Splash Guard Reinforcing Ring Prevents Shaft Interference
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible splash guards in rotary cleaning tools can interfere with the output shaft and cleaning accessories, leading to increased load and potential motor stalling, as well as reduced battery life, especially when used with excessive force or near surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A splash guard with a reinforcing ring at the distal end, made of a less flexible material than the guard itself, which prevents excessive deformation and interference with the output shaft or cleaning accessories, while maintaining flexibility to allow for effective cleaning operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the splash guard is made flexible to prevent liquid splash, then splash protection is improved, but the splash guard may fold in and interfere with the cleaning accessory or output shaft, causing increased load and motor stalling
Solution Approach 1:
The splash guard incorporates a reinforcing ring at its distal end that provides localized structural support. This ring creates a rigid zone at the critical location where interference with the output shaft and cleaning accessory occurs, while the rest of the splash guard body remains flexible to maintain its splash protection function. The reinforcing ring essentially creates a local quality difference between the rigid distal end and the flexible body.
Solution Approach 2:
The splash guard is constructed as a composite structure combining two materials with different flexibility characteristics: a flexible material for the main body that provides splash protection, and a rigid reinforcing ring material for the distal end that prevents folding and interference. This composite construction allows each material to perform its optimal function - the flexible material contains and directs liquid while the rigid ring prevents mechanical interference.
2Ease of operation
If the splash guard is made flexible to allow effective cleaning operations, then ease of operation is improved, but battery life is reduced due to increased load and potential stalling
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcing ring creates a localized rigid zone at the distal end of the splash guard, allowing the majority of the splash guard body to remain flexible for ease of operation during cleaning. This localized reinforcement prevents the entire splash guard from becoming rigid, thereby maintaining operational flexibility while preventing the folding that would cause excessive load and battery drain.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcing ring is extracted as a separate component with distinct material properties from the main splash guard body. This separation allows the splash guard body to maintain its flexible, operation-friendly characteristics while the extracted ring provides the necessary structural support to prevent load-induced stalling and extend battery life.
3Reliability
If the splash guard is made rigid to prevent interference with the output shaft, then reliability is improved, but the splash guard cannot flex to allow cleaning close to surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The splash guard features a localized rigid zone at its distal end through the reinforcing ring, which prevents interference with the output shaft and cleaning accessory. The remainder of the splash guard body maintains flexibility, enabling the guard to adapt and flex when cleaning close to surfaces. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between rigidity for reliability and flexibility for adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The splash guard is segmented into two functional zones: a rigid distal end containing the reinforcing ring that prevents interference, and a flexible body portion that provides adaptability. This segmentation allows each zone to independently perform its designated function - the rigid zone ensures reliability by preventing mechanical interference, while the flexible zone ensures adaptability for various cleaning scenarios.
Data Source
AI summary
A hand-held rotary cleaning tool includes a housing that encloses an electric motor and a gear set that connects the motor to an output shaft. The rotary cleaning tool includes at least one cleaning accessory that is detachably connected to the output shaft, and a flexible splash guard. The splash guard surrounds the output shaft and cleaning accessory so as to prevent liquid splash during tool use. The splash guard includes a reinforcing ring that is formed of a material that is less flexible than the material used to form the splash guard body. The reinforcing ring prevents the splash guard from excessive deformation, whereby interference of the splash guard with the cleaning accessory or the output shaft is minimized or avoided. The reinforcing ring may also include other features which enhance the cleaning function of the rotary cleaning tool.