Collapsible Bathtub with Deployable Base for Portable Child Bathing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bathtubs designed for children are either too large, cumbersome, or lack portability and ease of use for bathing infants and small children, as they require a standard bathtub or are not easily collapsible for storage.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible bathtub system with a base and container that can be moved between collapsed and deployed positions, allowing for easy storage and elevation for bathing, featuring collapsible legs and a resilient, water-impervious container that can be inclined for optimal bathing positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a standard bathtub or large bathtub system is used for children, then the bathing function is provided, but the portability and ease of storage deteriorates due to large size and weight
Solution Approach 1:
The bathtub is divided into two main separable components: a base and a container. The container can be detached from the base for independent storage or transport, allowing the user to store only the essential bathing portion without the bulk of the base structure, thereby improving portability while maintaining full bathing functionality when assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
The base incorporates legs that are movable between deployed and collapsed positions, and the container is designed to collapse from an expanded bathing configuration to a compact storage configuration. This dynamic transformation allows the bathtub to adapt between a functional bathing state and a portable storage state, resolving the contradiction between size and portability.
2Ease of operation
If a collapsible bathtub is used for easy storage, then portability improves, but the stability and support during bathing deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bathtub employs dynamic structures that provide stability when deployed and compactness when stored. The base legs extend to provide a stable footprint during bathing, while the container maintains a rigid expanded form for support. When collapsed, these same structures reduce to minimal space occupation, achieving both ease of storage and bathing stability through state-dependent configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The collapsible container is designed to nest within or alongside the base structure when in storage mode, with the container collapsing to fit within the footprint of the base. This nesting arrangement maximizes storage efficiency while maintaining separate functional integrity of each component during deployment.
3Volume of moving object
If the bathtub is designed to be compact for storage, then storage efficiency improves, but the versatility in positioning and bathing angles deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The base legs are designed to be adjustable in length and angle, allowing the base to adapt to various ground surfaces and provide different elevation heights. The container can be positioned at multiple angles relative to the base, enabling versatile bathing positions including inclined configurations for infant bathing or standard horizontal positions for older children, all while maintaining a compact collapsed form for storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The bathtub design incorporates multiple functional capabilities within a single system: the adjustable legs provide both support and positioning versatility, the detachable container allows for different storage configurations, and the overall structure accommodates various bathing scenarios from infant to older child use, making the compact design universally adaptable to multiple needs.
Data Source
AI summary
A bathtub includes a base attached to a container. The base is movable between a collapsed position with respect to the container and a deployed position with respect to the container to support the container at an elevated location with respect to a support surface, and the container is movable between a collapsed position with respect to the base and a deployed position with respect to the base to form an open tub to receive a child to be bathed.