Cleaner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11547262-B2
Application number	US-202016943183-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2020
Priority date	Jul 31, 2019
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

A mobile cleaner includes a body, a mop module, and a sweep module. The mop module includes a pair of spin mops configured to rotate and mop a surface. The sweep module is configured to sweep up foreign material on the surface using a rotating agitator. The sweep module includes a dust housing, the agitator, and a wheel assembly. The wheel assembly is configured to support the dust housing on the surface and includes a wheel body that is movable in a vertical direction. A cliff sensor is configured to detect movement of the wheel body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile cleaner, comprising:
a body configured to move on a surface;
a mop module disposed on the body, the mop module including a pair of spin mops configured for rotating and mopping the surface; and
a sweep module disposed on the body, the sweep module configured for sweeping foreign material from the surface,
wherein the sweep module includes:
an agitator configured to rotate and collect the foreign material on the surface;
a storage space configured for storing the foreign material collected by the agitator; and
a wheel assembly including one or more wheels configured to support the sweep module on the surface,
wherein the wheel assembly includes:
a wheel body configured to be movable in a vertical direction, and
a cliff sensor for detecting movement of the wheel body.

2. The mobile cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the cliff sensor is disposed on the body.

3. The mobile cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the wheel assembly further comprises:
a wheel elastic member configured to apply elastic force on the wheel body to move the wheel body.

4. The mobile cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the cliff sensor is disposed on an upper side of the wheel body.

5. The mobile cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the wheel body further includes a contact portion,
wherein the cliff sensor includes a switch lead configured to be in contact with the contact portion of the wheel body, and
wherein the cliff sensor is a micro-switch configured to detect movement of the wheel body based on contact between the switch lead and the contact portion.

6. The mobile cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the wheel body further includes a contact portion with a permanent magnet, and
wherein the cliff sensor is a hall sensor configured to detect movement of the wheel body based on proximity with the permanent magnet.

7. The mobile cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the wheel body further includes a detecting portion,
wherein the cliff sensor includes a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion, wherein the detecting portion of the wheel body is disposed between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion, and
wherein the cliff sensor is a photo sensor configured to detect movement of the wheel body based on detection of light from the light emitting portion received by the light receiving portion.

8. The mobile cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the wheel body is positioned at a front side of the agitator.

9. The mobile cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the wheel body comprises two wheel bodies spaced apart by a separation distance less than a width of the agitator.

10. The mobile cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the mop module is disposed at a rear side of the sweep module.

11. The mobile cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the wheel body and the storage space are disposed at a front side of the body compared to a center of the body.

12. A mobile cleaner, comprising:
a body configured to move on a surface;
a mop module disposed on a side of the body, the mop module including a pair of spin mops configured for rotating and mopping the surface; and
a sweep module disposed on the body, wherein the sweep module includes:
a dust housing including a collection opening facing the surface and a storage space configured to store foreign material;
a rotatable agitator configured to rotate and transfer foreign material from the surface to the storage space; and
a wheel assembly including:
a wheel body configured to be movable in a vertical direction;
a wheel coupled to a lower side of the wheel body, the wheel configured to be in contact with the surface;
a wheel elastic member disposed between the dust housing and the wheel body, the wheel elastic member being configured to apply on elastic force to the wheel body to move the wheel body; and
a cliff sensor disposed on the body, the cliff sensor being configured to detect movement of the wheel body when the wheel body moves.

13. The mobile cleaner of claim 12 , wherein the wheel elastic member is configured to compress when the wheel contacts the surface, and apply the elastic force to the wheel body when the wheel is not in contact with the surface.

14. The mobile cleaner of claim 12 , wherein the cliff sensor is disposed on an upper side of the wheel body.

15. The mobile cleaner of claim 12 , wherein the wheel body further includes a contact portion,
wherein the cliff sensor includes a switch lead configured to be in contact with the contact portion, and
wherein the cliff sensor is a micro-switch configured to detect movement of the wheel body based on contact between the switch lead and the contact portion.

16. The mobile cleaner of claim 12 , wherein the wheel body further includes a contact portion having a permanent magnet, and
wherein the cliff sensor is a hall sensor configured to detect movement of the wheel body based on proximity with the permanent magnet.

17. The mobile cleaner of claim 12 , wherein the wheel body further includes a detecting portion,
wherein the cliff sensor includes a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion,
wherein the detecting portion is disposed between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion, and
wherein the cliff sensor is a photo sensor configured to detect movement of the wheel body based on detection of light from the light emitting portion received by the light receiving portion.

18. The mobile cleaner of claim 12 , wherein the wheel assembly is disposed at a front side of the agitator.

19. The mobile cleaner of claim 12 , further comprising:
a collection space disposed within the dust housing, wherein (i) the agitator is positioned in the collection space, (ii) the collection opening is formed in the collection space, and (iii) the storage space is fluidly connected to the collection space,
wherein the wheel assembly is disposed at a front side of the collection space.

20. The mobile cleaner of claim 19 , wherein the wheel assembly is disposed at a side portion of the storage space.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jang Jaewon
• Chung Jinho

Classifications

• A47L11/4038

  Disk shaped surface treating tools · CPC title

• A47L11/4041

  Roll shaped surface treating tools · CPC title

• A47L11/4072

  Arrangement of castors or wheels · CPC title

• A47L2201/04

  Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection · CPC title

• A47L11/283 Primary

  the tools being disc brushes · CPC title