Floating Handle with Biasing Chain for Debris Hose Maneuverability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current debris handling machines, such as truck loaders, have cumbersome and poorly designed handle systems that make it difficult to maneuver the hose, providing limited control over the nozzle and requiring both hands to support the weight and guide the hose.
Innovation Solution
A floating handle system with a biasing mechanism, including an L-shaped piece and chain, supports the hose's weight, allowing the operator to hold the floating handle with one hand and guide the nozzle with the other, enabling easier maneuverability and control regardless of handedness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a fixed bar handle system is attached to the nozzle, then the hose can be grasped and guided, but the handler has very little control over the nozzle and the system is unwieldy
Solution Approach 1:
The handle system is divided into two independent parts: a fixed bar handle attached to the nozzle and a separate floating handle that can be positioned anywhere along the hose. This segmentation allows each handle to perform its specific function independently, giving the operator control at both the nozzle end and along the hose length without the complexity of a single rigid structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The floating handle is designed to be movable along the hose rather than fixed at a specific position. This dynamic positioning capability allows the operator to adjust the handle location based on operational needs, improving ease of operation while maintaining a relatively simple overall system structure.
2Ease of operation
If both hands are used to support the hose weight, then the hose can be stabilized, but the operator has difficulty maneuvering the hose toward debris
Solution Approach 1:
The floating handle acts as a counterbalance point that the operator can position along the hose to distribute and reduce the weight burden on the hands. By placing the floating handle at an appropriate location, the operator leverages the hose's weight distribution to reduce the force required to hold and maneuver the hose, making it easier to guide toward debris.
3Length of moving object
If the hose is designed to reach debris along the roadside, then coverage is improved, but the hose becomes very heavy and difficult to maneuver
Solution Approach 1:
The long hose is made easier to handle by introducing a floating handle that segments the control points along its length. This allows the operator to manage different sections of the long hose independently, improving ease of handling despite the increased length required for roadside debris collection.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed handle position is provided, then the structure is simple, but it does not accommodate operators of different sizes or preferences
Solution Approach 1:
The floating handle's ability to move to different positions along the hose provides adaptability for operators of various sizes and preferences. This dynamic positioning feature accommodates different operational needs without requiring a complex adjustable mechanism, maintaining relative structural simplicity while improving versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention is a floating handle system for a debris handling machine. The debris handling machine picks up leaves and debris along the roadside. The debris handling machine is comprised of a vacuum blower that sucks up leaves through a hose. Attached to the blower vacuum is a biasing system consisting of an L-shaped biasing piece that extends upward vertically from the blower vacuum and then horizontally in the plane of the hose. Attached to the distal end of the L-shaped piece is a biasing chain. The other end of the biasing chain is attached to the hose. The handle assembly is a front handle that is permanently attached to the distal end of the hose and a floating handle that can move over the hose from the front handle to the point at which the biasing chain is attached to the hose.