Convertible Seating with External Storage to Reduce Cleaning Time
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing convertible furniture in patient rooms is inefficient in terms of space usage, cleaning difficulties, and time required for disinfection, particularly due to structural elements like drawers and cavities that accumulate dust and grime, making it challenging to prepare rooms quickly for new patients.
Innovation Solution
A seating apparatus with an adjustable storage device that can be pivoted between fully lowered and raised positions, allowing for easy conversion into a sleeping device and facilitating efficient cleaning by storing components beneath the seating surface, using a raising-lowering device like a compression gas spring for smooth operation without the need for latches or locks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If drawers and cavities are used to store components, then components can be stored within the seating device, but cleaning time and effort increase due to dust and grime accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The storage device is extracted from the interior of the seating device and positioned externally beneath it. This allows components to be stored in a dedicated external storage device rather than within enclosed drawers and cavities, making the interior surfaces fewer and easier to clean while maintaining component storage capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage function is moved from the vertical interior space (drawers and cavities) to the horizontal space beneath the seating device. This dimensional change allows storage without compromising cleaning accessibility to the seating device's interior surfaces.
2Adaptability or versatility
If convertible furniture structure is used, then seating can be converted to sleeping surface, but floor space access is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The storage device is designed to be movable between a lowered position (providing floor access) and a raised position (providing storage capacity). This dynamic positioning allows the system to adapt between providing floor space access and providing component storage, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.
3Reliability
If multiple cleaning surfaces are present, then all surfaces can be cleaned, but cleaning efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
By extracting the storage function to an external device, the number of interior surfaces (drawers, cavities) that require cleaning is reduced. This maintains cleaning completeness for all necessary surfaces while improving cleaning efficiency by eliminating hard-to-reach interior storage compartments.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design reduces the time and effort needed for cleaning and disinfection, minimizes material and surface area to be cleaned, and allows for easy access to floor space underneath the furniture, enhancing infection control and cleaning efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
using a raising-lowering device like a compression gas spring for smooth operation
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure include methods, apparatuses, and systems for converting a seating device into a sleeping device. Embodiments include an apparatus including a convertible seating device and an adjustable storage device located beneath the convertible seating device. The convertible seating device may be converted into a sleeping device via at least one raising-lowering device pivotally connected to the seating device and storage device.