Rotatable Grab Bar Assembly for Concealed Support in Walk-In Bathing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing grab bars in bathtubs and showers are obtrusive when not in use and can pose hazards during falls or slips, and there is a need for a user-friendly, cost-effective, and reliable solution that can be easily installed and concealed when not needed.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible or folding grab bar assembly with a housing, pivot pin, handle, and locking mechanism that allows the bar to be rotated between use and non-use configurations, ensuring it is hidden or flush with the surface when not in use, and securely locked in place when needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If grab bars extend from the bathtub or shower surface to provide support, then user safety and ease of use are improved, but they create obstacles and hazards when not in use
Solution Approach 1:
The grab bar is designed to be rotatable about a pivot pin, allowing it to dynamically change position between an extended use configuration and a retracted non-use configuration. This dynamic capability enables the grab bar to provide support when needed while eliminating obstacles when not in use, directly resolving the technical contradiction between safety and hazard prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The grab bar transitions from a fixed two-dimensional surface-mounted structure to a three-dimensional rotatable component that can extend perpendicular to the surface or rotate parallel to it. This dimensional change allows the grab bar to occupy different spatial configurations, providing support in one orientation and concealing itself in another, thus resolving the contradiction between providing aid and creating hazards.
2Reliability
If a locking mechanism is added to secure the grab bar in place, then reliability and safety are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is designed to be self-actuating through spring-loaded latches that automatically engage with notches on the pivot pin when the grab bar reaches its extended or retracted position. The spring force automatically pushes the latches into engagement without requiring user intervention, providing reliable locking while minimizing complexity by eliminating the need for manual locking operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism replaces complex multi-component mechanical systems with a simplified spring-latch-notch system. The spring provides the locking force, the latch provides the engagement interface, and the notch on the pivot pin provides the positioning reference. This substitution reduces complexity while maintaining reliability by using simple, robust mechanical elements that are easy to manufacture and maintain.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the grab bar is made collapsible or foldable to eliminate obstructions, then safety is improved, but ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The operational complexity is extracted and isolated to a single user-initiated action: pressing the release button. This simple extraction of the locking mechanism's control function allows the user to easily transition the grab bar between configurations without complex manipulation, maintaining ease of operation while achieving the safety benefit of collapsibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The release button acts as an intermediary between the user and the locking mechanism. Instead of requiring the user to directly manipulate springs, latches, or pivot pins, the button provides a simple, intuitive interface that triggers the entire locking/unlocking sequence. This intermediary simplifies the user's interaction while the underlying mechanism handles the complexity of securing and releasing the grab bar.
Data Source
AI summary
A walk-in bathing environment is used by people who may have trouble getting in and out of standard bathtubs or showers. Rotatable grab bars are positioned in and around the bathing environments to aid in entering the environments, exiting the environments, sitting, standing, and otherwise moving relative to the bathing environment. The rotatable grab bars may be placed on the walls, top, external, or generally on and around the bathing environment such that a user can grab the one or more rotatable grab bars in order to provide support for moving relative to the bathing environment. The rotatable grab bars are connected to the environment such that they can be moved between a use and a storage configuration, such that the rotatable grab bars are extending from a portion of the housing only when desired by the user.