Robot Cleaner Adjustable Wheel Height for Stepped Portion Climbing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional robot cleaners often fail to climb high stepped portions due to insufficient driving force and friction, resulting in incomplete cleaning of areas on the opposite side of thresholds.
Innovation Solution
A robot cleaner design featuring a body with a slope at the lower end, an auxiliary front wheel, and a main wheel with adjustable height, controlled by a driving unit that lowers the main wheel when encountering a stepped portion and raises it when on the upper surface, ensuring stable traversal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the robot cleaner uses conventional fixed wheels, then the structure is simple, but it cannot climb high stepped portions
Solution Approach 1:
The main wheel's height is made dynamically adjustable rather than fixed. The driving unit lowers the main wheel when the auxiliary front wheel encounters a stepped portion, enabling the robot to climb higher obstacles. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by providing adaptability to different terrain conditions while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel system is segmented into two distinct parts: an auxiliary front wheel with fixed height and a main wheel with adjustable height. This segmentation allows the front wheel to provide stable initial contact with stepped portions while the main wheel adapts its height to complete the climbing action, thus improving climbing capability without requiring the entire wheel system to be complex.
2Force
If the robot cleaner increases driving force for wheels, then it can climb higher steps, but friction may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of merely increasing driving force, the invention dynamically adjusts the wheel's position relative to the body. By lowering the main wheel when encountering steps, the system maintains reliable contact with the surface while reducing the demand on friction and driving force, thus achieving both climbing capability and stable travel.
Solution Approach 2:
The problem is solved by adding a vertical dimension to the wheel's motion. The main wheel can move vertically relative to the body, allowing it to reach higher stepped portions. This dimensional change enables climbing without relying solely on increased horizontal driving force or friction.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the robot cleaner lowers the main wheel to climb steps, then it can traverse uneven surfaces, but shock may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic member is positioned to provide cushioning before the main wheel encounters uneven surfaces. When the driving unit lowers the main wheel, the elastic member is compressed in advance, absorbing shock during the transition. This beforehand cushioning allows the robot to traverse uneven surfaces while reducing the harmful shock that would otherwise occur.
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
Enables the robot cleaner to climb higher stepped portions and maintain stable travel, preventing incomplete cleaning and reducing shock during uneven surface passage.
Implementation Method 1
a driving unit to lower or raise the main wheel with respect to the body, wherein the driving unit lowers the main wheel when the auxiliary front wheel enters a stepped portion
Data Source
AI summary
A robot cleaner and a method for controlling the same are disclosed. The robot cleaner includes a body provided with a suction portion and a slope formed to be inclined at a lower end thereof, an auxiliary front wheel disposed at a rear side of the slope, a main wheel disposed at a rear side of the auxiliary front wheel and arranged such that a height of the main wheel is variable with respect to the body, and a driving unit to lower or raise the main wheel with respect to the body, wherein the driving unit lowers the main wheel when the auxiliary front wheel enters a stepped portion. The robot cleaner is capable of climbing up a higher stepped portion than in conventional cases.