Cleaning robot, maintenance station and cleaning system having them
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning robots lack an efficient mechanism for automatic storage and maintenance, requiring manual intervention for dust bin emptying and maintenance tasks.
Innovation Solution
A maintenance station with a housing, lifting plate, and door is designed to automatically store and maintain cleaning robots, featuring fixing projections and coupling portions for secure docking and storage, as well as mechanisms for pad drying and dust collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual intervention is used for dust bin emptying and maintenance, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity decreases and loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning robot autonomously docks with the maintenance station, which automatically performs dust bin emptying, cleaning pad replacement, and charging operations. The robot's dust bin is equipped with coupling portions that automatically align with fixing projections on the lifting plate, enabling self-service maintenance without manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The maintenance station is divided into functional modules: a lifting plate for dust bin handling, a cleaning pad station, and a charging module. The dust bin is segmented with separate coupling portions for different fixing projections, allowing independent maintenance of each component while maintaining overall system automation.
2Reliability
If fixing projections are used to secure the cleaning robot to the lifting plate, then reliability of docking is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple fixing projections (first, second, third, and fourth fixing projections) are integrated onto a single lifting plate structure. The coupling portions on the cleaning robot's dust bin are designed to simultaneously engage with these projections, merging multiple securing functions into one unified docking action that enhances reliability without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The lifting plate serves multiple functions: it lifts the dust bin, secures it via fixing projections, transports it to the maintenance area, and releases it after maintenance. The fixing projections are designed to work with various coupling portions on different robot models, providing universal compatibility while ensuring stable docking.
3Productivity
If automatic storage and maintenance is implemented, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning robot returns to the maintenance station automatically after cleaning tasks, and the maintenance station is pre-configured with cleaning pads, dust collection containers, and charging connections. The lifting plate is positioned to automatically receive the dust bin as the robot docks, performing preliminary positioning and securing actions before maintenance operations begin.
Solution Approach 2:
The lifting plate acts as an intermediary mechanism between the cleaning robot and the maintenance station's internal systems. It mediates the transfer of the dust bin from the robot to the maintenance area, coordinates the engagement of fixing projections with coupling portions, and facilitates automated operations while simplifying the overall system architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
A cleaning system includes a cleaning robot including first and second driving wheels, a first coupling portion, a second coupling portion, a third coupling portion, and a fourth coupling portion, and a first processor configured to control a driving of the first and second driving wheels, and a maintenance station including a housing in which a storage space is provided, a lifting plate including a first fixing projection, a second fixing projection, a third fixing projection, and a fourth fixing projection, a door configured to open or close the storage space of the housing, and a second processor configured to control a driving of the lifting plate. The first fixing projection, the second fixing projection, the third fixing projection, and the fourth fixing projection are coupled to the first coupling portion, the second coupling portion, the third coupling portion, and the fourth coupling portions, respectively.