Robot vacuum cleaner with air agitation

• US 7,059,012 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2002
• Issued: 06/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Gwangju Electronics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Gwangju Electronics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Shin, Dong-lyoul, Valeri, Krasnoslobodtsev, Ko, Jang-youn, Song, Jeong-gon, Song, Hwa-gyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Snider, Theresa T.
• Application Number:
  US10/289,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20030192144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: 153/46, 153/47, 153/401, 153/403, 153/83, 153/45
• US Class Current: 15/340.3
• 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 5/14 cleaning by blowing-off, also combined with suction cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/04 with driven brushes or agitators
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/08 with means adapted for blowing

Abstract

A robot vacuum cleaner comprises a cleaner body having a wheel disposed at a lower portion and a suction port through which contaminants are drawn in from a cleaning surface; and an air circulating mechanism for filtering out contaminants from the contaminant-laden air drawn in through the suction port and then jetting the contaminant-free air to an air jet opening to help dislodge contaminants from the cleaning surface. The air jet opening is adjacent to the suction port; and the two elements are surrounded by a sealing member for sealing off a portion between the cleaning surface and the cleaner body to prevent dislodged contaminants from being dispersed outwardly.

Claims

1. A robot vacuum cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body having a suction port through which contaminants can be drawn in from a cleaning surface;

an air agitation device mounted in said cleaner body to provide an air jet to the cleaning surface to dislodge contaminants;

an agitation brush operatively coupled to said suction port to provide additional agitation to the cleaning surface; and

a skirt sealing member of a continuous resiliently deformable material protruding from a lower surface of said cleaner body to contact the cleaning surface and surrounding both said suction port and said air jet exit opening for containing dislodged contaminants.

2. The robot vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein said air agitation device comprises:

an air inlet equipped with a filter for filtering contaminant-laden air drawn in through said suction port;

an air jet exit opening proximate said suction port; and

a circulating path to jet filtered air through said air jet exit opening.

3. The robot vacuum cleaner of claim 2, further comprising a circulating pump in said circulating path operatively coupling said air inlet and said air jet exit opening.

4. A robot vacuum cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body having a suction port through which contaminants can be drawn in from a cleaning surface;

an air agitation device mounted in said cleaner body to provide an air jet to the cleaning surface to dislodge contaminants, said air agitation device comprising an air inlet equipped with a filter for filtering contaminant-laden air drawn in through said suction port, an air jet exit opening proximate said suction port, and a circulating path to jet filtered air through said air jet exit opening;

an agitation brush operatively coupled to said suction port to provide additional agitation to the cleaning surface;

a circulating pump in said circulating path operatively coupling said air inlet and said air jet exit opening; and

a skirt sealing member of a continuous resiliently deformable material protruding from a lower surface of said cleaner body to contact the cleaning surface and surrounding both said suction port and said air jet exit opening for containing dislodged contaminants.