Booster seats
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Solution Overview
Problem
Booster seats face a compromise between fitting on a typical chair seat and providing stability when used standalone, as their footprint is constrained by the need to fit on a conventional chair seat, leading to instability when used by boisterous children.
Innovation Solution
The booster seat incorporates a set of stabilizing feet and height increasing feet that can be extended or retracted using an actuator, increasing the footprint and stability when used standalone, while maintaining compatibility with chair seats by adjusting the base's height and footprint.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the booster seat footprint is kept small to fit on a conventional chair seat, then compatibility with chairs is improved, but stability when used standalone deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The booster seat incorporates movable stabilizing feet that can transition between retracted and extended positions. When placed on a chair, the feet are retracted to maintain a small footprint for compatibility. When used standalone, the feet are extended to increase the footprint and provide stability, allowing the same seat to adapt to different usage conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The stabilizing feet are designed to be nested within or alongside the base structure when in the retracted position, minimizing the overall footprint. When extended, they deploy outward from the base to increase the footprint for stability, effectively nesting the stabilization mechanism within the compact form factor.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the booster seat footprint is increased to provide stability when used standalone, then stability is improved, but compatibility with conventional chair seats deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing feet are designed to be movable between retracted and extended positions. When placed on a chair, the feet are retracted to maintain a small footprint for compatibility. When used standalone, the feet are extended to increase the footprint and provide stability, allowing the same seat to adapt to different usage conditions.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the booster seat is designed with a larger base for standalone stability, then stability is improved, but the ability to fit on typical chair seats deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The booster seat incorporates movable stabilizing feet that can transition between retracted and extended positions. When placed on a chair, the feet are retracted to maintain a small footprint for compatibility. When used standalone, the feet are extended to increase the footprint and provide stability, allowing the same seat to adapt to different usage conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The base is segmented into a central platform and detachable/extendable stabilizing feet. This segmentation allows the core base to remain compact for chair compatibility, while the stabilizing feet can be extended when needed for standalone use, dividing the stabilization function from the main seating structure.
Data Source
Figure 1~6
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A booster seat (10) for a child that with a footprint has a base (28) provided with at least one of: a set of stabilising feet (50-56) having use positions including a retracted position and a laterally extended position in which the stabilising feet are laterally extended with respect to the base (28) to increase the footprint; and a set of height increasing feet (64-70) that have use positions including a retracted position and a height increasing position in which the height increasing feet are downwardly extended with respect to the base to raise the base with respect to a surface supporting the booster seat. The booster seat also includes an actuator operable to move the feet between their use positions.