Robotic Cleaner With Extendable Cleaning Pad for Edge Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robotic floor cleaners often leave untreated surface areas due to their limited cleaning path and buffer spaces maintained to avoid scuffing, resulting in inefficient cleaning coverage.
Innovation Solution
A robotic cleaning system with a movable cleaning pad that can extend beyond the housing, actuated by a motor and rotor mechanism, allowing for increased cleaning coverage and adaptability around obstacles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a buffer space is maintained between the robotic cleaner and walls or obstacles to prevent scuffing, then wall contact damage is reduced, but the cleaned surface area is decreased
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning pad is made movable relative to the housing, transitioning between a retracted position (aligned with housing edges) and an extended position (protruding beyond housing edges). This dynamic adjustment allows the system to adapt the cleaning surface area based on operational needs, resolving the contradiction between maintaining buffer space and maximizing cleaned area.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning system is divided into a stationary housing and a movable cleaning pad that can independently adjust its position. This segmentation allows the cleaning pad to extend beyond the housing boundaries when needed, effectively increasing the cleaned surface area without requiring the entire housing to move closer to walls or obstacles.
2Ease of operation
If the wet cleaning element width is less than the housing width, then the cleaner can navigate tighter spaces, but untreated surface areas increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning pad transitions from a fixed width constraint to a dynamically adjustable width by extending beyond the housing edges during cleaning operations. This allows the effective cleaning width to exceed the housing width, eliminating untreated surface areas while maintaining the housing's compact navigation capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning pad extends in the lateral dimension beyond the housing boundaries, creating a dimensional discrepancy between the housing width and the actual cleaning width. This allows the system to navigate using the compact housing while cleaning a wider area through the extended pad.
3Area of stationary object
If the cleaning pad is extended beyond the housing, then cleaning coverage is increased, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical extension mechanism uses a rotor that converts rotational movement into linear movement of the cleaning pad through a groove mechanism. This substitution of direct linear actuation with rotational-to-linear conversion simplifies the control system while achieving the desired cleaning pad extension.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning pad is biased towards the retracted position by a biasing element, allowing it to automatically return to its neutral position without requiring active control. This self-service mechanism reduces the complexity of control systems while maintaining the ability to extend the pad when needed.
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 system effectively reduces or eliminates untreated surface areas by extending the cleaning pad to cover previously inaccessible regions, enhancing the overall cleaning efficiency and coverage.
Implementation Method 1
The motor may be configured to move the cleaning pad with respect to the housing. The robotic cleaner may include a rotor coupled to the motor and the cleaning pad. Rotational movement of the rotor may cause linear movement of the cleaning pad.
Implementation Method 2
The robotic cleaner may include a biasing element attached to the cleaning pad. The biasing element may be configured to bias the cleaning pad towards a first position with respect to the housing.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and computer program products for a robotic cleaner with an extendable cleaning surface are provided. An example robotic cleaning system may include a robotic cleaner having a housing and a cleaning pad movably attached to the housing. The cleaning pad may be movable to extend at least a portion of the cleaning pad beyond an edge of the housing.