Floor Cleaning Machine with Movable Hood and Staggered Spray Tips
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Solution Overview
Problem
Prior art floor cleaning machines have an unattractive exterior design due to visible hoses, intersecting fan spray patterns leading to inefficient liquid distribution, and brushes that are difficult to replace and adjust.
Innovation Solution
A floor cleaning machine with a sleek housing design featuring a movable hood that covers hoses, pivot and ball-and-socket connections for hose management, staggered spray tips to prevent pattern interference, and a brush assembly that is tool-free and adjustable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a transparent dome is provided over the liquid recovery tank with fixed hose connections, then the structural integrity is maintained, but the ease of operation deteriorates when removing the dome for emptying the tank
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the hood movable relative to the machine housing through a pivoting connection. This allows the hood to be in a closed position during operation (maintaining structural integrity) and an open position during maintenance (enabling easy dome removal). The ball and socket connections further enable dynamic movement of hoses to accommodate hood positioning changes without stress damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the machine into distinct movable components: the hood is separated from the main housing and connected via a pivoting connection, allowing independent movement. The hoses are also segmented with ball and socket connections that allow independent positioning, enabling the dome to be removed for emptying while maintaining overall system integrity.
2Device complexity
If two spray tips are positioned side by side with coplanar orifices, then the device complexity is reduced, but the manufacturing precision deteriorates in liquid distribution uniformity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by positioning the two spray tips at staggered locations rather than symmetrically side-by-side. The orifices are arranged in parallel but non-coplanar planes, creating an asymmetric configuration that prevents spray pattern interference while maintaining relatively simple device structure. This asymmetric arrangement ensures uniform liquid distribution across the floor surface.
3Reliability
If the brush is firmly attached to the machine housing, then the reliability of brush operation is improved, but the ease of repair deteriorates when replacing the brush
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by creating an adjustable brush assembly where the brush height can be changed relative to the machine housing. The brush is firmly attached at adjustable positions through mechanical fasteners, providing stable operation when positioned, but allowing easy repositioning or removal when maintenance is needed. This dynamic adjustability resolves the contradiction between firm attachment for reliability and ease of replacement for repair.
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 machine achieves an aesthetically pleasing appearance, improved hose movement, efficient liquid distribution, and easy brush replacement and adjustment, enhancing user convenience and cleaning effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
The vacuum hose and liquid hose are each connected by a ball and socket connection to a wall of the machine housing
Implementation Method 2
The vacuum hose and liquid hose are each connected by pivoting connections to a transparent dome on the housing hood
Implementation Method 3
The spray tips are in spaced positions on the bottom of the machine where the slit orifices of the spray tips are parallel to each other but are not coplanar. This prevents the fan spray patterns from the two spray tips from interfering with each other.
Implementation Method 4
a floor cleaning machine of the invention has an oscillating brush assembly that includes a brush
Data Source
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AI summary
A floor cleaning machine has a housing and a movable hood that covers over vacuum and liquid hoses of the machine that are visible in prior art floor cleaning machines. The vacuum and liquid hoses are each pivotally connected to a wall of the machine housing and are also pivotally connected to a transparent dome provided on the hood. These connections reduce stresses on the hoses when the hood is moved and allow the dome to pivot relative to the hood. The floor cleaning machine also has a pair of slit orifices that eject fan spray patterns of cleaning liquid that are non-coplanar and do not intersect each other. Furthermore, the floor cleaning machine has an oscillating brush assembly that includes a brush that is replaceable without using tools. The brush height can be adjusted via an adjustment member provided on the oscillating portion of the assembly.