Articulated Robotic Vacuum Arm for Under-Furniture Reach
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robotic vacuum cleaners lack diversity in form factor and functionality, with most being discoidal and offering limited flexibility and reach, making them inadequate for cleaning under low-lying furniture and in complex environments.
Innovation Solution
A robotic vacuum cleaning system equipped with an articulated arm comprising a main body, a traction arrangement, and a robotic arm with a drive mechanism that allows multiple degrees of freedom, enabling extended reach and flexibility for cleaning under furniture and in tight spaces, with the arm being stowable for compact storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a robotic vacuum cleaner uses a discoidal shape with low height to travel underneath furniture, then it can access cleaning areas under furniture, but it lacks flexibility and extended reach for complex environments
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic vacuum cleaner is divided into two main segments: a stationary base unit and a separable robotic arm assembly. This segmentation allows the arm to be detached, stored, and reconfigured independently, providing flexibility for different cleaning scenarios while maintaining the compact base for under-furniture cleaning.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic arm incorporates multiple articulated joints with varying degrees of freedom, allowing dynamic reconfiguration of the arm's position and orientation. This enables the system to adapt to complex environments by adjusting the arm's configuration rather than requiring a completely different device design.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a robotic vacuum cleaner is equipped with a robotic arm for extended reach, then it gains flexibility and reach, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic arm is designed as a separable assembly that can be detached from the base unit. This segmentation simplifies the overall system by allowing the complex arm mechanism to be stored when not in use and eliminates the need for integrated complexity in a always-deployed configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic arm sections are designed to nest within each other when retracted, with the lower arm section containing the upper arm section, and the upper arm section containing the forearm. This nesting reduces the spatial footprint and simplifies the mechanism when the arm is not in use.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the robotic arm is designed with multiple degrees of freedom for extended reach, then it can navigate complex environments, but the device occupies more space when deployed
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic arm sections are designed to nest within each other when retracted, significantly reducing the volume occupied by the arm mechanism. The lower arm section contains the upper arm section, which in turn contains the forearm, creating a compact configuration when not in use.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic arm uses dynamic articulation with multiple joints that allow the arm to fold and reconfigure into compact positions. The ability to dynamically adjust the arm's configuration enables it to occupy minimal space when not in use while providing extended reach when needed.
4Strength
If the upper arm section uses parallel arm members connected by a yoke, then the arm strength and rigidity are increased, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The upper arm section is divided into separate parallel arm members that are connected by a yoke structure. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently using standard fabrication processes, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The parallel arm members and yoke are designed to work together as a composite structural system, where the combination of multiple simpler components creates greater torsional strength and rigidity than a single monolithic structure would provide, while being easier to manufacture.
Data Source
AI summary
A vacuum cleaning system including a robotic unit including a main body, a traction arrangement defining a ground plane and an articulated arm. The articulated arm includes an upper arm section and a lower arm section, wherein the upper arm section is attached to the main body at a shoulder joint, and wherein the lower arm section is attached to the upper arm section at an elbow joint, and an end effector is defined at a distal end of the lower arm section. The upper arm section includes a pair of generally parallel arm members which are connected between the shoulder joint and the elbow joint and which are configured to define a yoke at the elbow joint at which the lower arm section is connected. The vacuum cleaning system equipped with a robotic arm that is able to bend and flex due to the pivotable upper and lower arm portions and has flexibility in how the robotic arm is driven and how suction is routed through the machine.