Cleaning device

Abstract

A cleaning apparatus (10) comprises a main body (100), a lower cover plate (130) and a cleaning module (200). The lower cover plate is provided on the side of said main body facing said surface to be cleaned. A first opening (131) is formed on said lower cover plate. An accommodating cavity is formed between said main body and said lower cover plate. The projection of the accommodating cavity onto the surface to be cleaned and the projection of the opening (131) onto the surface to be cleaned at least partially overlap. The cleaning module comprises a module body (210) and a brush head (220), the module body being disposed in said accommodating cavity. One end of the module body is connected to the main body (100), the brush head (220) is connected to the other end of the module body and is rotatable relative to the module body.At least a portion of the brush head (220) protrudes out of the first opening (131) toward said surface to be cleaned in order to clean said first opening by interfering with said surface to be cleaned. Figure 4.

Description

Title of the invention: Cleaning apparatus Technical field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of smart home, and more particularly to a cleaning device. Technological background

[0002] With the development of modern society, people are increasingly devoted to work and have little time to clean their homes. However, and daily cleaning and maintenance of home hygiene has an impact on people's quality of life. In order to save time, maintain home hygiene, more and more <n plus de gens ont commencé à acheter des équipements de nettoyage pour nettoyer leurs habitations de manière opportune et pratique. Les appareils de nettoyage peuvent effectuer automatiquement le nettoyage du sol de la pièce grâce en ayant jusqu’à un certain point recours à une intelligence artificielle.

[0003] Most of the cleaning equipment in the relevant technology is sweeping robots. When the sweeping robot performs cleaning tasks, the brush heads of the cleaning robots can effectively sweep the floor.

[0004] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the background portion above is intended only to enhance understanding of the context of the present disclosure and therefore may include information that is not prior art known to those skilled in the art.

[0005] Content of the invention

[0006] The object of the present disclosure is to provide a cleaning apparatus.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a cleaning apparatus to clean a surface to be cleaned. The cleaning device includes:

[0008] a main body;

[0009] a lower cover plate, which is arranged to cover one side of the main body facing the surface to be cleaned and which has a first opening, a housing cavity being formed between the main body and the lower cover plate such that, when projecting onto the surface to be cleaned, the housing cavity and the first opening at least partially overlap; and

[0010] a cleaning module, which comprises:a module body, which is disposed in the housing cavity and has one end connected to the main body, and

[0011] a brush head, which is connected to the other end of the module body and is rotatable relative to the module body, at least a portion of said brush head forming protruding from the first opening towards the surface to be cleaned in order to carry out cleaning by interfering with the surface to be cleaned.

[0012] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the first opening is located on an edge of said lower cover plate and forms a notch, and the module body is movable in the housing cavity to cause said brush head to move between a retracted position in which, projecting onto the surface to be cleaned, the brush head and the first opening at least partially overlap, and an extended position in which, projecting onto the surface to be cleaned, the brush head and the first opening are spaced apart from each other and / or are partially overlapped relative to the main body.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, when the brush head is located in the retracted position, the overlapping area between the projection of the lower cover plate and that of the module body on said surface to be cleaned being a, and the area of the orthogonal projection of the module body on the surface to be cleaned being b, the quotient a / b is substantially between 0.6 and 0.8.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the module body comprises:

[0015] - a fixed arm arranged fixedly in the housing cavity; and

[0016] - a swing arm, which has one end connected to the fixed arm and the other end is provided with said brush head,

[0017] movement of the swing arm in the housing cavity causing the brush head to move between the retracted position and the extended position relative to said main body, the portion of the swing arm disposed in the housing cavity when said brush head is disposed in the retracted position being larger than the portion of the swing arm disposed in the housing cavity when the brush head is disposed in the extended position.

[0018] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, said housing cavity is exposed in the peripheral side direction of said main body through a second opening, and the end of said swing arm connected to the brush head enters into said housing cavity or exits from said housing cavity through said second opening.

[0019] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, said cleaning apparatus further comprises a bumper disposed on the peripheral side of said main body.

[0020] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, an anti-collision strip is disposed on a peripheral side of the swing arm to cushion the force of an impact received during swing.

[0021] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the brush head comprises:

[0022] a mounting portion, connected to the module body and having a shape and size corresponding to the shape and size of the first opening;

[0023] a brush head portion, configured to perform cleaning by interfering with the surface to be cleaned.

[0024] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, when said brush head is in the retracted position, the curvature of the edge of the module body facing the peripheral side of the main body matches the curvature of said peripheral side of the main body.

[0025] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the lower cover plate has a projection, located toward the side of the main body and formed in the area of the edge of the first opening.

[0026] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, said bumper provides a refuge space for said second opening.

[0027] It is to be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and do not limit the present disclosure. Brief description of the figures

[0028] The accompanying figures show exemplary embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure and are used in conjunction with the description to explain the principles of the present disclosure. It is evident that the accompanying figures described below represent only some of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0029] [Fig.l] shows a schematic view of a cleaning apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] [Fig.2] shows a schematic side view of a cleaning apparatus according to a embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] [Fig.3] shows a side sectional view of a cleaning apparatus according to a embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] [Fig.4] shows a schematic view from below of a cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, while a cleaning module is in the retracted position.

[0033] [Fig.5] shows a schematic bottom view of a cleaning apparatus according to the present disclosure, while the cleaning module is in an extended position.

[0034] [Fig.6] is a schematic bottom view of a cleaning apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, with a lower cover plate removed.

[0035] [Fig.7] shows a schematic view of a lower cover plate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] [Fig.8] shows a schematic view of a cleaning module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] List of digital references:

[0038] 10, cleaning apparatus;

[0039] 100, main body; 110, outer shell; 120, lower shell; 130, plate of lower cover; 131, first opening; 132, protruding part; 140, second opening;

[0040] 200, cleaning module; 210, module body; 211, fixed arm; 212, arm oscillating; 220, brush head; 221, mounting part; 222, brush head part;

[0041] 300, battery. Detailed description

[0042] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures. However, the exemplary embodiments may be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as being limited to the examples presented herein; on the contrary, the presentation of these examples enables the present disclosure to be exhaustive and complete and to fully expose to those skilled in the art the concepts of the exemplary embodiments. Like reference numerals in the accompanying figures designate the same or similar structures, and their detailed descriptions will therefore be omitted.

[0043] Although relative terms such as "top" and "bottom" are used herein to describe the relative relationship of one shown component to another, these terms are used herein only for convenience, for example, in accordance with the orientation described with reference to the accompanying figures. When a feature is "on" other features, this may mean that the feature is formed integrally with the other features, or that the feature is "directly" disposed on the other features, or that the feature is "indirectly" disposed on the other features, through another feature.

[0044] The terms "a", "an", "the", "said" and "... are used to indicate the presence of one or more elements / components / etc. The terms "at least one" are used to indicate the presence of one or more elements / components / etc.; the terms "including" and "having" are used to indicate open inclusion and mean that there may be additional elements / components / etc. in addition to those listed.

[0045] The embodiments according to the present disclosure relate to a cleaning apparatus. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 8, the cleaning apparatus 10 comprises a main body 100, a lower cover plate 130, and a cleaning module 200. The lower cover plate 130 is arranged to cover a side of the main body 100 facing a surface to be cleaned, a first opening 131 being formed on the lower cover plate 130. A housing cavity is formed between the main body 100 and the lower cover plate 130, and the projections of the housing cavity and the opening onto the surface to be cleaned overlap at least in part. The cleaning module 200 comprises a module body 210 and a brush head 220 connected to the module body 210, the module body 210 being disposed in the housing cavity and one end of the module body 210 being connected to the main body 100.The brush head 220 is connected to the module body 210 at its other end and can rotate relative to the module body 210. At least a portion of the brush head 220 protrudes from the first opening 131 toward the surface to be cleaned, in order to perform cleaning by interfering with the surface to be cleaned.

[0046] In the cleaning apparatus 10 according to the present disclosure, the module body 210 of the cleaning module 200 is located between the main body 100 and the lower cover plate 130, and the brush head 220 of the cleaning module 200 extends from the lower cover plate 130. Thus, the brush head 220 is located outside the lower cover plate 130, and the lower cover plate 130 forms a protective shield for the module body 210.When cleaning the surface to be cleaned by the cleaning module 200, the brush head 220 is located outside the lower cover plate 130 to perform the cleaning operation, and the lower cover plate 130 forms a barrier for debris, to prevent debris from adhering to the module body 210 or the surface of the module body 210 from being worn or damaged by debris, as well as to prevent dust, sewage, etc. from entering the module body 210 through the assembly gaps and damaging the devices in the module body 210. At the same time, by virtue of the lower cover plate 130, when the cleaning operation is performed by the cleaning apparatus 10, the gap between the lower cover plate 130 and the surface to be cleaned forms a discharge channel. of dirt, so that the debris can enter the next treatment area along the dirt discharge channel formed between the lower cover plate 130 and the surface to be cleaned, thereby improving the debris cleaning effect and cleaning efficiency.

[0047] More specifically, as shown in [Fig. 3], the main body 100 comprises an outer shell 110 and a lower shell 120. The outer shell 110 is formed with a housing cavity having an open end, the lower shell 120 is disposed in the housing cavity, and a lower cover plate 130 is disposed on a side of the lower shell 120 that is farther from the outer shell 110. Thus, the lower cover plate 130 is disposed on the open end of the housing cavity.

[0048] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the module body 210 is movable within the housing cavity, the brush head 220 can be arranged in a retracted position and in an extended position relative to the main body 100, under the drive of the module body 210, and the first opening 131 in the lower cover plate 130 is formed by a notch located on the edge of the lower cover plate 130. When the brush head 220 is arranged in the retracted position, the projections of the brush head 220 and the first opening 131 onto the surface to be cleaned at least partially overlap, i.e., the brush head 220 can be arranged in the first opening 131.When the brush head 220 is arranged in the extended position, the projections of the brush head 220 and the first opening 131 onto the surface to be cleaned are spaced apart from each other, i.e., the brush head 220 may be arranged outside the first opening 131.

[0049] When the brush head 220 is in the retracted position, it can perform normal sweeping operations to sweep debris in the sweeping area of the brush head 220 toward the dirt suction port. When the brush head 220 is in the extended position, the corresponding sweeping area of the brush head 220 is also extended to the outer side of the cleaning apparatus 10, thereby performing sweeping operations in more areas to avoid the possibility of a cleaning dead corner and to improve the cleaning effect of the cleaning apparatus 10.For example, when the cleaning apparatus 10 as a whole has a circular shape or the like, when it is necessary to clean corners such as wall corners, the cleaning area of the brush head 220 cannot cover the corners if the brush head 220 is in the retracted position, resulting in the inability to clean the corners and the formation of dead corners from the viewpoint of cleanliness. At this time, by placing the brush head 220 in the extended position, the brush head 220 can be outside the cleaning apparatus 10, which . makes the brush head 220 form a cleaning area that also moves to the outer side of the cleaning apparatus 10, increasing the area of the cleaning area corresponding to the brush head 220, thereby achieving the purpose of cleaning dead corners such as corners of corners, improving the cleaning effect of the cleaning apparatus 10.

[0050] Of course, in the cleaning apparatus 10 according to the present disclosure, the brush head 220 may also be fixedly arranged, i.e., the module body 210 is fixedly arranged in the cleaning apparatus 10, so that the brush head 220 is available to perform the sweeping operation in only one position, and the present disclosure is not limiting for this.

[0051] As shown in [Fig.8], the module body 210 comprises a fixed arm 211 and a swing arm 212. The fixed arm 211 is fixedly disposed in the housing cavity. One end of the swing arm 212 is connected to the fixed arm, and the other end is equipped with the brush head 220. The swing arm 212 swings back and forth within a preset angle range, and the preset angle may be 20° to 120°, such as 20°, 30°, 40°, 50°, 60°, 70°, 80°, 90°, 100°, 110°, 120°, etc., the possible values not being listed in the present disclosure.

[0052] More specifically, the swing arm 212 may be equipped with a gear set for driving the brush head 220 to rotate at a high speed by an output shaft of the drive system. The rotation speed of the brush head 220 may be 500 rpm~3000 rpm to improve the cleaning efficiency and effect, with a rotation speed of, for example, 500 rpm, 800 rpm, 1000 rpm, 2000 rpm, 3000 rpm, etc. etc., which the present disclosure will not list here. Of course, the rotation speed of the brush head 220 may also be lower than 500 rpm or higher than 3000 rpm, and the present disclosure does not limit it.

[0053] A housing space may be formed in the swing arm 212 for mounting the gear assembly in the swing arm 212. The swing arm 212 as a whole may have a rectangular shape or the like, the extension direction of the swing arm 212 may be the direction of its length X. The swing arm 212 swings in a direction of its width Y. The housing space formed in the swing arm 212 in the direction of its thickness Z, is sized to be just sufficient to accommodate the gear assembly, in order to prevent the size of the swing arm 212 from being too large.

[0054] The swing arm 212 may be made to swing back and forth by the drive assembly within a predefined angle range, and the drive assembly driving the swing arm 212 and the drive assembly driving the brush head 220 may be two independent drive assemblies. Alternatively, the swing arm 212 is rotatably coupled with the assembly drive, and the swing arm 212 is not driven by the drive assembly, but the swing arm 212 can swing relative to the drive assembly by applying an external force to change the position of the brush head 220 relative to the main body 100.

[0055] In one embodiment, as shown in [Fig.2], the housing cavity is exposed in the direction of the peripheral side of the main body 100 through the second opening 140, and the end of the swing arm 212 connected to the brush head 220 enters the housing cavity or exits the housing cavity through the second opening 140.

[0056] The second opening 140 may be formed by an opening on the edge of the outer shell 110 of the main body 100, the size of the opening corresponding to the size of the module body 210 to allow the end of the swing arm 212 connected to the brush head 220 to enter the housing cavity or exit the housing cavity through the second opening 140.

[0057] In one embodiment, the cleaning apparatus further comprises: a bumper, the bumper being disposed on the peripheral side of the main body 100 and providing a refuge space for the second opening 140.

[0058] In this regard, by providing a bumper, on the one hand, the second opening 140 is provided with a refuge space and, on the other hand, the main body 100 is provided with an anti-collision damping effect.

[0059] In one embodiment, the swing arm 212 is provided with anti-collision strips on the peripheral side of the swing arm 212 to attenuate impact forces received during swing.

[0060] The anti-collision strip on the peripheral side of the swing arm 212 may be a rubber strip to provide a better anti-collision effect while preventing the anti-collision strip from occupying too much space. Of course, other elastic members may also be provided by those skilled in the art, and the present disclosure is not limiting thereto.

[0061] In one embodiment, the lower cover plate 130 forms a protective shield for the module body 210. When the brush head 220 is in the retracted position, the overlapping area between the projection of said lower cover plate 130 on said surface to be cleaned and the projection of the module body 210 on said surface to be cleaned being a, and the area of the orthogonal projection of said module body 210 on said surface to be cleaned being b, a / b is of the order of 0.6 to 0.8. For example, a / b is 0.6, 0.65, 0.7 0.75, 0.8, etc., without this being limiting. By making the ratio between the overlapping area between the projection of said lower cover plate 130 on said surface to be cleaned and the projection of the module body 210 on said surface to be cleaned is a, and the orthogonal projection of said module body 210 on said surface to be cleaned is of the order of 0.6 to 0.8, the lower cover plate 130 is capable of protecting a large part of the surface of the module body 210, and the protection effect of the module body 210 is improved.

[0062] In one embodiment, the outer shell 110 may be a complete housing of the cleaning apparatus 10, and when the cleaning apparatus 10 as a whole has the shape of a circle, an ellipse, a circle-like shape, etc., the outer shell 110 comprises an upper cover portion and an annular sidewall portion. The upper cover portion and the annular sidewall portion define a housing cavity, which is used to assemble a variety of modules, for example, a fluid supply module, a battery module, a control module, a dirt suction module, a floor cleaning module, an induction module, etc. etc.

[0063] The orthogonal projection of the module body 210 on the outer shell 110 is entirely located on the upper cover portion when the brush head 220 is in the retracted position. The edge of the lower cover plate 130 is generally located inside the edge of the complete machine housing to prevent the lower cover plate 130 from blocking the complete machine when it is moved. For this, the edge of the lower cover plate 130 is located inside the edge of the outer shell 110, that is, the orthogonal projection of the lower cover plate 130 on the outer shell 110 is entirely located on the upper cover portion of the outer shell 110. When the brush head 220 is located in the retracted position, the orthogonal projection of the module body 210 on the outer shell 110 is entirely located on the upper cover portion of the outer shell 110.Thus, the lower cover plate 130 can form a better protective shield for the module body 210.

[0064] In one embodiment, as shown in [Fig. 6], the battery module comprises a rechargeable battery 300, such as a nickel metal hydride battery and a lithium battery. The rechargeable battery may be connected to a charge control circuit, a battery pack charge temperature detection circuit, and a battery undervoltage monitoring circuit, all of which are in turn connected to the microcontroller control circuit. The cleaning apparatus 10 may be charged by charging electrodes located on the body, for example, on the side of the body, at the bottom of the body, or at the top of the body, and connected to the charging terminals.

[0065] More specifically, the battery module is assembled to the main body 100, an orthogonal projection of the lower cover plate 130 on the outer shell 110 covers an orthogonal projection of the battery module on the outer shell 110, and the lower cover plate 130 forms a protection for the battery module, that is, the lower cover plate 130 may be a lower cover plate of the battery.

[0066] A mounting space for the battery module may be formed on the main body 100. After the battery module is assembled in the mounting space, the battery module is covered by the lower cover plate 130. Alternatively, a part of the battery module is disposed in the housing cavity between the outer shell 110 and the lower cover plate 130, and a part of the battery module is exposed through the first opening 131 for mounting on the main body 100, and then the lower cover plate 130 is used to realize the protective shield of the battery module exposed from the main body 100.

[0067] The lower cover plate 130 can be removably connected to the main body 100. For example, the main body 100 is provided with a plurality of threaded holes and the lower cover plate 130 is provided with a plurality of through holes. After the lower cover plate 130 and the main body 100 have been aligned, the plurality of threaded holes and the plurality of through holes are arranged in correspondence one by one. Then, the lower cover plate 130 is removably fixed to the main body 100 by screws screwed through the through holes and into the threaded holes. In this way, the lower cover plate 130 can be removably connected to the main body 100, which facilitates maintenance and replacement of other modules such as the battery module.For example, when the cleaning apparatus 10 needs to work continuously, the battery module is usually energized for a long time, and the battery of the battery module can be configured as a quick-disconnect battery, so that the cleaning apparatus 10 can work continuously by replacing the spare battery, and the cleaning efficiency can be improved.

[0068] Of course, the lower cover plate 130 and the main body 100 may also be removably connected to each other by means of expansion nails, clamping, snap-fastening, or adhesive bonding, etc. The present disclosure is not limiting to this.

[0069] In one embodiment, when the brush head 220 is in the retracted position, the edge of the module body 210 close to the periphery of the cleaning apparatus 10 is exposed, i.e., the lower cover plate 130 does not completely cover the module body 210. The shape of the edge of the lower cover plate 130 corresponds to the shape of the edge of the outer shell 110, which may be in the shape of an arc of a circle as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 7. Since the width of the module body 210 is not exactly the same at all positions in the length direction X, that the lower cover plate 130 cannot completely cover the module body 210, so that the edge of the module body 210 is partially exposed. In the width direction Y of the module body 210, the spacing between the edge of the orthogonal projection of the lower cover plate 130 (excluding the first opening 131) on the outer shell 110, and the edge of the orthogonal projection of the module body 210 on the outer shell 110 being c, and the width of the module body 210 being d, the quotient c / d is in the range of 0.05 to 0.2, for example being in the range of 0.05, 0.08, 0.1, 0.12, 0.15, 0.18, 0.2, etc., or other values not listed in the present disclosure.

[0070] Of course, the shape and size of the lower cover plate 130 may be set so that the edge of the orthogonal projection of the lower cover plate 130 on the outer shell 110, except for the first opening 131, is located outside the edge of the orthogonal projection of the module body 210 on the outer shell 110. The portion of the lower cover plate 130 other than the first opening 131 may completely cover the module body 210 in the width direction Y of the module body 210, thereby improving the shielding effect on the module body 210.

[0071] In one embodiment, when the brush head 220 is in the retracted position, the curvature of the edge of the module body 210 facing the peripheral side of the main body 100 matches the curvature of the edge of the lower cover plate 130 facing the peripheral side of the main body 100. By matching the curvature of the edge of the module body 210 facing the peripheral side of the main body 100 with the curvature of the edge of the lower cover plate 130 facing the peripheral side of the main body 100, the blocking area of the module body 210 can be improved, thereby improving the blocking effect.

[0072] Of course, for example, when the edge of the module body 210 facing the peripheral side of the main body 100 is irregular in shape, the edge of the lower cover plate 130 facing the peripheral side of the main body 100 may not be arranged to match the edge of the module body 210 facing the peripheral side of the main body 100, and the edge of the lower cover plate 130 facing the peripheral side of the main body 100 may be curved in shape, so as to ensure that the lower cover plate 130 can protect the module body 210 as much as possible. The present disclosure is not restrictive in this regard.

[0073] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 4 and 8, the brush head 220 comprises a mounting portion 221 and a brush head portion 222, and the mounting portion 221 is connected to the module body 210. When the brush head 220 is in the retracted position, the mounting portion 221 is disposed in the first opening 131, and the shape and size of the first opening 131 are matched to the shape and size of the mounting portion 221. By matching the shape and size of the first opening 131 with the shape and size of the mounting portion 221, it is possible to relatively reduce the size of the first opening 131, prevent the gap between the mounting portion 221 and the edge of the first opening 131 from being too large, and thus improve the locking area of the lower cover plate 130 on the module body 210.For example, when the mounting portion 221 is circular, the edge of the first opening 131 is U-shaped as a whole, and the edge of the inner side of the U-shaped opening is curved into an arc to match the mounting portion 221, wherein the arc-shaped edges and the edges of the mounting portion 221 may be concentric circles to further reduce the size of the first opening 131.

[0074] When the brush head 220 is in the retracted position, the mounting portion 221 is fully located in the first opening 131. By placing the mounting portion 221 fully in the first opening 131, it is possible to fully accommodate the mounting portion 221 through the first opening 131, and thus increase the area of protection of the module body 210 by the lower cover plate 130. Of course, the mounting portion 221 may also be partially disposed in the first opening 131, and the present disclosure does not limit it.

[0075] The mounting portion 221 is removably connected to the module body 210. For example, the mounting portion 221 may be secured to the module body 210 by screws. The removably connecting the mounting portion 221 to the module body 210 facilitates maintenance and replacement of the brush head 220.

[0076] In one embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4, the lower cover plate 130 has a protruding portion 132, formed on the edge region of the first opening 131 and protruding toward the side of the main body 100. Thus, a recessed region, which is recessed toward the inside of the housing cavity, is formed on the edge region of the first opening 131 of the lower cover plate 130.

[0077] One end of the brush head portion 222 is connected to the mounting portion 221, and the other end extends out of the protruding portion 132 to contact the surface to be cleaned and sweep away debris. The presence of the protruding portion 132 facilitates the installation of the brush head 220 and allows the lower cover plate 130 to cover as much as possible the area of the module body 210 close to the mounting portion 221, thereby improving the protective shield effect on the module body 210.

[0078] Since one end of the brush head portion 222 is connected to the mounting portion 221, the brush head portion 222 going toward its other end is gradually curved and extends toward a side away from the lower cover plate 130, so that the brush head portion 222 can contact the surface to be cleaned. The protrusion height of the protruding portion 132 toward the housing cavity can be adapted to the curvature of the curved extension of the brush head portion 222, so that the distance between the brush head portion 222 and the lower cover plate 130 in the extension direction remains the same or substantially the same.

[0079] In one embodiment, the cleaning apparatus 10 is equipped with a dirt suction module, the dirt suction module comprising a negative pressure fan, a dirt suction tank, and a dirt suction channel, an outlet of the dirt suction channel being connected to the suction tank, an inlet of the dirt suction channel being exposed from the lower cover plate 130, and the negative pressure fan being connected to the dirt suction tank to maintain the dirt suction tank in a negative pressure state when the cleaning apparatus 10 performs a sweeping operation, such that the inlet of the dirt suction channel is in a negative pressure state.

[0080] The brush head 220 is adjacent to the dirt suction port, and by virtue of the high-speed rotation of the brush head 220, the debris can be swept near the dirt suction port, and then the debris is sucked into the dirt suction channel through the dirt suction port under the effect of the negative pressure, and then enters the dirt suction tank, so as to realize the operation of sweeping the debris from the surface to be cleaned.

[0081] The dirt suction port is located in a middle region of the lower portion of the cleaning apparatus 10, and the brush head 220 is located diagonally, forward of the dirt suction port so that debris swept up by the brush head 220 can be located substantially in the middle of the dirt suction port, thereby allowing better access of the swept up debris into the dirt suction port.

[0082] The negative pressure provided by the negative pressure fan may be 3000 Pa to 7000 Pa, in order to improve the absorption effect of the negative pressure on the debris; for example, it may be 3000 Pa, 4000 Pa, 5000 Pa, 6000 Pa, 7000 Pa, etc., other values not listed in the present disclosure being possible. Of course, the negative pressure provided by the negative pressure fan may be less than 3000 Pa or more than 7000 Pa, the present disclosure will not be limited in this regard.

[0083] A roller brush rotating about an axis parallel to the floor may also be provided at the dirt suction port. The roller brush having some interference with the floor sweeps debris on the floor, rolls it and transports it into the dirt suction channel. Then, the debris is sucked into the dirt suction tank by the suction flow generated by the negative pressure fan and passing through the dirt suction tank.

[0084] In one embodiment, the detection module includes a position determining device disposed on the main body 100, a collision sensor disposed on a bumper of the forward-facing portion of the main body 100, a proximity sensor disposed on the outer shell 110, a sheer drop sensor disposed on the lower portion of the main body 100, and detection devices such as a magnetometer, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, an odometer, and the like, disposed within the main body 100, for providing the control module with various information about the position and movement state of the cleaning apparatus 10. The position determining device may be a camera or a laser distance measuring device.

[0085] In one embodiment, the control module is provided on a circuit board within the main body 100, comprising a non-transitory memory, for example a hard disk, a flash memory, a random access memory, a communication computing processor, for example a central processing unit, and an application processor. The application processor uses a positioning algorithm, such as a real-time positioning algorithm and map-making algorithms, as well as obstacle information returned by laser ranging means, to generate a real-time map of the environment in which the cleaning apparatus is located. In addition, by combining the distance and speed information returned by the detection means such as the sensor placed on the bumper, the sheer sensor, the magnetometer, the accelerometer, the gyroscope, the odometer, etc., it is possible to comprehensively determine the current operating state of the cleaning apparatus 10, its location and the current position of the cleaning apparatus 10, such as crossing a threshold, accessing a carpet, having a drop-off, being stuck from above or below, having the suction box full, being picked up, etc. . In addition, a specific action strategy will be given for different situations, so that the cleaning apparatus will have a better cleaning performance and a better user experience. .

[0086] In one embodiment, the drive module may maneuver the cleaning apparatus 10 to move across the floor based on drive commands containing distance and angle information (e.g., x, y, and 0 components). The drive module may include a first drive wheel module and a second drive wheel module. The first drive wheel module and the second drive wheel module are disposed along an axis transverse defined by the cleaning apparatus 10. In order for the cleaning apparatus 10 to move on the ground more stably or with greater mobility, the cleaning apparatus 10 may include one or more drive wheels, the drive wheels including, but not limited to, universal wheels. The drive wheel module includes a travel wheel, a drive motor, and a control circuit for controlling the drive motor, and the drive wheel module may also be connected to a drive current measuring circuit and an odometer. The drive wheel module may be removably attached to the main body 100 to facilitate removal, installation, and maintenance.The drive wheel may be provided with a down-return type suspension system, removably attached, for example rotatably, to the main body 100, and receiving a spring biased downwardly and away from the main body 100. The spring bias allows the drive wheel to maintain contact and traction on the ground with a certain landing force, while the cleaning head of the cleaning apparatus 10 contacts the ground with a certain pressure.

[0087] In one embodiment, the cleaning apparatus 10 further comprises a mop cleaning module and a liquid supply module, the mop cleaning module comprising a wet cleaning head, and the liquid supply module comprising a liquid supply assembly, the liquid supply assembly supplying cleaning liquid to the wet cleaning head. The cleaning head can be placed under the liquid supply assembly, and the cleaning liquid contained in the liquid supply assembly is transferred to the cleaning head via a water dispensing mechanism to enable the cleaning head to wet clean the surface to be cleaned.Of course, the cleaning liquid in the liquid supply assembly can also be sprayed directly onto the surface to be cleaned, and the cleaning head can clean the surface by spreading the cleaning liquid evenly.

[0088] As shown in [Fig.l], the cleaning head may be placed at the bottom of the cleaning apparatus 10, and the cleaning head may for example be a cleaning block placed parallel to the surface to be cleaned. The cleaning head is used for cleaning the surface to be cleaned, and the drive assembly is used for driving the cleaning head in a substantially reciprocating motion along a target surface, the target surface being a part of the surface to be cleaned. The cleaning head reciprocates along the surface to be cleaned, and a cleaning cloth or plate is placed on the contact surface between the cleaning head and the surface to be cleaned, which generates high-frequency friction with the surface to be cleaned by means of the reciprocating motion to remove stains on the surface to be cleaned. The higher the friction frequency, the more occurrences of friction per unit time. High-frequency reciprocating motion has a much better cleaning ability than ordinary reciprocating motion, such as rotating and rubbing cleaning. Optionally, the rubbing frequency is close to that of sound waves, and the cleaning effect will be much better than that of rotating rubbing cleaning of dozens of revolutions per minute. On the other hand, the hair tufts on the surface of the cleaning head will extend more cleanly in the same direction under the effect of high-frequency vibration, so the overall cleaning effect is more uniform. This is different from simply applying downward pressure to increase the friction force to improve the cleaning effect with low-frequency rotation. Downward pressure alone will not make the hair tufts extend in the same direction.The effect achieved is that the water marks on the surface to be cleaned after high-frequency vibration cleaning are more uniform and do not leave messy water stains.

[0089] In the cleaning apparatus 10 according to the present disclosure, the module body 210 of the cleaning module 200 is located between the main body 100 and the lower cover plate 130, and the brush head 220 of the cleaning module 200 extends from the lower cover plate 130. Thus, the brush head 220 is located outside the lower cover plate 130, and the lower cover plate 130 forms a protective shield for the module body 210. When sweeping the surface to be cleaned by the cleaning module 200, the brush head 220 is located outside the lower cover plate 130 to perform the cleaning operation, and the lower cover plate 130 forms a barrier for debris. This prevents debris from adhering to the module body 210 or the surface of the module body 210 from being worn by debris, and also prevents dust, waste water, etc.do not enter the module body 210 through the mounting gaps and damage the devices in the module body 210. At the same time, due to the lower cover plate 130, when the cleaning operation is performed by the cleaning apparatus 10, the gap between the lower cover plate 130 and the surface to be cleaned forms a dirt discharge channel, so that the debris can enter a subsequent processing area along the dirt discharge channel formed between the lower cover plate 130 and the surface to be cleaned, thereby improving the debris cleaning effect and cleaning efficiency.

Claims

Claims

1. Cleaning apparatus for cleaning a surface to be cleaned, characterized in that it comprises: - a main body (100), - a lower cover plate (130), which is arranged so as to cover the side of the main body facing the surface to be cleaned and which has a first opening (131), a housing cavity being formed between the main body and the lower cover plate such that, when projecting onto the surface to be cleaned, the housing cavity and the first opening overlap at least partially;and - a cleaning module (200), which comprises: - a module body (210), which is arranged in the housing cavity and has one end connected to the main body, and a brush head (220), which is connected to the other end of the module body and is rotatable relative to the module body, at least a portion of said brush head protruding out of the first opening towards the surface to be cleaned in order to carry out cleaning by interfering with said surface to be cleaned.;

2. A cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: - the first opening (131) is located on an edge of the lower cover plate and forms a notch; and - the module body (210) is movable in said housing cavity to cause the brush head to adopt a retracted position in which, projecting onto the surface to be cleaned, the brush head and the first opening at least partially overlap, and an extended position, in which, projecting onto the surface to be cleaned, the brush head and the first opening are separated from each other and / or are partially overlapped with respect to the main body.

3. A cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, when the brush head (220) is located in the retracted position, the overlapping surface between the projection of the lower cover plate (130) and that module body (210) on the surface to be cleaned is a, and the orthogonal projection of said module body on the surface to be cleaned being b, the quotient a / b is substantially between 0.6 and 0.

8.

4. A cleaning apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the module body (210) comprises: - a fixed arm (211) fixedly disposed in the housing cavity; and - an oscillating arm (212), which has one end connected to the fixed arm and the other end of which is provided with said brush head, the movement of the oscillating arm in the housing cavity causing said brush head (220) to move between the retracted position and the extended position relative to said main body, the portion of the oscillating arm disposed in said housing cavity when said brush head is disposed in the retracted position being larger than the portion of said oscillating arm disposed in said housing cavity when the brush head is disposed in the extended position.

5. A cleaning apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the housing cavity is exposed in the direction of the peripheral side of said main body (100) through a second opening (140), and the end of said swing arm (212) connected to the brush head (220) enters into said housing cavity or exits from said housing cavity through said second opening.

6. A cleaning apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a bumper provided on the peripheral side of said main body (100).

7. A cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein an anti-collision strip is provided on a peripheral side of the swing arm (212) to cushion the force of an impact received during swing.

8. Cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the brush head (220) comprises: a mounting portion, connected to the module body and having a shape and size corresponding to the shape and size of the first opening; a brush head portion, configured to perform cleaning by interfering with said surface to be cleaned.

9. A cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein, when said brush head (220) is in the retracted position, the curvature of the edge of the module body (210) rotated towards the peripheral side of the main body (100) corresponds to the curvature of said peripheral side of the main body.

10. A cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the lower cover plate (130) has a projection, located toward the side of the main body (100) and formed in an area of the edge of the first opening (131).

11. A cleaning apparatus according to claim 6, taken in combination with any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein said bumper provides a refuge space for said second opening.

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