Shower Tray with Automatic Lifting for Heavy Walking Surface Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern shower trays with aesthetic designs face difficulties in accessing and cleaning the innermost parts due to narrow spaces and heavy, precious materials, making manual lifting of the walking surface complex and potentially damaging.
Innovation Solution
A shower tray with automatic lifting means, allowing the walking surface to be automatically lifted and pivoted for easy access to the collecting tub, equipped with nozzles for automatic cleaning and locking mechanisms for secure operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If the walking surface is made of heavy precious materials like marble for luxurious environments, then aesthetic results and luxury are improved, but the weight of the walking surface increases making manual lifting complex and potentially damaging
Solution Approach 1:
The walking surface automatically lifts itself using integrated gas springs when the locking pin is released, eliminating the need for manual lifting by users. The system serves itself by using stored mechanical energy in the gas springs to perform the lifting action that would otherwise require human effort.
Solution Approach 2:
Gas springs provide an upward counteracting force to balance the weight of the heavy walking surface, making it easy to lift and position. The gas springs store mechanical energy and release it to counteract gravity's effect on the heavy marble or precious material surface.
2Reliability
If the slot between the walking surface and perimeter frame is made small to meet legal requirements, then safety and compliance are improved, but the ease of manually grasping and lifting the walking surface deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The walking surface automatically lifts itself using integrated gas springs when the locking pin is released, eliminating the need for manual lifting by users. The system serves itself by using stored mechanical energy in the gas springs to perform the lifting action that would otherwise require human effort.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical lifting action (grasping and lifting by hand) is replaced with an automated mechanical system using gas springs and a locking pin mechanism. This substitution eliminates the need for users to physically grasp the walking surface through the narrow slot.
3Ease of operation
If manual lifting of the walking surface is required for cleaning the collecting tub, then access to innermost parts is possible, but the complexity and risk of damage to the walking surface and surrounding structures increases
Solution Approach 1:
The walking surface automatically lifts itself using integrated gas springs when the locking pin is released, eliminating the need for manual lifting by users. The system serves itself by using stored mechanical energy in the gas springs to perform the lifting action that would otherwise require human effort.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking pin acts as an intermediary mechanism that controls the transition between locked and unlocked states, triggering the automatic lifting action. This intermediary simplifies the user's interaction to a simple pin removal action rather than complex manual lifting operations.
4Shape
If the walking surface is made heavy for aesthetic purposes, then aesthetic results are improved, but the risk of damage to the walking surface and surrounding structures during manual removal increases
Solution Approach 1:
The walking surface automatically lifts itself using integrated gas springs when the locking pin is released, eliminating the need for manual lifting by users. The system serves itself by using stored mechanical energy in the gas springs to perform the lifting action that would otherwise require human effort.
Solution Approach 2:
Gas springs provide an upward counteracting force to balance the weight of the heavy walking surface, making it easy to lift and position. The gas springs store mechanical energy and release it to counteract gravity's effect on the heavy marble or precious material surface.
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
Enables easy and damage-free access to the innermost parts for cleaning, reducing manual effort and risk of damage, while ensuring efficient and comfortable washing of the collecting tub.
Implementation Method 1
The automatic lifting means may include a gas spring with a movable stem; said gas spring is fixed to the collecting tub while the free end of the stem is fixed to the walking surface.
Implementation Method 2
one or more nozzles can be received in the collecting tub and are suitable for spraying water into which a detergent has been possibly added in order to wash and cleanse the collecting tub.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a shower tray with a walking surface placed at the top of a collecting tub. The walking surface is surrounded by a coplanar perimeter frame from which it is spaced, thereby forming a continuous perimeter slot allowing water to flow into the collecting tub. The shower tray includes an automatic system to easily and conveniently access the innermost parts of the shower tray, below the walking surface.