Honeycomb Child Safety Seat Structure for Impact Absorption

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional child safety seats fail to meet stringent safety requirements due to inadequate energy absorption, leading to energy transfer to the child during impacts, and suffer from breathability issues, especially in warm weather.

Innovation Solution

A child safety seat with a frame and an impact absorbing assembly comprising a deformable polymeric layer and honeycomb cellular inserts that absorb energy through plastic deformation, enhancing energy absorption and breathability by allowing air flow through perforations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If a traditional EPP pad is used in the child safety seat, then the seat structure is simple and economical, but the energy absorption capability is insufficient and does not meet new safety requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy absorptionVSAvoidseat structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines EPP foam material with honeycomb cellular structures to create a composite impact-absorbing assembly. The honeycomb structure comprises interconnected cells that deform during impact to absorb additional energy, while the EPP foam provides baseline cushioning. This composite approach significantly increases energy absorption capability without creating a completely new seat structure, as the honeycomb can be integrated into existing seat designs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The honeycomb cellular structure consists of numerous interconnected porous cells that collapse and deform during impact events. This porous architecture provides large surface area for energy dissipation through cell wall deformation, dramatically increasing the energy absorption capacity of the seat while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure that can be manufactured using conventional processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

2Loss of energy

If the seat structure is made solid and dense to improve safety, then energy absorption improves, but breathability deteriorates and the child suffers from heat

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy absorptionVSAvoidbreathability
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The honeycomb cellular structure inherently provides porosity and ventilation channels that allow air to circulate between the cells. During normal use, these open cells facilitate breathability and heat dissipation. During impact, the same cellular walls deform to absorb energy. This dual functionality resolves the contradiction between needing dense structure for safety and porous structure for breathability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The solid impact-absorbing material is segmented into numerous discrete cellular compartments forming the honeycomb structure. This segmentation creates internal channels for air flow that maintain breathability, while the collective deformation of all cell walls during impact provides superior energy absorption compared to a solid block of equivalent external dimensions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Loss of energy

If honeycomb cellular inserts are added to increase energy absorption, then safety improves, but the risk of lateral movement and insertion difficulty increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy absorptionVSAvoidinsertion ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The honeycomb cellular inserts are pre-configured with orientation indicators and guiding features that align with corresponding recesses in the seat frame before insertion. The cellular structure itself is designed to be slightly compressible, allowing it to be pushed into place with moderate force while maintaining its load-bearing capacity once installed. This preliminary preparation and design consideration facilitates ease of installation while preserving the energy absorption benefits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

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

The solution effectively absorbs impact energy, minimizes injuries, and maintains comfort by improving breathability and durability of the seat, while meeting safety regulations.

Implementation Method 1

Said cells are configured to absorb energy by plastic deformation in response to a longitudinal compressive load applied to said cells

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPlastic deformation: Plasticity

Implementation Method 2

The impact absorbing assembly comprises a deformable polymeric layer and at least one honeycomb cellular insert associated with the deformable polymeric layer

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS12427897B2Child safety seat
Publication Date: 2025.09.30 GEORGE TFE SCP
  • US12427897B2 patent drawing
  • US12427897B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Child safety seat (1) for a vehicle (30) comprising a frame (2) shaped so as to accommodate a child (40) in a child area (3), the frame (2) comprising a sitting portion (2A), a backrest portion (2B) and side portions (2C); at least one impact absorbing assembly (4) connected to the frame (2) and comprising: a deformable polymeric layer (5); at least one honeycomb cellular insert (6) associated with the deformable polymeric layer (5). The at least one honeycomb cellular insert (6) comprises a plurality of open cells (7) having longitudinal axes (L) extending out of an inner/outer surface of the frame (2), said cells (7) being configured to absorb energy by plastic deformation in response to a longitudinal compressive load applied to said cells (7); and the deformable polymeric layer (5) is shaped so as to contain the at least one honeycomb cellular insert (6).