Swimming pool cleaning equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses a swimming pool cleaning device which comprises a first sensor, a second sensor and a controller, the first sensor is located on one side portion of the swimming pool cleaning device, and the second sensor is located on the head portion or the tail portion of the swimming pool cleaning device. The sensing range of the first sensor at least partially coincides with the lateral area of the swimming pool cleaning equipment, the sensing range of the second sensor at least partially coincides with the front area or the rear area of the swimming pool cleaning equipment, and the controller can receive data signals of the first sensor and the second sensor. And position information of the swimming pool cleaning equipment is obtained based on the data signal. According to the swimming pool cleaning equipment provided with the sensors, the edge positioning function in a swimming pool can be achieved only through the two simple sensors, and the production cost and the structural cost are reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of water cleaning equipment, in particular to swimming pool cleaning equipment. Background Art

[0002] Currently, pool cleaning equipment equipped with sensors only stays at the basic level of obstacle avoidance and posture adjustment, and cannot obtain pool map information. To obtain pool map information and positioning, multiple expensive sensors are usually required to work together. Utility Model Content

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the utility model is to provide a swimming pool cleaning device with a simple structure and capable of realizing mapping and positioning functions.

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the utility model is: a swimming pool cleaning device, the swimming pool cleaning device includes a first sensor, a second sensor and a controller, the first sensor is located at a side of the swimming pool cleaning device, the second sensor is located at the head or tail of the swimming pool cleaning device, the sensing range of the first sensor at least partially overlaps with the side area of ​​the swimming pool cleaning device, the sensing range of the second sensor at least partially overlaps with the front or rear area of ​​the swimming pool cleaning device, and the controller can receive data signals from the first and second sensors, and obtain the position information of the swimming pool cleaning device based on the data signals.

[0005] In a possible implementation manner, the data signal includes distance information of obstacles within respective sensing ranges of the first and second sensors.

[0006] In a possible implementation manner, the first sensor or the second sensor is an ultrasonic sensor with a long sensing distance and a small sensing range.

[0007] In a possible implementation manner, the second sensor is disposed in a region close to the side portion.

[0008] In a possible implementation manner, the first sensor is disposed near an end of a side of the swimming pool cleaning device or the first sensor is disposed in the center of a side of the swimming pool cleaning device.

[0009] In a possible implementation, the data signal includes distance information of obstacles within the sensing range of the first sensor, and the controller can control the swimming pool cleaning device to maintain a preset distance when moving based on the distance information.

[0010] In a possible implementation manner, a third sensor is further included, and the third sensor is symmetrical to the first sensor relative to a center line of the swimming pool cleaning device.

[0011] In a possible implementation manner, a fourth sensor is further included, and the fourth sensor is disposed in a middle area of ​​the front end of the swimming pool cleaning device.

[0012] In a possible implementation manner, the fourth sensor is an ultrasonic sensor with a short sensing distance and a large sensing range.

[0013] The utility model also provides a swimming pool cleaning device, which includes at least a first sensor and a controller. The first sensor is located on a side of the swimming pool cleaning device. The sensing range of the first sensor at least partially overlaps with the side area of ​​the swimming pool cleaning device. The controller can receive a data signal from the first sensor and control the swimming pool cleaning device to maintain a preset distance when moving based on the data signal.

[0014] The beneficial effect of the utility model is that the swimming pool cleaning device provided by the application can realize the functions of mapping and positioning along the edge by setting the positions of two sensors and selecting the models. The structure is novel. Compared with the passive swimming pool cleaning device in the prior art that can only explore in the swimming pool and perform specific actions when encountering obstacles, the newly added mapping and positioning function can clearly know the boundary of the swimming pool and its own position, and can perform various active, directional, efficient and intelligent cleaning methods. Compared with the prior art that uses multiple sensors to realize functions such as mapping and positioning, the production cost and structural cost are reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of an implementation mode of the swimming pool cleaning device of the present utility model. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] In order to explain the technical content, achieved objectives and effects of the present invention in detail, the following is an explanation in conjunction with the implementation modes and the accompanying drawings.

[0017] In the prior art, a swimming pool cleaning robot can realize autonomous movement and perform cleaning operations during movement. Autonomous movement includes moving along a preset path. The path may include an N-shaped or bow-shaped path or other paths, and also includes moving along the edge of the swimming pool. The swimming pool cleaning robot or swimming pool cleaning device 100 in this application, please refer to Figure 1 The swimming pool cleaning device 100 is applied to the swimming pool 1. The swimming pool cleaning device 100 at least includes a first sensor 13, a second sensor 11 and a controller 12. The first sensor 13 is located at a side of the swimming pool cleaning device 100, and the second sensor 11 is located at the head or tail of the swimming pool cleaning device 100.

[0018] The sensing range of the first sensor 13 at least partially overlaps with the side area of ​​the pool cleaning device 100, and the sensing range of the second sensor 11 at least partially overlaps with the corresponding front or rear area of ​​the pool cleaning device 100. It can be understood that the second sensor 11 can be set at any position of the head or tail area of ​​the pool cleaning device 100. Preferably, the second sensor 11 is set at the head or tail area of ​​the pool cleaning device 100 closer to the side area.

[0019] Specifically, the swimming pool cleaning device 100 moves along the forward direction Y (eg Figure 1 The first and second sensors 11 and 13 are respectively arranged on the same side of the swimming pool cleaning device 100 along the forward direction Y. In the embodiment, the first and second sensors 11 and 13 are arranged on the right side of the swimming pool cleaning device 100 along the forward direction Y.

[0020] The controller 12 can receive data signals from the first and second sensors 11 and 13, and obtain position information of the pool cleaning device 100 based on the data signals. The data signals include distance information of obstacles within the sensing range of the first and second sensors, respectively.

[0021] Specifically, in one embodiment, the swimming pool cleaning device 100 is roughly rectangular, and can also be any other shape, wherein the second sensor 11 is arranged at the head or tail of the swimming pool cleaning device 100, and its sensing direction is roughly parallel to the forward direction Y of the swimming pool cleaning device 100, and thus the sensing range of the second sensor 11 corresponds to at least partially overlapping with the area in front of or behind the swimming pool cleaning device 100. Since the swimming pool cleaning device is often driven on the right side, the first sensor 13 is usually arranged on the right side of the swimming pool cleaning device 100, and its sensing direction is roughly perpendicular to the forward direction Y of the swimming pool cleaning device 100, and thus the sensing range of the first sensor 13 overlaps at least partially with the side area of ​​the swimming pool cleaning device 100. If the swimming pool cleaning device 100 is set to drive on the left side, the first sensor 13 can be arranged on the left side of the swimming pool cleaning device 100.

[0022] It can be understood that, in other special-shaped swimming pool cleaning devices, at least two sensors, the first and second sensors 11, 13 are still arranged on the same side of the swimming pool cleaning device along its forward direction, and the sensing range of the first sensor 13 at least partially overlaps with the side area of ​​the swimming pool cleaning device 100, and the sensing range of the second sensor 11 at least partially overlaps with the front or rear area of ​​the swimming pool cleaning device 100.

[0023] The first and second sensors 11 and 13 are long-distance and short-range ultrasonic sensors. The long-distance and short-range sensors can achieve ideal long-distance sensing in the swimming pool due to their long sensing distance, and can achieve directional sensing due to their small detection range, thereby maintaining the positioning and edge control functions of the swimming pool cleaning device 100.

[0024] A main control room is provided inside the swimming pool cleaning device 100, and a controller 12 is provided in the control room. The controller 12 obtains the distance information between the swimming pool cleaning device 100 and the obstacle based on the distance measurement data signal obtained by the first sensor 13, wherein the obstacle may be a wall or edge of the swimming pool. It is understandable that a deflection angle detection unit is also provided in the main control room, which can detect the deflection angle (heading angle) in real time. When the swimming pool cleaning device 100 seriously deviates from the travel direction of the preset path, the swimming pool cleaning device 100 can adjust the heading angle through the controller 12 to enable the swimming pool cleaning device 100 to continue to move along the edge of the swimming pool along the preset path. Generally, along the edge of the swimming pool means that the swimming pool cleaning device 100 maintains a preset distance from the obstacle, and the preset distance may be within a specific range.

[0025] When the swimming pool cleaning device 100 moves along the edge, it can clean pollutants on the edge of the swimming pool; or it can be used to scan the contour data of the swimming pool to generate a swimming pool map.

[0026] It is understandable that when the swimming pool cleaning device 100 performs cleaning operations underwater, it needs to obtain its own location information in order to realize the function of moving along the edge of the swimming pool, but positioning devices such as GPS, odometers or IMU often drift or deviate. Furthermore, the swimming pool cleaning device 100 of the present application can accurately obtain the location information of the swimming pool cleaning device 100 when it is at the edge of the swimming pool using the first sensor and the second sensor. When the swimming pool cleaning device 100 is close to the wall or edge of the swimming pool, the first sensor 13 of the swimming pool cleaning device 100 senses the edge of the swimming pool, and the controller obtains the distance information between the swimming pool cleaning device and the first edge of the swimming pool based on the data information collected by the first sensor 13. Similarly, the swimming pool cleaning device 100 can obtain the distance information from the other edges of the swimming pool based on the second sensor 11, wherein the above-mentioned first edge and other edges are not on the same straight line. When the controller 12 obtains the distance information between the swimming pool cleaning device 100 and the two edges of the swimming pool, the position of the swimming pool cleaning device 100 in the swimming pool can be calculated very efficiently and accurately. In addition, the controller 12 can also scan the contour information of the swimming pool based on the above-mentioned distance information. It is understandable that the acquisition of contour information requires that the positioning capability of the positioning device configured by the swimming pool cleaning device 100 is sufficiently accurate and stable in order to generate accurate map data.

[0027] In some possible implementations, when the pool cleaning device moves along the edge of the pool, in addition to using the first sensor and the second sensor to achieve positioning or scan data, the above functions can also be achieved using only the first sensor. This is because the second sensor is located at the head or tail of the pool cleaning device. When the first sensor senses the edge of the pool, the second sensor is likely to be too far away from other edges and cannot sense the edge data.

[0028] In some possible implementations, the second sensor at the head or tail of the pool cleaning device 100 is disposed on a side close to the first sensor, and the two sensors can be more synchronized when sensing obstacles by being disposed on the same side. The two sensors should not be disposed too close to each other to avoid signal interference.

[0029] In some possible implementations, the first sensor 13 disposed substantially perpendicular to the forward direction of the swimming pool cleaning device 100 is disposed on the right side of the swimming pool cleaning device 100 near the front end. It can be understood that in some possible implementations, the first sensor 13 disposed substantially perpendicular to the forward direction of the swimming pool cleaning device 100 is disposed on the right side of the swimming pool cleaning device 100 near the rear end.

[0030] The first sensor 13 disposed near the end can sense the distance between the front end or the rear end of the swimming pool cleaning device 100 and the swimming pool wall, so that the controller can adjust the deflection of the swimming pool cleaning device 100.

[0031] In some possible implementations, the first sensor 13 located on the side of the swimming pool cleaning device 100 is arranged approximately in the center of the side of the swimming pool cleaning device 100. The central arrangement enables the position information calculated by the controller based on the first sensor 13 to better represent the position of the swimming pool cleaning device, and can also prevent bumps or damages during movement, thereby protecting the sensor.

[0032] In some possible implementations, the swimming pool cleaning device 100 is further provided with a third sensor 15, which is mirrored with the first sensor 13 along the forward direction of the swimming pool cleaning device 100. The third sensor 15 may be an ultrasonic sensor, a laser radar or a camera, and is used for obstacle sensing.

[0033] The third sensor 15 disposed on the other side of the swimming pool cleaning device 100 is disposed in a mirror image with respect to the first sensor 13 , thereby improving the efficiency of mapping and positioning of the swimming pool cleaning device and enhancing the robustness of the swimming pool cleaning device 100 .

[0034] In some possible implementations, the swimming pool cleaning device 100 is further provided with a fourth sensor 17, which is disposed approximately in the center of the front end of the swimming pool cleaning device 100. The fourth sensor 17 is a short-distance and large-range ultrasonic sensor, which is used for obstacle sensing or in conjunction with other sensors.

[0035] The fourth sensor 17 disposed at the front end of the swimming pool cleaning device 100 is an ultrasonic sensor with a short distance and a large range to achieve a larger range of obstacle avoidance function of the swimming pool cleaning device 100 .

[0036] The swimming pool cleaning device having the first to fourth sensors can realize a large-range obstacle avoidance function while realizing the edge mapping function using the first and second sensors, and can also utilize the third sensor to enhance the robustness of the swimming pool cleaning device.

[0037] It is understandable that one or more of the above sensors can be arranged inside the swimming pool cleaning device as needed, or can be arranged to protrude from the swimming pool cleaning device as needed. Furthermore, one or more of the above sensors can be external accessories mounted on the swimming pool cleaning device for use.

[0038] In summary, the pool cleaning device provided by the utility model can realize the functions of edge mapping and positioning by setting the positions of two sensors and selecting the models. It has a novel structure. Compared with the passive pool cleaning device in the prior art that can only explore in the pool and perform specific actions when encountering obstacles, the newly added mapping function can clearly know the boundary and position of the pool, and can perform various active, directional, efficient and intelligent cleaning methods. Compared with the prior art that uses multiple sensors to realize functions such as mapping and positioning, the production cost and structural cost are reduced.

[0039] The above description is only an embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent transformations made using the contents of the specification and drawings of the present invention, or directly or indirectly applied in the relevant technical field, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A swimming pool cleaning device, characterized in that: The swimming pool cleaning device includes a first sensor, a second sensor and a controller, wherein the first sensor is located at a side of the swimming pool cleaning device, and the second sensor is located at a head or tail of the swimming pool cleaning device. A sensing range of the first sensor at least partially overlaps with a side area of ​​the swimming pool cleaning device, and a sensing range of the second sensor at least partially overlaps with a front or rear area of ​​the swimming pool cleaning device. The controller is capable of receiving data signals from the first and second sensors and acquiring position information of the swimming pool cleaning device based on the data signals, wherein the second sensor is arranged in an area close to the side.

2. The swimming pool cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The data signal includes distance information of obstacles within the respective sensing ranges of the first and second sensors.

3. The swimming pool cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first sensor or the second sensor is an ultrasonic sensor with a long sensing distance and a small sensing range.

4. The swimming pool cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first sensor is arranged near the end of the side of the swimming pool cleaning device or the first sensor is arranged in the middle of the side of the swimming pool cleaning device.

5. The swimming pool cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The data signal includes distance information of obstacles within the sensing range of the first sensor, and the controller can control the swimming pool cleaning device to maintain a preset distance when moving based on the distance information.

6. The swimming pool cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A third sensor is also included, the third sensor being symmetrical to the first sensor relative to a center line of the pool cleaning device.

7. The swimming pool cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A fourth sensor is also included, and the fourth sensor is disposed in a middle area of ​​the front end of the swimming pool cleaning device.

8. The swimming pool cleaning device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The fourth sensor is an ultrasonic sensor having a short sensing distance and a large sensing range.

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