BABY GATE

• US 20100293861A1
• Filed: 04/22/2008
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Max Technology Capital Limited
• Original Assignee: Max Technology Capital Limited
• Inventors: Chan, Siu Hung, Tse, Yau Choi, Ting, Bernie
• Granted Patent: US 8,468,743 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 49/394
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0058 by batteries
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0012 with rotary electromotors actuators with rotary electromotors per se H02K7/06, H02K23/68
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/026 the bolt moving rectilinearly
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 63/0052 Locks mounted on the "frame" cooperating with means on the "wing" E05B47/0046, E05B65/0829, E05B65/0847, E05B65/0882 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/0014 to prevent opening by children E05B13/00 takes precedence; child-proof container closures B65D50/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/096 Sliding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0993 Gear
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1018 Gear

Abstract

A baby gate assembly which opens automatically only when detecting a designated person, by IR detection, RFID tagging or voice recognition. One or more IR detectors are mounted on a telescopic mast, enabling designation by height selection and the sensed signal compared with a datum or another IR facing in an opposite direct to provide signal operating reversible stepping motor to unlatch the gate. The control circuitry maintains the gate unlatched for sufficient time for the designated person to push open and walk through the gate in a hands free operation. A pedal release mechanism is also enabling unlatching during a power cut. The automatic and pedal unlatching mechanisms are linked for lost motion permitting independent operation.

Claims

1. A baby gate assembly comprising:

a barrier frame for bridging a passageway and defining a U-shaped gateway;

a gate mounted in the gateway for swinging movement between open and

closed positions, respectively, out of and into alignment with the frame,

cooperable latching means on the frame and gate releasably engagable to lock the gate in the closed position;

means on the frame for detecting the presence of a designated person adjacent the gate and for automatically disengaging the latching means to unlock the gate to permit the designated person detected to open the gate by hands free operation and to walk through the gateway and for automatically re-engaging the latching means to lock the gate when the designated person is no longer detected adjacent the gate;

and, a pedal mechanism operably connected to the latching means to disengage the latching means to permit the designated person to open the gate by hands free operation and to walk through the gateway when the designated person detecting means is inoperable.

2. The baby gate assembly according to claim 1 wherein the means for automatically disengaging the latching means may comprise a reversing stepping motor operated by signals received from the detection means.

3. The baby gate assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the gate is spring biased into the closed position and the automatic gate unlocking means retains the latching means in the disengaged position throughout detection of the person and for a predetermined period of time afterwards to provide sufficient time for the biasing means to return the gate into alignment with the frame so that the latching means are aligned for re-engagement, before returning the latching means to a re-engaged position.

4. The baby gate assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the pedal is spring biased in a latched position so that it cannot be depressed by an infant unaided

5. The baby gate assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the person is designated by minimum height so that the latching means will not be disengaged by the presence of an infant.

6. The baby gate assembly according to any one of claims 1-4 wherein the person is designated by one of a wireless transmitter and remotely detectable tag on the person'"'"'s body.

7. The baby gate assembly according to any one of claims 1-4 wherein the person is designated by their voice and a voice recognition system is connected to the automatically disengaging latching means and includes a memory circuit mounted on the gate and which can be trained to recognize a particular persons voice thereby to designate that person.

8. The baby gate assembly according to any one of claims 1-5 wherein the gate unlocking means comprises at least one infra-red detector positioned to detect and respond only to infra red from a source at a height corresponding to a body height of an adult, and not below such height.

9. The baby gate assembly according to claim 8 wherein said at least one infra red detector is mounted on a telescopic mast operable to permit the detection height to be adjusted as desired when the gate assembly is mounted in a passageway, to accommodate people of different height.

10. The baby gate assembly according to claim 8 or 9 wherein a detection angle extends from the horizontal plane up through a conical angle of 60 degrees and a detection distance for body temperature is approximately 0.5 meter.

11. The baby gate assembly according to any one of claims 8-10 wherein said at least one detector comprises two infra red detectors mounted facing in respective opposite directions on respective opposite sides of the gateway to detect the presence of adults adjacent either side of the gate.

12. The baby gate assembly according to claim 11 wherein an operational threshold is one of a predetermined value and a value derived from a comparison of infra red intensities received by respective detectors.

13. The baby gate assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the U-shaped gateway comprises opposite vertical gate posts joined by a transverse step, one side edge of the gate being pivotally mounted to one gate post and the latching means comprising catch means on an opposite, free side edge of the gate and a cooperating catch member mounted on the gate post for movement into and out from engagement with the catch means.

14. The baby gate assembly according to claim 13 wherein the catch member on the frame is linked for lost motion to both the automatic gate latch disengaging means and the pedal mechanism so that when either one of the automatic gate latch disengaging means and the pedal mechanism is operated to move the catch member to an unlocked position, another of the automatic gate latch disengaging means and the pedal mechanism is not moved with the catch member.

15. The baby gate assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the pedal mechanism comprises a pedal operatively connected to depress one end of a rocking lever and the catch member comprises a rod formed with an axially extending slot with a top blind end and mounted for vertical, axial sliding movement on the gate post and having a lower end aligned over an opposite end of the rocking lever, the automatic gate unlocking means having a horizontal spigot received in the slot at the top blind end and for vertical relative sliding movement, so that operation of the automatic gate unlocking mechanism raises the spigot and thereby the rod away from the lever to disengage the catch and unlock the gate without moving the pedal mechanism and, so that depression of the pedal rocks the lever to raise the rod to disengage the catch and unlock the gate, with relative vertical sliding movement of the spigot in the slot thereby obviating movement of the automatic unlocking mechanism.

16. The baby gate assembly according to claim 15 wherein, when the spigot is lowered to the latching position, the rod falls under gravity, lowering the catch member on the frame into latching engagement with the catch means on the gate.

17. The baby gate assembly according to claim 15 wherein, the motor means comprises a reciprocal stepping motor and the spigot is carried by a rack gear plate linked to the motor for vertical reciprocation between upper and lower position actuating detecting microswitches.

18. The baby gate assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein, the frame has wall mounting means for width adjustment of the frame, comprising threaded rods threadingly mounted on the frame to extend longitudinally from opposite sides so as to be axially extensible by manual rotation to bring respective fee ends into jamming engagement with opposite walls of a passageway thereby mount the baby gate assembly in passageways of different widths, doorways or between a wall and stair posts.

19. The baby gate assembly according to claim 18 wherein locking thumbwheels are operatively mounted on the threaded rods to prevent accidental rotation of the threaded rods locking them in a selected axial position ensuring reliable retention of the bay gate assembly in position.

20. The baby gate assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the gate comprises a metal frame with a cover of soft fabric removable for replacement when worn and for cleaning.