Portable Squeegee Assembly With Scraper and Spill-Tight Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional squeegees are inefficient in removing stubborn debris like bird droppings and tar, and they often result in soiled cleaning solution flowing down the handle, posing a mess and health hazard. Additionally, existing portable squeegee stations are cumbersome and prone to spillage during transport.
Innovation Solution
A portable squeegee station with a pivoting squeegee head and a container that forms a fluid-tight seal, featuring a handle that secures the lid during storage and use, preventing spillage and allowing easy carrying, along with a built-in scraper blade for tackling tough debris.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional squeegee is used to clean windows, then the cleaning process is simple, but it is inefficient in removing stubborn debris like bird droppings and tar
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a scraper blade and a squeegee blade into a single integrated head assembly. The scraper blade is positioned at one end of the head while the squeegee blade is positioned at the other end, allowing both functions to be performed with a single tool rather than requiring separate instruments for each task.
Solution Approach 2:
The squeegee head is designed to perform multiple functions: removing stubborn debris with the scraper blade, cleaning the window surface with the squeegee blade, and collecting cleaning solution through the integrated reservoir. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for multiple separate tools.
2Productivity
If cleaning solution is applied using a spray bottle, then the equipment is simple, but it requires much more time and energy and is less efficient and comprehensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates a cleaning solution reservoir directly into the squeegee head assembly. The reservoir is positioned to allow the sponge to become saturated with cleaning solution through capillary action or direct contact, eliminating the need for separate spray bottles or manual application processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning solution is pre-loaded into the reservoir attached to the squeegee head. The sponge is positioned to automatically absorb the cleaning solution before the cleaning process begins, so that when the user starts cleaning, the sponge is already saturated and ready to apply the solution to the window surface.
3Reliability
If a squeegee is dunk-cleaned intermittently during the cleaning process, then the sponge and rubber blade remain as clean as the cleaning solution permits, but the cleaning process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates a dedicated reservoir for clean cleaning solution directly into the squeegee head assembly. This reservoir is separate from the main cleaning solution supply, allowing the sponge to be periodically re-saturated with fresh solution without requiring removal of the squeegee from the cleaning area or complex dunking procedures.
4Ease of operation
If an existing squeegee station is removed from its fixture and placed in a motor vehicle, then portability is achieved, but cleaning fluid spills off the squeegee or out of the reservoir due to mechanical shocks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the squeegee head to nest within the container housing when not in use. The head can be retracted into a recess or compartment within the housing, protecting it from damage and preventing cleaning solution from spilling during transport. The entire assembly including the reservoir is contained within a portable housing designed to secure all components during vehicle movement.
5Ease of operation
If a portable squeegee station is designed to be compact for vehicle storage, then portability is improved, but the squeegee head may catch on the container opening during pivoting motion
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of having the squeegee head pivot outward from the container, the patent designs the pivoting mechanism so that the head rotates within the confines of the container housing. The pivot point is positioned and the rotation path is constrained to ensure the head never protrudes beyond the container opening, eliminating the risk of catching on the rim during pivoting motion.
Data Source
AI summary
A squeegee device having an integrated scraper blade, which includes a removable and telescoping/extendable handle pivotably connected to a squeegee head for motion of the device between squeegee position, wherein the handle is generally orthogonal to the head for facilitating cleaning windshields and windows, and a storage configuration, wherein the handle and head are generally parallel and the head can be disposed and sealed entirely within a portable container which includes an integrated reservoir which holds a supply of aqueous cleaning solution. The device can be used in conjunction with instant glass cleaner tablets which dissolve in plain water within the integrated reservoir to make an aqueous cleaning solution, and includes an integrated removable tray which stores a supply of cleaner tablets within the container. The device also features an integrated shield which serves to protect the user's hand and arm from becoming wet/soiled from aqueous solution and/or debris which might otherwise run unimpeded down the handle or fall from the squeegee head while the squeegee is being carried and/or used.