A cleaning robot

Abstract

The present invention discloses a cleaning robot, which comprises a machine body, a visual module, a movable cover, a reset member and a controller; wherein the movable cover is installed on the top of the machine body and can move relative to the machine body in a horizontal direction, and the edge of the movable cover is arranged beyond the edge of the machine body; the visual module is installed on the top of the machine body and is located below the movable cover, and the movable cover is provided with a detection mark for detection by the visual module; the reset member is connected with the movable cover and the machine body, and the reset member drives the movable cover to reset to an initial position after the movable cover removes an external force; the controller is electrically connected with the machine body and the visual module, and the controller controls the machine body to work according to the detection result of the visual module. With such an arrangement, the cleaning robot can walk along walls and other obstacles, thereby facilitating the cleaning robot to perform cleaning actions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of cleaning equipment, and in particular to a cleaning robot. Background Art

[0002] A series of cleaning robots such as mopping robots and mopping and sweeping robots are devices that are constructed to perform cleaning tasks while traveling in any area without user control, and are usually used to clean stains on the ground.

[0003] Existing cleaning robots are usually equipped with infrared light emitting diodes, TOF sensors, and ultrasonic sensors to detect obstacles such as walls, table legs, and sofa legs, so that the cleaning robots can clean along the edges of the obstacles.

[0004] However, the working principle of infrared light emitting diodes and TOF sensors is to judge the distance between the cleaning robot and the wall by detecting the amount of received reflected light beams. This method is easily affected by the reflective properties of the wall surface and the color of the wall. The ultrasonic sensor judges the distance between the cleaning robot and the wall by receiving reflected ultrasonic waves. This method is easily affected by the roughness of the wall surface. This results in the inability of existing cleaning robots to accurately walk along the edge of the wall, affecting the cleaning effect of the cleaning robot. Summary of the invention

[0005] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a cleaning robot, aiming to enable the cleaning robot to walk along a wall.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a cleaning robot, which includes a machine body, a visual module, a movable cover, a reset member and a controller; wherein:

[0007] The movable cover is installed on the top of the machine body and can move relative to the machine body in a horizontal direction, and the edge of the movable cover is arranged beyond the edge of the machine body;

[0008] The visual module is installed on the top of the machine body and is located below the movable cover, and the movable cover is provided with a detection mark for the visual module to detect;

[0009] The reset member is connected to the movable cover and the machine body, and the reset member drives the movable cover to return to the initial position after the external force on the movable cover is removed;

[0010] The controller is electrically connected to the machine body and the visual module, and the controller controls the operation of the machine body according to the detection result of the visual module.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, the reset member includes a first magnet and a second magnet, the first magnet is arranged in a ring shape and installed on the top of the machine body, the second magnet is installed on the surface of the movable cover facing the machine body, the second magnet extends into the first magnet and fits with the first magnet gap, and a mutually repelling magnetic force is generated between the first magnet and the second magnet.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, the reset member includes a plurality of first magnets and a plurality of second magnets, wherein the plurality of first magnets are mounted on the machine body and arranged along the circumference of the machine body, and the plurality of second magnets are correspondingly mounted on the surface of the movable cover facing the machine body, and each of the second magnets cooperates with the first magnet at the corresponding position.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present invention, a mounting groove is recessed on the top of the machine body, the first magnet is embedded in the mounting groove, and the first magnet extends into the mounting groove and is loosely matched with the first magnet.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present invention, the bottom of the mounting groove passes through the machine body to form a clearance hole; the surface of the movable cover facing the machine body is protruded with a mounting column, the mounting column passes through the first magnet and extends into the clearance hole, the mounting column is loosely matched with the first magnet and the clearance hole, the second magnet is arranged in a ring shape and is sleeved on the mounting column; the cleaning robot also includes a limit cover, which is installed on the side of the machine body facing away from the movable cover and is fixedly connected to the mounting column.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present invention, the limiting cover includes a cover body and a plug-in cylinder connected to the cover body, the cover body abuts against the side of the machine body facing away from the movable cover, the plug-in cylinder is plugged into and fits with an end of the mounting column away from the movable cover, and the plug-in cylinder is also used to limit the second magnet.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present invention, a surface of the movable cover facing the machine body is provided with a limiting convex rib surrounding the mounting column, and the limiting convex rib is sleeved and matched with an outer peripheral wall of the second magnet.

[0017] In some embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of balls are disposed on the top of the machine body, and each of the balls is used to abut against a surface of the movable cover facing the machine body.

[0018] In some embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of through holes are penetrated through the top of the machine body, and the aperture of each through hole is smaller than the diameter of the ball; the cleaning robot also includes a plurality of ball covers, each of which is installed on the side of the machine body facing away from the movable cover, and each of the ball covers is provided with a spherical groove at a position opposite to the through hole; each of the balls is installed in the spherical groove of the corresponding ball cover, and each of the ball parts extends out from the corresponding through hole and abuts against the surface of the movable cover facing the machine body.

[0019] In some embodiments of the present invention, the movable cover has a light-transmitting area facing the visual module, the light-transmitting area is provided with a detection grid, and the detection mark is arranged at a central position of the detection grid.

[0020] In some embodiments of the present invention, a fill light is also disposed on the top of the machine body and surrounds the visual module.

[0021] In some embodiments of the present invention, an avoidance opening is provided through the middle of the movable cover; the cleaning robot also includes a decorative cover, the decorative cover includes a connecting part and a decorative part, the connecting part passes through the avoidance opening and is fixedly connected to the machine body, and the decorative part is located above the movable cover and cooperates with the movable cover gap.

[0022] The present invention is based on the above technical solution, and utilizes the movement of the movable cover to drive the movement of the detection mark on the movable cover. The visual module transmits the image of the detection mark to the controller, and the controller compares the images sent by the visual module before and after or the image of the detection mark taken by the visual module when the movable cover is in the initial position with the image of the detection mark currently taken by the visual module, so as to determine whether the movable cover is in contact with an obstacle. If the movable cover is in contact with the obstacle, it moves in the opposite direction of the displacement direction of the detection mark, so that the cleaning robot can drive away from the obstacle, and then the cleaning robot can be driven along the wall, which is beneficial for the cleaning robot to clean the wall. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying creative work.

[0024] Figure 1 An exploded view of an embodiment of the cleaning robot of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 for Figure 1Schematic diagram of the structure of the cleaning robot;

[0026] Figure 3 for Figure 1 The assembly diagram of the machine body, vision module and fill light;

[0027] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a cleaning robot in the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A magnified schematic diagram of the local A in the middle;

[0029] Figure 6 for Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of the middle movable cover from another perspective;

[0030] Figure 7 for Figure 6 A magnified schematic diagram of the part B in the middle;

[0031] Figure 8 It is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the cleaning robot in the present invention.

[0032] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0033] Label name Label name 1000 Cleaning Robot 410 First Magnet 100 Machine body 420 Second magnet 110 case 500 Limit cover 120 Receiving slot 510 Cover 130 Mounting slot 520 Plug-in tube 140 Make way hole 600 Ball 150 Through Hole 700 Ball cover 200 Vision Module 710 Spherical groove 300 Activity cover 800 Fill Light 310 Mounting Column 900 Decorative cover 320 Limiting ribs 910 Connection 330 Detection grid 920 Decoration Department 340 Avoid openings 930 window 400 Reset

[0034] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0036] It should be noted that all directional indications in the embodiments of the present invention (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0037] In addition, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. in the present invention are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but they must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in the field to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0038] The present invention proposes a cleaning robot, which can be used to clean dust, paper scraps, fruit shells and other debris on the ground. The cleaning robot can also mop the ground. The cleaning robot can also be used to dry the ground. The cleaning robot can also perform other cleaning actions on the ground, which are not listed here one by one.

[0039] See also Figure 1 The cleaning robot 1000 includes a machine body 100, a visual module 200, a movable cover 300, and a reset member 400 (see Figure 5 ) and a controller (not shown), the visual module 200, the movable cover 300, the reset member 400 and the controller are all installed on the machine body 100.

[0040] The machine body 100 includes a shell 110, which is the appearance component of the entire cleaning robot 1000. The interior of the shell 110 can not only be used for the installation of other components of the machine body 100, but the exterior of the shell 110 can also support the installation of the visual module 200, the movable cover 300, the reset member 400 and the controller.

[0041] The shell 110 can have many shapes. The shell 110 can be set in a cylindrical shape, the shell 110 can also be set in a square column shape, and the shell 110 can be set in other shapes. Preferably, the shell 110 is set in a cylindrical shape. Such a configuration can enhance the overall aesthetics of the cleaning robot 1000.

[0042] The machine body 100 also includes a walking module (not shown), which is installed on the shell 110. The walking module is used to drive the shell 110 to move relative to the ground, so that other components of the cleaning robot 1000 installed on the shell 110 can move on the ground together with the shell 110.

[0043] There are many types of walking modules. The walking module can be composed of a steering motor, two power motors, two drive wheels and a universal wheel. The two drive wheels are arranged on the left and right sides of the bottom of the shell 110. The two power motors are respectively connected to the corresponding drive wheels. The universal wheel can be arranged at the front or rear of the shell 110. The steering motor is used to drive the universal wheel to steer. The two drive wheels rotate under the drive of the corresponding motors to drive the shell 110 to move on the ground.

[0044] The walking module can also be composed of a motor and two track structures. The two track structures are arranged on the left and right sides of the bottom of the shell 110. The two motors are respectively connected to the corresponding track structures. The two motors work and drive the corresponding track structures to operate, so as to drive the shell 110 to move on the ground.

[0045] The machine body 100 also includes a cleaning component (not shown), which is mainly used to clean the floor. The cleaning component may be composed of a fan and a dust box. In this case, a dust collection channel connected to the dust box may be provided on the shell 110. The fan and the dust box are pneumatically connected so that after the fan is started, it can drive air flow and generate negative pressure in the dust box, thereby allowing dust, paper scraps and other debris on the floor to enter the dust box through the dust collection channel of the shell 110.

[0046] The cleaning component can also be composed of a water tank and a mop. The water tank is loaded on the shell 110, and the mop is arranged at the tail of the lower side of the shell 110. The water in the water tank is used to wet the mop. The wet mop can be used to mop the ground when it comes into contact with the ground to clean the ground.

[0047] The movable cover 300 is movably installed on the top of the machine body 100, that is, the movable cover 300 is movably installed on the top of the shell 110. There are many ways to movably connect the movable cover 300 to the machine body 100. For example, the movable cover 300 can be installed on the top of the machine body 100 by relying on its own gravity. For example, the movable cover 300 can also be movably installed on the movable cover 300 by using a slide rail and a slider. The movable cover 300 can also be movably installed on the top of the machine body by other ways, which are not listed here one by one.

[0048] Please also read Figure 2 The edge of the movable cover 300 is set beyond the edge of the machine body 100, that is, the area of ​​the movable cover 300 projected in the upper and lower directions is larger than the area of ​​the machine body 100 projected in the upper and lower directions. Therefore, when the cleaning robot 1000 moves to obstacles such as walls, sofa legs, table corners, etc., the movable cover 300 will touch the walls, sofa legs, table corners, etc. before the machine body 100, thereby achieving 930° all-round detection.

[0049] The surface of the movable cover 300 facing the machine body 100 is provided with a detection mark, which can be a bright spot, which can be formed by an LED light, or a fluorescent spot that can reflect light. The detection mark can also be a dark spot, which can be formed by a light-absorbing material, that is, the dark spot is non-reflective. The detection mark can also be a graphic that can serve as an identifier, such as a five-pointed star, a circle, a square, etc.

[0050] The visual module 200 is installed on the top of the machine body 100 and is located below the movable cover 300. The visual module 200 is used to photograph the detection mark on the movable cover 300. The visual module 200 can be a camera, or a combination of a camera and a data processor, or other structural parts of the camera, which are not listed here.

[0051] The vision module 200 can be directly installed on the top of the machine body 100. In this case, the vision module 200 can be installed on the top surface of the machine body 100 by screw connection, gluing or other methods; the vision module 200 can also be installed in the machine body and exposed from the top of the machine body 100. In this case, the vision module 200 can be installed in the groove structure on the top of the machine body 100.

[0052] Preferably, please also refer to Figure 3 The visual module 200 is embedded in the top of the machine body 100, that is, the top of the shell 110 of the machine body 100 is recessed with a receiving groove 120, and the visual module 200 is installed in the receiving groove 120. The visual module 200 is exposed from the notch of the receiving groove 120 and does not exceed the surface of the shell 110 facing the movable cover 300. In this way, the visual module 200 can be prevented from protruding from the top of the machine body 100 and affecting the movement of the movable cover 300 relative to the machine body 100.

[0053] Taking into account that the movable cover 300 can move in the horizontal direction relative to the machine body 100 when subjected to a force in the horizontal direction, for the convenience of description, the position when the movable cover 300 does not touch the obstacle is taken as the initial position, and the position where the movable cover 300 contacts the obstacle and is displaced is taken as the collision position. The reset member 400 is mainly used to reset the movable cover 300 from the collision position to the initial position.

[0054] The reset member 400 is installed between the machine body 100 and the movable cover 300. The reset member 400 drives the movable cover 300 to switch from the collision position to the initial position after the external force applied to the movable cover 300 is removed. There are many types of the reset member 400. For example, the reset member 400 can be formed by a spring. When the movable cover 300 moves relative to the machine body 100, the spring produces elastic deformation. When the external force of the movable cover 300 is removed, the spring restores the elastic deformation to drive the movable cover 300 to return to the initial position. For another example, the reset member 400 can also be formed by an airbag structure. When the movable cover 300 moves relative to the machine body 100, the airbag is squeezed by the movable cover 300 and deformed. When the external force of the movable cover 300 is removed, the spring restores the elastic deformation to drive the movable cover 300 to return to the initial position.

[0055] The controller can be a single chip microcomputer, a PWM controller, a microcontroller, or other structural components capable of receiving and sending signals, and the type of the controller is not specifically limited here. The controller is electrically connected to the machine body 100 (i.e., the walking module) and the visual module 200, and the controller can be electrically connected to the machine body 100 and the visual module 200 by wireless communication, i.e., by wireless communication such as Bluetooth and WIFI. The controller is connected to the machine body 100 and the visual module 200 by wires.

[0056] When the cleaning robot 1000 is moving on the ground, the vision module 200 is always in a working state to photograph the detection mark on the movable cover 300. The vision module 200 sends the image of the captured detection mark to the controller. The controller processes the images captured by the vision module 200 at two moments before and after, or the controller processes the image of the detection mark captured by the vision module 200 when the movable cover 300 is in the initial position and the image of the detection mark currently captured by the vision module 200. Since the vision module 200 is fixed, the picture area captured by it is also fixed. Therefore, the position of the detection mark can be compared by image processing to determine whether the position of the detection mark has changed. If it has changed, it means that the movable cover 300 is in contact with an obstacle at this time, and the controller controls the movement of the walking module of the machine body 100 to move in the opposite direction of the displacement of the detection mark, so that the cleaning robot 1000 drives away from the obstacle. If there is no change, the controller controls the walking module to maintain the original driving direction and continue to move.

[0057] The present invention is based on the above technical solution, and utilizes the movement of the movable cover 300 to drive the movement of the detection mark on the movable cover 300. The visual module 200 transmits the image of the detection mark captured to the controller. The controller compares the images sent by the visual module 200 before and after or the image of the detection mark captured by the visual module 200 when the movable cover 300 is in the initial position with the image of the detection mark currently captured by the visual module 200, so as to determine whether the movable cover 300 is in contact with an obstacle. If the movable cover 300 is in contact with the obstacle, it moves in the opposite direction of the displacement direction of the detection mark, so that the cleaning robot 1000 can drive away from the obstacle, and then the cleaning robot 1000 can be driven along the wall, which is beneficial for the cleaning robot 1000 to clean the wall.

[0058] In addition, the present invention uses the visual module 200 to detect the position change of the detection mark on the movable cover 300 to adjust the walking direction of the cleaning robot 1000, which effectively solves the problem that the existing cleaning robot 1000 uses light-emitting diode detection, which may produce relatively large errors due to different wall colors and roughness.

[0059] In addition, the present invention uses the visual module 200 to detect the position change of the detection mark on the movable cover 300 to adjust the walking direction of the cleaning robot 1000, and also allows the cleaning robot 1000 to adapt to environments with different brightness, thereby increasing the application range of the cleaning robot 1000.

[0060] It should be noted that there are many types of reset member 400 in the present invention, as described above, which will not be described in detail here. Figure 4 and Figure 5 The reset member 400 includes a first magnet 410 and a second magnet 420. The first magnet 410 is arranged in a ring shape and is installed on the top of the machine body 100. The second magnet 420 is installed on the surface of the movable cover 300 facing the machine body 100. The second magnet 420 extends into the first magnet 410 and fits with the first magnet 410 in a gap. A mutually repelling magnetic force is generated between the first magnet 410 and the second magnet 420.

[0061] When the movable cover 300 is located at the initial position, the second magnet 420 is located at the center of the first magnet 410, and the magnetic forces received by the second magnet 420 in all directions are equal. When the movable cover 300 is moved relative to the machine body 100 by an external force and is located at the collision position, the external force received by the movable cover 300 is greater than the repulsive force between the first magnet 410 and the second magnet 420. At this time, the second magnet 420 moves with the movable cover 300 relative to the first magnet 410 and deviates from the center of the first magnet 410. When the cleaning robot 1000 drives away from the obstacle, the external force received by the movable cover 300 is cancelled. At this time, the second magnet 420 moves toward the center of the first magnet 410 under the magnetic force of the first magnet 410, thereby driving the movable cover 300 to move to the initial position.

[0062] It should be noted that the annular arrangement of the first magnet 410 does not only refer to the circular ring shape in this embodiment, but can also be a square ring shape, a triangular ring shape, etc., as long as it is ensured that when the external force on the movable cover 300 is removed, the second magnet 420 moves toward the center position of the first magnet 410 under the magnetic force of the first magnet 410, thereby driving the movable cover 300 to move to the initial position.

[0063] In this embodiment, the first magnet is arranged in a circular ring shape, and the second magnet is also arranged in a corresponding circular ring shape. When the first magnet 410 is in a square ring shape, the second magnet 420 can be in a square ring shape. Of course, the shapes of the first magnet and the second magnet can be inconsistent, as long as it is ensured that when the external force applied to the movable cover 300 is removed, the second magnet 420 moves toward the center position of the first magnet 410 under the action of the magnetic force of the first magnet 410, thereby driving the movable cover 300 to move to the initial position.

[0064] It is worth noting that the number of the first magnets 410 and the number of the second magnets 420 can both be 1. In this case, the second magnet 420 is preferably arranged in the middle position of the movable cover 300, and the first magnet 410 is correspondingly arranged in the middle position of the top of the machine body 100. In this way, the position of the second magnet 420 can coincide with or be close to the center of gravity of the movable cover 300, so that it is convenient to drive the movable cover 300 to move relative to the machine body 100 through the repulsive force between the first magnet 410 and the second magnet 420.

[0065] The number of the first magnets 410 and the number of the second magnets 420 can both be multiple. In this case, the multiple second magnets 420 are arranged at circumferential intervals along the movable cover 300, and the multiple second magnets 420 are installed on the top of the machine body 100 along the circumferential intervals of the machine body 100, and each second magnet 420 cooperates with the first magnet 410 at the corresponding position.

[0066] Furthermore, the number of first magnets 410 is 9, the number of second magnets 420 is correspondingly 9, the 9 first magnets 410 can be evenly divided into 3 first magnet 410 groups, and the 3 first magnet 410 groups are distributed in a triangular shape on the top of the machine body 100, and the number of second magnets 420 is 9, the 9 second magnets 420 are correspondingly divided into 3 second magnet 420 groups, and the 3 second magnet 420 groups are correspondingly distributed in a triangular shape on the surface of the movable cover 300 facing the machine body 100.

[0067] With such arrangement, when the movable cover 300 is displaced by an external force, each second magnet 420 moves in the same direction relative to the corresponding first magnet 410. When the external force on the movable cover 300 is removed, each second magnet 420 is moved toward the center position of the corresponding first magnet 410 by the repulsive force of the corresponding first magnet 410. The directions of the repulsive forces on each second magnet 420 are the same. In this way, not only can the movable cover 300 be effectively supported by the first magnet 410 and the second magnet 420, but it is also beneficial for the movable cover 300 to be reset to its initial position.

[0068] It should be noted that if the first magnet 410 is arranged to protrude from the top of the machine body 100, the height of the cleaning robot 1000 will be increased. In view of this, in some embodiments of the present invention, a mounting groove 130 is recessed on the top of the machine body 100, and the first magnet 410 is embedded in the mounting groove 130. The second magnet 420 extends into the mounting groove 130 and also extends to the inner side of the first magnet 410. This arrangement can, on the one hand, reduce the gap between the movable cover 300 and the machine body 100, thereby facilitating the reduction of the height of the entire cleaning robot 1000, and on the other hand, ensure that the top of the machine body 100 is flat, which is also conducive to the sliding of the movable cover 300 relative to the top of the machine body 100.

[0069] Considering that the second magnet 420 is only constrained by the first magnet 410 in the horizontal direction, and the second magnet 420 is not constrained in the vertical direction, that is, the movable cover 300 is constrained in the horizontal direction, if the cleaning robot 1000 is bumpy during driving, the movable cover 300 will fall off the machine body 100.

[0070] Based on the above problems, in some embodiments of the present invention, please refer to Figures 4 to 7The bottom of the mounting groove 130 passes through the machine body 100 to form a clearance hole 140. The inner diameter of the clearance hole 140 can be greater than or equal to the inner diameter of the first magnet 410. Preferably, the inner diameter of the clearance hole 140 is equivalent to the inner diameter of the first magnet 410. The surface of the movable cover 300 facing the machine body 100 is provided with a mounting post 310, which passes through the first magnet 410 and extends into the clearance hole 140. The mounting post 310 is clearance-matched with the first magnet 410 and the clearance hole 140. The second magnet 420 is arranged in an annular shape and sleeved on the mounting post 310. The cleaning robot 1000 also includes a limiting cover 500, which is installed on the side of the machine body 100 facing away from the movable cover 300, and the limiting cover 500 is fixedly connected to the end of the mounting post 310 away from the movable cover 300.

[0071] Based on the above solution, the movable cover 300 can be limited from falling off the machine body 100 by the constraint imposed by the limiting cover 500 on the mounting post 310. At the same time, the arrangement of the mounting post 310 also facilitates the assembly of the second magnet 420 to the movable cover 300. In addition, the cooperation between the mounting post 310 and the clearance hole 140 also facilitates the positioning and installation of the movable cover 300 on the machine body 100, thereby facilitating the assembly of the cleaning robot 1000.

[0072] It should be said that the limit cover 500 can be connected to only one mounting column 310, and the limit cover 500 can also be connected to multiple mounting columns 310. When multiple first magnets 410 and multiple second magnets 420 are arranged in a group, each mounting column 310 on the movable cover 300 that cooperates with the corresponding second magnet 420 in the same group can be fixedly connected through a limit cover 500, which is helpful to reduce the number of parts of the cleaning robot 1000.

[0073] It should be noted that there are many ways to connect the limit cover 500 and the mounting column 310. The limit cover 500 and the mounting column 310 can be connected by screw connection, glue bonding or other methods. Preferably, the limit cover 500 and the mounting column 310 are connected by plugging. The limit cover 500 includes a cover body 510 and a plug-in cylinder 520 on the cover body 510. The cover body 510 abuts against the machine body 100, and the plug-in cylinder 520 is plugged and matched with an end of the mounting column 310 away from the movable cover 300. Such a configuration facilitates the connection between the limit cover 500 and the mounting column 310.

[0074] In addition, when the length of the clearance hole 140 is appropriate, the plug-in tube 520 can also abut against the second magnet 420 sleeved on the mounting column 310, so that the second magnet 420 can be limited by the plug-in tube 520 to avoid the second magnet 420 from sliding axially along the mounting column 310.

[0075] Obviously, in order to prevent the second magnet 420 from sliding axially along the mounting column 310, other methods can be used to limit the second magnet. Specifically, the surface of the movable cover 300 facing the machine body 100 is also provided with a limiting rib 320 surrounding the mounting column 310. The limiting rib 320 limits the outer peripheral wall of the second magnet 420 when the second magnet 420 is sleeved on the mounting column 310. At this time, both the inner and outer sides of the second magnet 420 are constrained, thereby reducing the risk of the second magnet 420 sliding axially along the mounting column 310.

[0076] It is worth noting that the height of the limiting rib 320 is much smaller than the axial height of the second magnet 420 in the mounting column 310 , that is, the setting of the limiting rib 320 does not affect the mutual repulsion force between the second magnet 420 and the first magnet 410 .

[0077] Taking into account that the movable cover 300 slides relative to the top of the machine body 100, if the surface of the movable cover 300 facing the machine body 100 is relatively rough or the top of the machine body 100 is relatively rough, the friction between the movable cover 300 and the machine body 100 will be relatively large, thereby affecting the sliding of the movable cover 300 relative to the machine body 100. In view of this, in some embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of ball bearings 600 are provided on the top of the machine body 100, and the plurality of ball bearings 600 are arranged along the circumference of the machine body 100.

[0078] With such arrangement, on the one hand, the sliding connection between the movable cover 300 and the machine body 100 can be changed into a rolling connection, thereby facilitating the movement of the movable cover 300 relative to the machine body 100; on the other hand, the plurality of balls 600 arranged along the circumference of the machine body 100 can provide stable support for the movable cover 300, thereby ensuring that the movable cover 300 can move smoothly relative to the machine body 100.

[0079] For further information, see Figure 4 and Figure 5 The top of the machine body 100 is provided with a plurality of through holes 150, and the aperture of each through hole 150 is smaller than the diameter of the ball 600; the cleaning robot 1000 further includes a plurality of ball covers 700, each of which is installed on the side of the machine body 100 facing away from the movable cover 300, and each of which is provided with a spherical groove 710 at a position facing the through hole 150; each ball 600 is installed in the spherical groove 710 of the corresponding ball cover 700, and each ball 600 partly extends out from the corresponding through hole 150 and abuts against the surface of the movable cover 300 facing the machine body 100. In this way, the ball 600 can be hidden in the machine body 100, which is conducive to reducing the gap between the movable cover 300 and the machine body 100, and further conducive to reducing the overall height of the cleaning robot 1000.

[0080] It is worth noting that there are many ways to connect the ball cover 700 and the machine body 100. The ball cover 700 and the machine body 100 can be connected by screws, the ball cover 700 and the machine body 100 can be bonded by glue, or the ball cover 700 and the machine body 100 can be connected by snaps, which are not listed here one by one.

[0081] Considering that the controller determines the direction in which the movable cover 300 is displaced by processing the image of the detection mark on the movable cover 300 captured by the visual module 200, in order to quickly determine the direction and distance of the displacement of the detection mark, in some embodiments of the present invention, refer to Figure 6 The position of the movable cover 300 facing the visual module 200 is set as a light-transmitting area, and a detection grid 330 is set in the light-transmitting area. The detection mark is set at the center of the detection grid 330. In this way, the moving direction and moving distance of the movable cover 300 can be quickly determined by processing the image of the visual module 200, so that the controller can quickly control the machine body 100 to make corresponding obstacle avoidance actions, which is beneficial for the cleaning robot 1000 to walk along the wall.

[0082] It should be noted that the detection grid 330 on the movable cover 300 can be formed by pasting a grid film, the detection grid 330 on the movable cover 300 can also be formed by silk screen printing, and the detection grid 330 on the movable cover 300 can also be formed by other methods, which are not listed here one by one.

[0083] Considering that the cleaning robot 1000 needs to adapt to environments with different brightness, if the cleaning robot 1000 is in an environment with low brightness, the grayscale of the image of the detection grid 330 captured by the visual module 200 will be darker, which is not conducive to the controller to identify the detection mark in the image. In view of this, please refer to Figure 3 A fill light 800 is also arranged on the top of the machine body 100 and is arranged around the visual module 200. The light emitted by the fill light 800 can completely illuminate the above-mentioned detection grid 330, thereby ensuring that the detection mark in the image taken by the visual module 200 can always be recognized, thereby facilitating the controller to process the image.

[0084] Furthermore, the cleaning robot 1000 may also be provided with a brightness detection module (not shown), which is electrically connected to the controller. The controller may control the on or off of the fill light 800 according to the ambient brightness detected by the brightness detection module, thereby achieving energy saving.

[0085] Considering that the top of the machine body 100 of the cleaning robot 1000 is usually equipped with a detachable dust box, water tank and other components, in view of this, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 8 The middle part of the movable cover 300 is penetrated to form an avoidance opening 340, which makes it convenient to remove the dust box and water tank on the machine body 100. In order to prevent the dust box, water tank and other components from being exposed on the top of the machine body 100, the cleaning robot 1000 also includes a decorative cover 900, which includes a connecting part 910 and a decorative part 920. The connecting part 910 passes through the avoidance opening 340 and is fixedly connected to the machine body 100. The decorative part 920 is located above the movable cover 300 and is in clearance with the movable cover 300. This arrangement ensures that the appearance of the cleaning robot 1000 is smooth and beautiful.

[0086] It should be noted that the projection area of ​​the decorative part 920 in the up and down directions is larger than the area of ​​the avoidance opening 340 on the movable cover 300. When the decorative part 920 covers the above-mentioned detection grille 330, the decorative part 920 is provided with a window 930 at a position opposite the grille. This can prevent the decorative part 920 from blocking the detection grille 330, thereby causing lower brightness at the detection grille 330, thereby affecting the effect of the picture taken by the visual module 200.

[0087] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural changes made by using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or directly / indirectly applied in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cleaning robot, characterized in that: The cleaning robot comprises a machine body, a visual module, a movable cover, a reset member and a controller; wherein, The movable cover is installed on the top of the machine body and can move relative to the machine body in a horizontal direction, and the edge of the movable cover is arranged beyond the edge of the machine body; The visual module is installed on the top of the machine body and is located below the movable cover, and the movable cover is provided with a detection mark for the visual module to detect; The reset member is connected to the movable cover and the machine body, and the reset member drives the movable cover to return to the initial position after the external force on the movable cover is removed; The controller is electrically connected to the machine body and the vision module. The controller compares the position of the detection mark in the images taken at two previous and subsequent moments through image processing to determine whether the position of the detection mark has changed. If it has changed, the controller controls the machine body to move in the opposite direction of the displacement of the detection mark. If it has not changed, the controller controls the machine body to maintain the original driving direction so as to drive along the wall.

2. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The reset member includes a first magnet and a second magnet. The first magnet is arranged in a ring shape and installed on the top of the machine body. The second magnet is installed on the surface of the movable cover facing the machine body. The second magnet extends into the first magnet and fits with the first magnet in a gap. A mutually repelling magnetic force is generated between the first magnet and the second magnet.

3. The cleaning robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The reset member includes a plurality of first magnets and a plurality of second magnets. The plurality of first magnets are mounted on the machine body and arranged along the circumference of the machine body. The plurality of second magnets are correspondingly mounted on the surface of the movable cover facing the machine body. Each of the second magnets cooperates with the first magnet at the corresponding position.

4. The cleaning robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: A mounting groove is recessed on the top of the machine body, and the first magnet is embedded in the mounting groove. The first magnet extends into the mounting groove and is loosely matched with the first magnet.

5. The cleaning robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The bottom of the installation groove passes through the machine body to form a clearance hole; A mounting post is convexly disposed on the surface of the movable cover facing the machine body, the mounting post passes through the first magnet and extends into the clearance hole, the mounting post is in clearance with the first magnet and the clearance hole, and the second magnet is arranged in an annular shape and sleeved on the mounting post; The cleaning robot further comprises a limiting cover, which is mounted on a side of the machine body facing away from the movable cover and is fixedly connected to the mounting column.

6. The cleaning robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The limiting cover includes a cover body and an inserting tube connected to the cover body. The cover body abuts against the side of the machine body facing away from the movable cover. The inserting tube is plugged into and fits with the end of the mounting column away from the movable cover. The inserting tube is also used to limit the second magnet.

7. The cleaning robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: A surface of the movable cover facing the machine body is convexly provided with a limiting convex rib surrounding the mounting column, and the limiting convex rib is sleeved and matched with the outer peripheral wall of the second magnet.

8. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of balls are arranged on the top of the machine body, and each of the balls is used to abut against the surface of the movable cover facing the machine body.

9. The cleaning robot according to claim 8, characterized in that: A plurality of through holes are provided through the top of the machine body, and the diameter of each through hole is smaller than the diameter of the ball; The cleaning robot further comprises a plurality of ball bearing covers, each of which is mounted on a side of the machine body facing away from the movable cover, and each of which is provided with a spherical groove at a position facing the through hole; Each of the balls is installed in a spherical groove of a corresponding ball cover, and each of the ball parts extends out from a corresponding through hole and abuts against a surface of the movable cover facing the machine body.

10. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The movable cover has a light-transmitting area facing the visual module, the light-transmitting area is provided with a detection grid, and the detection mark is arranged at the center position of the detection grid.

11. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: A fill light is also arranged on the top of the machine body and surrounds the visual module.

12. The cleaning robot according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: An avoidance opening is provided through the middle of the movable cover; the cleaning robot also includes a decorative cover, which includes a connecting part and a decorative part, the connecting part passes through the avoidance opening and is fixedly connected to the machine body, and the decorative part is located above the movable cover and is gap-matched with the movable cover.

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