Base station and cleaning robot system

Abstract

To provide a base station and a cleaning robot system.SOLUTION: A base station is configured to maintain a cleaning robot. The base station includes: a base station body (220); and a base station base plate (210) having a slope part inclined upward from rearward to forward. The base station base plate includes a base plate (214) and an extension plate (215). A front end of the base plate is connected to the base station body. A rear end of the base plate is connected to the extension plate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] (Related Application) This application was filed on July 16, 2021, claims the priority of Chinese Patent Application No. 202110805968.1, and was filed on August 27, 2021, Chinese Patent Application No. 202122051444.6, and all the contents of these applications are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of smart homes, and more particularly to a base station and a cleaning robot system.

Background Art

[0003] Currently, cleaning robots usually need to actively move to an appropriate position of the base station in order to obtain maintenance operations such as charging, water replenishment, and cleaning from the base station. However, in the case of a slippery floor, it may affect the climbing operation of the cleaning robot.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] A series of concepts in simplified form are introduced in the summary section of the invention, which are further described in more detail in the section of specific embodiments. This section of the present disclosure is not appended to limit the main features and necessary technical features of the technical solutions described in the claims, let alone to determine the protection scope of the technical solutions described in the claims.

[0005] According to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present disclosure, a base station for maintaining a cleaning robot is provided. The base station includes a base station body and a base station base plate having an inclined surface portion that slopes upward from the rear to the front. Here, the base station base plate includes a substrate and an extension plate. The front end of the substrate is connected to the base station body, and the rear end of the substrate is connected to the extension plate.

[0006] In some embodiments, the extension plate is pivotally connected to the substrate, and the extension plate has a folded state and an unfolded state with respect to the substrate.

[0007] In some embodiments, a receiving groove is provided at the bottom of the substrate and is configured to receive the extension plate when the extension plate is in the folded state.

[0008] In some embodiments, a first anti-slip portion and a second anti-slip portion for the traveling device of the cleaning robot to pass through are respectively provided on the extension plate and the substrate.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first anti-slip portions are symmetrically provided on the extension plate, and the second anti-slip portions are symmetrically provided on the substrate.

[0010] In some embodiments, a retraction groove is provided on the substrate. The retraction groove is provided between the second anti-slip portions and is configured to accommodate some cleaning robots when the cleaning robot passes through the base station base plate.

[0011] In some embodiments, support wheels are provided on both sides of the retraction groove. The support wheels are configured to support the cleaning robot when the cleaning robot passes through or stops on the base station base plate.

[0012] In some embodiments, a concave structure for the traveling device of the cleaning robot to pass through is provided at the rear end of the extension plate.

[0013] In some embodiments, the concave structure is provided at an intermediate position at the rear end of the extension plate.

[0014] In some embodiments, a first guiding surface is provided along the circumferential direction of the concave structure, and the first guiding surface is provided to be inclined from the inside to the outside.

[0015] In some embodiments, a guiding portion for contacting the cleaning robot is provided on the base station body above the substrate.

[0016] In some embodiments, a guiding upper surface facing the substrate is provided on the base station body, and the guiding part is provided in the middle and / or on both sides of the middle of the guiding upper surface.

[0017] In some embodiments, the guiding part is provided at the front end of the guiding upper surface.

[0018] In some embodiments, the guiding part includes a guiding press block, and the side of the guiding press block facing the substrate is provided as a first inclined surface, and the first inclined surface is inclined downward from the rear to the front.

[0019] In some embodiments, the guiding part includes a guiding wheel, and the guiding wheel rotates around an axis perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the base station.

[0020] In some embodiments, a mounting bracket is provided on the guiding upper surface, and the guiding wheel is mounted on the mounting bracket via a rotating shaft.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a cleaning robot system including a cleaning robot and the base station according to any one of the first aspect, and the cleaning robot is adapted to stop at the base station.

[0022] The following attached drawings of the present disclosure are incorporated herein as part of the embodiments of the present disclosure for understanding the present disclosure. In the attached drawings, the embodiments of the present disclosure and their descriptions are illustrated for interpreting the principles of the present disclosure.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023]

Figure 1

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Figure 14

Description of Reference Numerals

[0024] 10 Cleaning robot 110 Equipment body 111 Front part 112 Rear part 120 Sensing system 121 Positioning device 122 Buffer 130 Control module 140 Driving system 141 Driving wheel module 142 Driven wheel 150 Cleaning system 151 Dry cleaning system 152 Side brush 153 Wet cleaning system 1531 Cleaning head 1532 Driving unit 1533 Driving platform 1534 Support platform 160 Energy system 170 Man-machine interaction system 180 Rotating wheel 20 Base station 210 Base station base plate 211 Inclined surface part 2111 Retraction groove 2112 Support ring 212 Concave structure 2121 First guide surface 214 Substrate 2141 Accommodation groove 2142 Second anti-slip part 2143 Support part 215 Extension plate 2151 First anti-slip part 216 Cleaning tank 217 Flat part 218 Pivot axis 2191 First track 2192 Second track 220 Base station main body 221 Guide part 222 Guide press block 2221 First inclined surface 223 Guide wheel 224 Guide upper surface 225 Guide side surface 2251 Lateral surface 2252 Intermediate surface 226 Mounting bracket 2261 First bracket main body 2262 Second bracket main body 227 Rotation axis 30 Cleaning assembly

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0025] In the following description, in order to provide a more complete understanding of the technical solutions of the present disclosure, a great deal of specific details are provided. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the technical solutions of the present disclosure can be implemented without one or more of these details.

[0026] It should be noted that the terms used in this specification are intended merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Also, the terms "comprising" and / or "including" used in this specification may indicate the presence of features, integers, steps, operations, components, and / or assemblies, and it should be understood that they do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, components, assemblies, and / or combinations thereof.

[0027] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in various different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described herein. It should be understood that these embodiments are provided to make the present disclosure thorough and complete and to fully convey the idea of these exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art.

[0028] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 14, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a base station 20 and a cleaning robot system. Here, as shown in FIG. 1, the cleaning robot system includes a cleaning robot 10 and a base station 20, that is, the base station 20 is used in cooperation with the cleaning robot 10.

[0029] In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cleaning robot 10 may include a device body 110, a sensing system 120, a control module 130, a driving system 140, a cleaning system 150, an energy system 160, and a man-machine interaction system 170. The cleaning robot 10 may be a self-propelled cleaning robot or other cleaning robot that meets the requirements. A self-propelled cleaning robot is a device that automatically performs a cleaning operation in a cleaning area without user operation. Here, when the self-propelled cleaning robot starts working, the self-propelled cleaning device departs from the base station 20 and executes the cleaning task. When the self-propelled cleaning robot 10 completes the cleaning task or needs to abort the cleaning task, the self-propelled cleaning robot 10 can return to the base station 20 for charging or other operations.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 2, the device body 110 includes a front portion 111 and a rear portion 112, has a generally circular shape (circular front and rear), and may be other shapes such as a generally D-shaped with a square front portion and a circular rear portion, a rectangle or a square shape with a square front portion and a square rear portion, etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 2, the sensing system 120 includes a positioning device 121 located on the device body 110, a collision sensor, a proximity sensor provided on a buffer 122 of the front portion 111 of the device body 110, a cliff sensor provided at the lower part of the device body 110, and sensing devices such as a magnetometer, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and an odometer provided inside the device body 110, and is used to provide various position information and movement state information of the device to the control module 130. The positioning device 121 includes, but is not limited to, a camera and a laser distance sensor (LDS).

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2, the front portion 111 of the device main body 110 carries a buffer 122. When the drive wheel module 141 propels the cleaning robot 10 to travel on the floor surface during the cleaning process, the buffer 122 detects one or more events in the traveling path of the cleaning robot 10 through a sensor system provided thereon, such as an infrared sensor. The cleaning robot 10 controls the drive wheel module 141 based on the events detected by the buffer 122, such as obstacles and walls, and can make the cleaning robot 10 respond to the events, for example, move away from the obstacles.

[0033] The control module 130 is provided on the main circuit board inside the device main body 110 and includes a computing processor, such as a central processing unit and an application processor, that communicates with non-transitory memories such as a hard disk, a flash memory, and a random access memory. The application processor uses a positioning algorithm, such as real-time positioning and map construction (SLAM, Simultaneous Localization And Mapping), based on the obstacle information fed back by the laser distance sensor to draw a real-time map of the environment where the cleaning robot 10 is located. Also, based on the distance information and speed information fed back by the sensors provided on the buffer 122, such as cliff sensors, magnetometers, accelerometers, gyroscopes, and travel distance meters, the current working state, current position, and current posture of the cleaning robot 10 are comprehensively determined, for example, having crossed a doorstop, on a carpet, at the edge of a cliff, unable to move from above or below, the dust box being full, being picked up, etc., and specific next operation strategies can be provided for different situations so that the cleaning robot 10 has better cleaning performance and user experience.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 3, the drive system 140 can operate the device body 110 according to drive commands including distance and angle information (e.g., x, y, and θ components) to move across the floor. The drive system 140 includes drive wheel modules 141, and the drive wheel modules 141 may simultaneously control the left and right wheels in order to more accurately control the movement of the device. The drive wheel modules 141 each include a left drive wheel module and a right drive wheel module. The left and right drive wheel modules are provided along the horizontal axis defined by the device body 110. In order for the cleaning robot 10 to move more stably on the floor or have stronger moving ability, the cleaning robot 10 may include one or more driven wheels 142. The driven wheels 142 include, but are not limited to, driven wheels. The drive wheel module 141 includes a traveling wheel, a drive motor, and a control circuit for controlling the drive motor. The drive wheel module 141 may also be connected to a circuit for measuring drive current and an odometer. The drive wheels may include an offset-drop suspension system, which is movably fixed, for example, rotatably assembled to the device body 110 and receives a spring offset that is offset downward from the device body 110. Due to the spring offset, the drive wheels can maintain contact and traction with the floor with a certain ground contact force, and at the same time, the cleaning elements of the cleaning robot 10 also contact the floor with a certain pressure.

[0035] The energy system 160 may include a rechargeable battery such as a nickel-metal hydride battery or a lithium battery. The rechargeable battery is connected to a charge control circuit, a battery pack charge temperature detection circuit, and a battery voltage shortage monitoring circuit. The charge control circuit, the battery pack charge temperature detection circuit, and the battery voltage shortage monitoring circuit are connected to a single-chip microcomputer control circuit. The host is connected to a charging pile by charging electrodes provided on the side or below the device for charging.

[0036] The human-machine interaction system 170 may include buttons on a host panel for the user to select functions, and may also include a display screen and / or display lights and / or speakers. The display screen, display lights, and speakers are used to display the current device status or function options to the user, and may further include a mobile phone client program. In the case of a route navigation type automatic cleaning device, the mobile phone client can display a map of the device's location environment and the location of the device to the user, and can provide richer and more user-friendly function items.

[0037] The cleaning system 150 may be a dry cleaning system 151 and / or a wet cleaning system 153.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 3, the dry cleaning system 151 provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure may include a roller brush, a dust box, a fan, and an air outlet. The roller brush having a certain interference with the floor surface sweeps up the dust on the floor surface, rolls it up in front of the dust suction port between the roller brush and the dust box, and then is sucked into the dust box by the gas having an extraction force passing through the dust box generated by the fan. The dry cleaning system 151 further includes a side brush 152 having a rotating shaft. The rotating shaft forms a certain angle with the floor surface and moves debris into the roller brush area of the cleaning system 150.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the wet cleaning system 153 provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure may include a cleaning head 1531, a drive unit 1532, a water supply mechanism, a liquid storage tank, etc. Here, the cleaning head 1531 is provided below the liquid storage tank, and the cleaning liquid inside the liquid storage tank is transported to the cleaning head 1531 through the water supply mechanism, and the cleaning head 1531 performs wet cleaning on the flat surface to be cleaned. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the cleaning liquid inside the liquid storage tank may be directly sprayed onto the flat surface to be cleaned, and the cleaning head 1531 realizes the cleaning of the flat surface by uniformly applying the cleaning liquid.

[0040] Here, the cleaning head 1531 cleans the surface to be cleaned, and the driving unit 1532 is used to drive the cleaning head 1531 to substantially reciprocate along the target surface, where the target surface is a part of the surface to be cleaned. The cleaning head 1531 reciprocates along the surface to be cleaned, and a cleaning cloth or a cleaning plate is provided on the contact surface of the cleaning head 1531 with the surface to be cleaned, generating high-frequency friction with the surface to be cleaned by the reciprocating movement to remove the dirt on the surface to be cleaned.

[0041] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 4, the driving unit 1532 may further include a driving platform 1533 and a supporting platform 1534. The driving platform 1533 is connected to the bottom surface of the device body 110 and is used to provide driving force. The supporting platform 1534 is detachably connected to the driving platform 1533, supports the cleaning head 1531, and is configured to realize lifting and lowering under the driving of the driving platform 1533.

[0042] As an embodiment of the present disclosure, the wet cleaning system 153 is connected to the device body 110 via an active lifting module. When the wet cleaning system 153 is temporarily not involved in the work, for example, when the cleaning robot 10 stops at the base station 20 to clean the cleaning head 1531 of the wet cleaning system 153 and inject water into the liquid storage tank, or when encountering a surface to be cleaned that cannot be cleaned by the wet cleaning system 153, the active lifting module lifts the wet cleaning system 153.

[0043] In the wet cleaning system 153 provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, the cleaning head 1531, the driving platform 1533, the supporting platform 1534, the water supply mechanism, the liquid storage tank, etc. may be powered by one motor or a plurality of motors. The energy system 160 provides power and energy to the motor and is generally controlled by the control module 130.

[0044] Here, the water supply mechanism in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include a water discharging device. The water discharging device may be directly or indirectly connected to the liquid outlet of the liquid storage tank 13. Here, the cleaning liquid may flow towards the water discharging device through the cleaning liquid outlet of the liquid storage tank and may be uniformly applied to the surface to be cleaned by the water discharging device. A connecting member may be provided on the water discharging device, and the water discharging device is connected to the cleaning liquid outlet of the liquid storage tank through the connecting member. A distribution port is provided on the water discharging device. The distribution port may be a continuous opening, may be formed by combining a plurality of small openings, or a plurality of nozzles may be provided at the distribution port. The cleaning liquid flows towards the distribution port through the cleaning liquid outlet of the liquid storage tank and the connecting member of the water discharging device, and is uniformly applied to the surface to be cleaned through the distribution port.

[0045] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the liquid storage tank further includes a water replenishing port. The water replenishing port may be provided on the side wall of the water tank. When the cleaning robot 10 stops at the base station 20, the base station 20 injects water into the liquid storage tank of the cleaning robot 10 through the water replenishing port.

[0046] In the embodiments provided by the present disclosure, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 10, the base station 20 includes a base station main body 220 and a base station base plate 210. The base station base plate 210 includes a substrate 214 and an extension plate 215. Here, the front end of the substrate 214 is connected to the base station main body 220, and the rear end of the substrate 214 is connected to the extension plate 215. The base station base plate 210 includes an inclined surface portion 211 that is inclined upward from the rear to the front. Here, the front-rear direction of the base station is as shown by the arrow in FIG. 5. The inclined surface portion 211 guides the cleaning robot 10 to move to an appropriate position of the base station 20 for other operations such as charging. That is, the traveling device of the cleaning robot 10, such as drive wheels and universal wheels, needs to move to an appropriate position of the base station 20 with the help of the inclined surface portion 211. In some embodiments, the cleaning robot 10 stops at an appropriate position of the base station with the help of the inclined surface portion from the rear to the front of the base station 20 to realize corresponding operations. For example, the cleaning robot stops at the base station for charging, which means that the forward direction of the cleaning robot 10 is toward the front of the base station 20.

[0047] The extension plate 215 is connected to the rear end of the substrate 214. For example, the extension plate 215 is detachably or movably provided at the rear end of the substrate 214. In the case of special situations such as a slippery floor, the extension plate 215 is connected to the substrate 214 and disposed behind the substrate 214. During the process of the cleaning robot 10 approaching the base station 20, after passing through the extension plate 215, it reaches the inclined surface portion 211 on the upper surface of the substrate 214, which can assist the cleaning robot 10 in climbing the slope, improve the efficiency and reliability when the cleaning robot 10 stops at the base station 20, and is suitable for popularization and application.

[0048] In some embodiments, on the one hand, the extension plate 215 is detachably connected to the substrate 214. When it is necessary to use the extension plate 215, the rear ends of the extension plate 215 and the substrate 214 are connected to facilitate the climbing of the cleaning robot 10. When it is not necessary to use the extension plate 215, the extension plate 215 can be removed from the substrate 214 and stored, and the operation is simple.

[0049] On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the extension plate 215 is movably connected to the substrate 214. For example, the extension plate 215 is movable relative to the substrate 214. When it is necessary to use the extension plate 215, the extension plate 215 is movably connected to the rear of the substrate 214 relative to the substrate 214 to facilitate the climbing of the cleaning robot 10. When it is not necessary to use the extension plate 215, the extension plate 215 can be moved to another position that meets the requirements movably relative to the substrate 214 for storage, and the operation is simple.

[0050] That is, through the movable connection or detachable connection between the extension plate 215 and the substrate 214, during the process when the cleaning robot 10 stops at the base station 20, the extension plate 215 can meet the requirements of different situations where it is necessary or unnecessary. That is, in the case of special requirements, for example, when the floor surface is slippery, the extension plate 215 and the substrate 214 form the base station base plate 210 so that the cleaning robot 10 can stop at the base station 20. In the case of no special requirements, for example, when the floor surface is dry, the cleaning robot 10 can stop at the base station 20 only with the substrate 214. At this time, the unnecessary extension plate 215 is stored in an appropriate position, the usage range of the product is expanded, and it is suitable for popularization and application.

[0051] Here, the front end of the substrate 214 is connected to the base station main body 220. In some embodiments, the front end of the substrate 214 may be connected to the base station main body 220 by welding, integral molding, or other means that meet the requirements, but it is not particularly limited in the present disclosure.

[0052] In the above embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the extension plate 215 is pivotally connected to the substrate 214, and the extension plate 215 has a folded state and a deployed state with respect to the substrate 214. The base station 20 further includes a pivot axis 218, and the extension plate 215 is connected to the substrate 214 via the pivot axis 218. When the extension plate 215 is not required, the extension plate 215 is rotated backward with respect to the substrate 214 behind the substrate 214, that is, the climbing operation of the cleaning robot 10 is facilitated. When the extension plate 215 is not required, the extension plate 215 is pivoted so as to overlap the substrate 214, and the extension plate 215 is folded with respect to the substrate 214. Thereby, the storage of the extension plate 215 is facilitated, the size of the substrate 214 along the front-rear direction is not affected, and the requirement of the situation where the extension plate 215 is unnecessary during the process of the cleaning robot 10 stopping at the base station 20 can be satisfied. It should be noted that the extension plate 215 and the substrate 214 may be connected by other structures that meet the requirements, but are not particularly limited in the present disclosure.

[0053] In some embodiments, the extension plate 215 has a folding structure, that is, the extension plate 215 itself can be folded, which helps to increase the length of the extension plate 215, facilitates the storage of the extension plate 215, and is suitable for popularization and application.

[0054] In the above embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, FIG. 8 is a bottom view of a certain perspective of FIG. 7, and FIG. 10 is a bottom view of a certain perspective of FIG. 6. Here, as shown in FIG. 10, a storage tank 2141 is provided at the bottom of the substrate 214. The storage tank 2141 may be other structures having a storage space. The storage tank 2141 communicates with the rear end portion of the substrate 214, that is, the storage tank 2141 is an opening groove. As shown in FIG. 8, when the extension plate 215 is in a folded state with respect to the substrate 214, the extension plate 215 is accommodated in the storage tank 2141. The installation of the storage tank 2141 provides a space for storing the extension plate 215. Since the storage tank 2141 is located at the bottom of the substrate 214, it does not affect the aesthetics of the substrate 214, and at the same time does not affect the structure of the upper surface of the substrate 214 and the height of the substrate 214. Furthermore, the cleaning robot 10 can smoothly stop at the base station 20 along the upper surface of the substrate 214.

[0055] In one example, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, a support portion 2143 that protrudes downward is provided at a portion near the front end of the bottom of the substrate 214, and an accommodation space for the extension plate 215 is formed between the support portion 2143 and the rear end of the substrate 214, that is, an accommodation groove 2141 is formed. Here, the support portion 2143 may be a support plate, a support rib, or other structure that meets the requirements.

[0056] In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, a first anti-slip portion 2151 and a second anti-slip portion 2142 for the traveling device of the cleaning robot 10 to pass through are provided on the extension plate 215 and the substrate 214, respectively. Here, the first anti-slip portion 2151 extending along the front-rear direction is provided on the extension plate 215, and the second anti-slip portion 2142 is provided on the substrate 214. When the extension plate 215 is in the deployed state, the extending direction of the first anti-slip portion 2151 overlaps with the extending direction of the second anti-slip portion 2142. During the process of the cleaning robot 10 approaching the base station 20, the traveling device of the cleaning robot 10 sequentially passes through the first anti-slip portion 2151 and the second anti-slip portion 2142 and stops at the base station 20. Here, the first anti-slip portion 2151 and the second anti-slip portion 2142 are in contact with the driving wheels of the cleaning robot 10. By providing the first anti-slip portion 2151 and the second anti-slip portion 2142, a certain frictional force is generated between the driving wheels of the cleaning robot 10, ensuring that the cleaning robot 10 moves reliably to an appropriate position of the base station 20 along the extension plate 215 and the substrate 214, and guaranteeing that the cleaning robot 10 stops at the base station 20.

[0057] In some embodiments, the first anti-slip portion 2151 and / or the second anti-slip portion 2142 may be an anti-slip concavo-convex pattern or other anti-slip structure that meets the requirements, and is not particularly limited in the present disclosure. Here, the anti-slip concavo-convex pattern may match the tire pattern of the traveling device. For example, the anti-slip concavo-convex pattern is the same as the tire pattern of the traveling device, and the first anti-slip portion 2151 and / or the second anti-slip portion 2142 generates sufficient frictional force with the tire, guaranteeing that the cleaning robot 10 stops quickly and smoothly at an appropriate position of the base station 20.

[0058] Here, a second anti-slip portion 2142 is provided on the inclined surface portion 211, which helps to ensure the smoothness of the cleaning robot 10 when climbing slopes. Note that the second anti-slip portion 2142 may be provided on the inclined surface portion 211 or on the substrate 214 between the inclined surface portion 211 and the extension plate 215 in order to improve the operational reliability of the cleaning robot 10 on the substrate 214.

[0059] In some feasible embodiments provided by the present disclosure, the traveling device of the cleaning robot 10 includes a second traveling device that is symmetrically distributed along the operating direction of the cleaning robot 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the second traveling device may be a driving wheel. The first anti-slip portion 2151 is symmetrically provided on the extension plate 215, and the second anti-slip portion 2142 is symmetrically provided on the substrate 214. That is, the number of the second anti-slip portions 2142 is two, and they are symmetrically provided on both sides along the center line in the front-rear direction of the substrate 214. The number of the first anti-slip portions 2151 is also two, and they are symmetrically provided on both sides along the center line in the front-rear direction of the extension plate 215. The two first anti-slip portions 2151 are provided corresponding to the two second anti-slip portions 2142. In this way, when the cleaning robot 10 approaches the base station base plate 210, the two symmetrically distributed driving wheels sequentially pass through the symmetrically distributed first anti-slip portions and the symmetrically distributed second anti-slip portions, and the two first anti-slip portions 2151 and the two second anti-slip portions 2142 respectively come into contact with the two driving wheels. Thereby, the stability and reliability when the cleaning robot stops at the base station are improved.

[0060] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6, a first track 2191 extending along the front-rear direction is provided on the extension plate 215, the first anti-slip portion 2151 is provided in the first track 2191, a second track 2192 extending along the front-rear direction is provided on the substrate 214, the second anti-slip portion 2142 is provided in the second track 2192. When the extension plate 215 is in an unfolded state with respect to the substrate 214, the extending direction of the first track 2191 overlaps with the extending direction of the second track 2192. During the process that the cleaning robot 10 approaches the base station 20, it sequentially passes through the first track 2191 and the second track 2192 and stops at the base station 20. Here, the first track 2191 and the second track 2192 exert a certain guiding effect on the tires of the second traveling device of the cleaning robot 10, enabling the second traveling device to stop smoothly, quickly and accurately at an appropriate position of the base station 20 along the first track 2191 and the second track 2192, and improving the stopping efficiency and stopping accuracy of the cleaning robot 10 with respect to the base station 20.

[0061] In some realizable embodiments provided by the present disclosure, a retraction groove is provided on the substrate 214. For example, a retraction groove 2111 is provided on the inclined surface portion 211, and the retraction groove 2111 is located between two second anti-slip portions 2142 and is used to accommodate a part of the cleaning robot 10 when the cleaning robot 10 passes through the base plate 210 of the base station. Under normal circumstances, the driven wheel 142 and the driving wheel are provided at the bottom of the cleaning robot 10, that is, the second traveling device is provided at the bottom of the cleaning robot 10. Therefore, by providing the retraction groove 2111 on the inclined surface portion 211, during the process that the cleaning robot 10 stops at the base station 20, the retraction groove 2111 can accommodate the driven wheel 142 or the equipment body 110 of a part of the cleaning robot 10, etc. Thereby, during the process that the cleaning robot 10 stops at the base station 20, the equipment body 110 of the cleaning robot 10 is not prematurely lifted, and the tail of the equipment body 110 is prevented from contacting the base plate 210 of the base station, which prevents the difficulty of the cleaning robot 10 from stopping at the base station 20 from being increased.

[0062] As shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, support wheels 2112 are provided on both sides of the retraction groove 2111. For example, the support wheels 2112 are provided on the inclined surface portion 211, located on both sides of the retraction groove 2111. For example, they are located between the retraction groove 2111 and the second anti-slip portion 2142. By supporting the bottom of the cleaning robot 10 with the support wheels 2112, the difficulty of the driving wheels climbing the slope can be reduced, and the smoothness of climbing the slope can be improved. Here, the axis of the support wheels 2112 is provided perpendicularly to the front-rear direction.

[0063] In some embodiments, the substrate 214 further includes a flat portion 217 connected to the inclined surface portion 211. The flat portion 217 is located between the inclined surface portion 211 and the extension plate 215, that is, the flat portion 217 is located in front of the inclined surface portion 211. By installing the flat portion 217, the distance from the floor surface to the inclined surface portion 211 of the cleaning robot 10 increases, providing a certain buffer distance for the climbing operation of the cleaning robot 10, and can assist the cleaning robot 10 in climbing the slope.

[0064] In some realizable embodiments provided by the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 6, the traveling device of the cleaning robot 10 further includes a first traveling device. For example, the first traveling device is provided at the front of the cleaning robot 10, and the second traveling device is provided at the rear of the cleaning robot 10. Here, when the moving direction of the cleaning robot 10 is forward, in the moving direction of the cleaning robot 10, the first traveling device is located in front of the second traveling device. Taking the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 as an example, during the process that the cleaning robot 10 moves forward and stops at the base station 20, the driven wheel 142 is located in front of the driving wheel, that is, the first traveling device is the driven wheel 142, and the second traveling device is the driving wheel. In addition, in other embodiments, the first traveling device may be the driving wheel, and the second traveling device may be the driven wheel 142. Hereinafter, the embodiments provided by the present disclosure will be described by taking the case where the first traveling device is the driven wheel 142 and the second traveling device is the driving wheel as an example.

[0065] Since the first traveling device of the cleaning robot 10 is provided in front of the second traveling device, when the cleaning robot 10 needs to move forward and stop at the base station 20, the first traveling device (for example, the driven wheel 142) approaches the base station 20 earlier than the second traveling device (for example, the driving wheel). A concave structure 212 for the first traveling device in the traveling devices of the cleaning robot to pass through is provided at the rear end of the extension plate 215. Here, the concave structure 212 is open upward and conforms to the shape of the driven wheel 142 of the cleaning robot 10. Thus, when the cleaning robot 10 moves forward and approaches the base plate 210 of the base station and the extension plate 215 is in a deployed state with respect to the substrate 214, the driven wheel 142 first fits into the concave structure 212, that is, after the driven wheel 142 approaches the base plate 210 of the base station, it first moves along the concave structure 212, and the lifting time after the cleaning robot 10 contacts the base plate 210 of the base station can be extended, and the efficiency of the cleaning robot 10 stopping at the base station 20 can be further improved.

[0066] In some embodiments, the first traveling device is provided at an intermediate position in the front part of the main body of the cleaning robot 10. Here, the main body may be the device main body 110 of the cleaning robot 10. For example, since the driven wheel 142 is usually provided on the geometric center line along the front-rear direction of the cleaning robot 10, by providing the concave structure 212 at the intermediate position of the rear end of the extension plate 215, the concave structure 212 is provided distally from the intermediate position of the rear end of the extension plate 215. Since the cleaning robot 10 can stop at the base station 20 via the base station base plate 210, the problem that the extension plate 215 has a large size in the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction can be alleviated. That is, by providing the concave structure 212 at the intermediate position of the rear end of the extension plate 215, the size of the extension plate 215 in the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction can be reduced, the occupied space of the base station base plate 210 can be reduced, and the design requirement that the base station 20 has a compact structure can be satisfied. Here, since the concave structure 212 extends in the direction of the substrate 214, the distance for the cleaning robot 10 to pass through the concave structure 212 and move to the inclined surface portion 211 can be shortened, and further, the lifting time during the ascending process of the cleaning robot 10 can be extended.

[0067] In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the concave structure 212 is at least one of a notch and a groove. That is, the concave structure 212 may be a notch, or the concave structure 212 may be a groove, or the concave structure 212 may be a combination of a notch and a groove. For example, the notch is located in front of the groove and communicates with each other, and the notch and the groove are combined to form a concave structure. Different types of the concave structure 212 can meet the requirements of different structures and different processing methods of the base station base plate 210, and the use range of the product can be expanded.

[0068] In some embodiments, the recess structure 212 is a notch, that is, a notch is provided at the rear end of the extension plate 215, and the notch extends in the direction of the inclined surface portion 211. After the driven wheel 142 passes through the notch, it can move to the upper surface of the base station base plate 210 and stop at an appropriate position of the base station 20 after passing through the inclined surface portion 211. Here, the notch is easy to process and is suitable for popularization and application.

[0069] In some embodiments, the recess structure 212 includes a groove that opens rearwardly provided at the rear end of the extension plate 215, that is, a groove is provided at the rear end of the extension plate 215, and the groove extends in the direction of the inclined surface portion 211. The groove is an open groove, that is, the opening of the groove communicates with the rear end portion of the extension plate 215. In this way, when the driven wheel 142 moves to the rear end of the extension plate 215, it sequentially passes through the groove, the upper surface of the extension plate 215, the upper surface of the substrate 214, and the inclined surface portion 211 and then stops at an appropriate position of the base station 20. Here, since the distance from the groove bottom of the groove to the lower surface of the extension plate 215 is small, it is too small to lift the cleaning robot 10, or the lifting height is so small that it can be ignored. Therefore, the effect of extending the lifting time after the cleaning robot 10 contacts the base station base plate 210 can be achieved as well. At the same time, due to the design of the groove, the distance from the groove bottom of the groove to the upper surface of the extension plate 215 is appropriately reduced, the difficulty for the driven wheel 142 to move from the groove to the upper surface of the extension plate 215 is reduced, and furthermore, the smoothness and success rate of the driven wheel 142 moving from the groove to the upper surface of the base station base plate 210 are improved, and the efficiency of the cleaning robot 10 stopping at the base station 20 can be improved.

[0070] In some realizable embodiments provided by the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 6, a first guiding surface 2121 is provided along the circumferential direction of the concave structure 212. The first guiding surface 2121 is provided to incline from the inside to the outside. In some embodiments, the first guiding surface 2121 inclines in a direction away from the inside of the opening from bottom to top. By providing the first guiding surface 2121, during the process of the driven wheel 142 moving from the concave structure 212 to the upper surface of the extension plate 215, a good guiding effect is achieved, the difficulty for the driven wheel 142 to move from the concave structure 212 to the upper surface of the extension plate 215 is reduced, the smoothness and success rate of the driven wheel 142 moving from the concave structure 212 to the upper surface of the base station base plate 210 can be improved, and further, the efficiency of the cleaning robot 10 stopping at the base station 20 can be improved.

[0071] Here, the side of the extension plate 215 of the concave structure 212 away from the rear end is arc-shaped, and the arc shape matches a part of the shape of the driven wheel 142.

[0072] In some realizable embodiments provided by the present disclosure, as shown in FIGS. 1, 11, and 13, a guiding portion 221 that is located above the substrate 214 and contacts the cleaning robot 10 is provided on the base station main body 220. By the contact between the guiding portion 221 and the cleaning robot 10, the cleaning robot 10 can be guided to move in a direction approaching the base station main body 220, the movement of the cleaning robot 10 along the vertical direction can be restricted, the smoothness and accuracy of the cleaning robot 10 stopping at the base station main body 220 can be improved, and the efficiency of the robot stopping at the base station main body 220 can be improved.

[0073] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6, a cleaning assembly 30 for the cleaning robot 10 is further provided on the base station main body 220. In some embodiments, the cleaning assembly 30 is used to clean the cleaning system 150 of the cleaning robot 10. Along the vertical direction, the guide part 221 is located above the cleaning assembly 30, that is, the cleaning assembly 30 is located on the side closer to the base station base plate 210 of the base station main body 220, and cleans the cleaning system 150 at the bottom of the cleaning robot 10. When a cleaning tank 216 is provided below the cleaning assembly 30 on the substrate 214, the cleaning tank 216 is configured to accommodate the dust and sewage generated during the process of the cleaning assembly 30 cleaning the cleaning system 150 of the cleaning robot 10. At this time, along the vertical direction, the cleaning assembly 30 is located above the cleaning tank 216, and the guide part 221 is located above the cleaning assembly 30. It should be understood that the cleaning tank 216 is located on the side away from the groove structure 212 of the inclined surface part 211.

[0074] In the above embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, a guide upper surface 224 facing the substrate 214 is provided on the base station main body 220, and the guide part 221 is provided on the guide upper surface 224 and contacts the top of the cleaning robot 10. That is, during the process of the cleaning robot 10 stopping at the base station main body 220, the guide part 221 contacts the top of the cleaning robot 10 from above to guide and limit the movement of the cleaning robot 10, so that the size of the base station 20 in the horizontal direction can be reduced, meeting the requirement that the horizontal size of the placement space of the base station 20 is small, and the use range of the product can be expanded.

[0075] Here, on the one hand, the guide part 221 may be provided in the middle of the guide upper surface 224, and it is possible to guide and limit the movement of the cleaning robot 10 only by one guide part 221, with a simple structure and low cost.

[0076] On the other hand, the guiding parts 221 may be provided on both sides of the middle part of the guiding upper surface 224. The movement of the cleaning robot 10 can be guided and restricted by the two guiding parts 221, which helps to improve the movement accuracy and smoothness of the cleaning robot 10, can improve the reliability and accuracy of position restriction, and is suitable for popularization and application.

[0077] Furthermore, the guiding parts 221 may be provided in the middle part and on both sides of the middle part of the guiding upper surface 224. The movement of the cleaning robot 10 can be guided and restricted by the three guiding parts 221, which can greatly improve the movement accuracy and smoothness of the cleaning robot 10 and can improve the reliability and accuracy of position restriction.

[0078] Note that the number of the guiding parts 221 may be one, two, three, four, five or other numbers that meet the requirements. Different numbers of the guiding parts 221 can meet the requirements of different structures of the guiding parts 221 and at the same time meet the requirements of different guiding and restricting accuracies, and can expand the usage range of the product.

[0079] Here, the guiding part 221 may be at least one of the guiding press block 222 and the guiding wheel 223. For example, all the guiding parts 221 may be guiding press blocks 222, or all the guiding parts 221 may be guiding wheels 223, or the guiding part 221 may include the guiding press block 222 and the guiding wheel 223. At this time, the number of the guiding parts 221 is at least two.

[0080] In some embodiments, one guide part 221 is provided at an intermediate position on the guide upper surface 224, and the guide part 221 may be a guide press block 222 or a guide wheel 223. Alternatively, two guide parts 221 are provided on both sides of the intermediate position on the guide upper surface 224. The two guide parts 221 may both be a guide press block 222 or a guide wheel 223, or one may be a guide press block 222 and the other may be a guide wheel 223. Alternatively, three guide parts 221 are provided on the guide upper surface 224, including a guide press block 222 or a guide wheel 223 at the intermediate position and guide press blocks 222 or guide wheels 223 on both sides of the intermediate position. For example, a guide press block 222 is provided at the intermediate position and guide wheels 223 are provided on both sides of the intermediate position.

[0081] In the above embodiments, the guide part 221 is provided at the front end of the guide upper surface 224. Since the cleaning robot 10 moves along the front-rear direction of the base station 20 and stops at the front base station main body 220, by providing the guide part 221 on the side closer to the front of the guide upper surface 224, the cleaning robot 10 can be guided to move to the stop point of the base station main body 220 along the front-rear direction of the base station 20, reducing the problem that the cleaning robot 10 cannot move well to the stop point of the base station main body 220, and further improving the accuracy and reliability of the cleaning robot 10 stopping at the base station 20.

[0082] Here, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the base station main body 220 is further provided with a guide side surface 225 facing rearward. The guide side surface 225 is provided between the substrate 214 and the guide upper surface 224. In some embodiments, the guide side surface 225 is provided above the cleaning assembly 30. The guide side surface 225 includes two opposing side surfaces 2251 and an intermediate surface 2252 between the two side surfaces 2251. The intermediate surface 2252 is opposite to the forward direction in which the cleaning robot 10 moves close to the base station 20.

[0083] In some possible embodiments provided by the present disclosure, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 11, when the guide part 221 includes the guide press block 222, the side of the guide press block 222 facing the substrate 214 functions as the first inclined surface 2221, and the first inclined surface 2221 inclines downward from the rear to the front. During the process of the cleaning robot 10 stopping at the base station 20, the top of the cleaning robot 10 contacts the first inclined surface 2221 of the guide press block 222, and along the first inclined surface 2221 of the guide press block 222, it moves in the direction approaching the base station body 220 until it reaches the stopping point. At the same time, when the cleaning robot 10 reaches the stopping point of the base station 20, for example, after the cleaning robot 10 stops at the base station 20, its cleaning system 150 is washed. During the washing process, the cleaning assembly 30 of the base station 20 contacts the cleaning system 150 of the cleaning robot 10, applies a straight-ahead pushing force to the cleaning robot 10, and due to the installation of the guide press block 222, the straight-ahead pushing force can be offset in part or in whole, preventing the cleaning robot 10 from moving upward.

[0084] In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, in order for the cleaning robot 10 to stop at the base station 20 more easily, a rotating wheel 180 adapted to the guide press block 222 may be provided on the upper edge of the cleaning robot 10. As shown in FIG. 12, the rotating wheel 180 can rotate along an axis perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the base station 20. In this way, when the cleaning robot 10 needs to move to the stopping point of the base station 20, the rotating wheel 180 can cooperate with the guide press block 222, and the cleaning robot 10 can move to the stopping point of the base station 20 more smoothly. It should be understood that the rotating wheel 180 may be provided corresponding to the upper edge of the cleaning robot 10 according to the number and position of the guide press blocks 222.

[0085] In some embodiments, when the cleaning robot 10 stops at the base station 20 to perform different operations, its posture may be different. For example, when the cleaning robot 10 stops at the base station 20 to charge, since the first charging contact electrode piece is provided at the front part 111 of the cleaning robot 10, the front part 111 is close to the base station body 220, that is, the cleaning robot 10 needs to move forward to stop at the base station 20.

[0086] When the cleaning robot 10 stops at the base station 20 to clean the cleaning system 150, the cleaning system 150 may be provided close to the front part 111 of the cleaning robot 10, or may be provided away from the front part 111. When the cleaning system 150 is provided close to the front part 111 of the cleaning robot 10, the cleaning robot 10 can clean the cleaning system by bringing the front part 111 close to the base station body 220. That is, in this state, during charging and cleaning operations, the posture of the cleaning robot 10 relative to the base station 20 is the same, that is, the cleaning robot 10 needs to move forward to stop at the base station 20.

[0087] When the cleaning system 150 is provided away from the front part 111, it is possible to clean by bringing the rear part 112 of the cleaning robot 10 close to the base station body 220. That is, in this state, during charging and cleaning operations, the posture of the cleaning robot 10 relative to the base station 20 is opposite, that is, the cleaning robot 10 needs to reverse and move backward to stop at the base station 20 to perform the cleaning operation. Therefore, a plurality of rotating wheels 180 are provided at different positions on the upper edge of the cleaning robot 10, and when the cleaning robot 10 stops at the base station 20 in different postures, the rotating wheels 180 can cooperate with the guide press block 222 to improve the stopping efficiency.

[0088] In some realizable embodiments provided by the present disclosure, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, when the guide part 221 includes the guide wheel 223, the guide wheel 223 rotates along an axis perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the base station 20, that is, the guide wheel 223 reciprocally rotates along the front-rear direction. The guide wheel 223 can guide the cleaning robot 10 to move in a direction approaching or departing from the base station main body 220, so that the cleaning robot 10 can move to the stop point of the base station 20 more smoothly.

[0089] Here, by installing the guide wheel 223, the vertical movement of the cleaning robot 10 after stopping at the base station 20 can be restricted. For example, when the cleaning robot 10 stops at the base station 20 for cleaning, the cleaning assembly 30 of the base station 20 contacts the cleaning system 150 of the cleaning robot 10 and applies a straight-ahead pushing force to the cleaning robot 10. By installing the guide wheel 223, the straight-ahead pushing force can be offset in part or in whole, and the cleaning robot 10 can be prevented from moving upward.

[0090] In this embodiment, a mounting bracket 226 is provided on the guide upper surface 224, and the guide wheel 223 is attached to the mounting bracket 226 via a rotating shaft 227. By installing the mounting bracket 226 and the rotating shaft 227, the guide wheel 223 is firmly and securely fixed to the guide upper surface 224 and can rotate in a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the base station 20 around the rotating shaft 227. Here, the rotating shaft 227 is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the base station 20.

[0091] In some embodiments, the mounting bracket 226 includes a first bracket body 2261 and a second bracket body 2262 that face each other. The rotation shaft 227 is connected to the first bracket body 2261 and the second bracket body 2262. That is, the first bracket body 2261 and the second bracket body 2262 are distributed at intervals along a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the base station 20. The guide ring 223 is fitted on the rotation shaft 227 and is located between the first bracket body 2261 and the second bracket body 2262. During the process of the cleaning robot 10 stopping at the base station 20, the guide ring 223 contacts the top of the cleaning robot 10 and can rotate along the rotation shaft 227 to guide the cleaning robot 10 to move in a direction approaching the base station body 220, so that the cleaning robot 10 can move more smoothly to the stopping point of the base station 20. Here, by installing the first bracket body 2261 and the second bracket body 2262, the connection reliability and stability between the guide ring 223 and the guide upper surface 224 can be improved.

[0092] All embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented alone or in combination with other embodiments, and all of these should be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0093] The present disclosure has been described by the above embodiments, but the above embodiments are only used for illustrative and explanatory purposes and are not intended to limit the present disclosure within the scope of the described embodiments. Further, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and more changes and modifications can be made in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure, and all of these changes and modifications are included in the protection scope of the present disclosure. The protection scope of the present disclosure shall be defined by the appended claims and their equivalent scope.

Claims

1. A base station for maintaining a cleaning robot, wherein the base station includes a base station main body and a base station base plate having an inclined surface portion that slopes upward from the rear to the front, the base station base plate includes a substrate and an extension plate, a front end of the substrate is connected to the base station main body, and a rear end of the substrate is connected to the extension plate.

2. The base station according to claim 1, wherein the extension plate is pivotally connected to the substrate, and the extension plate has a folded state and an unfolded state with respect to the substrate.

3. The base station according to claim 2, wherein a storage tank is provided at a bottom of the substrate, and is accommodated in the storage tank when the extension plate is in a folded state.

4. The base station according to claim 1, wherein a first anti-slip portion and a second anti-slip portion for the traveling device of the cleaning robot to pass through are respectively provided on the extension plate and the substrate.

5. The base station according to claim 4, wherein the first anti-slip portion is symmetrically provided on the extension plate, and the second anti-slip portion is symmetrically provided on the substrate.

6. The base station according to claim 5, wherein a retraction groove is provided on the substrate, the retraction groove is provided between the second anti-slip portions, and is configured to accommodate a part of the cleaning robot when the cleaning robot passes through the base station base plate.

7. The base station according to claim 6, wherein support wheels are provided on both sides of the retraction groove, and the support wheels are configured to support the cleaning robot when the cleaning robot passes through or stops on the base station base plate.

8. The base station according to claim 1, wherein a concave structure for the traveling device of the cleaning robot to pass through is provided at a rear end of the extension plate.

9. The base station according to claim 8, wherein the concave structure is located at an intermediate position of the rear end of the extension plate.

10. The base station according to claim 8, wherein a first guiding surface is provided along a circumferential direction of the concave structure, and the first guiding surface is provided to slope from the inside to the outside.

11. The base station according to claim 1, wherein a guiding portion for contacting the cleaning robot is provided on the base station main body above the substrate.

12. The base station according to claim 11, wherein a guiding upper surface facing the substrate is provided on the base station main body, and the guiding portion is provided in the middle of the guiding upper surface and / or on both sides of the middle.

13. The base station according to claim 12, wherein the guiding portion is provided at the front end of the guiding upper surface.

14. The base station according to claim 12, wherein the guiding portion includes a guiding press block, a side of the guiding press block facing the substrate is provided as a first inclined surface, and the first inclined surface is inclined downward from the rear to the front.

15. The base station according to claim 12, wherein the guiding portion includes a guiding wheel, and the guiding wheel rotates about an axis perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the base station.

16. The base station according to claim 15, wherein a mounting bracket is provided on the guiding upper surface, and the guiding wheel is attached to the mounting bracket via a rotating shaft.

17. A cleaning robot and A cleaning robot system including the base station according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the cleaning robot is configured to stop at the base station.

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