Traveling device, cleaning robot and method for lifting body during travel

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides a traveling device, a cleaning robot, and a method for lifting a machine body during travel. The traveling device includes: a machine body, traveling wheels, a telescopic rod fixed to the machine body, and a driving component that provides rotational power for the traveling wheels; the traveling wheels are connected to the machine body via a connecting member; a first limiting track is provided on the side surface of the traveling wheel, and the track of the first limiting track has a near point closest to the center of the traveling wheel and a far point farthest from the center of the traveling wheel; when the telescopic rod is extended into the first limiting track, the machine body is periodically lifted during the rotation of the traveling wheel. The technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present invention directly utilizes the power of the traveling wheel itself, does not require the addition of additional power, requires minimal changes to the machine body structure, has a simple structure, and is low in cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of mechanical technology, and in particular to a traveling device, a cleaning robot, and a method for lifting a body during travel. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of science and technology, household appliances are becoming increasingly intelligent. Smart appliances have brought great convenience to users' work, life, and study. Robot vacuums are one such example. Using artificial intelligence, robot vacuums can automatically clean the floor in a room.

[0003] Currently, to improve the cleaning performance of robot vacuums, the ground clearance of their chassis is designed to be very low. This means that they can only navigate small steps (e.g., less than 15mm) or slopes with a shallow gradient (e.g., less than 15 degrees). When a robot vacuum encounters higher steps or steeper slopes, it can easily become stuck and be unable to continue moving. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above problems, the present invention is proposed to solve the above problems or at least partially solve the above problems, including a traveling device, a cleaning robot, and a method for lifting a body during travel.

[0005] Therefore, in one embodiment of the present invention, a traveling device is provided. The device comprises: a body, traveling wheels, a telescopic rod fixed to the body, and a driving component for providing rotational power to the traveling wheels; wherein,

[0006] The traveling wheel is connected to the fuselage via a connecting piece;

[0007] A first limiting track is provided on the side surface of the traveling wheel, and the track of the first limiting track has a near point closest to the center of the traveling wheel and a far point farthest from the center of the traveling wheel;

[0008] When the telescopic rod is extended and enters the first limiting track, the body is periodically lifted during the rotation of the traveling wheel.

[0009] In another embodiment of the present invention, a cleaning robot is provided. The cleaning robot comprises: a body, a cleaning component disposed on the body, a traveling wheel, a telescopic rod fixed to the body, a driving component for providing rotational power to the traveling wheel, and a controller; wherein,

[0010] The controller is connected to the cleaning component, the telescopic rod and the driving component respectively;

[0011] The traveling wheel is connected to the fuselage via a connecting piece;

[0012] A first limiting track is provided on the side surface of the traveling wheel, and the track of the first limiting track has a near point closest to the center of the traveling wheel and a far point farthest from the center of the traveling wheel;

[0013] When the telescopic rod is extended into the first limit track under the control of the controller, the fuselage is periodically lifted during the rotation of the traveling wheel.

[0014] In another embodiment of the present invention, a method for lifting a fuselage while traveling is provided. The method comprises:

[0015] providing a first control signal to a driving component to control the driving component to provide rotational power to the traveling wheel;

[0016] When an event of lifting the fuselage is detected, a second control signal is provided to the telescopic rod to control the telescopic rod to extend into the first limit track;

[0017] After the telescopic rod is extended into the first limiting track, the fuselage is periodically lifted during the rotation of the traveling wheel.

[0018] In which, the telescopic rod is fixed to the fuselage, the traveling wheel is connected to the fuselage through a connecting piece, the side surface of the traveling wheel is provided with the first limiting track, and the track of the first limiting track has a near point closest to the center of the traveling wheel and a far point farthest from the center of the traveling wheel.

[0019] The technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present invention is to provide a first limiting track on the side of the traveling wheel, and to fix a telescopic rod that can extend into the first limiting track on the fuselage; since the telescopic rod is fixed to the fuselage, when the traveling wheel rotates, the traveling wheel moves away from the bottom of the fuselage under the action of the telescopic rod and the first limiting track, so that the traveling wheel can extend out of the fuselage to increase the ground clearance of the bottom of the fuselage, thereby achieving the purpose of lifting the fuselage; it can be seen that the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application directly utilizes the power of the traveling wheel itself, does not need to add additional power, requires little change to the fuselage structure, has a simple structure and low cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a traveling device crossing an obstacle in the prior art;

[0022] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a traveling device provided in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional view of a traveling wheel in a traveling device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of a traveling wheel in a traveling device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a traveling device provided in an embodiment of the present invention after the body thereof is lifted;

[0026] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a possible connection structure between a traveling wheel and a driving component in a traveling device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 7a A schematic diagram showing that the track of the first limiting track in the traveling device provided in an embodiment of the present invention is a cam track;

[0028] Figure 7b A schematic diagram showing that the trajectory of the first limiting track in the traveling device provided in an embodiment of the present invention is an eccentric circle trajectory;

[0029] Figure 7c A schematic diagram showing that the trajectory of the first limiting track in the traveling device provided in an embodiment of the present invention is an elliptical trajectory;

[0030] Figure 7d A schematic diagram showing that the trajectory of the first limiting track in the traveling device provided in an embodiment of the present invention is a spiral trajectory;

[0031] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the principle structure of a traveling device provided in an embodiment of the present invention in which the connecting member is a rocker arm;

[0032] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the principle structure of a traveling device provided by an embodiment of the present invention in which the connecting member is an elastic component;

[0033] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of an implementation method of providing a first limiting rail and a second limiting rail on a traveling wheel in a traveling device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of another implementation of a traveling device provided in an embodiment of the present invention in which a first limiting rail and a second limiting rail are provided on the traveling wheel;

[0035] Figure 12a A schematic diagram of a working state of a telescopic rod in a traveling device provided by an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the telescopic rod adopts a first sub-telescopic rod and a second sub-telescopic rod structure;

[0036] Figure 12b A schematic diagram of another working state of the telescopic rod in the traveling device provided by an embodiment of the present invention, which is realized by using a first sub-telescopic rod and a second sub-telescopic rod structure;

[0037] Figure 12c A schematic diagram of another working state of the telescopic rod in the traveling device provided by an embodiment of the present invention, which is realized by using a first sub-telescopic rod and a second sub-telescopic rod structure;

[0038] Figure 12d A schematic diagram of another working state of the telescopic rod in the traveling device provided by an embodiment of the present invention, which is realized by using a first sub-telescopic rod and a second sub-telescopic rod structure;

[0039] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of the structure in which the telescopic rod of the traveling device provided by an embodiment of the present invention is fixed to the fuselage via a displacement component;

[0040] Figure 14 A schematic diagram of the connections of the electrical connection components in the traveling device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 15 A schematic diagram of the connections of the electrical connection components in the cleaning robot provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 16 A schematic flow chart of a method for lifting a fuselage while moving provided by an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] Through analysis, it is found that existing sweeping robots are prone to accidents when crossing low obstacles. Figure 1 The traveling wheels 100 are in the "suspended" state. Although the traveling wheels 100 are on the ground in the "suspended" state, the gravity of the sweeping robot is not completely pressed on the two traveling wheels 100; Figure 1 The belly 200 and tail 300 of the robot carry most of the weight, and friction between them and the ground hinders the movement of the robot vacuum cleaner. The positive pressure of the traveling wheel 100 decreases, resulting in a decrease in its driving force and a decrease in the robot vacuum cleaner's mobility. The design idea of ​​the technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application is generally as follows: when the robot crosses an obstacle, the ground clearance of the robot vacuum cleaner is increased to avoid the above-mentioned Figure 1 The situation shown occurs where the traveling wheels are suspended in the air.

[0044] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 2 and Figure 3 The schematic diagram of the structure of a traveling device provided by one embodiment of the present invention is shown. As shown in the figure, the traveling device includes: a body 1, traveling wheels 2, a telescopic rod 3 fixed to the body 1, and a driving component 4 connected to the axle of the traveling wheels 2. The driving component 4 provides rotational power for the traveling wheels 2. The traveling wheels 2 are connected to the body 1 via a connecting member 6. Figure 2 and Figure 4 A first limiting track 5 is provided on the side of the traveling wheel 2. The track of the first limiting track 5 has a near point closest to the wheel center o of the traveling wheel 2 and a far point farthest from the wheel center o of the traveling wheel 2; when the telescopic rod 3 is extended into the first limiting track 5, the fuselage is periodically lifted during the rotation of the traveling wheel.

[0046] During the rotation of the traveling wheel, under the action of the telescopic rod and the first limiting track, the traveling wheel 2 moves away from the bottom of the fuselage 1 through the connecting member 6, thereby achieving the lifting of the fuselage. Figure 5 The diagram shows the fuselage being raised by a height h after the traveling wheels 2 move away from the bottom of the fuselage 1 via the connecting member 6. When the telescopic rod is at its near point, the fuselage is at its initial height. As the traveling wheels rotate, the fuselage rises until it reaches its highest point when the telescopic rod is at its far point. The fuselage then descends until it returns to its initial height when the telescopic rod is at its near point, repeatedly raising the fuselage.

[0047] The technical solution provided by this embodiment is to set a first limiting track on the side of the traveling wheel, and fix a telescopic rod that can extend into the first limiting track on the fuselage; since the telescopic rod is fixed to the fuselage, when the traveling wheel rotates, the traveling wheel moves away from the bottom of the fuselage under the action of the telescopic rod and the first limiting track, so that the traveling wheel can extend out of the fuselage to increase the ground clearance of the bottom of the fuselage, thereby achieving the purpose of lifting the fuselage; it can be seen that the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application directly utilizes the power of the traveling wheel itself, does not need to add additional power, requires little change to the fuselage structure, has a simple structure and low cost.

[0048] In specific implementation, the driving component 4 can use a belt transmission method to provide rotational power for the traveling wheel 2 (such as Figure 6As shown), or a gear transmission method is used to provide rotational power for the traveling wheel, etc., which is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present invention. Wherein, the driving component can be composed of a motor and a speed reducer, and the traveling wheel is connected to the motor through the speed reducer.

[0049] It should be noted that, in addition to the first arrangement of the first limiting rail on the side of the traveling wheel mentioned in this embodiment, it can also be arranged in the following manner: a rotating disk parallel to the traveling wheel is connected to the axle of the traveling wheel, and the first limiting rail is provided on the surface of the rotating disk facing away from the traveling wheel. Specifically, directly providing the first limiting rail on the side of the traveling wheel can save space in the axial direction of the traveling wheel.

[0050] The telescopic rod mentioned in this embodiment can be driven by an electromagnet, a motor, or other means. For example, the telescopic rod includes an electromagnet and a magnetic actuator connected to the electromagnet; another example includes a motor, a lead screw connected to the motor, a nut helically connected to the lead screw and capable of linear motion on the lead screw, and an actuator linked to the nut; another example includes the telescopic rod directly implemented using a highly integrated electric cylinder, etc., and the embodiments of the present invention do not specifically limit this.

[0051] Among them, the telescopic rod driven by an electromagnet has a simple structure and takes up very little space. However, most existing electromagnets control the extension length of the magnetic actuator rod to a fixed length. The telescopic rod driven by a motor has a more complex structure than the electromagnet, but the extension and retraction length of the actuator rod can be adjusted arbitrarily by controlling the rotation of the motor.

[0052] For a solution with only one limiting track depth on the traveling wheel, an electromagnetic bar can be used to drive the telescopic rod. For a solution with multiple limiting tracks of varying depths on the traveling wheel, a motor-driven telescopic rod can be used. This article will later describe a solution with two limiting tracks on the traveling wheel.

[0053] In a feasible technical solution, the track of the first limiting track may be a cam track, an eccentric circle track, an elliptical track or a spiral track, etc., which is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7a An example is shown in which the track of the first limiting track 5 is a cam track. Figure 7b An example is shown in which the trajectory of the first limiting track 5 is an eccentric circular trajectory. Figure 7c An example is shown in which the trajectory of the first limiting track 5 is an elliptical trajectory. Figure 7dAn example is shown in which the trajectory of the first position-limiting track 5 is a spiral trajectory. It should be noted here that in addition to the several trajectory shapes listed in this article, the trajectory of the first position-limiting track can also be a trajectory of other shapes, which will not be listed here one by one. It should be noted here that the trajectory shape of the first position-limiting track is not selected randomly, and its trajectory shape depends on the connection method between the traveling wheel and the body (that is, the structure of the connecting member in this embodiment). hereinafter, while introducing the specific implementation structure of the connecting member, the trajectory shape of the optional first position-limiting track corresponding to each implementation structure will be explained.

[0054] The connector mentioned in this embodiment can be implemented using the following two structures:

[0055] Structure 1, the connecting member 6 is as follows Figure 8 The rocker shown in FIG. 1 has one end hinged to the fuselage 1 and the other end hinged to the travel wheel 2. The driving component can be fixed to the rocker ( Figure 6 (Not shown) After the telescopic rod is extended into the first limiting track, the traveling wheel also moves away from and toward the bottom of the fuselage along the arc 61 provided by the rocker arm during rotation, thereby periodically lifting the fuselage.

[0056] Figure 8 The diagram is a theoretical structural diagram, wherein the rocker arm shape can be arbitrary and is not specifically limited in the present embodiment.

[0057] The solution of using a rocker arm makes the traveling wheel rotate around its own axis and revolve around the hinge point between the rocker arm and the traveling wheel. In this case, the trajectory of the first limiting track cannot be set arbitrarily, but must be obtained by synthesizing the trajectory of the traveling wheel rotating around its own axis and the trajectory of the traveling wheel revolving around the hinge point between the rocker arm and the fuselage. In essence, the trajectory of the first limiting track can be simply understood as a cam trajectory. For example, multiple points are obtained by motion simulation of the mechanism, and the trajectory can be obtained by connecting the multiple points. In specific implementation, a certain gap Δd (such as Figure 3 The purpose of leaving the gap Δd is to avoid the problem that the telescopic rod hinders the rotation of the traveling wheel due to the error in the trajectory.

[0058] In one specific embodiment, a rotational elastic member, such as a torsion spring, may be provided between the rocker arm and the fuselage. When the fuselage does not need to be lifted, the telescopic rod is retracted, and the torsion spring inhibits relative rotation between the rocker arm and the fuselage. When the fuselage needs to be lifted, the telescopic rod and the first limiting rail cause the traveling wheels to change position relative to the fuselage, causing the torsion spring to deform.

[0059] Structure 2, such as Figure 9As shown, the connecting member 6 is an elastic component. One end of the elastic component is connected to the traveling wheel 2, and the other end is connected to the bottom of the fuselage 1. When the telescopic rod is extended and enters the first limit track, the traveling wheel rotates, moving away from and toward the bottom of the fuselage along the deformation direction of the elastic component, thereby periodically lifting the fuselage.

[0060] In a specific implementation, the elastic component may include a compression spring and a retractable spring shaft core disposed within the compression spring, wherein one end of the retractable spring shaft core is connected to the traveling wheel and the other end is connected to the body. Of course, the elastic component may also be implemented using other structures, which are not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0061] By adopting the solution of elastic components, the movement of the traveling wheel 2 becomes simple, that is, it includes linear movement along the deformation direction of the elastic component and the rotation of the traveling wheel. At this time, the trajectory of the first limiting track can be a cam trajectory (such as Figure 7a ), a circular trajectory with its center offset relative to the center of the traveling wheel (such as Figure 7b ), elliptical trajectory (such as Figure 7c ), spiral trajectory (such as Figure 7d ) and so on, which are not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0062] Compared with structure 2, the above structure 1 can achieve a smaller space by adjusting the relative positions of the traveling wheels, rocker arms and driving components in the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the traveling wheels; and although structure 2 occupies a larger space, its overall structure is simple, and the trajectory design of the first limiting track is more flexible and diverse.

[0063] The traveling device with the above structure may also encounter the following situation in actual application scenarios: the traveling wheel rotates one circle and is only raised to the highest position for a period of time. During this period of time, the traveling device may still be unable to cross the obstacle, or the traveling wheel may not be able to cross the obstacle even after rotating multiple circles. For this situation, based on the above embodiment, the traveling device provided by the embodiment of the present invention may also be equipped with a second limiting track. Specifically, Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, a second limiting track 7 is further provided on the side of the traveling wheel 2; the second limiting track 7 is located outside the first limiting track 5. When the telescopic rod exits the first limiting track and enters the second limiting track, the fuselage is periodically lifted or maintained at the same lifting height during the rotation of the traveling wheel.

[0064] In a specific implementation, the trajectory of the second limiting track 7 can be a cam trajectory, an eccentric circular trajectory, an elliptical trajectory, a spiral trajectory, or a circular trajectory centered on the center of the traveling wheel, etc., and this is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present invention. If the trajectory of the second limiting track is a cam trajectory, an eccentric wheel trajectory, an elliptical trajectory, or a spiral trajectory, when the telescopic rod enters the second limiting track, the traveling wheel periodically lifts the fuselage during rotation. Because the second limiting track is located outside the first limiting track, the height to which the fuselage is lifted after the telescopic rod enters the second limiting track is greater than the height to which the telescopic rod is lifted after entering the first limiting track. When the trajectory of the second limiting track is a circular trajectory centered on the center of the traveling wheel, the fuselage can be maintained at a constant lift height during rotation of the traveling wheel.

[0065] In a feasible technical solution, the first limiting track and the second limiting track intersect, such as Figure 10 That is, the second limiting track 7 has a point on its trajectory that coincides with the far point, and the depth of the second limiting track 7 is greater than the depth of the first limiting track 5; the telescopic rod can continue to extend and exit the first limiting track at the coincident point and enter the second limiting track 7.

[0066] In another feasible technical solution, the first limiting track and the second limiting track may not intersect, such as Figure 11 At this time, the telescopic rod can exit the first limiting track and enter the second limiting track by the following methods:

[0067] A more specific implementation is as follows: Figure 12a 、 12b , 12c and 12d, the telescopic rod 3 includes a first sub-telescopic rod 31 and a second sub-telescopic rod 32, the first sub-telescopic rod 31 corresponds to the first limiting track 5, and the second sub-telescopic rod 32 corresponds to the second limiting track 7; when the first sub-telescopic rod 31 is extended and is in the first limiting track 5, the second sub-telescopic rod 32 is in a shortened state and is not in the second limiting track 7 (as shown in FIG. Figure 12a and Figure 12d When the second sub-telescopic rod 32 is extended and is within the second limiting track 7, the first sub-telescopic rod 31 is in a shortened state and is not within the first limiting track 5 (as shown); Figure 12b and Figure 12c As shown). That is, by controlling the first sub-telescopic rod to retract and exit the first limit track, and controlling the second sub-telescopic rod to extend and enter the second limit track, the telescopic rod exits the first limit track and enters the second limit track. It should be added here that the structure of the telescopic rod can also be applied to the scene where the first limit track and the second limit track intersect. It is just that in the scene where the first limit track and the second limit track intersect, the extension length of the second sub-telescopic rod is greater than the extension length of the first sub-telescopic rod. In addition, as Figure 12a and 12b As shown, the first sub-telescopic rod and the second sub-telescopic rod can be arranged next to each other; Figure 12c and 12d As shown, they are arranged at a certain distance, to which the present invention makes no specific limitation.

[0068] Another more specific implementation is, Figure 13 As shown, a displacement component 10 is added to the traveling device. The displacement component 10 can provide linear displacement power for the telescopic rod to drive the telescopic rod 3 to move between the first position corresponding to the first limiting track 5 and the second position corresponding to the second limiting track 7. The displacement component 10 can be a linear motor or a motor screw nut structure, etc., and the embodiment of the present invention does not specifically limit this. The telescopic rod 9 is fixed to the fuselage 1 through the displacement component 10. After the telescopic rod 3 is retracted and exits the first limiting track 5 and moves to the second position, it extends into the second limiting track 7 (as shown in FIG. Figure 13 shown).

[0069] Of course, in addition to the two specific implementation schemes mentioned above, other implementation schemes may also be adopted, and the embodiments of the present invention do not specifically limit this.

[0070] The extension, retraction and extension length of the telescopic rod can be controlled by a controller. That is, the traveling device provided in the embodiment of the present application includes a controller. The controller 8 is connected to the driving component 4 and the telescopic rod 3 (such as Figure 14 As shown), a first control signal is provided to the driving component 4 to control the driving component 4 to provide rotational power for the traveling wheel; when an event of lifting the fuselage is detected, a second control signal is provided to the telescopic rod 3 to control the telescopic rod to extend into the first limit track.

[0071] Of course, when a displacement component is provided in the traveling device, the controller 8 is also connected to the displacement component (not shown in the figure) so that when the telescopic rod is extended into the first limit track and the traveling wheel rotates a number of circles exceeding the preset number of circles and still detects the event of lifting the fuselage, a displacement control signal is provided to the moving component to control the displacement component to provide linear displacement power for the telescopic rod.

[0072] The first and second limiting rails mentioned in the above embodiments can both be slots or rails protruding from the sides of the travel wheels; alternatively, one can be a slot and the other a protruding rail, which is not specifically limited by the present invention. Accordingly, the end structure of the telescopic rod must be compatible with the first and second limiting rails.

[0073] As mentioned above, when the traveling wheel appears Figure 1In the "suspended" state shown, the force borne by the traveling wheel is smaller than the force borne during normal travel. At this time, the load of the driving component will become smaller, and its operating parameters (such as the output power and current of the motor) will change. Therefore, the controller can determine whether the traveling wheel is currently in a "suspended" state based on the operating parameters of the driving component. In specific implementation, a threshold value can be set in advance; the controller determines whether the fuselage needs to be lifted based on the comparison result of the current operating parameters of the driving component and the threshold value. For example, if the operating parameters of the driving component are less than the threshold value, it is determined that the fuselage needs to be lifted. When the fuselage needs to be lifted, a second control signal is provided to the telescopic rod to control the extension of the telescopic rod into the first limit track.

[0074] When only the first limiting track is provided on the traveling wheel (such as Figure 4 As shown), the controller can only control the extension or retraction of the telescopic rod. When the traveling wheel is provided with a first limiting track and a second limiting track, the controller controls the extension and retraction of the telescopic rod, and also needs to control the extension length of the telescopic rod or the extension and retraction of the two sub-telescopic rods or the displacement of the telescopic rod, etc. For example, if the body of the traveling device still cannot cross the obstacle after the traveling wheel rotates one circle, the controller needs to control the telescopic rod entering the first limiting track to continue to extend the length L to enter the second limiting track when the first limiting track rotates to the telescopic rod at the far point. It can also control the telescopic rod to extend the length L to enter the second limiting track when it is at the far point again after the traveling wheel rotates N (preset value, such as 2 weeks, 3 weeks, etc.) weeks. Among them, the extension length L can be obtained based on the track depth of the second limiting track. The above process is for the structure where the first limiting track and the second limiting track intersect. When the first limiting track and the second limiting track do not intersect, assuming that the telescopic rod includes the above Figure 12a As shown in the first telescopic rod and the second telescopic rod, the controller needs to control the first telescopic rod entering the first limit track to retract to exit the first limit track, and control the second telescopic rod to extend to enter the second limit track; assuming that the above Figure 13 In the structure shown (i.e., the telescopic rod is fixed to the fuselage by a displacement component, and the displacement component can drive the telescopic rod to move linearly), the controller needs to control the telescopic rod entering the first limit track to retract to exit the first limit track, control the displacement component to drive the telescopic rod to move to a position opposite to the second limit track, and control the telescopic rod to extend to enter the second limit track.

[0075] It should be noted that a certain gap is usually left between the end face of the telescopic rod and the limiting track (such as the first limiting track and the second limiting track). Therefore, when the controller controls the telescopic rod to extend into the first limiting track, it can determine the length of the telescopic rod's first extension based on the track depth of the first limiting track and a set gap reservation strategy (such as a fixed gap value or the depth of the telescopic rod's extension into the track as a percentage of the track depth, etc.). When the same controller controls the telescopic rod to extend into the second limiting track again, it can determine the length of the telescopic rod's second extension based on the track depth of the second limiting track and a set gap reservation strategy.

[0076] Alternatively, the controller determines whether to raise the fuselage based on information such as the fuselage posture monitored by the sensor. That is, the travel device provided in this embodiment may further include: a sensor disposed on the fuselage; the sensor is connected to the controller to transmit the monitored fuselage posture to the controller, which determines whether to raise the fuselage based on the posture and, if it is determined that the fuselage needs to be raised, controls the telescopic rod to move into the corresponding limit track.

[0077] The traveling device provided in the above embodiment can be applied to various equipment that require the body to be lifted. For example, the traveling device provided in the above embodiment can be applied to a cleaning robot. Figures 2 to 5 The cleaning robot may include: a body 1, a cleaning assembly (not shown in the figure) arranged on the body 1, a traveling wheel 2, a telescopic rod 3 fixed to the body 1, a driving component 4 for providing rotational power for the traveling wheel 2, and a controller 8 (such as Figure 15 As shown). The controller 8 is connected to the cleaning component 9, the telescopic rod 3 and the driving component 4 respectively. Figure 2 、 Figure 4 、 Figure 8 and Figure 9 The traveling wheel 2 is connected to the body 1 via a connector 6. A first limiting track 5 is provided on the side of the traveling wheel 2. The first limiting track 5 has a track with a near point closest to the center o of the traveling wheel 2 and a far point farthest from the center o of the traveling wheel 2. Under the control of the controller, the telescopic rod 3 extends into the first limiting track 5. As the traveling wheel 2 rotates, the body 1 is periodically lifted. Figure 5 It shows a schematic diagram of the fuselage being lifted h after the traveling wheel 2 moves away from the bottom of the fuselage 1 through the connecting member 6 .

[0078] Among them, the specific implementation structures of the connecting piece, telescopic rod, first limiting track, etc. in this embodiment can refer to the relevant content in the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0079] Same as the above embodiment, Figure 10 and 11As shown, in this embodiment, the side surface of the traveling wheel 2 may also be provided with a second limiting track 7; the second limiting track 7 is located outside the first limiting track 5. When the telescopic rod exits the first limiting track and enters the second limiting track, the traveling wheel rotates to periodically raise the fuselage or maintain the fuselage at a constant elevation. The first limiting track 5 and the second limiting track 7 may or may not intersect. For details, please refer to the relevant content of the above embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0080] It should be noted here that the working principle of the controller in this embodiment can be found in the corresponding content of the above embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0081] When the cleaning robot is stuck by an obstacle or has difficulty moving on the carpet, the controller determines whether the body needs to be lifted based on the operating parameters of the drive component. If the body needs to be lifted, the telescopic rod may not be able to enter the first limit track smoothly after extending according to the second control signal provided by the controller. In this case, the waiting wheel can be rotated to the near point of the first limit track and opposite the telescopic rod, and then the telescopic rod can enter the first limit track smoothly. After the telescopic rod enters the first limit track, the traveling wheel continues to rotate around its own axis under the drive of the drive component, and the telescopic rod passively moves within the first limit track, thereby achieving periodic lifting of the body. After the body is lifted, the ground clearance of the body increases, the traveling wheels bear more gravity, the pressure between the traveling wheels and the ground is higher, and the driving force is improved. At the same time, the increase in ground clearance also reduces resistance and increases the passing capacity.

[0082] However, when the telescopic rod is at the far point of the first limiting track, the body of the cleaning robot still cannot cross the obstacle, and the controller can judge it by the operating parameters of the driving component. At this time, after making a judgment, the controller can timely send a control instruction to the telescopic rod, or send a control instruction to the telescopic rod again after the traveling wheel rotates more than the preset number of cycles (such as 2 weeks, 3 weeks, etc.), so as to control the telescopic rod to exit the first limiting track and enter the second limiting track. If the track of the second limiting track is a cam track, an eccentric circle track, an elliptical track or a spiral track, then during the rotation of the traveling wheel, the body continues to be lifted periodically, but the height of the body lifted after the telescopic rod enters the second limiting track is greater than the height of the body lifted after the telescopic rod enters the first limiting track. If the track of the second limiting track is a circular track with the wheel center of the traveling wheel as the center of the circle, then after the telescopic rod enters the second limiting track, the body always remains on the same lifting height until the body crosses the obstacle. After the fuselage passes the obstacle, the controller can control the telescopic rod to retract and be drawn out from the second limit track and the first limit track, the fuselage falls back, and the traveling wheels enter the normal operation state.

[0083] In summary, the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present invention utilizes the power of the traveling wheels themselves to lift the fuselage without adding additional power. It has a simple structure, requires little modification to the fuselage structure, and is low in cost.

[0084] Figure 16 The following is a flow chart of a method for lifting a machine body while traveling, provided by one embodiment of the present invention. The method provided in this embodiment can be a controller of the traveling device or a controller of a cleaning robot, etc., and the present invention does not specifically limit this. The method provided in this embodiment needs to be implemented based on the structures provided in the above embodiments. Specifically, the method includes:

[0085] 101. Provide a first control signal to a driving component to control the driving component to provide rotational power to a traveling wheel.

[0086] 102. When an event of lifting the fuselage is detected, a second control signal is provided to the telescopic rod to control the telescopic rod to extend into the first limit track.

[0087] When the telescopic rod is extended and enters the first limiting track, the body is periodically lifted during the rotation of the traveling wheel. Figure 2 、 Figure 4 、 Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the telescopic rod 3 is fixed to the fuselage 1, the traveling wheel 2 is connected to the fuselage 1 through a connecting member 6, and the side surface of the traveling wheel 2 is provided with the first limiting track 5. The track of the first limiting track 5 has a near point closest to the center of the traveling wheel and a far point farthest from the center of the traveling wheel.

[0088] It should be noted here that the specific implementation of the structural features involved in this embodiment and the connection relationship between the various structural features can be referred to the corresponding contents of the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0089] In the above 101, the first control signal can be generated after the user touches the start control key, or when a timing point is reached, or after monitoring the user's start voice, etc. The present invention does not make specific limitations on this.

[0090] In the above 102, the event of raising the fuselage can be generated when the operating parameters of the driving components exceed the preset range, when the fuselage posture meets the preset lifting posture conditions, or when the user inputs a lifting command, etc. That is, in the method provided in this embodiment, the event triggering method of raising the fuselage includes but is not limited to at least one of the following:

[0091] Method 1: obtaining the operating parameters of the driving component; when the operating parameters meet the lifting parameter conditions, triggering the event of lifting the fuselage;

[0092] Method 2: obtaining the posture information of the fuselage, and triggering the event of lifting the fuselage when the posture information meets the preset lifting posture condition;

[0093] Method three: in response to a lifting instruction input by the user, triggering the event of lifting the fuselage.

[0094] In the first embodiment, when the drive component comprises a motor and a speed reducer, the operating parameter may be the motor current. The lifting parameter condition may be pre-set. For example, the lifting parameter condition may be: the current is less than a preset threshold. Assuming the current motor current is less than the preset threshold, the lifting parameter condition is satisfied.

[0095] In the second embodiment, the posture information may specifically be the tilt angle of the fuselage. The preset lift posture condition may be pre-set. For example, the lift posture condition may be: the fuselage tilt angle is greater than or equal to 15 degrees. Assuming the current fuselage tilt angle is 16 degrees, the lift posture condition is met.

[0096] In the above-mentioned method three, the lifting instruction input by the user can be generated after the user touches the lifting control key, or after the user issues a lifting voice, or after the user makes a lifting gesture, and so on.

[0097] Furthermore, in the above 102, “providing a second control signal to the telescopic rod to control the telescopic rod to extend into the first limiting track” may specifically include:

[0098] The track of the second limiting track has a position point that coincides with the far point position, and the depth of the second limiting track is greater than the depth of the first limiting track (such as Figure 10 When the telescopic rod is in the structure shown in FIG1 , an extension control signal is provided to the telescopic rod to control the telescopic rod to continue to extend into the second limit track;

[0099] The telescopic rod includes a first sub-telescopic rod and a second sub-telescopic rod (such as Figure 12a 、 12b , 12c and 12d), providing a retraction control signal to the first sub-telescopic rod to control the retraction of the telescopic sub-rod to exit the first limit track; providing an extension control signal to the second sub-telescopic rod to control the extension of the telescopic sub-rod to enter the second limit track;

[0100] When the track of the second limiting track does not intersect with the first limiting track, a retraction control signal is provided to the telescopic rod to control the telescopic rod to retract and exit the first limiting track; a shift control signal is provided to the shift component (such as Figure 13As shown), to control the displacement component to drive the telescopic rod to shift to be opposite to the second limiting track; provide an extension control signal to the telescopic rod to control the telescopic rod to extend into the second limiting track.

[0101] The technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present invention is to provide a first limiting track on the side of the traveling wheel, and to fix a telescopic rod that can extend into the first limiting track on the fuselage; since the telescopic rod is fixed to the fuselage, when the traveling wheel rotates, the traveling wheel moves away from the bottom of the fuselage under the action of the telescopic rod and the first limiting track, so that the traveling wheel can extend out of the fuselage to increase the ground clearance of the bottom of the fuselage, thereby achieving the purpose of lifting the fuselage; it can be seen that the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application directly utilizes the power of the traveling wheel itself, does not need to add additional power, requires little change to the fuselage structure, has a simple structure and low cost.

[0102] The technical solution provided by the present invention will be described below in conjunction with specific application scenarios to facilitate understanding.

[0103] Application Scenario 1

[0104] The user turns on the robot cleaner at home and begins cleaning. The robot follows a cleaning path. If it encounters a high step, it can no longer clean along the path. The robot then raises itself to clear the step and resume its cleaning path. After clearing the step, the robot returns to its initial height and continues cleaning along the path.

[0105] Application Scenario 2

[0106] The robot will clean along its cleaning path until it reaches a ramp. If the ramp's steepness prevents the robot from moving forward, it will raise its body to negotiate the ramp. After reaching a flat surface, the robot will return to its initial height and continue cleaning along its cleaning path.

[0107] Application Scenario 3

[0108] The robot follows its cleaning path and moves onto a carpet. The high friction between the carpet and the robot's chassis prevents the robot from moving forward. At this point, the robot raises its body to increase the gap between the carpet and chassis, reducing friction and allowing the robot to pass through the carpet smoothly. After moving from the carpet to a smooth surface, the robot returns to its initial height and continues cleaning along its cleaning path.

[0109] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A traveling device, characterized in that: include: A fuselage, a traveling wheel, a telescopic rod fixed to the fuselage, and a driving component for providing rotational power to the traveling wheel; wherein, The traveling wheel is connected to the fuselage via a connecting piece; A first limiting track is provided on the side surface of the traveling wheel, and the track of the first limiting track has a near point closest to the center of the traveling wheel and a far point farthest from the center of the traveling wheel; A gap is left between the telescopic rod and the first limiting track; When the telescopic rod is extended and enters the first limiting track, the body is periodically lifted during the rotation of the traveling wheel.

2. The traveling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The track of the first limiting track is a cam track, an eccentric circle track, an elliptical track or a spiral track.

3. The traveling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting member is a rocker arm, one end of the rocker arm is hinged to the fuselage, and the other end is hinged to the traveling wheel, and the driving component is fixed on the rocker arm.

4. The traveling device according to claim 3, characterized in that: A rotating elastic member is provided between the rocker arm and the fuselage.

5. The traveling device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first limiting track is a cam track, and the cam track of the cam track is obtained by synthesizing the rotation of the traveling wheel around its own axis and the trajectory of the traveling wheel revolving around the hinge point between the rocker arm and the fuselage.

6. The traveling device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The connecting piece is an elastic component; One end of the elastic component is connected to the traveling wheel, and the other end is connected to the bottom of the fuselage.

7. The traveling device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The side surface of the traveling wheel is further provided with a second limiting track; The second limiting track is located outside the first limiting track; When the telescopic rod exits the first limiting track and enters the second limiting track; During the rotation of the traveling wheel, the fuselage is periodically lifted or the fuselage is maintained at the same lifting height.

8. The traveling device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The track of the second limiting track has a position point that coincides with the far point position, and the depth of the second limiting track is greater than the depth of the first limiting track; the telescopic rod continues to extend into the second limiting track.

9. The traveling device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The telescopic rod includes a first sub-telescopic rod and a second sub-telescopic rod, the first sub-telescopic rod corresponds to the first limiting track, and the second sub-telescopic rod corresponds to the second limiting track; When the first sub-telescopic rod is extended and is in the first limiting track, the second sub-telescopic rod is in a shortened state and is not in the second limiting track; When the second sub-telescopic rod is extended and located in the second limiting track, the first sub-telescopic rod is in a shortened state and is not located in the first limiting track.

10. The traveling device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The second limiting track does not intersect with the first limiting track; The traveling device further includes a shifting component to drive the telescopic rod to move between a first position corresponding to the first limiting track and a second position corresponding to the second limiting track; The telescopic rod is fixed to the fuselage via the displacement component; After the telescopic rod retracts and exits the first limiting track and moves to the second position, it extends and enters the second limiting track.

11. The traveling device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The track of the second limiting track is a cam track, an eccentric circle track, an elliptical track, a spiral track or a circular track with the center of the traveling wheel as the center.

12. The traveling device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: Also includes a controller; wherein, The controller is connected to the driving component and the telescopic rod respectively, and is used to provide a first control signal to the driving component to control the driving component to provide rotational power for the traveling wheel; when an event of lifting the fuselage is detected, a second control signal is provided to the telescopic rod to control the telescopic rod to extend into the first limiting track.

13. A cleaning robot, characterized in that: include: A body, a cleaning assembly arranged on the body, a traveling wheel, a telescopic rod fixed to the body, a driving component for providing rotational power to the traveling wheel, and a controller; wherein, The controller is connected to the cleaning component, the telescopic rod and the driving component respectively; The traveling wheel is connected to the fuselage via a connecting piece; A first limiting track is provided on the side surface of the traveling wheel, and the track of the first limiting track has a near point closest to the center of the traveling wheel and a far point farthest from the center of the traveling wheel; A gap is left between the telescopic rod and the first limiting track; When the telescopic rod is extended into the first limit track under the control of the controller, the fuselage is periodically lifted during the rotation of the traveling wheel.

14. The cleaning robot according to claim 13, characterized in that: The track of the first limiting track is a cam track, an eccentric circle track, an elliptical track or a spiral track.

15. The cleaning robot according to claim 13, characterized in that: The connecting member is a rocker arm, one end of the rocker arm is hinged to the fuselage, and the other end is hinged to the traveling wheel, and the driving component is fixed on the rocker arm.

16. The cleaning robot according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that: The connecting piece is an elastic component; One end of the elastic component is connected to the traveling wheel, and the other end is connected to the bottom of the fuselage.

17. The cleaning robot according to any one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that: The side surface of the traveling wheel is further provided with a second limiting track; The second limiting track is located outside the first limiting track; When the telescopic rod exits the first limiting track and enters the second limiting track, the fuselage is periodically lifted or maintained at the same lifting height during the rotation of the traveling wheel.

18. The cleaning robot according to claim 17, characterized in that: The track of the second position-limiting track has a position point that coincides with the far point position, and the depth of the second position-limiting track is greater than the depth of the first position-limiting track.

19. The cleaning robot according to claim 17, characterized in that: The telescopic rod includes a first sub-telescopic rod and a second sub-telescopic rod, the first sub-telescopic rod corresponds to the first limiting track, and the second sub-telescopic rod corresponds to the second limiting track; When the first sub-telescopic rod is extended and is in the first limiting track, the second sub-telescopic rod is in a shortened state and is not in the second limiting track; When the second sub-telescopic rod is extended and located in the second limiting track, the first sub-telescopic rod is in a shortened state and is not located in the first limiting track.

20. The cleaning robot according to claim 17, characterized in that The second limiting track does not intersect with the first limiting track; The traveling device further includes a shifting component to drive the telescopic rod to move between a first position corresponding to the first limiting track and a second position corresponding to the second limiting track; The telescopic rod is fixed to the fuselage via the displacement component; After the telescopic rod is retracted and exits the first limiting track and moves to the second position, it extends into the second limiting track.

21. The cleaning robot according to claim 17, characterized in that The track of the second limiting track is a cam track, an eccentric circle track, an elliptical track, a spiral track or a circular track with the center of the traveling wheel as the center.

22. A method for lifting a fuselage while moving, characterized in that: include: providing a first control signal to a driving component to control the driving component to provide rotational power to the traveling wheel; When an event of lifting the fuselage is detected, a second control signal is provided to the telescopic rod to control the telescopic rod to extend into the first limit track; After the telescopic rod is extended into the first limiting track, the body is periodically lifted during the rotation of the traveling wheel; In which, the telescopic rod is fixed to the fuselage, the traveling wheel is connected to the fuselage through a connecting piece, the first limiting track is provided on the side of the traveling wheel, and a gap is left between the telescopic rod and the first limiting track. The trajectory of the first limiting track has a near point closest to the center of the traveling wheel and a far point farthest from the center of the traveling wheel.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that The event triggering method for lifting the fuselage includes at least one of the following: Acquiring operating parameters of the driving component; when the operating parameters meet the lifting parameter conditions, triggering the event of lifting the fuselage; Acquiring posture information of the fuselage, and triggering an event of lifting the fuselage when the posture information meets a preset lifting posture condition; In response to a lifting instruction input by the user, an event of lifting the fuselage is triggered.

24. The method according to claim 22 or 23, characterized in that Also includes: When the telescopic rod is extended into the first limiting track and the traveling wheel rotates more than a preset number of times and still detects the event of lifting the fuselage, a third control signal is provided to the telescopic rod to control the telescopic rod to exit the first limiting track and enter the second limiting track; Wherein, the second limiting track is arranged on the wheel side of the traveling wheel, and the second limiting track is located on the periphery of the first limiting track.

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that The providing of the third control signal to the telescopic rod to control the telescopic rod to exit the first limiting track and enter the second limiting track includes: When the track of the second limiting track has a point that coincides with the far point and the depth of the second limiting track is greater than the depth of the first limiting track, an extension control signal is provided to the telescopic rod to control the telescopic rod to continue to extend into the second limiting track; When the telescopic rod includes a first sub-telescopic rod and a second sub-telescopic rod, a retraction control signal is provided to the first sub-telescopic rod to control the first sub-telescopic rod to retract and exit the first limit track; an extension control signal is provided to the second sub-telescopic rod to control the second sub-telescopic rod to extend and enter the second limit track; When the trajectory of the second limiting track does not intersect with the first limiting track, a retraction control signal is provided to the telescopic rod to control the telescopic rod to retract and exit the first limiting track; a shift control signal is provided to the shift component to control the shift component to drive the telescopic rod to shift to be opposite to the second limiting track; An extension control signal is provided to the telescopic rod to control the telescopic rod to extend into the second limiting track.

Images