Autonomous vacuum mopping system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing autonomous cleaning robots are typically specialized for specific cleaning tasks, requiring multiple devices and facing issues like height discrepancies, component loss, and system clogs when trying to combine sweeping and mopping functionalities in a single system.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous vacuum with a magnetic locking system and snorkel ducts that secures the cleaning head in a mopping position, allowing for effective scrubbing and separates wet and dry debris streams to prevent clogs, while the actuator system switches between sweeping and mopping modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple specialized cleaning robots are used for different cleaning tasks, then cleaning functionality and reliability are improved, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines sweeping and mopping functionalities into a single autonomous cleaning robot. The device integrates a sweeper roller for dry debris and a mop roller for wet cleaning, allowing one robot to perform multiple cleaning tasks that previously required separate devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning robot is designed with universal cleaning capabilities through interchangeable cleaning heads and multiple cleaning modes. The device can switch between sweeping, mopping, and combined cleaning operations, making it adaptable to various floor surfaces and cleaning requirements.
2Device complexity
If sweeping and mopping functionalities are combined in one system, then device quantity and space usage are reduced, but system complexity and component reliability worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning robot divides its cleaning system into separate functional modules: a sweeper roller module for dry debris and a mop roller module for wet cleaning. Each module can operate independently, and the segmentation allows for easier maintenance and reduced interference between components.
Solution Approach 2:
The device employs dynamic height adjustment mechanisms that allow the cleaning head to adapt its position based on the cleaning mode. The sweeper roller and mop roller can be independently positioned at optimal heights, and the system dynamically switches between configurations to maintain reliability during mode transitions.
3Use of energy by moving object
If a single cleaning robot performs both sweeping and mopping, then power consumption and space requirements are reduced, but system complexity and maintenance needs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The robot is designed to perform sweeping and mopping operations in continuous sequences without requiring shutdown or reconfiguration. The transition between modes is seamless, with the system maintaining operational continuity by dynamically adjusting component positions and activation states.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning robot incorporates self-cleaning capabilities where the sweeper roller can be cleaned by the mop roller and vice versa. The system automatically manages its own maintenance needs through integrated cleaning mechanisms, reducing external intervention requirements.
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 a single device to perform both sweeping and mopping efficiently, reducing the need for multiple robots and minimizing system clogs, with improved cleaning performance and reduced power consumption.
Implementation Method 1
one or more baseplate magnets are rigidly attached to the baseplate and exposed on the front side of the body enclosure... Back tube magnets are attached to the exterior surface of the back tube opposite the back side of the cleaning head and exposed in alignment with the exposed magnetic poles of corresponding base-plate magnets
Data Source
AI summary
An autonomous vacuum includes mopping and sweeping functionalities. A magnetic locking system secures a cleaning head of the autonomous vacuum into a mopping position when in a mopping state, allowing the vacuum to move a mop roller back and forth to scrub stubborn stains on a floor surface without the cleaning head shifting into an alternate sweeping position. The autonomous vacuum also includes snorkel ducts to direct fluid waste and water from the mop roller to a waste bag without mixing the fluid waste with dry waste collected by a sweeping system. The snorkel ducts are configured to kink shut when the cleaning head is in a sweeping state, to avoid unnecessary suction through the snorkel system. Additionally, the mopping system includes cleaning logic routines that can sense and control mop roller saturation and drying, and that can perform automatic mop cleaning.