L-Shaped Urinal Unit with Nesting Lock Members for Compact Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing urinal units are bulky, making them inefficient for transportation and storage, especially when used in temporary outdoor settings like festivals or construction sites, as they require frequent relocation and have limited storage capacity.
Innovation Solution
A urinal unit with a L-shaped design featuring a base platform and upstanding wall, equipped with a pair of complementary male and female lock members for compact stacking and stability during transport, allowing for efficient nesting and reduced space requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If traditional bulky urinal units are used, then they provide adequate functionality and privacy, but they occupy large transport volume and require frequent relocation
Solution Approach 1:
The urinal unit is designed with a nested structure where the upper body can be lowered into the lower vessel, allowing one component to be placed inside another. This nesting mechanism significantly reduces the transport volume of multiple urinal units while maintaining their functional integrity during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The urinal unit incorporates a telescopic coupling mechanism that allows the upper body to slide between at least two positions - a high position for operational use and a gathered-up position for compact transport. This dynamic adjustment enables the structure to adapt its volume based on whether it is being used or transported.
2Volume of moving object
If multiple urinal units are transported separately, then each unit maintains its structural integrity, but the total transport space requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple urinal units can be nested within each other during transport, with upper bodies lowered into lower vessels. This nesting arrangement dramatically reduces the total storage capacity required while the complementary lock members ensure that each nested unit remains structurally stable and securely positioned.
Solution Approach 2:
The design allows multiple urinal units to be combined into a compact transport assembly through nesting and locking mechanisms. The complementary male and female lock members enable stable interconnection of stacked units, merging multiple separate structures into a unified compact configuration for efficient transport and storage.
3Volume of moving object
If urinal units are designed for compact transport, then transport volume is reduced, but assembly and disassembly time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The complementary lock members are designed to automatically engage when urinal units are stacked - the male lock member on one unit fits into the female lock member on the adjacent unit without requiring manual intervention. This self-locking mechanism reduces assembly time while maintaining compact transport configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The lock members are pre-positioned on the urinal units during manufacturing, with male lock members on upper bodies and female lock members on lower vessels. This preliminary arrangement ensures that when units are stacked for transport, the locking engagement occurs automatically and quickly without requiring complex assembly procedures.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4B
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AI summary
Urinal unit (100) for temporary providing an urinal comprising a L-shaped unit body (1) with a base platform (11) which forms a pedestal to stand in front of a urinal (13) and an upstanding wall (12) which forms a privacy separation. At least one urinal (13) is connected to a front side F of the upstanding wall (12). The urinal unit (100) comprises a pair of a male and a female lock member (51, 52) to engage with each other in a transport assembly TA of an assembly of urinal units (101, 102). In the transport assembly TA one of the urinal units (102) is stacked in an upside down orientation onto another urinal unit (101) in which the lock members (51, 52) engage with each other to provide stability. The transport assembly TA may be further compacted by collapsing the upstanding wall (12) of each urinal unit.