Portable Bowel Irrigation Base with Low-Force Annular Skirt Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bowel irrigation systems are bulky, complicated, and difficult to handle, particularly for users with limited dexterity or finger strength, and often require significant force to open and close containers, making cleaning and operation cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
A portable base for a bowel irrigation system featuring a canister unit and a lid unit with an annular skirt that is rotatably arranged around a rim portion, allowing for easy shifting between unlocked and locked configurations through partial rotation, reducing the force required for sealing and unsealing by engaging threads with projecting juts on the canister unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional container closure mechanisms are used, then sealing function is achieved, but significant force is required to open and close, making handling difficult for users with limited dexterity
Solution Approach 1:
The closure mechanism is segmented into two independent rotational components: the lid unit that rotates to open/close the container, and the skirt that rotates to lock/unlock the lid. This segmentation allows each component to perform its function with reduced force, as the skirt's rotation independently engages or disengages locking elements without requiring force to overcome a sealed lid.
Solution Approach 2:
The skirt acts as an intermediary mechanism between the user's opening action and the lid's movement. By rotating the skirt rather than directly manipulating the lid, the user can engage or disengage locking elements with minimal force, and the lid will subsequently rotate open or closed as a result of this intermediary action.
2Reliability
If complex locking mechanisms are used to secure the lid, then sealing reliability is improved, but device complexity increases and cleaning becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The locking function is segmented into discrete locking elements (protrusions and recesses) distributed around the perimeter of the skirt, rather than a single complex locking mechanism. This segmentation allows the lid to be securely locked through simple rotational engagement of multiple simple elements, maintaining reliability while reducing overall complexity and improving cleanability.
3Ease of operation
If the container is designed for easy cleaning, then ease of operation is improved, but the structure becomes more complex with more components
Solution Approach 1:
The container is segmented into distinct, separable components: the canister unit, the lid unit, and the skirt. This segmentation allows each component to be easily cleaned independently, and the modular design reduces overall complexity by allowing users to disassemble and clean each part separately without requiring complex disassembly procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
A portable base for a system for irrigation of the bowels of a user is provided. The portable base comprises a canister unit for an irrigation liquid, and a lid unit for engaging with the canister unit. In particular, the lid unit of the portable base comprises a rim portion comprising an annular skirt that is movably arranged around the rim portion. The portable base is adapted to be shifted to a locked configuration by rotating the annular skirt. The arrangement of the annular skirt around the rim portion facilitates easier shifting to the locked configuration because less torque is required to be applied by the user for the locking/scaling. A system for irrigating the bowels of a user and a method of sealing the system are also provided.