MOVING WHEEL LIFT MECHANISM AND CLEANING EQUIPMENT

Abstract

This application relates to a movable wheel lifting mechanism (100) mounted on a piece of equipment (200) and a cleaning unit (1000). The movable wheel lifting mechanism (100) comprises a movable wheel component (10), a power component (20), and a flexible connector (30). The movable wheel component (10) includes a drive device (112), a transmission (11), and a driven movable wheel (12). The flexible connector (30) is connected between the free end (b) of the transmission (11) and the power component (20) to drive the transmission (11) to rotate relative to the piece of equipment (200), such that the movable wheel component (10) is raised or lowered relative to the piece of equipment (200). (Figure 1)

Description

Title of the invention: MOVING WHEEL LIFTING MECHANISM AND CLEANING EQUIPMENT Technical field

[0001] The present application falls within the technical field of cleaning equipment and relates more particularly to a mobile wheel lifting mechanism and cleaning equipment. PREVIOUS ART

[0002] The cleaning equipment is a common type of intelligent electric cleaning equipment, such as robotic vacuum cleaners and automatic sweepers. The ability of the cleaning equipment to overcome obstacles while moving automatically is essential for the cleaning equipment, and the obstacle clearance height limits the operating range and reliability of the cleaning equipment.

[0003] Currently, the solution to the obstacle crossing problem relies on software strategies that solve the problem by adjusting the approach angle of the cleaning equipment relative to the obstacle and the speed to achieve the obstacle crossing function, which is limited by physical constraints such as the height of the cleaning equipment relative to the ground and therefore has a limited effect.

[0004] SUBJECT OF THE REQUEST

[0005] In order to improve the obstacle crossing capability of the cleaning equipment, the present application provides a mobile wheel lifting mechanism and cleaning equipment.

[0006] The present application provides, according to one embodiment, a movable wheel lifting mechanism, mounted on an equipment body, comprising:

[0007] A movable wheel component, placed on the equipment body in a rotational manner;

[0008] A power component, mounted on the equipment body, the power component comprises a rotating power element and a rotating disk, the rotating power element is used to drive the rotating disk to rotate in two opposite directions; and

[0009] A flexible connector, placed between the movable wheel component and the rotating disc to rotate the movable wheel component relative to the equipment body by varying the length of the flexible connector between the movable wheel component and the rotating disc during the rotation of the rotating disc#; the rotating disc rotating at an angle not exceeding 360 degrees during the rotation of the movable wheel component.

[0010] In some embodiments, the rotating disk rotates through an angular sector from 0 to 300 degrees during the raising or lowering of the moving wheel component.

[0011] In some embodiments, the connection between the flexible connector and the rotating disc is eccentric with respect to a rotating shaft of the rotating disc.

[0012] In some embodiments, the rotating disk rotates through an angular sector from 0 to 90 degrees during the raising or lowering of the moving wheel component.

[0013] In some embodiments, the rotating disc comprises a transmission disc, an inner fixing disc and an outer fixing disc connected to each other, the connection between the flexible connector and the rotating disc is located between the inner fixing disc and the outer fixing disc.

[0014] In some embodiments, a torsion spring is placed at the connection between the flexible connector and the rotating disc, so that the flexible connector is always tight when the rotating disc is rotating.

[0015] In some embodiments, the rotating power element is a servomotor or a motor of an integrated encoder, and an output shaft of the servomotor or motor is connected to the rotating disk.

[0016] In some embodiments, the movable wheel lifting mechanism further includes a controller and a sensor for detecting the angle of rotation of the movable wheel component; the sensor and the rotating power element are both electrically connected to the controller; the controller is positioned to determine, based on the angle of rotation of the movable wheel component and the angle of rotation of the rotating power element, whether there is a failure of the rotating power element or of the flexible connector.

[0017] In some embodiments, the sensor comprises a rotary sensor placed on a rotating shaft of the moving wheel component and / or an optical sensor placed on the moving wheel component.

[0018] In some embodiments, an upper limit part and a lower limit part are placed on the equipment body and configured to limit, respectively, an upper limit position and a lower limit position of the movable wheel component.

[0019] In some embodiments, the moving wheel component includes a transmission and a moving wheel driven by the transmission; the transmission includes a main wheel portion and a free portion, the main wheel portion is closer to the moving wheel than the free portion; the main wheel portion is separated from the free portion by the axis normal to the ground of the moving wheel and the free portion is closer to a forward direction of the equipment body than the main wheel portion;

[0020] The free part of the transmission is connected to the equipment body in a rotational manner; the flexible connector is connected to the free part of the transmission.

[0021] In some embodiments, a mounting seat is placed on the free part of the transmission, the mounting seat is connected to the equipment body in a rotational manner, the transmission rotating with the rotating shaft of the mounting seat as the center of rotation;

[0022] A hooking point part is placed on the free part of the transmission and the flexible connector is connected to the hooking point part.

[0023] In some embodiments, the mounting seat is placed in the lower part of the free part; the attachment point part is placed in the upper part of the free part.

[0024] In some embodiments, the transmission includes a reducer and a drive device mounted on the reducer, and the rotating shaft of the mounting seat has a different axis from that of the drive device.

[0025] In some embodiments, the movable wheel lifting mechanism further includes a spring, one end of which is fixed to the free part of the transmission and the other end of the spring is fixed to the equipment body.

[0026] In some embodiments, a hook part is placed on both the free part and the equipment body, and the two ends of the spring are hooked to two hook parts respectively, and the two hook parts are hooked in opposite directions.

[0027] In some embodiments, when the rotating disc rotates in the first direction, the flexible connector is tightened by a reduction in its length, located between the movable wheel component and the rotating disc, the flexible connector pulls the movable wheel component to rotate it relative to the equipment body;

[0028] When rotating the rotating disc in the second direction opposite to the first, the length of the flexible connector, located between the moving wheel component and the rotating disc, increases, and the moving wheel component rotates in the opposite direction relative to the equipment body.

[0029] The present application provides, according to one embodiment, a cleaning equipment comprising an equipment body and the movable wheel lifting mechanism described above.

[0030] The movable wheel lifting mechanism provided in accordance with one or more embodiments of this application comprises a movable wheel component, a power component, and a flexible connector. The movable wheel component is rotatably placed on the equipment body, and the power component is also mounted on the equipment body to provide a driving force for raising or lowering the movable wheel component relative to the body. In this equipment, the power component comprises a rotating drive element and a rotating disc. The rotating drive element is used to drive the rotating disc in two opposite directions. A flexible connector is placed between the drive element and the rotating disc, and the length of this connector changes during the disc's rotation, allowing the drive element to rotate relative to the equipment body to perform the lifting and lowering function.

[0031] The rotation angle of the rotating disc during the rotation of the wheel component does not exceed 360 degrees. This allows for a reduction in the length of the flexible connector between the wheel component and the rotating disc, preventing loosening and detachment of the rotating disc due to an increased flexible connector length, or failure of the wheel lifting mechanism due to interference with peripheral parts caused by excessive connector length. This reduces the failure rate of the wheel lifting mechanism and improves its operational reliability.

[0032] Since the moving wheel component is always in contact with the ground during movement, the raising or lowering of the moving wheel component relative to the equipment body is manifested in the equipment by a change in the height of the equipment body relative to the ground, and when the height of the equipment body relative to the ground increases, the parts located under the equipment body can be higher than the obstacle, so that no part of the equipment interferes with the obstacle during obstacle crossing, which makes it possible to achieve the effect of increasing the obstacle crossing height, improving the obstacle crossing height, the release capability, and the adaptability to different road surfaces of the equipment equipped with the moving wheel lifting mechanism.

[0033] According to a preferred embodiment, the present application provides a movable wheel lifting mechanism, mounted on the equipment body, comprising:

[0034] A movable wheel component comprising a drive device, a transmission and a driven movable wheel; the transmission is rotationally connected to the equipment body, the transmission comprises a main wheel portion and a free portion, the main wheel portion is closer to the movable wheel than the free portion;

[0035] A power component; and

[0036] A flexible connector; the flexible connector is connected between the free part of the transmission and the power component to drive the transmission to rotate under the drive of the power component relative to the equipment body, so that the moving wheel component is raised or lowered relative to the equipment body, in which the moving wheel component remains in contact with the ground during the movement and elevation of the moving wheel component relative to the equipment body.

[0037] In some embodiments, the free part of the transmission is connected to the equipment body in a rotational manner.

[0038] In some embodiments, a mounting seat is placed on the free part of the transmission, the mounting seat is connected to the equipment body in a rotational manner, the transmission rotating with the rotating shaft of the mounting seat as the center of rotation.

[0039] In some embodiments, the rotating shaft of the mounting seat has a different axis from that of the drive device.

[0040] In some embodiments, the mounting seat is placed in the lower part of the free part.

[0041] In some embodiments, the main wheel part is separated from the free part by the axis normal to the ground of the moving wheel and the free part is closer to the equipment body in the forward direction than the main wheel part.

[0042] In some embodiments, a hooking point part is placed on the free part of the transmission and the flexible connector is connected to the hooking point part; the hooking point part is placed in an upper part of the free part.

[0043] In some embodiments, the power component includes a rotating power element; one end of the flexible connector is fixed to the free part of the transmission and the other end is connected to the output shaft of the rotating power element, the flexible connector is tightened or loosened when the rotating power element is set in rotation.

[0044] In some embodiments, the rotating power element rotates at an angle not exceeding 360 degrees during the raising or lowering of the movable wheel component.

[0045] In some embodiments, the rotating power element rotates through an angular sector from 0 to 300 degrees during the raising or lowering of the moving wheel component.

[0046] In certain embodiments, the power component further comprises a rotating disk coaxial with the output shaft of the rotating power element; the The connection between the flexible connector and the rotating disc is eccentric relative to the output shaft of the rotating power element.

[0047] In some embodiments, the rotating disk rotates through an angular sector from 0 to 90 degrees during the raising or lowering of the moving wheel component.

[0048] In some embodiments, the rotating disc comprises a transmission disc, an inner fixing disc and an outer fixing disc connected to each other, the connection between the flexible connector and the rotating disc is located between the inner fixing disc and the outer fixing disc.

[0049] In some embodiments, a torsion spring is placed at the connection between the flexible connector and the rotating disc.

[0050] In some embodiments, the rotating power element is a servomotor or a motor of an integrated encoder, and the movable wheel lifting mechanism further includes a controller, the rotating power element is electrically connected to the controller.

[0051] In some embodiments, the movable wheel lifting mechanism further includes a sensor for detecting the angle of rotation of the movable wheel component; the sensor is electrically connected to the controller; the controller is positioned to determine, based on the angle of rotation of the movable wheel component and the angle of rotation of the rotating power element, whether there is a failure of the rotating power element or of the flexible connector.

[0052] In some embodiments, the sensor comprises a rotary sensor placed on the rotating shaft of the moving wheel component and / or an optical sensor placed on the transmission.

[0053] In some embodiments, the equipment body includes a seat; the transmission is connected to the seat in a rotational manner.

[0054] In some embodiments, an upper limit part and a lower limit part are placed on the seat to limit an upper limit position and a lower limit position, respectively, of the movable wheel component.

[0055] In some embodiments, the movable wheel lifting mechanism further includes a spring, one end of which is fixed to the free part of the transmission and the other end to the seat.

[0056] In some embodiments, a hook part is placed on both the free part and the seat, and the ends of the spring are hooked to each of the hook part, and the two hooks of the hook part are hooked in opposite directions.

[0057] According to one embodiment, the present application provides cleaning equipment comprising an equipment body and the movable wheel lifting mechanism described above.

[0058] The movable wheel lifting mechanism provided in accordance with one or more embodiments of this application comprises a movable wheel component, a power component, and a flexible connector. The movable wheel component comprises a drive device, a transmission, and a movable wheel. The transmission is rotationally connected to the equipment body, and the power component is used to provide a driving force for raising or lowering the movable wheel component relative to the equipment body.A flexible connector is used to transmit power from the power component and act on the moving wheel component. The flexible connector is connected between the free part of the transmission and the power component, to drive the transmission to rotate under the drive of the power component relative to the equipment body, so that the moving wheel component is raised or lowered relative to the equipment body, the moving wheel component always being in contact with the ground during the movement and elevation of the moving wheel component relative to the equipment body.

[0059] Since the moving wheel component is always in contact with the ground during movement, the raising or lowering of the moving wheel component relative to the equipment body is manifested in the equipment by a change in the height of the equipment body relative to the ground, and when the height of the equipment body relative to the ground increases, the parts located under the equipment body can be higher than the obstacle, so that no part of the equipment interferes with the obstacle during obstacle crossing, which makes it possible to achieve the effect of increasing the obstacle crossing height, improving the obstacle crossing height, the release capability, and the adaptability to different road surfaces of the equipment equipped with the moving wheel lifting mechanism.

[0060] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

[0061] In order to illustrate more clearly the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the Figures used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly presented below, and it is evident that the Figures in the description below are some of the embodiments of this application, and for a person skilled in the art, other Figures can be obtained on the basis of these Figures without resorting to any creative work.

[0062] Fig. 1 illustrates a structural diagram of the moving wheel lifting mechanism in one or more embodiments of the present application, in a raised state of the moving wheel component.

[0063] Fig. 2 illustrates a structural diagram of the movable wheel lifting mechanism in one or more embodiments of the present application, in a lowered state of the transmission.

[0064] Fig. 3 illustrates a structural diagram of the transmission in the moving wheel lifting mechanism of Figures 1 and 2.

[0065] Fig. 4 illustrates a structural diagram of the assembly of a transmission and a spring in the movable wheel lifting mechanism of Figures 1 and 2.

[0066] Fig. 5 illustrates an exploded view of the power component and flexible connector in the moving wheel lifting mechanism of Figures 1 and 2.

[0067] Figure 6 illustrates a diagram of the obstacle crossing process of the cleaning equipment in one or more embodiments of the present application.

[0068] Figure 7 illustrates a diagram of the obstacle crossing process of the cleaning equipment in other embodiments of the present application.

[0069] Description marked with Figures: 100-moving wheel lifting mechanism; 10-moving wheel component, 11-transmission, 111-reducer, 112-drive device, 113-wheel cover, 12-moving wheel; 20-power component, 21-rotary power element, 211-output shaft, 22-rotating disc, 221-transmission disc, 222-inner fixing disc, 223-outer fixing disc; 30-flexible connector; 40-rotary sensor; 50-optical sensor; 60-mounting seat, 61-rotating shaft; 70-spring; 80-hook point part; 90-hook parts. 200-equipment body, 210-seat; 1000 - cleaning equipment, a - part of the main wheel; b - free part, c - obstacle, d - ground.

[0070] SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT METHODS

[0071] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and fully described below, in conjunction with the Figures of the embodiments of this application. It is understood that the embodiments described represent only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by a person skilled in the art without any creative work fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0072] Furthermore, this application may repeat reference numbers and / or letters in various ways, and this repetition is for the sake of simplicity and clarity and is not in itself an indication of a relationship between the various embodiments and / or settings discussed. In addition, various specific methods and materials are provided in this application, but a person skilled in the art may carry out the application of other methods and / or the use of other materials.

[0073] When cleaning equipment encounters an obstacle during its automatic movement, it must either avoid or overcome it. The obstacle clearance height limits the operating range and reliability of the cleaning equipment. The solution to the obstacle clearance problem in related techniques relies on software strategies that address the issue by adjusting the approach angle of the cleaning equipment relative to the obstacle and the speed to achieve the obstacle clearance function. This function is limited by physical constraints such as the height of the cleaning equipment above the ground and therefore has a limited effect.

[0074] In order to improve the obstacle-crossing capability of the cleaning equipment from a physical point of view, one or more embodiments of this application provide a movable wheel lifting mechanism and cleaning equipment that raises the equipment body so that the lower parts of the equipment are higher than the obstacle, ensuring that no part of the equipment interferes with the obstacle during the obstacle-crossing process, thus achieving the effect of increasing the obstacle-crossing height. This application is described in detail below with regard to specific embodiments and the Figures.

[0075] Embeddings of an embodiment of the present application provide a movable wheel lifting mechanism 100. The movable wheel lifting mechanism 100 is mounted on the equipment body 200 of the automation equipment requiring an obstacle-crossing function, and can perform the function of raising and lowering the movable wheel 12 relative to the equipment body 200, so as to raise the equipment body 200 and achieve an increase in the obstacle-crossing height. The movable wheel lifting mechanism 100 can be applied to cleaning equipment such as robotic vacuum cleaners, automatic sweepers, etc., and can also be applied to other automatic movement equipment that requires the obstacle-crossing function, such as automatic food delivery robots, mail sorting robots, etc.

[0076] Referring to Figures 1 and 2 illustrating an overall structural diagram of the movable wheel lifting mechanism 100. The movable wheel lifting mechanism 100 comprises a movable wheel component 10, a power component 20, and a flexible connector 30. The movable wheel component 10 is rotatably mounted on the equipment body 200, and the movable wheel component 10 can be either an active wheel component that provides the power to move the equipment or a follower wheel component that follows the rotation of the active wheel, which is not limited by this application. The power component 20 is also mounted on the Equipment body 200, used to provide a driving force for raising or lowering the movable wheel component 10 relative to the equipment body 200. The flexible connector 30 is used to transmit the power from the power component 20 and act on the movable wheel component 10, so as to allow the movable wheel component 10 to rotate relative to the seat 210 to perform the raising and lowering function relative to the equipment body 200. The power component 20, together with the flexible connector 30, can drive only the corresponding movable wheel component 10 to oscillate for raising or lowering, or can also simultaneously drive both movable wheel components 10 to oscillate for raising or lowering, which is not limited by this application.

[0077] Since the movable wheel component 10 is always in contact with the ground d during movement, the raising or lowering of the movable wheel component 10 relative to the equipment body 200 is manifested in the equipment by a change in the height of the equipment body 200 relative to the ground, and when the height of the equipment body 200 relative to the ground increases, the parts located under the equipment body 200 can be higher than the obstacle c, so that no part of the equipment interferes with the obstacle c during obstacle crossing, which makes it possible to achieve the effect of increasing the obstacle crossing height, improving the obstacle crossing height, the release capability, and the adaptability to different road surfaces of the equipment equipped with the movable wheel lifting mechanism 100.

[0078] In some embodiments, the power component 20 delivers rotary power. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the power component 20 comprises a rotary power element 21 and a rotary disk 22. The rotary power element 21 may be a servomotor or a motor (not limited to a brushed motor, a brushless motor, a stepper motor, etc.), and the rotary power element 21 is used to drive the rotary disk 22 to rotate in two opposite directions, for example, clockwise and counterclockwise. The rotary disk 22 is fixedly connected to the output shaft 211 of the rotary power element 21, and the rotary disk 22 may also be part of the projection onto the output shaft 211 of the rotary power element 21, the specific structure of which is not limited by this application.

[0079] The flexible connector 30 is placed between the wheel component 10 and the rotating disc 22. It is possible that one end of the flexible connector 30 is fixed to the wheel component 10 and the other end is fixed to the rotating disc 22 to transmit the rotational power of the rotating power element 21. It is also possible that the flexible connector 30 is fixed to one of the wheel components 10 or rotating disc 22 and that it is wound around the other movable wheel component 10 or rotating disc 22 to modify the spatial position of the free part b of the movable wheel component 10. The length of the flexible connector 30 between the movable wheel component 10 and the rotating disc 22 changes during the rotation of the rotating disc 22, so as to allow the movable wheel component 10 to rotate relative to the equipment body 200 to perform the function of raising and lowering relative to the equipment body 200.

[0080] In some embodiments, the rotating power element 21 tightens or loosens the flexible connector 30 by driving the rotation of the rotating disc 22, which changes the effective length of the flexible connector 30. When the rotating disc 22 rotates in the first direction (for example, clockwise), the length of the flexible connector 30 between the movable wheel component 10 and the rotating disc 22 decreases to allow the flexible connector 30 to be tightened, to transmit a force when the flexible connector 30 is tightened, and to be able to pull the movable wheel component 10 when the flexible connector 30 is tightened, in order to allow the movable wheel component 10 to rotate for raising or lowering relative to the equipment body 200.When the rotating disc 22 rotates in the second direction (for example, counterclockwise) opposite to the first direction, the length of the flexible connector 30 between the movable wheel component 10 and the rotating disc 22 increases, the flexible connector 30 is loosened, and the movable wheel component 10 can rotate in the opposite direction relative to the equipment body 200 under the action of its own weight and / or the reset spring. Of course, in other embodiments, the rotating power element 21 can also change the operating position of the flexible connector 30 by driving the rotating disc 22, during which the flexible connector 30 remains clamped.

[0081] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, in certain embodiments, the directional extension of the tension force exerted by the flexible connector 30 on the transmission 11 does not pass through the rotating shaft 61 on which the movable wheel component 10 rotates relative to the equipment body 200, so that the tension force can create a downward / outward torque on the movable wheel component 10 so that the transmission 11 is forced to oscillate outwards in the axial direction centered on the rotating shaft 61.

[0082] In certain embodiments, the rotating disc 22 rotates through an angle not exceeding 360 degrees during the rotation of the movable wheel component 10. In other words, the unidirectional rotation of the rotating disc 22 during the raising or lowering of the movable wheel component 10 does not exceed one revolution, which makes it possible to reduce the overall length of the flexible connector 30 when it is relaxed, avoiding as well as the flexible connector 30 loosening and detaching from the rotating disc 22, or interfering with the peripheral parts by being too long, or not being able to be properly tightened, or being torn off by catching on the peripheral parts. In some embodiments, the angle of rotation of the rotating disc 22 during the raising or lowering of the movable wheel component 10 is between 0 and 300 degrees, for example 30°, 45°, 60°, 70°, 90°, 120°, 180°, 235°, 270°, 290°, etc.

[0083] Referring to [Fig. 3] illustrating a structural diagram of the moving wheel component 10 in certain embodiments. The moving wheel component 10 is an active wheel component that provides the power to move the equipment, and the moving wheel component 10 comprises a transmission 11 and a moving wheel 12 driven by it. The transmission 11 may comprise only a power unit or may comprise a power unit and a reduction mechanism. The transmission 11 comprises a main wheel portion a and a free wheel portion b; the main wheel portion a is closer to the moving wheel 12 than the free wheel portion b. The main wheel portion a of the transmission has an overlapping area with the moving wheel 12 to transmit torque directly to the moving wheel 12. The free wheel portion b has a non-overlapping area with the moving wheel 12, which allows the transmission 11 to be fixed to the peripheral structure.

[0084] In some embodiments, the main wheel part a and the free part b are divided by an axis normal to the ground of the movable wheel 12. In other embodiments, it is also possible to define the boundary between the main wheel part a and the free part b as the outer contour line of the movable wheel 12. In some embodiments, the free part b is closer to the front direction of the equipment body 200 than the main wheel part a, so that the increase in elevation of the equipment can be manifested by an overall lifting of the equipment body 200 and the increase in elevation, or by the lifting of the front end of the equipment body 200 and the increase in elevation.

[0085] Since the free part b of the transmission 11 is located away from the movable wheel 12 (Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3), in some embodiments, the connections between the movable wheel component 10 and the peripheral parts are placed at the level of the free part b. In other words, the free part b of the transmission 11 is connected to the equipment body 200 in a rotational manner, the flexible connector 30 is also connected to the free part b of the transmission 11.

[0086] The equipment body 200 can be of integrated or separate structure. Referring to [Fig. 4], in some embodiments, a seat 210 is placed on the equipment body 200 for mounting the movable wheel component 10 and the power component 20, and components such as cleaning parts, the Guide wheels, etc., of the cleaning equipment can also be mounted on the seat 210. The drive 11 of the movable wheel component 10 is rotatably connected to the seat 210. To facilitate the connection of the movable wheel component 10 to peripheral parts, in some embodiments, a mounting seat 60 is placed on the free portion b of the drive 11. The mounting seat 60 is rotatably connected to the equipment body 200 (or to the seat 210 when the seat 210 is present). The drive 11 rotates with the rotating shaft 61 of the mounting seat 60 as its center of rotation. In some embodiments, a hooking point portion 80 is placed on the free portion b of the drive 11, and the flexible connector 30 is connected to the hooking point portion 80.

[0087] Referring to [Fig. 4], in certain embodiments, the movable wheel lifting mechanism 100 further comprises a spring 70, one end of which is fixed to the free part b of the transmission 11 and the other to the equipment body 200. The damping effect of the spring 70 allows the movable wheel 12 to reduce vibrations when passing over uneven surfaces. Similarly, to facilitate the mounting of the spring 70, in certain embodiments, hook portions 90 are placed on the free part b of the transmission 11 and the equipment body 200, and the ends of the spring 70 are hooked to each of the two hook portions 90.In some embodiments, the hook part 90 of the free part b of the transmission 11 is placed in the opposite direction to the hook part 90 of the equipment body 200, in other words, the direction of the hooking point of the spring 70 is reversed, which makes the attachment of the spring 70 more stable.

[0088] Referring to [Fig. 1], in certain embodiments, the extension direction of the flexible connector 30 is substantially the same as that of the spring 70, provided that the two are parallel within the range of permissible assembly errors; for example, the angle between the extension direction of the flexible connector 30 and the extension direction of the spring 70 is not greater than 10 degrees. The flexible connector 30 and the spring 70 both extend in the opposite direction to the direction of travel, so that the hook portion 90 and the power component 20 of the equipment body 200 are located behind the free portion b of the transmission 11. In other words, when the equipment body 200 passes over an obstacle, its front end is raised, the hook portion 90 and the power component 20 of the equipment body 200 are positioned rearward, and their spatial positions do not change significantly.In addition, the position of the hook part 90 and the power component 20 of the equipment body 200 are positioned towards the rear, which allows the front end of the equipment body 200 to be lifted more easily and, thus, to better overcome obstacles and avoid slippage.

[0089] In some embodiments, the spring 70 is always under tension, in other words, the spring 70 always exerts a tension force on the transmission 11, and in the case where the extension direction of the flexible connector 30 is substantially the same as that of the spring 70, the spring 70 can help the flexible connector 30 to pull jointly on the transmission 11 in order to allow the movable wheel component 10 to rotate for raising or lowering relative to the equipment body 200.

[0090] Referring to [Fig.4], in some embodiments, the mounting seat 60 is placed in the lower part of the free part b; the attachment point part 80 and the hook part 90 are both placed in the upper part of the free part b. The flexible connector 30 and the spring 70 are positioned upwards at the point of action on the free part b, so that the flexible connector 30 and the spring 70 can be placed at relatively high locations in the equipment body 200, which prevents the flexible connector 30 and the spring 70 from being exposed when the equipment body 200 is raised for crossing obstacles.

[0091] Referring to [Fig. 3], in some embodiments, the transmission 11 comprises a reducer 111 and a drive device 112 mounted on the reducer 111, with the rotating shaft 61 of the mounting seat 60 having a different axis than that of the drive device 112. More specifically, the axis of the drive device 112 is located above the rotating shaft 61 of the mounting seat 60, so that the drive device 112 is positioned relatively upward in the equipment body 200 relative to the rotating shaft 61 of the movable wheel component 10, which prevents the drive device 112 from being exposed when the equipment body 200 is raised for obstacle clearance. Referring to [Fig. 3],[3] In some embodiments, the transmission 11 further includes a wheel cover 113, the wheel cover 113 is connected to one side of the gearbox housing 111, and the wheel cover 113 is spaced above the movable wheel 12, which can provide a mounting base for the bearings of the movable wheel 12. In some embodiments, the wheel cover 113 can be integrated into the gearbox housing 111.

[0092] Embodiments of an embodiment of the present application provide a movable wheel lifting mechanism 100. The movable wheel component 10 may be an active wheel component that provides the power to move the equipment. The movable wheel lifting mechanism 100 is mounted on the equipment body 200 of the automation equipment requiring an obstacle-crossing function, and can perform the function of raising and lowering the movable wheel 12 relative to the equipment body 200, so as to raise the equipment body 200 and achieve an increase in the obstacle-crossing height. The movable wheel lifting mechanism 100 can be applied to cleaning equipment such as robot vacuum cleaners, automatic sweepers, etc., and can also be applied to other automatic moving equipment that requires obstacle crossing functionality, such as automatic food delivery robots, mail sorting robots, etc.

[0093] Referring to Figures 1 and 2 illustrating an overall structural diagram of the movable wheel lifting mechanism 100. The movable wheel lifting mechanism 100 comprises a movable wheel component 10, a power component 20, and a flexible connector 30. The movable wheel component 10 is used to provide the power required to move the equipment. The power component 20 is also mounted on the equipment body 200 and is used to provide a driving force for raising or lowering the movable wheel component 10 relative to the equipment body 200. The flexible connector 30 is used to transmit the power from the power component 20 to the movable wheel component 10, enabling the movable wheel component 10 to rotate relative to the seat 210 to perform the function of raising and lowering relative to the equipment body 200.Two movable wheel components 10 are generally required for moving the equipment; the power component 20, as well as the flexible connector 30, can drive only the corresponding movable wheel component 10 to oscillate for raising or lowering, or can also drive both movable wheel components 10 simultaneously to oscillate for raising or lowering, which is not limited by this application.

[0094] Since the movable wheel component 10 is always in contact with the ground d during movement, the raising or lowering of the movable wheel component 10 relative to the equipment body 200 is manifested in the equipment by a change in the height of the equipment body 200 relative to the ground, and when the height of the equipment body 200 relative to the ground increases, the parts located under the equipment body 200 can be higher than the obstacle c, so that no part of the equipment interferes with the obstacle c during obstacle crossing, which makes it possible to achieve the effect of increasing the obstacle crossing height, improving the obstacle crossing height, the release capability, and the adaptability to different road surfaces of the equipment equipped with the movable wheel lifting mechanism 100.

[0095] Referring to [Fig. 3] illustrating a structural diagram of the transmission 11 in certain embodiments. The movable wheel component 10 comprises a drive device 112, a transmission 11 and a driven movable wheel 12, and the drive device 112 drives the movable wheel 12 to rotate through the transmission 11, thus causing the complete cleaning equipment to move. The transmission 11 comprises a main wheel portion a and a free portion b, and the main wheel portion a is closer to the movable wheel 12 than the free portion b. The main wheel portion a of the transmission has an overlapping area with the movable wheel 12 to transmit the driving torque directly to the movable wheel 12. The free portion b has a non-overlapping area with the movable wheel 12, which allows the transmission 11 to be fixed to the peripheral structure.

[0096] The flexible connector 30 is connected between the power component 20 and the free part b of the transmission 11, either the ends of the flexible connector 30 are connected to the power component 20 and to the free part b of the transmission 11, or the flexible connector 30 is connected to the power component 20 and is wound around the free part b of the transmission 11 in order to change the spatial position of the free part b of the transmission 11. The flexible connector 30 is driven by the power component 20 to rotate the transmission 11 relative to the equipment body 200, which causes the movable wheel component 10 to be raised or lowered relative to the equipment body 200.

[0097] In some embodiments, the main wheel part a and the free part b are divided by an axis normal to the ground of the movable wheel 12. In other embodiments, it is also possible to define the boundary between the main wheel part a and the free part b as the outer contour line of the movable wheel 12. In some embodiments, the free part b is closer to the forward direction of the equipment body 200 than the main wheel part a, so that the increase in the equipment's elevation can be manifested by an overall lifting of the equipment body 200 and the increase in elevation, as illustrated in [Fig. 6]; or by the lifting of the front end of the equipment body 200 and the increase in elevation, as illustrated in [Fig. 7].

[0098] Since the free part b of the transmission 11 is located away from the movable wheel 12 (referring to Figures 1, 2, and 3), in some embodiments, the connections between the movable wheel component 10 and the peripheral parts are located at the free part b. In other words, the free part b of the transmission 11 is rotationally connected to the equipment body 200, and the flexible connector 30 is also connected to the free part b of the transmission 11. The equipment body 200 may be of integrated or separate structure. Referring to [Fig. 4], in some embodiments, a seat 210 is placed on the equipment body 200 for mounting the movable wheel component 10 and the power component 20, and components such as cleaning parts, follower wheels, etc., of the cleaning equipment may also be mounted on the seat 210.The transmission 11 of the movable wheel component 10 is connected to the seat. 210 in a rotary manner. The drive device 112 and the movable wheel 12 of the movable wheel component 10 are both connected to the transmission 11.

[0099] Referring to [Fig. 3], in some embodiments, the movable wheel component 10 further comprises a wheel cover 113, the wheel cover 113 is connected to one side of the transmission housing 11, and the wheel cover 113 is spaced above the movable wheel 12, which can provide a mounting base for the bearings of the movable wheel 12. In some embodiments, the wheel cover 113 can be integrated into the transmission housing 11.

[0100] To facilitate the connection of the movable wheel component 10 to the peripheral parts, in certain embodiments, a mounting seat 60 is placed on the free portion b of the transmission 11. The mounting seat 60 is rotationally connected to the seat 210, and the transmission 11 rotates with the rotating shaft 61 of the mounting seat 60 as its center of rotation. Since the mounting seat 60 is located in the free portion b of the transmission 11, the spacing between the rotating shaft 61 of the mounting seat 60 and the grounding point of the movable wheel 12 is greater, and a smaller angle of rotation of the transmission 11 can result in a significant increase in the equipment's elevation.

[0101] Referring to [Fig.4], in some embodiments, the rotating shaft 61 of the mounting seat 60 is different from the axis of the drive device 112, which allows the mounting seat 60 and the drive device 112 to be located in different positions, avoiding oversizing of the movable wheel component 10 in the axial direction of its rotating shaft 61 due to the coaxial adjustment of the rotating shaft 61 of the mounting seat 60 with the drive device 112, in order to facilitate the arrangement of the mounting seat 60 as well as the drive device 112.

[0102] Referring to [Fig.4], in some embodiments, the mounting seat 60 is placed on the lower side of the free part b, the axis of the drive device 112 is located above the rotating shaft 61 of the mounting seat 60, so that the drive device 112 is placed relatively upwards in the equipment body 200 relative to the rotating shaft 61 of the movable wheel component 10, which prevents the drive device 112 from being exposed when the equipment body 200 is raised for crossing obstacles.

[0103] The flexible connector 30 is connected to the free part b of the transmission 11, and similarly, the spacing between the position of the attachment point of the flexible connector 30 on the free part b and the grounding point of the movable wheel 12 is greater. This allows for a larger power arm, which can reduce the required output power amplitude of the power component 20. The flexible connector 30 can be directly connected to the free part b of the transmission 11. In some embodiments, it is also possible to provide a grounding point the attachment point 80 to the free part b of the transmission 11, and the flexible connector 30 is connected to the attachment point part 80. In some embodiments, the attachment point part 80 is placed on the upper side of the free part b so that the flexible connector 30 is placed in a relatively upward-oriented area inside the equipment body 200, preventing the flexible connector 30 from falling downwards to expose the equipment body 200 and come into contact with the ground when in the loose state.

[0104] Referring to [Fig. 4], in certain embodiments, the movable wheel lifting mechanism 100 further comprises a spring 70, one end of which is fixed to the free part b of the transmission 11 and the other to the seat 210 of the equipment body 200. The damping effect of the spring 70 allows the movable wheel 12 to reduce vibrations when passing over uneven surfaces. Similarly, to facilitate the mounting of the spring 70, in certain embodiments, hook portions 90 are placed on the free part b of the transmission 11 and the seat 210 of the equipment body 200, and the ends of the spring 70 are hooked to each of the two hook portions 90.In some embodiments, the hook part 90 of the free part b of the transmission 11 is placed in the opposite direction to the hook part 90 of the seat 210, in other words, the direction of the hooking point of the spring 70 is reversed, which makes the attachment of the spring 70 more stable.

[0105] Referring to [Fig. 1], in certain embodiments, the extension direction of the flexible connector 30 is substantially the same as that of the spring 70, provided that the two are parallel within the range of permissible assembly errors; for example, the angle between the extension direction of the flexible connector 30 and the extension direction of the spring 70 is not greater than 10 degrees. The flexible connector 30 and the spring 70 both extend in the opposite direction to the direction of travel, so that the hook portion 90 and the power component 20 of the seat 210 are located behind the free portion b of the transmission 11. In other words, when the equipment body 200 passes over an obstacle, its front end is raised, the hook portion 90 and the power component 20 of the seat 210 are positioned rearward, and their spatial positions do not change significantly.In addition, the position of the hook part 90 and the power component 20 of the seat 210 are positioned towards the rear, which allows the front end of the equipment body 200 to be lifted more easily and, thus, to better overcome obstacles and avoid slippage.

[0106] In some embodiments, the spring 70 is always under tension; in other words, the spring 70 always exerts a tension force on the transmission 11, and in the case where the extension direction of the flexible connector 30 is substantially the same as that of the spring 70, the spring 70 can help the flexible connector 30 to pull jointly on the transmission 11 in order to allow the movable wheel component 10 to rotate for raising or lowering relative to the seat 210.

[0107] Referring to [Fig.4], in some embodiments, the mounting seat 60 is placed in the lower part of the free part b; the attachment point part 80 and the hook part 90 are both placed in the upper part of the free part b. The flexible connector 30 and the spring 70 are positioned upwards at the point of action on the free part b, so that the flexible connector 30 and the spring 70 can be placed at relatively high locations in the equipment body 200, which prevents the flexible connector 30 and the spring 70 from being exposed when the equipment body 200 is raised for crossing obstacles.

[0108] The power component 20 is the actuation element that implements the obstacle-crossing function. The power component 20 can provide rotary power or mobile power; in other words, the power component 20 can comprise a rotary power element such as a motor, a servomotor, etc., or a telescopic power element such as a cylinder, an electrically actuated telescopic rod, etc. It is not limited by this application.

[0109] In some embodiments, the power component 20 delivers rotary power. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the power component 20 comprises a rotary power element 21. The rotary power element 21 may be a servomotor or a motor (not limited to a brushed motor, a brushless motor, a stepper motor, etc.). One end of the flexible connector 30 is fixed to the free portion b of the transmission 11, and the other end is connected to the output shaft 211 of the rotary power element 21, as illustrated in [Fig. 5], and the flexible connector 30 is used to transmit the rotary power from the rotary power element 21.

[0110] The rotating power element 21 tightens or loosens the flexible connector 30 as it rotates; in other words, the length of the flexible connector 30 between the movable wheel component 10 and the rotating disc 22 is changed to transmit force when the flexible connector 30 is tightened. In some embodiments, the rotating power element 21 can also change the operating position of the flexible connector 30 as it rotates, during which the flexible connector 30 remains tightened.

[0111] In some embodiments, the rotating power element 21 tightens or loosens the flexible connector 30 as it rotates, and the flexible connector 30 can pull on the transmission 11 when tightened, so as to allow the movable wheel component 10 to rotate for raising or lowering relative to the seat 210. The directional extension of the tension force exerted by the flexible connector 30 on the transmission 11 does not pass through the rotating shaft 61 of the mounting seat. of the moving wheel component 10, so that the tension force can create a downward / outward torque on the moving wheel component 10 so that the transmission 11 is forced to oscillate outwards in the axial direction centered on the rotating shaft 61.

[0112] In some embodiments, the rotating power element 21 rotates through an angle not exceeding 360 degrees during the raising or lowering of the movable wheel component 10. In other words, the unidirectional rotation of the output shaft 211 of the rotating power element 21 during the raising or lowering of the movable wheel component 10 does not exceed one revolution, which makes it possible to reduce the total length of the flexible connector 30 when it is relaxed, thus preventing the flexible connector 30 from interfering with the peripheral parts by being too long, or from not being able to be properly tightened or from being torn off by catching on the peripheral parts. In some embodiments, the angle of rotation of the output shaft 211 of the rotating power element 21 during the raising or lowering of the movable wheel component 10 is between 0 and 300 degrees, for example 30°, 45°, 60°, 70°, 90°, 120°, 180°, 235°, 270°, 290°, etc.

[0113] Referring to [Fig. 5], in certain embodiments, the power component 20 further comprises a rotating disk 22 coaxial with the output shaft 211 of the rotating power element 21, in which the rotating power element 21 tightens or loosens the flexible connector 30 by driving the rotating disk 22. The rotating disk 22 is fixedly connected to the output shaft 211 of the rotating power element 21, and the rotating disk 22 may also be part of the projection onto the output shaft 211 of the rotating power element 21, the specific structure of which is not limited by this application.The rotation angle of the rotating power element 21 does not exceed 360 degrees during the raising or lowering of the movable wheel component 10, and the corresponding rotation angle of the rotating disc 22 does not exceed 360 degrees during the raising or lowering of the movable wheel component 10, thus preventing the flexible connector 30 from loosening and detaching from the rotating disc 22, or from interfering with the peripheral parts by being too long, or from not being able to be properly tightened or from being torn off by catching on the peripheral parts.

[0114] The description of the following embodiments applies to both of the above embodiments.

[0115] In some embodiments, the rotating power element 21 tightens or loosens the flexible connector 30 by driving the rotation of the rotating disc 22. In order to reduce the situation in which the flexible connector 30 is caught by a foreign object when loosened or is not easily retrieved when disengaged from the rotating disc 22, in some embodiments, a torsion spring is placed at the connection between the flexible connector 30 and the rotating disc 22, which can tension the flexible connector 30 in real time so that the flexible connector 30 does not risk being disengaged from the rotating disc 22. In some embodiments, a clockwork mechanism can also be used to tension the flexible connector 30 in real time.

[0116] It should be noted that the flexible connector 30 of the present application is not limited to flexible materials. The flexible connector 30 may be a flexible pull cord such as a wire rope, nylon cable, or similar material, or a combined structure of a flexible pull cord and a rigid connecting element, such as a combined structure of a flexible pull cord and a tie rod. In other words, the flexible connector 30 is at least partly a flexible structure. It adopts the flexible structure as a means of power transmission and can, to some extent, solve the space arrangement problem of the movable wheel lifting mechanism 100. The power component 20 (such as motors, cylinders, etc.) can be arranged in any position within the equipment body 200 by means of a number of fixed-sliding wheel structures, so as to achieve optimal use of space.

[0117] Referring to Figures 1 and 2 illustrating the operation of the flexible connector 30 of the movable wheel lifting mechanism 100 in certain embodiments. The flexible connector 30 uses a traction cord, one end of which is attached to a traction cord suspension point on the movable wheel component 10 and the other end is attached to the rotating disc 22. The traction cord extends completely in a straight line without winding around a commutative structure in the middle. The rotating disc 22 rotates at an angle not exceeding 360 degrees during rotation, indicating that the traction cord will not be wound around the rotating disc 22 in a complete circle. This winding-free method reduces problems such as the traction cord becoming knotted and snagged by a foreign object during the relaxation process, compared to a twisted winding solution.

[0118] In some embodiments, the rotating disc 22 is coaxial with the output shaft 211 of the rotating power element 21, and the connection between the flexible connector 30 and the rotating disc 22 is eccentric with respect to the rotating shaft of the rotating disc 22, as illustrated in [Fig. 5]; or, the connection between the flexible connector 30 and the rotating disc 22 is coaxial with the rotating shaft of the rotating disc 22, and the rotating disc 22 is eccentric with respect to the output shaft 211 of the rotating power element 21; or, the rotating disc 22 is coaxial with the output shaft 211 of the rotating power element 21, and the connection between the flexible connector 30 and the rotating disc 22 is eccentric with respect to the output shaft 211 of the rotating power element 21. In other words, during the rotation of the rotating disk 22, the spatial position of the connection between the flexible connector 30 and the rotating disk 22 changes as a result of the rotation of the rotating disk 22, which, in combination with the overall linear extension of the flexible connector 30, leads to a change in the spatial attitude of the flexible connector 30 during the rotation of the rotating disk 22. The flexible connector 30 is always clamped during the rotation of the rotating disk 22. Since the spatial position of one end of the flexible connector 30 connected to the rotating disk 22 changes, the spatial position of one end of the flexible connector 30 connected to the movable wheel component 10 changes accordingly, while the length of the flexible connector 30 remains unchanged, which forces the transmission 11 to oscillate outwards in the axial direction centered on the rotating shaft 61.

[0119] In certain embodiments, the effective length of the flexible connector 30 remains constant because the flexible connector 30 is always clamped during the rotation of the rotating disk 22. Consequently, the angle of rotation of the rotating disk 22 during the raising or lowering of the movable wheel component 10 is between 0 and 90 degrees, for example 10°, 25°, 30°, 40°, 50°, 60°, 70°, 80°, 85°, etc. When the angle of rotation of the rotating disk 22 exceeds 90 degrees, for example 150 degrees, the spatial attitude of the flexible connector 30 at that time is substantially the same as that of the flexible connector 30 when the angle of rotation of the rotating disk 22 is 30 degrees.Therefore, by setting the rotation angle of the rotating disc 22 to 0~90 degrees during the raising or lowering of the movable wheel component 10, on the one hand, it is possible to form different spatial attitudes for the flexible connector 30; on the other hand, the maximum rotation angle of the rotating disc 22 is only 90 degrees, so it is possible to shorten the switching time between the raised or lowered states of the movable wheel component 10 compared to the solution of winding and retracting the flexible connector 30 on a whole circle or on several circles, which improves the efficiency of crossing obstacles.

[0120] In certain embodiments, to facilitate the connection between the flexible connector 30 and the rotating disc 22, the rotating disc 22 is positioned as a separate structure comprising at least two detachable parts that secure the connection between the flexible connector 30 and the rotating disc 22 within the latter. Referring to [Fig. 5], which illustrates an exploded view of the power component 20 in certain embodiments, the rotating disc 22 comprises a transmission disc 221, an inner mounting disc 222, and an outer mounting disc 223 connected to one another. The transmission disc 221 is fixedly connected to the output shaft 211 of the rotating power element 21, and the transmission disc 221, the inner mounting disc 222, and the outer mounting disc 223 are stacked one on top of the other and connected to each other by threaded fasteners. The connection between the flexible connector The flexible connector 30 and the rotating disc 22 are located between the inner mounting disc 222 and the outer mounting disc 223. For example, one end of the flexible connector 30 is attached to a pin, which is secured by passing through the pin holes open on the edges of the inner mounting disc 222 and the outer mounting disc 223, as illustrated in [Fig. 5]. The spacing between the inner mounting disc 222 and the outer mounting disc 223 allows movement of the flexible connector 30, and the flexible connector 30 does not wrap around the pin during the rotation of the rotating disc 22, but rather produces a change in spatial attitude when the position of the pin changes.

[0121] In certain embodiments, to prevent accidents when the rotating power element 21 becomes uncontrollable, an upper limit portion and a lower limit portion are placed on the equipment body 200 to limit an upper limit position and a lower limit position, respectively, of the movable wheel component 10. The movable wheel component 10 oscillates between an upper limit position and a lower limit position. In the normal travel state, the movable wheel component 10 is closer to the upper limit position and does not cross the upper limit position; in the obstacle crossing state, the movable wheel component 10 oscillates downwards, closer to the lower limit position, and does not cross the lower limit position.

[0122] In some embodiments, the upper limit portion and the lower limit portion may be a mechanical limit structure or an electronic limit device. In some embodiments, a lower limit portion of the mechanical structure is placed on the equipment body 200 to prevent the movable wheel component 10 from oscillating downwards. A length-adjustable bolt projecting downwards, fixed to the hook portion 90 of the equipment body 200, is used as an upper mechanical limit of the movable wheel component 10 to prevent the movable wheel component 10 from oscillating upwards. In other embodiments, the upper limit portion and the lower limit portion are electronic devices, such as microswitches, displacement switches, photoelectric sensors, etc. The movable wheel lifting mechanism 100 also includes a controller.When the moving wheel component 10 oscillates to a position that triggers the electronic devices, the electronic devices send a position signal back to the controller, and the controller commands the rotation of the rotating power element 21 to stop.

[0123] In certain embodiments, in order to facilitate closed-loop control of the oscillation position of the movable wheel component 10, the rotating power element 21 is a servomotor or a motor of an integrated encoder, and the output shaft 211 The servomotor or motor is connected to the rotating disc 22. The encoder can detect the actual rotation angle of the servomotor or motor. Consequently, the mobile wheel lifting mechanism 100 further includes a controller; the rotating power element 21 and its encoder are both electrically connected to the controller, and the rotation speed and / or rotation angle of the rotating power element 21 are controlled in a closed loop by the controller.

[0124] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, in some embodiments, the rotating power element 21 is a servomotor, which has the advantage of integrating a gearbox, a motor, and a position encoder, thus reducing its size. The position encoder is used to provide feedback on the motor's position in a closed loop. However, since active raising or lowering generally requires only two positions, namely the retracted and extended positions, it is also possible, in some embodiments, to replace the servomotor with an ordinary brushed or brushless motor and to achieve closed-loop control of the ordinary motor's position by placing the position sensing element at the upper and lower limit positions of the movable wheel component 10.

[0125] In certain embodiments, the movable wheel lifting mechanism 100 further includes a sensor for detecting the rotation angle of the movable wheel component 10. The number and type of sensors are not limited by this application; it is sufficient that they be able to detect the rotation angle of the movable wheel component 10. The sensor is electrically connected to the controller, and the sensor returns the detected rotation angle of the movable wheel component 10 to the controller. The controller can determine whether there is a failure of the rotating power element 21 and the flexible connector 30 based on the rotation angle of the movable wheel component 10 and the rotation angle of the rotating power element 21.

[0126] Under normal circumstances, there is a defined correspondence relationship between the rotation angle of the movable wheel component 10 and the rotation angle of the rotating power element 21, and if either of the measured rotation angle of the movable wheel component 10 and the measured rotation angle of the rotating power element 21 does not satisfy the correspondence relationship, this indicates that there is a failure of the rotating power element 21 and / or the flexible connector 30. The controller can then command the device equipped with the movable wheel lifting mechanism 100 to issue a warning message, such as the flashing of a fault indicator, the appearance of a warning box via a mobile phone application, etc.

[0127] In some embodiments, the sensor comprises a rotary sensor 40 placed on the rotating shaft 61 of the wheel component 10, and / or an optical sensor 50 placed on the transmission 11. In other words, only the rotary sensor 40 or the optical sensor 50 can be placed, or the rotary sensor 40 and the optical sensor 50 can be placed at the level of the mobile wheel lifting mechanism 100.

[0128] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, an optical sensor 50 is mounted on the outer side of the housing of the main wheel part of the transmission 11 to determine whether the movable wheel 12 has retracted correctly into the slot of the equipment body 200 when it resumes its normal movement state from the raised state, and the optical sensor 50 triggers the positioning signal after detecting the change in the direction of light from the retracted slot. Referring to [Fig. 3], a rotary sensor 40 is mounted on the rotating shaft 61 of the movable wheel component 10 to detect and record the actual angle of rotation of the movable wheel component 10.

[0129] When the sensor only includes the rotary sensor 40 placed on the rotating shaft 61 of the movable wheel component 10, the rotary sensor 40 can detect the actual angle of rotation of the movable wheel component 10. When the feedback information on the position of the servomotor or motor is faulty, for example in the event of failure of the servomotor or breakage of the flexible connector 30, the controller, thanks to the feedback signal from the rotary sensor 40, can determine whether the movable wheel 12 is actually rotating towards a normal travel position or towards a fully deployed position to allow crossing obstacles.

[0130] When the sensor comprises only an optical sensor 50 placed on the transmission 11, the optical sensor 50 can detect whether the movable wheel 12 has successfully retracted into the slot. When the feedback on the position of the servomotor or motor fails, for example in the event of servomotor failure or breakage of the flexible connector 30, the controller, thanks to the feedback signal from the optical sensor 50, can determine whether the movable wheel 12 is fully retracted and has returned to its normal travel position.

[0131] When the sensors include both the rotary sensor 40 and the optical sensor 50, in the event of a failure of the feedback information on the position of the servomotor or the motor, for example in the event of failure of the servomotor or breakage of the flexible connector 30, etc., the optical sensor 50 and the rotary sensor 40 detect whether the movable wheel 12 has successfully retracted into the slot as well as the actual angle of rotation of the movable wheel component 10, and it is possible to determine whether the movable wheel 12 has actually returned to the normal moving position.In addition, by comparing the information indicating whether the movable wheel 12 has successfully retracted into the slot and the actual angle of rotation of the movable wheel component 10 detected by the optical sensor 50 and the rotary sensor 40, with that on the angle of rotation of the rotary power element 21 returned by the encoder, it is also possible to determine whether there is a failure of the rotary power element 21. or the flexible connector 30. In addition, the simultaneous adjustment of the rotary sensor 40 and the optical sensor 50 is equivalent to a redundant adjustment which, on the one hand, improves the accuracy of the detection and, on the other hand, in the event of failure of one or the other of the rotary sensor 40 and optical sensor 50, the normal use of the mobile wheel lifting mechanism 100 is not affected.

[0132] The working principle of the movable wheel lifting mechanism 100 is described below, taking as an example the movable wheel lifting mechanism 100 of one embodiment. In this embodiment, the movable wheel lifting mechanism 100 is applied to a robot vacuum cleaner, and two movable wheel lifting mechanisms 100 are placed in the robot vacuum cleaner. In each movable wheel lifting mechanism 100, the power component 20 and the flexible connector 30 drive the corresponding movable wheel component 10 to oscillate for lifting or lowering. The movable wheel component 10 comprises a drive device 112, a transmission 11, and a movable wheel 12. The transmission 11 is a reduction mechanism, and the flexible connector 30 is a traction cord.The power component 20 includes a servomotor and a rotating disc 22, and a rotary sensor 40 and an optical sensor 50 are placed simultaneously on the moving wheel component 10.

[0133] The position of the movable wheel component 10 during normal movement of the robot vacuum cleaner is illustrated in [Fig. 1]. One end of the pull cord is attached to a pull cord suspension point on the transmission 11, and the other end is attached to the inner mounting disc 222 and the outer mounting disc 223 of the rotating disc 22. The pull cord is in its extended state. One end of the spring 70 is attached to the hook portion 90 of the transmission 11, and the other end is attached to the hook portion 90 of the equipment body 200. The transmission disc 221, the inner mounting disc 222, and the outer mounting disc 223 are attached to the servomotor by means of screws.

[0134] When the robot vacuum cleaner detects the need to cross an obstacle during its movement, the servomotor rotates approximately 120 degrees, and the rotating disc 22 of the servomotor rotates the traction cord in a similar rotation of approximately 120 degrees. The traction cord is in a shortened state, wound around the gap between the inner fixing disc 222 and the outer fixing disc 223. The other end of the traction cord is attached to a traction cord attachment point, which causes the movable wheel component 10, centered on the rotating shaft 61, to rotate downwards, as illustrated in [Fig. 2].

[0135] The movable wheel components 10 on both sides of the robot vacuum cleaner rotate simultaneously downwards to a lower limit position, which brings the total height of the robot vacuum cleaner's equipment body 200 above the floor. at 4 cm, as illustrated in [Fig. 6]. The acceleration provided by the moving wheel component 10 allows the robot vacuum cleaner to better lift its front end and thus move forward more effectively and overcome obstacles, as illustrated in [Fig. 7], thereby achieving its obstacle-crossing capability. The robot vacuum cleaner's obstacle-crossing height has increased from 20 mm to 32 mm and more.

[0136] An optical sensor 50 is mounted on the outer side of the main wheel portion of the transmission housing 11 to determine whether the movable wheel 12 has retracted correctly into the slot of the lower housing when it resumes its normal movement from the raised position. The optical sensor 50 triggers the retraction setting signal after detecting the change in the direction of light from the retracted slot. A rotary sensor 40 is mounted on the rotating shaft 61 to detect and record the actual rotation angle of the movable wheel component 10. The servomotor incorporates an encoder that can detect the actual rotation angle of the servomotor. In the event of a failure of the feedback information on the position of the servomotor, for example, in the event of servomotor failure or breakage of the traction cord, etc.It is possible to determine whether the movable wheel 12 has actually returned to the normal moving position based on information indicating whether the movable wheel 12 has successfully retracted into the slot as well as the actual angle of rotation of the rotating shaft 61 detected by the optical sensor 50 and the rotary sensor 40, and whether there is a failure of the servomotor or the traction rope by comparing them with the information on the angle of rotation of the servomotor returned by the servomotor.

[0137] The embodiments of the present application provide a cleaning device 1000, which may be a robotic vacuum cleaner or an automatic sweeper. Referring to Figures 6 and 7, the cleaning device 1000 comprises a device body 200 and a movable wheel lifting mechanism 100 of either of the embodiments of the application described above. The movable wheel lifting mechanism 100 is fully mounted within the device body 200. The movable wheel 12 of the movable wheel lifting mechanism 100 partially extends from the device body 200 and makes contact with the ground d, causing the entire cleaning device 1000 to move.

[0138] The drive force for movement is provided by the moving wheel component 10 when the cleaning equipment 1000 is moving normally (including forward, reverse, and turning). When the cleaning equipment 1000 detects an impassable obstacle c in front of it (identifying the position and size of an obstacle by means of an ultrasonic sensor, a mechanical vision system, etc., placed in front of the equipment body 200), or when the cleaning equipment 1000 is prevented from moving normally during its travel, it determines that it has encountered an obstacle. At that moment, the controller commands the action of the power component 20 on the mobile wheel component 10 via the flexible connector 30, so as to rotate the mobile wheel component 10 relative to the equipment body 200 to perform the lifting and lowering function relative to the equipment body 200.

[0139] Since the movable wheel component 10 is always in contact with the ground d during movement, the raising or lowering of the movable wheel component 10 relative to the equipment body 200 is manifested in the equipment by a change in the height of the equipment body 200 relative to the ground, and when the height of the equipment body 200 relative to the ground increases, the parts located under the equipment body 200 can be higher than the obstacle c, so that no part of the equipment interferes with the obstacle c during obstacle crossing, which makes it possible to achieve the effect of increasing the obstacle crossing height, improving the obstacle crossing height, the release capability, and the adaptability to different road surfaces of the equipment equipped with the movable wheel lifting mechanism 100.

[0140] Referring to [Fig. 6], in certain embodiments, when the controller determines that an obstacle c has been encountered, the power component 20 causes the movable wheel component 10 to rotate for extension relative to the equipment body 200, causing the entire equipment body 200 to rise above the height of the obstacle c. The movable wheel component 10 drives the cleaning equipment 1000 to continue moving, enabling it to cross the obstacle c.

[0141] Referring to [Fig.7], in certain embodiments, when the controller determines that an obstacle c has been encountered, the power component 20 causes the movable wheel component 10 to rotate for extension relative to the equipment body 200, which raises the front end of the equipment body 200 above the height of the obstacle c. The movable wheel component 10 accelerates the cleaning equipment 1000, enabling it to pass over the obstacle c.

[0142] In this application, unless expressly provided or limited otherwise, the first feature "above" or "below" the second feature may include direct contact between the first and second features, or may include indirect contact between the first and second features, but contact via another feature between them. Furthermore, the fact that the first feature is "on", "above", and "on top of" the second feature means that the first feature is directly above and diagonally above the second feature, or This simply indicates that the first feature is horizontally greater than the second feature. The fact that the first feature is "under", "below", and "at the bottom of" the second feature means that the first feature is directly below and diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is horizontally less than the second feature.

[0143] In the description of this application, it is understood that the terms "centre", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "top", "bottom", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise" indicate orientations or positional relationships based on those illustrated in the Figures, solely for the purpose of facilitating and simplifying the description of this application, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the devices or elements mentioned must have a particular orientation and be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be interpreted as a limitation of this application.

[0144] It should be noted that all directional indications in the embodiments of the present application are used only to explain the relative position relationship, relative movement, etc., between the components in a particular attitude, and that if the particular attitude is changed, the directional indications are changed accordingly.

[0145] In this application, the terms "connection," "fastening," etc., are to be understood in a broad sense, unless expressly stated or limited otherwise. For example, "fastening" may mean a fixed connection, a removable connection, or an integral connection; a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; a connection within two elements or an interaction between two elements, unless expressly stated otherwise. For a person skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the aforementioned terms in this application may be understood on a case-by-case basis.

[0146] Furthermore, descriptions such as "first" and "second" in this application are used solely for descriptive purposes and shall not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may expressly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description in this application, the term "plurality" means two or more, unless expressly and specifically limited.

[0147] In the description of this application, the terms of reference "an embodiment," "certain embodiments," "examples," "specific examples," or "certain examples" mean that the specific features, structures, materials, or traits described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in more than one embodiment or example of this application. In this application, the schematic representations of the aforementioned terms need not necessarily correspond to the same embodiments or examples. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or traits described may be appropriately combined in one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, a person skilled in the art may associate and combine different embodiments or examples described in this application.

[0148] Furthermore, the technical solutions between the different embodiments may be combined with one another, but this must be done on the basis that a person skilled in the art can implement them. Where the combination of technical solutions appears to be contradictory or impracticable, it must be considered that the combination of these technical solutions does not exist and falls outside the scope of protection claimed in this application.

[0149] Although the embodiments of this application have been shown and described, it will be understood by a person skilled in the art that a variety of changes, modifications, substitutions and variations of these embodiments may be made without departing from the principles and objectives of this application, the scope of which is limited by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

Demands

1. A movable wheel lifting mechanism (100), mounted on an equipment body (200), characterized in that the movable wheel lifting mechanism (100) comprises: a movable wheel component (10) including a drive device (112), a transmission (11) and a driven movable wheel (12); the transmission (11) is rotationally connected to the equipment body (200), the transmission (11) includes a portion of the main wheel (a) and a free portion (b), the portion of the main wheel (a) is closer to the movable wheel (12) than the free portion (b); a power component (20);and a flexible connector (30), the flexible connector (30) is connected between the free part (b) of the transmission (11) and the power component (20) to drive the transmission (11) to rotate under the drive of the power component (20) relative to the equipment body (200), so that the movable wheel component (10) is raised or lowered relative to the equipment body (200), in which the movable wheel component (10) remains in contact with the ground during the movement and raising of the movable wheel component (10) relative to the equipment body (200).

2. Movable wheel lifting mechanism (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the free part (b) of the transmission (11) is rotationally connected to the equipment body (200).

3. Movable wheel lifting mechanism (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that a mounting seat (60) is placed on the free part (b) of the transmission (11), the mounting seat (60) is rotationally connected to the equipment body (200), the transmission (11) rotating with the rotating shaft (61) of the mounting shaft seat (60) as the center of rotation.

4. Mobile wheel lifting mechanism (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that the rotating shaft (61) of the mounting seat (60) has a different axis from that of the drive device (112).

5. Movable wheel lifting mechanism (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that the mounting seat (60) is placed in the lower part of the free part (b).

6. Movable wheel lifting mechanism (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the part of the main wheel (a) is separated from the free part (b) by the axis normal to the ground of the movable wheel (12) and the free part (b) is closer to the equipment body (200) in the forward direction than the part of the main wheel (a).

7. Movable wheel lifting mechanism (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a hooking point part (80) is placed on the free part (b) of the transmission (11) and the flexible connector (30) is connected to the hooking point part (80); the hooking point part (80) is placed in an upper part of the free part (b).

8. Moving wheel lifting mechanism (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the power component (20) comprises a rotating power element (21); one end of the flexible connector (30) is fixed to the free part (b) of the transmission (11) and the other end is connected to the output shaft (211) of the rotating power element (21), the flexible connector (30) is tightened or loosened when the rotating power element (21) is rotated.

9. Movable wheel lifting mechanism (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the equipment body (200) comprises a seat (210); the transmission (11) is rotationally connected to the seat (210).

10. Cleaning equipment (1000), characterized in that the cleaning equipment comprises an equipment body (200) and a movable wheel lifting mechanism (100) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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