Patent Description:
With the development of technologies, various automatic cleaning devices appear, for example, automatic sweeping robots and automatic mopping robots. The automatic cleaning devices can automatically perform a cleaning operation, which is convenient for users. For example, the automatic sweeping robot automatically cleans a to-be-swept region through direct scraping, vacuum cleaning, or the like. The scraping operation can be performed using a scraper and rolling brush structure at the bottom of the automatic cleaning device. The automatic sweeping robot with a mopping function usually needs to have a water tank during mopping to provide a water source needed for mopping. A protective assembly and a sweeping robot are disclosed in <CIT>.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a sealing structure and a smart cleaning device. The sealing structure can achieve a good sealing effect on the infrared wall-following module, and has a good dust-proof effect, so that it is not easy for dust to enter the infrared wall-following module, and thus the infrared wall-following module is well protected.

According to an aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a sealing structure, which is configured to seal an infrared wall-following module of a smart cleaning device. The sealing structure includes: a housing, where the housing is connected to a side of the infrared wall-following module facing a protective shell of the smart cleaning device; and a lens, where the lens is connected to the housing, and the lens covers a side of the housing facing the protective shell; the lens includes an arc-shaped panel and a connecting plate that is arranged on an edge of the arc-shaped panel and that extends toward the infrared wall-following module; and the arc-shaped panel and the connecting plate are arranged to intersect each other.

According to an aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the housing is connected to the lens by using an engaging structure; the engaging structure includes an engaging buckle and an engaging hole that cooperate with each other; the engaging buckle is arranged on one of the housing and the lens; and the engaging hole is arranged on the other of the housing and the lens.

According to an aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, at least a part of the connecting plate is provided with a connecting arm; the engaging hole is arranged at an end of the connecting arm away from the arc-shaped panel; and the engaging buckle is arranged at a position on the housing corresponding to the engaging hole, so as to implement the connection between the housing and the lens.

According to an aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the engaging hole is a bar-shaped through hole structure penetrating the connecting plate in a thickness direction of the connecting plate.

According to an aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the sealing structure further includes at least one first extension plate extending from the arc-shaped panel, where the first extension plate is smoothly connected to the arc-shaped panel.

According to an aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the sealing structure further includes at least one second extension plate extending from the connecting plate in a direction away from the arc-shaped panel, where the second extension plate and the connecting plate are arranged to intersect each other.

According to an aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the housing includes an upper housing and a lower housing that cooperate with each other, and the upper housing and the lower housing are detachably connected.

According to another aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a smart cleaning device, including: a machine body, where the machine body is internally provided with an infrared wall-following module; the foregoing sealing structure, where the sealing structure is arranged on an outer side of the infrared wall-following module and is configured to seal the infrared wall-following module; and a protective shell, where the protective shell is arranged on an outer side of the sealing structure, and is cooperatively connected with the machine body to protect the machine body.

According to another aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a through hole is arranged at a position on the protective shell corresponding to the arc-shaped panel.

According to another aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a side surface of the lens facing the protective shell is closely attached to an inner wall of the protective shell.

The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a sealing structure and a smart cleaning device. The sealing structure is configured to seal an infrared wall-following module of the smart cleaning device. The sealing structure includes a housing and a lens. The housing is connected to a side of the infrared wall-following module facing a protective shell of the smart cleaning device. The lens is connected to the housing, and the lens covers a side surface of the housing facing the protective shell. The lens includes an arc-shaped panel and a connecting plate that is arranged on an edge of the arc-shaped panel and that extends toward the infrared wall-following module. The housing cooperates with the lens to jointly seal the infrared wall-following module, and a sealing effect is good, so that it is not easy for dust to enter the infrared wall-following module, and thus the infrared wall-following module is well protected.

The following describes the features, advantages, and technical effects of example embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, identical parts use identical reference numerals. The drawings are not drawn to actual scale.

The following describes in detail the features and example embodiments of various aspects of the present disclosure. The following detailed description provides many specific details to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the technical solutions provided in the present disclosure. However, it is obvious to a person skilled in the art that, the present disclosure can be implemented without some of these specific details. The embodiments are described below only to provide a better understanding of the present disclosure by showing examples of the present disclosure. In the accompanying drawings and the following descriptions, at least some of the well-known structures and technologies are omitted, so as not to unnecessarily obscure the present disclosure; in addition, for the sake of clarity, sizes of some structures may be exaggerated. In addition, the features, structures, or characteristics described below can be combined in one or more embodiments in any suitable manner.

The orientation words appearing in the following descriptions are all directions shown in the figures, and are not intended to limit specific structures of a sealing structure <NUM> and a smart cleaning device provided in the present disclosure. In the descriptions of the present disclosure, it should be further noted that, unless otherwise specified and limited explicitly, the terms "mounting" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, may be fixed connection, detachable connection, or integrated connection; or may be direct connection or indirect connection. A person of ordinary skill in the art can understand specific meanings of the foregoing terms in the present disclosure depending on a specific case.

According to a smart cleaning device provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, every time a flexible cleaning body is to be replaced, a liquid holding tank does not need to be removed, and the flexible cleaning body can be removed only when a connecting plate is removed in a forward or backward direction of a machine body. This is convenient for operation and can avoid damage to the smart cleaning device that is easily caused by removing the liquid holding tank.

To better understand the technical solutions provided in the present disclosure, the following describes in detail the smart cleaning device and a cleaning assembly <NUM> according to the embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to <FIG>.

References are made to <FIG>. <FIG> is an exploded view of a smart cleaning device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. <FIG> is an exploded view of a smart cleaning device from another perspective according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. <FIG> is an axonometric view of a smart cleaning device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. <FIG> is an axonometric view of a smart cleaning device from another perspective according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. <FIG> is an axonometric view of a machine body <NUM> according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. <FIG> is an exploded view of a connecting structure between a supporting plate <NUM> and a water tank <NUM> according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. <FIG> is an exploded view of a connecting structure between a supporting plate <NUM> and a water tank <NUM> from another perspective according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. <FIG> is an exploded view of a connecting structure between a supporting plate <NUM> and a control structure <NUM> arranged on the supporting plate <NUM> according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. <FIG> is an enlarged view of a partial structure at position A in <FIG>. <FIG> is a schematic structural diagram of an integrated structure of a second hook <NUM> and a control structure <NUM> according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. <FIG> is a schematic structural diagram of a connecting structure between a supporting plate <NUM> and a control structure <NUM> arranged on the supporting plate <NUM> according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. <FIG> is an enlarged view of a partial structure at position B in <FIG>.

Forward: a traveling direction of the smart cleaning device.

Backward: a direction opposite to the traveling direction of the smart cleaning device.

Referring to <FIG>, a smart cleaning device provided in embodiments of the present disclosure includes a machine body <NUM> and a cleaning assembly <NUM>. The machine body <NUM> is configured to carry functional parts of the smart cleaning device. The cleaning assembly <NUM> is detachably arranged on the machine body <NUM>. When the cleaning assembly <NUM> is mounted to or removed from the machine body <NUM>, the cleaning assembly <NUM> can move in a forward or backward direction of the machine body <NUM>. In some optional embodiments, the cleaning assembly <NUM> includes a liquid holding tank, a connecting plate, and a flexible cleaning body that are stacked. The connecting plate is mounted at the bottom of the liquid holding tank by using a guide structure. After the connecting plate is mounted at the bottom of the liquid holding tank, the connecting plate can float up and down relative to the liquid holding tank. In some optional embodiments, the smart cleaning device is a smart sweeping robot <NUM>, the connecting plate is a supporting plate <NUM>, the flexible cleaning body is a cleaning cloth <NUM>, and the liquid holding tank is a water tank <NUM>.

According to the smart cleaning device provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, in some optional embodiments, the guide structure includes a guide protrusion <NUM> and a guide groove <NUM> that cooperate with each other. The guide protrusion <NUM> is arranged on the supporting plate <NUM>, and the guide groove <NUM> is arranged on the water tank <NUM>. A thickness of the guide protrusion <NUM> is smaller than a thickness of the guide groove <NUM>, so that after the supporting plate <NUM> is mounted at the bottom of the water tank <NUM>, the supporting plate <NUM> can float up and down relative to the water tank <NUM>. Optionally, the thickness of the guide protrusion <NUM> is specifically a thickness of the guide protrusion <NUM> in a height direction of the smart sweeping robot <NUM>, and the thickness of the guide groove <NUM> is a thickness of the guide groove <NUM> in the height direction of the smart sweeping robot <NUM>.

It can be understood that the guide structure is not limited to the foregoing structural form, and a specific structure of the guide structure can also be arranged as follows: the guide structure includes the guide protrusion <NUM> and the guide groove <NUM> that cooperate with each other. The guide protrusion <NUM> is arranged on the water tank <NUM>, and the guide groove <NUM> is arranged on the supporting plate <NUM>. The thickness of the guide protrusion <NUM> is smaller than the thickness of the guide groove <NUM>, so that after the supporting plate <NUM> is mounted at the bottom of the water tank <NUM>, the supporting plate <NUM> can float up and down relative to the water tank <NUM>. The thickness of the guide protrusion <NUM> is specifically the thickness of the guide protrusion <NUM> in the height direction of the smart sweeping robot <NUM>, and the thickness of the guide groove <NUM> may alternatively be the thickness of the guide groove <NUM> in the height direction of the smart sweeping robot <NUM>. The structural design of the guide structure only needs to meet the mounting requirements of the water tank <NUM> and the supporting plate <NUM>, and ensure that the supporting plate <NUM> can move in the forward or backward direction of the smart sweeping robot <NUM>. Optionally, the design of the guide structure further needs to ensure that after the supporting plate <NUM> is mounted on the water tank <NUM>, the supporting plate <NUM> can float up and down relative to the water tank <NUM>.

According to the smart cleaning device provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the entire cleaning assembly <NUM> can be removed from the machine body <NUM> of the smart sweeping robot <NUM> in the forward or backward direction of the smart sweeping robot <NUM>, and the pallet <NUM> can also be separately removed from the body of the smart sweeping robot <NUM> in the forward or backward direction of the smart sweeping robot <NUM>. This is convenient for operation.

Further referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, according to the smart cleaning device provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, further, after being mounted on the water tank <NUM>, the supporting plate <NUM> is connected to the water tank <NUM> by using a connecting structure. The connecting structure includes a first connecting structure arranged on the water tank <NUM> and a second connecting structure arranged on the supporting plate <NUM>, where the first connecting structure and the second connecting structure cooperate with each other. In some optional embodiments, the first connecting structure is a first hook <NUM> arranged on the water tank <NUM>, and the second connecting structure is a second hook <NUM> arranged on the supporting plate <NUM>. After the supporting plate <NUM> is mounted at the bottom of the water tank <NUM> by using the guide structure, the first hook <NUM> and the second hook <NUM> can be engaged with each other, so that the supporting plate <NUM> and the water tank <NUM> are firmly connected.

Further referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, optionally, the connecting structure further includes a control structure <NUM>. The control structure <NUM> is arranged on the supporting plate <NUM>, and can control the connection and separation of the first hook <NUM> and the second hook <NUM>. In some optional embodiments, the control structure <NUM> and the second hook <NUM> are an integrated structure. The control structure <NUM> includes: a mounting bracket <NUM>, where the mounting bracket <NUM> is movably arranged on the supporting plate <NUM>, and the second hook <NUM> is connected to one end of the mounting bracket <NUM> so that the second hook <NUM> can move to a stopper position or a bypass position under the driving of the mounting bracket <NUM>; and an operating part <NUM>, where the operating part <NUM> is arranged at the other end of the mounting bracket <NUM>, and is arranged opposite to the second hook <NUM>, so as to control the movement of the mounting bracket <NUM> by using the operating part <NUM>. The specific operation process is as follows: when the operating part <NUM> is pressed toward the inside of the main body of the smart sweeping robot <NUM>, the entire control structure <NUM> moves toward the inside of the main body of the smart sweeping robot <NUM>. In this case, the second hook <NUM> is driven by the control structure <NUM> to move toward the inside of the main body of the smart sweeping robot <NUM> until reaching the bypass position, so that the first hook <NUM> and the second hook <NUM> are separated. After the first hook <NUM> and the second hook <NUM> are separated, the supporting plate <NUM> can be further removed from the water tank <NUM> along the guide structure. This is convenient for operation. After the cleaning cloth <NUM> is replaced, and the supporting plate <NUM> is mounted to the bottom of the water tank <NUM> again, the second hook <NUM> is located at the stopper position under the restriction of the guide protrusion <NUM>, so that the first hook <NUM> and the second hook <NUM> are connected to each other, and further, the water tank <NUM> and the supporting plate <NUM> are firmly connected.

In some optional embodiments, the guide protrusion <NUM> is arranged on the supporting plate <NUM>, and the guide protrusion <NUM> is an elastic structure. When the second hook <NUM> moves to the bypass position, the guide protrusion <NUM> can be elastically deformed under the pressure of the second hook <NUM>, so that the first hook <NUM> and the second hook <NUM> are separated. When the second hook <NUM> moves to the stopper position, the guide protrusion <NUM> can be restored to the original state, so that the first hook <NUM> and the second hook <NUM> are connected to each other.

It can be understood that the control structure <NUM> may be but is not limited to the foregoing structural form. The control structure <NUM> can alternatively be arranged on the water tank <NUM>. In addition, optionally, the control structure <NUM> and the first hook <NUM> can be an integrated structure, which can control the connection and separation of the first hook <NUM> and the second hook <NUM>.

References are made to <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>. According to the smart cleaning device provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the supporting plate <NUM> and the cleaning cloth <NUM> are detachably connected using a sliding assembly. The sliding assembly includes a mounting groove <NUM> and a guide bar <NUM> that cooperate with each other. In some optional embodiments, the mounting groove <NUM> is arranged on the supporting plate <NUM>, the guide bar <NUM> is arranged on the cleaning cloth <NUM>, the guide bar <NUM> can penetrate into the mounting groove <NUM> to connect the cleaning cloth <NUM> and the supporting plate <NUM>, and the guide bar <NUM> can stretch out of the mounting groove <NUM> to separate the cleaning cloth <NUM> from the supporting plate <NUM>, so that when the cleaning cloth <NUM> needs to be removed, the cleaning cloth <NUM> can be directly removed from the supporting plate <NUM> for replacement or cleaning. This is convenient for operation. In addition, this can avoid a situation that when the cleaning cloth <NUM> is to be replaced for the existing smart sweeping robot <NUM>, the smart sweeping robot <NUM> needs to be turned over and then the cleaning cloth <NUM> is removed together with the water tank <NUM> or the supporting plate <NUM>, easily causing collision and damage to the smart sweeping robot <NUM>, further damaging a sensor on the smart sweeping robot <NUM>, or even causing irreparable damage to a circuit and a component inside the smart sweeping robot <NUM>, which further results in greater economic loss. The supporting plate <NUM> and the water tank <NUM> are detachably connected. When the supporting plate <NUM> is mounted to or removed from the machine body <NUM>, the supporting plate <NUM> moves in a forward or backward direction of the machine body <NUM>, so that the cleaning cloth <NUM> together with the supporting plate <NUM> is removed from the water tank <NUM> of the smart sweeping robot <NUM>. When the supporting plate <NUM> of the cleaning assembly <NUM> is assembled to or removed from the water tank <NUM>, the supporting plate <NUM> moves in a forward or backward direction of the water tank <NUM>, and generally the forward and backward directions of the water tank <NUM> are horizontal directions, which makes the mounting and removal of the supporting plate <NUM> with the cleaning cloth <NUM> more convenient, and further avoid a situation that the cleaning assembly <NUM> can be removed only when the smart sweeping robot <NUM> is turned over to the bottom side up. This further facilitates the replacement and maintenance of the cleaning assembly <NUM>. It can be understood that the smart cleaning device may be but is not limited to the smart sweeping robot <NUM>. In some other optional embodiments, the smart cleaning device may alternatively be a solar panel cleaning apparatus, a building exterior wall cleaning apparatus, etc..

It can be understood that the cleaning assembly <NUM> may be but is not limited to the foregoing structural form. In some other optional embodiments, the mounting groove <NUM> may alternatively be arranged on the cleaning cloth <NUM>, and the guide bar <NUM> may alternatively be arranged on the supporting plate <NUM>, provided that the mounting and removal of the supporting plate <NUM> and the cleaning cloth <NUM> can be conveniently implemented.

For example, in the embodiments shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the mounting groove <NUM> is arranged at an end portion of one side of the supporting plate <NUM> away from the machine body <NUM>, and the guide bar <NUM> is arranged at a position on the cleaning cloth <NUM> corresponding to the mounting groove <NUM>, that is, an end portion of the cleaning cloth <NUM>. However, it can be understood that in some other optional embodiments, the mounting groove <NUM> may alternatively be arranged at a middle position of one side of the supporting plate <NUM> away from the machine body <NUM>. Correspondingly, a position of the guide bar <NUM> on the cleaning cloth <NUM> corresponds to the mounting groove <NUM>, that is, the guide bar <NUM> is arranged at a middle position of the cleaning cloth <NUM>.

According to the smart cleaning device provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, one end of the mounting groove <NUM> on the supporting plate <NUM> is a mounting end, and the other end of the mounting groove <NUM> is a stopper end. The guide bar <NUM> can penetrate into or stretch out of the mounting groove <NUM> by using the mounting end, and the stopper end restricts the guide bar <NUM> to stretch out of the mounting groove <NUM> from the stopper end.

In some optional embodiments, the guide bar <NUM> may be a plastic rod or a steel rod with specific rigidity, or may be a flexible strip. A cross-sectional shape of the guide bar <NUM> may be circular or another non-circular shape. A cross-sectional shape of the mounting groove <NUM> on the supporting plate <NUM> is a C-shape or a C-like shape, provided that the guide bar <NUM> can be accommodated and restricted. An opening of the mounting groove <NUM> for the cleaning cloth <NUM> to stretch faces downward, that is, the C-shaped opening faces downward. One end of the mounting groove <NUM> is a stretching-in end, and the stretching-in end does not have a stopper structure and is available for the guide bar <NUM> to stretch in. The other end of the mounting groove <NUM> is a stopper end, and the stopper end has a stopper structure to prevent the guide bar <NUM> from coming out of this end. In other words, one end of the mounting groove <NUM> is closed, and the other end of the mounting groove <NUM> is open. A tail of the cleaning cloth <NUM> is fixed on the supporting plate <NUM> through cooperation between the guide bar <NUM> and the mounting groove <NUM>, thereby improving stability of the fixing and preventing the cleaning cloth <NUM> from falling off. The guide bar <NUM> and the mounting groove <NUM> are located on the supporting plate <NUM>, facing the forward direction of the smart sweeping robot <NUM>. The manner of first mounting the guide bar <NUM> and then sticking the cleaning cloth <NUM> on a Velcro ensures that the cleaning cloth <NUM> is mounted correctly.

Further referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the cleaning cloth <NUM> may be a cleaning cloth <NUM> made of the same material as a whole, or a composite cleaning cloth <NUM> made of different materials at different positions. In some optional embodiments, the cleaning cloth <NUM> is a composite cleaning cloth <NUM>, and a main body of the cleaning cloth <NUM> is basically semicircular. An inner layer of the cleaning cloth <NUM> is a water seepage area, which is made of a material with a high water seepage rate. A middle layer of the cleaning cloth <NUM> is a dirt-removing area, which is made of a hard material and is used to scrape off hard matters on the floor. An outer layer of the cleaning cloth <NUM> is a water absorption area, which is made of a material with a good water absorption effect, and is used to absorb water on the floor and remove water stains and water marks. This can improve cleaning efficiency. The guide bar <NUM> is arranged on a straight line segment of a semicircle.

Further referring to <FIG>, according to the smart cleaning device provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the supporting plate <NUM> is provided with a water passage hole <NUM> for connecting water in the water tank <NUM> to the cleaning cloth <NUM>. In some optional embodiments, the water tank <NUM> may be an electronically controlled water tank <NUM> provided with a peristaltic pump, and a waterway board is arranged inside the smart sweeping robot <NUM>. Optionally, the waterway board is a reversed return waterway board <NUM>. The reversed return waterway board <NUM> is arranged between the machine body <NUM> and the supporting plate <NUM>, and is detachably connected to the machine body <NUM>. In addition, the reversed return waterway board <NUM> is provided with a water inlet port and a water outlet port <NUM>, the water inlet port is connected to a water outlet pipeline of the peristaltic pump inside the water tank <NUM>, and a position of the water outlet port <NUM> is arranged corresponding to the water passage hole <NUM> on the supporting plate <NUM>, so that the water in the water tank <NUM> flows onto the cleaning cloth <NUM> through the water outlet port <NUM> of the reversed return waterway board <NUM> and the water passage hole <NUM> on the supporting plate <NUM>.

Further referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, according to the smart cleaning device provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the water tank <NUM> is arranged corresponding to the shape of the joint position of the machine body <NUM>. After the water tank <NUM> is mounted on the machine body <NUM>, an outer side wall of the water tank <NUM> is connected to the side wall of the machine body <NUM>, a bottom wall of the water tank <NUM> is connected to a bottom wall of the machine body <NUM>, and the water tank <NUM> at least partially surrounds an outer side of a fan inside the machine body <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the fan is arranged inside a fan mounting position <NUM>. In some optional embodiments, the water tank <NUM> can be connected to or separated from the machine body <NUM> by using a button <NUM>, and the supporting plate <NUM> is provided with a notch <NUM> for bypassing the button <NUM>. Specifically, the notch <NUM> is a notch <NUM> that is arranged on the top of the supporting plate <NUM> and that matches an outline of the button <NUM>. When the cleaning assembly <NUM> needs to be removed from the machine body <NUM>, the cleaning assembly <NUM> can be detached from the machine body <NUM> by pressing and holding the button <NUM>.

Further referring to <FIG>, according to the smart cleaning device provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, in some optional embodiments, an elastic part <NUM> is arranged on a side surface of the supporting plate <NUM> facing the water tank <NUM>, and after the supporting plate <NUM> is mounted on the water tank <NUM>, the supporting plate <NUM> is in elastic contact with the water tank <NUM>, so that the water tank <NUM> can float up and down relatively smoothly. In addition, the elastic part <NUM> on the supporting plate <NUM> abuts against the bottom surface of the water tank <NUM>, so that during operation of the supporting plate <NUM>, a pressing force is generated between the supporting plate <NUM> and the floor, further attaching the cleaning cloth <NUM> to the floor more closely, and achieving a better cleaning effect. Optionally, the elastic part <NUM> includes a plurality of elastic buttons arranged at intervals on a side surface of the supporting plate facing the water tank <NUM>, and a spring is arranged inside each of the elastic buttons.

It can be understood that the elastic part <NUM> may be but is not limited to the foregoing structure. The elastic part <NUM> may alternatively be arranged on a side surface of the water tank <NUM> facing the supporting plate <NUM>. The elastic part <NUM> includes a plurality of elastic buttons arranged at intervals on a side surface of the water tank <NUM> facing the supporting plate <NUM>. Certainly, the elastic part <NUM> can be arranged on both the side surface of the water tank <NUM> facing the supporting plate <NUM> and the side surface of the supporting plate <NUM> facing the water tank <NUM>. After the supporting plate <NUM> is mounted on the water tank <NUM>, the supporting plate <NUM> is in elastic contact with the water tank <NUM>. When the elastic part <NUM> is arranged on both the side surface of the water tank <NUM> facing the supporting plate <NUM> and the side surface of the supporting plate <NUM> facing the water tank <NUM>, more preferably, the elastic part <NUM> arranged on the side surface of the water tank <NUM> facing the supporting plate <NUM> and the elastic part <NUM> arranged on the side surface of the supporting plate <NUM> facing the water tank <NUM> are staggered, so as to further achieve a better elastic contact effect between the water tank <NUM> and the supporting plate <NUM>.

Further referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, according to the smart cleaning device provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, in some optional embodiments, the machine body <NUM> includes a perception system (not shown in the figures), a control system (not shown in the figures), a driving system <NUM>, an energy system, a man-machine interaction system, a dry cleaning portion <NUM>, etc. The following describes the main parts of the smart cleaning device.

In some optional embodiments, the machine body <NUM> further includes an upper cover, a forward portion, a backward portion, a chassis, etc. The machine body <NUM> has an approximate circular shape or may have other shapes, including but not limited to the approximate D-shape, that is, the front is straight and the back is circular.

The perception system includes sensing apparatuses such as a position determining apparatus located in an upper part of the machine body <NUM>, a buffer located in the forward portion of the machine body <NUM>, a cliff sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a magnetometer, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and an odometer. These sensing apparatuses provide various position information and motion state information of the machine for the control system. The position determining apparatus includes but is not limited to an infrared emitting and receiving apparatus, a camera, and a laser distance sensor (LDS).

The driving system <NUM> is configured to drive the machine body <NUM> and the parts thereon to move, so as to implement automatic walking and sweeping. The driving system <NUM> includes a driving wheel module <NUM>. The driving system <NUM> can send a driving command to control the smart sweeping robot <NUM> to move across the floor, based on distance and angle information such as x, y, and θ components. The driving wheel module <NUM> can control a left wheel and a right wheel simultaneously. To control the movement of the machine more accurately, the driving wheel module <NUM> preferably includes a left driving wheel module and a right driving wheel module. The left and right driving wheel modules are symmetrically arranged along a lateral axis that is defined by the machine body <NUM>. Optionally, the left and right driving wheel modules are symmetrically arranged. To enable the smart sweeping robot <NUM> to move more stably on the floor or to have a higher movement ability, the smart sweeping robot <NUM> may include one or more driven wheels <NUM>, and the driven wheels include but are not limited to universal wheels.

The driving wheel module <NUM> includes a traveling wheel, a driving motor, and a control circuit for controlling the driving motor. The driving wheel module <NUM> can alternatively be connected to a circuit for measuring a drive current, and to an odometer. The driving wheel module <NUM> can be detachably connected to the machine body <NUM> for easy assembly, disassembly, and maintenance. The driving wheel may have a biased-to-drop hanging system, which is secured in a movable manner, for example, is attached to the machine body <NUM> in a rotatable manner, and receives a spring bias that is offset downward and away from the machine body <NUM>. The spring bias allows the driving wheel to maintain contact and traction with the floor by using a specific touchdown force, and the cleaning element (such as the rolling brush <NUM>) of the smart sweeping robot <NUM> is also in contact with the floor with a specific pressure.

The forward portion <NUM> of the machine body <NUM> may carry a buffer. When the driving wheel module <NUM> drives the smart sweeping robot <NUM> to walk on the floor during cleaning, the buffer detects one or more events in the traveling route of the smart sweeping robot <NUM> by using a sensor system, such as an infrared sensor. Based on the events detected by the buffer, such as obstacles and walls, the smart sweeping robot <NUM> can control the driving wheel module <NUM> to enable the smart sweeping robot <NUM> to respond to the events, for example, keep away from the obstacles.

The control system is set on the main circuit board in the machine body <NUM>. The control system includes non-transient memories such as a hard disk, a flash memory, and a random access memory, and computing processors for communication, such as a central processing unit and an application processor. The application processor draws, based on obstacle information fed back by a laser distance sensor and by using a positioning algorithm such as SLAM, an instant map of an environment in which the smart sweeping robot <NUM> is located. With reference to distance information and velocity information fed back by sensing apparatuses such as the buffer, the cliff sensor <NUM>, the ultrasonic sensor, the infrared sensor, the magnetometer, the accelerometer, the gyroscope, and the odometer, the control system comprehensively determines a current working status of the sweeping machine, such as crossing a threshold, walking on a carpet, reaching a cliff, being stuck by the upper part or lower part, full dust box, or being picked up. In addition, the control system provides a specific next action strategy based on different situations, so that the smart sweeping robot <NUM> better meets the user's requirements, providing better user experience. Furthermore, the control system can plan a most efficient and reasonable sweeping route and sweeping manner based on information about the instant map that is drawn based on SLAM, thereby greatly improving the sweeping efficiency of the smart sweeping robot <NUM>.

The energy system includes a rechargeable battery, for example, a NiMH battery or a lithium battery. The rechargeable battery can be connected to a charging control circuit, a battery pack charging temperature detection circuit, and a battery undervoltage monitoring circuit. The charging control circuit, the battery pack charging temperature detection circuit, and the battery undervoltage monitoring circuit are connected to a single-chip microcomputer control circuit. The robot is charged by connecting a charging electrode arranged on a side or a lower part of the machine body to the charging pile. If there is dust on the exposed charging electrode, the plastic part around the electrode is melted and deformed due to a charge accumulation effect, or even the electrode is deformed and cannot perform charging normally.

The man-machine interaction system <NUM> includes buttons on a panel of the robot, which are used by the user to select functions; may further include a display screen, an indicator, and/or a horn, which display the current status of the machine or function options for the user; and may further include a mobile phone client program. For a route-navigated cleaning device, the mobile phone client can show the user a map of the environment in which the device is located, as well as the location of the machine, providing the user with more abundant and user-friendly function options.

References are further made to <FIG>. To describe behavior of the smart sweeping robot <NUM> more clearly, the following describes definitions of directions. The smart sweeping robot <NUM> can travel on the floor based on various combinations of movements relative to the following three mutually perpendicular axes defined by the machine body <NUM>: the front-back axis X (that is, the axis along the direction of the forward portion <NUM> and the backward portion <NUM> of the machine body <NUM>), the lateral axis Y (that is, the axis perpendicular to the axis X and located on the same horizontal plane as the axis X), and the central vertical axis Z (the axis perpendicular to the plane formed by the axis X and the axis Y). The forward driving direction along the front-back axis X is marked as "forward", and the backward driving direction along the front-back axis X is marked as "backward". The lateral axis Y essentially extends between the right and left wheels of the smart sweeping robot <NUM> along an axial center defined by the center point of the driving wheel module <NUM>.

The smart sweeping robot <NUM> can rotate around the axis Y When the forward portion of the smart sweeping robot <NUM> is tilted upward and the backward portion is tilted downward, "pitchup" is formed. When the forward portion of the smart sweeping robot <NUM> is tilted downward and the backward portion is tilted upward, "pitchdown" is formed. In addition, the smart sweeping robot <NUM> can rotate around the axis Z. In the forward direction of the smart sweeping robot <NUM>, when the smart sweeping robot <NUM> tilts to the right of the axis X, "right turn" is formed; and when the smart sweeping robot <NUM> tilts to the left of the axis X, "left turn" is formed.

The dust box is mounted in a receiving cavity through clamping of a manipulator. When the manipulator is clamped, a clamping part is contracted. When the manipulator is released, the clamping part stretches out and is clamped in a recess for holding the clamping part in the receiving cavity.

The cleaning assembly <NUM> serves as a wet cleaning portion of the smart sweeping robot <NUM>, and its main function is to wipe a to-be-cleaned surface (such as a floor) by using a cleaning cloth <NUM> that contains cleaning liquid. A main function of the dry cleaning portion <NUM> is to remove specific particulate pollutants from the to-be-cleaned surface by using a structure such as a sweeping brush. The main cleaning function of the dry cleaning portion <NUM> is derived from the second cleaning portion that includes a rolling brush <NUM>, a dust box, a fan, an air outlet, and connecting parts between the four parts. The rolling brush <NUM> that has specific interference with the floor sweeps rubbish on the floor and rolls the rubbish to the front of a dust suction port between the rolling brush <NUM> and the dust box, and then the rubbish is sucked into the dust box by gas that is generated by the fan and that has suction force and passes through the dust box. A dust removal ability of the smart sweeping robot <NUM> can be represented by dust pick up efficiency (DPU). The DPU is affected by a structure and material of the rolling brush <NUM>, by wind power utilization of an air duct made up of the dust suction port, the dust box, the fan, the air outlet, and the connecting parts between the four parts, and by a type and power of the fan. The increase in the dust removal ability is more significant for energy-limited smart sweeping robots <NUM> than for plug-in cleaners. The increase in the dust removal ability directly and effectively reduces the energy requirement, that is, a smart sweeping robot <NUM> that can clean <NUM> square meters of the floor previously after being charged for one time can be evolved to clean <NUM> or more square meters of the floor after being charged for one time. In addition, as a quantity of charging times decreases, a service life of a battery increases greatly, so that frequency of replacing the battery by the user decreases. More intuitively and importantly, a higher dust removal ability is the most visible and important user experience, because it allows the user to directly determine whether the floor is swept/wiped clean. The dry cleaning assembly <NUM> may further include a side brush <NUM> having a rotating shaft. The rotating shaft is located at an angle relative to the floor, so as to move debris into a sweeping region of the rolling brush <NUM> of the second cleaning portion.

Embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a sealing structure <NUM>. The sealing structure <NUM> can achieve a good sealing effect on the infrared wall-following module, and has a good dust-proof effect, so that it is not easy for dust to enter the infrared wall-following module, and thus the infrared wall-following module is well protected.

To better understand the technical solutions provided in the present disclosure, the following describes in detail the sealing structure <NUM> according to the embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to <FIG>.

References are made to <FIG>. <FIG> is an axonometric view of a smart cleaning device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. <FIG> is an axonometric view of a smart cleaning device after a protective shell <NUM> is removed according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. <FIG> is an axonometric view of a lens <NUM> according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. <FIG> is an axonometric view of a lens from another perspective according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to <FIG>, the sealing structure <NUM> provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure is configured to seal an infrared wall-following module of the smart cleaning device. The sealing structure <NUM> includes a housing (not shown in the figures) and a lens <NUM>. The housing is connected to a side of the infrared wall-following module facing a protective shell <NUM> of the smart cleaning device. The lens <NUM> is connected to the housing, and the lens <NUM> covers a side surface of the housing facing the protective shell <NUM>. The lens <NUM> includes an arc-shaped panel <NUM> and a connecting plate that is arranged on an edge of the arc-shaped panel <NUM> and that extends toward the infrared wall-following module. Optionally, the lens <NUM> is a transparent lens, and may further be a glass sheet. The housing is a structure adapted to the lens <NUM>, and a specific structure of the housing is omitted herein for simplicity.

According to the sealing structure <NUM> provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the housing is connected to the lens <NUM> by using an engaging structure; the engaging structure includes an engaging buckle and an engaging hole <NUM> that cooperate with each other; the engaging buckle is arranged on one of the housing and the lens <NUM>; and the engaging hole <NUM> is arranged on the other of the housing and the lens <NUM>.

According to the sealing structure <NUM> provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, at least a part of the connecting plate is provided with a connecting arm <NUM>; the engaging hole <NUM> is arranged at an end of the connecting arm <NUM> away from the arc-shaped panel <NUM>; and the engaging buckle is arranged at a position on the housing corresponding to the engaging hole <NUM>, so as to implement the connection between the housing and the lens <NUM>.

Further referring to <FIG>, according to the sealing structure <NUM> provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, in some optional embodiments, the arc-shaped panel <NUM> can be obtained by bending a rectangular panel, and the arc-shaped panel <NUM> has four outer edges. Correspondingly, there are four connecting plates, the four connecting plates respectively extend from the four outer edges of the arc-shaped panel <NUM>, and the two connecting plates extending from the two long sides of the arc-shaped panel <NUM> are arranged oppositely. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the two connecting plates extending from the two long sides of the arc-shaped panel <NUM> are a first connecting plate <NUM> and a second connecting plate <NUM>, respectively. The first connecting plate <NUM> is provided with two connecting arms <NUM>, the two connecting arms <NUM> are arranged at intervals in a length direction of the first connecting plate <NUM>, the two connecting arms <NUM> are respectively arranged at both ends of the first connecting plate <NUM>, and an end of each connecting arm <NUM> away from the arc-shaped panel <NUM> is provided with an engaging hole <NUM>. The second connecting plate <NUM> is provided with three connecting arms <NUM>, the three connecting arms <NUM> are arranged at intervals in the length direction of the first connecting plate <NUM>, and the two connecting arms <NUM> are respectively arranged at both ends of the second connecting plate <NUM>. The other connecting arm <NUM> is arranged in the middle of the second connecting plate <NUM>, and an end of each connecting arm <NUM> away from the arc-shaped panel <NUM> is provided with an engaging hole <NUM>. Optionally, the engaging hole <NUM> is a bar-shaped through hole structure penetrating the connecting arm <NUM> in a thickness direction of the connecting arm <NUM>.

According to the sealing structure <NUM> provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, in some optional embodiments, an engaging buckle (not shown in the figure) is arranged at a position on the housing corresponding to the engaging hole <NUM>. When the lens <NUM> is mounted on the housing, the engaging buckle can be placed in the engaging hole <NUM> to implement the connection between the housing and the lens <NUM>.

According to the sealing structure <NUM> provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, in some optional embodiments, the sealing structure <NUM> further includes at least one first extension plate <NUM> extending from the arc-shaped panel <NUM>, where the extension plate is smoothly connected to the arc-shaped panel <NUM>. In addition, the sealing structure <NUM> further includes at least one second extension plate <NUM> extending from the connecting plate in a direction away from the arc-shaped panel <NUM>, where the second extension plate <NUM> and the connecting plate are arranged to intersect each other.

Optionally, the first extension plate <NUM> extends from the side of the arc-shaped panel <NUM> on which the first connecting plate <NUM> and the second connecting plate <NUM> are arranged, and an extended width is one-third to three-quarters of the width of the arc-shaped panel <NUM>. The arrangement of the first extension plate <NUM> can further strengthen the protective effect of the sealing structure <NUM> on the infrared wall-following module. Under unfavorable conditions, even if dust is in direct contact with the lens <NUM>, the dust does not directly enter the infrared wall-following module. Instead, part of the dust is attached to the first extension plate <NUM>. In this way, the dust is prevented from entering the infrared wall-following module.

Optionally, the two connecting plates extending from the two short sides of the arc-shaped panel <NUM> are a third connecting plate <NUM> and a fourth connecting plate <NUM>, respectively. There are two second extension plates <NUM>, and the two second extension plates respectively extend from the third connecting plate <NUM> and the fourth connecting plate <NUM>, and are arranged to intersect the third connecting plate <NUM> and the fourth connecting plate <NUM>, respectively. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, an included angle between the second extension plate <NUM> and the third connecting plate <NUM>, and an included angle between the second extension plate <NUM> and the fourth connecting plate <NUM> are both right angles or approximately right angles. Similarly, the arrangement of the second extension plate <NUM> can further strengthen the protective effect of the sealing structure <NUM> on the infrared wall-following module. Under unfavorable conditions, even if dust is in direct contact with the lens <NUM>, the dust does not directly enter the infrared wall-following module. Instead, part of the dust is attached to the second extension plate <NUM>. In this way, the dust is prevented from entering the infrared wall-following module.

It can be understood that the sealing structure <NUM> may be but is not limited to the foregoing specific structure. For example, the sealing structure <NUM> may include only at least one of the first connecting plate <NUM>, the second connecting plate <NUM>, the third connecting plate <NUM>, and the fourth connecting plate <NUM>. Four first extension plates <NUM> may be arranged. The four first extension plates <NUM> respectively extend from the four outer edges of the arc-shaped panel <NUM>. There may be two, three, or four second extension plates <NUM>. This is not specifically limited in the present application.

According to the sealing structure <NUM> provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, in some optional embodiments, the housing includes an upper housing and a lower housing that cooperate with each other, and the upper housing and the lower housing are detachably connected (not shown in the figure). The protective shell <NUM> of the smart cleaning device is arranged on an outer side of the sealing structure <NUM>, and is cooperatively connected with the machine body <NUM> to protect the machine body <NUM>. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective shell <NUM> is a structure similar to a semi-circular arc plate, and is arranged corresponding to the forward portion <NUM> of the machine body. A through hole <NUM> is arranged at a position on the protective shell <NUM> corresponding to the arc-shaped panel <NUM>. After the smart cleaning device is used for a period of time, dust is attached to the lens <NUM>, and the dust can be removed directly through the through hole <NUM>. This is convenient for operation and helps completely remove the dust.

Claim 1:
A sealing structure (<NUM>), configured to seal an infrared wall-following module of a smart cleaning device, comprising:
a housing, wherein the housing is connected to a side of the infrared wall-following module facing a protective shell (<NUM>) of the smart cleaning device; and
a lens (<NUM>), wherein the lens (<NUM>) is connected to the housing, and covers a side of the housing facing the protective shell (<NUM>);
characterized in that the lens (<NUM>) comprises an arc-shaped panel (<NUM>) and a connecting plate that is arranged on an edge of the arc-shaped panel (<NUM>) and that extends toward the infrared wall-following module; and the arc-shaped panel (<NUM>) and the connecting plate are arranged to intersect each other.