Intelligent vacuum cleaning and dust collecting apparatus

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current robotic vacuum cleaners require special identification barcodes or codes for recharging and alignment, which are difficult to produce and costly, limiting automation and increasing operational expenses.

Innovation Solution

An intelligent vacuum cleaning and dust collecting apparatus featuring a robotic vacuum cleaner with an infrared receiving assembly and a dust collector equipped with infrared emitting lights and virtual wall signal lights, allowing for automatic charging and alignment without the need for barcodes or black and white codes, utilizing infrared and virtual wall signals for navigation and charging.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If a barcode or black and white code is provided on the dust collector for identification, then the robotic vacuum cleaner can perform recharging and alignment, but the production cost increases and manufacturing becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomatic recharging and alignmentVSAvoidproduction cost and manufacturing difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the barcode identification component from the system. Instead of using visual codes on the dust collector, the invention uses infrared emitting lights that are invisible to humans but detectable by the robot's infrared receiving assembly, thereby eliminating manufacturing complexity while maintaining automatic identification functionality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces infrared emitting lights as an intermediary between the dust collector and the robotic vacuum cleaner. These infrared lights serve as the identification medium, replacing the need for visible barcodes and enabling automatic recognition through the infrared receiving assembly without increasing manufacturing difficulty

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of manufacture

If infrared emitting lights are used for identification instead of barcodes, then production costs are reduced and manufacturing is simplified, but the system requires additional infrared components

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction costVSAvoidinfrared components
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The infrared emitting lights serve multiple functions: they provide identification signals for the robot to locate the dust collector, enable alignment during docking, and can potentially serve as communication signals. This multi-functionality justifies the addition of infrared components while reducing overall system complexity compared to barcode systems

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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

Enables automatic garbage cleaning, mopping, and dust collection with reduced production costs, providing high automation and ease of operation by eliminating the need for specialized codes and enhancing the robotic vacuum cleaner's ability to perform self-charging and alignment.

Implementation Method 1

the infrared receiving assembly and the driving motor are electrically connected to the host charging elastic pieces... The infrared receiving assembly is disposed on a side surface of the housing... four groups of infrared emitting lights... disposed on a side surface of the dust collector body

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectInfrared radiation detection: Infrared Radiation

Implementation Method 2

host charging elastic pieces... disposed inside the housing... dust collector charging elastic pieces... disposed on a bottom portion of the dust collector body, and the dust collector assembly abuts against the dust bin assembly... The dust collector charging elastic pieces contact the host charging elastic pieces

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP4059404B1Intelligent vacuum cleaning and dust collecting apparatus
Publication Date: 2024.02.14 GUANGDONG JOY INTELLIGENT TECH CO LTD
  • EP4059404B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4059404B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4059404B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An intelligent vacuum cleaning and dust collecting apparatus includes a robotic vacuum cleaner (1) and a dust collector (9). The robotic vacuum cleaner (1) includes a housing (22), an infrared receiving assembly, a dust bin assembly, host charging elastic pieces, a driving motor, running wheels (23), and a sweeping assembly. The sweeping assembly includes a sweeping shaft (24) and a sweeping brush (25), and a communication transmitting light (16) is disposed inside the housing (22). The dust collector (9) includes a dust collector body (27), four groups of infrared emitting lights (10), virtual wall signal lights (11), dust collector charging elastic pieces, and a dust collector assembly, and a communication receiving light (19) is disposed on a bottom portion of the dust collector body (27).