Portable Window Cleaner Housing for Reliable Liquid Separation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Portable hard surface cleaning devices face challenges in balancing technical requirements for effective liquid separation and external design aesthetics, often compromising on either functionality or appearance due to complex housing designs that demand high dimensional accuracy and flow tightness.

Innovation Solution

The device features an inner housing arrangement for the separation and electrical components, which can be optimized independently of the external design, ensuring technical functionality, and an outer housing arrangement that can be designed for aesthetics and ease of use, allowing for different external designs to accommodate various design requirements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the housing is designed as two mirror-image halves screwed together to meet technical requirements, then liquid separation reliability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveliquid separation reliabilityVSAvoidhousing design complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The housing is divided into two functional segments: an inner housing that contains the liquid separation mechanism and an outer housing that provides the external structure. This segmentation allows the inner housing to be optimized for liquid-tight separation functionality while the outer housing can be optimized for structural integrity and ease of assembly, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If the housing halves are designed to be highly dimensionally accurate and flow-tight, then liquid containment is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements and production difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveliquid containmentVSAvoiddimensional accuracy requirement
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

A sealing element is introduced as an intermediary component between the inner and outer housing parts. This sealing element ensures liquid-tight containment while accommodating normal manufacturing tolerances, thereby maintaining reliable liquid containment without requiring extremely high dimensional accuracy in the housing parts themselves, thus reducing manufacturing difficulty.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If the housing design is optimized for technical functionality, then liquid separation performance is improved, but external design flexibility and aesthetic appeal deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveliquid separation performanceVSAvoidexternal design flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The housing is segmented into an inner functional housing and an outer design housing. The inner housing is optimized for liquid separation performance with appropriate openings and sealing features, while the outer housing can be freely designed for aesthetic appeal and ergonomic handling. This segmentation decouples functional requirements from aesthetic requirements, providing external design flexibility without compromising liquid separation performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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 approach allows for a reliable technical performance while providing an attractive and user-friendly design, ensuring liquid is collected effectively and not released accidentally, even under inverted or accelerated conditions, without compromising on external appearance.

Implementation Method 1

The suction turbine creates a suction flow that extends from the suction opening, through the separator, and back to the suction turbine

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSuction flow: Pressure Gradient

Implementation Method 2

a separation device arranged in the flow path between the suction nozzle and the suction turbine for separating liquid from the suctioned liquid-air mixture

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLiquid separation: Centrifugal Separation

Implementation Method 3

an electrical device comprising a suction turbine in flow communication with the suction nozzle for suctioning a liquid-air mixture from the suction opening, an electric motor

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic conversion: Electromagnetic Induction

Implementation Method 4

control electronics and at least one rechargeable battery

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectBattery energy storage: Battery (electricity)

Data Source

PatentEP3758569B1Portable hard-surface cleaning appliance
Publication Date: 2022.04.06 ALFRED KARCHER SE & CO KG
  • EP3758569B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3758569B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3758569B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a portable hard-surface cleaning appliance (10) for removing and vacuuming a liquid from a hard surface, particularly from a window pane, the appliance having a suction nozzle (16), which has a suction opening (22), on which at least one squeegee blade (20) is arranged, an electrical device (106), which has a suction turbine (108), which is flow-connected to the suction nozzle (16), for suctioning a liquid-air mixture from the suction opening (22), an electric motor (110), a control electronics unit (11) and at least one rechargeable battery (114, 116), a separating device (56), which is arranged in the flow path between the suction nozzle (16) and the suction turbine (108), in order to separate liquid from the suctioned liquid-air mixture, and having a liquid tank (18) for receiving the separated liquid. In order to further develop the portable hard-surface cleaning appliance (10) such that the outer design thereof can be optimized without the technical functionality of the hard-surface cleaning appliance (10) being negatively influenced, according to the invention, the hard-surface cleaning appliance (10) has an inner housing arrangement (32) and an outer housing arrangement (3), wherein the inner housing arrangement (32) receives the separating device (56) and the electrical device (106), and the outer housing arrangement (30) surrounds the inner housing arrangement (32).