Flexible-Conduit Airflow Wand for Low-Clearance Cleaning
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surface cleaning apparatuses with rigid wands require users to bend or crouch to maneuver under low-clearance furniture, limiting maneuverability for some users, and existing bendable wands rely on rotatable joints with movable seals that can wear out over time.
Innovation Solution
A bendable wand design featuring two rigid sections connected by a flexible fluid flow conduit, allowing for pivotable movement without a movable seal, providing structural strength and maintaining airtight fluid flow, with optional locking for different operational modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a rigid wand is used to maintain structural strength, then the wand can support cleaning tools effectively, but users cannot maneuver under low-clearance furniture without bending
Solution Approach 1:
The wand is divided into multiple rigid tube sections that can be connected in different configurations. The sections can be locked in a straight line for extended reach or angled relative to each other for low-clearance maneuvers, allowing the wand to adapt its shape while maintaining structural integrity through the rigidity of individual sections
Solution Approach 2:
The wand incorporates movable joints with locking mechanisms that allow transition between fixed configurations. The joints enable the wand to change from a rigid straight configuration to an angled configuration, providing dynamic adaptability while maintaining structural strength in each locked position
2Ease of operation
If rotatable joints with movable seals are used to enable bending, then the wand can pivot for low-clearance access, but the seals wear out over time reducing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The airflow passage is extracted from the rotatable joint mechanism and placed in a separate flexible conduit. This eliminates the need for movable seals in the joint, as the flexible conduit maintains the airtight seal independently of the joint's rotational movement, preventing seal wear
Solution Approach 2:
A flexible conduit is introduced as an intermediary between the rigid tube sections to carry the airflow passage. The flexible conduit acts as a mediator that allows relative movement between joints while maintaining the airtight seal, eliminating the need for movable seals at the joints
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
Enables users to maneuver cleaning tools under low-clearance furniture without bending, with reduced seal wear and improved durability, as the flexible conduit eliminates the need for rotatable seals, enhancing user accessibility and tool longevity.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible conduit connecting the upstream end of the downstream tube in fluid flow communication with the downstream end of the upstream tube
Data Source
AI summary
A wand, such as for a surface cleaning apparatus, comprises at least an upstream rigid tube and a downstream rigid tube releasably pivotally connected to the upstream rigid tube. A flexible fluid flow conduit connects the downstream, tube in fluid flow communication with the upstream tube.