Cleaner Wheel Assembly With Adaptive Protrusions for Carpet Traction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic cleaners face challenges in effectively navigating surfaces with varying textures and obstacles, particularly carpets, due to limitations in wheel design that affect traction and movement efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The automatic cleaner incorporates a wheel assembly with a second wheel featuring elastically deformable connection parts and contact protrusions that radially extend, allowing for improved traction and movement by adjusting to external forces, and a transmission system that ensures smooth power transfer between wheels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a conventional wheel design is used, then the structure is simple, but the traction on carpets and surfaces with varying textures is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel is divided into a first wheel and a second wheel that can rotate independently relative to each other. The second wheel includes multiple contact protrusions that can independently contact the surface, allowing the wheel to adapt to varying surface textures and maintain traction while keeping each segment relatively simple in structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The second wheel is configured to be rotatable with respect to the first wheel, creating a dynamic structure that can adapt to different surface conditions. This dynamic capability allows the contact protrusions to engage with carpets and textured surfaces effectively, improving traction force without requiring a completely complex fixed structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the wheel structure is simplified, then the manufacturing is easier, but the ability to navigate obstacles and varying surfaces is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the wheel into two independently rotatable components with multiple contact protrusions, the design achieves high adaptability to different surfaces. Each component can be manufactured separately using standard processes, and the modular nature facilitates assembly, balancing manufacturing ease with surface adaptation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The second wheel incorporates multiple contact protrusions with specific geometric features optimized for contacting carpets and textured surfaces. This local quality enhancement at the contact points provides superior surface adaptation without requiring the entire wheel structure to be complex, maintaining ease of manufacture for the overall assembly.
3Force
If the contact surface area is increased, then the traction is improved, but the wheel size and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The contact surface is segmented into multiple discrete contact protrusions rather than a single large contact area. This segmentation allows the wheel to achieve effective traction through multiple small contact points distributed around the circumference, improving friction force without significantly increasing the overall wheel volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic rotation capability of the second wheel relative to the first wheel allows the contact protrusions to continuously engage with the surface in optimal positions. This dynamic engagement maximizes the effective use of the available contact surface area, improving friction force without requiring a larger wheel volume.
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
This design enhances the cleaner's ability to maintain traction on different surfaces, preventing sliding and ensuring accurate navigation, even on carpets, by dynamically adjusting to surface conditions and maintaining consistent rotation centers between wheels.
Implementation Method 1
the second wheel including a plurality of contact protrusions on an outer circumferential surface thereof. Optionally, the second wheel is elastically deformed by an external force, and the plurality of contact protrusions radially extend from the outer circumferential surface of the second wheel.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is an automatic cleaner. The automatic cleaner includes a main body and a wheel assembly disposed in the main body to allow the main body to move. The wheel assembly includes a driving part, a first wheel rotating by a power of the driving part, and a second wheel rotating by the power of the driving part, the second wheel including a plurality of contact protrusions on an outer circumferential surface thereof.