Bedside Crib with Slide-Guided Movable Frame for One-Handed Opening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing baby cribs require significant effort and care to open the movable side wall safely, often necessitating both hands and can be hazardous due to free movement of rigid frame parts, and do not allow rocking motion without compromising safety.
Innovation Solution
The crib features slide guides for the movable upper frame portion, allowing one-handed operation with a support structure and lock means to prevent free movement, along with an elastically loaded roller for easy opening and automatic positioning, and a design that permits rocking without compromising safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the movable side wall is made separable from the frame to allow opening, then accessibility and ease of operation are improved, but safety deteriorates due to free movement of rigid frame parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces slide guides as intermediary elements that mediate between the movable side wall and the fixed frame. These guides constrain the movement of rigid frame parts during the opening operation, allowing the side wall to be accessed while preventing hazardous free movement, thus resolving the safety concern while maintaining ease of operation
2Ease of operation
If the movable side wall is connected only via textile material to allow opening, then flexibility and ease of movement are improved, but safety deteriorates due to great freedom of movement of rigid parts
Solution Approach 1:
The slide guides serve as intermediary constraint elements that work in conjunction with the textile material. While the textile allows flexible movement, the rigid guides prevent uncontrolled movement of the frame parts, creating a balanced system that provides both flexibility and safety
3Reliability
If both hands are required to separate the movable side from the frame, then control and safety are improved, but ease of operation deteriorates when one hand is occupied
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service mechanism where the movable side wall is equipped with integrated release elements that automatically disengage from the frame when pushed. This eliminates the need for two-handed manual separation, allowing one-handed operation while maintaining controlled and safe movement through the self-regulating mechanism
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables safe and easy one-handed operation of the crib's side wall, preventing free movement of rigid parts and allowing rocking, thus enhancing user convenience and safety.
Implementation Method 1
an elastically loaded roller for easy opening and automatic positioning
Data Source
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AI summary
A crib (10) to be placed adjacent to a parents' bed comprises an enclosure (50) supported by an upper frame (20) and a lower frame (40). The upper frame (20) comprises a fixed portion (21) and a movable portion (22) at an openable side (54) of the enclosure (50). In a closed configuration, the ends (24) of the movable portion (22) are locked with respect to the ends (23) of the fixed portion (21) to close the openable side (54), and in an open configuration the movable portion (22) is spaced apart from the ends (23) of the fixed portion (21) to open the openable side (54). Two guides (60) extend from the fixed portion (21) of the upper frame (20) toward the lower frame (40), and the ends (24) of movable portion (22) are able to slide along the guides (60) to move from the closed configuration to the open configuration.