Adjustable Intake Port for Submersible Pool Cleaner
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robotic pool cleaners face challenges with obstacles and uneven surfaces, leading to reduced efficiency and increased cleaning time, as existing solutions either change cleaning patterns or require manual adjustment of interchangeable components.
Innovation Solution
A self-propelled robotic cleaner with a base plate featuring a slidably retractable and extendable inlet extension member, adjustable via a height adjustment mechanism, which can be manually or automatically controlled to adapt to varying surface heights and obstacles without the need for interchangeable components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the base plate is raised by employing larger diameter wheels or supporting propulsion rollers, then the ability to traverse obstacles is improved, but the suction force diminishes rapidly
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet extension member is made adjustable in height, allowing it to dynamically adapt between extended and retracted positions. This enables the system to optimize both obstacle traversal capability and suction force by extending the member when obstacles are present and retracting it when smooth surfaces are encountered, resolving the contradiction between these two functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The inlet extension member is separated from the base plate as an independent adjustable component. This segmentation allows the inlet opening to be positioned at different heights relative to the base plate, enabling independent optimization of obstacle clearance and suction effectiveness without compromising either function.
2Productivity
If interchangeable inlet extension members are used to lower the suction point, then cleaning efficiency is improved, but manual installation and removal is required
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet extension member is designed with adjustable height through a mechanism that allows continuous or discrete positioning without manual component replacement. This eliminates the need for manual installation and removal of interchangeable members while maintaining the ability to optimize cleaning efficiency for different pool conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
A single adjustable inlet extension member replaces multiple interchangeable members, providing universal functionality across different cleaning scenarios. The member can be adjusted to various heights to suit different obstacle conditions, eliminating the need for multiple specialized components and manual interchange operations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the cleaning pattern is changed when obstacles are encountered, then the apparatus can navigate around obstacles, but the regular pattern of travel is altered reducing cleaning efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet extension member is extended in advance before the cleaner encounters an obstacle, creating a protective barrier that prevents the cleaner from becoming stuck. This preliminary action allows the cleaner to maintain its regular cleaning pattern while still being able to navigate around obstacles, as the extended member guides the cleaner safely past protrusions without requiring pattern changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The inlet extension member acts as an intermediary element between the cleaner and obstacles. By extending the member, the cleaner can interact with obstacles in a controlled manner, allowing navigation around them while maintaining the regular cleaning pattern. The member serves as a mediator that enables both obstacle navigation and pattern maintenance.
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
Enables efficient cleaning of pools with obstacles and uneven surfaces by maintaining the cleaning pattern and automatically adjusting the suction height to prevent immobilization, thus improving cleaning efficiency and reducing manual intervention.
Implementation Method 1
The water pump can drive a water turbine connected via a gear train to the wheels or endless track. Robotic swimming pool cleaners have a pump motor that powers a water pump, which in turn causes the drawing of water through the moving unit, and the drawn, i.e., moving water dislodges and/or 'vacuums' debris up into a filter.
Implementation Method 2
For cleaning apparatus having an internal pump, the water exiting the cleaner in the form of a pressurized stream or water jet can also be used to move the cleaning apparatus by reactive force.
Data Source
AI summary
A base plate for a self-propelled robotic cleaning apparatus for cleaning a submerged surface of a pool or tank. The base plate includes a bottom surface and a water inlet formed therethrough, and an inlet extension member configured to mount in the water inlet. The inlet extension member is slidably retractable and extendable in a direction that is normal relative to the bottom surface of the base plate. A height adjustment mechanism is coupled to the inlet extension member and configured to move the inlet extension member upwardly and downwardly in the normal direction relative to the bottom surface of the base plate. The height adjustment mechanism can be adjusted manually. Alternatively, at least one sensor is operably coupled to a controller to automatically control the height adjustment mechanism.