Robot for cleaning and disinfecting closestool and cleaning and disinfecting method

Abstract

The invention relates to a robot for cleaning and disinfecting a closestool and a cleaning and disinfecting method, and belongs to the field of robots. The robot comprises a robot body, a mechanical arm, a drying part and a cleaning and disinfecting part which are sequentially connected. The cleaning and disinfecting component comprises a shell, the front end of the shell is in an inclined flat shape, an image recognition module, an infrared sensor and a data transmission module are arranged in the shell, a liquid outlet assembly is arranged in the middle of the shell, and the outer side of the liquid outlet assembly is coaxially sleeved with a brush rotating assembly. The liquid outlet assembly comprises a liquid outlet cylinder, and two rows of nozzles are distributed on the circumferential side wall of the liquid outlet cylinder along the axis of the liquid outlet cylinder. The brush rotating assembly comprises a rotating cylinder, a plurality of rows of jet holes and a plurality of rows of brushes, wherein the jet holes and the brushes are distributed in the circumferential side wall of the rotating cylinder in a staggered mode in the axis direction of the rotating cylinder. According to the robot and the method, full intelligence of the whole operation process is achieved, the working efficiency is improved, and the cost is saved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotics, and more particularly to a robot and a cleaning and disinfection method for toilets. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of science and technology, toilet cleaning and disinfection has shifted from manual processing to fully automated processing by robots. Robots can be seen automatically cleaning and disinfecting toilets in many settings, such as hotels, office buildings, and public restrooms. Patent CN116494269A (published: July 28, 2023) discloses a fully automatic tool self-cleaning system and an artificial intelligence cleaning robot. This intelligent cleaning robot is equipped with cleaning tools, a processor, and self-cleaning components. Although the intelligent cleaning robot is designed with nozzles and a rotating brush structure, in this patent, the nozzles spray water directly onto the brush, and the rotating brush scrubs the inside of the toilet bowl, resulting in less than ideal cleaning and disinfection effects. Furthermore, the patent's technical solution does not disclose how the robot pushes open the toilet lid, and there is no drying device after the brush scrubs the toilet, causing water droplets or disinfectant to adhere to the inside of the toilet bowl. When using the toilet, users may have water droplets or disinfectant on their skin, which is detrimental to personal hygiene. Therefore, the overall level of intelligence of this patented technology is not high, and people using the toilet also feel that it is unhygienic after using the robot to clean the toilet.

[0003] Patent CN219661628U (authorization announcement date: September 12, 2023) discloses a toilet cleaning robot, comprising: a body, with a cavity on the lower side of the body for accommodating the toilet seat, and the cavity forming an opening on the rear side of the body; a laser radar positioned at the front of the cavity, protruding from the front of the body to detect objects in front of the body, and protruding from the cavity to detect objects behind the body through the opening; a cleaning component disposed on the body for cleaning the toilet seat located within the cavity; and a moving mechanism disposed on the body to drive the body to move. The single laser radar configuration satisfies both forward detection and backward alignment requirements for the toilet seat, effectively reducing costs and facilitating movement control. However, this patent does not disclose the specific structure of the brush rotation mechanism, and its level of intelligence is relatively low, failing to achieve a fully automated process of pushing open the toilet seat, cleaning, disinfecting, and drying. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a robot for cleaning and disinfecting toilets, which aims to solve the problem of low intelligence in existing toilet cleaning and disinfection robots.

[0005] A robot for cleaning and disinfecting toilets includes: a main body, a robotic arm, a drying component, and a cleaning and disinfection component connected in sequence; The cleaning and disinfection components include: a housing, the front end of which is inclined and flat and has an image recognition module, an infrared sensor and a data transmission module built in it; a liquid dispensing component is provided in the middle of the housing; and a brush rotating component is coaxially sleeved on the outside of the liquid dispensing component. The liquid dispensing assembly includes a liquid dispensing cylinder, on which two rows of nozzles are distributed along its axis on the circumferential sidewall. The brush rotating assembly includes a rotating cylinder, on which several rows of spray holes and several rows of brushes are staggered along the axial direction on the circumferential sidewall of the rotating cylinder. When cleaning the toilet, the processor located in the main body of the machine sends control commands to the robotic arm, which moves the drying and cleaning / disinfection components to the vicinity of the toilet. The infrared sensor detects the toilet, and the image recognition module identifies the shape and position of the toilet seat, sending the information to the processor via the data transmission module. The processor controls the front end of the robotic arm's control housing to align with the gap between the toilet seat and the toilet bowl and move forward, pushing the toilet seat open. The processor controls the rotating drum to rotate, and when any row of spray holes rotates to align with one of the nozzles, the disinfectant sprayed from the nozzles sprays disinfectant water onto the inside of the toilet bowl. The brush immediately following any row of spray holes rotates and wipes the sprayed area, and the drying component dries the disinfectant sprayed area with air.

[0006] In some embodiments, the liquid dispensing assembly further includes a water inlet pipe connected to the liquid dispensing cylinder, and an atomizing module and a pressurizing module disposed on the water inlet pipe. The pressurizing module pressurizes the disinfectant water flowing into the water inlet pipe, and then atomizes it into a mist disinfectant liquid through the atomizing module.

[0007] In some embodiments, the brush rotating assembly further includes a motor and a connecting shaft. The rotating drum is connected to the motor via the connecting shaft, and the rotating drum drives several spray holes and the brush to rotate under the drive of the motor.

[0008] In some embodiments, as the front end of the housing is pushed from the outside in, the inclined surface of the front end of the housing pushes the toilet seat to gradually open upwards.

[0009] In some embodiments, the brush bristles are made of a soft, antibacterial material.

[0010] In some embodiments, the front end of the housing is made of silicone.

[0011] In some embodiments, the drying component further includes a fan, a heating module, and upper and lower air outlets; the air generated by the fan is heated by the heating module to form hot air, which is then blown to the upper and lower sides of the toilet interior through the upper and lower air outlets.

[0012] In some embodiments, the housing is further provided with a vertically permeable receiving cavity, in which the liquid dispensing assembly and the brush rotating assembly are disposed and perpendicular to the direction of movement of the housing, and the brush extends out from the upper and lower ends of the housing.

[0013] This application also discloses a method for cleaning and disinfecting a toilet using a robot, including the following steps: S1: The main body of the machine controls the robotic arm to move the cleaning and disinfection components to the vicinity of the toilet and sense it through the infrared sensor. The image recognition module identifies the shape and position of the toilet seat outline edge and sends the information to the processor built into the main body of the machine through the data transmission module. The processor controls the front end of the housing to insert into the gap between the toilet seat and the toilet bowl and continue to push it inward. S2: The processor controls the rotation of the drum. When the spray hole on the drum rotates to align with the nozzle, the aligned nozzle sprays disinfectant through the spray hole onto the inside of the toilet bowl. The brush on the drum then rolls and wipes the sprayed area. S3: The processor controls the drying unit to blow air out and dry the area that has been sprayed with disinfectant.

[0014] The method for cleaning and disinfecting a toilet with a robot as claimed in claim 8 is characterized in that, in step S1, before inserting the front end of the housing into the gap between the toilet seat and the toilet bowl, an image recognition module is further included to identify the spatial distance between the front end of the housing and the toilet seat in real time, and the controller controls the robotic arm according to the spatial distance to make fine adjustments to the front end of the housing so that the front end of the housing is just at the front end of the gap between the toilet seat and the toilet bowl.

[0015] This patent application discloses a robot and a cleaning and disinfection method for toilets, which can achieve the following technical effects: The robot for toilet cleaning and disinfection described in this application utilizes a robotic arm controlled by the main body to move the cleaning and disinfection components near the toilet. An infrared sensor detects the toilet seat and then an image recognition module built into the front of the housing identifies the shape and spatial position of the toilet seat. The robot inserts its inclined, flat front end into the gap between the toilet seat and the toilet bowl. The robotic arm controls the housing to move forward, and the inclined, flat front end opens the toilet seat upwards. The main body controls the rotation of the cleaning and disinfection component's drum and the spray nozzle to spray disinfectant. When the spray nozzle on the drum rotates and aligns with the spray nozzle on the spray nozzle of the spray nozzle, the robot... After the nozzle is opened, disinfectant water from the dispensing cylinder is sprayed through the nozzle into the spray hole to rinse and disinfect the inside of the toilet seat and the inside of the toilet bowl. The brush on the rotating drum wipes and scrubs the areas inside the toilet seat and the inside of the toilet bowl that have been sprayed with disinfectant water. The drying unit located at the rear of the cleaning and disinfection unit blows hot air in two directions to dry the areas inside the toilet (including the inside of the toilet seat and the inside of the toilet bowl) that have been disinfected, rinsed and wiped. The whole process is fully automated, from opening the lid, spraying disinfectant water, wiping and scrubbing to drying, which greatly improves the intelligence and efficiency of toilet cleaning and disinfection and saves time.

[0016] The front end of the toilet seat is designed as a slanted, flat shape. A robotic arm controls its fine-tuning, and an infrared sensor detects this. An image recognition module identifies the shape and position of the toilet seat's outline, aligning the flat front end with the gap between the toilet seat and the toilet bowl. The robotic arm then extends the front end of the seat into the gap and moves forward, allowing the toilet seat to be pushed open. Therefore, a separate structure for pushing the toilet seat open is unnecessary, reducing costs.

[0017] Because the spray nozzles and brushes on the rotating drum are arranged in alternating rows relative to the drum's axis, when the spray nozzles on the rotating drum are aligned with the two rows of nozzles on the liquid outlet cylinder of the liquid outlet assembly, the disinfectant water on the liquid outlet cylinder is sprayed out through the nozzles into the spray nozzles. Since the positions of the two rows of nozzles on the liquid outlet cylinder are fixed, and one row of nozzles is designed to be angled upwards while the other row is designed to be angled downwards, the disinfectant water sprayed from the two rows of nozzles can effectively rinse and disinfect the inside of the toilet seat (angled upwards) and the inside of the toilet bowl (angled downwards). Similarly, several rows of brushes on the rotating drum rotate to wipe and scrub the areas on the inside of the toilet seat and the inside of the toilet bowl that have been sprayed with disinfectant water, achieving the purpose of sterilizing and disinfecting the toilet. The drying assembly, with its upper and lower air outlets, achieves the purpose of spraying hot air onto the inside of the toilet seat and the inside of the toilet bowl.

[0018] The liquid dispensing assembly also includes an atomizing module and a pressurizing module connected sequentially to the water inlet pipe. The pressurizing module pressurizes the disinfectant water flowing into the water inlet pipe and delivers it to the nozzle furthest from the water inlet pipe; the atomizing module atomizes the disinfectant water into a disinfectant mist. The design of the pressurizing module and the atomizing module can achieve all-round, thorough sterilization and disinfection of the inside of the toilet seat and the inside of the toilet bowl. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the toilet cleaning and disinfection robot 10 described in this application approaching the toilet seat 501; Figure 2 Structural diagram of cleaning and disinfection component 400; Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the shell 410; Figure 4 This is a partial structural diagram of the liquid outlet assembly 420; Figure 5 for Figure 4 Full sectional view along the AA direction; Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing the cooperation between the liquid dispensing component 420 and the brush rotating component 430; Figure 7 for Figure 5 Enlarged view of point B in the image; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing that two adjacent rows of spray holes 432 of the brush rotating assembly 430 are aligned with two rows of nozzles 423 of the liquid dispensing assembly 420 after rotation.

[0020] The serial numbers and names of each component are as follows: 10. Robot; 100. Main body; 101. Casters; 102. Control panel; 200. Robotic arm; 300. Drying component; 301. Fan; 302. Heating module; 303. Upper air outlet; 304. Lower air outlet; 400. Cleaning and disinfection component; 410. Housing; 411. Image recognition module; 412. Infrared sensor; 413. Data transmission module; 414. Front end of housing; 415. Receiving cavity; 420. Liquid dispensing assembly; 421. Liquid dispensing cylinder; 422. Water inlet pipe; 424. Atomization module; 425. Pressurization module; 430. Brush rotation assembly; 431. Rotating drum; 432. Spray nozzle; 433. Brush; 501. Toilet seat; 502. Toilet bowl. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0022] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. The terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. Furthermore, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0023] refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the toilet cleaning and disinfection robot 10 described in this application approaching the toilet seat 501. The robot 10 includes: a main body 100, a robotic arm 200, a cleaning and disinfection component 400, and a drying component 300, connected in sequence. The main body 100 is equipped with a lidar sensor (not shown), which is used to detect people or obstacles around the robot 10. When the robot 10 detects a person or obstacle while moving forward, backward, or turning, it will change its route, turn, or stop to avoid the obstacle or person. The lower end of the main body 100 is equipped with casters 101 or a tracked movement mechanism for the main body 100 to move the robotic arm 200, the cleaning and disinfection component 300, and the drying component 300. A control panel 102 is installed on the main body 100. By operating the buttons on the control panel 102, the robot 10 can be manually operated to perform various actions: forward, backward, turning, and stopping of the main body 100; extension, flipping, grasping, and swinging movements of the robotic arm 200; and a series of actions such as the cleaning and disinfection component 400 pushing open the toilet lid 501, spraying disinfectant, scrubbing the toilet with a brush, and the drying component 300 blowing hot air to dry the toilet. These actions can also be automatically completed at once according to a preset program by a processor built into the main body. In other words, the entire set of actions performed by the toilet cleaning and disinfection robot 10 of this application can be completed automatically or manually by clicking the buttons on the control panel. Generally, manual operation is a backup plan, only used when automatic operation fails.

[0024] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 In some embodiments, the cleaning and disinfection component 400 includes: a housing 410, the front end of which is inclined and flat, and an image recognition module 411, an infrared sensor 412, and a data transmission module 413 are disposed on the inner side of the front end of the housing 410. (Reference) Figure 4 and Figure 6 A liquid dispensing assembly 420 is provided in the middle of the housing 410, and a brush rotating assembly 430 is coaxially sleeved on the outside of the liquid dispensing assembly 420. The image recognition module 411 can be, for example, a camera, or other instruments with image recognition functions.

[0025] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The housing 410 is also provided with a vertically and horizontally permeable receiving cavity 415, in which the liquid dispensing assembly 420 and the brush rotating assembly 30 are disposed and perpendicular to the direction of movement of the housing 410 (e.g., Figure 1 As shown, the brush 433 is designed to extend from the upper and lower ends of the housing 410 to achieve the purpose of brushing the inside of the toilet seat 501 and the inside of the toilet bowl 502 during rotation.

[0026] refer to Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 The liquid dispensing assembly 420 includes a liquid dispensing cylinder 421 and an inlet pipe 422. Two rows of nozzles 423 are arranged along the axis of the liquid dispensing cylinder 421 on its circumferential sidewall. The liquid dispensing cylinder 421 is fixed, and the two rows of nozzles 423 can spray disinfectant water at an angle of inclination upwards and downwards. (Reference) Figure 6 The brush rotating assembly 430 includes a rotating cylinder 431. On the circumferential side wall of the rotating cylinder 431, several rows of spray holes 432 and several rows of brushes 433 are staggered along the axis of the rotating cylinder 431.

[0027] In the Figure 1 When cleaning and disinfecting the toilet, the main body 100, carrying the robotic arm 200, drying component 300, and cleaning and disinfection component 400, moves to the vicinity of the toilet according to a preset trajectory. The robotic arm 200 unfolds, and the front end 414 of the cleaning and disinfection component 400 is brought close to the toilet seat 501 and toilet bowl 502 through fine-tuning. The infrared sensor 412 located on the front end 414 of the housing is recognized. The image recognition module 411 located on the housing 410 identifies the shape and position information of the toilet seat 501 and sends this information to the processor (not shown) located in the main body 100. The processor controls the robotic arm 200 to push the inclined and flattened front end 414 of the housing 410 open. Figure 1 The toilet seat 501 is pushed towards the toilet seat 501 and opens upwards. Understandably, because the front end 414 of the housing 410 is inclined and flat, as the housing 410 is pushed towards the toilet seat 501, the upper surfaces of both sides of the front end 414 of the housing 410 contact the inner side of the toilet seat 501, ensuring that the toilet seat 501 is slowly opened upwards. The lower end of the housing 410 moves inwards along the upper surface of the toilet bowl 502. Understandably, the greater the inclination of the front end 414 of the housing 410, the greater the opening angle of the toilet seat 501; the smaller the inclination of the front end 414 of the housing 410, the smaller the opening angle of the toilet seat 501. Therefore, the front end 414 of the housing 410 is designed to be inclined and flat. For the overall robot design, there is no need to design an additional suction gripper to suction the toilet seat 501 and then open it, reducing costs.

[0028] When the toilet seat 501 is opened, the processor (not shown) located in the main body 100 controls the rotating drum 431 of the brush rotating assembly 430 to rotate. When any row of spray holes 432 on the rotating drum 431 rotates to align with... Figure 6When one row of nozzles 423 of the liquid outlet cylinder 421 is activated, the disinfectant water flowing out of the water inlet pipe 422 is sprayed through the nozzle 423 to the spray hole 432, and then sprayed through the spray hole 432 to the inside of the toilet seat 501 for disinfection; the other row of spray holes 432 on the rotating cylinder 431 is rotated to align with Figure 6 Another row of nozzles 423 in the dispensing cylinder 421 sprays disinfectant onto the inside of the toilet bowl 502. After the inside of the toilet seat 501 and the inside of the toilet bowl 502 are sprayed with disinfectant, several rows of brushes 433 attached to the rotating drum 431 scrub and wipe the inside of the toilet seat 501 and the inside of the toilet bowl 502 as the drum 431 rotates, cleaning the dirt from the inside of the toilet seat 501 and the inside of the toilet bowl 502. Because the spray holes 432 and the brushes 433 are staggered on the outer circumferential side wall of the rotating drum 431 relative to the axis of the rotating drum 431, the disinfection and rinsing of the inside of the toilet (i.e., the inside of the toilet seat and the inside of the toilet bowl) are carried out simultaneously when the rotating drum 431 rotates, improving work efficiency. In addition, the two rows of nozzles 423 on the liquid outlet cylinder 421 ensure that the disinfectant is sprayed diagonally upwards onto the inside of the toilet seat and diagonally downwards onto the inside of the toilet bowl. Finally, the processor in the main body 100 controls... Figure 1 The drying unit 300 blows hot air to dry the cleaned areas inside the toilet seat 501 and the toilet bowl 502.

[0029] The sterilization and disinfection robot in this application operates as follows: The main body 100 carries a robotic arm 200, a drying component 300, and a cleaning and disinfection component 400. Following a preset route (during the movement, if an obstacle or person is detected, it must avoid or change its trajectory), it moves to the toilet and is detected by an infrared sensor. The robotic arm 200 then unfolds and uses the image recognition module 411 to identify the shape and position of the toilet seat 501. This information is then transmitted to the processor in the main body 100 via the data transmission module 413. The processor then uses the robotic arm 200 to clean and disinfect the toilet seat 501. The cleaning and disinfection component 400 is adjusted so that the front end 414 of the housing 410 can be inserted into the gap between the toilet seat 501 and the toilet bowl 502. The processor controls the housing 410 to move forward, pushing the toilet seat 501 upward. The processor controls the spray nozzle on the rotating drum to rotate and align with the nozzle. The disinfectant sprayed from the nozzle cleans and disinfects the inside of the toilet seat 501 and the inside of the toilet bowl 502 through the spray hole 432. The drying component 300 dries the cleaned and disinfected areas of the inside of the toilet seat 501 and the inside of the toilet bowl 502 through the upper air outlet and the two lower air outlets. After the entire area of ​​the toilet has been cleaned, sterilized, descaled, and dried, the housing 410 is removed from the toilet, and the robot leaves. Therefore, the entire process realizes a series of intelligent operations such as opening the toilet lid, spraying disinfectant, brushing and wiping, and drying, saving time and effort and improving the cleaning, sterilization, and drying efficiency of the toilet.

[0030] refer to Figure 6 It is understandable that the number of each row of injection holes 432 along its axis on the rotating drum 431 and... Figure 4 The number of nozzles 423 distributed along the axis of the liquid outlet cylinder 421 is the same in each row. That is, the number of spray holes 432 in each row along the length of the rotating cylinder 431 is designed to be the same as the number of nozzles 423 distributed along the length of the liquid outlet cylinder 421. Figure 6 The arc angle formed between every two adjacent spray holes 432 radially distributed on each ring of the rotating cylinder 431 is the same as the arc angle formed between two spray holes 432 radially distributed along the liquid outlet cylinder 421, see... Figure 8 For example, if the number of spray holes 432 evenly distributed in each ring on the rotating drum 431 is 8, then the arc angle formed between two adjacent spray holes 432 is 45°, and the arc angle formed between two nozzles 423 in each ring on the liquid outlet cylinder 421 is also 45°. When the rotating drum 431 rotates, the spray holes 432 rotate until they are just aligned with the nozzles 423. The disinfectant water in the liquid outlet cylinder 421 flows through the nozzles 423 and then through the spray holes 432, and is sprayed from the spray holes 432 onto the inside of the toilet seat 501 and the inside of the toilet bowl 502 respectively. Therefore, the purpose of setting two rows of nozzles 423 along the axis of the liquid outlet cylinder 421 is to ensure that the disinfectant water sprayed from the two rows of nozzles 423 disinfects the inside of the toilet seat 501 and the inside of the toilet bowl 502 from two directions, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0031] refer to Figure 5 and Figure 7 Each nozzle 423 extends outward from the circumferential side wall of the liquid outlet cylinder 421 and communicates with the inner circumference of the liquid outlet cylinder 421 to facilitate the flow of disinfectant water from the nozzle 423.

[0032] refer to Figure 4 and Figure 6 The liquid outlet assembly 420 also includes a water inlet pipe 422 connected to the liquid outlet cylinder 421, and an atomizing module 424 and a pressurizing module 425 installed on the water inlet pipe. The pressurizing module 425 pressurizes the disinfectant water flowing into the water inlet pipe 422, and the atomizing module 424 atomizes the pressurized disinfectant water into a mist of disinfectant liquid. The pressurized mist of disinfectant liquid can be delivered to the nozzle 423, which is furthest from the water inlet pipe 422, ensuring all-round disinfection, sterilization, and descaling of the toilet. The atomizing module 424 is preferably an ultrasonic atomizer. The ultrasonic atomizer atomizes the disinfectant liquid into a mist of disinfectant liquid with tiny particles of 6-8μm. After passing through the nozzle 423 and the spray hole 432, the mist of disinfectant liquid is evenly diffused into the internal space of the toilet, providing all-round disinfection, sterilization, and descaling of the toilet in areas that are difficult to reach by spraying (such as the inside of the toilet drain outlet and the hinge of the toilet seat).

[0033] refer to Figure 6 In some embodiments, the brush rotating assembly 420 further includes a motor 434 and a connecting shaft 435. The rotating drum 431 is connected to the motor 434 via the connecting shaft 435. Driven by the motor 434, the rotating drum 431 rotates several spray holes 432 and several sets of brushes 433. By controlling the rotation speed of the motor 434, the rotation speed of the rotating drum 431 can be adjusted, thus adjusting the rotation speed of the brushes 433 and controlling the brushing progress. Similarly, it can be understood that if the rotation speed of the rotating drum 431 is adjustable, the speed at which the spray holes 432 of the rotating drum 431 rotate to their corresponding nozzles 423 can be adjusted, thus adjusting the spraying speed of the disinfectant sprayed onto the toilet.

[0034] In some embodiments, Figure 6 The brush 433 is preferably made of a soft antibacterial material, such as common PP (polypropylene), PA (nylon), and silicone. The soft antibacterial material has moderate hardness and will not damage the glaze on the surface of the toilet seat and toilet bowl.

[0035] Further reference Figure 2 The front end 414 of the housing 410 is preferably made of silicone. The advantage of choosing silicone is that silicone has moderate hardness, preventing... Figure 1 When the robotic arm 200 malfunctions, the front end 414 of the housing 410 comes into contact with the glaze on the surface of the toilet (including the toilet seat and toilet bowl), causing the glaze to peel off.

[0036] In some embodiments, Figure 1 The drying component 300 includes a fan 301, a heating module 302, an upper air outlet 303, and a lower air outlet 304. The fan 301 draws in natural air, and the heating module 302 heats the natural air before it is used to dry the toilet seat and toilet bowl after cleaning, sterilization, and descaling through the upper air outlet 303 and lower air outlet 304. In some embodiments, the heating module 302 is preferably a PTC ceramic heating element, which has high heating efficiency and can quickly heat air to 40-50℃ (constant temperature control, error ≤ ±2℃).

[0037] refer to Figure 1 The toilet in this application includes a toilet seat 501 and a toilet bowl 502. The processor built into the main body 100 is preferably a combination of an STM32 microcontroller (main controller) and a small PLC (execution controller), which has a fast response speed (≤100ms) and can accurately control the timing of the actions of each actuator to ensure smooth connection of the four major links of opening the lid, spraying liquid, washing, and drying without any jamming.

[0038] This patent application also discloses a method for cleaning and disinfecting a toilet using a robot, comprising the following steps: S1: The main body controls the robotic arm to move the cleaning and disinfection components to the vicinity of the toilet. The image recognition module and infrared sensor identify the shape and position of the toilet seat outline edge, and the data transmission module sends the information to the processor built into the main body. The processor controls the front end of the housing to insert into the gap between the toilet seat and the toilet bowl and continue to push it inward. S2: The processor controls the rotation of the drum. When the spray hole on the drum rotates to align with the nozzle, the aligned nozzle sprays disinfectant through the spray hole onto the inside of the toilet bowl. The brush on the drum then rolls and wipes the sprayed area. S3: The processor controls the drying unit to blow air out and dry the area that has been sprayed with disinfectant.

[0039] refer to Figures 1 to 8 The main body 100 carries a robotic arm 200, a drying component 300, and a cleaning and disinfection component 400. It moves along a preset route (during which, if an obstacle or person is detected, it must avoid or change its trajectory) to the toilet that needs cleaning. The robotic arm 200 is deployed to fine-tune the drying component 300 and the cleaning and disinfection component 400. The image recognition module 411 identifies the shape and position of the toilet seat 501 and sends the relevant information to the processor (not shown) in the main body 100. The processor adjusts the posture of the cleaning and disinfection component 400 through the robotic arm 200 so that the front end 414 of the housing 410 can be inserted into the gap between the toilet seat 501 and the toilet bowl 502. The processor controls the housing 410 to move forward, pushing the toilet seat 501 upward. When the processor controls any row of spray holes 432 on the rotating drum 431 to rotate to align with one of the spray nozzles 432, the disinfectant sprayed from the nozzle 432 cleans and disinfects the inside of the toilet seat 501 and the inside of the toilet bowl 502 through the spray holes 432. The brush 433 on the rotating drum 431 wipes and scrubs the inside of the toilet seat 501 and the inside of the toilet bowl 502. The drying component 300 located behind the cleaning and disinfection component 400 dries the cleaned, disinfected and descaled areas of the inside of the toilet seat 501 and the inside of the toilet bowl 502 through the upper air outlet 303 and the lower air outlet 304, respectively. After the inside of the toilet (i.e., the inside of the toilet seat 501 and the inside of the toilet bowl 502) has been cleaned, sterilized, and dried, the robotic arm 200 manipulates the drying component 300 and the cleaning and disinfection component 400 to exit the toilet. After the robotic arm 200 retracts, it resets the drying component 300 and the cleaning and disinfection component 400 onto the main body 100, and then the robot leaves according to a preset trajectory. Therefore, the entire process realizes a series of intelligent operations such as opening the toilet lid, spraying disinfectant, brushing and wiping, and drying, saving time and effort and improving the cleaning, sterilization, and drying efficiency of the toilet.

[0040] In some embodiments, before inserting the front end of the housing into the gap between the toilet seat and the toilet bowl in step S1, an image recognition module is further included to identify the spatial distance between the front end of the housing and the toilet seat in real time. The controller controls the robotic arm according to the spatial distance to fine-tune the front end of the housing so that the front end of the housing is just at the front end of the gap between the toilet seat and the toilet bowl.

[0041] Finally, it should be noted that the above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A robot for cleaning and disinfecting toilets, characterized in that, include: The main body, robotic arm, drying components, and cleaning and disinfection components are connected sequentially. The cleaning and disinfection component includes: a housing, the front end of which is inclined and flat and has an image recognition module, an infrared sensor and a data transmission module built in it; a liquid dispensing assembly is provided in the middle of the housing; and a brush rotating assembly is coaxially sleeved on the outside of the liquid dispensing assembly. The liquid dispensing assembly includes a liquid dispensing cylinder, on which two rows of nozzles are distributed along its axis on the circumferential sidewall. The brush rotating assembly includes a rotating cylinder, on the circumferential sidewall of which several rows of spray holes and several rows of brushes are staggered along its axial direction. When cleaning the toilet, the processor located in the main body of the machine sends control commands to the robotic arm, manipulating the drying component and the cleaning and disinfection component to move near the toilet. The infrared sensor detects the toilet, and the image recognition module identifies the shape and position information of the toilet seat, which is then sent to the processor via the data transmission module. The processor controls the robotic arm to align the front end of the housing with the gap between the toilet seat and the toilet bowl and move it forward, pushing the toilet seat open. The processor controls the rotating drum to rotate, and when any row of spray holes rotates to align with one of the nozzles, the disinfectant sprayed from the nozzles sprays disinfectant water onto the inside of the toilet bowl. The brush immediately following the spray hole rotates and wipes the sprayed area, and the drying component dries the disinfectant sprayed area with air.

2. The robot for cleaning and disinfecting toilets as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid dispensing assembly also includes a water inlet pipe connected to the liquid dispensing cylinder, and an atomizing module and a pressurizing module disposed on the water inlet pipe. The pressurizing module pressurizes the disinfectant water flowing into the water inlet pipe, and then atomizes it into a mist disinfectant liquid through the atomizing module.

3. The robot for cleaning and disinfecting toilets as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The brush rotating assembly further includes a motor and a connecting shaft. The rotating drum is connected to the motor via the connecting shaft. Driven by the motor, the rotating drum drives several spray holes and the brush to rotate.

4. The robot for cleaning and disinfecting toilets as described in claim 1, characterized in that, As the front end of the housing is pushed from the outside in, the inclined surface of the front end of the housing pushes the toilet seat to gradually open upwards.

5. The robot for cleaning and disinfecting toilets as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The brush is made of a soft, antibacterial material.

6. The robot for cleaning and disinfecting toilets as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The front end of the housing is made of silicone.

7. The robot for cleaning and disinfecting toilets as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The drying component also includes a fan, a heating module, an upper air outlet, and a lower air outlet; the air generated by the fan is heated by the heating module to form hot air, which is then blown to the upper and lower sides of the toilet interior through the upper and lower air outlets.

8. The robot for cleaning and disinfecting toilets as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The housing is also provided with a cavity that is open at the top and bottom. The liquid dispensing assembly and the brush rotating assembly are placed in the cavity and are perpendicular to the direction of movement of the housing. The brush extends out from the upper and lower ends of the housing.

9. A method for cleaning and disinfecting a toilet using a robot as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: The main body of the machine controls the robotic arm to move the cleaning and disinfection components to the vicinity of the toilet and detects them through the infrared sensor. The image recognition module identifies the shape and position information of the toilet seat outline edge and sends the information to the processor built into the main body of the machine through the data transmission module. The processor controls the front end of the housing to insert into the gap between the toilet seat and the toilet bowl and continue to push it inward according to the information. S2: The processor controls the rotating drum to rotate. When the spray hole on the rotating drum rotates to align with the nozzle, the aligned nozzle sprays disinfectant through the spray hole onto the inside of the toilet. The brush on the rotating drum rolls and wipes the sprayed area. S3: The processor controls the drying component to blow air onto and dry the area that has been sprayed with disinfectant.

10. The method for cleaning and disinfecting a toilet with a robot as described in claim 9, characterized in that, In step S1, before the front end of the housing is inserted into the gap between the toilet seat and the toilet bowl, the image recognition module identifies the spatial distance between the front end of the housing and the toilet seat in real time. The controller controls the robotic arm according to the spatial distance to fine-tune the front end of the housing so that the front end of the housing is just at the front end of the gap between the toilet seat and the toilet bowl.

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