Car-seat occupied baby-on-board indicator alarm

• US 7,123,157 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2004
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mark S. Best
• Original Assignee: Mark S. Best
• Inventors: Best, Mark S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US10/914,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20060033634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/686.1, 340/667, 340/666, 340/457, 200/85.A
• US Class Current: 340/666
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/26 for children B60N2/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms

Abstract

With an infant or child placed in a child'"'"'s car-seat in a motor vehicle, any rising of the driver from the driver'"'"'s seat after the control apparatus of the invention has been energized, provides an alarm to alert the driver of leaving the infant or child unattended in the vehicle.

Claims

1. A Baby-on-Board indicator alarm comprising:

a first weight-responsive electrical switch cooperative with a child'"'"'s car-seat to close in the presence of a weight of at least a first predetermined amount placed therein, and otherwise biased to be open;

a second weight-responsive electrical switch cooperative with a driver'"'"'s seat of a motor vehicle to open in the presence of a weight of at least a second predetermined amount placed therein, and otherwise biased to be closed; and

control apparatus within said motor vehicle including a first electrical input coupled to said second switch and a second electrical input coupled to a source of electrical power within said vehicle;

with said control apparatus also including a third electrical input coupled to said car-seat when inserted within said motor vehicle, and means coupled with said first, second and third electrical inputs for providing an alarm when said first and second weight-responsive electrical switches are closed in said vehicle.

2. The indicator alarm of claim 1 wherein said source of electrical power comprises a 12 volt outlet within said motor vehicle.

3. The indicator alarm of claim 1 wherein said source of electrical power includes a battery included within said control apparatus.

4. The indicator alarm of claim 1 wherein said means provides an audible alert when said first and second electrical switches are closed.

5. The indicator alarm of claim 1 wherein said control apparatus is incorporated within a housing adjacent to the driver'"'"'s seat of said motor vehicle.

6. An indicator alarm of claim 1 wherein each of said first and second weight-responsive electrical switches are included within individual ones of pads and mats respectively placed on a seat portion of each of said child'"'"'s car-seat and said driver'"'"'s seat within said motor vehicle.

7. The indicator alarm of claim 1 wherein each of said first and second weight-responsive electrical switches are included within cushion portions of each of said child'"'"'s car-seat and said driver'"'"'s seat within said motor vehicle.

8. The indicator alarm of claim 6 wherein said control apparatus is incorporated within a housing adjacent to the driver'"'"'s seat of said motor vehicle.

9. The indicator alarm of claim 8 wherein said first weight-responsive electrical switch cooperates with said child'"'"'s car-seat to close upon the placement therein of a weight at least as great as 5 pounds, and wherein said second weight-responsive electrical switch cooperates with said driver'"'"'s seat to open upon the placement of weight at least as great as 75 pounds when placed therein.