Fold-Down Bench and Hot Tub Cover Platform for Easy Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for hot tub covers and benches lack ease of use, storage, and adaptability, as they are often cumbersome and difficult to install or require complex mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible bench top hinged to a wall with 3 hinges and 3 hand-set braces that fold up and down, and a hot tub cover platform made of 2×4 lumber with vertical and horizontal supports, allowing for easy assembly and storage, with no moving parts for the platform.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed bench is permanently mounted to the wall, then stability and durability are improved, but adaptability and storage convenience deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The bench is designed with a hinged connection to the wall, allowing it to transition between a horizontal extended position for use and a vertical folded position for storage. This dynamic mechanism enables the bench to adapt to different spatial requirements while maintaining structural stability when deployed
Solution Approach 2:
The bench structure is divided into separable components including the bench top, hinged connection, and support braces. This segmentation allows the bench to be folded against the wall when not in use, providing adaptability for different space configurations while maintaining reliability through proper structural design
2Adaptability or versatility
If complex mechanisms are used to enable folding and storage, then adaptability and storage convenience are improved, but device complexity and reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
A simple hinged connection is used to enable the bench to fold between horizontal and vertical positions. This single-degree-of-freedom mechanism achieves storage convenience without introducing complex multi-component systems, thereby maintaining reliability and minimizing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using complex locking mechanisms to hold the bench in position, the design allows the bench to be freely positioned at various angles along the hinge, with the user manually setting the desired angle. This inversion of the control approach simplifies the mechanism while achieving the desired adaptability
3Volume of moving object
If the bench is designed to fold vertically against the wall, then storage space requirement is reduced, but ease of operation deteriorates due to manual folding effort
Solution Approach 1:
The hinged connection enables smooth rotation of the bench between horizontal and vertical positions, reducing the effort required for folding. The hinge acts as a rotational pivot that guides the motion, making the folding operation easier while achieving compact vertical storage
Solution Approach 2:
The bench is pre-assembled with the hinged connection and support braces attached, so that only the folding action is required during operation. This preliminary assembly eliminates the need for complex adjustment mechanisms during use, improving ease of operation while maintaining compact storage
Data Source
AI summary
A quick and easy bench and a hot tub cover platform. The bench top has three support braces: one left side, one center, and one right side. The bench top is hinged to a 2×4 on a wall. There is another 2×4 lower on the wall for the left, center, and right side braces to support the bench top. There are saddles on the bottom of the bench and a lower 2×4 on wall for the braces to support the bench. The top of the hot tub platform consists of 5-2×4's screwed to 4 stringers running perpendicular to the 5-2×4's and supported on the backside by 4 vertical 2×4's with a cross brace 2×4 at the bottom and top. The platform is attached to the hot tub skirt by a 2×4 screwed on the tub skirt.