Ignition Button Alarm Device for Child Presence Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Children are frequently left unattended in parked vehicles, leading to dangerous and sometimes fatal heat exposure due to the rapid rise in interior temperatures, and existing solutions are either ineffective or too expensive, such as sophisticated child detection systems in car seats.
Innovation Solution
A low-cost, easily installable device that fits around the car's ignition button, producing an alarm sound when the vehicle is started or stopped, and includes a voice recorder attached to the seatbelt that reminds the driver to check for a child, using a combination of a frame-shaped base, lid, circuit, and accelerometer to trigger the alarm.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sophisticated child detection circuitry is installed in car seats, then child detection capability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the alarm function from the car seat itself and places it in the vehicle's existing ignition system. By utilizing the vehicle's power already present at the ignition button, the system eliminates the need for separate battery packs and complex power management circuits that would be required in a traditional car seat alarm.
Solution Approach 2:
The alarm device is designed to work with any vehicle ignition system regardless of make or model. The frame-shaped base with adjustable positioning and universal mounting mechanism allows the same device to be installed in different vehicle types, making it a universal solution rather than a vehicle-specific system.
2Reliability
If sophisticated child detection circuitry is installed in car seats, then child detection capability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the vehicle's own electrical system to power the alarm function. The ignition button's existing electrical circuitry serves the dual purpose of its normal function and as the power source for the child presence alarm, eliminating the need for separate power sources and reducing manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs simple, inexpensive components such as a basic alarm bell, a straightforward switch mechanism, and a frame-shaped base that can be easily manufactured. These simple components are much cheaper than sophisticated detection circuitry while still achieving the safety function.
3Ease of manufacture
If the alarm system is made simple and inexpensive, then ease of manufacture is improved, but detection precision may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The alarm function is merged with the vehicle's ignition system. By combining the child presence alarm with the existing ignition button operation, the system leverages the vehicle's own operational cycles (ignition on/off) to trigger the alarm, ensuring that the alarm is activated at the appropriate moments without requiring separate complex detection triggers.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively reminds drivers to check for children in the vehicle before leaving, reducing the risk of heat-related injuries and fatalities by providing a simple, inexpensive solution that is easy to install and use.
Implementation Method 1
an accelerometer affixed to the lid and so configured that motion of the lid triggers the alarm
Data Source
AI summary
A reminder device includes a frame-shaped base defining an opening and configured to be mounted over and around an operational button/handle located in a vehicle or in a home; a lid coupled to the frame-shaped base and configured to close over said frame-shaped base, covering said opening and blocking access to said operational button/handle; a circuit configured to product an audible message upon receiving a trigger signal, said circuit being located in at least one of said framed-shaped base and said lid; and a switch including a first component located on said frame-shaped base and a second component located on said lid and so configured that when said first component and second component are separated from each other by a predetermined distance, when the lid is opened, the switch causes the creation of said trigger signal and the production of said audible alarm.