Robot cleaner with improved dust collector

• US 8,857,012 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2013
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Dong Won, Wee, Hoon, Hong, Jun Pyo, Kim, Yong Tae, Chung, Woo Ram
• Primary Examiner(s): REDDING, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US13/864,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20130227812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 153/19, 153/39, 153/401, 153/403, 153/47, 153/53
• US Class Current: 15/347
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/33 having means for storing dirt
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4013 Contaminants collecting devices, i.e. hoppers, tanks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• 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 7/02 with driven tools for special purposes with floor-polishing tools A47L11/20
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/14 Bags or the like; Rigid filtering receptacles; Attachment of, or closures for, bags or receptacles

Abstract

A robot cleaner including a suction hole to suction dust, a blower to generate a suction force to suction the dust, a dust collector to receive the dust suctioned by said suction force through the suction hole, and a rotating brush to sweep up and collect the dust into the dust collector through the suction hole by a drive force of the rotating brush. The dust collector includes a backflow preventing member movable between an open position and a closed position. The backflow preventing member is pivotably rotatable in an air suction direction by the suction force of the blower to the open position and is adapted to return to the closed position to prevent the dust in the dust collector from being discharged through the suction hole upon stoppage of the blower.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner comprising:

a suction hole to suction dust;

a blower to generate a suction force to suction the dust;

dust collector to receive the dust through the suction hole; and

a rotating brush to sweep up and collect the dust into the dust collector,

wherein the dust collector includes a collecting region to receive the dust swept up by the rotating brush, and a backflow preventing member movably coupled at an inlet opening of the collecting region between an open position and a closed position,

wherein the backflow preventing member is pivotably rotatable in an air suction direction by the suction force of the blower to the open position to suction the dust into the dust collector and is adapted to return to the closed position to prevent the dust in the dust collector from being discharged through the suction hole upon stoppage of the blower,

wherein the backflow preventing member includes one end hingedly coupled to upper portion of the inlet opening, and the other end configured as a free end, and

wherein the backflow preventing member is kept in an inclined state with respect to a vertical direction in the closed position such that the other end is contacted with an inner surface of the collecting region and supported by the inner surface of the collecting region.

2. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the collecting region is disposed at a rear of the rotating brush in a moving direction of the robot cleaner and the backflow preventing member is located adjacent to the rotating brush to prevent the dust swept up by the rotating brush in the collecting region from being discharged through the suction hole.

3. The robot cleaner according to claim 2, further comprising a guide inclined downward close to the floor adapted to guide the dust swept up by the rotating brush into the collecting region.

4. A robot cleaner comprising:

a body having a suction hole;

a rotating brush disposed at a lower side of the body to sweep up or scatter dust on a floor;

a blower provided inside the body to generate suction force;

a dust collector having a collecting region to receive dust being introduced through the suction hole; and

a backflow preventing member disposed at an inlet opening of the dust collector to prevent the dust in the collecting region from back-flowing toward the suction hole,

wherein the backflow preventing member, upon operating of the blower, maintains an open position to open the inlet opening of the dust collector by moving in an air suction direction by the suction force of the blower, and upon stopping of the blower, maintains a closed position to close the inlet opening of the dust collector, and

when the backflow preventing member is in the closed position, the backflow preventing member is kept in an inclined state such that a lower end of the backflow preventing member is located while being biased in the air suction direction with respect to an upper end of the backflow preventing member.

5. The robot cleaner of claim 4, wherein the upper end of the backflow preventing member is pivotably coupled to an upper portion of the inlet opening of the collecting region, and

the lower end of the backflow preventing member is supported by an inner surface of the collecting region.

6. The robot cleaner of claim 4, wherein when the backflow preventing member is in the closed position, the backflow preventing member is kept in an inclined state with respect to a lower surface of the collecting region.

7. The robot cleaner of claim 4, wherein the suction hole of the body is disposed adjacent to the rotating brush such that the dust swept by the rotating brush is collected to an inside the collecting region through the suction hole of the body, and

the backflow preventing member is disposed adjacent to the rotating brush to prevent the dust in the collecting region from being discharged toward the rotating brush.

8. The robot cleaner of claim 4, further comprising a guide formed from a region adjacent to the floor while being inclined toward the collecting region such that the dust swept by the rotating brush is guided to the collecting region.