Robot Cleaner Station with Automatic Mop Pad Replacement and Cleaning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing robot cleaner systems lack an efficient method for automatically changing and cleaning mop pads during mopping operations, leading to manual intervention and potential inefficiencies.

Innovation Solution

A robot cleaner station equipped with a pad cleaner, a pad moving device, and processors that control the movement and cleaning of mop pads, allowing for automatic replacement and cleaning of used mop pads with cleaned ones.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a robot cleaner is equipped with a mopping function and manual mop pad replacement capability, then the cleaning functionality is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to requiring manual intervention for pad replacement

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning functionalityVSAvoidmanual intervention requirement

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The robot cleaner automatically replaces its own mop pads by docking with the base station, which stores multiple pads and performs automatic pad replacement and cleaning operations, eliminating the need for manual pad replacement by the user

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The base station pre-stores multiple clean mop pads and automatically replaces them on the robot cleaner before the current pad is fully exhausted, ensuring continuous operation without user intervention

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of manufacture

If a robot cleaner station includes a cleaning device for cleaning mop pads, then the maintenance capability is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemaintenance capabilityVSAvoidstation structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The base station integrates multiple functions including pad storage, automatic pad replacement, and pad cleaning operations into a single unified device, consolidating what would otherwise be separate maintenance equipment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The base station serves multiple purposes: it acts as a charging dock, a storage unit for multiple mop pads, an automatic pad replacement station, and a cleaning device for maintaining the pads, making one component perform many functions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Productivity

If the robot cleaner automatically replaces mop pads at the base station, then the productivity is improved through continuous operation, but the loss of time increases due to docking and replacement cycles

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontinuous operation capabilityVSAvoiddocking and replacement time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The base station prepares clean mop pads in advance and loads them onto the robot cleaner before the current pad is completely used up, so that pad replacement occurs proactively rather than causing operational interruption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system maintains continuous mopping operation by automatically replenishing mop pads during brief docking periods at the base station, ensuring that the useful cleaning action continues without significant interruption to overall productivity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS20250127368A1Robot cleaner station and robot cleaner system with the same

Publication Date: 2025.04.24 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

A robot cleaner station includes: a base; a pad cleaner provided in an upper surface of the base and configured to place and clean a mop pad; a pad moving device configured to move a used mop pad from the pad cleaner and place a cleaned mop pad on the pad cleaner; and one or more processors, where, by executing one or more instructions stored on at least one memory, the one or more processors are configured to: control the pad moving device to move the used mop pad to the pad cleaner, and control the pad cleaner to clean the used mop pad based on a robot cleaner obtaining the cleaned mop pad and moving away from the base.