DESCRIPTION

This patent relates to safety devices applicable to motor vehicles, and in particular to a new safety device applicable to motor vehicles to signal the presence of a child sitting on a child car seat.

Current regulations require that younger children, currently under 12 years of age and less than 150 cm in height, must travel seated in special seats secured to the vehicle restraint systems and equipped with passenger restraint systems.

On the practical side, children must travel in vehicles sitting in special seats with their own seat belts attached to the vehicle or on special boosters or cushions.

Motorists driving small children can become distracted and not notice that they have left the vehicle with the child locked in the car.

Small children, especially up to 2-3 years old, are not able to unlatch seat belts themselves.

Older children, on the other hand, are able to unlatch their seat belts, open the car door, or draw attention to themselves with gestures and shouts.

The prior art contains safety devices to alert the driver who leaves a car that there is a child still secured inside the car.

Current safety devices use various mechanisms and various technologies to determine if there is a child sitting in the car and if the driver is leaving the car. Some safety devices determine whether the driver is leaving the car based on the detection of the presence or absence of a Bluetooth device, typically the driver's phone. The disadvantage of this type of safety device is that the driver can forget his or her Bluetooth device in the car or not have it with him, with the result of thwarting the efficacy of these devices.

Some safety devices include a belt or strap to hook between the child's seat and the vehicle's key or to hook between the driver's headrest and the driver's door lock handle. These devices have been found to be more damaging and dangerous to the driver than useful for the child's safety. Some safety devices use the car's power, usually from the cigarette lighter socket, to be powered. These devices are constrained to the car's power supply and are not operational if a person, driver or other passenger, removes the plug from the cigarette lighter socket, for example, to plug in another device that needs the power supply.

Some devices are connected with a receiver inserted in the car's ignition key. These devices have the drawback that the receiver battery may be discharged when the receiver should alert the driver, resulting in ineffective devices.

All known safety devices alert the driver who has left the vehicle, or those people who may be present in the immediate vicinity of the motor vehicle. No known safety device intervenes on the vehicle's windows.

The designs developed so far and the devices and solutions adopted so far have not led to any acceptable result, sometimes worsening the situation. In order to remedy all of the aforementioned disadvantages, a new device to signal the presence of a child on a child car seat has been designed and constructed.

One object of the new device is to eliminate the chances of unintentionally leaving a child alone in a car.

Another object of the new device is for it to operate safely, independently of the vehicle's power supply.

A further object of the new device is for it to operate safely without requiring transmitters and/or receivers.

Yet another object of the new device is for it to safely activate the signal only if there is a child sitting on the child seat and all other passengers leave the car.

Still another object of the new device is to intervene, in an extreme situation, on the motor vehicle, breaking a window, so as to enable the hot air inside the passenger compartment to leave the vehicle.

Another object of the new device is to intervene, in an extreme situation, on the motor vehicle, in order to allow a quicker and more effective intervention by any person to remove the child from the locked motor vehicle.

These and other objects, direct and complementary, are achieved by the new device applicable to a motor vehicle to signal the presence of a child sitting in a car seat which comprises a management and control circuit, at least one battery, at least one sensor to detect the presence of a driver and/or passenger, at least one child safety belt closure sensor, at least one electro- acoustic alarm device, an indicator light to indicate that the device is on, at least one device to break at least one window, at least one temperature sensor, at least one timer.

The child safety belt closure sensor, subsequently called the child belt sensor, is comprised of a mechanism or element designed to electrically signal the properly latched status of the seat belt suited to secure the child in the child seat.

This child belt sensor is comprised of an element or mechanism able to close an electrical contact, such as a magnetic contact, a microswitch, a two- terminal metal element suited to close the circuit between two electrical contacts of a bipolar cable or, preferably, a REED switch.

The driver's and/or passenger's presence sensor, subsequently called the adult seat sensor, is comprised of a mechanism or element to indicate the presence of a person sitting in the driver's seat or in the front passenger seat. This adult seat sensor is comprised of an element or mechanism to detect pressure on the seat on which it is placed, or of an element or mechanism to detect the fastening of a seat belt and is preferably comprised of a pushbutton designed to be enabled by the pressure exerted by the passenger's weight suited to close an electrical contact or a magnetic contact, a microswitch, or a REED switch inserted in the two parts, locking buckle and latch plate, on each of the seat belts for the front seats.

The electro-acoustic alarm device consists of any element or device, typically an alarm or buzzer, suited to emit a sound when it is electrically powered.

The power on indicator light is comprised of a device to optically signal that the new alarm device to signal the presence of a child sitting in a child safety seat is on and operating properly. Preferably, this power on indicator light is comprised of a LED or similar element.

The temperature sensor comprises a sensor suited to close an electrical contact when the temperature exceeds a predetermined value.

The timer comprises a device suited to wait a predetermined period time from the initiation of an electrical signal and suited to close an electrical contact when that predetermined time has elapsed.

The window breaking device consists of a casing that can be applied in proximity to or in correspondence with a motor vehicle window, containing a mass, an elastic projection element, and an electromechanical release mechanism.

This electromechanical release mechanism is electrically connected to the temperature sensor and timer.

The mass is preferably comprised of a linear metal element having a pointed end.

The electromechanical release mechanism, the mass, and the elastic projection element are arranged in the casing so that:

the elastic projection element is comprised between the inner wall of the casing and the non-pointed end of the mass,

the electromechanical release mechanism is suited to maintain the mass close to the inner wall of the casing opposite the pointed end of the mass, the elastic projection element is compressed between the non-pointed end of the mass and the inner wall of the casing adjacent to the non-pointed end of the mass. The window breaking device, when it receives electrical power from the timer and temperature sensor, activates the electromechanical release mechanism allowing the elastic projection element to project the mass toward the window causing it to break.

The control and management circuit consists of an electrical and/or electronic circuit connected to all other parts of the new alarm device to signal the presence of a child sitting on the child seat by means of electrical cables.

These electrical cables have plugs to connect and disconnect them during the installation and uninstallation phases, whether for the initial installation or subsequent uninstallations and reinstallations, for example to clean the vehicle.

These electrical cables may be of the flat type and covered with fabric, so as to occupy as little space as possible and so as to be as invisible as possible. The battery consists of at least one rechargeable battery, suited to supply all the electrical parts of the new alarm device to signal the presence of a child sitting on the child seat.

A cable with a plug suited for the cigarette lighter socket is provided to enable the battery to be recharged. It is preferable that this plug suited for the cigarette lighter socket have a serial socket, so that another device can be supplied with power even while the battery of the new device is being recharged.

A hold button is provided so as to temporarily change the sounding of the electro-acoustic signal. This hold button can be useful when, for example, the adult stops the car at a gas station and gets out of the vehicle to refuel. In this case, the adult, exiting the vehicle, presses the hold button and the electro-acoustic signal, instead of issuing an alarm, will provide a relaxing melody for the child, and a reminder for the adult, for a pre-established amount of time. In fact, after that time, if the adult does not return to the motor vehicle, the electro-acoustic alarm device emits the alarm signal.

The features of the new alarm device to signal the presence of a child sitting on a child car seat applicable to motor vehicles will be better explained by the following description with reference to the drawings attached by way of a non-limiting example.

Figure 2 shows a wiring diagram of the preferred embodiment of the new device, while Figure 1 illustrates the preferred embodiment of the new device on a motor vehicle and on a child seat.

The new child alarm device to signal the presence of a child sitting on a child car seat applicable to motor vehicles comprises a control and management circuit (1), a battery (2), at least one adult seat sensor (3a, 3b,

3al, 3bl), a child safety belt sensor (4.1, 4.2), one electro-acoustic alarm device (5), an indicator light to indicate that the device is on (6), at least one device to break (Al, A2, A3, A4) at least one window, a temperature sensor (G), a timer (T).

The child safety belt sensor (4.1, 4.2) is comprised of a mechanism or element to electrically signal the proper closure of the seat belt (Bl, B2) suited to secure the child to the child seat (B3).

This child safety belt sensor (4.1, 4.2) consists of two parts (4.1, 4.2) of which a first part (4.1) is attached or otherwise joined to the buckle or female part (Bl), or near the female part (B l) of the buckle of the child safety seat (B3), and a second part (4.2) is secured or in any case joined to a normally movable latch plate or male part (B2), or in close proximity to the normally movable male part (B2), of the buckle of the child safety seat (B3). Figure 3 shows an example of an embodiment and application of the child belt sensor (4.1, 4.2).

The first part (4.1) of the child safety belt sensor (4.1, 4.2) is electrically connected to the control and management circuit (1) via a bipolar cable. The second part (4.2) of the child safety belt sensor (4.1, 4.2) is suited to electrically connect or cause the electrical contact of the two bipolar contacts of the first part (4.1) of the child safety belt sensor (4.1, 4.2).

Substantially this first (4.1) and second (4.2) part of the child safety belt sensor (4.1, 4.2) are suited to close an electrical contact connected to the control and management circuit (1) only when the seat belt (Bl, B2) of the child seat (B3) is completely and properly latched.

In particular, the child safety belt sensor (4.1, 4.2) comprises a switch to switch the new child alarm device to signal a child sitting on the child car seat on and off.

The control and management circuit (1) is suitably enclosed in a casing or container, together with the battery (2), and is housed in a suitable position. In this example, the control and management circuit (1), together with the battery (2), are located beneath the driver's seat (A), but they may be placed in another appropriate position.

The adult seat sensor (3a, 3b; 3al, 3bl) is comprised of a mechanism or element to indicate the presence of a person sitting on the driver's seat (A) or on the front passenger seat. This adult seat sensor (3a, 3b) consists of a push-button or pressure sensor of a person seated on the driver's seat and/or on the passenger seat beside the driver, or by a REED switch (3al, 3b 1) placed on the two parts, locking buckle and latch plate, of the driver's seat belt and/or on that of the passenger beside the driver (figure 4).

In this example there are two adult seat sensors (3a, 3b, 3al, 3bl), one intended to be positioned on the driver's seat (A) and one intended to be placed on the passenger's seat beside the driver.

These adult seat sensors (3a, 3b, 3al, 3bl) are suited to close an electrical contact detectable by the control and management circuit (1). In particular, these two adult seat sensors (3a, 3b, 3al, 3b 1) are arranged electrically in parallel so that the closure of the contact is sufficient on at least one of them to signal to the control and management circuit (1) that at least one adult is sitting, and thus present, in the car.

The power on indicator light (6) consists of a LED or equivalent element connected to the control and management circuit (1) and is suited to optically signal that the new child alarm device to signal the presence of a child sitting on a child car seat is on and functioning properly. This power on indicator light (6), in conjunction with the electro-acoustic alarm device (5), is located in a clearly visible position at least by the driver, in this example on the dashboard.

A cable with a plug (8) suited for the cigarette lighter socket is provided to enable the battery to be recharged. The preferred embodiment of the new device illustrated in Fig. 2 comprises two diodes (Dl, D2) and three relays (Rl, R2, R3) two of which are normally open relays (Rl, R2) and one normally closed relay (R3).

The diagram also shows the temperature sensor (G), the timer (T) and the window breaking device (Al, A2, A3, A4).

The window breaking device (Al, A2, A3, A4) comprises a casing (Al) applicable in proximity to or in correspondence with a vehicle window, a mass (A2), an elastic projection element (A3), and a electromechanical release mechanism (A4).

This electromechanical release mechanism (A4) is electrically connected with the temperature sensor (G) and timer (T).

When the window breaker (Al, A2, A3, A4) receives electrical power from the timer (T) and the temperature sensor (G), it activates the electromechanical release mechanism (A4) allowing the elastic projection element (A3) to project the mass (A2) towards the window causing it to break.

The following is a description of the operation of the new alarm device to signal the presence of a child sitting on a child car seat applicable to motor vehicles.

When a child is seated in his child seat (B3) and secured with its seat belt, the two parts of the child belt sensor (4.1, 4.2) are joined. This way the new device is ready to be activated.

When the driver and possibly a passenger sit in the two front seats (A) they activate at least one of the corresponding adult seat sensors (3a, 3b) or at least one of the corresponding REED switches (3al, 3bl), causing the normally open relay to close (Rl), the normally closed relay (R3) to open, and the power on indicator light (6) to switch on.

In this situation, the driver and a passenger are able to verify the proper activation of the new device by means of the power on indicator light (6). If the two parts of the child belt sensor (4.1, 4.2) are not connected or if the battery (2) is discharged, the normally open relay (Rl) is not closed, consequently the power on indicator light (6) does not turn on and the driver checks the child's seatbelt, connects the two parts of the child belt sensor (4.1, 4.2), connects the new device to the cigarette lighter so that the new device receives power and that its battery (2) can be recharged.

When both the driver and the passenger leave the car, the respective adult seat sensors (3a, 3b) or their REED switches (3al, 3bl) interrupt the circuit returning the normally closed relay (R3) to the closed state which activates the closure of the normally open relay (R2), and consequently turns on the electro-acoustic alarm (5), which gets the attention of the driver and/or the passenger, reminding him of the child sitting in the child safety seat (B3). If the adult gets out of the vehicle for a short while without leaving it entirely, as would be the case when stopping to put fuel in the vehicle, he can actuate the hold button by temporarily switching the sound emission of the electro-acoustic alarm (5) to a melody. In this way, the adult is reminded of the child's presence in the child safety seat (B3), without disturbing the child itself. After a preset time has elapsed, if the presence of an adult inside the car is not detected, the electro-acoustic alarm (5) automatically switches to sounding an alarm. When the vehicle is left by all adults, the timer (T) is always activated which, when a preset time has elapsed that is sufficient to presume a dangerous situation as would occur if the adult forgets the child in the vehicle, electrically connects the first of the two window breaker contacts (Al, A2, A3, A4).

From this moment, it is only if the temperature sensor (G) reaches the preset temperature, that is a critical temperature, that it will connect the second of the two contacts of the window breaker (Al, A2, A3, A4).

Upon the connection of the two contacts of the window breaker (Al, A2, A3, A4) the electromechanical release mechanism (A4) is activated, allowing the elastic projection element (A3) to project the mass ( A2) towards the window, breaking it and allowing air to enter from the outside. If the temperature sensor (G) is already activated when the preset time in the timer (T) elapses the window will be broken immediately as a result of the critical temperature detected.

The new alarm device to signal the presence of a child sitting on a child car seat applicable to motor vehicles comprised as described above has considerable advantages.

The new device is independent of the car's power supply, except for when recharging its battery (2).

The new device does not require transmitters and/or receivers to be installed in the vehicle or in the ignition key, or attached to the ignition key key-ring, or to be set up on a device in the driver's possession.

The new device's alarm signal sounds only and absolutely when there is a child sitting in the child safety seat and all other travelers leave the car. The alarm signal of the new device does not sound if the driver moves away but there is another passenger in the adjacent seat so that it does not disturb the passenger remaining in the car. The alarm is not necessary in this case because the passenger in the car ensures the child's supervision.

In extreme cases, the device can actively contribute to the rescue of the child by breaking a car's window.

Therefore, with reference to the preceding description and the attached drawings the following claims are made.