CN118177656A - Lifting device for cleaning assembly, cleaning assembly and cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a lifting device for a cleaning assembly, and a cleaner. A lifting device for a cleaning assembly adapted to be mounted in the cleaning assembly. The lifting device comprises: a motor including an output shaft; a drum coupled to the output shaft and configured to rotate about an axis (a) of the output shaft (310) along a first rotational direction (R1) or a second rotational direction (R2) as the output shaft (310) rotates, the first rotational direction (R1) being opposite to the second rotational direction (R2). The lifting device further comprises a boss. The boss is fixedly arranged at the end part, close to the roller, at one side, far away from the output shaft, and lifts the roller when the roller rotates along the first rotation direction. In this way, no additional driving device of the lifting mechanism is needed, meanwhile, the lifting mechanism is simple, parts are few, the occupied structural space of the sweeper is small, the reliability is high, and the cost is low.

Description

Lifting device for cleaning assembly, cleaning assembly and cleaner

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of household appliances, and more particularly, to a lifting device for a cleaning assembly, and a cleaner.

Background

The cleaner, such as a sweeping robot, usually has two working modes of sweeping and mopping when cleaning the floor, and the sweeping and mopping modules are different in use from each other in terms of cleaning assemblies, such as cleaning brushes or rubber drums, and mopping assemblies, such as flat plate structures with mopping cloth or drum structures. Generally, the floor mopping module needs to be lifted in a single floor mopping mode, and the floor mopping module is lifted in the single floor mopping mode, so that the cleaning effect in the single mode can be improved. Therefore, how to design a compact lifting device in a relatively small space of a cleaner is a challenge for designers.

Disclosure of Invention

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a lifting device for a cleaner, which aims to overcome at least the problems of the lifting device for a cleaner in the related art.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a lifting device for a cleaning assembly, adapted to be installed in the cleaning assembly, the lifting device comprising: a motor including an output shaft; a drum coupled to the output shaft and configured to rotate about an axis of the output shaft in a first rotational direction or a second rotational direction, the first rotational direction being opposite to the second rotational direction, as the output shaft rotates; the rotary drum also comprises a boss, wherein the boss is fixedly arranged at the end part, close to the drum, at one side, far away from the output shaft, and the boss lifts the drum when the drum rotates along the first rotation direction.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the drum is rotated in a first rotational direction by a motor such that the drum rolls against a boss fixed to, for example, a housing of the cleaner, such that the drum is lifted supported on the boss by the interaction of the drum and the boss. In this way, the structure is simple, the parts are few, so that the lifting device occupies small structural space of the cleaner, the reliability is high, and the cost is low.

In some embodiments, the drum includes side end surfaces at the ends; and a flange provided on the side end surface and configured to abut on a boss surface facing the storage position of the adjacent boss in a case where the drum rotates in the first rotation direction. In such an embodiment, the movement of the drum can be achieved by the abutment of the flange extending from the side against the boss surface.

In some embodiments, the flange is configured to be spaced apart from or in direct contact with the boss in an axial direction parallel to the axis upon rotation of the drum in the second rotational direction in the operative position of the cleaning assembly. In such an embodiment, in the case where the flange rotates with the drum in the second rotation direction, the drum performs a cleaning work of the surface to be cleaned while the station position rotates in the second rotation direction, and no movement is required at this time, the drum can be kept in the working position by spacing the flange and the boss. In contrast, in the case where the flange does not rotate with the drum in the second direction of rotation

In some embodiments, the flange is further configured to move in the axial direction toward the boss to abut the boss surface upon rotation of the drum in the first rotational direction at an operative position spaced from the boss. The flange is further configured to move away from the boss in the axial direction upon rotation of the drum in the second rotational direction in the stowed position. In such an embodiment, the flange is movable from a position spaced from the boss to the boss when switching from the operation mode to the storage mode, whereby independent operation of the drum in each mode can be achieved. When switching from the storage mode to the working mode, the flange moves away from the boss so as not to abut on the boss surface of the boss any more, so that the drum can be moved to the working position.

In some embodiments, the end surface of the flange facing the boss includes a contact surface and a guide surface, the contact surface being parallel to the side end surface and the guide surface extending from the contact surface to the side end surface in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction. In such an embodiment, as the flange moves toward the boss, the contact surface of the flange may first contact the end surface of the boss, after which the flange continues to rotate to bring the boss into contact with the guide surface and cause the boss to smoothly move to the end side surface under the guide of the guide surface, avoiding the impact of the boss on the end side surface.

In some embodiments, the contact surface and the guide surface have a circular arc shape around the axis, and the width of the guide surface in the radial direction gradually decreases from the contact surface to the side end surface, and the width of an end portion of the contact surface away from the contact surface in the radial direction gradually increases in the second rotation direction. In such an embodiment, the contact surface and the guide surface are entirely circular-arc-shaped such that the outer peripheral surface thereof is cylindrical, thereby being capable of smoothly rolling on the land surface.

In some embodiments, a plurality of flanges are provided on the side end face, the plurality of flanges being equidistant in the first rotational direction. In such an embodiment, since the rotational position of the drum is not determined at the time of switching the modes, the relative position of the flange and the boss is not fixed. In this way, the flange closest to the boss among the plurality of flanges can be made to abut against the boss surface of the boss as soon as possible to achieve rapid switching.

In some embodiments, the drum includes a receiving cavity extending in the axial direction, and the motor is disposed in the receiving cavity. In such an embodiment, by providing the motor inside the drum, the space to be reused by the upgrade apparatus can be further reduced.

In some embodiments, a guide groove is provided on an inner wall of the accommodation chamber, the guide groove extending in a direction inclined to the axial direction and including a first limit portion at one end of the guide groove and a second limit portion at the other end, and wherein a rotation pin coupled to the output shaft is accommodated in the accommodation chamber, the rotation pin including a pin shaft provided on an outer circumferential surface thereof, the pin shaft protruding into the guide groove.

In such an embodiment, the guide groove extends on the inner wall in an oblique direction away from the motor from an end near the motor. For example, a first limit part is arranged at one end of the guide groove, which is close to the motor, and a second limit part is arranged at the other end of the guide groove. The rotating pin rotates along with the output shaft along a first rotating direction and a second rotating direction opposite to the first rotating direction, and simultaneously drives the pin shaft positioned in the guide groove to rotate together. When the pin shaft abuts against the second limiting part and rotates along the second rotating direction, the pin shaft is fixed relative to the roller and drives the roller to rotate along the second rotating direction. At this time, the drum and the flange thereon are spaced apart from the boss, the drum is in the working position and performs the cleaning operation. When the motor rotates reversely and drives the rotating pin to rotate along the first rotating direction, the pin shaft is not abutted against the second limiting part any more and does not drive the roller to rotate any more. Under the action of the pin shaft and the guide groove, the roller moves towards the boss, so that the pin shaft moves towards the first limiting part relative to the guide groove and finally abuts against the first limiting part. At this time, the pin shaft continues to rotate and drives the roller to rotate along the first rotation direction, so that the roller moves towards the storage position under the action of the flange and the boss. In this way, the predetermined action of the drum is achieved by the arrangement of the pin shaft of the rotation pin and the guide groove.

In some embodiments, the flange is further configured to rotate with the drum if the drum rotates in a first rotational direction and to directly contact the boss and remain stationary if the drum rotates in a second rotational direction. In such embodiments, by rotating the flange in the second rotational direction, e.g., the cleaning assembly is relatively stationary when performing a cleaning operation, it can be avoided that the operation of the cleaning assembly remains stable.

In some embodiments, the drum further comprises: a transmission part extending from the side end surface to the inside of the drum in the axial direction; and a one-way bearing including an inner race and an outer race, the inner race being fixedly coupled to an outer periphery of the transmission portion, and the outer race being fixedly coupled to the drum, the inner race and the outer race being configured to lock with each other in a case where the drum rotates in a first rotational direction, and to slide relatively in a case where the drum rotates in a second rotational direction. In such an embodiment, the predetermined lifting mechanism is achieved by providing a one-way bearing between the drum and the flange as a transmission member such that the drum and the flange rotate together in only one direction.

In some embodiments, the drum cleans the surface to be cleaned in a second rotational direction, the rotational speed of the second rotational direction being greater than the rotational speed of the first rotational direction. In such an embodiment, the drum has, for example, a cleaning member provided at its outer periphery to clean the surface to be cleaned.

In some embodiments, the motor is further configured to stop rotating in response to determining that the drum is moved to the stowed position. In such an embodiment, after the drum is moved to the storage position, the motor stops rotating so that the drum is no longer rotated and stays stably in the storage position.

In some embodiments, the motor is coupled to a position sensor disposed adjacent an end side of the drum, the motor further configured to receive a position signal from the position sensor and determine a position of the drum based on the position signal. In such an embodiment, the motor can be controlled according to the position of the drum, so that the movement of the drum can be controlled more accurately.

A second aspect of the present disclosure provides a cleaning assembly. The cleaning assembly is adapted to be mounted on a main body of the cleaner and configured to move relative to the main body between a working position against a surface to be cleaned and a stowed position away from the surface to be cleaned, the cleaning assembly comprising a lifting device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

A third aspect of the present disclosure provides a cleaner. The cleaner is adapted to operate on a surface to be cleaned and comprises: a body including a boss; and a cleaning assembly according to a second aspect of the present disclosure adapted to be mounted on the main body such that a side end surface of the lifting device of the cleaning assembly is adjacent to the boss. It will be appreciated that the description and advantages relating to the first aspect of the present disclosure apply equally to the cleaning assembly of the second aspect of the present disclosure and to the cleaner of the third aspect.

In some embodiments, the body includes a receiving cavity for the lifting device, the receiving cavity being open towards the surface to be cleaned. In such an embodiment, by disposing the elevating device in the receiving chamber open to the surface to be cleaned, the space occupied by the elevating device can be reduced, thereby reducing the overall volume of the cleaner.

In some embodiments, the storage chamber includes a first side wall and a second side wall, the first side wall is close to a side end surface of the lifting device, and the second side wall is opposite to the first side wall in the axial direction, and a position sensor for detecting a position of the drum is provided on the second side wall. In such an embodiment, by providing the position sensor at the side wall of the drum receiving cavity, the position of the drum can be effectively determined.

Drawings

The above and other objects, features and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example and not limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1A-1B illustrate partial cross-sectional views of a cleaner according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

2A-2B illustrate an internal schematic view of a cleaner according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded schematic view of a lifting device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic view of a swivel pin according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic view of a drum according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a drum without a rotation pin received therein, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

7A-7B illustrate cross-sectional views of a swivel pin in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure at different perspectives with respect to a first stop;

8A-8B illustrate cross-sectional views of a swivel pin in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure at different perspectives with respect to a second stop;

FIG. 9 illustrates a schematic view of a flange according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

10A-10C illustrate schematic views of a flange in positional relationship with a boss during movement of a drum toward a stowed position, according to an example embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 11 shows a schematic view of a drum according to further embodiments of the present disclosure; and

Fig. 12 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a drum according to further embodiments of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

The principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to various exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings. It should be understood that these embodiments are merely provided to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and further practice the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. It should be noted that similar or identical reference numerals may be used, where possible, in the figures and similar or identical reference numerals may designate similar or identical functions. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.

As used herein, the term "comprising" and variants thereof are to be construed as meaning open-ended terms including, but not limited to. The term "based on" will be read as "based at least in part on". The terms "one embodiment" and "an embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment". The term "another embodiment" should be understood as "at least one other embodiment". The terms "first," "second," and the like, may refer to different or the same object. Other explicit and implicit definitions may be included below. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the definition of terms is consistent throughout the specification.

As described above, a cleaner, such as a floor sweeping robot, may need to operate in different modes, and thus it is necessary to control a cleaning assembly (e.g., a floor sweeping assembly or a floor mopping assembly) to be movable between an operating position contacting a surface to be cleaned (e.g., a floor requiring cleaning) and a stowed position away from the surface to be cleaned.

Conventionally, some cleaners such as a floor sweeping robot often require a user to manually replace their components when switching between modes of sweeping and mopping, which is inconvenient for the user. In other cleaners, an additional motor is provided for controlling the lifting of the cleaning assembly to effect switching between different modes of operation. However, the conventional lifting mechanism includes an additional motor, thereby occupying a large structural space; meanwhile, the conventional lifting mechanism generally has two motion tracks of active lifting or descending, such as lifting ropes, screws and the like, and the lifting mechanism lifts or lowers to drive the cleaning assembly to lift, so that a larger movable space is needed to be reserved in the cleaner, the overall space structural design of the cleaner is not facilitated, and meanwhile, the cost and the system control complexity are increased. The above-mentioned drawbacks are particularly evident in the lifting of long-axis cleaning assemblies such as rollers and rolling brushes.

In this regard, the present disclosure provides a lifting device for a cleaning assembly that is intended to overcome at least the problems associated with prior art lifting devices. The lifting device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure shares the driving mechanism of the roller brush itself as a power source, and can realize the movement of the roller of the lifting device from the working position to the receiving position in a passive lifting manner by means of the interaction of the flange provided at the roller end side of the lifting device and the boss provided on the main body. The lifting mechanism does not need other parts, so that the whole structure is compact, and the cost is reduced.

The structure and operation principle of the lifting device and the cleaner according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to fig. 1A to 12.

Fig. 1A shows a partial cross-sectional view of a cleaner 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 1A, the cleaner 1 may travel in a direction D on a surface to be cleaned and perform a cleaning operation. The cleaner 1 includes a cleaning assembly 10 for performing a cleaning operation, which is mounted on a main body 20 of the cleaner 1. The main body 20 includes a receiving cavity 26 that is open to the ground. The cleaning assembly 10 is mounted within the receiving cavity 26 and is movable relative to the main body 20 between a working position against the surface to be cleaned and a receiving position away from the surface to be cleaned (i.e. in the receiving cavity 26). The cleaning assembly 10 includes a bracket 11 for mounting on the main body 20. The lifting device 100 is mounted on the bracket 11. The drum 200 of the elevating device 100 is rotatably provided on the bracket 11. The lifting device 100 further comprises a motor 300 extending along the axis a. The drum 200 is sleeved on the motor 300 and is rotatable about an axis a extending in a direction parallel to the ground by being driven by the motor 300. As shown in fig. 1A, as the cleaner 1 switches the operation mode, the drum 200 in the elevating device 100 rotates in the first rotation direction R1 and starts to lift off the surface to be cleaned. In the embodiment shown here, the drum 200 not only serves as a part of the lifting device 100 to move the cleaning assembly 10, but is also simultaneously sleeved with cleaning means, for example for mopping or for sweeping, to perform a cleaning operation. It should be understood that the drum 200 may be a member dedicated to the lifting and lowering without performing the cleaning operation.

Fig. 1B illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of a cleaner 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 1B, the drum 200 has been lifted to the storage position by the interaction of the flange of the drum 200 with the boss of the main body 20, completely received in the storage cavity 26. Thus, the drum 200 does not affect other modes of operation of the cleaner 1, nor does it affect the travel of the cleaner 1 over the floor. The elevating device 100 will be described with reference to fig. 2A to 2B with respect to the internal view of the cleaner 1.

Fig. 2A shows a schematic interior view of the cleaner 1 with the cleaning assembly 10 in an operative position. As shown in fig. 2A, the cleaning assembly 10 is in the operative position and at least a portion of the drum 200 extending in an axial direction F parallel to the axis a is located in the receiving cavity 26. In order to perform the lifting function of the cleaning assembly 10, on the one hand, a flange 220 is provided at one end side 210 of the drum 200 in the axial direction F. The flange 220 extends outwardly from the end side 210 in the axial direction F. On the other hand, a boss 21 is provided on the first side wall 23 of the main body 20 near the end side surface 210 of the housing chamber 26. The boss 21 extends from the side wall 23 in the axial direction F toward the drum 200. Further, the receiving chamber 26 also has a second side wall 24 opposite to the first side wall 23 in the axial direction F. A position sensor 25 for detecting the position of the drum 200 is also provided on the second side wall 24.

As shown in fig. 2A, when the cleaning assembly 10 is in the operative position, the flange 220 is spaced from the boss 21 in the axial direction F. In switching modes, the drum 200 first needs to be moved toward the first side wall 23 to bring the flange 220 into abutment against the boss surface 21 of the boss 21 toward the storage position.

Fig. 2B shows an internal schematic view of the cleaner 1 with the flange 220 abutting against the boss 21. As shown in fig. 2B, the drum 200 undergoes a movement in the axial direction F such that the flange 220 has abutted against the boss surface 21 of the boss 21. After that, the drum 200 rotates in the first rotational direction about the axis a, and the drum 200 is lifted and moved toward the storage position by the outer peripheral surface of the flange 220 rolling on the boss surface 21. That is, the movement of the drum 200 from the working position to the receiving position includes two stages. In the first phase, the drum 200 is driven in rotation according to a first rotation direction, from which a movement in the axial direction F is obtained to bring the flange 220 against the boss 21. In the second phase, the drum 200 is driven to continue to rotate in the first rotation direction and is lifted towards the housed position by the interaction of the flange 220 with the boss 21. In view of this, the structure of the lifting device 100 and the principle of the movement in the first stage will be described in detail below with reference to fig. 3 to 8B, and the principle of the lifting movement of the lifting device 100 in the second stage will be described in detail below with reference to fig. 9 to 10C.

Fig. 3 illustrates an exploded schematic view of a lifting device 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 3, the cleaning assembly 10 includes a bracket 11 coupled to the main body 20 of the cleaner 1. Fig. 3 shows the side of the support 11 facing the surface to be cleaned. At one end of the bracket 11, a motor 300 is mounted. The motor 300 includes an output shaft 310 extending in the axial direction F. A rotation pin 240 is fitted over one end of the output shaft 310. The rotation pin 240 is rotatable with the output shaft 310 about the axis a. Fig. 4 shows a schematic view of the rotation pin 240. As shown in fig. 4, the rotation pin 240 includes cylindrical pins 242-1 and 242-2 extending radially outward provided on an outer circumferential surface 241 of the cylindrical body, and the pins 242-1 and 242-2 are symmetrical about the axis a. The rotation pin 240 also includes a hole for receiving the output shaft 310 of the motor 300.

Returning to fig. 3, a flange 220 is provided on an end side 210 of the drum 200 of the lifting device 100, which is remote from the motor 300. In the assembled state, the drum 200 is sleeved outside the motor 300 and coupled with the rotation pin 240. Fig. 5 shows a schematic view of the drum 200. As shown in FIG. 5, the drum 200 includes two flanges 220-1 and 220-2 distributed on the end side 210 in a centrally symmetric manner with respect to the axis A. It should be understood that the number of flanges described herein is merely exemplary, and that other numbers of flanges may be provided on the end sides, and the present disclosure is not intended to be limited in this regard.

Fig. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the drum 200 without the rotation pin 240 assembled. The drum 200 includes a receiving chamber 230 extending in the axial direction F for receiving the motor 300. A guide groove 232 extending in a direction oblique to the axial direction F is provided on the inner wall 231 of the accommodation chamber 230. The guide groove 232 includes a first stopper 233 at one end near the end side 210 and a second stopper 234 at the other end near the motor 300. When the rotation pin 240 is assembled, the pin 242 is guided to extend into the guide groove 232 and can move in the guide groove 232 with respect to the drum 200 by the first rotation direction or the second rotation direction and is restricted by the first restriction portion 233 or the second restriction portion 234 such that the pin 242 cannot be moved out of the guide groove 232 by the first rotation direction or the second rotation direction.

The positions of the motor 300 and the rotation pin 240 in the axial direction F are always unchanged during the movement of the drum 200 toward and away from the boss 21 in the axial direction F. The rotation pin 240 rotates with the output shaft in the first rotation direction R1 or the second rotation direction R2, and drives the pin 242 to rotate. When the pin 242 rotates between the first and second limiting parts 233 and 234 in the guide groove 232, the pin 242 and the guide groove 232 relatively move in the axial direction F, and since the position of the pin 242 in the axial direction F is also relatively fixed, the relative movement of the pin 242 and the guide groove 232 is converted into the axial movement of the drum 200 in the axial direction F. When the pin 242 moves to the limit portion, if the pin 242 is still rotated in the same direction, the pin 242 pushes the drum 200 to rotate together.

Fig. 7A shows an axial cross-section of the rotation pin 240 when it is located at the first stopper 233. When the drum 200 is at the working position as shown in fig. 2A, the pin shaft 242 of the rotation pin 240 is located at one end of the guide groove 232 away from the motor 300 and abuts against the first limit portion 233. As shown in FIG. 7A, the rotation pin 240 includes two pins 242-1 and 242-2 (the pins 242-1 and 242-2 are collectively referred to as pins 242). The pin 242-1 abuts on the first stopper 233-1, and the pin 242-2 abuts on the first stopper 233-2 (the first stopper 233-1 and the first stopper 233-2 are collectively referred to as a first stopper 233). Fig. 7B shows a radial cross-section of the rotation pin 240 in the first limit portion 233. As shown in fig. 7B, the pins 242-1 and 242-2 are abutted against the first stopper 233-1 and the first stopper 233-2, respectively, in the second rotation direction R2. Accordingly, when the rotation pin 240 rotates with the output shaft 310 in the second rotation direction R2, the pin 242 pushes the drum 200 to rotate in the second rotation direction R2 to perform a cleaning operation on the surface to be cleaned. It will be appreciated that the second rotational direction R2 is the rotational direction of the drum 200 when the cleaner 1 cleans a surface, at which time the drum 200 rotates in a fixed position with the drum flange 220 spaced from the boss 21 in the axial direction F.

When the cleaner 1 needs to switch the operation mode, the motor 300 will be switched from rotating in the second rotation direction R2 to rotating in the first rotation direction R1, i.e. reversing. At this time, the pin 242 is also turned in the first rotation direction R1, and due to the action of the obliquely arranged guide groove 232, the pin 242 no longer abuts against the first limiting portion 233, is transferred along with the rotation of the first rotation direction R1 in the guide groove 232, and is maximally movable to the second limiting portion 234. It will be appreciated that the force exerted by the pin 242 on the inclined surface of the guide slot 232 during movement will urge the roller 200 to move in the axial direction F and toward the boss 22. When the pin 242 moves to the second limiting portion 234, the drum 200 moves a predetermined distance to the boss 21 such that the flange 220 abuts on the boss surface 22. It should be understood that the pin 242 may also abut the flange 220 against the boss surface 22 at a certain stage in the process of moving from the first limiting portion 233 to the second limiting portion 234, which is only for explanation and not limitation.

Fig. 8A shows an axial cross-section of the rotation pin 240 at the second limiting portion 234, where the pin shaft 242 of the rotation pin 240 is located at an end of the guide groove 232 remote from the flange 220 and abuts at the second limiting portion 234. As shown in fig. 8A, the pin 242-1 abuts on the second stopper 234-1, and the pin 242-2 abuts on the second stopper 234-2. Fig. 8B shows a radial cross-section of the rotation pin 240 in the second limit portion 233. As shown in fig. 8B, the pins 242-1 and 242-2 abut against the second stopper 234-1 and the second stopper 234-2, respectively, in the first rotation direction R1. Therefore, when the rotation pin 240 rotates with the output shaft 310 in the first rotation direction R1, the pin 242 pushes the drum 200 to rotate in the first rotation direction R1, so that the outer circumferential surface of the flange 220 rolls on the boss surface 22 to drive the drum 200 to move up toward the storage position.

Fig. 9 shows a schematic view of the flange 220. As with the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the drum 200 includes two flanges 220-1 and 220-2 distributed on the end side 210 in a centrally symmetric manner with respect to the axis A. The flanges 220-1, 220-2 are generally circular arc-shaped, i.e., two sections of a circular ring extending about the axis a. Flange 220-1 includes contact surface 221-1 and guide surface 222-1, and flange 220-2 includes contact surface 221-2 and guide surface 222-2. The contact surfaces 221-1 and 221-2 are parallel to the drum end side 210, and thus, it can be understood that the flange 220 protruding and provided at the end side 210 includes a stepped portion protruding a certain height and substantially perpendicular to the end side 210, and the stepped portion is located at a side close to the contact surface. The guide surface 222-1 is gradually inclined from the contact surface 221-1 in the second rotation direction R2 and extends to the end side surface 210, and the guide surface 222-2 is gradually inclined from the contact surface 221-2 in the second rotation direction R2 and extends to the end side surface 210.

The contact surfaces 221-1, 221-2 and the guide surfaces 222-1, 222-2 each have a circular arc shape. Further, the widths of the guide surfaces 222-1, 222-2 in the radial direction gradually decrease from the contact surfaces 221-1, 221-2 to the side end surfaces 210. The width of the end portions of the contact surfaces 221-1, 221-2 away from the guide surfaces 222-1, 222-2 in the radial direction is gradually reduced in the first rotation direction R1. Such a shape is provided to facilitate the interaction of the flange 220 with the boss 21. For example, when the drum 200 rotates in the first rotation direction R1 and approaches the boss 21, two cases occur. In the first case, the boss 21 is located just on the end side surface 210 between the flange 220-1 and the flange 220-2, since the widths of the end portions of the contact surfaces 221-1, 221-2 are gradually reduced in the first rotation direction R1, i.e., are gradually shortened in the inner radial direction by a distance such that the surface of the boss 21 is in direct contact with the outer peripheral surface of the end portions of the contact surfaces 221-1, 221-2 when in contact with the stepped portion of the flange 220, rather than in contact with the edges of the outer peripheral surface, so that the flange 220 is more likely to roll onto the boss 21. It will be appreciated that as the drum 200 approaches the boss 21, the boss 21 is located in the region between the two flanges, as the drum 200 continues to rotate in the first rotational direction R1, the surface of the boss 21 in turn contacts the step of the flange 220, and is then the same as the first case. In the second case, when the drum 200 approaches the boss 21, the contact surface 221 of the flange 220 contacts with the end surface of the boss 21, and the end surface of the boss 21 slides along the contact surface 221 to the guide surface 222, and then slides to the gap between the two flanges by the guiding action of the inclined guide surface 222, and finally contacts with the next flange 220 and lifts it.

Fig. 10A shows a schematic view when the end surface of the flange 220 abuts against the end surface of the boss 21. As shown in fig. 10A, when the drum 200 moves toward the boss 21, the contact surface 221-1 of the flange 220-1 first abuts against the end surface of the boss 21, and the drum 200 continues to rotate in the first rotation direction R1, so that the contact surface 221-1 continues to slide while abutting against the end surface of the boss 21, and transitions to the guide surface 222-1 of the flange 220-1 sliding while abutting against the end surface of the boss 21. Guided by the inclined guide surface 222-1, the drum 200 continues to move toward the boss 21, and the end surface of the boss 21 is brought into abutment with the end side surface 210 of the drum 200.

Fig. 10B shows a schematic view of the flange 220-2 just abutting against the boss surface 22 of the boss 21. As shown in fig. 10B, the front end of the flange 220-2, i.e., the stepped portion, abuts on the boss surface 22. At this time, the center of the drum 200 is spaced from the boss surface 22 by a distance smaller than the radius of the outer circumferential surface of the flange 220. The drum 200 continues to rotate in the first rotation direction R1 such that the outer circumferential surface of the flange 220-2 rolls on the boss surface 22.

Fig. 10C shows a schematic view of the drum 200 lifted to the storage position. As shown in fig. 10C, the outer circumferential surface of the flange 220-2 is subjected to rolling at the boss surface 22 such that the center of the drum 200 is spaced from the boss surface 22 by a distance equal to the radius of the outer circumferential surface of the flange 220. At this time, the drum 200 is at the maximum distance from the boss surface 22, and stops rotating. For example, when the drum 200 is lifted to the storage position, the position sensor 25 transmits a position signal of the drum 200 to the controller of the motor 300 to cause the controller to control the motor 300 to stop rotating.

Accordingly, when the cleaner 1 switches the operation mode again, the motor 300 rotates in the second rotation direction R2. According to the working principle described in the embodiment shown in fig. 6, the drum 200 is moved in the axial direction F away from the boss 21 in the storage position by the rotation pin 240, so that the flange 220 slides together on the boss surface 22 in the direction away from the boss 21 and finally slides out of the boss surface 22. After the flange 220 slides out, the drum 200 falls back to the working position by gravity to perform a cleaning operation.

Fig. 11 shows a schematic view of a drum 200 according to further embodiments of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the flange 220 and the end side 210 are not integral with the body 270 of the drum 200, but are coupled to the body 270 by a transmission 250 (not shown in detail herein). The transmission portion 250 extends from the end side 210 in the axial direction F toward the inside of the main body 270, and is coupled with the main body 270 via a one-way bearing 260 (not shown in detail herein). The structure of the drum 200 will be described in detail with reference to fig. 12.

Fig. 12 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the drum 200 in fig. 11. As shown in fig. 12, the motor 300 is fixed at one end to the bracket 11 and includes an output shaft 310 extending along the axis a at the other end. The drum 200 includes a cylindrical body 270 extending along an axis a. The main body 270 is fixedly connected with the output shaft 310 so as to be rotatable in the first rotation direction R1 and the second rotation direction R2 by the output shaft 310. At the end of the body 270 along axis a remote from the bracket 11 there is an end side 210. A flange 220 is provided on the end side 210.

In addition, the drum 200 further includes a transmission part 250. The transmission portion 250 extends from the end side 210 along the axis a toward the inside of the body 270 of the drum 200. Inside the main body 270, the transmission part 250 is connected to the inner wall of the main body 270 through a one-way bearing 260. Specifically, the transmission part 250 is coupled with an inner race of the one-way bearing 260, and the main body 270 is coupled with an outer race of the one-way bearing 260. The inner ring and the outer ring are locked to each other in the case that the drum 200 rotates in the first rotation direction R1, and relatively slide in the case that the drum 200 rotates in the second rotation direction R2. Thus, the flange 220 rotates with the drum 200 in the case where the drum 200 rotates in the first rotation direction R1, and is stationary with respect to the boss 21 in the case where the drum 200 rotates in the second rotation direction R2.

Returning to fig. 11, only one flange 220 is provided on the end side 210 of the drum 200. Similar to the flange 210 in fig. 9, the flange 220 in this embodiment has the same (e.g., the structure contact surface 221 and the guide surface 222) and the same function as the flange 210 in fig. 9. As discussed above, the flange 220 can rotate with the drum 200 in the first rotation direction R1 when the drum 200 rotates in the first rotation direction R1. Therefore, the flange 220 shown in fig. 11 can also realize the moving process as shown in fig. 10A to 10C, that is, the entire cleaning assembly 10 is moved toward the storage position by abutting on the boss surface 22 of the boss 21 and by rolling on the boss surface 22. When the cleaning assembly 10 reaches the storage position, the motor 300 likewise stops driving the drum 200 so that the cleaning assembly 10 stays in the storage position.

Unlike the previous embodiment, the flange 220 cannot be driven to rotate in the second rotational direction R2 due to the provision of the one-way bearing 270. Therefore, when the cleaning assembly 10 needs to be moved from the storage position to the working position, the drum 200 is driven to rotate in the first rotation direction R1. At this point, flange 220 continues to roll on boss surface 22. After the entire outer peripheral surface of the flange 220 is rolled over, the cleaning assembly 10 is returned to the operating position. In addition, since the flange 220 does not rotate with the drum 200 when the drum 200 rotates in the second rotation direction R2, that is, is stationary with respect to the boss 21, the flange 220 does not move the cleaning assembly 10 when the drum 200 rotates in the second rotation direction R2, and thus does not affect the operation of the drum 200 when it rotates in the second rotation direction R2. Therefore, in the drum 200 shown in fig. 11, there is no need to provide a moving mechanism for the drum 200 in the axial direction F, and the flange 220 always abuts against the boss 21 provided on the main body, the drum brush 200 rotates in the second rotation direction R2 when the cleaner 1 performs the surface cleaning operation, and the second rotation direction R2 is switched to the first rotation direction R1 when the cleaner 1 needs to lift the cleaning assembly including the drum brush 200. It will be appreciated that the first direction of rotation R1 is related to the second direction of rotation R2 and is controlled to switch by the controller of the cleaner 1.

Although claims have been formulated in this application to particular combinations of features, it should be understood that the scope of the disclosure also includes any novel feature or any novel combination of features disclosed herein either explicitly or implicitly or any generalisation thereof, whether or not it relates to the same in any claim as presently claimed.

Claims (15)

1. A lifting device (100) for a cleaning assembly (10) adapted to be mounted in the cleaning assembly (10), the lifting device (100) comprising:

a motor (300) including an output shaft (310);

A drum (200) coupled to the output shaft (310) and configured to rotate about an axis (a) of the output shaft (310) along a first rotational direction (R1) or a second rotational direction (R2) as the output shaft (310) rotates, the first rotational direction (R1) being opposite to the second rotational direction (R2);

characterized by further comprising:

And a boss (21), wherein the boss (21) is fixedly arranged at the end part, which is adjacent to the roller (200), at one side far away from the output shaft (310), and lifts the roller (200) when the roller (200) rotates along the first rotation direction (R1).

2. The lifting device (100) according to claim 1, wherein the drum (200) comprises:

A side end face (210) located at the end portion;

A flange (220) is provided on the side end face (210) and is configured to abut on a boss surface (22) of the boss (21) with the drum (200) rotating in the first rotation direction (R1).

3. The lifting device (100) according to claim 2, wherein the flange (220) is configured to be spaced apart from or in direct contact with the boss (21) in an axial direction (F) parallel to the axis (a) upon rotation of the drum (200) in the second rotational direction (R2) in an operative position of the cleaning assembly (10).

4. A lifting device (100) according to claim 3, wherein the flange (220) is further configured to move in the axial direction (F) towards the boss (21) to abut the boss surface (22) in case the drum (200) rotates in the first rotational direction (R1) in the working position spaced apart from the boss (21), and to move away from the boss (21) in the axial direction (F) in case the drum (200) rotates in the second rotational direction (R2) in the stowed position of the cleaning assembly (10).

5. The lifting device (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that an end surface of the flange (220) facing the boss (110) comprises a contact surface (221) and a guide surface (222), the contact surface (221) being parallel to the side end surface (210) and the guide surface (222) extending from the contact surface (221) to the side end surface (210) in the second rotational direction (R2).

6. The lifting device (100) according to claim 5, characterized in that the contact surface (221) and the guide surface (222) have a circular arc shape around the axis (a), and the width of the guide surface (222) in the radial direction gradually decreases from the contact surface (221) to the side end surface (210), the width of an end portion of the contact surface (221) remote from the guide surface (222) in the radial direction gradually decreasing in the first rotation direction (R1).

7. The lifting device (100) according to claim 5, characterized in that a plurality of flanges (220) are provided on the side end face (210), the plurality of flanges (220) being equidistant in the first rotational direction (R1).

8. The lifting device (100) according to claim 1, wherein the drum (200) comprises a housing cavity (230) extending in an axial direction (F) parallel to the axis (a), the motor (300) being arranged in the housing cavity (230).

9. The lifting device (100) according to claim 8, characterized in that a guiding groove (232) is provided on an inner wall (231) of the receiving cavity (230), the guiding groove (232) extending in a direction oblique to the axial direction (F) and comprising a first limit part (233) at one end and a second limit part (234) at the other end of the guiding groove (232), and

Wherein a rotation pin (240) coupled to the output shaft (310) is accommodated in the accommodation chamber (230), the rotation pin (240) including a pin shaft (242) provided on an outer circumferential surface (241) thereof, the pin shaft (242) protruding into the guide groove (232) and configured to move in the guide groove (232).

10. The lifting device (100) according to claim 2, wherein the flange (220) is further configured to rotate with the drum (200) in case the drum (200) rotates in the first rotational direction (R1) and to directly contact the boss (21) and remain stationary in case the drum (200) rotates in the second rotational direction (R2).

11. The lifting device (100) according to claim 10, wherein the drum (200) further comprises:

A transmission portion (250) extending from the lateral end face (210) to the inside of the drum (200) along an axial direction (F) parallel to the axis (a); and

-A one-way bearing (260) comprising an inner ring and an outer ring, the inner ring being fixedly coupled to the outer circumference of the transmission (250) and the outer ring being fixedly coupled to the drum (200), the inner ring and the outer ring being configured to lock to each other in case the drum (200) rotates in the first rotational direction (R1) and to slide relatively in case the drum (200) rotates in the second rotational direction (R2).

12. The lifting device (100) of claim 1, wherein the motor (300) is further configured to stop rotation in response to determining that the drum (200) is moved to the stowed position of the cleaning assembly (10).

13. The lifting device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the drum (200) cleans the surface to be cleaned in the second rotational direction (R2), the rotational speed of the second rotational direction (R2) being greater than the rotational speed of the first rotational direction (R1).

14. A cleaning assembly (10) adapted to be mounted on a main body (20) of a cleaner (1) and configured to move relative to the main body (20) between a working position against a surface to be cleaned and a stowed position away from the surface to be cleaned, characterized in that the cleaning assembly (10) comprises a lifting device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. A cleaner (1) adapted to operate on a surface to be cleaned, the cleaner (1) comprising:

a main body (20) comprising a boss (21); and

The cleaning assembly (10) of claim 14, adapted to be mounted on the main body (20) such that a side end surface (210) of a lifting device (100) of the cleaning assembly (10) is adjacent to the boss (21).