Vacuum Cleaner Head With Alternating Blades for Carpet Maneuverability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vacuum cleaner heads experience difficulty maneuvering on carpeted surfaces due to the need for excessive push force and tendency to skip, which worsens cleaning performance, as the rear plate digs into and then jumps over the carpet piles during forward and backward movement.
Innovation Solution
A cleaner head design featuring a front and rear blade that pivot between deployed and retracted positions, where one blade is always engaged with the carpet, allowing for deeper penetration and reduced skipping, with the blades automatically switching positions based on direction of travel to maintain effective air flow and seal, thus improving maneuverability and cleaning efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the rear plate is designed with a vertical surface to penetrate carpet piles, then air penetration into the carpet is improved, but the push force required to maneuver the cleaner head increases and skipping occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The single rear plate is segmented into two separate blades (front blade and rear blade) that can independently pivot between deployed and retracted positions. This segmentation allows the cleaner head to have one blade penetrating the carpet for air flow while the other blade is retracted to reduce maneuvering force and prevent skipping.
Solution Approach 2:
The blades are made dynamic through pivot joints that allow them to automatically switch between deployed and retracted positions based on the direction of movement. When moving forward, the front blade deploys; when moving backward, the rear blade deploys. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by ensuring only one blade penetrates the carpet at any time.
2Productivity
If both blades are in the deployed position, then air penetration and cleaning coverage are improved, but the force required to maneuver the cleaner head becomes excessive and skipping becomes frequent
Solution Approach 1:
The blades operate in a periodic manner, alternating between deployed and retracted states based on the direction of movement. During forward movement, the front blade is deployed while the rear blade retracts; during backward movement, the rear blade deploys while the front blade retracts. This periodic action ensures optimal cleaning coverage while maintaining ease of maneuvering.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling mechanism between the blades enables them to automatically switch positions without user intervention. As one blade is pushed into the carpet, it triggers the other blade to retract through the coupling mechanism, creating a self-regulating system that maintains optimal configuration for both cleaning and maneuverability.
3Productivity
If the rear plate presents a vertical surface to penetrate carpet piles, then cleaning performance is improved, but the cleaner head tends to dig into and skip over the carpet piles
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning system is segmented into two independent blades rather than a single continuous plate. This segmentation allows one blade to provide stable penetration for cleaning while the other blade remains retracted, preventing the digging and skipping behavior that occurs with a fixed vertical rear plate.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the configuration parameter of the blades (deployed vs. retracted) based on movement direction. This parameter change ensures that only one blade is in contact with the carpet at any time, maintaining stable penetration depth and preventing the erratic digging and skipping motion caused by both plates simultaneously engaging the carpet.
Data Source
AI summary
A cleaner head for a vacuum cleaner having a suction inlet, a front blade and a rear blade. The front blade is located forward of or at the front of the suction inlet and is arranged to pivot about a first axis. The rear blade is located rearward of or at the rear of the suction inlet and is arranged to pivot about a second axis different to the first axis. Each blade pivots between a deployed position and a retracted position. The blades are configured such that when one of the blades is in the deployed position, the other of the blades is in the retracted position. Additionally, when one of the blades moves from the deployed position to the retracted position, the other of the blades moves from the retracted position to the deployed position.