Rotatable Vacuum Cleaner Body for Stable Direction Changes

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional vacuum cleaners face issues with directional changes, where the traveling wheels do not adjust accordingly, leading to potential lifting or overturning, and struggle with straight movement on carpets due to their wheel assembly design.

Innovation Solution

A vacuum cleaner design where the main body is rotatable independently of the wheel assembly, with an elastic member connecting them, allowing the wheel assembly to change direction in response to the main body's rotation, enhancing straight mobility and stability during directional changes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the main body is forcibly moved in a state in which the traveling wheels are lifted from the floor during direction change, then the direction can be changed abruptly, but the main body may overturn

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedirection change capabilityVSAvoidoverturn risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the wheel assembly rotatable relative to the main body. The wheel assembly can rotate independently to adjust its orientation during direction changes, allowing the vacuum cleaner to turn smoothly without lifting the wheels or overturning. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of operation

If the wheel assembly includes only a caster rotatable in all directions, then direction change is flexible, but the main body may shake even during straight movement

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedirection flexibilityVSAvoidstraight movement stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a dynamic wheel assembly that can rotate relative to the main body. During straight movement, the wheel assembly maintains a fixed orientation relative to the movement direction, providing stability. When direction change is needed, the wheel assembly rotates to align with the new direction. This dynamic capability provides both straight movement stability and directional flexibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Device complexity

If the wheel assembly is fixed to the main body, then the structure is simple, but the main body may not easily travel on carpet due to long pile

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructure simplicityVSAvoidcarpet traversal capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a rotatable wheel assembly that can dynamically adjust its orientation. When encountering carpet with long pile, the wheel assembly can rotate to optimize contact with the surface, improving traversal capability. This dynamic adjustment maintains relatively simple structure while significantly enhancing carpet cleaning performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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 design improves the vacuum cleaner's ability to smoothly change directions and maintain stability, preventing collisions and easy movement on carpets by allowing the wheel assembly to adjust its direction in sync with the main body's rotation, enhancing user convenience.

Implementation Method 1

an elastic member disposed between the wheel assembly and the main body, wherein, when the main body first rotates to change the movement direction thereof, a direction of the wheel assembly may be changed by elastic force of the elastic member

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic force: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP2961304B1Vacuum cleaner
Publication Date: 2018.04.18 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP2961304B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2961304B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2961304B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

A vacuum cleaner includes a main body including a fan motor to generate suction force, a suction unit connected to the main body to suction foreign matter from a surface to be cleaned in a state of contacting the surface, a dust collector separatably mounted to the main body to separate and collect foreign matter from air suctioned by the suction unit, and a wheel assembly to move the main body, wherein the main body is rotatable independently of the wheel assembly such that the main body rotates to change a movement direction thereof and the main body is moved in the changed direction by the wheel assembly.