Pickup assembly for a cleaning device and a cleaning device

Abstract

The utility model relates to cleaning equipment technical field especially, more particularly to a pickup subassembly and cleaning equipment for cleaning equipment provide a pickup subassembly for cleaning equipment, it includes: setting in the mounting bracket, pickup, pickup channel and guide sound pipe in cleaning equipment main part, wherein pickup sets up in the mounting bracket far from the one side of external environment. The pickup channel is through the mounting bracket, and the one end of pickup channel far from external environment is linked together with pickup. The guide sound pipe is at least partially set up in the pickup channel to guide the sound in external environment to pickup. In use, external sound directly enters the guide sound pipe, and directional propagation to pickup between the inner wall of guide sound pipe. The guide sound pipe provides the unobstructed propagation path for external sound, thereby reduces various interference on the sound propagation path, improves the sensitivity of pickup and the accuracy rate of speech recognition.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of cleaning equipment technology, and in particular to a sound pickup component for cleaning equipment. Furthermore, it also relates to cleaning equipment including this sound pickup component. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of smart home technology, cleaning equipment such as sweeping and mopping devices, especially robotic cleaning equipment like robot vacuums, has become increasingly popular. To enhance the user experience and ease of interaction, voice control has become an important development direction for these products.

[0003] To enable voice control, cleaning equipment typically has microphones or other sound pickups inside its main body and sound pickup holes on its outer casing to allow external sound signals to enter.

[0004] However, the inventors discovered in practice that this simple structure has inherent flaws. On the one hand, after external sound enters through the pickup hole, it usually needs to travel an irregular path inside the device before reaching the microphone. During this path, the sound waves experience significant energy attenuation due to divergence and disordered reflections and interference with internal components, resulting in insufficient effective signal strength ultimately received by the microphone, thus affecting the sensitivity of far-field sound pickup and the accuracy of speech recognition.

[0005] On the other hand, cleaning equipment, especially robotic vacuum cleaners, is itself a powerful noise source. Its internal components, such as fans and drive motors, generate significant noise during operation. The simple perforated structure described above allows this internal noise to easily enter the microphone, severely contaminating the target sound signal and drastically reducing the signal-to-noise ratio.

[0006] Therefore, how to construct a sound pickup structure that can efficiently and faithfully transmit external sound signals while effectively suppressing internal noise interference within the limited internal space of cleaning equipment is an important technical issue that urgently needs to be addressed by those skilled in the art. Utility Model Content

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the problem in the existing technology of how to provide a sound pickup component with good sound pickup effect and anti-interference capability.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the first aspect of this utility model provides a sound pickup assembly for a cleaning device, comprising: a mounting frame disposed within the main body of the cleaning device; a microphone disposed on the side of the mounting frame away from the external environment; a sound pickup channel penetrating the mounting frame, with the end of the sound pickup channel away from the external environment connected to the microphone; and a sound guide tube, which is at least partially disposed within the sound pickup channel to guide sound from the external environment to the microphone.

[0009] Specifically, in actual use, the mounting bracket, as a basic component, is fixed inside the main body of the cleaning equipment, and its sound pickup channel provides a basic path for the transmission of external sound. The microphone is installed inside the mounting bracket, facing the inner opening of the sound pickup channel, ready to receive sound signals.

[0010] Based on this, the sound guide tube is inserted from the outside of the mounting bracket and positioned within the internal space of the pickup channel. In this way, the sound guide tube constructs and defines a clearly defined sound propagation path within the original pickup channel.

[0011] When external sounds, such as a user's voice command, reach the outside of the cleaning device, the sound waves will directly enter the sound guide tube and be confined between the inner walls of the sound guide tube for directional propagation, eventually propagating directly to the pickup from the outlet of the sound guide tube.

[0012] Compared with existing technologies, this invention improves the strength and fidelity of the sound pickup signal by adding an independent sound guide tube within the pickup channel. This sound guide tube provides an unobstructed propagation path for external sound signals, effectively avoiding energy attenuation caused by disordered reflection and interference of sound waves within the device. This significantly enhances the signal strength reaching the microphone, improving the sensitivity of far-field pickup and the accuracy of speech recognition.

[0013] Meanwhile, the sound guide tube can isolate some internal noise and improve the signal-to-noise ratio. The tube wall forms an effective acoustic barrier between the microphone and the noise source inside the cleaning equipment, thereby blocking the transmission of internal noise, improving the signal-to-noise ratio, and making voice interaction clearer and more reliable.

[0014] In some embodiments, a cover plate is also included, which covers the side of the mounting bracket closest to the external environment, and the cover plate has a pickup hole aligned with and communicating with the pickup channel.

[0015] In some embodiments, a sound guide tube flange is formed at one end of the sound guide tube, and a groove is formed at the end of the pickup hole near the external environment, in which the sound guide tube flange is accommodated; or a groove is formed at the end of the pickup channel near the external environment, in which the sound guide tube flange is accommodated.

[0016] In some embodiments, the sound tube is movably coupled to the pickup channel, allowing the sound tube to move between an extended position and a retracted position.

[0017] In some embodiments, the pickup channel includes at least two interconnected channel segments with non-collinear axes, and a sound guide tube is provided in at least the channel segment closer to the external environment.

[0018] In some embodiments, the cross-sectional area of ​​the pickup channel gradually decreases from the end closer to the external environment to the end farther from the external environment; or the pickup channel includes at least two channel segments with inconsistent cross-sectional areas, and the cross-sectional area of ​​at least the two channel segments decreases sequentially from the end closer to the external environment to the end farther from the external environment.

[0019] In some embodiments, a noise reduction component is also provided in the pickup channel.

[0020] In some embodiments, the noise reduction device includes a first mesh and a second mesh, the first mesh being closer to the external environment than the second mesh, and both the first mesh and the second mesh covering the sound pickup channel. The first mesh and the second mesh are respectively provided with through holes, and the size of the through holes on the second mesh is smaller than the size of the through holes on the first mesh.

[0021] In some embodiments, an amplifier is also included, located at the end of the pickup channel away from the external environment, for amplifying and propagating sound transmitted through the pickup channel to the pickup.

[0022] The second aspect of this utility model provides a cleaning device, which includes the aforementioned sound pickup component for cleaning devices. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the pickup component provided by this utility model; Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the pickup component provided by this utility model; Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the pickup component provided by this utility model; Figure 4 This is a top view of one embodiment of the cleaning equipment provided by this utility model.

[0025] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures 1. Mounting bracket; 2. Microphone; 3. Microphone channel; 31. Microphone channel section a; 32. Microphone channel section b; 4. Microphone hole; 5. Microphone tube; 51. Microphone tube flange; 6. Sink; 7. Cover plate; 8. Mesh cover. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The embodiments of this utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The detailed description of the following embodiments and the accompanying drawings are used to illustrate the principles of this utility model by way of example, but should not be used to limit the scope of this utility model. This utility model can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

[0027] These embodiments are provided to make the present invention thorough and complete, and to fully express the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement of components and steps, material composition, numerical expressions, and values ​​set forth in these embodiments should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limiting.

[0028] It should be noted that, in the description of this utility model, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more; the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships, are only for the convenience of describing this utility model 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 utility model. When the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0029] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and similar words used in this invention do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different parts. "Vertical" is not strictly vertical, but within the allowable error range. "Parallel" is not strictly parallel, but within the allowable error range. Words such as "including" or "comprising" mean that the element preceding the word encompasses the element listed after it, and do not exclude the possibility of encompassing other elements as well.

[0030] It should also be noted that, in the description of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances. When a specific device is described as being located between a first device and a second device, an intermediary device may or may not be present between the specific device and the first or second device.

[0031] All terms used in this invention have the same meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains, unless otherwise specifically defined. It should also be understood that terms defined in general dictionaries should be interpreted as having meanings consistent with their meanings in the context of the relevant art, and not as idealized or highly formalized, unless expressly defined herein.

[0032] Techniques, methods, and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, they should be considered part of the specification.

[0033] The first aspect of this utility model provides a sound pickup component for cleaning equipment, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, it includes: a mounting frame 1 disposed within the main body of the cleaning equipment; a microphone 2 disposed on the side of the mounting frame 1 away from the external environment; a pickup channel 3 passing through the mounting frame 1, and the end of the pickup channel 3 away from the external environment being connected to the microphone 2; and a sound guide tube 5 disposed at least partially within the pickup channel 3 to guide sound from the external environment to the microphone 2.

[0034] The mounting bracket 1 is typically made of injection-molded engineering plastic and is securely mounted inside the main body of the cleaning equipment, providing a precise mounting reference for other acoustic components.

[0035] The pickup 2 can be any device capable of converting sound signals into electrical signals, such as a microphone or other device with a pickup structure.

[0036] The sound guide tube 5 is a pre-manufactured tubular component with a specific length and inner diameter. Its material can be optimized according to acoustic requirements, for example, by selecting a material with a smoother inner wall or specific acoustic properties.

[0037] The sound guide tube 5 can be fixed or detachably fixed to the end of the pickup channel 3 closest to the external environment in any way. For example, the sound guide tube 5 can be configured to slide, interfere, or helically fit with the pickup channel 3.

[0038] The inner opening of the pickup channel 3 is aligned with and connected to the receiving part of the microphone 2, thus forming a basic sound transmission path. When an external sound signal, such as a user's voice command, reaches the cleaning device and enters the external port of the pickup channel 3, it is captured by the sound guide tube 5. Subsequently, the sound waves no longer propagate between the ordinary inner walls of the pickup channel 3, but instead propagate directionally along a clearly defined propagation path formed by the sound guide tube 5, which is isolated from the internal environment of the cleaning device, and finally propagate directly from the outlet of the sound guide tube 5 to the microphone 2.

[0039] The pickup channel 3 is part of the mounting frame 1. In the cleaning equipment, the mounting frame 1 also serves as a structural component to provide structural strength, making it difficult to select materials suitable for sound propagation within the pickup channel 3. By setting up a specially designed sound guide tube 5, an ideal acoustic propagation path can be obtained. This effectively confines the sound energy, which would otherwise be significantly attenuated due to divergence and disordered reflection within the pickup channel 3, to propagate within the sound guide tube 5, thereby improving the signal strength reaching the microphone 2. Simultaneously, the sound guide tube 5 eliminates the possibility of sound waves interfering with other complex internal structures of the equipment, ensuring the fidelity of the sound signal. Furthermore, the solid wall of the sound guide tube 5 forms a physical isolation between the microphone 2 and the internal environment of the cleaning equipment, which is the main noise source, especially the fan and motor, effectively blocking internal noise from interfering with the voice signal.

[0040] In some embodiments, a sound guide tube flange 51 is formed at one end of the sound guide tube 5, and a groove 6 is provided at the end of the sound pickup channel 3 near the external environment, and the sound guide tube flange 51 is accommodated in the groove 6.

[0041] At one end of the sound tube 5, typically the end closest to the external environment and serving as the sound inlet, a sound tube flange 51 is integrally formed or connected to the tube wall, extending radially outward. Correspondingly, on the mounting bracket 1, around the port of the pickup channel 3 closest to the external environment, an annular recess 6 is machined to precisely match the shape and size of the sound tube flange 51. During assembly, the sound tube 5 is inserted into the pickup channel 3 until the sound tube flange 51 abuts against the recess 6. At this point, the outer periphery of the sound tube flange 51 is contained by the sidewall of the recess 6.

[0042] The above-mentioned design effectively prevents the sound guide tube 5 from tilting or shaking, ensuring its stable coaxiality with the pickup channel 3 and guaranteeing a straight and unobstructed sound propagation path. Simultaneously, the tight fit between the sound guide tube flange 51 and the recess 6 reduces internal noise or airflow leakage from the sound guide tube 5 and the pickup channel to the microphone 2, further improving the signal-to-noise ratio.

[0043] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the pickup assembly also includes a cover plate 7, which covers the side of the mounting frame 1 that is close to the external environment. The cover plate 7 has a pickup hole 4 that is aligned with and communicates with the pickup channel 3.

[0044] The cover plate 7 is typically part of the overall housing of the cleaning equipment. Its outer surface is directly exposed to the external environment, serving not only a structural protection function but also incorporating the product's aesthetic design. It is mounted and fixed to the side of the mounting bracket 1 closest to the external environment, together forming a double-layered housing structure. Correspondingly, the sound transmission path to the microphone is divided into two sections: the first section is the pickup hole 4 on the cover plate 7, forming the external sound entrance; the second section is the pickup channel 3 on the inner mounting bracket 1, forming the internal sound transmission path. During equipment assembly, the pickup hole 4 and the pickup channel 3 can be precisely aligned, thus forming a single, continuous, and unobstructed complete sound transmission path.

[0045] The above setup allows designers to select more suitable materials and processes for different components to meet their functions: the cover plate 7, as an external component, needs to focus on meeting requirements such as appearance, wear resistance, and waterproofing and dustproofing; while the mounting bracket 1, as an internal structural component, needs to focus on providing a stable mounting base for core components such as the microphone 2.

[0046] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, a sound guide tube flange 51 is formed at one end of the sound guide tube 5, and a groove 6 is formed at the end of the pickup hole 4 that is close to the external environment, and the sound guide tube flange 51 is accommodated in the groove 6.

[0047] Unlike the previous embodiments, the sound guide tube 5 provided in this embodiment is installed based on the double-layer structure of the aforementioned cover plate 7 and mounting bracket 1. The recess 6 is set at the edge of the pickup hole 4, and the sound guide tube flange 51 and the recess 6 are engaged on the outermost cover plate 7. Specifically, after the mounting bracket 1 and cover plate 7 are pre-assembled and fixed, the sound guide tube 5 is inserted from the outside of the cleaning equipment into the pickup hole 4 of the cover plate 7 until the sound guide tube flange 51 engages with the recess 6. In the installed position, the tube body of the sound guide tube 5 passes through the pickup hole 4 and extends into the pickup channel 3 of the mounting bracket 1 to directly transmit sound to the pickup pointed to by the pickup channel 3.

[0048] Since the sound guide tube 5 is installed from the outermost part of the equipment, it can be easily removed during assembly, maintenance, or cleaning without disassembling the main body of the equipment. Furthermore, the mating structure between the sound guide tube flange 51 and the recess 6 creates a smooth transition on the outer surface of the cleaning equipment, making it less prone to dust accumulation compared to exposed pickup holes 4, and preventing liquid from entering the cleaning equipment through this gap. At the same time, the smooth transition between the sound guide tube flange 51 and the recess 6 is more aesthetically pleasing and has an industrial aesthetic compared to abrupt protrusions.

[0049] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, a sound guide tube flange 51 is formed at one end of the sound guide tube 5, and a groove 6 is formed at the end of the sound pickup channel 3 that is close to the external environment. The sound guide tube flange 51 is accommodated in the groove 6.

[0050] Unlike the previous embodiment, in this embodiment, the groove 6 is not located on the cover plate 7, but rather on the mounting frame 1, and is formed around the port of its pickup channel 3 near the external environment. During assembly, the sound guide tube 5 with the sound guide tube flange 51 is placed on the mounting frame 1, so that the sound guide tube flange 51 is accommodated in the groove 6 of the mounting frame 1. Then, the cover plate 7 is placed on the mounting frame 1, and the two are fixedly installed relative to each other by screws or clips, thereby clamping the sound guide tube flange 51 between the inner surface of the cover plate 7 and the bottom surface of the groove 6 of the mounting frame 1, and thus fixing the sound guide tube 5 on the mounting frame 1.

[0051] In addition to the advantages of the aforementioned sound guide flange 51 and recess 6, the above-mentioned configuration also provides the sound guide 5 with vibration and shock resistance, effectively preventing the sound guide 5 from loosening, making abnormal noises, or falling off during cleaning equipment operation or accidental drops, ensuring the long-term reliability of the pickup assembly in harsh operating environments. Simultaneously, in this embodiment, the recess 6 provides circumferential restraint to the sound guide flange 51, and the cover plate 7 and the bottom surface of the recess 6 further restrain the sound guide flange 51 circumferentially, thereby improving the installation accuracy of the sound guide 5. Furthermore, since the sound guide 5 and the pickup 2 are both fixed to the same rigid component in this embodiment, the relative positional accuracy between them is higher than in embodiments where the sound guide 5 is mounted on the cover plate 7, and is not affected by the assembly tolerances of the cover plate 7, thus achieving better acoustic transmission performance through high-precision alignment.

[0052] In some embodiments, the sound guide tube 5 is movably coupled to the pickup channel 3, such that the sound guide tube 5 can move between an extended position and a retracted position.

[0053] In the above configuration, the sound guide tube 5 can switch between two or more preset positions. The outer wall of the sound guide tube 5 and the inner wall of the pickup channel 3 can be movable and engaged in any way, such as a sliding engagement or a spiral engagement.

[0054] Sliding fit refers to a specific structure that allows the sound guide tube 5 to perform a linear reciprocating motion similar to a piston within the sound pickup channel. Specifically, this structure can be one or more annular grooves on the outer wall of the sound guide tube 5, with elastic seals such as O-rings accommodating within these grooves. These seals provide radial sealing to prevent noise leakage and also provide frictional damping during the sliding process, circumferentially limiting the sound guide tube 5 and allowing it to slide up and down along the sound pickup channel 3. Alternatively, a vertically extending limiting groove can be provided on the inner wall of the sound pickup channel 3, and a protrusion adapted to this limiting groove can be provided on the outer wall of the sound guide tube 5. This protrusion slidably engages with the limiting groove, allowing the sound guide tube 5 to slide up and down within the sound pickup channel 3. Furthermore, to prevent the sound guide tube 5 from sliding excessively and dislodging, and to stably maintain it in a preset position, corresponding limiting and positioning structures can be provided. For example, this can be achieved by providing tiny elastic protrusions on the outer wall of the sound guide tube 5 and matching grooves at corresponding positions on the inner wall of the sound pickup channel 3. When the protrusion engages with the slot, it provides sufficient force to reliably hold the sound tube 5 in the retracted or extended position.

[0055] The screw fit refers to the machining of an external thread on the outer wall of the sound guide tube 5, and a matching internal thread on the inner wall of the pickup channel 3 of the mounting bracket 1. This allows the sound guide tube 5 to extend or retract linearly along the circumference due to the engagement of the threads when driven to rotate. Because the screw fit structure has self-locking properties, it can remain in the retracted or extended position without slipping when the sound guide tube 5 is rotated to that position.

[0056] With the above structure, the sound guide tube 5 can move and operate between at least the retracted position and the extended position. In the retracted position, the main body of the sound guide tube 5 is completely or mostly contained inside the sound pickup channel 3 of the mounting bracket 1, and its outer end opening is roughly flush with the outer shell surface of the cleaning device. At this time, the sound guide tube 5 can be protected while collecting sound. In the extended position, the sound guide tube 5 actively extends out of the sound pickup channel 3, and both its main body and sound inlet protrude from the outer shell surface of the cleaning device. The sound guide tube 5 protrudes from the cleaning device in the extended position, thereby reducing the interference of the sound field generated by the movement of the cleaning device itself, allowing the sound guide tube 5 to capture the sound of distant sound sources more clearly.

[0057] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the pickup channel 3 includes at least two interconnected channel segments whose axes are not collinear.

[0058] In cleaning equipment, especially those with vacuuming functions, the internal fan used to generate suction creates a high-speed internal airflow within the machine. Furthermore, airflow may also exist in the external environment. This airflow interferes with the microphone 2 through the pickup channel 3: on one hand, the airflow can directly impact the diaphragm of the microphone 2, generating strong low-frequency wind noise; on the other hand, the airflow also generates aerodynamic noise as it flows through the complex internal structure, which is then transmitted to the microphone 2. The noise caused by airflow severely interferes with the target speech signal. Therefore, specially designing the pickup channel 3 to suppress airflow noise is crucial for improving the voice interaction performance of cleaning equipment.

[0059] This embodiment provides a passive noise reduction structure, namely, forming a non-linear labyrinthine channel in the pickup channel 3. Specifically, the pickup channel 3 is composed of at least two or more channel segments, which are interconnected, but their respective central axes are not collinear. This non-collinearity means that the propagation path of sound and airflow undergoes at least one directional change within the channel. In terms of specific geometry, this non-linear channel can be implemented in various forms, such as: an L-shaped channel composed of two mutually perpendicular straight line segments; a Z-shaped or stepped channel composed of three straight line segments; an S-shaped channel composed of smooth curves; or a more complex tortuous path formed by any combination of straight and curved segments.

[0060] By increasing the complexity of the propagation path, both the kinetic energy of the airflow and the acoustic energy of the noise can be attenuated. Specifically, when a high-speed airflow enters this non-linear channel, its flow direction is forced to change abruptly at the corner of the channel. According to fluid dynamics principles, this abrupt change induces eddies and turbulence, and the formation of eddies and turbulence is a process that converts the kinetic energy of the airflow into heat energy. This dissipates the kinetic energy of the airflow, significantly reducing its velocity and intensity, thereby weakening the intensity of wind noise.

[0061] Meanwhile, regarding wind noise itself, the inner walls of the non-linear channel form irregular reflective surfaces. During propagation, sound waves are reflected once or multiple times at each bend in the channel, inevitably losing some sound energy with each reflection. By constructing a labyrinthine channel with multiple bends, not only is the noise propagation path lengthened, but the number of sound wave reflections is also increased, resulting in the noise energy being repeatedly reduced, ultimately leading to a significant attenuation of the energy reaching the microphone 2.

[0062] The propagation efficiency of noise with different frequencies varies depending on the shape of the channel. Those skilled in the art can configure multiple channel segments based on the differences between noise and human voice frequency bands. This allows for greater noise reduction for noise frequencies compared to human voice frequencies, minimizing the impact on human voice commands while simultaneously enhancing their prominence and improving the accuracy of voice command recognition by the cleaning equipment.

[0063] As a specific example, such as Figure 3 As shown, the pickup channel 3 consists of two staggered pickup channel segments, a 31 and b 32. The central axes of these two segments are not collinear, forming a stepped, tortuous path. This staggered layout forcibly alters the direction of airflow and sound wave propagation. By increasing the complexity of the path, it effectively attenuates wind noise, thereby achieving passive noise reduction.

[0064] In some embodiments, at least one of the channel segments is provided with a sound guide tube 5 in the channel segment closest to the external environment.

[0065] The aforementioned sound guide tube 5 can be installed only in the channel segment close to the external environment, or it can be selectively installed in each channel segment while ensuring that the channel segment close to the external environment is equipped with a sound guide tube 5, or a sound guide tube 5 can be installed in all channel segments.

[0066] When the sound guide tube 5 is placed in a channel segment close to the external environment, it can act as a receiver for sound signals, efficiently capturing external sound signals, while subsequent channel segments act as noise reduction measures to attenuate noise. Since the sound guide tube 5 is placed on the side of the mounting bracket 1 closest to the external environment, this arrangement has the advantages of low cost and ease of assembly.

[0067] When the sound guide tube 5 is set in multiple channel segments, it can form a sound path with low sound propagation loss in more channel segments and further reduce the impact of noise generated by the cleaning equipment on the sound pickup effect of the pickup channel 3. In the above configuration, the sound guide tube 5 can be set to a shape that matches the pickup channel 3 or made of flexible material so that it can adapt to the bending path of the pickup channel 3 during assembly.

[0068] Those skilled in the art can choose whether to install the sound guide tube 5 in each channel segment according to actual needs, and obtain better noise reduction and sound pickup effects.

[0069] In some embodiments, the pickup channel 3 includes at least two channel segments with different cross-sectional areas.

[0070] This embodiment provides a passive noise reduction structure, wherein the pickup channel 3 includes at least two interconnected channel segments with different cross-sectional areas. These channel segments can be a structure consisting of a wide-diameter segment connected to a narrow-diameter segment, or a series of multiple channel segments with alternating wide and narrow diameters. This structure achieves passive noise reduction by introducing changes in cross-section along the propagation paths of sound and airflow. Specifically, the noise reduction principle of this structure is as follows: In acoustics, the acoustic impedance of a pipe is directly related to its cross-sectional area. When noise waves propagate within the pickup channel 3 and reach the interface where the cross-sectional area changes abruptly, the acoustic impedance mismatch between the two sections of the channel causes some of the noise waves to be reflected back towards the sound source, while only a portion continues to propagate forward, thus attenuating the noise energy propagating forward. By setting one or more of these variable-diameter interfaces in the pickup channel 3, multi-stage reflection and attenuation of noise in the propagation path can be achieved, ultimately significantly reducing the sound pressure level of the noise reaching the pickup 2. This is similar to the noise reduction principle of the expansion and contraction cavities in a silencer.

[0071] Meanwhile, when the internal airflow moves from a wide section to a narrow section, especially when it suddenly moves from a narrow section to a wide section, intense turbulence and eddies are generated at the point of cross-sectional change. The generation of turbulence and eddies can attenuate the energy of the airflow, thereby reducing wind noise within the channel.

[0072] In some embodiments, the cross-sectional area of ​​the pickup channel 3 gradually decreases from the end closer to the external environment to the end farther away from the external environment.

[0073] The aforementioned smoothly tapered pickup channel 3 forms a cone-shaped or horn-shaped channel in front of the microphone 2, thus creating a smooth acoustic impedance changer between the low acoustic impedance external environment and the high acoustic impedance end of the pickup channel 3. Since there is no extremely large acoustic impedance change cross-section in this pickup channel 3, the reflection loss of the collected sound within the pickup channel 3 is reduced, thereby efficiently transmitting the sound signal to the diaphragm of the microphone 2. This shape of the pickup channel 3 ensures accurate pickup of specific sound signals, especially those in specific directions, even in noisy environments, reducing the likelihood of unclear sound signals due to excessive sound loss in the pickup channel 3.

[0074] In some embodiments, the cross-sectional area of ​​the multiple channel segments of the pickup channel 3 decreases sequentially from the end closer to the external environment to the end farther away from the external environment.

[0075] When airflow and noise pass between the channel segments, they are attenuated based on the aforementioned principles, resulting in noise reduction. In this embodiment, by setting the cross-sectional area of ​​the channel segment closer to the external environment to be larger, the inlet of that channel segment can have a lower acoustic impedance, thereby better capturing sound signals from the external environment. Simultaneously, the contraction-type interface provided between the large-section and small-section channel segments, compared to the expansion-type interface provided between the small-section and large-section channel segments, can more significantly alter the gas flow pattern, thereby reducing airflow energy to a greater extent and lowering wind noise.

[0076] In other embodiments, the cross-sectional area of ​​the above-mentioned multiple channel segments does not vary randomly or alternate between wide and narrow, but rather the pickup channel 3 forms a funnel-shaped channel that gradually contracts as a whole.

[0077] Compared to the aforementioned multiple channel segments with alternating or randomly varying widths, the structure provided in this embodiment is equivalent to connecting multiple channel segments with continuously increasing acoustic impedance in series along the propagation path. These multiple funnel-shaped channel segments can both form a tapered pickup channel 3 to enhance the ability to receive external sound signals and create interfaces with drastic changes in acoustic impedance between the channel segments, thereby reducing noise in specific frequency bands.

[0078] In some embodiments, a noise reduction component is also provided in the pickup channel 3.

[0079] The independent noise reduction component is located within the pickup channel 3 to reduce noise before the sound reaches the pickup 2, further preventing noise from interfering with the sound signal.

[0080] The noise reduction device can be placed at any position within the pickup channel 3. For example, it can be placed near the external environment within the pickup channel 3 to perform noise reduction when the sound signal is transmitted to the pickup channel 3 through the sound guide tube 5; or it can be placed far away from the external environment within the pickup channel 3 to perform final noise reduction before the sound reaches the microphone 2.

[0081] The noise reduction component can be set as any component with noise reduction function, such as a porous sound-absorbing structure, i.e., an acoustic sponge or other sound-absorbing material cut into a suitable shape; a mesh structure with acoustic damping; a resonant noise reduction structure, i.e., a Helmholtz resonator of suitable size or any noise reduction device using the same principle.

[0082] In some embodiments, the noise reduction device includes a first mesh and a second mesh, the first mesh being closer to the external environment than the second mesh, and both the first mesh and the second mesh covering the sound pickup channel 3. The first mesh and the second mesh are respectively provided with through holes, and the size of the through holes on the second mesh is smaller than the size of the through holes on the first mesh.

[0083] The noise reduction device is designed as a multi-stage acoustic damping structure, comprising a first mesh and a second mesh. Both meshes are sized to completely cover the cross-section of the pickup channel 3, ensuring that all incoming airflow and sound waves must pass through them, preventing untreated sound from propagating to the microphone 2.

[0084] The first mesh is closer to the external environment than the second mesh, and there is a gap between them, thus forming a noise reduction space containing two cascaded acoustic dampers at the end of the pickup channel 3. The through-hole size on the rear second mesh is designed to be smaller than the through-hole size on the front first mesh.

[0085] When the high-energy airflow first arrives at the first mesh, its structure with larger openings acts as a pre-treatment mechanism. It breaks up the large-scale turbulence into smaller-scale eddies, achieving initial deceleration and energy dissipation. After this initial treatment, the reduced-speed airflow then reaches the second mesh, which has smaller openings. These smaller openings create a stronger throttling effect, forcing the airflow to accelerate locally as it passes through, and then decelerate and expand dramatically upon exiting the openings, generating stronger turbulence and dissipating most of the remaining airflow energy. Through these two steps, the energy of the airflow is significantly reduced, thereby lowering wind noise.

[0086] Meanwhile, the first mesh has a larger aperture, resulting in a smaller acoustic impedance. When noise waves propagate to the first mesh, they are first attenuated by the first mesh, and then attenuated again by the second mesh, which has a higher acoustic impedance, thus significantly reducing the energy of the noise waves.

[0087] In some embodiments, an amplifier is also included, which is located at the end of the pickup channel 3 away from the external environment, for amplifying the sound transmitted through the pickup channel 3 and transmitting it to the pickup 2.

[0088] The amplifier is an acoustic amplification structure located between the inner end outlet of the pickup channel 3 and the pickup 2. This amplifier is not an active electronic amplification circuit, but a passive structure that enhances sound wave energy through its specific physical shape, such as a horn amplification structure or a resonant cavity amplification structure.

[0089] Specifically, the horn-type amplification structure is a short cavity with a cross-sectional area that gradually increases along the direction of sound wave propagation. Its smaller end connects to the inner outlet of the pickup channel 3, while its larger end faces and surrounds the receiving part of the pickup 2. This horn structure provides a smooth, gradually changing acoustic impedance transition zone, enabling the acoustic energy transmitted from the high-impedance pickup channel 3 to be transferred to the pickup 2 with low reflection loss. This improved transmission efficiency is effectively equivalent to signal amplification.

[0090] A resonant cavity amplification structure can be designed as a resonant cavity, such as a Helmholtz resonator. Its structure can be a resonant cavity with a specific volume located at the end of the pickup channel 3 furthest from the external environment, on the line connecting the pickup 2 and the pickup channel 3. The working principle of the resonant cavity amplification structure is acoustic resonance. By precisely designing the volume of this resonant cavity, its resonant frequency can be matched with the target sound frequency to be amplified, such as the main frequency band of human voice, i.e., the 1kHz-4kHz band. When sound waves of this frequency band pass through, they will resonate within the resonant cavity, thereby amplifying the sound pressure at that specific frequency. The resonant cavity amplification structure effectively improves the accuracy of speech recognition by selectively amplifying specific frequencies. It should be noted that the various optimization schemes for the pickup channel 3 described above, such as non-linear channel structures, variable diameter channel structures, noise reduction component structures, and amplifier structures, are not mutually exclusive in design. Instead, they can be arbitrarily combined and superimposed according to actual noise reduction needs to achieve more superior overall noise reduction performance. For example, those skilled in the art can design a non-linear pickup channel 3 as a variable-diameter structure with progressively decreasing cross-sectional areas, provided that the structure does not conflict with existing designs. In this composite structure, the non-linear path primarily attenuates broadband noise by increasing sound reflection and inducing turbulence, while the tapered variable-diameter structure can further effectively suppress noise in specific frequency bands. The two complement each other in their noise reduction mechanisms, enabling the construction of a more powerful composite passive noise reduction structure.

[0091] Furthermore, it should be emphasized that all the aforementioned optimizations to the pickup channel 3 on the mounting bracket 1 are equally applicable to embodiments including the cover plate 7 and the pickup hole 4. This is because these structural improvements to the pickup channel 3 occur on the mounting bracket 1 as an internal component and do not structurally conflict with the cover plate 7 as an external component. They are technical improvements that can be implemented in parallel and work synergistically on different components.

[0092] In summary, those skilled in the art can freely combine the above solutions according to specific product design requirements and cost considerations to achieve optimal overall performance, and all such combinations should fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0093] In some embodiments, to protect the microphone 2 from performance degradation or damage due to external environmental pollution, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a mesh cover 8 is also installed inside the pickup channel 3 near the microphone 2 at one end.

[0094] The mesh cover 8 can be made of metal, nylon, or other acoustically transparent materials with sufficient structural strength.

[0095] The mesh cover 8 can be installed in any way. For example, an annular groove can be pre-machined on the inner wall of the pickup channel 3, and then the mesh cover can be fixed in it by snap-fit; or, it can be firmly set in the predetermined position by interference fit or by using acoustic adhesive.

[0096] The mesh cover 8 acts as a physical barrier, preventing dust and foreign matter contamination during the operation of the cleaning equipment. This dust or foreign matter may be tiny particles from the ground or air stirred up by the cleaning equipment during operation, such as dust, lint, and hair. Once these contaminants enter through the pickup channel 3 and adhere to the diaphragm of the microphone 2, they alter its vibration characteristics, leading to decreased sensitivity and frequency response distortion in the microphone 2. The mesh cover 8 effectively intercepts these contaminants, thus ensuring the long-term stability and reliability of the microphone 2.

[0097] The second aspect of this utility model provides a cleaning device, which includes the aforementioned sound pickup component for cleaning devices.

[0098] The cleaning equipment could be, for example, a smart robotic vacuum cleaner, a cordless floor scrubber, or a handheld vacuum cleaner.

[0099] Specifically, the mounting bracket 1 of the microphone assembly can be integrally formed with the internal support structure of the cleaning equipment or fixedly connected by screws or other means to achieve a stable installation. The sound inlet, such as the microphone hole 4 opened on the cover plate 7, is set on the external surface of the equipment that is most convenient for receiving user voice commands, such as the top panel, front or side control area of ​​the equipment.

[0100] In some embodiments, it can be as follows Figure 4 As shown, multiple microphone pickup components are arranged in a triangular array to utilize microphone array technology to achieve more advanced acoustic processing functions such as sound source localization and beamforming, thereby accurately identifying the source of user commands even in noisy working environments.

[0101] By integrating this innovative voice pickup component, the cleaning device of this invention solves the technical challenge of accurate voice recognition in high-noise working environments. When using the cleaning device provided by this invention, users can directly and conveniently control the device from any location in the room via voice commands. Simultaneously, the cleaning device can also identify and respond to specific events through sound recognition, such as the sounds of a baby crying, breaking glass, and smoke alarms, and select the appropriate task to perform based on the scenario.

[0102] The cleaning equipment provided by this utility model greatly optimizes the overall user experience and has a differentiated advantage in market competition.

[0103] The various embodiments of this utility model have now been described in detail. To avoid obscuring the concept of this utility model, some details known in the art have not been described. Those skilled in the art can fully understand how to implement the technical solutions disclosed herein based on the above description.

[0104] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail by way of examples, those skilled in the art should understand that the above examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can be made to the above embodiments or equivalent substitutions can be made to some technical features without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the embodiments can be combined in any manner.

Claims

1. A sound pickup assembly for cleaning equipment, characterized in that, include: The mounting bracket (1) is installed inside the main body of the cleaning equipment. A pickup (2) is disposed on the side of the mounting bracket (1) away from the external environment; A pickup channel (3) extends through the mounting frame (1), and one end of the pickup channel (3) away from the external environment is connected to the microphone (2); and A sound guide tube (5) is at least partially disposed within the pickup channel (3) to guide sound from the external environment to the pickup (2).

2. The sound pickup assembly for cleaning equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a cover plate (7) which covers the side of the mounting bracket (1) that is close to the external environment, and the cover plate (7) has a pickup hole (4) that is aligned with and communicates with the pickup channel (3).

3. The sound pickup assembly for cleaning equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, One end of the sound guide tube (5) has a sound guide tube flange (51), and the end of the pickup hole (4) near the external environment has a groove (6), in which the sound guide tube flange (51) is accommodated; or The pickup channel (3) has a groove (6) formed at one end near the external environment, and the sound guide flange (51) is accommodated in the groove (6).

4. The sound pickup assembly for cleaning equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sound guide tube (5) is movably engaged with the sound pickup channel (3), allowing the sound guide tube (5) to move between an extended position and a retracted position.

5. The sound pickup assembly for cleaning equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pickup channel (3) includes at least two interconnected channel segments with non-collinear axes. The sound guide tube (5) is provided in at least the channel segment closest to the external environment.

6. The sound pickup assembly for cleaning equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cross-sectional area of ​​the pickup channel (3) gradually decreases from the end closest to the external environment to the end furthest from the external environment; or The pickup channel (3) includes at least two channel segments with different cross-sectional areas, the cross-sectional areas of which decrease sequentially from the end closer to the external environment to the end farther away from the external environment.

7. The sound pickup assembly for cleaning equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pickup channel (3) is also equipped with a noise reduction component.

8. The sound pickup assembly for cleaning equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that, The noise reduction component includes a first mesh and a second mesh. The first mesh is closer to the external environment than the second mesh, and both the first mesh and the second mesh cover the sound pickup channel (3). The first mesh and the second mesh are respectively provided with through holes, and the size of the through holes on the second mesh is smaller than the size of the through holes on the first mesh.

9. The sound pickup assembly for cleaning equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an amplifier located at the end of the pickup channel (3) away from the external environment, for amplifying the sound transmitted through the pickup channel (3) and transmitting it to the pickup (2).

10. A cleaning device, characterized in that, Includes the sound pickup component for cleaning equipment as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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