Robot Vacuum Circular Body Layout for Edge Cleaning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Robotic vacuum cleaners face challenges in effectively cleaning the edges of rooms due to debris being flicked away by spinning side brushes, and existing designs often struggle with maneuverability in confined spaces and collision detection.

Innovation Solution

An autonomous floor treating appliance with a transversely extending surface treating assembly and a cyclonic dirt separating apparatus, featuring a circular main body for improved edge cleaning and maneuverability, along with a movable body for collision detection, allows the appliance to clean close to walls and navigate through tight spaces while detecting collisions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the appliance has a non-circular shape to accommodate components, then internal components can be housed, but maneuverability in confined spaces and corners is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomponent accommodationVSAvoidmaneuverability in confined spaces
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent gives the main body a substantially circular plan profile, which is the optimal shape for maneuverability in confined spaces and corners. The circular shape allows the appliance to navigate tight corners and small rooms more effectively while the components are arranged within this circular footprint rather than extending beyond it

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

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 appliance effectively cleans up to the edges of rooms and navigates through confined spaces with enhanced maneuverability and collision detection, improving cleaning efficiency and robustness.

Implementation Method 1

a suction generator operable to draw air from a dirty air inlet of the treating head into a removable dirt and dust separating apparatus

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSuction: Suction

Implementation Method 2

a removable dirt and dust separating apparatus

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCyclonic separation: Cyclone Separation

Data Source

PatentEP2753223B1Autonomous surface treating appliance
Publication Date: 2018.07.25 DYSON TECH LTD
  • EP2753223B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2753223B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2753223B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An autonomous surface treating appliance comprising a main body (6) defining, outer plan profile, and having a drive arrangement mounted in board of the outer plan profile of the main body and configured to propel the appliance in direction of movement across a surface to be cleaned, a surface treating assembly (24) associated with the main body and carried transversely to the direction of movement, the surface treating assembly (24) being generally elongate in form and having side edges (27, 29) extending substantially at a tangent to respective circular portions of the outer plan profile of the main body.