Push Shovel Pivot Joint and Adjustable T-Handle for Snow Clearing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shovels, particularly snow shovels, lack an ergonomic and efficient means to clear material in a snowplow-like manner, compromised by handle configurations and user height and pushing preferences.
Innovation Solution
A manually operated shovel with a blade, an elongated-shaft, a selectively-pivotable joint, and a T-shaped handle that allows for adjustable positioning and leverage, enabling efficient snowplow-like material clearing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed handle configuration is used, then the structure is simple, but it cannot accommodate different user heights and pushing preferences
Solution Approach 1:
The handle is made adjustable and pivotable rather than fixed, allowing it to change position dynamically. The elongated shaft can pivot at the joint connecting to the blade, and the handle can be positioned at different angles and distances, enabling adaptation to various user heights and pushing preferences while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle system is divided into separable components: the elongated shaft, the pivot joint, and the handle grip. This segmentation allows independent adjustment of each component's position and orientation, providing versatility without requiring a completely complex reconfiguration of the entire structure.
2Force
If the shaft is short, then the device is compact, but it provides insufficient leverage for effective pushing
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot joint at the shaft-blade connection allows the shaft to dynamically adjust its angle during pushing operations. This dynamic positioning optimizes the leverage arm length based on the pushing angle and material resistance, maximizing mechanical advantage without requiring a permanently long shaft that would compromise compactness.
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 shovel provides ergonomic and effective material clearing by allowing users to adjust the handle position and leverage, facilitating efficient snowplow-like material movement.
Implementation Method 1
The selectively-pivotable joint (i) is fixed in place relative to the length direction of the blade and (ii) pivots around a joint center point to move an elongated-shaft user end in an arc relative to spaced apart side edges of the blade
Data Source
AI summary
A manually operated shovel designed to be pushed by a user to clear material from a surface, and related method. The shovel includes a blade with length and width, bottom edge, top edge, front face and back face. An elongated-shaft having an elongated-shaft blade end and an elongate-shaft user end. A selectively-pivotable joint is connected with an elongated-shaft blade end and the back face of the blade. The selectively-pivotable joint (i) is fixed in place and (ii) pivots around a joint center point to move an elongated-shaft user end in an arc relative to spaced apart side edges of the blade. A T-shaped handle is connected with the elongated-shaft user end and the T-shaped handle is selectively-adjustable to enable the user to adjust a position of the T-shaped handle relative to the elongated-shaft user end.