Self-Moving Device and Control Method for Self-Moving Device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018317368-A1
Application number	US-201816040041-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 19, 2018
Priority date	Jan 21, 2016
Publication date	Nov 8, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A self-moving device and a control method for a self-moving device are disclosed. The self-moving device includes a moving module, a control module and an adjusting device. The moving module includes a track, driven by a drive motor to drive the self-moving device to move. The control module controls the adjusting device to adjust a grounding length of the track, such that the grounding length of the track when the self-moving device turns is smaller than that of the track when the self-moving device moves straightly. The control method for a self-moving device includes the steps: controlling to reduce the grounding length of the track before the self-moving device is controlled to turn; and controlling to increase the grounding length of the track after the self-moving device is controlled to finish the turning.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A self-moving device, comprising:
a housing; and a moving module, mounted in the housing, wherein the moving module comprises a track, driven by a drive motor to drive the self-moving device to move; the self-moving device is characterized in that the self-moving device further comprises a control module and an adjusting device, the control module controls the adjusting device to adjust a grounding length of the track, such that the grounding length of the track when the self-moving device turns is smaller than that of the track when the self-moving device moves straightly.

2 . The self-moving device according to claim 1 , wherein the control module controls the grounding length of the track to be larger than or equal to 300 mm when the self-moving device moves straightly, and optionally, wherein the control module controls the grounding length of the track to be smaller than 300 mm when the self-moving device turns.

3 . The self-moving device according to claim 1 , wherein a turning radius when the control module controls the moving module to drive the self-moving device to turn is smaller than or equal to 0.5 m, and optionally, wherein the turning radius when the control module controls the moving module to drive the self-moving device to turn is zero.

4 . The self-moving device according to claim 1 , wherein the moving module comprises a wheel set, the track winds the wheel set, the wheel set comprises a front wheel and a back wheel, and the grounding length of the track is the distance between the front wheel and the back wheel in a horizontal direction; and
the adjusting device comprises a horizontal adjusting mechanism, adjusting the distance between the front wheel and the back wheel in the horizontal direction.

5 . The self-moving device according to claim 1 , wherein the moving module comprises a wheel set, the track winds the wheel set, the wheel set comprises a front wheel and a back wheel, the adjusting device comprises a thrust wheel, and the thrust wheel is located between the front wheel and the back wheel.

6 . The self-moving device according to claim 5 , wherein the adjusting device comprises a lifting mechanism, connected to the thrust wheel, the lifting mechanism drives the thrust wheel to descend, to reduce the grounding length of the track; and the lifting mechanism drives the thrust wheel to ascend, to increase the grounding length of the track.

7 . The self-moving device according to claim 6 , wherein the control module controls the lifting mechanism to drive the thrust wheel to descend before controlling the self-moving device to turn; and the control module controls the lifting mechanism to drive the thrust wheel to ascend after controlling the self-moving device to finish the turning.

8 . The self-moving device according to claim 5 , wherein a distance between the center of gravity of the self-moving device and the center of the thrust wheel along a moving direction of the self-moving device is smaller than or equal to 100 mm, and optionally, wherein the distance between the center of gravity of the self-moving device and the center of the thrust wheel along the moving direction of the self-moving device is 0.

9 . The self-moving device according to claim 1 , wherein the self-moving device is an autonomous mower.

10 . The self-moving device according to claim 1 , wherein the adjusting device comprises a turning wheel, liftably assembled on the bottom of the housing, the turning wheel has a first position and a second position in a height direction of the housing, wherein in the first position, the bottom of the turning wheel is higher than the bottom of the track, and in the second position, one end of the track is lifted up relative to the other end of the track by the turning wheel; and
when the self-moving device turns, the control module controls the turning wheel to be in the second position, and when the self-moving device moves straightly, the control module controls the turning wheel to be in the first position.

11 . The self-moving device according to claim 1 , wherein the adjusting device comprises a support structure, mounted in the housing;
the control module controls the support structure to extend out from the bottom of the housing or withdraw into the housing; before controlling the self-moving device to turn, the control module controls the support structure to extend out from the bottom of the housing, to support at least part of the track away from a working plane; and if judging that the turning of the self-moving device is finished, the control module controls the support structure to withdraw into the housing.

12 . The self-moving device according to claim 11 , wherein the grounding length of the track is zero when the support structure extends out from the bottom of the housing, and optionally, wherein the self-moving device comprises a turning mechanism, rotatably connected to the housing and the support structure, when the support structure extends out from the bottom of the housing, the control module controls the turning mechanism to drive the housing to rotate around the support structure, to cause the self-moving device to turn.

13 . A control method for a self-moving device, wherein the self-moving device comprises a housing; and a moving module, mounted in the housing; the moving module comprises a track, driven by a drive motor to drive the self-moving device to move; the control method is characterized in that the control method for a self-moving device comprises the steps:
controlling to reduce a grounding length of the track before the self-moving device is controlled to turn; and controlling to increase a grounding length of the track after the self-moving device is controlled to finish the turning.

14 . The control method for a self-moving device according to claim 13 , wherein the self-moving device comprises a wheel set, the track winds the wheel set, the wheel set comprises a front wheel and a back wheel, the self-moving device further comprises a thrust wheel, and the thrust wheel is located between the front wheel and the back wheel; the control method for a self-moving device comprises the steps:
controlling the thrust wheel to descend to reduce a grounding length of the track before the self-moving device is controlled to turn; and controlling the thrust wheel to ascend to increase a grounding length of the track after the self-moving device is controlled to finish the turning.

15 . The control method for a self-moving device according to claim 13 , wherein the self-moving device comprises a wheel set, the track winds the wheel set, the wheel set comprises a front wheel and a back wheel, and the grounding length of the track is the distance between the front wheel and the back wheel in a horizontal direction; the control method for a self-moving device comprises the steps:
controlling to reduce the distance between the front wheel and the back wheel in the horizontal direction before the self-moving device is controlled to turn; and controlling to increase the distance between the front wheel and the back wheel in the horizontal direction after the self-moving device is controlled to finish the turning.

16 . The control method for a self-moving device according to claim 13 , wherein the self-moving device comprises a turning wheel, liftably assembled on the bottom of the housing; and the control method for a self-moving device comprises the steps:
controlling the turning wheel to descend to cause one end of the track to be lifted up relative to the other end of the track

Assignees

• Positec Power Tools Suzhou Co Ltd

Inventors

• Du Jiang
• Gao Zhendong

Classifications

• B62D55/06

  with tracks without ground wheels · CPC title

• B62D55/14

  Arrangement, location, or adaptation of rollers · CPC title

• A01B49/022

  at least one tool being actively driven · CPC title

• A01B39/085

  the rotating tools being actively driven · CPC title

• A01B39/22

  Tools; Mounting tools · CPC title