Child Stroller Safety Lock Mechanism for Accidental Fold Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing child stroller apparatuses face issues with accidental operation of folding mechanisms due to flexible straps that extend across the seating region, compromising safety and convenience.
Innovation Solution
A child stroller apparatus with a foldable frame structure and a safety lock mechanism featuring latches, impeding parts, and actuating parts that prevent accidental unlocking, allowing for safe and convenient folding by sliding and rotating components to lock and unlock the stroller.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a flexible strap is used to unlock the locking device, then the operation is simple and convenient, but accidental operation may occur compromising safety
Solution Approach 1:
An impeding part is introduced as an intermediary component between the latch and the unlocking force. This impeding part must be deliberately moved or disengaged before the latch can be actuated, creating an additional safety barrier against accidental unlocking while preserving intentional folding operations
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism incorporates a preliminary anti-action through the impeding part that counteracts unintended unlocking forces. The impeding part is positioned to preemptively block the latch's movement, requiring a deliberate action to overcome this preliminary resistance before unlocking can occur
2Ease of operation
If the strap extends across the seating region, then it is easily accessible for operation, but it may interfere with the seating area and cause accidental operation
Solution Approach 1:
The impeding part is extracted as a separate, distinct component from the strap assembly. This allows the strap to remain simple and accessible while the impeding part provides the safety function, separating the accessibility function from the safety function into different components
Solution Approach 2:
The impeding part operates in a different spatial dimension or plane relative to the strap. By positioning the impeding part in a different dimensional space, it can provide safety functionality without occupying or interfering with the seating region that the strap traverses
3Reliability
If a locking mechanism is added to prevent accidental unlocking, then safety is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: the latch, the impeding part, and their respective movement paths. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function with simple geometry and movement, reducing overall complexity while maintaining safety functionality
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of adding complex active components to prevent accidental unlocking, the design uses passive geometric constraints and inverted logic: the impeding part naturally blocks latch movement through its position and shape, and only deliberate action can overcome this passive barrier, simplifying the mechanism while improving safety
Data Source
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AI summary
A child stroller apparatus (100) includes a first and a second leg frame (102, 104), a first and a second seat support frame (108, 110), a locking mechanism (140) operable to lock the child stroller apparatus (100) in an unfolded state, an impeding part (160) and an actuating part (164). The first and second seat support frames (108, 110) are pivotally coupled to each other and are further respectively coupled pivotally to the first and second leg frame (102, 104), wherein the first seat support frame (108) includes a seat portion (124), and the second seat support frame (110) includes a side segment (110A) pivotally coupled to the seat portion (124). The locking mechanism (140) includes a latch (144) connected with the seat portion (124), the latch (144) being slidable to an underside of the side segment (1 10A) for locking the child stroller apparatus (100) in the unfolded state and slidable away from the underside of the side segment (110A) for folding of the child stroller apparatus (100). The impeding part (160) is movably connected with the seat portion (124) and is movable between a blocking state and a release state, the impeding part (160) interfering with the locking mechanism (140) in the blocking state to prevent the latch (144) from sliding away from the underside of the side segment (110A), and the impeding part (160) in the release state allowing the latch (144) to slide away from the underside of the side segment (110A) for unlocking and folding of the child stroller apparatus (100). The actuating part (164) is provided on the first seat support frame (108) and exposed above the seat portion (124), and is operable to urge the impeding part (160) to move from the blocking state to the release state.