Child Car Seat Side Cheeks for Side-Impact Head Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing child car seats fail to provide sufficient protection for a child's head and neck during a side impact, as the safety harnesses and headrests are inadequate in preventing head movement, leading to potential injuries such as dislocations and fractures, and are not adaptable to the child's growing size.
Innovation Solution
A child car seat with a headrest that has movable side cheeks that can adjust from a transport position to a safety position upon detecting a violent impact, ensuring the child's head is securely positioned to minimize displacement and injury, using actuating means integrated into the seat to automatically change positions based on impact force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the side cheeks are positioned close to the child's head for safety protection, then head protection is improved, but the child's comfort and vision are worsened due to minimal spacing
Solution Approach 1:
The side cheeks are designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing them to change position dynamically. In normal conditions, they are retracted to provide comfort and vision space. Upon detecting a side impact through acceleration sensors, they automatically extend toward the child's head to provide protective cushioning, thus resolving the contradiction between safety and comfort.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the headrest structure is made rigid to prevent head movement during impact, then head stability is improved, but the ability to adapt to child's growth is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The headrest is segmented into multiple independent components: a fixed base structure and movable side cheeks that can independently adjust. This segmentation allows the headrest to provide stable support through the fixed base while the movable cheeks can be adjusted or activated only when needed for impact protection, enabling both stability and adaptability to different child sizes and growth stages.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual adjustment mechanisms are added to adapt the seat to child's growth, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The side cheeks are equipped with automatic activation mechanisms including acceleration sensors and spring-loaded or motorized drive systems. When a side impact is detected, the system automatically triggers the side cheeks to extend without requiring manual intervention. This self-service approach provides adaptability to impact conditions while minimizing the complexity of manual adjustment mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention concerns a child car seat, particularly installed in a motor vehicle, comprising a seat bottom (1) and a seat back (2) furnished with side flanks (3) and a headrest (6), and two side panels (8) extending from said back portion. According to the invention, said seat comprises control means (10, 11, 12, 18) for controlling a predetermined safety movement of at least a part of said side panels (8), in the event of a violent impact, from a first transport position to a second safety position, wherein said moving part of the panel (8) is moved closer to the child's head, said control means (10, 11, 12, 18) ensuring said safety movement at the time of said violent impact corresponding to a side impact having a force greater than a predetermined threshold.