Heating device, base station of surface cleaning equipment and surface cleaning system

Abstract

The utility model provides a heating device, which is used for being mounted in an air path of a surface cleaning system to heat airflow in the air path, and comprises a front heating assembly for receiving airflow from the upstream of the air path and heating the upstream airflow to form front heating airflow; the rear heating assembly is used for receiving the front heating airflow and heating the front heating airflow so as to form secondary heating airflow; the transverse width of the rear heating assembly is larger than that of the front heating assembly. The utility model further provides a base station of the surface cleaning equipment and a surface cleaning system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a heating device, a base station of a surface cleaning device and a surface cleaning system. Background Art

[0002] In the prior art, household surface cleaning devices usually need to clean their cleaning actuators, such as stirring parts, after a cleaning cycle to prevent secondary contamination by dirt components adhered thereto during the previous cleaning cycle. Usually, self-cleaning with water or foam is performed through structures such as a base station or a tray to remove dirt. Utility Model Content

[0003] Some aspects of the present disclosure provide a heating device for installation in an air path of a surface cleaning system to heat the airflow in the air path, comprising: a front heating component, receiving the airflow from upstream of the air path, and heating the upstream airflow to form a front heated airflow; a rear heating component, receiving the airflow from the front heated airflow, and heating the front heated airflow to form a secondary heated airflow; the lateral width of the rear heating component is greater than the lateral width of the front heating component.

[0004] Some aspects of the present disclosure provide a heating device for installation in an air circuit of a surface cleaning system to heat the airflow in the air circuit, comprising: a front heating component, receiving the airflow from upstream of the air circuit, and heating the upstream airflow to form a front heated airflow; a rear heating component, receiving the front heated airflow, and heating the front heated airflow to form a secondary heated airflow; the air circuit comprises an air duct formed in the surface cleaning system, at least one of the front heating component and the rear heating component is located in the air duct; the front heating component is close to the inlet of the air duct; the rear heating component is close to the outlet of the air duct.

[0005] Some aspects of the present disclosure provide a base station for a surface cleaning device, comprising: a shell, with an air path formed inside; an air inlet and an air outlet located on the surface of the shell, for connecting the atmosphere and the interior of the shell; a blower located in the shell, for forming an airflow in the air path; a front heating component, receiving the airflow from upstream of the air path, and heating the upstream airflow to form a front heating airflow; a rear heating component, receiving the airflow from the front heating airflow, and heating the front heating airflow to form a secondary heating airflow; the lateral width of the rear heating component is greater than the lateral width of the front heating component.

[0006] Some aspects of the present disclosure provide a base station for a surface cleaning device, comprising: a shell, with an air path formed inside; an air inlet and an air outlet located on the surface of the shell, for connecting the atmosphere and the interior of the shell; a blower located in the shell, for forming an airflow in the air path; a front heating component, receiving the airflow from the upstream of the air path, and heating the upstream airflow to form a front heating airflow; a rear heating component, receiving the front heating airflow, and heating the front heating airflow to form a secondary heating airflow; also comprising: an air duct located in the shell, the air duct comprising an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being connected to the inlet airflow, the outlet being connected to the outlet airflow, the front heating component being close to the inlet of the air duct; the rear heating component being close to the outlet of the air duct.

[0007] Some aspects of the present disclosure provide a base station for a surface cleaning device, comprising: a shell, with an air path formed inside; an air inlet and an air outlet located on the surface of the shell, for connecting the atmosphere and the interior of the shell; a blower located in the shell, for forming an airflow in the air path; a front heating component, receiving the airflow from the upstream of the air path, and heating the upstream airflow to form a front heated airflow; a rear heating component, receiving the airflow from the front heated airflow, and heating the front heated airflow to form a secondary heated airflow; the base station comprises a supporting surface, at least for supporting and placing cleaning parts of the surface cleaning device, at least a portion of the supporting surface is formed by the rear heating component, for forming a heating area on the supporting surface.

[0008] The above content is a relatively broad overview of the features and technical advantages of the examples provided according to the present disclosure, so as to better understand the detailed description below. Other features and advantages will be introduced below. The disclosed concepts and specific examples can be used as the basis for modifying or designing other structures or methods at any time to achieve the same purpose of the present disclosure. Such equivalent structures do not depart from the scope of the attached claims. From the following description, the characteristics, organizational structure and operation methods of the concepts disclosed in the utility model, as well as the related advantages, can be better understood in combination with the accompanying drawings. Each figure is provided for the purpose of illustration and description, and is not used to define the scope of the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] In order to understand the above features of the present disclosure in detail, reference may be made to certain aspects illustrated in the accompanying drawings for a more detailed description of the features briefly summarized above. It should be noted, however, that the accompanying drawings illustrate only certain typical aspects of the present disclosure and should not be considered as limiting the scope thereof, as the present disclosure may include other equally effective aspects. The same reference numerals in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements.

[0010] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a surface cleaning system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is shown.

[0011] Figure 2 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of a base station according to one aspect of the present disclosure is shown.

[0012] Figure 3 A schematic top view of a base station according to one aspect of the present disclosure is shown, illustrating the internal structure of the base station.

[0013] Figure 4 is based on Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the AA direction cross section.

[0014] Figure 5 is a hardware device block diagram of a base station supporting surface cleaning equipment maintenance according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a control device of a base station according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 7 A flow chart of a base station performing maintenance on a surface cleaning device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is shown.

[0017] Figure 8 Another flow chart of a base station performing maintenance on a surface cleaning device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is shown.

[0018] Fig. 9 Another flowchart of a base station performing maintenance of a surface cleaning device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The present disclosure is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. The various aspects of the present disclosure will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure can be embodied in a variety of different forms and should not be construed as being limited to any specific structure or function introduced in the present disclosure. On the contrary, these aspects are provided to make the present disclosure comprehensive and complete, and to fully illustrate the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. Based on the teachings of the present disclosure, those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of the present disclosure is intended to cover any aspect disclosed herein, whether implemented independently of any other aspect of the present disclosure or implemented in combination with any other aspect of the present disclosure. For example, any aspect of this article can be used to implement a device or implement a method. In addition, the scope of the present disclosure is intended to cover devices or methods implemented using other structures, functions, or structures and functions in addition to or in addition to the various aspects set forth herein. It should be understood that any aspect disclosed herein can be embodied by one or more elements of the claims.

[0020] In the current market, household floor scrubbers are becoming more and more popular. Self-cleaning after cleaning has become a trend. Self-cleaning can greatly reduce the secondary pollution caused by dirt attached to the fluff of the stirring parts of the surface cleaning equipment, and effectively remove the dirt attached to the stirring parts.

[0021] Since the stirring element is usually washed repeatedly with clean water in the self-cleaning cycle, the fluff on the surface of the stirring element still has a certain humidity after self-cleaning. Even if the rotation speed of the stirring element is increased and the excess water is thrown out by centrifugal action, the water on the fluff of the stirring element cannot be completely removed after the self-cleaning cycle ends, which may lead to the growth of bacteria in a humid environment.

[0022] In response to this situation, the prior art has adopted the method of hot air drying the stirring element after self-cleaning to completely remove the moisture from the fluff of the stirring element, thereby avoiding the possibility of bacteria and microorganisms growing in the fluff of the stirring element. For example, in Chinese patent application ZL202110456057.2, by providing a heat drying mechanism in the base, the roller brush of the cleaning equipment can be heat dried, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency and the service life of the equipment. By controlling the operation of the fan device and the heating body on the base station, the airflow can be heated and dispersed, thereby achieving sufficient heating and heat drying of the cleaning equipment. In addition, by providing a tray portion and an air guide portion, the air outlet of the heat drying mechanism can be directed to the cleaning tank toward the tray portion, thereby improving the heat drying effect.

[0023] In addition, a hot water self-cleaning method is to set a heating module in the stirring element cleaning area of ​​the base station, and conduct heat to the cleaning element contact area through the heating module to heat the self-cleaning water in the cleaning element contact area to achieve hot water self-cleaning.

[0024] At present, drying of wet surface cleaning devices represented by floor scrubbers has become a trend, but most of the base stations with thermal drying function on the market currently require a long period of time to completely dry the cleaned parts.

[0025] The base station and maintenance method for surface cleaning equipment described herein can improve the efficiency of thermal drying of cleaning parts according to different maintenance modes. In some examples of base stations, the base station can be configured with an enhanced heating assembly. In some examples, the enhanced heating assembly can act on the thermal drying cycle and also on the self-cleaning cycle before the thermal drying cycle.

[0026] In some embodiments, the control device may use various mechanisms and algorithms to determine the maintenance mode, so as to determine different self-cleaning cycle strategies and thermal drying cycle strategies according to the mode selection of the user. The self-cleaning cycle strategy and thermal drying cycle strategy may also be automatically determined according to the changes in the environment, so as to eliminate the excessive maintenance waiting time while ensuring the maintenance efficiency.

[0027] Figure 1 An example of supporting a surface cleaning device to perform maintenance according to various aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The term "surface cleaning device" may be used herein to describe various types of household cleaning devices, including autonomous processing devices configured to provide some semi-autonomous or autonomous capabilities. Examples of household cleaning devices include: a floor scrubber, a vacuum cleaner with mopping function, a sweeping robot with scrubbing function, a window cleaning robot, etc.

[0028] In an embodiment where the surface cleaning device is a floor scrubber, the surface cleaning device may include an onboard processing device configured to receive some information or instructions, such as information or instructions from a human operator (e.g., via a remote computing device), and semi-autonomously operate the surface cleaning device to clean the floor and / or perform base station maintenance of the surface cleaning device based on the received information or instructions.

[0029] Figure 1 1 is a surface cleaning system architecture diagram according to one aspect of the present disclosure. The surface cleaning system 100 can support the mechanism of cleaning and maintenance of the surface cleaning device 210. In some embodiments, the surface cleaning device 210 can be configured to perform a semi-autonomous or autonomous dirty particle collection process. For example, the surface cleaning device 210 can include a wet floor cleaning device. The surface cleaning device 210 can be configured to identify the floor dirtiness within a cleaning cycle and the used time of the cleaning parts of the surface cleaning device 210. Some examples of identifying the floor dirtiness and the use time of the cleaning parts can be based on sensor information. After the surface cleaning device 210 determines that the cleaning parts should be maintained, the operation can be suspended and the current working position of the surface cleaning device 210 can be recorded. The base station 220 of the surface cleaning device 210 can be configured to be used for performing a self-cleaning cycle and a hot drying cycle. The system can start to perform corresponding cleaning and maintenance operations when the surface cleaning device 210 is stored and supported on the base station 220.

[0030] In some embodiments, various mechanisms and algorithms may also be used to determine the maintenance mode of the cleaning parts of the surface cleaning device 210 to adapt to the current working situation. The current working situation may be defined by the user and / or identified by the surface cleaning device using occupancy data related to the environment, such as the area and geographical location of the home that has been cleaned, the dirtiness record of the ground that has been cleaned, etc. The maintenance mode is automatically selected through some mechanisms and algorithms to call the corresponding maintenance mode on the base station 220 to maintain the surface cleaning device, so that the time of pausing operation or waiting can be reduced.

[0031] like Figure 1 In some embodiments, the surface cleaning system 100 may further include an access point 110, a server 120, a remote control device 130, a database 140, and a wireless communication link 150. The server 120 may include a data server, a cloud server, a server associated with an automation service provider, a proxy server, a mail server, a web server, an application server, a database server, a communication server, a home server, a mobile server, or any combination thereof. For example, the surface cleaning device 210 may upload data (such as notifications) to an application hosted by the server 120 for publishing data related to the autonomous functions performed by the surface cleaning device 210. For example, a user may view the data published by the surface cleaning device 210 through an application running on the remote control device 130 to view the functions performed by the surface cleaning device 210. The server 120 may also transmit various information to the surface cleaning device 210, such as location information, motion control instructions, and other information, instructions, or commands related to the autonomous operation of the surface cleaning device 210.

[0032] The database 140 can store data, which may include location information, control instructions, consumables information (e.g., stirring element information, filter information), water full information, dirt information, battery information and other operation information, as well as other information, instructions or commands related to the maintenance operation of the surface cleaning device (e.g., the occupied time of the self-cleaning cycle, the occupied time of the hot drying, the charging power of the base station 220 during the maintenance of the surface cleaning device, etc.). The surface cleaning device 210 can retrieve the stored data from the database 140 through the access point 110.

[0033] In some cases, the surface cleaning device may also communicate directly with another device (eg, using a peer-to-peer (P2P) or device-to-device (D2D) protocol), such as a smartphone, a Bluetooth device, a Wi-Fi device, a mobile station, a user station, a mobile client, etc.

[0034] The wireless communication link 150 shown in the surface cleaning system 100 may include an uplink (UL) transmission from the surface cleaning device to the access point 110 or the server 120, and / or a downlink (DL) transmission from the access point 110 or the server 120 to the surface cleaning device. Downlink transmissions may also be referred to as forward link transmissions, and uplink transmissions may also be referred to as reverse link transmissions. The wireless communication link 135 may transmit bidirectional communications and / or unidirectional communications. The wireless communication link 135 may include one or more connections, including but not limited to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, point-to-point, LAN, wireless local area network (WLAN), Ethernet, fiber optic, and / or other connection types associated with wireless communication systems.

[0035] Figure 1 Also shown is an example of an environment 200 that supports surface cleaning equipment that performs maintenance on a base station 220 in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. The environment 200 can implement various aspects of the surface cleaning system 100.

[0036] In some examples, environment 200 can be part of a structure, such as a residential or commercial building. For example, environment 200 can be a home, in particular, a room, including one or more different ground materials and objects throughout the room. The surface cleaning device can be configured to perform cleaning functions within the scope of the home. For example, the surface cleaning device can perform a semi-autonomous (or autonomous) surface dirty particle collection process within the above-mentioned geographical boundaries under the manual control of the user, including: during operation, the cleaning fluid is supplied from the fluid supply container to the dispenser, and is supplied to the cleaning member from the outlet of at least one dispenser. The fluid flows to the cleaning member so that the surface to be cleaned, such as the exposed floor surface, can be wetted or moistened via the fluid indirectly conveyed by the cleaning member. The recovery system can operate simultaneously with the wetted cleaning member. More specifically, during the operation of the recovery system, the vacuum cleaner sucks the fluid carrying debris through the suction nozzle, and sucks these fluids into the downstream recovery container, in which the debris and sewage are basically separated from the working air. The air flow then discharges the surface cleaning device through the suction source.

[0037] Typically, in a traditional environment, the cleaning efficiency of a surface cleaning device will decrease after a cleaning cycle or during a cleaning cycle, because the increasing dirt on the cleaning parts exceeds the dirt that is automatically removed from the cleaning parts during cleaning on the surface cleaning device. At this point, it is necessary to suspend the collection process and maintain the cleaning parts on the base station 220. Usually, the maintenance of the base station 220 includes self-cleaning and thermal drying, especially thermal drying, which requires a long time period. Therefore, it will limit the number of areas in which the surface cleaning device can be operated in the environment 200, or cause unnecessary delays due to sudden ground dirty events that need to be cleaned. According to what is described herein, an efficient maintenance mechanism for surface cleaning equipment can be configured on the base station 220. Thereby eliminating the limitations and delays associated with manual intervention.

[0038] Figure 2-4 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a base station 220 related to the present disclosure. Figure 2-4 As shown, the present disclosure provides a base station 220 for docking a surface cleaning device. The base station 220 can not only accommodate the surface cleaning device, but also perform a self-cleaning cycle and a thermal drying cycle for the stirring member of the surface cleaning device docked on the base station 220. In addition, the base station 220 also has the function of providing power to the surface cleaning device docked thereon, and the power provided by the base station 220 is used to charge the rechargeable battery of the surface cleaning device.

[0039] The base station 220 includes key components such as a housing 221, a tray 222 and a storage portion 223. The storage portion 223 is located below the tray 222 and is firmly fixed on the tray 222. The tray 222 and the storage portion 223 together form at least a portion of the outer surface of the base station 220.

[0040] A cleaning area 224 is provided in the housing 221. The cleaning area 224 is located on the tray 222, at the front end of the tray 222. When the surface cleaning device is docked at the base station 220, the stirring element of the surface cleaning device will be accommodated in the cleaning area 224. At this time, the cleaning liquid can be stored in the cleaning area 224, and when the stirring element of the surface cleaning device is running in the cleaning area 224, self-cleaning can be performed.

[0041] like Figure 2 and 3 As shown, in one embodiment, during the self-cleaning process, the heat conducting member 225 transfers the heat generated by the heating group 226 in the base station 220 to the cleaning area 224. In this way, the liquid in the cleaning area 224, including the liquid attached to the fluff of the stirring member and the liquid accumulated in the cleaning area 224, will be effectively heated to achieve the purpose of sterilization and disinfection.

[0042] The heat conducting member 225 is at least partially disposed in the clean area 224, and can be stably fixed to at least a portion of the base station 220 through the frame portion. In one example, the frame portion is mounted and fixed to the frame of the heating group 226. Since the frame is made of a high temperature resistant and low deformation material, the frame can be embedded in the clean area 224 by an interference fit, and then the sealing effect is ensured by a conventional soft glue sealing method. This design can ensure effective heat conduction and maintain the integrity of the clean area 224 under high temperature conditions.

[0043] In one embodiment, during the thermal drying process, the heating assembly 226 of the present disclosure transfers the heat generated by the heating group 226 in the station to the location of the cleaning area 224. In one embodiment, the hot air flow during the thermal drying process is set on the base station 220 to be directed toward the cleaning area 224, especially the heat transfer element 225. In this way, during the thermal drying process, the cleaning element of the surface cleaning device can simultaneously receive the heat transferred from the heat transfer element 225 and the heat transferred from the hot air flow.

[0044] To achieve heating of the airflow inside the base station 220, as Figure 3 As shown, in one embodiment, a heating assembly 226 is disposed inside the housing of the base station 220 for installation in an air path of the surface cleaning system to heat the airflow in the air path for use in a thermal drying process.

[0045] like Figure 2 and 3 As shown, a cavity structure is formed inside the shell 221 of the base station 220, and the shell 221 has an air inlet 227 and an air outlet 228; one or more blowers 229 are arranged between the air inlet 227 and the air outlet 228, and the blower 229 is arranged in the shell 221. When it is powered on, an air pressure difference is generated inside the shell 221, and a negative pressure is generated at the air inlet 227, and the external airflow is sent into the air inlet 227 under the action of atmospheric pressure; a positive pressure is generated at the air outlet 228, thereby overcoming the atmospheric pressure and sending the airflow inside the base station 220 out of the air outlet 228, and under the continuous action of the blower 229, an airflow path flowing from the air inlet 227 to the air outlet 228 is generated.

[0046] like Figure 3 and 4 As shown, according to an example of the present disclosure, a pre-heating assembly 2261 is provided on the flow passage through which the airflow path flows. The pre-heating assembly 2261 is used to receive the airflow from the upstream of the airflow path. As described above, in one embodiment, the upstream airflow comes from the output airflow of the blower 229, and the pre-heating assembly 2261 is located downstream of the blower 229, so that the airflow from the upstream of the blower 229 is heated to form the pre-heated airflow F1.

[0047] The front heated airflow F1 moves downstream under the guidance of the air path. One or more rear heated components 2262 are arranged downstream of the front heated component 2261 to receive the front heated airflow F1 and heat the front heated airflow F1 to form a secondary heated airflow F2. The secondary heated airflow F2 is introduced into the cleaning area 224 through the air outlet 228.

[0048] In one example of the present disclosure, the wind path of the airflow is restricted by the airflow guide device inside the base station 220 housing. The airflow flows between the air inlet and the air outlet of the airflow guide device, especially from the air inlet to the air outlet. The airflow guide device is usually located in the middle position inside the base station 220 housing so that the flow trajectory of the airflow does not produce obvious deviation and is evenly dispersed from the air outlet. The airflow guide device usually includes a pair of symmetrically arranged guide bodies 230, 231 to restrict the airflow between the guide bodies 230, 231.

[0049] In one example, a pair of guide bodies 230 and 231 mutually form a diffusion structure, which can meet the need for guiding the airflow while ensuring that the airflow is reflected between the guide bodies through the reflection principle, ensuring that the airflow can flow out evenly at the air outlet without significantly reducing the flow rate. By providing an airflow guide device 120, the airflow is guided from the blower 229 to the heating mechanism 150, which can increase the airflow utilization efficiency of the heating mechanism 150. In the case of not requiring excessive power, the blower 229 can meet the required airflow volume and reduce the power consumption of the base 100.

[0050] like Figure 3 As shown, in one example, the front heating component 2261 is arranged at the inlet 233 of the diffusion structure formed by a pair of flow guides 230 and 231, and receives the airflow output from the blower 229. After passing through the front heating component 2261, the airflow is introduced into the interior of the diffusion structure and continues to be transmitted downstream. The rear heating component 2262 is arranged at the outlet 234 of the diffusion structure, receives the airflow from the front heating, and heats the front heating airflow F1 to form a secondary heating airflow F2. Due to the setting of the diffusion structure, it should be ensured that the airflow needs to pass through the heating component 226 when it is input into the diffusion structure and output from the diffusion structure. Correspondingly, the lateral width of the rear heating component 2262 is greater than the lateral width of the front heating component 2261 to ensure that the airflow can be heated. The secondary heating airflow F2 is introduced into the cleaning area 224, or the position of the cleaning part, which can significantly improve the drying efficiency of the thermal drying cycle.

[0051] In one example, a heating zone is formed in the cleaning zone. The heating zone is implemented by a heat transfer member 225. The heat transfer member 225 is configured so that when the surface cleaning device is located on the base station 220, at least a portion of the cleaning member contacts the heat transfer member 225. The heat transfer member 225 is configured to transfer heat to at least a portion of the cleaning zone during a heat drying cycle of the surface cleaning device to heat residual water in the self-cleaning zone, such as the fluff on the stirring member, to improve the evaporation efficiency of the water, thereby more efficiently achieving heat drying of the stirring member.

[0052] During the operation of the thermal drying cycle, the heat conducting element 225 transfers heat to the cleaning area 224, so that the stirring element accelerates the evaporation of its own residual water during the rotation process. This heating effect further improves the evaporation of the residual water of the fluff on the basis of the drying of the secondary heated airflow F2, while reducing the activity of bacteria or directly killing bacteria. Specifically, the heat conducting element 225 is arranged in the cleaning area, and the heat conducting element 225 is in contact with the rotating stirring element placed in the cleaning area, transferring heat energy to the surface of the cleaning element, thereby increasing the temperature of the residual liquid on the surface of the cleaning element. Under the action of the secondary heated airflow F2, the residual liquid can be evaporated in a more efficient manner, achieving the drying effect of the cleaning element in a short time, thereby realizing rapid thermal drying of the stirring element and reducing the waiting time of the user.

[0053] like Figure 2 As shown, in one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, in one example, the front heating assembly 2261 includes a PTC heating element. The PTC heating element is firmly fixed inside the base station 220 housing through a bracket, and the bracket is preferably made of high temperature resistant material to prevent deformation after heating and cause the heating mechanism to fail.

[0054] like Figure 2 As shown, in one aspect of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the rear heating component 2262 includes a PTC heating element. The PTC heating element is firmly fixed to the inside of the base station 220 shell by a bracket, and the bracket is preferably made of high temperature resistant material to prevent deformation after heating and cause the heating mechanism to fail. In one example, the rear heating component 2262 conducts heat from the inside of the base station 220 shell to the cleaning area 224 through a heat conducting member 225 that is fixedly connected to it and has a heat conducting relationship.

[0055] The heat conducting member 225 is configured to transfer heat to the stirring member of the surface cleaning device. The application scenario of the heat conducting member 225 mainly covers installation in the cleaning area 224 of the base station 220 to assist in the cleaning work. For example, when the heat conducting member 225 is installed in the cleaning area 224 of the base station 220, at least a part of the heat conducting member 225 is connected to the heater provided on the base station 220 in a heat conduction manner, and heat is conducted from the heater of the base station 220 to the cleaning area 224.

[0056] The heat conducting member 225 is arranged in the middle of the cleaning area 224, and its main function is to transfer heat energy to the stirring member of the surface cleaning device through efficient heat conduction. Specifically, when the heat conducting member 225 is installed in the cleaning area 224 of the base station 220, at least a part of the heat conducting member 225 is connected to the heater provided on the base station 220 by heat conduction, ensuring that heat is conducted from the heater of the base station 220 to the cleaning area 224, providing the required heat energy for the liquid in the cleaning area.

[0057] In order to ensure efficient thermal conductivity and stability, the selection of the heat conducting member 225 mainly considers materials with high thermal conductivity and good stability. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, metal materials such as aluminum and copper are selected as the main constituent materials of the heat conducting member 225. These metal materials are widely used in the field of heat conduction due to their excellent thermal conductivity, and can effectively conduct heat to the cleaning area 224, providing necessary thermal energy support for the self-cleaning of the stirring member.

[0058] In another example of the present disclosure, the heat conducting member 225 is a part of the body of the rear heating assembly 2262. That is, when designed and assembled, at least a part of the heat dissipation portion on the body of the rear heating assembly 2262 is located in the cleaning zone and contacts the cleaning member of the surface cleaning device during the self-cleaning cycle or the thermal drying cycle.

[0059] Therefore, the rear heating component 2262 can also play a role in the self-cleaning process of the surface cleaning device. By transferring heat, the rear heating component 2262 transfers heat energy to at least a part of the cleaning area, especially for heating the residual water and clean water in the cleaning area, so as to more effectively achieve the self-cleaning of the stirring member. The purpose of this heating effect is to increase the molecular activity of dirty particles, while reducing the activity of bacteria or directly killing bacteria. Specifically, the rear heating component 2262 interacts with the liquid in the cleaning area through the heat conduction member 225, and transfers heat energy to at least a part of the cleaning area through efficient heat conduction. This includes the residual water on the stirring member and the clean water in the cleaning area. The presence of the heat conduction device increases the temperature of these liquids, thereby activating the chemical processes in the cleaning area, such as the enhancement of molecular activity and the reduction of bacterial activity, so that the dirt remaining on the cleaning member can be effectively removed during the self-cleaning process.

[0060] Figure 5 A hardware device block diagram 500 of a base station 220 that supports performing surface cleaning equipment maintenance according to various aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The base station 220 may be a reference Figures 1 to 4Examples of various aspects of the base station 220 described. The base station 220 may include an AC / DC module, a front heating component 2261, a rear heating component 2262, a blower 229, an NTC, a MOS, an LDO, etc. The base station 220 may also include a processor. Each of these components can communicate with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0061] The AC / DC module can accept alternating current such as that output by a household power socket, which is converted into direct current by the AC / DC module. The direct current can be transmitted to other components of the base station 220 (such as the front heating component 2261, the rear heating component 2262, the blower 229), and to charge the rechargeable battery of the surface cleaning device.

[0062] The base station 220 also includes a processor, such as a general purpose processor, a DSP, a CPU, a microcontroller, an ASIC, an FPGA, a programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic component, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof. In some cases, the processor can be configured to operate the memory array using a memory controller. In other cases, the memory controller can be integrated into the processor. The processor can be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in the memory to enable the base station 220 to perform various functions (e.g., to support a self-cleaning cycle or a thermal drying cycle).

[0063] The base station 220 also includes one or more sensors configured to perform periodic or continuous automatic measurements related to autonomous functions. The sensors may include optocouplers, thyristors, NTCs, etc., and may be able to sense multiple parameters (e.g., temperature, current, voltage).

[0064] In one example, the processor includes an autonomous management module that can be configured to identify the current state of the base station 220 based on the received instruction data, and to execute a self-cleaning cycle and a thermal drying cycle based on the identified state. For example, when the surface cleaning device is not located at the base station 220, the AC / DC module should prohibit the supply of current to the PTC heating component 226. In addition, when performing a self-cleaning cycle, a high-power execution phase (for example, the fan of the surface cleaning device runs at high power, and the cleaning parts of the surface cleaning device run at a higher speed on the base station 220) and a low-power execution phase (for example, the fan of the surface cleaning device stops running, and the cleaning parts of the surface cleaning device run at a lower speed on the base station 220) are identified to selectively charge the rechargeable battery of the surface cleaning device in the low-power phase of the self-cleaning cycle.

[0065] The control device 600 of the base station 220 is described below in conjunction with the drawings of the present disclosure.

[0066] Figure 6It is a schematic diagram of example components of the control device 600, which may correspond to the AC / DC module, the front heating component 2261, the rear heating component 2262, the blower 229, the NTC, the LDO, the MOS and the processor in FIG. 4.

[0067] like Figure 6 As shown, the control device 600 may include a bus 610 , a processor 620 , a memory 630 , an input component 640 , an output component 650 , and a communication component 660 .

[0068] The bus 610 includes one or more components that can implement wired and / or wireless communication between components of the control device 600. The bus 610 can Figure 3 Two or more components in a computer program product are coupled together, for example, by operational coupling, communication coupling, electronic coupling, and / or electrical coupling. Processor 620 includes a central processing unit, a graphics processing unit, a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor, a field programmable gate array, an application-specific integrated circuit, and / or other types of processing components. Processor 620 is implemented by hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. In certain embodiments, processor 620 includes one or more processors that can be programmed to perform one or more operations or processes described elsewhere herein.

[0069] The memory 630 includes volatile and / or non-volatile memory. For example, the memory 630 may include random access memory, read-only memory, a hard drive, and / or other types of memory (e.g., flash memory, magnetic memory, and / or optical storage). The memory 630 may include internal memory and / or removable memory. The memory 630 may be a non-temporary computer-readable medium. The memory 630 may store information, instructions, and / or software (e.g., one or more software applications) related to the operation of the control device 600. In some embodiments, the memory 630 includes one or more memories coupled to one or more processors, such as via a bus 610.

[0070] Input component 640 enables control device 600 to receive input, such as user input and / or sensor input. For example, input component 640 may include a touch screen, a button, a microphone, a switch, a sensor. Output component 650 enables control device 600 to provide output, such as through a speaker and / or a light emitting diode. Communication component 660 enables control device 600 to communicate with other devices through wired connection and / or wireless connection. For example, communication component 660 may include a receiver, a transmitter, a transceiver, a modem, a network interface card and / or an antenna.

[0071] The control device 600 can perform one or more operations or processes described herein. For example, a non-temporary computer-readable medium (e.g., memory 630) can store a set of instructions (e.g., one or more instructions or codes) for execution by the processor 620. The processor 620 can execute the instruction set to perform one or more operations or processes described herein. In certain embodiments, the execution of the instruction set by one or more processors 620 causes one or more processors 620 and / or the control device 600 to perform one or more operations or processes described herein. In certain embodiments, hard-wired circuits can be used instead of instructions or in combination with instructions to perform one or more operations or processes described herein. In addition, the processor 620 can also be configured to perform one or more operations or processes described herein. Therefore, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to any particular combination of hardware circuits and software.

[0072] Figure 6 The number and arrangement of components shown in FIG. 6 are provided as examples. The control device 600 may include Figure 6 In addition, or as an alternative, one or more components (e.g., one or more components) of the control device 600 may perform one or more functions described as being performed by another set of components of the control device 600.

[0073] The control device 600 can perform one or more operations or processes described herein. For example, a non-temporary computer-readable medium (e.g., memory 630) can store a set of instructions (e.g., one or more instructions or codes) for execution by the processor 620. The processor 620 can execute the instruction set to perform one or more operations or processes described herein. In certain embodiments, the execution of the instruction set by one or more processors 620 causes one or more processors 620 and / or the control device 600 to perform one or more operations or processes described herein. In certain embodiments, hard-wired circuits can be used instead of instructions or in combination with instructions to perform one or more operations or processes described herein. In addition, the processor 620 can also be configured to perform one or more operations or processes described herein. Therefore, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to any particular combination of hardware circuits and software.

[0074] Figure 6 The number and arrangement of components shown are provided as examples. The control device 600 may include additional components, fewer components, different components, or components that are different from the components shown in the example. Figure 6 In addition, or alternatively, a set of components (eg, one or more components) of the control device 600 may perform one or more functions that are described as being performed by another set of components of the control device 600.

[0075] FIG. 7 shows a flow chart illustrating a method 700 for supporting a base station 220 device in performing maintenance of a surface cleaning device according to various aspects of the present disclosure. The operations of the method 700 may be performed by the base station 220 or its components herein. For example, the operations of the method 700 may be performed by a Figure 5 and 6 The hardware devices and control components shown are executed. In some examples, the base station 220 can execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of the base station 220 to perform the following functions. In addition or alternatively, the base station 220 can use dedicated hardware to perform various aspects of the following functions.

[0076] At 705, a heating mode command signal is received, which may be triggered by at least one of the surface cleaning device, the base station 220, or the remote operation device; the operation of 705 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, various aspects of the operation of 705 may be performed by device components, such as reference Figure 5 and 6 .

[0077] At 710, a completion signal of a self-cleaning cycle of a surface cleaning device is received. The operations of 710 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, various aspects of the operations of 710 may be described with reference to Figure 5 and 6 Describes the operations a component performs.

[0078] At 715, according to the completion signal, the blower 229 is started to form an airflow in the air path, and a continuous airflow is formed outside and inside the base station 220 to continuously provide airflow to the cleaning area (or cleaning part) to accelerate the evaporation of water vapor. The operation of 715 can be performed according to the method described herein. In some examples, various aspects of the operation of 715 can be referred to as Figure 5 and 6 Describes the container component to execute.

[0079] At 720, according to the heating mode instruction signal, at least the rear heating component 2272 is activated to heat the airflow in the air path to form a heated airflow. In one example, the rear heating component 2272 and the blower 229 are activated at the same time. In another example, the rear heating component 2272 can be activated before the blower 229 to ensure that the airflow is a hot airflow when it is first output from the inside of the base station 220. The operation of 720 can be performed according to the method described herein. In some examples, various aspects of the operation of 720 can be referred to as Figure 5 and 6 Describes the container component to execute.

[0080] At 725, the speed of the stirring member is adjusted according to the heating mode command signal. The speed of the stirring member in the heat drying cycle should be less than the speed of the stirring member during the self-cleaning cycle to ensure that heat can be conducted to the surface of the stirring member with higher efficiency. In one example, the speed of the stirring member in the heat drying cycle is not greater than the minimum speed of the stirring member during the self-cleaning cycle. The operation of 725 can be performed according to the method of this invention. In some examples, various aspects of the operation of 725 can be performed by an operation component, such as reference Figure 5 and 6 .

[0081] When the rear heating assembly 2272 is activated at 730, at least a portion of its heat is used to heat the active surface. During the thermal drying process, through a rear heating assembly 2272, dual heat conduction of hot air flow and active surface heat can be achieved, which can ensure that the liquid attached to the stirring element is quickly evaporated.

[0082] FIG8 shows a flow chart illustrating a method 800 for supporting a base station 220 device to perform maintenance of a surface cleaning device according to various aspects of the present disclosure. The operations of the method 800 may be performed by the base station 220 or a component thereof as described herein. For example, the operations of the method 800 may be performed by an autonomous manager, such as Figure 5 and 6 In some examples, base station 220 may execute a set of instructions to control functional elements of base station 220 to perform the functions described below. Additionally or alternatively, base station 220 may use dedicated hardware to perform various aspects of the functions described below.

[0083] At 805, a self-cleaning cycle instruction of the surface cleaning device is received, and the self-cleaning cycle is started. During the self-cleaning cycle, the rotation speed of the stirring member is not less than a first rotation speed, so that the dirt attached to the stirring member can be quickly separated by forming a centrifugal force, and the separated dirt is sucked into the recovery component for storage through the vacuum effect of the surface cleaning device; the operation of 805 can be performed according to the method described herein. In some examples, various aspects of the operation of 805 can be performed by a device component, such as reference Figure 5 and 6 .

[0084] At 810, based on the identified state, the post-heating component 2262 is started to heat at least a portion of the active surface to heat the cleaning liquid in contact with the active surface during the self-cleaning cycle; by transferring heat, the post-heating component 2262 transfers thermal energy to at least a portion of the cleaning area, especially for heating the self-cleaning water in the cleaning area, so as to more effectively achieve self-cleaning of the stirring member. The purpose is to increase the molecular activity of dirt particles while reducing the activity of bacteria or directly killing bacteria. The identified state includes a state triggered by a user through at least one of a surface cleaning device, a base station 220, or a remote operation device. Or a triggered state determined by a dirt threshold automatically sensed by a dirt sensor. The operation of 810 can be performed according to the method described herein. In some examples, various aspects of the operation of 810 can be referred to by Figure 5 and 6 Describes the operations a component performs.

[0085] At 815, a completion signal of a self-cleaning cycle of the surface cleaning device is received. The operations of 815 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, various aspects of the operations of 815 may be described with reference to Figure 5 and 6 Describes the container component to execute.

[0086] At 820, based on the completion signal, the blower 229 is started to form airflow in the air path. The operation of 820 can be performed according to the method described herein. In some examples, various aspects of the operation of 820 can be referred to as Figure 5 and 6 Describes the container component to execute.

[0087] At 825, a heating mode command signal is received. The operations of 825 may be performed according to the methods herein. In some examples, various aspects of the operations of 825 may be performed by an operation component, such as reference Figure 5 and 6 .

[0088] At 830, according to the heating mode instruction signal, the rear heating component 2262 is powered on, and the front heating component 2261 is started to heat the airflow in the air path through the front heating component 2261 and the rear heating component 2262 in sequence to form a heated airflow. During the thermal drying process, the front heating component 2261 and the rear heating component 2262 can achieve "enhanced" hot airflow and dual heat conduction of heat on the action surface, which can ensure that the liquid attached to the stirring element is quickly evaporated. In some examples, various aspects of the operation of 830 can be performed by an operating component, such as reference Figure 5 and 6 .

[0089] At 835, according to the heating mode command signal, the speed of the stirring member is adjusted to a second speed, wherein the second speed is not greater than the first speed. In the heat drying cycle, the speed of the stirring member is not higher than the first speed, and the first speed can be the minimum speed of the cleaning member of the surface cleaning device in the self-cleaning cycle in one example. In some examples, various aspects of the operation of 835 can be performed by an operating component, such as reference Figure 5 and 6 .

[0090] Fig. 9 1 shows a flow chart illustrating a method 900 that supports a base station 220 performing autonomous self-service according to various aspects of the present disclosure. The operations of the method 900 may be implemented by the base station 220 or its components herein. For example, the operations of the method 900 may be performed by an autonomous manager, such as Figure 5 and 6 In some examples, base station 220 may execute a set of instructions to control functional elements of base station 220 to perform the functions described below. Additionally or alternatively, base station 220 may use dedicated hardware to perform various aspects of the functions described below.

[0091] At 905, a self-cleaning cycle instruction of the surface cleaning device is received, and the self-cleaning cycle is started. During the self-cleaning cycle, the rotation speed of the stirring member is not less than the first rotation speed. The operation of 905 can be performed according to the method described herein. In some examples, various aspects of the operation of 905 can be performed by device components, such as reference Figure 5 and 6 .

[0092] At 910, the post-heating assembly 2262 is activated to heat at least a portion of the active surface to heat the cleaning liquid in contact with the active surface during the self-cleaning cycle. In some examples, various aspects of the operation of 910 can be performed by an operating assembly, such as reference Figure 5 and 6 .

[0093] At 915, according to the completion signal, the blower 229 is started to form airflow in the air path. The operation of 915 can be performed according to the method of the present invention. In some examples, various aspects of the operation of 915 can be referred to as Figure 5 and 6 The operation component is executed.

[0094] At 920, according to the heating mode instruction signal, the rear heating component 2262 is turned off and the front heating component 2261 is turned on to heat the airflow in the air path through the front heating component 2261 to form a heated airflow. The operation of 920 can be performed according to the method of this invention. In some examples, various aspects of the operation of 920 can be referred to as Figure 5 and 6 The operation component is executed.

[0095] At 925, according to the heating mode instruction signal, the speed of the stirring member is adjusted to a second speed, wherein the second speed is not greater than the first speed. In some examples, various aspects of the operation of 925 can be performed by an operation component, such as reference Figure 5 and 6 .

[0096] The features of several embodiments are summarized above so that those skilled in the art can better understand the various aspects of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art should understand that they can design or modify other methods and structures based on the present disclosure at any time to achieve the same purpose and / or achieve the same advantages of the embodiments described herein. Those skilled in the art should also recognize that such equivalent structures do not deviate from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and they can make various changes, substitutions and modifications to this article without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A heating device for installation in an air duct of a surface cleaning system to heat the air flow in the air duct, characterized in that: include: A front heating component receives the airflow from the upstream of the air path and heats the upstream airflow to form a front heating airflow; A rear heating component receives the front heating airflow and heats the front heating airflow to form a secondary heating airflow; The lateral width of the rear heating component is greater than the lateral width of the front heating component.

2. The heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that The air path includes an air duct formed in the surface cleaning system, and at least one of the front heating component and the rear heating component is located in the air duct.

3. The heating device according to claim 2, characterized in that The air duct comprises an inlet and an outlet, and a transverse width of the inlet is smaller than a transverse width of the outlet.

4. The heating device according to claim 3, characterized in that The front heating component is close to the inlet of the air duct; the rear heating component is close to the outlet of the air duct.

5. The heating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: At least one of the front heating assembly and the rear heating assembly includes a PTC heater.

6. A base station for a surface cleaning device, characterized in that: include: The shell has an air path formed inside; An air inlet and an air outlet located on the surface of the shell, for connecting the atmosphere with the interior of the shell; a blower located in the housing, for forming an air flow in the air path; A front heating component receives the airflow from the upstream of the air path and heats the upstream airflow to form a front heating airflow; A rear heating component receives the front heating airflow and heats the front heating airflow to form a secondary heating airflow; The lateral width of the rear heating component is greater than the lateral width of the front heating component.

7. The base station according to claim 6, characterized in that include: The air duct is located in the shell, and the air duct includes an inlet and an outlet. The inlet is connected to the air flow of the air inlet, and the outlet is connected to the air flow of the air outlet. In the lateral direction of the base station, the lateral width of the inlet is smaller than the lateral width of the outlet.

8. The base station according to claim 7, characterized in that include: The front heating component is close to the inlet of the air duct; the rear heating component is close to the outlet of the air duct.

9. The base station according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that: The base station comprises a support surface for at least supporting and placing a cleaning member of the surface cleaning device, and the air outlet is close to the support surface.

10. The base station according to claim 9, characterized in that The base station includes a support surface for at least supporting and placing a cleaning member of the surface cleaning device, and at least a portion of the support surface is in thermally conductive relationship with the post-heating assembly for forming a heating zone on the support surface.

11. The base station according to claim 9, characterized in that The base station comprises a support surface for at least supporting and placing a cleaning member of the surface cleaning device, at least a portion of the support surface being formed by the post-heating assembly for forming a heating zone on the support surface.

12. The base station according to claim 9, characterized in that At least one of the front heating assembly and the rear heating assembly includes a PTC heater.

13. A surface cleaning system, characterized in that: It comprises a base station as described in any one of claims 6 to 12, and a wet surface cleaning device that can be docked on the base station.

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