Autonomous mobile device and working method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides autonomous mobile equipment and a working method thereof. In the autonomous mobile device, a housing, a first wheel assembly, a dry cleaning assembly and a first transmission assembly are assembled together. The first wheel assembly is provided with trundles and installed on the machine shell, the dry type cleaning assembly is used for conducting dry type cleaning on the face to be cleaned, and the first wheel assembly and the dry type cleaning assembly are in linkage through the first transmission assembly, so that the dry type cleaning assembly can reversely ascend relative to the machine shell in the process that the first wheel assembly descends relative to the machine shell. In this way, the lifting movement of the two relative to the machine shell is achieved with a simple structure and low cost, so that the two are positioned at different positions relative to the machine shell in different working modes. Besides, the wheel assembly with the trundles and the dry type cleaning assembly are made to ascend and descend, more working modes of the autonomous mobile equipment can be achieved, and therefore the autonomous mobile equipment can be well suitable for various different application scenes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the construction of an autonomous mobile device and a method of operating the autonomous mobile device. Background Art

[0002] Autonomous mobile devices refer to intelligent mobile devices that can autonomously perform preset tasks. Currently, autonomous mobile devices generally include but are not limited to cleaning robots (such as intelligent sweepers, intelligent floor scrubbers, window cleaning robots), companion mobile robots (such as intelligent electronic pets, nanny robots), service mobile robots (such as reception robots in hotels, inns, and meeting places), industrial inspection intelligent devices (such as power inspection robots, intelligent forklifts, etc.), and security robots (such as home or commercial intelligent guard robots).

[0003] For an autonomous mobile device with a dry cleaning component, it may run on a surface to be cleaned with different surface parameters. Based on the surface parameters of the surface to be cleaned, the autonomous mobile device needs to be in different working modes. For example, if the surface to be cleaned has a concave-convex shape with large variations, the autonomous mobile device may need to be in an obstacle-crossing working mode, in which the autonomous mobile device needs to have a strong obstacle-crossing capability; if the surface to be cleaned works on a carpet or floor, the autonomous mobile device needs to be in a different cleaning working mode. For the above-mentioned different working modes, the wheel assembly with casters and the dry cleaning assembly of the autonomous mobile device need to be set at different positions relative to the casing. However, in existing autonomous mobile devices, the dry cleaning assembly is usually fixed relative to the casing and cannot be lifted or lowered relative to the casing, thereby limiting the types of working modes of the autonomous mobile device and failing to perform in the best working state in many application scenarios. Summary of the invention

[0004] Based on the above problems of the prior art, one object of the present disclosure is to provide an autonomous mobile device, which can realize the lifting and lowering of the wheel assembly and the cleaning assembly relative to the housing with a relatively simple structure and low cost, so as to be suitable for a variety of different application scenarios. Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a working method of the above autonomous mobile device.

[0005] In order to achieve the above objectives, the present disclosure adopts the following technical solutions.

[0006] The present disclosure provides an autonomous mobile device as follows, comprising:

[0007] chassis;

[0008] A first wheel assembly, which is mounted on the housing and has casters;

[0009] A dry cleaning component for performing dry cleaning on a surface to be cleaned; and

[0010] The first transmission assembly, the first wheel assembly and the dry cleaning assembly can be linked via the first transmission assembly, so that as the first wheel assembly descends relative to the housing, the dry cleaning assembly can rise relative to the housing.

[0011] In an optional solution, the first transmission assembly includes at least one gear rack mechanism, and the gear rack mechanism includes:

[0012] a first rack fixed to the first wheel assembly;

[0013] a second rack having a first drive connection; and

[0014] a gear that is always in meshing engagement with both the first rack and the second rack, so that the first rack and the second rack move in opposite directions when the gear rotates,

[0015] The dry cleaning component has a second transmission connection part, and the first transmission connection part can abut against the second transmission connection part after the first wheel assembly descends to a predetermined position relative to the casing, thereby driving the dry cleaning component to rise as the first wheel assembly continues to descend from the predetermined position while the first transmission connection part abuts against the second transmission connection part.

[0016] In another optional scheme, the first wheel assembly also includes a first suspension, a first spring, a first wheel frame and a lifting platform, the caster is installed on the first suspension and the first suspension is fixed to the first rack, the first wheel frame is fixed to the casing, the lifting platform can drive the first suspension to descend via the first spring, and the lifting platform can directly drive the first suspension to rise.

[0017] In another optional solution, it also includes:

[0018] a lifting power source, which is mounted on the first wheel frame; and

[0019] The transmission includes a screw, which is transmission-connected to the lifting power source, and the screw is threadedly connected to the lifting platform to form a screw-nut mechanism, thereby connecting the lifting power source to the lifting platform via the transmission, so that the lifting power source can drive the lifting platform to move up and down via the transmission.

[0020] In another optional solution, it also includes:

[0021] A second wheel assembly, which is mounted on the housing and has a driving wheel; and

[0022] The second transmission assembly, the second wheel assembly and the dry cleaning assembly can be linked via the second transmission assembly, so that as the dry cleaning assembly rises relative to the housing, the second wheel assembly can descend relative to the housing.

[0023] In another optional solution, the second transmission assembly includes:

[0024] a first connecting rod, one end of which is rotatably connected to the dry cleaning assembly, and the other end of which is rotatably connected to the housing or the second wheel assembly; and

[0025] A transmission rod is rigidly connected to the first connecting rod, and the transmission rod can swing with the rotation of the first connecting rod, thereby enabling the dry cleaning assembly to drive the second wheel assembly to descend via the transmission rod while ascending.

[0026] In another optional scheme, the second transmission assembly also includes a second connecting rod, one end of which is rotatably connected to the dry cleaning assembly, and the other end of which is rotatably connected to the housing or the second wheel assembly, so that the dry cleaning assembly, the first connecting rod, the second connecting rod and the housing constitute a four-bar linkage.

[0027] In another optional scheme, the second wheel assembly is provided with a driven part, and the transmission rod abuts against the driven part after the dry cleaning assembly rises to a predetermined position relative to the casing, thereby driving the second wheel assembly to descend as the dry cleaning assembly continues to rise from the predetermined position while the transmission rod abuts against the driven part.

[0028] In another optional solution, a wet cleaning component is further included, which is used to wet clean the surface to be cleaned, and the wet cleaning component can be raised and lowered relative to the casing independently of the dry cleaning component.

[0029] The present disclosure also provides a working method of the autonomous mobile device, the working method comprising:

[0030] a first working mode, wherein the dry cleaning assembly is in a lowered position relative to the housing so that the dry cleaning assembly is in a working state, and the wet cleaning assembly is in a lowered position relative to the housing so that the wet cleaning assembly is in a working state;

[0031] a second working mode, wherein the dry cleaning assembly is in an ascending position relative to the housing, so that the dry cleaning assembly is in a non-operating state, and the wet cleaning assembly is in a descending position relative to the housing, so that the wet cleaning assembly is in an operating state;

[0032] a third working mode, wherein the dry cleaning assembly is in a lowered position relative to the housing so that the dry cleaning assembly is in a working state, and the wet cleaning assembly is in an raised position relative to the housing so that the wet cleaning assembly is in a non-working state; and

[0033] A fourth working mode, wherein the dry cleaning component is in a raised position relative to the casing, so that the dry cleaning component is in a non-working state, the wet cleaning component is in a raised position relative to the casing, so that the wet cleaning component is in a non-working state, and the first wheel assembly and the second wheel assembly are in a lowered position relative to the casing.

[0034] The present disclosure also provides an autonomous mobile device as follows, comprising:

[0035] chassis;

[0036] A dry cleaning component, which is used for performing dry cleaning on the surface to be cleaned;

[0037] A wheel assembly, which is mounted on the housing, the wheel assembly having a driving wheel and a driven part;

[0038] at least one connecting rod, the at least one connecting rod being connected to the housing and the dry cleaning assembly so that the at least one connecting rod can rotate during the process of raising and lowering the dry cleaning assembly relative to the housing; and

[0039] A transmission rod is rigidly connected to one of the at least one connecting rods, and the transmission rod can swing with the rotation of the one connecting rod. After the dry cleaning component rises to a predetermined position relative to the casing, the transmission rod abuts against the driven part, thereby driving the wheel assembly to descend as the dry cleaning component continues to rise from the predetermined position.

[0040] By adopting the above technical solution, the present disclosure provides a new type of autonomous mobile device and a working method thereof. In the autonomous mobile device, a housing, a first wheel assembly, a dry cleaning assembly and a first transmission assembly are assembled together. The first wheel assembly has a caster (such as a universal wheel) and is installed on the housing. The dry cleaning assembly is used to perform dry cleaning on the surface to be cleaned. The first wheel assembly and the dry cleaning assembly are linked via the first transmission assembly, so that the dry cleaning assembly can rise in the opposite direction relative to the housing during the process of the first wheel assembly descending relative to the housing.

[0041] In this way, the wheel assembly with casters and the dry cleaning assembly are linked, and the same lifting power source can be used to drive the two to lift in opposite directions relative to the housing, thereby achieving the lifting movement of the two relative to the housing with a simple structure and low cost, so as to position the two relative to the housing at different positions in different working modes. Furthermore, by lifting the wheel assembly with casters and the dry cleaning assembly, the autonomous mobile device can achieve more working modes, thereby being better suitable for a variety of different application scenarios. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] Figure 1A Schematic diagram showing the overall structure of an autonomous mobile device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] Figure 1B It shows Figure 1A Another three-dimensional schematic diagram of the overall structure of the autonomous mobile device.

[0044] Figure 2A It shows Figure 1A A three-dimensional schematic diagram of an assembly of some components of an autonomous mobile device, including a first wheel assembly, a dry cleaning assembly, a first transmission assembly, a second wheel assembly, a second transmission assembly and a wet cleaning assembly.

[0045] Figure 2B It shows Figure 2A A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the local structure of the assembly.

[0046] Figure 3A It shows Figure 1A A three-dimensional schematic diagram of an assembly of some components of an autonomous mobile device, including a first wheel assembly and a first transmission assembly.

[0047] Figure 3B It shows Figure 3A A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the local structure of the assembly.

[0048] Figure 3C It shows Figure 3A Schematic cross-sectional view of the assembly.

[0049] Figure 4A It shows Figure 1A A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the dry cleaning components of the autonomous mobile device.

[0050] Figure 4B It shows Figure 4A Another three-dimensional schematic diagram of the dry cleaning component in.

[0051] Figure 5A It shows Figure 1AA three-dimensional schematic diagram of an assembly of some components of an autonomous mobile device, including a second wheel assembly and a second transmission assembly.

[0052] Figure 5B It shows Figure 5A A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the local structure of the assembly.

[0053] Figure 6 1 is a perspective schematic diagram showing an assembly of some components of an autonomous mobile device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure, including a first wheel assembly, a first transmission assembly, a lifting power source and a transmission.

[0054] Description of Reference Numerals

[0055] 1—housing;

[0056] 2—first wheel assembly; 21—castor; 22—first suspension; 23—first spring; 24—first wheel frame; 25 lifting platform;

[0057] 3—first transmission assembly; 31—first rack; 32—second rack; 321—tooth portion; 322—first transmission connection portion; 33—gear;

[0058] 4—dry cleaning assembly; 41—housing; 411—housing body; 412—second transmission connection part; 413—first rotation connection part;

[0059] 5—second wheel assembly; 51—driving wheel; 52—second suspension; 53—second spring; 54—second wheel frame; 55—driven part;

[0060] 6—second transmission assembly; 61—first connecting rod; 62—second connecting rod; 621—second rotating connection portion; 63—transmission rod;

[0061] 7—Wet cleaning components;

[0062] 8—Lifting power source;

[0063] 9—Transmission; 91 screw. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0064] The following describes the embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings. For ease of understanding, the elements shown in the drawings may include elements whose sizes and scales are different from the actual sizes and scales.

[0065] In the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, "front (front side)", "rear (rear side)", "left (left side)", "right (right side)", "upper (upper side)", and "lower (lower side)" are all relative to the normal working state of the autonomous mobile device according to the present disclosure. Specifically, "front (front side)" and "rear (rear side)" refer to the front and rear sides in the positive forward direction of the autonomous mobile device when the autonomous mobile device according to the present disclosure is in a normal working state on the running surface (surface to be cleaned), "left (left side)" and "right (right side)" refer to the left and right sides when viewed from the front side in the positive forward direction, and "upper (upper side)" and "lower (lower side)" refer to the upper and lower sides in the height direction perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned when the autonomous mobile device according to the present disclosure is in a normal working state on the running surface.

[0066] In the present disclosure, the autonomous mobile device can move autonomously according to a control scheme preset in its control component, and the operating surface (surface to be cleaned) where the autonomous mobile device moves autonomously can be a plane or a curved surface with a large curvature radius, typically the floor of each room in a building.

[0067] In the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, "lifting" refers to the rising and falling of other components of the autonomous mobile device (such as the wheel component and the cleaning component) relative to the housing in the up and down directions.

[0068] In the present disclosure, a self-moving cleaning device is taken as an example of the autonomous mobile device of the present disclosure, and the technical concept and specific technical scheme according to the present disclosure are explained in the following specific embodiments. The autonomous mobile device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure is first explained in conjunction with the drawings in the specification.

[0069] (Autonomous Mobile Device According to the First Embodiment of the Present Disclosure)

[0070] The autonomous mobile device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure is a self-moving cleaning device. Figures 1A to 5B As shown, the autonomous mobile device includes a housing 1, a first wheel assembly 2, a first transmission assembly 3, a dry cleaning assembly 4, a second wheel assembly 5, a second transmission assembly 6, a wet cleaning assembly 7, a sensing assembly and a control assembly assembled together. The control assembly can obtain environmental parameters through the sensing assembly, and based on the obtained environmental parameters, the control assembly can control the wheel assembly (mainly the second wheel assembly 5) to drive the entire autonomous mobile device to move autonomously on the surface to be cleaned, and then in this process, the cleaning assembly (including the dry cleaning assembly 4 and the wet cleaning assembly 7) performs a cleaning operation on the surface to be cleaned. In different working modes, the cleaning operation includes but is not limited to one or more of sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, etc.

[0071] In this embodiment, if Figure 1A and Figure 1B As shown, the casing 1 as a whole has a roughly cylindrical shape. The shape of the casing 1 is not limited thereto, and in other optional schemes, the casing 1 may also have other shapes, such as a D-shape, an ellipse, a square, etc. When the autonomous mobile device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure is in a normal working state, the bottom surface of the casing 1 is opposite to the surface to be cleaned, and the bottom surface of the casing 1 is parallel to the surface to be cleaned. Here, "parallel" not only includes that the bottom surface of the casing 1 and the surface to be cleaned have a geometric parallel relationship, but also includes the situation that the two are roughly parallel. The above-mentioned "roughly" means that within the reasonable error range recognized by those skilled in the art, it can be determined that the parallel relationship between the two is established. In addition, other components are arranged in the casing 1. In order to support and protect other components, most of the structures of the autonomous mobile device are housed and installed inside the casing 1.

[0072] In this embodiment, if Figures 1B to 3C As shown, the first wheel assembly 2 is arranged at the front of the housing 1, and the caster 21 (universal wheel) of the first wheel assembly 2 is always extended relative to the bottom surface of the housing 1 so as to roll in contact with the surface to be cleaned. Further, in addition to the caster 21, the first wheel assembly 2 also includes a first suspension 22, a first spring 23, a first wheel frame 24 and a lifting platform 25. Figures 2A to 3C As shown, the caster 21 is installed at the bottom of the first suspension 22 via a universal mechanism, so that the caster 21 can move in any direction relative to the first suspension 22 on the surface to be cleaned, but the caster 21 cannot be lifted or lowered relative to the first suspension 22. The first suspension 22 is also fixedly installed with the first rack 31 described below of the first transmission assembly 3, and the first suspension 22 can be lifted or lowered relative to the housing 1, thereby driving the caster 21 to be lifted or lowered relative to the housing 1. In addition, two first springs 23 are arranged side by side in the left and right directions in the space surrounded and defined by the first suspension 22, each first spring 23 is a cylindrical helical spring, and one end of each first spring 23 can abut against the first suspension 22 and the other end always abuts against the bottom of the lifting platform 25. In this way, the lifting platform 25 can drive the first suspension 22 to descend via the first spring 23. In addition, the top of the lifting platform 25 also directly abuts against the first suspension 22. In this way, the lifting platform 25 can directly drive the first suspension 22 to rise. In addition, the first wheel frame 24 is installed inside the housing 1 and fixed to the housing 1. It can be understood that when the two ends of the two first springs 23 are respectively against the first suspension 22 and the lifting platform 25, not only can the vibration generated when the caster 21 travels on the surface to be cleaned be buffered, but also a spring force can be applied to the first suspension 22 to ensure that the caster 21 is always in close contact with the surface to be cleaned.

[0073] In this embodiment, if Figures 2A to 3CAs shown, most of the structure of the first transmission assembly 3 is arranged in the first wheel frame 24 of the first wheel assembly 2, and the first transmission assembly 3 is installed on the first suspension 22 and the shell 41 of the dry cleaning assembly 4, so that the first wheel assembly 2 and the dry cleaning assembly 4 are linked via the first transmission assembly 3, so that as the first wheel assembly 2 descends relative to the casing 1, the dry cleaning assembly 4 can rise in the opposite direction relative to the casing 1.

[0074] Specifically, FIG. 3A to FIG. 3CAs shown, the first transmission assembly 3 includes two rack and pinion mechanisms, which are arranged side by side in the left and right directions. Each rack and pinion mechanism includes a first rack 31, a second rack 32 and a gear 33 assembled together. The first rack 31 and the second rack 32 can be arranged on opposite sides of the gear 33, so that the teeth of the first rack 31 and the teeth of the second rack 32 are opposite to each other and are always meshed with the gear 33. The first rack 31 is fixed to the side wall of the first suspension 22 of the first wheel assembly 2, so that the first rack 31 and the first suspension 22 are lifted and lowered together relative to the housing 1. The second rack 32 includes an integrated tooth portion 321 and a first transmission connection portion 322, and the tooth portion 321 is always meshed with the gear 33. The first transmission connection portion 322 can abut against the second transmission connection portion 412 of the housing 41 of the dry cleaning assembly 4, so that the dry cleaning assembly 4 can be driven to rise relative to the housing 1 when the first transmission connection portion 322 and the second transmission connection portion 412 abut against each other. Specifically, the first transmission connection part 322 has an L-shaped structure, the vertical part of the first transmission connection part 322 is formed as a whole with the tooth part 321, and the horizontal part of the first transmission connection part 322 is always located below the second transmission connection part 412 and can be separated from or abutted against the second transmission connection part 412. The rotating shaft of the gear 33 can be installed on the first wheel frame 24 or the housing 1, and the gear 33 is always meshed with the first rack 31 and the second rack 32, so that the first rack 31 and the second rack 32 move in opposite directions when the gear 33 rotates. That is, when the gear 33 rotates in one direction, the first rack 31 rises relative to the housing 1 and the second rack 32 falls relative to the housing 1; when the gear 33 rotates in another direction opposite to the one direction, the first rack 31 falls relative to the housing 1 and the second rack 32 rises relative to the housing 1. In this way, the first wheel assembly 2 with the caster 21 and the dry cleaning assembly 4 are lifted and lowered in opposite directions by a relatively simple gear rack transmission mechanism, and the two gear rack mechanisms make the lifting and lowering of the first wheel assembly 2 and the dry cleaning assembly 4 smooth and not skewed. In fact, in this embodiment, after the first wheel assembly 2 is lowered to a predetermined position relative to the housing 1, the first transmission connection part 322 can abut against the second transmission connection part 412, so that when the first transmission connection part 322 abuts against the second transmission connection part 412, as the first wheel assembly 2 continues to descend from the above-mentioned predetermined position, the dry cleaning assembly 4 can be driven to rise.

[0075] In this embodiment, if Figure 2A and Figure 2B As shown, most of the structure of the dry cleaning component 4 is housed in the housing 1 and is located at the rear side of the first wheel component 2 and at the front side of the second wheel component 5. The dry cleaning component 4 is mainly used for vacuuming and cleaning the surface to be cleaned.

[0076] like Figure 4A and Figure 4B As shown, the dry cleaning assembly 4 includes a shell 41 and a main brush assembled together, and the main brush is received in the shell 41 and can rotate relative to the shell 41, so as to roll up foreign matter on the surface to be cleaned while in contact with the surface to be cleaned. The shell 41 includes an integrated shell body 411, a second transmission connection part 412 and a first rotation connection part 413. The shell body 411 is formed into a roughly cubic shape, and the shell body 411 has a hollow structure, so as to accommodate and install the main brush. The two second transmission connection parts 412 protrude from the front side wall of the shell body 411 toward the second rack 32 of the first transmission assembly 3, and each second transmission connection part 412 is formed into a horizontal plate shape and is always located above the first transmission connection part 322 of the corresponding second rack 32 (reference Figure 2A and Figure 2B ), so that the second rack 32 can drive the housing 41 to rise only when the second transmission connection part 412 and the corresponding first transmission connection part 322 are in abutment with each other. Moreover, when the dry cleaning component 4 floats upward independently of the first wheel component 2, the second transmission connection part 412 can be separated from the abutment state with the first transmission connection part 322. The first rotating connection part 413 is provided on the left and right side walls of the housing body 411, and two first rotating connection parts 413 arranged side by side are provided on each left and right side walls. One end of the two connecting rods 61 and 62 of the second transmission component 6 is respectively rotatably connected to a first rotating connection part 413, so that the connecting rod can rotate around the first rotating connection part 413.

[0077] Specifically, in this embodiment, Figure 2A As shown, two second wheel assemblies 5 are arranged side by side, located in the middle of the housing 1 in the front-to-back direction and located at the rear side of the dry cleaning assembly 4 and the front side of the wet cleaning assembly 7. The driving wheel 51 (active wheel) of the second wheel assembly 5 always extends relative to the bottom surface of the housing 1 so as to roll in contact with the surface to be cleaned. Further, for each second wheel assembly 5, in addition to the driving wheel 51, the second wheel assembly 5 also includes a second suspension 52, a second spring 53, a second wheel frame 54 and a driven part 55. Figure 5A and Figure 5BAs shown, the driving wheel 51 is installed at the bottom of the second suspension 52 via a rotating shaft, so that the driving wheel 51 can roll relative to the second suspension 52 on the surface to be cleaned, but the driving wheel 51 cannot be raised or lowered relative to the second suspension 52. In addition, most of the structure of the second suspension 52 is accommodated in the second wheel frame 54. In addition, two second springs 53 are arranged side by side front and back in the space surrounded and defined by the first wheel frame 24, and each second spring 53 is a cylindrical coil spring, and one end of each second spring 53 abuts against the second suspension 52 and the other end abuts against the second wheel frame 54, so that the second spring 53 can be elastically deformed during the relative movement of the second suspension 52 and the second wheel frame 54. In addition, the second wheel frame 54 is installed inside the casing 1 and is fixed to the casing 1. It can be understood that the two second springs 53 can not only buffer the vibration generated during the driving wheel 51 running on the surface to be cleaned, but also apply spring force to the second suspension 52 so that the driving wheel 51 is always in close contact with the surface to be cleaned. Further, as Figure 2B and Figure 5B As shown, the driven portion 55 is formed in a cylindrical protrusion shape and protrudes from the side wall of the second suspension 52. After the dry cleaning assembly 4 rises to a predetermined position relative to the housing 1, the transmission rod 63 of the second transmission assembly 6 abuts against the driven portion 55, and in this abutting state, the dry cleaning assembly 4 continues to rise from the predetermined position to drive the second wheel assembly 5 to descend.

[0078] In this embodiment, if Figure 2A and Figure 2B As shown, the second transmission assembly 6 is installed on the shell 41 of the dry cleaning assembly 4 and the second wheel frame 54 (or the casing 1) of the second wheel assembly 5, whereby the second wheel assembly 5 and the dry cleaning assembly 4 are linked via the second transmission assembly 6, so that as the dry cleaning assembly 4 rises relative to the casing 1, the second wheel assembly 5 can descend relative to the casing 1.

[0079] Specifically, Figure 5A and Figure 5BAs shown, the second transmission assembly 6 includes a first connecting rod 61, a second connecting rod 62 and a transmission rod 63. One end of the first connecting rod 61 is rotatably connected to the first rotating connection part 413 of the dry cleaning assembly 4, and the other end can be rotatably connected to the rotating connection part of the second wheel frame 54 (since the second wheel frame 54 is fixed to the housing 1, it can be considered that the other end of the first connecting rod 61 is rotatably connected to the housing 1), one end of the second connecting rod 62 is rotatably connected to the first rotating connection part 413 of the dry cleaning assembly 4, and the other end is provided with a second rotating connection part 621 to be rotatably connected to the second wheel frame 54 (it can also be considered to be rotatably connected to the housing 1). In this way, the housing 41 of the dry cleaning assembly 4, the first connecting rod 61, the second connecting rod 62 and the second wheel frame 54 (housing 1) constitute a four-bar linkage. In the four-bar linkage, the first connecting rod 61 and the second connecting rod 62 are parallel to each other and have equal lengths. The four-bar linkage is used to keep the dry cleaning assembly 4 stable during the lifting process relative to the housing 1. In addition, the transmission rod 63 is rigidly connected to the first connecting rod 61, and the transmission rod 63 can swing with the rotation of the first connecting rod 61, so that the dry cleaning assembly 4 can drive the driven portion 55 of the second wheel assembly 5 through the transmission rod 63 while rising, so that the second wheel assembly 5 is lowered. In this way, the wheel assembly with the driving wheel 51 and the dry cleaning assembly 4 can be lifted and lowered in opposite directions by a relatively simple rod transmission mechanism.

[0080] In this embodiment, if Figure 2B As shown, most of the structure of the wet cleaning assembly 7 is housed inside the housing 1 and is located behind the second wheel assembly 5 in the front-to-back direction. The wet cleaning assembly 7 is mainly used for wet cleaning of the surface to be cleaned with liquid. The wet cleaning assembly 7 can be raised and lowered relative to the housing 1 independently of the dry cleaning assembly 4.

[0081] By adopting the above structure, the autonomous mobile device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure can realize multiple working modes, so that the autonomous mobile device of the present disclosure can adapt to more application scenarios.

[0082] Specifically, in the first working mode (dry and wet dual working mode), the dry cleaning component 4 is in a lowered position relative to the housing 1 to always contact the surface to be cleaned, so that the dry cleaning component 4 is in a working state, and the wet cleaning component 7 is in a lowered position relative to the housing 1 to always contact the surface to be cleaned, so that the wet cleaning component 7 is in a working state. In the present disclosure, the lowered position and the raised position are relative positions relative to the housing 1, and for the same component, the lowered position is located below the raised position in the up-down direction.

[0083] In the second working mode (wet working mode), the dry cleaning component 4 is in an ascending position relative to the housing 1 to be out of contact with the surface to be cleaned, so that the dry cleaning component 4 is in a non-working state, and the wet cleaning component 7 is in a descending position relative to the housing 1 to be in contact with the surface to be cleaned at all times, so that the wet cleaning component 7 is in a working state. It can be understood that, on the one hand, when the autonomous mobile device travels over the surface to be cleaned with bumps and depressions, the dry cleaning component 4 can float upward independently of the first wheel component 2 (the height at which the dry cleaning component 4 floats upward independently can be limited by the four-bar linkage of the second transmission component 6), so it can be considered that the autonomous mobile device is in the above-mentioned wet working mode; on the other hand, the first wheel component 2 and the dry cleaning component 4 can be linked to control the first wheel component 2 to descend so that the dry cleaning component 4 rises and is in a non-working state, so that the autonomous mobile device is in a wet working mode.

[0084] In the third working mode (dry working mode), the dry cleaning component 4 is in a lowered position relative to the housing 1 to always be in contact with the surface to be cleaned, so that the dry cleaning component 4 is in a working state, and the wet cleaning component 7 is in an ascending position relative to the housing 1 to be out of contact with the surface to be cleaned, so that the wet cleaning component 7 is in a non-working state. It can be understood that the wet cleaning component 7 can be raised independently of other components to be in a non-working state, so that the autonomous mobile device is in a dry working mode.

[0085] In the fourth working mode (obstacle crossing mode), the dry cleaning component 4 is in an ascending position relative to the casing 1 to disengage from the surface to be cleaned, so that the dry cleaning component 4 is in a non-working state, the wet cleaning component 7 is in an ascending position relative to the casing 1 to disengage from the surface to be cleaned, so that the wet cleaning component 7 is in a non-working state, and the first wheel assembly 2 and the second wheel assembly 5 are in a descending position relative to the casing 1, so that the autonomous mobile device can smoothly pass through a road section with large bumps and obstacles.

[0086] By adopting the above technical solution, the first wheel assembly 2 with casters 21 and the dry cleaning assembly 4 are linked through the first transmission assembly 3, and the two can be driven to lift in opposite directions relative to the housing 1 by the same lifting power source, thereby realizing the lifting movement of the two with a simple structure and a low cost. Further, the second wheel assembly 5 with a driving wheel 51 and the dry cleaning assembly 4 are linked in a predetermined state through the second transmission assembly 7, thereby the first wheel assembly 2 with casters 21, the second wheel assembly 5 with a driving wheel 51 and the dry cleaning assembly 4 can be driven to lift relative to the housing 1 by the same lifting power source 8 in a predetermined state, thereby realizing the linkage of the three with a simple structure and a low cost to realize the respective lifting, so as to realize the corresponding working mode, so that the autonomous mobile device can be suitable for more application scenarios in a better working state.

[0087] An autonomous mobile device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure is described below.

[0088] (Autonomous Mobile Device According to the Second Embodiment of the Present Disclosure)

[0089] The structure of the autonomous mobile device according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure is substantially the same as the structure of the autonomous mobile device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, and the differences between the two are mainly described below.

[0090] In this embodiment, if Figure 6 As shown, the autonomous mobile device also includes a lifting power source 8 and a transmission 9, both of which are installed on the first wheel assembly 2. The lifting power source 8 is a motor. The transmission 9 may include a lead screw 91 threadedly connected to the lifting platform 25, the lead screw 91 and the lifting platform 25 form a lead screw nut mechanism, and the lead screw 91 is also transmission-connected to the lifting power source 8 to receive the driving force from the lifting power source 8. In this way, the lifting power source 8 is transmission-connected to the lifting platform 25 of the first wheel assembly 2 via the transmission 9, so that the lifting power source 8 can transmit the driving force to the lifting platform 25 of the first wheel assembly 2 via the transmission 9, and then drive the first wheel assembly 2 to rise and fall via the lifting platform 25.

[0091] It can be understood that, when the two ends of the two first springs 23 are respectively against the first suspension 22 and the lifting platform 25, the descending driving force generated by the lifting power source 8 via the transmission 9 can be transmitted to the first suspension 22 via the two first springs 23, and the first suspension 22 and the caster 21 can be lowered together, and the impact on the caster 21 will be buffered by the first spring 23, and will not cause excessive impact on the lifting power source 8. Further, the descent of the first wheel assembly 2 can drive the dry cleaning assembly 4 to rise in the opposite direction via the first transmission assembly 3, and then drive the second wheel assembly 5 to descend via the second transmission assembly 6.

[0092] It should be understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art may make various modifications and changes to the above embodiments under the guidance of the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following supplementary explanation is provided for the technical solution of the present disclosure.

[0093] i. It can be understood that in addition to the examples of self-moving cleaning devices described in the above specific embodiments, the technical concept of the present disclosure can also be applied to other autonomous mobile devices. The above-mentioned autonomous mobile devices generally refer to intelligent mobile devices that autonomously perform preset tasks, including cleaning robots that implement similar functions to the self-moving cleaning devices described in the above embodiments (such as intelligent sweepers, intelligent floor scrubbers, window cleaning robots), companion mobile robots (such as intelligent electronic pets, nanny robots), service mobile robots (such as reception robots in hotels, inns, and meeting places), industrial inspection intelligent equipment (such as power inspection robots, intelligent forklifts, etc.), security robots (such as household or commercial intelligent guard robots), etc., which are two-dimensional plane mobile robots with wheels or tracks as drive units. Of course, the solution of the present disclosure can also be applied to other fields, which will not be exhaustively described.

[0094] ii. It can be understood that the control component of the autonomous mobile device disclosed in the present invention can receive parameters from the sensing component, and can perform relevant control on the autonomous mobile device through the preset program stored in the control chip. The second wheel assembly 5 is used to drive the entire autonomous mobile device to move on the surface to be cleaned under the control of the control component. In addition, by rotating the driving wheels 51 of the two second wheel assemblies 5 at the same speed and in the same direction (for example, rotating clockwise or counterclockwise at the same time), the autonomous mobile device can be driven to move linearly along the positive forward direction; by rotating the driving wheels 51 of the two second wheel assemblies 5 at different speeds and / or different directions (for example, one driving wheel 51 rotates clockwise and the other driving wheel 51 rotates counterclockwise), the autonomous mobile device can be driven to turn in a direction different from the positive forward direction. Since the caster 21 is a universal wheel, the caster 21 of the first wheel assembly 2 can support the entire autonomous mobile device regardless of how the driving wheel 51 rolls on the surface to be cleaned. In addition, the dry cleaning component 4 may include a dust suction unit housed in the housing 1, which is used to suction foreign matter rolled up by the main brush under the control of the control component, so that the foreign matter can be sucked into the dust collecting device.

[0095] iii. In a variation of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first transmission assembly 3 may include only one rack-and-pinion mechanism, or include more than three rack-and-pinion mechanisms. In addition, the first transmission assembly 3 may also adopt other transmission structures as long as the first wheel assembly 2 and the dry cleaning assembly 4 can achieve the function of lifting in opposite directions.

[0096] iv. In a variation of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the second transmission assembly 6 may include one connecting rod or three or more connecting rods, so that the connecting rod can rotate during the process of the dry cleaning assembly 4 rising and falling relative to the housing 1. The transmission rod 63 is rigidly connected to one connecting rod, and the transmission rod 63 can swing with the rotation of one connecting rod. After the dry cleaning assembly 4 rises to a predetermined position relative to the housing 1, the transmission rod 63 abuts against the driven part 55, thereby driving the second wheel assembly 5 to descend as the dry cleaning assembly 4 continues to rise from the predetermined position. In this way, on the one hand, before the transmission rod 63 and the driven part 55 are in contact with each other, the dry cleaning component 4 can work independently of the second wheel component 5 with the driving wheel 51. In this case, the dry cleaning component 4 can float independently according to the unevenness of the surface to be cleaned, and the second wheel component 5 will not rise or fall relative to the housing 1. On the other hand, after the transmission rod 63 and the driven part 55 are in contact with each other, the dry cleaning component 4 and the second wheel component 5 with the driving wheel 51 can be linked together, and then the second wheel component 5 with the driving wheel 51 can be lowered while the dry cleaning component 4 continues to rise, so that the autonomous mobile device can achieve an obstacle-crossing working mode.

Claims

1. An autonomous mobile device, characterized in that: include: Housing (1); A first wheel assembly (2), which is mounted on the housing (1) and has a caster (21); A dry cleaning component (4) for performing dry cleaning on a surface to be cleaned; and A first transmission assembly (3), wherein the first wheel assembly (2) and the dry cleaning assembly (4) can be linked via the first transmission assembly (3), so that as the first wheel assembly (2) descends relative to the housing (1), the dry cleaning assembly (4) can rise relative to the housing (1).

2. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 1, characterized in that The first transmission assembly (3) comprises at least one gear rack mechanism, and the gear rack mechanism comprises: A first rack (31), which is fixed to the first wheel assembly (2); a second rack (32) having a first drive connection (322); and a gear (33) which is always in meshing engagement with the first rack (31) and the second rack (32), so that when the gear (33) rotates, the first rack (31) and the second rack (32) move in opposite directions. The dry cleaning component (4) has a second transmission connection part (412), and after the first wheel component (2) descends to a predetermined position relative to the housing (1), the first transmission connection part (322) can abut against the second transmission connection part (412), thereby driving the dry cleaning component (4) to rise as the first wheel component (2) continues to descend from the predetermined position while the first transmission connection part (322) abuts against the second transmission connection part (412).

3. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 2, characterized in that The first wheel assembly (2) further comprises a first suspension (22), a first spring (23), a first wheel frame (24) and a lifting platform (25); the caster (21) is mounted on the first suspension (22), the first suspension (22) is fixed to the first rack (31), the first wheel frame (24) is fixed to the housing (1), the lifting platform (25) can drive the first suspension (22) to descend via the first spring (23), and the lifting platform (25) can directly drive the first suspension (22) to ascend.

4. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 3, characterized in that: Also includes: A lifting power source (8) mounted on the first wheel frame (24); as well as The transmission (9) comprises a lead screw (91), wherein the lead screw (91) is connected to the lifting power source (8) by transmission, and the lead screw (91) is threadedly connected to the lifting platform (25) to form a lead screw nut mechanism, thereby enabling the lifting power source (8) and the lifting platform (25) to be connected by transmission via the transmission (9), so that the lifting power source (8) can drive the lifting platform (25) to rise and fall via the transmission (9).

5. The autonomous mobile device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: Also includes: A second wheel assembly (5), which is mounted on the housing (1) and has a driving wheel (51); as well as A second transmission assembly (6), wherein the second wheel assembly (5) and the dry cleaning assembly (4) can be linked via the second transmission assembly (6), so that as the dry cleaning assembly (4) rises relative to the housing (1), the second wheel assembly (5) can descend relative to the housing (1).

6. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The second transmission assembly (6) comprises: a first connecting rod (61), one end of which is rotatably connected to the dry cleaning assembly (4), and the other end of which is rotatably connected to the housing (1) or the second wheel assembly (5); and A transmission rod (63) is rigidly connected to the first connecting rod (61), and the transmission rod (63) can swing with the rotation of the first connecting rod (61), thereby enabling the dry cleaning assembly (4) to drive the second wheel assembly (5) to descend via the transmission rod (63) while ascending.

7. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The second transmission assembly (6) further comprises a second connecting rod (62), one end of which is rotatably connected to the dry cleaning assembly (4), and the other end of which is rotatably connected to the housing (1) or the second wheel assembly (5), so that the dry cleaning assembly (4), the first connecting rod (61), the second connecting rod (62) and the housing (1) form a four-bar linkage.

8. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: The second wheel assembly (5) is provided with a driven portion (55), and after the dry cleaning assembly (4) rises to a predetermined position relative to the housing (1), the transmission rod (63) abuts against the driven portion (55), thereby driving the second wheel assembly (5) to descend as the dry cleaning assembly (4) continues to rise from the predetermined position while the transmission rod (63) abuts against the driven portion (55).

9. The autonomous mobile device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: It also comprises a wet cleaning component (7) for wet cleaning the surface to be cleaned, and the wet cleaning component (7) can be raised and lowered relative to the housing (1) independently of the dry cleaning component (4).

10. A method for operating an autonomous mobile device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The working method comprises: a first working mode, wherein the dry cleaning component (4) is in a lowered position relative to the housing (1), so that the dry cleaning component (4) is in a working state, and the wet cleaning component (7) is in a lowered position relative to the housing (1), so that the wet cleaning component (7) is in a working state; a second working mode, wherein the dry cleaning component (4) is in an ascending position relative to the housing (1), so that the dry cleaning component (4) is in a non-operating state, and the wet cleaning component (7) is in a descending position relative to the housing (1), so that the wet cleaning component (7) is in an operating state; a third working mode, wherein the dry cleaning component (4) is in a lowered position relative to the housing (1), so that the dry cleaning component (4) is in a working state, and the wet cleaning component (7) is in an raised position relative to the housing (1), so that the wet cleaning component (7) is in a non-working state; and A fourth working mode, wherein the dry cleaning component (4) is in an ascending position relative to the housing (1), so that the dry cleaning component (4) is in a non-operating state, the wet cleaning component (7) is in an ascending position relative to the housing (1), so that the wet cleaning component (7) is in a non-operating state, and the first wheel assembly (2) and the second wheel assembly (5) are in a descending position relative to the housing (1).

11. An autonomous mobile device, characterized in that: include: Housing (1); A dry cleaning component (4) for performing dry cleaning on the surface to be cleaned; A wheel assembly (5) mounted on the housing (1), wherein the wheel assembly (5) comprises a driving wheel (51) and is provided with a driven part (55); at least one connecting rod (61, 62), the at least one connecting rod (61, 62) being connected to the housing (1) and the dry cleaning component (4), so that the at least one connecting rod (61, 62) can rotate during the process of the dry cleaning component (4) being raised or lowered relative to the housing (1); and A transmission rod (63) is rigidly connected to one connecting rod (61) of the at least one connecting rod (61, 62), and the transmission rod (63) can swing as the one connecting rod (61) rotates. After the dry cleaning component (4) rises to a predetermined position relative to the housing (1), the transmission rod (63) abuts against the driven part (55), thereby driving the wheel assembly (5) to descend as the dry cleaning component (4) continues to rise from the predetermined position.

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