Cleaning Tool with Removable Sock for Multi-Soil Adaptability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercial kitchen appliances with irregular shapes and tough soils require cleaning tools that can handle different types of soils and be easily replaced or exchanged to maintain effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning tool with a removable and exchangeable sock system, featuring a shaft with a handle and tool head, where the sock can be secured using coupling members and fastening mechanisms, allowing for easy removal and replacement based on soil type and surface requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If cleaning pads are made permanent on the tool head, then tool structure is simpler, but cleaning effectiveness decreases when different soil types require different pad types
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning system is divided into separate components: the tool head and the cleaning pad are independent elements that can be separated and recombined. The pad attachment mechanism uses discrete coupling members (protrusions and recesses) that allow the pad to be segmented from the tool head for replacement, enabling different pad types to be used for different soil types while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The pad attachment system transitions from a permanent fixed connection to a dynamic reversible connection. The coupling members are designed to allow the pad to be attached, detached, and reattached multiple times during use. This dynamic capability enables users to switch between different pad types based on soil conditions while the self-aligning feature keeps the mechanism simple.
2Reliability
If cleaning pads are frequently replaced, then cleaning effectiveness is maintained, but time loss increases due to repeated attachment and detachment operations
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling members are pre-configured with alignment features (protrusions and recesses) that guide the pad into the correct position during attachment. This preliminary alignment action eliminates the need for precise manual positioning by the user, reducing the time required for pad replacement while ensuring reliable attachment for effective cleaning.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment mechanism replaces complex mechanical fastening systems (screws, clips, or adhesive applications) with a simpler insertion-based coupling system. The protrusion-recess interface allows for quick snap-fit attachment, significantly reducing the time required to replace pads compared to traditional mechanical fastening methods, while maintaining secure attachment for reliable cleaning performance.
3Reliability
If multiple coupling members are used to secure the pad, then pad attachment reliability increases, but device complexity increases due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple coupling functions are merged into a single integrated attachment operation. The protrusion and recess features work together as a unified coupling mechanism where one insertion action simultaneously provides alignment, securing, and positioning functions. This merging reduces the number of separate components and operations needed compared to using multiple independent coupling members, achieving reliable pad attachment without excessive complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A cleaning tool includes a shaft extending from a proximal end to a distal end, where the shaft has a handle at the proximal end and a tool head at the distal end; and a sock removably mountable on the tool head. The tool head may include a through hole, and the sock may include a fastener with a first coupling member and a second coupling member, where the first and second coupling members are constructed to align with and couple through the through hole on the tool head. Alternatively the tool head includes one or more coupling members and the sock includes one or more corresponding coupling members constructed align with and couple with the one or more coupling members on the tool head.