Child Mobility Device Steering Rod and Braking System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current child transportation devices, such as strollers, carriages, scooters, and wagons, are cumbersome, limit interaction between children and parents, and lack safety and control features, making them inefficient and unsafe for transporting children who can walk, especially in public spaces and on mass transportation.
Innovation Solution
A child mobility device with a steering rod affixed to a wheel base, allowing a non-riding person to steer and control the device, featuring a braking system that defaults to the engaged position for safety, and accommodating children in standing, sitting, or squatting positions, with a platform for active riding and easy folding for portability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If strollers or carriages are used to transport young children, then children can be moved efficiently, but children old enough to walk become restless and bored, and parents cannot easily interact with them
Solution Approach 1:
The device allows children to transition between sitting and standing positions dynamically. The seat can be removed or adjusted, and the footrest can be repositioned, enabling the child to stand alongside the parent during transport, thereby improving interaction while maintaining transportation efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The device separates the seating function from the transportation function. The seat is a removable component that can be detached when the child needs to stand, allowing the parent to push the device while the child stands alongside, facilitating both efficient transport and easy interaction
2Productivity
If children are confined to small carriages or strollers, then they can be transported, but they are removed from direct involvement with their parent or guardian
Solution Approach 1:
The device adapts to different interaction needs by allowing the child to sit when rest is needed and stand when interaction is desired. The convertible design enables seamless transition between these states, maintaining both transportation capability and child involvement throughout the journey
3Ease of operation
If traditional transportation devices like wagons or tricycles with push bars are used, then children can be transported actively, but they are bulky and strenuous for adults
Solution Approach 1:
The device divides the propulsion function from the steering function. The child provides active propulsion by pushing against the ground with their feet, while the parent only needs to steer by holding the handlebar, significantly reducing the physical effort required by the adult compared to dragging wagons or pushing heavy tricycles
4Ease of operation
If scooters are used for child transportation, then children can move actively, but parents have no control over their movement and it can be unsafe
Solution Approach 1:
The device merges the independence of scooter-style active movement with parental control. The child propels themselves actively like on a scooter, but the parent maintains control through the handlebar steering mechanism and safety belt, combining child autonomy with adult supervision for safe and active transportation
5Adaptability or versatility
If children are transported in standing position, then they can interact better with parents, but the device must be stable and safe
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates a safety belt system that secures the child before standing or moving occurs. This pre-cautionary measure ensures that even when the child is standing alongside the parent, they remain securely attached to the device, maintaining stability and safety while enabling better interaction
Data Source
AI summary
A child's active transportation device comprising: a steering rod permanently or removably affixed to a wheel base, said wheel base having a platform and mechanism or device for affixing a plurality of wheels to said wheel base, and also having a plurality of wheels and associated equipment and method of use.