Abstract:
A child monitoring system for monitoring children seated in a rear of the interior of a vehicle. The child monitoring system includes a vehicle with an interior compartment, a housing coupled to an interior surface of a front portion of the interior compartment of the vehicle, a viewing device contained within the housing, a monitoring device coupled to an interior surface of a rear portion of the interior compartment of the vehicle, the monitoring device being designed to relay an image of the rear portion of the vehicle to the viewing device in the front portion of the vehicle.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to rear viewing systems and more particularly pertains to a new child monitoring system for monitoring children seated in a rear of the interior of a vehicle. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The use of rear viewing systems is known in the prior art. More specifically, rear viewing systems heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. 
     Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,305; U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,956; U.S. Pat. No. 5,576,898; U.S. Pat. No. 5,453,882; U.S. Pat. No. 1,986,033; and U.S. Patent No. Des. 332,076. 
     While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new child monitoring system. The inventive device includes a vehicle with an interior compartment, a housing coupled to an interior surface of a front portion of the interior compartment of the vehicle, a viewing device contained within the housing, a monitoring device coupled to an interior surface of a rear portion of the interior compartment of the vehicle, the monitoring device being designed to relay an image of the rear portion of the vehicle to the viewing device in the front portion of the vehicle. 
     In these respects, the child monitoring system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of monitoring children seated in a rear of the interior of a vehicle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of rear viewing systems now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new child monitoring system construction wherein the same can be utilized for monitoring children seated in a rear of the interior of a vehicle. 
     The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new child monitoring system apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the rear viewing systems mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new child monitoring system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art rear viewing systems, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
     To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a vehicle with an interior compartment, a housing coupled to an interior surface of a front portion of the interior compartment of the vehicle, a viewing device contained within the housing, a monitoring device coupled to an interior surface of a rear portion of the interior compartment of the vehicle, the monitoring device being designed to relay an image of the rear portion of the vehicle to the viewing device in the front portion of the vehicle. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new child monitoring system apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the rear viewing systems mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new child monitoring system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art rear viewing systems, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a new child monitoring system, which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new child monitoring system, which is of a durable and reliable construction. 
     An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new child monitoring system which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such child monitoring system economically available to the buying public. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new child monitoring system which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new child monitoring system for monitoring children seated in a rear of the interior of a vehicle. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new child monitoring system which includes a vehicle with an interior compartment, a housing coupled to an interior surface of a front portion of the interior compartment of the vehicle, a viewing device contained within the housing, a monitoring device coupled to an interior surface of a rear portion of the interior compartment of the vehicle, the monitoring device being designed to relay an image of the rear portion of the vehicle to the viewing device in the front portion of the vehicle. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new child monitoring system that enhances the safety of children passengers and drivers of vehicles by allowing the drivers to monitor the children passengers without turning around or releasing the steering wheel. 
     Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new child monitoring system that is adaptable and retrofitable into any vehicle with an interior compartment. 
     These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a new child monitoring system according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of one embodiment of the monitoring device of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the monitoring device of the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the viewing device of the present invention. 
     FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of an embodiment of the monitoring device of the present invention. 
     FIG. 9 is a schematic side view of an embodiment of the monitoring device of the present invention. 
     FIG. 10 is a perspective front view of an embodiment of the monitoring device of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 10 thereof, a new child monitoring system embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 10, the child monitoring system  10  generally comprises a vehicle  20 , a monitoring device  30 , and a viewing device  50 . 
     The vehicle  20  includes an interior compartment  22 . The interior compartment  22  includes a front portion  24  and a rear portion  26 . 
     A housing  52  is coupled to an interior surface of the front portion  24  of the vehicle  20 . The housing  52  envelops the viewing device  50 . 
     The monitoring device  30  is coupled to an interior surface of the rear portion  26  of the vehicle  20 . 
     The viewing device  50  is a rear-view mirror  54 . The rear-view mirror  54  is positioned such that a driver of the vehicle  20  is able to view an area relatively behind the driver of the vehicle  20  by looking at the reflective surface of the rear-view mirror  54 . 
     The monitoring device  30  is a monitoring mirror  32 . The monitoring mirror  32  is couplable to an interior surface of the rear portion  26  of the vehicle  20 . The monitoring mirror  32  is positionable such that a front surface of the mirror  32  is able to reflect an image of selectable areas of the rear portion  26  of the vehicle  20  for viewing by the driver when the driver observes the rear-view mirror  54 . 
     In an embodiment the monitoring mirror  32  is elongate. The mirror  32  includes a medial portion  33  and two end portions  34 . The end portions  34  are positioned relative to the medial portion  33  such that a plane formed by a front surface of the end portion  34  forms an oblique angle with a plane formed by a front surface of the medial portion  33 , such that a broad field of view is reflected from the monitoring mirror  32  to the rear-view mirror  54 . 
     In an embodiment of the invention, the monitoring device  30  is a monitoring mirror  32 . The monitoring mirror  32  is coupled to a front surface  25  of a headrest  28 , which is pivotally coupled to a rear seat  29  in the vehicle  2 . 0 . The headrest  28  is pivotable such that the mirror  32  is able to capture a reflection of a selectable area of the rear portion  26  of the vehicle  20 . 
     In one embodiment the headrest  28  of the vehicle  20  includes a front surface  25  and a rear surface  27 . The headrest  28  is rotatable with respect to the rear seat  29  such that the front surface  25  and the rear surface  27  of the headrest  28  are selectably positioned to face a front of the vehicle  20 . The mirror  32  is coupled to the rear surface  27  of the headrest  28  such that the headrest  28  includes a monitoring position and a normal position. The monitoring positioned is defined as the rear surface  27  of the headrest  28  facing the front of the vehicle  20  such that an image reflected by the monitoring mirror  32  is transferable to the rear-view mirror  54  for observation by the driver. The normal position is defined as the front surface  25  of the headrest  28  facing the front of the vehicle  20 . 
     In a further embodiment the monitoring mirror  32  includes a cover member  36 . The cover member  36  is includes a normal position and a monitoring position. The normal position is defined as the cover member  36  obscuring the surface of the mirror  32 . The monitoring position is defined such that the cover member  36  does not obscure the surface of the mirror  32  such that an image of a selectable area of the rear portion  26  reflected by the monitoring mirror  32  is transferable to the rear-view mirror  54 . 
     In an embodiment of the invention, the monitoring device  30  is a monitoring mirror  32 . The monitoring mirror  32  is coupled to a headrest member  38 . The headrest member  38  is couplable to a rear seat  29  of the vehicle  20 . The headrest  38  is pivotable such that the monitoring mirror  32  is able to reflect an image of a selectable area of the rear portion  26  of the vehicle  20 . 
     In another embodiment the monitoring device  30  is a monitoring mirror  32 . The monitoring mirror  32  is coupled to a cover member  40 . The cover member  40  conforms to an outer surface of a headrest  28  coupled to a rear seat  29  of the vehicle  20 . The headrest  28  is pivotally adjustable such that the mirror  32  is able to reflect an image of a selectable area of the rear portion  26  of the vehicle  20 . 
     In yet a further embodiment the monitoring device  30  is a plurality of monitoring mirrors  32 . Each one of the plurality of monitoring mirrors  32  is positionable such that an image reflected by each one of the plurality of monitoring mirrors  32  is transferable to the rear-view mirror  54  such that multiple selectable areas of the rear portion  26  of the vehicle  20  are observable. 
     In an embodiment of the invention the viewing device  50  is a video monitor  56 . The video monitor  56  is coupled to a dash  21  of the vehicle  20 . The monitoring device  30  is a video camera  42 . The video camera  42  is operationally coupled to the video monitor  56  such that an image captured by the video camera  42  is displayed on the video monitor  56 . The video camera  42  is positionable such that an image of a selectable area of the rear portion  26  is capturable by the video camera  42 . In a further embodiment the monitoring device  30  is a plurality of video cameras  42 . The plurality of video cameras  42  is operationally coupled to the video monitor  56  such that a captured image from each one of the plurality of video cameras  42  is displayable on the video monitor  56  such that multiple selectable areas of the rear portion  26  of the vehicle  20  are observable. 
     In use the driver of the vehicle places the child to be observed in a rear seat of the vehicle. The driver adjusts the position of the monitoring device to observe the area of the rear portion of the vehicle inhabited by the child. The position of the viewing device is adjusted if necessary to align the viewing device with the monitoring device. The driver may then operate the vehicle in the conventional manner. 
     As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.