A negative pressure cleaning robot based on a ducted fan

Abstract

The application provides a negative pressure cleaning robot based on a duct fan, and belongs to the technical field of silo cleaning. The robot comprises a robot body, a negative pressure module, a sealing module, a track module, a cleaning module and a controller. The duct fan is used in cooperation with a rectangular negative pressure cavity to form stable negative pressure at the bottom of the robot body. Since the robot body also has a rectangular profile, the rectangular negative pressure cavity can effectively ensure the negative pressure intensity, so that the robot body can be stably adsorbed on an inclined walking surface or a vertical walking surface, and then walks through the control of the track module. In addition, the rectangular negative pressure cavity is communicated with an air exhaust duct towards the rear end, so that the negative pressure exhaust can be used to reduce the resistance, thereby improving the stability of adsorption. Therefore, the negative pressure cleaning robot based on the duct fan can be used for cleaning the inclined sidewall of the funnel at the bottom of the silo, and can also be further used for cleaning the sidewall of the silo.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of silo cleaning technology, specifically relating to a negative pressure cleaning robot based on a ducted fan. Background Technology

[0002] Silos are warehouses for storing bulk materials. They are broadly classified into agricultural silos and industrial silos. Agricultural silos are used to store granular and powdery materials such as grains and feed; industrial silos are used to store bulk materials such as coke, cement, salt, and sugar. Mechanized silos generally cost about one-third more than mechanized modular silos, but they shorten the material loading and unloading process, reduce operating and maintenance costs, eliminate arduous bagging operations, and facilitate mechanized and automated operations. Therefore, they have become one of the most common types of grain silos. Large grain silos have multiple funnels at the bottom. Ordinary silo sidewall cleaning mechanisms cannot meet the bottom cleaning requirements of these silos, requiring workers to enter the silo to clean the bottom funnels. This is labor-intensive, and walking on the bottom of the silo is inconvenient and poses safety hazards. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention aims to at least solve one of the aforementioned technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present invention provides a negative pressure cleaning robot based on a ducted fan, capable of cleaning the funnel sidewalls at the bottom of a silo.

[0004] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a negative pressure cleaning robot based on a ducted fan includes: a robot body with a rectangular outline; a negative pressure module disposed on the robot body, the negative pressure module having a rectangular negative pressure cavity at the bottom of the robot body, a ducted fan disposed within the rectangular negative pressure cavity, and an exhaust duct, one end of the exhaust duct being connected to the upper end of the rectangular negative pressure cavity, and the other end being connected to the rear end of the robot body; a sealing module disposed at the lower end of the robot body, the sealing module being located on the periphery of the rectangular negative pressure cavity and having a downwardly extending elastic abutment portion; a track module disposed on both sides of the robot body for supporting the robot body's movement; a cleaning module disposed on the robot body for cleaning; and a controller disposed on the robot body for controlling the operation of the negative pressure module, the sealing module, the track module, and the cleaning module.

[0005] The ducted fan-based negative pressure cleaning robot of this embodiment has at least the following beneficial effects: The ducted fan-based negative pressure cleaning robot of this embodiment utilizes a ducted fan in conjunction with a rectangular negative pressure chamber to form a stable negative pressure at the bottom of the robot body. Since the robot body also has a rectangular outline, the rectangular negative pressure chamber effectively ensures the negative pressure strength, thereby enabling the robot body to stably adsorb on inclined or vertical walking surfaces, and then move under the control of the track module. Furthermore, the rectangular negative pressure chamber is connected to an exhaust duct facing the rear, which can utilize negative pressure exhaust to reduce resistance, thereby improving the stability of adsorption. Therefore, the ducted fan-based negative pressure cleaning robot of this embodiment can be used for cleaning the inclined sidewalls of the funnel at the bottom of silos, and can also be further used for cleaning the sidewalls of silos.

[0006] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the robot body is provided with a rectangular chamber that runs vertically through the room, and the robot body is provided with a surrounding plate above the rectangular chamber. The surrounding plate covers the top, front and left and right sides of the rectangular chamber. The duct fan is provided in the rectangular chamber to form the rectangular negative pressure chamber, and the exhaust duct is formed by the surrounding plate.

[0007] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the robot body is rotatably provided with an adjustment plate at the end of the exhaust duct, the adjustment plate being used to adjust the air outlet direction of the exhaust duct.

[0008] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the track module is provided on both sides of the robot body:

[0009] The first track mechanism is rotatably located at the front end of the robot body;

[0010] The second track mechanism is located at the rear end of the first track mechanism;

[0011] The track module is configured to climb slopes or walls by rotating the first track mechanism and driving the second track mechanism.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, both the first track mechanism and the second track mechanism are provided with anti-slip tracks, and the anti-slip tracks are provided with anti-slip parts.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the first track mechanism further includes a steering adjustment component for adjusting the walking direction.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the sealing module is provided with a plurality of elastic abutment portions around the periphery of the rectangular negative pressure chamber, and a lifting assembly is provided for each elastic abutment portion to control the independent lifting and lowering of the elastic abutment portion.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the sealing module is provided with a set of sealing structures on each of the four outer sides of the rectangular negative pressure cavity. Each set of sealing structures is provided with a plurality of elastic abutment portions. An elastic sealing sheet is connected between two adjacent elastic abutment portions. The elastic sealing sheet is configured such that when the elastic abutment portion is raised or lowered, the elastic sealing sheet can be stretched or contracted in a conformal manner.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the cleaning module is rotatably provided with a cleaning brush in front of the robot body.

[0017] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the lower end of the elastic abutment portion is lower than the track module.

[0018] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and some of these additional aspects and advantages will become apparent from the description or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, wherein:

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an overall structure of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a negative pressure module.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a ventilation duct structure. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0024] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, etc., are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

[0025] In the description of this invention, "multiple" refers to two or more. The use of "first" and "second" is for distinguishing technical features only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features or their sequential relationship.

[0026] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "set up," "install," and "connect" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0027] Silos are warehouses for storing bulk materials. They are broadly classified into agricultural silos and industrial silos. Agricultural silos are used to store granular and powdery materials such as grains and feed; industrial silos are used to store bulk materials such as coke, cement, salt, and sugar. Mechanized silos generally cost about one-third more than mechanized modular silos, but they shorten the material loading and unloading process, reduce operating and maintenance costs, eliminate arduous bagging operations, and facilitate mechanized and automated operations. Therefore, they have become one of the most common types of grain silos. Large grain silos have multiple funnels at the bottom. Ordinary silo sidewall cleaning mechanisms cannot meet the bottom cleaning requirements of these silos, requiring workers to enter the silo to clean the bottom funnels. This is labor-intensive, and walking on the bottom of the silo is inconvenient and poses safety hazards.

[0028] To address this, the present invention provides a negative pressure cleaning robot based on a ducted fan, capable of cleaning the funnel sidewalls at the bottom of a silo.

[0029] Reference Figures 1 to 3 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a negative pressure cleaning robot based on a ducted fan 103, which includes a robot body 100 and a negative pressure module, a sealing module 105, a track module 300, a cleaning module 200 and a controller disposed on the robot body 100.

[0030] The robot body 100 has a rectangular outline, specifically a rectangular perimeter. A negative pressure module is located within the robot body 100. At the bottom of the robot body 100, there is a rectangular negative pressure cavity 104, a ducted fan 103 within the rectangular negative pressure cavity 104, and an exhaust duct 1011. One end of the exhaust duct 1011 connects to the upper end of the rectangular negative pressure cavity 104, and the other end connects to the rear end of the robot body 100. When the ducted fan 103 starts, it utilizes the rectangular negative pressure cavity 104 to form a negative pressure suction cup at the bottom of the robot body 100, allowing the robot body 100 to adhere to an inclined or vertical surface, overcoming gravity. The use of a rectangular negative pressure cavity 104 adapts to the overall shape of the robot body 100, thereby increasing the size of the rectangular negative pressure cavity 104 and ensuring strong negative pressure adhesion. The exhaust duct 1011 works in conjunction with the ducted fan 103 to exhaust air. A sealing module 105 is located at the lower end of the robot body 100. The sealing module 105 is situated around the rectangular negative pressure cavity 104 and has a downwardly extending elastic abutment portion, thereby forming a seal around the rectangular negative pressure cavity 104 and further ensuring the negative pressure adsorption strength. The elastic abutment portion can be used to abut against the walking surface to improve the sealing effect and thus enhance the negative pressure adsorption strength, and can also be used as a limiting abutment to prevent damage caused by the lower end of the robot body 100 abutting against the walking surface. Track modules 300 are located on both sides of the robot body 100 to support the robot body 100's movement. A cleaning module 200 is located on the robot body 100 for cleaning. The cleaning module 200 can be positioned at different locations on the robot body 100 according to its structural design. A controller is located on the robot body 100 to control the operation of the negative pressure module, sealing module 105, track module 300, and cleaning module 200.

[0031] Understandably, at the bottom of the silo, due to the arrangement of multiple funnels, when using a robot for cleaning, the robot needs to move along both the upward-sloping and downward-sloping sidewalls of the funnels. It also needs to switch between adjacent funnels, requiring obstacle-crossing capability. This embodiment's negative pressure cleaning robot based on a ducted fan 103 utilizes the ducted fan 103 in conjunction with a rectangular negative pressure chamber 104 to create a stable negative pressure at the bottom of the robot body 100. Since the robot body 100 also has a rectangular outline, the rectangular negative pressure chamber 104 effectively ensures the negative pressure strength, thereby enabling the robot body 100 to stably adsorb on inclined or vertical walking surfaces, and then move under the control of the track module 300. Furthermore, the rectangular negative pressure chamber 104 is connected to an exhaust duct 1011 facing the rear, which utilizes negative pressure exhaust to reduce resistance, thereby improving the stability of adsorption. Therefore, the negative pressure cleaning robot based on the ducted fan 103 in this embodiment can be used to clean the inclined sidewalls of the funnel at the bottom of the silo, and can also be used for cleaning the sidewalls of the silo.

[0032] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 In some embodiments of the present invention, the robot body 100 is provided with a rectangular chamber extending vertically, and a surrounding plate 101 is provided above the rectangular chamber. The surrounding plate 101 covers the top, front, and left and right sides of the rectangular chamber. A ducted fan 103 is disposed in the rectangular chamber to form a rectangular negative pressure chamber 104, and the surrounding plate 101 encloses the chamber to form an exhaust duct 1011. Using the structural configuration of this embodiment, by providing a rectangular chamber on the robot body 100 to form the rectangular negative pressure chamber 104, the size of the rectangular negative pressure chamber 104 can be effectively adapted to the outer contour of the robot body 100, thereby increasing the negative pressure adsorption strength. Furthermore, by using the surrounding plate 101 to enclose the top, front, and left and right sides of the rectangular chamber, an exhaust duct 1011 with a rear-end opening is formed, which helps to ensure the integrity of the robot body 100.

[0033] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, an adjustment plate is rotatably mounted at the end of the exhaust duct 1011 of the robot body 100. The adjustment plate is used to adjust the air outlet direction of the exhaust duct 1011. It is understood that when the robot body 100 walks on an upwardly inclined walking surface or on a vertical walking surface, gravity significantly hinders its movement, especially when the robot body 100 needs to move left or right, making control more difficult. This embodiment utilizes an adjustment plate at the end of the exhaust duct 1011 to adjust the air outlet direction, which can be adjusted in conjunction with the walking direction of the robot body 100, thereby overcoming the effect of gravity to a certain extent. Furthermore, compared to a horizontal air outlet direction, this helps reduce air resistance and improves the adsorption effect to some extent.

[0034] In some embodiments of the present invention, the track module 300 is provided with a first track mechanism and a second track mechanism on both sides of the robot body 100. The first track mechanisms on both sides are rotatably located at the front end of the robot body 100 and protrude forward relative to the front end of the robot body 100. During rotation, the first track mechanism can control the walking support surface to switch from horizontal to vertical or downward. The second track mechanism is located at the rear end of the first track mechanism. The track module 300 is configured to climb slopes or walls by rotating the first track mechanism and driving the second track mechanism. Understandably, when the negative pressure cleaning robot based on the ducted fan 103 is walking on a flat surface, both the first and second track mechanisms remain horizontal; when the negative pressure cleaning robot based on the ducted fan 103 needs to move from a horizontal surface to an upwardly inclined walking surface, the first track mechanism rotates upward to the same angle of elevation, thus successfully climbing the slope; when the negative pressure cleaning robot based on the ducted fan 103 needs to move from a horizontal surface to a vertical surface, the first track mechanism rotates upward to the vertical position.

[0035] Specifically, its pitch and oscillation can be controlled by rotating the corresponding mounting frame, or it can be adjusted by using the track wheels of the track. The specific structural settings can refer to the track adjustment structures in the relevant existing technologies, which will not be described in detail here.

[0036] In some embodiments of the present invention, both the first track mechanism and the second track mechanism are provided with anti-slip tracks, and the anti-slip tracks have anti-slip portions. The anti-slip portions improve the anti-slip performance of the anti-slip tracks and prevent slippage. Specifically, the anti-slip portion includes multiple annular rubber rings, the protrusion height of which is 1.5mm to 3mm. Furthermore, a bud is provided at the outer end of each annular rubber ring, and the end of the annular rubber ring is flat. Thus, when each annular rubber ring contacts the walking surface, the bud increases friction, and after the entire end face of the annular rubber ring contacts the walking surface, an adsorption effect is formed. The same applies when moving backward, effectively ensuring walking stability and preventing slippage.

[0037] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first track mechanism further includes a steering adjustment component for adjusting the traveling direction. It is understood that this steering adjustment component is used to control the first track mechanism to swing left or backward to achieve steering; its specific configuration can be referred to in the steering control of related prior art, and will not be described in detail here.

[0038] In some embodiments of the present invention, the sealing module 105 is provided with a plurality of elastic abutment portions around the periphery of the rectangular negative pressure cavity 104, and a lifting component is provided for each elastic abutment portion to control the independent lifting and lowering of the elastic abutment portion. When the robot body 100 switches between two walking surfaces with different angles, the lifting component controls the elastic abutment portions to adjust to fit the shape. Taking the robot body 100 switching from an upwardly inclined walking surface to a downwardly inclined walking surface as an example, the front elastic abutment portion is first controlled to retract upward to avoid the transition part between the two walking surfaces and avoid interference, and then extends to be close to the walking surface, while the rear elastic abutment portions extend and retract in sequence.

[0039] In some embodiments of the present invention, the sealing module 105 has a set of sealing structures on each of the four outer sides of the rectangular negative pressure cavity 104. Each set of sealing structures has multiple elastic abutment portions, and an elastic sealing sheet is connected between two adjacent elastic abutment portions. The elastic sealing sheet is configured to stretch or contract conformally when the elastic abutment portion is raised or lowered. Specifically, the elastic abutment portion includes an adjusting shaft and a rubber sleeve located at the lower end of the adjusting shaft. The lifting assembly is connected to the upper end of the adjusting shaft and specifically adopts a motor gear rack structure. The elastic sealing sheet is a thin rubber sheet. With the structural configuration of this embodiment, when the lifting assembly controls the up and down movement of the adjusting shaft, it will drive the rubber sheet to contract and stretch, thereby forming a sealing structure at the lower end of the rubber sheet that conformally adjusts to the traveling surface. The lower end of the adjusting shaft is a rubber sleeve, which does not create rigid contact with the traveling surface.

[0040] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the lower end of the elastic abutment portion is normally lower than the track module 300 and is held abutting the walking surface by the gravity of the robot body 100, thereby improving the sealing effect.

[0041] Reference Figure 3 In some embodiments of the present invention, a cleaning module 200 is rotatably mounted with a cleaning brush at the front of the robot body 100. The robot body 100 has a mounting arm 102 extending forward from its top front end. An upper channel 1021 and a lower channel 1022 are vertically arranged along the inner edge of the mounting arm 102. The cleaning brush is rotatably mounted at the lower end of the mounting arm 102 and runs through the lower channel 1022. The upper channel 1021 connects to the exhaust duct 1011, and an air outlet is provided at the upper end of the upper channel 1021 opposite to the rotation axis of the cleaning brush. Using the structure of this embodiment, the stability of the cleaning brush can be improved by utilizing the air outlet.

[0042] The present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A negative pressure cleaning robot based on a ducted fan, characterized in that, include: The robot's body has a rectangular outline. A negative pressure module is provided on the robot body. The negative pressure module has a rectangular negative pressure cavity at the bottom of the robot body, a ducted fan and an exhaust duct in the rectangular negative pressure cavity. One end of the exhaust duct is connected to the upper end of the rectangular negative pressure cavity, and the other end is connected to the rear end of the robot body. A sealing module is located at the lower end of the robot body. The sealing module is situated on the periphery of the rectangular negative pressure cavity and has a downwardly extending elastic abutment portion. Track modules are located on both sides of the robot body and are used to support the robot body to move. A cleaning module, located on the robot body, is used for cleaning; A controller, located on the robot body, is used to control the operation of the negative pressure module, the sealing module, the track module, and the cleaning module; The sealing module has multiple elastic abutment portions around the periphery of the rectangular negative pressure cavity, and a lifting component is provided for each elastic abutment portion to control the independent lifting and lowering of the elastic abutment portion. The sealing module has a set of sealing structures on each of the four outer sides of the rectangular negative pressure cavity. Each set of sealing structures has multiple elastic abutment portions, and an elastic sealing sheet is connected between two adjacent elastic abutment portions. The elastic sealing sheet is configured to be able to stretch or contract conformally when the elastic abutment portion is lifted or lowered.

2. The negative pressure cleaning robot based on a ducted fan according to claim 1, characterized in that, The robot body has a rectangular chamber that runs vertically through it, and the robot body has a surrounding plate above the rectangular chamber. The surrounding plate covers the top, front, and left and right sides of the rectangular chamber. The duct fan is located in the rectangular chamber to form the rectangular negative pressure chamber, and the exhaust duct is formed by the surrounding plate.

3. The negative pressure cleaning robot based on a ducted fan according to claim 2, characterized in that, The robot body is equipped with an adjustment plate at the end of the exhaust duct, which is used to adjust the air outlet direction of the exhaust duct.

4. The negative pressure cleaning robot based on a ducted fan according to claim 1, characterized in that, The track module is provided on both sides of the robot body: The first track mechanism is rotatably located at the front end of the robot body; The second track mechanism is located at the rear end of the first track mechanism; The track module is configured to climb slopes or walls by rotating the first track mechanism and driving the second track mechanism.

5. The negative pressure cleaning robot based on a ducted fan according to claim 4, characterized in that, Both the first track mechanism and the second track mechanism are equipped with anti-slip tracks, and the anti-slip tracks are provided with anti-slip parts.

6. The negative pressure cleaning robot based on a ducted fan according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first track mechanism also has a steering adjustment component for adjusting the direction of travel.

7. The negative pressure cleaning robot based on a ducted fan according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cleaning module is equipped with a cleaning brush that rotates in front of the robot body.

8. The negative pressure cleaning robot based on a ducted fan according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower end of the elastic abutment part is lower than the track module.

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