Foldable Bidet With Rotating Strips For Restricted Spaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bathroom bidets are rigid and inflexible, making them difficult to install in limited spaces and requiring miniaturization that complicates user access, while existing solutions for compact bidets often involve complex mechanisms prone to wear and failure.
Innovation Solution
A foldable bidet design featuring rotating strips or shells that can be superimposed to minimize bulk, with a watertight seal system and self-cleaning gaskets, and an optional electric servocontrol for easy operation, allowing for standard size use in restricted spaces and efficient water management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If conventional bidets are miniaturized to fit restricted spaces, then space utilization is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to size constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The bidet employs a foldable structure with movable strips that can transition between a compact folded state for storage and a deployed state for use. The strips rotate around horizontal axes to expand from a minimal volume to a functional bidet shape, enabling the device to adapt its size dynamically based on operational needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The bidet is divided into multiple strips or shells that can be independently positioned and folded. These segmented components allow the structure to be collapsed into a compact form when not in use and expanded to standard bidet dimensions when needed, resolving the contradiction between small size and ease of operation.
2Strength
If rigid monolithic bidet structures are used, then structural strength is improved, but adaptability to limited spaces deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bidet transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic foldable system. The strips can rotate and fold to adapt to limited spaces during installation and storage, while maintaining structural integrity during use through the hinge mechanism and gasket sealing system.
Solution Approach 2:
The strips are designed to nest within each other when folded, with the second strip positioned inside the first, creating a compact configuration that fits restricted spaces. This nesting arrangement allows the bidet to maintain its functional form factor while adapting to small installation areas.
3Volume of moving object
If complex folding mechanisms are introduced to reduce bidet bulk, then space efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The folding mechanism is simplified by dividing the bidet into discrete strips with standardized hinge connections. Each strip has a consistent structure with attachment means at its ends, allowing for modular assembly and easier manufacturing. This segmentation reduces overall mechanism complexity compared to monolithic folding designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge mechanism serves multiple functions: it enables the strips to rotate for folding, provides structural support for the bidet shape, and facilitates the self-cleaning action during operation. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
4Ease of manufacture
If standard bidet designs are used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but adaptability to restricted spaces deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bidet is manufactured as separate strips that can be produced using standard manufacturing processes, then assembled using simple hinge connections. This modular approach maintains ease of manufacture while enabling space adaptability through the foldable configuration of the individual strips.
Solution Approach 2:
The bidet incorporates movable strips with hinges that allow the structure to transition between compact and expanded states. This dynamic element is integrated into the manufacturing process, allowing standard production methods to create a product that adapts to restricted spaces without requiring complex custom manufacturing.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C~1D
Figure 2A~2B
AI summary
A bidet is described which can be folded in bellows-like manner to allow the bidet to be installed in restricted spaces. The bidet comprises a plurality of strips (2,2',2'' etc.) which are tightly sealed against each other by gaskets (4,4',4'' etc.) and, in a none-use position, are superimposed on each other.