JP7165038B2 - Support leg for child seat - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a support leg for a child seat with an installation warning that can issue an alarm when the support leg for the child seat is installed to confirm correct installation.

25 and 26 are explanatory diagrams of the child seat. A child seat 1 is composed of a base 2 and a seat 3 detachable from the base 2 (the base 2 and the seat 3 may be integrated). The base 2 is fixed to the vehicle seat by attaching an arm 4 provided at the rear to a metal fitting of ISO-FIX structure and extending a support leg 5 at the front toward the floor of the vehicle seat. The form of the support leg 5 consists of a main body 7 and a support portion 8 that supports the main body 7. The support portion 8 is pivotally supported near the center of the bottom surface of the base 2 and rotates around the axis (see FIG. 25). ), and an I-type specification in which the upper end of the main body 7 is pivotally supported in front of the bottom surface of the base 2 and rotates around the axis (see FIG. 26).
The support leg 5 can prevent the child seat 1 from falling forward in the event of a vehicle collision or the like (disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example).
When the base 2 is attached, if the child seat is used without sufficient engagement between the arm 4 and the metal fittings and the contact between the lower end of the support leg 5 and the vehicle seat floor surface, the original safety performance cannot be sufficiently ensured, resulting in a serious accident. may lead to For this reason, there have conventionally been various child seats equipped with an alarm device to assist the user in installing the seat and to prompt the user to wear the seat properly.

The first child seat has a switch that recognizes the attachment of the arms and support legs, and continues to generate an alarm during attachment work until the user attaches them correctly.
The second child seat has a grounding switch attached to the tip of the support leg and continues to generate an alarm until it contacts the floor surface of the vehicle seat during installation.
However, in the case of the first child car seat, since the plurality of switches, the alarm, and the control unit for controlling them are electrically connected by wire, the wiring becomes long, the device configuration becomes complicated, and the cost increases. was there.
In the case of the second child seat, the cap is used to prevent the alarm from sounding when the support leg is retracted. If you forget it, there is a problem that the alarm function will not work and safety will be impaired.

JP 2016-78543 A

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a support leg for a child seat that can recognize that the support leg has started to be attached and prevent the user from attaching it incorrectly. be.

As a first means for solving the above problems, the present invention provides a child seat support leg that contacts the vehicle seat floor surface from the front of the base and fixes the child seat to the vehicle seat,
The child seat support leg has a support body and a cover that covers the support body, and is between a support position in contact with the floor surface of the vehicle seat below the front of the base and a retracted position along the bottom surface of the base. is rotatably supported by the base;
a separation switch that is turned off when the cover is in the retracted position and emits an on signal when the cover is between the retracted position and the supporting position;
a grounding switch for recognizing that the tip of the child seat support leg has come into contact with the floor of the vehicle seat;
a control unit that is electrically connected to the separation switch and the ground switch and generates an alarm based on an ON signal of the separation switch and a signal that the ground switch is separated from the floor surface;
To provide a support leg for a child seat characterized by having
According to the first means, it is possible to reliably recognize that the starting point of the support leg attachment or detachment work, particularly the support body has left (moved) from the storage position, and generate an alarm. When the cover is in the retracted position, the separation switch is turned off. As a result, in the case of the I-type specification, regardless of the forward/backward position of the support body supported by the cover, in the case of the L-type specification, regardless of the forward/backward position of the cover, the separation switch is turned off to stop the alarm sound. can.

The present invention, as a second means for solving the above problems, in the first means,
The control unit
When the child seat support leg moves from the storage position to the support position, the ground switch recognizes contact with the floor surface of the vehicle seat after generating an alarm in response to an ON signal of the separation switch. To provide a support leg for a child seat characterized by receiving a signal to stop the alarm.
According to the second means, the alarm can be continuously generated during the work from the start to the end of the support leg mounting work, and the user can surely recognize that the support leg has been properly mounted.

As a third means for solving the above problems, the present invention provides, in the second means, an ON signal of the separation switch and the vehicle seat floor surface between the separation switch and the control unit. The object of the present invention is to provide a support leg for a child seat, characterized by comprising a switch section for turning off the power supply upon receiving a signal from the ground switch for recognizing the above.
According to the third means, it is possible to avoid battery consumption during standby, such as until power is supplied to the control unit, thereby extending the life of the battery.

As a fourth means for solving the above problems, the present invention provides, in the third means, the separation switch, the grounding switch, the control section, the switch section, a buzzer, and To provide a support leg for a child seat characterized by having a battery.
According to the fourth means, each component can be integrated into the support body, and the entire configuration can be made compact. It can be replaced with an existing support leg of the same shape, increasing the safety when installing the support leg of the installed child seat.

The present invention is a fifth means for solving the above problems, in any one of the first to fourth means, wherein the control section receives an ON signal from the ground switch and a predetermined time elapses. To provide a support leg for a child seat characterized by stopping the alarm later.
According to the fifth means, it is possible to prevent the alarm from being stopped in a state in which the grounding switch is incompletely grounded during the work of attaching the support leg. In addition, it is possible to recognize a state in which the grounding switch is stably and reliably grounded on the floor of the vehicle seat.

According to the present invention, the start of child seat installation work (the support leg has moved away from the storage position on the bottom surface of the base) is recognized, and an alarm continues to be generated until the work is completed to notify the user that the child seat has been installed correctly. It can be recognized and can be prevented from being used in an erroneous mounting method. In addition, the alarm sound can be stopped when the support leg is in the retracted position regardless of the forward/backward position of the cover (in the case of the L-type specification) or the support body (in the case of the I-type specification).

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of an L-shaped support leg; FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a support leg; Fig. 1 is an explanatory drawing 1 for attaching an L-shaped support leg; 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the support body of FIG. 3; FIG. Fig. 2 is an explanatory drawing 2 for attaching the L-shaped support leg; FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of the support body of FIG. 5; Fig. 3 is an explanatory drawing 3 for attaching the L-shaped support leg; Fig. 4 is an explanatory drawing 4 for attaching the L-shaped support leg; FIG. 9 is a side sectional view of the support body of FIG. 8; Fig. 10 is a work flow diagram for attaching the support leg; FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram 1 of a separation switch of Modification 1; FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram 2 of the separation switch of Modification 1; FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram 1 of a separation switch of Modification 2; FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram 2 of a separation switch of Modification 2; FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram 1 of a ground switch of a modified example; FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram 2 of a ground switch of a modified example; Fig. 10 is a perspective view of an I-shaped support leg; Fig. 1 is an explanatory drawing 1 for attaching an I-shaped support leg; FIG. 19 is a side sectional view of the support body of FIG. 18; Fig. 2 is an explanatory drawing 2 for attaching the I-shaped support leg; 21 is a side cross-sectional view of the support body of FIG. 20; FIG. Fig. 3 is an explanatory drawing 3 for attaching the I-shaped support leg; Fig. 4 is an explanatory drawing 4 for attaching the I-shaped support leg; 24 is a side cross-sectional view of the support body of FIG. 23; FIG. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram 1 of a child seat; FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram 2 of the child seat;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of a child seat support leg (hereinafter simply referred to as a support leg) of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The support leg of the present invention is applicable to both L-type and I-type specifications.

[L-shaped support leg 10]
1 is a perspective view of an L-shaped support leg; FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a support leg. FIG. 3 is an explanatory drawing 1 for attaching the L-shaped support leg. 4 is a side sectional view of the support body of FIG. 3. FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory drawing 2 for attaching the L-shaped support leg. 6 is a side sectional view of the support body of FIG. 5. FIG. FIG. 7 is an explanatory drawing 3 for attaching the L-shaped support leg. FIG. 8 is an explanatory drawing 4 for attaching the L-shaped support leg. 9 is a side sectional view of the support body of FIG. 8. FIG.

The support leg 10 has a support body 12 and a cover 14 that covers the support body 12. - 特許庁In the case of the L-shaped support leg shown in FIG. 1, it has an L-shaped support portion 16, and one end of the L-shaped support portion 16 slides the cover 14 (together with the support body 12) (along the longitudinal direction of the cover). The other end is pivotally supported near the center of the bottom surface of the base 2 .
The support body 12 includes a separation switch 20, a ground switch 30, a switch section 40, a control section 50, a buzzer 60 that generates an alarm by sound and/or light emission, and a battery 70 that supplies power to each component. Built-in (see Fig. 2). The buzzer 60 can generate a plurality of alarm sounds including a normal alarm sound during installation or removal work and a completion alarm sound when the installation work is completed.

The separation switch 20 is a switch that turns OFF when the cover 14 is in the retracted position, and emits an ON signal when the cover 14 is between the retracted position and the supporting position (and at the supporting position). is a switch for recognizing that it is away from the retracted position, and in this embodiment, a tilt switch is used as an example. As shown in FIGS. 4, 6 and 9, the tilt switch has a conductive (metallic) ball 22 inside a casing 21 and a pair of terminals 23 separated from each other by a predetermined distance. Then, when the support body 12 rotates, the ball 22 moves freely in the casing 21, and when the ball 22 is fitted between the pair of terminals 23, the battery 70 becomes conductive, and the switch section 40, etc., to be described later. can supply power to The separation switch 20 is attached to the support body 12 so that the ball 22 is separated from between the terminals 23 when it is in the retracted position (see FIG. 4). 6 and 9). The separation switch 20 is electrically connected to the battery 70, the switch section 40, and the ground switch 30, and power is supplied to the switch section 40 and the ground switch 30 when the separation switch 20 is ON. On the other hand, when the separation switch 20 is OFF, the battery 70 is disconnected and no standby current is generated.

The grounding switch 30 is provided on the bottom surface of the support body 12 and is a switch capable of recognizing that the support body 12 has grounded to the floor surface of the vehicle seat. The grounding switch 30 is composed of a switch body 32 and a grounding piece 33. The switch body 32 is attached inside the support body 12, and the grounding piece 33 extends from the lower surface of the support body 12 (the bottom surface facing the floor surface of the vehicle seat) to the vehicle seat. It is pivotally supported by the support body 12 while being biased so as to protrude toward the floor surface (see FIG. 6). When the grounding piece 33 comes into contact with the floor surface of the vehicle seat, it is pushed back toward the main body, and the switch main body 32 is contacted to recognize the installed state (see FIG. 9). The ground switch 30 receives power supply from the battery 70 when the separation switch 20 is turned ON (conduction). When the support body 12 lands on the floor surface of the vehicle seat, a landing signal can be transmitted to the controller 50, which will be described later. It should be noted that the state is in a separated state until a landing signal is generated, and the control unit 50 determines that the state is in a separated state (signal).
In addition, a display window 13 is provided on the lower end side of the support body 12, and a mark of the grounding piece 33 is provided at a location facing the display window 13 when the grounding piece 33 is pushed back toward the main body (Fig. 1). As a result, when the grounding piece 33 is pushed back toward the main body, a mark is displayed on the display window 13 so that the user can visually confirm that the grounding piece 33 has been installed.

The switch unit 40 receives power supply from the separation switch 20 when the separation switch 20 is ON (conductive) and the ground switch 30 is separated, and serves as a trigger for supplying power to the control unit 50, which will be described later. is.
The control unit 50 electrically connects the switch unit 40, the grounding switch 30, and the buzzer 60, generates and stops the alarm of the buzzer 60, and after the support body 12 is grounded to the floor surface of the vehicle seat, ends power supply maintenance. are controlling. When the ON signal from the switch section 40 is received, in other words, when the support body 12 moves away from the storage position, the control section 50 enters a power supply holding state. Along with this, an alarm is generated from the buzzer 60 . Further, the control unit 50 transmits a dummy signal to the switch unit 40 indicating that the grounding switch 30 is in a separated state (a state in which the grounding piece 33 protrudes). After recognizing the landing signal from the ground switch 30 and after a predetermined time (for example, several seconds) has passed, the buzzer 60 generates a completion alarm sound and then stops.

The operation of attaching the support leg of the present invention having the above configuration will be described below.
FIG. 10 is a work flow diagram for attaching the support leg.
When the child seat is attached to the vehicle seat, the support body 12 is in the stowed position shown in FIGS. The ball 22 in the casing 21 of the separation switch 20 is located away from the pair of terminals 23, and the low current is maintained during standby with the battery 70 disconnected.
The support body 12 is rotated 180 degrees and placed in front of the base 2 (see FIGS. 5 and 6). In the separation switch 20, the ball 22 in the casing 21 is fitted between the pair of terminals 23 to bring the battery 70 into conduction (step 1). Since the earthing switch 30 is not in contact with the vehicle seat floor, the earthing switch 30 is in a separated state (step 2). An ON signal of the separation switch 20 is sent to the switch section 40 (ground switch 30 is in a separated state), and an ON signal of the switch section 40 is sent to the control section 50 (power supply) (step 3). Upon receiving the ON signal, the control unit 50 enters a power holding state. In addition, the control unit 50 generates an alarm from the buzzer 60 and enters the monitoring state of the ground switch 30 . Also, a dummy signal indicating that the ground switch 30 is released is transmitted to the switch section 40 (step 4).
The user places the child seat on the vehicle seat while the alarm is being generated (see FIG. 7). Specifically, the arm 4 provided behind the base 2 is attached to the metal fitting of the ISO-FIX structure of the vehicle seat. At this time, the lower end of the support body 12 supported by the L-shaped support portion 16 is above the floor surface of the vehicle seat.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the support body 12 is slid from the L-shaped support portion 16 together with the cover 14 toward the floor surface of the vehicle seat below. When the grounding piece 33 of the grounding switch 30 at the lower end of the support body 12 contacts the floor surface of the vehicle seat, it can be recognized that it is pushed back to the body side and touches the switch body 32 to land.
The control unit 50 receives the landing signal from the ground switch 30, and after a predetermined period of time has elapsed (step 5), the buzzer 60 emits a completion alarm sound and then stops the alarm (step 6). The dummy signal to the switch section 40 is stopped. As a result, the switch section 40 is turned off (step 7). As a result, power consumption during standby can be avoided to prolong the life of the battery, in other words, to save energy.
The support leg is removed by removing the arm 4 provided behind the base 2 from the metal fitting of the ISO-FIX structure of the vehicle seat. As a result, the grounding piece 33 of the grounding switch 30 is separated from the vehicle seat floor and the switch body 32 . Also, the separation switch 20 remains in the ON state (the same state as in step 2). A signal that the ground switch 30 is released is sent to the switch section 40, an ON signal of the switch section 40 is sent to the control section 50, and the control section 50 enters a power holding state. The control unit 50 causes the buzzer 60 to generate an alarm. A dummy signal is also sent to the switch section 40 .
When the support body 12 is stored in the retracted position, the ball 22 of the separation switch 20 is separated from the terminal 23 and becomes non-connected, the power supply from the battery 70 is cut off, and the alarm of the buzzer is stopped, and the power of the entire support body 12 is turned off. . In this manner, the battery 70 is not consumed in the storage position state.

[Separation switch 20A of modification 1]
FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram 1 of the separation switch of Modification 1. FIG. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram 2 of the separation switch of Modification 1. FIG.
The illustrated separation switch 20A uses a limit switch. A limit switch consists of a head 24 and a switch body 25 . The head 24 is configured to move back and forth from the switch body 25 and is urged to protrude outward (in this embodiment, the base 2 at the retracted position). 11, the head 24 is pushed back toward the switch body 25 by the base 2, and the battery 70 is disconnected. On the other hand, in the supporting position shown in FIG. 12, the head 24 protrudes from the switch body 25 to the outside, and the battery 70 becomes conductive. Such a limit switch employs the configuration shown in FIG. 2, like the tilt switch.

[Separation switch 20B of modified example 2]
FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram 1 of the separation switch of Modification 2. FIG. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram 2 of the separation switch of Modification 2. FIG.
The illustrated separation switch 20B uses a magnet switch. A magnet switch consists of a magnet 26 and a switch body 27 . The switch body 27 is provided on the lower end side of the support body 12, and the magnet 26 is attached to the base 2 facing the switch body 27 of the support body 12 in the retracted position. At this time, the magnet 26 is elongated along the vertical direction of the base 2 so as to face the separation switch 20B at the retracted position regardless of the forward/backward position of the cover 14 . 13, the switch body 27 is close to the magnet 26, and the magnetic force of the magnet 26 causes the battery 70 to be disconnected. On the other hand, in the supporting position shown in FIG. 14, the switch main body 27 is separated from the magnet 26 and the battery 70 is in a conducting state. Such a magnet switch employs the configuration shown in FIG. 2, like the tilt switch.

[Earth switch 30A of modified example]
FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram 1 of a ground switch of a modified example. FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram 2 of the grounding switch of the modified example.
The support leg 10 slides from the front of the base 2 between the floor surfaces of the vehicle seat when it is attached or removed. In the case of the L-shaped specification, this slide mechanism is composed of a plurality of recesses 15 provided along the longitudinal direction of the cover 14 and a lock 35 that fits into the recesses 15 on the L-shaped support portion 16 .
The ground switch 30A of the modified example is mounted using this slide mechanism, and the L-shaped support portion 16 is provided with the switch body 34 . The switch body 34 is attached above the lock 35 with a gap provided therebetween. Normally, when the switch body 34 and the lock 35 are separated, the battery is disconnected, in other words, the OFF state. When the support body 12 is slid and comes into contact with the floor surface, the support body 12 is stretched against the L-shaped support portion 16 and an upward load is applied, and the lock 35 pushes up the switch body 34 . As a result, the switch is turned on, and grounding can be recognized. This ON signal is sent to the controller 50 .

[I-type support leg 10A]
FIG. 17 is a perspective view of an I-shaped support leg. FIG. 18 is an explanatory drawing 1 for attaching an I-shaped support leg. 19 is a side sectional view of the support body of FIG. 18. FIG. FIG. 20 is an explanatory drawing 2 for attaching the I-shaped support leg. 21 is a side sectional view of the support body of FIG. 20. FIG. FIG. 22 is an explanatory drawing 3 for attaching the I-shaped support leg. FIG. 23 is an explanatory drawing 4 for attaching the I-shaped support leg. 24 is a side sectional view of the support body of FIG. 23; FIG.
In the case of the I-shaped support leg 10A, the upper end of the cover 14A is pivotally supported on the front side of the bottom surface of the base 2 (see FIG. 17). The sliding mechanism of the support body 12 is constructed by attaching the plurality of recesses and locks to the support body 12 and the cover 14A, and the support body 12 slides from the cover 14. Other configurations of the support body 12 are the same as those shown in FIG.

The work for attaching the I-shaped support leg 10A having such a configuration is performed as follows.
When the child seat is attached to the vehicle seat, the support body 12 is in the stowed position shown in FIGS. The ball 22 in the casing 21 of the separation switch 20 is located away from the pair of terminals 23, and the low current is maintained during standby with the battery 70 disconnected.
The support body 12 is rotated by 90 degrees and arranged in front of the base 2 (see FIGS. 20 and 21). In the separation switch 20, the ball 22 in the casing 21 is fitted between the pair of terminals 23 to bring the battery 70 into conduction (step 1). At this time, since the ground switch 30 is not in contact with the floor surface of the vehicle seat, the ground switch 30 is in a separated state (step 2). The ON signal of the separation switch 20 is sent to the switch section 40 (the ground switch 30 is separated), the ON signal of the switch section 40 is sent to the control section 50 (step 3), and the control section 50 enters the power holding state. Become. The control unit 50 causes the buzzer 60 to generate an alarm. Also, a dummy signal indicating that the ground switch 30 is released is transmitted to the switch section 40 (step 4).
The child seat is placed on the vehicle seat while the alarm is still activated (see FIG. 22). Specifically, the arm 4 provided behind the base 2 is attached to the metal fitting of the ISO-FIX structure of the vehicle seat. At this time, the lower end of the support body 12 supported by the cover 14A is above the floor surface of the vehicle seat.

As shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, the support body 12 is slid from the cover 14A toward the vehicle seat floor surface below. When the grounding piece 33 of the grounding switch 30 at the lower end of the support body 12 comes into contact with the floor surface of the vehicle seat, it is pushed back to the main body side and touches the supporting piece of the switch body 32 and lands on the ground (ON state). .
When the control unit 50 receives a landing signal from the ground switch 30, after a predetermined period of time has elapsed (step 5), the buzzer 60 emits a completion alarm sound and stops the alarm (step 6). The dummy signal to the switch section 40 is stopped. As a result, the switch section 40 is turned off (step 7). As a result, power consumption during standby can be avoided to prolong the life of the battery, in other words, to save energy.

According to the present invention, the start of child seat installation work is recognized, and an alarm continues to be generated until the work is completed, so that the user can recognize that the child seat has been installed correctly, and the child seat can be used in an incorrect way. can be effectively prevented.
Since the support leg of the present invention incorporates each component, there is no need to modify the base, etc., and it can be easily replaced with an existing support body (with the same external shape), and can be applied as a child seat with installation warning. can also
The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention.
Moreover, the present invention is not limited to the combinations shown in the embodiments, and can be implemented in various combinations.

The child seat of the present invention can be widely applied to child seats especially for infants.

1 child seat 2 base 3 seat 4 arm 5 support leg 7 body 8 support portion 10 support leg for child seat 12 support body 13 display window 14, 14A cover 15 recess 16 L-shaped support portion 20, 20A, 20B separation switch 21 casing 22 ball 23 Terminal 24 Head 25 Switch body 26 Magnet 27 Switch body 30, 30A Grounding switch 32 Switch body 33 Grounding piece 34 Switch body 35 Lock 40 Switch section 50 Control section 60 Buzzer 70 Battery

Claims (5)

In the child seat support leg that contacts the vehicle seat floor from the front of the base and fixes the child seat to the vehicle seat,
The child seat support leg has a support body and a cover that covers the support body, and is between a support position in contact with the floor surface of the vehicle seat below the front of the base and a retracted position along the bottom surface of the base. is rotatably supported by the base;
a separation switch that is turned off when the cover is in the retracted position and emits an on signal when the cover is between the retracted position and the supporting position;
a grounding switch for recognizing that the tip of the child seat support leg has come into contact with the floor of the vehicle seat;
a control unit that is electrically connected to the separation switch and the ground switch and generates an alarm based on an ON signal of the separation switch and a signal that the ground switch is separated from the floor surface;
A support leg for a child seat, characterized by comprising: A support leg for a child seat according to claim 1,
The control unit
When the child seat support leg moves from the storage position to the support position, the ground switch recognizes contact with the floor surface of the vehicle seat after generating an alarm in response to an ON signal of the separation switch. A support leg for a child seat, which is characterized by receiving a signal of to stop the alarm. A support leg for a child seat according to claim 2,
A switch unit is provided between the separation switch and the control unit for turning off the power in response to an ON signal from the separation switch and a signal from the grounding switch recognizing contact with the floor of the vehicle seat. Characterized support legs for child seats. A child seat support leg according to claim 3 ,
A child seat support leg, wherein the support body includes the separation switch, the ground switch, the control unit, the switch unit, a buzzer, and a battery. A child seat support leg according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A support leg for a child seat, wherein the control unit stops the alarm after a predetermined time has elapsed after receiving an ON signal from the ground switch.

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