Extendable Bellows Shower Device for Commercial Vehicle Cab
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Solution Overview
Problem
Long-distance drivers face challenges in accessing shower facilities, as commercial vehicle cabs typically lack the space and infrastructure for a shower, and existing solutions do not effectively address the need for a space-saving, independent shower system that can be used on the go.
Innovation Solution
A compact shower device for commercial vehicles, featuring a stretchable, water-impermeable bellows and a tub that can be installed or removed, allowing for flexible use and adaptation of space, with options for heating and drainage, and a fan for moisture removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a shower facility is installed in a commercial vehicle cab, then drivers can maintain hygiene independently, but the limited space in the cab is occupied
Solution Approach 1:
The bellows is designed to be dynamically extendable and collapsible. When extended, it provides the necessary volume for showering; when collapsed, it occupies minimal space. This dynamic transformation allows the shower facility to adapt between two extreme states, resolving the space contradiction.
Solution Approach 2:
The collapsed bellows is stored within or alongside the tub structure, creating a nested configuration. The shower head and hoses are also stored within the tub when not in use. This nesting principle maximizes space efficiency by placing components inside each other.
2Volume of moving object
If a bellows is used to contain water for showering, then the shower can be compact when not in use, but the bellows must be securely attached to prevent water leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The lower opening of the bellows is merged with the tub structure through a water-tight connection. This integration ensures that water contained in the bellows is properly directed into the tub for drainage, eliminating leakage risks at the interface between these two components.
Solution Approach 2:
A water-tight connection acts as an intermediary element between the bellows and tub, ensuring reliable water containment while allowing the bellows to maintain its compactable structure. This intermediary connection resolves the conflict between compactness and sealing reliability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the shower device is made removable and installable, then flexibility in vehicle configuration is improved, but installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shower device is segmented into distinct modular components: the bellows, the tub, and the shower head assembly. Each component can be independently installed or removed. The bellows connects to the tub through standardized interfaces, allowing for simplified assembly and disassembly while maintaining water-tight connections.
4Length of moving object
If the bellows is stretched to full height for showering, then adequate showering space is provided, but the structure must support the extended weight and position
Solution Approach 1:
The bellows is constructed as a flexible, expandable structure that can be stretched to full height during showering. The flexible material provides both the necessary extension for adequate showering space and the structural integrity to contain water and support the expanded configuration temporarily during use.
Data Source
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AI summary
A shower device (100) that is installed or can be installed in a driver's cab (132) of a commercial vehicle (130) is described. The device comprises a tub (106) that is installed or can be installed on a floor (142) of the driver's cab; and a watertight bellows (102) that is extendable in a vertical direction (104), and whose lower opening (106) is arranged or can be arranged opposite an edge (108) of the tub (102) for directing water running down inside the bellows into the tub.