Compressing and shredding device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing compressing and shredding devices for hand towels in hygiene stations are either complex, unsuitable for compact designs, or require additional connections to suction or drainage lines, and often result in overflowing disposal containers due to inadequate compressing and shredding performance.
Innovation Solution
A compact, self-contained compressing and shredding device with counter-rotating rollers and a drive unit, designed to process dry, wet, or soiled hand towels, integrated into a hygiene station without the need for additional supply or drainage lines, featuring a receiving container with a feed opening and a cover element to prevent overflow and ensure safe operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If hand towels are manually compressed by users for disposal, then the disposal process is simple, but the receiving container overflows quickly and requires frequent emptying
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically compresses and shreds hand towels without requiring manual user action. The compressing unit and shredding unit operate autonomously to process used hand towels, transforming the manual disposal task into an automated self-service system that increases container capacity utilization while maintaining ease of use.
Solution Approach 2:
The compressing unit changes the physical state of hand towels by applying compression force, reducing their volume. The shredding unit further transforms the material by cutting it into smaller pieces. These parameter changes (volume reduction, shape transformation) enable the container to hold more processed material, solving the overflow problem.
2Volume of moving object
If compressing and shredding devices are integrated into hygiene stations, then the system becomes compact and self-contained, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions (compressing, shredding, and disposal) into a single integrated unit. The compressing unit and shredding unit are merged into one compact system that processes hand towels through multiple stages without requiring separate devices, thereby reducing overall footprint while managing complexity through functional integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated unit serves multiple purposes: it compresses hand towels to reduce volume, shreds them to further compact the material, and prepares them for disposal. This multi-functionality allows a single device to perform what would traditionally require multiple separate systems, achieving compactness without excessive complexity.
3Productivity
If additional suction or drainage lines are connected to compressing and shredding devices, then the shredding performance improves, but the installation complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the suction and drainage functions from the main compressing and shredding system, making them optional separate components. The core compressing and shredding units can operate independently without requiring connections to external suction or drainage lines, thereby maintaining simple installation while still offering enhanced performance options if needed.
4Loss of time
If the receiving container is made larger to reduce emptying frequency, then the interval between emptying operations increases, but the device footprint and installation space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing container size, the patent changes the parameters of the material being stored by compressing and shredding hand towels. This transformation reduces the volume of each unit of waste material, allowing a smaller container to hold the equivalent amount of processed material that would otherwise require a much larger container, thereby maintaining small footprint while extending emptying intervals.
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 effectively extends the capacity of the disposal container, reducing overflow and contamination by efficiently compressing and shredding hand towels, thus extending the interval between emptying operations and maintaining a clean environment.
Implementation Method 1
a compressing and shredding device for integration in a hygiene station for human hand hygiene, which device is designed for compressing and shredding hand towels
Implementation Method 2
at least one compressing and/or shredding unit for compressing and shredding hand towels
Data Source
AI summary
A compressing and shredding device (100) for integration in a hygiene station (10) for human hand hygiene, which device is designed for compressing and shredding hand towels, in particular used and damp disposable cellulose cloths. The compressing and shredding device (100) includes: at least one receiving container (102) with a feed opening (112) and an interior (114) for receiving compressed and shredded hand towels; at least one compressing and/or shredding unit (104) for compressing and shredding hand towels, which is arranged at the feed opening (112) of the receiving container (102); and at least one drive unit (106) for driving the compressing and/or shredding unit (104).