EP4767900A1

EP4767900A1 - Cleaning order, self-cleaning procedure for cleaning order and electrical device

Info

Publication number: EP4767900A1
Application number: EP25153582.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jian Wang
Original assignee: Versuni Holding BV
Current assignee: Versuni Holding BV
Priority date: 2024-12-30
Filing date: 2025-01-23
Publication date: 2026-07-01

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cleaning assembly, a self-cleaning method for the cleaning assembly, and an electrical device. The cleaning assembly includes a drum; a scraping plate, abutting a cylindrical surface of the drum on a side; a drum cover, connected to the scraping plate and surrounding the drum; a liquid collection chamber, where a part of the cylindrical surface, the scraping plate, and the drum cover enclose the liquid collection chamber; a liquid supply channel, communicating with the liquid collection chamber and configured for pouring a cleaning liquid into the liquid collection chamber or onto a surface of the drum; and a liquid discharge mechanism, communicating with the liquid collection chamber and configured to allow the liquid in the liquid collection chamber to be discharged. The cleaning assembly is configured to: close the liquid discharge mechanism during a drum self-cleaning operation, such that the cleaning liquid accumulates in the liquid collection chamber without being discharged; and use the accumulated cleaning liquid to clean the drum when the drum is driven to rotate towards the scraping plate. In this manner, the electrical device does not need to return to a base station, improving the cleaning effect of the drum and saving time.

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

The present invention relates to cleaning electrical devices, and more specifically, to a cleaning assembly, a self-cleaning method for the cleaning assembly, and an electrical device.

BACKGROUND

Ground cleaning devices are widely used. A ground cleaning device typically includes one or more drums that rotate along a horizontal axis, to serve as a cleaning tool. When the ground cleaning device performs a cleaning operation, the drum contacts a ground surface to be cleaned and can clean the ground surface with the aid of a cleaning liquid. The cleaning liquid, such as clean water, is applied to the ground surface or the drum during the cleaning process. Then, the applied cleaning liquid, along with the cleaned dirt, is transferred under action of the drum, to a dirty liquid receiving container. Due to necessary contact with dirt and dirty liquid, the drum often becomes dirty after performing the surface cleaning operation. In the prior art, an additional base station is set up, and the cleaning device stops the cleaning operation, and returns to and docks at the base station, where the drum is cleaned at a docking position of the base station using a stored cleaning liquid. Because the cleaning device needs to return to and dock at the base station, the cleaning by the drum becomes cumbersome and time-consuming.
Additionally, during the surface cleaning operation, if the drum is already dirty and cannot be cleaned in time, the cleaning ability of the cleaning device is greatly reduced. In this case, the self-cleaning function of the drum during use becomes an important feature, as it can maintain the cleanliness of the drum itself to a certain extent, thereby improving the cleaning effect of the cleaning device.

SUMMARY

An aspect of the present invention provides a cleaning assembly. The cleaning assembly includes a drum; a scraping plate, abutting a cylindrical surface of the drum on a side; a drum cover, connected to the scraping plate and surrounding the drum; a liquid collection chamber, where a part of the cylindrical surface, the scraping plate, and the drum cover enclose the liquid collection chamber; a liquid supply channel, communicating with the liquid collection chamber and configured for pouring a cleaning liquid into the liquid collection chamber or onto a surface of the drum; and a liquid discharge mechanism, communicating with the liquid collection chamber and configured to allow the liquid in the liquid collection chamber to be discharged. The cleaning assembly is configured to: close the liquid discharge mechanism during a drum self-cleaning operation, such that the cleaning liquid accumulates in the liquid collection chamber without being discharged; and use the accumulated cleaning liquid to clean the drum when the drum is driven to rotate towards the scraping plate.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the part of the cylindrical surface of the drum of the cleaning assembly, the drum cover, and the scraping plate form the liquid collection chamber. During the self-cleaning process, the cleaning liquid may be poured into the liquid collection chamber, and the drum may be driven to rotate, thus using the cleaning liquid accumulated in the liquid collection chamber to clean the drum. This process can be performed anytime and anywhere, such that the electrical device does not need to return to a base station, improving the cleaning effect of the drum and saving time.
In some embodiments, the cleaning assembly is further configured to open the liquid discharge mechanism during or after the drum self-cleaning operation, to discharge a dirty liquid in the liquid collection chamber. In these embodiments, with the dirty liquid discharged, the liquid no longer suitable for cleaning the drum can be replaced, improving the cleaning efficiency.
In some embodiments, the liquid discharge mechanism includes: a liquid discharge channel, where a liquid inlet of the liquid discharge channel communicates with the liquid collection chamber, and a liquid outlet of the liquid discharge channel is configured for discharging a dirty liquid; and a closing portion, disposed to be adjacent to the liquid outlet and configured to open or close the liquid outlet. In these embodiments, the opening and closing of the liquid discharge mechanism can be achieved by opening and closing the closing portion and the liquid discharge channel.
In some embodiments, the cleaning assembly further includes an accommodating chamber for accommodating the liquid collection chamber and the drum, and a moving mechanism configured to move the liquid collection chamber. The closing portion is disposed on an inner wall of the accommodating chamber, and the liquid collection chamber is configured to move between a first position and a second position under driving of the moving mechanism, where in a case of the liquid collection chamber being at the first position, the closing portion closes the liquid discharge channel, and in a case of the liquid collection chamber being at the second position, the closing portion is spaced apart from the liquid outlet. In these embodiments, the opening and closing of the closing portion and the liquid discharge channel can be achieved through relative movement therebetween.
In some embodiments, the closing portion includes soft rubber capable of covering the liquid outlet. In these embodiments, the use of soft rubber can achieve a cushioning effect and obtain a better closing effect.
In some embodiments, the moving mechanism has a lifting component, and the cleaning assembly is configured to: lift the liquid collection chamber to the first position, so as to close the liquid discharge mechanism; and lower the liquid collection chamber to the second position, so as to enable the dirty liquid to enter a dirty liquid tank from the liquid outlet. In these embodiments, during the self-cleaning operation, the drum is lifted, such that it no longer contacts the surface to be cleaned, which can improve the self-cleaning efficiency.
In some embodiments, the moving mechanism includes a rotating shaft, and the liquid collection chamber further includes a bracket on another side of the drum, where the rotating shaft is configured to drive the bracket, so as to enable the liquid collection chamber to rotate around the rotating shaft between the first position and the second position.
In some embodiments, the liquid collection chamber further includes a first side wall and a second side wall respectively extending, from ends of the drum cover in a direction parallel to an axis of the drum, in a direction perpendicular to the axis; where the drum is rotatably supported between the first side wall and the second side wall. In these embodiments, the drum is fixed to the liquid collection chamber, allowing the drum to move together with the liquid collection chamber.
In some embodiments, the liquid discharge mechanism includes a pump configured to pump the dirty liquid in the liquid collection chamber to a dirty liquid tank for storing the dirty liquid.
In some embodiments, the liquid supply channel is disposed on the drum cover.
A second aspect of the present invention provides a self-cleaning method for the cleaning assembly. The method includes performing at least one drum self-cleaning operation. The drum self-cleaning operation includes the following steps: closing the liquid discharge mechanism that communicates with the liquid collection chamber of the cleaning assembly; pouring the cleaning liquid into the liquid collection chamber of the cleaning assembly, such that the cleaning liquid accumulates in the liquid collection chamber and contacts the drum of the cleaning assembly; and driving the drum to rotate, so as to clean the drum with the accumulated cleaning liquid.
In some embodiments, the method further includes opening the liquid discharge mechanism during or after the drum self-cleaning operation, to discharge the dirty liquid from the liquid collection chamber.
In some embodiments, the closing the liquid discharge mechanism includes: driving the moving mechanism configured for movement, so as to move the liquid collection chamber from the second position in the accommodating chamber used for accommodating the liquid collection chamber and the drum to the first position, where in a case of the liquid collection chamber being at the first position, the closing portion closes the liquid discharge channel, and in a case of the liquid collection chamber being at the second position, the closing portion is spaced apart from the liquid outlet.
A third aspect of the present invention provides an electrical device. The electrical device includes: a main body; the cleaning assembly, according to the first aspect of the present invention, disposed in the main body; a dirty liquid storage member, configured to receive the dirty liquid from the cleaning assembly; a control unit, configured to control the cleaning assembly; and a cleaning liquid tank, configured to provide the cleaning liquid for the cleaning assembly.
According to one or more embodiments, the electrical device includes any one of the following: a sweeping robot, a mopping robot, a floor washer, a sweeping and mopping robot, or a handheld electric mop.
The foregoing various aspects and advantages of the cleaning assembly are correspondingly applicable to the electrical device according to the present invention, and thus the present invention is not elaborated herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other advantages and designs of the present invention are detailed below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of an example electrical device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of an example cleaning assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3A is a partial three-dimensional diagram of an example cleaning assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram of an example part of an example scraping plate and drum according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an example cleaning assembly according to some embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an example cleaning assembly according to some other embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an example cleaning assembly according to still some embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an example self-cleaning method for the cleaning assembly according to some embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an example device that can be used to implement the embodiments of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Unless otherwise indicated, corresponding numbers and symbols in different drawings generally refer to corresponding regions. The drawings are drawn to clearly illustrate the relevant aspects of the embodiments and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The edges of features shown in the drawings do not necessarily indicate the limits of the features.
In the following description, various specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of various examples of embodiments according to this description. Embodiments may be obtained without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, and the like. In other cases, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the embodiments.
References to "an embodiment" or "an implementation" within the framework of this specification are intended to indicate that a particular configuration, structure, or feature described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Therefore, phrases such as "in embodiments", and "in an embodiment" in various aspects in this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular configuration, structure, or feature may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
Unless otherwise specified, two elements connected together being mentioned indicates a direct connection without any intervening elements, and two elements coupled together being mentioned indicates that the two elements can be connected or coupled via one or more other elements.
The headings/reference numerals used herein are provided merely for convenience in reading and do not limit the scope of protection or the range of embodiments. Same or similar elements are identified using the same reference numerals.
As discussed above, in the related art, an electrical device typically needs to return to a base station after operating for a period of time, dock at the base station to achieve self-cleaning of the drum in the cleaning device, and leave the base station to perform cleaning operation again after self-cleaning is completed. Such arrangement is not flexible enough, wastes time, and leads to poor user experience.
In view of this, the present invention provides a cleaning assembly capable of performing a self-cleaning operation at any time. In the cleaning assembly, a part of the cylindrical surface of a drum of the cleaning assembly, a drum cover, and a scraping plate form a liquid collection chamber. During the self-cleaning process, a cleaning liquid may be poured into the liquid collection chamber, and the drum may be driven to rotate, thus using the cleaning liquid accumulated in the liquid collection chamber to clean the drum. This process can be performed anytime and anywhere, such that the electrical device does not need to return to a base station, improving the cleaning effect of the drum and saving time.
FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of an example electrical device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the electrical device 1 may, for example, travel on a ground surface to be cleaned, so as to clean the ground surface to be cleaned. The electrical device 1 includes a main body 30. The main body 30 is provided with the cleaning assembly 10 therein for performing a cleaning operation, a dirty liquid tank 20 for receiving a liquid from the cleaning assembly 10, and a cleaning liquid tank 40 for providing a cleaning liquid to the cleaning assembly 10. In addition, the electrical device 1 further includes a control unit 50 for receiving an instruction from a user and executing the instruction to control an electrical component in the electrical device 1. The control unit 50 can, for example, control the cleaning assembly 10 to perform the self-cleaning operation according to embodiments of the present invention. In some embodiments, the main body 30 may include a cleaning module and a host module. For example, the cleaning module may include the cleaning assembly 10, the dirty liquid tank 20, and the cleaning liquid tank 40, and the host module may include the control unit 50 and a power source providing power to the electrical device 1.
The cleaning assembly 10 includes a drum 100. The drum 100 can rotate around a rotation axis A in a first rotation direction R1 to clean the surface to be cleaned. The cleaning assembly 10 further includes a scraping plate 210. The scraping plate 210 abuts against a cylindrical surface 110 of the drum 100 on a side facing the dirty liquid tank 20. The cleaning assembly 10 further includes a drum cover 230. The drum cover 230 is connected to the scraping plate 210 and surrounds at least part of the drum 100. The drum cover 230, the scraping plate 210, and a part 220 of the cylindrical surface of the drum jointly enclose a liquid collection chamber 200, so as to accumulate a cleaning liquid in the liquid collection chamber 200.
In addition, the cleaning assembly 10 further includes a liquid supply channel 300. The liquid supply channel 300 communicates with the liquid collection chamber 200 and is configured for pouring a cleaning liquid into the liquid collection chamber 200 or onto a surface of the drum 100, such that the cleaning liquid can accumulate in the liquid collection chamber 200. It can be understood that for the cleaning device, the cleaning liquid, such as clean water, is poured to wet the drum 100, allowing the cleaning device to perform the cleaning operation such as wet mopping. In addition, as an end of the scraping plate 210 abuts against the drum 100, the liquid on the drum 100 can be scraped off, accumulating in the liquid collection chamber 200. The cleaning assembly 10 further includes a liquid discharge mechanism 400. The liquid discharge mechanism 400 communicates with the liquid collection chamber 200 and is configured to allow the liquid in the liquid collection chamber 200 to be discharged. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the liquid discharge mechanism 400 is directed towards the dirty liquid tank 20, allowing the liquid in the liquid collection chamber 200 to be discharged into the dirty liquid tank 20.
When the surface to be cleaned is cleaned, the electrical device 1 with the cleaning assembly 10 travels on the surface to be cleaned, for example, under the action of driving wheels, and the drum 100 rotates in a first rotational direction R1 opposite to the driving wheels to clean the surface to be cleaned. After the drum 100 contacts the surface to be cleaned, it adsorbs dirt and/or dirty liquid on the surface to be cleaned. With the continuous rotation, the dirt and/or dirty liquid remaining on the drum 100 reaches the scraping plate 210, and is scraped off to accumulate at an abutting point between the scraping plate 210 and the part 220 of the drum 100 forming the liquid collection chamber and is allowed to be discharged into the dirty liquid tank 20 through the liquid discharge mechanism 400.
When the cleaning device 1 automatically identifies that a dirt level of the drum reaches a specific threshold, or when the cleaning device 1 cleans the surface to be cleaned but at predetermined intervals, or after the cleaning device 1 completes cleaning the surface to be cleaned, or when the user determines that the drum 100 needs self-cleaning, the real-time self-cleaning function of the drum 100 is enabled.
Specifically, when the control unit 50 receives an instruction to perform the drum self-cleaning operation, the control unit 50 closes the liquid discharge mechanism 400 and pours the cleaning liquid into the liquid collection chamber 200 through the liquid supply channel 300. After the cleaning liquid enters the liquid collection chamber 200, it is absorbed by the surface of the drum 100. For example, the surface of the drum 100 is in an interference fitting with the scraping plate 210, such that when the drum 100 is driven to rotate towards the scraping plate 210, the scraping plate 210 scrapes off the cleaning liquid absorbed by the surface of the drum 100, causing it to accumulate in the liquid collection chamber 200 with the outlet closed. As the drum 100 continuously rotates, the drum 100 can be repeatedly cleaned using the accumulated cleaning liquid in the liquid collection chamber 200. This achieves the cleaning of the drum 100 at any time without the need to place the electrical device 1 in a dedicated cleaning station. Afterward, when the cleaning liquid in the liquid collection chamber 200 becomes sufficiently dirty or a predetermined self-cleaning time or the predetermined number of drum rotations is reached, the liquid discharge mechanism is opened, and the dirty liquid in the liquid collection chamber 200 continues to flow into the dirty liquid tank 20. Alternatively, the cleaning liquid can be directly poured into another part of the liquid collection chamber 200, instead of directly onto the water-absorbing surface of the drum.
It should be understood that although in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the electrical device 1 is a cleaning robot, the electrical device 1 according to the present invention may alternatively be a mopping robot, a floor washer, a sweeping and mopping robot, a handheld electric mop, or any device with a cylindrical rotating portion for cleaning the surface to be cleaned. Additionally, positions of the parts in the electrical device 1 shown in FIG. 1 are merely exemplary. The positions of the devices may be applied to all structures capable of achieving the self-cleaning operation of the embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of an example cleaning assembly 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the cleaning assembly 10 includes a drum 100. The drum 100 can rotate around a rotation axis A in a first rotation direction R1 to clean a surface to be cleaned. A liquid collection chamber 200 of the cleaning assembly 10 is connected to the drum 100. The liquid collection chamber 200 includes a scraping plate 210, a part 220 of a cylindrical surface of the drum, and a drum cover 230.
The drum 100 of the cleaning assembly 10 includes a cylindrical body located in the middle and the cylindrical surface 110 arranged circumferentially on an outer side of a cylindrical body around the axis A. In some embodiments, the cylindrical surface 110 may include a flexible water-absorbing material with bristles. The scraping plate 210 of the liquid collection chamber 200 abuts against the cylindrical surface 110 and is configured to receive a liquid from the cylindrical surface 110 of the drum 100. The scraping plate 210 includes an outer end connected to the drum cover 230 and an inner end abutting against the cylindrical surface 110. The scraping plate 210 defines part of the bottom of the liquid collection chamber 200. The outer end of the scraping plate 210 abuts against the cylindrical surface 110 at a first cylindrical surface position 111.
The drum cover 230 of the liquid collection chamber 200 extends from the outer end of the scraping plate 210 around the axis A in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction R1 and is spaced apart from the cylindrical surface 110. Part of the drum cover 230 connected to the scraping plate 210 defines a side portion of the liquid collection chamber 200, and the subsequent part defines an upper portion of the liquid collection chamber 200.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a liquid supply channel 300 is provided in the drum cover 230, and an opening of the liquid supply channel 300 faces a second cylindrical surface position 112 on the cylindrical surface 110, such that when the liquid flows from the liquid supply channel 300 onto the cylindrical surface 110, the liquid is absorbed by the cylindrical surface 110. When the drum 100 is driven to rotate towards the scraping plate 210, the cylindrical surface 110 of the drum 100 contacts the scraping plate 210, and the cleaning liquid absorbed by the cylindrical surface 110 of the drum 100 is scraped by the scraping plate 210, causing the cleaning liquid to accumulate in the liquid collection chamber 200 with the outlet closed. In other words, a part of the cylindrical surface 110 between the first cylindrical surface position 111 and the second cylindrical surface position 112 defines another side portion of the liquid collection chamber 200.
The cleaning assembly 10 further includes a liquid discharge mechanism 400. The liquid discharge mechanism 400 communicates with the liquid collection chamber 200 and is configured to allow the liquid in the liquid collection chamber 200 to be discharged. As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid discharge mechanism 400 includes a liquid discharge channel 410. The liquid discharge channel 410 includes a liquid inlet 411 and a liquid outlet 412 provided at two ends. The liquid inlet 411 is located on the drum cover 230, such that the liquid discharge channel 410 communicates with the liquid collection chamber 200. In an assembly case, the liquid outlet 412 faces the dirty liquid tank 20, such that the liquid from the liquid collection chamber 200 can be discharged into the dirty liquid tank 20 via the liquid outlet 412.
Additionally, the liquid discharge mechanism 400 further includes a closing portion 420. The closing portion 420 is disposed to be adjacent to the liquid outlet 412 and configured to open or close the liquid outlet 412. In some embodiments, the closing portion 420 may be hinged at the liquid outlet 412, such that the liquid outlet 412 can be opened or the liquid outlet 412 can be closed under the control of a control unit 50. It should be understood that the term "close" here means that the closing portion 420 covers the liquid outlet 412, such that the liquid in the liquid collection chamber 200 can be stored and used for achieving self-cleaning of the drum 100. This includes a situation where the closing portion 420 completely seals the liquid outlet 412 or does not completely seal it, resulting in a small part of the dirty liquid flowing out of the liquid outlet 412. When it is not completely sealed, part of the dirty liquid may flow out, but it flows into the dirty liquid tank 20, which is still a feasible implementation.
In this embodiment, when the closing portion 420 closes the liquid outlet 412, the liquid from the liquid supply channel 300 accumulates in the liquid collection chamber 200 formed by the part of the cylindrical surface 110 between the first cylindrical surface position 111 and the second cylindrical surface position 112, the scraping plate 210, and the drum cover 230. In addition, the control unit 50 controls the drum 100 to rotate in the first rotational direction, that is, towards the scraping plate 210. In this case, the liquid in the liquid collection chamber 200 ensures that part of the liquid always contacts a portion of the drum 100, continuously contacting the cylindrical surface 110 of the drum 100 as the drum 100 rotates, so as to clean the cylindrical surface 110, thereby achieving the self-cleaning effect of the drum.
In some embodiments, when the control unit 50 detects that the accumulated liquid has reached a predetermined volume, the control unit 50 can stop pouring the cleaning liquid through the liquid supply channel 300. In some other embodiments, when the control unit 50 determines some defined conditions where the accumulated liquid has become dirty and is no longer suitable for cleaning, or the drum rotation cleaning has reached a certain time, or the number of rotations has reached a preset threshold, or the like, the control unit 50 can open the liquid discharge mechanism 400 to discharge the dirty liquid. Upon determining that the dirty liquid has been discharged, the control unit 50 can close the liquid discharge mechanism 400 again and pour a cleaning liquid again to clean the drum 100. Thus, the cleaning operation is cycled until the drum 100 achieves the preset self-cleaning requirements.
FIG. 3A is a partial three-dimensional diagram of an example electrical device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3A, the illustrated part includes the cleaning assembly 10 according to the embodiments of the present invention and the dirty liquid tank 20 corresponding to the cleaning assembly 10. The dirty liquid tank 20 includes a tank opening 21. The tank opening 21 is aligned with the liquid discharge mechanism 400 of the cleaning assembly 10, such that the dirty liquid from the liquid collection chamber of the cleaning assembly 10 guided by the liquid discharge mechanism 400 can enter the dirty liquid tank 20 via the tank opening 21.
In FIG. 3A, the drum cover 230 of the cleaning assembly 10 is mainly shown. The drum cover 230 includes end caps forming a first side wall 260 and a second side wall 270 of the liquid collection chamber 200. The drum 100 is rotatably supported between the first side wall 260 and the second side wall 270. The cleaning assembly 10 further includes a bracket 250 on another side of the drum 100 opposite the scraping plate. The bracket 250 is fixed to a main body 30 of an electrical device 1.
The liquid discharge channel 410 of the liquid discharge mechanism 400 extends from the drum cover 230 in a direction leaving the drum 100, such that a liquid outlet 412 of the liquid discharge channel 410 faces the tank opening 21 of the dirty liquid tank 20.
FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram of an example part of an example scraping plate and drum according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3B, the illustrated part does not include part of the top of the drum cover 230. It can be understood that the omission of part of the top herein is to more clearly illustrate the liquid discharge channel 410 and the liquid collection chamber 200. As shown in FIG. 3B, the scraping plate 210 is in close contact with the cylindrical surface 110. The liquid discharge mechanism 400 is located in the middle in the direction parallel to the axis of the drum 100. In some embodiments, a distance of the scraping plate 210 from a section A is U-shaped in the direction parallel to the axis of the drum 100, and the bottom of the U-shape is located in the middle where the liquid discharge mechanism 400 is located, such that the dirty liquid in the liquid collection chamber can be guided to the liquid discharge mechanism 400 under the action of gravity.
In some embodiments, the liquid discharge channel 410 of the liquid discharge mechanism 400 may be fixed in the electrical device 1, while the closing portion 420 may approach or leave the liquid discharge channel 410, so as to close or open the liquid discharge mechanism 400. In some other embodiments, the closing portion 420 of the liquid discharge mechanism 400 may be fixed in the electrical device 1, while the liquid discharge channel 410 may approach or leave the closing portion 420, so as to close or open the liquid discharge mechanism 400. For example, the cleaning assembly 10 may further include an accommodating chamber for accommodating the liquid collection chamber 200 and the drum 100, and a moving mechanism for moving the liquid collection chamber 200. The closing portion 420 is fixed to an inner wall of the accommodating chamber, and the liquid collection chamber 200 is configured to move between a first position and a second position under driving of the moving mechanism. In a case of the liquid collection chamber 200 being at the first position, the closing portion 420 closes the liquid discharge channel 410, and in a case of the liquid collection chamber 200 being at the second position, the closing portion 420 is spaced apart from the liquid outlet 412.
A solution for fixing the closing portion 420 is described below with reference to FIGs. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an example cleaning assembly 10 according to some embodiments of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, the cleaning assembly 10 includes a drum 100 and a liquid collection chamber 200. The liquid collection chamber 200 includes a scraping plate 210, a part 220 of a cylindrical surface of the drum, and a drum cover 230. The drum 100 and the liquid collection chamber 200 move together. For example, the drum 100 may be supported between two side walls of the liquid collection chamber 200.
The cleaning assembly 10 further includes a liquid supply channel 300 provided in the drum cover 230. The cleaning assembly 10 further includes a liquid discharge mechanism 400. The liquid discharge mechanism 400 communicates with the liquid collection chamber 200 and is configured to allow the liquid in the liquid collection chamber 200 to be discharged. As shown in FIG. 4, the liquid discharge mechanism 400 includes a liquid discharge channel 410. The liquid discharge channel 410 is fixed on the drum cover 230 and can move with the drum cover 230. Additionally, the liquid discharge mechanism 400 further includes a closing portion 420. The closing portion 420 is fixed on an inner wall 510 of the accommodating chamber 500. In some embodiments, the closing portion 420 includes soft rubber capable of covering the liquid outlet. In these embodiments, the soft rubber can buffer the connection with the liquid discharge channel 410, allowing for better closing.
The cleaning assembly 10 further includes a moving mechanism 600 configured to move the liquid collection chamber 200 and the drum 100. The moving mechanism 600 may include a lifting component. The lifting component may lift the liquid collection chamber 200 to a first position, so as to close the liquid discharge mechanism 400. The lifting component may further lower the liquid collection chamber 200 to a second position, such that the dirty liquid enters a dirty liquid tank 20 from a liquid outlet 412.
In the embodiments shown in FIG. 4, the lifting component is a rotating lifting component, which includes a rotating shaft 610. The liquid collection chamber 200 and the drum 100 are hinged to a main body of an electrical device via the rotating shaft 610 and can rotate around an axis of the rotating shaft 610 between the first position and the second position under the driving of the rotating shaft 610. At the second position, the drum 100 extends out of the accommodating chamber 500 from the bottom and contacts the surface to be cleaned. In this case, the closing portion 420 is spaced apart from the liquid discharge channel 410, meaning that the liquid discharge mechanism 400 is opened. Conversely, at the first position, the drum 100 retracts from the bottom into the accommodating chamber 500 and no longer contacts the surface to be cleaned. In this case, the closing portion 420 contacts the liquid discharge channel 410 and covers the liquid outlet of the liquid discharge channel 410, meaning that the liquid discharge mechanism 400 is closed. Performing the self-cleaning operation in this state can prevent the drum 100 from contacting the surface to be cleaned, thereby improving the self-cleaning efficiency.
In some embodiments, the rotating lifting component may include a motor configured to drive the rotating shaft 610. In these embodiments, the control unit 50 can control the motor to operate the rotation of the rotating shaft 610.
FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an example cleaning assembly 10 according to some other embodiments of the present invention. In the embodiments shown in FIG. 5, the lifting component is a translational lifting component 620. The liquid collection chamber 200 and the drum 100 are fixed to the main body of the electrical device via the translational lifting component 620, and can rotate between the first position and the second position in the vertical direction under the driving of the translational lifting component 620. At the second position, the drum 100 extends out of the accommodating chamber 500 from the bottom and contacts the surface to be cleaned. In this case, the closing portion 420 is spaced apart from the liquid discharge channel 410, meaning that the liquid discharge mechanism 400 is opened. Conversely, at the first position, the drum 100 retracts from the bottom into the accommodating chamber 500 and no longer contacts the surface to be cleaned. In this case, the closing portion 420 contacts the liquid discharge channel 410 and covers the liquid outlet of the liquid discharge channel 410, meaning that the liquid discharge mechanism 400 is closed.
FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an example cleaning assembly 10 according to still some embodiments of the present invention. In the embodiments shown in FIG. 6, the cleaning assembly 10 includes no moving component, and the liquid discharging mechanism is not realized through the opening and closing of the liquid discharge channel. Herein, the liquid discharge mechanism 400 of the cleaning assembly 10 includes a pump 430. The pump 430 enables communication between the liquid collection chamber 200 and the dirty liquid tank 20. Thus, the pump 430 may be activated under the control of the control unit 50 to pump the liquid in the liquid collection chamber 200 to the dirty liquid tank 20. The pump 430 may also be deactivated under the control of the control unit 50 to stop the pumping. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the control of the liquid in the liquid collection chamber 200 can be achieved through the activation and deactivation of the pump.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an example self-cleaning method 700 for the cleaning assembly according to some embodiments of the present invention. The cleaning assembly may include, for example, a liquid collection chamber for accumulation of the cleaning liquid. Part of the liquid collection chamber is defined by the cylindrical surface of the drum. The cleaning assembly includes a liquid discharge mechanism that communicates with the liquid collection chamber. In a case that the liquid discharge mechanism is closed, the cleaning liquid poured into the liquid collection chamber can accumulate in the liquid collection chamber and contact part of the liquid collection chamber. The present invention is not intended to limit the structure of the liquid collection chamber. For example, the cleaning assembly may be the cleaning assembly 10 shown in FIGs. 1 to 6. For example, the self-cleaning method 700 may be executed by the control unit 50 shown in FIG. 1.
As shown in FIG. 7, at 702, the control unit 50 closes the liquid discharge mechanism that communicates with the liquid collection chamber 200 of the cleaning assembly 10. At 704, the control unit 50 pours the cleaning liquid into the liquid collection chamber of the cleaning assembly, such that the cleaning liquid accumulates in the liquid collection chamber (200) and contacts the drum 100 of the cleaning assembly 10. At 706, the control unit 50 drives the drum 100 to rotate, so as to use the accumulated cleaning liquid to clean the drum 100. It should be understood that the actions performed at 704 and 706 can be carried out simultaneously.
In some embodiments, the self-cleaning method 700 may be performed multiple times. In some embodiments, the self-cleaning method 700 further includes opening the liquid discharge mechanism 400 during or after the drum self-cleaning operation, to discharge the dirty liquid from the liquid collection chamber 200.
FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram of an example device 800 that can be used to implement the embodiments in the content of the present invention. The device 800 may be the controller 180 shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 5, the device 800 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 801, which can execute various appropriate actions and processes according to computer program instructions stored in the read-only memory (ROM) 802 or computer program instructions loaded from the storage unit 808 into the random access memory (RAM) 803. Various programs and data required for the operation of the device 800 may also be stored on the RAM 803. The CPU 801, ROM 802, and RAM 803 are interconnected via a bus 804. An input/output (I/O) interface 805 is also connected to the bus 804.
Various components in the device 800 are connected to the I/O interface 805, including: input units 806 such as a keyboard and a mouse; output units 807 such as various types of displays and speakers; storage units 808 such as a magnetic disk and an optical disk; and communication units 809 such as a network card, a modem, and a wireless communication transceiver. The communication unit 809 allows the device 800 to exchange information/data with other devices through a computer network such as the Internet and/or various telecommunication networks.
The various processes and procedures described above, such as the method 700, may be executed by the processing unit 801. For example, in some embodiments, the method 700 may be implemented as a computer software program tangibly embodied on a machine-readable medium such as a storage unit 808. In some embodiments, some or all of the computer programs may be loaded and/or installed on the device 800 by using the ROM 802 and/or the communication unit 809. When the computer program is loaded onto the RAM 803 and executed by CPU 801, one or more actions of the method 700 may be executed.
The present invention may be a method, apparatus, system, and/or computer program product. The computer program product may include a computer-readable storage medium containing computer-readable program instructions for performing various aspects of the present invention.
The computer-readable storage medium may be a tangible device that retains and stores instructions for use by an instruction execution device. The computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the above. More specific examples of the computer-readable storage medium (non-exhaustive list) include: portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), static random access memory (SRAM), portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disk (DVD), memory sticks, floppy disks, and mechanical encoding devices, such as punch cards with instructions stored thereon or raised structures in grooves, and any suitable combination of the above. The computer-readable storage medium used herein is not to be interpreted as a transitory signal itself, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagated through waveguides or other transmission media (for example, light pulses through fiber optic cables), or electrical signals transmitted through wires.
The computer-readable program instructions described herein may be downloaded from the computer-readable storage medium to various computing/processing devices or downloaded to external computers or external storage devices through networks such as the Internet, local area networks, wide area networks, and/or wireless networks. The networks may include copper transmission cables, fiber optic transmission, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers, and/or edge servers. The network adapter or network interface in each computing/processing device receives the computer-readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer-readable program instructions for storage on the computer-readable storage medium of each computing/processing device.
The computer program instructions for performing the operations of the present invention may be assembly instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, and the programming languages include object-oriented programming languages such as Smalltalk, C++, and conventional procedural programming languages such as "C" or similar programming languages. The computer-readable program instructions may be executed entirely on the user's computer; partially on the user's computer; as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer; or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the case of the remote computer, the remote computer may connect to the user's computer through any type of network, including local area networks (LAN) or wide area networks (WAN), or may connect to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet service provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuits such as programmable logic circuits, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or programmable logic arrays (PLA) can be customized using state information of the computer-readable program instructions, allowing these electronic circuits to execute the computer-readable program instructions, thereby implementing various aspects of the present invention.
Various aspects of the present invention are described with reference to the flowcharts and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatuses (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that each block in the flowcharts and/or block diagrams and a combination of blocks in the flowcharts and/or block diagrams can be implemented by computer-readable program instructions.
These computer-readable program instructions may be provided to a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or processing units of other programmable data processing apparatuses, so as to produce a machine, such that when these instructions are executed by the computer or other programmable data processing apparatuses, an apparatus is generated to implement the functions/actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowcharts and/or block diagrams. The computer-readable program instructions may alternatively be stored on a computer-readable storage medium, and these instructions enable a computer, programmable data processing device, and/or other devices to work in a specific manner. Therefore, the computer-readable medium with instructions stored thereon includes a manufactured article, which includes instructions for implementing the functions/actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowcharts and/or block diagrams.
The computer-readable program instructions may further be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatuses, or other devices, causing a series of operational steps to be executed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatuses, or other devices, to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions are executed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatuses, or other devices, to implement the functions/actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowcharts and/or block diagrams.
The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate possible implementations of the architectures, functions, and operations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to multiple embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowcharts or block diagrams may represent a module, a program segment, or a partial instruction, and the module, the program segment, or the partial instruction includes one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function. In some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the blocks may alternatively occur in a different order from those marked in the accompanying drawings. For example, two successive blocks actually may be executed in parallel substantially, or may be executed in reverse order sometimes, depending on the functions involved. It should be further noted that each block in the block diagrams and/or the flowcharts and a combination of the blocks in the block diagrams and/or the flowcharts may be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system for executing a specified function or action or may be implemented by a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.
Through the teachings given in the above description and the related drawings, many modifications and other implementations of the present invention presented herein will be recognized by those skilled in the related art of the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the implementations of the present invention are not limited to the specific implementations disclosed, and modifications and other implementations are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention. Additionally, although exemplary implementations are described above with reference to related drawings in the context of certain exemplary combinations of components and/or functions, it should be realized that alternative implementations may provide different combinations of components and/or functions without departing from the scope of the present invention. In this regard, for example, other combinations of components and/or functions different from those explicitly described above are also anticipated to be within the scope of the present invention. Although specific terms are used herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims

A cleaning assembly (10), characterized by comprising:
a drum (100);

a scraping plate (210), abutting a cylindrical surface of the drum (100) on a side;

a drum cover (230), connected to the scraping plate (210) and surrounding the drum (100); a liquid collection chamber (200), wherein a part (220) of the cylindrical surface, the scraping plate (210), and the drum cover (230) enclose the liquid collection chamber;

a liquid supply channel (300), communicating with the liquid collection chamber (200) and configured for pouring a cleaning liquid into the liquid collection chamber (200) or onto a surface of the drum (100); and

a liquid discharge mechanism (400), communicating with the liquid collection chamber (200) and configured to allow the liquid in the liquid collection chamber (200) to be discharged; wherein

the cleaning assembly (10) is configured to:
close the liquid discharge mechanism (400) during a drum self-cleaning operation, such that the cleaning liquid accumulates in the liquid collection chamber (200) without being discharged; and

use the accumulated cleaning liquid to clean the drum (100) when the drum is driven to rotate towards the scraping plate (210).
The cleaning assembly (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the cleaning assembly (10) is further configured to:
open the liquid discharge mechanism (400) during or after the drum self-cleaning operation, to discharge a dirty liquid in the liquid collection chamber (200).
The cleaning assembly (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the liquid discharge mechanism (400) comprises:
a liquid discharge channel (410), wherein a liquid inlet (411) of the liquid discharge channel communicates with the liquid collection chamber (200), and a liquid outlet (412) of the liquid discharge channel is configured for discharging a dirty liquid; and

a closing portion (420), disposed to be adjacent to the liquid outlet (412) and configured to open or close the liquid outlet (412).
The cleaning assembly (10) according to claim 3, characterized by further comprising an accommodating chamber (500) for accommodating the liquid collection chamber (200) and the drum (100), and a moving mechanism (600) configured to move the liquid collection chamber (200); wherein
the closing portion (420) is disposed on an inner wall (510) of the accommodating chamber (500), and the liquid collection chamber (200) is configured to move between a first position and a second position under driving of the moving mechanism (600), wherein in a case of the liquid collection chamber (200) being at the first position, the closing portion (420) closes the liquid discharge channel (410), and in a case of the liquid collection chamber (200) being at the second position, the closing portion (420) is spaced apart from the liquid outlet (412).
The cleaning assembly (10) according to claim 4, characterized in that the closing portion (420) comprises soft rubber capable of covering the liquid outlet (412).
The cleaning assembly (10) according to claim 4, characterized in that the moving mechanism (600) has a lifting component, and the cleaning assembly (10) is configured to:
lift the liquid collection chamber (200) to the first position, so as to close the liquid discharge mechanism (400); and

lower the liquid collection chamber (200) to the second position, so as to enable the dirty liquid to enter a dirty liquid tank from the liquid outlet (412).
The cleaning assembly (10) according to claim 4, characterized in that the moving mechanism (600) comprises a rotating shaft (610), and the liquid collection chamber (200) further comprises a bracket (250) on another side of the drum, wherein the rotating shaft (610) is configured to drive the bracket (250), so as to enable the liquid collection chamber (200) to rotate around the rotating shaft (610) between the first position and the second position.
The cleaning assembly (10) according to claim 7, characterized in that the liquid collection chamber (200) further comprises:
a first side wall (260) and a second side wall (270) respectively extending, from ends of the drum cover in a direction parallel to an axis (A) of the drum, in a direction perpendicular to the axis (A);

wherein the drum is rotatably supported between the first side wall and the second side wall.
The cleaning assembly (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the liquid discharge mechanism (400) comprises a pump (430) configured to pump the liquid in the liquid collection chamber (200) to a dirty liquid tank (20) for storing a dirty liquid.
The cleaning assembly (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the liquid supply channel (300) is disposed on the drum cover (230).
A self-cleaning method for the cleaning assembly (10), characterized in that the method comprises performing at least one drum self-cleaning operation, and the drum self-cleaning operation comprises the following steps:
closing the liquid discharge mechanism (400) that communicates with the liquid collection chamber (200) of the cleaning assembly (10);

pouring the cleaning liquid into the liquid collection chamber (200) of the cleaning assembly (10), such that the cleaning liquid accumulates in the liquid collection chamber (200) and contacts the drum (100) of the cleaning assembly (10); and

driving the drum (100) to rotate, so as to clean the drum (100) with the accumulated cleaning liquid.
The method according to claim 11, characterized by further comprising:
opening the liquid discharge mechanism (400) during or after the drum self-cleaning operation, to discharge the dirty liquid from the liquid collection chamber (200).
The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the closing the liquid discharge mechanism (400) comprises:
moving the liquid collection chamber (200) from the second position to the first position.
An electrical device (1), characterized by comprising:
a main body (30);

the cleaning assembly (10), according to any one of claims 1 to 10, disposed in the main body;

a dirty liquid storage member (20), configured to receive the dirty liquid from the cleaning assembly;

a cleaning liquid tank (40), configured to provide the cleaning liquid for the cleaning assembly (10); and

a control unit (50), configured to control the cleaning assembly (10).
The electrical device (1) according to claim 14, characterized in that the electrical device (1) comprises any one of the following: a sweeping robot, a mopping robot, a floor washer, a sweeping and mopping robot, or a handheld electric mop.