Floor treatment facility
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Robot vacuum cleaners face difficulties in reliably cleaning transitions between different floor types or uneven surfaces due to the suction mouth's inability to maintain a consistent distance from the floor, leading to disrupted airflow and ineffective dirt removal.
Innovation Solution
A floor treatment facility with a chassis, running gear, and a guide that allows the treatment facility to move along a predefined path in a vertical direction, maintaining a minimum and maximum distance from the floor, and adjusting the angle and support elements to ensure effective cleaning over uneven surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the suction mouth is raised too far from the floor, then the cleaning mechanism can navigate obstacles more easily, but the air flow is disrupted and dirt particles cannot be reliably removed
Solution Approach 1:
The suction mouth is made movable relative to the chassis through a guide mechanism, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position in the vertical direction. This enables the suction mouth to maintain optimal distance from the floor on level surfaces while being raised when the chassis moves over obstacles, resolving the contradiction between navigation capability and cleaning effectiveness.
2Reliability
If a flexible seal is attached in the region of the suction mouth, then the air flow into the suction mouth is improved, but the seal rapidly wears out due to frequent contact with the floor
Solution Approach 1:
The guide mechanism allows the suction mouth to move vertically, enabling it to maintain close proximity to the floor for consistent air flow without requiring a flexible seal to accommodate large position changes. This reduces the wear on sealing elements by minimizing their contact and movement range.
3Reliability
If a flexible seal is used to maintain air flow, then sealing is improved, but the seal pushes dirt particles over the floor affecting cleaning results
Solution Approach 1:
The movable suction mouth can dynamically adjust its position to maintain optimal sealing with the floor surface without relying on a rigid flexible seal that pushes dirt. The guide mechanism enables the suction mouth to adapt to floor irregularities while minimizing contact pressure that would displace dirt particles.
4Device complexity
If the treatment facility is made fixed relative to the chassis, then the device complexity is reduced, but the facility cannot maintain consistent distance from uneven floor surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
A guide mechanism is introduced that allows the treatment facility to move vertically relative to the chassis while maintaining a relatively simple structure. The guide constrains movement to a predefined path, providing the necessary adaptability to maintain consistent distance from the floor on level surfaces while keeping the overall device complexity manageable.
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 ensures consistent airflow and effective dirt removal by maintaining a predefined distance from the floor, even over obstacles, enhancing the cleaning performance of robot vacuum cleaners on various floor types and surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
a guide for applying the treatment facility movably along a predefined path in relation to the chassis, wherein the path extends in a vertical direction in relation to the floor
Implementation Method 2
a pneumatic vacuum... a suction mechanism comprises a suction mouth that lies in the region of the floor and into which the air laden with dirt can enter
Data Source
AI summary
A floor treatment facility includes a chassis, a running gear for guiding the chassis over a floor, a treatment facility for treating the floor, a suction mouth, and a guide for applying the treatment facility movably along a predetermined path in relation to the chassis. The path extends in a vertical direction in relation to the floor and the path encloses a predefined angle with a plane parallel to the floor when the floor-treatment facility is standing on an even floor. The angle is at most approximately 45°.