Child Carrier Headrest Linkage for Safe Reclining Transitions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional child carriers require manual adjustment of the headrest, which is inconvenient and poses safety risks when the headrest does not automatically return to a parallel position relative to the backrest, especially during transitions between positions.

Innovation Solution

A child carrier with a backrest frame that includes a resilient element and linkage mechanism, allowing the headrest to automatically adjust its position relative to the backrest, ensuring safety and convenience by integrating a resilient element and linkage side elements to facilitate smooth transitions between vertical and horizontal positions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the headrest is manually adjusted relative to the backrest, then the headrest can be positioned parallel or perpendicular to the backrest, but the adjustment process is inconvenient and poses safety risks when the headrest does not automatically return to a parallel position

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheadrest adjustment convenienceVSAvoidsafety during position transitions

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The headrest assembly is designed to automatically adjust its position relative to the backrest through a linkage mechanism connected to the backrest frame. When the backrest rotates between vertical and horizontal positions, the linkage mechanism automatically moves the headrest from a parallel position to a perpendicular position (or vice versa) without requiring manual intervention, thereby improving ease of operation and ensuring safety by preventing the headrest from remaining in an intermediate unsafe position

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The linkage mechanism between the backrest frame and headrest assembly provides automatic feedback-based positioning. As the backrest changes position, the linkage mechanism responds by automatically adjusting the headrest angle, ensuring the headrest maintains the correct relative orientation (parallel when backrest is vertical, perpendicular when backrest is horizontal) without manual input, thus resolving the safety and convenience contradiction

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If the headrest is rotated to a position perpendicular to the backrest to prevent child from sliding out, then safety is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional adjustment mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechild safety during lying positionVSAvoidheadrest adjustment mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The headrest adjustment function is merged with the backrest positioning mechanism through a linkage mechanism. The same mechanical structure that enables backrest rotation between vertical and horizontal positions also automatically drives the headrest between parallel and perpendicular positions. This integration achieves the safety benefit of automatic headrest positioning without adding separate complex adjustment mechanisms, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliability and device complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of operation

If the backrest is rotated to horizontal position for child to lie down, then comfort is improved, but the risk of child sliding out increases if headrest is not properly positioned

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechild comfort during lying positionVSAvoidchild sliding or falling risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The linkage mechanism is designed to automatically position the headrest in the perpendicular orientation before or during the backrest rotation to horizontal position. This preliminary positioning of the headrest creates a safety barrier that prevents the child from sliding out, while simultaneously enabling the backrest to be rotated to the comfortable horizontal lying position. The automatic headrest positioning ensures safety is established in advance before the child is placed in the lying position

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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

The solution provides enhanced user convenience and safety by allowing the headrest to automatically adjust its position in response to backrest movements, reducing the need for manual intervention and minimizing the risk of the child sliding or falling.

Implementation Method 1

a resilient element provided between the backrest assembly and the headrest assembly

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP4482727B1Child carrier

Publication Date: 2026.04.22 WONDERLAND SWITZERLAND AG

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AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a child carrier. The child carrier includes a main frame, a seat frame provided on the main frame, and a backrest frame. The backrest frame includes a backrest assembly capable of rotating between a vertical position and a horizontal position relative to the seat frame, a headrest assembly pivotally connected to a top of the backrest assembly, a linkage side element slidably connected to the backrest assembly, and a resilient element provided between the backrest assembly and the headrest assembly. A top of the linkage side element is pivotally connected to the headrest assembly, and a bottom of the linkage side element is connected to the seat frame through a connecting belt.