Ellipsoidal Child Car Seat Path for Side-Facing Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing child car seat systems with rotating bases are difficult to rotate and are limited to a single axis, which can disturb adjacent occupants or child car seats when rotated, and do not provide sufficient clearance for easy access.
Innovation Solution
A child car seat system incorporating an ellipsoidal path system, which includes a track member with curvilinear side rails and a central rail, and a carriage affixed to the child seat that can translate and rotate relative to the track member, allowing the seat to rotate from a front-facing or rear-facing position to a side-facing position while maintaining clearance from adjacent occupants or seats.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the child car seat is secured to a rotating base that swivels about a center point or axis, then accessibility for buckling and unbuckling children is improved, but the system becomes difficult to rotate and is directionally limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from single-axis rotation to multi-axis movement by incorporating both a rotating base (providing rotational freedom) and a sliding mechanism along curved guide rails (providing translational freedom). This two-dimensional movement capability allows the car seat to reach various positions including side-facing orientations for improved accessibility while maintaining rotational smoothness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic movement capabilities where the car seat can rotate about a vertical axis and simultaneously slide along curved guide rails. This dynamic combination of rotational and translational degrees of freedom enables smooth, multi-directional positioning that improves accessibility without requiring excessive rotational force at any single moment.
2Device complexity
If the rotating base swivels about a single center point or axis, then the rotation mechanism is simplified, but adjacent occupants or child car seats are disturbed when rotated
Solution Approach 1:
By adding the sliding degree of freedom along curved guide rails to the existing rotational movement, the system can achieve side-facing positions without requiring large-angle rotations that would disturb adjacent occupants. The combined rotational and translational movement allows the seat to move outward while rotating, maintaining clearance from neighboring seats.
3Device complexity
If the child car seat rotates about a single center point, then the base structure is simplified, but sufficient clearance is not provided for easy access
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides dynamic positioning capability through the combination of rotation and sliding along curved guide rails. This allows the car seat to move to optimal positions for accessibility (such as side-facing orientations near the vehicle door) while maintaining a relatively simple base structure. The curved guide rails guide the sliding movement and ensure proper rotation center maintenance.
Data Source
AI summary
Example systems, methods, and apparatus are disclosed herein for a child car seat system implementing an ellipsoidal path. A child car seat system includes a base, a child seat, and an ellipsoidal path system. The ellipsoidal path system includes at least a track member, affixed to the base, and a carriage, affixed to the child seat. The carriage is configured to translate and rotate relative to the track member.