Counter-Rotating Cleaning Rollers for Wall and Corner Debris Pickup
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous cleaning robots face challenges in effectively cleaning close to walls and corners due to limitations in their design, which prevents them from efficiently ingesting debris in these hard-to-reach areas.
Innovation Solution
The autonomous cleaning robot is equipped with a pair of counter-rotating cleaning rollers and a side brush that cooperates with the rollers to direct debris upward, along with sensors and a motorized drivetrain, allowing the robot to maneuver and ingest debris from corners and crevices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the robot uses conventional cleaning design with standard roller and brush configuration, then the device complexity is low, but the cleaning effectiveness close to walls and corners deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning system is divided into functionally independent modules: a side brush assembly with adjustable arm, a pair of counter-rotating cleaning rollers, and a debris ingestion system. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while working together to solve the corner cleaning problem.
Solution Approach 2:
The side brush arm is designed to be adjustable and movable, allowing it to dynamically adapt its position and angle to reach into corners and along walls. The counter-rotating rollers provide dynamic debris lifting action that adapts to different floor conditions and debris types.
2Area of stationary object
If the robot maneuvers close to walls and corners to clean these areas, then the cleaning coverage is improved, but the ability to ingest debris deteriorates due to limited space
Solution Approach 1:
The side brush is positioned and angled to sweep debris from the wall-corned area laterally toward the center of the robot, creating a three-dimensional debris collection path that encompasses both corner areas and the central ingestion zone. This dimensional approach allows debris from restricted corner spaces to be effectively funneled into the ingestion path.
Solution Approach 2:
The side brush acts as an intermediary mechanism that bridges the gap between debris located in hard-to-reach corner areas and the main debris ingestion system. It sweeps and directs debris from the peripheral corner zones into the central area where the counters rotating rollers and ingestion system can effectively collect and process it.
3Device complexity
If the robot uses a single brush or roller configuration, then the device complexity is low, but the ability to direct raised debris upward into the robot deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The counter-rotating rollers create a mechanical action that lifts and directs debris upward into the robot. The opposing rotation directions generate a scissoring effect that effectively picks up and propels debris from the floor surface into the ingestion path.
Solution Approach 2:
The rollers are designed with curved surfaces that effectively engage with and lift debris from the floor. The rotational motion and curved geometry work together to scoop up debris and direct it upward into the robot body.
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
The solution enables the robot to effectively clean close to walls and in corners by ensuring debris is directed into the cleaning path, enhancing its ability to collect debris from difficult-to-reach areas and maintaining an effective cleaning path width.
Implementation Method 1
a side brush is further mounted to the chassis to rotate beneath the chassis adjacent a lateral side of the chassis
Implementation Method 2
The cleaning rollers are drivable to counter-rotate while the robot is propelled, thereby cooperating to direct raised debris upward into the robot between the rollers
Implementation Method 3
first, second, and third sensors mounted to the chassis and responsive to radiation reflected upward from a floor surface beneath the sensors
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
An autonomous cleaning robot (100) comprises a chassis (110), at least one motorized drive wheel (120a, 120b) mounted to the chassis (110) and arranged to propel the robot (100) across a surface, and a pair of cleaning rollers (310a, 310b) mounted to the chassis (110) and having outer surfaces (350) exposed on an underside of the chassis (110) and to each other (310a, 310b). The cleaning rollers (310a, 310b) are drivable to counter- rotate while the robot (100) is propelled, thereby cooperating to direct raised debris upward into the robot (100) between the rollers (310a, 310b). A side brush (140) is further mounted to the chassis (110) to rotate beneath the chassis (110) adjacent a lateral side (104a) of the chassis (110) about an upwardly extending side brush axis (Zc), and the outer surface (311a) of a first of the cleaning rollers of the pair (310b) extends laterally beyond the outer surface (312a) of a second of the cleaning rollers of the pair (310a) and laterally beyond the side brush axis (Zc), such that the first cleaning roller (310b) defines a cleaning width (WR, WR1) spanning the side brush axis (Zc).