Swing Door Frame for Mobile Home Sanitary Area

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing mobile home designs face challenges in minimizing the sanitary area's room size while ensuring usability, as previous solutions often result in unstable door mechanisms, complex locking systems, and inefficient space utilization due to jamming issues or large pivoting spaces.

Innovation Solution

A door element pivotably mounted in the corner of the living, sanitary, and corridor areas, with a displaceable and pivotable first door frame element that adjusts between a rest and use position, allowing the door to close in two positions: separating the sanitary area from the other areas in a minimal space configuration and expanding the corridor area when not in use, while ensuring the sanitary area's usability by adjusting the separating element into a protruding use position.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If the door is closed to separate the sanitary area from the corridor area in a minimal space configuration, then the sanitary area volume is reduced to minimum, but the accessible floor space and usability are restricted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesanitary area volumeVSAvoidusable floor space
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The door frame element is made displaceable between a rest position (reducing sanitary area volume) and a use position (increasing accessible floor space). This dynamic adjustment allows the sanitary area to be compact when not in use while providing adequate space when needed, resolving the contradiction between minimal volume and usability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of operation

If a door-in-door solution with pivotable door frame is used to enlarge the sanitary area, then the accessible floor space is increased, but the door mechanism becomes complex and requires large pivoting space

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccessible floor spaceVSAvoiddoor mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The door system is segmented into a door element and a displaceable door frame element, allowing independent control of each component. This segmentation enables the door frame to be adjusted between rest and use positions without requiring complex pivoting mechanisms, simplifying the overall door mechanism while maintaining the ability to enlarge the sanitary area when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Volume of moving object

If the door frame is pivotally mounted to allow two closed positions, then the sanitary area can be extended into the corridor area, but the locking system becomes complex and stability is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesanitary area volumeVSAvoiddoor stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The displaceable door frame element automatically adjusts between rest and use positions based on operational needs, eliminating the need for complex locking mechanisms. The system self-regulates to provide stable door operation in both configurations, maintaining reliability while enabling volume adjustment of the sanitary area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP2511132B1Mobile home with sanitary cell swing door
Publication Date: 2015.05.20 KNAUS TABBERT
  • EP2511132B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2511132B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2511132B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a vehicle (01), in particular a motorhome or caravan, with a living area (02), a sanitary area (03) and a corridor area (04) adjoining the sanitary area (03) and living area (02). By means of a door element (10) in a first closing position (10a, 10b) by means of a first door frame element (15) the sanitary area (03) can be separated from the corridor area (04), wherein by means of the same door element (10) in a second closing position (10c) the corridor area (04) can be separated from the living area (02).To ensure the usability of the sanitary area (03) with minimal space requirements in the vehicle (01), according to the invention the first door frame element (15) is arranged on a partition element (16) adjustable between a recessed rest position (16a) and a protruding operating position (16b), wherein in rest position (16a) and in operating position (16b) the door element (10) can be closed in the first closing position (10a, 10b) when the room size of the sanitary area (03) changes.