Rotating Car Seat Base With Annular Crash-Absorbing Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing car seat systems with improved safety features often result in bulkier or heavier designs, making removal and carriage difficult, while maintaining crash resistance is a challenge.
Innovation Solution
A car seat system featuring an annular member that surrounds the seat, providing crash resistance and allowing for a reduction in material usage, thus making the seat lighter and easier to carry, with rotatable mounting and secure attachment mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional safety features are added to improve crash resistance, then crash resistance is improved, but the car seat becomes bulkier and heavier
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the crash protection function between two components: the base (with energy absorbing elements) and the car seat. By segmenting the safety system, the car seat itself can be made lighter while the base provides the necessary crash resistance through its energy absorbing structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The base incorporates energy absorbing elements (such as deformable structures, foam, or spring mechanisms) that are designed to deform or compress during a crash to absorb impact energy before it reaches the car seat, thereby protecting the occupant without requiring the car seat itself to be heavily reinforced.
2Reliability
If additional safety features are added to improve crash resistance, then crash resistance is improved, but the car seat becomes bulkier
Solution Approach 1:
The crash protection function is segmented between the base and the car seat. The base contains the energy absorbing elements, allowing the car seat to maintain a compact, lightweight design without sacrificing overall system crash resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The base acts as an intermediary component between the vehicle and the car seat, absorbing crash energy through its energy absorbing elements. This intermediary structure protects the car seat from requiring bulky reinforcement while still providing the necessary crash resistance.
3Ease of operation
If the car seat is made lighter to improve ease of carrying, then ease of operation is improved, but crash resistance may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the weight and safety functions: the car seat is made lightweight for easy carrying, while the base provides the necessary crash resistance through its energy absorbing elements. The overall system maintains high reliability even though the car seat portion is lightweight.
4Reliability
If more material is used in the car seat to improve crash resistance, then crash resistance is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The crash protection function is segmented to the base, which contains the energy absorbing elements. This allows the car seat to be manufactured with less material, reducing its manufacturing cost, while the base provides the necessary crash resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The energy absorbing elements in the base are designed to deform or be replaced after a crash, providing a cost-effective solution. Rather than making the entire car seat expensive and heavily reinforced, only the base's energy absorbing components need to be robust, allowing for more economical manufacturing of the car seat itself.
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
Enhances crash resistance and reduces the seat's weight and material requirements, enabling easier handling and potentially lower production costs.
Implementation Method 1
the annular member can serve to absorb energy in the case of a crash, thus improving the crash resistance of the car seat system as a whole
Data Source
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AI summary
A base (100) for a car seat comprising a lower part (101) adapted to rest on a vehicle seat cushion; and an upper part (102) rotatably mounted to the lower part (101), wherein the upper part (102) is shaped to define a void (110) in which a car seat can be received, the upper part (102) comprising a support part (112a, 112b), an annular member (103) supported by the support part (112a, 112b) and surrounding the void (110) and connection means (104) on the support part adapted for engagement with a securing means of the car seat.