Retractable Dirty-Liquid Intake for Cornering Floor Cleaners
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Solution Overview
Problem
Floor cleaning machines, especially autonomously operated ones, face challenges in navigating corners without damaging objects due to the lateral projection of the dirty-liquid intake device, which can cause contact and potential damage when pivoting outwards during cornering.
Innovation Solution
The dirty-liquid intake device is designed to be displaceable between a retracted and extended position, allowing it to pivot minimally when cornering away from objects, ensuring it does not come into contact, and is equipped with a sensor arrangement and drive system for automatic adjustment based on detected distances from objects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the dirty-liquid intake device extends laterally beyond the width of the cleaning device to ensure complete coverage of dirty liquid during cornering, then the cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the risk of contact with lateral objects increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dirty-liquid intake device is made dynamically adjustable between extended and retracted positions. During straight cleaning operations, the device extends laterally to ensure complete coverage of dirty liquid. When cornering or approaching lateral objects, the device is retracted to avoid contact. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to optimize between cleaning effectiveness and collision avoidance based on real-time operational conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The lateral extension parameter of the dirty-liquid intake device is changed based on operational context. The device can vary its lateral position from fully extended (for maximum cleaning coverage) to retracted (for collision avoidance). This parameter change enables the system to adapt to different cleaning scenarios and avoid harmful contacts with lateral objects while maintaining cleaning effectiveness when appropriate.
2Productivity
If the dirty-liquid intake device is attached behind the rear wheels to ensure complete coverage during cornering, then the cleaning coverage is improved, but the device pivots outwards during cornering causing contact with lateral objects
Solution Approach 1:
The dirty-liquid intake device is designed with dynamic position adjustment capability, allowing it to move between extended and retracted positions relative to the machine housing. When cornering is detected or anticipated, the device is retracted to prevent the pivoting-out effect that would cause contact with lateral objects. During straight-line cleaning, the device extends to maintain optimal cleaning coverage behind the rear wheels.
Solution Approach 2:
The system takes preliminary action by retracting the dirty-liquid intake device before cornering occurs or when lateral objects are detected. This preventive measure counteracts the inevitable pivoting-out effect that would occur during cornering with a fixed device, thereby preventing contact with lateral objects before it happens.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the dirty-liquid intake device is made pivotable about a vertical axis to avoid contact during cornering, then the contact problem is reduced, but the complexity of the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dirty-liquid intake device incorporates a drive mechanism that enables it to move between extended and retracted positions along the longitudinal axis of the machine housing. This dynamic adjustment provides a simpler alternative to pivotable designs, achieving contact avoidance through longitudinal movement rather than rotational articulation, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the dirty-liquid intake device is retracted during cornering to avoid contact, then safety is improved, but the cleaning coverage during cornering is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the position of the dirty-liquid intake device based on real-time operational conditions. When cornering is detected via sensors or planned in the navigation system, the device is retracted to ensure safety and avoid contact with lateral objects. During straight-line cleaning operations, the device is extended to maintain optimal cleaning coverage. This dynamic adjustment optimizes the trade-off between safety and cleaning coverage based on the immediate operational context.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by retracting the dirty-liquid intake device before cornering occurs, based on pre-planned navigation paths or real-time sensor detection of lateral objects. This ensures safety is maintained during cornering operations. The device is then extended again after cornering to resume optimal cleaning coverage, minimizing the impact on overall productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
A floor cleaning machine having a machine housing, cleaning-liquid and dirty-liquid tanks received in the machine housing, a chassis with front and rear wheels spaced apart along a longitudinal axis and facilitating movement of the machine housing over a floor surface, a cleaning device configured to clean the floor surface, a cleaning liquid applicator that dispenses a cleaning liquid from the cleaning-liquid tank to a region of the cleaning device, and a dirty-liquid intake that is in fluid communication with the dirty-liquid tank and configured to intake liquid on the floor surface and discharge the liquid to the dirty-liquid tank. The dirty-liquid intake being disposed on the machine housing behind the rear wheel and being movable relative to the machine housing between a retracted position and an extended position. The dirty liquid intake is closer to the rear wheel when disposed in the retracted position.