Autonomous floor cleaning with removable pad
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional floor cleaning methods, such as using wet mops, require manual scrubbing and bending, which can be physically demanding and inefficient, especially for large areas.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous floor cleaning robot equipped with a pad sensor that identifies the type of cleaning pad attached, allowing it to autonomously select the appropriate cleaning mode, including spraying schedule and navigational behavior, thereby reducing user intervention and improving cleaning efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional wet mops are used for floor cleaning, then cleaning can be performed on hard surfaces, but the process requires manual scrubbing and bending which is physically demanding and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning system performs cleaning operations autonomously without requiring manual scrubbing or bending. The robot navigates independently, applies cleaning solutions, and executes cleaning tasks based on detected pad types, making the system self-sufficient and eliminating physical strain on users.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical scrubbing with an autonomous robotic system that uses controlled movement and automated pad application. The mechanical action of scrubbing is substituted with robot-driven navigation and automated cleaning mechanisms.
2Reliability
If a removable cleaning pad is used with an autonomous robot, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the robot requires sensor detection and mode selection which increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning pads incorporate colored ink or spectral features that can be detected by the robot's pad sensor. Different pad types have distinct spectral responses, allowing the sensor to identify pad types automatically. This enables the robot to select appropriate cleaning modes based on the detected pad characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The pad sensor provides feedback to the controller about the detected pad type based on spectral response analysis. The controller uses this feedback to automatically select and execute the appropriate cleaning mode, creating a closed-loop system that adapts to the specific pad being used.
3Extent of automation
If the robot automatically selects cleaning mode based on pad type, then user intervention is reduced and errors are minimized, but the system requires spectral detection capabilities that increase manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The pads contain colored ink or spectral markers that create distinct spectral signatures for different pad types. The radiation detector uses these spectral variations to identify pad types, enabling automatic mode selection through optical detection rather than complex mechanical or electronic identification systems.
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
The autonomous robot reduces user effort, minimizes errors, and enables quick initiation of cleaning operations by automatically selecting the optimal cleaning mode based on the attached pad type, enhancing cleaning efficiency and effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
The radiation detector may exhibit a peak spectral response in a visible light range. The feature may be a colored ink disposed on a surface of the cleaning pad, the pad sensor senses a spectral response of the feature
Implementation Method 2
The pad sensor may include a radiation emitter configured to emit a first radiation and a second radiation, and the pad sensor may sense a reflection of the first and the second radiations off of the feature to sense the spectral response of the feature
Data Source
AI summary
An autonomous floor cleaning robot includes a body, a controller supported by the body, a drive supporting the body to maneuver the robot across a floor surface in response to commands from the controller, and a pad holder attached to an underside of the body to hold a removable cleaning pad during operation of the robot. The pad includes a mounting plate and a mounting surface. The mounting plate is attached to the mounting surface. The robot includes a pad sensor to sense a feature on the pad and to generate a signal based on the feature, which is defined in part by a cutout on the card backing. The mounting plate enables the pad sensor to detect the feature. The controller is response to the signal to perform operations including selecting a cleaning mode based on the signal, and controlling the robot according to a selected cleaning mode.