Bathtub drainage device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bathtub drainage systems with forced draining functions take too long to lower the liquid level of hot water relative to the bather's face during a submersion accident.
Innovation Solution
A bathtub drainage device equipped with a plate that can open and close an opening, a rising mechanism to raise the plate, a camera to detect abnormal bather states, and a control unit to quickly discharge hot water when an abnormal state is detected, using hydraulic actuators to lower the water level relative to the bather's face.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the drain in the bathtub is merely unplugged (conventional forced draining function), then the drainage operation is simple, but it takes too long for the liquid level of hot water to be lowered relative to the bather's face
Solution Approach 1:
The plate is designed to be movable rather than fixed, capable of rising to open the opening and then returning to its original position. This dynamic structure allows the system to transition between closed (normal operation) and open (emergency drainage) states, enabling rapid water level reduction while maintaining structural integrity during normal use
Solution Approach 2:
A hydraulic actuator is employed to drive the plate's movement. The actuator includes a piston and cylinder arrangement that uses hydraulic pressure to rapidly raise the plate and open the opening for emergency drainage, providing fast and reliable operation without complex mechanical linkages
2Loss of time
If a plate with rising mechanism is used to quickly discharge hot water, then the liquid level lowers quickly, but the device complexity increases due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The plate serves multiple functions: it acts as a seat for the bather during normal operation, closes the opening to retain water, and can be raised to open the opening for emergency drainage. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components for each function, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The plate's own weight and position are utilized in the drainage mechanism. When the actuator raises the plate, gravity assists in the rapid opening action, and the plate naturally returns to its closed position when the actuator retracts, reducing the need for additional counterbalance mechanisms or return springs
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 device can rapidly lower the hot water level relative to the bather's face, ensuring quicker relief from submersion hazards by discharging water when an abnormal state is detected.
Implementation Method 1
a rising part, that raises the plate closing the opening so that the opening is opened
Data Source
AI summary
A bathtub drainage device comprises: a plate, that can open and close an opening formed at a position corresponding to a position where a bather can sit on a floor of a bathtub in which hot water is stored, the plate on which at least buttocks of the bather can be placed; a rising part, that raises the plate closing the opening so that the opening is opened; an acquisition unit, that acquires information indicating a state of the bather; and a control unit, that controls the rising part so as to raise the plate so that the opening is opened and so as to discharge, from the opening, the hot water stored in the bathtub, when the information acquired by the acquisition unit indicates an abnormal state of the bather.