Robot Cleaning Pad Mounting Card for Stable Pad Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous floor cleaning robots face difficulties in maintaining mechanical stability and effective cleaning due to increased surface forces between the cleaning pad and the floor, particularly with larger pads, which can lead to bending or deformation, and existing solutions either increase costs or fail to provide adequate stability.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a cleaning pad with a mounting card affixed to it, where the card's dimensions are optimized for mechanical stability and cleaning surface area, and a pad holder system that engages with the card in a single orientation to ensure the marker is aligned with a sensor for type identification, allowing the robot to select the appropriate cleaning mode based on the pad type.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the cleaning pad size is increased to improve cleaning surface area, then the cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the mechanical stability deteriorates due to increased surface forces causing bending or deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning pad is segmented into multiple independent cleaning elements (brushes, cloths, or pads) that are separately mounted on the mounting card. This segmentation allows each element to be smaller and more rigid while collectively providing a large cleaning surface area, thus resolving the contradiction between large cleaning area and mechanical stability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the cleaning pad have different properties - the mounting card provides rigid structural support while the cleaning elements distributed across it provide the cleaning function. This local differentiation allows the structure to maintain stability while the cleaning surfaces provide adequate coverage area.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the mounting card size is increased to provide mechanical stability, then the stability is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting card is designed with minimal necessary dimensions to provide adequate mechanical stability - not extending across the entire cleaning pad area. This partial action approach provides just enough support structure while minimizing material usage and manufacturing cost, avoiding excessive card size.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting card serves multiple functions: providing mechanical support, enabling sensor detection through aperture patterns, and facilitating pad attachment to the holder. This multi-functionality allows a relatively small card to achieve stability while reducing overall component count and cost.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the mounting card extends across the entire length of the cleaning pad to provide mechanical stability, then the stability is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting card is designed with minimal necessary dimensions to provide adequate mechanical stability - not extending across the entire cleaning pad area. This partial action approach provides just enough support structure while minimizing material usage and manufacturing cost, avoiding excessive card size.
4Ease of manufacture
If a small mounting card is used to reduce manufacturing cost, then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but the mechanical stability is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting card serves multiple functions: providing mechanical support, enabling sensor detection through aperture patterns, and facilitating pad attachment to the holder. This multi-functionality allows a relatively small card to achieve stability while reducing overall component count and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning pad assembly combines the mounting card (providing rigid structural support) with cleaning elements (providing cleaning function and additional structural distribution). This composite structure allows the card to be smaller while maintaining overall system stability through the distributed cleaning elements.
5Ease of operation
If the pad holder protrusions engage with cutouts on the mounting card in multiple orientations, then the ease of installation is improved, but the ability to align the marker with the sensor deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting card features asymmetric aperture patterns that are unique to each pad type, and the pad holder protrusions are positioned to engage with specific aperture configurations. This asymmetric design ensures that only the correct pad orientation allows proper engagement, thereby aligning the marker with the sensor while maintaining ease of installation through intuitive fit.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor provides feedback by detecting the aperture pattern on the mounting card, which identifies the pad type and validates proper orientation. This feedback mechanism ensures correct alignment while allowing easy installation, as the system automatically verifies pad type through the aperture configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
An autonomous floor cleaning robot includes a robot body, a drive supporting the robot body to maneuver the robot across a floor surface, a pad holder attached to an underside of the robot body and configured to receive a removable cleaning pad, and a pad sensor configured to sense a pad type identifier on a central region of the cleaning pad. The pad type identifier includes a marker on the central region of the cleaning pad. The cleaning pad has a mounting card affixed thereto, and the pad type identifier includes an array of apertures that expose selected portions of the marker.