Autonomous cleaner

• US 10,362,916 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2017
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Nam, Bohyun, Shim, Inbo, Sung, Jihoon, Park, Sojin, Song, Seunghyun, Lee, Sangkyu, Jun, Woochan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hail, Joseph J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brady, Timothy Brian
• Application Number:
  US15/599,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20170332868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 15319, 15347, 15352, 15353, 403321, 4033221, 403325, 403326, 403328
• 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 11/4061 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 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
• 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 9/00 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 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/02 Nozzles suction nozzles for fluid transport B65G51/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/04 with driven brushes or agitators
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/122 flat
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1427 Means for mounting or attaching bags or filtering receptacles in suction cleaners; Adapters
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/16 Arrangement or disposition of cyclones or other devices with centrifugal action
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1691 Mounting or coupling means for cyclonic chamber or dust receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2868 Arrangements for power supply of vacuum cleaners or the accessories thereof

Abstract

A robot cleaner comprising: a cleaner body including a wheel unit and a controller controlling driving of the wheel unit; a dust container accommodation part having a shape recessed toward the front from the rear thereof to be opened to the rear; a dust container detachably coupled to the dust container accommodation part, the dust container have a portion protruding rearward of a rear end of the cleaner body in a state in which the dust container is accommodated in the dust container accommodation part; and a dust container cover rotatably coupled to the cleaner body to cover the dust container, wherein the dust container cover is accommodated in the dust container accommodation part in a state in which the dust container cover is disposed to cover the dust container, and a portion of the dust container cover protrudes rearward of the rear end of the cleaner body.

Claims

1. An autonomous cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body including a plurality of wheels and a controller that manages driving of at least one of the wheels;

a dust container dock recessed in the cleaner body and being opened at a rear end of the cleaner body;

a dust container removable from the dust container dock, the dust container having a portion protruding beyond the rear end of the cleaner body when the dust container is set into the dust container dock; and

a dust container cover hinged to the cleaner body and configured to cover the dust container,

wherein when the dust container cover is closed onto the dust container, which is set into the dust container dock, a portion of the dust container cover protrudes beyond the rear end of the cleaner body, and

wherein the dust container cover includes;

a top cover that is at least partially transparent;

a bottom cover coupled to the top cover to form, together with the top cover, an appearance of the dust container cover; and

a plurality of infrared receivers provided in an internal space provided between the top cover and the bottom cover and spaced apart from each other.

2. The autonomous cleaner of claim 1, wherein a recess indented from a top surface of the cleaner body is formed along an outer circumference of the dust container dock, and the dust container cover covers the recess when the dust container cover is closed onto the dust container.

3. The autonomous cleaner of claim 1, wherein, in an aerial view, the dust container has an appearance of a circular shape, and the dust container cover has an appearance of an elliptical shape along a front-rear direction of the cleaner body such that the dust container cover completely cover the dust container when the dust container cover is closed onto the dust container.

4. The autonomous cleaner of claim 1, wherein an outer edge of the top cover is beveled.

5. The autonomous cleaner of claim 4, wherein the beveled outer edge protrudes above a top surface of the cleaner body such that an infrared signal is received in a lateral direction of the dust container cover.

6. The autonomous cleaner of claim 1, wherein the dust container cover further includes a sub-circuit board mounted to the bottom cover and electrically connected to a main circuit board of the cleaner body, and the plurality of infrared receivers are mounted on the sub-circuit board.

7. The autonomous cleaner of claim 1, wherein the dust container cover further includes a middle frame provided between the top cover and the bottom cover, the middle frame covering the plurality of infrared receivers and being opened toward a side surface of the top cover.

8. The autonomous cleaner of claim 7, wherein the dust container cover further includes a touch screen that outputs visual information through the top cover, the touch screen sensing a touch input to the top cover.

9. The autonomous cleaner of claim 8, wherein the touch screen is provided in a through-hole of the middle frame.

10. The autonomous cleaner of claim 8, wherein at least one of an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor is provided in the dust container cover, and when a tap of a user on the dust container cover is sensed by the at least one of the acceleration sensor or the gyro sensor, the controller activates the touch screen.

11. The autonomous cleaner of claim 1, wherein the dust container cover further includes a touch key that senses a touch input to a pictogram displayed in the top cover, the touch key having

a touch sensor attached to a rear surface of the top cover to sense the touch input to the top cover;

and

a backlight that illuminates the pictogram.

12. An autonomous cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body including a plurality of wheels and a controller controlling driving of at least one of the wheels;

a dust container docked in a recess of the cleaner body, the recess being opened ended at a top and a rear of the cleaner body; and

a dust container cover rotatably coupled to the cleaner body, and in a closed position of the dust container cover, the dust container cover covering the dust container and being held in the closed position by the dust container,

wherein the dust container cover includes a top and a bottom with a space provided between the top and the bottom, and a plurality of spaced apart infrared sensors provided in the space to detect an infrared signal received laterally through the dust container cover, the top being at least partially transparent.

13. The autonomous cleaner of claim 12, wherein the dust container cover further includes:

a sub-circuit board electrically connected to a main circuit board constituting the controller, the sub-circuit board having the plurality of infrared sensors mounted thereon; and

a middle frame covering the sub-circuit board.

14. The autonomous cleaner of claim 13, wherein the dust container cover further includes a touch screen positioned at a through-hole of the middle frame, the touch screen outputting visual information through the top cover, and the touch screen module sensing a touch input to the top cover.

15. The autonomous cleaner of claim 13, wherein the middle frame covers the plurality of infrared sensors and has opened corners such that the infrared signal is received a lateral direction.

16. The autonomous cleaner of claim 12, wherein the top includes a beveled circumferential edge, and the infrared sensors are proximate to the circumferential edge.

17. The autonomous cleaner of claim 16, wherein beveled circumferential edge protrudes above a top surface of the cleaner body such that the infrared sensors receive the infrared signal in a lateral direction of the dust container cover.

18. The autonomous cleaner of claim 12, wherein the dust container cover is configured to be held in the closed position by latching to the dust container.

19. The autonomous cleaner of claim 18, wherein in the closed position, a portion of the dust container cover protrudes beyond the rear of the cleaner body.

20. An autonomous cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body including a plurality of wheels and a controller that manages driving of at least one of the wheels;

a dust container dock recessed in the cleaner body and opened at a rear end of the cleaner body;

a dust container removable from the dust container dock, the dust container having a portion protruding beyond the rear end of the cleaner body when the dust container is set into the dust container dock; and

a dust container cover hingedly connected to the cleaner body and configured to cover the dust container,

wherein when the dust container cover is closed onto the dust container that is set into the dust container dock, a portion of the dust container cover protrudes beyond the rear end of the cleaner body, and

wherein the dust container cover includes;

a top cover that is at least partially transparent;

a bottom cover that combines with the top cover to form an appearance of the dust container cover;

at least one infrared receiver provided in an internal space between the top cover and the bottom cover and spaced apart from each other; and

a sub-circuit board mounted to the bottom cover and electrically connected to a main circuit board of the cleaner body, wherein the at least one infrared receiver is mounted on the sub-circuit board.