Modular Stair-Climbing Unit for Multi-Floor Robot Cleaning Autonomy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing floor-mounted robots cannot independently switch between two floor surfaces connected by a staircase, requiring manual transport and being inefficient for operators.
Innovation Solution
A stair-climbing unit for floor robots, comprising a receiving device, a stair-climbing device actuated by an actuator, and a supply interface that allows the actuator to be powered by the floor robot, enabling the robot to climb stairs independently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a floor robot is designed to clean a single floor area, then the device complexity is low and the robot is compact, but the robot cannot independently switch between multiple floors connected by a staircase
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two independent modules: a compact floor robot for cleaning and a separate stair-climbing unit for vertical transport. This segmentation allows the robot to remain simple while gaining multi-floor capability through the modular stair-climbing attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The stair-climbing unit acts as an intermediary between the floor robot and the staircase. It provides the complex stair-negotiation functionality separately, allowing the main robot to remain simple while achieving adaptability through the intermediary component.
2Productivity
If an operator manually carries the floor robot between floors, then the robot remains simple and compact, but the operator effort increases and cleaning efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The floor robot autonomously transports itself between floors using the stair-climbing unit. The robot independently controls the actuator to move the stair-climbing device, eliminating the need for manual carrying and significantly improving productivity while reducing operator effort to zero.
3Extent of automation
If the stair-climbing unit includes its own control unit, then it can operate independently, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The floor robot's control unit is designed to perform multiple functions: it controls both the robot's cleaning operations and the stair-climbing unit's movement. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for a separate control unit in the stair-climbing device, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining full automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The control functions for the floor robot and the stair-climbing unit are merged into a single control system. The robot's control unit communicates with the actuator through a supply interface, combining what could have been separate control systems into one unified controller, thereby reducing device complexity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the floor robot includes built-in stair-climbing capability, then it can independently access multiple floors, but the robot size and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The stair-climbing functionality is segmented from the main robot body into a separate, attachable unit. This allows the robot to maintain its compact original size while gaining multi-floor access capability through the modular attachment, avoiding the need to increase robot volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static, single-function robot to a dynamic, multi-functional system through the attachable stair-climbing unit. The robot can switch between cleaning mode and stair-climbing mode, achieving adaptability without permanently increasing its base size or complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention comprises a cleaning system for cleaning two floor surfaces (1100, 1105) connected by a staircase (705), wherein the cleaning system (700) comprises the following: a stair-climbing unit (200) and a floor robot (100); wherein, in a coupled state, the floor robot (100) is received on the receiving device (205) and the coupling device (160) of the floor robot (100) is coupled to the supply interface (230) of the stair-climbing unit (200); such that, in the coupled state, the floor robot (100) controls the actuator (220) of the stair-climbing device (225) of the stair-climbing unit (200) and/or supplies it with electrical energy, whereby the stair-climbing unit (200) with the floor robot (100) overcomes the stairs (705).