Disposable Urinal Handle-and-Recess Nesting for Efficient Packing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Disposable urinals face inefficiencies in packing and transportation due to their handle design, which impedes smooth stacking and results in significant dead space, increasing costs and storage requirements.
Innovation Solution
The design of disposable urinals with a recess to accommodate the handle of a second urinal, allowing for stackable and nestable configurations, reducing spatial footprint and improving packing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If disposable urinals are designed with a handle extending from the body, then ease of operation is improved, but packing efficiency deteriorates due to dead space and inability to stack smoothly
Solution Approach 1:
The handle of one urinal is inserted into the body of another urinal, creating a nested configuration where multiple urinals can be stacked vertically. This nesting approach eliminates dead space between urinals and enables smooth stacking, directly improving packing efficiency while preserving the handle's operational function.
Solution Approach 2:
The recess is positioned on the lateral side of the urinal body rather than at the bottom, creating a side-entry nesting configuration. This dimensional change allows urinals to interlock laterally while stacking vertically, optimizing space utilization and packing efficiency without compromising handle functionality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If disposable urinals are packed in containers for shipping, then transportation is enabled, but storage costs increase due to inefficient space utilization
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple urinals are nested within each other through the recess-handle interface, creating a compact vertical stack that maximizes container space utilization. This nesting reduces the total volume required for storage and transportation, directly decreasing storage requirements and costs.
3Productivity
If recesses are added to the urinal body to receive handles, then packing efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The urinal body is segmented into distinct functional zones: the main body for urine collection, the recess for nesting, and the handle for operation. This segmentation allows each component to serve its specific function while maintaining overall simplicity. The recess is a simple geometric feature integrated into the molding process, adding minimal complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The recess is designed with specific dimensional parameters (depth, width, position) that optimize the nesting configuration. By carefully controlling these geometric parameters, the design achieves high packing efficiency while keeping the structural modification minimal and compatible with existing manufacturing processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A urinal can include a body defining a front end, a rear end opposite the front end, and an internal volume. The body can include an opening fluidly coupled to the internal volume of the body and positioned at the front end of the body. The urinal can include a handle integrally formed with the body. The handle can have a free end that can extend away from the front end of the body towards the rear end of the body. The urinal can include a recess directed into a bottom end of the body. The recess can be configured to receive a second handle of a second urinal.