Webbed Support Frame for Lightweight Child Safety Seat
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Solution Overview
Problem
Child safety seats are often heavy and uncomfortable due to their structural materials, which can make them difficult to carry and provide inadequate protection against impacts.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight child safety seat with a support frame that includes energy absorption cells and a flexible mesh or fabric structure, providing enhanced comfort and safety features such as side impact protection and extended use from infancy through toddlerhood.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional structural materials are used to provide safety and protection, then energy absorption and impact protection are improved, but the weight of the child safety seat increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a webbed structure made of flexible material that can deform during impact to absorb energy. This thin, flexible structure replaces traditional heavy rigid materials while maintaining protective functionality through controlled deformation and energy dissipation mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The webbed structure utilizes composite material properties combining flexibility and strength. The material is designed to exhibit both elastic deformation for energy absorption and sufficient structural integrity for protection, achieving lightweight construction without sacrificing safety performance.
2Reliability
If rigid structural materials are used to ensure safety and protection, then impact resistance is improved, but the comfort and breathability for the child deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The webbed structure provides a flexible, breathable alternative to rigid materials. The open webbed configuration allows air circulation for comfort while the material itself provides impact protection through controlled deformation, eliminating the need for heavy solid panels.
Solution Approach 2:
The webbed structure creates a porous, open framework that allows air flow through the seat structure. This porous configuration maintains protective functionality while significantly improving breathability and comfort compared to solid rigid materials.
3Reliability
If comprehensive safety features are included to protect the child, then protection capability is improved, but the weight and complexity of the seat increases
Solution Approach 1:
The webbed structure serves multiple protective functions simultaneously - it provides energy absorption during frontal impacts, lateral impact resistance, and structural support. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate components for each safety feature, reducing overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of energy absorption, impact protection, and structural support into a single integrated webbed structure. By combining these previously separate safety features into one unified component, the design reduces complexity while maintaining comprehensive protection.
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 seat is both lightweight and comfortable, offering improved energy absorption and side impact protection, allowing for extended use across various age groups while maintaining a reduced weight.
Implementation Method 1
a support frame configured to absorb energy and that defines a seat portion and backrest portion of the child safety seat
Data Source
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AI summary
A child safety seat is provided. The child safety seat comprises a seat shell (20) configured to receive and secure a child therein, the seat shell (20) comprising a top portion (24), a base portion (22), and side portions (26) coupling the top portion (24) to the base portion (22), wherein the side portions are fabric or mesh; and a support frame (60) defining a seat portion (70) and backrest portion (72) of the child safety seat (10) to enable the child to be secured therein, the support frame (60) comprising a webbed structure supporting the top portion (24) and the base portion (22) against each other, the side portions (26) covering the support frame (60).