Revolutionary Safeguard Child Seat Launched at Prestigious DEMOfall 2005 Technology Conference
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Revolutionary SafeGuard features include an aircraft aluminum frame, unlike most plastic framed car seats; a SmartCore(TM) headrest, for better impact protection; a patented Posi-LATCH(TM) attachment, for quick and easy installment; a unique five-point harness system which retracts like a standard seatbelt; and a one-touch adjustable headrest, for a proper fit to the child.
Jim Hall, former Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board and long-time child passenger safety advocate said, "Today's child safety seats are very safe, when used correctly. The problem has been that most are hard for parents to install and to use properly. Safety seat misuse is a leading factor in what should be preventable injuries and deaths to children, the most vulnerable vehicle passengers. The SafeGuard approach holds so much promise and I hope that its advanced technologies, materials and design will revolutionize the way the child seat industry develops next-generation safety seats."
"Although automobiles have gone through drastic safety transformations in the past few decades, child seats unfortunately have not -- until now," said Steve Wallen, President and General Manager, SafeGuard Seats, IMMI. "Utilizing the latest advancements in technology and testing, the SafeGuard Child Seat breaks the boundaries of car seat safety and comfort, while addressing the most common misuses of car seats on the market today."
Addressing the Critical Misuse of Car Seats Through Technology and Ease-of-Use
According to NHTSA, over 85% of car seats are installed incorrectly(1). With car crashes still the leading cause of death for children in the United States, SafeGuard was designed to address the top five misuses of child seats, as cited by NHTSA, and provide parents a child seat that is intuitive and easy-to-install. Common misuses include improper installation into the vehicle, loose harness straps and an incorrect overall car seat fit to the child; for example the straps being adjusted to high or to low for the height of the child.
The SafeGuard Child Seat features the patented Posi-LATCH(TM) system, making it quick and easy for parents to correctly install the seat. Once connected and tightened into the car's LATCH restraints, the Posi-LATCH(TM) system automatically retracts and tightens with the movement of the car and weight of the child for a secure fit to the vehicle.
Improperly fastening child restraints to the appropriate tightness is another common car seat misuse. SafeGuard's unique five-point harness system allows parents to properly secure their child with the touch of a button. Similar to the Posi-LATCH(TM) system, the retractable harness retracts like a traditional seatbelt, creating a better fit for each individual child.
The SafeGuard Child Seat also features a one-touch height-adjustable headrest, enabling parents to adjust the size of the seat without the hassle of removing the car seat cover to adjust the straps. This easy adjustment feature allows parents to quickly and easily secure a proper, safe fit for their child, while the child is sitting in the seat.
A Revolution in Safety
Utilizing state of the art technology and design, the SafeGuard Child Seat was built through a process never before used in the car seat industry. The seat was designed based on anthropometric data -- dimensions, proportions, and ratios of the human body -- which were used to develop three-dimensional replicas of children 22-65 pounds. These replicas allowed IMMI to test the fit and function of components before an actual prototype was ever produced.
This inside-out prototyping model enabled IMMI to create a car seat that offers the most advanced protection on the market -- both above and beneath the car seat cover.
One of the current problems with car seats on the market today is that they are designed with plastic at their core. Over time, the integrity of the plastic can be damaged by use and temperature related elements. SafeGuard is the first seat to be created with an aircraft aluminum frame and SmartCore(TM) foam, which is stronger, more durable and longer lasting than the plastic shells and standard foam used by other seat manufacturers.
SmartCore(TM) foam, a pliable foam solution, is also used in the headrest of the SafeGuard Child Seat. This innovation in car seat headrests cushions and protects a child's head in a crash by creating a more effective barrier between crash forces and the child.
Testing Beyond the Standards
To ensure that the SafeGuard child seat is the most advanced child seat ever built, SafeGuard engineers subjected it to the most rigorous and extensive testing conducted in the industry. Testing was carried out at the Center for Advanced Product Evaluation (CAPE), a state-of-the-art crash-test facility capable of imitating extreme environmental conditions and crash scenarios. Currently, government standards only require a total of 16 test configurations for child seats. SafeGuard and CAPE engineers went above and beyond government standards to test the SafeGuard Child Seat to more than 25 test configurations.
In a frontal collision, a 40 pound child in a vehicle traveling at 60 mph can generate up to 2,400 pounds of force(2). More than 100 dynamic frontal impact tests conducted at CAPE allowed SafeGuard engineers to design a child seat that transfers these crash forces away from the child, reducing the probability of injuries.
The SafeGuard Child Seat was also tested against side and rear impact crashes and tested to withstand extreme temperatures and conditions.
Pricing and Availability
The front-facing SafeGuard Child Seat is made for children 22-65 pounds, eliminating the need to purchase new car seats as a child gets older.
The SafeGuard seat is available today for $429. The car seat can be purchased online at www.safeguardseat.com, by calling 1-800-974-7798, or through specialty retailers.
SafeGuard features a 7-year limited warranty, the best of any car seat currently on the market and a 30-day money back guarantee.
For more information about SafeGuard please visit www.safeguardseat.com.
About DEMOfall 2005
The annual DEMO conferences focus on emerging technologies and new products, which are hand-selected from across the spectrum of the technology marketplace. The DEMO conferences have earned their reputation for consistently identifying tomorrow's cutting-edge technologies, and have served as launch pad events for companies such as Palm, E*Trade, Handspring and U.S. Robotics, helping them secure venture funding, establish critical business relationships and influence early adopters. Each DEMO conference features approximately 70 new companies, products and technologies. For more information on the DEMO conferences, visit www.demo.com.
About IMMI
For over four decades IMMI has been bringing safety to people through designing, testing and manufacturing safety restraint systems. IMMI provides hundreds of products for various sectors including the commercial vehicle, power sports, child seating, and school bus industries. IMMI's testing and analysis facility, the Center for Advanced Product Evaluation (CAPE), located at company headquarters in Westfield, Indiana, conducts crash/rollover tests, environmental tests, and analysis services. IMMI is an international company that tests to U.S., European and Australian standards. IMMI is a privately held company and is ISO 9001-2000 certified. For more information about IMMI, please visit www.imminet.com.
(1) NHTSA (the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), January 2004.
(2) Based on a peak crash load of 60 G's.
