Step stool and method of use
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Solution Overview
Problem
Seniors and individuals with limited mobility face challenges when entering and exiting bathtubs due to high walls and slippery surfaces, and existing bed rails are not portable or flexible, limiting their mobility and safety.
Innovation Solution
A bathtub step stool with adjustable, perpendicular guardrails and a step assembly that allows users to safely enter and exit the bathtub by providing a stable and unobstructed pathway, featuring a motion-detecting lighting assembly and non-slip surfaces for enhanced safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional bed rails are used, then fall prevention is improved, but portability and flexibility deteriorate because they are attached to the bed
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into separate components: a step stool with integrated guardrails that can be detached and relocated independently from the bed, allowing the guardrails to be reused with different beds or storage locations
Solution Approach 2:
The guardrails transition from a fixed attachment state to a mobile state, enabling the structure to adapt between providing stable support during use and being easily stored or repositioned when not in use
2Reliability
If high bathtub walls are used, then water containment is improved, but ease of entry and exit deteriorates for seniors and individuals with limited mobility
Solution Approach 1:
The entry problem is segmented into multiple manageable steps using a multi-level step stool structure, breaking down the single large height barrier into smaller, progressively manageable steps
Solution Approach 2:
The step stool acts as an intermediary device between the bathroom floor and the bathtub interior, providing a transitional structure with intermediate platforms that facilitate gradual elevation without requiring direct lifting to full tub height
3Ease of operation
If perpendicular guardrails are used, then entry pathway accessibility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guardrails are merged with the step stool structure, integrating the safety function directly into the entry mechanism rather than requiring separate components, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining accessibility benefits
Data Source
AI summary
A step stool comprising a first support to be disposed closer to a first end of a bed or bathtub; a second support to be disposed closer to a second end of the bed or bathtub; a step assembly supported between the first support and second support, the step assembly to enable the user to step thereon for assisting the user into and out of the bed or bathtub from a side, wherein the first support and second support define an unobstructed pathway for entry and exit with respect to the side and the step stool that is perpendicular with respect to the side whereby the user goes between the first support and second support to step onto and off of the step assembly without any obstruction; and folding mechanisms operably coupling the first support and second support to the step assembly to enable the step stool to be folded.