The World of Barrier-Free Patents: Housing Design for Comfortable Living for All

The World of Barrier-Free Patents: Housing Design for Comfortable Living for All

Hello everyone. Today, we’re going to talk about a wonderful invention that makes our lives more comfortable. It’s a new housing design that considers both barrier-free access and the ability to sense the presence of family members.

Invention Overview

  • 【Invention Name】: Housing
  • 【Application Number】: 2021-115595
  • 【Patent Number】: Unknown if patented
  • 【Patent Applicant】: Sekisui House, Ltd.

【Invention Summary】: A new housing design that allows family members to sense each other’s presence while considering barrier-free access

Previous Issues and Solutions

【What was inconvenient before?】: In conventional housing designs, when considering barrier-free access, family connections tended to become weak. Conversely, when the design was more open, there were many level differences, which was inconvenient for the elderly or people with disabilities.

【How was this problem solved?】: This invention connects the living room, dining kitchen, and bedrooms with level differences, while also connecting the bedroom and dining kitchen with a corridor without steps. It also incorporates features like a step-up floor and a study, balancing independence and unity.

【Who benefits and how?】: With this design, the elderly and people with disabilities can live without worrying about level differences. At the same time, all family members can sense each other’s presence while maintaining an appropriate sense of distance.

Explanation for Children

Hey kids, let’s talk about a new kind of house! In this house, grandma and grandpa can walk around safely, and you can hear everyone’s voices. When you’re watching TV in the living room, you can hear mom cooking in the kitchen, and you can sense dad working in the study. It feels like everyone is close by, but you still have your own room, so it’s a very comfortable house to live in.

Personal View

I feel this invention captures the needs of modern families well. As nuclear families become more common and society ages, housing designs that allow family members to sense each other’s presence while respecting individual lifestyles are very important. The point of balancing barrier-free design with family unity is particularly groundbreaking. I think that as this design philosophy spreads, multi-generational living will become more comfortable, potentially deepening family bonds. Also, as this invention shows, barrier-free design is not something special, but rather a key to creating comfortable spaces for everyone.

Barrier-Free Design Leading to Corporate Profits

Here we’ve explained the necessity of barrier-free design. The spread of barrier-free facilities is essential for everyone to live safely and comfortably. However, there are many challenges in realizing this due to the high costs involved in setting up barrier-free facilities.

On the other hand, barrier-free ideas born from the perspective of people with disabilities have the potential to not only make society more convenient as a whole but also bring great economic benefits to companies.

A prime example of this is the “lighter”. Born from the simple desire of a person with one-handed disability who thought, “Matches are difficult because you need both hands to light a fire. If only there was something that could easily light a fire with one hand…”, lighters are now loved worldwide and have generated enormous profits. This is a good example of how responding to the needs of people with disabilities can lead to the creation of products that are easy for everyone to use, bringing economic benefits to companies.

Lahainas LLC and the NPO Japan Disability Idea Association are working to create a system that connects such ideas from people with disabilities to business opportunities.

Barrier-free design is a very important initiative that combines social contribution with economic potential. We hope that more companies and individuals will become interested in barrier-free design and actively work towards its realization in the future.

Note: Please check the Japan Patent Office website for accurate information.

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