VACUUM CLEANER AND METHOD OF DISPLAYING STATE THEREOF

• US 20170245715A1
• Filed: 02/28/2017
• Published: 08/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: SON, Jungkyu, NAM, Bohyun, PARK, Jaeyong, BAE, Sehwan
• Granted Patent: US 10,111,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/362 of the horizontal type, e.g. canister or sledge type
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2852 Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2884 Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/008 in the form of devices for effecting sequential colour changes, e.g. colour wheels

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner that includes: a suction part that is configured to receive dust; and a cleaner body that is coupled to the suction part, that is configured to collect dust from the suction part based on suction force, and that includes: a main body, a suction motor that is configured to generate suction force, a wheel that is coupled to a first surface of the main body and that is configured to rotate about an axis to move the main body, a driving unit that is configured to generate driving force to move the wheel, a display unit that is coupled to the wheel and that is configured to display operation state information of the vacuum cleaner, and a controller that is configured to control the driving unit and the display unit is disclosed.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a suction part that is configured to receive dust; and

a cleaner body that is coupled to the suction part, that is configured to collect dust from the suction part based on suction force, and that includes;

a main body,

a suction motor that is configured to generate suction force,

a wheel that is coupled to a first surface of the main body and that is configured to rotate about an axis to move the main body,

a driving unit that is configured to generate driving force to move the wheel,

a display unit that is coupled to the wheel and that is configured to display operation state information of the vacuum cleaner, and

a controller that is configured to control the driving unit and the display unit.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, further comprising:

a first sensor that is configured to sense movement of the main body,

wherein the controller is configured to control a rotation of the wheel based on the movement of the main body sensed by the first sensor.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to:

control the display unit to display power status of the first sensor.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to:

control the display unit to display a rotation direction of the wheel.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the display unit includes:

a light emitting unit that is configured to emit light, and

wherein the controller is configured to;

define a first region of the light emitting unit and control the first region of the light emitting unit to emit first light in a first color, and

define a second region of the light emitting unit and control the second region of the light emitting unit to emit second light in a second color.

6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 5, wherein the light emitting unit has a circular shape or a ring shape, and

wherein the controller is configured to:

define the first region to move along a perimeter of the light emitting unit based on a rotation of the wheel.

7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

determine whether the vacuum cleaner has an operation error, and

based on a determination that the vacuum cleaner has an operation error, control the display unit to display the operation error.

8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, further comprising:

a second sensor that is configured to sense an obstacle,

wherein the controller is configured to control the display unit to display obstacle information indicating that an obstacle is present adjacent to the vacuum cleaner.

9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, further comprising:

a battery that is configured to supply electric power to the main body,

wherein the controller is configured to control the display unit to display battery level information including a remaining capacity of the battery.

10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, wherein the battery is detachable to the main body.

11. The vacuum cleaner of claim 10, wherein the cleaner body includes:

a first portion located at a first side of the axis, and

a second portion located at a second side of the axis,

wherein the battery is detachable from the second portion of the cleaner body, and

wherein, based on the battery being detached from the second portion, the second portion is heavier than the first portion.

12. The vacuum cleaner of claim 11, wherein, based on the battery being detached from the second portion, the first portion is lifted from ground.

13. The vacuum cleaner of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the battery is closer to ground than the axis.

14. The vacuum cleaner of claim 11, wherein the main body includes:

a battery attachment part that is part of the second portion and to which the battery is attached, and

wherein the battery is attached to the battery attachment part at a first angle relative to ground, the first angle being between 0 and 90 degrees.

15. The vacuum cleaner of claim 10, further comprising:

a third sensor that is configured to sense movement of the cleaner body,

wherein, based on movement of the cleaner body, the controller is configured to control the driving unit to move the wheel such that the cleaner body follows a user.

16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 11, further comprising:

a supporter that is coupled to a surface of the main body,

wherein the main body is configured to rotate about the axis based on the battery being detached from the second portion, and

wherein the supporter is configured to block the main body from rotating beyond a second angle.

17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 16, wherein the supporter includes:

an auxiliary wheel that is configured to rotate with the wheel.

18. The vacuum cleaner of claim 17, wherein the supporter includes:

an extension that couples the auxiliary wheel to the main body.

19. The vacuum cleaner of claim 18, wherein the supporter includes:

an elastic member that is configured to provide elastic force to the extension.

20. A method of displaying operation state information of a vacuum cleaner that includes a main body, a wheel that is coupled to a first surface of the main body and that is configured to rotate to move the main body, a driving unit that is configured to generate driving force to move the wheel, a display unit that is coupled to the wheel and that is configured to display operation state information of the vacuum cleaner, a controller that is configured to control the driving unit and the display unit, and a sensor that is configured to sense movement of the main body, the method comprising:

initiating, by the controller, an operation of the sensor;

sensing, by the sensor, movement of the main body;

controlling, by the controller, the driving unit to move the wheel to move the main body; and

controlling, by the controller, the display unit to display a rotation direction of the wheel.