Adjustable Juvenile Vehicle Seat Width With Pivoting Armrests
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional juvenile vehicle seats lack the ability to dynamically adjust their width to accommodate children of varying sizes, which can lead to discomfort and inadequate safety during vehicle travel.
Innovation Solution
A juvenile vehicle seat with a width-control system that includes rotatable actuators and movers for armrests and side wings, allowing the seat base and backrest to widen or narrow, ensuring a secure and comfortable fit for children of different sizes through pivoting mechanisms and bevel gear interconnections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the seat width is fixed to provide structural simplicity, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to different child sizes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the armrests and side wings movable rather than fixed. The armrests can pivot about pivot axes relative to the seat bottom, and the side wings can pivot relative to the backrest, allowing the seat width to be dynamically adjusted to match different child sizes while maintaining a manageable mechanical structure through defined pivot points and linkages.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements nesting by integrating the width-adjustment mechanism within the existing seat structure. The movable armrests and side wings are nested within the overall seat framework, with the adjustment linkages contained within the structural boundaries, allowing complexity to be hidden within the existing form factor rather than adding external bulk.
2Adaptability or versatility
If movable components are added to adjust seat width, then adaptability to different child sizes is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the width-adjustment function with the existing seat structure by integrating the movable armrests and side wings into the base and backrest frameworks. The adjustment mechanism shares structural elements with the seat itself, such as using the backrest as a mounting point for side wings and the seat bottom as a mounting point for armrests, thereby reducing the need for entirely separate adjustment systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable armrests and side wings serve multiple functions: they provide structural support for the seat, enable width adjustment for different child sizes, and maintain safety harness attachment points. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional dedicated components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving adaptability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the armrests and side wings are made movable to widen or narrow the seat, then comfort and safety for different child sizes are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the seat into distinct movable and fixed components: the base and backrest remain relatively fixed, while the armrests and side wings are segmented as movable elements that can pivot independently. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured separately using standard processes, then assembled with simple pivot connections, reducing overall manufacturing complexity despite the added adjustability.
Data Source
AI summary
A juvenile vehicle seat includes a base, a seat back, and a width controller. The base includes a seat bottom and first and second armrests mounted for pivotable movement on opposite sides of the seat bottom. The width controller can be operated to cause the first and second armrests to pivot relative to one another and to the seat bottom.