Self-moving robot and walking method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10286559-B2
Application number	US-201314420287-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2013
Priority date	Aug 8, 2012
Publication date	May 14, 2019
Grant date	May 14, 2019

Abstract

A self-moving robot comprises a robot body (1). A control device is provided in the robot body (1), and a functional processing module (11) and a moving module (12) connected to each other are provided in the robot body (1). The moving module (12) is controlled by the control device to drive the functional processing module (11) to conduct mobile processing work in a working space (100). An opening hole (111) is formed inside the functional processing module (11) so that the moving module (12) is arranged rotatably in the opening hole (111) in an embedded manner. The moving module (12) can freely rotates relative to the functional processing module (11) through a connection mechanism. A walking method of the self-moving robot is further disclosed. The present invention is of simple structure, low cost and significantly improved moving mode, and the cleaning efficiency of the self-moving robot is improved with the same amount of time or power.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A self-moving robot comprises a robot body ( 1 ), a control device is provided in the robot body ( 1 ), the robot body ( 1 ) comprises a functional processing module ( 11 ) and a moving module ( 12 ) connected with each other, and the moving module ( 12 ) is controlled by the control device to drive the functional processing module ( 11 ) to conduct mobile processing work in a working space, characterized in that, an opening hole ( 111 , 111 ′) is formed inside the functional processing module ( 11 ) so that the moving module ( 12 ) is arranged rotatably in the opening hole ( 111 , 111 ′) in an embedded manner, and the moving module ( 12 ) can freely rotate relative to the functional processing module ( 11 ) through a connection mechanism,
wherein the connection mechanism is a coupling unit comprising a first coupling end ( 123 ) provided at an edge of the moving module ( 12 ) and a second coupling end ( 113 ) provided at an edge of the functional processing module ( 11 ), one of the first coupling end ( 123 ) and the second coupling end ( 113 ) is inserted into the other for mutual positioning,
wherein each of the first coupling end ( 123 ) and the second coupling end ( 113 ) includes upper and lower coupling joints, wherein a stopping part ( 125 ) is provided perpendicularly to a coupling direction at a terminal end of the lower coupling joint of the first coupling end ( 123 ), the upper coupling joint of the second coupling end ( 113 ) is provided with a stopping groove ( 115 ) correspondingly, and the stopping part ( 125 ) is positioned in the stopping groove ( 115 ) in an embedded manner.

2. The self-moving robot of claim 1 , further including a ball ( 13 ) being provided at a central section of the upper coupling joint of the second coupling end ( 113 ), wherein upper and lower end surfaces of the ball ( 13 ) protrude from upper and lower end surfaces of the upper coupling joint of the second coupling end ( 113 ) and are brought into contact with a lower surface of the upper coupling joint and an upper surface of the lower coupling joint of the first coupling end ( 123 ).

3. The self-moving robot of claim 1 , characterized in that, the functional processing module ( 11 ) is a glass surface cleaning module ( 11 ′), a floor-sweeping module, an air purification module or a humidification module.

4. The self-moving robot of claim 1 , characterized in that, the moving module ( 12 ) is provided with a suction device comprising a suction cup ( 116 ), a gas-guide tube ( 117 ) and a vacuum pump ( 118 ), and the vacuum pump ( 118 ) is controlled by the control device to communicate with the suction cup ( 116 ) through the gas-guide tube ( 117 ) and to vacuumize the suction cup ( 116 ) to form negative pressure so as to enable the self-moving robot to adhere to a surface to be treated.

5. The self-moving robot of claim 1 , characterized in that, the opening hole ( 111 , 111 ′) is a circular opening hole, and the periphery of the functional processing module ( 11 ) is a square shape.

6. A walking method of the self-moving robot of claim 1 , the method comprising:
step 1: the functional processing module of the self-moving robot is driven by the moving module to move so as to walk in a working space;
step 2: if the self-moving robot detects that there is an obstacle in front of the movement, the self-moving robot continues to walk after the moving module turns a certain angle relative to the functional processing module.

7. The walking method of the self-moving robot of claim 6 , characterized in that, in the step 2, the certain angle is 90 degrees.

8. A self-moving robot comprises a robot body ( 1 ), a control device is provided in the robot body ( 1 ), the robot body ( 1 ) comprises a functional processing module ( 11 ) and a moving module ( 12 ) connected with each other, and the moving module ( 12 ) is controlled by the control device to drive the functional processing module ( 11 ) to conduct mobile processing work in a working space, characterized in that, an opening hole ( 111 , 111 ′) is formed inside the functional processing module ( 11 ) so that the moving module ( 12 ) is arranged rotatably in the opening hole ( 111 , 111 ′) in an embedded manner, and the moving module ( 12 ) can freely rotate relative to the functional processing module ( 11 ) through a connection mechanism, and the moving module ( 12 ) is provided with a walking mechanism ( 121 ) that drives the moving module ( 12 ) to walk or rotate,
wherein the connection mechanism is a coupling unit comprising a first coupling end ( 123 ) provided at an edge of the moving module ( 12 ) and a second coupling end ( 113 ) provided at an edge of the functional processing module ( 11 ), one of the first coupling end ( 123 ) and the second coupling end ( 113 ) is inserted into the other for mutual positioning,
wherein each of the first coupling end ( 123 ) and the second coupling end ( 113 ) includes upper and lower coupling joints, wherein a stopping part ( 125 ) is provided perpendicularly to a coupling direction at a terminal end of the lower coupling joint of the first coupling end ( 123 ), the upper coupling joint of the second coupling end ( 113 ) is provided with a stopping groove ( 115 ) correspondingly, and the stopping part ( 125 ) is positioned in the stopping groove ( 115 ) in an embedded manner.

9. The self-moving robot of claim 8 , further including a ball ( 13 ) being provided at a central section of the upper coupling joint of the second coupling end ( 113 ), wherein upper and lower end surfaces of the ball ( 13 ) protrude from upper and lower end surfaces of the upper coupling joint of the second coupling end ( 113 ) and are brought into contact with a lower surface of the upper coupling joint and an upper surface of the lower coupling joint of the first coupling end ( 123 ).

10. The self-moving robot of claim 8 , characterized in that, the walking mechanism ( 121 ) is one or more driving wheels and one or more corresponding tracks provided on the robot body ( 1 ).

11. The self-moving robot of claim 8 , characterized in that, the functional processing module ( 11 ) is a glass surface cleaning module ( 11 ′), a floor-sweeping module, an air purification module or a humidification module.

12. The self-moving robot of claim 8 , characterized in that, the moving module ( 12 ) is provided with a suction device comprising a suction cup ( 116 ), a gas-guide tube ( 117 ) and a vacuum pump ( 118 ), and the vacuum pump ( 118 ) is controlled by the control device to communicate with the suction cup ( 116 ) through the gas-guide tube ( 117 ) and to vacuumize the suction cup ( 116 ) to form negative pressure so as to enable the self-moving robot to adhere to a surface to be treated.

13. The self-moving robot of claim 8 , characterized in that, the opening hole ( 111 , 111 ′) is a circular opening hole, and the periphery of the functional processing module ( 11 ) is a square shape.

14. A walking method of the self-moving robot of claim 8 , the method comprising:
step 1: the functional processing module of the self-moving robot is driven by the moving module to move so as to walk in a working space;
step 2: if the self-moving robot detects that there is an obstacle in front of the movement, the self-moving robot continues to walk after the moving module turns a certain angle relative to the functional processing module.

15. The walking method of the self-moving robot of claim 14 , characterized in that, in the step 2, the certain angle is 90 degrees.

Assignees

• Ecovacs Robotics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lv Xiaoming

Classifications

• A47L9/009 Primary

  Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles · CPC title

• B25J9/0003

  Home robots, i.e. small robots for domestic use · CPC title

• B25J11/0085 Primary

  Cleaning · CPC title

• Y10S901/01

  Mobile robot · CPC title

• A47L11/24

  Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven · CPC title