Bagged vacuum cleaner
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bagged vacuum cleaners lack an effective method for users to accurately determine when the dirt collection bag is full, relying on indirect methods like air flow sensors which can be unreliable due to varying debris types and sensor degradation from dust and dirt accumulation.
Innovation Solution
A hand-held vacuum cleaner design featuring a transparent inlet duct wall adjacent to the bag opening, allowing users to directly observe the dirt and debris level, with optional illumination to maintain visibility despite dust coating, enabling immediate identification of bag fullness and potential blockages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If air flow sensors are used to detect bag fullness, then automation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to sensor degradation from dust and dirt accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the detection function from the air flow sensor system and replaces it with a direct visual observation system through the transparent inlet duct. This removes the unreliable sensing component while maintaining automated operation through user observation of the transparent duct to determine when the bag is full.
2Extent of automation
If air flow sensors are used to detect bag fullness, then automation is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to varying debris types
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a visual copy or representation of the bag's internal state by making the inlet duct transparent. This allows users to directly observe the actual condition of the bag and debris level without relying on indirect sensor measurements that vary with debris type, thereby improving measurement precision.
3Measurement precision
If the inlet duct is made transparent to allow direct observation, then measurement precision is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making only the inlet duct transparent rather than the entire vacuum cleaner body. This localized transparency provides the necessary observation capability while minimizing manufacturing complexity and cost, as only one component needs to be made from transparent material.
4Measurement precision
If the inlet duct is made transparent to allow direct observation, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex sensing and measurement system and replaces it with a simple transparent window in the inlet duct. This eliminates the need for sensors, electronics, and complex processing systems, thereby reducing overall device complexity while improving measurement precision through direct visual observation.
Data Source
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AI summary
This invention relates to a bagged vacuum cleaner, i.e. to a vacuum cleaner in which dirt and debris is collected in a disposable bag. The vacuum cleaner (10) has a body (12), the body having a dirt-collection chamber (26), a motor (14) and an impeller (16). The body also has an inlet duct (30) upstream of the dirt- collection chamber, the inlet duct being connected to an inlet tube (36) adapted to fit to an opening of the disposable bag. A wall (40) of the inlet duct adjacent to the inlet tube (36) is transparent so that a user can look through the wall and into the inlet tube to observe whether or not the bag is full.