Sliding Bath Chair With Swivel Base for Stable Tub Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Individuals with physical disabilities face difficulties and safety risks when bathing due to the need for assistance and the instability of existing shower chairs, which often require caregivers to exert excessive physical effort or risk injury from slipping and falling.
Innovation Solution
A bathing chair with a fixed frame spanning the bathtub sides, sliding tracks, a swivel base, and adjustable support legs, allowing the chair to slide in and out of the tub safely and easily, with a design that includes a backrest, armrests, and a trough to manage water, and is secured to the tub wall and floor for stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a fixed shower chair is used in the bathtub, then stability is improved, but the user must still climb over the sidewalls which creates an unstable position and risk of falling
Solution Approach 1:
The chair is designed with movable components including a swivel base that allows 360-degree rotation and sliding mechanisms that enable the chair to move along the tub sidewall. This dynamic design allows the user to easily transition from a stable positioned chair to a stable standing position without climbing over high walls, eliminating the falling risk while maintaining chair stability during use
Solution Approach 2:
The chair structure is divided into multiple independent components: a fixed frame, a movable frame, a swivel base, and adjustable support legs. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function - the fixed frame provides structural stability, while the movable frame with swivel base enables easy user access and position adjustment without requiring users to climb over tub walls
2Reliability
If shower chairs are designed to be stable, then safety is improved, but the structure becomes complex requiring multiple components and mounting mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into integrated components: the swivel base integrates rotation and sliding capabilities, the adjustable support legs combine height adjustment with stability provision, and the fixed frame integrates wall mounting with structural support. This merging reduces the number of separate components needed while maintaining safety and reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The chair components are designed with multi-functionality: the swivel base provides both rotation and sliding functions, the adjustable support legs provide both height adjustment and stability, and the fixed frame serves both as a mounting structure and a support structure. This universality reduces overall structural complexity while ensuring safety
3Adaptability or versatility
If the chair is designed to accommodate different user needs, then adaptability is improved, but the device complexity increases with multiple adjustment mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The chair incorporates dynamic adjustment capabilities through the swivel base that allows 360-degree rotation and position adjustment along the tub sidewall, and adjustable support legs that can be modified in height. These dynamic features provide adaptability for different user needs and bathtub configurations without requiring multiple separate mechanisms, as the same components serve multiple adjustment functions
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 individuals with disabilities to bathe independently and safely, reducing caregiver strain and the risk of injury by providing a stable and adjustable solution for entering and exiting the bathtub.
Implementation Method 1
The swivel base may include a swivel chair and a pivot point and a plurality of bearings
Implementation Method 2
Each of the adjustable feet may allow for adjustment to the floor surface via friction fit
Data Source
AI summary
A bathing chair is a removable toilet seat having a pair of handles having a plank extending from a first side of the toilet seat suitable to permit a user to slide from the toilet seat across the plank. The bathing chair also has a wall support which may be removably secured to a shower or bath wall. The wall support retains the plank in a horizontal position of a tub or shower area.