Disc Brush Driving Interface Geometry to Prevent Slippage
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing driving interfaces in floor maintenance machines, such as disc brushes, are prone to slippage and mechanical failure due to the difference in materials between the robust driver and consumable disc brush, leading to premature replacement and customer dissatisfaction.
Innovation Solution
The driving interface is improved by reshaping the profiles of the female and male portions to alter the angle of contact and provide better interlocking features, including a central recess with radially extending pockets and cogs, which reduces slippage and fatigue, and incorporates retaining clips for secure engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the driver is made from a strong material (such as brass) and the disc brush core is made from a polymeric material, then the driver provides structural robustness, but the driving interface is prone to slippage and mechanical failure over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the driving interface by providing the female portion with multiple radially extending pockets having head sections and neck sections, where the neck sections create interference engagement with the male portion cogs. This geometric modification transforms the contact from a simple slanted surface to a multi-point interference fit, preventing slippage while maintaining material strength differences.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution effectively creates a composite driving interface system where the male portion (driver) uses strong material like brass and the female portion (disc brush core) uses polymeric material, with the interface geometry designed to ensure reliable force transmission between these dissimilar materials through interference engagement of neck sections with cogs.
2Force
If the contact angle between the driver teeth and disc brush pockets is greater than 90 degrees with respect to the radial direction, then the driving force is applied, but the unsupported wall becomes fatigued or wears over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the driving interface by providing multiple radially extending pockets (typically 6-12) distributed around the female portion, each with head sections and neck sections. This segmentation distributes the driving force across multiple contact points rather than concentrating it on a single unsupported wall, preventing fatigue and wear.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating different geometric features at different locations: the head sections provide broad contact areas for force distribution, while the neck sections provide localized interference engagement points. This local differentiation allows the interface to handle driving forces without over-stressing any single wall section.
3Reliability
If the profiles of the male and female portions are shaped to interlock, then slippage is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The complex interlocking profile is achieved through segmentation into multiple identical pockets with standardized head and neck sections. This modular segmentation allows the complex geometry to be manufactured using standard molding techniques, reducing actual manufacturing complexity despite the sophisticated three-dimensional interlocking shape.
Solution Approach 2:
The pockets feature asymmetric geometry with wider head sections and narrower neck sections, creating an interference fit that prevents slippage. The asymmetric shape is optimized for unidirectional force transmission while maintaining ease of assembly, balancing reliability with manufacturing simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
A floor cleaning implement, such as a disc brush, for use in a floor maintenance machine includes a core providing a female portion of a mating interface. The female portion has a central recess with a plurality of pockets extending radially outward from the central recess. Each of the plurality of pockets has a head section that is radially distal from the central recess and has a neck section that is radially intermediate the respective head section and the central recess. Each head section is wider in an angular direction than the corresponding neck section.