Extendable Toilet Auger With Quick-Release Cable Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing augers for clearing stoppages in waste pipes are cumbersome and not intuitive for users due to the difficulty in accessing and adjusting the length of the drain cleaning cable, often requiring contact with dirty water or debris.
Innovation Solution
A toilet auger with a coupling assembly that allows for easy engagement and disengagement of a torque transmission shaft with the drain cleaning cable, featuring a grip nut, threaded coupler, quick release sleeve, and torsion lock body, enabling selective extension and retraction of the cable without exposing the user to dirty conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the cable header is positioned inside the inner tube in known augers, then the auger structure is compact, but the cable header becomes inaccessible to the user making cable length adjustment difficult and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The auger is divided into separate functional modules: a handle assembly, a telescopic tube assembly, and a cable assembly with an accessible cable header. The cable header is positioned at the end of the cable rather than inside the handle, allowing users to easily grip and adjust cable length without manipulating internal components. This segmentation makes the cable adjustment operation simple while the modular design keeps the overall structure organized and manageable.
2Ease of operation
If the telescopic handle portion is extended to push the cable further into the drain, then the cable reach is increased, but the user must contact dirty water or debris to retract the cable
Solution Approach 1:
The cable header and coupling assembly are extracted from the enclosed handle structure and positioned at the cable end. This allows the user to grip the cable header externally for retraction operations, completely avoiding contact with dirty water and debris in the drain. The telescopic tube can still be extended to push the cable further into the drain, but the retraction operation is performed from a clean, external position.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling assembly acts as an intermediary mechanism between the torque transmission shaft and the cable. It includes a quick-release feature that allows the cable to be easily disconnected and reconnected without manual manipulation of the cable itself near the drain. This intermediary mechanism facilitates clean, easy cable retraction while maintaining effective torque transmission during operation.
3Reliability
If a detent button mechanism is used to extend the telescopic handle, then the handle extension is secure, but the cable adjustment procedure becomes non-intuitive and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The functions of handle extension and cable adjustment are segmented into separate, intuitive operations. The telescopic handle uses a simple push-button release mechanism for extension, while the cable header at the cable end provides a natural grip point for pulling and adjusting cable length. This segmentation makes both operations self-explanatory and eliminates the need for complex multi-step procedures involving detent buttons for cable adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable header is designed to be naturally grippable by the user's hand, allowing the cable adjustment operation to be performed intuitively without requiring knowledge of internal mechanisms. The quick-release coupling assembly automatically maintains torque transmission when engaged, and the cable can be easily pulled out or pushed in by direct manual manipulation at the accessible header, making the system self-adjusting and user-friendly.
Data Source
AI summary
Augers that utilize a drain cleaning cable which can be rotated and selectively extended or retracted from the auger are described. The augers utilize coupling assemblies that enable easy coupling or decoupling between the drain cleaning cable and a torque transmission shaft of the auger.