Fastener, fastener monitoring system and infant carrier

Abstract

The invention relates to a buckle, a buckle monitoring system and an infant carrier. The buckle provided by the invention comprises a male buckle, a female buckle and a control circuit, wherein the buckle has a buckling state in which the male buckle and the female buckle are buckled and an unlocking state in which the male buckle and the female buckle are unlocked, the control circuit is arranged on the male buckle and / or the female buckle, and the control circuit comprises a wireless communication module; when the buckle is in the buckling state, the control circuit controls the wireless communication module to send out a wireless signal.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the Chinese patent application filed on March 18, 2021, with application number 202110292855.6 and titled “Buckle, Buckle Monitoring System and Infant Carrier”. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to the field of buckles, and more specifically, to a buckle, a buckle monitoring system and an infant carrier. Background Art

[0003] Various types of infant carriers (such as strollers, baby carriers, safety seats, baby carriers, etc.) are widely used in families with infants. The use of infant carriers is inseparable from buckles. Buckles work together with straps to safely protect infants in infant carriers.

[0004] A conventional buckle includes a male buckle and a female buckle. The female buckle has a slot, and the male buckle has an insertion end. The insertion end of the male buckle is inserted into the slot of the female buckle so that the male buckle and the female buckle are buckled with each other. A release button may be provided on the female buckle. The release button has a locking position and an unlocking position. When the male buckle and the female buckle are buckled with each other, the release button is located in the locking position. When the release button moves from the locking position to the unlocking position, it can be used to release the male buckle from the female buckle.

[0005] During the use of infant carriers, infants may be left in the infant carriers for a long time due to the negligence of caregivers. In application environments such as vehicles, infants left in infant carriers may be in danger. Summary of the invention

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a buckle, which is used to allow a user to remotely monitor the buckle's buckling status. The present invention also provides a buckle monitoring system and an infant carrier,

[0007] In one aspect, the present invention provides a fastener, comprising a male buckle, a female buckle, and a control circuit; wherein the fastener has an engaged state in which the male buckle is engaged with the female buckle and an unlocked state in which the male buckle is unlocked with the female buckle, the control circuit is arranged on the male buckle and / or the female buckle, and the control circuit includes a wireless communication module; when the fastener is in the engaged state, the control circuit controls the wireless communication module to send a wireless signal.

[0008] Furthermore, the control circuit also includes a control switch, and when the buckle switches between the buckled state and the unlocked state, the control switch can be caused to switch between closed and open. When the control switch is closed, the control circuit controls the wireless communication module to send the wireless signal.

[0009] Further, the control circuit is integrated on a circuit board, and a power supply for supplying power to the control circuit is installed on the circuit board.

[0010] Further, the female buckle has a slot, the male buckle has an insertion part, and the control switch has a trigger part located in the female buckle; a driving part is arranged in the female buckle. When the insertion part of the male buckle is inserted into the slot of the female buckle to switch the buckle from the unlocked state to the buckled state, the driving part can be pushed by the male buckle and trigger the trigger part to close the control switch; when the insertion part of the male buckle is pulled out from the slot of the female buckle to switch the buckle from the buckled state to the unlocked state, the driving part can automatically return to its original position and disengage from the trigger part to open the control switch.

[0011] Further, the trigger part includes an elastic trigger button or an induction module.

[0012] Further, the driving part includes a reset spring piece located in the female buckle. When the buckle is switched from the unlocked state to the buckled state, the reset spring piece is pressed by the end of the insertion part of the male buckle and undergoes elastic deformation and movement.

[0013] Further, a through hole is provided at a position corresponding to the elastic trigger button inside the female buckle, and a trigger piece that can move along the through hole is arranged in the through hole. The trigger piece is located on the moving path of the reset spring piece, and the reset spring piece triggers the elastic trigger button through the trigger piece.

[0014] Further, the first end of the trigger piece abuts against the elastic trigger button, and the second end of the trigger piece is provided with an inclined surface and is used for abutting against the reset spring piece.

[0015] Further, the trigger piece is a U-shaped plate. The closed end of the U-shaped plate forms the first end of the trigger piece, and the open end of the U-shaped plate forms the second end of the trigger piece; and / or, the axial direction of the through hole is perpendicular to the insertion direction of the male buckle.

[0016] Further, two sliding locking blocks are arranged in the female buckle. The insertion part of the male buckle is adapted to pass through the two sliding locking blocks and be locked by the two sliding locking blocks; the two ends of the reset spring piece respectively abut against the opposite outer sides of the two sliding locking blocks to keep the two sliding locking blocks in the position of locking the male buckle; the middle part of the reset spring piece can be pressed by the end of the insertion part of the male buckle; the trigger piece is located on the moving path of the middle part of the reset spring piece.

[0017] Further, the driving member includes a sliding block located in the female buckle, and the sliding block is slidably engaged with a support structure inside the female buckle; the sliding block has a force-receiving portion and an actuating portion. When the insertion portion of the male buckle is inserted into the slot of the female buckle, the force-receiving portion is adapted to be pushed by the male buckle so that the sliding block moves from a first position to a second position; a first elastic element is disposed between the support structure and the sliding block, and the first elastic element is used to hold the sliding block in the first position when the insertion portion of the male buckle is pulled out from the female buckle; the triggering portion is located on the moving path of the actuating portion so as to be triggered by the actuating portion.

[0018] Further, a first groove facing the support structure is provided in the middle of the sliding block, the support structure has a limiting rib extending into the first groove, and the first elastic element is located in the first groove and clamped between the groove wall of the first groove and the limiting rib.

[0019] Further, the support structure is provided with a second groove, and both the actuating portion and the control switch extend into the second groove.

[0020] Further, the male buckle is provided with a pushing step, and the pushing step is adapted to abut against the force-receiving portion of the sliding block to push the sliding block.

[0021] Further, the female buckle is provided with an unlocking button, and the unlocking button can move between a locking position and an unlocking position; the unlocking button has a triggering rib extending into the interior of the female buckle, and the control switch has a triggering portion located in the female buckle; when the unlocking button moves from the unlocking position to the locking position, the triggering rib can trigger the triggering portion to close the control switch; when the unlocking button moves from the locking position to the unlocking position, the triggering rib disengages from the triggering portion to open the control switch.

[0022] Further, the triggering portion includes an elastic triggering button or a sensing module.

[0023] Further, the wireless signal includes the position information and / or locking information of the buckle.

[0024] On the other hand, the present invention provides a buckle monitoring system, which includes a terminal device and the above-mentioned buckle, and the terminal device is used to receive the wireless signal emitted by the wireless communication module.

[0025] Further, the terminal device includes a mobile terminal. When the distance between the mobile terminal and the buckle is not less than a preset distance and / or the signal strength of the wireless signal received by the mobile terminal is not greater than a threshold value, the terminal device emits a warning signal.

[0026] In another aspect, the present invention provides an infant carrier configured with the above-mentioned buckle.

[0027] The buckle provided by the present invention can be used in cooperation with a terminal device. The user carrying the terminal device can assist in judging whether the buckle is in a buckled state by whether the terminal device receives the wireless signal. Moreover, when the wireless signal received by the terminal device meets certain conditions, the terminal device can emit a warning signal to remind the user to pay attention, making the buckle particularly suitable for an infant carrier to avoid the situation where an infant restrained by the buckle is forgotten. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 A perspective view of the buckle according to the first embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown;

[0029] Figure 2 A perspective view of some components of the buckle according to the first embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown, wherein the insertion portion of the male buckle has been inserted in place in the female buckle, and the male buckle and the female buckle are in a buckled state;

[0030] Figure 3 Schematically shown Figure 2 A cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of some components of the buckle shown, wherein the insertion portion of the male buckle is in contact with the sliding locking block of the female buckle;

[0031] Figure 4 Schematically shown Figure 2 Another perspective view of some components of the buckle shown, wherein the insertion portion of the male buckle is in a position completely disengaged from the sliding locking block of the female buckle, and the male buckle and the female buckle are in an unlocked state;

[0032] Figure 5 Schematically shown Figure 3 A partial enlarged view;

[0033] Figure 6 A perspective view of the male buckle in the buckle according to the first embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown;

[0034] Figure 7 A perspective view of the circuit board of the buckle according to the first embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown;

[0035] Figure 8 A module diagram of the buckle according to some embodiments of the present invention is schematically shown;

[0036] Figure 9 A perspective view of the buckle according to the second embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown;

[0037] Figure 10 Schematically shown Figure 9Cross-sectional view taken along line B-B, where the male and female fasteners are in the latched state;

[0038] Figure 11 Schematically shows Figure 9 Cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of the female fastener in [reference], where the male fastener has been completely pulled out from the female fastener;

[0039] Figure 12 Schematically shows a perspective view of the male fastener in the fastener according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 13 Schematically shows a perspective view of the sliding block and the first elastic element in the fastener according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 14 Schematically shows a perspective view of the support structure in the fastener according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 15 Schematically shows a perspective view of the circuit board in the fastener according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 16 Schematically shows a perspective view of the fastener according to the third embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 17 Schematically shows Figure 16 Cross-sectional view taken along line C-C, where the unlocking button is in the locked position and the male and female fasteners are in the latched state;

[0045] Figure 18 Schematically shows Figure 16 Cross-sectional view taken along line C-C of the female fastener in [reference], where the unlocking button is in the unlocked position and the male fastener has been completely pulled out from the female fastener;

[0046] Figure 19 Schematically shows a perspective view of the unlocking button according to the third embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 20 Schematically shows a perspective view of the circuit board according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Detailed implementation manners

[0048] First embodiment

[0049] Figures 1 to 6Schematically shows the structure of the buckle provided according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The buckle includes a male buckle 1 and a female buckle 2. The male buckle 1 has an insertion portion 11, and the female buckle 2 has a slot 20. The insertion portion 11 of the male buckle 1 can be inserted into the female buckle 2 through the slot 20 to be fastened together with the female buckle 2. The female buckle 2 may have a release button 21. By pressing the release button 21, the male buckle 1 and the female buckle 2 can be unlocked. Therefore, the male buckle 1 and the female buckle 2 of the buckle have a fastened state and an unlocked state. It can be understood that the fastened state and the unlocked state of the male buckle 1 and the female buckle 2 respectively correspond to the fastened state and the unlocked state of the buckle.

[0050] Combined with reference to Figure 7 , the buckle further includes a control circuit 3. The control circuit 3 is disposed on the male buckle 1 and / or the female buckle 2, and the control circuit 3 includes a wireless communication module 31. When the male buckle 1 and the female buckle 2 are in the fastened state, the control circuit 3 controls the wireless communication module 31 to emit a wireless signal. After the wireless signal is emitted through a wireless transmission path or network, it is received by the terminal device 5. The wireless signal includes, for example, the locking information of the buckle and / or the position information of the buckle, etc. The terminal device 5 may be a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone, a smart watch, a smart bracelet, etc. In some embodiments, the wireless signal is, for example, a Bluetooth signal, a Wifi signal, etc., and the wireless transmission path or network may be a local area network such as Bluetooth transmission, WiFi, WAPI network, etc. Of course, the network may also be a mobile communication network such as 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, etc.

[0051] When the buckle of this embodiment is in the fastened state, the wireless communication module 31 emits a wireless signal to the terminal device 5. When the distance between the terminal device 5 and the buckle where the wireless communication module 31 is located is not less than a preset distance (for example, 5 meters), the signal strength of the wireless signal (such as a Bluetooth signal, a Wifi signal, etc.) received by the terminal device 5 becomes weak to a certain extent and is not greater than the threshold value. At this time, the terminal device 5 can emit a warning signal. The warning signal can inform the user carrying the terminal device 5 that the buckle is still in the fastened state in ways such as vibration warning, sound warning, text warning, flash screen warning, pattern warning, etc. This buckle is particularly suitable for use in child safety seats. In this way, when the driver of the vehicle locks the car and leaves without unlocking the buckle of the child safety seat, when the driver leaves the vehicle by a certain distance, the terminal device 5 carried by the driver will emit the above warning signal to remind the driver that the buckle of the child safety seat is not unlocked and there may be a child left in the vehicle. After receiving the warning signal, the driver can return in time and take the child out of the vehicle to avoid danger to the child. Of course, this buckle can also be applied to other products (such as baby strollers) to prevent children from being left in public places, residences and other areas due to the forgetfulness of caregivers or from being taken away by strangers and getting into danger.

[0052] It can be understood that when the buckle is in the buckled state, the wireless communication module 31 emits a wireless signal. In this way, the user carrying the terminal device 5 can assist in judging whether the buckle is in the buckled state by whether the terminal device 5 receives the wireless signal.

[0053] In some other embodiments, the wireless signal emitted by the wireless communication module 31 may include, for example, the position information of the buckle. In this way, when the terminal device 5 receives the wireless signal, by comparing the position information of the terminal device 5 with the position information of the buckle to obtain the approximate distance between the two, when the distance between the terminal device 5 and the buckle is not less than the preset distance, the terminal device 5 can emit the above warning signal.

[0054] See Figure 4 and Figure 6 , the buckle in this embodiment is, for example, the buckle of a child safety seat. The male buckle 1 may include a semi-male buckle portion 1a and a semi-male buckle portion 1b. The two semi-male buckle portions 1a and 1b have two seat belt through holes 1a1 and 1b1. Two seat belts (not shown in the figure) passing through the two seat belt through holes 1a1 and 1b1 are adapted to bind the shoulders of the infant. By pulling each seat belt to make the two semi-male buckle portions 1a and 1b approach each other, the two semi-male buckle portions 1a and 1b can be combined into a complete male buckle 1 to be buckled with the female buckle 2 to bind the infant in the child safety seat. See Figure 1 , in some embodiments, the female buckle 2 may include a first housing 2a and a second housing 2b. The first housing 2a and the second housing 2b are butted together and define the interior of the female buckle 2 and the slot 20. The unlocking button 21 is installed on the first housing 2a, for example. It can be understood that the buckle 1 can be any buckle including a male buckle 1 and a female buckle 2, and its application scope is not limited to the above-exemplified infant carrier.

[0055] In some embodiments, when the male buckle 1 and the female buckle 2 are in the buckled state, the control circuit 3 can control the wireless communication module 31 to emit a wireless signal. As described above, the wireless signal can be sent to the terminal device 5, for example. Usually, the user can judge whether the male buckle 1 is inserted in place according to the "click" sound after the male buckle 1 is inserted into the female buckle 2, or a display window 27 is provided on the female buckle 2 (see Figure 9 ). When the male buckle 1 is inserted in place, the user judges whether the male buckle 1 is inserted in place according to the color displayed by the display window 27 of the female buckle 2. Generally, when the male buckle 1 is inserted in place, the display window 27 displays green. For the buckle provided by the embodiment of the present invention, the user can also judge whether the male buckle 1 is inserted in place through the wireless signal received by the terminal device 5, realizing a double confirmation of whether the male buckle 1 and the female buckle 2 are in the buckled state.

[0056] See Figure 7, in some embodiments, the control circuit 3 can be integrated on the circuit board 300, which is, for example, a printed circuit board. Additionally, a power source 34 for powering the control circuit 3 can be installed on the circuit board 300, and the power source 34 is, for example, a button battery. In this embodiment, the circuit board 300 is installed inside the female buckle 2, but in other embodiments, the circuit board 300 can be installed on the male buckle 1, for example. Additionally, in some other embodiments, the control circuit 3 may not be composed of circuits integrated on a single circuit board, but rather, for example, jointly formed by circuits distributed in the male buckle 1 and the female buckle 2. As long as the control circuit 3 can control the wireless communication module 31 to emit a wireless signal after the fastener is switched to the buckled state.

[0057] Referring jointly to Figures 2 to 8 , in some embodiments, the control circuit 3 may further include a control switch 32. When the fastener switches between the buckled state and the unlocked state, it can cause the control switch 32 to switch between being closed (which can also be referred to as conducting) and being open. When the control switch 32 is closed, the control circuit 3 controls the wireless communication module 31 to emit a wireless signal.

[0058] The control switch 32 can be, for example, a mechanical contact switch or an inductive switch (such as a proximity switch), etc. The control switch 32 has, for example, a trigger portion 32a, and the trigger portion 32a is located in the female buckle 2 together with the circuit board 300. Depending on the type of the control switch 32, the trigger portion 32a can be an elastic trigger button 320 or an inductive module, etc. Here, taking the mechanical contact switch as an example, where its trigger portion 32a is the elastic trigger button 320 for illustration, when the fastener switches between the buckled state and the unlocked state, the elastic trigger button 320 of the control switch 32 moves between being pressed and automatically bouncing up in association with the insertion and extraction of the male buckle 1. When the fastener is in the buckled state, the elastic trigger button 320 is pressed, and the control switch 32 is closed. When the fastener is in the unlocked state, the elastic trigger button 320 automatically bounces up, and the control switch 32 is open.

[0059] See Figure 7 , in this embodiment, the elastic trigger button 320 can have an arc-shaped contact surface suitable for being pressed. When the arc-shaped contact surface is pressed, the elastic trigger button 320 is, for example, pressed in a pivoting manner to close the control switch 32. After the pressing force on the arc-shaped contact surface is released, the elastic trigger button 320 can automatically rotate back to open the control switch 32. It can be understood that the structure of the elastic trigger button 320 is not limited to that described in this embodiment. For example, in other embodiments, the elastic trigger button 320 can have a flat or inclined surface suitable for being pressed.

[0060] It can be understood that in other embodiments, when the triggering part 32a is an induction module, according to whether the induction module senses the object to be sensed, such as using pressure induction, light induction, magnetic induction, etc., the control circuit 3 controls the wireless communication module 31 to send or not send the above-mentioned wireless signal.

[0061] In some embodiments, the triggering of the triggering part 32a of the control switch 32 can be associated with the movement of a driving part provided in the female buckle 2, for example. The driving part is independent of the control switch 32, and the movement of the driving part is associated with the insertion and extraction of the male buckle 1. When the insertion part 11 of the male buckle 1 is inserted into the slot 20 of the female buckle 2 to switch the buckle from the unlocked state to the buckled state, the driving part can be pushed by the male buckle 1 to move, and the triggering part 32a is on the movement path of the driving part and can be triggered by the driving part to close the control switch 32. When the insertion part 11 of the male buckle 1 is pulled out from the slot 20 of the female buckle 2 to switch the buckle from the buckled state to the unlocked state, the driving part can automatically return to its original position and disengage from the triggering part 32a to open the control switch 32. In this embodiment, the driving part is used to trigger the triggering part 32a of the control switch 32, which allows the control switch 32 to be arranged at a suitable position in the female buckle 2 to meet the internal structure requirements of the female buckle 2.

[0062] There are many implementation manners of the driving part. For example, in this embodiment, the driving part includes a reset spring piece 201 located in the female buckle 2. The two ends 201a of the reset spring piece 201 respectively abut against the opposite outer sides of two sliding locking blocks 203 in the female buckle 2. The insertion part 11 of the male buckle 1 can pass through the two sliding locking blocks 203 and can be locked by the two sliding locking blocks 203. Specifically, during the process of inserting the insertion part 11 of the male buckle 1 into the female buckle 2, the insertion part 11 first pushes the two sliding locking blocks 203 to separate from each other against the elastic force of the reset spring piece 201. When the two clamping grooves 110 of the insertion part 11 correspond to the respective sliding locking blocks 203, the two ends 201a of the reset spring piece 201 push the two sliding locking blocks 203 to move towards each other and engage with the two clamping grooves 110, and the reset spring piece 201 holds the two sliding locking blocks 203 in the position of locking the male buckle 1.

[0063] During the process of the male buckle 1 and the female buckle 2 switching from the unlocked state to the buckled state, the middle part of the reset elastic piece 201 is pressed by the end part 111 of the insertion part 11 of the male buckle 1 to undergo elastic deformation and move, so that the middle part of the reset elastic piece 201 protrudes in the direction away from the male buckle 1. The buckle with the reset elastic piece 201 has been involved in the related art. Among them, when the unlocking button 21 is not subjected to the pressing force for unlocking the male buckle 1, its position on the female buckle 2 is maintained by a button spring (not shown in the figure). When the unlocking button 21 is subjected to the pressing force for unlocking the male buckle 1, it moves against the force of the button spring, and at the same time drives the two sliding locking blocks 203 to move away from each other, so that the insertion part 11 of the male buckle 1 can exit between the two sliding locking blocks 203. The specific structure of driving the two sliding locking blocks 203 to move away from each other by the unlocking button 21 to unlock the male buckle 1 and the female buckle 2 can refer to the related art and will not be elaborated here.

[0064] In some embodiments, the triggering part 32a (such as the elastic triggering button 320 or the sensing module) of the control switch 32 can be arranged on the moving path of the middle part of the reset elastic piece 202. Hereinafter, taking the elastic triggering button 320 as an example for illustration, when the male buckle 1 is inserted in place, after the middle part of the reset elastic piece 201 moves, it can directly press, for example, the arc-shaped contact surface of the elastic triggering button 320. The elastic triggering button 320 is pressed, and the control switch 32 is in the closed state. As described above, at this time, the control circuit 3 can control the wireless communication module 31 to send out a wireless signal. When the male buckle 1 and the female buckle 2 are unlocked, the reset elastic piece 201 is no longer pressed by the insertion part 11 of the male buckle 1 and automatically returns to its original position. After returning to its original position, the reset elastic piece 201, for example, no longer presses the elastic triggering button 320, and the elastic triggering button 320 automatically pops up and returns to its original position, and the control switch 32 can automatically return to the open state.

[0065] In this embodiment, the reset elastic piece 201 indirectly actuates the elastic triggering button 320 through the trigger 208. Refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5, a through hole 200 may be provided at a position inside the female buckle 2 corresponding to the elastic trigger button 320, and the axial direction of the through hole 200 may be substantially perpendicular to the insertion direction of the male buckle 1. A trigger member 208 that can move along the through hole 200 is provided in the through hole 200. The trigger member 208 is located on the moving path of the middle part of the reset elastic piece 201, and the reset elastic piece 201 triggers the elastic trigger button 320 through the trigger member 208. For example, the trigger member 208 may be a U-shaped plate, the closed end thereof serves as the first end and abuts against the elastic trigger button 320, and the open end thereof serves as the second end and is provided with an inclined surface 2081 for abutting against the reset elastic piece 201. When the middle part of the reset elastic piece 201 moves as the male buckle 1 is inserted, under the action of the inclined surface 2081, the trigger member 208 is pressed by the middle part of the reset elastic piece 201 towards the elastic trigger button 320 to close the control switch 32. When the male buckle 1 is pulled out from the female buckle 2, the reset elastic piece 201 automatically returns to its original position and no longer presses the trigger member 208. While the elastic trigger button 320 automatically returns to its original position, it pushes the trigger member 208 to return to its original position, and the control switch 32 is disconnected. It can be understood that in other embodiments, the second end of the trigger member 208 may not be provided with the inclined surface 2081, but an inclined surface for pushing the trigger member 208 to move may be provided on the reset elastic piece 201.

[0066] Second Embodiment

[0067] Figures 9 to 15 Schematically shows the structure of the buckle provided according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0068] Similar to the above first embodiment, this embodiment includes a male buckle 1 and a female buckle 2. The male buckle 1 has an insertion portion 11, and the female buckle 2 has a slot 20. The insertion portion 11 of the male buckle 1 can be inserted into the female buckle 2 through the slot 20 to be fastened to the female buckle 2. The female buckle 2 has a release button 21. By pressing the release button 21, the male buckle 1 and the female buckle 2 can be released. Therefore, the male buckle 1 and the female buckle 2 of the buckle have a fastened state and a released state. The control circuit 3 (see in conjunction with Figure 8 ) includes a control switch 32 and a wireless communication module 31. The control switch 32 has a trigger portion 32a located in the female buckle 2. A driving member is provided in the female buckle 2. The driving member can be pushed by the male buckle 1 when the male buckle 1 is inserted into the female buckle 2 and automatically return to its original position when the male buckle 1 is pulled out from the female buckle 2. The movement of the driving member can cause the driving member to trigger the trigger portion 32a of the control switch 32 to close the control switch 32, or can disengage from the trigger portion 32a of the control switch 32 to open the control switch 32. When the control switch 32 is closed, the control circuit 3 controls the wireless communication module 31 to send out the above-mentioned wireless signal, and the wireless signal is received by the terminal device 5 after being sent out through a wireless transmission path or network, for example.

[0069] The main difference between this embodiment and the above-mentioned first embodiment is that the driving member is formed by a sliding block 202 additionally provided in the female buckle 2. Among them, the sliding block 202 is slidably matched with the supporting structure 204 inside the female buckle 2. The sliding block 202 has a force-receiving portion 2021 and an actuating portion 2022. When the male buckle 1 and the female buckle 2 are in the unlocked state, the sliding block 202 is in the first position in the female buckle 2 ( Figure 11 ). When the insertion portion 11 of the male buckle 1 is inserted into the slot 20 of the female buckle 2 to be fastened to the female buckle 2, the force-receiving portion 2021 is adapted to be pushed by the male buckle 1 to translate the sliding block 202 from the first position to the second position ( Figure 10 ). A first elastic element 205 is provided between the supporting structure 204 and the sliding block 202, and the first elastic element 205 is used to hold the sliding block 202 in the first position. It can be understood that when the male buckle 1 is pulled out of the female buckle 2 to be unlocked from the female buckle 2, the sliding block 202 can automatically translate back to the first position under the action of the first elastic element 205.

[0070] With reference to Figure 10 、 Figure 11 、 Figure 13 and Figure 15 , taking the trigger portion 32a of the control switch 32 as an example of an elastic trigger button 320 for illustration, the elastic trigger button 320 is located on the moving path of the actuating portion 2022 so as to be triggered by the actuating portion 2022. In this way, when the male buckle 1 is inserted in place, the actuating portion 2022 moves to a position pressing, for example, the arc-shaped contact surface of the elastic trigger button 320 together with the sliding block 202, so that the control switch 32 is in the closed state. As described in the foregoing embodiment, at this time, the control circuit 3 can control the wireless communication module 31 to send out a wireless signal. When the male buckle 1 and the female buckle 2 are unlocked, the actuating portion 2022 automatically returns to its original position together with the sliding block 202 and no longer presses the elastic trigger button 320, and the elastic trigger button 320 automatically returns to its original position, and the control switch 32 automatically returns to the open state. At this time, the control circuit 3 controls the wireless communication module 31 not to send out the above-mentioned wireless signal.

[0071] It can be seen from Figure 12 that a pushing step 12 can be provided in the middle of the male buckle 1. Refer to Figure 10 , the pushing step 12 is adapted to abut against the force-receiving portion 2021 of the sliding block 202 to push the sliding block 202, so that the sliding block 202 can move from the first position to the second position.

[0072] Refer to Figure 13, in some embodiments, to make the structure of the female buckle 2 reasonable and compact, a first groove 2020 facing the support structure 204 may be provided in the middle of the sliding block 202. The support structure 204 has a limiting rib 2041 extending into the first groove 2020. The first elastic element 205 is located in the first groove 2020 and is clamped between the groove wall of the first groove 2020 and the limiting rib 2041. In addition, referring to Figure 14 , the support structure 204 may be provided with a second groove 2040. The actuating part 2022 and the control switch 32 both extend into the second groove 2040. The elastic trigger button 320 of the control switch 32 may be completely located in the second groove 2040.

[0073] Referring to Figure 15 , the control circuit 3 in this embodiment may be integrated on the circuit board 300 in the same way as the above first embodiment. The sliding block 202 may be clamped between the circuit board 300 and the support structure 204.

[0074] Third Embodiment

[0075] Figures 16 to 20 Schematically shows the structure of the buckle provided according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The buckle in this embodiment has similarities with the buckles provided in the above first and second embodiments. For example, the buckle includes a male buckle 1 and a female buckle 2. The male buckle 1 has an insertion part (not shown in the figure), and the female buckle 2 has a slot (not shown in the figure). The insertion part of the male buckle 1 can be inserted into the female buckle 2 through the slot to be buckled with the female buckle 2. The female buckle 2 has a release button 21. By pressing the release button 21, the male buckle 1 and the female buckle 2 can be released. Therefore, the male buckle 1 and the female buckle 2 of the buckle have a buckled state and a released state. The buckle includes a control circuit 3 (referring to Figure 8 ), the control circuit 3 includes a control switch 32 and a wireless communication module 31. When the male buckle 1 and the female buckle 2 switch between the buckled state and the released state, it can cause the control switch 32 to switch between closed and open. When the control switch 32 is closed, the control circuit 3 controls the wireless communication module 31 to send out the above wireless signal, and the wireless signal is received by the terminal device 5 after being sent out through, for example, a wireless transmission path or network.

[0076] In addition, in this embodiment, the unlocking button 21 has a locking position and an unlocking position relative to the female buckle 2. Among them, when the male buckle 1 and the female buckle 2 are in the buckled state, the unlocking button 21 is in the locking position. When the male buckle 1 and the female buckle 2 are in the unlocked state, the unlocking button 21 is in the unlocking position. Generally, when the male buckle 1 is inserted into the female buckle 2, the unlocking button 21 automatically moves from the unlocking position to the locking position as the male buckle 1 is inserted. When it is necessary to pull out the male buckle 1, a pressing force is applied to the unlocking button 21 to move the unlocking button 21 from the locking position to the unlocking position, and then the male buckle 1 is pulled out. Corresponding components (not shown in the figure) inside the female buckle 2 act to hold the unlocking button 21 in the unlocking position. The female buckle 2 having the unlocking button 21 as described above and the male buckle 1 cooperating with the female buckle 2 are involved in the related art and will not be elaborated here.

[0077] Referring to Figures 17 to 20 , and referring to Figure 8 In this embodiment, the unlocking button 21 has a trigger rib 211 extending into the interior of the female buckle 2, and the control switch 32 has a trigger portion 32a located in the female buckle 2. The movement of the trigger rib 211 can cause the trigger rib 211 to trigger the trigger portion 32a of the control switch 32 to close the control switch 32, or can cause the trigger rib 211 to disengage from the trigger portion 32a of the control switch 32 to open the control switch 32. The control circuit 3 controls the wireless communication module 31 to emit a wireless signal when the control switch 32 is closed.

[0078] Referring to Figure 20 As shown in, the control circuit 3 can be integrated on the circuit board 300, and the circuit board 300 can be located in the female buckle 2. Similarly to the above embodiment, the control switch 32 can be a mechanical contact switch or an inductive switch. According to the type of the control switch 32, the trigger portion 32a of the control switch 32 can be an elastic trigger button 320 or an inductive module, etc. When the control switch 32 is a mechanical contact switch, its trigger portion 32a can be an elastic trigger button 320, and the elastic trigger button 320 can be located on the movement path of the trigger rib 211 and can be triggered by the trigger rib 211.

[0079] In this way, when the male buckle 1 is inserted in place, the unlocking button 21 moves from the unlocking position to the locking position. The triggering rib 211 moves together with the unlocking button 21 and can directly press the elastic triggering button 320. The elastic triggering button 320 is triggered, for example, by being pressed in a pivoting manner. At this time, the control switch 32 is in a closed state, and the control circuit 3 controls the wireless communication module 31 to send out a wireless signal. When the unlocking button 21 is moved from the locking position to the unlocking position to unlock the male buckle 1 from the female buckle 2, the triggering rib 211 moves together with the unlocking button 21 and disengages, and no longer presses the elastic triggering button 320. The elastic triggering button 320 automatically returns to its original position, and the control switch 32 automatically returns to the open state. At this time, the wireless communication module 31 does not send out the above-mentioned wireless signal.

[0080] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a buckle monitoring system, which may include a terminal device 5 and any one of the foregoing buckles. The terminal device 5 is configured to receive the above-mentioned wireless signal sent by the wireless communication module 31, and a user can remotely monitor whether the buckle is in a buckled state.

[0081] As described in the foregoing first embodiment, the terminal device 5 may be, for example, a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone, a smart watch, or a smart bracelet. In addition, when the buckle is in a buckled state and the mobile terminal is away from the buckle, when the distance between the mobile terminal and the buckle is not less than a preset distance (for example, 5 meters), the signal strength of the wireless signal received by the terminal device 5 weakens to a certain extent and is not greater than a threshold value. At this time, the terminal device 5 can send out a warning signal. This buckle is particularly suitable for use in child safety seats and can prevent children from being left forgotten in a vehicle.

[0082] An embodiment of the present invention further provides an infant carrier, which may be configured with any one of the foregoing buckles. An infant carrier configured with this buckle is conducive to the caregiver of the infant remotely confirming the buckled state of the buckle, ensuring the riding safety of the infant, and can also prevent the situation where the infant is trapped in the infant carrier and left in a dangerous environment due to the caregiver's forgetfulness.

[0083] The technical features of the above-described embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. For the sake of brevity of description, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, it should be considered as the scope described in this specification.

[0084] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation manners of the present invention. The description thereof is relatively specific and detailed, but it should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the concept of the present invention, several modifications and improvements can still be made, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention patent shall be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. A buckle, characterized in that, it includes: a male buckle having an insertion part; a female buckle having a slot and a driving part; and a control circuit arranged in the female buckle, the control circuit including a control switch and a triggering part; when the insertion part of the male buckle is inserted into the slot of the female buckle to switch the buckle from the unlocked state to the buckled state, the driving part can be pushed by the insertion part to trigger the triggering part, so that the control switch is closed.

2. The buckle according to claim 1, characterized in that, the triggering part includes an elastic triggering button, a through hole is arranged at a position corresponding to the elastic triggering button inside the female buckle, a triggering piece that can move along the through hole is arranged in the through hole, the triggering piece is located on the action path of the driving part, and the driving part triggers the elastic triggering button through the triggering piece.

3. The buckle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the driving part includes a reset elastic piece. When the insertion part of the male buckle is inserted into the slot of the female buckle, the reset elastic piece is pressed by the end of the insertion part of the male buckle and elastically deformed to move and trigger the triggering part, so that the control switch is closed; when the insertion part of the male buckle is pulled out from the slot of the female buckle, the reset elastic piece can automatically return to its original position and disengage from the triggering part, so that the control switch is disconnected.

4. The buckle according to claim 3, characterized in that, the first end of the triggering piece abuts against the elastic triggering button, the second end of the triggering piece is provided with an inclined surface and is used for abutting against the reset elastic piece, the elastic triggering button has an arc-shaped contact surface. When the arc-shaped contact surface is pressed by the first end, the elastic triggering button pivots to close the control switch; when the pressing force on the arc-shaped contact surface is released, the elastic triggering button automatically rotates back to disconnect the control switch.

5. The buckle according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, two sliding locking blocks are arranged in the female buckle, and a pair of clamping grooves are arranged on the insertion part of the male buckle. When the insertion part is inserted into the slot, the clamping grooves can be clamped by the two sliding locking blocks; the two ends of the reset elastic piece respectively abut against the opposite outer sides of the two sliding locking blocks to be used for keeping the two sliding locking blocks in the position of locking the male buckle; the middle part of the reset elastic piece can be pressed by the end of the insertion part of the male buckle to elastically deform and move, and the triggering piece is located on the moving path of the middle part of the reset elastic piece.

6. The buckle according to claim 5, characterized in that, the female buckle further has an unlocking button; when the unlocking button is subjected to a pressing force, it moves and simultaneously drives the two sliding locking blocks to move away from each other, so that the insertion part withdraws from between the two sliding locking blocks.

7. The buckle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the male buckle is further provided with a pushing step, The driving member includes a sliding block located in the female buckle, and the sliding block is slidably engaged with a support structure inside the female buckle; the sliding block has a force-receiving portion and an actuating portion, and when the insertion portion of the male buckle is inserted into the slot of the female buckle, the force-receiving portion is adapted to be pushed by the pushing step so that the sliding block moves from a first position to a second position; A first elastic element is provided between the support structure and the sliding block, and the first elastic element is used to hold the sliding block in the first position when the insertion portion of the male buckle is pulled out from the female buckle; the triggering portion is located on the action path of the actuating portion so as to be triggered by the actuating portion.

8. The buckle according to claim 7, wherein, the support structure is provided with a second groove, and both the actuating portion and the control switch extend into the second groove.

9. The buckle according to claim 1, wherein, the control circuit further includes a wireless communication module; when the buckle is in the buckled state, the control circuit controls the wireless communication module to emit a wireless signal.

10. A buckle, wherein, comprises: a male buckle having an insertion portion; a female buckle having a slot; and a control circuit disposed inside the female buckle, the control circuit including a control switch and a triggering portion, wherein, the female buckle further has a release button that can move between a locked position and an unlocked position, the release button has a triggering rib extending into the interior of the female buckle, and the triggering portion is disposed on the movement path of the triggering rib; when the male buckle is not inserted into the female buckle, the release button is held in the unlocked position by the female buckle, and the triggering rib triggers the triggering portion to close the control switch; when the male buckle is inserted into the female buckle, the release button moves from the unlocked position to the locked position as the male buckle is inserted, and the triggering rib disengages from the triggering portion to open the control switch.

Images