Child Car Seat Reclining Hinge Layout Without Shell Protrusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing car seats for children have recline mechanisms where the seating protrudes beyond the shell when transitioning from a seated to an extended position, interfering with vehicle backrests and preventing complete reclining.
Innovation Solution
A car seat design featuring a second hinge at the seating and a mechanism allowing the seating and backrest to rotate independently of the shell, with a sliding and rotating overlap, preventing protrusion and maintaining belt tension consistency across positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the seating is allowed to slide forward during reclining to achieve extended position, then the reclining range is improved, but the seating protrudes beyond the shell and interferes with vehicle backrest
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a single-dimensional sliding mechanism to a two-dimensional rotation mechanism. The seating rotates about a transverse axis positioned behind the shell, allowing the reclining motion to occur in a different spatial plane that does not cause forward protrusion beyond the shell boundaries.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of allowing the seating to slide forward during reclining, the patent inverts the approach by positioning the rotation axis behind the shell and rotating the seating backward. This reverses the conventional reclining mechanism to achieve the desired effect of preventing protrusion while maintaining full reclining capability.
2Device complexity
If a single hinge mechanism is used for reclining, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ability to maintain belt tension consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the reclining mechanism into two separate hinge components: a first hinge connecting the backrest to the shell, and a second hinge connecting the seating to the shell. This segmentation allows independent control of backrest and seating angles, enabling consistent belt tension to be maintained throughout the reclining range.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic hinge mechanisms that can rotate and adapt to different angular positions. The hinges are designed to maintain proper geometric relationships between the shell, backrest, and seating during motion, ensuring that belt tension remains consistent as the seat transitions between positions.
Data Source
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AI summary
A car seat for children (1) comprises a shell (2) provided with a cavity, and a seat (3) configured to receive a child and at least partially inserted in the cavity of the shell (2). The seat (3) comprises a backrest (5) and a seating (4). The backrest (5) is rotatably constrained to the shell (2) at a first hinge mechanism (5a). The seating (4) is rotatably constrained to the shell (2) at a second hinge mechanism (4a). The backrest (5) and the seating (4) are movable with respect to the shell (2) to switch the seat (3) between an extended position and a seated position. The backrest (5) and the seating (4) are at least in part overlapped at an overlapping zone (6), and the backrest (5) and the seating (4) are slidably constrained to each other at the overlapping zone (6) by movement means (6a) for switching the seat (3) between the extended position and the seated position.