Longitudinal Combined Swing Seat Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional playground swings often have limited capacity, as they typically accommodate only one child, leading to overcrowding and an inability to satisfy the demand for multiple children wanting to play simultaneously, especially when smaller children require parental attention.
Innovation Solution
A combined swing seat design featuring a child safety seat and a regular seat aligned along a common longitudinal axis, allowing infants or small children to swing with a parent while maintaining eye contact, with optional additional seats that can be arranged face-to-face, back-to-back, or back-to-front to accommodate multiple users without increasing space consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If multiple seats are arranged next to each other on a swing, then the capacity increases, but the space consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from arranging seats side-by-side (horizontal arrangement) to arranging seats front-to-front along the longitudinal axis (longitudinal arrangement). This dimensional change allows multiple seats to be positioned in the swinging direction rather than perpendicular to it, thereby increasing capacity without proportionally increasing the lateral space footprint of the swing structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of placing multiple seats adjacent to each other across the width of the swing, the patent inverts the arrangement by placing seats sequentially along the length of the swing in the swinging direction. This inversion of the traditional spatial arrangement resolves the contradiction by maximizing capacity within the available longitudinal space.
2Reliability
If a safety seat is provided for young children, then safety is improved, but the complexity of the seat structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a safety seat designed for young children with a regular seat for adults or older children into a single integrated swing structure. The safety seat includes a base portion, back support, and support frame that work together to provide comprehensive support. By merging these functional elements into one unified design, the patent achieves enhanced safety without requiring multiple separate devices, thereby managing structural complexity efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The swing structure is designed with multi-functionality to accommodate different age groups and safety requirements. The same swing mechanism supports both a safety seat with full support for young children and a regular seat for older children or adults. This universal design allows a single swing installation to serve multiple functions and user groups, reducing the need for additional specialized equipment.
3Ease of operation
If seats are arranged face-to-face or back-to-back, then parental supervision and eye contact are enabled, but the alignment precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetric positioning of seats along the longitudinal axis to achieve face-to-front or back-to-back arrangements. Rather than requiring perfect symmetry, the design allows for asymmetric placement that naturally facilitates parental supervision and eye contact. The asymmetric arrangement is integrated into the overall longitudinal alignment strategy, reducing the stringency of precision requirements compared to symmetric face-to-face configurations.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a swing seat for increased capacity wherein the swing seat for a playground swing extends along a longitudinal axis and the swing seat comprises a first seat portion and a second seat portion coupled to the first seat portion. The first seat portion is a safety seat having a base portion for seating a child and a support frame for supporting a child in an upright position, and the first seat portion is arranged to swing in a general swinging direction substantially coinciding with the longitudinal axis. The second seat portion is arranged in line with the first seat portion along the longitudinal axis so that the first and second seat portions are both aligned to swing together in the general swinging direction.