AUTONOMOUS CLEANING DEVICE AND WIND PATH STRUCTURE OF SAME

• US 20170296010A1
• Filed: 04/13/2017
• Published: 10/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beijing Rockrobo Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Beijing Rockrobo Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Inventors: LI, Xing, LIU, Xiaoyu, XIA, Yongfeng
• Granted Patent: US 10,271,699 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 5/22 with rotary fans
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0411 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0488 Combinations or arrangements of several tools, e.g. edge cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/122 flat
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1409 Rigid filtering receptacles dust collecting receptacles for cyclones A47L9/1683
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/149 Emptying means; Reusable bags
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2831 Motor parameters, e.g. motor load or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2852 Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an autonomous cleaning device and a wind path structure for use in the autonomous cleaning device. The wind path structure includes: a cleaning component for cleaning cleaned objects, a cleaned object storage container for storing the cleaned objects, and a power component for generating a wind, the cleaning component, the cleaned object storage container, and the power component being arranged sequentially in a moving direction of the autonomous cleaning device; a first-level wind duct located between the cleaning component and the cleaned object storage container, wherein the first-level wind duct is coupled with the power component such that the cleaned objects are delivered to the cleaned object storage container by the wind generated by the power component; and a second-level wind duct located between the cleaned object storage container and the power component, wherein the second-level wind duct has a bell-mouth shape and includes an inner wall, the inner wall including an arc-shaped segment facing toward the wind coming from the cleaned object storage container to direct the wind to an air inlet of the power component.

Claims

1. A wind path structure for use in an autonomous cleaning device, comprising:

a cleaning component for cleaning cleaned objects, a cleaned object storage container for storing the cleaned objects, and a power component for generating a wind, the cleaning component, the cleaned object storage container, and the power component being arranged sequentially in a moving direction of the autonomous cleaning device;

a first-level wind duct located between the cleaning component and the cleaned object storage container, wherein the first-level wind duct is coupled with the power component such that the cleaned objects are delivered to the cleaned object storage container by the wind generated by the power component; and

a second-level wind duct located between the cleaned object storage container and the power component, wherein the second-level wind duct has a bell-mouth shape and includes an inner wall, the inner wall including an arc-shaped segment facing toward the wind coming from the cleaned object storage container to direct the wind to an air inlet of the power component.

2. The wind path structure of claim 1, wherein the second-level wind duct includes an air outlet located at an end of the second-level wind duct remote from the cleaned object storage container, the air outlet of second-level wind duct being in a plane intersecting with a horizontal plane.

3. The wind path structure of claim 2, wherein:

the air outlet of the second-level wind duct is coupled with the air inlet of the power component;

the power component includes an axial flow fan; and

the air inlet of the power component and a rotation axis of the axial flow fan are aligned in a same direction.

4. The wind path structure of claim 1, wherein:

the first-level wind duct has a bell-mouth shape; and

an area of a cross section of the first-level wind duct is inversely correlated with a distance from the cross section to the cleaning component.

5. The wind path structure of claim 1, wherein:

the cleaning component is a main brush assembly including a main brush; and

the first-level wind duct includes an air inlet facing the main brush assembly, a width of a horizontal cross section of the air inlet decreasing along the moving direction, the width being in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction.

6. The wind path structure of claim 1, wherein:

the cleaning component is a main brush assembly including a main brush bin and a main brush; and

the first-level wind duct includes;

an air inlet coupled with the main brush bin and facing the main brush via an opening on the main brush bin; and

a side wall at a rear end of the main brush bin in the moving direction, the side wall being coupled with the main brush bin along a tangential direction of a circular cross section of the main brush bin.

7. The wind path structure of claim 6, wherein the tangential direction of the circular cross section of the main brush bin is along a vertical direction, and the first-level wind duct is located obliquely above the main brush assembly and behind the main brush in the moving direction.

8. The wind path structure of claim 1, wherein:

the cleaning component is a main brush assembly including a main brush; and

the first-level wind duct is located at a rear end of the main brush in the moving direction, the first-level wind duct including;

an air inlet facing the main brush and located obliquely above the main brush;

an air outlet coupled with an air inlet of the cleaned object storage container, the cleaned object storage container being located behind the air outlet of the first-level wind duct in the moving direction and obliquely above the air outlet of the first-level wind duct, wherein the air outlet of the cleaned object storage container is not located at a top side of the cleaned object storage container; and

a side wall located at a front end of the first-level wind duct in the moving direction and tilted toward a horizontal plane, such that the wind generated by the power component is directed to the top side of the cleaned object storage container and reflected by the top side to the air outlet of the cleaned object storage container, wherein the wind generated by the power component delivers the cleaned objects to the top side of the cleaned object storage container such that the cleaned objects fall in the cleaned object storage container.

9. The wind path structure of claim 1, wherein the second-level wind duct includes:

an air outlet coupled with the power component; and

a side wall facing the air outlet of the second-level wind duct, the side wall bulging outward to expand an inner space of the second-level wind duct at the air outlet, to reduce energy loss of the wind generated by the power component at the air outlet of the second-level wind duct below a preset level.

10. The wind path structure of claim 1, wherein the cleaned object storage component is a dust box assembly including:

a removable side wall, wherein when the side wall is removed from the dust box assembly, a dumping opening is formed on the dust box assembly for dumping the cleaned objects stored in the dust box assembly; and

an air inlet located on the removable side wall, the air inlet being coupled with the first-level wind duct.

11. The wind path structure of claim 1, wherein the cleaned object storage component is a main brush assembly including a rubber brush element and at least one hair brush element, wherein:

the rubber brush element forms, on a cylindrical surface of the main brush assembly, a first deflection angle with a rotation axis of the main brush assembly, such that a wind intensity maintained by the rubber brush element achieves or exceeds a preset intensity; and

each hair brush element forms, on the cylindrical surface of the main brush assembly, a second deflection angle with the rotation axis of the main brush assembly, such that when hair tufts of the hair brush element are arranged sequentially along the rotation axis of the main brush assembly, an angle covered by the hair brush element along circumference of the cylindrical surface of the main brush assembly achieves or exceeds a preset angle,

wherein the second deflection angle is larger than the first deflection angle.

12. The wind path structure of claim 11, wherein the rubber brush element is distributed in a substantially straight line along the rotation axis of the main brush assembly and on the cylindrical surface of the main brush assembly.

13. The wind path structure of claim 12, wherein a central part of the rubber brush element is bent towards the moving direction of the autonomous cleaning device, such that the wind generated by the power component gathers the cleaned objects at the central part of the rubber brush element.

14. The wind path structure of claim 11, wherein the at least one hair brush element fully covers the circumference of the cylindrical surface of the main brush assembly.

15. The wind path structure of claim 1, wherein the cleaning component is a main brush assembly including an anti-winding guard and a soft rubber scraper bar behind the anti-winding guard in the moving direction, the anti-winding guard further including an obstacle-crossing accessory at a rear end of the anti-winding guard in the moving direction, the obstacle-crossing accessory abutting a top surface of the soft rubber scraper bar.

16. The wind path structure of claim 15, wherein the obstacle-crossing accessory is a downward protrusion formed at the rear end of the anti-winding guard.

17. The wind path structure of claim 16, wherein the protrusion includes a first edge at a front end of the bulge in the moving direction, the first edge being configured to assist the autonomous cleaning device to cross an obstacle in an obstacle crossing process.

18. The wind path structure of claim 17, wherein the protrusion includes a second edge at a rear end of the protrusion in the moving direction, the second edge abutting the top surface of the soft rubber scraper bar, and the second edge forming an acute angle with the first edge.

19. The wind path structure of claim 1, wherein joints between the cleaning component, the first-level wind duct, the cleaned object storage container, the second-level wind duct, and the power component are sealed.

20. An autonomous cleaning device, comprising a wind path structure including:

a cleaning component for cleaning cleaned objects, a cleaned object storage container for storing the cleaned objects, and a power component for generating a wind, the cleaning component, the cleaned object storage container, and the power component being arranged sequentially in a moving direction of the autonomous cleaning device;

a first-level wind duct located between the cleaning component and the cleaned object storage container, wherein the first-level wind duct is coupled with the power component such that the cleaned objects are delivered to the cleaned object storage container by the wind generated by the power component; and

a second-level wind duct located between the cleaned object storage container and the power component, wherein the second-level wind duct has a bell-mouth shape and includes an inner wall, the inner wall including an arc-shaped segment facing toward the wind coming from the cleaned object storage container to direct the wind to an air inlet of the power component.