Upright Vacuum Cleaner Handle Force Detection for Load Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Upright vacuum cleaners face challenges in user convenience due to the vertical load applied through the handle, leading to fatigue and difficulty in maneuvering, as the entire body weight is transmitted to the brush, making it hard to move and redirect the cleaner effectively.
Innovation Solution
A cleaner with a handle part equipped with force detection sensors that control the movement direction and distance of the cleaning tool assembly based on the applied force, reducing horizontal and vertical loads by adjusting the movement speed and rotation of the wheels accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the main body is coupled to the brush in the upright cleaner, then the cleaning function is improved, but the load is transmitted to the brush making it difficult to move and redirect
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaner is divided into separate functional modules: the main body housing, the brush assembly, and the handle assembly. The brush assembly can be detached from the main body, allowing the user to operate the cleaner without the full weight and complexity of the brush load during maneuvering.
Solution Approach 2:
A decoupling mechanism serves as an intermediary between the main body and brush assembly. This mechanism allows the brush to be connected when needed for cleaning but disconnected when maneuvering is required, mediating between the need for cleaning functionality and ease of movement.
2Productivity
If the main body rotates with respect to vertical rotation axes, then the cleaning coverage is improved, but the load generated due to rotation is entirely applied to the user's hand causing fatigue
Solution Approach 1:
The handle assembly is designed with counterbalancing elements that offset the weight and rotational inertia of the main body. This reduces the effective load on the user's hand during rotation, allowing for easier maneuvering while maintaining cleaning coverage capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaner incorporates dynamic adjustment mechanisms that allow the rotation axis and handle position to adapt during operation. This enables smoother rotation with variable load distribution, reducing peak forces on the user's hand while maintaining effective cleaning coverage.
3Reliability
If the suctioning body is parallel to the floor, then the cleaning contact is improved, but the user must hold the handle and move the whole main body causing difficulty in movement
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaner introduces an additional degree of freedom by allowing the handle assembly to move independently relative to the main body in a vertical dimension. This separates the cleaning contact function (maintained by the brush on the floor) from the movement function (controlled by the user via the handle), enabling easier movement while maintaining effective cleaning contact.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure includes a main body, a cleaning tool assembly connected to the main body to be movable in at least one axial direction, a handle part connected to the main body and configured to receive an applied force of a user, a detection part provided in the handle part and configured to detect a magnitude and a direction of the force applied to the handle part, and a control part configured to control the movement direction of the cleaning tool assembly based on the detected direction of the force and to control the movement distance of the cleaning tool assembly based on the detected magnitude of the force. In this way, the steering performance may be improved by reducing a horizontal load felt by a user when the user holds and moves the handle of the cleaner, fatigue felt when performing the cleaning operation may be removed by removing a vertical load applied by the handle, and convenience may be improved.