Cleaner Station Cover Control Mechanism for Dust Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vacuum cleaners have small dust bins that require frequent emptying, leading to health hazards, reduced suction power, and unpleasant odors due to residual dust, and existing solutions with door motors are complex and prone to failure.
Innovation Solution
A cleaner station with a simple structure that includes a cover control unit to manually close the discharge cover, utilizing a button, link, and elastic body to rotate a cover control frame, eliminating the need for motors and additional components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If a door motor is used to automatically open and close the discharge cover, then the automation level is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase due to additional parts such as encoders
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the motor from the door unit, keeping only the essential mechanical linkage components (link and cover control frame). This eliminates the complex electrical components while maintaining the core automatic opening function through simplified mechanical means.
Solution Approach 2:
The door unit is designed to automatically open the discharge cover using the weight and movement of the dust bin itself, without requiring an external motor. The mechanical linkage leverages the natural movement of components during dust bin removal to automatically open the cover.
2Measurement precision
If a door motor is used to precisely rotate the link, then the measurement precision is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional components such as encoders
Solution Approach 1:
The encoder and motor are completely removed from the system. The patent achieves sufficient control precision through simple mechanical linkages and geometric relationships between components, eliminating the need for electronic sensors and feedback systems.
3Ease of operation
If a door motor is used to close the discharge cover, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability decreases when the motor malfunctions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the expensive and complex motor with simple, inexpensive mechanical components that are inherently more reliable. The link and cover control frame are basic mechanical elements with no moving parts that could fail electronically, making the system more robust against malfunctions.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the door unit is positioned to close the dust passage hole, then the dust containment is improved, but the productivity decreases when the door motor fails and cannot open the cover
Solution Approach 1:
The door unit automatically opens the discharge cover when the dust bin is removed from the cleaner body, without requiring motor actuation. This self-activating mechanism ensures that dust collection can proceed immediately when the bin is in place, eliminating delays caused by motor failure.
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 solution reduces the frequency of manual dust bin emptying, prevents dust dispersion, minimizes part count and noise, and enhances operational efficiency by reducing the time required for dust collection.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic body configured to elastically deform, when an external force is applied to the button, and provide a restoring force to the button
Implementation Method 2
a dust collection motor accommodated inside the housing and arranged on a lower side of the dust collecting part, and which generates a suction force to suck dust inside the dust bin
Data Source
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AI summary
There is disclosed a cleaner station including a housing; a coupling portion disposed in the housing and to which at least a portion of a dust bin of the vacuum cleaner is coupled; a dust collection unit accommodated inside the housing and arranged on a lower side of the coupling portion, and configured to collect dust inside the dust bin; a dust collection motor accommodated inside the housing and arranged on a lower side of the dust collecting part, and which generates a suction force to suck dust inside the dust bin; and a cover control unit configured to close a discharge cover of the dust bin, and the cover control unit may include a button; a link configured to rotate when an external force is applied to the button; a cover control frame configured to contact the discharge cover based on the rotation of the link; and an elastic body configured to elastically deform, when an external force is applied to the button, and provide a restoring force to the button, thereby having an effect of simplifying the structure for closing the discharge cover.