Hinged Squeegee Blade Design for Liquid and Solid Waste Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional countertop squeegees are inadequate for picking up both liquid and solid waste materials, as they are primarily designed for liquid disposal and lack the functionality to handle solid objects effectively.
Innovation Solution
A hinged squeegee design featuring a resilient wiping blade supported by a rigid structure with a handle arrangement that pivots from a straight state to a folded state, allowing the blade to be used for both wiping liquids and grasping solid waste, enabling efficient disposal of both liquids and solids.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional countertop squeegee is designed for wiping liquids, then it is effective for liquid disposal, but it cannot effectively handle solid waste objects
Solution Approach 1:
The squeegee blade is designed with a hinge mechanism that allows it to transition between a straight configuration for liquid wiping and a folded configuration for solid waste pickup. This dynamic reconfiguration enables the single device to adapt to different waste types without adding multiple separate tools, resolving the contradiction between versatility and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The squeegee is designed to perform multiple functions: wiping liquids in the straight state and picking up solid waste in the folded state. By integrating both liquid disposal and solid waste collection capabilities into one device through the hinged blade mechanism, the invention achieves multi-functionality without requiring separate tools for each task.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the squeegee blade is made rigid for structural stability, then it provides stable support, but it cannot conform to surface irregularities effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is divided into multiple segments connected by hinges, allowing each segment to move independently. This segmentation enables the blade to conform to surface irregularities while maintaining overall structural stability through the rigid support structure and handle arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the blade have different properties: the support structure and handle are rigid for stability, while the resilient strip portions are flexible for surface conformity. This local differentiation of rigidity and flexibility allows the blade to simultaneously maintain structural integrity and adapt to surface variations.
3Productivity
If the squeegee is designed with a long blade for covering large areas, then it increases cleaning efficiency, but it becomes difficult to maneuver in tight spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge mechanism allows the blade to transition between extended and folded configurations. When folded, the blade becomes compact for maneuvering in tight spaces, while maintaining the capability to extend for covering large areas during cleaning operations, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and maneuverability.
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 hinged squeegee effectively transitions between wiping liquids and picking up solid waste, enhancing its utility on countertops by allowing users to manage both types of waste without lifting the blade from the surface, improving its versatility and functionality.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient strip supported by a relatively rigid support structure
Implementation Method 2
the support structure having a first portion supporting a first part of the resilient strip and a second portion supporting a second part of the resilient strip; and a handle arrangement including a first handle portion rigidly attached to or integrally formed with the first portion of the support structure and a second handle portion rigidly attached to or integrally formed with the second portion of the support structure, the handle arrangement having an extensional direction perpendicular to a length of the wiping blade, the first and second handle portions being hingedly interconnected so as to define a pivot axis parallel to the extensional direction, pivotal motion of the first handle portion relative to the second handle portion about the pivot axis resulting in reconfiguration of the wiping blade from a straight state to a folded state
Data Source
AI summary
A squeegee comprising a wiping blade comprising a resilient strip supported by a relatively rigid support structure, said support structure having a first portion supporting a first part of said resilient strip and a second portion supporting a second part of said resilient strip; and a handle arrangement comprising a first handle portion rigidly attached to or integrally formed with said first portion of said support structure and a second handle portion rigidly attached to or integrally formed with said second portion of said support structure, said handle arrangement having an extensional direction perpendicular to a length of the wiping blade, said first and second handle portions being hingedly interconnected so as to define a pivot axis parallel to said extensional direction, pivotal motion of said first handle portion relative to said second handle portion about said pivot axis resulting in reconfiguration of said wiping blade from a straight state to a folded state.