Vacuum Cleaner Protective Structure for Wheel Shock Absorption

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Solution Overview

Problem

Large-diameter wheels on sled-type vacuum cleaners are prone to damage from frontal shocks, leading to reduced service life and potential unusability due to vibrations and loss of trajectory alignment.

Innovation Solution

A protective structure is positioned outside the main body, covering a portion of the tread of each main wheel, providing protection against obstacles and serving as a handle for user grip, allowing for enhanced shock absorption and obstacle circumvention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If large-diameter main wheels are used to facilitate crossing obstacles, then the ability to cross door thresholds and carpet edges is improved, but the wheels become more exposed to frontal shocks and more prone to damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to cross obstaclesVSAvoidwheel durability against shocks

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies beforehand cushioning by providing a protective structure that extends beyond the main body to cover portions of the main wheels. This protective structure absorbs and mitigates frontal shocks before they reach the wheels, preventing damage while maintaining the wheels' large diameter for obstacle crossing capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Solution Approach 2:

The protective structure serves as an intermediary element between the external environment and the main wheels. It intercepts frontal shocks and obstacles, transferring the impact force to the protective structure rather than directly to the wheels, thereby protecting the wheels from damage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If large-diameter main wheels are used to facilitate crossing obstacles, then the ability to cross door thresholds and carpet edges is improved, but the service life of the wheels is reduced due to repeated shocks

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to cross obstaclesVSAvoidservice life of wheels

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The protective structure provides beforehand cushioning by being positioned to cover portions of the main wheels and extend beyond the main body. It absorbs repeated frontal shocks before they reach the wheels, preventing cumulative damage and extending the service life of the wheels while maintaining their large diameter for obstacle crossing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Adaptability or versatility

If large-diameter main wheels are used to facilitate crossing obstacles, then the ability to cross door thresholds and carpet edges is improved, but vibrations are transmitted and trajectory alignment is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to cross obstaclesVSAvoidtrajectory alignment

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The protective structure provides beforehand cushioning by intercepting frontal shocks before they reach the main wheels. By absorbing impact forces, it prevents vibrations from being transmitted to the wheels and main body, thereby maintaining trajectory alignment and stability during operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Data Source

PatentUS20240122421A1Cleaning Apparatus With A Protective Structure

Publication Date: 2024.04.18 SEB SA

AI summary

A floor cleaning appliance has a main body including a case at least partially by delimited an external wall, a fluid inlet configured to receive a fluid flow from outside the case, at least one means, disposed in the case, configured to act on the fluid flow received through the fluid inlet. The cleaning appliance comprises includes at least two main wheels mounted movable in rotation on the main body, and a protective structure configured to protect the main wheels, the protective structure being disposed outside the case and extending at a distance from the outer wall and covering a portion of the tread of each main wheel.