Mop head with resiliently deflectable ear portions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional floor mops often struggle to effectively clean along walls and corners due to rigid designs that prevent the mop head from flexing and engaging the surface properly, and they lack efficient liquid dispensing systems for floor cleaners.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates resiliently deflectable ear portions on the mop head that can flex when encountering walls, combined with a collapsible flexible bag reservoir and liquid dispensing system, allowing for efficient cleaning and liquid distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the mop head is designed with rigid structure, then structural strength is improved, but the ability to flex and engage wall surfaces deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mop head is divided into a rigid main body portion and separate resilient ear portions. The main body maintains structural strength while the ear portions are made of resilient material that can deflect and flex to engage wall surfaces and corners, resolving the contradiction between rigidity and flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the mop head have different mechanical properties: the main body is rigid for structural support, while the ear portions are resilient for adapting to wall surfaces. This local differentiation allows each part to perform its specific function optimally.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the mop head is designed with resilient ear portions, then the ability to clean along walls and corners is improved, but structural rigidity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mop head is segmented into a rigid main body and resilient ear portions. This segmentation allows the ear portions to provide wall-cleaning adaptability while the main body maintains overall structural rigidity and strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The ear portions are designed to be dynamically resilient, allowing them to deflect and flex when encountering wall surfaces, then return to their original position. This dynamic behavior provides adaptability without compromising the static structural rigidity of the main body.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional rigid mop designs are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but cleaning effectiveness along walls and corners deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mop head is segmented into a rigid main body and separate resilient ear portions. This segmentation allows for relatively simple manufacturing of each component while significantly improving cleaning effectiveness along walls and corners through the added flexibility.
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 enables the mop to clean effectively along walls and corners while providing a convenient and efficient means of dispensing cleaning solutions, enhancing cleaning performance and usability.
Implementation Method 1
The ear portions are resiliently deflectable relative the main body portion
Data Source
AI summary
A mop head includes a main body portion and first and second ear portions connected to the main body portion. The ear portions each have flat bottom surface that is coplanar with a flat bottom surface of the main body portion when the ear portion is in an undeflected state. The ear portions are resiliently deflectable relative the main body portion.