Mobile robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11596285-B2
Application number	US-202016943090-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2020
Priority date	Jul 31, 2019
Publication date	Mar 7, 2023
Grant date	Mar 7, 2023

Abstract

A mobile robot includes a body and a rotating plate rotatably installed on the body. A mop portion is attached to a lower surface of the rotating plate. And, a rotating ball that is vertically aligned with a rotating shaft of the rotating plate is rotatably installed on the rotating plate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile robot, comprising:
a body;
a rotating plate rotatably installed on the body, the rotating plate including a mop portion attached to a lower surface thereof; and
a rotating ball rotatably installed on the rotating plate, the rotating ball being vertically aligned with a rotating shaft of the rotating plate,
wherein at least a portion of the rotating ball is positioned below a lower surface of the rotating plate, and
wherein the mop portion includes a guide hole that receives a portion of the rotating ball, and the guide hole is opened below, such that the rotating ball is exposed to a surface to be cleaned by the mobile robot.

2. The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein the rotating plate further comprises a ball receiving portion that accommodates at least a portion of the rotating ball.

3. The mobile robot of claim 2 , wherein the ball receiving portion is a space having an opening.

4. The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein the rotating plate further comprises a guide ring surrounding the rotating shaft, the guide ring being configured to guide the attachment of the mop portion on the lower surface of the rotating plate.

5. The mobile robot of claim 4 , wherein an inner diameter of the guide ring is smaller than a diameter of the rotating ball.

6. The mobile robot of claim 5 , wherein the inner diameter of the guide ring is larger than a radius of the rotating ball.

7. The mobile robot of claim 4 , wherein a center of the guide ring is positioned on a rotation axis of the rotating shaft, and a sidewall of the guide ring is inclined such that a bottom end of the sidewall is positioned closer to the rotation axis than a top end of the sidewall.

8. The mobile robot of claim 3 , wherein the rotating plate further includes a guide ring surrounding the rotating shaft, the guide ring being disposed on the lower surface of the rotating plate and configured for guiding the attachment of the mop portion on the lower surface of the rotating plate, and
wherein the guide ring protrudes downward from the opening of the ball receiving portion.

9. The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein the rotating plate further includes:
a ball space with an opening formed at a lower end, wherein the ball space defines an inner space in which the rotating ball moves in a vertical direction;
a ball support portion positioned in the ball space, wherein the ball support portion is configured to support an upper portion of the rotating ball; and
an elastic member disposed between an upper end of the ball support portion and an upper end of the ball space.

10. The mobile robot of claim 9 , wherein the rotating plate further comprises a guide ring positioned below the lower surface of the rotating plate, the guide ring defining a part of the inner space of the ball space.

11. The mobile robot of claim 10 , wherein a lower end of the guide ring is located below the lower surface of the rotating plate.

12. A mobile robot, comprising:
a body;
a rotating plate rotatably installed on the body, the rotating plate including a mop portion attached to a lower surface thereof;
a ball space vertically aligned with a rotation axis of the rotating plate, the ball space defining a space having an opening at a lower end;
a rotating ball configured to move in a vertical direction inside the ball space; and
an elastic member positioned in the ball space, the elastic member being configured to bias the rotating ball towards the opening of the ball space,
wherein the mop portion includes a centrally positioned guide hole in which a portion of the rotating ball is received, and the centrally positioned guide hole is opened below, such that the rotating ball is exposed to a surface to be cleaned by the mobile robot.

13. The mobile robot of claim 12 , further comprising a ball support portion positioned in the ball space,
wherein the ball support portion is connected to a lower end of the elastic member and supports an upper portion of the rotating ball.

14. The mobile robot of claim 12 , wherein a bottom portion of the rotating ball is located above a lower surface of the mop portion.

15. The mobile robot of claim 12 , further comprising a mop motor configured to rotate the rotating plate.

16. The mobile robot of claim 12 , wherein the rotating plate includes a left rotating plate and a right rotating plate spaced apart from the left rotating plate, and
wherein a lower surface of the left rotating plate forms a downward slope in a left front direction, and a lower surface of the right rotating plate forms a downward slope in a right front direction.

17. A mobile robot, comprising:
a body;
a rotating plate rotatably installed on the body, the rotating plate including a mop portion attached to a lower surface thereof;
a ball space vertically aligned with a rotation axis of the rotating plate, the ball space defining a space having an opening at a lower end;
a rotating ball positioned at least partly in the ball space, wherein the rotating ball is configured to be movable in a vertical direction inside the ball space;
an elastic member biasing the rotating ball towards the opening of the ball space; and
a caster encoder configured to detect a rotational speed of the rotating ball,
wherein the mop portion includes a centrally positioned guide hole in which a portion of the rotating ball is received, and the centrally positioned guide hole is opened below, such that the rotating ball is exposed to a surface to be cleaned by the mobile robot.

18. The mobile robot of claim 17 , further comprising a controller configured to determine a moving speed and a moving distance of the mobile robot based at least partly on the rotational speed detected by the caster encoder.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Youngbin
• Jang Jaewon

Classifications

• A47L11/4011

  Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor · CPC title

• A47L2201/04

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

• A47L11/4038 Primary

  Disk shaped surface treating tools · CPC title

• A47L2201/00

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

• A47L11/282 Primary

  having rotary tools · CPC title