Rotatable Vacuum Conduit Structure to Prevent Hose Kinking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surface cleaning apparatuses, such as vacuum cleaners, face challenges in maneuverability due to the tendency of hoses to kink when stretched or moved, which can lead to damage and reduced effectiveness in cleaning.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a conduit section with rotatable connections at both ends to enhance hose maneuverability, allowing for two-axis rotation and reducing the likelihood of kinking, thereby maintaining hose integrity and cleaning efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a hose with a large stretch factor is utilized to enhance flexibility and maneuverability, then the ease of operation is improved, but the hose is more prone to kinking and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The air flow path is divided into multiple segments: a flexible hose portion and a rigid conduit section with rotatable connections at each end. This segmentation allows the flexible hose to provide maneuverability while the rigid conduit with rotatable joints maintains structural integrity and prevents kinking.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotatable connections at each end of the rigid conduit section enable dynamic adjustment of the air flow path orientation. These rotatable joints accommodate movements and stretching of the flexible hose while maintaining proper airflow alignment, preventing the hose from kinking during operation.
2Productivity
If the floor cleaning head is moved freely to improve cleaning coverage, then the productivity is improved, but the hose may become kinked or damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The air flow path is segmented into a flexible hose portion for movement and a rigid conduit section with rotatable connections that maintains structural support. This allows the cleaning head to move freely for improved cleaning coverage while the segmented structure prevents hose kinking.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotatable connections enable the rigid conduit to dynamically adjust its orientation as the cleaning head moves, accommodating the flexible hose's movement without causing kinks, thus maintaining both productivity and reliability.
3Reliability
If rotatable connections are added to the air flow path to prevent kinking, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The air flow path is segmented into a flexible hose and a rigid conduit with rotatable connections. This segmentation concentrates the complexity only where needed (at the connection points) while maintaining simplicity in the main hose and conduit sections, achieving reliability without excessive overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid conduit section with rotatable connections acts as an intermediary between the flexible hose and the vacuum cleaner body. This intermediary component absorbs the complexity of preventing kinks through its rotatable joints, protecting the simple flexible hose from damage.
Data Source
AI summary
An upright surface cleaning apparatus comprises a floor cleaning head having a dirty air inlet and an upright section moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head. The surface cleaning apparatus also includes an air flow passage extending from the dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet. The air flow passage includes a conduit section. The surface cleaning apparatus also includes a suction motor and an air treatment member positioned in the air flow passage, provided in one of the floor cleaning head and the upright section. The conduit section has an inlet end and an outlet end. The inlet end is rotatably connected to the air flow passage about an axis parallel to air flow through the inlet end, and the outlet end is rotatably connected to the air flow passage about an axis parallel to air flow through the outlet end.