Stackable Potty with Duct for Contamination-Free Waste Emptying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing potties often face difficulties in emptying waste in a controlled manner, leading to contamination of the seating surface, and they are not designed for efficient stacking, storage, or transportation.
Innovation Solution
A potty design featuring a passageway or duct that allows waste to be poured from the basin to a target site without contacting the seating surface, enabling controlled emptying and allowing for stackable configurations that save space during storage and transportation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If waste is emptied by tipping the potty, then the waste can be transferred to a toilet, but the waste may pass over the seating surface causing contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The duct is extracted from the basin and positioned to extend beyond the front of the potty, allowing waste to be discharged through a dedicated pathway that separates it from the seating surface. This extraction resolves the contradiction by providing a controlled emptying route that prevents contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The duct acts as an intermediary element between the basin and the external environment. It mediates the waste transfer process by providing a controlled passage that directs waste away from the seating surface, thus preventing contamination while enabling easy emptying.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a duct is added to provide controlled pouring, then hygiene is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The potty is segmented into functional zones: the basin for waste collection, the duct for controlled discharge, and the seating surface for user comfort. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while maintaining overall simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The duct is merged with the potty body as an integrated feature rather than a separate attachment. This combining approach maintains hygiene benefits while minimizing additional complexity by making the duct an inherent part of the potty structure.
3Productivity
If the potty is designed for stacking, then storage and transportation efficiency is improved, but the design flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The duct extends beyond the front of the potty in a horizontal direction, creating a dimensional feature that enables stacking. When multiple potties are stacked, the ducts align to form a continuous pathway, allowing waste to be poured through multiple potties simultaneously. This dimensional extension resolves the contradiction by providing both stacking capability and design flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The duct serves multiple functions: it provides controlled waste discharge, enables stacking by aligning with other potties, and maintains hygiene by preventing contamination. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by making the same structural element serve both stacking and hygiene purposes.
Data Source
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AI summary
A potty (10) includes a sidewall (12), basin (14) and a top surface (15) including a seating surface (18). The potty (10) is arranged such that it can be stacked with a similar potty such that a part of one is received within the other. This results in the combined height of the stacked potties being less than twice the height of an individual potty. The potty (10) has a duct (20) that enables liquid to be poured from the basin (14) out of the potty substantially without coming into contact with the seating surface (18).