Robot cleaner

• US 9,854,954 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2015
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Han, Seung Il, Kim, Dong Won, Yoon, Sang Sik, Lee, Jun Hwa, Jang, Hwi Chan
• Primary Examiner(s): REDDING, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US14/731,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20150265122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/40 Parts or details of machines not provided for in groups A47L11/02 - A47L11/38, or not restricted to one of these groups, e.g. handles, arrangements of switches, skirts, buffers, levers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4036 Parts or details of the surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4038 Disk shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4055 for lifting the tools to a non-working position
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4058 for adjusting the height of the tool
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4069 Driving or transmission means for the cleaning tools
• 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 9/00 Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0488 Combinations or arrangements of several tools, e.g. edge cleaning tools

Abstract

The robot cleaner includes a main body configured to remove dust from a floor while traveling on the floor, the main body having a lateral rim defining the external appearance of a lateral surface of the robot cleaner, and at least one side brush assembly mounted to the main body to clean the corner of the floor. The side brush assembly includes a side arm pivotably coupled to the main body, the side arm moving between a first position where the side arm is inserted into the main body and a second position where the side arm protrudes outward from the lateral rim of the main body, a brush unit provided at the side arm to sweep the floor, and a rim cover coupled to the side arm to form a part of the lateral rim of the main body when the side arm is inserted into the main body.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner comprising:

a main body configured to, when the robot cleaner is positioned on a surface, clean the surface while traveling on the surface, the main body having a lateral surface defining the external appearance of a lateral surface of the robot cleaner; and

at least one side brush assembly mountable to the main body, when the robot cleaner is positioned on the surface, to clean at least one of a corner of the surface and a wall extending from the surface,

wherein the side brush assembly includes;

a side arm pivotably coupled to the main body, the side arm movable between a first position where the side arm is inserted into the main body and a second position where the side arm protrudes outward from the lateral surface of the main body,

a brush unit provided at the side arm, when the robot cleaner is positioned on the surface, to sweep the at least one of the corner of the surface and the wall extending from the surface and brush the dust to a center of the main body, and

a rim cover coupled to the side arm to form a part of the lateral surface of the main body when the side arm is inserted into the main body.

2. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the side arm is pivotable when the main body comes close to the at least one of the corner of the surface and the wall extending from the surface, thereby protruding outward from the lateral surface of the main body to the second position.

3. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the side brush assembly further includes an arm motor provided at an end of the side arm to pivot the side arm.

4. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the brush unit includes:

a rotator mountable to an end of the side arm to enable pivoting of the side arm, and

a plurality of brushes extending outward in a radial direction from the rotator.

5. The robot cleaner according to claim 4, wherein the brush unit further includes a brush motor provided at the end of the side arm to enable a rotation of the rotator.

6. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein, when the robot cleaner is positioned on the surface and when one side of the main body comes close to the wall, the side arm of the side brush assembly closest to the wall protrudes outward from the lateral surface of the main body to move to the second position.

7. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein, when the robot cleaner is positioned on the surface and when a front end of the main body on a basis of a traveling direction comes close to the wall, the side arm of the at least one side brush assembly located at the front end of the main body protrudes outward from the lateral surface of the main body to move to the second position.

13. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the axis about which at least one brush of the brush unit is rotatable being substantially perpendicular to the surface on which the robot cleaner is positioned.

8. A robot cleaner comprising:

a main body configured to, when the robot cleaner is positioned on a surface, clean the surface while traveling on the surface, the main body having a lateral surface defining an external appearance of a lateral surface of the robot cleaner, and an opening formed in the lateral surface; and

a plurality of side brush assemblies arranged at opposite sides of a front surface of the main body on a basis of a traveling direction of the robot cleaner when the robot cleaner is positioned on the surface,

wherein the plurality of side brush assemblies each includes;

a side arm pivotably coupled to the main body, the side arm movable through the opening of the main body between a position where the side arm is insertable into the main body and a position where the side arm protrudes outward from the lateral surface of the main body,

a brush unit provided at the side arm, when the robot cleaner is positioned on the surface, to sweep at least one of a corner of the surface and a wall extending from the surface and brush the dust to a center of the main body, and

a rim cover configured to cover the opening when the side arm moves to the position where it is inserted into main body.

9. The robot cleaner according to claim 8, wherein, when the robot cleaner is positioned on the surface and the main body comes close to the at least one of the corner of the surface and the wall extending from the surface, the side arm is pivotable to the position where the side arm protrudes outward from the lateral surface of the main body, and the rim cover opens the opening of the main body.

10. The robot cleaner according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of side brush assemblies includes a left side brush assembly provided at a left side of the front surface of the main body, and a right side brush assembly provided at a right side of the front surface of the main body.

11. The robot cleaner according to claim 10, wherein, when the robot cleaner is positioned on the surface and when one side of the main body comes close to the wall, the side arm of one side brush assembly closest to the wall among the left side brush assembly and the right side brush assembly moves to the position where the side arm protrudes outward from the lateral surface of the main body.

12. The robot cleaner according to claim 10, wherein, when the robot cleaner is positioned on the surface and when a front end of the main body comes close to the wall, the side arm of each of the left side brush assembly and the right side brush assembly moves to the position where the side arm protrudes outward from the lateral surface of the main body.

14. The robot cleaner according to claim 8, wherein the axis about which at least one brush of the brush unit is rotatable being substantially perpendicular to the surface on which the robot cleaner is positioned.