Steam Cleaner Motion Detection to Prevent Flooring Damage and Burns
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaners face issues with battery capacity insufficiency when operating both suction and steam functions simultaneously, lopsided center of gravity due to separate batteries, frequent water refilling needs, potential flooring damage from undetected steam operation, and skin burns from misdetected position stops.
Innovation Solution
The cleaner includes a cleaning module with triaxial acceleration sensing and motor current dispersion analysis to detect position stops, maintaining steam operation at uniform velocity, and provides separate batteries for the steam assembly to ensure balanced weight distribution and easy operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate battery is provided to the detachable steam machine, then the center of gravity becomes lopsided and the user cannot easily perform the cleaning operation, but if no separate battery is provided, then the battery capacity is insufficient when operating both suction motor and steam machine simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply system is segmented into two independent batteries: a first battery in the main body for the suction motor, and a second battery in the detachable steam machine for the steam generator. This segmentation allows each battery to be sized appropriately for its specific function, ensuring sufficient capacity for simultaneous operation while keeping the steam machine's battery small enough to maintain acceptable balance during handheld operation.
2Ease of operation
If the steam machine must be separated to supply water to the tank, then portability is improved, but water needs to be supplied frequently and the operation becomes inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
A large-capacity water tank is pre-loaded with sufficient water before operation. The tank is designed with a capacity that allows continuous steam generation for an extended period without requiring the user to separate the steam machine from the main body for refilling, thus maintaining portability while reducing the frequency of water supply operations.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the cleaner stops in a position without detecting the stop, then heat is supplied to the flooring and the flooring may be damaged, but if the stop detection is too sensitive, then the steaming operation may be turned off due to misdetection during uniform velocity cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The stop detection mechanism uses dynamic parameters such as velocity thresholds and time-duration criteria to distinguish between intentional stopping and transient velocity variations during normal cleaning operations. The system monitors the cleaner's velocity over a period of time and only triggers steam shutdown when the velocity remains below a threshold for a specified duration, preventing false shutdowns during uniform velocity cleaning while effectively detecting actual stops to prevent flooring damage.
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
Prevents flooring damage and skin burns by stopping steam operation when stationary, maintains consistent cleaning, improves portability, and ensures easy operation with balanced weight distribution and extended battery life.
Implementation Method 1
The steam generator (173) is connected to the water tank (172), and is configured to generate steam from water
Implementation Method 2
a first sensing unit configured to measure triaxial acceleration
Implementation Method 3
collect motor current data from the mop motor; calculate a motor current dispersion value based on the motor current data
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
Disclosed is a cleaner, including: a cleaning module configured to suck in outside air; a main body configured to provide a suction force to the cleaning module; and a steam assembly configured to spray steam, and after spraying steam is performed through the steam assembly, the cleaning module may stop spraying steam when it is determined that the cleaner stops in a position, and continue spraying steam when it is determined that the cleaner operates a cleaning operation at a low velocity, or an equal velocity.