Self-propelled cleaning device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional self-propelled cleaning devices are limited to cleaning horizontal surfaces and cannot effectively clean vertical surfaces like baseboards, as their flexible cleaning wiper design folds back when encountering slight height differences, preventing them from reaching subfloor surfaces aligned parallel to the floor.
Innovation Solution
The integration of an above-floor cleaning system with a suction and/or blower unit, featuring a flow opening adjustable in height, allows for simultaneous cleaning of both horizontal and vertical surfaces by directing airflow or suction from the fan to vertically offset surfaces, such as baseboards, using a cleaning arm and valve element to control airflow paths independently of the surface cleaning system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a flexible cleaning wiper is used to clean vertical surfaces, then the device can adapt to slight height differences, but the wiper folds back and cannot reach subfloor surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning device employs a robotic system with active drive mechanisms that dynamically adjust the cleaning elements' position and movement, replacing the static flexible wiper with a dynamically controllable system capable of reaching various surface heights and orientations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a suction system with adjustable flow opening height that can reach subfloor surfaces by creating negative pressure fields, enabling the cleaning of surfaces below floor level without mechanical contact constraints
2Productivity
If a single cleaning system is used for both horizontal and vertical surfaces, then cleaning efficiency improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic cleaning device integrates multiple cleaning functions into a single system, with the ability to clean horizontal floors, vertical baseboards, and subfloor surfaces using unified drive and suction mechanisms that adapt to different surface types
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning system is divided into functional modules including separate suction units, cleaning elements, and drive mechanisms that can be independently controlled and adjusted for different cleaning tasks, managing complexity through modular design
3Adaptability or versatility
If the flow opening is positioned high for above-floor cleaning, then vertical surface cleaning is effective, but horizontal surface cleaning capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The flow opening height is made dynamically adjustable rather than fixed, allowing the system to optimize its position for different cleaning tasks - higher positions for vertical surfaces and lower positions for horizontal surfaces - through active control mechanisms
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 the cleaning of baseboards and other vertical surfaces during a single operation without requiring separate steps, improving cleaning efficiency and user convenience by automatically adjusting airflow to transfer debris from above-floor surfaces to the main cleaning system for vacuuming.
Implementation Method 1
the suction and/or blower unit (8), in particular its flow opening (9), with suction material from the above-floor surface (7) can be exposed to a vacuum
Implementation Method 2
the suction and/or blower unit (8), in particular its flow opening (9), can be exposed to blowing air
Implementation Method 3
so that the suction material located on the above-floor surface (7) can be transferred into the flow opening (9) of the suction and/or blower unit (8) through exposure to gravity
Data Source
AI summary
A self-propelled cleaning device has a housing, a fan and a surface cleaning system for cleaning a surface to be cleaned. In order to also be able to clean an above-floor surface, in particular a plateau of a baseboard, the cleaning device also has an above-floor cleaning system for cleaning an above-floor surface vertically offset relative to the surface to be cleaned. The above-floor cleaning system has a flow connection to a suction and/or blower unit having a fan, the flow opening of which has a difference in height of roughly 3 cm or more relative to a standing surface of the cleaning device by comparison to a usual orientation of the cleaning device for a cleaning operation.