Vacuum cleaner and docking station for use with the same
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Solution Overview
Problem
Upright vacuum cleaners face challenges in reducing their size and weight due to the volume occupied by debris in their dust cups, which limits their portability and storage efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A docking station that alters the airflow path to transfer debris from the vacuum cleaner's dust cup to its own dust cup using the suction motor's airflow, allowing the vacuum cleaner's dust cup to be emptied and reducing its volume and weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If the dust cup volume is increased to accommodate more debris, then the cleaning duration is extended, but the weight and volume of the vacuum cleaner increase
Solution Approach 1:
The docking station serves as an intermediary debris storage facility. The vacuum cleaner transfers debris to the docking station's dust cup, which acts as a mediator between the vacuum cleaner and final debris disposal. This allows the vacuum cleaner to have a smaller dust cup while the docking station provides extended storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves debris storage from a single-dimension approach (vacuum cleaner dust cup only) to a two-dimension approach by adding the docking station as a secondary storage location. Debris can be stored in either the vacuum cleaner's dust cup during operation or transferred to the docking station's dust cup for longer-term storage.
2Duration of action of moving object
If the dust cup volume is increased to accommodate more debris, then the cleaning duration is extended, but the volume of the vacuum cleaner increases
Solution Approach 1:
The docking station serves as an intermediary debris storage facility. The vacuum cleaner transfers debris to the docking station's dust cup, which acts as a mediator between the vacuum cleaner and final debris disposal. This allows the vacuum cleaner to have a smaller dust cup while the docking station provides extended storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves debris storage from a single-dimension approach (vacuum cleaner dust cup only) to a two-dimension approach by adding the docking station as a secondary storage location. Debris can be stored in either the vacuum cleaner's dust cup during operation or transferred to the docking station's dust cup for longer-term storage.
3Weight of moving object
If the dust cup volume is reduced to decrease weight and improve portability, then the vacuum cleaner becomes more portable, but the cleaning duration is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The docking station serves as an intermediary debris storage facility. The vacuum cleaner transfers debris to the docking station's dust cup, which acts as a mediator between the vacuum cleaner and final debris disposal. This allows the vacuum cleaner to have a smaller dust cup while the docking station provides extended storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The vacuum cleaner automatically transfers debris to the docking station when docked, performing the debris transfer action in advance before the user needs to empty the vacuum cleaner. This preliminary action extends the effective cleaning duration without requiring the user to manually empty the dust cup.
4Volume of moving object
If the dust cup volume is reduced to decrease size for better storage efficiency, then the vacuum cleaner storage efficiency is improved, but the cleaning duration is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The docking station serves as an intermediary debris storage facility. The vacuum cleaner transfers debris to the docking station's dust cup, which acts as a mediator between the vacuum cleaner and final debris disposal. This allows the vacuum cleaner to have a smaller dust cup while the docking station provides extended storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The vacuum cleaner automatically transfers debris to the docking station when docked, performing the debris transfer action in advance before the user needs to empty the vacuum cleaner. This preliminary action extends the effective cleaning duration without requiring the user to manually empty the dust cup.
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
This solution enables a more compact and lightweight vacuum cleaner design by transferring debris to the docking station, enhancing portability and storage efficiency while maintaining cleaning performance.
Implementation Method 1
a suction motor configured to draw air into an air inlet of the upright vacuum cleaner such that debris deposited on a surface can be urged into the air inlet
Data Source
AI summary
A docking station for a vacuum cleaner may include a receptacle configured to engage at least a portion of the vacuum cleaner such that, in response to engaging the receptacle, a vacuum cleaner flow path extending within the vacuum cleaner is transitioned from a cleaning flow path to an evacuation flow path, a suction motor of the vacuum cleaner being configured to urge air along the vacuum cleaner flow path and a docking station dust cup configured to receive debris from a vacuum cleaner dust cup of the vacuum cleaner.