Scoop with Movable Flap for Direct Garbage Collection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing garbage collection methods require multiple steps and risk loss of small or light materials during transfer from scoop to bag, especially when using supporting devices with complex structures or fixed positions, leading to inefficiency and discomfort for users.
Innovation Solution
A scoop with a flat rim and movable flap that forms a pilot surface for direct collection into a bag, allowing the scoop to be carried and used without intermediate steps, and featuring a removable stick handle for upright use, reducing material loss and improving user comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a traditional scoop and separate bag supporting device are used, then the bag mouth can be kept open, but the garbage has to be transferred in two steps (from broom to scoop, then from scoop to bag) which increases the risk of loss and requires more time
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines the scoop and bag supporting device into a single integrated unit. The rim structure serves dual purposes: it supports the bag to keep the mouth open, and simultaneously acts as the scoop for collecting garbage. This merging eliminates the need for separate transfer steps between scoop and bag, directly improving productivity while reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The rim component performs multiple functions: it acts as a supporting structure for the bag, a scoop for collecting garbage, and a guide for material transfer. This multi-functionality allows the device to complete the entire collection process in one operation, resolving the contradiction between efficiency and complexity.
2Ease of operation
If the scoop is lifted from the floor to transfer garbage to the bag, then the transfer can be completed, but light and small garbage may fall during lifting and require re-collection
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated design allows the garbage collection and bag support to occur at the same level. The rim remains in contact with the floor throughout the collection process, eliminating the need to lift the scoop. This maintains equipotential conditions for light and small garbage particles, preventing them from falling during transfer and improving collection reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The collection action remains continuous and uninterrupted since the rim stays on the floor throughout the process. There is no lifting or breaking of the collection action, ensuring that light and small garbage particles remain contained and are successfully transferred to the bag without loss.
3Ease of operation
If the supporting device is fixed to the wall, then the bag can be kept open, but the user must carry the gathered garbage from the farthest points to the fixed device location
Solution Approach 1:
The device transitions from a fixed wall-mounted configuration to a mobile floor-based configuration. The rim can be freely moved to any location on the floor, allowing the user to dynamically position the collection point near the garbage source. This eliminates the need to transport garbage over long distances, saving time while maintaining the bag-opening function.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If a cover is provided on the supporting device, then hygiene and appearance are improved, but the user must keep the cover open with one hand while transferring garbage with the other
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the cover function from the supporting device structure. Instead of having a separate cover that requires manual opening, the rim itself serves as both the support structure and the collection tool. The user collects garbage directly through the rim while the bag remains supported, eliminating the need to manually open covers and improving ease of operation while maintaining hygiene through proper bag containment.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a scoop (1) for collecting loose material, in particular garbage. The scoop (1) according to the invention comprises a rim-shaped supporting element (3), on which the mouth of a bag or similar container can be fitted and held, and a flap (9) which is movable between two stable positions: in a first position it covers the rim, as well as the mouth of the bag fitted on said rim; in a second position it forms a pilot surface towards the mouth of the bag for the loose material to be collected and introduced into the bag itself. Thanks to the invention, said loose material can be collected and directly introduced into the bag carried by the scoop (1), with no intermediate step.