Floor Robot Side Brush Speed Control for Corner Cleaning Penetration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Floor robots often fail to effectively clean corners due to the side brush's inability to reach and remove dirt from the tight spaces, as the cleaning arms are not able to penetrate deeply enough when the rotation speed is too high.
Innovation Solution
The method involves varying the rotation speed of the side brush while the robot is stationary, allowing the cleaning arm to relax and fully penetrate the corner, combined with temporarily reversing the direction of rotation to enhance dirt removal, and controlling the rotation speed in a sequence to ensure thorough cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the rotation speed of the side brush is high, then cleaning efficiency is improved, but the cleaning arm cannot penetrate deeply into the corner and becomes bent against the wall
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by varying the rotation speed of the side brush dynamically during the cleaning process. The rotation speed is adjusted based on the robot's movement state: reduced when stationary to allow cleaning arm penetration, and increased when moving to maintain cleaning efficiency. This dynamic speed adjustment resolves the contradiction between penetration depth and cleaning efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the side brush by implementing multiple rotation speed levels (first rotation speed when moving, second rotation speed when stationary). This parameter change allows the cleaning arm to penetrate corners effectively at lower speeds while maintaining high cleaning efficiency at higher speeds, thus resolving the contradiction between penetration depth and cleaning efficiency.
2Length of moving object
If the rotation speed of the side brush is reduced to allow cleaning arm penetration, then corner penetration is improved, but cleaning productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by alternating between different rotation speed phases. The side brush operates at a first rotation speed during movement phases and switches to a second (lower) rotation speed during stationary phases for corner penetration. This periodic speed variation ensures both adequate penetration depth and maintained cleaning productivity across different operational phases.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic adjustment of rotation speed based on movement state allows the system to optimize for penetration depth when stationary while maintaining higher productivity during movement. The control unit dynamically switches between speed levels, ensuring that productivity loss is minimized overall while achieving the necessary penetration depth during critical stationary corner-cleaning phases.
3Speed
If the cleaning arm is moved quickly across the floor surface, then cleaning speed is improved, but the cleaning arm bends against the wall and cannot reach the corner
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the rotation speed parameter based on the robot's movement state. When the robot is stationary in a corner, the rotation speed is reduced to allow the cleaning arm to maintain a straight shape and penetrate the corner. When the robot is moving, the rotation speed is increased for faster cleaning. This parameter change resolves the contradiction between cleaning speed and cleaning arm shape.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic speed adjustment ensures that the cleaning arm operates at appropriate speeds for different phases: lower speeds during stationary corner penetration to maintain proper shape, and higher speeds during movement phases for efficient cleaning. This dynamic control prevents the cleaning arm from bending against the wall while maintaining overall cleaning speed.
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
This approach improves the cleaning effectiveness in corners by allowing the cleaning arm to fully immerse and effectively sweep out dirt, which is then collected by the robot's suction mechanism, resulting in a more thorough cleaning of the floor surface.
Implementation Method 1
The side brush comprises cleaning arms that are moved across the floor surface as the side brush rotates
Implementation Method 2
The pickup area can be formed by a suction mouth through which air and dirt can be sucked in
Data Source
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AI summary
A method (200) for controlling a floor robot (100) for cleaning a floor surface (105); wherein the floor robot (100) comprises a side brush (120) rotatable about a vertical axis with at least one flexible cleaning arm (130) which is guided over the floor surface (105) by a rotation of the side brush (120); wherein the method (200) comprises the following steps: approaching (210) the floor robot (100) to a corner (145) such that the side brush (120) is in the corner (145); varying (220) a rotation speed of the side brush (120) while the floor robot (100) is stationary (215); and controlling (225) the floor robot (100) out of the corner (145).