Robot cleaner having air cleaning function and system thereof

• US 20050015914A1
• Filed: 03/19/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Gwangju Electronics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Gwangju Electronics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Park, Jee-su, Ko, Jang-youn, Lee, Ju-sang, Song, Jeong-gon, You, Jea-sun
• Application Number:
  US10/804,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20050015914A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/319
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/04 for using the exhaust air for other purposes, e.g. for distribution of chemicals in a room, for sterilisation of the air spraying or atomising in general B05
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/42 Mobile autonomous air conditioner, e.g. robots
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/10 by separation, e.g. by filtering
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/108 using dry filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/80 Self-contained air purifiers

Abstract

A robot cleaner for cleaning ambient air in a cleaning area while cleaning a cleaning surface, and a system thereof. The robot cleaner and the system thereof comprise a body, a driving part driving a plurality of wheels disposed at a lower portion of the body, a dust suction part formed in the body to draw-in dust from a cleaning surface, and an air cleaning part formed in the body to draw-in dust-ladened air from a cleaning area. The robot cleaner cleans the air and discharges cleaned air, and, utilizing a controller disposed in the body, controls the driving part and the air cleaning part. Accordingly, since the robot cleaner provides cleaned and fresh air to a predetermined cleaning area while cleaning a surface, it contributes to a fresher residential environment.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner comprising:

a body;

a driving part driving a plurality of wheels disposed at a lower portion of the body;

a dust suction part formed in the body to draw-in dust from a cleaning surface;

an air cleaning part formed in the body to draw-in dust-ladened air from a cleaning area, clean the air and discharge the cleaned air; and

a controller disposed in the body to control the driving part and the air cleaning part.

2. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body is connected to a body cover forming an exterior of the robot cleaner, and the air cleaning part comprises:

a suction driving source to draw-in the dust-ladened air from the cleaning area;

a suction port connected to one side of the body cover;

a discharge port connected to another side of the body cover;

an air cleaning duct in fluid communication with the suction port and the discharge port; and

a plurality of filters disposed in the air cleaning duct to clean the drawn-in air.

3. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 2, wherein the suction port is formed in one side of a front portion of the body cover.

4. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 2, wherein the suction port is formed in one side of an upper portion of the body cover.

5. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 3, wherein the discharge port is formed in another side of the front portion of the body cover.

6. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 4, wherein the discharge port is formed in another side of a front portion of the body cover.

7. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 4, wherein the discharge port is formed in another side of the upper portion of the body cover.

8. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 2, wherein the suction driving source is disposed in the air cleaning duct to draw-in air.

9. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plurality of filters comprise:

a first filter filtering out relatively large dust particles from the drawn-in air; and

a second filter filtering out minute dust particles and indifferent odors from air.

10. A robot cleaning system comprising a driving part for driving a plurality of wheels, a dust suction part for drawing-in dust from a cleaning surface, and a controller for controlling the driving part and the dust suction part, the robot cleaning system further comprising an air cleaning part controlled by the controller, wherein the robot cleaning system performs a cleaning task via the dust suction part and an air cleaning work via the air cleaning part simultaneously or selectively.

11. The robot cleaning system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the air cleaning part comprises a suction driving source for drawing-in dust-ladened air from a predetermined cleaning area, a suction port through which air is drawn-in, a discharge port through which cleaned air is discharged, and at least one filter for cleaning the drawn-in air, and when the suction driving source is driven by the controller, air is drawn-in through the suction port, cleaned though the filter, and discharged through the discharge port.