Robot cleaner, automatic exhaust station and robot cleaner system having the same

• US 9,826,871 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2015
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jang, Hwi Chan, Kim, Dong Won, Jung, Hyun Soo, Lee, Jun Hwa
• Primary Examiner(s): REDDING, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US14/717,271
• Publication Number:
  US 20150250371A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 15352
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/33 having means for storing dirt
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4025 Means for emptying
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4072 Arrangement of castors or wheels
• 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 9/1463 specially adapted for rigid filtering receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/149 Emptying means; Reusable bags

Abstract

A robot cleaner provided with a shutter to open or close an inlet of a dust box when the dust box is separated from a body of the robot cleaner. Another robot cleaner, which docks with an automatic exhaust station, is also disclosed, together with the automatic exhaust station. The latter robot cleaner includes a shutter to be automatically opened by air discharged from the automatic exhaust station in a docked state of the robot cleaner to exhaust dust from the dust box, in order to allow even heavy dust to be easily exhausted.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner comprising:

a body;

a dust box separably mounted to the body, the dust box including a dust box inlet;

a first shutter rotatably coupled to the dust box to open or close the dust box inlet; and

a second shutter rotatably coupled to the dust box behind the first shutter,

wherein the second shutter includes a shutter opening to allow air and dust to pass through the second shutter when the second shutter is closed and the first shutter is open.

2. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the shutter opening is formed at an upper central portion of the second shutter.

3. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein when the first shutter is open and the second shutter is closed the second shutter is a backflow preventing member to prevent dust collected in the dust box from being discharged out of the dust box.

4. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the second shutter is opened by a pressure of air blown to the second shutter.

5. The robot cleaner according to claim 4, wherein the second shutter is closed by gravity when the air pressure is removed.

6. The robot cleaner according to claim 4, wherein the second shutter comprises:

an upper portion; and

a lower portion that is heavier than the upper portion,

wherein when the air pressure is removed the lower portion is downwardly directed, and the upper portion is upwardly directed by gravity to close the first dust box inlet.

7. The robot cleaner according to claim 4, wherein the air pressure is generated by exhaust air discharged from an automatic exhaust station, with which the body docks.

8. The robot cleaner according to claim 4, wherein the air pressure is prevented from being applied to the second shutter when the first shutter is closed.

9. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the second shutter includes a second shutter rotating shaft extending in a longitudinal direction of the dust box inlet and the second shutter rotates around the second shutter rotating shaft.

10. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the second shutter is rotatably coupled to the body behind the first shutter at a position inwardly spaced apart from the dust box inlet by a predetermined distance.

11. A robot cleaner comprising:

a body;

a dust box separably mounted to the body, the dust box including a dust box inlet;

a first shutter mounted to the dust box inlet to be rotatable between a first open position and a first closed position; and

a second shutter mounted to the dust box inlet to be rotatable between a second open position and a second closed position;

wherein when the dust box is separated from the body, the first shutter is at the first closed position and the second shutter is at the second closed position, so that the dust of the dust box is prevented from flowing out through the dust box inlet, and

wherein when the dust box is mounted to the body, the first shutter is at the first open position and the second shutter is at the second closed position, so that dust can flow into the dust box through the dust box inlet.

12. The robot cleaner according to claim 11, wherein when the dust box is separated from the body, the first shutter moves to the first closed position by gravity.

13. The robot cleaner according to claim 11, wherein when the dust box is mounted to the body, the first shutter is moved to the first open position by the pressing force applied from the body to the first shutter.

14. The robot cleaner according to claim 11, wherein when the body having the dust box is docked to an automatic exhaust station, the second shutter is moved to the second open position by exhaust wind generated from the automatic exhaust station.