Accessible Bath Enclosure With Zero-Threshold Pivot Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bath and shower enclosures present barriers for users, especially those with mobility issues, due to thresholds, steep inclines, and lack of accessible seating and handholds, which hinder easy entry and use.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a zero-threshold drain, pivotable shower chair and bench, and integrated grab bars with a handheld showerhead, allowing users to pivot and slide into the enclosure while providing handholds for support and hygiene.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a threshold is installed in the shower enclosure, then water containment is improved, but user accessibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the traditional threshold barrier from the shower enclosure entrance, extracting the water containment function from a physical barrier and replacing it with an interior bench seat that serves both accessibility and water containment purposes
Solution Approach 2:
The bench seat serves multiple functions: it provides accessible seating for users with mobility impairments, acts as a water barrier replacement for the threshold, and offers a stable surface for users to pivot and transfer into the shower enclosure
2Ease of operation
If fixed seats are attached to the interior of tubs and showers, then user support is improved, but installation complexity and space constraints worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The bench seat is designed as a separate, modular component that can be independently installed within the shower enclosure, allowing for flexible placement and easier installation compared to integrated fixed seats
3Reliability
If grab bars are attached to bath and shower fixtures, then user stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bench seat is integrated with grab bar elements, combining seating support and handhold functions into a single unified structure, thereby providing user stability while reducing the number of separate components and simplifying installation
Data Source
AI summary
A bath environment, such as a shower or a tub enclosure, has an outer wall and an area built into the outer wall that extends out of the bath environment. The area supports a user so that a user may pivot thereon to enter into the bath environment.