ROBOT CLEANER

• US 20130232718A1
• Filed: 03/08/2013
• Published: 09/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Baek, Ohhyun, Shim, Inbo, Ko, Moohyun
• Granted Patent: US 9,549,649 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/319
• 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 9/10 Filters in general B01D; cyclones B04C; Dust separators; Dust removal; Automatic exchange of filters for machines for cleaning floors A47L11/40
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1427 Means for mounting or attaching bags or filtering receptacles in suction cleaners; Adapters
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1472 combined with security means, e.g. for preventing use, e.g. in case of absence of the bag

Abstract

There is provided a robot cleaner including a main body, a suction unit that sucks air including foreign substances into the main body, a moving unit that moves the main body, a dust collecting unit that has a filter for filtering the foreign substances included in the air sucked by the suction unit and a dust collecting case that collects the foreign substances filtered by the filter, and a detection unit that detects whether or not the filter is attached to the main body.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner, comprising:

a main body;

a suction unit that sucks air including foreign substances into the main body;

a moving unit that moves the main body;

a dust collecting unit including a filter that filters the foreign substances included in the air sucked by the suction unit and a dust collecting case that collects the foreign substances filtered by the filter; and

a detection unit that detects whether the filter is attached to the main body.

2. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the filter is detachably coupled to the dust collecting case, and the filter is attached to the main body in a state in which the filter is attached to the dust collecting case.

3. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the detection unit includes a micro switch that is turned on or off by the filter.

4. The robot cleaner of claim 3, wherein an opening that exposes a part of the filter to an outside of the dust collecting case is formed in the dust collecting case, and the micro switch is turned on or off by the part of the filter exposed through the opening.

5. The robot cleaner of claim 3, wherein an opening for exposing a part of the filter to an outside of the dust collecting case is formed in the dust collecting case, and a driving lever is provided at the main body to be operated by the part of the filter exposed through the opening to turn on or off the micro switch.

6. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the detection unit includes a touch switch that is turned on or off by being touched by the filter.

7. The robot cleaner of claim 6, wherein an opening that exposes a part of the filter to an outside of the dust collecting case is formed in the dust collecting case, and the touch switch is touched by the part of the filter exposed through the opening.

8. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the detection unit includes a magnet provided at the filter and a sensor provided at the main body to detect magnetism of the magnet.

9. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the detection unit includes a light generating unit provided at the main body and an optical sensor to detect light irradiated from the light generating unit,

the optical sensor does not detect the light irradiated from the light generating unit when the filter is attached to the main body, and

the optical sensor detects the light irradiated from the light generating unit when the filter is not attached to the main body.

10. The robot cleaner of claim 9, wherein the filter is located between the light generating unit and the optical sensor when the filter is attached to the main body.

11. The robot cleaner of claim 9, wherein a plurality of openings through which light passes is formed in the dust collecting case, and the filter covers the plurality of openings when the filter is attached to the dust collecting case.

12. The robot cleaner of claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit that, when a command to operate the main body is received even though an unmounted state of the filter is detected, displays information to notify of the unmounted state of the filter.

13. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein, when a command to operate the main body is received even though an unmounted state of the filter is detected, the suction unit is not operated.

14. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein when a command to operate the main body is received even though an unmounted state of the filter is detected, the moving unit is not operated.

15. A robot cleaner, comprising:

a main body at which a settling portion is formed;

a suction unit provided at the main body to suck air including foreign substances into the main body;

a moving unit provided at the main body to move the main body;

a dust collecting unit that is settled in the settling portion and includes a filter to filter the foreign substances included in the air sucked by the suction unit;

a detection unit that detects the filter of the dust collecting unit mounted in the settling portion; and

a control unit that restricts an operation of the suction unit when the filter is not detected by the detection unit.

16. The robot cleaner of claim 15, wherein the control unit allows the suction unit to be turned on when the filter is detected by the detection unit.

17. The robot cleaner of claim 15, further comprising:

a display unit that, when the filter is not detected by the detection unit, displays information to notify the unmounted state of the filter.

18. The robot cleaner of claim 15, wherein the control unit restricts an operation of the moving unit when the filter is not detected by the detection unit.

19. The robot cleaner of claim 15, wherein the detection unit includes a micro switch that is turned on or off by the filter, a touch switch that is touched by the filter, or a hall sensor to detect a magnet provided at the filter.

20. The robot cleaner of claim 15,

wherein the detection unit includes a light generating unit provided at the fixing portion and an optical sensor to detect light irradiated from the light generating unit,

the optical sensor does not detect the light irradiated from the light generating unit when the filter is attached to the main body, and

the optical sensor detects the light irradiated from the light generating unit when the filter is not attached to the main body.