Nested Handle Holder for Lawn Tool Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing handle storage solutions, such as leaving rakes on the ground, lead to frequent loss, damage, and increased maintenance costs due to their unattended and hidden nature, especially in high grass or during lawn maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A handle holder apparatus comprising a first holder with a larger dimension and a second holder with a smaller dimension, connected inside the first holder, which removably retains the handle and has a bottom extending beyond the first holder, along with a dome-shaped cover and a spacer to prevent direct contact with the ground, ensuring visibility and protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If handles are left on the ground for storage, then accessibility is improved, but loss and damage occur due to being unseen and unattended
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a nested holder structure where a second holder with smaller dimension is placed inside a first holder with larger dimension. This nested configuration allows the handle storage system to be compact yet protective, enabling the handle to be securely retained while maintaining easy accessibility. The outer holder provides structural support and visibility, while the inner holder directly retains the handle, resolving the contradiction between accessibility and protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The holder apparatus is pre-installed in a fixed location before handles need to be stored. The bottom of the second holder extends beyond the bottom of the first holder to provide stable ground contact, ensuring the structure is firmly positioned in advance. This preliminary positioning prevents the handle from being lost or damaged by ensuring it is always in a predetermined, protected location.
2Reliability
If handles are stored in a protected location, then loss and damage are reduced, but visibility and accessibility may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The nested holder configuration allows the inner holder to be positioned within the outer holder such that the handle remains visible and accessible while being protected. The offset bottom design ensures the handle storage location is elevated and visible, preventing it from being hidden or overlooked while maintaining protection from ground-level damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The first holder acts as an intermediary structure between the ground and the handle retained in the second holder. It provides structural support and elevation, allowing the handle to be protected from ground-level hazards while remaining visible and accessible. The intermediary holder structure mediates between the conflicting requirements of protection and accessibility.
3Reliability
If the holder structure is extended below the ground level for stability, then reliability is improved, but the handle may contact the ground causing contamination and rotting
Solution Approach 1:
The nested holder design allows the second holder to extend below the first holder's bottom level while maintaining separation between the handle and ground contact surfaces. The inner holder provides the extended stability structure, while the outer holder's bottom serves as the ground-contact interface, preventing direct contact between the handle and contaminated ground surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The first holder serves as an intermediary barrier between the ground and the handle. Its bottom surface contacts the ground to provide stability, while the second holder nested within it retains the handle at an elevated position. This intermediary structure prevents harmful ground contact with the handle while maintaining structural reliability.
4Ease of manufacture
If a simple holder structure is used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but protection and retention capability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The nested holder structure consists of two relatively simple cylindrical holders where the second holder is placed inside the first holder. This nested configuration provides enhanced protection and retention capability while maintaining manufacturing simplicity, as both holders can be produced using standard manufacturing processes without complex assembly requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A handle holder apparatus and method includes a first holder with a top and a bottom and an inside and an outside and a first dimension. A second holder is provided where the second holder includes a top and a bottom and an inside and an outside and a second dimension where the second dimension is smaller than the first dimension of the first holder and where the second holder is connected to the first holder on the inside of the first holder and where the second holder is configured to removably retain a handle on the inside of the second holder. Further, the bottom of the second holder extends beyond the bottom of the first holder.