Automatic cleaning machine

• US 10,524,630 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2017
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HOBOT Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: HOBOT Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Chao, Chi-Mou
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Dung Van
• Application Number:
  US15/837,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20180098678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/305 the tools being disc brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4027 Filtering or separating contaminants or debris
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4038 Disk shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4083 Liquid supply reservoirs; Preparation of the agents, e.g. mixing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4088 Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection

Abstract

An automatic cleaning machines comprises a high-speed reciprocating cleaning means making a cleaning cloth reciprocatingly wipe a floor at high speed and a vacuum device sucking the dust in front of the cleaning cloth.

Claims

1. An automatic cleaning machine, comprising:

a reciprocately wiping mechanism comprising;

at least one cleaning device used for being in contact with a floor; and

at least one reciprocating device connected to the at least one cleaning device and making the at least one cleaning device reciprocately wipe the floor; and

a travelling device used to make the automatic cleaning machine travel on the floor;

a control system coupled to the reciprocately wiping mechanism and the travelling device and used to control the reciprocately wiping mechanism and the travelling device,

wherein the at least one reciprocating device comprises;

a motor;

a crankshaft, driven by the motor to rotate;

at least one crank, wherein an end of the at least one crank is connected to the crankshaft, and wherein another end of the at least one crank is connected to a brush plate of the at least one cleaning device and then reciprocately moves as the crankshaft rotates.

2. The automatic cleaning machine according to claim 1, wherein

the at least one cleaning device comprises a first cleaning device and a second cleaning device, and

the at least one reciprocating device used to make the first cleaning device move in a first direction and make the second cleaning device move in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

3. The automatic cleaning machine according to claim 1, further comprising a housing, wherein,

the housing is used for accommodating the at least one reciprocating device of the reciprocately wiping mechanism, the control system and the travelling device, and

the at least one cleaning device comprises:

a brush plate disposed below a base of the housing;

a roller located between the brush plate and the housing, and rotates on the brush plate or the base, so as to reduce the frictional resistance to the relative motion of the brush plate and the base; and

a cleaning cloth disposed at the brush plate and used to be in contact with the floor.

4. The automatic cleaning machine according to claim 3, further comprising a vacuum device, wherein,

the vacuum device comprises an inlet, wherein the dust on the floor is sucked into the inlet by an air flow,

the at least one cleaning device comprises a first cleaning device, and

the inlet is disposed in front of the first cleaning device within a predetermined distance from the first cleaning device, wherein within the predetermined distance, the dust is not accumulated.

5. The automatic cleaning machine according to claim 4, wherein the inlet of the vacuum device is disposed at the brush plate of the first cleaning device.

6. The automatic cleaning machine according to claim 4, further comprising an electric brush, wherein

the inlet of the vacuum device is disposed at the base of the housing, and

the electric brush is disposed at the base and sweeps the dust into the inlet.

7. The automatic cleaning machine according to claim 1, further comprising a housing and an elastic element, wherein,

the housing is used for accommodating the at least one reciprocating device of the reciprocately wiping mechanism, the control system and the travelling device, and

the elastic element is disposed between the travelling device and the housing, so that the elastic element is capable of pushing the travelling device in a direction away from the automatic cleaning machine.

8. The automatic cleaning machine according to claim 7, wherein,

the travelling device comprises a moving wheel module;

and a case accommodating the moving wheel module and including a sleeve,

the housing comprises;

a base;

a fixing column disposed on the base and projecting from the base, wherein the sleeve is sleeved on the outer circumferential surface of the fixing column;

a ring stop disposed at a top side of the fixing column; and

a fixing screw screwed into the fixing column, so that the ring stop is fixed at the top side of the fixing column, and

an end of the elastic element is abutted against the ring stop, and another end of the elastic element is abutted against a portion of the case of the travelling device.

9. The automatic cleaning machine according to claim 1, further comprising a vacuum device, wherein,

the vacuum device comprises an inlet, wherein the dust on the floor is sucked into the inlet by an air flow,

the at least one cleaning device comprises a first cleaning device, and

the inlet is disposed in front of the first cleaning device within a predetermined distance from the first cleaning device, wherein within the predetermined distance, the dust is not accumulated.

10. The automatic cleaning machine according to claim 1, further comprising a spray device used for spraying water on the floor.

11. The automatic cleaning machine according to claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor disposed at the front or bottom side of the housing and used for detecting an obstacle or a stair.

12. The automatic cleaning machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

a bumper disposed at the outer side of the automatic cleaning machine; and

a limit switch used to be pushed by the bumper after the bumper hits an obstacle.

13. The automatic cleaning machine according to claim 1, further comprising a distance measuring sensor used for measuring the distance from the surrounding environment, so as to establish a map for planning a cleaning path.

14. The automatic cleaning machine according to claim 1, wherein

the travelling device comprises a tracked wheel,

the tracked wheel comprises a wheel motor, a first wheel and a track belt,

the track belt is suitable for being in contact with the floor, and

the wheel motor drives the first wheel and the first wheel drives the track belt, so that the automatic cleaning machine can travel on the floor.

15. The automatic cleaning machine according to claim 14, further comprising a housing and an elastic element, wherein,

the housing is used for accommodating the at least one reciprocating device of the reciprocately wiping mechanism, the control system and the travelling device, and

the elastic element is disposed between the tracked wheel of the travelling device and the housing, so that the elastic element is capable of distributing the pressures applied to the track belt and the at least one cleaning device.

16. The automatic cleaning machine according to claim 14, further comprising a housing and an elastic element, wherein,

the tracked wheel further comprises a second wheel, the first and second wheels are disposed at the inside surface of the track belt, and disposed at the two ends of the track belt, and

the two points at which the first and second wheels contact with the floor via the track belt are spaced a predetermined distance.

17. An automatic cleaning machine, comprising:

a reciprocately wiping mechanism comprising;

at least one cleaning device used for being in contact with a floor; and

at least one reciprocating device connected to the at least one cleaning device and making the at least one cleaning device reciprocately wipe the floor; and

a travelling device used to make the automatic cleaning machine travel on the floor;

a control system coupled to the reciprocately wiping mechanism and the travelling device and used to control the reciprocately wiping mechanism and the travelling device,

a housing, wherein,

the housing is used for accommodating the at least one reciprocating device of the reciprocately wiping mechanism, the control system and the travelling device, and

the at least one cleaning device comprises;

a brush plate disposed below a base of the housing;

a roller located between the brush plate and the housing, and rotates on the brush plate or the base, so as to reduce the frictional resistance to the relative motion of the brush plate and the base; and

a cleaning cloth disposed at the brush plate and used to be in contact with the floor.

18. The automatic cleaning machine according to claim 17, wherein

the at least one cleaning device comprises a first cleaning device and a second cleaning device, and

the at least one reciprocating device used to make the first cleaning device move in a first direction and make the second cleaning device move in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

19. The automatic cleaning machine according to claim 17, further comprising a vacuum device, wherein,

the vacuum device comprises a inlet, wherein the dust on the floor is sucked into the inlet by an air flow,

the at least one cleaning device comprises a first cleaning device, and

the inlet is disposed in front of the first cleaning device within a predetermined distance from the first cleaning device, wherein within the predetermined distance, the dust is not accumulated.

20. The automatic cleaning machine according to claim 19, wherein the inlet of the vacuum device is disposed at the brush plate of the first cleaning device.

21. The automatic cleaning machine according to claim 19, further comprising an electric brush, wherein

the inlet of the vacuum device is disposed at the base of the housing, and

the electric brush is disposed at the base and sweeps the dust into the inlet.

22. An automatic cleaning machine, comprising:

a reciprocately wiping mechanism comprising;

at least one cleaning device used for being in contact with a floor; and

at least one reciprocating device connected to the at least one cleaning device and making the at least one cleaning device reciprocately wipe the floor; and

a travelling device used to make the automatic cleaning machine travel on the floor;

a control system coupled to the reciprocately wiping mechanism and the travelling device and used to control the reciprocately wiping mechanism and the travelling device, and wherein

the travelling device comprises a tracked wheel,

the tracked wheel comprises a wheel motor, a first wheel and a track belt,

the track belt is suitable for being in contact with the floor.

the wheel motor drives the first wheel, and the first wheel drives the track belt, so that the automatic cleaning machine can travel on the floor.

23. The automatic cleaning machine according to claim 22, further comprising a housing and an elastic element, wherein,

the housing is used for accommodating the at least one reciprocating device of the reciprocately wiping mechanism, the control system and the travelling device, and

the elastic element is disposed between the tracked wheel of the travelling device and the housing, so that the elastic element is capable of distributing the pressures applied to the track belt and the at least one cleaning device.

24. The automatic cleaning machine according to claim 22, further comprising a housing and an elastic element, wherein,

the tracked wheel further comprises a second wheel, the first and second wheels are disposed at the inside surface of the track belt, and disposed at the two ends of the track belt, and

the two points at which the first and second wheels contact with the floor via the track belt are spaced a predetermined distance.