Device for observing infant in rear seat

• US 5,285,321 A
• Filed: 01/27/1992
• Issued: 02/08/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: BRICA Incorporated (Munchkin Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Patricia Nolan-Brown
• Inventors: Nolan-Brown, Patricia
• Primary Examiner(s): Arnold, Bruce Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAFER, RICKY D
• Application Number:
  US07/826,104
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 359/844, 359/857, 359/870, 359/871, 359/872, 248/466, 248/467, 248/475.1, 248/476
• US Class Current: 359/857
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/008 allowing the driver to see passengers, e.g. for busses combined with rear-view mirrors B60R1/08

Abstract

A non-glass reflective surface is mounted near the top of the rear seat of a motor vehicle in such a way that the driver of the vehicle, by looking in the rear view mirror, can observe an infant in a safety seat wherein the infant is positioned facing the rear of the vehicle. This mirror is attached to the rear seat my means of a large safety pin and is further secured by means of strips of Velcro.

Claims

1. A device for observing an infant in a rear facing safety seat located in the rear seat of a motor vehicle using the rear view mirror of said vehicle comprising:

a generally rectangular, planar shaped mirror made out of a rigid, light weight material, and having a non-glass reflective coating on one of its planar sides and a non-reflecting surface on the obverse side, said mirror being adapted to being attached to the rear back seat of said vehicle;

a generally wedge-shaped holding element having a V-shaped cross-section centrally attached to said mirror'"'"'s non-reflective planar side along the mirror'"'"'s horizontal axis near to the mirror'"'"'s bottom edge, said holding element having two principle components meeting and joining at a sharply acute angle each having uneven vertical lengths, each of said components having two faces, one defined as interior, and the other exterior, said exterior face of the vertically shorter of the two components being attached to the non-reflective side of the mirror, and the vertically longer of the two components extending freely upward away from the mirror'"'"'s non-reflective side;

means for attaching said device to the rear back seat of said vehicle; and

means for adjusting the positioning of said device so that it reflects the image of the infant from said car safety seat to said rear view mirror.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein:

said vertically longer component having a horizontal slot formed in its approximate center.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein the means for attaching said device tot he rear back seat comprises:

a hook and pile fastener comprised of two sections, one section of which is fixedly attached to the exterior face of said vertically longer component, and said second section having an adhesive backing is attached to said rear back seat.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the means for adjusting the positioning of said device comprises:

a strap with two ends inserted through said slot, one end of said strap being formed into a loop and attached to a central bar of a conventional three-bar buckle, and the other end of said being threaded through said buckle and extending vertically past said buckle.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein said strap further comprises:

a safety pin attached to the other end of said strap, whereby said safety pin is attached to said rear back seat.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein:

the corners of the mirror are rounded.