Magnetic Tray Latching for Easier Infant Chair Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional high chairs are cumbersome to use due to the complexity of aligning and attaching the tray, which requires additional components and increases manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
A unitary tray latching system with magnetic guidance and a multiple stage latching mechanism that allows for easy alignment, secure attachment, and adjustable positioning of the tray, integrated into a high chair design with a frame and seat that can be adjusted in height and recline angle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional high chairs use a simple tray attachment system, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but tray alignment and attachment becomes difficult and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical alignment systems with magnetic fields. Magnets embedded in the tray and corresponding magnetic elements in the seat create automatic alignment through magnetic attraction, eliminating the need for precise mechanical alignment and complex attachment mechanisms while keeping manufacturing costs low.
Solution Approach 2:
The magnetic attachment system enables self-alignment and self-attachment of the tray. When the tray is brought near the seat, magnetic forces automatically guide it into the correct position and secure it, without requiring user effort for alignment or complex manual attachment procedures.
2Manufacturing precision
If multi-layer trays with magnetic guidance are used, then tray alignment is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the magnetic alignment function from complex multi-layer tray structures and implements it through simple embedded magnets in the tray and corresponding magnetic elements in the seat. This separation simplifies the tray design to a single layer while maintaining precise alignment capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The magnetic elements serve multiple functions: they provide alignment guidance, secure attachment, and automatic positioning. This single mechanism replaces multiple separate components that would otherwise be needed for alignment, attachment, and securing, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
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
Simplifies the tray attachment process, reduces manufacturing complexity and costs, and enhances user convenience by providing a secure and adjustable feeding solution for infants and children.
Implementation Method 1
magnetic guide members that are configured to magnetically pull the unitary tray toward the frame
Data Source
AI summary
An infant supporting chair including a frame, a seat movably supported on the frame, a unitary tray and a cooperative guidance and latching system. The cooperative guidance and latching system being configured to magnetically pull the unitary tray toward at least one latching position when the unitary tray is in range of the at least one latching position relative to the seat, releasably secure the unitary tray to the seat when the unitary tray is engaged to the at least one latching position, and slidably position the unitary tray relative to the seat when the unitary tray is partially disengaged from the at least one latching position.