Inflatable Hygienic Shower With Segmented Drain
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing in-bed hygienic systems for non-ambulatory individuals face challenges such as poor drainage, complexity of construction, difficulty in sliding and positioning, and inadequate flexibility, leading to issues like microbial growth, contamination, and discomfort due to uneven inflation or deflation.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible and inflatable personal hygienic shower system with a venturi valve for effective drainage and pressure control, allowing for portable use without integration with a hospital bed, featuring a reservoir for washing fluid and a configuration that allows for easy placement under a patient with efficient water management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If an inflatable bath is made collapsible for portability, then ease of operation and storage is improved, but drainage capability deteriorates due to fold interference with drain operation
Solution Approach 1:
The inflatable bath is divided into multiple segments separated by transverse folds, allowing the structure to collapse compactly while maintaining functional integrity. The drain is positioned in a specific segment that remains accessible and functional even when other segments are folded, resolving the conflict between collapsibility and drainage capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The bath structure transitions from a static rigid form to a dynamic collapsible form through strategic fold placement. The folds are designed to collapse the bath for portability while leaving the drain area sufficiently open and accessible to maintain effective drainage function throughout the collapse and storage process.
2Reliability
If drainage system is added to inflatable bath, then hygiene reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bath incorporates self-draining capabilities through strategic positioning of the drain and utilization of gravitational forces. The design allows spent water to be removed passively or with minimal intervention, reducing the need for complex active pumping systems while maintaining hygiene standards.
3Adaptability or versatility
If inflatable bath is made portable without bed integration, then adaptability is improved, but positioning difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bath utilizes a flexible inflatable structure that can be easily moved and repositioned. The collapsible design allows the bath to be compacted for transport and then inflated at the point of use, enabling adaptable positioning without permanent bed integration while maintaining ease of operation through the simple inflate/deflate mechanism.
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 system provides sufficient drainage, reduces the risk of microbial growth, enhances user safety, and increases flexibility in use, allowing for effective and comfortable hygiene without the need for extensive hospital bed integration, thus improving patient care and reducing operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
The embodiments comprise a shower configured for being provided under a patient to be showered, along with a reservoir of washing fluid, and at least one pressure-altering means. The at least one pressure-altering means can provide positive pressure to draw clean washing fluid from the reservoir for use in showering the patient and/or produce suction configured to pull spent washing fluid away from the shower via the drain.
Implementation Method 2
The at least one pressure-altering means can provide positive pressure to draw clean washing fluid from the reservoir for use in showering the patient and/or produce suction configured to pull spent washing fluid away from the shower via the drain.
Data Source
AI summary
A personal hygienic system is configured to be portable and to be placed under a patient on a bed or reclined surface. The personal hygienic system comprises an inflatable shower comprising an outer wall that defines an inner space and surrounds a patient. At least one washing fluid can be applied to the patient in the inner space. The outer wall comprises folds discretizing stacked wall segments. The inner space defines a slope declining from an upper end toward a bottom end and a drain portion arranged at the bottom end. The drain portion defines a recess, an aperture located in the recess, a raised bottom lip bounding the recess proximate the bottom end, and at least one drain channel arranged on a side of the drain portion and configured to collect spent washing fluid from one or more side segments and corresponding folds of the inner space.