Robotic cleaner

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Solution Overview

Problem

Robot cleaners face challenges with driving performance and cleaning efficiency due to height differences in various floor types, leading to suction nozzle sticking and reduced friction between wheels and the floor.

Innovation Solution

The robot cleaner is equipped with a suction nozzle that includes guide protrusions, which are accommodated in guide holders within the cleaner body. These components allow the suction nozzle to ascend, descend, and swing, adapting to changes in floor height and maintaining surface pressure for effective suction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the suction nozzle is fixed in close contact with the floor, then cleaning performance is improved, but the suction nozzle gets stuck on height differences causing reduced driving performance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning performanceVSAvoiddriving performance
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The suction nozzle is designed with dynamic movement capability through guide protrusions and guide grooves that allow the nozzle to ascend and descend relative to the cleaner body. This enables the suction nozzle to adapt to height differences in floor surfaces while maintaining cleaning contact, resolving the contradiction between fixed contact for cleaning performance and adaptability for driving performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the suction nozzle ascends or descends to adapt to floor height changes, then driving performance is improved, but cleaning performance may be reduced due to loss of surface contact

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriving performanceVSAvoidcleaning performance
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The suction nozzle is segmented from the cleaner body through the guide protrusion-guide groove mechanism, allowing independent vertical movement. This segmentation enables the suction nozzle to maintain optimal contact with the floor surface while the cleaner body navigates height differences, preserving both driving performance and cleaning performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Adaptability or versatility

If the suction nozzle is designed to be movable to avoid sticking, then adaptability to floor changes is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to floor height changesVSAvoidsuction nozzle structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The guide protrusions and guide grooves are designed to enable automatic self-adjustment of the suction nozzle position based on floor height variations. The structure utilizes the interaction between the protrusions and grooves to naturally guide the ascent and descent movements without requiring external actuators or complex control systems, thereby achieving adaptability with minimal added complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4023128B1Robotic cleaner
Publication Date: 2025.09.10 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP4023128B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4023128B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP4023128B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The present invention relates to a robotic cleaner comprising: a cleaner body which has a plurality of guide holders provided therein and performs self-driving; and a suction nozzle which receives an agitator therein, has guide protrusions longitudinally protruding from both sidewalls thereof toward the plurality of guide holders and received in the plurality of guide holders, respectively, and is up-and-down movably and back-and-forth swingably mounted to the cleaner body, whereby the driving performance and cleaning performance of the cleaner can be improved.