Britax COMPANION User Manual

Companion™
User Guide
Table of Contents
Safety Information 2-5 Features 6-7 Using the Restraint 8-17
LATCH Storage 8 Adjustable Canopy 8 Adjustable Handle 9 Harness Buckle 10 Adjusting Buckle Position 10-11 Adjusting Width of Head Pad 12 Chest Clip 12 Checking Harness Height 14 Harness Height Adjustment 15 Securing Child in Restraint 16-17
Vehicle Safety Belts 18 Vehicle Seating Positions 19 Base Installation 20-25
LATCH Installation 20-21 Lap-Shoulder Belt Installation 22-23 Lap Belt Installation 24-25 Recline Adjustment 13 Attaching Restraint to Base 13 Removing Restraint from Base 13
Installation without Base 26-28
Lap-Shoulder Belt Installation 26-27 Lap Belt Installation 28
Installation in Aircraft 29 Care and Maintenance 30-33 Warranty 34
This product and its components are subject to change without notice.
© 2007 Britax Child Safety, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Use only in a rear facing position when using this restraint in the vehicle. This infant restraint cannot be used forward facing in a vehicle. Use only with children who weigh between 4 and 22 pounds (2 and 10 kg) and whose height is 30 inches (76 cm) or less. Snugly adjust the belts provided with this restraint around your child. A snug strap should not allow any slack. It lies in a relatively straight line without sagging. It does not press on the child’s flesh or push the child’s body into an unnatural position. An optional Low Birth Weight Foam insert may be used to help obtain a snug fit for infants whose weight is less than 7 pounds (3 kg.). To order optional foam, call Britax at 1-888-4BRITAX. Secure this child restraint with the vehicle’s child restraint LATCH anchorage system if available or with a vehicle belt. Follow all instructions labeled on the child restraint and in these written instructions. According to accident statistics, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends that parents select the rear seat as the safest location for a properly installed child restraint. Please study the sections on Vehicle Safety Belts and Vehicle Seating Positions in this booklet to ensure the child’s safety. If in doubt about installing the child restraint, consult the vehicle owner’s manual. Secure this child restraint even when it is not occupied. In a crash, an unsecured child restraint may injure vehicle occupants. Consult your child’s doctor before using this child restraint. Some infants must be secured with a device that allows them to lie flat.
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NEVER use a rear-facing infant carrier in a seating position with an air bag. Death or serious injury can occur. Never use the adjuster strap to lift or carry this child restraint. Doing so could cause damage to the harness adjuster and webbing. Always carry a child restraint by the handle or shell. The primary protection for occupants of a vehicle in a collision is the structure of the vehicle; a child restraint will not protect an infant when the vehicle is seriously impacted. However, correctly installed, a child restraint will substantially improve the chances for survival in most crashes. Make sure that all users fully understand the correct ways to use this child restraint in a vehicle. This child restraint must not be used in boats, or other non-certified applications. NEVER leave child unattended. NEVER place carrier on beds, sofas, or other soft surfaces. Infant carrier can roll over on soft surfaces and suffocate the child. NEVER use in or on strollers unless approved by Britax. NEVER install forward facing in a vehicle. NEVER place carrier near edges of counter tops, tables, or other elevated surfaces. Child’s movement can slide carrier. NEVER leave child carrier when straps are loose or undone. Child can strangle in loose restraint straps. DO NOT use infant carrier in shopping carts. Watch your child closely when restraint is not installed in a vehicle to avoid tipping over and strangulation. Harness must be used at all times when child is in carrier.
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Safety Information
IMPORTANT NOTES
Your infant carrier has been assembled for children weighing less than 11 lbs. If/When your child weighs 11 lbs. or more, re-route the buckle strap position as indicated on pages 10-11 and on the label affixed to the restraint shell. Adjust harness to fit clothes the child is wearing. Remove bulky coats and/or jackets before putting child in restraint. Because of the side impact crash protection it provides, Britax strongly recommends the infant carrier be used with the head pad. Verify that the child restraint is secure and that the harness is properly adjusted around the child each time the child restraint is used. Cover the restraint when the vehicle is parked in direct sunlight. Parts of the child restraint could become hot enough to burn the child. Store the child restraint in a safe place when it is not being used for an extended period of time. Do not place heavy objects on top of it. Stop use of a child restraint that is older than six years or has been in a severe crash to prevent injury due to deterioration or hidden damage. Do not leave children alone in a vehicle, even for a short time. Do not, except as described in this booklet, attempt to disassemble any part of the child restraint or change the way its harness or the vehicle belts are used. Do not leave loose objects, e.g. books, bags, etc., in the back of a vehicle. In the event of a sudden stop, loose objects will keep moving, potentially causing serious injuries. Do not leave folding vehicle seats unlatched. In the event of a sudden stop, a loose seat back could prevent the child restraint from protecting the child as well as it should. Do not allow children to play with the child restraint. Do not hang accessories or toys from handle. Doing so could create a hazard for the child.
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Safety Information
This child restraint system conforms to all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards. This restraint is certified for use in motor
vehicles and aircraft.
Fill out the registration card and mail it in today!
Child restraints could be recalled for safety reasons. You must register this restraint to be reached in a recall. Send your name, address, email address if available, and the restraint’s model number and manufacturing date to Britax Child Safety, Inc. 13501 South Ridge Drive Charlotte, NC 28273 or call 1-888-4BRITAX or register online at www.BritaxUSA.com/registration. For recall information, call the U.S. Government’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153) or go to http://www.NHTSA.gov.
WARNING! DO NOT place a child restraint
rear-facing in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger air bag. DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY can occur. The back seat is the safest place for children 12 and under.
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Features
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Canopy Handle Head Pad Handle Release Button Harness Slots Comfort Pads Chest Clip Harness
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Buckle Belly Pad Perma-Book™ (under cover) Harness Adjuster Lever (under button hole slot) Harness Adjuster Strap Restraint Belt Guides
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Features
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Release Handle Base Belt Guides Lock-off Anti Rebound Bar Attachment Clips Recline Adjustment Knob Harness Yoke LATCH Connector Storage Ring
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LATCH Connector LATCH Harness Adjuster Serial Number
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LATCH Storage
Removal:
Press button on LATCH connector to release from storage ring.
Attachment:
Attach each LATCH connector to storage ring on front of base, then remove slack (Fig. A).
Adjustable Canopy
To raise, pull canopy at top of canopy arch toward foot of restraint. To collapse, push canopy at top of canopy arch (Fig. B).
Using the Restraint
A
B
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Adjustable Handle
To adjust, press both handle release buttons (Fig. C) while rotating handle into position. Adjust the handle to one of the following three positions: Carrying & In-Stroller Position, Optional In-Stroller Position, or In-Vehicle & Stationary Position (Fig D).
Using the Restraint
C
D
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Harness Buckle
To Unfasten Buckle (Fig A):
Brace the rear of the buckle with hand. Use thumb to press release button until tongues are ejected from buckle.
To Fasten Buckle (Fig B):
Hold the buckle with one hand. Use the other hand to insert one tongue at a time into the buckle. Proper connection is confirmed with a positive click after inserting the second buckle tongue.
IMPORTANT: Periodically clean the buckle to ensure proper operation. See section, Cleaning the Buckle, on page 33.
Re-Routing Buckle Position
Your infant carrier has been assembled with the buckle strap in the inner position for infants weighing less than 11 lbs. (5 kg.). Once your child reaches 11 lbs. (5 kg.) re-route the buckle position to the outer position for the remainder of use with that child. Figure C shows both harness buckle position slots.
Remove Buckle
With restraint removed from the base, pull seat cover and foam back so the buckle slots are visible.
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Using the Restraint
A
B
D
C
Inner Slot
Outer Slot
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