Cleaning roller for cleaning robots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning rollers for autonomous cleaning robots are inefficient in debris pickup due to material constraints that lead to increased vibrations and noise, and require extensive fastening or adhesive methods for assembly, which can be prone to errors.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning roller design featuring a sheath and core with an interlocking mechanism at the central portion, allowing for torque transfer and reduced material usage, along with radial support members that minimize mass and deformation, enabling efficient debris ingestion and reduced assembly complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If extensive fastening or adhesive methods are used for assembly, then connection strength is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The roller is divided into distinct segments (sheath and core) that can be assembled separately. The sheath is split into first and second portions that wrap around opposite sides of the core, allowing modular assembly without extensive fastening mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The first and second sheath portions are joined together to form a continuous sheath structure that fully encloses the core. This merging creates a unified assembly where the sheath and core work together as an integrated roller unit, eliminating the need for separate fastening components.
2Strength
If more material is used for roller construction, then structural strength is improved, but vibrations and noise increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sheath is constructed as a thin-walled structure that is flexible rather than rigid. This flexibility allows the sheath to deform slightly under load, reducing the transmission of vibrations and noise while maintaining sufficient structural strength for debris pickup functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The roller employs a composite structure combining the sheath (flexible outer layer) and core (structural support element). This composite design optimizes the balance between strength and vibration damping, where each material contributes its advantageous properties to the overall system performance.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the sheath and core are rigidly connected along the entire length, then rotational coupling is improved, but relative translation cannot be inhibited and mass increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection between sheath and core is segmented rather than continuous. The sheath is divided into first and second portions that are independently positioned on opposite sides of the core, with each portion providing localized rotational coupling without requiring full-length rigid connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The sheath portions are positioned to provide rotational coupling at specific locations where it is most effective, rather than uniformly along the entire length. This localized approach achieves sufficient rotational stability while minimizing the amount of material required and reducing overall mass.
Data Source
AI summary
A cleaning roller is mountable to a cleaning robot. The cleaning roller includes a sheath comprising a shell, an outer diameter of the shell tapering from a first end portion of the sheath and a second end portion of the sheath toward a center of the roller. The cleaning roller further includes a core including a central portion interlocked with the sheath to rotationally couple the core to the sheath and inhibit relative translation of the sheath and the core along an axis of rotation. An inner surface of the sheath and an outer surface of the core define an air gap therebetween, the air gap extending from the central portion of the core longitudinally along the axis of rotation toward the first end portion or the second end portion.