Liquid storage assembly, surface cleaning device, and docking station

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a liquid storage assembly, a surface cleaning device and a docking station. The liquid storage assembly includes a liquid tank, a liquid level sensing system and a power terminal; the liquid tank is configured to contain liquid filled therein by a filling action; the liquid level sensing system is configured to detect one or more liquid levels of liquid in the liquid tank; the power terminal is disposed on the liquid tank and configured to supply power to the liquid level sensing system; wherein the liquid level sensing system includes an electrode plate and a touch integrated circuit; the electrode plate is disposed on a sidewall of the liquid tank; the touch integrated circuit is configured to detect a change in capacitance detected by the electrode plate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a liquid storage component, a surface cleaning device, and a docking station. Background Technology

[0002] A floor scrubber is a cleaning device suitable for home use, primarily used for cleaning and washing household floor surfaces.

[0003] Floor scrubbers may include a clean water tank, which automatically supplies water to the surface to be cleaned, scrubbing the floor with water, and then sucks the wastewater and residual dirt into the machine's wastewater tank. Floor scrubbers are easy to use and provide a thorough cleaning. Floor scrubbers can also self-clean at docking stations, which may also include both clean water and wastewater tanks.

[0004] When the floor scrubber and docking station are working, it is necessary to continuously monitor the liquid levels in the clean water tank and waste water tank to prevent the liquid levels from being too high or too low, which would affect the normal operation of the floor scrubber and docking station.

[0005] In existing technologies, a combination of a float and a Hall sensor is generally used to detect water level by changing the position of the float with the change of liquid height and triggering the Hall sensor.

[0006] In other existing technologies, probes and other components can also be used to detect the liquid level.

[0007] However, existing water level detection technologies often have certain limitations. In float and Hall sensor solutions, the float occupies internal space in the clean water or wastewater tank, affecting its volume. In probe-based solutions, because the probe needs to be in contact with the liquid, it is prone to electrolytic oxidation and failure. Utility Model Content

[0008] To address one of the aforementioned technical problems, this disclosure provides a liquid storage component, a surface cleaning device, and a docking station.

[0009] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a liquid storage assembly is provided, comprising: A liquid tank for containing liquid that is filled therein by a filling action; A liquid level sensing system configured to detect the liquid level of one or more liquid levels within a liquid tank; and A power terminal is provided in the liquid tank and is used to supply power to the liquid level sensing system; The liquid level sensing system includes: An electrode plate, the electrode plate being disposed on the side wall of the liquid tank; and A touch integrated circuit configured to detect changes in capacitance detected by the electrode plate.

[0010] According to at least one embodiment of the liquid storage assembly of the present disclosure, a receiving groove is provided on the outer wall of the liquid tank, and the electrode plate is installed in the receiving groove and disposed close to the bottom of the receiving groove.

[0011] According to at least one embodiment of the liquid storage assembly of the present disclosure, the touch integrated circuit is disposed on the side wall of the liquid tank and electrically connected to the electrode plate via wired communication.

[0012] According to at least one embodiment of the liquid storage assembly of the present disclosure, the touch integrated circuit is disposed on a printed circuit board including the electrode plate.

[0013] According to at least one embodiment of the liquid storage assembly of the present disclosure, there are two or more electrode plates, which are disposed at predetermined intervals on the side of the liquid tank.

[0014] According to at least one embodiment of the liquid storage assembly of this disclosure, the liquid tank is a cleaning liquid supply tank or a dirty liquid recovery tank detachably mounted on the frame of the surface cleaning equipment.

[0015] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a surface cleaning device is provided, which includes the liquid storage component described above.

[0016] A surface cleaning apparatus according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a handheld floor scrubber and a self-propelled surface cleaning robot.

[0017] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a docking station is provided, which includes the liquid storage component described above.

[0018] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the docking station is used for docking with surface cleaning equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The accompanying drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description thereof, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure. These drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a surface cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a liquid storage assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] The specific labels in the attached figures are as follows: 100 handle part 200 Frame Department 300 Cleaning Liquid Supply Tank 400 Dirty Liquid Recovery Tank 500 Connecting part 600 Cleaning Head 800 Liquid Storage Components 810 Liquid Tank 820 Liquid Level Sensing System 821 electrode plate 822 Touch Integrated Circuit. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The present disclosure will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts relevant to the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0024] It should be noted that, where there is no conflict, the embodiments and features described in this disclosure can be combined with each other. The technical solutions of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0025] Unless otherwise stated, the exemplary implementations / embodiments shown are to be understood as providing exemplary features of various details that provide ways in which the technical concepts of this disclosure can be implemented in practice. Therefore, unless otherwise stated, the features of various implementations / embodiments may be additionally combined, separated, interchanged and / or rearranged without departing from the technical concepts of this disclosure.

[0026] The use of crosshairs and / or shading in the accompanying drawings is generally used to clarify the boundaries between adjacent components. Thus, unless otherwise stated, the presence or absence of crosshairs or shading does not convey or indicate any preference or requirement for the specific material, material properties, dimensions, proportions, commonalities between the illustrated components, or any other characteristics, properties, etc., of the components. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the dimensions and relative dimensions of components may be exaggerated for clarity and / or descriptive purposes. When exemplary embodiments can be implemented differently, a specific process sequence may be performed in a different order than that described. For example, two consecutively described processes may be performed substantially simultaneously or in the reverse order of their description. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same components.

[0027] When a component is referred to as being "on" or "above" another component, "connected to," or "joined to" another component, the component may be directly on, directly connected to, or directly joined to the other component, or there may be intermediate components. However, when a component is referred to as being "directly on" another component, "directly connected to," or "directly joined to" another component, there are no intermediate components. Therefore, the term "connection" can refer to a physical connection, an electrical connection, etc., and may or may not have intermediate components.

[0028] For descriptive purposes, this disclosure may use spatial relative terms such as “below,” “under,” “below,” “down,” “above,” “above,” “higher,” and “side (e.g., in a “sidewall”)” to describe the relationship between one component and another component as shown in the accompanying drawings. In addition to the orientations depicted in the drawings, the spatial relative terms are also intended to encompass different orientations of the device during use, operation, and / or manufacture. For example, if the device in the drawings is flipped, a component described as “below” or “under” another component or feature would subsequently be positioned “above” said other component or feature. Thus, the exemplary term “below” can encompass both “above” and “below” orientations. Furthermore, the device may be otherwise positioned (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), thus interpreting the spatial relative descriptive terms used herein accordingly.

[0029] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well. Furthermore, when the terms “comprising” and / or “including” and variations thereof are used in this specification, it indicates the presence of the stated features, integrals, steps, operations, parts, components, and / or groups thereof, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, parts, components, and / or groups thereof. It should also be noted that, as used herein, the terms “substantially,” “about,” and other similar terms are used as approximate terms rather than as terms of degree, thus explaining the inherent biases in measurements, calculated values, and / or provided values ​​that would be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a surface cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] like Figure 1As shown, the surface cleaning device disclosed herein is used to clean the floor surface to be cleaned. Preferably, the surface cleaning device is capable of wet cleaning the floor surface to be cleaned and recovering the liquid after cleaning the floor surface to be cleaned back to the surface cleaning device.

[0032] like Figure 1 As shown, structurally, the surface cleaning device may include components such as a handle 100, a frame 200, a cleaning liquid supply tank 300, a dirty liquid recovery tank 400, a connecting part 500, and a cleaning head 600.

[0033] In use, the surface cleaning apparatus of this disclosure has a cleaning head 600 configured to move on the floor surface to be cleaned, so as to perform wet cleaning on the floor surface to be cleaned by means of the cleaning head 600.

[0034] The handle 100 is used to operate the surface cleaning device. More specifically, on the one hand, the operator can control the posture of the surface cleaning device by operating the handle 100. For example, by controlling the handle 100, the surface cleaning device can be tilted (i.e., at an angle of approximately 60° to the surface to be cleaned) or laid flat (i.e., roughly parallel to the surface to be cleaned). Correspondingly, when the frame 200 of the surface cleaning device is tilted (i.e., at an angle of approximately 60° to the surface to be cleaned) or laid flat (i.e., roughly parallel to the surface to be cleaned), the surface cleaning device is in cleaning mode and can clean the surface to be cleaned. Correspondingly, when the handle 100 is operated to make the frame 200 of the surface cleaning device vertical, the surface cleaning device is in a stopped state, or when the surface cleaning device is located at a base station, the frame 200 of the surface cleaning device is also in a roughly vertical state.

[0035] On the other hand, physical buttons can be provided on the handle 100 so as to control the surface cleaning equipment, such as controlling the start and stop of the surface cleaning equipment, as well as the liquid supply speed and suction power of the surface cleaning equipment, thereby improving the user experience of the surface cleaning equipment.

[0036] The handle portion 100 can be disposed at the upper end of the frame portion 200, thereby enabling the surface cleaning device to be operated by operating the handle portion 100. In this disclosure, the frame portion 200 is formed as the main load-bearing structure of the surface cleaning device, and the cleaning liquid supply tank 300 and the dirty liquid recovery tank 400 of the surface cleaning device can both be directly or indirectly fixed to the frame portion 200.

[0037] The cleaning liquid supply tank 300 is formed in the shape of a box to store cleaning liquid. In one embodiment, the cleaning liquid can be purified water. Of course, those skilled in the art will know that the cleaning liquid supply tank 300 can also store a mixture of purified water and cleaning agent, etc.

[0038] The frame portion 200 has a receiving space, and the cleaning liquid supply tank 300 can be disposed in the receiving space, such that a portion of the outer surface of the cleaning liquid supply tank 300 is formed as part of the outer surface of the surface cleaning device.

[0039] In this disclosure, the cleaning liquid supply tank 300 can be detached from the frame portion 200 and filled with cleaning liquid manually by the user; of course, the cleaning liquid supply tank 300 of this disclosure can also be filled with cleaning liquid through a cleaning liquid interface provided on the frame portion 200.

[0040] Furthermore, when the frame portion 200 is provided with a cleaning liquid interface, the cleaning liquid supply tank 300 can be disposed inside the frame portion 200. In this case, the cleaning liquid supply tank 300 is not formed as at least part of the outer surface of the surface cleaning device.

[0041] In this disclosure, in order to clean the surface to be cleaned, the cleaning liquid supply tank 300 is connected to the cleaning head 600 at least through a cleaning liquid pipeline, thereby providing cleaning liquid to the cleaning head 600 and thus achieving wet cleaning of the surface to be cleaned.

[0042] like Figure 1 As shown, the frame portion 200 forms a receiving space, and the dirty liquid recovery tank 400 is detachably disposed on the frame portion 200 and located within the receiving space, so that when the dirty liquid recovery tank 400 contains a large amount of liquid, the user can remove the dirty liquid recovery tank 400, pour out the sewage inside and clean up the solid waste. At this time, part of the outer surface of the dirty liquid recovery tank 400 forms part of the outer surface of the surface cleaning device.

[0043] In order to recover the liquid after cleaning the surface to be cleaned, the dirty liquid recovery tank 400 can be connected to the cleaning head 600 through a recovery pipeline. Accordingly, the mixture of sewage and gas (dirt) can be recovered to the dirty liquid recovery tank 400 through the recovery pipeline.

[0044] Accordingly, the surface cleaning equipment also includes a suction device (not shown in the figure), wherein the suction device is capable of generating negative pressure and providing this negative pressure to the dirty liquid recovery tank 400, thereby achieving forced flow of gas and wastewater in the recovery pipeline. In this disclosure, the gas discharged from the suction device can flow to the outside of the surface cleaning equipment through gaps on a portion of the outer surface of the surface cleaning equipment.

[0045] The frame portion 200 is connected to the cleaning head 600 via the connecting portion 500, thereby making the frame portion 200 pivotally connected to the cleaning head 600. In this disclosure, the frame portion 200 has at least two rotational degrees of freedom relative to the cleaning head 600, thereby enabling the user to operate the surface cleaning device more conveniently.

[0046] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a liquid storage assembly 800 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] like Figure 2 As shown, the liquid storage assembly 800 of this disclosure may include a liquid tank 810 and a liquid level sensing system 820.

[0048] Liquid tank 810 is used to contain liquid that is filled into it by a filling action; although Figure 2 The liquid tank 810 shown is in an open state, but those skilled in the art should know that the liquid tank 810 of this disclosure can be in a closed state. In other words, the liquid tank 810 of this disclosure can be formed as a closed chamber, or the upper opening of the liquid tank 810 can be sealed by other components, thereby making the interior of the liquid tank 810 a closed state.

[0049] The filling action of this disclosure refers to the process of liquid entering the liquid tank 810. It can be the action of manually adding cleaning fluid by the user, or it can include sucking sewage or the like into the liquid tank 810 by suction and storing it in the liquid tank 810. It can also be the action of liquid flowing into the liquid tank 810 by pressure or gravity. This disclosure does not limit it.

[0050] The liquid level sensing system 820 is configured to detect the liquid level of one or more liquid levels in the liquid tank 810; thereby, the liquid storage assembly of this disclosure can determine when to shut down or otherwise interrupt the filling operation, thereby preventing problems such as liquid overflow caused by excessive liquid in the liquid storage assembly.

[0051] Specifically, the liquid level sensing system 820 disclosed herein may include: an electrode plate 821 and a touch integrated circuit 822; the electrode plate 821 is disposed on the side wall of the liquid tank 810; wherein, the electrode plate 821 may be a touch electrode, and when the liquid rises to the position of the electrode plate 821, the electrode plate 821 can detect the change in capacitance, at which time the touch integrated circuit 822 can obtain the liquid level according to the change in capacitance.

[0052] In other words, the touch integrated circuit 822 is configured to detect the change in capacitance detected by the electrode plate 821 and obtain the liquid level in the liquid tank 810 based on the change in capacitance.

[0053] In one embodiment, the electrode plate 821 can be configured as one, in which case the electrode plate 821 can be used for water full detection. In another embodiment, the electrode plate 821 can be configured as multiple (i.e., two or more), and the multiple electrode plates 821 can be arranged along the depth direction of the liquid tank 810 (i.e., the electrode plates 821 are arranged on the side of the liquid tank 810 at predetermined intervals), so that multiple liquid level values ​​can be detected by the multiple electrode plates 821, and the liquid level in the liquid tank 810 can be accurately determined based on these liquid level values.

[0054] like Figure 2 As shown, a receiving groove is provided on the outer wall of the liquid tank 810, and the electrode plate 821 is installed in the receiving groove and is close to the bottom of the receiving groove. Thus, the distance between the electrode plate 821 and the inner wall of the liquid tank 810 is small enough. At this time, the distance between the electrode plate 821 and the liquid is also small enough. Correspondingly, the electrode plate 821 can more sensitively sense the position of the liquid, thereby preventing false alarms from occurring in the liquid storage component 800.

[0055] In this disclosure, a touch integrated circuit 822 is disposed on the side wall of the liquid tank 810 and electrically connected to the electrode plate 821 via wired communication. In one embodiment, multiple touch integrated circuits 822 can be configured, with each touch integrated circuit 822 corresponding to one electrode plate 821. In another embodiment, a single touch integrated circuit 822 can be configured, in which case multiple electrode plates 821 can be connected to the touch integrated circuit 822, and multiple liquid levels can be detected through a single touch integrated circuit 822.

[0056] In one embodiment, the touch integrated circuit 822 of this disclosure can be configured one-to-one with the electrode plate 821 and integrated together. Specifically, the touch integrated circuit 822 is disposed on a printed circuit board including the electrode plate 821, thereby reducing the size of the liquid level sensing system 820 of this disclosure and facilitating its arrangement on the liquid tank 810.

[0057] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the liquid storage assembly 800 further includes a power terminal (not shown) disposed in the liquid tank 810 for supplying power to the liquid level sensing system 820, thereby enabling the liquid level sensing system 820 to operate. Specifically, the liquid terminal can be connected to a touch integrated circuit and can provide power to the touch integrated circuit, which can then be circuitically connected to the electrode plate 821, thereby enabling the touch integrated circuit to provide power to the electrode plate 821.

[0058] In embodiments of this disclosure, the liquid tank 810 is a cleaning liquid supply tank or a dirty liquid recovery tank detachably mounted on the frame of the surface cleaning equipment. Therefore, when the liquid tank 810 of this disclosure is installed on the frame of the surface cleaning equipment, the power terminal can couple with the electrical contacts provided on the frame, thereby supplying power to the liquid level sensing system 820.

[0059] Furthermore, the liquid storage component 800 of this disclosure can also be connected to the controller of the surface cleaning equipment via wired or wireless means, thereby sending the detected liquid level data to the controller. Since the wired or wireless communication connection structure can be implemented using existing technologies, this disclosure will not elaborate further.

[0060] In another embodiment, the liquid storage assembly 800 can also be applied to a docking station for docking with surface cleaning equipment. In this case, the liquid tank 810 is at least one of a cleaning liquid supply tank or a dirty liquid recovery tank detachably mounted on the base of the docking station.

[0061] Based on the above structure, the liquid tank 810 of the liquid storage assembly 800 of this disclosure can have a continuous inner surface, which makes it less likely for dirt to accumulate in the liquid tank 810 and facilitates the self-cleaning design of the liquid tank 810.

[0062] Compared to float and Hall sensor solutions, the liquid storage assembly 800 of this disclosure uses fewer structural components and has a lower cost. Furthermore, the liquid level sensing system 820 in the liquid storage assembly 800 does not occupy the internal space of the liquid tank 810, allowing for a larger capacity for the same volume of water tank. Compared to probe solutions, the liquid level sensing system in this solution does not need to contact the liquid, resulting in a longer service life.

[0063] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment / mode," "some embodiments / modes," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment / mode or example is included in at least one embodiment / mode or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment / mode or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments / modes or examples. Furthermore, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments / modes or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments / modes or examples.

[0064] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used 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 as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0065] Those skilled in the art should understand that the above embodiments are merely for illustrating the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Those skilled in the art can make other changes or modifications based on the above disclosure, and these changes or modifications still fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A liquid storage component, characterized in that, include: A liquid tank for containing liquid that is filled therein by a filling action; A liquid level sensing system configured to detect one or more liquid levels in a liquid tank; as well as A power terminal is provided in the liquid tank and is used to supply power to the liquid level sensing system; The liquid level sensing system includes: An electrode plate, the electrode plate being disposed on the side wall of the liquid tank; and A touch integrated circuit configured to detect changes in capacitance detected by the electrode plate.

2. The liquid storage assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, A receiving groove is provided on the outer wall of the liquid tank, and the electrode plate is installed in the receiving groove and is set close to the bottom of the receiving groove.

3. The liquid storage assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The touch integrated circuit is disposed on the side wall of the liquid tank and is electrically connected to the electrode plate via wired communication.

4. The liquid storage assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The touch integrated circuit is disposed on a printed circuit board including the electrode plate.

5. The liquid storage assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, There are two or more electrode plates, which are arranged at predetermined intervals on the side of the liquid tank.

6. The liquid storage assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid tank is a cleaning liquid supply tank or a dirty liquid recovery tank that is detachably installed on the frame of the surface cleaning equipment.

7. A surface cleaning device, characterized in that, Includes the liquid storage component according to any one of claims 1-6.

8. The surface cleaning equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that, The surface cleaning equipment includes handheld floor scrubbers and self-propelled surface cleaning robots.

9. A docking station, characterized in that, Includes the liquid storage component according to any one of claims 1-5.

10. The docking station according to claim 9, characterized in that, The docking station is used to dock with surface cleaning equipment.

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