A pollution cleaning robot

Abstract

This application discloses a cleaning robot, comprising a shell, a control module, a tracked walking module, a spraying module, and a cleaning module. The control module is disposed inside the shell, the spraying module is disposed on the top of the shell, the cleaning module is disposed on one side of the shell, and the tracked walking module is disposed at the bottom of the shell. The spraying module has a water tank and several nozzles, the nozzles being connected to the water tank. The tracked walking module includes tracks, a suspension mechanism, and several drive wheels, the tracks surrounding the drive wheels, and the drive wheels being connected to the shell via the suspension mechanism. By incorporating the tracked walking module, the robot's mobility in complex terrains such as slag heaps and muddy areas is improved; the spraying module prevents the robot from splashing large amounts of dust during cleaning, thus reducing the workload.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of environmental remediation technology in mining areas, and in particular to a cleaning robot. Background Technology

[0002] Mining activities typically generate large amounts of solid waste, dust pollution, and excessive levels of heavy metals in the soil, creating environmental problems. Traditional mine cleanup relies primarily on manual labor, which is inefficient, labor-intensive, and unsafe. Furthermore, the complex terrain of mining areas (such as rugged mountain roads and muddy surfaces) and the diverse types of pollution (such as ore residue, oil spills, and acidic wastewater) place higher demands on the adaptability and intelligence of cleaning equipment. Existing cleaning robot technology suffers from limitations in handling the unique environment of mining areas, including insufficient walking stability, low accuracy in dirt identification, and limited energy supply. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the aforementioned problems, this application is made to provide a cleaning robot that overcomes or at least partially solves the aforementioned problems.

[0004] This invention discloses a cleaning robot, including a shell, a control module, a tracked walking module, a spraying module, and a cleaning module;

[0005] The control module is located inside the housing, the spray module is located at the top of the housing, the cleaning module is located on one side of the housing, and the tracked walking module is located at the bottom of the housing.

[0006] The spray module is equipped with a water tank and several nozzles, and the nozzles are connected to the water tank.

[0007] The tracked walking module includes tracks, a suspension mechanism, and several drive wheels. The tracks are arranged around the drive wheels, and the drive wheels are connected to the outer shell through the suspension mechanism.

[0008] Furthermore, a solar panel is also provided on the top of the water tank, and the solar panel is electrically connected to the control module.

[0009] Furthermore, it also includes a soil sensor, which is disposed at the bottom of the housing.

[0010] Furthermore, the soil sensor includes a pH sensor, a humidity sensor, and a heavy metal detection sensor array. The pH sensor, the humidity sensor, and the heavy metal detection sensor array are mounted on a retractable bracket at the bottom of the housing. During operation, the retractable bracket descends to the ground contact position.

[0011] Furthermore, the cleaning module includes a pusher, a three-jointed robotic arm, and an image acquisition device;

[0012] The pusher is connected to the housing via the three-jointed robotic arm, and the image acquisition device is used to identify the type of dirt being cleaned.

[0013] Furthermore, the three-joint robotic arm includes a base, an upper arm, a forearm, and a wrist. The base is fixedly connected to the outer shell. The upper arm is connected to the base via a first rotary joint, the forearm is connected to the upper arm via a second rotary joint, and the wrist is connected to the forearm via a third rotary joint. Each rotary joint is equipped with a servo motor and an angle encoder, and the angle encoder is electrically connected to the control module.

[0014] Furthermore, the suspension mechanism includes a spring damping assembly and a hydraulic damper, the spring damping assembly being connected to the axle of the drive wheel, and the hydraulic damper being disposed between the spring damping assembly and the housing.

[0015] Furthermore, the spray module also includes a water pump and a flow regulating valve. The water pump is located inside the water tank, and the flow regulating valve is electrically connected to the control module.

[0016] This application has the following advantages:

[0017] In the embodiments of this application, addressing the shortcomings of existing technologies where excessive waste in mining areas necessitates manual cleaning, resulting in low efficiency and insufficient safety, this application proposes a cleaning robot, comprising a shell, a control module, a tracked walking module, a spray module, and a cleaning module. The control module is disposed inside the shell, the spray module is disposed on the top of the shell, the cleaning module is disposed on one side of the shell, and the tracked walking module is disposed at the bottom of the shell. The spray module includes a water tank and several nozzles, with the nozzles connected to the water tank. The tracked walking module includes tracks, a suspension mechanism, and several drive wheels, with the tracks surrounding the drive wheels, and the drive wheels connected to the shell via the suspension mechanism. By incorporating the tracked walking module, the robot's mobility in complex terrains such as slag heaps and muddy areas is improved; the spray module prevents the robot from splashing large amounts of dust during cleaning, thus reducing the workload. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solution of this application, the drawings used in the description of this application will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a cleaning robot provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0020] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 101, outer casing; 102, control module; 103, spray module; 104, nozzle; 105, track; 106, drive wheel; 107, soil sensor; 108, boom; 109, forearm; 110, wrist; 111, pusher; 112, first rotary joint; 113, second rotary joint; 114, third rotary joint. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To make the objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0022] Through analysis of existing technologies, the inventors discovered that mining areas have complex terrain (such as rugged mountain roads and muddy ground) and diverse types of pollution (such as ore residue, oil stains, and acidic wastewater), which places higher demands on the adaptability and intelligence of cleaning equipment. Existing cleaning robot technologies suffer from shortcomings in dealing with the special environment of mining areas, such as insufficient walking stability, low accuracy in dirt recognition, and limited energy supply.

[0023] In the embodiments of this application, addressing the shortcomings of existing technologies where excessive waste in mining areas necessitates manual cleaning, resulting in low efficiency and insufficient safety, this application proposes a cleaning robot, comprising a shell, a control module, a tracked walking module, a spraying module, and a cleaning module. The control module is disposed inside the shell, the spraying module is disposed on the top of the shell, the cleaning module is disposed on one side of the shell, and the tracked walking module is disposed at the bottom of the shell. The spraying module includes a water tank and several nozzles, with the nozzles connected to the water tank. The tracked walking module includes tracks, a suspension mechanism, and several drive wheels, with the tracks surrounding the drive wheels, and the drive wheels connected to the shell via the suspension mechanism. By incorporating the tracked walking module, the robot's traversability in complex terrains such as slag heaps and muddy areas is improved; the spraying module and the cleaning module clean residue and oil stains.

[0024] Reference Figure 1 The illustration shows a cleaning robot, including a shell 101, a control module 102, a tracked walking module, a spraying module 103, and a cleaning module;

[0025] The control module 102 is disposed inside the housing 101, the spray module 103 is disposed on the top of the housing 101, the cleaning module is disposed on one side of the housing 101, and the track walking module is disposed on the bottom of the housing 101.

[0026] The spray module 103 is provided with a water tank and a plurality of nozzles 104, and the nozzles 104 are connected to the water tank;

[0027] The tracked walking module includes a track 105, a suspension mechanism and several drive wheels 106. The track 105 is arranged around the drive wheels 106, and the drive wheels 106 are connected to the housing 101 through the suspension mechanism.

[0028] It should be noted that the tracked walking module, combined with the suspension and shock absorption system, can travel stably on mining roads with a slope of ≤35°; the outer shell adopts a detachable cabin structure, which facilitates maintenance and functional expansion (such as adding an ore sorting module). The entire device supports 5G communication and can realize multi-robot collaborative operation and remote operation and maintenance management through a cloud platform.

[0029] The control module 102 is fixed inside the control compartment of the outer shell 101 and is connected to the 5G communication module and the power management unit.

[0030] A tracked walking module is installed at the bottom of the outer shell 101 to ensure that the drive wheel 106 is securely connected to the hydraulic damper of the suspension mechanism.

[0031] A spray module is installed on the top of the housing 101, which can be connected to a water pump and a flow regulating valve to control the flow rate, and the nozzle array is fixed on the bracket.

[0032] A cleaning module is installed on one side of the outer casing 101. The base of the three-joint robotic arm is connected to the outer casing by bolts. The synchronization between the servo motor and the angle encoder is adjusted.

[0033] A retractable bracket is installed at the bottom of the housing 101 to secure the soil sensor 107.

[0034] For ore residue, the three-joint robotic arm is controlled to operate the pusher to collect it; for oil pollution, the spray module 103 is adjusted to spray special cleaning agent, thereby achieving targeted cleaning of the site.

[0035] The following will further describe a cleaning robot in this exemplary embodiment.

[0036] In one embodiment of this application, a solar panel is also provided on the top of the water tank, and the solar panel is electrically connected to the control module 102.

[0037] It should be noted that the solar panels are flexible thin-film solar panels, which have excellent flexibility and can fit snugly against the curved surface of the water tank top. The solar panels are connected to a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) controller via photovoltaic cables. The MPPT controller monitors the output voltage and current of the solar panels in real time, dynamically adjusting the operating point to ensure the solar panels always output power at maximum efficiency, thus improving energy conversion efficiency. The MPPT controller is then electrically connected to the control module and the battery pack, forming a complete power transmission and storage path. The battery pack uses high-energy-density lithium batteries with an energy density of no less than 200Wh / kg and is equipped with a Battery Management System (BMS). The BMS communicates with the control module and can monitor battery parameters such as voltage, current, temperature, and charge / discharge status in real time. It has overcharge protection, over-discharge protection, overcurrent protection, and short-circuit protection functions to ensure safe and stable battery operation and extend battery life. Under sunlight, the solar panels convert light energy into electrical energy. The MPPT controller optimizes the electrical energy and prioritizes power supply to the control module and other power-consuming modules to meet the robot's real-time operation needs. When the robot is in a low-power state or under sufficient sunlight, excess electrical energy is stored in the battery pack to ensure that the robot can continue to operate in environments with insufficient light, such as at night or on cloudy days.

[0038] In one embodiment of this application, a soil sensor 107 is also included, which is disposed at the bottom of the housing 101.

[0039] In one embodiment of this application, the soil sensor 107 includes a pH sensor, a humidity sensor, and a heavy metal detection sensor. The array of the pH sensor, the humidity sensor, and the heavy metal detection sensor is disposed on a retractable bracket at the bottom of the housing 101. During operation, the retractable bracket is lowered to the ground contact position.

[0040] It should be noted that the pH sensor employs a composite glass electrode design with a built-in temperature compensation circuit, automatically correcting for the influence of temperature on measurement results. The electrode surface is coated with a nano-level anti-fouling coating, effectively resisting contamination from oil and particulate matter in the mining soil and extending its service life. The humidity sensor uses the frequency domain reflectance (FDR) principle, determining moisture content by measuring the soil's dielectric constant. The sensor probe is made of stainless steel, offering strong corrosion resistance and suitable for acidic or alkaline mining soil environments. The heavy metal detection sensor is based on the anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) principle, incorporating a microelectrode array and a micro-electrochemical analysis unit. During operation, a weak current is injected into the soil, and the type and content of heavy metals are determined by analyzing the characteristic peaks of the current-voltage curve; detection results are output within 15 minutes. The soil sensor connects to the control module 102 via an RS485 bus, using the Modbus RTU communication protocol with a transmission rate of 115200bps, ensuring real-time data accuracy and reliability. The sensor array automatically acquires data every 5 minutes, and the acquisition frequency can be remotely adjusted via the control module. After the collected raw data is preprocessed by the control module, it is used to generate a soil pollution distribution map in real time, and is also uploaded to the cloud database through the 5G communication module for subsequent data analysis and governance decision-making reference.

[0041] In one embodiment of this application, the cleaning module includes a pusher 111, a three-joint robotic arm, and an image acquisition device;

[0042] The pusher 111 is connected to the outer shell via the three-jointed robotic arm, and the image acquisition device is used to identify the type of dirt being cleaned.

[0043] It should be noted that the pusher 111 is made of high-strength, wear-resistant alloy steel with a tungsten carbide coating, achieving a hardness of HRC60. This effectively resists frictional wear from hard dirt such as ore and gravel in mining areas. The pusher's front end features a curved cutting edge with a 30° angle, reducing lifting resistance and improving cleaning efficiency. The back of the pusher has reinforcing ribs to enhance its structural strength when digging and pushing heavy objects, with a maximum load capacity of 200kg. The pusher connects to the end of the three-joint robotic arm via a quick-change interface, supporting rapid disassembly and replacement of different functional attachments, such as rake shovels and suction shovels, to adapt to the cleaning needs of different types of dirt.

[0044] In one embodiment of this application, the three-joint robotic arm includes a base, an upper arm 108, a lower arm 109, and a wrist 110. The base is fixedly connected to the housing 101. The upper arm 108 is connected to the base via a first rotary joint 112. The lower arm 109 is connected to the upper arm 108 via a second rotary joint 113. The wrist is connected to the lower arm 109 via a third rotary joint 114. Each rotary joint is equipped with a servo motor and an angle encoder. The angle encoder is electrically connected to the control module.

[0045] It should be noted that the base, serving as the connecting hub between the robotic arm and the robot's outer shell, is made of cast steel in one piece, with an anodized surface to enhance its wear resistance and corrosion resistance. It is securely connected to the outer shell via high-strength bolts and reinforcing ribs, ensuring a stable connection between the robotic arm and the shell even in complex operating environments. The base has pre-installed cable channels for integrated wiring of servo motor control lines, angle encoder signal lines, and hydraulic lines, preventing exposed cables from causing wear or tangling.

[0046] The boom 108 adopts a hollow truss structure, made of lightweight, high-strength aluminum alloy, which reduces weight while ensuring structural strength. Internal reinforcing ribs optimize stress distribution, meeting the cleaning range requirements during mining operations, and the surface is coated with an anti-slip coating to prevent dirt adhesion from affecting movement accuracy.

[0047] The forearm 109 is a thin-walled tubular structure made of carbon fiber composite material, possessing high specific strength and excellent shock absorption performance. It can work in conjunction with the upper arm to achieve flexible extension and retraction movements. High-precision positioning pin holes are designed at both ends of the forearm, which are doubly fixed to the rotary joint by positioning pins and bolts to ensure assembly accuracy.

[0048] The wrist section, serving as the connection point for the robotic arm's end effector, integrates a quick-change interface and a force sensor. The quick-change interface supports rapid replacement of various end tools, such as push shovels and grippers, with a replacement time of no more than 30 seconds. The force sensor adopts a strain gauge design, with a measurement range of 0-500N and a resolution of 0.1N. It can sense the contact force between the end tool and dirt in real time, providing feedback information to the control module and preventing overload damage.

[0049] In one embodiment of this application, the suspension mechanism includes a spring damping assembly and a hydraulic damper. The spring damping assembly is connected to the axle of the drive wheel, and the hydraulic damper is disposed between the spring damping assembly and the housing 101.

[0050] It should be noted that the spring damping assembly uses high-strength helical springs made of 60Si2MnA spring steel, which have undergone quenching and tempering treatment, achieving a yield strength of up to 1600MPa. The spring has an outer diameter of 80mm, a wire diameter of 10mm, and 8 effective coils, exhibiting good elasticity and fatigue resistance. Wear-resistant rubber pads are installed at both ends of the spring to reduce friction and wear between the spring and the connecting parts, while also providing a certain degree of cushioning. The spring damping assembly is connected to the drive wheel axle fixing bracket via high-strength bolts, with a bolt preload of 300N·m to ensure a stable connection capable of withstanding a maximum vertical load of 5000N transmitted by the drive wheel. When the robot travels on rough terrain in the mining area, the impact force from the ground on the drive wheel is transmitted to the spring damping assembly through the axle. The helical spring undergoes elastic deformation under stress, converting some of the impact energy into the spring's elastic potential energy, thereby mitigating the impact on the robot's overall structure. The spring's elastic restoring force allows the drive wheel to quickly return to its original position, maintaining good contact with the ground and ensuring the stability of the tracked movement. For example, when the robot drives over protruding rock, the spring compresses to absorb the impact; after passing through, the spring releases energy, pushing the drive wheel back to its initial position.

[0051] The hydraulic damper consists of a cylinder, piston, piston rod, damping orifices, and hydraulic oil. The cylinder is made of high-strength alloy steel with an inner diameter of 40mm and a wall thickness of 5mm. The inner wall is precision ground and chrome-plated, with a surface roughness Ra≤0.4μm to reduce frictional resistance during piston movement. The piston has multiple damping orifices of different diameters; by optimizing the layout and size of these orifices, the flow rate of the hydraulic oil can be precisely controlled. The piston rod is made of high-quality stainless steel with a hard chrome plating, providing excellent wear resistance and corrosion resistance. Both ends of the hydraulic damper are connected to the upper support of the spring damping assembly and the connecting seat of the robot shell via ball joints. The ball joints allow the hydraulic damper to swing freely within a certain angle range, adapting to movement requirements under different road conditions. After the spring damping assembly absorbs the impact, the remaining energy is transferred to the hydraulic damper. The piston moves in the hydraulic oil, which flows from the high-pressure chamber to the low-pressure chamber through the damping orifices. Due to the throttling effect of the damping orifices, a damping force is generated, converting the impact energy into heat energy that is dissipated. By adjusting the size and number of damping orifices, the damping characteristics of the hydraulic damper can be adjusted to provide a suitable buffering effect under different working conditions. For example, when the robot is moving quickly over a bumpy road, the hydraulic damper can rapidly increase the damping force to slow down the spring's rebound speed and prevent the robot from shaking violently; while when moving slowly, the damping force automatically decreases to ensure the robot's flexibility.

[0052] The spring damping assembly and hydraulic buffer work together in the suspension mechanism to create a dual damping effect. The spring damping assembly first buffers the ground impact force, absorbing most of the energy and providing basic support; the hydraulic buffer further attenuates the residual vibration and high-frequency impact from the spring damping assembly, keeping the robot's vibration amplitude and frequency at a low level. When the robot is climbing or descending a slope, the suspension mechanism automatically adjusts according to the terrain changes. The extension and contraction of the springs and the damping adjustment of the hydraulic buffer work together to maintain the robot's center of gravity stability and prevent tipping. At the same time, this design of the suspension mechanism can also effectively protect the drive wheels, tracks, and other components of the tracked walking module, reducing damage caused by impacts and extending the service life of the equipment.

[0053] In one embodiment of this application, the spray module 103 further includes a water pump and a flow regulating valve. The water pump is disposed inside the water tank, and the flow regulating valve is electrically connected to the control module.

[0054] It should be noted that the water pump is installed inside the water tank and is a submersible centrifugal pump. The pump is connected to the bottom of the water tank via a flange, and the inlet is equipped with a stainless steel filter screen (1mm aperture) to prevent large particles from entering the pump body. The control module outputs a 24V DC signal via a relay to control the pump's start and stop; the starting current is ≤5A, and the stable operating current is 2.2A. When dust suppression spraying is required, the pump pressurizes the water in the tank to 0.3-0.8MPa (pressure adjustable) and delivers it to the nozzles through the water supply pipeline.

[0055] The flow regulating valve is electrically connected to the control module and is an electric proportional regulating valve to achieve precise flow control.

[0056] Although preferred embodiments of the present application have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of the embodiments of the present application.

[0057] Finally, it should be noted that in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or terminal device that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or terminal device. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or terminal device that includes said element.

[0058] The above provides a detailed description of a cleaning robot provided in this application. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of this application. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

Claims

1. A cleaning robot, characterized in that, Includes the outer casing, control module, tracked walking module, spray module, and cleaning module; The control module is located inside the housing, the spray module is located at the top of the housing, the cleaning module is located on one side of the housing, and the tracked walking module is located at the bottom of the housing. The spray module is equipped with a water tank and several nozzles, and the nozzles are connected to the water tank. The tracked walking module includes tracks, a suspension mechanism, and several drive wheels. The tracks are arranged around the drive wheels, and the drive wheels are connected to the outer shell through the suspension mechanism.

2. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the water tank is also equipped with a solar panel, which is electrically connected to the control module.

3. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a soil sensor, which is disposed at the bottom of the housing.

4. The cleaning robot according to claim 3, characterized in that, The soil sensor includes a pH sensor, a humidity sensor, and a heavy metal detection sensor. The array of the pH sensor, the humidity sensor, and the heavy metal detection sensor is mounted on a retractable bracket at the bottom of the housing. During operation, the retractable bracket is lowered to the ground contact position.

5. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cleaning module includes a pusher, a three-joint robotic arm, and an image acquisition device; The pusher is connected to the housing via the three-jointed robotic arm, and the image acquisition device is used to identify the type of dirt being cleaned.

6. The cleaning robot according to claim 5, characterized in that, The three-joint robotic arm includes a base, an upper arm, a lower arm, and a wrist. The base is fixedly connected to the outer shell. The upper arm is connected to the base via a first rotary joint. The lower arm is connected to the upper arm via a second rotary joint. The wrist is connected to the lower arm via a third rotary joint. Each rotary joint is equipped with a servo motor and an angle encoder. The angle encoder is electrically connected to the control module.

7. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The suspension mechanism includes a spring damping assembly and a hydraulic damper. The spring damping assembly is connected to the axle of the drive wheel, and the hydraulic damper is disposed between the spring damping assembly and the housing.

8. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spray module also includes a water pump and a flow regulating valve. The water pump is located inside the water tank, and the flow regulating valve is electrically connected to the control module.

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