Cleaning Article Pocket Stop for Secure Holder Retention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cleaning implements with holders and cleaning articles face difficulties in secure attachment and easy detachment due to mismatched pocket and holder sizes, leading to obstruction or detachment issues during use.

Innovation Solution

A cleaning implement design featuring a holder with an insertion portion that includes a bumping portion and a counter bumping portion in the pocket, allowing easy insertion and secure retention without obstruction, using a bumping mechanism to prevent further insertion and ensure stable attachment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the pocket is made narrower than the holder insertion portion, then the holder is securely retained and cannot come off during cleaning, but the holder becomes difficult to insert into and remove from the pocket

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveholder retention securityVSAvoidholder insertion and removal ease
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The holder insertion portion is divided into two distinct segments: a wider insertion region that facilitates easy insertion and removal, and a narrower retention region that securely holds the holder during cleaning operations. This segmentation allows each region to fulfill its specific function optimally without compromising the other.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different width characteristics are applied to different locations of the holder insertion portion. The insertion region has a larger width for ease of operation, while the retention region has a smaller width for secure holding. This local differentiation of geometric properties resolves the contradiction between ease of insertion and secure retention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of operation

If the pocket is made wider than the holder insertion portion, then the holder can be easily inserted into the pocket, but the holder easily comes off the pocket during cleaning operations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveholder insertion easeVSAvoidholder retention security
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The pocket structure is segmented into an insertion region with larger width for easy holder insertion and a retention region with smaller width for secure holder retention. This spatial segmentation allows the pocket to provide both ease of operation and reliable retention without contradiction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The pocket exhibits local quality variations in its width along the insertion direction. The insertion region maintains a larger width to facilitate easy holder insertion, while the retention region transitions to a narrower width to securely retain the holder during cleaning, thus resolving the contradiction between insertion ease and retention security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of operation

If elastic deformation of the holder insertion portion is used to facilitate insertion, then holder insertion is helped, but the sliding between projections and bottleneck region generates considerable load that can cause bending or breaking

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveholder insertion facilitationVSAvoidholder structural integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The problematic bottleneck region with fused lines that causes high sliding load is removed from the design. Instead, a smooth transition from the wider insertion region to the narrower retention region is provided, eliminating the need for elastic deformation and high-load sliding, thus protecting the holder from bending or breaking while still facilitating easy insertion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP1938738B1Cleaning tool
Publication Date: 2012.06.27 KAO CORP
  • EP1938738B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3(a)
  • EP1938738B1 patent drawingFigure 3(b)~4
  • EP1938738B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

A cleaning implement 1 including a cleaning article 10 having a pocket 15 and a holder 20 adapted to be inserted into the pocket 15 to hold the cleaning article 10. The pocket 15 of the cleaning article 10 has a counter bumping portion 18 in the middle between the inlet opening at one end and the opposing end thereof. The holder 20 includes a handle 21, an insertion portion 22 extending from one end of the handle 21, and a retaining means 24 for retaining the vicinity of the inlet opening of the cleaning article 10. The insertion portion 22 has a bumping portion 23 that allows the insertion portion 22 to be inserted into the pocket 15 with no substantial obstruction until it reaches a bumping position where it bumps against the counter bumping portion 18 and then restricts further insertion beyond the bumping position. The cleaning article 10 is substantially prevented from moving between the bumping portion 23 and the retaining means 24 when it has the insertion portion 22 inserted into the pocket 15 and is retained by the retaining means 24.