Upright Vacuum Cleaner with Pressure-Sensor Grip for Assisted Movement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Upright type vacuum cleaners are cumbersome for users due to their weight and require significant effort to move, especially when equipped with only passively rotating wheels, which fail to assist user-intended movement directions effectively.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a grip unit with integrated pressure sensors and a controller that detects user input to provide an auxiliary driving force, allowing the vacuum cleaner to actively follow user intentions and reduce the force required for movement by assisting in the desired direction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If passively rotating wheels are used in the vacuum cleaner, then the device can move along surfaces, but the user experiences high fatigue and difficulty moving the heavy cleaner in desired directions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the purely passive mechanical wheel system with an active driving unit that includes a motor. The motor provides driving force to the wheels, substituting the need for user physical force with an automated mechanical system. This resolves the contradiction by enabling easy movement (improving ease of operation) while eliminating the need for users to apply significant force (reducing force requirement).
Solution Approach 2:
The vacuum cleaner becomes self-propelled through the driving unit, serving its own movement needs without relying on external user force. The sensor unit detects user intent and the driving unit automatically generates the necessary motion, making the system self-service in terms of locomotion. This resolves the contradiction by improving ease of operation through automation while reducing the force users must exert.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the vacuum cleaner is designed as an upright type with all components integrated in the main body, then the cleaning function is complete, but the weight increases making it cumbersome for users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the vacuum cleaner into distinct functional modules: a main body containing the suction system and a separate driving unit with motor and wheels. This segmentation allows the heavy components to be distributed, reducing the perceived weight and ease of movement issues while maintaining complete cleaning functionality. The segmentation resolves the contradiction by keeping adaptability intact while managing weight distribution to improve user comfort.
3Ease of operation
If no active driving force is provided to supplement user force, then the device structure remains simple, but the user cannot easily move the heavy main body in desired directions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an active driving unit with motor that replaces the need for pure manual mechanical pushing. The sensor unit detects user intent and the controller activates the motor to provide supplemental driving force in the desired direction. This substitution resolves the contradiction by improving ease of directional movement through automated force supplementation while accepting increased device complexity in the form of motor, sensor, and control systems.
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 users to move the vacuum cleaner with minimal effort, reducing the load on their fingers and wrists while ensuring the device follows intended directions, enhancing user convenience and ease of use.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure sensor unit provided in the grip unit to detect pressure applied by a user to a part of an outer surface of the grip unit
Implementation Method 2
a battery mounted in the vacuum cleaner to supply power to the cleaner
Implementation Method 3
a driving unit that generates driving force by receiving power from the battery
Implementation Method 4
a suction motor provided inside a main body, and then filters the dust and foreign substances in the main body
Implementation Method 5
the dust, the foreign substances, and the like are separated from the air into a dust collecting container mounted in the main body by a cyclone principle
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 2C~3A
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a cleaner according to one embodiment, which includes a main body, a grip unit provided on the main body to be gripped by a user, a pressure sensor unit provided on the grip unit to detect pressure applied by the user to a part of an outer surface of the grip unit, a driving unit provided at a lower portion of the main body to move the main body, and a controller to control the driving unit based on the detected pressure.