Inflatable Booster Cushion With Lap Belt Positioning Harness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing booster cushions and seats are bulky, uncomfortable, and lack an integral harness, making them difficult to carry and use effectively, as they rely on vehicle seat belts for restraint, which can lead to incorrect positioning of the seat belt and potential injury in collisions due to their rigid nature.
Innovation Solution
A booster cushion with an inflatable base and a harness system featuring seat belt receiving members, such as clips, to securely position the lap belt over the pelvic region, combined with an inflatable design that can be deflated for compact storage, ensuring correct seat belt placement and enhanced comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid base is used for the booster cushion, then the booster cushion can provide structural support and retain the seat belt in the correct position, but it becomes bulky and awkward to carry
Solution Approach 1:
The base is made inflatable, transforming it from a static rigid structure to a dynamic structure that can be inflated to provide support and deflated for portability. This allows the base to adapt between two functional states: structured support during use and compact storage during transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical state of the base is changed from rigid to inflatable, altering its volume and structural properties. When inflated, the base provides adequate structural support; when deflated, it becomes compact and portable, thus resolving the contradiction between strength and ease of operation.
2Ease of operation
If an inflatable base is used for the booster cushion, then portability and comfort are improved, but the ability to adequately guide the lap belt portion of the seat belt is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Seat belt guide members are introduced as intermediary elements that mediate between the inflatable base and the seat belt. These guides ensure the lap belt is correctly positioned over the pelvic region, compensating for the flexibility of the inflatable base and maintaining reliable seat belt positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The inflatable base uses a flexible membrane structure that can be inflated to provide a stable seating surface. This flexible shell maintains its shape when inflated, providing adequate support for guiding the seat belt while remaining portable when deflated.
3Reliability
If a rigid base is used for the booster cushion, then the seat belt can be retained in the correct position, but the booster cushion becomes uncomfortable to sit upon
Solution Approach 1:
The base transitions from a rigid static structure to a dynamic inflatable structure. When inflated, it provides both comfort through air cushioning and structural support for seat belt positioning, simultaneously addressing both reliability and comfort requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The booster cushion combines the inflatable base (providing comfort) with rigid seat belt guide members (providing structural support for reliable seat belt positioning). This composite structure integrates both soft and rigid elements to satisfy conflicting requirements.
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 inflatable booster cushion provides a comfortable, compact, and secure solution for restraining children in vehicles by ensuring the seat belt is correctly positioned over the pelvic region, reducing the risk of injury and improving portability.
Implementation Method 1
The base member is formed from an inflatable member and is inflated with air to a predetermined pressure
Implementation Method 2
The air chambers are self inflating when the inflation valve is opened due to the presence of open cell foam contained within the chambers
Data Source
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.