Playard Frame with Topper Mount Sockets for Modular Accessory Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional playards are cumbersome to set up and stow away due to complicated folding and latching mechanisms, bulky, expensive, and pose entrapment hazards during partial folding or unfolding, while also lacking ease of use and stability, especially when transitioning between configurations.
Innovation Solution
A foldable playard frame design with pivot and slidable X-frame assemblies that provide structural support without additional top rails or bottom structures, featuring clearances and mechanical stops to prevent entrapment, and simplified latching mechanisms for easier operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional folding and latching mechanisms are used in playards, then the playard can be folded and stored, but the setup and stowage processes become cumbersome and complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The playard frame is divided into multiple X-frame assemblies that can be independently folded and latched. Each X-frame assembly includes two leg support assemblies connected by two X-frame tubes forming an X-shape, allowing segmented folding and storage while maintaining structural integrity during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The X-frame assemblies incorporate pivot joints at key locations (between X-frame tubes and leg support assemblies) that enable dynamic transformation between deployed and folded configurations. These pivot joints allow the frame to smoothly transition between states without requiring complex latching mechanisms during the folding process itself.
2Stability of the object's composition
If additional top rails and bottom structures are added to provide structural support, then the playard gains stability, but the device becomes bulkier and more expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The X-frame tubes serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide structural support equivalent to top rails, enable folding through pivot joints, and form the basic framework of the playard. The leg support assemblies similarly serve both as support structures and as the folding mechanism itself, eliminating the need for separate bottom structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of top rails, bottom structures, and folding mechanisms into a single integrated X-frame assembly design. The X-frame tubes and leg support assemblies work together as a unified structure that provides both structural support and folding capability, reducing the total number of components.
3Ease of operation
If the playard is designed to be foldable for portability, then it can be stored compactly, but entrapment hazards arise during partial folding or unfolding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates preliminary safety features into the X-frame assembly design to prevent entrapment before it can occur. Pivot joints are positioned and dimensioned to maintain safe clearances between X-frame tubes and leg support assemblies throughout the folding range. Mechanical stops and guide features ensure that the frame either remains fully deployed or fully folded, preventing dangerous intermediate states where entrapment could occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses simple, robust pivot joints and tubular structures that are inherently safe and easy to manufacture. These components are designed to be replaceable if needed, using simple geometries that minimize entrapment risks while keeping manufacturing costs low.
4Reliability
If multiple latching mechanisms are used to secure the frame, then the playard remains stable when deployed, but the operation becomes more difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential latching function from complex multi-component mechanisms and implements it through simple geometric interlocking features of the X-frame assemblies. The design relies on the inherent stability of the X-frame structure and pivot joints, requiring minimal active latching components, thereby reducing the time and complexity of deployment while maintaining reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A frame for a foldable playard includes multiple leg support assemblies rotatably coupled to multiple X-frame assemblies. Each leg support assembly includes a corner. The corners include a topper mount socket and the X-frame assemblies include one or more topper supports. The topper mount sockets and the topper supports provide multiple locations along the top periphery of the frame to securely couple and support one or more toppers. For example, the frame may support a topper that provides a changing table and an organizer. The changing table or the organizer is rotatable to provide the caregiver more storage space or the ability to deploy and/or store the changing table while the topper remains installed. In another example, the frame may support a freestanding and collapsible bassinet topper via a bassinet accessory. The bassinet topper provides a support platform without any additional structural support from the frame or the bassinet accessory.