Hinged Waste Collection Device with Rotatable Flanges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing waste collection devices for pet waste are often impractical, unhygienic, and not environmentally friendly, as they may not effectively isolate the waste from the user and can be difficult to dispose of.
Innovation Solution
A hand-operable waste collection device with a hinged design that allows for easy expansion, rotation, and closure to trap waste, featuring flanges that can be positioned to facilitate one-handed operation and environmentally friendly disposal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a plastic bag is used to retrieve pet feces, then the user is separated from the waste by the thickness of the plastic bag, but the unpleasant tactile sensation renders the plastic bag unacceptable for use by many users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a collection device with a collection surface and containment chamber that acts as an intermediary between the user's hand and the waste. The waste is contained within the device structure rather than directly contacting the user, eliminating unpleasant tactile sensation while maintaining isolation.
2Force
If waste collecting devices include long handles, then they may provide leverage for collection, but they render the devices less than portable or versatile for everyday usage and a wide variety of users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the collection device into distinct functional segments: a collection surface for receiving waste, a containment chamber for holding waste, and a release mechanism. This segmentation allows the device to be compact and portable while still providing effective collection capability when deployed.
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates movable flaps and a release mechanism that transform the device from a compact portable state to an operational state with extended collection surface. This dynamic transformation provides leverage and collection effectiveness only when needed, maintaining portability otherwise.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the device uses a disposable receptacle design, then it effectively isolates the receptacle's contents from the hand of the user, but the receptacle needs to be disposed of preferably in an environmentally friendly manner
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies that the collection device should be manufacturable from biodegradable or compostable materials, changing the material parameter to enable environmentally friendly disposal while maintaining the disposable receptacle design that provides effective isolation of contents.
Data Source
AI summary
A hand operable waste collection device includes first and second box portions joined along a first hinge. A first flange is joined to first box portion along a second hinge and a first flange body portion extends away from second hinge and the body portion may have a first flange end portion with a hole therein. In a collection mode: the first and second box portions are in an expanded position, the first and second hinges are spaced from each other, the first flange is rotatable about the second hinge to position the first flange body portion next to the first box portion, and the first and second box portions are rotatable relative to one another about the first hinge from an open collection state to a closed collection state to trap waste therein. The second hinge is next to the second box portion in the closed collection state.