Removable Play Yard Soft Goods Assembly for Easy Cleaning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional play yards have soft goods permanently attached to a rigid frame, making them difficult and time-consuming to clean due to dirt and spills, and requiring damage to remove or wash.

Innovation Solution

A play yard design with removable soft goods assemblies that include a guiding component on corner posts and a connector system allowing for detachable assembly and tensioning, enabling easy disassembly and cleaning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If soft goods are permanently attached to the rigid frame, then structural stability is improved, but ease of cleaning deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidease of cleaning

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The play yard is divided into two separable parts: a rigid frame and removable soft goods assemblies. Each soft good assembly can be independently detached from the frame, allowing the soft goods to be removed for cleaning while the frame remains in place. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by enabling both structural stability during use and ease of cleaning when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The connection between soft goods and frame transitions from static permanent attachment to dynamic removable attachment. The guiding components and constraining clips allow the soft goods to be easily attached and detached, providing structural stability when assembled and ease of cleaning when disassembled.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Strength

If soft goods are permanently attached to the rigid frame, then structural integrity is improved, but ease of repair deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidease of repair

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the play yard into a permanent frame and removable soft goods assemblies, the design allows the soft goods to be easily replaced when worn or damaged without affecting the structural integrity of the frame. The frame remains intact while soft goods can be independently repaired or replaced.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Duration of action of stationary object

If soft goods are permanently attached to the rigid frame, then product durability is improved, but loss of time deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduct durabilityVSAvoidloss of time

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of stationary objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The dynamic attachment system allows quick removal and reattachment of soft goods, dramatically reducing the time required for cleaning and maintenance while preserving the durability of both the frame and soft goods through proper design of the connection mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS11510503B2Play yard with removable soft goods

Publication Date: 2022.11.29 WONDERLAND SWITZERLAND AG

AI summary

A play yard includes a plurality of corner posts, a plurality of rails, a floor structure and at least one soft good assembly. Each of the plurality of corner posts includes a first guiding component. Each of the plurality of rails is connected between two adjacent corner posts. The floor structure is connected to the plurality of corner posts. The soft good assembly includes soft goods, a soft goods connector and a second guiding component. The soft goods connector is fixed to the soft goods. The second guiding component is connected to the soft goods connector and adapted to be detachably assembled with the corner post via the first guiding component for tensioning the soft goods.