Dust collection assembly, cleaning robot and cleaning system

Abstract

A dust collection assembly, a cleaning robot and a cleaning system. The dust collection assembly (10) comprises a dust collection shell (100), wherein the dust collection shell (100) encloses a dust collection cavity (101); the dust collection shell (100) comprises a dust collection end (110) and a dust removal end (120), which are arranged oppositely along the axis (P-P) of the dust collection cavity (101), the dust collection end (110) being provided with a dust-collection air intake channel (130), and the dust removal end (120) being provided with a dust removal channel (140) configured for removing dust from the dust collection cavity (101); the dust-collection air intake channel (130) and the dust removal channel (140) are both in communication with the dust collection cavity (101); and the dust-collection air intake channel (130) is arranged on a dust collection end side wall of the dust collection end (110), so as to guide at least part of an airflow to enter the dust collection cavity (101) in a first tangential direction (A), and / or the dust removal channel (140) is arranged on a dust removal end side wall of the dust removal end (120), so as to guide at least part of the airflow to be discharged from the dust collection cavity (101) in a second tangential direction (B), the first tangential direction (A) and the second tangential direction (B) being tangential directions of a circle which takes the axis (P-P) of the dust collection cavity (101) as the axis. The airflow is enabled to rotationally move in the dust collection cavity (101), and the movement range of the airflow covers all parts of the dust collection cavity (101), such that dust and garbage are efficiently discharged without residue.

Description

Dust collection components, cleaning robots, and cleaning systems Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of intelligent robots, and in particular to a dust collection component, a cleaning robot and a cleaning system. Background Art

[0002] With the development of science and technology, the types of cleaning robots are becoming more and more complete, including floor scrubbers, sweeping robots, window cleaning robots, etc., which can replace users to complete the cleaning work of floors, doors, windows and other surfaces. Among them, sweeping robots are particularly popular among young people.

[0003] A sweeping robot is equipped with a fan, air duct assembly, roller brush assembly, and dust collection assembly. The air duct assembly connects the roller brush assembly's vent and the dust collection port of the dust collection assembly. The roller brush assembly includes a rotatable roller brush that contacts the surface to be cleaned and rotates to lift dust and debris from the surface. During this process, the negative suction pressure generated by the fan draws the dust and debris through the air duct assembly into a dust collection assembly such as a dust box or dust bag, thereby collecting the dust from the surface to be cleaned.

[0004] A sweeping robot is usually also equipped with a cleaning base station. After the sweeping robot has worked for a period of time or has completed cleaning a predetermined area, it will automatically return to the cleaning base station to recharge and clean the dust collection component. The cleaning base station is usually equipped with an automatic dust collection component, which can transfer the dust and garbage temporarily stored in the dust collection component of the sweeping robot to the cleaning base station for compressed storage. However, the dust and garbage transfer effect of many sweeping robots currently on the market is not satisfactory. After the transfer is completed, there is still garbage or dust remaining in the dust collection component. Therefore, it is necessary to design a dust collection component to solve the problem of dust and garbage remaining in the dust collection component of the sweeping robot when the sweeping robot automatically transfers garbage to the cleaning base station. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to at least partially solve the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides a dust collection assembly. The dust collection assembly includes a dust collection shell, which encloses a dust collection chamber, and the dust collection shell includes a dust collection end and a dust removal end arranged opposite to each other along the axis of the dust collection chamber. The dust collection end is provided with a dust collection air inlet channel, and the dust removal end is provided with a dust removal channel for removing dust from the dust collection chamber. The dust collection air inlet channel and the dust removal channel are both connected to the dust collection chamber; wherein the dust collection air inlet channel is provided on a side wall of the dust collection end to guide at least part of the airflow into the dust collection chamber along a first tangential direction, and / or the dust removal channel is provided on a side wall of the dust removal end to guide at least part of the airflow out of the dust collection chamber along a second tangential direction, and the first tangential direction and the second tangential direction are tangential directions of a circle with the axis of the dust collection chamber as the axis.

[0006] Exemplarily, the dust collecting air inlet channel includes a dust collecting air inlet port provided on the side wall of the dust collecting end, and an air inlet pipe extending from the dust collecting air inlet port toward the outside of the dust collecting cavity, wherein the extension direction of the air inlet pipe is parallel to the first tangential direction.

[0007] Illustratively, in a lateral plane perpendicular to the axis of the dust collecting chamber and passing through the center of the dust collecting air inlet, and in the direction in which the air inlet pipe extends outward along the dust collecting air inlet, the air inlet pipe bends toward the dust collecting chamber relative to a first tangential direction passing through the center of the dust collecting air inlet.

[0008] Exemplarily, the dust collecting terminal side wall includes a plurality of dust collecting terminal side walls connected end to end in a circumferential direction around the axis of the dust collecting chamber, and the dust collecting air inlet is arranged on a predetermined dust collecting terminal side wall among the plurality of dust collecting terminal side walls. A plane perpendicular to the predetermined dust collecting terminal side wall and passing through the axis is defined as a preset plane, the center of the dust collecting air inlet is located on the first side of the preset plane, and the air inlet pipe is bent along a direction away from the dust collecting air inlet and toward the second side of the preset plane, and the second side and the first side are respectively opposite sides of the preset plane.

[0009] Exemplarily, the dust collection air inlet is completely located on the first side of the preset plane.

[0010] Exemplarily, the dust collecting shell further comprises a middle section connected between the dust collecting end and the dust removing end, and at least a cross section of the middle section perpendicular to the axis has an inscribed circle.

[0011] Exemplarily, the cross section of the middle section is a regular polygon with rounded corners or a circle.

[0012] Exemplarily, the dust collecting air inlet channel is arranged on the side wall of the dust collecting end, and the side wall of the dust collecting end protrudes outward in the lateral direction to form an air inlet nozzle. The dust collecting air inlet channel is arranged on the protruding end of the air inlet nozzle, and the air inlet nozzle has a gradually decreasing cross-sectional area along the protruding direction.

[0013] Exemplarily, the air inlet nozzle includes a first side wall, a second side wall, a third side wall and a fourth side wall extending from the protruding end toward the dust collecting chamber, the first side wall and the second side wall are arranged opposite to each other along a first direction parallel to the axis, the third side wall and the fourth side wall are arranged opposite to each other along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the first side wall is closer to the dust removal end than the second side wall, and the first side wall is inclined toward the dust removal end in a direction opposite to the protruding direction.

[0014] Exemplarily, the third mouth side wall and / or the fourth mouth side wall is inclined toward the outside of the air inlet nozzle in a direction opposite to the protruding direction.

[0015] Exemplarily, the dust collecting end also includes a dust collecting end end wall connected to the dust collecting end side wall, and the dust removal end also includes a dust removal end end wall connected to the dust removal end side wall; the dust collecting end end wall and the dust removal end end wall are arranged opposite to each other in a direction parallel to the axis; the second side wall is flush with the dust collecting end end wall.

[0016] Exemplarily, the dust removal channel includes a dust removal outlet arranged on the side wall of the dust removal end and a dust removal guide channel extending from the dust removal outlet toward the outside of the dust collecting chamber, and the angle between the extension direction of any section of the dust removal guide channel and the second tangential direction is less than or equal to 90 degrees.

[0017] Exemplarily, the dust removal guide channel has a windward guide surface opposite to the second tangential direction and a leeward guide surface opposite to the windward guide surface, wherein: in a cross section perpendicular to the axis of the dust collecting chamber, the windward guide surface protrudes out of the dust removal guide channel.

[0018] Exemplarily, the dust removal guide channel has a windward guide surface opposite to the second tangential direction and a leeward guide surface opposite to the windward guide surface, wherein: in a cross section perpendicular to the axis of the dust collecting chamber, the leeward guide surface is straight.

[0019] Exemplarily, the dust removal outlet faces downward, and the dust removal guide channel extends obliquely downward along the direction of airflow.

[0020] Exemplarily, the dust collecting air inlet channel includes a dust collecting air inlet, and a central axis of the dust collecting air inlet is perpendicular to a central axis of the dust removal outlet.

[0021] Exemplarily, the dust collecting shell is further provided with a dust collecting air outlet connected to the dust collecting cavity, and the dust collecting air outlet is covered with a filter element.

[0022] Exemplarily, the dust collection component also includes a one-way valve, which is arranged in the dust collecting chamber or at the dust removal channel. The one-way valve can be opened in one direction under the action of the airflow from the dust collecting air inlet channel to the dust removal channel. When the one-way valve is closed, the dust removal channel is isolated from the dust collecting air inlet channel and the dust collecting air outlet, or the dust removal channel is closed.

[0023] Exemplarily, a one-way valve is arranged in the dust collecting shell. When the one-way valve is closed, the space in the dust collecting shell is divided into a first chamber and a second chamber. The first chamber is connected to the dust collecting air inlet channel and the dust collecting air outlet, and the second chamber is connected to the dust removal channel.

[0024] Exemplarily, the dust collecting shell further includes a middle section connected between the dust collecting end and the dust removal end, the one-way valve is arranged between the dust removal end and the middle section, and the dust collecting air outlet is arranged on the side wall of the middle section.

[0025] Exemplarily, the primary filter element comprises non-woven fabric or sponge, and the secondary filter element comprises a HEPA filter.

[0026] Exemplarily, the filter element includes a primary filter element covering the dust collecting air outlet and a secondary filter element outside the dust collecting shell.

[0027] Exemplarily, the area of ​​the primary filter element is smaller than the area of ​​the secondary filter element.

[0028] Exemplarily, the secondary filter element extends from between the dust collecting end portion and the middle portion at least to the outermost end of the dust collecting end portion along the axis of the dust collecting chamber.

[0029] Exemplarily, the dust collecting assembly further includes an outer shell which is arranged outside the dust collecting shell, and the secondary filter element is arranged on the outer shell.

[0030] Exemplarily, the primary filter element and the secondary filter element are spaced apart to form a buffer chamber between the primary filter element and the secondary filter element.

[0031] Exemplarily, the dust collecting air inlet channel includes a dust collecting air inlet connected to the dust collecting chamber, and an air inlet pipe extending from the dust collecting air inlet toward the outside of the dust collecting chamber. The dust collecting air inlet and the dust collecting air outlet are located on the side of the dust collecting shell facing the first lateral direction. The dust collecting air inlet protrudes from the dust collecting air outlet along the first lateral direction, and the secondary filter element is flush with the dust collecting air inlet or recessed in the dust collecting air inlet along the first lateral direction.

[0032] Exemplarily, the dust collecting air inlet channel includes a dust collecting air inlet port provided on a side wall of the dust collecting end portion.

[0033] According to another aspect of the present invention, a cleaning robot is provided, comprising the above-mentioned dust collection assembly.

[0034] Exemplarily, the cleaning robot further includes a dust collecting fan, and an air inlet of the dust collecting fan is connected to the dust collecting outlet.

[0035] Exemplarily, the axis of the dust collecting chamber extends in the horizontal direction or has an angle with the horizontal direction, the dust removal channel is arranged on the downward-facing side wall of the dust collecting end, and the dust collecting air inlet channel is arranged on the non-downward-facing and non-upward-facing side wall of the dust collecting end.

[0036] According to another aspect of the present invention, a cleaning system is provided, comprising: a cleaning base station, in which a dust storage component and a dust removal fan are provided, and the air inlet of the dust removal fan is connected to the dust storage component for forming a negative pressure in the dust storage component; and the above-mentioned cleaning robot, which can be selectively docked with the cleaning base station, and when the cleaning robot is docked with the cleaning base station, the inlet of the dust storage component is connected with the dust removal channel.

[0037] This allows the airflow to rotate and move forward in the dust collecting chamber, and the movement range of the airflow completely covers all parts of the dust collecting chamber, efficiently discharging dust and garbage to avoid dust and garbage residue.

[0038] This summary introduces a series of simplified concepts that will be further described in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to limit the key features and essential features of the claimed technical solution, nor is it intended to determine the scope of protection of the claimed technical solution.

[0039] The advantages and features of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] The following drawings of the present invention are hereby incorporated into the present invention for understanding the present invention. The drawings show embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions, and are used to explain the principles of the present invention. In the drawings,

[0041] FIG1A is an exploded view of a cleaning robot according to one embodiment of the present application;

[0042] FIG1B is a cross-sectional view of a cleaning robot according to one embodiment of the present application;

[0043] 2-4 are respectively a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of a dust collection assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0044] FIG5A is a first airflow simulation diagram showing that the dust collection inlet channel and the dust removal channel can guide the airflow to move in a first tangential direction and a second tangential direction respectively;

[0045] FIG5B is a second airflow simulation diagram showing that the dust collection inlet channel and the dust removal channel can guide the airflow to move in the first tangential direction and the second tangential direction respectively;

[0046] 6A and 6B are a perspective view and a side view of a mounting bin and an air intake pipe on a device body of a cleaning robot according to one embodiment of the present application;

[0047] FIG7 is a cross-sectional view of a dust collecting end portion of a dust collecting assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application; and

[0048] 8-9 are cross-sectional views of a dust removal end portion of a dust collecting assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0049] The above drawings include the following reference numerals: 10, dust collection assembly; 20, device body; 21, storage bin; 22, dust inlet; 23, installation bin; 30, cover; 100, dust collection shell; 101, dust collection chamber; 110, dust collection end; 112, dust collection end side wall; 112a, 112b, 112c, 112d, dust collection terminal side wall; 113, dust collection end wall; 114, dust removal end wall; 115, dust collection outlet; 120, dust removal end; 130, dust collection air inlet channel; 131, dust collection air inlet; 132, air inlet pipe; 132a, first end; 132b, second end; 140 , dust removal channel; 141, dust removal outlet; 142, dust removal guide channel; 142a, windward guide surface; 142b, leeward guide surface; 150, middle section; 160, air inlet nozzle; 161, first side wall; 162, second side wall; 163, third side wall; 164, fourth side wall; 180, filter element; 300, one-way valve; 301, first cavity; 302, second cavity; 400, outer shell; 410, hand-held part; 500, buffer cavity. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] In the following description, a large amount of detail is provided to facilitate a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the following description merely illustrates preferred embodiments of the present invention, and that the present invention may be practiced without one or more of these details. Furthermore, to avoid confusion with the present invention, some technical features well known in the art have not been described in detail.

[0051] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a dust collection component is provided, which can be applied to any suitable cleaning robot, such as a vacuum cleaner, a sweeping robot, a window cleaning robot, a swimming pool robot, etc. These cleaning robots can all be equipped with a cleaning base station. After the cleaning robot has worked for a predetermined time or completed cleaning a predetermined area, it can return to the cleaning base station to transfer the dust and garbage collected by the dust collection component of the cleaning robot to the dust storage component of the cleaning base station. The dust storage component can be a dust bag with a large volume. Some cleaning base stations also have a dust and garbage compression function. Therefore, the user can receive the dust and garbage transferred from the cleaning robot at the cleaning base station multiple times and then process it, such as directly discarding the dust bag, thereby reducing the user's maintenance frequency.

[0052] Figure 1A shows an exploded view of a cleaning robot according to one embodiment of the present application. Figure 1B shows a cross-sectional view of a cleaning robot according to one embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figures 1A and 1B, the cleaning robot may include a dust collection assembly 10, a device body 20, and a cover 30. The device body 20 may include a storage bin 21. The storage bin 21 has a dust inlet 22. The dust collection assembly 10 may be removably mounted within the storage bin 21. After the dust collection assembly 10 is mounted within the storage bin 21, the dust collection inlet of the dust collection assembly 10 communicates with the dust inlet 22 of the storage bin 21. Furthermore, the device body 20 may also include a dust collection port, and a cleaning member may be positioned near the dust collection port. The dust collection port communicates with the dust inlet 22. The dust inlet 22 is configured to communicate with the dust collection assembly 10. The cleaning member may include one or more of a roller brush and a side brush. If the cleaning member includes a roller brush 40, a downwardly facing mounting bin 23 may be provided at the bottom of the device body 20. The roller brush 40 may be rotatably mounted within the mounting bin 23 about a horizontal rotation axis. Typically, a brush is provided on the outer peripheral side of the roller brush 40. The tip of the brush can extend out of the opening of the mounting chamber to clean the garbage on the surface to be cleaned. Optionally, a rubber brush is also provided on the outer peripheral side of the roller brush, and the rubber brush and the brush are spirally arranged along the circumference of the roller brush 40. The spirally arranged rubber brush and brush have the function of guiding the hair to move toward the dust collecting port 231. The dust collecting port 231 can be arranged on the side wall of the mounting chamber 23. Thus, an air flow channel can be formed (the thick dotted line in Figure 1B is the air flow path) passing through the mounting chamber 23, the dust collecting port 231, the dust inlet 22 and the dust collecting assembly 10 in sequence. A negative pressure device such as a fan can be connected to the end of the air flow channel. When the negative pressure device is working, a negative pressure can be formed in the mounting chamber, so that the dust and garbage swept up by the roller brush and the air flow along the air flow channel together. As dust and debris pass through the dust collection assembly 10, they are filtered by the dust collection assembly 10's filter structure and collected within the assembly 10. Clean air can then be discharged into the environment after passing through the negative pressure device. A side brush is typically located outside the mounting chamber, sweeping dust and debris toward the mounting chamber opening. In the above embodiment, dust and debris on the surface to be cleaned are collected into the dust collection assembly 10 by the airflow. Therefore, in addition to the dust collection inlet, the dust collection assembly 10 also needs to be equipped with a dust collection outlet for exhausting clean air. This dust collection outlet can be connected to the negative pressure device. This embodiment will be described in more detail below. In another embodiment, dust and debris on the surface to be cleaned can be collected into the dust collection assembly 10 solely through the cleaning action of the cleaning element. Therefore, compared to the above embodiment, the dust collection outlet can be omitted. The cover 30 is removably fastened to the device body 20. When the cover 30 is removed from the device body 20, the storage chamber 21 is exposed, allowing maintenance and disassembly of the dust collection assembly 10.

[0053] Figures 2-4 show a dust collection assembly 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 4, the dust collection assembly 10 may include a dust collection shell 100, which may be made of any suitable material. For example, the dust collection shell 100 may be made of plastic. The dust collection shell 100 encloses a dust collection chamber 101. The dust collection chamber 101 generally has an elongated shape extending along the axis PP. In the illustrated embodiment, the dust collection chamber 101 is generally cylindrical extending along the axis PP. Along the axis PP, the dust collection shell 100 forming the dust collection chamber 101 includes a dust collection end 110 and a dust removal end 120 that are arranged opposite to each other. In other embodiments not shown, the side walls of the dust collection shell 100 are allowed to protrude outward or recess inward as a whole or partially. In other words, the cross-section of the dust collection shell 100 perpendicular to the axis PP does not necessarily have to be a rotationally symmetrical figure. As long as the dust collecting chamber 101 formed by the dust collecting shell 100 does not have relatively clear or sharp corners or protrusions, ideally, the cross section of the dust collecting chamber 101 can be circular. If the cross section of the dust collecting chamber 101 needs to have corners due to the shape or processing technology of the storage bin 21, the corners are preferably rounded. In this way, in the process of transferring dust and garbage from the cleaning robot to the cleaning base station, it is convenient for the spiral airflow to be mentioned later to take away all the garbage in the dust collecting chamber 101, and dust is not easy to accumulate in the corners. Moreover, the design without corners or rounded corners can further reduce the difficulty of cleaning when the user cleans the dust collecting component 10, and no sanitary dead corners will be generated.

[0054] The "side wall of the dust collecting shell 100" mentioned here, as well as the "dust collecting end side wall" and "dust removing end side wall" to be mentioned below all refer to the part of the dust collecting shell 100 that surrounds the dust collecting chamber 101 along the direction around the axis PP. The "dust collecting end end wall 113" and the "dust removing end end wall 114" to be mentioned below refer to two parts of the dust collecting shell 100 that are generally opposite to each other along the extension direction of the axis PP. The dust collecting end end wall 113 and the dust removing end end wall 114 do not have to be flat, but can also be curved. The shape of the dust collecting end end wall 113 and the dust removing end end wall 114 can be designed according to the shape of the storage bin 21. The side wall of the dust collecting shell 100 extends between the dust collecting end end wall 113 and the dust removing end end wall 114, and together with the dust collecting end end wall 113 and the dust removing end end wall 114, surrounds and forms the dust collecting chamber 101. The dust collecting end 110 includes a dust collecting end wall 113 and a dust collecting end side wall (ie, a portion of the side wall of the dust collecting housing 100). The dust removal end 120 includes a dust removal end wall 114 and a dust removal end side wall (ie, a portion of the side wall of the dust collecting housing 100).

[0055] 2-4 , the dust collecting end 110 is provided with a dust collecting air inlet channel 130 , and the dust removal end 120 is provided with a dust removal channel 140 for removing dust from the dust collecting chamber 101 . Both the dust collecting air inlet channel 130 and the dust removal channel 140 are connected to the dust collecting chamber 101 .

[0056] As shown in FIG2 , the dust collection assembly 10 can be a flat, box-like structure. When the dust collection assembly 10 is placed horizontally in the position shown in FIG2 , the opening of its dust collection air inlet channel 130 faces the side, and a handle 410 is provided on its upper surface for lifting the dust collection assembly 10. For example, the dust collection assembly 10 can also include a housing 400 that is disposed outside the dust collection housing 100. The housing 400 has a shape that is compatible with the storage bin 21 within the device body 20. The handle 410 can be provided on the housing 400. By providing the outer shell 400 on the outside of the dust collecting shell 100, on the one hand, components such as the handheld portion 410 are provided on the outer shell 400, which can avoid affecting the shape of the dust collecting chamber 101 in the dust collecting shell 100, such as causing the dust collecting chamber 101 to have obvious corners and / or protrusions; on the other hand, the outer shape of the dust collecting shell 100 can be designed according to the inventive concept of the present application, while the shape of the outer shell 400 can still be made to match the shape of the storage bin 21 of the existing cleaning robot, so that the improved dust collecting assembly 10 can still be applied to the existing cleaning robot. The dust collecting assembly 10 can be installed in the storage bin 21 by any suitable means such as snapping, embedding or magnetic attraction.

[0057] When the cleaning robot is working, with the help of the cleaning parts, dust and garbage are collected into the dust collecting chamber 101 of the dust collecting component 10 through the dust collecting air inlet channel 130. When the cleaning robot returns to the cleaning base station, the cleaning base station can transfer the dust and garbage temporarily stored in the dust collecting chamber 101 to the cleaning base station by blowing air into the dust collecting chamber 101 and / or sucking air from the dust collecting chamber 101. Exemplarily, the cleaning base station may include a dust storage component and a dust removal fan. After the cleaning robot is docked to the cleaning base station, the air inlet of the dust removal fan is connected to the dust removal channel 140 of the dust collecting component 10 on the cleaning robot, while the dust collecting air inlet channel 130 of the dust collecting component 10 is still connected to the atmosphere. When the dust removal fan is started, a negative pressure is formed in the dust storage component, and air is replenished into the dust collecting chamber 101 from the dust collecting air inlet channel 130, which can help to bring dust and garbage into the dust storage component. At the same time, since the probability of the dust removal fan is usually large, in this process, under the action of the dust removal airflow, the hair garbage and the like remaining on the roller brush can be sucked into the dust collecting chamber 101, and then further brought into the dust storage assembly of the cleaning base station. For example, the cleaning base station may include a blower and a dust storage assembly, the air outlet of the blower can be connected to the dust collection air inlet channel 130 of the dust collecting assembly 10, the dust removal channel 140 of the dust collecting assembly 10 is connected to the dust storage assembly of the cleaning base station, and the blower blows air into the dust collecting assembly 10, and the air brings the dust and garbage in the dust collecting chamber 101 into the dust storage assembly. Of course, the cleaning base station can also be provided with a blower, a dust removal fan and a dust storage assembly at the same time.

[0058] For ease of description, the longitudinal direction X1-X2, the transverse direction Y1-Y2, and the vertical direction Z1-Z2 are defined as shown in Figures 2-4. For the robot vacuum cleaner shown in Figures 1A-1B, the longitudinal direction X1-X2 lies within a horizontal plane during normal use; the transverse direction Y1-Y2 is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X1-X2 on the horizontal plane; and the vertical direction Z1-Z2 is a vertical direction, with the vertically upward direction being the Z1 direction and the vertically downward direction being the Z2 direction. For other types of cleaning robots, such as window cleaners or wall-climbing swimming pool robots, the surface to be cleaned may include a wall. The plane defined by the longitudinal direction X1-X2 and the transverse direction Y1-Y2 will be parallel to the wall, while the vertical direction Z1-Z2 will be perpendicular to the wall. In summary, the plane defined by the longitudinal direction X1-X2 and the transverse direction Y1-Y2 is parallel to the surface to be cleaned, while the vertical direction Z1-Z2 is perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned. Regardless of the placement of the cleaning robot using the dust collection assembly 10 during operation, when it returns to the cleaning base station, the plane defined by the longitudinal direction X1-X2 and the lateral direction Y1-Y2 is parallel to the ground. The following description will refer to the placement state when returning to the cleaning base station. In addition, it should be noted that although in the illustrated embodiment, the axis PP of the dust collection chamber 101 is parallel to the longitudinal direction X1-X2, in other embodiments not shown, the axis PP of the dust collection chamber 101 can be parallel to other directions.

[0059] Referring back to Figure 4, the dust collecting air inlet channel 130 can be provided on the dust collecting end side wall 112 of the dust collecting end 110. The dust collecting air inlet channel 130 can guide at least part of the airflow to enter the dust collecting chamber 101 along a first tangential direction. Optionally, the dust removal channel 140 can also be provided on the dust removal end side wall of the dust removal end 120 to guide at least part of the airflow to be discharged from the dust collecting chamber 101 along a second tangential direction. The first tangential direction and the second tangential direction are the tangential directions of the circle with the axis PP of the dust collecting shell 100 as the axis. One or both of the dust collecting air inlet channel 130 and the dust removal channel 140 having the above-mentioned characteristics can have a better transfer effect during the transfer of dust and garbage to the cleaning base station, that is, after the transfer is completed, the dust and garbage remaining in the dust collecting chamber 101 will be relatively less.

[0060] Figure 5A is a first diagram of an airflow simulation in which the dust collection inlet channel 130 and the dust removal channel 140 are capable of guiding the airflow to move along a first tangential direction and a second tangential direction, respectively. Figure 5B is a second diagram of an airflow simulation in which the dust collection inlet channel 130 and the dust removal channel 140 are capable of guiding the airflow to move along a first tangential direction and a second tangential direction, respectively. Under the guidance of the dust collection inlet channel 130, at least a portion of the airflow enters the dust collection chamber 101 along the first tangential direction A. Thus, the airflow entering the dust collection chamber 101 has an initial direction of movement that is generally tangential to the shape of the dust collection chamber 101. Under the action of negative pressure, the airflow spirally moves within the dust collection chamber 101 toward the dust removal channel 140, forming a cyclone that can rotate the dust and garbage within the dust collection chamber 101, and is eventually discharged from the dust removal channel 140 along the second tangential direction B. According to the properties of the fluid, due to the influence of the viscosity effect and the momentum transfer effect, at least a portion of the above-mentioned airflow will flow along the inner wall of the dust collecting chamber 101 and drive the remaining part of the airflow, thereby forming a cyclonic airflow in the dust collecting chamber 101 that rotates around the axis PP and advances from the dust collecting end 110 to the dust removal end 120. The cyclonic airflow flowing along the inner wall of the dust collecting chamber 101 can peel off the dust and garbage, and then discharge it from the dust removal channel 140. In this way, the movement range of the airflow completely covers all parts of the dust collecting chamber 101, and basically a 100% dust removal rate can be achieved. For example, the inner wall of the dust collecting chamber 101 is flat, and there is no protrusion that blocks the airflow, thereby avoiding the generation of vortices at the protrusions, which leads to the accumulation of dust and garbage.

[0061] The above-mentioned cyclonic airflow can also be formed when only the dust collection inlet channel 130 is configured to guide the airflow to move along the first tangential direction. When only the dust removal channel 140 guides the airflow to discharge from the dust collection chamber 101 along the second tangential direction, since part of the airflow will adhere to the inner wall when the gas is discharged, thereby generating angular momentum rotating around the axis PP, a cyclonic airflow will also be formed in the dust collection chamber 101. Of course, the cyclonic airflow generated at this time may be more effective only within the dust collection end or within a section near the dust collection end. However, in any case, a good dust removal rate can still be achieved. In short, whether the dust collection inlet channel 130 is configured to guide at least part of the airflow into the dust collection chamber 101 relative to the first tangential direction, or the dust removal channel 140 is configured to guide at least part of the airflow to discharge from the dust collection chamber 101 along the second tangential direction, or both are configured at the same time, the airflow can have the effect of spiraling forward in the dust collection chamber 101, thereby efficiently discharging dust and garbage from the dust collection chamber 101.

[0062] In the illustrated embodiment, the axis PP is substantially linear. In an embodiment not shown, the dust collecting chamber may be arcuate, in which case the axis PP is curved, and in each cross section of the dust collecting chamber perpendicular to the axis PP, the axis PP passes through the geometric center of the cross section of the dust collecting chamber.

[0063] In summary, in the dust collection assembly 10 provided in the embodiment of the present invention, on the one hand, the dust collection air inlet channel 130 is arranged on the dust collection end side wall 112 of the dust collection end 110, and the dust removal channel 140 is arranged on the dust collection end side wall of the dust removal end 120, so that the airflow can be made to reach the other end of the dust collection chamber 101 from one end of the dust collection chamber 101, and the path of the airflow moving in the dust collection chamber 101 is long enough, so that in the process of transferring dust and garbage from the dust collection chamber 101 to the cleaning base station, the dust and garbage removal efficiency can be improved. On the other hand, whether the dust collection air inlet channel 130 is configured to guide at least part of the airflow into the dust collection chamber 101 along a first tangential direction, or the dust removal channel 140 is configured to guide at least part of the airflow to be discharged from the dust collection chamber 101 along a second tangential direction, or both are configured at the same time, the airflow can be made to rotate and advance in the dust collection chamber 101, and the range of movement of the airflow completely covers all parts of the dust collection chamber 101, so that dust and garbage are efficiently discharged and dust and garbage are avoided.

[0064] Exemplarily, the dust collection air intake channel 130 may include a dust collection air intake port 131 provided on the dust collection end side wall 112, and an air intake pipe 132 extending from the dust collection air intake port 131 toward the outside of the dust collection chamber 101 (see Figure 1B, Figures 6A-6B). Figures 1B, 6A-6B show the mounting bin 23 and the air intake pipe 132 on the equipment body 20 of the cleaning robot. As previously mentioned, the mounting bin 23 is used to install cleaning parts such as roller brushes. In this embodiment, the air intake pipe 132 is connected to the mounting bin 23. Specifically, the first end 132a of the air intake pipe 132 is connected to the dust collection port on the mounting bin 23. The second end 132b of the air intake pipe 132 can be connected to the dust intake port 22 (see Figures 1A and 1B) of the storage bin 21 for accommodating the dust collection assembly 10. When the dust collection assembly 10 is installed in place within the storage bin 21, the dust collection air inlet 131 of the dust collection assembly 10 can be in close contact with the second end 132b of the air inlet pipe 132, so that the dust collection air inlet 131 of the dust collection assembly 10 is sealed and connected to the dust inlet 22, and fluid is connected. The air inlet pipe 132 can be made of a soft material such as silicone or rubber to ensure a tight seal between the air inlet pipe 132 and the dust collection air inlet 131.

[0065] In some embodiments, the direction in which the air inlet pipe 132 extends can be parallel to the first tangential direction. If the direction in which the air inlet pipe 132 extends is not parallel to the first tangential direction, when the airflow enters the air inlet pipe 132, its flow direction will first be guided by the direction of the air inlet pipe 132, and the angle will change again at the dust collection inlet 131. If the direction in which the air inlet pipe 132 extends is at a large angle to the first tangential direction, eddies and swirls are likely to occur in the area where the airflow suddenly changes, namely at the dust collection inlet 131, causing the airflow in the pipe to be unstable. This may cause vibration, noise, and dust accumulation at the dust collection inlet 131. In addition, the air inlet pipe 132 is parallel to the first tangential direction, which can prevent part of the airflow from directly entering the dust collection chamber 101 in a radial direction and interfering with the formation of rotating airflow within the dust collection chamber 101. Therefore, illustratively, the dust collection inlet channel 130 can guide the airflow to flow along the first tangential direction, and the air inlet pipe 132 is parallel to the first tangential direction. For the embodiment in which the dust collection air inlet channel 130 is not designed to guide the airflow to flow along the first tangential direction, the extending direction of the air inlet pipe 132 may be arbitrary.

[0066] In some other embodiments, in a lateral plane perpendicular to the axis PP of the dust collection housing 100 and passing through the center of the dust collection inlet 131, as shown in FIG6B , the air inlet duct 132 bends toward the dust collection chamber 101 relative to a first tangential direction A passing through the center of the dust collection inlet 131 as the air inlet duct 132 extends outward from the dust collection inlet 131. As shown in FIG6B , the air inlet duct 132 may extend along the axis QQ, with the air inlet duct 132 bending toward the dust collection chamber 101 relative to the first tangential direction A along the direction from the second end 132b to the first end 132a. After entering the air inlet duct 132 at the first end 132a, the airflow may gradually change direction within the air inlet duct 132, ultimately exiting the second end 132b of the air inlet duct 132 along the first tangential direction A and entering the dust collection chamber 101. This can better prevent some airflow from directly entering the dust collection chamber 101 in a radial direction, thereby disrupting the formation of a cyclonic airflow within the dust collection chamber 101.

[0067] Exemplarily, the dust collecting end sidewall 112 may include multiple dust collecting terminal sidewalls connected end to end along a circumferential direction around the axis PP of the dust collecting chamber 101, with the dust collecting air inlet 131 disposed on a predetermined dust collecting terminal sidewall among the multiple dust collecting terminal sidewalls. As shown in Figure 5A, the dust collecting end sidewall 112 includes multiple dust collecting terminal sidewalls 112a, 112b, 112c, and 112d. The dust collecting air inlet 131 is disposed on the dust collecting terminal sidewall 112a. A plane perpendicular to the dust collecting terminal sidewall 112a and passing through the axis PP can be defined as a predetermined plane M. It should be noted that the plane passing through the axis PP means that the axis PP lies within the predetermined plane M. The center O of the dust collecting air inlet 131 is located on a first side M1 of the predetermined plane M. The air inlet duct 132 curves away from the dust collecting air inlet 131 and toward a second side M2 ​​of the predetermined plane M. The second side M2 ​​and the first side M1 are opposite sides of the predetermined plane M. If the center of the dust collecting air inlet 131 is on the preset plane, a large portion of the airflow entering the dust collecting chamber 101 will directly enter the dust collecting chamber 101 in the radial direction. The radial airflow will seriously interfere with the airflow flowing in the tangential direction, causing turbulence in the dust collecting chamber 101 and affecting the dust removal effect. In contrast, the center of the dust collecting air inlet 131 is located on the first side M1 of the preset plane, and most of the airflow will flow in the first tangential direction A toward the dust collecting terminal side wall 112b, thereby being guided by the inner wall of the dust collecting chamber 101 to form a rotating airflow, thereby enhancing the dust removal effect.

[0068] For example, the dust collection air inlet 131 can be completely located on the first side M1 of the preset plane M. As described above, the center O of the dust collection air inlet 131 being located on the first side M1 of the preset plane M allows the majority of the airflow to enter the dust collection chamber 101 generally in the first tangential direction A, thereby enhancing the dust removal effect. The dust collection air inlet 131 being completely located on the first side M1 of the preset plane M allows almost all of the airflow to enter the dust collection chamber 101 generally in the first tangential direction A, thereby maximizing the dust removal effect on the dust collection chamber 101.

[0069] Exemplarily, with reference to Figure 4, the dust collecting shell 100 may also include a middle section 150 connected between the dust collecting end 110 and the dust removal end 120. Since the dust collecting air inlet channel 130 is arranged on the dust collecting end side wall 112 of the dust collecting end 110, the cross section of the dust collecting end 110 of the dust collecting chamber 101 perpendicular to the axis PP (see Figure 7) may be irregular in shape. Similarly, the shape of the cross section of the dust removal end 120 of the dust collecting chamber 101 perpendicular to the axis PP (see Figure 8) may also be irregular. The cross section of at least the middle section 150 of the dust collecting chamber 101 perpendicular to the axis PP can have an inscribed circle, so that the dust collecting chamber 101 can well guide the airflow to rotate internally. Of course, the dust collecting chamber 101 can also be longer or shorter in the lateral direction Y1-Y2 than in the vertical direction Z1-Z2, as long as it does not affect the rotation of the airflow.

[0070] Exemplarily, the cross section of the middle section 150 can be a regular polygon with rounded corners or a circle. The cross section of the middle section 150 is generally a rounded rectangle. The rounded corners can prevent the airflow from generating vortices and are not easy to accumulate dust. The rounded corners can also further reduce the difficulty of cleaning when the user disassembles the dust collecting component 10 for cleaning, and no dead corners will be generated. Exemplarily, the cross section of the dust collecting chamber 101 perpendicular to the axis PP can be a circle, and the axis PP passes through the center of the circle. At this time, part of the airflow can enter the dust collecting chamber 101 along the first tangential direction, that is, the tangential direction of the circle. A circular cross section avoids the generation of dead corners to the greatest extent. Designers can reasonably design the cross-sectional shape of the middle section 150 according to the shape of the dust collecting component 10.

[0071] Exemplarily, with reference to Figures 4 and 7, the dust collecting air inlet channel 130 is arranged on the dust collecting end side wall 112, and the dust collecting end side wall 112 protrudes outward in the lateral direction to form an air inlet nozzle 160 (see the portion circled by the dotted box in the figure). The air inlet nozzle 160 protrudes along the transverse direction Y2 and forms a protruding end. The dust collecting air inlet channel 130 is arranged on the protruding end. The air inlet nozzle 160 has a gradually decreasing cross-sectional area along the protruding direction (i.e., the transverse direction Y2). Such a design can have the effect of guiding airflow. It can be seen from Figures 5A-5B that in order to guide the airflow into the dust collecting chamber 101 along the first tangential direction A, the dust collecting air inlet port 131 of the dust collecting air inlet channel 130 will not occupy the entire dust collecting terminal side wall 112a. The air inlet nozzle 160 is designed to have a gradually decreasing cross-sectional area along the protruding direction (i.e., the transverse direction Y2), which can guide the airflow to enter the dust collecting chamber 101 smoothly, avoiding the sudden increase in cross-sectional area when entering the dust collecting chamber 101 and causing airflow turbulence.

[0072] For example, with reference to Figures 4 and 7, the air inlet nozzle 160 includes a first sidewall 161, a second sidewall 162, a third sidewall 163, and a fourth sidewall 164 extending from the protruding end toward the dust collection chamber 101. The first sidewall 161 and the second sidewall 162 are arranged relative to each other along a first direction parallel to the axis PP (i.e., the longitudinal direction X1-X2), and the third sidewall 163 and the fourth sidewall 164 are arranged relative to each other along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction (i.e., the vertical direction Z1-Z2). The first sidewall 161 is closer to the dust collection end 120 than the second sidewall 162. The first sidewall 161 is inclined toward the dust collection end 120 along a direction opposite to the protruding direction (i.e., the transverse direction Y1). The inclination of the first sidewall 161 can guide the flow direction of the airflow toward the dust collection end 120, rather than relying solely on the pressure difference within the dust collection chamber 101 to cause the gas to flow to the dust collection channel 140, thereby making the airflow within the dust collection chamber 101 more stable overall.

[0073] For example, referring to FIG7 , the third side wall 163 and / or the fourth side wall 164 are inclined in a direction opposite to the protruding direction (i.e., the transverse direction Y1) toward the outside of the air inlet nozzle 160. This makes the connection between the air inlet nozzle 160 and the dust collection chamber 101 smoother, eliminates protrusions that obstruct airflow, avoids dust accumulation, and has a relatively simple design.

[0074] Exemplarily, as shown in Figure 4, the dust collecting end 110 may further include a dust collecting end end wall 113 connected to the dust collecting end side wall 112, and the dust removal end 120 may further include a dust removal end end wall 114 connected to the dust removal end side wall. The dust collecting end end wall 113 may include a portion extending in a straight line along the transverse direction Y1-Y2, and may also include a curved portion. In short, the dust collecting end end wall 113 can close the dust collecting end 110 of the dust collecting chamber 101 in the longitudinal direction X1. The dust removal end end wall 114 can close the dust removal end 120 of the dust collecting chamber 101 in the longitudinal direction X2. The dust collecting end end wall 113 and the dust removal end end wall 114 are arranged opposite to each other in a direction parallel to the axis PP. The second side wall 162 of the air inlet nozzle 160 can be flush with the dust collecting end end wall 113, so that the outer wall of the dust collecting chamber 101 is relatively flat and regular to adapt to the shape of the storage bin 21.

[0075] For example, as shown in Figures 8-9, the dust removal channel 140 may include a dust removal outlet 141 disposed on the dust removal end sidewall of the dust removal end portion 120, and a dust removal guide channel 142 extending from the dust removal outlet 141 toward the outside of the dust collection chamber 101. Arrow B in the figures indicates the second tangential direction. For example, the angle between the extension direction of any section of the dust removal guide channel 142 and the second tangential direction B may be less than or equal to 90 degrees, thereby guiding the airflow within the dust removal guide channel 142 to at least partially exit the dust collection chamber 101 along the second tangential direction.

[0076] 8-9 , the dust removal guide passage 142 includes a windward guide surface 142a that is opposite to the second tangential direction B, and a leeward guide surface 142b that is opposite to the windward guide surface 142a. For example, in a cross section perpendicular to the axis PP of the dust collection chamber 101, the leeward guide surface 142b is linear. Airflow can be guided by the inclined leeward guide surface 142b and exit the dust collection chamber 101 in the second tangential direction.

[0077] For example, in a cross section perpendicular to the axis PP of the dust collecting chamber 101, the windward guide surface 142a can protrude outward from the dust removal guide channel 142. This ensures that the cross-sectional area of ​​the dust removal guide channel 142 is roughly consistent, thereby ensuring the efficiency of dust removal. If the windward guide surface 142a is a straight line like the leeward guide surface 142b, the end of the dust removal guide channel 142 will extend to a position farther away from the axis PP. However, the use of an arc-shaped protruding connection can make the transition smoother and avoid the dust removal guide channel 142 from being excessively deflected in one direction, which would affect the shape of the dust collecting shell 100. Moreover, the windward guide surface 142a also has a tendency to guide the garbage dust in the airflow to move downward, so that the garbage dust can smoothly enter the cleaning base station.

[0078] For example, the dust removal outlet 141 can face downward, and the dust removal guide channel 142 can extend downwardly and tilted along the direction of the airflow. In this embodiment of the present application, "downward" refers to the direction in which the dust collection assembly 10 faces the bottom of the cleaning robot, relative to the dust collection assembly 10. This allows gravity to smoothly remove dust and debris from the dust collection chamber 101.

[0079] Exemplarily, the dust collection air inlet channel 130 includes a dust collection air inlet 131, and the central axis PP of the dust collection air inlet 131 is perpendicular to the central axis PP of the dust removal outlet 141, that is, the air inlet direction of the dust collection air inlet 131 and the air outlet direction of the dust removal outlet 141 are substantially perpendicular. For the dust collection component 10 of the embodiment shown in Figures 1A-9, the mutually perpendicular air inlet direction and air outlet direction can assist the airflow to rotate in the dust collection chamber 101. The direction of the dust collection air inlet 131 facilitates the collection of dust and garbage by the dust collection component 10 when the cleaning robot is working, and the dust and garbage can enter the dust collection air inlet 131 without turning. The direction of the dust removal outlet 141 is more conducive to the removal of dust and garbage in the dust collection chamber 101. Of course, in embodiments not shown, the two can also be set in other directions.

[0080] For example, referring back to FIG. 4 , the dust collection housing 100 is further provided with a dust collection outlet 115 that communicates with the dust collection chamber 101. As previously described, if the cleaning robot utilizes a negative pressure device to collect dust and debris into the dust collection chamber 101, the dust collection outlet 115 can be connected to the negative pressure device, such as a fan. The dust collection outlet 115 can be covered with a filter 180. The filter 180 ensures that only clean air leaves the dust collection chamber 101 and enters the negative pressure device, preventing dust and debris from damaging the negative pressure device.

[0081] For example, with continued reference to Figures 4 and 8-9, the dust collection assembly 10 may further include a one-way valve 300. The one-way valve 300 may be disposed within the dust collection chamber 101 or within the dust removal passage 140. The one-way valve 300 can be opened unidirectionally by airflow from the dust collection inlet passage 130 to the dust removal passage 140, enabling the cleaning base station to collect trash within the cleaning robot. When closed, the one-way valve 300 isolates the dust removal passage 140 from the dust collection inlet passage 130 and the dust collection outlet 115, or seals the dust collection passage 140. The one-way valve 300 can be opened toward the dust removal outlet 141. When the cleaning robot is performing cleaning operations, a negative pressure device creates a negative pressure in the space between the one-way valve 300 and the dust collection inlet 131. This negative pressure reliably closes the one-way valve 300, preventing dust and trash from falling through the dust removal outlet 141. The one-way valve 300 can also ensure that air only enters the dust collecting chamber 101 through the dust collecting air inlet 131 , thereby providing sufficient suction force to collect dust and garbage into the dust collecting chamber 101 .

[0082] Exemplarily, the one-way valve 300 can be set in the dust collection shell 100. When the one-way valve 300 is closed, the space in the dust collection shell 100 is divided into a first chamber 301 and a second chamber 302. The first chamber 301 is connected to the dust collection air inlet channel 130 and the dust collection air outlet 115, and the second chamber 302 is connected to the dust removal channel 140. Exemplarily, when the cleaning robot is working, the dust removal outlet 141 is usually facing downward. If the one-way valve 300 is set at the dust removal outlet 141, it may be affected by the gravity of the dust and garbage in the dust collection chamber 101, resulting in a loose closure and leakage of dust and garbage. Therefore, exemplarily, the one-way valve 300 is set vertically. The second chamber 302 is provided so that the one-way valve 300 has sufficient opening space. At the same time, dust and garbage can also be diverted into the dust removal guide channel 142 in the second chamber 302 and then leave the dust collection assembly 10.

[0083] As mentioned above, the dust collecting shell 100 may further include a middle section 150 connected between the dust collecting end 110 and the dust removal end 120. Exemplarily, a one-way valve 300 is provided between the dust removal end 120 and the middle section 150. The dust collection air outlet 115 is provided on the side wall of the middle section 150. It is easy to understand that the middle section 150 and the dust collecting end 110 need to be connected at all times, while the dust removal end 120 and the middle section 150 only need to be connected when the cleaning robot is connected to the cleaning base station and the cleaning base station removes dust and garbage from the dust collecting chamber 101. They do not need to be connected at other time periods. Therefore, the one-way valve 300 can be provided between the dust removal end 120 and the middle section 150. In an embodiment of the present application, the dust collection air inlet 131 and the dust collection air outlet 115 are both provided on the same side of the dust collecting shell 100, and the dust collection air inlet 131 and the dust collection air outlet 115 are along the axis PP direction of the dust collecting chamber, and the two can be as far apart as possible. Compared with the method of arranging the dust collecting air inlet 131 and the dust collecting air outlet 115 on two opposite side walls, in the embodiment of the present application, the dust collecting air outlet 115 is arranged on the side wall of the middle part 150, so that during the operation of the cleaning robot, only air can be extracted from the first cavity 301. At the same time, the air will not be immediately sucked into the dust collecting air outlet 115 as soon as it enters the dust collecting air inlet 131 and has not yet fully stayed in the first cavity 301, thereby avoiding the dust and garbage in the first cavity 301 from having a too short path and being too concentrated, thereby wasting space in the first cavity 301.

[0084] Exemplarily, the filter element 180 may include a primary filter element 180 that covers the dust collection outlet 115 and a secondary filter element 180 on the outside of the dust collection shell 100. Exemplarily, the primary filter element 180 may include non-woven fabric, sponge, etc., to preliminarily block the dust and garbage in the dust collection chamber 101, and the secondary filter element 180 may include a HEPA filter, which can filter the fine dust and garbage that the primary filter element 180 cannot filter. The provision of the primary filter element 180 can significantly extend the service life of the secondary filter element 180, which has a relatively high cost, and the primary filter element 180 has a relatively low cost and can be replaced or cleaned frequently. The provision of the primary filter element 180 and the secondary filter element 180 can effectively reduce the user's usage cost while ensuring the filtering effect.

[0085] For example, the area of ​​the primary filter element 180 is smaller than that of the secondary filter element 180. The primary filter element 180 has greater permeability and offers much less air resistance than a secondary filter element 180 of the same area. Therefore, increasing the area of ​​the secondary filter element 180 can match the ventilation flow rates of the primary and secondary filter elements 180.

[0086] For example, as described above, the area of ​​the secondary filter element 180 is larger than that of the primary filter element 180. The secondary filter element 180 extends from between the dust collecting end portion 110 and the middle portion 150 to at least the end surface of the dust removal end, thereby maximizing the use of the space within the dust collecting assembly 10, increasing air permeability, and avoiding significant wind resistance to the negative pressure device.

[0087] For example, the dust collection assembly 10 may further include a housing 400 that is disposed outside the dust collection housing 100, and the secondary filter element 180 is disposed on the housing 400. In addition to the various functions mentioned above, the housing 400 may also provide support and fixation for the secondary filter element 180. The housing 400 may be fixed to the dust collection housing 100 in any suitable manner.

[0088] For example, referring to FIG9 , the primary filter element 180 and the secondary filter element 180 are spaced apart to form a buffer chamber 500 between the primary filter element 180 and the secondary filter element 180. Since the secondary filter element 180 has a much larger area than the primary filter element 180, if the primary filter element 180 were to contact the secondary filter element 180, the effective filtering area of ​​the secondary filter element 180 would be reduced, resulting in the portion of the secondary filter element 180 outside of the contact with the primary filter element 180 not being able to filter. Therefore, the provision of the buffer chamber 500 allows the air filtered by the primary filter element 180 to be evenly distributed within the buffer chamber 500 before being filtered by the secondary filter element 180, thereby fully utilizing the filtering area of ​​the secondary filter element 180.

[0089] Exemplarily, the dust collecting air inlet 131 and the dust collecting air outlet 115 are located on the side of the dust collecting shell 100 facing the first lateral direction (lateral direction Y1-Y2), the dust collecting air inlet 131 protrudes from the dust collecting air outlet 115 along the first lateral direction, and the secondary filter element 180 is flush with the dust collecting air inlet 131 or recessed in the dust collecting air inlet 131 along the first lateral direction. The dust collecting assembly 10 configured in this way can better match the storage bin 21 of the cleaning robot shown in Figure 1A, and can also improve space utilization. It should be noted that the dust collecting air inlet 131 protrudes from the dust collecting air outlet 115 along the first lateral direction, which means that along the first lateral direction, the dust collecting air inlet 131 protrudes further in the direction away from the dust collecting chamber 101 than the dust collecting air outlet 115.

[0090] For example, the dust collection assembly 10 may include only the dust collection air inlet 131, without the air inlet pipe 132. The air inlet pipe 132 may be mounted on the device body 20 of the cleaning robot, for example, on the mounting compartment 23 (see Figures 6A-6B). After the dust collection assembly 10 is installed in the cleaning robot, the second end 132b of the air inlet pipe 132 docks with the dust collection air inlet 131 of the dust collection assembly 10. Users do not need to replace the air inlet pipe 132 when replacing the dust collection assembly 10.

[0091] According to another aspect of the present invention, a cleaning robot is provided that includes any of the aforementioned dust collection assemblies 10. For example, the cleaning robot may further include a dust collection blower, the air inlet of which may be connected to a dust collection outlet. The roller brush assembly may include a rotatable roller brush that contacts the surface to be cleaned and rotates to lift dust and debris from the surface. During this process, the negative suction pressure generated by the dust collection blower can draw the dust and debris into the dust collection assembly 10, thereby collecting dry debris from the surface to be cleaned.

[0092] Exemplarily, the axis PP of the dust collecting chamber extends in the horizontal direction or has an angle with the horizontal direction. As described above, the dust collecting assembly 10 can be flat so as to better cooperate with the cleaning robot. Therefore, the axis PP of the dust collecting chamber extends generally in the horizontal direction, that is, the extension direction of the dust collecting box, so that the volume of the dust collecting chamber is larger. The dust removal channel can be provided on the side wall of the dust collecting end facing downward of the dust collecting end to facilitate docking with the cleaning base station. The dust collection air intake channel can be provided on the side wall of the dust collecting end facing neither downward nor upward of the dust collecting end to facilitate docking with the cleaning robot to connect to the opening of the dust collection air intake channel.

[0093] According to another aspect of the present invention, a cleaning system is provided. The cleaning system may include a cleaning base station and any of the cleaning robots described above. A dust storage assembly and a dust removal fan may be provided in the cleaning base station. The air inlet of the dust removal fan is connected to the dust storage assembly to form a negative pressure in the dust storage assembly. The cleaning robot can optionally dock with the cleaning base station. The cleaning base station can charge the cleaning robot, and when the cleaning robot is docked with the cleaning base station, the inlet of the dust storage assembly can be connected to a dust removal channel. Those skilled in the art can configure the functions of the cleaning base station according to user needs. After the dust removal fan is started, a negative pressure can be formed in the dust storage assembly, thereby transferring dust and garbage in the dust collection chamber to the dust storage assembly through the docked dust removal channel. This cleaning system adopts all the technical solutions of all the above-mentioned dust collection assemblies 10 and cleaning robot embodiments, and therefore has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above-mentioned dust collection assemblies 10 and cleaning robot embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0094] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the directions or positional relationships indicated by directional words such as "front", "back", "up", "down", "left", "right", "horizontal", "vertical", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", etc. are usually based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise specified, these directional words do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction or be constructed and operated in a specific direction. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention; the directional words "inside" and "outside" refer to the inside and outside relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0095] For ease of description, area-relative terms such as "above", "above", "on the upper surface of", "above", etc. may be used here to describe the regional positional relationship between one or more components or features shown in the figures and other components or features. It should be understood that area-relative terms include not only the orientation of the components as described in the figures, but also different orientations in use or operation. For example, if the components in the drawings are inverted as a whole, the situation where the components are "above other components or features" or "above other components or features" will include the situation where the components are "below other components or structures" or "below other components or structures". Thus, the exemplary term "above" may include both the orientations "above" and "below". In addition, these components or features may also be positioned at other different angles (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or other angles), and this document is intended to include all of these situations.

[0096] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present invention. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is intended to include the plural form. In addition, it should be understood that when the terms "comprise" and / or "include" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, parts, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0097] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," and the like in the description and claims of the present invention and the accompanying drawings are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or precedence. It should be understood that the terms used in this manner are interchangeable where appropriate, such that the embodiments of the present invention described herein can be practiced in an order other than that illustrated or described herein.

[0098] The present invention has been described through the above-described embodiments. However, it should be understood that the above-described embodiments are for illustrative and illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the present invention to the described embodiments. Furthermore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and that various variations and modifications may be made based on the teachings of the present invention, all of which fall within the scope of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A dust collection component, characterized in that, The dust collection assembly includes a dust collection housing which encloses a dust collection chamber. The dust collection housing includes a dust collection end portion and a dust removal end portion which are oppositely arranged along the axis of the dust collection chamber. The dust collection end portion is provided with a dust collection air inlet passage, and the dust removal end portion is provided with a dust removal passage for exhausting the dust in the dust collection chamber. Both the dust collection air inlet passage and the dust removal passage communicate with the dust collection chamber; Wherein, the dust collection air inlet passage is arranged on the dust collection end side wall of the dust collection end portion to guide at least part of the air flow to enter the dust collection chamber along a first tangential direction, and / or the dust removal passage is arranged on the dust removal end side wall of the dust removal end portion to guide at least part of the air flow to discharge from the dust collection chamber along a second tangential direction. The first tangential direction and the second tangential direction are the tangential directions of a circle with the axis of the dust collection chamber as the axis.

2. The dust collection component according to claim 1, wherein The dust collection air inlet passage includes a dust collection air inlet arranged on the dust collection end side wall, and an air inlet pipe extending outward from the dust collection air inlet towards the outside of the dust collection chamber, wherein the extending direction of the air inlet pipe is parallel to the first tangential direction; or in a lateral plane perpendicular to the axis of the dust collection chamber and passing through the center of the dust collection air inlet, and in the direction in which the air inlet pipe extends outward along the dust collection air inlet, the air inlet pipe bends towards the dust collection chamber relative to the first tangential direction passing through the center of the dust collection air inlet.

3. The dust collection assembly according to claim 2, wherein, The dust collection end side wall includes a plurality of dust collection terminal side walls sequentially connected end to end along the circumferential direction around the axis of the dust collection chamber. The dust collection air inlet is arranged on a predetermined dust collection terminal side wall among the plurality of dust collection terminal side walls, a plane perpendicular to the predetermined dust collection terminal side wall and passing through the axis of the dust collection chamber is defined as a preset plane, the center of the dust collection air inlet is located on a first side of the preset plane, and the air inlet pipe bends towards a second side of the preset plane along the direction away from the dust collection air inlet. The second side and the first side are respectively opposite sides of the preset plane.

4. The dust collection component according to claim 3, characterized in that, The dust collection air inlet is completely located on the first side of the preset plane.

5. The dust collection component according to claim 1, wherein The dust collection housing further includes a middle section portion connected between the dust collection end portion and the dust removal end portion. At least the cross-section of the middle section portion perpendicular to the axis of the dust collection chamber has an inscribed circle.

6. The dust collection assembly according to claim 5, wherein, The cross-section of the middle section portion is a rounded regular polygon or a circle.

7. The dust collection assembly according to claim 1, wherein The dust collection air inlet passage is arranged on the dust collection end side wall. The dust collection end side wall bulges outward in the lateral direction to form an air inlet nozzle. The dust collection air inlet passage is arranged on the protruding end of the air inlet nozzle, and the air inlet nozzle has a gradually decreasing cross-sectional area along the protruding direction.

8. The dust collection assembly according to claim 7, wherein, The air inlet nozzle includes a first side wall, a second side wall, a third side wall and a fourth side wall extending from the protruding end towards the dust collection chamber. The first side wall and the second side wall are oppositely arranged along a first direction parallel to the axis of the dust collection chamber. The third side wall and the fourth side wall are oppositely arranged along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The first side wall is closer to the dust removal end portion than the second side wall, and the first side wall inclines towards the dust removal end portion along a direction opposite to the protruding direction.

9. The dust collection assembly according to claim 8, wherein, The third side wall and / or the fourth side wall incline towards the outside of the air inlet nozzle along a direction opposite to the protruding direction.

10. The dust collection assembly according to claim 8, wherein, The dust collection end further includes a dust collection end wall connected to the dust collection end side wall, and the dust removal end further includes a dust removal end wall connected to the dust removal end side wall; The dust collection end wall and the dust removal end wall are arranged opposite to each other along a direction parallel to the axis of the dust collection cavity; The second side wall is flush with the dust collection end wall.

11. The dust collection component according to claim 1, wherein, The dust removal channel includes a dust removal outlet provided on the dust removal end side wall of the dust removal end, and a dust removal guiding channel extending from the dust removal outlet towards the outside of the dust collection cavity. The extension direction of any section of the dust removal guiding channel forms an angle less than or equal to 90 degrees with the second tangential direction.

12. The dust collection component according to claim 11, wherein, The dust removal guiding channel has a windward guiding surface opposite to the second tangential direction and a leeward guiding surface opposite to the windward guiding surface, wherein: In a cross-section perpendicular to the axis of the dust collection cavity, the windward guiding surface protrudes towards the outside of the dust removal guiding channel; and / or In a cross-section perpendicular to the axis of the dust collection cavity, the leeward guiding surface is linear.

13. The dust collection component according to claim 11, wherein The dust removal outlet faces downward, and the dust removal guiding channel extends obliquely downward along the airflow direction; And / or, the dust collection air inlet channel includes a dust collection air inlet, and the central axis of the dust collection air inlet is perpendicular to the central axis of the dust removal outlet.

14. The dust collection assembly according to claim 1, wherein, A dust collection air outlet communicating with the dust collection cavity is further provided on the dust collection housing, and the dust collection air outlet is covered with a filter element.

15. The dust collection assembly according to claim 14, wherein, The dust collection assembly further includes a one-way valve, which is arranged in the dust collection cavity or at the dust removal channel. The one-way valve can be unidirectionally opened under the action of the airflow from the dust collection air inlet channel to the dust removal channel. When the one-way valve is closed, it isolates the dust removal channel from the dust collection air inlet channel and the dust collection air outlet, or closes the dust removal channel.

16. The dust collection assembly according to claim 15, characterized in that, The one-way valve is arranged in the dust collection housing. When the one-way valve is closed, the space inside the dust collection housing is divided into a first chamber and a second chamber. The first chamber communicates with the dust collection air inlet channel and the dust collection air outlet, and the second chamber communicates with the dust removal channel.

17. The dust collection assembly according to claim 16, wherein The dust collection housing further includes a middle section part connected between the dust collection end and the dust removal end. The one-way valve is arranged between the dust removal end and the middle section part, and the dust collection air outlet is arranged on the side wall of the middle section part.

18. The dust collection assembly according to claim 17, wherein, The filter element includes a primary filter element covering the dust collection air outlet and a secondary filter element outside the dust collection housing.

19. The dust collection assembly according to claim 18, wherein The primary filter element includes non-woven fabric or sponge, and the secondary filter element includes a HEPA filter; and / or The area of the primary filter element is smaller than the area of the secondary filter element; and / or The secondary filter element extends at least from between the dust collection end and the middle section part to the outermost end of the dust collection end along the axis of the dust collection cavity; And / or The dust collection assembly further includes a housing covering the outside of the dust collection housing, and the secondary filter element is arranged on the housing; And / or The primary filter element and the secondary filter element are spaced apart to form a buffer chamber therebetween; and / or The dust collection air inlet passage includes a dust collection air inlet communicating with the dust collection chamber and an air inlet pipe extending from the dust collection air inlet towards the outside of the dust collection chamber. The dust collection air inlet and the dust collection air outlet are located on one side of the dust collection housing facing the first lateral direction. The dust collection air inlet protrudes from the dust collection air outlet along the first lateral direction. The secondary filter element is flush with or recessed from the dust collection air inlet along the first lateral direction.

20. The dust collection assembly according to claim 1, wherein The dust collection air inlet passage includes a dust collection air inlet provided on the dust collection end side wall of the dust collection end portion.

21. A cleaning robot, characterized in that, Comprising a dust collection assembly according to any one of claims 1-20.

22. The cleaning robot according to claim 21, which refers to any one of claims 14-19, characterized in that, The cleaning robot further includes a dust collection fan, and an air inlet of the dust collection fan is communicated with the dust collection air outlet.

23. The cleaning robot according to claim 21, characterized in that, An axis of the dust collection chamber extends in a horizontal direction or forms an angle with the horizontal direction. The dust removal passage is provided on the downward-facing dust removal end side wall of the dust removal end portion, and the dust collection air inlet passage is provided on the dust collection end side wall of the dust collection end portion that is neither downward-facing nor upward-facing.

24. A cleaning system, characterized in that, Comprising: A cleaning base station, in which a dust storage assembly and a dust removal fan are provided. An air inlet of the dust removal fan is communicated with the dust storage assembly for creating a negative pressure in the dust storage assembly; and A cleaning robot according to any one of claims 21-23, the cleaning robot being selectively docked with the cleaning base station, and an inlet of the dust storage assembly being communicated with the dust removal passage when the cleaning robot is docked with the cleaning base station.

Images