Cleaning Roller Bent-Vane Design for Debris Pickup and Noise Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning robots face challenges in efficiently picking up debris due to limitations in debris pickup capability, mobility, noise production, and susceptibility to wear, particularly with conventional cleaning rollers.
Innovation Solution
The cleaning roller features a vane configuration with bends and helical paths that enhance debris pickup, improve mobility by reducing lateral forces, and include noise mitigation and wear resistance features, such as openings and flexible design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional radial vane is used, then the structure is simple, but the debris pickup capability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The vane is configured with a bend instead of a straight radial extension. The bent vane includes a first portion extending in a first direction and a second portion extending in a second direction different from the first direction, creating a curved path that increases the sweeping distance and improves debris pickup capability
Solution Approach 2:
The vane transitions from a two-dimensional radial extension to a three-dimensional bent structure. The bend introduces an additional spatial dimension, allowing the vane to sweep across a larger area and engage debris more effectively as the roller rotates
2Strength
If a stiff vane is used, then the structural strength is high, but the noise production increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vane is designed with flexible characteristics that allow it to deflect and conform to the floor surface during operation. This flexibility reduces impact noise while maintaining sufficient structural strength through the bent configuration and material selection
3Ease of manufacture
If a symmetric roller is used, then the manufacturing is simple, but lateral forces are generated causing drift
Solution Approach 1:
The roller is configured with asymmetric vanes that are positioned at different locations and orientations around the roller circumference. This asymmetric arrangement balances the lateral forces generated during rotation, preventing robot drift while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through modular vane attachment
4Productivity
If the vane contacts the floor surface with high force, then debris agitation is improved, but wear susceptibility increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vane is designed with optimized material properties and structural parameters that allow it to apply sufficient force for effective debris agitation while resisting wear. The bent configuration distributes contact forces more evenly, and material selection balances hardness for wear resistance with toughness for impact resistance
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C
Figure 2A
AI summary
A cleaning roller mountable to a cleaning robot is featured. The cleaning roller includes an elongate member extending along a longitudinal axis of the cleaning roller, and a vane extending outward from the elongate member. The vane includes a first vane portion attached to the elongate member, and a second vane portion attached to the first vane portion. The first vane portion extends from the elongate member at a location intersecting a radial axis of the cleaning roller. The first vane portion extends along a first axis angled relative to the radial axis and away from the radial axis in a tangential direction. The second vane portion extends along a second axis angled relative to the first axis. A first angle between the first axis and the radial axis is greater than a second angle between the second axis and the radial axis.