Collapsible low-profile privacy structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Spectator activities often require temporary privacy for participants without obstructing the view of observers, as traditional privacy structures are either too bulky or ineffective in minimizing visibility obstruction.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible privacy structure that deploys from a low-profile, non-obstructive state to provide a private canopy for uses like bathrooms, showers, or medical evaluations, then returns to its low-profile state when not in use, using a base structure, canopy support, and actuator linkage assembly to minimize visibility obstruction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional privacy structure is used to provide privacy for participants, then privacy is improved, but visibility obstruction for spectators worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The privacy structure employs a collapsible canopy supported by telescopic poles that can transition between extended and retracted positions. When extended, the canopy provides full privacy coverage; when retracted, the structure collapses to a minimal profile that obstructs spectator view minimally. This dynamic transformation allows the structure to adapt its privacy-providing state to match the participant's need for privacy while minimizing impact on spectator visibility when not in use.
Solution Approach 2:
The canopy structure is designed to collapse and nest within the base structure when not in use. The telescopic support poles retract into the base, and the canopy material folds or collapses to fit within the confined space of the base structure. This nesting capability allows the privacy structure to occupy minimal space during non-use periods, thereby reducing visibility obstruction for spectators while maintaining full privacy functionality when deployed.
2Reliability
If a collapsible privacy structure is deployed to provide privacy, then privacy is improved, but device complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The privacy structure is divided into distinct functional segments: a base structure containing storage and mechanical components, telescopic support poles that can extend and retract independently, and a canopy section that can be deployed and collapsed separately. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while simplifying the overall deployment and collapse mechanism. The modular design reduces the complexity of coordinating multiple moving parts compared to a monolithic structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The structure incorporates self-contained mechanical systems within the base structure that automatically manage the deployment and collapse of the canopy and support poles. The base structure houses the mechanical advantage systems and control mechanisms that enable the canopy to transition between states without requiring complex external actuation systems. This self-service capability reduces overall device complexity by integrating control functions into the base structure rather than requiring separate control systems.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects are directed to a collapsible privacy structure that has a low profile when in an un-deployed state to preserve the sight lines of observers. The collapsible privacy structure may then be deployed causing a canopy structure to extend upwardly forming an internal volume that provides privacy and seclusion to the user of the structure. The internal volume may be used for a bathroom, a shower, a medical evaluation/treatment space, and/or a changing space. Upon the departure of the user from the internal volume, the collapsible privacy structure may return to the low-profile nature provided by the un-deployed state.