Infant Carrier Short-Height Handle and Pivotable Strap
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing child restraints for infants do not provide a convenient and ergonomic way for caregivers to transport infants outside of vehicles, often resulting in cumbersome and uncomfortable handling due to tall carry handles that cause the seat bucket to hang low and bang against the caregiver's legs.
Innovation Solution
A child restraint system featuring a short-height carry handle with a low-profile, pivotable seat-bucket lifter that transitions between closed and opened positions, allowing easy infant placement and comfortable transport by pivoting laterally across the seat bucket, reducing the need for bulky pivot hubs and minimizing pressure points on the caregiver's arm.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a tall carry handle is used, then the seat bucket can be lifted and transported, but the seat bucket hangs low and bangs against the caregiver's legs causing discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The carry handle is designed to pivot between a vertical transport position and a horizontal stowed position. During transport, the handle extends vertically to provide leverage. When not in use, the handle pivots horizontally to clear the caregiver's legs, eliminating the banging issue while maintaining lifting capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle transitions from a single vertical dimension to two dimensions by pivoting. It moves from extending upward (vertical dimension only) to extending sideways (horizontal dimension added), allowing it to clear the caregiver's legs during transport while still providing adequate lift when needed.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a bulky pivot hub is used, then the carry handle can pivot between positions, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the bulky pivot hub from the center of the seat bucket and extracts only the essential pivoting function. The handle is allowed to pivot freely at its attachment point without requiring a complex centralized hub, simplifying the overall mechanism while maintaining position flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle connection uses a flexible, minimalistic pivot joint rather than a rigid bulky hub. This flexible connection allows the handle to pivot between vertical and horizontal positions without requiring complex mechanical structures, reducing device complexity while maintaining adaptability.
3Ease of operation
If the carry strap is fixed in position, then the structure is simple, but it is difficult for the caregiver to place the infant in the seat bucket
Solution Approach 1:
The carry strap is designed to pivot laterally at its attachment point, allowing it to move from a horizontal transport position to a vertical access position. This dynamic movement creates an opening that facilitates easy infant placement while maintaining structural simplicity when the strap is in its closed transport position.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivotable strap is pre-positioned in a closed horizontal configuration during transport. When infant placement is needed, the strap can be quickly pivoted to an opened vertical position, preparing the access path in advance without requiring complex mechanisms or manual manipulation.
4Ease of operation
If the low-profile carry strap is pivoted laterally, then the infant-receiving space is accessible, but the carry strap must be released from the buckle
Solution Approach 1:
The strap and buckle are pre-configured in a locked horizontal position during transport. The lateral pivoting motion simultaneously achieves two things: it opens the infant-receiving space and maintains the strap's connection point, allowing quick access without requiring release and reattachment of the buckle.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of strap deployment and space opening into a single lateral pivoting motion. This combined action eliminates the need for separate steps of releasing the buckle and then opening the space, reducing the time required for infant placement.
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 system enables caregivers to efficiently and comfortably transport infants away from vehicles by using a compact, ergonomic handle that maintains the seat bucket closer to the waist, reducing discomfort and improving leverage during carrying.
Implementation Method 1
a hinge coupled to the first strap mount to establish the pivot axis
Implementation Method 2
The low-profile carry strap cooperates with the buckle to form a pivotable seat-bucket lifter that can be used by a caregiver to lift and transport the seat bucket
Data Source
AI summary
A child restraint includes an infant carrier and a handle coupled to the infant carrier. The handle is mounted for movement relative to the infant carrier.