Towel with Diagonal Strap and Handles for Limited-Mobility Drying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Individuals with physical impairments face challenges in maintaining personal hygiene independently, particularly in drying sensitive areas without assistance, as existing towels require bending, which can be painful or impossible for those with limited mobility.
Innovation Solution
A towel with a diagonal strap attached to its bottom edge, allowing users to lift it upwards for drying legs without bending, combined with side handles for torso drying, enabling users to maintain hygiene with minimal assistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional towel is used for drying, then the towel can effectively dry the body, but the user must bend down which is impossible or painful for individuals with limited mobility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a vertical dimension to towel usage by attaching a strap to the top edge that extends upward, allowing users to lift the towel to their body height without bending. This transforms the traditional horizontal/vertical plane towel use into a three-dimensional solution where the towel can be positioned at multiple heights along the vertical axis.
Solution Approach 2:
The strap serves as an intermediary element between the user's hand and the towel. By gripping the strap rather than the towel directly, users can exert upward force to lift the towel to an accessible height, making the drying function achievable without bending while maintaining effective contact between towel and body.
2Ease of operation
If the towel is lifted to dry legs, then accessibility to leg areas is improved, but control and stability of the towel during drying is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The towel system is segmented into two functional components: the towel itself for drying contact and the separate strap for lifting and control. This segmentation allows the strap to provide mechanical advantage for lifting while the towel maintains its drying function, and the user can control the towel's position independently once lifted.
Solution Approach 2:
The strap is pre-attached to the top edge of the towel, creating a ready-to-use lifting mechanism before the drying action begins. This preliminary configuration eliminates the need to manually manipulate the towel into position, providing immediate stability and control when lifting starts.
3Ease of operation
If the towel is hung from a vertical support, then the towel is easily accessible, but the towel cannot be lifted high enough for users with limited mobility to reach
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static hung towel to a dynamic, user-controlled lifting mechanism. The strap attached to the top edge allows the towel to be dynamically positioned at various heights by user force, transforming it from a fixed-position object to a movable one that adapts to the user's reach capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The strap enables the towel to serve itself by providing a built-in lifting mechanism that allows users to raise the towel to their own body height without external assistance. The user's own body weight and arm strength become the lifting force, making the system self-sufficient.
Data Source
AI summary
A diagonal strap attached to a towel in embodiments of the disclosed technology allows one to lift a towel upwards to dry their legs without bending down. Handles on the sides of the towel allow one to further dry themselves while leaving their torso substantially in place. These methods of drying allow one with limited mobility to dry his/her body with limited help from others, while being less limited.