Angled Gutter Cleaning Blade with Segmented Handle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gutter cleaning tools are not compact, requiring users to engage the gutter at a distance from their position and often interfere with roof shingles, making them inefficient for effective gutter cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A gutter cleaning tool with a cleaning blade having edges designed to fit beneath roof shingles and a handle that follows the angle of the blade, allowing for compact operation and effective debris removal without engaging the roof shingle overhang, along with optional features like a shovel blade with drain holes and a striking member for securing gutters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional gutter cleaning tool with long handle and rigid arm is used, then the user can reach the gutter from a distance, but the tool is not compact and interferes with roof shingles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the arm flexible rather than rigid. The arm is constructed with multiple segments connected by joints that allow bending and flexing, enabling the tool to adapt to the gutter's curvature and fit beneath roof shingles without interference. This dynamic structure replaces the conventional rigid arm, allowing the tool to maintain compactness while still reaching the gutter effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The arm is divided into multiple segments that can move relative to each other through joints. This segmentation allows the arm to flex and bend to match the gutter's contour, enabling the cleaning blade to reach the gutter from a compact position without interfering with roof shingles. Each segment can independently adjust its angle to navigate around obstacles.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the cleaning blade is designed to fit beneath roof shingles, then the tool can operate without interfering with shingles, but the blade geometry becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning blade is designed with non-uniform geometry where different portions have different characteristics. The leading edge features a curved profile specifically shaped to fit beneath roof shingles, while other portions of the blade maintain simpler geometries optimized for scraping debris. This local differentiation allows the blade to avoid shingle interference only where necessary without requiring complex geometry throughout the entire blade structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A gutter cleaning tool includes a cleaning blade having a first edge, a second edge, and a third edge and a handle attached to the cleaning blade. The first edge of the cleaning blade engages a bottom of a gutter. The second edge of the cleaning blade engages an exterior side wall of the gutter, the exterior side wall of the gutter being away from a roof. The third edge of the cleaning blade engages the handle and attaching to the handle. The third edge of the cleaning blade and the first edge of the cleaning blade form an angle, the angle being less than ninety degrees. The handle follows the third edge of the cleaning blade such that the handle follows the angle. The handle extends beyond the gutter in a direction away from the roof.