Dustpan Blade and Rear Support for Continuous Floor Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dustpans often fail to maintain continuous contact with the surface during use, leading to debris being swept underneath rather than into the pan, and require bending to tilt the blade into the surface.
Innovation Solution
A dustpan design featuring a blade with contact points at both ends and a rear support with contact points, allowing downward pressure to maintain firm contact with the surface, eliminating the need to bend and ensuring debris is collected effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional dustpan with a single pedal grip is used, then the dustpan can be easily held and manipulated, but the blade cannot maintain continuous contact with the surface, causing debris to be swept underneath
Solution Approach 1:
The dustpan is divided into multiple functional segments: a blade with first and second contact points, a body, and a rear support with third and fourth contact points. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function - the blade contacts the surface at two points to maintain continuous contact, while the rear support provides additional stability through its own contact points, resolving the contradiction between ease of manipulation and reliable surface contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds a spatial dimension to the contact system by positioning contact points at multiple locations along the length of the dustpan. The blade extends from the body with contact points at its ends, creating a distributed contact system along the longitudinal axis. This dimensional distribution ensures continuous surface contact while maintaining the ergonomic pedal grip for easy operation.
2Reliability
If the user bends over to tilt the blade into the surface, then the blade can contact the surface, but the operation becomes cumbersome and inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The dustpan is designed to maintain surface contact automatically through its own structure without requiring user manipulation. The blade's geometry and the rear support's positioning create a self-contacting system where the dustpan naturally maintains blade-to-surface contact through its configured contact points, eliminating the need for the user to bend over and manually tilt the blade.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the dustpan structure - specifically the angle and position of the blade relative to the body, and the location of contact points. These parameter changes are designed so that when the dustpan is held in a normal position, the blade automatically contacts the surface at the designated points, converting a manual action into a passive structural feature.
3Reliability
If the dustpan is designed with multiple contact points, then continuous surface contact is maintained, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the contact function into the existing structural elements of the dustpan. The blade, which is already a necessary component for sweeping, is designed to serve dual purposes: it performs the sweeping function and simultaneously provides surface contact through its integrated contact points. The rear support is similarly combined with the pedal grip structure, eliminating the need for separate contact components and reducing overall structural complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A dustpan (10) comprises a body (12), a blade (20), and a rear support (22). The body (12) receives materials that are removed from a surface (24). The blade (20) and the rear support (22) are coupled to the body (12). The blade (20) includes a first end (20F), a second end (20S), a first contact point (25A) near the first end (20F), and a second contact point (25B) near the second end (20S). The rear support (22) includes a third contact point (25C) and a fourth contact point (25D). Each of the contact points (25A), (25B), (25C), (25D) contact the surface (24) when the dustpan (10) is in a resting position. Downward pressure on the dustpan (10) establishes firm and continuous contact between the blade (20) and the surface (24) along the length of the blade (20) from the first contact point (25A) to the second contact point (25B).