Vibration Bath Vessel Sealing to Isolate Casing Vibrations

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current body treatment apparatuses, such as bathtubs and vibrating boards, do not effectively combine the benefits of vibration therapy with immersion in fluids, lacking in user safety and commercial availability for home use.

Innovation Solution

A bathtub design featuring a vessel for liquid immersion with a movement mechanism causing vibrations, an external casing with a fluid-tight seal to reduce vibration transmission, and a shape-memory seal for secure assembly and vibration damping.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the vessel is mechanically coupled to cause vibrations for body treatment, then the vibration therapy benefit is improved, but the vibration transmission to the external casing increases causing safety and structural issues

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser safetyVSAvoidvibration transmission
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A fluid-tight seal is interposed between the first rim of the vessel and the second rim of the external casing. This seal acts as an intermediary element that reduces the transmission of vibrations from the vessel to the casing while maintaining fluid containment, thereby addressing both safety concerns and vibration transmission issues

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If a fluid-tight seal is added to reduce vibration transmission, then the safety and vibration isolation are improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefluid containment and vibration isolationVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The fluid-tight seal performs multiple functions simultaneously: it contains the liquid within the vessel and reduces the transmission of vibrations from the vessel to the external casing. By combining these two functions into a single component, the design avoids additional separate elements, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The design enhances user safety and performance by providing a safe and effective combination of vibration and fluid immersion therapy, suitable for home use and other environments, while minimizing vibration transmission to the external casing.

Implementation Method 1

a fluid-tight seal interposed between the first rim and the second rim and such to reduce the transmission of vibrations from the vessel to the casing

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVibration damping: Damping

Implementation Method 2

a shape-memory seal for secure assembly and vibration damping

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectShape memory effect: Shape Memory Alloy

Data Source

PatentEP2403468B1Apparatus for body treatment of a user via vibrations in a liquid
Publication Date: 2013.01.16 IDEAL STANDARD INT
  • EP2403468B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2403468B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2403468B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An apparatus (100) is disclosed for treating a user by means of vibrations, comprising: a vessel (1) for accommodating a liquid for immersing the user, provided with a first rim (4); movement means (20) mechanically coupled to the vessel (1) to cause vibrations of the vessel. The apparatus is characterized in that it further comprises an external casing (2) of the vessel (1), provided with a second rim (10) covering the first rim (4), and a fluid-tight seal (11) interposes between the first rim (4) and the second rim and such to reduce the transmission of vibrations from the vessel (1) to the casing (2).