Cleaning device and cleaning system

Abstract

Provided is a cleaning device (10), comprising a main unit (1), a water tank (6), and two driving wheels (2). The two driving wheels (2) are oppositely arranged on two sides of the movement direction at the bottom of the main unit (1). The water tank (6) is arranged in the main unit (1), and at least part of the vertical projection of the water tank (6) falls on a rotation axis (201) of the driving wheels (2).

Description

Cleaning equipment and cleaning systems

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 2024228163992, filed on November 18, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0004] Cleaning equipment is a common type of intelligent cleaning appliance, such as robotic vacuum cleaners and automatic sweeping machines.

[0005] In related technologies, a counterweight is installed at the rear of the cleaning equipment to ensure its balance during operation. However, this counterweight solution is a static configuration. During operation, the weight of the water tank changes constantly, affecting the equipment's weight distribution and consequently causing shifts in the center of gravity, thus impacting its operation. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This disclosure provides a cleaning device and a cleaning system designed to at least partially prevent changes in the center of gravity of the cleaning device and ensure its normal operation.

[0007] In a first aspect of this disclosure, a cleaning device is provided, the cleaning device comprising: a main unit; two drive wheels arranged opposite each other on both sides of the bottom of the main unit in a direction of travel; and a water tank disposed within the main unit, at least a portion of the vertical projection of the water tank falling on the rotation axis of the drive wheels.

[0008] The cleaning equipment provided in this disclosure ensures that the balance of the cleaning equipment is not affected when the water level in the tank drops during operation, as at least a portion of the vertical projection of the water tank falls on the rotation axis of the drive wheel, thus guaranteeing the normal operation of the cleaning equipment.

[0009] In some implementations, the water tank is positioned between the two drive wheels.

[0010] In some implementations, the water tank is located near one of the drive wheels.

[0011] In some implementations, the water tank is located in the central region between the two drive wheels.

[0012] In some implementations, the center of gravity of the water tank rests on the axis of rotation of the drive wheel.

[0013] In some embodiments, the cleaning device further includes casters, with the center of gravity of the water tank falling within the triangular area formed by the casters and the drive wheel.

[0014] In some implementations, the triangular region is formed by the grounding points of the omnidirectional wheel and the drive wheel, which together form the apex of the triangle.

[0015] In some embodiments, the cleaning device further includes: a cleaning module connected to the main unit; and a communicating vessel connected within the main unit, wherein one inlet of the communicating vessel is fluidly connected to the water tank, and the outlet of the communicating vessel is fluidly connected to the cleaning module.

[0016] In some implementations, the water tank is also connected to an overflow pipe and a water supply pipe, the overflow pipe, the water supply pipe, and the communicating vessel being located on the same side of the water tank.

[0017] In some embodiments, the cleaning device further includes a support element disposed at the rear of the main unit, at least a portion of the support element protruding from the bottom surface of the main unit; wherein, when the front of the main unit is raised, at least a portion of the support element contacts the ground preferentially before the main unit.

[0018] In some embodiments, the cleaning device further includes: a cleaning unit disposed on the bottom surface of the rear of the main unit, the cleaning unit having clearance space, and at least a portion of the support element disposed in the clearance space.

[0019] In a second aspect of this application, this disclosure also provides a cleaning system. The cleaning system includes a base station used in conjunction with the aforementioned cleaning equipment.

[0020] The cleaning system provided in this disclosure ensures that the cleaning equipment's balance is not affected by a decrease in the water level in the water tank during operation, thus guaranteeing the normal operation of the cleaning equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figures 1 and 2 respectively show schematic diagrams of the cleaning equipment in different postures according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a support element according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of another support element according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 5 shows a bottom view of a cleaning apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram of the arrangement of the water tank on the cleaning equipment in the related technology;

[0027] Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of the arrangement of a water tank in a cleaning device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of the water circuit of the water tank in Figure 7; and

[0029] Figure 9 shows a schematic diagram of a cleaning system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0030] The correspondence between the reference numerals and component names in the attached drawings is as follows:

[0031] 1. Main unit; 2. Drive wheel; 201. Rotation axis; 3. Caster wheel; 4. Support element; 401. Flexible component; 402. Support block; 403. Support wheel; 404. Support frame; 5. Cleaning unit; 6. Water tank; 601. Overflow pipe; 602. Water replenishment pipe; 7. Roller brush assembly; 8. Dust collection component; 9. Communicator; 10. Cleaning module; 11. Water replenishment pump.

[0032] 10. Cleaning equipment; 20. Base station; 100. Cleaning system. Embodiments of the present invention

[0033] To enable those skilled in the art to more clearly understand this disclosure, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this disclosure, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0034] Figures 1 and 2 respectively illustrate schematic diagrams of cleaning devices in different postures according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, cleaning devices such as sweeping robots, mopping robots, or combined sweeping and mopping robots include a main unit, drive wheels 2 disposed on both sides of the bottom of the main unit, and omnidirectional wheels 3 for supporting the main unit 1. By controlling the movement of the drive wheels 2 and omnidirectional wheels 3, the cleaning device can move forward, backward, left, and right in the area to be cleaned. However, during the cleaning process, there may be high obstacles such as thresholds or steps that obstruct the movement of the cleaning device, resulting in poor obstacle clearance; and the poor obstacle-crossing ability of the cleaning device limits its working range and operational reliability.

[0035] In related technologies, the casters of cleaning equipment can be controlled to extend and retract relative to the main unit to adjust the elevation angle of the main unit, thereby improving the cleaning equipment's passability and obstacle-crossing ability. However, this may cause the rear of the main unit to press down, making contact between the rear of the main unit and the floor to be cleaned; this will affect the operation of the cleaning equipment and may also damage the floor.

[0036] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, to address the aforementioned problems, the cleaning device 10 of this disclosure includes a support element 4 in addition to the main unit 1. The support element 4 is disposed at the rear of the main unit 1. At least a portion of the support element 4 protrudes from the bottom surface of the main unit 1. When the front of the main unit 1 is raised, at least a portion of the support element 4 contacts the bottom surface of the main unit 1 preferentially.

[0037] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the cleaning device 10 has a support element 4 at the rear of the main unit 1, and at least a portion of the support element 4 protrudes from the bottom surface of the main unit 1. This allows at least a portion of the support element 4 to contact the ground before the main unit 1 when the front of the main unit 1 is raised and the rear of the main unit 1 is pressed down. This reduces the contact area between the rear of the main unit 1 and the ground, and also reduces the friction between the rear of the main unit 1 and the ground, thus ensuring the normal operation of the main unit 1 to a certain extent. In addition, it can also reduce damage to the floor, and has good practicality.

[0038] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, according to one embodiment of this disclosure, the support element 4 is disposed on the bottom surface of the rear part of the main unit 1, that is, the support element 4 protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the main unit 1. Therefore, when the front part of the main unit 1 is raised so that at least a portion of the support element 4 contacts the ground, the support element 4 can still maintain contact with the ground at least partially before the main unit 1, thereby preventing the main unit 1 from contacting the ground. According to another embodiment of this disclosure, the support element 4 can also be disposed on the rear side of the main unit 1. For example, a protruding structure is provided on the rear side of the main unit 1, and the support element 4 is mounted on the protruding structure, that is, as long as the support element 4 has a portion protruding from the main unit 1 that allows it to contact the ground before the main unit 1.

[0039] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, at least a portion of the support element 4 is elastic. When the front of the main unit 1 is raised and the rear of the main unit 1 is pressed down, the support element 4 makes elastic contact with the ground to further reduce damage to the floor.

[0040] As shown in Figure 3, according to one embodiment of this disclosure, the support element 4 includes a flexible member 401. At least a portion of the flexible member 401 is elastic and has a certain degree of rigidity. At least a portion of the plurality of flexible members 401 protrudes from the bottom surface of the main unit 1. The flexible members 401 can contact the ground. Because the flexible member 401 has a certain degree of rigidity, it can ensure that there is a certain gap between the rear of the main unit 1 and the ground; while ensuring the normal operation of the cleaning equipment 10, it can also reduce the contact area with the ground, thereby reducing damage to the floor.

[0041] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of a support element according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the support element 4 further includes a support block 402, which is fixedly assembled to the bottom surface of the rear of the host 1. A flexible member 401 is connected to the bottom of the support block 402. In some embodiments, the bottom surface of the rear of the host 1 may be provided with a mounting groove; the support block 402 of the support element 4 is embedded in or / and bonded to the mounting groove; multiple flexible members 401 may be provided; the multiple flexible members 401 may be strip-shaped; the multiple flexible members 401 may be bonded to the bottom of the support block 402.

[0042] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of another support element according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4, according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, the support element 4 further includes a rotatable support wheel 403. At least a portion of the support wheel 403 protrudes from the bottom surface of the main unit 1, that is, the support wheel 403 is installed at the rear side below the main unit 1 and is rotatable relative to the main unit 1. Thus, when the front side of the main unit 1 is raised and the rear of the main unit 1 is pressed down, at least a portion of the support wheel 403 contacts the ground first, and the support wheel 403 and the ground are in rolling contact. Therefore, it not only reduces the contact area between the rear of the main unit 1 and the ground, reducing damage to the floor, but also reduces the friction between the rear of the main unit 1 and the ground, thereby ensuring the normal operation of the main unit 1 to a certain extent. This can improve the smoothness of the cleaning equipment 10 when overcoming obstacles or moving.

[0043] As shown in Figure 4, in one embodiment, the support element 4 further includes a support frame 404. The support element 4 is mounted on the ground at the rear of the main unit 1. The support wheel 403 is rotatably connected to the support frame 404 via a support shaft. In another embodiment, a mounting groove may be provided on the bottom surface of the rear of the main unit 1. The support wheel 403 is rotatably connected in the mounting groove. At least a portion of the circumferential side of the support wheel 403 protrudes from the opening of the mounting groove, so that at least a portion of the support wheel 403 contacts the ground preferentially before the main unit 1.

[0044] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the outer diameter of the support element 4 is smaller than the gap between the bottom surface of the host 1 and the cleaning surface. Therefore, when the cleaning equipment 10 travels on a flat road, the support element 4 does not contact the ground, thereby reducing friction and lowering the energy consumption of the cleaning equipment 10.

[0045] Figure 5 shows a bottom view of a cleaning device 10 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the cleaning device 10 further includes a cleaning unit 5. The cleaning unit 5 may be a component such as a mop. The cleaning unit 5 is disposed on the bottom surface of the rear of the main unit 1. During operation, the cleaning unit 5 itself has a certain degree of elasticity. If the rear of the main unit 1 contacts the ground, the cleaning unit 5 can buffer the frictional collision between the ground and the rear of the main unit 1, thereby reducing damage to the floor to a certain extent. Therefore, in the cleaning device 10 provided by the present disclosure, when the cleaning unit 5 is installed, the support element 4 may not protrude from the bottom surface of the cleaning unit 5; when the cleaning unit 5 is not installed on the cleaning device 10, at least a portion of the support element 4 is exposed to buffer the frictional collision between the ground and the rear of the main unit 1.

[0046] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the cleaning unit 5 is provided with a clearance space. At least a portion of the support element 4 is disposed in the clearance space, so that when the cleaning device 10 is equipped with the cleaning unit 5, at least a portion of the support element 4 is disposed within the clearance space, so that the support element 4 does not protrude from the bottom surface of the cleaning unit 5.

[0047] In some embodiments, the clearance space can be a through-hole provided in the cleaning unit 5, or a groove provided in the top of the cleaning unit 5. When the cleaning unit 5 is provided with multiple cleaning parts (e.g., multiple mops), at least two adjacent cleaning parts have a gap. This gap can be configured as a clearance space.

[0048] During the obstacle-crossing process of the cleaning equipment 10, it is possible that the cleaning equipment 10 may get stuck on the obstacle. One reason for this is that during the operation of the cleaning equipment 10, the water level in the water tank 6 inside the main unit 1 continuously decreases, causing the center of gravity of the cleaning equipment 10 to constantly change. The closer the water tank 6 is to the edge of the equipment, the more severe the change in the center of gravity. Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram of the arrangement of the water tank on the cleaning equipment 10 in related technologies. As shown in Figure 6, when the water tank 6 is in the position shown in Figure 6, the weight of the water tank 6 when full is 100g, and the weight of the water tank 6 when empty is 10g. When the cleaning equipment 10 crosses the obstacle in front and the water tank 6 is full, the cleaning equipment 10 can cross easily. When the water tank 6 is empty, the head of the cleaning equipment 10 is heavier, requiring more force to lift its head to cross, thus reducing its obstacle-crossing ability. Therefore, it is possible that the cleaning equipment 10 may get stuck on the obstacle during the obstacle-crossing process.

[0049] Furthermore, even when the cleaning equipment 10 is traveling on a flat road, the reduced water volume in its water tank 6 can cause balance issues. To address this problem, related technologies have included adding a counterweight to the rear of the main unit 1 of the cleaning equipment 10 to ensure its operational balance. However, this counterweight solution is a static configuration, causing the equipment's center of gravity to constantly shift, affecting its operation and increasing costs.

[0050] Based on the above-mentioned technical problems, this disclosure provides a cleaning device 10, which aims to at least to a certain extent avoid changes in the center of gravity of the cleaning device 10 and ensure the normal operation of the device.

[0051] Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of the arrangement of a water tank in a cleaning device 10 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 7, the cleaning device 10 includes a main unit 1, drive wheels 2, and a water tank 6. The two drive wheels 2 are arranged opposite each other on both sides of the bottom of the main unit 1 in the direction of travel. The drive wheels 2 are rotatable relative to the main unit 1. The water tank 6 is arranged inside the main unit 1. At least a portion of the vertical projection of the water tank 6 falls on the rotation axis 201 of the drive wheels 2.

[0052] The cleaning device 10 provided in this disclosure ensures that the balance of the cleaning device 10 is not affected when the water level in the water tank 6 drops during operation, since at least a portion of the vertical projection of the water tank 6 falls on the rotation axis 201 of the drive wheel 2. In some embodiments, the configuration block can be omitted to reduce costs to some extent.

[0053] Referring to Figure 7, in one embodiment, the water tank 6 is disposed between the two drive wheels 2. The water tank 6 can be close to one of the drive wheels 2, that is, along the width direction of the main unit 1, the water tank 6 can be arranged on either side between the two drive wheels 2. In another embodiment, the water tank 6 can also be arranged in the central area between the two drive wheels 2.

[0054] Referring to Figure 7, in one embodiment, the center of gravity of the water tank 6 falls on the rotation axis 201 of the drive wheel 2, meaning the center of gravity of the water tank 6 and the rotation axis 201 of the drive wheel 2 are located on the same vertical plane. This arrangement best controls the center of gravity of the cleaning device 10, allowing it to operate well in both walking and obstacle-crossing postures. In another embodiment, the center of gravity of the water tank 6 can also have a certain offset from the rotation axis 201 of the drive wheel 2, meaning the center of gravity of the water tank 6 is outside the vertical plane containing the rotation axis 201 of the drive wheel 2. This also helps control the center of gravity of the cleaning device 10 to a certain extent, allowing it to operate well in both walking and obstacle-crossing postures. For example, the center of gravity of the water tank 6 falls in the triangular area formed by the omnidirectional wheel 3 and the two drive wheels 2, with the apex of the triangle formed by the omnidirectional wheel and the contact points of the two drive wheels.

[0055] Referring to Figure 7, in some embodiments, the water tank 6 may be located close to a drive wheel 2 and positioned above one end of the roller brush assembly 7, adjacent to the dust collection component 8 within the main unit 1.

[0056] Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of the water circuit of the water tank in Figure 7. Referring to Figures 5 and 8, the cleaning device 10 also includes a cleaning module 10. The cleaning module 10 is at least one of a vibration module or a side-dragging module. All cleaning modules 10 are connected to the bottom of the rear of the main unit 1. The water tank 6 is connected to the cleaning module 10 via a connector 9 to provide water to the cleaning module. In some embodiments, the connector 9 is a tee. The connector 9 is connected inside the main unit 1. One inlet of the connector 9 is fluidly connected to the water tank 6. One outlet of the connector 9 is fluidly connected to one cleaning module 10. The other outlet of the connector 9 is fluidly connected to another cleaning module 10 via a water replenishment pump 11.

[0057] As shown in Figure 8, the water tank 6 is also connected to an overflow pipe 601 and a water supply pipe. The overflow pipe 601, the water supply pipe 602, and the communicating vessel 9 are located on the same side of the water tank 6, that is, the side of the water tank 6 facing the rear of the main unit 1, to save on pipe layout and make reasonable use of the internal space of the main unit 1. In some embodiments, the overflow pipe 601 and the water supply pipe 602 are connected to the upper side of the water tank 6. The pipe connecting the water tank 6 to the communicating vessel 9 is arranged at the lower side of the water tank 6. Through the above-mentioned pipe arrangement, this disclosure can take into account the supply of water for overflow, vibration module, and side drag module, so as to ensure the normal operation of the equipment.

[0058] It should be noted that the above-mentioned arrangement of water tank 6 is not only applicable to cleaning equipment 10 with lifting function drive wheel 2 group, but also applicable to other types of cleaning equipment 10, and this disclosure does not limit it.

[0059] Based on the same design concept, this disclosure also provides a cleaning system 100. As shown in FIG9, the cleaning system 100 includes a base station 20 used in conjunction with the aforementioned cleaning device 10. The obstacle-crossing capability and passability of the cleaning device 10 in this cleaning system 100 are improved, and the balance of the cleaning device 10 can be ensured during operation to enable the cleaning device 10 to operate normally, thereby improving the user experience.

[0060] In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0061] In the description of this disclosure, it should be understood that the terms “center,” “longitudinal,” “lateral,” “length,” “width,” “thickness,” “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “rear,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “inner,” “outer,” “clockwise,” and “counterclockwise” indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing 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, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this disclosure.

[0062] In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "connection," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "fixed" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can mean a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can mean a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can mean 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 this disclosure according to the specific circumstances.

[0063] Furthermore, the use of terms such as "first" and "second" in this disclosure is for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description of this disclosure, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0064] Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present disclosure, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A cleaning device, comprising: Host; Two drive wheels are arranged opposite each other on both sides of the bottom of the main unit in the direction of travel; as well as A water tank, at least a portion of which is projected vertically onto the axis of rotation of the drive wheel.

2. The cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The water tank is positioned between the two drive wheels.

3. The cleaning apparatus of claim 2, wherein, The water tank is located near one of the drive wheels.

4. The cleaning apparatus of claim 2, wherein, The water tank is located in the central area between the two drive wheels.

5. The cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The center of gravity of the water tank rests on the axis of rotation of the drive wheel.

6. The cleaning equipment according to any one of claims 1-5, further comprising: The cleaning module is connected to the host unit; as well as A communication device is connected inside the main unit, with one inlet of the communication device fluidly connected to the water tank and the outlet of the communication device fluidly connected to the cleaning module.

7. The cleaning apparatus of claim 6, wherein, The water tank is also connected to an overflow pipe and a water supply pipe, and the overflow pipe, the water supply pipe and the communicating vessel are located on the same side of the water tank.

8. The cleaning apparatus of any of claims 1-5 and 7, further comprising: A support element is disposed at the rear of the main unit, at least a portion of the support element protruding from the bottom surface of the main unit; wherein, when the front of the main unit is raised, at least a portion of the support element contacts the ground prior to the main unit.

9. The cleaning apparatus of claim 8, further comprising: A cleaning unit is disposed on the bottom surface of the rear of the main unit. The cleaning unit has clearance space, and at least a portion of the support element is disposed in the clearance space.

10. The cleaning equipment according to claim 1 further includes casters, wherein the center of gravity of the water tank falls within the triangular area formed by the casters and the drive wheel.

11. The cleaning apparatus of claim 10, wherein, The triangular area is formed by the grounding points of the omnidirectional wheel and the drive wheel, which together form the vertices of the triangle.

12. A cleaning system comprising a base station used in conjunction with the cleaning equipment as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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