Self-moving robot and walking method thereof

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current self-moving robots, such as glass-wiping robots, require complex mechanisms and significant energy to adjust their movement paths around obstacles, leading to reduced cleaning efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A self-moving robot with a simple structure featuring a control device, a functional processing module, and a moving module connected via a coupling mechanism that allows for flexible rotation, including a ball mechanism and roller bearing mechanism to reduce friction and improve controllability, enabling efficient navigation around obstacles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the robot repeatedly adjusts its moving direction to navigate around obstacles, then the robot can maintain its cleaning path, but the adjusting time and energy consumption increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepath maintenance capabilityVSAvoidadjusting time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The robot body is divided into a fixed portion and a movable portion, where the movable portion can independently rotate relative to the fixed portion. This segmentation allows the robot to change direction by rotating the movable portion rather than adjusting the entire body, significantly reducing the time and energy required for direction changes while maintaining reliable path navigation around obstacles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If the robot repeatedly adjusts its moving direction to navigate around obstacles, then the robot can maintain its cleaning path, but the energy consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepath maintenance capabilityVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The robot body is divided into a fixed portion and a movable portion, where the movable portion can independently rotate relative to the fixed portion. This segmentation allows the robot to change direction by rotating the movable portion rather than adjusting the entire body, significantly reducing the time and energy required for direction changes while maintaining reliable path navigation around obstacles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Adaptability or versatility

If the robot uses a complex adjustment mechanism to navigate around obstacles, then the path adjustment capability is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepath adjustment capabilityVSAvoidmechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The robot body is divided into a fixed portion and a movable portion connected by a simple rotating joint. The movable portion can independently rotate to change direction, providing flexible path adjustment capability without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms. This simple rotational connection significantly reduces device complexity while maintaining excellent adaptability for navigating around obstacles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Productivity

If the robot increases the adjustment speed to improve cleaning efficiency, then the cleaning efficiency is improved, but the energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning efficiencyVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The robot body is divided into a fixed portion and a movable portion, where the movable portion can independently rotate relative to the fixed portion. This segmentation allows the robot to change direction by rotating the movable portion rather than adjusting the entire body, significantly reducing the time and energy required for direction changes while maintaining reliable path navigation around obstacles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The movable portion is designed to be dynamically rotatable relative to the fixed portion, allowing the robot to quickly adapt its movement direction in response to obstacles. This dynamic rotational capability enables fast path adjustments that improve cleaning efficiency without requiring excessive energy, as only the lighter movable portion needs to be rotated rather than the entire robot body.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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

The robot achieves improved cleaning efficiency with reduced energy consumption and time, maintaining high sensitivity and controllability while navigating complex spaces.

Implementation Method 1

a ball is provided at the central section of the upper coupling joint of the second coupling end, wherein the upper and lower end surfaces of the ball protrude from the upper and lower end surfaces of the upper coupling joint and are brought into contact with the lower surface of the upper coupling joint and the upper surface of the lower coupling joint of the first coupling end

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectBall bearing: Ball Bearing

Implementation Method 2

the roller bearing mechanism includes an inner ring provided at the outer edge of the moving module, an outer ring provided at the inner edge of the opening hole of the functional processing module and balls between the inner and outer rings

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRoller bearing: Roller

Data Source

PatentEP2886028B1Self-moving robot and walking method thereof
Publication Date: 2021.04.07 ECOVACS ROBOTICS CO LTD
  • EP2886028B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2886028B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2886028B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

A self-moving robot comprises a robot body (1). A control device is provided in the robot body (1), and a functional processing module (11) and a moving module (12) connected to each other are provided in the robot body (1). The moving module (12) is controlled by the control device to drive the functional processing module (11) to conduct mobile processing work in a working space (100). An opening hole (111) is formed inside the functional processing module (11) so that the moving module (12) is arranged rotatably in the opening hole (111) in an embedded manner. The moving module (12) can freely rotates relative to the functional processing module (11) through a connection mechanism. A walking method of the self-moving robot is further disclosed. The present invention is of simple structure, low cost and significantly improved moving mode, and the cleaning efficiency of the self-moving robot is improved with the same amount of time or power.