Playpen
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional playpen frames are cumbersome for storage and transport due to their limited folding configurations and requirement of lifting when folded.
Innovation Solution
A playpen design with independently folding standing legs and a locking mechanism for multiple folding configurations, allowing the upper frame assembly to fold and unfold independently, facilitating more flexible transport and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the playpen frame uses a conventional construction with top rails connected via four corners and standing legs connected through bar linkages, then the structure provides stability and support, but the playpen can only fold into one configuration and must be lifted for transport, making it cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The upper frame assembly is divided into multiple independent foldable sections (first and second side frame portions) that can fold relative to each other about vertical pivot axes. This segmentation allows the frame to collapse into multiple configurations without requiring complete disassembly or lifting, directly improving storage convenience while maintaining structural integrity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic folding capabilities through pivot connections that allow the upper frame assembly to transition between unfolded and folded states. The side frame portions can rotate about vertical pivot axes, enabling the structure to adapt its configuration based on transport or storage needs, thereby improving ease of operation without excessive complexity
2Volume of moving object
If the upper frame assembly is designed to fold completely for compact storage, then storage space is reduced, but the assembly process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The standing legs are pre-connected to the upper frame assembly at corner joining parts before final assembly. This preliminary connection allows the frame to be collapsed to a partially folded state for storage without requiring complete disassembly, reducing storage volume while keeping assembly straightforward by maintaining pre-established connection points
Solution Approach 2:
The foldable side frame portions are designed to nest together when folded, with the first and second side frame portions collapsing into a compact arrangement. This nesting reduces the overall storage volume of the playpen while maintaining ease of assembly through the pivot connections that guide the folding motion
3Stability of the object's composition
If the standing legs are connected through multiple bar linkages to a bottom center hub, then the playpen provides stable support when unfolded, but the folding mechanism requires unlocking and pulling the hub upward, reducing operational ease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the bottom center hub and its associated locking mechanism from the design. Instead, the standing legs are directly connected to the upper frame assembly at corner joining parts, allowing the legs to fold independently without requiring hub unlocking or upward pulling. This extraction simplifies the folding operation while maintaining stability through the direct pivot connections to the stable upper frame
Data Source
AI summary
A playpen includes a plurality of standing legs, an upper frame assembly coupled with the standing legs and having an unfolded state and a folded state, and a locking mechanism for locking the upper frame assembly in the unfolded state. The upper frame assembly includes a corner joining part, a middle joining part, and a bar respectively connected pivotally with the corner joining part and the middle joining part about a first and a second pivot axis, the first and second pivot axes extending substantially vertically when the playpen stands on a floor surface.