Threaded Extendible Side-Impact Element for Compact Child Safety Seats

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional child safety seats face challenges in providing effective side impact protection without increasing the overall size, as side impact elements permanently attached or removable can be bulky, and integrated adjustable elements require significant design space for full retractability.

Innovation Solution

An extendible protective element with two coaxially arranged thread components, where the external thread of one component screws into the internal thread of another, reducing design space requirements while maintaining maximum extension length, and featuring a cover for co-rotation and anti-twist protection to facilitate sequential thread movement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If side impact elements are permanently attached to the exterior of a child safety seat to provide side impact protection, then side impact protection is improved, but the overall dimensions of the child safety seat increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveside impact protectionVSAvoidoverall dimensions
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The protective element is designed to be extendible and retractable rather than fixed. It can be extended to provide side impact protection when needed and retracted to reduce the overall dimensions of the child safety seat, resolving the contradiction between protection and size through dynamic adjustment capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The protective element is nested within the shell or side wing of the shell when retracted, utilizing the available design space efficiently. The element can be extended from this nested position to provide protection, allowing the seat to meet size requirements while maintaining protection capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Length of stationary object

If integrated adjustable side impact elements are designed to be fully retractable to reduce size, then the size of the child safety seat is reduced, but the available design space in the shell limits the maximum extension length

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesize of child safety seatVSAvoidmaximum extension length
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of stationary objectVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The protective element utilizes a telescopic thread mechanism with multiple thread components arranged coaxially, extending the protection element along the longitudinal axis of the child safety seat. This dimensional approach maximizes the extension length within the available design space by efficiently utilizing the longitudinal dimension

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Length of stationary object

If removable protective elements are used to alleviate the problem of increased size, then the size issue is alleviated, but the risk of misuse or getting lost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesize managementVSAvoidrisk of misuse or loss
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The protective element is integrated into the shell or side wing of the shell of the child safety seat, combining the protective function with the structural components of the seat. This integration eliminates the risk of misuse or loss while maintaining the ability to adjust the protection level through extension and retraction

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 solution allows for effective side impact protection with reduced design space, ensuring the protective element is both extendible and retractable, enhancing user convenience and compliance with size regulations.

Implementation Method 1

the extendible protective element comprises a first thread component (11) comprising a first external thread (11a) and a first internal thread (11b), and a second thread component (12) comprising a second external thread (12a), wherein the first thread component (11) is rotatably connected to the second thread component (12) via the first internal thread (11b) of the first thread component (11) and the second external thread (12a) of the second thread component (12)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThreading mechanism: Screw

Data Source

PatentEP3882073B1Extendible protective element for use in a child safety seat
Publication Date: 2024.03.06 BRITAX ROMER KINDERSICHERHEIT GMBH
  • EP3882073B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3882073B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3882073B1 patent drawingFigure 4a~4c

AI summary

A child safety seat (1) comprising an extendible protective element (10), wherein the extendible protective element (10) comprises: a first thread component (11) comprising a first external thread (11 a) and a first internal thread (11 b), and a second thread component (12) comprising a second external thread (12a); wherein the first thread component (11) is rotatably connected to the second thread component (12) via the first internal thread (11 b) of the first thread component (11) and the second external thread (12a) of the second thread component (12), wherein the first thread component (11) is configured to be rotationally coupled to a third internal thread provided in a shell of the child safety seat (1), wherein the first external thread (11 a) of the first thread component (11) is a counter-thread of the third internal thread provided in the shell of the child safety seat (1), wherein a friction occurring between the first internal thread (11 b) of the first thread component (11 ) and the second external thread (12a) of the second thread component (12) when rotated relatively to each other is different from a friction occurring between the first external thread (11 a) of the first thread component (11) and the third internal thread provided in the shell of the child safety seat (1) when the first thread component (11) is rotated relatively to the third internal thread.