Segmented Shovel Blade with Dynamic Pivot
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shovels are bulky, impractical for storage, and lack versatility in handling different surfaces and user preferences, with inadequate mechanisms for adjusting blade angle and edge geometry, leading to inefficiencies in snow and debris removal.
Innovation Solution
A shovel assembly with a blade composed of multiple interlocked polymer segments having different edge geometries and a dynamic pivot at the handle base, allowing for adjustable tilt angles and easy adaptation to various surfaces, along with a modular handle for user comfort and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a shovel blade is made from a single solid piece, then strength and durability are improved, but storage space requirements and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is divided into multiple separate segments that can be interlocked or detached. Each segment maintains structural integrity while the modular design allows compact storage when disassembled, resolving the contradiction between needing strength from a solid blade and reducing storage volume.
2Ease of manufacture
If a shovel has a fixed blade angle, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but adaptability to different surfaces and user preferences deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The blade assembly incorporates adjustable angle mechanisms that allow the blade to be positioned at different angles relative to the handle. This dynamic adjustment capability maintains manufacturing simplicity through standardized components while providing adaptability to various surfaces and user preferences.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade is segmented into multiple sections that can be independently positioned and locked at different angles. This segmentation enables versatile angle adjustment while keeping each individual segment simple to manufacture.
3Ease of manufacture
If a shovel blade has uniform edge geometry, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but versatility in handling different surfaces deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Different segments of the blade are equipped with different edge geometries (e.g., sharp edges for ice, rounded edges for pavement, serrated edges for packed snow). Each local segment is optimized for specific surface types, providing versatility while maintaining cost-effectiveness through modular manufacturing of specialized segments.
4Device complexity
If a shovel handle is fixed in configuration, then device complexity is reduced, but user comfort and adaptability to different user preferences deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The handle is divided into modular sections with adjustable components such as detachable grips, extendable shafts, or reconfigurable angle sections. This segmentation allows the handle to be adjusted to different user preferences and body types while keeping each modular component simple in design.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle design incorporates universal adjustment mechanisms that can accommodate multiple user preferences and operating conditions through a single multi-functional component, reducing overall device complexity while improving ease of operation for diverse users.
Data Source
AI summary
A shovel assembly for use in association with snow, sand, or any other particulate matter for collection and cleaning residing on a flat horizontal surface such as the ground, more specifically the shovel assembly and a method of assembly and use thereof in which the shovel's blade is made of multiple interlocked sections, each having opposite top and bottom edges with different geometries adapted for different purposes, an adjustable composite handle with multiple grips for adaptation to varied user preferences and a dynamic pivot at the base of the handle to easily change the blade's push angle during use.