Footwear Cleaning Tool with Segmented Claw Rows to Reduce Breakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tools for removing mud and unwanted material from footwear with studs or cleats are either ineffective, costly, or prone to breaking when used outdoors, leading to reduced performance and increased weight due to compacted debris.
Innovation Solution
A handheld tool with a head featuring claw elements arranged in rows with varying perpendicular distances from a handle, allowing sequential introduction into mud, providing leverage for effective mud removal with reduced user effort and minimizing tool breakage, and incorporating a curved design and concave surfaces for efficient mud scraping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single claw element is used to scrape mud, then the tool structure is simple, but the claw element is prone to breaking when dragged through compacted mud
Solution Approach 1:
The tool divides the single claw element into multiple segmented claw elements arranged in rows. Each claw element is shorter and less likely to break, while collectively they perform the mud removal function. The segmentation allows the force to be distributed across multiple elements rather than concentrated on one long claw.
Solution Approach 2:
The claw elements are arranged in multiple rows extending in a direction perpendicular to the handle axis, creating a two-dimensional array. This dimensional arrangement allows sequential engagement with the mud, where claws in different rows engage at different depths, distributing the mechanical stress and reducing breakage risk.
2Productivity
If multiple claw elements are used to remove mud effectively, then the mud removal effectiveness is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mud removal function is segmented across multiple claw elements arranged in rows. Each claw element contributes to the overall effectiveness, with the first row engaging the compacted mud first and subsequent rows engaging progressively. This segmentation maintains effectiveness while keeping individual elements simpler and more durable.
Solution Approach 2:
The claw elements are arranged so that rows further from the handle (first row) engage the mud first, performing the preliminary action of breaking through compacted mud. Subsequent rows then engage the already-loosened mud, making removal easier. This sequential preliminary action improves overall effectiveness without requiring each claw to be overly complex.
3Length of moving object
If the claw element is made longer to reach deeper into compacted mud, then the mud penetration capability is improved, but the risk of breakage increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using one long claw element, the tool uses multiple shorter claw elements arranged in rows. The cumulative effect of multiple shorter claws reaching different depths achieves the penetration capability of a single long claw, while each shorter claw is less prone to breaking.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution transitions from increasing length in one dimension to using multiple elements arranged in rows extending perpendicular to the handle. This dimensional arrangement allows the tips of claw elements in different rows to reach different depths in the mud, achieving deep penetration capability without requiring any single claw to be excessively long and fragile.
Data Source
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AI summary
A tool (10) for removing undesirable material from footwear comprising a head (20); a handle (30) extending from a first end of the head (20), wherein an axis (50) of the handle lies in a plane (70); and a plurality of claw elements (40) protruding from the head (20) arranged in rows (41, 42, 43), wherein the rows (41, 42, 43) are spaced apart in a first direction from the first end (21) to a second end (22) of the head (20), wherein each claw element (40) has a tip (401) which is a portion of the claw element (40) furthest away from the head (20); wherein the claw elements (40) and the head (20) are arranged such that perpendicular distances (d1) between the tips (401) of the claw elements (40) in a first row (41) and the plane (70) are longer than perpendicular distances (d2) between the tips (401) of the claw elements (40) in a second row (42) and the plane (70), and the second row (42) is closer to the handle (30) than the first row (41) in the first direction.