Cleaning base station and cleaning system

Abstract

The present solution relates to the field of cleaning devices, and provides a cleaning base station and a cleaning system. The cleaning base station comprises a dust collection cavity and a drying assembly; the drying assembly comprises a drying fan and a drying air duct; and the drying air duct is provided with an air inlet in communication with the drying fan and two air outlets respectively in communication with the dust collection cavity and a dust collection box of a cleaning robot docked with the cleaning base station, so as to allow the drying fan to synchronously deliver drying airflow to the dust collection cavity and the dust collection box. By means of the described technical solution, only one drying fan is required to synchronously provide drying airflow to the dust collection cavity and the dust collection box, thereby improving the drying efficiency, reducing the number of fans, and simplifying the structure.

Description

Clean base stations and cleaning systems

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of Chinese Patent Application No. 202520162607.3, filed on January 23, 2025, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This solution relates to the technical field of cleaning equipment, and in particular to a cleaning base station and a cleaning system. Background Technology

[0004] A cleaning robot is a device that can clean the ground, and it is generally used in conjunction with a cleaning base station.

[0005] After the cleaning robot completes its cleaning task, it connects to the cleaning base station. The base station then sucks the debris collected by the robot into the dust collection chamber and washes the robot's dust collection box. Since debris with high moisture content can easily breed bacteria and cause strong odors when collected in the dust collection chamber, the debris needs to be dried. Similarly, the cleaning robot's dust collection box also needs to be dried after washing and cleaning.

[0006] In the existing technology, the dust collection chamber and the dust collection box are dried by different fans, which increases the number of fans. Furthermore, due to space constraints, there is no extra space in the cleaning robot to set up heating elements to heat the drying airflow. Summary of the Invention

[0007] One technical problem this solution aims to solve is that the dust collection chamber of the cleaning base station and the dust collection box of the cleaning robot need to be dried separately by different fans.

[0008] To address the aforementioned technical issues, this embodiment provides a cleaning base station, comprising a dust collection chamber and a drying assembly. The drying assembly includes a drying fan and a drying duct. The drying duct has an air inlet connected to the drying fan and two air outlets respectively connected to the dust collection chamber and a dust collection box docked to a cleaning robot of the cleaning base station, allowing the drying fan to simultaneously deliver drying airflow to the dust collection chamber and the dust collection box.

[0009] In some embodiments, the drying assembly includes a valve for controlling the connection and disconnection of the drying duct.

[0010] In some embodiments, the valve includes a tee pipe having an inlet pipe, a first outlet pipe, and a second outlet pipe, and a valve plate disposed in the tee pipe. The first outlet pipe is connected to the dust collection chamber, the second outlet pipe is connected to the dust collection box, and the valve plate is rotatable between a first position where the first outlet pipe and the second outlet pipe are simultaneously opened and a second position where the first outlet pipe and the second outlet pipe are simultaneously closed.

[0011] In some embodiments, a drive element for driving the valve plate to rotate is also included.

[0012] In some embodiments, the valve plate includes a first plate portion and a second plate portion corresponding to the first outlet pipe and the second outlet pipe, respectively. In the first position, the first plate portion opens the first outlet pipe and the second plate portion opens the second outlet pipe. In the second position, the first plate portion blocks the first outlet pipe and the second plate portion blocks the second outlet pipe.

[0013] In some embodiments, the system further includes an air inlet connector for docking the dust collection box of the cleaning robot, an air inlet pipe connecting the air inlet connector and the dust collection chamber, and the first outlet pipe being connected to the air inlet pipe.

[0014] In some embodiments, the system further includes an air outlet connector for docking a dust collection box of a cleaning robot, a dust collection fan connected to the dust collection chamber, and an air outlet pipe connecting the air outlet connector and the dust collection fan, wherein the second outlet pipe is connected to the air outlet connector.

[0015] In some embodiments, the first outlet pipe is directly connected to the air inlet pipe, the drying air duct includes a connecting pipe, and the second outlet pipe is connected to the air outlet connector through the connecting pipe.

[0016] In some embodiments, the drying assembly includes a heating element connected to the drying fan and / or disposed in the drying duct, the heating element being capable of heating the drying airflow delivered by the drying fan.

[0017] On the other hand, this solution also discloses a cleaning system, which includes a cleaning robot and the cleaning base station described in the above solution.

[0018] The above technical solution requires only a single drying fan to simultaneously provide drying airflow to the dust collection chamber and dust collection box, improving drying efficiency, reducing the number of fans, and simplifying the structure. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this scheme or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this scheme. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the clean base station disclosed in this embodiment of the solution;

[0021] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the valve component disclosed in this embodiment of the solution, with the valve component in the closed state;

[0022] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the valve component disclosed in this embodiment of the solution, with the valve component in the open state.

[0023] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Dust collection chamber; 2. Drive component; 3. Air inlet pipe; 4. Air inlet connector; 5. Drying fan; 6. Heating component; 7. Valve component; 8. Air outlet connector; 9. Dust collection fan; 10. Air outlet pipe; 11. Connecting pipe; 12. Inlet pipe; 13. First outlet pipe; 14. Second outlet pipe; 15. Valve plate; 16. First plate section; 17. Second plate section. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The implementation of this solution will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. The detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawings below are used to illustrate the principle of this solution by way of example, but should not be used to limit the scope of this solution. This solution can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

[0025] These embodiments are provided to make the present solution thorough and complete, and to fully express the scope of the present solution to those skilled in the art. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement of components and steps, material composition, numerical expressions and values ​​described in these embodiments should be interpreted as exemplary only and not as limiting.

[0026] It should be noted that, in the description of this scheme, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more; the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships, are only for the convenience of describing this scheme and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on this scheme. When the absolute position of the object being described changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0027] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in this scheme do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different parts. "Vertical" is not strictly vertical, but within the allowable margin of error. "Parallel" is not strictly parallel, but within the allowable margin of error. Terms such as "including" or "contains" mean that the element preceding the term covers the element listed after it, and do not exclude the possibility of including other elements as well.

[0028] It should also be noted that, in the description of this solution, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this solution depending on the specific circumstances. When a specific device is described as being located between a first device and a second device, an intermediary device may or may not be present between the specific device and the first or second device.

[0029] All terms used in this protocol have the same meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, unless otherwise specifically defined. It should also be understood that terms defined in general dictionaries should be interpreted as having meanings consistent with their meanings in the context of the relevant art, and not as idealized or highly formalized, unless explicitly defined herein.

[0030] Techniques, methods, and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, they should be considered part of the specification.

[0031] Referring to Figures 1-3, this solution provides a cleaning base station, which includes a dust collection chamber 1 and a drying assembly. The drying assembly includes a drying fan 5 and a drying duct. The drying duct has an air inlet connected to the drying fan 5 and two air outlets connected to the dust collection chamber 1 and a dust collection box docked to the cleaning robot of the cleaning base station, respectively, so as to allow the drying fan 5 to simultaneously deliver drying airflow to the dust collection chamber 1 and the dust collection box.

[0032] The cleaning base station can be used in conjunction with the cleaning robot. When the cleaning robot docks with the cleaning base station, the garbage in the dust collection box of the cleaning robot can be transported to the dust collection chamber 1 of the cleaning base station, so that the cleaning robot can detach from the cleaning base station and perform cleaning work again.

[0033] The drying assembly is installed in the cleaning base station. The drying air duct has one air inlet and two air outlets. The air inlet can be connected to the drying fan 5, and the two air outlets can be connected to the dust collection chamber 1 and the dust collection box respectively. This allows the drying fan 5 to synchronously deliver the drying airflow to the dust collection chamber 1 and the dust collection box, thereby achieving synchronous drying of the dust collection chamber 1 and the dust collection box.

[0034] As can be seen, in this solution, only a single drying fan is needed to simultaneously provide drying airflow to the dust collection chamber and dust collection box, which improves drying efficiency, reduces the number of fans, and simplifies the structure.

[0035] The drying duct can be selectively connected to the dust collection chamber 1 and the dust collection box. For example, in some embodiments, the drying duct includes a valve 7 for controlling the connection and disconnection of the drying duct. The valve 7 can be opened and closed, wherein when the valve 7 is open, the air inlet is connected to the two air outlets, thus allowing the drying fan 5 to provide airflow to the dust collection chamber 1 and the dust collection box; when the valve 7 is closed, it disconnects the air inlet from the two air outlets. When the cleaning base station sucks up the garbage from the dust collection box of the cleaning robot, the valve 7 can be closed, disconnecting the air outlets and the air inlet, preventing airflow in the drying duct from entering the dust collection chamber 1 and the dust collection box and affecting the transport of garbage.

[0036] The valve component 7 can take various forms, as long as it can control the connection and disconnection of the air inlet and outlet. In some embodiments, the valve component 7 includes a three-way pipe with an inlet pipe 12, a first outlet pipe 13, and a second outlet pipe 14, and a valve plate 15 disposed within the three-way pipe. The first outlet pipe 13 is connected to the dust collection chamber 1, and the second outlet pipe 14 is connected to the dust collection box. The valve plate 15 can rotate between a first position where the first outlet pipe 13 and the second outlet pipe 14 are simultaneously open, and a second position where the first outlet pipe 13 and the second outlet pipe 14 are simultaneously closed. Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the inlet pipe 12, the first outlet pipe 13, and the second outlet pipe 14 form a three-way pipe structure, which can divide the airflow from the drying fan 5 into two parts and deliver them to the dust collection chamber 1 and the dust collection box respectively. The valve plate 15 located in the three-way pipe can rotate, thereby opening and closing the first outlet pipe 13 and the second outlet pipe 14, wherein the first outlet pipe 13 and the second outlet pipe 14 open and close simultaneously.

[0037] In some embodiments, the cleaning base station also includes a drive member 2 for driving the valve plate 15 to rotate. The drive member 2 is tractively connected to the valve plate 15 to drive the valve plate 15 to move, thereby opening and closing the valve component 7. The drive member 2 can be disposed outside the valve component 7 and connected to the valve plate 15 via a drive shaft to drive the valve plate 15 to rotate. The drive member 2 can be a motor, hydraulic cylinder, pneumatic cylinder, etc. Generally, since the main power source of the cleaning base station is electricity, a motor is preferred for the drive member 2.

[0038] In some embodiments, the valve plate 15 includes a first plate portion 16 and a second plate portion 17 corresponding to the first outlet pipe 13 and the second outlet pipe 14, respectively. In the first position, the first plate portion 16 opens the first outlet pipe 13 and the second plate portion 17 opens the second outlet pipe 14. In the second position, the first plate portion 16 blocks the first outlet pipe 13 and the second plate portion 17 blocks the second outlet pipe 14. The first plate 16 corresponds to the first outlet pipe 13, and the second plate 17 corresponds to the second outlet pipe 14. When the valve 7 is closed, the valve plate 15 is in the second position, the first plate 16 blocks the first outlet pipe 13, and the second plate 17 blocks the second outlet pipe 14 to disconnect the connection between the inlet pipe 12 and the first outlet pipe 13 and the second outlet pipe 14, that is, to disconnect the connection between the air inlet and the two air outlets. When the valve 7 is opened, the valve plate 15 is in the first position, the first plate 16 leaves the blocking position to open the first outlet pipe 13, and the second plate 17 leaves the blocking position to open the second outlet pipe 14. The air inlet and the two air outlets are connected, allowing the airflow provided by the drying fan 5 to be delivered to the dust collection chamber 1 and the dust collection box respectively.

[0039] In some embodiments, one of the plates is movable to fit against the inner surface of the tee, and the other plate is movable to be located between the first outlet pipe 13 and the second outlet pipe 14. Referring to FIG3, when the valve 7 is opened, one of the plates fits against the inner surface of the second outlet pipe 14 to allow the second outlet pipe 14 to be opened, and the other plate is located between the first outlet pipe 13 and the second outlet pipe 14. The airflow delivered by the inlet pipe 12 can be divided by this plate to enter the first outlet pipe 13 and the second outlet pipe 14 respectively.

[0040] In some embodiments, the cleaning base station also includes an air inlet connector 4 for docking with the dust collection box of the cleaning robot, and an air inlet pipe 3 connecting the air inlet connector 4 and the dust collection chamber 1. The first outlet pipe 13 is connected to the air inlet pipe 3. After the cleaning robot docks with the cleaning base station, the dust collection box can dock with the air inlet connector 4. When the dust collection box is opened, it can communicate with the air inlet connector 4 to achieve communication between the dust collection box and the dust collection chamber 1. The first outlet pipe 13 is connected to the side of the air inlet pipe 3. When drying is required, the dust collection box can be closed, that is, the communication with the air inlet connector 4 is disconnected. After the drying airflow enters the air inlet pipe 3, it will not enter the dust collection box through the air inlet connector 4, but will enter the dust collection chamber 1. The airflow direction at the air inlet connector 4 is from the dust collection box towards the dust collection chamber, and the reverse flow of the drying airflow is avoided to prevent the garbage from flowing back into the dust collection box.

[0041] In some embodiments, the cleaning base station also includes an air outlet connector 8 for docking with a cleaning robot's dust collection box, a dust collection fan 9 connected to the dust collection chamber 1, and an air outlet pipe 10 connecting the air outlet connector 8 and the dust collection fan 9. A second outlet pipe 14 is connected to the air outlet connector 8. The dust collection fan 9 is connected to the dust collection chamber 1. When the dust collection fan 9 is running, it can provide negative pressure to the dust collection chamber 1, allowing airflow from the dust collection box into the dust collection chamber 1 through the air inlet pipe 3. Correspondingly, debris is also carried into the dust collection chamber 1 by the airflow. The airflow discharged from the dust collection fan 9 can be discharged to the external environment through the air outlet pipe 10 and the air outlet connector 8. Alternatively, some airflow can be returned to the dust collection box to prevent the pressure therefrom from falling below the pressure in the dust collection chamber 1. The second outlet pipe 14 is connected to the dust collection box through the air outlet connector 8 to provide drying airflow to it.

[0042] In some embodiments, the first outlet pipe 13 is directly connected to the air inlet pipe 3, the drying duct includes a connecting pipe 11, and the second outlet pipe 14 is connected to the air outlet connector 8 through the connecting pipe 11. Referring to Figure 1, the drying fan 5 is located adjacent to the air inlet pipe 3, and the valve component 7 can be directly connected to the air inlet pipe 3 without the need for additional pipe fittings. The valve component 7 is relatively far from the air outlet connector 8, and a connecting pipe 11 is provided between the second outlet pipe 14 and the air outlet connector 8 to transport airflow from the valve component 7 to the air outlet connector 8.

[0043] In some embodiments, the drying assembly includes a heating element 6 connected to the drying fan 5 and / or disposed in the drying duct. The heating element 6 is capable of heating the drying airflow delivered by the drying fan 5. The heating element 6 can be disposed at the outlet of the drying fan 5 or inside the drying duct to heat the flowing airflow, thereby increasing its temperature. The heating element 6 can be a resistance wire or a PTC (positive temperature coefficient) heater. Furthermore, since both the dust collection chamber 1 and the dust collection box receive their drying airflow from the drying fan 5 in the cleaning base station, there is no need to additionally install a drying fan and heating structure in the cleaning robot. This solves the problem of limited space in the cleaning robot, which makes it difficult to install a heating structure.

[0044] The following describes the working process of the cleaning base station in this solution. When it is necessary to transport the garbage from the cleaning robot to the cleaning base station, the cleaning robot docks with the cleaning base station, and the dust collection box is connected to the dust collection chamber 1 through the air inlet connector 4. The valve 7 is in the closed state, and the first outlet pipe 13 and the second outlet pipe 14 cannot be connected to the external environment through the drying fan 5. The drying fan 5 is in the closed state. After the dust collection fan 9 is turned on, the garbage in the dust collection box enters the dust collection chamber 1 through the air inlet pipe 3 with the airflow. The dust collection fan 9 discharges the airflow in the dust collection chamber 1 to the external environment through the air outlet pipe 10 and the air outlet connector 8. Some of the airflow can return to the dust collection box to maintain the air pressure at a suitable level. When it is necessary to dry the dust collection chamber 1 and the dust collection box, the dust collection box is disconnected at the air inlet connector 4. The drive component 2 drives the valve component 7 to open. The drying fan 5 delivers the external airflow to the valve component 7 and further delivers it to the dust collection chamber 1 through the air inlet pipe 3. At the same time, the airflow is delivered to the dust collection box through the connecting pipe 11 and the air outlet connector 8. The heating component 6 can be heated by the flowing airflow to increase its temperature.

[0045] In addition, this solution also provides a cleaning system, which includes a cleaning robot and the cleaning base station described in the above solution.

[0046] The various embodiments of this solution have now been described in detail. To avoid obscuring the concept of this solution, some details known in the art have not been described. Those skilled in the art can fully understand how to implement the technical solutions disclosed herein based on the above description.

[0047] Although specific embodiments of this solution have been described in detail by way of examples, those skilled in the art should understand that the above examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this solution. Those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can be made to the above embodiments or equivalent substitutions can be made to some technical features without departing from the scope and spirit of this solution. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the various embodiments can be combined in any way.

Claims

1. A clean base station, characterized in that, It includes a dust collection chamber (1) and a drying assembly. The drying assembly includes a drying fan (5) and a drying duct. The drying duct has an air inlet connected to the drying fan (5) and two air outlets connected to the dust collection chamber (1) and the dust collection box of the cleaning robot docked to the cleaning base station, respectively, so as to allow the drying fan (5) to simultaneously deliver drying airflow to the dust collection chamber (1) and the dust collection box.

2. The clean base station according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drying duct includes a valve (7) for controlling the connection and disconnection of the drying duct.

3. The clean base station according to claim 2, characterized in that, The valve component (7) includes a three-way pipe having an inlet pipe (12), a first outlet pipe (13), and a second outlet pipe (14) and a valve plate (15) disposed in the three-way pipe. The first outlet pipe (13) can be connected to the dust collection chamber (1), and the second outlet pipe (14) can be connected to the dust collection box. The valve plate (15) can rotate between a first position where the first outlet pipe (13) and the second outlet pipe (14) are opened simultaneously and a second position where the first outlet pipe (13) and the second outlet pipe (14) are closed simultaneously.

4. The clean base station according to claim 3, characterized in that, It also includes a drive unit (2) for driving the valve plate (15) to rotate.

5. The clean base station according to claim 3, characterized in that, The valve plate (15) includes a first plate portion (16) and a second plate portion (17) corresponding to the first outlet pipe (13) and the second outlet pipe (14), respectively. In the first position, the first plate portion (16) opens the first outlet pipe (13) and the second plate portion (17) opens the second outlet pipe (13). In the second position, the first plate portion (16) blocks the first outlet pipe (13) and the second plate portion (17) blocks the second outlet pipe (14).

6. The clean base station according to claim 3, characterized in that, It also includes an air inlet connector (4) for docking the dust collection box of the cleaning robot, an air inlet pipe (3) connecting the air inlet connector (4) and the dust collection chamber (1), and the first outlet pipe (13) is connected to the air inlet pipe (3).

7. The clean base station according to claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes an air outlet connector (8) for docking the dust collection box of the cleaning robot, a dust collection fan (9) connected to the dust collection chamber (1), and an air outlet pipe (10) connecting the air outlet connector (8) and the dust collection fan (9), with the second outlet pipe (14) connected to the air outlet connector (8).

8. The clean base station according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first outlet pipe (13) is directly connected to the air inlet pipe (3), the drying air duct includes a connecting pipe (11), and the second outlet pipe (14) is connected to the air outlet connector (8) through the connecting pipe (11).

9. The clean base station according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The drying assembly includes a heating element (6) connected to the drying fan (5) and / or disposed in the drying duct, the heating element (6) being capable of heating the drying airflow delivered by the drying fan (5).

10. A cleaning system, characterized in that, This includes cleaning robots and cleaning base stations according to any one of claims 1-9.

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