Steaming device comprising a handle, a steamer head and a pivot coupling therebetween
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional handheld garment steamers face challenges in providing robust angle adjustment of the steamer head relative to the handle, which is subjected to various forces and impacts during use, affecting durability and ease of use.
Innovation Solution
A steaming device with a pivot coupling between the handle and steamer head, featuring a convex exterior surface and concave interior surface that allow pivoting while maintaining contact around the perimeter, enhancing stability and impact resistance, and a locking mechanism for adjustable angular orientations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the steamer head angle is made adjustable to improve ergonomics and storage, then ease of operation and storage are improved, but reliability and durability deteriorate due to repeated adjustments and forces during use
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot coupling employs a spherical interface where a convex spherical exterior surface on the first member contacts a concave spherical interior surface on the second member. This spherical geometry enables smooth angular adjustment of the steamer head while maintaining continuous contact and uniform load distribution, thereby improving ease of operation without compromising reliability during repeated adjustments
Solution Approach 2:
The pivot coupling allows dynamic angular adjustment of the steamer head relative to the handle through a locking mechanism that can engage at multiple angular positions. This dynamic adaptability enables the device to transition between fixed and adjustable states, improving ergonomics while maintaining structural integrity through the robust spherical contact interface
2Reliability
If a robust pivot coupling is designed to withstand forces and impacts, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spherical pivot coupling design inherently distributes loads uniformly across the contact surface, providing robustness against forces and impacts without requiring complex reinforcement structures. The spherical geometry naturally handles multi-directional stresses, achieving reliability through geometric simplicity rather than structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The pivot coupling integrates multiple functions into a single component: it provides the rotation axis, maintains self-alignment through the spherical contact geometry, and enables angular adjustment all within one coupling structure. This merging of functions achieves robustness without proportionally increasing device complexity
3Stress or pressure
If the convex surface is fully covered by the concave surface for maximum contact, then load distribution is improved, but dirt ingress increases and aesthetics deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The concave interior surface is designed to contact the convex exterior surface at specific critical locations (at least at the perimeter of the first member) rather than completely enclosing it. This localized contact strategy maintains sufficient load distribution and self-alignment while leaving portions of the convex surface exposed to prevent dirt accumulation and improve aesthetics
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a steaming device (100) comprising a handle (102), a steamer head (104), and a pivot coupling (106) between the handle and the steamer head that allows pivoting of the steamer head relative to the handle about a rotation axis (AA). The pivot coupling comprises a first member (108) that comprises a convex exterior surface (112). The convex exterior surface curves in a circular arc in each of a plurality of planes (FP). Each plane of said plurality of planes is perpendicular to the rotation axis, and each circular arc is centered by the rotation axis. The pivot coupling also includes a second member that comprises a concave interior surface. The concave interior surface curves in a circular arc in said plurality of planes, with each circular arc being centered by the rotation axis, to enable pivoting of the first member and the second member relative to each other about the rotation axis while the convex exterior surface and the concave interior surface contact each other.