TW202214361A - 3-in-1 cleaning robot - Google Patents

Abstract

Aspects of the invention separate the drive mechanism and the cleaning elements of a cleaning robot in an arrangement so that the drive mechanism may maneuver freely while enable the cleaning elements to perform the cleaning operations. In another embodiment, the system may further include a cleaning robot that include a bore, an opening, or a cavity for a drive train to be positioned or enclosed therein. Such drive train is a separate unit and may be removed. In yet another embodiment, a cleaning robot configured to clean an air-conditioning conduit comprising two rotatable brushes disposed at the front of the frame, two side wheels disposed on each side of the back of the frame, a vacuum system installed within the frame, a mopping system installed within the frame, a liquid tank configured to hold cleaning liquid and supplying such cleaning liquid to the mopping system.

Description

3-in-1 cleaning robot

Aspects of the present invention relate generally to the field of hard surface cleaning devices. In particular, the present invention relates to cleaning and disinfection systems. More particularly, aspects of the invention relate to systems and methods for controlling automated or remotely controlled mobile robots to clean the interior of conduits.

technical background

Hard interior floors or surfaces have been used in a variety of environments, such as building lobbies, domestic living spaces, and the like. To facilitate cleaning and mopping of the floor surface, vacuum cleaners have been used to facilitate this task. Advances in motion detection, fast processing, and portable batteries have made automated or machine cleaning devices feasible. For example, Figure 1 shows some examples of bottom views of a typical motor-driven cleaning and mopping robot. In one example, the robot may include front side brushes and front brushes. The robot may also include sensors to sense obstacles. Furthermore, the robot may further include a portable battery, a motor for driving the robot, a set of central brushes and a vacuum. In some embodiments, the robot may include a mop or dustbin to collect dirt from the vacuum cleaner.

2 and 3 similarly provide examples of existing mobile cleaning robots. They confirm that the mobile robots all have a drive mechanism that is part of the cleaning robot. In other words, the drive mechanism is located in the same housing as the cleaning robot.

These designs achieve their goals but do not cover industrial environments, including hard floor surfaces in confined spaces such as trains, subway cars, engine rooms, etc. In particular, gangway connections between train or subway cars create uneven surfaces, making it difficult for existing floor cleaning robots. Since the drive mechanism or wheels are housed with the cleaning elements, uneven surfaces may disable the robot from advancing and disabling.

Furthermore, the inside of the air-conditioning duct is difficult to clean. It has to be done manually and is difficult for personnel to clean properly. In addition, the small and limited space within the duct makes cleaning quite difficult and uncomfortable for personnel. There may be corpses in the air conditioning ducts. Therefore, disinfection using non-contact cleaning/disinfection methods (eg, UV light) may not be effective.

Based on these circumstances, the air conditioning ducts are not cleaned very often. In this way, it produces a state in which bacteria, viruses, molds, etc., whose particles can easily grow and spread in the air. Additionally, trash or other objects, although crushable, may be difficult to crush due to the confined space. However, if not crushed, it will occupy a larger volume.

In view of the foregoing background, it is desirable to provide better solutions to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art.

Aspects of the present invention separate the drive mechanism and the cleaning element in an arrangement that allows the drive mechanism to be freely manipulated while allowing the cleaning element to perform cleaning operations.

In other embodiments, the system may further include a cleaning robot that includes bores, openings, or cavities for the transmission system to be positioned or enclosed therein. This drive train is a separate unit and can be removed.

Yet another aspect of the present invention provides a mobile robotic system for automating air conditioning duct cleaning. In one aspect, the cleaning robot may sweep and vacuum the surface. In another aspect, the cleaning robot may mop the surface before then spreading the disinfecting solution on the surface.

Embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof and show, by way of illustration, specific exemplary embodiments that may be practiced. These illustrations and illustrative embodiments may be provided and understood by the present invention as an illustration of the principles of one or more embodiments, and are not intended to limit any one embodiment shown. Embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will be relevant to the art Those of ordinary skill fully convey the scope of the embodiments. In particular, the present invention can be implemented as a method, system, computer-readable medium, apparatus or apparatus. Accordingly, the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Therefore, the following detailed description should not be taken in a limiting sense.

In one aspect, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes sterilization as the process of destroying or eliminating all forms of microbial life, and is performed in health-care facilities by physical or chemical methods. Steam at high pressure, dry heat, EtO gas, hydrogen peroxide gas plasma, and liquid chemicals are the primary sterilizing agents used in health care facilities. Sterilization is intended to convey an absolute meaning; however, unfortunately, some health professionals and the technical and commercial literature refer to "disinfection" as "sterilization" and classify it as "partially sterile". When chemicals are used to destroy all forms of microbial life, they can be called chemical sterilants. These same germicides for shorter exposure periods can also be part of a disinfection program (ie, high-grade disinfection).

Disinfection, on the other hand, describes the process of eliminating many or all pathogenic microorganisms other than bacterial spores from inanimate objects. In a health care setting, objects are typically sterilized by liquid chemicals or wet pasteurization. Various factors that affect the efficacy of disinfection can each nullify or limit the efficacy of the process.

Factors that affect the effectiveness of both disinfection and sterilization include previous cleaning of the item; organic and inorganic loads present; type and level of microbial contamination; biocide concentration and exposure time to biocide; physical nature of the item (eg, crevices). (crevice, hinges, and lumens); the presence of biofilms; temperature and pH of the sterilization process; and in some cases, the relative humidity of the sterilization process (eg, ethylene oxide).

Unlike sterilization, disinfection is not sporicidal. Some disinfectants will kill spores with prolonged exposure times (3-12 hours); these are called chemical disinfectants. At similar concentrations but shorter exposure times (e.g., 20 minutes, 2% glutaraldehyde), these same disinfectants will kill all microbes except for large numbers of bacterial spores; these are called high-grade disinfectants. Low-grade disinfectants kill most vegetative bacteria, some fungi, and some viruses within a practical period (≤10 minutes).

Furthermore, cleaning is the removal of visible soil (eg, organic and inorganic materials) from items and surfaces, and is typically done manually or mechanically using water with detergent or enzyme products. Thorough cleaning is required prior to high-level disinfection and sterilization, as inorganic and organic materials remaining on the surfaces of the equipment can interfere with the performance of these processes. Decontamination is the removal of pathogenic microorganisms from objects so that they can be safely handled, used or disposed of.

Based on the above background, please refer now to FIG. 4 , which is a diagram showing a cleaning and sterilizing robot 400 according to an embodiment. In one embodiment, the robot 400 may include a housing 402 and may include a set of side brushes 404 for cleaning, sweeping, and brushing the floor surface. Additionally, the housing 402 may further include a vacuum cleaner 406 and a mopping pad 408 . In one embodiment, the set of side brushes 404, vacuum cleaner 406, and mopping pad 408 may be collectively referred to as "cleaning elements." In another embodiment, the configuration of the set of side brushes 404, vacuum cleaner 406, and mopping pad 408 shown in Figure 4 may be one example, and other configurations may be implemented without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. In one embodiment, the set of side brushes 404 may include a set of motors to energize the side brushes 404 . In another embodiment, the motor (not shown) may be powered by a battery integrated with the robot 400 . The mopping pad 408 may further include a separate motor to vibrate so that the mopping pad 408 can wipe the surface.

In one example, the housing 402 may provide an interior opening 410 . In one embodiment, the opening may provide sufficient void, bore or opening to accommodate the drive train 412 . As such, without the drive system 412, the robot 400 can be placed on the floor and cannot move unless force is applied to it.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6 , a transmission system 502 may be used to drive the robot 400 . The driveline 502 may include a housing 504 that may include a motor and chassis to drive the driveline 502 . In another embodiment, the drivetrain 502 may further include four wheels 506 . In one example, the drivetrain 502 may include a 4x4 (four wheel drive) capability, making it easy to move over uneven terrain.

In another embodiment, the driveline 502 may further include a front fender 508 and a tail fender 510 . In one embodiment, the front baffle 508 and the rear baffle 510 are engaged with the opening 410 . In yet another embodiment, the transmission system 502 may be engaged with the housing 402 by a combination of hooks and chains. For example, the opening 410 may include hooks to attach or engage the front fender 508 . In yet another embodiment, the housing 402 may include a hook at the front end of the housing 402, and the transmission system 502 may be disposed in front of the robot 400 so that the tailgate 510 can be connected with a chain through the hook, so that the transmission The system 502 can drag or tow the robot 400 as the robot moves along a confined space, such as a pathway.

It will be appreciated that other hook and chain alternatives may be used without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. For example, tethers can be used instead of chains.

In another embodiment, referring now to FIG. 7, which is a diagram showing a bottom view of another embodiment of a robot 700, the robot 700 may include two openings 702 and 704 so that the two transmission systems 712 and 714 can be Drive the robot 700. In this embodiment, the robot 700 may further include a side brush 706 , a vacuum cleaner 708 and a mopping pad 710 .

Please refer now to FIG. 8 , which is a side view of another embodiment of a robot 800 . In this embodiment, the robot 800 may include a housing 802 , a set of side brushes 804 , a bed brush or vacuum 806 , and a mopper or mopping pad 810 . The housing 802 may further include a tank 822 for containing a solution for spreading the cleaning or disinfecting solution on the floor through a nozzle (not shown). For example, cleaning solutions may include cleaning agents or other water-based solutions. In one embodiment, the solution may include a mixture of Benzalkonium chloride (0.1 - 0.7% wt/wt) + Polyhexamethylene biguanide (0.01% - 0.1% wt/wt). In another example, the solution may include a mixture of hydrogen peroxide (0.1%-0.5% wt/wt) + metal salts of silver and/or zinc (0.000075%-0.0001% wt/wt). It will be understood that the cleaning solution may be a variety of water-based solutions without specific examples and without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments. In one aspect, the cleaning solution is used to remove physical soil or other solid objects from the surface.

In another embodiment, the housing 802 may further include a bore or cavity 816 for encasing or covering the drive train 812 . In such an embodiment, the transmission system 812 may further include a set of suspension systems 820 to engage with one end 818 of the housing 802 . In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8 , the transmission system 812 may also be engaged with the housing 802 having a baffle plate. In yet another embodiment, the drivetrain 812 may include a set of wheels 814 .

In operation, the housing 802 may include a battery 824 to drive cleaning elements (eg, side brushes, bed brushes or vacuums, mopping pads, and nozzle spreads). The driveline 812 may have a separate power source or receive power from the battery 824 through the engagement between the driveline 812 and the housing 802, which may drive the housing 802 on the floor. If the housing 802 encounters an obstacle, such as an elevation from the floor, such as a pathway connection between rail cars, the housing 802 may tilt as the drive train 812 pushes the housing 802 in one direction. Suspension system 820 may provide some cushioning to housing 802 as driveline 812 moves over uneven surfaces.

In another embodiment, the housing 802 may include a handle for a person to push or guide the housing 802 toward a specific direction.

As described above, without the drive train 812, the housing 802 may be a stationary cleaning device. As such, the housing 802 may also include support elements 826, which may be a set of wheels or wheels with stoppers, so the robot 800 may be towed when not in use.

In another embodiment, the wheels 814 provide clearance between the support elements 826 and the floor when the drivetrain 812 is used within the cavity 816 . In another embodiment, the wheels 814 may not provide a gap between the support elements 826 and the floor.

In yet another embodiment, the housing 802 may provide a charging port for charging the battery 824 . In an alternate embodiment, the housing 802 may include a microprocessor, display, and network connectivity components to transmit and receive data. For example, housing 802 may provide a portable computing device, such as that shown in FIG. 16 . As such, through a portable computing device, the robot 800 can communicate with another computing device, such as the computing device in FIG. 17, by transmitting and receiving data between the two devices. In another embodiment, the computing device of the robot 800 can further communicate with another portable computing device, such as an administrator's cell phone, so that it can create cleaning schedules and the like.

It will be appreciated that features of robot 800 may be applied to robot 400 or 700 without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

For example, the network connectivity of the robot 800 may have WI-FI, BLUETOOTH, NFC, or other wireless connectivity to communicate with a display or other device to better manage the operation of the robot.

Referring to FIG. 9, another embodiment of the mobile robot 900 of the present invention includes a frame or housing 902, a navigation system (not shown), and two rotatable brushes 904 disposed at the front end of the frame. In one embodiment, the brush 904 may be positioned at an angle (eg, an angle other than 0 degrees) such that one end is not in direct contact with the cleaning surface. In another embodiment, the brushes 904 may be circular bushes. The two rotatable brushes 904 can be tilted so that one end of the brushes can come into contact with the surface to be cleaned. In this embodiment, the contact area may be in front of the mobile robot 900 . In one embodiment, the left rotatable brush is used to rotate clockwise, and the right rotatable brush is used to rotate counterclockwise, so that the brushes on the two rotatable brushes can touch the front surface of the mobile robot 900. The objects on the device are swept, pressed and/or guided to move toward the mobile robot 900 .

In another embodiment, the brush 904 is attached to the end of the rotor, and the motor driving the rotor may be located within the housing 902 . In one embodiment, the motor may be positioned above the brush 904 , at the head compartment 910 .

In yet another further embodiment, the brushes 904 may be arranged side by side with gaps 1202 between the brushes 904 . In one embodiment, the slit 1202 may not be present, as shown in FIG. 14 . In one aspect, the slits 1202 may allow the brushes 904 to collect larger debris. For example, the debris may include bottles such as 500 ml water bottles or soda cans. In one embodiment, the bottle may or may not be an empty bottle.

In yet another embodiment, the brush 904 may be part of a vacuum cleaner housed at the top compartment 910 in the housing 902 .

The vacuum cleaner may include a vacuum nozzle near the slit 1202 . In one embodiment, suction of the vacuum is assisted by brushes 904, wherein debris is pushed or forced into the vacuum nozzle and through conduit 1204 into the vacuum reservoir to store the debris. In one embodiment, the vacuum cleaner may include a filter to capture and store items entering the vacuum nozzle. In one embodiment, the vacuum nozzles are used to capture objects of different sizes. In some embodiments, the objects range from dust to a typical plastic water bottle. The compartment may further include a cover 1002 disposed on the surface of the housing 902 . In one embodiment, the lid 1002 can be opened by a user or operator and allows the user to easily access or remove the trapped objects from the compartment. In one embodiment, the robot 900 may further include a compressor to crush the trapped debris or objects. In some embodiments, the compartment further includes a filter bag such that all items are captured and stored within this bag for easy removal and cleaning by the user.

The robot 900 may further include a mopping system, further including a fabric pad 908 mounted to the bottom of the mobile robot 900 . In one embodiment, the fabric pad 908 is mounted on a retractable platform and faces the lower surface of the mobile robot 900 . The retractable platform includes a flat surface that can move toward the surface beneath the mobile robot 900 and is capable of telescoping toward the mobile robot 900 . The mopping system further includes a spray system for distributing liquid from the liquid tank 1006 to the surface under the fabric pad 908 and/or the mobile robot 900 . In one embodiment, the retractable platform is mounted on the back of the mobile robot 900 away from the brush 904 . In one embodiment, the spray system may distribute the disinfectant to disinfect or sterilize the surface.

In another embodiment, the robot 900 can include a navigation system having sensors 1008 that can connect to and control a drive system disposed within the housing 902 . In one embodiment, the drive system (not shown) may include four wheels 906 . In one embodiment, the drive system may be an all-wheel drive to move on a desired path while avoiding any obstacles. In another embodiment, the robot can move along a surface within a predetermined area while sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping the surface. The navigation system is used to guide the mobile robot 900 to move in the pipeline. In one embodiment, the duct is an air conditioning duct.

In one embodiment, the robot 900 may include a computerized system to assist the navigation system for navigation of the robot 900 . In another embodiment, the computing system may further control or operate the sprinkler, the motor, and other electrical components thereof. In yet another embodiment, the robot 900 may include wireless connectivity to communicate with external devices. For example, the computing system may be the portable computing device 1301 shown in FIG. 16 , and the computing system may communicate with the remote computing device 1341 in FIG. 17 . In another embodiment, the robot 900 may further include a power source or battery that provides power to the motor, the computing system, and other components. It should be further appreciated that there may be switches to switch the robot 900 on and off. In yet another embodiment, the switch can be remotely controlled by software means. For example, the operator may use a mobile device by wireless means, such as infrared, bluetooth, WI-FI, and the like. In another embodiment, the operations on the mobile device can also be performed by an application program installed on the mobile device, wherein the application program can trigger or use the wireless components of the mobile device to operate the robot 900 .

In another embodiment, as shown in Figures 13 and 14, which show the underside of a robot according to some embodiments. In one aspect, the robot 900 may be positioned vertically. For example, the robot 900 may have retractable and telescopic handles 1102 mounted to the front of the tip of the mobile robot 900 . The mobile robot 900 can be turned to an upright position. In this configuration, the robot 900 may include stands 1104 and wheels 1106 mounted on the back of the mobile robot 900 to support the robot 900 in an upward state.

In one embodiment, the height or length of the mobile robot 900 may be about 1 meter long. In one embodiment, the width of the robot 900 may be about 44 centimeters (cm). In another embodiment, the thickness of the robot 900 with the housing 902 may be about 32 cm. With such dimensions, before the robot 900 is deployed, the robot 900 can be carried by pulling the handle, assisted by the wheels 1106, as it is moved from one location to another by the operator. As the user pulls the handle 1102, the mobile robot 900 can be tilted so that the foot stand is moved away from the surface, leaving the wheels 1106 disposed on the back in contact with the surface. In this way, the mobile robot 900 can be pulled like luggage for easy displacement and deployment.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the mobile robot 900 of the present invention can be deployed in an air-conditioning duct. The mobile robot 900 of the present invention then cleans, vacuums and mops the surface of the air conditioning duct.

In another embodiment, the robot 900 may also be used in open spaces as well as public transit stations, public transit cars, or the like. Robot 900 with wheels 906 can move on uneven surfaces or between surfaces with gaps. In another embodiment, if the gap is too large, the robot 900 can be carried or pulled by the operator in an upward state.

Figure 16 is a high-level schematic diagram of a portable computing device 1301 that communicates with the remote computing device 1341 of Figure 17, but applications can be stored and accessed in various ways. In addition, applications can be obtained in various ways, such as from an application store, a website, or a stored Wi-Fi system. There can be various versions of the application to take advantage of different computing devices, different languages, and different API platforms.

In one embodiment, the portable computing device 1301 may be a mobile device of the robot 800 or 900 that operates using a portable power source 1355, such as a battery. The portable computing device 1301 may also have a display 1302, which may or may not be a touch-sensing display. More specifically, display 1302 may have capacitive sensors, which may be used to provide input information to portable computing device 1301, for example. In other embodiments, an input pad 1304, such as a pointer, scroll wheel, keyboard, etc., may be used to provide input to the portable computing device 1301. In addition, the portable device 1301 may have a microphone 1306 that accepts and stores spoken data, a camera 908 that accepts images, and a speaker 1310 that transmits sound.

Portable computing device 1301 may be capable of communicating with computing device 1341 or a plurality of computing devices 1341 forming a cloud of computing devices 1341 . Portable computing device 1301 can communicate in various ways. In some embodiments, the communication may be wired, such as through an Ethernet cable, a USB cable, or an RJ6 cable. In other embodiments, the communication may be wireless, such as through Wi-Fi® (802.11 standard), Bluetooth, cellular, or near field communication devices. The communication may be directed to the computing device 1341 via the network or communication module 1380 or may be over a communication network such as a cellular service, over the Internet, over a private network, via Bluetooth, and the like.

Figure 16 may be a sample portable computing device 1301 physically constructed in accordance with a portion of the system. The portable computing device 1301 may have a processor 1350 physically constructed from computer-executable instructions. It may have a rechargeable portable power source 1355 such as a battery. It may also have a sound and video module 1360, which aids in displaying video and sound, and can be turned off when not in use to preserve power and battery life. Portable computing device 1301 may also have non-volatile memory 1370 and volatile memory 1365. The network or communication module 1380 may have GPS, Bluetooth, NFC, cellular or other communication capabilities. In one embodiment, some or all of the networking or communication capabilities may be separate circuits or may be part of the processor 1350. There may also be an input/output bus 1375 that carries data to and from various user input devices such as microphone 1306, camera 1308, and other input devices such as input pad 1304, display 1302, and speakers 1310, among others. It can also control communication with the network, whether by wireless or wired means. Of course, this is only one example of a portable computing device 1301, and the number and types of portable computing devices 1301 are limited only by imagination.

Based on this system, better information can be provided to users at the time of sale. The information may be user specific and may need to exceed a relevance threshold. As a result, users can make better, informed decisions. The system doesn't just speed up the process, it uses the computing system to achieve better results.

The physical elements that make up the remote computing device 1341 can be further shown in FIG. 17 . At a high level, computing device 1341 may include digital storage, such as magnetic disks, optical disks, flash storage, non-volatile storage, and the like. Structured data can be stored in digital storage, such as in a database. The computing device 1341 may have a processor 1400 that is physically constructed from computer-executable instructions. It may also have an audio and video module 1405, which aids in displaying video and audio, and can be turned off when not in use to preserve power and battery life. Computing device 1341 may also have volatile memory 1410 and non-volatile memory 1415 .

Database 1425 may be stored in memory 1410 or 1415 or may be separate. The database 1425 can also be part of the cloud of the computing device 1341 and can be stored on a plurality of computing devices 1341 in a distributed manner. There may also be an input/output bus 1420 that transports data to and from various user input devices such as microphone 1306, camera 1308, and other input devices such as input pad 1304, display 1302, and speakers 1310, among others. Input/output bus 1420 may also be connected to microphone 1306, camera 1308, similar devices for input devices such as input pad 1304, display 1302, and speakers 1310, or other peripheral devices, and the like. The input/output bus 1420 may also interact with a network or communication module 1430 to control communications with other devices or computer networks, whether by wireless or wired means. In some embodiments, the application may be on the local computing device 1301, and in other embodiments, the application may be remote. Of course, this is only one example of computing devices 1341, and the number and types of computing devices 1341 are limited only by the imagination.

User devices, computers, and servers (eg, 1301 or 1341 ) described herein may have, inter alia, microprocessors (such as those from Intel® Corporation, AMD®, ARM®, Qualcomm® ), or MediaTek®); volatile and non-volatile memory; one or more mass storage devices (eg, hard drives); various user input devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, or microphone; and video Computer showing the system. The user devices, computers and servers described herein may run on any of a number of operating systems including, but not limited to, WINDOWS®, UNIX®, LINUX®, MAC® OS®, iOS® or Android®. However, it is contemplated that any suitable operating system may be used with the present invention. The server may be a cluster of web servers, each of which may be LINUX® based and supported by a load balancer that determines the web server based on existing load requests from the available servers Which of the clusters should handle the request.

User devices, computers, and servers described herein may be accessed through networks, including the Internet, wide area network (WAN), local area network (LAN), Wi-Fi®, other computer networks (known or future the inventor), and/or any combination of the foregoing. Those of ordinary skill in the art who have read this specification, drawings and the scope of the patent application should understand that networks can be wired or wireless conduits, including copper, optical fiber, microwave and radio frequency, electrical and/or optical communications Any combination of technologies and other forms connects the various components. It should also be understood that any network may be connected to any other network in various ways. The interconnection between the computers and servers in the system is only an example. Any device described herein may communicate with any other device via one or more networks.

The illustrative embodiments may include additional devices and networks beyond those disclosed. Furthermore, the functions described in this case to be performed by one device may be distributed and performed by two or more devices. Multiple devices can also be combined into a single device that can perform the functions of the combined device.

The various participants and elements described herein may operate on one or more computer devices to facilitate the functions described herein. Any of the elements in the above figures, including any server, user device, or database, may employ any suitable number of subsystems to facilitate the functions described herein.

Any software components or functions described in this case may be implemented as software executable by at least one processor using, for example, conventional or object-oriented techniques using any suitable computer language, such as, for example, Java, C++ or Perl. Code (software code) or computer readable instructions to implement.

The software code may be stored as a series of instructions or commands on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), magnetic media such as a hard disk or a floppy disk ( floppy disk), or optical media such as CD-ROM. Any such computer-readable media may reside on or within a single computing device, and may reside on or within different computing devices within a system or network.

It will be appreciated that the invention described above may be implemented in a modular or integrated manner using computer software in the form of control logic. Based on the disclosure and teachings provided herein, those of ordinary skill in the art may know and understand other ways and/or methods of implementing the present invention using hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

The above description is illustrative and not restrictive. Numerous variations of embodiments will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the embodiments should be determined not with reference to the above description, but instead should be determined with reference to the full scope of the appended claims or equivalents.

One or more features from any embodiment may be combined with one or more features of any other embodiment without departing from the scope of the embodiment. The reference to "a", "an" or "the" is intended to mean "one or more" unless specifically stated to the contrary. Unless specifically stated otherwise, the recitation of "and/or" is intended to represent the most inclusive sense of the term.

One or more elements of the present system may be requested as a means to accomplish a particular function. When such means-plus-function elements are used to describe the specific elements of the requested system, those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field can understand that the corresponding structure includes the A computer, process, or computer programmed to use the functions in a specially programmed computer to perform the specific functions set forth, and/or by implementing one or more algorithms to achieve the functions set forth in the scope of the patent application or set forth in the above steps controller, or (as the case may be) a microprocessor. As can be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, algorithms may be represented in this disclosure as mathematical formulas, flow charts, descriptions, and/or any other structure that provides sufficient structure to facilitate those of ordinary skill in the art means of carrying out the methods set forth and their equivalents.

While the invention may be embodied in many different forms, the drawings and descriptions are premised on the disclosure as being an illustration of the principles of one or more inventions, and are not intended to limit any embodiment to the illustrated embodiment.

Additional advantages and modifications to the above-described systems and methods will readily occur to those of ordinary skill in the art.

Therefore, the invention, in its broader aspects, is not limited to the specific details, representative systems and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described above. Various modifications and changes to the contents of this specification can be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention, and the invention is intended to cover all such modifications and changes as long as they fall within the scope of the following claims and its within the equivalent range.

400: Robot 402: Shell 404: Side Brush 406: Vacuum Cleaner 408: Mop pad 410: Opening 412: Transmission System 502: Transmission System 504: Shell 506: Wheels 508: Front baffle 510: Tailgate 700: Robot 702: Opening 704: Opening 706: Side Brush 708: Vacuum Cleaner 710: Mop pad 712: Transmission System 714: Transmission System 800: Robot 802: Shell 804: Side Brush 806: Vacuum Cleaner 810: Mop pad 812: Transmission system 814: Wheels 816: Cavity 818: one end 820: Suspension System 822: tank body 824: Battery 900: Robot 902: Shell 904: Brush 906: Wheels 908: Camera 910: top compartment 1002: Cover 1006: Liquid tank 1008: Sensor 1102: Handle 1104: Tripod 1106: Wheels 1202: Gap 1204: Catheter 1301: Portable Computing Devices 1302: Display 1304: Input Pad 1306: Microphone 1308: Camera 1310: Horn 1341: Computing Devices 1350: Processor 1355: Portable Power Supply 1360: Audio and Video Modules 1365: volatile memory 1370: Non-volatile memory 1375: Input/Output Busbar 1380: Network or Communication Module 1400: Processor 1405: Audio and Video Modules 1410: Volatile Memory 1415: Non-volatile memory 1420: Input/Output Busbar 1425:Database 1430: Network or Communication Module

Those skilled in the art can understand that elements in the drawings are shown for brevity and clarity, and therefore not all connection relationships and options are shown. For example, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary to a commercially feasible embodiment often may not be depicted to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the invention. It is further understood that certain actions and/or steps may be recited or depicted in a particular order of occurrence, but those of ordinary skill in the art would understand that such specific indication of order is not actually required. It is also to be understood that the terms and expressions used herein, unless their specific meanings are expressly stated otherwise herein, may be defined relative to the corresponding individual fields of inquiry and study.

1-3 are illustrations of the prior art.

4 is a diagram showing a cleaning and sanitizing robot according to an embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a driving mechanism of a cleaning and sterilizing robot according to an embodiment.

FIG. 6 is another diagram showing the driving mechanism of the cleaning and sterilization robot according to an embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a cleaning and sterilizing robot according to another embodiment.

8 is a side view showing a cleaning and sterilization robot having a drive mechanism according to an embodiment.

9 is a schematic side view of a mobile robot viewed from a lower angle, according to some embodiments.

10 is a schematic side view of a mobile robot from an upper angle, according to some embodiments.

11 is a schematic diagram of a mobile robot according to some embodiments.

12 is a schematic rear view of a mobile robot from a higher angle, according to some embodiments.

13 is a schematic diagram of a mobile robot in an upright position, according to some embodiments.

14 is a schematic bottom view of a mobile robot in an upright state, according to some embodiments.

15 is a schematic diagram showing the dimensions of a mobile robot relative to a train according to an embodiment, according to some embodiments.

16 is a diagram showing a portable computing device according to one embodiment.

17 is a diagram showing a computing device according to an embodiment.

400: Robot

402: Shell

404: Side Brush

406: Vacuum Cleaner

408: Mop pad

410: Opening

412: Transmission System

Claims (4)

A cleaning robot comprising: a housing that supports a plurality of cleaning elements; wherein the housing further includes a cavity for receiving a transmission system, wherein the conventional system is removably engaged with the cavity of the housing, wherein the transmission system includes a motor, a set of wheels, and a A chassis with four-wheel drive provided by the set of wheels. The cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cleaning elements comprise at least one of the following: a vacuum cleaner, a set of brushes, and a mopping pad. The cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a set of support elements. A mobile robot for cleaning an air-conditioning duct, comprising a frame, a navigation system, two rotatable brushes arranged at the front end of the frame, two side wheels arranged at each side of the rear end of the frame, and a A vacuuming system in the frame, a mopping system installed in the frame, and a liquid tank for accommodating a cleaning liquid and supplying the cleaning liquid to the mopping system.

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