Cleaning Roller Cover Gear Coupling for Spill-Free Regeneration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wet cleaning devices require manual operation for switching between wiping and regeneration modes, leading to inconvenience and potential spills of cleaning liquid during regeneration.

Innovation Solution

A mechanism where a displaceable cover element is coupled to the cleaning roller via a gear system, allowing simultaneous displacement of the cover element and the cleaning roller, ensuring automatic transition between wiping and regeneration modes without manual intervention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If manual operation is used to switch between wiping and regeneration modes, then the device structure can be simple, but the ease of operation deteriorates and reliability worsens due to user error

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the cover element and cleaning roller into a coupled system where their displacements are mechanically linked via a gear. This merging ensures that when one component moves, the other automatically follows, eliminating the need for separate manual operations and reducing user error while maintaining structural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The coupled displacement mechanism enables the system to automatically coordinate the cover element and cleaning roller movements. Once the user initiates displacement of one component, the gear mechanism self-regulates to move the other component accordingly, reducing reliance on continuous manual intervention and improving operational reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If the cover element and cleaning roller are operated independently, then the device structure can be simple, but reliability deteriorates due to potential spills and collisions

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovereliabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the operational control of the cover element and cleaning roller through a mechanical coupling via gear. This ensures synchronized movement where displacing one component automatically displaces the other, preventing spills and collisions by eliminating independent operation errors while adding only minimal structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Productivity

If multiple manual operations are required for regeneration, then the device structure can be simple, but productivity deteriorates due to increased user effort and time

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveproductivityVSAvoidease of operation
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the displacement operations of the cover element and cleaning roller into a single coordinated action through the gear mechanism. This allows the user to perform one displacement action instead of multiple separate operations, significantly improving productivity and ease of operation during regeneration cycles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

This solution simplifies the operation by allowing either the cover element or the cleaning roller to be moved, ensuring reliable and convenient regeneration without spills, reducing user effort and ensuring the cover element does not collide with the cleaning roller or the surface.

Implementation Method 1

a gear, in particular a toothed gear, is arranged in mechanical operative connection between the cover element and the cleaning roller, which gear transmits a displacement movement of the cover element or the cleaning roller to the cleaning roller or the cover element

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGear mechanism: Gear

Data Source

PatentEP3474714B1Wet cleaning apparatus with a cleaning roller
Publication Date: 2020.04.08 VORWERK & CO INTERHOLDING GMBH
  • EP3474714B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3474714B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3474714B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a wet-cleaning appliance (1), in particular a wet mop, having a cleaning roller (2), which is mounted in a rotatable manner about a roller axis (3), and having a roller cover (4), which encloses the cleaning roller (2) in the circumferential direction, at least in part, and has at least one displaceable covering element (5) for optionally closing and/or releasing an opening region (6) of the roller cover (4). In order to create a wet-cleaning appliance (1) which, as far as the user is concerned, can be transferred in a particularly convenient and reliable manner from mopping operation to regeneration operation, it is proposed that the displaceable covering element (5) should be coupled to the cleaning roller (2) by a gear mechanism (7), in particular a toothed gear mechanism, such that the cleaning roller (2) can be displaced by virtue of the covering element (5) being displaced or the covering element (5) can be displaced by virtue of the cleaning roller (2) being displaced. A method for operating a wet-cleaning appliance (1) is also proposed.