Bath Safety Rail Cam Locking for Secure Suction Grip
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bath safety rails anchored by suction cups often fail to provide sufficient grip for individuals with arthritic hands or weak fingers, and they lack a mechanism to easily secure and release suction, especially on slippery surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A bath safety rail design incorporating a cam and cam follower mechanism that converts rotary motion into linear motion to draw up suction cups securely against smooth surfaces, featuring ramps and coil springs to enhance suction and ease of use, allowing for adjustable grip and quick release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a suction cup is used to anchor the bath safety rail, then the rail can be removed and repositioned easily, but the suction cup cannot be securely held by individuals with arthritic hands or weak fingers
Solution Approach 1:
A cam mechanism serves as an intermediary between the user's hand and the suction cup. The cam converts a small rotational motion into a large linear displacement that draws the suction cup firmly against the surface, providing mechanical advantage for users with limited hand strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static suction cup to a dynamic system where the cam can be rotated to adjust the suction force. This allows the user to actively control the attachment strength, making it adaptable to different grip capabilities.
2Loss of time
If a suction cup is used to anchor the bath safety rail, then the rail can be quickly repositioned, but the suction cup may suddenly release on slippery surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The cam mechanism allows the user to preliminarily draw the suction cup firmly against the surface before use, ensuring maximum initial adhesion. This preliminary action compensates for the lack of friction on slippery surfaces by creating a strong mechanical seal.
Solution Approach 2:
The system design anticipates potential sudden release by allowing the user to apply extra force through the cam mechanism to over-compress the suction cup, creating a cushion of security against unexpected release on slippery surfaces.
3Reliability
If a cam mechanism is added to draw up the suction cup, then grip security is improved for individuals with weak fingers, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cam mechanism serves multiple functions: it draws the suction cup against the surface, maintains the suction force, and can be easily released by reversing the rotation. This multi-functionality justifies the added complexity by providing versatile control over the attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The cam changes the physical state of the suction cup attachment from a passive seal to an actively compressed seal. By altering the compression parameter through rotation, the system achieves reliable grip without requiring complex additional components.
4Ease of operation
If the handle is manufactured in two parts separated by a plane, then accessibility is improved for various users, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The handle is divided into two separate parts that can be manufactured independently and then assembled. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized for its specific function and makes the overall assembly more accessible to users with different abilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The plane of separation acts as an intermediary interface between the two handle parts. This defined interface simplifies the manufacturing precision requirements by providing clear alignment features that guide the assembly process.
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 design enables easy and secure attachment of the bath safety rail to smooth surfaces, even for individuals with limited hand strength, while minimizing the risk of sudden release on slippery surfaces, and allows for quick repositioning, making it accessible and safe for various users.
Implementation Method 1
A feature of the present invention is a cam and cam follower mechanism for creating suction between a suction cup and a smooth surface
Implementation Method 2
the cam converting rotary motion into linear motion of the cam follower, the cam follower drawing up a portion of the suction cup toward the base
Implementation Method 3
featuring ramps and coil springs to enhance suction
Data Source
AI summary
A bath safety rail for being engaged to and disengaged from a bath surface. The bath safety rail includes a base, a handle on the base, first and second suction cups opposing the handle, cam followers on the suction cups that extend into the base, and cams in the base to engage and draw up the cam followers and suction cups to thereby create suction. The handle is two-piece where the pieces are separated by a handle plane, where each axis of each suction cup is in the handle plane.