Floor Mop Cleaning Bucket with Passive Water Feeding and Drying Roller

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing mop cleaning buckets for automated mops are heavy, complex in structure, prone to damage, and inefficient due to the need to quickly switch between cleaning and drying modes.

Innovation Solution

A cleaning device for floor mopping machines featuring a bucket body with a water removal member and a water feeding mechanism, where the water feeding mechanism conveys water to the wiping object during cleaning and stops to allow the water removal member to wipe the object dry.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If a power mechanism is added to enable automatic mop cleaning function, then the cleaning capability is improved, but the device becomes heavy, complex in structure, and prone to damage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomatic cleaning functionVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the power mechanism from the cleaning bucket system, eliminating motors and power supplies. Instead, it uses passive mechanical components (rollers, water feeding mechanisms) that operate without power, thereby maintaining automatic cleaning functionality while dramatically reducing structural complexity and improving portability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The cleaning device utilizes the mop head's own rotational motion during manual operation to drive the water feeding mechanism and roller. The system serves itself by converting the user's natural mopping motion into the driving force for water delivery and roller rotation, eliminating the need for external power sources

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Extent of automation

If a power mechanism is added to enable automatic mop cleaning function, then the cleaning capability is improved, but the device becomes heavy and inconvenient to use

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomatic cleaning functionVSAvoidbucket weight
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes all heavy power components (motors, batteries, power supplies) from the cleaning bucket. The remaining structure consists of lightweight passive mechanical parts that can be easily carried and maneuvered, solving the weight problem while preserving automatic cleaning through passive mechanisms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the powered mechanical system with a passive mechanical system. Instead of using motor-driven pumps and rollers, it employs gravity-assisted water feeding and friction-based roller rotation driven by the mop head's motion, significantly reducing weight while maintaining functionality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Adaptability or versatility

If the mop cleaning bucket is designed to switch between cleaning mode and wipe-drying mode, then the versatility is improved, but the switching operation becomes complex and reduces working efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemode switching capabilityVSAvoidworking efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs dynamic, position-based mode switching where the roller's location (inside or outside the bucket) automatically determines the operating mode. This eliminates complex control systems and manual switching operations, allowing seamless transition between cleaning and drying modes based on the roller's physical position, thereby improving working efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses positional feedback of the roller relative to the bucket to automatically determine and switch between modes. When the roller is inside the bucket, cleaning mode is activated; when outside, drying mode is activated. This automatic feedback-based switching eliminates manual intervention and improves operational efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

4Adaptability or versatility

If the mop cleaning bucket is designed to switch between cleaning mode and wipe-drying mode, then the versatility is improved, but the structure becomes complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemode switching capabilityVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The roller serves multiple functions: it conveys water during cleaning mode when inside the bucket, and it acts as a drying surface when positioned outside the bucket. This multi-functionality is achieved through a single, simple mechanical structure without additional components, maintaining structural simplicity while providing versatility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses the dynamic positioning of the roller (inside vs. outside the bucket) to enable different modes. This simple positional change, achieved through basic mechanical movement, provides mode versatility without requiring complex control systems or additional structural elements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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 enables automatic cleaning and drying of the wiping object without additional operations, simplifies the structure, makes the device portable and less prone to damage, and improves operational efficiency by allowing easy switching between cleaning and drying modes.

Implementation Method 1

when the roller rotates, cleaning water is conveyed to the wiping object

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCentrifugal force: Centrifugal Force

Implementation Method 2

the wire is a coil spring; when the roller stops rotating forward, the roller is driven by the coil spring to rotate reversely to be restored

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic potential energy: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP4079208B1Cleaning device for floor mopping machine
Publication Date: 2025.06.04 FORT PLASTIC & METALWORK JIAXING CO LTD
  • EP4079208B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP4079208B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6
  • EP4079208B1 patent drawingFigure 7~9

AI summary

A cleaning device for a floor mopping machine comprises a bucket body (1) for containing water, wherein a water removal member (4) and a water feeding mechanism (44) for conveying water from the bucket body (1) to a wiping object of a floor mopping machine are arranged in the bucket body (1). During cleaning, the water feeding mechanism (44) runs to convey water to the wiping object; and when water is removed, the water feeding mechanism (44) stops running, and the wiping object of the floor mopping machine is wiped with the water removal member (4). Power of the water feeding mechanism (4) is used for water feeding, and a wiping head is automatically cleaned, and can be wiped dry without any other operation after being cleaned; and the cleaning device is simple in structure, portable to use, less prone to damage and can be freely switched between a cleaning mode and a wipe-drying mode.