Parallel Curved Tine Rake Assembly for Leaf Bunching Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rake assemblies often suffer from tines that converge in a radial array, leading to leaf bunching during raking and shoveling, and lack sufficient flexibility and structural rigidity, making them inefficient for handling lightweight debris.
Innovation Solution
A rake assembly with a base that extends laterally from a handle coupling, featuring parallel and curved tines with varying gap lengths, apertures for weight reduction, and elongate structural reinforcements for rigidity, allowing for cantilevered flexibility and improved scooping capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If tines are arranged in a radial array, then the rake can be manufactured with simple geometry, but leaf bunching occurs during raking and shoveling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by transitioning from a symmetric radial tine arrangement to an asymmetric parallel tine configuration. The tines are positioned parallel to each other rather than radiating outward, creating an asymmetric layout that prevents leaf bunching while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through standardized tine components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the conventional radial tine arrangement by using parallel tines that extend in the same direction rather than converging toward a central point. This inversion of the geometric arrangement eliminates the leaf bunching problem while preserving ease of manufacture through consistent tine design.
2Weight of moving object
If tines are made thinner to reduce weight, then the rake becomes lighter, but structural rigidity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs thin tine structures that rely on their parallel arrangement and curvature rather than thickness for strength. The tines are designed as thin, flexible elements that maintain structural integrity through their geometric configuration and mutual support in the parallel array, enabling weight reduction without sacrificing rigidity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the tine structure into multiple thin, parallel elements rather than using fewer thick tines. This segmentation distributes structural loads across multiple components, allowing each tine to be thin and lightweight while the collective arrangement provides the necessary overall rigidity.
3Strength
If tines are made more rigid to improve structural integrity, then the rake becomes more durable, but flexibility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic characteristics by curving the parallel tines to follow the contour of collected debris. This curvature allows the tines to flex and adapt to the shape of leaves and other lightweight materials during raking and shoveling operations, providing both durability and flexibility through geometric design rather than material rigidity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the tines by introducing curvature and parallel positioning instead of straight radial arrangement. These parameter changes enable the tines to maintain structural integrity while gaining the flexibility needed to handle lightweight debris effectively, resolving the contradiction between rigidity and flexibility.
4Productivity
If parallel tines with varying gap lengths are used to prevent leaf bunching, then raking efficiency improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the gap lengths between adjacent parallel tines at different positions along the tine array. This creates non-uniform spacing that prevents leaf bunching in specific locations while maintaining overall manufacturing simplicity through standardized tine components and modular assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
A rake assembly is provided with a base with a handle coupling, sized to extend laterally from the coupling. A plurality of tines extends from the base, away from the coupling. The plurality of tines is parallel and curved at distal ends of the tines and have a width that is greater than a thickness of the tines. The plurality of tines is spaced apart laterally by a spacing that is less than the width of the tines as a plurality of gaps. A length of the gaps is sequentially shortened laterally away from the coupling. A proximal end of the tines is coplanar or tangent to the base. A sidewall extends from a proximal end of the base and from lateral sides of the base, to collectively provide a shovel concavity with the base and the plurality of tines.