Bed Step Retention Structure to Prevent Sliding and Save Space
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bed step devices often slide away from their use position due to horizontal momentum or incidental bumps, posing safety risks and occupying significant space, especially for pet steps which need to be taller and longer, necessitating a solution that keeps the device stationary and incorporates storage.
Innovation Solution
A portable bed step device with a base, elevated steps, and a thin retention member that is disposed between the mattress and box spring to resist movement, optionally with storage compartments and adjustable features like folding linkages or flexible retention sheets to enhance stability and adaptability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If bed step devices are made taller to assist pets in climbing into beds, then they can provide sufficient height for pets to reach the mattress, but they occupy more floor space and become longer to avoid being too steep
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates storage compartments within the structure of the step device, nesting storage functionality inside the existing framework. This allows the device to provide both climbing assistance and storage without requiring additional floor space, effectively resolving the contradiction between height and floor space occupation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes vertical space by incorporating storage compartments that extend upward within the step structure rather than expanding horizontally. This dimensional shift allows the device to maintain a compact footprint while providing both the necessary height for pet access and additional storage capacity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If bed step devices are made longer to reduce steepness for pets, then they become more stable and easier to climb, but they occupy more floor space
Solution Approach 1:
The storage compartments are nested within the step structure, allowing the device to achieve stability through a wider base without proportionally increasing the overall footprint. The nested design enables the steps to be supported on a broader, more stable foundation while maintaining a compact appearance.
3Area of stationary object
If bed step devices incorporate storage space, then they can offset the floor space occupied by the device, but they become more complex in structure
Solution Approach 1:
The step device is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: providing climbing assistance for pets and offering storage capacity. By integrating storage compartments into the step structure, the device becomes a multi-functional unit that compensates for its floor space occupation through useful storage, reducing overall system complexity rather than increasing it.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the climbing function and storage function into a single integrated structure. The steps and storage compartments are combined into one unified device, eliminating the need for separate storage units and reducing overall structural complexity while achieving space compensation.
4Reliability
If bed step devices remain stationary during use, then they prevent users from losing balance and falling, but they require retention mechanisms that increase device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The retention mechanism is merged with the existing structural elements of the step device. The same components that provide structural support for the steps and storage compartments are utilized to anchor the retention mechanism, eliminating the need for separate, complex retention systems while maintaining safety.
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 remains stationary during use, reducing the risk of falls and providing storage space, while its adjustable features allow it to accommodate various bed heights, ensuring safety and convenience for both humans and pets.
Implementation Method 1
friction forces from the opposed surfaces act on the retention member to resist pulling the retention member out from between the opposed surfaces, to resist movement of the device away from the use position
Data Source
AI summary
A bed step device is provided for assisting a human or pet in climbing into and/or out of a bed. The device includes a base, at least one step attached to the base, and a retention member attached to the base. The retention member is configured to be disposed and retained between opposed surfaces of a bed, typically either the opposed surfaces of a mattress and a box spring or those of a box spring and a bed frame. The disposition of the retention member between the opposed surfaces results in a retention force, typically a friction force, to resist sliding movement of the device across a floor surface on which the device is supported. The retention member may be a rigid panel or a flexible sheet. The base and step or steps may comprise a folding staircase linkage or a rigid, unitary housing including a storage compartment.