WO2021190289A1

WO2021190289A1 - Water tank and automatic cleaning device having same

Info

Publication number: WO2021190289A1
Application number: PCT/CN2021/079618
Authority: WO
Inventors: 刘桐
Original assignee: 追觅创新科技(苏州)有限公司
Priority date: 2020-03-24
Filing date: 2021-03-09
Publication date: 2021-09-30
Also published as: CN211933933U

Abstract

A water tank, comprising: a water tank body (100), in which a liquid storage cavity having an accommodating space is defined, the water tank body (100) being provided with a liquid discharge hole (121); and an air intake structure (130), which is arranged on a top cavity wall and/or a side cavity wall of the liquid storage cavity, wherein the air intake structure (130) is provided with an outer side air intake hole (131) formed in the top end face and/or a side wall of the water tank body (100), and an inner side air intake hole (132) located below a liquid level of the liquid storage cavity, and the outer side air intake hole (131) is in communication with the inner side air intake hole (132). The water tank effectively solves the problem of water seepage, and has the advantages of being simple in terms of structure and being convenient to use.

Description

Water tank and automatic cleaning device with same

Technical field

This application relates to the technical field of cleaning devices, in particular to water tanks and automatic cleaning devices.

Background technique

As people’s living standards are getting higher and higher, the requirements for quality of life are getting higher, and more and more attention is paid to household hygiene. Therefore, a variety of automatic cleaning equipment has appeared on the market, such as automatic sweeping robots and automatic cleaning equipment. Mopping robots, etc., which can automatically perform cleaning operations, which is convenient for users.

The water tank of the automatic cleaning equipment is used to store clean water for use by the automatic cleaning equipment. The lower part of the existing water tank is provided with a liquid outlet hole, and the upper part is provided with an air inlet hole. The air inlet is located in the upper part of the water tank, and connects the air in the water tank with the outside atmosphere, so that the gas pressure in the water tank is approximately equal to the atmospheric pressure. In this way, because the gas pressure inside and outside the water tank is equal, the liquid will constantly seep out from the outlet hole under the action of its own gravity, resulting in poor cleaning effect, damage to the floor, damage to components and other problems.

Therefore, it is necessary to study a water tank and an automatic cleaning device with the same.

Summary of the invention

In view of the shortcomings in the above-mentioned technology, the present application provides a water tank and an automatic cleaning device having the same.

To solve the above technical problems, the technical solution adopted in this application is:

A water tank includes: a water tank body, which defines a liquid storage cavity with an accommodating space, the water tank body is provided with a liquid outlet; an air intake structure is arranged on the top cavity wall and/or side of the liquid storage cavity Part cavity wall; wherein the air inlet structure has an outer air inlet hole formed on the top surface and/or side wall of the water tank body, an inner air inlet hole located below the liquid level of the liquid storage cavity, so The outer air inlet hole communicates with the inner air inlet hole.

In a possible implementation manner, the distance between the outer air inlet hole and the inner air inlet hole is greater than 3.5 mm, and the distance is that the outer air inlet hole and the inner air inlet hole are between the The distance in the height direction of the water tank body.

In a possible implementation manner, the air intake structure is a column provided on the top cavity wall and/or the side cavity wall of the liquid storage cavity, and the column has an inner portion communicating with the outer air intake hole And the channel of the inner air inlet hole; wherein the inner air inlet hole is arranged close to the cavity bottom of the liquid storage cavity.

In a possible implementation manner, the cavity bottom of the liquid storage cavity is provided with a groove located directly below the inner air inlet hole, and the groove is configured to prevent the liquid storage cavity from being in an anhydrous state. The air in the liquid storage cavity is communicated with the outside atmosphere.

In a possible implementation manner, the end surface where the inner air inlet hole is located is flush with the cavity bottom of the liquid storage cavity; or the end surface where the inner air inlet hole is located extends into the groove and There is no contact with the bottom of the groove.

In a possible implementation manner, a speed regulating mechanism is further provided on the water tank body, and the speed regulating mechanism is configured to regulate the water seepage speed at the liquid outlet hole.

In a possible implementation, the speed regulating mechanism includes an adjusting slider, which is slidably arranged on the water tank body and accommodated in the chute; the top cavity wall of the liquid storage cavity and / Or at least two of the air intake structures are arranged side by side on the side cavity wall, and the inner air intake holes of each of the air intake structures have different apertures; wherein, under each gear position of the adjusting slider , There is only one outer air intake hole of the air intake structure communicating with the outside atmosphere.

In a possible implementation manner, it further includes: a water outlet mechanism arranged at the bottom of the water tank body and configured to enable the liquid in the liquid storage cavity to be output from the liquid outlet hole by using the capillary principle.

In a possible implementation manner, the water outlet mechanism includes a filter element detachably arranged at the liquid outlet hole, and a cleaning cloth that abuts against the filter element and is attached to the bottom end surface of the water tank body, wherein: The filter element is located above the cleaning cloth.

In order to solve the above technical problems, another technical solution adopted in this application is:

An automatic cleaning device includes a device main body and the water tank, and the water tank is detachably connected with the device main body.

In the water tank and the automatic cleaning device provided with the water tank provided by the present application, the air intake structure of the water tank can isolate liquid between the outside atmosphere and the air in the liquid storage chamber of the water tank body, so that the air in the liquid storage chamber is not directly connected to the outside atmosphere. Connected, when the internal and external pressures at the inner air inlet are balanced, the water tank body can be controlled to no longer seep water to the outside, thereby achieving the purpose of water leakage control of the water tank body, and has the advantages of simple structure and convenient use.

Description of the drawings

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a water tank in an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 2 is an overall exploded schematic view of the water tank in an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 3 is an exploded schematic diagram between the liquid outlet hole and the filter element in an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 4 is an exploded schematic diagram between the speed regulating mechanism and the upper cover in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the structure of the adjusting slider in the downward direction in an embodiment of the present application;

6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the water tank body in an embodiment of the present application after the speed regulating mechanism is removed;

Fig. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view in the direction of B-B in Fig. 6;

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an enlarged structure of area N in FIG. 7;

Fig. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view in the direction of C-C in Fig. 6;

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an enlarged structure of the M area in FIG. 9.

In the picture: 100-water tank body; 110-top cover; 111-chute; 120-base; 121-outlet hole; 122-groove; 130-intake structure; 131-outside air inlet; 132-inside inlet Air hole; 133-channel; 134-sink; 140-water outlet mechanism; 141-filter element; 142-cleaning cloth; 150-speed regulating mechanism; 151. Adjusting slider; 1511-convex part; 1512-convex edge.

Detailed ways

The application will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art can implement it with reference to the text of the description. In the description of this application, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "top", "bottom", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, or the product of this application is usually placed when used. The orientation or positional relationship of is only for the convenience of describing the application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the application .

In the description of this application, it should also be noted that, unless there are other clearer regulations and limitations, the terms "setting" and "connection" should be understood in a broader sense. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection or Removable connection, or integral connection; it can be mechanical connection or electrical connection; it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the internal communication between two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above-mentioned terms in the present disclosure can be understood in specific situations.

In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on what can be achieved by a person of ordinary skill in the art. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be achieved, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist. , Is not within the scope of protection required by this application.

The automatic cleaning device in the related art is usually provided with a water tank, the lower part of the water tank is provided with a liquid outlet, and the upper part of the water tank is provided with an air inlet. The air inlet hole connects the air in the water tank with the outside atmosphere, so that the gas pressure in the water tank is approximately equal to the atmospheric pressure. The liquid will constantly seep out from the liquid outlet under the action of its own gravity, resulting in poor cleaning effect, damage to the floor, damage to components and other problems.

In view of this, please refer to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the water tank in an embodiment of the present application. An embodiment of the present application provides a water tank that can prevent liquid from continuously leaking outward under the action of its own gravity. , Including: a water tank body 100, which defines a liquid storage cavity with an accommodating space, the water tank body 100 is provided with a liquid outlet 121; an air inlet structure 130, which is arranged on the top cavity wall and/or side cavity wall of the liquid storage cavity The water outlet mechanism 140 is arranged at the bottom of the water tank body 100 and is configured to use the capillary principle to make the liquid in the liquid storage cavity output from the outlet hole 121, which is located at the bottom of the water tank body 100, so as to facilitate the water outlet mechanism 140 Water seeps from the bottom of the water tank body 100; please refer to FIG. 7 and in conjunction with FIG. The lower inner air inlet 132, the outer air inlet 131 and the inner air inlet 132 communicate with each other.

In the above manner, the air intake structure 130 in the embodiment of the present application can isolate liquid between the outside atmosphere and the air in the liquid storage cavity of the water tank body 100, so that the air in the liquid storage cavity does not directly communicate with the outside atmosphere. When the water outlet mechanism 140 uses the capillary principle to make the liquid in the liquid storage cavity output from the liquid outlet hole 121, at this time, the pressure in the liquid storage cavity is less than the atmospheric pressure, so the pressure in the liquid storage cavity at the inner air inlet 132 is less than the atmospheric pressure , The outside atmosphere enters the liquid storage chamber through the inner air inlet 132, so that the internal and external pressures at the inner air inlet 132 are balanced. When the water outlet mechanism 140 no longer sucks liquid from the liquid storage chamber, the internal and external pressures at the inner air inlet 132 are balanced, and no more air enters, and the water tank body 100 is in a static state. At this time, the water tank body 100 no longer outputs liquid, so The purpose of water leakage control of the water tank body 100 is achieved.

Further, please continue to refer to FIG. 7 and in conjunction with FIG. 8. The air intake structure 130 is a cylinder disposed on the top cavity wall and/or the side cavity wall of the liquid storage cavity, and the cylinder is provided with a communicating outer air inlet 131 and an inner inlet. In the channel 133 of the air hole 132, the inner air inlet 132 is arranged close to the bottom of the liquid storage chamber. The air inlet 132 is not easily blocked by dirt. Specifically, the air intake structure 130 can be integrally formed on the top of the liquid storage cavity of the water tank body 100, or can be detachably disposed on the top of the liquid storage cavity of the water tank body 100, which has the advantages of simple structure and convenient use. Understandably, the location of the air intake structure 130 includes three situations: In the first case, the air intake structure 130 is only arranged on the top cavity wall of the liquid storage chamber; in the second case, the air intake structure 130 is only arranged on the liquid storage chamber. The side cavity wall of the cavity; in the third case, the air intake structure 130 is provided on the top cavity wall and the side cavity wall at the same time. Referring to FIG. 1, the size of the water tank body 100 in the horizontal direction is significantly larger than the size in the vertical direction, thus forming a flat box-shaped structure. The structure and shape of the air intake structure 130 are simplified, and the overall layout of the water tank body 100 is facilitated. Therefore, in a possible implementation manner, the air intake structure 130 is disposed on the top cavity wall of the liquid storage chamber. The case where the gas structure 130 is disposed on the top cavity wall of the liquid storage cavity will be described.

Specifically, the distance between the outer air inlet hole 131 and the inner air inlet hole 132 is greater than 3.5 mm, which is the distance between the outer air inlet hole 131 and the inner air inlet hole 132 in the height direction of the water tank body 100.

Further, referring to FIG. 2 and in conjunction with FIG. 3, the water outlet mechanism 140 includes a filter element 141 detachably provided at the outlet hole 121, and a cleaning cloth 142 that abuts against the filter element 141 and is attached to the bottom end surface of the water tank body 100, wherein, The filter element 141 is located above the cleaning cloth 142. The filter element 141 is configured to be able to evenly permeate water. The filter element 141 is made of fiber material, and the fiber material includes carbon fiber, polyester fiber, glass fiber, and the like. The cleaning cloth 142 itself has water absorption performance, and when it comes into contact with the filter element 141, it can generate suction to the liquid at the outlet hole 121.

Specifically, the air intake principle of the air intake structure 130, in the description of the air intake principle, the liquid in the water tank body 100 is assumed to be water:

Please refer to Figure 9 and Figure 10. Point A is a point below the inner air inlet 132. The model is established at this point. The pressure at point A satisfies: Equation 1: P _A = P + ρgh ₂ ; Equation 2: P _A = P ₀ +ρgh ₁ ;

Among them, P is the atmospheric pressure;

P ₀ is the pressure above the liquid surface of the liquid storage chamber of the water tank body 100 (because the inner air inlet 132 is immersed below the liquid surface, the air in the liquid storage chamber is not connected to the atmosphere);

ρ is the density of water;

g is the acceleration of gravity;

h ₁ is the distance from the liquid level of the liquid storage chamber of the water tank body 100 to the point A;

h ₂ is the distance from the liquid level to the point A in the intake structure 130;

Because the cleaning cloth 142 itself has water absorption, the water in the liquid storage cavity can be sucked out through the filter element 141. When a part of the water is output, the liquid level in the water tank body 100 decreases, that is, h ₁ decreases, the volume of gas in the water tank body 100 increases, and the pressure P ₀ decreases. According to Equation 2 and Equation 1: P _A =P ₀ +ρgh ₁ =P+ρgh ₂ , in the above formula, P ₀ and h ₁ both become smaller, and P is the atmospheric pressure that remains unchanged, so it can be seen that h ₂ The amount of change is greater than h ₁ , that is, the liquid level in the air intake structure 130 decreases faster than the liquid level in the liquid storage chamber; therefore, the liquid level in the air intake structure 130 can drop rapidly to form a cavity, that is, h ₂ Is 0.

When h ₂ is 0, the upper part of the inner air inlet hole 132 is atmosphere, and the lower part is liquid. The inner and outer pressure of the inner air inlet hole 132 is so _{strong that it satisfies equation 3: P=P 0} +ρgh, (h is the storage of the water tank body 100 The distance between the liquid level in the liquid chamber and the inner air inlet 132). When the cleaning cloth 142 sucks a part of the water, both P ₀ and h are reduced, and the balance is broken. The internal pressure of the inner air inlet 132 is less than the external atmospheric pressure, and The air enters the water tank body 100 through the inner air inlet hole 132, and the pressure of the gas in the water tank body 100 is balanced, so that the pressure inside and outside the inner air inlet hole 132 reaches the balance of Equation 3 again. When the cleaning cloth 142 absorbs water again, the balance is broken again, thus reciprocating. When the cleaning cloth 142 is in a saturated state, it no longer absorbs water from the water tank body 100, and the pressure inside and outside the inner air inlet hole 132 is balanced, and no air is entered, thereby realizing the control of water seepage in the water tank body 100.

Considering that if there is a gap between the inner air inlet 132 and the bottom of the liquid storage cavity, it cannot be guaranteed that there will always be liquid between the outside atmosphere and the air in the liquid reservoir, that is, the inner air inlet 132 is exposed to The condition above the liquid level causes the air in the liquid storage chamber to communicate with the outside atmosphere. In an embodiment of the present application, please refer to FIGS. 7 to 10, the cavity bottom of the liquid storage cavity is provided with a groove 122 located directly below the inner air inlet 132, and the groove 122 is configured to prevent the liquid storage cavity from being close to In the water state, the air in the liquid storage cavity is communicated with the outside atmosphere. Specifically, the end surface where the inner air inlet hole 132 is located may be flush with the cavity bottom of the liquid storage cavity, or it may extend into the groove 122 without contacting the groove bottom of the groove 122. The bottom of the liquid storage cavity is a horizontal straight plane, and the groove 122 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the area where the inner air inlet 132 is located. If the groove 122 is too large, the water accumulation in the groove 122 will increase accordingly. , Thereby causing the water tank body 100 to accumulate liquid.

In order to be able to conveniently adjust the water outlet speed of the water outlet mechanism 140 to meet the cleaning requirements of different areas. Referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, in an embodiment of the present application, a speed regulating mechanism 150 is further provided on the water tank body 100, and the speed regulating mechanism 150 is configured to adjust the water seepage speed of the water outlet mechanism 140.

Furthermore, the speed adjusting mechanism 150 includes an adjusting slider 151 formed with a convex portion 1511, the adjusting slider 151 is slidably disposed on the water tank body 100 and is accommodated in the sliding groove 111, and the adjusting slider 151 is located outside the water tank body 100. At least two air intake structures 130 are arranged side by side on the top cavity wall of the liquid storage cavity, and the inner air intake holes 132 of each air intake structure 130 have different diameters. Among them, in each gear position of the adjusting slider 151, only one outer air intake hole 131 of the air intake structure 130 communicates with the outside atmosphere. 8 and 10, it can be understood that when the inner air inlet hole 132 has a larger aperture, a large amount of outside atmosphere enters the liquid storage cavity in a short time to balance the negative pressure, and the water seepage rate at the outlet hole 121 is faster. When the diameter of the inner air inlet hole 132 is small, the outside atmosphere enters the liquid storage cavity in a small amount in a short time to balance the negative pressure, and the water seepage speed at the outlet hole 121 is slow.

Specifically, referring to FIG. 4 in conjunction with FIG. 5, taking the case where two air intake structures 130 are provided on the top cavity wall of the liquid storage chamber as an example, the adjusting slider 151 is slidably disposed in the sliding groove 111, and the convex portion 1511 It is formed in the center of the lower surface of the adjusting slider 151 close to the air intake structure 130 to selectively seal the outer air intake hole 131 of one of the air intake structures 130. The above-mentioned sealing means that the convex portion 1511 abuts against the outer air inlet 131 to block the communication with the outside atmosphere.

Specifically, a plurality of convex ribs 1512 distributed at equal intervals are formed on the upper surface of the adjusting slider 151 away from the air intake structure 130 to facilitate the sliding of the adjusting slider 151. Both sides of the adjusting slider 151 protrude outward to form a sliding bar (shown in the figure) for slidingly fitting with the sliding groove 111.

Further, referring to FIGS. 8 and 10, in order to prevent the liquid in the water tank body 100 from seeping out from the outer air inlet hole 131, in an embodiment of the present application, a sink 134 is provided at the outer air inlet hole 131, A breathable membrane (not shown in the figure) is fastened in the groove 134 to allow the outside atmosphere to enter the air inlet structure 130 but not to allow the liquid at the air inlet structure 130 to leak out.

In the present application, the water tank body 100 functions to contain liquid. It is understood that the above-mentioned liquid can be not only water, but also liquids such as disinfectant and cleaning agent. Those skilled in the art can make adjustments according to actual conditions. The water tank body 100 includes an upper cover 110 and a base 120 connected to each other. The upper cover 110 is located directly above the base 120. The upper cover 110 and the base 120 jointly surround and form a liquid storage cavity for containing liquid. It is understandable that the upper cover 110 and the base 120 can be connected by detachable connection methods such as snap connection, screw fastening, etc., and can also be connected by bonding or integral molding.

Understandably, the water tank structure in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to different usage scenarios, and the following examples are used for description.

The water tank in the embodiment of the present application may be applied to an automatic cleaning device, and the automatic cleaning device may be a sweeping robot, a mopping robot, or the like. The automatic cleaning device includes a device main body and the water tank, and the water tank is detachably connected to the device main body.

In summary, in the embodiment of the present application, the air intake structure is provided on the top cavity wall and/or the side cavity wall of the liquid storage cavity, so that the air in the liquid storage cavity does not directly communicate with the outside atmosphere. When the internal and external pressures are balanced, the water tank body 100 can be controlled to no longer see water outward, and the water seepage speed of the water outlet mechanism 140 can also be controlled by the speed regulating mechanism 150, which has the advantages of simple structure and convenient use.

Although the embodiments of this application have been disclosed as above, they are not limited to the applications listed in the specification and embodiments. It can be applied to various fields suitable for this application. For those familiar with the field, it can be easily Other modifications are implemented, so without departing from the general concept defined by the claims and equivalent scope, the present application is not limited to the specific details and the legends shown and described here.

Claims

A water tank is characterized in that it comprises:

A water tank body (100), which defines a liquid storage cavity with an accommodating space, and the water tank body (100) is provided with a liquid outlet (121);

The air intake structure (130) is arranged on the top cavity wall and/or the side cavity wall of the liquid storage cavity;

Wherein, the air intake structure (130) has an outer air intake hole (131) formed on the top surface and/or side wall of the water tank body (100), and an inner side located below the liquid level of the liquid storage chamber An air inlet hole (132), the outer air inlet hole (131) is communicated with the inner air inlet hole (132).
The water tank according to claim 1, wherein:

The distance between the outer air inlet hole (131) and the inner air inlet hole (132) is greater than 3.5 mm, and the distance is the outer air inlet hole (131) and the inner air inlet hole (132) The distance in the height direction of the water tank body (100).
The water tank according to claim 1, wherein:

The air inlet structure (130) is a column arranged on the top cavity wall and/or the side cavity wall of the liquid storage cavity, and the inside of the column is provided with communication between the outer air inlet hole (131) and the The channel (133) of the inner air inlet (132);

Wherein, the inner air inlet hole (132) is arranged close to the cavity bottom of the liquid storage cavity.
The water tank according to claim 1, wherein:

The cavity bottom of the liquid storage cavity is provided with a groove (122) located directly below the inner air inlet (132), and the groove (122) is configured to prevent the liquid storage cavity from being close to an anhydrous state. The air in the liquid storage cavity is communicated with the outside atmosphere.
The water tank according to claim 4, wherein:

The end surface where the inner air inlet (132) is located is flush with the cavity bottom of the liquid storage cavity; or

The end surface where the inner air inlet hole (132) is located extends into the groove (122) and does not contact the bottom of the groove (122).
The water tank according to claim 1, wherein:

The water tank body (100) is also provided with a speed regulating mechanism (150), and the speed regulating mechanism (150) is configured to adjust the water seepage speed at the liquid outlet (121).
The water tank according to claim 6, wherein:

The speed adjusting mechanism (150) includes an adjusting slider (151), and the adjusting slider (151) is slidably arranged on the water tank body (100) and accommodated in a sliding groove (111);

At least two air inlet structures (130) are arranged side by side on the top cavity wall and/or side cavity wall of the liquid storage cavity, and the inner air inlet hole (132) of each air inlet structure (130) The apertures are not the same;

Wherein, in each gear position of the adjusting slider (151), only one outer air intake hole (131) of the air intake structure (130) is in communication with the outside atmosphere.
The water tank according to claim 1, further comprising:

The water outlet mechanism (140) is arranged at the bottom of the water tank body (100) and is configured to enable the liquid in the liquid storage cavity to be output from the liquid outlet hole (121) by using the capillary principle.
The water tank according to claim 8, wherein:

The water outlet mechanism (140) includes a filter element (141) detachably disposed at the liquid outlet hole (121), and abutting against the filter element (141) and fittingly arranged on the bottom end surface of the water tank body (100) The cleaning cloth (142), wherein the filter element (141) is located above the cleaning cloth (142).
An automatic cleaning device, characterized in that it comprises a device main body and the water tank according to any one of claims 1-9, and the water tank is detachably connected to the device main body.
A water tank, characterized in that there is a liquid storage cavity with a accommodating space, and the water tank body (100) is provided with a liquid outlet (121);

The air intake structure (130) is arranged on the top cavity wall and/or the side cavity wall of the liquid storage cavity;

Wherein, the air intake structure (130) has an outer air intake hole (131) formed on the top surface and/or side wall of the water tank body (100), and an inner side located below the liquid level of the liquid storage chamber An air inlet hole (132), the outer air inlet hole (131) is in communication with the inner air inlet hole (132);

The water tank body (100) is also provided with a speed regulating mechanism (150), and the speed regulating mechanism (150) is configured to adjust the water seepage speed at the liquid outlet (121).