Infant Support Frame for Elevated Playard Access
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing child containment systems, such as playards and bassinets, are inconvenient for caregivers to use with newborns and infants due to the need to reach over tall sides to place or retrieve the infant, and existing solutions like hammock-like sleeping apparatuses are cumbersome to install and lack stability.
Innovation Solution
A child containment system with an infant support unit that can be mounted above the bassinet or playard, featuring a frame with stands and connectors for secure attachment and easy detachment, allowing for multiple operational modes including a self-supporting independent mode, which enhances caregiver convenience and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the playard side walls are made tall to contain the child, then the child containment capability is improved, but the caregiver accessibility to the infant is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The playard interior space is segmented into two levels: an upper infant support surface and a lower play surface. This segmentation allows the tall side walls to maintain containment while the upper surface provides caregiver-accessible infant placement without requiring reaching over the full height of the side walls.
Solution Approach 2:
The infant support is elevated from the traditional ground-level playard bottom to an upper position within the playard interior. This vertical dimension change allows caregivers to access infants at a more convenient height while the tall side walls continue to provide containment from the exterior.
2Reliability
If the connectors are designed to loop around the crib rails, then the attachment capability is improved, but the installation complexity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system is divided into discrete connector components that can be independently attached to each rail. Each connector is a simple clip-like element that attaches to one rail at a time, simplifying the installation process compared to continuous looping connectors while maintaining secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of looping connectors around the rails as described in prior art, the invention uses connectors that clip onto the rails from the exterior. This inverted approach simplifies the connection mechanism by eliminating the need to thread and loop connectors through the rail structure.
3Ease of operation
If the infant support unit is suspended from the top rails, then the caregiver accessibility is improved, but the structural complexity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The frame structure of the infant support unit is merged with the connection system, combining the support function and the attachment function into a single integrated structure. The frame itself incorporates the connectors, eliminating the need for separate suspension mechanisms and reducing overall structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame structure serves multiple functions: it provides structural support for the infant, incorporates connectors for attachment to the playard rails, and enables both suspended and independent operational modes. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional components, simplifying the overall structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A child containment system includes a child containment structure defining an interior space to be occupied by an infant and including an infant support surface within the interior space, and an infant support unit configured for use in a first operational mode in which the infant support unit is coupled to the child containment structure and disposed within the interior space above the infant support surface. The infant support unit and the child containment structure include respective connectors to secure the infant support unit in the first operational mode. The infant support unit includes a frame configured for use of the infant support unit in a second operational mode in which the infant support unit is independent of the child containment structure.