Leaf Blower Support Caddy for Stable Gutter Tube Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gutter cleaning kits with air blowers suffer from unsupported tubes that tend to fall apart during use, requiring users to use duct tape or similar mechanisms for assembly, which is messy and ineffective.
Innovation Solution
A support caddy with a base, back wall, and connecting tube that securely holds the air blower and gutter cleaning kit, featuring a tube support cylinder for rotational stability and quick-release straps for easy attachment, allowing the air tubes to rotate while maintaining vertical orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If gutter cleaning kits use standard dimensioned extension tubes, then the kit is easier to assemble and store, but the tubes lack structural support and fall apart during use
Solution Approach 1:
The extension tubes are nested within the caddy structure, with each tube fitting into a dedicated slot or compartment. The caddy acts as an outer container that holds and supports the inner tubes, preventing them from collapsing or falling apart during use while maintaining easy accessibility for assembly and disassembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The caddy serves as an intermediary structure between the user and the extension tubes. It provides the necessary structural support and stability that the tubes lack on their own, while still allowing the user to easily assemble and disassemble the cleaning kit by simply placing or removing the tubes from the caddy compartments.
2Reliability
If the air blower and gutter cleaning kit are held together with duct tape, then the components stay connected during use, but the assembly process becomes messy and ineffective
Solution Approach 1:
The caddy is divided into separate compartments and slots designed to hold specific components (air blower, extension tubes, nozzle). Each component has its own designated space with appropriate retention features, eliminating the need for adhesive connections and allowing for clean, tool-free assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The caddy is pre-configured with slots, compartments, and retention mechanisms during manufacturing. These pre-prepared structural features are designed to securely hold the air blower and cleaning kit components in their proper positions, so users simply need to place the components into the pre-designed spaces without any additional fastening actions.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the support caddy includes a tube support cylinder, then the air tubes maintain vertical orientation and rotational stability, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tube support cylinder provides a curved, cylindrical surface that naturally guides and maintains the vertical orientation of the air tubes. The cylindrical geometry allows the tubes to rotate smoothly while maintaining their vertical position, and the rounded shape is structurally efficient and easy to manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The tube support cylinder serves multiple functions: it provides structural support for the extension tubes, maintains their vertical orientation, allows rotational movement for accessing different gutter areas, and acts as a structural element of the caddy itself. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components.
Data Source
AI summary
A support caddy for an air blower and gutter cleaning kit. The support caddy provides stability for the air blower and the vertical tube assembly of the gutter cleaning kit, allowing users to support the vertical and horizontal forces encountered during gutter cleaning. The caddy includes a base with a lower support wall, a back wall extending perpendicular to the base, and a connecting tube (if required) between the air blower and the gutter cleaning kit. The support caddy includes quick release cinch retaining straps, a front handle, and a support strap for support. The gutter cleaning kit includes a transition piece that directs airflow from horizontal to vertical, and a series of interconnected air tubes that extend the reach of the cleaning kit. The support caddy and gutter cleaning kit are designed to efficiently remove leaves and debris from roof gutters, providing for safer and more effective cleaning.