Screen Cleaning Apparatus with Dual-Stage Wiper Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing screen cleaning methods for touch and display screens do not effectively dry the surface after cleaning, leading to water marks and residue, and often fail to reach the entire surface area, making them unsanitary and less desirable for use, especially in public or medical settings.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning apparatus with a movable cleaner bar equipped with a moist pad and a dry pad, where the moist pad contacts the screen in one direction and the dry pad in the opposite direction, ensuring thorough cleaning and drying, and optionally includes a motorized mechanism for automated operation and a reservoir for cleaning fluid, allowing for efficient cleaning and drying strokes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a wiper mechanism is used to clean the screen, then the screen surface is cleaned, but water marks and residue are left behind due to lack of drying
Solution Approach 1:
The wiper assembly is segmented into multiple functional zones: a first wiper blade for cleaning, a second wiper blade for drying, and a squeegee element for removing excess fluid. This segmentation allows each element to perform its specific function sequentially, effectively cleaning the screen while preventing water marks and residue through dedicated drying action.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple functions (cleaning, drying, and squeegee action) into a single integrated wiper assembly that moves across the screen surface. This combination allows the cleaning and drying operations to occur in one continuous motion, eliminating the need for separate drying steps and preventing residue formation.
2Device complexity
If a manual wiper mechanism is used, then the cleaning process is simple, but the entire surface area cannot be reached effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The wiper assembly incorporates a squeegee element that extends the cleaning action beyond the traditional wiper blade path. The squeegee adds a third dimension to the cleaning process by scraping the screen surface after the wiper blades have cleaned and dried the primary areas, ensuring complete surface coverage including edges and corners that would otherwise be missed.
3Reliability
If sanitizer fluid is applied and left to evaporate, then the screen is sanitized, but water marks are created requiring further cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The squeegee element performs a preliminary action by removing excess sanitizer fluid and cleaning solution from the screen surface before evaporation can occur. This preliminary removal prevents water marks and residue formation, eliminating the need for subsequent cleaning steps while maintaining effective sanitization.
Solution Approach 2:
The wiper assembly maintains continuous useful action by seamlessly transitioning from cleaning to drying to squeegee removal in a single continuous motion. This continuous operation ensures that sanitizer fluid is applied and removed without interruption, preventing water mark formation while maintaining sanitization effectiveness throughout the entire screen surface.
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 apparatus effectively cleans and dries the screen in a single pass, preventing residue and ensuring the entire surface is cleaned, enhancing hygiene and usability, particularly in environments where multiple users share the device.
Implementation Method 1
a moist pad and a dry pad with the moist pad being coupled to the cleaner bar adjacent to the dry pad
Implementation Method 2
the dry pad to contact the touch or display surface as the cleaner bar is being moved in a second direction opposite to that of the first direction
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for cleaning the touch or display touch or display surface of an electronic device such as a cell phone or computer tablet comprising a wiper coupled to cleaner bar. The cleaner bar moves longitudinally and/or laterally across the electronic device with the wiper in contact with the touch or display surface. The wiper comprises both a moist pad and a dry pad. The moist pad is fluidly communicated to a reservoir defined within the cleaner bar. On its “cleaning stroke”, cleaning fluid is released into the moist pad and then deposited onto the touch or display surface. The cleaner bar moves longitudinally across the touch or display surface by manual or motorized means. The cleaner bar may also be in communication with the electronic device to detect when a task has been completed on the electronic device. After detection, the cleaner bar automatically traverses the touch or display surface, thereby cleaning it after every use.