Cleaner Brush Assembly With Variable Shutter for Adaptive Suction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cleaners face challenges in varying suction force and reducing running resistance on different floor types, such as rugs and carpets, which affects cleaning performance and efficiency, especially for autonomous robot cleaners.
Innovation Solution
A cleaner with a brush assembly that includes a variable shutter and squeegee member, which adjusts the air flow path sectional area and squeegee position based on floor contact, allowing for adaptive suction force and reduced resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the spacing between the lower surface of the suction unit and the floor is reduced to increase suction force, then the air flow path sectional area is reduced and suction performance is improved, but relatively large foreign materials fail to pass through the suction unit, deteriorating cleaning performance
Solution Approach 1:
The suction unit employs a movable lower surface that can dynamically adjust its position relative to the floor. When encountering carpets or rugs, the lower surface moves closer to increase suction force; on hard floors, it maintains a larger spacing to allow passage of larger foreign materials. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between maintaining high suction force and ensuring versatile cleaning performance across different floor types.
2Productivity
If the squeegee is disposed at the rear of the brush rotating body to support foreign materials, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the squeegee acts as large resistance when the cleaner moves on carpeted floors, increasing running resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The squeegee is designed as a movable component that can dynamically adjust its position. On carpeted floors, the squeegee moves upward away from the floor surface to minimize contact and reduce running resistance. On hard floors, it maintains its supporting position to effectively collect foreign materials. This dynamic positioning resolves the contradiction between cleaning effectiveness and running resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The squeegee utilizes the natural interaction between the brush rotating body and the floor surface to automatically adjust its position. When the brush rotates on carpet, the resulting forces cause the squeegee to lift upward without requiring active control, thereby self-adjusting to minimize resistance while maintaining cleaning function on appropriate surfaces.
3Productivity
If the brush rotating body is rotated by a separate driving motor to improve dust sweeping, then cleaning performance is enhanced, but device complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The brush rotating body is designed to rotate automatically through the rolling friction generated during the cleaner's forward motion on the floor. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for a separate driving motor, thereby reducing device complexity and energy consumption while maintaining effective dust sweeping performance through the natural rotation of the brush during operation.
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 cleaner effectively increases suction force on carpets and reduces running resistance without user intervention, optimizing cleaning performance on various floor surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
a brush assembly which is rotated by contact with the floor
Implementation Method 2
configured to close a part of the opening by being rotated by pressing force upon being brought into contact with the floor
Data Source
AI summary
A cleaner according to the present invention includes a cleaner main body, and a suction unit provided with a nozzle portion configured to suck air containing foreign substances on a floor into the cleaner main body, and a brush assembly detachably mounted on the nozzle portion, wherein the brush assembly includes a frame coupled to the nozzle portion and provided with an opening that is open toward the front and positioned adjacent to the floor, a brush rotation bar accommodated in the frame and having at least one end portion rotatably supported on the frame, and a variable shutter rotatably mounted on the frame, and configured to close a part of the opening by being rotated by pressing force upon being brought into contact with the floor, whereby air suction force can be varied to correspond to a state of the floor, thereby improving cleaning performance.