Floor Tool Wheel Layout for Flat, Multi-Directional Steering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional floor tools for cleaning appliances are difficult to maneuver beyond straight lines due to wheel configurations that either lead to lifting of the cleaner head or result in bulky, high, and heavy designs.
Innovation Solution
A floor tool with a cleaner head rotatably attached to a conduit carried by dome-shaped wheels with intersecting axes of rotation, allowing the conduit to pass between the wheels, enabling steering by rotating the conduit and maintaining a flat profile with the cleaning surface, while keeping the design compact and lightweight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional wheel configurations are used, then the floor tool can move in straight lines, but it is difficult to maneuver beyond straight lines and the cleaner head may be lifted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dome-shaped wheels with spherical contact surfaces instead of conventional flat or cylindrical wheels. This curvature allows the wheels to naturally follow curved paths and enables the floor tool to maneuver in any direction while maintaining continuous contact with the floor surface, preventing cleaner head lifting during directional changes
2Device complexity
If traditional wheel arrangements are used, then structural simplicity is maintained, but the floor tool becomes bulky and high in profile
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the dome-shaped wheels such that their axes of rotation intersect above the line passing through the wheel centers, creating a three-dimensional convergent configuration. This spatial arrangement allows the conduit to pass between the wheels, eliminating the need for additional support structures and reducing overall floor tool height while maintaining structural integrity
3Strength
If the conduit is made rigid for structural stability, then strength is improved, but steering and maneuvering beyond straight lines becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a pivot joint in the conduit that allows it to rotate and change orientation dynamically. This dynamic element enables the conduit to flex and steer as the floor tool maneuvers in different directions, while the overall structural strength is maintained through the rigid dome-shaped wheels and proper joint design
Data Source
AI summary
A floor tool for a cleaning appliance including a cleaner head rotatably attached to a conduit carried by a pair of wheels that converge beneath the conduit.