Autonomous cleaner

• US 10,398,276 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2017
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Nam, Bohyun, Shim, Inbo, Sung, Jihoon, Park, Sojin, Song, Seunghyun, Lee, Sangkyu, Jun, Woochan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Dung Van
• Application Number:
  US15/599,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20170332869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/33 having means for storing dirt
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4013 Contaminants collecting devices, i.e. hoppers, tanks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4066 Propulsion of the whole machine
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4069 Driving or transmission means for the cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/06 Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/122 flat
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1633 Concentric cyclones
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1641 for parallel flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1691 Mounting or coupling means for cyclonic chamber or dust receptacles

Abstract

A robot cleaner comprising: a cleaner body including a controller, the cleaner body having a dust container accommodation part formed therein; a wheel unit mounted in the cleaner body, the wheel unit of which driving is controlled by the controller; and a dust container detachably coupled to the dust container accommodation part, wherein a first opening and a second opening are disposed at the same height in an inner wall of the dust container accommodation part, wherein the dust container includes: an entrance and an exit, disposed side by side along the circumference of the dust container, the entrance and the exit, respectively communicating with the first opening and the second opening when the dust container is accommodated in the dust container accommodation part; and a flow separating part extending downwardly inclined along the inner circumference of the dust container, the flow separating part separating the flow of air introduced into the entrance from the flow of air discharged toward the exit to be respectively guided to lower and upper portions thereof.

Claims

1. An autonomous cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body including a controller, the cleaner body having a dust container dock formed by a recess in the cleaner body, and first and second openings provided on a wall of the recess and provided at the same height on the wall of the recess;

a plurality of wheels provided on the cleaner body, at least one wheel being driven under a control of the controller to move the cleaner body in a prescribed direction; and

a dust container which is removable from the dust container dock, wherein the dust container includes;

an entrance and an exit, disposed side by side along the circumference of the dust container, the entrance and the exit, respectively communicating with the first opening and the second opening when the dust container is located in the dust container dock; and

a flow separation guide downwardly extending at an incline along the inner circumference of the dust container, the flow separation guide separating the flow of air introduced into the entrance from the flow of air discharged toward the exit such that the air introduced into the entrance is guided to a lower portion of the dust container and filtered air is guided upwards toward the exit.

2. The autonomous cleaner of claim 1, wherein the entrance is provided under the flow separation guide part such that air introduced through the entrance flows below the flow separation guide, and

wherein the exit is provided above the flow separation guide such that filtered air flows above the flow separation guide towards the exit.

3. The autonomous cleaner of claim 2, wherein the flow separation guide extends from an upper side of the entrance to a lower side of the exit.

4. The autonomous cleaner of claim 1, wherein the exit is formed immediately next to the entrance.

5. The autonomous cleaner of claim 4, wherein a guide wall is provided with the flow separation guide to separate the entrance from the exit.

6. The autonomous cleaner of claim 4, wherein at least one cyclone is provided in the dust container.

7. The autonomous cleaner of claim 6, wherein the at least one cyclone includes:

a first cyclone provided between an inner circumference of the dust container and an inner case of the dust container to filter dust from air suctioned through the entrance; and

a second cyclone provided into an opening defined by the guide wall and provided in the inner case to filter fine dust.

8. The autonomous cleaner of claim 7, further comprising a filter covering the opening to filter air which has passed through the second cyclone.

9. The autonomous cleaner of claim 8, wherein the filter is fitted to an inner circumferential surface of the opening defined by the guide wall.

10. The autonomous cleaner of claim 9, wherein an air flow guide around an outer circumference of the filter is provided by an upper surface of the flow separation guide such that air passing through the filter flows above the upper surface the flow separation guide.

11. The autonomous cleaner of claim 8, wherein the dust container further includes:

a body case including the entrance, the exit, the opening defined by the guide wall, and the flow separation guide, the body case accommodating the first and second cyclones within the inner circumference;

an upper case coupled to an upper portion of the body case, the upper case including an upper opening that overlaps with the opening defined by the guide wall; and

an upper cover detachably coupled to the upper case to open/close the upper opening, the upper cover having the filter mounted to a rear surface thereof.

12. An autonomous cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body having a dust container dock formed therein; and

a dust container configured to be separated from the dust container dock, wherein the dust container includes;

an entrance and an exit formed at a circumference of the dust container, the entrance and the exit, respectively communicating with a first opening and a second opening formed at an inner wall of the dust container dock, when the dust container is positioned in the dust container dock;

a flow separation guide extending along an inner circumference of the dust container, the flow separation guide separating the flow of air introduced into the entrance from the flow of air discharged toward the exit such that the air introduced into the entrance is guided to a lower portion of the dust container and filtered air is guided upwards toward the exit;

a first cyclone filtering dust from air introduced through the entrance;

a second cyclone positioned through an opening defined by a guide wall provided with the flow separation guide, the second cyclone being disposed in the first cyclone to filter fine dust; and

a filter covering the opening to filter dust in air exiting through the second cyclone.

13. The autonomous cleaner of claim 12, wherein the filter is fitted to a top surface of the flow separation guide, or is fitted to an inner circumferential surface of the guide wall.

14. The autonomous cleaner of claim 13, wherein an air flow guide around an outer circumference of the filter is provided by an upper surface of the flow separation guide such that air passing through the filter flows above the upper surface the flow separation guide.

15. The autonomous cleaner of claim 12, wherein the dust container further includes:

a body case including the entrance, the exit, the opening defined by the guide wall, and the flow separation guide, the body case housing the first and second cyclones;

an upper case coupled to an upper portion of the body case, the upper case including an upper opening that overlaps with the opening defined by the guide wall; and

an upper cover detachably coupled to the upper case to open/close the upper opening, the upper cover having the filter mounted to a rear surface thereof.