Squeegee Assembly with Offset Suction Port to Reduce Liquid Pooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional squeegee assemblies struggle with liquid pooling and backflow issues on uneven or textured floors, leading to puddles and safety hazards, and existing solutions like increasing vacuum pump strength or altering blade design are costly or ineffective.
Innovation Solution
A squeegee assembly design with an offset suction port and an intermediate chamber to minimize liquid pooling and backflow, improving wiping performance without increasing vacuum power.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional squeegee assemblies are used with standard blade configuration, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but liquid pooling occurs on uneven or textured floor surfaces leading to poor pick-up performance
Solution Approach 1:
The rear blade is designed with a specific curvature having a radius of 6-12 inches, creating a curved surface that better conforms to uneven and textured floor surfaces. This curvature allows the blade to maintain contact with the floor in depressions and irregularities, improving liquid exposure to airflow and pick-up performance without significantly complicating the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The suction port is positioned asymmetrically offset from the centerline of the squeegee assembly by 1-4 inches toward the rear. This asymmetric positioning optimizes airflow patterns to better capture liquid from the curved rear blade, particularly from areas that would otherwise be difficult to reach, thereby improving overall liquid pick-up without requiring symmetric complexity.
2Productivity
If vacuum pump strength is increased to improve liquid pick-up, then more liquid can be suctioned, but the device complexity and power requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes geometric parameters of the squeegee assembly - specifically the rear blade curvature radius (6-12 inches) and suction port offset distance (1-4 inches) - to optimize airflow and liquid pick-up. These parameter adjustments improve pick-up efficiency by enhancing the interaction between the curved blade and floor surface, and between the offset suction port and liquid flow patterns, without requiring increased vacuum pump power or system complexity.
3Productivity
If blades are positioned to contact floor surface, then liquid can be picked up, but on uneven surfaces liquid pools in depressions inaccessible to the blades
Solution Approach 1:
The curved rear blade with 6-12 inch radius conforms to uneven and textured floor surfaces, allowing it to maintain contact in depressions and irregularities where flat blades would fail. This curvature enables the blade to expose liquid in previously inaccessible areas to the airflow generated by the vacuum system, significantly improving pick-up on varied floor surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The offset suction port positioning (1-4 inches from centerline toward rear) creates asymmetric airflow patterns that better follow the contours of the curved blade and floor surface. This asymmetric configuration allows airflow to effectively reach liquid in depressions and irregularities, improving both adaptability to different floor surfaces and liquid exposure.
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 design effectively reduces liquid pooling and backflow, enhancing wiping performance on uneven surfaces without additional power requirements, ensuring cleaner and safer floor cleaning.
Implementation Method 1
a suction tube (14) structured for connection to a vacuum source... The curvature of the rear blade defines at least one rearmost point. At least the suction port is offset from a first line of the support that extends through the at least one rearmost point of the rear blade parallel to a forward direction of travel of the squeegee assembly
Data Source
AI summary
A squeegee assembly includes a front blade, a rear blade, and a support for mounting the blades. The front blade includes an outer surface, an inner surface, and a floor engaging edge. The rear blade includes an outer surface, an inner surface facing the inner surface of the front blade, and a wiping edge. The support includes a vacuum source port and a suction port. The rear blade has a curvature between opposing first and second ends of the rear blade that defines at least one rearmost point. At least the suction port is offset from a line of the support that extends through the at least one rearmost point parallel to a forward direction of travel of the squeegee assembly.