Aircraft window cleaning equipment with modular architecture

Abstract

The present application provides an aircraft window cleaning device with a modular architecture, which includes: at least one pair of mobile modules, including a chassis, running wheels and a negative pressure adsorption component, the running wheels are rotatably connected to the chassis, the negative pressure adsorption component is arranged on the chassis, and is used to generate negative pressure to adsorb on the aircraft window; a cleaning module, including a cleaning frame and a cleaning component, the cleaning component is connected to the cleaning frame, and the two ends of the cleaning frame are respectively hinged to the chassis of the mobile module, so that the cleaning frame fits the cleaning wall surface to clean the cleaning wall surface. The above-mentioned aircraft window cleaning device with a modular architecture has the cleaning and moving functions separately arranged on the cleaning module and the mobile module, so as to facilitate the installation or replacement of the corresponding modules, and has good interchangeability and expansibility.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of automatic cleaning of special environments, and in particular to an aircraft window cleaning device with a modular architecture. Background Art

[0002] The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and do not necessarily constitute prior art.

[0003] Regular aircraft cleaning is an issue that every airport needs to face. Currently, aircraft cleaning is mostly done by lifting cleaning personnel and related equipment to the height of the aircraft wall to be cleaned through a ground lift, spraying detergent manually or semi-automatically, waiting for five minutes and then washing away the detergent foam with a pressurized water gun, wiping it dry with a rag, and finally waxing and polishing. Cleaning is now complete.

[0004] In fact, in the aircraft cleaning area, the requirements for the cleanliness and aesthetics of the aircraft window glass are higher, and the aircraft window glass will be cleaned more frequently. At this time, a robot system that can be specially used to clean the aircraft windows is needed to minimize the waste of resources and achieve glass cleaning without delaying the aircraft's flight. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the above, it is necessary to provide an aircraft window cleaning device with a modular structure to be suitable for cleaning aircraft windows.

[0006] To this end, the present disclosure provides an aircraft window cleaning device with a modular architecture, characterized in that it includes:

[0007] At least one pair of mobile modules, including a chassis, running wheels and a negative pressure adsorption component, wherein the running wheels are rotatably connected to the chassis, and the negative pressure adsorption component is arranged on the chassis and is used to generate negative pressure to be adsorbed on the aircraft window;

[0008] The cleaning module comprises a cleaning frame and a cleaning component, wherein the cleaning component is connected to the cleaning frame, and both ends of the cleaning frame are respectively hinged to the chassis of the moving module, so that the cleaning frame is attached to the cleaning wall surface to clean the cleaning wall surface.

[0009] Preferably, the mobile module further includes a travel drive assembly, the travel drive assembly includes a travel motor and a reducer, the travel motor is connected to the travel wheel via the reducer, and is used to drive the travel wheel to rotate.

[0010] Preferably, the negative pressure adsorption component includes a centrifugal fan, a fixed shaft sleeve and a negative pressure sleeve.

[0011] The fixed sleeve is connected to the chassis, the centrifugal fan is connected inside the fixed sleeve, the negative pressure sleeve is connected to the side of the chassis facing away from the centrifugal fan, and the negative pressure sleeve includes an open negative pressure cavity, which is connected to the centrifugal fan;

[0012] When the cleaning frame is attached to the cleaning wall surface, the negative pressure chamber and the cleaning wall surface form a closed cavity, and the centrifugal fan is adsorbed on the cleaning wall surface by forming negative pressure in the negative pressure chamber.

[0013] Preferably, the negative pressure adsorption assembly further comprises a sealing ring, and the sealing ring is arranged on the bottom surface of the bottom plate to seal the cavity formed by the bottom plate and the cleaning wall surface.

[0014] Preferably, the sealing ring comprises a rigid layer, a flexible layer and a plush layer from the inside to the outside, and the rigid layer is sleeved on the negative pressure sleeve to fix the negative pressure sleeve; the height of the flexible layer is greater than that of the rigid layer and is attached to the cleaning wall surface when the cleaning frame is attached to the cleaning wall surface; the plush layer is wrapped on the side of the chassis with plush cloth.

[0015] Preferably, the cleaning assembly comprises a lifting motor, a lifting lower plate and a cleaning block, the lifting motor is mounted on the cleaning frame, an output shaft is connected to the lifting lower plate, and the cleaning block is connected to the bottom surface of the lifting lower plate.

[0016] Preferably, the cleaning assembly further comprises a lifting upper plate, a polished rod and a transmission screw.

[0017] The upper lifting plate and the lower lifting plate are respectively located on both sides of the cleaning frame, and the two ends of the polished rod are respectively connected to the upper lifting plate and the lower lifting plate, and moveably pass through the cleaning frame; one end of the transmission screw is connected to the lifting motor, and the other end is threadedly connected to the lifting lower plate; the lifting motor drives the cleaning block to rise and fall through the transmission screw and the lifting lower plate to clean the cleaning wall surface.

[0018] Preferably, the cleaning module also includes at least one of an ultrasonic sensor and a camera, the ultrasonic sensor is installed on the cleaning frame, and is used to detect at least one of the distance between the cleaning block and the cleaning wall surface and to detect obstacles in the moving direction; the camera is installed on the cleaning frame, and is used to detect the cleanliness of the cleaning wall surface.

[0019] Preferably, it also includes an articulated mechanism connecting the chassis and the cleaning frame, the articulated mechanism including a connecting block, a hinge and a hanging connecting plate, one end of the connecting block is connected to the cleaning frame, and the other end is suspended toward the chassis; the top of the hinge is connected to the end of the connecting block, and the other end extends in a vertical direction and is connected to the hanging connecting plate; the hanging connecting plate is connected to the cleaning frame through a connecting column.

[0020] Preferably, the hinge is rotatably connected to the connection block via a bearing.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the above-mentioned aircraft window cleaning equipment with modular architecture separately arranges the cleaning and moving functions on the cleaning module and the moving module, thereby facilitating the installation or replacement of the corresponding modules and having good interchangeability and expansibility.

[0022] Furthermore, the above-mentioned aircraft window cleaning equipment with a modular structure is configured such that the cleaning frame and the chassis are hinged on both sides of the chassis of the mobile module to the cleaning frame of the cleaning module so that the cleaning frame and the chassis can fit the cleaning wall surface. This is particularly suitable for curved aircraft windows, so that the entire cleaning equipment can fit tightly against the curved wall surface and has good passability on the curved wall surface. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific implementation methods, the drawings required for use in the description of the implementation methods will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present disclosure. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0024] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of an aircraft window cleaning device with a modular architecture.

[0025] Figure 2 It is a moving trajectory diagram of an aircraft window cleaning device with a modular architecture.

[0026] Figure 3 It is a structural diagram of the mobile module.

[0027] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of a negative pressure adsorption component.

[0028] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the negative pressure adsorption component.

[0029] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of the cleaning module.

[0030] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cleaning module from another perspective.

[0031] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cleaning component.

[0032] Fig. 9 It is a structural diagram of the articulated mechanism.

[0033] Main component symbols

[0034]

[0035]

[0036]

[0037] The following specific implementations will further illustrate the present disclosure in conjunction with the above-mentioned drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] In order to more clearly understand the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other. In the following description, many specific details are set forth in order to fully understand the present disclosure, and the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0039] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. The terms used in the specification herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0040] In each embodiment, for the convenience of description and not to limit the present disclosure, the term "connection" used in the patent specification and claims of the present disclosure is not limited to physical or mechanical connection, but may include electrical connection, whether direct or indirect. "Up", "down", "below", "left", "right", etc. are only used to indicate relative position relationship. When the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative position relationship also changes accordingly.

[0041] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of an aircraft window cleaning device with a modular architecture. Figure 1As shown, the aircraft window cleaning device with a modular architecture includes a cleaning module 10 and a pair of mobile modules 20. The pair of mobile modules 20 are respectively located on both sides of the cleaning module 10, and are used to carry the cleaning module 10 to move to clean the cleaning wall surface of the aircraft (such as a specific area such as an aircraft window). In other embodiments, the mobile modules 20 can also be three or four, and are used to carry the cleaning modules for cleaning, which is not limited in this application.

[0042] Figure 2 It is a moving trajectory diagram of an aircraft window cleaning device with a modular architecture. Figure 2 As shown, the two mobile modules 20 of the cleaning device are located at both ends of the cleaning module, and the mobile modules 20 are adsorbed on the cleaning wall surface so that the cleaning module is closely attached to the cleaning wall surface. During the cleaning process, the two mobile modules 20 move synchronously along the v direction, and the middle cleaning module cleans the cleaning wall surface during the movement. During the movement process, the two mobile modules 20 can move in a straight line at the same speed, or they can move at a differential speed to achieve a turning movement, thereby moving in the preset trajectory direction to complete the cleaning operation.

[0043] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the mobile module 20. Figure 3 As shown, the mobile module 20 includes a chassis 21, walking wheels 22 and a negative pressure adsorption component 24. The chassis 21 is generally a flat plate structure, which is used to support and install other components of the mobile module 20. There are four walking wheels 22, which are divided into two groups and are rotatably connected to the chassis 21. In addition, the mobile module 20 also includes a walking drive component for driving the speed and direction of the walking wheels 22. In this embodiment, the walking drive component includes a walking motor 221 and a reducer 222. The walking motor 221 and the reducer 222 are installed on the chassis 21, and the walking motor 221 is connected to the walking wheels 22 through the reducer 222, and is used to drive the walking wheels 22 to rotate.

[0044] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the negative pressure adsorption component 24, Figure 5 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the negative pressure adsorption component 24. Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the negative pressure adsorption component 24 is arranged on the chassis 21, and is used to generate negative pressure to adsorb on the cleaning wall surface, and by controlling the adsorption pressure of the negative pressure adsorption component 24 and the output power of the walking motor 221, the cleaning equipment can overcome gravity and move along a preset path on the cleaning wall surface.

[0045] In this embodiment, the negative pressure adsorption assembly 24 includes a centrifugal fan 241, a fixed sleeve 242, a negative pressure sleeve 243 and a sealing ring 244. The fixed sleeve 242 is installed on the chassis 21, and the centrifugal fan 241 is connected to the fixed sleeve 242 to be connected to the chassis 21 through the fixed sleeve 242. The negative pressure sleeve 243 and the fixed sleeve 242 are respectively arranged on both sides of the chassis 21. In this embodiment, the fixed sleeve 242 is arranged on the upper side of the chassis 21, and the negative pressure sleeve 243 is installed on the lower side (bottom surface) of the chassis 21 and is connected to the fixed sleeve 242 and the centrifugal fan 241. In this embodiment, the top of the negative pressure sleeve 243 is connected to the cavity of the fixed sleeve 242 and the centrifugal fan 241, and the bottom is open to the outside to form a cone structure. In this way, when the cleaning module 10 is attached to the cleaning wall, the negative pressure sleeve 243 and the cleaning wall form a closed negative pressure cavity. The negative pressure generated by the centrifugal fan 241 can pass through the fixed shaft sleeve 242 and the negative pressure chamber in sequence to generate suction.

[0046] See also Figure 4 and Figure 5 , the sealing ring 244 is installed on the bottom surface of the chassis 21, and includes a rigid layer 2441, a flexible layer 2442 and a plush layer 2443 from the inside to the outside. The rigid layer 2441 maintains a certain gap distance from the wall, and the rigid layer 2441 is sleeved on the negative pressure sleeve 243 to fix and maintain the shape of the negative pressure sleeve 243. The height of the flexible layer 2442 is greater than the rigid layer 2441 and when the cleaning frame 11 is attached to the cleaning wall, it is attached to the cleaning wall to minimize air leakage. The plush layer 2443 is wrapped on the side of the chassis 21 with plush cloth, forming a square structure attached to the bottom of the chassis 21 and having a length greater than the flexible layer 2442, which can also prevent air from flowing in, and can also filter impurities such as dust.

[0047] Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram of the cleaning module 10, Figure 7 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cleaning module 10 from another perspective. Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the cleaning module 10 includes a cleaning frame 11 and a cleaning assembly 12. The cleaning assembly 12 is connected to the cleaning frame 11 and is used to clean the cleaning wall surface when the cleaning frame 11 is attached to the cleaning wall surface.

[0048] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure of the cleaning component 12. Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the cleaning assembly 12 includes a lifting motor 121, a lifting upper plate 122, a lifting lower plate, a polished rod 123, a drive screw 125 and a cleaning block 124. The lifting upper plate 122 and the lifting lower plate are respectively located on both sides of the cleaning frame 11. The two ends of the polished rod 123 are respectively connected to the lifting upper plate 122 and the lifting lower plate, and the middle part passes through the cleaning frame 11. The lifting motor 121 is installed on the cleaning frame 11, and the output shaft is connected to the drive screw 125. The drive screw 125 is threadedly connected to the threaded hole of the lifting lower plate, so that the drive screw 125 can drive the lifting lower plate to move up and down under the drive of the lifting motor 121. The cleaning block 124 is connected to the lifting lower plate and is located below the cleaning frame 11. In this way, the lifting motor 121 drives the cleaning block 124 to move up and down through the drive screw 125 and the lifting lower plate to clean the cleaning wall surface.

[0049] In addition, the cleaning module 10 also includes an ultrasonic sensor and a camera 13. The ultrasonic sensor is installed on the cleaning frame 11, and is used to detect at least one of the distance between the cleaning block and the cleaning wall surface and the obstacle in the moving direction. In this embodiment, the cleaning module 10 includes two groups of ultrasonic sensors, that is, one group includes one or more first ultrasonic sensors 14, and the other group includes one or more second ultrasonic sensors 15. The one or more first ultrasonic sensors 14 are arranged on the side of the cleaning frame 11 and projected toward the moving direction of the cleaning frame 11, and are used to detect obstacles in the moving direction, for example, they can be used to detect whether the tail of the aircraft has been reached or whether there are obstacles in front. The one or more second ultrasonic sensors 15 are arranged on the bottom surface of the cleaning frame 11 and projected in the direction facing away from the bottom surface, and are used to detect the distance between the cleaning block 124 and the cleaning wall surface. The camera 13 is installed on the pan-tilt 131 of the cleaning frame 11, wherein the pan-tilt 131 is installed on the cleaning frame 11, so that the camera 13 can be driven by the pan-tilt 131 to rotate to detect the cleanliness of the cleaning wall surface.

[0050] Fig. 9 Schematic diagram of the structure of the hinge mechanism 40. Fig. 9 As shown, in order to adapt to both arc-shaped and flat cleaning walls, the chassis 21 is hinged to the cleaning frame 11 through a hinge mechanism 40. The hinge mechanism 40 includes a connecting block 41, a hinge member 42 and a hanging connecting plate 43.

[0051] One end of the connection block 41 is connected to the cleaning frame 11, and the other end extends and hangs out in the horizontal direction toward the chassis 21, forming a cantilever structure extending in the horizontal direction. The top of the hinge 42 is rotatably connected to the end of the connection block 41 through a bearing 421, and the other end extends in the vertical direction and is connected to the suspension connection plate 43. The suspension connection plate 43 is connected to the cleaning frame 11 through a connecting column 431. In this way, the hinge 42 has two degrees of freedom: one can rotate relative to the connection block 41, and the other can rotate by suspending the connection plate 43, so as to adapt to non-planar cleaning walls and overall steering functions.

[0052] When the travel motor 221 rotates at the same speed, the mobile module 20 of the cleaning device drives the whole to move forward or backward. When the travel motor 221 rotates at different speeds, the cleaning device will drive to rotate to the side with lower speed, so as to realize the function of walking along the preset route.

[0053] During the walking process, the distance between the cleaning block 124 and the cleaning wall is measured by the ultrasonic sensor. According to the signal collected by the ultrasonic sensor, the speed and direction of the lifting motor 121 can be controlled to achieve the lifting or lowering of the cleaning block, thereby controlling the distance between the cleaning block and the cleaning wall, and distinguishing the driving and working cleaning processes. Since the mobile module 20 and the cleaning module are connected by a hinge mechanism 40 with two degrees of freedom, the cleaning module and the mobile module 20 can rotate relative to each other, and the cleaning device as a whole forms an arc-shaped mechanism bent toward the cleaning wall, so that it can adapt to a flat or curved cleaning wall.

[0054] During operation, the camera 13 is mounted on the cleaning frame 11 via the pan / tilt 131 to visually detect the cleanliness of the cleaning wall surface. According to the cleanliness, the control panel 23 can control the speed and direction of the travel motor 221 to determine the speed of cleaning, so that the overall cleaning process can achieve higher efficiency.

[0055] The above-mentioned cleaning equipment can be adsorbed on the cleaning wall surface through the negative pressure adsorption component 24 of the mobile module 20, and can be freely driven on the surface of the aircraft under the drive of the walking wheel 22 to reach the designated working area. Cleaning personnel do not need to perform high-altitude operations, which improves safety. During the walking process, the cleaning module 10 is used to perform fixed-point cleaning on the wall surface to be cleaned, and dry cleaning or water-free cleaning methods are used to achieve the desired cleaning effect and improve the utilization efficiency of cleaning. Moreover, during the working process, through the clever two-degree-of-freedom hinge 42, the entire modular robot can be made to cling to the curved wall surface, and has good passability on the curved wall surface, and the functional modules can be added or replaced, so that it has good interchangeability and expansibility.

[0056] In the several specific embodiments provided in the present disclosure, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the details of the above exemplary embodiments, and that the present disclosure can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or basic features of the present disclosure. Therefore, no matter from which point of view, the embodiments should be regarded as exemplary and non-restrictive, and the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims rather than the above description, and it is intended that all changes falling within the meaning and scope of the equivalent elements of the claims are included in the present disclosure. In addition, it is obvious that the word "comprising" does not exclude other units or steps, and the singular does not exclude the plural. The words first, second, etc. are used to indicate names, and do not indicate any particular order.

[0057] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present disclosure rather than to limit it. Although the present disclosure is described in detail with reference to the above preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solution of the present disclosure can be modified or replaced by equivalents without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solution of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An aircraft window cleaning device with a modular structure, characterized in that: include: At least one pair of mobile modules, including a chassis, running wheels and a negative pressure adsorption component, wherein the running wheels are rotatably connected to the chassis, and the negative pressure adsorption component is arranged on the chassis and is used to generate negative pressure to be adsorbed on the aircraft window; A cleaning module, comprising a cleaning frame and a cleaning assembly, wherein the cleaning assembly is connected to the cleaning frame, and both ends of the cleaning frame are respectively hinged to the chassis of the moving module, so that the cleaning frame is attached to the cleaning wall surface to clean the cleaning wall surface; It also includes an articulated mechanism connecting the chassis and the cleaning frame, the articulated mechanism including a connecting block, an articulated member and a hanging connecting plate, one end of the connecting block is connected to the cleaning frame, and the other end is suspended toward the chassis; the top of the articulated member is connected to the end of the connecting block, and the other end extends in a vertical direction and is connected to the hanging connecting plate; the hanging connecting plate is connected to the cleaning frame through a connecting column, and the articulated member is rotatably connected to the connecting block through a bearing; The negative pressure adsorption component includes a centrifugal fan, a fixed shaft sleeve and a negative pressure sleeve, wherein the fixed shaft sleeve is connected to the chassis, the centrifugal fan is connected inside the fixed shaft sleeve, the negative pressure sleeve is connected to the side of the chassis facing away from the centrifugal fan, and the negative pressure sleeve includes an open negative pressure cavity, which is connected to the centrifugal fan; when the cleaning frame is attached to the cleaning wall surface, the negative pressure cavity and the cleaning wall surface form a closed cavity, and the centrifugal fan is adsorbed on the cleaning wall surface by forming a negative pressure in the negative pressure cavity; The negative pressure adsorption component also includes a sealing ring, which is arranged on the bottom surface of the chassis to seal the cavity formed by the chassis and the cleaning wall; the sealing ring includes a rigid layer, a flexible layer and a plush layer from the inside to the outside, and the rigid layer is sleeved on the negative pressure sleeve to fix the negative pressure sleeve; the height of the flexible layer is greater than that of the rigid layer and is in contact with the cleaning wall when the cleaning frame is in contact with the cleaning wall; the plush layer is wrapped on the side of the chassis with plush cloth.

2. The aircraft window cleaning device with modular structure as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The mobile module also includes a travel drive assembly, which includes a travel motor and a reducer. The travel motor is connected to the travel wheel through the reducer to drive the travel wheel to rotate.

3. The aircraft window cleaning device with modular structure as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The cleaning assembly comprises a lifting motor, a lifting lower plate and a cleaning block. The lifting motor is installed on the cleaning frame, an output shaft is connected to the lifting lower plate, and the cleaning block is connected to the bottom surface of the lifting lower plate.

4. The aircraft window cleaning device with modular structure as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: The cleaning assembly also includes a lifting upper plate, a polished rod and a transmission screw. The lifting upper plate and the lifting lower plate are respectively located on both sides of the cleaning frame, and the two ends of the polished rod are respectively connected to the lifting upper plate and the lifting lower plate, and moveably pass through the cleaning frame; one end of the transmission screw is connected to the lifting motor, and the other end is threadedly connected to the lifting lower plate; The lifting motor drives the cleaning block to move up and down through the transmission screw and the lifting lower plate to clean the cleaning wall surface.

5. The aircraft window cleaning device with modular structure as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that: The cleaning module also includes at least one of an ultrasonic sensor and a camera. The ultrasonic sensor is installed on the cleaning frame and is used to detect at least one of the distance between the cleaning block and the cleaning wall surface and to detect obstacles in the moving direction; the camera is installed on the cleaning frame and is used to detect the cleanliness of the cleaning wall surface.

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