Height-Adjustable Crib with Sliding Door for Wheelchair Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cribs are difficult for wheelchair-using caretakers to access due to their design, which often requires caretakers to bend or reach over the high side rails, posing stability issues and risks of falls when handling infants, and existing solutions either do not allow for full wheelchair passage underneath the crib or require cumbersome door operation.
Innovation Solution
A crib with a two-column lifting system that allows the carriage to elevate and lower, featuring a sliding door system with centrally located latches and rollers that maintain rigidity and allow wheelchair access, and a magnetic mattress foundation for safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the crib side panels are made high to restrict the child, then child safety is improved, but wheelchair access for caretakers becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The crib incorporates a height-adjustable carriage system with telescoping lifting columns that allow the sleeping area to be raised or lowered. This dynamic adjustment enables wheelchair users to access the crib by lowering the carriage to an accessible height, while maintaining high side panels for child safety when elevated.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces vertical dimension adjustment through the lifting system, allowing the crib carriage to move between elevated and lowered positions. This dimensional change resolves the conflict between maintaining high side panels for safety and providing accessible height for wheelchair users.
2Ease of operation
If the crib is designed for wheelchair access, then caretaker accessibility is improved, but structural stability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The door system is extracted from the traditional fixed panel design and implemented as a sliding door that moves along tracks. This allows the door to be positioned independently while maintaining the structural integrity of the side panels, providing wheelchair access without compromising overall stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The telescoping lifting columns provide dynamic height adjustment while maintaining structural stability through controlled mechanical movement. The synchronized lifting mechanism ensures even weight distribution, preserving structural integrity during height changes.
3Ease of operation
If a sliding door system is implemented, then wheelchair passage is improved, but door rigidity and shape maintenance become challenging
Solution Approach 1:
Horizontal bars are introduced as intermediary structural elements that connect the sliding door panels to the crib frame. These bars provide additional support and rigidity to the sliding door system, maintaining shape stability while allowing smooth wheelchair passage through the opened door.
4Ease of operation
If the lifting system raises the carriage for wheelchair access, then accessibility is improved, but the risk of infant falls increases
Solution Approach 1:
The synchronized telescoping lifting columns raise and lower the entire carriage including the mattress and infant together as a unified system. This controlled dynamic movement eliminates the need for caretakers to bend or reach over high rails, reducing fall risks while maintaining safe infant containment during position changes.
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
Enables safe and easy access for wheelchair users by allowing the crib to be lowered for safe infant handling and raised for wheelchair passage, reducing the risk of falls and improving accessibility without obstructing the wheelchair's path.
Implementation Method 1
The left lifting column has a linear actuator and the right lifting column has a linear actuator
Implementation Method 2
magnetic mattress foundation for safety
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a crib that elevates a carriage from the lowered position to height that is user defined. The lifting motion is operated by holding buttons on controls on the unit or a wireless remote; releasing the button stops the motion. While in the elevated position, a sliding door assembly provides access to the inside of the carriage while leaving the underside of the carriage free of obstruction as to permit wheelchair using caretakers to freely pull underneath the elevated carriage. The carriage of the crib includes a mattress support, rear wall, right wall, left wall, and a front wall having a left and right sliding door. A telescoping lifting column is fastened to each of the right wall and left wall. The lifting columns have an electric linear actuator that perform the lifting and lowering operations of the carriage. The lifting columns extend downward and are fastened to feet.