Infant safety gate with remote latch activating mechanism

• US 6,711,857 B1
• Filed: 09/21/2000
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Evenflo Company Incorporated (Goodbaby International Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: Evenflo Company Incorporated (Goodbaby International Holdings Limited)
• Inventors: Wagnitz, Kurt P., McCutcheon, Patrick G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Strimbu, Gregory J.
• Application Number:
  US09/666,694
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• Field of Search: 49/25, 494/63, 494/65, 49/50, 49/55, 493/94, 292/341.15, 292/341.16
• US Class Current: 49/394
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0002 with electromagnets
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0004 said core being linearly movable
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0607 the detent moving pivotally or rotatively
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/0007 for gates for wire gates E06B11/021
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/0014 to prevent opening by children E05B13/00 takes precedence; child-proof container closures B65D50/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 3/24 in the form of a bifurcated member automatic catches with a bifurcated latch E05C19/024; locks with a bifurcated bolt E05B65/0046, E05B85/243
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/40 for gates
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/002 Safety guards or gates
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/04 of wing type, e.g. revolving or sliding trap doors; louvre doors or windows E06B7/08

Abstract

An infant gate including a remotely activated latch mechanism. The gate includes a gate member adapted to be pivotally mounted to a wall portion and is movable to a closed position to prevent an infant from passing therethrough. The latch movable is between a locked position, which prevents pivotable movement of the gate, and an unlocked position, which allows pivotable movement of the gate. The gate also includes an actuator for switching the latch to the unlocked position. The actuator is preferably mounted away from the gate member in a position generally inaccessible to an infant whose access is limited by the infant gate.

Claims

1. An infant safety gate comprising:

a gate member adapted to be pivotally mounted to a first generally vertical surface of a doorway opening such that said gate member is pivotable between an open position and a closed position to limit passage therethrough, said gate being sized such that said gate member spans a lower portion of said opening and does not span an upper portion of said opening;

a latch, at least part of said latch being located on said gate member or adapted to be located on a second generally vertical surface of said opening, said latch being actuatable between a locked position, wherein pivotable movement of said gate member is prevented, and an unlocked position wherein said pivotable movement of said gate member is permitted;

an actuator adapted to be mounted separately from said gate member for actuating said latch to said unlocked position, said actuator generating an infrared signal when activated, and wherein said latch includes a receiver for receiving said signal from said actuator and switching said latch to said unlocked position in response thereto, wherein said gate member is sized such that when said actuator is mounted adjacent to said doorway opening an operator can reach through said upper portion of said doorway opening to access and operate said actuator; and

wherein said actuator includes an infrared emitter connected in line with an actuator transistor, an actuator controller for controlling an operative state of the actuator transistor, and a switch connected to the actuator controller, wherein the actuator controller is operable, in response to closure of the switch, to control the operative state of the actuator transistor to generate said infrared signal, said infrared signal comprising a coded multi-bit digital signal, wherein a digital 1 is represented by a 0.5 ms modulated pulse followed by a 0.5 ms delay and a digital 0 is represented by a 1.0 ms delay.

2. The gate of claim 1 wherein said receiver comprises an infrared detector connected to an input of a receiver controller, the latch including a solenoid connected to a receiver transistor, wherein the receiver controller monitors a state of the infrared detector to verify that a digital sequence of said coded multi-bit signal produced by the actuator and received by said detector matches a predetermined digital sequence, wherein the receiver controller is operable, in response to such verification, to turn the receiver transistor on resulting in energization of the solenoid.

3. The gate of claim 2 wherein the receiver controller turns the receiver transistor on with a constant applied voltage for a first period of time and thereafter applies a PWM voltage to the receiver transistor for a second period of time.

4. An infant safety gate comprising:

a gate member adapted to be pivotally mounted to a first generally vertical surface of a doorway-sized opening such that said gate member is pivotable between an open position and a closed position to limit passage therethrough, said gate being sized such that said gate member spans a lower portion of said opening and does not span an upper portion of said opening;

a latch, at least part of said latch being located on said gate member or adapted to be located on a second generally vertical surface of said opening, said latch being actuatable between a locked position, wherein pivotable movement of said gate member is prevented, and an unlocked position wherein said pivotable movement of said gate member is permitted, said latch connecting said gate member to said second surface when in said locked position;

an actuator adapted to be mounted separately from said gate member for actuating said latch to said unlocked position, said actuator generating a signal when activated, and wherein said latch includes a receiver for receiving said signal from said actuator and switching said latch to said unlocked position in response thereto, wherein said gate member is sized such that when said actuator is mounted adjacent to said doorway opening an operator can reach through said upper portion of said doorway opening to access and operate said actuator;

wherein said latch further includes a pin mounted on one of said gate member or adapted to be mounted on said second surface, a cam mounted rotatably on the other of said gate member or adapted to be mounted on said second surface, said cam including a slot shaped to receive said pin therein, and a locking arm mounted on the other of said gate member or adapted to be mounted on said second surface with said locking arm being movable into and out of engagement with said cam such that when said pin is retained in said slot and said locking arm engages said cam, said gate member is latched in said closed position;

wherein said cam has a home position wherein said pin is fully received in said slot, said cam being rotatable out of said home position to disengage said pin from said cam when said arm is not in engagement with said cam;

wherein said cam further includes a notch shaped to receive said locking arm, whereby said locking arm is movable to engage said notch to block rotation of said cam, and said cam also includes a lobe which forms a guiding cam surface, and said locking arm is positioned to slide against said guiding cam surface as said cam rotates, thereby guiding said locking arm into said notch when said cam is rotated to said home position; and

wherein said arm is biased into engagement with said cam and rotation of said cam causes said lobe to cam against said arm, causing said arm to pivot into said notch when said cam approaches said home position.

5. An infant safety gate comprising:

a gate member adapted to be pivotally mounted to a first generally vertical surface of a doorway opening such that said gate member is pivotable between an open position and a closed position to limit passage therethrough, said gate being sized such that said gate member spans a lower portion of said opening and does not span an upper portion of said opening;

a latch, at least part of said latch being located on said gate member or adapted to be located on a second generally vertical surface of said opening, said latch being actuatable between a locked position, wherein pivotable movement of said gate member is prevented, and an unlocked position wherein said pivotable movement of said gate member is permitted, said latch connecting said gate member to said second surface when in said locked position;

an actuator adapted to be mounted separately from said gate member for actuating said latch to said unlocked position, said actuator generating a signal when activated, and wherein said latch includes a receiver for receiving said signal from said actuator and switching said latch to said unlocked position in response thereto, wherein said gate member is sized such that when said actuator is mounted adjacent to said doorway opening an operator can reach through said upper portion of said doorway opening to access and operate said actuator;

wherein said latch further includes a pin mounted on one of said gate member or adapted to be mounted on said second surface, a cam mounted rotatably on the other of said gate member or adapted to be mounted on said second surface, said cam including a slot shaped to receive said pin therein, and a locking arm mounted on the other of said gate member or adapted to be mounted on said second surface with said locking arm being movable into and out of engagement with said cam such that when said pin is retained in said slot and said locking arm engages said cam member, said gate member is latched in said closed position;

wherein said cam has a home position wherein said pin is fully received in said slot, said cam being rotatable out of said home position to disengage said pin from said cam when said arm is not in engagement with said cam;

wherein said cam further includes a notch shaped to receive said locking arm, whereby said locking arm is movable to engage said notch to block rotation of said cam; and

wherein said locking arm includes a pair of legs shaped to be received in said notch to selectively prevent rotation of said cam.

6. The gate of claim 5 further comprising a pin mounted with said locking arm and positioned between said legs to limit pivotal movement of said locking arm.

7. An infant gate comprising:

a gate member having an end pivotally mountable to a wall portion such that said gate member is pivotable between an open position and a closed position wherein an opposite end of said gate member is located adjacent an opposing wall portion;

a latch for selectively securing said opposite end of said gate member to said opposing wall portion, said latch including a pin mounted on said gate member or said opposing wall portion and a rotatable cam including a slot to receive said pin therein and mounted on the other of said gate member or said opposing wall portion, said cam being shaped to receive said pin therein and being rotatable in a cam plane, said latch including a locking arm that is movable in said cam plane into and out of engagement with said rotatable cam to selectively prevent rotation of said cam;

wherein said cam has a home position wherein said pin is fully received in said slot, said cam being rotatable out of said home position to disengage said pin from said cam when said arm is not in engagement with said cam;

wherein said cam further includes a notch shaped to receive said locking arm, whereby said locking arm is movable to engage said notch to block rotation of said cam;

wherein said cam includes a lobe which forms a guiding cam surface, and said locking arm is positioned to slide against said guiding cam surface as said cam rotates, thereby guiding said locking arm into said notch when said cam is rotated toward said home position; and

wherein said locking arm is pivotable, and wherein said arm is biased into engagement with said cam and rotation of said cam causes said lobe to cam against said arm, causing said arm to pivot into said notch when said cam approaches said home position.

8. The gate of claim 7 wherein said locking arm is mounted for reciprocating movement into and out of engagement with said cam.