Fixed Side Cleaning Members for Wider Robotic Vacuum Edge Cleaning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Robotic vacuum cleaners face issues with incomplete cleaning due to side brushes throwing waste back into cleaned areas, rapid wear, limited cleaning width, difficulty with obstacles, and ineffectiveness on carpets, along with potential entanglement with cables.

Innovation Solution

A robotic vacuum cleaner design featuring passive, flexible side cleaning members that direct waste towards the suction port, eliminating the need for a drive mechanism, reducing power consumption and wear, and allowing for longer brushes and suction openings, enhancing cleaning efficiency and surface coverage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If side cleaning brushes are used to project waste away from walls, then waste can be directed into the cleaning path, but waste may be thrown back into already cleaned areas reducing cleaning quality

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewaste projection capabilityVSAvoidcleaning quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using rotating side brushes to actively project waste outward, the patent uses passive side cleaning members that allow waste to be naturally directed toward the suction port as the robot moves forward. This inverts the approach from active projection to passive guidance, eliminating the problem of waste being thrown back into cleaned areas.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Productivity

If side cleaning brushes rotate at high speed to clean effectively, then cleaning performance improves, but the brushes wear out quickly requiring frequent replacement

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning performanceVSAvoidbrush durability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical rotating side cleaning brushes with passive side cleaning members that do not require rotation. This substitution eliminates the wear caused by high-speed rotation against obstacles while maintaining cleaning effectiveness through the robot's forward motion and suction capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Device complexity

If mechanical components are arranged at the ends of the main cleaning brush, then the drive mechanism can function, but the lengths of the cleaning brush and suction port are limited reducing cleaning width

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedrive mechanism arrangementVSAvoidcleaning width

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the drive mechanism from the ends of the main cleaning brush area, allowing the cleaning brush and suction port to extend to the full width of the robot body. This removes the spatial constraint that previously limited the cleaning width while the drive mechanism operates independently elsewhere in the robot.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Device complexity

If the main cleaning brush is positioned away from side edges to accommodate drive mechanism, then the drive mechanism can operate, but surfaces near obstacles or walls cannot be effectively cleaned

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedrive mechanism operationVSAvoidedge cleaning capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the cleaning function by separating the main cleaning brush from the side cleaning function. The main brush handles central areas while passive side cleaning members extend to the edges, allowing both drive mechanism operation and effective edge cleaning without compromising either function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

5Productivity

If rotating side cleaning brushes are used, then waste can be collected, but cables and cords become wrapped around the brushes affecting operation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewaste collection capabilityVSAvoidcable entanglement

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces rotating mechanical side cleaning brushes with passive side cleaning members that do not rotate. This eliminates the rotational motion that causes cables and cords to wrap around the cleaning components, preventing operational disruptions while maintaining waste collection capability through suction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS11717121B2Robotic vacuum cleaner with at least one fixed side cleaning member

Publication Date: 2023.08.08 SEB SA

AI summary

A robotic vacuum cleaner includes a main body having an underside configured to face a surface to be cleaned, a suction opening that opens into the underside of the main body and extending transversely to a main direction of travel of the robotic vacuum cleaner; and a first side cleaning member attached at a fixed location on a front part of the main body and located adjacent a first side edge of the main body, the first side cleaning member having a first cleaning part which is flexible and is configured to direct waste, which comes into contact with the first cleaning part when the robotic vacuum cleaner moves in the main direction of travel, toward the suction opening.