Robot cleaner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11700990-B2
Application number	US-202016944355-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2020
Priority date	Jul 31, 2019
Publication date	Jul 18, 2023
Grant date	Jul 18, 2023

Abstract

A robot cleaner includes a main body forming an exterior and having a water tank housing formed at a rear side thereof. The water tank housing may form a space in which a water tank is mounted. At least one spin mop is rotatably provided at a lower side of the main body, moving the main body by rotating, and configured to clean a floor using water in the water tank. A supply nozzle is provided at one side of the water tank housing, and when connected to a discharge nozzle of the water tank, communicates with the discharge nozzle to supply water stored in the water tank to each of the spin mops. The robot cleaner further includes a locking device rotatably provided at a position spaced apart from a circumferential surface of the water tank housing, and configured to secure the water tank in the water tank housing when mounted or to release the water tank by pushing backward on the water tank.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robot cleaner, comprising:
a tank configured to store liquid;
a main body having a recess formed at a side, the recess configured to receive the tank;
at least one spin mop provided at the main body;
a supply nozzle provided at a side of the recess;
a discharge nozzle provided at a side of the tank and configured to align with the supply nozzle when the tank is provided in the recess such that liquid stored in the tank flows through the supply nozzle and the discharge nozzle to the spin mop; and
a lock rotatably provided inside of the main body and having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is configured to partially protrude into the recess to lock a position of the tank in the recess, and the second end is configured to partially protrude into the recess to unlock the tank from the recess,
wherein the tank includes a lever groove formed at a side surface, and
wherein the lock comprises:
a lever rotating about a rotary shaft provided inside of the main body and having the first end and the second end, the first end being configured to be inserted into the lever groove formed when the lever is rotated in a first direction, and the second end being configured to press a front surface of the tank when rotating in a second direction opposite direction to the first direction; and
a button provided at the outer surface of the main body and connected to the lever to transmit an external force to the lever.

2. The robot cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the lock further comprises a press bar having a first end connected to the button and a second end connected to the lever to transmit the force exerted on the button to the lever.

3. The robot cleaner of claim 2 , wherein the lever comprises a fulcrum rotatably connected to the main body, and wherein the lever is connected to the press bar at a position spaced apart from the fulcrum.

4. The robot cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the lever includes a first lever having the first end, and a side surface of the recess is formed with a first opening configured to align with the lever groove, the first lever being configured to protrude out of the first opening and to be inserted into the lever groove when the tank is mounted in the recess.

5. The robot cleaner of claim 4 , wherein the lever further includes a second lever having the second end, and a front surface of the recess is formed with a second opening, and when the button is pressed, the first lever is disengaged from the lever groove, and the second lever protrudes out of the second opening to push the tank rearward away from the recess.

6. The robot cleaner of claim 5 , wherein the first and second levers are coupled at a fulcrum, the second lever is curved from the fulcrum toward the front surface of the recess, and the first lever is curved from the fulcrum toward the side surface of the recess.

7. The robot cleaner of claim 5 , wherein lengths of the first and second levers are configured such that only one of the first and second levers contact the tank at a time.

8. The robot cleaner of claim 5 , further comprising a guide surface protruding from an edge of the second opening into the main body, the guide surface having a curvature configured to guide a movement of the second lever.

9. The robot cleaner of claim 5 , further comprising:
a third lever protruding from the second lever at a position inside of the main body; and
an elastic member coupled to the main body and coupled to an end of the third lever such that, when the button is pressed, the elastic member is expanded and the second lever protrudes out of the second opening, and a restoring force of the elastic member withdraws the second lever through the second opening back into the main body.

10. The robot cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the supply nozzle comprises:
an insertion protrusion protruding into the recess and having an inner space in which the discharge nozzle is inserted;
a pressing nozzle protruding further into the recess from the insertion protrusion and configured to contact a discharge port of the discharge nozzle when the tank is mounted to open the discharge port; and
a seal provided in the inner space of the insertion protrusion, surrounding the pressing nozzle, and configured to contact the discharge nozzle.

11. The robot cleaner of claim 10 , wherein the seal comprises:
an end contact surface provided at an inner end of the insertion protrusion and coming into contact with an end portion of the discharge nozzle when inserted into the inner space;
a pressing nozzle contact surface connected to the end contact surface and extending along a circumferential surface of the pressing nozzle; and
at least one contact fin protruding from the pressing nozzle contact surface outward in the insertion space toward the discharge nozzle.

12. The robot cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the tank comprises a groove formed at a first side surface and a hinge protrusion protruding at a second side surface opposite the first side surface, the groove being configured to receive the first end of the lock to maintain a position of the tank in the recess, and the hinge protrusion being configured to couple to a hinge protrusion groove formed in the recess.

13. The robot cleaner of claim 12 , wherein a center of curvature of a curved surface of the hinge protrusion is provided at an end of the second side surface, and the tank rotates about the center of curvature to be mounted in the recess.

14. The robot cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the first end of the lock protrudes out of a first side surface of the recess, and a second side surface of the recess opposite to the first side surface includes a stopper coupled to an elastic member and protruding into the recess,
wherein the tank has a stopper guide groove configured to receive the stopper when the tank is mounted in the recess so as to maintain a position of the tank.

15. The robot cleaner of claim 14 , wherein the stopper comprises:
an inclined surface inclined inward from a rear side to a front side; and
a bent surface bent from a front end of the inclined surface to extend in a left-right direction perpendicular to a front-rear direction in which the tank is slid into the recess, wherein a shape of the stopper guide groove corresponds to a shape of the stopper such that the bent surface restricts rearward movement of the tank.

16. A robot cleaner, comprising:
a main body having a recess formed at a rear;
a tank configured to be inserted into and withdrawn from the recess, the tank being configured to store liquid;
a spin mop coupled to a bottom of the main body and configured to receive the liquid; and
a lock provided inside of the main body and configured to pivot in a first direction to lock a position of the tank in the recess and to pivot in a second direction opposite to the first direction to release the tank from the recess,
wherein the tank includes a groove, and the lock comprises:
a lever configured to pivot around a rotary shaft provided inside of the main body, the lever having a first end and a second end, wherein, when the tank is mounted in the recess, the first end is inserted into the groove to maintain a position of the tank; and
a button having a surface exposed to an outside of the main body and connected to the lever such that, when the tank is mounted and the button is pressed, the lever is rotated such that the second end pushes the tank away from the recess to decouple the groove from the first end.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Ko Moohyun
• Kim Sungjun
• Lee Donggeun

Classifications

• A47L11/4083 Primary

  Liquid supply reservoirs; Preparation of the agents, e.g. mixing devices · CPC title

• A47L11/283

  the tools being disc brushes · CPC title

• A47L11/4025

  Means for emptying · CPC title

• A47L11/4038

  Disk shaped surface treating tools · CPC title

• A47L11/4075

  Handles; levers · CPC title