Shower/Commode Wheeled Chair with Pivoting Footrests and Lightweight Wheels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shower/commode wheeled chairs lack adjustability, storage flexibility, and versatility for patients and elderly individuals, particularly in terms of positioning and mobility.
Innovation Solution
A shower/commode wheeled chair with a frame, seat support, back support, and wheels, featuring adjustable footrests, armrests, and a mechanism for pivoting and rotating components, along with injection molded rear wheels for enhanced stability and weight reduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the wheel is made of injection molded plastic with internal hollow portions, then the weight is reduced, but the structural strength may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel utilizes injection molded plastic with internal hollow portions, creating a porous-like structure that reduces weight while maintaining sufficient strength through strategic hollowing rather than complete removal of material
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel combines injection molded plastic with a metal band positioned to cover the hollow portions and form a support for an inner tube, creating a composite structure that leverages the lightweight plastic while using the metal band to reinforce critical strength areas
2Adaptability or versatility
If the footrest is configured to pivot about a horizontal axis, then positioning flexibility is improved, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The footrest is configured to pivot about a generally horizontal axis, transforming from a static component to a dynamic one that can adapt its position. This pivoting capability allows the footrest to move between a horizontal position for support and a vertical position for storage, providing positioning flexibility without requiring multiple separate components
3Ease of operation
If the arm support portion includes a spring release mechanism, then ease of adjustment is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spring release mechanism enables the arm support portion to be adjusted through a simple horizontal displacement action that automatically engages the catch/latch mechanism. The spring provides the necessary force to engage and disengage the latch automatically, allowing users to adjust the armrest easily without requiring complex controls or multiple steps
4Strength
If the rear wheels have metal bands covering hollow portions, then structural strength is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel is divided into distinct functional segments: the injection molded plastic body providing the lightweight structure, the metal band providing structural reinforcement, and the inner tube providing inflation support. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured separately using optimal processes and then assembled, actually simplifying manufacturing despite the additional component
Data Source
AI summary
A shower/commode wheeled chair adapted to be locatable over a commode, the shower/commode wheeled chair comprising a frame, a seat support portion, a front portion extending downwardly from the seat support portion, a back support, a shower/commode seat, wheels and a footrest coupled to the front portion.