Air bag-equipped child's vehicle seat and alarm/arming system therefor
First Claim
1. A child safety and restraint system, of a type adapted to be attached in a vehicle to a vehicle seat by fastening of a vehicular seat belt system thereto, and comprising:
- a seat structure;
an air bag system including an inflatable air bag stored in a collapsed state within said seat structure and adapted to expand in order to protect a child seated within said seat structure from injury upon sudden deceleration of the vehicle;
a first air bag arming device for arming said air bag system when a child is positioned in said seat structure and for disarming said air bag system when the child is removed therefrom; and
a second air bag arming device for arming said air bag system, said second air bag arming device cooperating with said vehicular seat belt system to arm said air bag system when said seat structure is attached in said vehicle.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A child'"'"'s seat for use in motor vehicles, including an air bag and activation circuitry. Sensors on the seat emit a first signal confirming that the air bag is armed and that the seat belt is properly connected. A second warning signal is produced when the child'"'"'s seat air bag is not properly functioning or if the child'"'"'s seat is not properly held in place by the vehicle'"'"'s seat belt system. Also disclosed is an air bag inflator including a pressure tank, a frangible membrane for sealing gas under pressure within the tank, and a pyrotechnic squib for rupturing the frangible membrane to deploy the air bag.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A child safety and restraint system, of a type adapted to be attached in a vehicle to a vehicle seat by fastening of a vehicular seat belt system thereto, and comprising:
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a seat structure; an air bag system including an inflatable air bag stored in a collapsed state within said seat structure and adapted to expand in order to protect a child seated within said seat structure from injury upon sudden deceleration of the vehicle; a first air bag arming device for arming said air bag system when a child is positioned in said seat structure and for disarming said air bag system when the child is removed therefrom; and a second air bag arming device for arming said air bag system, said second air bag arming device cooperating with said vehicular seat belt system to arm said air bag system when said seat structure is attached in said vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A child safety and restraint system, of a type adapted to be attached in a vehicle to a vehicle seat by fastening of a vehicular seat belt system thereto, and comprising:
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a seat structure; an air bag system including an inflatable air bag stored in a collapsed state within said seat structure and expandable in order to protect a child seated in said child seating means from injury upon sudden deceleration of the vehicle; an air bag arming device mounted to said seat structure positioned in sensing relation to the child positioned therewithin such that the air bag is armed .when the child is positioned in said child seating means and is disarmed when the child is removed therefrom, said air bag arming device being activatable by positioning the child in the seat structure; a seat belt sensing device for sensing that the seat belt system is in locking engagement, said seat belt sensing device being positioned in operative association with said seat structure on the seat belt system; and a device for emitting a status signal indicating that the air bag is armed and that the seat belt system is in locking engagement. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A child safety and restraint system of a type adapted to be attached in a vehicle to a vehicle seat by fastening a vehicular seat belt system thereto, and comprising:
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a seat structure; an air bag system including an inflatable air bag stored in a collapsed state within said seat structure and adapted to expand in order to protect a child seated within said child seating means from injury upon sudden deceleration; a first switch for arming said air bag positioned in sensing relation to a child positioned proximate thereto such that the first switch is closed and the air bag armed when a child is positioned within said seat structure and further wherein said first switch is open and the air bag disarmed when the child is removed from said child seating means; a second switch connected to said seat structure such that when the seat belt system is in contacting relation therewith a pressure is exerted on the second switch sufficient to close said second switch; and a device for emitting a status signal connected to said first switch and said second switch and adapted to receive the output signals therefrom and wherein a confirming signal is produced when said first switch and said second switch are closed and a warning signal is produced if either of said first switch and said second switch are not closed.
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15. An alarm system of a type adapted to be used in conjunction with a seat belt system in a vehicle, and comprising:
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means for sensing that the seat belt system is in locking engagement and in operative association with the seat belt system, said sensing means being adapted to emit a first signal confirming locking engagement of the seat belt system and a second warning signal upon unlocking disengagement of the seat belt system; whereby automatic notification of the status of the seat belt system will be transmitted upon a change in status of the seat belt system from the locked engaged state to the unlocked disengaged state. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A child safety and restraint system of a type adapted to be attached to a vehicle seat by fastening of a vehicular seat belt system thereto, and comprising:
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child seating means; seat belt sensing means for sensing that the seat belt system is in locking engagement and positioned in operative association with said child seating means and said seat belt system; and means for emitting a status signal such that a confirming signal is emitted when the seat belt system is in locking engagement and a second warning signal is emitted when the seat belt system is in an unlocked disengaged state. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A child safety and restraint system for use in a vehicle, said child safety and restraint system comprising:
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a seat structure; and an air bag system including an inflatable air bag stored in a collapsed state within said seat structure and an inflator connected to said inflatable air bag for inflating said inflatable air bag in order to protect a child seated within said seat structure in the event of a collision involving the vehicle; said inflator including a pressure tank having an outlet connected to said inflatable air bag and containing gas under pressure, at least one frangible membrane arranged for sealing the gas under pressure within said tank, and a controllable device positioned for rupturing said frangible membrane for inflating said inflatable air bag. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A child safety and restraint system for use in a vehicle, said system being adapted to be attached to a vehicle seat by fastening of a vehicular seat belt system thereto, said child safety and restraint system comprising:
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a seat structure; and an air bag system including an inflatable air bag stored in a collapsed state within said seat structure and an inflator connected to said inflatable air bag for inflating said inflatable air bag in order to protect a child seated within said seat structure in the event of a collision involving the vehicle; a child restraining harness; a harness switch activated when the child is secured within said harness; a connection for arming said air bag system when said harness switch is activated and for disarming said air bag system when said harness switch is deactivated; and at least one seat belt sensing switch in operative association with said seat structure and said vehicular seat belt system, said seat belt sensing switch being activated when the seat belt system is in locking engagement. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification