Handheld Floor Tool Cardan Joint for Corner Cleaning Mobility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hand-held floor preparation devices lack mobility and versatility, particularly in lateral directions, and often require external water supplies, which restrict their range of motion and ease of use in wet cleaning and corner areas.
Innovation Solution
A hand-held floor treatment device with a cardan joint system allowing the base part to rotate ±45° and ±270°, combined with counter-rotating drive plates and a separate suction unit, enabling easy movement and operation in corners and niches, and featuring an integrated liquid supply and energy storage for extended use without external power or water sources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a joint is located laterally on the base with protruding parts, then the device allows lateral movement, but the lateral movement is limited due to the protruding parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a second joint axis that is orthogonal to the first joint axis, adding a rotational degree of freedom around a vertical axis. This dimensional addition allows the base to rotate 360 degrees vertically while the first joint handles lateral tilting, effectively removing the lateral movement limitation caused by protruding parts.
2Adaptability or versatility
If liquid containers are attached to the device itself, then wet cleaning is enabled, but the weight of the device is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the device into separate functional modules: the base unit with processing tools, the guide section for positioning, and detachable liquid containers. This segmentation allows the liquid containers to be attached only when wet cleaning is needed, reducing the base weight while maintaining versatility.
3Ease of operation
If wheels are provided for movement, then easy movement in linear direction is achieved, but real mobility in lateral direction is not allowed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces fixed wheel-based movement with a dynamic joint system consisting of two orthogonal joints. The first joint axis allows lateral tilting while the second joint axis enables 360-degree rotation around the vertical axis, creating a dynamically adaptable positioning system that provides both linear and lateral mobility.
4Ease of operation
If the guide part is tilted around the first joint axis, then adjustment to personal height is achieved, but rotation of the base part parallel to the cultivation surface is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal joint system where the first joint axis handles height adjustment through lateral tilting, while the second joint axis independently provides 360-degree rotation capability. This multi-functional joint configuration allows both height adaptation and full rotational freedom to coexist without restriction.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a hand-held soil cultivation implement comprising a base section (1) with a bracket (5) that at least partially surrounds the base section (1) and is connected to the base section (1) via a first joint (4) adjustable in the cultivation direction (6), and further comprising a guide section (2) with a handle section (3) attached to the bracket (5). The guide section (2) has a further joint (8) at its lower end below the center but above the base section (1), about which the guide section (2) is adjustable transversely to the cultivation direction (6), so that the base section (1) can be rotated by a user (P) by at least ±45° parallel to the cultivation surface (B) about a vertical axis (A1) of the base section (1), even when the guide section (2) is tilted.