Cleaning equipment and cleaning robots

Abstract

This application relates to a cleaning device and a cleaning robot. It includes a support frame; a cleaning mechanism including a rotating component and a brush strip, the rotating component being rotatably connected to the support frame, the brush strip being disposed on the outer surface of the rotating component, and the brush strip being able to contact a reference plane; and a sensing mechanism including a sensor and a magnetic element, one of which is disposed on the support frame and the other on the rotating component. Based on a signal generated by the sensor triggered by the magnetic element, the brush strip can be controlled to maintain a set distance from the reference plane when the rotating component stops rotating. Therefore, simply triggering the sensor with the magnetic element is enough to stop the rotating component relative to the support frame at a suitable position, thereby ensuring that the brush strip maintains a set distance from the reference plane. Given the relatively simple structure of the sensor and magnetic element in the sensing mechanism, the overall structure of the cleaning device can be simplified.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Cleaning robots consist of a cleaning device. During the cleaning process, the brush strips on the cleaning device come into contact with the ground. In certain scenarios, it's crucial to ensure the brush strips don't come into contact with the ground and cause contamination. Therefore, when the cleaning device passes over an area with such a surface, it's usually necessary to maintain a certain distance between the brush strips and the ground to effectively prevent contamination. However, existing technologies typically require complex structures to achieve this distance, which hinders the simplification of the cleaning device's design. Utility Model Content

[0003] One technical problem addressed by this application is how to simplify the structure of the cleaning device.

[0004] A cleaning device, comprising:

[0005] support;

[0006] A cleaning mechanism includes a rotating assembly and a brush strip, the rotating assembly being rotatably connected to the bracket, and the brush strip being disposed on the outer side of the rotating assembly and capable of contacting a reference plane;

[0007] A sensing mechanism includes a sensor and a magnetic component, wherein one of the sensor and the magnetic component is disposed on the bracket and the other is disposed on the rotating assembly;

[0008] Based on the signal generated by the sensor triggered by the magnetic component, the brush strip can be controlled to maintain a set distance from the reference plane when the rotating assembly stops rotating.

[0009] In one embodiment, the sensor and the magnetic element are arranged radially at both ends of the rotating assembly.

[0010] In one embodiment, the sensor is a Hall sensor, which senses the magnetic field of the magnetic element and triggers a signal when the sensor passes the location of the magnetic element.

[0011] In one embodiment, the magnetic element is disposed on the rotating assembly, and the sensor is disposed on the bracket.

[0012] In one embodiment, the angle between the magnetic element and the brush strip is greater than or equal to zero in the circumferential direction of the rotating assembly.

[0013] In one embodiment, the magnetic element is spaced at an angle of 90° from the brush strip in the circumferential direction of the rotating assembly.

[0014] In one embodiment, the sensor and the magnetic element are arranged circumferentially along the rotating assembly.

[0015] In one embodiment, there are multiple magnetic elements, and when any one of the magnetic elements triggers the sensor to generate a signal, the brush strip maintains a set distance from the reference plane that the brush strip can contact.

[0016] In one embodiment, there are multiple brush strips, which are arranged at circumferential intervals on the rotating assembly.

[0017] In one embodiment, at least one of the following schemes is also included:

[0018] The bracket has a receiving cavity, and the rotating assembly is rotatably disposed in the receiving cavity. When the brush strip maintains a set distance from the reference plane, the brush strip is received in the receiving cavity.

[0019] The rotating assembly includes a roller and end caps. The end caps are disposed at opposite ends of the roller, and the cross-section of the end caps is larger than the cross-section of the roller. The brush strips are disposed on the roller.

[0020] A cleaning robot includes a main unit and a cleaning device as described in any one of the above-mentioned methods, wherein the cleaning device is disposed on the main unit.

[0021] One technical advantage of one embodiment of this application is that, since the rotating assembly stops rotating when the magnetic element triggers the sensor to generate a signal, and the brush strip maintains a set distance from the reference plane, the rotating assembly can be stopped at a suitable position relative to the support simply by triggering the sensor with the magnetic element, thereby ensuring that the brush strip maintains a set distance from the reference plane. Furthermore, since the sensor and magnetic element in the sensing mechanism are structurally simple, the structure of the entire cleaning device can be simplified. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a cleaning device provided in one embodiment, where the brush strip can contact a reference plane.

[0023] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The diagram shows a three-dimensional structure of the cleaning device when the brush bar can maintain a set distance from the reference plane.

[0024] Figure 3 for Figure 1A three-dimensional structural diagram of the support frame in the cleaning device shown.

[0025] Figure 4 for Figure 1 The diagram shows a partial three-dimensional structure of the cleaning device, including the cleaning mechanism.

[0026] Figure 5 for Figure 1 A partial planar structural diagram of the cleaning device shown, where the angle between the magnetic component and the brush strip is greater than zero.

[0027] Figure 6 for Figure 1 A partial planar structural diagram of the cleaning device shown, where the angle between the magnetic component and the brush strip is zero.

[0028] Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a cleaning robot provided in one embodiment.

[0029] Reference numerals: Cleaning robot 20, Cleaning device 10, Main unit 21, Cover plate 22, Support 100, Reception cavity 110, Cleaning mechanism 200, Rotating component 210, Roller 211, End cap 212, Brush strip 220, Sensing mechanism 300, Magnetic component 310, Sensor 320. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0031] In the description of this application, it should be understood that if terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" appear, these terms indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0032] Furthermore, where the terms "first" and "second" appear, these terms are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, where the term "multiple" appears, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0033] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0034] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the use of descriptions such as "above" or "below" the second feature indicates that the first and second features are in direct contact or indirect contact via an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. Similarly, "below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0035] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. If so, the terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0036] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3An embodiment of this application provides a cleaning device 10 including a support 100, a cleaning mechanism 200, and a sensing mechanism 300. The cleaning mechanism 200 includes a rotating component 210 and a brush strip 220. The rotating component 210 is rotatably connected to the support 100. The brush strip 220 is disposed on the outer side of the rotating component 210. For example, the brush strip 220 may protrude radially from the outer side of the rotating component 210. When the rotating component 210 rotates continuously, the brush strip 220 rotates along with the rotating component 210, enabling the brush strip 220 to clean the surface to be cleaned (i.e., the reference plane). The sensing mechanism 300 includes a sensor 320 and a magnetic element 310. One of the sensor 320 and the magnetic element 310 is disposed on the support 100, and the other is disposed on the rotating component 210. When the rotating component 210 rotates relative to the support 100, the sensor 320 and the magnetic element 310 will also rotate relative to each other. When the magnetic component 310 triggers the sensor 320 to generate a signal, the rotating component 210 will stop rotating, and the brush strips 220 can contact each other to maintain a set distance from the cleaning reference plane.

[0037] It is understood that during the operation of the cleaning device 10, the sensor 320 can be shut down, for example, by de-energizing it. Therefore, when the rotating component 210 drives the brush strip 220 to rotate, the magnetic component 310 will not be able to trigger the sensor 320 to generate a signal. When the cleaning device 10 needs to stop working and be idle, or when it passes through a designated area, it is necessary to ensure that the brush strip 220 maintains a distance from the ground to prevent it from contacting and contaminating the ground, or to prevent the ground from interfering with the brush strip 220. This ground can be understood as the reference plane that the brush strip 220 can contact for cleaning, i.e., maintaining a distance between the brush strip 220 and the reference plane.

[0038] Therefore, to ensure that the brush strip 220 maintains a distance from the reference plane when the rotating assembly 210 stops rotating, the sensor 320 can be activated during the period before the rotating assembly 210 stops rotating, for example, by energizing the sensor 320. Thus, during the relative rotation of the sensor 320 and the magnetic component 310, when the magnetic component 310 triggers the sensor 320 to generate a signal, the rotating assembly 210 can immediately stop moving. At this time, the brush strip 220 maintains a set distance from the reference plane, effectively preventing the brush strip 220 from contacting the reference plane. Therefore, through the action of the sensor 320 and the magnetic component 310, the rotating assembly 210 can be stopped at a suitable position relative to the support 100, thereby ensuring that the brush strip 220 maintains a set distance from the reference plane.

[0039] If a lifting mechanism is used to drive the cleaning mechanism to move upward relative to the support so that the brush strips maintain a set distance from the reference plane, the structure of the lifting mechanism will be relatively complex, which is not conducive to simplifying the structure of the cleaning device.

[0040] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the cleaning device 10 described above, the rotating assembly 210 can be stopped at a suitable position relative to the support 100 simply by triggering a signal from the sensor 320 via the magnetic component 310, thereby ensuring that the brush strip 220 maintains a set distance from the reference plane. Since the sensor 320 and magnetic component 310 in the sensing mechanism 300 are structurally simple, they simplify the overall structure of the cleaning device 10.

[0041] In some embodiments, the sensor 320 can be a Hall sensor. When the Hall sensor is energized and turned on, during the rotation of the magnetic component 310 relative to the sensor 320, when the Hall sensor is within the magnetic field range of the magnetic component 310, for example, when the sensor 320 passes the position of the magnetic component 310, the Hall sensor can trigger a voltage or resistance signal under the action of the magnetic field generated by the magnetic component 310. This causes the cleaning device 10 to stop the movement of the rotating component 210 relative to the support 100 according to the information fed back by the sensor 320, so that the rotating component 210 stops relative to the support 100 in a suitable position, thereby ensuring that the brush strip 220 maintains a set distance from the reference plane.

[0042] See Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some embodiments, for example, the magnetic element 310 is disposed on the rotating assembly 210, and the sensor 320 is disposed on the support 100. Alternatively, the sensor 320 is disposed on the rotating assembly 210, and the magnetic element 310 is disposed on the support 100. Thus, during the rotation of the rotating assembly 210 relative to the support 100, relative movement can occur between the sensor 320 and the magnetic element 310, causing the magnetic element 310 to trigger the sensor 320 to generate a signal, causing the rotating assembly 210 to stop at a suitable position relative to the support 100, thereby ensuring that the brush strip 220 maintains a set distance from the reference plane.

[0043] In some embodiments, see Figure 6For example, in the circumferential direction of the rotating assembly 210, the angle between the magnetic element 310 and the brush strip 220 can be zero. This can be understood as the magnetic element 310 being positioned corresponding to the brush strip 220. In this case, when the rotating assembly 210 stops rotating, the angle between the sensor 320 and the brush strip 220 in the circumferential direction of the rotating assembly 210 is zero. Therefore, when the magnetic element 310 rotates to the position corresponding to the sensor 320, the magnetic element 310 triggers the sensor 320 to generate a signal, causing the rotating assembly 210 to stop moving, ensuring that the brush strip 220 maintains a set distance from the reference plane. (See also...) Figure 5 For example, in the circumferential direction of the rotating assembly 210, the angle between the magnetic element 310 and the brush strip 220 can be greater than zero, for example, it can be 90°. This can be understood as the magnetic element 310 and the brush strip 220 being offset along the circumferential direction of the rotating assembly 210. In this case, when the rotating assembly 210 stops rotating, the angle between the sensor 320 and the brush strip 220 in the circumferential direction of the rotating assembly 210 can be equal to the angle between the magnetic element 310 and the brush strip 220. Therefore, when the magnetic element 310 rotates to the position corresponding to the sensor 320, the magnetic element 310 also triggers the sensor 320 to generate a signal, causing the rotating assembly 210 to stop moving, ensuring that the brush strip 220 maintains a set distance from the reference plane.

[0044] See Figure 4 In some embodiments, multiple magnetic elements 310 are arranged circumferentially around the rotating assembly 210. When any one magnetic element 310 triggers the sensor 320 to generate a signal, the rotating assembly 210 can immediately stop moving, ensuring that the brush strip 220 maintains a set distance from the reference plane. Therefore, if one magnetic element 310 malfunctions, other magnetic elements 310 can still trigger the sensor 320 to generate a signal, ensuring that the brush strip 220 maintains a set distance from the reference plane when the rotating assembly 210 stops moving. This improves the reliability of the cleaning device 10. In other embodiments, the number of magnetic elements 310 may be one.

[0045] In some embodiments, for example, the sensor 320 and the magnetic element 310 are disposed radially at both ends of the rotating assembly 210. In this case, the orientation of the sensor 320 and the magnetic element 310 is parallel to the axis around which the rotating assembly 210 rotates. Alternatively, the sensor 320 and the magnetic element 310 are disposed circumferentially along the rotating assembly 210. In this case, the orientation of the sensor 320 and the magnetic element 310 is perpendicular to the axis around which the rotating assembly 210 rotates.

[0046] See Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6In some embodiments, there are multiple brush strips 220, which are spaced apart circumferentially on the rotating assembly 210. By providing multiple brush strips 220, during the process of the rotating assembly 210 rotating to drive the brush strips 220 to clean the floor, multiple brush strips 220 will clean the floor with each rotation of the rotating assembly 210, thus improving the cleaning efficiency and effect of the cleaning device 10. Furthermore, even if one brush strip 220 is damaged, the remaining brush strips 220 can continue to clean the floor, further ensuring the cleaning efficiency and effect of the cleaning device 10. For example, there can be two brush strips 220, which can be spaced 180° apart circumferentially on the rotating assembly 210. In this case, it can be understood that the two brush strips 220 are symmetrically arranged.

[0047] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 7 In some embodiments, the bracket 100 has a receiving cavity 110, and the rotating component 210 is rotatably disposed in the receiving cavity 110. When the brush strip 220 maintains a set distance from the reference plane, the brush strip 220 is received in the receiving cavity 110. Therefore, by receiving the brush strip 220 in the receiving cavity 110, the receiving cavity 110 can protect the brush strip 220, prevent the brush strip 220 from contacting the outside and being damaged, and also improve the cleanliness of the cleaning device 10 in appearance.

[0048] See Figure 4 In some embodiments, the rotating assembly 210 includes a roller 211 and end caps 212. The end caps 212 are disposed at opposite ends of the roller 211, and there are two end caps 212, each disposed at an opposite end of the roller 211. The cross-section of each end cap 212 is larger than the cross-section of the roller 211. A brush strip 220 is disposed on the roller 211, and a magnetic component 310 can be mounted on the end caps 212. This reduces the weight of the roller 211 to some extent and allows the end caps 212 to protect the brush strip 220 along the axial direction of the roller 211, preventing the brush strip 220 from contacting or interfering with components other than the rotating assembly 210 during operation, thus improving the reliability of the cleaning device 10.

[0049] See Figure 7This application also provides a cleaning robot 20, which includes a main unit 21 and the aforementioned cleaning device 10. The cleaning device 10 is mounted on the main unit 21, which can drive the entire cleaning robot 20 to move, thus enabling the brush strips 220 to effectively clean various areas of the ground awaiting cleaning. The cleaning robot 20 may also include a cover plate 22, which is detachably connected to the support 100. When the cleaning robot 20 stops working, the brush strips 220 maintain a set distance from the reference plane, and the brush strips 220 can be housed within the receiving cavity 110 of the support 100. At this time, the cover plate 22 can be installed on the support 100, further sealing the receiving cavity 110 of the support 100. Therefore, the cover plate 22 will further isolate the brush strips 220 from external impacts, thus further protecting the brush strips 220 and improving the overall reliability of the cleaning robot 20.

[0050] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0051] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cleaning device, characterized in that, include: support; A cleaning mechanism includes a rotating assembly and a brush strip, the rotating assembly being rotatably connected to the bracket, and the brush strip being disposed on the outer side of the rotating assembly and capable of contacting a reference plane; A sensing mechanism includes a sensor and a magnetic component, wherein one of the sensor and the magnetic component is disposed on the bracket and the other is disposed on the rotating assembly; Based on the signal generated by the sensor triggered by the magnetic component, the brush strip can be controlled to maintain a set distance from the reference plane when the rotating assembly stops rotating.

2. The cleaning device of claim 1, wherein, The sensor and the magnetic component are arranged radially at both ends of the rotating assembly.

3. The cleaning device of claim 1, wherein, The sensor and the magnetic component are arranged circumferentially along the rotating assembly.

4. The cleaning device of claim 1, wherein, The sensor is a Hall sensor. When the sensor passes the location of the magnetic component, the sensor senses the magnetic component and generates a signal.

5. The cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The magnetic component is mounted on the rotating assembly, and the sensor is mounted on the bracket.

6. The cleaning device of claim 5, wherein, In the circumferential direction of the rotating assembly, the angle between the magnetic element and the brush strip is greater than or equal to zero.

7. The cleaning device of claim 6, wherein, In the circumferential direction of the rotating assembly, the magnetic element is spaced at an angle of 90° from the brush strip.

8. The cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The number of magnetic components is multiple. When any one of the magnetic components triggers the sensor to generate a signal, the brush strip and the reference plane that the brush strip can contact maintain a set distance.

9. The cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that It also includes at least one of the following options: The bracket has a receiving cavity, and the rotating assembly is rotatably disposed in the receiving cavity. When the brush strip maintains a set distance from the reference plane, the brush strip is received in the receiving cavity. The rotating assembly includes a roller and end caps. The end caps are disposed at opposite ends of the roller, and the cross-section of the end caps is larger than the cross-section of the roller. The brush strips are disposed on the roller. The number of brush strips is multiple, and the multiple brush strips are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the rotating component on the rotating component.

10. A cleaning robot, characterized in that, It includes a main unit and a cleaning device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the cleaning device is disposed on the main unit.

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