Patent Description:
With the increase of family sedans, more and more families choose to travel together. Although travelling by car is convenient, the issue of child safety and protection in the car is getting more and more important. Since there are more and more child deaths due to traffic accidents, child safety seats are designed for solving the aforementioned problem. The child safety seats can reduce injuries on children. However, people might leave their child in cars due to negligence, which brings safety hazards to the child, in severe cases the child may suffocate and die.

<CIT> discloses a child seat-vehicle safety system for a passenger vehicle, including at least one child seat buckle signaling device, which includes a buckling detector, and a buckling detector for signaling the buckle status, and a portable controller device that attaches to the On-Board Diagnostic II, OBD-II, port of the vehicle, for detecting the status of the vehicle ignition system, receiving the buckle status signal, and generating an alarm signal in response to a predetermined condition of the ignition status and the buckle status signal. The portable controller device also includes an alarm that is responsive to the alarm signal. The invention includes a method of warning a vehicle operator that a child has been left buckled in a vehicle after the vehicle's ignition system has been turned off, including detecting the vehicle ignition status selected from "on" and "off" through the OBD-II port, receiving a buckle status signal transmitted from the child seat buckle signaling device, and generating an alarm signal when the ignition status is "off" and the buckle status signal is 'buckled' beyond a predetermined grace or timeout period.

<CIT> discloses an alarm system, comprising a transmitter unit and a receiving unit operating in wireless mode, in which the receiving unit emits a luminous and / or acoustic and / or vibration alarm signal when the distance between said units exceeds a preset value, and in which the transmitting unit is provided with a switch whose state determines the activation or deactivation of an alarm function of the alarm system. The transmitting unit is integral to the buckle of the harness of a children safety seat for motor vehicles, the harness comprising a predetermined number belts separately connected to the same buckle and to a plug that can be inserted and removably locked into the same buckle, the harness further comprising a locking group for keeping the plug locked into the buckle and a release button to release the plug from the buckle. The switch is disposed in the state of activation of the alarm function by a force exerted by the user on the plug for inserting it in the buckle and state of deactivation of the alarm function by a force exerted by the user on the release button to extract the plug from the buckle, such that the alarm function is activated automatically with the insertion of the plug into the buckle and is automatically deactivated with the extraction of the plug from the buckle by means of the release button.

<CIT> discloses a safety device for a child seat, said seat comprising an attachment system of the child on a seat of the seat, comprises an element determining the position of a strap of the fastening system relative to the seat.

Therefore, it is necessary to provide a child safety seat alarm system to solve the aforementioned problem.

This is mind, the present invention aims at providing a child safety seat alarm system which is capable of reminding a user whether or not a child is left in a car for preventing a dangerous scenario where the child is left in the car.

This is achieved by a child safety seat alarm system according to claim <NUM>. The dependent claims pertain to corresponding further developments and improvements.

In order to achieve the aforementioned objective, the present invention discloses a child safety seat alarm system. The child safety seat alarm system includes a child safety seat, an alarming device, a detection mechanism and a driving portion. The child safety seat is for a child to be seated therein. The alarming device is configured to receive a signal and output an alarm signal. The detection mechanism includes a detector and a trigger mechanism. The detector is configured to detect whether states of the alarming device and the detector meet a predetermined criterion. The detector is in a non-working state when the trigger mechanism is in an open state, and the detector is in a working state when the trigger mechanism is in a closed state. When the child is seated in the child safety seat, the driving portion is operated to switch the trigger mechanism from the open state to the closed state so as to switch the detector to the working state. When the detector detects the states of the alarming device and the detector meet the predetermined criterion, the alarming device outputs the alarm signal for alarming.

In contrast to the prior art, when the child safety seat alarm system of the present invention confirms that the child is seated in the child safety seat, the driving portion is operated to switch the trigger mechanism from the open state to the closed state so as to switch the detector to the working state. Furthermore, when the detector detects that the states of the alarming device and the detector meet the predetermined criterion, the alarming device outputs the alarm signal for alarming to remind the user that the child is left in a car. This prevents a dangerous scenario where the child is left in the car.

Preferably, the detector is configured to detect a distance between the alarming device and the distance detector.

Preferably, the child safety seat alarm system further includes a sensing device configured to sense a state of the child safety seat and compare the state of the child safety seat with a predetermined trigger criterion, and when the state of the child safety seat meets the predetermined trigger criterion, the child safety seat alarm system confirms that the child is seated in the child safety seat.

Preferably, the predetermined trigger criterion is that the child safety seat receives a pressure or a buckle assembly of the child safety seat is buckled.

Preferably, the child safety seat includes a crotch strap and a crotch strap buckle assembly connected to the crotch strap, and bucking of the buckle assembly of the child safety seat is achieved by buckling of the crotch strap buckle assembly.

Preferably, the detection mechanism is disposed on the child safety seat. The driving portion is connected to the crotch strap, and when the crotch strap buckle assembly is buckled, the driving portion is driven to move to switch the trigger mechanism to the closed state.

Preferably, the driving portion is rotatably connected to the child safety seat.

Preferably, the driving portion includes a driving component, a rotating component connected to the driving component, and a pushing protrusion disposed on the rotating component. The rotating component is rotatably connected to the child safety seat. The driving component is connected to the crotch strap. The buckling of the crotch strap buckle assembly drives the driving component to rotate the rotating component, so as to drive the pushing protrusion to push the trigger mechanism to switch to the closed state.

Preferably, the child safety seat alarm system further includes a resilient portion, and the resilient portion drives the pushing protrusion to move away from the trigger mechanism.

Preferably, the pushing protrusion is an arc-shaped structure.

Preferably, the crotch strap buckle assembly includes a male buckle and a female buckle. The buckling of the crotch strap buckle assembly is achieved by buckling of the male buckle and the female buckle, and the buckling of the male buckle and the female buckle drives the driving portion to switch the detector to the working state.

Preferably, the driving portion is a conductor. The driving portion is disposed on the male buckle. A power source circuit is disposed on the female buckle and for electrically connecting with the detector, and the buckling of the male buckle and the female buckle electrically connects the detector with the power source circuit by the driving portion.

Preferably, the driving portion is a conductor. The driving portion is disposed on the female buckle. A power source circuit is disposed on the male buckle and is electrically connected with the detector, and the buckling of the male buckle and the female buckle electrically connects the detector with the power source circuit by the driving portion.

Preferably, the power source circuit is an open circuit, and the buckling of the male buckle and the female buckle electrically connects the conductor with the power source circuit.

Preferably, the detector is disposed on the power source circuit. A power source is disposed on the power source circuit and for providing electricity for the detector, and the buckling of the male buckle and the female buckle closes the power source circuit by the conductor.

Preferably, the detection mechanism further includes a mounting plate and a power source portion, and the power source portion, the detector and the trigger mechanism are disposed on the mounting plate.

Preferably, the child safety seat alarm system further includes a linking component, and the buckling of the crotch strap buckle assembly drives the driving portion to move by the linking component.

Preferably, the trigger mechanism is a switch connected to a wire. An end of the wire is connected to the detector. The driving portion drives the switch to switch between the closed state and the open state, and therefore, the detector is switched between the working state and the non-working state.

Preferably, the alarming device is installed on a mobile terminal of a user.

Preferably, the alarming device includes a key chain for connecting with a car key of a user.

Preferably, the alarming device is a mobile phone for receiving the signal and outputting the alarm signal.

The detailed description and the accompanying drawings are provided as follows to illustrate to the present invention. The accompanying drawings are used to explain the embodiment of the present invention.

Child safety seat <NUM>, base <NUM>, seat body <NUM>, alarming device <NUM>, key chain <NUM>, detection mechanism <NUM>, detector <NUM>, trigger mechanism <NUM>, mounting plate <NUM>, power source portion <NUM>, driving portion <NUM>, driving component <NUM>, rotating component <NUM>, pushing protrusion <NUM>, linking component <NUM>, wire <NUM>, crotch strap buckle assembly <NUM>, male buckle <NUM>, female buckle <NUM>, left male buckle <NUM>, right male buckle <NUM>, power source circuit <NUM>, power source <NUM>.

Detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention is illustrated with the accompanying drawings. Similar components are marked with similar reference numerals in the drawings.

Please refer to <FIG>. A child safety seat alarm system of the present invention includes a child safety seat <NUM>, an alarming device <NUM>, a detection mechanism <NUM> and a driving portion <NUM>. The child safety seat <NUM> is for a child to be seated therein. The alarming device <NUM> is configured to receive a signal and output an alarm signal. The detection mechanism <NUM> includes a detector <NUM> and a trigger mechanism <NUM>. The detector <NUM> is configured to detect whether states of the alarming device <NUM> and the detector <NUM> meet a predetermined criterion. The detector <NUM> is in a non-working state when the trigger mechanism <NUM> is in an open state, and the detector <NUM> is in a working state when the trigger mechanism <NUM> is in a closed state. When the child is seated in the child safety seat <NUM>, the driving portion <NUM> is operated to switch the trigger mechanism <NUM> from the open state to the closed state so as to switch the detector <NUM> to the working state. When the detector <NUM> detects that the states of the alarming device <NUM> and the detector <NUM> meet the predetermined criterion, the alarming device <NUM> outputs the alarm signal for alarming. The child safety seat <NUM> includes a base <NUM> and a seat body <NUM>. In an embodiment, the detection mechanism <NUM> and the driving portion <NUM> are disposed on the seat body <NUM>. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

The predetermined criterion can be a predetermined distance. The detector <NUM> can be configured to detect a distance between the alarming device <NUM> and the detector <NUM>. For example, the predetermined distance can be set to <NUM> meters, and when the detector <NUM> detects that the distance between the alarming device <NUM> and the detector <NUM> is greater than <NUM> meters, the alarming device <NUM> can output the alarm signal for alarming. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The predetermined distance can be set according to practical demands. Furthermore, the predetermined criterion can be a predetermined time. For example, when the detector <NUM> detects a period of that a driver leaves a car is greater than the predetermined time, the alarming device <NUM> can output the alarm signal for alarming. Therefore, the predetermined criterion is not limited to the aforementioned situation.

Moreover, the child safety seat alarm system further includes a sensing device, which is not shown in the figures, configured to sense a state of the child safety seat <NUM> and compare the state of the child safety seat <NUM> with a predetermined trigger criterion. When the state of the child safety seat <NUM> meets the predetermined trigger criterion, the child safety seat alarm system confirms that the child is seated in the child safety seat <NUM>. The sensing device can commonly include a pressure sensor or a gravity sensor. The predetermined trigger criterion can be that the child safety seat <NUM> receives a pressure or a buckle assembly of the child safety seat <NUM> is buckled. For example, a pressure value received by the child safety seat <NUM> can be detected by the pressure sensor, and when the detected pressure value is greater than a predetermined value, the child safety seat alarm system can determine that the child is seated in the child safety seat <NUM>. Furthermore, for example, when the buckle assembly of the child safety seat <NUM> is buckled, the child safety seat alarm system also can determine that the child is seated in the child safety seat <NUM>. Specifically, the child safety seat <NUM> includes a crotch strap and a crotch strap buckle assembly connected to the crotch strap, and buckling of a buckle assembly of the child safety seat <NUM> is achieved by buckling of the crotch strap buckle assembly. When the predetermined trigger criterion is met, the child safety seat alarm system confirms that the child is seated in the child safety seat <NUM>.

Please refer to <FIG>. The detection mechanism <NUM> is disposed on the child safety seat <NUM>. The driving portion <NUM> is connected to the crotch strap, and the buckling of the crotch strap buckle assembly drives the driving portion <NUM> to move to switch the trigger mechanism <NUM> to the closed state. In other words, when the crotch strap buckle assembly is buckled, the trigger mechanism <NUM> can be closed. The trigger mechanism <NUM> in the closed state can electrically conduct the alarming device <NUM> with the detector <NUM> to switch the alarming device <NUM> and the detector <NUM> to the working state. Furthermore, the driving portion <NUM> is rotatably connected to the child safety seat <NUM>. The crotch strap drives the driving portion <NUM> to rotate around the child safety seat <NUM> to switch the trigger mechanism <NUM> to the closed state. Specifically, the driving portion <NUM> includes a driving component <NUM>, a rotating component <NUM> connected to the driving component <NUM> and a pushing protrusion <NUM> disposed on the rotating component <NUM>. The rotating component <NUM> is rotatably connected to the child safety seat <NUM>. The driving component <NUM> is connected to the crotch strap. When the crotch strap buckle assembly is buckled, the driving component <NUM> is driven to rotate the rotating component <NUM>, so as to drive the pushing protrusion <NUM> to push the trigger mechanism <NUM> to switch to the closed state. In order to extend a service life of the driving portion <NUM>, the driving component <NUM>, the rotating component <NUM> and the pushing protrusion <NUM> can be integrally formed together. In a preferred embodiment, the pushing protrusion <NUM> can be an arc-shaped structure, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>. Besides, the child safety seat alarm system further includes a resilient portion (not shown in the figures). The resilient portion drives the pushing protrusion <NUM> to move away from the trigger mechanism <NUM>. When the crotch strap buckle assembly is buckled, a resilient force of the resilient portion is overcome, so that the driving component <NUM> drives the rotating component <NUM> to rotate around the child safety seat <NUM>, and therefore, the pushing protrusion <NUM> drives the trigger mechanism <NUM> to be in the closed state.

Please refer to <FIG>. The detection mechanism <NUM> further includes a mounting plate <NUM> and a power source portion <NUM>. The power source portion <NUM>, the detector <NUM> and the trigger mechanism <NUM> are disposed on the mounting plate <NUM>. The power source portion <NUM> is configured to provide electricity for the detector <NUM>. When the trigger mechanism <NUM> is in the open state, the power source portion <NUM> does not provide electricity for the detector <NUM>, and when the trigger mechanism <NUM> is in the closed state, the power source portion <NUM> provides electricity for the detector <NUM>. The detector <NUM> can be a distance measuring device which includes a signal processing unit and an emitting unit. Detailed description is omitted herein for simplicity. Furthermore, the trigger mechanism <NUM> includes a switch body <NUM> and a resilient contacting arm <NUM>. The resilient contacting arm <NUM> is disconnected from the switch body <NUM> to switch the trigger mechanism <NUM> to the open state. The resilient contacting arm <NUM> is pushed by the pushing protrusion <NUM> to abut against the switch body <NUM>, and therefore, the trigger mechanism <NUM> is switched to the closed state.

Please refer to <FIG>. The alarming device <NUM> can be an independent component. For example, the alarming device <NUM> includes a key chain <NUM>, so that the alarming device <NUM> can be connected with a car key of a user for the user to take the car key with the alarming device <NUM>. Besides, for example, the alarming device <NUM> can be installed on a mobile terminal of a user. Specifically, the mobile terminal can be a mobile phone, an IPAD, an in-car apparatus, an intelligent television, a card key, a smart key or any other electronic device which is capable of emitting sound and/or light and/or displaying images. In this embodiment, the mobile terminal is the mobile phone, and is capable of both receiving the signal transmitted from the detector <NUM> and then outputting the alarm signal when a corresponding application software is installed in the mobile phone.

Please refer to <FIG>. The child safety seat alarm system further includes a linking component <NUM>, and the buckling of the crotch strap buckle assembly drives the driving portion <NUM> to move by the linking component <NUM>. For example, the linking component <NUM> can be a steel wire. After a male buckle and a female buckle are buckled, the driving portion <NUM> is driven by the linking component <NUM> to switch the trigger mechanism to the closed state. Specifically, in this embodiment, the trigger mechanism <NUM> is a switch connected to a wire <NUM>. An end of the wire <NUM> is connected to the detector <NUM>. The driving portion <NUM> drives the switch to be in the closed state or the open state ,and therefore, the detector is switched between the working state and the non-working state.

Please refer to <FIG>. In an embodiment, a crotch strap buckle assembly <NUM> includes a male buckle <NUM> and a female buckle <NUM>. Buckling of the crotch strap buckle assembly <NUM> is achieved by buckling of the male buckle <NUM> and the female buckle <NUM>, and the buckling of the male buckle <NUM> and the female buckle <NUM> drives the driving portion <NUM> to switch the detector <NUM> to the working state. The child safety seat alarm system further includes a power source circuit <NUM>. The detector <NUM> is disposed on the power source circuit <NUM>. A power source <NUM> is disposed on the power source circuit <NUM> for providing electricity for the detector <NUM>. Understandably, the power source <NUM> can be a power socket or a battery. Furthermore, the driving portion <NUM> can be a conductor. The driving portion <NUM> is disposed on the male buckle <NUM>. The power source circuit <NUM>, which can be electrically connected to the detector <NUM>, is disposed on the female buckle <NUM>. The buckling of the male buckle <NUM> and the female buckle <NUM> electrically connects the detector <NUM> with the power source circuit <NUM> by the driving portion <NUM>. Specifically, the power source circuit <NUM> is an open circuit, and the buckling of the male buckle <NUM> and the female buckle <NUM> electrically connects the conductor with the power source circuit <NUM>. That is, the buckling of the male buckle <NUM> and the female buckle <NUM> closes the power source circuit <NUM> by the conductor. As shown in <FIG>, the male buckle <NUM> includes a left male buckle <NUM> and a right male buckle <NUM>. The conductor is disposed on the left male buckle <NUM> and/or the right male buckle <NUM>. Detailed description is omitted herein for simplicity. Furthermore, the driving component <NUM> also can be disposed on the female buckle <NUM>. The power source circuit <NUM>, which can be electrically connected to the detector <NUM>, is disposed on the male buckle <NUM>. By using the driving portion <NUM>, the buckling of the male buckle <NUM> and the female buckle <NUM> enables the detector <NUM> to be in electrical connection with the power source circuit <NUM> by the driving portion <NUM>. Detailed description can be seen in the aforementioned description on the male buckle <NUM>, and therefore, is omitted herein for simplicity.

Please refer to <FIG>. The operation principle of the child safety seat alarm system is described as follows.

After the child is seated in the child safety seat <NUM>, the crotch strap buckle assembly can be buckled to drive the driving component <NUM> to rotate the rotating component <NUM>, so that the pushing protrusion <NUM> is driven by the rotating component <NUM> to switch the trigger mechanism <NUM> from the open state to the closed state. The trigger mechanism <NUM> in the closed state electrically connects the detector <NUM> with the power source portion <NUM>, and therefore, both the detector <NUM> and the alarming device <NUM> are in the working state. When the detector <NUM> detects that the distance between the alarming device <NUM> and the detector <NUM> is greater than the predetermined distance, the alarming device <NUM> outputs the alarm signal for alarming to remind the user that the child is left in a car.

In contrast to the prior art, when the child safety seat alarm system of the present invention confirms that the child is seated in the child safety seat <NUM>, the driving portion <NUM> is operated to switch the trigger mechanism <NUM> from the open state to the closed state so as to switch the detector <NUM> to the working state. Furthermore, when the detector <NUM> detects that the states of the alarming device <NUM> and the detector <NUM> meet the predetermined criterion, the alarming device <NUM> outputs the alarm signal for alarming to remind the user that the child is left in a car. This prevents a dangerous scenario where the child is left in the car.

Claim 1:
A child safety seat alarm system comprising:
a child safety seat (<NUM>) for a child to be seated therein;
an alarming device (<NUM>) configured to receive a signal and output an alarm signal;
a detection mechanism (<NUM>) comprising a detector (<NUM>) and a trigger mechanism (<NUM>), the detector (<NUM>) being configured to detect whether states of the alarming device (<NUM>) and the detector (<NUM>) meet a predetermined criterion, the detector (<NUM>) being in a non-working state when the trigger mechanism (<NUM>) is in an open state, and the detector (<NUM>) being in a working state when the trigger mechanism (<NUM>) is in a closed state; and
a driving portion (<NUM>), when the child is seated in the child safety seat (<NUM>), the driving portion (<NUM>) being operated to switch the trigger mechanism (<NUM>) from the open state to the closed state so as to switch the detector (<NUM>) to the working state, when the detector (<NUM>) detects the states of the alarming device (<NUM>) and the detector (<NUM>) meet the predetermined criterion, the alarming device (<NUM>) outputting the alarm signal for alarming.