Damped Vacuum Cleaner Rollers for Quiet Obstacle Crossing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Vacuum cleaners with traditional rollers experience noise and material-damaging vibrations when navigating uneven floors and obstacles due to the transmission of forces, which existing dampening solutions fail to adequately address.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a canister vacuum cleaner design where at least one roller axle is fastened with its ends in a skid and mounted in a damped manner relative to the housing, incorporating a damping element between the skid axle and the housing, and utilizing rollers with concentric layers of hard and soft components or air-filled tires for enhanced vibration and noise damping.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If traditional rollers with plastic core and elastic coating are used, then the vacuum cleaner can navigate uneven floors, but forces from uneven floors are transmitted to the housing causing noise and material-damaging vibrations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveability to navigate uneven floorsVSAvoidnoise and vibrations transmitted to housing
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A damping element is introduced as an intermediary component between the roller axle and the housing. This damping element absorbs and dissipates the forces generated when navigating uneven floors, preventing their direct transmission to the housing. The damping element acts as a mediator that converts harmful mechanical forces into heat energy through internal friction, thereby reducing noise and vibrations while maintaining the vacuum cleaner's ability to traverse uneven surfaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The roller assembly employs a composite structure combining a plastic core with an elastic material coating. This composite design allows the hard plastic core to provide structural support and the elastic coating to provide cushioning and shock absorption. The combination of materials with different mechanical properties enables the roller to navigate uneven floors effectively while reducing the transmission of harmful forces to the housing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Object-generated harmful factors

If rollers with damping properties are implemented, then driving noise and vibrations are dampened, but the structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriving noise and vibrationsVSAvoidroller structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The damping function is merged into the existing roller structure by integrating a damping element directly into the roller axle assembly. Instead of adding separate damping components, the damping element is incorporated as part of the roller's mounting structure, allowing it to perform both structural support and vibration damping functions simultaneously. This integration approach reduces overall system complexity while achieving effective noise and vibration reduction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Object-generated harmful factors

If the roller axle is mounted in a damped manner relative to the housing, then shocks and vibrations are reduced, but the mounting structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveshocks and vibrations transmitted to housingVSAvoidmounting structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The damping element serves as an intermediary component in the mounting structure between the roller axle and the housing. It is positioned in the mounting path to intercept and dissipate shock forces before they reach the housing. This intermediary damping component adds minimal structural complexity while effectively reducing the transmission of shocks and vibrations to the main housing structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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

This solution effectively reduces driving noise and vibrations, prevents resonance, and improves the vacuum cleaner's ability to navigate obstacles by distributing forces more evenly, thereby reducing the transmission of shocks and vibrations to the housing.

Implementation Method 1

at least one roller axle being fastened with its ends in a skid and mounted in a cushioned manner relative to the housing

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVibration damping: Damping

Implementation Method 2

A damping element should be associated with a skid axle, in particular if the roller axle is received by a skid rotatably mounted on the housing

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectShock absorption: Damping

Implementation Method 3

produce rollers for vacuum cleaner chassis from a plastic core and to provide this with a coating of elastic material

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Implementation Method 4

Despite the coating, the forces resulting from uneven floors are transmitted and guided to the housing via the rollers to noise and material-damaging vibrations

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVibration damping: Damping

Implementation Method 5

If the elastic jacket is designed as an air-filled tire. This achieves very good damping of the vibrations

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAir spring effect: Compression

Implementation Method 6

the roll may comprise concentric layers of alternating hard and soft components. It is advantageous if air inclusions are arranged between at least one hard component and at least one soft component

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectForce distribution: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentEP2409623B1Floor vacuum cleaner with housing on rollers
Publication Date: 2013.04.17 MIELE & CO KG
  • EP2409623B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2409623B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2409623B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a canister vacuum cleaner (1) with a housing which is designed to be mobile on rollers (4), the rollers (4) being rotatably mounted on roller axles (6) or held on rotatably mounted roller axles. In order to dampen driving noise and driving-related vibrations, it is proposed that at least one of the rollers (4) has a damping property.