CN111345742B

CN111345742B - Cleaning robot and control method

Info

Publication number: CN111345742B
Application number: CN201911261447.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 徐建强; 谢明健; 钟红风; 李佶; 王玉杰
Original assignee: Positec Power Tools Suzhou Co Ltd
Current assignee: Positec Power Tools Suzhou Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-12-21
Filing date: 2019-12-10
Publication date: 2022-03-22
Anticipated expiration: 2039-12-10
Also published as: WO2020125491A1; CN114587198A; CN111345742A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cleaning robot and a control method thereof, wherein the cleaning robot may include: a body; the traveling mechanism supports the machine body and drives the cleaning robot to travel; the power module provides driving force for walking and working for the cleaning robot; the mopping module is arranged on the machine body and used for executing preset mopping work, and mopping cloth can be arranged on the mopping module; the control module is electrically connected with and controls the power module so as to realize automatic walking and automatic work of the cleaning robot; the control module can control the liquid supply device to convey liquid to the mopping module based on the current mopping condition. The invention has the beneficial effects that: the cleaning robot can more efficiently finish mopping work, the burden of a user is reduced, the automation degree and the user experience of the cleaning robot are improved, the cleaning robot can automatically control the liquid supply device to convey liquid to the mop cloth based on the current mopping condition, and therefore the service life of floor materials such as floors in a user family can be prolonged.

Description

Cleaning robot and control method

Technical Field

The invention relates to a cleaning robot, and also relates to a cleaning robot and a control method.

Background

Along with more diversification of user demands, the cleaning robot has various types, and can wipe the ground, so that the ground cleanliness is improved.

When an existing cleaning robot carries out cleaning work, mopping operation can be carried out by adopting a mop, specifically, the mop is connected to a mopping floor or a machine body, and the floor is cleaned by the soaked mop. When the mop is supplied with water, a natural water supply method is mostly adopted, namely, the water in the water tank naturally flows onto the mop to soak the mop at a certain speed. However, when the cleaning robot is in a situation of no electricity or dead locking, the continuous water supply of the water tank can cause the mop to be damaged or the ground to generate a large amount of accumulated water, so that the floor is damaged.

Therefore, the user needs to take care of the robot by himself to help the robot handle the situation of no power or jamming. For the user, the work of such human participation can reduce the automation operation experience of the robot.

Disclosure of Invention

To overcome the drawbacks of the prior art, the problem underlying the present invention is to provide a cleaning robot that is capable of autonomously controlling the delivery of liquid to the wipers.

The technical scheme adopted by the invention for solving the problems in the prior art is as follows: a cleaning robot that can walk and work in a work area, the cleaning robot may include: a body; the traveling mechanism supports the machine body and drives the cleaning robot to travel; the power module provides driving force for walking and working for the cleaning robot; the mopping module can be used for being installed on the machine body and executing preset mopping work, and a wiping piece can be installed on the mopping module; the control module is electrically connected with and controls the power module so as to realize automatic walking and automatic work of the cleaning robot; the cleaning robot may further include: and the control module can control the liquid supply device to transmit liquid to the mopping module based on the current mopping condition.

Preferably, the controlling module controls the liquid supply device to stop delivering the liquid to the floor mopping module when detecting that the cleaning robot is currently in, but not limited to, a floor mopping condition of at least one of the following conditions, which may include: the cleaning robot is trapped by obstacles in the working process, the cleaning robot returns to the base station to replace the mopping module, the cleaning robot is in the state of replacing the mopping module, and the cleaning robot is in the standby state.

Preferably, the cleaning robot may further include: and when the lifting mechanism is in the lifted mopping condition, the control module controls the liquid supply device to stop transmitting liquid to the mopping module.

Preferably, the cleaning robot may further include: and when the mop detection device detects that the current mop is not installed on the floor mopping condition of the cleaning robot, the control module controls the liquid supply device to stop transmitting liquid to the floor mopping module.

Preferably, the cleaning robot may further include: and the humidity detection device controls the liquid supply device to transmit liquid to the mopping module according to the current mopping condition detected by the humidity detection device.

Preferably, the cleaning robot may further include a signal transmission device that transmits the mopping condition detected by the humidity detection device to a user.

Preferably, the humidity detecting means may include: and the control module controls the liquid supply device to transmit liquid to the mopping module based on the mop piece humidity detected by the mop humidity sensor.

Preferably, the mop humidity sensor is installed below the body.

Preferably, the humidity detecting means may include: and the environment humidity detection device controls the liquid supply device to convey liquid to the mopping module through the environment humidity detected by the environment humidity detection device.

Preferably, the ambient humidity detection device may control the liquid supply device to deliver liquid to the mopping module based on the ambient humidity detected locally and/or remotely by the cleaning robot.

Preferably, the humidity detecting means may include: and the control module controls the liquid supply device to convey liquid to the mopping module based on the ground humidity detected by the ground humidity sensor.

Preferably, the cleaning robot may further include: the ground sensor, control module control supplies liquid device to transmit liquid to mopping the ground module based on the ground state that ground sensor currently detected, and the ground state includes: a ground material.

Preferably, the cleaning robot may further include: and the navigation mechanism is used for forming a working area map of the cleaning robot, and the control module controls the liquid supply device to convey liquid to the floor mopping module based on the current floor mopping condition marked in the working area map.

Preferably, the navigation mechanism includes, but is not limited to, at least one of: ultrasonic sensors, optical sensors, UWB sensors, inertial navigation systems.

Preferably, the control module may control the liquid supply device to deliver liquid to the mopping module based on instructions from a user.

Preferably, the liquid supply device may include: a liquid reservoir.

Preferably, the liquid supply device may further include: the liquid conveying device is electrically connected with the control module and is connected with the liquid storage, and the control module controls the liquid conveying device to convey liquid in the liquid storage to the floor mopping module based on the current floor mopping condition.

Preferably, the cleaning robot may further include: and the liquid level monitoring device is arranged in the liquid storage device and is used for monitoring the liquid level in the liquid storage device.

Preferably, the cleaning robot may further include a signal transmitting device that transmits a message notifying that the amount of the liquid in the cleaning robot is insufficient to a user when the liquid level monitoring device monitors that the liquid level in the liquid reservoir is lower than a preset threshold.

Preferably, the cleaning robot may further include: and the indicating device is used for indicating whether the liquid quantity of the cleaning robot is sufficient or not.

Preferably, the cleaning robot further comprises at least two liquid reservoirs, at least two liquid transfer devices respectively connected with the at least two liquid reservoirs, and the control module is used for controlling the at least two liquid transfer devices to transfer the liquid in the at least two liquid reservoirs to the floor mopping module based on the current floor mopping condition, wherein the types of the liquid stored in the at least two liquid reservoirs are different.

Preferably, the cleaning robot further comprises valves associated with the at least two liquid delivery devices, the valves being opened and closed under control of the control module to control the liquid supply device to deliver liquid to the mopping module based on the current mopping situation.

Preferably, the cleaning robot may further include: the ground sensor, the control module is based on the ground state that ground sensor currently detected, and the liquid volume and the liquid type of controlling each liquid storage ware conveying in at least two liquid storage wares, ground state includes: floor material and/or floor stain type.

Preferably, the cleaning robot may further include: the control module controls the liquid amount and the type of the liquid transmitted to the floor mopping module by the liquid supply device based on the current floor mopping condition calibrated in the work area map.

Preferably, the cleaning robot may further include: and the energy module is used for providing energy for the walking and the work of the cleaning robot.

Preferably, the cleaning robot may be a home and/or indoor service robot.

An embodiment of the present invention further provides a cleaning robot control method, which may include: controlling the cleaning robot to enter a working state; judging whether the liquid supply device needs to transmit liquid to the mopping module or not based on the current mopping condition; if yes, the liquid supply device is controlled to transmit liquid to the mopping module, and the cleaning robot comprises the liquid supply device.

Preferably, the operating state may include: dry mopping or wet mopping, and accordingly, after controlling the cleaning robot to enter the working state, the method may further comprise: the cleaning robot firstly carries out dry mopping on the working area and then carries out wet mopping on the working area.

Compared with the prior art, the invention has the beneficial effects that: the cleaning robot can more efficiently finish mopping work, the burden of a user is reduced, the automation degree and the user experience of the cleaning robot are improved, the cleaning robot can automatically control the liquid supply device to transmit liquid to the wiping piece based on the current mopping condition, and therefore the service life of floor materials such as floors in a user family can be prolonged.

Drawings

The above objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention can be achieved by the following drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a robotic cleaning system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a cleaning robot in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a cleaning robot in an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a cleaning robot in which only a single liquid reservoir exists in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a dual liquid reservoir of a dual liquid delivery device of a cleaning robot in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a cleaning robot with a single fluid transfer device and dual fluid reservoirs in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a liquid supply device of a cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The following detailed description and technical contents of the present invention are described with reference to the accompanying drawings, however, the accompanying drawings only provide references and explanations, and do not limit the present invention.

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a robotic cleaning system of the present invention. The robotic cleaning system 300 may include a base station 200 and a cleaning robot 100, and the cleaning robot 100 may be a device capable of autonomously replacing a wiper. Correspondingly, the base station 200, in which the cleaning robot 100 is recharged, may be used to replace the wiper of the cleaning robot 100, in addition to charging the cleaning robot 100, and the charging function and the wiper replacement function are combined to form the base station of the cleaning robot, so that the user space may be saved. When the cleaning robot 100 needs to return to the base station 200, for example, when it is detected that the wiper needs to be replaced or when the cleaning robot 100 needs to be charged, the return base station 200 program is started, and the cleaning robot 100 returns to the base station 200 to complete automatic replacement of the wiper and/or automatic charging of the cleaning robot 100. In one embodiment of the present application, the wipe may be a mop or sponge wipe or the like for wiping a work surface (ground). It is worth noting that for a clearer description of the present application, the wipers are hereinafter referred to by the mop swab.

The base station 200 comprises a base plate 207, a support plate 206 and an upper plate 205, wherein the upper plate 205 is connected to the base plate 207 via the support plate 206. The upper plate 205 is provided with a new mop slot 203, an old mop slot 204, and a mop changer (not shown) which can adopt a lifting mechanism, a swinging mechanism, etc., and the projections of the new mop slot 203 and the old mop slot 204 on the bottom plate 207 correspond to the second operating position 202 and the first operating position 201 of the cleaning robot 100 on the bottom plate 207. It will be appreciated that the positions of the old and new mop channels are not fixed, as in other embodiments the positions of the old and new mop channels 203,204 may be reversed. The cleaning robot 100 completes the unloading of the old mops in the first operating position 201 and is retrieved by the mop changing device of the base station 200 and the new mops are released by the mop changing device of the base station 200, so that the cleaning robot 100 completes the loading of the new mops in the second operating position 201.

In another embodiment of the present application, the position of the cleaning robot for changing the mop can be separately provided from the position for returning to charge, and at this time, when the cleaning robot needs to change the mop, the position for returning to change the mop can be used for changing the mop; when the cleaning robot needs to be charged, the cleaning robot can return to the charging position for charging, and the application is not limited to this, and at this time, the position for returning and replacing the mop can be an unfixed position point. In the following of this application, for convenience of description, when it is described that the cleaning robot returns to the base station to exchange the mop, the returned position may refer to the base station combining both functions of charging and exchanging the mop, and may also refer to the base station only for exchanging the mop, unless otherwise specified; accordingly, when it is described that the cleaning robot returns to the charging, the returned position may refer to a base station combining two functions of charging and replacing the mop together, and may also refer to a base station for charging only the cleaning robot.

In this embodiment, the cleaning robot may be a home and/or indoor service robot.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, in one embodiment of the present application, the cleaning robot 100 may be a floor mopping robot, and includes a body 10, a traveling mechanism 20, an energy module 30, a floor mopping module 40, a power module 80, a control module 60, and a navigation mechanism 70. The walking elements of the walking mechanism include a driving wheel 21 for driving the cleaning robot 100 to move, and it is understood that the walking elements may also be a caterpillar structure. In an embodiment of the present application, the cleaning robot 100 may further include a driven wheel (not shown). The energy module 30 is optionally used to power the cleaning robot, which optionally charges the energy module 30. The power module 80 may include a motor and a transmission mechanism connected to the motor, the transmission mechanism is connected to the traveling mechanism, the motor drives the transmission mechanism to operate, and the traveling mechanism moves due to the transmission function of the transmission mechanism, wherein the transmission mechanism may be a worm gear mechanism, a bevel gear mechanism, or the like. The power module 80 may be provided with two sets of motors, one set of motors driving the traveling mechanism to move, and the other set of motors driving the floor mopping module to vibrate at a certain frequency to mop the floor; the power module 80 may also be provided with only one set of motors for driving the running gear, and it is understood that the number of motors in each set is not limited, and may be one or two, for example. The floor module 40 can be adapted to be mounted to a machine body to perform a predetermined mopping operation, and the floor module 40 can have a mop cloth mounted thereto, and the floor module 40 can include a mop plate that is removably mounted to the mop plate. The navigation mechanism 70, may include, but is not limited to, at least one of: an ultrasonic sensor, a radar sensor, an optical sensor (laser or infrared sensor, etc.), a UWB sensor, an inertial navigation system, etc., for providing environmental control data, controlling the cleaning robot to operate, and for forming a work area map of the cleaning robot.

In another embodiment of the present application, the cleaning robot 100 may also be a sweeping and mopping integrated cleaning device, and the cleaning robot may further include a sweeping module in addition to the mopping module, and the sweeping module may include a rolling brush and an edge brush for cleaning debris such as dust on the ground, corners, and the like, and the debris is relatively concentrated on the rolling brush for processing by the edge brush, and is collected to the dust collecting box.

The control module is, for example, a controller, and may be an embedded Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a Microprocessor (MPU), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Programmable Logic Device (PLD), a System On Chip (SOC), a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or the like.

The controller can control the work of the cleaning robot according to a preset program or a received instruction. Specifically, the controller can control the traveling mechanism to travel in a working area of the cleaning robot according to a preset traveling path, and the floor mopping module performs floor mopping (which may include dry mopping or wet mopping) while the traveling mechanism drives the cleaning robot to travel, so as to remove dust and other garbage in the working area. Furthermore, when the cleaning robot travels in the preset path and finishes the floor mopping work, the controller can control the cleaning robot to stop the floor mopping work and control the traveling mechanism to travel, so that the traveling mechanism drives the cleaning robot to leave the work area. The walking path and the parking position of the cleaning robot can be set in the controller in advance, and the controller controls the walking mechanism to execute.

Fig. 4 shows a case where only one liquid reservoir exists in the cleaning robot, and the cleaning robot may further include: the liquid supply device is electrically connected with the control module, and the control module can control the liquid supply device to convey liquid to the mopping module based on the current mopping condition, so that the cleaning robot can automatically control the liquid supply condition of the cleaning robot to the mop, and the conveyed liquid can be water, water added with essential oil, alcohol and the like, which is not limited in the application. As shown in fig. 4, the liquid supply device may include: the liquid conveying device 50 is electrically connected with the control module, wherein the liquid conveying device 50 is connected with the liquid storage 51. In one embodiment, the control module may be programmed to control the liquid supply to deliver liquid to the floor module, i.e., may automatically control the liquid delivery device 50 to deliver liquid from the liquid reservoir 51 to the floor module based on the current floor conditions. In another embodiment, the cleaning robot may further include a valve associated with the liquid delivery device, the valve being opened and closed under control of the control module so that the liquid supply device may be controlled to deliver liquid to the floor mopping module based on the current floor mopping condition.

In one embodiment of the present application, the liquid transfer device 50 may be a pump, and may include, but is not limited to, pump elements such as peristaltic pumps, gear pumps, plunger pumps, diaphragm pumps, etc. capable of performing a liquid transfer function, and the control module controls the amount of liquid transferred from the liquid reservoir 51 to the mopping module by controlling the rotational speed of the impeller in the pump elements. The liquid transfer device 50 is connected to the liquid reservoir 51 by a hose 52, and liquid in the liquid reservoir 51 can flow through the hose 52 to the liquid transfer device 50 so that the liquid transfer device 50 can transfer liquid to the floor module. In one embodiment of the present application, the fluid delivery device 50 may deliver fluid directly to the floor module 40 in the manner shown in FIG. 4 for the purpose of delivering fluid to the floor module. In another embodiment of the present application, the liquid delivery device 50 can directly spray the liquid to the ground during the operation of the cleaning robot, so that the cleaning robot can walk on the liquid-sprayed ground to realize wet mopping, thereby achieving the purposes of spraying the liquid to the ground to dissolve stains and mopping the ground more cleanly. It should be noted that all embodiments of the present application can use both of the above-described approaches to achieve the objective of delivering liquid to the floor mopping module.

As shown in fig. 7, in the structure of the liquid supply device of the cleaning robot according to the embodiment of the invention, after the liquid flows out from the outlet pipe 525 of the liquid delivery device 50, the liquid may be atomized by the atomizing plate 526 (in this application, 3 atomizing plates are taken as an example), and then the atomized liquid is delivered to the mopping module. In another embodiment of the present application, after the liquid exits the outlet tube of the liquid delivery device 50, it may be passed through the sponge, atomized by the atomizing plate, and delivered to the mopping module. In other embodiments, the atomization patch may be connected directly behind the liquid reservoir 51 and then delivered to the floor module. By adopting the mode, the liquid in the liquid supply device can be uniformly transmitted to the mopping module, and the mopping cloth can be uniformly covered with the liquid.

In one embodiment of the present application, the default operation mode of the cleaning robot is: the dry mopping work is executed firstly, and then the wet mopping work is executed, namely, when a user starts the cleaning robot to enter a working state, the cleaning robot can dry mopping the working area firstly, and then wet mopping the working area. Therefore, the defect that when a user does not suck dust in the working area and only uses the cleaning robot to wet and drag the working area, garbage such as hair is easily adhered to all parts of the working area can be prevented. Corresponding to the working mode of the cleaning robot, a corresponding number of dry mops and wet mops are placed on the base station, or only the dry mops are placed on the base station, and the purpose of wet mopping is realized by conveying liquid to the mopping module through the liquid supply device. And after the cleaning robot finishes the dry mopping, returning to the base station to replace a new mop, and finishing the wet mopping.

Of course, in other embodiments, the user may also change the default operating mode in the human-computer interaction of the app or the cleaning machine body according to the actual soil condition of the ground in the user's home or the user's own needs, such as changing the default operating mode to: dry mopping only, wet mopping first and dry mopping later, etc.

The floor mopping module of the cleaning robot has at least three height states in the working process: the mopping height, the obstacle crossing height and the mop unloading height can meet the requirements of mopping, obstacle crossing, automatic mop replacement and the like of the cleaning robot. The three heights are arranged from high to low and respectively comprise: the height of the unloading mop, the obstacle crossing height and the mopping height can be the same as the unloading mop, and in the application, the obstacle crossing height not only is the height of the mopping module when the cleaning robot crosses the obstacle, but also can refer to the height state when the cleaning robot mop is in a lifting state. Of course, the cleaning robot can, in addition to the three height states described above, also have a new mop installed height state below the mop height, where the uninstalled mop height can be used for uninstalling the old mop and the new mop installed height can be used for installing the new mop.

Specifically, when the cleaning robot is in a working state of mopping the floor, the control module controls the lifting mechanism to enable the mop cloth to be at the mopping height, at the moment, a certain pressure is generated between the mop cloth and the floor, and the mop cloth can be in contact with the floor and has a certain interference, so that a better cleaning effect is achieved; when the cleaning robot encounters an obstacle in the mopping process, the lifting mechanism controls the mop cloth to be at the obstacle crossing height, and at the moment, the mop cloth can be automatically lifted, the obstacle crossing height is higher than the working state height, but the obstacle crossing height cannot be higher than the unloading height, so that the mop cloth and the mopping floor are prevented from falling off; when the cleaning robot needs to return to replace the mop cloth in the mopping process or the electric quantity is lower than a preset threshold value in the mopping process and needs to return to charge, the lifting mechanism controls the mop cloth to be lifted to the obstacle crossing height to return, meanwhile, the cleaning robot can also form the position coordinate before returning through the navigation mechanism and mark the position coordinate in the working area map; when the mop cloth is replaced, the lifting mechanism controls the mop cloth to be lifted to the height of the unloaded mop cloth, and the mop board provided with the mop cloth is enabled to overcome the magnetic force to fall off from the cleaning robot through the ejector rod fixedly arranged on the cleaning robot, so that the old mop cloth is unloaded; after the old mop is unloaded, the cleaning robot can automatically install a new mop, the new mop is positioned in the new mop groove, and after the machine enters a corresponding position, the mop is descended to the height for installing the new mop, so that the new mop can be installed on the cleaning part through magnetic force, and the installation of the new mop is completed; after a new mop is installed, the lifting mechanism controls the mop to lift to the obstacle crossing height and return to the position marked in the work area map, and when the marked position is reached, the lifting mechanism controls the mop to be adjusted to the mopping height and continues mopping the floor; when the cleaning robot is required to pause mopping in the mopping process, the lifting mechanism controls the mop cloth to be lifted to the obstacle crossing height. The lifting mechanism is adopted to control the mop cloth to lift when crossing obstacles, and the defect that the cleaning range is limited due to the obstacle crossing height of almost 0 because the mop cloth of the cleaning robot only has the floor mopping height in the working process in the prior art is overcome. The mop cloth can control the lifting mechanism to lift the mop cloth to the obstacle crossing height when the mop cloth is suspended, and the defect that the floor is damaged due to the fact that the mop cloth is at the mopping height in the prior art is overcome. The cleaning robot can return to the mopping position before the mop is replaced to perform breakpoint continuous mopping after the mop is replaced, the defects that mopping is repeated on a mopped area and mopping is missed on an undrawn area in the prior art are overcome, and the cleaning efficiency of the cleaning robot is improved. Moreover, the mop can be automatically replaced, and the automation degree and the user experience of the mop robot are improved.

In this embodiment, when the cleaning robot is detected to be in a floor mopping condition as described below, the control module may control the liquid supply device to stop transferring liquid to the floor mopping module, so as to achieve the purposes of protecting the cleaning robot, protecting the floor, and ensuring the floor mopping effect.

In one embodiment of the application, the cleaning robot may further comprise a mop swab detecting device 90 electrically connected to the control module, the mop swab detecting device 90 being adapted to detect whether a mop is mounted on the cleaning robot before the cleaning robot starts performing a mopping operation, and if not, the control module controls the liquid transferring device to stop transferring liquid to the mop swab; if the mop cloth is mounted on the cleaning robot, the mopping work is started. The mop cloth can be magnetically coupled to the mop plate, and thus, in this embodiment, the mop cloth detecting device 90 can be a hall sensor.

In one embodiment of the application, when it is detected that the cleaning robot is currently in a mopping situation of at least one of: the controller is out of order; the cleaning robot is trapped by the obstacles in the mopping process; the cleaning robot is in a standby suspended mopping working state; the cleaning robot returns to the base station to replace the mopping module and is in a state of replacing the mopping module; the cleaning robot is in a dry-and-drag mode; the cleaning robot returns to the charging process of the base station and is in a charging state; when the liquid supply device is held by a user or lifted up when encountering an obstacle, all or part of the walking elements of the mopping robot leave the ground, and the like, the control module can control the liquid supply device to stop transferring liquid to the mopping module.

In one embodiment of the present application, the cleaning robot may further include: the control module can control the lifting mechanism to enable the mopping module to be lifted to other heights from the mopping height for executing mopping work, and when the lifting mechanism is currently in the lifted mopping condition, the control module controls the liquid supply device to stop conveying liquid to the mopping module, so that the floor damage and large-area water accumulation caused by natural water supply when the cleaning robot carrying wet mops is in a non-working state can be avoided, the floor is protected, and the mopping effect is ensured.

In the embodiment, the cleaning robot can control the liquid supplied by the liquid supply device to the floor mopping module according to the current floor mopping condition detected by at least one sensor arranged below, so that the floor mopping effect is ensured.

In an embodiment of the present application, the cleaning robot may further include: and the humidity detection device controls the liquid supply device to transmit liquid to the mopping module according to the current mopping condition detected by the humidity detection device. The current mopping condition may include, but is not limited to, at least one of: mop humidity, ground humidity, environmental humidity, etc. The specific application scenario is as follows.

In one embodiment, the humidity detection device may include: the mop humidity sensor and the control module control the liquid delivered by the liquid supply device based on the mop humidity detected by the mop humidity sensor. Preferably, the mop moisture sensor may be mounted below the fuselage, for example: a capacitive sensor and/or a current sensor. The mop humidity detected by the mop humidity sensor monitors the current mopping situation and sends the mop humidity to the control module, which controls the amount of liquid delivered by the liquid delivery device based on the mop humidity detected by the mop humidity sensor. Specifically, when the humidity of the mop is greater than a preset threshold value, the liquid conveying device is controlled to output liquid at a speed lower than the current liquid outlet speed; and otherwise, when the humidity of the mop is smaller than the preset threshold value, the liquid conveying device is controlled to output the liquid at a speed higher than the current liquid output speed. The preset threshold may be set by the user according to the current ground condition, and the preset thresholds in different areas may be different.

In another embodiment, the humidity detection device may include: the environment humidity detection device can control the liquid delivered by the liquid supply device according to the environment humidity condition detected by the environment humidity detection device. Wherein the ambient humidity detection device may control the liquid delivered by the liquid supply device based on the locally and/or remotely detected ambient humidity. This environment humidity detection device can be for installing air humidity transducer or the moisture meter on cleaning machines people, and this air humidity transducer or moisture meter can install and satisfy the position department of certain distance with cleaning machines people water source to avoid the liquid among the cleaning machines people to influence environment humidity detection device's measuring result, the more accurate environment humidity that detects cleaning machines people of being convenient for, thereby based on detecting the liquid that environment humidity control liquid supply device conveyed. The cleaning robot can also remotely detect the ambient humidity. At the moment, the cleaning robot is connected to the network in a honeycomb or wifi mode and the cleaning robot receives the weather condition sent by the server side and controls the liquid amount transmitted by the liquid transmission device based on the weather condition. When the environmental humidity is larger than a preset threshold value, controlling the liquid conveying device to output liquid at a speed lower than the current liquid output speed; and otherwise, when the environmental humidity is smaller than the preset threshold value, controlling the liquid conveying device to output the liquid at a speed higher than the current liquid output speed. The preset threshold may be set by the user according to the current ground condition, and the preset thresholds in different areas may be different.

In another embodiment, the humidity detection device may include: ground humidity sensors, for example: the control module can control the liquid delivered by the liquid supply device based on the ground humidity detected by the ground humidity sensor, and can update the humidity value of the area in the mopping app in real time according to the detected ground humidity. The ground humidity sensor can control the liquid delivered by the liquid supply device based on the detected ground humidity condition or dryness. In general, the cleaning robot may drag the floor according to a predetermined walking path. However, for some areas, when the cleaning robot detects that the floor of the area is dry, the cleaning robot may spray more liquid or increase the working time of the cleaning robot until the floor condition detected by the floor sensor meets the preset cleaning requirement, and the cleaning robot stops the cleaning work for the area; or when certain areas are detected to be relatively wet, the liquid transfer device can reduce the amount of liquid transferred or stop transferring the liquid. For example: when the cleaning robot passes through the same area in a short time, the liquid transmission device can be controlled to reduce or stop liquid supply, so that the phenomenon that liquid is wasted or wheels of the robot slip in the walking process can be avoided. In a specific application scenario, when the robot turns to and repeatedly walks to partial positions in certain areas after dragging the ground in the certain areas, if liquid supply is continued, excessive liquid on the ground is caused to cause the machine to skid or waste the liquid, so that when the robot is detected to repeatedly walk in the same area in a short time, the liquid conveying device can be controlled to stop supplying the liquid.

In one embodiment of the present application, the cleaning robot may further include: surface sensors, for example: and the visual sensor and/or the radar sensor are used for detecting the ground state through the ground sensor and sending the ground state to the control module, so that the control module can control the liquid transmitted by the liquid supply device. Specifically, the ground state may include: ground materials, and the like. The floor sensor may detect a material of the work surface, such as a floor or tile, and the control module may control the amount of liquid delivered by the liquid delivery device to the mopping module based on a condition of the floor detected by the floor sensor. When the cleaning robot detects that the floor material is the plank, the water yield of the liquid conveying device can be controlled, the water supply amount of the mop cloth is properly reduced, and the possibility of damaging the wooden floor due to excessive water is prevented. In one embodiment, the ground sensor comprises a vision sensor, and the control module can judge the material of the working surface according to a ground image acquired by the vision sensor; in another embodiment, the ground sensor may include a radar sensor, and the control module may determine the type of the work surface based on a detection result of the radar sensor.

In one embodiment, the cleaning robot may further include a signal transmitting device, and the signal transmitting device may transmit the current mopping condition (which may include mop humidity, ground humidity, ambient humidity, etc.) detected by the humidity detecting device or the ground state detected by the ground sensor to the user. For example, the user may read the floor humidity in the current area from a display on the cleaning robot; the ground humidity in the current area may also be read from the mopping app based on the ground humidity sent to the user by the signaling device. When the user feels that the liquid amount can be increased or reduced, the cleaning robot can send a corresponding signal to the cleaning robot, so that the control module can control the liquid delivered by the liquid supply device based on the instruction sent by the user. The liquid supply device in the cleaning robot is intelligently controlled to convey liquid to the mopping module in the mode, so that the user experience of the cleaning robot is improved.

Further, in an embodiment of the present application, the cleaning robot may include: a navigation mechanism. The user can carry out area calibration in a cleaning robot working area map formed by the navigation mechanism, and set the liquid condition required to be adopted by the cleaning robot in each area, so that the control module can control the liquid storage to transmit corresponding liquid in each area based on the liquid condition, and can also judge whether the liquid supply condition of the current area meets the requirement of the user according to the ground humidity updated in real time based on the ground humidity sensor in combination with the ground humidity in the current area updated in real time, if not, the liquid supply is continued, and if so, the mopping work of the current area can be stopped. In this embodiment, the navigation mechanism used may include, but is not limited to, at least one of: ultrasonic sensors, optical sensors (including LDS and the like), UWB sensors, inertial navigation systems.

In one embodiment of the present application, the cleaning robot may further include: a liquid level monitoring device disposed in the liquid reservoir. In one embodiment, when the liquid level monitoring device monitors that the liquid level in the liquid reservoir is lower than the preset threshold value, a notification message that the liquid amount in the cleaning robot is insufficient can be sent to the user, and the notification message can contain the time that the liquid left in the cleaning robot can be used at the current liquid outlet rate. When receiving the notification message, the user can choose not to respond, can control the cleaning robot to pause working, can choose to reduce the liquid outlet rate, or choose to add liquid to the cleaning robot.

In another embodiment, the cleaning robot may further include: indicating means, for example: a light emitting indicator (LED, etc.) or a sound emitting indicator, which may be used to indicate whether the cleaning robot liquid amount is sufficient. The indicating device is different in the state when the liquid amount is not lower than the preset threshold value and the state when the liquid amount is lower than the preset threshold value, and a user monitors the liquid level condition in the liquid storage device by observing different states of the indicating device. By reminding the user that the liquid amount is not enough, the defect that the cleaning effect is poor due to the lack of the liquid is prevented, and the floor mopping effect of the cleaning robot is improved.

Further, the cleaning robot may further include at least two liquid reservoirs symmetrically disposed at both sides of the body. Different types of liquid are respectively put into the two liquid reservoirs, and the control module controls the liquid conveying devices corresponding to the liquid reservoirs to synchronously or asynchronously work, so that the aim of cleaning different types of stains is fulfilled. Of course, the cleaning robot may further include three, four, etc. more than two liquid reservoirs, and these different liquid reservoirs may be filled with the same or different types of liquid according to actual needs, which is not limited in this application.

The cleaning robot may include: surface sensors, for example: and the vision sensor detects the ground state through the ground sensor and sends the ground state to the control module, so that the control module can respectively control the liquid amount and the liquid type transmitted by the two liquid reservoirs. The ground state may include: floor material and/or floor stain type. The floor sensor can control the amount of liquid that the two liquid reservoirs deliver to the mop, respectively, based on the detected condition of the floor material, whether the floor soil is greasy or dirty, wherein the amount of liquid delivered can be 0, i.e. it can be controlled that only one of the liquid reservoirs is used. In general, the cleaning robot may drag the floor according to a predetermined walking path. However, for some areas, when the cleaning robot detects that the floor of the area is dry and greasy, the cleaning robot may spray more liquid or increase the working time of the cleaning robot until the floor condition detected by the floor sensor meets the preset cleaning requirement, and the cleaning robot stops cleaning the area. In this embodiment, the two liquid reservoirs may be controlled to deliver liquid to the mopping module, respectively, until the floor condition detected by the floor sensor meets a predetermined cleaning requirement, and the cleaning robot stops cleaning work for this area.

The cleaning robot may further include: a navigation mechanism. The user can calibrate the areas in the cleaning robot working area map formed by the navigation mechanism and set the liquid output amount and the liquid type which are required to be adopted by the cleaning robot in each area, so that the control module can control the liquid conveying device to convey the corresponding liquid amount and the corresponding liquid type in each area based on the liquid output amount and the liquid type.

The cleaning robot may further include a signal transmitting device that may transmit the mop humidity detected by the humidity sensor or the floor status detected by the floor sensor to a user, and the user may read the current floor mopping condition in a display on the body of the cleaning robot or in a floor mopping app. For example, when the user feels that the amount of liquid can be increased or decreased to mop the floor, a corresponding signal can be sent to the cleaning robot, so that the control module can control the amount of liquid transferred by the liquid transfer device and the type of liquid based on instructions from the user. The instruction may be sent through the floor-mopping app or the user may enter directly on the interactive interface of the cleaning robot. By adopting the mode, the mopping humidity and the mopping liquid type of the cleaning robot are intelligently controlled, and the user experience of the cleaning robot is improved. Further, the cleaning robot may further include: the liquid level monitoring devices are respectively arranged in the two liquid storage devices, are used for monitoring whether the liquid level in the liquid storage devices is lower than a preset threshold value or not, and can also comprise indicating devices which are respectively corresponding to the two liquid level monitoring devices and are used for indicating the liquid level condition.

In the following, a description is given of specific embodiments with two liquid reservoirs.

Both as shown in fig. 5 and 6 are situations where two liquid reservoirs are present. It should be noted that the terms "first" and "second" in the present application are used for distinguishing the two devices as different devices, and do not have other special meanings, such as: hereinafter, the first hose and the second hose are both hoses, but two different hoses. Meanwhile, in the present application, only two liquid reservoirs are taken as an example for explanation, and more than two liquid reservoirs may be used, which have the same principle and are not described in detail in the present application.

Fig. 5 shows a dual liquid transfer device dual liquid reservoir. The first liquid storage 511 is connected with the first liquid conveying device 501 through a first hose 521, the second liquid storage 512 is connected with the second liquid conveying device 502 through a second hose 522, the first liquid conveying device 501 and the second liquid conveying device 502 are respectively and electrically connected with a control module, the control module can select the first liquid conveying device 501 or the second liquid conveying device 502 to convey liquid to the mop cloth simultaneously or respectively based on the current mopping requirement, and also can select the liquid amount conveyed to the mop cloth simultaneously or respectively by the first liquid conveying device 501 or the second liquid conveying device 502, so as to ensure the mopping effect. For example, the first liquid storage 511 is filled with clean water, the second liquid storage 512 is filled with cleaning liquid, and when the floor sensor detects that only dust is on the floor, the control module controls the first liquid transfer device 501 to operate, and the first liquid storage 511 transfers the clean water to the first liquid transfer device 501 through the first hose 521, so that the first liquid transfer device 501 transfers the clean water to the mop, and the clean water is used to remove the dust and the like on the floor. When the floor sensor detects that there is oil on the floor, the control module controls the first liquid transferring device 501 to operate and also controls the second liquid transferring device 502 to operate, that is, while the first liquid storage 511 transfers clean water to the first liquid transferring device 501 through the first hose 521, the second liquid storage 512 transfers cleaning liquid to the second liquid transferring device 502 through the second hose 522 so that the second liquid transferring device 502 transfers cleaning liquid to the mop, because the concentration of the cleaning liquid is high, the operating time of the second liquid transferring device 502 can be controlled to be less than a preset threshold. When the second liquid storage 512 stores clean water with adjusted concentration of the cleaning liquid, and the ground sensor detects that there is oil on the ground, it is possible to control only the second liquid transfer device 502 to operate, and clean the oil on the ground with the clean water with adjusted concentration of the cleaning liquid. When the mop humidity detected by the humidity detection means is greater than a preset threshold or, the first liquid reservoir 511 is controlled to output fresh water at a rate lower than the current tapping rate. When the user demarcates an area that needs to be cleaned with the cleaning liquid a plurality of times on the map formed by the robot, the cleaning robot repeats cleaning for the area. When the ground sensor detects that an area is greasy, the cleaning robot can repeat cleaning for the area.

Fig. 6 shows a single liquid transfer device with dual liquid reservoirs. The third liquid reservoir 513 is connected to the third liquid transfer device 503 by a third hose 523; the fourth liquid reservoir 514 is connected to the third liquid transfer device 503 by a fourth hose 524. In one case, only the fourth hose 524 has the first valve 531 mounted thereon, the first valve 531 opening and closing under the control of the control module, which selects whether to open the first valve 531 based on the current mopping requirement, to control the flow of liquid from the fourth liquid reservoir 514 to the third liquid transfer device 503. For example, the third liquid storage 513 stores clean water, the fourth liquid storage 514 stores cleaning liquid, and when the floor sensor detects that only dust is present on the floor, the control module controls the third liquid transfer device 503 to operate, and the third liquid storage 513 transfers the clean water to the third liquid transfer device 503 through the third hose 523. When the floor sensor detects that there is oil on the floor, the control module controls the first valve 531 to open, so as to control the cleaning liquid stored in the fourth liquid storage 514 to flow to the third liquid delivery device 503, that is, while the third liquid storage 513 delivers clean water to the third liquid delivery device 503 through the third hose 523, the fourth liquid storage 514 delivers cleaning liquid to the third liquid delivery device 503 through the fourth hose 524, so that the third liquid delivery device 503 delivers clean water containing cleaning liquid to the mop, and because the concentration of the cleaning liquid is high, the working time of the first valve can be controlled to be less than a preset threshold, so as to achieve the purpose of cleaning different types of stains. In another case, the fourth hose 524 is provided with a first valve 531, and the third hose 523 is provided with a second valve (not shown) similar to the first valve 531. The first valve 531 and the second valve are opened and closed under the control of the control module, and the liquid in the fourth liquid storage 514 and the third liquid storage 513 is controlled to flow to the third liquid transfer device 503, and the control module selects whether to open the first valve 531 and the second valve (not shown) based on the current floor mopping requirement. For example, the third liquid storage 513 stores clean water, the fourth liquid storage 514 stores clean water with adjusted concentration of cleaning liquid, and when the ground sensor detects that only dust exists on the ground, the control module only controls the second valve (not shown) to open, controls the third liquid transfer device 503 to operate, and transfers clean water from the third liquid storage 513 to the third liquid transfer device 503 through the third hose 523, and removes dust on the ground by using the clean water. When the ground sensor detects that there is oil stain on the ground, the control module controls the first valve 531 to open, so as to control the clear water stored in the fourth liquid storage 514 and having the adjusted concentration of the cleaning liquid to flow to the third liquid delivery device 503, that is, the clear water having the adjusted concentration of the cleaning liquid is delivered from the fourth liquid storage 514 to the third liquid delivery device 503 through the fourth hose 524, and the liquid is used for mopping the ground to remove the oil stain and the like on the ground, thereby achieving the purpose of cleaning different types of stains.

The above-mentioned embodiments only express several embodiments of the present invention, and the description thereof is more specific and detailed, but not construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that, for a person skilled in the art, several variations and modifications can be made without departing from the inventive concept, which falls within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present patent shall be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cleaning robot that walks and works in a work area, the cleaning robot comprising:

a body;

the traveling mechanism supports the machine body and drives the cleaning robot to travel;

the power module provides driving force for walking and working for the cleaning robot;

the mopping module is used for being installed on the machine body and executing preset mopping work, and a wiping piece can be installed on the mopping module;

the control module is electrically connected with and controls the power module so as to realize automatic walking and automatic work of the cleaning robot; it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the cleaning robot further includes: the liquid supply device is electrically connected with the control module, and the control module can control the liquid supply device to transmit liquid to the floor mopping module based on the current floor mopping condition;

the cleaning robot further includes: the navigation mechanism is used for forming a working area map of the cleaning robot, a user carries out area calibration in the working area map, and the liquid condition required to be adopted by the cleaning robot in each area is set; the control module controls the liquid supply device to deliver liquid to the mopping module based on the liquid condition and the ground humidity in the current area.

2. The cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the control module controls the liquid supply to stop delivering liquid to the mopping module when the cleaning robot is detected as currently being in a mopping condition of at least one of: the cleaning robot is trapped by obstacles in the working process, the cleaning robot returns to the base station to replace the mopping module, the cleaning robot is in the state of replacing the mopping module, and the cleaning robot is in the standby state.

3. The cleaning robot of claim 1, further comprising: the control module can control the lifting mechanism to enable the mopping module to be lifted to other heights from the mopping height for mopping, and when the lifting mechanism is in the lifted mopping condition, the control module controls the liquid supply device to stop conveying liquid to the mopping module.

4. A cleaning robot according to claim 1, further comprising a mop detector electrically connected to the control module, the mop detector detecting whether the wiper is mounted on the cleaning robot, the control module controlling the liquid supply device to stop transferring liquid to the floor mopping module when the mop detector detects a floor mopping situation in which the wiper is not currently mounted on the cleaning robot.

5. The cleaning robot of claim 1, further comprising: and the humidity detection device controls the liquid supply device to transmit liquid to the mopping module according to the current mopping condition detected by the humidity detection device.

6. The cleaning robot according to claim 5, further comprising a signal transmission means for transmitting the mopping condition detected by the humidity detection means to a user.

7. The cleaning robot according to claim 5, wherein the humidity detecting means includes: a mop moisture sensor, the control module controls the liquid supply device to deliver liquid to the mopping module based on the mop moisture detected by the mop moisture sensor.

8. A cleaning robot according to claim 7, wherein the mop humidity sensor is mounted below the body.

9. The cleaning robot according to claim 5, wherein the humidity detecting means includes: and the environment humidity detection device is used for controlling the liquid supply device to convey liquid to the mopping module through the environment humidity detected by the environment humidity detection device.

10. The cleaning robot of claim 9, wherein the ambient humidity detection device controls the liquid supply device to deliver liquid to the mopping module based on the ambient humidity detected locally and/or remotely by the cleaning robot.

11. The cleaning robot according to claim 5, wherein the humidity detecting means includes: and the control module controls the liquid supply device to convey liquid to the mopping module based on the ground humidity detected by the ground humidity sensor.

12. The cleaning robot of claim 1, further comprising: a ground sensor, the control module controlling the liquid supply device to deliver liquid to a mopping module based on a ground state currently detected by the ground sensor, the ground state including: a ground material.

13. The cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the navigation mechanism comprises at least one of: ultrasonic sensors, optical sensors, UWB sensors, inertial navigation systems.

14. The cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the control module controls the liquid supply to deliver liquid to the mopping module based on instructions from a user.

15. The cleaning robot as set forth in claim 1, wherein the liquid supply device comprises: a liquid reservoir.

16. The cleaning robot of claim 15, wherein the liquid supply device further comprises: the liquid conveying device is electrically connected with the control module and is connected with the liquid storage, and the control module controls the liquid conveying device to convey liquid in the liquid storage to the floor mopping module based on the current floor mopping condition.

17. The cleaning robot of claim 15, further comprising: a liquid level monitoring device disposed in the liquid reservoir, the liquid level monitoring device being for monitoring a liquid level in the liquid reservoir.

18. The cleaning robot according to claim 17, further comprising a signal transmission device that transmits a notification message to a user that the amount of the liquid in the cleaning robot is insufficient when the liquid level monitoring device monitors that the liquid level in the liquid reservoir is below a preset threshold.

19. The cleaning robot of claim 17, further comprising: an indicating device for indicating whether the cleaning robot liquid amount is sufficient.

20. The cleaning robot of claim 1, further comprising at least two liquid reservoirs, at least two liquid transfer devices respectively connected to the at least two liquid reservoirs, the control module for controlling the at least two liquid transfer devices to transfer liquid from the at least two liquid reservoirs to the floor mopping module based on a current floor mopping condition, the type of liquid stored in the at least two liquid reservoirs being different.

21. The cleaning robot of claim 20, further comprising valves associated with the at least two liquid delivery devices, the valves being opened and closed under control of the control module to control the liquid supply device to deliver liquid to the floor mopping module based on a current floor mopping condition.

22. The cleaning robot of claim 20, further comprising: a surface sensor, the control module controlling an amount and a type of liquid delivered by each of the at least two liquid reservoirs based on a surface condition currently detected by the surface sensor, the surface condition including: floor material and/or floor stain type.

23. The cleaning robot of claim 1, further comprising: the control module controls the liquid amount and the type of the liquid transmitted to the floor mopping module by the liquid supply device based on the current floor mopping condition calibrated in the working area map.

24. The cleaning robot of claim 1, further comprising: and the energy module is used for providing energy for the walking and the working of the cleaning robot.

25. A cleaning robot as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the cleaning robot is a domestic and/or indoor service robot.

26. A cleaning robot control method, characterized in that the method comprises:

controlling the cleaning robot to enter a working state;

forming a working area map of the cleaning robot, performing area calibration in the working area map by a user, and setting the liquid condition required to be adopted by the cleaning robot in each area;

determining whether the liquid supply device needs to deliver liquid to the mopping module based on the liquid condition and the ground humidity in the current area;

and if so, controlling the liquid supply device to transmit liquid to the mopping module, wherein the cleaning robot comprises the liquid supply device.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the operating state comprises: the mop is a dry mop or a wet mop,

accordingly, the method can be used for solving the problems that,

after controlling the cleaning robot to enter the working state, the method further includes:

the cleaning robot firstly carries out dry mopping on the working area and then carries out wet mopping on the working area.