Robot cleaner

• US 20060053580A1
• Filed: 04/13/2005
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Woo, Chun-Kyu
• Granted Patent: US 7,581,282 B2
• 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 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0227 using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area

Abstract

A robot cleaner includes: a suction unit installed at a cleaner body, for sucking dirt on a floor; a driving unit for moving the cleaner body; a sensing unit mounted at the cleaner body, for sensing a depressed portion and a stepped portion such as a doorsill of a floor; and a control unit receiving a signal of the sensing unit, for controlling the driving unit to allow the cleaner body to avoid the depressed portion and the stepped portion, thereby correctly sensing the depressed portion or the stepped portion of the floor and avoiding such a portion. Accordingly, the cleaning operation is stably carried out.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner comprising:

a suction unit installed at a cleaner body, for sucking dirt on a floor;

a driving unit for moving the cleaner body;

a sensing unit mounted at the cleaner body, for sensing a depressed portion and a stepped portion such as a doorsill of a floor; and

a control unit receiving a signal of the sensing unit, for controlling the driving unit to allow the cleaner body to avoid the depressed portion and the stepped portion.

2. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the sensing unit comprises:

a wheel installed at a bottom of the cleaner body in a state of contacting with a floor, idled by a movement of the cleaner body and displaced in a vertical direction according to prominence and depression of the floor;

a connection rod connected to the wheel and extended toward the inside of the cleaner body;

a supporter installed at the cleaner body;

a first link member whose one end is hinge-connected to an upper end of the supporter and whose other end is hinge-connected to an upper end of the connection rod;

a second link member whose one end is hinge-connected to the supporter at a predetermined distance from a position of the supporter where the first link member is connected and whose other end is hinge-connected to the connection rod at a predetermined distance from a position of the connection rod where the first link member is connected; and

a sensing unit for detecting the amount of displacement in a vertical direction of the wheel.

3. The robot cleaner of claim 2, wherein the first link member and the second link member are installed to maintain a parallel relationship therebetween.

4. The robot cleaner of claim 2, wherein the sensing unit comprises:

first and second contact switches fixed to the cleaner body and respectively coming in contact with the first and second link members pivoted by a displacement in a vertical direction of the wheel.

5. The robot cleaner of claim 4, wherein the first contact switch is installed above the first link member and comes in contact with the first link member pivoted when the wheel and the connection rod move upward, and the second contact switch is installed under the second link member and comes in contact with the second link member pivoted when the wheel and the connection rod move downward.

6. The robot cleaner of claim 2, wherein an elastic member for providing an elastic force to the first or second link member is installed between the first or second link member and the cleaner body.

7. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the sensing unit is installed at a front side in a moving direction of the cleaner body on the basis of a suction head of the suction unit.

8. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the sensing unit comprises:

a wheel installed at a bottom of the cleaner body in a state of contacting with a floor, idled by a movement of the cleaner body, and displaced in a vertical direction according to prominence and depression of the floor;

a connection rod connected to the wheel, and extended toward the inside of the cleaner body;

a supporter rotatably installed at a bracket fixed to the cleaner body;

an elastic member installed between the supporter and the bracket, for providing an elastic force to the supporter;

a first link member whose one end is hinge-connected to an upper end of the supporter and whose other end is hinge-connected to an upper end of the connection rod;

a second link member whose one end is hinge-connected to the supporter at a predetermined distance from a position of the supporter where the first link member is connected and whose other end is hinge-connected to the connection rod at a predetermined distance from a position of the connection rod where the first link member is connected; and

a sensing unit for detecting the amount of displacement in a vertical direction of the wheel.

9. The robot cleaner of claim 8, wherein a stopper is installed at the bracket, the stopper preventing rotation of the supporter at a predetermined angle or more.

10. The robot cleaner of claim 8, wherein the elastic member is connected to a lower portion of the rotation center of the supporter.

11. The robot cleaner of claim 8, wherein the sensing unit comprises:

first and second contact switches installed adjacent to the first and second link members and respectively coming in contact with the first and the second link members pivoted by a displacement in a vertical direction of the wheel.

12. The robot cleaner of claim 11, wherein the first and second contact switches are installed at the supporter.

13. The robot cleaner of claim 11, wherein the first contact switch is installed above the first link member and comes in contact with the first link member pivoted when the wheel and the connection rod move upward, and the second contact switch is installed under the second link member and comes in contact with the second link member pivoted when the wheel and the connection rod move downward.