Sliding Toilet Shifter Structure for Adjustable Drain Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing toilet shifters lack adjustability, leading to poor adaptability and installation challenges, requiring users to cut the shifter length for proper use.
Innovation Solution
A shifter with an upper and lower body connected by a sliding connection structure, allowing for an adjustable sewage discharge flow channel length, which can be easily assembled and adjusted to fit various toilet configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the shifter length is fixed, then the manufacturing and installation process is simple, but the adaptability to different toilet configurations is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The shifter is divided into an upper shifter body and a lower shifter body that can slide relative to each other, allowing the length to be adjusted by moving the upper body along the lower body. This segmentation enables adaptability to different toilet configurations while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The shifter transitions from a fixed length design to an adjustable length design, where the upper shifter body can dynamically change its position along the lower shifter body to achieve different effective lengths, thereby adapting to various installation scenarios.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the shifter length is adjustable, then the adaptability to different toilet configurations is improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the shifter into movable upper and lower bodies with a sliding connection, the patent achieves adjustability without requiring complex mechanical assemblies. The sliding connection uses simple guide structures and positioning mechanisms that maintain structural simplicity while enabling length adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The sliding connection structure serves multiple functions: it allows length adjustment, provides guidance for proper assembly, and includes positioning features to secure the shifter at desired lengths. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby controlling structural complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the shifter length is fixed, then the manufacturing process is simple, but users need to cut the shifter for proper installation
Solution Approach 1:
The shifter is designed with a dynamic length adjustment capability, allowing the upper shifter body to slide along the lower shifter body to achieve the required length for different installations. This eliminates the need for post-manufacturing cutting operations, significantly improving ease of installation while adding only moderate manufacturing complexity for the sliding mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
A shifter and a toilet, where the shifter includes an upper shifter body provided with an inlet for sewage to flow in, and a lower shifter body provided with an outlet for sewage to flow out. The lower shifter body is connected to the upper shifter body by a sliding connection structure, and the lower shifter body and the upper shifter body together define a length-adjustable sewage discharge flow channel. The sewage discharge flow channel enables the inlet to be communicated with the outlet.