Docking station, cleaning device, and cleaning system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional docking stations face challenges in accurately aligning with cleaning devices for liquid replenishment, leading to prolonged liquid replenishment times and reduced cleaning efficiency due to water leakage.
Innovation Solution
The docking station incorporates a guiding assembly and liquid feeding assembly with a connector that aligns and communicates with the cleaning device's connector under guiding fit, ensuring precise alignment and efficient liquid replenishment, featuring guiding protrusions, sealing members, and an elastic retractable member to prevent leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional docking station feeds liquid to cleaning device without guiding assembly, then device complexity is reduced, but alignment accuracy deteriorates causing water leakage and long replenishment time
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding assembly acts as an intermediary component between the docking station and cleaning device. It includes guiding protrusions on the docking station that fit into corresponding guiding grooves on the cleaning device, providing mechanical guidance to ensure accurate alignment during docking. This intermediary structure resolves the alignment accuracy issue without requiring complex active control systems.
2Productivity
If conventional docking station uses simple connector without guiding fit, then ease of manufacture is improved, but liquid replenishment time increases due to misalignment and leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding assembly performs preliminary alignment action before the liquid feeding connection is established. The guiding protrusions and grooves pre-position the cleaning device relative to the docking station, ensuring that when the liquid connectors engage, they are already in the correct alignment. This preliminary mechanical guidance prevents misalignment and leakage, enabling fast liquid replenishment without complex manufacturing.
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A docking station (100) includes a station body and a liquid feeding assembly (2). The station body has a docking region and a guiding assembly (10) on a side of the station body. The guiding assembly (10) is in the docking region. The guiding assembly (10) is configured to be in guiding fit with a mating assembly (40) of a cleaning device (200). The liquid feeding assembly (2) is on the station body and includes a liquid feeding connector. The liquid feeding connector has a liquid outlet oriented toward the docking region. The liquid outlet is configured to be butted and communicated with a connector of the cleaning device (200) under the guiding fit of the guiding assembly (10) and the mating assembly (40).