Two-Handle Drain Cleaner for Higher Cable Force and Torque

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional handheld drain cleaners lack the ability to apply sufficient pushing or pulling force to the flexible cable, making it difficult to effectively clear blockages in drains.

Innovation Solution

A hand-held drain cleaner design with a body comprising two sections, allowing a user to apply force using both hands at spaced-apart locations, featuring a collet mechanism that rotates the cable and a flexible shaft, enabling greater torque and control over the cleaning process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Force

If conventional handheld drain augers use a single-handle design, then the device structure is simple, but the user cannot apply sufficient pushing or pulling force to the flexible cable

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepushing or pulling force on flexible cableVSAvoidhandle structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ForceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The handle is divided into two separate handles (first handle and second handle) that can be operated independently. Each handle connects to the body through a hinge, allowing the user to apply force at two spaced-apart locations rather than through a single complex handle mechanism, thereby increasing the total applicable force while keeping each individual handle simple in structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The force application is extended from a single-point (one-dimensional) contact to a two-point distributed contact along the handle. By spacing the two handles apart and allowing independent movement through hinges, the system transforms the force application from a concentrated single-point force to a distributed multi-point force system, increasing overall force capacity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Force

If a drill is used to rotate the flexible cable directly, then rotation speed can be increased, but the user cannot generate sufficient axial pushing force on the flexible cable

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaxial pushing force on flexible cableVSAvoidrotational power

Core Design Contradiction:

ForceVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The invention merges the functions of the drill (rotation) and the hand auger (axial force application) into a single integrated device. The body accommodates both the drill for rotation and the flexible cable for axial force transmission, allowing the user to simultaneously achieve both rotational power and axial pushing force through the coordinated operation of the two handles

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The flexible cable acts as an intermediary element that transmits both rotational motion (from the drill) and axial force (from the user's handle manipulation) to the drain blockage. The cable serves as the mediator that combines these two types of mechanical action, enabling the system to overcome the limitation of applying axial force without sufficient rotational power

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20260049466A1Drain cleaners

Publication Date: 2026.02.19 YI CHONG SONG

AI summary

Discussed is a drain cleaner including a body having a first section and a second section, wherein the first section includes a lower part connected to a lower handle and an upper part connected to an upper handle, and wherein the upper part is configured to move relative to the lower part based on a movement of the upper handle with respect to the lower handle when the upper and lower handles are squeezed together by a user.