Green Caddy Self Cleaning Mop Bucket by Chang Hsin Wu Receives the A' Design Award in Sustainable Products, Projects and Green Design

The Work

Project

Green Caddy Self Cleaning Mop Bucket

Function

Self Cleaning Mop Bucket

Category

Sustainable Products, Projects and Green Design

Discipline

Industrial Design

Industry

Sustainability

Colors

Gainsboro, Silver, Dark Gray, Lavender and Gray

Images

5

Client

Full Sun International Co., LTD.

The Recognition

Laureate

Chang Hsin Wu

Country

Taiwan (China)

Recognition

A' Design Award

Edition

2021 - 2022

Design ID

#134390

Credits

Team

Chang Hsin Wu, Chien-Chin Chou

Image Credits

Chien-Chin, Chou (Martin)

Design Details

Unique Properties

The patented technique of clean-and-dirty water separation with an additional advanced decontamination cycle function. A filter is equipped within the mop bucket to revert the polluted water; the feature of this filter is that it can filter over 800ml of water per minute without additional water pressure while sanitizing 99% of the containing germs, microplastics, and substances larger than 1000 nanometers. This result shall surpass the general drinking water bacteria count standard of under 100. Furthermore, it can be used repeatedly for up to one year without purchasing replacements.

Inspiration

Since traditional mop buckets usually could require over 10 liters of water to be filled, and the bucket of water would turn dirty in no time after several uses; not only will users need to change it constantly, water resources will easily go to waste as well. Our Revolutionary Self-Cleaning Mop Bucket is equipped with a unique structure and filter design that could require only 2.5 liters of water without changing or replacing. Our design will enable users to use the same bucket of water to rinse and clean the mop with recycled clean water.

Research

From the initial designing stage to the search for the perfect filter material, two years of countless experiments have finally allowed the team to encounter the perfect material, the hollowed fiber membrane. However, the original filter could only function properly when there is electricity or with added water pressure. Our design team spent another year to find solutions to create a self-cleaning bucket that filters over 800 milliliters of water just in a minute and 99% of its containing germs and microplastics without any added water pressure or electricity.

Challenge

Over forty materials and hundreds of combinations have been experimented with over two years of time prior to selecting a specific hollowed fiber membrane. However, the original hollowed fiber membrane filter could only filter polluted water and germs under added water pressure. Hence, our design team spent another year modifying the overall design and adjusting the membrane ingredients to finally create a product that purifies pollutions, germs, and microplastics effectively at a desirable high speed, without (or under very low) adding other sources of water pressure.

Realization and Technology

The bucket is made of PP materials, while the most critical part, the filter element, is made of the innovative development, the Pressure-Less Large-Flux Hollowed Fiber Membrane Filter. Since hollowed membranes are often applied on water cleaners, hemodialysis, or other medical equipment, it is without a doubt that the item has outstanding efficiencies of filtering and resisting acid and alkali (pH2-pH14), which is also suitable for environmental-cleaning applications. The high efficiency of the device can help decrease the use of water resources, filter out bacteria, and reduce the time for cleaning and working hours.

Operation and Interaction

This simple-outlined design is paired with a hand-pressuring mop handle and has adopted an easy centrifugal method for washing and drying. In the middle of the bucket, a water-drawing center post is set up to effortlessly switch from the rinse function to the spin-dry function through the movements of the mop handle. At the same time, the filter can be cleaned simply by rotating removed from the bucket and rinsed under the faucet. Since the pandemic outbreak, more people have paid more attention to the cleanness of their surroundings; this product has been tested and shown to increase efficiency for cleaning while conserving water.

Project Duration and Location

The project started in September 2019 and finished in November 2021 in Taiwan.

Specifications

The product is measured at 33.5 by 34.8 by 32.4 centimeters. The inclined surface design allows dirty water to gather quickly which creates a liquid-level difference, and the 3D squeegee design helps exclude hairs easily. This improves the efficiency and time of the filter to separate the non-liquid particles aside and convert the dirty water in the bucket into pure water. The impurities, bacteria, and dirt contaminated when mopping the floor are filtered out and clean water is used every time the floor is mopped. A third-party detergent could be added to the water purification bucket. The detergent can be reused.

Keywords

purify polluted water, separation, revolutionary, filter