Robot cleaner

• US 10,149,590 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2014
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jeong, Jae Youl, Park, Sung Jin, Park, Heum Yong, Lee, Dong Hun, Kim, Min Jae
• Primary Examiner(s): Hail, Joseph J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Milanian, Arman
• Application Number:
  US14/497,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20150143646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 180 71, 31856811
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/283 the tools being disc brushes
• 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 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4066 Propulsion of the whole machine
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4069 Driving or transmission means for the cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4088 Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection

Abstract

A robot cleaner includes a plurality of motors each of which transmits a driving force, a pad assembly which is connected to one of the plurality of motors to receive a rotational force from the motor, to rotate in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, and thus to clean a floor surface, and a wire which is connected to the pad assembly and another one of the plurality of motors so that the pad assembly is tilted by the driving force of the motor, wherein the robot cleaner moves in a particular direction by a non-uniform frictional force between a bottom surface of the pad assembly and the floor surface. The robot cleaner uses wires to tilt the pad assembly and, thus, it is possible to miniaturize the robot cleaner.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner comprising:

a first motor;

a pad assembly including a rotatable portion of the pad assembly coupled to the first motor to receive a rotational force from the first motor and configured to rotate in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction so that when the robot cleaner is positioned on a surface to be cleaned, a bottom surface of the rotatable portion of the pad assembly contacting the surface to be cleaned; and

a second motor;

a first shaft connected to the second motor, the first shaft including

a first driving shaft connected with the second motor, and

a first connection shaft geared with the first driving shaft; and

a first wire connected to the pad assembly and the first shaft, the first wire including

a first portion configured to connect the first driving shaft of the first shaft and one side of the pad assembly, and

a second portion configured to connect the first connection shaft of the first shaft and another side of the pad assembly that is opposite to the one side the pad assembly,

so that at least a portion of the rotatable pad assembly is tilted by a movement of the first wire by a driving force of the second motor so when the robot cleaner is positioned on the surface to be cleaned the bottom surface of the titled rotatable portion of the pad assembly applies a non-uniform frictional force with respect to the surface to be cleaned

and the robot cleaner moves in a particular direction by the non-uniform frictional force between the bottom surface of the rotatable portion of the pad assembly and the surface to be cleaned.

2. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising a second wire connected to the pad assembly so that at least a portion of the pad assembly is tiltable with respect to a y-axis by a movement of the second wire, and

wherein the pad assembly is tiltable with respect to an x-axis by the movement of the first wire, and

wherein the pad assembly is tiltable by an individual movement of the first wire or second wire, or a combination of the movement of the first wire and the movement of the second wire.

3. The robot cleaner according to claim 2, further comprising:

a third motor and at least a portion of the rotatable pad assembly is tilted with respect to the y-axis by a movement of the second wire by a driving force of the third motor.

4. The robot cleaner according to claim 3, wherein the second wire is installed at a second shaft connected to the third motor to be rotated.

5. The robot cleaner according to claim 3, wherein the pad assembly comprises a rotational plate rotatable in the clockwise or the counterclockwise direction by the first motor.

6. The robot cleaner according to claim 5, wherein the pad assembly comprises:

an elastic member assembly installed at a bottom surface of the rotational plate; and

a pad unit installed at a bottom surface of the elastic member assembly.

7. The robot cleaner according to claim 6, wherein the elastic member assembly comprises:

an elastic body configured to adapt an entire bottom surface of the pad assembly to be in contact with the floor surface; and

an elastic member receiving part in which the elastic body is received.

8. The robot cleaner according to claim 7, wherein the elastic member receiving part is formed as a flexible tube having a plurality of wrinkles and formed of a rubber material.

9. The robot cleaner according to claim 7, wherein the pad unit comprises;

a pad installation part removably installed at a bottom surface of the elastic member receiving part; and

a pad removably installed at the pad installation part to clean the floor surface.

10. The robot cleaner according to claim 6, wherein the rotational plate has a connection part through which water is suppliable from a water tank, and

the elastic member assembly and the pad unit have a water supplying hole in communication with the connection part.

11. The robot cleaner according to claim 10, wherein a water supplying member is installed at the rotational plate, and

the water supplying member comprises a central hole in communication with the connection part and a side hole formed at a side surface thereof to be in communication with the central hole.

12. The robot cleaner according to claim 11, wherein the water supplied through the connection part is sprayed through the side hole of the water supplying member.

13. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the pad assembly is provided in plural, and each pad assembly is driven independently.

14. A robot cleaner comprising:

a pad assembly installed at a base of the robot cleaner and having a rotatable pad installed at a bottom surface thereof;

a first motor coupled with the pad assembly to rotate at least a portion of the pad assembly in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction;

a second motor and a third motor which are provided at the base of the robot cleaner;

a first shaft connected to the second motor, the first shaft including

a first driving shaft connected with the second motor, and

a first connection shaft geared with the first driving shaft;

a first wire connected with the pad assembly and the first shaft to tilt at least a portion of the pad assembly with respect to an x-axis, the first wire including

a first portion configured to connect the first driving shaft and one side of the pad assembly, and

a second portion configured to connect the first connection shaft and another side of the pad assembly that is opposite to the one side the pad assembly; and

a second wire connected with the pad assembly and the third motor to tilt at least the portion of the pad assembly with respect to a y-axis,

wherein, when the robot cleaner is positioned on the surface and the at least the portion of the pad assembly is tilted by one of the first wire and the second wire or by a combination of the first wire and the second wire, the robot cleaner moves in a particular direction by a non-uniform frictional force between the bottom surface of the tilted rotatable pad and the surface.

15. The robot cleaner according to claim 14, wherein a moving direction is determined by a position having a large frictional force between the bottom surface of the pad assembly and the floor surface and a rotational direction by the first motor.

16. The robot cleaner according to claim 14, wherein the third motor includes a second shaft and the second wire is installed at the second shaft connected to the third motor to be rotated.

17. The robot cleaner according to claim 14, wherein the pad assembly comprises an elastic body configured to adapt an entire surface of the pad to be in contact with the floor surface.

18. A robot cleaner comprising:

a pad assembly installed at a base of the robot cleaner and having a rotatable pad installed at a bottom surface thereof;

a first motor coupled with the pad assembly to rotate at least a portion of the pad assembly in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction;

a second motor and a third motor which are provided at the base of the robot cleaner;

a first wire connected with the pad assembly and the second motor to tilt at least a portion of the pad assembly with respect to an x-axis; and

a second wire connected with the pad assembly and the third motor to tilt at least the portion of the pad assembly with respect to a y-axis,

wherein, when the robot cleaner is positioned on a surface and the at least the portion of the pad assembly is tilted by one of the first wire and the second wire or by a combination of the first wire and the second wire, the robot cleaner moves in a particular direction by a non-uniform frictional force between the bottom surface of the tilted rotatable pad and the surface,

wherein the pad assembly comprises an elastic body configured to adapt an entire surface of the pad to be in contact with the surface, and

wherein the elastic body is received in a flexible tube having a plurality of wrinkles and formed of a rubber material.

19. A robot cleaner comprising:

a first motor;

a pad assembly including at least a rotatable portion of the pad assembly connected to the first motor by a rotational plate to receive a rotational force from the first motor and configured to rotate in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction so that when the robot cleaner is positioned on a surface to be cleaned, a bottom surface of the rotatable portion of the pad assembly contacting the surface to be cleaned;

a water supplying member installed at the rotational plate, the water supplying member comprising a central hole in communication with a water tank and a side hole formed at a side surface thereof to be in communication with the central hole; and

a second motor;

a first shaft connected to the second motor, the first shaft including

a first driving shaft connected with the second motor, and

a first connection shaft geared with the first driving shaft; and

a first wire connected to the pad assembly and the first shaft, the first wire including

a first portion configured to connect the first driving shaft of the first shaft and one side of the pad assembly, and

a second portion configured to connect the first connection shaft of the first shaft and another side of the pad assembly that is opposite to the one side the pad assembly,

so that at least a portion of the rotatable pad assembly is tilted by a movement of the first wire and the least a portion of the pad assembly is tiltable by the movement of the first wire by the driving force of the second motor so when the robot cleaner is positioned on the surface to be cleaned, the bottom surface of the titled rotatable portion of the pad assembly applies a non-uniform frictional force with respect to the surface to be cleaned.

20. The robot cleaner according to claim 19, further comprising a second wire connected to the pad assembly and a third motor so that the pad assembly is tiltable by a movement of the second wire by the driving force of the third motor,

wherein the pad assembly tiltable with respect to an x-axis by the movement of the first wire, the pad assembly is tiltable with respect to a y-axis by the movement of the second wire,

wherein the pad assembly is tiltable by an individual movement of the first wire or second wire, or a combination of the movement of the first wire and the movement of the second wire.

21. A robot cleaner comprising:

a first motor;

a pad assembly comprising a rotational plate rotatable in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction by the first motor to clean a surface with a bottom surface of a pad attachable to the rotational plate assembly contacting the surface to be cleaned;

a water supplying member installed at the rotational plate, the water supplying member comprising a central hole in communication with a water tank and a side hole formed at a side surface thereof to be in communication with the central hole;

a second motor;

a first shaft connected to the second motor, the first shaft including

a first driving shaft connected with the second motor, and

a first connection shaft geared with the first driving shaft; and

a first wire connected to the pad assembly and the second motor, the first wire including

a first portion configured to connect the first driving shaft and one side of the pad assembly, and

a second portion configured to connect the first connection shaft and another side of the pad assembly that is opposite to the one side the pad assembly,

so that at least a portion of the pad assembly is tiltable by a movement of the first wire by a driving force of the second motor so when the robot cleaner is positioned on the surface to be cleaned and titled by the movement of the first wire, the bottom surface of the tilted rotational plate of the pad assembly applies a non-uniform frictional force with respect to the surface to be cleaned,

and the robot cleaner is movable in a particular direction by the non-uniform frictional force between the bottom surface of the rotational plate of the pad assembly and the surface to be cleaned.