Retractable floor cover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing floor covers are bulky, difficult to handle, lack secure fasteners, and detract from the aesthetic appeal of a room, failing to effectively prevent stains and messes on flooring surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A retractable floor cover with an elongated cylindrical housing, a flexible panel, and a spring-rewind mechanism that allows the panel to be selectively deployed and retracted, secured to furniture legs via straps, and features a control for easy activation, ensuring the panel can be extended to cover floor areas and hidden when not needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a floor cover is used to prevent stains on flooring surfaces, then protection against stains is improved, but the floor cover becomes bulky and difficult to handle
Solution Approach 1:
The floor cover is divided into multiple segments that can be independently folded and stored. When deployed, the segments extend to cover the floor area; when retracted, they fold into a compact configuration within the housing, making them easy to handle and store.
Solution Approach 2:
The floor cover transitions from a static, bulky cover to a dynamic, retractable system. The cover can be extended when needed for protection and retracted into a compact form within the housing when not in use, adapting its state based on operational requirements.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a floor cover is used to prevent stains on flooring surfaces, then protection against stains is improved, but the floor cover lacks secure fasteners and may be accidentally slid away
Solution Approach 1:
Adhesive elements act as an intermediary between the floor cover and the flooring surface, providing secure attachment. These adhesive elements enable the cover to remain firmly in place without sliding or shifting, ensuring reliable stain protection while maintaining ease of installation and removal.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a floor cover is used to prevent stains on flooring surfaces, then protection against stains is improved, but the floor cover detracts from the aesthetic appeal of the room
Solution Approach 1:
The floor cover is extracted from constant view by retracting it into a housing positioned along the wall or furniture when not in use. This allows the protective function to be available on demand while maintaining the aesthetic appeal of the room during normal conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The floor cover system dynamically transitions between a deployed state (providing protection) and a retracted state (maintaining aesthetics). The cover can be extended when stain protection is needed and retracted into a compact housing when not in use, adapting its visibility based on operational requirements.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If a retractable floor cover is deployed to cover floor areas, then stain prevention is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spring-rewind mechanism provides self-service by automatically rewinding the floor cover after deployment. When the cover is extended and then released, the spring mechanism automatically reels it back into the housing without requiring manual intervention, simplifying operation despite the internal mechanical complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex manual retraction mechanism is replaced with a spring-rewind system that uses elastic potential energy storage and release. This mechanical substitution eliminates the need for motors, batteries, or complex control systems, achieving automatic retraction through simple spring mechanics.
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 retractable floor cover provides a convenient, aesthetically pleasing solution for preventing stains and messes by allowing easy deployment and retraction, securing the panel in place, and maintaining a clean floor surface while minimizing visual impact.
Implementation Method 1
A spring-rewind mechanism is disposed within the housing and operably connected to the rotatable spool
Data Source
AI summary
A retractable floor cover. The device includes an elongated cylindrical housing and a flexible panel connected to a rotatable spool disposed within an interior volume of the housing, which is operably connected to a spring-rewind mechanism. The panel extends outwardly through a slot disposed on the housing, wherein the panel is configured to move between an extended position and a retracted position. A control disposed on the housing is configured to activate the spring-rewind mechanism, wherein activation of the spring-rewind mechanism is configured to roll the panel along the spool and retract the panel though the slot and into the interior volume of the housing. The housing can be integral to an article of furniture or may be secured to an existing article of furniture via a first strap disposed on a first end of the housing and a second strap disposed on an opposing second end of the housing.