Cleaning device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning devices face challenges in simultaneously providing cleaning fluid and draining dirty fluid effectively, often resulting in reduced effectiveness and convenience due to moisture issues and the need for frequent fluid replenishment and disposal.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning device with a single fluid container featuring a movable piston separates cleaning and dirty fluid sections, allowing for continuous supply and drainage without the need for frequent bucket dipping, ensuring clean fluid is always used and maintaining a compact design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single container is used for both cleaning fluid and dirty fluid, then device complexity is reduced, but cleaning effectiveness deteriorates due to fluid contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The single fluid container is segmented into a first section for cleaning fluid and a second section for dirty fluid by a movable piston. This segmentation allows both fluids to coexist in one container without mixing, resolving the contradiction by maintaining cleaning effectiveness while reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
A movable piston dynamically separates the cleaning fluid and dirty fluid sections. The piston moves to accommodate fluid volume changes during operation, enabling the single container to adapt to varying fluid requirements while preventing contamination.
2Use of energy by moving object
If cleaning fluid is supplied from the bottom of the container, then gravity assists fluid flow, but the container requires larger volume to accommodate fluid consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning fluid is supplied from the top of the container rather than the bottom, inverting the conventional gravity-assisted approach. The piston moves down to push fluid upward through the cleaning head, enabling compact container design while maintaining effective fluid delivery.
3Ease of operation
If manual switching arrangements are used for multiple cleaning functions, then ease of operation is maintained, but productivity decreases due to sequential operation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning device merges multiple cleaning functions (washing, rinsing, drying) into a single integrated system that operates automatically. The piston-driven fluid management enables simultaneous or sequential operations without manual intervention, improving productivity while maintaining ease of operation through automated control.
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 achieves efficient and continuous cleaning with clean fluid, reducing dirt residue and operational inconvenience by integrating fluid supply and drainage within a thin surface interaction layer, which can be made of materials like chamois or microfiber, ensuring effective cleaning without storage capacity for fluids.
Implementation Method 1
the movable piston is arranged to move down when the cleaning fluid is supplied from the single fluid container
Implementation Method 2
A cleaning device with a single fluid container featuring a movable piston separates cleaning and dirty fluid sections
Implementation Method 3
which can be made of materials like chamois or microfiber
Implementation Method 4
US 2010/0199455 discloses a steam appliance having a water reservoir, water pump and steam generator with a vacuum function
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A cleaning device comprises a surface interaction layer (ML), a cleaning fluid supply (CFF) provided with a cleaning fluid channel (CFC) at the surface interaction layer (ML) for supplying a cleaning fluid to a surface (F) through the surface interaction layer (ML) being in contact with the surface (F), and a dirty fluid drain (DFD) having a dirty fluid channel (DFC) at the surface interaction layer (ML) for draining, by means of underpressure, dirty water from the surface (F) through the surface interaction layer (ML) being in contact with the surface (F).