Showerhead Pivoting Arm Assembly for Seated User Spray Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Shower installations for disabled individuals are often inconvenient and require assistance, as they are designed for standing users and lack adjustable controls that can be easily operated from a seated position, compromising privacy and independence.
Innovation Solution
A pivoting arm arrangement attached to a standard showerhead, allowing seated individuals to adjust the direction and force of the shower spray, which can also be pivoted out of the way for non-disabled users, incorporating a rotary knob for temperature and flow control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a standard showerhead is mounted on the wall for standing users, then the shower installation is simple and conventional, but disabled individuals seated in the shower cannot easily reach or operate the controls
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the showerhead and control assembly movable rather than fixed. The showerhead is mounted on a pivoting arm that can be adjusted to various positions, and the control assembly can be moved along the arm to remain within reach of seated users. This dynamic positioning system allows the controls to adapt to the user's seated position while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements another dimension by adding vertical and horizontal adjustment capabilities to the showerhead mounting. Instead of a single fixed wall-mounted position, the showerhead can be positioned at multiple heights and angles along the pivoting arm, creating a two-dimensional adjustment space that accommodates seated users while keeping the control mechanism straightforward.
2Ease of operation
If the showerhead is positioned for standing users, then the installation is conventional and simple, but seated individuals cannot easily direct the spray to all parts of their body
Solution Approach 1:
The showerhead is mounted on a pivoting arm that enables dynamic positioning in multiple directions. This allows seated users to easily redirect the water spray to different parts of their body by moving the showerhead along the arm and adjusting its angle, while the pivoting mechanism remains mechanically simple and maintenance-free.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a hand-held showerhead on a hose is used (European style), then seated users can easily direct spray to all body parts, but it requires installation changes and users prefer to maintain their existing wall-mounted shower installations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal adapter assembly that can be installed on existing wall-mounted showerheads without requiring replacement of the entire shower system. This multi-functional adapter provides both the pivoting arm mechanism for directional control and the control assembly for seated operation, making the system adaptable to various existing shower installations while maintaining spray flexibility comparable to hand-held systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter assembly acts as an intermediary between the existing wall-mounted showerhead and the user's seated position. It mediates the connection by providing a pivoting arm that extends the reach and adjusts the angle of the showerhead, allowing the original showerhead to function effectively for seated users without requiring installation of a completely different hand-held system.
4Ease of operation
If controls are mounted high on the wall for standing users, then the installation is conventional, but seated individuals cannot reach the temperature and flow controls
Solution Approach 1:
The control assembly is mounted on the pivoting arm rather than being fixed to the wall, allowing it to move vertically and horizontally along with the showerhead. This dynamic positioning ensures the controls remain within easy reach of seated users at all times, while the control assembly structure itself remains relatively simple, utilizing the same pivoting mechanism as the showerhead.
Data Source
AI summary
A showerhead directional control assembly for enabling physically challenged persons to easily adjust the direction of water spray emitted from a showerhead while seated on a chair in a shower or tub installation including a handle section which is pivotably secured to a mounting section connected to a showerhead assembly, the handle being securable in an extended use position in close proximity to the user, and in an embodiment having an internal construction for locking the handle section to the mounting section in an extended position, and which arm may be pivoted to an non-use position which does not obstruct use of the shower by non-disabled persons, the apparatus further including an adjustable bracket for supporting the handle assembly on a water supply pipe and enabling more precise adjustment of the location of the handle in an extended position.