Child safety barriers
AssigneeThe First Years Inc.
InventorsRobert D. Monahan, Ronald J. Sidman, Jon R. Rossman, Bryan R. Hotaling, Thomas A. Hagerty
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A child safety gate includes a flexible barrier that is retractable into a housing and extendable across a passageway to inhibit passage by a child. An electrically operable extension lock solenoid inhibits barrier extension until activated by a parent. The gate includes a motion sensor, a night light, a child monitor and an interactive audio-visual display.
Claims41
An adjustable width child safety device comprising:
- a housing mountable to a surface on one side of a passageway;
- a main shaft coupled to the housing for rotation about an axis;
- a flexible barrier secured to the main shaft at an inner edge of the barrier, the barrier being extendable across the passageway to inhibit passage by a child;
- and
- an electrically operable extension lock adapted to prevent extension of the barrier from the housing until electrically unlocked.
A method of selectively blocking a passageway to inhibit passage by a child, the method comprising:
- attaching a barrier housing to a structural element on one side of the passageway, the barrier housing containing a retractable barrier extendable across the passageway;
- manually operating an electrical switch to release a barrier extension lock;
- extending the barrier a desired distance from the barrier housing with the extension lock released;
- releasably securing a distal end of the barrier to an opposite side of the passageway;
- and
- releasing the electrical switch to engage the barrier extension lock to inhibit further extension of the barrier.
A child safety gate releasably securable across a passageway to form a barrier of height sufficient to block passage of young children, the gate including an interactive visual display comprising:
- a light electrically connected to a power source and positioned on the barrier;
- and
- a sensor electrically connected to the light.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.