Side brush with bristles at different lengths and/or angles for use in a robot cleaner and side brush deflectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robot cleaners face challenges in efficiently cleaning surfaces while avoiding entanglement with surface treatments like area rugs and ensuring effective debris collection without interference with sensors or improper debris direction.
Innovation Solution
The side brush of the robot cleaner features bristles of varying lengths and angles to enhance sweeping reach and reduce entanglement, coupled with a deflector to guide debris towards the vacuum inlet.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the side brush uses uniform length bristles, then the structure is simple, but it causes entanglement with surface treatments like area rugs
Solution Approach 1:
The side brush employs bristles of varying lengths distributed around the hub, where longer bristles are positioned to reach into corners and crevices while shorter bristles make contact with surface treatments like area rugs. This local differentiation allows each bristle to perform its specific function optimally - longer bristles for debris collection in hard-to-reach areas and shorter bristles for maintaining stable contact with surfaces, thereby resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and entanglement avoidance.
2Productivity
If the side brush extends beyond the robot periphery, then debris collection capability is improved, but interference with sensors and improper debris direction occur
Solution Approach 1:
A deflector is introduced as an intermediary component between the side brush and the vacuum inlet. The deflector is positioned to receive debris propelled by the side brush and redirect it toward the vacuum inlet, preventing debris from being ejected beyond the robot cleaner. This intermediary structure resolves the contradiction by allowing the side brush to extend beyond the periphery for enhanced debris collection while the deflector ensures proper debris direction and prevents sensor interference.
3Ease of manufacture
If bristles are positioned at single angle, then manufacturing is easier, but cleaning effectiveness in corners and crevices is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The side brush incorporates bristles with different angles of extension relative to the hub, where bristles at various angles are strategically positioned to address different cleaning needs. Bristles extending at sharper angles target corners and crevices, while bristles at other angles maintain contact with flat surfaces. This angular differentiation optimizes cleaning effectiveness across diverse surface geometries while maintaining a relatively simple manufacturing process.
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
Improves cleaning efficiency by minimizing entanglement with surface treatments and ensuring proper debris collection, while maintaining sensor functionality and effective debris direction.
Implementation Method 1
the rotation of the side brush urges debris beyond the periphery of the robot vacuum cleaner
Implementation Method 2
a vacuum system, having a bottom surface facing the surface on which the robot cleaner traverses
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B~2C
AI summary
A robot cleaner including a body, a driven wheel, and a side brush coupled to the body. The side brush includes a hub configured to rotate about a pivot axis and a plurality of bristles. Some bristles may form a first angle with the pivot axis and others form a second angle with the pivot axis which is larger than the first angle. Some bristles may have a first bristle length and others have a second bristle length which is larger than the first bristle length. The robot cleaner may include a side brush deflector to deflect debris propelled by the side brush towards the vacuum inlet. The side brush deflector includes a plurality of deflector bristles extending downwardly from a floor facing surface of the robot cleaner towards a floor such that some of the bristles pass through or underneath a portion of the deflector bristles.