DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART: In the early days of automobile, train, and airline travel, infants and toddlers were generally held in the arms of adults as they were transported from one place to another. Through the years, experience has shown that youngsters were often seriously injured or killed while traveling in this manner, even in what would ordinarily be considered minor accidents. The forces generated even at moderate speeds have been found to be sufficient to suddenly thrust children from out of the arms of the persons holding them during collisions. Further, adults often increased the severity of injuries when the child was in a position between the adult and a front seat or dashboard.

In an effort to afford children greater protection while traveling, special seats known as car seats or child safety seats were developed. These seats hold children in place within a protective shell, and have been instrumental in reducing the number of fatalities and serious injuries incurred by children while traveling.

Another and much older vehicular invention for children is the perambulator, commonly known as a pram or stroller. The stroller is essentially a crib or seat on wheels, and is intended to be pushed along by a an adult care giver. The stroller allows a child care giver to take a child for a walk without having to carry the child, even if he becomes tired or falls asleep.

A significant amount of inventive activity has been directed to combining these two devices into a child safety seat having the mobility of a stroller as discussed, for example, in U. S. Patent No.

5,133,567 to Owens. The resulting devices can be bulky and expensive, but afford a great deal of convenience to child care givers that must use mobile transportation, such as a car, to get around.

A great deal of inventive activity has also surrounded efforts to reduce the bulk and expense associated with manufacturing the combined child safety seats/strollers. For example, U. S. Patent No. 5,595,393 to Batten discusses a car seat/stroller that has a rigid tubular telescoping handle assembly and wheel bracket assembly which are fitted thereto in a manner which does not interfere with normal operation of the device as a car safety seat.

However, not all consumers need the features of a stroller in their travels. In fact, many consumers who frequently travel through airports require portability that is neither complicated or heavy while attempting to maneuver through airport foot traffic. These consumers would greatly benefit from a portable, pullable car seat where the car seat can be easily converted for portability in an inexpensive and simple manner. None of the known devices and/or assemblies heretofore have provided a solution for these consumers as their devices were designed to solve the combined stroller/car seat problem.

It is apparent from the foregoing that the need exists for a simple and efficient design enabling a car seat to be converted for portability in an inexpensive and simple manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION: A child safety seat is set forth. The child safety seat includes a lower molded portion formed in the child safety seat and adapted to selectively receive a unitary axle. A unitary axle extending through the lower molded portion is provided. A pair of wheels are rotatably mounted to the unitary axle on opposite ends of the unitary axle.

A method of converting a child safety seat to a pull carrier is also set forth. In a child safety seat including a seat receiving section, a back exterior portion, and a molded portion below the seat receiving section, the method of converting the child safety seat to a pull carrier includes the following steps. A first set of apertures is provided within the molded portion of the child safety seat below the seat receiving section. A second set of apertures is provided within the back exterior portion of the child safety seat. A unitary axle is inserted through the first set of apertures. Finally, a telescoping handle is mounted through the second set of apertures.

The lower molded portion of the child safety seat can have apertures formed therein, wherein the unitary axle is selectively received through the apertures.

The child safety seat can further include a spacer disposed between the apertures and each wheel of the pair of wheels.

The apertures can be formed in a lowermost portion of the child safety seat such that a significant portion of each of the wheels of the pair of wheels extends below the lowermost portion of the child safety seat.

Alternatively, the child safety seat can include a set of clips provided underneath a lowermost portion of the child safety seat, wherein the clips are adapted to receive the unitary axle.

A telescoping handle can be selectively inserted through apertures in a back of the car seat, the telescoping handle having a winged lock that can be selectively opened from a bottom of the handle for securing the handle to the seat.

An adhesive compound can be used to secure a telescoping handle within a set of apertures provided in the child safety seat.

The child safety seat can include a separable carry handle, wherein a cover for the child safety seat is stored in the separable carry handle. The cover can be selected from a group consisting of a sun shade, a mosquito netting, a cold weather cover, and a waterproof cover.

A central axis of the unitary axle of the child safety seat can be aligned with a hub of each of the wheels of the pair of wheels.

The child safety seat can include an outermost edge, wherein a pair of apertures are provided in the outermost edge of the child safety seat and wherein more than 1/3 of the diameter of each of the wheels of the pair of wheels extends below the outermost edge.

The child safety seat can include a lower molded portion adapted to receive an infant and a carry handle extending over the lower molded portion and connected to the child safety seat. The carry handle can include at least one of a mosquito netting or a sun shade selectively stored in the carry handle.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon reference to the accompanying description when taken in conjunction with the following drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS: FIG. 1 is a side schematic elevational view of a child safety seat embodying the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the child safety seat shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the child safety seat shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side schematic elevational view of another child safety seat embodying the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the child safety seat shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a detailed view, partially broken away, of a wheel mounting assembly.

FIG. 7 is a detailed view, partially broken away, of another wheel mounting assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT.

Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of a child safety seat shown generally at 10 and constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. The child safety seat 10 includes a lower molded portion 12 adapted to selectively receive a unitary axle, as discussed in detail below with reference to Figs. 2,5 and 6.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, a unitary axle 14 is provided. The unitary axle 14 extends through the lower molded portion 12. To this end, any extension integrally formed in or attached to the lower molded portion, as discussed below in detail with reference to Figs. 5 and 6, through which the axle 14 can be securely mounted would be suitable for extending the unitary axle 14 through the lower molded portion 12. Figure 2 illustrates one such embodiment, where apertures 16 are provided in the lower molded portion 12 through which the unitary axle 14 is selectively received. A central axis of the unitary axle 14 can be aligned with a hub of wheels 18. The apertures 16 can be formed in a lowermost portion 22 of the child safety seat 10 such that a significant portion of the wheels 18 extend below the lowermost portion 22 of the child safety seat 10. For example, the apertures 16 can be formed in the lowermost portion 22 such that more than one third (1/3) of the diameter of each of the wheels 18 extends below an outermost edge 23 of the child safety seat 10.

Further, the wheels 18 are rotatably mounted to the unitary axle 14 on opposite ends of the unitary axle 14. Spacers 20 can be provided between the apertures 16 and the wheels 18 to enhance rotation of the wheels 18 when the child safety seat 10 is in motion.

As illustrated in Fig. 3, a telescoping handle 24 can be selectively inserted through apertures 26 in a back 28 of the child safety seat 10. The telescoping handle 24 is then suitably secured to the child safety seat 10 such as, for example, by having a winged lock (not shown) that can be selectively opened from a bottom of the handle 24 for securing the handle 24 to the child safety seat 10. The telescoping handle 24 can also be permanently attached to the child safety seat 10 with an adhesive compound. The adhesive compound can include transparent sealing compounds, such as silicone.

The child safety seat 10 can further include a seperable carry handle 30. The seperable carry handle can store a cover 32, illustrated in Fig. 4, when in a closed position as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3. The cover 32 can include any suitable cover. Examples of suitable covers include a lightweight sunshade, mosquito netting, a cold weather cover such as fleece or nylon, and a waterproof cover.

As illustrated in Fig. 5, the lower molded portion 12 extends along a bottom 34 of the child safety seat 10. The apertures 16 can be formed at any suitable point along the lower molded portion 12, wherein the position of the apertures 16 will depend on the structure of the lower molded portion 12 of a particular child safety seat 10, and wherein any suitable point includes all points where the unitary axle can extend across the lower molded portion 12 without obstruction.

The ability to successfully accommodate the unitary axle 14 is not limited to embodiments where apertures, such as apertures 16 are provided. As illustrated in figures 6 and 7 respectively, the unitary axle can be secured in a generally u-shaped aperture formed in the lower molded portion 12 via a clip 36, or within a pair of clips 38 integrally formed along the bottom 34 of the child safety seat 10. Further, any other suitable configuration that accommodates the unitary axle 14 while maintaining the wheels 18 in a rotatable position at all times when the wheels 18 are connected to the child safety seat 10 are contemplated herein.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, those of skill in the art will recognize that changes may be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the appende claims.