Pivotable Rim Block Cage for Curved Toilet Bowl Adaptation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional toilet baskets are rigid and fail to fit well into the curved geometry of toilet bowls, leading to uneven flushing and incomplete cleaning, disinfection, and scenting due to inadequate contact with the inner wall, resulting in residual hygiene products that are difficult to rinse and require frequent replacement.

Innovation Solution

A toilet basket design featuring a pivotable second section that converts from a flat, two-dimensional state to a curved, three-dimensional state, allowing the cover to adapt to the toilet bowl's geometry, ensuring better contact and even flushing, while maintaining a flat design for efficient production and storage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the toilet basket is designed with a rigid flat structure, then it is easy to manufacture and store, but it cannot conform to the curved shape of the toilet bowl, resulting in uneven contact and uneven flushing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidadaptability to toilet bowl geometry
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The toilet basket is designed with a flexible or semi-rigid material that allows it to dynamically adapt its shape. The basket can be inserted in a flat state and then deforms to conform to the curved toilet bowl geometry during installation, achieving both ease of manufacture and adaptability to different bowl shapes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The material properties of the basket are engineered to allow temporary deformation. The basket transitions from a flat manufactured state to a curved installed state by changing its physical parameters (flexibility, rigidity) during installation, enabling it to adapt to the toilet bowl curvature while maintaining manufacturing simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If the toilet basket is designed with a curved shape to fit the toilet bowl, then it provides even contact and even flushing, but it requires more storage and transport space

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to toilet bowl geometryVSAvoidstorage space requirement
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The basket utilizes dynamic shape transformation, being stored in a compact flat state and transforming to a curved operational state during installation. This eliminates the need for excessive storage space while maintaining the adaptability benefits of a curved design

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The basket transitions from a two-dimensional flat configuration for storage to a three-dimensional curved configuration for operation. By utilizing dimensional transformation, the product achieves even contact with the toilet bowl without requiring increased storage volume

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Adaptability or versatility

If the cover is sealed with a multi-layered foil seal on a curved surface, then it provides better flushing contact, but the sealing process becomes complex and difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to toilet bowl geometryVSAvoidsealing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The foil seal is designed to be flexible and applyable on a flat surface during manufacturing, then the entire basket structure deforms to create the curved configuration. This dynamic approach simplifies the sealing process while maintaining adaptability to the toilet bowl geometry

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The foil seal is applied to the cover in its flat state during manufacturing before the basket is deformed into its curved operational shape. By performing the sealing action preliminarily in the simplified flat state, the complexity of sealing curved surfaces is avoided while still achieving the desired curved configuration for even flushing contact

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4058641B1Rim block cage
Publication Date: 2023.12.06 HENKEL KGAA
  • EP4058641B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1d
  • EP4058641B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2c
  • EP4058641B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3c

AI summary

The present invention relates to a rim block cage (1), comprising a first portion (2) having at least one cavity (3), which cavity is used to hold a hygiene product and has at least one main opening (4) and a cover (5) of the at least one main opening (4), and comprising a hanger (6) for fastening the rim block cage (1) to an edge (7) of a toilet bowl (8), the rim block cage (1) comprising a second portion (9), which is pivotably mounted on the first portion (2). The rim block cage (1) can be transferred, by pivoting of the second portion (9) relative to the first portion (2), from an initial state, in which the cover (5) lies flat in a plane, into an operating state, in which the cover (5) has a curvature. The invention further relates to a method for producing and for providing, in a ready-to-use state, a rim block cage (1) of this type.