Autonomous cleaner

• US 10,463,212 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2017
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• 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, Sun, Changhwa, Youk, Hyungkyu, Kim, Sangjo
• Primary Examiner(s): Hail, Joseph J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brady, Timothy Brian
• Application Number:
  US15/599,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20170332857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 15325, 15339, 15347, 15DIG 10, 701 23, 701 28, 701301, 700255
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/22 with rotary fans
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• 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 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1691 Mounting or coupling means for cyclonic chamber or dust receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2852 Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/30 Arrangement of illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0227 using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0248 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

A robot cleaner comprising: a first housing including a controller and a driving wheel of which driving is controlled by the controller; a second housing provided at one side of the first housing, the second housing having a brush module or mop module mounted thereto; a front bumper provided at a front portion of the second housing, the front bumper configured to be movable to the inside of the second housing when the front bumper is in contact with an obstacle; at least one sensing means provided at the inside of the front bumper to sense a movement of the front bumper to the inside of the second housing; side bumpers respectively provided at left and right side portions of the second housing, the side bumpers each being configured to movable to the inside of the second housing when the side bumper is in contact with an obstacle; and a link member provided at the inside of the side bumper to allow the side bumper and the front bumper to interlock with each other such that, when the side bumper is moved to the inside of the second housing, at least one portion of the front bumper is moved together with the side bumper to the inside of the second housing.

Claims

1. An autonomous cleaner comprising:

a first housing forming a cleaner body, the cleaner body including a controller;

a plurality of wheels to move the cleaner body in a prescribed direction of travel, the driving of at least one wheel being controlled by the controller;

a second housing forming a cleaner head and provided at one side of the first housing, the second housing having a brush module or mop module mounted thereto;

a front bumper provided at a front of the second housing, the front bumper configured to be movable toward second housing when the front bumper collides with an obstacle;

at least one sensor provided behind the front bumper to sense a movement of the front bumper toward the second housing;

left and right bumpers respectively provided at the sides of the second housing, the left bumper or the right bumper being configured to move toward the second housing when the left bumper or the right bumper collides with an obstacle; and

left and right linkages are provided at an inside of the left and right bumpers, respectively, in a connected state with the front bumper, such that when the left or right linkage is pressed by one of the left bumper or the right bumper to move toward the second housing, and the front bumper cooperatively moves toward the second housing when the one of the left bumper or the right bumper moves into the second housing.

2. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein each of the left and right linkages includes:

a coupler to couple to the front bumper; and

a groove, where an actuator is formed to protrude from an inner surface of the left or right bumper into the groove,

wherein when the left or right bumper moves to an inside of the second housing, the actuator presses the inner surface of the groove, such that the left or right linkage moves to the rear of the second housing.

3. The robot cleaner of claim 2, wherein the inner surface of the groove is formed to be inclined, such that the left or the right linkage move in a direction that is perpendicular to the movement direction of the left or right bumper when the actuator presses the inner surface of the groove.

4. The robot cleaner of claim 2, wherein the actuator includes an inclined side, and upon collision of with an obstacle, the inclined side pushes against an inner surface of the groove.

5. The robot cleaner of claim 4, wherein the inner surface of the groove has a reverse angle of inclination to the inclined side such that a slidable contact is provided between the inner surface of the groove and inclined side of the actuator.

6. The robot cleaner of claim 4, wherein the slidable contact is maintained prior to the first or the second bumper collides with an obstacle.

7. The robot cleaner of claim 2, wherein left and right couplers couple the left and right linkages to opposite ends of the front bumper.

8. The robot cleaner of claim 7, wherein the sensor comprises:

a first micro switch located adjacent to a left end of the front bumper;

a second micro switch located adjacent to a right end of the front bumper; and

a third micro switch located between the first micro switch and the second micro switch,

wherein the first or second micro switch adjacent to the left or right bumper is pressurized when the left or right bumper collides with an obstacle.

9. The robot cleaner of claim 8, wherein, when the first or second micro switch is tripped, the controller controls the driving of at least one of the wheels based on a traveling direction before tripping of the first or second micro switch.

10. The robot cleaner of claim 9, wherein the prescribed direction of travel is changed to an opposite direction of travel when the first or second micro switch is tripped.

11. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein an intake port for air suction through the cleaner head is formed at a bottom surface of the second housing, and a pair of projections is formed by a front surface at left and right ends of the front bumper extending further in a forward direction than the front surface between the left and right ends.

12. The robot cleaner of claim 11, wherein when both of the projections simultaneously contact a wall, air flow is allowed by an opening form between the pair of projections.

13. The robot cleaner of claim 1, further comprising:

an image sensor provided at a side of the first housing to photograph an image; and

a lighting part provided at the second housing to light an area to be photographed by the image sensor.

14. The robot cleaner of claim 13, wherein the lighting part operates as a recognizing means for generating mapping information of the robot cleaner in a remote control device that remotely controls the robot cleaner.

15. The robot cleaner of claim 1, further comprising a flap provided to fill a gap between the first housing and the second housing, the flap being configured prevent an obstacle from being stuck in the gap.