Mop Bucket Baffle Design to Reduce Liquid Spillage During Movement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mop bucket systems experience liquid spillage due to changing forces during movement, leading to splashing and potential slip hazards, as well as inefficiency in liquid retention.
Innovation Solution
A mop bucket system with a liquid-retaining portion and an energy-dissipation device featuring baffles and projections that inhibit momentum buildup and wave amplification, reducing splashing by breaking surface tension and distributing energy within the liquid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional mop bucket design is used, then simplicity of structure is maintained, but liquid spillage and splashing increase during movement
Solution Approach 1:
The energy-dissipation device is segmented into multiple discrete baffles (first baffle, second baffle, third baffle) positioned at different locations within the liquid-retaining portion. Each baffle independently disrupts liquid momentum in specific zones, collectively reducing splashing without requiring a completely redesigned bucket structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The baffles act as intermediary elements between the liquid and the bucket walls. These intermediate structures absorb and dissipate liquid momentum through controlled disruption, preventing direct liquid-wall interactions that cause splashing while maintaining the overall simplicity of the bucket design.
2Productivity
If mop bucket is moved quickly to next location, then productivity increases, but liquid spillage and wave amplification increase
Solution Approach 1:
The baffles are positioned to preemptively disrupt liquid momentum before it can build up to wave-amplification levels. By placing energy-dissipation elements in the higher-momentum region, the system counteracts the effects of rapid acceleration and deceleration before they cause splashing, enabling faster movement without liquid loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The energy-dissipation device is pre-configured within the bucket structure to automatically activate during movement. The baffles are positioned to engage with liquid flow patterns that occur during typical bucket handling, providing proactive momentum disruption without requiring active control or additional energy input during operation.
3Ease of operation
If liquid momentum is allowed to build up, then liquid flows smoothly during filling, but wave amplification and splashing occur during movement
Solution Approach 1:
The baffles are strategically positioned to create zones of different liquid flow characteristics. The first and second baffles address momentum buildup in specific regions, while the third baffle handles flow patterns near the opposite wall. This localized approach maintains smooth overall flow while preventing harmful wave amplification in critical areas.
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 solution effectively reduces splashing by approximately 28.7% compared to conventional designs, minimizing spillage and maintaining liquid within the bucket during movement.
Implementation Method 1
the energy-dissipation device being configured to inhibit buildup of momentum of liquid in the higher-momentum region along at least a portion of the liquid-movement direction by breaking surface tension of the liquid
Data Source
AI summary
Mop buckets and methods of using the same are provided. A mop bucket includes a liquid-retaining portion that permits retained liquid to move in a liquid-movement direction extending from the first sidewall portion toward the second sidewall portion within a higher-momentum region and an energy-dissipation device disposed within the liquid-retaining portion and extending into the higher-momentum region, the energy-dissipation device being configured to inhibit buildup of momentum of liquid in the higher-momentum region along at least a portion of the liquid-movement direction by breaking surface tension of the liquid. The energy-dissipation device includes at least three baffles.