Base station, and robot cleaning system and control method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12156622-B2
Application number	US-202017608979-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2020
Priority date	May 5, 2019
Publication date	Dec 3, 2024
Grant date	Dec 3, 2024

Abstract

The present invention relates to a base station for a cleaning robot to park in, where the cleaning robot includes a wiping board, and a flexible wiping member replaceably butts the wiping board to form a wiping surface to wipe a working surface on which the cleaning robot walks, where the base station includes: a storage module, configured to store a continuous wiping base material; and a feeding module, configured to drive a free end of the wiping base material to be conveyed to a cutting position, to cause the free end to be cut from the wiping base material to form the wiping member. The present invention has the following beneficial effects: After returning to the base station, the cleaning robot may automatically mount a wiping member without intervention by a user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automatic cleaning system, comprising: a cleaning robot including: a wiping board configured to receive and mount a wiper thereto forming a wiping surface, wherein the wiping board is detachable from the cleaning robot; and a mover configured to move the cleaning robot, wherein the wiping surface is configured to wipe a working surface as the cleaning robot moves; a base station including: a space to receive the cleaning robot, a carrier configured to convey the wiping board within the base station, wherein, to replace the wiper, the cleaning robot is received in the space of the base station and the wiping board is detached from the cleaning robot and coupled to the carrier, and wherein the carrier is configured to convey the wiping board to a first position within the base station to separate the wiper from the wiping board, and the carrier is configured to convey the wiping board to a second position within the base station to mount a replacement wiper to the wiping board a separator, at the first position, configured to act on the wiping board or the wiper to separate the wiper from the wiping board; and a recycling box configured to receive the wiper separated from the wiping board.

2. The automatic cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein an opening of the recycling box is below the separator.

3. The automatic system of claim 1 , wherein the separator is disposed at an opening of the recycling box.

4. The automatic system of claim 1 , wherein the separator is disposed in the recycling box, and when the wiping board passes through the separator, the wiper on the wiping board is hooked and scraped off, causing the wiper to drop into the recycling box.

5. The automatic cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the base station further comprises:
a mounter, at the second position, configured to act on the wiping board to mount the replacement wiper to the wiping board.

6. The automatic cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the first position and the second position are the same.

7. The automatic cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the first position and the second position are disposed above the space to accommodate at least partially receiving the cleaning robot within the base station.

8. The automatic cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the base station further comprises: a driving module configured to drive a movement of carrier within the base station.

9. The automatic cleaning system of claim 8 , wherein the carrier is configured to move the wiping board vertically within the base station.

10. The automatic cleaning system of claim 1 , further comprising: a storage configured to store the replacement wiper prior to mounting to the wiping board.

11. The automatic cleaning system of claim 10 , wherein the storage is detachably connected to the base station.

12. The automatic cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the base station further comprises: a wiping board operating position, the first position and second position are higher than the wiping board operating position.

13. The automatic cleaning system of claim 12 , wherein the wiping board operating position comprises: a wiping board separating position configured to hold the wiping board separated by the cleaning robot; and a wiping board mounting position configured to hold the wiping board with a new wiper.

14. The automatic cleaning system of claim 13 , wherein the wiping board separating position and the wiping board mounting position are the same.

15. A control method for the automatic cleaning system of claim 1 , the control method comprising: controlling the cleaning robot to detach, from the cleaning robot, a wiping board connected to the cleaning robot, the wiping board having a wiper mounted thereon; controlling the separator to separate the wiper from the wiping board; and mounting a replacement wiper to the wiping board.

16. The control method of claim 15 , wherein the detaching step further comprises coupling the wiping board to a carrier, and
wherein the carrier conveys the wiping board between one or more locations of the detaching step, the separating step, and the mounting step.

17. The control method of claim 16 , wherein the two or more of the locations of the detaching step, the separating step, and the mounting step, are the same.

18. The control method of claim 15 , further comprising:
mounting, to the cleaning robot, the wiping board combined with the replacement wiper.

Assignees

• Positec Power Tools Suzhou Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zheng Yue
• Xu Jianqiang
• Zhang Shisong
• Zhong Hongfeng
• Sun Yimin

Classifications

• A47L2201/028

  Refurbishing floor engaging tools, e.g. cleaning of beating brushes · CPC title

• A47L11/4036

  Parts or details of the surface treating tools · CPC title

• A47L11/4011

  Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor · CPC title

• A47L11/28 Primary

  Floor-scrubbing machines, motor-driven (A47L11/29 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A47L2201/022

  Recharging of batteries · CPC title