Cleaning device and cleaning method

Abstract

The invention relates to a cleaning device and a cleaning method. Wherein the cleaning device comprises a cleaning brush, a water scraping piece and a lifting mechanism; the cleaning brush is used for brushing the ground; the water scraping piece is arranged at the front end of the cleaning brush, and the water scraping piece has a grounding state; the lifting mechanism is connected with the water scraping piece and used for driving the water scraping piece to descend to the grounding state in the vertical direction and to ascend to be separated from the grounding state. When the cleaning device moves backwards, water stains left on the ground on the front side of the cleaning brush can be wiped only by controlling the water scraping piece to descend to the grounding state through the lifting mechanism, the amount of the water stains on the ground is reduced, and the ground can be evaporated and air-dried as soon as possible; and when the cleaning device moves forwards, the floor on the front side can be normally cleaned and brushed only by controlling the water scraping piece to rise to be separated from the grounding state through the lifting mechanism.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of floor cleaning, and in particular to a cleaning device and a cleaning method. Background Art

[0002] In home and other scenarios, cleaning devices such as sweeping robots and floor scrubbers are increasingly used to clean the floor. Existing cleaning devices such as floor scrubbers generally include a cleaning brush, which scrubs the floor by rolling and rotating the cleaning brush. In order to achieve a better cleaning effect on the floor, water is sprayed on the floor during the scrubbing process; the water sprayed on the floor soaks the floor, making it easier for the cleaning brush to clean the dirt on the floor, and the generated sewage will be sucked into the internal sewage container by the cleaning device, but at the same time, the above process will inevitably produce water stains on the cleaned floor.

[0003] In order to reduce water stains on the ground, some floor scrubber products are provided with a scraper bar on the rear side of the cleaning brush. The scraper bar is used to wipe off the water stains as much as possible along the path passed by the floor scrubber, thereby reducing the time the water stains remain on the ground and allowing the water stains on the ground to evaporate and dry in a shorter time.

[0004] The scraper bar provided on the above-mentioned floor scrubber product can only wipe off the water stains on the ground at the rear side when the floor scrubber moves forward, but it is powerless to remove the water stains left on the ground at the front side of the floor scrubber when the floor scrubber moves backward; moreover, the inventor of the present invention found that for the floor scrubber product, the amount of water stains left on the ground at the front side when the floor scrubber moves backward is greater than the amount of water stains left on the ground at the rear side when the floor scrubber moves forward, and the time required for evaporation and air drying generally takes about 2 minutes, which is a problem criticized by users. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present application provides a cleaning device and a cleaning method to solve the problem that water stains remain on the ground at the front side of a cleaning device such as a floor scrubber when the floor scrubber moves backward and take a long time to dry.

[0006] The cleaning device provided by the present invention comprises a cleaning brush, a wiper and a lifting mechanism; the cleaning brush is used to scrub the ground; the wiper is arranged at the front end of the cleaning brush, and the wiper has a grounding state; the lifting mechanism is connected to the wiper, and is used to drive the wiper to produce a downward movement in the vertical direction to the grounding state, and to produce an upward movement to leave the grounding state.

[0007] Wherein, the wiper element maintains a tight contact with the ground in the grounded state.

[0008] Wherein, the wiper element comprises an upper side portion and a lower side portion, the upper side portion is made of a rigid material, and the lower side portion is made of a flexible material.

[0009] Wherein, the surface of the wiper element in contact with the ground is any one of rubber, latex, plastic and cotton.

[0010] Wherein, the lifting mechanism includes a motor, a transmission belt and a driving shaft, and the driving shaft is provided with a first gear and a second gear along its axial direction respectively; the transmission belt is connected to the output end of the motor and the first gear respectively, and the motor drives the first gear, the driving shaft and the second gear to rotate through the transmission belt; the wiper element is provided with a rack portion, the rack portion is meshed with the second gear to be driven by the second gear, and the rack portion drives the wiper element to rise or fall in a vertical direction when driven by the second gear.

[0011] Wherein, the cleaning device also includes a control device, which sends an instruction to the lifting mechanism to control the lifting mechanism to drive the wiper element to move downward to a ground-connected state when the cleaning device moves backward, and sends an instruction to the lifting mechanism to control the lifting mechanism to drive the wiper element to move upward to a ground-free state when the cleaning device moves forward.

[0012] In which, the control device also receives forward and backward movement direction instructions provided by the user, and controls the cleaning device to move forward or backward according to the movement direction instructions; after receiving the backward movement direction instruction provided by the user, the control device sends an instruction to the lifting mechanism to control the wiper element to move downward to a ground contact state before controlling the cleaning device to move backward.

[0013] In which, the cleaning device also includes a roller travel mechanism and a movement direction detection mechanism; the roller travel mechanism includes a roller, and the cleaning device is driven to move forward or backward by the rotation of the roller; the movement direction detection mechanism is used to detect the rotation direction of the roller in the roller travel mechanism to determine whether the roller travel mechanism is moving forward or backward; the control device is connected to the movement direction detection mechanism, and based on the detection result provided by the movement direction detection mechanism, when it is determined that the running direction of the roller travel mechanism is backward movement, the control device sends an instruction to the lifting mechanism to control the wiper element to move downward to a grounding state, and when it is determined that the moving direction of the roller travel mechanism is forward movement, the control device sends an instruction to the lifting mechanism to control the wiper element to move upward to a grounding state.

[0014] Wherein, the roller is provided with a plurality of grating mechanisms spaced apart in the circumferential direction, and the grating mechanism includes a plurality of grating holes spaced apart in the circumferential direction; the movement direction detection mechanism includes a first light detection unit and a second light detection unit spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the grating mechanism, and also includes a determination unit; the first light detection unit and the second light detection unit both include a light transmitting module and a light receiving module, the light transmitting module transmits light to the grating, and the light receiving module receives light passing through the grating; the light receiving modules of the first light detection unit and the second light detection unit form a light signal according to the received light; the determination unit determines the rotation direction of the roller according to the light signal received by the light receiving modules of the first light detection unit and the second light detection unit.

[0015] Wherein, the cleaning device also includes a roller travel mechanism, which includes a roller and a hub motor, the hub motor is connected to the roller and drives the roller to rotate; the hub motor is also connected to the control device and sends the rotation direction of the roller to the control device.

[0016] The cleaning method provided by the present invention comprises:

[0017] Step a: when the cleaning device moves forward and uses its cleaning brush to scrub the ground in front, the wiper element is controlled to move upward to a state of being out of contact with the ground or to remain in the state of being out of contact with the ground;

[0018] Step b: When the cleaning device moves backward and uses its cleaning brush to scrub the rear ground, the wiper element is controlled to move downward to a ground contact state.

[0019] Wherein, the cleaning method further comprises:

[0020] Detecting the direction of movement of the cleaning device;

[0021] When it is detected that the moving direction of the cleaning device is forward movement, step a is executed; when it is detected that the moving direction of the cleaning device is backward movement, step b is executed.

[0022] Wherein, the cleaning method further comprises:

[0023] Receive movement direction instructions provided by the user;

[0024] When the movement direction instruction provided by the user is forward movement, execute step a;

[0025] Controlling the cleaning device to move forward;

[0026] When the movement direction instruction provided by the user is backward movement, executing step b;

[0027] Control the cleaning device to move backward.

[0028] The above technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0029] The cleaning device and cleaning method provided by the embodiment of the present application are provided with a wiper at the front end of the cleaning brush, and the wiper is connected to the lifting structure, and the lifting mechanism can drive the wiper to move up and down, so that the wiper can move up without contacting the ground and away from the ground, and can move down to contact the ground, that is, the grounded state. When the wiper is in the grounded state, the wiper is in contact with the ground, and when the cleaning device moves backward, the wiper can wipe off the water stains on the ground in front of the cleaning brush, reduce the amount of water stains on the ground, and allow the ground in front of the cleaning brush and the cleaning device to evaporate and dry as quickly as possible. When the wiper is out of contact with the ground, the wiper does not contact the ground. When the cleaning device moves forward, the wiper will not push the dirt on the ground in front of the cleaning brush, so that the dirt on the ground can be touched and effectively cleaned by the cleaning brush. At the same time, the wiper does not contact the dirt on the ground, and will not cause itself to become dirty. In this way, when the cleaning device moves backward and needs to use the wiper to wipe the water stains on the ground, the wiper will not stain the ground again. Therefore, when the cleaning device moves backward, it only needs to control the wiper to descend to the ground through the lifting mechanism, so that the water stains on the ground in front of the cleaning brush can be wiped off, reducing the amount of water stains on the ground, so that the ground can evaporate and dry as quickly as possible; and when the cleaning device moves forward, it only needs to control the wiper to rise to the out of contact state through the lifting mechanism, so that the front side of the ground can be cleaned and scrubbed normally. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0031] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative labor.

[0032] One or more embodiments are exemplarily described by pictures in the corresponding drawings, and these exemplified descriptions do not constitute limitations on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings represent similar elements, and unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings do not constitute proportional limitations.

[0033] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a cleaning device provided by an embodiment of the present application at a first viewing angle;

[0034] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The schematic structural diagram of the cleaning device shown is at a second viewing angle;

[0035] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the upper cover of the cleaning device shown;

[0036] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of the cleaning device shown in the third viewing angle;

[0037] Figure 5 for Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the structure of the cleaning device shown in FIG. 1 after the upper cover is removed;

[0038] Figure 6 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a driving shaft in the cleaning device shown;

[0039] Figure 7 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a wiper member in the cleaning device shown;

[0040] Figure 8 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the cleaning device when it moves backward;

[0041] Fig. 9 for Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the cleaning device in the previous state of movement is shown.

[0042] Description of reference numerals:

[0043] 10-Cleaning brush;

[0044] 11-wiping member; 11a-upper side portion; 11b-lower side portion; 111-rack portion;

[0045] 12-lifting mechanism; 121-motor; 122-transmission belt; 123-driving shaft; 1231-first gear; 1232-second gear;

[0046] 13-roller travel mechanism; 131-roller; 132-wheel hub motor;

[0047] 20- base;

[0048] 30-Upper cover. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0050] The disclosure below provides many different embodiments or examples to implement different structures of the present invention. In order to simplify the disclosure of the present invention, the parts and settings of specific examples are described below. Of course, they are only examples, and the purpose is not to limit the present invention. In addition, the present invention can repeat reference numbers and / or letters in different examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplification and clarity, and does not itself indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or settings discussed.

[0051] For ease of description, spatial relative terms may be used herein to describe the relative positional relationship or movement of one element or feature relative to another element or feature as shown in the figure, such as "inside", "outside", "inner side", "outer side", "below", "below", "above", "above", "front", "back", etc. Such spatial relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figure. For example, if the device in the figure undergoes a position flip or a posture change or a motion state change, then these directional indications also change accordingly, for example: an element described as "below other elements or features" or "below other elements or features" will subsequently be oriented as "above other elements or features" or "above other elements or features". Therefore, the example term "below..." may include both upper and lower orientations. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or in other directions) and the spatial relative descriptors used herein are interpreted accordingly.

[0052] In one embodiment of the cleaning device provided by the present invention, Figures 1 to 9 As shown, the cleaning device includes a cleaning brush 10, a wiper element 11 and a lifting mechanism 12; the cleaning brush 10 is used to scrub the floor; the wiper element 11 is arranged at the front end of the cleaning brush 10, and the wiper element 11 has a grounding state; the lifting mechanism 12 is connected to the wiper element 11, and is used to drive the wiper element 11 to produce a downward movement in the vertical direction to the grounding state, and to produce an upward movement to leave the grounding state.

[0053] like Figure 1 to Figure 5As shown, the cleaning device further includes a base 20 and an upper cover 30 . The base 20 is used to install the above-mentioned cleaning brush 10 , wiper 11 , lifting mechanism 12 , etc., while the upper cover 30 covers the upper side of the base 20 . Figure 3 The structure of the upper cover 30 is shown. Figure 5 The figure shows the remaining structure of the cleaning device covered by the upper cover 30 after the upper cover 30 is removed.

[0054] In this embodiment, the cleaning brush 10 can be a cylindrical roller brush with an axial direction parallel to the ground, and can clean the ground by rolling; or a disc-shaped brush disc with an axial direction perpendicular to the ground, and can clean the ground by rotating. In addition, the cleaning brush 10 can also be any other type of structure that can clean the ground. In actual implementation, the present invention does not limit the specific structure type of the cleaning brush 10.

[0055] In this embodiment, a wiper 11 is provided at the front end of the cleaning brush 10, and the wiper 11 is connected to a lifting structure 12. The lifting mechanism 12 can drive the wiper 11 to move upward and downward, so that the wiper 11 can move upward without contacting the ground and away from the ground, and can move downward to contact the ground, that is, to a grounded state. When the wiper 11 is in a grounded state, the wiper 11 is in contact with the ground. When the cleaning device moves backward, the wiper 11 can wipe off the water stains on the ground in front of the cleaning brush 10, reduce the amount of water stains on the ground, and allow the ground in front of the cleaning brush 10 and the cleaning device to evaporate and dry as quickly as possible. When the wiper member 11 is out of contact with the ground, the wiper member 11 does not contact the ground. When the cleaning device moves forward, the wiper member 11 does not push the dirt on the ground in front of the cleaning brush 10, so that the dirt on the ground can be contacted and effectively cleaned by the cleaning brush 10. At the same time, the wiper member 11 does not contact the dirt on the ground and does not cause itself to become polluted. In this way, when the cleaning device moves backward and needs to use the wiper member 11 to wipe off water stains on the ground, the wiper member 11 will not stain the ground again.

[0056] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the cleaning device moves backward, it only needs to control the wiper member 11 to descend to the ground state through the lifting mechanism 12, so that the water stains remaining on the ground in front of the cleaning brush 10 can be wiped off, reducing the amount of water stains on the ground, so that the ground can evaporate and dry as quickly as possible; and when the cleaning device moves forward, it only needs to control the wiper member 11 to rise to the ground-free state through the lifting mechanism 12, so that the ground in front can be cleaned and scrubbed normally.

[0057] In an embodiment of the cleaning device, the wiper element 11 maintains a close contact with the ground in the grounded state.

[0058] In this embodiment, the wiper element 11 is kept in close contact with the ground in the grounded state, that is, in the grounded state, the wiper element 11 exerts a downward pressure on the ground. Based on the downward pressure, the wiper element 11 is in full contact with the ground, and the water stains remaining on the ground are wiped off better and more, thereby reducing the amount of water stains remaining on the ground to a greater extent, so that the ground can evaporate and dry faster.

[0059] In this embodiment, the downward pressure of the wiper member 11 on the ground can be applied to the wiper member 11 by the lifting mechanism 12, so as to form a downward pressure between the wiper member 11 and the ground, so that the wiper member 11 is kept in close contact with the ground. In addition, in actual implementation, the downward pressure applied to the wiper member 11 by the lifting mechanism 12 can be significantly greater than the weight of the wiper member 11 itself, for example, 3 times, 5 times, etc., of the weight of the wiper member 11 itself, so that the wiper member 11 is fully in close contact with the ground.

[0060] In an embodiment of the cleaning device, the wiper element 11 includes an upper portion 11 a and a lower portion 11 b , the upper portion 11 a is made of a rigid material, and the lower portion 11 b is made of a flexible material.

[0061] In this embodiment, a rigid material, such as hard plastic, hard rubber, metal, etc., is selected for the upper side portion 11a of the wiper member 11, so that the structural strength of the wiper member 11 can be ensured. A flexible material is selected for the lower side portion 11b of the wiper member 11, so that the lower side portion 11b of the wiper member 11 can be more fully in contact with the ground, thereby achieving a better wiping effect on water stains on the ground.

[0062] The surface of the wiper element 11 that contacts the ground, namely the lower side portion 11b, can be made of any one of rubber, latex, plastic and cotton, wherein the plastic is flexible and soft plastic.

[0063] In actual implementation, the material type of the lower side portion 11b can be determined comprehensively according to technical requirements and cost considerations. Also, without considering the cost, multiple layers can be provided and different materials can be selected respectively, so as to achieve a better wiping effect on water stains on the ground.

[0064] In one embodiment of the cleaning device, the lifting mechanism 12 includes a motor 121, a transmission belt 122 and a drive shaft 123, and the drive shaft 123 is respectively provided with a first gear 1231 and a second gear 1232 along its axial direction; the transmission belt 122 is respectively connected to the output end of the motor 121 and the first gear 1231, and the motor 121 drives the first gear 1231, the drive shaft 123 and the second gear 1232 to rotate through the transmission belt 122; the wiper element 11 is provided with a rack portion 111, the rack portion 111 is engaged with the second gear 1232 to be driven by the second gear 1232, and the rack portion 111 drives the wiper element 11 to rise or fall in the vertical direction when driven by the second gear 1232.

[0065] In this embodiment, the output end of the motor 121 can be connected to the transmission belt 122 through a gear, which can drive the transmission belt 122 to rotate; and the transmission belt 122 is connected to the first gear 1231 on the drive shaft 123 at the other end. Through the connection between the two, the drive shaft 123 is driven by the transmission belt 122 to rotate, and the second gear 1232 set on the drive shaft 123 also rotates synchronously. When the second gear 1232 rotates, it can act on the rack portion 111 on the wiper member 11 meshed with it, driving the rack portion 111 and the wiper member 11 to move. The wiper member 11 is driven by the second gear 1232 to move in the vertical direction, that is, the wiper member 11 is driven by the second gear 1232 to rise upward and fall downward.

[0066] In one embodiment of the cleaning device, the cleaning device also includes a control device, which sends an instruction to the lifting mechanism 12 to control the lifting mechanism 12 to drive the wiper element 11 to move downward to a ground contact state when the cleaning device moves backward, and sends an instruction to the lifting mechanism 12 to control the lifting mechanism 12 to drive the wiper element 11 to move upward to a ground contact state when the cleaning device moves forward.

[0067] In this embodiment, the control device controls the lifting mechanism 12 by command, so as to adjust the wiper 11 to the required state in different stages. Specifically, as analyzed above, when the cleaning device moves backward, the wiper 11 needs to wipe the water stains on the ground, and the control device sends a command to the lifting mechanism 12, and the lifting mechanism 12 controls the wiper 11 to descend to the ground state to wipe the water stains on the ground; when the cleaning device moves forward, it is necessary to ensure that the wiper 11 does not hinder the cleaning process of the cleaning brush 10, and the control device sends a command to the lifting mechanism 12, and the lifting mechanism 12 controls the wiper 11 to rise to the ground-free state.

[0068] In one embodiment of the cleaning device, the control device further receives forward and backward movement direction instructions provided by the user, and controls the cleaning device to move forward or backward according to the movement direction instructions. After receiving the backward movement direction instruction provided by the user, the control device sends an instruction to the lifting mechanism 12 to control the wiper member 11 to move downward to a ground contact state before controlling the cleaning device to move backward.

[0069] In this embodiment, the control device obtains information about the forward and backward movement of the cleaning device from the instructions provided by the user. Specifically, when the user requests the cleaning device to move forward or backward by pressing a button, remote control, voice or other means, the control device receives the instruction information. After that, the control device first issues an instruction to the lifting mechanism 12 to control the lifting mechanism 12 to drive the wiper 11 to move downward, so that the wiper 11 switches to the grounding state; then, the cleaning device moves backward as a whole. In this way, the wiper 11 can be in the grounding state during the entire process of the backward movement of the cleaning device, especially in the initial stage of the backward movement, so that the wiper 11 can wipe the water stains remaining on the ground during the entire process of the backward movement of the cleaning device, avoiding the situation that the wiper 11 is not in the grounding state at the initial stage of the backward movement of the cleaning device and cannot wipe the water stains on the ground.

[0070] In one embodiment of the cleaning device, the cleaning device further comprises a roller travel mechanism 13 and a movement direction detection mechanism; the roller travel mechanism 13 comprises a roller 131, and the cleaning device is driven to move forward or backward by the rotation of the roller 131. The movement direction detection mechanism is used to detect the rotation direction of the roller 131 in the roller travel mechanism 13 to determine whether the roller travel mechanism 13 moves forward or backward. The control device is connected to the movement direction detection mechanism, and according to the detection result provided by the movement direction detection mechanism, when it is determined that the running direction of the roller travel mechanism 13 is backward movement, the control device sends an instruction to the lifting mechanism 12 to control the wiper member 11 to move downward to a grounding state, and when it is determined that the moving direction of the roller travel mechanism 13 is forward movement, the control device sends an instruction to the lifting mechanism 12 to control the wiper member 11 to move upward to a grounding state.

[0071] In this embodiment, the rotation direction of the roller 131 is detected by the movement direction detection mechanism to identify and determine the movement direction of the roller travel mechanism 13, that is, the front-back movement direction of the cleaning device. After the movement direction detection mechanism determines the movement direction of the roller travel mechanism 13, the control device issues a command to the lifting mechanism 12 according to the detection result, and the lifting mechanism 12 controls the wiper element 11 to move upward to a state of being out of contact with the ground, or to move downward to a state of being in contact with the ground.

[0072] Compared with the above-mentioned embodiments, in this embodiment, after the cleaning device moves forward or backward for a certain distance and the roller 131 of the roller travel mechanism 13 rotates forward or backward for a certain number of circles, the control device controls the wiper 11 to move downward or upward through the lifting mechanism 12, so as to make it in the grounding state or out of the grounding state. In this case, the control of the grounding state of the wiper 11 has a lag compared with the control of the forward and backward movement state of the cleaning device. When the cleaning device moves backward, in its initial stage, the cleaning device has moved backward for a certain distance, and the wiper 11 has just dropped to the grounding state. As for the water stains on the ground, the water stains in the frontmost area cannot be wiped off by the wiper 11.

[0073] In one embodiment of the cleaning device, the roller 131 is provided with a plurality of grating mechanisms spaced apart in the circumferential direction, and the grating mechanism includes a plurality of grating holes spaced apart in the circumferential direction; the movement direction detection mechanism includes a first light detection unit and a second light detection unit spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the grating mechanism, and also includes a determination unit; the first light detection unit and the second light detection unit both include a light emitting module and a light receiving module, the light emitting module emits light to the grating, and the light receiving module receives light passing through the grating; the light receiving modules of the first light detection unit and the second light detection unit form a light signal according to the received light; the determination unit determines the rotation direction of the roller 131 according to the light signal received by the light receiving modules of the first light detection unit and the second light detection unit.

[0074] In this embodiment, the light emitting modules in the first light detection unit and the second light detection unit may be, for example, LEDs. The determination unit determines the rotation direction of the roller 131 according to the light signal formed by the light received by the light receiving module. Specifically, the determination may be made directly based on the original light signal, or based on various types of signals formed after photoelectric conversion or other conversions, and the present invention does not limit this.

[0075] In this embodiment, the plurality of grating holes of the grating mechanism may be arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. In this case, the interval between the first light detection unit and the second light detection unit in the circumferential direction of the grating mechanism may specifically be the distance between a non-integer number of grating holes. This arrangement makes it easier to determine the rotation direction of the roller 131. Of course, in actual implementation, the arrangement of the grating holes in the grating mechanism, as well as the arrangement of the first light detection unit and the second light detection unit may be changed accordingly as needed, as long as the rotation direction of the roller 131 can be determined. This is known and conventional to those skilled in the art, and the present invention does not limit this.

[0076] In one embodiment of the cleaning device, the cleaning device further comprises a roller travel mechanism 13, the roller travel mechanism 13 comprises a roller 131 and a hub motor 132, the hub motor 132 is connected to the roller 131 and drives the roller 131 to rotate. The hub motor 132 is also connected to a control device and sends the rotation direction of the roller 131 to the control device.

[0077] In this embodiment, the roller 131 is driven by the wheel hub motor 132 to rotate forward or backward, and the wheel hub motor 132 has information reflecting the rotation direction of the roller 131. The control device is connected to the wheel hub motor 132, and can obtain the rotation direction of the roller 131 from the wheel hub motor 132, so that the lifting mechanism 12 can be commanded and controlled based on the information obtained from the wheel hub motor 132, so that the wiper element 11 moves downward to the ground contact state, or moves upward to the ground contact state.

[0078] In summary, the cleaning device provided by the above embodiment of the present invention has a wiper 11 disposed at the front end of the cleaning brush 10, and the wiper 11 is connected to the lifting structure 12, and the lifting mechanism 12 can drive the wiper 11 to move up and down, so that the wiper 11 can move up without contacting the ground and away from the ground, and can move down to contact the ground, that is, to the grounded state. When the wiper 11 is in the grounded state, the wiper 11 is in contact with the ground, and when the cleaning device moves backward, the wiper 11 can wipe off the water stains remaining on the ground in front of the cleaning brush 10, reduce the amount of water stains on the ground, and allow the ground in front of the cleaning brush 10 and the cleaning device to evaporate and dry as quickly as possible. When the wiper 11 is out of the grounding state, the wiper 11 does not contact the ground. When the cleaning device moves forward, the wiper 11 will not push the dirt on the ground in front of the cleaning brush 10, so that the dirt on the ground can be contacted and effectively cleaned by the cleaning brush 10; at the same time, the wiper 11 does not contact the dirt on the ground, and will not cause itself to become dirty. In this way, when the cleaning device moves backward and needs to use the wiper 11 to wipe the water stains on the ground, the wiper 11 will not stain the ground again. Therefore, when the cleaning device moves backward, it only needs to control the wiper 11 to descend to the grounding state through the lifting mechanism 12, so that the water stains left on the ground in front of the cleaning brush 10 can be wiped off, reducing the amount of water stains on the ground, so that the ground can evaporate and dry as soon as possible; and when the cleaning device moves forward, it only needs to control the wiper 11 to rise to the out of the grounding state through the lifting mechanism 12, so that the front side of the ground can be normally cleaned and brushed.

[0079] In one embodiment of the cleaning method of the present invention, the cleaning method comprises:

[0080] Step a: When the cleaning device moves forward and uses its cleaning brush 10 to scrub the ground in front, the wiper member 11 is controlled to move upward to a state of being out of contact with the ground or to remain in the state of being out of contact with the ground;

[0081] Step b: When the cleaning device moves backward and uses its cleaning brush 10 to scrub the rear ground, the wiper element 11 is controlled to move downward to a ground contact state.

[0082] In this embodiment, the cleaning method is based on the embodiment of the aforementioned cleaning device. As described in the embodiment of the aforementioned cleaning device, when the cleaning device moves forward, if the wiper element 11 is in a grounded state, the wiper element 11 is controlled to move upward to a grounded state; if the wiper element 11 is in a grounded state, the wiper element 11 is maintained in the grounded state. In short, a gap is created between the wiper element 11 and the ground, thereby not interfering with the cleaning and scrubbing process of the ground by the cleaning device.

[0083] When the cleaning device moves backward, the wiper 11 is controlled to move downward to a ground contact state, and the wiper 11 can wipe off the water stains remaining on the ground in front of the cleaning brush 10, reducing the amount of water stains on the ground and allowing the ground to evaporate and dry faster.

[0084] In one embodiment of the cleaning method, the cleaning method further comprises:

[0085] Detecting the direction of movement of the cleaning device;

[0086] When it is detected that the moving direction of the cleaning device is forward movement, step a is executed; when it is detected that the moving direction of the cleaning device is backward movement, step b is executed.

[0087] In this embodiment, before switching and adjusting the grounding state of the wiper element 11, the movement direction of the cleaning device is first detected. After the movement direction of the cleaning device is determined, the grounding state of the wiper element 11 is adjusted accordingly according to the movement direction of the cleaning device, that is, step a or step b is executed accordingly.

[0088] In one embodiment of the cleaning method, the cleaning method further comprises:

[0089] Receive movement direction instructions provided by the user;

[0090] When the movement direction instruction provided by the user is forward movement, execute step a;

[0091] Controlling the cleaning device to move forward;

[0092] When the movement direction instruction provided by the user is backward movement, executing step b;

[0093] Control the cleaning device to move backward.

[0094] In this embodiment, the movement direction of the cleaning device is determined according to the movement direction instruction provided by the user, and the grounding state of the wiper member 11 is switched and adjusted before the cleaning device moves forward or backward, thereby eliminating the lag of the grounding state switching of the wiper member 11 compared to the forward and backward movement transformation of the cleaning device. In this way, the wiper member 11 can be in a grounding state throughout the entire process of the backward movement of the cleaning device, especially in the initial stage of the backward movement. Therefore, during the entire process of the backward movement of the cleaning device, the wiper member 11 will wipe off the water stains remaining on the ground, thereby avoiding the situation in which the wiper member 11 is not in a grounding state at the initial stage of the backward movement of the cleaning device and cannot wipe off the water stains on the ground.

[0095] It should be understood that the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific example embodiments and are not intended to be limiting. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "one", "an" and "said" as used herein may also be meant to include plural forms. The terms "include", "comprise", "contain", and "have" are inclusive, and therefore specify the existence of stated features, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, parts, and / or combinations thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not interpreted as necessarily requiring them to be performed in the specific order described or illustrated, unless the execution order is clearly indicated. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be used.

[0096] Although the terms first, second, third, etc. can be used in the text to describe multiple elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms can only be used to distinguish an element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Unless the context clearly indicates, terms such as "first", "second" and other numerical terms do not imply order or sequence when used in the text. Therefore, the first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below can be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teaching of the example embodiments.

[0097] The foregoing is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, which enables those skilled in the art to understand or implement the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention will not be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but rather to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features claimed herein.

Claims

1. A cleaning device, characterized in that: The cleaning device comprises a cleaning brush, a wiper and a lifting mechanism; The cleaning brush is used to scrub the floor; The wiper member is arranged at the front end of the cleaning brush, and the wiper member is in a grounding state; The lifting mechanism is connected to the wiper element, and is used to drive the wiper element to move downward in the vertical direction to the ground contact state, and to move upward to the ground separation state.

2. The cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that The wiper element is kept in close contact with the ground in the grounded state.

3. The cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wiper element comprises an upper side portion and a lower side portion, the upper side portion is made of a rigid material, and the lower side portion is made of a flexible material.

4. The cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that The surface of the wiper element in contact with the ground is any one of rubber, latex, plastic and cotton.

5. The cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism comprises a motor, a transmission belt and a driving shaft, wherein the driving shaft is provided with a first gear and a second gear along its axial direction respectively; The transmission belt is connected to the output end of the motor and the first gear respectively, and the motor drives the first gear, the driving shaft and the second gear to rotate via the transmission belt; The wiper member is provided with a rack portion, which is meshed with the second gear to be driven by the second gear. When driven by the second gear, the rack portion drives the wiper member to rise or fall in a vertical direction.

6. The cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cleaning device also includes a control device, which sends a command to the lifting mechanism to control the lifting mechanism to drive the wiper element to move downward to a ground-connected state when the cleaning device moves backward, and sends a command to the lifting mechanism to control the lifting mechanism to drive the wiper element to move upward to a ground-free state when the cleaning device moves forward.

7. The cleaning device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The control device also receives forward and backward movement direction instructions provided by a user, and controls the cleaning device to move forward or backward according to the movement direction instructions; After receiving the backward movement direction instruction provided by the user, the control device sends an instruction to the lifting mechanism to control the wiper element to move downward to a ground contact state before controlling the cleaning device to move backward.

8. The cleaning device according to claim 6, characterized in that The cleaning device also includes a roller travel mechanism and a movement direction detection mechanism; The roller travel mechanism includes a roller, and the cleaning device is driven to move forward or backward by the rotation of the roller; The movement direction detection mechanism is used to detect the rotation direction of the roller in the roller travel mechanism to determine whether the roller travel mechanism moves forward or backward; The control device is connected to the movement direction detection mechanism, and based on the detection result provided by the movement direction detection mechanism, when it is determined that the movement direction of the roller travel mechanism is backward movement, the control device sends an instruction to the lifting mechanism to control the wiper element to move downward to a ground contact state; when it is determined that the movement direction of the roller travel mechanism is forward movement, the control device sends an instruction to the lifting mechanism to control the wiper element to move upward to a ground contact state.

9. The cleaning device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The roller is provided with a plurality of grating mechanisms at intervals in the circumferential direction, and the grating mechanism comprises a plurality of grating holes arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction; The motion direction detection mechanism includes a first light detection unit and a second light detection unit arranged at intervals along the circumference of the grating mechanism, and also includes a determination unit; the first light detection unit and the second light detection unit each include a light transmitting module and a light receiving module, the light transmitting module transmits light to the grating, and the light receiving module receives light passing through the grating; the light receiving modules of the first light detection unit and the second light detection unit form a light signal according to the received light; The determination unit determines the rotation direction of the roller according to the optical signals received by the optical receiving modules of the first optical detection unit and the second optical detection unit.

10. The cleaning device according to claim 6, characterized in that The cleaning device further comprises a roller travel mechanism, wherein the roller travel mechanism comprises a roller and a hub motor, wherein the hub motor is connected to the roller and drives the roller to rotate; The hub motor is also connected to a control device and sends the rotation direction of the roller to the control device.

11. A cleaning method, characterized in that: The cleaning method comprises: Step a: when the cleaning device moves forward and uses its cleaning brush to scrub the ground in front, the wiper element is controlled to move upward to a state of being out of contact with the ground or to remain in the state of being out of contact with the ground; Step b: When the cleaning device moves backward and uses its cleaning brush to scrub the rear ground, the wiper element is controlled to move downward to a ground contact state.

12. The cleaning method according to claim 11, characterized in that: The cleaning method further comprises: Detecting the direction of movement of the cleaning device; When it is detected that the moving direction of the cleaning device is forward movement, step a is executed; when it is detected that the moving direction of the cleaning device is backward movement, step b is executed.

13. The cleaning method according to claim 11, characterized in that: The cleaning method further comprises: Receive movement direction instructions provided by the user; When the movement direction instruction provided by the user is forward movement, execute step a; Controlling the cleaning device to move forward; When the movement direction instruction provided by the user is backward movement, executing step b; Control the cleaning device to move backward.

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