Bidet Fastener Cover Concealing Nuts to Prevent Debris
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bidet attachments and toilet seats face challenges in cleanliness due to exposed nuts and bolts, and variability in fastener hole placement across different toilet bowls, making attachment cumbersome and reducing usability.
Innovation Solution
A three-part fastener system with a base disc, middle disc, and top element, featuring adjustable slots and elastomeric material to securely fit various toilet bowl configurations, preventing debris accumulation and facilitating easy cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If nuts and bolts are used to attach bidet attachment to toilet bowl, then secure mounting is achieved, but exposed fasteners create nooks and crevices where debris accumulates and cleaning becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the visible fastener components (nuts and bolts) by introducing a cover plate that conceals them. The cover plate is attached to the bidet attachment and extends over the fastener holes in the toilet bowl, effectively removing the harmful visual and cleaning aspects of exposed fasteners while maintaining the secure mounting function through the underlying fastening mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover plate serves as an intermediary element between the bidet attachment and the toilet bowl. It mediates the interaction by providing a smooth, accessible surface that bridges the gap between the functional fastening system and the aesthetic/cleaning requirements, allowing secure mounting while preventing debris accumulation in the fastener areas.
2Ease of manufacture
If fastener holes are placed at fixed positions in toilet bowl, then attachment process is simplified, but cannot accommodate varying distances between fastener holes and inner edge of different toilet bowls
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces adjustable components to the fastening system, allowing the bidet attachment to adapt dynamically to different toilet bowl configurations. The cover plate and associated mounting mechanisms can be positioned or adjusted to accommodate varying distances between fastener holes and the inner edge of the toilet bowl, transforming a static fixed-position system into a flexible adaptive one.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening system is designed with universal adaptability to work with multiple toilet bowl types and configurations. The adjustable mechanisms enable a single bidet attachment design to accommodate various fastener hole placements and distances from the inner edge, providing multi-functionality across different toilet bowl specifications without requiring custom modifications.
3Adaptability or versatility
If adapters or modifications are used to accommodate varying fastener hole placements, then compatibility with different toilet bowls is achieved, but attachment becomes cumbersome and complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cover plate function with the fastening mechanism into an integrated assembly. Rather than using separate adapters or modification components, the cover plate is combined with the mounting structure to provide both the concealing function and the adaptive fastening capability in a single unified component, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
A fastener for fastening a bidet attachment to a toilet bowl is provided. The fastener has a base disc with a first elongated slot, and depressions on a top surface of the base disc. The base disc is configured for placement within a depression of the middle disc, which has a second elongated slot commensurate with the first elongated slot, a depression on a top surface of the middle disc, and protrusions on a bottom surface of the middle disc. Protrusions are configured to fit within the depressions when the middle disc is connected to the base disc. The fastener also has a top element configured to fit within the depression on the top surface of the middle disc, a third elongated slot commensurate with the first elongated slot, a portion of elastomeric material spanning the third elongated slot, and a slit located in the portion of elastomeric material.