Yard Rake Tines Rotating to Grabbing Position
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing yard rakes and hand tools are inefficient and uncomfortable for gardeners to both rake and pick up debris, as they often result in material falling off the tines or require manual handling, lacking a safe and efficient mechanism for debris collection and disposal.
Innovation Solution
An all-in-one yard rake and debris pickup device with a pivoting handle and dual-axis hinge system, allowing the tines to rotate between a rake position and a grabbing position, enabling efficient collection and disposal of yard waste without manual handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If gardeners use traditional yard rakes to gather debris, then debris can be collected at a central location, but the gardener must manually lift and dispose of the material which is inefficient and uncomfortable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the raking function and debris pickup function into a single integrated device. The tines can rotate between a rake position for gathering debris and a grabbing position for lifting debris, eliminating the need for separate manual handling operations and reducing both time and effort required for debris disposal
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a rotatable tine assembly that can dynamically change its configuration. The tines rotate between extending generally outwardly (rake position) and extending outwardly in opposite directions (grabbing position), allowing the device to adapt its function based on the operational phase, thereby automating the debris pickup process
2Productivity
If gardeners attempt to use the rake to scoop up material, then some material can be lifted, but most waste material falls off the tines making it ineffective
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable tine assembly transitions from a static rake structure to a dynamic grabbing mechanism. When rotated to the grabbing position, the tines extend in opposite directions to form a cup-like structure that securely retains debris, preventing material from falling off during lifting and transport
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of attempting to scoop debris with tines extending in one direction (traditional approach), the patent inverts the tine configuration by rotating them to extend in opposite directions, creating a enclosed grabbing structure that positively retains debris rather than allowing it to fall off
3Adaptability or versatility
If a single device is designed to both rake and pick up debris, then operational efficiency improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a rotatable assembly connecting the tines to the handle, allowing a single structural component to perform multiple functions. The same tine assembly that rakes when extended outwardly becomes a grabbing mechanism when rotated, adding versatility without requiring separate devices or overly complex mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The device is designed with universal functionality where the same structural components (tines, rotatable assembly, handle) serve dual purposes: raking debris when in the rake position and picking up/lifting debris when in the grabbing position, thereby achieving multi-functionality with moderate structural additions
Data Source
AI summary
A device is provided that includes: an elongated handle having a proximal end and a distal end; a handle coupling device attached to the distal end of the elongated handle, the coupling device having a tubular head and a plurality of spaced legs extending distally from the tubular head; a first attachment device pivotally coupled to a distal end of a first leg of the handle coupling device and a second attachment device pivotally coupled to a distal end of a second leg the handle coupling device; and a first set of yard rake tines rotatably coupled to the first attachment device and a second set of yard rake tines rotatably coupled to the second attachment device. The first and second attachment devices are preferably configured pivotally for a user to be able to pivot the first and second attachment device between a first position wherein the first and second attachment device are essentially orthogonal to the elongated handle and at least one other position wherein first and second attachment device are other than orthogonal to the elongated handle. The first and second sets of yard rake tines are preferably configured rotatably for a user to be able to rotate the first and second yard rake tines between a first position wherein the tines extend outwardly to perform as a rake and at least one other position wherein the first and second yard rake tines extend outwardly in opposite directions to perform as a grabbing device.