Robot cleaner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9801515-B2
Application number	US-201615376880-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2016
Priority date	Sep 24, 2014
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

A robot cleaner includes a cleaner body, a suction unit, and a cyclone unit. The cyclone unit has a first suction opening and a second suction opening for sucking air, and a first cyclone and a second cyclone for passing air therethrough, the air having dust filtered therefrom by a centrifugal force. A first guiding member and a second guiding member extend upwardly from the suction unit toward the cyclone unit with an inclination angle, the first guiding member for connection between the suction unit and the first suction opening, and the second guiding member for connection between the suction unit and the second suction opening. A dust box communicated with a dust discharge opening is provided at a front side of the cyclone unit so as to collect dust filtered by the cyclone unit. The dust box is partially or wholly accommodated between the first and second guiding members.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robot cleaner, comprising:
a suction unit configured to suck dust-contained air from a floor surface;
a cyclone unit configured to filter dust from the dust-contained air sucked through the suction unit by using a centrifugal force, the cyclone unit comprising:
a first cyclone; and
a second cyclone facing the first cyclone;

a fan unit configured to discharge dust-filtered air to an outside of the robot cleaner, the fan unit comprising:
a first fan configured to suck dust-filtered air and discharge the dust-filtered air to the outside;
a second fan configured to suck dust-filtered air and discharge the dust-filtered air to the outside;
a first communication member configured to guide air introduced into an inner space of the first cyclone to the first fan; and
a second communication member configured to guide air introduced into an inner space of the second cyclone to the second fan; and

a driving unit disposed between the first fan and the second fan, the driving unit being configured to generate a suction force by driving the first fan and the second fan.

2. The robot cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the fan unit further comprises:
a first fine dust filter mounted to the first communication member and configured to filter fine dust; and
a second fine dust filter mounted to the second communication member and configured to filter fine dust.

3. The robot cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the fan unit further comprises:
a first fan cover configured to accommodate the first fan therein, the first fan cover including:
a first air inlet formed in a direction of a rotation shaft of the first fan; and
a first air outlet formed in a radius direction of the first fan; and

a second fan cover configured to accommodate the second fan therein, the second fan cover including:
a second air inlet formed in a direction of a rotation shaft of the second fan; and
a second air outlet formed in a radius direction of the second fan.

4. The robot cleaner of claim 3 , wherein the first fan cover further includes a first exhaustion guide extending from an inner circumferential surface of the first fan cover, the first exhaustion guide having a rounded shape toward the first air outlet so that noise is reduced when dust-filtered air is discharged outside of the first fan cover, and
wherein the second fan cover further includes a second exhaustion guide extending from an inner circumferential surface of the second fan cover, the second exhaustion guide having a rounded shape toward the second air outlet so that noise is reduced when dust-filtered air is discharged outside of the second fan cover.

5. The robot cleaner of claim 3 , wherein the fan unit further comprises:
a first fine dust filter mounted to the first air outlet; and
a second fine dust filter mounted to the second air outlet.

6. The robot cleaner of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first guiding member extending upwardly from the suction unit toward the cyclone unit at an inclination angle, the first guiding member providing a first flow path for dust-contained air between the suction unit and the cyclone unit; and
a second guiding member extending upwardly from the suction unit toward the cyclone unit at an inclination angle and spaced apart from the first guiding member, the second guiding member providing a second flow path for dust-contained air between the suction unit and the cyclone unit.

7. The robot cleaner of claim 6 , wherein the first guiding member and the second guiding member are inclined at a first angle with respect to the floor surface,
wherein a line interconnecting a central axis of the cyclone unit and a central axis of the driving unit is inclined at a second angle with respect to the floor surface, and
wherein the first angle is less than the second angle.

8. The robot cleaner of claim 6 , wherein the cyclone unit further comprises:
a first suction opening communicated with the first guiding member; and
a second suction opening communicated with the second guiding member, and
wherein the first cyclone is disposed close to the first suction opening, and the second cyclone is disposed close to the second suction opening.

9. The robot cleaner of claim 8 , wherein the first cyclone and the second cyclone are disposed at central portions of both ends of the cyclone unit so as to have a preset separation distance from an inner circumferential surface of the cyclone unit.

10. The robot cleaner of claim 8 , wherein the cyclone unit further comprises:
a first suction guide extending from the first suction opening toward an inner circumferential surface of the cyclone unit; and
a second suction guide extending from the second suction opening toward the inner circumferential surface of the cyclone unit,
whereby sucked air is guided to the inner circumferential surface of the cyclone unit.

11. The robot cleaner of claim 1 , further comprising:
a dust box communicated with a dust discharge opening provided at a front side of the cyclone unit and configured to collect dust filtered by the cyclone unit,
wherein the cyclone unit is provided at a front upper side of the fan unit such that the dust box connected to the cyclone unit has a predetermined depth.

12. The robot cleaner of claim 11 , further comprising:
a first guiding member extending upwardly from the suction unit toward the cyclone unit at an inclination angle, the first guiding member providing a first flow path for dust-contained air between the suction unit and the cyclone unit; and
a second guiding member extending upwardly from the suction unit toward the cyclone unit at an inclination angle and spaced apart from the first guiding member, the second guiding member providing a second flow path for dust-contained air between the suction unit and the cyclone unit,
wherein at least a portion of the dust box is accommodated between the first guiding member and the second guiding member.

13. The robot cleaner of claim 11 , wherein the dust box is disposed between the suction unit and the cyclone unit.

14. The robot cleaner of claim 11 , wherein the dust box comprises:
a dust box body communicated with the dust discharge opening of the cyclone unit, the dust box body forming a space to collect the dust filtered by the cyclone unit, the dust box comprising:
a first region communicated with the dust discharge opening of the cyclone unit; and
a second region located below the first region, the second region having a smaller cross-sectional area than the first region; and

a dust box cover coupled to the dust box body and configured to open and close an opening of the dust box body, and
wherein at least a portion of second region is accommodated between the first guiding member and the second guiding member.

15. The robot cleaner of claim 14 , wherein at least a portion of the first region is disposed on the first guiding member and the second guiding member.

16. A robot cleaner, comprising:
a suction unit configured to suck dust-contained air from a floor surface;
a cyclone unit configured to filter dust from the dust-contained air sucked through the suction unit by using a centrifugal force, the cyclone unit comprising:
a first cyclone; and
a second cyclone facing the first cyclone;

a fan unit configured to discharge dust-filtered air to an outside of the robot cleaner, the fan unit comprising:
a first fan configured to suck dust-filtered air and discharge the dust-filtered air to the outside;
a second fan configured to suck dust-filtered air and discharge the dust-filtered air to the outside;
a first

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Jongsu
• Kim Hwang
• Park Sungil

Classifications

• A47L9/0477

  Rolls · CPC title

• A47L9/2826

  the condition of the floor · CPC title

• A47L9/1691

  Mounting or coupling means for cyclonic chamber or dust receptacles · CPC title

• A47L9/2894

  Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners · CPC title

• A47L9/1608

  Cyclonic chamber constructions · CPC title