Incubator Baby Guard Bent Segment Design
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional incubators pose a risk of injury to operators when inserting their arms to lay or lift infants due to the hard edges of the baby guards, and they lack sufficient strength and protection against foreign substances like dust and water.
Innovation Solution
The incubator features baby guards with bent segments that include inclined and horizontal segments, providing a softer edge and increased strength, while also allowing for easy tray loading/unloading and reducing material usage through a specific geometric configuration that prevents foreign substances from entering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the baby guard is made with a straight edge and thin plate (5 mm thickness), then the material usage is reduced and manufacturing is simpler, but the edge becomes hard and may cause injury to operators
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by forming a bent segment at the upper end of the baby guard, where the plate is bent to create an inclined surface and a horizontal surface. This curved configuration softens the edge that would otherwise be straight and hard, eliminating the injury risk to operators while using the same plate thickness material
Solution Approach 2:
The baby guard is segmented into different functional portions: a vertical upper end segment for structural support, an inclined segment for stress distribution, and a horizontal segment for creating a softened edge. This segmentation allows each portion to fulfill its specific function optimally
2Strength
If the baby guard is made with increased plate thickness to enhance strength, then the strength and protection against foreign substances is improved, but the material usage increases and manufacturing becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The bent segment configuration with inclined and horizontal surfaces distributes mechanical stress more effectively than a straight edge, enhancing the structural strength of the baby guard while maintaining the same plate thickness, thereby avoiding the need for thicker plates
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the baby guard by introducing bent segments with specific dimensions (inclined surface and horizontal surface), which optimizes the strength-to-material-ratio without requiring increased plate thickness
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the baby guard has a bent segment configuration, then the edge is softened and strength is enhanced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bent segment is formed by bending the plate in a continuous curve to create inclined and horizontal surfaces, which softens the edge while maintaining structural integrity. This curved design is more effective than sharp edges but adds minimal complexity compared to multiple separate components
Data Source
AI summary
An incubator is provided that prevents damage to the arm of an operator when an arm abuts against the upper end segment of a baby guard relatively hard while inserting the arm into an infant accommodation space. The walls of the baby guards around the infant accommodation space have bent segments that are sufficiently strong to serve as a guard structure on the periphery of the infant accommodation space. Each of the bent segments in the upper end segments of the walls includes an inclined segment and a substantially horizontal segment integrally connected to a distal end of the inclined segment. At least some of the walls can pivot between upward and downward positions, thereby closing or revealing cassette trays.