Folding shower seat
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shower seats lack an efficient mechanism to move between a raised and lowered position with minimal force requirement, often requiring significant effort and risking component binding.
Innovation Solution
A shower seat design featuring a frame with rotatable components, a biasing arrangement such as a torsion spring or gas strut, and height-adjustable feet, allowing the seat to be easily moved between a use and stowed position with reduced force, preventing component binding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a wall-mounted shower seat uses a fixed or simple hinge mechanism, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but it requires significant force to move the seat between positions and risks component binding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a biasing arrangement (torsion spring or gas strut) that acts as a counterweight mechanism to offset the weight of the seat. The torsion spring is mounted on the rear support and connected to the side supports, while the gas strut connects the rear support to the side supports. These biasing elements provide an upward force that counteracts gravity, enabling effortless transition between use and stowed positions with minimal force requirement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a dynamic folding mechanism where the side supports are rotatable relative to the rear support via a shaft, allowing the seat to move between fixed (use position) and folded (stowed position) states. This dynamic design enables the seat to adapt its configuration based on usage needs while maintaining smooth motion through the rotatable joint.
2Ease of operation
If the shower seat uses a folding mechanism with rotatable components, then the ease of operation improves, but the reliability may deteriorate due to potential component binding
Solution Approach 1:
The biasing arrangement continuously applies a counterbalancing force to the rotatable side supports, preventing them from binding in any position. The torsion spring or gas strut ensures that the moving components are always supported by an opposing force, eliminating the risk of binding during rotation between use and stowed positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The shaft serving as the rotatable joint between the rear support and side supports acts as an intermediary element that facilitates smooth rotation. This well-defined rotational interface with proper clearance and mounting geometry prevents binding while enabling reliable repeated motion between positions.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the shower seat is designed to be fully wall-mounted with all components, then the stability improves, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to increased weight and movement resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The biasing arrangement (torsion spring or gas strut) provides a counterweight effect that offsets the weight of the fully wall-mounted seat structure. This allows the heavy, stable wall-mounted construction to be easily moved between positions with minimal force, as the biasing element continuously assists the movement against gravity.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotatable side supports connected via a shaft to the rear support create a dynamic folding mechanism. This allows the stable wall-mounted seat to transition smoothly between use and stowed positions, converting the static stable structure into a dynamically adjustable system that maintains stability when needed while enabling easy movement.
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
Enables effortless transition between use and stowed positions with minimal force, ensuring smooth operation and reducing the risk of component binding, while maintaining secure wall mounting.
Implementation Method 1
The biasing arrangement may be a torsion spring. A first end of the torsion spring may be received by the first side support and a second end of the torsion spring may be received by the first wall mount.
Implementation Method 2
The biasing arrangement may be a gas strut. A first end of the gas strut may be secured to rear support and a second end of the gas strut may be secured to a strut support extending between the first and second side supports.
Data Source
AI summary
A shower seat includes a frame having a first wall mount, a second wall mount spaced from the first wall mount, a rear support secured to and extending between the first and second wall mounts, a first rear leg, a second rear leg spaced from the first rear leg, a first side support, a second side support spaced from the first side support, a first front leg, and a second front leg spaced from the first front leg. The first and second wall mounts are configured to secure the frame to a wall. The first and second side supports are rotatable relative to the first and second wall mounts and the rear support. A seat is secured to the frame, with the frame configured to move the seat between a use position and a stowed position.