Chimney Cleaning Device with Segmented Flexible Brush and Swivel Cable
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing chimney cleaning devices are inefficient and unsafe due to the inability to prevent bristle ends from getting caught between flue tiles, leading to operator injury, and they fail to effectively clean all sides of the chimney flue, requiring cumbersome setups and additional operators for dust control and inspection.
Innovation Solution
A device with a rotatable cleaning head assembly featuring flexible cleaning members and fan blades, a stabilizing/positioning assembly, and a motor-driven cable system that allows for continuous 360° scanning and efficient dust removal, incorporating a camera for remote inspection and a foot-controlled motor for safe operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a motor-driven rotating brush system is used to clean the chimney, then cleaning efficiency is improved, but the bristle ends get caught between flue tiles causing operator injury
Solution Approach 1:
The brush is segmented into multiple flexible cleaning members (straps or bristles) that are distributed around the circumference of the rotating hub. This segmentation allows each cleaning member to independently contact the flue surface without the entire brush getting caught, maintaining cleaning efficiency while reducing injury risk through distributed contact points.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning members are designed with specific length parameters (1-3 inches greater than the stabilizing distance) and flexibility characteristics that allow them to conform to the flue surface and withdraw from gaps between tiles. This parameter optimization enables the brush to maintain effective cleaning contact while automatically disengaging from potential trap points.
2Ease of operation
If a flexible shaft is used to transport the cleaning head, then the device can be conveniently transported and coiled, but the shaft is not rigid enough to be forced up the chimney flue
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft system is segmented into a flexible cable core surrounded by a rigid or semi-rigid outer casing. The flexible cable allows the assembly to be coiled and transported conveniently, while the rigid casing provides the necessary structural strength to be pushed up the chimney flue and maintain the positioning of cleaning members.
Solution Approach 2:
The shaft assembly uses a composite structure combining flexible cable elements with rigid casing material. This composite design integrates the advantages of both materials: the flexibility and coilability of the cable with the strength and structural integrity of the rigid casing, resolving the contradiction between transport convenience and flue penetration capability.
3Productivity
If the shaft is made rigid enough to be pushed up the flue, then it can effectively clean the chimney, but it cannot be conveniently transported and requires two operators
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft is segmented into a flexible inner cable that can be coiled for transport and a rigid outer casing that provides structural strength. This segmentation allows the device to be handled by a single operator during transport while maintaining the rigidity needed for effective cleaning operation when deployed.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid casing is designed as a protective shell that encloses the flexible cable. This shell provides the necessary rigidity for pushing the device up the flue and maintaining cleaning effectiveness, while the enclosed flexible cable allows the entire assembly to be coiled and transported conveniently by one operator.
4Productivity
If the cleaning head rotates continuously to clean all sides of the flue, then cleaning coverage is improved, but the cable must rotate without twisting which increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
A cable rotary joint or swivel mechanism serves as an intermediary between the rotating cleaning head and the stationary cable supply. This intermediary component allows the cleaning head to rotate continuously for complete cleaning coverage while the cable itself does not twist, preventing cable damage and simplifying the overall system design.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotational movement is extracted from the cable and transferred to a dedicated rotary joint mechanism. This separation allows the cleaning head to rotate freely for complete coverage while the cable remains stationary and does not twist, reducing device complexity by isolating the rotation function to a specific component designed for it.
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 device ensures safe operation by preventing bristle entanglement, effectively cleans all sides of the chimney flue, and integrates dust control and inspection, reducing the need for multiple operators and minimizing setup time.
Implementation Method 1
a motor effective for rotating said rotatable head
Implementation Method 2
two or more fan blade members extending from the hub
Data Source
AI summary
A device for cleaning a chimney preferably includes a rod assembly, cleaning arms, fan blades, a camera, and a stabilizing/positioning assembly. The cleaning arms are provided on an assembly that includes a rotatable hub with the cleaning arms extending from the hub. The fan blades may also extend from the hub or they may be provided separately. The camera is continuously rotatable around the longitudinal axis to allow an uninterrupted 360° scan of the chimney. The stabilizing/positioning assembly is effective to position the cleaning assembly hub a pre-selected stabilizing/positioning distance from an interior wall of a chimney while the hub rotates in the chimney. The cleaning and fan hub(s) is driven by a cable surrounded by a casing that allows the cable to rotate in the casing without rotating the casing. Controls allow the operator to control the speed and direction of the cleaning arms and the camera.