Robotic cleaner with dual cleaning rollers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Robotic vacuum cleaners face challenges in controlling suction engagement with surfaces and effectively capturing debris, as excessive spacing reduces suction and direct engagement can damage the motor, while agitators may fail to loosen small debris or push larger debris without capturing it.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of dual cleaning rollers, including a soft leading roller and a brush roll, with a combing unit featuring spaced protrusions to remove debris and a sealing strip to enhance suction, allowing the leading roller to engage debris and direct it into the suction conduit while minimizing motor load and preventing air leakage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the suction conduit is spaced too far from a surface, then the suction may be less because the air is flowing into the suction conduit through a greater surface area, but if the suction conduit is directly engaged with the surface, air will stop flowing into the suction conduit and the suction motor may be damaged

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemotor protectionVSAvoidsuction efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

A seal member is introduced as an intermediary component between the suction conduit and the surface. The seal member engages the surface to prevent air leakage while maintaining a controlled airflow path through the suction conduit opening, thus protecting the motor from damage while preserving suction efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The seal member is configured to provide sealing at specific locations (sides of the opening) while leaving the center opening clear for airflow. This localized sealing approach ensures that air leakage is prevented at critical points without blocking the main airflow path into the suction conduit.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Productivity

If an agitator in the suction conduit is used to loosen debris, then debris capture may be improved, but if the debris is too small or the agitator unable to loosen it, the suction conduit may pass over the debris without removing it or push larger debris forward without capturing it (snowplowing)

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedebris capture efficiencyVSAvoiddebris pushing without capture

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the traditional mechanical agitator system with a seal member that creates negative pressure (suction) to draw debris into the suction conduit. This substitution eliminates the snowplowing effect by using airflow rather than mechanical contact to move and capture debris, effectively capturing both small and large debris particles.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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

This configuration improves debris capture efficiency, reduces motor load, and extends the lifespan of the cleaning apparatus by ensuring effective debris removal and airflow without damaging the motor, while maintaining a lightweight and cost-effective design.

Implementation Method 1

a suction system with a suction conduit having an opening on an underside for drawing air into and through the vacuum cleaner such that debris is captured in the air

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSuction: Suction

Implementation Method 2

the seal member engages a surface together with one of the cleaning rollers to seal the opening

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSealing:

Data Source

PatentUS11202542B2Robotic cleaner with dual cleaning rollers

Publication Date: 2021.12.21 SHARKNINJA OPERATING LLC

AI summary

A robotic cleaner includes a housing, a suction conduit with an opening, and a leading roller mounted in front of a brush roll. An inter-roller air passageway may be defined between the leading roller and the brush roll wherein the lower portion of the leading roller is exposed to a flow path to the suction conduit and an upper portion of the leading roller is outside of the flow path. Optionally, a combing unit includes a plurality of combing protrusions extending into the leading roller and having leading edges not aligned with a center of the leading roller. Optionally, a sealing strip is located along a rear side of the opening and along a portion of left and right sides of the opening. The underside may define side edge vacuum passageways extending from the sides of the housing partially between the leading roller and the sealing strip towards the opening.