Dust Collection Shutter for Spill-Free Cleaner Bin Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning apparatuses, such as robot cleaners, face the challenge of foreign substances pouring out of the dust collection unit through the inlet when the unit is carelessly separated from the main body, leading to potential spills and inefficient removal processes.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning apparatus with a shutter mechanism that opens and closes the inlet based on the attachment or detachment of the dust collection unit to the main body, along with a cap to control the connection hole for external instruments, ensures that foreign substances are not spilled and can be effectively removed using an external instrument.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the dust collection unit is detachably installed on the main body for easy removal, then the ease of operation is improved, but foreign substances may pour out through the inlet during separation
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter is pre-positioned to automatically close the inlet before the dust collection unit is fully detached from the main body. This preliminary action prevents foreign substances from spilling out during the separation process, while still allowing the unit to be easily removed for cleaning.
Solution Approach 2:
The shutter acts as an intermediary element between the inlet and the external environment. It mediates the opening and closing of the inlet based on the attachment state, allowing easy removal while preventing spillage by controlling when the inlet is open or closed.
2Productivity
If the inlet remains open for efficient foreign substance collection, then the productivity is improved, but foreign substances may pour out during detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter dynamically changes its state from open to closed based on the attachment status of the dust collection unit. When attached, the inlet remains open for efficient collection; when detaching, the shutter automatically closes to prevent spillage, thus maintaining productivity while eliminating harmful effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the attachment state as feedback to control the shutter position. The detachment of the dust collection unit triggers the shutter to close, creating a feedback mechanism that automatically prevents spillage while maintaining open inlet for collection during normal operation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a shutter mechanism is added to control the inlet, then foreign substance spillage is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter mechanism is designed to automatically open and close based on the attachment state of the dust collection unit, without requiring external control systems. The mechanism serves itself by using the mechanical motion of attachment/detachment to trigger shutter operation, thus preventing spillage while minimizing added complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The shutter control function is merged with the existing attachment/detachment mechanism of the dust collection unit. By combining these two functions, the patent prevents spillage through the shutter while avoiding the need for separate control systems, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A cleaning apparatus including a main body, a dust collection unit detachably installed on the main body and provided with a plurality of inlets, through which foreign substances are introduced into the dust collection unit, and a connection hole, to which an external instrument is connected, a shutter to open and close one inlet, and a cap to open and close the connection hole. The shutter opens and closes the inlet in cooperation with one of whether or not the dust collection unit is attached to or detached from the main body and whether or not the connection hole is opened or closed.