Sweeper base station and cleaning system
Through the liquid level detection circuit with the principle of conductive parts and liquid conduction, the problem of high liquid level detection cost and complex structure of the sweeper base station pallet is solved, low-cost and high-accuracy liquid level detection is achieved, and the reliability and convenience of the detection are improved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202421384577.2
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-06-17
- Publication Date
- 2025-07-04
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-06-17
AI Technical Summary
In the prior art, liquid level detection in the sweeper base station pallet usually relies on liquid level sensors, which are costly and complex in structure, making it difficult to achieve low-cost and high-accuracy liquid level detection.
The conductive parts and liquid conduction principle are adopted to form a liquid level detection circuit with the liquid in the tray, and combined with cheap electronic components, the liquid level detection is realized, including signal reception components and in-place detection components, ensuring accuracy of detection and simple structure.
It realizes low-cost and high-accuracy pallet level detection, simplifies the structure, reduces production costs, and improves the reliability and convenience of testing.
Smart Images
Figure CN223054411U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of household appliances, in particular to a sweeping robot base station and a cleaning system. Background Art
[0002] The information provided in this part is only background information related to the present disclosure, and it is not necessarily prior art.
[0003] A sweeping robot usually includes a body and a base station. After cleaning, the body is usually housed in the base station for functions such as charging or self-cleaning.
[0004] In order to facilitate the cleaning of the bottom of the body, a detachable tray is provided in the base station. The tray needs to be filled with an appropriate amount of liquid to meet the requirements for cleaning the bottom of the body. Therefore, how to detect whether the liquid level in the tray reaches the required level has been a problem of concern in the research and development of sweeping robots and related components. Summary of the Utility Model
[0005] The utility model provides a sweeping robot base station and a cleaning system, which can detect whether the liquid level in the tray reaches the cleaning requirement.
[0006] In a first aspect, the utility model provides a sweeping robot base station, which includes a base station body and a tray. The base station body is provided with a receiving groove, and two first conductive members that are electrically connected are spaced apart on the side wall of the receiving groove; the tray is installed in the receiving groove, and two second conductive members are provided on the side wall of the tray, and the two second conductive members are in contact with the two first conductive members one by one; when the liquid in the tray reaches a preset liquid level, the two second conductive members are conducted through the liquid in the tray, and when the liquid in the tray is lower than the preset liquid level, the two second conductive members are not conducted.
[0007] According to the sweeping robot base station provided by the utility model, two electrically connected first conductive members are provided on the base station body, and two second conductive members are provided on the tray. When the liquid level in the tray reaches the preset value, the liquid conducts the second conductive members, and the control circuit of the sweeping robot base station itself can give an alarm or shut off the water supply to the tray. The entire detection structure uses liquid and relatively inexpensive electronic components to detect the liquid level, with a simple and ingenious structure, lower cost compared to detecting through a liquid level sensor, and good detection accuracy at the same time.
[0008] In addition, according to the sweeping robot base station of the utility model, the following additional technical features may also be provided:
[0009] In some embodiments of the utility model, the tray is detachably installed in the receiving groove.
[0010] In some embodiments of the present utility model, the first conductive member includes an elastic deformation portion located in the receiving groove. When the tray is installed in place in the receiving groove, the elastic deformation portion deforms under the pressure of the corresponding second conductive member, and when the tray is detached from the receiving groove, the elastic deformation portion resets.
[0011] In some embodiments of the present utility model, the floor sweeping robot base station further includes a in-place detection component for detecting whether the tray is located in the receiving groove. The in-place detection component is installed in the receiving groove and is configured to be triggered by the deformed elastic deformation portion.
[0012] In some embodiments of the present utility model, the in-place detection component includes a microswitch.
[0013] In some embodiments of the present utility model, the two second conductive members are in one-to-one correspondence with the two first conductive members and are electrically connected to form a liquid level detection circuit. The liquid level detection circuit further includes a signal receiving component. The signal receiving component is connected to the liquid level detection circuit and is used to receive signals when the liquid level detection circuit is disconnected or connected.
[0014] In some embodiments of the present utility model, the two first conductive members are connected by a third conductive member, and the first conductive member or the third conductive member is electrically connected to the signal receiving component.
[0015] In some embodiments of the present utility model, the second conductive member includes a substrate and two side plates connected to opposite sides of the substrate along a first direction. The first direction is the arrangement direction of the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface of the side wall of the tray. The substrate is installed at the top of the side wall of the tray. One of the two side plates abuts against the inner wall surface of the tray and is used for electrically connecting with the liquid, and the other side plate abuts against the outer wall surface of the tray and is used for electrically connecting with the first conductive member.
[0016] In some embodiments of the present utility model, a notch is formed at the top of the side wall of the tray, and the substrate is embedded in the notch.
[0017] In a second aspect, the present utility model provides a cleaning system, which includes a floor sweeping robot and the floor sweeping robot base station according to any one of the above technical solutions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] By reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiments below, various other advantages and benefits will become clear to those of ordinary skill in the art. The drawings are only for the purpose of showing the preferred embodiments and are not considered to be a limitation of the present utility model. Moreover, throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to represent the same components. In the drawings:
[0019] Figure 1 Schematically shows a partial structural schematic diagram of a floor sweeping robot base before installing a tray according to an embodiment of the present utility model;
[0020] Figure 2 is Figure 1 an enlarged view of part a of;
[0021] Figure 3 Schematically shows a partial structural schematic diagram of a floor sweeping robot base after installing a tray according to an embodiment of the present utility model;
[0022] Figure 4 is Figure 3 an enlarged view of part b of;
[0023] Figure 5 Schematically shows a structural schematic diagram of a liquid level detection circuit of a floor sweeping robot base according to an embodiment of the present utility model.
[0024] The reference numerals are as follows:
[0025] 100, floor sweeping robot base;
[0026] 10, base body; 11, receiving groove; 12, first conductive member; 121, elastic deformation part; 1211, first arm body; 1212, second arm body; 1213, third arm body; 122, main body part;
[0027] 20, tray; 21, second conductive member; 211, substrate; 212, side plate;
[0028] 30, signal receiving component;
[0029] 40, in-place detection component. Specific Embodiments
[0030] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure can be more thoroughly understood and the scope of the present disclosure can be fully conveyed to those skilled in the art.
[0031] It should be understood that the terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and are not intended to be limiting. Unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" as used herein may also include the plural forms. The terms "comprising", "including", "containing", and "having" are inclusive and thus specify the presence of the stated features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order described or illustrated, unless explicitly stated as an order of performance. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be used.
[0032] Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe multiple elements, components, regions, layers, and / or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers, and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be used only to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or section from another. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, terms such as "first", "second", and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply an order or sequence. Thus, the first element, component, region, layer, or section discussed below may be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer, or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.
[0033] For ease of description, spatial relative relationship terms may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element or feature shown in the figures to another element or feature, such as "inside", "outside", "inner side", "outer side", "below", "beneath", "above", "over", etc. Such spatial relative relationship terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is flipped, an element described as "below" or "beneath" another element or feature will then be oriented "above" or "over" the other element or feature. Thus, the example term "below" can include both an orientation above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or in other directions) and the spatial relative relationship descriptors used herein are to be interpreted accordingly.
[0034] The base station of the floor sweeper is a multifunctional auxiliary device that can be used for charging and can also clean and maintain the mopping cloth of the floor sweeping robot, helping users easily keep the device clean and hygienic, thereby improving the convenience and intelligence of use.
[0035] Among them, the liquid level detection of the tray used by the base station to clean the mop of the floor sweeper is very important. The liquid level detection can ensure that when performing the cleaning task, the mop has enough water to complete the work, and at the same time avoid the situation of water overflow or too little water usage. Through the liquid level detection, the system can monitor the water volume in the water tank and remind the user to add water or stop adding water when needed, so as to ensure the cleaning effect and maintain the normal operation of the device. This function can improve the cleaning efficiency and operation convenience of the floor sweeping robot, and at the same time extend the service life of the device.
[0036] In the related art, the liquid level detection is generally only carried out through a liquid level sensor, which has a high cost and requires the configuration of an installation structure for the sensor, increasing the complexity of the structure.
[0037] In view of this, the embodiment of the present application provides a floor sweeper base station, which uses liquid and relatively inexpensive electronic components to detect the liquid level, with a simple and ingenious structure, lower cost compared to detecting through a liquid level sensor, and at the same time having good detection accuracy.
[0038] The following combines the attached Figures 1-5 to illustrate the structure and working principle of the floor sweeper base station of this embodiment.
[0039] Combined with the attached Figure 1 and the attached Figure 3 and the attached Figure 5 As shown in the figures, the embodiment of the present application first provides a floor sweeper base station 100. Only a partial view of the floor sweeper base station 100 is shown in the figure. Other components of the floor sweeper base station 100 (such as the charging part and the electronic control part) are well-known to those skilled in the art. Therefore, this embodiment does not illustrate this part in the drawings.
[0040] The floor sweeper base station 100 of this embodiment includes a base station body 10 and a tray 20. The base station body 10 can charge the floor sweeping robot and at the same time clean the floor sweeping robot after it has completed the cleaning operation. The tray 20 is an important structure for realizing this cleaning function. After the floor sweeping robot returns to the base station, the bottom mop of the floor sweeping robot can be cleaned with the liquid in the tray 20. The liquid can be water or a solution containing a cleaning agent, etc.
[0041] In order to facilitate the installation of the tray 20, a receiving groove 11 is provided on the base station body 10 in this embodiment. The shape and size of the receiving groove 11 are adapted to the tray 20. The receiving groove 11 includes a bottom wall and side walls arranged around the bottom wall. The material of the receiving groove 11 is made of an insulating material, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, etc.
[0042] Combined with the attached Figure 2 and the attached Figure 4As shown in the figure, two first conductive members 12 that are conductively connected are provided at intervals on the side wall of the receiving groove 11. The first conductive members 12 can be understood as conductive electrodes, which can be made of carbon materials, metal materials, metal oxides, conductive polymers, etc., as long as they can meet the conductive requirements. This embodiment will not list them one by one. Regarding the conductive connection of the two first conductive members 12 in this embodiment, it can be achieved through a conductive wire or a conductive member (not shown in the figure), or the two first conductive members 12 can be directly conductively connected to the signal receiving component 30.
[0043] The tray 20 of this embodiment is installed in the receiving groove 11. The tray 20 also includes a bottom wall and side walls connected to the periphery of the bottom wall. Two second conductive members 21 are provided on the side wall of the tray 20. The two second conductive members 21 and the aforementioned first conductive members 12 may be made of the same or different materials, such as carbon materials, metal materials, metal oxides, conductive polymers, etc.
[0044] When the tray 20 of this embodiment is installed in the receiving groove 11 in the Figure 3 state shown, the two second conductive members 21 and the two first conductive members 12 are in one-to-one correspondence and conductively connected to form a liquid level detection circuit. Conductive connection means that the first conductive member 12 and the second conductive member 21 are in contact and can transfer current. Specifically, one of the two second conductive members 21 is conductively connected to one of the two first conductive members 12, and the other of the two second conductive members 21 is conductively connected to the other of the two first conductive members 12.
[0045] Combined with the attached Figure 5 As shown in the figure, in some examples, optionally, the floor sweeping robot base station 100 of this embodiment may further include a signal receiving component 30. The signal receiving component 30 can be regarded as a part of the liquid level detection circuit or a part of the control circuit of the floor sweeping robot base station 100. The signal receiving component 30 of this embodiment is connected in parallel or in series to the liquid level detection circuit where the two first conductive members 12 and the two second conductive members 21 are located, and is used to receive the signal when the liquid level detection circuit is disconnected or connected. The signal receiving component 30 of this embodiment can be a comparator circuit, and the signal receiving component 30 can also be an element such as a relay or an optocoupler connected to the control circuit of the floor sweeping robot base station 100.
[0046] When it is necessary to clean structures such as the mopping cloth at the bottom of the floor sweeping robot, the floor sweeping robot base station 100 controls the water adding structure to add liquid into the tray 20. When the liquid in the tray 20 reaches the preset liquid level, two second conductive members 21 are conducted, so that the liquid level detection circuit formed by two first conductive members 12 and two second conductive members 21 is conducted by the liquid in the tray 20. At this time, the signal receiving component 30 detects that the liquid level detection circuit is connected, and at the same time, the control circuit of the floor sweeping robot base station 100 sends an alarm instruction and / or sends an instruction to stop adding water to the water adding structure, so that the liquid level in the tray 20 is at the optimal cleaning liquid level. The optimal cleaning liquid level can be to fill the entire tray 20, or to reach one-third to four-fifths of the full water level of the tray 20, etc. Specifically, the preset liquid level is determined according to the part of the floor sweeping robot to be cleaned and the size of the tray 20, and this embodiment will not be described in detail.
[0047] Combined with the description of the structure and working process of the floor sweeping robot base station 100 provided in this embodiment above, it can be seen that the entire detection logic of this embodiment is realized by using the liquid level rising to conduct two second conductive members 21. The detection structure uses liquid and relatively inexpensive electronic components to detect the liquid level, with a simple and ingenious structure, lower cost compared to detecting through a liquid level sensor, and good detection accuracy at the same time.
[0048] In some examples, optionally, the tray 20 of this embodiment is detachably installed in the receiving groove 11. Designing the tray 20 of the floor sweeping robot base station 100 to be detachable enables the user to conveniently remove the tray 20 for cleaning and maintenance, keeping the tray 20 and the receiving groove 11 clean and hygienic. Moreover, the user can easily replace or remove the tray 20 according to actual needs to adapt to different cleaning requirements or scenario requirements.
[0049] In some examples, optionally, the detachable connection method between the tray 20 and the receiving groove 11 can be one or more of snap connection, magnetic connection, slide rail connection, and bolt connection, and this embodiment will not list them in detail.
[0050] Combined with the attachment Figure 2 As shown in the figure, in some examples, optionally, the first conductive member 12 of this embodiment includes an elastic deformation portion 121 located in the receiving groove 11 and a main body portion 122 located outside the receiving groove 11. When the tray 20 of this embodiment is installed in the receiving groove 11, the elastic deformation portion 121 deforms under the pressure of the second conductive member 21 and resets when the tray 20 is detached from the receiving groove 11.
[0051] When the first conductive member 12 of this embodiment includes an elastic deformation portion 121 that can deform, the material of the first conductive member 12 is a metal material at this time, and the elastic restoring force of the elastic deformation portion 121 can always keep in contact with the second conductive member 21 to ensure the formation of Figure 5The liquid level detection circuit therein is used to improve the detection accuracy of the liquid level detection circuit.
[0052] In some examples, optionally, the elastic deformation part 121 of this embodiment may include an integrally formed first arm body 1211, a second arm body 1212, and a third arm body 1213. The first arm body 1211 is located inside the receiving groove 11 and is used to abut against the second conductive member 21. The third arm body 1213 is used to connect to the main body part 122. The second arm body 1212 passes through the side wall of the receiving groove 11 and forms an obtuse angle with the first arm body 1211 and the third arm body 1213 respectively. When under the pressure of the second conductive member 21, the connection between the first arm body 1211 and the second arm body 1212 deforms, and the connection between the second arm body 1212 and the third arm body 1213 deforms, causing the first arm body 1211 to move towards the direction close to the main body part 122.
[0053] Based on the above structure, the applicant found that in addition to liquid level detection, for the detachable tray 20, it is also necessary to perform in-place detection of the tray 20 to ensure that the tray 20 is fully installed in the receiving groove 11 and improve the structural stability.
[0054] For the in-place detection of the tray 20, related technologies use another type of sensor to achieve it, such as proximity sensors, distance sensors, etc. Such a detection structure still requires a relatively high production cost. Therefore, this embodiment cleverly realizes in-place detection by utilizing the characteristics of the above elastic deformation part 121.
[0055] Again referring to the attached Figures 1-4 As shown in the figure, in some examples, optionally, the floor sweeping robot base station 100 of this embodiment further includes an in-place detection component 40. The in-place detection component 40 is installed in the receiving groove 11. Specifically, a part of the in-place detection component 40 is located inside the receiving groove 11, and another part is located outside the receiving groove 11. When the elastic deformation part 121 of this embodiment deforms under the pressure of the second conductive member 21, it can abut against the switch of the in-place detection component 40 located inside the receiving groove 11, thereby turning on the in-place detection component 40.
[0056] Furthermore, the in-place detection component 40 of this embodiment can be connected to the control circuit of the floor sweeping robot base station 100. When the in-place detection component 40 is turned on, the control circuit determines that the tray 20 is in place.
[0057] In some examples, optionally, the in-place detection component 40 may be a microswitch. A microswitch is a switch that controls electrical signals through mechanical contacts. The mechanical contacts are located in the receiving groove 11 and are used to abut against the elastic deformation portion 121. The principle of the microswitch is to use an external force acting on the microswitch to cause the internal contacts to make instantaneous connections or disconnections, thereby changing the circuit state. The control circuit of the floor sweeping robot base station 100 determines whether the tray 20 is in place based on this circuit state, thereby realizing the in-place detection of the tray 20.
[0058] Of course, the structural form of the in-place detection component 40 in this embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the in-place detection component 40 can also use a touch switch or a push-button switch and other structures to replace the microswitch.
[0059] The opening and closing of the above-mentioned in-place detection component 40 cleverly utilizes the elastic deformation portion 121 of this embodiment, so that the elastic deformation portion 121 can not only be used as the conductive structure of the signal receiving component 30, but also as the triggering mechanism of the in-place detection component 40, serving multiple purposes in one body and having a clever structure.
[0060] Combined with the attached Figure 4 As shown in the figure, in some examples, optionally, the second conductive member 21 of this embodiment includes a substrate 211 and two side plates 212 connected to opposite sides of the substrate 211 along the first direction. The substrate 211 and the side plates 212 may be integrally formed during processing or integrally connected by welding or other means.
[0061] The substrate 211 of this embodiment is installed at the top of the side wall of the tray 20. One of the two side plates 212 abuts against the inner wall surface of the tray 20 and is used for liquid conductive connection. The other of the two side plates 212 abuts against the outer wall surface of the tray 20 and is used for conductive connection with the first conductive member 12. The two side plates 212 can be in limit cooperation with the side wall of the tray 20 and tightly connected to improve the stability of the second conductive member 21 after being installed on the tray 20.
[0062] In some examples, optionally, a notch (not shown in the figure) may also be provided at the top of the side wall of the tray 20 in this embodiment. The substrate 211 is embedded in the notch, and the notch can be used to reduce the height of the two side plates 212 on the tray 20 so that the two side plates 212 can be at an appropriate liquid level height.
[0063] Based on the above floor sweeping robot base station 100, the embodiment of the present application further provides a cleaning system, which includes a floor sweeping robot (not shown in the figure) and the floor sweeping robot base station 100 as described in the above technical solution. For the structures of other parts of the floor sweeping robot and the cleaning system, please refer to the prior art, and the present application will not elaborate here.
[0064] As described above, it is only the preferred specific embodiment of the present utility model, but the protection scope of the present utility model is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily thought of by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present utility model should be covered within the protection scope of the present utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of the present utility model should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A floor sweeping robot base station, characterized in that, Including: A base station body is provided with a receiving groove, and two first conductive members which are conductively connected are spaced apart on the side wall of the receiving groove; A tray is installed in the receiving groove, and two second conductive members are provided on the side wall of the tray, and the two second conductive members are in contact with the two first conductive members in one-to-one correspondence; When the liquid in the tray reaches a preset liquid level, the two second conductive members are conducted through the liquid in the tray, and when the liquid in the tray is lower than the preset liquid level, the two second conductive members are not conducted.
2. The floor sweeping robot base station according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tray is detachably installed in the receiving groove.
3. The floor sweeping robot base station according to claim 2, wherein, The first conductive member includes an elastically deformable portion located in the receiving groove. When the tray is installed in place in the receiving groove, the elastically deformable portion deforms under the pressure of the corresponding second conductive member, and when the tray is detached from the receiving groove, the elastically deformable portion resets.
4. The floor sweeping robot base station according to claim 3, characterized in that, The floor sweeping robot base station further includes a in-place detection component for detecting whether the tray is in the receiving groove. The in-place detection component is installed in the receiving groove and is configured to be triggered by the deformed elastically deformable portion.
5. The floor sweeping robot base station according to claim 4, wherein The in-place detection component includes a microswitch.
6. The floor sweeping robot base station according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The two second conductive members are in one-to-one correspondence and conductively connected with the two first conductive members to form a liquid level detection circuit. The liquid level detection circuit further includes a signal receiving component, and the signal receiving component is connected to the liquid level detection circuit and is used for receiving the signal when the liquid level detection circuit is disconnected or connected.
7. The floor sweeping robot base station according to claim 6, characterized in that, The two first conductive members are connected by a third conductive member, and the first conductive member or the third conductive member is conductively connected with the signal receiving component.
8. The floor sweeping robot base station according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The second conductive member includes a substrate and two side plates connected to opposite sides of the substrate along a first direction. The first direction is the arrangement direction of the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface of the side wall of the tray. The substrate is installed at the top of the side wall of the tray. One of the two side plates abuts against the inner wall surface of the tray and is used for conductive connection with the liquid, and the other side plate abuts against the outer wall surface of the tray and is used for conductive connection with the first conductive member.
9. The sweeping robot base station according to claim 8, wherein, A notch is formed at the top of the side wall of the tray, and the substrate is embedded in the notch.
10. A cleaning system, characterized in that, Including a floor sweeping robot and the floor sweeping robot base station according to any one of claims 1-9.