Robot Cleaner Side Brush Coupling to Reduce Motor Count and Weight
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning robots face challenges with complex and heavy designs due to powerful motors required for multiple drives, which increase weight, reduce efficiency, and are prone to wear and contamination issues, especially when cleaning hard-to-reach areas like corners and edges.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning robot design featuring a single electric motor with a coupling unit and fastening means that allows the output to be moved relative to the housing, enabling the motor's full torque for obstacle navigation and optional coupling of secondary outputs like side brushes for corner cleaning, reducing component complexity and weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate electric motors are used to drive means of locomotion and brushes, then each function can be independently driven, but the device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple drive functions (means of locomotion and side brush) into a single electric motor system. The motor shaft directly drives the side brush while the motor housing serves as the means of locomotion, eliminating the need for separate motors and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The single electric motor is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously - it provides both locomotion through its housing and drives the side brush through its shaft. This multi-functional design reduces the total number of components while maintaining independent drive capability for each function.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a belt drive is used to connect the motor to side brushes spaced apart, then the side brushes can be driven, but the transmission efficiency decreases and the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the intermediate belt transmission element by directly coupling the motor shaft to the side brush. This direct drive approach removes the belt from the system, eliminating energy losses associated with belt slip and tension while simplifying the transmission structure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a gear drive is used to couple the brush roller to the side brush, then the side brush can be driven, but the device weight and space requirements increase due to powerful drive motors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the motor shaft function with the side brush drive function, eliminating the need for gear drives. The direct connection between motor shaft and side brush reduces the power transmission path, allowing for a smaller, lighter motor design while maintaining effective brush coupling.
4Adaptability or versatility
If gear drives are used for transmitting power to brushes, then the side brushes can be driven, but the reliability decreases due to binding and wear from contamination and friction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the gear drive system entirely by implementing direct drive. The motor shaft directly rotates the side brush without intermediate gears, eliminating the transmission path where contamination and friction could cause binding and wear, thereby significantly improving reliability.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The invention relates to a cleaning robot (10) comprising: a housing (5), an electric motor that drives a first output (1), wherein the first output (1) is movably connected to the housing (5) of the cleaning robot (10) by means of a fastening element (4), such that the first output (1) is configured in a first operating position of the fastening element (4) to couple a second output (2) by means of a coupling unit (3); and the first output (1) is configured in a second operating position of the fastening element (4) to decouple the second output (2) by means of the coupling unit (3), wherein the first output (1) is a means of locomotion for moving the cleaning robot (10) on a surface to be cleaned. The coupling unit (3) is preferably designed as a friction drive and can therefore be used and maintained particularly easily and flexibly.