Autonomous cleaning machine

• US 20100287717A1
• Filed: 05/06/2010
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Chung, Woo Bam, Joo, Jae Man, Hong, Jun Pyo, Yoo, Kyung Hwan, Jung, Jae Young, Kim, Dong Won, Jang, Hwi Chan
• Granted Patent: US 8,443,477 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• 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 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0488 Combinations or arrangements of several tools, e.g. edge cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/122 flat
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/248 Parts, details or accessories of hoses or pipes nozzles A47L9/02

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an autonomous cleaning machine with a brush cleaning unit to clean a brush unit. The autonomous cleaning machine includes a main body, the brush unit rotatably provided on the main body, first brush cleaning members contacting the brush unit to move foreign substances wound on the brush unit in a lengthwise direction of the brush unit, and second brush cleaning members contacting the brush unit to remove the foreign substances wound on the brush unit from the brush unit.

Claims

1. An autonomous cleaning machine to clean a floor comprising:

a main body;

a brush unit rotatably provided on the main body;

a plurality of first brush cleaning members contacting the brush unit to move foreign substances wound on the brush unit in a lengthwise direction of the brush unit; and

a plurality of second brush cleaning members contacting the brush unit to remove the foreign substances wound on the brush unit from the brush unit.

2. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 1, wherein the first brush cleaning members are arranged symmetrically to move the foreign substances, to a central portion of the brush unit.

3. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 1, wherein:

the brush unit includes brushes contacting the floor; and

the first brush cleaning members are installed such that each of the first brush cleaning members is respectively inclined in a designated direction based on a rotating direction of the brush unit to apply pressure to the brushes to elastically deform the brushes in the designated direction.

4. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 3, wherein ones of the first brush cleaning members provided at a first side of the cleaning machine are inclined to a second side of the cleaning machine based on a rotating direction of the brush unit, and the first brush cleaning members provided at the second side are inclined to the first side based on the rotating direction of the brush unit.

5. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 1, wherein the second brush cleaning members are arranged in a lengthwise direction of the brush unit.

6. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 5, wherein the second brush cleaning members are arranged at a central portion of the brush unit.

7. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 1, wherein each of the second brush cleaning members includes a pick-up and guide part to pick up the foreign substances wound on the brush unit and to move the foreign substances to an outside of the brush unit along a rotating radius of the brush unit.

8. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 7, wherein the pick-up and guide part is arranged in the vertical direction.

9. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 7, wherein the pick-up and guide part is located at a height lower than a top dead center of the rotating radius of the brush unit.

10. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 7, further comprising a dust collection assembly provided on the main body,

wherein the pick-up and guide part guides the foreign substances to the dust collection assembly.

11. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 7, wherein the pick-up and guide part includes a sharpened part which is interfered with by the brush unit.

17. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 1, further comprising at least one third brush cleaning member adjacent to connection portions between the main body and the brush unit to move the foreign substances wound on the brush unit to portions of the brush unit other than the connection portions between the main body and the brush unit.

18. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 17, wherein:

the at least one third brush cleaning member moves the foreign substances wound on the brush unit to a central region of the brush unit; and

the first brush cleaning members move the foreign substances, moved to the central region of the brush unit by the at least one third brush cleaning member, to the center of the brush unit in a lengthwise direction of the brush unit.

12. An autonomous cleaning machine comprising:

a main body;

a brush unit rotatably provided on the main body; and

a brush cleaning unit provided on the main body and contacting the brush unit,

wherein the brush cleaning unit collects foreign substances wound on the brush unit at one portion of the brush unit, and then removes the foreign substances from the brush unit.

13. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 12, wherein the brush cleaning unit includes a plurality of first brush cleaning members to collect the foreign substances at a central portion of the brush unit, and a plurality of second brush cleaning members to remove the foreign substances from the brush unit.

14. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 13, wherein the first brush cleaning members are installed such that each of the first brush cleaning members is respectively inclined in a designated direction based on a rotating direction of the brush unit, and the first brush cleaning members are arranged symmetrically.

15. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 13, wherein the second brush cleaning members are arranged vertically, and are located at a height lower than a top dead center of a rotating radius of the brush unit.

16. An autonomous cleaning machine comprising:

a main body;

a brush unit rotatably provided on the main body; and

a brush cleaning unit provided on the main body and contacting the brush unit,

wherein the brush cleaning unit prevents foreign substances wound on the brush unit from being removed from the brush unit to the outside of the brush unit in a direction of a rotary axis of the brush unit, and allows the foreign substances to be removed from the brush unit to an outside of the brush unit in a direction of a rotating radius of the brush unit.

19. An autonomous cleaning machine comprising:

a main body;

a brush unit rotatably provided on the main body;

a plurality of connection portions; and

a brush cleaning unit to clean the brush unit,

wherein the brush cleaning unit is arranged adjacent to ones of the connection portions between the main body and the brush unit to move foreign substances wound on the brush unit to portions of the brush unit other than the connection portions between the main body and the brush unit.

20. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 19, wherein the brush cleaning unit moves the foreign substances wound on the brush unit to a central region of the brush unit.

21. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 19, wherein the brush cleaning unit includes at least one brush cleaning member protruded from an outside of the brush unit to an inside of the brush unit in a lengthwise direction of the brush unit.

22. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 21, wherein:

the brush unit includes brushes made of an elastic material; and

the at least one third brush cleaning member includes an inclined part inclined at a designated angle to elastically deform the brushes toward a center of the brush unit.

23. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 21, wherein the at least one brush cleaning member is located adjacent to each of both ends of the brush unit.

24. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 21, wherein:

the main body includes a drum case in which the brush unit is mounted, and a brush cover attached to and detached from the drum case; and

the at least one brush cleaning member is installed on the brush cover.

25. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 24, wherein:

the drum case includes at least one connection groove into which the brush unit is inserted;

the brush unit includes at least one connection protrusion attached to and detached from the at least one connection groove; and

the at least one brush cleaning member is arranged adjacent to a connection portion between the at least one connection groove and the at least one connection protrusion.