Suction robot with at least one side arm
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robotic vacuum cleaners with side arms struggle to navigate collisions, especially when the side arms hit obstacles during rotational movements, leading to potential jamming and inability to continue cleaning due to the limited design and mechanism of existing movable side arms.
Innovation Solution
A robotic vacuum cleaner with a pivotable and linearly displaceable side arm mechanism, utilizing a spring mechanism and a guide mechanism with a slot and guide roller/rib, allows the side arm to retract into the housing upon collision, ensuring continued operation by adapting to both forward and rotational contact scenarios.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the side arm is extended to reach deeper corner sections, then the cleaning coverage is improved, but the risk of brush filaments getting caught in drive wheels increases
Solution Approach 1:
The side arm is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position. It can extend outward to reach corners during normal operation, then retract upon collision detection. This dynamic capability enables the system to achieve both extended cleaning coverage and operational reliability by adapting the side arm length based on real-time conditions.
2Area of stationary object
If the side arm length is increased to reach deeper sections, then corner cleaning capability is improved, but the frequency of collisions with obstacles increases
Solution Approach 1:
The side arm transitions from a static long structure to a dynamic movable component that can extend and retract. When extended, it reaches deeper corners; when retracted, it minimizes collision frequency with obstacles, thus resolving the contradiction between cleaning capability and collision avoidance.
Solution Approach 2:
The effective length parameter of the side arm is made variable rather than fixed. By changing the side arm length parameter between extended and retracted states based on operational needs, the system optimizes both corner cleaning capability and collision frequency management.
3Reliability
If a spring mechanism is used to enable side arm retraction, then collision response is improved, but the side arm cannot retract when hitting obstacles during rotational movement
Solution Approach 1:
The side arm mechanism is designed with multi-functionality to handle different collision scenarios. It incorporates both a spring mechanism for automatic retraction during forward movement and an active control system with sensors to detect and respond to collisions during rotational movement, making the system universally applicable to various collision types.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensors to detect collisions during rotational movement and provides feedback to the control unit. Based on this feedback, the control unit activates the drive mechanism to retract the side arm, enabling the system to adaptively respond to rotational collisions that the passive spring mechanism alone cannot handle.
4Measurement precision
If motor-driven side arms are used, then precise control is improved, but the side arm cannot respond to collisions in all rotation directions
Solution Approach 1:
The side arm system combines motor-driven precision control with additional sensing and control capabilities to handle collisions in all rotation directions. The universal design ensures that whether the robot moves forward or rotates in any direction, the side arm can detect and respond to collisions appropriately.
Solution Approach 2:
Sensors mounted on the side arm detect collisions from any direction during rotational movement and provide feedback to the control unit. The control unit processes this feedback and commands the motor to retract the side arm as needed, enabling precise control and universal collision response across all rotation directions.
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 solution enables the robotic vacuum cleaner to effectively avoid collisions by retracting the side arm into the housing, preventing jamming and allowing uninterrupted operation, even when encountering obstacles during rotational movements, thus maintaining cleaning efficiency and avoiding user intervention.
Implementation Method 1
the side arm can be pivoted into the interior of a housing of the robot vacuum if it comes into contact with an obstacle due to a spring mechanism
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a robot vacuum (10) with at least one pivotable side arm (14), the side arm (14) for pivoting into the interior of a housing (12) of the robot vacuum (10) in the event of a collision with an obstacle (30) not only pivotally movable, but also linearly displaceable, and with a slot (34) being provided in the side arm (14) for the pivotable and linearly displaceable mounting.