Water circulation method and system capable of autonomously absorbing clear water and autonomously discharging sewage
By combining a single-motor bidirectional water pump and a pneumatic device, along with a float valve and valve body, the cleaning tool achieves efficient autonomous water circulation and sewage treatment, solving the problems of complex water circuit systems, incomplete self-cleaning, and sewage retention and odor in existing technologies, thereby reducing costs and improving system reliability.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202512024011.4
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-02-10
AI Technical Summary
Existing cleaning tools have complex water systems, high costs, and large space requirements. The main unit's wastewater tank has poor self-cleaning effect, and wastewater retention can easily lead to anaerobic odor.
It adopts a single motor bidirectional water pump in conjunction with a pneumatic device and valve body to achieve automatic water injection, efficient self-cleaning inside the machine, autonomous cleaning operation and powerful sewage discharge. It uses a pneumatic sewage discharge device to generate oxygen and prevent odor, and combines a float valve to realize mechanical logic control of water flow direction.
It significantly reduces the number of motors and pumps, lowers manufacturing costs, improves system durability and water resistance, completely eliminates residual dirt on the inner wall of the sewage tank, prevents sewage from odor, and supports efficient sewage discharge to base stations or municipal sewers.
Smart Images

Figure CN121489358A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of cleaning appliance technology, and in particular to a water circulation method and system that can autonomously absorb clean water and autonomously discharge wastewater. It is applicable to cleaning tools that use cleaning liquids and recycle wastewater, such as floor scrubbers, sweeping and mopping robots, fabric cleaning machines, and dental cleaning equipment. Background Technology
[0002] With the widespread adoption of smart home devices, cleaning tools with automatic cleaning functions (such as floor scrubbers and robot vacuums) have gradually become mainstream products for household cleaning. These devices typically consist of a main unit and a base station, and their operation involves adding clean water, cleaning the floor, and recycling and discharging wastewater. Existing cleaning tools generally employ a "superimposed power" design approach to achieve this water circulation function, increasing the number of motors and pumps to meet the power requirements of different stages. Specifically, existing water systems typically include: a base station water pump (pump #1) for filling the main unit's clean water tank; a main unit internal water pump (pump #2) for supplying clean water to cleaning components (such as the roller brush); a main unit air pump (pump #3) for creating negative pressure in the vacuum wastewater tank to collect the cleaned wastewater; and a base station air pump (pump #4) for evacuating the vacuum container inside the base station to recycle wastewater discharged from the main unit. In addition, the base station usually requires optional components such as filters, submersible pumps, and electrically controlled air valves to form a system that ultimately discharges wastewater into the sewer system.
[0003] However, the aforementioned existing technologies have the following significant drawbacks and shortcomings: First, the system architecture is complex, costly, and space-consuming. This method of achieving operation by simply adding power sources (water pumps, air pumps, motors) makes the entire water system extremely complex. Numerous pumps and motors not only significantly increase manufacturing costs but also severely encroach on the space available for other internal components, limiting miniaturization and leading to cumbersome maintenance, high failure rates, and severely restricting product adoption. Second, the self-cleaning effect of the main unit's wastewater tank is poor. In existing technologies, cleaning the main unit's wastewater tank often involves rinsing with recycled water (i.e., wastewater) after cleaning tools have been used. This method results in slow water flow and weak impact, failing to thoroughly clean the inner walls of the wastewater tank, easily leaving dirt and dead corners, leading to low cleaning efficiency. Finally, wastewater storage poses a potential environmental pollution hazard. After collecting wastewater, if users do not empty or discharge it promptly, the stagnant water inside the closed wastewater tank can easily create an anaerobic environment. Over time, the wastewater will develop a foul odor, causing environmental pollution and a decline in user experience.
[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for methods and systems that can abandon the traditional design concept of superimposed motors and achieve efficient automatic water supply and drainage, water circulation and sewage deodorization using fewer power sources. Summary of the Invention
[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing cleaning tools, such as complex water system structures, high costs and large space requirements due to numerous motors and pumps, incomplete self-cleaning of the main unit's wastewater tank, and the tendency for wastewater retention to cause anaerobic odor, this invention provides a water circulation method and system that can autonomously draw in clean water and autonomously discharge wastewater. It abandons the design concept of stacking multiple motors and uses only a single motor (bidirectional water pump) in conjunction with a pneumatic device and valve body to achieve the full-process functions of automatic water injection, efficient self-cleaning inside the machine, autonomous cleaning operation, powerful sewage discharge, and oxygen explosion to prevent odor.
[0006] This invention provides a water circulation system that can autonomously draw in clean water and autonomously discharge wastewater, including a main unit clean water tank, a main unit wastewater tank, a bidirectional water pump, a unidirectional flow control component, a pneumatic sewage discharge device, and a sewage discharge flow control component; A one-way connecting pipe is provided between the main unit's clean water tank and the main unit's waste water tank. When the bidirectional water pump is rotating in the forward direction and the main unit's clean water tank is full, the one-way connecting pipe is used to guide the overflowing clean water into the main unit's waste water tank in one direction. The first end of the bidirectional water pump is connected to the bottom of the main unit's clean water tank, and the second end is connected to a unidirectional flow control component. The unidirectional flow control component is connected to a clean water interface for connecting to an external water source and a water outlet for connecting to the cleaning work area. When the bidirectional water pump rotates forward, the unidirectional flow control component opens the passage from the clean water interface to the bidirectional water pump, and when the bidirectional water pump rotates in reverse, it opens the passage from the bidirectional water pump to the water outlet to supply water to the cleaning work area. The pneumatic sewage discharge device is connected to the top of the main unit's sewage tank via an air pipeline, and is used to evacuate or inflate the internal space of the main unit's sewage tank. The sewage flow control component is connected to the bottom of the main unit's sewage tank. The sewage flow control component is connected to a water collection tank for collecting sewage from the cleaning operation area and a sewage discharge port for discharging sewage. When the pneumatic sewage discharge device is working, the sewage in the water collection tank is drawn into the main unit's sewage tank by the sewage flow control component through the air pressure difference, or the sewage in the main unit's sewage tank is discharged through the sewage discharge port.
[0007] Furthermore, both the main unit's clean water tank and the main unit's wastewater tank are rigid containers. A first anti-backflow float valve is connected in series on the one-way connecting pipeline. The first anti-backflow float valve has a soft float ball with a density less than water inside. When the water level rises, the soft float ball floats up to seal the pipeline and prevent the reverse flow of liquid.
[0008] Furthermore, a cleaning nozzle is connected inside the main unit's wastewater tank, and the inlet of the cleaning nozzle is connected to the outlet of the one-way connecting pipe. The cleaning nozzle is either a constricted diffuser direct nozzle or a 360-degree rotating nozzle. When clean water is introduced through the unidirectional connecting pipe, the constricted diffuser direct nozzle uses the Bernoulli effect generated by the reduced cross-sectional area of the outlet to increase the flow velocity and optimize the impact energy of the water flow to rinse the inner wall of the main unit's wastewater tank. Alternatively, the 360-degree rotating nozzle rotates under the drive of the water flow to spray and clean the inner wall of the main unit's wastewater tank in all directions.
[0009] Furthermore, the pneumatic sewage discharge device includes an air pump and an air exchange valve connected to the air pump; a second anti-backflow float valve is connected in series on the air pipeline, and the second anti-backflow float valve is located between the main sewage tank and the air exchange valve to prevent sewage from entering the air exchange valve; The venting valve has a negative pressure water intake state and a positive pressure drainage state. In the negative pressure water intake state, the air intake side of the air pump connected to the venting valve forms a negative pressure with the main unit sewage tank, drawing the sewage in the collection tank into the main unit sewage tank. In the positive pressure drainage state, the air outlet side of the air pump connected to the venting valve forms a positive pressure with the main unit sewage tank, forcibly discharging the sewage in the main unit sewage tank into the base station sewage tank or municipal sewer.
[0010] Furthermore, the unidirectional flow control assembly includes a first tee fitting, a first check valve, and a second check valve; The first end of the first tee fitting is connected to the bidirectional water pump, the second end is connected to the clean water interface through the first one-way valve, and the third end is connected to the water outlet through the second one-way valve; the conduction direction of the first one-way valve is towards the bidirectional water pump, and the conduction direction of the second one-way valve is away from the bidirectional water pump. The clean water interface includes a base station clean water interface and a municipal water supply interface. When the clean water interface is the base station clean water interface, the bidirectional water pump draws water from the external base station clean water tank. When the clean water interface is the municipal water supply interface, the bidirectional water pump draws water from the external municipal water supply network.
[0011] Furthermore, the sewage flow control assembly includes a second tee fitting, a third check valve, and a fourth check valve; The first end of the second three-way fitting is connected to the bottom of the main unit's sewage tank, the second end is connected to the water collection tank through the third one-way valve, and the third end is connected to the sewage discharge port through the fourth one-way valve; the conduction direction of the third one-way valve points towards the main unit's sewage tank, and the conduction direction of the fourth one-way valve is away from the main unit's sewage tank. The sewage discharge interface includes a base station sewage discharge interface and a municipal sewer interface. When the sewage discharge interface is the base station sewage discharge interface, the base station sewage discharge interface is connected to the base station sewage tank. The pressurized air generated by the pneumatic sewage discharge device under the positive pressure drainage state continues to enter the base station sewage tank after the sewage is emptied and diffuses in the liquid to perform oxygenation and deodorization. When the sewage discharge interface is the municipal sewer interface, the municipal sewer interface is connected to the municipal sewer to directly discharge the sewage into the municipal sewer.
[0012] Furthermore, the top of the main unit's clean water tank is also equipped with an independent air passage. An anti-backflow float valve is installed on the air passage. The anti-backflow float valve contains a float with a density less than water. When the main unit's clean water tank is filled with water and the water level rises and overflows into the air passage, the float is buoyed up and blocks the air passage, making the main unit's clean water tank a closed cavity except for the one-way connecting pipe. This allows all the clean water pumped in afterward to flow into the one-way connecting pipe.
[0013] Furthermore, it also includes a pressure reducing device. When the clean water interface is a municipal water supply interface, the pressure reducing device is connected between the municipal water supply network and the municipal water supply interface. The pressure reducing device is a pressure reducing valve or a float valve box, used to reduce the water pressure of the municipal water supply.
[0014] This invention also provides a water circulation method capable of autonomously drawing in clean water and autonomously discharging wastewater. Based on the water circulation system described above that can autonomously draw in clean water and discharge wastewater, the method includes the following steps: S1. Filling the main unit's clean water tank: Connect the clean water interface to an external water source, control the bidirectional water pump to rotate forward, and clean water enters the bidirectional water pump through the unidirectional flow control component and is pumped into the main unit's clean water tank; during this process, the air passage at the top of the main unit's clean water tank remains open to expel air until the water level rises and overflows into the air passage, triggering the anti-backflow float valve on the air passage to rise and block the air passage. S2. Self-cleaning of the main unit's wastewater tank: After the air passage is blocked, the main unit's clean water tank forms a closed cavity. The bidirectional water pump continues to rotate in the forward direction. The clean water continuously pumped into the main unit's clean water tank is forced to flow into the main unit's wastewater tank through the one-way connecting pipe due to pressure. When the clean water flows through the cleaning nozzle, it is accelerated or rotated, and the inner wall of the main unit's wastewater tank is sprayed and cleaned. S3 Cleaning Operation: Control the bidirectional water pump to reverse, and the unidirectional flow control component automatically switches the flow path, so that the clean water in the main unit's clean water tank flows to the outlet port for use in the cleaning operation area; at the same time, start the pneumatic sewage discharge device and control the air exchange valve to be in negative pressure water suction state, draw air from the main unit's sewage tank to form negative pressure, and use the pressure difference to draw the sewage in the water collection tank of the cleaning operation area into the main unit's sewage tank through the sewage discharge flow control component until the liquid level in the main unit's sewage tank triggers the second anti-backflow float valve to stop the air suction; S4. Sewage Discharge and Maintenance: Stop cleaning operations and connect the sewage discharge interface to the external sewage discharge end; control the pneumatic sewage discharge device to switch to positive pressure drainage mode, pressurize the main unit sewage tank with air, and force the sewage liquid to be discharged through the sewage discharge flow control component; if the external sewage discharge end is the base station sewage tank, after the sewage liquid in the main unit sewage tank is emptied, keep the pneumatic sewage discharge device working, so that the pressurized air continues to enter the base station sewage tank through the sewage discharge interface and diffuse in the liquid to achieve oxygen explosion deodorization.
[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: 1. This invention breaks away from the complex "one motor, one pump" architecture of traditional cleaning equipment. It utilizes only a single bidirectional water pump in conjunction with a pneumatic device, combined with the mechanical logic of a check valve and a float valve, to complete the entire process of water addition, cleaning, and sewage discharge. This significantly reduces the number of motors and pump bodies, lowers manufacturing costs, reduces system size, and the failure rate of the mechanical structure is far lower than that of complex electrically controlled pump sets.
[0016] 2. This invention utilizes the energy from the overflow of the main unit's clean water tank as a power source to force clean water into the main unit's wastewater tank. Combined with a constricting diffuser or a self-rotating nozzle, it can create a high-velocity, wide-range jet of water. Compared to traditional cleaning methods that utilize recycled wastewater, this invention uses clean water and has a stronger impact, completely solving the problem of residual dirt on the inner wall of the wastewater tank.
[0017] 3. This invention fully utilizes the exhaust function of the pneumatic sewage discharge device. After the sewage is forcibly emptied, pressurized air is continuously delivered to the base station's sewage tank. This oxygenation treatment effectively destroys the anaerobic environment of the sewage without the need for additional equipment, preventing odor and solving the environmental pollution problem that has long plagued users.
[0018] 4. This invention utilizes positive pressure (boosting) generated by a pneumatic device for sewage discharge. Compared with gravity-driven natural flow sewage discharge, it has a stronger driving force, can prevent pipeline blockage, and supports discharge into base station sewage tanks or municipal sewers located at higher positions.
[0019] 5. This invention utilizes a float valve to sense the water level and automatically cut off the air path, and uses a three-way valve and a one-way valve to automatically switch the flow path according to the water flow direction. This eliminates the need to install complex electronic sensors in the pipeline, thus improving the system's durability and water reliability. Attached Figure Description
[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the waterway of the system of the present invention.
[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the first structure of the municipal pipeline water supply and drainage system in this invention.
[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the second structure of the municipal pipeline water supply and drainage system in this invention.
[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the first structure of the system for supplying and draining wastewater / clean water from a base station in this invention.
[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the second structure of the system for supplying and draining wastewater / clean water from a base station in this invention.
[0025] In the attached diagram, the components are: air pump 1, air exchange valve 2, first anti-backflow float valve 3, cleaning nozzle 4, main unit wastewater tank 5, second anti-backflow float valve 6, main unit clean water tank 7, bidirectional water pump 8, first one-way valve 9, cleaning work area 10, third one-way valve 11, sewage discharge port 12, clean water port 13, air pipeline 14, second one-way valve 15, fourth one-way valve 16, and one-way connecting pipeline 17.
[0026] The realization of the objective, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation
[0027] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention.
[0028] like Figure 1-5 As shown, the present invention provides a water circulation system that can autonomously draw in clean water and autonomously discharge wastewater, including a main unit clean water tank 7, a main unit wastewater tank 5, a bidirectional water pump 8 (such as a peristaltic pump), a unidirectional flow control component, a pneumatic sewage discharge device, and a sewage discharge flow control component; A one-way connecting pipe 17 is provided between the main unit's clean water tank 7 and the main unit's wastewater tank 5. When the bidirectional water pump 8 rotates forward to fill water and the main unit's clean water tank 7 is full, the one-way connecting pipe 17 is used to guide the overflowing clean water unidirectionally into the main unit's wastewater tank 5. The first end of the bidirectional water pump 8 is connected to the bottom of the main unit's clean water tank 7, and the second end is connected to a one-way flow control component. The one-way flow control component is respectively connected to a clean water interface 13 for connecting to an external water source and a water outlet port for connecting to the cleaning work area 10. When the bidirectional water pump 8 rotates forward, the one-way flow control component opens the passage from the clean water interface 13 to the bidirectional water pump 8, and when the bidirectional water pump 8 rotates in reverse, it opens the passage from the clean water interface 13 to the bidirectional water pump 8. The bidirectional water pump 8 is connected to the outlet port to supply water to the cleaning work area 10; the pneumatic sewage discharge device is connected to the top of the main unit sewage tank 5 through the air pipe 14, and is used to evacuate or inflate the internal space of the main unit sewage tank 5; the sewage discharge flow control component is connected to the bottom of the main unit sewage tank 5, and the sewage discharge flow control component is respectively connected to a water collection tank for collecting sewage in the cleaning work area 10 and a sewage discharge port 12 for discharging sewage; when the pneumatic sewage discharge device is working, the sewage in the water collection tank is sucked into the main unit sewage tank 5 through the sewage discharge flow control component by the air pressure difference, or the sewage in the main unit sewage tank 5 is discharged through the sewage discharge port 12.
[0029] In this embodiment, the bidirectional water pump 8 serves as the core power source for the liquid circuit. Its first end is directly connected to the bottom of the main unit's clean water tank 7, and its second end is connected to the unidirectional flow control component. The bidirectional water pump 8 has two operating modes: forward and reverse. When the bidirectional water pump 8 rotates forward, it draws clean water from an external water source and injects it into the main unit's clean water tank 7 through the unidirectional flow control component. When the bidirectional water pump 8 rotates in reverse, it draws clean water from the main unit's clean water tank 7 and delivers it to the outlet port through the unidirectional flow control component for use in the cleaning work area 10 (such as a floor scrubber's roller brush). The main unit's clean water tank 7 and the main unit's wastewater tank 5 are not completely isolated; instead, a unidirectional connecting pipe 17 is provided. The design logic of this pipe is to utilize overflow energy. When the bidirectional water pump 8 rotates forward and fills the main unit's clean water tank 7, the excess clean water will be unidirectionally introduced into the main unit's wastewater tank 5 through the unidirectional connecting pipe 17, thereby achieving the subsequent self-cleaning function. In addition, the main unit's wastewater tank 5 is powered by an independent pneumatic sewage discharge device, which is connected to the top of the main unit's wastewater tank 5 via an air pipe 14 to change the air pressure inside the tank (vacuuming or filling). In conjunction with the sewage flow control component connected to the bottom of the main unit's wastewater tank 5, when the pneumatic sewage discharge device generates a pressure difference, it can achieve two functions: first, it generates negative pressure to draw sewage from the collection tank into the main unit's wastewater tank 5; second, it generates positive pressure to force the sewage in the main unit's wastewater tank 5 to be discharged through the sewage discharge port 12.
[0030] In one embodiment, both the main unit's clean water tank 7 and the main unit's wastewater tank 5 are rigid containers. A first anti-backflow float valve 3 (i.e., an anti-backflow valve) is connected in series on the one-way connecting pipe 17. The first anti-backflow float valve 3 has a soft float ball with a density less than water inside. When the water level rises, the soft float ball floats up and seals the pipe to stop the reverse flow of liquid. The function of the first anti-backflow float valve 3 is to prevent wastewater from entering the main unit's wastewater tank 5 when it overflows. It is unidirectional for liquids and bidirectional for gases.
[0031] In this embodiment, both the main unit's clean water tank 7 and the main unit's wastewater tank 5 are constructed as rigid containers to withstand the positive or negative pressure generated during system operation and prevent tank deformation. To ensure unidirectional flow between the main unit's clean water tank 7 and the main unit's wastewater tank 5, a first anti-backflow float valve 3 is connected in series on the unidirectional connecting pipe 17. The first anti-backflow float valve 3 has a soft float ball with a density less than water inside. Its working principle is as follows: when the water level in the main unit's wastewater tank 5 rises abnormally and affects the pipe, the soft float ball rises under buoyancy and blocks the pipe opening, thereby using a mechanical seal to stop the reverse flow of liquid and prevent wastewater from contaminating the clean water tank.
[0032] In one embodiment, a cleaning nozzle 4 is connected inside the main unit wastewater tank 5, and the inlet of the cleaning nozzle 4 is connected to the outlet of the one-way connecting pipe 17. The cleaning nozzle 4 is a narrow-mouth diffusion type direct nozzle or a 360-degree self-rotating nozzle (the 360-degree self-rotating nozzle is driven by the reaction force of the tangential water flow of the assumed circumference). When clean water is introduced through the one-way connecting pipe 17, the narrow-mouth diffusion type direct nozzle uses the Bernoulli effect generated by the reduced cross-sectional area of the outlet to increase the flow velocity and optimize the impact energy of the water flow to rinse the inner wall of the main unit wastewater tank 5, or the 360-degree self-rotating nozzle rotates under the drive of the water flow to spray and clean the inner wall of the main unit wastewater tank 5 in all directions.
[0033] To address the difficulty in cleaning the wastewater tank, in this embodiment, a cleaning nozzle 4 is installed inside the main unit's wastewater tank 5. The inlet of this nozzle is directly connected to the outlet of the aforementioned one-way connecting pipe 17. The cleaning nozzle 4 can take two forms: one is a narrow-mouth diffuser direct nozzle, whose outlet cross-sectional area is designed to be small. According to Bernoulli's principle, when clean water is introduced through the one-way connecting pipe 17, the flow velocity increases sharply at the nozzle, forming a high-speed jet that powerfully washes the inner wall of the main unit's wastewater tank 5; the other is a 360-degree self-rotating nozzle, which can be self-driven to rotate by the reaction force of the tangentially high-speed outflowing water, thereby spraying and cleaning the inner wall of the main unit's wastewater tank 5 from all directions, eliminating dead corners.
[0034] In one embodiment, the pneumatic sewage discharge device includes an air pump 1 and an air exchange valve 2 connected to the air pump 1; a second anti-backflow float valve 6 is connected in series on the air pipeline 14, the second anti-backflow float valve 6 is located between the main unit sewage tank 5 and the air exchange valve 2, and is used to prevent sewage from entering the air exchange valve 2; the air exchange valve 2 has a negative pressure water intake state and a positive pressure drainage state. In the negative pressure water intake state, the air exchange valve 2 connects the air inlet side of the air pump 1 to form a negative pressure with the main unit sewage tank 5, and draws the sewage in the collection tank into the main unit sewage tank 5; in the positive pressure drainage state, the air exchange valve 2 connects the air outlet side of the air pump 1 to form a positive pressure with the main unit sewage tank 5, and forces the sewage in the main unit sewage tank 5 to be discharged into the base station sewage tank or municipal sewer.
[0035] The second anti-backflow float valve 6 is designed to prevent sewage from overflowing into the main unit's clean water tank 7. It is unidirectional for liquids and bidirectional for gases.
[0036] In this embodiment, the pneumatic sewage discharge device mainly consists of an air pump 1 and an air exchange valve 2. To protect the air pump 1 and the valve body, a second anti-backflow float valve 6 is connected in series on the air passage pipe 14 (located between the main sewage tank 5 and the air exchange valve 2). This valve automatically seals the air passage when the sewage tank is full, preventing sewage from backflowing into the pneumatic components. The air exchange valve 2 has two operating states: ① Negative pressure suction state: The air exchange valve 2 connects the air inlet side of the air pump 1 to the main unit's sewage tank 5. At this time, the air pump 1 extracts air from the tank, creating negative pressure, thereby sucking in the sewage from the collection tank.
[0037] ② Positive pressure drainage state: The air exchange valve 2 connects the air outlet side of the air pump 1 to the main unit's sewage tank 5. At this time, the air pump 1 injects air into the tank, forming positive pressure, thereby forcibly discharging the sewage into the base station's sewage tank or the municipal sewer.
[0038] In one embodiment, the unidirectional flow control component includes a first tee fitting, a first check valve 9, and a second check valve 15; the first end of the first tee fitting is connected to the bidirectional water pump 8, the second end is connected to the clean water interface 13 through the first check valve 9, and the third end is connected to the water outlet through the second check valve 15; the conduction direction of the first check valve 9 points towards the bidirectional water pump 8, and the conduction direction of the second check valve 15 is away from the bidirectional water pump 8; the clean water interface 13 includes a base station clean water interface 13 and a municipal water supply interface. When the clean water interface 13 is the base station clean water interface 13, the bidirectional water pump 8 draws water from the external base station clean water tank; when the clean water interface 13 is the municipal water supply interface, the bidirectional water pump 8 draws water from the external municipal water supply network.
[0039] In this embodiment, the unidirectional flow control component adopts a purely mechanical structure, including a first tee fitting, a first check valve 9, and a second check valve 15. The three ports of the first tee fitting are respectively connected to the bidirectional water pump 8, the clean water interface 13 (via the first check valve 9), and the outlet port (via the second check valve 15). Its flow control logic is as follows: ① The first one-way valve 9 is directed towards the bidirectional water pump 8, ensuring that water can only flow from an external water source to the water pump and cannot flow in the opposite direction; ② The conduction direction of the second one-way valve 15 is opposite to that of the bidirectional water pump 8, ensuring that water can only flow from the water pump to the cleaning operation area 10 and cannot flow back. The clean water interface 13 can be adapted to various water sources: it can be the base station clean water interface 13 (connecting to an external base station clean water tank, such as...) Figure 4 , 5 (As shown), it can also be a municipal water supply interface (connected to the external municipal water supply network, such as...) Figure 2 , 3 (As shown).
[0040] In one embodiment, the sewage flow control assembly includes a second three-way pipe fitting, a third one-way valve 11, and a fourth one-way valve 16. The first end of the second three-way pipe fitting is connected to the bottom of the main unit sewage tank 5, the second end is connected to the water collection tank via the third one-way valve 11, and the third end is connected to the sewage discharge port 12 via the fourth one-way valve 16. The conduction direction of the third one-way valve 11 points towards the main unit sewage tank 5, and the conduction direction of the fourth one-way valve 16 is away from the main unit sewage tank 5. The sewage discharge port 12 includes a base station sewage discharge port and a municipal sewer port. When the sewage discharge port 12 is the base station sewage discharge port, the base station sewage discharge port is connected to the base station sewage tank. The pressurized air generated by the pneumatic sewage discharge device under positive pressure drainage state continues to enter the base station sewage tank after the sewage is emptied and diffuses in the liquid for oxygenation and deodorization. When the sewage discharge port 12 is the municipal sewer port, the municipal sewer port is connected to the municipal sewer system to directly discharge the sewage into the municipal sewer system.
[0041] In this embodiment, the sewage flow control component also adopts a mechanical structure, including a second three-way pipe fitting, a third one-way valve 11, and a fourth one-way valve 16. The three ports of the second three-way pipe fitting are respectively connected to the bottom of the main unit's sewage tank 5, the water collection tank (via the third one-way valve 11), and the sewage discharge port 12 (via the fourth one-way valve 16). Its flow control logic is as follows: ① The third one-way valve 11 is directed towards the main unit's sewage tank 5, allowing sewage to be drawn in and preventing backflow into the collection tank; ② The fourth one-way valve 16 is directed away from the main unit's sewage tank 5, allowing sewage to drain and preventing backflow of external sewage. The sewage discharge port 12 supports connection to the base station's sewage discharge port or a municipal sewer port (e.g., ...). Figure 1 , 2 (As shown). Specifically, when the base station's sewage discharge interface is connected, the pressurized air generated by the pneumatic sewage discharge device under positive pressure drainage will continue to flow into the base station's sewage tank after the sewage has been drained, as shown. Figure 4 , 5 As shown in the image, this portion of air diffuses into the liquid in the base station's wastewater tank, acting as an oxygen generator to deodorize and effectively prevent the growth of anaerobic bacteria.
[0042] In one embodiment, the top of the main unit's clean water tank 7 is also provided with an independent air passage. An anti-backflow float valve is installed on the air passage. The anti-backflow float valve contains a float with a density less than water. When the main unit's clean water tank 7 is filled with water and the water level rises and overflows into the air passage, the float floats up due to buoyancy and blocks the air passage, making the main unit's clean water tank 7 a closed cavity except for the one-way connecting pipe 17, so that all the clean water pumped in afterward flows to the one-way connecting pipe 17.
[0043] In this embodiment, the top of the main unit's clean water tank 7 is equipped with an independent air passage for normal ventilation. An anti-backflow float valve (containing a float with a density less than water) is installed on this air passage. The key function of this structure is to cooperate with the "overflow cleaning" function: when the main unit's clean water tank 7 is filled to overflow and water flows into the air passage, the float rises due to buoyancy and blocks the air passage. At this time, the main unit's clean water tank 7, except for the water inlet at the bottom (at the bidirectional water pump 8) and the one-way connecting pipe 17 leading to the wastewater tank, forms a closed cavity. Therefore, subsequently pumped clean water cannot overflow from the air passage and is forced to flow entirely into the one-way connecting pipe 17, thus ensuring that the cleaning nozzles have sufficient water pressure and flow rate.
[0044] In one embodiment, a pressure reducing device is also included. When the clean water interface 13 is a municipal water supply interface, the pressure reducing device is connected between the municipal water supply network and the municipal water supply interface. The pressure reducing device is a pressure reducing valve or a float valve box, used to reduce the water pressure of the municipal water supply.
[0045] In this embodiment, considering that the water pressure of the municipal water supply network is usually high, when the clean water interface 13 is selected as a municipal water supply interface, a pressure reducing device is connected between the network and the interface. This pressure reducing device can be a pressure reducing valve or a float valve box, used to reduce the municipal water pressure to an acceptable range for the system, protecting the bidirectional water pump 8 and its internal pipelines.
[0046] To more intuitively illustrate the overall working logic of this system, the following will elaborate on the specific workflow using two typical scenarios: "host staying on the site" and "host entering / leaving the site": Scenario 1: Main Unit Station Status (Water Replenishment and Internal Self-Cleaning) When the main unit is docked at the base station, the clean water interface 13 connects to an external water source. At this time, the system starts the water replenishment and self-cleaning mode: controlling the bidirectional water pump 8 to rotate forward, continuously pumping clean water into the main unit's clean water tank 7. In the initial stage of water filling, the air in the tank is discharged through the independent air passage at the top; when the water level rises to the overflow state, the water flow triggers the anti-backflow float valve installed on the air passage to float up, completely blocking the air passage. At this time, the main unit's clean water tank 7 becomes a closed high-pressure chamber, and the subsequently continuously pumped clean water cannot overflow, but can only rush into the one-way connecting pipe 17. In the one-way connecting pipe 17, the first anti-backflow float valve 3 floats up and blocks, but the continuously injected water flow easily opens the blocked float, maintaining one-way flow. The high-pressure clean water is sprayed at high speed into the main unit's wastewater tank 5 through the cleaning nozzle 4 (constriction-diffusion type or self-rotating type). The clean water thoroughly washes the inner wall of the wastewater tank, achieving self-cleaning of the core components inside the machine by using only the energy of the water overflow without consuming an additional power source. During the clean water flushing, only the bottom one-way valve of the wastewater tank is in the air-venting state.
[0047] Scenario 2: Host Entry / Exit Status (Performing Ground Cleaning and Sewage Maintenance) When the host leaves the base station to perform a task, the system enters the cleaning operation mode: the bidirectional water pump 8 is reversed, and the unidirectional flow control component automatically switches the flow path, delivering clean water from the host's clean water tank 7 to the outlet port for tools such as roller brushes to wet the ground. At the same time, the pneumatic sewage discharge device starts and switches to negative pressure suction mode, creating negative pressure in the host's sewage tank 5 through air suction, sucking in and temporarily storing the ground sewage collected in the cleaning operation area 10. When the host completes the task and returns to the base station, the system enters the sewage discharge and maintenance mode: the sewage discharge interface 12 is connected to the external receiver, the pneumatic sewage discharge device switches to positive pressure drainage mode, pressurizing the host's sewage tank 5 with air, forcibly discharging the sewage. Specifically, if the external receiving end is a base station sewage tank, after the main unit sewage tank 5 is emptied, the system will control the pneumatic sewage discharge device to continue working for a period of time. The generated pressurized air will enter the bottom of the base station sewage tank through the sewage discharge interface 12 to bubble and aerate, breaking the static state of the liquid, thereby destroying the anaerobic environment and effectively preventing the long-term stored sewage from smelling bad.
[0048] This invention also provides a water circulation method capable of autonomously drawing in clean water and autonomously discharging wastewater. Based on the water circulation system described above that can autonomously draw in clean water and discharge wastewater, the method includes the following steps: S1. Filling the main unit's clean water tank 7 with water: Connect the clean water interface 13 to an external water source, control the bidirectional water pump 8 to rotate forward, and clean water enters the bidirectional water pump 8 through the unidirectional flow control component and is pumped into the main unit's clean water tank 7; during this process, the air passage at the top of the main unit's clean water tank 7 remains open to expel air until the water level rises and overflows into the air passage, triggering the anti-backflow float valve on the air passage to float up and block the air passage. S2. Self-cleaning of main unit wastewater tank 5: After the air passage is blocked and the main unit clean water tank 7 forms a closed cavity, the bidirectional water pump 8 continues to rotate in the forward direction. The clean water continuously pumped into the main unit clean water tank 7 is forced to flow into the main unit wastewater tank 5 in one direction through the one-way connecting pipe 17 due to pressure. When the clean water flows through the cleaning nozzle 4, it is accelerated or rotated to spray and clean the inner wall of the main unit wastewater tank 5. S3 Cleaning Operation: Control the bidirectional water pump 8 to reverse, and the unidirectional flow control component automatically switches the flow path, so that the clean water in the main unit's clean water tank 7 flows to the outlet port for use in the cleaning operation area 10; at the same time, start the pneumatic sewage discharge device and control the air exchange valve 2 to be in negative pressure water suction state, sucking the air in the main unit's sewage tank 5 to form negative pressure, and using the pressure difference to suck the sewage in the water collection tank of the cleaning operation area 10 into the main unit's sewage tank 5 through the sewage discharge flow control component until the liquid level in the main unit's sewage tank 5 triggers the second anti-backflow float valve 6 to stop the air suction; S4. Sewage Discharge and Maintenance: Stop cleaning operations and connect sewage discharge interface 12 to the external sewage discharge end; control the pneumatic sewage discharge device to switch to positive pressure drainage state, pressurize the main unit sewage tank 5 with air, and force the sewage liquid to be discharged through the sewage discharge flow control component; if the external sewage discharge end is the base station sewage tank, after the sewage liquid in the main unit sewage tank 5 is emptied, keep the pneumatic sewage discharge device working, so that the pressurized air continues to enter the base station sewage tank through sewage discharge interface 12 and diffuse in the liquid, breaking the static state of the liquid, so as to achieve oxygen explosion deodorization.
[0049] like Figure 2-4 As shown, the embodiments of the present invention can be applied to mobile cleaning devices such as robotic vacuum cleaners. The main unit's wastewater tank 5 and clean water tank 7 are stacked vertically; however, other configurations can be used in actual construction, and are not limited here. It should be noted that the functional components mentioned in the foregoing embodiments of the present invention have modular combination characteristics. Specifically, the two forms of the cleaning nozzle 4 (constriction-diffusion direct nozzle and 360-degree rotating nozzle) and the two connection methods of the clean water interface 13 / sewage discharge interface 12 (connecting to the base station water tank and connecting to the municipal pipeline) can be arbitrarily combined in pairs according to actual product requirements, forming four specific implementation methods: ① Adopt a narrow-mouth diffusion type direct spray head, which is connected to the clean water / sewage tank of the base station; ②Use a constricted diffuser type direct spray head, and connect it with municipal water supply / sewage pipes; ③ Adopts a 360-degree self-rotating nozzle, which is connected to the clean water / sewage tank of the base station; ④ It adopts a 360-degree self-rotating nozzle and is compatible with municipal water supply / sewage pipes.
[0050] This design gives the system a high degree of adaptability. All four of the above combinations fall within the protection scope of this invention. Technicians can flexibly choose according to the specific application scenario of the cleaning tool (such as household, commercial, whether or not water supply and drainage are available).
[0051] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, apparatus, article, or method that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, apparatus, article, or method. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, apparatus, article, or method that includes that element.
[0052] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made based on the content of the present invention's specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A water circulation system capable of autonomously drawing in clean water and autonomously discharging wastewater, characterized in that, Includes main unit clean water tank, main unit wastewater tank, bidirectional water pump, unidirectional flow control component, pneumatic sewage discharge device, and sewage discharge flow control component; A one-way connecting pipe is provided between the main unit's clean water tank and the main unit's waste water tank. When the bidirectional water pump is rotating in the forward direction and the main unit's clean water tank is full, the one-way connecting pipe is used to guide the overflowing clean water into the main unit's waste water tank in one direction. The first end of the bidirectional water pump is connected to the main unit's clean water tank, and the second end is connected to a unidirectional flow control component. The unidirectional flow control component is connected to a clean water interface for connecting to an external water source and a water outlet for connecting to the cleaning work area. When the bidirectional water pump rotates forward, the unidirectional flow control component opens the passage from the clean water interface to the bidirectional water pump, and when the bidirectional water pump rotates in reverse, it opens the passage from the bidirectional water pump to the water outlet to supply water to the cleaning work area. The pneumatic sewage discharge device is connected to the main unit sewage tank through an air pipeline and is used to evacuate or inflate the internal space of the main unit sewage tank. The sewage flow control component is connected to the main unit's sewage tank. The sewage flow control component is connected to a water collection tank for collecting sewage from the cleaning operation area and a sewage discharge port for discharging sewage. When the pneumatic sewage discharge device is working, the sewage in the water collection tank is drawn into the main unit's sewage tank through the sewage flow control component by the air pressure difference, or the sewage in the main unit's sewage tank is discharged through the sewage discharge port.
2. The water circulation system capable of autonomously drawing in clean water and autonomously discharging wastewater according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the main unit's clean water tank and the main unit's wastewater tank are rigid containers. A first anti-backflow valve is connected in series on the one-way connecting pipeline. The first anti-backflow valve has a soft float ball with a density less than water inside. When the water level rises, the soft float ball floats up and seals the pipeline to stop the reverse flow of liquid.
3. The water circulation system capable of autonomously drawing in clean water and autonomously discharging wastewater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main unit's wastewater tank is internally connected to a cleaning nozzle, and the inlet of the cleaning nozzle is connected to the outlet of the one-way connecting pipe. The cleaning nozzle is either a constricted diffuser direct nozzle or a 360-degree rotating nozzle. When clean water is introduced through the unidirectional connecting pipe, the constricted diffuser direct nozzle uses the Bernoulli effect generated by the reduced cross-sectional area of the outlet to increase the flow velocity and optimize the impact energy of the water flow to rinse the inner wall of the main unit's wastewater tank. Alternatively, the 360-degree rotating nozzle rotates under the drive of the water flow to spray and clean the inner wall of the main unit's wastewater tank in all directions.
4. The water circulation system capable of autonomously drawing in clean water and autonomously discharging wastewater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pneumatic sewage discharge device includes an air pump and an air exchange valve connected to the air pump; a second anti-backflow valve is connected in series on the air pipeline, and the second anti-backflow valve is located between the main sewage tank and the air exchange valve to prevent sewage from entering the air exchange valve. The venting valve has a negative pressure water intake state and a positive pressure drainage state. In the negative pressure water intake state, the air intake side of the air pump connected to the venting valve forms a negative pressure with the main unit sewage tank, drawing the sewage in the collection tank into the main unit sewage tank. In the positive pressure drainage state, the air outlet side of the air pump connected to the venting valve forms a positive pressure with the main unit sewage tank, forcibly discharging the sewage in the main unit sewage tank into the base station sewage tank or municipal sewer.
5. The water circulation system capable of autonomously drawing in clean water and autonomously discharging wastewater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The unidirectional flow control assembly includes a first tee fitting, a first check valve, and a second check valve. The first end of the first tee fitting is connected to the bidirectional water pump, the second end is connected to the clean water interface through the first one-way valve, and the third end is connected to the water outlet through the second one-way valve; the conduction direction of the first one-way valve is towards the bidirectional water pump, and the conduction direction of the second one-way valve is away from the bidirectional water pump. The clean water interface includes a base station clean water interface and a municipal water supply interface. When the clean water interface is the base station clean water interface, the bidirectional water pump draws water from the external base station clean water tank. When the clean water interface is the municipal water supply interface, the bidirectional water pump draws water from the external municipal water supply network.
6. The water circulation system capable of autonomously drawing in clean water and autonomously discharging wastewater according to claim 4, characterized in that, The sewage flow control assembly includes a second three-way fitting, a third check valve, and a fourth check valve; The first end of the second three-way fitting is connected to the main unit's sewage tank, the second end is connected to the water collection tank through the third one-way valve, and the third end is connected to the sewage discharge port through the fourth one-way valve; the conduction direction of the third one-way valve points towards the main unit's sewage tank, and the conduction direction of the fourth one-way valve is away from the main unit's sewage tank. The sewage discharge interface includes a base station sewage discharge interface and a municipal sewer interface. When the sewage discharge interface is the base station sewage discharge interface, the base station sewage discharge interface is connected to the base station sewage tank. The pressurized air generated by the pneumatic sewage discharge device under the positive pressure drainage state continues to enter the base station sewage tank after the sewage is emptied and diffuses in the liquid to perform oxygenation and deodorization. When the sewage discharge interface is the municipal sewer interface, the municipal sewer interface is connected to the municipal sewer to directly discharge the sewage into the municipal sewer.
7. The water circulation system capable of autonomously drawing in clean water and autonomously discharging wastewater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main unit's clean water tank is also equipped with an independent air passage. An anti-backflow valve is installed on the air passage, and a float with a density less than water is installed inside the anti-backflow valve. When the main unit's clean water tank is filled with water and the water level rises and overflows into the air passage, the float is buoyed up and blocks the air passage, making the main unit's clean water tank a closed cavity except for the one-way connecting pipe, so that all the clean water pumped in afterward flows to the one-way connecting pipe.
8. The water circulation system capable of autonomously drawing in clean water and autonomously discharging wastewater according to claim 5, characterized in that, It also includes a pressure reducing device. When the clean water interface is a municipal water supply interface, the pressure reducing device is connected between the municipal water supply network and the municipal water supply interface. The pressure reducing device is a pressure reducing valve or a float valve box, used to reduce the water pressure of the municipal water supply.
9. A water circulation method capable of autonomously drawing in clean water and autonomously discharging wastewater, characterized in that, Based on any one of claims 1-8, the water circulation system capable of autonomously drawing in clean water and autonomously discharging wastewater, the method includes the following steps: S1. Filling the main unit's clean water tank: Connect the clean water interface to an external water source, control the bidirectional water pump to rotate forward, and clean water enters the bidirectional water pump through the unidirectional flow control component and is pumped into the main unit's clean water tank; during this process, the air passage of the main unit's clean water tank remains open to expel air until the water level rises and overflows into the air passage, triggering the anti-backflow valve on the air passage to float up and block the air passage. S2. Self-cleaning of the main unit's wastewater tank: After the air passage is blocked, the main unit's clean water tank forms a closed cavity. The bidirectional water pump continues to rotate in the forward direction. The clean water continuously pumped into the main unit's clean water tank is forced to flow into the main unit's wastewater tank through the one-way connecting pipe due to pressure. When the clean water flows through the cleaning nozzle, it is accelerated or rotated, and the inner wall of the main unit's wastewater tank is sprayed and cleaned. S3 Cleaning Operation: Control the bidirectional water pump to reverse, and the unidirectional flow control component automatically switches the flow path, so that the clean water in the main unit's clean water tank flows to the outlet port for use in the cleaning operation area; at the same time, start the pneumatic sewage discharge device and control the air exchange valve to be in negative pressure water suction state, draw air from the main unit's sewage tank to form negative pressure, and use the pressure difference to draw the sewage in the water collection tank of the cleaning operation area into the main unit's sewage tank through the sewage discharge flow control component until the liquid level in the main unit's sewage tank triggers the second anti-backflow valve to stop the air suction; S4. Sewage Discharge and Maintenance: Stop cleaning operations and connect the sewage discharge interface to the external sewage discharge end; control the pneumatic sewage discharge device to switch to positive pressure drainage mode, pressurize the main unit sewage tank with air, and force the sewage liquid to be discharged through the sewage discharge flow control component; if the external sewage discharge end is the base station sewage tank, after the sewage liquid in the main unit sewage tank is emptied, keep the pneumatic sewage discharge device working, so that the pressurized air continues to enter the base station sewage tank through the sewage discharge interface and diffuse in the liquid to achieve oxygen explosion deodorization.