Lawn mower robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11166409-B2
Application number	US-201916373050-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2019
Priority date	Apr 6, 2018
Publication date	Nov 9, 2021
Grant date	Nov 9, 2021

Abstract

A lawn mower robot includes an outer cover, an inner body positioned in the outer cover and having a plurality of wheels for traveling provided on both side surfaces thereof, a plurality of blades rotatably mounted on a bottom surface of the inner body to cut grass, electric devices mounted inside the inner body and including a battery, wheel driving motors, a blade driving motor, a plurality of ultrasonic sensor modules, rain sensors, a user interface (UI) module, and a universal serial bus (USB) port, and a waterproof unit to prevent penetration of water into the inner body or the electric devices, thereby improving waterproof performance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lawn mower robot, comprising:
an outer cover;
an inner frame provided in the outer cover, a plurality of wheels being coupled to a side surface of the inner frame;
a plurality of blades rotatably mounted on a lower surface of the inner frame;
electric components mounted on the inner frame, the electric components including:
a battery that stores power, and
at least one motor that provides a rotational force to at least one of the wheels or the blades based on power received from the battery; and

one or more seals configured to be positioned on the inner frame to prevent the electric components from being exposed to water,
wherein:
the inner frame includes:
a battery receiving recess that opens at the lower surface of the inner frame and is configured to receive the battery therein;
a first sealing rib provided outside of the battery receiving recess and protruding downward from the lower surface of the inner frame in a rectangular box shape; and
a second sealing rib formed in a rectangular box shape and positioned laterally outside the first sealing rib to be at least one of horizontally or longitudinally spaced apart from the first sealing rib,

the lawn mower robot further comprises a battery cover configured to be positioned to close an opening of the battery receiving recess at the lower surface of the inner frame,
the battery cover includes a battery cover sealing rib that protrudes upward along one or more edges of the battery cover and is configured to be inserted between the first sealing rib and the second sealing rib, and
the one or more seals include a battery seal configured to be positioned at an inner surface of the battery cover and to contact a lower end of the first sealing rib when the battery cover is positioned at the battery receiving recess, so as to prevent water from passing between the battery receiving recess and the battery cover.

2. The lawn mower robot of claim 1 , wherein the inner frame further includes a plurality of bosses protruding downward and provided between the first sealing rib and the second sealing rib, and
wherein the battery cover sealing rib includes a plurality of coupling holes formed through edges thereof, so that the battery cover sealing rib and the plurality of bosses are coupled together in a vertical direction.

3. A lawn mower robot, comprising:
an outer cover;
an inner frame provided in the outer cover, a plurality of wheels being coupled to a side surface of the inner frame;
a plurality of blades rotatably mounted on a lower surface of the inner frame;
electric components mounted on the inner frame, the electric components including:
a battery that stores power, and
at least one motor that provides a rotational force to at least one of the wheels or the blades based on power received from the battery; and

one or more seals configured to be positioned on the inner frame to prevent the electric components from being exposed to water,
wherein:
the one or more motors includes wheel driving motors configured to provide rotational force to, respectively, the wheels positioned at right and left side surfaces of the inner frame,
the inner frame further includes:
wheel driving motor receiving recesses formed laterally through the right and left side surfaces of the inner frame, respectively;
first sealing ribs extending laterally from the right and left side surfaces of the inner frame, respectively, along a circumferential direction and around the wheel driving motor receiving recesses; and
second sealing ribs protruding laterally from the right and left side surfaces of the inner frame, respectively, along the circumferential direction and positioned to be spaced apart from and radially outside of the first sealing rib,

the lawn mower robot further comprises wheel driving motor housings, each of the wheel driving motor housings accommodating one of the wheel driving motors therein and having a first side contacting an inner surface of a wheel and a second side contacting the inner frame so that the wheel driving motor can be received inside the inner frame through a corresponding one of the wheel driving motor receiving recesses;
a sealing partition wall protruding axially from the second side of the wheel driving motor housing along a circumferential direction, and configured to be inserted between the first sealing rib and the second sealing rib, and
the one or more seals include a wheel driving motor seal configured to be mounted between the first sealing rib and the second sealing rib in a contactable manner with the sealing partition wall, so as to prevent water from passing between the wheel driving motor receiving recesses and the wheel driving motor housing.

4. The lawn mower robot of claim 3 , wherein the inner frame further includes:
a water blocking rib positioned radially inside the first sealing rib and protruding axially from the wheel driving motor receiving recesses along the circumferential direction.

5. The lawn mower robot of claim 4 , wherein the inner frame further includes:
a plurality of bosses protruding along the circumferential direction and provided between the first sealing rib and the water blocking rib; and
a plurality of extension ribs extending radially outward from outer circumferential surfaces of the bosses.

6. The lawn mower robot of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more motors includes a blade driving motor configured to provide rotational force,
the lawn mower robot further comprises:
an elevating frame having a rotating plate rotatably mounted on a lower surface thereof to rotate the blades, and configured to be mounted in the inner frame to be vertically movable, wherein the blade driving motor is received inside the elevating frame; and
a corrugated tube that is adjustable in length in a vertical direction to correspond to a vertical movement of the elevating frame, and

the one or more seals include a blade seal having one side contacting the inner frame and another side contacting a lower surface of the elevating frame.

7. A lawn mower robot, comprising:
an outer cover;
an inner frame provided in the outer cover, a plurality of wheels being coupled to a side surface of the inner frame;
a plurality of blades rotatably mounted on a lower surface of the inner frame;
electric components mounted on the inner frame, the electric components including:
a battery that stores power, and
at least one motor that provides a rotational force to at least one of the wheels or the blades based on power received from the battery; and
one or more seals configured to be positioned on the inner frame to prevent the electric components from being exposed to water,

wherein the electric components further include a plurality of ultrasonic sensors, and the lawn mower robot further comprises an ultrasonic sensor frame provided on an upper region of the outer cover and having the plurality of ultrasonic sensors mounted therein,
wherein the ultrasonic sensor frame includes:
a frame mount configured to receive the plurality of ultrasonic sensors therein;
a rear cover having an ultrasonic sensor printed circuit board (PCB) to control the plurality of ultrasonic sensors mounted therein, and coupled to cover a rear of the frame mount; and
a front cover positioned at a front of the frame mount, and

wherein the one or more seals includes:
a first ultrasonic sensor seal provided between the front cover and the frame mount; and
a second ultrasonic sensor seal provided between the rear cover and the frame mount.

8. The lawn mower robot of claim 7 , wherein the ultrasonic sensor frame includes an anti-vibration cover formed in a cylindrical shape and configured to cover the plurality of ultrasoni

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Hong woo
• Kim Siyong
• Kim Hanshin
• Song Hyunsup
• Cho Kyeongho
• Han Jaehun
• Ha Jiwoo

Classifications

• A01D34/81

  Casings; Housings (A01D34/71 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A01D34/008 Primary

  for automated or remotely controlled operation · CPC title

• A01D34/78

  electric · CPC title

• A01D2101/00

  Lawn-mowers · CPC title

• A01D34/736

  Flail type · CPC title