Mobile robot with auxiliary obstacle surmounting device and method of operation thereof

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of obstacle-crossing technology for mobile robots, aiming to solve the problem of difficulty in obstacle crossing for existing mobile robots. The invention provides a mobile robot with an auxiliary obstacle-crossing device and its operating method. The mobile robot includes a body and driving wheels for driving the body. The auxiliary obstacle-crossing device includes a swing element and a support element. One end of the swing element is movably mounted on the body; the support element is disposed at the other end of the swing element and is configured to swing between an initial position located on either side of the driving wheels and a crossing position. When an obstacle blocks the initial position, the support element swings in the same direction as the rotation direction of the driving wheels to the crossing position, supporting the driving wheels to cross the obstacle. After adding this auxiliary obstacle-crossing device, the mobile robot, while maintaining its original structure, lifts the driving wheels during obstacle crossing, increasing the diameter of the driving wheels in the process to facilitate smooth obstacle crossing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of obstacle-crossing technology for mobile robots, and in particular to a mobile robot with an obstacle-crossing assist device and its working method. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of the times and the progress of technology, people hope to free their hands from heavy housework. As a result, mobile robots such as robot vacuum cleaners and food delivery robots have emerged. With the help of intelligent control methods, these mobile robots can complete cleaning or food delivery work according to pre-set routes.

[0003] Mobile robots encounter obstacles when moving autonomously, and how to overcome these obstacles is a problem that is of great concern to those skilled in the art.

[0004] The obstacle-crossing ability of a mobile robot mainly depends on the diameter of its wheels, the grip of its tires, the driving force of its motor, and its suspension system. Generally speaking, the diameter of the wheels plays a decisive role in the robot's obstacle-crossing ability; the larger the wheels, the stronger the obstacle-crossing ability. However, large wheels will occupy a lot of structural space, which is not conducive to compact devices.

[0005] Therefore, how to enable a mobile robot to successfully complete its work by crossing obstacles without changing its basic structure is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the obstacle-crossing problem of mobile robots, this invention provides a mobile robot equipped with an obstacle-crossing assist device.

[0007] The mobile robot with an obstacle-crossing assist device of the present invention includes a body and driving wheels for driving the body to move. The obstacle-crossing assist device includes: a swing element, one end of which is movably mounted on the body; and a support element disposed at the other end of the swing element. The support element is configured to swing between an initial position located on the front and rear sides of the driving wheel and a crossing position. When the initial position is blocked by an obstacle, the support element swings in the same direction as the rotation direction of the driving wheel to the crossing position, thereby supporting the driving wheel to cross the obstacle.

[0008] Optionally, in the mobile robot described above, the support element contacts the rolling surface of the driving wheel when it swings directly below the driving wheel.

[0009] Optionally, in the mobile robot described above, the hinge axis of the swing element is parallel to the rotation axis of the traveling wheel, and when the support element swings to directly below the traveling wheel, the hinge axis of the swing element, the rotation axis of the traveling wheel, and the contact line formed by the traveling wheel and the support element are all coplanar.

[0010] Optionally, in the mobile robot described above, the driving wheels and the support elements are coupled by a compatible anti-slip structure.

[0011] Optionally, in the mobile robot described above, the anti-slip structure includes a slot and a platform that interlock with each other, one of which is disposed on the rolling surface of the driving wheel, and the other is disposed on the support element.

[0012] Optionally, in the mobile robot described above, the support element includes a cylindrical support portion, and the cylindrical support portion is provided with a plurality of card slots spaced apart in a circumferential direction, with adjacent card slots being staggered.

[0013] Alternatively, in the mobile robot described above, the support element is configured to be movably connected to the oscillating element in a manner that allows it to move toward or away from the driving wheels.

[0014] Optionally, in the mobile robot described above, the support element includes: a connecting part, which is movably connected to the swing element through an elongated hole in the swing element in a manner that moves toward or away from the driving wheel; and a second stop block, which and the cylindrical support part are disposed on both sides of the swing element and are both fixedly connected to the connecting part.

[0015] Optionally, in the mobile robot described above, the obstacle-crossing assist device further includes: an elastic element elastically disposed between the body and the swing element, and configured to hold the support element in its initial position and suspended relative to the ground by a predetermined gap.

[0016] Optionally, in the mobile robot described above, the swinging element swings from an initial position to a crossing position against the elastic force of the elastic element; at the crossing position, the elastic element provides the swinging element with an elastic force that has a swinging tendency toward the initial position.

[0017] Optionally, in the mobile robot described above, the elastic element includes a torsion spring, which is sleeved on the hinge shaft of the swing element, with one end of the torsion spring fixed to the body and the other end fixed to the swing element.

[0018] Optionally, in the mobile robot described above, the swing element includes: a main body plate; a mounting boss that protrudes from the inner surface of the main body plate; and a support element connected to the swing element via the mounting boss.

[0019] Optionally, in the mobile robot described above, a plurality of weight-reducing grooves are provided on the inner surface of the main body plate, and adjacent weight-reducing grooves are separated by reinforcing ribs.

[0020] Optionally, in the mobile robot described above, the inner surface of the main body plate also has a positioning ring groove and a shaft hole. The positioning ring groove and the shaft hole are separated by an annular boss. The positioning ring groove has a notch, and a positioning linear groove is formed by the straight extension of the notch. The hinge shaft is connected to the swing element through the shaft hole. The torsion spring is sleeved on the annular boss and the other end of the torsion spring is embedded in the positioning linear groove.

[0021] Optionally, in the mobile robot described above, the body has a rotation limiting groove, the swing element is installed in the rotation limiting groove in a swingable manner, the rotation limiting groove has an opening, and a straight limiting groove is formed by the two ends of the opening extending in the same direction, the torsion spring is installed in the rotation limiting groove and one end of the torsion spring is embedded in the straight limiting groove.

[0022] Optionally, in the mobile robot described above, the body includes a wheel cover plate, the swing element is hinged to the wheel cover plate, the wheel cover plate has two arc-shaped limiting bosses with openings opposite each other, the two arc-shaped limiting bosses constitute the rotation limiting groove, the wheel cover plate also has two straight limiting bosses, the two straight limiting bosses constitute the straight limiting groove.

[0023] Optionally, as described above, the mobile robot includes a sweeping robot.

[0024] The mobile robot with an obstacle-crossing assist device of the present invention includes a body and driving wheels for moving the body; the obstacle-crossing assist device includes a swing element and a support element, wherein one end of the swing element is movably mounted on the body; the support element is disposed at the other end of the swing element, and the support element is configured to swing between an initial position located on the front and rear sides of the driving wheel and a crossing position, and when the initial position is blocked by an obstacle, it swings in the same direction as the rotation direction of the driving wheel to the crossing position, supporting the driving wheel to cross the obstacle.

[0025] Clearly, by adding this obstacle-crossing device to the mobile robot, while keeping the original structure unchanged, the device lifts the driving wheels when crossing obstacles, which is equivalent to increasing the diameter of the driving wheels during this process, helping it to successfully cross obstacles and continue moving.

[0026] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a mobile robot with an obstacle-crossing assist device. The mobile robot includes a body and driving wheels for driving the body to move. The obstacle-crossing assist device is hinged to the body and configured to swing between an initial position located on the front and rear sides of the driving wheels and a crossing position. The obstacle-crossing assist device is configured to swing to the crossing position in the same direction as the rotation direction of the driving wheels when the initial position is blocked by an obstacle, thereby supporting the driving wheels to cross the obstacle.

[0027] In another aspect, the present invention also provides a method for operating the above-mentioned mobile robot, characterized in that the method includes the following steps: controlling the movement of the mobile robot; when the auxiliary obstacle-crossing device in the initial position is blocked by an obstacle, the auxiliary obstacle-crossing device swings toward the rear of the driving wheel to a crossing position, supporting the driving wheel of the mobile robot to cross the obstacle.

[0028] Optionally, the working method of the mobile robot as described above further includes the following steps: after the obstacle-crossing device moves to the crossing position, the mobile robot is controlled to move in the opposite direction; the obstacle-crossing device swings from the crossing position to the initial position under the force of the elastic element, wherein the elastic element keeps the support element in the initial position and suspended relative to the ground by a predetermined gap. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 A partial three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the mobile robot of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the mobile robot shown.

[0031] Figures 3 to 8 They are Figure 1 Schematic diagrams of the front view, rear view, left view, right view, top view, and bottom view of the China Mobile robot;

[0032] Figure 9 When the obstacle-crossing assist device is in its initial position Figure 1 The diagram shows the usage status of the mobile robot.

[0033] Figure 10 When the support element is located directly below the driving wheel Figure 1 The diagram shows the mobile robot in use.

[0034] Figure 11 When the obstacle-crossing assist device is in the crossing position Figure 1 The diagram shows the usage status of the mobile robot.

[0035] Figure 12 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of one embodiment of the oscillating element;

[0036] Figure 13 yes Figure 12 A schematic diagram of the planar structure of the oscillating element.

[0037] Figures 1 to 13 The one-to-one correspondence between the component names and the reference numerals in the figures is as follows: 10. Body: 100 Rotational limiting groove, 101 Linear limiting groove, 102 Arc-shaped limiting boss, 103 Linear limiting boss; 11 driving wheels: 110 card slots; 20. Oscillating Components: 200 Main Body Plate, 201 Weight Reduction Groove, 202 Reinforcing Rib Plate, 203 Mounting Boss, 2030 Long Hole, 204 Positioning Ring Groove, 205 Positioning Linear Groove, 206 Annular Boss, 207 Shaft Hole; 21 Supporting elements: 210 Cylindrical support part, 211 Connecting part, 212 Mounting platform; 22. Elastic elements; 23 hinge shafts; 24 First stop block; 25 Second stop block; 3. Obstacles. Detailed Implementation

[0038] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals represent the same or corresponding technical features. In addition, for the sake of brevity, for more than one technical feature, it may be indicated in only one or several places in the drawings.

[0039] Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the described embodiments of the present invention are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0040] It should be noted that the directional terms "front" and "rear" used in this article to describe the structure of the mobile robot are based on the direction of travel of the mobile robot. The side in front of the direction of travel is "front", and the side away from the direction of travel is "rear".

[0041] Figure 1This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of an embodiment of the mobile robot of the present invention.

[0042] from Figure 1 As can be seen, the mobile robot includes a body 10 and wheels 11. The wheels 11 are rotatably connected to the body 10 via axles, enabling the body 10 to move under the action of a driving force. The driving force can be provided by a drive motor mounted on the body 10, or it can be manually driven by the user through pushing or pulling. For a clearer understanding of the mobile robot's structure, please refer to [reference needed]. Figures 2 to 8 ,in, Figure 2 Yes, yes Figure 1 The diagram shows the exploded structure of the mobile robot. Figures 3 to 8 These are schematic diagrams of the mobile robot's front view, rear view, left view, right view, top view, and bottom view, respectively.

[0043] Mobile robots inevitably encounter obstacles while moving. For example, a robot vacuum cleaner may encounter obstacles such as building blocks while following a set path, or a food delivery robot may encounter obstacles such as rocks while delivering food. How to overcome obstacles and continue moving is a problem that mobile robots are currently facing.

[0044] Therefore, the mobile robot also includes an obstacle-crossing assist device. Combined with... Figures 9 to 11 ,in, Figure 9 When the obstacle-crossing assist device is in its initial position Figure 1 The diagram shown is a reference diagram of the mobile robot's usage status. Figure 10 When the support element is located directly below the driving wheel Figure 1 The diagram shown is a reference image of the mobile robot in use. Figure 11 When the obstacle-crossing assist device is in the crossing position Figure 1 The diagram shows the usage status of the mobile robot.

[0045] The obstacle-crossing device is hinged to the body 10 and is configured to swing between an initial position and a crossing position located on the front and rear sides of the driving wheel 11. The obstacle-crossing device is configured to swing to the crossing position in the same direction as the rotation direction of the driving wheel 11 when the obstacle 3 blocks the initial position, thereby supporting the driving wheel 11 and crossing the obstacle 3.

[0046] Obviously, after the mobile robot is equipped with this obstacle-crossing device, while keeping the original structure unchanged, the obstacle-crossing device lifts the driving wheel 11 when crossing obstacles, which is equivalent to increasing the diameter of the driving wheel 11 during this process, helping it to successfully cross the obstacle 3 and continue moving.

[0047] Specifically, in combination Figure 1 and Figure 2 The obstacle-crossing device includes a swing element 20 and a support element 21.

[0048] In this embodiment, one end of the swing element 20 is movably mounted on the body 10. Specifically, in this embodiment, one end of the swing element 20 is hinged to the body 10, and the other end of the swing element 20 extends from the rolling surface of the traveling wheel 11. The "rolling surface" refers to the area on the traveling wheel 11 that rolls with the ground when the mobile robot moves under the action of driving force. That is, in the plane of rotation of the traveling wheel 11, the distance from the hinge axis of the swing element 20 to its other end (free end) is greater than the distance from the hinge axis of the swing element 20 to the rolling surface of the traveling wheel 11.

[0049] The traveling wheel 11 is rotatably mounted on the body 10 via a rotating bearing or similar structure. The obstacle-crossing auxiliary device includes a hinge shaft 23 and a first stop block 24. The body 10 has a rotating shaft mounting hole. The hinge shaft 23 has a stop portion and a rotating shaft portion. The outer diameter of the stop portion is larger than the diameter of the rotating shaft mounting hole. During installation, the stop portion of the hinge shaft 23 is located inside the body 10, and its rotating shaft portion extends through the body 10 and the swing element 20. The first stop block 24 is located outside the swing element 20 and is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft portion of the hinge shaft 23 after abutting against the swing element 20. The swing element 20 swings relative to the body 10 between an initial position and a crossing position located on either side of the traveling wheel 11. There are three possible methods to achieve this:

[0050] The hinge shaft 23 is rotatably mounted on the body 10, while the swing element 20 is fixedly connected to the hinge shaft 23.

[0051] Alternatively, the hinge shaft 23 is fixedly mounted on the body 10, while the swing element 20 is rotatably connected to the hinge shaft 23.

[0052] Alternatively, the hinge shaft 23 can be rotatably mounted on the body 10, and the swing element 20 can also be rotatably connected to the hinge shaft 23.

[0053] In another embodiment, the swing element 20 can also be mounted on the body 10 in a movable manner in other ways. For example, an arc-shaped groove is opened on the body and a drive motor is fixedly installed on the body. The drive motor drives the swing element to slide along the arc-shaped groove through a gear transmission mechanism, thereby causing the support element 21 to swing between the initial position and the crossing position located on both sides of the travel wheel 11.

[0054] Furthermore, a support element 21 is disposed at the other end of the swing element 20, and the support element 21 is configured to support the travel wheel 11 to cross the obstacle 3 during the movement of the swing element 20 from the initial position to the crossing position.

[0055] When the mobile robot encounters an obstacle 3 in front of it, as the driving wheel 11 moves forward, the support element 21 contacts the obstacle 3 in its initial position. As the driving wheel 11 continues to move forward, the obstacle 4 applies resistance to the support element 21. The direction of this resistance is opposite to the direction of travel of the driving wheel 11. Under the action of this resistance, the support element 21 rotates from its initial position with the swing element 20 in the same direction as the rotation of the driving wheel 11. When the support element 21 swings to directly below the driving wheel 11, it contacts the rolling surface of the driving wheel 11. That is, the driving wheel 11 is completely supported by the support element 21, which is equivalent to the radius of the driving wheel 11 increasing by the height of the support element 21. As the driving wheel 11 continues to move forward, it can smoothly pass over the obstacle 3.

[0056] Furthermore, in order to maximize and stabilize the supporting force provided by the support element 21 to the traveling wheel 11, the hinge axis of the swing element 20 is parallel to the rotation axis of the traveling wheel, and when the support element 21 swings directly below the traveling wheel 11, the hinge axis of the swing element 20, the rotation axis of the traveling wheel 11, and the contact line between the traveling wheel 11 and the support element 21 are all coplanar. With this configuration, the swing arc trajectory formed by the swing of the support element 21 and the rolling surface of the traveling wheel 11 are internally tangent when the support element 21 is directly below the traveling wheel 11.

[0057] See also Figure 1 As the support element 21 swings relative to the traveling wheel 11 from its initial position to the crossing position under the resistance of the obstacle 3, the traveling wheel 11 comes into contact with the support element 21 during this process. The support element 21 is equivalent to the ground. Under the action of external driving force, the traveling wheel 11 moves forward along the support element 21 and eventually crosses the obstacle 3. In order to enable the traveling wheel 11 to gradually climb along the support element 21, in this embodiment, the support element 21 includes a cylindrical support portion 210, and the cylindrical support portion 210 extends to the bottom of the traveling wheel 11 along a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the traveling wheel 11. With this configuration, the traveling wheel 11 can crawl circumferentially along the cylindrical support portion 210, and the crawling process is smooth and stable. It should be noted that the "ground" in this article does not simply refer to the ground in the ordinary sense, but refers to the surface of any object that the mobile robot moves on when it is working. For example, when the mobile robot moves on a desk, it refers to the desk surface.

[0058] Because the cylindrical support 210 has a relatively smooth periphery, the traveling wheel 11 is prone to slippage when crawling relative to the cylindrical support 210. Therefore, in this embodiment, the traveling wheel 11 and the support element 21 are fitted together by an anti-slip structure. Specifically, the traveling wheel has a plurality of slots 110 arranged sequentially at intervals along the rolling surface, and the support element 21 is provided with a locking platform 212 that matches the slot 110. When the traveling wheel 11 climbs relative to the support element 21, the locking platform 212 on the support element 21 engages one by one with the slots 110 on the traveling wheel 11, thereby avoiding slippage during relative movement between the two.

[0059] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the traveling wheel 11 has two sets of slots 110, which are respectively spaced apart on the left and right sides of the rolling surface of the traveling wheel 11, and the two sets of slots 110 are staggered circumferentially. Correspondingly, the support element 21 includes multiple locking platforms 212, which are sequentially spaced circumferentially on the cylindrical support portion 210, and adjacent locking platforms 212 are staggered axially. With this configuration, the traveling wheel 11 and the support element 21 can be engaged with each other through the matching locking platforms 212 and slots 110 during the entire movement process, ensuring the stability of their relative movement.

[0060] It should be noted that the slots 110 and the platforms 212 on the support element 21 and the travel wheel 11 can also be arranged in reverse. That is, the slots 110 are arranged on the support element 21, while the matching platforms 212 are arranged on the travel wheel 11.

[0061] When the support element 21 swings to directly below the driving wheel 11 and supports the driving wheel 11, the locking platform 212 and the locking slot 110 engage. In order to prevent the locking slot 110 and locking platform 212 of both the support element 21 and the driving wheel 11 from jamming, in this embodiment, the support element 21 is movably connected to the swing element 20 in a manner that moves toward or away from the driving wheel 11, so as to ensure that during the process of the support element 21 swinging from directly below the driving wheel 11 to the crossing position, under the action of gravity or other auxiliary external forces, the locking platform 212 of the support element 21 disengages from the locking slot 110 of the driving wheel 11.

[0062] See also Figure 2The support element 21 includes a connecting portion 211 and a second stop block 25. The connecting portion 211 is movably connected to the swing element 20 via an elongated hole 202 on the swing element 20, moving towards or away from the driving wheel 11. Specifically, a cylindrical support portion 210 is fixedly provided at one end of the connecting portion 211, and the elongated hole 202 extends along the length of the swing element 20. The second stop block 25 and the cylindrical support portion 210 are respectively disposed on both sides of the swing element 20 and fixedly connected to the connecting portion 211. It should be noted that the cylindrical support portion 210, the locking platform 212, and the connecting portion 211 of the support element 21 are integrally formed to ensure that the support element 21 has sufficient strength to support the driving wheel 11.

[0063] As mentioned above, the swing element 20 of the obstacle-crossing device is hinged to the body 10 of the mobile robot. When it encounters an obstacle 3, the support element 21 pushes the swing element 20 to rotate around the hinge axis 23 relative to the body 10 to the crossing position under the resistance of the obstacle 3, so as to help the driving wheel 11 smoothly cross the obstacle 3.

[0064] It is understandable that, given a fixed weight of the supporting element 21, the weight of the swing element 20 is positively correlated with the weight of the obstacle 3 that propels it to swing. That is, the smaller the weight of the swing element 20, the smaller the weight of the obstacle 3 it can assist in crossing, and the better the obstacle-crossing ability of the mobile robot. However, under normal circumstances, for the same material, the strength of the swing element 20 is also positively correlated with its weight, and a large weight of the swing element 20 will increase the load on the mobile robot. Therefore, this embodiment uses a swing element with a special structure to achieve the purpose of balancing the strength and weight of the swing element 20. In other words, the swing element 20 has the characteristics of being lightweight and high-strength.

[0065] Specifically, see Figure 12 and Figure 13 ,in Figure 12 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of one embodiment of the oscillating element. Figure 13 yes Figure 12 A schematic diagram of the planar structure of the swing element. In this embodiment, the swing element 20 includes a main body plate 200 and a mounting boss 203 protruding from the inner surface of the main body plate 200. The support element 21 is connected to the support element 21 through the mounting boss 203. Since the support element 21 needs to support the driving wheel 11 to help it cross the obstacle 3, the support element 21 and the swing element 20 need to have sufficient connection strength. Therefore, in this embodiment, the connection part between the swing element 20 and the support element 21 is thickened to ensure the strength of the connection between the support element 21 and the swing element 20 without making the swing element 20 too heavy.

[0066] Furthermore, the inner surface of the main body plate 200 is provided with multiple weight-reducing grooves 201, and adjacent weight-reducing grooves 201 are separated by reinforcing ribs 202, so as to reduce the weight of the swing element as much as possible while ensuring its strength. It should be noted that the directional term "inner" used in the description of the structure of the main body plate 200 in this article refers to the plate surface facing the driving wheel.

[0067] See also Figure 1 The obstacle-crossing device also includes an elastic element 22, which is elastically disposed between the body 10 and the swing element 20, and is configured to hold the support element 21 in its initial position and suspend it relative to the ground by a predetermined gap. This configuration ensures that the support element 21 of the obstacle-crossing device does not contact the ground when no obstacle 3 is encountered, thereby reducing external resistance experienced by the mobile robot and reducing energy consumption for driving the wheels 11.

[0068] It should be noted that if the clearance between the support element 21 and the ground is too large in the initial position, some small obstacles 3 may bypass the support element 21 and directly contact the driving wheel 11, rendering the obstacle-crossing device ineffective. Conversely, if the clearance between the support element 21 and the ground is too small in the initial position, some obstacles that can be crossed without the driving wheel 11 may also require assistance from the obstacle-crossing device, which would be superfluous. Therefore, the specific value of the clearance between the support element 21 and the ground is designed to ensure that when the size of the obstacle 3 meets the requirements for assisted crossing, the obstacle 3 contacts the support element 21 before the driving wheel 11.

[0069] In addition, the presence of the elastic element 22 in the obstacle-crossing device means that when the obstacle-crossing device swings from the initial position to the crossing position, the swinging element 20 needs to overcome the elastic force of the elastic element 22 to move to the crossing position; and at the crossing position, the elastic element 22 provides the swinging element 20 with an elastic force that tends to swing in the direction of the initial position so that the obstacle-crossing device can quickly reset.

[0070] See also Figure 2 In this embodiment, the elastic element 22 includes a torsion spring, which is sleeved on the hinge shaft 23 of the swing element 20, with one end of the torsion spring fixed to the body 10 and the other end fixed to the swing element 20. To simplify the assembly process of the torsion spring with the body 10 and the swing element 20, this embodiment further defines the specific structure of the body 10 and the swing element 20.

[0071] Specifically, the body 10 has a rotation limiting groove 100, and the rotation limiting groove 100 has a slot. The body 10 has a straight limiting groove 101 formed by the two ends of the slot of the rotation limiting groove 100 extending in the same direction. The swing element 20 is installed in the rotation limiting groove 100 in a swingable manner. The torsion spring is installed in the rotation limiting groove 100 and one end of it is embedded in the straight limiting groove 101, and the other end is fixedly connected to the swing element 20.

[0072] More specifically, in this embodiment, the body 10 includes a drive wheel cover plate, and the swing element 20 is hinged to the drive wheel cover plate. The drive wheel cover plate is a thin-walled sheet metal structure, which is not easy to form a groove structure. In order to simplify the processing difficulty, in this embodiment, the drive wheel cover plate has two arc-shaped limiting bosses 102 with openings opposite each other. The two arc-shaped limiting bosses 102 form a rotation limiting groove 100. The drive wheel cover plate also has two straight limiting bosses 103. The two straight limiting bosses 103 form the straight limiting groove 101.

[0073] See Figure 12 and Figure 13 The inner plate surface of the main body plate 200 of the swing element 20 also has a positioning ring groove 204 and a shaft hole 207, and the positioning ring groove 204 and the shaft hole 207 are separated by an annular boss 206. The positioning ring groove 204 has a notch, and a positioning linear groove 205 is formed by extending straight from the notch. The hinge shaft passes through the shaft hole 207 and is fixedly connected to the first stop member 24. The torsion spring is sleeved on the annular boss 206 and one end of it is embedded in the positioning linear groove 207. In addition, in order to make the torsion spring completely sleeved on the annular boss 206, the annular boss 206 extends out from the positioning ring groove 204. Furthermore, the present invention also provides a method for operating the above-mentioned mobile robot, which is described below in conjunction with... Figures 9 to 10 The working method of this mobile robot is described in detail, and the working method includes the following steps: Controlling the movement of a mobile robot;

[0074] When the obstacle-crossing device in the initial position is blocked by an obstacle, the obstacle-crossing device swings toward the rear of the driving wheel to the crossing position, supporting the driving wheel of the mobile robot and crossing the obstacle.

[0075] After the driving wheel 11 successfully overcomes the obstacle, the obstacle-crossing auxiliary device needs to return from the crossing position to the initial position. This working method also includes the following steps:

[0076] Once the obstacle-crossing device moves to the crossing position, the mobile robot is controlled to move in the opposite direction. The obstacle-crossing device swings from the crossing position to the initial position under the force of the elastic element, wherein the elastic element keeps the support element in the initial position and suspended relative to the ground by a predetermined gap.

[0077] To facilitate a more intuitive understanding by those skilled in the art, the following uses two application scenarios, a robotic vacuum cleaner and a vacuum cleaner, as examples to illustrate the obstacle-crossing process of the mobile robot in this embodiment under the action of the obstacle-crossing device. In the latter, the driving wheels 11 of the robotic vacuum cleaner are driven by its own drive motor, while the driving wheels 11 of the vacuum cleaner are driven by a person.

[0078] Application Scenario 1:

[0079] The robotic vacuum cleaner cleans the floor according to a preset path, and the support element 21 of the obstacle-crossing device is positioned under the action of the elastic element 22. Figure 9 As shown in the initial position, during the cleaning process, the robot encounters a square block on the preset path. When the robot moves to the point where the support element 21 of its obstacle-crossing device contacts the square block, the block applies resistance to the support element 21. This resistance is opposite to the direction of travel of the robot. Under the action of this resistance, the support element 21 overcomes the elastic force of the elastic element 22, causing the swing element 20 to move from the initial position toward the direction of travel of the driving wheel 11. Figure 9 The wheel swings counterclockwise until it contacts the travel wheel 11. Under the action of its self-contained drive motor, the travel wheel 11 climbs along the support element 21. During the climbing process, the locking platform 212 of the support element 21 and the locking groove 110 of the travel wheel 11 engage with each other. When the travel wheel 11 climbs to... Figure 10 At its highest point, that is, directly below the traveling wheel 11, the support element 21 supports the traveling wheel 11. As the traveling wheel continues to move forward, it successfully crosses the obstacle 3. The support element 21 continues to swing under the action of ground friction. Figure 11 The crossing position is shown. When the support element 21 swings to the crossing position, the direction of the drive motor is changed, driving the travel wheel 11 backward. Figure 9 (When rotating clockwise), the support element 21 contacts the ground, generating a forward frictional force. Under the action of this frictional force and the elastic force provided by the elastic element 22 to the swing element 20, which tends to swing towards the initial position, the support element 21 drives the swing element 20 to rotate clockwise. The support element 21 returns to the front of the driving wheel 11 and finally returns... Figure 9 The initial position is shown.

[0080] Application Scenario 2:

[0081] The user pushes the vacuum cleaner forward to clean the floor, and the support element 21 of the obstacle-crossing device is positioned under the action of the elastic element 22. Figure 9As shown in the initial position, during the cleaning process, the robot encounters a square block. When the robot moves to the point where the support element 21 of its obstacle-crossing device contacts the square block, the block exerts resistance on the support element 21. This resistance is opposite to the direction of travel of the robot. Under the action of this resistance, the support element 21 overcomes the elastic force of the elastic element 22, causing the swing element 20 to move from the initial position toward the direction of travel of the driving wheel 11. Figure 9 The wheel swings counterclockwise until it contacts the travel wheel 11. Under the user's pushing action, the travel wheel 11 rises along the support element 21. During this rising process, the locking platform 212 of the support element 21 and the locking groove 110 of the travel wheel 11 engage with each other. When the travel wheel 11 rises to... Figure 10 At the highest point of the support element 21, that is, directly below the traveling wheel 11, the support element 21 supports the traveling wheel 11. As the traveling wheel continues to move forward, the traveling wheel 11 successfully crosses the obstacle 3. The support element 21 continues to swing under the action of ground friction until... Figure 10 The crossing position is shown.

[0082] After the support element 21 swings to the crossing position, the user pulls the mobile robot backward, driving the driving wheels 11. Figure 11 As the middle element rotates clockwise, the support element 21 contacts the ground, generating forward friction. Under the action of this friction and the elastic force provided by the elastic element 22 to the swing element 20, which tends to swing towards the initial position, the lower support element 21 drives the swing element 20 to rotate clockwise. The support element 21 returns to the front of the driving wheel 11 and finally returns to its starting position. Figure 9 The initial position is shown in the figure.

[0083] The preferred embodiments and examples of this application have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and examples. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention.

Claims

1. A mobile robot with an obstacle-crossing assist device, the mobile robot comprising a body (10) and driving wheels (11) for driving the body (10) to move, characterized in that, The obstacle-crossing assist device includes: A swing element (20), one end of which is movably mounted on the body (10); A support element (21) is disposed at the other end of the swing element (20), and the support element (21) is configured to swing between an initial position located in front of the travel wheel (11) and a crossing position located behind it, and when the initial position is blocked by an obstacle (3), the travel wheel (11) is supported to cross the obstacle (3) in the process of swinging in the same direction as the rotation direction of the travel wheel (11) to the crossing position. The body (10) includes a wheel cover plate, and the swing element (20) is hinged to the wheel cover plate and does not move with the rotation of the wheel (11).

2. The mobile robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the support element (21) swings to directly below the driving wheel (11), it comes into contact with the rolling surface of the driving wheel (11).

3. The mobile robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The hinge axis of the swing element (20) is parallel to the rotation axis of the driving wheel (11), and when the support element (21) swings to directly below the driving wheel (11), the hinge axis of the swing element (20), the rotation axis of the driving wheel (11), and the contact line formed by the driving wheel (11) and the support element (21) are all coplanar.

4. The mobile robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The driving wheel (11) and the support element (21) are connected by a matching anti-slip structure.

5. The mobile robot according to claim 4, characterized in that, The anti-slip structure includes a slot (110) and a platform (212) that are interlocked. One of the slot (110) and the platform (212) is disposed on the rolling surface of the driving wheel (11), and the other is disposed on the support element (21).

6. The mobile robot according to claim 5, characterized in that, The support element (21) includes a cylindrical support part (210), and the cylindrical support part (210) is provided with a plurality of card slots (212) spaced apart in a circumferential direction, with adjacent card slots (212) being staggered.

7. The mobile robot according to claim 6, characterized in that, The support element (21) is configured to be movably connected to the swing element (20) in a manner that moves toward or away from the driving wheel (11).

8. The mobile robot according to claim 7, characterized in that, The support element (21) also includes: A connecting part (211) is movably connected to the swing element (20) through an elongated hole (2030) on the swing element (20) in a manner that moves toward or away from the driving wheel (11); The second stop block (25) and the cylindrical support part (210) are respectively disposed on both sides of the swing element (20) and are fixedly connected to the connecting part (211).

9. The mobile robot according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The obstacle-crossing assist device also includes: An elastic element (22) is elastically disposed between the body (10) and the swing element (20) and is configured to hold the support element (21) in its initial position and suspended relative to the ground by a predetermined gap.

10. The mobile robot according to claim 9, characterized in that, The swing element (20) overcomes the elastic force of the elastic element (22) and swings from the initial position to the crossing position; Furthermore, when crossing a position, the elastic element (22) provides the swing element (20) with an elastic force that has a tendency to swing in the direction of the initial position.

11. The mobile robot according to claim 10, characterized in that, The elastic element (22) includes a torsion spring, which is sleeved on the hinge shaft (23) of the swing element (20), and one end of the torsion spring is fixed to the body (10) and the other end is fixed to the swing element (20).

12. The mobile robot according to claim 11, characterized in that, The oscillating element (20) includes: Main body panel (200); Mounting boss (203) protrudes from the inner surface of the main body plate (200); The support element (21) is connected to the swing element (20) via the mounting boss (203).

13. The mobile robot according to claim 12, characterized in that, The inner surface of the main plate (200) is provided with a plurality of weight-reducing grooves (201), and two adjacent weight-reducing grooves (201) are separated by reinforcing ribs (202).

14. The mobile robot according to claim 12, characterized in that, The inner plate surface of the main body plate (200) also has a positioning ring groove (204) and a shaft hole (207). The positioning ring groove (204) and the shaft hole (207) are separated by an annular boss (206). The positioning ring groove (204) has a notch, and a positioning linear groove (205) is formed by the straight extension of the notch. The hinge shaft (23) is connected to the swing element (20) through the shaft hole (207). The torsion spring is sleeved on the annular boss (206) and the other end of the torsion spring is embedded in the positioning linear groove (205).

15. The mobile robot according to claim 12, characterized in that, The body (10) has a rotation limiting groove (100), and the swing element (20) is installed in the rotation limiting groove (100) in a swingable manner. The rotation limiting groove (100) has a slot, and a straight limiting groove (101) is formed by the two ends of the slot extending in the same direction. The torsion spring is installed in the rotation limiting groove (100) and one end of the torsion spring is embedded in the straight limiting groove (101).

16. The mobile robot according to claim 15, characterized in that, The wheel cover has two arc-shaped limiting bosses (102) with openings facing each other, and the two arc-shaped limiting bosses (102) constitute the rotation limiting groove (100). The wheel cover also has two straight limiting bosses (103), and the two straight limiting bosses (103) constitute the straight limiting groove (101).

17. A method for operating a mobile robot according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that, The working method includes the following steps: Control the movement of the mobile robot; When the auxiliary obstacle-crossing device in the initial position is blocked by the obstacle (3), the auxiliary obstacle-crossing device swings toward the rear of the driving wheel (11) to the crossing position, supporting the driving wheel (11) of the mobile robot to cross the obstacle (3).

18. The method for operating a mobile robot according to claim 17, characterized in that, The working method also includes the following steps: When the obstacle-crossing device moves to the crossing position, the mobile robot is controlled to move in the opposite direction; the obstacle-crossing device swings from the crossing position to the initial position under the force of the elastic element (22), wherein the elastic element (22) keeps the obstacle-crossing device in the initial position and suspended at a predetermined gap relative to the ground.

Images