Vacuum cleaner and docking station for use with the same
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Solution Overview
Problem
Upright vacuum cleaners face challenges in reducing size and weight due to the volume occupied by their dust cups, which need to store debris collected during use.
Innovation Solution
A docking station that alters the airflow path of the vacuum cleaner to transfer debris from its dust cup to the docking station's dust cup, using the suction motor's airflow to empty the vacuum cleaner's dust cup, thereby reducing its volume and weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the vacuum cleaner includes a dust cup to store debris, then debris collection capability is improved, but the size and weight of the vacuum cleaner increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the debris storage function from the vacuum cleaner body by introducing a separate docking station with its own dust cup. The vacuum cleaner's dust cup can be emptied at the docking station, allowing the vacuum cleaner to have a smaller, lighter dust cup while maintaining debris collection capability through the stationary storage capacity of the docking station.
Solution Approach 2:
The docking station acts as an intermediary between the vacuum cleaner and the final debris disposal location. It provides a intermediate storage point where debris can be transferred from the vacuum cleaner dust cup to the docking station dust cup, enabling the vacuum cleaner to be lighter while still maintaining effective debris collection and storage through this mediating system.
2Quantity of substance
If the vacuum cleaner includes a dust cup to store debris, then debris collection capability is improved, but the volume of the vacuum cleaner increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the primary debris storage volume from the moving vacuum cleaner and places it in the stationary docking station. This allows the vacuum cleaner to have minimal dust cup volume for collecting debris during use, while the docking station provides the bulk storage capacity needed for sustained operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent resolves the volume contradiction by transitioning from a single-volume solution (large dust cup in vacuum cleaner) to a distributed volume solution across different spatial dimensions and locations. The vacuum cleaner operates with small local storage, while the docking station provides large centralized storage, effectively distributing the storage function across space.
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 configuration allows for a more compact and lighter vacuum cleaner design while maintaining effective debris collection and storage, as the docking station can hold the debris from the vacuum cleaner's dust cup, reducing the size and weight requirements of the vacuum cleaner.
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.