Autonomous Floor Cleaner Perimeter Sweeping and Dirt Collection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing autonomous floor cleaners are inefficient in collecting dirt around the entire perimeter and often push dirt instead of picking it up, lacking a comprehensive sweeping and collection mechanism.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous floor cleaner with a rotating top plate and sweeping elements that extend beyond the base, coupled with a collection system featuring dirt inlets and guides, which directs dirt into a collection chamber using a scooping or skimming motion, ensuring thorough dirt collection around the periphery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a conventional directional sweeper is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the cleaning coverage around the perimeter is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The sweeping mechanism is divided into multiple sweeping elements (first, second, third, and fourth sweeping elements) positioned at different locations around the base. Each sweeping element independently covers a specific perimeter section, collectively achieving complete 360-degree coverage without requiring a complex centralized mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The sweeping elements extend beyond the base in radial directions, utilizing the vertical dimension and radial arrangement to maximize perimeter coverage. This spatial arrangement allows the broom to clean around the entire base perimeter simultaneously during rotation, transforming a linear cleaning path into a comprehensive circular coverage pattern.
2Productivity
If sweeping elements extend beyond the base periphery, then the dirt collection capability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sweeping and collection functions are merged into an integrated system where sweeping elements directly feed dirt into the collection chamber through gravity-assisted dirt inlets. The collection chamber is positioned to receive dirt from all sweeping elements simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate collection mechanisms and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sweeping elements are pre-positioned and angled to naturally guide dirt toward the collection chamber during the sweeping motion. The dirt inlet geometry is designed in advance to capture dirt from extended sweeping elements and direct it into the collection chamber, ensuring efficient dirt transfer without requiring additional active mechanisms.
3Reliability
If multiple sweeping elements are used to cover the entire perimeter, then the cleaning thoroughness is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The perimeter cleaning task is segmented into four distinct sweeping zones, each handled by a dedicated sweeping element. This segmentation ensures that every section of the base perimeter is reliably covered, with each sweeping element responsible for a specific quadrant, thereby improving overall cleaning thoroughness through systematic division of labor.
Solution Approach 2:
All four sweeping elements are designed with identical structure and function, each capable of performing the same sweeping and dirt-guiding task. This universality simplifies the overall design by using repeated modular components rather than complex unique mechanisms for each zone, reducing manufacturing and maintenance complexity while maintaining reliable comprehensive coverage.
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 solution enables comprehensive dirt collection around the entire perimeter, improving upon directional sweepers by effectively picking up dirt and depositing it into a collection chamber, combining sweeping and dusting actions for enhanced cleaning performance.
Implementation Method 1
a sweeping element at least partially in register with the surface to be cleaned, wherein the sweeping element comprises a flexible skimmer which extends beyond the base and is configured to sweep dirt through the dirt inlet and elastically flex over the guide to push dirt toward the collection chamber
Data Source
AI summary
An autonomous floor cleaner includes a base that is movable over a surface to be cleaned, a top plate coupled with the base, a collection chamber, at least one dirt inlet in communication with the collection chamber, and at least one sweeping element for sweeping dirt on the surface to be cleaned toward the collection chamber.