Robot Vacuum Side Brush Obstacle Detection for Edge Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional autonomous-traveling vacuum cleaners face challenges in designing a large suction port width due to the need for driving wheels, making it difficult to detect obstacles with side brushes that protrude from the main casing, resulting in incomplete cleaning of areas like wall proximities.
Innovation Solution
A vacuum cleaner design featuring reciprocatively movable side brushes and an obstacle detection system that uses movement contact with obstacles to detect their presence, allowing the vacuum to autonomously avoid obstacles while cleaning outside the main casing frame.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If side brushes protrude from the main casing to clean areas outside the outer frame, then cleaning capability is improved, but obstacle detection capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a movable bumper as an intermediary component between the side brushes and obstacles. The bumper detects obstacles through contact and transmits this information to the control unit, enabling obstacle detection without requiring sensors directly at the side brush positions. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by providing indirect detection capability while maintaining cleaning effectiveness.
2Extent of automation
If driving wheels are positioned on both sides of the suction port, then autonomous travel capability is improved, but suction port width is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the wheel arrangement by positioning driving wheels at the rear ends of the main casing rather than symmetrically on both sides of the suction port. This segmentation allows the suction port to span the full width of the main casing while driving wheels are placed at the rear, eliminating the spatial conflict between wheel positioning and suction port dimensions.
3Productivity
If side brushes are positioned to reach outside the main casing, then cleaning of wall proximities is improved, but sensor placement for obstacle detection becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The movable bumper serves as an intermediary detection mechanism that simplifies the overall system. Instead of placing sensors directly on or near the side brushes (which would complicate the device), the bumper detects obstacles through its contact movement and transmits this information centrally to the control unit, reducing sensor placement complexity while maintaining cleaning effectiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
A vacuum cleaner includes a main casing, driving wheels, side brushes, an obstacle sensor, and a controller. The driving wheels enable the main casing to travel. The side brushes are reciprocatively movable in both a direction of protruding from an outer frame of the main casing and its opposite direction, enabling cleaning of dust and dirt located outside the outer frame of the main casing. The obstacle sensor detects an obstacle by detecting a movement of the side brush in the opposite direction due to its contact with the obstacle. The controller controls drive of the driving wheels based on detection of an obstacle by the obstacle sensor to make the main casing autonomously travel. The vacuum cleaner can detect an obstacle at a position of a side brush while securely cleaning dust and dirt located outside an outer frame of a main casing by the side brush.