Flexible Shower Seat That Self-Locks Under User Weight
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shower stalls with integrated seats occupy valuable space and require complex modifications or hardware for installation, making them impractical for users who need to sit during showers, especially in compact spaces, and often result in unstable seating.
Innovation Solution
A movable seat designed for shower stalls with a flexible, lightweight structure that uses a rearward support and a downwardly extending leg to secure itself between the stall's threshold and rear wall under user weight, eliminating the need for mounting hardware and allowing easy installation and removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional shower seat is installed, then users can sit during showers, but the shower stall requires complex modifications and mounting hardware
Solution Approach 1:
The seat is designed to be self-installing by utilizing the shower stall's existing threshold and rear wall ledge. The flexible leg structure allows the seat to be positioned and secured without any mounting hardware, screws, or complex installation procedures. Users simply place the seat in position and apply body weight to flex the leg into the secured position between the threshold and rear wall.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the mounting hardware and complex installation requirements from the seat system. By removing all fasteners, screws, and mounting mechanisms, the seat becomes a simple portable component that relies on the shower stall's existing structural features (threshold and ledge) for support and positioning.
2Stability of the object's composition
If an integrated seat is built into the shower stall, then seating is permanent and stable, but valuable shower space is occupied and aesthetic is altered
Solution Approach 1:
The seat transitions from a static permanent installation to a dynamic portable component. The flexible leg allows the seat to be easily inserted and removed, providing temporary stable seating when needed while preserving full shower space when the seat is not in use. The leg's flexibility enables the seat to adapt to the shower stall dimensions without requiring precise pre-installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The seat can be discarded (removed) from the shower stall when not needed, allowing full recovery of shower space. The lightweight design and simple structure enable users to easily remove and store the seat, converting the shower back to its original full-capacity configuration for standing showers or other uses.
3Weight of moving object
If a lightweight movable seat is used, then installation is simple and space is preserved, but the seat may be less stable under user weight
Solution Approach 1:
The leg's physical parameters (flexibility, curvature, material properties) are optimized to provide sufficient structural support for user weight while maintaining overall seat lightness. The flexible design allows the leg to deflect and conform to the threshold and rear wall ledge, creating a stable secured position that distributes user weight effectively across the shower stall's existing structural features.
Solution Approach 2:
The leg is designed with a curved flexible profile that allows it to bend and conform to the geometric constraints of the shower stall (threshold height, rear wall ledge position). This curvature enables the leg to flex forwardly under user weight and secure itself in place, providing stability through geometric adaptation rather than rigid structural support.
4Reliability
If mounting hardware is used to secure the seat, then the seat is stable and secure, but installation becomes complex and requires alterations to the shower stall
Solution Approach 1:
The seat performs its own installation and securing functions without external hardware. The flexible leg structure enables the seat to self-secure by flexing into position between the threshold and rear wall ledge when user weight is applied, eliminating the need for screws, bolts, adhesives, or other mounting materials.
Solution Approach 2:
All mounting hardware and installation tools are extracted from the system. The seat becomes a standalone component that utilizes the shower stall's existing threshold and ledge features as its mounting mechanism, requiring no alterations to the shower stall structure and no special installation tools or materials.
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
The seat provides a secure, space-efficient seating option without altering the shower stall's aesthetic or requiring complex installations, allowing users to sit comfortably while showering and easily removing when not needed, while maintaining drainage efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The seat is sufficiently flexible that if a weight load of one hundred pounds or more is placed on the essentially horizontal support, the foot will flex forwardly in response thereto
Data Source
AI summary
A movable seat is disclosed which is positionable within a shower stall of a type having at least one rear support element, such as a rear ledge, and at least one frontal support element, such as a lower frontal threshold. The movable seat includes an essentially horizontal support that has a rearward portion that is suitable to be supported on the ledge and a leg that extends downwardly from a forward portion of the support to a foot. The seat is sufficiently flexible such that if a weight load of a human or thereabout is placed on the support, then the foot will flex forwardly in response thereto, thereby jamming the seat in place relative to the shower stall.