VACUUM CLEANER AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20180177360A1
• Filed: 06/21/2016
• Published: 06/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: KWAK, Donghoon, KO, Jaehwan, YI, Sihyuk
• Granted Patent: US 10,791,893 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 5/365 of the vertical type, e.g. tank or bucket type
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/28 Installation of the electric equipment, e.g. adaptation or attachment to the suction cleaner; Controlling suction cleaners by electric means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• 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 9/2889 Safety or protection devices or systems, e.g. for prevention of motor over-heating or for protection of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cleaner body having a moving unit; a suction unit configured to suction dust and air; a detecting unit configured to detect movement of the suction unit; and a control part configured to determine whether movement of the cleaner body is required, based on information detected by the suction unit, and to control the moving unit when the movement of the cleaner body is required, wherein the control part determines a target location to which the cleaner body will be moved, determines a moving route to the target location based on a detected obstacle, controls the moving unit so that the cleaner body is moved along the determined moving route, stops a motor when it is determined that the cleaner body is not in contact with a floor surface, and thus prevents a user'"'"'s injury.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body having a moving unit for movement;

a suction unit connected to the cleaner body, configured to suction dust and air and to guide the suctioned dust and air to the cleaner body, and having a handle;

a first detecting unit configured to detect a distance between the cleaner body and the suction unit;

a second detecting unit provided at the cleaner body to detect an obstacle; and

a control part configured to control the moving unit,

wherein the control part determines whether movement of the cleaner body is required based on a distance between the suction unit and the cleaner body detected by the first detecting unit, and sets a target location to which the cleaner body will be moved, and produces a plurality of departure routes based on a location of the obstacle detected by the second detecting unit, and determines a moving route of the cleaner body from one of the plurality of departure routes to the target location when the movement of the cleaner body is required.

2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the departure route is an avoidance route along which the cleaner body avoids the obstacle.

3. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the control part controls the cleaner body to be turned to a left or right side, and thus to avoid the obstacle.

4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the control part controls the cleaner body to be moved backward in a predetermined distance, then to be turned to a left or right side, and thus to avoid the obstacle.

5. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the first detecting unit comprises an ultrasonic wave transmitting part which is provided at the suction unit to transmit an ultrasonic wave, and an ultrasonic wave receiving part which is provided at the cleaner body to receive the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the ultrasonic wave transmitting part, and the control part controls the moving unit to move the cleaner body based on a distance between the ultrasonic wave transmitting part and the ultrasonic wave receiving part.

6. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, wherein, when the distance between the ultrasonic wave transmitting part and the ultrasonic wave receiving part is a first reference distance or more, the control part controls the cleaner body to be moved in a direction which becomes closer to the ultrasonic wave transmitting part.

7. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, wherein, when the distance between the ultrasonic wave transmitting part and the ultrasonic wave receiving part is a second reference distance or less, the control part controls the cleaner body to be moved in a direction which becomes distant from the ultrasonic wave transmitting part.

8. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, wherein, when the distance between the ultrasonic wave transmitting part and the ultrasonic wave receiving part is a first reference distance or more or a second reference distance or less, the control part controls the cleaner body to be moved, and the first reference distance is longer than the second reference distance.

9. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the control part determines a distance between a floor surface and the cleaner body based on information detected by the second detecting unit, and controls the moving unit to be stopped when the distance between the floor surface and the cleaner body is a reference distance or more.

10. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 9, wherein the second detecting unit comprises a first detecting part which detects the obstacle, and a second detecting part which is used to determine the distance between the floor surface and the cleaner body.

11. A method for controlling a vacuum cleaner, comprising:

determining existence and absence of an obstacle, and producing a plurality of departure routes according to a distance between a cleaner body and the obstacle;

detecting movement of a suction unit connected to the cleaner body, and setting a target location to which the cleaner body will be moved;

determining a moving route of the cleaner body from one of the plurality of departure routes to the target location; and

controlling a moving unit provided at the cleaner body so that the cleaner body is moved along the moving route.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, in the controlling of the cleaner body, the moving unit is controlled so that the cleaner body is moved backward, turned to a left or right side, and then moved.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein, in the controlling of the cleaner body, the moving unit is controlled so that the cleaner body is turned to a left or right side, and then moved.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the cleaner body comprises a detecting part which detects a distance between a floor surface and the cleaner body, and the method further comprises controlling the moving unit so that the cleaner body is stopped when the distance between the floor surface and the cleaner body is a reference distance or more.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein, in the determining of the target location, whether movement of the cleaner body is required is determined based on a distance between the cleaner body and the suction unit.