RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority to Taiwan Application Serial Number 112116127, filed Apr. 28, 2023, and Taiwan Application Serial Number 112204142, filed Apr. 28, 2023, which are herein incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND
Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid replacement device and a cleaning system, and more particularly, to a liquid replacement device and a cleaning system capable of replacing liquid.
Description of Related Art
It has become a trend to use self-propelled cleaning devices that can move autonomously on a surface to be cleaned for cleaning places to be cleaned with large areas, such as commercial offices, factories, etc., as disclosed in China Patent No. CN112754370B titled “Robot Automatic Floor Washing Equipment.” The robot automatic floor washing equipment includes a service station and a robot floor washing machine. The service station is provided with a water inlet pipe. One end of the water inlet pipe is connected to an external water source, such as a tap water service pipe, and the other end is equipped with a water faucet, which extends outward from a front side of the service station. The service station is further equipped with a sewage pipe. One end of the sewage pipe can extend vertically downward from a bottom of the service station and be connected to a sewer pipe, and the other end of the sewage pipe is connected to a water tray. The water tray extends outward from the front side of the service station. The robot floor washing machine is provided with a walking body, a sewage tank disposed on the body and provided with a sewage outlet, and a clear water tank disposed on the body and provided with a water inlet. The sewage outlet is provided with a plug for opening and closing the sewage outlet. The body is provided with a drainage interface fluidly connected to the sewage outlet. The service station and/or the robot floor washing machine are provided with a valve driving mechanism for opening and closing the plug. When the robot floor washing machine is docked at the service station, the drainage interface is connected to the water tray, and the sewage outlet is opened, such that the sewage in the sewage tank can flow out to the water tray and to the sewer pipe. Simultaneously, the water faucet can be extended into the water inlet to replenish the clear water tank with the clear water.
In the prior art, the service station needs to be used with the external water source and sewer pipe, but not all places are equipped with the external water sources and the sewer pipes. In the places where there are no external water sources and sewer pipes, additional pipelines need to be installed, which not only increases the installation cost but is also unsightly. Even in the places with external water sources and sewer pipes, the service station needs to be placed in a location with both the external water source and the sewer pipe, such that the location where the service station can be placed is limited. If the location of both the external water source and the sewer pipe is at a corner of the place, the robot floor washing machine needs to walk to the corner every time for liquid replacement. Such back-and-forth actions waste the time that the robot floor washing machine can clean the surface to be cleaned, and reduce the cleaning efficiency of the robot floor washing machine. In addition, the mechanisms for docking between the service station and the robot floor washing machine are distributed everywhere and need to be equipped with valve driving mechanisms, which are relatively complex in structure. Therefore, there is still room for improvement.
SUMMARY
Therefore, one objective of the present invention is to provide a liquid replacement device that overcomes at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a cleaning system using the liquid replacement device.
The liquid replacement device in accordance with one objective of the present invention is provided with: a first body provided with a first connection portion that can be connected to an outside, and the first connection portion provided with a clear liquid outlet for outputting a clear liquid and a dirty liquid inlet for inputting a dirty liquid. The first body is provided with a first clear liquid tank that can accommodate the clear liquid, a first dirty liquid tank that can accommodate the dirty liquid, a clear liquid output channel connected between the clear liquid outlet and the first clear liquid tank, and a dirty liquid input channel connected between the dirty liquid inlet and the first dirty liquid tank.
The cleaning system in accordance with another objective of the present invention is provided with the aforementioned liquid replacement device and a self-propelled cleaning device. The self-propelled cleaning device is provided with: a second body provided with a second connection portion corresponding to the first connection portion, and the second connection portion provided with a dirty liquid outlet for outputting the dirty liquid and a clear liquid inlet for inputting the clear liquid. The second body is provided with a second clear liquid tank that can accommodate the clear liquid, a second dirty liquid tank that can accommodate the dirty liquid, a dirty liquid output channel connected between the dirty liquid outlet and the second dirty liquid tank, and a clear liquid input channel connected between the clear liquid inlet and the second clear liquid tank.
The liquid replacement device is built-in with the first clear liquid tank and the first dirty liquid tank, and the liquid replacement device can be moved to different positions by the operator. Compared with the prior art, the liquid replacement device and the cleaning system of the embodiment of the present invention do not need to be placed at a location with both an external water source and a sewer pipe, and it does not need to install additional external water sources and sewer pipes on the surface to be cleaned, such that the liquid replacement device and the cleaning system can enhance the efficiency of the cleaning operation and have cost and aesthetic advantages.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a cleaning system on a surface to be cleaned to illustrate an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the cleaning system in a working space.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a liquid replacement device of the cleaning system on the surface to be cleaned.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a self-propelled cleaning device of the cleaning system on the surface to be cleaned.
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the docking of the liquid replacement device and the self-propelled cleaning device.
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a first connection portion of the liquid replacement device and a second connection portion of the self-propelled cleaning device to illustrate another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the docking of the first connection portion and the second connection portion.
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of the first connection portion of the liquid replacement device and the second connection portion of the self-propelled cleaning device to illustrate still another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of the first connection portion of the liquid replacement device and the second connection portion of the self-propelled cleaning device to illustrate yet another embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a liquid replacement device A of an embodiment of the present invention can form a cleaning system with a self-propelled cleaning device B. The liquid replacement device A and the self-propelled cleaning device B can be used in a working space W at the same time. The working space W has a surface W1 to be cleaned such as an indoor floor, a surface W2 not to be cleaned such as a toilet or garage floor, a boundary W3 that separates the surface W1 to be cleaned and the surface W2 not to be cleaned, such as a wall, and an entrance and exit W4 located on the boundary W3 such as a doorway. The working space W is provided with a faucet and a drainage hole (not shown) on the surface W2 not to be cleaned.
The liquid replacement device A can be moved by an operator to a predetermined position on the surface W1 to be cleaned and temporarily positioned, or can be moved by the operator to the surface W2 not to be cleaned to perform maintenance on the liquid replacement device A. The self-propelled cleaning device B can move on the surface W1 to be cleaned and clean the surface W1 to be cleaned. There may be obstacles, such as a threshold, stairs, steps, etc. at the entrance and exit W4, such that in normal circumstances, the self-propelled cleaning device B is not set to move to the surface W2 not to be cleaned, nor is it set to clean the surface W2 not to be cleaned.
Referring to FIG. 3, the liquid replacement device A is provided with a first body A1, and the first body A1 is provided with a first connection portion A11 that can be connected to the outside. The first connection portion A11 is provided with a clear liquid outlet A111 for outputting a clear liquid L1, and a dirty liquid inlet A112 for inputting a dirty liquid L2. The first body A1 is provided with a first clear liquid tank A2 that can accommodate the clear liquid L1, a first dirty liquid tank A3 that can accommodate the dirty liquid L2, a clear liquid output channel A4 connected between the clear liquid outlet A111 and the first clear liquid tank A2, and a dirty liquid input channel A5 connected between the dirty liquid inlet A112 and the first dirty liquid tank A3.
Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the first connection portion A11 is protruding from the first body A1, and has a first side surface A11a facing the self-propelled cleaning device B, a first top surface A11b connected to an upper side of the first side surface A11a, and a first bottom surface A11c connected to a lower side of the first side surface A11a. The first side surface A11a is in the vertical direction, and the first top surface A11b and the first bottom surface A11c are in the horizontal direction. The first connection portion A11 is provided with a sensed component A113, such as a magnetic component, which can be sensed by the self-propelled cleaning device B on the first top surface A11b of the first connection portion A11. The clear liquid outlet A111 and the dirty liquid inlet A112 respectively face different directions. The clear liquid outlet A111 is located on the first bottom surface A11c and faces downward. The dirty liquid inlet A112 is disposed on the first top surface A11b and faces upward. The dirty liquid inlet A112 has a shape constricted toward the dirty liquid input channel A5. The liquid replacement device A is provided with a clear liquid pump A6 on one end of the clear liquid output channel A4 that can output the clear liquid L1 in the first clear liquid tank A2. The liquid replacement device A is provided with a clear liquid filling port A12 for filling the clear liquid L1 from the outside, and a clear liquid filling channel A7 connected between the clear liquid filling port A12 and the first clear liquid tank A2. The clear liquid filling port A12 is fixed on a casing of the first body A1. The liquid replacement device A is provided with a dirty liquid discharging port A13 for discharging the dirty liquid L2, and a dirty liquid discharging channel A8 connected between the dirty liquid discharging port A13 and the first dirty liquid tank A3. The dirty liquid discharging port A13 can be located on one end of a hose A14 protruding outside the first body A1, such that the dirty liquid discharging port A13 can be movably disposed outside the first body A1. The first clear liquid tank A2 is provided with a first liquid level device A21 that can determine a liquid level of the clear liquid L1 in the first clear liquid tank A2. The first dirty liquid tank A3 is provided with a second liquid level device A31 that can determine a liquid level of the dirty liquid L2 in the first dirty liquid tank A3. On the first body A1, the liquid replacement device A is provided with an alignment mark A15 that can be scanned by the self-propelled cleaning device B, a position sensor A16 that can sense the position of the self-propelled cleaning device B, plural rollers A17 that can roll on the surface W1 to be cleaned or the surface W2 not to be cleaned, and a handle A18 that can be held by the operator. The alignment mark A15 is disposed on the side of the first body A1 where the first connection portion A11 is disposed. The alignment mark A15 may be, for example, a QR code, a special shape, etc., which can be scanned and aligned by the self-propelled cleaning device B. The position sensor A16 is disposed on the side of the first body A1 where the first connection portion A11 is disposed. The position sensor A16 may be, for example, any one of an ultrasonic sensor, an optical sensor, an optical communication connector, etc., that can sense whether the self-propelled cleaning device B is present within a preset distance. The rollers A17 are disposed on a bottom of the first body A1 and can roll freely to drive the liquid replacement device A to move on the surface W1 to be cleaned or the surface W2 not to be cleaned. The handle A18 allows the operator to easily apply force to move the first body A1. On the first body A1, the liquid replacement device A is provided with a first battery A91 that can be charged and supply power, a first display A92 that can display the liquid level statuses of the first clear liquid tank A2 and the first dirty liquid tank A3 in any of text, pattern, light, etc., and a first controller A93 that can control various function and transmit wireless signals.
Referring to FIG. 4, the self-propelled cleaning device B is provided with a second body B1, and the second body B1 is provided with a second connection portion B11 corresponding to the first connection portion A11 (FIG. 3). The second connection portion B11 is provided with a dirty liquid outlet B111 for outputting the dirty liquid L2 and a clear liquid inlet B112 for inputting the clear liquid L1. The second body B1 is provided with a second clear liquid tank B2 that can accommodate the clear liquid L1, a second dirty liquid tank B3 that can accommodate the dirty liquid L2, a dirty liquid output channel B4 connected between the dirty liquid outlet B111 and the second dirty liquid tank B3, and a clear liquid input channel B5 connected between the clear liquid inlet B112 and the second clear liquid tank B2.
Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the second connection portion B11 is recessed in the second body B1, and has a second side surface B11a facing the liquid replacement device A, a second top surface B11b connected to an upper side of the second side surface B11a, and a second bottom surface B11c connected to a lower side of the second side surface B11a. The second side surface B11a is in the vertical direction, and the second top surface B11b and the second bottom surface B11c are in the horizontal direction. The second connection portion B11 is provided with a positioning sensor B113, such as a magnetic sensor, which can sense the sensed component A113, on the second top surface B11b of the second connection portion B11. The first connection portion A11 and the second connection portion B11 can be jointed with each other by concave and convex matching. The first connection portion A11 can be inserted into the second connection portion B11, such that the positioning sensor B113 can sense the sensed component A113. The dirty liquid outlet B111 and the clear liquid inlet B112 are arranged opposite to each other. The dirty liquid outlet B111 is located on the second top surface B11b and faces downward. The clear liquid inlet B112 is located on the second bottom surface B11c and faces upward. The clear liquid inlet B112 has a shape constricted toward the clear liquid input channel B5. The second clear liquid tank B2 surrounds the second dirty liquid tank B3. The second clear liquid tank B2 is provided with a third liquid level device B21 that can determine a liquid level of the clear liquid L1 in the second clear liquid tank B2. The second dirty liquid tank B3 is provided with a fourth liquid level device B31 that can determine a liquid level of the dirty liquid L2 in the second dirty liquid tank B3. The self-propelled cleaning device B is provided with a dirty liquid pump B6 on one end of the dirty liquid output channel B4 that can output the dirty liquid L2 in the second dirty liquid tank B3. The self-propelled cleaning device B is provided with a first filter B71 that can filter the clear liquid L1, and a second filter B72 that can filter the dirty liquid L2. A bottom of the second body B1 of the self-propelled cleaning device B is provided with a brushing mechanism B81 that can brush the surface W1 to be cleaned, a driving wheel set B82 that can drive the self-propelled cleaning device B to move autonomously, and a liquid suction mechanism B83 that can suck the dirty liquid L2 on the surface W1 to be cleaned. The clear liquid L1 in the second clear liquid tank B2 can be supplied to the brushing mechanism B81 through a liquid supply channel B84 in the second body B1. The dirty liquid L2 sucked by the liquid suction mechanism B83 can be collected through a liquid collection channel B85 in the second body B1 to the second dirty liquid tank B3. The first filter B71 is disposed between the clear liquid inlet B112 and the second clear liquid tank B2. The second filter B72 is disposed in the second dirty liquid tank B3 and can filter the dirty liquid L2 input from the liquid collection channel B85 into the second dirty liquid tank B3. The second filter B72 can also be disposed between the dirty liquid pump B6 and the second dirty liquid tank B3 and wrapped outside the dirty liquid pump B6 to prevent impurities from affecting the dirty liquid pump B6. The self-propelled cleaning device B is provided with a sensor B12, such as a LIDAR, that can scan the alignment mark A15, on the side of the second body B1 provided with the second connection portion B11. The second body B1 of the self-propelled cleaning device B is provided with a second battery B91 that can be charged and supply power, a second display B92 that can display the liquid level statuses of the second clear liquid tank B2 and the second dirty liquid tank B3 in any of text, pattern, light, etc., and a second controller B93 that can control various functions and transmit wireless signals.
In the implementation of the embodiment of the present invention, the operator can move the liquid replacement device A to the predetermined position of the surface W1 to be cleaned. The liquid replacement device A is provided with the rollers A17, such that the operator can hold the handle A18 to push the liquid replacement device A, and temporarily position the liquid replacement device A at the predetermined position by, for example, locking the rollers A17. But the present invention is not limited to thereto. Even without using the rollers A17, the operator can still move the liquid replacement device A. The liquid replacement device A is provided with the first battery A91, such that the first battery A91 can supply the power required by the liquid replacement device A to perform various functions while the liquid replacement device A is not connected to an external power source. The first controller A93 of the liquid replacement device A positioned at the predetermined position can output a wireless signal, such as a Bluetooth signal. When the liquid level of the second clear liquid tank B2 of the self-propelled cleaning device B is lower than a preset value, or the liquid level of the second dirty liquid tank B3 is higher than a preset value, the self-propelled cleaning device B can be prepared to dock the liquid replacement device A. The self-propelled cleaning device B may first move to the vicinity of the liquid replacement device A according to the map, and after the second controller B93 receives the wireless signal from the first controller A93, the two can be in handshake communication with each other. Then, the self-propelled cleaning device B uses the sensor B12 to scan the alignment mark A15 of the liquid replacement device A. In the embodiment of the present invention, the map may be established by scanning spatial features with the sensor B12 when the self-propelled cleaning device B moves autonomously on the surface W1 to be cleaned, or may be input to the self-propelled cleaning device B from an external device. The position of the liquid replacement device A on the map may be selectively changed by the operator according to different predetermined positions. After the sensor B12 matches with the alignment mark A15, the driving wheel set B82 drives the self-propelled cleaning device B toward the liquid replacement device A to insert the first connection portion A11 of the liquid replacement device A into the second connection portion B11 of the self-propelled cleaning device B (FIG. 5). At this time, the position sensor A16 located in the liquid replacement device A can sense that the self-propelled cleaning device B is within a preset distance, and the positioning sensor B113 located in the self-propelled cleaning device B can sense the sensed component A113. This means that the liquid replacement device A and the self-propelled cleaning device B have been successfully docked, the clear liquid outlet A111 has been aligned with the clear liquid inlet B112, and the dirty liquid outlet B111 has been aligned with the dirty liquid inlet A112. Therefore, a liquid replacement operation can be performed between the liquid replacement device A and the self-propelled cleaning device B. When performing the liquid replacement operation, the first controller A93 of the liquid replacement device A outputs a wireless signal to the second controller B93 of the self-propelled cleaning device B to notify the second controller B93 to control the dirty liquid pump B6 to output the dirty liquid L2 in the second dirty liquid tank B3 from the self-propelled cleaning device B through the dirty liquid output channel B4 and the dirty liquid outlet B111. The dirty liquid L2 output from the self-propelled cleaning device B is received by the dirty liquid inlet A112 of the liquid replacement device A. The dirty liquid L2 input from the dirty liquid inlet A112 flows to the first dirty liquid tank A3 through the dirty liquid input channel A5 and is stored. When the liquid level of the first dirty liquid tank A3 of the liquid replacement device A is higher than a preset value, the first controller A93 outputs a wireless signal to the second controller B93 of the self-propelled cleaning device B to notify the self-propelled cleaning device B to stop outputting the dirty liquid L2. During the liquid replacement operation, if the liquid replacement device A and the self-propelled cleaning device B are forced to separate unexpectedly due to external force, the positioning sensor B113 can sense that the docking between the first connection portion A11 and the second connection portion B11 has been released, and instruct the second controller B93 to control the self-propelled cleaning device B to stop outputting the dirty liquid L2. When performing the liquid replacement operation, the second controller B93 of the self-propelled cleaning device B outputs a wireless signal to the first controller A93 of the liquid replacement device A to notify the first controller A93 to control the clear liquid pump A6 to output the clear liquid L1 in the first clear liquid tank A2 from the liquid replacement device A through the clear liquid output channel A4 and the clear liquid outlet A111. The clear liquid L1 output from the liquid replacement device A is received by the clear liquid inlet B112 of the self-propelled cleaning device B. The clear liquid L1 is input from the clear liquid inlet B112, flows through the clear liquid input channel B5, is filtered by the first filter B71, and is finally stored in the second clear liquid tank B2. When the liquid level of the second clear liquid tank B2 of the self-propelled cleaning device B is higher than a preset value, the second controller B93 outputs a wireless signal to the first controller A93 of the liquid replacement device A to notify the liquid replacement device A to stop outputting the clear liquid L1. During the liquid replacement operation, if the liquid replacement device A and the self-propelled cleaning device B are forced to separate unexpectedly due to external force, the position sensor A16 can sense that the self-propelled cleaning device B has left the liquid replacement device A, and instruct the first controller A93 to control the liquid replacement device A to stop outputting the clear liquid L1. After the liquid replacement device A and the self-propelled cleaning device B stop replacing the liquid mutually, the driving wheel set B82 of the self-propelled cleaning device B drives the self-propelled cleaning device B to move away from the liquid replacement device A to release the docking between the first connection portion A11 and the second connection portion B11 and to perform the cleaning operation. The clear liquid outlet A111 and the dirty liquid inlet A112 are both disposed in the first connection portion A11, and the dirty liquid outlet B111 and the clear liquid inlet B112 are also both disposed in the second connection portion B11, such that as long as the first connection portion A11 and the second connection portion B11 are successfully docked, the liquid replacement between the liquid replacement device A and the self-propelled cleaning device B can be started, which is beneficial to simplifying the complexity of the two mechanisms. After the self-propelled cleaning device B is separated from the liquid replacement device A, the operator can move the liquid replacement device A to the surface W2 not to be cleaned, and insert a faucet or a water supply pipe into the clear liquid filling port A12 to input the clear liquid L1 into the first clear liquid tank A2 through the clear liquid filling channel A7 and store the clear liquid L1. The dirty liquid discharging port A13 is aligned with the drainage hole to discharge the dirty liquid L2 in the first dirty liquid tank A3 through the dirty liquid discharging channel A8 and the hose A14. Plural liquid replacement devices A can be placed on the surface W1 to be cleaned. Because the liquid replacement device A has the position sensor A16, and the self-propelled cleaning device B has the positioning sensor B113, even if the wireless signal output by the second controller B93 of the self-propelled cleaning device B is received by the first controller A93 of the other undocked liquid replacement device A, the liquid replacement device A does not output the clear liquid L1 while the position sensor A16 does not sense that the self-propelled cleaning device B is within the preset distance of the liquid replacement device A.
The liquid replacement device A is built-in with the first clear liquid tank A2 and the first dirty liquid tank A3, and the liquid replacement device A can be moved to different positions by the operator. Compared with the prior art, the liquid replacement device and the cleaning system of the embodiment of the present invention do not need to be placed at a location with both an external water source and a sewer pipe, and it does not need to install additional external water sources and sewer pipes on the surface W1 to be cleaned, such that the liquid replacement device and the cleaning system can enhance the efficiency of the cleaning operation and have cost and aesthetic advantages.
Referring to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, in another embodiment of the present invention, the first connection portion A11 is provided with a clear liquid outlet A114 and a dirty liquid inlet A115 on the first side surface A11a, and the second connection portion B11 is provided with a dirty liquid discharging pipe B114 and a clear liquid inlet B115. The dirty liquid discharging pipe B114 is disposed on the second side surface B11a and corresponds to the dirty liquid inlet A115, and the clear liquid inlet B115 is disposed on the second bottom surface B11c and faces upward. After the clear liquid L1 is output from the clear liquid outlet A114, the clear liquid L1 first touch the second side surface B11a and flows downward to the clear liquid inlet B115 along the second side surface B11a due to gravity. The dirty liquid discharging pipe B114 can be inserted into the dirty liquid inlet A115 to discharge the dirty liquid L2.
Referring to FIG. 8, in still another embodiment of the present invention, the first connection portion A11 is provided with a clear liquid outlet A116 and a dirty liquid inlet A117, in which the clear liquid outlet A116 is disposed on the first bottom surface A11c and faces downward, and the dirty liquid inlet A117 is disposed on the first side surface A11a. The second connection portion B11 is provided with a dirty liquid discharging pipe B116 and a clear liquid inlet B117, in which the dirty liquid discharging pipe B116 is disposed on the second side surface B11a and corresponds to the dirty liquid inlet A117, and the clear liquid inlet B117 is disposed on the second bottom surface B11c and faces upward. The dirty liquid discharging pipe B116 can be inserted into the dirty liquid inlet A117.
Referring to FIG. 9, in yet another embodiment of the present invention, the first connection portion A11 is provided with a clear liquid outlet A118 and a dirty liquid inlet A119, in which the clear liquid outlet A118 is disposed on the first side surface A11a, and the dirty liquid inlet A119 is disposed on the first top surface A11b and faces upward. The second connection portion B11 is provided with a dirty liquid outlet B118 and a clear liquid inlet B119, in which the dirty liquid outlet B118 is disposed on the second top surface B11b and faces downward, and the clear liquid inlet B119 is located on the second bottom surface B11c and faces upward.
The above embodiments are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the scope of implementation of the present invention cannot be limited thereto. That is, any simple equivalent changes and modifications made based on the claims and the specification of the present invention are within the scope of the patent of the present invention.
Patent Application
20240358219
