30 includes two strut attachment areas 42 (one of which is shown in Figures 2A and 2B), the proximal ends 72 of the struts 70 are pivotally hinged to the strut attachment areas 42 between the operating state and the storage state of the struts 70, and the strut manipulation mechanism (not shown in Figures 2A and 2B) is configured to lock the struts 70 in any of their storage state and operating state, and unlock the struts 70 so that the struts 70 can be manipulated between the states. Different structures of the strut manipulation mechanism providing the above-mentioned locking device can be used, including but not limited to any of those described in, for example, US8469389 and US9505321 of the applicant, and the description of these structures is hereby incorporated by reference into this document.

The upper seat of the seat assembly according to the presently disclosed subject matter has a structure that enables at least a portion thereof to be hinged to one or more hinged portions of the lower support as described above, so as to allow the state of the upper seat to change between an upright state and an extended state. More specifically, when the lower support includes a rear hinged portion and a front hinged portion, the backrest portion and the foot portion of the upper seat can have hingeable elements that are respectively configured to be hinged to the hinged portions of the lower support as required. For example, the hingeable element of the backrest portion of the upper seat can be configured to be pivotally hinged to the rear hinged portion of the lower support, and the hingeable element of the foot portion of the upper seat can be configured to be slidably hinged to the front hinged portion of the lower support. The backrest portion and the foot portion of the upper seat can also be hingedly connected to each other so that movement of one of them will cause manipulation of the other.

Figures 3A to 3E illustrate an upper seat without a cover, which can be used with the lower support shown in Figures 2A and 2B. In Figures 3A, 3B and 3D, 3E, the backrest portion of the upper seat is shown in the respective erected and extended states, wherein the respective first angle α and second angle β are mentioned above with reference to Figures 1B, 1C and 1D.

In Figures 3A to 3E, the articulated element of the backrest portion 52 of the upper seat 50 is constituted by a rear pivot shaft 38A, which is integrally formed or assembled with the backrest portion and has an end freely received in a recess of the rear hinge portion 38 of the lower support 30, so as to allow the shaft to pivot together with the backrest portion between its nearly vertical orientation (i.e., upright state) and nearly horizontal orientation (i.e., extended state). The articulated element of the foot portion 54 of the upper seat 50 is constituted by a sliding rod 56, which is integrally formed or assembled with the foot portion 54 and is slidably received in the hinge grooves 39A and 39B of the lower support 30, so as to allow the sliding rod 56 to move with the foot portion 54 between the extreme positions of the sliding rod 56 in the grooves 39A and 39B corresponding to the innermost position and the outermost position of the foot portion 54. The nearly vertical orientation of the back portion 52 and the innermost position of the foot portion 54 , and the nearly horizontal orientation of the back portion 52 and the outermost position of the foot portion 54 correspond to the upright state and the extended state of the upper seat 50 , respectively.

Typically, the backrest portion and the foot portion of the upper seat may be connected to each other directly or indirectly. Alternatively, the backrest portion and the strut portion may be connected to the lower support separately, rather than being connected to each other. In the case where the backrest portion and the foot portion are connected to each other, they may be hingedly connected directly or indirectly via an intermediate backrest portion, so that rotation/manipulation of one portion can be achieved while operating/rotating the other portion. In addition, the backrest portion and the foot portion may be fixedly connected to each other, so that manipulation of one portion causes manipulation of the other portion.

In this example, the upper seat 50 also includes a middle portion 57 that fixedly connects the back portion 52 and the foot portion 54 to each other. Specifically (as best shown in FIG. 3C ), the middle portion 57 is configured as a bottom component of the back portion 52, extends forward from its lower edge 58, and is configured to be fixedly connected to the foot portion 54 at its front edge 59. The middle portion 57 is concave and is configured to receive the bottom of a child sitting on the upper seat 50. The middle portion 57 is formed of a flexible material so as to enable the upper seat 50 to be bent when it is manipulated into an extended state, in which the middle portion 57 is less concave than in the upright state.

The backrest portion 52 and the foot portion 54 are also pivotally connected to each other by an articulated element constituted by a front pivot axis (not shown) having an end freely received in a transverse intermediate hole 38B formed in the side wall 35 of the lower support 30. This pivot connection defines a horizontal axis X interconnecting the transverse intermediate hole 38B about which the backrest portion 52 and the foot portion 54 pivot.

Typically, the upper seat may also include a seat manipulation mechanism that is operable to direct the upper seat to change its state between the erected state and the extended state, as described above with reference to Figures 1A to 1D. The mechanism may be configured to cause manipulation of only the backrest portion of the upper seat while maintaining the position of the foot portion unchanged (so as to provide different orientations of the backrest in the erected state of the upper seat), and/or to cause each of the backrest portion and the foot portion to move or cause movement of the foot portion, which in turn causes movement of the backrest portion (in the latter two cases, changing the state of the upper seat between its erected state and the extended state). The seat manipulation mechanism may include a seat manipulation actuator positioned in a position that can be manipulated by a user.

4A-4C, the seat operating mechanism of the upper seat 50 is indicated by 60 and includes: a seat operating actuator 61 for actuating the operation of the upper seat 50 to change its state; and a seat locking mechanism 63 for preventing the upper seat from changing its state.

The seat manipulation actuator 61 is constituted by a seat handle 62 arranged at the foremost portion of the foot portion 54. The seat handle 62 includes a seat handle outer portion 62A configured to enable a user to grip the seat handle 62, and a seat handle inner portion 62B movably connected to the foot portion 54 so as to allow the foot portion 54 to move between its innermost position and outermost position and corresponding movement of the backrest portion 52 between the erect state and the extended state, respectively, by the user applying corresponding pushing and pulling forces to the handle.

Typically, the seat operating mechanism may also include a seat locking mechanism configured to selectively prevent the upper seat from changing its state between the upright state and the extended state. More specifically, the seat locking mechanism may have a locked state and an unlocked state, in which the seat locking mechanism prevents the upper seat from moving and thus preventing the upper seat from changing its state, and in which the seat locking mechanism allows the upper seat to move and thus change its state. The seat locking mechanism may be configured to selectively lock at least a portion of the upper seat to at least a portion of the lower support, more specifically, to at least two different portions of the lower support. The seat locking mechanism may be configured with a first locking portion positioned at the lower support and a second locking portion positioned at a matching position at the backrest portion, the second locking portion being configured to interact with the first locking portion for selectively locking the backrest portion to the lower support. The lower support member can be constructed with: more than two different parts to which the upper seat will lock, so as to enable the upper seat to be gradually manipulated between its upright state and extended state by the seat locking mechanism, while allowing the upper seat to be fixed relative to the lower support member in multiple states including the upright state and the extended state (for example, between the upright state and the extended state).

4A, 4D and 4E, the seat locking mechanism 63 is configured to selectively lock the upper seat 50 to the lower support 30 so as to prevent it from changing its state. For this purpose, the seat locking mechanism 63 includes: a first locking portion 63A positioned at the lower support 30 and a second locking portion 63B positioned at the backrest portion 52, the second locking portion 63B being configured to interact with the first locking portion 63A for selectively locking the backrest portion 52 to the lower support 30.

More specifically, the first locking portion 63A of the seat locking mechanism 63 includes: an elongated guide slot 41 and a plurality of fixing holes 42A-42C, which are formed on the inner surface 35A of each side wall 35. (The outer surface of the side wall 35 is generally indicated by 35B). The holes 42A-42C are spaced apart from each other along a direction parallel to the elongated guide slot 41. The elongated guide slot 41 is formed in a curved manner, which has a curvature similar to the curvature along which the lower edge 58 of the backrest portion travels when it moves between the erect state and the extended state. The elongated guide slot 41 is configured to slidably receive a corresponding guide element of the second locking portion 63B therein, thereby allowing the slot 41 to take different positions along the slot, and the holes 42A-42D are configured to receive a corresponding locking element of the second locking portion 63B therein when the guide element takes a corresponding position in the elongated guide slot 41, so as to lock the upper seat 50 to the lower support. The apertures 42A-42D of the first locking portion 63A are also configured to provide the upper seat 50 with at least one, and in this example two, additional intermediate states between the upright state and the extended state to provide further orientation.

The second locking portion 63B of the seat locking mechanism 63 positioned on the upper seat 50 includes two pin holders 64 (only one is seen) attached to the backrest portion 52 between the backrest portion 52 and the bottom 33 of the lower support, the two pin holders 64 being placed adjacent to the inner surface 35A of different side walls 35 and configured to operate concurrently upon actuation of the actuator 61. Each pin holder 64 includes a guide pin 66 and a locking pin 68, which traverse the pin holder 64 generally perpendicular to the direction D and parallel to each other. Each guide pin 66 and locking pin 68 includes an actuating portion 67A extending from the inner side of the corresponding pin holder 64 (i.e., away from the nearest side wall 35); and a lockable portion 67B extending from the outer side of the pin holder 64 (i.e., toward the nearest side wall 35) and configured to interact with the first locking portion 63A.

The lockable portion 67B of the guide pin 66 is configured to be at least partially positioned in the elongated guide slot 41 and is configured to be slidably moved therein for guiding the manipulation of the backrest portion 52 between the states. In the present example, the lockable portion 67B of the guide pin 66 is maintained in the elongated guide slot 41. The locking pin 68 is positioned and configured to be inserted into and removed from any one of the plurality of holes 42A-42C for fixing the backrest portion 52 in each of the states of the upper seat 50 including the erected state (i.e., when the lockable portion 67B of the locking pin 68 is in the hole 42A), the extended state (i.e., when the lockable portion 67B of the locking pin 68 is in the hole 42C), and at least one intermediate state therebetween (i.e., when the lockable portion 67B of the locking pin 68 is in the hole 42B).

In the present example, the pin holder 64 is configured to be actuated by the seat actuator 61 to change the state of the seat locking mechanism to the unlocked state, and by doing so, release the upper seat 50 to be stopped to the lower support 30. To this end, the pin holder 64 is configured to be manipulated along a route perpendicular to the longitudinal direction D between a fixed position in which at least the lockable portion 67B of the locking pin 68 is inserted into one of the plurality of holes 42A-42C and a remote position in which the lockable portion 67B of the locking pin is outside the holes 42A-42C. Therefore, upon actuation of the seat actuator 61, the pin holder 64 is manipulated toward its remote position, thereby pulling the lockable portion 67B of the locking pin 68 out of one of the holes 42A-42C.

With respect to the struts of the seat assembly according to the presently disclosed subject matter, with reference to the struts and strut locking devices as described in US 9505321 (which description is incorporated herein by reference, as mentioned above), the struts can be configured to be manipulated by a strut manipulation mechanism and a strut locking mechanism, the strut manipulation mechanism including at least one strut manipulation actuator located at a user-accessible position. The struts can be manipulated between their storage state and an operational state.

5A to 5C, the strut operating mechanism 90 of the seat assembly 10 of this example includes: a strut operating actuator 91 for actuating the operation of the strut 70; and a strut locking mechanism (not shown), which is used to actuate the strut locking device to stop the strut in any state of the storage state and the operating state. In this example, the strut operating actuator 91 is composed of a strut handle 92 positioned at the top rear side of the backrest portion 52 so that it can be easily approached by the user. The strut handle 92 includes: a strut handle outer portion 92A configured to enable the user to grasp the strut handle 92; and a strut handle inner portion 92B fixedly connected to the backrest portion 52. The strut handle 92 is operably connected to the strut locking mechanism so that the locking device is unlocked by the user applying a corresponding force to the handle 92 and the movement of the strut 70 between its storage state and the operating state is allowed.

Although in the present example as described above, the seat handle 62 is positioned at the frontmost side of the foot portion 54 and the support handle 92 is positioned at the top rear side of the backrest portion 52, their positions may be different as long as they are spaced apart from each other to reduce the risk of them being mixed together.

As described above, the seat assembly can be configured to at least prevent the combination between the storage state of the support rod and the extended state of the upper seat, by which the possibility of inserting the seat assembly into a car with a baby lying on it is eliminated. More specifically, the seat assembly can be configured to prevent manipulation of either the upper seat or the support rod if such manipulation would result in the support rod being in its storage state and the upper seat being in its extended state. In some cases, the seat assembly can be configured so that a specific state of either the support rod or the upper seat can result in the prevention of manipulation of the other. In some cases, the seat assembly can include at least one manipulation prevention device, which is configured to identify a specific state of at least one of the upper seat and the support rod, and prevent the manipulation of the other while maintaining the specific state. Such a manipulation prevention device can include a mechanical mechanism or an electrical mechanism. More specifically, the seat assembly can include a manipulation placement device for each of the upper seat and the support rod, each of which is configured to identify a specific state of its corresponding component.

The manipulation prevention device can be configured to prevent manipulation of the other of the upper seat or the support rod as long as the other of the upper seat or the support rod is not in a specific state. For example, if the support rod is in the storage state, the manipulation prevention device can be configured to prevent the seat from being manipulated from the upright state to the extended state. In another example, if the seat is in the extended state, the manipulation prevention device can be configured to prevent the support rod from being manipulated from the operational state to the storage state.

The manipulation prevention device can be configured to prevent manipulation of the upper seat or the support rod by respectively blocking the upper seat or the support rod, or by respectively blocking the seat manipulation mechanism or the support rod manipulation mechanism.

The manipulation prevention device may have: an identification component, such as a trigger portion, which is configured to identify the state of the upper seat or support rod of the seat assembly; and a stop portion, which is configured to be actuated or triggered by the trigger portion to selectively stop the corresponding seat operating mechanism or support rod operating mechanism. The trigger portion and/or the stop portion of the manipulation prevention device may be positioned on or constituted by different parts of the seat assembly. In some cases, the manipulation prevention device may be configured to stop the upper seat or support rod operating mechanism in a manner similar to a corresponding locking mechanism, or the manipulation prevention device may be constituted or integrated with the upper seat or support rod operating mechanism.

For example, a seat assembly according to the presently disclosed subject matter can include a seat manipulation prevention device that is configured to prevent the upper seat from being manipulated from the upright position to the extended position at least when the strut is in the storage position. In one example, the seat manipulation prevention device is configured to prevent the upper seat from being manipulated to the extended position unless the seat manipulation prevention device is triggered by the strut in its operative position.

The seat manipulation prevention device can be configured to change state between a locked state and an unlocked state, wherein in the locked state, the seat manipulation prevention device prevents manipulation of the upper seat toward the extended state, and in the unlocked state, the seat manipulation prevention device enables manipulation of the upper seat between the upright state and the extended state.

In this example, the seat manipulation prevention device is indicated by 100 in FIG. 4B . When the support rod 70 is in its storage state, the seat manipulation prevention device 100 is configured to prevent the upper seat 50 from being manipulated from the upright state to the extended state. The seat manipulation prevention device 100 is configured to be triggered by the support rod 70 when the support rod 70 is in its operating state, which triggers the state of the seat manipulation prevention device 100 from the locked state to the unlocked state, so that the upper seat 50 can be manipulated between its upright state and the extended state.

In some cases, the seat manipulation prevention device is configured to prevent manipulation of the upper seat from the upright position toward the extended position by immobilizing the seat manipulation mechanism when in the locked state. More specifically, the seat manipulation prevention device can be configured to immobilize the seat manipulation mechanism when the support rod is in its storage state. The seat manipulation prevention device can also be configured to release the immobilization of the seat manipulation mechanism when the support rod is in its operating state. In this way, the seat manipulation prevention device 100 is configured to immobilize the seat manipulation mechanism only when the upper seat 50 is in its upright position.

In some cases, the seat manipulation prevention device includes a seat trigger member and a seat stop member. The seat trigger member can be configured to operate the seat stop member when the seat trigger member is triggered by the support rod when the support rod is in its operating state. The seat stop member is operable by the seat trigger so that when it is operated, the seat stop member is manipulated from a stopped state to a released state, in which the seat stop member stops the seat manipulation mechanism to prevent the upper seat from being manipulated from the upright state to the extended state, and in the released state, the seat manipulation mechanism is released from the stop, thereby enabling manipulation of the upper seat between the upright state and the extended state. In a specific example, the support rod is configured to trigger the seat trigger member only when the support rod is in its operating state.

4B and 4C depict an exemplary embodiment of a seat manipulation prevention device 100, which includes: a seat triggering member 102 and a seat stop member 110. The seat triggering member 102 is configured to be triggered by the support rod 70 only when the support rod 70 is in its operating state, and thus operates the seat stop member 110. The seat triggering member 102 is also configured to maintain the operation of the seat stop member 110 when the support rod 70 is in its operating state. The seat stop member 110 is configured to have a stopped state and a released state, in which the seat stop member 110 stops the seat operating mechanism 60 to prevent the upper seat 50 from being manipulated from the upright state to the extended state, and in which the seat operating mechanism 60 is released from the stop by the seat stop member 110, thereby enabling manipulation of the upper seat 50 between the upright state and the extended state.

Typically, the seat triggering member may be arranged on the lower support of the seat assembly adjacent to at least one of the strut attachment areas of the seat assembly. In this case, at least one of the struts may include a front protrusion positioned around its proximal end, wherein the front protrusion is configured to trigger the seat triggering member when the strut is in its operative state. In other words, when the strut is moved to its operative state or in its operative state, its front protrusion triggers the seat triggering member, thereby causing the seat triggering member to operate the seat stop member, which operates the seat stop member from its stop state to its release state, so that the seat stop member releases the stop of the seat operating mechanism, thereby enabling the upper seat to be operated between the erected state and the extended state. Correspondingly, when the strut is not in the operative state (i.e., the strut is moved to or towards the storage state), its front protrusion no longer triggers the seat triggering member, in which case the seat stop member assumes its stop state in order to stop the seat operating mechanism and thus prevent the upper seat from being operated from the erected state to the extended state.

In this example, referring to FIGS. 4B, 4C, 4F and 4G, the seat trigger member 102 includes a trigger body 103 disposed on the lower support 30 in front of and adjacent to at least one of the strut attachment areas 42. In some cases, the seat trigger member 102 is disposed within or laterally protrudes from one of the side walls 35. The movable member 104 extends through the length of the trigger body 103, having a sufficient length to reach and contact at least a portion of one of the struts 70, and more specifically contact the front side of the proximal end 72 of the strut 70 when the strut 70 is in its operative state. At least the proximal end 72 of the strut 70 that triggers the seat trigger member 102 includes: a front protrusion 105 extending forwardly therefrom, the front protrusion 105 being configured to press against the movable member 104 when the strut is in its operative state. The seat trigger member 102 is operably connected mechanically or electrically to the seat stop member 110. In the drawings, the movable member 104 is operably connected to the seat stop member 110 via the cable 101 so as to operate the seat stop member 110 when pressed by the front protrusion 105 when the strut 70 is in its operating state. Thus, in the unlocked state of the seat manipulation prevention device 100 (FIG. 4F), the movable member 104 of the seat trigger member 102 is pressed against the trigger body 103 by the front protrusion 105 of one of the struts 70 when the strut 70 is in the operating state. This pressing of the seat trigger member 102 operates the seat stop member 110 so that it is operated from the stop state to the released state, thereby releasing the seat manipulation mechanism 60 so that the upper seat 50 can be manipulated between the erected state and the extended state. Accordingly, in the locked state of the seat manipulation prevention device 100 (FIG. 4G), the movable member 104 of the seat trigger member 102 is pressed by the front protrusion of one of the struts 70 when the strut 70 is not in the operating state. In this way, the seat triggering member 102 is not triggered by the strut 70, and thus the seat triggering member 102 does not operate the seat stop member 110. Therefore, the seat stop member 110 assumes its stop state, in which it stops the seat operating mechanism 60, thereby preventing the upper seat 50 from being operated from the upright state to the extended state. Therefore, the strut 70 of the seat assembly 10 is generally configured to change the state of the seat manipulation prevention device 100 between a locked state and an unlocked state. In this way, the seat manipulation prevention device is generally constituted by a strut. In particular, the locked state of the seat manipulation prevention device is generally constituted by the strut in its storage state, and the unlocked state of the seat manipulation prevention device is generally constituted by the strut in its operating state.

The seat stop member 110 is configured to be operated by the seat triggering member 102 when the seat stop member 110 is triggered by the strut 70 in its operating state. The seat stop member 110 is manipulable between a stopped state associated with the locked state of the seat manipulation preventing device 100 and a released state associated with the unlocked state of the seat manipulation preventing device 100. In the stopped state, the seat stop member 110 stops the manipulation of the seat manipulation mechanism 60, and in the released state, the seat stop member 110 releases the stop of the seat manipulation mechanism 60 so as to allow the manipulation thereof.

In the present example, the seat stop member 110 includes a pawl pivotally connected to the lower support 30 and/or the foot portion 54 by a pivot pin 114 and is positioned adjacent to the seat handle inner portion 62B. The seat stop member 110 includes an engaging portion 111 at one end thereof and a lever portion 112 at the other end thereof. The lever portion 112 is directly or indirectly connected to the movable member 104 of the seat trigger member 102 so that movement of the movable member 104 actuates the seat stop member 110 to pivot about the pivot pin 114. In the depicted example, the lever portion 112 is operably connected to the movable member 104 via the cable 101. The seat stop member 110 may also have a compression spring (not shown) configured to bias the seat stop member 110 toward its stop state.

In the stopped state of the seat stop member 110, the engagement portion 111 is configured to be in mechanical communication with at least a portion of the seat handle 62 so as to prevent the seat handle 62 from being used to operate the seat operating mechanism 60. In the present example, the seat handle inner portion 62B further includes a seat handle recess 115 and an engagement portion 111 having a stop tooth 116 protruding laterally forward about a rear end thereof. The stop tooth 116 is formed to be received in the seat handle recess 115 of the seat handle 62, so that when the stop tooth 116 is received therein, the seat stop member 110 stops the seat handle 62, and thus stops the seat operating mechanism 60 from being operated by a user to operate the upper seat 50 from its erected state to its extended state.

In operation, when the seat triggering member 102 is triggered by the strut 70 in its operative state, the movable member 104 is moved by the front protrusion 105, which in turn causes the seat stop member 110 to pivot in a first direction away from the seat handle recess 115, causing the stop member 110 to assume its released state. When the seat triggering member 102 ceases to be triggered by the strut 70 (i.e., when the strut 70 is manipulated away from the operative state or outside the operative state and manipulated toward the storage state), the movable member 104 moves rearwardly toward the corresponding strut attachment area 42, causing the seat stop member 110 to pivot in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and causing the stop tooth 116 to be inserted into the seat handle recess 115, thereby causing the seat stop member 110 to be in its locked state.

In other cases (not shown), the seat manipulation prevention device is configured to prevent manipulation of the upper seat toward the extended state by stopping the upper seat in its locked state. In this case, in the stopped state, the seat stop member of the seat manipulation prevention device can be configured to abut the upper seat to prevent its manipulation. For example, the seat stop member can be composed of a bolt directly or indirectly connected to the seat trigger member 102. In the stopped state, such a seat stop member can be configured to be positioned in a corresponding hole located on the foot portion 54 of the upper seat 50 so as to stop manipulation of the upper seat 50, and in the released state, the seat stop member can be configured to be removed from the hole when the seat trigger member 102 is triggered by the support rod 70.

In other cases, the seat manipulation prevention device can be constituted by the support rod and/or the structure associated therewith. In one example, the seat manipulation prevention device can be constituted by the far end of the support rod.

Typically, when the upper seat of the seat assembly is manipulated from an upright state to an extended state, the corresponding backrest portion of the upper seat moves from a first position to a second position, in which the backrest portion is positioned at a first rear angle with respect to a reference plane, and in the second position, the backrest portion is positioned at a second rear angle that is smaller than the first rear angle. Such manipulation of the backrest from a first rear angle to a second rear angle associated with the upright state and the extended state of the upper seat, respectively, can be understood as forming a rearward manipulation of the backrest portion. The seat manipulation prevention device can be configured to selectively block the rearward manipulation of the backrest portion. For example, in the case where the distal end of the support rod constitutes the seat manipulation prevention device, the distal end of the support rod can be configured to be securely positioned in contact with the rear surface of the backrest portion in its storage state so as to block the rearward operation of the backrest portion, thereby preventing the upper seat from being manipulated from the upright state to the extended state.

In one example, with reference to Fig. 6, the seat manipulation prevention device may include: a rear rod 84 interconnecting the distal ends 71 of the rear strut support 76. When the strut 70 is in its storage state, the rear rod 84 is configured to be firmly positioned against the rear surface of the backrest portion 52 when in its erected state. Like this, the rear rod 84 physically prevents the backrest portion 52 from being manipulated backwards, thereby preventing the upper seat 50 from being manipulated to the extended state from the erected state. It is conceivable that the front rod 82 (see Fig. 5A) with the distal ends 71 of the front strut support 74 interconnected can also be configured to prevent the backrest portion 52 from being manipulated backwards, thereby preventing the upper seat 50 from being manipulated to the extended state from the erected state. As shown in Fig. 5A, in addition to the front rod 82 interconnecting the distal ends of the front strut support, the front rod 80 also interconnects the front strut support 74 at the position between the distal end and the proximal end of the strut support.

The manipulation prevention device of the present seat assembly may alternatively or additionally include a strut manipulation prevention device, which is configured to prevent manipulation of the strut manipulation mechanism. In this example, the seat assembly 10 includes: a strut manipulation prevention device 120, which is configured to prevent the strut 70 from being manipulated from the operating state to the storage state at least when the upper seat 50 is in the extended state. Similar to the seat manipulation prevention mechanism, the strut manipulation prevention device 120 is also configured to change its state between a locked state and an unlocked state, in which the strut manipulation prevention device 120 prevents the strut 70 from being manipulated toward the storage state, and in the unlocked state, the strut manipulation prevention device 120 enables manipulation of the strut 70 between the operating state and the storage state.

In some cases, the strut manipulation prevention device 120 is configured to prevent manipulation of the strut 70 toward the storage state by stopping the strut manipulation mechanism 90 when in the locked state. In particular, the strut manipulation prevention device 120 is configured to stop manipulation of the strut 70 toward the storage state when the upper seat 50 is in its extended state. Thus, the strut manipulation prevention device 120 is configured to stop the strut manipulation mechanism 90 when the strut 70 is in its operative state.

Typically, the strut manipulation prevention device may include: a strut triggering member and a strut stopping member. The strut triggering member may be configured to operate the strut stopping member when the strut triggering member is triggered by the upper seat when it is in its upright state. The operation of the strut stopping member triggered by the strut triggering member manipulates the strut stopping member from the stopped state to the released state, in which the strut stopping member thereby releases the strut manipulation prevention mechanism from being stopped. In some cases, the upper seat is configured to trigger the strut triggering member only when the upper seat is in the upright state. The strut triggering member may also be configured to maintain the operation of the strut stopping member when the upper seat is in its upright state.

In this example, as best shown in FIGS. 4D and 4E , the strut triggering member is connected to the upper seat 50 and is configured as part of the seat manipulation mechanism 60, wherein when the upper seat 50 is manipulated to the upright state, the strut triggering member is configured to maintain the upper seat 50 in the upright state. More specifically, the strut triggering member can be constituted by the seat locking mechanism 63, and even more specifically, by the guide pin 66 of the upper seat 50 and the elongated guide slot 41 of the lower support 30. For this purpose, the elongated guide slot 41 also includes in its inner portion: a slot inner frame 123 extending through the length of the elongated guide slot 41. The slot inner frame 123 is configured to form a depth difference from the frontmost edge of the elongated guide slot 41 to a certain distance from its rearmost edge, so that the guide pin 66 can be only partially inserted into the elongated guide slot 41 while being positioned against the slot inner frame 123. At the rearmost edge, the slot inner frame 123 defines a slot recess 124 having a greater depth than the slot inner frame 123. The slot recess 124 is configured to receive a larger portion of the lockable portion 67B of the guide pin 66 therein than the remainder of the elongated guide slot 41 .

Thus, the strut triggering member is configured to "identify" the state of the upper seat 50 based on the depth of insertion of the guide pin 66 into the elongated guide slot 41. Specifically, when the upper seat 50 is in the erected state associated with the unlocked state of the strut manipulation prevention device 120, the strut triggering member is inserted into the slot recess 124 (FIG. 4D), which insertion triggers the strut triggering member to operate the strut stop member to manipulate it to its released state, so that the strut 70 can be manipulated between the operational state and the storage state. Accordingly, when the upper seat 50 is not in the erected state associated with the locked state of the strut manipulation prevention device 120, the strut triggering member is inserted into the elongated guide slot 41 against the slot internal frame 123 (e.g., FIG. 4E), wherein the strut triggering member is not triggered by the upper seat 50, and therefore does not operate the strut stop member, thereby preventing the strut from being manipulated toward the extended state. Thus, when the upper seat 50 is in the erected state, the pole manipulation prevention device 120 is in its unlocked state, so the pole can be manipulated between the operational state and the storage state. When the upper seat 50 is not in the erected state (e.g., it is in the extended state), the pole manipulation prevention device 120 is in its locked state, thus preventing the pole from being manipulated to the operational state.

The strut stop member 130 of the strut manipulation prevention device 120 is configured to have a stop state in which the strut stop member 130 stops the strut manipulation mechanism 90, and a release state in which the strut manipulation mechanism 90 is released from the stop of the strut stop member 130. The strut stop member 130 is configured to change the state by the operation of the strut triggering member to which the strut stop member 130 is directly or indirectly connected. The strut stop member 130 is operable between the stop state associated with the locked state of the strut manipulation prevention device 120 and the release state associated with the unlocked state of the strut manipulation prevention device 120. In the stop state, the strut stop member 130 stops the manipulation of the strut manipulation mechanism 90, and in the release state, the strut stop member 130 allows the manipulation of the strut manipulation mechanism 90.

In this example, as shown in FIG. 5B , the seat assembly 10 includes a pair of strut stop members 130, each of which is designed similarly to the seat stop member 110 and is formed by a pawl having an engagement portion 131 at one end thereof and a lever portion 132 at a second end thereof. The strut stop members 130 are pivotally connected to the upper seat 50, specifically to the backrest portion 52, via a pivot shaft 134 located at the center thereof. Each strut stop member 130 is also directly or indirectly connected to the retainer portion 67A (i.e., the strut triggering member) of the guide pin 66 at its lever portion 132. The strut stop member 130 is connected to the retainer portion 67A so that manipulation of the retainer portion 67A, i.e., by sliding the guide pin 66 along the elongated guide slot 41, results in pivoting of the strut stop member 130.

In some cases not shown here, the strut stop member 130 may also include a stop spring (not shown) designed to bias the strut stop member 130 into its stop state.

Typically, in the stopped state, the engaging portion 131 of the strut stop member 130 is designed to abut/contact at least a portion of the strut handle 92 so as to prevent the strut handle 92 from being used to manipulate the strut operating mechanism 90. In this example, the strut handle inner portion 92B also includes: a strut handle recess 135 and an engaging portion 131, which has a stop tooth 136 protruding laterally forward around its rear end. The strut handle recess 135 is formed to receive the stop tooth 136 of the engaging portion 131 of the strut stop member 130, so that when it is received in the strut handle recess 135, the strut stop member 130 stops the strut handle 92 and thus stops the strut operating mechanism 90 from being operated by the user to manipulate the strut 70 from its operating state to its storage state.

In operation, when the upper seat 50 triggers the strut trigger member (i.e., when the upper seat 50 is manipulated to its upright position), the guide pin 66 is inserted into the slot recess 124 (by the compressive force applied thereto by the pin retainer 64), thereby causing the strut stop member 130 to pivot in a first direction away from the strut handle recess 135, causing the strut stop member 130 to assume its released state. When the strut trigger member is retracted from the slot recess 124 and slides along and within the elongated guide slot 41 (i.e., when the upper seat 50 is manipulated from its upright position), the retainer portion 67A moves away from the pin retainer 64, causing the strut stop member 130 to pivot in a second direction opposite to the first direction and into the strut handle recess 135, thereby causing the strut stop member 130 to assume its locked state. Thus, the pole stopping member 130 stops the pole handle 92 to prevent the user from operating the pole operating mechanism 90 to operate the pole 70 .

In other cases (not shown), the strut manipulation prevention device 120 in its locked state can be configured to prevent manipulation of the strut 70 toward the storage state by stopping the strut 70. In this case, in its stopped state, the strut stop member 130 can be configured to abut/contact the strut 70 to prevent manipulation thereof. In this case, the strut stop member 130 can be constituted by the upper seat 50 in its extended state, more specifically, by the backrest portion 52 thereof.

For example, in its extended state, the backrest portion can physically prevent manipulation of the strut 70 to the stored state by preventing at least a portion of the strut 70 from moving to its position in the stored state. In this example, the backrest portion 52 can be used to prevent the rear rod 84 of the pair of rear strut supports 76 from reaching its position in the stored state, thereby forcing the strut 70 to remain in its operative state.

The convertible infant-safe car seat assembly according to the presently disclosed subject matter can include one or more side protection modules configured to provide side impact protection to the seat assembly. More specifically, the side protection modules are configured to absorb at least a portion of the impact energy thereon. As an example, at least when the seat assembly is in its storage or car seat installation mode and is positioned within a vehicle near a vehicle side door, in the event that the vehicle door strikes the assembly, the side protection modules mounted on the side of the assembly facing the vehicle door will absorb at least a portion of the impact energy, thereby preventing an infant seated in the assembly from being injured.

Typically, the seat assembly can include a seat having a backrest portion and a foot portion. In some examples, the seat can be composed of a lower support and an upper seat portion that have a structure and can operate together in a manner similar to that described above with respect to assembly 10. In some examples, the seat can be composed of a lower support and an upper seat portion that are integrally or monolithically formed together. Therefore, the following description of the seat is applicable to any seat having: a handle attachment area for connecting a handle to the seat; an upper seat portion that allows a toddler to sit therein; and a lower support that provides mechanical strength to the seat.

The assembly includes a handle pivotally connected to the seat at a handle attachment area of the seat. The connection allows the handle to pivot between multiple positions to assume at least an anti-bounce or stroller state, a carrier state, and a storage state. The handle may have a seat connection portion where the handle is connected to the seat and includes a seat facing area facing the seat attachment area and an opposite outward facing area. The connection of the handle to the seat may be made by any suitable connection means, including a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a magnetic connection that allows the handle to pivot between multiple different positions.

It should be understood here that the handle is connected to the seat at two lateral sides of the seat, and for the sake of brevity, only one side of the seat, the corresponding handle attachment area and the corresponding part of the handle are described here, and its description also applies to the other side. In addition, the seat assembly can include two side protection modules, one on each side of the handle/seat, and for the sake of brevity, only one is described here. The description of one side protection module is well applicable to the other side protection module.

The side protection module may be selectively mountable to the handle at an outwardly facing area of the handle such that the side protection module extends in a transverse direction of the seat to an extent greater than the handle. The connection of the side protection module to the handle may be made by any suitable connection means, including a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a magnetic connection, thereby allowing the side protection module to pivot with the handle when connected to the handle, while allowing for selective attachment and removal of the side protection module. It should be understood that the handle is pivotally connected at the handle attachment area, thereby making the handle attachment area bulky and complex in structure, and mounting the side protection module at the portion of the handle connected to the handle attachment area, thereby enabling the handle attachment area to pivot with the side protection module, requires a complex structure of the connection means.

In the present example shown in FIGS. 7A to 7H , the convertible infant safety car seat assembly 210 includes a seat 202 formed by an upper seat portion 250 and a lower support member 230. It should be understood that although the seat assembly 210 has been shown in the storage mode, it can have similar operating modes as described above with respect to the seat assembly 10. In fact, the seat assembly 210 can include some or all of the features of the seat assembly 10 described above, such as with respect to the modes, and the corresponding descriptions of the operating mode and storage mode of the assembly 10 and the operating state and storage state of the support rod 70 apply to the assembly 210 and the support rod 270.

The seat 202 has two lateral sides 202A and 202B, each with a corresponding handle attachment area 205, at which the handle 212 is pivotally connected. For example, two seat connection portions 213 on each side of the handle 212 are connected to the handle attachment area 205 at the two lateral sides 202A and 202B of the seat 202. The seat connection portions 213 include a seat-facing area 213A facing the handle attachment area 205 and an opposite, exterior-facing area 213B.

The side protection modules 206 are shown mounted to respective sides of the handle 212. The side protection modules 206 can pivot with the handle 212 as shown in FIGS. 7C, 7D and 7E showing the handle 212 in the anti-bounce state, the carrier state and the storage state, respectively.

Generally, the side protection module 206 can have an elongated shape extending along the longitudinal axis, so that the side protection module can have a longitudinal dimension extending along the longitudinal axis that is longer than a transverse dimension extending transverse to the longitudinal axis. The elongated shape can be rectangular, polygonal, triangular, oval, elliptical, egg-shaped, teardrop-shaped, etc.

The side protection module engages the handle at least at two portions, more specifically, fixedly engages the handle at least at two portions extending at least partially along the longitudinal axis. Thus, the side protection module comprises a first handle engagement portion and a second handle engagement portion spaced apart from each other at least partially along the longitudinal axis, and the handle comprises, at an area facing outward, a respective first module engagement portion for engaging the first handle engagement portion and a second module engagement portion for engaging the second handle engagement portion. At least one of the two engagement members may be a connection device for mounting the side module to the handle, and at least one of the two engagement members may be an orientation fixture for fixing the orientation of the side module relative to the handle, such that the side module can pivot together with the handle.

For example, engagement of at least one of the first handle engagement portion and the second handle engagement portion with the corresponding first module engagement portion and the second module engagement portion may constitute a connection device for mounting the side protection module on the handle. The connection device may include: a handle connection element positioned at at least one of the first handle engagement portion and the second handle engagement portion and a corresponding module connection element positioned at at least one of the first module engagement portion and the second module engagement portion. The connection elements may be detachably connected to each other so that the connection device may constitute a quick release mechanism. Generally, the connection device may have any suitable structure that allows the side protection module to be detachably connected to the handle. For example, the connection device may be a mechanical connection device, an electrical connection device, or a magnetic connection device constituting a quick release mechanism.

In addition, the engagement of at least one of the first handle engagement portion and the second handle engagement portion with the corresponding first module engagement portion and the second module engagement portion can constitute an orientation fixing mechanism, which fixes the orientation of the side protection module relative to the handle regardless of whether it participates in mounting the side protection module to the handle. Generally, the orientation fixing mechanism may include: a first component positioned at the side protection module and a second component positioned at the handle. The first component and the second component can be engaged in such a way as to prevent relative pivoting between them, thereby fixing the orientation to allow the side protection device to pivot with the handle. The orientation fixing mechanism may include any suitable structure to fixedly engage the first component and the second component to prevent one component from pivoting relative to the other component without having to connect them to each other. In some examples, the orientation fixing mechanism may be composed of a connecting device.

In the present example shown in FIGS. 7A to 7H , the side protection module has an elongated shape with a longitudinal axis LA. The side protection module 206 and the seat connection portion 213 of the handle 212 are shown as having a handle engagement portion and a module engagement portion, respectively. FIG. 7F shows different views of the side protection module 206 and the seat connection portion 213, wherein the upper left portion of FIG. 7F shows a cross-sectional view of the side protection module 206 mounted to the handle 212 taken along a plane perpendicular to the pivot axis PA of the handle, and as seen in a transverse direction represented by the viewing direction V1 ( FIG. 7A ) extending along the pivot axis PA from the transverse outermost area of the side protection module into the side protection module. The upper right portion of FIG. 7F shows a cross-sectional view of the handle 212 taken along a plane perpendicular to the pivot axis PA of the handle, and as seen in a transverse direction represented by the viewing direction V2 ( FIG. 7A ) extending along the pivot axis PA from the area of the handle 212 facing the seat to the area facing the outside. The lower left portion of Fig. 7F shows a cross-sectional view of the side protection module 206 detached from the handle 212 taken along a plane parallel to the plane along which the view of the upper left portion of Fig. 7F is taken and further oriented toward the inner surface of the side protection module facing the handle when connected to the handle, and as seen in the same direction as the upper left portion of Fig. 7F. The lower right portion of Fig. 7F shows a cross-sectional view of the side protection module 206 detached from the handle 212 taken along the same plane along which the view of the lower left portion of Fig. 7F is taken, and as seen in the same direction as the upper right portion of Fig. 7F.

As shown in FIG. 7F , the side protection module 206 includes a first handle engagement portion 206-1 and a second handle engagement portion 206-2 spaced apart along the longitudinal axis LA, and the handle includes a first module engagement portion 212-1 and a second module engagement portion 212-2. In this example, the first handle engagement portion 206-1 and the first module engagement portion 212-1 constitute a magnetic connection mechanism, one of which is a magnet and the other can be a magnet or a magnetic element (which does not have to be a magnet, but is attracted by a magnet). (Multiple) magnets and/or magnets and magnetic elements constitute a handle connection element and a module connection element. In addition, in this example, the second handle engaging portion 206-1 and the second module engaging portion 212-1 constitute an orientation fixing mechanism, wherein the second handle engaging portion 206-2 is a recess of the first component constituting the orientation fixing mechanism, and the second module engaging portion 212-2 is a protrusion of the second component constituting the orientation fixing mechanism for being received in the recess when the side protection module 206 is installed to the handle 212, for example, the side protection module 206 cannot rotate/pivot relative to the handle 212, and therefore the orientation of the side protection module 206 is fixed relative to the handle 212.

Typically, the side protection module may include: at least one third handle engagement portion positioned offset from the longitudinal axis, and the outwardly facing area of the handle may include a corresponding at least one third module engagement portion, the at least one third module engagement portion being configured to engage the at least one third handle engagement portion when the side protection module is mounted to the handle. The engagement of the at least one third handle engagement portion with the corresponding at least one third module engagement portion may constitute a connection device, which may include: a handle connection element positioned at the at least one third handle engagement portion and a corresponding third module connection element positioned at the at least one third module engagement portion. The connection elements may be detachably connected to each other so that the connection device may constitute a quick release mechanism. Typically, the connection device may have any suitable structure that allows the side protection module to be detachably connected to the handle. For example, the connection device may be a mechanical connection device, an electrical connection device, or a magnetic connection device that constitutes a quick release mechanism. In some examples, the engagement of the at least one third handle engagement portion with the corresponding third module engagement portion may constitute an orientation fixing mechanism that fixes the orientation of the side protection module relative to the handle regardless of whether it participates in mounting the side protection module to the handle. Typically, the orientation fixing mechanism may include: a first component positioned at the side protection module and a second component positioned at the handle. The first and second components may be engaged to prevent relative pivoting therebetween, thereby fixing the orientation to allow the side guard to pivot with the handle. The orientation fixing mechanism may include any suitable structure to fixedly engage the first and second components to prevent relative pivoting of one component relative to the other without necessarily connecting them to each other.

In some cases, the side protection module may include: two third handle engagement portions, each of which is offset from the longitudinal axis and positioned on opposite sides thereof. The handle may include only one third module engagement portion that engages one of the two third handle engagement portions, depending on which side of the handle is connected to the side protection module. For example, the third module engagement portion on the left side of the handle may engage one of the two third handle engagement portions, and the third module engagement portion on the right side of the handle may engage the other of the two third handle engagement portions. This structure and positioning of the third handle engagement portion and the module engagement portion allows the side protection module to be used on both sides of the seat and eliminates the need to manufacture different side protection modules for different sides of the seat.

In this example, as seen in FIG. 7F , the side protection module 206 includes two third engagement portions 206-3, while the handle has one third module engagement portion 212-3. In this example, each of the third handle engagement portion 206-3 and the third module engagement portion 212-3 constitutes a magnetic connection mechanism, one of which is a magnet, and the other can be a magnet or a magnetic element (which does not have to be a magnet, but is attracted by a magnet). (Multiple) magnets and/or magnets and magnetic elements constitute a handle connection element and a module connection element. The third module engagement portion 212-3 engages one of the two third handle engagement portions 206-3, depending on which side (left or right) of the handle 206 is connected to the side protection module 206.

Typically, the side protection module may include more than one component, i.e., at least a first module component that is selectively mountable to the handle and at least a second module component that is selectively mountable to the first module component. The side protection module may include a locking device for selectively locking the first module component and the second module component to each other when the second module component is mounted to the first module component. The first module component and the second module component may be connected to each other by any suitable mechanical connection device, electrical connection device or magnetic connection device. The locking device may have any suitable structure to prevent the second module component from being disassembled from the first module part when locked. The side protection module formed in two components allows its lateral extension to be selected from the seat, for example depending on the availability of space in the car.

In this example, as can be best seen in FIG. 7G , the side protection module 206 includes a first module component 206A that is selectively mountable to the handle 212 and a second module component 206B that is selectively mountable to the first module component 206A. The side protection module 206 also includes a locking device 207 for selectively locking the first module component 206A and the second module component 206B to each other when the second module component 206B is mounted to the first module component 206A. In this example, the locking device 207 is configured to be movable between a locked state and an unlocked state, in which the locking device 207 prevents the first module component 206A and the second module component 206B from being disassembled, and in the unlocked state, the locking device 207 allows the first module component 206A and the second module component 206B to be disassembled by pivoting the second module component 206B relative to the first module component 206A.

Typically, the assembly may also include a cable connection device for connecting the side protection module to at least one of the handle and the seat when the side protection module is mounted to the handle. The cable connection device may include: a cable having a first end connectable to the side protection module and a second end connectable to at least one of the handle and the seat. In some examples, the second end may be connected at the strut rather than at the handle or the seat. The cable connection device prevents the side protection module from flying off in the event of a sudden impact. For example, if the quick release mechanism cannot withstand the impact and the side protection module is removed from the handle, the side protection module will not fly off, but will hover from the handle or the seat due to the cable connection device. In this example, the cable connection device 208 can be best shown in Figure 7H as a cable 208A having one end connected to the side protection module 206 and the other end connected to the handle 212.

Typically, the assembly may also include a strut having a distal end with wheels and a relative proximal end connected to the seat at its strut attachment area. The strut attachment area may constitute a portion of the upper seat or the lower support and be positioned on the left and right sides of the seat. The strut may constitute a pair of front struts and a pair of rear struts, and at least one of these pairs may be connected to the seat at the strut attachment area. In a side view of the assembly, when mounted to the handle, the strut attachment area may at least partially overlap with the handle attachment area and optionally overlap with the side protection module. For example, when mounted to the handle, a transverse axis parallel to the pivot axis of the handle passes through at least a portion of the handle attachment area and at least a portion of the strut attachment area, and optionally passes through at least a portion of the side protection module.

This overlap of the handle attachment area and the strut attachment area provides a thick layer of material at the area where the side protection module is to be installed, thereby providing enhanced protection against side impacts. It should be understood that the attachment of the strut and the handle at one area and the fact that both the strut and the handle are independently pivotable make this area bulky and complex in structure, with a thick layer of material (thick in the lateral direction). In addition, mounting the side protection module at the portion of the handle connected to the handle attachment area makes this area bulkier and with a thicker layer of material, thereby increasing the energy absorption capacity of this area in the event of a side impact.

The wheels may also constitute an additional side protection module in addition to the side protection module 206. For example, when the struts are in their storage state, the wheels are positioned on the lateral sides of the seat, thereby allowing at least one of the rear wheels and the front wheels to constitute an additional side protection module on both lateral sides of the seat.

In this embodiment, the pole 270 has a distal end 271 with a wheel 286 and a proximal end 272 (best seen in FIG. 13A ) connected at the pole attachment area 242, only one of which is visible in FIGS. 7A to 7E . In the side view of the assembly ( FIGS. 7C to 7E ), the pole attachment area 242 overlaps the handle attachment area 205. In other words, in the side view of the assembly, one of the pole attachment area 242 and the handle attachment area 205 at least partially blocks the view of the other of the pole attachment area 242 and the handle attachment area 205.

In this example, in the stored state of the struts ( FIGS. 7A to 7E ), the front wheels 286A of the front struts 270A protrude laterally from the seat 202 to a greater extent than the rear wheels 286B of the rear struts 270B on the same side of the seat 202 and constitute an additional side protection module. In some examples, the rear wheels may protrude laterally from the seat to a greater extent than the front wheels on the same side of the seat and constitute an additional side protection module.

The pivoting of the strut between the operative state and the storage state has been described above with respect to the strut 70 of the assembly 10, and the description also applies to the strut 270. For example, the strut 270 is pivoted rearwardly toward the backrest portion 252 of the seat in a manner similar to the strut 70 for maneuvering from the operative state to the storage state, such that in the storage state, the distal end 271 is positioned closer to the backrest portion 252 than the foot portion 254 of the seat 202.

The convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to the presently disclosed subject matter may include a zipper device that enables both the fabric cover and the top cover to be independently zipped to its back portion. In fact, the zipper device can be used with any infant seat having a detachably connected fabric cover and top cover, so the following description should be considered applicable to any such seat having a back portion, the back portion comprising a shell made of plastic, and the shell having an outer side and an inner side, to which the fabric cover can be applied so as to at least partially cover the inner side of the shell. The plastic shell of the seat may include a rear wall and two side walls, each of the three walls having a corresponding inner surface and an outer surface merged at a corresponding upper edge. The corresponding upper edges of the rear wall and the side walls merge together to form a continuous upper edge of the shell. In other words, the continuous upper edge of the shell is defined by the upper edges of the corresponding rear wall and side walls.

The zipper arrangement may include two zippers, each of which is a split zipper type. The zipper arrangement may include a cover zipper and a top cover zipper, each having a shell zipper half sewn to the shell, for example, along and adjacent to at least a portion of the upper edge of the shell, and a matching zipper half, the matching zipper half of the cover zipper being sewn to the fabric cover, and the matching zipper half of the top cover zipper being sewn to the top cover. In this way, both the fabric cover and the top cover can be zipped into the corresponding shell zipper sewn to the shell in the shell zipper using their zipper components.

Each of the two halves of each of the top cover zipper and the lid zipper has a toothed portion with zipper teeth and a base portion without such teeth, the base portion being used to sew the zipper halves to the shell or sew the lid/top cover while keeping the toothed portion flappable. The shell zipper half of each of the lid zipper and the top cover zipper is sewn to the shell at its base by at least one sewn seam. This allows the toothed portions of the shell halves of the lid zipper and the top cover zipper to be flappable independently of each other so that they can be spaced apart when the lid and the top cover are connected.

The base of the shell zipper half of the top cover zipper can be at least partially located between the outer shell surface and the shell zipper half of the cover zipper, such as the base of the cover zipper. Optionally, the shell zipper halves of the two zippers can be sewn together to the shell, i.e., sewn together to the shell by at least one common sewing seam.

The teeth of the toothed portions of the shell halves of the two zippers may be spaced about the same distance from the shell upper edge or different distances. In the latter case, the teeth of the shell zipper half of the cover zipper may be spaced a greater distance from the shell upper edge than the teeth of the top cover zipper. In any case, the toothed portions of the shell halves of the two zippers may be generally parallel to each other and to the shell upper edge.

In some cases, the two zippers can be configured to fasten in opposite directions, such as a top cover zipper configured to fasten from a first side wall of the housing toward a second side wall of the housing, and a lid zipper configured to fasten from the second side wall of the housing toward the first side wall. Such an arrangement in which each zipper fastens from a different direction can be convenient for use, such as when attaching or removing a top cover or lid.

In some cases, the lengths of the zippers are different. The top cover zipper may extend to a shorter length than the cover zipper, wherein the cover zipper extends further along both side walls of the shell. Optionally, the top cover zipper, when fastened, at least partially overlaps the fastened cover zipper, so that when the top cover is connected to the seat, only the top cover zipper is visible from the outside of the seat. When the top cover is connected, the cover zipper is inaccessible along at least a portion of its length. This can reduce the likelihood of not wanting to remove the cover from the seat, and can prevent removal of the cover before the top cover has been removed.

The cover zipper can be located on the back portion of the seat and not extend further (e.g., the cover zipper does not extend to the foot portion). This can provide a potential manufacturing advantage because the cover zipper is sewn to the shell along a shorter distance than the distance required for the zipper to also extend to the foot portion.

8A, 8B and 9, in the depicted example of the seat assembly 210, the upper seat 250 includes a backrest 252 having a shell 255 made of plastic to which a fabric cover 223 is removably applied. The plastic shell 255 of the backrest 252 generally includes three walls: a rear wall 213 and two opposing side walls 204A, 204B, which are integrally formed to define a generally continuous and contoured body of the shell 255. Each of the rear wall 213 and the side walls 204 has a respective inner and outer surface that merge to define a continuous outer edge or upper edge 204', 213' of the respective wall 204A, 204B, 213, respectively. The upper edges 204', 213' of the respective walls 204A, 204B, 213 merge together to form a generally continuous outermost upper edge of the shell 255.

9 shows a portion of a housing 255 having a portion of a zipper arrangement 200 by which the top cover 150 (not shown) and the fabric cover 223 can be independently zipped thereto along an upper edge of the housing 255. The upper edge (not shown) extends along the first side wall 204A, up to the top of the rear wall 213, and then extends downwardly along the opposite side wall 204B. The zipper arrangement 200 is sewn to the housing 255 so that it extends side by side and runs adjacent to its upper edge, or at least along a major portion thereof.

In the depicted example, a portion of a zipper arrangement 200 is shown. One half 200A of a first zipper is configured to mate with a corresponding half of a first zipper (not shown) sewn to the top cover 150, and one half of a second zipper 200C is configured to mate with a corresponding half of a second zipper 200D sewn to the fabric cover 223. These two halves 200A, 200C of the zipper arrangement 200 may be referred to as "shell zipper halves 200A, 200C" because they are sewn to the upper seat 250 and are configured to provide zipper connections to the top cover 150 and the fabric cover 223, respectively.

The cover zipper is shown in a partially fastened state, whereby half 200C and half 200D are drawn together with their teeth intermeshing at a portion constructed above the slider 290 of the zipper. Below the slider, the two halves are separated from each other.

For the top cover zipper, only the outer shell half 200A of the zipper is shown, extending to a shorter distance than the cover zipper (e.g., a shorter distance along the side wall 204A). The top cover zipper's puller 292 is shown at the beginning of the zipper teeth, where the zipper's starter box 294 is located.

The zipper half 200A configured to mate with the top cover 150 may be sewn proximate the upper edge of the shell 255 such that the zipper half 200A extends along a length and path directly adjacent to and parallel to the upper edge of the shell 255 .

Zipper half 200C, which is configured to mate with fabric cover 223, may be spaced inwardly from shell zipper half 200A.

In an example structure of a zipper arrangement, the two halves of the first zipper and the second zipper sewn to the shell can themselves all be sewn together. In FIG. 9 , the shell zipper half 200C of the cover and the shell zipper half 200A of the top cover are sewn together by a generally continuous fabric strip so that the shell zipper halves 200A, 200C are generally adjacent to each other along their lengths. In this structure, each of these shell zipper halves 200A, 200C is spaced apart from each other along their lengths so that they travel along corresponding paths generally parallel to each other and the upper edge of the shell 255 of the upper seat 250. The shell zipper half 200C zipped to the fabric cover 223 is spaced apart inwardly from the shell zipper half 200A zipped to the top cover 150.

The lengths of the shell zipper halves can be different. For example, the shell zipper halves do not have to extend to the same extent along the upper edge of the seat. For example, the shell zipper halves configured to match the zipper halves of the cover can extend to a first extent along the upper edge of the shell, which extent can be substantially or the entire length of the upper edge. At the same time, the shell zipper halves configured to match the zipper halves of the top cover can extend to a second extent along the upper edge of the shell, wherein the first extent is greater than the second extent. In other words, the length of the zipper halves configured to be zipped to the top cover can be shorter than the length of the zipper halves configured to be zipped to the fabric seat cover. This difference in zipper length corresponds to the size and placement of the fabric cover and the top cover.

Referring again to Fig. 9, the inside of the upper seat 250 is configured to be substantially covered by the fabric cover 223 applied thereto. Thus, the shell zipper half 200C, which is sewn to the upper seat 250 and configured to be zipped to the fabric cover 223, is configured to extend substantially around the entire upper edge of the shell 255, so that the fabric cover 223 can be zipped along the entire length of the shell zipper half 200C to cover the inside of the upper seat 250.

A top cover (not shown) 150 configured to provide sun and/or rain protection may be disposed to extend generally outwardly from an upper region of the upper seat 250 such that it extends within the upper seat 250 and shields at least the head, if not at least a portion of the infant's body. Thus, with reference to FIG. 9 , the shell zipper half 200A that zips to the top cover 150 begins slightly upward along the upper edge 204′ of the side wall 204 of the shell 255. By comparison, the shell zipper half 200C that zips to the fabric cover 223 begins substantially at the lowermost region of the upper edge 204′ of the side wall 204 of the shell 255. In other words, the shell zipper half 200A that is configured to zip to the top cover 150 extends along the upper edge 213′ of the rear wall 213 and extends downward along the respective upper edge 204′ of each side wall 204. At a minimum, the shell zipper half 200A connected to the zipper half of the top cover does not extend down to the upper edge 204′ of the side wall 204 as much as the shell zipper half 200C configured to be zipped to the fabric cover 223. Thus, the shell zipper half 200A configured to be zipped to the top cover 150 is sewn to the shell 255 such that it is directly adjacent to the upper edge of the shell 255. At the same time, the shell zipper half 200C configured to be zipped to the fabric cover 223 is sewn to the shell zipper half 200A such that it is spaced inwardly from the shell zipper half 200A along its length, so that the zipper half 200C extends along a length that is directly adjacent to and spaced inwardly from the shell zipper half 200A.

The cover zipper and the top cover zipper of the zipper device are configured so that their fastening directions are opposite. In the example shown, the slider of the top cover zipper is configured to be pulled from the side wall 204A toward the side wall 204B (not shown in this figure) so that the top cover zipper is zipped closed; while the slider of the cover zipper is configured to be pulled out from the side wall 204B toward the side wall 204A in the opposite direction so that the cover zipper is zipped closed. Therefore, the starting box of the top cover zipper is configured at the beginning of the top cover zipper teeth at the side wall 204A; and the starting box of the cover zipper is configured at the beginning of the cover zipper teeth at the side wall 204B.

Figure 10 also illustrates a zipper arrangement. The shell zipper half 200A of the top cover zipper extends at least partially along the outermost upper edge of the shell 255. The shell zipper half 200C of the lid zipper is parallel to and spaced inwardly from the shell zipper half 200A and extends a longer distance along the side wall (here side wall 204A is shown).

Shell zipper halves 200A, 200C are sewn to plastic shell 255. Each zipper half generally includes a flappable teeth portion 300 and a base (not visible) by which the zipper half is attached to the shell. In FIG. 10 , seam 302 is shown extending below the flappable portion of the zipper half and parallel to the outermost upper edge of the shell. (In this example, the flappable portion of shell zipper half 200A is partially folded around the seam so that the seam is visible above and below the folded flappable portion.)

Optionally, the base of the shell zipper halves is at least partially tied together by a binding, such as a fabric binding. In certain embodiments, the device of the shell zipper halves and their bindings that are tied together is assembled in a specified recess, such as a stepped recess, formed along the shell near its upper edge. In this structure, the binding can be aligned with the shell upper edge so that it does not protrude above the outer surface of the shell. The binding together with the shell zipper halves can be connected to the shell by at least one common sewing seam. The advantage of placing the binding in the recess can also be that the sewing seam that attaches the binding to the plastic shell is made by a relatively thin plastic layer (defined by the stepped recess).

In this example, the above structure is illustrated in FIG. 10 , which shows a cross-sectional view along the length of the backrest, including a portion of the zipper arrangement. The shell zipper half 200A of the top cover zipper and the shell zipper half 200C of the cover zipper are shown. Each shell zipper half includes a flappable tooth portion 300 (only a single tooth of each shell zipper half appears in this cross-sectional view) and a base 304. The two bases are bound together by a binding 306 (e.g., a fabric binding, ribbon, or tape). Optionally, the bases are welded to each other.

The device that binds the shell zipper halves together fits within a designated stepped recess 308 formed in the plastic material of the shell 255 so that the device does not protrude beyond the surface of the shell, thereby defining a smooth outer contour. The recess 308 can extend along the length of the outermost upper edge of the shell.

One or more stitching seams (not shown in FIG. 11 ) stitch the arrangement of the bound shell zipper halves to the plastic material of the shell. The stepped recess 308 as shown includes: a first wall 309 through which the zipper arrangement (together with the binding) is stitched to the shell (e.g., via one or more stitching seams); and a second wall 311 that crosses the first wall and defines a height at which the depth of the recess is set relative to the outer rear-facing surface of the shell. The thickness of the binding comprising the shell zipper halves can be similar to or less than the depth defined by the recess so that the binding does not protrude outwardly from the shell surface. In addition, since the thickness of the shell decreases along the first wall of the recess, it can be facilitated to stitch the zipper arrangement to the plastic material of the shell at this wall.

11 , in this example, seam 302 is comprised of two seams, with a first inner seam holding the binding and base of the shell zipper halves together, and a second outer seam holding the arrangement of the bound shell zipper halves to the plastic material of the shell at the recess.

A convertible infant-safety car seat assembly according to the presently disclosed subject matter can be rockable on an external support surface between a neutral position and at least one of a forward reclined position and a rearward reclined position when in a storage mode and positioned on the external support surface.

Typically, the component may have one or more lowermost regions that are operable in the neutral position to contact an external support surface, which may be a platform, ground, floor, or any other suitable surface that allows the component to be positioned and rocked thereon. The component may also have at least one of a front region and a rear region that is operable to contact the external support surface when the component is tilted to a corresponding one of a front tilted position and a rear tilted position due to its rocking. For example, when the component is in the neutral position, the front region and/or the rear region may be positioned above the external support surface, and when the component is tilted (or in other words, rocked) to its front tilted position and/or rear tilted position, the front region and/or the rear region may contact the external support surface. The external support surface may generally be conceivably represented by a reference surface that includes one or more lowermost regions of the component when the component is in the neutral position, and includes the front region and/or the rear region when the component is in the corresponding tilted position.

In some cases, the one or more lowermost regions may include at least one of: a lowermost region of the seat, i.e., a lowermost region of the lower support when the assembly is in the neutral position, and a first region of the strut of the assembly which may be a lowermost region of the strut (lowermost region of the strut) when the assembly is in the neutral position. For example, one or both of the lowermost region of the lower support and the lowermost region of the strut may constitute the one or more lowermost regions of the assembly when the assembly is in the neutral position. In any case, the lowermost region of the support, i.e., the lowermost region of the seat is closest to the reference plane in the neutral position, regardless of whether it is consistent with it. In other words, in the case where the one or more lowermost regions of the assembly do not include the lowermost region of the seat, the lowermost region of the seat is the region of the lower support that is positioned closest to the reference plane.

In some cases, the front region and/or rear region of the assembly can be composed of at least one second region of at least one pair of struts (of a pair of front struts and a pair of rear struts) which can be positioned above the external support surface in the neutral state and can be operable to contact the external support surface, for example, by means of the curved shape of the struts, in the front tilted position and/or the rear tilted position. For example, the (multiple) second regions of the struts can extend further in the forward and/or rearward direction than the corresponding front of the lower support member and/or the rear of the lower support member, thereby increasing the swing range of the assembly compared to the swing range in which only the lower support member participates in the swing of its curved bottom. The range of swing can be defined by the total area or total bending length of the assembly that will contact the external support surface when the assembly swings on the external support surface in a full cycle of swing between the neutral position and the tilted position.

Thus, the second region(s) and the region constituting the lowermost region(s) of the assembly together constitute a continuous curved shape, at least as seen in a side view of the assembly. For example, in the case where the lowermost region of the seat partially or fully constitutes the lowermost region of the assembly, the lowermost region of the seat and the second region(s) of the strut constitute a continuous curved shape in a side view of the assembly.

In fact, the second region(s) of the support may have a rocking participation portion on each of the second region(s). The rocking participation portion may be a portion of at least a portion of the strut that participates in the rocking of the assembly, or in other words, a portion that contacts the strut at least at a certain stage of the rocking of the outer support surface.

The support bar having the second region(s) may also have at least one third region that is spaced apart from the first region and the second region and that constitutes those regions of the support bar that do not contact the external support surface at any stage of the assembly being rocked thereon. In fact, the third region(s) that may not contact the external support surface at any stage of the rocking assembly may include a majority of the support bar. The rocking participation portion(s) may be made of a material that improves at least one rocking quality of the second region(s) (or at least the rocking participation portion(s)) compared to the rocking quality possessed by the second region(s) (or at least the rocking participation portion(s) if the second region(s) (or at least the rocking participation portion(s)) is made of the material from which the third region(s) are made. For example, the third region(s) may be made of a material that does not need to improve any rocking quality, at least because the third region(s) may not contact the external support surface at any stage of the rocking assembly. The rocking quality may generally be a characteristic that participates in providing a smooth and comfortable experience for a young child positioned in the assembly.

In some cases, the swing mass can be a high friction capacity, so that the swing participation portion constitutes a friction increase portion. The friction increase portion at the area that contacts the external support surface during swinging provides a controlled swing, such as speed, the degree (range) of swinging, and prevents the unintentional sliding of the component on the external support surface, thereby providing a safe and comfortable swing experience for the baby. The material from which the friction increase portion is made can have a material with a higher friction capacity than at least one third area or an area that remains out of contact with the external support surface during swinging. It should be understood here that for the purpose of this specification, the comparison between the friction capacity of any two materials is considered to be carried out under all those conditions that can affect the friction capacity, such as for the same external support surface. For example, the friction capacity of the material making the friction increase portion is higher than any other material, which means that the friction capacity of the material making the friction increase portion is higher than other materials when measured using the same external support surface under the same situation, physical properties and environment. In other words, the material of the friction increase portion is more conducive to the friction between the friction increase portion and the external support surface than the friction between (multiple) third areas (or other areas of the bracket that remain out of contact with the external support surface) and the external support surface.

In some cases, the rocking mass may be flexible such that the rocking engagement portion constitutes a soft contact portion. The soft contact portion at the area that contacts the external support surface during rocking provides a softer contact with the external support surface, thereby providing a smoother and controlled rocking, for example by damping the rocking when the assembly approaches its tilted position. It should be understood here that the material from which the friction increasing portion is made may be such as to improve the rocking mass described above, i.e., to provide a friction increasing portion that also functions as a soft contact portion.

In fact, all regions, such as one or more lowermost regions, whether formed by either or both of the lower support and the bracket, can have a rocking participation portion similar to that described above with respect to the second region(s), and all descriptions of the rocking participation portion described above with respect to the second region(s) will apply to the rocking participation portion of the lowermost region(s) of the assembly. For example, the rocking participation portion of the lowermost region(s) of the assembly can be made of a material different from that of at least one other region of the assembly (which remains out of contact with the external support surface during rocking and can constitute a large portion of at least one of the lower support and the strut), and can be such as to improve at least one rocking quality compared to the rocking quality of the rocking participation portion that the rocking participation portion would have if it were made of the material of the other regions. The rocking quality is at least one of: a higher friction capacity, such that the rocking participation portion constitutes a friction increasing portion in the same manner as described above with respect to the second region(s); and softness, such that the rocking participation portion constitutes a soft contact portion in the same manner as described above with respect to the second region. The material of the rocking participation portion of the lowermost region(s) can be the same or different from the material of the rocking participation portion of the second region(s).

In some cases, the material of the area that remains out of contact with the external support surface includes: plastic, aluminum or any other metal/alloy or any other material that is hard enough to provide strength to the assembly and light enough to allow the assembly to be carried by a person. The material of the area that contacts the external support surface (the rocking participation portion) may include a softer material, such as rubber or any other material suitable for providing the above-mentioned rocking mass. In addition to the rocking mass, the material of the rocking participation portion provides resistance/prevention of mechanical damage to the struts and/or lower supports, such as due to wear and tear, and mechanical damage to the external support surface, such as when the external support surface includes a cushion or soft upper layer, and mechanical damage to the seat of the car when the assembly is positioned on the seat of the car.

During operation of the assembly as a rocker, i.e. when the assembly is positioned on an external support surface in its storage mode and in a neutral position, one or more lowermost regions contact the external support surface (which coincides with the reference surface). When the assembly is rocked (tilted/tilted) towards its tilted position, initially one or more lowermost regions (due to their curved shape) participate in the rocking. Once the (multiple) second regions are in contact with the external support surface, and due to the curved shape of the strut, they allow the assembly to further tilt towards its tilted position, thereby increasing the rocking range compared to the rocking range in which only one or more lowermost regions participate. The wheels of the strut constitute a stopper for constraining the rocking of the assembly in the tilted position, thereby limiting the range and degree of rocking. In some examples, the wheels may be detachable from the strut, and in these examples, the distal end of the strut will serve as a stopper. The diameter of the distal end may be smaller than the diameter of the wheel, so that when the wheel is removed, the range of rocking can be further increased.

In the present example shown in FIGS. 12A to 12E , the convertible infant safety car seat assembly 210 has been shown in its storage mode (similar to the mode of the assembly 10 shown in at least FIG. 1A ), and may have an operational mode (similar to the mode of the assembly 10 shown in at least FIGS. 1B to 1D ). The assembly 210 has a horizontal reference plane 234 (also referred to herein as a “reference plane,” “reference plane,” and “horizontal reference plane,” all of which are used interchangeably), which in FIGS. 12A to 12D represents the outer support surface 234, and is capable of rocking on the outer support surface 234 between a neutral position (shown in FIGS. 12A and 12D ) and a rearwardly tilted position (shown in FIGS. 12B and 12C ). The lower support member 230 includes a curved bottom 233 having a seat lowermost region 232, which in the illustrated example constitutes one of the one or more lowermost regions of the assembly 210. For example, as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12D , in the neutral position, the reference plane 234 includes the seat lowermost region 232. Lower support 230 also includes a rear portion 238 and a front portion 239 , with a curved bottom portion 233 extending between the rear portion 238 and the front portion 239 and at least partially facilitating rocking of assembly 210 .

The upper seat 250 includes a rear back portion 252 associated with the rear portion 238 of the lower support 230 and a front foot portion 254 associated with the front portion 239 of the lower support 230. A young child can sit in the upper seat 250 with his/her feet positioned toward the front foot portion 254 and rearwardly toward the rear back portion 252.

The assembly 210 also includes a support 270 having a distal end 271 with wheels 278 and a proximal end 272 pivotally hinged to the lower support member 30, the wheels 278 being removably or fixedly connected to the support 270. The struts 270 are maneuverable between a storage state associated with at least a storage mode of the assembly, in which at least a portion of the wheels of each strut is located above the reference plane 234 (as shown in Figures 12A to 12D), and an operational state associated with at least an operational mode of the assembly, in which at least the portion of the wheels of each strut is located below the reference plane 234, thereby enabling the seat assembly to be rolled on the wheels, such as in the manner described above with respect to the struts 70 of the assembly 10.

The struts 270 constitute a pair of front struts 270A and a pair of rear struts 270B. In the illustrated example, the front struts 270A have a curved shape and participate in the rocking of the assembly as described below. It should be understood that in some examples, in addition to or as an alternative to the front struts, the rear struts can also be formed to participate in the rocking.

In this example, the front strut 270A has a first region 273, which is also the strut lowermost region 273, and in the illustrated example, this region also constitutes another of the one or more lowermost regions of the assembly. For example, as shown in Figures 12A and 12D, in the neutral position, the strut lowermost region 273 is positioned above the reference surface 234 and also coincides with the reference surface 234. In some examples, the first region may not constitute the strut lowermost region, or may constitute the strut lowermost region, but may not constitute one or more lowermost regions of the assembly. For example, the first region may be located above the reference surface 234 and not coincide with it.

In this example, the front strut 270A has a second region 275, which also constitutes the rear region 275 of the assembly 210 and thus participates in the rocking of the assembly. For example, as shown in Figures 12B and 12C, in the rearward tilted position, the second region 275 coincides with the reference surface 234, that is, it is operable to contact the outer support surface 234 when the assembly is positioned on the outer support surface 234 and is in the rearward tilted position. The second region 275 further extends in the rearward direction RD of the rear portion 238 of the lower support member 230 and constitutes a continuous curved shape with one or more lowermost regions of the assembly (best shown in Figure 12E), which in the illustrated example includes the lowermost seat region 232 and the first region 273 of the front strut 270A in the side view of the assembly 210. In the illustrated example, since the first region 273 also participates in the rocking of the assembly, the second region 275 is adjacent to the first region 273 and may even partially overlap it. In some examples, the first region and the second region may be spaced apart.

In this example, the front strut 270A has a third region 277 spaced apart from the first region 273 and the second region 275. It should be understood here that although in the illustrated example, the third region 277 is shown facing away from the reference surface 234, in some examples, it can face the reference surface 234 and can be located at a portion of the strut that will not contact the external support surface during rocking, such as at or near the distal end of the strut, which may not contact the external support surface due to the presence of the wheels. In fact, any such region of the support can constitute a third region that will not contact the external support surface during rocking of the assembly.

The front strut 270A can be made of a first material, which can also be the material from which the third region 277 is made. In fact, the third region 277 can constitute a majority of the front strut 270A. The second region 275 has a swing participation portion 275A made of a second material different from the first material. The second material, for example, improves at least one swing quality of the swing participation portion 275A compared to the swing participation portion 275A when the swing participation portion 275A is made of the first material. For example, the second material can have a higher friction capacity and/or can be softer than the first material compared to the first material. Therefore, the swing participation portion 275A can constitute a friction increasing portion and/or a soft contact portion.

The lower support 230 includes another area 240 spaced apart from the lowermost area 232 of the seat. It should be understood here that although in the illustrated example, the other area 240 is shown as not facing the reference surface 234, in some examples, it can face the reference surface 234 and can be located at a portion of the lower support that will not contact the external support surface during rocking, such as at the curved bottom 233, at a portion that may not contact the external support surface, for example, because the lowermost area 232 of the seat is formed to protrude toward the reference surface relative to other portions of the curved bottom 233. Such other portions of the curved bottom can constitute other areas. The other area 240 can be considered together with the third area 277, at least because both areas represent those areas of the strut and the lower support that will remain out of contact with the external support surface during rocking of the assembly on the external support surface. Therefore, the other area 240 can constitute a large portion of the strut 270A and the lower support 240.

The lower support 230 may be made of a third material, which may also be the material from which the other region 240 is made. The lowermost region 232 of the seat has a rocking participation portion 232A made of a fourth material different from the third material. The fourth material, for example, improves at least one rocking quality of the rocking participation portion 232A compared to the rocking quality that the rocking participation portion 232A would have if the rocking participation portion 232A were made of the third material. For example, the fourth material may have a higher friction capability than the third material and/or may be softer than the third material. Thus, the rocking participation portion 232A may constitute a friction increasing portion and/or a soft contact portion.

In this example, since the first region 273 of the front strut 270A also constitutes one or more lowermost regions of the assembly 210 and participates in its swing, the first region also has a swing participation portion 273A, which is made of a fifth material different from the first material and the third material. Compared with the swing quality of the swing participation portion 273A when the swing participation portion 273A is made of the first material or the third material, the fifth material improves at least one swing quality of the swing participation portion 273A. For example, compared with the first material and the third material, the fifth material can have a higher friction capacity and/or can be softer than the first material and the third material. Therefore, the swing participation portion 273A can constitute a friction increasing portion and/or a soft contact portion.

It should be understood here that the first material and the third material can be the same or different and can include plastic, aluminum, or any other metal/alloy or any other material that is hard enough to provide strength to the assembly and light enough to allow the assembly to be carried by a person. The second material, the fourth material, and the fifth material can be the same or different and can include softer materials, such as rubber or any other material suitable for providing the above-mentioned rocking quality. In fact, in this example, the rocking participation portion 273A of the first area 273 and the rocking participation portion 275A of the second area are continuously formed on the surface of the front support rod 270A facing the reference surface 234.

In the present example, the swing participation portions have been shown in the form of pads attached to the respective components (struts and lower support members). It should be understood here that some or all of the swing participation portions may be formed within the respective components rather than being connected to the respective components in the form of pads. For example, the lower support member and/or the struts may include recesses to receive the swing participation portions therein. In some examples, some or all of the swing participation portions may be integrally formed with the respective components. In some examples, some or all of the swing participation portions may be integrally formed with the respective components.

During operation of the assembly 210 as a rocker, i.e., when the assembly 210 is positioned on the external support surface in its storage mode and in the neutral position, the lowermost region 232 and the first region 273 of the curved bottom 233 of the lower support 230 contact the external support surface (which coincides with the reference plane 234). When the assembly 210 rocks (tilts/tilts) toward its rearward tilted position, initially the curved bottom 233 (due to its curved shape) and the first region 273 participate in the rocking. Once the rear portion 238 of the lower support 230 is in contact with the external support surface, simultaneously the second region 275 (which extends further rearward than the rear portion 238 and is curved) is in contact with the external support surface and, due to the curved shape of the front strut 270A, the assembly 210 is allowed to tilt further toward its rearward tilted position, thereby increasing the range of rocking compared to the range in which only the lower support participates. The wheels 286A of the front strut 270A constitute a stopper for constraining the rocking of the assembly in the rearward tilted position, thereby limiting the range and degree of rocking. In some embodiments (as shown in Figures 13A to 13F), the wheel 286A can be detachable from the support rod, and in these examples, the distal end 271 will act as a stop. The diameter of the distal end 271 is smaller than the diameter of the wheel 286A, so when the wheel is removed, the range of swing is further increased.

The convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to the presently disclosed subject matter may include one or more wheels connected to corresponding struts by a quick release mechanism. For example, such wheels may be removable from the assembly when the seat assembly is used in its car seat installation mode or storage mode. The wheels may be removable to prevent a child sitting near the seat assembly or the seat of the car itself from dirt/damage/injury from the wheels when the assembly is positioned in a car.

In the present example shown in FIGS. 13A to 13F , the convertible infant safety car seat assembly 210 includes a lower support 230 having a rear portion 238 and a front portion 239 and a horizontal reference plane 234 passing through a lowermost region 232 (also referred to herein as a seat lowermost region 232) of the lower support 230. An upper seat 250 is connected to the lower support 230 such that a backrest portion 252 of the upper seat 250 is connected to the rear portion 238 of the lower support 230 and a foot portion 254 of the upper seat 250 is connected to the front portion 239 of the lower support 230.

The assembly 10 also includes a support rod 270 having wheels 286 that can be manipulated between the storage state and the operating state shown in Figures 13A to 13E. It should be understood that the support rod 270 can include some or all of the features of the support rod 70 described above with respect to the assembly 10, and at least the description of the operation of the support rod 70 between the storage state and the operating state also applies to the support rod 270, and for the sake of brevity of this specification, it is not repeated here. For example, in the storage state of the support rod 270, the wheels 286 are located above the reference surface 234, and the assembly 210 is suitable for being positioned in an automobile or positioned on a support surface in a position suitable for securing a child therein, and in the operating state of the support rod 270, the wheels 286 can be located below the reference surface 234, so that the seat assembly 210 can be rolled by the wheels 286.

The struts 270 constitute a pair of front struts 270A having front wheels 286A and a pair of rear struts 270B having rear wheels 286B. Typically, at least one of the pair of front struts 270A and the pair of rear struts 270B of the struts 270 may be capable of pivoting rearwardly toward the backrest portion 252 in a manner similar to the struts 70 to maneuver from the operational state to the storage state, whereby in the storage state the wheels 286 are positioned closer to the backrest portion 252 than the foot portion 254. In this example, both the pair of front struts 270A and the pair of rear struts 270B may be capable of pivoting rearwardly toward the backrest portion 252 to maneuver from the operational state to the storage state, whereby in the storage state the wheels 286 are positioned closer to the backrest portion 252 than the foot portion 254. In some examples, only the pair of front struts 270A may be able to pivot rearwardly, and in the stored state, the front wheels 286A are positioned closer to the back portion 252 than the foot portion 254 .

In this example, as seen in FIG. 13C , in storage of the strut 270, the front wheel 286A protrudes laterally (in the lateral direction indicated by the arrow LT) relative to the lower support 230 to a greater extent than the rear wheel 286B in the rear view ( FIG. 13C ) of the assembly 210. In this example, the front wheel 286A is connected to the front strut 270A by a quick release mechanism. In some examples, the rear wheel 286B may also be connected to the rear strut 270B by a quick release mechanism having any suitable structure to allow the connection and removal of the rear wheel while allowing the wheel to roll when connected.

Typically, the front wheel 286A can be connected to the front strut 270A by a quick release mechanism that allows the wheel to be removed in a wheel removal direction extending laterally (e.g., parallel to the lateral direction indicated by arrow LT) relative to the lower support 230. Removing the wheel in the lateral direction allows a person sitting adjacent to the assembly in the vehicle to remove the wheel after the assembly is positioned in the vehicle.

Each front wheel can be detachably connected to its corresponding pole in the same manner, yet, for the sake of brevity, only a front wheel is described here.Front wheel 286A can include pole connecting element, and when wheel is connected to corresponding pole, this pole connecting element will extend along wheel removal direction, and corresponding front pole 270A can include wheel connecting element extending along wheel removal direction.Pole connecting element and wheel connecting element can constitute quick release mechanism, and can have any suitable structure to allow to be detachably connected to each other, thereby allow wheel to rotate with pole connecting element around the wheel rotation axis parallel to wheel removal direction relative to wheel connecting element.For example, pole connecting element and wheel connecting element can constitute a pair of elongated recesses and elongated protrusions, one of which can be on wheel and another can be on pole.In some examples, pole connecting element and wheel connecting element can constitute two parts of mechanical connecting device, electrical connecting device or magnetic connecting device, and they are detachably connected to each other, thereby allow wheel relative to the rotation of pole.

The quick release mechanism includes a release actuator for actuating the release of the strut connection element from the wheel connection element. For example, the release actuator can be in the form of a button or lever (mechanical or electronic/electrical) that can be actuated by the user to remove the wheel. The release actuator can be positioned at any position at the strut or wheel that is suitable for user access to the release actuator and is sufficiently hidden to prevent unintentional actuation of the release of the wheel.

In this example, when the front wheel 286A is connected to the support rod 270A, the front wheel 286A has a support rod connection element 287 in the form of an elongated projection, which extends parallel to the wheel removal direction WR. The front support rod 270A includes an elongated wheel connection element 288 in the form of an elongated recess, which extends parallel to the wheel removal direction. The projection 287 and the recess 288 constitute a quick release mechanism that allows the wheel to rotate around the wheel rotation axis WA. In order for the front wheel 286A to be connected to the front support rod 270A, the projection 287 is inserted into the recess 288, and the projection 287 is locked in the recess 288, thereby the wheel 286A is securely connected to the support rod 270A and the front wheel 286A is allowed to rotate relative to the front support rod 270A.

The quick release mechanism includes a release actuator 289 in the form of a button positioned in the front strut 270A. To remove the wheel 286A from the strut 270A, the button 289 is pressed, which actuates the release of the wheel 286A by releasing the protrusion 287 from the recess 288, and the wheel 286A can then be removed in the wheel removal direction WR.

Typically, the wheel 286 includes a rolling area that is configured to contact a support surface when the assembly 210 rolls thereon with the aid of the wheel 286; and a residual area that is configured not to contact the support surface when the assembly rolls thereon. The wheel 286 may include a wheel retaining portion that is located in the residual area and is suitable for being retained by a user for at least removing the wheel 286 from the corresponding support rod 270. The residual area may be at or near the center of the wheel, and the wheel retaining portion may be composed of a center disk or a portion thereof. The wheel retaining portion allows the user to retain the wheel, for example, for removing the wheel from the support rod without contacting the dirty rolling area of the wheel.

In the present example, the front wheel 286A includes a rolling region 293 and a remaining region 295 having a wheel retaining portion 295A adapted to be retained by a user at least for removal of the wheel 286A from the corresponding front strut 270A.

Claims (30)

1. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly, comprising: a lower support member having a front portion and a rear portion and a reference plane extending horizontally through a lowermost region of the lower support member; an upper seat hingeably connected to the lower support and having a backrest portion associated with the rear portion of the lower support and a foot portion associated with the front portion of the lower support; a support post having wheels, the support post being maneuverable between a storage position in which at least the wheels are above the reference surface and the assembly is mountable in a vehicle at a location suitable for securing an infant therein, and an operating position in which at least the wheels are below the reference surface so that the seat assembly can be rolled by means of the wheels; a strut manipulation mechanism operable to manipulate the strut between the storage state and the operative state; a seat manipulation mechanism operable to manipulate the upper seat between an upright position in which the back portion and the foot portion define a first angle therebetween and an extended position in which the back portion and the foot portion define a second angle therebetween that is greater than the first angle; A seat manipulation actuator configured to enable a user to manipulate the seat manipulation mechanism, and at least one strut manipulation actuator configured to enable a user to manipulate the strut manipulation mechanism, wherein one of the following conditions is met: (a) the seat operating actuator is positioned at a location associated with the front portion of the lower support member and the at least one strut operating actuator is positioned at a location spaced rearwardly from the front portion of the lower support member; or (b) the at least one strut-operating actuator is positioned at a location associated with the front portion of the lower support, and the seat-operating actuator is positioned at a location spaced rearwardly from the front portion of the lower support. 2 . The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seat maneuver actuator is positioned at the front portion of the lower support. 3. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to claim 1, wherein the storage state of the support rod can only be combined with the upright state of the upper seat to define a first mode of the seat assembly; the extended state of the upper seat can only be combined with the operating state of the support rod to define a second mode of the seat assembly; the operating state of the support rod and the upright state of the upper seat can at least be combined with each other to define a third mode of the seat assembly. 4. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of claim 3, wherein the convertible infant-safety car seat assembly is configured to have at least one of the following features: at least indirectly preventing manipulation of the strut in the second mode of the seat assembly by the upper seat being in the extended state; or Manipulation of the upper seat in the first mode of the seat assembly is at least indirectly prevented by the strut being in the stored condition. 5. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of: a strut manipulation prevention device configured to prevent manipulation of the strut from the operative state to the storage state at least when the upper seat is in the extended state; or A seat manipulation prevention device is configured to prevent the upper seat from being manipulated from the upright position to the extended position at least when the support rod is in the storage position. 6. An infant safety car seat assembly, comprising: A seat having a back portion and a foot portion; a handle connected to the seat at a handle attachment area of the seat by a pivotable attachment that enables the handle to pivot between a plurality of different positions, the handle having a seat facing area facing the handle attachment area and an opposing exterior facing area; and A side protection module for absorbing at least a portion of impact energy thereon, the side protection module being selectively mountable at the outwardly facing region of the handle. 7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the side protection module is configured to pivot with the handle when mounted to the handle. 8. A component according to claim 7, wherein the side protection module has an elongated shape extending along a longitudinal axis and includes a first handle engaging portion and a second handle engaging portion spaced apart from each other at least partially along the longitudinal axis; wherein, when the side protection module is installed to the handle, the outward-facing area of the handle includes a first module engaging portion for engaging the first handle engaging portion and a second module engaging portion for engaging the second handle engaging portion; wherein at least one of the first handle engaging portion and the second handle engaging portion includes a handle connecting element, and at least one of the first module engaging portion and the second module engaging portion includes a module connecting element, and the handle connecting element and the module connecting element are detachably connected to each other by a magnetic connecting mechanism. 9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein at least one of the first handle engagement portion and the second handle engagement portion comprises a first component of an orientation securing mechanism, and a respective at least one of the first module engagement portion and the second module engagement portion comprises a second component of the orientation securing mechanism, wherein the first component and the second component of the orientation securing mechanism are configured to engage with each other when the side protection module is mounted to the handle to secure the orientation of the side protection module relative to the handle. 10. The assembly of claim 9 further comprising a pole having a distal end and an opposing proximal end, the distal end having a wheel and the opposing proximal end connected to the seat at a pole attachment area of the seat, the pole attachment area at least partially overlapping the handle attachment area at least in a side view of the assembly. 11. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly adapted to secure an infant therein and having a first storage mode and a second operating mode, wherein in the first storage mode the assembly is adapted to be positioned within a vehicle, and in the second operating mode the assembly is capable of rolling along an external support surface, wherein when the assembly is in the storage mode and positioned on the external support surface, the assembly is capable of rocking on the external support surface between a neutral position and at least one of a forward reclined position and a rearward reclined position, the assembly comprising: one or more lowermost regions operable to contact the outer support surface in the neutral position; at least one of a front region and a rear region operable to contact said exterior support surface when in said at least one of said front inclined position and rear inclined position; a horizontal reference plane including one or more lowermost regions of the assembly when in the neutral position and notionally representing the outer support surface; a lower support member having a front portion and a rear portion and a lowermost region of the seat closest to the horizontal reference plane when the assembly is in the neutral position; an upper seat connected to the lower support and having a backrest portion associated with the rear portion of the lower support and a foot portion associated with the front portion of the lower support; struts connected to the lower support at their proximal ends and having distal ends having wheels fixed thereto at least in the operational mode, the struts being maneuverable between a storage state associated with at least the storage mode of the assembly and an operational state associated with at least the operational mode of the assembly, wherein at least a portion of each strut having the wheels is located above the reference plane and wherein at least the portion of each strut having the wheels is located below the reference plane to enable rolling of the seat assembly by means of the wheels, the struts constituting a pair of rear struts and a pair of front struts; The struts of at least one of the pairs have a curved shape so that when the struts of the at least one pair are in the storage state, the struts of the at least one pair have a first area positioned above the reference plane of the neutral position, at least one second area constituting at least one of the front area and the rear area, and at least one third area spaced apart from the first area and the second area, at least the second area having a swing participation portion made of a material different from the material of the at least one third area, the material being used to improve at least one swing mass compared to the swing mass that the swing participation portion would have if it were made of the material of the third area. 12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the swaying mass is at least one of: Higher friction capacity, so that the swing participation part constitutes a friction increasing part; or The softness makes the swing participation part constitute a soft contact part. 13. An assembly according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the lower support member and the strut includes at least one other region spaced apart from the one or more lowermost regions and the at least one second region, wherein at least one of the one or more lowermost regions includes a friction increasing portion made of a material having a higher friction capacity than the friction capacity of the at least one other region. 14. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the wheels of the struts of the at least one pair of struts, when connected to the struts, constitute stops for restricting rocking of the assembly in the at least one of the forward tilt position and the rearward tilt position. 15. A component according to claim 11, wherein each support rod having the swing participation portion is made of a first material, and the swing participation portion is made of a second material different from the first material; and wherein the swing participation portion is in the form of a pad, which is attached to the corresponding support rod at its surface facing the reference surface. 16. An infant seat, which comprises at least during use: a shell made of plastic material and having an outer side facing outwards and an inner side to which a fabric cover of the seat can be attached, the shell having a rear wall and two side walls, each of the rear wall and the two side walls having a respective inner surface and an outer surface merging at a respective upper edge, the upper edges of the rear wall and the side walls merging continuously and constituting the shell upper edge, the fabric cover being intended to cover at least the inner side of the shell when the fabric cover is detachably attached to the inner side of the shell; Top cover; and a zipper arrangement for removably connecting the lid and the top cover to the shell adjacent an upper edge of the shell, the zipper arrangement comprising a top cover zipper and a lid zipper, each of the zippers being separable and comprising a zipper box and a zipper pin and having: a shell zipper half having one of the zipper box and the zipper pin, the one of the zipper box and the zipper pin being sewn to the shell at the outer surfaces of the rear wall and the side walls adjacent an upper edge of the shell at least along a portion of the shell zipper half adjacent the rear wall; and having a matching zipper half of the other of the zipper box and the zipper pin, the matching zipper half of the first zipper being sewn to the cover and the matching zipper half of the second zipper being sewn to the top cover, wherein, optionally, the zipper box is located on the shell zipper half and the zipper pin is located on the matching zipper half. 17. An infant seat according to claim 16, wherein the shell zipper half of each of the zippers has: a base at which the shell zipper half is sewn to the shell; and a flapping portion having zipper teeth, and the two shell zipper halves of the two zippers are sewn to the shell at the base of the shell zipper halves, so that the flapping portions of the shell zipper halves can be separated and independently manipulated from each other when engaged with the corresponding matching halves of the zippers. 18. The infant seat of claim 16, wherein when the lid and top cover are zipped to the shell, the top cover zipper covers the lid zipper along the length of the top cover zipper. 19. An infant seat according to claim 16, wherein the zipper boxes of the shell halves of the two zippers are located at or adjacent to different side walls of the exterior so that the cover zipper can be fastened in a direction opposite to that of the top cover zipper. 20. The infant seat of claim 16, wherein the two shell zipper halves are sewn together to the shell by at least one commonly sewn seam. 21. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly comprising: a lower support member having a front portion and a rear portion and a reference plane extending horizontally through a lowermost region of the lower support member; an upper seat connected to the lower support and having a backrest portion associated with the rear portion of the lower support and a foot portion associated with the front portion of the lower support; a support rod with wheels, the support rod being maneuverable between a storage state and an operating state, in which at least the wheels are located above the reference surface and the assembly is adapted to be positioned in a vehicle or on a support surface in a position suitable for securing an infant therein, and in which at least the wheels are located below the reference surface so that the seat assembly can be rolled by the wheels; the support rods constituting a pair of rear support rods associated with the rear wheels and a pair of front support rods associated with the front wheels, the front wheels in the storage state of the front wheels protruding laterally from the lower support to a greater extent than the rear wheels at least in a rear view of the assembly; the front support rods being pivotable for maneuvering from the operating state to the storage state, so that in the storage state the front wheels are positioned closer to the backrest portion than the feet; Wherein, at least the front wheel is connected to the front support rod via a quick release mechanism. 22. The assembly of claim 21 wherein the front wheel is removable from the front strut in a wheel removal direction extending laterally relative to the lower support. 23. The assembly of claim 22, wherein each of the front wheels includes a strut connection element extending along the wheel removal direction when the front wheel is connected to the corresponding front strut, and each of the front struts includes a wheel connection element extending along the wheel removal direction. 24. A component according to claim 23, wherein the support rod connecting element and the wheel connecting element are detachably connectable to each other, thereby allowing the wheel to rotate together with the support rod connecting element relative to the wheel connecting element around a wheel rotation axis parallel to the wheel removal direction; the support rod connecting element and the wheel connecting element at least partially constitute the quick release mechanism. 25. The assembly of claim 21 , wherein each of the front wheels comprises: a rolling area configured to contact a support surface when the assembly rolls on the support surface via the wheels; and a remaining area configured not to contact the support surface when the assembly rolls on the support surface, each of the front wheels comprising a wheel retaining portion positioned at the remaining area, the wheel retaining portion being adapted to be retained by a user for at least removal of the front wheel from the corresponding front support rod. 26. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly comprising: an upper seat having a back portion and a foot portion, the upper seat being operable between an upright position in which the back portion and the foot portion define a first angle therebetween and an extended position in which the back portion and the foot portion define a second angle therebetween that is greater than the first angle; and A support rod having a distal end with wheels and capable of being manipulated between a storage state and an operating state, wherein the storage state can only be combined with the upright state of the upper seat in the first mode of the seat assembly, and the operating state allows the seat assembly to roll via the wheels; in the second mode of the seat assembly, the extended state of the upper seat can only be combined with the operating state of the support rod, and the operating state of the support rod and the upright state of the upper seat can also be combined with at least each other. 27. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to claim 26, wherein, in the third mode of the seat assembly, the operational state of the support rod can be combined with the upright state of the upper seat, and the seat assembly can enter the first mode and the second mode of the seat assembly only from the third mode of the seat assembly. 28. The convertible infant-safety car seat assembly of claim 26 or 27, the convertible infant-safety car seat assembly being operable to have at least one of the following features: at least indirectly preventing manipulation of the strut in the second mode of the seat assembly by the upper seat being in the extended state; or Manipulation of the upper seat in the first mode of the seat assembly is at least indirectly prevented by the strut being in the stored condition. 29. The convertible infant safety car seat assembly according to any one of claims 26 to 28, further comprising at least one of the following manipulation prevention devices: a seat manipulation prevention device configured to prevent manipulation of the upper seat from the upright position to the extended position at least when the support bar is in the storage position; and A support rod manipulation prevention device is configured to prevent the support rod from being manipulated from the operating state to the storage state at least when the upper seat is in the extended state. 30. A convertible infant safety car seat assembly comprising: an upper seat having a backrest portion and a foot portion; a seat operating mechanism operable to operate the upper seat between an upright position in which the back portion and the foot portion form a first angle therebetween and an extended position in which the back portion and the foot portion form a second angle therebetween that is greater than the first angle; a support bar having a distal end associated with a wheel and operable to be maneuvered between a storage condition in which the car seat assembly is mountable in a vehicle at a location suitable for securing an infant therein and an operative condition in which the seat assembly is rollable on the wheels; and A seat manipulation prevention device operable to prevent the upper seat from being manipulated from the upright state to the extended state at least when the support rod is in the storage state, the seat manipulation prevention device comprising a seat triggering member and a seat stopping member, wherein the seat triggering member is operable to operate the seat stopping member when the seat triggering member is triggered by the support rod when the support leg is in the operating state of the support leg.