Vacuum Cleaner Foot Pedal Assembly With Common Leaf Spring
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Solution Overview
Problem
The assembly of canister vacuum cleaners with separate helical springs for each foot pedal is cumbersome and prone to errors due to increased complexity and the difficulty in handling and separating these springs during assembly.
Innovation Solution
A vacuum cleaner design utilizing a common V-shaped leaf spring acting on both foot pedals, with the spring element positioned in the contact area and supported by a stepping lever to ensure proper force distribution and prevent the spring ends from getting caught, simplifying the assembly process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate helical springs are used for each foot pedal, then each pedal can be independently supported, but the assembly work increases and the springs are difficult to assemble as they can get caught
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines two separate helical springs into a single common spring element that supports both foot pedals. This spring element has a U-shaped cross-section with two leg ends that can be inserted into receiving pockets on the housing, providing independent support for both pedals while reducing assembly complexity from two separate spring installations to one unified component.
Solution Approach 2:
The common spring element serves multiple functions simultaneously: it supports both foot pedals, provides independent restoration force for each pedal, and eliminates the problem of springs getting caught during assembly. The unified design allows a single component to perform what previously required two separate components.
2Ease of manufacture
If a common spring element is used for both foot pedals, then assembly is simplified, but the spring element must be positioned in the contact area of the pedals which may cause it to get caught
Solution Approach 1:
The spring element is divided into distinct functional segments: a U-shaped body portion that provides the restoring force and two separate leg ends that are inserted into receiving pockets. This segmentation allows the spring to be positioned in the contact area of the pedals while the leg ends are contained within the housing pockets, preventing entanglement with the pedal mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The leg ends of the spring element are nested within receiving pockets on the housing, similar to nested dolls. This nesting configuration allows the spring to be positioned in the contact area of the pedals while the critical leg ends are contained within protective pockets, preventing them from getting caught on the foot pedals during operation.
3Force
If the spring legs are extended to reach the foot pedals, then proper force distribution is achieved, but the free leg ends may get caught on the foot pedals during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The free leg ends of the spring are nested within receiving pockets on the housing, which prevents them from extending far enough to get caught on the foot pedals while still maintaining proper force distribution. The nesting configuration contains the leg ends within the housing structure, eliminating the entanglement hazard.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring element is segmented into a force-transmission portion and contained leg ends. The leg ends are separated from the main body and inserted into receiving pockets, creating a clear distinction between the force-distributing function and the position-critical function, thereby preventing entanglement while maintaining force distribution.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design streamlines the assembly process by reducing the number of springs needed and preventing entanglement issues, while maintaining effective pedal operation and return mechanisms.
Implementation Method 1
a common spring element acting on both foot pedals is used... a v-shaped bent leaf spring is used... The two spring legs 91 and 92 extend upwards and, in the tensioned state, have bent ends 93 and 94 in contact with the insides of the stepping levers 3 and 4
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The vacuum cleaner has a right foot lever (3) and a left foot lever (4) for switching on a blower motor and activating a cable winding device, respectively, where the foot levers are actuated against force of a spring element e.g. V-shaped bent leaf spring (9). The foot levers lie next to each other, and the spring element commonly acts on the foot levers, where the spring element is held in a contact or proximity area (10) of the foot levers. Free leg ends (93, 94) of the spring element are supported at middle areas (33, 43) of the foot levers.