Floor mop
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional floor mops experience uneven distribution of downforce due to central attachment of the mop plate to the shaft, leading to reduced cleaning effectiveness on the periphery.
Innovation Solution
A floor mop design featuring a mop plate with a unitarily formed upper and lower plate, lateral faces, and internal webs, coupled to a multidirectional joint with complementary structures, allowing for improved pivoting and distribution of force across the cleaning surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the mop plate is attached at a central portion to the shaft via a multidirectional joint, then the user can easily direct the mop plate along a desired path, but the downforce exerted by the user and the weight of the device tends to be greatest in the center of the plate and relatively less in areas of the plate that are radially peripheral relative to the center of the plate
Solution Approach 1:
The mop plate is segmented into multiple support legs extending radially outward from the central multidirectional joint. Each leg is equipped with its own adjustable downforce mechanism, allowing independent control of downforce at different radial positions. This segmentation enables peripheral areas to receive adequate downforce while maintaining central attachment for maneuverability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional flat plate structure to a three-dimensional configuration with multiple radially extending legs. This dimensional change allows the downforce to be applied at multiple spatial locations (different radii) while maintaining connection to the central shaft, thereby distributing force more evenly across the cleaning surface.
2Ease of manufacture
If the mop plate is a flat plate structure, then the manufacturing is simple, but the downforce distribution is uneven leading to reduced cleaning effectiveness on the periphery
Solution Approach 1:
The mop plate is divided into multiple leg structures rather than a single flat plate. Each leg can be manufactured as a separate component and then assembled to the central joint, maintaining manufacturing simplicity while achieving better force distribution for improved cleaning effectiveness across the entire surface area.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the mop structure are given different functions: the central portion provides multidirectional movement capability, while the radially extending legs provide localized downforce application points. This local quality differentiation ensures that each part contributes optimally to both maneuverability and cleaning effectiveness in its specific region.
Data Source
AI summary
A floor mop including a handle, a shaft coupled to the handle, a multidirectional joint coupled to the shaft opposite the handle, and a mop plate. The mop plate is unitarily formed and includes an upper plate including an upper surface, a substantially parallel lower plate including a lower surface, lateral faces extending between the upper and lower plate, and at least one internal web extending between the upper and lower plates. The upper plate, lower plate, lateral faces and at least one internal web are unitarily formed. The mop plate and the multidirectional joint further include complementary coupling structures.