Inflatable Booster Cushion with Harness for Lap Belt Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing booster cushions and seats are bulky, uncomfortable, and difficult to carry due to their rigid nature, and previous inflatable designs have failed to adequately guide the seat belt to ensure correct positioning and retention, posing a risk of injury in collisions.
Innovation Solution
An inflatable booster cushion with a base formed by at least one inflatable member and a harness with seat belt receiving members to secure the lap belt over the pelvic region, combined with an optional backrest for shoulder belt guidance, providing comfort and ease of transport by deflating for compact storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid base is used for the booster cushion, then the booster cushion provides stable support and correct seat belt positioning, but it becomes bulky and uncomfortable to carry
Solution Approach 1:
The base is designed as an inflatable member that can be inflated to provide rigid support during use and deflated to reduce bulk for carrying. This dynamic transformation allows the same structure to fulfill both requirements of stability and portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical state of the base is changed from rigid to flexible by using an inflatable structure. When inflated, it provides the necessary rigidity for support; when deflated, it becomes compact and easy to carry, thus changing the parameter of structural rigidity based on usage needs.
2Ease of operation
If an inflatable base is used for the booster cushion, then it reduces bulk and improves comfort, but it fails to adequately guide the seat belt to ensure correct positioning
Solution Approach 1:
A harness with seat belt receiving members is introduced as an intermediary between the inflatable base and the seat belt. This harness provides the necessary guidance and retention structures to ensure correct seat belt positioning, while the inflatable base continues to provide comfort and portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is divided into separate functional components: the inflatable base for comfort and portability, and the harness with receiving members for seat belt guidance and retention. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its specific function without compromising the other.
3Volume of moving object
If the booster cushion is designed to be compact for easy storage, then it improves portability, but it becomes difficult to ensure adequate support for correct seat belt positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The booster cushion transitions from a compact deflated state for storage to an inflated state that provides adequate support. The dynamic inflation allows the same structure to fulfill both compact storage and adequate support requirements at different times.
Data Source
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AI summary
A booster cushion for use in a vehicle, comprising a base (2) consisting of at least one inflatable member, upon which the child may sit, and a harness (6) adapted to fit over at least a front portion of the base to retain the base, said harness being provided with seat belt receiving members (14, 16) on either side of the harness (6) to be positioned, in use, on either side of the base (2) for receiving a lap belt portion of a vehicle seat belt to retain the base (2) upon the vehicle seat and such that the lap belt portion extends over the pelvic region of a child.