Cleaning apparatus and cleaning system

Abstract

A cleaning apparatus, comprising a housing, a LiDAR assembly and a liquid supply assembly. The housing comprises a bottom wall and a side wall that are connected to each other. The LiDAR assembly is at least partially located inside the housing. The liquid supply assembly comprises a liquid storage tank and liquid piping, the liquid storage tank and the liquid piping being located inside the housing, and the liquid piping being in communication with the liquid storage tank. At least part of the liquid piping is located between the LiDAR assembly and the bottom wall. The cleaning apparatus can fully utilize the area between the LiDAR assembly and the bottom wall of the housing for layout of the liquid piping, thereby improving the rate of space utilization in the housing and facilitating the miniaturization and integration of the apparatus.

Description

Cleaning devices and cleaning systems

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority and benefit to Chinese Patent Application No. 202422531791.2, filed on October 18, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to the field of cleaning equipment technology, and more particularly to a cleaning device and cleaning system. Background Technology

[0004] Intelligent cleaning devices are being used more and more widely in daily life and industry, with more and more users using them to replace manual cleaning of various indoor and outdoor surfaces.

[0005] With the continuous development of technology, cleaning devices are gradually becoming smaller and more integrated. Therefore, how to improve the space utilization rate of cleaning devices is one of the research topics in the industry. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this disclosure provides a cleaning device and cleaning system with high space utilization.

[0007] This disclosure is achieved through the following technical solution.

[0008] A first aspect of this disclosure provides a cleaning device comprising: a housing including a bottom wall and side walls interconnected with each other; a lidar assembly, at least partially located within the housing; and a liquid supply assembly including a reservoir and a liquid line, the reservoir and the liquid line being located within the housing and the liquid line communicating with the reservoir; wherein at least a portion of the liquid line is located between the lidar assembly and the bottom wall.

[0009] In some embodiments, the lidar assembly includes a lidar housing and a carrier, the lidar housing being disposed on the bottom wall, the carrier being disposed inside the lidar housing and connected to the inner peripheral wall of the lidar housing; at least a portion of the liquid pipeline is located between the carrier and the bottom wall.

[0010] In some embodiments, the lidar housing has a clearance opening on the side facing the bottom wall to allow the liquid pipeline to pass.

[0011] In some embodiments, the bottom wall forms a limiting member, which is provided on the bottom wall in such a way that it extends along the height direction of the lidar assembly. The limiting member is located between the carrier and the bottom wall and is used to limit the liquid pipeline located between the carrier and the bottom wall.

[0012] In some embodiments, the limiting member is located close to and along the inner peripheral wall of the lidar housing;

[0013] The limiting member includes a first limiting member and a second limiting member arranged at intervals. The first limiting member is disposed away from the inner peripheral wall of the lidar housing relative to the second limiting member. The liquid pipeline located between the carrier and the bottom wall is located between the first limiting member and the second limiting member.

[0014] In some embodiments, the cleaning device further includes a vertical plate, which is disposed on the bottom wall in a manner extending along the height direction of the lidar assembly. The vertical plate is located on the side of the second limiting member opposite to the first limiting member and is spaced apart from the second limiting member.

[0015] The portion of the lidar housing is located between the upright plate and the second limiting member.

[0016] In some embodiments, the liquid pipeline includes an inlet pipeline; an inlet is formed in the sidewall, one end of the inlet pipeline is connected to the liquid storage tank, and the other end is connected to the inlet; at least a portion of the inlet pipeline is located between the lidar component and the bottom wall.

[0017] In some embodiments, a one-way valve is provided at the liquid inlet.

[0018] In some embodiments, the liquid pipeline includes an outlet pipeline; one end of the outlet pipeline is connected to the liquid storage tank, and the other end is connected to the cleaning component of the cleaning device; at least a portion of the outlet pipeline is located between the lidar component and the bottom wall.

[0019] In some embodiments, the cleaning assembly includes a first cleaning assembly and a second cleaning assembly; the liquid outlet line includes a main line, a first sub-line, and a second sub-line, the main line, the first sub-line, and the second sub-line being connected to each other via a diversion valve, the first sub-line being used to supply liquid to the first cleaning assembly, and the second sub-line being used to supply liquid to the second cleaning assembly.

[0020] In some embodiments, the liquid supply assembly further includes a drive pump located in the liquid outlet line for driving the liquid in the storage tank to flow through the liquid outlet line to the cleaning assembly.

[0021] In some embodiments, the liquid pipeline further includes an overflow pipeline, one end of which is connected to the liquid storage tank and the other end is connected to the outside.

[0022] In some embodiments, along the height direction of the reservoir, the overflow line is connected to the side of the reservoir away from the bottom wall.

[0023] A second aspect of this disclosure provides a cleaning system including the cleaning apparatus described in the first aspect of this disclosure; and a cleaning base station for supplying liquid to the liquid supply assembly of the cleaning apparatus.

[0024] This disclosure effect

[0025] The liquid pipeline of the cleaning device in this embodiment is located at least partially between the lidar component and the bottom wall of the housing, thereby making full use of the space inside the housing and improving the space utilization rate inside the housing, which is conducive to the miniaturization and integration of the overall device. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings:

[0027] Figure 1 is a partial structural schematic diagram of a cleaning device provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;

[0028] Figure 2 is a partial structural schematic diagram of a cleaning device provided in some embodiments of this disclosure from another perspective;

[0029] Figure 3 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the cleaning device provided in some embodiments of this disclosure from another perspective;

[0030] Figure 4 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a lidar component provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;

[0031] Figure 5 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a diversion valve provided in some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0032] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1-House; 11-Bottom wall; 12-Side wall; 121-Liquid inlet; 13-Limiting component; 131-First limiting component; 132-Second limiting component; 2-LiDAR assembly; 21-LiDAR housing; 211-Avoidance port; 212-Inner peripheral wall; 22-LiDAR main body; 23-Carrier component; 3-Liquid supply assembly; 31-Reservoir; 32-Liquid pipeline; 321-Liquid inlet pipeline; 322-Liquid outlet pipeline; 3221-Main pipeline; 3222-First sub-pipeline; 3223-Second sub-pipeline; 323-Overflow pipeline; 33-Drive pump; 4-Diverter valve; 41-Valve port; 5-Upright plate; 100-Cleaning device. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The embodiments of the technical solutions disclosed herein will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical solutions disclosed herein and are therefore intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0034] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs; the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of this disclosure; the terms “comprising” and “having” and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0035] In the description of the embodiments of this disclosure, technical terms such as "first," "second," and "third" are used only to distinguish different objects and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number, specific order, or primary or secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of this disclosure, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly defined.

[0036] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this disclosure. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0037] In the description of the embodiments of this disclosure, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0038] In the description of the embodiments of this disclosure, the technical terms "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "circumferential," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of this disclosure and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed, operated, or used in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0039] In the description of the embodiments of this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, technical terms such as "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this disclosure according to the specific circumstances.

[0040] In the description of the embodiments of this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the technical term "contact" should be interpreted broadly, and can be direct contact, contact through an intermediate medium layer, contact between two contacting parties with substantially no interaction force, or contact between two contacting parties with interaction force.

[0041] The following describes some embodiments of the present disclosure in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 5.

[0042] Figure 1 is a partial structural schematic diagram of a cleaning device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a partial structural schematic diagram of a cleaning device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure from another perspective. Figure 3 is a partial structural schematic diagram of a cleaning device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure from yet another perspective. Figure 4 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a lidar assembly provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 5 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a diversion valve provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0043] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, this disclosure provides a cleaning device 100, which includes a housing 1, a lidar assembly 2, and a liquid supply assembly 3.

[0044] The cleaning device 100 is a device used to clean surfaces to be cleaned. The cleaning device 100 includes, but is not limited to, robotic vacuum cleaners, robotic mops, robotic vacuum and mop combos, or robotic window cleaners. Surfaces to be cleaned include, but are not limited to, floors, ceilings, glass, tabletops, or the surfaces of other objects and components.

[0045] The housing 1 is the external protective housing of the cleaning device 100, and the interior of the housing 1 is used to house the functional components that enable the various functions of the cleaning device 100. These functional components may include, for example, a drive assembly, a sensing assembly, a lidar assembly, a dust box, or a liquid storage tank, etc.

[0046] For example, the housing 1 can be made of plastic. Plastic materials include, but are not limited to, ABS plastic (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene). ABS plastic is a high-strength, tough, and easy-to-process material with good insulation properties. It is almost unaffected by temperature and humidity and can be used in most environments.

[0047] Of course, those skilled in the art should understand that the housing 1 can also be made of any other suitable material.

[0048] In this embodiment, the housing 1 is generally cylindrical in shape, which allows the cleaning device 100 to better adapt to various environments and provides greater flexibility. Of course, in some other embodiments, the housing 1 can also be any other suitable shape such as a cuboid or cube.

[0049] As shown in Figure 1, the housing 1 includes a bottom wall 11 and side walls 12 that are interconnected. In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the bottom wall 11 and side walls 12 are integral structural components; for example, the housing 1 of the cleaning device 100 can be manufactured by injection molding. In some other embodiments, the bottom wall 11 and side walls 12 may also be separate structures that are then assembled together.

[0050] The lidar component 2 is a type of sensing component used to detect obstacles and environmental information around the cleaning device 100. The lidar component 2 plays an important role in the cleaning device 100's mapping, navigation, and obstacle avoidance operations.

[0051] For example, the lidar component 2 can perform distance detection.

[0052] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the lidar component 2 is at least partially located inside the housing 1, and the lidar main body (described in detail below) can be raised and lowered along the height direction of the cleaning device 100, thereby better adapting to different cleaning environments, effectively improving cleaning coverage, and solving cleaning problems in low-lying blind spots, etc.

[0053] Of course, those skilled in the art should understand that in some other embodiments, the lidar component 2 may also be located entirely within the housing 1.

[0054] The liquid supply assembly 3 is a temporary liquid supply mechanism for the cleaning device 100 during cleaning operations. It allows the cleaning liquid to be slowly released to the cleaning components (e.g., a mop) during the cleaning process, keeping the cleaning components moist and improving cleaning effectiveness. Additionally, it eliminates the need for the cleaning device 100 to frequently return to the cleaning base station for rehydration, improving cleaning efficiency. The liquid supply assembly 3 includes a liquid storage tank 31 and a liquid pipeline 32, both located within the housing 1. The liquid storage tank 31 is used to contain the cleaning liquid. Exemplarily, the cleaning liquid includes, but is not limited to, water, cleaning solution, or disinfectant.

[0055] This embodiment does not specifically limit the shape of the liquid storage tank 31. The shape of the liquid storage tank 31 can be generally rectangular, cubic, cylindrical or irregular, etc., and can be specifically set according to the actual size and shape of the shell 1.

[0056] The liquid line 32 is connected to the liquid storage tank 31 and is used to inject cleaning liquid into the liquid storage tank 31, or to transport the cleaning liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 31 to the cleaning component.

[0057] Liquid lines 32 typically include inlet and outlet lines. As technology advances, cleaning devices 100 can typically include multiple cleaning components (e.g., main mop and side mop). Therefore, the outlet line of liquid lines 32 needs to include multiple sub-lines to supply liquid to different cleaning components. The increased number of lines may cause liquid lines 32 to occupy a large space within the housing 1.

[0058] Furthermore, as user demands continue to increase, the cleaning device 100 is gradually becoming smaller and more integrated. If the liquid piping 32 within the housing 1 is not properly laid out, it may occupy a significant amount of space within the housing 1, thus increasing the overall size of the cleaning device 100. Without changing the dimensions of the housing 1, if the liquid piping 32 within the housing 1 is not properly laid out, it will affect and compress the layout space of other components within the housing 1. For example, it may result in a reduction in the dustbin capacity, the liquid storage tank capacity, or the energy density of the power battery, etc.

[0059] In view of this, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, in this embodiment of the disclosure, at least a portion of the liquid conduit 32 is located between the lidar assembly 2 and the bottom wall 11 of the housing 1.

[0060] Therefore, at least part of the liquid pipeline 32 can be arranged in the area between the lidar component 2 and the bottom wall 11, making full use of the space inside the housing 1, reducing the space occupied by the liquid pipeline 32 on other components inside the housing 1, improving the space utilization of the housing 1, and making the layout inside the housing 1 more compact, which is conducive to the miniaturization and integration of the cleaning device 100 as a whole.

[0061] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in FIG4, the lidar assembly 2 includes a lidar housing 21 and a carrier 23. The lidar housing 21 is disposed on the bottom wall 11, and the carrier 23 is disposed inside the lidar housing 21 and connected to the inner peripheral wall 212 of the lidar housing 21.

[0062] The lidar housing 21 is the external protective housing of the lidar assembly 2, used to house functional components that realize various functions of the lidar assembly 2, such as the lidar body 22.

[0063] For example, the lidar housing 21 can also be made of plastic.

[0064] Although not shown in the figure, the lidar body 22 typically includes a laser emitting unit and a laser receiving unit, used to emit a laser beam and receive the returned laser beam, respectively. It calculates the distance to obstacles ahead by measuring the time it takes for the laser beam to travel from emission to reception, and then uses algorithms to derive an environmental model. This process requires the lidar body 22 to clearly scan all corners of the current environment. Therefore, the lidar body 22 needs a certain installation height. If it is installed too low, the scanning range may be limited, affecting the scanning effect of the lidar body 22 and potentially impacting the navigation and obstacle avoidance capabilities of the cleaning device 100. Therefore, the lidar body 22 is typically not directly mounted on the bottom wall 11 of the housing 1 of the cleaning device 100.

[0065] In this embodiment, the lidar assembly 2 includes a support member 23, which is generally plate-shaped and used to support the lidar body 22. Along the height direction of the lidar assembly 2, the support member 23 is located inside the lidar housing 21 away from the bottom wall 11 and is connected to the inner peripheral wall 212 of the lidar housing 21. The lidar body 22 is supported on the side of the support member 23 facing away from the bottom wall 11, thereby allowing the laser emitting unit and the laser receiving unit of the lidar body 22 to have a suitable installation height.

[0066] For example, the carrier 23 can be formed as an integral structural component with the lidar housing 21.

[0067] As another example, the carrier 23 can be a separate structure from the lidar housing 21 and then assembled together.

[0068] Those skilled in the art should understand that, along the height direction of the lidar assembly 2, the present disclosure does not specifically limit the distance between the support member 23 and the bottom wall 11, but can make specific settings according to the actual installation height required by the lidar body 22.

[0069] Since the support member 23 and the bottom wall 11 of the housing 1 have a certain distance along the height direction of the lidar component 2, the present embodiment utilizes the area between the support member 23 and the bottom wall 11 to lay out at least part of the liquid pipeline 32, thereby making full use of the space inside the housing 1 and improving the space utilization rate of the housing 1.

[0070] In some other embodiments, the support member 23 may also be block-shaped, that is, the bottom end face of the support member 23 is also provided on the bottom wall 11. In this case, along the height direction of the lidar assembly 2, the bottom end face of the support member 23 may be recessed at least partially in a direction away from the bottom wall 11 to form a recessed portion, and the recessed portion accommodates at least a portion of the liquid pipeline 32. That is, the recessed portion and a portion of the bottom wall 11 define the area between the support member 23 and the bottom wall 11.

[0071] Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments disclosed herein do not specifically limit the formation of the area between the carrier 23 and the bottom wall 11, as long as a certain area can be formed between the lidar assembly 2 and the bottom wall 11 to accommodate at least part of the liquid pipeline 32.

[0072] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in FIG4, a clearance opening 211 is formed on the side of the lidar housing 21 facing the bottom wall 11 to avoid the liquid pipeline 32.

[0073] In this embodiment of the disclosure, at least a portion of the bottom of the lidar housing 21 is recessed in the direction away from the bottom wall 11 along the height direction of the lidar assembly 2, forming a groove. The groove is configured as a clearance opening 211, so that at least a portion of the liquid pipeline 32 can enter and exit between the carrier 23 and the bottom wall 11 through the clearance opening 211.

[0074] The bottom of the lidar housing 21 refers to the side where the lidar housing 21 is connected to the bottom wall 11 of the housing 1.

[0075] In some other embodiments, a through hole may be formed at the bottom of the lidar housing 21, the through hole connecting the outside and inside of the lidar housing 21, the through hole being configured as a clearance opening 211, thereby allowing at least a portion of the liquid pipeline 32 to enter and exit between the carrier 23 and the bottom wall 11 through the through hole.

[0076] This embodiment does not specifically limit the formation of the clearance opening 211, as long as the liquid pipeline 32 can enter and exit between the carrier 23 and the bottom wall 11 without interfering with the lidar housing 21.

[0077] Those skilled in the art should understand that the number of clearance ports 211 is at least two, one clearance port 211 for the liquid pipe 32 to enter between the support member 23 and the bottom wall 11, and the other clearance port 211 for the liquid pipe 32 to pass through between the support member 23 and the bottom wall 11.

[0078] For example, when the liquid pipeline 32 includes multiple pipelines, the number of clearance ports 211 can be only two. Multiple pipelines can enter the space between the carrier 23 and the bottom wall 11 through one clearance port 211 and exit the space between the carrier 23 and the bottom wall 11 through one clearance port 211.

[0079] As another example, when the liquid pipeline 32 includes multiple pipelines, the number of clearance ports 211 can be twice the number of multiple pipelines. Each pipeline enters the space between the support member 23 and the bottom wall 11 through multiple clearance ports 211, and exits the space between the support member 23 and the bottom wall 11 through multiple clearance ports 211.

[0080] As another example, when the liquid pipeline 32 includes multiple pipelines, the number of clearance ports 211 can be multiple. Some pipelines enter the space between the support member 23 and the bottom wall 11 through a common clearance port 211 and exit the space between the support member 23 and the bottom wall 11 through a common clearance port 211. Other pipelines enter the space between the support member 23 and the bottom wall 11 through multiple clearance ports 211 and exit the space between the support member 23 and the bottom wall 11 through multiple clearance ports 211. Alternatively, some pipelines may enter the space between the support member 23 and the bottom wall 11 through a common clearance port 211 and exit the space between the support member 23 and the bottom wall 11 through multiple clearance ports 211, while other pipelines may enter the space between the support member 23 and the bottom wall 11 through multiple clearance ports 211 and exit the space between the support member 23 and the bottom wall 11 through a common clearance port 211.

[0081] The present invention does not impose a specific limit on the number of clearance openings 211, but can make specific settings according to the actual arrangement and routing of the liquid pipeline 32.

[0082] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, a limiting member 13 is formed on the bottom wall 11. The limiting member 13 is provided on the bottom wall 11 in such a way that it extends along the height direction of the lidar assembly 2. The limiting member 13 is located between the support member 23 and the bottom wall 11 to limit the liquid pipeline 32 located between the support member 23 and the bottom wall 11.

[0083] The limiting member 13 is located between the bearing member 23 and the bottom wall 11, and is generally plate-shaped, extending along the height direction of the lidar assembly 2. In this embodiment, the size of the limiting member 13 along the height direction of the lidar assembly 2 is not specifically limited, as long as it is higher than the size of the liquid pipeline 32 along the height direction of the lidar assembly 2.

[0084] The number of limiting members 13 is at least two, and the two limiting members 13 together define a limiting channel for the liquid pipeline 32 to pass through. The bending shape of the limiting channel can be the same as the direction of the liquid pipeline 32. Therefore, by setting the limiting members 13 to form a limiting channel, the direction of the liquid pipeline 32 can be better constrained, reducing the possibility of the liquid pipeline 32 failing to connect to the designated position due to abnormal movement, which is beneficial to improving the reliability of the cleaning device 100. In addition, it can also improve the regularity of the liquid pipeline 32 between the support member 23 and the bottom wall 11, further improving the space utilization rate.

[0085] Those skilled in the art should understand that the present disclosure does not limit the number of limiting members 13. In some other embodiments, the number of limiting members 13 can be multiple (more than two), thereby defining more limiting channels and limiting multiple different pipelines of the liquid pipeline 32.

[0086] In some other embodiments, the limiting member 13 can also be any other suitable structure such as a wire clip. This disclosure does not specifically limit the structural form of the limiting member 13, as long as it can limit the liquid pipeline 32 between the carrier 23 and the bottom wall 11.

[0087] For example, the limiting member 13 can be formed as an integral structural member with the bottom wall 11.

[0088] As another example, the limiting member 13 can be a separate structural member of the bottom wall 11 and then assembled together.

[0089] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the limiting member 13 is located near and along the inner peripheral wall 212 of the lidar housing 21. That is, the limiting member 13 is arranged along the circumferential direction of the lidar housing 21, so that the liquid conduit 32 located within the limiting member 13 is arranged along the circumferential direction of the lidar housing 21.

[0090] As shown in Figure 2, the limiting member 13 includes a first limiting member 131 and a second limiting member 132 arranged at intervals. The first limiting member 131 is disposed away from the inner peripheral wall 212 of the lidar housing 21 relative to the second limiting member 132, and the second limiting member 132 is disposed close to the inner peripheral wall 212 of the lidar housing 21 relative to the first limiting member 131. The liquid pipeline 32 located between the carrier 23 and the bottom wall 11 is located between the first limiting member 131 and the second limiting member 132, thereby limiting the liquid pipeline 32 through the first limiting member 131 and the second limiting member 132.

[0091] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the cleaning device 100 further includes a vertical plate 5, which is disposed on the bottom wall 11 extending along the height direction of the lidar assembly 2. The vertical plate 5 is located on the side of the second limiting member 132 facing away from the first limiting member 131 and is spaced apart from the second limiting member 132. A portion of the lidar housing 21 is located between the vertical plate 5 and the second limiting member 132.

[0092] Therefore, during the assembly of the lidar component 2, the upright plate 5 and the second limiting member 132 can play a certain positioning role for the lidar component 2, which is more conducive to assembly. The liquid pipeline 32 will now be described in detail.

[0093] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the liquid line 32 includes an inlet line 321. At least a portion of the inlet line 321 is located between the lidar assembly 2 and the bottom wall 11.

[0094] The side wall 12 of the housing 1 has a liquid inlet 121. One end of the liquid inlet pipe 321 is connected to the liquid storage tank 31, and the other end is connected to the liquid inlet 121.

[0095] Typically, a cleaning base station is installed externally on the cleaning device 100. This base station supplies liquid to the liquid storage tank 31 of the cleaning device 100 via the liquid inlet 121 and the liquid inlet pipe 321. A liquid storage tank is installed inside the cleaning base station, and the tank is detachably mounted there. Users can remove the tank from the cleaning base station, fill it with liquid, and then place it back into the cleaning base station. The tank provides the cleaning liquid required for cleaning the components of the liquid storage tank 31 of the cleaning device 100. Alternatively, the cleaning base station can be directly connected to a tap water pipe to supply liquid to the aforementioned storage tank, which in turn supplies liquid to the liquid storage tank 31; or, alternatively, liquid can be supplied directly to the liquid storage tank 31 via a tap water pipe.

[0096] In some embodiments of this disclosure, a one-way valve is provided at the liquid inlet 121.

[0097] Although not shown in the figure, a one-way valve is provided at the liquid inlet 121 of the cleaning device 100, so that the liquid can only flow from the liquid inlet 121 to the liquid storage tank 31 in one direction, thereby reducing the risk of liquid in the liquid storage tank 31 flowing back to the outside of the liquid storage tank 31 to a certain extent.

[0098] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the liquid pipeline 32 includes a liquid outlet pipeline 322, one end of which is connected to the liquid storage tank 31 and the other end is connected to the cleaning component (not shown in the figure) of the cleaning device 100, for transmitting the liquid in the liquid storage tank 31 to the cleaning component, so that the cleaning component can maintain a moist state during the cleaning operation and achieve better cleaning effect.

[0099] The cleaning component is a component of the cleaning device 100 used to clean the surface to be cleaned. The cleaning component is typically located on the bottom wall 11 of the housing 1, facing away from the lidar component 2. The cleaning component includes, but is not limited to, the main mop and the side mop.

[0100] At least a portion of the liquid outlet line 322 is located between the lidar assembly 2 and the bottom wall 11.

[0101] In this embodiment, at least a portion of the inlet pipe 321 and at least a portion of the outlet pipe 322 are located between the lidar component 2 and the bottom wall 11. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the inlet pipe 321 and the outlet pipe 322 are arranged in a manner that is at least partially stacked between the lidar component 2 and the bottom wall 11. This further reduces the area occupied between the lidar component 2 and the bottom wall 11, leaving sufficient space between the lidar component 2 and the bottom wall 11 for arranging other functional components.

[0102] Here, "at least partially overlapping" means that at least a portion of the inlet pipe 321 and the outlet pipe 322 are located above the outlet pipe 322 along the height direction of the lidar assembly 2, or at least a portion of the outlet pipe 322 is located above the inlet pipe 321. In other words, in the projection plane perpendicular to the height direction of the lidar assembly 2, the projections of the inlet pipe 321 and the outlet pipe 322 at least partially overlap.

[0103] Of course, those skilled in the art should understand that in some other embodiments, the inlet pipe 321 and the outlet pipe 322 may also be arranged side by side between the lidar component 2 and the bottom wall 11. This disclosure does not specifically limit the arrangement of the inlet pipe 321 and the outlet pipe 322 between the lidar component 2 and the bottom wall 11.

[0104] In some other embodiments, at least a portion of the inlet pipe 321 may be located between the lidar assembly 2 and the bottom wall 11, or at least a portion of the outlet pipe 322 may be located between the lidar assembly 2 and the bottom wall 11.

[0105] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in Figures 2, 3, and 5, the cleaning assembly includes a first cleaning assembly and a second cleaning assembly. The liquid outlet line 322 includes a main line 3221, a first sub-line 3222, and a second sub-line 3223. The main line 3221, the first sub-line 3222, and the second sub-line 3223 are interconnected via a diversion valve 4. The first sub-line 3222 supplies liquid to the first cleaning assembly, and the second sub-line 3223 supplies liquid to the second cleaning assembly.

[0106] The first cleaning component could be, for example, the main mop, and the second cleaning component could be, for example, the side mop.

[0107] The main mop is usually located in the off-center area of ​​the cleaning device 100 and its area is usually larger than that of the side mops. The main mop is mainly used to clean the large areas of the surface to be cleaned, while the side mops are usually located in the edge area of ​​the cleaning device 100 and are used to clean corners, edges and other places (e.g., wall corners) that the main mop cannot reach.

[0108] In some embodiments, the side mop is configured to extend at least partially beyond the edge of the cleaning device 100, thereby enabling better cleaning.

[0109] As shown in Figure 5, in this embodiment of the present disclosure, the diversion valve 4 includes three valve ports 41. One end of the main pipeline 3221 is connected to the liquid storage tank 31, and the other end is connected to one valve port 41 of the diversion valve 4. One end of the first sub-pipeline 3222 is connected to one valve port 41 of the diversion valve 4, and the other end leads to the first cleaning component. One end of the second sub-pipeline 3223 is connected to one valve port 41 of the diversion valve, and the other end leads to the second cleaning component. That is, the liquid in the liquid storage tank 31 flows out of the liquid storage tank 31 through the main pipeline 3221 and is diverted at the diversion valve 4, flowing to the first cleaning component and the second cleaning component through the first sub-pipeline 3222 and the second sub-pipeline 3223 respectively. This ensures that the first cleaning component and the second cleaning component are always kept moist when the cleaning device 100 is in operation, thereby improving the cleaning effect.

[0110] Of course, those skilled in the art should understand that the present disclosure does not specifically limit the number of valve ports 41 of the diversion valve 4. In some other embodiments, when the number of cleaning components is more than two, the number of valve ports 41 of the diversion valve 4 can also be more, thereby enabling liquid to be supplied to more cleaning components.

[0111] In this embodiment, the first sub-pipe 3222 is at least partially located between the lidar component 2 and the bottom wall 11. In some other embodiments, the second sub-pipe 3223 may also be at least partially located between the lidar component 2 and the bottom wall 11, or both the first sub-pipe 3222 and the second sub-pipe 3223 may be at least partially located between the lidar component 2 and the bottom wall 11. The position of the liquid outlet pipe 322 can be specifically set according to the actual position of the cleaning component.

[0112] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the liquid supply assembly 3 further includes a drive pump 33, which is disposed in the liquid outlet pipeline 322 and is used to drive the liquid in the liquid storage tank 31 to flow to the cleaning assembly through the liquid outlet pipeline 322.

[0113] Therefore, the liquid in the storage tank 31 can be driven by the drive pump 33 to flow to the cleaning component through the liquid outlet pipe 322, so that the cleaning component is kept in a moist state when it is in operation.

[0114] In this embodiment, the drive pump 33 is a peristaltic pump. Peristaltic pumps offer better stability and higher precision, thereby enabling better control of the liquid flow to the cleaning component. This prevents the cleaning component from becoming excessively wet or excessively dry, maintaining a moderate level of moisture, which improves the cleaning effect. Furthermore, if the liquid reservoir 31 is empty, the peristaltic pump can operate dry without damaging the pump body, resulting in better reliability.

[0115] Of course, in some other embodiments, the drive pump 33 can also be any other suitable pump body.

[0116] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the drive pump 33 is respectively disposed in the first sub-pipeline 3222 and the second sub-pipeline 3223. Specifically, the first sub-pipeline 3222 and the second sub-pipeline 3223 can each include two sections. One end of the first section is connected to the valve port 41 of the diversion valve 4, and the other end is connected to the liquid inlet of the drive pump 33. One end of the second section is connected to the liquid outlet of the drive pump 33, and the other end leads to the cleaning component, so that liquid can be quantitatively supplied to the drive component through the drive pump 33.

[0117] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the liquid line 32 further includes an overflow line 323, one end of which is connected to the liquid storage tank 31 and the other end is connected to the outside.

[0118] When the cleaning base station replenishes liquid to the storage tank 31 of the cleaning device 100 via a tap water pipe, the replenishment time is the same each time. However, due to differences in water pressure in different areas, the amount of liquid replenished may vary. In areas with high water pressure, the amount of water replenished by the cleaning base station may exceed the storage capacity of the storage tank 31, which may lead to leaks in the storage tank 31 or damage to the liquid pipeline 32.

[0119] The liquid supply assembly 3 of this embodiment also includes an overflow pipe 323. One end of the overflow pipe 323 is connected to the liquid storage tank 31, and the other end is connected to the outside. In this way, when the water pressure is high and the liquid injection exceeds the storage capacity of the liquid storage tank 31, the excess liquid can be discharged to the outside through the overflow pipe 323. This reduces the possibility of leakage from the liquid storage tank 31, which could lead to liquid leakage into the housing and damage to its internal functional components. It also reduces the possibility of damage to the liquid pipe 32, thus improving the reliability of the liquid supply assembly 3.

[0120] For example, the other end of the overflow conduit 323 can be connected to the cleaning component, so that when the cleaning base station dries the cleaning component, the overflowing liquid can be dried at the same time.

[0121] Specifically, along the height direction of the storage tank 31, the outlet pipe 322 is connected to the side of the storage tank 31 near the bottom wall 11, and the overflow pipe 323 is connected to the side of the storage tank 31 away from the bottom wall 11. That is to say, the connection between the outlet pipe 322 and the storage tank 31 is located on the bottom side of the storage tank 31, while the connection between the overflow pipe 323 and the storage tank 31 is located on the top side of the storage tank 31.

[0122] Since the connection port between the overflow pipe 323 and the storage tank 31 is located on the top side of the storage tank 31, liquid will only flow out from the overflow pipe 323 when the storage tank 31 is full and overflowing. When the storage tank 31 is not full, the liquid in the storage tank 31 is less likely to approach the connection port between the overflow pipe 323 and the storage tank 31, thus preventing overflow and improving the overflow reliability of the liquid supply component 3.

[0123] In addition, since the connection between the liquid outlet pipe 322 and the liquid storage tank 31 is located at the bottom of the liquid storage tank 31, the liquid in the lower layer of the liquid storage tank 31 can also be smoothly discharged to the cleaning component through the liquid outlet pipe 322. This allows the liquid supply component 3 to make full use of all the liquid in the liquid storage tank 31, and it is less likely that the liquid will accumulate at the bottom of the liquid storage tank 31 and cannot be discharged and used.

[0124] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, in this embodiment of the present disclosure, the liquid inlet pipe 321 is connected to the side of the liquid storage tank 31 away from the bottom wall 11 along the height direction of the liquid storage tank 31. This allows the liquid to enter the liquid storage tank 31 smoothly by utilizing natural gravity, without the need for additional external force, thus simplifying the liquid inlet process.

[0125] Of course, those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments disclosed herein do not limit the specific connection positions of the inlet pipe 321, outlet pipe 322 and overflow pipe 323 with the storage tank 31, and the inlet pipe 321, outlet pipe 322 and overflow pipe 323 may also be connected to any other suitable position of the storage tank 31.

[0126] This disclosure also provides a cleaning system, which includes a cleaning device 100 and a cleaning base station according to any one of the above embodiments, wherein the cleaning base station is used to supply liquid to the liquid supply component 3 of the cleaning device 100.

[0127] For example, after the cleaning device 100 completes the cleaning task, it can return to the cleaning base station, and the cleaning base station can supply liquid to the storage tank 31 of the liquid supply component 3 of the cleaning device 100 through the liquid inlet 121 and the liquid inlet pipe 321.

[0128] As another example, the cleaning base station can also be used to charge the cleaning device 100, clean the cleaning components, and collect dust from the dust box of the cleaning device 100.

[0129] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical solutions of this disclosure and are not intended to limit it. Although this disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. These modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, and all should be covered within the scope of this disclosure. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the embodiments can be combined in any way.

Claims

1. A cleaning device, characterized in that, The cleaning device includes: The shell includes an interconnected bottom wall and side walls; The lidar assembly, at least partially located within the housing; and A liquid supply assembly includes a liquid storage tank and a liquid pipeline, wherein the liquid storage tank and the liquid pipeline are located inside the housing, and the liquid pipeline is connected to the liquid storage tank; At least a portion of the liquid pipeline is located between the lidar assembly and the bottom wall.

2. The cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lidar assembly includes a lidar housing and a carrier. The lidar housing is disposed on the bottom wall, and the carrier is disposed inside the lidar housing and connected to the inner peripheral wall of the lidar housing. At least a portion of the liquid pipeline is located between the support member and the bottom wall.

3. The cleaning device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The lidar housing has a clearance opening on the side facing the bottom wall to allow the liquid pipeline to pass.

4. The cleaning device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The bottom wall forms a limiting member, which is provided on the bottom wall in such a way that it extends along the height direction of the lidar assembly. The limiting member is located between the support member and the bottom wall and is used to limit the liquid pipeline located between the support member and the bottom wall.

5. The cleaning device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The limiting member is located close to and along the inner peripheral wall of the lidar housing. The limiting member includes a first limiting member and a second limiting member arranged at intervals. The first limiting member is disposed away from the inner peripheral wall of the lidar housing relative to the second limiting member. The liquid pipeline located between the carrier and the bottom wall is located between the first limiting member and the second limiting member.

6. The cleaning device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The cleaning device also includes a vertical plate, which is disposed on the bottom wall in a manner that extends along the height direction of the lidar assembly. The vertical plate is located on the side of the second limiting member opposite to the first limiting member and is arranged at a distance from the second limiting member. The portion of the lidar housing is located between the upright plate and the second limiting member.

7. The cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The liquid pipeline includes a liquid inlet pipeline; The side wall has a liquid inlet, and one end of the liquid inlet pipe is connected to the liquid storage tank, and the other end is connected to the liquid inlet; At least a portion of the liquid inlet pipe is located between the lidar assembly and the bottom wall.

8. The cleaning device according to claim 7, characterized in that, A one-way valve is installed at the liquid inlet.

9. The cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The liquid pipeline includes a liquid outlet pipeline; One end of the liquid outlet pipeline is connected to the liquid storage tank, and the other end is connected to the cleaning component of the cleaning device; At least a portion of the liquid outlet pipeline is located between the lidar assembly and the bottom wall.

10. The cleaning device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The cleaning components include a first cleaning component and a second cleaning component; The liquid outlet pipeline includes a main pipeline, a first sub-pipeline, and a second sub-pipeline. The main pipeline, the first sub-pipeline, and the second sub-pipeline are connected to each other through a diversion valve. The first sub-pipeline is used to supply liquid to the first cleaning component, and the second sub-pipeline is used to supply liquid to the second cleaning component.

11. The cleaning device according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The liquid supply assembly also includes a drive pump, which is located in the liquid outlet pipeline and is used to drive the liquid in the storage tank to flow through the liquid outlet pipeline to the cleaning assembly.

12. The cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The liquid pipeline also includes an overflow pipeline, one end of which is connected to the liquid storage tank and the other end is connected to the outside.

13. The cleaning device according to claim 12, characterized in that, Along the height direction of the liquid storage tank, the overflow pipe is connected to the side of the liquid storage tank away from the bottom wall.

14. A cleaning system characterized by, The cleaning system includes: The cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 13; and A cleaning base station is used to supply liquid to the liquid supply component of the cleaning device.

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