Robot cleaner

• US 10,548,444 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2017
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Sun, Changhwa, Kim, Sangjo
• Primary Examiner(s): Muller, Bryan R
• Application Number:
  US15/854,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20180184867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• 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 9/00 Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0411 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0455 Bearing means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/22 Mountings for motor fan assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2821 Pressure, vacuum level or airflow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2884 Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/30 Arrangement of illuminating devices

Abstract

A robot cleaner includes: a base body forming a bottom part of a cleaner body; a first wheel module and a second wheel module installed to be spaced apart from each other, and configured to moveably support the base body; a suction motor module and a battery module provided between the first and second wheel modules; and a suction nozzle module provided at a front side of the suction motor module and the battery module, and configured to suck air of a region to be cleaned, wherein a plurality of module accommodation portions which are open towards a lower side of the robot cleaner are formed at the base body, and wherein the first wheel module, the second wheel module, the suction motor module, the battery module, and the suction nozzle module are inserted into the module accommodation portions, respectively, in parallel to each other.

Claims

1. An autonomous cleaner, comprising:

a base body that forms a bottom of a cleaner body and includes a plurality of module accommodation recesses that open downwards;

a first wheel module and a second wheel module that, when installed in the base body, are spaced apart from each other and moveably support the base body;

a suction motor module that generates an air flow and a battery module that provides power to drive the suction motor, the suction motor module and the battery module, when installed in to base body, being at least partially positioned between the first and second wheel modules; and

a cleaner head module that is provided forward of the suction motor module and the battery module and uses the air flow from the suction motor to suck in air from a region to be cleaned,

wherein accommodation recesses are configured such that the first wheel module, the second wheel module, the suction motor module, the battery module, and the cleaner head module can be inserted into the module accommodation recesses, respectively, parallel to each other in a direction from a lower side to an upper side of the base body,

wherein the suction motor module includes a damper formed of an elastic material, and

wherein the damper is coupled to an inlet of a corresponding one of the module accommodation recesses that receives the suction motor module, and the damper blocks the inlet of the one of the module accommodation recess to form a bottom surface of the cleaner body together with the base body.

2. The autonomous cleaner of claim 1, wherein each of the module accommodation recesses includes a hole that opens in a direction extending between the upper side and lower side,

wherein each of the first wheel module, the second wheel module, the suction motor module, the battery module, and the cleaner head module is provided with a first connector,

wherein the autonomous cleaner further includes:

a printed circuit board (PCB) installed in the cleaner body; and

second connectors installed on a lower surface of the PCB, and exposed to interiors of the module accommodation recesses through the holes,

wherein each of the first connectors is formed at a position corresponding to one of the second connectors in a corresponding one of the module accommodation recesses, and

wherein as the first wheel module, the second wheel module, the suction motor module, the battery module, and the cleaner head module are inserted into the module accommodation portions, the first connectors are coupled, respectively, to the second connectors.

3. The autonomous cleaner of claim 2, further comprising a middle body coupled onto the base body,

wherein the PCB is provided on the middle body, and is supported by the middle body, and

wherein holes, through which the second connectors are exposed to the module accommodation recesses, are formed at the middle body at positions corresponding to the holes of the base body.

4. The autonomous cleaner of claim 2, further comprising:

a middle body that is coupled onto the base body; and

an outer cover that encloses the middle body and combines with the base body to form an appearance of the cleaner body,

wherein the middle body includes;

an inner cover plateau that supports the PCB and at least partially covers the first wheel module, the second wheel module, the suction motor module and the battery module;

an inner cover side wall that protrudes vertically towards the base body, from an outer edge of the inner cover plateau; and

a slot that is formed on the inner cover side wall portion and extends in a vertical direction of the cleaner body, and

wherein the outer cover includes;

an outer cover plateau that covers the PCB;

an outer cover side wall that extends towards the base body from an outer edge of the outer cover plateau, and is formed to enclose the inner cover side wall; and

a hook that is formed on an inner circumferential surface of the outer cover side wall and is inserted into the slot in a downward direction as the outer cover is coupled to the middle body.

5. The autonomous cleaner of claim 4, wherein a width of the slot increases along an upward direction to guide an insertion of the hook into the slot.

6. The autonomous cleaner of claim 4, wherein a recess is formed on an outer edge of the inner cover plateau at an intersection position with the slot and passes the hook inserted into the slot therethrough.

7. The autonomous cleaner of claim 4, wherein the slot is included in a plurality of slots formed on the middle body, and the plurality of slots are spaced apart from each other.

8. The autonomous cleaner of claim 4, wherein at least one of the middle body or the outer cover further includes a protrusion, and

wherein the protrusion extends from one of the inner cover side wall or the outer cover side wall and towards another one of the inner cover side wall or the outer cover side wall, such protrusion spaces apart the inner cover side wall and the outer cover side wall.

9. The autonomous cleaner of claim 4, wherein the middle body further includes a connection region of the inner side wall cover that is formed at a lower end of the slot and extends between right and left sides of the slot,

wherein the outer cover side wall is provided to face an outside surface of the connection region of the inner side wall, and

wherein the hook protrudes from an inner circumferential surface of the outer cover side wall, and extends up to a position where a portion of the hook faces inside of the connection region of the inner side wall cover.

10. The autonomous cleaner of claim 9, wherein the outer cover further includes a protrusion that extends towards the connection region of the inner side wall cover from the outer cover side wall, and

wherein the connection region of the inner side wall cover is provided between the hook and the protrusion.

11. The autonomous cleaner of claim 1, further comprising:

a dust container detachably coupled to the cleaner body, the suction motor module and the battery module being positioned between the cleaner head module and the dust container; and

connection passages that connect the cleaner head module and the dust container, and connect the dust container and the suction motor module,

wherein the connection passages include;

an upstream side having a first passage connected to the cleaner head module; and

a downstream side having a second passage connected to the upstream passage and an inlet of the dust container, and a third passage connected to an outlet of the dust container and the suction motor module.

12. The autonomous cleaner of claim 11, wherein the upstream passages is connected to the downstream passage by extending around one side of the suction motor module in a direction inclined from a vertical direction of the cleaner body.

13. The autonomous cleaner of claim 11, wherein the downstream passage includes:

a suction passage having one end connected to the upstream passage at one side of the suction motor module, and having another end connected to the inlet of the dust container;

a discharge passage having one end connected to the outlet of the dust container, and having another end connected to an upper part of the suction motor module; and

a passage mounting connected to the base body so as to be supported by the base body, and formed to contact to an outer circumferential surface of the dust container, and

wherein the suction passage is provided between the discharge passage and the passage mounting.

14. The autonomous cleaner of claim 11, further comprising:

a flow amount sensor that measures a flow passing through the connection passages and installed on at least one of the upstream passage or the downstream passage.

15. An autonomous cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body housing a printed circuit board (PCB) that includes a plurality of second connectors, the cleaner body including an outer cover and a base body that forms a bottom of the cleaner body,

wherein;

the base body includes a plurality of module accommodation recesses that open downwards and that receive a plurality of modules,

the plurality of modules include;

a first wheel module and a second wheel module that support the autonomous cleaner,

a suction motor module that generates an air flow and a battery module that provides power to drive the suction motor, the suction motor module and the battery module being installed at least partially between the first and second wheel modules, and

a cleaner head module that is provided forward of the suction motor module and the battery module and uses the air flow from the suction motor to suck in air from a region to be cleaned,

each of the first wheel module, the second wheel module, the suction motor module, the battery module, and the cleaner head module includes a first connector,

the PCB includes a plurality of second connectors,

the module accommodation recesses includes holes that expose the second connectors of the PCB,

when the first wheel module, the second wheel module, the suction motor module, the battery module, and the cleaner head module are inserted into the module accommodation portions, the first connectors are coupled to respective ones of the second connectors,

the suction motor module includes a damper formed of an elastic material, and

the damper is coupled to an inlet of a corresponding one of the module accommodation recesses that receives the suction motor module, and the damper blocks the inlet of the one of the module accommodation recess to form a bottom surface of the cleaner body together with the base body.

16. The autonomous cleaner of claim 15, further comprising a middle body coupled onto the base body,

wherein the PCB is provided on and is supported by the middle body.

17. The autonomous cleaner of claim 16, wherein the middle body includes:

an inner cover plateau that supports the PCB;

an inner cover side wall that protrudes vertically towards the base body, from an outer edge of the inner cover plateau; and

a slot that is formed on the inner cover side wall portion and extends in a vertical direction, and

wherein the outer cover includes;

an outer cover plateau that covers the PCB;

an outer cover side wall that extends towards the base body from an outer edge of the outer cover plateau, and is formed to enclose the inner cover side wall; and

a hook that is formed on an inner circumferential surface of the outer cover side wall and is inserted into the slot in a downward direction when the outer cover is coupled to the middle body.

18. The autonomous cleaner of claim 15, further comprising:

a dust container detachably coupled to the cleaner body, the suction motor module and the battery module being positioned between the cleaner head module and the dust container; and

connection passages that connect the cleaner head module and the dust container, and connect the dust container and the suction motor module,

wherein the connection passages include;

an upstream side having a first passage connected to the cleaner head module; and

a downstream side having a second passage connected to the upstream passage and an inlet of the dust container, and a third passage connected to an outlet of the dust container and the suction motor module.

19. The autonomous cleaner of claim 15, wherein the cleaner head module includes a plate that extends backwards to cover the suction motor module and the battery module.