Background to the Invention In aircraft, buses and other forms of public transportation, little provision is made for the proper restraining of children; (in aircraft especially during takeoff, landing, turbulent flight or emergencies).

Furthermore, it is desirable to have stow-away restraints for human users in these and other applications.

Summary of the Invention The present invention provides a restraint for a human user that is adapted for mounting on a movable support mechanism that enables movement of the restraint between a storage position and at least one in use position.

Such a restraint can be readily used in public transportation, because when not in use it can be easily stored in a storage position.

Preferably the restraint is adapted for retention in a recess when in the storage position, and can be supported therein at least in part by the support mechanism.

The support mechanism can be adapted for enabling the restraint to be positioned in both a vertical and horizontal orientation. Thus, a user (eg. a child) when positioned therein can be positioned either vertically or horizontally.

In a most preferred form the support mechanism is an arm that is pivotally mounted at one end of the restraint and is adapted for being pivotally mounted to a support

surface at the opposing end (eg. a wall, a base of the recess etc).

Preferably, such an arm has a joint intermediate its ends that is adapted to enable the arm to be bent in the storage position and to be fully extended in the at least one in use position (more preferably being fully extended in both the vertical and horizontal modes of usage).

Preferably, each arm end has a ball attached thereto which is rotatably received in a corresponding socket to facilitate the pivotal mounting. The ball and socket arrangement provides a strong and readily available means of mounting.

Each socket can have a notch formed therein that enables the arm in the storage position to be located so as to be generally parallel to the support surface, thereby minimising the space occupied by the support mechanism when in the storage position.

Most preferably, the support mechanism has a locking means associated therewith that enables the restraint to be locked in the storage position and in the at least one in use position. Such a locking means can include a releaseable locking arrangement associated with the joint so that the arm can be locked at both the bent storage position and the fully extended in use position.

Furthermore, the locking means can include each socket being provided with a locking pin so that each ball can be selectively engaged by the pin to prevent its rotation in the socket.

Preferably, the restraint is a child safety capsule having one or more retractable harnesses associated therewith for holding and supporting a child, particularly in both horizontal and vertical modes of use. The restraint is preferably adapted for use in aircraft, and can be fitted to existing arrangements in aircraft (eg. retrofitted) although the invention is by no means limited to this application.

The invention also extends to the support mechanism as defined for the first aspect, which is suitable for use with a restraint for a human user.

Brief Description of the Drawings Notwithstanding any other forms which may fall within the scope of the present invention, a preferred form of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a schematic side elevation of a covered recess in a wall, the recess being suitable for receiving a restraint in accordance with the present invention ; Figure 2 shows a side elevation of a preferred restraint in accordance with the present invention; Figure 3 shows a preferred form of the support mechanism of Figure 2 in greater detail; Figures 4 and 5 show plan and side elevations respectively of a preferred ball and socket arrangement for use in the support mechanism; Figures 6 and 7 show side elevations of a preferred capsule for use in the present invention in different configurations; and Figures 8 and 9 show plan views of the capsule of Figures 6 and 7 in two different configurations.

Mode for Carrying out the Invention Referring to Figure 1, a recess 10 is shown formed in a wall 12, and has a removable cover 14 located thereover to close the recess. The wall 12 may be the wall of a console in an aircraft, the back internal wall of a bus etc.

Figure 2 shows the wall and recess with the cover 14 removed therefrom, and with a preferred restraint according to the invention positioned therein.

The restraint is shown in the form of a capsule 16, which is mounted to recess inner wall 18 via a support arm mechanism 20. This mechanism includes a first arm portion 22 which is attached at one end to a ball 24, and has a

joint 26 intermediate its ends. A second arm portion 28 is also attached to a ball 30 at one end, and is pivotally mounted to the first arm portion at joint 26 via a pivot pin 32. Each arm portion is respectively attached to its ball either by welding, bolting or any other suitable form of attachment.

Ball 24 is retained in a socket mounting 34, which in turn is fastened to plate 36 attached to the capsule.

Similarly, ball 30 is retained for rotation within socket mounting 40, in turn attached to plate 42. Again, plate 42 is attached to the recess inner wall 18 as shown.

The rotational mounting of each ball within the socket, together with joint 26, gives the support arm arrangement a number of degrees of freedom, and hence the capsule can be positioned in a large number of preferred orientations (although in use, the locking arrangement (as described below) facilitates locking in only a certain number of predetermined positions, both for safety and ease of operation).

Referring now to Figure 3, the support arm mechanism will be described in greater detail.

Figure 3 shows the support arm mechanism in the extended position, where the second arm portion 28 sits within first arm portion 22 (as shown in the inset detail in Figure 3). That is, the first arm portion has a U- shaped cross-section, at least for the section extending from the pivot pin to its free end 44, enabling the second arm portion to nest therewithin and achieve the straight extension as shown in Figure 3.

The arm mechanism can be locked in the extended position by employing a ball detent arrangement 46 or a locking pin arrangement 48 in the vicinity of free end 44.

However, any other type of releasable locking arrangement can also be employed.

Figure 3 also shows the first arm portion 22 in phantom outline revealing how the arm can be pivoted at

joint 26 about pivot pin 32.

Also, each socket mounting is provided with a notch 50, which enables the respective arm portion to be passed thereinto, (eg. when the capsule is fully retained within recess 10, thereby bringing about a close facing arrangement between the back of the capsule and recess inner wall 18 (ie. the support arm mechanism can thus collapse down to a compact form)).

Figure 3 shows a configuration where the capsule is in a vertical orientation (thus, a child therein would be sitting with their spine vertically orientated). However, by appropriate rotation of the capsule itself the socket mounting 34 is moved so that the first arm portion sits in the notch 50 (ie. with the support arm mechanism still fully extended). In this later configuration, the capsule is held in a horizontal orientation (so that a child therein can lie within the capsule with their spine being horizontally orientated).

The square shape of notch 50 and the generally square cross-sectional shape of the first arm portion 22 results in a close-fitting (ie. tolerance fit) of the first arm within the notch in the horizontal orientation, therefore preventing rotational rolling of the capsule in the horizontal orientation. Further, as described below, the socket mounting can be locked relative to the ball 24 to prevent forward rolling of the capsule from the horizontal configuration, and a similar locking at the socket mounting 40 with ball 30 is also employed.

Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, the ball and socket arrangement is shown in greater detail.

Each mounting plate 36,42 can be attached (eg. bolted, screwed, welded etc) to respectively the capsule 16 and the recess inner wall 18 at mounting points 52 (designated by"+"). Similarly, each socket mounting 34, 40 can be attached to its respective plate at mounting points 54 (designated by"x"). Each ball, 24,30 is

retained within a socket recess 56 for rotation therewithin (and this recess can be lubricated if appropriate).

Figures 4 and 5 also show how arm portions 22,26 extend through notch 50, depending on the orientation of the capsule 16 on the support arm mechanism.

Figure 4 also shows a second locking pin arrangement 60 by which the ball 24,30 can be locked against rotation in its respective socket recess. The locking pin can be spring-loaded and can engage with one of a plurality of holes formed in the ball, such holes being drilled or formed in positions that correspond with the various restricted positional orientations of the capsule required.

Referring now to Figures 6 and 7, the capsule 16 is shown in side sectional elevation. As can be seen, the capsule is provided with a false base 62 which is movable therewithin (ie. pivotable) between the position shown in Figure 6 and the position shown in Figure 7. The maintenance of each position is regulated by a control arm 64, activatable from behind the capsule, and positionable in various termination recesses 66. Thus, the depth and inclination of the false base 62 can be regulated.

In the position shown in Figure 6, the false base is orientated such that when the capsule is vertically positioned (ie. by rotating the capsule 90° from its position in Figure 6), the false base provides a generally vertical backing for the child when positioned therein.

In the position shown in Figure 7, the false base is orientated such when the capsule is to be horizontally positioned, it provides a generally horizontal surface for the child etc to lie on.

Referring now to Figures 8 and 9, a plan view of the capsule is shown. In Figure 8, it can be seen how the capsule is provided with retractable safety belts in the form of shoulder belt and buckle pair 70, waste belt and buckle pair 72 and central belt 74. The end of central belt 74 is provided with a buckle termination locker 78.

The belts are all retractable within the shell of capsule 16 (using a known belt retractor arrangement). Figure 9 shows schematically the belts in their fully extended and locked positions at locker 78.

Typically, the support arm mechanism and socket mountings and plates are all formed from hardwearing and structural material, preferably metal alloy materials which are both lightweight and strong. Typically, the capsule, belt, false base etc are formed from plastic materials for a lighter unit and for ease of handling and formation.

The invention has been described with reference to a child restraint, but could equally well be used with foldaway beds etc for adults.

Whilst the invention has been described with reference to a number of preferred embodiments, it should be appreciated that the invention can be embodied in many other forms.