Rear-facing child seat mirror device

• US 6,491,403 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2000
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Derek A. Edgar
• Original Assignee: Derek A. Edgar
• Inventors: Edgar, Derek A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Mark A.
• Application Number:
  US09/566,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20020036846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 359/844, 359/857, 359/860, 359/862, 359/863, 359/865, 359/871, 359/872, 359/881, 297/185
• US Class Current: 359/872
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/008 allowing the driver to see passengers, e.g. for busses combined with rear-view mirrors B60R1/08

Abstract

An assembly for observing an infant in a rear facing child safety seat located on a rear seat of a motor vehicle which includes a mirror and a mirror support arm. The mirror support arm includes a base or lower portion that is configured to be coupled to a child seat or otherwise held in position thereby. An upper portion of the mirror support arm includes a portion that is configured to secure the mirror thereto in an adjustable manner, so that the mirror can be aligned to provide a person sitting in a front seat of the motor vehicle with a line of sight to the infant which line of sight that is directed off the mirror and a rear view mirror that is provided in the front portion of the motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A visual monitoring assembly disposed in a vehicle to enable an observer in a front portion of the vehicle to visually observe an infant located in a child safety seat that is positioned on a rear seat if the vehicle, the visual monitoring assembly comprising:

a mirror support arm having an upper portion for supporting a mirror and a lower portion that is configured to be held in position by contact with a lower portion of the child safety seat, the lower portion of the mirror support arm comprising a base that is configured to be positioned between a bottom of the child safety seat and an upper portion of the rear seat, the entire base being substantially planar and having upper and lower surfaces that are substantially parallel to one another, and the upper portion of the mirror support arm extending upward from the upper a surface of the base;

a mirror that is supported by the upper portion of the mirror support arm,

the mirror support arm and the mirror being positionable so as to provide a line of sight from the observer to the infant which line of sight is directed off the mirror and a rear view mirror that is provided in the front portion of the vehicle.

2. A visual monitoring assembly according to claim 1, wherein the rear seat has a backrest and the mirror support arm is contoured to a shape of backrest.

3. A visual monitoring assembly according to claim 1, wherein the mirror is pivotally coupled to the upper portion of the mirror support arm.

4. A visual monitoring assembly according to claim 1, wherein the upper portion of the mirror support arm is configured to support the mirror thereon at different positions.

5. A visual monitoring assembly according to claim 4, wherein the upper portion of the mirror support arm is provided with a slot and the mirror is coupled to the mirror support arm by a coupling element that can slide within the slot.

6. A visual monitoring assembly according to claim 5, further including a threaded knob that can be tightened to secure the coupling element and the mirror in a fixed location on the mirror support arm.

7. A visual monitoring assembly according to claim 5, wherein the coupling element includes a projection on one end thereof and the upper portion of the mirror support arm is further provided with recesses along the slot into which recesses the projection of the coupling element can be received.

8. A visual monitoring assembly according to claim 1, wherein the mirror is selected from the group consisting of mirrored glass element, a mirrored plastic element, a reflective foil element and a reflective foil laminated structure.

9. A visual monitoring assembly according to claim 1, wherein the base of the mirror is configured to have a surface area which is smaller than a surface area of the bottom of the child safety seat.

10. A visual monitoring assembly according to claim 9, wherein the base of the mirror has a discontinuous surface area.

11. An assembly for observing an infant in rear facing child safety seat located in a rear seat of a motor vehicle having a rear view mirror, said assembly comprising:

a substantially L-shaped support arm having an upper portion that extends from a base that is sized to be held in position on a rear seat of the motor vehicle by securing the child safety seat thereon, the entire base being substantially planar and having upper and lower surfaces that are substantially parallel to one another, and the upper portion of the support arm extending upward from the upper surface of the base; and

a mirror that is supported by the upper portion of the support arm,

the support arm and the mirror being positionable so as to provide a line of sight that is directed off the rear view mirror and the mirror supported by the upper portion of the support arm.

12. An assembly for observing an infant in a rear facing child safety seat located in a rear seat of a motor vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the rear seat has a backrest and the support arm is contoured to a shape of backrest.

13. An assembly for observing an infant in a rear facing child safety seat located in a rear seat of a motor vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the mirror is pivotally coupled to the upper portion of the support arm.

14. An assembly for observing an infant in a rear facing child safety seat located in a rear of a motor vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the upper portion of the support arm is provided with a slot and the mirror is coupled to the support arm by a coupling element that can slid within the slot.

15. An assembly for observing an infant in a rear facing child safety seat located in a rear seat of a motor vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the coupling element includes a projection on one end thereof and the upper portion of the support arm is further provided with recesses along the slot into which recesses the projection of the coupling element can be received.

16. An assembly for observing an infant in a rear facing child safety seat located in a rear seat of a motor vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the projection is cylindrically shaped.

17. A method of observing an infant in a rear facing child safety seat located in a rear seat of a motor vehicle having a rear view mirror, said method comprising:

providing a support arm having an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion of the mirror support arm comprising a base that is configured to be positioned between a bottom of the child safety seat and an upper portion of the rear seat, the entire base being substantially planar and having upper and lower surfaces that are substantially parallel to one another, and the upper portion of the mirror support and extending upward from the upper surface of the base;

holding the support arm in a location is the rear seat of the motor vehicle by contact with a lower portion of the child safety seat;

supporting a mirror on the upper portion of the support arm;

positioning the mirror so as to provide a line of sight that is directed off the rear view mirror and the mirror supported by the upper portion of the support arm; and

looking into the rear view mirror along the line of sight to observe the infant.

18. A method of observing an infant in a rear facing child safety seat located in a rear seat of a motor vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the step of positioning the mirror comprises positioning a height of the mirror relative to the support arm.

19. A method of observing an infant in a rear facing child safety seat located in a rear seat of a motor vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the step of positioning the mirror comprises adjusting an angle of the mirror relative to the support arm.

20. A method of observing an infant in a rear facing child safety seat located in a rear seat of a motor vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the step of positioning the mirror comprises swiveling the mirror relative to the support arm.

21. A method of observing an infant in a rear facing child safety seat located in a rear seat of a motor vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the lower portion of the support arm includes a base and the support arm is held in the location by securing the child safety seat onto the base thereof.