Ice Scraper with Offset Chipping Teeth for Curved Vehicle Surfaces
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice scrapers with chipping teeth are ineffective on curved vehicle surfaces because most can only have two teeth simultaneously contact the surface, reducing efficiency and increasing the time required to remove thick ice and hard snow.
Innovation Solution
An ice scraper design with a handle and scraper head featuring a proximal end that tapers to the handle, a distal end with a straight scraping edge, and at least three chipping teeth positioned to accommodate curved surfaces, allowing multiple teeth to contact the surface simultaneously for improved chipping efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional aligned chipping teeth are used on a flat scraper head, then the device structure is simple, but only two teeth can simultaneously contact curved surfaces reducing chipping effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The scraper head is designed with a curved surface that matches the curvature of vehicle windshields and windows. This curvature allows multiple chipping teeth (at least three) to simultaneously contact the curved surface, resolving the limitation of traditional flat scrapers where only two teeth could contact at once. The curved geometry enables effective chipping across the entire surface area.
Solution Approach 2:
The chipping teeth are arranged in a three-dimensional configuration on the curved scraper head surface rather than being aligned in a single plane. This spatial arrangement allows teeth positioned at different locations and angles to simultaneously engage with the curved vehicle surface, increasing the number of active chipping points from two to at least three.
2Productivity
If more chipping teeth are added to increase contact points on curved surfaces, then chipping efficiency improves, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The curved scraper head design allows multiple teeth to be effectively utilized without requiring an excessive number of teeth. By matching the windshield curvature, the design ensures that at least three teeth can simultaneously contact the surface, achieving improved ice removal speed without the need for complex multi-tooth configurations that would complicate manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The chipping teeth are strategically positioned at specific locations on the curved scraper head where they will effectively contact the vehicle surface during normal use. This targeted placement ensures optimal chipping performance with a minimal number of teeth (at least three), avoiding the need to populate the entire scraper head surface with teeth, thereby simplifying manufacturing.
3Productivity
If the scraper head is designed to accommodate curved surfaces with multiple teeth contact, then chipping effectiveness improves, but the scraping edge geometry becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The scraper head features a curved surface that matches typical vehicle windshield and window geometries. This curvature enables multiple chipping teeth to simultaneously contact the surface, improving debris removal efficiency. The scraping edge is positioned at the distal end of this curved surface, maintaining functionality while accommodating the enhanced chipping capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The scraper head is functionally segmented into distinct regions: a curved chipping surface for ice removal and a distal scraping edge for snow and loose debris removal. This segmentation allows each region to be optimized for its specific function, with the curved surface accommodating multiple teeth for effective chipping while the scraping edge maintains its traditional geometry for continued snow removal capability.
Data Source
AI summary
An ice scraper comprising a handle and a scraper head connected to the handle. The scraper head includes a proximal end, a distal end having a scraping edge, a scraping side, a chipping side, and at least three chipping teeth for chipping ice, hard snow, or frost from a curved surface. The chipping teeth extend outwardly from the chipping side. Each chipping tooth has a contact edge. At least one of the contact edges is offset forward or rearward of contact edges of two of the other chipping teeth so that at least one point of each contact edge can simultaneously contact the curved surface regardless of the scraper's position relative to the curved surface and regardless of a direction of the scraper.