Foldable bath tub
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing foldable bath tubs are not optimized for accommodating the growth of children, as they lack adjustable seating surfaces and efficient storage solutions.
Innovation Solution
A foldable bath tub design featuring a basin wall with circumferential creases that can be folded into itself, allowing for an extended configuration with adjustable back rests and lateral sides that accommodate children of different ages, and a compact folded configuration for easy storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a foldable bath tub is designed to be compact for storage, then storage efficiency is improved, but the ability to accommodate growing children is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The bath tub is divided into multiple expandable sections or panels that can be configured in different arrangements. These segmented components allow the tub to transform from a compact folded state to an expanded configuration with increased capacity and adjusted depth, accommodating children at different developmental stages while maintaining space-efficient storage when collapsed.
Solution Approach 2:
The bath tub incorporates dynamic, adjustable elements such as movable backrests, resizable side walls, or reconfigurable support structures. These dynamic features enable the tub to adapt its shape, depth, and seating configuration to match the growing needs of children, transitioning between compact storage mode and expanded usage mode as required.
2Ease of operation
If a foldable bath tub uses a simple folding mechanism, then ease of storage is improved, but comfort and support for children are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The bath tub includes pre-configured support structures, molded seating contours, and integrated backrests that are prepared in advance during manufacturing. These preliminary design features ensure that when the tub is deployed, it automatically provides appropriate ergonomic support and comfort for children, eliminating the need for complex adjustments while maintaining ease of storage through its folding capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The bath tub utilizes flexible yet structurally supportive materials and thin-walled designs that can be folded for storage but maintain rigidity and form when in use. These flexible structures incorporate pre-formed ergonomic shapes that provide comfort and support, combining ease of folding with adequate structural integrity and child-friendly contours.
3Device complexity
If the bath tub maintains a fixed configuration, then structural simplicity is improved, but adaptability to different child sizes is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The bath tub employs a nested configuration where smaller, infant-appropriate seating areas are integrated within or can be configured alongside larger, toddler-appropriate sections. This nesting approach allows a single tub structure to accommodate multiple size requirements without adding significant complexity, as the nested sections fold together compactly for storage and can be independently or jointly deployed based on the child's age and size.
Data Source
AI summary
A foldable bath tub includes a base, a rim, and a basin wall disposed between and interconnecting the base and the rim. The basin wall includes at least one crease. The basin wall is configured to be positioned in one of a folded condition in which the basin wall is folded into itself and an extended condition in which the basin wall is configured to receive an associated child. A support assembly supports the bath tub on a surface. The support assembly includes a mount secured to the rim, a leg member pivotally connected to the mount, and an engaging member connected to the leg member. The engaging member is movable between a locked state to maintain the leg member in an extended state and an unlocked state allowing the leg member to pivot toward a folded state. The engaging member includes a locking tab movably received in an opening in the leg member.