Cleaner nozzle

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cleaners face challenges in efficiently suctioning foreign matter while maintaining a slim and compact design, rotating mops for effective cleaning, and supplying water to mops without increasing the nozzle's size or complexity, leading to reduced cleaning performance and difficulty in navigating narrow spaces.

Innovation Solution

A nozzle design featuring a suction flow path with laterally spaced rotation cleaning units, each driven by a separate motor, and a water tank integrated into the nozzle housing, with driving unit covers to simplify the structure and reduce volume, allowing for efficient suction, mop rotation, and water supply without elongating the air flow path.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a single rotation motor is used to drive multiple rotating bodies, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability decreases and all rotating bodies cannot operate if the motor fails

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructure complexityVSAvoidoperation reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the single rotation motor into multiple independent rotation motors, with each motor dedicated to driving a specific rotating body. This segmentation ensures that if one motor fails, other rotating bodies can continue to operate independently, thereby improving reliability while maintaining manageable device complexity through modular design

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Volume of moving object

If the rotation motor is positioned at the center of the suction port main body, then space utilization is improved, but the suction path length increases and structure becomes complicated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesuction port main body volumeVSAvoidsuction path length
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the rotation motor from the central position of the suction port main body and relocates it to the rear end. This extraction eliminates the interference between the centrally positioned motor and the suction path, allowing for a shorter and simpler suction path design while still achieving compact overall dimensions through optimized component arrangement

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of manufacture

If the suction port main body height is increased to accommodate central motor placement, then motor installation is facilitated, but the cleaner cannot easily enter narrow spaces and cleanable area is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemotor installation easeVSAvoidsuction port main body height
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the rotation motor from the central position and relocates it to the rear end of the suction port main body. This relocation eliminates the need to increase the height of the suction port main body, keeping the overall dimensions compact and allowing the cleaner to easily navigate narrow spaces and furniture areas while maintaining ease of motor installation at the rear end

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Weight of moving object

If the suction port main body is moved eccentrically, then weight distribution may change, but the amount of eccentricity increases and it becomes difficult to move back to the original straight path

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveweight distributionVSAvoidhandling ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Weight of moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs asymmetric distribution of rotation motors and rotating bodies, with each side independently configured. This asymmetric yet balanced design allows for proper weight distribution while maintaining the suction port main body in a straight, balanced position during operation, preventing excessive eccentricity and ensuring ease of handling and control

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

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 design improves cleaning performance by efficiently suctioning foreign matter, rotating mops for thorough cleaning, and supplying water, while maintaining a compact size that allows easy navigation of narrow spaces and reducing flow path loss and weight imbalance.

Implementation Method 1

a suction flow path through which air containing dust flows

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSuction: Suction

Implementation Method 2

a plurality of rotation cleaning units which are disposed on a lower side of the nozzle housing, each of the plurality of rotation cleaning units including a rotation plate to which a mop can be attached

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Implementation Method 3

a water tank mounted on the nozzle housing and stores water to be supplied to the mop

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentEP3788931B1Cleaner nozzle
Publication Date: 2023.06.21 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP3788931B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3788931B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3788931B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A nozzle for a cleaner includes a nozzle housing including a suction flow path through which air containing dust flows; a plurality of rotation cleaning units which are disposed on a lower side of the nozzle housing, each of the plurality of rotation cleaning units including a rotation plate to which a mop can be attached; a plurality of driving devices having a driving motor configured to drive the plurality of rotation cleaning units; and a water tank mounted on the nozzle housing and stores water to be supplied to the mop, wherein the nozzle housing includes a plurality of driving unit covers having a protruding shape disposed so as to surround each of the driving devices.