Handheld Drain Cleaner Ergonomic Handle and Monopod Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional portable motorized drain cleaning machines are tiring to use and can cause soft tissue damage due to their design, which requires holding a heavy weight-like pistol grip, leading to strain on the wrist, elbow, and shoulder joints.
Innovation Solution
A handheld drain cleaning machine with a repositioned handle grip and extendable monopod support that shifts the center of gravity, allowing the device to be held upright without a stable base, featuring an electric motor with an operator-activated switch and a guide tube for snake extension and retraction, enabling easier operation and reduced strain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the handle grip is positioned at the end of the barrel (pistol grip design), then the device can be held and operated, but the weight causes strain on the wrist, elbow, and shoulder joints
Solution Approach 1:
The handle grip is repositioned from the traditional pistol grip position at the end of the barrel to a position on the side of the drum, changing the spatial dimension of handle placement. This dimensional change allows the operator to hold the device in a more natural, ergonomic position that distributes weight away from the wrist, elbow, and shoulder joints, thereby reducing soft tissue damage while maintaining operational control
2Ease of operation
If the handle grip is repositioned to reduce strain, then user fatigue is reduced, but the device may become less stable or harder to control
Solution Approach 1:
The handle grip is positioned on the side of the drum at a location that creates a balanced, neutral axis for the device. This equipotential positioning ensures that the center of gravity is optimally distributed, providing stability and control while simultaneously reducing strain on the operator's wrist, elbow, and shoulder joints. The balanced position allows the device to remain stable during operation without causing user fatigue
3Quantity of substance
If the drum is made larger to house more cable, then more cable is available for use, but the device becomes heavier and more difficult to handle
Solution Approach 1:
The cable is coiled and nested within the drum in a compact arrangement, allowing maximum cable length to be housed within a minimized drum volume. This nesting configuration optimizes the space utilization, providing sufficient cable length for various drain cleaning applications while keeping the drum size and overall device weight manageable for easy handling and portability
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 solution reduces user fatigue and minimizes the risk of soft tissue damage by distributing the weight more evenly and allowing for comfortable handling of the machine, enhancing operational efficiency and safety.
Implementation Method 1
an electric motor, which is coupled to the drum, provides rotational movement to the drum and the snake when AC current is provided to the motor
Implementation Method 2
an extendable support, or leg, is also secured to the electric motor. The extendable monopod support has a foot that is positioned, ideally, directly beneath the center of gravity of the machine
Data Source
AI summary
A hand-held drain cleaning machine which is of the type that employs a flexible snake that can be inserted into a waste line and rotated to remove a blockage, includes a drum in which the snake is coiled and a guide tube extending from a central front portion of the drum, through which the snake can be extended and retracted. An electric motor, which is coupled to the drum, provides rotational movement to the drum and the snake when AC line current is provided to the motor through an operator-activated switch located within a handle grip. The handle grip, which is secured to the electric motor, is preferably positioned directly above the machine' center of gravity. In addition, an extendable support, having a foot, is also secured to the electric motor and preferably positioned so that the foot is directly beneath the machine' center of gravity.