Patent ID: 12214746

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular toFIGS.1through5thereof, a new child safety apparatus embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral10will be described.

As best illustrated inFIGS.1through5, the car seat seatbelt timer apparatus10generally comprises a car seat12with a seatbelt14and a buckle16. The buckle16is coupled to each of a pair of segments18of the seatbelt14and is arranged to releasably couple the pair of segments18together. The buckle16includes a male portion20and a female portion22which receives the male portion20. A switch24is mounted to and positioned in the female portion22of the buckle16such that the switch24is positioned in an activated position when the male portion20of the buckle16is coupled to the female portion22and is positioned in a deactivated position when the male portion20is decoupled from the female portion22. A control circuit26is electrically coupled to the switch24and positioned in the female portion22of the buckle16. The control circuit26is programmed to initiate a timer when the switch24is moved into the activated position and is programmed to terminate the timer when the switch24is positioned in the deactivated position.

A sound emitter28is electrically coupled to the control circuit26and positioned in the female portion22of the buckle16. When the timer runs for a predetermined time interval, the sound emitter28generates an audible alarm. The predetermined time interval may be selected by a user via an input or preset during manufacture. The predetermined time interval may be for any length of time including, for example, 1.0 minute, 5.0 minutes, 10.0 minutes, and others. After the predetermined time interval is reached, the control circuit26may reset and reinitiate the timer so that the audible alarm will be sounded periodically until the male portion20of the buckle16is removed from the female portion22to move the switch24to the deactivated position to terminate the timer. The audible alarm also may be sounded continuously until deactivated by decoupling of the buckle16or another input. A power supply30is electrically coupled to the control circuit26and is positioned in the female portion22of the buckle16. The power supply30comprises a battery32.

A transmitter34is electrically coupled to the control circuit26and positioned in the female portion22of the buckle16. A remote electronic device36is programmed to receive communication from the transmitter34. When the timer runs for the predetermined time interval, the transmitter34generates a wireless signal which is received by the remote electronic device36. The remote electronic device36displays a notification on a display screen38of the remote electronic device36when the wireless signal is received. The timer may be reset such that the notification is displayed periodically each time the predetermined time interval is reached by the timer. The remote may be a smartphone, a tablet, a personal computer, or the like.

There also may be provided a receiver which is electrically coupled to the control circuit26and is in wireless communication with the remote electronic device36. The remote electronic device36may include programming for receiving instructions from the user through an input and transmitting the instructions to the control circuit26. The instructions may include, for example, a selection of the length of time for the predetermined time interval.

In use, a child40is placed in the car seat12. The male portion20of the buckle16is coupled to the female portion22to couple the pair of segments18of the seatbelt14together and to move the switch24to the activated position to initiate the timer. If an input is provided, the user may select the length of time for the time interval. If the buckle16is uncoupled before the timer runs for the predetermined time interval, the sound emitter28does not sound the audible alarm and the remote electronic device36does not display the notification. If the buckle16remains coupled for the predetermined time interval, the audible alarm sounds and the notification is displayed, alerting the user that the child40has likely not been removed from the car seat12. Depending on the embodiment, the timer may be reset and reinitiated, or the audible alarm may sound continuously until terminated by uncoupling the buckle16or another input.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, 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 an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure 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 disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.