Robot cleaner and wheel assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10390669-B2
Application number	US-201715440662-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2017
Priority date	Feb 26, 2016
Publication date	Aug 27, 2019
Grant date	Aug 27, 2019

Abstract

A robot cleaner includes: a body having a suction port; a plurality of wheels for movement of the body; and a plurality of driving devices configured to drive the plurality of wheels, respectively, wherein each of the plurality of wheels includes an inner wheel and an outer wheel having a thickness that is larger than a thickness of the inner wheel, and each of the inner wheel and the outer wheel includes a plurality of slits.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robot cleaner comprising:
a body having a suction port;
a plurality of wheels at the body; and
at least one driving device configured to provide a driving force for driving at least one of the plurality of wheels,
wherein each of the plurality of wheels includes:
a wheel frame to receive the driving force of the at least one driving device;
an outer wheel to couple to the wheel frame;
an inner wheel to couple to the wheel frame; and
a cover to cover a circumference of the outer wheel and a circumference of the inner wheel,
wherein a rotation center of the outer wheel is aligned with a rotation center of the inner wheel,
wherein a thickness of the outer wheel in an extension direction of the rotation center of the outer wheel is greater than a thickness of the inner wheel in an extension direction of the rotation center of the inner wheel,
wherein the outer wheel includes a plurality of first slits such that the outer wheel is to be deformed by external force,
wherein the inner wheel includes a plurality of second slits such that the inner wheel is to be deformed by external force, and
wherein an arrangement the plurality of first slits is different from an arrangement of the plurality of second slits, and a shape of at least one of the plurality of first slits is different from at least one of the plurality of second slits.

2. The robot cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the arrangement and the shape of the plurality of first slits and the arrangement and the shape of the plurality of second slits are opposite to each other with respect to the rotation centers of the inner and outer wheels.

3. The robot cleaner of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of first slits of the outer wheel has a length that is larger than a width, and each of the plurality of second slits of the inner wheel has a length that is larger than a width.

4. The robot cleaner of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of first slits and each of the plurality of second slits has a first end and a second end, and
wherein the first end of each of the first slits is closer to an outer peripheral surface of the outer wheel than the second end of the same corresponding one of the first slits, and
wherein the first end of each of the second slits is closer to an outer peripheral surface of the inner wheel than the second end of the same corresponding one of the second slits.

5. The robot cleaner of claim 4 , wherein a first virtual line connecting the rotation center of the outer wheel and the first end of the first slit of the outer wheel and a second virtual line connecting the rotation center of the outer wheel and the second end of the first slit of the outer wheel are arranged to have a constant angle,
wherein a third virtual line connecting the rotation center of the inner wheel and the first end of the second slit of the inner wheel and a fourth virtual line connecting the rotation center of the inner wheel and the second end of the second slit of the inner wheel are arranged to have a constant angle,
wherein when the outer wheel is rotated in a specific direction to move the body in a first direction, the first virtual line is rotated before the second virtual line, and
wherein when the inner wheel is rotated in a specific direction to move the body in a second direction, the third virtual line is rotated before the fourth virtual line.

6. The robot cleaner of claim 5 , wherein a middle line corresponds to a virtual line connecting one point between the first end and the second end of the first slit and the rotation center of the outer wheel, and an angle between the second virtual line and the middle line is larger than an angle between the first virtual line and the second virtual line.

7. The robot cleaner of claim 5 , wherein a connection line of a straight line connecting the first end and the second end is provided outside each slit.

8. The robot cleaner of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of first slits of the outer wheel is rounded or is bent one or more times, and each of the plurality of second slits of the inner wheel is rounded or is bent one or more times.

9. The robot cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the outer wheel and the inner wheel are coupled to the wheel frame in a direction that is parallel to an extending direction of a rotation center line of the wheel frame.

10. The robot cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the wheel frame includes one of fastening bosses or fastening grooves on an outer peripheral surface of the wheel frame, and
wherein the other one of the fastening bosses or the fastening grooves are provided on an inner peripheral surface of the outer wheel and on an inner peripheral surface of the inner wheel.

11. The robot cleaner of claim 1 , wherein one of fastening bosses or fastening grooves are provided on an outer peripheral surface of each of the outer wheel and the inner wheel, and
wherein the other one of the fastening bosses or the fastening grooves are provided on an inner peripheral surface of the cover.

12. The robot cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the cover includes a plurality of contact protrusions on an outer peripheral surface of the cover.

13. A wheel assembly comprising:
a wheel frame to receive a driving force;
an outer wheel to couple to an outer peripheral surface of the wheel frame;
an inner wheel to couple to the outer peripheral surface of the wheel frame; and
a cover to cover a circumference of the outer wheel and a circumference of the inner wheel,
wherein a thickness of the outer wheel in an extension direction of a rotation center of the outer wheel is larger than a thickness of the inner wheel in an extension direction of a rotation center of the inner wheel,
wherein the outer wheel includes a plurality of first slits such that the outer wheel is deformed by external force, and
wherein the inner wheel includes a plurality of second slits such that the inner wheel is deformed by external force.

14. The wheel assembly of claim 13 , wherein an arrangement of the plurality of first slits is different from an arrangement of the plurality of second slits, and a shape of at least one of the first slits is different from a shape of at least one of the second slits.

15. The wheel assembly of claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of first slits of the outer wheel has a length that is larger than a width, and each of the plurality of second slits of the inner wheel has a length that is larger than a width.

16. A robot cleaner comprising:
a body having a suction port;
a wheel assembly provided at the body; and
at least one driving device to provide a driving force to the wheel assembly,
wherein the wheel assembly includes:
a wheel frame to receive a driving force;
an outer wheel to couple to an outer peripheral surface of the wheel frame;
an inner wheel to couple to the outer peripheral surface of the wheel frame; and
a cover to cover a circumference of the outer wheel and a circumference of the inner wheel,
wherein a thickness of the outer wheel in an extension direction of a rotation center of the outer wheel is larger than a thickness of the inner wheel in an extension direction of a rotation center of the inner wheel,
wherein the outer wheel includes a plurality of first slits such that the outer wheel is deformed by external force, and
wherein the inner wheel includes a plurality of second slits such that the inner wheel is deformed by external force.

17. A robot cleaner comprising:
a body having a suction port;
a wheel assembly having a plurality of wheels at the body; and
at

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Hwang

Classifications

• B60B33/00

  Castors in general {; Anti-clogging castors} (castors for large containers B65D90/18) · CPC title

• A47L2201/00

  Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation · CPC title

• A47L9/009 Primary

  Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles · CPC title

• B60B3/001

  Lightweight wheels, e.g. for strollers or toys · CPC title

• B60B9/00

  Wheels of high resiliency {, e.g. with conical interacting pressure-surfaces (resilient wheels comprising rail-engaging elements B60B17/0027)} · CPC title