Patent Description:
Child safety seat assemblies, or child safety seats, are secured inside a vehicle to protect children in vehicles from the effects of accidents, sudden deceleration, or other impacts or jarring events. A typical child safety seat assembly may include various protective features relating to securing the child safety seats in the vehicle, securing the child to the child safety seat, and protecting the child once the child is secured in the child safety seat.

A prop assembly, for example a support leg, may be provided as part of a safety seat assembly to prevent, limit or reduce movement or rotation of the child seat assembly in the event of an impact or crash and in particular improve the stability of the child safety seat assembly in a frontal impact. Such a prop assembly may be disposed on an end of a base of the safety seat assembly and may be mounted to the base for instance. Alternatively, it may be mounted to the back of a safety seat that is secured to a base, or is directly secured to the vehicle. The prop assembly may have a stowed or folded condition and an unfolded condition for deployment. Some prop assemblies may have an adjustable length to suit different vehicles and in particular different geometries of vehicle seats and vehicle floors or their foot wells. It is important that a prop assembly with a floor engaging portion properly engages with the vehicle floor so that it can function correctly, particularly in the event of an impact or a crash.

<CIT> discloses a child safety seat assembly of the prior art comprising a safety seat and a prop assembly which includes a leg assembly, a foot assembly, a first sensor, a second sensor, a visual warning indicator and a warning assembly.

It is against this background that the present invention has been developed.

According to a first aspect, there is provided a vehicle-mountable child safety seat assembly, the seat assembly including a safety seat, and a prop assembly mounted with respect to the safety seat, the prop assembly having a stowed position and a safely deployed position, the prop assembly including:.

In one form, the assembly includes a base for receiving the safety seat.

In one form, the prop assembly is pivotably mounted to the base.

In an alternative form, the prop assembly is pivotably mounted to the safety seat.

In one form, the warning system includes a processor and a sound generator for generating an audible alarm sound, and
wherein when the warning system changes from the timing state to the warning state, the sound generator is activated so as to generate an audible alarm sound.

In one form, the foot assembly includes a foot housing mounted to the leg assembly and a foot body moveably mounted with respect to the foot housing, the foot body having an extended position and a retracted position.

In one form, the visual warning indicator is visually exposed when the foot body is in the extended position, thereby indicating that the prop assembly is not in the safely deployed position.

In one form, wherein the foot body is slideably mounted with respect to the foot housing.

In one form, the visual warning indicator is located on a lower end of the leg assembly and the foot body includes a sleeve, the sleeve covering the visual warning indicator in its retracted position and exposing the visual warning indicator in its extended position.

In one form, the foot body is biased toward its extended position.

In one form, the foot body is biased toward its extended position by a pair of spaced apart compression springs.

In one form, the foot body includes a foot base, the foot base arranged and constructed for engaging a vehicle floor.

In one form, the first sensor is a tilt sensor mounted to the prop assembly.

In one form, the tilt sensor is mounted in the foot housing.

In one form, the tilt sensor senses the angle of the leg assembly with respect to vertical.

In another form, the tilt sensor has a first switch condition and a second switch condition, the second switch condition activating when the tilt sensor senses that the angle of the leg assembly with respect to horizontal exceeds a pre-defined tilt angle.

In one form, the tilt sensor has a first switch condition and a second switch condition, the second switch condition activating when the tilt sensor senses that leg assembly has moved away from the stowed position.

In one form, the second sensor is a displacement sensor.

In one form, the second sensor is mounted in the foot housing and is activated by movement of the foot body.

Examples of the present invention will be discussed with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:.

Referring to <FIG>, a vehicle mountable child safety seat assembly <NUM> is shown. The seat assembly <NUM> includes a base <NUM> for receiving a safety seat <NUM> and a prop assembly <NUM>. The prop assembly <NUM> is mounted to the base <NUM>. For example, the prop assembly <NUM> may be pivotally mounted to the base <NUM> around an axis <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. In alternative embodiments of the invention, the prop assembly may be mounted to the back of a safety seat. In some embodiments, the vehicle mountable child safety seat assembly may be configured to be secured directly to the vehicle (in an assembly without a separate base for example).

The prop assembly <NUM> shown in <FIG> has a stowed position and a safely deployed position which is shown in <FIG>. In the safely deployed position, the prop assembly <NUM> engages a vehicle's floor so as to resist and limit forward rotation of the child safety seat assembly <NUM>.

The prop assembly <NUM> includes a leg assembly <NUM> pivotably mounted to the base <NUM>, around an axis <NUM> as is most clearly shown in <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>. A foot assembly <NUM> is mounted to the leg assembly <NUM> at a lower end <NUM> thereof. A visual warning indicator <NUM>, in the form of a red coloured area is provided. This is most clearly shown in <FIG> and <FIG>. The visual warning indicator <NUM> is visually obscured when the prop assembly <NUM> is in the safely deployed position as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>. That is, when the prop assembly <NUM> is properly installed, the visual warning indicator <NUM> is no longer visible. In other embodiments, a visual indicator (or indicators) may be placed in alternative locations, for example, but not limited to, a hinge region towards or at the top the prop assembly.

A first sensor <NUM> for sensing when the prop assembly <NUM> is not in the stowed position is provided. In the embodiment illustrated, this first sensor <NUM> is a tilt sensor mounted to the prop assembly <NUM> as is most clearly shown in <FIG>.

While in the embodiment illustrated, the first sensor <NUM> is in the form of a tilt sensor <NUM>, in alternative embodiments, different types of sensors could be employed, such as displacement sensors, mechanical switch(es), angle sensors or proximity sensors, including optical or photo-optical sensors. Any sensor that is capable of distinguishing between a stowed and non-stowed position may be used.

The tilt sensor of the embodiment illustrated senses the angle of the leg assembly with respect to vertical. It therefore does not precisely measure the angle of the leg assembly with respect to the base <NUM>. However, in practice, it provides a good indicator suitable for the warning or alarming function of the embodiments of this invention. Some of the other sensor types mentioned in the above paragraph may be advantageously employed in some applications.

In other embodiments of the invention, rather than employing a tilt sensor, an alternative sensor type may be provided that is able to directly detect relative displacement, such as angular displacement or linear displacement of the prop assembly away from its stowed position. For example, such a sensor may trigger or switch at <NUM> degrees of relative angular displacement of the prop assembly away from its stowed position.

The first sensor <NUM> is shown and described mounted to the prop assembly <NUM>, however, it may also be placed at other positions including within or adjacent the locking mechanism <NUM> shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, in or on a tube of the upper or lower leg <NUM>, <NUM>.

The tilt sensor <NUM> shown in the drawings has a first switch condition and a second switch condition. The second switch condition activates when the tilt sensor senses that the angle of the leg assembly with respect to horizontal is greater than a pre-defined angle. The pre-defined angle for the embodiment illustrated in <FIG> is <NUM> degrees. In other embodiments, the pre-defined angle could be <NUM>, <NUM> or <NUM> degrees for instance. Other pre-defined trigger angles could also be used.

A second sensor <NUM> for sensing when the prop assembly <NUM> is not in the safely deployed position is also provided. This second sensor <NUM> is again shown in <FIG>. In the embodiment illustrated, the second sensor is a mechanical switch.

A warning system <NUM> in the form of an alarm system <NUM> including a processor and a sound generator <NUM> for generating an audible alarm sound is also provided. The warning system has a standby state, a timing state and a warning (or an alarming) state. The vehicle-mountable child safety seat assembly is configured to change the warning system from the standby state to the timing state when the first sensor senses that the prop assembly <NUM> is not in the stowed position. This transition from a stowed position to not in a stowed position is illustrated in the movement from the position shown in <FIG> to the position showing in <FIG>.

The vehicle-mountable child safety seat assembly is further configured to change the warning system from the timing state to the alarming state, activating the sound generator, if the second sensor senses that the prop assembly <NUM> is not in its safely deployed position by a pre-determined time after the change from the standby state to the timing state. The pre-determined time may be programed to be between <NUM> and <NUM> seconds for example. Five seconds is used for the illustrated embodiment, but this time may be shorter or longer in different embodiments. The purpose of the time delay is to allow the user (the person installing the safety seat assembly <NUM>) sufficient time to correctly deploy the prop assembly <NUM> to its safely deployed position before an alarm sounds. Conversely, should the user not achieve a safe deployment after a reasonable time, then it is desirable to have an audible warning without excessive delay. It is against this background that an optimal range of delay time is selected (between <NUM> and <NUM> seconds, for example <NUM> seconds).

Referring to <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG>, it can be seen that the foot assembly includes a foot housing <NUM> mounted to the leg assembly <NUM> and a foot body <NUM> moveable mounted with respect to the foot housing <NUM>, the foot body <NUM> having an extended position (shown in <FIG>) and a retracted position (shown in <FIG>).

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, it can be seen that the visual warning indicator <NUM> is visually exposed when the foot body is in the extended position, thereby indicating that the prop assembly <NUM> is not in the safely deployed position shown in <FIG>.

The foot body <NUM> is slideably mounted with respect to the foot housing <NUM>. This sliding movement facilitates the functioning of the visual indicator. The warning indicator is located on a lower end <NUM> of the leg assembly <NUM> and the foot body <NUM> includes a sleeve <NUM>, the sleeve covering the warning indicator in its retracted position and exposing the warning indicator in its extended position.

The foot body <NUM> is biased toward its extended position. While various biasing means may be used, in the present embodiment, the foot body <NUM> is biased toward its extended position by a pair of spaced apart compression springs <NUM>, <NUM>.

The foot body includes a foot base <NUM>, and the foot base is arranged and constructed for engaging a vehicle floor <NUM> as shown in <FIG>.

Further detail of the foot assembly <NUM> is shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, <FIG>. Collectively these figures show that the foot assembly <NUM> has a foot housing upper <NUM> and foot housing lower <NUM>, an electronics module <NUM> that includes the first sensor in the form of a tilt sensor <NUM>, the second sensor in the form of a switch <NUM> and a sound generator <NUM> (for example a buzzer, horn or speaker). A battery holder <NUM> holding a battery <NUM> is also shown under a battery cover <NUM> visible in <FIG> and <FIG>.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, it can be seen that the leg assembly includes: an upper leg portion <NUM> and a lower leg portion <NUM>, the lower leg portion being telescopically moveable with respect to the upper leg portion. A locking mechanism <NUM> for locking the lower leg with respect to the upper leg portion at a plurality of user-selectable extension positions is also provided. Buttons <NUM> pivot to release or engage protrusions <NUM> within holes <NUM> within the lower leg tube <NUM> to allow the user to extend or retract and then lock the lower leg portion <NUM> with respect to the upper leg portion <NUM> depending on the distance down to the vehicle floor. The buttons <NUM> are biased outwards by coil springs <NUM> and the protrusions <NUM> are biased inwards.

Using the prop assembly, including the locking mechanism <NUM> described above and shown in <FIG>, the user can adjust the length of the leg assembly <NUM> ensure that there is sufficient pressure on the foot base <NUM> to compress the springs <NUM> and <NUM> into the position shown in <FIG> in which the visual warning indicator is hidden and in which the alarm will be silenced (or won't alarm if the operation is completed before the time out of the timer).

Referring again to the exploded view of <FIG>, it can be seen that the leg assembly <NUM> includes locking mechanism cover halves <NUM>, <NUM>.

In the embodiment illustrated the warning indicator is coloured red. In other embodiments other colours, or patterns of colours may be used.

Referring again to the second sensor, while a mechanical switch is used in the embodiment illustrated, in other embodiments, proximity sensors, including optical or photo-optical sensors may be provided. Any sensor that is capable of distinguishing between a retracted and an extended position may be used.

In further embodiments which are not part of the invention, the vehicle-mountable child safety seat assembly is configured to trigger the warning state of the warning system <NUM> as soon as the support leg of the prop assembly is tilted more than <NUM>° and then only stops when the correct installation angle is reached. With these embodiments a second sensor, such as the second sensor <NUM> may be omitted.

Claim 1:
A vehicle-mountable child safety seat assembly (<NUM>), the seat assembly (<NUM>) including a safety seat (<NUM>), and a prop assembly (<NUM>) mounted with respect to the safety seat (<NUM>), the prop assembly (<NUM>) having a stowed position and a safely deployed position, the prop assembly (<NUM>) including:
a leg assembly (<NUM>);
a foot assembly (<NUM>) mounted to the leg assembly (<NUM>); and
a first sensor (<NUM>) for sensing when the prop assembly (<NUM>) is not in the stowed position;
a second sensor (<NUM>) for sensing when the prop assembly (<NUM>) is not in the safely deployed position;
a visual warning indicator (<NUM>), the visual warning indicator (<NUM>) visually obscured when the prop assembly (<NUM>) is in the safely deployed position; and
a warning system having a standby state, a timing state and a warning state,
wherein the warning system changes from the standby state to the timing state when the first sensor (<NUM>) senses that the prop assembly (<NUM>) is not in its stowed position, and
wherein the warning system changes from the timing state to the warning state, if the second sensor (<NUM>) senses that the prop assembly (<NUM>) is not in its safely deployed position by a pre-determined time after the change from the standby state to the timing state.