Robotic floor cleaning apparatus with shell connected to the cleaning assembly and suspended over the drive system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current robotic floor cleaners face limitations in cleaning reach and effectiveness due to their circular design, which restricts the size and configuration of the cleaning mechanism, and inefficient navigation strategies that lead to incomplete coverage and uneven cleaning of complex environments.
Innovation Solution
A robotic cleaner design where the cleaning mechanism, such as a cleaning pad, forms a major part of the mobile platform, extending to the front and sides to reach walls and corners, with a suspension system that maximizes floor contact and minimizes the drive system's size, allowing for effective navigation in tight spaces, and employs a regional cleaning approach with low-cost sensors for systematic coverage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the cleaning mechanism is contained within the footprint of the mobile robot platform with a circular design, then the robot can navigate easily around obstacles and along walls, but the cleaning mechanism size and reach are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The robot is divided into two main segments: a circular mobile platform for navigation and a rectangular cleaning mechanism for cleaning. The cleaning mechanism is positioned to extend beyond the circular platform boundary, allowing the robot to maintain easy navigation capabilities while significantly increasing the cleaning area and reach. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by separating the navigation function from the cleaning function in terms of spatial requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning mechanism extends in the lateral dimension beyond the circular platform boundary, effectively utilizing the space in another dimension rather than being constrained to the circular footprint. This dimensional extension allows the cleaning mechanism to cover a larger area while the circular platform maintains its navigation advantages.
2Productivity
If the cleaning mechanism extends beyond the circular platform boundary, then the cleaning reach and effectiveness improve, but the robot may hit exterior obstacles when turning
Solution Approach 1:
The design employs asymmetry by having the cleaning mechanism extend only on one side of the circular platform, specifically the side that will be leading during typical cleaning operations. This asymmetric extension allows the robot to achieve enhanced cleaning reach while minimizing the risk of collision with obstacles during turns, as the extended portion is positioned strategically to avoid interference with turning radius requirements.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the wheels and casters are placed to support a circular robot platform, then the robot achieves lateral stability, but the cleaning mechanism cannot extend to areas where wheels or casters are located
Solution Approach 1:
The design extracts the cleaning function from the area occupied by the wheels and casters by positioning the cleaning mechanism to extend beyond the circular platform boundary, specifically in regions where no wheels or casters are located. This extraction allows the cleaning mechanism to access and clean areas that would otherwise be occupied by the support elements, thereby increasing the effective cleaning coverage area while maintaining lateral stability through properly positioned wheels and casters.
4Productivity
If a complex suspension system is used to keep the cleaning mechanism in contact with the floor, then cleaning effectiveness improves, but the robot requires additional complexity in the suspension system
Solution Approach 1:
The design employs equipotentiality by positioning the cleaning mechanism at a lower height than the main body of the robot, creating a natural gravitational tendency for the cleaning mechanism to remain in contact with the floor. This height differential establishes a stable equilibrium position where the cleaning mechanism naturally maintains floor contact without requiring complex active suspension systems, thereby achieving cleaning effectiveness while minimizing suspension complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A robotic cleaner includes a cleaning assembly for cleaning a surface and a main robot body. The main robot body houses a drive system to cause movement of the robotic cleaner and a microcontroller to control the movement of the robotic cleaner. The cleaning assembly is located in front of the drive system and a width of the cleaning assembly is greater than a width of the main robot body. A robotic cleaning system includes a main robot body and a plurality of cleaning assemblies for cleaning a surface. The main robot body houses a drive system to cause movement of the robotic cleaner and a microcontroller to control the movement of the robotic cleaner. The cleaning assembly is located in front of the drive system and each of the cleaning assemblies is detachable from the main robot body and each of the cleaning assemblies has a unique cleaning function.