Robot cleaner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11412908-B2
Application number	US-202016944375-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2020
Priority date	Jul 31, 2019
Publication date	Aug 16, 2022
Grant date	Aug 16, 2022

Abstract

A robot cleaner may have a body, a mop, and a tank to supply water to the mop. The tank may be magnetically coupled to the body via at least one magnet and be physically coupled to the body via a groove and a protrusion The protrusion may be a bent rib extending from the tank to couple to a groove in the body, or the protrusion may be a stopper attached to a spring attached to the body and coupling with a groove in the tank. The at least one magnet may be provided at a first side with respect to a left-right center, and the protrusion and groove may be provided at a second side opposite the first side. To remove the tank from the body, the tank may be pulled near the magnet to detach the tank at the magnet, and the tank may be rotated at a point on the second side.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robot cleaner, comprising:
a tank configured to store a liquid;
a body having a recess, the recess forming a mounting space in which the tank is configured to be mounted;
at least one spin mop rotatably mounted at a lower side of the body, and configured to move the body across a surface by rotating and to clean the surface with the liquid;
a supply nozzle protruding from the recess into the mounting space;
a discharge nozzle protruding from the tank and configured to couple to the supply nozzle when the tank is mounted such that the liquid from the tank flows to the spin mop via the supply and discharge nozzles;
a first coupler configured to couple the tank to the recess via magnetic attraction; and
a second coupler having at least one of a groove or a protrusion and configured to couple the tank to the recess and to restrict a rearward movement of the tank in the mounting space, wherein with respect to a front-rear axis defining a left-right center of the recess, the first coupler is provided at a first side with respect to the front-rear axis and the second coupler is provided at a second side opposite the first side,
wherein the tank includes an edge protrusion protruding from an edge of the tank defined by a side surface and a rear surface of the tank, and the edge protrusion is configured to contact an edge of the recess defined by a side surface of the recess and a side surface of the body, and
wherein, when the tank is pulled to be separated from the recess, the tank is rotated around a vertical axis of rotation while the edge protrusion maintains contact with the body.

2. The robot cleaner of claim 1 , wherein, when the tank is pulled to separate the tank from the recess, the tank is rotated in a first direction about an edge of the recess adjacent to the second coupler.

3. The robot cleaner of claim 1 , wherein, when the tank is pulled to separate the tank from the recess, the tank is rotated in a first direction about a point adjacent to the second coupler.

4. The robot cleaner of claim 3 , wherein, when the tank is inserted into the recess to be mounted to the recess, the tank is rotated about the point in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

5. The robot cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the first coupler comprises:
a first magnet provided at one of the tank or the recess; and
a second magnet or metal provided at another one of the tank or the recess, configured to be magnetically attracted to the first magnet, and positioned to align with the first magnet when the tank is mounted in the recess.

6. The robot cleaner of claim 5 , wherein the side surface of the recess is a second side surface, and the recess comprises:
an opening through which the tank enters;
a front surface facing the opening and provided adjacent to a front of the tank when the tank is mounted in the recess; and
a first side surface extending from a first end of the front surface,
wherein the second side surface extends from a second end of the front surface and faces the first side surface, the first and second side surfaces defining sides of the opening, and
wherein the first magnet is provided at the front surface of the recess.

7. The robot cleaner of claim 6 , wherein the first magnet is provided on the front surface of the recess at a position adjacent to the first side surface of the recess.

8. The robot cleaner of claim 6 , wherein the at least one of the groove or the protrusion of the second coupler includes the groove and the groove is formed at the second side surface of the recess, the groove defining a space in which a portion of the tank is received.

9. The robot cleaner of claim 8 , wherein the groove is provided to be closer to the opening than the front surface of the recess.

10. The robot cleaner of claim 6 , wherein the side surface of the tank is a second side surface, and the tank comprises:
a front surface configured to face the front surface of the recess when the tank is mounted in the recess;
a first side surface configured to face the first side surface of the recess when the tank is mounted, the second side surface of the tank being configured to face the second side surface of the recess when the tank is mounted; and
a rear surface exposed to an outside of the recess, wherein the second magnet is provided at the front surface of the tank.

11. The robot cleaner of claim 10 , wherein the at least one of the groove or the protrusion of the second coupler includes the protrusion and the groove, and
wherein:
the protrusion is a stopper coupled to an elastic member, which is coupled to the second side surface of the recess; and
the groove is a stopper groove formed at the second side surface of the tank and into which the stopper is inserted.

12. The robot cleaner of claim 10 , wherein the at least one of the groove or the protrusion of the second coupler includes the protrusion, and the protrusion is a rib protruding from the second side surface of the tank.

13. The robot cleaner of claim 12 , wherein the rib comprises:
a first section extending in a left-right direction toward the second side surface of the recess; and
a second section bent from the first section to extend in a front-rear direction.

14. A robot cleaner, comprising:
a tank configured to store a liquid;
a body having a dock formed at a rear side, the dock being configured to receive the tank;
a spin mop rotatably mounted at a lower side of the body and configured to receive the liquid;
a magnetic coupler coupling the tank to the dock via a pair of magnets or a magnet and a ferromagnetic material, the magnetic coupler provided at one of a left side or a right side of the dock;
a mechanical coupler provided at another one of the left side or the right side and configured to restrict rear movement of the tank via a groove and a protrusion; and
an edge protrusion protruding from the tank and configured to contact an edge of the dock, the edge being provided at a second side of the dock,
wherein, when pulled rearward to be separated from the tank, the tank is rotated around a vertical axis of rotation while maintaining contact with the second side of the dock, and
wherein the edge protrusion and a portion of the mechanical coupler are provided at a side surface of the tank that faces a side surface of the dock.

15. The robot cleaner of claim 14 , wherein, when pushed forward to be mounted in the dock, the tank is rotated while maintaining contact with the second side of the dock.

16. The robot cleaner of claim 14 , wherein the magnetic coupler includes:
a first magnet provided the dock; and
at least one of a second magnet or a piece of metal that is provided at the tank, configured to be magnetically attracted to the first magnet, and positioned to align with the first magnet when the tank is received in the dock.

17. The robot cleaner of claim 16 , wherein the first magnet is provided at a front surface of the dock that faces a front surface of the tank, the front surface of the dock extending from the side surface of the dock, and the front surface of the tank extending from the side surface of the tank.

18. The robot cleaner of claim 16 , wherein the side surface of the dock is a second side surface, and the dock further includes:
an opening through which the tank enters;
a front surface facing the opening and provided adjacent to a front of the tank when the tank is mounted in the dock; and
a first side surface extending from a first end of the front surface,
wherein the second side surface extends

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Ko Moohyun
• Lee Donggeun

Classifications

• A47L11/408

  Means for supplying cleaning or surface treating agents · CPC title

• A47L11/4069

  Driving or transmission means for the cleaning tools · CPC title

• A47L11/4038

  Disk shaped surface treating tools · CPC title

• A47L11/40

  Parts or details of machines not {provided for in} groups A47L11/02 - A47L11/38, {or not restricted to one of these groups}, e.g. handles, arrangements of switches, skirts, buffers, levers · CPC title

• A47L11/283 Primary

  the tools being disc brushes · CPC title