AUTOMATIC VACUUM CLEANER

• US 20120151706A1
• Filed: 07/16/2010
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Seo, Jonghyun
• Granted Patent: US 9,376,150 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/319
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 1/03 cleaning both sides of a window simultaneously
• 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: 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

The present invention relates an automatic vacuum cleaner. According to an aspect of the present invention, the automatic vacuum cleaner includes a first movement part and a second movement part capable of together moving along an inclined cleaning surface, a movement unit provided in at least one of the first movement part and the second movement part, a cleaning member provided in at least one of the first movement part and the second movement part, and a detection unit which detects states of the cleaning surface, wherein movement speeds of the first movement part and the second movement part are varied according to the sates of the cleaning surface.

Claims

1. An automatic vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a first movement part and a second movement part capable of together moving along an inclined cleaning surface;

a movement unit provided to at least one of the first movement part and the second movement part;

a cleaning member provided to at least one of the first movement part and the second movement part; and

a detection unit which detects states of the cleaning surface,

wherein movement speeds of the first movement part and the second movement part are varied according to the sates of the cleaning surface.

2. The automatic vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising:

an attachment maintaining unit which maintains a state where the first movement part and the second movement part are attached to the cleaning surface.

3. The automatic vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the movement unit includes at least one adhesion unit which maintains a state where the first movement part and the second movement part are attached to the cleaning surface.

4. The automatic vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the movement speed is gradationally adjusted according to amounts of the foreign materials of the cleaning surface.

5. The automatic vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, wherein the movement speed is set slower as the more foreign materials are existed on the cleaning surface.

6. The automatic vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, wherein when determined that the foreign material amounts of the cleaning surface are more than the reference amount, the first movement part and the second movement part are stopped for a certain period of time at a specific location during the movement.

7. The automatic vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit is a camera which photographs the cleaning surface.

8. The automatic vacuum cleaner according to claim 7, further comprising an analysis unit which analyzes image of the cleaning surface photographed by the camera,

wherein the analysis unit divides the photographed image into a plurality of pixels to determine whether the foreign materials are existed for each pixel.

9. The automatic vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit detects the cleaning surface and again detects the cleaning surface in a state moved by a certain distance.

10. An automatic vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a first movement part and a second movement part capable of together moving along an inclined cleaning surface;

a movement unit provided to at least one of the first movement part and the second movement part;

a cleaning member provided to at least one of the first movement part and the second movement part;

a detection unit which detects states of the cleaning surface; and

a driving unit which drives the cleaning member,

wherein operation manners of the driving unit are varied according to the sates of the cleaning surface.

11. The automatic vacuum cleaner according to claim 10, further comprising:

an attachment maintaining unit which maintains a state where the first movement part and the second movement part are attached to the cleaning surface.

12. The automatic vacuum cleaner according to claim 10, wherein the movement unit includes at least one adhesion unit which maintains a state where the first movement part and the second movement part are attached to the cleaning surface.

13. The automatic vacuum cleaner according to claim 10, wherein the operation speed of the cleaning member according to the operation of the driving unit is gradationally adjusted depending on amounts of the foreign materials of the cleaning surface.

14. The automatic vacuum cleaner according to claim 13, wherein the operation speed is set faster as the more foreign materials are existed on the cleaning surface.

15. The automatic vacuum cleaner according to claim 10, wherein when determined that the foreign material amounts of the cleaning surface are more than the reference amount, the first movement part and the second movement part are stopped for a certain period of time at a specific location during the movement.

16. The automatic vacuum cleaner according to claim 10, wherein the detection unit is a camera which photographs the cleaning surface.

17. The automatic vacuum cleaner according to claim 16, further comprising:

an analysis unit which analyzes image of the cleaning surface photographed by the camera,

wherein the analysis unit divides the photographed image into a plurality of pixels to determine whether the foreign materials are existed for each pixel.

18. The automatic vacuum cleaner according to claim 10, wherein the detection unit detects the cleaning surface and again detects the cleaning surface in a state moved by a certain distance.