Eccentric Wheel Lifting for Robot Vacuum Obstacle Traversal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automatically traveling floor cleaning appliances face difficulties in navigating over obstructions such as door sills with small heights, as existing solutions require complex lifting mechanisms that are not efficient for various wheel diameters and may not ensure reliable obstacle detection and traversal.
Innovation Solution
An arrangement where a lifting part is mounted eccentrically on the travel wheel, protruding beyond its running surface, with a counter mounting fixed to the housing, allowing the appliance to lift over obstacles independently of wheel diameter, utilizing a lever-like action and a slip-resistant lifting surface for effective traversal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate lifting device with separate drive is used, then the appliance can overcome obstructions, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting part is integrated into the travel wheel structure, combining the lifting function with the existing wheel assembly. The lifting part is mounted on the travel wheel and utilizes the wheel's rotation to achieve lifting motion, eliminating the need for a separate lifting device and its dedicated drive system.
Solution Approach 2:
The lifting part is moved directly by the travel wheel itself through eccentric mounting, without requiring an external lifting drive. The rotational motion of the travel wheel automatically generates the lifting action through the eccentric offset, making the system self-sufficient and reducing overall device complexity.
2Reliability
If a lifting device with separate drive is used, then the appliance can lift over obstacles, but the overall configuration becomes less compact
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting function is merged into the travel wheel assembly by mounting the lifting part on the wheel. This integration eliminates the need for separate lifting mechanisms and reduces the overall volume occupied by lifting components, resulting in a more compact appliance configuration.
3Device complexity
If the lifting part is mounted eccentrically on the travel wheel, then the structure is simplified and compact, but the kinematics must be precisely designed for effective lifting
Solution Approach 1:
The eccentric mounting introduces a specific geometric parameter (eccentric offset) that transforms the rotational motion of the travel wheel into lifting motion. By carefully selecting the eccentric offset distance, the design achieves effective lifting kinematics while maintaining structural simplicity and ease of manufacture.
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 appliance to traverse obstacles of varying heights with a structurally simple design, improving kinematics and ensuring reliable obstacle detection and traversal, regardless of wheel diameter, while maintaining a compact overall configuration.
Implementation Method 1
The lifting part acts in a lever-like manner as soon as it engages by way of the portion protruding beyond the running surface of the travel wheel against an obstacle that is on a higher level than the floor on which the travel wheel rests
Implementation Method 2
utilizing a lever-like action and a slip-resistant lifting surface for effective traversal
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an arrangement (9) for overcoming an obstruction (8) to traveling movement, preferably on an automatically traveling floor cleaning appliance (1) having a driven travel wheel (3). To configure an arrangement of the kind in question in an improved manner, it is proposed that on the travel wheel (3), a lifting part (10) is mounted in an eccentrically pivotable manner, the lifting part protruding with a front end surface (12) beyond a running surface (7) of the travel wheel (3) in the direction of travel (r), a counter mounting being provided which is fixed to the housing.