Brush assembly of cleaner

• US 6,971,140 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2002
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Se Wan
• Primary Examiner(s): Till, Terrence R.
• Application Number:
  US10/331,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20040074039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 153/19, 153/63, 153/83, 153/86, 153/89, 151/040.3, 151/040.4, 15/411, 15/491, 15/521, 15/82, 700/245
• US Class Current: 15/319
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/00 Brushes with driven brush bodies or carrierspower-driven toothbrushes A61C17/16
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/3066 Brush specifically designed for use with street cleaning machinery
• 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 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0444 for conveying motion by endless flexible members, e.g. belts
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0488 Combinations or arrangements of several tools, e.g. edge cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 1/0845 with mechanical loosening or feeding instruments for the dirt to be sucked- up, e.g. brushes, scrapers brushing installations per se E01H1/02; other loosening devices per se E01H1/105

Abstract

In a brush assembly of a cleaner including plural brushes arranged at the bottom surface of a cleaner body radially at regular intervals; plural supporting shafts for rotatively supporting the brushes; and a driving unit connected to the brushes in order to rotate the brushes, by arranging the plural brushes radially, dust and filth can be collected in a wider region, and accordingly a cleaning performance can be improved. In addition, by forming the brushes as a curved shape, it is possible to compact a size of the cleaner.

Claims

1. A brush assembly of a cleaner, comprising:

plural brushes arranged at the bottom surface of a cleaner body radially at regular intervals;

plural stationary supporting shafts for rotatably supporting the brushes; and

a driving unit connected to the brushes for rotating the brushes,

wherein each brush has a curved shape and is made of flexible material so as to be transformed with curved shape and be strong against twist.

2. The brush assembly of claim 1, wherein a suction hole is formed at the bottom center of the cleaner body in order to suck dust and filth, and plural installation grooves are formed at the circumference of the suction hole at regular intervals in order to install the plural brushes.

3. The brush assembly of claim 2, wherein each brush comprises a brush hub rotatably mounted on the supporting shaft;

and brush hair arranged on the outer circumference of the brush hub in order to guide dust and filth into the suction hole.

4. The brush assembly of claim 1, wherein the plural brushes comprise three brushes arranged at the bottom surface of the cleaner body in the circumferential direction at regular intervals.

5. The brush assembly of claim 1, wherein the supporting shaft is formed as a curved shape, and both ends thereof are fixed to the bottom surface of the cleaner body.

6. The brush assembly of claim 1, wherein lubricant is filled between the supporting shaft and the brush in order to smooth the rotation of the brush.

7. The brush assembly of claim 1, wherein the driving unit includes a driving motor fixed to a certain side of the cleaner body for generating a driving force;

and a power transmitting unit connected between the driving motor and the brush in order to transmit the driving force of the driving motor to the brush.

8. The brush assembly of claim 7, wherein the power transmitting unit includes a driving pulley fixed to the rotational shaft of the driving motor;

a driven pulley fixed to the brush; and

a belt wound between the driving pulley and the driven pulley.

9. In a robot cleaner having a suction hole formed at the bottom center of a cleaner body, performing cleaning operation while moving by itself and charging a charge battery automatically, a brush assembly of a robot cleaner, comprising:

plural brushes arranged radially in the outer circumferential direction of a suction hole with a certain interval from the suction hole;

plural stationary supporting shafts in which the brushes are inserted respectively in the length direction for supporting the brushes rotatably; and

a driving unit connected to the brushes in order to rotate the brushes,

wherein each brush has a curved shape and is made of flexible material so as to be transformed with curved shape and be strong against twist.

10. The brush assembly of claim 9, wherein a suction hole is formed at the bottom center of the cleaner body in order to suck dust and filth, and plural installation grooves are formed at the circumference of the suction hole at regular intervals in order to install the plural brushes.

11. The brush assembly of claim 10, wherein each brush comprises a brush hub rotatably mounted on the supporting shaft;

and plural brush hair arranged on the outer circumference of the brush hub in order to take off filth on the floor and guide it into the suction hole.

12. The brush assembly of claim 9, wherein the plural brushes comprise three brushes arranged at the bottom surface of the cleaner body in the circumferential direction at regular intervals.

13. The brush assembly of claim 9, wherein the supporting shaft is formed as a curved shape, and both ends thereof are fixed to the bottom surface of the cleaner body.

14. The brush assembly of claim 9, wherein lubricant is filled between the supporting shaft and the brush in order to smooth the rotation of the brush.

15. The brush assembly of claim 9, wherein the driving unit includes a driving motor fixed to a certain side of the cleaner body for generating a driving force;

and a power transmitting unit connected between the driving motor and the brush in order to transmit the driving force of the driving motor to the brush.

16. The brush assembly of claim 15, wherein the power transmitting unit includes a driving pulley fixed to the rotational shaft of the driving motor;

a driven pulley fixed to the brush; and

a belt wound between the driving pulley and the driven pulley.