Collapsible Urine Bottle Structure That Resists In-Use Collapse

Solution Overview

Problem

Collapsible urine bottles for medical use face challenges such as complex scoring that increases manufacturing costs and results in a laborious assembly process, and existing folding mechanisms lack user confidence in resisting collapse during use.

Innovation Solution

A collapsible container with a sheet material design featuring a plurality of fold lines that define recesses, allowing it to expand from a collapsed to an expanded configuration, with a lower and upper sheet sealed along their edges, tapering lateral edges, and an aperture, facilitating easy storage and use while resisting collapse.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If collapsible urine bottles use complex scoring patterns to enable folding, then the bottle can be collapsed for storage, but the manufacturing cost increases and the assembly process becomes laborious

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage volumeVSAvoidscoring complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The container is divided into an upper sheet and a lower sheet that can be separated and reconnected. The blank is segmented into multiple panels (front, rear, two sides) that are folded and connected through sealing operations, allowing simple individual components to form the complete collapsible structure when assembled

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The lateral edges of the upper and lower sheets are pre-sealed together in the collapsed configuration before use. This preliminary sealing action eliminates the need for complex multi-stage assembly during actual use, as the basic structure is already prepared and only requires expansion and final aperture sealing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Volume of moving object

If collapsible urine bottles use complex scoring patterns to enable folding, then the bottle can be collapsed for storage, but the manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage volumeVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The container is divided into an upper sheet and a lower sheet that can be separated and reconnected. The blank is segmented into multiple panels (front, rear, two sides) that are folded and connected through sealing operations, allowing simple individual components to form the complete collapsible structure when assembled

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The lateral edges of the upper and lower sheets are pre-sealed together in the collapsed configuration before use. This preliminary sealing action eliminates the need for complex multi-stage assembly during actual use, as the basic structure is already prepared and only requires expansion and final aperture sealing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Volume of moving object

If the folding mechanism allows inward and upward folding of the bottom wall, then the bottle can be collapsed, but the structure lacks user confidence in resisting collapse during use

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage volumeVSAvoidstructural stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The container dynamically transitions between collapsed and expanded states through controlled deformation along predetermined fold lines. The fold lines enable smooth expansion to a rigid urinal configuration and controlled collapse to a flat storage configuration, with the structure adapting its rigidity based on the operational state

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The upper and lower sheets are merged together along their lateral edges through sealing, creating a unified double-layer structure. This combined structure provides enhanced structural integrity and user confidence that the urinal will resist unintended collapse during use, while still allowing controlled collapse when needed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS10258206B2Container

Publication Date: 2019.04.16 VERNACARE

AI summary

A container, in particular a urine bottle formed from maceratable sheet material comprises an enclosing wall and an aperture. The container is expandable from a first, collapsed configuration into a second, expanded configuration. The sheet material has a plurality of fold lines which define one or more recesses in the enclosing wall of the container in the expanded configuration. In the collapsed condition, the container comprises a lower sheet and an upper sheet lying below a sheet, the upper and lower sheets being sealed together along their lateral edges and along a first, end edge between a first, lower end of the lateral edges. The lateral edges taper towards each other and the aperture extends between the second, opposite ends of the lateral edges.