Foam Broom Body Fastening for Lower-Cost Secure Assembly

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing broom bodies with foam and bristle combinations face high manufacturing costs due to complex fastening methods, such as dovetail guides with undercuts, which are expensive to produce and prone to wear.

Innovation Solution

The broom body features a dovetail profile or groove with interruptions for easy insertion and snapping mechanisms, allowing for secure and cost-effective attachment of the foam body, which can be inserted parallel or perpendicularly to the broom body, using fastening means like pins, snap closures, or a two-part supporting body for stable and easy replacement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a dovetail guide with undercuts is used to attach the foam body, then the foam body is securely fastened to the broom body, but the manufacturing cost increases due to complex molding processes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecure attachment of foam bodyVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The broom body is divided into a base body and a separate supporting body that can be produced independently and assembled together. The supporting body with fastening means is inserted into the base body, allowing each component to be manufactured separately using simpler processes while achieving secure attachment through the combination of components

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The supporting body is inserted into the base body of the broom, creating a nested structure where the supporting body with its fastening means (pins, snap closures, or two-part construction) is housed within the base body, achieving secure attachment without requiring complex undercut molding

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Reliability

If a dovetail guide with undercuts is used to attach the foam body, then the foam body is securely fastened to the broom body, but the production time increases due to complex assembly processes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecure attachment of foam bodyVSAvoidproduction time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the broom into separable components (base body and supporting body) with standardized fastening interfaces, the assembly process is simplified and can be performed more quickly compared to complex dovetail guide assembly, while maintaining secure attachment through the fastening means

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The supporting body and base body are designed with pre-configured fastening means (pins, snap closures, or two-part construction) that enable quick assembly without requiring complex alignment or specialized assembly tools, reducing production time while ensuring secure attachment

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If the foam body is made of soft material for effective cleaning, then cleaning performance is improved, but wear resistance decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning effectivenessVSAvoidservice life of foam body
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The broom combines the soft foam body for cleaning effectiveness with a harder supporting body made of injection-moldable plastic that provides structural strength and wear resistance. The supporting body with its fastening means protects the foam body while enabling easy replacement when the foam wears out

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The design enables the foam body to be easily replaced when worn by simply detaching it from the supporting body through the fastening means (pins, snap closures, or two-part construction), allowing the durable supporting body to be recovered and reused with a new foam body, extending the overall service life of the broom

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Data Source

PatentEP1881772B1Broom body
Publication Date: 2010.08.04 CARL FREUDENBERG KG
  • EP1881772B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1881772B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP1881772B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a broom body (1) having, on its underside facing the surface to be cleaned, at least two cleaning bodies (3, 4) made of different materials. One cleaning body (3) is formed by a foam material body (5), which is non-positively and/or positively joined to the broom body (1). This foam material body (1) can be inserted into the broom body (1) in a manner that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (6) of the broom body (1), and the foam material body (5) has at least one fastening means (7) for positively fastening it to the broom body.