Automatic pool cleaning apparatus

Abstract

This utility model relates to an automatic water tank cleaning device, which includes: a main body, a walking mechanism, a waste bin, and at least one airbag. Along the walking direction of the automatic water tank cleaning device, the main body has a front end and a rear end opposite to each other. The walking mechanism is located on both sides of the main body and is used to control the automatic water tank cleaning device's movement within the water tank. The waste bin is located at the rear end of the main body and is used to clean the water flowing into it. At least one airbag is located at the front end of the main body. When the automatic water tank cleaning device needs to climb a wall, the airbag at the front end can be inflated to reduce the weight of the front end of the main body, making it easier to lift the front end and facilitate climbing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of water tank cleaning devices, and in particular to an automatic water tank cleaning device. Background Technology

[0002] Automatic pool cleaning equipment can remove debris such as leaves, petals, and dust generated during pool use, improving water quality. Due to its efficient and convenient cleaning performance, automatic pool cleaning equipment is widely used in the daily maintenance of various types of pools.

[0003] To enable automated pool cleaning equipment to perform autonomous cleaning operations on complex surfaces such as pool bottoms, walls, or waterlines, the equipment typically incorporates multiple functional modules, including a waste bin, a walking mechanism, and airbags. It is precisely this structural complexity resulting from the integration of these modules that makes the spatial planning and component arrangement of automated pool cleaning equipment one of the key bottlenecks affecting the overall performance of the machine. Utility Model Content

[0004] Based on the aforementioned deficiencies in the existing technology, the purpose of this utility model is to provide an automatic water tank cleaning device.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention provides the following technical solution.

[0006] The automatic water tank cleaning equipment includes:

[0007] The main body of the equipment has a front end and a rear end that are positioned opposite each other along the walking direction of the automatic cleaning equipment for the water tank.

[0008] A walking mechanism is provided on both sides of the main body of the equipment. The walking mechanism is at least used to control the automatic water tank cleaning equipment to move within the water tank.

[0009] A waste container is located at the rear end of the main body of the device, and the waste container is used to clean the water flowing into it;

[0010] At least one airbag is disposed at the front end of the main body of the device.

[0011] Optionally, the automatic water tank cleaning device further includes:

[0012] At least one water pump is disposed in the central region of the device body, located between the waste container and the airbag in the direction of travel, and the water pump is used to draw water from outside the device body into the waste container.

[0013] Optionally, the number of water pumps includes at least two, and the at least two water pumps are symmetrically arranged with respect to the longitudinal axis of the main body of the equipment, the longitudinal axis being parallel to the direction of travel.

[0014] Optionally, the number of airbags includes at least two, and the at least two airbags are symmetrically arranged with respect to the longitudinal axis of the device body, the longitudinal axis being parallel to the walking direction.

[0015] Optionally, at least two of the airbags are inflated and deflated independently.

[0016] Optionally, the automatic pool cleaning device further includes a control compartment, which is at least used to house a control board, a drive motor, and a battery pack, and is located in front of the waste bin.

[0017] Optionally, the airbag is located in front of the control chamber or on both sides of the control chamber and in the area close to the front end of the main body of the device.

[0018] Optionally, the number of water pumps is two, and the two water pumps are respectively arranged on both sides of the control compartment.

[0019] Optionally, the automatic pool cleaning equipment also includes a suction device. The control chamber contains gas, and the suction device is used to fill the air bag with the gas in the control chamber, or to discharge the gas in the air bag to the control chamber.

[0020] Optionally, the main body of the device has a receiving cavity, and the water pump, the airbag, and the garbage box are at least partially located within the receiving cavity.

[0021] This utility model has the following technical effects:

[0022] By placing the trash can at the rear and the airbag at the front, even with a large amount of trash in the trash can, the increase in the machine's head weight is limited. When climbing walls, the weight of the trash in the trash can won't hinder the machine's ability to lift itself up. Furthermore, the airbag at the head can adjust the device's buoyancy and even its center of buoyancy. When the automatic pool cleaning device needs to climb a wall, the front airbag can be inflated to increase buoyancy at the front of the machine, making it easier to lift the front and improve climbing ability. If the trash can is full, the airbag can also be used to assist in climbing the wall. In other words, the increased weight of the trash can has virtually no impact on the device's posture adjustment.

[0023] Placing the trash can at the rear of the main body of the equipment not only helps to shift the center of gravity of the equipment to the rear, making it easier to mount the equipment on the wall, but also makes better use of the entire space at the rear of the main body of the equipment, increasing the capacity of the trash can.

[0024] In addition, inflating the airbag can make the device float in the pool or even rise to the surface, making it easier for users to lift. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the automatic water tank cleaning device in some embodiments of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a top-view structural diagram of the automatic water tank cleaning device in some embodiments of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the water pump in some embodiments of the present invention.

[0028] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0029] 10. Main body of the equipment; 11. Receptacle cavity; 20. Walking mechanism; 30. Garbage box; 40. Airbag; 50. Water pump; 51. First opening; 52. Water pump motor; 53. Impeller; 60. Control chamber; 70. Roller brush. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To make the technical solution and beneficial effects of this utility model more apparent and understandable, a detailed description is provided below by listing specific embodiments. Unless otherwise defined, the technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as those in the technical field to which this application pertains.

[0031] In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise expressly defined, the terms "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the purpose of simplifying the description of this utility model and do not indicate that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. That is, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0032] In this invention, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating the relative importance of the indicated features or the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" can explicitly include at least one of those features. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two.

[0033] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly defined, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," "fixing," and "setting," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral molding; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can also refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0034] Automatic pool cleaning equipment can be devices such as automatic cleaning units or pool cleaning robots, capable of cleaning pools. Generally, automatic pool cleaning equipment can automatically complete the cleaning work based on received instructions or pre-compiled programs. Pools include, but are not limited to, swimming pools, water storage tanks, spa pools, water tanks, or water storage troughs.

[0035] Automatic pool cleaning equipment can clean the bottom and walls of a pool, or it can float in the pool or on the surface to clean.

[0036] The automatic water tank cleaning equipment includes a walking mechanism 20, which allows the automatic water tank cleaning equipment to move within the water tank.

[0037] Automatic pool cleaning equipment may also include other functional modules such as a water pump 50 and a cleaning mechanism. The cleaning mechanism can collect or scrape debris from the bottom or walls of the pool to clean the current area. For example, the cleaning mechanism includes a debris box 30. Under the suction force provided by the water pump 50, pool water mixed with debris is drawn into the debris box 30, where the debris is trapped. The filtered clean pool water is then returned to the pool. Another example is that the cleaning mechanism may include a roller brush 70. The rotating roller brush 70 can roll debris from the pool water into the debris box 30, improving cleaning efficiency.

[0038] It is understood that the above-described automatic water tank cleaning equipment is for illustrative purposes only and does not constitute a limitation of the embodiments described in this specification.

[0039] The importance of the layout of functional modules in automatic pool cleaning equipment is easily overlooked. For example, when cleaning the side walls of a pool, automatic pool cleaning equipment needs to perform a wall-climbing action. In some automatic pool cleaning equipment, the waste bin 30 is positioned at the front, and the water pump 50 is positioned at the rear. In this case, if the waste bin 30 sucks in a certain amount of waste, the weight of the machine underwater will increase. Because the waste bin 30 is positioned at the front, the weight at the front of the machine increases, and the center of gravity also shifts forward. This makes it difficult for the machine to lift its head when it gets close to the wall, and it cannot successfully transition to the wall-climbing action, let alone the slippery side walls of the pool. This affects the cleaning effect on the pool walls.

[0040] To improve this situation, the dustbin can be positioned further back, and the water pump 50 can be positioned further forward or relatively centered. Although the center of gravity will shift backward after the dustbin 30 sucks in a certain amount of garbage, which is beneficial for climbing walls, it may still be impossible to lift the head to complete the climbing action when encountering a very slippery wall.

[0041] For ease of description, the term "machine" will be used instead of "automatic pool cleaning equipment" in this application embodiment.

[0042] It is evident that the arrangement of the various functional modules has a significant impact on the posture adjustment of the automatic water tank cleaning equipment, thereby affecting the cleaning effect of the machine. In order to further improve this situation, the present invention provides the following technical solution.

[0043] See Figure 1 The automatic pool cleaning device provided in this application embodiment includes a main body 10, a walking mechanism 20, a trash can 30, and an airbag 40. Along the walking direction of the automatic pool cleaning device, the main body 10 has a front end and a rear end that are positioned opposite each other, such as... Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the walking direction is the direction in which the machine head faces forward and moves forward; the walking mechanism 20 is used to control the automatic water tank cleaning equipment to move in the water tank; the garbage box 30 is located at the rear end of the equipment body 10, and the garbage box 30 is used to clean the water flowing into it; the airbag 40 is located at the front end of the equipment body 10.

[0044] Generally, the walking mechanism 20 is located on both sides of the main body 10 of the equipment. Figure 1 and Figure 2 An exemplary example is shown of a tracked walking mechanism 20 disposed on both sides of the main body 10 of the equipment. The walking mechanism 20 may also be other mechanisms such as walking wheels or water jet nozzles.

[0045] The trash can 30 is located at the rear of the main body 10 of the equipment. Even if there is a lot of trash in the trash can 30, it will not affect the weight of the machine head or the machine's ability to climb walls. Furthermore, if... Figure 1 As shown, the machine's rear end only has a trash can, which makes full use of the rear space of the main body 10 of the equipment and can increase the capacity of the trash can 30.

[0046] The airbag 40 can be made of a flexible material. When inflated, the airbag 40 deforms, increasing the machine's drainage volume and buoyancy, thus enabling the machine to float or submerge. When the automatic pool cleaning device needs to climb walls, the front airbag 40 can be inflated to increase buoyancy at the front, making it easier to lift the front and raise the head, which is beneficial for climbing walls. Moreover, the increased buoyancy after inflating the airbag 40 allows the center of buoyancy to be adjusted to a suitable position on smooth walls, reducing the downward force on the wall. All of these factors increase the difficulty of climbing onto walls (i.e., pool sidewalls) and moving along walls. If the trash can 30 contains a lot of trash, the airbag 40 can also help the machine climb the wall. In other words, the increased weight of the trash can 30 will not significantly affect the machine's posture adjustment.

[0047] In addition, inflating the airbag 40 can make the machine float in the pool or even rise to the surface, making it easy for users to lift it or to perform water surface cleaning or step cleaning tasks.

[0048] The number of airbags 40 is at least one. Figure 1 and Figure 2 Two airbags 40 are illustrated as an example. In other implementations, the number of airbags 40 may be one, three, or more. The number of airbags 40 is not intended to limit the embodiments of this invention.

[0049] In some alternative embodiments, the number of airbags 40 includes at least two, and the at least two airbags 40 are symmetrically arranged with respect to the longitudinal axis O of the device body 10, the longitudinal axis being parallel to the direction of travel.

[0050] Optionally, when there is one airbag 40, this one airbag 40 can be set on the longitudinal axis O of the device body 10 and located at the front end of the device body 10. If there are two airbags 40, the two airbags can be symmetrically set on both sides of the longitudinal axis O.

[0051] The airbag 40 is symmetrically positioned relative to the longitudinal axis O of the main body 10, which facilitates adjusting the machine's balance, improves its stability, and also assists in posture adjustments such as head tilting. Figure 1 and Figure 2 Taking the implementation shown as an example, an airbag 40 is set on each of the left and right sides of the front end of the main body 10. By adjusting the amount of air entering the two airbags 40, the pitch angle of the machine can be adjusted. If the machine shows an unstable tendency to tilt to the left or right during floating, the stability of the machine can be improved by changing the amount of air in the left or right airbag 40.

[0052] In some alternative embodiments, at least two airbags 40 can be inflated and deflated independently. As mentioned earlier, since different airbags 40 can be inflated and deflated individually, the inflation or deflation volume of each airbag 40 can be adjusted separately. Airbags with higher inflation volumes provide greater buoyancy at their location, while airbags with lower inflation volumes provide less buoyancy. The inflation and deflation of different airbags 40 can be tailored to the machine's posture to meet the needs of different scenarios.

[0053] For example, valves can be used to individually inflate and deflate different airbags 40, or different suction devices can be configured for different airbags 40, with each suction device individually inflating and deflating the corresponding airbag 40.

[0054] See Figures 1 to 3 In some alternative embodiments, the automatic pool cleaning device also includes a water pump 50, which is located in the central area of ​​the device body 10. In the direction of travel, the water pump 50 is located between the waste container 30 and the airbag 40, and the water pump 50 is used to draw water from outside the device body 10 into the waste container 30.

[0055] The main body 10 of the equipment is equipped with a water inlet, which is opposite to the water inlet on the garbage bin 30. The main body 10 also has a water outlet. During operation, the water pump 50 draws water from the pool into the garbage bin 30 through both the machine's water inlet and the garbage bin 30's water inlet, and then discharges it through the outlet. Typically, the outlet is located above the water pump at the back of the machine. When the water pump 50 draws water, it discharges upwards from the outlet, exerting a downward reaction force on the main body 10. If the water pump is positioned too far forward or backward, this downward reaction force may cause the machine's tail or head to tilt upwards, affecting its performance. This design places the water pump 50 in the middle of the main body 10, thus centralizing the downward pressure caused by this reaction force and reducing the impact of the external force generated by the water pump 50 being too far forward or backward on the machine's stability.

[0056] In some implementations, see Figure 2 The equipment body 10 has a first opening 51 at the top, which is the water outlet, and a second opening (not shown) at the bottom, which is the machine's water inlet. Both the first opening 51 and the second opening are in fluid communication with the water pump 50. The water pump 50 draws water from the pool into the equipment body 10 through the second opening and then sprays it out through the first opening 51. When the automatic pool cleaning equipment cleans the side walls of the pool, spraying water through the first opening 51 increases the adhesion between the machine and the pool side walls, reduces the problem of the machine slipping, and improves the reliability of the machine's movement on the pool side walls.

[0057] In this utility model, "central region" and "center" are not limited to the absolute center position of the main body 10 of the equipment, but can also refer to the approximate center position of the main body 10 of the equipment.

[0058] The number of water pumps 50 must be at least one. Figure 1 and Figure 2 Two water pumps 50 are illustrated as an example. In other implementations, the number of water pumps 50 may be one, three, or more. The number of water pumps 50 is not intended to limit the embodiments of this utility model.

[0059] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some alternative embodiments, the number of water pumps 50 includes at least two, and the at least two water pumps 50 are symmetrically arranged with respect to the longitudinal axis of the equipment body 10, the longitudinal axis being parallel to the direction of travel.

[0060] Optionally, when there is only one water pump 50, this water pump 50 can be located on the longitudinal axis of the main body 10 or near the longitudinal axis O.

[0061] The water pump 50 is symmetrically arranged along the longitudinal axis O of the main body 10 of the equipment, which can better balance the machine and stabilize it in the lateral direction, so as to reduce the machine's left or right swaying and further improve the machine's stability.

[0062] See Figure 1 In some alternative embodiments, the automatic pool cleaning device further includes a control compartment 60, which is at least used to house a control board, a drive motor and a battery pack, and is located in front of the trash can 30.

[0063] Since the automatic water tank cleaning equipment mainly operates underwater, the waterproofing requirements for electronic components such as the control board, drive motor, and battery pack are even higher. By setting up a control compartment 60, these electronic components are placed more centrally within the control compartment 60, which is sealed and waterproofed. This ensures the safe and stable operation of the electronic components inside the machine. Furthermore, only one sealed compartment is needed to waterproof multiple electronic components, allowing for more efficient use of the space in the main body 10 of the equipment. Moreover, moving the control compartment 60 forward to the front of the waste bin 30 leaves more space at the rear of the main body 10 of the equipment, which helps to increase the capacity of the waste bin 30.

[0064] The drive motor can be the motor 52 of the water pump (see...) Figure 3 ), Figure 1 and Figure 2 The location of the water pump 50 can be used to house components that come into contact with water, such as the impeller 53 of the water pump 50. Alternatively, the drive motor can be an air pump motor for inflating the air bag 40. Alternatively, both the water pump motor 52 and the air pump motor can be housed within the control compartment 60.

[0065] The circuit board controls the machine's operation, and the battery pack powers the machine. See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some alternative embodiments, the airbags 40 are positioned in front of or on either side of the control chamber 60, near the front end of the main body 10. This arrangement allows for better control of the weight on both sides of the control chamber 60, which helps improve the stability of the machine during the cleaning process. Furthermore, the layout is more compact, further improving space utilization.

[0066] Furthermore, the relative positional relationship between the airbag 40 and the control chamber 60 also facilitates the use of the internal space of the control chamber 60 to place electronic components related to the control of the airbag 40, resulting in a more rational layout.

[0067] See Figure 1 and Figure 2In some optional embodiments, there are two water pumps 50, which are respectively arranged on both sides of the control compartment 60. This relative positional relationship between the water pumps 50 and the control compartment 60 also facilitates the use of the internal space of the control compartment 60 to house the water pump motors 52, better meets the waterproof requirements of the water pump motors 52, and results in a more rational layout. Furthermore, with the two water pumps 50 respectively arranged on both sides of the control compartment 60, the machine's posture can be adjusted by controlling the power of the two water pumps 50, and the machine's steering can also be controlled in conjunction with the differential speed movement of the machine's walking mechanism.

[0068] In some alternative embodiments, the automatic pool cleaning device also includes a suction device. The control chamber 60 contains gas, and the suction device is used to inflate the gas in the control chamber 60 into the airbag 40, or to expel the gas from the airbag 40 into the control chamber 60. The control chamber 60 can be filled with high-pressure gas, so that a single control chamber 60 can hold enough gas to achieve buoyancy. Setting the gas in the control chamber 60 to inflate or retract the gas from the airbag 40 not only facilitates buoyancy control but also makes full use of the space within the control chamber 60, resulting in a more compact layout. Of course, depending on actual needs, a separate air storage chamber can also be installed inside the machine, but this would increase the machine's size and weight.

[0069] For example, the suction device includes an air pump and a control valve, etc.

[0070] When the automatic pool cleaning equipment needs to float, such as when climbing a wall or floating, the air pump operates to inflate the airbag 40. Once the airbag 40 is full, the control valve closes the inflation line or inflation port. Conversely, when buoyancy needs to be reduced, such as when the automatic pool cleaning equipment needs to descend, the control valve opens, and the air pump draws the gas from the airbag 40 back into the control chamber 60 to reduce the machine's buoyancy.

[0071] See Figure 1 In some alternative embodiments, the device body 10 has a receiving cavity 11, in which the water pump 50, airbag 40 and waste box 30 are at least partially located.

[0072] The receiving cavity 11 may be defined by the housing of the device body 10. The waste container 30 is detachably connected to the device body 10. The waste container 30 is partially exposed outside the receiving cavity 11 to facilitate removal of the waste container 30 from the device body 10 for waste disposal.

[0073] In some optional embodiments, the automatic pool cleaning device includes a sensing mechanism that can acquire obstacle information. Based on this obstacle information, the automatic pool cleaning device can detect and identify obstacles. Then, based on the detected and identified obstacles, the device can be controlled accordingly.

[0074] The sensing mechanism may include lidar, line laser sensor, image acquisition device, and may also include edge sensors, speed measurement unit and odometer located on the side wall of the main body 10 of the device.

[0075] The various embodiments or implementation methods described in this specification are presented in a progressive manner. Each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments, and the same or similar parts between the embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0076] It should be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and are not intended to encompass all possible implementations included in the claims. Various modifications and changes can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Similarly, the various technical features of the above embodiments can be arbitrarily combined to form other embodiments of this utility model that may not be explicitly described. Therefore, the above embodiments only illustrate several implementations of this utility model and do not limit the scope of protection of this utility model patent.

Claims

1. An automatic water tank cleaning device, characterized in that, The automatic water tank cleaning equipment includes: The main body of the equipment (10) has a front end and a rear end that are arranged opposite to each other along the walking direction of the automatic cleaning equipment for the water tank; A walking mechanism (20) is provided on both sides of the main body (10) of the equipment. The walking mechanism (20) is used at least to control the automatic cleaning equipment of the water tank to move in the water tank. A trash can (30) is disposed at the rear end of the main body (10) of the device, and the trash can (30) is used to clean the water flowing into it; At least one airbag (40) is disposed at the front end of the device body (10).

2. The automatic water tank cleaning equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The automatic water tank cleaning equipment also includes: At least one water pump (50) is disposed in the middle region of the device body (10), and the water pump is located between the trash can (30) and the airbag (40) in the direction of travel. The water pump (50) is used to draw water from outside the device body into the trash can (30).

3. The automatic water tank cleaning equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The number of water pumps (50) includes at least two, and the at least two water pumps (50) are symmetrically arranged with respect to the longitudinal axis (O) of the main body of the equipment (10), and the longitudinal axis (O) is parallel to the direction of travel.

4. The pool cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The number of airbags (40) includes at least two, and the at least two airbags (40) are symmetrically arranged with respect to the longitudinal axis (O) of the device body (10), the longitudinal axis (O) being parallel to the walking direction.

5. The pool cleaning apparatus of claim 4, wherein, At least two of the airbags (40) are inflated and deflated independently.

6. The automatic water tank cleaning equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The automatic water tank cleaning device further includes a control compartment (60), which is used to accommodate at least a control board, a drive motor and a battery pack, and is located in front of the trash can (30).

7. The automatic water tank cleaning equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that, The airbag (40) is located in front of the control chamber (60) or on both sides of the control chamber (60) and in the area close to the front end of the device body (10).

8. The automatic water tank cleaning device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The number of water pumps is two, and the two water pumps are respectively located on both sides of the control compartment (60).

9. The automatic water tank cleaning device according to claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes a suction device, wherein the control chamber (60) contains gas, and the suction device is used to fill the air bag (40) with the gas in the control chamber (60), or to draw the gas in the air bag (40) into the control chamber (60).

10. The automatic water tank cleaning device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The main body (10) of the device has a accommodating cavity (11), and the water pump (50), the airbag (40) and the garbage box (30) are at least partially located in the accommodating cavity (11).

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