Robot Cleaner Mopping Unit with Multi-Roller Surface Contact Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional robot cleaners are inadequate in effectively mopping and dust removal, particularly due to limited contact area with the floor and inability to handle uneven terrain or carpets, and lack a mechanism for supplying water for enhanced cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A robot cleaner with a caterpillar-shaped mopping unit featuring multiple rollers for increased surface contact, a water tank, and a water supply system to moisten the mop, along with a climbing prevention mechanism to avoid stepped terrain, allowing for efficient dust removal and mopping while preventing entry into areas like carpets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If a roller mop is used in a line contact scheme, then the structure is simple, but the area of contact with the floor is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The mopping unit is segmented into multiple independent rollers (first roller, second roller, third roller, fourth roller) arranged in parallel. Each roller can independently contact the floor surface, transforming a single line contact into multiple line contacts that collectively form a broader contact area, effectively resolving the contradiction between contact area and structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-dimensional line contact (one roller) to a two-dimensional surface contact area by arranging multiple rollers in parallel. This dimensional expansion allows the mopping unit to achieve broader floor contact without significantly increasing structural complexity, as each roller maintains the simple cylindrical form factor.
2Adaptability or versatility
If suction power alone is used for cleaning, then the structure is simple, but dust attached to floor face or large dust particles cannot be removed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two distinct cleaning mechanisms: the suction unit (with suction inlet, suction outlet, and airflow generation) and the mopping unit (with multiple rollers and mop). This combination allows the robot cleaner to handle both loose dust particles (via suction) and dust attached to the floor surface or larger particles (via mopping), thereby enhancing overall cleaning capability without requiring a completely new system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot cleaner is designed with multi-functionality by integrating both suction and mopping capabilities in a single device. The cleaning module housing accommodates both the suction unit and mopping unit, allowing the device to adapt to different cleaning scenarios (loose dust vs. attached dust) without requiring separate devices, thus achieving versatility while maintaining reasonable system complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the robot cleaner enters carpeted areas, then it can clean more surfaces, but the mopping unit cannot effectively operate on carpets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a climbing prevention mechanism that dynamically controls the robot cleaner's movement based on surface detection. When the sensor detects a carpet or stepped surface, the control unit activates the climbing prevention mechanism to stop the drive wheels, preventing the mopping unit from attempting to operate on unsuitable surfaces. This dynamic response ensures mopping effectiveness is maintained on hard floors while avoiding ineffective operation on carpets.
4Productivity
If no water supply mechanism is provided, then the device complexity is low, but mopping effectiveness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a water supply mechanism that preliminarily wets the mop before mopping operation. The water tank stores water, and the water supply mechanism delivers water to the mop in advance, ensuring the mop is properly moistened for effective mopping. This preliminary action enhances mopping productivity by preventing dry mopping, while the water supply system remains relatively simple with just a tank and basic delivery mechanism.
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 robot cleaner effectively mops and removes dust from various surfaces while preventing entry into uneven areas, ensuring thorough cleaning and maintaining effective surface contact for superior performance.
Implementation Method 1
a water supply passage connected to the water tank and the cleaning module housing to guide water received in the water tank
Implementation Method 2
a pump for guiding water received in the water tank to the cleaning module housing, and a pump motor for operating the pump
Implementation Method 3
a mop disposed to surround the body and the plurality of mopping rollers and in a surface contact with the traveling face
Implementation Method 4
a driver for moving the main body
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a robot cleaner including a main body for forming an exterior of the robot cleaner, a driver for moving the main body, a cleaning module housing coupled to the main body, and a mopping unit accommodated in a space defined in the cleaning module housing to mop a traveling face, wherein the mopping unit includes a body disposed in the cleaning module housing, a plurality of mopping rollers arranged on the body, and a mop disposed to surround the body and the plurality of mopping rollers and in a surface contact with the traveling face. An area in contact with the traveling face is increased, so that a cleaning efficiency may be maximized.