Alarm system for a safety seat and safety seat

Abstract

The application discloses a safety seat alarm system and a safety seat with an alarm function. The safety seat comprises a seat body, a safety belt and a buckle assembly. The buckle assembly is installed on the seat part of the seat body in a seesaw structure. The alarm system comprises a position sensor, a buckle sensor and a control module. The position sensor is arranged on the buckle assembly. The buckle sensor is arranged in the buckle of the buckle assembly. The control module is electrically connected with the buckle sensor and the position sensor. When the control module determines that the position sensor is triggered and the safety belt is not buckled to the buckle, an alarm signal is sent to remind parents or drivers to buckle the buckle in time to ensure the safety of children.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a safety seat, in particular, a safety seat with an alarm function. BACKGROUND

[0002] Safety seats have become a necessity for children to ride in a car, which provide children with a safe and comfortable space. Safety seats usually use the safety belt equipped to fix the child on the safety seat, and the safety belt usually has a buckle to facilitate use. However, if the buckle is not buckled, the safety belt cannot firmly fix the child on the safety seat. When the car suddenly slows down, the child may be separated from the safety seat and cause injury. The safety belt buckle of the general safety seat currently does not have an unbuckled warning, so if the parent does not buckle the buckle in the first time, it may be unbuckled due to negligence afterwards, causing the above-mentioned risk. In addition, it is often heard that parents accidentally leave children on the safety seat in the car and leave, causing injury to the child, and the general safety seat currently has no solution to this problem. SUMMARY

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is: in order to make up for the shortcomings of the prior art, to provide a safety seat alarm system and a safety seat with an alarm function, which can simultaneously sense the buckle and the seat to confirm the child riding condition and issue an alarm signal as appropriate to remind the parents or the driver to buckle the buckle.

[0004] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the safety seat has a buckle assembly and at least one safety belt, the buckle assembly has a buckle, and the buckle assembly is installed on the seat of the safety seat in a seesaw structure. The alarm system includes a position sensor, a buckle sensor, and a control module. The position sensor is arranged in the buckle assembly, when someone sits on the safety seat, the buckle assembly will be turned to trigger the position sensor. The buckle sensor is arranged in the buckle to sense whether the safety belt is buckled to the buckle. The control module is electrically connected to the buckle sensor and the position sensor, and when it is judged that the position sensor is triggered and the safety belt is not buckled to the buckle, a first alarm signal is issued. Therefore, the alarm system can judge whether the buckle is buckled when the child sits on the safety seat by the position sensor and the buckle sensor, so as to remind the parents or the driver to buckle the buckle in time to protect the safety of the child.

[0005] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the safety seat includes a seat body, a safety belt, a buckle assembly, and an alarm system as described above. The seat body has a seat. The buckle assembly is arranged on the seat in a seesaw structure. Therefore, the safety seat can judge whether the buckle is buckled when the child sits on the safety seat by the position sensor and the buckle sensor, so as to remind the parents or the driver to buckle the buckle in time to protect the safety of the child.

[0006] The spirit and advantages of the present application can be further understood through the following detailed description of the application and the appended drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 is a functional block diagram of a safety seat alarm system according to an embodiment;

[0008] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a safety seat; Figure 1

[0009] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a safety seat after the actuation portion is depressed; Figure 2

[0010] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a safety seat; Figure 2

[0011] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a safety seat after the actuation portion is depressed; and Figure 4

[0012] Figure 6 is a flowchart of a safety seat alarm system according to an embodiment in actual application. Figure 1

[0013] wherein the reference numerals are explained as follows:

[0014] 1: safety seat

[0015] 10: control circuit

[0016] 12: seat body

[0017] 122: sitting portion

[0018] 124: backrest

[0019] 14: safety belt

[0020] 16: buckle assembly

[0021] 162: actuation portion

[0022] 164: pivot portion

[0023] 166: buckle portion

[0024] 1662: buckle

[0025] 167: position sensor

[0026] 168: buckle sensor

[0027] 18: control module

[0028] 20: alarm module​​​​​

[0029] 22: communication module

[0030] 24: torsion spring

[0031] 32: control system

[0032] 34: mobile device

[0033] S1: first alarm signal

[0034] S2: second alarm signal

[0035] S102, S104, S106, S108, S110, S112, S114, S116, S118, S120: implementation steps DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3 . The safety seat 1 according to the embodiment comprises a seat body 12, a safety belt 14 (only shown in a dashed line in Figure 2 ) and a buckle assembly 16. The buckle assembly 16 is arranged on a seat portion 122 of the seat body 12. The buckle assembly 16 comprises an actuating portion 162, a pivot portion 164 and a buckle portion 166. The actuating portion 162 extends upwardly and towards a backrest 124, one end of which is a connecting end connected to the pivot portion 164, and the other end is a free end, and the free end is relatively higher than the pivot portion 164. In contrast, the buckle portion 166 extends upwardly and towards the opposite direction of the backrest 124, one end of which is also a connecting end connected to the pivot portion 164, and the other end is a free end, which is relatively higher than the connecting end, so that the buckle assembly 16 as a whole forms a V-shaped structure. In addition, the free end of the buckle portion 166 is provided with a buckle 1662. The pivot portion 164 is pivotally connected to the seat portion 122 through a pivot or a pin, so that the buckle assembly 16 is arranged on the seat portion 122 in a structure of a seesaw. Among them, the buckle assembly 16 is detachably connected with the safety belt 14 through the buckle 1662. Therefore, the child can be securely fixed on the safety seat 1 by the safety belt 14.

[0037] The safety seat 1 of the embodiment is also provided with a control circuit 10, which comprises a control module 18, a position sensor 167 (shown in a thick line frame in Figure 2 ) and a buckle sensor 168 (shown in a thick line frame in Figure 2(Represented by thick outlines). The control module 18 is electrically connected to the position sensor 167 and the fastener sensor 168. In a preferred embodiment, both the position sensor 167 and the fastener sensor 168 are disposed within the fastener 1662. In other embodiments, the position sensor 167 may also be disposed in the actuation part 162 or the rotating shaft part 164, and the present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, in a preferred embodiment, the position sensor 167 may be a gyroscope; however, those skilled in the art will know that other types of position sensors, such as accelerometers, may replace the gyroscope, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment, the control circuit 10 further includes a communication module 22 electrically connected to the control module 18. In some embodiments, the communication module 22 may be a Bluetooth module, which can communicate with an external mobile device 34 or an on-board control system 32 in a vehicle via a Bluetooth transmission interface. In other embodiments, the communication module 22 may also be a short-range communication module such as WiFi, ZigBee, or RFID.

[0039] In some other embodiments, the control circuit 10 may also include an alarm module 20, which is electrically connected to the control module 18. The alarm module 20 may be a light-emitting and / or sound-emitting component.

[0040] When the control module 18 senses that the actuator 162 is pressed down via the position sensor 167 (e.g. Figure 3 As shown, for example, when a child sits on the seat 122 of the car seat 1, the child's buttocks press down on the actuator 162, and the buckle sensor 168 senses that the buckle 1662 is not engaged, the control module 18 issues a first alarm signal S1 (indicated by the arrow). Figure 1 When the child is connected to the alarm module 20, the alarm module 20 can generate light and / or sound to remind parents or drivers to fasten the buckle 1662 in time, ensuring the child's safety. In addition, in practice, the buckle sensor 168 can be, but is not limited to, a proximity sensor, limit switch, etc., and the control module 18 can be implemented by hardware (such as including a circuit board, a processing chip, a communication chip, a connection interface and other necessary electronic components), software or a combination thereof, which will not be described in detail.

[0041] In another embodiment, the alerting of the alarm module 20 can also be implemented by a device or system external to the safety seat 1. For example, the control module 18 is communicatively connected to a vehicle control system 32 (of the vehicle in which the safety seat 1 is installed) via the communication module 22, and the control module 18 sends a first alarm signal S1 to the vehicle control system 32 via the communication module 22. The vehicle control system 32 receives the first alarm signal S1 and controls a speaker in the vehicle to emit a sound, controls a display screen in the vehicle to produce a light effect, display a text, or both, according to the first alarm signal S1, to alert a person in the vehicle. For another example, the control module 18 is communicatively connected to a mobile device 34 (such as a smartphone, a wireless key, or the like) (e.g. a parent or a driver in the vehicle) via the communication module 22. The smartphone receives the first alarm signal S1 and controls a speaker of the smartphone (or a headphone communicatively connected to the smartphone) to emit a sound, controls a display screen of the smartphone to produce a light, a text, or the like, controls the smartphone to vibrate, or both or all of them, according to the first alarm signal S1, to alert a holder of the smartphone (e.g. the parent or the driver). The wireless key receives the first alarm signal S1 and controls a speaker of the wireless key to emit a sound, controls the wireless key to vibrate, controls the wireless key to emit a light (e.g. via a light emitting diode), or both or all of them, according to the first alarm signal S1, to alert a holder of the wireless key (e.g. the driver). In practice, the aforementioned communicative connection can be achieved via a direct wired connection, or via a WiFi technology, a Bluetooth technology, or another short-range communication technology. The aforementioned sound can include a voice, music, or the like. A corresponding mobile application can be executed on the vehicle control system 32 and the smartphone to perform the aforementioned operation (alerting according to the first alarm signal S1).

[0042] Please refer to Figures 2 to 5 In this embodiment, the actuating portion 162 and the buckle portion 166 (both connected to the pivot portion 164) are fixedly connected, so that the actuating portion 162 and the buckle portion 166 also rotate together relative to the seat portion 122. When the actuating portion 162 protrudes upward (e.g. when the child is not on the safety seat 1), the pivot portion 164 rotates forward, so that the buckle 1662 on the buckle portion 166 moves toward the front of the safety seat 1), which can avoid interfering with the parent moving the child to the seat portion 122, and facilitate the parent to operate (e.g. the parent does not need to free a hand to move the buckle 1662 while holding the child to the seat portion 122). In addition, in this embodiment, the actuating portion 162 is biased by the torsion spring 24 to tend to move to the protruding position, so that when the child is not on the safety seat 1, the actuating portion 162 remains protruding and the buckle 1662 remains in the position relatively on the front side.

[0043] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3 As mentioned above, the safety seat 1 has an alarm function, and the safety seat 1 and the external device interacting with the safety seat 1 can form a safety seat alarm system (such asFigure 1 When the control module 18 senses that the actuating portion 162 is depressed by the position sensor 167, the control module 18 is communicatively connected with a mobile device 34 (e.g., a smartphone, a wireless key, etc.), and when the mobile device 34 loses the communicative connection signal with the control module 18 or the signal strength of the communicative connection between the mobile device 34 and the control module 18 drops to a predetermined value, the mobile device 34 alarms (e.g., controls the speaker of the smartphone (or the earphone communicatively connected to the smartphone) to sound, controls the display screen of the smartphone to display light, text, etc., controls the smartphone to vibrate, or performs two or three of them; or e.g., controls the speaker of the wireless key to sound, controls the wireless key to vibrate, controls the wireless key to emit light (e.g., through a light-emitting diode), or performs two or three of them) to alert the driver that the child is still on the safety seat 1. Similarly, the control module 18 can also send a first alarm signal S1 when it is determined that the position sensor 167 is triggered and the signal strength of the communicative connection between the control module 18 and the mobile device 34 drops to a predetermined value. In this way, the situation that the child is left on the safety seat 1 in the car and leaves the car without noticing the child can be avoided. In principle, whether the communicative connection between the mobile device 34 and the control module 18 is interrupted depends on the communication technology used and the actual implementation environment. Also, in principle, the signal strength of the communicative connection between the mobile device 34 and the control module 18 is related to the distance between them, so the distance between the mobile device 34 and the control module 18 can be estimated by setting the predetermined value. In actual applications, the distance at which the alarm is triggered (e.g., 5 meters, 10 meters, etc.) can be set first, and the corresponding signal strength can be deduced to set the predetermined value.

[0044] Please continue to refer to Figures 1 to 3 In addition, in the present embodiment, when the control module 18 loses the communicative connection signal with the mobile device 34 or the signal strength of the communicative connection between the mobile device 34 and the control module 18 drops to a predetermined value, the control module 18 also sends a second alarm signal S2 to the vehicle control system 32 (of the vehicle in which the safety seat 1 is installed) (indicated by an arrow in Figure 1 According to the second alarm signal S2, the vehicle control system 32 sends alert information and / or alarms externally (e.g., controls the horn of the vehicle to sound) to alert the driver that the child is still on the safety seat 1. In addition, the above-mentioned description about the predetermined value can also be applicable to the predetermined value here, and is not described again. In this way, the double alarms (i.e., the alarms of the mobile device 34 and the vehicle control system 32) can more effectively avoid the situation that the child is left on the safety seat 1 in the car.

[0045] Please continue to refer to Figures 1 to 3In addition, in the present embodiment, the safety seat alarm system also provides another alarm mechanism to avoid the child being left in the safety seat in the car by mistake. When the control module 18 senses that the actuating portion 162 is depressed by the position sensor 167 (e.g. the child is sitting on the seat portion 122 of the safety seat 1), the control module 18 is communicatively connected with the vehicle control system 32. Then, when the vehicle control system 32 senses that the car is turned off and the car door is opened, the vehicle control system 32 alarms (e.g. controls the car horn to sound, controls the car speaker to sound, controls the car display screen to produce light effect, displays text, or performs two or three of them) to warn the driver that the child is still on the safety seat 1. In other embodiments, the control module 18 can also send a simple message to the caregiver's mobile device 34 through the communication module 22, or notify the police system that a child is left in the car, etc. In addition, in practical applications, the above-mentioned various alarm mechanisms to avoid the child being left in the safety seat 1 in the car by mistake can be implemented simultaneously.

[0046] Please refer to Figure 6 In practical applications, the safety seat alarm system can be implemented according to the flowchart shown in Figure 6 The components of the safety seat 1 are described in the previous related description and the corresponding figures, and are not described again. As shown in step S102, the control module 18 determines whether the actuating portion 162 is depressed by the position sensor 167. If not, return to step S102. If yes, the control module 18 determines whether the buckle 1662 is buckled by the buckle sensor 168, as shown in step S104. If not, the control module 18 sends a first alarm signal S1, as shown in step S106; the alarm module 20 receives the first alarm signal S1 and alarms according to the first alarm signal S1, as shown in step S108. If yes, the above-mentioned various alarm mechanisms to avoid the child being left in the safety seat 1 in the car by mistake are performed, which are described below. In addition, at this time, the control module 18 is communicatively connected with the mobile device 34 and the vehicle control system 32 of the car.

[0047] Please refer to Figure 6As shown in step S110, the mobile device 34 determines whether the communication connection signal with the control module 18 is lost or the signal strength of the communication connection between the mobile device 34 and the control module 18 is reduced to a predetermined value. If the determination is negative, the process returns to step S110. If the determination is positive, the mobile device 34 alarms, as shown in step S112. In addition, as shown in step S114, the control module 18 determines whether the communication connection signal with the mobile device 34 is lost or the signal strength of the communication connection between the mobile device 34 and the control module 18 is reduced to a predetermined value. If the determination is negative, the process returns to step S114. If the determination is positive, the control module 18 sends a second alarm signal S2 to the vehicle control system 32, and the vehicle control system 32 alarms externally according to the second alarm signal S2, as shown in step S116. In addition, as shown in step S118, the vehicle control system 32 determines whether the vehicle is turned off and the vehicle door is opened. If the determination is negative, the process returns to step S118. If the determination is positive, the vehicle control system 32 alarms, as shown in step S120.

[0048] As mentioned above, the safety seat alarm system is applied to the safety seat 1, which can remind the parent or driver to timely fasten the buckle 1662 to protect the child seated on the safety seat 1 and avoid the parent or driver from leaving the child on the safety seat 1 in the vehicle by mistake and causing the child to be injured. In actual application, the safety seat 1 can be provided with an energy storage device (e.g., a battery) to supply the power required by the electronic device provided on the safety seat 1, which is not described in detail.

[0049] The above only describes the preferred embodiments of the present application and is not used to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application can have various modifications and changes. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An alarm system for a child safety seat, wherein the child safety seat has a buckle assembly and at least one seat belt, and the buckle assembly has a buckle, the buckle assembly being mounted on the seat of the child safety seat in a rocker configuration, characterized in that, The alarm system includes: A position sensor is installed in the buckle assembly. When someone sits in the child safety seat, the buckle assembly is rotated, triggering the position sensor. A buckle sensor is disposed in the buckle to sense whether the at least one seat belt is fastened to the buckle; as well as The control module is electrically connected to the buckle sensor and the position sensor. When it is determined that the position sensor is triggered and the seat belt has not yet been fastened to the buckle, a first alarm signal is issued. The fastener assembly includes an actuating part, a pivot part, and a fastener part. The actuating part and the fastener part are respectively fixedly connected to the pivot part. The end of the actuating part not connected to the pivot part is a free end that is higher than the pivot part and extends upward and towards the backrest of the seat body. The end of the fastener part not connected to the pivot part is a free end that is higher than the pivot part and extends upward and in the opposite direction to the backrest of the seat body, so that the fastener assembly as a whole forms a V-shape. The pivot part is pivotally connected to the seat part of the seat body, so that the fastener assembly is set on the seat part in a seesaw structure, and the fastener is set at the free end of the fastener part.

2. The alarm system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The position sensor is a gyroscope.

3. The alarm system as described in claim 1, wherein the position sensor is an accelerometer.

4. The alarm system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an alarm module electrically connected to the control module to process the first alarm signal.

5. The alarm system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The alarm module includes light-emitting and / or sound-emitting components. When the control module issues the first alarm signal, the alarm module will emit light-emitting and / or sound information.

6. The alarm system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a communication module, which is electrically connected to the control module and communicatively connected to an external mobile device. When the control module determines that the position sensor has been triggered and the signal strength of the communication connection with the mobile device drops to a predetermined value, it issues the first alarm signal.

7. The alarm system as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The communication module is also connected to the vehicle control system. When the control module determines that the position sensor has been triggered and the signal strength of the communication connection with the mobile device drops to a predetermined value, it sends a second alarm signal to the vehicle control system so that the vehicle where the safety seat is located issues a warning message and / or sends an external alarm.

8. A child safety seat, characterized in that, The child safety seat includes: The seat body has a seat section; seat belt; The fastener assembly is arranged on the seat in a seesaw structure; and The alarm system as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The safety seat as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The pivot portion of the fastener assembly is pivotally connected to the seat portion of the seat body via a pivot or pin.

10. The safety seat as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The position sensor is disposed in one of the fastener part, the rotating shaft part, and the actuation part.

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