Hard floor cleaner

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing hard floor cleaners that combine sweeping and mopping are prone to failure or reduced performance due to hair and long fibers wrapping around the mopping device, which can damage the roller and reduce cleaning effectiveness.

Innovation Solution

A hard floor cleaner design featuring a mop element and a tapered sweeper element with angled axes of rotation, where the sweeper element's axis is closer to the mop element's axis at its second end, ensuring debris is directed towards a collection point, and optionally using multiple sweeper elements with helical bristles to facilitate fiber movement and maximize cleaning surface contact.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a roller (e.g., foam roller) is used as a mopping device, then mopping function is provided, but hair strands become entangled and cause damage or reduced performance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemopping functionVSAvoidroller performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The harmful function of hair entanglement is extracted from the mopping device by introducing a separate sweeper element that removes hair and long fibers from the mop element's surface, allowing the roller to maintain its mopping function without the harmful effect of fiber accumulation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The sweeper element acts as an intermediary between the mop element and the floor, serving as a protective interface that removes harmful fibers before they can damage the roller or affect mopping performance, while the mop element continues its primary function undisturbed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If a tapered sweeper element with angled axis is used to remove debris, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedebris removal efficiencyVSAvoidsweeper element configuration

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sweeper element is designed with an asymmetric tapered shape where the diameter varies along its length, and its rotation axis is angled relative to the mop element's axis. This asymmetric configuration creates optimal sweeping action that directs debris toward the collection point while maintaining structural simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

Solution Approach 2:

The sweeper element's axis is positioned at an angle to the mop element's axis, introducing a dimensional relationship that maximizes the sweeping surface area and directs debris flow efficiently toward the collection point without requiring complex mechanical structures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS20250213093A1Hard floor cleaner

Publication Date: 2025.07.03 DYSON TECH LTD

AI summary

A hard floor cleaner is provided and includes a mop element and a sweeper element mounted for rotation about a respective axis. The sweeper element has a shape which tapers from a first end towards a second end. The sweeper element is arranged with respect to the mop element so that the axis of rotation of the sweeper element is closer to the axis of rotation of the mop element at its second end than at its first end. A portion of the external surface of the sweeper element contacts a portion of the external surface of the mop element.