Pneumatic Vacuum Cleaner Using Pressurized Air Lift and Recirculation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vacuum cleaners, including robot models, fail to thoroughly clean floors due to insufficient brush and suction force, leaving behind contaminants like sand and allergens, particularly in carpets.
Innovation Solution
A pneumatic vacuum cleaner design that uses an impeller to pressurize air, directing it downward through nozzles to lift the device and entrain debris, with a closed system for efficient cleaning and propulsion, eliminating the need for wheels and brushes, and utilizing a recirculating air passageway and ultra-high-density polyurethane for obstacle navigation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional brushes and suction force are used, then the vacuum cleaner can operate with simple structure, but cleaning effectiveness is insufficient for carpets and hard floors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional mechanical brush system with a pneumatic system. Pressurized air is directed through nozzles to lift the vacuum head and entrain debris, eliminating the need for rotating brushes. This substitution of mechanical action with pneumatic action resolves the contradiction by providing effective cleaning without complex mechanical components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs pneumatic principles by using an impeller to generate pressurized air that is directed through nozzles. The pressurized air serves dual functions: lifting the vacuum head off the floor surface and entraining debris for removal. This pneumatic approach achieves superior cleaning effectiveness while maintaining relatively simple device structure.
2Productivity
If pressurized air is used to lift the cleaner and propel it, then mobility and cleaning efficiency improve, but air leakage and energy loss increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible skirt as a thin film barrier to contain pressurized air within the cleaning head. The skirt prevents air from leaking underneath the vacuum head, ensuring that the pressurized air is used effectively for lifting and debris entrainment. This containment approach minimizes energy loss while maintaining high cleaning efficiency.
3Productivity
If the vacuum cleaner uses wheels and brushes, then it can navigate floors effectively, but it cannot thoroughly clean carpets and leaves contaminants behind
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses pressurized air to create an upward lifting force that counteracts the weight of the vacuum cleaner head. This allows the head to hover slightly above the floor surface, eliminating the need for wheels. The pneumatic lift provides both mobility and enhanced cleaning capability by allowing the nozzles to effectively interact with the floor and carpet surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs pneumatic principles for both propulsion and cleaning. Pressurized air directed through nozzles provides the lifting force and simultaneously generates the airflow needed to entrain and remove debris. This integrated pneumatic system replaces the separate wheel and brush mechanisms, achieving superior debris removal while maintaining ease of operation.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If a closed system is used to prevent dirty air from spewing, then environmental cleanliness improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible skirt as a thin film barrier to create a closed system. The skirt contains the pressurized air and prevents dirty air from spewing out from underneath the vacuum head. This simple flexible barrier effectively seals the system without adding complex components, maintaining environmental cleanliness while keeping the system relatively simple.
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
Effectively cleans both hard and soft flooring surfaces without spewing dirty air, operating unattended and maintaining a closed system, with enhanced debris removal and reduced air leakage, using a hovercraft technique for efficient floor interaction.
Implementation Method 1
an impeller rotationally mounted within the impeller housing and configured to pressurize air exiting the impeller housing
Implementation Method 2
configured to direct air downward and away from the manifold to entrain debris into the air and simultaneously use the pressurized air to lift the cleaner
Implementation Method 3
direct air downward and away from the manifold to entrain debris into the air
Implementation Method 4
a concentric passageway is formed adjacent an inside surface of the external body shell and is configured to recirculate the pressurized air from the plurality of air nozzles back to the dustbin and the impeller housing via the concentric passageway
Implementation Method 5
A bottom surface of the manifold may have a layer of ultra-high-density polyurethane to allow sliding over obstacles
Data Source
AI summary
A pneumatic vacuum, cleaner includes an external body shell having an internal chamber defined therein and a dustbin carried within the internal chamber of the external body shell. The cleaner also includes an impeller housing positioned below the dustbin and having an inlet coupled to the dustbin. In addition, the cleaner includes an impeller within the impeller housing and is configured to pressurize air exiting the impeller housing. A manifold is mounted to the impeller housing and includes a plurality of air nozzles configured to direct air downward and away from the manifold to entrain debris into the air and simultaneously use the pressurized air to lift the cleaner. A concentric passageway is formed adjacent an inside surface of the external body shell and is configured to recirculate the pressurized air from the plurality of air nozzles back to the dustbin and the impeller housing via the concentric passageway.