Robot Cleaner Base and Caster Design for Threshold Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robot cleaners face damage due to malfunctioning sensors that fail to detect thresholds or cliffs, leading to unintended area cleaning or falling, as they lack effective mechanisms to differentiate climbable and unclimbable obstacles and absorb impacts during passage.
Innovation Solution
Integration of a drive suppression unit with a base configuration that includes a sensor receiving groove and a hook to classify obstacles by height, combined with a caster system that adjusts height using an elastic member to reduce impact during passage over thresholds or obstacles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sensors are used to detect thresholds and cliffs, then obstacle detection capability is improved, but reliability deteriorates when sensors malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mechanical intermediary system consisting of a base configuration with sensor receiving grooves and a caster system with elastic members. This mechanical intermediary acts as a backup detection and protection mechanism when the optical sensors fail, providing physical interference with obstacles and impact absorption to ensure the robot cleaner does not fall or get damaged
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic member in the caster system provides beforehand cushioning by being pre-configured to absorb impacts when the robot cleaner encounters thresholds or obstacles. The elastic member can be compressed to reduce impact forces before actual contact occurs, protecting the robot from damage even when sensor detection fails
2Measurement precision
If the base configuration includes sensor receiving grooves and hooks, then obstacle classification accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The base configuration is segmented into functional components: sensor receiving grooves for optical sensor alignment and hooks for mechanical obstacle interference. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, improving obstacle classification accuracy while keeping the overall structure modular and manageable
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the sensor receiving grooves and hooks into a single integrated base configuration. This merging allows the optical detection system and mechanical interference system to work together seamlessly, improving obstacle classification accuracy without requiring separate complex systems
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the caster system adjusts height using elastic members, then impact reduction capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The caster system changes the height parameter dynamically using elastic members that compress and extend based on terrain conditions. This parameter change allows the caster to adjust its position relative to the base, reducing impact forces when encountering obstacles while maintaining a relatively simple mechanical structure
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
Enhances obstacle detection performance and reduces the risk of damage by preventing passage over unclimbable obstacles and minimizing impact during passage over climbable ones, ensuring stable operation even with sensor malfunctions.
Implementation Method 1
a caster system that adjusts height using an elastic member to reduce impact during passage over thresholds or obstacles
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a robot cleaner. In an embodiment, the robot cleaner for avoiding obstacles and sucking foreign materials using a plurality of sensors and a suction motor is characterized in that a drive suppression unit for detecting obstacles having a corresponding height is integrated with a base for forming a lower portion of a main body in order to not climb obstacles of a constant height during a driving period of the robot cleaner. The present disclosure according to the embodiment improves drive stability of the robot cleaner by sensing a threshold in erroneous state of the sensor for sensing the threshold.