Tilted Pad Assembly for Omnidirectional Wet Robot Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional robot cleaners are limited in their ability to navigate and clean in all directions efficiently, relying on multiple motors and complex mechanisms, which increases material costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A robot cleaner design utilizing a combination of motors, pad assemblies, and a tilt gear unit to generate uneven frictional forces, allowing the device to travel in various directions by varying the tilting and rotational directions of pad assemblies, reducing the number of motors required.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional robot cleaners use multiple motors and complex mechanisms to navigate in all directions, then the navigation capability is improved, but the device complexity and material cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the navigation and cleaning functions into a single integrated system. The pad assembly serves dual purposes: it cleans the floor surface while simultaneously enabling directional movement through controlled tilting. This eliminates the need for separate navigation motors and mechanisms, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining full-directional navigation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The pad assembly is designed as a multi-functional component that performs both cleaning and navigation tasks. By enabling the pad to tilt and rotate, it can generate friction-based movement in multiple directions while maintaining its cleaning function, thus serving multiple purposes with a single component rather than requiring separate specialized mechanisms.
2Power
If conventional robot cleaners use multiple motors for navigation and cleaning, then the driving force is sufficient, but the material cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the functions of multiple motors into a single motor system that controls the pad assembly's tilting and rotation. One motor drives the pad rotation while another controls tilting, reducing the total motor count from multiple independent motors to just two coordinated motors, thereby reducing material costs while maintaining sufficient driving force for navigation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the pad assembly by introducing tilting capability in addition to rotation. This parameter change allows the pad to generate directional movement through friction variation, enabling full-directional navigation with fewer motors and reducing overall system cost while maintaining adequate power output.
3Quantity of substance
If robot cleaners use tilted pad assemblies with uneven frictional force, then the number of motors is reduced, but the mechanism complexity changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic tilting capability to the pad assembly, allowing it to change its angle relative to the floor surface. This dynamic adjustment enables the pad to create uneven frictional forces for directional movement. The tilting mechanism adds a degree of freedom that simplifies the overall motor configuration while introducing controlled mechanical complexity in the pad assembly structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameter of the pad assembly by introducing a tilting angle. This parameter change allows the pad to generate directional movement through friction variation without requiring additional motors. The tilting mechanism transforms the pad from a static cleaning element to a dynamic propulsion element, reducing motor count while modifying the mechanical structure.
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 efficient navigation and cleaning in multiple directions while reducing material costs by using fewer motors, allowing for effective wet cleaning and reducing the complexity of the cleaning mechanism.
Implementation Method 1
provided in a tilted manner so that a bottom surface of each of the plurality of pad assemblies has an uneven frictional force with respect to a floor surface
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a robot cleaner capable of reducing the material cost thereof by use of fewer motors, and performing wet cleaning while travelling in all directions and rubbing the floor surface, the robot cleaner includes a plurality of motors generating driving forces, a plurality of pad assemblies configured to rotate by receiving a driving force from one of the plurality of motors, and provided in a tilted manner so that a bottom surface of each of the plurality of pad assemblies has an uneven frictional force with respect to a floor surface, and a tilt gear unit configured to simultaneously vary tilting directions of the plurality of pad assemblies by receiving a driving force from another one of the plurality of motors, wherein the robot clean can travel in all directions depending on a tilting direction and a rotational direction of each of the plurality of pad assemblies.