Side brush module for a cleaning device and Cleaning device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a side brush module for a cleaning apparatus and a cleaning apparatus. The side brush module comprises a fixed arm (1) to be mounted on the lower part of a movable platform of the cleaning apparatus; a swing arm (2), one end of which is rotatably connected to the fixed arm, and the other end of which is provided with a cleaning member capable of rotating, and a power assembly (3), which is connected to the fixed arm. The power assembly is configured to be able to drive the swing arm (2) to move between a retracted position and an extended position. The side brush module has a conventional cleaning mode in which the cleaning member (4) is located in the retracted position, and a special cleaning mode in which the cleaning member (4) is located in the extended position.The cleaning apparatus includes a movable platform configured to automatically move across a work surface and a cleaning module located at the bottom of the movable platform, configured to clean at least a portion of the work surface, the cleaning module including a brush module as described above. Figure 3.

Description

Title of the invention: Side brush module for a cleaning appliance and Cleaning appliance Technical field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of cleaning robots, and more particularly to a side brush module for a cleaning appliance. It also relates to a cleaning appliance. Prior art

[0002] Cleaning robots currently include sweeping robots, mopping robots, sweeping and mopping robots, scrubbers, etc. Sweeping and mopping robots can both sweep and clean the floor and are increasingly common in family life.

[0003] With the development of all-in-one sweeping and mopping robots, the functions of all-in-one sweeping and mopping robots are becoming more and more numerous. However, current sweeping and mopping robots are generally unable to sweep the corners of the room, resulting in incomplete sweeping and degrading the user experience. Statement of the invention

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a side brush module for a cleaning apparatus and a cleaning apparatus, which can solve the technical problem that the corner area of an interior cannot be swept.

[0005] According to specific embodiments, the present disclosure provides a side brush module for a cleaning apparatus, comprising:

[0006] a fixed arm configured to be mounted on the lower portion of the movable platform of the cleaning apparatus;

[0007] an oscillating arm, one end of which is rotatably connected to said fixed arm and the other end of which is equipped with a cleaning element capable of rotating;

[0008] a power assembly, connected to said fixed arm, said power assembly being configured to be able to oscillate said oscillating arm in order to drive said cleaning element to move between a retracted position and a deployed position,

[0009] said side brush module having a conventional cleaning mode in which the cleaning element is in said retracted position, and a special cleaning mode in which the cleaning element is in said extended position.

[0010] Optionally, said power assembly comprises a transmission assembly capable of driving said swing arm to swing and / or driving said cleaning element to rotate under the drive of the drive element.

[0011] Optionally, said drive element comprises a rotating output shaft, said rotating output shaft rotating in a first direction in said conventional cleaning mode, and rotating in a second direction in said special cleaning mode.

[0012] When the rotation direction of the output rotary shaft changes from the first rotation direction to the second rotation direction, the side brush module changes from the conventional cleaning mode to the special cleaning mode.

[0013] When the rotation direction of the output rotary shaft changes from the second rotation direction to the first rotation direction, the side brush module changes from the special cleaning mode to the conventional cleaning mode.

[0014] Optionally, said cleaning element rotates in the same direction in said special cleaning mode and in said conventional cleaning mode.

[0015] Optionally, the transmission assembly comprises:

[0016] a connecting shaft, rotatably connected about its own central axis to said fixed arm and to said swing arm, said drive element being connected to said connecting shaft so as to drive said connecting shaft in rotation;

[0017] a first transmission assembly having its input end connected to the connecting shaft and its output end connected to the swing arm, such that when the connecting shaft is rotated, the swing arm can be driven to swing by the first transmission assembly;

[0018] a second transmission assembly, the input end of which is connected to said first transmission assembly and the output end of which is connected to the cleaning element, so that when the connecting shaft is rotated, the cleaning element can be rotated by the first transmission assembly and the second transmission assembly.

[0019] Optionally, the first transmission assembly comprises a first gear and a second gear, said first gear being sleeved on the connecting shaft and rotatable with said connecting shaft, the second gear being rotatably connected to the swing arm, said first gear and said second gear meshing. When said first gear changes its direction of rotation, the swing arm can be driven to change its direction of oscillation by means of the second gear, so that the side brush module switches between said conventional cleaning mode and said special cleaning mode.

[0020] Optionally, said second transmission assembly comprises a first rotary transmission assembly and a second rotary transmission assembly, wherein changing the direction of rotation of the first gear causes the second gear to be selectively connected to an input end of said first rotary transmission assembly or to an input end of said second rotary transmission assembly. The output end of said first rotary transmission assembly and the output end output of said second rotary transmission assembly being connected to the cleaning element, respectively.

[0021] In the conventional cleaning mode, the second gear is connected to the input end of the first rotary transmission assembly. When the second gear rotates in a first rotational direction, the cleaning element can be driven by the first rotary transmission assembly to rotate in a defined rotational direction.

[0022] In the special cleaning mode, the second gear is connected to the input end of the second rotary transmission assembly. When the second gear rotates in the other rotational direction, the cleaning element can be driven by the second rotary transmission assembly to rotate in the set rotational direction.

[0023] Optionally, the first rotary transmission assembly comprises a third gear, a first intermediate transmission assembly and an output gear, said third gear and said output gear being respectively connected to an input end and an output end of said first intermediate transmission assembly.

[0024] The second rotary transmission assembly comprises a fourth gear, a second intermediate transmission assembly and said output gear, said fourth gear and said output gear being respectively connected to an input end and an output end of said second intermediate transmission assembly.

[0025] The output gear is rotatably connected to said swing arm. The cleaning element is coaxially connected to said output gear. Changing the direction of rotation of the first gear causes the second gear to be selectively coaxially connected to said third gear or said fourth gear. Optionally, said first intermediate transmission assembly comprises a plurality of first transmission gears successively engaged with each other, a first of the first transmission gears in the transmission direction meshing with said third gear and a last of the first transmission gears in the transmission direction meshing with said output gear.

[0026] The second intermediate transmission assembly comprises a plurality of second transmission gears successively engaged with each other, a first of the second transmission gears in the transmission direction meshing with said fourth gear and a last of the second transmission gears in the transmission direction meshing with said output gear.

[0027] There is one more first transmission gear or one less first transmission gear than the number of second transmission gears.

[0028] Optionally, said first gear and said second gear are helical gears, said second gear is provided with teeth on both sides of said second gear and said second gear is movably and coaxially arranged along its axial direction between said third gear and said fourth gear, said third gear and said fourth gear being provided with teeth on their sides facing the second gear, wherein changing the direction of rotation of the first gear causes the teeth of the second gear to selectively engage with the teeth of the third gear or the teeth of the fourth gear.

[0029] Optionally, said first intermediate transmission assembly comprises a set of synchronizing pulleys and a plurality of first transmission gears arranged successively along the transmission direction, said set of synchronizing pulleys being connected so as to be able to be driven between a first of the first transmission gears and the third gear, or between two adjacent transmission gears among the first gears, or between the last of the first transmission gears and said output gear.

[0030] The second intermediate transmission assembly comprises a plurality of successively engaged second transmission gears, wherein, along the transmission direction, the first of the second transmission gears is in engagement with the fourth gear and the last of the second transmission gears is in engagement with the output gear.

[0031] The number of first transmission gears is the same as that of second transmission gears.

[0032] Optionally, said first transmission assembly comprises an oscillating pusher and a pusher transmission assembly, one end of said oscillating pusher being rotatably connected to said connecting shaft and the other end of said oscillating pusher being connected to said pusher transmission assembly. The connecting shaft is connected to said pusher transmission assembly. Changing the rotation direction of the connecting shaft causes the oscillating pusher driven by the pusher transmission assembly to change the oscillation direction in which it rotates around the connecting shaft via said, in order to allow said side brush module to switch between said conventional cleaning mode and said special cleaning mode.

[0033] Optionally, the pusher transmission assembly comprises:

[0034] a first gear, fitted onto the connecting shaft and capable of rotating with the connecting shaft.

[0035] a first mounting shaft, connected to one end of the oscillating pusher opposite the connecting shaft;

[0036] a friction transmission wheel, sleeved on the first mounting shaft and capable of rotating relative to the first mounting shaft, the first gear meshing with the friction transmission wheel;

[0037] a friction wheel, sleeved on the first mounting shaft and capable of rotating relative to said first mounting shaft, said friction wheel being connected to said friction transmission wheel, said friction wheel being capable of rolling along a wall surface of said fixed arm.

[0038] When the first gear, when changing the direction of rotation, can drive the friction wheel through the friction transmission wheel to change its rolling direction, thereby enabling the swinging pusher to change the direction of oscillation.

[0039] Optionally, the lateral surfaces of the friction transmission wheel and the friction wheel are in contact,

[0040] said pusher transmission assembly further comprises a pressurizing assembly, said pressurizing assembly applying a first pressing force on said friction transmission wheel towards said friction wheel and / or applying a second pressing force on said friction wheel towards said friction transmission wheel, such that the friction forces between said friction transmission wheel and said friction wheel are capable of driving said friction wheel into rotation synchronized with said friction transmission wheel.

[0041] Optionally, said pressurizing assembly comprises a first limiting element and a first elastic element, said first limiting element being connected to said first mounting shaft and being located on the side of said friction wheel opposite the friction transmission wheel, said first elastic element being elastically compressed between said first limiting element and said friction wheel; and / or

[0042] said pressurizing assembly comprises a second limiting element and a second elastic element, said second limiting element being connected to said first mounting shaft and being located on the side of said friction transmission wheel opposite said friction wheel, and said second elastic element being elastically compressed between said second limiting element and said friction transmission wheel.

[0043] The present disclosure also provides a cleaning apparatus comprising:

[0044] a mobile platform, configured to move automatically on a work surface;

[0045] a cleaning module, provided on the lower portion of said movable platform, configured to clean at least a portion of said work surface, said cleaning module comprising a side brush module for a cleaning apparatus as described above.

[0046] Compared to the prior art, the embodiments of the present disclosure have the following technical effects.

[0047] The side brush module for the cleaning apparatus according to the embodiments of the present disclosure is capable of driving a swing arm to swing via the power assembly, thereby driving the cleaning member to move between a retracted position and an extended position. When cleaning in a wide and flat area, the side brush module switches to a conventional cleaning mode, with the cleaning member then being in the retracted position, capable of cleaning the working surface under the movable platform. When cleaning in an area near a wall corner, the side brush module switches to a special cleaning mode, with the cleaning member then being in the extended position, capable of cleaning a wider area around the movable platform, and capable of reaching the area of the wall corner to clean it, so as to thoroughly clean this area.Thus, the side brush module for a cleaning apparatus provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure is capable of cleaning in the spaces of a room, expanding the cleaning range, and thus improving the user experience.

[0048] The cleaning apparatus according to the embodiments of the present disclosure includes all the beneficial effects provided thereto by the side brush module described above. Therefore, the cleaning apparatus provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure is capable of cleaning the corners of a room, expanding the cleaning range, and thus improving the user experience. Brief description of the figures

[0049] The accompanying figures are incorporated in and form a part of the description; they illustrate 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 understood that the accompanying figures of the following description represent only some of the embodiments of the present disclosure. In the accompanying figures:

[0050] [Fig.l] shows a perspective view of a cleaning apparatus according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0051] [Fig.2] shows a view of the structure of the lower part of a cleaning apparatus according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0052] [Fig. 3] shows a schematic perspective view of a side brush module for a cleaning apparatus according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0053] [Fig.4] shows a perspective view of a side brush module for a cleaning apparatus of certain embodiments of the present disclosure with the swing arm and a portion of the fixed arm omitted.

[0054] [Fig.5] shows a schematic perspective view of a swing arm and a fixed arm of certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0055] [Fig.6] shows a schematic perspective view of a transmission assembly of certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0056] [Fig.7] shows a schematic perspective view of a portion of the transmission assembly of certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0057] [Fig.8] shows a schematic perspective view of a structure within a swing arm of certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0058] [Fig.9] shows a sectional view of a portion of the transmission assembly of certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0059] [Fig. 10] shows a perspective diagram of a portion of a fixed arm of certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0060] Reference signs:

[0061] Mobile platform 100, rear-facing portion 110, forward-facing portion 111, perception system 120, positioning device 121, shock absorber 122, drive system 140, drive wheel assembly 141, direction-changing assembly 142, human-machine interaction system 170, cleaning module 1000, dry cleaning module 300, roller brush 310, side brush module 320, wet cleaning module 200, fixed arm 1, swing arm 2, power assembly 3, brush 4, drive member 31, transmission assembly 32, first gear 321, second gear 322, connecting shaft 323, first connecting shaft transmission gear 3241, second connecting shaft transmission gear 3242, third gear connecting shaft transmission gear 3243, fourth connecting shaft transmission gear 3244, second mounting shaft 325, third gear 3261, fourth gear 3262,output gear 3263, fifth gear 3264, sixth gear 3265, seventh gear 3266, eighth gear 3267, ninth gear 3268, rocking tappet 33, tappet transmission assembly 34, first mounting shaft 341, friction transmission wheel 342, friction wheel 343, first elastic member 344, second elastic member 345, first limiting member 347. , Detailed description of the embodiments

[0062] In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present disclosure more clear, the same will be described in more detail in the following, in relation to the accompanying appended figures, and it is obvious that the described embodiments represent only a part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and not all of the embodiments.

[0063] Terms used in embodiments of the present disclosure are used solely for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. The singular articles "a" or "the" mean "at least one" or "at least the" unless otherwise indicated or contextually indicated.

[0064] It should be understood that the term "and / or", as used herein, is simply a description of the association relationship of the associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist, e.g., A and / or B, which may be expressed as: A alone, both A and B, and B alone. Furthermore, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0065] It should be understood that while the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used to describe embodiments of the present disclosure, they should not be limited to these terms. These terms are used only for the purpose of distinction. For example, without departing from the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the first may also be referred to as the second, and similarly, the second may also be referred to as the first.

[0066] It should also be noted that the terms "comprising", "including" or any other variation thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that objects or devices comprising a series of elements include not only those elements, but also other elements which are not expressly listed, or which are inherent in those goods or devices. The same applies to elements which are not expressly listed or which are inherent in those objects or devices. Without further limitation, the fact that an element is qualified by the phrase "includes a" does not exclude the existence of another element of the same type in goods or devices comprising said element.

[0067] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below, in conjunction with the accompanying appended figures.

[0068] Figures 1 and 2 are schematic views of a structure of a cleaning apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. The automatic cleaning apparatus illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 may be a vacuum robot, a mopping / brushing robot, a window climbing robot, etc. The automatic cleaning apparatus may include a mobile platform 100, a perception system 120, a control system, a drive system 140, a cleaning module, an energy system, and a human-machine interaction system 170.

[0069] The mobile platform 100 may be configured to automatically move in a target direction over a work surface. This work surface may be a surface to be cleaned by the automatic cleaning apparatus. In some embodiments, the automatic cleaning apparatus may be a robot cleaner, the automatic cleaning apparatus working on the floor, said floor being said work surface; the automatic cleaning apparatus may also be a robot window cleaner, the automatic cleaning apparatus working on the outer surface of the window of a building, said window being said work surface; the automatic cleaning apparatus may also be a robot pipe cleaner, the automatic cleaning apparatus working on the inner surface of a pipe, said inner surface of the pipe being said work surface.For purely illustrative purposes, the following description of the present application is illustrated by an exemplary cleaning robot.

[0070] In some embodiments, the mobile platform 100 may be an autonomous mobile platform or a non-autonomous mobile platform. The autonomous mobile platform means that the mobile platform 100 itself can make operational decisions automatically and adaptively in response to unforeseen environmental data. The non-autonomous mobile platform itself cannot make operational decisions adaptively in response to unforeseen environmental data, but can execute established procedures or operate according to certain logic. Accordingly, when the mobile platform 100 is an autonomous mobile platform, the target direction can be autonomously decided by the automatic cleaning apparatus. When the mobile platform 100 is a non-autonomous mobile platform, the target direction can be set systematically or manually.When the mobile platform 100 is a self-contained mobile platform, it comprises a forward-facing portion 111 and a rearward-facing portion 110.

[0071] The perception system 120 comprises a positioning device 121 disposed above the moving platform 100, a damper 122 disposed on the forward-facing portion 111 of the moving platform 100, a sheer drop sensor, and sensing devices such as ultrasonic sensors, infrared sensors, magnetometers, accelerometers, gyroscopes, odometers, etc., disposed at the bottom of the moving platform, which provide the control system with a variety of information about the position and motion state of the machine.

[0072] In order to more clearly describe the behavior of the automatic cleaning apparatus, the following orientation is defined: the automatic cleaning apparatus can move on the ground by various combinations of movements with respect to three mutually perpendicular axes defined by the mobile platform 100: a transverse axis x, a front and rear axis y, and a central vertical axis z. The direction of forward transmission along the front and rear y axis is labeled "front", and the reverse transmission direction along the front and rear y axis is labeled "rear". The transverse x axis extends substantially between the right wheel and the left wheel of the automatic cleaning apparatus along an axis defined by the center point of the set of drive wheels. The automatic cleaning apparatus can thus rotate about the x axis. The automatic cleaning apparatus is "tilted up" when the front-facing portion of the automatic cleaning apparatus is tilted upward and the rear-facing portion is tilted downward, and is "tilted down" when the front-facing portion of the automatic cleaning apparatus is tilted downward and the rear-facing portion is tilted upward. In addition, the automatic cleaning apparatus can rotate about the z axis.In the forward direction of the automatic cleaning device, when the automatic cleaning device is tilted to the right of the y-axis, it is a "right turn", and when the automatic cleaning device is tilted to the left of the y-axis, it is a "left turn".

[0073] As shown in [Fig.2], drop sensors are provided on the lower part of the moving platform 100 and in front of and behind the drive wheel assembly, and the drop sensors are used to prevent the automatic cleaning apparatus from falling when the automatic cleaning apparatus is moving, so as to avoid damage to the automatic cleaning apparatus. The aforementioned term "front" refers to a side located in the same direction of movement as the automatic cleaning apparatus, and the aforementioned term "rear" refers to a side located in the opposite direction of movement as the automatic cleaning apparatus.

[0074] The positioning device 121 includes, but is not limited to, a camera, a laser distance measuring device (LDS).

[0075] The various components of the perception system 120 may operate independently or together to more accurately perform the intended function. The surface to be cleaned is identified by the peak sensor and the ultrasonic sensor to determine the physical characteristics of the surface to be cleaned, including the surface material, the degree of cleanliness, and so on. The determination may be more accurate if combined with a camera, a laser ranging device, etc.

[0076] The forward-facing portion 111 of the mobile platform 100 is provided with a shock-absorbing bumper 122, and when the drive wheel assembly propels the automatic cleaning apparatus to move on the ground during a cleaning process, the shock absorber 122 detects one or more events (or objects) in the travel path of the automatic cleaning apparatus via a sensor system, such as an infrared sensor. The automatic cleaning apparatus may control the drive wheel assembly based on the event (or object) such that an obstacle, a wall, is detected by the damper 122, so that the cleaning device responds to this event (or object), for example by moving away from the obstacle.

[0077] The control system is provided on a circuit motherboard within the mobile platform 100 and includes a computer processor, such as a central processing unit, an application processor in communication with non-transitory memory, such as a hard disk, flash memory, random access memory.The application processor is configured to receive environmental information sensed by the plurality of sensors and transmitted by the perception system 120, to draw a snapshot map of the surroundings of the automatic cleaning apparatus based on the obstacle information returned by the laser distance measuring device using a positioning algorithm, such as SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) software, and to autonomously determine a travel path based on said environmental information and the environmental map, and then to control the drive system 140 to perform an operation such as moving forward, backward, and / or changing direction based on said autonomously determined travel path.In addition, the control system may also decide whether to activate the cleaning module to perform a cleaning operation based on said environmental information and the environmental map.

[0078] In particular, the control system can combine the distance and speed information returned by the damper, the drop sensor and the ultrasonic sensor, the infrared sensor, the magnetometer, the accelerometer, the gyroscope, the odometer and other sensing devices to comprehensively determine what kind of working state the sweeping robot is currently in, such as crossing the threshold, passing over the carpet, the location of a drop, whether there is a blockage from above or below, whether the dust bin is full, whether it is being picked up, etc. The following specific action strategy will also be given for different situations, which makes the work of the automatic cleaning apparatus more in line with the user's requirements and improves the user's experience.In addition, the control system can plan the most efficient and reasonable cleaning trajectory and method based on the instantaneous map information obtained by SLAM, which greatly improves the cleaning efficiency of the automatic cleaning device.

[0079] The drive system 140 can maneuver the automatic cleaning apparatus to move across the floor by executing drive commands based on specific distance and angle information, such as x, y, and theta components. The drive system 140 includes a set of drive wheels 141, and the drive system 140 can control the left and right wheels at the same time. For more precise control of the movement of the machine, it is preferable that the drive system 140 comprises a left drive wheel set and a right drive wheel set, respectively. The left and right drive wheel sets are arranged symmetrically along a transverse axis defined by the moving platform 100.In order for the automatic cleaning apparatus to move more stably on the ground or have better moving ability, the automatic cleaning apparatus may include one or more direction changing assemblies 142, the direction changing assemblies 142 may be driving wheels or driven wheels, and may be constructed in the form of, but not limited to, universal wheels, and the direction changing assemblies 142 may be arranged in front of the driving wheel assemblies 141.

[0080] The energy system comprises a rechargeable battery, such as a nickel-hydrogen battery and a lithium battery. The rechargeable battery can be connected to a charging control circuit, a battery pack charging temperature detection circuit and a battery undervoltage monitoring circuit, and the charging control circuit. The battery pack charging temperature detection circuit and the battery undervoltage monitoring circuit are connected to a control circuit of the microcontroller. A host of the automatic cleaning device is connected to a charging pile via a charging electrode provided on the side or under the body of the automatic cleaning device, for the purpose of charging it.If the exposed charging electrode is covered with dust, the plastic body surrounding the electrode will melt and deform under the cumulative effect of the electric charge during the charging process, or even cause the electrode itself to deform, so that normal charging cannot continue.!

[0081] The human-machine interaction system 170 includes buttons on the host panel, the buttons being available to the user for selecting functions; it may also include a display screen and / or an indicator light and / or a speaker, or a mobile phone client program. The display screen, the indicator light, and the speaker indicate to the user the current state of the machine or an optional function of the automatic cleaning apparatus. In the case of a navigation-based cleaning apparatus, the mobile phone client may show the user a map of the environment in which the apparatus is located, as well as the location of the machine, which may provide the user with richer and more user-friendly function elements.

[0082] The cleaning module may comprise a dry cleaning module 300 and / or a wet cleaning module 200. As illustrated in [Fig.2], the cleaning module wet cleaning module 200 is configured to clean at least a portion of the working surface in a wet cleaning mode. The wet cleaning module 200 comprises a cleaning head 210 for cleaning at least a portion of the working surface. A drive unit is used to drive the cleaning head 210 in a reciprocating motion substantially along the target surface, said target surface being a portion of the working surface. The cleaning head 210 performs a reciprocating motion along the surface to be cleaned. A cleaning cloth or a cleaning plate is provided at the contact surface between the cleaning head 210 and the surface to be cleaned. Due to the reciprocating motion, high-frequency friction is produced between the cleaning cloth or the cleaning plate and the surface to be cleaned, thereby removing stains on the surface to be cleaned.

[0083] The dry cleaning module 300 is configured to clean at least a portion of the work surface in a dry cleaning mode. The dry cleaning module 300 includes a roller brush 310 or the like. The roller brush 310, which has some interference with the floor, sweeps up dirt on the floor and rolls it to the front of a dust extraction opening located between the roller brush 310 and the dust container, which dirt is then sucked into the dust container by the suction flow generated by a fan and passing through the dust container. The dry cleaning module 300 may also include a side brush module 320 for sweeping up debris or dirt and bringing it into the roller brush area of the cleaning module.

[0084] According to one of the specific implementations of the present disclosure, as illustrated in [Fig. 3], the side brush module 320 for the cleaning apparatus provided in the present disclosure comprises a fixed arm 1, a swing arm 2, and a power assembly 3. The fixed arm 1 is configured to be mounted at the bottom of the moving platform 100 of the cleaning apparatus. One end of the swing arm 2 is rotatably connected to the fixed arm 1, and its other end is equipped with a rotatable cleaning element, such as a brush 4. The power assembly 3 is connected to the fixed arm 1, and is configured to be able to drive the swing arm 2 to swing, so that the brush 4 is driven to adopt a retracted position and an extended position. The side brush module 320 has a conventional cleaning mode in which the brush 4 is in the retracted position, and a special cleaning mode in which the brush 4 is in the extended position.

[0085] The side brush module 320 for a cleaning apparatus provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure is capable of driving the swing arm 2 to swing via the power assembly 3, thereby driving the brush 4 to move between the retracted position and the extended position. When sweeping in a wide and flat place, the side brush module 320 enters the cleaning mode conventional, the brush 4 then being in the retracted position, capable of sweeping the working surface under the movable platform 100. When sweeping in a location close to a wall corner, the side brush module 320 switches to a special cleaning mode, the brush 4 then being in the extended position, capable of sweeping a larger area, and capable of reaching the corner area to be swept, so as to clean the corner area. Thus, the side brush module 320 for a cleaning apparatus provided in these embodiments of the present disclosure is capable of cleaning the corner area of the room, improving the completeness of the cleaning range, and thus improving the user experience.

[0086] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in Figures 3 to 5, the motor assembly 3 comprises a drive member 31 and a transmission assembly 32, the drive member 31 being capable of driving the swing arm 2 to swing and the brush 4 to rotate via the transmission assembly 32.

[0087] The use of a single drive element 31 can drive both the oscillation of the swing arm 2 and the rotation of the brush 4, thereby reducing the consumption of the power source and saving costs.

[0088] For example, the drive element 31 is a motor.

[0089] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the drive member 31 comprises an output rotary shaft. In the conventional cleaning mode, the output rotary shaft rotates in a first direction M, and in the special cleaning mode, the output rotary shaft rotates in a second direction N. The side brush module 320 switches from the conventional cleaning mode to the special cleaning mode in the case where the rotation direction of the output rotary shaft switches from the first direction M to the second direction N. The side brush module 320 switches from the special cleaning mode to the conventional cleaning mode in the case where the rotation direction switches from the second direction to the first direction.

[0090] The rotation direction of the output rotary shaft of the drive member 31 changes, so as to change the cleaning mode. Once the cleaning mode is changed, the drive member 31 rotates in the changed direction to continuously drive the brush 4. The cleaning mode change is convenient and quick.

[0091] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, one of the fixed arm 1 and the swing arm 2 is provided with a position limiting projection, and the other of these arms is provided with a retraction limiting block and an extension limiting block, which are spaced apart around the swing center of the swing arm 2. The position limiting projection is located between the retraction limiting block and the extension limiting block. When the swing arm 2 rotates in the first direction M until the position limiting projection abuts against the retraction limiting block, the swing arm 2 rotates in the first direction M until the position limiting projection abuts against the extension limiting block. deployment limitation, the deployment of the brush 4 reaches its limit. When the swing arm 2 rotates in the second direction N until the position limiting projection abuts against the retraction limiting block, the retraction of the brush 4 reaches its limit.

[0092] In this way, the swing angle of the swing arm 2 is limited, the amplitude of the movement of the brush 4 is more precisely limited and the working precision of the side brush module 320 is improved.

[0093] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, one of the first and second directions of rotation M and N is clockwise, and the other is counterclockwise.

[0094] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the brush 4 rotates in the same direction in the special cleaning mode and in the conventional cleaning mode.

[0095] The direction of rotation of the brush 4 remains unchanged, which makes it possible to improve the cleanliness of the sweeping by preventing the change in the direction of output rotation of the drive element from causing a change in the direction of rotation of the brush 4.

[0096] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the transmission assembly 32 comprises a connecting shaft 323, a first transmission assembly and a second transmission assembly, the connecting shaft 323 rotates about its own central axis rotatably connected to the fixed arm 1 and the swing arm 2. The drive member 31 is drivingly connected to the connecting shaft 323, and is capable of driving the connecting shaft 323 to rotate. The input end of the first transmission assembly is connected to the connecting shaft 323, and the output end is connected to the swing arm 2. When the connecting shaft 323 rotates, the swing arm 2 can be driven to swing via the first transmission assembly. The input end of the second transmission assembly is connected to the first transmission assembly, and its output end is connected to the brush 4.When the connecting shaft 323 rotates, the brush 4 can be rotated by the first transmission assembly and the second transmission assembly.

[0097] The rotation of the output rotary shaft of the drive member 31 is transmitted to the swing arm 2 via the connecting shaft 323 and the first transmission assembly, in turn driving the swing arm 2 to swing in order to change the cleaning mode. The rotation of the output rotary shaft of the drive member 31 is transmitted to the brush 4 via, successively, the connecting shaft 323, the first transmission assembly and the second transmission assembly, thereby rotating the brush 4 in order to achieve the sweeping of the use surface. In this way, it is possible for a single drive member 31 to drive the rotation of the brush 4 and the swing of the swing arm 2.

[0098] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the output rotating shaft of the drive member 31 is coaxially connected to a first connecting shaft transmission gear 3241. The first connecting shaft transmission gear 3241, a second connecting shaft transmission gear 3242, a third connecting shaft transmission gear 3243, and a fourth connecting shaft transmission gear 3244 mesh successively. The fourth connecting shaft transmission gear 3244 is sleeved on the connecting shaft 323, and the connecting shaft 323 rotates in synchronization with the fourth connecting shaft transmission gear 3244.

[0099] The output rotating shaft of the drive member 31 drives the first connecting shaft transmission gear 3241 to rotate. The rotation of the first connecting shaft transmission gear 3241 is transmitted to the fourth connecting shaft drive gear 3244 via, successively, the second connecting shaft drive gear 3242 and the third connecting shaft drive gear 3243, so that the fourth connecting shaft drive gear 3244 is rotated, thereby rotating the connecting shaft 323. In this way, the connecting shaft 323 is driven by the drive member 31.

[0100] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 7, the first transmission assembly comprises a first gear 321 and a second gear 322. The first gear 321 is sleeved on the connecting shaft 323 and can rotate with the connecting shaft 323. The second gear 322 is rotatably coupled to the swing arm 2. The first gear 321 and the second gear 322 are meshed with each other. When the first gear 321 changes the rotation direction, the swing arm 2 can be driven by the second gear 322 to change the swing direction, thereby enabling the side brush module 320 to switch between the conventional cleaning mode and the special cleaning mode.

[0101] When the drive member 31 drives the connecting shaft 323 to change its rotation direction, the first gear 321 changes its rotation direction, thereby driving the swing arm 2 to change its rotation direction via the second gear 322. The change of the rotation direction of the swing arm 2 can therefore be realized by changing the rotation direction of the output rotary shaft of the drive member 31, thereby realizing the switching of the cleaning mode. The switching operation is simple and quick, saving time and effort.

[0102] For example, as shown in Figures 3 and 7, the second gear 322 is rotatably mounted on the swing arm 2 via the second mounting shaft 325. In the conventional cleaning mode, the brush 4 is in the retracted position, the position limiting projection abutting against the retraction limiting block, and the first gear 321 rotates in the second direction N, thereby rotating the second gear 322 in the first direction M. The rotation of the second gear 322 is transmitted to the brush 4 via the second transmission assembly to rotate the brush 4. When it is necessary to switch to the special cleaning mode, the driving member 31 drives the first gear 321 to switch from the second direction N to the first direction M. When the first wheel 321 rotates in the first direction M, a force is applied to a tooth of the second gear in a direction at an angle to the axial direction of the second mounting shaft 325.A part of the force rotates the second gear 322 in the second direction N, and the other part of the force is transmitted to the second mounting shaft 325 and generates a rotational torque relative to the connecting shaft 323. The rotational torque drives the second mounting shaft 325 to rotate around the connecting shaft 323 in the first direction M. The second mounting shaft 325 drives the swing arm 2 to rotate around the connecting shaft 323 in the first direction M, so that the limiting projection moves away from the retraction limiting block until the limiting projection abuts against the extension limiting block. At this time, due to the limitation performed by the extension limiting block, the swing arm 2 stops rotating. Thus, the brush 4 is in its extended position, which completes the transition from the conventional cleaning mode to the special cleaning mode.In the special cleaning mode, the brush 4 is in its extended position, the limiting projection abuts against the extension limiting block and the first gear rotates in the first direction M. When it is necessary to switch to the conventional cleaning mode, the direction of rotation of the drive element 31 is changed again, and so on, so that it is possible to quickly switch from one cleaning mode to another.

[0103] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second transmission assembly comprises a first rotary transmission assembly and a second rotary transmission assembly. The first gear 321 changes rotation direction, so that the second gear 322 can be selectively connected to the input end of the first rotary transmission assembly or the input end of the second rotary transmission assembly. The output end of the first rotary transmission assembly and the output end of the second rotary transmission assembly are respectively connected to the brush 4. In the conventional cleaning mode, the second gear 322 is connected to the input end of the first rotary drive assembly. When the second gear 322 rotates in one rotation direction, the brush 4 can be rotated in a direction given by means of the first rotary transmission assembly. In the special cleaning mode, the second gear 322 is connected to the input end of the second rotary drive assembly. When the second gear 322 rotates in the other direction, the brush 4 can be rotated in a given rotation direction by means of the second rotary drive assembly.

[0104] The given needle direction may be the first direction M or the second direction N. There is no specific limitation in this document.

[0105] When the drive member 31 drives the connecting shaft 323 to change its rotation direction, the first gear 321 changes its rotation direction accordingly, so that the second gear 322 can be selectively connected to the input end of the first rotary drive assembly or the input end of the second rotary drive assembly. Therefore, the second gear 322 switches the rotary drive assembly as a result of the change in the rotation direction of the output rotary shaft of the drive member 31 changing its direction. In this way, when the side brush module 320 changes the cleaning mode due to the change in the rotation direction of the drive member 31, the rotation direction of the brush 4 is not changed by the change in the output direction of the drive member 31.In other words, the rotation direction of the brush 4 is not affected when the drive member 31 drives the swing arm 2 to extend or retract by changing the rotation direction, so that the rotation direction of the brush 4, whether in the retracted position or the extended position, remains unchanged, thereby improving the cleaning cleanliness.

[0106] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first rotary drive assembly comprises a third gear 3261, a first intermediate drive assembly, and an output gear 3263. The third gear 3261 and the output gear 3263 are connected to the input end and the output end of the first intermediate drive assembly, respectively. The second rotary drive assembly comprises a fourth gear 3262, a second intermediate drive assembly, and an output gear 3263. The fourth gear 3262 and the output gear 3263 are respectively connected to the input end and the output end of the second intermediate drive assembly. The output gear 3263 is rotatably connected to the swing arm 2, and the brush 4 is coaxially connected to the output gear 3263.The first gear 321 changes its direction of rotation to make the second gear 322 selectively coaxially connected to the third gear 3261 or the fourth gear 3262.

[0107] When the drive member 31 drives the connecting shaft 323 to change its direction of rotation, the first gear 321 changes its direction of rotation accordingly, thereby causing the second gear 322 to be selectively coaxially connected to the third gear 3261 or the fourth gear 3262, and consequently transmitting motion to the third gear 3261 or the fourth gear 3262. Thus, when the output rotary shaft of the drive member 31 changes rotation direction, the gear connected to the second gear 322 changes accordingly, thereby changing the transmission line of motion. In addition, when the side brush module 320 changes cleaning mode due to the change in rotation direction of the drive member 31, the rotation direction of the brush 4 is not changed by this change in rotation direction of the drive member 31. This means that when the drive member 31 extends or retracts the swing arm 2 by changing rotation direction, the rotation direction of the brush 4 is not changed.In other words, when the drive member 31 extends or retracts the swing arm 2 by changing the direction of rotation, the direction of rotation of the brush 4 is not affected, so that the direction of rotation of the brush 4, whether in the retracted position or in the extended position, is the same direction of rotation, which improves the cleanliness of cleaning.

[0108] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first gear 321 and the second gear 322 are helical gears, the second gear 322 is provided with teeth on both sides of the second gear 322, the second gear 322 is movably and coaxially disposed between the third gear 3261 and the fourth gear 3262 along its axial direction, and the teeth are provided on the sides of the third gear 3261 and the fourth gear 3262 facing the second gear 322. When the first gear 321 changes the rotation direction, the teeth of the second gear 322 selectively engage with the teeth of the third gear 3261 or the teeth of the fourth gear 3262.

[0109] It will be appreciated that the first gear 321 and the second gear 322 are helical gears and that they mesh such that their directions of rotation are opposite. With reference to [Fig.7], the first gear 321 has a left rotation and the second gear 322 has a right rotation. When the first gear 321 moves from the second direction N to the first direction M, the teeth of the wheel of the first gear 321 exert an upward oblique force on the teeth of the wheel of the second gear 322. The vertical component of the upward oblique force drives the second gear 322 vertically upward until the teeth engage with the teeth of the third gear 3261. The horizontal component of the force of the upward oblique force drives the second gear 322 to rotate in the second direction N. Since at this time the teeth of the second gear 322 mesh with the teeth of the third gear 3261, the second gear 322 drives the third gear 3261 to rotate synchronously, and the rotational motion of the third gear 3261 is transmitted to the output gear 3263 through the first intermediate transmission assembly between the third gear 3261 and the output gear 3263, thereby driving the brush 4 to rotate. When the first gear 321 changes its rotational direction from the first direction M to the second direction N, the teeth of the gear 321 exert a downward oblique force on the teeth of the second gear 322. The vertical component of the downward oblique force drives the second gear 322 vertically downward until the teeth engage with the teeth of the fourth gear 3262. The horizontal component of the downward oblique force drives the second gear 322 to rotate in the second direction.Since at this time the teeth of the second gear 322 engage with the teeth of the fourth gear 3262, the second gear 322 drives the fourth gear 3262 to rotate synchronously, and the rotational motion of the fourth gear 3262 is transmitted to the output gear 3263 through the second intermediate transmission assembly between the fourth gear 3262 and the output gear 3263, thereby driving the rotation of the brush 4.

[0110] In this way, switching between the two transmission lines of motion is achieved by the teeth of the second gear 322 selectively engaging with the teeth of the third gear 3261 or the teeth of the fourth gear 3262, which in turn allows the cleaning mode of the side brush module 320 to be changed by changing the output direction of the drive member 31 without affecting the rotation direction of the brush 4 due to the change in the rotation direction of the drive member 31.

[0111] In an exemplary manner, as shown in [Fig.7], the second gear 322 is rotatable about the second mounting shaft 325 and is axially movable along the second mounting shaft 325. The third gear 3261 and the fourth gear 3262 are only sleeved on the second mounting shaft 325. In this way, the second gear 322 is able to rotate about the first gear 321 under the action of the first gear 321. Thus, the second gear 322 can rotate about the second mounting shaft 325 under the action of the first gear 321, ensuring the transmission of the movement of the second gear 322 to the output gear 3263, thereby driving the rotation of the brush 4.In addition, the second gear 322 can approach the third gear 3261 or the fourth gear 3262 under the action of the first gear 321, thereby realizing the commutation of the transmission line of the, thereby ensuring that the rotation direction of the brush 4 remains unchanged.

[0112] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first intermediate drive assembly comprises a plurality of successively meshed first drive gears. Along the transmission direction, a first of the first drive gears meshes with the third gear 3261 and a last of the first drive gears meshes with the output gear 3263. The second intermediate drive assembly comprises a plurality of successively meshed second drive gears. Along the transmission direction, the first of the second drive gears meshes with the fourth gear, and the last of the second drive gears meshes with the output gear 3263. There is one more or one less first drive gear than the number of second drive gears.

[0113] Since the two gears rotate in opposite directions when transmitting, it is possible to rotate the outputs in the same direction when the inputs of the two sets of gears rotate in opposite directions and the number of gears in the two sets of gears differs by one, so that the two sets of gears transmit the same direction of rotation to the output gears 3263, which in turn makes the direction of rotation of the brushes 4 unchanged.

[0114] For example, there are K first transmission gears and Kl second transmission gears, and the K first transmission gears do not share a common gear with the Kl second transmission gears. Thus, the difference of one for the number of gears between the two types allows the first intermediate transmission set and the second intermediate transmission set to transmit the same direction of rotation to the output gear 3263.

[0115] For example, there are K first transmission gears and K1 second transmission gears, of which K-2 first transmission gears and K-2 second transmission gears are common to the K first transmission gears and the K1 second transmission gears. Thus, the number of gears is reduced, simplifying the structure of the transmission assembly 32.

[0116] For example, as illustrated in Figures 6 and 8, there are four first transmission gears and three second transmission gears.

[0117] For example, two of the first transmission gears and two of the second transmission gears are common gears. For example, as shown in [Fig.8], the first four transmission gears are the fifth gear 3264, the sixth gear 3265, the seventh gear 3266, and the eighth gear 3267, and the second three transmission gears are the ninth gear 3268, the seventh gear 3266, and the eighth gear 3267, respectively. Thus, the seventh gear 3266 and the eighth gear 3267 serve as both the first transmission gear and the second transmission gear.

[0118] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the fixed arm 1 and the swing arm 2 are both hollow housings, the first connecting shaft drive gear 3241, the second connecting shaft transmission gear 3242, the third connecting shaft transmission gear 3243 and the fourth connecting shaft transmission gear 3244 are all rotatably coupled in the hollow cavity of the fixed arm 1. A portion of the connecting shaft 323 is rotatable and enters the hollow cavity of the fixed arm 1 and another portion of the connecting shaft 323 is rotatable and located in the hollow cavity of the swing arm 2.The first gear 321, the second gear 322, the third gear 3261, the fourth gear 3262, the fifth gear 3264, the sixth gear 3265, the seventh gear 3266, the eighth gear 3267, the ninth gear 3268 and the output gear 3263 are all rotatably arranged in the hollow cavity of the swing arm 2.

[0119] In this way, the mounting of the different gears is stable and the fixed arm 1 and the swing arm 2 provide protection to the different gears.

[0120] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first intermediate transmission assembly comprises a timing pulley assembly and a plurality of first transmission gears arranged successively along a transmission direction, the timing pulley assembly being motorized coupled between a first transmission gear and a third gear 3261, between two adjacent first transmission gears, or between the last of the first transmission gears and an output gear 3263. The second intermediate transmission assembly comprises a plurality of second transmission gears engaged successively. Along the transmission direction, the first of the second transmission gears meshes with the fourth gear 3262 and the last of the second transmission gears meshes with the output gear 3263.The number of first transmission gears and the number of second transmission gears are the same.

[0121] It is understood that the timing pulley assembly comprises two synchronous wheels and a synchronous belt passing at its ends around the two synchronous wheels. The two synchronous wheels are respectively coaxially connected to the two transmission gears. The two synchronous wheels rotate synchronously under the action of the synchronous belt, so that the two transmission gears connected to the two synchronous wheels have the same direction of rotation. These two transmission gears may be the first of the first gears transmission gear and the third gear 3261, or two adjacent first transmission gears, respectively, or the last of the first transmission gears and the output gear 3263, respectively. In this way, by adding a set of belt wheels according to a transmission path, a pair of adjacent transmission gears in a transmission path are made to have the same direction of rotation, the rest of the adjacent gears are made to have opposite directions of rotation, and any pair of adjacent gears to opposite directions of rotation. Therefore, when the input directions of rotation for the two transmission paths are opposite, the output directions of rotation can be the same, thereby keeping the direction of rotation of the brush 4 unchanged.

[0122] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in [Fig.9], the first transmission assembly comprises a swinging pusher 33 and a pusher transmission assembly 34. One end of the swinging pusher 33 is rotatably connected to the connecting shaft 323 and the other end is connected to the pusher transmission assembly 34. The connecting shaft 323 is connected to the pusher transmission assembly 34. When the rotation direction of the connecting shaft 323 changes, the swinging pusher 33 can be driven by means of the pusher transmission assembly 34 to change the swing direction around the connecting shaft 323. Thus, the swing arm 2 is driven to change the swing direction, thereby switching the side brush module between the conventional cleaning mode and the special cleaning mode.

[0123] The drive member 31 can drive the connecting shaft 323 to change the rotation direction by changing the output direction, thereby driving the swing arm 2 to change the swing direction via the transmission assembly of the pusher 34 and the swing pusher 33, and thus the change of the rotation direction of the swing arm 2 can be realized by changing the rotation direction of the output rotary shaft of the drive member 31 to realize the change of the cleaning mode.

[0124] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the tappet transmission assembly 34 includes a first gear 321, a first mounting shaft 341, a friction transmission wheel 342, and a friction wheel 343. The first gear 321 is mounted on the connecting shaft 323 and is capable of rotating with the connecting shaft 323. The first mounting shaft 341 is connected to the end of the swing tappet 33 that is remote from the connecting shaft 323. The friction transmission wheel 342 is sleeved on the first mounting shaft 341 and is capable of rotating relative to the first mounting shaft 341. The first gear 321 and the friction transmission wheel 342 are engaged with each other. The friction wheel 343 is sleeved on the first mounting shaft 341 and is capable of rotating relative to the first mounting shaft 341. relative to the first mounting shaft 341. The friction wheel 343 is connected to the friction transmission wheel 342, and can roll along the wall of the fixed arm 1. When the rotation direction of the first gear 321 changes, the friction wheel 343 can be rotated by the friction transmission wheel 342 to change its rolling direction, thereby changing the swing direction of the swing pusher 33, so as to switch the side brush module from the conventional cleaning mode to the special cleaning mode.

[0125] When the first gear 321 rotates, the friction transmission wheel 342 is rotated, and the friction transmission wheel 342 drives the friction wheel 343 to rotate. The friction wheel 343 rolls along the wall surface of the fixed arm 1, that is, the friction wheel 343 moves relative to the wall surface of the fixed arm 1. In other words, the end of the swing pusher 33 connected to the first mounting shaft 341 moves with the friction wheel 343, and moves relative to the wall surface of the fixed arm 1, while the position of the end of the swing push rod 33 connected to the connecting shaft 323 relative to the wall surface of the fixed arm 1 remains almost unchanged. As a result, the position of the swing push rod 33 is changed.In particular, the swinging push rod 33 swings around the connecting shaft 323, and the end of the swinging push rod 33 that is far away from the connecting shaft 323 pushes against the swing arm 2 to swing it.

[0126] In this way, the motion transmission from the tappet transmission assembly 34 to the swing tappet 33 is realized, so that the change of the swing direction of the swing arm 2 can be realized by changing the rotation direction of the output rotary shaft by the drive member 31, and the convenient switching of the cleaning mode is realized.

[0127] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the side surfaces of the friction transmission wheel 342 and the friction wheel 343 are in contact, and said pusher transmission assembly further comprises an amplifying assembly which applies a first pressing force to the friction transmission wheel 342 toward the friction wheel 343, and / or a second pressing force to the friction wheel 343 toward the friction transmission wheel 342 so that the frictional force between the friction transmission wheel 342 and the friction wheel 343 can drive the friction wheel 343 to rotate in synchronization with the friction transmission wheel 342.

[0128] In this way, it is possible to avoid damaging the friction wheel 343 and the fixed arm 1 in the event of overload, unlike what would happen with a direct rigid connection of the friction transmission wheel 342 and the friction wheel 343.

[0129] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the pressurization assembly comprises a limiter 347 and a first elastic member 344. The first limiter 347 is connected to the first mounting shaft 341 and is located on the side of the friction wheel 343 that is remote from the friction transmission wheel 342. The first elastic member 344 is elastically compressed between the first limiter 347 and the friction wheel 343. Additionally or alternatively, the amplification assembly comprises a second limiter and a second elastic member 345. The second limiter is coupled to the first mounting shaft 341 and is located on the side of the friction transmission wheel 342 that is remote from the friction wheel 343. The second elastic member 345 is elastically compressed between the second limiter and the friction transmission wheel 342.

[0130] For example, a portion of the oscillating pusher 33 acts as a second limiter, bearing against the side of the second elastic element 345 which is distant from the friction transmission wheel 342.

[0131] In this way, the first and second pressure forces are elastic pressures, which prevents damage to the friction wheel 343 and the fixing arm 1 in the event of overload.

[0132] For example, as shown in Figures 6 and 10, the surface of the friction wheel 343 is a corrugated surface, and the surface of the fixed arm 1 in rolling contact with the friction wheel 343 is a corrugated surface matched to the surface of the friction wheel 343 to increase the rolling friction therebetween. Thus, it is ensured that the friction wheel 343 rolls along the fixed arm 1 when subjected to a force, and it is further ensured that the rolling of the friction wheel 343 drives the oscillation of the oscillating tappet.

[0133] It should be noted that the drive scheme of the swing arm 2 in which the first transmission assembly comprises the first gear 321 and the second gear 322 is a first swing transmission scheme, and the drive scheme of the swing arm 2 in which the first transmission assembly comprises the swing tappet 33 and the tappet transmission assembly 34 is a second swing transmission scheme. In some embodiments, the side brush module 320 may adopt only the first swing transmission scheme, or it may adopt both the first swing transmission scheme and the second swing transmission scheme.

[0134] The following paragraphs describe the operating steps of the cleaning apparatus provided by certain embodiments of the present application:

[0135] IF, in the default state, the side brush module 320 is in conventional cleaning mode, the brush 4 is in the retracted position, the limiting projection is abutted against the retraction limiting block, the drive member 31 drives the first wheel 321 rotating in the second direction N, so that the second gear 322 is rotated in the first direction M, the ratchet teeth of the second gear 322 mesh with the ratchet teeth of the fourth gear 3262, the second gear 322 drives the fourth gear 3262 in synchronized rotation, and the rotation of the fourth gear 3262 is transmitted to the output gear 3263 by, successively, the ninth gear 3268, the seventh gear 3266, and the eighth gear 3267, thereby rotating the brush 4 in the first direction M.

[0136] S2, when the moving platform 100 moves to a corner position, the element drive 31 changes the output rotation direction, changing the rotation of the first gear 321 from the second direction N to the first direction M. The first gear 321 drives the second gear 322 which changes the rotation direction from the first direction M to the second direction N. At this time, the second gear 322, under the action of the first gear 321, exerts a force on the second mounting shaft 325. This force causes the second mounting shaft 325 to rotate the swing arm 2 around the connecting shaft 323 in the first direction M, which causes the brush 4 to move away from the moving platform 100, and the limiting projection to move away from the retraction limiting block and toward the extension limiting block. When the swing arm 2 moves to the point where the limiting projection abuts against the deployment block, the swing arm 2 stops swinging.At this time, the brush 4 is in the deployed position, and the side brush module 320 switches from the conventional cleaning mode to the special cleaning mode.

[0137] Once the rotation direction of the second gear 322 is changed from the first direction M to the second direction N, the teeth of the second gear 322 detach from the teeth of the fourth gear 3262 and mesh with the teeth of the third gear 3261. Thus, the second gear 322 drives the third gear 3261 to rotate synchronously, and the rotation of the third gear 3261 is transmitted to the output gear 3263 in turn via, successively, the fifth gear 3264, the sixth gear 3265, the seventh gear 3266, and the eighth gear 3267, so that the brush 4 is driven to rotate in the first direction M and cleans the corner area.

[0138] S3, after cleaning the corner, the drive element 31 changes again output rotation direction, so that the rotation direction of the first gear 321 changes from the first direction M to the second direction N, and the first gear 321 drives the second gear 322 to change its rotation direction from the second direction N to the first direction M. At this time, the second gear 322 exerts a force on the second mounting shaft 325 under the action of the first gear 321. This force causes the second mounting shaft 325 to drive the swing arm 2 to rotate around the connecting shaft 323 in the second direction N, so that the brush 4 approaches the moving platform 100, and the limiting projection moves away from the extension limiting block and approaches the retraction limiting block. When the swing arm 2 has moved far enough for the limiting projection to abut against the retraction limiting block, the swing arm 2 stops moving. At this time, the brush 4 is in the retracted position, and the side brush module 320 switches from the special cleaning mode to the conventional cleaning mode.

[0139] Once the rotation direction of the second gear 322 has changed from the second direction N to the first direction M, the ratchet teeth of the second gear 322 detach from the teeth of the third gear 3261 and engage with the teeth of the fourth gear 3262. Thus, the second gear 322 drives the fourth gear 3262 in synchronized rotation. The rotation of the fourth gear 3262 is transmitted to the output gear 3263 via, successively, the ninth gear 3268, the seventh gear 3266, and the eighth gear 3267, driving the brush 4 to rotate in the first direction M.

[0140] In this manner, the actions of steps S1 to S3 are repeated if a corner area is encountered again during the cleaning process.

[0141] In the above steps S1 to S3, the cleaning mode can be changed by changing the output rotation direction of the drive member 31, which is simple and quick to implement. The brush 4 rotates in the first direction M in both cleaning modes, so that the rotation direction of the brush 4 will not be affected by the change of the output direction of the drive member 31, which improves the cleaning effect.

[0142] The above examples serve only to illustrate the technical solutions of the present disclosure and are not limiting in any way.

Claims

Claims

1. A side brush module for a cleaning appliance, characterized in that it comprises: a fixed arm (1) configured to be mounted on the lower part of the movable platform (100) of the cleaning appliance; a swing arm (2) one end of which is rotatably connected to said fixed arm (1) and the other end of which is equipped with a cleaning element (4) capable of rotating; a power assembly (3), connected to said fixed arm (1), said power assembly (3) being configured to be able to swing said swing arm (2) in order to drive said cleaning element (4) to move between a retracted position and an extended position, said side brush module having a conventional cleaning mode in which the cleaning element (4) is in said retracted position, and a special cleaning mode in which the cleaning element (4) is in said extended position.

2. A side brush module for a cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said power assembly (3) comprises a transmission assembly (32), wherein: the transmission assembly (32) is capable of driving said swing arm (2) to swing under the drive of the drive member (31), or the transmission assembly (32) is capable of driving said cleaning member (4) to rotate under the drive of the drive member (31), or the transmission assembly (32) is capable of driving said swing arm (2) to swing and driving said cleaning member (4) to rotate under the drive of the drive member (31).

3. A side brush module for a cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that said drive member (31) comprises an output rotary shaft, said output rotary shaft rotating in a first direction in said conventional cleaning mode, and said output rotary shaft rotating in a second clockwise direction in said special cleaning mode, wherein, when the rotation direction of the output rotary shaft changes from the first to the second rotation direction, the side brush module changes from the conventional cleaning mode to the special cleaning mode.

4.

5.

6. special cleaning, and when the rotation direction of the output rotating shaft changes from the second rotation direction to the first rotation direction, the side brush module switches from the special cleaning mode to the conventional cleaning mode. Side brush module for a cleaning appliance according to claim 3, characterized in that said cleaning element (4) rotates in the same direction of rotation in said special cleaning mode and in said conventional cleaning mode. Side brush module for a cleaning appliance according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the transmission assembly (32) comprises: a connecting shaft (323), connected in rotation about its own central axis to said fixed arm (1) and to said oscillating arm (2), said drive element (31) being connected to said connecting shaft (323) so as to drive said connecting shaft (323) in rotation; a first transmission assembly the input end of which is connected to the connecting shaft (323) and the output end of which is connected to the swing arm (2), so that when the connecting shaft (323) is rotated, the swing arm (2) can be driven to swing by the first transmission assembly; a second transmission assembly, the input end of which is connected to said first transmission assembly and the output end of which is connected to said cleaning element (4), so that when the connecting shaft (323) is rotated, said cleaning element (4) can be rotated by the first transmission assembly and said second transmission assembly. A side brush module for a cleaning appliance according to claim 5, characterized in that said first transmission assembly comprises a first gear (321) and a second gear (322), said first gear (321) being sleeved on the connecting shaft (323) and rotatable with said connecting shaft (323), said second gear (322) being rotatably connected to the swing arm (2), the first gear (321) and the second gear (322) meshing, wherein, when the first gear (321) changes its direction of rotation, said swing arm (2) can be driven to change its direction of oscillation by means of the second gear (322), so that the side brush module switches between said conventional cleaning mode and said special cleaning mode.

7. A side brush module for a cleaning apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that said second transmission assembly comprises a first rotary transmission assembly and a second rotary transmission assembly, wherein changing the rotation direction of the first gear (321) causes the second gear (322) to be selectively connected to an input end of said first rotary transmission assembly or to an input end of said second rotary transmission assembly, the output end of said first rotary transmission assembly and the output end of said second rotary transmission assembly being connected to the cleaning member (4), respectively, wherein, in the conventional cleaning mode, the second gear (322) is connected to the input end of the first rotary transmission assembly, and when the second gear (322) rotates in a first rotation direction,the cleaning element (4) can be driven by the first rotary transmission assembly to rotate in a set rotation direction, and in the special cleaning mode, the second gear (322) is connected to the input end of the second rotary transmission assembly, and when the second gear (322) rotates in the other rotation direction, the cleaning element (4) can be driven by the second rotary transmission assembly to rotate in the set rotation direction.,

8. A side brush module for a cleaning apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that said first rotary transmission assembly comprises a third gear (3261), a first intermediate transmission assembly and an output gear (3263), said third gear (3261) and said output gear (3263) being respectively connected to an input end and an output end of said first intermediate transmission assembly, respectively, the second rotary transmission assembly comprises a fourth gear (3262), a second intermediate transmission assembly and said output gear (3263), said fourth gear (3262) and said output gear (3263) being respectively connected to an input end and an output end of said second intermediate transmission assembly, said output gear (3263) is rotatably connected to said swing arm (2), said cleaning element (4) is coaxially connected to said output gear (3263), and changing the rotation direction of the first gear (321) causes the second gear (322) to be selectively coaxially connected to said third gear (3261) or said fourth gear (3262).

9. A side brush module for a cleaning apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that said first intermediate transmission assembly comprises a plurality of first transmission gears successively engaged with each other, a first of the first transmission gears in the transmission direction meshing with the third gear (3261) and a last of the first transmission gears in the transmission direction meshing with the output gear (3263); the second intermediate transmission assembly comprises a plurality of second transmission gears successively engaged with each other, a first of the second transmission gears in the transmission direction meshing with said fourth gear (3262) and a last of the second transmission gears in the transmission direction meshing with said output gear (3263);the number of first transmission gears is one greater or less than the number of second transmission gears.;

10. A side brush module for a cleaning apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that said first gear (321) and said second gear (322) are helical gears, said second gear (322) is provided with teeth on both sides of said second gear (322), and said second gear (322) is movably and coaxially arranged along its axial direction between said third gear (3261) and said fourth gear (3262), said third gear (3261) and said fourth gear (3262) being provided with teeth on their sides facing the second gear (322), wherein changing the direction of rotation of the first gear (321) causes the engagement selective engagement of the teeth of the second gear (322) with the teeth of the third gear (3261) or the teeth of the fourth gear (3262).

11. A side brush module for a cleaning apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that said first intermediate transmission assembly comprises a synchronizing pulley assembly and a plurality of first transmission gears arranged successively along the transmission direction, said synchronizing pulley assembly being connected so as to be drivable between a first of the first transmission gears and the third gear (3261), or between two adjacent transmission gears among the first gears, or between the last of the first transmission gears and the output gear (3263);the second intermediate transmission assembly comprises a plurality of successively engaged second transmission gears, wherein, along the transmission direction, the first of the second transmission gears is engaged with the fourth gear (3262) and the last of the second transmission gears is engaged with the output gear (3263); the number of the first transmission gears being the same as that of the second transmission gears.;

12. A side brush module for a cleaning apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that said first transmission assembly comprises an oscillating pusher (33) and a pusher transmission assembly (34), one end of said oscillating pusher (33) being rotatably connected to said connecting shaft (323) and the other end of the oscillating pusher being connected to said pusher transmission assembly (34), the connecting shaft (323) being connected to said pusher transmission assembly (34), changing the rotation direction of the connecting shaft (323) causing the oscillating pusher (33) driven by the pusher transmission assembly to change the oscillation direction in which it rotates around said connecting shaft (323), to enable said side brush module to switch between said conventional cleaning mode and said special cleaning mode.

13. A side brush module for a cleaning apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that the pusher transmission assembly (34) comprises: a first gear (321), sleeved on the connecting shaft (323) and capable of rotating with the connecting shaft (323); a first mounting shaft (341), connected to one end of the swinging pusher (33) opposite the connecting shaft (323); a friction transmission wheel (342), sleeved on the first mounting shaft (341) and capable of rotating relative to the first mounting shaft (341), the first gear (321) meshing with the friction transmission wheel (342);a friction wheel (343), sleeved on said first mounting shaft (341) and capable of rotating relative to said first mounting shaft (341), said friction wheel (343) being connected to said friction transmission wheel (342), said friction wheel (343) being capable of rolling along a wall surface of said fixed arm (1); wherein, the first gear (321), when changing rotation direction, can drive the friction wheel (343) to change its rolling direction via the friction transmission wheel (342), thereby enabling the swinging pusher (33) to change swing direction.;

14. A side brush module for a cleaning apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that the side surfaces of said friction transmission wheel (342) and said friction wheel (343) are in contact, said pusher transmission assembly (34) further comprises a pressurizing assembly, said pressurizing assembly applying a first pressing force to said friction transmission wheel (342) toward said friction wheel (343) and / or applying a second pressing force to said friction wheel (343) toward said friction transmission wheel (342) so that the friction forces between said friction transmission wheel (342) and said friction wheel (343) are capable of driving said friction wheel (343) into rotation synchronized with said friction transmission wheel (342).

15. Side brush module for a cleaning appliance according to claim 14, characterized in that said set of pressurization assembly comprises a first limiting element (347) and a first elastic element (344), said first limiting element (347) being connected to said first mounting shaft (341) and being located on the side of said friction wheel (343) opposite the friction transmission wheel (342), said first elastic element (344) being elastically compressed between said first limiting element (347) and said friction wheel (343); and / or said pressurization assembly comprises a second limiting element and a second elastic element (345), said second limiting element being connected to said first mounting shaft (341) and being located on the side of said friction transmission wheel (342) opposite said friction wheel (343), and said second elastic element (345) being elastically compressed between said second limiting element and said friction transmission wheel (342).

16. A cleaning apparatus characterized in that it comprises: a movable platform (100), configured to move automatically over a work surface; a cleaning module, provided on the lower part of said movable platform (100), configured to clean at least a portion of said work surface, said cleaning module comprising a side brush module for a cleaning apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15.

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