Child safety barrier with a locking device

• US 7,481,471 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2004
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Baby Dan A/S
• Original Assignee: Baby Dan A/S
• Inventors: Andersen, Jesper, Hicks, Robert James
• Primary Examiner(s): Engle; Patricia L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fulton; Kristina R
• Application Number:
  US10/571,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20070022666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,600 Days
• Field of Search: 292/251.5, 49 50- 57, 493/94
• US Class Current: 292/251.5
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0002 with electromagnets
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0046 Electric or magnetic means in the striker or on the frame; Operating or controlling the striker plate E05B47/0696, E05B63/248 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/026 the bolt moving rectilinearly
• 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 19/006 by displacement of the wing substantially in its own plane E05F7/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 19/163 a movable bolt being held in the striker by a permanent magnet
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/11 Magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5978 With switch

Abstract

A child safety barrier with a door secured in a U-shaped frame has a locking device which cannot be operated by children. The locking device has an activation unit which, when receiving a signal from a signal generator, releases the locking device so that the door may be opened or closed, which, in one embodiment, must take place within 2-4 seconds of the point of time when the signal generator is activated. The activation device may be formed by a mechanical activation mechanism, while the signal generator may be a push-button, an electric voltage or a remote control using a connection of the type IR, Bluetooth or the like. In a preferred embodiment, the activation device is connected with a push/pull rod whose one end is connected with a relay, while its other end is connected with a movable post extending inside a column in the U-shaped frame to which the door is secured. The invention provides a child safety barrier having a locking device where the locking device of the child safety barrier may be opened without using hands, feet and/or legs.

Claims

1. The child safety barrier which comprises:

a U-shaped frame which defines an opening between first and second vertical columns, and

a door which is pivotally connected to said U-shaped frame to open and close said opening, said door including a vertical post that, when the door closes said opening, is positioned adjacent said second vertical column, and mounts a locking pawl which is movable towards and away from the second vertical column,

said second vertical column defining a groove and containing a third column which is slidable therein, said third column mounting a lock housing which extends through said groove towards said opening and which includes a channel having an inclined wall and a magnet at a bottom thereof, the locking pawl being positionable within the channel by attraction of said magnet to lock the door in a closed position relative to the U-shaped frame,

a push-pull rod connected to said third column, and

an activation device connected to said push-pull rod to move said third column within said second column and said lock housing along said groove to move said locking pawl along said inclined wall and away from said magnet to unlock the door relative to the U-shaped frame after receiving a signal from a signal generator.

2. The child safety barrier according to claim 1, wherein the push/pull rod, over part of its length, is moved through holes in a housing having upper and lower surfaces, said holes being arranged in the upper and lower surfaces, and wherein a spring is mounted inside the housing whose one end abuts one of the surfaces, while an opposite end of the spring is secured to the push/pull rod so that the push/pull rod is affected by the force provided by the spring.

3. The child safety barrier according to claim 1, wherein the activation device comprises a relay.

4. The child safety barrier according to claim 1, wherein the activation device comprises a mechanical activation mechanism disposed behind a cover which cannot be opened by children.

5. The child safety barrier according to claim 1, wherein the signal generator comprises a push-button.

6. The child safety barrier according to claim 5, wherein the push-button is disposed close to the door, but inaccessible to children.

7. The child safety barrier according to claim 1, wherein the signal generator comprises an electric voltage.

8. The child safety barrier according to claim 1, wherein the signal generator comprises a transmitter which causes a receiver to release the locking pawl so that the door may be opened.

9. The child safety barrier according to claim 1, wherein the signal generator is provided wirelessly from a remote control.

10. The child safety barrier according to claim 1, wherein the door can be opened only after a time delay of 2-4 seconds after the activation device has received a signal from the signal generator.

11. The child safety barrier according to claim 1, wherein after activation of the activation device, the door can be opened only within 2-4 seconds.

12. The child safety barrier according to claim 1, wherein the door can be caused to assume a position in which it is closed only after a user has physically affected the door.

13. The child safety barrier according to claim 1, wherein the door can be closed only after a user has physically affected the door.