Hair discard device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hair collection devices are inefficient in adhering and disposing of loose hair during showering, leading to clogs in the drain, unsightly hair accumulation, and costly plumbing issues due to their design flaws such as residue left on the shower wall, cumbersome cleaning, and protruding components.
Innovation Solution
A hair discard device with a planar base sheet and multiple disposable adhesive sheets, where the back side has pressure-sensitive adhesive covered by a protective backing and the front side has a reserved non-adhesive area for easy separation, providing a low-profile, water-resistant, and transparent solution for collecting and discarding hair without leaving residue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hair is stuck on the shower wall using existing devices, then hair collection is achieved, but the devices leave residue on the shower wall and require complete replacement after single use
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into a reusable base and disposable adhesive sheets. The base remains on the shower wall permanently, while individual adhesive sheets are applied and removed as needed. This segmentation allows the collection function to be disposable while the mounting structure is reusable, eliminating residue issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive sheets are designed as disposable, low-cost components that are applied to the reusable base. After use, only the adhesive sheet is removed and discarded, not the entire device. This resolves the contradiction by making the temporary component (adhesive sheet) disposable while keeping the permanent component (base) reusable.
2Ease of operation
If adhesive sheets are designed for easy separation, then disposal convenience is improved, but adhesive coverage must be reduced which may affect hair sticking effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive is applied locally to specific areas of the adhesive sheet rather than covering the entire surface. The adhesive regions are positioned optimally for hair collection, while non-adhesive regions provide grip areas for easy sheet removal and separation. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between adhesion effectiveness and separation ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive sheet acts as an intermediary between the reusable base and the hair. It provides the necessary adhesive properties for hair collection while its specific design (adhesive zones vs. grip zones) enables easy separation. The intermediary nature of the sheet allows it to fulfill both contradictory requirements.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If multiple adhesive sheets are stacked for multiple uses, then device longevity is improved, but the stacked structure may increase profile height and compromise low-profile design
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive sheets are designed to be dynamically added or removed from the base as needed. Rather than having a fixed multi-sheet structure, the user can apply individual sheets only when needed, maintaining a low profile when sheets are not in use while providing multiple uses when sheets are applied.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive sheets are thin, flexible films that conform to the base and shower wall surface. Their thin profile allows multiple sheets to be stacked without significantly increasing the overall device height, maintaining the low-profile design while enabling multiple uses.
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 device effectively prevents hair from entering the drain, maintains a clean and aesthetically pleasing bathroom, reduces the need for professional plumbing services, and allows for multiple uses without complete device replacement, ensuring efficient hair disposal and drainage.
Implementation Method 1
said back side being covered substantially but not entirely with pressure sensitive adhesive
Implementation Method 2
pressure sensitive adhesive across of most of said front side
Data Source
AI summary
A device and the method of use thereof to easily collect unwanted discarded hair in a shower or bath that provides a means for preventing the collection of unwanted hair on shower walls or in shower drains. The device aesthetically blends in to the environment and easily adheres to a shower wall. The device includes a base sheet, which contains a double sided adhesive with one side that adheres to the shower wall, i.e., the wall side. The other side allows for the adherence thereto of a plurality of individual adhesive disposable sheets which have two sides, but with pressure sensitive adhesive found only on the front side, onto which discarded hair can easily be adhered to, trapped and discarded later. Each individual adhesive, disposable sheet contains the pressure sensitive adhesive across the majority of the front face, but leaves a reserved area on each sheet without adhesive. This allows for each individual adhesive disposable sheet to be easily grasped by a user and separated from the adjacent sheet behind it. A front sheet covers the entire stack of sheets and contains no adhesive, but which can be easily removed to reveal the sticky front faces of the plurality of disposable sheets underneath it. The device can be water resistant and/or substantially transparent to allow for an aesthetic blending into the shower or bath environment.