Adjustable Side Impact Element for Compact Child Safety Seats
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Solution Overview
Problem
Child safety seats face a challenge in optimizing side impact performance while maintaining a compact outer geometry, which is contradictory to the need for early contact with the intruding door during side impact events, especially when installing multiple restraints in a vehicle.
Innovation Solution
A child restraint with a side impact element that can be removably mounted in two configurations, allowing for adjustable extension distances from the body to enhance side impact protection without increasing complexity or cost, utilizing a pocket and pin mechanism for secure attachment and easy configuration changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the child restraint is positioned closer to the door for early contact during side impact, then side impact performance is improved, but the outer geometry becomes less compact and harder to install in vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The side impact element is divided into two separate engaging portions (first and second seat engaging portions) that can independently engage with the body at different positions. This segmentation allows the element to provide extended side impact protection while maintaining a compact stowed configuration, resolving the contradiction between early contact capability and compact outer geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The side impact element is designed to be movable between different configurations (first and second configurations) with different extension distances from the body. This dynamic adjustability allows users to optimize the extension distance based on vehicle size and configuration, enabling early contact when needed while maintaining compact geometry when not in use.
2Reliability
If a fixed extended configuration is used for side impact protection, then early contact with door is achieved, but the device complexity and cost increase due to folding mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a complex folding mechanism, the invention segments the side impact element into two distinct engaging portions that can engage at different positions. This simpler segmented design achieves the same protective function without the complexity and cost of folding mechanisms, while still providing adjustable extension distances.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the complex folding mechanism from the design and replaces it with a simpler removable mounting system using two engaging portions. This extraction eliminates unnecessary complexity while retaining the essential function of providing extended side impact protection at adjustable distances from the body.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the side impact element is made removable with multiple engaging portions, then adaptability to different vehicle configurations is improved, but the ease of operation decreases due to additional attachment steps
Solution Approach 1:
The two seat engaging portions are designed to engage with corresponding engaging portions on the body, allowing the side impact element to function in multiple configurations (first and second configurations) with different extension distances. This multi-functionality enables adaptation to various vehicle sizes and configurations while maintaining a consistent, straightforward attachment process.
Data Source
AI summary
A child restraint for a vehicle, the child restraint comprising a body for supporting an occupant and at least one side impact element configured to be removably mounted with respect to the body in two configurations.