Robot Cleaner Dust Inflow Sensing With Guided Light Reception
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robot cleaners lack an effective dust sensing mechanism that optimizes dust detection capacity, leading to inefficient cleaning patterns and reduced cleaning efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A robot cleaner equipped with a dust inflow sensing unit featuring a light emitting part and a light receiving part, guided by a light receiving guide member to restrict the reception region, enhancing the sensitivity of dust detection by minimizing external light interference and allowing precise measurement of dust inflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a light emitting part and light receiving part are provided to detect dust, then dust detection capability is improved, but external light interference reduces measurement precision
Solution Approach 1:
A light receiving guide member is introduced as an intermediary component between the light receiving part and the external environment. This guide member restricts the reception region to only accept light from the dust inflow channel, blocking external light sources while allowing the desired light transmission path for dust detection to remain open.
Solution Approach 2:
The light receiving guide member creates a localized light reception zone that is specifically oriented toward the dust inflow channel. By controlling the spatial distribution of light reception, the system accepts light only from the relevant dust-containing region while rejecting light from other directions, thereby improving measurement precision without sacrificing detection capability.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the reception region of the light receiving part is expanded to capture more light, then light reception capability is improved, but external light interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
The light receiving guide member acts as a selective intermediary that guides and filters light based on its origin direction. It allows sufficient light from the dust inflow channel to reach the light receiving part while blocking light from external sources, thus maintaining good light reception capability without increasing external light interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide member creates a directional light reception pattern, concentrating the reception capability toward the dust inflow channel while maintaining a restricted angular range. This localized light gathering approach ensures strong signal reception from the target region without proportionally increasing reception of external light from other directions.
3Measurement precision
If a light receiving guide member is added to restrict the reception region, then external light interference is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The light receiving guide member is a simple intermediary component that can be implemented as a basic optical element such as a tube or housing structure. While it does add a component to the system, its function is straightforward and it can be integrated into the existing sensing unit design with minimal additional complexity, achieving significant improvement in measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensing unit is segmented into distinct functional zones: the light emitting part, the light receiving part, and the light receiving guide member. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and facilitates modular assembly, reducing the overall complexity of integration while maintaining the benefits of the restricted reception region.
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 dust inflow sensing unit improves the robot cleaner's ability to differentiate areas with and without dust, enabling targeted cleaning strategies, such as increased brush rotation or suction force in dusty areas, thereby enhancing cleaning efficiency and reducing cleaning time.
Implementation Method 1
a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit which are provided on both sides in the vicinity of a suction inlet of the suction nozzle. When the suction nozzle sucks dust, the dust passes through between the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit, thereby obstructing the light transmitted from the emitting unit to the receiving unit.
Data Source
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AI summary
A dust inflow sensing unit and a robot cleaner having the same. The dust inflow sensing unit includes a light emitting element to emit a beam having a transmission region, a light receiving element having a reception region overlapping the transmission region of the light emitting element, and a guide member to restrict the reception region of the light receiving element to a designated range until the reception region reaches the light emitting element.