Edge cleaning brushes for floor cleaner
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional edge cleaning brushes on autonomous floor cleaners often have tip velocities that are too high, causing debris to be flung outside the cleaning path, while lower velocities may not effectively collect debris, leading to incomplete cleaning.
Innovation Solution
The edge cleaning brush system includes multiple cleaning implements with a planetary gear system that drives one implement at a lower speed than another, optimizing tip velocities to collect debris effectively without scattering, using blades or bristles configured to rotate at different speeds to achieve efficient sweeping and dusting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the edge cleaning brush rotates at a high velocity, then debris can be swept effectively, but debris is flung outside the cleaning path
Solution Approach 1:
The edge cleaning brush is divided into multiple independent cleaning elements (bristles and blades) that can rotate at different velocities. This segmentation allows each element to perform a specific function: bristles for sweeping debris inward at lower speeds, and blades for dusting at higher speeds, thereby preventing debris scattering while maintaining cleaning effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the cleaning brush are assigned different rotational velocities tailored to their specific cleaning needs. The bristles rotate at a lower velocity optimized for sweeping, while the blades rotate at a higher velocity optimized for dusting. This local differentiation ensures that each component operates at its optimal speed without causing harmful debris ejection.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the edge cleaning brush rotates at a low velocity, then debris scattering is reduced, but debris collection effectiveness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning brush system is segmented into multiple cleaning elements that can rotate at different velocities. This allows the bristles to rotate at a lower speed that prevents debris scattering, while the blades rotate at a higher speed that maintains effective dusting and debris collection, thereby resolving the contradiction between reducing scattering and maintaining collection effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotational velocity parameter is varied across different cleaning elements within the same brush assembly. By changing the rotational speed parameter for different components (bristles versus blades), the system optimizes both debris collection effectiveness and minimizes scattering, achieving a balance that neither extreme velocity can accomplish alone.
Data Source
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AI summary
A floor cleaner (10, 210) can include a housing (14, 238) adapted for movement over a surface to be cleaned and at least one edge cleaning brush (12) provided on the housing (14, 238). The edge cleaning brush (12) includes multiple cleaning implements (100, 102, 170) which rotate at different velocities and in different directions. A gear system, such as a planetary gear system (128, 172, 182, 200), can drive one cleaning implement at a lower speed than another cleaning implement.