Bathtub Door Insert Design for Mobility-Accessible Water Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional bathtubs with high sidewalls pose a barrier for individuals with mobility issues, making it difficult for them to access the bathtub safely, leading to the avoidance of bathing altogether or reliance on assistance for alternative, less private bathing methods.
Innovation Solution
A bathtub insert with a frame, step-plate, and end pillars that lowers the sidewall, featuring a movable door with a watertight seal and latch system, allowing easy access and maintaining water retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If traditional high sidewalls are used to hold large water volume, then water retention is improved, but accessibility for individuals with mobility issues deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bathtub is segmented into two functional zones: a high sidewall portion for water retention and a lowered entry portion with step-plate for accessibility. This allows the tub to simultaneously hold large water volumes while providing easy access for individuals with mobility challenges.
Solution Approach 2:
A door assembly acts as an intermediary element between the high sidewall and the lowered entry area. The door provides a controlled transition that maintains water retention while enabling safe entry and exit at a reduced height.
2Quantity of substance
If a door assembly is added to maintain water retention with lowered sidewall, then water retention is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The door assembly combines multiple functions into a single integrated structure: it serves as both a barrier for water retention and a structural element that supports the latch mechanism and seal system. This merging reduces the need for separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The door assembly performs multiple functions simultaneously: it maintains water retention, provides structural support for the lowered entry area, and works with the latch mechanism to secure the entry opening. This multi-functionality justifies the added complexity by eliminating the need for separate systems.
3Ease of operation
If elongate latch with singular pivot pin is used to secure door, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The elongate latch with singular pivot pin is designed to be self-aligning and self-latching. The geometry of the latch and its interaction with the catch mechanism automatically guide the pivot pin into the correct position, reducing the need for high-precision manufacturing while maintaining ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A bathtub insert can include a frame, a door movably coupled with the frame and movable with respect to the frame between an opened position and a closed position, an elongate latch coupled with the door, a catch coupled with the frame, and a support structure, the support structure being coupled to the frame.