Robot cleaner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11071429-B2
Application number	US-201716333108-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2017
Priority date	Jul 14, 2016
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

A robot cleaner includes a main body forming an external appearance of the robot cleaner, moving units configured to move the main body, a cleaning module arranged at one side of the main body so as to contact a floor and rotated, a module driving unit arranged in the main body and rotating the cleaning module, and a dust pocket configured to remove foreign substances attached to the outer circumference of the cleaning module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robot cleaner comprising:
a main body forming an external appearance of the robot cleaner;
a pair of spinning mops provided so as to contact a floor while being rotated in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction as viewed from the top, and moving the main body;
a cleaning module provided so as to contact the floor, arranged at one side of the main body and rotated;
a module driving unit arranged in the main body and rotating the cleaning module; and
a dust pocket configured to contain foreign substances moved by the cleaning module.

2. The robot cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning module comprises:
a rotational member connected to the module driving unit so as to be rotated; and
a cleaning member arranged along an outer circumference of the rotational member and contacting a floor surface.

3. The robot cleaner according to claim 2 , wherein the dust pocket comprises an opening through which foreign substances attached to an outer circumference of the cleaning member is introduced into the dust pocket,
wherein the opening is open in the upward direction within a module housing of the main body.

4. The robot cleaner according to claim 1 , further comprising a foreign substance pocket configured to remove foreign substances attached to outer circumferences of the pair of spinning mops.

5. The robot cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein:
the cleaning module is arranged so as to be detachably attached to the side of the main body; and
the robot cleaner further comprises a coupler configured to fix the cleaning module installed in the main body.

6. The robot cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning module comprises:
a rotational member rotated about a rotary shaft extending in the horizontal direction;
a rotary protrusion fixedly connected to one side of the rotational member and connected to the module driving unit; and
a stationary protrusion rotatably connected to the other side of the rotational member and supporting rotation of the rotational member.

7. The robot cleaner according to claim 6 , wherein:
the main body forms a module housing having an inner space so as to receive a part of the cleaning module;
a stationary protrusion insertion recess to receive the stationary protrusion inserted thereto is formed at one side of the module housing; and
the robot cleaner further comprises a coupler configured to fix the stationary protrusion inserted into the stationary protrusion insertion recess.

8. The robot cleaner according to claim 7 , wherein:
an outer circumference of the stationary protrusion has a polygonal shape; and
the stationary protrusion insertion recess forms a hole having a polygonal structure corresponding to the shape of the stationary protrusion by coupling to the coupler.

9. The robot cleaner according to claim 6 , wherein:
an outer circumferential surface of the rotary protrusion forms a polygonal shape having m corners;
an outer circumferential surface of the stationary protrusion forms a polygonal shape having n corners; and
m is a natural number being less than n.

10. The robot cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein the module driving unit comprises:
a module driving motor configured to generate rotary force;
a rotary protrusion connection member configured to rotate the cleaning module by rotation of the module driving motor; and
at least one gear configured to transmit the rotary force of the module driving motor to the rotary protrusion connection member.

11. The robot cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning module is rotated about a rotary shaft extending in the horizontal direction.

12. The robot cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning module is rotated about a rotary shaft extending in a direction being parallel to an arrangement direction of the pair of spinning mops.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jang Jaewon
• Park Jeongseop
• Song Youngkouk

Classifications

• A47L2201/00

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

• B25J11/0085

  Cleaning · CPC title

• B25J9/1666

  Avoiding collision or forbidden zones · CPC title

• B25J9/1664

  characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning · CPC title

• B25J9/126

  Rotary actuators · CPC title