Wrap-around Shield Arc Frame for Rear Impact Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current child safety seats do not adequately protect rear-seated children from injuries in rear impacts, as they often suffer from intrusion into upright front seats, which increases the risk of serious injury and fatality due to the primary mechanism of injury being the intrusion of rear structures accelerating the child into a relatively upright front seat.
Innovation Solution
A wrap-around shield with an arc-shaped frame that forms a protective barrier around the child safety seat, connecting to the rear seat via LATCH anchors, limits the rotation of the front seatback and prevents contact with the child, thereby distributing impact forces away from the child.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If child safety seats are designed with padding and sturdy frame, then protection from direct impacts is improved, but protection from intrusion into upright front seats in rear impacts is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The wrap-around shield acts as an intermediary protective barrier between the child safety seat and the intruding front seat structure. It is anchored to the vehicle's LATCH system and extends around the child seat, creating a protective envelope that intercepts intrusion forces before they reach the child, thereby addressing the insufficient protection from side and rear intrusion while maintaining compatibility with existing child safety seats.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective system is segmented into multiple independent components: the existing child safety seat with its padding and frame, and the additional wrap-around shield with its own frame and anchoring system. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific protective function - the child seat handles direct impacts while the wrap-around shield handles intrusion from the front seat area.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a protective barrier is added around the child safety seat, then protection from intrusion is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wrap-around shield utilizes the vehicle's existing LATCH anchoring system, which is designed for child safety seat installation. By using these same anchors, the wrap-around shield achieves multi-functionality - the LATCH system serves both its original purpose of securing child seats and the additional function of anchoring the protective shield, thereby reducing overall system complexity despite adding protective functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the disclosure include a frame that has an arc-shaped structure configured to create a space between the wrap-around shield and a child safety seat arranged inward from the frame. A first end of the frame is configured to curve toward a second end of the frame. The second end of the frame is also configured to curve toward the first end of the frame, and the first end and the second end having a respective profile that has a height which increases as the first end and the second end curve toward each other. A first connecting member connected to the first end of the frame, the first connecting member comprising a tether for connecting to a first latch of a rear seat.