Vacuum Cleaner Brush Acceleration Sensing for Constant Surface Speed
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning devices, such as vacuum cleaners, experience fluctuations in relative speed between the brush and the surface during back-and-forth movements, leading to increased wear, energy consumption, and unpleasant noise, as well as varying user effort due to direction-dependent brush rotation.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an acceleration sensor to detect brush movements along the axis, allowing for adaptive rotational speed and direction adjustments to maintain a constant relative speed and reduce wear, energy consumption, and noise, while enabling more efficient cleaning of heavily soiled areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the brush rotates at constant speed during back-and-forth movements, then the cleaning device structure is simple, but the relative speed between brush and surface fluctuates strongly causing increased wear and energy consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The brush rotational speed is made dynamically adjustable based on the detected movement direction and speed of the cleaning device. The control unit modifies the brush speed in response to acceleration sensor data, allowing the system to adapt to varying operational conditions rather than maintaining a fixed constant speed.
Solution Approach 2:
An acceleration sensor detects the movement of the cleaning device along the movement axis, providing feedback to the control unit. The control unit processes this feedback signal and adjusts the brush rotational speed accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system that optimizes energy consumption while maintaining effective cleaning.
2Device complexity
If the brush rotates in a fixed direction, then the device structure is simple, but the user experiences varying pushing and pulling forces depending on movement direction
Solution Approach 1:
The direction of brush rotation is made dynamically reversible based on the detected movement direction. When the acceleration sensor detects movement in the opposite direction, the control unit reverses the brush rotation direction, ensuring the brush always rotates in the direction that assists user movement rather than resisting it.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of maintaining a fixed brush rotation direction, the system inverts the rotation direction based on the detected movement direction. This inversion allows the brush to work with the user's movement rather than against it, significantly reducing the effort required to maneuver the cleaning device.
3Productivity
If the brush speed is increased for heavily soiled areas, then cleaning effectiveness improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The brush rotational speed is dynamically adjusted based on the detected movement characteristics. When the acceleration sensor detects frequent direction changes or higher movement speeds indicative of scrubbing motions on heavily soiled areas, the control unit increases the brush speed to enhance cleaning effectiveness. Conversely, during normal cleaning operations, the brush speed is maintained at a lower, more energy-efficient level.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the brush motor based on detected movement patterns. By monitoring acceleration data, the control unit identifies when intensive cleaning is needed and adjusts the brush speed parameter accordingly, optimizing the balance between cleaning effectiveness and energy consumption.
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 reduces wear on the brush and surface, minimizes energy consumption, and provides a more consistent cleaning experience with reduced noise and effort for the user, while enhancing cleaning performance on heavily soiled areas.
Implementation Method 1
it has at least one acceleration sensor (16) which is arranged and designed to detect accelerations of the brush (14) along the movement axis (A)
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a cleaning device (1) for cleaning surfaces (2) with a nozzle (13) having at least one opening (15), wherein the nozzle (13) is configured to be moved with its opening (15) along an axis of movement (A) over the surface (2) to be cleaned, and with at least one brush (14) which is arranged and rotatable within the nozzle (13) such that particles from the surface (2) to be cleaned can be conveyed by the brush (14) into the cleaning device (1). The cleaning device (1) is characterized by at least one acceleration sensor (16) which is arranged and configured to detect accelerations of the brush (14) along the axis of movement (A).