Automatic pivoting mechanism, side impact protection device and child safety seat

Abstract

According to an automatic pivoting mechanism for controlling relative movement of a first article and a second article, the automatic pivoting mechanism comprises a locking mechanism arranged in the first article and switchable between a locked position preventing the relative movement and an unlocked position allowing the relative movement, a drive mechanism arranged in the second article and actuatable to switch the locking mechanism from the locked position to the unlocked position, and an actuation mechanism arranged in a third article and configured to actuate the drive mechanism when the third article moves relative to a fourth article. A side impact protection device and a child safety seat are also disclosed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to an automatic pivoting mechanism, a side impact protection device including the automatic pivoting mechanism, and a child safety seat including the automatic pivoting mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] A child safety seat is a device installed in a car seat. In the event of emergency braking or a collision, the safety seat uses its shell to cushion the impact on the child and its restraint devices to restrict the child's body movement, thereby reducing the risk of injury and ensuring the child's safety while traveling in the car.

[0003] Some child safety seats are equipped with side impact protection devices to mitigate lateral impacts received by the seat. One type of side impact protection device consists of side wings extending from the outer sides of the seat, having a folded position and an extended position. In the folded position, the side impact protection device fits snugly against the outer side of the seat to reduce space occupation; in the extended position, the side impact protection device protrudes outward from the side of the seat to provide cushioning between the seat and the vehicle.

[0004] In some applications of child safety seats, the seat can rotate forward and backward relative to the base. When the seat rotates, the protruding side impact protection blocks may interfere with the top bar mounted on the base, preventing the seat from being directly rotated forward or backward. The side impact protection blocks must be manually folded down before the seat can be rotated again, affecting ease of use.

[0005] Therefore, an automatic pivoting mechanism for the side impact protection block needs to be designed. This automatic retraction mechanism allows the side impact protection block to retract automatically as the seat rotates back and forth relative to the base. Summary of the Invention

[0006] An automatic pivoting mechanism according to this application is used to control the relative movement of a protective block body (first object) and a seat (second object), characterized in that the automatic pivoting mechanism includes: a locking mechanism disposed in the protective block body, capable of switching between a locked position that prevents the relative movement and an unlocked position that allows the relative movement; a drive mechanism disposed in the seat, actuated to switch the locking mechanism from the locked position to the unlocked position; and an actuation mechanism disposed in a rotating seat (third object), actuating the drive mechanism when the rotating seat moves relative to a base (fourth object).

[0007] Thanks to the automatic pivoting mechanism of this application, the relative movement between the protective block body and the seat can be automatically unlocked based on the relative movement between the rotating seat and the base, thus realizing the linkage between the above-mentioned multiple objects, reducing the necessary operation of the user and improving the user experience.

[0008] In one embodiment, the protective block body is pivotable relative to the seat between an extended position and a retracted position. When the protective block body is in the extended position, the locking mechanism can be switched to the locked position, so that the protective block body remains in the extended position. A retractable elastic member is provided at the pivotal engagement between the protective block body and the seat, and the retractable elastic member biases the protective block body toward the retracted position.

[0009] The protective block body is held in the extended position and biased towards the retracted position by the retracting elastic element. Therefore, as soon as the position lock on the protective block body is unlocked, the protective block body will automatically move to the retracted position.

[0010] In one embodiment, when the protective block body is in the retracted position, the drive mechanism keeps the locking mechanism in the unlocked position.

[0011] When the protective block is in the retracted position, the locking mechanism does not prevent it from moving to the extended position. Therefore, when the user needs to return the protective block to the extended position, only the protective block itself needs to be operated, without simultaneously operating the locking mechanism.

[0012] In one embodiment, the locking mechanism includes: a locking pin slidably disposed in the protective block body and slidable between an extended position engaged with the seat and a retracted position disengaged from the seat; a slotted portion disposed on the seat having a locking groove opening toward the locking pin, the locking pin being at least partially inserted into the locking groove when in the extended position; and a locking elastic member disposed between the locking pin and the protective block body, biasing the locking pin toward the extended position.

[0013] The aforementioned mechanism of the locking mechanism enables an operable locking relationship between the protective block body and the seat.

[0014] In one embodiment, the locking mechanism further includes a release element, fixed to the locking pin, operable from outside the protective block body to switch the locking pin between the extended position and the retracted position.

[0015] Users can unlock the protective block directly by operating the release mechanism, without needing to unlock it through relative movement between the rotating base and the main body. This provides users with an alternative method for unlocking the protective block.

[0016] In one embodiment, the drive mechanism includes: a cam pivotally disposed in the seat and capable of abutting the locking pin, the cam having a drive portion and a clearance portion arranged circumferentially adjacent to each other, wherein the cam is pivotable such that the drive portion abuts the locking pin, thereby driving the locking pin to slide to the retracted position, or pivotable such that the clearance portion faces the locking pin, thereby allowing the locking pin to slide to the extended position; and a traction member connected between the cam and the actuation mechanism, the actuation mechanism being capable of actuating the cam to pivot via the traction member so that the drive portion abuts the locking pin.

[0017] By setting a cam, the locking pin can be moved between the extended and retracted positions according to the pulling action of the traction component.

[0018] In one embodiment, the drive mechanism further includes a cam elastic element disposed between the cam and the seat for applying a force to drive the cam to pivot so that the clearance portion faces the locking pin.

[0019] The cam elastic element is used for the cam's return movement. When the cam is not pulled by the traction element, it will automatically return to its original position, allowing the locking pin to move to the extended position.

[0020] In one embodiment, the actuation mechanism includes a locking member connected to the traction member, comprising: a first end of the locking member abutting against the base; and a second end of the locking member movably connected to the rotating seat; when the rotating seat moves relative to the base, the first end of the locking member disengages from the base, and the second end of the locking member slides along the pulling direction and pulls the traction member.

[0021] The locking element is used to convert the relative movement between the base and the rotating seat into the pulling action of the traction element.

[0022] In one embodiment, the actuation mechanism includes: an actuation mechanism elastic element disposed between the rotating seat and the locking element, which biases the second end of the locking element in the opposite direction to the pulling direction.

[0023] The elastic element of the actuation mechanism is used to reset the locking element.

[0024] In one embodiment, the locking element is a locking rod, with a first end of the locking element being a first end of the locking rod and a second end of the locking element being a second end of the locking rod, the second end of the locking rod being connected to the traction element; the base has a limiting groove facing the opening of the rotating seat, and the locking rod extends obliquely from the rotating seat relative to the pulling direction toward the base, such that the first end of the locking rod can abut against the limiting groove, and when the rotating seat and the base move relative to each other, the first end of the locking rod rotates out of the limiting groove toward the rotating seat; the actuation mechanism further includes an auxiliary rod, the auxiliary rod including: an auxiliary rod first end, pivotally connected to the locking rod at an auxiliary rod engagement portion located between the first end and the second end of the locking rod; and an auxiliary rod second end, pivotally connected to the rotating seat.

[0025] The auxiliary rod limits the direction of movement of the locking rod, forcing the locking rod to not only rotate around the second end of the locking rod when it is rotated out of the limiting groove, but also to pull the traction component at the same time.

[0026] In one embodiment, the second end of the auxiliary rod is located in the opposite direction to the second end of the locking rod; the first end of the auxiliary rod is connected to approximately the middle position of the locking rod.

[0027] The above-described configuration of the auxiliary lever effectively limits the movement of the locking lever without causing excessive resistance.

[0028] In one embodiment, the first end of the locking rod is a triangle protruding toward the base, and the two inclined surfaces of the triangle respectively form two guide inclined surfaces. The limiting groove has a portion corresponding to the two guide inclined surfaces respectively. When the rotating seat moves relative to the base in different directions, the two guide inclined surfaces disengage from the limiting groove, so that the first end of the locking rod rotates out of the limiting groove toward the rotating seat.

[0029] Based on the aforementioned structure of the first end of the locking lever and the limiting groove, the actuation mechanism can move in the same way when the base rotates clockwise or counterclockwise relative to the rotating seat.

[0030] In one embodiment, the locking element is a locking slider, with a first end of the locking element being a first end of the slider and a second end of the locking element being a second end of the slider; the base has a limiting groove facing the opening of the rotating seat; the locking slider is located in the slider groove of the rotating seat and can slide closer to or away from the base; when the rotating seat and the base move relative to each other, the limiting groove pushes the first end of the slider, causing the locking slider to slide away from the base; the locking slider has an actuation groove extending at an inclination to the sliding direction of the locking slider, and the traction head of the traction member is slidably inserted into the actuation groove, so that when the locking slider slides away from the base, the locking slider pulls the traction member.

[0031] The locking slider provides another implementation of the locking element, which can also pull the traction element according to the relative movement between the base and the rotating seat.

[0032] In one embodiment, the rotating seat has a guide groove; the guide groove is located vertically below the locking slider and extends along the pulling direction; the traction head is also slidably inserted in the guide groove to be limited to sliding along the pulling direction.

[0033] The guide groove can limit the direction of movement of the traction head and prevent the traction head from moving unintended.

[0034] In one embodiment, the retractable elastic element is a torsion spring.

[0035] Torsion springs can easily provide the closing force for the closing mechanism.

[0036] In one embodiment, the drive portion has an arcuate surface that convex outward relative to the pivot axis of the cam, and the clearance portion has an arcuate surface that is concave inward relative to the pivot axis of the cam.

[0037] The aforementioned shape of the cam facilitates the smooth movement of the locking pin.

[0038] A side-impact protection device according to this application includes: an automatic pivoting mechanism as described in this application; and a protective block body.

[0039] Therefore, this application realizes the automatic retraction function of the side impact protection block.

[0040] A child safety seat according to this application includes: a base; a rotating seat rotatably disposed above the base; a seat disposed above the rotating seat; and a side impact protection device according to this application, wherein the side impact protection block of the side impact protection device is disposed on one or both sides of the seat.

[0041] The automatic retraction function of the side impact protection block in this application can be applied to child safety seats.

[0042] In one embodiment, the seat is fixed to the swivel seat or can slide or swing back and forth relative to the swivel seat.

[0043] The seat's forward and backward sliding or swinging motion provides a tilt angle adjustment function. Because this application uses a traction element to connect the locking mechanism and the drive mechanism, adjusting the seat's tilt angle will not affect the linkage between the locking mechanism and the drive mechanism. Attached Figure Description

[0044] Figure 1 This is a front view of a child safety seat according to this application, in which the side impact protection device on one side is in the deployed position; Figure 2 This is a side view of the child safety seat, with the side impact protection device in the folded position; Figure 3 This is a side view of the child safety seat, with the side impact protection device in the deployed position; Figure 4 This shows the unfolded side impact protection device relative to the base top bar when the seat is rotated relative to the base; Figure 5 This shows the retracted side impact protection device relative to the base top rod when the seat is rotated relative to the base; Figure 6 and Figure 7 These are, respectively, a front perspective view and a rear perspective view of the housing and cam of the side impact protection device; Figures 8 to 11 These are top-view cross-sectional views of the side impact protection device, showing four states of the device during its deployment and retraction process. Figure 8 In the middle, the side impact protection device is in the deployed position, with the cam in the avoidance position and the locking pin in the extended position; Figure 9 In the middle, the side impact protection device is in the deployed position, with the cam in the abutment position and the locking pin in the retracted position; Figure 10 In the middle, the side impact protection device is in the retracted position, with the cam in the abutment position and the locking pin in the retracted position; Figure 11 When the side impact protection device is in the retracted position, the cam will return to the avoidance position, and the locking pin will be in the retracted position. Figure 12 This is a top view of the base and actuation mechanism of a child safety seat according to a first embodiment of this application, wherein the seat is in a forward or rearward position relative to the base; Figure 13 yes Figure 12 A magnified view of the boxed portion; Figure 14 This is a top view of the aforementioned base and actuation mechanism, wherein the seat is located from... Figure 12Its position rotates counterclockwise relative to the base; Figure 15 yes Figure 14 A magnified view of the boxed portion; Figure 16 This is a top view of the aforementioned base and actuation mechanism, wherein the seat is located from... Figure 14 The position is further rotated counterclockwise relative to the base; Figure 17 yes Figure 16 A magnified view of the boxed portion; Figure 18 This is a top view of the actuation mechanism according to the second embodiment of this application, wherein the seat is in a forward or rearward position relative to the base; Figure 19 yes Figure 18 A magnified view of the boxed portion; Figure 20 This is a top view of the aforementioned actuation mechanism, showing the slider in a state of being cut along a transverse-longitudinal plane, with the seat in a forward or rearward position relative to the base; Figure 21 yes Figure 20 A magnified view of the boxed portion; Figure 22 According to the top view of the actuation mechanism, the slider has been removed to clearly show the traction head and guide slot, and the seat is in a forward or rearward position relative to the base. Figure 23 yes Figure 22 A magnified view of the boxed portion; Figure 24 This is a top view of the aforementioned actuation mechanism, in which the seat has been rotated relative to the base; Figure 25 yes Figure 24 A magnified view of the boxed portion; Figure 26 This is a top view of the aforementioned actuation mechanism, showing the slider cut along a transverse-longitudinal plane, with the seat rotated relative to the base; Figure 27 yes Figure 26 A magnified view of the boxed portion; Figure 28 This is a three-dimensional view of the aforementioned actuation mechanism, in which the seat has rotated relative to the base; Figure 29 yes Figure 28 A magnified view of the boxed portion.

[0045] List of reference numerals

[0046] 1 Child safety seat

[0047] 100 Locking Mechanism

[0048] 110 Slotted Section

[0049] 111 Locking slot

[0050] 112 Cam groove

[0051] 120 Locking Pin

[0052] 130 Locking Elastic Component

[0053] 140 Release Components

[0054] 200 drive mechanism

[0055] 210 Cam

[0056] 211 Drive Unit

[0057] 212 Avoidance section

[0058] 213 Cable Tray

[0059] 214 Cam elastic element

[0060] 215 Pivot axis

[0061] 220 Traction Component

[0062] 221 cable

[0063] 222 Cable sleeve

[0064] 223 Traction Head

[0065] 300 Actuating Mechanism

[0066] 310 Locking lever (locking component)

[0067] 311 First end of locking lever (first end of locking component)

[0068] 311a Guide sloping surface

[0069] 312 Second end of locking lever (second end of locking component)

[0070] 313 Auxiliary rod joint

[0071] 314 Pulling direction

[0072] 320 auxiliary lever

[0073] 321 First end of auxiliary rod

[0074] 322 Second end of auxiliary rod

[0075] 330 Actuation Mechanism Elastic Component

[0076] 350 Locking slider (locking component)

[0077] 351 Slider first end (locking part first end)

[0078] 352 Second end of slider (second end of locking component)

[0079] 353 Actuation slot

[0080] 360° slider elastic element

[0081] 400 Side Impact Protection Device

[0082] 410 Housing

[0083] 411 Storage space

[0084] 420 Protective Block Body

[0085] 500 Base (Fourth item)

[0086] 510 Limiting groove

[0087] 540 push rod

[0088] 600 Seats (Second Item)

[0089] 700 Rotary Seat (Third Item)

[0090] 710 axis

[0091] 720 Cable sleeve fixing part

[0092] 730 Slide

[0093] 740 Slider Groove

[0094] 741 Slider elastic element abutment part

[0095] 750 guide slot Detailed Implementation

[0096] While this invention has been illustrated and described with reference to specific embodiments, it should not be limited to the details shown. Rather, various modifications to these details may be made within the scope of equivalents of the claims and without departing from the invention.

[0097] The descriptions of directions such as "front," "back," "up," and "down" used in this document are for ease of understanding only. This invention is not limited to these directions, but can be adjusted according to actual circumstances. Although this application has been described with reference to typical embodiments, the terminology used is illustrative and exemplary, and not restrictive.

[0098] Reference Figures 1 to 5 Overall description of the child safety seat 1 according to this application.

[0099] The child safety seat 1 includes a base 500, a swivel seat 700, a seat 600, and a side impact protection device 400. The base 500 is used to secure the child safety seat 1 to a vehicle seat 600, such as a car seat. The swivel seat 700 is rotatably disposed above the base 500 and is capable of rotating relative to the base 500 about a generally vertical axis 710, allowing the seat 600 to be in a forward-facing position (e.g.,...). Figures 1 to 3 The seat 600 can switch between a forward and rearward position (not shown in the figure). The seat 600 is positioned above the rotating base 700 and rotates together with the rotating base 700, effectively rotating the base 500. In some applications, the seat 600 can be fixed to the rotating base 700; in other applications, the seat 600 can slide back and forth or swing relative to the base 500, providing pitch adjustment. This application applies to both applications. A side impact protection device 400 is located on one or both sides of the seat 600, extending laterally from the side of the seat 600.

[0100] A generally vertically extending top rod 540 is provided at the rear of the base 500, which is used to abut against the back of the car seat to improve the stability of the child safety seat 1. Figure 4 As shown, when the seat 600 and the rotating seat 700 are rotating relative to the base 500, if the side impact protection device 400 is in the deployed position, the side impact protection device 400 may be blocked by the top rod 540, preventing the seat 600 and the rotating seat 700 from rotating into place.

[0101] The child safety seat 1 according to this application is equipped with an automatic pivoting mechanism, which allows the side impact protection device 400 to automatically pivot relative to the seat 600 from the unfolded position to the folded position when the seat 600 and the rotating seat 700 rotate relative to the base 500. This effectively avoids interference and collision between the side impact protection device 400 and the top rod 640, preventing damage to the child safety seat 1. Furthermore, it eliminates the need to manually fold the side impact protection device 400 and then rotate the seat 600, greatly improving the ease of use of the child safety seat 1. Figure 5 As shown.

[0102] like Figures 6 to 12As shown, the automatic pivoting mechanism of this application includes a locking mechanism 100, a drive mechanism 200, and an actuation mechanism 300. The locking mechanism 100 is disposed in the side impact protection device 400 and can switch between a locked position that prevents the side impact protection device 400 from moving relative to the seat 600 and an unlocked position that allows such relative movement. The drive mechanism 200 is disposed in the seat 600 and can be actuated to switch the locking mechanism 100 from the locked position to the unlocked position. The actuation mechanism 300 is disposed in the rotating seat 700. When the rotating seat 700 (and the seat 600) moves relative to the base 500, the drive mechanism 200 is actuated, causing the actuation mechanism 300 to unlock the locking mechanism 100.

[0103] like Figures 8 to 11 As shown, the side impact protection device 400 includes a housing 410 and a protective block body 420. The housing 410 is fixed to the side of the seat 600 or formed as part of the seat 600. The housing 410 has an accommodating space 411 for accommodating the protective block body 420.

[0104] The protective block body 420 is pivotable relative to the housing 410 (and the seat 600) between an extended position and a retracted position. When the protective block body 420 is in the extended position, the locking mechanism 100 can be switched to the locked position, keeping the protective block body 420 in the extended position. A retractable elastic element, such as a torsion spring, is provided at the pivotal engagement between the protective block body 420 and the seat 600. The torsion spring always applies an inward retracting force to the protective block body 420, biasing the protective block body 420 toward the retracted position. Additionally, when the protective block body 420 is in the retracted position, the drive mechanism 200 keeps the locking mechanism 100 in the unlocked position.

[0105] Therefore, as Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, when the protective block body 420 is in the unfolded position, the locking mechanism 100 locks the protective block body 420 in the unfolded position. Figure 10 As shown, when the rotating seat 700 (and the seat 600) rotates relative to the base 500, the drive mechanism 200 drives the actuation mechanism 300, which in turn drives the locking mechanism 100, causing the locking mechanism 100 to no longer lock the protective block body 420 in the unfolded position. At this time, the protective block body 420 is biased to the retracted position by the torsion spring, achieving automatic retraction. When it is necessary to unfold the protective block body 420, because the locking mechanism 100 does not lock the protective block body 420 in the retracted position, the protective block body 420 can be manually moved to the unfolded position.

[0106] Refer again Figures 6 to 11 The locking mechanism 100 and the driving mechanism 200 according to this application are described.

[0107] The locking mechanism 100 includes a locking pin 120, a slotted portion 110, a locking elastic element 130, and may also include a release element 140.

[0108] The locking pin 120 is slidably disposed in the protective block body 420, and can slide between an extended position engaged with the seat 600 and a retracted position disengaged from the seat 600. More specifically, the locking pin 120 is generally cylindrical. In the extended position, the locking pin 120 extends at least partially out of the protective block body 420.

[0109] like Figure 6 As shown, a slotted portion 110 is provided on the seat 600 (or on the housing 410) and has a locking groove 111 opening toward the locking pin 120, which is at least partially inserted into the locking groove 111 when in the extended position. The slotted portion 110 may be formed as part of the side of the seat 600. The extending direction of the locking groove 111 is toward the protective block body 420 in the extended position, thus allowing the locking pin 120 to be inserted into the locking groove 111 when the protective block body 420 pivots to the extended position to lock the pivoting of the protective block body 420. The cam 210 of the drive mechanism 200 is operable to prevent the locking pin 120 from entering the slotted portion 110, as will be described in detail later.

[0110] A locking elastic element 130 is disposed between the locking pin 120 and the protective block body 420, biasing the locking pin 120 toward the extended position. Thus, when the protective block body 420 pivots to the extended position, the locking pin 120 automatically locks the protective block body 420. In this embodiment, the locking elastic element 130 may be a spring with one end sleeved on one end of the locking pin 120, and the other end of the spring fixedly connected inside the protective block body 420.

[0111] Release member 140 is disposed on the surface of the protective block body 420 facing outward or towards the housing 410 and is fixed to locking pin 120. Release member 140 can be pressed and slid from the outside of the protective block body 420 to switch the locking pin 120 between an extended position and a retracted position relative to the protective block body 420. In this way, the user can directly operate the locking pin 120 via release member 140 (instead of via actuation mechanism 300) to unlock the pivoting of the protective block body 420 relative to the seat 600.

[0112] like Figures 7 to 11 As shown, the drive mechanism 200 includes a cam 210 and a traction member 220, and may also include a cam elastic member 214.

[0113] The cam 210 is pivotally mounted in the seat 600 and abuts against the locking pin 120. The cam 210 has a drive portion 211 and a relief portion 212 arranged circumferentially adjacent to each other. The drive portion 211 has an arcuate surface convex outward relative to the pivot axis 215 of the cam 210, and the relief portion 212 has an arcuate surface concave inward relative to the pivot axis 215 of the cam 210. When the protective block body 420 is in the extended position, the cam 210 can pivot such that the drive portion 211 abuts against the locking pin 120, thereby driving the locking pin 120 to slide to the retracted position (e.g., ...). Figure 9 (as shown), or pivot so that the clearance portion 212 faces the locking pin 120, thereby allowing the locking pin 120 to slide to the extended position (as shown). Figure 8 (As shown). When the protective block body 420 is in the retracted position, the cam 210 holds the locking pin 120 in the retracted position by resisting the force of the locking elastic element 130 biasing the locking pin 120.

[0114] More specifically, the cam 210 is disposed in the cam groove 112 of the slotted portion 110. The axial direction of the cam 210 is approximately perpendicular to the sliding direction of the locking pin 120. The cam groove 112 and the locking groove 111 are approximately perpendicular to each other, that is, the cam groove 112 is approximately parallel to the radial direction of the cam 210, while the locking groove 111 is approximately parallel to the axial direction or pivot axis 215 of the cam 210. The drive portion 211 and the abutment portion 212 are approximately 90 degrees apart in the circumferential direction. This circumferential distance can also be set to a larger or smaller angle depending on the actual situation, for example, between 30 degrees and 150 degrees.

[0115] A cable groove 213 is provided on the periphery of the cam 210 to allow the traction member 220 to pass through it. The cable groove 213 is provided at least partially along the outer periphery of the cam 210 to guide the cable 221 to extend along the outer periphery of the cam 210 and engage with the cam 210.

[0116] The traction member 220 is connected between the cam 210 and the actuation mechanism 300. The actuation mechanism 300 can actuate the cam 210 to pivot via the traction member 220 so that the drive unit 211 abuts against the locking pin 120.

[0117] like Figure 7 As shown, the cam elastic element 214 is disposed between the cam 210 and the seat 600 to apply a force that drives the cam 210 to pivot so that the clearance portion 212 faces the locking pin 120. In this way, when the actuation mechanism 300 does not drive the drive mechanism 200, the clearance portion 212 of the cam 210 always faces the locking pin 120, allowing the locking pin 120 to slide to its locked position.

[0118] Reference Figures 12 to 16The actuation mechanism 300 according to a first embodiment of this application is described. The actuation mechanism 300 of the first embodiment includes a locking member (a locking lever 310 in this embodiment), an actuation mechanism elastic member 330, and may also include an auxiliary lever 320.

[0119] The locking lever 310 includes a first locking lever end 311 and a second locking lever end 312. The first locking lever end 311 abuts against the base 500. The second locking lever end 312 is pivotally and slidably connected to the rotating seat 700 (specifically connected to a groove 730 formed in the rotating seat 700) and connected to the traction member 220. Figure 15 As shown, when the rotating seat 700 moves relative to the base 500, the first end 311 of the locking rod disengages from the base 500, and the second end 312 of the locking rod slides along the pulling direction 314 and pulls the traction member 220.

[0120] The traction component 220 includes a cable sleeve 222 and a cable 221 slidably disposed within the cable sleeve 222. One end of the cable sleeve 222 is fixed to a cable sleeve fixing part 720 on the rotating seat 700, and the other end is fixed to the housing 410 (not shown) of the protective block body 420. One end of the cable 221 is connected to the second end 312 of the locking lever, and the other end is connected to the cam 210 (see...). Figures 8 to 11 Thus, when the second end 312 of the locking lever pulls the cable 221, the cable 221 will correspondingly pull the cam 210, causing the cam 210 to pivot toward the locking pin 120. The cable sleeve 222 limits the extension length of the cable 221 between the protective block body 420 and the rotating seat 700, so that the tension of the cable 221 does not change when the seat 600 (and the side impact protection device 400) moves relative to the rotating seat 700.

[0121] like Figure 14 and Figure 15 As shown, the first end 311 of the locking lever is configured such that when the rotating seat 700 rotates relative to the base 500 (i.e., the rotating seat 700 is in the forward or backward position), the first end 311 of the locking lever is subjected to a force against the base 500, and this force is converted into a force that pushes the second end 312 of the locking lever to slide along the pulling direction 314.

[0122] The actuating mechanism elastic element 330 is disposed between the rotating seat 700 and the locking rod 310, biasing the second end 312 of the locking rod in the opposite direction of the pulling direction 314. Specifically, one end of the actuating mechanism elastic element 330 is fixedly connected to the fixing pin or fixing protrusion (not shown) of the rotating seat 700, and the other end of the actuating mechanism elastic element 330 is fixedly connected to the second end 312 of the locking rod 310, as the second end 312 of the locking rod slides within the slide groove 730. Thus, when the rotating seat 700 and the base 500 are not rotating relative to each other (i.e., the rotating seat 700 is between the forward and backward positions), the actuating mechanism elastic element causes the second end 312 of the locking rod to reset, and also causes the first end 311 of the locking rod to reset.

[0123] More specifically, the base 500 has a limiting groove 510 that opens toward the rotating seat 700. The locking rod 310 extends obliquely from the rotating seat 700 toward the base 500 relative to the pulling direction 314, so that the first end 311 of the locking rod can abut against the limiting groove 510. When the rotating seat 700 and the base 500 move relative to each other, the first end 311 of the locking rod rotates out of the limiting groove 510 toward the rotating seat 700.

[0124] The base 500 can have multiple limiting slots 510 along the rotation direction, for example, two limiting slots 510 spaced 180 degrees apart. In this way, when the rotating seat 700 (and the seat 600) rotates to the forward or backward position, the first end 311 of the locking lever can abut against different limiting slots 510. Thus, in the forward or backward position, the actuating mechanism 300 fails to actuate the driving mechanism 200, thereby failing to unlock the locking pin 120 in the cam 210, so that the protective block body 420 can be unfolded.

[0125] The first end 311 of the locking lever can be a triangle protruding towards the base 500, with the two inclined surfaces of the triangle forming two guide inclined surfaces 311a respectively. The limiting groove 510 has portions corresponding to the two guide inclined surfaces 311a respectively. Figure 15 As shown, when the rotating seat 700 moves in different directions relative to the base 500, the two guide ramps 311a disengage from the limiting groove 510, so that the first end 311 of the locking rod rotates out of the limiting groove 510 toward the rotating seat 700.

[0126] The auxiliary rod 320 includes a first end 321 and a second end 322. The first end 321 is pivotally connected to an auxiliary rod engagement 313 of the locking rod 310 located between the first end 311 and the second end 312. The second end 322 is pivotally connected to a rotating seat 700. More specifically, the second end 322 is located in the opposite direction of the pulling direction 314 relative to the second end 312 of the locking rod. In one embodiment, the auxiliary rod engagement 313 is located approximately at the center of the locking rod 310.

[0127] like Figure 14 and Figure 15 As shown, when the rotating seat 700 rotates relative to the base 500, the first end 311 of the locking rod is pressed by the limiting groove 510, causing the first end 311 of the locking rod to swing toward the rotating seat 700. Due to the presence of the auxiliary rod 320, the swinging of the first end 311 of the locking rod will cause the second end 312 of the locking rod to slide toward the pulling direction 314. This is because if the first end 311 of the locking rod is swung without the second end 312 of the locking rod sliding, it will require the compression of the auxiliary rod 320. However, the auxiliary rod 320 is incompressible, so as the first end 311 of the locking rod swings, the second end 312 of the locking rod will slide toward the pulling direction 314.

[0128] Figures 12 to 16 The diagram shows the rotating seat 700 rotating counterclockwise relative to the base 500. It should be understood that the operation of the actuation mechanism 300 is the same when the rotating seat 700 rotates clockwise relative to the base 500.

[0129] Reference Figures 18 to 29 The actuation mechanism 300 according to a second embodiment of this application is described.

[0130] Similar to the first embodiment, the base 500 of the second embodiment also has a limiting groove 510 that opens toward the rotating seat 700, and the shape of the limiting groove 510 in the second embodiment can be the same as that in the first embodiment. Therefore, the base 500 and the limiting groove 510 are omitted in the description of the view of the second embodiment.

[0131] The actuation mechanism 300 of the second embodiment includes a locking member (in this embodiment, a locking slider 350) and a slider elastic member 360.

[0132] The rotating base 700 has a slider groove 740 extending radially (laterally in this embodiment) and opening toward the base 500. A locking slider 350 is located in the slider groove 740 and can slide towards or away from the base 500. The first end 351 of the locking slider 350 is located in the slider groove 740, and the second end 352 of the slider, opposite to the first end 351, faces the base 500. The locking slider 350 can extend from the slider groove 740 and abut against the limiting groove 510 of the base 500 via the second end 352 (e.g., ...). Figures 18 to 23 (As shown).

[0133] The second end 352 of the slider can be triangular or other shapes that match the limiting groove 510. Thus, when the rotating seat 700 and the base 500 move relative to each other, the limiting groove 510 pushes the first end 311 of the slider, causing the locking slider 350 to slide away from the base 500 and retract into the slider groove 740 (e.g., Figures 24 to 29 (As shown).

[0134] The locking slider 350 has an actuation groove 353 extending at an angle to the sliding direction of the locking slider 350. The traction head 223 of the traction member 220 is slidably inserted into the actuation groove 353, such that the traction member 220 is pulled when the locking slider 350 slides away from the base 500. More specifically, the actuation groove 353 is closer to the base 500 in the forward direction (longitudinal in this embodiment) and further away from the base 500 in the rear direction of the traction.

[0135] The rotating base 700 may also have a guide groove 750 (such as...) Figures 22 to 23 (As shown). The guide groove 750 can be disposed vertically below the locking slider 350 and extends in the pulling direction. The traction head 223 is also slidably inserted in the guide groove 750, and is therefore limited by the guide groove 750 to slide in the pulling direction. More specifically, when the locking slider 350 slides away from the base 500, the traction head 223 is pulled by the brake groove 353 and begins to slide; at the same time, since the traction head 223 is restricted by the guide groove 750, the traction head 223 can only slide in the direction in which the guide groove 750 is opened.

[0136] A slider elastic element 360 is disposed between the second end 352 of the locking slider 350 and the slider groove 740, biasing the locking slider 350 toward the base 500. More specifically, a slider elastic element abutment portion 741 may be provided at the end of the slider groove 740 away from the base 500, and the slider elastic element abutment portion 741 may be formed to be recessed from this end of the slider groove 740 away from the base 500. The slider elastic element 360 may be a compression spring, with one end abutting against the slider elastic element abutment portion 741 and the other end abutting against the second end 352 of the slider.

[0137] In summary, this application proposes an automatic pivoting mechanism, a side-impact protection device using the automatic pivoting mechanism, and a child safety seat. It should be understood that this automatic pivoting mechanism can also be applied to other devices.

[0138] Since this application can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit and substance of this application, it should be understood that the above embodiments are not limited to any of the foregoing details, but should be interpreted in the broadest sense within the scope defined by the claims. Therefore, all variations falling within the scope of the claims or their equivalents should be covered by the claims.

Claims

1. An automatic pivoting mechanism for controlling the relative movement of a first object and a second object, characterized in that, The automatic pivoting mechanism includes: A locking mechanism (100) is provided in the first object and is capable of switching between a locked position that prevents the relative movement and an unlocked position that allows the relative movement; A drive mechanism (200), disposed in the second object, is actuable to switch the locking mechanism (100) from the locked position to the unlocked position; and An actuation mechanism (300) is provided in the third object, which actuates the drive mechanism (200) when the third object moves relative to the fourth object. A traction member (220) is connected between the drive mechanism (200) and the actuation mechanism (300); The actuation mechanism (300) includes a locking member (310) connected to the traction member (220), the locking member comprising: The first end of the locking member abuts against the fourth object; and The second end of the locking element is movably connected to the third object; When the third object moves relative to the fourth object, the first end of the locking member disengages from the fourth object, and the second end of the locking member slides along the pulling direction (314) and pulls the pulling member (220).

2. The automatic pivoting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first object can pivot relative to the second object between an unfolded position and a folded position. When the first object is in the unfolded position, the locking mechanism (100) can be switched to the locked position so that the first object remains in the unfolded position. A retractable elastic element is provided at the pivot joint between the first object and the second object, and the retractable elastic element biases the first object toward the retracted position.

3. The automatic pivoting mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the first object is in the closed position, the drive mechanism (200) keeps the locking mechanism (100) in the unlocked position.

4. The automatic pivoting mechanism according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The locking mechanism (100) includes: The locking pin (120) is slidably disposed in the first object and can slide between an extended position that engages with the second object and a retracted position that disengages from the second object; A slotted portion (110) is provided on the second object, having a locking groove (111) opening toward the locking pin (120), the locking pin (120) being at least partially inserted into the locking groove (111) when in the extended position; and A locking elastic element (130) is disposed between the locking pin (120) and the first object, biasing the locking pin (120) toward the extended position.

5. The automatic pivoting mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, The locking mechanism (100) further includes: The release element (140), fixed to the locking pin (120), can be operated from outside the first object to switch the locking pin (120) between the extended position and the retracted position.

6. The automatic pivoting mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, The drive mechanism (200) includes: A cam (210), pivotally disposed in the second object and capable of abutting against the locking pin (120), the cam (210) having a drive portion (211) and a clearance portion (212) arranged circumferentially adjacent, wherein the cam (210) is pivotable such that the drive portion (211) abuts against the locking pin (120), thereby driving the locking pin (120) to slide to the retracted position, or pivotable such that the clearance portion (212) faces the locking pin (120), thereby allowing the locking pin (120) to slide to the extended position; and The traction member (220) is connected between the cam (210) and the actuation mechanism (300), and the actuation mechanism (300) can actuate the cam (210) to pivot via the traction member (220) so that the drive unit (211) abuts against the locking pin (120).

7. The automatic pivoting mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that, The drive mechanism (200) further includes: A cam elastic element (214) is disposed between the cam (210) and the second object to apply a force that drives the cam (210) to pivot so that the clearance portion (212) faces the locking pin (120).

8. The automatic pivoting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The actuation mechanism (300) includes: An actuation mechanism elastic element (330) is disposed between the third object and the locking element (310), which biases the second end of the locking element in the opposite direction of the pulling direction (314).

9. The automatic pivoting mechanism according to claim 8, characterized in that: The locking element is a locking rod (310), the first end of the locking element is the first end of the locking rod (311), the second end of the locking element is the second end of the locking rod (312), and the second end of the locking rod (312) is connected to the traction element (220). The fourth object has a limiting groove (510) that faces the opening of the third object. The locking rod (310) extends obliquely from the third object toward the fourth object relative to the pulling direction (314), so that the first end (311) of the locking rod can abut against the limiting groove (510). When the third object and the fourth object move relative to each other, the first end (311) of the locking rod rotates out of the limiting groove (510) toward the third object. The actuation mechanism (300) further includes an auxiliary rod (320), the auxiliary rod (320) comprising: The first end (321) of the auxiliary rod is pivotally connected to the auxiliary rod engagement portion (313) of the locking rod (310) located between the first end (311) and the second end (312) of the locking rod; and The second end (322) of the auxiliary rod is pivotally connected to the third object.

10. The automatic pivoting mechanism according to claim 9, characterized in that: The second end (322) of the auxiliary rod is located in the opposite direction of the pulling direction (314) relative to the second end (312) of the locking rod; The first end (321) of the auxiliary rod is connected to the locking rod (310) at approximately the middle position.

11. The automatic pivoting mechanism according to claim 9, characterized in that: The first end (311) of the locking rod is a triangle protruding toward the fourth object. The two inclined surfaces of the triangle form two guide inclined surfaces (311a). The limiting groove (510) has a portion corresponding to the two guide inclined surfaces (311a). When the third object moves relative to the fourth object in different directions, the two guide inclined surfaces (311a) disengage from the limiting groove (510), so that the first end (311) of the locking rod rotates out of the limiting groove (510) toward the third object.

12. The automatic pivoting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The locking element is a locking slider (350), the first end of the locking element is the first end of the slider (351), and the second end of the locking element is the second end of the slider (352). The fourth object has a limiting groove (510) that faces the opening of the third object. The locking slider (350) is located in the slider groove (740) of the third object and can slide closer to or away from the fourth object. When the third object and the fourth object move relative to each other, the limiting groove (510) pushes the first end (351) of the slider, so that the locking slider (350) slides away from the fourth object. The locking slider (350) has an actuation groove (353) extending inclined to the sliding direction of the locking slider (350). The traction head (223) of the traction member (220) is slidably inserted into the actuation groove (353), so that when the locking slider (350) slides away from the fourth object, the locking slider (350) pulls the traction member (220).

13. The automatic pivoting mechanism according to claim 12, characterized in that: The third object is provided with a guide groove (750); the guide groove (750) is located vertically below the locking slider (350) and extends along the pulling direction (314); The traction head (223) is also slidably inserted in the guide groove (750) to be limited to sliding along the traction direction (314).

14. The automatic pivoting mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The retractable elastic element is a torsion spring.

15. The automatic pivoting mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that: The drive part (211) has an arc surface that is convex outward relative to the pivot axis (215) of the cam (210), and the clearance part (212) has an arc surface that is concave inward relative to the pivot axis (215) of the cam (210).

16. A side-impact protection device (400), characterized in that, include: According to claim 1, the automatic pivoting mechanism, wherein the first object is the side impact protection device (400) and includes a protective block body (420), the second object is a seat (600), and the automatic pivoting mechanism controls the relative movement of the protective block body (420) and the seat (600): The protective block body (420) can pivot relative to the seat (600) between an unfolded position and a retracted position. When the protective block body (420) is in the unfolded position, the locking mechanism (100) can be switched to the locked position, so that the side impact protection device (400) remains in the unfolded position. A retractable elastic element is provided at the pivot joint between the protective block body (420) and the seat (600), and the retractable elastic element biases the protective block body (420) toward the retracted position.

17. A child safety seat (1), characterized in that, include: According to claim 1, the automatic pivoting mechanism, wherein the first object is a side impact protection device (400) and includes a protective block body (420), the second object is a seat (600), the third object is a rotating seat (700), and the fourth object is a base (500), the side impact protection device (400) is disposed on one or both sides of the seat (600), the rotating seat (700) is rotatably disposed above the base (500), the seat (600) is disposed above the rotating seat (700), and the automatic pivoting mechanism controls the protective block body (420) to pivot relative to the seat (600) between an unfolded position and a retracted position; The side impact protection device (400) also includes a torsion spring that applies an inward retraction force to the protective block body (420) and biases the protective block body (420) toward the retracted position.

18. The child safety seat (1) according to claim 17, characterized in that: The seat (600) is fixed to the rotating seat (700) or can slide or swing back and forth relative to the rotating seat (700).

Images