Duct Cleaning Robot with Adjustable Linkage and Suction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cleaning robots for ducts are inefficient in cleaning ducts with varying heights and slopes, require multiple robots for different heights, and lack real-time cleaning state verification, leading to incomplete cleaning and potential health risks from contaminated air.
Innovation Solution
A remote-controlled robot with pivotally connected links and adjustable brushes that can rotate to clean ceiling, bottom, and side walls simultaneously, equipped with cameras for real-time cleaning state monitoring and suction for dust removal, allowing for complete cleaning of ducts with diverse heights and slopes using a single robot.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional cleaning robots use fixed-height brushes, then they can clean ducts of a specific height, but they cannot clean ducts of varying heights without exchanging brushes
Solution Approach 1:
The brush assembly is made dynamically adjustable through a telescopic mechanism that allows the brush diameter to be changed while the robot is operational. The brush support rod can be extended or retracted to match different duct heights, eliminating the need for manual brush exchange and enabling the single robot to adapt to various duct dimensions without time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning robot is designed with a universal brush assembly that can accommodate multiple brush diameters through a single adjustable mechanism. This multi-functional design allows one robot to perform the cleaning function across ducts of different heights, replacing the need for multiple specialized robots or brush exchanges.
2Productivity
If conventional cleaning robots use smaller brushes, then they can fit narrow ducts, but cleaning time for each wall increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning robot merges multiple cleaning functions into a single integrated brush assembly that can simultaneously contact and clean multiple duct walls. The brush configuration allows concurrent cleaning of ceiling, floor, and side walls, transforming the sequential cleaning process into a parallel operation, thereby significantly reducing total cleaning time.
Solution Approach 2:
The brush assembly is positioned and oriented to clean duct walls in multiple dimensions simultaneously - the brush extends to contact ceiling, floor, and side walls at different spatial levels. This multi-dimensional cleaning approach allows the robot to clean entire duct surfaces in a single pass rather than moving sequentially along each wall.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional cleaning robots have fixed brush position, then the structure is simple, but they cannot clean upward or downward sloped regions completely
Solution Approach 1:
The brush assembly incorporates dynamic positioning capabilities through adjustable support rods and pivot mechanisms that allow the brush to be oriented at various angles. This enables the brush to adapt to upward and downward slopes by adjusting its position relative to the duct walls, ensuring complete contact and cleaning of all surfaces including sloped regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The brush assembly is designed with locally adjustable components that can be independently positioned to match the specific geometry of different duct regions. The support structure allows local adjustment of brush position and angle to accommodate slopes, ensuring that each local area (ceiling, floor, sides) can be optimally cleaned regardless of the overall duct orientation.
4Productivity
If conventional cleaning robots use only brushes for dust removal, then the structure is simple, but dusts are not effectively gathered and removed from duct interior
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning robot merges brush cleaning function with suction dust collection function into a single integrated system. The brush assembly is positioned adjacent to a suction opening that immediately captures dust particles dislodged by the brushes. This combination ensures that dust is both separated from walls and effectively removed from the duct interior in a coordinated manner, preventing dust redistribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The suction opening acts as an intermediary mechanism that captures dust particles separated by the brushes and transports them out of the duct. This intermediary suction system works in conjunction with the brush cleaning function, creating a continuous flow where brushes separate dust and the suction system removes it, preventing dust accumulation and ensuring complete cleaning.
5Reliability
If conventional cleaning robots clean duct interiors, then cleaning is more reliable than manual cleaning, but there is no way to verify cleaning state throughout the duct
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning robot incorporates cameras that provide real-time visual feedback of the cleaning process and cleaned surfaces. The camera system captures images of duct interiors before and after cleaning, allowing verification of cleaning state throughout the entire duct. This feedback mechanism ensures that cleaning is not only performed reliably but can also be verified to be complete, addressing the information loss problem.
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 robot efficiently cleans all duct surfaces without stopping, adjusts to varying heights, and provides real-time verification of cleaning state, ensuring complete duct cleaning and reducing health risks by removing dusts without spreading harmful chemicals, thus enhancing cleaning efficiency and trustworthiness.
Implementation Method 1
a suction unit for removing the separated dusts from the inside of the duct through a suction opening
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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Figure 5~6
AI summary
The present invention relates to a remote controlled robot for cleaning inner walls of a duct, more specifically, to a remote controlled robot comprising: a cart movable in the duct by remote control; at least one first link pivotally connected to the cart, which is relatively rotatable to the cart; a first driving unit to drive the first link to relatively rotate to the cart; at least one second link pivotally connected to the first link, which is relatively rotatable to the first link; a second driving unit to drive the second link to relatively rotate to the first link; and a cleaning means installed at the second link for separating dusts from the inner walls of the duct, thereby enabling to clean the upper inner-walls and the bottom inner-wall of the duct simultaneously, and to continuously proceed with the cleaning in case of the height change of the duct to reduce cleaning time thereof.