Cleaning robot and cleaning method therefor

Abstract

A cleaning robot and a cleaning method therefor. The cleaning robot (1) comprises: a robot main body (10), a pair of driving wheel assemblies (20) arranged on two sides of the bottom of the robot main body (10), and a rolling brush assembly (30). The cleaning robot (1) can be switched between a first operation mode and a second operation mode; when in the first operation mode, an axis (X2) of the rolling brush assembly (30) extends in a first direction (D1) parallel to a straight line that connects the pair of driving wheel assemblies (20), and the pair of driving wheel assemblies (20) drive the cleaning robot (1) to move in a second direction (D2) perpendicular to the first direction (D1); and when in the second operation mode, the axis (X2) of the rolling brush assembly (30) extends in the second direction (D2), and the pair of driving wheel assemblies (20) drive the cleaning robot (1) to move in the first direction (D1). In this way, an edgewise cleaning operation can be effectively executed.

Description

Cleaning robot and cleaning method thereof Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of cleaning robots, and in particular to a cleaning robot capable of effectively performing edge cleaning operations. Background Art

[0002] Cleaning robots are capable of performing vacuuming and mopping operations. Current cleaning robots typically place the roller brush assembly used for vacuuming between a pair of drive wheel assemblies, so the length of the roller brush assembly is limited and cannot reach the edge of the cleaning robot's body. Therefore, when performing edge-to-edge vacuuming operations, it is necessary to rotate the rotating brush installed on the bottom edge of the cleaning robot to gather the dust to a place where the roller brush assembly can reach. However, the rotating brush will cause dust disturbance and stir up dust, which is very unfriendly to people such as asthma patients or those with pollen allergies. In addition, current cleaning robots are generally unable to achieve efficient edge-to-edge mopping operations.

[0003] To address the issue of edge cleaning, some cleaning robots are designed to place the roller brush assembly as close as possible to the edge of the robot's body for better edge cleaning. However, since the edge of the robot body is typically equipped with essential components such as a drive wheel assembly, the roller brush assembly is still a considerable distance away from the edge, preventing near-zero-distance, more effective edge cleaning. Other cleaning robots are designed to use bionic robotic arms to achieve the effect of mopping the floor close to the edge, but this design has high hardware costs, poor reliability, and requires the robot body to constantly twist to complete edge cleaning.

[0004] Public content

[0005] The present disclosure is made in order to at least partially solve the problem in the prior art that it is difficult to effectively perform the welt cleaning operation.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a cleaning robot is provided, comprising: a robot body, a pair of drive wheel assemblies and a roller brush assembly arranged on both sides of the bottom of the robot body, wherein the cleaning robot is capable of switching between a first operating mode and a second operating mode, in which, in the first operating mode, the axis of the roller brush assembly extends along a first direction parallel to a straight line connecting the pair of drive wheel assemblies, and the pair of drive wheel assemblies drive the cleaning robot to move in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and in the second operating mode, the axis of the roller brush assembly extends along the second direction, and the pair of drive wheel assemblies drive the cleaning robot to move along the first direction.

[0007] In some embodiments, each of the pair of drive wheel assemblies is configured to be steerable about a vertical axis perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, thereby enabling the cleaning robot to switch between moving in the second direction and moving in the first direction.

[0008] In some embodiments, each of the pair of drive wheel assemblies includes a steering mechanism, a connector, a drive motor and a drive wheel, wherein the drive motor is connected to the rotating shaft of the drive wheel to drive the drive wheel to rotate, and the steering mechanism is fixed to the robot body and connected to the drive motor through the connector and drives the drive wheel to steer around the vertical axis.

[0009] In some embodiments, the cleaning robot also includes a turntable structure, wherein the roller brush assembly is arranged in the turntable structure, and the turntable structure is configured to be able to turn around another vertical axis perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, so that the axis of the roller brush assembly can switch between extending along the first direction and extending along the second direction.

[0010] In some embodiments, the cleaning robot further includes a mop assembly arranged adjacent to the roller brush assembly in the second direction, wherein the mop assembly includes a mop capable of moving along a third direction, the third direction being inclined relative to a vertical direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction and away from the robot body and the roller brush assembly.

[0011] In some embodiments, the mop assembly further includes a guide rail, a rack and a drive mechanism, wherein the drive mechanism is fixed to the robot body, the guide rail and the rack are configured to be parallel to each other and extend along the third direction, one end of the guide rail is fixed to the robot body and the other end passes through a guide hole in the mop to guide the movement of the mop, one end of the rack is engaged with the drive mechanism and the other end is fixed to the mop, and when the drive mechanism drives the rack, the rack causes the mop to move along the third direction.

[0012] In some embodiments, the cleaning robot is capable of operating in a third operating mode, in which the pair of driving wheel assemblies drives the cleaning robot to move along the first direction, and the mop extends along the third direction to contact the ground to be cleaned.

[0013] In some embodiments, in the second operating mode, the minimum distance from the end of the roller brush assembly in the axial direction to the side edge of the robot body is smaller than the minimum distance from the end of the roller brush assembly in the axial direction to the side edge of the robot body in the first operating mode.

[0014] In some embodiments, in the second operating mode, a minimum distance between an end of the roller brush assembly in the axial direction and an obstacle adjacent to a side edge of the robot body is less than 10 mm.

[0015] In some embodiments, the robot body is in a square shape, and one side of the square extends along the first direction.

[0016] In some embodiments, the cleaning robot further includes a universal wheel assembly.

[0017] In some embodiments, the cleaning robot further comprises a rotating brush located adjacent to the roller brush assembly.

[0018] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a cleaning method for a cleaning robot is provided, wherein the cleaning robot includes a robot body, a pair of drive wheel assemblies and a roller brush assembly arranged on both sides of the bottom of the robot body, and the cleaning method includes the following steps: switching the cleaning robot from a first operating mode to a second operating mode to perform edge vacuuming operations, wherein in the first operating mode, the axis of the roller brush assembly extends along a first direction parallel to a straight line connecting the pair of drive wheel assemblies, and the pair of drive wheel assemblies drive the cleaning robot to move in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and in the second operating mode, the axis of the roller brush assembly extends along the second direction, and the pair of drive wheel assemblies drive the cleaning robot to move in the first direction.

[0019] In some embodiments, the cleaning robot also includes a mop assembly arranged adjacent to the roller brush assembly in the second direction, the mop assembly includes a mop, and the mop is capable of moving along a third direction, the third direction being inclined relative to a vertical direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction and away from the robot body and the roller brush assembly. The cleaning method also includes the following steps: putting the cleaning robot into a third operating mode to perform edge mopping operations, in which the pair of drive wheel assemblies drives the cleaning robot to move along the first direction, and the mop extends along the third direction to contact the ground to be cleaned.

[0020] According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the edge cleaning operation (including vacuuming and mopping) of the cleaning robot can be efficiently performed with a low-cost, reliable mechanical structure and motion control method. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] FIG1 shows a schematic diagram of the bottom of a cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] FIG2A shows a front view of a driving wheel assembly of a cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG2B shows a side view of the driving wheel assembly;

[0023] 3A illustrates a perspective view of a mop assembly of a cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the mop assembly is in an extended state, and FIG. 3B illustrates a side view of the mop assembly;

[0024] 4A is a schematic diagram showing a cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure performing edge vacuuming in a second operating mode, and FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram showing a cleaning robot performing edge mopping in a third operating mode; and

[0025] FIG5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for a cleaning robot to perform a cleaning task according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] List of reference numerals:

[0027] 1. Cleaning robot

[0028] 10Robot body

[0029] 20 drive wheel assembly

[0030] 21 Steering mechanism

[0031] 22 connectors

[0032] 23 drive motor

[0033] 24 drive wheels

[0034] 30 roller brush assembly

[0035] 40 mop components

[0036] 41 mop

[0037] 42 guide rails

[0038] 43 rack

[0039] 44 drive mechanism

[0040] 45 guide holes

[0041] 50 turntable structure

[0042] 60 universal wheel assembly

[0043] 70 gear ring structure

[0044] 80 rotating brush

[0045] 2 Wall

[0046] X1 is a straight line connecting a pair of driving wheel assemblies

[0047] Axis of the X2 roller brush assembly

[0048] L The minimum distance between the end of the roller brush assembly and the wall when vacuuming along the edge

[0049] D1 first direction

[0050] D2 Second direction

[0051] D3 third direction DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the present disclosure, the apparatus and method provided by the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0053] The present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the illustrated embodiments may be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of this disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0054] In the absence of conflict, the various embodiments of the present disclosure and the various features therein may be combined with each other.

[0055] The terms used in this disclosure are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the disclosure. As used in this disclosure, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more related enumerated items. As used in this disclosure, the singular forms "a" and "the" are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used in this disclosure, the terms "comprising" and "made of" specify the presence of the features, wholes, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, components and / or groups thereof.

[0056] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this disclosure have the same meanings as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art. It will also be understood that terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and this disclosure, and will not be interpreted as having an idealized or overly formal meaning unless expressly defined in this disclosure.

[0057] Unless otherwise defined, directional terms such as “upper”, “lower”, “top”, “bottom”, “front”, “back”, “left” and “right” used in the present disclosure are for convenience of description and are non-limiting.

[0058] The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments shown in the drawings, but includes modifications of the configurations formed based on the manufacturing process. Therefore, the regions illustrated in the drawings have schematic properties, and the shapes of the regions shown in the drawings illustrate the specific shapes of the regions of the elements, but are not intended to be limiting.

[0059] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a cleaning robot 1, as shown in Figure 1, the cleaning robot 1 includes: a robot body 10, a pair of drive wheel assemblies 20 and a roller brush assembly 30 arranged on both sides of the bottom of the robot body 10, and the cleaning robot 1 can switch between a first operating mode and a second operating mode. In the first operating mode (for example, as shown in Figure 1), the axis X2 of the roller brush assembly 30 extends along a first direction D1 parallel to the straight line X1 connecting the pair of drive wheel assemblies 20, and the pair of drive wheel assemblies 20 drive the cleaning robot 1 to move in a second direction D2 perpendicular to the first direction D1. In the second operating mode (for example, as shown in Figure 4A), the axis X2 of the roller brush assembly 30 extends along the second direction D2, and the pair of drive wheel assemblies 20 drive the cleaning robot 1 to move along the first direction D1.

[0060] Specifically, the robot body 10 may include a shell, various mechanical structures and electronic components (not shown) contained in or mounted on the shell, etc. A pair of drive wheel assemblies 20 are mounted on both sides of the bottom of the robot body 10, and a roller brush assembly 30 is mounted on the bottom of the robot body 10. As shown in Figures 1 and 4A, the straight line X1 connecting the pair of drive wheel assemblies 20 refers to a straight line extending in a direction that aligns the pair of drive wheel assemblies 20 with each other. The roller brush assembly 30 may include a roller brush, a roller extending along the above-mentioned axis X2, and an opening for accommodating the roller brush. The motor built into the robot body 10 drives the roller to rotate, thereby driving the roller brush to rotate around the axis X2, so as to achieve the purpose of drawing dust and other dirt into the cleaning robot 1, and sucking dust and other dirt into the dust box through the dust suction device built into the cleaning robot 1.

[0061] In the conventional cleaning mode, the driving wheel in the driving wheel assembly 20 of the cleaning robot 1 is driven with the straight line X1 as the rotation axis, thereby driving the cleaning robot 1 to move on the ground in a second direction D2 perpendicular to the straight line X1 to perform cleaning operations. At this time, the roller brush assembly 30 is arranged so that the axis X2 is parallel to the straight line X1. This situation can be called the first operating mode of the cleaning robot 1. In the first operating mode, the cleaning robot 1 can perform conventional cleaning operations, but it is not conducive to performing edge cleaning operations. This is because the roller brush assembly 30 is affected by components such as the driving wheel assembly 20 arranged on both sides of the cleaning robot 1 at both ends of the first direction D1, and is at a considerable distance from the side edge of the cleaning robot 1, making it impossible to achieve effective edge cleaning operations.

[0062] In the present disclosure, a second operating mode is provided for the cleaning robot 1 to facilitate efficient side-to-side vacuuming. As shown in FIG4A , in the second operating mode, the drive wheel assembly 20 drives the cleaning robot 1 to move in a first direction D1, while the axis X2 of the roller brush assembly 30 is aligned in a second direction D2. In this case, at least one of the ends of the roller brush assembly 30 in the direction of its axis X2 (e.g., the right end in FIG4A ) can be closer to the side edge of the cleaning robot 1 than in the first operating mode. This is because, in the second operating mode, the axis X2 of the roller brush assembly 30 extends in the second direction D2, so that the end of the roller brush assembly 30 in the direction of its axis X2 avoids components such as the drive wheel assembly 20 and is not affected by these components, thereby allowing the roller brush assembly 30 to be arranged as close to the side edge of the robot body 10 as possible. Therefore, in the second operating mode, as shown in FIG4A , when the cleaning robot 1 moves in the first direction D1 with its side edge close to an obstacle such as a wall 2, the roller brush assembly 30 can be as close to the obstacle as possible, thereby enabling efficient side-to-side vacuuming.

[0063] In the present disclosure, the drive wheel assembly 20 is used to achieve normal forward, backward, turning (for example, through differential rotation of the drive wheels) and other movements of the cleaning robot 1, and is also used to achieve lateral movement of the cleaning robot 1 (i.e., movement along the first direction D1). In some embodiments, each of the pair of drive wheel assemblies 20 is configured to be able to turn around a vertical axis perpendicular to the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 (i.e., an axis perpendicular to the floor to be cleaned), thereby enabling the cleaning robot 1 to switch between moving in the second direction D2 and moving in the first direction D1.

[0064] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 2A and 2B, each drive wheel assembly in a pair of drive wheel assemblies 20 includes a steering mechanism 21, a connector 22, a drive motor 23 and a drive wheel 24, the drive motor 23 is connected to the rotating shaft of the drive wheel 24 to drive the drive wheel 24 to rotate, the steering mechanism 21 is fixed to the robot body 10 and is connected to the drive motor 23 through the connector 22 and drives the drive wheel 24 to turn around the vertical axis.

[0065] Specifically, the steering mechanism 21 may be, for example, a steering gear. The connecting member 22 may be, for example, an L-shaped structure, with one side of the L-shaped structure secured to the steering mechanism 21 and the other side of the L-shaped structure secured to the drive motor 23. By causing the steering mechanism 21 to drive the connecting member 22 of the pair of drive wheel assemblies 20 to rotate 90°, the pair of drive wheels 24 simultaneously rotate 90°, thereby switching between movement in the second direction D2 and movement in the first direction D1.

[0066] It should be understood that the method for switching the driving direction of the drive wheel assembly 20 is not limited to this, and can be any other suitable method. For example, each drive wheel assembly in a pair of drive wheel assemblies may include two drive wheels, one of which is oriented to move the cleaning robot 1 along the first direction D1, and the other drive wheel is oriented to move the cleaning robot 1 along the second direction D2, with one drive wheel being in contact with the ground and the other drive wheel being off the ground as needed.

[0067] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 1, the cleaning robot 1 also includes a turntable structure 50, and the roller brush assembly 30 is arranged in the turntable structure 50. The turntable structure 50 is configured to be able to turn around another vertical axis perpendicular to the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 (i.e., the axis perpendicular to the ground to be cleaned), so that the axis X2 of the roller brush assembly 30 can switch between extending along the first direction D1 and extending along the second direction D2.

[0068] More specifically, for example, a ring gear structure 70 (see Figures 3A and 3B) can be provided at the bottom of the robot body 10, and the turntable structure 50 is sleeved on the ring gear structure 70 and meshed with the ring gear structure 70, so that the turntable structure 50 can rotate under the drive of the motor. The roller brush assembly 30 is provided in the turntable structure 50, and the rotational movement of the turntable structure 50 drives the rotational movement of the roller brush assembly 30. In order to put the cleaning robot 1 into the second operating mode, the turntable structure 50 can be rotated 90° around another vertical axis relative to the first operating mode, driving the roller brush assembly 30 to rotate 90° around another vertical axis, so that the direction of the axis X2 of the roller brush assembly 30 is rotated from being aligned with the first direction D1 (as shown in Figure 1) to being aligned with the second direction D2 (as shown in Figure 4A).

[0069] It should be understood that the manner of rotating the roller brush assembly 30 by 90° is not limited thereto, and may be any other suitable manner. For example, different orientations of the roller brush assembly may be achieved by replacing different modules of the roller brush assembly.

[0070] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 3A and 3B , the cleaning robot 1 may further include a mop assembly 40 positioned adjacent to the roller brush assembly 30 in the second direction D2. The mop assembly 40 includes a mop cloth 41 that is movable in a third direction D3, which is a direction inclined relative to a vertical direction perpendicular to the first and second directions D1 and D2 and away from the robot body 10 and the roller brush assembly 30. In other words, the third direction D3 is an inclined direction that is inclined outward and downward relative to the robot body 10. Referring to Figure 4B , by extending the mop cloth 41 in the third direction D3, the mop cloth 41 can extend beyond the side edge of the cleaning robot 1, placing the mop cloth 41 as close to an obstacle, such as a wall 2, as possible. This allows the cleaning robot 1 to maximize its ability to mop the floor close to the obstacle even when it cannot completely approach the obstacle. In some embodiments, the third direction D3 can be at a 45° angle relative to the vertical.

[0071] More specifically, in some embodiments, as shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the mop assembly 40 may further include a guide rail 42, a rack 43, and a drive mechanism 44. The drive mechanism 44 may be fixed to the robot body 10. The guide rail 42 and the rack 43 may be configured to be parallel to each other and extend along a third direction D3. One end of the guide rail 42 may be fixed to the robot body 10, and the other end of the guide rail 42 may pass through a guide hole 45 in the mop cloth 41 to guide the movement of the mop cloth 41. One end of the rack 43 may engage with the drive mechanism 44, and the other end of the rack 43 may be fixed to the mop cloth 41. When the drive mechanism 44 drives the rack 43, the rack 43 may cause the mop cloth 41 to move along the third direction D3. In some embodiments, two guide rails 42 are arranged, and one end of the drive mechanism 44 and the guide rail 42 may be fixed to the ring gear structure 70.

[0072] In some embodiments, the cleaning robot 1 is capable of operating in a third operating mode. As shown in Figure 4B, in the third operating mode, the mop 41 extends along the third direction D3 to contact the ground to be cleaned and is as close as possible to obstacles such as the wall 2, and a pair of drive wheel assemblies 20 drives the cleaning robot 1 to move along the first direction D1. By putting the cleaning robot 1 in the third operating mode, it is possible to effectively perform edge mopping operations. When the cleaning robot 1 is not performing mopping operations, the mop 41 is retracted so as not to contact the ground, and when performing mopping operations, the mop 41 is extended so as to contact the ground. It should be understood that when the cleaning robot 1 is operating in the third operating mode, the orientation of the axis X2 of the roller brush assembly 30 is not particularly limited, and it can extend along the first direction D1, or along the second direction D2, or along any other planar direction.

[0073] As shown in FIG1 , the mop cloth 41 can be formed into a plate-shaped member, for example, wherein one side of the plate-shaped member can be formed to have an arc-shaped recessed portion that matches the circular shape of the turntable structure 50, thereby being compactly arranged with the turntable structure 50. In some embodiments, the mop cloth assembly 40 is arranged to be located upstream of the roller brush assembly 30 when the cleaning robot 1 is operating in the first operating mode.

[0074] It should be understood that the arrangement of the mop assembly 40 is not limited to this and can be implemented in any other suitable manner. For example, the shape of the mop 41 can be any other suitable shape. For example, the mop 41 can be moved along the third direction D3 by means of a robotic arm. In some embodiments, the mop 41 can also be a mop with a water-absorbing function, which can be detachably mounted on the bottom of the robot body 10, for example, by Velcro or other means. The mop 41 can be any suitable type of mop, for example, the mop 41 can be a disposable wet mop, or a reusable towel-type mop.

[0075] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 1 and 4A, in the second operating mode, the minimum distance L between the end of the roller brush assembly 30 in the direction of the axis X2 and the side edge of the robot body 10 is less than the minimum distance between the end of the roller brush assembly 30 in the direction of the axis X2 and the side edge of the robot body 10 in the first operating mode. The cleaning robot 1 can more effectively perform edge vacuuming operations in the second operating mode. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 4A, in the second operating mode, the minimum distance L between the end of the roller brush assembly 30 in the direction of the axis X2 and an obstacle (e.g., a wall 2) adjacent to the side edge of the robot body 10 is less than 10 mm.

[0076] In some embodiments, the robot body 10 is square in shape, with one edge of the square extending along the first direction D1. While circular cleaning robots can meet cleaning tasks in most scenarios in daily use, they are limited by their circular shape and struggle to achieve close-to-edge cleaning. However, it should be understood that while the robot body 10 can be square in shape, it is not limited to this and can also be circular or any other suitable shape.

[0077] As shown in FIG1 , in some embodiments, the cleaning robot 1 may further include a universal wheel assembly 60 . In some embodiments, the cleaning robot 1 may further include a rotating brush 80 located near the roller brush assembly 30 .

[0078] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a cleaning method for a cleaning robot 1. As shown in Figure 1, the cleaning robot 1 includes a robot body 10, a pair of drive wheel assemblies 20 and a roller brush assembly 30 arranged on both sides of the bottom of the robot body 10. The cleaning method includes the following steps: switching the cleaning robot 1 from a first operating mode to a second operating mode to perform edge vacuuming operations. In the first operating mode, the axis X2 of the roller brush assembly 30 extends along a first direction D1 parallel to the straight line X1 connecting the pair of drive wheel assemblies 20, and the pair of drive wheel assemblies 20 drive the cleaning robot 1 to move in a second direction D2 perpendicular to the first direction D1. In the second operating mode, the axis X2 of the roller brush assembly 30 extends along the second direction D2, and the pair of drive wheel assemblies 20 drive the cleaning robot 1 to move along the first direction D1.

[0079] Specifically, as shown in FIG4A , the cleaning robot 1 is switched to the second operating mode, with the axis X2 of the roller brush assembly 30 perpendicular to the wall 2. The cleaning robot 1 is positioned close to the side edge of the roller brush assembly 30 and in close contact with the wall 2, while the mop assembly 40 is positioned away from the wall 2. In this case, the moving direction (forward direction) of the cleaning robot 1 is parallel to the wall 2, and the right end of the roller brush assembly 30 in the figure is as close to the wall 2 as possible, thereby achieving effective edge vacuuming.

[0080] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the cleaning robot 1 also includes a mop assembly 40 arranged adjacent to the roller brush assembly 30 in the second direction D2. The mop assembly 40 may include a mop 41, which can move along a third direction D3. The third direction D3 is inclined relative to a vertical direction perpendicular to the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 and away from the robot body 10 and the roller brush assembly 30. The cleaning method also includes the following steps: putting the cleaning robot 1 in a third operating mode to perform edge mopping operations. In the third operating mode, a pair of driving wheel assemblies 20 drive the cleaning robot 1 to move along the first direction D1, and the mop 41 extends along the third direction D3 to contact the ground to be cleaned.

[0081] Specifically, as shown in Figure 4B , when performing edge mopping, the cleaning robot 1 is placed in the third operating mode and rotated 180° compared to the edge vacuuming operation. That is, the mop assembly 40 is brought into close contact with the wall 2, while the roller brush assembly 30 is moved away from the wall 2. Simultaneously, the mop 41 is moved along the third direction D3 until it contacts the floor to be cleaned, thereby maximizing the gap between the robot body 10 and the wall 2 and achieving the best possible edge mopping performance. When mopping the wall 2 edge by edge, the cleaning robot 1 of the present disclosure can maintain a distance of 0 mm from the wall and achieve an edge mopping speed exceeding 100 mm / s.

[0082] Existing cleaning robots are unable to efficiently mop the floor alongside the edges. Some existing cleaning robots use a robotic arm to extend the mop slightly, but because the robot cannot move laterally, it must constantly twist its body to move along the wall while mopping. As a result, existing cleaning robots are inefficient at mopping the floor alongside the edges, resulting in poor cleaning results.

[0083] In contrast, according to the cleaning method of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop 41 can be actively pushed downward and backward by means of an electrically driven rack (i.e., an electric push rod), and combined with the lateral movement (i.e., along the first direction D1) ability of the cleaning robot 1, the cleaning robot 1 can achieve better mopping along the wall during the mopping process. At the same time, the cleaning robot 1 does not need to twist its body, and the speed and efficiency of mopping are greatly improved.

[0084] In summary, referring to the flowchart shown in FIG5 , the edge cleaning operation of the cleaning robot 1 can be achieved through the following steps: Step S1, placing the cleaning robot 1 in the second operating mode to perform edge vacuuming; Step S2, placing the cleaning robot 1 in the third operating mode to perform edge mopping. It should be understood that there is no particular order in which steps S1 and S2 are performed, and they can be performed separately or in combination simultaneously. Step S1 can be performed first and then step S2, or step S2 can be performed first and then step S1.

[0085] It should be understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments for illustrating the principles of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art may make various modifications and improvements without departing from the gist and substance of the present disclosure, and such modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A cleaning robot, comprising: a robot body, a pair of drive wheel assemblies and a roller brush assembly disposed on both sides of the bottom of the robot body, wherein the cleaning robot is capable of switching between a first operation mode and a second operation mode. In the first operation mode, the axis of the roller brush assembly extends in a first direction parallel to a straight line connecting the pair of drive wheel assemblies, and the pair of drive wheel assemblies drive the cleaning robot to move in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. In the second operation mode, the axis of the roller brush assembly extends in the second direction, and the pair of drive wheel assemblies drive the cleaning robot to move in the first direction.

2. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, wherein, each of the pair of drive wheel assemblies is configured to be able to turn around a vertical axis perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, so that the cleaning robot can switch between moving in the second direction and moving in the first direction.

3. The cleaning robot according to claim 2, wherein, each of the pair of drive wheel assemblies includes a steering mechanism, a connecting member, a drive motor and a drive wheel. The drive motor is connected to the rotating shaft of the drive wheel to drive the drive wheel to rotate. The steering mechanism is fixed to the robot body and is connected to the drive motor through the connecting member and drives the drive wheel to turn around the vertical axis.

4. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, further comprising a turntable structure, wherein, the roller brush assembly is disposed in the turntable structure, and the turntable structure is configured to be able to turn around another vertical axis perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, so that the axis of the roller brush assembly can switch between extending in the first direction and extending in the second direction.

5. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, further comprising a mop assembly arranged adjacent to the roller brush assembly in the second direction, wherein, the mop assembly includes a mop, and the mop can move in a third direction, and the third direction is inclined with respect to the vertical direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction and is away from the robot body and the roller brush assembly.

6. The cleaning robot according to claim 5, wherein, the mop assembly further includes a guide rail, a rack and a driving mechanism. The driving mechanism is fixed to the robot body. The guide rail and the rack are configured to be parallel to each other and extend in the third direction. One end of the guide rail is fixed to the robot body and the other end passes through a guiding hole in the mop to guide the movement of the mop. One end of the rack meshes with the driving mechanism and the other end is fixed to the mop. When the driving mechanism drives the rack, the rack makes the mop move in the third direction.

7. The cleaning robot according to claim 5, wherein, The cleaning robot can operate in a third operation mode. In the third operation mode, the pair of drive wheel assemblies drive the cleaning robot to move in the first direction, and the mop extends in the third direction to contact the ground to be cleaned.

8. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, wherein, in the second operation mode, the minimum distance from the end of the roller brush assembly in its axial direction to the side edge of the robot body is less than the minimum distance from the end of the roller brush assembly in its axial direction to the side edge of the robot body in the first operation mode.

9. The cleaning robot according to claim 8, wherein, in the second operation mode, the minimum distance from the end of the roller brush assembly in its axial direction to an obstacle adjacent to the side edge of the robot body is 10 mm or less.

10. The cleaning robot according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, the shape of the robot body is square, and one side of the square extends in the first direction.

11. The cleaning robot according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, it further includes a caster wheel assembly.

12. The cleaning robot according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, it further includes a rotary brush located near the roller brush assembly.

13. A cleaning method for a cleaning robot, wherein, the cleaning robot includes a robot body, a pair of drive wheel assemblies and a roller brush assembly arranged on both sides of the bottom of the robot body, and the cleaning method includes the following steps: Switch the cleaning robot from the first operation mode to the second operation mode to perform edge suction cleaning. In the first operation mode, the axis of the roller brush assembly extends in a first direction parallel to the straight line connecting the pair of drive wheel assemblies, and the pair of drive wheel assemblies drive the cleaning robot to move in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. In the second operation mode, the axis of the roller brush assembly extends in the second direction, and the pair of drive wheel assemblies drive the cleaning robot to move in the first direction.

14. The cleaning method according to claim 13, wherein, the cleaning robot further includes a mop assembly arranged adjacent to the roller brush assembly in the second direction. The mop assembly includes a mop, and the mop can move in a third direction. The third direction is inclined relative to the vertical direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction and away from the robot body and the roller brush assembly. The cleaning method further includes the following steps: Make the cleaning robot be in the third operation mode to perform edge mopping. In the third operation mode, the pair of drive wheel assemblies drive the cleaning robot to move in the first direction, and the mop extends in the third direction to contact the ground to be cleaned.

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