Sweeping Mop Cloth Release Assembly With Shotgun Mechanism
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hand operated sweeping mops require users to manually grasp and remove dirty cleaning cloths, exposing them to filth and dirt.
Innovation Solution
A hand operated sweeping mop with a unique disposable cloth retaining assembly using cloth retaining members on the bottom of a top plate that extend perpendicularly and are retained by force springs, allowing for automatic release of the cleaning cloth without hand contact through a shotgun-like mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual grasping of dirty cleaning cloth is used for removal, then the cleaning cloth can be removed from the applicator, but the user is exposed to filth and dirt
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary release mechanism consisting of a button, spring, and clamp assembly that mediates between the user and the dirty cleaning cloth. When the user presses the button, the spring activates the clamp to release the cloth, allowing removal without direct hand contact with the soiled material.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning cloth itself becomes part of the release mechanism through its interaction with the clamp. The cloth can be removed by activating the spring-loaded clamp system, which automatically grips and releases the cloth without requiring the user to manually grasp the dirty material.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If automatic release mechanism is implemented, then user exposure to dirt is eliminated, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The retaining assembly is segmented into distinct functional components: a button for user input, a spring for energy storage and release, a clamp for gripping the cloth, and a frame for structural support. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while keeping the overall design manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static retaining structure to a dynamic release mechanism. The spring-loaded clamp can transition between engaged and disengaged states, providing automatic release capability while maintaining structural integrity during normal operation.
3Reliability
If cloth retaining members extend through the bottom plate, then the cleaning cloth is securely retained, but the release mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The retention and release functions are merged into a single integrated assembly. The clamp members that retain the cloth by extending through the bottom plate are the same components that are actuated by the spring mechanism for release, combining security and ease of removal in one system.
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
Enables the dirty cleaning cloth to be released and fall away without touching it, allowing for easy disposal into a trash receptacle, maintaining hygiene and convenience.
Implementation Method 1
Closing force members such as force springs are sandwiched between the bottom of the top plate and the top of the bottom plate and retained in a compressed state to retain the top plate and bottom plate together
Implementation Method 2
A retaining force spring surrounds a portion of the elongated cylindrical metal shaft and is press fit retained between a distal end of the covering member and the upper rim of the collar of the engagement member. In its at rest condition, the retaining force spring causes the lower housing to be axially pulled away from the top and bottom plates
Data Source
AI summary
A hand operated sweeping mop applicator with a unique disposable cloth retaining assembly where the cloth is retained by cloth retaining members attached to the bottom of a top plate which extend perpendicularly away from a bottom of the top plate and extend through aligned openings in a bottom plate to retain a cleaning cloth against a bottom surface of the bottom plate. Separation force members such as force springs are sandwiched between the bottom of the top plate and the top of the bottom plate and retained in a compressed state buy a force from a shotgun closing member.