Robot cleaner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10548449-B2
Application number	US-201615574117-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2016
Priority date	May 26, 2015
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

A robot cleaner includes: a cleaner body; a driving unit configured to provide a driving force; a driving pulley connected to the driving unit, and formed to be rotatable by receiving the driving force from the driving unit; first and second driven pulleys disposed at both sides of the driving pulley; and a belt forming a closed loop by entirely enclosing the driving pulley and the first and second driven pulleys, and configured to rotate the first and second driven pulleys when the driving pulley is rotated.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A robot cleaner, comprising:
a cleaner body;
a drive configured to provide a driving force;
a driving pulley connected to the drive, and configured to be rotatable by receiving the driving force from the drive;
a first driven pulley provided at a first side of the driving pulley and a second driven pulley provided at a second side of the driving pulley opposite the first side; and
a belt forming a closed loop by entirely enclosing the driving pulley and the first and second driven pulleys, and configured to rotate the first and second driven pulleys when the driving pulley is rotated,
wherein the drive comprises:
a housing including a main housing configured to support the rotation shaft of the driving pulley; and
a first sub housing that extends toward a first side of the main housing corresponding to the first side of the driving pulley and a second sub housing that extends toward a second side of the main housing corresponding to the second side of the driving pulley and configured to support the rotation shafts of the first and second driven pulleys, respectively; and wherein the robot cleaner further comprises:

a support plate that covers the first and second sub housings and is fixed to the cleaner body; and
a suspension including a first suspension formed between the support plate and the first sub housing, and a second suspension formed between the support plate and the second sub housing.

2. The robot cleaner of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second driven pulleys is formed to have a diameter smaller than that of the driving pulley.

3. The robot cleaner of claim 2 , wherein rotation shafts of the first and second driven pulleys are disposed on the same transverse line as a rotation shaft of the driving pulley, the transverse line being perpendicular to the rotation shafts of the first and second driven pulleys and the driving pulley.

4. The robot cleaner of claim 3 , wherein the belt is formed of an elastically-transformable material, and
wherein empty spaces for inward-elastic transformation of the belt are formed between the driving pulley and the first driven pulley, and between the driving pulley and the second driven pulley.

5. The robot cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the drive includes:
a driving motor configured to generate a driving force; and
a gear box configured to connect the driving motor with the driving pulley.

6. The robot cleaner of claim 5 , wherein the gear box includes:
a plurality of gears configured to transmit a driving force of the driving motor to the driving pulley; and
the housing including the main housing configured to accommodate the gear unit therein, and the first and second sub housings.

7. The robot cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the first suspension includes:
a first guide bar formed to protrude from the support plate and to pass through the first sub housing; and
a first spring formed to enclose the first guide bar, and supported by the support plate and the first sub housing, and
wherein the second suspension includes:
a second guide bar formed to protrude from the support plate and to pass through the second sub housing; and
a second spring formed to enclose the second guide bar, and supported by the support plate and the second sub housing.

8. The robot cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the support plate is provided with an opening through which the belt which covers a top of the driving pulley is partially exposed to the outside.

9. A robot cleaner, comprising:
a cleaner body configured to perform a cleaning operation; and a running unit provided at right and left sides of the cleaner body, and formed to be operable independently,
wherein the running unit includes:
a driving pulley;
a first driven pulley provided at a first side of the driving pulley and a second driven pulley provided at a second side of the driving pulley opposite the first side, and formed to have a diameter smaller than that of the driving pulley;
a belt forming a closed loop by entirely enclosing the driving pulley and the first and second driven pulleys, and
a drive configured to provide a driving force,
wherein the drive comprises:
a housing including a main housing configured to support the rotation shaft of the driving pulley; and
a first sub housing that extends toward a first side of the main housing corresponding to the first side of the driving pulley and a second sub housing that extends toward a second side of the main housing corresponding to the second side of the driving pulley and configured to support the rotation shafts of the first and second driven pulleys, respectively, and wherein the robot cleaner further comprises:

a support plate that covers the first and second sub housings and is fixed to the cleaner body; and
a suspension including a first suspension formed between the support plate and the first sub housing, and a second suspension formed between the support plate and the second sub housing.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Hwang
• Park Sungil

Classifications

• F16H7/02

  with belts; with V-belts · CPC title

• F16M11/42

  with arrangement for propelling the support {stands on wheels} · CPC title

• F16H57/02

  Gearboxes; Mounting gearing therein · CPC title

• F16H1/20

  involving more than two intermeshing members · CPC title

• A47L9/009 Primary

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