Air-releasing valve for use in suction apparatus and suction robot having the air-releasing valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10016103-B2
Application number	US-201515127005-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2015
Priority date	Mar 17, 2014
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

An air-releasing valve for use in a suction apparatus and a suction robot having the air-releasing valve are provided. The air-releasing valve comprises an activation unit and an air-releasing valve retaining base ( 3 ). An air-releasing hole ( 11 ) in communication with a negative pressure chamber ( 18 ) of the suction apparatus is provided on the air-releasing valve retaining base ( 3 ). The activation unit is provided on the air-releasing valve retaining base ( 3 ) and is movable relative to the air-releasing valve retaining base ( 3 ) to open the air-releasing hole ( 11 ). A switch ( 4 ) is provided on the air-releasing valve retaining base ( 3 ). The activation unit opens the air-releasing hole ( 11 ) and triggers the switch ( 4 ) to shut off a vacuuming apparatus ( 14 ) of the suction apparatus simultaneously. The air-releasing valve is capable of rapidly releasing air from the suction apparatus and shutting off the vacuuming apparatus ( 14 ) in a timely manner.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air-releasing valve for a suction apparatus, comprising an activation unit and an air-releasing unit, the air-releasing unit having an air-releasing hole in communication with a negative pressure chamber of the suction apparatus, characterized in that,
by the activation unit, the air-releasing hole is opened for air release and a vacuuming apparatus of the suction apparatus is shut off simultaneously.

2. The air-releasing valve for the suction apparatus of claim 1 , characterized in that,
the air-releasing unit comprises an air-releasing valve retaining base,
the air-releasing hole is located on the air-releasing valve retaining base and is in communication with the negative pressure chamber of the suction apparatus,
the activation unit is provided on the air-releasing valve retaining base and is movable relative to the air-releasing valve retaining base so as to open or close the air-releasing hole.

3. The air-releasing valve for the suction apparatus of claim 2 , characterized in that,
a switch is further provided on the air-releasing valve retaining base,
when air release is needed, the activation unit moves relative to the air-releasing valve retaining base under an external force, so that it opens the air-releasing hole and triggers the switch to shut off the vacuuming apparatus of the suction apparatus simultaneously.

4. The air-releasing valve for the suction apparatus of claim 3 , characterized in that,
the air-releasing valve further comprises a switch cap connected with the activation unit,
a switch spring is provided between the switch and the switch cap,
the activation unit triggers the switch via the switch cap to shut off the vacuuming apparatus of the suction apparatus.

5. The air-releasing valve for the suction apparatus of claim 4 , characterized in that,
the activation unit comprises an air-releasing valve pull ring, an air-releasing valve pull ring insert and an air-releasing valve holder,
the air-releasing valve pull ring is connected with the air-releasing valve holder via the air-releasing valve pull ring insert which is detachable,
the air-releasing valve holder is connected with the switch cap.

6. The air-releasing valve for the suction apparatus of claim 5 , characterized in that, an air-releasing valve spring is provided between the switch cap and the air-releasing valve retaining base.

7. The air-releasing valve for the suction apparatus of claim 6 , characterized in that,
the air-releasing valve holder has on a top end thereof an outer edge which extends downward to form a guide pillar corresponding to the air-releasing hole,
the diameter of the guide pi is smaller than that of the air-releasing hole,
a sealing gasket is provided on the outer edge,
the air-releasing valve holder engages with the air-releasing valve retaining base, and they abut against each other under the action of the air-releasing valve spring.

8. The air-releasing valve for the suction apparatus of claim 7 , characterized in that, a gas guiding joint in communication with the air-releasing hole is provided on the air-releasing valve retaining base, and the gas guiding joint is connected with the negative pressure chamber via a hose.

9. The air-releasing valve for the suction apparatus of claim 3 , characterized in that, the switch is a sensing switch, which transmits a switching signal to a control unit of the suction apparatus to shut off the vacuuming apparatus when the air-releasing valve releases air.

10. The air-releasing valve for the suction apparatus of claim 9 , characterized in that, the sensing switch is a limit switch, a Hall switch, or a pressure sensing switch.

11. The air-releasing valve for the suction apparatus of claim 3 , characterized in that, the switch is a cut-out switch, which cuts off an electric current of the vacuuming apparatus when the activation unit is pulled up for air release.

12. A suction robot comprising a control unit, a driving unit, a suction unit and a walking unit, the control unit being connected with the driving unit, the driving unit driving the walking unit, and the suction unit comprising a suction cup and a vacuuming apparatus,
wherein the vacuuming apparatus is connected with the control unit, the vacuuming apparatus pumps air out of the suction cup to form a negative pressure chamber so that the suction robot is adsorbed on a working surface,
characterized in that, further comprising the air-releasing valve according to claim 1 .

13. The suction robot of claim 12 , characterized in that, the control unit is connected with the activation unit.

Assignees

• Ecovacs Robotics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhou Fei
• Lv Xiaoming
• Feng Linqiang

Classifications

• A47L1/02 Primary

  Power-driven machines or devices · CPC title

• F16K17/00 Primary

  Safety valves; Equalising valves, {e.g. pressure relief valves} · CPC title

• F16K31/16

  with a mechanism, other than pulling-or pushing-rod, between fluid motor and closure member (with float F16K31/18) · CPC title

• A47L2201/00

  Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation · CPC title

• A47L5/14

  cleaning by blowing-off, also combined with suction cleaning · CPC title