Vehicle Snow Scraper Structure for Wide-Coverage Cleaning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing automobile snow removal tools are inefficient due to the narrow width of their brushes and ice scrapers, requiring multiple passes to clear snow and ice from vehicle surfaces.

Innovation Solution

A multi-purpose tool with a body portion, outer edge portion, and handle portion designed to accommodate fingers and thumb for gripping, featuring a scraping side opposite the gripping side, allowing for efficient removal of substances by pushing and pulling motions, and optionally including a squeegee structure for additional cleaning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a narrow brush and ice scraper are used (4-12 inches wide), then the tool structure remains simple and compact, but multiple passes are required to remove snow and ice, reducing cleaning efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesnow and ice removal efficiencyVSAvoidtime required for multiple passes

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extends the scraper blade length from conventional 4-12 inches to 18-36 inches, utilizing the length dimension to cover a broader windshield area in a single pass. This dimensional change allows the scraper to remove snow and ice from the entire windshield width without requiring multiple passes, directly resolving the productivity-time contradiction

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Productivity

If the scraper blade is extended to cover the full windshield width (18-36 inches), then single-pass cleaning is achieved, but the tool becomes larger and more difficult to store in vehicle compartments

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning coverage per passVSAvoidtool size for storage

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent designs the tool with a telescopic or foldable handle mechanism that allows the 18-36 inch scraper blade to be collapsed or nested within a compact form factor for storage. The handle can be folded at joints or the blade can be retracted into the handle cavity, enabling the large-area cleaning tool to fit within standard vehicle door pockets or glove compartments

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Ease of manufacture

If a single integrated body is used for the scraper tool, then manufacturing is simplified, but the tool lacks versatility for different cleaning functions (brushing, scraping, squeegeeing)

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesingle-piece constructionVSAvoidmulti-functionality for different substances

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent integrates multiple cleaning functions into a single tool by incorporating a brush attachment, an extendable scraper blade, and a squeegee component all attached to one handle. The brush can be rotated or detached to access the scraper blade, and the squeegee can be positioned at different angles, allowing the tool to effectively remove snow, ice, mud, and water from various vehicle surfaces including windshields, windows, and roofs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS20230382355A1Multi-purpose tool

Publication Date: 2023.11.30 MELAMED ANDREW

AI summary

Provided is a multi-purpose tool for vehicles. The tool includes a body portion, an outer edge portion, and a first handle portion. The body portion has a front surface and a back surface. The outer edge portion extends around a periphery of the body portion and extends away from the back surface of the body portion in an extension direction. The back surface of the body portion and the outer edge portion define a cavity. The first handle portion is defined by an opening in the body portion.