MOPPING MECHANISM AND CLEANING DEVICE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to the technology field of smart home appliances and, more particularly, to a mopping mechanism and a cleaning device.

BACKGROUND

As the advance of technologies and the increase of living standards, cleaning robots have been widely used in homes due to functions such as automatic floor sweeping, vacuum cleaning, etc.

The most common robots in currently available cleaning robots are floor-sweeping robots. Floor-sweeping robots can only perform floor sweeping, but do not have floor-mopping functions. To accomplish the floor-mopping functions in a cleaning robot, typically a mop is mounted to a bottom surface of the main body of the floor-sweeping robot. The mop is static relative to the main body of the floor-sweeping robot. The mop performs mopping of areas of the floor it passes by as the cleaning robot moves.

However, because the mop is static relative to the chassis, the mop cannot perform reciprocating mopping of the surface to be cleaned. As a result, the cleaning efficiency is low, and the cleaning effect is poor.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure provides a mopping mechanism and a cleaning device (e.g., a cleaning robot), which can perform reciprocating mopping of a surface to be cleaned, thereby increasing the cleaning efficiency and cleaning effect.

To overcome disadvantages of the conventional technologies, the present disclosure provides the following technical solutions:

In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a mopping mechanism. The mopping mechanism may be mounted to a bottom surface of the cleaning device. The mopping mechanism may include at least one mopping plate movably mountable to the bottom surface, and a magnetic element assembly configured to provide at least a portion of a driving force to drive the at least one mopping plate to move reciprocatively relative to the bottom surface. In some embodiments, the magnetic element assembly may include a primary magnetic element and a secondary magnetic element. At least one of the primary magnetic element or the secondary magnetic element may be configured to provide a variable magnetic field. At least one of a magnetic field intensity or a magnetic field direction may be variable. In some embodiments, the secondary magnetic element may be disposed at (e.g., fixed to) the at least one mopping plate, and may move together with the at least one mopping plate. In some embodiments, the primary magnetic element may be disposed at (e.g., fixed to) the at least one mopping plate, and may move together with the at least one mopping plate. In some embodiments, the at least one mopping plate may include a first mopping plate and a second mopping plate. The primary magnetic element may be disposed at (e.g., mounted on) the first mopping plate and the secondary magnetic element may be disposed at (e.g., mounted on) the second mopping plate. The at least one mopping plate may perform a reciprocating movement relative to the bottom surface at least partially due to the magnetic force between the primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic element.

In some embodiments, the bottom surface of the cleaning device may be provided with a first mopping plate and a second mopping plate disposed side by side. The second mopping plate may face the first mopping plate. In some embodiments, at least one (e.g., each) of the first mopping plate and the second mopping plate may be movably mounted to the bottom surface, and may move, e.g., at least partially due to the magnetic force, relative to the bottom surface in a reciprocating manner.

In some embodiments, at least one primary magnetic element may be disposed at the bottom surface of the cleaning device. The at least one primary magnetic element may be located between the first mopping plate and the second mopping plate. At least one first secondary magnetic element may be disposed at (e.g., fixed to) the first mopping plate. At least one second secondary magnetic element may be disposed at (e.g., fixed to) the second mopping plate. At least partially due to a magnetic force between the primary magnetic element and the first secondary magnetic element, the first mopping plate may perform a reciprocating movement relative to the bottom surface. At least partially due to a magnetic force between the primary magnetic element and the second secondary magnetic element, the second mopping plate may perform a reciprocating movement relative to the bottom surface. In some embodiments, while the first mopping plate and the second mopping plate move relative to the bottom surface of the cleaning device, the first mopping plate and the second mopping plate may move relative to one another, or may move in a same direction.

In some embodiments, the primary magnetic element may be an electromagnetic element or a permanent magnet (or permanent magnetic element). In some embodiments, both of the first secondary magnetic element and the second secondary magnetic element may be permanent magnets. When the primary magnetic element is an electromagnetic element, a direction of an electric current supplied to the primary magnetic element may be changed periodically to periodically switch the magnetic poles of the primary magnetic element facing the secondary magnetic elements. The magnetic force between the primary magnetic element and the first secondary magnetic element and the magnetic force between the primary magnetic element and the second secondary magnetic element may be periodically switched between an attractive magnetic force and a repulsive magnetic force. As a result, the first mopping plate and the second mopping plate may be driven by the varying magnetic forces to perform reciprocating movements relative to the bottom surface. When the primary magnetic element is a permanent magnet, the primary magnetic element may be rotated relative to the bottom surface to periodically change the magnetic poles facing the first secondary magnetic element and the second secondary magnetic element, thereby periodically changing the magnetic field direction (and hence the magnetic forces between the primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic elements). The changing magnetic field direction (and hence the magnetic forces) may drive the first and second mopping plates to move reciprocatively relative to the bottom surface.

In some embodiments, the primary magnetic element may be an electromagnetic element. A restoration component may be disposed between and configured to connect (or couple) the first mopping plate and the second mopping plate. The restoration component may be configured to provide a restoration force to the first and second mopping plates, which may be a pulling force or a pushing force. When the primary magnetic element is supplied with an electric current to generate a magnetic field, an attractive or a repulsive magnetic force may be generated between the primary magnetic element and the first secondary magnetic element, and between the primary magnetic element and the second secondary magnetic element, respectively. The attractive or repulsive magnetic force may drive the first mopping plate and/or the second mopping plate to overcome a restoration force provided by the restoration component to move relative to the bottom surface (and in some embodiments, relative to one another). When the primary magnetic element is not supplied with the electric current and does not generate the magnetic field, the first mopping plate and the second mopping plate may be driven by the restoration force provided by the restoration component to move relative to the bottom surface (and in some embodiments, relative to one another). In some embodiments, the restoration force provided by the restoration component may at least partially provide the driving force to move the mopping plates during a first portion of a reciprocating movement cycle. In some embodiments, the magnetic forces may at least partially provide the driving force to move the mopping plates during a second portion of the reciprocating movement cycle. In some embodiments, during the first portion of the reciprocating movement cycle, in which the restoration force provides the driving force for the movement of the mopping plates, the magnetic forces may be zero.

In some embodiments, the bottom surface of the cleaning device may be provided with a first mopping plate and a second mopping plate disposed side by side. The second mopping plate may face the first mopping plate. At least one primary magnetic element may be mounted on the first mopping plate. At least one secondary magnetic element may be mounted on the second mopping plate.

In some embodiments, at least partially due to alternating attractive magnetic force and repulsive magnetic force between the primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic element, the first mopping plate and the second mopping plate may be driven to perform a reciprocating movement relative to the bottom surface, and in some embodiments, relative to one another, such as toward and away from one another.

In some embodiments, the primary magnetic element may be an electromagnetic element. The secondary magnetic element may be an electromagnetic element in the form of a linkage (hence the secondary magnetic element may be referred to as a linkage-shaped secondary magnetic element). The primary magnetic element may be disposed on the first mopping plate. A first end of the linkage-shaped secondary magnetic element may be fixedly connected with the second mopping plate. A second end of the linkage-shaped secondary magnetic element may abut against the primary magnetic element, inserted into the body of the primary magnetic element, or coupled with the primary magnetic element in any other suitable manner. When an attractive magnetic force is generated between the primary magnetic element and the linkage-shaped secondary magnetic element, the first mopping plate and the second mopping plate may be driven by the attractive magnetic force to move relative to the bottom surface, and toward one another. When a repulsive magnetic force is generated between the primary magnetic element and the linkage-shaped secondary magnetic element, the first mopping plate and the second mopping plate may be driven to move relative to the bottom surface, and away from one another.

In some embodiments, the primary magnetic element may be an electromagnetic element. A restoration component may be disposed between the first mopping plate and the second mopping plate, and may connect or couple the first mopping plate and the second mopping plate. When the primary magnetic element is supplied with an electric current to generate a magnetic field, and when an attractive magnetic force is generated between the primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic element, the first mopping plate and the second mopping plate may be driven by the attractive magnetic force to move relative to the bottom surface (e.g., toward one another). While the first mopping plate and the second mopping plate move toward one another, the restoration component may provide a pulling force to pull the first mopping plate and the second mopping plate toward one another, or may provide a pushing force to push the first mopping plate and the second mopping plate away from one another. The attractive magnetic force may overcome the pushing force, such that the mopping plates may be moved toward one another. When the primary magnetic element is not supplied with an electric current and does not generate a magnetic field, e.g., when an attractive magnetic force is not generated between the primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic element, the first mopping plate and the second mopping plate may be driven by the pulling restoration force provided by the restoration component to move relative to the bottom surface and toward one another, or may be driven by the pushing restoration force provided by the restoration component to move relative to the bottom surface and away from one another.

In some embodiments, the primary magnetic element may be an electromagnetic element. The secondary magnetic element may be an electromagnetic element in the form of a linkage (hence the secondary magnetic element may also be referred to as a linkage-shaped secondary magnetic element). The primary magnetic element may be disposed at (e.g., fixed to) the first mopping plate. A first end of the linkage-shaped secondary magnetic element may be fixedly connected to the second mopping plate. A second end of the linkage-shaped secondary magnetic element may abut against the primary magnetic element, may be inserted into the primary magnetic element, or may be coupled with the primary magnetic element in any other suitable manner. When the primary magnetic element is supplied with an electric current to generate a magnetic field, an attractive magnetic force may be generated between the primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic element. The attractive magnetic force may drive the first mopping plate and the second mopping plate to move relative to the bottom surface and toward one another. During this process, the restoration component may provide a pushing restoration force against the first mopping plate and the second mopping plate. The attractive magnetic force may overcome the pushing restoration force to move the mopping plates toward one another. When the primary magnetic element is not supplied with the electric current and does not generate a magnetic field, the first mopping plate and the second mopping plate may be driven by a pushing restoration force provided by the restoration component to move relative to the bottom surface and away from one another, or by a pulling restoration force to move relative to the bottom surface and toward one another.

Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a cleaning device (e.g., robot) including the disclosed mopping mechanism.

In conventional technologies, a cleaning device is configured to clean a floor with a mop. The mop may be fixedly disposed at a bottom surface of the cleaning device. The mop is typically static relative to the bottom surface, and mops the floor as the cleaning device moves. The mop may only mop the floor in a single direction (i.e., the moving direction of the cleaning device) within the region traversed by the cleaning device. Such a cleaning device has a low cleaning efficiency and a poor cleaning effect.

Compared with the conventional technologies, the mopping mechanism and the cleaning device including the mopping mechanism provided by the present disclosure have the following advantages. In the mopping mechanism and the cleaning device, the mopping mechanism may be mounted at the bottom surface of the cleaning device. The mopping mechanism may include a magnetic element assembly (which may include at least one primary magnetic element and at least one secondary magnetic element) configured to at least partially provide a driving force (e.g., a magnetic force) to drive at least one mopping plate to move relative to the bottom surface. At least partially due to the magnetic force between the primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic element, the at least one mopping plate may perform a reciprocating movement relative to the bottom surface (e.g., in some embodiments, two mopping plates may move toward or away from one another). The at least one mopping plate may clean a surface (e.g., a floor surface) in a reciprocating manner, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency and cleaning effect.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a mopping mechanism is provided. The mopping mechanism includes at least one mopping plate movably mountable to a bottom surface of a cleaning device. The mopping mechanism also includes a magnetic element assembly including a primary magnetic element and a secondary magnetic element, and configured to generate a variable magnetic field to drive the at least one mopping plate to move reciprocatively relative to the bottom surface.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a mobile device is provided. The mobile device includes at least one driving device configured to move the mobile device. The mobile device also includes a bottom surface. The mobile device further includes a mopping mechanism disposed at the bottom surface. The mopping mechanism includes at least one mopping plate movably mounted to the bottom surface. The mopping mechanism also includes a magnetic element assembly including a primary magnetic element and a secondary magnetic element. The magnetic element assembly is configured to generate a variable magnetic field to drive the at least one mopping plate to move reciprocatively relative to the bottom surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To explain the technical solutions of the present disclosure, the drawings that illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure will be briefly introduced. It is understood that the drawings described below are only some of the embodiments of the present disclosure. A person having ordinary skills in the art can obtain other drawings based on the accompanying drawings without creative efforts.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a cleaning device, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a bottom configuration of the cleaning device, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a bottom configuration of the cleaning device, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate a schematic configuration of a mopping mechanism, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 4C and 4D illustrate a schematic configuration of a mopping mechanism, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of a bottom configuration of the cleaning device, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate a schematic configuration of a mopping mechanism and motion states of mopping plates, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 6C and 6D illustrate a schematic configuration of a mopping mechanism and motion states of mopping plates, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate a schematic configuration of a mopping mechanism and motion states of mopping plates, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate a schematic configuration of a mopping mechanism and motion states of mopping plates, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 8C and 8D illustrate a schematic configuration of a mopping mechanism and motion states of mopping plates, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate a schematic configuration of a mopping mechanism and motion states of mopping plates, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 9C and 9D illustrate a schematic configuration of a mopping mechanism and motion states of mopping plates, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate a schematic configuration of a mopping mechanism and motion states of mopping plates, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 11A-11D illustrate example magnetic field intensity change over time, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

To render the objectives, features, and advantages of the present disclosure more obvious and easier to understand, the technical solutions of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described herein are only some of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and are not all of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Based on the embodiments of the present disclosure, a person having ordinary skills in the art can obtain other embodiments without creative efforts, which all fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context indicates otherwise. The terms “comprise,” “comprising,” “include,” and the like specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, and do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups. The term “and/or” used herein includes any suitable combination of one or more related items listed. For example, “A and/or B” can mean A only, A and B, and B only. The symbol “/” means “or” between the related items separated by the symbol. The phrase “at least one of” A, B, or C encompasses all combinations of A, B, and C, such as A only, B only, C only, A and B, B and C, A and C, and A, B, and C. In this regard, A and/or B can mean at least one of A or B.

Further, when an embodiment illustrated in a drawing shows a single element, it is understood that the embodiment may include a plurality of such elements. Likewise, when an embodiment illustrated in a drawing shows a plurality of such elements, it is understood that the embodiment may include only one such element. The number of elements illustrated in the drawing is for illustration purposes only, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiment. Moreover, unless otherwise noted, the embodiments shown in the drawings are not mutually exclusive, and they may be combined in any suitable manner. For example, elements shown in one embodiment but not another embodiment may nevertheless be included in the other embodiment.

The present disclosure provides a mopping mechanism and a mobile device including the mopping mechanism (e.g., a cleaning device, such as a cleaning robot). The mopping mechanism may be configured to cause mopping plates included in the mopping mechanism to move reciprocatively relative to a bottom surface of the mobile device, and/or to change a mopping speed or a mopping frequency of the mopping plates. The disclosed mopping mechanism may drive the mops attached to the mopping plates to perform reciprocating mopping of the surface to be cleaned, thereby enhancing the cleaning efficiency and cleaning effect.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a device 100, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 100 may also be referred to as a mobile device 100, a cleaning device 100, a vacuum cleaner 100, a vacuum cleaning robot 100, or a cleaning robot 100. For discussion purposes, the device 100 is referred to a cleaning device 100 or a cleaning robot 100. The cleaning device 100 may include a main body 110. The main body 110 may have any suitable shape, such as a circular shape (as shown in FIG. 1), a rectangle shape, a square shape, or a combination thereof. The main body 110 may include a housing 105 for enclosing and accommodating various elements, parts, or components of the cleaning device 100. The main body 110 (or the housing 105) may include a first bumper (or first cover, front bumper) 111 and a second bumper (or second cover, rear bumper) 112 at a circumferential side of the main body 110. The first bumper 111 may be separated from the second bumper by one or more gaps 120. At least one of the first bumper 111 or the second bumper 112 may be resiliently coupled with the housing 105 through an elastic member, such as a spring (not shown). When the cleaning device 100 collides with an obstacle, such as a wall or furniture, the first bumper 111 or the second bumper 112 may retract when pushed by the obstacle, thereby providing a buffer or an impact absorption for the cleaning device 100. One or more collision sensors may be disposed at the inner side of the first bumper 111 and/or the second bumper 112. When the first bumper 111 and/or the second bumper 112 collides with an object, the one or more collision sensors may detect the collision and generate a signal indicating the occurrence of the collision. The cleaning device 100 may also include a camera 125. The camera 125 may be configured to capture one or more images of the environment in which the cleaning device 100 operates. For illustrative purposes, the camera 125 is shown as being mounted at the front portion (e.g., behind the front bumper 111) of the cleaning device. It is understood that the camera 125 may be mounted at any other location of the cleaning device, e.g., a top portion of the housing. The orientation of the camera 125 may be in any suitable directions, such as facing front, facing back, facing sides, facing up (e.g., ceiling of a room), facing a direction forming an acute angle relative to the moving direction of the cleaning device, etc. A controller 190 (shown in FIG. 2) included in the cleaning device 100 may analyze the images to extract information (e.g., identify objects) for the purpose of localization and mapping of the cleaning device 100. The cleaning device 100 may further include one or more sweeping elements or mechanisms, such as one or more brushes. FIG. 1 shows two side brushes 130 disposed at two sides of a front portion of the bottom of the cleaning device 100.

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a bottom view of the structural configuration of the cleaning device 100, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The bottom of the main body 110 of the cleaning device 100 may include a bottom surface or plate 155. In some embodiments, the bottom surface 155 may be formed by a plurality of surfaces, although for illustrative purposes, the bottom surface 155 is shown as a single piece. A sweeping unit 145 may be mounted to the bottom surface 155 at a front portion in the moving direction of the cleaning device 100. The sweeping unit 145 may include the side brushes 130 and a main brush 150 disposed at a relatively center location of the bottom surface 155. The side brushes 130 and/or the main brush 150 may be mounted to the bottom surface 155, or may be mounted to other components inside the cleaning device 100 and may extend out of the housing through an opening provided at the bottom surface 155. Although not shown, in some embodiments, the main brush 150 may be associated with a vacuum hole configured to vacuum dirt or trash that have been swept together into a trash storage tank disposed inside the cleaning device 100, at a top portion, or a side portion of the cleaning device 100.

The cleaning device 100 may include a mopping mechanism 160 disposed at a back portion of the bottom surface 2806. During an operation of the cleaning device 100, the cleaning device 100 may first sweep a surface to be cleaned using the sweeping unit located at the front portion in the moving direction, and then mop the surface to be cleaned using the mopping mechanism 160 located at the back portion in the moving direction, thereby enhancing the cleaning efficiency and cleaning effect for the surface to be cleaned. In other embodiments, the cleaning of the surface to be cleaned may be performed using only the mopping mechanism 160 disclosed herein, or using other similar or different mopping mechanisms disclosed herein in other embodiments.

The cleaning device 100 may include a motion unit configured to cause the cleaning device 100 to move along a surface to be cleaned (e.g., a floor). The motion unit may include an omnidirectional wheel 135 disposed at a front portion of the bottom surface 155. The omnidirectional wheel 135 may be a non-driving, passively rotating wheel. The driving unit may also include at least two driving wheels 140 disposed at two sides of the bottom surface 155. The positions of the omnidirectional wheel 135 and the two driving wheels 140 may form a triangle, as shown in FIG. 2, to provide a stable support to the main body 110 of the cleaning device 100. In some embodiments, the driving wheels 140 may be rotatable around a rotation axis passing through a center of symmetry of the driving wheels 140. In some embodiments, the driving wheels 140 may not be rotatable around an axis perpendicular to the bottom surface 155. The omnidirectional wheel 135 may freely rotate around an axis perpendicular to the bottom surface 155, and around an axis passing through a center of symmetry of the omnidirectional wheel 135. The omnidirectional wheel 135 and the driving wheels 140 together move the cleaning device 100 in any desirable direction. The at least two driving wheels 140 may be independently driven by one or more electric motors (not shown in figures) disposed inside the main body 110. When the two driving wheels 140 are driven at different speeds, the rotation speed differential of the driving wheels 140 may cause the cleaning device 100 to turn. In some embodiments, the driving wheels 140 may be rotatable also around an axis perpendicular to the bottom surface 155. In some embodiments, the driving unit may include a track chain (not shown) in place of or in addition to the driving wheels 140.

In some embodiments, the controller 190 (shown in FIG. 2) may include one or more processors configured to control the movement of the cleaning device, the movement of the mopping mechanism 160, and/or to process various data (e.g., sensor data) and signals. In some embodiments, the controller 190 may control the operations of the environmental sensors and/or the one or more driving devices. The cleaning device 100 may include one or more driving devices, such as electric motors, configured to drive the driving unit, such as the driving wheels 140. The cleaning device 100 may include one or more environmental sensors. The one or more environmental sensors and the one or more driving devices may be communicatively connected with the controller 190 through wired or wireless connections. The controller 190 may also receive data or signals from the environmental sensors and/or the one or more driving devices. The one or more environmental sensors may be configured to obtain information relating to an obstacle in a work zone of the cleaning device. The environmental sensors may include at least one of a collision sensor, a proximity sensor (e.g., an infrared diode), an anti-falling sensor (e.g., a cliff sensor), a camera (e.g., the camera 125), a light detection and ranging (“Lidar”) sensor, etc. The obstacle may be an object that blocks the passage or movement of the cleaning device in the work zone in which the cleaning device operates, such as an animal, a human, and/or a non-living object, such as a wall, a door, a furniture, a pet, a user, etc. The information relating to the obstacle may include a location of the obstacle and/or a distance between the cleaning device and the obstacle. In some embodiments, the information relating to the obstacle may also include a size, spatial distribution, a velocity, or a time distribution of the obstacle. The environmental sensors may transmit the acquired information relating to the obstacle to the controller 190. The controller 190 may control a moving path of the cleaning device based on the information relating to the obstacle. The controller 190 may generate control instructions and transmit the control instructions to the driving devices to control a motion velocity and/or direction of the motion devices. In some embodiments, the controller 190 may also include a non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to store computer-executable instructions and/or various data, including sensor data acquired by various sensors, such as the camera, the collision sensors, the proximity sensors, the Lidar sensor, etc. The controller 190 may be disposed inside the body of the cleaning device 100, and is shown as a dashed box for illustration purposes in FIG. 2. Although the controller 190 may not be shown in other figures, the other embodiments shown in other figures may also include the controller 190.

In some embodiments, the driving devices and the controller 190 may be disposed at least partially (e.g., fully) inside a housing (e.g., housing 105) of the cleaning device. The driving devices, such as the driving wheels 140 and the omnidirectional wheel 135, may be disposed at least partially external to the housing 105 of the cleaning device 100. The housing 105 may include the bottom surface 155. In some embodiments, the driving wheels 140 and the omnidirectional wheel 135 may be disposed on the bottom surface 155.

As shown in FIG. 2, the mopping mechanism 160 of the cleaning device 100 may be disposed at the bottom surface 155. The mopping mechanism 160 may include at least one movable mopping plate 1610 attached with a mop for mopping the surface to be cleaned (e.g., a floor). The mopping mechanism 160 (including the mopping plate) may have any suitable shapes, such as a round shape, a square shape, a triangle shape, or a portion or a combination thereof. The mopping mechanism 160 disclosed herein is not limited to be implemented in a cleaning device. The mopping mechanism 160 may be implemented in other cleaning devices, such as a handheld floor mopping machine, or may be a cleaning assembly included in other cleaning devices.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the mopping mechanism 160 may include at least one mopping plate movably mounted to the bottom surface 155. For illustrative purposes, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 show two mopping plates, a first mopping plate 1611 and a second mopping plate 1612. The mopping plates may have any suitable shapes. The movably mounted mopping plates 1611 and 1612 may slide or rotate relative to the bottom surface 155. The cleaning device 100 may include suitable structures to enable the sliding or rotating movement of the mopping plates 1611 and 1612.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2-10B, the mopping mechanism 160 may include a magnetic element assembly including at least one primary magnetic element and at least one secondary magnetic element. Each of the primary magnetic element and secondary magnetic element may be an electromagnetic element or a permanent magnetic element. A variable magnetic field may be generated between each pair of a primary magnetic element and a corresponding secondary magnetic element. A magnetic element includes two magnetic poles, a first magnetic pole (e.g., a North pole (or N pole)), and a second magnetic pole (e.g., a South pole (or S pole)). In some embodiments, the magnetic poles of at least one of a primary magnetic element or a secondary magnetic element may be switched (when controlled by the controller 190) between the S pole and the N pole periodically, thereby periodically changing the corresponding magnetic field (e.g., magnetic field direction) existing between a pair of a primary magnetic element and a secondary magnetic element. For example, the magnetic poles of a primary magnetic element and a secondary magnetic element that face one another may be changed between (S, S), (N, N), (S, N), and (N, S). By changing the magnetic poles periodically, a variable magnetic field with a variable magnetic field direction may be generated between the pair of primary magnetic element and secondary magnetic element. To change the magnetic field direction and/or intensity, the controller 190 may change a direction of an electric current supplied to an electromagnetic element (e.g., the primary magnetic element or the secondary magnetic element or both may be an electromagnetic element) to change the magnetic poles facing each other. In some embodiments, to change the magnetic field direction, the controller 190 may rotate one or both of the primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic element in a pair of magnetic elements, such that magnetic poles of the primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic element that face one another may be changed. While the magnetic field direction is changed, in some embodiments, the magnetic field intensity may also be changed, for example, by changing the magnitude of the electric current supplied to an electromagnetic element. In some embodiments, one or both of the primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic element included in a pair may be permanent magnetic elements. In some embodiments, the controller 190 may control an electric motor (an example of the electric motor is shown in FIG. 6A as a reference numeral 1705) coupled with one or both of the primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic element to rotate one or both of the primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic element, thereby changing the magnetic poles facing each other.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the mopping mechanism 160 may include a magnetic element assembly configured to at least partially provide a driving force for the reciprocating movement of the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 relative to the bottom surface 155. The magnetic element assembly may include a primary magnetic element 1620 and a secondary magnetic element 1630. At least one of the primary magnetic element 1620 or the second magnetic element 1630 may be controlled by the controller 190 to provide a variable magnetic field having a variable magnetic field intensity and/or a variable magnetic field direction, such that a variable magnetic force (e.g., alternating attractive and repulsive magnetic forces) may be generated between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1630. In some embodiments, the secondary magnetic element 1630 may be disposed at (e.g., fixed to) the first mopping plate 1611, and may move together with the first mopping plate 1611. The primary magnetic element 1620 may be disposed (e.g., fixed to) the second mopping plate 1612, and may move together with the second mopping plate 1612. At least partially due to the magnetic force (e.g., alternating attractive and repulsive magnetic forces) between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1630, the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 may be driven by the magnetic force to perform a reciprocating movement relative to the bottom surface 155 and/or relative to one another (e.g., toward or away from one another). In some embodiments, the primary magnetic element 1620 may be disposed at (e.g., fixed to) the first mopping plate 1611, and the secondary magnetic element 1630 may be disposed at (e.g., fixed to) the second mopping plate 1612.

The arrows 1633 shown in FIG. 2 indicates the directions of the magnetic force exerted on the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1630. In the state shown in FIG. 2, the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may be at respective first positions, and the magnetic force generated between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1630 may be an attractive force (as indicated by the arrows 1633). In the embodiments shown in the figures, each mopping plate may move between a first position and a second position. The first position and the second position of a mopping plate are defined with reference to a fixed reference location 1699 on the bottom surface 155. For example, the reference location 1699 may be a line on the bottom surface 155 that lies between the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 when the mopping plates are closest to one another. The same reference location 1699 may be used to define the first position and the second position of the mopping plates in other embodiments shown in other figures. The first position of a mopping plate is a position where the mopping plate is closest to the reference location 1699 on the bottom surface 155, and the second position of the mopping plate is a position where the mopping plate is farthest from the reference location 1699 on the bottom surface 155.

At a time instance shown in FIG. 2, the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may be at their respective first positions. At this time instance, the magnetic force may be an attractive magnetic force. At a next time instance, the controller 190 may change the magnetic field between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1630, such that a repulsive magnetic force may exert on the primary magnetic element 1620 (and hence on the second mopping plate 1612) and on the secondary magnetic element 1630 (and hence on the first mopping plate 1611). The first and second mopping plate 1611 and 1612 may be driven by the repulsive magnetic force to move away from one another, i.e., from their respective first positions toward their respective second positions. Although the entire cycle of reciprocating movement is not shown in FIG. 2, it is understood that when the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 are at respective second positions, the magnetic force generated by the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1630 may be changed (e.g., by the controller 190) from the repulsive magnetic force to an attractive magnetic force tending to move the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 from their respective second positions toward their respective first positions, i.e., toward one another. The processes may be repeated, by alternately changing the directions of the magnetic force (i.e., between a repulsive magnetic force and an attractive magnetic force), such that the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may be driven to move away from one another and toward one another repeatedly, i.e., to move reciprocatively between their respective first positions and second positions. Thus, at least partially due to the changing magnetic force, the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may be driven to move reciprocatively relative to the bottom surface 155 and/or relative to one another. In some embodiments, multiple primary magnetic elements may be disposed on one of the mopping plates, and multiple secondary magnetic elements may be disposed on the other one of the mopping plates.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, to change the magnetic field between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1630, the controller 190 may control an electric current supplied to an electromagnetic element. For example, at least one of the primary magnetic element 1620 or the secondary magnetic element 1630 may be an electromagnetic element. Using the primary magnetic element 1620 being an electromagnetic element as an example, the direction and/or magnitude of the electric current supplied to the primary magnetic element 1620 may be periodically changed by the controller 190, thereby changing the magnetic field direction and/or magnetic field intensity between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1630. The magnetic force may be varied between an attractive magnetic force and a repulsive magnetic force. For example, when the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 are closest to one another (e.g., at their respective first positions), the magnetic force may be switched from an attractive magnetic force to a repulsive magnetic force to push the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 away from one another. When the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 move to their respective second positions, the controller 190 may change the magnetic force from a repulsive magnetic force to an attractive magnetic force. The mopping plates 1611 and 1612 may then be driven by the attractive magnetic force to move toward one another. When the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 arrive at their respective first positions at which they are closest to one another, the controller 190 may again change the magnetic force from the attractive magnetic force to a repulsive magnetic force. These processes may be repeated periodically to drive the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 to perform reciprocating movements relative to the bottom surface 155 and relative to one another.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the magnetic element assembly included in the mopping mechanism 160 may include two secondary magnetic elements, i.e., a first secondary magnetic element 1631 and a second secondary magnetic element 1632. In some embodiments, the magnetic element assembly may include two or more primary magnetic elements 1620, two or more first secondary magnetic elements 1631, and/or two or more second secondary magnetic elements 1632. The first secondary magnetic element 1631 may be disposed at (e.g., fixed to) the first mopping plate 1611, and the second secondary magnetic element 1632 may be disposed at (e.g., fixed to) the second mopping plate 1612. The primary magnetic element 1620 may be disposed at (e.g., fixed to) the bottom plate 155 between the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612. The secondary magnetic elements 1631 and 1632 may be disposed at edge locations on the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612, respectively, adjacent the primary magnetic element 1620.

At the state shown in FIG. 3, the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may be at respective first positions. The arrows 1633 shown in FIG. 3 indicates that the magnetic force may be an attractive magnetic force. At a next time instance following the time instance shown in FIG. 3, the magnetic force may be changed to a repulsive magnetic force to drive the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 away from one another. The magnetic poles of the primary magnetic element 1620 or the secondary magnetic elements 1631 and 1632 may be switched or changed, thereby changing the magnetic fields between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic elements 1631 and 1632. In some embodiments, the controller 190 (shown in FIG. 2) may independently control the magnetic field between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the first secondary magnetic element 1631, and the magnetic field between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632. In some embodiments, the controller 190 may synchronously and/or simultaneously control the magnetic field between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the first secondary magnetic element 1631, and the magnetic field between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632. In some embodiments, the controller 190 may asynchronously and/or independently control the magnetic field between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the first secondary magnetic element 1631, and the magnetic field between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632. In some embodiments, the controller 190 may change the magnetic poles of the primary magnetic element 1620 between the S pole and the N pole periodically. In some embodiments, the controller 190 may change the magnetic poles of a secondary magnetic element (e.g., the secondary magnetic element 1631 or 1632) between the S pole and the N pole periodically. Thus, a periodically varying magnetic force (e.g., varying between an attractive magnetic force and a repulsive magnetic force) may be generated between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic elements 1631 and 1632, respectively. The periodically varying magnetic force may drive the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612, on which the secondary magnetic elements 1631 and 1632 are mounted, to move relative to the bottom surface 155, and/or relative to one another (e.g., toward or away from one another). By repeatedly changing the magnetic force, the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may be driven to perform reciprocating movements relative to the bottom surface 155. The movements of the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may be in the same direction or may be in different (e.g., opposite) directions. The frequency of the reciprocating movement of each of the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may be the same or may be different.

At a time instance following the time instance shown in FIG. 3, the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may be driven by a repulsive magnetic force to move away from one another. Although the entire cycle of reciprocating movement is not shown in FIG. 3, the reciprocating movement has been described above in connection with FIG. 2. By repeatedly changing the magnetic fields between a pair of a primary magnetic element and a secondary magnetic element when a mopping plate is at its first position or second position, the mopping plate may be driven to perform a reciprocating movement relative to the bottom surface 155. For example, when the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 are at respective first positions, the magnetic force generated by the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1630 may be controlled (e.g., by the controller 190) to be a repulsive force tending to move the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 away from one another. When the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 move from their respective first positions to arrive at their respective second positions, the controller 190 may change the magnetic force between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the first secondary magnetic element 1631 from the repulsive magnetic force to an attractive magnetic force, and change the magnetic force between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632 from the repulsive magnetic force to an attractive magnetic force, thereby causing the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 to move from their respective second positions back to their respective first positions. The processes may be repeated. The directions and/or magnitudes of the magnetic forces (i.e., between a repulsive magnetic force and an attractive magnetic force) between each pair of primary magnetic element and secondary magnetic element may be repeatedly and alternatingly changed, such that the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may be driven to move away from one another and toward one another repeatedly, i.e., to move reciprocatively between their respective first positions and second positions. Thus, at least partially due to the changing magnetic force, the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may be driven to move reciprocatively relative to the bottom surface 155 and/or relative to one another.

FIGS. 4A-4D illustrate the structures and motion states of the mopping mechanism 160 of the cleaning device 100 (e.g., cleaning robot 100), according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIGS. 4A-4D show that the mopping plates may be slidable relative to the bottom plate 155. Although slidable motion is shown as an example relative motion of the mopping plates relative to the bottom surface 155, the mopping plates may perform other relative motions, such as rotation relative to the bottom surface 155. Although the embodiment of the magnetic element assembly shown in FIG. 3 is adopted in FIGS. 4A-4D to illustrate the slidable configuration, the slidable configuration shown in FIGS. 4A-4D can be applicable to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2. That is, the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4A-4D may be based on the magnetic element assembly shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4A shows that the mopping plates are driven away from one another, and FIG. 4C shows that the mopping plates are driven toward one another. FIG. 4B shows a cross-sectional view of the mopping mechanism 160 taken alone the A-A line shown in FIG. 4A. FIG. 4D shows a cross-sectional view of the mopping plate 160 taken alone the B-B line shown in FIG. 4C.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 may be slidable relative to the bottom surface 155. To enable the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 to slide relative to the bottom surface 155, a sliding rail 1655 may be disposed on (e.g., fixed to) the bottom surface 155, and a sliding groove 1656 matching with the sliding rail 1655 may be disposed on the mopping plates 1611 and 1612. FIG. 4B illustrates the engagement between the sliding rail 1655 disposed on the bottom surface 155 and the sliding groove 1656 disposed at the mopping plates 1611 and 1612. In some embodiments, the sliding rail 1655 may be provided on the mopping plates 1611 and 1612, and the sliding groove 1656 may be provided on the bottom surface 155. The mopping plates 1611 and 1612 may be slidably mounted onto the bottom surface 155 through the sliding rail 1655 and the sliding groove 1656. When under an external force, such as the magnetic force, the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 may slide along the sliding rail 1655.

In some embodiments, at least one primary magnetic element 1620 may be disposed on the bottom surface 155, and at least one secondary magnetic element (e.g., 1631 and/or 1632) may be disposed on each of the mopping plates 1611 and 1612. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4A-4D, the mopping mechanism 160 includes one primary magnetic element 1620, and each of the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 is provided with one secondary magnetic element 1631 or 1632. The secondary magnetic element 1631 or 1632 may be fixed to the corresponding mopping plate 1611 or 1612, and may move together with the mopping plate 1611 or 1612. The secondary magnetic element 1631 or 1632 may be disposed in close proximity to the primary magnetic element 1620, such that a periodically varying magnetic force that changes between an attractive magnetic force and a repulsive magnetic force may be generated between the first secondary magnetic element 1631 and the primary magnetic element 1620 and between the second secondary magnetic element 1632 and the primary magnetic element 1620. The mopping plates 1611 and 1612 may be driven by the changing magnetic forces to perform reciprocating movements relative to the bottom surface 155, and hence, may mop the floor surface to be cleaned reciprocatively.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5, a single mopping plate 1610, instead of two separate mopping plates, may be provided on the bottom surface 155. An opening 1666 may be provided at a middle portion of the mopping plate 1610. The opening 1666 may be provided at any suitable location on the mopping plate 1610. One of the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1630 may be disposed at the bottom surface 155 within the opening 1666, the other one of the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1630 may be disposed on the single mopping plate 1610. For example, in some embodiments, the primary magnetic element 1620 may be disposed at the bottom surface 155, and may be positioned within the opening 1666 of the mopping plate 1610. The secondary magnetic element 1630 may be disposed at an edge of the opening on the mopping plate 1610 opposing or facing the primary magnetic element 1620. The controller 190 may control at least one of the primary magnetic element 1620 or the secondary magnetic element 1630 to provide a variable magnetic field. The magnetic force generated between the secondary magnetic element 1630 and the primary magnetic element 1620 may be periodically varied between an attractive magnetic force and a repulsive magnetic force. The periodically varying magnetic force may drive the mopping plate 1610 to perform reciprocating movements relative to the bottom surface 155.

In some embodiments, the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1630 may be disposed at other alternative locations. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the primary magnetic element 1620 may be disposed at an edge 1691 location of the bottom surface 155. The secondary magnetic element 1630 may be disposed at an end 1692 of the mopping plate 1610 close to the primary magnetic element 1620. The secondary magnetic element 1630 and the primary magnetic element 1620 may generate a periodically varying magnetic force to drive the mopping plate 1610 to perform reciprocating movements relative to the bottom surface 155. In some embodiments, in addition to the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1630 disposed at or near the opening 1666, one or more additional pairs of primary magnetic element and secondary magnetic element may be disposed at one or more pairs of locations on the mopping plate 1610 and on the bottom surface 155 to provide additional driving forces for the movement of the mopping plate 1610.

Referring to FIG. 5, in some embodiments, the primary magnetic element 1620 and/or the secondary magnetic element 1630 may provide a variable magnetic field with a variable magnetic field direction and/or magnetic field intensity. For example, the magnetic field direction may be changed (e.g., by the controller 190) by supplying direct currents of different directions to the primary magnetic element 1620 (or the secondary magnetic element 1630) at a predetermined frequency. In some embodiments, the magnetic field direction may be changed by rotating (e.g., by controlling an electric motor 1705 (shown in FIG. 6A) coupled with the primary magnetic element 1620 or the secondary magnetic element 1630) the primary magnetic element 1620 or the secondary magnetic element 1630 around an central axis of the primary magnetic element or the secondary magnetic element. Accordingly, the magnetic poles of the primary magnetic element 1620 or the secondary magnetic element 1630 may be alternately changed between the N pole and the S pole. A variation in the magnetic field intensity includes a change in the magnitude of the magnetic force between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1630. The variation in the magnetic field intensity may also include a change in the magnetic force between a first intensity value (which may be non-zero or zero) and a second intensity value (which may be zero or non-zero). In some embodiments, when an electromagnetic element is used as the primary magnetic element and/or the secondary magnetic element, the first intensity value and the second intensity value may correspond to a magnitude of a first electric current and a magnitude of a second electric current supplied to the electromagnetic element.

In some embodiments, the change (or variation) in the magnetic field direction and the magnetic field intensity may be a sudden change or a gradual change. FIGS. 11A-11D illustrate example magnetic field intensity change over time, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIGS. 11A-11D, the vertical axis represents the magnetic induction intensity, and the horizontal axis represents the time. In FIGS. 11A and 11B, B1 and B2 represent the magnetic induction intensity of a first magnetic pole and a second magnetic pole relative to the external environment. B1 and B2 may have opposite directions. In FIGS. 11C and 11D, B0 represents the magnetic induction intensity between a primary magnetic element and a secondary magnetic element. The value “0” on the vertical axis represents that the magnetic induction intensity between the primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic element is 0. That is, no magnetic force exists between the primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic element.

As shown in FIG. 11A, the magnetic field direction (or correspondingly, the magnetic pole direction) between the primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic element may be alternately changed between B1 and B2 by alternately supplying direct currents of different directions to a coil of the primary magnetic element or the secondary magnetic element at a predetermined frequency. The instantaneous change in the magnetic field direction may be regarded as an abrupt change. A self-induced electromotive force may be generated in the coil, which may hinder the increase of the magnetic flux, and prolong the time period related to the change in the magnetic field direction. In practice, most changes in the magnetic field direction are gradual changes. The present disclosure does not limit the specific forms of the changes in the magnetic pole direction or the magnetic field direction. The descriptions here are only for the purpose of illustrating examples of an abrupt change in the magnetic field direction. When the permanent magnetic element (or permanent magnet) or the electromagnetic element is rotated around a central axis to change the magnetic field direction on both sides, or when an alternating current is supplied to a coil in at least one of the primary magnetic element or the secondary magnetic element in a pair of magnetic elements facing one another at a predetermined frequency, as shown in FIG. 11B, the magnetic induction intensity between the primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic element may gradually increase to B1 and then gradually decrease, and then repeat the similar change in an opposite direction. In the reverse direction, the magnetic induction intensity may gradually increase to B2 and then gradually decrease. Such a changing pattern is periodically cycled, similar to a sine wave pattern. Under such a situation, the magnetic field direction may be regarded as having a gradual change.

As shown in FIG. 11C, direct currents of different directions may be alternately supplied to a coil of at least one of the primary magnetic element or the secondary magnetic element, which may be an electromagnetic element, at a predetermined frequency. An alternating change between magnetic field generation and de-magnetization may occur between the primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic element, thereby causing an abrupt change in the magnetic field intensity. Supplying a current to a coil in at least one of the primary magnetic element or the secondary magnetic element may gradually generate a magnetic field between the primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic element, and gradually reducing the current may cause the magnetic field between the primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic element to gradually decrease. Correspondingly, the magnetic field intensity may increase to the maximum value B1 and gradually decrease to 0, which is repeated periodically, thereby causing a gradual change in the magnetic field intensity (which may be represented by the magnetic induction intensity) between the primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic element, as shown in FIG. 11D. Note that the above descriptions relating to the magnetic field changes, as shown in FIGS. 11A-11D, are applicable to any of the magnetic element assemblies shown in other figures when at least one magnetic element is an electromagnetic element.

In the mopping mechanism 160 of the present disclosure, at least partially due to the periodically varying (or changing) magnetic force between the primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic element, the mopping plate (or mopping plates) may perform a reciprocating movement relative to the bottom surface 155. That is, a driving force that drives the mopping plate or mopping plates to perform the reciprocating movement relative to the bottom surface 155 may be at least partially provided by the periodically varying magnetic force generated between the primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic element. Alternatively, in some embodiments, a portion of the driving force that drives the mopping plate or mopping plates to perform the reciprocating movement relative to the bottom surface 155 may be provided by the periodically varying magnetic force generated between the primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic element, and another portion of the driving force may be provided by a non-magnetic force exerted on the mopping plate or mopping plates (e.g., a restoration force provided by a restoration component, such as a spring, a rubber band, etc., or a supporting force provided by a cam or a crank that is different from a magnetic force). Under the combination of the magnetic force and the non-magnetic force, the mopping plate or mopping plates may be driven to perform the reciprocating movement relative to the bottom surface 155.

The varying magnetic force between the primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic element may periodically change between an attractive magnetic force and a repulsive magnetic force, which may drive the mopping plate(s) to perform the reciprocating movement relative to the bottom surface 155. The processes of generating the periodically varying attractive magnetic force and repulsive magnetic force may be repeated. In some embodiments, the driving force that drives the mopping plate(s) to perform the reciprocating movement relative to the bottom surface 155 may include a magnetic force and a non-magnetic force, such as a magnetic force and a restoration force provided by a restoration component, such as an elastic component. The magnetic force may provide a portion of the entire reciprocating movement cycle of the mopping plate(s) relative to the bottom surface 155. For example, the attractive magnetic force may drive a first portion (or a part of the first portion) of the entire reciprocating movement cycle in a first direction, and the repulsive magnetic force may drive a second portion (or a part of the second portion) of the entire reciprocating movement in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The restoration force (e.g., provided by a restoration component, such as a spring, a rubber band, etc.) may drive the remaining portions of the reciprocating movement cycle of the mopping plate(s) relative to the bottom surface 155. The combination of the magnetic force and the restoration force may drive the mopping plate(s) to perform the reciprocating movement relative to the bottom surface 155. In some embodiments, the mopping plate(s) may perform the reciprocating movement relative to the bottom surface 155 under various combinations of forces, thereby increasing the cleaning efficiency of mopping a floor.

The technical solutions of the present disclosure will be described in detail in the following embodiments based on the mounting locations of the primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic element and the form of changes of the magnetic field of the primary magnetic element.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, at least one primary magnetic element 1620 may be provided at the bottom surface 155. In addition, the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may be disposed side by side at the bottom surface 155 with two edges of the mopping plates facing one another. At least one first secondary magnetic element 1631 may be disposed at the first mopping plate 1611. At least one second secondary magnetic element 1632 may be disposed at the second mopping plate 1612. The first secondary magnetic element 1631 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632 may be disposed adjacent the primary magnetic element 1620, respectively. The primary magnetic element 1620 may be disposed between the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612. The primary magnetic element 1620 may be controlled to provide a variable magnetic field. Alternatively, the two secondary magnetic elements, i.e., the first secondary magnetic element 1631 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632, may be controlled provide a variable magnetic field with respect to the primary magnetic element. As the variable magnetic field changes periodically between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the first secondary magnetic element 1631, and between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632, alternatingly changing repulsive magnetic force and attractive magnetic force may be generated, thereby causing the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 to perform the reciprocating movement relative to the bottom surface 155. In some embodiments, the first secondary magnetic element 1631 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632 may generate the attractive magnetic force and/or the repulsive magnetic force with the primary magnetic element 1620 at the same time (e.g., simultaneously or synchronously). In some embodiments, the first secondary magnetic element 1631 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632 may generate the attractive magnetic force and/or the repulsive magnetic force with the primary magnetic element 1620 at different times (e.g., asynchronously). For example, at the same time instance, the magnetic force between the first secondary magnetic element 1631 and the primary magnetic element 1620 may be an attractive magnetic force, and the magnetic force between the second secondary magnetic element 1632 and the primary magnetic element 1620 may be a repulsive magnetic force.

In some embodiments, the primary magnetic element 1620 may be an electromagnetic element, which may be fixedly mounted to the bottom surface 155. The primary magnetic element 1620 may be disposed between the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612. The first secondary magnetic element 1631 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632 may be fixedly mounted at edge locations on the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612, respectively, adjacent the primary magnetic element 1620. A periodically varying magnetic force may be generated between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the first secondary magnetic element 1631, and between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632. The magnetic force exerted on the secondary magnetic elements 1631 and 1632 may be sufficiently strong to move the first and second mopping plates 1611 and 1612 relative to the bottom surface 155. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the S pole of the primary magnetic element 1620 and the S pole of the first secondary magnetic element 1631 may face one another, and the N pole of the primary magnetic element 1620 and the N pole of the second secondary magnetic element 1632 may face one another. At this moment, a repulsive magnetic force, as indicated by the arrows 1633, may exist between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the first secondary magnetic element 1631, which may drive the first mopping plate 1611 to move away from the primary magnetic element 1620 (or away from the reference location 1699). A repulsive magnetic force may be generated between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632, which may drive the second mopping plate 1612 to move away from the primary magnetic element 1620 (or away from the reference location 1699). As a result, in some embodiments, the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may be driven by the varying magnetic force reciprocatively between their respective first positions and second positions relative to the bottom surface 155. In some embodiments, the first secondary magnetic element 1631 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632 may be permanent magnets or may be electromagnetic elements supplied with an electric current having a constant direction. As such, the magnetic poles of the first secondary magnetic element 1631 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632 may remain unchanged during the entire movement cycle of the mopping plates 1611 and 1612.

As shown in FIGS. 4C and 4D, when compared to the states shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, by changing the direction of the electric current supplied to the primary magnetic element 1620, the magnetic poles of the primary magnetic element 1620 may be changed. That is, the N pole of the primary magnetic element 1620 may face the S pole of the first secondary magnetic element 1631, and the S pole of the primary magnetic element 1620 may face the N pole of the second secondary magnetic element 1632. As a result, the direction of the magnetic field between the primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic elements may be changed. At this moment, an attractive magnetic force may be generated between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the first secondary magnetic element 1631, which may drive the first mopping plate 1611 to move toward the primary magnetic element 1620 (or toward the reference location 1699). An attractive magnetic force may be generated between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632, which may drive the second mopping plate 1632 to move toward the primary magnetic element 1620 (or the reference location 1699). Accordingly, the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may be driven to move toward one another. In some embodiments, the controller 190 included in the cleaning device 100 may control a power source or a power supplying circuit that supplies the electric current to the primary magnetic element 1620. The controller 190 may control the power source or the power supplying circuit to change the direction and/or the magnitude of the electric current, thereby changing the magnetic field direction and/or the magnetic field intensity. The controller 190 may also control the start and termination of the supply of the electric current, thereby controlling the magnetic field generation and termination.

In some embodiments, the primary magnetic element 1620 is an electromagnetic element. At a first time instance, the N pole of the primary magnetic element 1620 may face the S pole of the first secondary magnetic element 1631, and the S pole of the primary magnetic element 1620 may face the S pole of the second secondary magnetic element 1632. An attractive magnetic force may be generated between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the first secondary magnetic element 1631, such that the first secondary magnetic element 1631 may drive the first mopping plate 1611 to move toward the primary magnetic element 1620 (or the reference location 1699). A repulsive magnetic force may be generated between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632, such that the second secondary magnetic element 1632 may drive the second mopping plate 1612 to move away from the primary magnetic element 1620 (or the reference location 1699). At a predetermined time instance, the direction of the electric current supplied to the electromagnetic element (e.g., the primary magnetic element 1620) may be changed to change the direction of the magnetic field of the primary magnetic element 1620, such that the S pole of the primary magnetic element 1620 may face the S pole of the first secondary magnetic element 1631, and the N pole of the primary magnetic element 1620 may face the S pole of the second secondary magnetic element 1632. The repulsive magnetic force between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the first secondary magnetic element 1631 may drive the first mopping plate 1611 to move away from the primary magnetic element 1620 (or the reference location 1699). The attractive magnetic force between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632 may drive the second mopping plate 1612 to move toward the primary magnetic element 1620 (or the reference location 1699). Such processes may be periodically repeated. Thus, the movements of the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may be in the same direction.

In some embodiments, the primary magnetic element 1620 may alternately generate an attractive magnetic force and a repulsive magnetic force with the secondary magnetic elements 1631 and 1632, such that the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 are driven to move in the same direction relative to the bottom surface 155. This is an example form of reciprocating movement of the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 relative to the bottom surface 155, although no relative motion exists between the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612. For example, using the configuration shown in FIG. 4C as an example, at a time instance, the first mopping plate 1611 may be at its second position (e.g., farthest from the primary magnetic element 1620 or the reference location 1699), and the second mopping plate 1612 may be at its first position (e.g., closest to the primary magnetic element 1620 or the reference location 1699). At this time instance, the magnetic force between the first mopping plate 1611 and the primary magnetic element 1620 may be an attractive magnetic force, which may drive the first mopping plate 1611 to move toward the reference location 1699, and the magnetic force between the second mopping plate 1612 and the primary magnetic element 1620 may be a repulsive magnetic force, which may drive the second mopping plate 1612 to move away from the reference location 1699. Thus, the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may move in the same direction. The processes may be repeated and the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may be driven to move reciprocatively in the same direction relative to the bottom surface 155.

In some embodiments, the primary magnetic element 1620 is an electromagnetic element. The magnetic poles at both ends of the primary magnetic element 1620 may be changed by changing the direction of the electric current supplied to the electromagnetic element 1620. In some embodiments, the electromagnetic element 1620 may be rotated relative to the bottom surface 155. By rotating the electromagnetic element 1620, the magnetic poles of the ends of the primary magnetic element 1620 facing the secondary magnetic elements 1631 and 1632 may be changed. This change can also generate a magnetic force that periodically changes between an attractive magnetic force and a repulsive magnetic force between the secondary magnetic elements 1631 and 1632 and the primary magnetic element 1620, thereby driving the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 to perform reciprocating movements relative to the bottom surface 155, respectively.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 6A-6D, the primary magnetic element 1620, the first secondary magnetic element 1631, and the second secondary magnetic element 1632 may all be permanent magnets. The primary magnetic element 1620 may be disposed at the bottom surface 155, and may be rotatable relative to the bottom surface 155. For example, the primary magnetic element 1620 may be driven by an electric motor 1705 to rotate. The electric motor 1705 may be controlled by the controller 190. The electric motor 1705 may be disposed at least partially within the housing 105 of the cleaning device 100. The first secondary magnetic element 1631 may be disposed at the first mopping plate 1611. The second secondary magnetic element 1632 may be disposed at the second mopping plate 1612. The first secondary magnetic element 1631 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632 may be located at two sides of the primary magnetic element 1620. When the primary magnetic element 1620 rotates around a rotation axis, the magnetic poles of the primary magnetic element 1620 facing the secondary magnetic elements 1631 and 1632 may change periodically, thereby generating a periodically varying magnetic force between the first secondary magnetic element 1631 and the primary magnetic element 1620, and between the second secondary magnetic element 1632 and the primary magnetic element 1620.

In some embodiments, at a time instance shown in FIG. 6A, the first secondary magnetic element 1631 may be located at a left side of the primary magnetic element 1620 (when viewed from the perspective shown in FIG. 6A). The S pole of the first secondary magnetic element 1631 may face the N pole of the primary magnetic element 1620. An attractive magnetic force may be generated between the first secondary magnetic element 1631 and the primary magnetic element 1620, which may drive the first mopping plate 1611 to move to the right (i.e., move toward the primary magnetic element 1620 or toward the reference location 1699). The second secondary magnetic element 1632 may be located at the right side of the primary magnetic element 1620. The N pole of the second secondary magnetic element 1632 may face the S pole of the primary magnetic element 1620. An attractive magnetic force may be generated between the second secondary magnetic element 1632 and the primary magnetic element 1620, which may drive the second mopping plate 1612 to move to the left (i.e., move toward the primary magnetic element 1620 or the reference location 1699). As a result, the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may move toward one another.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6B, when the primary magnetic element 1620 is rotated (e.g., in the clockwise direction indicated by the arrow around the primary magnetic element 1620 in FIG. 6B), the primary magnetic element 1620 rotates relative to the bottom surface 155, thereby changing the magnetic field directions of the magnetic fields between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic elements 1631 and 1632. Accordingly, the motion state of the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may be changed, such that the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may move away from the reference location 1699, and away from one another. In some embodiments, a driving device (e.g., the electric motor 1705 shown in FIG. 6A) may be disposed inside the housing of the cleaning device 100 to drive the primary magnetic element 1620 to rotate relative to the bottom surface 155. At the moment shown in FIG. 6B, the S pole of the first secondary magnetic element 1631 may face the S pole of the primary magnetic element 1620. Thus, a repulsive magnetic force may be generated between the first secondary magnetic element 1631 and the primary magnetic element 1620, which may drive the first mopping plate 1611 to move to the left (i.e., move away from the primary magnetic element 1620 or the reference location 1699). The N pole of the second secondary magnetic element 1632 may face the N pole of the primary magnetic element 1620. At this moment, a repulsive magnetic force may be generated between the second secondary magnetic element 1632 and the primary magnetic element 1620, which may drive the second mopping plate 1612 to move to the right (away from the primary magnetic element 1620 or the reference location 1699). Accordingly, the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may move away from the reference location 1699, and away from one another. Through the controller 190 controlling the electric motor 1705 to rotate the primary magnetic element 1620, the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may be driven to perform a periodic, reciprocating movement relative to the bottom surface 155 between their respective first position and second position. Although not shown, in some embodiments, the primary magnetic element 1620 may be non-rotatable, and each of the secondary magnetic elements 1631 and 1632 may be rotatable by an electric motor to change their respective poles facing the primary magnetic element 1620, thereby switching the magnetic force between the attractive magnetic force and repulsive magnetic force. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B, the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 are driven by an attractive magnetic force and a repulsive magnetic fore simultaneously. Thus, the movements of the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 are in opposite directions.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6C, the primary magnetic element 1620 may be disposed between the first secondary magnetic element 1631 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632. The primary magnetic element 1620 may be disposed at the bottom surface 155, and may be rotatable relative to the bottom surface 155. At the time instance shown in FIG. 6C, the N pole of the primary magnetic element 1620 may face the S pole of the first magnetic element 1631. At this moment, an attractive magnetic force may be generated between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the first secondary magnetic element 1631, which may drive the first mopping plate 1611 to move to right (toward the primary magnetic element 1620 or toward the reference location 1699). The S pole of the primary magnetic element 1620 may face the S pole of the second secondary magnetic element 1632. A repulsive magnetic force may be generated between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632, which may drive the second mopping plate 1612 to move to the right (away from the primary magnetic element 1620 or away from the reference location 1699). Accordingly, the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may both move to the right, i.e., in the same direction, as shown in FIG. 6C.

In some embodiments, when the primary magnetic element 1620 is subsequently rotated around a rotation axis clockwise (as indicated by the arrow shown around the primary magnetic element 1620 in FIG. 6C) to a time instance shown in FIG. 6D, the S pole of the primary magnetic element 1620 may face the S pole of the first secondary magnetic element 1631. At this moment, a repulsive magnetic force may be generated between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the first secondary magnetic element 1631, which may drive the first mopping plate 1611 to move to the left (away from the primary magnetic element 1620 or away from the reference location 1699). The N pole of the primary magnetic element 1620 may face the S pole of the second secondary magnetic element 1632. At this moment, an attractive magnetic force may be generated between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632, which may drive the second mopping plate 1612 to move to the left (toward the primary magnetic element 1620 or toward the reference location 1699). Accordingly, the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may both move to the left, i.e., in the same direction. The movements shown in FIG. 6C and FIG. 6D may be repeated to realize reciprocating movements of the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 relative to the bottom surface 155.

FIG. 7A illustrate a structural configuration of a mopping mechanism and motion states of the mopping plates, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 7A, at least one primary magnetic element 1620 may be disposed at the bottom surface 155. The primary magnetic element 1620 may be an electromagnetic element. The first secondary magnetic element 1631 may be fixedly disposed at the first mopping plate 1611. The second secondary magnetic element 1632 may be fixedly disposed at the second mopping plate 1612. The first secondary magnetic element 1631 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632 may both be disposed adjacent the primary magnetic element 1620. The primary magnetic element 1620 may be disposed between the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612, and may generate an attractive magnetic force with the first secondary magnetic element 1631 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632, respectively. In some embodiments, a restoration component 1640 may be disposed between the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612. The restoration component 1640 may be various kinds of component or assembly configured to provide a restoration force, such as a spiral spring, an elastic plate, a rubber band, a magnetic element, etc. Although not shown in the single mopping plate embodiment shown in FIG. 5, a restoration component similar to the restoration component 1640 may be disposed at a suitable location in the mopping mechanism 160 shown in FIG. 5.

Referring back to FIG. 7A, in some embodiments, the restoration component 1640 may be configured to provide a pulling restoration force when the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 move from their respective second positions (i.e., positions where they are farthest away from the primary magnetic element or the reference location 1699) toward their respective first positions (i.e., positions where they are closest to the primary magnetic element 1620 or the reference location 1699). In such a configuration, the movement process during which the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 move from their respective second positions to their respective first positions, the driving force may be provided by the restoration component 1640. During this movement process, the magnetic element assembly including the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic elements 1631 and 1632 may not provide a magnetic force to move the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 toward the primary magnetic element 1620 or the reference location 1699. Alternatively, during this movement process, the magnetic element assembly including the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic elements 1631 and 1632 may also provide an attractive magnetic force to move the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 toward the primary magnetic element 1620 or the reference location 1699. Thus, the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 may be driven by both the pulling restoration force and the attractive magnetic force to move toward the primary magnetic element 1620 or the reference location 1699. During the movement process in which the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 move from their respective first positions toward their respective second positions, the driving force may be provided by the magnetic element assembly. For example, the primary magnetic element may be supplied with an electric current to generate a repulsive magnetic force between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the first secondary magnetic element 1631 and between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632 to drive the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 to move away from one another.

In some embodiments, the restoration component 1640 may be configured to provide a pushing restoration force when the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 move from their respective first positions toward their second positions. In such embodiments, during a movement process in which the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 move from the first positions toward their second positions, the restoration component 1640 may provide a pushing restoration force to drive the movements of the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612. The magnetic element assembly including the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic elements 1631 and 1632 may not provide a driving force. That is, there may be no magnetic field between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic elements 1631 and 1632. For example, when the restoration component is a spring, the spring may be in a compressed state (hence may provide a pushing force to the mopping plates 1611 and 1612) when the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 are at their respective first positions. The magnetic element assembly may not provide a magnetic force. Thus, the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 may be pushed away from one another by the pushing restoration force provided by the compressed spring. After the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 arrive at their respective second positions, the restoration component 1640 may reach a neutral state (e.g., a state in which the restoration component 1640 may no longer provide a pushing force to the mopping plates 1611 and 1612). At this moment, the magnetic element assembly may be activated, i.e., a magnetic field may be generated between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic elements 1631 and 1632. For example, an attractive magnetic force may be generated between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the first secondary magnetic element 1631, and between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632. The attractive magnetic forces may pull the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 toward one another, during which process the restoration component 1640 may be compressed to provide a pushing restoration force against the mopping plates 1611 and 1612. The attractive magnetic forces may be greater than the pushing restoration force provided by the restoration component 1640. Thus, the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 may move toward one another (i.e., toward their respective first positions) until they arrive at their respective first positions. The processes may be repeated, such that the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 may perform reciprocating movements relative to the bottom surface 155.

During a reciprocating movement cycle of the first mopping plate 1611 and/or the second mopping plate 1612, in some embodiments, the restoration force and the magnetic force may alternately exert on the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612, or may exert on the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 simultaneously (e.g., during a same portion of the reciprocating movement cycle). In some embodiments, during a portion of the reciprocating movement cycle of the mopping plates 1611 and 1612, while the restoration component 1640 provides a restoration force to drive the mopping plates 1611 and 1612, the magnetic element assembly may not provide a magnetic force. In some embodiments, during a portion of the reciprocating movement cycle of the mopping plates 1611 and 1612, while the restoration component 1640 provides a restoration force to drive the mopping plates 1611 and 1612, the magnetic element assembly may also provide a magnetic force. Thus, during a portion of the reciprocating movement cycle of the mopping plates 1611 and 1612, the magnetic fore and the restoration force may coexist or only one of the magnetic force and the restoration force may exist at any time instance or time duration.

In some embodiments, the primary magnetic element 1620 may be an electromagnetic element. When an electric current is supplied to the primary magnetic element 1620, a magnetic field may be generated between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic elements 1631 and 1632. The first secondary magnetic element 1631 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632 may both include a soft magnet material, a permanent magnet, or an electromagnetic element. When an attractive magnetic force is generated between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic elements 1631 and 1632, the first secondary magnetic element 1631 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632 may be attracted by the primary magnetic element 1620, i.e., be pulled toward the primary magnetic element 1620, thereby causing the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 to move toward one another (e.g., toward their respective first positions).

At the time instance shown in FIG. 7A, the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may be at their respective first positions, i.e., closest to the reference location 1699. The primary magnetic element 1620 may be an electromagnetic element. The controller 190 may control a power source to supply an electric current to the primary magnetic element 1620, such that an attractive magnetic force is generated between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the first secondary magnetic element 1631, and between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632. The mopping plates 1611 and 1612 may be driven by the attractive magnetic force (which may overcome a pushing restoration force provided by the restoration component 1640) to move toward the reference location 1699 (i.e., toward the primary magnetic element 1620, or toward their respective first positions).

After the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 arrive at their respective first positions, the controller 190 may control the power source to supply an electric current such that a repulsive magnetic force may be generated between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic elements 1631 and 1632. The mopping plates 1611 and 1612 may be driven by the repulsive magnetic forces to move away from their respective first positions toward their respective second positions (also away from one another). When the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 arrive at their respective second positions, as shown in FIG. 7B, the controller 190 may control the power source to terminate the electric current supply to the primary magnetic element 1620, thereby terminating the magnetic field between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic elements 1631 and 1632. When the primary magnetic element 1620 does not generate the magnetic field, the attractive magnetic force between the first secondary magnetic element 1631 and the second secondary magnetic element 1632 and the primary magnetic element 1620 disappears. At this moment, the restoration force may be a pulling force. Under the pulling restoration force of the restoration component 1640, the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may be pulled toward one another, i.e., may move toward one another. Through periodically switching between supply and non-supply of an electric current to the primary magnetic element 1620, and through the restoration component 1640, the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may be driven by the magnetic forces and the restoration force to perform periodically reciprocating movements relative to the bottom surface 155.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may be disposed at the bottom surface 155. At least one of the first mopping plate 1611 or the second mopping plate 1612 may move relative to the bottom surface 155. At least one secondary magnetic element 1630 may be fixedly disposed on a mopping plate (e.g., the first mopping plate 1611 or the second mopping plate 1612) that is movable relative to the bottom surface 155. At least one primary magnetic element 1620 may be fixedly disposed on another mopping plate (e.g., the first mopping plate 1611 or the second mopping plate 1612). Each primary magnetic element 1620 and each secondary magnetic element 1630 are disposed adjacent one another to form a pair. Through changing the magnetic field direction (and in some embodiments, the magnetic field intensity) generated by the primary magnetic element 1620, a periodically varying magnetic force may be generated between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1630, which may drive the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 to move relative to the bottom surface 155, e.g., toward one another or away from one another. The two mopping plates 1611 and 1612 may periodically perform reciprocating movements relative to the bottom surface 155. Accordingly, the mops mounted on the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 may mop the surface to be cleaned repeatedly, thereby enhancing the cleaning efficiency and cleaning effect.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B, the bottom surface 155 may be provided with the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 that are movable relative to the bottom surface 155. A secondary magnetic element 1630 may be fixedly disposed at the first mopping plate 1611. A primary magnetic element 1620 may be fixedly disposed at the second mopping plate 1612. Through changing the magnetic field direction of the secondary magnetic element 1630 or the magnetic field direction of the primary magnetic element 1620, a periodically varying magnetic force (alternating between an attractive magnetic force and a repulsive magnetic force) may be generated between the secondary magnetic element 1630 and the primary magnetic element 1620, which may drive the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 to perform periodically reciprocating movements relative to the bottom surface 155 (e.g., toward one another and away from one another). For example, as shown in FIG. 8A, the secondary magnetic element 1630 may be disposed at the first mopping plate 1611. The secondary magnetic element 1630 may be permanent magnet. The primary magnetic element 1620 may be disposed at the second mopping plate 1612. The primary magnetic element 1620 may be an electromagnetic element. When the S pole of the secondary magnetic element 1630 faces the N pole of the primary magnetic element 1620, as shown in FIG. 8A, the attractive magnetic force between the secondary magnetic element 1630 and the primary magnetic element 1620 may drive the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 to move toward one another.

When the direction of the electric current supplied to the primary magnetic element 1620 is changed, the magnetic field direction may be changed. Then, the S pole of the secondary magnetic element 1630 may face the S pole of the primary magnetic element 1620. As shown in FIG. 8B, a repulsive magnetic force may be generated between the secondary magnetic element 1630 and the primary magnetic element 1620, which may drive the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 to move away from one another. Through controlling the period of the changing electric current supplied to the primary magnetic element 1620, the magnetic force between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1630 may be periodically changed between an attractive magnetic force and a repulsive magnetic force, which may drive the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 to move relative to the bottom surface 155, e.g., toward one another and away from one another. That is, at least one of the first mopping plate 1611 or the second mopping plate 1612 may perform periodic, reciprocating movements relative to the bottom surface 155.

In some embodiments, the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1630 may both be permanent magnets. In some embodiments, the primary magnetic element 1620 or the secondary magnetic element 1630 may be rotatably disposed at the mopping plates 1611 and 1612, such that the magnetic field direction of the magnetic field between the secondary magnetic element 1630 and the primary magnetic element 1620 may be changed, and a periodically varying magnetic force that periodically switches between an attractive magnetic force and a repulsive magnetic force may be generated between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1630. The periodically varying magnetic force may drive at least one of the first mopping plate 1611 or the second mopping plate 1612 to perform periodic, reciprocating movements relative to the bottom surface 155. In some embodiments, the primary magnetic element 1620 disposed at the first mopping plate 1611 may be an electromagnetic element, and the secondary magnetic element 1630 disposed at the second mopping plate 1612 may be an electromagnetic element. The primary magnetic element 1620 may be disposed adjacent the secondary magnetic element 1630. An attractive magnetic force or a repulsive magnetic force may be generated between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1630.

In other embodiments, the bottom surface 155 may be provided with the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612. The first mopping plate 1611 and/or the second mopping plate 1612 may be movable relative to the bottom surface 155. At least one secondary magnetic element 1650 may be fixedly disposed at the second mopping plate 1612. At least one primary magnetic element 1620 may be fixedly disposed at the first mopping plate 1611. As shown in FIG. 8C, the secondary magnetic element 1650 may be configured with a linkage shape. That is, the secondary magnetic element 1650 may be in a form of a linkage, as shown in FIG. 8C. Thus, the secondary magnetic element 1650 may be referred to as a linkage-shaped secondary magnetic element 1650. A first end 1651 of the linkage-shaped secondary magnetic element 1650 may be fixedly connected with the second mopping plate 1612. A second end 1652 of the linkage-shaped secondary magnetic element 1650 may abut against the primary magnetic element 1620 or may extend into a groove or through hole provided on the primary magnetic element 1620 that matches with the linkage-shaped secondary magnetic element 1650 when the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 are close to one another. In some embodiments, the primary magnetic element 1620 may be an electromagnetic element provided with a groove or through hole matching with the second end of the linkage-shaped secondary magnetic element 1650.

In the following descriptions, an end of the primary magnetic element 1620 is described as having a through hole that matches with the linkage-shaped secondary magnetic element 1650. This is one example used to explain the operation principle of the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1650. When the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 are close to one another, the second end 1652 of the linkage-shaped secondary magnetic element 1650 may insert or extend into the through hole of the primary magnetic element 1620. The first end 1651 of the linkage-shaped secondary magnetic element 1650 may face the primary magnetic element 1620. If the magnetic pole of the first end 1651 of the linkage-shaped secondary magnetic element 1650 is opposite to the magnetic pole of the primary magnetic element 1620, then an attractive magnetic force may be generated between the linkage-shaped secondary magnetic element 1650 and the primary magnetic element 1620. As shown in FIG. 8C, at this moment, the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may move toward one another due to the attractive magnetic force. If the magnetic field direction of the magnetic field generated between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the linkage-shaped secondary magnetic element 1650 is changed, such that a repulsive magnetic force is generated between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the linkage-shaped secondary magnetic element 1650, then the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may be pushed to move away from one another, as shown in FIG. 8D. Through controlling the periodical change of the magnetic field direction, the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may be driven to perform periodic, reciprocating movements relative to the bottom surface 155.

In some embodiments, based on the embodiments shown in FIG. 8C and FIG. 8D, a restoration component 1640 may be disposed between the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612, as shown in FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B. The restoration component 1640 has been described above. Next, a spiral spring is used as an example of the restoration component 1640 to explain the function of the restoration component 1640. In some embodiments, the restoration component 1640 may be mounted between the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 in a natural state when the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 are at their respective first positions. For example, a first end of the restoration component 1640 may abut against the first mopping plate 1611. A second end of the restoration component 1640 may abut against the second mopping plate 1612. In some embodiments, the two ends of the restoration component 1640 may be fixedly mounted to the mopping plates 1611 and 1612. When the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 are at their respective first positions, the spring may be in a neutral state providing no restoration force or may be at a state close to the neutral state providing a minimum restoration force.

During the reciprocating movement cycle of the mopping plates 1611 and 1612, the restoration component 1640 may provide a pushing restoration force or a pulling restoration force. For example, when the restoration component 1640 is a spring, and when the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 are at their respective first positions (e.g., closest to one another), the restoration component 1640 may be in a neutral state providing no restoration force, or may be in a compressed state providing a pushing force against the mopping plates 1611 and 1612, or may be in an extended state providing a pulling force on the mopping plates 1611 and 1612. When the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 are at their respective second positions, as shown in FIG. 9B, the restoration component 1640 may be in an extended state in which the restoration component 1640 may provide a pulling restoration force tending to pull the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 toward one another, or may be in a compressed state in which the restoration component 1640 may provide a pushing restoration force tending to push the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 away from one another, or may be in a neutral state in which the restoration component 1640 may provide no restoration force.

In the following descriptions, for discussion purposes, the restoration component 1640 is configured to provide a pushing restoration force (e.g., being in a compressed state) when the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 move between their respective first positions and their respective second positions. That is, the pushing restoration force may drive the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 away from one another from the first positions to the second positions, and the magnetic force (attractive magnetic force) may drive the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 toward one another from the second positions to the first positions. From the first positions to the second positions, the pushing restoration force may provide the primary driving force for the movement of the mopping plates 1611 and 1612, and the magnetic element assembly may provide zero magnetic force. When the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 are at their respective second positions (e.g., when they are closest to one another), an electric current may be supplied to the electromagnetic element that serves as the primary magnetic element 1620 (e.g., the electric current may be supplied to the coil of the electromagnetic element). The primary magnetic element 1620 may generate a magnetic field. An attractive magnetic force may be generated between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1650, which may drive the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 to move from their respective second positions toward their respective first positions (e.g., to move away from one another). From the second positions to the first positions, the magnetic element assembly may provide the primary driving force for the movement of the mopping plates 1611 and 1612, and the restoration component 1640 may exert a pushing restoration force on the mopping plates 1611 and 1612. The magnetic forces may be greater than the pushing restoration force.

FIG. 9A shows that the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 are moving toward one another under the attractive magnetic force. During the process the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 move from the second positions to the first positions, the restoration component 1640 may be compressed and may provide a pushing restoration force against the mopping plates 1611 and 1612. Because the attractive magnetic force may be greater than the pushing restoration force, the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 are driven by the attractive magnetic force to overcome the pushing restoration force to move toward the first positions. When the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 arrive at their first positions, the electric current supply to the electromagnetic element that serves as the primary magnetic element 1620 may be terminated. Thus, no magnetic field may exist between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1630. The pushing restoration force provided by the restoration component 1640 may drive the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 away from one another, from their first positions toward their second positions.

When the mopping plates 1611 and 1612 move to their respective second positions as shown in FIG. 9B (e.g., when they are farthest from one another), the electric current supply to the primary magnetic element 1620 may be restored, such that the primary magnetic element 1620 may generate a magnetic field to provide an attractive magnetic force. The first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may be driven by the attractive magnetic force to move toward one another until they arrive their respective first positions (e.g., until they are closest to one another). Through controlling the electric current supplied to the primary magnetic element 1620 to periodically change the magnetic force, the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may be driven to perform periodic, reciprocating movements relative to the bottom surface 155.

As shown in FIG. 9A, when the electric current is supplied to the electromagnetic element that serves as the primary magnetic element 1620, the primary magnetic element 1620 may generate a magnetic field. An attractive magnetic force may be generated between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the linkage-shaped secondary magnetic element 1650. The attractive magnetic force may drive the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 toward one another.

As shown in FIG. 9B, when the electric current supply to the primary magnetic element 1620 is terminated, the magnetic field of the primary magnetic element 1620 disappears. The first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may move away from one another under the pushing restoration force of the restoration component 1640. Through supplying a periodically changing electric current to the primary magnetic element 1620 to control the magnetic field, the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612 may be driven to perform periodic, reciprocating movements relative to the bottom surface 155. In some embodiments, the restoration component 1640 may be sleeve-fit on the linkage-shaped secondary magnetic element 1650 and fixedly connected with the mopping plates 1611 and 1612, as shown in FIG. 9C and FIG. 9D. For example, an end of the restoration component 1640 may abut against an end surface of the primary magnetic element 1620, and another end of the restoration component 1640 may abut against a cap end of the linkage-shaped secondary magnetic element 1650.

As shown in FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B, the secondary magnetic element 1630 disposed at the second mopping plate 1612 in an embodiment of the present disclosure may be an electromagnetic element. The primary magnetic element 1620 disposed at the first mopping plate 1611 may also be an electromagnetic element. In some embodiments, one of the secondary magnetic element 1630 and the primary magnetic element 1620 may be a permanent magnetic element. A position limiting element 1660 may be disposed between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1630. In some embodiments, the position limiting element 1660 may be a linkage. For discussion purposes, the position limiting element 1660 may be referred to as a position limiting linkage 1660. Two ends of the position limiting linkage 1660 may be coupled with the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1630, respectively. The position limiting linkage 1660 may provide a guiding function and a position limiting function to the movements of the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1630. For example, the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1630 may sleeve-fit onto the position limiting linkage 1660. Under the combination of the magnetic force generated between the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1630, and the restoration force of the restoration component 1640, the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1630 may slide along the position limiting linkage 1660 (i.e., to move in the left and right horizontal direction shown in FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B), and may not perform cross-position movement (the cross-position movement refers to a movement having a sub-component in the up-down direction in FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B). During the process of the primary magnetic element 1620 and the secondary magnetic element 1630 moving toward one another, to avoid the secondary magnetic element 1630 and the primary magnetic element 1620 adhering to one another due to the attractive magnetic force, the position limiting linkage 1660 may be provided with a position limiting protrusion or gear (not shown in figures) configured to limit the minimum distance (e.g., 3-6 cm) between the secondary magnetic element 1630 and the primary magnetic element 1620. When the primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic element adhere to one another, it may be difficult to separate them. The position limiting linkage 1660 avoid this issue.

In some embodiments, at least one of the secondary magnetic element 1630 or the primary magnetic element 1620 may be disposed at a location that has a predetermined distance from the opposing sides of the first mopping plate 1611 and the second mopping plate 1612, such that the secondary magnetic element 1630 and the primary magnetic element 1620 may not adhere to one another. Thus, the position limiting linkage 1660 may be omitted, and a minimum distance between the secondary magnetic element 1630 and the primary magnetic element 1620 may still be maintained.

In some embodiments, the cleaning device may be a cleaning robot, which includes any of the above-described embodiments of the mopping mechanism.

In some embodiments, the mopping mechanism 160 may be mounted to the bottoms surface 155 of the cleaning robot. The mopping mechanism 160 may include at least one mopping plate movably mounted to the bottom surface 155 and a magnetic element assembly. The magnetic element assembly may include at least one primary magnetic element and at least one secondary magnetic element. At least one of the primary magnetic element or the secondary magnetic element may be configured to provide a variable magnetic field. The magnetic field intensity and/or direction may be variable. The secondary magnetic element may be disposed at the mopping plate and may move together with the mopping plate. The primary magnetic element may be disposed at the bottom surface when a single mopping plate is included. At least partially due to the magnetic force between the primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic element, the at least one mopping plate may move relative to the bottom surface 155.

In some embodiments, the at least one mopping plate may include a first mopping plate and a second mopping plate disposed side by side. The primary magnetic element and the secondary magnetic element may be disposed on the first and second mopping plates respectively. Under the variable magnetic force, the first mopping plate and the second mopping plate may move reciprocatively relative to the bottom surface of the cleaning robot and relative to one another. Accordingly, the at least one mopping plate may reciprocatively mop the surface to be cleaned, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency and cleaning effect for the surface to be cleaned.

It should be noted that the mopping mechanism of the present disclosure is not limited to be used in a cleaning robot, and may also be used in traditional handheld floor mopping machines. The mopping mechanism disclosed herein may include any suitable structure configured to provide, either directly or through other coupling elements, a periodically changing magnetic force to the movement of the first mopping plate and/or the second mopping plate.

Finally, it should be noted that the above various embodiments are only used to explain the technical solutions of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Although the present disclosure is explained in detail with reference to the above various embodiments, a person having ordinary skills in the art can appreciate: the technical solutions reflected in the above various embodiments can be modified, or a portion or all of the technical features can be equivalently replaced, and various features shown in various exemplary embodiments in the figures may be combined in any suitable manner. Such modifications, replacements, combinations, or variations also fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

	Number	Date	Country
Parent	PCT/CN2020/138427	Dec 2020	US
Child	17838201		US

MOPPING MECHANISM AND CLEANING DEVICE

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