EP4684719A1

EP4684719A1 - Base station and cleaning robot system

Info

Publication number: EP4684719A1
Application number: EP23928340.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Luping Yu
Original assignee: Beijing Rockrobo Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: Beijing Rockrobo Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2023-03-21
Filing date: 2023-10-30
Publication date: 2026-01-28
Also published as: TWM663570U; KR20250162848A; CN220024924U; JP2026511060A; WO2024193036A1; US20260013697A1

Abstract

A base station (200) and a cleaning robot system. The base station (200) comprises a base station housing (210), a mounting support (250), a pile searching signal transmitter (251), a clean water tank (213), and a water replenishment connector (2114). The mounting support (250) is detachably connected to the base station housing (210); both the pile searching signal transmitter (251) and the water replenishment connector (2114) are connected to the mounting support (250), and the pile searching signal transmitter (251) is used for transmitting a pile searching signal to be received by a self-propelled cleaning device (100); and the clean water tank (213) is mounted on the base station housing (210), an inlet of the water replenishment connector (2114) is connected to the clean water tank (213), and an outlet of the water replenishment connector (2114) is connected to a water injection port of the self-propelled cleaning device (100). The mounting tolerance between the pile searching signal transmitter (251) and the water replenishment connector (2114) can be reduced, thereby facilitating the alignment and water replenishment operations of the self-propelled cleaning device (100) and the base station (200).

Description

The present application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202320565400.1, filed with the Chinese Patent Office on March 21, 2023 and entitled "BASE STATION AND CLEANING ROBOT SYSTEM", which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates to the technical field of smart homes, and in particular to a base station and a cleaning robot system.

BACKGROUND

With the advancement of technology, a variety of self-moving devices, for example, self-moving cleaning devices, have emerged. Upon receiving a cleaning instruction, such a self-moving cleaning device can automatically execute the cleaning instruction to complete the cleaning work, which not only alleviates manual labor burden but also reduces the labor cost.
In addition, when the self-moving cleaning device completes a cleaning task or meets other conditions, for example, the self-moving device has swept a specified area or a water level in a water tank of the g device is lower than a set threshold, the self-moving cleaning device will return to a base station for corresponding maintenance operations, such as charging and water replenishment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A series of simplified concepts have been introduced in summary of the present application, which will be further explained in detail in the detailed description. This portion of the present application is not intended to attempt to define key features and necessary technical features of claimed technical solutions, much less to determine the scope of protection of the claimed technical solutions.
In a first aspect of the present application, an embodiment provides a base station, including: a base station housing, a mounting bracket, a homing signal transmitter, a clean water tank and a water replenishment connector, wherein the mounting bracket is detachably connected to the base station housing; both of the homing signal transmitter and the water replenishment connector are connected to the mounting bracket; the homing signal transmitter is configured to transmit a homing signal receivable by a self-moving cleaning device; the clean water tank is mounted on the base station housing; an inlet of the water replenishment connector is connected to the clean water tank; and an outlet of the water replenishment connector is configured for connection with a water filling port of the self-moving cleaning device.
Further, the base station housing is provided with an accommodating cavity and an operation port, the operation port is in communication with interiors of the accommodating cavity and the base station housing, and the homing signal transmitter and the water replenishment connector interact with the self-moving cleaning device through the operation port.
Further, the homing signal transmitter includes a transmitting portion and a carrier frame connected to each other, the mounting bracket is provided with a first limiting portion detachably connected to the carrier frame, and the transmitting portion is opposite to the operation port.
Further, the mounting bracket is provided with a limiting through hole, and a part of the water replenishment connector is limited inside the limiting through hole.
Further, the mounting bracket is also provided with a second limiting portion, the base station housing is provided with a first positioning portion, and the second limiting portion and the first positioning portion cooperate to limit movement of the mounting bracket relative to the base station housing.
Further, the mounting bracket is also provided with a wire slot, and the wire slot is located at an outer edge of the mounting bracket.
Further, the base station includes: a charging docking assembly connected to the mounting bracket, wherein at least a part of the charging docking assembly is exposed inside the accommodating cavity and configured for connection with a charging pole piece of the self-moving cleaning device.
Further, the mounting bracket is provided with a third limiting portion, the charging docking assembly includes a charging contact pole piece and a resetting member that are located inside the base station housing, one end of the charging contact pole piece is rotationally connected to the mounting bracket by the third limiting portion, the other end of the charging contact pole piece extends into the accommodating cavity through the operation port, and the resetting member is connected to the charging contact pole piece and the mounting bracket and configured to reset the charging contact pole piece to an initial position.
Further, the base station includes: a drying fan connected to the mounting bracket and located inside the base station housing, wherein an air outlet of the drying fan is in communication with the accommodating cavity.
In a second aspect of the present application, an embodiment provides a cleaning robot system, including: a self-moving cleaning device and any one base station described in the first aspect.
The above descriptions are only an overview of the technical solutions of the present application, which can be implemented according to the contents of the description in order to understand the technical means of the present application more clearly. In addition, to make the above and other objectives, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and understandable, specific embodiments of the present application are listed below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following accompanying drawings of the present application are presented herein as part of embodiments of the present application for facilitating understanding of the present application. The embodiments of the present application and their descriptions are shown in the accompanying drawings to explain the principles of the present application.
In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a self-moving cleaning device according to an optional embodiment of the present application;
FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 from one perspective;
FIG. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a base station according to an optional embodiment of the present application;
FIG. 4 is a partial schematic structural diagram of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 from one perspective;
FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a washing disk according to an optional embodiment of the present application;
FIG. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a water discharging connector according to an optional embodiment of the present application;
FIG. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of another portion of the base station according to an optional embodiment of the present application;
FIG. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of yet another portion of the base station according to an optional embodiment of the present application;
FIG. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of still yet another portion of the base station according to an optional embodiment of the present application;
FIG. 10 is a schematic structural diagram of a mounting bracket and a drying fan according to an optional embodiment of the present application;
FIG. 11 is a schematic structural diagram of the mounting bracket according to an optional embodiment of the present application; and
FIG. 12 is a schematic structural diagram of the embodiment shown in FIG. 11 from one perspective.

Description of the reference signs:

100 self-moving cleaning device, 110 machine main body, 111 forward portion, 112 rearward portion, 120 perception system, 121 determining apparatus, 122 buffer, 140 driving system, 141 driving wheel module, 142 driven wheel, 150 cleaning system, 151 dry cleaning system, 152 side brush, 170 human-machine interaction system, 183 cleaning element;
200 base station, 210 base station housing, 211 accommodating cavity, 2112 water outlet, 2113 charging contact pole piece, 2114 water replenishment connector, 2116 operation port, 2118 first positioning portion, 213 clean water tank, 220 washing disk, 2211 cleaning cavity, 222 washing portion, 224 water guiding portion, 2241 water guiding groove, 2242 liquid discharging port, 242 water discharging connector, 2423 water intake port, 2424 water discharging port, 250 mounting bracket, 251 homing signal transmitter, 2511 transmitting portion, 2512 carrier frame, 252 first limiting portion, 253 limiting through hole, 254 second limiting portion, 255 wire slot, 256 third limiting portion, and 257 drying fan.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following descriptions, a large number of specific details are provided to understand the technical solutions provided by the present application more thoroughly. However, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that the technical solutions provided by the present application may be implemented without one or more of these details.
It should be noted that the terms used herein are only intended to describe specific embodiments rather than to limit exemplary embodiments according to the present application. The singular forms used herein are also intended to include the plural forms unless otherwise indicated clearly in the context. Furthermore, it should also be understood that the terms "include" and/or "comprise" used in the Description specify the presence of the discussed features, integers, steps, operations, elements and/or assemblies, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, assemblies and/or combinations thereof.
The exemplary embodiments according to the present application will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments may be implemented in various different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. It should be understood that these embodiments are provided to make the disclosure of the present application thorough and complete, and to fully convey the concepts of these exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 12, embodiments of the present application provide a base station 200 and a cleaning robot system. The cleaning robot system includes a self-moving cleaning device 100 and the base station 200, i.e., the base station 200 and the self-moving cleaning device 100 are used in cooperation.
Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the self-moving cleaning device 100 may include a machine main body 110, a perception system 120, a control module, a driving system 140, a cleaning system 150, an energy system and a human-machine interaction system 170. It can be understood that the self-moving cleaning device 100 may be a self-cleaning device or other self-moving cleaning devices 100 that meet requirements. The self-moving cleaning device 100 is a device that automatically performs, without user operations, a cleaning operation in a certain area to be cleaned. When the self-moving cleaning device 100 starts to work, the self-moving cleaning device 100 starts from the base station 200 to perform a cleaning task. When the self-moving cleaning device 100 completes the cleaning task or needs to stop the cleaning task, the self-moving cleaning device 100 may return to the base station 200 for operations such as charging, and/or water replenishment, and/or washing, and/or dust collection.
As shown in FIG. 1, the machine main body 110 includes a forward portion 111 and a rearward portion 112, is approximately circular (being circular both in the front and the rear), and may also be in other shapes including, but not limited to, an approximately D shape with a square front and a circular rear and a rectangular or square shape with a square front and a square rear.
As shown in FIG. 1, the perception system 120 includes a position determining apparatus 121 located on the machine main body 110, a collision sensor and a proximity sensor both arranged on a buffer 122 of the forward portion 111 of the machine main body 110, a cliff sensor arranged at a lower portion of the machine main body 110, and a magnetometer, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and an odograph and other sensing apparatuses arranged inside the machine main body 110, for providing various position information and motion status information of a machine to the control module. The position determining apparatus 121 includes, but is not limited to, a camera and a laser distance sensor (LDS, full name is Laser Distance Sensor).
As shown in FIG. 1, the forward portion 111 of the machine main body 110 may carry the buffer 122. When a driving wheel module 141 propels the self-moving cleaning device 100 to travel on the ground in the process of cleaning, the buffer 122 detects one or more events in a travel path of the self-moving cleaning device 100 via a sensor system arranged thereon, for example, an infrared sensor. Based on the events, e.g., an obstacle and a wall, detected by the buffer 122, the self-moving cleaning device 100 can control the driving wheel module 141 to enable the self-moving cleaning device 100 to respond to the event, for example, by moving away from the obstacle.
The control module is arranged on a main circuit board inside the machine main body 110 and includes a computing processor, such as a central processing unit and an application processor, in communication with a non-transitory memory, such as a hard disk, a flash memory and a random access memory. The application processor is configured to draw a simultaneous map of an environment where the self-moving cleaning device 100 is located based on obstacle information fed back by the laser distance sensor by use of a positioning algorithm, for example, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM, full name is Simultaneous Localization And Mapping). In addition, by combining the distance information and speed information fed back by the sensors, the cliff sensor, the magnetometer, the accelerometer, the gyroscope, the odograph, and other sensing apparatuses arranged on the buffer 122, a comprehensive judgment can be made on a current working status and a current position of the self-moving cleaning device 100, as well as a current posture of the self-moving cleaning device 100, such as crossing a doorsill, moving onto a carpet, being at a cliff, being stuck from above or below, having a full dust box, being picked up, etc. For different cases, specific next action strategies will be given, such that the operation of the self-moving cleaning device 100 is more in line with the requirements of an owner, thereby providing better user experience.
As shown in FIG. 2, the driving system 140 can manipulate the machine main body 110 to travel across the ground based on a driving command with distance and angle information, such as components of x, y and theta. The driving system 140 includes a driving wheel module 141, and the driving wheel module 141 may control both of a left wheel and a right wheel simultaneously. In order to control the movement of the machine more accurately, the driving wheel module 141 preferably includes a left driving wheel module and a right driving wheel module, which are arranged along a transverse axis defined by the machine main body 110. In order to enable the self-moving cleaning device 100 to move more stably or have a better movement ability on the ground, the self-moving cleaning device 100 may include one or more driven wheels 142, and the driven wheels 142 include but are not limited to universal wheels. The driving wheel module 141 includes a traveling wheel, a driving motor and a control circuit for controlling the driving motor. The driving wheel module 141 may also be connected to an odograph, and a circuit for measuring a driving current. A driving wheel may be provided with an offset drop suspension system, which is fastened movably to (e.g., attached rotatably to) the machine main body 110, and receives a spring offset biased downward and away from the machine main body 110. The spring offset allows the driving wheel to maintain contact and traction with the ground with a certain landing force, while cleaning elements 183 of the self-moving cleaning device 100 are also in contact with the ground with certain pressure.
The energy system includes a rechargeable battery, such as a nickel-metal hydride battery and a lithium battery. The rechargeable battery may be connected to a charging control circuit, a battery pack charging temperature detecting circuit, and a battery undervoltage monitoring circuit which are then connected to a single chip microcomputer control circuit. A main unit is connected to the base station 200 through a charging electrode arranged on one side or below the machine body for charging.
The human-machine interaction system 170 includes buttons on a panel of the main unit for a user to select functions, and may further include a display screen and/or an indicator light and/or a horn. The display screen, the display screen or the horn is configured to present a current status or function options of the self-moving cleaning device to the user. The human-machine interaction system may further include a mobile phone client program. For a route navigation type self-moving cleaning device 100, a mobile phone client may show the user a map of the environment where the device is located, as well as a position of the device, thereby providing the user with richer and more user-friendly function items.
The cleaning system 150 includes a wet cleaning system, i.e., the self-moving cleaning device 100 may be a mopping machine, or the cleaning system 150 includes a wet cleaning system and a dry cleaning system 151, i.e., the self-moving cleaning device 100 may be a sweeping and mopping all-in-one machine.
As shown in FIG. 2, the dry cleaning system 151 according to the embodiment of the present application may include a rolling brush, a dust box, a fan and an air outlet. The rolling brush having a certain interference with the ground sweeps up debris on the ground and rolls the debris up to the front of a dust suction port between the rolling brush and the dust box, and after that, the debris is sucked into the dust box by an airflow having a suction force that is generated by the fan and passes through the dust box. The dry cleaning system 151 can further include a side brush 152 having a rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft is angled relative to the ground for moving particles into a rolling brush region of the cleaning system 150.
Wherein, the wet cleaning system may include a cleaning assembly, a water supply mechanism, a liquid storage tank and the like. Wherein, the cleaning assembly may be arranged below the liquid storage tank, and a cleaning liquid inside the liquid storage tank is transmitted to the cleaning assembly by the water supply mechanism, such that the cleaning assembly can perform wet cleaning on a plane to be cleaned. In other embodiments of the present application, the cleaning liquid inside the liquid storage tank may also be directly sprayed onto the plane to be cleaned, and the cleaning assembly uniformly spreads the cleaning liquid, thereby cleaning the plane. It can be understood that the self-moving cleaning device 100 is provided with a water filling port communicated with the liquid storage tank, and the liquid storage tank can be replenished with a liquid outside the self-moving cleaning device 100 by the water filling port, so as to achieve a replenishment operation on the liquid storage tank with water.
Wherein, a cleaning assembly according to an embodiment of the present application includes a movement mechanism and a cleaning element 183 that are arranged on the machine main body 110, i.e., the whole cleaning assembly 180 may be mounted on the machine main body 110 by the movement mechanism, and the cleaning assembly moves with the movement of the machine main body 110 to achieve a mopping function. Wherein, the movement mechanism is configured to drive the cleaning element 183 to act, such as the movement mechanism may be configured to drive the cleaning element 183 to lift and lower, and also the movement mechanism may be configured to drive the cleaning element 183 to rotate. Therefore, according to the demand as to whether the cleaning element 183 is in contact with a surface to be cleaned, lifting, lowering and rotating operations of the cleaning element 183 can be achieved through the movement mechanism to meet different functional requirements of the cleaning element 183. That is, the implementation of differentiated strategies for the cleaning element 183 can be achieved. Therefore, the cleaning performance of the self-cleaning device, the cleaning efficiency and the use experience are improved.
Wherein, as shown in FIG. 2, in an advancing direction of the self-moving cleaning device 100, the cleaning element 183 is located at the rear of the dry cleaning system 151, and the cleaning element 183 may typically be a water-absorbing flexible substance such as a fabric and sponge. In this solution, the cleaning element 183 may be at least one rotating turntable, and water in a liquid storage tank of a self-moving robot is guided to the cleaning element 183, and the wetted cleaning element 183 removes stains on the ground through rotational movement.
Further, when the self-moving cleaning device 100 is in the process of moving, in some scenarios where mopping is required, for example, wet treatment is performed on the ground, the movement mechanism may be controlled by using the control module to drive the cleaning element 183 to be lowered, such that a lowest lower surface of the cleaning element 183 may interfere with and be in contact with the surface to be cleaned. In addition, the movement mechanism is controlled by using the control module to drive the cleaning element 183 to rotate, such that the cleaning element 183 can interfere with and be in contact with the surface to be cleaned during the movement of the self-moving cleaning device 100 driven by the driving wheel, thereby implementing a mopping operation on the surface to be cleaned.
Further, when the self-moving cleaning device 100 is in the process of moving, in some scenarios where mopping is unnecessary, such as going to and from the base station 200, or cleaning a carpet, the movement mechanism may be controlled by using the control module to drive the cleaning element 183 to be lifted. It can be understood that the lifting of the cleaning element 183 means that the lowest lower surface of the cleaning element 183 is higher than the lowest lower surface of the driving wheel, such that in such a case, the cleaning element 183 will not be in contact with the surface to be cleaned during movement of the self-moving cleaning device 100 driven by the driving wheel. Therefore, it avoids secondary contamination to the surface to be cleaned caused by the contact between the cleaning element 183 and the surface to be cleaned in the scenario where mopping is unnecessary, which is conducive to improving the cleaning performance of the self-moving cleaning device 100, and enhancing the cleaning efficiency and the use experience.
Further, the self-moving cleaning device 100 is provided with a homing signal receiver. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the base station 200 is provided with a homing signal transmitter 251. In the process of docking the self-moving cleaning device 100 at the base station 200, for example, when the self-moving cleaning device 100 needs to dock at the base station 200 for related operations such as water replenishment, and/or charging, and/or cleaning and/or dust collection, the self-moving cleaning device 100 is precisely aligned with the base station 200 by using cooperation between the homing signal receiver arranged on the self-moving cleaning device and the homing signal transmitter 251 correspondingly arranged on the base station 200, and then gradually approaches the base station 200 until it reaches a designated position.
In the present application, as shown in FIG. 7, the homing signal transmitter 251 arranged on the base station 200 may be an infrared signal transmitter for sending a homing signal. The homing signal receiver arranged on the self-moving cleaning device 100 may be an infrared signal receiver for receiving a homing feedback signal from the homing signal transmitter 251 of the base station 200. Generally, each of the base station 200 and the self-moving cleaning device 100 is provided with a plurality of homing signal transmitters 251 and homing signal receivers. When the homing signal from a specific homing signal transmitter 251 is received by a specific homing signal receiver, it indicates that the self-moving cleaning device 100 is aligned with the base station 200. Therefore, whether the self-moving cleaning device 100 can be successfully aligned with the base station 200 is highly dependent on the accuracy of a mounting position of the homing signal transmitter 251.
Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the base station 200 is provided with an accommodating cavity 211. When the self-moving cleaning device is docked at the base station 200, at least a part of the self-moving cleaning device 100 is located inside the accommodating cavity 211. Specifically, the base station 200 includes a base station housing 210, and the accommodating cavity 211 is formed in the base station housing 210. Specifically, the accommodating cavity 211 may be located in the front of the base station housing 210, and the front is as shown by an arrow in FIG. 3.
As shown in FIG. 4, in some possible embodiments according to the present application, the base station 200 further includes a clean water tank 214 and a water replenishment connector 2114. The water replenishment connector 2114 is mounted on the base station housing 210. An inlet of the water replenishment connector 2114 is connected to the clean water tank 213, and an outlet of the water replenishment connector 2114 is exposed inside the accommodating cavity 211 and may be regarded as the water replenishment port of the base station 200. The water replenishment port is configured for connection with a water filling port of the self-moving cleaning device 100 to perform water replenishing on the liquid storage tank of the self-moving cleaning device 100. It can be understood that the water replenishment connector 2114 may be connected to the clean water tank 213 through a pipeline, a water pump is connected to the pipeline, and the water pump is configured to perform water replenishing on a water tank of the self-moving cleaning device 100 by the base station 200. For example, when the self-moving cleaning device 100 is located inside the accommodating cavity 211, the water replenishment connector 2114 on the base station housing 210 is docked with the water filling port of the self-moving cleaning device 100, and the water pump works to fill the water tank.
That is, the base station 200 according to the embodiments of the present application can perform water replenishing on the water tank of the self-moving cleaning device 100. It should be noted that in order to implement water replenishing on the self-moving cleaning device 100, the water replenishment connector 2114 on the base station 200 needs to be aligned with and connected to the water filling port on the self-moving cleaning device 100. Therefore, the accuracy of the mounting position of the water replenishment connector 2114 on the base station 200 is equally important. In order to achieve docking between the water replenishment connector 2114 on the base station 200 and the water filling port on the self-moving cleaning device 100, it is first necessary to align the base station 200 with the self-cleaning device. In other words, relative mounting positions of the water replenishment connector 2114 and the homing signal transmitter 251 on the base station 200 should be accurate to ensure that after the self-moving cleaning device 100 is aligned with the base station 200 and accurately docked at the base station 200, the water replenishment port of the self-moving cleaning device 100 is docked with the water replenishment connector 2114 on the base station 200. Therefore, the requirements for the assembly accuracy of the water replenishment connector 2114 and the homing signal transmitter 251 are relatively high in the process of assembling the base station 200.
Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 10, in some possible embodiments according to the present application, the base station 200 further includes a mounting bracket 250. The mounting bracket 250 is detachably connected to the base station housing 210. Both of the homing signal transmitter 251 and the water replenishment connector 2114 are connected to the mounting bracket 250. By mounting both of the homing signal transmitter 251 and the water replenishment connector 2114 on the mounting bracket 250, and then mounting the mounting bracket 250 on the base station housing 210 as a whole, the mounting tolerance between the homing signal transmitter 251 and the water replenishment connector 2114 can be reduced, which is conductive to the alignment between the self-moving cleaning device 100 and the base station 200 as well as the water replenishment operation, and hence is suitable for popularization and application. In addition, with this arrangement, modular design and modular mounting of the homing signal transmitter 251 and the water replenishment connector 2114 are achieved, which facilitates maintenance and is conducive to reducing the maintenance and replacement costs.
The mounting bracket 250 and the base station housing 210 may be detachably connected by means of at least one of a snap-fit structure, a mortise-and-tenon structure and a threaded structure.
As shown in FIG. 7, in the above embodiment, the base station housing 210 is provided with an operation port 2116, and the operation port 2166 enables communication between an interior of the base station housing 210 and the accommodating cavity 211. The mounting bracket 250, the homing signal transmitter 251, the clean water tank and the water replenishment connector 2114 are all located inside the base station housing 210. In this way, the base station housing 210 can protect the mounting bracket 250, the homing signal transmitter 251, the clean water tank 213 and the water replenishment connector 2114 to some extent, which in turn improves the reliability of the mounting bracket 250, the homing signal transmitter 251, the clean water tank 213 and the water replenishment connector 2114. In addition, the base station housing 210 also plays a certain shielding role, which is conductive to improving the cleaning performance and the aesthetics of the base station 200.
Wherein, the homing signal transmitter 251 interacts with the self-moving cleaning device 100 through the operation port 2116, such that the homing signal transmitted by the homing signal transmitter 251 can be reliably received by the self-moving cleaning device 100. In addition, the water replenishment connector 2114 interacts with the self-moving cleaning device 100 through the operation port 2116, for example, the outlet of the water replenishment connector 2114 extends into the accommodating cavity 211 through the operation port 2116, such that the water replenishment connector 2114 extending into the accommodating cavity 211 can be reliably docked with the water filling port of the self-moving cleaning device 100 docked at the accommodating cavity 211 of the base station 200 to ensure the reliability of the water replenishment operation.
It can be understood that the homing signal transmitter 251 and the water replenishment connector 2114 may interact with the self-moving cleaning device 100 through the same operation port 2116, or the homing signal transmitter 251 and the water replenishment connector 2114 may interact with the self-moving cleaning device 100 through different operation ports 2116. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the interior of the base station housing 210 is in communication with the accommodating cavity 211 through at least two operation ports 2116, the homing signal transmitter 251 interacts with the self-moving cleaning device 100 through one operation port or part of the operation ports 2116, and the water replenishment connector 2114 extends into the accommodating cavity 211 through another operation port or other part of the operation ports 2116 to interact with the self-moving cleaning device 100.
As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, in the above embodiment, the homing signal transmitter 251 includes a transmitter 2511 and a carrier frame 2512 connected to each other, i.e., the transmitter 2511 is fixed to the carrier frame 2512, for example, the transmitter 2511 is fixed to the carrier frame 2512 by means of an adhesive, an embedding portion, etc. The transmitter 2511 is opposite to the operation port 2116, which can ensure that the homing signal from the transmitter 2511 is received by the self-moving cleaning device 100.
As shown in FIGS. 10 and 12, the mounting bracket 250 is provided with a first limiting portion 252 detachably connected to the carrier frame 2512. In this way, the accuracy and convenience of the connection between the carrier frame 2512 and the mounting bracket 250 can be improved by limiting the carrier frame 2512 using the first limiting portion 252, which in turn can ensure the assembly accuracy of the homing signal transmitter 251 connected to the mounting bracket 250, reduce the assembly difficulty and facilitate the assembly.
Specifically, the first limiting portion 252 may be a limiting protrusion or a limiting recess, or other limiting structures that meet the requirements. As shown in FIG. 12, the first limiting portion 252 includes two limiting posts, and the carrier frame 2512 is correspondingly provided with two limiting grooves. By correspondingly inserting the limiting posts into the limiting grooves, the carrier frame 2512 and the mounting bracket 250 can be assembled, which is simple to operate. In addition, the two limiting posts and the two limiting grooves cooperate to form two sets of limiting, which ensures the assembly accuracy of the carrier frame 2512 and the mounting bracket 250. It can be understood that the number of the limiting posts may also be other quantities.
As shown in FIG. 11, in some possible embodiments according to the present application, the mounting bracket 250 is provided with a limiting through hole 253, and a part of the water replenishment connector 2114 is limited inside the limiting through hole 253. The provided limiting through hole 253 plays an excellent role in limiting the water replenishment connector 2114, thereby ensuring sufficient assembly accuracy of the water replenishment connector 2114 and the mounting bracket 250. In addition, the assembly difficulty of the water replenishment connector 2114 is reduced, facilitating assembly.
Specifically, the shape of the limiting through hole 253 may match that of a part of the water replenishment connector 2114 to ensure that the limiting through hole 253 has an excellent limiting effect on the water replenishment connector 2114.
As shown in FIGS. 9, 10 and 12, further, the mounting bracket 250 is also provided with a second limiting portion 254, and the base station housing 210 is provided with a first positioning portion 2118. The second limiting portion 254 and the first positioning portion 2118 cooperate to limit the movement of the mounting bracket 250 relative to the base station housing 210. In this way, with the cooperation between the second limiting portion 254 and the first positioning portion 2118, the mounting bracket 250 can be reliably and accurately limited on or connected to the base station housing 210, which is conductive to improving the mounting accuracy of the mounting bracket 250 and the base station housing 210 and reducing the assembly difficulty of the mounting bracket 250 and the base station housing 210, and facilitates the assembly. Meanwhile, sufficient mounting accuracy of the homing signal transmitter 251 and the water replenishment connector 2114 can be ensured to facilitate alignment between the self-moving cleaning device 100 and the base station 200 for the water replenishment operation.
Specifically, the second limiting portion 254 may be a limiting protrusion or a limiting groove, and correspondingly, the first positioning portion 2118 may be of a recessed structure or a raised structure. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the second limiting portion 254 on the mounting bracket 250 is a limiting groove, the base station housing 210 is provided with a positioning post, and the limiting groove and the positioning post cooperate to reliably limit the mounting bracket 250 on the base station housing 210. Specifically, there may be one, two, three or more second limiting portions 254. It can be understood that in order to ensure the reliability of the connection between the mounting bracket 250 and the base station housing 210, the mounting bracket 250 and the base station housing 210 can be further reliably connected by using a connecting part such as a bolt after the movement of the mounting bracket 250 relative to the base station housing 210 is limited by using the second limiting portion 254 and the first positioning portion 2118.
As shown in FIGS. 8, 9, 11 and 12, in some possible embodiments according to the present application, the mounting bracket 250 is further provided with a wire slot 255, and the wire slot 255 is located at an outer edge of the mounting bracket 250. The provided wire slot 255 can play a limiting role on connecting wires and/or connecting pipelines inside the base station housing 210 to some extent, which in turn enables standardized management of the connecting wires and/or connecting pipelines and is conductive to improving the neatness and rationality of the layout of the connecting wires and/or connecting pipelines inside the base station housing 210.
Further, there may be a plurality of wire slots 255, and the plurality of wire slots 255 can store different connecting wires and/or connecting pipelines in a classified manner. For example, the plurality of wire slots 255 may be divided into two categories, corresponding to electric wire slots 255, water pipe slots and the like. In this way, when the base station 200 fails to work, the connecting wires and/or connecting pipelines inside the wire slots 255 of different categories may be inspected and repaired in a targeted manner, which is conductive to improving the maintenance efficiency.
In some possible embodiments of the present application, the base station 200 further includes: a charging docking assembly connected to the mounting bracket 250. At least a part of the charging docking assembly is exposed inside the accommodating cavity 211 and configured to be connected to a charging pole piece of the self-moving cleaning device 100.
In other words, the base station 200 according to the embodiments of the present application can implement a charging operation on the self-moving cleaning device 100. It should be noted that in order to achieve docking between the charging docking assembly on the base station 200 and the charging pole piece on the self-moving cleaning device 100, it is first necessary to align the base station 200 with the self-moving cleaning device. In other words, relative mounting positions of the charging docking assembly and the homing signal transmitter 251 on the base station 200 should be accurate to ensure that after the self-moving cleaning device 100 is aligned with the base station 200 and accurately docked at the base station 200, the charging pole piece of the self-moving cleaning device 100 can be docked with the charging docking assembly on the base station 200. Therefore, the requirements for the assembly accuracy of the charging docking assembly and the homing signal transmitter 251 are relatively high in the process of assembling the base station 200.
Therefore, in the present application, by connecting the charging docking assembly to the mounting bracket 250, the mounting tolerance between the homing signal transmitter 251 and the charging docking assembly can be reduced, which is conductive to the alignment between the self-moving cleaning device 100 and the base station 200 and the charging operation. In other words, in the base station 200 according to the present application, the homing signal transmitter 251, the charging docking assembly and the water replenishment connector 2114 are all mounted on a frame such that the mounting tolerance between the three is further reduced, thereby facilitating the alignment between the self-moving cleaning device 100 and the base station 200, and enabling accurate execution of the water replenishment operation and the charging operation.
As shown in FIGS. 10, 11 and 12, in the above embodiment, the mounting bracket 250 is provided with a third limiting portion 256, and the charging docking assembly includes a charging contact pole piece 2113 and a resetting member that are located inside the base station housing 210. One end of the charging contact pole piece 2113 is rotationally connected to the mounting bracket 250 by the third limiting portion 256, and the other end of the charging contact pole piece 2113 extends into the accommodating cavity 211 through the operation port 2116. The resetting member is connected to the charging contact pole piece 2113 and the mounting bracket 250 and configured to reset the charging contact pole piece 2113 to an initial position.
The initial position of the charging contact pole piece 2113 may be that the other end of the charging contact pole piece 2113 can extend into the accommodating cavity 211, such that the charging contact pole piece 2113 at the initial position can be docked with the charging pole piece of the self-moving cleaning device 100 docked inside the accommodating cavity 211 of the base station 200 to implement the charging operation of the self-moving cleaning device 100.
The charging contact pole piece 2113 is rotationally connected to the mounting bracket 250. For example, the third limiting portion 256 on the mounting bracket 250 is a limiting hole, a rotating shaft is mounted inside the limiting hole, and one end of the charging contact pole piece 2113 is connected to the rotating shaft, such that the charging contact pole piece 2113 is rotatable relative to the mounting bracket 250. Under normal conditions, the charging pole piece of the self-moving cleaning device 100 may continue to move a short distance after being in contact with the charging contact pole piece 2113 initially, so as to ensure a reliable contact between the charging pole piece and the charging contact pole piece 2113 and avoid the occurrence of poor contact. By rotatably connecting the charging contact pole piece 2113 to the mounting bracket 250 and enabling the resetting member for resetting the charging pole piece to the initial position to be connected to the charging contact pole piece 2113 and the mounting bracket 250, when the self-moving cleaning device 100 continues to move a short distance, the charging contact pole piece 2113, after being stressed, can rotate in a direction away from the self-moving cleaning device 100 without being damaged. In addition, under the action of the resetting member, it can be ensured that the charging contact pole piece 2113 is in full contact and reliably docked with the charging pole piece, thereby ensuring the reliability of the charging operation.
It can be understood that after the self-moving cleaning device 100 leaves the base station 200, the charging contact pole piece 2113 may be reset to the initial position under the action of the resetting member, such that the other end of the charging contact pole piece 2113 extends into the accommodating cavity 211.
Further, there are two charging docking assemblies. The two charging docking assemblies are distributed on two sides of the water replenishment connector 2114, i.e., the water replenishment connector 2114 is located between the two charging docking assemblies. The homing signal transmitter 251 is also located between the two charging docking assemblies, thereby making the base station housing 210 compact in structure and smaller in size, and reducing the requirements for the mounting space.
As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, in some possible embodiments according to the present application, the base station 200 further includes a drying fan 257 connected to the mounting bracket 250 and located inside the base station housing 210. An air outlet of the drying fan 257 is in communication with the accommodating cavity 211. The provided drying fan 257 enables a drying operation for the cleaning element 183 docked inside the accommodating cavity 211 of the base station 200, so as to avoid the risk of bacterial growth and odor generation caused by the cleaning element 183 remaining wet for a prolonged time after being wetted, which in turn can improve the cleaning performance of the cleaning element 183.
By connecting the drying fan 257 to the mounting bracket 250, both of the homing signal transmitter 251 and the water replenishment connector 2114 are integrated on the mounting bracket 250, alternatively, the signal transmitter, the water replenishment connector 2114 and the charging docking assembly are all integrated on the mounting bracket 250, which makes the base station 200 compact in structure, reduces the requirements for the mounting space, and simplifies the configuration of a fixing structure for arranging the drying fan 257 on the base station housing 210, thereby being conductive to reducing the manufacturing cost.
As shown in FIG. 3, in some possible embodiments according to the present application, the base station 200 further includes a washing disk 220. The washing disk 220 is arranged on the bottom wall of the accommodating cavity 211, and the washing disk 220 is configured to interfere with the cleaning element 183 of the self-moving cleaning device 100 to remove soiling from the cleaning element 183. The provided washing disk 220 enables the base station 200 to implement the cleaning operation on the self-moving cleaning device 100. Upon completing a mopping operation to remove the soiling, the cleaning element 183 of the self-moving cleaning device 100 may be docked at the base station 200, and the cleaning element 183 is washed by using the washing disk 220, so as to improve the cleaning performance of the cleaning element 183, which in turn improves the cleanability of the self-moving cleaning device 100.
It can be understood that after the self-moving cleaning device 100 is docked at the base station 200, a washing operation may be first performed on the cleaning element 183 by using the washing disk 220, and then a drying operation may be performed on the cleaning element 183 by using the drying fan 257.
As shown in FIG. 5, the washing disk 220 includes a cleaning cavity 2211 and a washing portion 222 located inside the cleaning cavity 2211. The washing portion 222 may interfere with the cleaning element 183 to remove soiling from the cleaning element 183. Further, the washing disk 220 is detachably connected to the base station 200. Therefore, the entire washing disk 220 can be detached from the base station 200, enabling the entire washing disk 220 to be washed, such that both of the washing portion 222 and the cleaning cavity 2211 remain relatively clean, which improves the thoroughness of the washing disk 220 in cleaning and avoids unpleasant odors produced by the soiling that accumulates or remains inside the cleaning cavity for a long time.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, in the above embodiment, the base station 200 further includes a water discharging connector 242, and the water discharging connector 242 is mounted on the base station housing 210. Specifically, the base station housing 210 is provided with a water outlet 2112 located inside the accommodating cavity 211, and the water discharging connector 242 passes through the water outlet 2112. A water intake port 2423 of the water discharging connector 242 is connected to the clean water tank 213, and a water discharging port 2424 of the water discharging connector 242 is exposed inside the accommodating cavity 211. The washing disk 220 includes a water guiding portion 224 located inside the cleaning cavity 2211. A water guiding groove 2241 is formed at the top of the water guiding portion 224, and is located below the water outlet 2112. Therefore, water in the clean water tank 213 can fall into the water guiding groove 2241 through the water discharging port 2424 of the water discharging connector 242. After the cleaning element 183 of the self-moving cleaning device 100 interferes with the water guiding groove 2241 of the water guiding portion 224, water in the water guiding groove 2241 can be dipped by the cleaning element 183. Subsequently, as the cleaning element 183 rotates, water from the water guiding groove 2241 can be continuously dipped at different positions of the cleaning element 183, such that all areas of the cleaning element 183 can be wetted, enabling the cleaning element 183 to be completely and uniformly wetted. The wetted cleaning element 183 interfering with the washing portion 222 can improve the washing effect of the cleaning element 183.
As shown in FIG. 5, in some possible embodiments according to the present application, the water guiding portion 224 is provided with a liquid discharging port 2242 in communication with the water guiding groove 2241. Since the cleaning liquid in the water guiding groove 2241 cannot be completely dipped by the cleaning element 183 of the self-moving cleaning device 100 after the cleaning liquid enters the water guiding groove 2241 of the water guiding portion 224, there may be a case that the cleaning liquid remains in the water guiding groove 2241. By forming the liquid discharging port 2242 in communication with the water guiding groove 2241 in the water guiding portion 224, the remaining cleaning liquid in the water guiding groove 2241 can be discharged from the liquid discharging port 2242, such that the generation of unpleasant odors caused by prolonged residual liquid in the water guiding groove 2241 is prevented, thereby improving the cleaning performance of the water guiding groove 2241. It can be understood that the water guiding portion 224 and the washing portion 222 can also be washed in the process of taking the washing disk 220 down from the base station 200 for washing.
The liquid discharging port 2242 is in communication with the groove bottom of the water guiding groove 2241, such that the residual liquid in the water guiding groove 2241 can be discharged completely through the liquid discharging port 2242, thereby improving the thoroughness in discharging the liquid from the water guiding groove 2241.
The present application has been explained through the above embodiments, but it should be understood that the above embodiments are merely for exemplary and illustrative purposes, and are not intended to limit the present application to the scope of the described embodiments. In addition, it can be understood by those skilled in the art that the present application is not limited to the above embodiments, and more variations and modifications can be made according to the teachings of the present application, all of which fall within the scope of the protection of the present application. The scope of protection of the present application is defined by the appended claims and equivalent scopes thereof.

Claims

A base station, comprising:
a base station housing, a mounting bracket, a homing signal transmitter, a clean water tank and a water replenishment connector, wherein the mounting bracket is detachably connected to the base station housing; both of the homing signal transmitter and the water replenishment connector are connected to the mounting bracket; the homing signal transmitter is configured to transmit a homing signal receivable by a self-moving cleaning device; the clean water tank is mounted on the base station housing; an inlet of the water replenishment connector is connected to the clean water tank; and an outlet of the water replenishment connector is configured for connection with a water filling port of the self-moving cleaning device.
The base station according to claim 1, wherein
the base station housing is provided with an accommodating cavity and an operation port, the operation port is in communication with interiors of the accommodating cavity and the base station housing, and the homing signal transmitter and the water replenishment connector interact with the self-moving cleaning device through the operation port.
The base station according to claim 2, wherein
the homing signal transmitter comprises a transmitting portion and a carrier frame connected to each other, the mounting bracket is provided with a first limiting portion detachably connected to the carrier frame, and the transmitting portion is opposite to the operation port.
The base station according to claim 1, wherein
the mounting bracket is provided with a limiting through hole, and a part of the water replenishment connector is limited inside the limiting through hole.
The base station according to claim 1, wherein
the mounting bracket is also provided with a second limiting portion, the base station housing is provided with a first positioning portion, and the second limiting portion and the first positioning portion cooperate to limit movement of the mounting bracket relative to the base station housing.
The base station according to claim 1, wherein
the mounting bracket is also provided with a wire slot, and the wire slot is located on an outer edge of the mounting bracket.
The base station according to claim 2, further comprising:
a charging docking assembly connected to the mounting bracket, wherein at least a part of the charging docking assembly is exposed inside the accommodating cavity and configured for connection with a charging pole piece of the self-moving cleaning device.
The base station according to claim 7, wherein
the mounting bracket is provided with a third limiting portion, the charging docking assembly comprises a charging contact pole piece and a resetting member that are located inside the base station housing, one end of the charging contact pole piece is rotationally connected to the mounting bracket by the third limiting portion, the other end of the charging contact pole piece extends into the accommodating cavity through the operation port, and the resetting member is connected to the charging contact pole piece and the mounting bracket and configured to reset the charging contact pole piece to an initial position.
The base station according to claim 2, further comprising:
a drying fan connected to the mounting bracket and located inside the base station housing, wherein an air outlet of the drying fan is in communication with the accommodating cavity.
A cleaning robot system, comprising: a self-moving cleaning device; and the base station according to any one of claims 1 to 9.