CN117694766A

CN117694766A - Cleaning system for self-moving cleaning device and cleaning method thereof

Info

Publication number: CN117694766A
Application number: CN202211100780.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 赵志谋; 曾敏智
Original assignee: Hobot Technology Inc
Current assignee: Hobot Technology Inc
Priority date: 2022-09-09
Filing date: 2022-09-09
Publication date: 2024-03-15
Also published as: EP4335345A1; TW202410847A; US20240081598A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cleaning device for cleaning a self-moving cleaning device and a cleaning method thereof. The cleaning method includes moving a self-moving cleaning device toward the cleaning device and aligning a first side of the self-moving cleaning device with the cleaning device, wherein the self-moving cleaning device includes a mop; and moving the mop of the self-moving cleaning device to above a cleaning unit of the cleaning device, and cleaning the mop with a cleaning part of the cleaning unit, comprising: during a first period, moving the cleaning unit in a first direction over the first side; and moving the self-moving cleaning device in a second direction during a second period, the second direction being different from the first direction.

Description

Cleaning system for self-moving cleaning device and cleaning method thereof

Technical Field

The embodiment of the invention relates to a cleaning system and a cleaning method for a self-moving cleaning device, in particular to a mop cleaning device and a cleaning method for a self-moving robot.

Background

Currently known floor sweeping robots are used for floor cleaning in a dry cleaning mode or in a wet cleaning mode by means of the cleaning function of clean water or cleaning liquid, so that the mop or the surface to be cleaned is wetted and then floor cleaning is performed. However, as such, dirt, dust, hair or fine waste tends to accumulate on the mop. Thus, after a period of operation in either dry or wet cleaning mode, it is necessary to replace or clean the soiled mop in order to maintain the cleaning effect of the subsequent mop. The existing floor sweeping robot can automatically clean the floor, but cannot automatically wash the mop, and only the mop can be cleaned or replaced by manpower, but the automatic cleaning function of the floor sweeping robot without manual intervention is greatly reduced. Therefore, it is necessary to design a new type of sweeping robot to solve the above-described drawbacks.

Disclosure of Invention

The embodiment of the invention relates to a method for operating a cleaning device, which comprises the following steps: moving a self-moving cleaning device toward the cleaning device and aligning a first side of the self-moving cleaning device with the cleaning device, wherein the self-moving cleaning device comprises a mop; and moving the mop of the self-moving cleaning device to above a cleaning unit of the cleaning device, and cleaning the mop with a cleaning part of the cleaning unit, comprising: during a first period, moving the cleaning unit in a first direction under the mop; and moving the self-moving cleaning device in a second direction during a second period, the second direction being different from the first direction.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other; and a third direction in which the cleaning unit moves relative to the self-moving cleaning device coincides with the first edge profile of the mop.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the cleaning track of the cleaning unit moving relative to the self-moving cleaning device is formed by a plurality of cleaning sections connected, the shape of the cleaning track corresponding to the first edge profile of the mop.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the respective control signals for forming each of the plurality of cleaning zones to the cleaning unit and the self-moving cleaning apparatus are transmitted at a point in time of the other cleaning zone prior to the each cleaning zone.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the cleaning unit further comprises a water outlet configured to spray cleaning liquid in a direction facing the mop; the self-moving cleaning device comprises a first infrared module; the cleaning device comprises a second infrared module; the step of aligning the first side of the self-moving cleaning device with the cleaning device is performed using the first infrared module and the second infrared module; and the method further comprises: and transmitting the control signals of the cleaning unit and the self-moving cleaning device by using the first infrared module and the second infrared module, wherein the control signals comprise at least one of displacement, moving direction and moving speed.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the first period and the second period do not overlap, to render the self-moving cleaning device stationary when the cleaning unit is moved in the first direction; or the self-moving cleaning device is moved in a second direction, and the cleaning unit is made stationary.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the first period overlaps at least a portion of the second period; and moving the self-moving cleaning device in a second direction while moving the cleaning unit in the first direction during an overlapping period of the first period and the second period.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the method further comprises: withdrawing the self-moving cleaning device from the cleaning device; and aligning a second side of the self-moving cleaning device with the cleaning device, wherein the self-moving cleaning device comprises another mop; and moving the other mop of the self-moving cleaning device to the position above the cleaning unit of the cleaning device, and cleaning the other mop by utilizing the cleaning part of the cleaning unit.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the length of the cleaning part in the second direction is smaller than the length of the mop or the further mop in the second direction.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the first side of the self-moving cleaning device is a rear side of the self-moving cleaning device and the second side of the self-moving cleaning device is a front side; or the first side of the self-moving cleaning device is a front side of the self-moving cleaning device and the second side of the self-moving cleaning device is a rear side.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the cleaning unit comprises a roller brush, which comprises the cleaning section, and in the step of cleaning the mop with the cleaning section of the roller brush of the cleaning unit, the roller brush contacts the mop and rotates.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the roll brush further comprises a handle for supporting the cleaning part, the cleaning part being provided with scraping strips or bristles extending outwardly along a surface of the cleaning part.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the cleaning unit is provided with a cleaning tank for accommodating the rolling brush, and the cleaning tank is provided with an opening at the bottom, overlapping the cleaning part.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the rotational speed of the first roller brush and the movement speed of the washing unit in the first direction are independent from each other.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the cleaning device comprises a rack; the cleaning unit includes a driving part to move the cleaning unit in the first direction; wherein the cleaning unit further comprises a slide block connected with the driving part; and wherein the slider abuts the rack and slides in the first direction when the cleaning unit moves in the first direction.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the rack comprises a slide rail, the slider being configured to lock the slide rail to slide along the first direction.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the rack is connected to one side of the washing unit, and the driving part drives the washing unit to move on the rack in a single-sided manner.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the slider has the same length as the drive section in the first direction.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the cleaning unit forms an angle with the bottom of the base of the cleaning device in the second direction.

According to some embodiments of the invention, a cleaning system comprising a self-moving cleaning device and a cleaning device for cleaning the self-moving cleaning device, characterized in that the self-moving cleaning device comprises a mop, the cleaning device comprising: a clean water tank for storing a cleaning liquid; a base provided at one side of the fresh water tank; a cleaning unit comprising: a drive portion adjacent to the base configured to move on the base in the first direction; a water outlet configured to spray the cleaning liquid in a direction away from the base; and a cleaning part extending in a second direction for cleaning the mop of the self-moving cleaning device; and a sump for collecting the cleaning liquid sprayed from the water outlet when the cleaning unit cleans the mop, wherein the cleaning device and the self-moving cleaning device are configured to communicate and perform the method according to any one of the embodiments of the present invention.

By the method for operating the cleaning device in the invention, the used mop can be effectively and automatically cleaned, so that the mobile robot can be advanced to perform floor cleaning and self-cleaning in a full-automatic mode, and human intervention is greatly reduced. In addition, the cleaning mode of the single-side rack driving cleaning unit is effective in operation, and the parts are simpler in design, smaller in area and lower in failure rate. The method for operating the cleaning device can also be matched with the cleaning robot to clean any irregularly-shaped mop, so that the function of cleaning the mop is not affected by the shape of the mop. Thereby improving the use efficiency of the self-moving cleaning device (e.g., self-moving robot).

Drawings

Aspects of embodiments of the invention may be better understood from the following description of embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the various structures may not be drawn to scale according to standard practice in the industry. In fact, the dimensions of the various structures may be arbitrarily increased or decreased for clarity of discussion. The drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present disclosure and other drawings may be made from these drawings by one of ordinary skill in the art without undue burden.

Fig. 1A and 1B show a perspective view and a bottom view, respectively, of a self-moving cleaning apparatus 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2A and 2B show a perspective view and a front view, respectively, of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 3 shows an exploded view of a cleaning unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a cleaning unit and a mop according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of a driving assembly of a washing unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6A, 6B and 6C are perspective views showing a cleaning tank of the cleaning unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7A, 7B and 7C are perspective views showing a cleaning unit and a slider thereof according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 8A and 8B show a perspective view and a side view, respectively, of a slider according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 9 shows a perspective view of the base, the cleaning unit and the mop according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 10 shows a perspective view of a cleaning unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 11A, 11B, 11C and 11D are schematic diagrams illustrating a cleaning method according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 12 shows a flow chart of a cleaning method according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 13A, 13B, 13C and 13D show schematic views of different stages of a cleaning method according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 14 shows a flow chart of a cleaning method according to an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

The following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, of the different means for implementing the provided subject matter. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure. Of course, such is merely an example and is not intended to be limiting. For example, in the following description, the formation of a first member over or on a second member may include embodiments in which the first member and the second member are formed in direct contact, and may also include embodiments in which additional members may be formed between the first member and the second member such that the first member and the second member may not be in direct contact. In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed.

Moreover, for ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "under … …," "under … …," "under," "over … …," "over … …," and the like may be used herein to describe one component or member's relationship to another component or member illustrated in the figures. In addition to the orientations depicted in the drawings, the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation. The device may be otherwise turned (rotated 90 degrees or in other directions) and thus the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted as such.

As used herein, terms such as "first," "second," and "third" describe various components, regions, layers and/or sections, but such components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by such terms. Such terms may be used only to distinguish one component, region, layer or section from another. Terms such as "first," "second," and "third" do not imply a sequence or order as used herein unless clearly indicated by the context.

The invention relates to a cleaning device for a self-moving cleaning device, which can restore the original clean state of a mop through the automatic cleaning function provided by the cleaning device after the self-moving cleaning device uses the mop to carry out a cleaning procedure, so that the self-moving cleaning device can continue to carry out a cleaning task, the complete cleaning procedure without manual intervention is achieved, and the use experience of a user is greatly reduced and improved.

Fig. 1A and 1B show a perspective view and a bottom view, respectively, of a self-moving cleaning apparatus 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The self-moving cleaning apparatus 11 may be used to clean a general floor or a large area surface 12, such as a stage, a large area table top or a work platform, and may be of various types such as toys, remote control vehicles, robots, etc., and may clean the surface 12 as the contacted surface 12 moves, by moving back and forth over the surface 12 and wiping the surface 12 with a mop on the self-moving cleaning apparatus 11. The self-moving cleaning apparatus 11 will be described herein as an example of a floor cleaning robot, however, the present invention is not limited to the floor cleaning robot.

Referring to fig. 1A, the self-moving cleaning apparatus 11 includes a bumper 13, a housing 14, and an upper cover 15. The self-moving cleaning device 11 is free to travel in different directions on the surface 12 to be cleaned, and for convenience of description, the self-moving cleaning device 11 herein has a forward moving direction F and a forward moving direction B. The bumper 13 faces the forward moving direction F, which is the front side of the self-moving cleaning device 11, has a straight shape, and the housing 14 faces the backward moving direction B, which is the rear side of the self-moving cleaning device 11, has a circular arc shape. Referring to fig. 1B, one side of the base surface item 12 of the self-moving cleaning apparatus 11 further includes various components such as: suction port 7, rolling brush device 17, traveling unit 18, and water spraying device 19. In one embodiment, the self-moving cleaning device 11 has a cleaning cloth seat at the bottom of the rear side of the self-moving cleaning device 11, which generally has a flat surface to which the mop 16 is conveniently adhered or attached for cleaning. In one embodiment the mop 16 is located on the base of the self-moving cleaning device 11 near the rear side. The components of the self-moving cleaning apparatus 11 described above are merely examples, and other different embodiments of the self-moving cleaning apparatus 11 may remove the components described above or add other components.

Fig. 2A and 2B show a perspective view and a front view, respectively, of a cleaning device 10 according to an embodiment of the invention. In some embodiments, the cleaning device 10 is not directly used for cleaning the surface 12, but for cleaning the mop 16 of the self-moving cleaning device 11. In one embodiment, the cleaning apparatus 10 is a cloth washer. In one embodiment, the cleaning device 10 may be used as a base station for the self-moving cleaning device 11, so that the self-moving cleaning device 11 may perform various steps, such as stopping the operation, charging, cleaning the dust box, cleaning the mop 16, etc., at the base station where the cleaning device 10 is located. The various steps described above may be performed at different times or simultaneously.

In one embodiment, the cleaning device 10 includes a lower seat 20, an intermediate seat 30, and a tank seat 40. In one embodiment, the lower socket 20 includes a base 22, a guide plate 24, a fastener 26, a rack 28, and a cleaning unit 100. In one embodiment, the washing unit 100 may also be referred to as a cloth washing stand. In one embodiment, the intermediate support 30 is provided with a circuit board 48, infrared modules 52, 54, a charging electrode 56, an alignment unit (not shown), a distance detector (not shown), and the like. In one embodiment, tank shoe 40 has an interior space for receiving a dry foul water tank 42 and a fresh water tank 44. In one embodiment, clean water tank 44 is used to store cleaning liquid. In one embodiment, clean tank 44 is provided with a level gauge for detecting the level of cleaning liquid. When the liquid level meter detects that the cleaning liquid is insufficient, the user can be informed of supplementing the cleaning liquid. In one embodiment, clean water tank 44 is provided with a vent to equalize the air pressure within clean water tank 44 with the ambient air pressure as the level of cleaning liquid decreases. In one embodiment, the fresh water tank 44 is provided with a vent cover 46 covering the vent holes, and a slit is provided in the vent cover 46 to allow air to pass therethrough. The vent cover 46 may be made of an elastic material to maintain the slit closed when the air pressure inside and outside the fresh water tank 44 is balanced, and to open the slit to allow air to pass through when the air pressure is unbalanced. In one embodiment, the waste bin 42 is used to collect cleaning liquid or waste water sprayed by the cleaning unit 100 when cleaning the mop 16. In one embodiment, the tank 42 is provided with a level gauge for detecting the sewage level. When the liquid level meter detects that the sewage is full, the user can be informed to empty the sewage tank 42, so that the sewage can be prevented from polluting the surrounding environment of the cleaning device 10, and the frequency of frequent sewage pouring of the user can be effectively reduced.

Referring to fig. 1B, the self-moving cleaning apparatus 11 transmits and receives control signals to communicate with the cleaning apparatus 10 to complete a predetermined event (e.g., charging, the dust box being full or recalled) as it occurs. In one embodiment, the self-moving cleaning apparatus 11 is provided with infrared modules 62, 64, 66, which may each include an infrared transmitting unit for transmitting infrared signals and an infrared receiving unit for receiving the transmitted infrared signals for transmitting infrared signals or receiving infrared signals for aligning the cleaning apparatus 10 or the base station when the cleaning apparatus 10 or the base station is to be returned. In one embodiment, the infrared modules 62, 64, 66 are used as a foreign object detector or cliff detector, which can actively detect whether there is a foreign object around the self-moving cleaning device 11 to perform a flicker or whether it is approaching the cliff to perform a turn or reverse.

Referring to fig. 2B, the cleaning apparatus 10 is provided with infrared modules 52, 54 provided on the circuit board 48 for receiving/transmitting control signals. In one embodiment, the infrared module 52 has an infrared transmitting unit 52A and an infrared receiving unit 52B, each for transmitting and receiving infrared signals. In one embodiment, the infrared module 54 has one or more (e.g., 4) infrared emitting units for emitting infrared signals. In one embodiment, the infrared modules 52, 54 communicate with the self-moving cleaning device 11 for transmitting control signals generated by the controller of the cleaning device 10 or receiving return signals from the moving cleaning device 11, such as when the self-moving cleaning device 11 is returned to the cleaning device 10, the cleaning device 10 transmits or receives infrared signals to align the self-moving cleaning device 11 with the cleaning device 10, or by receiving infrared signals from the moving cleaning device 11, the self-moving cleaning device 11 is known to have been returned to the cleaning device 10 and to be positioned or aligned with the cleaning device 10, or the self-moving cleaning device 11 is known to be about to leave or have left the cleaning device 10.

Referring to fig. 1A, 1B and fig. 2A, 2B, the cleaning device 10 is provided with a charging electrode 56 in the intermediate holder 30, which may be used to charge the self-moving cleaning device 11 or as an alignment unit for aligning the cleaning device 10 when the self-moving cleaning device 11 is returned to the cleaning device 10. In one embodiment, when the self-moving cleaning device 11 is determined by itself or needs to return to the cleaning device 10 for other necessary reasons (e.g. charging, the dust box is full or recalled), the self-moving cleaning device 11 is aligned with the alignment unit (e.g. the charging electrode 56) of the cleaning device 10 along the first direction (e.g. X-axis direction) by the aid of the guide signal and the alignment unit by sending the guide signal through the signal transmission unit (e.g. the infrared transmission unit) of the cleaning device 10. Then, the self-moving cleaning device 11 is moved toward the lower socket 20 (e.g., in the Y-axis direction) along the guide plate 24 until the self-moving cleaning device 11 reaches a predetermined position or is stopped at a predetermined distance, e.g., the battery electrode of the self-moving cleaning device 11 contacts the charging electrode 56 of the middle socket 30 or abuts the alignment member.

In one embodiment, the infrared modules 54 of the cleaning apparatus 10 are divided into a left side emission unit group and a right side emission unit group, each emission unit group having one or more (e.g., 2) infrared emission units. The infrared ray transmitting units of the left transmitting unit group transmit left-side alignment control signals, and the infrared ray transmitting units of the right transmitting unit group transmit right-side alignment control signals, the left-side alignment control signals and the right-side alignment control signals being different in signal format from each other. Thus, when the self-moving cleaning device 11 is to be aligned with the cleaning device 10, it can be determined whether the self-moving cleaning device 11 is completely aligned with the cleaning device 10 according to whether the detected signal is the left alignment control signal or the right alignment control signal and according to the relative signal strength or coding of the two signals. In one embodiment, after the cleaning device 11 is aligned with the cleaning device 10 with the assistance of the infrared module 54 of the cleaning device 10, it is further confirmed that the battery electrode thereof has been in electrical contact with the charging electrode 56 of the intermediate holder 30, and the alignment process is determined to be completed.

In one embodiment, the mop 16 is moved over the cleaning unit 100 on the base 22 by movement from the mobile cleaning device 11. In one embodiment, the self-moving cleaning device 11 may be subjected to both the steps of charging and cleaning the mop 16 with the cleaning unit 100. In other embodiments, the self-moving cleaning device 11 performs the steps of charging and washing the mop 16 each at a different time.

In one embodiment, the rack 28 is disposed on the base 22 and extends in the X-axis direction. In one embodiment, the plurality of teeth 38 of the rack 28 are located on the upper side of the rack 28, extending in the Y-axis direction and arranged in parallel. The underside of the rack 28, opposite the upper side, is connected to or faces the base 22. In one embodiment, the cleaning unit 100 is connected to the rack 28 and moves back and forth along the X-axis direction, and the mop 16 is moved in the Y-axis direction to a position directly above the cleaning unit 100, so that the cleaning unit 100 can move back and forth along the X-axis direction in the inner space of the base 22 and clean the mop 16 by the roller brush 122. In one embodiment, a recess is provided below the interior of the base 22 for collecting the waste water or overflowed cleaning liquid generated when the cleaning unit 100 cleans the mop 16, and the waste water in the recess is collected into the waste water tank 42 via a recycling line (not shown).

Fig. 3 shows an exploded view of the cleaning unit 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, the cleaning unit 100 includes a housing, consisting of a cleaning tank 102 (including a housing 108 and an upper cover 118), a motor front cover 104, a motor rear cover 106, and a spacer 107, for housing the various components of the cleaning unit 100. In one embodiment, the cleaning unit 100 comprises the following components: a moving motor 112, a rotating motor 114, a water outlet 116, a rolling brush 122, a sliding block 130 and various gears 134, 136, 138, 140 and 142. In one embodiment, roller brush 122 includes handle 124, cleaning portion 126, and securing portion 128. The roller brush 122 may be classified into a bristle-type roller brush 122X or a bar-type roller brush 122Y according to the structure of the cleaning portion 126. In one embodiment, the brush bristles 122X are provided on the drum of the cleaning part 126 to extend radially outward from the surface of the drum of the cleaning part 126 in a regular arrangement. In one embodiment, the scraping strip type rolling brush 122Y is provided with scraping strips on the drum of the cleaning part 126 to extend outwardly in a spiral shape along the surface of the cleaning part 126. The function and connection of the other components of the cleaning unit 100 will be further described in the following figures.

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the cleaning unit 100 and the mop 16 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Other components of the self-moving cleaning apparatus 11, as well as other components of the cleaning apparatus 10, have been omitted from fig. 4 for clarity. Referring to fig. 1A, 1B and 4, the cleaning part 126 of the roller brush 122 is pressed down via the mop 16 from the weight of the mobile cleaning device 11, and thus the mop 16 is brought into close contact with the cleaning part 126. By means of the contact and friction between the cleaning part 126 and the mop 16, in addition to the flushing with cleaning liquid, dust and refuse on the mop 16 can be scraped off from the surface or from the inside of the mop 16. In one embodiment, handle 124 of roller brush 122 is positioned within cleaning tank 102 and is secured to one side of cleaning unit 100 and firmly supports cleaning section 126. By rotating handle 124, cleaning section 126 is rotated to create a scraping force in a tangential direction to the surface of mop 16. The cleaning ability of the cleaning section 126 is determined by the downward force of the self-moving cleaning device 11 and the rotational force of the rolling brush 122, plus the auxiliary effect of the cleaning liquid and the bristles (or wiper strips).

In one embodiment, the roller brush 122A or 122B has a first end and a second end, the two ends being opposite to each other. The first end is connected to gear 142 on the side of handle 124 and receives the driving force supplied by gear 142. The second end is located at the end of the cleaning portion 126, also on the side of the fixed portion 128, farther from the rack 28 than the first end. The second ends of the roller brushes 122A or 122B are rotatable relative to the fixed portion 128, respectively. In one embodiment, handle 124 is substantially comprised of a material that is substantially inelastic or minimally elastic. In one example, the cleaning portion 126 is only a portion of the length of the roller brush 122 to focus the cleaning force. In one embodiment, the ratio of the length of the cleaning portion 126 to the length of the roller brush 122 is substantially less than one-half, such as between one-fourth and one-half, between one-third and one-half, or between one-third and one-half. Therefore, when the cleaning unit 100 is to clean different parts of the mop 16 in the Y-axis direction, the purpose of moving the cleaning part 126 cannot be achieved by the extension and contraction of the handle 124, but by moving the self-moving cleaning device 11 in the Y-axis direction, a change in the relative positions of the mop 16 and the cleaning part 126 is produced, so that different parts of the mop 16 in the Y-axis direction can be reached.

Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of the driving part 110 of the washing unit 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Other components of the cleaning unit 100 are not shown in fig. 5 for clarity of illustration. The drive portion 110 of the cleaning unit 100 is adjacent to the base 22 and above the rack 28. The driving part 110 is connected to the rack 28 and the rolling brush 122, and is used for generating a driving force to move the washing unit 100 or rotate the rolling brush 122. In an embodiment, the driving portion 110 is mainly divided into a first driving component 210 and a second driving component 220. First, the first driving assembly 210 (also referred to as a moving assembly) includes a moving motor 112 and gears 132, 134 and 140, and generates driving force through the moving motor 112, and transmits the driving force to the gear 140 through the gears 132, 134, so that the gear 140 drives the cleaning unit 100 to move back and forth on the rack 28 in a linear translation manner along the X-axis direction. Furthermore, the second driving component 220 (also called a rotating component) includes a rotating motor 114 and gears 136, 138, 142A, 142B, and generates driving force through the rotating motor 114, and transmits the driving force to the gears 142A, 142B through the gears 136, 138, so that the gears 142A, 142B respectively drive the brushes 124A, 124B of the brushes 122A, 122B to rotate along the axes of the brushes 122A, 122B. In one embodiment, the roller brushes 122A, 122B are parallel to each other and extend in the Y-axis direction. In one embodiment, the roller brushes 122A, 122B lie in the same plane and simultaneously engage the mop 16.

In one embodiment, the cleaning device 10 or the cleaning unit 100 is provided with a controller (not shown), and the control circuit generates a predetermined control signal to determine the output power of the moving motor 112 and the rotating motor 114 via the control voltage or the control current, so as to determine the moving speed or the stopping position of the cleaning unit on the rack 28 and the rotation speed of the rolling brushes 122A and 122B, respectively. Since the moving motor 112 and the rotating motor 114 are operated independently of each other, the output power of the two are independent of each other, and thus the moving speed of the cleaning unit 100 and the rotating speed of the rolling brush 122 are also independent of each other.

Compared with the conventional cleaning device operated by a single motor, since the output power of the single motor can only be selected for one output power at a time, the optimal adjustment can be performed for the moving speed of the cleaning unit 100 or the rotating speed of the rolling brush 122, which can be accelerated or slowed down at the same time, and the respective optimal designs of the moving and rotating can not be satisfied at the same time. In contrast, the dual motor drive design of the present invention allows for individual optimization of movement and rotation, thus providing better cleaning. In one embodiment, the rotation rates of the roller brushes 122A, 122B are dependent on each other because the roller brushes 122A, 122B are driven by the same rotation motor 114. In one embodiment, the rotation rates of the roller brushes 122A, 122B are the same and opposite. In some embodiments, the roller brushes 122A, 122B may rotate in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. In one embodiment, the roller brushes 122A, 122B are located above the rack 28 and spaced a distance from the rack 28.

Fig. 6A and 6B are perspective views showing the cleaning tank 102 of the cleaning unit 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Referring to fig. 4, 6A and 6B, the cleaning unit 100 is provided with a cleaning tank 102 for accommodating the rolling brush 122 and the water outlet 116. In one embodiment, the water outlet 116 is located intermediate the two roller brushes 122A, 122B and includes one or more nozzles aligned in the Y-axis direction. In one embodiment, the spout of the water outlet 116 faces the side of the mop 16 to spray cleaning liquid onto the mop 16. In one embodiment, the nozzle of the water outlet 116 sprays cleaning liquid in a direction away from the base.

In one embodiment, the cleaning tank 102 includes a tank 108 and a top cover 118 (as shown in fig. 3), wherein the top cover 118 is pivoted to the tank 108, and the top cover 118 can be opened or closed to facilitate cleaning or replacement of the roller brush 122. In an embodiment, the bottom and the side walls of the tank 108 form a closed space as a water collecting structure, which can prevent the cleaning liquid from flowing out from the bottom or the side walls of the tank 108, thus increasing the use efficiency of the cleaning liquid and avoiding the cleaning liquid from overflowing. In one embodiment, the upper cover 118 is provided with an opening 118W so that the roller brush 122 can be exposed through the opening 118W to contact the mop 16. In one embodiment, when the cleaning task of the mop 16 is performed, the mop 16 contacts the roller brush 122 from above the roller brush 122, the upper cover 118 is in a closed state, a water collecting space is formed with the tank 102, and the mop 16 also covers the upper side of the opening 118W. In this way, the sides of the water outlet 116 are surrounded by the roller brushes 122A, 122B and the sink 102 (preferably surrounded by the bowl 108 and the upper cover 118), and the upper side of the water outlet 116 is covered by the mop 16. When cleaning liquid is sprayed upwardly (i.e., in a direction facing the mop 16) from the water outlet 116 from the opening 118W, the cleaning sections 126A, 126B rotate in opposite directions R1, R2 to create friction with the mop 16. In one embodiment, the upper cover 118 of the washing tub 102 abuts the mop 16, so that a substantially airtight space is formed between the roller brushes 122A, 122B, the water outlet 116 and the opening 118W between the upper cover 118 and the mop 16 for washing the exposed portion of the mop 16 at the opening 118W. In one embodiment, the outer sides of the second ends of the roller brushes 122A, 122B are covered by the cleaning tank 102, and are connected to the cleaning tank 102 by the fixing portion 128, and are not directly driven by the first driving assembly 210 or the second driving assembly 220, and the front side of the tank body 108 of the cleaning tank 102 separates the fixing portion 128 from the side wall of the base 22.

In one embodiment, the cleaning sections 126A, 126B are rotated in opposite directions R1, R2, i.e., in directions toward the water outlet 116, respectively, where the upper cover 118 is exposed near the mop 16. In one embodiment, the cleaning portions 126A, 126B rotate in a direction facing the base 22 on a side proximate the water outlet 116. In one embodiment, the rolling brushes 122A and 122B are located on opposite sides of the water outlet 116, so that they can act as blocking walls for cleaning tasks with each other, and block the cleaning liquid thrown from each other, so that most of the cleaning liquid is blocked when being pushed to the outer area of the cleaning tank 102, in addition to the purpose of cleaning the mop 16 by the self-rotation of the cleaning part 126. In one embodiment, the cleaning liquid may be rolled up in the basin 102 by the roller brush 122 to the mop 16 due to the enclosed space provided by the basin 102 to increase the proportion of cleaning liquid that is reused. Therefore, the dual roller brush of the present invention can be used as an auxiliary structure of the cleaning tank 102 to block the thrown-out cleaning liquid or push the cleaning liquid to the central area of the cleaning tank 102 instead of to the outer area of the cleaning tank 102, so as to optimize the cleaning effect of the cleaning liquid and maximize the effect of collecting sewage.

In one embodiment, the cleaning blade provided by the cleaning section 126 rubs against the mop 16 as it moves in the first direction, thereby scraping off dust or debris from the mop 16. In an embodiment, when the driving portion 110 drives the roller brush 122 along the X-axis direction to perform the cleaning task, the roller brush 122 may rotate clockwise, rotate counterclockwise or be stationary as required. When the roller brush 122 is stationary, the cleaning unit 100 generates friction with the mop 16 depending on the movement of the roller brush 122 in the X-axis direction. Referring to fig. 6B, in an embodiment, a drain hole (not shown) and a drain valve (not shown) are provided at the bottom of the tank body 108 of the cleaning tank 102, and the drain valve controls the opening and closing of the drain hole. In one embodiment, the controller of the cleaning device 10 controls the water drain valve to close the water drain and clean the mop 16 for a period of time. After the cleaning task is performed for the time period, the controller causes the drain valve to open the drain hole to drain the sewage in the cleaning tank 102. In one embodiment, the cleaning unit 100 is provided with a pump motor and a pipeline (not shown) connected to the sewage tank 42, and the sewage collected by the cleaning tank 102 is delivered to the sewage tank 42 through the drain hole and the pipeline by the pressure provided by the pump motor. In one embodiment, the controller of the cleaning device 10 controls the water supply from the water outlet 116 to be greater than or equal to the water discharge from the water discharge hole, thereby allowing the fixed discharge of waste water and allowing the cleaning liquid to be continuously supplied to the interior of the cleaning tank 102 for the roller brush 122 to clean the mop 16.

Referring to fig. 6C, in another embodiment, the bottom of the tank body 108 of the cleaning tank 102 is not provided with a drain hole, but is provided with an opening 108D facing the base 22, overlapping the cleaning portion 126, and for draining excessive cleaning liquid or sewage to the base 22. In one embodiment, the opening 108D and the drain hole are used in different situations and are alternatively implemented. In one embodiment, the water discharge from the opening 108D is greater than the water supply from the water outlet 116 to avoid secondary contamination of the mop 16 by cleaning liquid which quickly becomes dirty and remains in the basin 102 in the event of a relatively dirty mop 16. In one embodiment, the cleaning apparatus 10 is provided with a pump motor (not shown) and a pipeline connected to the sewage tank 42, and the sewage collected by the base 22 is conveyed to the sewage tank 42 through the pipeline by the pressure provided by the pump motor.

Fig. 7A shows a perspective view of the cleaning unit 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to fig. 5 and 7A, the cleaning unit 100 of fig. 7A further shows a slider 130, wherein the slider 130 and the driving portion 110 (or the moving motor 112 and the rotating motor 114) are located at the same side of the rack 28, and the driving portion 110 is connected to the slider 130 and fastened to the rack 28 via the slider 130. In an embodiment, fig. 7B shows a perspective view of the rack 28 and the slider 130 separately, and as can be seen more clearly in fig. 7B, the rack 28 is provided with a sliding rail 702 at a side facing the moving motor 112 or the rotating motor 114, and the sliding rail 702 and the tooth portion 38 are located at different sides of the rack 28. When the driving portion 110 moves along the X-axis direction, the sliding block 130 is fastened on the sliding rail 702 to slide along the X-axis direction, so as to drive the driving portion 110 and the whole cleaning unit 100 to slide along the X-axis direction. In one embodiment, the slide rail 702 presents an "I" shape or an English letter "I", while the slider 130 presents an elongated shape in the X-axis direction, has the same or a longer length as the driving portion 110 in the X-axis direction, and presents a turned "concave" shape or an English letter "C" in the Z-axis direction. In one embodiment, the slider 130 has a notch facing the sliding rail 702, and slides by being fastened to the sliding rail 702 through the notch. In one embodiment, the length of the sliding rail 702 is the same as the length of the rack 28, such that the sliding range of the slider 130 is substantially the same as the length of the rack 28. Referring to fig. 7C, the slider 130 is located at the bottom of the washing unit 100 and between the washing unit 100 and the rack 28 as viewed from the side, and the washing unit 100 is more firmly fixed to the rack 28 by the slider 130, so that the washing unit 100 can smoothly move on the rack 28 in the X-axis direction.

Referring to fig. 7B and 7C, the slider 130 is provided with an opening 704, for example, on a side of the slider 130 facing the moving motor 112, and the slider 130 may be fixed to the driving part 110, for example, to the motor front cover 104, by using a locking member, for example, a screw. In an embodiment, the cleaning unit 100 is driven by the moving motor 112 to drive the gear 140, and the gear 140 is engaged with the plurality of teeth 38 of the rack 28 to drive the cleaning unit 100 to move along the X-axis direction, and then the cleaning unit 100 is fixed on the sliding block 130 through the motor front cover 104 and fastened on the sliding rail 702 through the sliding block 130 to drive the cleaning unit 100 to slide along the X-axis direction. In an embodiment, the combination of the sliding block 130 and the sliding rail 702 supports most of the weight of the cleaning unit 100, so that the function of the gear 140 is simplified, and the gear 140 is engaged with the plurality of teeth 38 of the rack 28 to drive the cleaning unit 100 to move along the X-axis direction, so that it is not necessary to support all of the weight of the cleaning unit 100.

Referring to fig. 3, 6A, 6B and 7A, in one embodiment, the base 22 is provided with only a single-sided rack 28 for movement of the cleaning unit 100 thereon. In this way, roller brush 122 can only be connected to drive portion 110 of washing unit 100 from the first end of handle 124 via gear 142, while the second end of roller brush 122 rests on recess 108T of the front sidewall of washing tub 102 via fixing portion 128. In other words, the rolling brush 122 is driven by the driving part 110 on one side. In one embodiment, the rolling brush 122 of the cleaning unit 100 is suspended at the side of the cleaning portion 126, or is covered by the cleaning tank 102, and is not provided with any driving element or rail to rotate or move the cleaning portion 126 side of the rolling brush.

In an embodiment, in a case where the first end of the cleaning unit 100 is driven by the driving portion 110 and the second end of the cleaning unit 100 is not driven by the driving portion 110, the first end and the second end of the cleaning unit 100 are unevenly stressed and easily generate moment on the cleaning unit 100, which causes a phenomenon that the cleaning unit 100 cannot move smoothly, such as vibration. For this, since the slider 130 extends in a long shape along the axial direction of the rack 28, the upper side, the lower side, and the side connecting the upper side and the lower side of the slider 130 are tightly fastened to the slide rail 702, and the degree of freedom of movement or rotation of the slider 130 and the cleaning unit 100 in directions other than the X-axis direction is limited. Therefore, in one embodiment, the gear 140 of the cleaning unit 100 provides the power for moving the cleaning unit 100 on the rack 28 and determines the speed of moving the cleaning unit 100 on the rack 28, and the slider 130 has a length corresponding to the length of the driving portion 110 in the X-axis direction, so as to provide a stable force that is large enough to limit the cleaning unit 100 to move only along the X-axis direction, thereby reducing the phenomenon that the cleaning unit 100 cannot move smoothly due to moment or vibration caused by uneven stress at two ends of the cleaning unit 100.

Further, referring to fig. 6B, in one embodiment, a convex portion 602 is provided at the lower portion of the front side wall of the cleaning tank 102, extending along the Y direction. Referring to fig. 2A, the base 22 is provided with a groove (not shown) at an inner side of a position near the fastening member 26 at a side near the guide plate 24, corresponding to the protrusion 602, such that the protrusion 602 is accommodated in the groove of the base 22, and the movement of the cleaning unit 100 in only the X-axis direction can be restricted by the movement of the protrusion 602 in the groove of the base 22 in the X-axis direction. Further, the rear side of the cleaning tank 102 is connected to the motor front cover 102. In this way, when the cleaning unit 100 moves on the rack 28 via the gear 140, the cleaning tank 102 is also driven to move in the X-axis direction of the base 22 without being shifted. In one embodiment, since the protrusions 602 of the front sidewall of the cleaning tank 102 abut against the grooves of the base 22 and slide on the grooves when the cleaning unit 100 moves in the X direction. In one embodiment, the cleaning tank 102 is provided with a plurality of protrusions 602, which are spaced apart from each other on the front sidewall of the cleaning tank 102 by a fixed distance and are received in the grooves of the base 22. Therefore, there is little space between the cleaning tank 102 and the base 22 for the cleaning tank 102 to rotate, thereby further reducing the vibration or moment generated by the roller brush 122.

As described above, when the conventional one-sided rack 28 is designed to cause the washing unit 100 or the rolling brush 122 to move in the X-axis direction, there may be a difference in force due to a slight difference in the moving rate of the first side of the driving part 110 and the second side of the fixing part 128 due to the one-sided driving of the driving part 110, and a moment is generated in the plane direction of the washing unit 100, so that the washing tub 102 or the rolling brush 122 cannot be stably maintained in the Y-direction without vibration or rotation. Through the arrangement of the sliding block 130 and the protruding portion 602, the moment generated by the single-side driving of the driving portion 110 or the single-side rack 28 can be restrained or offset by the design of the sliding block 130 and the protruding portion 602, so that the cleaning unit 100 can maintain excellent movement stability, and reduce rotation or vibration in any direction. Compared with the driving method of the double-sided rack, the arrangement of the single-sided rack 28 requires that the double-sided rack is positioned at the front and rear sides of the base in the Y-axis direction, and the front and rear sides of the cleaning unit 100 are provided with the gears 140, and simultaneously the gears 140 at both sides are driven to drive both sides of the rolling brush 122 to synchronously move along the X-axis direction on the base 22, so that the phenomenon that the cleaning unit 100 cannot smoothly move due to the moment can be reduced. However, this design has a disadvantage in that the manufacturing tolerance of the washing unit 100 is very small, and when the manufacturing tolerance of the washing unit 100 is too large, the gears 140 at both ends may not be completely engaged with the teeth 38 of the rack 28 at the same time. In addition, during assembly and manufacture, the gears 140 at both ends of the cleaning unit 100 are also required to be mounted on the corresponding specific teeth 38 of the rack 28, so that the gears 140 at both sides can meet the requirement of high synchronization between traveling, which can increase the complexity and cost of design or the difficulty of maintenance in future, and the difficulty of assembly is also relatively difficult. In contrast, the single-sided rack 28 of the present invention has simpler part design, smaller cleaning unit area, and reduced failure rate, thereby saving the cost and power consumption of the second-side drive.

In addition, the cleaning unit 100 moves along the X-axis direction by sliding the slider 130 and the protrusion 602, and the movement is not fast, so that the roller or gear is not required to move back and forth on the base 22 or the rack 28, so that a sufficient time for performing a complete cleaning task on each part of the mop 16 can be provided in a low-noise movement mode, and the noise caused by the rotary driving member can be further reduced. In one embodiment, the cleaning unit 100 is moved at a rate within about one centimeter per second, or within about 3 centimeters per second, during the cleaning task.

Fig. 8A and 8B show perspective and side views, respectively, of a slider 130 according to an embodiment of the invention. To clearly illustrate the internal configuration of the slider 130, the rack 28, the slide rail 702, and other components of the cleaning unit 100 are not shown in fig. 8A, 8B. Referring to fig. 8A, in one embodiment, the upper side, the lower side and the side of the slider 130 are connected in the shape of an english letter "C", and an extension 802 is provided on the inner side of the slider 130 to extend from the upper side and the lower side of the slider 130 to the notch position of the letter "C". The extension 802 may be in a strip shape, a block shape, or other suitable shape for reducing the size of the gap of the slider 130, so that the slider 130 can be sleeved in the sliding rail 702 by using the gap, and can be more stably remained in the sliding rail 702 and not easily slipped off. In one embodiment, at least one protrusion 804 or 806 is provided on the inner side of the slider 130 or the side facing the slide rail 702, and extends from the upper side, or lower side of the slider 130 to the hollow portion of the slider 130. In an embodiment, the protruding strip 804 is disposed beside the slider 130, and the protruding strip 804 and the slider 130 have equal lengths measured along the X-axis direction. In one embodiment, the protruding member 806 is disposed on the upper side or the lower side of the slider 130, and the protruding member 806 is tapered, hemispherical, hexahedral, tower-shaped, or other suitable shape. The height of the protrusions 806 may be less than the height of the extensions 802. In other embodiments, the protruding strips 804 and the protruding pieces 806 may be disposed at any positions on the central lines of the upper, lower and lateral sides of the slider 130, and may be staggered or substituted for each other. When the sliding block 130 is fastened to the sliding rail 702 and slides on the sliding rail 702, the protruding strip 804 and the protruding piece 806 abut against the sliding rail 702 to slide, so that friction force can be reduced, noise and resistance can be further reduced, and the cleaning unit 100 can travel more efficiently and power can be saved.

Figure 9 shows a combined perspective view of the base 22, the cleaning unit 100 and the mop 16 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to figures 2A, 4 and 9, the cleaning unit 100 is provided at the bottom of the base 22 and is used to clean the side (e.g. underside) of the mop 16 facing the surface 12 (e.g. floor) to be cleaned from below the mop 16. The bottom platform of the entire base 22 needs to be raised to form a receiving space to accommodate the washing unit 100. In one embodiment, the guiding plate 24 is to guide the self-moving cleaning device 11 from the surface 12 to be cleaned (e.g. floor) back to the base 22 of the cleaning device 10, so that the surface of the guiding plate 24 is an inclined surface forming an angle a with the bottom of the base 22 or the floor 12 to be cleaned, and the guiding plate 24 is connected to the front side of the base 22 via the fastening member 26, so that the running device (e.g. running wheel) of the self-moving cleaning device 11 can move to the bottom platform of the base 22. In one embodiment, the angle a is between 5 degrees and 30 degrees. In one embodiment, the mop 16 is parallel to the upper cover 118 of the basin 102 such that the roller brush 122 and mop 16 are moved in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, respectively, to maintain the mop 16 in close proximity to the cleaning portion 126 for cleaning and to reduce the spillage of waste water. Referring to fig. 7C, as described above, since the rack 28 is fixed at the bottom of the base 22, the cleaning unit 100 is fastened to the sliding rail 702 of the rack 28 by the sliding block 130. As can be seen from fig. 7C, the slide rail 702 and the slider 130 are inclined by an angle a toward the guide plate 24 from the side, so that the housing of the cleaning unit 100 is also inclined downward by the angle a, and the cleaning tank 102 is maintained in a state of being inclined downward by the angle a toward the guide plate 24. Referring to fig. 7C and 9, in one embodiment, the cleaning unit 110 and the guiding plate 24 are closely connected, and the two are maintained at the same angle a and are spliced into a continuous inclined plane, so that the same angle a is always present when the movable cleaning device 11 moves from the outer side of the guiding plate 24 to the inner side above the cleaning unit 100. In this way, regardless of the relative positions of the mop 16 and the cleaning unit 100, it is ensured that the cleaning trough 102 and the mop 16 are always kept parallel and in close proximity to each other, so as to maintain the cleaning effect of the roller brush 122.

In contrast, the cleaning unit of the conventional cleaning device is disposed parallel to the ground, so that the guide plate must be formed of two sections, the first section is similar to the guide plate of the present invention and has an oblique angle, and the second section is parallel to the ground and connected to the base. The first section can guide the self-moving cleaning device from the floor to the level of the cleaning unit while maintaining an inclined condition, and then proceed to the second section to become parallel to the floor, and then perform a cleaning action within the range of the second section. The length of the guide plate of the conventional cleaning device becomes longer, so that the whole cleaning device is excessively large. Otherwise, the self-moving cleaning device moves back and forth on a plane with corners to perform the cleaning task. However, in this case, the mop and the washing unit cannot be brought into close contact with each other due to the corners of the mop and the washing part, and thus the cleaning action cannot be effectively performed.

Fig. 10 shows a perspective view of the cleaning unit 101 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The cleaning unit 101 has many similarities to the cleaning unit 100 described previously, and therefore these similarities are not repeated. The cleaning unit 101 is different from the cleaning unit 100 in that the cleaning unit 101 is provided with only one roll brush 122A, and is accommodated in the cleaning tank 902. Although the water outlet 116 does not have another roller brush 122B on the opposite side of the roller brush 122A as a tool for cleaning the mop 16, there is an advantage in that the cleaning unit area can be reduced, and the cleaning tank 902 can effectively cover the roller brush 122A and the water outlet 116 from the side as the cleaning tank 102, so that the overflow condition of sewage can be well controlled. In one embodiment, sink 902 has a housing and a top cover (similar to top cover 118, not shown in fig. 10) that covers handle 124A and has an opening to expose water outlet 116 and cleaning portion 126A. In one embodiment, the upper cover covers all or at least a portion of handle 124A. In one embodiment, the side wall of the cleaning tank 902 near the rolling brush 122A and the side wall near the water outlet 116 may have different configurations, for example, the side wall near the water outlet 116 is higher than the side wall near the rolling brush 122A, so as to effectively prevent the cleaning liquid sprayed from the water outlet from overflowing outwards.

FIG. 11A shows a schematic diagram of a cleaning method according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 12 shows a flowchart corresponding to the cleaning method 1200 of FIG. 11A, according to an embodiment of the invention. In some embodiments, in the cleaning method 1200 shown in fig. 12, some steps may be omitted and other steps may be added before or after any of the steps of the method 1200. In some embodiments, in the cleaning method 1200 shown in fig. 12, different steps may be performed in a changed order or simultaneously.

In an embodiment, the cleaning device 10 and the self-moving cleaning device 11 constitute a cleaning system, wherein the cleaning unit 100 is configured to clean the mop 16. For convenience of illustration, fig. 11A shows only a single roll brush 122, however, the arrangement of double roll brushes 122 may also be used with the cleaning method of fig. 11A. The mop 16 has a maximum length H1 in the Y-axis direction, and the cleaning portion of the roller brush 122 of the cleaning unit 100 has a length H2 in the Y-axis direction. Since the length H1 is generally greater than the length H2, the task of cleaning the entire mop 16 can be accomplished by washing the mop 16 in sections.

According to the embodiment of fig. 11A, the length H1 is approximately between two and three times the length H2 (in other embodiments, other multiples of greater than 1 are possible). Thus, after the cleaning device 10 receives information about the lengths H1 and H2, the method 1200 may divide the cleaning area of the swab 16 into three elongated areas Z1, Z2 and Z3 of approximately equal length measured along the Y-axis. In another embodiment, zones Z1, Z2, and Z3 each have a different length measured along the Y-axis.

In one embodiment, the method 1200 aligns a first side (e.g., a rear side) of the front and rear sides of the self-moving cleaning device 11 with the cleaning device 10 and moves the self-moving cleaning device 11 onto the guide plate 24 of the cleaning device 10. The correlation step may correspond to step 1202 of FIG. 12 or the correlation statement of FIG. 9. Next, the method 1200 moves the self-moving cleaning device 11 over the cleaning unit 100 of the cleaning device 10 and aligns the mop 16 in the Z-axis direction with the cleaning unit 100. The correlation step may correspond to step 1204 of fig. 12 or the correlation statement of fig. 4.

In one embodiment, the method 1200 sets a first zone of the swab, e.g., zone Z1, as the current cleaning zone. The correlation step may correspond to step 1206 of fig. 12. Next, in one embodiment, the method 1200 aligns the roller brush 122 (or the cleaning section 126) of the cleaning unit 100 with the current cleaning zone Z1, and causes the water outlet 116 to spray cleaning liquid onto the current cleaning zone Z1 of the mop 16 and rotate the roller brush 112. The correlating step may correspond to step 1208 of fig. 12.

In one embodiment, in step 1208, the controller of the cleaning apparatus 10 is connected to the movement motor 112 of the cleaning unit 100 to control the related parameters of the displacement Dx of the cleaning unit 100 in the first direction (e.g. X-axis direction), such as the movement rate, the movement time, the pause position, and the pause time. In one embodiment, the controller of the cleaning apparatus 10 is connected to the rotation motor 114 of the cleaning unit to control the rotation parameters of the rolling brush 112, such as the rotation speed and the rotation direction along the second direction (which may be the Y-axis direction) as the axis. In one embodiment, the first direction and the second direction are different directions, e.g., the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other. In an embodiment, the controller of the washing apparatus 10 is connected to a signal emitting unit (e.g. an infrared emitting unit) of the washing apparatus 10 for emitting control signals to the self-moving cleaning apparatus 11 for controlling the relative parameters of the displacement Dy of the mop 16 thereon in the second direction, such as the moving rate, the moving time, the pause position and the pause time. By simultaneously controlling the displacement related parameters of the washing unit 100, the rotation related parameters of the roller brush 122 and the displacement related parameters of the mop 16, the cleaning task of the current washing zone Z1 can be accomplished. In one embodiment, the controller of the cleaning apparatus 10 controls the valve of the water outlet 116 to determine the parameters related to the spraying, such as the length of the spraying time, the time interval of each spraying, and the amount of spraying. In one embodiment, the controller of the cleaning apparatus 10 controls a pump motor (not shown) connected to the tank 42 to determine the pump time and pump rate for pumping the sewage collected at the bottom of the base 22 or in the cleaning tank 102 to the tank 42.

In one embodiment, the method 1200 determines a cleaning mode for the current cleaning zone Z1. The correlation step may correspond to step 1210 of fig. 12. Since zone Z1 has a stripe shape extending in the first direction, method 1200 selects the straight line cleaning mode. At this time, the method 1200 moves the cleaning unit 100 along the first direction, for example, generates the displacement Dx, and controls the rolling brush 122, the water outlet 116 and the water pump to operate according to the set parameters, so as to complete the cleaning task of the current cleaning zone Z1. The correlation step may correspond to step 1212 of fig. 12. In one embodiment, in the straight line cleaning mode, the controller of the cleaning apparatus 10 makes the self-moving cleaning apparatus 11 stationary and makes the cleaning unit 100 or the rolling brush 122 move in the first direction to perform the cleaning task until the cleaning task of the present cleaning area Z1 is completed. The correlation step may correspond to step 1214 of fig. 12. In one embodiment, the linear cleaning mode may enable the cleaning unit 100 to repeatedly move in the current cleaning zone Z1 along the first direction multiple times, so that the rolling brush may repeatedly clean the same portion of the zone Z1 until a predetermined number of cleaning times is reached, or the cleanliness of the sewage is determined to reach the standard.

In an embodiment, step 1210 may be performed before step 1208, or step 1208 may be performed concurrently with step 1210. In an embodiment, steps 1208, 1212, 1214 are performed simultaneously or in a different order.

After the cleaning task for the current cleaning zone Z1 is completed, the method 1200 determines whether the cleaning tasks for all cleaning zones have been completed. The correlation step may correspond to step 1216 of fig. 12. When the method 1200 determines that the mop 16 has other areas not yet been cleaned, it proceeds to step 1218 where the next cleaning area, e.g., area Z2, is set as the current cleaning area. In one embodiment, the controller of the cleaning device 10 causes the cleaning unit 100 to stop or continue to perform the cleaning task, and causes the self-moving cleaning device 11 to generate the required displacement Dy in the second direction again to reach the region Z2. At this point, the method 1200 returns to step 1208 and repeats steps 1210-1214 of the previous cleaning task for cleaning zone Z1 to complete the current cleaning task for cleaning zone Z2. The same operation is repeated until the cleaning task of zone Z3 is completed. In an embodiment, when the cleaning task of each zone Z1, Z2, Z3 is completed according to the cleaning method shown in fig. 11A, the cleaning unit 100 drives the rolling brush 122 to perform the cleaning task back and forth along the first direction against the zone Z1, Z2 or Z3 in the straight line cleaning mode, so that the self-moving cleaning device 11 does not generate displacement Dy (e.g. takes a static state) along the second direction. At this point, the direction of movement of the washing unit 100 or the roller brush 122 with respect to the mop 16 is equal to the direction of movement of the roller brush 122 itself, for example according to the cleaning trajectory of the zones Z1, Z2, Z3 through which the displacement Dx passes.

In one embodiment, the method 1200 performs a cleaning task on subsequent cleaning zones Z1-Z3 using the trajectory of the letter "Z" or "Chinese", e.g., cleaning zones Z1, Z3 from the left side to the right side of FIG. 11A, and cleaning zone Z2 from the right side to the left side of FIG. 11A, or in a direction that is completely reversed from the cleaning direction described above.

If the cleaning tasks for all of the cleaning zones have been completed, the method 1200 proceeds to step 1226, in one embodiment, where the cleaning device 10 is withdrawn from the mobile cleaning device 11 when all of the zones have been completed. In one embodiment, the controller of the cleaning device 10 causes the self-moving cleaning device 11 to move away from the base 22 and generate the desired displacement Dy in the second direction away from the cleaning device 10 from the guide plate 24.

FIG. 11B shows a schematic diagram of a cleaning method according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 12 shows a flowchart corresponding to the cleaning method 1200 of FIG. 11B, according to an embodiment of the invention. The cleaning method shown in figure 11B is similar to that of figure 11A in that the cleaning of the mop 16 is performed in a straight line cleaning mode, and therefore these similarities are not repeated. The cleaning method shown in figure 11B differs from the cleaning method shown in figure 11A in that the method 1200 decides to divide the mop 16 into more overlapping elongated areas Z1-Z5, wherein adjacent areas Z1-Z5 have overlapping portions with each other in the second direction (Y-axis). By dividing the overlapping current cleaning zones Z1-Z5, the cleaning task of the mop 16 requires a straight line cleaning pattern that is repeated five times (e.g. repeating steps 1208, 1212, 1214, 1218) to sequentially clean the zones Z1-Z5. Thus, the mop 16 of figure 11A, which is adjacent to the border portions of zones Z1-Z3, is cleaned in a doubled manner in the cleaning method of figure 11B, so that a more uniform cleaning effect on each part of the mop 16 can be achieved.

FIG. 11C shows a schematic diagram of a cleaning method according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 12 shows a flowchart corresponding to the cleaning method 1200 of FIG. 11C, according to an embodiment of the invention. The cleaning method shown in fig. 11C is similar to the cleaning method of fig. 11A, 11B, and therefore these similarities are not repeated. The cleaning method shown in figure 11C differs from the cleaning method shown in figures 11A, 11B in that the controller can decide to divide the mop 16 into different types of zones for zoned cleaning. Referring to fig. 1B, the mop 16 is provided at the bottom of the self-moving cleaning device 11, and the larger the area occupied, the larger the area available for cleaning tasks. However, the bottom area occupied by other components, such as the suction inlet 7, the rolling brush device 17, the traveling unit 18, the water spraying device 19, etc., should be considered in reality. In addition, the positions of the other components cannot be arbitrarily set, and the positions and the areas of the other components must be determined by considering the functions and the coordination factors of the other components. The size, position and shape of the mop 16 is therefore limited by the manner in which the other components are arranged. To maximize the utilization of the remaining area of the base to increase the area of the swab 16, irregular shapes may occur to the swab 16. In one embodiment, the mop 16 may be rectangular, square, semi-circular, or any other shape. In the embodiment of figures 11A-11C the mop 16 has a semicircular shape resembling a cut-out on the upper and lower sides, and is irregularly shaped. In one embodiment, the controller divides the mop 16 into regular areas Z11, Z12 and Z13 and irregular areas Z21, Z22, Z23, Z24, Z25 and Z26, wherein the regular areas Z11, Z12 and Z13 are substantially elongated or rectangular, and the irregular areas Z21, Z22, Z23, Z24, Z25 and Z26 are all located in the edge areas of the mop, each having a different shape.

In one embodiment, when the cleaning unit 100 is used to clean the regular areas Z11, Z12 and Z13, the cleaning tasks can be sequentially completed with reference to the straight line cleaning mode shown in fig. 11A or 11B. As described above, when the cleaning unit 100 cleans any one of the regular regions Z11, Z12, Z13, the self-moving cleaning device 11 does not generate displacement Dy in the second direction (Y axis) (e.g., assumes a stationary state), and only the cleaning unit 100 drives the roller brush 122 to perform a cleaning task in the first direction (X axis) on the region Z11, Z12, or Z13.

In one embodiment, when the cleaning unit 100 is used to clean the irregular areas Z21, Z22, Z23, Z24, Z25, and Z26, the method 1200 determines the cleaning mode with the curved cleaning mode as the cleaning mode of the areas in step 1210. In one embodiment, the method 1200 moves the cleaning unit 100 in a first direction (e.g., the X-axis direction) to generate the displacement Dx. The correlation step may correspond to step 1222 of fig. 12. Step 1222 is similar to step 1212. Next or simultaneously, the method 1200 moves the self-moving cleaning device 11 in a second direction (e.g., Y-axis direction) to generate a displacement Dy, such that the roller brush 122 or the cleaning section 126 moves relative to the current cleaning area (e.g., area Z22) of the mop 16 to generate a displacement Ds in a third direction (e.g., downward right direction). The correlation step may correspond to step 1224 of fig. 12. For example, the irregular area Z22 comprises a section of the irregular edge profile 16P of the mop cloth 16. For the cleaning task of the irregular area Z22, when the cleaning unit 100 enters the area Z22, the controller causes the self-moving cleaning device 11 to displace Dy upward in the second direction (Y axis) while causing the cleaning unit 100 to displace Dx rightward in the first direction (X axis), with the result that the moving direction of the rolling brush 122 relative to the cleaning area Z22 corresponds to the displacement Ds advancing downward right. In an embodiment, the cleaning trajectory of the displacement Ds coincides with or is similar to the edge profile 16P of the mop 16 in the irregular area Z22, so that the washing unit 100 can perform cleaning tasks on irregularly shaped areas by cooperation with the self-moving cleaning device 11. In an embodiment, steps 1208, 1222, 1224 are performed simultaneously or in a different order.

Referring to fig. 4 and 6B, when the cleaning unit 100 cleans the mop 16, the mop 16 covers the cleaning tank 102, the water outlet 116, at least a part of the roller brush 124, and all of the opening 118W from above the cleaning tank 102 when performing a cleaning task on a central area (e.g., area Z12) of the mop 16. Furthermore, since the length of the cleaning portion 126 of the roller brush 122 is smaller than the length of the entire roller brush 122, the area of the opening 118W is reduced, and the probability of cleaning liquid overflowing from the opening 118W is reduced. The cleaning liquid is thus substantially blocked by the mop 16 when the cleaning unit 100 sprays cleaning liquid from the water outlet 116 towards the mop 16. When the cleaning liquid is rotated up the spraying or washing part 126, the sprayed or thrown-off cleaning liquid or sewage can be effectively blocked by the housing 108 and the upper cover 118 of the washing tub 102, and thus the cleaning liquid can be effectively utilized in this arrangement.

Returning to fig. 11A, 11B and 11C, three different cleaning modes described in fig. 11A-11C may be used for the irregular region Z22, however the cleaning effect may be different. As explained above, when the cleaning task is carried out to the regular areas Z11, Z12, Z13, the mop 16 can completely cover the opening 118W of the upper cover 118, so that the cleaning liquid is blocked by the regular areas Z11, Z12 or Z13 of the mop 16 and the cleaning liquid is not spilled too severely. However, when the cleaning task proceeds to the irregular areas Z21, Z22, Z23, Z24, Z25 and Z26, since the opening 118W takes a rectangular shape, and the edge profiles of these irregular areas are not parallel to the first direction or the second direction like the edges of the rectangle, these areas may not completely cover the opening 118W, possibly resulting in that part of the cleaning liquid overflows from the voids of the mop 16. This situation is severe when the cleaning mode of fig. 11A or 11B is performed. Wherein, the portions on both sides of the cleaning regions Z1 to Z3 in the straight line cleaning mode of fig. 11A have the edge profiles in an irregular shape in proportion to the cleaning regions Z1 to Z5 in the straight line cleaning mode of fig. 11B, and the generated cleaning liquid overflows more severely than in the cleaning mode of fig. 11B. On the contrary, when the cleaning operation is performed in the cleaning mode of fig. 11C, the relative displacement Ds generated by the cleaning unit 100 in cooperation with the displacements Dx and Dy of the mop 16 causes the cleaning tank 102 to move along the irregular edge 16P of the mop 116, so that the area of the mop 16 that cannot cover the lower water outlet 116 or the cleaning portion 126 can be greatly reduced, and thus, the overflow of cleaning liquid can be effectively prevented. Thus, even though the mop 16 has an irregular shape, the cleaning effect on the regular-shaped mop 16 can be approximated after performing a cleaning task in the curved cleaning mode of fig. 11C.

In one embodiment, the cleaning tasks performed by the lateral movement of the cleaning unit 100 along the X-axis direction and the longitudinal movement of the self-moving cleaning device 11 along the Y-axis direction may be performed simultaneously in parallel or in a staggered manner. In one embodiment, the controller divides the execution time of the cleaning task into a plurality of segmented periods, and moves the cleaning unit 100 in the X-axis direction to clean the mop 16 during one or more first of these periods, and moves the self-moving cleaning device 11 in the Y-axis direction during one or more second of these periods. The first and second periods may be staggered. In one embodiment, when cleaning a regular area of the mop 16, such as the area Z11, Z12 or Z13, only one or more first periods, or the first period and the second period, are cut out, or do not overlap each other, and the cleaning unit 100 is moved in the X-axis direction during these one or more first periods to clean the mop 16, while the self-moving cleaning device 11 is stationary. In another embodiment, only one or more second periods are cut out, or the second periods do not overlap with the first period, when cleaning the edge profile of an irregular area of the mop 16, such as the area Z25 or Z26, and the self-moving cleaning device 11 is moved in the Y-axis direction during these one or more second periods to wash the mop 16, while the cleaning unit 100 is stationary. In yet another embodiment, a plurality of first and second periods are cut out, wherein the first and second periods at least partly overlap, when cleaning irregular areas of the mop 16, such as the edge profile of the area Z23 or Z24, are cleaned, such that during at least a part of these first or second periods the cleaning unit 100 may be moved in the X-axis direction and simultaneously the self-moving cleaning device 11 in the Y-axis direction to clean the mop 16.

FIG. 11D shows a schematic diagram of a cleaning method according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 12 shows a flowchart corresponding to the cleaning method 1200 of FIG. 11D according to an embodiment of the invention. The cleaning method shown in fig. 11D has similarities to the cleaning method shown in fig. 11C, and therefore these similarities are not repeated. The cleaning method shown in fig. 11D differs from the cleaning method shown in fig. 11C in that the object to be cleaned is a mop 36, and the mop 36 has a shape different from the shape of the mop 16, for example, a shape closer to a semicircle than the mop 16. The controller thus divides the cleaning area of the mop 36 into arcuate strip areas for zonal cleaning. In one embodiment, the controller divides the mop 36 into irregular zones Z31, Z32, Z33 and Z34, each of the zones Z31-Z34 having a different size and shape in order to perform a cleaning task on the edge profile 36P of the mop 36.

In one embodiment, when the cleaning unit 100 is used to clean the irregular areas Z31-Z34, the method 1200 determines at step 1210 to perform a cleaning task in a curvilinear cleaning mode. In one embodiment, the method 1200 moves the cleaning unit 100 in a first direction (e.g., X-axis) to generate the displacement Dx. The correlation step may correspond to step 1222 of fig. 12. Subsequently or simultaneously, the method 1200 moves the self-moving cleaning device 11 in a second direction (e.g. the Y-axis) to generate a displacement Dy, such that the roller brush 122 or its cleaning part 126 is moved with respect to the current cleaning zone Z31-Z34 of the mop 36 to generate a displacement Ds in a third direction. The correlation step may correspond to step 1224 of fig. 12. For example, the irregular region Z31 includes an irregular edge profile 36P of the mop cloth 36, and presents an approximately circular arc-shaped profile. For the cleaning task of the irregular zone Z31, when the washing unit 100 enters the left half of the zone Z31, the controller causes the self-moving cleaning apparatus 11 to displace Dy downward in the second direction (e.g., Y-axis) while causing the washing unit 100 to displace Dx rightward in the first direction (e.g., X-axis) such that the relative movement generated corresponds to the displacement Ds advancing upward to the right and corresponds to, approximates or conforms to the edge profile 36P of the left half of the mop 36. When the washing unit 100 enters the right half of the zone Z31, the controller causes the self-moving cleaning means 11 to displace Dy upwards in the second direction (e.g. Y-axis) while causing the washing unit 100 to displace Dx to the right in the first direction (e.g. X-axis), such that the relative movement produced corresponds to the displacement Ds advancing downwards to the right and corresponds to, approximates or coincides with the edge profile 36P of the right half of the mop 36. In one embodiment, the cleaning trajectory 36T of the relative displacement Ds in the irregular cleaning zone Z31 is consistent or similar to the mop 36 edge profile 36P.

In one embodiment, each of the irregular areas Z31-Z34 is provided with one or more intermediate points 36V according to its cleaning trajectory 36T. The controller may form a cleaning track 36T with a plurality of cleaning sections 36S according to the plurality of intermediate points 36, and cause the cleaning unit 100 to perform cleaning tasks along the cleaning track 36T. Specifically, although the shape profile of the irregular areas Z31-Z34 is not entirely formed of a rectangle, or entirely formed of an irregular shape, so that the corresponding cleaning track 36T may include a straight line as well as a non-straight line, the cleaning unit 100 may simulate the shape of the actual irregular areas Z31-Z34 by forming a piecewise linear track or a curved track formed by connecting a plurality of intermediate points 36V by a plurality of piecewise cleaning sections 36S, so as to simplify the operation load of the cleaning track 36T. In one embodiment, the relevant parameters of the next cleaning stage 36S may be determined while the cleaning task of the current cleaning stage 36S is in progress or completed, while the predetermined length of the next cleaning stage 36S may be any length, the predetermined direction may be any direction, the predetermined moving time may be any time, and it is determined by the position of the intermediate point 36V which is the end point of the current completed cleaning stage 36S, for example, a certain stage relative displacement Ds shown in FIG. 11D is determined by the intermediate point 36V of the end of the previous cleaning stage 36S of the relative displacement Ds. In one embodiment, the control signals for the cleaning unit 100 and the self-moving cleaning apparatus 11 of each cleaning stage 36S are determined at a point in time when another cleaning stage 36S preceding each cleaning stage 36S performs a cleaning task (e.g., at the beginning, during, or after completion of a cleaning task for a previous cleaning stage 36S). In one embodiment, the displacement Ds of the relative movement may cause the cleaning track 36T to be shaped to correspond or conform to the edge profile 36P of the mop 36. In one embodiment, the cleaning device 10 and the self-moving cleaning device 11 can perform time synchronization or adjustment procedures such as alignment of the cleaning unit 100 and the self-moving cleaning device 11 at any intermediate point 36V on the cleaning track 36T, so as to reduce alignment errors of the cleaning device 10 and the self-moving cleaning device 11. In one embodiment, the greater the number of intermediate points 36V, the greater the degree of emulation of the optimal clean trajectory 36T for the irregular zones Z31-Z34, and the greater the computational resources consumed.

In one embodiment, as described above, before the cleaning unit 100 performs the cleaning task of each next cleaning section 36S, the controller performs the operation to determine the relevant parameter information of the relative displacement Ds of the cleaning unit 100 with respect to the mop 36, and further determines the relevant parameter information of the displacement Dy of the self-moving cleaning device 11 in the Y-axis direction and the relevant parameter information of the displacement Dx of the cleaning unit 100 in the X-axis direction according to the relative displacement Ds. To simplify the operation and reduce the transmission load, the controller may send a control signal to the cleaning unit 100 and/or the self-moving cleaning device 11 for the relative displacement Ds of the next cleaning section 36S only when the cleaning trajectory 36T of the cleaning unit 100 reaches each intermediate point 36V.

In one embodiment, the control signals for the cleaning unit 100 and/or the self-moving cleaning apparatus 11 may include one or more sets of data including at least one of the respective displacement Dx and Dy and the moving direction of the cleaning unit 100 and the self-moving cleaning apparatus 11, or at least one of the respective moving time, moving speed and moving direction. The parameters of the displacements Dx and Dy, the movement time, the movement speed and the movement direction can be used to determine the magnitude and the track direction of the relative displacement Ds. In one embodiment, the controller transmits a control signal for the cleaning task of the cleaning section 36S started at each intermediate point 36V, and the time interval between the two sets of data is a fixed period when the controller of the cleaning device 10 and the self-moving cleaning device 11 sequentially executes the sets of data, which may represent the cleaning period of the cleaning section 36S started at the corresponding intermediate point 36V in the cleaning task of the cleaning unit 100 and/or the self-moving cleaning device 11. Therefore, on the premise that no additional control signal or parameter for the cleaning time (moving time) of each cleaning section 36S is required.

In one embodiment, the controller may be a controller inherent to the cleaning apparatus 10 or a controller inherent to the self-moving cleaning apparatus 11. In one embodiment, a controller inherent to the self-moving cleaning apparatus 11 is preferably used. The controller of the self-moving cleaning device 11 performs calculation of the control signal and transmits the control signal required for the cleaning unit 100 to the cleaning device 10. In one embodiment, the control signal includes a plurality of sets of data, each set of data describing various parameters such as a moving direction and a moving speed. The controllers of the self-moving cleaning device 11 and the washing device 10 sequentially execute a plurality of sets of data in respective control signals, thereby continuously controlling or changing the moving direction and moving speed of the self-moving cleaning device 11 and the washing device 10, respectively, over time.

As described above, the controller, the cleaning unit 100 and the self-moving cleaning apparatus 11 only need to transmit and receive the control signal at the preset intermediate point 36V, and the controller, the cleaning unit 100 and the self-moving cleaning apparatus 11 do not need to transmit and receive the control signal when each cleaning section 36S performs the cleaning task and does not reach the next intermediate point 36V yet. In this way, the transmission load of the control signal can be further simplified.

In one embodiment, the control signal transmission load is reduced, so that the control signal generated by the infrared modules 52 and 54 can be used for the information communication between the washing unit 100 and the self-moving cleaning device 11. As previously described, the infrared modules 52, 54, 62, 64, 66 provide communication channels between the cleaning unit 100 and the self-moving cleaning apparatus 11, respectively, and may be used when the two are aligned. In one embodiment, the infrared modules 52, 54, 62, 64, 66 may be used to provide other control signals, such as displacement Dx and Dy of the cleaning unit 100 and the self-moving cleaning device 11, or the respective movement time, movement direction and movement speed of the two, in addition to providing alignment operation of the cleaning unit 100 and the self-moving cleaning device 11. In one embodiment, the control signals transmitted and received by the washing unit 100 and the self-moving cleaning device 11 are performed by the respective infrared modules 52, 54, 62, 64, 66.

In addition, the controller may determine the position of the next intermediate point 36V or the relative displacement Ds of the next cleaning section 36S in real time at each intermediate point 36V based on the received sensing information, such as the degree of soiling of the sewage. This allows the cleaning trajectory 36T to be optimized for cleaning tasks of the same shape and contour of the mop 36 but with different dirt distribution, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency of the cleaning unit 100.

The above description illustrates that the cleaning unit 100 is capable of cleaning irregularly shaped areas Z31-Z34 by cooperation with the self-moving cleaning device 11, so that the roll brush 122 can be displaced in any direction relative to the mop 36, which has the advantage that it can be cleaned adaptively according to the edge profile 36P of the mop 36, thereby achieving a better cleaning effect and saving cleaning time. In addition, when the cleaning liquid is sprayed or thrown away by the cleaning section 126, the cleaning liquid or the sewage is effectively blocked by the housing 108 and the upper cover 118 of the cleaning tank 102, and thus the cleaning liquid can be more effectively utilized.

Fig. 13A, 13B, 13C and 13D show schematic views of different stages of a cleaning method according to an embodiment of the invention. Fig. 14 shows a flowchart of a cleaning method 1400 corresponding to fig. 13A, 13B, 13C and 13D according to an embodiment of the invention. In some embodiments, in the cleaning method 1400 shown in fig. 14, some steps may be omitted and other steps may be added before or after any of the steps of the method 1400. In some embodiments, in the cleaning method 1400 shown in fig. 14, different steps may be performed in a changed order or simultaneously.

Also shown in fig. 13A, 13B, 13C and 13D are self-moving cleaning apparatus 60 and a roller brush 122 representative of cleaning apparatus 10. The bottom of the self-moving cleaning device 60 has many similarities with the bottom of the self-moving cleaning device 11, and thus, the description of these similarities will not be repeated. As mentioned above, the mop 16 may have an irregular shape due to design constraints. In one embodiment, referring to fig. 13A, in order to maximize the area of the mops 16, two or more mops, such as mops 16, 66, are provided at the bottom of the self-moving cleaning device 60, with the mops 16, 66 not being connected to each other. In one embodiment, the mop 16 is closer to the rear side of the self-moving cleaning device 60, while the mop 66 is closer to the front side of the self-moving cleaning device 60. In an embodiment, the mops 16, 66 are separated by other means, such as one or more of the suction opening 7, the roller brush device 17, the travelling unit 18 and the water spraying device 19. In one embodiment, the mops 16 and 66 are not identical in area or shape, or both.

The cleaning method shown in figures 13A-13D differs from the cleaning method shown in figures 11A-11D in that the controller can decide to divide the mops 16, 66 into different phases for zone-by-zone cleaning from the front or rear side of the mobile cleaning device 60. Referring to fig. 13A, the cleaning device 10 is aligned from one of the front side and the rear side of the mobile cleaning device, e.g., the rear side. The correlation step may correspond to step 1402 of fig. 14. In one embodiment, the controller aligns the rear side of the self-moving cleaning device 60 with the base 22 of the cleaning device 10, for example, by moving or steering a guide signal or an alignment signal sent by the cleaning device 10 to align the rear side of the self-moving cleaning device 60 with the base 22 of the cleaning device 10. The self-moving cleaning device 60 is then moved over the washing device 10 to wash the mop 16 with the washing portion 126 of the roller brush 122, which corresponds to step 1404 of figure 14. In one embodiment, the step of cleaning the mop 16 shown in fig. 13A may be performed using a straight cleaning mode or a curved cleaning mode of the cleaning method 1200 depicted in Figs. 11A-11D and 12.

Referring to figure 13B, after the cleaning task of the swab 16 has been completed, the self-moving cleaning device 60 is withdrawn from the cleaning device 10, and the associated steps may correspond to step 1406 of figure 14.

Next, referring to fig. 13C, the cleaning device 10 is aligned from the other of the front side and the rear side of the mobile cleaning device 60, e.g., the front side, and the related steps may correspond to step 1408 of fig. 14. In one embodiment, the step of FIG. 13C includes turning the self-moving cleaning apparatus 60 about 180 degrees, reversing the direction of its front and back sides. In one embodiment, the controller aligns the front side of the self-moving cleaning device 60 with the base 22 of the cleaning device 10, such as by moving or steering a guide signal or alignment signal sent by the cleaning device 10 to align the front side of the self-moving cleaning device 60 with the base 22 of the cleaning device.

Referring to figure 13D, the self-moving cleaning device 60 is moved over the cleaning device 10 to clean the mop 66 with the cleaning portion 126 of the roller brush 122, the relevant steps corresponding to step 1410 of figure 14. The step of cleaning the mop 66 shown in figure 13D may be performed using the linear cleaning mode or the curvilinear cleaning mode of the cleaning method 1200 described in figures 11A-11D and figure 12. In one embodiment, when the cleaning task for the mop 66 is completed, the controller causes the self-moving cleaning device 60 to exit the cleaning device 10, and the associated steps may correspond to step 1412 of fig. 14. In one embodiment, the first side of the self-moving cleaning apparatus 60 may be the front side of the self-moving cleaning apparatus 60 and the second side of the self-moving cleaning apparatus 60 may be the rear side, again performing the cleaning task in accordance with the cleaning method 1400 shown in FIG. 14.

The cleaning method 1400 shown in fig. 13A-13D or fig. 14 may provide advantages. As the function of the self-moving cleaning device 11 or 60 becomes more complicated, the shapes and positions of mops respectively provided with different uses or different generations of the self-moving cleaning device 11 or 60 may be different from each other. However, when the mop design of the self-moving cleaning device of the user today evolves from the single-piece mop 16 of fig. 11A-11D to the double-piece mop 16, 66 of fig. 13A-13D, the existing mop cleaning unit cannot cope with the double-piece mop cleaning requirement. On the other hand, even though today's mop cleaning devices for users can clean two mops 16, 66 of a self-moving cleaning device from the same side, the base thereof must have a greater depth to accommodate the entire self-moving cleaning device 60, so that it is possible to clean different mops 16, 66 on the front and rear sides from the same side. However, the overall mop cleaning device is inevitably much larger, and requires more cost and space, which is not beneficial to users. In contrast, the double-sided cleaning method used in the present invention can meet the requirements of different sides of the mop arrangement without increasing the size of the cleaning unit 100 or the cleaning section 126. Therefore, for the self-moving cleaning apparatus 11 or 60 of different sizes, as long as any one side (front side and rear side) thereof can be accommodated by the base 22, the same cleaning apparatus 10 can be applied to the self-moving cleaning apparatus 11 or 60 of a plurality of different mop sizes, thereby reducing the trouble of frequent replacement of the mop cleaning apparatus by users.

The foregoing outlines structures of several embodiments so that those skilled in the art may better understand the aspects of the disclosure. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they may readily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying other manufacturing processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/or achieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and that they may make various changes, substitutions, and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method of operating a cleaning device, comprising:

moving a self-moving cleaning device toward the cleaning device and aligning a first side of the self-moving cleaning device with the cleaning device, wherein the self-moving cleaning device comprises a mop; and

moving the mop of the self-moving cleaning device to above a cleaning unit of the cleaning device and cleaning the mop with a cleaning part of the cleaning unit, comprising:

during a first period, moving the cleaning unit in a first direction under the mop; and

During a second period, the self-moving cleaning device is moved in a second direction, the second direction being different from the first direction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining the position of the substrate comprises,

the first direction and the second direction are mutually perpendicular; and

the third direction of movement of the cleaning unit relative to the self-moving cleaning means coincides with the contour of the first edge of the mop.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the cleaning track of the movement of the cleaning unit relative to the self-moving cleaning device is formed by a plurality of cleaning sections connected, the shape of the cleaning track corresponding to the first edge profile of the mop.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the respective control signals for forming each of the plurality of cleaning zones to the cleaning unit and the self-moving cleaning apparatus are transmitted at a point in time of the other cleaning zone preceding the each cleaning zone.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of determining the position of the first electrode is performed,

the cleaning unit further comprises a water outlet configured to spray cleaning liquid in a direction facing the mop cloth, the self-moving cleaning device comprising a first infrared module;

The cleaning device comprises a second infrared module;

the step of aligning the first side of the self-moving cleaning device with the cleaning device is performed using the first infrared module and the second infrared module; and

the method further comprises the following steps:

transmitting the control signals of the cleaning unit and the self-moving cleaning device by using the first infrared module and the second infrared module,

wherein the control signal includes at least one of a displacement, a moving direction, and a moving speed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining the position of the substrate comprises,

the first period and the second period are not overlapped, so that the self-moving cleaning device is stationary when the cleaning unit moves along the first direction; or the self-moving cleaning device is moved in a second direction, and the cleaning unit is made stationary.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining the position of the substrate comprises,

the first period overlaps at least a portion of the second period; and

and simultaneously moving the self-moving cleaning device in a second direction while moving the cleaning unit in the first direction during an overlapping period of the first period and the second period.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

withdrawing the self-moving cleaning device from the cleaning device;

aligning a second side of the self-moving cleaning device with the cleaning device, wherein the self-moving cleaning device comprises another mop; and

and moving the other mop of the self-moving cleaning device to the position above the cleaning unit of the cleaning device, and cleaning the other mop by utilizing the cleaning part of the cleaning unit.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the length of the cleaning section in the second direction is smaller than the length of the mop or the further mop in the second direction.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of determining the position of the first electrode is performed,

the first side of the self-moving cleaning device is a rear side of the self-moving cleaning device and the second side of the self-moving cleaning device is a front side; or alternatively

The first side of the self-moving cleaning device is a front side of the self-moving cleaning device and the second side of the self-moving cleaning device is a rear side.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining the position of the substrate comprises,

the cleaning unit comprises a rolling brush, and the rolling brush comprises the cleaning part; and

In the step of washing the mop with the washing part of the rolling brush of the washing unit, the rolling brush contacts the mop and rotates.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the roll brush further comprises a handle for supporting the cleaning section, the cleaning section being provided with scraping strips or bristles extending outwardly along a surface of the cleaning section.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the washing unit is provided with a washing tub accommodating the roll brush, the washing tub being provided with an opening at a bottom, overlapping the washing section.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein a rotational rate of the roller brush and a rate of movement of the cleaning unit in the first direction are independent of each other.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the cleaning device comprises a rack and the cleaning unit comprises a drive to move the cleaning unit in the first direction, wherein the cleaning unit further comprises a slider coupled to the drive, wherein the slider abuts the rack and slides in the first direction as the cleaning unit moves in the first direction.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the rack comprises a slide rail, the slider configured to snap-fit the slide rail to slide in the first direction.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the rack is connected to one side of the washing unit, and the driving part drives the washing unit to move on the rack in a single-sided manner.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the slider has a length in the first direction that is the same as the drive portion.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the cleaning unit forms an angle with a bottom of a base of the cleaning device in the second direction.

20. A cleaning system comprising a self-moving cleaning device and a cleaning device for cleaning the self-moving cleaning device, characterized in that the self-moving cleaning device comprises a mop, the cleaning device comprising:

a clean water tank for storing a cleaning liquid;

a base provided at one side of the fresh water tank;

a cleaning unit comprising:

a drive portion adjacent to the base configured to move on the base in the first direction;

A water outlet configured to spray the cleaning liquid in a direction away from the base; and

a cleaning part extending along a second direction for cleaning the mop of the self-moving cleaning device; and a sewage tank for collecting the cleaning liquid sprayed from the water outlet when the cleaning unit cleans the mop,

wherein the cleaning device and the self-moving cleaning device are configured to communicate and perform the method of any one of claims 1-19.