Rotatable clip-on table seat
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing collapsible seat frames for small children are not effectively attachable to tables with substantial downwardly extending skirts, compromising compactness and ease of use, and often limit caregiver access due to fixed seating orientation.
Innovation Solution
A rotatable clip-on table seat with moveable clamping arms and user-adjustable clamp members that can extend below table skirts, allowing 360-degree rotation and secure attachment to tables with aprons, featuring a selectively releasable ratcheting mechanism for easy operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing collapsible seat frames are attached to tables with substantial downwardly extending skirts, then the seat can be secured to the table, but the attachment mechanism becomes complex and the seat loses compactness when folded
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism is divided into separate functional components: grip arms that contact the table top, clamping arms that extend downward to engage the skirt, and clamp members with extensible members that apply clamping force. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall compactness when folded.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping arms are designed to nest within or alongside the grip arms when folded, and the extensible members are stored within the clamp member housings. This nesting arrangement minimizes the overall footprint of the attachment mechanism when the seat is not in use, maintaining compactness for portability.
2Ease of operation
If the seat is fixed in a single orientation facing the table, then the attachment structure is simple, but caregiver access to the child is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The seat is designed with a rotatable mounting mechanism that allows it to rotate 360 degrees about a vertical axis while remaining securely attached to the table. This dynamic capability enables the seat to be reoriented to any direction, providing caregivers with flexible access from any side of the table without requiring detachment and reattachment.
3Reliability
If clamp members are positioned to engage the underside of the table, then secure attachment is achieved, but obstruction with table structures during positioning occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp members are designed with extensible members that can be pre-positioned or easily extended upward to clear table obstructions such as aprons or decorative elements during the positioning phase. Once the seat is properly positioned, the extensible members are retracted or locked in place to engage the underside of the table for secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The extensible members act as intermediaries between the clamp members and the table surface. They can extend upward to clear obstructions and then retract to engage the table underside, effectively mediating between the need for clear positioning and secure attachment.
Data Source
AI summary
A rotatable clip-on seat for attachment adjacent an edge of a tabletop comprising a main frame supporting a seat for a child and grip arms extending distally from the seat for positioning atop the table. Moveable clamping arms connect to the main frame and are rotatable about a longitudinal axis between folded and unfolded orientations. When unfolded, the clamping arms extend downwardly from the main frame and forwardly, generally parallel to the grip arms on the underside of the tabletop opposite of the grip arms. User-adjustable clamps connected to the clamping arms include upwardly extendable members to engage the underside of the table to secure the seat frame to the tabletop. The clamps are pivotable about a clamp axis which is parallel to the longitudinal axis to ease installation on the tabletop and to allow frame folding for storage which positions the clamping arms and clamps generally between the grip arms. Extensible member position is adjusted by a selectively releasable ratcheting apparatus conveniently accessible to the user for both ratcheting and releasing operations. The seat may be rotated about an upstanding axis and locked into one of a plurality of orientations to enable user-selectable orientation of the child occupant.