Vacuum Floor Tool Neck-and-Wheel Steering for Obstacle Maneuvering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing floor tools for vacuum cleaners lack steering capability, making them difficult to maneuver around obstacles during cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A wheeled accessory with a rotatable neck and inclined axis of rotation, allowing the wheels to change contact points with the surface based on the neck's position relative to the head, enhancing steering and maneuverability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the wheel arrangement is carried by the head of the floor tool, then the structure is simple, but the accessory lacks steering capability and is difficult to maneuver around obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel arrangement is mounted on the neck rather than the head, making it dynamically positioned relative to the surface. As the neck rotates to accommodate wand position changes, the wheels automatically change their contact points with the surface, providing dynamic steering capability without adding complex steering mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The neck serves as an intermediary element between the head and the wand assembly. By mounting the wheels on the neck, the system uses this intermediary component to transmit rotational movement from the neck to the wheel arrangement, enabling steering functionality without direct connection to the head or wand
2Adaptability or versatility
If the neck is rotatably connected to the head to accommodate wand position changes, then the accessory can adapt to different wand positions, but the wheel arrangement cannot provide steering capability
Solution Approach 1:
The neck is designed to perform multiple functions: it accommodates wand position changes through rotation and simultaneously provides steering capability through the mounted wheel arrangement. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by making the same component serve both adaptability and steering purposes
3Ease of operation
If the wheel arrangement is mounted on the neck with an inclined rotatable connection, then steering capability is significantly improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The inclined rotatable connection creates a dynamic geometric relationship between the neck and head. As the neck rotates, the inclined axis causes the wheels to naturally shift contact points on the surface, providing steering action. This dynamic geometric transformation achieves steering without additional mechanical steering components
Solution Approach 2:
The inclined angle of the rotatable connection changes the spatial parameters of the wheel arrangement relative to the surface. This parameter change (the inclination angle) transforms the rotational movement of the neck into lateral steering movement of the wheels, achieving steering functionality through parameter transformation rather than complex mechanisms
Data Source
AI summary
An accessory for a cleaning appliance includes a head having a housing, a downwardly-directed suction opening in the housing and a neck adapted for attachment to a hose or wand of the cleaning appliance. A rotatable connection is provided between the neck and the head for allowing rotation of the neck relative to the head. A wheel arrangement maneuverably supports the accessory on a surface to be cleaned and is mounted on the neck of the accessory. The wheel arrangement may normally be in contact with the surface to be cleaned, but the point or points of contact between the wheel arrangement and the surface to be cleaned are dependent upon the rotational position of the neck with respect to the head.