ROBOT FOR CLEANING WALL/WINDOW

• US 20080195253A1
• Filed: 02/04/2008
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yong Wook Kim
• Original Assignee: Yong Wook Kim
• Inventors: KIM, Yong Wook
• Granted Patent: US 8,127,390 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 1/02 Power-driven machines or devices
• 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: B62D 57/024 specially adapted for moving on inclined or vertical surfaces endless-track vehicles for ascending or descending stairs B62D55/075; hand-carts with provision for travelling up or down stairs B62B5/02

Abstract

A robot according to the present invention cleans the outer surface of a window/wall by performing automatic movement along the outer surface of the window/wall while being vacuum-sucked onto the outer surface. The robot includes a moving unit for moving the robot in a first direction, a direction changing unit for rotating the moving unit to change a movement direction of the robot, and a cleaning unit mounted on at least one side of the robot. The robot can prevent water used to clean the window or outer wall of a building from being dropped toward a lower story. Also, the robot can run smoothly so that it can achieve a satisfactory cleaning operation without forming spots. The robot uses a turntable system, so that it can also freely change the movement direction thereof about the center thereof up to 360° without requiring any radius of rotation, to easily approach even a dead zone. The robot has a minimum size and a minimum weight, so that it can minimize the possibility that the robot falls down during a cleaning operation.

Claims

1. A robot for cleaning a wall and/or window, comprising:

a moving unit for moving the robot in a first direction;

a direction changing unit for rotating the moving unit to change a moving direction of the robot; and

a cleaning unit mounted on peripheral area of the robot.

2. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the moving unit comprises:

a plurality of moving members that can linearly move in a second direction opposite to the first direction;

moving member rails for guiding the linear movement of the plurality of moving members, respectively;

a moving member driving unit for driving the plurality of moving members; and

suction units attached to the plurality of moving members respectively for supporting the robot onto the outer wall/window.

3. The robot according to claim 2, wherein the moving unit further comprises:

moving member sensors mounted on the moving member rails respectively for sensing linear movement of the corresponding moving member.

4. The robot according to claim 2, wherein the moving unit further comprises:

moving member returning units for returning to an original position the moving members having moved linearly in the second direction by a predetermined distance.

5. The robot according to claim 4, wherein each of the moving member returning units comprises a pneumatic cylinder or a coil spring.

6. The robot according to claim 2, wherein the moving member driving unit comprises:

a moving member driving motor;

a shaft rotatably connected to the moving member driving motor;

rack gears connected to the plurality of moving members respectively; and

plate cam gears,

wherein the shaft passes through centers of curvature of the plate cam gears, and the plate cam gears rotate in accordance with rotation of the shaft so as to linearly move the rack gears respectively.

7. The robot according to claim 6, wherein the shaft has a polygonal cross-section.

8. The robot according to claim 7, wherein the shaft passes through the centers of curvature of the plate cam gears in such a way that each of the plate cam gears is misaligned with one another by a predetermined angle.

9. The robot according to claim 6, wherein each plate cam gear has a sector shape, the plate cam gear has a geared portion at an arc of the sector shape, and the length of the arc corresponds to a length for which the corresponding moving member moves linearly in the second direction such that the corresponding moving member rail is moved toward the outer wall/window when the corresponding moving member starts to move linearly in the second direction.

10. The robot according to claim 9, wherein the moving member driving unit further comprises elastic members for returning to an original position the moving member rail having moved toward the outer wall/window when the moving member completes the linear movement in the second direction.

11. The robot according to claim 2, wherein each of the suction units comprises a moving vacuum pad having an oval shape with a longer axis thereof parallel to the first and second directions.

12. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the direction changing unit comprises:

a position fixing unit for fixing the robot to the outer wall/window; and

a direction setting unit,

wherein the direction setting unit rotates the moving unit to set the movement direction of the robot when the robot is fixed to the outer wall/window by the position fixing unit.

13. The robot according to claim 12, wherein the position fixing unit comprises:

a first position-fixing vacuum pad being capable of being attached onto the outer wall/window by vacuum; and

a position-fixing driving unit for moving the first position-fixing vacuum pad toward the outer wall/window.

14. The robot according to claim 13, wherein the position-fixing driving unit comprises:

a position-fixing drive motor; and

a first female spur gear rotating by means of the position-fixing drive motor; and

a first vertical screw gear connected to the first position-fixing vacuum pad at one end thereof, the first vertical screw gear moving linearly in accordance with rotation of the first female spur gear so as to move the first position-fixing vacuum pad toward the outer wall/window.

15. The robot according to claim 14, wherein the position-fixing driving unit further comprises:

a rotary damper gear for transmitting a rotating force from the position-fixing drive motor to the first female spur gear while preventing the position-fixing drive motor from being overloaded.

16. The robot according to claim 14, wherein the position fixing unit further comprises:

a driven spur gear operatively connected to the first female spur gear so as to be able to rotate in accordance with rotation of the first female spur gear;

a second female spur gear operatively connected to the driven spur gear so as to be able to rotate in accordance with rotation of the driven spur gear;

a second vertical screw gear to move linearly in accordance with rotation of the second female spur gear; and

a second position-fixing vacuum pad connected to an end of the second vertical screw gear and being capable of being attached onto the outer wall/window.

17. The robot according to claim 12, wherein the direction setting unit comprises:

a circular moving unit supporting member for supporting the moving unit; and

a direction-setting driving unit for rotating the moving unit supporting member.

18. The robot according to claim 17, wherein the direction-setting driving unit comprises:

a direction-setting drive motor;

a worm rotating by means of the direction-setting drive motor; and

a worm gear mounted on an outer circumferential surface of the moving unit supporting member, the worm gear being engaged with the worm such that the worm gear rotates in accordance with the rotation of the worm, thereby rotating the moving unit supporting member.

19. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning unit comprises:

a first cleaning brush mounted on a first inner side portion of the robot; and

a cleaning brush driving unit for rotating the first cleaning brush inwardly of the robot so as to allow water used in a cleaning operation to be collected within the robot.

20. The robot according to claim 19, wherein the cleaning brush driving unit comprises:

a cleaning brush driving motor;

a first gear rotating in a first rotation direction by means of the cleaning brush driving motor;

a first belt-driving pulley connected to a rotating shaft of the first gear so as to be able to rotate in the first rotation direction together with the first gear;

a first brush pulley connected to a rotating shaft of the first cleaning brush; and

a pulley belt for transmitting a rotating force of the first belt-driving pulley to the first brush pulley.

21. The robot according to claim 20, wherein the cleaning brush driving unit further comprises:

a second gear engaged with the first gear and rotating in a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction;

a second belt-driving pulley connected to a rotating shaft of the second gear so as to be able to rotate in the second rotation direction together with the second gear;

a third gear engaged with the second gear so as to be able to rotate in the first rotation direction; and

a third belt-driving pulley connected to a rotating shaft of the third gear so as to be able to rotate in the first rotation direction together with the third gear.

22. The robot according to claim 21, wherein the pulley belt is connected to the first, second, and third belt-driving pulleys in a crossing manner.

23. The robot according to claim 20, wherein the cleaning unit further comprises:

a second cleaning brush mounted on a second inner side portion of the robot;

a second brush pulley connected to a rotating shaft of the second cleaning brush; and

a direction-changing roller positioned between the first and second brush pulleys for changing an extension direction of the pulley belt so that the pulley belt transmits the rotating force of the first belt-driving pulley to the second brush pulley.

24. The robot according to claim 20, wherein the cleaning unit further comprises:

a belt tension adjuster for adjusting a tension of the pulley belt.

25. The robot according to claim 1, further comprising:

a multi-hose cable connected to an external auxiliary device, the multi-hose cable comprising;

a water supply hose for supplying a cleaning liquid to the robot;

a draining hose for draining along with dirt the liquid used in the cleaning operation from the robot;

vacuum and pneumatic hoses for supplying a vacuum and a pneumatic pressure to the robot, respectively;

a power cable for supplying electric power to the robot; and

a sheath surrounding the water supply hose, the draining hose, the vacuum and pneumatic hoses, and the power cable.