Retractable Broom Handle and Cover Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional brooms with long handles are impractical for transportation and storage due to size and security restrictions at sporting events and in small spaces, and existing designs with retractable heads often require disassembly and have limited portability and storage efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A compact broom design featuring a retractable handle with movable locking joints and a retractable cover for the brush head, allowing the handle to collapse and the cover to adjust positions to fully or partially cover the brush head, enabling efficient storage and transportation without disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional brooms with long handles are used, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but portability and storage efficiency deteriorate due to size and security restrictions
Solution Approach 1:
The handle is divided into multiple telescopic sections that can be segmented and stored within each other, reducing the overall length for portability while maintaining full extension length for cleaning effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The telescopic handle sections are nested within each other like dolls, with smaller sections fitting inside larger ones, enabling compact storage while preserving full operational length when extended
2Length of moving object
If existing retractable head broom designs are used, then portability is improved, but device complexity increases due to detachable parts requiring assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The retractable handle mechanism and retractable brush head mechanism are merged into a single integrated structure, eliminating the need for separate assembly steps while maintaining portability benefits
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism serves multiple functions: it secures both the telescopic handle sections and the brush head position, reducing the number of separate components and simplifying the overall device
3Device complexity
If fixed-length handles are used in retractable head designs, then device complexity is reduced, but portability and storage efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The handle transitions from a fixed-length static structure to a dynamic telescopic structure that can change length between extended (operational) and retracted (storage) states, improving portability without significantly increasing complexity
4Device complexity
If brush heads must conform to handle size and spring hinge orientation, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability deteriorates due to limited brush head design variety
Solution Approach 1:
The brush head is designed with universal attachment features that can accommodate different brush configurations and sizes, allowing one handle mechanism to support multiple brush head types and applications
Data Source
AI summary
A retractable broom comprises a handle section and a broom head section. The handle section includes a retractable handle with one or more movable locking joints including locking mechanisms that are configured to connect and interlock the sections of the retractable handle together. An arm, including a stationary locking joint, having a locking mechanism, at one end of the arm connects and interlocks the retractable handle to the arm. The other end of the arm is fixedly attached to a brush head. The broom head section also comprises a retractable cover and third locking joint with a locking mechanism that connects and interlocks the retractable cover to the arm at two or more positions, with at least one position causing the retractable cover fully cover the brush head and a second position causing the retractable cover to at least partial uncover the brush head.