Robotic vacuum cleaner

• US 7,861,365 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2006
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Chen, Meng-Chun, Sun, Yann-Shuoh, Liu, Chun-Hsien, Lu, Weng-Jung, Chung, Yu-Liang, Chen, Jiing-Fu
• Primary Examiner(s): Redding; David A
• Application Number:
  US11/537,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20080066257A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,556 Days
• Field of Search: 153/19, 153/39, 153/401, 153/403, 153/47
• 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 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/14 cleaning by blowing-off, also combined with suction cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/22 with rotary fans
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0081 Means for exhaust-air diffusion; Means for sound or vibration damping
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles

Abstract

A robotic vacuum cleaner is disclosed in the present invention, which comprises a controller, at least a driving wheel module, and a dust-collecting module. The controller is disposed on a housing plate. The driving wheel module, electrically connecting to the controller, further includes: a driver; a wheel connecting to the output shaft of the driver; a linkage rod, having two ends pivotally fixed on the housing plate and the driver respectively; and a resilience element, having two ends pivotally connected to the housing plate and the driver respectively. The dust-collecting module, disposed on the housing plate, is capable of vacuuming for filtering and collecting dust.

Claims

1. A robotic vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a controller, disposed on a housing plate;

at least a driving wheel module, each being disposed on the housing plate while electrically connecting to the controller, each further comprising;

a driver;

a wheel, connecting to an output shaft of the driver;

a linkage rod, having two ends pivotally fixed on the housing plate and the driver respectively; and

a resilience element, having two ends pivotally connected to the housing plate and the driver respectively; and

a dust-collecting module, disposed on the housing plate for vacuuming for filtering and collecting dust, comprising;

a dust-collecting case, having a vacuum inlet positioned under the housing plate; and

a centrifugal fan unit, connected to the dust-collecting case by an intake end thereof for receiving air flow sucked from the vacuum inlet.

2. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the centrifugal fan unit further comprises:

a housing with an accommodating space, having an intake hole and an outflow hole;

an impeller, arranging in the accommodating space while enabling an airflow channel of uniform width to be formed between a rim of the impeller and a side wall of the housing, and enabling the accommodating space to be divided into a first space and a second space by a virtual cross section passing the axial center of the impeller for enabling the first space to be asymmetrical to the second space; and

a driving device, connected to the impeller for driving the same to rotate.

3. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein a helical airflow channel is extending from the second space and channeling to the outflow hole.

4. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 3, wherein the sectional area of the helical airflow channel is increasing progressively from the beginning thereof to the outflow hole.

5. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein each blade used in the impeller is a blade selected from the group consisting of airfoil blades of signal-blade design and airfoil blades of dual-blade design.

6. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein the air flow discharged from the outflow hole is directed toward a side of the housing plate for facilitating the cleaning of dust accumulated at corners.

7. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the dust-collecting case further comprises:

a case, having a recess and a through hole channeling to the recess, and a side thereof being arranged with a groove hole channeling to the recess;

a dust-collecting lid, having the vacuum inlet arranged thereon while being connected to the groove hole; and

a box with a dust-collecting space, capable of being received in the recess for enabling the duct-collecting space to channel with the through hole and the groove hole.

8. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein a filtering device is arranged between the centrifugal fan unit and the dust-collecting case.

9. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein an edge of the housing plate is designed with a rake angle.

10. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein a collision sensor, electrically connected to the controller, is arranged at a front end of the housing plate.

11. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 10, wherein the collision sensor detects pressure applied to the sensor.

12. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 10, wherein the collision sensor is comprised of:

a base;

a resilience element, ensheathing the base;

a pillar, having an end abutted against the resilience element;

a first contact plate, connected to an end of the pillar not abutted against the resilience element; and

a second contact plate, being arranged at a position corresponding to the first contact plate.

13. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 10, wherein at least an obstacle detection unit is arranged at the bottom of the housing plate while enabling each to be electrically connected to the controller.

14. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 13, wherein each obstacle detection unit is comprised of:

a base;

a resilience element, ensheathing the base;

a pillar, having an end abutted against the resilience element;

a first contact plate, connected to an end of the pillar not abutted against the resilience element; and

a second contact plate, being arranged at a position corresponding to the first contact plate.

15. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein an interfacing part is arranged between the wheel and the driver for enabling the wheel to be detachable.

16. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 1, further comprising a brushing roller device.

17. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 16, wherein the brushing roller device is further connected to a brushing driver, the brushing driver comprising:

a first gear, connected to an end of the brushing roller device;

a second gear;

a speed reducer, having an end connected to the second gear; and

a belt, being installed by warping and mounting the same on the first and the second gears.

18. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein a side-wind generation unit is arranged at a side of the housing plate.

19. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 18, wherein the side-wind generation unit is a device selected from the group consisting of a centrifugal fan unit and an axial fan unit.