Robot cleaner

• US 8,667,638 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2010
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Bongju, Park, Jongil, Shin, Dongmyung, Kim, Sangyun, Choi, Woojin, Rew, Hoseon, Kim, Sangjo, Jung, Younggyu
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUNG V
• Application Number:
  US12/916,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20110099747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,226 Days
• Field of Search: 153/47, 153/46, 153/277, 153/54, 153/19, 153/401, 153/39
• 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 5/22 with rotary fans
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0427 Gearing or transmission means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/122 flat
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2884 Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation

Abstract

A robot cleaner comprises a main body having a suction port at a bottom surface thereof, a pair of wheel assemblies disposed at both sides of the main body, and configured to move the main body, a dust box mounted to contact the bottom surface of the main body, and configured to collect dust sucked through the suction port, a filter unit configured to filter air discharged from the dust box, a suction fan configured to form a suction pressure on a suction channel defined by the suction port, the dust box and the filter unit, and a battery disposed at a side of the dust box.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner, comprising:

a main body having a suction port at a bottom surface thereof;

a pair of wheel assemblies disposed at both sides of the main body, and configured to move the main body;

a dust box installed on the bottom surface of the main body, and configured to collect dust sucked through the suction port;

a filter unit configured to filter air discharged from the dust box;

a suction fan configured to form a suction pressure on a suction channel defined by the suction port, the dust box and the filter unit; and

a battery disposed at a side of the dust box;

an agitator rotatably mounted to a lower part of the main body;

side brushes mounted so as to be rotatable with a rotation shaft extending in a vertical direction of the main body; and

a driving force transmission device configured to transmit a rotational force of the agitator to the side brushes,

wherein the dust box is disposed between the suction port and the filter unit with respect to a longitudinal direction of the main body.

2. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein a balance weight facing the battery with the dust box therebetween is installed in the main body.

3. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the dust box is disposed between the pair of wheel assemblies.

4. The robot cleaner of claim 3, wherein the battery is mounted between the pair of wheel assemblies.

5. The robot cleaner of claim 4, wherein a length of the battery with respect to a vertical direction of the main body is longer than that with respect to a horizontal direction of the main body.

6. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the driving force transmission device comprises worms and worm gears.

7. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the suction fan comprises:

a plurality of wings configured to introduce air in an axial direction, and to discharge the air to a radial direction; and

a shroud having a suction port disposed in front of the wings in the axial direction, and having a discharge port formed in a ring shape in a circumferential direction of the wings.

8. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the filter unit comprises:

a filter case configured to form a part of the suction channel;

a first filter disposed on a suction port side of the filter case; and

a second filter disposed on a discharge port side of the filter case,

wherein one or more bypass holes are penetratingly formed on a side surface of the filter case.

9. The robot cleaner of claim 8, wherein a flow rate through the bypass hole is set to be less than a flow rate through the first filter.

10. The robot cleaner of claim 8, wherein the first filter comprises a mesh filter, and a mesh filter having mesh holes smaller than those of the mesh filter of the first filter is installed at the bypass hole.

11. A robot cleaner, comprising:

a main body having a suction port at a bottom surface thereof;

a pair of wheel assemblies disposed at both sides of the main body, and configured to move the main body;

a dust box installed on the bottom surface of the main body, and configured to collect dust sucked through the suction port;

a filter unit configured to filter air discharged from the dust box;

a suction fan configured to form a suction pressure on a suction channel defined by the suction port, the dust box and the filter unit;

a battery disposed at a side of the dust box;

an agitator rotatably mounted to a lower part of the main body;

side brushes mounted so as to be rotatable with a rotation shaft extending in a vertical direction of the main body; and

a driving force transmission device configured to transmit a rotational force of the agitator to the side brushes.

12. The robot cleaner of claim 11, wherein the driving force transmission device comprises worms and worm gears.