Autonomous Vacuum Cleaner Docking for Dust Transfer and Downsizing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vacuum cleaning apparatuses face challenges in downsizing while maintaining convenience due to the need for a large dust-collecting unit to accommodate dust and dirt accumulated during cleaning, which requires frequent disposal and storage.
Innovation Solution
A vacuum cleaning apparatus with an autonomous vacuum cleaner and a station device featuring a dust storage part, equipped with a dust collection amount detector and travel controller, allowing the vacuum cleaner to travel to the station device to transfer accumulated dust and dirt and then undock to restart cleaning, enabling efficient dust management and downsizing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the dust-collecting unit size is increased to store dust and dirt for approximately one week, then convenience is improved, but the vacuum cleaner cannot be downsized
Solution Approach 1:
The dust storage function is segmented between the vacuum cleaner's dust-collecting unit and the charging table's dust-collecting container. The vacuum cleaner only needs to store dust temporarily during cleaning operations, while the charging table provides long-term storage capacity, separating the storage burden from the moving unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The large-capacity dust storage function is extracted from the vacuum cleaner and relocated to the charging table. The dust-collecting container on the charging table serves as an external storage repository, allowing the vacuum cleaner to maintain a compact size while still providing extended dust storage capability.
2Ease of operation
If the dust-collecting unit is made large enough to accumulate dust and dirt during at least one complete cleaning, then convenience is ensured, but the vacuum cleaner size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dust storage capacity is segmented between the vacuum cleaner's onboard container and the charging table's dust-collecting container. The vacuum cleaner maintains minimal storage for immediate cleaning needs, while the charging table provides the bulk storage capacity required for extended operation without frequent emptying.
Solution Approach 2:
The charging table acts as an intermediary dust storage facility between the vacuum cleaner and the user. Instead of the user directly interacting with a large dust container on the vacuum cleaner, the charging table serves as a mediator that automatically receives and stores dust from the vacuum cleaner's smaller container.
3Ease of operation
If the vacuum cleaner returns to the charging table to empty the dust-collecting unit when dust reaches specified amount, then convenience is improved, but the vacuum cleaner requires larger dust-collecting unit for one-week storage
Solution Approach 1:
The dust storage responsibility is segmented between the vacuum cleaner's small dust-collecting unit and the charging table's large dust-collecting container. The vacuum cleaner only needs to hold dust until the next charging cycle, while the charging table provides the cumulative storage capacity for multiple cleaning cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The charging table automatically performs the dust collection function by receiving and storing dust from the vacuum cleaner's container during docking. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for the user to manually empty the vacuum cleaner's dust container frequently, providing convenience without requiring large onboard storage.
Data Source
AI summary
A vacuum cleaner includes a driving wheel, a cleaning part, a dust-collecting unit, a dust collection amount detection part, and a travel control part. The dust collection amount detection part detects the amount of the dust and dirt accumulated in the dust-collecting unit. The travel control part controls the driving of the driving wheel to make the vacuum cleaner travel autonomously. The travel control part makes the vacuum cleaner travel to a dust station in the case the amount of the dust and dirt detected by the dust collection amount detection part is equal to or more than a specified amount while the cleaning part performs cleaning. The travel control part further makes the vacuum cleaner undock from the dust station to restart the cleaning after the dust and dirt accumulated in the dust-collecting unit is transferred to a dust-collecting container at the dust station. The vacuum cleaning apparatus can adopt a downsized vacuum cleaner while ensuring convenience.