The present invention relates in general to a child safety gate for a passageway, such as a door opening, as well as a locking device to be included in such a child safety gate.
Child safety gates, also referred to as child safety barriers, have been used for decades. By the end of 1990, Lascal AB (Sweden) developed a new version of a child safety gate with the gate part made of mesh fabric wound onto and retractable from a vertical axle fastened to one side of a door opening. This retractable child safety gate was first introduced to the world market by Lascal AB, and later by Lascal Ltd (Hong Kong) under the tradename “KiddyGuard®”.
Further examples of child safety gate structures are disclosed for instance in WO94/00664A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,317A. These kinds of child safety gates have a barrier part made of a flexible material which is wound onto a vertical roller accommodated in a roller unit mounted at one side of the passageway. The barrier part is unwound and rolled out from the roller unit when the gate is closed. In the closed position, the free end of the barrier part is attached to the opposite side of the passageway. In the closed position, the barrier part is typically slightly tensioned by a return spring pulling the barrier part in a direction opposite the unwinding direction. Further background art is reflected for instance in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,219,709B1, 6,375,165B1, US20080121354A1 and US20150376942A1.
A problem with most current gate structures of this kind is that, when the gate is closed and the barrier is pressed down or lifted upwards for instance by a child, it is the spring force alone that determines the degree of vertical movement of the barrier in its closed position. Thus, if the spring force is too large, the gate would require too much closing force, which is inconvenient for the user. Contrarily, if the spring force is too small, a child could easily step over the barrier or crawl under it, which is dangerous and could cause serious injuries. From the above, it is understood that there is room for improvements.
An object of the present invention is to solve or at least mitigate the problems related to prior art. This object is achieved by means of a child safety gate of the invention having the features set forth in appended claim 1; preferred embodiments being defined in the related dependent claims. Subject to the invention is also a locking device having the features set forth in appended claim 13.
In a first aspect, there is provided a child safety gate with a flexible retractable barrier part wound on a rotatable roller. A locking device is connected to the rotatable roller and it has at least an unlocked position and a locked position. The locking device is configured to in its unlocked position allow at least extraction of the barrier part in an unwinding direction of the roller, and in its locked position prevent further extraction of the barrier part in the unwinding direction. Furthermore, the locking device includes an actuating assembly movable between a first position corresponding to the unlocked position of the locking device, and a second position corresponding to the locked position of the locking device. Upon actuating the actuating assembly, the barrier part is reversed in a direction opposite the unwinding direction. By this improved child safety gate, an efficient and secure tensioning of the flexible barrier part is achieved in the locked position.
In an embodiment, the actuating assembly is actuated by a translational movement of the actuating assembly from its first position to its second position.
In a further embodiment, the child safety gate includes a locking mechanism movably connected to the actuating assembly and configured to reverse the barrier part in the direction opposite the unwinding direction.
Actuation of the actuating assembly may induce a rotational movement engaging a first member and a second member of the locking mechanism, thereby reversing the roller and tensioning the flexible retractable barrier part. Preferably, the first member and the second member of the locking mechanism are configured to be rotatably coupled to each other.
The first member and the second member may have corresponding gears which are configured to mesh with each other upon actuation of the actuating assembly.
Preferably, the second member of the locking mechanism is fixedly connected to the roller.
In an embodiment, the first member has a cap with a cam protruding radially outwards from the cap. There may also be more than one cam protrusion.
Moreover, the locking device may further have a casing with a cam groove in which the protruding cam is configured to slide from a first end to a second end when the first member and the second member are engaged.
In an embodiment, the first member of the locking mechanism is connected to the actuating assembly via a connector. The actuating assembly is preferably actuated manually by a user.
In a second aspect, there is provided a locking device for a child safety gate having a flexible retractable barrier part wound on a rotatable roller. The locking device is connectable to the rotatable roller and it has at least an unlocked position and a locked position. In its unlocked position, the locking device is configured to allow at least extraction of the barrier part in an unwinding direction of the roller, and in its locked position to prevent further extraction of the barrier part in the unwinding direction. The locking device includes an actuating assembly movable between a first position corresponding to the unlocked position of the locking device, and a second position corresponding to the locked position. Upon actuating the actuating assembly, the barrier part is reversed in a direction opposite the unwinding direction by means of the locking mechanism.
In general, the inventive locking device is configured to make child gates safer through an additional locking step which, in the closed gate position, further tensions the retractable barrier part as compared to conventional safety gates comprised in the art. The additional locking and barrier tensioning effect is achieved by ingenious locking means co-operating with the actuating assembly. The locking means may include the previously described members of the locking mechanism which in a preferred embodiment involves sliding locking engagement of a cam protrusion in a cam groove between a first and a second distinct position. In other words, upon locking the locking device, the roller is reversed by the distinct movement of the cam in the cam groove, thereby tensioning the flexible retractable barrier part which is already stretched between opposing sides of a passageway. Effectively, the barrier part is reversed in a direction opposite the pull-out direction to provide extra tensioning of the barrier part.
An advantage of the tensioning is that a wide range of openings may be secured, and thus there is an adaptability to different homes. Furthermore, the tensioning results in a relatively more tensioned barrier, with a tensioning effect both on the upper part of the barrier facing away from the floor, as well as at the bottom part of the barrier, near the floor. This way, thanks to the tensioning effect of the locking device, a child, or pet, is even further prevented from climbing over or crawling under the safety gate as before.
By way of example, embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
With reference to
As shown in
To close the doorway DW, the barrier part 3 is pulled out manually and a securing means 3A at an upper free end portion thereof is attached to the fastening device 6 at the upper holding means 7 mounted to the opposite wall portion 5. The fastening device 6 is adapted to hold the barrier part 3 in its extracted position. A corresponding securing means 3B at a lower free end portion of the barrier 3 part is attached to the fastening device 6 at the lower holding means 8. Preferably, the barrier part 3 is provided with a barrier handle 3C for convenience of the user.
Moreover, the child safety gate 1 includes a locking device 10 on the top of the support structure 2, i.e. the upper end portion of the support structure 2, which will be further described in relation to
The roller R is connected to the locking device 10 at its upper end, see
As briefly mentioned, the locking device 10 has at least a locked state, or position, and an unlocked state. In its unlocked state, the locking device 10 is configured to allow at least extraction of the barrier part 3. In other words, in the unlocked state of the locking device 10, the barrier part 3 is extractable in an unwinding direction of the roller R, and retractable in a winding direction of the roller R once extracted. In its locked state, the locking device 10 is configured to indirectly rotate the barrier part 3 in a winding direction of the roller R such that the barrier part 3 is tensioned. The tensioning is a result of an internal locking mechanism 12 (see
Now turning to
As mentioned, the locking device 10 is movable between an unlocked position and a locked position. The unlocked position is illustrated in
The locking mechanism 12 has a first member in the shape of an upper locking wheel LWU, and a second member in the shape of a lower locking wheel LWL. Together, the upper and lower locking wheels LWU, LWL are configured to be rotatably coupled to each other. Moreover, the upper and lower locking wheels LWU, LWL are rotatable with respect to each other when the locking device 10 is unlocked. In the embodiment shown in
The upper locking wheel LWU has an outer cap 13 and an inner gear 14 along an inner circumference of the cap 13, see
Put differently, a rotational engagement between the upper locking wheel LWU and the lower locking wheel LWL is induced by pushing the locking handle 11 towards the upper locking wheel LWU in a direction substantially perpendicular to the center axis CA running through the locking device 10. The center axis CA corresponds in this case to a rotational axis of the upper and lower locking wheels LWU, LWL. As illustrated in
Turning back to
In
When the inner gear 14 of the upper locking wheel LWU and the outer gear 15 of the lower locking wheel LWL are in contact, a further movement of the upper locking wheel LWU towards the lower locking wheel LWL, such as when a user pushes down the actuating locking handle 11, urges the knob 18 to slide from the upper end of the rotation groove 17 to the lower end of the rotation groove 17 such that the gears 14, 15 of the upper locking wheel LWU and the lower locking wheel LWL mesh. This way, the locked flexible retractable barrier part 3 is not only locked, but also tensioned. Hence, the actuation of the locking handle 11 induces a rotational movement engaging the upper locking wheel LWU and the lower locking wheel LWL of the locking mechanism 12, thereby reversing the roller R and tensioning the flexible retractable barrier part 3 in a direction opposite the unwinding direction of the roller R.
For increased safety during operation, the locking handle 11 may be equipped with a lock release element, such as a lock release button 19. A purpose of the lock release button 19 is to keep the locking handle 11 in the locked position when the child safety gate 1 is to be closed. The lock release button 19 is spring biased such that when a user pulls the lock release button 19, the locking handle 11 may be lifted. When the biasing spring is contracted, which occurs when a user pulls the lock release button 19, the locking handle 11 may be moved, such as for instance lifted upwards. This is illustrated in
Upon actuating the actuator, in this case lifting the locking handle 11, the flexible retractable barrier part 3 is reversed in a direction opposite the unwinding direction of the roller R by means of the locking mechanism 12. It is the action of the locking mechanism 12 which determines whether the barrier part 3 may be stretched/retracted. Put differently, the locking mechanism 12 ensures the tensioning of the barrier part 3 when the gate is closed and the locking device 10 is in its locked state. This occurs when the knob 18 has moved to the lower end of the rotation groove 17, as seen in
As an example, the actuator 11 can, when actuated, provide for full retraction of the barrier part 3. In other words, the actuator 11 may reverse the barrier part 3 all the way back into the roller R.
To translate a substantially pivotal movement from the locking handle 11 to a vertically displaceable rotational movement of the internal locking mechanism 12 along the center axis CA of the locking device 10, the locking mechanism 12 is movably connected to the locking handle 11 via a series of intermediate elements 20-25 (see description below), which together may be regarded as a translation assembly.
The translational movement of the actuating locking handle 11 may be described as a linear displacement towards the upper locking wheel LWU, which in turn induces a rotational movement of the upper locking wheel LWU towards the lower locking wheel LWL. Optionally, the translational movement of the locking handle 11 is described as a roto-translatory displacement, whereby a linear displacement of the locking handle 11, or actuator, along the center axis CA of the locking device 10 is translated into a rotational movement of the locking mechanism 12. Furthermore, the translational movement of the locking handle 11 may be described as a rotational movement which in turn induces a further rotational movement in the locking mechanism 12 once actuated, for instance, by rotation.
The locking handle 11 is connected to a locking arm 20, which is provided with a slot 21 in an end portion thereof, in which a rivet 22 is configured to run between a first position corresponding to the unlocked position of the locking device 10, and a second position corresponding to the locked position of the locking device 10. The rivet 22 is coupled to a connector 23 (shown in
Furthermore, the locking arm 20 has a toothed end portion 24 opposite the slotted end portion, configured to engage with a matching tooth on a spring biased element 25. As shown, the spring biased element 25 is located in the locking device casing 16 at a level of the lower locking wheel LWL and gives the locking handle 11 distinctive upper and lower positions when it is in engaged with the toothed end portion 24 of the locking arm 20. This stepwise engagement between the teeth is shown in
Preferably, the locking device 10 is also equipped with a sensor device, for instance consisting of a magnet 26 which may be located on the locking arm 20 and sensed by a magnet sensor 27, such as a PCB magnet sensor, located in the locking device 10. For instance, the sensor device may be provided in the casing 16 of the locking device 10. The magnet 26 and sensor 27 are shown in
Hence, via the series of intermediate elements 20-25 the locking arm 20 translates the movement of the locking handle 11 to a rotational movement of the upper locking wheel LWU and the lower locking wheel LWL of the locking mechanism 12 such that the inner gear 14 meshes with the outer gear 15 when the locking handle 11 moves from the unlocked position to the locked position of the locking device 10. In this movement, the knob 18 arranged on the cap 13 of the upper locking wheel LWU slides from an upper end of the rotation groove 17 to the lower end, thereby reversing the roller R, and thus also the flexible retractable barrier part 3 wound around it, in a direction opposite the unwinding direction of the roller R. In the embodiment described herein, this occurs when the locking handle 11 is pushed downwards in a direction towards the upper locking wheel LWU. As briefly explained above, conversely, when the locking handle 11 is lifted, as illustrated in
The barrier tensioning mechanism can also be described as follows. After having secured the safety gate barrier part 3 at the opposite side of the passageway to be blocked, the rollback device 9 rolls back the barrier part 3 so that it is stretched between the opposing sides of the opening. Next, the actuating locking handle 11 is pushed in a direction towards the upper locking wheel LWU, the inner gear 14 of the upper locking wheel LWU first contacts the lower locking wheel LWL having corresponding outer gears 15 and being fixed to a roller R on which the barrier part 3 is wound. When further pushing down the locking handle 11, the two locking wheels LWU and LWL, now connected, are forced to rotate in the opposite direction of the unwinding direction of the roller R as the rotation knob 18 of the upper locking wheel LWU follows the rotation groove 17. This rotation further stretches the barrier part 3. In particular, it is the movement of the knob 18 in the rotation groove 17 which determines the degree of tensioning of the barrier part 3. As an example, the tensioning is substantially the same for a 80 cm wide passage as for a 60 cm wide passage.
With reference to
It should be appreciated that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the description is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the scope of the invention to the full extent indicated by the appended claims. Hence, modifications are feasible without departing from the spirit of the invention defined in the appended claims. For instance, other movements of the actuator and related members of the barrier tensioning and locking means can be used as long as the aimed-at extra tensioning of the barrier part is achieved; in a direction opposite to the pull-out direction.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2250317-1 | Mar 2022 | SE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2023/056153 | 3/10/2023 | WO |