Portable Urinal with Separate Pump Unit for Bedridden Patient Use
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional portable urinals are prone to splattering, odor buildup, leakage, and are not suitable for bedridden patients due to their reliance on gravity, and they lack portability and hygiene, making them hazardous and inconvenient for users with mobility issues or in environments without plumbing.
Innovation Solution
A portable urinal system with a separate pump unit that includes a urine collector, a holding tank with a one-way valve to prevent odor escape, and a base station for silent and odor-free urine disposal, allowing for easy transportation and use without the need for gravity-dependent positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional portable urinals rely on gravity for urine collection, then the device structure is simple, but the device cannot be used by bedridden patients and requires specific positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into separate functional modules: a portable urinal unit for urine collection and a separate pump unit for urine discharge. This segmentation allows the urinal to be used in various positions (including horizontal for bedridden patients) while the pump handles the gravity-defying discharge function, resolving the contradiction between versatility and structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
A pump acts as an intermediary mechanism between the urine collection container and the discharge point. This intermediary enables urine to be moved against gravity from the portable urinal to the desired location, allowing bedridden patients to use the device without requiring gravity-dependent positioning.
2Reliability
If conventional portable urinals are designed to be portable, then the device is easy to transport, but the device is prone to leakage and splattering
Solution Approach 1:
The manual pouring and carrying mechanism is replaced with a pump-based automated discharge system. The pump provides controlled, gentle urine discharge that prevents splashing and leakage, while the portable urinal maintains its easy-to-transport design. This substitution of mechanical action with a controlled pumping system resolves the contradiction between portability and reliability.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If conventional portable urinals lack odor restriction, then the device structure is simple, but the device produces offensive odors
Solution Approach 1:
The odor problem is extracted and addressed separately from the main urinal structure through the pump unit, which contains and manages the urine during discharge. This separation allows the portable urinal to remain simple while the pump system handles odor containment, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and odor control.
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 a safe, odor-free, and leakage-free solution for urine collection and disposal, enhancing user safety and convenience by allowing for silent operation and easy handling, suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, and reducing the risk of infection and sleep disturbances.
Implementation Method 1
a one-way valve between the collector and the holding tank, the one-way valve permitting liquid to flow downwards under the force of gravity from the collector into the holding tank
Implementation Method 2
a pump configured to pull liquid from the holding tank through the drain hose, thereby emptying the holding tank
Data Source
AI summary
A portable urinal can be designed for use indoors and outdoors. The portable urinal can have a storage tank for storing urine and can be connected to a urine collector. The urinal can be used by a user for urinating and the tank can seal the stored urine thereby maintaining a hygienic environment. A base station with a pump unit can be coupled to the storage tank for emptying the tank, and an outlet tube can drain the urine from the storage tank to a drain. In various embodiments, the portable urinal and the pump unit can be separate, thus, making the device lightweight and easy to maneuver. In other embodiments, the pump can be attached to the device.