Cleaning element and cleaning robot

Abstract

A cleaning element for a cleaning robot. The cleaning element comprises: a support body (100); and a cushioning member (200), the cushioning member (200) being connected to the support body (100) and at least partially protruding from the edge of the support body (100). The cushioning member (200) located at the edge of the support body (100) has a cushioning effect when the support body (100) is impacted, thereby avoiding damage and noise caused by direct impact.

Description

Cleaning element and cleaning robot

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This disclosure claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202322306703.4 filed on August 25, 2023, and the contents of the above-mentioned Chinese patent application disclosure are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety as a part of this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to the field of smart home technology, and in particular to a cleaning element and a cleaning robot. Background Art

[0004] In recent years, the continuous development of smart home technology has brought significant convenience to daily life. The increasing popularity of automated cleaning robots, in particular, has made household cleaning tasks increasingly easier and has gained market favor. A cleaning robot primarily consists of a robot body that moves and cleans surfaces, and a mop assembly attached to the underside of the robot body. The mop assembly typically includes a flexible mop and a mop holder, which is removably attached to a side surface of the mop holder to maintain its stability. The mop is used to contact the ground, and as the robot body moves, it moves relative to the ground, cleaning the floor.

[0005] To ensure that the mop assembly has a sufficient cleaning area, the outer contour of the mop assembly usually exceeds the side wall of the robot body. The mop bracket is relatively rigid. When the robot body moves to a position close to protrusions such as furniture or walls, the mop bracket exceeds the side wall of the robot body and will hit the furniture or wall, causing damage such as scratches and dents on the furniture and wall, and will also generate noise such as friction and impact.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] In view of this, the present disclosure provides a cleaning element and a cleaning robot, which provide a buffering member located at the edge of the supporting body to play a buffering role when the supporting body collides, thereby avoiding damage and noise caused by direct impact.

[0008] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a cleaning element for a cleaning robot, comprising:

[0009] Support body (100);

[0010] The buffer member (200) is connected to the supporting body (100) and at least partially protrudes from the edge of the supporting body (100).

[0011] Wherein, the buffer member (200) comprises an elastic member.

[0012] Wherein, the elastic member surrounds the edge of the supporting body (100);

[0013] Alternatively, there are multiple elastic members, and the multiple elastic members are arranged at intervals around the edge of the support body (100).

[0014] The elastic member is provided with a hollow (210). In some embodiments, the hollow (210) includes at least one of a trapezoidal hollow, a triangular hollow, a circular hollow, or an elliptical hollow.

[0015] A notch (220) is provided on the elastic member, and an extending direction of the notch (220) forms a preset angle with a normal direction of an edge of the supporting body (100) corresponding to the notch (220).

[0016] The buffer member (200) includes a plurality of rollers, which are rotatably connected to the support body (100), and the plurality of rollers are arranged at intervals around the edge of the support body (100).

[0017] The roller comprises a rotating shaft and a wheel disc, the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the wheel disc, and the rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the supporting body (100), and the wheel disc at least partially protrudes from the edge of the supporting body (100);

[0018] Alternatively, the supporting body (100) includes a rotating shaft, and the roller is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft.

[0019] Wherein, the buffer member (200) includes a covering member, and the cleaning element further includes a cleaning member (300);

[0020] The covering member is connected to the edge of the cleaning member (300) and covers at least a portion of the edge of the supporting body (100).

[0021] The covering member surrounds the cleaning member (300), a first side edge of the covering member is connected to the cleaning member (300), and a receiving space adapted to the edge profile of the supporting body (100) is formed between the covering member and the cleaning member (300);

[0022] The second side edge of the covering member is elastically deformable, and the second side edge of the covering member is used to stretch under the action of an external force, and the support body (100) enters the accommodating space through the second side edge so that the covering member covers the edge of the support body (100);

[0023] Alternatively, there are multiple covering members, which are circumferentially spaced around the cleaning member (300), with a first end of the covering member connected to the cleaning member (300), and a second end of the covering member extending toward a side of the support body (100) opposite to the cleaning member (300) to cover a portion of the edge of the support body (100).

[0024] On the other hand, the present disclosure further provides a cleaning robot, comprising a cleaning element as described in any one of the foregoing items, and a robot body, wherein the cleaning element is disposed on the robot body.

[0025] The cleaning element and cleaning robot proposed in this disclosure, by providing a buffer member located at the edge of the support body, acts as a buffer when the support body is impacted, thereby preventing damage and noise caused by direct impact. In the related art, to ensure that the mop assembly has a sufficient cleaning area, the outer contour of the mop assembly usually extends beyond the side wall of the robot body. However, the mop bracket is relatively rigid. When the robot body moves near furniture or walls, the mop bracket extends beyond the side wall of the robot body and may impact the furniture or wall, causing damage such as scratches and dents on the furniture and wall, and also generating friction, impact, and other noise. In the technical solution of the present application, a buffer member is provided on the support body. The buffer member extends beyond the edge of the support body. When the support body approaches a protrusion, the buffer member first contacts the protrusion, acting as a buffer, thereby preventing damage and noise caused by direct impact to the support body. At the same time, it also prevents the support body from vibrating significantly due to rigid collisions, and avoids damage to the mechanical components of the cleaning robot used to connect and drive the support body to move. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a cleaning element including a trapezoidal hollow structure provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of a cleaning element including a triangular hollow portion provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of a circular hollow cleaning element provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a cleaning element including a notch provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of a cleaning element including a roller provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a cleaning element including a covering member provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] Among them, there are a supporting body 100, a buffer component 200, a hollow 210, a notch 220, and a cleaning component 300. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] In order to further illustrate the technical means and effects adopted by the present disclosure to achieve the predetermined disclosure purpose, the following is a detailed description of the specific implementation method, structure, characteristics and effects of a cleaning element proposed according to the present disclosure in combination with the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments.

[0034] In one aspect, as shown in Figures 1-6, the present disclosure provides a cleaning element for a cleaning robot, comprising:

[0035] Support body (100);

[0036] The buffer member (200) is connected to the supporting body (100) and at least partially protrudes from the edge of the supporting body (100).

[0037] The support body (100) is used to connect the cleaning member (300), and the cleaning member (300) can be a mop made of a flexible material, such as non-woven fabric, wool felt, or thick woven fabric with terry loops. The first end of the support body (100) is used to connect to the cleaning robot, and the cleaning member (300) is usually connected to the second end of the support body (100), facing the ground or other surface to be cleaned, and cleans the surface to be cleaned by a surface-to-surface contact and relative movement. In a more specific embodiment, the support body (100) generally includes a support plate (110) and a connecting rod (120) connected to the support plate (110). The support plate (110) is a flat disc-shaped structure. The support plate (110) is used to connect the cleaning member (300). Specifically, a fixing member such as a hook can be set on one side surface of the support plate (110). The cleaning member (300) is connected with a terry felt that cooperates with the hook, so that the cleaning member (300) can be detachably connected to the surface of the support plate (110). The support plate (110) supports the flexible cleaning member (300) so that the cleaning member (300) maintains its shape for mopping and sweeping. A plurality of hollows can be set on the support plate (110) to reduce the weight of the support plate (110). The connecting rod (120) is set on the other side surface of the support plate (110) opposite to the cleaning member (300), usually extending perpendicular to the support plate (110), and is used to connect the cleaning robot. In one embodiment, a connecting groove and a magnetic member located in the connecting groove are provided on the cleaning robot body, a magnetic member is connected to the connecting rod (120), and the connecting rod (120) is used to be inserted into the connecting groove and fixed to the cleaning robot through the action of the magnetic member and the magnetic member. The cleaning robot is also used to drive the support body (100) to rotate, so that the support body (100) can drive the cleaning member (300) to rotate and clean the floor more effectively.

[0038] The edge of the support body (100) refers to the edge of the support plate (110), or the edge of the support body (100) refers to the side wall between the two opposite sides of the support plate (110). The shape of the support plate (110) can be various, such as circular, approximately triangular or square. For the convenience of explanation in the following embodiments of this application, the support plate (110) is taken as an example. In order to make the cleaning member (300) completely fixed on the support plate (110) and not drooping to affect the walking and obstacle crossing functions of the cleaning robot, the extension range of the cleaning member (300) is usually not greater than the bottom surface of the support plate (110), or in other words, the edge of the support plate (110) will exceed or be flush with the edge of the cleaning member (300). The buffer member (200) can be set on the support plate (110) in various ways, and is intended to protrude from the edge of the support plate (110) to prevent the support plate (110) from directly hitting the protrusion. The buffering effect of the buffer (200) can also be achieved in a variety of ways, such as elastic buffering, rolling buffering, etc. The buffer (200) can be a whole, extending beyond the support plate (110) along the edge of the support plate (110), or the number of the buffer (200) can be multiple, and can be arranged at intervals at the edge of the support plate (110). In order to ensure that the support plate (110) has sufficient supporting force, the material of the support plate (110) is usually hard plastic. The elastic buffering or rolling buffering of the buffer (200) can avoid rigid collision or friction caused by the support plate (110) directly hitting the surface of a protrusion protruding from the ground, such as a wardrobe, wall, door frame, etc.

[0039] The cleaning element and cleaning robot proposed in this disclosure utilize a buffer located along the edge of the support body to cushion impacts, thereby preventing damage and noise from direct impacts. In related art, to ensure sufficient cleaning area for the mop assembly, the outer contour of the mop assembly typically extends beyond the sidewalls of the robot body. However, the mop holder is relatively rigid. When the robot body approaches furniture or walls, the mop holder, extending beyond the sidewalls of the robot body, can collide with the furniture or wall, causing damage such as scratches and dents, as well as friction and impact noise. In the technical solution of this application, a buffer is provided on the support body that extends beyond the outer edge of the support body. This allows the support body to first contact the protrusion when it approaches a protrusion, cushioning the impact and preventing damage and noise from direct impacts. This also prevents the support body from vibrating significantly due to rigid collisions, which could damage the mechanical components of the cleaning robot that connect and drive the support body.

[0040] The buffer member (200) can be provided in various forms and in various buffering modes. The following are three specific implementations:

[0041] First, the buffer member (200) includes an elastic member. The material of the buffer member (200) is soft rubber or foam that is different from the material of the support body (100). It has a fixed shape and will not sag to affect the walking and obstacle crossing of the cleaning robot. At the same time, it can also deform under the pressure of external force, play an elastic buffering role, and avoid rigid impact. The elastic member can be connected to the upper surface of the support body (100) on the side opposite to the cleaning member (300) and extend to the outside of the edge of the support body (100) to protrude from the edge of the support body (100); or it can be directly connected to the side wall of the support body (100). The elastic member can be adhered to the support body (100) by adhesive or the like; or, plastics and soft rubbers of different hardness and softness can be integrally formed by injection molding, so that the buffer member (200) and the support body (100) are a whole; or, the elastic member can be connected by bolts or clamping or other connecting members, so that the connection between the elastic member and the support body (100) is more stable, avoiding the failure of the adhesive after long-term use, and making the elastic member detachable for easy replacement by the user; or, ultrasonic connection, welding, etc. can also be used, which will not be described in detail here. The thickness of the elastic member can be consistent with the thickness of the support plate (110) of the support body (100), or can be thinner or thicker, and can be selected according to the specific material of the elastic member and the use scenario of the cleaning robot.

[0042] The buffer member (200) can be arranged around the edge of the support body (100) so that each position in the circumferential direction is evenly covered with the elastic member, and can effectively buffer when colliding with a smaller protrusion. Alternatively, the number of elastic members is multiple, and the multiple elastic members are arranged at intervals around the edge of the support body (100). The elastic members can be elastic members with a smaller width and are closely arranged around the edge of the support body (100), which can reduce the overall weight of the elastic members and reduce the burden of the cleaning robot moving the support body (100) to lift or rotate.

[0043] In order to further increase the degree of deformation of the elastic member during collision and further enhance the buffering performance, the elastic member is provided with hollows (210), which are evenly distributed on the elastic member and can extend in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the side of the support plate (110) connected to the cleaning member (300). When encountering a protrusion, the pressure of the collision will cause the side wall of the hollow (210) located on the outside to move toward the side wall on the inside, so that the elastic member deforms more quickly, the deformation degree is greater, and the buffering effect is better.

[0044] The hollowing (210) may include hollowings of various shapes. As shown in FIG1 , the hollowing (210) includes a trapezoidal hollowing. The trapezoidal hollowing has a larger opening area and a greater degree of deformation under impact. As shown in FIG2 , the hollowing (210) includes a triangular hollowing. Triangular hollowings with different directions may be arranged alternately to obtain a more uniform deformation effect in the circumferential direction and a more beautiful appearance. As shown in FIG3 , the hollowing (210) includes a circular hollowing, or in some embodiments, it may be an elliptical shape, so that the hollowing (210) is easier to process and avoids the accumulation of foreign matter in the corners of the inner wall of the polygonal hollowing, which may cause the elastic part to be easily corroded and aged, or be damaged by squeezing foreign matter when deformed. In addition, the hollowing may also be of various other shapes, or the hollowing (210) may not be a through hole, but may be a groove, a depression, etc., such as an annular depression, which may also play a role in increasing the degree of deformation.

[0045] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG4 , a notch (220) is provided on the elastic member, and the extending direction of the notch (220) forms a preset angle with the normal direction of the edge of the supporting body (100) corresponding to the notch (220). The notches (220) are densely distributed around the edge of the supporting body (100), so that the outer edge of the elastic member is approximately inclined in a comb-like structure. The extending direction of the notch (220) refers to the direction from the end of the notch (220) closest to the edge of the supporting body (100) to the open end at the edge of the elastic member, and the edge of the supporting body (100) corresponding to the notch (220) refers to the point on the edge of the supporting body (100) closest to the notch (220). The preset angle can be 30 degrees, 45 degrees, etc., so that when encountering an impact, the side walls on both sides of the notch (220) are close to each other, so that the elastic member obtains a higher degree of deformation. Furthermore, the movement of the elastic member region between adjacent notches (220) can alleviate sliding friction to a certain extent.

[0046] Secondly, as shown in FIG5 , the buffer member ( 200 ) includes a plurality of rollers, which are rotatably connected to the support body ( 100 ), and the plurality of rollers are spaced around the edge of the support body ( 100 ).

[0047] The roller can be made of a rigid material, such as plastic, with a rigid and smooth surface; or the roller can be coated with a flexible material, such as a sleeve, so that the roller can act as both a rolling buffer and an elastic buffer. When the support body (100) approaches the protrusion, the roller will contact the protrusion. During the cleaning process, the cleaning robot or the support body (100) moves, and the roller will interact with the protrusion. The roller converts sliding friction into rolling friction by rolling, thereby avoiding scratches caused by sliding friction and noise caused by friction.

[0048] The roller can be connected to the support body (100) in a variety of ways, so as to be able to roll relative to the support body (100). The roller can protrude entirely from the outer edge of the support body (100), or only the side wall can protrude. In one embodiment, the roller includes a rotating shaft and a wheel disc, the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the wheel disc, and the rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the support body (100), and the wheel disc at least partially protrudes from the edge of the support body (100). A mounting groove can be provided at the edge of the support body (100), the rotating shaft is located in the mounting groove and is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the mounting groove, the wheel disc is partially located in the mounting groove and partially located outside the mounting groove, and protrudes from the edge of the support body (100). Or in another embodiment, a rotating shaft is machined on the support body (100), the rotating shaft is relatively fixed to the support body (100), and the roller is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft, which makes processing simpler and the roller is not easy to fall off.

[0049] In some embodiments, the roller and the support body (100) can be elastically connected, such as being rotatably connected to the support body (100) through soft rubber, so that the roller can bounce relative to the support body (100) when impacted, further playing a buffering role.

[0050] Third, as shown in FIG6 , the buffer member ( 200 ) includes a covering member, and the cleaning element further includes a cleaning member ( 300 ), the covering member is connected to the edge of the cleaning member ( 300 ) and covers at least a portion of the edge of the supporting body ( 100 ).

[0051] The covering member is connected to the cleaning member (300) and can be made of the same material as the cleaning member (300), such as non-woven fabric, wool felt, or thick woven fabric with terry loops. The covering member and the cleaning member (300) can be integrally formed or sewn together so that the covering member and the cleaning member (300) become a whole. The covering member is made of a soft material and can avoid damage by flexible contact when it touches a protrusion. At the same time, the covering member also plays a role in cleaning the vertical surface of the protrusion. For example, when the protrusion is a skirting board, the covering member has a certain height extension, which can clean the side vertical surface of the skirting board, playing a dual role of buffering and cleaning.

[0052] The specific shape of the covering member and the manner of covering the edge of the supporting body (100) can be various. For example, in one embodiment, the covering member is a whole and surrounds the cleaning member (300). For example, when the support disk (110) of the cleaning member (300) is circular, the covering member can be annular. Alternatively, when the support disk (110) of the cleaning member (300) is triangular or square, the covering member is adapted to the edge shape of the support disk (110) and surrounds the cleaning member (300). The first side edge of the covering member is connected to the cleaning member (300), and a storage space adapted to the edge profile of the supporting body (100) is formed between the covering member and the cleaning member (300). The second side edge of the covering member is elastically deformable, and the second side edge of the covering member is used to stretch under the action of an external force. The supporting body (100) enters the storage space through the second side edge so that the covering member covers the edge of the supporting body (100). The covering member and the cleaning member (300) cooperate and are connected to the support body (100) in a sleeve-type manner. The covering member simultaneously covers the edge of the support body (100) and a portion of the top surface near the edge, so that the covering member can be stably positioned relative to the support body (100). In some embodiments, the top surface and the edge of the support body (100) can be provided with connecting members similar to those used to connect the cleaning member (300), such as adhesive hooks, and the covering member is provided with a loop felt that cooperates with the adhesive hooks, so that the covering member can be firmly connected to the support body (100) and is not easily displaced or pulled when subjected to external impact and friction. In order to enable the covering member and the cleaning member (300) to be sleeved on the supporting body (100), the first side edge of the covering member or the edge located on the outside is connected to the cleaning member (300), and the second side edge of the covering member or the edge located on the inside can be elastically deformed. The second side edge of the covering member is used to stretch under the action of external force, and can provide an opening larger than the edge contour of the supporting body (100), so that the edge of the supporting body (100) extends between the covering member and the cleaning member (300), and then the external force is removed. The second side edge of the covering member will shrink under the action of elasticity and then be tightly attached to the supporting body (100).

[0053] In another embodiment, the covering member may not be a whole, for example, there are multiple covering members, the multiple covering members are arranged circumferentially around the cleaning member (300), and the first end of the covering member is connected to the cleaning member (300), and the second end of the covering member is used to extend toward the side of the support body (100) opposite to the cleaning member (300) to cover a portion of the edge of the support body (100). The multiple covering members are respectively connected to the side wall of the support body (100) or extend toward the top surface of the support body (100) using the above-mentioned hook and loop felt connection method and are detachably bonded to the top surface of the support body (100).

[0054] In addition, the above embodiments can also be used in combination, such as the support body (100) is connected to an elastic member, such as rubber, surrounding the edge of the support body (100), and is also connected to a covering member, which covers the elastic member. Since the rubber has a certain supporting force, when there is no impact, the supporting covering member and the cleaning member (300) maintain a stable shape. When impacted, the impact force can be further reduced by deforming and then cooperating with the covering member.

[0055] On the other hand, the present disclosure further provides a cleaning robot, comprising a cleaning element as described in any one of the foregoing items, and a robot body, wherein the cleaning element is disposed on the robot body.

[0056] The robot body can be connected to the cleaning elements by plugging, magnetic connection, etc. The robot body is used for mobile cleaning, and drives the cleaning elements to move, rotate or vibrate as a whole, so that the cleaning elements are in more complete contact with the ground. The robot body can be connected to a single cleaning element, or to multiple cleaning elements, such as two, to achieve cleaning of a larger area. The cleaning elements protrude from the side walls of the robot body, which can avoid inadequate cleaning caused by the position of the robot body being restricted by walls, wardrobes, etc., so that the cleaning elements can clean areas that the robot body cannot move to. Since the cleaning robot includes any of the aforementioned cleaning elements, it also includes the advantages of any of the aforementioned cleaning elements, which will not be elaborated here.

[0057] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, but the scope of protection of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this disclosure should be included in the scope of protection of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present disclosure should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A cleaning element for a cleaning robot, characterized in that: include: A support body (100); A buffer member (200), the buffer member (200) is connected to the supporting body (100) and at least partially protrudes from an edge of the supporting body (100).

2. The cleaning element according to claim 1, wherein The buffer member (200) comprises an elastic member.

3. The cleaning element according to claim 2, wherein: The elastic member surrounds the edge of the supporting body (100); Alternatively, there are multiple elastic members, and the multiple elastic members are arranged at intervals around the edge of the supporting body (100).

4. The cleaning element according to claim 2, wherein: The elastic member is provided with a hollow (210).

5. The cleaning element according to claim 4, wherein The hollowing (210) includes at least one of a trapezoidal hollowing, a triangular hollowing, a circular hollowing or an elliptical hollowing.

6. The cleaning element according to claim 2, wherein: The elastic member is provided with a notch (220), and an extending direction of the notch (220) forms a preset angle with a normal direction of an edge of the supporting body (100) corresponding to the notch (220).

7. The cleaning element according to claim 1, wherein The buffer member (200) comprises a plurality of rollers, the rollers being rotatably connected to the support body (100), and the plurality of rollers being arranged at intervals around the edge of the support body (100).

8. The cleaning element according to claim 7, wherein The roller comprises a rotating shaft and a wheel disc, the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the wheel disc, and the rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the supporting body (100), and the wheel disc at least partially protrudes from the edge of the supporting body (100); Alternatively, the supporting body (100) comprises a rotating shaft, and the roller is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft.

9. The cleaning element according to claim 1, wherein: The buffer member (200) includes a covering member, and the cleaning element further includes a cleaning member (300); The covering member is connected to the edge of the cleaning member (300) and covers at least a portion of the edge of the supporting body (100).

10. The cleaning element according to claim 9, wherein The covering member surrounds the cleaning member (300), a first side edge of the covering member is connected to the cleaning member (300), and a receiving space adapted to the edge profile of the supporting body (100) is formed between the covering member and the cleaning member (300); The second side edge of the covering member is elastically deformable, and the second side edge of the covering member is used to stretch under the action of an external force, and the supporting body (100) enters the accommodating space through the second side edge, so that the covering member covers the edge of the supporting body (100); Alternatively, there are multiple covering members, which are circumferentially spaced around the cleaning member (300), wherein a first end of the covering member is connected to the cleaning member (300), and a second end of the covering member is used to extend toward a side of the supporting body (100) opposite to the cleaning member (300) so as to cover a partial area of ​​an edge of the supporting body (100).

11. A cleaning robot, characterized in that: The invention comprises a cleaning element as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, and a robot body, wherein the cleaning element is arranged on the robot body.

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