Wheelbarrow-Mounted Masonry Tool Cleaning Bin with Water Return
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Solution Overview
Problem
Masons face challenges in keeping tools clean and free from hardened cement, particularly brushes and brooms, due to the lack of convenient and efficient water storage and cleaning solutions at worksites, leading to time wastage and potential defects in cement finishing.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising a bin with a mounting bracket and lateral spacer for upright positioning, a lid with a separable hinge, and a drying table with a grated surface for water return, allowing for convenient water storage, tool cleaning, and water conservation, which can be mounted on a wheelbarrow for easy mobility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a mason carries a bucket of water for cleaning tools, then tools can be cleaned, but water is lost during cleaning and the bucket capacity is limited requiring frequent trips
Solution Approach 1:
The water storage system is divided into multiple compartments within the bin, allowing water to be stored in sections. This segmentation enables the bin to hold larger total volumes of water while maintaining organized storage and reducing the frequency of trips to water sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The device includes a water return surface that collects and channels water back into the bin during the cleaning process. This recovering mechanism prevents water loss by capturing water that would otherwise be wasted, allowing the same water to be reused for subsequent cleaning operations.
2Quantity of substance
If a mason carries a bucket of water for cleaning tools, then tools can be cleaned, but the bucket is not sufficient for carrying a larger amount of water
Solution Approach 1:
The bin is divided into multiple compartments that can be filled sequentially or simultaneously. This segmentation allows the bin to accommodate larger total volumes of water while maintaining manageable organization, thereby reducing the frequency of refill trips and saving time.
Solution Approach 2:
The device transitions from a single-compartment bucket to a multi-compartment bin structure, utilizing vertical and horizontal space more efficiently. This dimensional expansion allows for greater water storage capacity without increasing the footprint or weight burden on the mason.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If tools are cleaned and placed in the dirt for drying, then tools can dry, but the tools are exposed to contamination and the process is unacceptable
Solution Approach 1:
The device introduces a dedicated drying surface as an intermediary between the cleaning process and the final storage state. This drying surface provides a clean, controlled environment for tools to dry without exposure to dirt or contamination, while still allowing adequate drying time through proper airflow and surface area.
Solution Approach 2:
The drying surface is designed to passively facilitate the drying process through its own structural properties, such as airflow channels and surface geometry. This self-service approach eliminates the need for active drying mechanisms while still achieving effective tool drying without contamination.
4Ease of operation
If the bin is mounted on a wheelbarrow, then the bin is mobile and easy to transport, but the bin may tip over during transport
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting bracket incorporates counterbalancing elements that offset the weight distribution of the bin when mounted on the wheelbarrow. This counterweight mechanism prevents the bin from tipping over during transport while maintaining the mobility and ease of operation provided by the wheelbarrow platform.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting bracket is pre-configured with stabilization features that are activated upon mounting the bin to the wheelbarrow. This preliminary action ensures that the bin is immediately stabilized in an upright position, preventing tipping before transport begins while maintaining full mobility.
Data Source
AI summary
A masonry tool cleaning and storage device may include one or more bins capable of holding water and adapted to hang from the sides of a conventional wheel barrow. The bins may or may not have lids, which may or may not be attached to the bins. The device may optionally include a combined drying table and water return surface adapted to route water, e.g. dripping from wet tools, back to the water bins. The drying table may include a grated surface that is more or less horizontal while assembled in a working configuration. The grated surface may be above a downwardly sloped surface adapted to return water that has fallen through the grated surface back to the bins. When work is complete, the bins may be emptied of water, cleaned, and used for tool storage.