Hard Surface Vacuum Cleaner Extension Device for Large Area Reach

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing portable hard surface suction devices are limited in reaching large areas, such as large window panes and high skylights, requiring users to change positions and often necessitate the use of ladders for effective cleaning.

Innovation Solution

An extension device that can be detachably connected to the hard surface suction device, featuring a variable-length extension part and an articulated joint, allowing for adjustable alignment and increased operational radius, enabling the device to reach areas beyond the user's immediate reach without the need for frequent position changes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the user cleans large hard surfaces such as large window panes and high skylights with a portable hard surface suction device, then the cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the user must change standing position several times and interrupt the cleaning process, reducing productivity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning effectivenessVSAvoidcleaning efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The suction device is divided into separable components: a handle assembly and a nozzle assembly connected by a detachable connection. This allows the nozzle to be extended or repositioned independently, enabling the user to maintain a stable standing position while reaching different areas of large surfaces without interrupting the cleaning process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The detachable connection allows the nozzle assembly to be positioned in multiple spatial configurations relative to the handle assembly. This dimensional flexibility enables the user to extend the cleaning reach in various directions and heights, effectively cleaning large surfaces including high skylights without changing standing position.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Ease of operation

If the suction nozzle is designed to be manually guided along the hard surface, then ease of operation is improved, but the area of hard surface that the user can easily reach is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanual guidance capabilityVSAvoidreachable cleaning area
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

By separating the handle assembly from the nozzle assembly through a detachable connection, the nozzle can be extended or repositioned independently. This maintains the simplicity of manual guidance while expanding the reachable area to include large window panes and high skylights that were previously inaccessible.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The detachable connection provides dynamic reconfigurability, allowing the user to adjust the nozzle position and orientation according to the specific cleaning task. This dynamic adjustment capability expands the reachable cleaning area while preserving ease of manual operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The extension device significantly expands the cleaning area, allowing for efficient and uninterrupted cleaning of large surfaces, including high skylights, without the need for frequent position changes or ladder use, enhancing user convenience and cleaning efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

the suction nozzle is in flow connection with a suction unit via a flow path, under the effect of which a negative pressure can be generated so that a liquid-air mixture can be sucked into a housing of the hard surface suction device via the suction nozzle

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectNegative pressure suction: Pressure Gradient

Implementation Method 2

The separating chamber can be subjected to negative pressure by the suction unit and liquid can be separated from the sucked-in liquid-air mixture with the aid of the at least one separating element

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure-driven separation: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentEP2890283B1Extension device of a hard surfaces vacuum cleaning system
Publication Date: 2017.08.02 ALFRED KARCHER SE & CO KG
  • EP2890283B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2890283B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2890283B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a hard-surface vacuum cleaning system (10; 100; 120; 140; 160), comprising a portable hard-surface vacuum cleaner (12) for sucking up a liquid-air mixture from a hard surface, in particular from a window pane, having a suction nozzle (18), a suction unit (44) and a separation device (32) which is arranged in the flow path between the suction nozzle (18) and the suction unit (44) and which is connected to a dirty liquid tank (56), and having a handgrip (16) for gripping the hard-surface vacuum cleaner. In order to widen the area of use of the hard-surface vacuum cleaner (12) to areas which lie outside the immediate range of the user, the hard-surface vacuum cleaner system has an extension device (14; 104; 124; 144; 164), which is detachably connected to the hard-surface vacuum cleaner and has a handhold (96; 174) that can be gripped by the user.