Docking station for cleaning robots with roller brush
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current docking stations for robot cleaners only provide energy charging and lack auxiliary functions for cleaning, such as maintaining the robot's components, which limits their utility and convenience for home use.
Innovation Solution
A docking station with a cleaning system that includes a cutting chamber, air pressure chamber, and drive mechanism, allowing for the cleaning of robot components like roller brushes while charging, using blade assemblies to cut and collect debris, and an air passage to facilitate the removal of shredded material through a filtering system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the docking station only provides charging function, then the device complexity is low, but the adaptability and versatility are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The docking station integrates multiple functions including charging, cutting, collecting, and filtering operations into a single device. The base unit combines a charging device with a cutting device, while additional components like the collecting chamber and filtering member add cleaning and debris management capabilities, allowing one device to perform multiple household tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The docking station is divided into separable functional modules: a base unit with charging and cutting capabilities, a detachable cutting chamber, a collecting chamber that can be removed, and a filtering member. This modular design allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining overall system versatility, and enables easy cleaning and maintenance of individual parts.
2Ease of operation
If the cutting chamber is always connected, then the cleaning effectiveness is maintained, but the ease of operation for maintenance and cleaning is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting chamber is designed with dynamic connectivity - it can be detached from the base unit when needed for cleaning or maintenance, and reconnected when operation is required. The rotatable connection between the lower end cover and cutting chamber also allows dynamic adjustment of the roller brush position, enabling both easy access for maintenance and reliable operation when assembled.
3Productivity
If the roller brush is cleaned manually, then the productivity is low, but the device complexity is minimized
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service cleaning of the roller brush through automated mechanisms. The cutting blades automatically cut tangled materials from the roller brush during the cutting operation, and the air passage system with pressure differential automatically removes the shredded debris through the filtering member, eliminating the need for manual cleaning intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The air passage system utilizes pneumatic principles to automatically remove debris. Air flows through the air passage from the cutting chamber to the collecting chamber, creating a pressure differential that draws shredded materials through the filtering member and into the collecting chamber, providing automated debris removal without mechanical moving parts.
4Loss of time
If the docking station integrates cleaning functions, then the loss of time for separate cleaning operations is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The docking station merges charging and cleaning functions into a single integrated operation. When the roller brush is placed in the cutting chamber, the system simultaneously charges the robot cleaner through the base unit while the cutting blades clean the roller brush and the air passage system removes debris, combining multiple time-consuming tasks into one concurrent operation.
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
Enables the cleaning of robot components during charging, preventing finger scratches and extending the docking station's applicability, making it more convenient for home use by integrating cleaning functionality into the charging process.
Implementation Method 1
an air passage is formed between the cutting chamber and the air pressure chamber; the air passage communicates the air pressure chamber with the collecting chamber
Data Source
AI summary
The present application provides a docking station including a cleaning system disposed in a base thereof. The cleaning system includes a cutting chamber, an upper end cover, and a lower end cover; and the cutting chamber is configured to receive a to-be-cleaned object, and the upper end cover is detachably connected to an upper end of the cutting chamber; the lower end cover is disposed at a lower end of the cutting chamber and rotatably connected with the cutting chamber; the to-be-cleaned object is detachably fixed to the lower end cover; and a blade assembly configured to clean the to-be-cleaned object is provided at an inner wall of the cutting chamber. The docking station may clean the to-be-cleaned object, such as a roller brush of a robot cleaner, while charging the robot cleaner, which provides an auxiliary function, extends the applicability and is more convenient for home use.