Adjustable Child Carrier Seat Platform for Hip Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional child carriers are not optimally designed for safety, comfort, and ease-of-use, often leading to unsafe securing of the child and potential hip problems due to inadequate support, with many designs causing developmental dysplasia of the hip and discomfort.
Innovation Solution
A child carrier with an adjustable seat platform and hip belt that allows for ergonomic support, featuring a padded hip belt with multiple adjustment points and a seat platform that can be configured to provide optimal support for the child's hips and legs, enabling secure attachment without releasing the child, and accommodating both inward- and outward-facing positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the body or pouch of the carrier attaches directly to the top of the hip belt, then the carrier structure is simple, but the child's pelvis is squeezed and legs hang down causing hip dysplasia
Solution Approach 1:
The seat is segmented into multiple support surfaces including a first seat surface for the child's bottom, a second seat surface for the thighs, and a third seat surface for the back. This segmentation provides distributed ergonomic support rather than a single attachment point, preventing pelvic squeezing while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds a longitudinal dimension to seat support by extending the seat platform forward from the hip belt attachment point. This creates a bowed front portion that provides structural support in the longitudinal direction, preventing the legs from hanging down while distributing the child's weight across multiple anatomical points.
2Ease of operation
If conventional carriers use a narrow wedge space for the child to sit, then the carrier is compact and easy to wear, but the child experiences discomfort and hip problems
Solution Approach 1:
The seat platform is made adjustable in length and configuration, allowing it to be dynamically adapted to different child sizes and carrier orientations. This adjustability enables the seat to provide optimal support for each child while maintaining ease of wearing through simple adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the seat platform, specifically extending it forward to create a bowed front portion. This parameter change increases the support area and creates appropriate spacing between the child's pelvis and the hip belt attachment point, eliminating the narrow wedge effect while preserving compactness.
3Reliability
If the carrier requires two hands to attach or tighten buckles, then the securing mechanism is reliable, but the caregiver must release the child which can result in harm
Solution Approach 1:
The buckles are positioned and designed to be operable with one hand while the other hand continues to support the child. This self-service design allows the caregiver to secure the carrier without releasing the child, eliminating the harm risk while maintaining securing reliability through proper buckle placement and operation.
4Device complexity
If the carrier is optimized for single orientation, then the design is simple, but it cannot accommodate both inward- and outward-facing positions
Solution Approach 1:
The seat platform is designed with universal adaptability to support the child in both inward-facing and outward-facing orientations. The extended seat with bowed front portion provides structural support that functions effectively in either orientation, allowing the same carrier design to serve multiple purposes without increasing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure concerns a child carrier having a seat platform and a belt assembly adjustment strap each coupled to a belt assembly. The belt assembly adjustment strap is configured to tighten first and second opposing sides of the belt assembly about the waist of the wearer thereby forming a bowed front portion of the belt assembly and a securing the seat platform in a horizontal orientation for supporting the body of the child. The instant child carrier is configured to maintain the body of the carried child in an ergonomically correct position. In addition, the child carrier includes multiple adjustable components for configuring the carrier to a preference of the wearer.