Base station for easy access by cleaning robots

Abstract

The present invention relates to a base station that is convenient for a cleaning robot to enter, belonging to the technical field of intelligent cleaning equipment. The cleaning robot includes a body, a traveling wheel assembly, a surface cleaning assembly, and a walking control assembly. The traveling wheel assembly includes driving wheels arranged on both sides of the bottom of the body. The surface cleaning assembly includes wiping members arranged on both sides of the bottom of the body and a wiping motor that drives the wiping members to rotate. The base station includes an inclined guide plate and a cleaning trough. The guide plate is provided with two climbing surfaces corresponding to the driving wheels. A connecting surface is connected between the two climbing surfaces. The wiping members are located on the climbing surfaces and the connecting surface. The connecting surface is lower than the climbing surface, so that the portion of the wiping members located on the connecting surface is suspended in the air, and the outer periphery of the wiping members rotates to contact the climbing surface to generate a driving force to assist the driving wheel in climbing. The upward friction generated by the wiping members and the climbing surface is used as the driving force to assist the driving wheel in climbing, thereby improving the efficiency of the cleaning robot entering the base station.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of intelligent cleaning equipment, and in particular to a base station that is easy for a cleaning robot to enter. Background Art

[0002] During mopping, a robot cleaner must repeatedly return to its base station to clean its mop. During this process, the robot's drive wheels propel it closer to the base station and dock the mop with the cleaning trough. Because the trough is relatively high, a slope is often used to facilitate docking.

[0003] When the cleaning robot enters the base station, the friction forces generated by the rotation of the mop on both sides cancel each other out, there is no auxiliary driving force, and the contact between the mop and the inclined surface generates friction resistance, which hinders climbing. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a base station that is easy for a cleaning robot to enter, and the upward friction force generated by the wiping piece and the climbing surface is used as the driving force for the auxiliary driving wheel to climb the slope, thereby improving the efficiency of the cleaning robot entering the base station.

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides a base station that is easy for a cleaning robot to enter, wherein the cleaning robot includes a body, a traveling wheel assembly, a surface cleaning assembly and a walking control assembly, the traveling wheel assembly includes driving wheels arranged on both sides of the bottom of the body, the surface cleaning assembly includes wiping parts arranged on both sides of the bottom of the body and a wiping motor that drives the wiping parts to rotate, the base station includes an inclined guide plate and a cleaning trough, the guide plate is provided with two climbing surfaces corresponding to the driving wheels, a connecting surface is connected between the two climbing surfaces, the wiping parts are located on the climbing surface and the connecting surface, the connecting surface is lower than the climbing surface, so that the part of the wiping part located on the connecting surface is suspended, and the outer periphery of the wiping part rotates to contact the climbing surface to generate a driving force to assist the driving wheel in climbing.

[0006] Optionally, in one embodiment, the area of ​​the portion of the floor wiping member located on the connecting surface is larger than the area of ​​the portion located on the climbing surface.

[0007] Optionally, in one embodiment, the connecting surface is an inclined plane.

[0008] Optionally, in one embodiment, the connecting surface is an arc-shaped inclined surface.

[0009] Optionally, in one embodiment, the surface cleaning assembly further comprises a cleaning roller brush provided at the bottom of the body and corresponding to the connection surface, and the cleaning roller brush is configured to stop rotating or turn in the same direction as the driving wheel when the cleaning robot enters the base station.

[0010] Optionally, in one embodiment, both ends of the connecting surface are higher than the middle portion.

[0011] Optionally, in one embodiment, a support member that abuts against the ground is provided at the bottom of the connecting surface.

[0012] Optionally, in one embodiment, the connecting surface extends toward the cleaning tank to the edge of the cleaning tank to form a transition surface, and the transition surface is flush with an end of the climbing surface close to the cleaning tank.

[0013] Optionally, in one embodiment, the guide plate further includes an inlet guide surface, and the inlet guide surface extends from the climbing surface on one side to the climbing surface on the other side.

[0014] Optionally, in one embodiment, anti-skid ribs are provided on the climbing surface.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention is beneficial in that:

[0016] When the cleaning robot enters the base station in the present invention, the wiping element is on the guide plate, partially located on the climbing surface and partially located on the connecting surface. Due to the rotation of the wiping element, an upward friction force is generated between the portion located on the climbing surface and the climbing surface, and a downward friction force is generated between the portion located on the connecting surface and the connecting surface. If the wiping element is in complete contact with both the climbing surface and the connecting surface, the upward and downward friction forces will cancel each other out. However, by setting the connecting surface lower than the climbing surface, the wiping element is suspended at the connecting surface, that is, the wiping element is not in contact at the connecting surface, and the downward friction force generated is zero. Therefore, the wiping element only has the upward friction force on the climbing surface on the guide plate, which is used as the driving force to assist the drive wheel in climbing, thereby improving the efficiency of the cleaning robot entering the base station. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of a cleaning system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 A top view of a cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 A bottom view of the cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of a base station according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 5 An exploded diagram of a base station according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 6 A schematic structural diagram of a guide plate and a cleaning tank according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of a guide plate and a cleaning tank according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 8 This is a bottom view of the guide plate and the cleaning tank according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention more apparent, the present invention is further described below with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the described embodiments are only a portion of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. All other embodiments derived by persons of ordinary skill in the art based on the described embodiments without requiring creative effort are intended to fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in the present invention shall have the usual meanings understood by persons of ordinary skill in the field to which the present invention belongs. The words “include” or “comprise” and the like used in the present invention mean that the elements or objects preceding the word include the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Words such as “connect” or “connected” and the like are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. “Up”, “down”, “left”, “right” and the like are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the object being described changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0027] See also Figure 1 This embodiment provides a cleaning system, including a cleaning robot 100 and a base station 200 for facilitating entry of the cleaning robot 100 .

[0028] See also Figure 2 and Figure 3 The cleaning robot 100 includes a body 101, a travel wheel assembly, a surface cleaning assembly, and a travel control assembly. The travel wheel assembly includes drive wheels 102 located on both sides of the body bottom. The surface cleaning assembly includes mopping elements 103 located on both sides of the body bottom, a mopping motor that drives the mopping elements 103, and a cleaning roller brush 104 located on the body bottom.

[0029] The mopping elements 103 on either side of the bottom of the body 101 rotate in opposite directions. They can be located on either side of the rear end of the body 101, or on either side of the front end. In this embodiment, they are located on either side of the rear end of the body 101. The mopping elements 103 can be shaped like a circle, a triangle, or a quadrilateral. A triangle has arcs at the three corners, while a quadrilateral has arcs at the four corners of a square. In this embodiment, the mopping elements 103 are circular. Nylon mops with a high coefficient of friction can be used for mopping.

[0030] The number of wiping motors can be two, each driving the two wiping members 103 to rotate; or the number of motors can be one, which drives the two wiping members 103 to rotate via another transmission mechanism, such as a worm gear transmission mechanism.

[0031] See also Figure 4 and Figure 5 The base station 200 provided in this embodiment, which facilitates access for a cleaning robot, includes a maintenance station 201, an inclined guide plate 202, and a cleaning tank 203. The guide plate 202 and the cleaning tank 203 can be integrally formed and detachably mounted to the bottom of the maintenance station 201, for example, by a snap-fit ​​connection, so that they can be removed separately for cleaning at any time.

[0032] A clean water tank 2011 and a sewage tank 2012 are also provided on the upper part of the maintenance station 201. The clean water tank 2011 can be used to replenish water for the mopping parts or to clean the mopping parts, and the sewage tank 2012 is used to recycle the sewage in the cleaning tank 203 after cleaning the mopping parts.

[0033] See also Figure 6 A rib 2031 for cleaning the wiping element 103 may be provided in the cleaning groove 203. The rib 2031 may be in the shape of an arc strip or a straight strip. The wiping element 103 of the cleaning robot 100 rotates in the cleaning groove 203 and presses against the rib 2031, causing scraping with the rib 2031 to separate dirt from the wiping element 103.

[0034] See also Figure 6 and Figure 7 The guide plate 202 is provided with two climbing surfaces 2021 corresponding to the driving wheel 102, and a connecting surface 2022 is connected between the two climbing surfaces 2021. The wiping element 103 is located on the climbing surfaces 2021 and the connecting surface 2022. The connecting surface 2022 is lower than the climbing surfaces 2021, so that the part of the wiping element 103 located on the connecting surface 2022 is suspended in the air, and the outer periphery of the wiping element 103 rotates to contact the climbing surface 2021 to generate a driving force to assist the driving wheel 102 in climbing.

[0035] In this embodiment, the outer periphery of the wiping element 103 may be the outer edge of the wiping element, or the portion of the wiping element excluding the center of the circle, or refers to the portion of the wiping element that only contacts the climbing surface 2021 .

[0036] When the cleaning robot 100 returns to the base station 200, the wiping element 103 is located ahead of the robot 100 in its direction of travel. The wiping element 103 is in a rotating state when in contact with the guide plate 202. Taking the left wiping element as an example, the left wiping element rotates clockwise, and the portion in contact with the climbing surface 2022 generates an upward friction force F1. The portion at the connecting surface 2022 is suspended, resulting in a downward friction force F2 of zero. This combined force ultimately creates an upward climbing force, which serves as the driving force for the auxiliary drive wheel 102 to climb the slope. The right wiping element rotates counterclockwise, similarly generating the driving force for the auxiliary drive wheel 102 to climb the slope.

[0037] In this embodiment, the area of ​​the wiping element 103 located on the connecting surface 2022 is no smaller than the area of ​​the portion located on the climbing surface 2021. This prevents a portion of the wiping element 103 from generating downward friction during its rotation on the climbing surface 2021. When the intersection line between the connecting surface 2022 and the climbing surface 2021 passes through the center of the wiping element, the intersection line divides the wiping element into two halves along its diameter. This means that the area of ​​the wiping element located on the connecting surface 2022 is equal to the area of ​​the portion located on the climbing surface 2021. The portion capable of generating upward friction is completely in contact with the climbing surface 2021, while the portion capable of generating downward friction is located above the connecting surface 2022 and has no contact. This maximizes the resulting upward force.

[0038] The cleaning roller brush of this embodiment corresponds to the connecting surface 2022, and the connecting surface 2022 can be set as an inclined plane or an arc inclined plane. When the connecting surface 2022 is an inclined plane, the cleaning roller brush can be easily moved upward along the connecting surface 2022 under the drive of the driving wheel 102.

[0039] When the connecting surface 2022 is a circular arc slope, it can better adapt to the shape of the cleaning roller brush. At the same time, the ends of the circular arc sloped connecting surface 2022 can be set higher than the middle part. When the cleaning robot's mopping element is docked with the cleaning tank, the cleaning roller brush is located on the connecting surface 2022. The high ends and low middle part of the structure can effectively stabilize the cleaning roller brush and prevent it from sliding toward the ends.

[0040] In addition, the cleaning roller brush of this embodiment is set to stop rotating or turn in the same direction as the driving wheel 102 when the cleaning robot enters the base station 200. This avoids the cleaning roller brush from generating a reverse thrust in the opposite direction to the front direction of the cleaning robot when the driving wheel 102 rotates in the opposite direction.

[0041] The connecting surface 2022 of this embodiment extends toward the cleaning tank 203 to the edge of the cleaning tank 203 to form a transition surface 2023, and the transition surface 2023 is flush with the end of the climbing surface 2021 close to the cleaning tank 203. The transition surface 2023 allows the floor wiping member to enter the cleaning tank 203 smoothly.

[0042] The guide plate 202 of this embodiment further includes an entrance guide surface 2024 , which extends from the climbing surface on one side to the climbing surface on the other side. The entrance guide surface 2024 allows the floor wiping elements to enter the guide plate 202 smoothly.

[0043] The climbing surface 2021 of this embodiment is provided with an anti-slip structure 2025, which may be anti-slip ribs, anti-slip protrusions, or anti-slip pads. The anti-slip ribs may be horizontal linear ribs or corrugated ribs. The anti-slip structure 2025 can reduce the possibility of slipping of the driving wheel 102 of the cleaning robot and increase the friction between the wiping element and the climbing surface 2021, thereby increasing the driving force generated to assist the driving wheel 102 in climbing.

[0044] See also Figure 7 and Figure 8 In this embodiment, the bottom of the connecting surface 2022 is provided with a support member 2026 that contacts the ground and supports the connecting surface 2022. Furthermore, the support member 2026 can extend from the bottom of the climbing surface at one end through the bottom of the connecting surface 2022 to the bottom of the climbing surface at the other end, thus supporting the entire guide plate 202. The support member 2026 in this embodiment can be a rib structure, a protrusion structure, or the like.

Claims

1. A base station for facilitating access by a cleaning robot, the cleaning robot comprising a body, a travel wheel assembly, a surface cleaning assembly, and a travel control assembly, the travel wheel assembly comprising drive wheels disposed on both sides of the bottom of the body, the surface cleaning assembly comprising mopping elements disposed on both sides of the bottom of the body and a mopping motor for rotating the mopping elements, the base station comprising an inclined guide plate and a cleaning tank, characterized in that: The guide plate is provided with two climbing surfaces corresponding to the driving wheel, and a connecting surface is connected between the two climbing surfaces. The wiping member is located on the climbing surface and the connecting surface, and the connecting surface is lower than the climbing surface, so that the part of the wiping member located on the connecting surface is suspended in the air, and the outer periphery of the wiping member rotates to contact the climbing surface to generate a driving force to assist the driving wheel in climbing.

2. The base station for facilitating access by a cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The area of ​​the portion of the floor-wiping member located on the connecting surface is not less than the area of ​​the portion located on the climbing surface.

3. The base station for facilitating access by a cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting surface is an inclined plane.

4. The base station for facilitating access by a cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting surface is an arc inclined surface.

5. The base station for facilitating entry of a cleaning robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The surface cleaning assembly further includes a cleaning roller brush disposed at the bottom of the body and corresponding to the connection surface. The cleaning roller brush is configured to stop rotating or turn in the same direction as the driving wheel when the cleaning robot enters the base station.

6. The base station for facilitating access by a cleaning robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: Both ends of the connecting surface are higher than the middle portion.

7. The base station for facilitating access by a cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: A support member that abuts against the ground is provided at the bottom of the connecting surface.

8. The base station for facilitating access by a cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting surface extends toward the cleaning tank to the edge of the cleaning tank to form a transition surface, and the transition surface is flush with an end of the climbing surface close to the cleaning tank.

9. The base station for facilitating access by a cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guide plate further includes an inlet guide surface, and the inlet guide surface extends from the climbing surface on one side to the climbing surface on the other side.

10. The base station for facilitating entry of a cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: Anti-skid ribs are provided on the climbing surface.

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