Mobile cleaning robot

Abstract

The invention provides a movable cleaning robot which comprises a main body and a brush roller assembly, and the main body can move on a surface to be cleaned; the brush roller assembly is connected with the main body through a guide piece, so that the mobile cleaning robot can clean the surface to be cleaned; the main body comprises a first rail for receiving a guide piece, the guide piece of the brush roller assembly can be driven to horizontally and linearly move along the first rail on the main body, and the guide piece can change the relative distance with the main body relative to the main body in the stroke of horizontal linear movement; and the brush roller assembly is driven to change the height relative to the main body in the horizontal linear movement process relative to the main body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a mobile cleaning robot. Background Art

[0002] This section merely provides background information related to the present disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.

[0003] Autonomous mobile robots include autonomous mobile cleaning robots that can autonomously perform cleaning tasks in environments such as homes. Autonomous cleaning robots can autonomously move on the surface to be cleaned. When the robot moves on the surface to be cleaned, the robot also operates dry cleaning parts that can absorb debris and direct the debris to the vacuum airflow generated by the robot. In addition, the autonomous cleaning robot can clean the surface to be cleaned and operate the rotating cleaning parts carried by the robot to remove stubborn stains by applying liquid stirring on the surface to be cleaned.

[0004] Some mobile cleaning robots can perform mopping and vacuuming operations at the same time, where a cleaning roller can be added to the bottom of the mobile cleaning robot and dragged behind the robot's dry cleaning roller. Some mobile cleaning robots can also perform mopping operations only. During the cleaning process, some areas that are not suitable for wet mopping may be encountered, such as household long-haired carpets, which are usually distributed in living rooms and bedrooms. Or some areas suitable for wet mopping may be encountered but are difficult to reach with conventional cleaning parts, such as the junction of the floor and the wall, or the junction of the floor and furniture. It is difficult to provide appropriate functions on the cleaning roller while providing sufficient contact between the cleaning roller and the floor and avoiding contact between the cleaning roller and the floor. For example, due to design differences, in some robots, the robot's cleaning parts can be lifted to avoid contact with areas that are not suitable for robot cleaning; in some robots, the robot's cleaning parts can be swung outward and retracted inward to facilitate cleaning of sanitary dead corners. However, these cleaning parts are usually designed as cleaning discs, and the rotation speed of the cleaning discs is not large and the floor is usually cleaned in a way that dilutes dirty particles during cleaning. In this case, the cleaning efficiency of the cleaning disc will be affected. In another example, also due to differences in design, the cleaning disc tends to become very dirty later in use, making the cleaning disc a medium for secondary contamination. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present disclosure provides a mobile cleaning robot.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a mobile cleaning robot, comprising: a main body, movable on a surface to be cleaned; a brush roller assembly, connected to the main body via a guide, so that the mobile cleaning robot can clean the surface to be cleaned; the main body comprises a first track to receive the guide, the guide of the brush roller assembly can be driven to move horizontally linearly along the first track on the main body, and the guide can change its relative distance with the main body during the horizontal linear movement, so as to drive the brush roller assembly to change its height relative to the main body during the horizontal linear movement relative to the main body.

[0007] According to a mobile cleaning robot of one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first track includes at least two lateral extensions of different heights, and a smoothly connected transition portion located between the lateral extensions, and the guide member is received by the first track to move linearly through the lateral extensions, changing the movement trajectory through the transition portion, thereby changing its relative distance from the main body.

[0008] According to the mobile cleaning robot of one embodiment of the present disclosure, the main body includes at least two first tracks, and the at least two first tracks are distributed in parallel along the main body in a lateral direction.

[0009] According to the mobile cleaning robot of one embodiment of the present disclosure, the guide member includes a slider, so that the guide member can move within the first track.

[0010] The mobile cleaning robot according to one embodiment of the present disclosure further includes a horizontal actuator connected to the guide member, wherein the horizontal actuator provides an actuation force in a lateral direction to the guide member.

[0011] According to the mobile cleaning robot of one embodiment of the present disclosure, the horizontal actuator includes a second track arranged vertically to receive the guide member so that the guide member can move up and down along the second track.

[0012] According to a mobile cleaning robot of one embodiment of the present disclosure, the guide member includes a limit plate, which is located between the first track and the second track; and sliders extending outward from both sides of the limit plate, which are received by the first track and the second track, respectively.

[0013] According to a mobile cleaning robot of one embodiment of the present disclosure, the horizontal actuator includes a driving gear that is operable to rotate, and a rack connected to the guide member, and the driving gear is meshingly connected to the rack to convert the driving force of the driving gear into an actuating force in the lateral direction of the rack.

[0014] According to a mobile cleaning robot of one embodiment of the present disclosure, the height includes a first height and a second height, and at the first height, the brush roller assembly is in contact with the surface to be cleaned, and at least one end of the brush roller assembly extends out of the projection range of the body of the mobile cleaning robot on the surface to be cleaned.

[0015] According to a mobile cleaning robot of one embodiment of the present disclosure, the height includes a first height and a second height, at the second height, the brush roller assembly is away from the surface to be cleaned, and the brush roller assembly as a whole is located within the projection range of the body of the mobile cleaning robot on the surface to be cleaned.

[0016] A mobile cleaning robot according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a controller connected to a main body, and is configured to move a guide between a first horizontal position and a second horizontal position according to a desired position of a brush roller assembly.

[0017] According to a mobile cleaning robot of one embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller is configured to move the guide member from a first horizontal position to a second horizontal position when the brush roller assembly is at a first height to lower the height of the brush roller assembly to a second height, at which time one end of the brush roller assembly extends out of the main body of the mobile cleaning robot.

[0018] According to a mobile cleaning robot of one embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller is configured to move the guide member from the second horizontal position to the first horizontal position to raise the height of the brush roller assembly to the first height when the brush roller assembly is at the second height, at which time at least one end of the brush roller assembly is located within the main body of the mobile cleaning robot.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a mobile cleaning robot, comprising: a main body; A brush roller assembly enables the mobile cleaning robot to clean the surface to be cleaned; A guide member connected to the brush roller and capable of driving the brush roller assembly to change position relative to the main body; a first track connected to the main body and used to receive the guide member, so that the guide member can move between a first horizontal position and a second horizontal position relative to the main body, wherein the guide member has a first height relative to the surface to be cleaned in the first horizontal position and has a second height relative to the surface to be cleaned in the second horizontal position, wherein the first height is different from the second height, so that the brush roller assembly changes position relative to the main body during the horizontal movement; a rack and pinion assembly connected to the guide member, the rack and pinion assembly driving the guide member to move between a first horizontal position and a second horizontal position relative to the main body according to a rotation input; and a controller on the main body for moving the guide member according to a desired position of the brush roller assembly.

[0020] According to the mobile cleaning robot of one embodiment of the present disclosure, at the first horizontal position, the brush roller assembly is close to the main body and is located in the main body as a whole.

[0021] According to the mobile cleaning robot of one embodiment of the present disclosure, at the second horizontal position, the brush roller assembly is away from the main body and in contact with the surface to be cleaned, and one end thereof extends beyond or is flush with the widest position of the main body.

[0022] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a mobile cleaning robot, comprising: a main body; A brush roller assembly connected to the main body enables the mobile cleaning robot to clean the surface to be cleaned; a guide member connected to the brush roller assembly, the guide member being configured to guide the brush roller assembly to move between a first horizontal position and a second horizontal position relative to the main body; A horizontal actuator connected to the guide member, the horizontal actuator providing an actuating force in a lateral direction to the guide member; When the brush roller assembly is in a first horizontal position, the brush roller is close to the main body; When the brush roller assembly is located at the second horizontal position, the brush roller is away from the main body, and one end of the brush roller extends out of the main body.

[0023] According to a mobile cleaning robot of one embodiment of the present disclosure, the guide member comprises: A guide member connected to a brush roller assembly, and a first track engageable with the guide member, wherein the first track comprises at least two lateral extensions of different heights, and a smoothly connected transition portion between the lateral extensions, the guide member is received by the first track, and the brush roller assembly is moved closer to or away from the main body through the actuating force in the lateral direction.

[0024] According to the mobile cleaning robot of one embodiment of the present disclosure, the horizontal actuator includes a second vertically arranged track to receive the guide member, and the guide member can move up and down along the second track. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The accompanying drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure. These drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification.

[0026] Figure 1 is a bottom view of a cleaning robot according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 2 is a side view of a cleaning robot according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 3 is another side view of a cleaning robot according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 4 is another bottom view of the cleaning robot according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 5 It is a front schematic diagram of a brush roller assembly and a brush roller guide assembly of a cleaning robot according to an example of the present disclosure, showing a state in which the brush roller is detached from a surface to be cleaned.

[0031] Figure 6 is a perspective view of a brush roller assembly of a cleaning robot according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the first track distribution of the guide assembly of the cleaning robot on the main body according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 8 It is a front schematic diagram of a brush roller assembly and a brush roller guide assembly of a cleaning robot according to an example of the present disclosure, showing a state in which the brush roller engages a surface to be cleaned.

[0034] Fig. 9 It is a front schematic diagram of a brush roller assembly and a brush roller guide assembly of a cleaning robot according to an example of the present disclosure, showing a state in which the brush roller engages a surface to be cleaned and one end extends out of a cleaning robot body.

[0035] Fig.10 It is a front schematic diagram of a brush roller assembly and a brush roller guide assembly of a cleaning robot according to an example of the present disclosure, showing another state in which the brush roller is detached from the surface to be cleaned.

[0036] Fig.11 This is a schematic diagram of another first track distribution of a guide assembly on a main body of a cleaning robot according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0037] Fig.12 It is a perspective exploded schematic diagram of a horizontal actuator of a cleaning robot according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0038] Fig.13 It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a brush roller assembly and a brush roller guide assembly according to an example of the present disclosure, showing a state in which both ends of the guide are respectively engaged with different first tracks. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The present disclosure is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and implementations. It is understood that the specific implementations described herein are only used to explain the relevant content, rather than to limit the present disclosure. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts related to the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0040] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments and features of the embodiments in the present disclosure can be combined with each other. The technical solution of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0041] Unless otherwise specified, the exemplary embodiments / embodiments shown will be understood as providing exemplary features of various details of some ways in which the technical concept of the present disclosure can be implemented in practice. Therefore, unless otherwise specified, the features of the various embodiments / embodiments can be combined, separated, interchanged and / or rearranged without departing from the technical concept of the present disclosure.

[0042] The use of cross-hatching and / or shading in the accompanying drawings is generally used to make the boundaries between adjacent components clear. As such, unless otherwise specified, the presence or absence of cross-hatching or shading does not convey or indicate any preference or requirement for the specific materials, material properties, dimensions, proportions, commonalities between the components shown, and / or any other characteristics, attributes, properties, etc. of the components. In addition, in the accompanying drawings, the sizes and relative sizes of the components may be exaggerated for clarity and / or descriptive purposes. When the exemplary embodiments can be implemented differently, the specific process sequence can be performed in a different order than described. For example, two successively described processes can be performed substantially simultaneously or in an order opposite to the described order. In addition, the same figure numbers represent the same components.

[0043] When a component is referred to as being "on" or "over," "connected to," or "coupled to" another component, the component may be directly on, directly connected to, or directly coupled to the other component, or intervening components may be present. However, when a component is referred to as being "directly on," "directly connected to," or "directly coupled to" another component, there are no intervening components. For this purpose, the term "connected" may refer to a physical connection, an electrical connection, etc., with or without intervening components.

[0044] For descriptive purposes, the present disclosure may use spatially relative terms such as "under," "beneath," "under," "down," "over," "upper," "above," "higher," and "side (e.g., as in "sidewall")," to describe the relationship of one component to another (other) component as shown in the accompanying drawings. The spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use, operation, and / or manufacture in addition to the orientation depicted in the accompanying drawings. For example, if the device in the accompanying drawings is turned over, components described as "under" or "beneath" other components or features would subsequently be positioned "over" the other components or features. Thus, the exemplary term "under" can encompass both the "above" and "below" orientations. Furthermore, the device may be otherwise oriented (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptors used herein should be interpreted accordingly.

[0045] The terms used here are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and are not intended to be restrictive. As used here, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "one (kind, person)" and "said (the)" are also intended to include plural forms. In addition, when the terms "comprise" and / or "include" and their variations are used in this specification, it is explained that there are stated features, integral bodies, steps, operations, parts, assemblies and / or their groups, but it is not excluded that there are or add one or more other features, integral bodies, steps, operations, parts, assemblies and / or their groups. It should also be noted that, as used here, the terms "substantially", "approximately" and other similar terms are used as approximate terms and not as degree terms, so that they are used to explain the inherent deviations of the measured values, calculated values ​​and / or the values ​​provided that will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0046] The mobile cleaning robot adds a floor cleaning function on the basis of a conventional mobile cleaning robot. The cleaning robot may include dry and / or wet cleaning parts (such as a cleaning roller or a cleaning disc), so that the robot can only perform dry vacuuming cleaning operations or simultaneously perform dry vacuuming and wet floor cleaning operations, or can choose to only perform mopping operations. Regardless of which performance mode is selected, in the cleaning robot, the cleaning roller can move between a retracted position and an extended position. When the cleaning roller is in the retracted position, it helps to improve the effectiveness of the vacuuming operation and the mobility of the robot on the ground, and allows the robot to raise the cleaning roller to vacuum surfaces that cannot or should not be mopped (such as carpets). However, when the wet cleaning part is in the mopping or cleaning position, since the wet cleaning part is located within the main body contour of the cleaning robot, the cleaning end of the wet cleaning part is difficult to reach the area outside the main body contour. Therefore, in some designs, when cleaning the junction of the floor and the wall, the robot must be close to the wall to reach a part of the junction, which requires more precise algorithm navigation control to achieve. In some designs, in the operation mode where the wet cleaning element is engaged with the ground, the wet cleaning element is extended or retracted into the main body contour to achieve the expansion of the cleaning area, which requires a matching set of actuation systems to achieve. However, when lifting the cleaning roller, another set of matching actuation systems is required to lift it. However, the space of the robot body is limited, so it is best to redesign a simple and reliable actuation system according to the operation mode of the robot (mopping or vacuuming).

[0047] The present disclosure helps solve this problem by including an adjustable guidance system in the mobile cleaning robot.

[0048] According to the present disclosure, a mobile cleaning robot may include a main body, a brush roller assembly and a guide. The brush roller assembly may be connected to the main body and may be used in an environment to clean a surface to be cleaned. The guide may guide the brush roller assembly to move relative to the main body between the lateral and longitudinal positions of the main body. In the longitudinal recovery position, the guide may cooperate with the first track on the main body to help provide lifting to the brush roller assembly in the vacuuming mode, which helps to ensure good passability when passing through special areas such as carpets or cleaning efficiency when in the dry vacuuming cleaning mode. When the guide is in the longitudinal lifting position, the first track carries the weight of the brush roller assembly through the guide, so the first track and the guide are used to limit the downward stroke of the brush roller relative to the main body, and to accurately set the height of the brush roller so that the brush roller is disengaged from the surface to be cleaned at an appropriate height. However, when the guide is in the longitudinal descending position, the first track applies the pressure of the fuselage to the brush roller assembly through the guide, so the first track and the guide are used to limit the upward stroke of the brush roller relative to the main body, and to accurately set the height of the brush roller so that the brush roller is engaged with the surface to be cleaned with an appropriate pressure to achieve the effect of force cleaning. The longitudinal lifting and lowering of the guide member is achieved by applying a horizontal actuation force to the guide member, so that the guide member can change its longitudinal height relative to the main body during the horizontal linear movement in the first track. Therefore, in the mopping mode, the guide member can be further moved horizontally so that the guide member drives one end of the brush roller to extend out of the main body contour to help increase the range of the brush roller applied to the surface to be cleaned. This movable guide member can improve actuation redundancy and improve cleaning performance in multiple operations or cleaning modes.

[0049] Figure 1 shows a bottom view of the robot 100, Figure 2 is a side view showing the robot 100 with the brushroll assembly 130 in a raised, retracted position. Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a side view of the mobile cleaning robot 100 in another state, wherein the brush roller assembly 130 is in a lowered recovery position. Figure 4 1 is a bottom view of another state of the mobile cleaning robot 100, wherein the brush roller assembly 130 is in a lowered extended position. For ease of reference, the rise, fall, recovery, and extension herein are all described with reference to the robot body, and are not particularly limited to the present disclosure.

[0050] like Figure 1-4As shown, the robot 100 may include a body 110 and a cleaning system. The cleaning system may include a brush roll assembly 130. The robot 100 may also include other features, such as a vacuum motor, one or more side brushes, a vacuum system, a controller, a drive system, universal wheels, sensors, or the like. The robot may also include a drive wheel that is connected to the shaft and can rotate; the drive wheel may be configured to be driven by a drive wheel motor to propel the robot 100 along the surface of the environment. The robot 100 may also include a controller (not shown), which may be located within the housing or body 110 and may be a programmable controller, such as a single-board or multi-board computer, a direct digital controller (DDC), a programmable logic controller (PLC), or the like. In some example operations, the controller may operate the horizontal actuator 170 to move in a raised recovery position (such as Figure 1 and 2 As shown), descending recovery position (as shown Figure 3 as shown), lowered extended position (as shown Figure 4 In the raised recovery position, the robot 100 can only perform vacuuming operations or only perform moving operations. In the lowered recovery position, the robot can perform wet mopping operations and dry vacuuming operations, or only wet mopping operations. In the lowered extended position, the robot can perform wet edge mopping operations.

[0051] Figure 5 The brush roll assembly 130, the guide 150, and the horizontal actuator 170 are shown. The horizontal actuator 170 may include a gear 171, a rack 172, a drive motor 173, an encoder (not shown), and the like.

[0052] The brush roller assembly 130 may be supported by the guide member 150 on the main body 110 of the robot 100. The main body 110 of the robot may be at least partially located in the robot housing, formed as a part of the robot frame or detachably mounted on the robot frame as an independent component. In the present disclosure, the main body 110 is schematically represented. The brush roller assembly 130 may extend through the bottom of the robot housing in the longitudinal and transverse directions.

[0053] The brush roll assembly 130 may include a brush roll 132 and a splash shield 133, which may be a rigid or semi-rigid protective device that surrounds at least a portion of the brush roll 132. The splash shield 133 may be associated with the brush roll assembly 130 or as part of the assembly. The splash shield 133 may be spaced a certain distance from the brush roll assembly 130 and may move with the brush roll 132 to maintain a fixed (or substantially fixed) distance between the respective brush roll assembly 130 and the splash shield 133. As discussed in further detail below, the splash shield 133 may be combined with a guide 150 to set the stroke of the brush roll assembly 130 of the robot 100 according to the movement of the guide 150. Optionally, the guide 150 may also be combined with another component of the brush roll assembly 130 to set the stroke of the brush roll assembly 130.

[0054] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, in one example, the number of the guide members 150 is two, namely, the guide member 1501 and the guide member 1502, which include rigid travel sliders, respectively connected to the splash shield 133. As a part independent of the guide member 150, the robot body 110 also includes a first track 190. Accordingly, the first track 190 can also be set to two, namely, the first track 1901 and the first track 1902, which are suitable for receiving the above-mentioned guide member 1501 and the guide member 1502. The first track 190 can be formed on the robot body 110, so that the sliding path and position change of the guide member 150 in the first track 190 can cause the moving path and position change of the splash shield 133, so that the movement of the guide member 150 can cause the brush roller assembly 130 to change its position relative to the body 110 or the surface to be cleaned.

[0055] Figure 7 The first track 190 of the guide member 150 is more clearly shown. The first track 190 can be formed on the main body 110 of the robot, or on a substrate as an accessory of the cleaning robot, which is mounted on the main body. The guide member 150 includes a slider 151, which can be a relatively flat and smooth protrusion extending from both sides of the main body 152 of the guide member 150. Figure 6 and Fig.13As shown, the slider 151 can define a first end 151a and a second end 151b. The first end 151a can be engaged with the first track 190 to limit the translation of the guide member 150 in the horizontal direction relative to the body 110. The second end 151b can be engaged with the vertical second track 172c on the horizontal actuator 170 to limit the freedom of movement of the guide member 150 in the vertical direction relative to the body 110 during the translation. The lateral end points of the first track 190 together with the guide member 150 help determine or limit the freedom of movement of the brush roll assembly 130 in the lateral direction. In addition, the horizontal height difference on the first track 190 can determine the limit of the relative vertical movement of the guide member 150 relative to the body 110, and therefore can also determine the distance limit of the vertical movement of the brush roll 132 relative to the robot body 110 or the surface to be cleaned, so as to control the trajectory of the guide member 150 while still ensuring the alignment between the guide member 150 and the horizontal actuator 170.

[0056] In one example, the first track 190 includes at least two lateral extensions of different heights. For example, it may include a first lateral extension 190a and a second lateral extension 190b. The height of the first lateral extension 190a from the surface to be cleaned is higher than the height of the second lateral extension 190b from the surface to be cleaned. Therefore, the lateral extensions of different heights cause the guide member 150 to have different distances relative to the main body 110 or the surface to be cleaned when the slider 151 of the guide member 150 is located therein, so that the height distance of the brush roller assembly 130 as a whole relative to the surface to be cleaned changes.

[0057] For example, back to Figure 5 As shown, when the slider 151 is located at the first lateral extension 190a, the lateral movement stroke of the brush roller assembly 130 relative to the robot body 110 is limited within the stroke of the first lateral extension 190a. Within this movement stroke, the brush roller assembly 130 is in an ascending position; the brush roller assembly 130 is located inside the contour of the body 110 as a whole, that is, it is in an ascending recovery state. At this time, the cleaning working surface of the brush roller 132 does not contact the surface to be cleaned, and maintains a certain distance to ensure that when passing through, for example, a carpet surface, it usually does not contact the ends of the fluff on the carpet surface.

[0058] like Figure 8As shown, when the slider 151 is located at the second lateral extension 190b, the lateral movement stroke of the brush roller assembly 130 relative to the robot body 110 is limited within the stroke of the second lateral extension 190b. Within the movement stroke, the brush roller assembly 130 is in a descending position, the cleaning working surface of the brush roller 132 contacts the surface to be cleaned, and a certain pressure is added to ensure that when cleaning the hard floor surface, it is sufficient to effectively remove the dirty particles on the surface to be cleaned. In the descending position, the brush roller assembly 130 can be located inside the outline of the main body 110 as a whole, that is, it is in a descending recovery state. The height design of the second lateral extension 190b should consider transferring part of the weight or load of the robot body 110 to the first end 151a of the slider, so that when the first end 151a of the slider is located therein, the weight or load is applied to the brush roller assembly 130 through the upper edge of the first track 190 through the connection between the guide and the brush roller assembly, so as to increase the load applied to the surface to be cleaned by the brush roller 132.

[0059] like Fig. 9 As shown, when it is necessary to operate the robot 100 in the edge mode (the robot cleans the connection between the floor and the wall or the obstacle on the floor), the horizontal actuator 170 can be operated to limit the stroke of the brush roller assembly 130 in the second lateral extension 190b to the limit position B of the second lateral extension 190b. The horizontal actuator 170 can apply a translation driving force toward the outside of the cleaning robot body 110 to the slider 151 through the drive system, so that the slider 151 translates outward along the second lateral extension 190b of the first track 190. The translation can continue and push the slider 151 against the limit position B of the second lateral extension 190b. In this way, one end of the brush roller assembly 130 will extend out of the main body 110 of the cleaning robot. In particular, at least one end of the brush roller assembly 130 extends out of the projection range of the body of the mobile cleaning robot on the surface to be cleaned. In the design process, the extension distance of the brush roller assembly 130 can be designed according to the sensing distance of the edge sensor of the cleaning robot. The extension distance may be considered to be limited to at least exceed the widest lateral part of the cleaning robot housing.

[0060] Back to Figure 7 Combined with Fig.10 and 13As shown, in one example, the first rail 190 also includes a transition portion 190c connecting the first lateral extension portion 190a and the second lateral extension portion 190b, so as to achieve the switching of the first end 151a of the slider from the first lateral extension portion 190a to the second lateral extension portion 190b or from the second lateral extension portion 190b to the first lateral extension portion 190a through the transition portion 190c. As described above, when the first end 151a of the slider moves in the transition portion 190c, the vertical second track 172c on the horizontal actuator 170 provides the second end 151b of the slider with freedom of movement in the vertical direction, so that the first track 190 defined on the horizontal actuator 170 pushes the slider 151 to move along the transition portion 190c under the action of the translational driving force of the horizontal actuator 170, and the translational driving force generates a vertical component force between the transition portion 190c and the first end 151a of the slider, so as to overcome the gravity of the components including the brush roller assembly 130, starting from one end of the first lateral extension portion 190a, and climbing along the transition portion 190c and the vertical second track 172c to the starting end of the second lateral extension portion 190b. Under the above-mentioned translational driving force in the opposite direction, when the first end 151a of the slider starts to leave from one end of the second lateral extension portion 190b and enter the transition portion 190c, under the combined action of the gravity of the brush roller assembly 130 and the translational driving force, the first end 151a of the slider can slide along the transition portion 190c and the vertical first rail 172 and enter the first lateral extension portion 190a.

[0061] In one example, the stroke lengths defined by the first lateral extension 190a and the second lateral extension 190b may be different. Fig.11 As shown, the stroke of the first lateral extension 190a is greater than that of the second lateral extension 190b, because in the second lateral extension 190b, the brush roller assembly 130 only needs to be lifted and one end is retracted into the robot body 110, and the brush roller assembly 130 does not perform additional functions in the retracted position, so there is no need to set an additional long stroke to save space in the robot body 110. In another example, the terminal end of the second lateral extension 190b can be located substantially in the middle of the cleaning robot body 110. When the slider 151 is moved to this position, the brush roller assembly 130 is also guided to the approximate middle position of the body 110.

[0062] like Fig.12As shown, the motor 173 of the drive system can be connected to an encoder (not shown) and is also optionally connected to the horizontal actuator 170. A motor 173 can be connected to the horizontal actuator 170, and the horizontal actuator 170 can extend in the lateral direction of the main body 110 so as to transmit the rotation of the motor 173 to the lateral direction to move the guide 150), thereby changing the cleaning mode of the robot 100 between the vacuuming mode, the mopping mode and the edge mode.

[0063] In one example, if Figure 5 , 8 As shown in FIGS. 10, 12 and 13, the horizontal actuator 170 may include a driving gear 171 and a rack 172. The rack 172 includes a base plate 172b, and a vertical second track 172c is formed on the base plate 172b to receive the second end 151b of the slider 151. The gear 171 and the rack 172 work together to convert the rotation of the driving shaft of the motor 173 into the translation of the rack 172 to provide the translation driving force. The slider 151 can achieve the conversion between the horizontal position and the height position by applying the translation driving force under the joint action of the first track 190 and the vertical second track 172c. Fig.13 It is also shown that the guide member 150 may include a body 152 extending from the guide member 150. In one example, the body 152 is a plate-like structure, and the first end 151a and the second end 151b of the slider 151 extend outward from both sides of the plate-like structure. The body 152 can be connected to the splash guard 133 of the robot 100. The body 152 has a longitudinal length that helps determine the longitudinal travel of the brush roller assembly 130 of the robot 100, and its surface is located between the body 110 and the rack 172 for stabilizing the movement of the slider 151 in the first track 190.

[0064] In one example, if Fig.12 As shown, in order to ensure the stability of the lateral movement of the rack 172, the main body 110 may include a lateral track 110a. The extension direction of the lateral track 110a is consistent with the extension direction of the first lateral extension portion 190a and / or the second lateral extension portion 190b to ensure the coordination and stability of the horizontal movement. The sliding portion 172a extending outward from the base plate 172b of the rack 172 can be received by the lateral track 110a, and the two are engaged to form a guide mechanism for the movement of the rack 172. Through the above-mentioned cooperation between the main body 110 and the rack 172, a stable structure for the rack 172 to move horizontally along the main body 110 is formed, so that no matter how the slider 151 of the guide member 150 moves between the main body 110 and the rack 172, the relative height between the rack 172 and the main body 110 remains unchanged.

[0065] In one example, a support portion 110b extends outward from the main body 110 to support the lower edge of the rack 172, so that during the lateral movement of the rack 172, the lower edge can be received by the support portion 110b and slide thereon. In other words, through the above arrangement, the rack 172 can be meshed with the main body 110 to respond to the rotation of the gear 171 and make the rack 172 translate stably, thereby driving the guide member 150 to change position, but only during a partial travel (rotation) of the gear 171 around its axis.

[0066] Combination Figure 5 and 8 -10, the brush roller 132 contacts the surface to be cleaned, the first end 151a of the slider 151 is located in the first transverse extension 190a, and the second end 151b is located at the lower end of the second vertical track 172c of the rack 172. As the gear 171 continues to rotate, the slider 151 continues to translate along the first transverse extension 190a toward the outside of the main body under the push of the second vertical track 172c of the rack 172, until the slider 151 engages with the terminal end of the first transverse extension 190a, or until the controller stops the rotation of the motor 173, for example, stops the rotation of the motor 173 according to the signal sent by the encoder, and then one end of the brush roller 132 extends out of the main body 110.

[0067] In order to translate the brush roller assembly 130 back to the position in the body 110, the motor 173 can be operated to rotate the shaft in the opposite direction, so as to finally rotate the gear 171 in the opposite direction to translate the brush roller assembly 130 to the position in the body 110 to continue cleaning the surface to be cleaned.

[0068] When dry cleaning or vacuuming mode is required, such a process can be used as needed to operate the motor 173 to make the motor output shaft continue to rotate in the opposite direction, so as to finally rotate in the opposite direction through the gear 171, so that the brush roller assembly 130 is translated and lifted to a higher position in the main body 110 during the process of the slider 151 climbing through the transition portion 190c to the second lateral extension portion 190b, so that the brush roller 132 leaves the cleaning surface and maintains an appropriate distance from the cleaning surface.

[0069] The encoder can be connected to the drive system. Thus, the encoder can monitor the rotation of the motor 173 output shaft or the gear 171, thereby monitoring the position of the rack 172, which can be transmitted to the controller via a position signal (or encoder signal). The controller can thus determine the position of the slider 151 relative to the robot and determine the position of the brush roller assembly 130 relative to the body 110. The controller can use these positions to guide the movement and action of the robot 100.

[0070] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment / method", "some embodiments / methods", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment / method or example are included in at least one embodiment / method or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment / method or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments / methods or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments / methods or examples described in this specification and the features of the different embodiments / methods or examples, unless they are contradictory.

[0071] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0072] Those skilled in the art should understand that the above embodiments are only for the purpose of clearly illustrating the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other changes or modifications may be made based on the above disclosure, and these changes or modifications are still within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A mobile cleaning robot, characterized in that: include: A main body, which can be moved over the surface to be cleaned; A brush roller assembly is connected to the main body through a guide member, and enables the mobile cleaning robot to clean the surface to be cleaned; The main body includes a first track to receive a guide member. The guide member of the brush roller assembly can be driven to move horizontally linearly along the first track on the main body. The guide member can change its relative distance with the main body during the horizontal linear movement to drive the brush roller assembly to change its height relative to the main body during the horizontal linear movement relative to the main body.

2. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first track includes at least two lateral extensions of different heights and a smoothly connected transition portion between the lateral extensions. The guide member is received by the first track to move linearly through the lateral extensions, changing the movement trajectory through the transition portion, thereby changing its relative distance from the main body.

3. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The main body includes at least two first tracks, and the at least two first tracks are distributed side by side along the main body in a transverse direction.

4. The mobile cleaning robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The guide member includes a slider, so that it can move within the first track; Optionally, it further comprises a horizontal actuator connected to the guide member, the horizontal actuator providing actuation force in a lateral direction to the guide member; Optionally, the horizontal actuator includes a second vertically arranged track to receive the guide member, so that the guide member can move up and down along the second track; Optionally, the guide member includes a limit plate, and the limit plate is located between the first track and the second track; as well as Slide blocks extending outward from both sides of the limiting plate are received by the first track and the second track respectively; Optionally, the horizontal actuator includes a driving gear that is operable to rotate, and a rack connected to the guide member, wherein the driving gear is meshingly connected to the rack to convert the driving force of the driving gear into an actuating force in the lateral direction of the rack; Optionally, the height includes a first height and a second height, at the first height, the brush roller assembly is in contact with the surface to be cleaned, and at least one end of the brush roller assembly extends out of a projection range of the body of the mobile cleaning robot on the surface to be cleaned; Optionally, the height includes a first height and a second height, at the second height, the brush roller assembly is away from the surface to be cleaned, and the brush roller assembly is entirely located within the projection range of the body of the mobile cleaning robot on the surface to be cleaned; Optionally, including a controller connected to the body and configured to move the guide between the first horizontal position and the second horizontal position based on a desired position of the brushroll assembly; Optionally, the controller is configured to move the guide member from the first horizontal position to the second horizontal position when the brush roller assembly is at the first height, so as to lower the height of the brush roller assembly to the second height, at which time one end of the brush roller assembly extends out of the main body of the mobile cleaning robot; Optionally, the controller is configured to move the guide member from the second horizontal position to the first horizontal position when the brush roller assembly is at the second height to raise the height of the brush roller assembly to the first height, at which time at least one end of the brush roller assembly is located within the main body of the mobile cleaning robot.

5. A mobile cleaning robot, characterized in that: include: main body; A brush roller assembly enables the mobile cleaning robot to clean the surface to be cleaned; A guide member connected to the brush roller and capable of driving the brush roller assembly to change position relative to the main body; a first track connected to the main body and used to receive the guide member, so that the guide member can move between a first horizontal position and a second horizontal position relative to the main body, wherein the guide member has a first height relative to the surface to be cleaned in the first horizontal position and has a second height relative to the surface to be cleaned in the second horizontal position, wherein the first height is different from the second height, so that the brush roller assembly changes position relative to the main body during the horizontal movement; a rack and pinion assembly connected to the guide member, the rack and pinion assembly driving the guide member to move between a first horizontal position and a second horizontal position relative to the main body according to a rotation input; and a controller on the main body for moving the guide member according to a desired position of the brush roller assembly.

6. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: In a first horizontal position, the brush roller assembly is proximate to the main body and is entirely located within the main body.

7. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: In the second horizontal position, the brush roller assembly is away from the main body and in contact with the surface to be cleaned, and one end thereof extends beyond or is flush with the widest position of the main body.

8. A mobile cleaning robot, characterized in that: include: main body; A brush roller assembly connected to the main body enables the mobile cleaning robot to clean the surface to be cleaned; a guide member connected to the brush roller assembly, the guide member being configured to guide the brush roller assembly to move between a first horizontal position and a second horizontal position relative to the main body; A horizontal actuator connected to the guide member, the horizontal actuator providing an actuating force in a lateral direction to the guide member; When the brush roller assembly is in a first horizontal position, the brush roller is close to the main body; When the brush roller assembly is located at the second horizontal position, the brush roller is away from the main body, and one end of the brush roller extends out of the main body.

9. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 8, characterized in that: The guide member comprises: A guide member connected to a brush roller assembly, and a first track engageable with the guide member, wherein the first track comprises at least two lateral extensions of different heights, and a smoothly connected transition portion between the lateral extensions, the guide member is received by the first track, and the brush roller assembly is moved closer to or away from the main body through the actuating force in the lateral direction.

10. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 9, characterized in that: The horizontal actuator comprises a second track which is vertically arranged to receive the guide member, and the guide member can move up and down along the second track.

Images