Self-cleaning Brush with Hair Ejection and Collection Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing grooming tools face difficulties in efficiently ejecting and collecting hair from their bristles, requiring users to manually catch or dispose of ejected hair, which can be unpleasant and inconvenient, especially in grooming animals.
Innovation Solution
A grooming apparatus with a handle, bristles, a hair ejection device, and a collection device actuated by a trigger, allowing hair to be ejected and collected within a chamber for easy disposal without direct contact, featuring a mechanism where the collection device prevents hair from escaping until the user is ready to dispose of it.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a hair ejection device is added to the brush, then hair removal capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the hair ejection function and hair collection function into a single integrated device. The ejection device and collection chamber are merged into one unit, allowing hair to be ejected directly into the collection chamber without requiring separate devices or manual intervention. This resolves the contradiction by achieving enhanced hair removal capability while minimizing the increase in device complexity through functional integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The brush is designed to automatically eject hair from the bristles using a spring-loaded mechanism that propels the ejection device forward when triggered. The system performs the hair ejection function automatically without requiring manual manipulation or complex user operations, thereby improving ease of operation while keeping the control mechanism simple.
2Ease of operation
If hair is ejected from the brush, then cleaning capability is improved, but ease of disposal worsens due to manual handling requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the collected hair from the user's interaction zone by providing a sealed collection chamber that contains the ejected hair. The hair is ejected into the chamber and remains contained until the user chooses to dispose of it, eliminating the need for users to manually handle or catch the hair during the ejection process. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining cleaning capability while removing the harmful factor of user contact with hair.
Solution Approach 2:
The collection chamber acts as an intermediary between the ejection mechanism and the user. It receives and contains the ejected hair, serving as a buffer that prevents direct user contact with the hair while still allowing the user to access and dispose of the collected hair when convenient. This mediator structure resolves the contradiction by enabling effective hair removal while protecting the user from unwanted contact.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If a collection chamber is added to contain hair, then hygiene is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The collection chamber is designed as a nested structure that integrates within the existing brush body. The chamber is positioned to receive hair directly from the ejection device, and its walls form part of the overall brush structure. This nesting approach allows the addition of the collection function while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity by utilizing the existing structural framework of the brush.
Solution Approach 2:
The collection chamber is merged with the ejection device structure, where the chamber serves as both the receiving container and part of the ejection mechanism's housing. This combination eliminates the need for separate components for collection and ejection, thereby improving hygiene through effective hair containment while keeping the overall device complexity manageable through functional and structural integration.
Data Source
AI summary
A grooming device with a self-cleaning and hair collecting features which allow the grooming apparatus to eject any hairs collected in the bristles or tines of the apparatus and collect the ejected hairs until it is convenient to dispose of the hair without having to touch the hair. The grooming device has a grooming section, a handle, a hair ejection device, and a hair collection device. The user will use the grooming device until it is full of hair, and then actuate the ejection device and collection device, which will trap the hairs until the uses releases the hair over a disposal container.