Robotic swimming pool cleaner and swimming pool cleaning system
By designing a pool cleaning system, the pool robot automates cleaning both on and underwater, and utilizes a floating platform and buoyancy adjustment device to solve the problem of difficulty in getting ashore, thereby improving cleaning efficiency and adaptability while reducing costs.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- WAVEFUTURE ROBOTICS TECHNOLOGY (SUZHOU) CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-07
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-30
AI Technical Summary
Existing pool robots are inefficient in cleaning operations on the water surface and underwater, and are difficult to operate on land, resulting in high cleaning costs and poor adaptability.
Design a pool cleaning system including a pool robot, a floating platform, and a buoyancy adjustment unit. The robot can perform cleaning operations on and under the water surface, and can automatically control the floating platform to go ashore or approach the waterline. Combined with the buoyancy adjustment device, suction and drainage drive, and reverse water spray drive, it can suspend itself on the surface of the steps to improve cleaning efficiency and safety.
It achieves comprehensive underwater and surface cleaning, reduces the hassle of manual operation, minimizes the risk of equipment damage, improves cleaning efficiency and adaptability, and saves costs.
Smart Images

Figure CN2025107421_30072026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Pool robots and pool cleaning systems
[0001] Cross-references to related applications
[0002] This disclosure is based on four Chinese patent applications: application number 202510600487.5 (filed May 9, 2025, entitled "Cleaning Equipment"), application number 202510113647.3 (filed January 23, 2025, entitled "Spraying Mechanism"), application number 202510398377.5 (filed March 31, 2025, entitled "Swimming Pool Cleaning Equipment"), and application number 202510765393.3 (filed June 10, 2025, entitled "A Buoyancy Adjustment Device and Swimming Pool Robot"). Priority to these Chinese patent applications is claimed, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field
[0003] This disclosure relates to, but is not limited to, the field of robotics, and particularly to a pool robot and a pool cleaning system. Background Technology
[0004] Pool robots can be used for cleaning, maintenance, inspection, and environmental monitoring of pools in home swimming pools, swimming centers, water parks, and biological museums.
[0005] In related technologies, pool robots need to operate outside the pool and then charge via a base station. However, it is difficult for these pool robots to get off the pool, resulting in high time costs and thus low cleaning efficiency. Summary of the Invention
[0006] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this disclosure provides a pool robot and pool cleaning system capable of performing cleaning operations both on the water surface and underwater.
[0007] This disclosure is achieved through the following technical solution.
[0008] The first aspect of this disclosure provides a swimming pool cleaning system, the swimming pool cleaning system comprising: a swimming pool robot; and a floating platform for carrying the swimming pool robot and capable of moving the swimming pool robot closer to or away from the waterline; and a buoyancy adjustment unit for adjusting the buoyancy of the floating platform.
[0009] In this embodiment, the floating platform design simplifies the process of bringing the pool robot ashore, enabling automated movement of the robot towards or away from the waterline without human intervention, resulting in a higher degree of automation. When maintenance or charging is required, the floating platform can move the robot towards the waterline, facilitating its removal ashore or enabling the base station to clean the robot. This reduces the hassle of manually retrieving the heavy robot from the water and also minimizes the risk of equipment damage. Furthermore, it improves the cleaning efficiency of the pool robot.
[0010] A second aspect of this disclosure provides a swimming pool robot configured to perform cleaning operations underwater and on the water surface, comprising: a moving device for driving the swimming pool robot to move on a working surface of a work site; a cleaning system for cleaning the work site; a sensor system for detecting environmental information around the swimming pool robot; and a control system for controlling a target device of the swimming pool robot when the environmental information indicates the existence of a target work site around the swimming pool robot, such that the swimming pool robot is at least partially suspended on a target working surface of the target work site; wherein the target work site includes a step having at least one working surface, and in a projection plane perpendicular to the height direction of the swimming pool robot, the width of the projection of the target working surface is smaller than the width of the projection of the swimming pool robot, and both the width of the projection of the target working surface and the width of the projection of the swimming pool robot are the width of the swimming pool robot in the width direction; the target device includes at least one of the following: a buoyancy adjustment device, a suction and drainage drive device, and a reverse water spray drive device.
[0011] In this embodiment, firstly, the pool robot, through the coordinated action of the mobile device and the cleaning system, can perform cleaning operations both underwater and on the water surface. This enables comprehensive cleaning of the area to be cleaned, resulting in better cleaning performance. Even in complex cleaning environments requiring cleaning both underwater and on the water surface, a single pool robot can complete all cleaning tasks, offering better adaptability and compatibility. Users do not need to stock multiple pool robots with different functions for different cleaning scenarios, saving costs. Secondly, a sensor system detects environmental information around the pool robot to accurately determine if steps are present. Finally, when steps are present, since the width of the step surface is less than the width of the pool robot's body, a buoyancy adjustment device, a suction and drainage drive device, and / or a reverse water spray drive device allow the pool robot to suspend on the step surface, significantly reducing the possibility of the pool robot falling due to part of its body being on the step surface. Attached Figure Description
[0012] 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:
[0013] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a pool robot provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0014] Figure 2 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a swimming pool robot provided in some embodiments of this disclosure from another perspective;
[0015] Figure 3 is a partial structural schematic diagram of a swimming pool robot provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0016] Figure 4 is a bottom view and a partial cross-sectional view of a swimming pool robot provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0017] Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a swimming pool robot provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0018] Figure 6 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a waste bin provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0019] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of the filter element provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0020] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the internal structural framework of a pool robot provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0021] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the internal structural framework of a pool robot provided in some other embodiments of this disclosure;
[0022] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fourth filter element provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0023] Figure 11 is a partial structural schematic diagram of a waste bin provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0024] Figure 12 is a partial cross-sectional view of a swimming pool robot provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0025] Figure 13 is a bottom view of a pool robot provided in some other embodiments of this disclosure, and a partial enlarged view at point A;
[0026] Figure 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view 2 of a swimming pool robot provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0027] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of the connection between the first side brush and the second one-way valve provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0028] Figure 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view three of the swimming pool robot provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0029] Figure 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a partial structure of a pool robot provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0030] Figure 18 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a suction and drainage drive device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0031] Figure 19 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a pool robot provided in a pool according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0032] Figure 20 is a schematic diagram showing the positional change of the main brush component of a pool robot in a pool according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0033] Figure 21 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a pool robot at the bottom from a first perspective when the main brush assembly is in the first cleaning position, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0034] Figure 22 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a pool robot at the bottom from a second perspective when the main brush assembly is in the first cleaning position, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0035] Figure 23 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a pool robot at the bottom from a first perspective when the main brush assembly is in the second cleaning position, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0036] Figure 24 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a pool robot at the bottom from a second perspective when the main brush assembly is in the second cleaning position, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0037] Figure 25 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the pool robot at the bottom from a first-view perspective when the main brush assembly is in the third cleaning position, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0038] Figure 26 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the pool robot at the bottom from a second perspective when the main brush assembly is in the third cleaning position, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0039] Figure 27 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the main brush component provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0040] Figure 28 is a second internal schematic diagram of the main brush component provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0041] Figure 29 is a schematic diagram of the main brush assembly provided in some embodiments of this disclosure when it is not extended or retracted;
[0042] Figure 30 is a schematic diagram of the main brush assembly after elongation provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0043] Figure 31 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a second switching component provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0044] Figure 32 is a perspective view of the main brush assembly, the second side brush, and the mounting component provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0045] Figure 33 is a schematic cross-sectional view of Figure 32;
[0046] Figure 34 is a partially exploded structural diagram of the second side brush and movable support assembly provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0047] Figure 35 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the main brush roller provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0048] Figure 36 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main brush assembly provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0049] Figure 37 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of another main brush assembly provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0050] Figure 38 is a perspective view of another main brush component provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0051] Figure 39 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a pumping assembly provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0052] Figure 40 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a pumping assembly provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0053] Figure 41 is a schematic diagram (front view) of the buoyancy adjustment device provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0054] Figure 42 is a schematic diagram (axonometric view) of the buoyancy adjustment device provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0055] Figure 43 is a schematic diagram of the buoyancy adjustment device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure in the floating state;
[0056] Figure 44 is a schematic diagram of the buoyancy adjustment device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure in a submerged state;
[0057] Figure 45 is a schematic diagram (left view) of the buoyancy adjustment device provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0058] Figure 46 is a cross-sectional view along AA in Figure 45;
[0059] Figure 47 is a magnified view of the structure at point C in Figure 46;
[0060] Figure 48 is a cross-sectional view along BB in Figure 45;
[0061] Figure 49 is a schematic diagram of the drive mechanism connected to the support structure in a buoyancy adjustment device provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0062] Figure 50 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the drive mechanism in a buoyancy adjustment device provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0063] Figure 51 is a magnified view of the structure at point D in Figure 46;
[0064] Figure 52 is a magnified view of the structure at point E in Figure 46;
[0065] Figure 53 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the retractor and rope in the buoyancy adjustment device provided in the embodiment of this disclosure;
[0066] Figure 54 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fifth elastic element in the buoyancy adjustment device provided in the embodiment of this disclosure;
[0067] Figure 55 is a partial structural schematic diagram of a buoyancy adjustment device provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0068] Figure 56 shows a schematic diagram of the spraying mechanism provided in the first embodiment of this disclosure;
[0069] Figure 57 shows a schematic diagram of the spraying mechanism provided in the second embodiment of this disclosure;
[0070] Figure 58 shows a schematic diagram of the spraying mechanism provided in the third embodiment of this disclosure;
[0071] Figure 59 shows an isometric view of the spraying mechanism provided in the third embodiment of this disclosure;
[0072] Figure 60 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of the spraying mechanism provided in the third embodiment of this disclosure, in cooperation with the first spraying check valve and the second spraying check valve;
[0073] Figure 61 shows a schematic diagram of the dispensing mechanism provided in the fourth embodiment of this disclosure when the bag is in a contracted state;
[0074] Figure 62 shows a schematic diagram of the dispensing mechanism provided in the fourth embodiment of this disclosure when the bag is inflated;
[0075] Figure 63 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of the bag and the container provided in the fourth embodiment of this disclosure;
[0076] Figure 64 shows a schematic diagram of the first pouch and the receiving box combined structure provided in the fifth embodiment of this disclosure;
[0077] Figure 65 shows an isometric view of the pool robot provided in this disclosure from a bottom-up perspective;
[0078] Figure 66 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of the pool robot provided in the present disclosure in the first clean state;
[0079] Figure 67 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of the pool robot provided in the second cleaning state;
[0080] Figure 68 shows a cross-sectional view of the piston assembly of the pool robot provided in this disclosure in the drug dispensing state;
[0081] Figure 69 shows a partial enlarged view of point F in Figure 68;
[0082] Figure 70 shows a cross-sectional view of the piston assembly of the pool robot provided in this disclosure in a filled state;
[0083] Figure 71 shows a partial enlarged view of point G in Figure 70;
[0084] Figure 72 shows a schematic diagram of water flowing through the pool robot provided in this disclosure;
[0085] Figure 73 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a spraying assembly provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0086] Figure 74 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a spraying assembly provided in yet another embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0087] Figure 75 is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of a swimming pool robot provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0088] Figure 76 is a schematic diagram of the composition structure of a swimming pool cleaning system provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0089] Figure 77 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a rotating platform provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0090] Figure 78 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the rotating platform provided in some other embodiments of this disclosure;
[0091] Figure 79 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first bearing platform provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0092] Figure 80 is a schematic diagram of the rotating platform structure provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0093] Figure 81 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a swimming pool cleaning system provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0094] Figure 82 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a swimming pool cleaning system provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0095] Figure 83 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a swimming pool cleaning system provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0096] Figure 84 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a lifting platform provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0097] Figure 85 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the lifting platform provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0098] Figure 86 is a partial structural schematic diagram of two suction and drainage drive devices provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0099] Figure 87 is a schematic diagram of fluid channels provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0100] Figure 88 is a three-dimensional bottom view of the swimming pool robot provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;
[0101] Figure 89 is a partial schematic cross-sectional view of a swimming pool robot provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0102] Figure 90 is a schematic diagram of a pool robot cleaning steps according to some embodiments of this disclosure.
[0103] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Outer shell; 1a. Bottom wall protruding structure; 11. Liquid inlet; 111. First liquid inlet; 112. Second liquid inlet; 12. Liquid outlet; 121. 122. First liquid outlet; 13. Second liquid outlet; 14. Suction compensation port; 15. Barrier rib; 16. Sub-suction compensation port; 17. Opening; 18. Outer shell body; 19. Extension receiving part; 10. First side wall; 10. Second side wall; 11. Blocking opening; 12. First blocking part; 13. First blocking section; 14. Second blocking section; 15. Second blocking part; 15. Fourth blocking step; 16. Top cover; 17. Top cover extension; 18. Reverse liquid inlet; 19. Reverse liquid outlet; 10. Discharge port; 2. Moving device; 21. Drive wheel; 22. Driven wheel; 23. Track; 24. Outer cover plate; 3. Buoyancy adjustment Device; 31. Floating shell; 310. First end; 311. Receiving cavity; 3111. First chamber; 3111a. First space; 3111b. Second space; 3112. Second chamber; 312. Flanged structure; 3121. First section; 3122. Second section; 3123. Sealing ring; 313. First cylinder; 314. Second cylinder; 315. Open end; 316. Support structure; 3161. Connecting hole; 3162. Guide post; 3163. Support post; 32. Floating drive device; 320. Second end; 321. First plate; 3211. Sliding connection; 3212. Plate body; 3213. Reinforcing structure; 322. Floating drive Components; 3221, Buoyancy motor; 3222, Buoyancy transmission assembly; 32221, Threaded rod; 32222, First gear; 32223, Second gear; 3223, Guide assembly; 323, Second plate; 324, Retractor; 325, Rope; 326, Fifth elastic element; 3261, Contact surface; 33, Deformation element; 330, Telescopic section; 34, Structural component; 341, First connecting lug; 342, Second connecting post; 343, Second connecting lug; 344, Connecting part; 345, Extension part; 346, Third connecting lug; 35, First seal; 36, Second seal; 37, Gas storage device; 38, Liquid storage device; 4, Cleaning system; 41, Waste bin ; 411. Frame body; 4111. Filter port; 4113. Flow guide port; 4114. Side wall; 4115. Bottom wall; 4116. Positioning part; 412. Baffle; 413. First elastic element; 415. Support element; 4151. Second connecting element; 416. First connecting element; 417. Connecting element driving device; 418. Filter bag; 42. One-way valve; 421. First one-way valve; 422. Second one-way valve; 43. First side brush; 431. First side brush driving device; 432. First side brush transmission device; 433. First sub-transmission mechanism; 4331. First pulley; 4332. Second pulley; 4333. First sub-belt; 434. Second sub-transmission mechanism;4341. Third pulley; 4342. Fourth pulley; 4343. Second sub-belt; 435. First belt; 436. Second belt; 437. Second side brush; 44. Main brush assembly; 441. Fixed cylinder; 4411. Fixed cylinder body; 4412. End cap; 4413. Third seal; 442. First main brush assembly; 443. Second main brush assembly; 444. Main brush; 445. Main brush roller; 4451. Sub-section; 446. Main brush shaft; 447. Main brush drive device; 4471. Main brush drive component; 4472. Main brush transmission component; 448. Third elastic component; 45. Switching assembly; 450. Rotating motor; 451. Mounting bracket; 452. Guide wall; 4521. Guide slope; 453. Adjusting component; 454. Arc-shaped guide part; 455. Switching drive component; 4551. Rack part; 4552. Gear; 456. Reset component; 457. Limiting component; 458. Switching mounting component; 459. Linear moving component; 4591. First connecting rod; 4592. Second connecting rod; 46. Mounting component; 47. Movable support assembly; 471. Second elastic component; 472. Cylinder; 473. First support; 4731. Snap-fit hole; 474. Second support; 4741. Elastic arm; 4742. Snap-fit component; 5. Pumping assembly; 51. Suction and drainage drive device; 511. Intermediate shell; 5111. Flow channel through hole; 512. Suction and drainage impeller; 513. Suction and drainage drive motor; 52. Propulsion drive. Device; 53. Pumping drive component; 54. Pumping transmission component; 541. First bevel gear; 542. Second bevel gear; 543. Third bevel gear; 544. First rotating shaft; 545. Second rotating shaft; 546. Pumping housing; 55. First blade; 56. Second blade; 57. Reverse water jet drive device; 6. Buoyancy component; 7. Rotating platform; 71. Rotation drive device; 72. Rotating shaft; 73. First bearing platform; 731. Protruding structure; 732. Guide surface; 733. First bearing section; 734. Second bearing section; 7341. Wireless charging module; 735. Floating component; 736. Flexible component; 7361. Engaging part; 737. Fixed pulley; 74. First bladder; 81. First travel track ; 82. Second traveling track; 9. Adsorption component; 01. First bag; 011. Bag receiving cavity; 012. Spraying port; 0121. First spraying check valve; 0122. Control valve; 02. Second bag; 021. Connecting port; 022. Adjusting port; 0221. Second spraying check valve; 03. Receiving box; 0301. First driving component; 0302. Second driving component; 031. Squeezing chamber; 032. Inlet; 033. Outlet; 04. Bag; 041. Drug storage cavity; 042. Drug discharge port; 05. Roller; 06. Scraper; 061. First end; 062. Second end; 07. Scraping component; 071. First scraping section; 072. Second scraping section; 08. Filter component; 081. First filter layer;082. Second filter layer; 083. Spacer layer; 084. First filter element; 085. Third filter element; 086. Counterweight; 087. Fourth filter element; 0871. First filter section; 0872. Second filter section; 0873. Filter frame; 09. Third one-way valve; 02A. Piston part; 02B. Valve assembly; 02C. First one-way conduction structure; 02D. Second one-way conduction structure; 0201. Agent chamber; 0202. Dispensing assembly; 0203. First connecting port; 0204. Filling chamber; 0205. Power assembly; 0206. Connecting pipe; 0206a. First pipe section; 0206b. Second pipe section; 0207. Piston seal; 0208. Movable pipe; 0209. Second connecting port; 0210. First limiting structure; 0211. Second limiting structure Structure; 0212, Sealing component; 0213, Fourth elastic component; 0214, Receiving groove; 0215, Fourth connecting port; 0216, Guide protrusion; 0217, Third connecting port; 0218, Sealing gasket; 0219, Discharge port; 10, Working surface; 100, Pool robot; 300, Base station; 301, Second robotic arm; Q, Cleaning transition area; O1, Baseline; O2, Rotation axis; L, Central axis; 110, Sensor system; 120, Control system; 400, Pool cleaning system; 410, Lifting platform; 410a, Second bearing platform; 410b, Second bladder; 410c, Guide component; 500, First channel; 600, Second channel; 700, Third bladder; 800, Auxiliary roller; W1, First projection width; W2, Second projection width. Detailed Implementation
[0104] 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.
[0105] 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 limit this disclosure; the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, in the specification, claims and foregoing description of the drawings of this disclosure are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.
[0106] In the description of the embodiments of this disclosure, technical terms such as "first," "second," "third," "fourth," and "fifth" 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 and specifically defined.
[0107] 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.
[0108] 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, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship.
[0109] 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.
[0110] 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.
[0111] 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.
[0112] Pool robots can be used for cleaning, maintenance, inspection, and environmental monitoring of pools in home swimming pools, swimming centers, water parks, and biological museums.
[0113] In related technologies, pool robots typically include surface robots and underwater robots. Surface robots are robots that operate on the water's surface and usually include forward-facing components. Underwater robots are robots that operate underwater and usually include forward-facing and backward-facing components. However, in scenarios requiring simultaneous cleaning of both the water surface and underwater, current pool robots are inadequate, necessitating the use of multiple robots or replacement of existing ones. This results in poor adaptability and high costs.
[0114] This disclosure provides a pool robot capable of underwater and surface cleaning operations, offering better cleaning results, improved adaptability and compatibility, and cost savings.
[0115] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a pool robot 100 provided in some embodiments of this disclosure. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pool robot 100 includes a shell 1, a moving device 2, a buoyancy adjustment device 3, and a cleaning system 4.
[0116] The outer shell 1 is the external housing of the pool robot 100, with an internal cavity for accommodating various functional components that enable the pool robot 100 to perform its functions. The outer contour of the outer shell 1 can generally be a regular or irregular shape, such as a cuboid, cube, or polyhedron. The outer shell 1 can be a one-piece structure or assembled from separate components. The outer shell 1 can be made of metal or plastic. This disclosure does not specifically limit the outer contour shape, manufacturing process, or material of the outer shell 1.
[0117] In some embodiments, the outer surface of the housing 1 may be provided with a handle. Although the pool robot 100 can operate automatically, it still sometimes needs to be manually carried into the pool or removed from the water. The handle design makes it easier for users to grip and prevents slipping due to the machine's wet surface. Moreover, for heavier models of pool robots, the handle can also distribute the weight and reduce the burden during handling.
[0118] In addition, when users are cleaning, maintaining, or replacing parts of the pool robot, the handle provides a stable gripping point, making it easy to flip, tilt, or move the robot.
[0119] Furthermore, handles can enhance the body structure, especially for pool robots with plastic shells. Handles can serve as an extension of the internal frame, thereby improving overall durability.
[0120] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG3, the pool robot 100 may further include at least one freely rotatable roller 05. The roller is disposed on the periphery of the housing 1. Specifically, the roller 05 may be disposed on the outermost side of the top view orthographic projection of the pool robot 100, on opposite sides of the housing 1 along its width direction. During the cleaning operation of the pool robot 100, if the housing 1 collides with the pool wall or foreign objects, the rotation of the roller 05 can reduce the impact force, providing a certain buffering effect, thereby reducing the possibility of damage to the housing 1 or the collided object. When the pool robot 100 cleans steps, the rotation of the roller can also reduce the possibility of excessive friction between the housing 1 and the steps, which could lead to the pool robot getting stuck or other adverse situations, thus improving the reliability of the pool robot 100.
[0121] In some embodiments, the roller 05 may be disposed on the moving device 2. For example, it may be disposed on the outer cover plate 24 of the moving device 2. The outer cover plate 24 of the moving device 2 is used to cover the mechanical structures such as the driving wheel 21 and the driven wheel 22 inside the moving device 2, thereby improving the aesthetics and uniformity of the equipment.
[0122] The number of rollers 05 can be one or more, depending on the actual size of the pool robot 100. In one example, the rollers 05 include omnidirectional wheels, which can rotate in any direction.
[0123] The pool robot 100 includes sensors that are electrically connected to or mechanically contacted by rollers 05. Before or after the rollers 05 come into contact with an external wall or other obstacle, the sensors detect that the pool robot 100 is in contact with the pool wall (working surface 10) or other obstacle. The information detected by the sensors is then processed by the circuit control board and processor inside the pool robot 100. After processing, the pool robot 100 can be actively controlled to continuously approach the pool wall for edge cleaning, or to avoid other obstacles and continue to perform cleaning modes after bypassing the obstacles. The cleaning modes include, but are not limited to, pool bottom cleaning, water surface cleaning, pool wall cleaning, waterline cleaning, or back-and-forth floating and sinking cleaning from the water surface to the pool bottom.
[0124] As an example, sensors include Hall sensors, lidar, line lasers, TOF, ultrasonic sensors, etc., and the sensor positions can be set at the front, rear, left, right, top, or bottom of the pool robot 100 along the direction of travel.
[0125] A Hall sensor, also known as a Hall effect sensor, is a magnetic field sensor based on the Hall effect, capable of converting magnetic signals into electrical signals. Hall sensors do not require direct contact with the object being measured; they acquire relevant information by detecting changes in the magnetic field. This non-contact measurement method avoids problems such as wear and interference caused by contact, significantly improving the sensor's lifespan and reliability. Furthermore, Hall sensors offer high sensitivity, simple structure, low cost, and small size, which is beneficial for the integration of the pool robot 100. For example, by placing magnets on the rollers 05, the Hall sensor can identify the working position of the pool robot 100 when the rollers 05 remove the pool wall or obstacles.
[0126] LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is a radar system that uses laser beams to detect the position, velocity, and other characteristics of a target. The working principle of LiDAR is to emit a detection signal (laser beam) towards the target, then compare the received signal reflected back from the target (target echo) with the emitted signal. After appropriate processing, information about the target can be obtained, such as its distance, azimuth, altitude, velocity, attitude, and even shape. LiDAR offers high precision, strong anti-interference capabilities, high spatial resolution, and a wide range of applications.
[0127] Line laser sensors utilize laser technology for measurement. They typically employ a line scan camera or specialized laser detection device to receive reflected light from a laser line. By analyzing the changes in the light's position on the imaging plane, they calculate the distances between points on the object's surface and the sensor, thus obtaining the object's contour data. Line laser sensors offer a wide measurement range, good real-time performance, and strong anti-interference capabilities.
[0128] Time-of-Flight (TOF) sensors work by emitting modulated laser pulses or continuous waves. When the light signal hits the surface of the object being measured, it is reflected back. The sensor receives the reflected light and calculates the distance to the object by measuring the time difference between emission and reception (time of flight) and combining this with the speed of light. TOF sensors can accurately measure the distance between an object and the sensor, typically with millimeter-level precision or even higher. Furthermore, TOF sensors can rapidly emit and receive light signals and process data in real time, enabling the acquisition of object distance and position information in real-time, providing rapid response capabilities for automated systems and real-time monitoring.
[0129] An ultrasonic sensor mainly consists of an ultrasonic transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter converts electrical energy into ultrasonic mechanical vibrations and emits them outwards. These ultrasonic signals are reflected when they encounter an object's surface. The receiver is responsible for receiving the reflected ultrasonic signals and converting them into electrical signals. By measuring the time it takes for the ultrasonic wave to travel from emission to reception (i.e., time of flight) and combining this with the speed of propagation of the ultrasonic wave in the medium, the distance between the sensor and the object being measured can be calculated. Ultrasonic sensors are relatively inexpensive to manufacture and do not require physical contact with the object being measured. Furthermore, ultrasonic sensors are highly adaptable and can operate in various environments. In addition, the propagation of ultrasonic waves is not limited by factors such as light, color, and transparency, resulting in better reliability.
[0130] As an example, the sensor can be set inside the housing of the pool robot 100 or exposed outside the pool robot 100. In cleaning mode, the sensor can directly or indirectly contact the water in the pool to detect the water quality, the distance between the pool robot and the pool wall, and the relative positional relationship between the pool robot and different obstacles without obstruction. The positional relationship includes distance, angle, and posture.
[0131] For example, the sensor is a Hall sensor, which is installed in the inner cavity of the outer cover plate 24. The Hall sensor is connected to the roller 05. When the roller 05 of the pool robot comes into contact with the pool wall, the circuit control board, processor and other components inside the pool robot process the information detected by the sensor. After processing, the pool robot 100 can be actively controlled to continuously approach the pool wall. The vacuum suction force at the liquid inlet 11 can cover the dead zone at the junction of the pool wall and the pool bottom. As a result, algae, dust, mud, leaves, sand and other debris in the dead zone will enter the trash can, improving the cleaning effect of the dead zone.
[0132] For example, the pool robot 100 includes a scraper 06. When the pool robot 100 continuously approaches the pool wall, the scraper 06 abuts against the dead zone at the junction of the pool wall and the pool bottom to clean along the edge.
[0133] The mobile device 2 is connected to the housing 1 and is used to enable the pool robot 100 to move on the work surface 10 of the work site.
[0134] The work area refers to the site where the pool robot 100 performs cleaning, disinfection, inspection, and monitoring operations. Examples include open water bodies such as swimming pools, water parks, ponds, ice surfaces, fountains, and hot springs, as well as non-open water bodies such as aquariums and biology museums. The working surface 10 refers to the surface used to support and guide the pool robot 100's movement and that comes into contact with the pool robot 100's mobile device 2. For example, the bottom and walls of a swimming pool, or the walls of an aquarium, can all be called the working surface 10. The working surface 10 can refer to the surface to be cleaned by the pool robot 100 or a surface that has already been cleaned.
[0135] For example, in scenarios such as swimming pools, water parks, or other open water bodies (e.g., ponds), in addition to pollutants such as dirt, garbage, and foreign objects in the water, the pool bottom and walls may also contain moss, silt, and other contaminants. Therefore, during cleaning operations, in addition to cleaning and filtering the water, the pool walls also need to be cleaned. These pool walls can be considered as working surfaces 10. It should be noted that working surface 10 can be a horizontal surface, a surface inclined relative to a horizontal surface, or a curved surface. For example, the surface can be a concave or convex curved surface.
[0136] The mobile device 2 may include, for example, tracked wheels or conventional circular wheels. In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the mobile device 2 includes two tracked wheels located on opposite sides of the pool robot 100 along its width direction.
[0137] Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the track wheel may include a drive wheel 21, a driven wheel 22, and a track 23. The track 23 is wound around the outer periphery of the drive wheel 21 and the driven wheel 22. The drive wheel 21 is connected to the travel drive device and can rotate under the drive of the travel drive device, thereby driving the track 23 to rotate, which in turn drives the driven wheel 22 to rotate, realizing the movement of the mobile device 2. The drive wheel 21 and the driven wheel 22 may be, for example, a gear structure, with the teeth of the gear structure meshing with the mating part of the track 23, so that the track 23 can rotate together with the drive wheel 21, and then drive the driven wheel 22 to rotate together as well. Of course, those skilled in the art should understand that in some embodiments, the drive wheel 21 and the driven wheel 22 may also be any other suitable structure, and the drive wheel 21 and the driven wheel 22 may also rotate together with the track 23 through friction or other means.
[0138] In some embodiments, the track wheels on both sides can be driven independently by two separate walking drive devices. When the track wheels on both sides rotate synchronously, the pool robot 100 can move linearly on the working surface 10, that is, the pool robot 100 performs straight-line motion. When the speeds of the track wheels on both sides are not synchronized, the pool robot 100 can turn on the working surface 10.
[0139] Of course, those skilled in the art should understand that in some embodiments, the track wheels on both sides can also be driven by a single walking drive device via a transmission mechanism.
[0140] The tracked wheels can adaptively adjust the ground clearance of the pool robot 100 according to the shape of the obstacle when crossing obstacles in the pool, thus enabling it to overcome obstacles. Furthermore, the tracked wheels can conform well to the working surface 10, allowing the pool robot 100 to climb walls more effectively, with better walking stability and adaptability. Compared to wheels, the tracked wheels 23 increase the contact area to distribute the weight of the robot body, reducing frictional damage to the pool bottom coating and enhancing grip on smooth ceramic tile surfaces. Additionally, the tracked wheels 23 have better wear resistance than rollers, extending the service life of the pool robot 100.
[0141] In some embodiments, the mobile device 2 may include wheels. First, the wheels are lightweight and can move quickly on a flat working surface with low energy consumption, making them suitable for long-term cleaning tasks. Second, the wheels have a small contact area with the working surface, resulting in lower friction noise, making them suitable for nighttime and quiet environments. Finally, the wheels can steer flexibly.
[0142] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 88 and 89, the moving device 2 further includes auxiliary rollers 800 disposed at the bottom of the pool robot 100, thereby further improving the walking ability of the pool robot 100. Additionally, when the pool robot 100 encounters obstacles, the auxiliary rollers 800 can also improve the obstacle-crossing ability of the pool robot 100. Moreover, whether the pool robot 100 is walking on land or on the working surface 10 in water, the auxiliary rollers 800 can distribute the weight of the pool robot 100 more evenly over a larger contact area, thereby improving the walking stability of the pool robot 100.
[0143] For example, there can be multiple auxiliary rollers 800, which can be arranged at intervals along the width direction (first direction) of the pool robot 100. Multiple auxiliary rollers 800 can increase the contact area between the pool robot 100 and the working surface 10, thereby improving the overall friction. During the movement of the pool robot 100, especially when turning or moving on a sloping pool bottom, sufficient friction can reduce the possibility of the pool robot 100 slipping. For example, in pools with steps or a certain angle of inclination, the auxiliary rollers 800 can help the pool robot 100 better overcome the component of gravity and move stably along the expected path. In addition, the bottom of the work area may have some unevenness, such as minor undulations left during construction or unevenness of the pool bottom material. Multiple auxiliary rollers 800 can better adapt to these uneven terrains. When the auxiliary roller 800 on one side encounters a raised obstacle, the other rollers can still maintain good contact with the pool bottom, allowing the pool robot 100 to pass smoothly and reducing the possibility of the pool robot 100 tilting, getting stuck, or being unable to move normally due to uneven pool bottom.
[0144] The present invention does not impose a specific limit on the number of auxiliary rollers 800, which can be set according to the actual size of the pool robot 100.
[0145] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG3, the moving device 2 further includes a scraper 06, which is disposed on the outer edge of the front side of the moving device 2. This allows the scraper 06 to further clean the dirt on the working surface 10 during the movement of the pool robot 100, thus improving the cleaning effect on the edge area. A transition area Q exists between adjacent working surfaces 10, which can also be called an edge area. For example, the intersection area between two adjacent pool walls can be called an edge area, as can the intersection area between adjacent pool walls and the pool bottom. Similarly, in the presence of obstacles, the intersection area between the obstacle and the pool bottom or pool wall can also be called an edge area. Furthermore, in the presence of steps at the work site, the intersection area between the steps can also be called an edge area. These intersection areas can also be referred to as corner positions.
[0146] For example, taking the mobile device 2 as a tracked wheel, the outer surfaces of the driving wheel 21 and driven wheel 22 on one side are covered with an outer cover plate 24, thereby shielding the internal mechanical structure, reducing the risk of damage to the internal mechanical structure due to collision, and improving the service life of the pool robot 100. A support member is provided on the outer cover plate 24, and a scraper 06 is connected to the support member to clean the working surface 10. The scraper 06 can be made of a flexible material, thereby ensuring cleaning effectiveness while reducing the risk of damage to the working surface 10.
[0147] In some embodiments, the scraper 06 is generally inclined and tilted toward the inlet 11. Thus, when scraping away dirt, the scraper 06 can push the scraped dirt toward the inlet 11, so that the dirt can enter the waste bin 41 through the inlet 11, reducing the possibility of secondary pollution of the water by the scraped dirt and further improving the cleaning effect of the pool robot 100.
[0148] In this embodiment, the inlet 11 connects to the filtration space of the waste bin 41 of the pool robot 100. Water flows into the filtration space of the waste bin 41 through the inlet 11, and dirt and other contaminants in the water can be retained in the filtration space. The filtered water can then be discharged to the outside of the pool robot 100 through the outlet 12, thereby achieving water filtration. The scraper 06 is inclined towards the inlet 11, so that the scraped dirt can also enter the filtration space through the inlet 11, thereby achieving cleaning of the working surface 10.
[0149] Those skilled in the art should understand that the scraper 06 can be provided only on one side of the track wheel or the wheel on the side, or on both sides of the track wheel or the wheel on the side. In some embodiments, the scraper 06 can also be provided on the rear side of the moving device 2, as long as the tilt angle of the scraper 06 is changed so that the scraper 06 can come into contact with the working surface 10 during the movement of the pool robot 100 on the working surface 10.
[0150] As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment of the present disclosure, the scraper 06 is disposed on the front side of the track wheel and extends along the width direction (first direction) of the pool robot 100. In one embodiment, the scraper 06 extends from the side away from the track towards the centerline of the pool robot 100, and the extension length of the scraper 06 may be less than or equal to the track width of the track wheel. In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the extension length of the scraper 06 is equal to the track width of the track wheel, thereby maximizing the contact area between the scraper 06 and the working surface 10 without affecting the operation of the main brush assembly 44, thus enabling the scraper 06 to perform a good cleaning effect.
[0151] In some embodiments, along the forward direction of the pool robot 100, there is a gap between the scraper 06 disposed on the front side of the track wheel and the track wheel, thereby making it less likely for the scraper 06 to interfere with the track wheel, making the walking of the pool robot 100 more stable and reliable.
[0152] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the scraper 06 includes a first end 061 and a second end 062 disposed opposite to each other along its extending direction. The first end 061 is the end of the scraper 06 closer to the main brush assembly 44, and the second end 062 is the end of the scraper 06 farther from the main brush assembly 44. In this embodiment, when the scraper 06 is disposed on the front side of the track wheel, along the traveling direction of the pool robot 100, the first end 061 is closer to the rear side of the pool robot 100 than the second end 062, thus forming an inclined shape. Therefore, when the scraper 06 scrapes away dirt, it can push the scraped dirt towards the first liquid inlet 111, so that the dirt can enter the waste bin 41 through the liquid inlet 11, reducing the possibility of secondary pollution of the water by the scraped dirt. With the tube plate 06 located behind the track wheel, along the direction of travel of the pool robot, the first end 061 is closer to the front of the pool robot 100 than the second end 062, thus forming an inclined shape, which allows the scraper 06 to better push dirt toward the first liquid inlet 111.
[0153] The buoyancy adjustment device 3 is a device used to change the buoyancy of the pool robot 100, thereby causing the pool robot 100 to sink or float in the water. For example, when the pool robot 100 is in a fluid (e.g., pool water), increasing the amount of liquid entering the buoyancy adjustment device 3 increases its weight, reduces the buoyancy of the fluid, and causes it to move towards the bottom of the fluid under the influence of gravity, a process known as sinking. Conversely, decreasing the amount of liquid in the buoyancy adjustment device 3 reduces its weight, increases the buoyancy of the fluid, and causes it to move towards the surface of the fluid under the influence of buoyancy, a process known as floating. The buoyancy adjustment device 3 is typically housed within a receiving cavity.
[0154] In some embodiments, the buoyancy adjustment device 3 may include a piston assembly, which includes a piston cylinder and a piston. The end of the piston is slidably connected inside the piston cylinder, and the opening of the piston cylinder is connected to the outside. Fluid is drawn in or discharged from the opening of the piston cylinder by the movement of the piston, thereby enabling the pool robot 100 to float or sink.
[0155] In some embodiments, the buoyancy adjustment device 3 may include, for example, a drive mechanism and a deformation shape, which are driven by the drive mechanism to change the amount of fluid entering the deformation shape to achieve the floating or sinking of the pool robot 100.
[0156] Because the pool robot 100 includes a buoyancy adjustment device 3, it can sink into the water to clean the underwater area and the pool walls when underwater cleaning is required, and float to the surface to clean the water surface when surface cleaning is required. In this embodiment, "water surface" can refer to the surface of a water body, the vicinity of the waterline, or above the surface of a water body; for example, when water is frozen, the ice surface can also be called the water surface.
[0157] The cleaning system 4 is a system for cleaning the work area. The cleaning system 4 may include, for example, a cleaning brush rotatably attached to the housing 1. As the pool robot 100 moves across the work surface 10 via the moving device 2, the cleaning brush rotates to clean the work surface 10. The cleaning system 4 may also include a filtration space to clean the water.
[0158] In this embodiment, the pool robot 100, through the coordinated action of the mobile device 2, the buoyancy adjustment device 3, and the cleaning system 4, can perform cleaning operations both underwater and on the water surface. This enables comprehensive cleaning of the area to be cleaned, resulting in better cleaning performance. Even in complex cleaning environments requiring cleaning of both underwater and surface areas, a single pool robot 100 can complete all cleaning tasks, demonstrating better adaptability and compatibility.
[0159] Furthermore, the pool robot 100 includes a mobile device 2, which enables it to move stably on the pool bottom, pool walls, and some inclined or uneven surfaces, ensuring the thoroughness of the cleaning operation.
[0160] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG4(a), the pool robot 100 further includes a scraper 07 disposed on the bottom wall of the housing 1, and the scraper 07 extends along a first direction and is located behind the first liquid inlet 111 of the liquid inlet 11 along a second direction. The bottom wall of the housing 1 refers to the side wall of the housing 1 facing the working surface 10 to be cleaned when the pool robot is attached to the working surface 10. The first direction refers to the width direction of the housing 1, and the second direction refers to the travel direction (or length direction) of the pool robot 100.
[0161] Because the pool robot is equipped with a scraper 07, when cleaning the working surface 10, the scraper 07 can come into contact with the working surface 10, thereby further scraping away the dirt on the working surface 10.
[0162] For example, the scraper 07 can be made of a flexible material such as silicone. Silicone has good elasticity, allowing the scraper 07 to fit tightly against the working surface 10, thus ensuring its cleaning effect. Furthermore, silicone has good chemical stability and does not easily react with most cleaning agents and chemical reagents. Therefore, when cleaning in areas such as swimming pools, it is less likely to be corroded by filters and cleaning agents present in the work area, which helps to extend the service life of the scraper 07. Moreover, the flexible material reduces the risk of the scraper 07 damaging the working surface 10.
[0163] Of course, those skilled in the art will understand that in some other embodiments, the scraper 07 may also be made of any other suitable material.
[0164] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, along the traveling direction (second direction) of the pool robot 100, the scraper 07 is located behind the first liquid inlet 111. Thus, the scraped dirt can be pushed to the first liquid inlet 111 by the scraper 07 as the pool robot 100 moves forward, and then enter the filtration space of the waste bin 41 through the first liquid inlet 111. This reduces the possibility of the scraped dirt causing secondary pollution to the water body and further improves the cleaning effect of the pool robot 100.
[0165] As shown in Figure 4, the scraping component 07 includes a first scraping segment 071 and a second scraping segment 072. The first scraping segment 071 extends along a first direction. The second scraping segment 072 connects to opposite sides of the first scraping segment 071 along the first direction, and the extension direction of the second scraping segment 072 intersects the extension direction of the first scraping segment 071. Specifically, along the traveling direction of the pool robot 100, the second scraping segment 072 extends obliquely towards the front of the pool robot 100, that is, the end of the second scraping segment 072 away from the first scraping segment 071 is closer to the front of the pool robot 100 than the other end connected to the first scraping segment 071. Thus, the scraping component 07 is generally arranged in a shape that semi-encloses the first liquid inlet 111, that is, it can be arranged along a portion of the edge of the first liquid inlet 111, thereby better pushing the scraped dirt towards the first liquid inlet 111, which is beneficial to improving the cleaning effect and reducing the possibility of secondary pollution.
[0166] When the mobile device 2 is a tracked wheel, the scraper 07 can extend along the first direction. The scraper 07 is close to or extends to the tracked wheels on both sides of the housing 1. Thus, without affecting the movement of the tracked wheels, the contact area between the scraper 07 and the working surface 10 can be increased, the cleaning range of the scraper 07 can be improved, and the cleaning effect of the pool robot 100 can be further improved.
[0167] When the mobile device 2 is a walking wheel, the scraper 07 can extend along the first direction between the front and rear walking wheels. That is, the scraper 07 can extend beyond both sides of the outer shell 1 along the first direction, further increasing the cleaning area of the scraper 07. In addition, when the pool robot 100 is near a corner, the flexible scraper 07 can bend at the corner, thereby better conforming to the corner and further improving the cleaning ability of the pool robot 100 to the corner of the work area (i.e., the cleaning transition area Q).
[0168] Figure 4(b) is a partial structural cross-sectional view of the pool robot in Figure 4(a), schematically showing the cross-sectional view at the first liquid inlet 111. As shown in Figure 4(b), the first liquid inlet 111 is located on the bottom wall of the outer shell 1. Along the circumferential direction of the first liquid inlet 111, at least part of the bottom wall protrudes towards the filtration space away from the waste bin 41, forming a bottom wall protrusion structure 1a. The bottom wall protrusion structure 1a can guide and rectify the water flow entering the first liquid inlet 111, making the water flow more orderly into the waste bin 41 inside the pool robot 100, thereby enabling the water flow to flow into the filtration space in a more uniform and smooth direction, improving the water utilization efficiency, and thus improving the cleaning effect of the pool robot 100. In addition, the bottom wall protrusion structure 1a can create a local acceleration effect on the water flow at the first liquid inlet 111, increasing the liquid intake. According to fluid mechanics principles, when fluid flows over a raised obstacle, its velocity increases to maintain continuous flow, allowing the pool robot 100 to more efficiently suck up wastewater and impurities from the water, thus accelerating the cleaning process. Furthermore, as water flows through the protruding structure 1a on the bottom wall surrounding the first inlet 111, a local pressure difference is created, further generating negative pressure suction. This allows the pool robot 100 to adhere more stably to the working surface 10, improving the thoroughness and safety of cleaning and reducing the risk of insufficient suction.
[0169] In this embodiment, the cross-section of the bottom wall protrusion 1a is generally arc-shaped, meaning the protrusion height of the bottom wall protrusion 1a gradually decreases in the horizontal direction away from the first liquid inlet 111. The arc-shaped cross-section of the bottom wall protrusion 1a allows for smoother guidance of water flow to the first liquid inlet 111. This is because when water encounters an arc-shaped surface, it naturally changes its flow direction along the arc, thereby reducing the impact and turbulence of the water flow, and consequently reducing energy loss, allowing the water to enter the internal filtration space of the pool robot 100 more efficiently. Furthermore, the arc-shaped cross-section of the bottom wall protrusion 1a can form a relatively stable fluid boundary layer around the first liquid inlet 111. This boundary layer can regulate the distribution of water flow, allowing the first liquid inlet 111 to more evenly draw in water from the pool. This reduces the occurrence of excessively strong or weak local water flows, improving the efficiency of the entire liquid intake process. In some embodiments, as described above, since the mobile device 2 also includes an auxiliary roller, the auxiliary roller can be disposed on the front side of the bottom wall protrusion 1a along the traveling direction of the pool robot 100. In this way, during the movement of the pool robot, the auxiliary roller will contact the obstacle first and cross the obstacle, reducing the possibility of the bottom wall protrusion 1a contacting and getting stuck with the obstacle, thereby improving the stability and reliability of the pool robot 100.
[0170] Furthermore, users do not need to stock multiple pool robots 100 with different functions to meet different cleaning scenarios, which helps to save costs. The cleaning system 4 of the pool robot 100 in this embodiment is described in detail below.
[0171] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the cleaning system 4 includes a waste bin 41, which is detachably connected to a receiving cavity. A filter space is formed within the waste bin 41 and communicates with the receiving cavity. The outer casing 1 has an inlet 11 and an outlet 12. The inlet 11 communicates with the filter space, and the outlet 12 communicates with the receiving cavity. Dirty water flows into the filter space through the inlet 11, then into the receiving cavity, and finally exits the outer casing 1 through the outlet 12. The inlet 11, the filter space, the receiving cavity, and the outlet 12 together define a fluid passage.
[0172] The waste bin 41 is a structural component of the pool robot 100 used to contain dirt such as algae, hair, moss, silt, and insects filtered from the water. Water flows into the filtration space of the waste bin 41 through the inlet 11, where dirt and other contaminants are retained. The filtered water flows into the receiving cavity and is then discharged to the outside of the pool robot 100 through the outlet 12, thus achieving water filtration. The dashed arrows in Figure 3 schematically illustrate the water flow path.
[0173] The waste bin 41 can be any suitable shape, such as a cuboid, cube, or cylinder. The inlet 11 and outlet 12 can also be any suitable shape, such as a rectangle, circle, or square. The shapes of the inlet 11 and outlet 12 can be the same or different. This embodiment does not specifically limit the shapes of the waste bin 41, inlet 11, and outlet 12; these shapes can be specifically limited according to the shape and size of the pool robot 100. Furthermore, this embodiment does not specifically limit the position and opening area of the inlet 11 and outlet 12; their opening areas can be the same or different. The inlet 11 can be located on the bottom wall of the outer shell 1, on the side wall of the outer shell 1, and the outlet 12 can be located on the top wall of the outer shell 1, or in any other suitable location.
[0174] Those skilled in the art will know that when the outer shell 1 moves along the bottom of the pool, the side of the outer shell 1 facing the bottom of the pool can be called the bottom wall of the outer shell 1, and the side of the outer shell 1 away from the bottom of the pool can be called the top wall of the outer shell 1.
[0175] The waste bin 41 is detachably connected to the receiving cavity. After cleaning is completed, when the waste bin 41 needs to be cleaned, or when the waste bin 41 needs to be replaced or maintained, the waste bin 41 can be removed from the receiving cavity, making it easier for users to clean, replace, or maintain it.
[0176] For example, users can manually disassemble and assemble the waste bin 41.
[0177] As another example, the waste bin 41 can be disassembled and assembled automatically by a first robotic arm mounted on the base station 300.
[0178] The first robotic arm can be detachably connected in ways including but not limited to snap-fit, threaded connection, fastener connection, magnetic attraction, etc.
[0179] In this embodiment, the fluid channel includes a filtration space. Dirty water flows through this space before being filtered and discharged from the outer casing 1. The filtered dirt and impurities are stored within the filtration space, effectively separating dirt and impurities and cleaning the water. Furthermore, the waste bin 41 is detachably connected to the receiving cavity. After cleaning, the user can remove the waste bin 41 to clean out the dirt and impurities, making cleaning more convenient. Moreover, this modular design of the waste bin 41 offers greater flexibility and versatility, and facilitates the replacement and maintenance of components later.
[0180] Furthermore, the fluid channel in this embodiment is entirely open; that is, there are no separate pipes or other fluid channel modules separated by structural components. Instead, the filtration space within the waste bin 41 is directly connected to the receiving cavity within the outer shell 1, forming an open fluid channel. This open fluid channel effectively reduces the possibility of problems such as poor drainage and venting of the pool robot 100 due to blockage of traditional fluid channel modules, resulting in slow entry into the water or inability to perform wall-climbing movements, thus improving the reliability of the pool robot 100.
[0181] Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments disclosed herein do not limit the specific structure of the fluid channel. That is, the actual design length, width, and angle of the fluid channel can be appropriately designed according to the design and manufacturing costs and the actual cleaning effect.
[0182] For example, the fluid channel can be positioned perpendicular to the forward direction of the pool robot 100. Such a fluid channel has a simple structure and low design and manufacturing costs. Furthermore, a vertically positioned fluid channel helps maintain the balance and stability of the pool robot 100. Because the fluid channel structure is relatively symmetrical, it reduces lateral forces and unbalanced moments generated by fluid flow. During the forward movement of the pool robot 100, this stability allows it to move better along a predetermined path, reducing yaw caused by water flow impact and improving the navigation accuracy and cleaning coverage of the pool robot 100.
[0183] For example, the fluid channel can be set at a certain angle perpendicular to the forward direction of the pool robot 100. Such a fluid channel has lower inlet resistance, effectively forming a liquid flow circulation and reducing the possibility of insufficient suction power in the pool robot 100. For example, the angle of the fluid channel relative to the forward direction of the pool robot 100 is set to 120°-150°. Fluid dynamics simulation and experimental verification have shown that this angle range maximizes the suction capacity of the pool robot 100. When the angle is less than 120°, the flow direction of the inflowing fluid differs too much from the movement direction of the pool robot 100, causing the water flow to impact the edge of the channel inlet, thus reducing the water flow velocity and consequently decreasing the suction capacity of the pool robot 100. When the angle is greater than 150°, the tangential momentum component of the fluid entering the pool robot 100 is insufficient, making it difficult for the inflowing fluid to flow towards the waste bin 41 and forming a stable liquid flow circulation, which also leads to a decrease in the suction capacity of the pool robot 100.
[0184] As shown in Figures 87(a) and 87(b), the fluid channel can be formed entirely by the outer shell 1, or by a combination of a first channel 500 on the outer shell 1 (the channel from the bottom wall of the outer shell 1 to the one-way valve 42 at the inlet 11) and a second channel 600 in the waste bin 41 (the channel formed by the filtration space within the waste bin 41). Optionally, as shown in Figure 87(a), the first channel 500 is inclined at a certain angle to the forward direction of the pool robot 100, and the second channel 600 is perpendicular to the forward direction of the pool robot 100. Or, as shown in Figure 87(b), both the first channel 500 and the second channel 600 are inclined at a certain angle to the forward direction of the pool robot 100.
[0185] For example, the fluid channel is inclined at an angle away from the main motor. Thus, as shown in FIG5(b), the liquid flow can first flow away from the main motor, contact the side wall of the waste bin 41 away from the main motor, and form a first deposition; then change its flow direction and pass through the side wall of the waste bin 41 closer to the main motor to form a second deposition; at the same time, due to the change in the direction of the liquid flow, eddies and turbulent flow are generated in the filtration space of the waste bin 41, so that the liquid flow can form more unstable secondary flows at each filter port 4111, thereby improving the filtration effect of the waste bin 41.
[0186] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in FIG5, the cleaning system 4 includes a one-way valve 42 disposed at the liquid inlet 11.
[0187] A one-way valve 42 refers to a structural component that allows fluid to flow in one direction while preventing fluid from flowing in the opposite direction.
[0188] In this embodiment, since a one-way valve 42 is provided at the inlet 11, the external fluid can only flow in one direction. In this way, dirt, impurities and other contaminants that flow into the filtration space with the fluid are less likely to flow back into the water body through the inlet 11, reducing the possibility of the filtered water body being re-polluted and improving the cleaning effect of the pool robot 100.
[0189] In addition, the one-way valve 42 allows the fluid to flow in only one direction within the fluid channel, which helps to maintain stable fluid pressure in the fluid channel, reduces eddies and turbulent flow in the fluid channel, and allows the fluid to flow more smoothly in the fluid channel, thereby improving filtration efficiency and cleaning effect.
[0190] This disclosure does not specifically limit the structure of the one-way valve 42, and any suitable commercially available one-way valve 42 can be used.
[0191] For example, the one-way valve 42 can be directly installed at the inlet 11, and the waste bin 41 has an opening corresponding to the position of the inlet 11.
[0192] As another example, a one-way valve 42 may be provided in the waste bin 41, and the position of the one-way valve 42 corresponds to the position of the liquid inlet 11.
[0193] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in FIG6, the waste bin 41 includes a frame body 411, which encloses a filtration space. A plurality of filter ports 4111 are formed on the periphery of the frame body 411. The filter ports 4111 connect the receiving cavity and the filtration space. Each filter port 4111 is provided with a filter element 08.
[0194] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the frame body 411 includes a plurality of filter ports 4111, thereby effectively increasing the filtration area and improving the filtration efficiency. It also reduces the possibility of the entire flow channel being blocked due to the blockage of a single filter port 4111, which is beneficial to improving the reliability of the pool robot 100.
[0195] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the filter port 4111 is generally rectangular in shape. In some embodiments, the filter port 4111 may also be square, circular, triangular, or any other suitable shape. This embodiment of the disclosure does not specifically limit the shape of the filter port 4111. Multiple filter ports 4111 may have the same or different shapes. The opening areas of multiple filter ports 4111 may be the same or different.
[0196] Each filter port 4111 is connected to the filtration space and the receiving cavity, forming an open fluid channel. In this way, even if some filter ports 4111 become blocked, the fluid can still flow through the outlet 12 of the remaining filter ports 4111, which helps maintain the suction of the pool robot 100, and thus helps maintain the pool robot 100's ability to climb slopes and walls.
[0197] Additionally, although not shown in Figure 6, a filter element 08 is provided at the filter port 4111. Filter element 08 refers to a structural component that can intercept dirt while allowing fluid to pass through. The filter element can further filter dirt, so that while the filtration space intercepts larger dirt, smaller dirt such as aquatic plants, silt, and hair can also be effectively intercepted, thereby improving the cleaning effect of the pool robot 100. Moreover, it can reduce the possibility of these smaller dirt particles entering the receiving cavity through the filter port 4111, thereby reducing the possibility of dirt accumulating in the receiving cavity and affecting the normal operation of the pool robot 100.
[0198] For example, there can be multiple filter elements 08, each filter element 08 corresponds to the position of each filter port 4111, and the pore size of each filter element can be the same or different.
[0199] As another example, the number of filter elements 08 can be one, with one filter element 08 surrounding the frame body 411, thereby covering all the filter openings 4111.
[0200] In some embodiments, for ease of cleaning and replacement, the filter element 08 can be detachably connected to the frame body 411, allowing users to easily remove the filter element for cleaning and achieving better cleaning results. After cleaning, the filter element can be quickly reinstalled back into the frame body 411, ensuring the waste bin 41 remains in optimal filtration condition. Furthermore, when the filter element is damaged or reaches the end of its service life, users can replace the filter element individually without replacing the entire waste bin 41, thus reducing maintenance costs.
[0201] This disclosure does not specifically limit the connection method between the filter element 08 and the frame body 411; the connection can be made by any suitable method such as bonding or snap-fitting. This disclosure also does not specifically limit the material of the filter element; any suitable material such as flexible material or rigid material can be used to make the filter element.
[0202] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the filter element 08 includes a plurality of consecutive filter surfaces, the extension directions of adjacent filter surfaces intersecting.
[0203] Therefore, the filter element 08 is generally pleated, which increases the filtration area of the filter element within the same volume space, thereby further improving the filtration capacity of the filter element.
[0204] In addition, the pleated filter element 08 increases the mechanical strength of the filter element to a certain extent. Compared with the flat filter element, the pleated filter element is less likely to be deformed or damaged under the impact of water flow. Therefore, it can better withstand various external forces when the pool robot 100 is working, such as the impact of water flow and dirt, and the collision of the robot's movement. This can ensure the stability and reliability of the filter element and reduce the risk of filter element damage leading to a decrease in filtration effect or failure of the pool robot 100.
[0205] The present invention does not specifically limit the number of filter surfaces. The more filter surfaces there are, the larger the filter area will be. The number of filter surfaces can be specifically set according to the actual size of the filter port 4111.
[0206] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in FIG7, the filter element 08 includes a first filter layer 081, a second filter layer 082, and a spacer layer 083. The first filter layer 081 and the second filter layer 082 are arranged parallel to each other and spaced apart by the spacer layer 083. The pore sizes of the first filter layer 081 and the second filter layer 082 are different.
[0207] In this embodiment, the filter element 08 includes a multi-layer structure, which can reduce the possibility of clogging while meeting the filtration effect, thereby further improving the filtration and cleaning effect.
[0208] When filter element 08 is a single layer, there may be a trade-off in the pore size of filter element 08. If the pore size of filter element 08 is too small, it is easy to become clogged, which will affect the swimming pool robot 100's movement when entering the water, climbing slopes, and climbing walls. On the other hand, if the pore size of filter element 08 is too large, it will not be able to filter out some small debris.
[0209] In this embodiment, the filter element 08 includes a multi-layer structure, and the pore sizes of the multi-layer filter are different, which can improve the filtration effect as much as possible while reducing the likelihood of clogging.
[0210] For example, the pore size of the first filter layer 081 is larger than that of the second filter layer 082. When dirty water flows into the filtration space, it first passes through the first filter layer 081, where most of the dirt is intercepted. A spacer layer 083 exists between the first filter layer 081 and the second filter layer 082; that is, the first filter layer 081 and the second filter layer 082 are arranged alternately, and the water filtered by the first filter layer 081 flows within the spacer layer 083. The spacer layer 083 does not have a filtration function; therefore, when water enters the second filter layer 082 from the spacer layer 083, it is less likely to clog the water flow channel due to the first filter layer 081 and the second filter layer 082 being too close together, thus reducing the possibility of water flow blockage. Furthermore, the second filter layer 082 can further filter smaller dirt particles.
[0211] Those skilled in the art will understand that the multi-layered filter element 08 is not limited to two layers. In some embodiments, the filter element may include more filter layers, and the pore size of each filter layer may be different. Furthermore, when there are multiple filter layers, the materials of each filter layer may be the same or different.
[0212] In some embodiments, the waste bin 41 may include two or more frame bodies 411, and the aperture of the filter port 4111 on each frame body 411 may be different. Multiple frame bodies 411 are nested together to maximize the filtration effect of the waste bin 41 while reducing the risk of clogging.
[0213] In some embodiments, the waste bin 41 may not be equipped with a filter element. The aperture of the filter port 4111 on the frame body 411 can be made smaller, so that the frame body 411 itself can act as a filter element.
[0214] For example, filter 08 may include a filter screen.
[0215] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the filter element 08 is made of a composite material.
[0216] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the filter element made of composite material has better tensile and compressive strength, thus effectively withstanding the impact of fluid, and is not easily deformed or damaged, which is beneficial to improving the service life of the filter element.
[0217] Furthermore, dirt in the fluid may cause wear to the filter elements. Filter elements made of composite materials have better wear resistance and can effectively resist wear, maintain the stability of filtration performance, and do not need to be replaced frequently.
[0218] In addition, filter components made of composite materials have good chemical stability, are not easily corroded by common chemicals in fluids, and have better reliability.
[0219] For example, the filter element can be made of glass fiber reinforced plastic. Glass fiber reinforced plastic is characterized by high strength and light weight, and can withstand long-term immersion in water and the impact of water flow. It is not easily deformed or damaged, and it also has good chemical corrosion resistance, resisting the corrosion of chemicals such as chlorine in swimming pools.
[0220] As another example, the filter element can be made of carbon fiber composite material. Carbon fiber composite material has extremely high strength and stiffness, while being very lightweight, which can effectively reduce the overall weight of the pool robot 100, improve its mobility and energy efficiency, and also has excellent corrosion resistance and fatigue resistance, enabling it to work stably for a long time in complex pool environments.
[0221] As another example, the filter element can be made of a composite material of polyester fiber and metal wire. Polyester fiber has good flexibility and certain filtration performance, while metal wire has high strength and high rigidity. The composite filter element formed by the combination of the two has both good filtration effect and high mechanical strength, which can effectively intercept impurities in water, while not being easily damaged.
[0222] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in FIG6, a flow guide 4113 is also formed on the periphery of the frame body 411. The flow guide 4113 connects the receiving cavity and the filtering space, and the opening area of the flow guide 4113 is larger than the opening area of the filtering port 4111. The waste bin 41 also includes a baffle 412, which is movably connected to the frame body 411 and can move between a first position and a second position. When the baffle 412 is in the first position, it blocks the flow guide 4113; when the baffle 412 is in the second position, it opens the flow guide 4113.
[0223] When the pool robot 100 performs cleaning operations, if there are few impurities in the water, the water intake can be filtered through the filter element and exit the waste bin 41, then discharged to the outside of the outer shell 1 through the liquid outlet 12, achieving complete fluid circulation and maintaining the unobstructed flow of the fluid channel. However, if there are many impurities in the water, the debris sucked into the filtration space may clog the filter element, making it difficult or even impossible for the water to continue circulating through the filter element. When the pool robot 100 performs operations such as climbing slopes and walls, it mainly relies on the water flow in the fluid channel under the action of the pumping component 5, thereby generating negative pressure at the liquid inlet 11, which then adheres to the pool wall. If the filter element is clogged, the fluid in the fluid channel cannot achieve normal flow. As a result, the suction at the liquid inlet 11 will decrease or even disappear, making it difficult for the pool robot 100 to adhere to the pool wall, causing the pool robot 100 to fail in climbing slopes and walls. On the one hand, if the pool robot 100 fails to climb slopes, it cannot effectively clean the dirt on the working surface 10. On the other hand, the failure of the pool robot 100 to climb slopes may also cause damage to the equipment and increase maintenance costs.
[0224] In addition to the filter port 411, the waste bin 41 of the swimming pool robot 100 in this embodiment is also equipped with a guide port 4113 and a baffle 412. The baffle 412 is movably connected to the frame body 411, and the opening area of the guide port 4113 is larger than the opening area of the filter port 4111. During normal cleaning operations, the baffle 412 is usually in the first position, that is, the position that blocks the guide port 4113. At this time, the dirt sucked into the filtration space is filtered through the filter port 4111. However, if the dirt is large or there is a lot of dirt in the filtration space, and the filter port 4111 becomes clogged, the baffle 412 can move to the second position, thereby opening the guide port 4113 with a larger opening area, allowing the water blocked in the filtration space to flow out through the guide port 4113, thereby restoring the water flow circulation, increasing the water intake requirement of the pumping component 5 that provides suction, and thus maintaining the stable climbing or slope climbing performance of the swimming pool robot 100.
[0225] This disclosure does not specifically limit the shape of the guide port 4113; it can be any suitable shape such as rectangular, square, or circular. Furthermore, in this disclosure, the opening area of the guide port 4113 is larger than the opening area of the filter port 4111, which reduces the risk of blockage in the guide port 4113. However, those skilled in the art should understand that in some embodiments, the opening area of the guide port 4113 may be the same as or smaller than the opening area of the filter port 4111.
[0226] The baffle 412 is movably connected to the frame body 411. The cross-sectional area of the baffle 412 is the same as or slightly larger than the opening area of the guide port 4113, so that the guide port 4113 can be blocked without the waste bin 41 becoming blocked.
[0227] In this embodiment, the movable connection between the baffle 412 and the frame body 411 includes, but is not limited to, rotational connection, sliding connection, or telescopic connection. This embodiment does not specifically limit the movable connection between the baffle 412 and the frame body 411; the baffle 412 only needs to be able to move to the second position to open the guide port 4113 when the waste bin 41 becomes blocked.
[0228] For example, the baffle 412 can be moved between a first position and a second position by the user's control.
[0229] As another example, the baffle 412 can also move automatically between a first position and a second position.
[0230] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the number of flow guide ports 4113 is one. In some embodiments, the number of flow guide ports 4113 may also be multiple (two or more). The number of flow guide ports 4113 can be determined according to the actual situation.
[0231] In this embodiment, the baffle 412 is movably connected to the frame body 411. In some embodiments, the baffle 412 may also be movably connected to the inner wall of the outer shell 1, that is, connected to the receiving cavity. This embodiment does not specifically limit the position of the baffle 412, as long as it can open or close the guide port 4113.
[0232] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the filter element 08 includes a first filter element 084 and a second filter element (not shown in the figure). The first filter element 084 is disposed at the filter port 4111, and the second filter element is disposed at the guide port 4113. The pore size of the second filter element is larger than that of the first filter element.
[0233] In this embodiment, the pore size of the second filter element at the flow guide 4113 is larger than the pore size of the first filter element 084 at the filter port 4111. This reduces the likelihood of blockage at the flow guide 4113 while maintaining some of the filtration performance of the waste bin 41, thereby maintaining the suction stability of the pool robot 100 and improving its movement performance. Furthermore, it reduces the risk of dirt flowing into the receiving cavity through the flow guide 4113, thus preventing damage to other components within the receiving cavity.
[0234] Of course, those skilled in the art should understand that in some embodiments, a first filter element may also be provided at the flow guide port 4113, or no filter element may be provided at the flow guide port 4113.
[0235] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the baffle 412 is disposed on the frame body 411 in a manner that allows it to rotate between a first position and a second position; or, the baffle 412 is disposed on the frame body 411 in a manner that allows it to slide between a first position and a second position.
[0236] In this embodiment, the baffle 412 can be rotatably or slidably disposed on the frame body 411. It has a simple structure, is easy to assemble, and can open the guide port 4113 in a timely manner by rotating or sliding when the filter space is blocked, thereby restoring the motion performance of the pool robot 100 and maintaining the stable wall climbing or slope climbing performance of the pool robot 100.
[0237] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in FIG6, the waste bin 41 further includes a first elastic member 413, and the baffle 412 is rotatably connected to the frame body 411 via the first elastic member 413. The first elastic member 413 causes the baffle 412 to tend to approach the guide port 4113.
[0238] When the filtration space is not blocked, the water flows and circulates normally within the fluid channel. At this time, the baffle 412 remains in the first position, i.e., the position where the guide port 4113 is closed, under the elastic force of the first elastic element 413. However, when the filtration space becomes blocked, the water flow cannot continue, but the pumping assembly 5 continues to operate. This causes an increase in water pressure within the filtration space. This water pressure overcomes the elastic force of the first elastic element 413, allowing the baffle 412 to rotate to the second position, opening the guide port 4113 and restoring the fluid channel's unobstructed flow, thereby maintaining the movement performance of the pool robot 100. After the fluid channel is restored to its unobstructed state, the water pressure within the filtration space decreases, and the baffle 412 returns to the first position under the elastic force of the first elastic element 413, thus continuing to close the guide port 4113.
[0239] The elastic element has a simple structure, low cost, and small space occupation. Furthermore, the use of the elastic element enables the baffle 412 to rotate between the first and second positions in a clever and automated manner.
[0240] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the first elastic element 413 includes a torsion spring. The baffle 412 is rotatably connected to the frame body 411 via the torsion spring. Specifically, when the baffle 412 rotates to the second position under the action of an external force (water pressure), the torsion spring generates torque and stores potential energy. When the external force on the baffle 412 decreases or even disappears, the baffle 412 can return to the first position under the action of the torsional potential energy of the torsion spring, thereby realizing the rotation of the baffle 412 between the first and second positions.
[0241] The torsion spring has excellent elastic properties, can provide stable torque output, and can play a continuous and stable role during use, thereby reducing the possibility of malfunctions such as the baffle 412 failing to rotate properly and improving the reliability of the pool robot 100.
[0242] In addition, torsion springs have a relatively compact structure, occupy less space, are easy to install, and have mature technology and low material costs.
[0243] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the waste bin 41 further includes a baffle 412 and a baffle driving device. The output end of the baffle driving device is connected to the baffle 412 and is used to drive the baffle 412 to rotate around the frame body 411 or slide along the frame body 411.
[0244] The baffle driving device includes a baffle driving component and a baffle transmission assembly. The driving end of the baffle driving component is connected to the baffle transmission assembly and is used to drive the baffle transmission assembly to move. The baffle transmission assembly is connected to the baffle 412, thereby driving the baffle 412 to move between a first position and a second position. The baffle driving component includes, but is not limited to, a servo motor, a stepper motor, etc. The baffle transmission assembly includes, but is not limited to, a guide rail slider, a gear rack, a linkage mechanism, etc. In some embodiments, the baffle driving device may not include the baffle transmission assembly. The baffle driving component may include a cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, an electric telescopic rod, etc., and the driving ends of these baffle driving components are directly connected to the baffle 412, thereby driving the baffle 412 to move between the first position and the second position.
[0245] In this embodiment, the rotation or sliding of the baffle 412 is controlled by a baffle drive device, which offers higher precision and automation, reduces reliance on manual operation, and lowers labor costs. Furthermore, the drive device has a fast response speed, enabling it to quickly control the movement of the baffle 412 upon receiving instructions, thereby maintaining stable motion performance of the pool robot 100.
[0246] In some embodiments, a guide rail is provided on the frame column, and a slider is provided on the side of the baffle 412 facing the frame body 411. The slider is supported on the guide rail in a manner that allows it to move along the guide rail. The driving end of the baffle drive is connected to the baffle 412 or the slider, and is used to drive the baffle 412 to move linearly along the direction of the guide rail. The guide rail can extend along the height direction of the frame body 411, thereby allowing the baffle 412 to move in the up-down direction, or it can extend along the width direction of the frame body 411, thereby allowing the baffle 412 to move in the left-right direction. The baffle 412 only needs to be able to move between opening and closing the flow port 4113.
[0247] In some embodiments, a pivot is formed on the frame body 411, and a baffle 412 is fitted onto the pivot in a manner that allows it to move about the axis of the pivot. Exemplarily, the baffle 412 can rotate between a first position and a second position in the form of a flap, moving towards or away from the frame body 411. Also exemplaryly, the baffle 412 can also rotate between the first and second positions in the form of a swing plate, oscillating about the axis of the pivot.
[0248] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the cleaning system 4 includes a first pressure detection device disposed within the fluid channel. When the pressure detected by the first pressure detection device is less than a preset pressure, the baffle drive device controls the baffle 412 to move to a second position.
[0249] In this embodiment, the cleaning system 4 also includes a controller, and the pressure measuring device and the baffle driving device are all communicatively connected to the controller. Therefore, by using the controller, the first pressure measuring device, and the baffle driving device together, the automation level of the pool robot 100 can be further improved. When the first pressure measuring device detects an abnormal water pressure in the fluid channel, it sends an abnormal signal to the controller. The controller can then control the baffle driving device to automatically move the baffle 412 to a second position, and when the water pressure in the fluid channel returns to normal, it controls the baffle 412 to move back to the first position. This results in a fast response time, a high degree of automation, and also helps reduce labor costs.
[0250] Communication connections include, but are not limited to, electrical connections, Bluetooth connections, antenna signal connections, or WiFi connections.
[0251] Those skilled in the art will understand that the first pressure detection device can be located anywhere in the fluid channel, such as at the inlet 11, the outlet 12, within the filter space, or within the containment cavity. However, the preset pressure should be different at different locations.
[0252] Those skilled in the art will understand that the first pressure detection device can be any suitable device capable of performing the pressure detection function. For example, the first pressure detection device includes, but is not limited to, a pressure sensor.
[0253] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the cleaning system 4 further includes a baffle detection device disposed within a receiving cavity. When the baffle 412 is moved to the second position, the baffle 412 contacts the baffle detection device.
[0254] Baffle detection devices include, but are not limited to, Hall effect sensors, proximity switches, etc.
[0255] In this embodiment, if the filtration space becomes clogged, the baffle 412 will move to a second position, opening the flow port 4113 to maintain the suction of the pool robot 100. However, in cases of heavy dirt accumulation, the flow port 4113 may also become clogged. Therefore, this embodiment also includes a baffle detection device, which can automatically detect whether the flow port 4113 is open, thereby identifying whether a blockage has occurred in the waste bin 41.
[0256] The baffle detection device is located near the second position. When the baffle 412 moves to the second position and opens the flow outlet 4113, the baffle 412 will contact the baffle detection device, causing the device to detect that the baffle 412 is open. The device can then promptly send a signal to the controller or the user to remind them that the flow outlet 4113 is open, indicating blockage in the filtration space and requiring cleaning of the waste bin 41 to reduce the likelihood of further blockage. Alternatively, the controller can directly control the pool robot 100 to climb the wall and reach the shore, facilitating timely cleaning of the waste bin 41 by the user.
[0257] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in FIG6, the frame body 411 includes a plurality of sidewalls 4114 and a bottom wall 4115 connecting the plurality of sidewalls 4114. The one-way valve 42 includes a first one-way valve 421, which is disposed on the bottom wall 4115. A flow guide port 4113 is formed on one of the sidewalls 4114. A plurality of filter ports 4111 are formed on each of the plurality of sidewalls 4114, and the number of filter ports 4111 formed on each sidewall 4114 may be the same or different.
[0258] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the liquid inlet 11 includes a first liquid inlet 111, which is disposed on the bottom wall of the housing 1. The one-way valve 42 includes a first one-way valve 421, which is disposed on the bottom wall 4115 of the frame body 411 and corresponds to the position of the first liquid inlet 111.
[0259] Multiple filter ports 4111 are formed on each side wall 4114 of the waste bin 41, which helps to further improve filtration efficiency and thus improve cleaning efficiency. In addition, multiple filter ports 4111 help to reduce the possibility of clogging of the waste bin 41, help to maintain the suction stability of the pool robot 100, and make the operating performance of the pool robot 100 more stable.
[0260] Those skilled in the art should understand that the flow guide 4113 can be set on any side wall 4114 of the frame body 411, and the present disclosure does not specifically limit the setting position of the flow guide 4113.
[0261] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the frame body 411 includes multiple sidewalls 4114. The filter element 08 further includes a first filter element 084 and a third filter element 085. The first filter element 084 is disposed at the filter opening 4111, and the third filter element 085 is disposed on at least one sidewall 4114 of the frame body 411 and covers the outside of the first filter element 084 in a swingable manner. When the force borne by the third filter element 085 exceeds a preset force, at least a portion of the third filter element 085 detaches from the frame body 411. The pore size of the third filter element 085 is smaller than that of the first filter element 084. The dashed lines in Figures 8 and 9 schematically illustrate the water flow path.
[0262] In this embodiment of the disclosure, as shown in Figures 8(a) and 9(a), when the pool robot 100 is performing cleaning operations on the water surface, the dirt in the water can be filtered simultaneously through the double-layered filter elements 084 and 085, resulting in a better filtration effect.
[0263] As shown in Figures 8(b) and 9(b), when the pool robot 100 is performing a wall-climbing operation, at least part of the third filter element 085 detaches from the frame body 411, thereby allowing water to flow more easily out of the filter space through the first filter element 084 with a larger aperture, which helps to increase the suction of the pool robot 100 and maintain the stability of the pool robot 100 in climbing the wall.
[0264] In some embodiments, the third filter element 085 may be provided on only one side wall 4114 of the frame body 411, or the third filter element 085 may be provided on each side wall 4114. The third filter element 085 may cover only one filter port 4111, or it may cover multiple filter ports 4111.
[0265] For example, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the third filter element 085 can be disposed on the side wall of the frame body 411 near the suction and drainage drive device 51. As the third filter element 085 detaches from the frame body 411, it moves toward the suction and drainage drive device 51, thereby making the water flow through the filter port 4111 on the side of the frame body 411 near the suction and drainage drive device 51 smoother, which helps to improve the water absorption efficiency of the suction and drainage drive device 51.
[0266] For example, along the top-bottom direction of the pool robot 100 (also referred to as the height direction or a third direction of the pool robot 100), the top edge of the third filter element 085 is fixedly connected to the frame body 411 to form a fixed end, and the other end is configured as a free end. The free end may not be fixed to the frame body 411 at all, or it may be fixed to the frame body 411 by a weak adsorption force, such as by magnetic attraction or by adding a counterweight 086. Thus, when the pool robot 100 is performing cleaning operations on the water surface or in the water, the third filter element 085 can maintain its coverage over the outside of the first filter element 084, resulting in a better filtration effect in the filtration space. When the pool robot 100 is climbing walls or slopes, it will rotate. At this time, the free end of the third filter element 085 will detach from the frame body 411 due to the change in position and the action of gravity. That is, the force on the third filter element 085 is gravity, and it will partially detach from the frame body 411 under the action of gravity. This allows the water to flow out through the first filter element 084 with a larger aperture, which can improve the suction of the pool robot 100 and improve the stability of the pool robot 100 when climbing walls or slopes.
[0267] As an example, as shown in FIG8, the third filter element 085 can be hinged to the frame body 411. When the pool robot 100 is climbing the wall, the third filter element 085 can also rotate under the action of gravity due to the rotation of the pool robot 100, thereby partially detaching from the frame body 411, so that water flows in and out through the first filter element 084 with a larger aperture.
[0268] As another example, the third filter element 085 can be fixedly connected to the frame body 411 by means of weak adsorption, such as adhesive or magnetic attraction. When the pool robot 100 is climbing the wall, due to the rotation of the pool robot 100, the third filter element 085 can overcome the adhesive or adsorption forces under the action of gravity and water pressure, thereby completely detaching from the frame body 411, so that the water flows out through the first filter element 084 with a larger aperture.
[0269] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG9, the third filter element 085 may not be disposed on the frame body 411, but rather disposed within the receiving cavity, near the waste bin 41, and located on the flow path of the liquid flowing out through the outlet. One end of the third filter element 085 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the outer shell 1, and the other end is provided with a counterweight 086. Thus, when the pool robot 100 performs cleaning operations on the water surface or in the water, as shown in FIG9(a), the third filter element 085 is vertically disposed along a third direction under the action of the counterweight 086. At this time, the water flow filtered by the waste bin 41 will first flow through the third filter element 085 when flowing towards the outlet, thereby further improving the cleaning effect of the pool robot. When the pool robot 100 is climbing walls or slopes, as shown in Figure 9(b), the pool robot 100 will rotate. At this time, the third filter element 085 will also rotate under the action of the counterweight 086, so that the water filtered by the garbage bin 41 will flow directly to the outlet 12 without passing through the third filter element 085, thereby increasing the suction of the pool robot 100 and improving its cleaning ability on the pool wall.
[0270] In some embodiments, the third filter element 085 can also be connected to the frame body 411 or to the receiving cavity by means of a pull-out mechanism. In this way, when the pool robot 100 is performing cleaning operations on the water surface or in the water, the third filter element 085 can be driven by the drive device to be located on the water flow path, and when the pool robot 100 is performing wall climbing or slope climbing movements, the third filter element 085 can be driven away from the water flow path.
[0271] This disclosure does not specifically limit the location and connection method of the third filter element 085, as long as the water flow can pass through the third filter element 085 when the pool robot 100 is performing cleaning operations on the water surface or underwater, and the water flow does not pass through the third filter element 085 when the pool robot 100 is climbing walls or slopes.
[0272] For example, the third filter element 085 can be HEPA. HEPA filter elements are typically made of high-quality materials such as high-performance synthetic fibers, possessing a certain strength and toughness, making them less prone to breakage. They also have good corrosion resistance, maintaining filtration efficiency for extended periods under normal operating conditions. Compared to some ordinary filter materials, they have longer replacement cycles, reducing operating costs and maintenance frequency. Furthermore, HEPA filter elements offer high filtration efficiency, low resistance, and a wide range of applications.
[0273] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG10, the filter element 08 includes a fourth filter element 087, which is disposed on at least one sidewall 4114 of the frame body 411. The fourth filter element 087 includes a first filter segment 0871 and a second filter segment 0872. There may be two second filter segments 0872, located on opposite sides of the first filter segment 0871. FIG10(a) shows the second filter segment 0872 in an unopened state, and FIG10(b) and FIG10(c) show the second filter segment 0872 in an open state.
[0274] Exemplarily, the first filter section 0871 may be generally arc-shaped, thereby enabling better engagement with the outer periphery of the suction / drainage drive device 51. In this embodiment, because the first filter section 0871 engages with the outer contour of the suction / drainage drive device 51, the pore size of the first filter section 0871 is larger than that of the second filter section 0872, allowing water to flow more effectively through the fourth filter element 087. In some other embodiments, the pore sizes of the first filter section 0871 and the second filter section 0872 may be the same.
[0275] Specifically, the fourth filter element 087 includes a support frame 0873, and both the first filter section 0871 and the second filter section 0872 are disposed on the support frame 0873. The second filter section 0872 is connected to the filter frame 0873 in a manner that allows it to rotate relative to the filter frame 0873. The second filter section 0872 includes a counterweight 086.
[0276] As shown in Figure 10(a), when the pool robot 100 is performing cleaning operations on the water surface, the dirt in the water can be filtered simultaneously through the first filter section 0871 and the second filter section 0872, resulting in a better filtration effect.
[0277] As shown in Figure 10(b), when the pool robot 100 is climbing the wall, the second filter section 0872 will rotate relative to the filter frame 0783 under the action of the counterweight 086 or gravity, similar to "opening a door". This creates a larger opening at the filter frame 0783, allowing water to flow out more easily through the opening, increasing drainage volume, reducing the possibility of blockage, and thus helping to increase the suction of the pool robot 100 and maintain the stability of the pool robot 100 climbing the wall.
[0278] For example, as shown in FIG10(b), the pivot of the second filter section 0872 may be located at the center of the opening of the filter frame 0873.
[0279] As another example, the pivot of the second filter section 0872 can also be located on both sides of the filter frame 0873, rotating in a manner similar to "opening a door".
[0280] As another example, as shown in FIG10(c), the pivot of the second filter section 0872 can be located above the opening of the filter frame 0873, and the second filter section 0872 rotates in a similar oscillating manner.
[0281] In this embodiment, the filtration level of the first filter section 0871 is the same as that of the first filter element 084. It is understood that a higher filtration level results in finer filtration. In some embodiments, a higher filtration level corresponds to a smaller pore size.
[0282] In some embodiments, the filtration level of the first filter section 0871 is greater than the filtration level of the first filter element 084. In practice, the pore size of the first filter section 0871 can be set to be smaller than the pore size of the first filter element 084, so that the filtration level of the first filter section 0871 is greater than the filtration level of the first filter element 084.
[0283] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in FIG11, the waste bin 41 includes a bottom wall 4115. Along the height direction of the waste bin 41, a portion of the bottom wall 4115 extends in a direction away from the first liquid inlet 111 to form a positioning portion 4116. The waste bin 41 also includes a support member 415 and a filter bag 418. The support member 415 is annular and is detachably mounted on the positioning portion 4116. A first one-way valve 421 is mounted on the support member 415, and the circumferential wall of the support member 415 provides an installation position for the filter bag 418. The interior of the filter bag 418 defines the filtration space of the waste bin 41.
[0284] For example, the support member 415 is detachably connected to the positioning part 4116. Therefore, when the filter bag needs to be installed or replaced, the support member 415 can simply be removed from the positioning part 4116. An annular groove is provided on the circumferential wall of the support member 415. After the filter bag 418 is fitted onto the circumferential wall, it can be fixed to the circumferential wall by an elastic element such as a rubber band. After fixing, the elastic element is accommodated in the annular groove, thereby reducing the possibility of slippage and improving the connection reliability of the filter element. After the filter bag is installed, the support member 415 is re-fitted onto the positioning part 4116 to achieve a fixed connection between the filter bag 418 and the bottom wall 4115, making the operation simple and convenient.
[0285] The filter bag 418 refers to a bag-shaped structural component that can intercept dirt while allowing fluid to pass through. In this embodiment, the waste bin 41 includes a filter bag 418. After the pool robot 100 completes the cleaning operation, the filter bag 418 is removed and replaced with a new one to complete the cleaning of the waste bin 41. This eliminates the need for frequent cleaning of the waste bin 41, saving time and allowing the pool robot 100 to resume cleaning operations quickly. Furthermore, it reduces the corrosion of the frame-type waste bin 41 by dirt, thus extending its service life.
[0286] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the waste bin 41 further includes a first connector 416, which is disposed on the bottom wall 4115 of the waste bin 41 in a manner that allows it to move along a first direction between a connected position and a retracted position. A second connector 4151 is disposed on the circumferential wall of the support member 415. When the first connector 416 moves to the connected position, the first connector 416 and the second connector 4151 engage and connect, thereby fixing the support member 415 relative to the bottom wall 4115.
[0287] In this embodiment, after the filter bag 418 is fitted onto the support member 415, the support member 415 can be fixed relative to the bottom wall 4115 through the cooperation of the first connector 416 and the second connector 4151, thereby fixing the filter bag 418. This reduces the possibility of the filter bag 418 falling off during the cleaning operation of the pool robot 100, which helps to improve the filtration reliability of the pool robot 100.
[0288] For example, the bottom wall 4115 is formed with a groove that extends along a first direction, and the first connector 416 is disposed in the groove and is able to slide within the groove.
[0289] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the first connector 416 includes a snap hole, and the second connector 4151 includes a snap fastener.
[0290] In this embodiment, the filter bag 418 can be fixed by the snap-fit of the snap holes and buckles. The structure is simple, the assembly is easy, the production cost is low, and the connection stability is good.
[0291] In some embodiments, the first connector 416 includes a first magnetic element, and the second connector 4151 includes a second magnetic element with a magnetic opposite to that of the first magnetic element. Thus, the support 415 can be fixed relative to the bottom wall 4115 through the magnetic attraction between the first and second magnetic elements.
[0292] This disclosure does not limit the specific structure of the first connector 416 and the second connector 4151. Any suitable connection structure can be used, as long as it can fix the support 415 relative to the bottom wall 4115.
[0293] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in FIG11, the waste bin 41 further includes a connector drive device 417. The drive end of the connector drive device 417 is connected to the first connector 416. The first connector 416 can move between a connected position and a retracted position along a first direction under the drive of the connector drive device 417.
[0294] The connecting drive device 417 includes, but is not limited to, linear motors, telescopic cylinders, servo cam assemblies, etc.
[0295] In this embodiment, the filter bag 418 can be fixed automatically via the connector drive device 417, achieving a higher degree of automation. Furthermore, the drive device offers advantages such as fast response speed and high control precision, facilitating precise coordination between the first connector and the second connector 4151 and improving connection stability.
[0296] Specifically, when the user needs to replace the filter bag 418, they need to first open the top cover 16 of the pool robot 100. The top cover 16 of the pool robot 100 may be equipped with a Hall sensor or other detection device to identify whether the pool robot 100 is open or closed. When the detection device detects that the top cover 16 is open, it sends a signal to the controller. The controller then controls the connector drive device 417 to move the first connector 416 to a retracted position, thereby disengaging the first connector 416 and the second connector 4151. This allows the user to remove the support member 415 and the filter bag 418 connected to the support member 415, and replace the filter bag 418. After replacement, the user re-attaches the support member 415 to the positioning part 4116 and closes the top cover 16 of the pool robot 100. When the detection device detects that the top cover 16 is in the closed state, it will automatically control the connector drive device 417 to drive the first connector 416 to the connection position. Through the cooperation of the first connector 416 and the second connector 4151, the support member 415 with the filter bag 418 is fixedly connected to the bottom wall 4115.
[0297] In some embodiments, when the first connector 416 and the second connector 4151 are disengaged, the user may remove only the filter bag 418 connected to the support 415 and replace the filter bag 418, without removing the support 415 together with the filter bag 418. After replacing the filter bag 418, the new filter bag 418 is then reinstalled onto the support 415.
[0298] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the cleaning system 4 further includes a positioning detection device disposed within the receiving cavity for detecting whether the waste container 41 is connected in place.
[0299] Whether the filtered dirt is collected by using a filter bag 418 or directly through the frame-type waste bin 41, the user needs to clean the waste bin 41 regularly. In this embodiment, the waste bin 41 is detachably connected within the housing 1's receiving cavity. Detachable connection methods include, but are not limited to, snap-fit, threaded connection, fastener connection, and magnetic attraction.
[0300] In this embodiment, after the user disassembles and cleans the waste bin 41, the system can automatically detect whether the waste bin 41 is properly connected using a positioning detection device, thereby further improving the automation level of the cleaning system 4. This reduces the possibility of malfunctions or poor cleaning results caused by improper connection during the cleaning operation of the pool robot 100, and improves the reliability of the pool robot 100.
[0301] In some embodiments, the positioning detection device can promptly issue an alarm signal when it detects that the waste bin 41 is not properly connected and the user closes the top cover 16 of the pool robot 100. The alarm signal includes, but is not limited to, a visual alarm signal with flashing indicator lights, an audible alarm signal, or an alarm / abnormality notification displayed on the host computer.
[0302] In some embodiments, the base station 300 of the pool robot 100 may be equipped with a second robotic arm 301, which can automatically replace the filter bag 418.
[0303] For example, when the pool robot 100 detects that the filter bag 418 needs to be replaced, the pool robot 100 can move towards the base station 300. When the base station 300 detects the pool robot 100, the pool robot 100 can either go ashore and enter the base station 300, or stay on the water surface near the base station 300. The base station 300 first controls the second robotic arm 301 to open the top cover 16 of the pool robot 100, then removes the support member 415 and the filter bag 418 connected to the support member 415, and reconnects the new filter bag 418 to the support member 415, thereby completing the replacement of the filter bag 418. Finally, after the replacement is completed, the second robotic arm 301 is controlled to re-attach the support member 415 to the positioning part 4116 and close the top cover 16 of the pool robot 100 to achieve automated replacement of the filter bag 418. During the replacement process, when the pool robot 100 determines that the top cover 16 is in the open state, it controls the connector drive device 417 to drive the first connector 416 to the retracted position, thereby disengaging the first connector 416 and the second connector 4151, so that the second robotic arm 301 can remove the support member 415 and the filter bag 418 connected to the support member 415. In some embodiments, the detection of whether the top cover 16 is in the open state can be performed by a detection device inside the pool robot 100, or by a base station 300.
[0304] Alternatively, the filter bag 418 can be replaced directly by the second robotic arm 301 without removing the support member 415.
[0305] In some embodiments, the second robotic arm 301 can also directly clean the frame-type waste bin 41. For example, the second robotic arm 301 can first remove the waste bin 401 from the receiving cavity of the pool robot 100, then empty and clean the waste inside the waste bin 41, and finally reinstall the waste bin 41 into the receiving cavity, thereby achieving the cleaning operation of the waste bin 41. As another example, if there is no dirt inside the waste bin 41, the second robotic arm 301 can grip a wiping tool and insert it into the waste bin 41 to wipe it, thereby achieving the cleaning operation of the waste bin 41.
[0306] In addition to the above-mentioned use of Hall sensors and other detection devices to detect whether the top cover 16 is open or closed, a mechanical structure can also be used to control whether the top cover 16 can be tightly closed with the outer shell body 15 of the pool robot 100. For example, if the frame body 411 of the waste bin 41 is not installed in place, the top cover 16 of the pool robot 100 cannot be closed tightly.
[0307] Specifically, as shown in Figures 12(a) and 12(b), in some embodiments, the top cover 16 includes a top cover extension 161, which is disposed on the side of the top cover 16 facing the receiving cavity and extends along the height direction (third direction) of the pool robot 100. The outer shell body 15 forms an extension receiving portion 151, which is disposed adjacent to the receiving area of the frame body 411 within the outer shell body 15 for receiving the waste bin 41, and the extension receiving portion 151 has a blocking opening 152 on the side facing the receiving area. The position of the top cover extension 161 corresponds to the position of the extension receiving portion 151, and is used to receive the top cover extension 161 when the top cover 16 is closed to the outer shell body 15. The extension receiving portion 151 includes a first sidewall 151a and a second sidewall 151b arranged opposite each other along a second direction, and the blocking opening 152 is formed in the first sidewall 151a. The pool robot 100 also includes a first blocking member 153, a portion of which is rotatably disposed within the extension receiving portion 151 and is movable between a first blocking position and a first blocking retraction position. The first blocking member 153 includes a first blocking segment 1531 and a second blocking segment 1532 connected to each other. The extending directions of the first blocking segment 1531 and the second blocking segment 1532 intersect. The first blocking segment 1531 is located within the extension receiving portion 151, and as shown in FIG12(a), when the first blocking member 153 is in the first blocking retraction position, the first blocking segment 1531 is disposed close to the first sidewall 151a. As shown in FIG12(b), when the first blocking member 153 is in the first blocking position, the first blocking segment 1531 is disposed close to the second sidewall 151b. The cover extension 161 is disposed near the second sidewall 151b of the extension receiving portion 151. When the first blocking section 1531 is in the first blocking position, the cover extension 161 will interfere with the first blocking section 1531 of the first blocking member 153. That is, the first blocking section 1531 is close to the second sidewall 151b, thereby preventing the cover extension 151 from extending into the extension receiving portion 151, thus preventing the cover 16 from being closed tightly. However, when the first blocking member 153 is in the first blocking retracted position, the first blocking section 1531 is disposed near the first sidewall 151a, forming a gap with the second sidewall 151b, thereby allowing the cover extension 161 to extend into the gap. That is, the cover extension 161 can extend well into the extension receiving portion 151, thereby allowing the cover 16 to be closed tightly.
[0308] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 12(b), when the waste bin 41 is not installed in place, the second blocking section 1532 of the first blocking member 153 extends through the blocking member opening into the receiving area of the mounting frame body 411. At this time, the first blocking section 1531 is positioned close to the second side wall 151b, that is, the first blocking member 153 is located in the first blocking retraction position, making it impossible for the top cover 16 to be closed tightly. However, as shown in Figure 12(a), when the waste bin 41 is installed in place, the waste bin 41 will apply a force to the first blocking member 153, causing the first blocking member 153 to rotate. At this time, the second blocking section 1532 of the first blocking member 153 will rotate into the extension receiving part 151 under the action of the external force, and the first blocking section 1531 will rotate to a position close to the first side wall 151a, that is, rotate to the first blocking retraction position, thereby allowing the top cover 16 to be closed tightly. Specifically, the first blocking member 153 is rotatably disposed within the extension receiving portion 151 via a torsion spring, and the torsion spring provides torque to the second blocking section 1532 of the first blocking member 153, which moves toward the opening 152 of the blocking member. When the waste bin 41 is not installed or is not properly installed, the first blocking member 153 rotates to the first blocking position under the action of the torsion spring, thereby preventing the top cover 16 from closing. When the waste bin 41 is properly installed, the waste bin 41 applies a force to the first blocking member 153, causing the first blocking member 153 to overcome the torque and rotate to the first blocking retraction position, allowing the top cover 16 to close tightly with the outer casing 15.
[0309] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 12(c) and 12(d), the upper cover 16 includes an upper cover extension 161 disposed on the side of the upper cover 16 facing the receiving cavity, and the upper cover extension 161 extends along the height direction (third direction) of the pool robot 100. The pool robot 100 also includes a second blocking member 154, which is movable along a second direction between a second blocking position and a second blocking retracted position. Compared to the second blocking retracted position, when the second blocking position is in the second blocking position, the second blocking member 154 is disposed closer to the receiving space of the receiving waste compartment 41 along the second direction. The second blocking member 154 is formed with a blocking step portion 1541, which is disposed on the side of the second blocking member 154 facing the upper cover extension 161.
[0310] As shown in Figure 12(c), when the second blocking member 154 is in the second blocking retracted position, the blocking step portion 1541 does not interfere with the upper cover extension 161, allowing the upper cover extension 161 to fully extend into the outer shell body 15, thereby allowing the upper cover 16 to be closed tightly. As shown in Figure 12(d), when the second blocking member 154 is in the second blocking position, the blocking step portion 1541 interferes with the upper cover extension 161, preventing the upper cover extension 161 from fully extending into the outer shell body 15, thus preventing the upper cover 16 from being closed tightly. Specifically, the second blocking member 154 can move between the second blocking position and the second blocking retracted position via an elastic member. The elastic member applies an elastic force to the second blocking member 154 toward the waste bin 41, that is, applies an elastic force to the second blocking member 154 toward the second blocking position. As shown in Figure 12(d), when the waste bin 41 is not installed or is not installed at all, the second blocking member 154 moves to the second blocking position under the action of the elastic member. At this time, the blocking step portion 1541 prevents the upper cover extension 161 from extending in, so that the upper cover 16 cannot be completely closed. As shown in Figure 12(c), when the waste bin 41 is installed, the frame body 411 of the waste bin 41 applies a force to the second blocking member 154, so that the second blocking member 154 overcomes the elastic force and moves towards the second blocking retraction position. At this time, the blocking step portion 1541 will not interfere with the upper cover extension 161, so that the upper cover extension 161 can smoothly enter the outer shell body 15, thereby allowing the upper cover 16 to be closed tightly.
[0311] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in Figures 13(a) and 13(b), the housing 1 is further formed with at least one suction compensation port 13, which is in communication with the receiving cavity. In the event that the fluid channel is at least partially blocked, water flows into the receiving cavity through the suction compensation port 13 and is then discharged to the outside of the housing 1 through the liquid outlet 12.
[0312] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the receiving cavity and the filtering space are in an open and connected state, sharing the entire fluid space. In this way, even if some areas are blocked, the fluid can still flow out through the remaining space or be vented through the remaining space.
[0313] Normally, water flows into the filtration space through the inlet 11, then into the receiving cavity, and finally out through the outlet 12. If the inlet 11 or the filtration space becomes blocked, the water flow may not be able to continue circulating within the fluid channel, thus affecting the suction power of the pool robot and its climbing and wall-climbing movements. However, in this embodiment, the pool robot 100 is also equipped with a suction compensation port 13. Therefore, even if the filtration space or the inlet 11 is blocked, water can still flow in through the suction compensation port 13, thereby maintaining negative pressure at the suction compensation port 13 and transferring suction power there. This reduces the possibility of the pool robot 100 failing to adhere to the cavity wall due to suction loss.
[0314] In addition, it can reduce the possibility of poor venting caused by setting up a separate fluid channel, enabling the pool robot 100 to enter the water quickly.
[0315] In this embodiment, there are four suction compensation ports 13, which are spaced apart and evenly distributed on the bottom wall of the outer casing 1, roughly at the four corners of the rectangular bottom wall. This allows negative pressure to be generated at the corners of the bottom wall, improving the adsorption stability and reliability of the pool robot 100. Furthermore, even if one or more suction compensation ports 13 become blocked, suction can continue to be provided through the remaining suction compensation ports 13, maintaining the operational capability of the pool robot 100.
[0316] Of course, those skilled in the art should understand that the present disclosure does not specifically limit the number of suction compensation ports 13. In some embodiments, the number of suction compensation ports 13 may be one, two, three, or more (more than four). Moreover, the present disclosure does not specifically limit the position of the suction compensation ports 13, and can be set according to the actual situation.
[0317] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the opening area of the suction compensation port 13 can be in the range of 5 mm to 7 mm.
[0318] For example, the opening area of the suction compensation port 13 can be 5mm, 5.2mm, 5.4mm, 5.6mm, 5.8mm, 6mm, 6.2mm, 6.4mm, 6.6mm, 6.8mm or 7mm, etc.
[0319] The opening area of the suction compensation port 13 is within a suitable range, which can reduce the entry of foreign objects into the receiving cavity through the suction compensation port 13 while providing suction, and reduce the loss of suction caused by the blockage of the suction compensation port 13.
[0320] In addition, in some embodiments, when the pool robot 100 is required to spray water in reverse, the suction compensation port 13 can also serve as the liquid outlet 12 when spraying water in reverse, i.e., the reverse liquid outlet 18.
[0321] In some embodiments of this disclosure, at least one barrier rib 131 is formed at the suction compensation port 13 to divide the suction compensation port 13 into at least two sub-suction compensation ports 132.
[0322] In this embodiment, since a barrier rib 131 is formed at the suction compensation port 13, the overall opening area of each suction compensation port 13 can be reduced without affecting the suction power. This makes it difficult for common foreign objects and debris to enter the receiving cavity through the suction compensation port 13, reducing the possibility of dirt corroding other parts inside the receiving cavity. In addition, it also reduces the possibility of the suction compensation port 13 becoming blocked, further maintaining the suction stability of the pool robot 100.
[0323] For example, a barrier rib 131 can be provided at a suction compensation port 13, thereby dividing a suction compensation port 13 into two sub-suction compensation ports 132.
[0324] As another example, a suction compensation port 13 may be provided with a plurality of (n) barrier ribs 131 at intervals, thereby dividing a suction compensation port 13 into n+1 sub-suction compensation ports 132.
[0325] The present invention does not specifically limit the number of blocking ribs 131 at a suction compensation port 13, but can specifically limit it according to the actual opening area of the suction compensation port 13.
[0326] For example, the opening area of the separated sub-suction compensation port 132 can be in the range of 1 mm to 2 mm.
[0327] For example, the barrier rib 131 can evenly divide a suction compensation port 12 into multiple sub-suction compensation ports 132 with the same opening area, or it can divide a suction compensation port 12 into multiple sub-suction compensation ports 132 with different opening areas.
[0328] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in Figures 5 and 14, the fluid channel includes a first fluid channel and a second fluid channel. The inlet 11 includes a first inlet 111, and the outlet 12 includes a first outlet 121. Dirty water flows through the first inlet 111 into the filtration space, then into the receiving cavity, and finally exits through the first outlet 121 to the outside of the housing 1 under the drive of the suction / drainage drive device 51. The first inlet 111, the filtration space, the receiving cavity, and the first outlet 121 together define the first fluid channel. Alternatively, the inlet 11 includes a second inlet 112, and the outlet 12 includes a second outlet 122. Dirty water flows through the second inlet 112 into the filtration space, then into the receiving cavity, and finally exits through the second outlet 122 to the outside of the housing 1 under the drive of the propulsion drive device 52. The second inlet 112, the filtration space, the receiving cavity, and the second outlet 122 together define the second fluid channel. The first liquid inlet 111 is located on the bottom side of the outer casing 1, the first liquid outlet 121 is located on the top side of the outer casing 1, the second liquid inlet 112 is located on the front side of the outer casing 1, and the second liquid outlet 122 is located on the rear side of the outer casing 1.
[0329] The arrows in Figures 5 and 14 schematically illustrate the flow of the liquid.
[0330] Both the suction and drainage drive device 51 and the propulsion drive device 52 belong to the pumping assembly 5.
[0331] When cleaning the pool bottom, the pool robot 100 can adhere to the pool bottom using its own gravity. However, when cleaning the pool walls or slopes in the water, additional adhesion is required to allow it to stick to the surface. This is the climbing and wall-climbing capability of the pool robot 100 mentioned several times earlier. Typically, the pool robot 100 is driven by the suction and drainage drive device 51, allowing water to flow in from the first inlet 111 and out from the first outlet 121. The first inlet 111 is located on the bottom side of the outer casing 1, and the first outlet 121 is located on the top side of the outer casing 1. The negative pressure at the first inlet 111 is relatively high, creating suction on the bottom side to adhere to the wall. Additionally, while draining water towards the top, the first outlet 121 also provides a thrust towards the bottom of the pool robot 100, i.e., a thrust towards the pool wall, allowing the pool robot 100 to adhere better to the pool wall. During this process, dirt in the water can also enter the filtration space of the waste bin 41 through the liquid inlet 11, thereby filtering the water.
[0332] When the pool robot 100 is cleaning the water surface, it needs to float on the water. At this time, if the liquid is still circulated through the first liquid inlet 111 and the first liquid outlet 121, the upward drainage of water from the first liquid outlet 121 will exert a downward thrust on the pool robot 100, thus affecting the buoyancy of the pool robot 100.
[0333] In view of this, the fluid channels of the pool robot 100 when working on the water surface or underwater are separated and independent. When working on the water surface, the pool robot 100 can have water flowing in through the second inlet 112 located on the front side of the housing 1 and flowing out through the second outlet 122 located on the rear side of the housing 1. This allows the pool robot 100 to filter dirty water flow in the direction of movement, while the second outlet 122 on the rear side can provide forward thrust to the pool robot 100 when spraying water, so that the pool robot 100 can move better in the direction of movement.
[0334] In this way, the fluid channels of the pool robot 100 are separated and independent when it works on the water surface or underwater, so as to ensure the ability to suck up dirt without affecting the attachment of the pool robot 100 to the pool bottom underwater, or the propulsion and floating of the pool robot 100 on the water surface.
[0335] In some embodiments, the pool robot 100 further includes an angle detection device. The angle detection device is capable of detecting the tilt angle of the pool robot 100 relative to the working surface 10 when the pool robot 100 performs climbing or wall-climbing movements relative to the working surface 10. In some embodiments, the process includes the following steps:
[0336] Obtain the tilt angle of the pool robot 100 relative to the working surface 10;
[0337] If the tilt angle and holding time meet the preset conditions, it is determined that the pool robot 100 is at risk of detaching from the working surface 10; otherwise, it is determined that the pool robot 100 is not at risk of detaching from the working surface 10.
[0338] Preset conditions may include, but are not limited to, greater than a preset angle, or holding for a duration exceeding a preset duration threshold. Preset angles include a first preset angle, a second preset angle, etc.
[0339] For example, if the angle detection device detects that the tilt angle of the pool robot 100 relative to the working surface 10 is greater than a first preset angle, and the duration of this tilt (i.e., the duration for which the tilt angle is greater than the first preset angle) exceeds a preset duration threshold, it is determined that the pool robot 100 is at risk of detaching from the working surface 10. The first preset angle can be any suitable angle, such as 20 degrees, 30 degrees, etc. The duration threshold can be any suitable duration, such as 1 minute, 30 seconds, etc.
[0340] For example, when the angle detection device detects that the tilt angle of the pool robot 100 relative to the working surface 10 is greater than the second preset angle, it determines that the pool robot 100 is at risk of detaching from the working surface 10. The second preset angle can be any suitable angle, and the second preset angle is greater than the first preset angle.
[0341] Therefore, when it is determined that the pool robot 100 is at risk of detaching from the working surface 10, the suction and drainage drive device 51 can be controlled in a timely manner to increase the suction force, thereby increasing the pool robot 100's ability to climb slopes and walls, thus reducing the possibility of the pool robot 100 detaching from the working surface 10 and improving the cleaning reliability of the pool robot 100.
[0342] In some embodiments, when it is determined that the pool robot 100 is at risk of detaching from the working surface 10, in addition to increasing the suction force of the suction and drainage drive device 51, the pool robot 100 can also be driven to move toward the water surface as quickly as possible, so that the operator can check whether the pool robot 100 is blocked or has other faults.
[0343] For example, angle sensors include, but are not limited to, optical angle sensors, resistive angle sensors, magnetic angle sensors, inertial angle sensors, etc.
[0344] Optical angle sensors primarily convert angle changes into electrical signals through photoelectric conversion. They typically consist of a light source, an encoder disk, and a photodetector. The encoder disk has specific engraved patterns; when an object rotates, the disk rotates accordingly, and light passing through these patterns generates pulse signals. The photodetector converts these light pulses into electrical signals, thereby calculating the angle change. Optical angle sensors offer advantages such as high precision and fast response speed.
[0345] A resistive angle sensor consists of a fixed resistor and a rotatable sliding contact. As the sliding contact rotates with the object's angle, the position of the contact point between the contact and the resistor changes, resulting in a change in resistance. By measuring the resistance value corresponding to the sliding contact's position, the angle change of the object is reflected. Resistive angle sensors are simple in structure, low in cost, reliable, and easy to install and use.
[0346] Magnetic angle sensors utilize Hall effect devices to sense changes in magnetic fields. When an object changes angle, the direction and intensity of the magnetic field change. The Hall effect device detects this change and generates a corresponding voltage change. The sensor infers the angle change by measuring this voltage change. Magnetic angle sensors can accurately detect minute angle variations, making them extremely useful for high-precision angle control and measurement systems. Furthermore, magnetic angle sensors offer fast response times and strong environmental adaptability.
[0347] An inertial angle sensor is an inertial measurement unit composed of an accelerometer and a gyroscope. It integrates data from both through a fusion algorithm to improve the accuracy and stability of angle measurements. The accelerometer detects changes in gravity to determine the tilt angle of an object, while the gyroscope measures the object's angular velocity to calculate the angle change. Inertial angle sensors offer fast response times, strong anti-interference capabilities, and good long-term stability, enabling them to be used persistently in various environments. This maintains stable performance over a long period, reducing the frequency of maintenance and replacement, and lowering operating costs.
[0348] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 5 and 86, the number of suction and drainage drive devices 51 can be two, and the two suction and drainage drive devices 51 can effectively increase the suction power of the pool robot 100.
[0349] For example, the suction and drainage impellers 512 of the two suction and drainage drive devices 51 can rotate in opposite directions. When the two impellers 512 rotate, they generate two water streams flowing in opposite directions. This allows the pool robot 100 to more comprehensively agitate the water during movement, making it easier to suspend dirt hidden on the pool bottom and walls, which can then be captured by the cleaning system 4 of the pool robot 100. Simultaneously, different spray directions and different rotation directions can cover a larger cleaning area, reduce cleaning dead spots, and improve the overall cleaning effect.
[0350] In addition, by rationally designing the rotation direction of the two suction and drainage drive devices 51, the water flow inside the pool robot 100 can form a better circulation and organization. For example, one suction and drainage drive device 51 is responsible for sucking the dirt into the filter space of the pool robot 100, while the other suction and drainage drive device 51 discharges the filtered clean water, and generates auxiliary propulsion or adjusts the robot's posture during the discharge process to better adapt to the cleaning task and the working environment.
[0351] Compared to a single suction and drainage drive device 51 or multiple suction and drainage drive devices 51 rotating in the same direction, this design of the present disclosure can utilize energy more effectively, reduce energy waste, improve the energy utilization efficiency of the pool robot 100, and reduce operating costs while ensuring cleaning effect.
[0352] Specifically, as shown in Figure 86, the portion of the outer casing 1 that houses the suction and drainage drive device 51 is connected to the filter space inside the garbage bin 41. Thus, after the liquid in the garbage bin 41 flows out of the filter space of the garbage bin 41, it can flow to the suction and drainage drive device 51 and flow out of the outer casing 1 through the liquid outlet 12.
[0353] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in Figures 1 to 5 and Figure 15, the one-way valve 42 includes a second one-way valve 422, which is disposed at the second inlet 112. The cleaning system 4 includes a first side brush 43, which is rotatably disposed on the housing 1 for cleaning the working surface 10. The first side brush 43 is disposed on at least one side of the second inlet 112 along a first direction, which is the width direction of the housing 1. The cleaning system 4 also includes a first side brush drive device 431 and a first side brush transmission device 432. The first side brush transmission device 432 is connected to the first side brush 43 and the second one-way valve 422. The first side brush drive device 431 is connected to the first side brush transmission device 432 and is used to drive the first side brush transmission device 432 to move, thereby jointly driving the first side brush 43 to rotate and the second one-way valve 422 to open and close.
[0354] The second liquid inlet 112 extends along the width of the housing 1 and is generally rectangular. In some embodiments, the second liquid inlet 112 may also be any other suitable shape.
[0355] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the second liquid inlet 112 is provided with a second one-way valve 422. In this way, when the pool robot 100 is performing cleaning operations on the water surface, dirt, impurities, etc. that flow into the filtration space are not likely to flow back into the water body through the second liquid inlet 112, thereby reducing the possibility of the filtered water body being re-polluted and improving the cleaning effect of the pool robot 100.
[0356] Furthermore, the pool robot 100 is equipped with a first side brush 43, which is located on at least one side of the second liquid inlet 112 along its length direction, thereby increasing the contact area of the pool robot 100 with the surface to be cleaned and improving the cleaning effect of the pool robot 100.
[0357] In this embodiment, there are two first side brushes 43, which are located on opposite sides of the second liquid inlet 112 along the first direction. The first side brushes 43 are rotatably mounted on the outer casing 1 and can agitate the surrounding water while rotating, so that the water and dirt in the water can flow into the filtration space of the waste bin 41 through the second liquid inlet 112, thereby achieving filtration and cleaning of the water.
[0358] Of course, those skilled in the art should understand that in some embodiments, the number of first side brushes 43 may be only one, and one first side brush 43 may be set on any side of the second liquid inlet 112 along the first direction, or the pool robot 100 may not be provided with a first change.
[0359] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the first side brush 43 and the second one-way valve 422 are driven synchronously by the same driving device. That is, while driving the first side brush 43 to rotate, the second one-way valve 422 is driven to open the second liquid inlet 112, which helps to reduce the number of driving devices and save production costs.
[0360] In some embodiments, the first side brush 43 and the second one-way valve 422 may also be driven separately by separate drive devices.
[0361] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 15, there are two first side brushes 43, which are disposed on opposite sides of the second liquid inlet 112 along a first direction, and the two first side brushes 43 rotate in opposite directions. The first side brush transmission device 432 includes a first sub-transmission mechanism 433, a second sub-transmission mechanism 434, a first belt 435, and a second belt 436. The first sub-transmission mechanism 433 is connected to one first side brush 43, the second sub-transmission mechanism 434 is connected to the other first side brush 43, the first belt 435 is connected to the first sub-transmission mechanism 433 and the second sub-transmission mechanism 434, the second belt 436 is connected to one of the first sub-transmission mechanism 433 or the second sub-transmission mechanism 434, and a second one-way valve 422. The first side brush drive device 431 is connected to the first sub-transmission mechanism 433 or the second sub-transmission mechanism 434.
[0362] In this embodiment, the number of first side brushes 43 is two, which helps to further increase the contact area between the pool robot 100 and the area to be cleaned, thereby further improving the cleaning effect of the pool robot 100.
[0363] Furthermore, this embodiment employs a belt drive to jointly drive the first side brush 43 and the second one-way valve 422. Belt drives offer high synchronization and provide an accurate transmission ratio, allowing for precise simultaneous driving of the rotation of the first side brush 43 and the opening and closing of the second one-way valve 422. Moreover, belt drives are suitable for long-distance transmission, further facilitating the simultaneous rotation of both first side brushes 43 and the opening and closing of the second one-way valve 422. Additionally, the overall weight of the belt drive mechanism is relatively light, contributing to a reduction in the overall weight of the pool robot 100 and achieving weight reduction.
[0364] Specifically, the first sub-transmission mechanism 433 includes a first pulley 4331, a second pulley 4332, and a first sub-belt 4333. The first sub-belt 4333 is wound around the outer periphery of the first pulley 4331 and the second pulley 4332, thereby driving the first pulley 4331 and the second pulley 4332 to rotate synchronously. Similarly, the second sub-transmission mechanism 434 includes a third pulley 4341, a fourth pulley 4342, and a second sub-belt 4343. The second sub-belt 4343 is wound around the outer periphery of the third pulley 4341 and the fourth pulley 4342, thereby driving the third pulley 4341 and the fourth pulley 4342 to rotate synchronously. Two first side brushes 43 are respectively sleeved on two rotating shafts, one of which is connected to the first pulley 4331, and the other is connected to the third pulley 4341. The two rotating shafts can rotate under the drive of the first pulley 4331 and the third pulley 4341, thereby driving the two first side brushes 43 to rotate.
[0365] The second pulley 4332 and the fourth pulley 4342 are connected by a first belt 435 and can rotate in opposite directions under the drive of the first belt 435. Specifically, the first belt 435 is generally annular and at least partially staggered. One end of the second belt 436 is connected to the first pulley 4331 or the third pulley 4341, and the other end is connected to the second check valve 422.
[0366] The driving end of the first side brush drive device 431 is connected to either the first sub-transmission mechanism 433 or the second sub-transmission mechanism 434. When connected to the first sub-transmission mechanism 433, the driving end of the first side brush drive device 431 can be connected to either the first pulley 4331 or the second pulley 4332. When connected to the second sub-transmission mechanism 434, the driving end of the first side brush drive device 431 can be connected to either the third pulley or the fourth pulley 4342.
[0367] The movement of the first side brush 43 and the second one-way valve 422 will be described below, taking the example of the first side brush drive device 431 being connected to the first pulley 4331 and one end of the second belt 436 being connected to the third pulley 4341.
[0368] When the pool robot 100 is performing surface cleaning, the first pulley 4331 rotates from the outside in under the drive of the first side brush drive device 431, thereby causing one first side brush 43 to rotate from the outside in. The second pulley 4332 rotates in the same direction as the first pulley 4331 under the drive of the first sub-belt 4333. The fourth pulley 4342 rotates in the opposite direction to the second pulley 4332 under the drive of the first belt 435, and together with the second sub-belt 4343, drives the third pulley 4341 to rotate in the opposite direction to the second pulley 4332. The other first side brush 43 can also rotate from the outside in under the drive of the third pulley 4341. At this time, the second belt 436, under the rotation of the second pulley 4332, also drives the second one-way valve 422 to the open position, thereby opening the second liquid inlet 112. Therefore, by using a first side brush drive device 431, the rotation of the first side brush 43 and the opening of the second one-way valve 422 can be driven simultaneously, which helps to reduce the number of parts and lower production costs.
[0369] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 16, the outer casing 1 further comprises a reverse liquid inlet 17 and a reverse liquid outlet 18. Both the reverse liquid inlet 17 and the reverse liquid outlet 18 are connected to the receiving cavity. Water can flow into the receiving cavity from the reverse liquid inlet 17 under the drive of the reverse water spray driving device 57, and be discharged to the outside of the outer casing 1 via the reverse liquid outlet 18. The reverse liquid inlet 17 is located on the top or front side of the outer casing 1, and the reverse liquid outlet 18 is located on the bottom side of the outer casing 1.
[0370] In this embodiment, the outer casing 1 also has a reverse inlet 17 and a reverse outlet 18. When the pool robot 100 walks along the pool wall or bottom, it may encounter obstacles. If it cannot avoid or overcome the obstacle, the pool robot 100 needs to spray water in the reverse direction to provide a certain reverse thrust to overcome the obstacle. In this case, the reverse spray drive device 57 allows water to flow into the receiving cavity through the reverse inlet 17 and then out of the casing through the reverse outlet 18 located on the bottom side of the outer casing 1. When draining water, the reverse outlet 18 provides a reverse thrust to the pool robot 100, thereby helping the pool robot 100 float and overcome obstacles.
[0371] Similarly, when the pool robot 100 needs to float to the surface, in addition to the buoyancy adjustment device 3, the reverse water spray operation can also be used to enable the pool robot 100 to float without climbing the wall, thus achieving higher floating efficiency.
[0372] The reverse water spray here refers to the water spray direction being opposite to that of the fluid channel when the pool robot 100 is performing normal cleaning operations.
[0373] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, a reverse water spray liquid channel is formed within the receiving cavity of the housing 1, the reverse water spray drive device 57 is located within the reverse water spray liquid channel, and both the reverse liquid inlet 17 and the reverse liquid outlet 18 are connected to the reverse water spray liquid channel. In some embodiments, the reverse water spray liquid channel may not be separately partitioned within the housing 1, but rather all liquid channels and fluid passages may be connected to form a completely open liquid channel.
[0374] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG16, the reverse liquid inlet 17 is located on the front side of the housing 1, and the reverse water spray liquid channel is generally in a bent inverted "L" shape. In some embodiments, the reverse liquid inlet 17 is located on the top side of the housing 1, and the reverse water spray liquid channel is generally straight. The embodiments of this disclosure do not specifically limit the shape of the reverse water spray liquid channel, as long as it can achieve reverse water spraying.
[0375] In this embodiment of the disclosure, there are two reverse water jet channels. In some embodiments, the number of reverse water jet channels may be only one or more (two or more). This embodiment of the disclosure does not specifically limit the number of reverse water jet channels.
[0376] In some embodiments, the rotation direction of the reverse water jet drive device 57 can be changed so that liquid enters from the reverse outlet 18 and flows out from the reverse inlet 17, thereby enabling the pool robot 100 to move backward or sink. For example, as shown in FIG16, when the reverse inlet 17 is located in front of the pool robot 100, the liquid flowing out of the reverse inlet 17 can propel the pool robot 100 backward. As another example, when the reverse inlet 17 is at the top of the pool robot 100, the liquid flowing out of the reverse inlet 17 can propel the pool robot downward, i.e., sink. This disclosure does not specifically limit the rotation direction of the reverse water jet drive device 57; the rotation direction of the reverse water jet drive device 57 can be changed according to the actual direction of movement required by the pool robot 100.
[0377] In addition to the reverse water spray drive device 57, as mentioned above and shown in Figures 1 to 3, the pool robot 100 also includes a first liquid inlet 111, a first liquid outlet 121, and a suction and drainage drive device 51. In this embodiment, there are two first liquid outlets 121 and two suction and drainage drive devices 51. Under the action of the suction and drainage drive device 51, the liquid flows into the filter space of the waste bin 41 through the first liquid inlet 111 located on the bottom wall of the outer shell 1, and flows out to the outside of the outer shell through the first liquid outlet 121 located on the top wall of the outer shell 1, spraying upwards. The dirt in the liquid will be temporarily stored in the filter space of the waste bin 41, thereby cleaning the water. In addition, this upward water spray can also provide adhesion for the pool robot 100 when climbing slopes or walls, or it can also enable the pool robot 100 to sink.
[0378] In some embodiments, the pool robot 100 may also have a backwashing device to rinse the waste bin 41, achieving self-cleaning of the pool robot 100. The backwashing device of the pool robot 100 is primarily based on fluid dynamics principles. In implementation, a water flow with a certain pressure and velocity is generated through the pumping component 5 (suction / drainage drive device 51 or propulsion drive device 52) and the fluid channel. When rinsing of the waste bin 41 is required, the direction of the water flow is changed by altering the rotation direction of the pumping component 5, changing the flow from the normal direction of filtering and collecting waste to a reverse flow. This reverse water flow impacts the inner wall of the waste bin 41, utilizing the kinetic energy of the water flow to achieve self-cleaning of the waste bin 41.
[0379] As shown in Figure 17, the outer shell 1 includes an upper cover 16, an intermediate shell 511, and a bottom shell. The bottom of the intermediate shell 511 is connected to the bottom shell, and the upper cover 16 covers the top side of the intermediate shell 511. The waste bin 41 is disposed in the intermediate shell 511, that is, the filtration space is formed inside the intermediate shell 511. The liquid outlet 12 is formed on the upper cover 16, and the first liquid inlet 111 is formed on the bottom cover. Both the first liquid inlet 111 and the liquid outlet 12 are connected to the filtration space of the waste bin 41. In this embodiment, the intermediate shell 511 also has a drain outlet, and the bottom cover has multiple drain holes. The drain outlet connects the filtration space and the drain holes. The pool robot 100 includes a third one-way valve 09, which is disposed at the drain outlet of the intermediate shell 511. When the pool robot 100 drains water, the third one-way valve 09 opens, and the water in the filtration space of the waste bin 41 can quickly flow out from the drain outlet and be discharged to the outside of the pool robot 100 through the drain holes. Therefore, the suction and drainage drive device 51 can be more focused on collecting garbage at the bottom of the garbage bin 41. That is, the vacuum negative pressure area of the suction and drainage drive device 51 is limited to the garbage bin 41 and does not need to act on the space between the upper cover 16 and the bottom cover.
[0380] In some embodiments, a filter element 08 may be provided at the drain outlet to reduce the possibility of dirt in the filter space flowing out to the outside through the drain outlet and causing secondary pollution.
[0381] As shown in Figure 18, the suction / drainage drive device 51 is disposed within the intermediate housing 511 of the outer casing 1, and does not extend through the top of the intermediate housing 511. The liquid outlet 12 is formed on the upper cover 16, and the position of the suction / drainage drive device 51 corresponds to the position of the liquid outlet 12. The suction / drainage drive device 51 includes a suction housing, a suction / drainage impeller 512, and a suction / drainage drive motor 513. The suction housing can be integrally formed with the intermediate housing 511, or it can be a separate structure assembled together. At least a portion of the suction / drainage impeller 512 and the suction / drainage drive motor 513 are disposed within the suction housing. The drive end of the suction / drainage drive motor 513 is connected to the suction / drainage impeller 512 and is used to drive the suction / drainage impeller 512 to rotate. A flow channel through-hole 5111 is formed on the outer periphery of the suction housing. When the pool robot 100 is performing cleaning operations, external water enters the waste bin 41 through the inlet 11 driven by the suction and drainage drive device 51. Dirt is temporarily retained in the waste bin 41, while the remaining water enters the receiving cavity inside the outer shell 1 and flows out to the outside of the pool robot 100 through the flow channel 5111 and the outlet 12. Any water that is not completely discharged can be further discharged from the pool robot 100 through the drain outlet.
[0382] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the cleaning system 4 includes a main brush assembly 44 and a switching assembly 45. The main brush assembly is rotatably disposed on the housing 1 and is used to clean the working surface 10. The main brush assembly can switch between a first cleaning position and a second cleaning position under the action of the switching assembly 45. In the first cleaning position, the main brush assembly does not extend beyond the outermost edge of the housing 1, and in the second cleaning position, the main brush assembly extends beyond the outermost edge of the housing 1.
[0383] The main brush component is used to clean the working surface 10. For example, the working surface 10 can be the bottom or wall of a pool.
[0384] As shown in Figure 19, taking a swimming pool as an example, the pool has a cleaning transition area Q between the pool bottom (working surface 10) and the pool wall (working surface 10), or between adjacent pool walls. That is, there is a cleaning transition area Q between adjacent working surfaces 10 at the work site. When existing pool cleaning equipment moves on the pool bottom or pool wall, the contact area of the main brush assembly 44 with the cleaning transition area Q is limited. For example, the contact area of the main brush assembly 44 with the cleaning transition area Q is limited, especially at the intersection of the two cleaning transition areas Q formed by two adjacent pool walls and the pool bottom (two adjacent working surfaces 10). This intersection can be referred to as a corner position.
[0385] It should be understood that when the main brush assembly 44 has limited contact with the cleaning transition area Q, the cleaning ability of the pool cleaning equipment to clean the cleaning transition area Q will be limited.
[0386] In view of this, the main brush assembly of the pool robot 100 in this embodiment of the present disclosure has a first cleaning position and a second cleaning position. The pool robot 100 also includes a switching assembly 45, which can switch the main brush assembly between the first and second cleaning positions. This allows the pool robot 100 to switch the cleaning component to the second cleaning position in cleaning mode via the switching assembly 45, thereby cleaning the cleaning transition area Q between every two working surfaces 10 of the pool. By switching the main brush assembly between the first and second cleaning positions, the contact area of the main brush assembly with the cleaning transition area Q can be increased, thereby improving the cleaning ability of the pool robot 100 on the cleaning transition area Q, especially its cleaning ability on corners and edges.
[0387] Specifically, Figure 20 shows a schematic diagram of the position change of the main brush assembly 44 when the pool robot 100 is in a pool, where the solid line indicates the first cleaning position and the dashed line indicates the second cleaning position. The switching assembly 45 is not shown in Figure 12. Figures 13 and 14 show schematic diagrams of the pool robot 100 at the bottom from different perspectives when the main brush assembly 44 is in the first cleaning position. Figures 15 and 16 are schematic diagrams of the pool robot 100 at the bottom from different perspectives when the main brush assembly 44 is in the second cleaning position, according to an embodiment of this disclosure. It should be understood that the portion of the outer shell 1 near the bottom surface can be considered the bottom of the pool robot 100.
[0388] As shown in Figures 20 to 24, the main brush assembly 44 has a first cleaning position and a second cleaning position. As shown in Figures 12 and 14, in the first cleaning position, the main brush assembly 44 does not extend beyond the outermost edge of the housing 1, so that the main brush assembly 44 is in a retracted state relative to the housing 1.
[0389] As shown in Figures 20 and 24, in the second cleaning position, the main brush assembly 44 extends beyond the outermost edge of the housing 1, so that the main brush assembly 44 is in an outwardly expanded state relative to the housing 1. The outermost edge refers to the outermost edge of the housing 1 in the first direction, which can be marked by the edge line L.
[0390] The pool robot 100 also includes a switching component 45. The switching component 45 is used to switch the main brush component 44 between a first cleaning position and a second cleaning position. That is, the main brush component 44 can switch from the first cleaning position to the second cleaning position, or vice versa, under the action of the switching component 45.
[0391] The pool robot 100 includes a cleaning mode. In cleaning mode, the outer shell 1 is placed in the pool water. The switching component 45 controls the main brush component 44 to be in the first cleaning position or the second cleaning position. The main brush component 44 rotates to generate water flow. The water flow containing impurities enters the filtration space through the inlet 11 and is filtered. Then, it is discharged to the outside of the outer shell 1 through the outlet 12, so that the impurities mixed in the water flow are temporarily retained inside the outer shell 1, thereby cleaning the pool bottom or pool wall and improving the water quality of the pool.
[0392] At the same time, due to the setting of the switching component 45, the position of the main brush component 44 can be moved relative to the outer shell 1, so that the pool robot 100 can change the position of the main brush component 44 relative to the outer shell 1 according to the cleaning needs, thereby achieving a better cleaning effect on the working surface 10.
[0393] Specifically, when the main brush assembly 44 acts on the working surface 10, the rotation of the main brush assembly 44 relative to the outer casing 1 can loosen and suspend the deposits on the working surface 10. Driven by the main brush assembly 44 and the suction of the outer casing 1, the water flow, carrying the loosened and suspended deposits and other impurities, enters the filtration space through the inlet 11. After the impurities are filtered out in the filtration space, the water flow is discharged from the outer casing 1 through the outlet 12, allowing the deposits and other impurities carried in the water flow to remain temporarily inside the outer casing 1, thereby cleaning the working surface 10 and improving the water quality of the pool.
[0394] Referring to Figure 20 and in conjunction with Figures 23 and 24, the pool robot 100 can switch between at least three working surfaces 10 along a preset direction to clean each working surface 10. The three working surfaces 10 are at an angle to each other, and there is a cleaning transition area Q between every two working surfaces 10. These three working surfaces 10 include the pool bottom and two adjacent pool walls. That is, the combination of the pool bottom and two parallel pool walls is not included in these three working surfaces 10.
[0395] It should be noted that the aforementioned preset direction can be understood as the walking path of the pool robot 100 when switching between the three working surfaces 10. This walking path can be determined based on existing pool robots 100, and will not be elaborated upon in this embodiment.
[0396] In the cleaning mode of the pool robot 100, the pool robot 100 can selectively switch the main brush assembly 44 to the second cleaning position by switching component 45 to clean the cleaning transition area Q between every two working surfaces 10.
[0397] It should be understood that when the main brush assembly 44 is in the first cleaning position, the main brush assembly 44 has a first contact area on the cleaning transition area Q between every two working surfaces 10. The first contact area can be understood as the original contact area of the pool robot 100 with the cleaning transition area Q.
[0398] When the contact area of the main brush component 44 with the cleaning transition area is limited in the first cleaning position, the pool robot 100 can selectively switch the main brush component 44 to the second cleaning position by switching component 45, so that the pool robot 100 can choose to switch the main brush component 44 to the second cleaning position by switching component 45 and clean the cleaning transition area Q by the main brush component 44.
[0399] Since the main brush assembly 44 extends beyond the outermost edge of the housing 1 in the second cleaning position, the main brush assembly 44 has a second contact area on the cleaning transition area Q. The second contact area partially overlaps with the first contact area, and the second contact area is closer to the corner of the pool on the cleaning transition area Q than the first contact area.
[0400] The second contact area expands the contact area of the main brush assembly 44 on the cleaning transition area Q, based on the first contact area.
[0401] In this way, during a single cleaning path, the pool robot 100 can switch the main brush assembly 44 to the second cleaning position via the switching component 45, which increases the contact area of the main brush assembly 44 on the cleaning transition area Q. This allows the main brush assembly 44 to clean at least two (e.g., two or three) working surfaces 10 in the cleaning transition area Q, thereby improving the cleaning ability of the pool robot 100 on the cleaning transition area Q, especially the cleaning ability on the corners.
[0402] The sediment removed by the main brush assembly 44 at the first and second cleaning positions can enter and remain temporarily in the filter space with the water flow.
[0403] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the housing 1 has an opening 14 that communicates with a receiving cavity. In a first cleaning position, a portion of the main brush assembly 44 is located within the receiving cavity, and the remaining portion of the main brush assembly 44 is located outside the housing 1 through the opening 14. In a second cleaning position, the main brush assembly 44 is located entirely outside the housing 1 through the opening 14.
[0404] As shown in Figure 1, the main brush assembly 44 can be located at the front end of the housing 1, with the opening 14 facing the front end of the housing 1. This allows the main brush assembly 44 to be positioned at the front end of the housing 1 in both the first and second cleaning positions. When the housing 1 moves forward toward the working surface 10 (e.g., the pool wall), the main brush assembly 44 can clean the working surface 10 located at the front end of the housing 1. When the pool robot 100 switches the main brush assembly 44 to the second cleaning position, the main brush assembly 44 can clean at least the working surface 10 located at the front end of the housing 1 and the cleaning transition area Q formed by another working surface 10 intersecting with it, thereby improving the cleaning ability of the pool robot 100 for corner positions.
[0405] As shown in Figure 2, in some embodiments, while the front end of the housing 1 is provided with a main brush assembly 44, the rear end of the housing 1 may also be provided with a main brush assembly 44. In this way, when the housing 1 moves on the working surface 10, the working surface 10 can be cleaned by multiple main brush assemblies 44, thereby enhancing the cleaning effect of the pool robot 100 on the working surface 10.
[0406] The following text mainly uses the example of the main brush assembly 44 being located at the front end of the outer shell 1 to further explain the structure of the main brush assembly 44.
[0407] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the main brush assembly 44 also has a third cleaning position. In the third cleaning position, the main brush assembly 44 is located outside the housing 1 through the opening 14 and does not extend beyond the outermost edge of the housing 1.
[0408] In some embodiments, when the main brush assembly 44 switches between the first cleaning position and the second cleaning position, it may be blocked by certain parts of the housing 1 (such as the moving device 2), making it inconvenient for the main brush assembly 44 to move along the first direction, directly switch from the first cleaning position to the second cleaning position, or directly switch from the second cleaning position to the first cleaning position.
[0409] Therefore, Figures 25 and 26 show a schematic diagram of the structure of the pool robot 100 at the bottom from different perspectives when the main brush assembly 44 is in the third cleaning position.
[0410] Referring to Figures 25 and 26, the main brush assembly 44 also has a third cleaning position. In the third cleaning position, the main brush assembly 44 is located outside the housing 1 through the opening 14, and does not extend beyond the outermost edge of the housing 1. The third cleaning position can be understood as the intermediate position of the main brush assembly 44 when switching between the first cleaning position and the second cleaning position.
[0411] By introducing the third cleaning position, the main brush assembly 44 can move to the third cleaning position before switching from the first cleaning position to the second cleaning position, and it can also move to the third cleaning position before switching from the second cleaning position to the first cleaning position. This allows the main brush assembly 44 to move to the outside of the housing 1, thus preventing the main brush assembly 44 from being blocked by certain parts of the housing 1 (such as the moving device 2) when switching between the first and second cleaning positions. This ensures that the main brush assembly 44 can smoothly switch between the first and second cleaning positions under the control of the switching assembly 45.
[0412] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the switching component 45 includes a mounting bracket 451, which is movably disposed on the housing 1 along a first direction and a second direction. The main brush component 44 is disposed on the mounting bracket 451, so that when the mounting bracket 451 moves relative to the housing 1, it can simultaneously drive the main brush component 44 to move. When the mounting bracket 451 moves relative to the housing 1 along the second direction, it can drive the main brush component 44 to switch between a first cleaning position and a third cleaning position. When the mounting bracket 451 moves relative to the housing 1 along the first direction, it can drive the main brush component 44 to switch between a third cleaning position and a second cleaning position; wherein, the first direction is the width direction of the housing 1, and the second direction is parallel to the forward direction of the pool robot 100.
[0413] In some embodiments, the second direction may also be referred to as the length direction of the outer casing 1.
[0414] In this embodiment, the mounting bracket 451 can first move along the second direction to switch the main brush assembly 44 from the first cleaning position to the third cleaning position, and then the mounting bracket 451 can move along the first direction to switch the main brush assembly 44 from the third cleaning position to the second cleaning position, thereby driving the main brush assembly 44 to switch from the first cleaning position to the second cleaning position.
[0415] Accordingly, the mounting bracket 451 can first move along the first direction to switch the main brush assembly 44 from the second cleaning position to the third cleaning position, and then the mounting bracket 451 can move along the second direction to switch the main brush assembly 44 from the third cleaning position to the first cleaning position, so as to drive the main brush assembly 44 to switch from the second cleaning position to the first cleaning position.
[0416] Furthermore, compared to the first cleaning position, when the main brush component 44 is in the second cleaning position and cleaning the area to be cleaned, it can increase the adhesion of the main brush component 44 to the area, and further enhance the cleaning effect of the main brush component 44 on the area.
[0417] Referring to Figures 21 to 24, the main brush assembly 44 includes a main brush and a rotatable rotating component, which is inserted inside the main brush. The rotating component is connected to the inner wall of the main brush and is rotatably connected to the mounting bracket 451. The rotating component enables the connection between the main brush assembly 44 and the mounting bracket 451, allowing the mounting bracket 451 to switch the main brush assembly 44 between a first cleaning position and a second cleaning position. Furthermore, because the rotating component is rotatably connected to the mounting bracket 451, the rotating component can rotate relative to the mounting bracket 451, and when rotating, it drives the main brush to rotate, thereby achieving the cleaning function of the working surfaces 10 such as the pool walls and bottom when the main brush assembly 44 rotates.
[0418] For example, the rotating element can be a roller of the main brush assembly 44 or a rotating shaft of the main brush assembly 44.
[0419] Referring to Figures 21 and 22, in some embodiments, when the main brush assembly 44 is in the first cleaning position, a portion of the mounting bracket 451 is located outside the receiving cavity on the side opposite to the opening 14, and the remaining portion of the mounting bracket 451 is located inside the receiving cavity.
[0420] A portion of the mounting bracket 451 is located outside the receiving cavity on the side opposite to the opening 14, such that this portion of the mounting bracket 451 is located outside the receiving cavity and on the side facing the center of the housing 1.
[0421] By defining the position of the mounting bracket 451, a portion of the main brush assembly 44 is positioned within the receiving cavity when the main brush assembly 44 is in the first cleaning position. Furthermore, since the remaining portion of the mounting bracket 451 is located within the receiving cavity when the main brush assembly 44 is in the first cleaning position, the main brush assembly 44 can be moved outside the receiving cavity when the mounting bracket 451 moves in the second direction, allowing the main brush assembly 44 to move to the second cleaning position under the influence of the mounting bracket 451.
[0422] In some embodiments of this disclosure, when the mounting bracket 451 moves relative to the housing 1 in the second direction, the mounting bracket 451 also moves relative to the housing 1 in the first direction, so that the mounting bracket 451 can move simultaneously in the first and second directions.
[0423] Compared to the sequential movement of the mounting bracket 451 in the first and second directions, when the mounting bracket 451 can move simultaneously in both directions, the main brush assembly 44 can also move simultaneously in both directions under the influence of the mounting bracket 451. This simplifies the movement process of the main brush assembly 44 when switching between the first and second cleaning positions, enabling rapid switching between the first and second cleaning positions.
[0424] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the switching assembly 45 includes a guide wall 452 that forms a receiving cavity with the housing 1, and the guide wall 452 has a guide ramp 4521. When the mounting bracket 451 moves along a second direction and comes into contact with the guide ramp 4521, the guide ramp 4521 can guide the mounting bracket 451 to move along the guide ramp 4521, so that the mounting bracket 451 moves relative to the housing 1 in a first direction.
[0425] By cooperating with the guide ramp 4521, the mounting bracket 451 can move relative to the outer shell 1 in the second direction while also moving relative to the outer shell 1 in the first direction. At the same time, there is no need to set up an additional motor to drive the mounting bracket 451 to move in the first direction. Under the premise of realizing the multi-dimensional movement of the main brush assembly 44 in the first and second directions, the number of motors in the switching assembly 45 can be reduced, so that the pool robot 100 can achieve the purpose of simplifying the structure, reducing costs, and improving stability.
[0426] Referring to Figures 21 to 26, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the switching assembly 45 may further include an adjusting member 453. The first end of the adjusting member 453 is movably disposed on the housing 1 along a second direction, and the second end of the adjusting member 453 is connected to the guide wall 452.
[0427] The outer casing 1 has a base, and the side of the base located on the outside of the outer casing 1 can form the bottom surface of the outer casing 1. An adjustment groove (not shown) can be provided on the base at a position corresponding to the first end of the adjustment member 453. The extension direction of the adjustment groove is parallel to the second direction. The first end of the adjustment member 453 can be installed and fixed at any position in the adjustment groove to achieve movable placement of the first end of the adjustment member 453 on the outer casing 1 along the second direction. For example, the second end of the adjustment member 453 can be connected to the guide wall 452 by snap-fitting, welding, or other methods.
[0428] By moving the first end of the adjusting member 453 along the second direction on the housing 1, the distance between the guide wall 452 and the mounting bracket 451 in the second direction when the main brush assembly 44 is in the first cleaning position can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the size of the main brush assembly 44 extending out of the outermost edge of the housing 1 when in the second cleaning position, so that the main brush assembly 44 can better clean the cleaning transition area Q of the working surface 10 when in the second cleaning position.
[0429] Referring to Figure 21, the guide wall 452 and the adjusting member 453 can form a receiving cavity with the housing 1 so that when the main brush assembly 44 is placed in the receiving cavity by the mounting bracket 451, the mounting bracket 451 can contact the guide wall 452.
[0430] Referring to Figure 21, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the second end of the adjusting member 453 may extend along a second direction and protrude beyond the outermost edge of the housing 1 in the second direction, and the second end of the adjusting member 453 is an elastic structure. For example, the material of the second end of the adjusting member 453 may be an elastic material to form an elastic structure.
[0431] By adjusting the elastic structure of the component 453, when the pool robot 100 moves forward, the elastic structure will contact the pool wall before the outer shell 1, which can play a role in buffering and preventing collisions.
[0432] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the mounting bracket 451 is located on the side of the guide ramp 4521 facing the housing 1 in a first direction, and the main brush assembly 44 is rotatably connected to the side of the mounting bracket 451 away from the guide ramp 4521.
[0433] Specifically, the main brush assembly 44 can be rotatably connected to the side of the mounting bracket 451 opposite to the guide ramp 4521.
[0434] By limiting the rotational position of the main brush assembly 44 on the mounting bracket 451, the connection between the main brush assembly 44 and the switching assembly 45 is achieved, while the mounting bracket 451 can move along the guide slope 4521. When it moves along the first direction under the guidance of the guide slope 4521, it can drive the main brush assembly 44 to move along the first direction and extend out of the outermost edge of the outer shell 1 in the first direction, so that the main brush assembly 44 can be located in the second cleaning position.
[0435] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the central axis of the outer casing 1 in the first direction is reference line O1. Along the forward direction of the pool robot 100, the distance between the guide ramp 4521 and the reference line gradually increases in the first direction. This allows the guide ramp 4521 to tilt relative to the reference line towards the edge of the outer casing 1 in the first direction, so that when the mounting bracket 451 moves in the second direction and contacts the guide ramp 4521, the guide ramp 4521 can guide the mounting bracket 451 to move relative to the outer casing 1 in the first direction, so that the main brush assembly 44 can also move simultaneously in the first and second directions under the drive of the mounting bracket 451.
[0436] Referring to Figure 21, when the main brush assembly 44 is in the first cleaning position, there is a gap L2 between the end of the mounting bracket 451 facing the guide slope 4521 and the guide slope 4521 along the forward direction of the housing 1. When the main brush assembly 44 is in the third cleaning position, the end of the mounting bracket 451 facing the guide slope 4521 abuts against the guide slope 4521 along the forward direction of the housing 1.
[0437] If the main brush assembly 44 is in the first cleaning position, and the end of the mounting bracket 451 facing the guide slope 4521 directly abuts against the guide slope 4521, then as the mounting bracket 451 moves along the second direction, and as the mounting bracket 451 cooperates with the guide slope 4521, the main brush assembly 44 will also move along the edge of the outer shell 1 in the first direction within the receiving cavity during the process of moving from the first cleaning position to the second cleaning position. In this way, the main brush assembly 44 is prone to getting stuck in the receiving cavity, thereby affecting the smooth switching of the main brush assembly 44 between the first cleaning position and the second cleaning position.
[0438] Referring to Figures 22, 24, and 26, in this embodiment of the present disclosure, by setting the spacing L2, when the main brush assembly 44 switches from the first cleaning position to the second cleaning position, the mounting bracket 451 can first move the main brush assembly 44 to the third cleaning position by moving the spacing L2 along the second direction, so that the main brush assembly 44 is moved to the outside of the receiving cavity, so as to avoid the main brush assembly 44 getting stuck in the receiving cavity during the switching process. Then the mounting bracket 451 abuts against the guide slope 4521. Through the cooperation of the mounting bracket 451 and the guide slope 4521, the main brush assembly 44 is smoothly moved to the second cleaning position.
[0439] Accordingly, referring to Figures 22, 24 and 26, when the main brush assembly 44 switches from the second cleaning position to the first cleaning position, the mounting bracket 451 abuts against the guide slope 4521, and through the cooperation of the mounting bracket 451 and the guide slope 4521, the main brush assembly 44 is moved to the third cleaning position and the first cleaning position in turn.
[0440] Referring to Figures 21, 24, and 26, the end of the mounting bracket 451 facing the guide ramp 4521 may have an arc-shaped guide portion 454. When the mounting bracket 451 moves toward the guide ramp 4521 in the second direction, the arc-shaped guide portion 454 contacts the guide ramp 4521.
[0441] If the position where the mounting bracket 451 contacts the guide slope 4521 has an edge, when the mounting bracket 451 moves toward the guide slope 4521 in the second direction, the edge of the mounting bracket 451 is likely to get stuck on the guide slope 4521, making it difficult for the mounting bracket 451 to continue moving along the guide slope 4521.
[0442] In contrast, in this embodiment, the arc-shaped guide 454, with its curved surface contacting the guide slope 4521, allows the mounting bracket 451 to move more smoothly on the guide slope 4521, ensuring that the mounting bracket 451 and the guide slope 4521 cooperate to achieve smooth switching of the main brush assembly 44 between the first cleaning position and the second cleaning position.
[0443] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in Figures 21, 23, and 25, the switching assembly 45 further includes a switching drive 455, which is movable relative to the housing 1 along a second direction. The switching drive 455 is connected to the mounting bracket 451, and when the switching drive 455 moves relative to the housing 1, it drives the mounting bracket 451 to move along the second direction.
[0444] With this configuration, the mounting bracket 451 can be moved along the second direction by switching the drive unit 455, so as to switch the main brush assembly 44 between the first cleaning position and the second cleaning position.
[0445] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the switching drive 455 has a rack portion 4551 that extends along a second direction. The switching assembly 45 also includes a gear 4552 that meshes with the rack portion 4551, and when the gear 4552 rotates on the meshing portion, it can drive the switching drive 455 to move relative to the housing 1 along the second direction.
[0446] In this embodiment of the disclosure, by changing the rotation direction of the gear 4552, the switching drive 455 can be driven to move along the second direction toward or away from the guide wall 452, so as to realize the switching of the main brush assembly 44 between the first cleaning position and the third cleaning position.
[0447] For example, referring to Figure 21, when the gear 4552 rotates along the first rotation direction w, it can drive the switching drive 455 to move along the second direction toward the guide wall 452, so that the main brush assembly 44 switches from the first cleaning position to the third cleaning position.
[0448] For example, referring to Figure 21, when the gear 4552 rotates along the second rotation direction v, it can drive the switching drive 455 to move away from the guide wall 452 along the second direction, so that the main brush assembly 44 can be switched from the third cleaning position to the first cleaning position.
[0449] The switching assembly 45 may also include a first motor connected to a gear 4552 to drive the gear 4552 to rotate so that when the gear 4552 rotates on the meshing part, it can drive the switching drive 455 to move relative to the housing 1 in a second direction.
[0450] It should be noted that the rotation direction of gear 4552 can be controlled by the forward and reverse rotation of the first motor, so that gear 4552 rotates along the first rotation direction w or the second rotation direction v.
[0451] As another possible implementation, the switching assembly 45 may further include a second motor having a telescopic portion that can extend and retract along a second direction. For example, the second motor may be a telescopic motor, and the telescopic portion may be the telescopic shaft of the telescopic motor. The telescopic portion is connected to the switching drive 455, and the telescopic portion can drive the switching drive 455 to move relative to the housing 1 along the second direction when it extends or retracts.
[0452] In this way, when the telescopic part extends or retracts, it can also drive the switching drive 455 to move in the second direction toward or away from the guide wall 452, so as to realize the switching of the main brush assembly 44 between the first cleaning position and the third cleaning position.
[0453] The structure of the pool robot 100 will be further explained below, taking the switching drive unit 455 driven by gears as an example.
[0454] Referring to Figures 24 and 26, the switching drive 455 is disposed inside the housing 1. The switching drive 455 is connected to the housing 1 via a guide rail assembly that extends along the second direction. The guide rail assembly ensures that the switching drive 455 will not deviate when moving along the second direction, thus ensuring that the mounting bracket 451 can contact the guide ramp 4521 under the action of the switching drive 455.
[0455] Specifically, at least a portion of the switching assembly 45 may be located on the side of the base facing the interior of the housing, so that at least a portion of the switching assembly 45 can be located inside the housing 1. For example, the switching drive 455, the gear, and a portion of the mounting bracket 451 are located on the side of the base facing the interior of the housing 1.
[0456] Referring to Figures 24 and 26, the guide rail assembly may include a groove and a slider, the groove extending along a second direction and the slider disposed within the groove. The groove may be located on the base, and the slider may be located on the side of the switching drive 455 facing the base. Alternatively, the groove may also be located on the side of the switching drive 455 facing the base, and the slider may be located on the side of the base facing the switching drive 455.
[0457] Referring to Figures 22 to 26, there can be two main brush assemblies 44. Along the forward direction of the pool robot 100, the two main brush assemblies 44 are located on the same side of the outer casing 1, and are arranged sequentially along a first direction. For example, the two main brush assemblies 44 can be spaced apart at the front end of the outer casing 1 along the first direction. Each main brush assembly 44 is correspondingly connected to a mounting bracket 451, and a guide wall 452 is also correspondingly provided at the end of each mounting bracket 451 facing outward from the outer casing 1. The two mounting brackets 451 are connected to the same switching drive component 455.
[0458] In this way, the two mounting brackets 451 can be controlled to move in the second direction toward or away from the guide wall 452 through the same switching drive 455, so that the movement of the two main brush assemblies 44 is synchronized. The two main brush assemblies 44 can be simultaneously located in the first cleaning position or the second cleaning position to clean the cleaning transition area Q of the working surface 10, so as to further enhance the cleaning effect of the pool robot 100 on the cleaning transition area Q.
[0459] Furthermore, since the same switching drive 455 can control the movement of two mounting brackets 451 in the direction of approaching or moving away from the guide wall 452, the number of motors in the switching assembly 45 can be further reduced, simplifying the structure of the switching assembly 45 and reducing the cost of the pool robot 100.
[0460] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the switching component 45 includes a reset member 456 disposed within the housing 1. When the main brush assembly 44 switches from the first cleaning position to the second cleaning position, the reset member 456 drives the main brush assembly 44 to move inward toward one side of the housing 1 along a second direction, which is parallel to the forward direction of the pool robot 100.
[0461] The reset element 456 shown in Figures 21 to 26 is a spring, but this does not constitute a limitation on the structure of the reset element 456. For example, the reset element 456 can also be a structure capable of elastic deformation, such as silicone.
[0462] Referring to Figures 22 and 24, when the main brush assembly 44 switches from the first cleaning position to the second cleaning position, the reset member 456 drives the main brush assembly 44 to move inward toward the inside of the housing 1 along the second direction. When the main brush assembly 44 is in the second cleaning position, the switching drive member 455 can drive the mounting bracket 451 to move inward toward the inside of the housing 1 along the second direction, so that the main brush assembly 44 can be reset to the first cleaning position.
[0463] Based on this, driven by the reset component 456, the mounting bracket 451 can be moved into the housing 1 along the first direction, which has an auxiliary and enhanced effect on the reset of the main brush assembly 44 from the second cleaning position to the first cleaning position, so as to facilitate the quick switching of the main brush assembly 44 from the second cleaning position to the first cleaning position.
[0464] Along the first direction, the main brush assembly 44 is connected to the side of the mounting bracket 451 facing the housing 1, so that the main brush assembly 44 is rotatably connected to the side of the mounting bracket 451 away from the guide ramp 4521.
[0465] The reset element 456 and the main brush assembly 44 are located on the same side of the mounting bracket 451. Furthermore, the mounting bracket 451 is designed to compress or release the reset element 456 when moving relative to the outer casing 1 in a first direction. Specifically, when the mounting bracket 451 moves the main brush assembly 44 from the first cleaning position to the second cleaning position, with the cooperation of the guide ramp 4521, the mounting bracket 451 will move relative to the outer casing 1 in the first direction toward the reset element 456 to compress the reset element 456, which possesses elastic potential energy.
[0466] Accordingly, during the process of the mounting bracket 451 switching the main brush assembly 44 from the second cleaning position to the first cleaning position, with the cooperation of the guide ramp 4521, the mounting bracket 451 will move along the first direction relative to the outer casing 1 in a direction away from the reset member 456 to release the reset member 456. At this time, during the release of the reset member 456, elastic potential energy is released and a rebound force is generated. This rebound force can drive the main brush assembly 44 to reset from the second cleaning position to the first cleaning position.
[0467] Referring to Figure 21, as described above, the switching assembly 45 includes a switching drive 455, which is connected to the mounting bracket 451.
[0468] One end of the reset member 456 can be connected to the switching drive member 455, and the other end can be connected to the mounting bracket 451. That is, the reset member 456 can be located between the switching drive member 455 and the mounting bracket 451. In this way, when the switching drive member 455 moves in the second direction, it will drive the mounting bracket 451 and the reset member 456 to move simultaneously, so that while the mounting bracket 451 is moving in the second direction, the reset member 456 can still be compressed or released when it moves in the first direction.
[0469] For example, the connection between the reset component 456 and the switching drive component 455 and the mounting bracket 451 can be by pressing or by welding.
[0470] Referring to Figure 21, the switching component 45 may further include a limiting member 457, which passes through the reset member 456 to compress the reset member 456 along the first direction. The limiting member 457 prevents the reset member 456 from shifting relative to the first direction when compressed or released, thus ensuring the auxiliary reset effect of the reset member 456 on the mounting bracket 451.
[0471] Referring to Figure 21, the switching drive unit 455 may have a mounting groove. Part of the mounting bracket 451 and the reset member 456 are both mounted in the mounting groove through the limiting member 457. The length direction of the limiting member 457 is parallel to the first direction, so as to realize the installation of the limiting member 457, part of the mounting bracket 451 and the reset member 456 on the switching drive unit 455, so that when the switching drive unit 455 moves along the second direction, it can drive the limiting member 457, the mounting bracket 451 and the reset member 456 to move simultaneously.
[0472] As shown in Figure 21, the limiting member 457 can be inserted through the wall of the mounting groove. Part of the mounting bracket 451 and the reset member 456 can be sleeved on the limiting member 457 so that part of the mounting bracket 451 and the reset member 456 are installed in the mounting groove through the limiting member 457.
[0473] In some embodiments, the main brush assembly 44 may also have a first cleaning position and a second cleaning position, that is, when the main brush assembly 44 switches between the first cleaning position and the second cleaning position, the main brush assembly 44 will not be obstructed by certain parts of the housing 1 (such as the moving device 2).
[0474] Referring to Figure 27, the main brush assembly 44 has an installation space. The switching assembly 45 also includes a switching mounting member 458, which is movably disposed within the installation space along a first direction. Furthermore, the switching mounting member 458 is connected to the end of the main brush assembly 44 near the edge of the housing 1.
[0475] When the switching mounting piece 458 moves relative to the housing 1 in the first direction, it simultaneously moves at least one end of the main brush assembly 44 near the edge of the housing 1, so that the main brush assembly 44 switches between the first cleaning position and the second cleaning position.
[0476] Specifically, when the switching mounting piece 458 moves along the first direction relative to the outer casing 1 toward the edge of the outer casing 1, it can drive the main brush assembly 44 to switch from the first cleaning position to the second cleaning position. Correspondingly, when the switching mounting piece 458 moves along the first direction relative to the outer casing 1 toward the inside of the outer casing 1, it can drive the main brush assembly 44 to switch from the second cleaning position to the first cleaning position.
[0477] Therefore, by moving the switching mounting member 458 relative to the housing 1 in the first direction, the main brush assembly 44 can be driven to switch directly between the first cleaning position and the second cleaning position, thereby improving the cleaning effect of the main brush assembly 44 on the cleaning transition area Q of the working surface 10. Furthermore, the switching mounting member 458 does not need to pass through the third cleaning position when moving relative to the housing 1 in the first direction, which simplifies the movement process of the main brush assembly 44.
[0478] Furthermore, this eliminates the need for a guide wall 452 between the two main brush components 44, and also reduces the distance between the two main brush components 44 in the first direction, increasing the contact area between the main brush components 44 and the working surface 10, thereby improving the cleaning effect of the main brush components 44 on the cleaning transition area Q of the working surface 10.
[0479] Referring to Figure 27, in some embodiments of this pool robot 100, the main brush assembly 44 further includes a main brush roller disposed within the mounting space, and a switching mounting member 458 located within the main brush roller. The main brush roller is connected to the inner wall of the main brush assembly 44, and one end of the main brush roller near the edge of the outer casing 1 is connected to the switching mounting member 458, so that the switching mounting member 458 is connected to the main brush assembly 44 via the main brush roller.
[0480] When the switching mounting piece 458 moves relative to the housing 1 in the first direction, it drives the main brush roller to move simultaneously, so that the main brush assembly 44 can be moved in the first direction through the main brush roller, thereby realizing the switching of the main brush assembly 44 between the first cleaning position and the second cleaning position.
[0481] The main brush roller and the inner wall of the main brush assembly 44 can be bonded together by means of integral molding, bonding, snap-fitting, etc., so as to achieve the connection between the support cylinder and the inner wall of the main brush assembly 44.
[0482] The end of the main brush roller near the edge of the outer casing 1 can be connected to the switching mounting piece 458 by means of snap-fit, welding, or fasteners. Fasteners can be screws, bolts, etc.
[0483] The pool robot 100 also includes a fixing cylinder 441, which is located inside the main brush roller. At least part of the switching mounting component 458 is located inside the fixing cylinder 441 so that the switching mounting component 458 is located in the mounting space of the main brush assembly 44. At the same time, the fixing cylinder 441 also facilitates the fixing of some structures in the switching assembly 45 in the mounting space (which will be briefly described below in conjunction with the structure of the switching assembly 45).
[0484] Furthermore, since the fixed cylinder 441 is located within the installation space, at least part of the switching mounting component 458 can be hidden within the main brush assembly 44. This increases the counterweight of the pool robot 100 at the location of the main brush assembly 44, preventing the main brush assembly 44 from tilting prematurely due to buoyancy in the water and failing to contact the working surface 10 when switching between the first and second cleaning positions. This ensures the cleaning effect of the main brush assembly 44 on the cleaning transition area Q of the working surface 10. Correspondingly, the increased counterweight of the pool robot 100 at the location of the main brush assembly 44 also increases the stability of the entire machine when encountering malfunctions such as the liquid outlet 12 while moving in the pool.
[0485] The fixed cylinder 441 includes a fixed cylinder body 4411 and an end cap 4412. The fixed cylinder body 4411 is provided with an end cap 4412 at each of its two axial ends. The end cap 4412 is provided with a through hole, through which part of the switching mounting piece 458 can be inserted and connected to the main brush roller.
[0486] It should be noted that a third sealing element 4413 may be provided at the connection between the fixed cylinder body 4411 and the end cap 4412 to achieve a sealed connection between the end cap 4412 and the fixed cylinder body 4411, so that the pool robot 100 has a waterproof function at the connection between the end cap 4412 and the fixed cylinder body 4411.
[0487] Correspondingly, a third sealing element 4413 may also be provided between the switching mounting part 458 and the through hole on the end cap 4412 to achieve a sealed connection between the switching mounting part 458 and the end cap 4412, so that the pool robot 100 also has a waterproof function at the connection between the switching mounting part 458 and the end cap 4412.
[0488] Referring to Figure 28, in some other embodiments, the pool robot 100 also includes a fixing cylinder 441, which is disposed within the installation space of the main brush assembly 44. At least part of the switching mounting component 458 is disposed within the fixing cylinder 441, so that the switching mounting component 458 is disposed within the installation space of the main brush assembly 44. Similarly, the fixing cylinder 441 also facilitates the fixing of some structures in the switching assembly 45 within the installation space.
[0489] Unlike the main brush assembly 44 in Figure 27, the main brush assembly 44 in Figure 20 is an elastically retractable structure that extends and retracts along a first direction. One end of the main brush assembly 44 in the first direction is connected to the fixed cylinder 441, and the other end is connected to the switching mounting piece 458. Specifically, the main brush assembly 44 has a fixed end and a retractable end in the first direction. One of the fixed end and the retractable end is connected to an end cap 4412 of the fixed cylinder 441, and the other is connected to the switching mounting piece 458. Thus, when the switching mounting piece 458 moves along the first direction, it will simultaneously move the end connected to the main brush assembly 44, causing the main brush assembly 44 to extend and retract in the first direction, thereby realizing the switching of the main brush assembly 44 between the first cleaning position and the second cleaning position.
[0490] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, by at least partially switching the mounting component 458 to be located inside the fixed cylinder 441, the same beneficial effect of increasing the counterweight of the pool robot 100 at the location of the main brush component 44 is achieved, as described above, and will not be repeated here.
[0491] Furthermore, since the main brush assembly 44 in this embodiment is an elastically retractable structure that extends and retracts along the first direction, when the main brush assembly 44 switches from the first cleaning position to the second cleaning position, the contact area of the main brush assembly 44 with the working surface 10 in the second cleaning position can encompass the contact area of the main brush assembly 44 with the working surface 10 in the first cleaning position. Thus, in a single cleaning path, when the pool robot 100 selects to switch the main brush assembly 44 to the second cleaning position via the switching assembly 45, the contact area of the main brush assembly 44 on the cleaning transition area Q can be further increased, thereby further improving the cleaning capability of the pool robot 100 for corner positions.
[0492] Referring to Figures 28 to 30, when the switching mounting piece 458 moves along the first direction toward one end of the edge of the housing 1, the main brush assembly 44 can be extended in the first direction to switch the main brush assembly 44 from the first cleaning position to the second cleaning position.
[0493] Accordingly, when the switching mounting piece 458 moves along the first direction toward the end away from the edge of the housing 1, the main brush assembly 44 can retract in the first direction X, so that the main brush assembly 44 is switched from the second cleaning position to the first cleaning position.
[0494] Referring to Figures 27, 28, and 31, the switching assembly 45 may further include a drive motor and a linkage unit. The drive motor is connected to the switching mounting member 458 via the linkage unit. The linkage unit is used to drive the switching mounting member 458 to move along a first direction under the drive of the drive motor, so that the switching mounting member 458 can be moved along the first direction by the linkage unit under the drive of the drive motor, thereby driving the main brush assembly 44 to switch between a first cleaning position and a second cleaning position via the switching mounting member 458.
[0495] Since the linkage unit typically involves fewer moving parts, the manufacturing cost and complexity of the switching assembly 45 can be reduced. Therefore, when the switching mounting piece 458 is moved along the first direction by the drive motor and linkage unit, the possibility of the pool robot 100 malfunctioning can be reduced, thereby improving the reliability of the switching mounting piece 458 moving in the first direction. Furthermore, the maintenance cost of the switching assembly 45 can be reduced.
[0496] In addition, since the linkage unit has the characteristic of smooth movement compared with other driving methods, the linkage unit can provide a smooth movement path for the switching mounting part 458 to move along the first direction, which helps to reduce the vibration and noise of the pool robot 100 during cleaning and improve the user experience.
[0497] Referring to Figures 27, 28, and 31, the linkage unit includes a linear motion member 459, a first link 4591, and a second link 4592. A drive motor is hinged to one end of the first link 4591, and the other end of the first link 4591 is hinged to one end of the second link 4592. The other end of the second link 4592 is hinged to one end of the linear motion member 459, and the other end of the linear motion member 459 is connected to a switching mounting member 458.
[0498] The drive motor is used to drive the first link 4591 to swing. When the first link 4591 swings, it drives the linear moving member 459 to move along the first direction through the second link 4592.
[0499] Since the drive motor is hinged to one end of the first link 4591, the first link 4591 will swing at different angles around the end hinged to the drive motor under the drive motor's drive. Since the other end of the first link 4591 is hinged to one end of the second link 4592, when the first link 4591 swings, it will drive the end of the second link 4592 that is hinged to the linear moving member 459 to move along the first direction. In turn, the second link 4592 will drive the linear moving member 459 to move along the first direction, so that the linear moving member 459 will drive the switching mounting member 458 to move in the first direction.
[0500] Therefore, by configuring the drive motor, the first link 4591, and the second link 4592 in the linkage unit, the switching mounting member 458 can be moved along the first direction by the linear moving member 459. Furthermore, by controlling the forward and reverse rotation of the drive motor, the linear moving member 459 can be controlled to move the switching mounting member 458 along the first direction toward or away from the edge of the housing 1, so as to realize the switching of the main brush assembly 44 between the first cleaning position and the second cleaning position.
[0501] Referring to Figure 31, in some embodiments, the switching assembly 45 may further include a guide extending along a first direction. A linear moving member 459 is connected to the guide and is movable relative to the guide. Thus, the guide guides the movement of the linear moving member 459 in the first direction, preventing misalignment of the linear moving member 459 and the switching mounting member 458 during movement in the first direction, which could affect the switching of the main brush assembly 44 between the first and second cleaning positions.
[0502] Both the drive motor and the linkage unit are housed within the mounting space. For example, both the drive motor and the linkage unit can be housed within the fixed cylinder 441, thus placing both within the mounting space. When both the drive motor and the linkage unit are housed within the mounting space, it facilitates the connection between the linear motion component 459 and the switching mounting component 458, while also allowing the drive motor and linkage unit in the switching assembly 45 to be concealed within the main brush assembly 44. This increases the size of the main brush assembly 44 in the first direction, thereby increasing the contact area between the main brush assembly 44 and the working surface 10, and enhancing the cleaning effect of the main brush assembly 44 on the cleaning transition area Q of the working surface 10.
[0503] Furthermore, since the drive motor and linkage unit are hidden inside the main brush assembly 44, the counterweight of the pool robot 100 at the location of the main brush assembly 44 can be further increased. This better prevents the main brush assembly 44 from tilting prematurely and failing to contact the working surface 10 due to the buoyancy of the water when switching between the first and second cleaning positions. This further enhances the cleaning effect of the main brush assembly 44 on the cleaning transition area Q of the working surface 10 and the overall stability of the pool robot 100 when it walks in the pool.
[0504] The linear moving part 459 can be sleeved around the guide part in the circumferential direction so that the linear moving part 459 can be connected to the guide part. At this time, the guide part will also be located inside the fixed cylinder 441.
[0505] Referring to Figures 27, 28, and 31, the switching assembly 45 also includes a rotary motor 450. The linear motion member 459 has a mounting cavity, and the rotary motor 450 is disposed within the mounting cavity and connected to the switching mounting member 458. Specifically, the end of the rotary motor 450 opposite to the linear motion member 459 is connected to the switching mounting member 458. For example, the end of the rotary motor 450 opposite to the linear motion member 459 has a rotating shaft, which can be keyed to the switching mounting member 458.
[0506] In this way, the rotating motor 450 can drive the switching mounting part 458 to rotate, and the switching mounting part 458 can drive the main brush assembly 44 to rotate, so that the main brush assembly 44 rotates relative to the outer shell 1. Furthermore, since the rotating motor 450 is located inside the mounting cavity, when the linear moving part 459 moves along the first direction, allowing the main brush assembly 44 to move along the first direction, it can also drive the rotating motor 450 to move along the first direction at the same time. This allows the main brush assembly 44 to switch between the first cleaning position and the second cleaning position while simultaneously rotating relative to the outer shell 1, thereby enabling the main brush assembly 44 to clean the bottom and walls of the pool.
[0507] Referring to Figure 27, when the first link 4591 swings, it drives the linear moving part 459 to move along the rotation axis O2 of the rotary motor 450 through the second link 4592.
[0508] With this configuration, the linear moving part 459, driven by the second link 4592, can move the rotary motor 450 and the switching mounting part 458 along the rotation axis O2 of the rotary motor 450, thereby enabling the main brush assembly 44 to switch between the first cleaning position and the second cleaning position. At this time, the rotation axis O2 of the rotary motor 450 and its own movement path are collinear. When the rotary motor 450 and the link unit are both located within the installation space, the weight of the pool robot 100 at the location of the main brush assembly 44 can be evenly distributed. This better prevents the main brush assembly 44 from tilting prematurely due to buoyancy in the water and failing to contact the working surface 10 when switching between the first and second cleaning positions. This further enhances the cleaning effect of the main brush assembly 44 on the cleaning transition area Q of the working surface 10 and the overall stability of the pool robot 100 when it moves in the pool.
[0509] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the cleaning system 4 includes a main brush assembly 44 and a second side brush 437. Both the main brush assembly 44 and the second side brush 437 are rotatably mounted on the housing 1 for cleaning the working surface 10. The housing 1 has an opening 14 that communicates with a receiving cavity. A portion of the main brush assembly 44 is located inside the receiving cavity, and the remaining portion of the main brush assembly 44 is located outside the housing 1 through the opening 14. The second side brush 437 is located outside the housing 1 and is coaxially arranged with the main brush assembly 44.
[0510] Pools come in various shapes, and dirt easily accumulates in corners and edges. In related technologies, the main brush assembly 44 of a pool robot 100 is typically positioned between the two traveling devices. This means that the area where the moving device 2 travels along the width of the pool robot 100 is difficult for the main brush assembly 44 to reach, especially the connection points of multiple working surfaces 10, i.e., the cleaning transition area Q mentioned earlier. The main brush assembly 44 in related technologies has difficulty aligning and cleaning these areas, which may result in some areas being missed and the cleaning not being thorough enough.
[0511] In this embodiment, a second side brush 437 is also provided on the side of the main brush assembly 44, which helps to reduce the area of the pool robot 100 that cannot be cleaned, especially some corner areas, or areas that cannot be reached due to interference from the moving device 2, thereby improving the cleaning effect of the pool robot 100.
[0512] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the axial direction of the main brush assembly 44 is a first direction. The second side brush 437 is movable along the first direction between a third position and a fourth position. In the third position, the second side brush 437 is arranged at a distance from the main brush assembly 44, and in the fourth position, the second side brush 437 is arranged closer to the main brush assembly 44 than in the third position.
[0513] In this embodiment, the second side brush 437 is capable of moving between a third and a fourth position along a first direction, meaning that the second side brush 437 can extend and retract along the first direction. This allows the second side brush 437 to adhere closely to the working surface 10 in various pool bottom environments, thus improving the cleaning effect of the second side brush 437.
[0514] In addition, the area of the second side brush 437 that cannot be cleaned can be reduced by extending and retracting the second side brush 437, thereby further improving the cleaning effect of the pool robot 100.
[0515] For example, the second side brush 437 can move between a third position and a fourth position via a telescopic drive mechanism.
[0516] In this embodiment, the second side brush 437 is disposed on one side of the main brush assembly 44 along the first direction and is coaxially arranged with the main brush assembly 44, and can rotate together with the main brush assembly 44. In some embodiments, the second side brush 437 can also be driven to rotate by a separate driving device, and this embodiment does not specifically limit this.
[0517] In addition, second side brushes 437 can be provided on both sides of the main brush assembly 44 along the first direction. When there are two main brush assemblies 44, that is, when the housing 1 is provided on both the front and rear sides along the second direction, the two main brush assemblies 44 can also be provided on both sides of the first direction, which is conducive to further improving the cleaning effect of the pool robot.
[0518] For example, when the second side brush 437 is in the fourth position, the side of the second side brush 437 can abut against the main brush assembly 44 or leave a certain gap with the main brush assembly 44. This embodiment does not specifically limit this, as long as the second side brush 437 can extend and retract along the first direction.
[0519] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in Figures 32 and 33, the cleaning system 4 includes a mounting member 46 and a movable support assembly 47. The mounting member 46 is disposed at the opening 14, and the movable support assembly 47 is rotatably disposed on the mounting member 46. A main brush assembly 44 is disposed within the mounting member 46 and at least partially fitted onto the movable support assembly 47. A second side brush 437 is disposed outside the mounting member 46 and connected to the movable support assembly 47. The movable support assembly 47 includes a second elastic member 471, and the second side brush 437 moves between a third position and a fourth position under the action of the second elastic member 471.
[0520] Mounting member 46 provides mounting positions for the main brush assembly 44 and the second side brush 437. Mounting member 46 is located at the opening 14 and connected to the housing 1. The main brush assembly 44 is rotatably connected to the mounting member 46, thereby rotatably connected to the housing 1. The second side brush 437 is also rotatably connected to the mounting member 46, thereby rotatably connected to the housing 1.
[0521] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, along the first direction, the second side brush 437 is disposed on the outer side of the housing 1, and the main brush assembly 44 is disposed on the inner side of the housing 1. That is, in the same projection plane perpendicular to the height direction of the housing 1, the projection of the main brush assembly 44 falls within the projection range of the housing 1, while the projection of the second side brush 437 is outside the projection range of the housing 1.
[0522] The movable support assembly 47 is used to connect the second side brush 437 and the main brush assembly 44. Exemplarily, the mounting member 46 has a mounting hole, a portion of the movable support assembly 47 is rotatably inserted into the mounting hole, the main brush assembly 44 is sleeved on the movable support assembly 47, and the second side brush 437 is connected to the movable support assembly 47, so that the second side brush 437 can rotate together with the main brush assembly 44.
[0523] The movable support assembly 47 includes a second elastic element 471. In this embodiment, the second side brush 437 can achieve telescopic movement through the second elastic element 471, thereby achieving a better cleaning effect.
[0524] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in Figures 33 and 34, the movable support assembly 47 includes a cylindrical body 472, a first support 473, and a second support 474. The first support 473 and the second elastic member 471 are located within the cylindrical body 472. The cylindrical body 472 includes an outer peripheral wall and an end wall connecting to the outer peripheral wall. Along a first direction, one end of the second elastic member 471 is sleeved on the first support 473, and the other end abuts against the end wall of the cylindrical body 472. One end of the second support 474 is connected to a second side brush 437, and the other end is connected to the first support 473. The second elastic member 471 causes the first support 473 to tend to move away from the end wall of the cylindrical body 472 along the first direction.
[0525] In some embodiments, an opening is formed on one side of the cylinder 472, and the first support 473 and the second elastic member 471 are disposed inside the cylinder 472 through the opening. One end of the second elastic member 471 is sleeved on the first support 473, and the other end abuts against the end wall of the cylinder 472.
[0526] In this embodiment, the second side brush 437 moves between the third and fourth positions due to the elastic action of the second elastic member 471. Specifically, during the cleaning process of the pool robot 100, when it contacts an adjacent pool wall or obstacle along the first direction (also referred to as the axial direction of the main brush assembly 44), the second elastic member 471 can be compressed under the action of external force, thereby allowing the second side brush 437 to move towards the fourth position along the first direction. When the external force disappears, the second side brush 437 will return to the third position under the elastic force of the second elastic member 471, thus maintaining contact with the surface to be cleaned, which helps to adapt to different pool bottom environments and achieve better cleaning results.
[0527] In addition, due to the movement of the second side brush 437 along the first direction, when it touches an obstacle or pool wall, the second side brush 437 can automatically adjust its position, reducing the possibility of damage to the second side brush 437 or even the movable support assembly 47 due to overly rigid contact with the pool wall or obstacle. This improves the cleaning effect of the pool robot 100 and enhances its reliability.
[0528] In this embodiment, at least a portion of the end wall of the cylinder 472 protrudes towards the first support 473 along the first direction to form a protrusion. The other end of the second elastic member 471 can be sleeved on the protrusion, thereby reducing the possibility of the second elastic member 471 shifting during movement and improving the movement reliability of the second side brush 437. Of course, those skilled in the art should understand that in some embodiments, the other end of the second elastic member 471 can also directly abut against the end wall of the cylinder 472 and be fixed to the end wall of the cylinder 472 by means of adhesion or other methods.
[0529] The first support 473 is generally cylindrical and has a limiting groove. One end of the second elastic member 471 is sleeved on the cylindrical first support 473, extending at least partially into the limiting groove, and the end of the second elastic member 471 abuts against the bottom wall of the limiting groove. This further reduces the possibility of the second elastic member 471 shifting, improving the reliability of the movement of the second side brush 437. Of course, those skilled in the art should understand that in some embodiments, one end of the second elastic member 471 can also be directly sleeved on the outer periphery of the first support 473.
[0530] The first bracket 473 and the second bracket 474 can be formed as an integral structure or assembled as separate structures. If the first bracket 473 and the second bracket 474 are separate structures, they can be connected in a detachable manner or in a fixed manner.
[0531] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the first bracket 473 and the second bracket 474 are detachably connected.
[0532] Since the second side brush 437 extends beyond the outer casing 1, it is inevitably subject to bumps and knocks during daily cleaning, making it more susceptible to damage. In this embodiment, the first bracket 473 and the second bracket 474 are detachably connected. Thus, the second side brush 437, connected to the second bracket 474, is detachably connected to the main brush assembly 44. If the second side brush 437 needs replacement or is damaged, the first bracket 473 can be removed from the second bracket 474, facilitating subsequent replacement and maintenance of the second side brush 437.
[0533] Detachable connection methods include, but are not limited to, snap-fit, threaded connection, magnetic connection, and fastener connection.
[0534] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in FIG34, the second bracket 474 includes at least two elastic arms 4741, each elastic arm 4741 having a snap-fit element 4742. The first bracket 473 has a snap-fit hole 4731. The snap-fit elements 4742 of the elastic arms 4741 engage with the snap-fit holes 4731, thereby connecting the first bracket 473 and the second bracket 474. Each elastic arm 4741 can approach each other in a direction perpendicular to the first direction under the action of an external force, causing each snap-fit element 4742 to disengage from the snap-fit holes 4731, thereby disengaging the second bracket 474 from the first bracket 473.
[0535] Therefore, the first bracket 473 and the second bracket 474 can be quickly assembled and disassembled through the cooperation of the snap-fit part 4742 and the snap-fit hole 4731, thereby enabling the quick assembly and disassembly of the second side brush 437. The structure is simple, the operation is easy, and the connection stability is good. When the user needs to replace the second side brush 437, he only needs to press the elastic arm 4741 of the second bracket 474, so that the snap-fit part 4742 of the elastic arm 4741 can be released from the snap-fit hole 4731, thus quickly disassembling the second side brush 437.
[0536] In this embodiment of the disclosure, there are two elastic arms 4741. In some embodiments, the number of elastic arms 4741 may be three, four or more. This embodiment of the disclosure does not specifically limit the number of elastic arms 4741.
[0537] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in FIG2, the main brush assembly 44 includes a first main brush assembly 442 and a second main brush assembly 443. The first main brush assembly 442 and the second main brush assembly 443 are respectively disposed on both sides of the housing 1 at a distance along a second direction, which is parallel to the forward direction of the pool robot 100. The first main brush assembly 442 and the second main brush assembly 443 are arranged symmetrically, or the first main brush assembly 442 and the second main brush assembly 443 are arranged asymmetrically.
[0538] In this embodiment, the pool robot 100 includes two sets of main brush assemblies 44, located on both sides of the housing 1, thereby expanding the cleaning range of the pool robot 100, reducing cleaning dead spots, and improving cleaning effectiveness. Furthermore, the simultaneous rotation of the two main brush assemblies 44 generates a stronger water flow agitation and scrubbing effect, more effectively loosening and removing stubborn dirt such as algae and stains from the bottom and sidewalls of the pool, thus improving cleaning efficiency.
[0539] In some embodiments, the first main brush assembly 442 and the second main brush assembly 443 can be arranged symmetrically, that is, in the same projection plane perpendicular to the second direction, the projections of the first main brush assembly 442 and the second main brush assembly 443 completely overlap. When the pool robot 100 moves forward, the symmetrically arranged main brush assemblies 44 on both sides can simultaneously guide and pressurize the water flow, making the water flow more evenly distributed and effectively cleaning pools of various shapes, ensuring consistent cleaning results.
[0540] In some implementations, the first main brush assembly 442 and the second main brush assembly 443 can also be arranged asymmetrically. That is, in the same projection plane perpendicular to the second direction, the projections of the first main brush assembly 442 and the second main brush assembly 443 partially overlap, or the projection of the first main brush assembly 442 falls within the projection range of the second main brush assembly 443, or vice versa. The asymmetrically arranged main brush assembly 44 can be optimized for pools with specific shapes or obstacles. The pool robot 100 can better adapt to the irregular shape of the pool during cleaning, improving its adaptability to complex pool environments and making cleaning more efficient and flexible.
[0541] This disclosure does not impose specific limitations on the arrangement of the first main brush component 442 and the second main brush component 443, but can be set according to the actual situation.
[0542] In some embodiments, the number of the first main brush component 442 and the second main brush component 443 can be multiple, and the multiple first main brush components 442 or the multiple second main brush components 443 are arranged at intervals along the first direction, thereby achieving better cleaning of the working surface 10.
[0543] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the main brush assembly 44 includes a main brush 444, a main brush roller 445, a main brush shaft 446, and a main brush drive device 447. The main brush 444 is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the main brush roller 445, the main brush roller 445 is sleeved on the main brush shaft 446, and the main brush drive device 447 is connected to the main brush shaft 446 and is used to drive the main brush shaft 446 to rotate, thereby driving the main brush roller 445 to rotate.
[0544] In this embodiment, the drive end of the main brush drive device 447 is connected to the main brush shaft 446, thereby driving the main brush shaft 446 to rotate. The main brush shaft 446 drives the main brush roller 445 sleeved on it to rotate, which in turn drives the main brush 444 to rotate, thereby achieving cleaning of the working surface 10.
[0545] This disclosure does not specifically limit the material of the main brush 444; the main brush can be made of any suitable material.
[0546] The main brush assembly 44 is driven to rotate by a separate main brush drive device 447, which is separate from the drive device of the mobile device 2. This allows the pool robot 100 to perform effective cleaning operations both on and underwater, without easily interfering with the mobile device 2. In some embodiments, the main brush assembly 44 and the mobile device 2 can also be driven together by a single drive device and transmission device, such as a gear transmission device. This disclosure does not limit the specific type of transmission device, as long as it enables the main brush assembly 44 and the driving wheel 21 and / or driven wheel 22 of the mobile device 2 to rotate together.
[0547] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the main brush 444 and the main brush roller 445 are in frictional engagement.
[0548] In this embodiment, the main brush 444 and the main brush roller 445 are connected in a way that does not require complex connecting parts. Power can be easily transmitted through friction, which reduces the number of parts, lowers the complexity of the equipment, and has a simple structure and low cost, which helps to save production costs.
[0549] In addition, the frictional engagement between the main brush 444 and the main brush roller 445 facilitates easy disassembly and assembly of the main brush 444 and the main brush roller 445, allowing for quick replacement of different types of the main brush 444 according to different cleaning needs.
[0550] Of course, those skilled in the art will understand that in some embodiments, the main brush 444 may also be connected to the main brush roller 445 in any other suitable manner.
[0551] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in Figures 29 and 30, the main brush roller 445 includes at least two independent sub-segments 4451, each sub-segment 4451 being capable of reciprocating motion along a third direction, which is the height direction of the pool robot 100.
[0552] In this embodiment, since each sub-segment 4451 of the main brush roller 445 can reciprocate in a third direction, the main brush assembly 44 can also maintain close contact with the pool bottom when the pool robot 100 walks on pool bottoms of different heights or slopes. This allows the main brush assembly 44 to adapt to irregular pool bottoms, making it more adaptable and more conducive to improving the cleaning effect of the pool robot 100.
[0553] The present invention does not impose a specific limit on the number of sub-segments 4451, but can set them according to the actual situation.
[0554] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in FIG35, the main brush assembly 44 includes a third elastic member 448, which is sleeved on the main brush shaft 446.
[0555] In this embodiment, a third elastic element 448 is sleeved on the main brush shaft 446. The third elastic element 448 is coaxially arranged with the main brush shaft 446, which enables the main brush assembly 44 to adapt to uneven surfaces to be cleaned and improves the cleaning effect.
[0556] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in Figures 36 to 38, the main brush assembly 44 includes a main brush 444, a main brush roller 445, and a main brush drive device 447. The main brush is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the main brush roller 445, and the main brush drive device 447 is connected to the main brush roller 445 to drive the main brush roller 445 to rotate. The main brush drive device 447 includes a main brush drive member 4471 and a main brush transmission member 4472. The drive end of the main brush drive member 4471 is connected to the main brush transmission member 4472, and the main brush transmission member 4472 is connected to the main brush roller 445.
[0557] In this embodiment, the main brush assembly 44 is driven to rotate by a separate main brush drive device 447, which is separate from the drive device of the mobile device 2. This allows the pool robot 100 to perform good cleaning operations on or underwater without easily interfering with the mobile device 2.
[0558] Specifically, the main brush assembly 44 may further include end caps with bearings. The end caps with bearings are fastened to both ends of the main brush roller 445. The main brush drive component 4472 is connected to the end caps and is used to drive the end caps to rotate relative to the outer casing 1, thereby driving the main brush roller 445 to rotate. The end caps can be connected to the main brush roller 445 by any suitable method such as snap-fit, adhesive, or threaded connection. This embodiment does not impose specific limitations on this.
[0559] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in FIG36, the main brush drive 4471 and the main brush transmission 4472 are both located inside the main brush roller 445.
[0560] In this embodiment, both the main brush drive component 4471 and the main brush transmission component 4472 are located within the main brush roller 445, resulting in better integration and reducing the space occupied by the main brush assembly 44, thereby improving space utilization.
[0561] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in FIG37, the main brush drive 4471 and the main brush transmission 4472 are both located outside the main brush roller 445.
[0562] In this embodiment, both the main brush drive component 4471 and the main brush transmission component 4472 are located outside the main brush roller 445, making disassembly and assembly more convenient and facilitating the later replacement and maintenance of the main brush drive component 4471 and the main brush transmission component 4472.
[0563] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in FIG38, the main brush drive 4471 is located outside the main brush roller 445, and the main brush transmission 4472 is located inside the main brush roller 445.
[0564] In this embodiment, the main brush drive 4471 is located outside the main brush roller 445, and the main brush transmission 4472 is located inside the main brush roller 445, resulting in a more compact structure and better flexibility.
[0565] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in Figures 39 and 40, the pool robot 100 further includes a pumping assembly 5. The pumping assembly 5 includes a pumping drive 53, a pumping transmission 54, a first blade 55, and a second blade 56. The driving end of the pumping drive 53 is connected to the pumping transmission 54 and is used to drive the pumping transmission 54 to move. The first blade 55 and the second blade 56 are connected to the pumping transmission 54 and can rotate in opposite directions under the drive of the pumping transmission 54.
[0566] The pumping component 5 is a structural component in the pool robot 100 used to realize water intake and drainage. The suction and drainage drive device 51 and the propulsion drive device 52 are both types of the pumping component 5.
[0567] In this embodiment, a single pump drive 53 can simultaneously drive the rotation of two propellers, thereby increasing the suction and propulsion of the pool robot 100 without adding a drive unit, thus improving the motion stability of the pool robot 100. Furthermore, it helps to save costs.
[0568] In addition, the two blades rotate in opposite directions, allowing their torques to cancel each other out and reducing unbalanced forces. Simultaneously, the two blades can integrate the incoming flow, making the water spray more concentrated and further enhancing the suction and propulsion of the pool robot.
[0569] The pumping drive 53 can be, for example, a motor; as a specific example, it can be a servo motor.
[0570] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in FIG40, the pumping transmission component 54 includes a first bevel gear 541, a second bevel gear 542, a third bevel gear 543, a first rotating shaft 544, and a second rotating shaft 545. The driving end of the pumping drive component 53 is connected to the first bevel gear 541 and is used to drive the first bevel gear 541 to rotate. The second bevel gear 542 and the third bevel gear 543 are both meshed with the first bevel gear 541. The second rotating shaft 545 is sleeved outside the first rotating shaft 544 and is arranged coaxially with the first rotating shaft 544. The second rotating shaft 545 is connected to the second bevel gear 542, the first rotating shaft 544 is connected to the third bevel gear 543, and the first blade 55 is connected to the first rotating shaft 544, and the second blade 56 is connected to the second rotating shaft 545.
[0571] In this embodiment, the two shafts can rotate in different directions through a transmission mechanism of three bevel gears, thereby enabling the two blades to rotate in different directions. The structure is simple and the design is ingenious.
[0572] Furthermore, bevel gears offer high transmission efficiency, a wide transmission ratio range, and smoother, more reliable transmission, resulting in more stable and reliable rotation of the two blades and reducing the likelihood of turbulence. Moreover, the bevel gear transmission structure is relatively compact, facilitating the miniaturization and integration of the overall mechanism.
[0573] Specifically, the driving end of the pumping drive 53 is connected to a first bevel gear 541 for driving the first bevel gear 541 to rotate. The axial direction of the first bevel gear 541 is parallel to the axial direction of the driving end of the pumping drive 53. The axial directions of the second bevel gear 542 and the third bevel gear 543 are both perpendicular to the axial direction of the first bevel gear 541 and parallel to the axial directions of the first rotating shaft 544 and the second rotating shaft 545. The second bevel gear 542 and the third bevel gear 543 are spaced apart and coaxially arranged, and both mesh with the first bevel gear 541. The rotation directions of the second bevel gear 542 and the third bevel gear 543 are opposite. Along the axial direction of the first rotating shaft 544 or the second rotating shaft 545, the second bevel gear 542 is arranged closer to the first blade 55 and the second blade 56 than the third bevel gear 543. The second rotating shaft 545 is connected to the second bevel gear 542 and can rotate together with the rotation of the second bevel gear 542. The second blade 56 is sleeved on the second rotating shaft 545 and can rotate together with the second rotating shaft 545. A portion of the first rotating shaft 544 passes through the second rotating shaft 545, passes through the second bevel gear 542 and is connected to the third bevel gear 543, and can rotate together with the third bevel gear 543. A bearing is provided on the outer periphery of the first rotating shaft 544, and the bearing is located between the first rotating shaft 544 and the second bevel gear 542. Thus, without affecting the rotation of the second bevel gear 542, the first rotating shaft 544 does not rotate together with the rotation of the second bevel gear 542, so that the rotation directions of the first rotating shaft 544 and the second rotating shaft 545 are opposite, and consequently, the rotation direction of the first blade 55 sleeved on the first rotating shaft 544 is opposite to the rotation direction of the second blade 56. Therefore, the rotation of two blades can be achieved by a single pump drive 53 and a relatively simple pump transmission 54, which helps to save the number of drive components, reduce production costs, and effectively improve the suction and propulsion of the pump assembly 5, making the pool robot 100 more capable of climbing walls, slopes, and moving in water.
[0574] For example, the pumping assembly 5 also includes a pumping housing 546, which is an external protective housing of the pumping assembly 5. A portion of the pumping transmission component 54 is housed within the pumping housing 546. The junctions between the pumping transmission component 54 and the pumping housing 546, such as the junction between the second rotating shaft 545 and the pumping housing 546, or the junction between the drive end and the pumping housing 546, can be sealed using seals or oil seals to maintain the sealing performance within the pumping housing 546, reduce the possibility of external water flowing into the pumping housing 546, and improve the operational reliability and stability of the pumping assembly 5.
[0575] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in Figures 2 and 14, the pool robot 100 further includes a propulsion drive 52, which is disposed on the housing 1 in a manner rotatable at least between a first push position and a second push position. In the first push position, the propulsion drive 52 provides the pool robot 100 with thrust for movement in the forward direction; in the second push position, the propulsion drive 52 provides the pool robot 100 with thrust for movement in the upward direction.
[0576] In this embodiment, the propulsion drive device for moving the pool robot 100 is rotatably mounted on the housing 1. Thus, when the pool robot 100 needs to move forward, it rotates to a first propulsion position; when the pool robot 100 needs to float, it rotates to a second rotation position. This eliminates the need for multiple propulsion drive devices, allowing the pool robot 100 to move forward and float simultaneously. Furthermore, when the pool robot 100 needs to float, there is no need for wall-climbing operations; floating can be easily achieved through the propulsion drive device 52, resulting in a faster floating speed.
[0577] In some embodiments, the propulsion drive device 52 may also be rotated to a third propulsion position. The propulsion drive device 52 in the third propulsion position can provide the pool robot 100 with thrust in the sinking direction, thereby enabling the pool robot 100 to sink into the water more quickly and perform cleaning operations.
[0578] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in Figures 41 to 44, the buoyancy adjustment device 3 includes a buoyancy shell 31, a buoyancy driving device 32, and a deformation member 33. The buoyancy shell 31 forms a receiving cavity 311. The buoyancy driving device 32 includes a first plate 321 slidably connected to the buoyancy shell 31 and a buoyancy driving assembly 322 for sliding the first plate 321. The first plate 321 includes a sliding connection portion 3211 abutting against the inner wall of the buoyancy shell 31. The first plate 321 sealably isolates the receiving cavity 311 to form a first chamber 3111 and a second chamber 3112. The deformation member 33 sealably isolates the first chamber 3111 to form a first space 3111a and a second space 3111b. The first space 3111a communicates with the external environment, and the deformation member 33 isolates the sliding connection portion 3211 and the first space 3111a. The sliding first plate 321 is used to adjust the volume of the first chamber 3111 and the second chamber 3112 to change the amount of fluid entering the first space 3111a through the external environment.
[0579] The buoyancy housing 31 provides a mounting base for the buoyancy drive device 32 and the deformable component 33. The outer contour of the buoyancy housing 31 is not limited; it can be a regular or irregular shape. The buoyancy housing 31 can be an integral structure or a split structure. An internal receiving cavity 311 is formed inside the buoyancy housing 31, and an opening communicating with the receiving cavity 311 is provided on the buoyancy housing 31.
[0580] In some examples, the outer contour of the floating and sinking shell 31 is basically cylindrical, with an opening at one end along the axial direction of the floating and sinking shell 31, which connects to the receiving cavity 311. The floating and sinking shell 31 can be a variable-diameter structure, a constant-diameter structure, or a stepped structure. A variable-diameter structure means that the radial dimension of the floating and sinking shell 31 gradually changes along the axial direction of the floating and sinking shell 31. A constant-diameter structure means that the radial dimension of the floating and sinking shell 31 is uniformly distributed along the axial direction of the floating and sinking shell 31. A stepped structure means that the floating and sinking shell 31 includes at least two structural segments, each with a uniformly distributed radial dimension, but different radial dimensions for different structural segments.
[0581] The receiving cavity 311 is formed inside the floating shell 31. The outline of the receiving cavity 311 may be the same as or different from the outer outline of the floating shell 31. In some examples, the outline of the receiving cavity 311 is the same as the outer outline of the floating shell 31. The floating shell 31 is cylindrical, and the receiving cavity 311 is also cylindrical.
[0582] The outer periphery of the first plate 321 is adapted to the periphery of the receiving cavity 311. For example, the receiving cavity 311 is prismatic, and the periphery of the first plate 321 is a polygon corresponding to the sides of the prism. Alternatively, the receiving cavity 311 is cylindrical, and the periphery of the first plate 321 is circular. The extension direction of the first plate 321 can be perpendicular to the axial direction of the floating shell 31 or at an acute or obtuse angle. In some examples, the extension direction of the first plate 321 is perpendicular to the axial direction of the floating shell 31, so that the first plate 321 divides the first chamber 3111 and the second chamber 3112 into a more regular spatial structure.
[0583] The first plate 321 has a sliding connection portion 3211 that is slidably connected to the inner wall of the floating shell 31. The sliding connection portion 3211 includes a sliding wall facing the inner wall of the floating shell 31, and / or a sliding sealing structure disposed on the sliding wall.
[0584] Specifically, the sliding wall can be the outer peripheral wall of the first plate 321. The sliding connection 3211 can include a flange structure disposed on the outer edge of the first plate 321, the flange structure forming a sliding wall on the wall surface facing the inner wall of the floating shell 31, and the sliding wall contacting the inner wall of the floating shell 31; or, the sliding connection 3211 can include a groove structure, the groove structure being filled with a sliding sealing structure, and the sliding sealing structure contacting the inner wall of the floating shell 31.
[0585] The buoyancy drive assembly 322 may include drive components such as motors and rotary cylinders that drive the rotation of the output shaft, or drive components such as hydraulic cylinders, pneumatic cylinders, and electric telescopic rods that drive the linear motion of the output shaft. The motor may be a servo motor, a stepper motor, or the like. Referring to Figure 46, in some examples, the buoyancy drive assembly 322 includes a motor, the output shaft of which is connected to the first plate 321 for driving the first plate 321 to slide relative to the buoyancy shell 31 along the axial direction.
[0586] In this embodiment, the deformable member 33 sealably isolates the first chamber 3111. Specifically, the deformable member 33 is sealedly connected to the floating shell 31, and the deformable member 33 divides the first chamber 3111 into two parts: a first space 3111a and a second space 3111b. Fluids in the first space 3111a and the second space 3111b cannot flow between each other through the connection between the deformable member 33 and the floating shell 31. The connection between the deformable member 33 and the floating shell 31 can be to the outer wall of the floating shell 31 or to the inner wall of the floating shell 31.
[0587] In some examples, the deformable element 33 is a sheet-like structure, and the extension plane of the deformable element 33 is set at an angle to the central axis L of the floating shell 31. The angle between the two can be an acute angle, an obtuse angle, or a right angle. For example, the sheet-like deformable element 33 extends perpendicularly to the central axis L of the first chamber 3111, and the periphery of the sheet-like deformable element 33 is connected to the inner wall of the floating shell 31.
[0588] In other examples, the deformable element 33 has a receiving space, and the radial dimension of the deformable element 33 can be uniform or gradually set, or it can be set in a stepped or wavy shape. The end of the deformable element 33 with an opening is connected to the floating shell 31.
[0589] In this embodiment, the first space 3111a is connected to the external environment, and external fluids can enter the first space 3111a. Due to the deformation member 33, external fluids cannot enter the second space 3111b, and the sliding connection 3211 does not contact the external fluids, making it difficult for them to be disturbed. Furthermore, due to the first plate 321, the second space 3111b and the second chamber 3112 are relatively isolated, and the fluids between them are isolated.
[0590] In some examples, the fluids in the second space 3111b and the second chamber 3112 are both gases, while the fluids in the external environment are liquids (e.g., water in a swimming pool). Referring to Figure 43, the buoyancy drive assembly 322 drives the first plate 321 to move and approach the opening of the receiving cavity 311. The volume of the second chamber 3112 increases, while the volume of the first chamber 3111 decreases. The fluid in the second space 3111b is compressed and positive pressure is generated, which squeezes the deforming member 33 away from the first plate 321. The deforming member 33 deforms toward the opening of the receiving cavity 311, compressing the volume of the first space 3111a. The external fluid in the first space 3111a is discharged from the buoyancy adjustment device, increasing the overall drainage volume of the buoyancy adjustment device and increasing the buoyancy it receives, so as to achieve the floating operation. Of course, in some embodiments, positive pressure may not be generated in the second space 3111b, and the deformation member 33 may be directly deformed by the first plate 321. Conversely, referring to Figure 44, the buoyancy drive assembly 322 drives the first plate 321 to move away from the opening of the receiving cavity 311, the volume of the second chamber 3112 decreases, the volume of the first chamber 3111 increases, and the volume of the second space 3111b changes accordingly. Under the positive pressure of the external fluid in the first space 3111a, the deformation member 33 deforms toward the first plate 321, and the volume of the first space 3111a increases accordingly. More external fluid enters the first space 3111a, the overall drainage volume of the buoyancy adjustment device decreases, and the buoyancy it receives decreases, so as to achieve the sinking operation.
[0591] In this embodiment, the buoyancy adjustment device 3 includes a floating and sinking shell 31 and a floating and sinking driving device 32. The floating and sinking shell 31 forms a receiving cavity 311. The first plate 321 of the floating and sinking driving device 32 is located in the receiving cavity 311 and seals the receiving cavity 311 into a first chamber 3111 and a second chamber 3112. The sliding connection portion 3211 of the first plate 321 is slidably connected to the inner wall of the floating and sinking shell 31. The driving component of the floating and sinking driving device 32 is used to drive the first plate 321 to slide relative to the floating and sinking shell 31. As the first plate 321 slides relative to the floating and sinking shell 31, the volumes of the first chamber 3111 and the second chamber 3112 change accordingly. That is, the volume of the first chamber 3111 increases and the volume of the second chamber 3112 decreases, or the volume of the first chamber 3111 decreases and the volume of the second chamber 3112 increases.
[0592] Based on this, the buoyancy adjustment device 3 also includes a deformation element 33, which sealably isolates the first chamber 3111 into a first space 3111a and a second space 3111b. The first space 3111a is connected to the external environment. Since the first space 3111a is part of the first chamber 3111, when the buoyancy drive assembly 322 drives the first plate 321 to move and changes the volume of the first chamber 3111, the volume of the first space 3111a changes accordingly. External fluid is drawn in or discharged from the opening of the first space 3111a, that is, the actual displacement in the first space 3111a is changed, thereby changing the buoyancy of the entire buoyancy adjustment device 3.
[0593] Furthermore, the deformation element 33 isolates the sliding connection 3211 from the first space 3111a. In other words, the sliding connection 3211 does not come into contact with the fluid in the first space 3111a. Due to the isolation provided by the deformation element 33, the sliding connection 3211 is less susceptible to corrosion by the fluid in the first space 3111a, thereby improving the service life of the sliding connection 3211. Moreover, impurities such as dead leaves carried by the fluid in the first space 3111a are also blocked by the deformation element 33, making it difficult for them to enter the connection position between the sliding connection 3211 and the inner wall of the floating and sinking shell 31. The impurities are less likely to have an adverse effect on the sliding of the sliding connection 3211. In other words, the sliding of the sliding connection 3211 and the inner wall of the floating and sinking shell 31 is less affected by external factors, and the relative movement is smoother, which facilitates improving the switching efficiency of the buoyancy adjustment device 3 between the floating and sinking states.
[0594] The buoyancy adjustment device 3 of this embodiment is provided with a deformable element 33. The first space 3111a isolated by the deformable element 33 is used to contain external fluid. The sliding connection part 3211 of the first plate 321 is isolated from the fluid in the first space 3111a by the deformable element 33. The external fluid has little impact on the sliding connection part 3211, which can improve the service life of the sliding connection part 3211 and improve the state switching efficiency of the buoyancy adjustment device 3.
[0595] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in Figures 45 and 46, the deformable member 33 has a first end 310 fixed to the floating shell 31 and a second end 320 fixed to the first plate 321.
[0596] The deformable member 33 may have a receiving space. Along the central axis L of the deformable member 33, the deformable member 33 has a first end 310 away from the first plate 321, and the first end 310 is fixed to the floating shell 31. It can be understood that the first end 310 is provided with an opening corresponding to the receiving space so that external fluid can enter the receiving space. Since the deformable member 33 is disposed in the first chamber 3111, the receiving space of the deformable member 33 is a part of the first chamber 3111.
[0597] In this embodiment, the first end 310 of the deformable member 33 can be connected to the inner wall of the floating and sinking shell 31, that is, the deformable member 33 is completely accommodated in the first chamber 3111. The first space 3111a includes both the accommodating space of the deformable member 33 and the portion between the opening of the deformable member 33 and the opening of the floating and sinking shell 31. Alternatively, the first end 310 of the deformable member 33 can be connected to the outer wall of the floating and sinking shell 31, that is, the portion of the deformable member 33 with the opening extends to the outside of the floating and sinking shell 31 and connects with the corresponding wall surface of the floating and sinking shell 31. The accommodating space of the deformable member 33 and the first space 3111a are the same space.
[0598] For example, the first end 310 can be fixed to the floating shell 31 by means of snap-fitting, bonding, welding, riveting, interference fit, fastener connection, etc. In some examples, the first end 310 is fixed to the floating shell 31 by clamping.
[0599] In this embodiment, the deformable member 33 may or may not be connected to the first plate 321. When the first plate 321 is connected to the deformable member 33, the first plate 321 can directly apply force to the deformable member 33 to deform it. When the first plate 321 is not connected to the deformable member 33, the deformable member 33 can deform through the positive or negative pressure of the second space 3111b and the pressure of the external fluid.
[0600] The first end 310 of the deformable part 33 is fixed to the floating shell 31. The connection between the deformable part 33 and the floating shell 31 is relatively stable. Furthermore, the end of the deformable part 33 is connected to the floating shell 31, so the deformable part 33 is subject to less constraint, which is more conducive to the deformation of the deformable part 33.
[0601] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, along the central axis L of the deformable member 33, the deformable member 33 also has a second end 320 near the first plate 3212, and the second end 320 and the first end 310 can be opposite ends of the deformable member 33 along the axial direction.
[0602] For example, the second end 320 can be fixed to the first plate 3212 by means of snap-fitting, bonding, welding, riveting, interference fit, fastener connection, etc. In some examples, the second end 320 and the first plate 321 are fixed by clamping.
[0603] In some examples, the buoyancy drive device 32 also includes a second plate 323 located in the first space 3111a, that is, the first plate 321 and the second plate 323 are located on the outer and inner sides of the deformable member 33, respectively. The extension directions of the first plate 321 and the second plate 323 are arranged in parallel, and the first plate 321 and the second plate 323 clamp and fix the second end 320 of the deformable member 33.
[0604] For example, the first plate 321 and the second plate 323 can be fixed in contact by means of snap-fitting, bonding, welding, fastener connection, etc. The first plate 321 and the second plate 323 can also be fixed in non-contact means such as magnetic attraction.
[0605] In this embodiment, the second end 320 can be either closed or has a through structure. For example, the second end 320 can be a closed structure covering the entire surface without a through hole, preventing fluid from passing through the second end 320 into the second space 3111b, thus improving the sealing performance. Alternatively, if the second end 320 has a through structure (e.g., a connecting through hole), a sealing structure can be provided between the second end 320 and the first plate 321 to close the through structure of the second end 320. This arrangement facilitates the connection between the second end 320 and the first plate 321.
[0606] In some examples, the second end 320 of the deformable part 33 is provided with a through hole. Referring to Figure 45, the first plate 321 and the second plate 323 are provided with first connecting holes corresponding to the through hole of the deformable part 33. The first plate 321 and the second plate 323 are connected by fasteners such as screws, bolts, threaded rods, and nuts. The fasteners pass through the first connecting hole of the first plate 321, the through hole of the deformable part 33, and the first connecting hole of the second plate 323 in sequence, locking the first plate 321 and the second plate 323 in place, so that the first plate 321 and the second plate 323 clamp and fix the second end of the deformable part 33.
[0607] The second end 320 of the deformable member 33 may be provided with one or more (including two) through holes, and the multiple through holes may be arranged in a rectangular or circular array. In some examples, the second end 320 is provided with four through holes, which are distributed in a circular array, which can improve the strength of the connection and balance the force.
[0608] The first plate 321 and the second plate 323 clamp and fix the second end 320, which has high connection strength and facilitates the first plate 321 to transmit the driving force to the deformable part 33. When the deformable part 33 is deformed, it will be supported by two opposite directions, and the force will be more balanced. In addition, the fastener passes through the through hole of the second end 320, which can also limit the deformable part 33 and reduce the possibility of the deformable part 33 shifting radially.
[0609] In this embodiment, the deformation of the deformable component 33 can be achieved using an elastic material, such as rubber, silicone, or polyurethane. Alternatively, the deformation of the deformable component 33 can be achieved through a structure, such as a corrugated pipe or a multi-layered sleeve with deformation function. Furthermore, a deformation structure can be combined with an elastic material.
[0610] In some examples, the deformable member 33 includes multiple first annular walls and multiple second annular walls. The extension directions of both the first and second annular walls are at an angle to the central axis L of the deformable member 33, and the orientations of the first and second annular walls are different. Along the axial direction of the deformable member 33, the multiple first and second annular walls are alternately arranged, and adjacent first and second annular walls are connected and arranged at an angle. The angle between adjacent first and second annular walls can be changed. As the angle between adjacent first and second annular walls increases, the projected dimensions of the first and second annular walls along the radial projection of the deformable member 33 increase, the dimension of the deformable member 33 along its axial direction increases, the deformable member 33 elongates, and the volume of the first space 3111a increases.
[0611] Correspondingly, the included angle between the adjacent first and second annular walls decreases, the projected dimensions of the first and second annular walls along the radial projection of the deformable member 33 decrease, the dimension of the deformable member 33 along its axial direction decreases, the deformable member 33 shortens, and the volume of the first space 3111a decreases. The deformable member 33 achieves deformation by elongation or shortening; in some examples, the deformable member 33 can be a bellows.
[0612] In this embodiment, the deformable member 33 is fixed to the first plate 321, and there is a relatively stable connection between the two. The deformation of the deformable member 33 can be directly driven by the sliding of the first plate 321 relative to the floating shell 31. In other words, the first plate 321 provides a direct drive for the deformation of the deformable member 33 and also restricts the deformation direction of the deformable member 33, so that the deformable member 33 deforms in a set direction, which facilitates the fluid to enter or flow out of the first space 3111a.
[0613] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in Figures 45 to 47, the buoyancy adjustment device 3 further includes a structural member 34, which is detachably connected to the floating and sinking shell 31, and a first end is clamped between the structural member 34 and the floating and sinking shell 31.
[0614] For example, the detachable connection between the structural member 34 and the floating shell 31 can be a snap-fit connection, a threaded connection, an adsorption connection, a fastener connection, etc. In some embodiments, the structural member 34 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the floating shell 31, and the surfaces where the two are joined are both set as threaded surfaces, and the first end 310 can be clamped between the threaded surfaces of the structural member 34 and the floating shell 31.
[0615] In some embodiments, the structural member 34 and the floating shell 31 are connected by fasteners such as screws, bolts, studs, and nuts. For example, both the structural member 34 and the floating shell 31 have second connecting holes, through which bolts or screws pass sequentially. One of the second connecting holes is a threaded hole, capable of engaging with the bolt or screw to lock the structural member 34 to the floating shell 31. Alternatively, both the structural member 34 and the floating shell 31 have second connecting holes, through which bolts or studs pass sequentially and engage with nuts to lock the structural member 34 to the floating shell 31.
[0616] Referring to Figures 41, 42, 45, and 46, in some embodiments of this disclosure, a first connecting lug 341 is provided on the outer periphery of the structural member 34, and a second connecting post 342 is provided on the floating shell 31 corresponding to the position of the first connecting lug 341. Both the first connecting lug 341 and the second connecting post 342 are provided with second connecting holes, and the corresponding first connecting lug 341 and the second connecting hole of the second connecting post 342 are coaxially arranged. Fasteners such as bolts and studs pass through the first connecting lug 341 and the second connecting post 342 to fix the structural member 34 to the floating shell 31.
[0617] In some examples, the buoyancy shell 31 includes a main body and a second connecting post 342 attached to the main body. The second connecting post 342 and the main body of the buoyancy shell 31 can be combined by means of integral molding, bonding, welding, snap-fitting, etc. The second connecting post 342 can be attached to one or more locations on the main body. In some examples, both ends of the second connecting post 342 are attached to the main body, and a cavity is formed between the middle of the second connecting post 342 and the main body, which saves material and reduces weight while meeting connection requirements.
[0618] In some examples, the outer periphery of the structural member 34 is provided with a plurality of first connecting ears 341, which are evenly spaced along the circumference of the structural member 34. The floating shell 31 is provided with a plurality of second connecting posts 342, which correspond one-to-one with the plurality of first connecting ears 341.
[0619] Referring to Figures 41, 42, 45 and 46, in some embodiments of this disclosure, a second connecting ear 343 is also provided on the outer periphery of the structural member 34. The second connecting ear 343 is used to connect an external fixed structure. For example, the connection between the buoyancy adjustment device 3 and the outer shell 1 can be achieved by connecting the second connecting ear 343 to the outer shell 1.
[0620] In some examples, the second connecting ear 343 is provided with a connecting hole, a snap-fit part, a welding part, an adhesive part, etc., so as to connect with the corresponding position of the outer shell 1. The second connecting ear 343 can also be provided in multiple ways, with multiple second connecting ears 343 and multiple first connecting ears 341 alternately distributed along the circumference of the structural member 34, so that the stress on the structural member 34 is more balanced.
[0621] By setting up structural component 34, the first end 310 of deformable component 33 is clamped to floating shell 31 by structural component 34. There is a stable connection between deformable component 33 and floating shell 31, so that deformable component 33 can withstand a large force and generate a large degree of elastic deformation, thereby increasing the effective volume of the first space 3111a. Furthermore, structural component 34 and floating shell 31 are detachably connected, which facilitates the disassembly and maintenance of structural component 34 and deformable component 33.
[0622] Referring to Figures 46 and 47, in some embodiments of this disclosure, structural member 34 includes a connecting portion 344 and an extension portion 345. The connecting portion 344 is connected to the floating and sinking shell 31 and is sleeved on the outer edge of the opening of the floating and sinking shell 31. The extension portion 345 extends from the connecting portion 344 toward the center of the opening of the floating and sinking shell 31. Projected along the axial direction of the floating and sinking shell 31, the extension portion 345 at least covers the connecting portion between the deformable member 33 and the floating and sinking shell 31.
[0623] The connection between the deformable part 33 and the floating shell 31 refers to the structure in which the connecting part 344 and the floating shell 31 are connected. Specifically, it includes the part of the connecting part 344 connected to the floating shell 31, the part of the floating shell 31 connected to the connecting part 344, and the structure disposed between the connecting part 344 and the floating shell 31.
[0624] In some examples, the connecting portion 344 and the extension portion 345 can be connected by welding, snap-fitting, bonding, integral molding, or other methods. For example, the connecting portion 344 and the extension portion 345 are integrally molded, which gives the structural member 34 high structural strength.
[0625] In some examples, the connection between the connecting part 344 and the floating shell 31 can be a snap-fit connection, a threaded connection, an adsorption connection, a fastener connection, etc. For example, a first connecting ear 341 is provided on the outer periphery of the connecting part 344, and the connecting part 344 is connected to the floating shell 31 through the first connecting ear 341.
[0626] In some examples, the connecting portion 344 is an annular structure, and the inner contour of the connecting portion 344 matches the outer contour of the floating and sinking shell 31. For example, both have circular cross-sectional contours. The connecting portion 344 is fitted onto the outer edge of the opening of the floating and sinking shell 31, that is, the connecting portion 344 is fitted onto the outer periphery of the floating and sinking shell 31, and the position of the connecting portion 344 is at the opening of the floating and sinking shell 31. The inner wall of the connecting portion 344 corresponds to the outer wall of the opening of the floating and sinking shell 31.
[0627] In some examples, the extension 345 extends from the connecting portion 344 toward the center of the opening of the buoyancy housing 31; in other words, the extension 345 extends from the edge of the opening of the buoyancy housing 31 toward the center of the opening. It can be understood that the extension 345 has an annular structure, and the hollow portion of the extension 345 serves as an opening for the buoyancy adjustment device 3 to communicate with the external fluid.
[0628] In some examples, the extension direction of the extension 345 forms an angle with the extension direction of the connecting portion 344. Along the central axis L of the floating shell 31, the extension 345 may extend toward or away from the receiving cavity 311. For example, the extension direction of the extension 345 is perpendicular to the central axis L of the floating shell 31 and also perpendicular to the extension direction of the connecting portion 344.
[0629] In some examples, the deformable member 33 can be clamped between the extension 345 and the outer wall of the floating shell 31, projecting along the axial direction of the floating shell 31, with the projection of the extension 345 covering the clamped portion of the deformable member 33. In other examples, the deformable member 33 is clamped between the connecting portion 344 and the outer wall of the floating shell 31, requiring the deformable member 33 to pass through the gap between the extension 345 and the floating shell 31, projecting along the axial direction of the floating shell 31, with the projection of the extension 345 covering the portion of the deformable member 33 located between the extension 345 and the floating shell 31.
[0630] In some examples, when projected along the axial direction of the floating and sinking shell 31, the projection of the connection portion between the deformable member 33 and the floating and sinking shell 31 overlaps with the projection of the extension 345, and the projection of the inner wall of the extension 345 overlaps with the projection of the inner wall of the floating and sinking shell 31. In other examples, when projected along the axial direction of the floating and sinking shell 31, the projection of the extension 345 not only covers the connection portion between the deformable member 33 and the floating and sinking shell 31, but also extends beyond the inner wall of the floating and sinking shell 31. For example, the first annular wall and the second annular wall of the deformable member 33 form a telescopic section 330, and the projection of the extension 345 at least partially covers the projection of the telescopic section 330.
[0631] In this embodiment, the structural member 34 is provided with a connecting portion 344 and an extension portion 345. The connecting portion 344 is sleeved on the outer edge of the opening of the floating and sinking shell 31 so that the connecting portion 344 and the floating and sinking shell 31 have good limiting in the radial direction perpendicular to the floating and sinking shell 31, and their positions are relatively fixed. The extension portion 345 extends from the connecting portion 344 toward the center of the opening of the floating and sinking shell 31 and covers the connection portion between the deformable member 33 and the floating and sinking shell 31. On the one hand, it is convenient to press the deformable member 33 tightly into the opening of the floating and sinking shell 31. On the other hand, the extension portion 345 and the floating and sinking shell 31 together provide limiting for the deformable member 33, making it difficult for the deformable member 33 to fall out and the connection more stable.
[0632] Referring to Figures 46 and 47, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the first end 310 is provided with a flange structure 312. The flange structure 312 includes a first section 3121 and a second section 3122 connected to each other. The first section 3121 is located between the floating shell 31 and the connecting part 344, and the second section 3122 is located between the floating shell 31 and the extension part 345. The extension part 345, the second section 3122 and the outer edge of the opening of the shell abut against each other in sequence along the axial direction of the floating shell 31.
[0633] In some examples, the first segment 3121 of the deformable member 33 is located between the floating shell 31 and the connecting part 344. The first segment 3121 is clamped and fixed by the inner wall of the connecting part 344 and the outer wall of the floating shell 31. That is, the first segment 3121 is a ring structure. The first segment 3121 is sleeved on the outer peripheral side of the floating shell 31 and located on the inner peripheral side of the connecting part 344.
[0634] In some examples, the surface of the first segment 3121 is smooth; in other examples, the surface of the first segment 3121 has a concave or convex structure. For example, the first segment 3121 has a threaded structure to facilitate the threaded connection between the connecting part 344 and the floating shell 31. In some examples, the first segment 3121 is a flexible structure, and its shape can be adapted to the shapes of the connecting part 344 and the floating shell 31. The first segment 3121 fits the connecting part 344 and the floating shell 31 respectively, resulting in a good sealing effect.
[0635] In some examples, the second segment 3122 is located between the floating shell 31 and the extension 345, and between the first segment 3121 and the telescopic segment 330. Along the central axis L of the floating shell 31, one side of the second segment 3122 abuts against the end face of the floating shell 31, and the other side of the second segment 3122 abuts against the extension 345. The extension 345 and the floating shell 31 clamp and fix the second segment 3122.
[0636] In some examples, the surface of the second segment 3122 is smooth, or the surface of the second segment 3122 has a concave or convex structure. In some examples, the second segment 3122 is a flexible structure, and the shape of the second segment 3122 can be adapted to the shape of the extension 345 and the floating shell 31. The second segment 3122 fits the extension 345 and the floating shell 31 respectively, and has a good sealing effect.
[0637] In this embodiment of the disclosure, by providing a flange structure 312 at the first end 310 of the deformable member 33, the first segment 3121 of the flange structure 312 is located between the floating shell 31 and the connecting portion 344. In other words, the first segment 3121 is located between the outer peripheral side of the floating shell 31 and the inner peripheral side of the structural member 34. The floating shell 31 and the connecting portion 344 can provide good radial limiting for the deformable member 33. The second section 3122 of the flange structure 312 abuts against the extension 345 and the floating shell 31 along the axial direction of the floating shell 31. The floating shell 31 and the extension 345 can provide good axial restraint for the deformable part 33. The restraint in multiple different directions further improves the connection stability between the deformable part 33 and the floating shell 31, so that the deformable part 33 can generate elastic deformation. Moreover, the structure of the first section 3121 and the second section 3122 is relatively complex, and it is difficult for external fluid to enter the second space 3111b through the gap at the connection position of the deformable part 33, thereby improving the sealing effect.
[0638] Referring to Figures 46 and 47, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the flange structure 312 further includes a sealing protrusion ring 3123. The sealing protrusion ring 3123 is disposed on the outer periphery and / or inner periphery of the first segment 3121. The sealing protrusion ring 3123 located on the outer periphery of the first segment 3121 abuts against the inner wall of the connecting portion 344, and the sealing protrusion ring 3123 located on the inner periphery of the first segment 3121 abuts against the outer wall of the floating shell 31.
[0639] In some examples, the sealing ring 3123 is an annular protrusion provided on the surface of the flange structure 312. The sealing ring 3123 can surround the floating shell 31 around the central axis L of the floating shell 31. The sealing ring 3123 has elastic deformation capability and can seal the tiny gap between the first section 3121 and the connecting part 344 / floating shell 31 through elastic deformation, thereby improving the sealing effect.
[0640] In some examples, the radial direction of the sealing ring is perpendicular to the central axis L of the floating and sinking shell 31; for example, the sealing ring is a circular ring. In other examples, the radial direction of the sealing ring forms an acute or obtuse angle with the central axis L of the floating and sinking shell 31; for example, the sealing ring is an elliptical ring.
[0641] In some examples, the cross-sectional profile of the sealing ring (the cross-section through the axial direction of the sealing ring) is an arc-shaped profile or a polygonal profile. The arc-shaped profile can be a major arc, a minor arc, a semi-circular arc, etc., and the polygonal profile can be a triangle, a rectangle, a square, a trapezoid, etc.
[0642] In some examples, a sealing ring 3123 is provided on the outer periphery of the first segment 3121, which abuts against the inner wall of the connecting portion 344 for sealing between the connecting portion 344 and the first segment 3121. In other examples, a sealing ring 3123 is provided on the inner periphery of the first segment 3121, which abuts against the outer wall of the floating and sinking shell 31 for sealing between the floating and sinking shell 31 and the first segment 3121. In still other examples, sealing rings 3123 are provided on both the outer and inner peripheries of the first segment 3121. The sealing ring 3123 on the outer periphery abuts against the inner wall of the connecting portion 344 for sealing between the connecting portion 344 and the first segment 3121, while the sealing ring 3123 on the inner periphery abuts against the outer wall of the floating and sinking shell 31 for sealing between the floating and sinking shell 31 and the first segment 3121.
[0643] In this embodiment of the disclosure, one or more sealing protrusions 3123 may be provided on the outer periphery of the first segment 3121, and one or more sealing protrusions 3123 may also be provided on the inner per...
Claims
A swimming pool cleaning system wherein, The pool cleaning system includes: Pool robots; and A floating platform is used to carry the pool robot and can move the pool robot closer to or away from the waterline; The buoyancy adjustment unit is used to adjust the buoyancy of the floating platform. The swimming pool cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein, The floating platform also includes a rotating platform, via which the pool robot can move out of the pool; The rotating platform includes a first support platform for supporting the pool robot, which is capable of walking along the first support platform. The first support platform is configured to rotate between a fifth position and a sixth position. In the fifth position, the rotating platform is in contact with the working surface of the pool, and in the sixth position, there is an angle between the rotating platform and the working surface. The swimming pool cleaning system according to claim 2, wherein, The rotating platform further includes a rotating shaft, the buoyancy adjustment unit includes a first bladder, the first bearing platform is connected to the rotating shaft, and the first bladder is disposed between the first bearing platform and the working surface; The first capsule is configured to be compressible or expandable, thereby enabling the first support platform to rotate about the rotation axis between a fifth position and a sixth position. The swimming pool cleaning system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein, In the sixth position, the angle between the rotating platform and the working surface is between 70° and 80°. The swimming pool cleaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The floating platform also includes a positioning sensor, which is disposed on the bearing surface of the floating platform. The pool robot can determine the position of the buoyancy platform based on the positioning sensor. The swimming pool cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein, The floating platform also includes a rotating platform, which includes a first bearing platform. The first bearing platform includes a first bearing section and a second bearing section. The first bearing section is connected to the outside of the pool, and the second bearing section is connected to the first bearing section. The buoyancy adjustment unit also includes a third bladder, which is configured to be compressible or expandable. The second bearing section is able to rotate relative to the first bearing section under the action of the third bladder. The second bearing section is used to support the pool robot. The pool cleaning system of claim 6, wherein, The pool cleaning system also includes a wireless charging module, with the transmitter of the wireless charging module located on the second supporting section and the receiver of the wireless charging module located on the bottom of the pool robot. When the pool robot docks at the second support section, the position of the receiving end corresponds to the position of the transmitting end. The pool cleaning system of claim 1, wherein, The floating platform also includes a lifting platform, the lifting platform includes a second bearing platform, the buoyancy adjustment unit includes a second bladder, the second bladder is configured to be compressible or expandable, the second bladder is connected to the second bearing platform and is located on the side of the second bearing platform opposite to the bearing surface; The second support platform is capable of moving between a seventh position and an eighth position under the action of the second capsule, wherein when the second support platform is in the seventh position it is close to the outside of the pool, and when the second support platform is in the eighth position it is at least partially in the water. The swimming pool cleaning system according to claim 8, wherein, When the second support platform is in the seventh position, the entire lifting platform is above the waterline; when the second support platform is in the eighth position, a portion of the lifting platform is above the waterline. The swimming pool cleaning system according to claim 8, wherein, When the second support platform is in the seventh position and when the second support platform is in the eighth position, the entire lifting platform is below the waterline. The swimming pool cleaning system according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein, The lifting platform includes a guide member, a guide hole is formed on the second bearing platform, and the guide member passes through the guide hole, thereby allowing the second bearing platform to move up and down along the guide member between the seventh position and the eighth position. The pool cleaning system of any one of claims 1-11, wherein The pool cleaning system also includes a base station, which includes a second robotic arm configured to grasp the pool robot or to perform cleaning or replacement operations on the pool robot. A pool robot, wherein The pool robot is configured to perform cleaning operations both underwater and on the water surface, including: A mobile device for driving the pool robot to move on the work surface of the work site; A cleaning system for cleaning the work site; A sensor system is used to detect environmental information around the pool robot; A control system is configured to control a target device of the swimming pool robot when the environmental information indicates the existence of a target work area around the robot, such that the swimming pool robot is at least partially suspended on a target work surface of the target work area; wherein the target work area includes a step having at least one work surface, and in a projection plane perpendicular to the height direction of the swimming pool robot, the width of the projection of the target work surface is smaller than the width of the projection of the swimming pool robot, and both the width of the projection of the target work surface and the width of the projection of the swimming pool robot are the width of the swimming pool robot in the width direction; the target device includes at least one of the following: a buoyancy adjustment device, a suction and drainage drive device, and a reverse water spray drive device. The pool robot according to claim 13, wherein, The control system is also used to control the cleaning system to clean the target intersection area, which is the area formed by the target working surface and another working surface, wherein the other working surface is adjacent to the target working surface and has an angle. The pool robot according to claim 14, wherein, The control system is further configured to control the second side brush of the cleaning system to clean the target intersection area when the environmental information indicates that the distance between the pool robot and the target intersection area is less than a set first distance threshold. The pool robot according to claim 15, wherein, The control system is also used to control the target device to adjust the buoyancy of the pool robot so that the target side of the pool robot tilts up, the target side being the side away from the target intersection area. The pool robot according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein, The control system is also used to control the suction and drainage drive device to spray water upwards, so that the pool robot is partially suspended on the target working surface of the target work site. The pool robot according to any one of claims 13 to 17, wherein, The control system is further configured to control the rotation of the pool robot's wheels when the environmental information indicates that the distance between the pool robot and the target work site is less than a set second distance threshold.