CN114343496B

CN114343496B - Automatic replacement system and automatic replacement method

Info

Publication number: CN114343496B
Application number: CN202111676915.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 彭振声; 罗林斌; 杨勇
Original assignee: Shenzhen 3irobotix Co Ltd
Current assignee: Shenzhen 3irobotix Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-12-31
Filing date: 2021-12-31
Publication date: 2023-06-20
Anticipated expiration: 2041-12-31
Also published as: CN114343496A

Abstract

The invention provides an automatic replacement system and an automatic replacement method, wherein the automatic replacement system is used for replacing a cleaning unit. The automatic replacement system comprises cleaning equipment, a base station and a control unit, wherein a driving device for moving the cleaning equipment and a mounting position for mounting the cleaning unit are arranged on the cleaning equipment; the base station comprises a parking place for parking the cleaning device and an integrated unit for accommodating the cleaning unit; the control unit is respectively in communication connection with the cleaning equipment and the base station, and controls the cleaning equipment to automatically detach and automatically replace the cleaning unit and controls the integrated unit in the base station to automatically recycle and automatically detach the cleaning unit. Compared with the prior art, the automatic cleaning device has the advantages that the cleaning unit is automatically replaced, the structure is compact, the working efficiency of the cleaning device is improved, and the experience of a user is improved.

Description

Automatic replacement system and automatic replacement method

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of cleaning equipment, in particular to an automatic replacement system and an automatic replacement method.

Background

In recent years, with the development of social economy and the improvement of household living standard, furniture cleaning gradually enters an intelligent and mechanized era, and the cleaning robot can liberate people from household cleaning work, so that the workload of people in household cleaning is effectively reduced, and the fatigue degree of people in household cleaning is relieved. However, the integrated arrangement of the rolling brush in the base station and the automatic replacement of the rolling brush of the sweeper cannot be completely realized in the prior art.

In view of the foregoing, it is necessary to provide an automatic replacement system and an automatic replacement method to solve the above-mentioned problems.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to provide an automatic replacement system and an automatic replacement method, which can integrate and put cleaning units in a base station and automatically replace the cleaning units of cleaning equipment.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an automatic replacement system including a cleaning apparatus provided with a driving device for moving the cleaning apparatus and a mounting position for mounting the cleaning unit, a base station, and a control unit. The base station comprises a parking place for parking the cleaning device and an integrated unit for receiving a cleaning unit. The control unit is respectively in communication connection with the cleaning equipment and the base station, and controls the cleaning equipment to automatically detach and automatically replace the cleaning unit and controls the integrated unit in the base station to automatically recycle and automatically detach the cleaning unit.

As a further improvement of the invention, the automatic replacement system further comprises an automatic disassembly unit which is in communication connection with the control unit, wherein the automatic disassembly unit comprises a fixing component which is detachably connected with the cleaning device, the fixing component comprises a disconnecting switch arranged outside the cleaning unit, a unhooking component for triggering the disconnecting switch is arranged in the base station, and the unhooking component is configured to enable the disconnecting switch to displace so as to separate the cleaning unit from the cleaning device.

As a further development of the invention, the integrated unit is provided with at least one recess for receiving the cleaning unit.

As a further improvement of the present invention, the automatic replacement system further includes an automatic rotation unit and a first recognition unit, the automatic rotation unit and the first recognition unit are respectively connected with the control unit in a communication manner, the automatic rotation unit drives the integrated unit to rotate, and when the first recognition unit recognizes that the cleaning unit passing through the first recognition unit is a target cleaning unit, the control unit controls the automatic rotation unit to stop rotating.

As a further development of the invention, the cleaning device comprises a second recognition unit, which is connected in communication with the control unit, recognizes the environmental information and transmits the recognition result to the control unit.

In order to further achieve the above object, the present invention further provides an automatic replacement method, to which the aforementioned automatic replacement system is applied, the automatic replacement method comprising the steps of:

step S10: the cleaning device sends an instruction for replacing the cleaning unit to the automatic replacement system;

step S20: the control unit receives the instruction and controls the automatic disassembly unit to disassemble the first cleaning unit on the cleaning equipment;

step S30: the integrated unit recovers the first cleaning unit and stores the first cleaning unit to a first position;

step S40: the control unit controls the integrated unit to rotate so as to select a target cleaning unit and controls the integrated unit to automatically detach the target cleaning unit;

step S50: the control unit automatically assembles the target cleaning unit to the cleaning apparatus.

As a further improvement of the present invention, the cleaning apparatus further includes a second recognition unit, and the automatic replacement method further includes:

step S00: the second recognition unit recognizes the environmental information and transmits the recognition result to the control unit.

As a further improvement of the present invention, the step S20 specifically includes:

step S21: the control unit receives an instruction and controls the automatic disassembly unit to release the fixation of the first cleaning unit and the cleaning equipment;

step S22: the cleaning device is outbound.

As a further improvement of the present invention, the step S30 specifically includes:

step S31: the integrated unit is driven by the automatic lifting unit to descend to a first height, and the empty area of the integrated unit is used for recycling the first cleaning unit and storing the first cleaning unit to the first position;

step S32: the integrated unit is driven by the automatic lifting unit to rise to an initial height.

As a further improvement of the present invention, the step S50 specifically includes:

step S51: an automatic disassembling unit disassembles the target cleaning unit to a target installation position, and the integrated unit ascends to an initial height;

step S52: the cleaning device is again brought into station;

step S53: the integrated unit descends, and the host of the cleaning equipment is pressed down to a second height, so that the host of the cleaning equipment and the target cleaning unit are connected into a whole;

step S54: the cleaning device is again out of the station.

The beneficial effects of the invention are as follows: according to the invention, by arranging the full-automatic replacement system, the automatic replacement of the cleaning unit is realized, the structure is compact and intelligent, and the cleaning efficiency is improved. Secondly, through setting up integrated casing, with a plurality of cleaning unit integration together, and each cleaning unit is mutually independent, can satisfy the demand of multiple cleaning unit usage of different scenes. Furthermore, through setting up the direction unit, can effectively guide the lift of integrated unit, improve the stability of lift process. The invention can realize the classification, placement and storage of the cleaning units, saves space and time, is convenient for quick replacement of the cleaning units, improves the cleaning efficiency and improves the cleaning experience of users.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of an automatic replacement system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of a base station and a cleaning apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a schematic structural view of the integrated unit and the stand.

Fig. 4 is a schematic view of the structure of fig. 3 at another angle.

Fig. 5 is a schematic structural view of the cleaning unit, the integrated unit, and the stand.

Fig. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of an integrated unit.

Fig. 7 is an exploded view of fig. 6 at a first angle.

Fig. 8 is an exploded view of fig. 6 at a second angle.

Fig. 9 is an exploded view of fig. 6 at a third angle.

Fig. 10 is an internal structural view of a part of elements of the integrated unit to which the rotation shaft is connected.

Fig. 11 is an exploded view of the whole of the integrated unit to which the rotary shaft is connected.

Fig. 12 is a schematic structural view of the auxiliary disassembly member of fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a schematic structural view of the bracket.

Fig. 14 is a schematic view of the structure of the cleaning device, parking place, stand and integrated unit.

Fig. 15 is a schematic view of the structure of the cleaning apparatus, parking station and unhooking assembly.

Fig. 16 is a schematic view of the structure of the unhooking assembly and the cleaning unit.

Fig. 17 is an exploded view of the unhooking assembly and the securing assembly.

Fig. 18 is an exploded view of the unhooking assembly.

Fig. 19 is an exploded schematic view of the third trigger and slider structure.

Fig. 20 is a schematic sectional structure of the support member.

Fig. 21 is a schematic view of the structure of the unhooking assembly in another embodiment.

Fig. 22 is an exploded view of the unhooking assembly and securing assembly in another embodiment.

Fig. 23 is a schematic view of the bottom structure of the cleaning apparatus.

Fig. 24 is a schematic sectional structure of the cleaning apparatus when assembled with the cleaning unit.

Fig. 25 is an enlarged view of the structure at a in fig. 24.

Fig. 26 is a schematic structural view of the cleaning unit.

Fig. 27 is a flowchart of an automatic replacement method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 28 is a specific flowchart of step S20 in fig. 27.

Fig. 29 is a specific flowchart of step S30 in fig. 27.

Fig. 30 is a specific flowchart of step S50 in fig. 27.

Detailed Description

For the purpose of making the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure more apparent, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

In the description of the present invention, it will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or intervening elements may also be present. Unless otherwise defined, the terms "first," "second," and the like, as used herein, do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another.

Referring to fig. 1 to 26, an automatic replacement system 100 according to the present invention is shown, wherein the automatic replacement system 100 includes a base station 10, a cleaning apparatus 20 and a control unit 30, and a driving device 23 for moving the cleaning apparatus 20 and a mounting location 24 for mounting the cleaning unit 40 are provided on the cleaning apparatus 20. The base station 10 comprises a parking place 11 for parking the cleaning device 20 and an integrated unit 12 for receiving the cleaning unit 40. The control unit 30 is respectively in communication connection with the cleaning device 20 and the base station 10, and the control unit 30 controls the cleaning device 20 to automatically detach and automatically replace the cleaning unit 40 and controls the integrated unit 12 in the base station 10 to automatically recover and automatically detach the cleaning unit 40.

Specifically, referring to fig. 1-14, the base station 10 has a cavity for accommodating the cleaning device 20, a parking place 11 is disposed in the cavity, the parking place 11 is located at the bottom of the base station 10, and an entrance of the parking place 11 is disposed at a gradient so that the cleaning device 20 can be driven into the base station 10, and the base station 10 is used for cleaning, charging and other operations of the cleaning device 20. The cleaning device 20 may be partially or completely accommodated in the cavity, and may be specifically set as needed, without any limitation.

The integrated unit 12 is located in the base station 10, the integrated unit 12 is integrated with the cleaning unit 40, and at least one empty area for accommodating the cleaning unit 40 is arranged on the integrated unit 12. The integrated unit 12 integrated with the cleaning unit 40 is mounted on the stand 17 of the base station 10. The integrated unit 12 can perform tilting and lifting functions on the support 17. The integrated unit 12 comprises an integrated housing 121, the integrated housing 121 comprising side walls 1211 and an end cap 1212, the empty space being one of the side walls 1211 of the integrated housing 121, preferably the side wall 1211 of the integrated housing 121 closest to the floor being the empty space, so arranged that the recovery of the old cleaning unit 40 on the cleaning device 20 by the integrated unit 12 can be facilitated. The empty space is used for recycling the old cleaning unit 40 on the cleaning device 20. The integrated housing 121 is provided with a containing cavity, the end cover 1212 of the integrated housing 121 is provided with an opening, the rotating shaft passes through the opening, and two ends of the rotating shaft are exposed outside the opening of the end cover 1212.

The end cover 1212 of the integrated housing 121 is further provided with a plurality of first protrusions 122, and the cleaning unit 40 is provided with positioning holes 431 at positions corresponding to the first protrusions 122, and the first protrusions 122 are inserted into the positioning holes 431 in a matching manner, so as to accommodate and return the integrated housing 121 to the cleaning unit 40. The first protrusion 122 includes a tip portion and a stem portion, a flange is provided at a junction of the tip portion and the stem portion, the flange extends from the junction toward an end portion of the tip portion, and a cross-sectional area corresponding to any one of the flanges is positively correlated with a distance between the any one of the flanges and the end portion of the tip portion to guide the sidewall 1211 of the integrated housing 121 to be coupled with the cleaning unit 40 in a mating manner. The first protrusions 122 on each side wall 1211 of the integrated housing 121 correspond one-to-one with the cleaning units 40 located on that side wall 1211, and the information of the first protrusions 122 of the cleaning units 40 for different purposes, including but not limited to thickness, length, etc., is also different.

In a preferred embodiment, the integrated housing 121 has a polygonal structure, and preferably, the integrated housing 121 has a quadrangular structure. In other embodiments, the integrated housing 121 may also be a triangular prism, a pentagonal prism lamp structure. By the arrangement, the integrated unit 12 is compact in structure, small in size and high in integration degree, the working efficiency of the cleaning equipment 20 can be effectively improved, and the experience of a user is improved. Of course, the specific structure of the integrated housing 121 may be specifically set according to actual use requirements, which is not further limited in this application. The integrated unit 12 may integrate the cleaning unit 40 with different uses including, but not limited to, sweeping and mopping. Of course, the integrated unit 12 may also integrate the cleaning unit 40 having the same purpose.

Referring to fig. 8-26, the automatic lifting unit 13 is configured to execute lifting actions of the integrated unit 12 under the control instruction of the control unit 30. The automatic lifting unit 13 includes a lifting motor assembly and a lifting assembly, the lifting motor assembly is located in the accommodating cavity of the integrated housing 121, the lifting motor assembly includes a lifting motor 131, a first gear 132 and a second gear 133, and the first gear 132 is located at an end of the lifting motor 131 near the connecting member 152. The second gear 133 is inserted into the rotating shaft and fixedly connected with the rotating shaft, and the second gear 133 is also meshed with the first gear 132. The lifting motor 131 drives the first gear 132 to rotate, and drives the second gear 133 to rotate through the meshing force between the first gear 132 and the second gear 133. The lifting assembly comprises a third gear 134 and a plurality of first racks 135, and the third gear 134 is positioned at the end part of the rotating shaft and fixedly connected with the rotating shaft. The plurality of first racks 135 are located on the support 17, and since the second gear 133 is fixedly connected with the rotating shaft, the rotation of the lifting motor 131 drives the integrated unit 12 to rotate, so that the third gear 134 reciprocates on the plurality of first racks 135, and lifting of the integrated unit 12 is achieved. In other embodiments, the lifting assembly may have other structures, such as a screw lifting structure, etc., which is not limited by the comparison of the present invention, so as to implement the lifting function.

Further, the lifting assembly further comprises a motor protection device 136, the motor protection device 136 is arranged on one side, far away from the first rack 135, of the third gear 134, the motor protection device 136 is fixedly connected with the rotating shaft, when the lifting motor 131 is in a power-off state, the safety and stability of the rotating shaft can be protected, the rotating shaft is prevented from moving randomly on the support 17, and the structural stability of the whole machine is improved.

In addition, the automatic replacement system 100 further includes an automatic disassembly unit 14, and the control unit 30 controls the automatic disassembly unit 14 to automatically disassemble the cleaning unit 40 on the cleaning apparatus 20, and the target cleaning unit 40 on the integrated unit 12. The automatic detaching unit 14 includes a fixing member 43 detachably connected to the cleaning apparatus 20, the fixing member 43 including a separation switch 41 provided outside the cleaning unit 40, and a unhooking member for triggering the separation switch 41 is provided in the base station 10, and the unhooking member is configured to be capable of displacing the separation switch 41 to separate the cleaning unit 40 from the cleaning apparatus 20.

The unhooking assembly is located within the base station 10 to automatically remove the cleaning unit 40. The unhooking assemblies are arranged on both sides of the park position 11. When the cleaning device 20 travels into the park position 11, the unhooking assembly may separate the cleaning device 20 from the cleaning unit 40, the cleaning unit 40 will be temporarily stored in the base station 10, and the cleaning device 20 may then leave the base station 10. Of course, it will be appreciated that the cleaning unit 40 may be mounted to the cleaning apparatus 20 when the unhooking assembly is operated in reverse. In other embodiments of the present invention, the cleaning unit 40 may also be manually removed and installed, including but not limited to, automatically removed by the unhooking assembly and manually installed, or manually removed and automatically installed by the unhooking assembly. In a preferred embodiment, the automatic replacement system 100 further includes an auxiliary disassembling member 14a, and the auxiliary disassembling member 14a is located inside the integrated housing 121 to assist in disassembling the cleaning unit 40, thereby improving the disassembling efficiency. Preferably, the auxiliary dismounting member 14a is of eccentric configuration.

Further, a separation switch 41 is provided outside the cleaning unit 40, the separation switch 41 is configured to be capable of separating the cleaning unit 40 and the cleaning device 20 by one-touch, and the unhooking member is configured to be capable of displacing the separation switch 41 to separate the cleaning unit 40 from the cleaning device 20. Preferably, the two sides of the cleaning unit 40 are provided with the separating switch 41, and the unhooking components are correspondingly arranged at the two sides of the base station 10, so that the cleaning unit 40 can be separated stably.

In the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the separation switch 41 is a sliding type, the separation switch 41 is configured to be slidable only along the surface of the cleaning unit 40, the surface of the cleaning unit 40 is provided with the guide slot 411, the separation switch 41 is disposed in the guide slot 411, and the separation switch 41 is movable along the guide slot 411.

The unhooking assembly comprises a casing 141, a motor 142 and a rotating member 143, wherein the motor 142 and the rotating member 143 are accommodated in the inner side of the casing 141, the rotating member 143 is driven by the motor 142 through a gear and rotates, the casing 141 is provided with a sliding groove 1411 for the rotating member 143 to extend to the outer side of the casing 141, and the rotating member 143 can reciprocate along the sliding groove 1411. The rotation plane of the rotation member 143 is parallel to the sliding plane of the separation switch 41, and the rotation member 143 is provided with a first trigger member 1431 extending toward the cleaning unit 40, and the first trigger member 1431 may be a cylindrical structure and perpendicular to the rotation plane of the rotation member 143. When the rotating member 143 reciprocates along the sliding slot 1411, the first triggering member 1431 is driven to rotate, so that the first triggering member 1431 abuts against the separating switch 41 to drive the separating switch 41 to slide. Preferably, the first triggering member 1431 and the disconnecting switch 41 are located at the same level, and it is understood that the first triggering member 1431 and the disconnecting switch 41 are located at substantially the same level, which is not strictly limited herein, as long as the first triggering member 1431 can trigger the disconnecting switch 41 correctly.

In order to make the rotating member 143 perform the reciprocating motion correctly, the rotating member 143 is provided with a second triggering member 1432, and the second triggering member 1432 may have a cylindrical structure and be perpendicular to the rotation plane of the rotating member 143, so that the first triggering member 1431 and the second triggering member 1432 rotate synchronously. The unhooking component further comprises a first micro switch 1433 and a second micro switch 1434 which are respectively arranged at two sides of the second triggering piece 1432, when the first triggering piece 1431 is located at an initial height, the first triggering piece 1431 is far away from the separating switch 41, the second triggering piece 1432 is located between the first triggering piece 1431 and the second triggering piece 1432, when the unhooking component works, the motor 142 drives the first triggering piece 1431 to move towards the separating switch 41, at the moment, the second triggering piece 1432 synchronously moves towards the first micro switch 1433, after the first triggering piece 1431 drives the separating switch 41 to generate maximum displacement, the second triggering piece 1432 triggers the first micro switch 1433 to control the motor 142 to reversely rotate, so that the first triggering piece reversely moves, meanwhile, the second triggering piece 1432 reversely moves towards the second micro switch 1434, and after the second triggering piece 1432 triggers the second micro switch 1434, the motor 142 is controlled to rotate, so that the reset of the first triggering piece 1431 is realized. The motor 142 is configured as a motor 142 capable of reversing in the present invention, and the present invention may also use an H-bridge circuit or a relay to control the motor 142 to reverse, which is not limited in this regard.

Still further, the rotating member 143 is provided with a third triggering member 1435, the third triggering member 1435 is fixedly connected with the rotating member 143 and rotates synchronously with the rotating member 143, and the unhooking assembly further comprises a supporting member 1436 disposed in the parking position 11, wherein the supporting member 1436 is configured to support the cleaning unit 40 for lifting. The cleaning unit 40 is provided at the bottom with a support groove 42 fitted with a support 1436, and the support 1436 is located right under the support groove 42. The third triggering piece 1435 is connected with the supporting piece 1436 through a sliding block structure 1437, the sliding block structure 1437 is configured to convert the rotation motion of the third triggering piece 1435 into the linear motion of the supporting piece 1436, specifically, the sliding block structure 1437 is abutted to the supporting piece 1436 through an inclined plane, a limiting groove 1438 is further formed in the sliding block structure 1437, the third triggering piece 1435 is partially arranged in the limiting groove 1438, and the extending direction of the limiting groove 1438 is perpendicular to the motion direction of the sliding block structure 1437, so that the rotation motion quantity of the third triggering piece 1435 is decomposed. In this embodiment, the slider structure 1437 moves in a horizontal direction and the limiting slot 1438 is disposed in a vertical direction.

The supporting member 1436 is driven by the third triggering member 1435 to move along the vertical direction, and protrudes from the stopping position 11 into the cavity, and after the cleaning unit 40 is separated from the cleaning device 20, the supporting member 1436 is aligned with the supporting groove 42, so as to support the cleaning unit 40 to slowly fall down, and play a role of buffering. Preferably, the unhooking assembly further includes an elastic member 1439 connected to the support member 1436, and the elastic member 1439 may be disposed at an end of the support member 1436 to enhance the buffering effect by converting kinetic energy of the falling of the cleaning unit 40 into elastic potential energy. It can be appreciated that when the rotating member 143 rotates, the first trigger member 1431 and the third trigger member 1435 are synchronously driven to move, that is, the separating switch 41 and the supporting member 1436 move to the maximum displacement, which corresponds to that the supporting member 1436 moves to the highest point when the cleaning unit 40 is just removed.

It should be noted that the supporting member 1436 is used to lift the cleaning unit 40 when the cleaning unit 40 is separated, that is, when the cleaning unit 40 is completely unhooked from the cleaning apparatus 20, the rotating member 143 makes the cleaning unit 40 descend in synchronization with the supporting member 1436 during the resetting process, so that the cleaning unit 40 is staggered from the cleaning apparatus 20 in the vertical direction, so that the cleaning apparatus 20 is driven away from the base station 10. In the same way, when the cleaning apparatus 20 returns to the base station 10, the rotation member 143 causes the cleaning unit 40 to rise synchronously with the support member 1436 during rotation, so as to vertically interface the cleaning unit 40 with the cleaning apparatus 20.

In another alternative embodiment of the present invention, the separating switch 41' is a push type, the separating switch 41' is configured to be capable of displacing only in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the cleaning unit 40, the unhooking assembly includes a motor 142, a transmission member 1441, and a fourth trigger 144, and the motor 142 is used for driving the fourth trigger 144 to reciprocate in a horizontal direction to touch the separating switch 41' for displacing. The fourth triggering member 144 is connected to the transmission member 1441 through a sliding block structure 1437, the sliding block structure 1437 is configured to convert the rotational motion of the fourth triggering member 144 into the linear motion of the supporting member 1436, specifically, the sliding block structure 1437 abuts against the fourth triggering member 144 through an inclined plane, a limiting groove 1438 is further formed in the sliding block structure 1437, the transmission member 1441 is partially disposed in the limiting groove 1438', and the extending direction of the limiting groove 1438' is perpendicular to the moving direction of the sliding block structure 1437, so that the rotational motion amount of the rotating member 143 is decomposed. In this embodiment, the limiting slot 1438' is disposed along a horizontal direction, and the slider structure 1437 moves along a vertical direction.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the unhooking assembly is configured to drive the displacement of the disconnect switch 41 by electromagnetic action. The disconnecting switch 41 can be provided with a magnet, the unhooking component can be provided with a relay, and the disconnecting switch 41 is controlled to generate displacement by controlling the on-off of the relay. Specifically, the method can be set as required, and is not limited in any way.

The fixing assembly 43 includes a positioning hole 431 formed at an upper end of the cleaning unit 40 and a retaining piece 432, wherein the retaining piece 432 is used for retaining the second protrusion 22 in the positioning hole 431 to fix the cleaning unit 40 in the accommodating cavity of the cleaning device 20.

The clamping member 432 is provided with a clamping hole 4321 with the same size as the positioning hole 431, when the clamping hole 4321 is aligned with the positioning hole 431, the second protrusion 22 passes through the positioning hole 431 and the clamping hole 4321 respectively, so that the bottom surface of the tip of the second protrusion 22 is abutted against the side wall of the clamping hole 4321 to realize fixation, preferably, the diameters of the positioning hole 431 and the clamping hole 4321 are larger than the diameter of the bottom surface of the tip of the second protrusion 22, and the cleaning unit 40 and the cleaning device 20 are connected and separated. When the locking hole 4321 is dislocated from the positioning hole 431, the size of the overlapped through hole between the locking hole 4321 and the positioning hole 431 can be reduced, so as to prevent the positioning hole 431 from being separated randomly.

As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the catch 432 is connected to the separation switch 41, and the connection and disconnection of the cleaning unit 40 and the cleaning apparatus 20 is achieved by switching the state of the alignment/misalignment between the catch hole 4321 and the positioning hole 431 by activating the separation switch 41. Further, the fixing assembly 43 further includes a reset member 433 for resetting the holding member 432, in this embodiment, the locking hole 4321 and the positioning hole 431 are dislocated to each other to be in an initial state, the locking hole 4321 and the positioning hole 431 are aligned to each other after the disconnecting switch 41 is triggered, and then, the locking hole 4321 and the positioning hole 431 return to a dislocated state under the driving of the reset member 433, and the disconnecting switch 41 is reset.

Specifically, the fixing assembly 43 further includes a rotating shaft 4322 disposed on the retaining member 432, the retaining member 432 can rotate around the rotating shaft 4322 to switch the alignment/dislocation state, two ends of the retaining member 432 are respectively provided with a retaining hole 4321, that is, the rotating shaft 4322 is disposed between the retaining holes 4321 at two ends, and two second protrusions 22 are disposed in the accommodating cavity of the cleaning device 20 to respectively correspond to the two retaining holes 4321. One end of the holding member 432 is connected to the restoring member 433, the restoring member 433 may be a structure including, but not limited to, a spring, etc., and the other end of the holding member 432 is in transmission connection with the separating switch 41, and when the separating switch 41 is triggered, the holding member 432 rotates around the rotating shaft 4322, and elastic potential energy of the restoring member 433 increases.

It can be appreciated that the need for replacing the cleaning unit 40 may be an instruction sent by the cleaning device 20 to the base station 10, or an instruction sent by the user to the base station 10, so that the practicality and flexibility of the automatic replacement system 100 are improved, and the experience of the user is improved.

The automatic replacement system 100 further includes a control unit 30, where the control unit 30 is communicatively connected to the automatic disassembly unit 14, the automatic lifting unit 13, and the integration unit 12, respectively. Preferably, the control unit 30 is communicatively connected with a mobile terminal, such as a mobile phone, a computer, etc., and the user can give an instruction to the control unit 30 through the mobile terminal, so that the flexibility of the automatic replacement system 100 is improved, the intelligent degree is high, and the experience of the user is improved.

The automatic replacement system 100 further includes an automatic rotation unit 15 and a first identification unit 16, where the automatic rotation unit 15 and the first identification unit 16 are respectively connected to the control unit 30 in a communication manner, and the automatic rotation unit 15 drives the integrated unit 12 to rotate. The automatic rotation unit 15 includes a rotation motor 151 and a rotation assembly, the rotation motor 151 is fixed in the accommodating cavity of the integrated housing 121 and is disposed opposite to the lifting motor 131, and the rotation motor 151 drives the rotation assembly to rotate to drive the rotation of the integrated housing 121.

Specifically, the rotating assembly includes a connecting member 152 fixedly connected to the integrated housing 121 and a fourth gear 153 fixedly connected to a motor shaft of the rotating motor 151, the connecting member 152 has a hollow structure, an inner peripheral portion of the connecting member 152 has a circular shape, a plurality of second racks 1521 are disposed on the inner peripheral portion of the connecting member 152, the fourth gear 153 is disposed on the inner peripheral portion of the connecting member 152 and is engaged with the plurality of second racks 1521, and a rotation plane of the fourth gear 153 and the connecting member 152 is perpendicular to a radial section of the rotating shaft. The rotating motor 151 rotates to effect the inversion of the integrated housing 121 so as to select the target cleaning unit 40.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fourth gear 153 is a driving gear, and the driving gear is fixedly connected to the motor shaft of the rotating motor 151 and rotates synchronously with the motor shaft of the rotating motor 151 under the driving of the rotating motor 151. The diameter of the inner peripheral portion of the connecting member 152 is larger than that of the driving gear, so that the connecting member 152 is driven by the driving gear to rotate circumferentially around the driving gear, and further the integrated mechanism 2 is driven to rotate circumferentially. Of course, in other embodiments, the rotating assembly may have other structures, which are not limited by the present invention, so as to enable the integrated housing 121 to be turned over.

In addition, in order to ensure the long-term operation of the lifting motor 131 and the rotating motor 151, the integrated unit 12 is further provided with protective sleeves respectively matched with the lifting motor 131 and the rotating motor 151, and the protective sleeves have a heat transfer function so as to ensure that heat generated by the lifting motor 131 and the rotating motor 151 under long-time operation can be timely emitted through the protective sleeves. Preferably, the lifting motor 131 and the rotating motor 151 are different uses of the same type of motor 142, improving versatility of the motor 142.

Further, to ensure the stability of the turning of the integrated unit 12, the automatic rotation unit 15 further includes an auxiliary gear 15a, and the auxiliary gear 15a is symmetrically disposed with the fourth gear 153 and is rotatably connected with the second rack 1521 of the connection member 152. Preferably, the auxiliary gear 15a is a slave driving gear tooth, and the slave driving gear tooth is fixed on the base of the integrated housing 121 and is rotatably connected with the second rack 1521 of the connecting member 152. When the second rack 1521 rotates circumferentially around the drive gear, the stability of the rotation of the second rack 1521 and thus the stability of the rotation of the integrated unit 12 can be ensured due to the presence of the secondary drive gear teeth.

The first recognition unit 16 is for recognizing whether the cleaning unit 40 passing through the first recognition unit 16 is the target cleaning unit 40, and transmitting the recognition result to the control unit 30. The first recognition unit 16 is provided corresponding to the first protrusion 122 to recognize information of the first protrusion 122 passing through the first recognition unit 16, and the control unit 30 controls the automatic rotation unit 15 to stop rotating when the cleaning unit 40 passing through the first recognition unit 16 is the target cleaning unit 40. Preferably, the first identification unit 16 is a sensor.

The stand 17 of the base station 10 includes a first support arm 171 and a second support arm 172, and the first support arm 171 is fixedly connected to the second support arm 172. The first support arm 171 is vertically disposed, the second support arm 172 is vertically disposed, and the side wall 1211 of the integrated housing 121 where the empty area is located below the second support arm 172 and parallel to the second support arm 172. The number of the first support arms 171 is 2, and 2 first support arms 171 are symmetrically disposed at both ends of the second support arm 172. An accommodating space is formed between the first supporting arm 171 and the second supporting arm 172 in a surrounding manner, so that the integrated unit 12 can conveniently accommodate the cleaning units 40, the number of the integrated unit 12 accommodating the cleaning units 40 is increased, and meanwhile, the integrated unit 12 can conveniently overturn in the bracket 17, so that a user can conveniently rotate the integrated unit 12 to select the proper cleaning units 40.

It may be appreciated that the lifting assembly is located on the first support arm 171, the first support arm 171 is further provided with guide rods 1711 on two sides of the lifting assembly, each first support arm 171 is provided with 2 guide rods 1711,2 guide rods 1711 located on two sides of the first rack 135, so as to guide the up-and-down reciprocating motion of the integrated housing 121, improve the automatic replacement efficiency, and ensure the stability of the up-and-down reciprocating motion process of the integrated housing 121. Preferably, the central axis of the second support arm 172 is on the same vertical plane as the central axis of the cleaning device 20 housed within the base station 10.

Further, reinforcing ribs are disposed on the first support arm 171 and the second support arm 172, so as to further improve stability of the bracket 17.

In addition, the automatic changing system 100 further includes a guide unit 18, and the guide unit 18 includes a guide rod 1711 and an auxiliary member 1712, and the auxiliary member 1712 is slidably connected to the guide rod 1711. The auxiliary pieces 1712 are located at two sides of the end cover 1212 of the integrated housing 121, each auxiliary piece 1712 is provided with a through hole which is connected with the guide rod 1711 in a matching way at a position corresponding to the guide rod 1711, the guide rod 1711 is located at two sides of the first rack 135, and the guide rod 1711 is inserted into the through hole of the auxiliary piece 1712, so as to realize the guiding function when the integrated unit 12 reciprocates up and down. By such arrangement, the automatic lifting efficiency and stability of the integrated unit 12 can be effectively improved. In other embodiments, the guiding unit 18 may be other structures that can slide up and down in the vertical direction, for example: the guide rod 1711 may be a guide rail, and the auxiliary member 1712 may be a structure including sliding balls, which is not limited in the present invention.

Further, the cleaning apparatus 20 includes a second recognition unit 21, the second recognition unit 21 is communicatively connected to the control unit 30, the second recognition unit 21 recognizes the environmental information, and transmits the recognition result to the control unit 30. The environmental information includes, but is not limited to, ground material information and current ground state. In addition, the second recognition unit 21 can recognize information of the cleaning unit 40 on the cleaning apparatus 20, including, but not limited to, the model number, size, degree of cleanliness, and the like of the cleaning unit 40. The second identifying unit 21 identifies the information of the cleaning unit 40 on the cleaning device 20 to determine whether the cleaning unit 40 is the target cleaning unit 40, if the cleaning unit 40 to be tested is the target cleaning unit 40, the cleaning unit 40 is connected with the cleaning device 20, otherwise, the cleaning unit 40 to be tested cannot be electrically connected with the cleaning device 20, so that the control unit 30 further prompts the user to replace the target cleaning unit 40 in time.

It is known that the second protrusion 22 is provided on the cleaning apparatus 20 body at the positioning hole 431 corresponding to the cleaning unit 40, and the cleaning unit 40 is connected to the cleaning apparatus 20 body through the second protrusion 22. In a preferred embodiment, the second protrusion 22 and the first protrusion 122 are the same in size.

Referring to fig. 27-30, an automatic replacement method according to the present invention, using the automatic replacement system 100, comprises the following steps:

step S10: the cleaning device 20 sends an instruction to replace the cleaning unit 40 to the automatic replacement system 100.

Step S20: the control unit 30 receives the instruction and controls the automatic detaching unit 14 to detach the first cleaning unit 40 from the cleaning apparatus 20.

Step S30: the integrated unit 12 recovers the first cleaning unit 40 and stores the first cleaning unit 40 to the first position.

Step S40: the control unit 30 controls the integrated unit 12 to rotate to select the target cleaning unit 40, and controls the integrated unit 12 to automatically detach the target cleaning unit 40.

Step S50: the control unit 30 automatically assembles the target cleaning unit 40 to the cleaning apparatus 20.

It is understood that, in addition to the cleaning apparatus 20 sending the instruction for replacing the cleaning unit 40 to the automatic replacement system 100, the user may also send the instruction for replacing the cleaning unit 40 to the automatic replacement system 100, so that the flexibility of the automatic replacement system 100 is improved, and the experience of the user is improved.

Further, the cleaning device 20 further comprises a second recognition unit 21, and the automatic replacement method further comprises:

step S00: the second recognition unit 21 recognizes the environmental information, and transmits the recognition result to the control unit 30.

It will be appreciated that the environmental information includes, but is not limited to, the floor material and the current floor status, and that the control unit 30 may replace the target cleaning member for the corresponding application based on the floor material, or may replace the corresponding target cleaning member based on the current floor status.

Further, step S20 specifically includes:

step S21: the control unit 30 receives the instruction and controls the automatic detaching unit 14 to release the fixing of the first cleaning unit 40 to the cleaning apparatus 20.

Step S22: the cleaning device 20 is out-standing.

In other embodiments, the control unit 30 controls the automatically detachable unit 14 to detach the first cleaning unit 40 from the cleaning apparatus 20 by magnetic force.

Further, the step S30 specifically includes:

step S31: the integrated unit 12 is lowered to the first height under the driving of the automatic lifting unit 13, the empty area of the integrated unit 12 retrieves the first cleaning unit 40, and the first cleaning unit 40 is stored to the first position.

Step S32: the integrated unit 12 is lifted to an initial height by the automatic lifting unit 13.

Further, step S50 specifically includes:

step S51: the automatic disassembly unit 14 targets the cleaning unit 40 to the target installation site 24 and the integrated unit 12 is raised to an initial height.

Step S52: the cleaning device 20 is again brought into station.

Step S53: the integrated unit 12 is lowered to press the main body of the cleaning apparatus 20 to a second height so that the main body of the cleaning apparatus 20 and the target cleaning unit 40 are connected as one body.

Step S54: the cleaning device 20 is again out of the station.

Further, the positions of the target positions of the initial height, the first height and the second height are correspondingly provided with position sensors, and the position sensors are in communication connection with the control unit 30. The position sensor recognizes the integrated unit 12 passing the position sensor, and when the position sensor recognizes that the integrated unit 12 passes the aforementioned target position, the control unit 30 controls the automatic lifting unit 13 to stop lifting.

It will be appreciated that the cleaning apparatus 20 includes, but is not limited to, a sweeping robot and the cleaning unit 40 includes, but is not limited to, a roll brush.

In summary, the present invention realizes the automatic replacement of the cleaning unit 40 by providing the automatic replacement system 100 with full automation, which is compact and intelligent in structure and improves the cleaning efficiency. Secondly, through setting up integrated casing 121, with a plurality of cleaning unit integration together, and each cleaning unit is mutually independent, can satisfy the demand of multiple cleaning unit 40 usage of different scenes. Furthermore, by providing the guide unit 18, the lifting of the integrated unit 12 can be effectively guided, and the stability of the lifting process can be improved. The invention can realize the classification, placement and storage of the cleaning units 40, save space and time, automatically assemble the required cleaning units 40 on the cleaning equipment 20 according to the needs, facilitate the quick replacement of the cleaning units 40, improve the cleaning efficiency and promote the cleaning experience of users.

The foregoing is merely a preferred embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application, and various modifications and variations may be made to the present application by those skilled in the art. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application should be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An automatic replacement system for replacing a cleaning unit, the automatic replacement system comprising:

the cleaning device is provided with a driving device for moving the cleaning device and a mounting position for mounting the cleaning unit;

a base station comprising a parking place for parking the cleaning device and an integrated unit for accommodating the cleaning unit, wherein the cleaning unit comprises a first cleaning unit recovered from the cleaning device and a target cleaning unit assembled on the cleaning device, and at least one empty area for accommodating the cleaning unit is arranged on the integrated unit; and

The control unit is respectively in communication connection with the cleaning equipment and the base station, controls the cleaning equipment to automatically detach and automatically replace the cleaning unit, and controls the integrated unit in the base station to automatically recycle and automatically detach the cleaning unit;

the automatic replacement system further comprises an automatic disassembly unit which is in communication connection with the control unit, wherein the automatic disassembly unit automatically disassembles the target cleaning unit on the integrated unit and automatically disassembles the first cleaning unit on the cleaning equipment;

the automatic disassembly unit comprises a fixing component detachably connected with the cleaning equipment, the fixing component comprises a separation switch arranged on the outer side of the cleaning unit, a unhooking component used for triggering the separation switch is arranged in the base station, and the unhooking component is configured to enable the separation switch to generate displacement so as to separate the first cleaning unit from the cleaning equipment; meanwhile, the target cleaning unit may be mounted to the cleaning apparatus while the unhooking assembly is operated in the reverse direction;

the automatic replacement system further comprises an automatic rotation unit and an automatic lifting unit, wherein the automatic rotation unit and the automatic lifting unit are both in communication connection with the control unit, the integrated unit is driven to overturn by the automatic rotation unit so as to select a target cleaning unit, and the integrated unit is driven to lift by the automatic lifting unit.

2. The automatic replacement system of claim 1, wherein: the automatic replacement system further comprises a first identification unit, the first identification unit is in communication connection with the control unit, and when the first identification unit identifies that the cleaning unit passing through the first identification unit is a target cleaning unit, the control unit controls the automatic rotation unit to stop rotating.

3. The automatic replacement system of claim 1, wherein: the cleaning device further comprises a second identification unit which is in communication connection with the control unit, and the second identification unit identifies the environmental information and sends the identification result to the control unit.

4. An automatic replacement method using the automatic replacement system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the automatic replacement method comprises the steps of:

step S50: the control unit automatically assembles the target cleaning unit to the cleaning apparatus via the automatic disassembly unit.

5. The automatic replacement method according to claim 4, wherein: the cleaning apparatus further includes a second recognition unit, and the automatic replacement method further includes:

6. The automatic replacement method according to claim 4, wherein: the step S20 specifically includes:

step S22: the cleaning device is outbound.

7. The automatic replacement method according to claim 4, wherein: the step S30 specifically includes:

8. The automatic replacement method according to claim 4, wherein: the step S50 specifically includes:

step S52: the cleaning device is again brought into station;

step S53: the integrated unit descends, and the main body of the cleaning device is pressed down to a second height, so that the main body of the cleaning device and the target cleaning unit are connected into a whole;

step S54: the cleaning device is again out of the station.