Cleaning robot and controlling method thereof
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cleaning robots struggle to effectively clean corners and perimeters due to their circular design, often getting tangled with wires or hair, and face clogging issues in the dust collection path, which affects their performance and suction efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning robot equipped with an obstacle sensor and controller that adjusts speed and direction to minimize collision impact, aligns its outline with obstacles for thorough cleaning, and includes a contact sensor to manage dust collection path loads, ensuring efficient dust removal and preventing clogging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cleaning robot travels at normal speed, then cleaning efficiency is maintained, but collision impact with obstacles increases causing damage and reduced reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The obstacle sensor detects obstacles before the robot reaches them, and the controller pre-reduces driving speed when an obstacle is detected within the reference distance. This preliminary speed reduction before collision minimizes impact force while maintaining normal cleaning speed for the majority of operation time, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and productivity
2Ease of operation
If the cleaning robot uses a circular main body design, then direction changes are easy, but corner and perimeter cleaning effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning robot introduces asymmetric elements by adding side brushes that protrude from the circular main body. The side brushes extend beyond the circular轮廓 to sweep dust in corner areas, creating an asymmetric cleaning profile that maintains the circular body's maneuverability while improving corner cleaning effectiveness
3Productivity
If the side brush rotates to sweep dust, then perimeter cleaning improves, but tangling with wires and hair increases causing failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the dust sweeping function from the rotating side brush and implements it through the robot's forward motion combined with fixed or minimally rotating side brushes. By removing the high-speed rotation mechanism that causes tangling, the system maintains perimeter cleaning capability through the robot's movement while eliminating the reliability issue of wire and hair entanglement
4Productivity
If the robot collects dust in the dust collecting unit, then dust removal function is achieved, but clogging in the flow path increases applying load to the robot
Solution Approach 1:
The load sensor detects when the suction motor experiences excessive load indicating potential clogging. The controller receives this feedback and responds by reducing driving speed or adjusting suction power, preventing severe clogging while maintaining effective dust collection. This feedback mechanism balances dust collection productivity with flow path reliability
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a cleaning robot including: a driving unit configured to move the cleaning robot; an obstacle sensor configured to sense an obstacle; and a controller configured to reduce, if a distance between the cleaning robot and the obstacle is shorter than or equal to a reference distance, a driving speed of the cleaning robot so that the driving speed of the cleaning robot is lower than a shock absorbing speed when the cleaning robot contacts the obstacle.