Vacuum Cleaner Handle Assembly With Orthogonal Hose Articulation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The handle assembly of vacuum cleaners is often restricted by the hose, making it difficult to maneuver the cleaner head due to limited movement and interference from the hose's weight, leading to increased user strain and reduced cleaning efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A handle assembly with a duct assembly that provides two degrees of freedom, allowing the hose to pivot and rotate relative to the handle, featuring a pivot axis and a rotation axis orthogonal to each other, and incorporating arcuate sections to enable a large range of movement without increasing the height or causing turbulence, with a double-walled duct design to minimize flow losses and noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the hose is attached directly to the handle assembly, then the structure is simple, but the hose restricts or impedes movement of the handle assembly making it difficult to maneuver the cleaner head
Solution Approach 1:
The duct assembly is segmented into a first duct and a second duct that can pivot relative to each other about a pivot axis. This segmentation allows the hose to move independently from the handle assembly, reducing restriction on maneuverability while maintaining structural organization through defined pivot points and axes.
2Ease of operation
If the hose is made flexible to allow movement, then maneuverability improves, but the weight of the hose causes interference and strain on the user
Solution Approach 1:
The duct assembly introduces rotational movement about a rotation axis that is orthogonal to the pivot axis. This adds a dimensional degree of freedom, allowing the hose to rotate and accommodate its weight distribution in three-dimensional space, reducing the strain on the user while maintaining flexibility for maneuvering.
3Ease of operation
If the duct assembly allows large range of movement, then maneuverability improves, but the height of the handle assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The first duct is received within the second duct, creating a nested configuration that allows the ducts to pivot relative to each other without significantly increasing the overall height of the handle assembly. The nested structure enables a large range of movement while maintaining a compact form factor during storage or non-use.
4Strength
If the ducts are made rigid to maintain structure, then structural integrity is maintained, but turbulence and flow losses increase
Solution Approach 1:
The ducts are designed with arcuate sections that change the geometric parameters of the airflow path. These curved sections are specifically shaped to guide airflow smoothly through the pivoting joints, reducing turbulence and energy loss while maintaining the structural rigidity needed for structural integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
A handle assembly for a vacuum cleaner that includes a handle attached to a duct assembly. The duct assembly includes a first duct and a second duct. The first duct pivots relative to the second duct about a pivot axis, and the first duct and the second duct rotate collectively relative to the handle about a rotation axis. The rotation axis is then orthogonal to the pivot axis.