Pickup Stick Assembly with Deployable Shaft
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing retrieval tools require manual bending or squatting to pick up and deposit objects into receptacles, which can be cumbersome and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A pickup stick assembly with a deployable shaft and retention spring mechanism that allows for extended and retracted positions, equipped with a handle and object retaining members like magnets or spikes, enabling easy pickup and discharge of objects into a receptacle without manual bending.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual bending or squatting is used to pick up objects, then the retrieval action can be performed with simple tools, but user convenience deteriorates and physical strain increases
Solution Approach 1:
The assembly shaft is nested within the assembly housing, allowing the shaft to extend beyond the housing when needed for retrieval and retract into the housing when not in use. This nesting arrangement provides an extended functional length for picking up objects while maintaining a compact storage size, eliminating the need for manual bending or squatting without requiring a permanently long handle.
Solution Approach 2:
The assembly shaft is made movable between extended and retracted positions through a spring mechanism. The shaft can dynamically adjust its position based on operational needs - extending for retrieval operations and retracting for compact storage - thereby improving ease of operation while avoiding the drawbacks of both fixed long and fixed short designs.
2Ease of operation
If a deployable shaft mechanism is added to improve ease of operation, then user convenience improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft retention spring automatically biases the assembly shaft toward the extended position, and the shaft's own weight and the spring's force work together to return the shaft to the retracted position after use. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for additional motors, actuators, or complex control systems, achieving improved ease of operation with minimal added complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the assembly shaft is made extendable to reach objects, then retrieval capability improves, but structural stability may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The nested configuration of the assembly shaft within the assembly housing provides structural support and stability when the shaft is retracted, while still allowing full extension when needed for retrieval. The housing acts as a protective and stabilizing structure that maintains overall system stability regardless of the shaft's position.
Solution Approach 2:
The shaft retention spring provides a continuous curved path for the shaft's movement, creating a smooth transition between extended and retracted positions. This curved guidance mechanism maintains structural stability during the dynamic movement of the shaft, preventing abrupt changes or instability that might occur with rigid linear mechanisms.
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 efficient retrieval and discharge of objects like spent shotgun shells into a trash or receptacle without the need for manual bending, improving user convenience and reducing physical strain.
Implementation Method 1
A shaft retention spring may be provided in the assembly housing. The shaft retention spring may engage the spring retaining member and the assembly shaft to normally bias the assembly shaft in the extended shaft position.
Data Source
AI summary
Pickup stick assemblies suitable for picking up objects and discharging the retrieved objects into a trash or other receptacle may include an assembly housing having a proximal housing end and a distal housing end. A spring retaining member may be disposed between the proximal housing end and the distal housing end. An assembly shaft may be slidably disposed in the assembly housing. The assembly shaft may have a proximal assembly shaft end protruding beyond the proximal housing end of the assembly housing and a distal assembly shaft end opposite the proximal assembly shaft end. The assembly shaft may be deployable in an extended shaft position in which the distal assembly shaft end protrudes beyond the distal housing end of the assembly housing and a retracted shaft position in which the distal assembly shaft end is recessed with respect to the distal housing end of the assembly housing. A shaft retention spring may be provided in the assembly housing. The shaft retention spring may engage the spring retaining member and the assembly shaft to normally bias the assembly shaft in the extended shaft position. At least one object retaining member may be provided on the assembly shaft at the distal assembly shaft end.