Patent Description:
Sweeping robots usually use non-contact sensors, such as infrared sensors, odor sensors, and the like when detecting pet excrement. Since the sensors do not directly contact excrement, detection for excrement is inaccurate, which is not conducive for a sweeping machine to make accurate judgment for detection results. <CIT> relates generally to a robotic cleaner provided to sense an obstacle by sensing the capacitance variation of an electrode planted in a sensor body arranged along an outer periphery of a main body.

A main purpose of the present application is to provide a sweeping robot, which is intended to improve accuracy of a sweeping robot for detecting dirt.

In order to achieve the above purpose, the present application provides a sweeping robot.

In the technical solutions of the present application, during a moving process of a sweeping robot, when an object makes contact with a contact-type detection electrode and enters a detection area of the contact-type detection electrode, a capacitance, a resistance, or an impedance of the contact-type detection electrode changes, such that current in a detection circuit where it is located changes. According to the change of the capacitance, resistance, or impedance of the contact-type detection electrode, or the change of the current in the detection circuit, it is determined whether a currently detected object is diffusible dirt. Since the contact-type detection electrode contacts the object directly to perform detection, many factors affecting accuracy are avoided, such that accuracy of a detection result is greatly improved; thus, it is conducive to improve accuracy of the sweeping robot for detecting diffusible dirt, and is conducive for the sweeping robot to make more accurate judgement and operations. In addition, the contact-type detection electrode is located at a front side of the base plate, such that the contact -type detection electrode will make contact with diffusible dirt in advance; when the sweeping robot makes a response in time, the rear portion of the base plate, the driving wheels of the sweeping robot, and the like are avoided from contacting the diffusible dirt, diffusion of the dirt is avoided effectively, and the sweeping robot is avoided from being contaminated by the dirt to the greatest extent, it is conducive for cleanness of the sweeping robot.

In order to describe technical solutions in embodiments of the present application or in the prior art more clearly, drawings required being used in description of the embodiments or the prior art will be simply introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are merely some embodiments of the present application. For one of ordinary skill in the art, it is also possible to obtain other drawings according to structures shown in these drawings without paying any creative work.

Introduction of reference numbers in the drawings:.

Implementation, functional characteristics, and advantages of the purpose of the present application will be further described in accompany with the embodiments and with reference to the drawings.

Technical solutions in embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below in accompany with drawings in embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some embodiments of the present application, but not all embodiments. Based on embodiments of the present application, all other embodiments obtained by one of ordinary skill in the art without paying any creative work belong to the protection scope of the present application.

It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back. ) in embodiments of the present application are only used to explain relative position relationships, movement situations, and the like among components in a certain specific posture (e.g., as shown in the drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will change correspondingly.

In addition, the descriptions related to "first", "second", and the like in the present application are only used for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. At the same time, "and/or" appearing in the full text means that it includes three schemes, taking "A and/or B" as an example, including a scheme A, a scheme B, or a scheme that meets both A and B. In addition, technical solutions of various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on what can be achieved by one of ordinary skill in the art. When a combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be achieved, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist, and does not fall within the scope of protection required by the present application.

The present application mainly provides a sweeping robot, the sweeping robot is a moveable cleaning device (having both detecting and cleaning functions). The sweeping robot has a contact-type detection electrode, the contact-type detection electrode has a detection area. In response to the contact-type detection electrode making contact with diffusible dirt, one of a resistance, a capacitance, and an impedance of the contact-type detection electrode changes, such that current in a detection circuit of the sweeping robot changes. According to the change of the resistance, capacitance, or impedance of the contact-type detection electrode, or the change of the current in the detection circuit, a control circuit of the sweeping robot triggers an indication device of the sweeping robot. The indication device can send an alarm to outside by one or more of lamp light, sound, and vibration. Of course, in some embodiments, the indication device can further send a signal to a specified terminal so as to send indication through the terminal.

It is worth noting that diffusible dirt usually has certain humidity and viscosity, and is prone to diffuse along with carriers. For example, animal excrement, melted candy, liquid (such as water), flowable medium (such as tomato sauce, soup, etc.), and so on.

A specific structure of a sweeping robot will be mainly described below.

Referring to <FIG>, in embodiments of the present application, a sweeping robot is used to detect or sweep waste. The sweeping robot has a mobile device body including an electric drive device. The electric drive device can be a motor, an electrically driven hydraulic pump, a pneumatic pump, or an electromagnetic induction drive device, etc., all devices driven by electricity are available. The sweeping robot further includes a contact-type detection electrode, the contact-type detection electrode is mounted on the mobile device body. In response to the contact-type detection electrode contacting diffusible dirt, a resistance, a capacitance, or an impedance of the contact-type detection electrode will change.

Wherein, the mobile device body includes a base plate <NUM> and driving wheels. The driving wheels are disposed at the bottom of the base plate <NUM> and are rotatably connected with the base plate <NUM>. The electric driving device is connected with the driving wheels to make the driving wheels roll. The electric drive device is connected to the base plate <NUM>. Wherein, the contact-type detection electrode is mounted on a front portion of the base plate <NUM>. The base plate <NUM> can have many kinds of shapes, such as polygonal, elliptical, circular, etc. In the case of the same volume, in order to allow the sweeping robot to enter a narrower space, the base plate <NUM> is set to be circular. In order to prevent external environmental factors from affecting the rolling of the driving wheels, a first baffle is disposed on a side of an axial direction of a driving wheel, and a second baffle is disposed on the top of the driving wheel. A roller brush for cleaning ground dust and other debris is mounted on the base plate <NUM>, and the roller brush is driven by a motor. In this embodiment, a side brush is further disposed on the base plate <NUM>, and the side brush extends from the base plate <NUM> outside the base plate <NUM> to expand the cleaning range of the sweeping robot, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency.

In this embodiment, during a moving process of a sweeping robot, when an object makes contact with a contact-type detection electrode and enters a detection area of the contact-type detection electrode, a capacitance, a resistance, or an impedance of the contact-type detection electrode changes, such that current in a detection circuit where it is located changes. According to the change of the capacitance, resistance, or impedance of the contact-type detection electrode, or the change of the current in the detection circuit, it is determined whether a currently detected object is diffusible dirt. Since the contact-type detection electrode contacts the object directly to perform detection, many factors affecting accuracy are avoided, such that accuracy of a detection result is greatly improved; thus, it is conducive to improve accuracy of the sweeping robot for detecting diffusible dirt, and is conducive for the sweeping robot to make more accurate judgement and operations. In addition, the contact-type detection electrode is located at a front side of the base plate <NUM>, such that the contact -type detection electrode will make contact with diffusible dirt in advance; when the sweeping robot makes a response in time, the rear portion of the base plate <NUM>, the driving wheels of the sweeping robot, and the like are avoided from contacting the diffusible dirt, diffusion of the dirt is avoided effectively, and the sweeping robot is avoided from being contaminated by the dirt to the greatest extent, it is conducive for cleanness of the sweeping robot.

It is worth noting that judging whether the currently detected object is a diffusible dirt according to the capacitance, the resistance, the impedance, or the current can be achieved by a comparison circuit. For example, a preset capacitance is set, when a detected capacitance is greater than or equal to the preset capacitance, the current object is judged as diffusible dirt; when the detected capacitance is less than the preset capacitance, the current object is judged as non-diffusible dirt. It can also be achieved by software, for example, a detected capacitance can be compared with a capacitance value pre-stored in a memory of the sweeping robot, different stored capacitance values correspond to different types of objects. Of course, one or more of the types is diffusible dirt.

There are many positions where the contact-type detection electrode can be mounted on the front portion of the base plate <NUM>, and there are also many mounting situations. The following describes separate arrangements on a vertical surface and a bottom surface of a front side of the base plate <NUM> and an arrangement on both.

When being separately arranged on the bottom surface of the base plate <NUM>, the contact-type detection electrode is arranged in a strip shape, and the contact-type detection electrode extends along the bottom of the front portion of the base plate <NUM>. The contact-type detection electrode includes a positive electrode and a negative electrode, and the positive electrode and the negative electrode extend along a bottom surface of the base plate <NUM>. In order to contact diffusible dirt as soon as possible, the contact-type detection electrode extends along an edge of a front side of the base plate <NUM>. When the base plate <NUM> is arranged as a circular shape, the contact-type detection electrode is arranged in an arc shape on the ground. The positive and negative electrodes are arranged alternately along a radial direction, and a detection area is formed between adjacent positive and negative electrodes. The numbers of positive and negative electrodes may be unequal. Both a positive electrode in front and a negative electrode in front are possible. The detection area is parallel to the bottom surface of the base plate <NUM>. By this arrangement, a plurality of detection areas extending along a front edge of the base plate <NUM> will be formed on the front side of the base plate <NUM>, which facilitates efficient, comprehensive and accurate detection for diffusible dirt.

When being separately arranged on the circumferential wall <NUM> (vertical surface) of the front portion of the base plate <NUM>, the contact-type detection electrode is arranged in a strip shape, and the contact-type detection electrode extends along the circumferential wall <NUM> of the front portion of the base plate <NUM>. The positive electrodes and the negative electrodes of the contact-type detection electrode extend along a circumferential direction of the circumferential wall <NUM>, and are arranged along a height direction of the circumferential wall <NUM>. Similarly, a detection area is formed between adjacent positive and negative electrodes, and the detection area is perpendicular to the bottom surface of the base plate <NUM>. The numbers of positive and negative electrodes may be unequal. Both a positive electrode located above and a negative electrode located above are possible. By this arrangement, a plurality of detection areas extending along a front edge of the base plate <NUM> will be formed on the front side of the base plate <NUM>, which facilitates efficient, comprehensive and accurate detection for diffusible dirt in a vertical direction.

In some embodiments, in order to improve a detection accuracy in a vertical direction, a front circumferential wall <NUM> of the base plate <NUM> has a tilted mounting surface <NUM>, and the tilted mounting surface <NUM> tilts backwards from top to bottom; the contact-type detection electrode is mounted on the tilted mounting surface <NUM>. By the arrangement of the tilted surface, a usable area of electrodes arranged in a vertical direction is increased, this is conducive to increase the number of electrodes in this area, thereby achieving the purpose of increasing a detection area; at the same time, by the arrangement of the tilted surface, when dirt enters the area (the area enclosed between the tilted surface and the ground), it can enter the detection area of the contact-type detection electrode as much as possible, this is conducive to improve the detection efficiency and accuracy.

In some embodiments, in order to accurately detect dirt conditions at various heights in a vertical plane, the tilted mounting surface <NUM> is located at a position on the circumferential wall <NUM> at the front portion of the base plate <NUM> which is close to the bottom of the base plate <NUM>. By arranging the tilted mounting surface on the bottom of the circumferential wall <NUM> of the base plate <NUM>, it is conducive to detect small-sized dirt more accurately; at the same time, when the bottom surface is also provided with electrodes, detection areas of a vertical surface and the bottom surface of the base plate <NUM> become continuous, so that a detection accuracy at the junction between the circumferential wall <NUM> and the bottom surface of the base plate <NUM> is further improved.

It is worth noting that there are multiple detection electrodes on the circumferential wall <NUM>, and a distance between a positive electrode and a negative electrode <NUM> on an upper portion <NUM> of the circumferential wall is greater than a distance between a lower positive electrode and a lower negative electrode <NUM> on a lower portion <NUM> of the circumferential wall. By this arrangement, the upper portion can detect large-sized dirt, and the lower portion can detect small-sized dirt. It is conducive to improve a detection accuracy.

It is worth noting that the contact-type detection electrode can have many shapes. When it is arranged in a strip shape, it can directly extend along an extension direction of the bottom of the front side or the side wall of the base plate. Of course, it can also be formed by splicing a plurality of contact-type detection electrodes. In some embodiments, the shape of the contact-type detection electrode may not be a long strip (maybe in a ring shape, etc.). In this case, a plurality of contact-type detection electrodes are arranged along the bottom of the front side or the front side wall of the base plate so as to ensure that the bottom and the front side wall of the base plate can detect dirt.

In order to improve the comprehensiveness of detecting dirt, the detection electrode includes a first detection electrode located at the bottom of the front side of the base plate <NUM>, and a second detection electrode located on the circumferential wall <NUM> of the front portion of the base plate <NUM>; the first detection electrode is arranged along the bottom of the base plate <NUM>, and the second detection electrode is arranged along a height direction of the base plate <NUM>. By disposing contact-type detection electrodes on both the bottom of the front side and the circumferential wall <NUM> of the base plate <NUM>, the sweeping robot is enabled to simultaneously detect dirt in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction of the base plate <NUM> during a working process, which greatly improves a detection range and a detection accuracy of the sweeping robot.

In this embodiment, the first detection electrode includes a first positive electrode and a first negative electrode; the second detection electrode includes a second positive electrode and a second negative electrode; a distance between the first positive electrode and the first negative electrode is smaller than a distance between the second positive electrode and the second negative electrode. A distance between a contact-type detection electrode located at the bottom of the base plate <NUM> and the ground is smaller than a distance between an electrode located on the circumferential wall <NUM> of the base plate <NUM> and the ground. Large-sized dirt will usually be detected by the second detection electrode on the circumferential wall <NUM> of the base plate <NUM>, while small-sized dirt is difficult to be detected by the second detection electrode, and needs to be specially detected by the first detection electrode. In this way, by setting the distance between the second positive electrode and the second negative electrode to be greater than the distance between the first positive electrode and the first negative electrode, it is conducive for detection electrodes at different positions to carry out a reasonable division of labor and cooperation, and thus accurately and comprehensively detect dirt of different sizes together. This is conducive to improve the detection accuracy of the sweeping robot.

Regarding the numbers and arrangements of the first positive electrode, the first negative electrode, the second positive electrode, and the second negative electrode, the number of the first positive electrode and/or the first negative electrode is plural, and the first positive electrode and the first negative electrode are arranged alternately; and/or the number of the second positive electrode and/or the second negative electrode is plural, and the second positive electrode and the second negative electrode are arranged alternately.

In this embodiment, in order to further improve efficiency and accuracy of the detection electrodes, in adjacent ones of the first detection electrode and the second detection electrode, the first positive electrode is arranged to be adjacent to the second negative electrode, or the first negative electrode is arranged to be adjacent to the second positive electrode. This arrangement avoids formation of a blind zone at the junction of the first detection electrode and the second detection electrode, so that a detection area of the first detection electrode and a detection area of the second detection electrode are organically coupled, which greatly improves the detection accuracy of the cleaning robot.

Regarding the connection manner between the contact-type detection electrode and the base plate <NUM>, there can be many ways, such as connections by means of snaps, screws, glue, etc. In this embodiment, that the contact-type detection electrode is inserted in the base plate <NUM> is described as an example. The contact-type detection electrode is arranged in a strip sheet shape, two ends of the contact-type detection electrode are bent to form mounting portions, the base plate <NUM> is provided with an insertion slot, and the mounting portions are inserted in the insertion slot. The electrodes located on the bottom surface of the base plate <NUM> are attached to the bottom surface, and the electrodes located on the circumferential wall <NUM> of the base plate <NUM> are attached to the circumferential wall <NUM>. In order to simplify the processing technology for the electrodes, an opening of the insertion slot on the bottom surface of the base plate <NUM> is vertically downward, and an opening of the insertion slot on the circumferential wall <NUM> of the base plate <NUM> is perpendicular to the circumferential wall <NUM> and outward (along a radial direction of the base plate <NUM>). In this way, when the electrode is bent, it can be bent along its length direction, this is very convenient.

In some embodiments, in order to protect the contact-type detection electrode from being damaged during a working process, the bottom or the circumferential wall <NUM> of the base plate <NUM> defines a mounting groove, the contact-type detection electrode is mounted in the mounting groove, such that an outer surface of the contact-type detection electrode is flush with the bottom or the circumferential wall <NUM> of the base plate <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A sweeping robot comprising:
a base plate (<NUM>); and
a contact-type detection electrode; wherein the contact-type detection electrode is mounted at a front portion of the base plate (<NUM>); in response to the contact-type detection electrode making contact with diffusible dirt, at least one of a resistance, a capacitance or an impedance of the contact-type detection electrode changes;
wherein the contact-type detection electrode extends or is arranged along a circumferential wall (<NUM>) of the front portion of the base plate (<NUM>);
wherein the circumferential wall (<NUM>) of the front portion of the base plate (<NUM>) has a tilted mounting surface (<NUM>), the tilted mounting surface (<NUM>) tilts backwards from top to bottom and the contact-type detection electrode is mounted on the tilted mounting surface (<NUM>);
characterised in that the number of the contact-type detection electrode on the circumferential wall (<NUM>) is plural, and a distance between an upper positive electrode (<NUM>) and an upper negative electrode (<NUM>) of a contact-type detection electrode at an upper portion (<NUM>) of the circumferential wall (<NUM>) is larger than a distance between a lower positive electrode (<NUM>) and a lower negative electrode (<NUM>) on the tilted mounting surface (<NUM>).