Telescoping Snow Paddle for Compact Vehicle Snow Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional snow removal tools for vehicles, such as fixed-length snow shovels and scrapers, are bulky, difficult to store, and inefficient for removing deep or wet snow, especially on larger vehicles, and often require extended use in cold conditions, causing discomfort.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible snow paddle with a telescoping handle and an oversized, removable edge cap that can be adjusted for different lengths and widths, allowing for effective snow removal with reduced storage space and increased user comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a fixed-length snow scraper with a long handle is used to reach the center area of large vehicle windows, then the scraping effectiveness is improved, but the storage space required in the vehicle increases substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The handle is divided into multiple telescoping sections that can be extended or retracted relative to each other, allowing the handle length to be adjusted between a long extended state for effective window scraping and a short collapsed state for compact storage in the vehicle
Solution Approach 2:
The handle transitions from a static fixed length to a dynamic adjustable length through telescoping mechanisms, enabling the user to have both long handle functionality for reaching distant areas and short handle compactness for storage
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a snow brush with flexible bristles is used to prevent scratching vehicle surfaces, then the safety of the vehicle surface is improved, but the ability to effectively remove deep or wet snow deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The edge cap is made of a softer material than the paddle body, creating a localized soft edge that protects vehicle surfaces from scratching while the harder paddle body maintains structural integrity and effectiveness for removing deep or wet snow
Solution Approach 2:
The snow paddle combines a harder paddle body material with a softer edge cap material, creating a composite structure that simultaneously provides snow removal effectiveness and surface protection
3Productivity
If a conventional fixed-length snow shovel is used to remove deep or wet snow, then the snow removal capability is improved, but the storage space required in the vehicle increases substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The snow shovel is divided into a collapsible handle with multiple telescoping sections and a separate paddle head, allowing the handle to be collapsed to a fraction of its extended length for compact storage while maintaining full functionality when extended for snow removal
Solution Approach 2:
The handle transitions from a static fixed length to a dynamic collapsible structure that can be extended for effective snow removal and collapsed for compact storage, solving the contradiction between performance and storage
4Volume of moving object
If a narrow snow scraper is used to enable compact storage, then the storage space required is reduced, but the time required to remove snow from the vehicle increases
Solution Approach 1:
The scraper is segmented into a collapsible handle with telescoping sections that can be extended to provide a long effective working length for efficient snow removal, while collapsing to a compact size for storage, thus resolving the contradiction between storage compactness and removal speed
Data Source
AI summary
A collapsible snow paddle. The paddle includes an elongated handle, a rotatable coupling affixed to one end of the handle, and a generally planar snow remover, the rotatable coupling affixed to a rear surface of the remover so that the remover may be collapsed against the handle for storage and extended transverse to the handle for use. The snow remover may have a scraper edge inclined at an angle relative to the surface of the snow remover for scraping ice and a relatively soft capped edge for removing snow.