Sweeper Panel with Flexible Debris Cover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sweeper apparatuses for outdoor ground surfaces, such as playing fields and airfields, face challenges in efficient debris collection and user accessibility, particularly in providing a clear view and easy access to collected debris without requiring disassembly for storage.
Innovation Solution
A sweeper apparatus with a panel member and a debris retaining assembly featuring a flexible cover supported by frame members, allowing for enhanced debris collection, a clear view of accumulated debris, and easier access for emptying, while being compact and collapsible for storage, using materials like polymer plastics and fibreglass for durability and flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If debris is collected in a traditional sweeper apparatus, then debris collection is achieved, but user access to emptied debris requires disassembly of the apparatus
Solution Approach 1:
The sweeper apparatus is divided into separate functional modules: the panel member for sweeping, the debris retaining assembly for collection, and the collection space for storage. This segmentation allows the debris retaining assembly to be accessed and emptied independently without disassembling the entire apparatus, improving ease of operation while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The collection space acts as an intermediary between the debris retaining assembly and the user. It provides a accessible interface where debris accumulates and can be easily removed through the opening in the panel member, eliminating the need for users to disassemble the apparatus to access collected debris.
2Productivity
If a cover is added to trap debris, then debris collection performance is enhanced, but user view of accumulated debris is obstructed
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is designed with selective transparency: it provides full coverage and debris trapping capability where needed, but includes strategic openings that provide clear views of the debris in the collection space. This local differentiation allows the cover to simultaneously enhance debris collection performance and maintain user visibility.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of providing complete coverage with the cover, the design uses partial coverage with strategic openings. This partial action approach allows the cover to trap debris effectively while leaving sufficient openings for users to view and monitor the accumulated debris without complete obstruction.
3Volume of moving object
If the sweeper apparatus is made collapsible for storage, then storage compactness is improved, but structural stability during operation may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The sweeper apparatus incorporates dynamic structural elements that can transition between operational and storage states. The panel member and debris retaining assembly are designed to collapse into a compact configuration for storage while maintaining structural stability and functionality when deployed for sweeping operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The debris retaining assembly is designed to nest within or alongside the panel member when not in use, creating a compact storage configuration. This nesting arrangement allows the apparatus to be collapsed to minimal volume for storage while maintaining full structural integrity when assembled for operation.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for sweeping a ground surface, comprises: a panel member configured to be moved across a ground surface to sweep the ground surface, the panel member having an underside that, in use, faces the ground surface to be swept, an upper side that provides a collection surface for collecting debris swept from the ground surface, and one or more openings that extend between the underside and the upper side for conveying debris from the ground surface to the collection surface on the upper side of the panel member; and a debris retaining assembly configured to be mounted on the panel member for trapping the debris conveyed to the collection surface on the upper side of the panel member. The debris retaining assembly comprises a frame and a flexible cover supported spaced above the collection surface by the frame when the assembly is mounted on the panel member.