Autonomous Vacuum Cleaner Body Movement for Collision Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robotic vacuum cleaners rely on bulky and fragile bumpers to detect collisions, which increase size, weight, and complexity, and reduce robustness.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous vacuum cleaner design featuring a chassis and a movable body with a collision detection system that includes a control system, sensors, and a sliding or pivoting mechanism to detect collisions without a separate bump-shell, allowing for relative movement between the chassis and body to trigger collision signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a wrap-around bumper shell is used to detect collisions over a wide angular range, then collision detection capability is improved, but device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the collision detection function from a separate bumper shell and integrates it into the main body structure. The sensing means are embedded within the body itself, eliminating the need for an additional wrap-around bumper component while maintaining collision detection capability across multiple directions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the collision detection function with the main body structure by integrating sensing means directly into the body. This combines the structural function of the body with the detection function, eliminating the need for a separate bumper shell and reducing overall device complexity.
2Reliability
If a bumper projects from the robot body to provide clearance for movement, then collision detection reliability is improved, but robot size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a protruding three-dimensional bumper structure to a two-dimensional sensing array embedded in the body surface. This allows collision detection across the same spatial envelope without adding external protrusions, maintaining detection reliability while reducing overall robot volume.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a separate bump-shell is added to the robot, then collision detection function is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the collision detection function with the existing body structure by embedding sensing means within the body. This integration eliminates the need for a separate bump-shell component, thereby avoiding the additional weight that would result from adding a distinct external bumper structure.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a wrap-around bumper shell is used, then collision detection coverage is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the collision detection function from a complex wrap-around shell structure and implements it through embedded sensing means within a simpler body design. This approach maintains comprehensive collision detection coverage while significantly reducing manufacturing complexity by eliminating the need to form and assemble a wrap-around bumper shell.
Data Source
AI summary
An autonomous vacuum cleaner having a bump detection system, the vacuum cleaner comprising a chassis having traction means for supporting the chassis on a surface and a cleaner head defining a dirty air inlet, and a body carried on the chassis and being movable relative to it in response to a collision with an obstacle, the body including at least one of an airflow generator for generating an airflow along an airflow path from the dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet and a separating apparatus positioned in the airflow path to separate dirt from the air, wherein the vacuum cleaner further comprises sensing means for sensing relative movement between the chassis and the body.