Retractable Nozzle Design for Compact Handheld Vacuum Cleaners
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Solution Overview
Problem
Handheld vacuum cleaners lack efficient onboard storage for nozzle accessories, leading to cumbersome carrying and limited functionality due to the space taken by built-in expandable nozzles when retracted.
Innovation Solution
A retractable nozzle design that moves between a retracted configuration within the housing and a deployed configuration, allowing for a larger cross-sectional area when extended, with optional features like sliding and pivoting mechanisms, and the ability to attach accessories in the retracted state, ensuring compactness and versatility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a built-in expandable nozzle is provided in the handheld vacuum cleaner, then the functionality for different cleaning tasks is improved, but the width of the nozzle inlet is limited when the nozzle is retracted
Solution Approach 1:
The retractable nozzle is designed to nest within the housing when retracted, with the nozzle body containing internal components and the inlet port positioned to minimize obstruction. This nesting arrangement allows the nozzle to be stored compactly while maintaining access to the inlet port, resolving the contradiction between having a built-in expandable nozzle and maintaining adequate inlet area when retracted.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle is designed to extend in the longitudinal direction from the housing rather than occupying transverse space. By changing the dimension of extension from lateral to longitudinal, the nozzle can provide full inlet area when deployed without compromising the compact width of the vacuum cleaner body when retracted.
2Adaptability or versatility
If nozzle accessories are provided with the vacuum cleaner, then the cleaning capability is improved, but the user has to carry around several nozzle accessories which is cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple nozzle accessories are merged into a single integrated retractable nozzle assembly. The nozzle can be extended to provide full cleaning functionality and retracted to provide compact storage, eliminating the need for users to carry multiple separate accessories while maintaining versatile cleaning capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle is designed with dynamic extendable and retractable features, allowing it to transition between different configurations. When extended, it provides full cleaning capability; when retracted, it provides compact storage. This dynamic design resolves the contradiction between having multiple accessories for different tasks and the convenience of carrying them.
3Productivity
If the built-in expandable nozzle is designed to extend outwardly, then the cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the vacuum cleaner width increases when the nozzle is extended
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle extension is designed to occur primarily in the longitudinal direction along the axis of the vacuum cleaner rather than increasing the transverse width. This dimensional change allows the nozzle to achieve full cleaning effectiveness with adequate inlet area while maintaining a compact profile when retracted, resolving the contradiction between cleaning effectiveness and vacuum cleaner width.
Data Source
AI summary
A vacuum cleaner comprises a housing having a longitudinal axis. A motor-fan assembly is mounted in the housing and arranged to generate an airflow along an airflow path from a dirty air inlet to an air exhaust. A retractable nozzle defines the dirty air inlet and is moveably mounted on the housing. At least a portion of the retractable nozzle is arranged to move between a retracted configuration within the housing and a deployed configuration outside the housing. The portion of the retractable nozzle in the retracted configuration is aligned in a direction along the longitudinal axis and the portion of the retractable nozzle in the deployed configuration is aligned in a direction across the longitudinal axis.