Booster Seat Stacking Contour Design for Space-Efficient Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing booster seats for infants are often not provided in sufficient numbers in public eateries due to space constraints, as they require substantial storage space when stacked, leading to instability and increased risk of accidents.
Innovation Solution
The design of a booster seat with a bottom side featuring a stacking contour that allows for partial interlocking with the top side, enabling multiple seats to be stacked stably, reducing the required storage space to that of a single seat, and incorporating a center of gravity arrangement to enhance stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If multiple booster seats are stacked for storage, then the number of available seats increases, but the required storage space increases substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The booster seats are designed with nesting capabilities where one seat can be placed inside another, similar to nested dolls. The seat shell of one booster seat accommodates the seat shell of another, allowing multiple seats to occupy the space of a single seat when stored, thereby dramatically reducing the storage volume required.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes vertical stacking arrangements and three-dimensional space optimization. By designing the seat shell with specific geometric features that enable vertical and lateral nesting, the system transforms the storage problem from a two-dimensional floor space issue into a three-dimensional space utilization solution, maximizing storage capacity.
2Volume of stationary object
If booster seats are stacked for storage, then space is saved, but stacking stability decreases leading to increased accident risk
Solution Approach 1:
The seat shell incorporates asymmetric geometric features including protrusions and recesses that are specifically shaped to interlock when seats are stacked. These asymmetric elements ensure that seats can only be stacked in the correct orientation and create mechanical interlocking that prevents lateral shifting or toppling, thereby ensuring stacking stability while maintaining compact storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The seat shell design incorporates curved surfaces and rounded transitions that facilitate stable stacking. The curved geometry of the protrusions and recesses allows for smooth interlocking and distributes contact forces evenly across the stacking interface, enhancing the stability of the stacked configuration and reducing the risk of accidental toppling.
3Ease of manufacture
If the seat shell design is simplified to reduce material cost, then manufacturing cost decreases, but stacking ability and stability are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The seat shell is designed as a monolithic integrated structure that combines multiple functions: the seating surface, sidewalls, backrest areas, and stacking protrusions/recesses are all formed as one piece. This segmentation-free design eliminates the need for separate components and complex assembly operations, reducing manufacturing complexity and material costs while maintaining the stacking functionality through strategically placed geometric features.
Solution Approach 2:
The seat shell serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides the seating surface for the infant, forms the structural boundaries (sidewalls and backrest), and incorporates the stacking mechanism through integrated protrusions and recesses. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate stacking components, reducing material usage and manufacturing complexity while ensuring stable stacking capability.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a booster seat comprising a seat shell with a lower face for supporting the seat shell and an upper face, on which a seat base and lateral seat cushion regions and backrest regions that delimit the seat base laterally and rearwards are provided. The lower face of the seat shell has a stacking contour which is designed to provide a stacking capability on the upper face of the seat shell. The invention also relates to a booster seat comprising a strap system that has four eyelets, wherein one retaining strap is allocated to a pair of eyelets. Two eyelets are arranged in the front outer region of each lateral seat cushion region, while two eyelets are arranged in the rear outer region of each lateral seat cushion region or in the lateral outer region of the back region. The invention further relates to a method for producing a booster seat of this type.