Device with expandable cleaning head
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cleaning devices, such as brooms, mops, and squeegees, often face a compromise between having a wide cleaning head for efficiency and a narrow head for navigating tight spaces, lacking the ability to seamlessly adjust between these configurations.
Innovation Solution
A variable-width cleaning device with a horizontal head portion that can be controllably expanded or retracted via a vertical handle movement, allowing the head to assume any width between narrow and wide configurations, utilizing a handle assembly and adaptor system to facilitate horizontal movement and interchangeable cleaning surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the cleaning head is made wide, then cleaning efficiency is improved, but the ability to navigate narrow spaces deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning head incorporates a telescopic mechanism with sliding components that allow the width to be dynamically adjusted. The head can be extended to a wide configuration for efficient cleaning of large areas and retracted to a narrow configuration for navigating under furniture and in tight spaces, making the cleaning device adaptable to different cleaning scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning head is divided into separable sections that can slide relative to each other. This segmentation allows the head to be configured in different widths by extending or retracting the telescopic components, enabling the device to switch between wide and narrow configurations as needed.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the cleaning head is made narrow, then adaptability to narrow spaces is improved, but cleaning efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The telescopic mechanism enables the cleaning head to dynamically change its width. When navigating narrow spaces, the head is retracted to a compact narrow configuration. When cleaning large open areas, the head is extended to a wide configuration, maximizing cleaning efficiency. This dynamic adjustment resolves the trade-off between narrow adaptability and wide-area productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning device achieves multi-functionality by incorporating a telescopic head that can assume both narrow and wide configurations. This allows a single device to perform both tasks: navigating tight spaces under furniture with a narrow profile and efficiently cleaning large floors when extended to a wide configuration.
3Device complexity
If the cleaning head width is fixed, then device complexity is reduced, but versatility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The telescopic mechanism adds controlled complexity to enable width adjustment. The sliding components and connecting structures allow the head width to be changed on demand, providing versatility while maintaining reasonable structural simplicity through the use of straightforward mechanical elements.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
The present invention relates to a cleaning device and in particular, to such a cleaning device that is adapted to having a controllable and expandable cleaning surface head. The expandable cleaning surface head is associated with a handle where movement in the vertical direction of the handle is adapted to horizontal movement that controls the size of cleaning surface head.