Sweeping robot

Abstract

The application discloses a sweeping robot, which comprises a shell, a water tank arranged in the shell, a drain pipe communicated with the water tank, and a fluid detection assembly communicated with the drain pipe and capable of detecting water in the drain pipe. The sweeping robot can timely acquire the water level in the water tank, avoid water interruption of the water tank, and improve the convenience of use.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of household appliance technology, and in particular to a robotic vacuum cleaner. Background Technology

[0002] In order to perform both sweeping and mopping, robotic vacuum cleaners typically have a water tank installed in their casing. This allows them to use the water in the tank and the attached mop for mopping. However, these robotic vacuum cleaners cannot promptly check the water level in the tank, leading to frequent water shortages and inconvenience for users. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The main objective of this invention is to provide a robotic vacuum cleaner that can promptly obtain the water level in the water tank, preventing water shortages and improving user convenience.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention proposes a sweeping robot, the sweeping robot comprising:

[0005] case;

[0006] A water tank is disposed within the shell;

[0007] A drain pipe, wherein the drain pipe is connected to the water tank; and

[0008] A fluid detection component is connected to the drain pipe and can be used to detect water in the drain pipe.

[0009] Optionally, the fluid detection assembly includes a liquid passage box and a detection sensor. The liquid passage box forms a liquid passage cavity. The liquid passage box has an inlet and an outlet that communicate with the liquid passage cavity. The inlet communicates with the outlet of the drain pipe. The detection sensor is located on the top of the liquid passage box and is used to detect changes in the water level in the liquid passage cavity.

[0010] Optionally, the fluid detection assembly further includes a water pump and a connecting pipe, the connecting pipe connecting the water tank and the water pump, and the drain pipe connecting the water pump.

[0011] Optionally, the robotic vacuum cleaner further includes a controller, which is located in the housing and electrically connected to the detection sensor and the water pump.

[0012] Optionally, the robotic vacuum cleaner also includes an alarm, which is mounted on the housing and electrically connected to the controller.

[0013] Optionally, the liquid outlet is located on the side wall of the liquid transfer box and is spaced apart from the bottom wall of the liquid transfer box;

[0014] And / or, the drain pipe has a curved pipe structure.

[0015] Optionally, the liquid transfer box includes a box body and a box cover. The box cover is closed onto the box body and surrounds the box body to form the liquid transfer cavity. The box body has the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet. The detection sensor is located on the box cover and inside the liquid transfer cavity.

[0016] Optionally, the sweeping robot further includes a nozzle assembly installed on the housing, the nozzle assembly including a nozzle and a water spray pipe, one end of the water spray pipe being connected to the fluid detection assembly, and the other end of the water spray pipe being connected to the nozzle.

[0017] Optionally, the nozzle assembly further includes a tee pipe and a water storage pipe installed on the housing. One port of the tee pipe is connected to the water spray pipe, and the other two ports of the tee pipe are connected to the water storage pipe and are spaced apart along the extension direction of the water storage pipe. There are multiple nozzles, and the multiple nozzles are spaced apart along the extension direction of the water storage pipe and are connected to the water storage pipe.

[0018] Optionally, the sweeping robot includes two drive wheels mounted on the bottom of the housing, and the fluid detection component is located in the area between the two drive wheels and the water tank.

[0019] The sweeping robot of this invention has a water tank installed in its shell, and a drain pipe connected to the water tank, allowing water in the tank to be discharged through the drain pipe. By connecting a fluid detection component to the drain pipe, the water discharged from the drain pipe can flow through the fluid detection component before being discharged. The fluid detection component detects whether there is water in the drain pipe, thus confirming whether there is water in the water tank by detecting whether the drain pipe is draining. When there is no water or the water volume in the drain pipe is low, the user can easily add water to the water tank in time, avoiding the phenomenon of water shortage or no water in the water tank, greatly improving the convenience of use. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the sweeping robot of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2for Figure 1 Another perspective view in the middle;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a partial structural diagram of the sweeping robot of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a partial structural diagram of the fluid detection component in the sweeping robot of the present invention.

[0025] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0026] label name label name 10 case 20 water tank 21 Water inlet 22 Handle structure 30 Drain pipe 40 Fluid detection components 41 Liquid transfer box 411 box 4111 Inlet 4112 Liquid outlet 412 box lid 42 Detection sensor 43 water pump 44 Connecting pipe 50 Nozzle assembly 51 water spray pipe 52 nozzle 53 Water storage pipe 54 Tee pipe 100 robot vacuum cleaner 11 Limiting groove 60 drive wheel

[0027] The realization of the objective, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0029] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0030] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connection," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "fixed" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can mean a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can mean a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can mean the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0031] Furthermore, in this invention, descriptions involving "first," "second," etc., are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the meaning of "and / or" throughout the text includes three parallel solutions; for example, "A and / or B" includes solution A, solution B, or a solution where A and B are simultaneously satisfied. Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, such a combination of technical solutions should be considered non-existent and not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0032] This invention proposes a sweeping robot 100.

[0033] Please refer to the reference. Figures 1 to 4 In this embodiment of the invention, the robotic vacuum cleaner 100 includes:

[0034] Casing 10;

[0035] Water tank 20, the water tank 20 being disposed within the shell 10;

[0036] Drain pipe 30, wherein the drain pipe 30 is connected to the water tank 20; and

[0037] A fluid detection component 40 is connected to the drain pipe 30 and can be used to detect the water in the drain pipe 30.

[0038] The housing 10 can be designed to be circular. The housing 10 forms the main body of the robotic vacuum cleaner 100 and provides mounting and support for other components. Typically, a mounting cavity is formed within the housing 10, where the drive components, electronic control components, etc., of the robotic vacuum cleaner 100 can be installed. In this embodiment, the omnidirectional wheels, sweeping structure, and mopping structure of the robotic vacuum cleaner 100 can all be located at the bottom of the housing 10, enabling the robotic vacuum cleaner 100 to mop and sweep the floor during movement.

[0039] The water tank 20 is mainly used to store water. In practical applications, when the robot vacuum cleaner 100 is working, the water in the water tank 20 can be discharged onto the mop through the drain pipe 30 for mopping. The fluid detection component 40 can be directly installed on the bottom of the housing 10. The fluid detection component 40 is connected to the drain pipe 30, allowing the drainage from the drain pipe 30 to flow through the fluid detection component 40, thereby determining whether there is water in the water tank 20 by detecting the drainage in the drain pipe 30.

[0040] Understandably, the fluid detection component 40 can also be a mechanical floating level gauge. Thus, when connected to the drain pipe 30, the user can directly observe the height of the liquid level in the fluid detection component 40 to determine the drainage status in the drain pipe 30 and add water to the water tank 20 in a timely manner.

[0041] Therefore, the sweeping robot 100 of the present invention, by setting a water tank 20 in the housing 10 and setting a drain pipe 30 connected to the water tank 20, allows the water in the water tank 20 to be discharged through the drain pipe 30; and by connecting the fluid detection component 40 to the drain pipe 30, the water discharged from the drain pipe 30 can flow through the fluid detection component 40 before being discharged. The fluid detection component 40 detects whether there is water in the drain pipe, thereby confirming whether there is water in the water tank 20 by detecting whether the drain pipe 30 is draining. When there is no water or the water volume in the drain pipe 30 is low, it is convenient for the user to add water to the water tank 20 in time, avoiding the phenomenon of water shortage or no water in the water tank 20, and greatly improving the convenience of use.

[0042] Combined with reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 In one embodiment of this application, the fluid detection assembly 40 includes a liquid passage box 41 and a detection sensor 42. The liquid passage box 41 has a liquid passage cavity formed inside it. The liquid passage box 41 has an inlet 4111 and an outlet 4112 that communicate with the liquid passage cavity. The inlet 4111 communicates with the outlet of the drain pipe 30. The detection sensor 42 is located on the top of the liquid passage box 41 and is used to detect changes in the water level in the liquid passage cavity.

[0043] In the above embodiments, the liquid transfer box 41 can be made of lightweight and structurally strong plastic. The shape of the liquid transfer box 41 can be designed in various ways, such as a cuboid, a cube, or other reasonable and effective shapes. Preferably, the liquid transfer box 41 is cuboid in shape, and the inlet 4111 and outlet 4112 are respectively located on opposite side walls along the length of the liquid transfer box 41. This allows the sensor 42 to easily detect the water level in the box after the water from the drain pipe 30 enters the liquid transfer box 41, thus enabling timely detection of the water storage status in the water tank 20. The inlet 4111 and outlet 4112 on opposite sides along the length allow the water entering the liquid transfer box 41 to settle before being discharged from the other side, ensuring that the water discharged from the liquid transfer box 41 is relatively clean and less prone to clogging.

[0044] The detection sensor 42 can be a capacitive level gauge used in the prior art. When water in the drain pipe 30 enters the liquid box 41 through the inlet 4111, the change in liquid level in the liquid box 41 can be determined by the principle of capacitive sensing. For example, when the liquid level in the liquid box 41 drops, the dielectric constant between the detection sensor 42 and the liquid surface decreases, and thus the capacitance also decreases, thereby promptly notifying the user to replenish the water tank 20.

[0045] Furthermore, referring to Figure 3 In one embodiment of this application, the fluid detection assembly 40 further includes a water pump 43 and a connecting pipe 44. The connecting pipe 44 connects the water tank 20 and the water pump 43, and the drain pipe 30 connects to the water pump 43. In this embodiment, the water pump 43 is a peristaltic pump. Peristaltic pumps are pollution-free, with liquid only contacting the pump pipe and not the pump body. Furthermore, peristaltic pumps offer high stability and accuracy, low shear force, and good sealing. They have excellent self-priming capability and can run dry to prevent backflow. They are simple to maintain, requiring no valves or seals. They have bidirectional equal flow delivery capability and will not damage any components of the pump when running dry. They can generate a vacuum of up to 98%. The inlet of the water pump 43 is connected to the water tank 20 via the connecting pipe 44, and the outlet of the water pump 43 drains water via the drain pipe 30. By setting up the water pump 43 and the connecting pipe 44, the water in the water tank 20 can flow evenly and quantitatively to the drain pipe 30 and the liquid collection box 41, thereby enabling the detection sensor 42 to accurately obtain the drainage volume and greatly improving the accuracy of the water level acquisition in the water tank 20. Moreover, by setting up a peristaltic pump, it is possible to determine whether the water tank 20 is installed correctly even if air is pumped out.

[0046] Furthermore, in order to prevent the connecting pipe 44 and the water pump 43 from being blocked, the component connecting the water tank 20 and the connecting pipe 44 in this application is also provided with a filter element. The filter element is located inside the water tank 20. The filter element can be a filter screen, filter element, etc. By setting the filter element, impurities in the water tank 20 can be filtered, thereby preventing impurities from entering the connecting pipe 44 and the water pump 43 and causing blockage.

[0047] In one embodiment of this application, the robotic vacuum cleaner 100 further includes a controller (not shown), which is disposed in the housing 10 and electrically connected to the detection sensor 42 and the water pump 43. The principle by which the controller connects to the detection sensor 42 and controls the water pump 43 is similar to existing technologies. By setting the controller, when the detection sensor 42 detects that the drainage volume in the drain pipe 30 is low or close to empty, the controller can send a control signal to stop the water pump 43 from operating. At this time, the drain pipe 30 no longer drains water, effectively preventing the water pump 43 from burning out due to idling.

[0048] Furthermore, in this application, the robotic vacuum cleaner 100 also includes an alarm (not shown), which is installed in the housing 10 and electrically connected to the controller. Specifically, the alarm can be a device capable of emitting an alarm sound signal, such as a buzzer. By setting the alarm, when the detection sensor 42 detects that there is no water in the drain pipe 30, the controller can transmit a signal to the alarm to emit an alarm sound, reminding the user to add water in time.

[0049] In one embodiment of this application, the outlet 4112 is located on the side wall of the liquid collection box 41, and a gap is formed between it and the bottom wall of the liquid collection box 41. Understandably, this arrangement allows water from the drain pipe 30 to accumulate to a certain level in the liquid collection box 41, enabling impurities in the water to settle at the bottom of the liquid collection chamber. The outlet 4112 then discharges the clearer water from the top onto the mop for mopping, preventing impurities from clogging the water spraying process.

[0050] In another embodiment, the drain pipe 30 is a curved pipe structure. By setting the drain pipe 30 as a curved pipe structure, on the one hand, the curved pipe structure increases the drainage path and can settle some impurities in the water; on the other hand, after the liquid collection box 41, water tank 20 and water pump 43 assembly are installed in the housing 10, the curved pipe structure can connect the liquid collection box 41 and the water tank 20, which can adapt to the structure of the housing 10 and facilitate installation and disassembly.

[0051] Reference Figure 4 In an embodiment of this application, the liquid transfer box 41 includes a box body 411 and a box cover 412. The box cover 412 covers the box body 411 and surrounds the box body 411 to form the liquid transfer cavity. The box body 411 has the liquid inlet 4111 and the liquid outlet 4112. The detection sensor 42 is disposed on the box cover 412 and located inside the liquid transfer cavity.

[0052] Specifically, the box body 411 and the box cover 412 can be fixed by ultrasonic welding or by detachable connection. The detection sensor 42 can be glued to the box cover 412. In this way, after the water from the drain pipe 30 enters the box body 411, the detection sensor 42 located on the box cover 412 can use the principle of capacitive sensing to detect the change in the liquid level below, thereby determining the water level in the water tank 20 by detecting whether there is water flowing in the liquid box 41.

[0053] Reference Figure 3Furthermore, in one embodiment of this application, the sweeping robot 100 further includes a nozzle 52 assembly 50 installed on the housing 10. The nozzle 52 assembly 50 includes a nozzle 52 and a water spray pipe 51. One end of the water spray pipe 51 is connected to the fluid detection assembly 40, and the other end of the water spray pipe 51 is connected to the nozzle 52.

[0054] In this embodiment, one end of the water spray pipe 51 is connected to the outlet 4112 of the liquid collection box 41, and the other end is connected to the nozzle 52. This allows the water in the water tank 20 to pass through the connecting pipe 44, the water pump 43, the drain pipe 30, the liquid collection box 41, and the water spray pipe 51 in sequence, and then be sprayed onto the mop from the nozzle 52. The nozzle 52 can evenly spray the discharged water onto the mop, making the moisture of the mop more uniform, thereby improving the mopping effect of the sweeping robot 100.

[0055] In an embodiment of the robotic vacuum cleaner 100 of this application, the nozzle 52 assembly 50 further includes a three-way pipe 54 and a water storage pipe 53 installed on the housing 10. One port of the three-way pipe 54 is connected to the water spray pipe 51, and the other two ports of the three-way pipe 54 are connected to the water storage pipe 53, and are spaced apart along the extension direction of the water storage pipe 53. There are multiple nozzles 52, which are spaced apart along the extension direction of the water storage pipe 53 and connected to the water storage pipe 53. In this embodiment, the number of nozzles 52 can be three or more. The water storage pipe 53 is a pipe closed at both ends. Water in the water spray pipe 51 is guided to the water storage pipe 53 through the three-way pipe 54 and stored in the water storage pipe 53, and then sprayed onto the mop using multiple nozzles 52. This arrangement ensures that the water in the water spray pipe 51 is evenly stored in the water storage pipe 53 and evenly sprayed onto the mop through multiple nozzles 52.

[0056] To ensure the T-joint 54 and water storage pipe 53 are securely installed on the housing 10, in one embodiment of this application, a limiting groove 11 is recessed at the bottom of the housing 10, and at least a portion of the T-joint 54 and the water storage pipe 53 are confined within the limiting groove 11. In this embodiment, by providing the limiting groove 11, the T-joint 54 and the water storage pipe 53 can be confined by the limiting groove 11, thereby preventing them from easily shaking during the movement of the sweeping robot 100, which in turn helps the fluid detection component 40 to accurately obtain the drainage volume of the drain pipe 30.

[0057] Furthermore, in a further embodiment of this application, the housing 10 is provided with a mounting position, and the water tank 20 is mounted on the mounting position so that the bottom wall surface of the water tank 20 and the bottom wall surface of the housing 10 are on the same plane. The mounting position can be a crescent-shaped notch formed in the housing 10, and the water tank 20 is crescent-shaped. Thus, when the water tank 20 is mounted on the mounting position, it can be joined with the housing 10 to form a circular bottom surface, resulting in a more aesthetically pleasing overall appearance.

[0058] The top surface of the water tank 20 can be provided with a water inlet 21 and a cover plate to cover the water inlet 21. When the fluid detection component 40 detects that the water level in the water tank 20 is too low or lacks water, the user can add water in time through the water inlet 21. In addition, in this application, the top surface of the water tank 20 is also provided with a handle structure 22. By providing a handle structure 22, the user can easily hold the water tank 20 and separate it from the shell 10, which facilitates daily maintenance operations.

[0059] In one embodiment of this application, the robotic vacuum cleaner 100 includes two drive wheels 60, which are mounted on the bottom of the housing 10. The fluid detection component 40 is located in the area between the two drive wheels 60 and the water tank 20. In this embodiment, the axles of the two drive wheels 60 may coincide with the center line of the bottom surface of the housing 10. The water tank 20 is located at the circumferential edge of the housing 10, and the line connecting the position of the water tank 20 and the position of the two drive wheels 60 forms a triangle. The fluid detection component 40 is located within this triangular area. This arrangement allows the fluid detection component 40 to maintain balance with the water tank 20 during the movement of the robotic vacuum cleaner 100, ensuring accurate detection of the drainage volume of the drain pipe 30.

[0060] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present invention's specification and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A robotic vacuum cleaner, characterized in that, The robotic vacuum cleaner includes: case; A water tank is disposed within the shell; A drain pipe, wherein the drain pipe is connected to the water tank; and A fluid detection component, which is connected to the drain pipe and can be used to detect the water in the drain pipe; The fluid detection assembly includes a liquid-passing box and a detection sensor. The liquid-passing box contains a liquid-passing cavity and has an inlet and an outlet communicating with the liquid-passing cavity. The inlet is connected to the outlet of the drain pipe. The detection sensor is located at the top of the liquid-passing box and is used to detect changes in the water level within the liquid-passing cavity. The outlet is located on the side wall of the liquid-passing box and has a gap between it and the bottom wall of the liquid-passing box. The detection sensor is a capacitive level gauge. The fluid detection assembly also includes a water pump and a connecting pipe, the connecting pipe connecting the water tank and the water pump, and the drain pipe connecting the water pump, the water pump being a peristaltic pump.

2. The sweeping robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The sweeping robot also includes a controller, which is located in the housing and electrically connected to the detection sensor and the water pump.

3. The sweeping robot as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The robotic vacuum cleaner also includes an alarm, which is installed in the housing and electrically connected to the controller.

4. The sweeping robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The drainage pipe has a curved pipe structure.

5. The sweeping robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid transfer box includes a box body and a box cover. The box cover is closed onto the box body and surrounds the box body to form the liquid transfer cavity. The box body has the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet. The detection sensor is located on the box cover and inside the liquid transfer cavity.

6. The robotic vacuum cleaner as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The sweeping robot also includes a nozzle assembly installed on the housing. The nozzle assembly includes a nozzle and a water spray pipe. One end of the water spray pipe is connected to the fluid detection component, and the other end of the water spray pipe is connected to the nozzle.

7. The sweeping robot as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The nozzle assembly also includes a tee pipe and a water storage pipe installed on the housing. One port of the tee pipe is connected to the water spray pipe, and the other two ports of the tee pipe are connected to the water storage pipe and are spaced apart along the extension direction of the water storage pipe. There are multiple nozzles, which are spaced apart along the extension direction of the water storage pipe and are connected to the water storage pipe.

8. The robotic vacuum cleaner as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The sweeping robot includes two drive wheels, which are mounted on the bottom of the housing, and the fluid detection component is located in the area between the two drive wheels and the water tank.

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