Robot cleaner, maintenance station, and cleaning system having the same

• US 9,186,030 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2011
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jung, Hyun Soo, Kim, Dong Won, Lee, Jun Hwa, Hong, Jun Pyo, Yoon, Sang Sik
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Lee D
• Assistant Examiner(s): HONG, HENRY Y
• Application Number:
  US13/183,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20120013907A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: 153/19, 356/438
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2201/024 Emptying dust or waste liquid containers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/028 Refurbishing floor engaging tools, e.g. cleaning of beating brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/06 Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/106 Dust removal
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/28 Installation of the electric equipment, e.g. adaptation or attachment to the suction cleaner; Controlling suction cleaners by electric means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2815 using optical detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/30 Arrangement of illuminating devices

Abstract

A robot cleaner includes a body; a dust box to store dust; and a dust sensing unit to detect dust stored in the dust box, the dust sensing unit including a light emitting unit to transmit a signal to an interior of the dust box and a light receiving sensor to sense the signal transmitted by the light emitting unit. The light emitting unit and the light receiving sensor are positioned between the dust box and the body, and face each other at the same height.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner comprising:

a body;

a driving unit to enable the body to autonomously travel about a region to be cleaned, the driving unit including left and right driving wheels driven by at least one motor, and a caster mounted to a front portion of the bottom of the body to maintain stability of the robot cleaner;

at least one sensor configured to detect an obstacle;

a cleaning unit to clean the region to be cleaned, the cleaning unit including at least one brush unit and a fan unit;

a dust box, to store dust at an inside of the dust box, the dust box being detachably mounted to the body; and

a dust sensing unit including a light emitting unit to transmit light and a light receiving sensor to sense the light transmitted by the light emitting unit, the light emitting unit and the light receiving sensor being mounted on the body separately from and outside of the dust box and configured to transmit light through the inside of the dust box,

wherein the dust box is configured to be detached from the body separately from the dust sensing unit mounted on the body, and

the driving unit, the at least one sensor, the cleaning unit, the dust box, and the dust sensing unit are positioned on or in the body of the robot cleaner.

2. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein:

the dust box comprises at least one inlet, through which dust is introduced into the dust box; and

the light emitting unit and the light receiving sensor are provided at a portion of the body corresponding to the inlet of the dust box, to perform light transmission and light reception through the inside of the dust box at the inlet of the dust box, respectively.

3. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display provided at the body, to display various information,

wherein the display unit displays dust sensing information from the dust sensing unit.

4. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein no connecting terminal associated with the dust sensing unit is provided at the dust box.

5. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein, during operation of robot cleaner, dust travels along a dust collecting path and is introduced into the dust box through an inlet of the dust box, and

the light emitted by the light emitting unit travels horizontally across the dust collecting path.

6. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the dust box comprises an inlet through which dust is introduced into the dust box, and

the light emitted by the light emitting unit travels horizontally across the inlet of the dust box.

7. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the at least one brush unit includes at least one brush to sweep dust on a floor of the region to be cleaned.

8. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the dust box is positioned between the light emitting unit and the light receiving sensor.

9. A robot cleaner comprising:

a body;

a driving unit to enable the body to autonomously travel about a surface to be cleaned, the driving unit including left and right driving wheels driven by at least one motor, and a caster mounted to a front portion of the bottom of the body to maintain stability of the robot cleaner;

at least one sensor configured to detect an obstacle;

a cleaning unit to clean the surface to be cleaned, the cleaning unit including at least one brush unit and a fan unit;

a dust box detachably mounted to the body, the dust box including an interior where dust is stored; and

a dust sensing unit installed to the body at a region other than the interior of the dust box,

wherein the dust sensing unit comprises a light emitting unit and a light receiving sensor,

wherein light transmitted from the light emitting unit reaches the light receiving sensor after passing through the interior of the dust box,

wherein the dust box is configured to be detached from the body separately from the dust sensing unit installed to the body, and

wherein the driving unit, the at least one sensor, the cleaning unit, the dust box, and the dust sensing unit are positioned on or in the body of the robot cleaner.

10. The robot cleaner according to claim 9, wherein the light emitting unit and the light receiving sensor are installed so as to face each other.

11. The robot cleaner according to claim 9, wherein the dust box comprises a transmitted-light passing portion arranged at a position corresponding to the light emitting sensor, to allow the light to enter the dust box, and a received-light passing portion arranged at a position corresponding to the light receiving sensor, to allow the light to emerge from the dust box.

12. The robot cleaner according to claim 11, wherein the transmitted-light passing portion and the received-light passing portion are made of a transparent material.

13. The robot cleaner according to claim 9, wherein no connecting terminal associated with the dust sensing unit is provided at the dust box.

14. The robot cleaner of claim 9, wherein the dust box comprises an inlet through which dust is introduced into the dust box, and

the light emitted by the light emitting unit travels horizontally across the inlet.

15. The robot cleaner according to claim 9, wherein the at least one brush unit includes at least one brush to sweep dust on a floor of the surface to be cleaned.

16. The robot cleaner according to claim 9, wherein the region faces a portion of the dust box when the dust box is mounted to the body.

17. The robot cleaner according to claim 9, wherein a portion of the dust box is positioned between the light emitting unit and the light receiving sensor.