Rotatable Frame Chair Support and Booster Seat for Aquatic Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wheelchairs, especially aquatic models for children, are prone to instability when entering water due to a straight backrest and low seat height, leading to slipping or falling, and booster seats often fail to provide secure support, causing users to fall or float uncontrollably.
Innovation Solution
A chair support and booster seat design featuring a rotatable frame with securement arms, a seatbelt, and adjustable straps to securely attach to a chair, providing enhanced stability and support by engaging the user's body and preventing sliding or floating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a straight backrest is used in aquatic wheelchairs, then the structure is simple, but children slip from the chair when entering water
Solution Approach 1:
The backrest is designed with a curved contour that follows the natural shape of the user's back, providing better support and preventing slipping. The curved surface creates friction and contact points that keep the user securely positioned during water entry, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and slipping prevention.
2Ease of operation
If the seat height is kept low at nineteen inches from the floor, then the wheelchair is compact, but children are dunked under water when entering a pool
Solution Approach 1:
The wheelchair incorporates a tilt-in-space mechanism that dynamically adjusts the seat angle during water entry. The seat can be tilted backward to elevate the user's position above water level during entry, then return to a standard position for normal use, resolving the contradiction between compact height and safe water entry.
3Ease of operation
If a booster seat is not secured properly to the chair, then the attachment is easy to install, but the user falls from the chair
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system includes visual and mechanical feedback indicators that confirm proper securing. When the booster seat is correctly attached, indicators show a secure state, providing feedback to the user that the attachment is reliable. This resolves the contradiction by making proper attachment verifiable while maintaining ease of installation.
4Reliability
If the booster floats in water, then the booster is buoyant, but the seating area becomes unstable
Solution Approach 1:
The booster seat incorporates weighted components or ballast that counteract the buoyant force of the floating material. This creates a stable equilibrium where the booster remains buoyant for water entry but the added weight prevents excessive floating that would cause instability, resolving the contradiction between buoyancy and seating stability.
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
The design significantly enhances user safety and stability by preventing sliding and floating, ensuring a secure seating experience when entering water or sitting, addressing the limitations of existing wheelchairs and booster seats.
Implementation Method 1
Rotational couplings which are held in position via friction
Data Source
AI summary
A chair support and booster seat is shown and described. The chair support and booster seat is comprised of a frame. The frame is comprised of a lower frame section rotatably coupled to an upper frame section. The upper frame section is comprised of a pair of vertical supports. A securement arm is rotatably coupled to each one of the pair of vertical supports. A chair seat is secured to the lower frame section.