Robot cleaner and wheel assembly

• US 10,390,669 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2017
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Hwang
• Primary Examiner(s): Carlson, Marc
• Application Number:
  US15/440,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20170245710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• 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 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2868 Arrangements for power supply of vacuum cleaners or the accessories thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2200/49 Domestic appliances, e.g. vacuum cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 3/001 Lightweight wheels, e.g. for strollers or toys
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 3/082 especially for light-weight wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 3/087 Discs having several mutual contact regions
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 33/00 Castors in general; Anti-clogging castorscastors for large containers B65D90/18
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 5/02 made of synthetic material
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 9/00 Wheels of high resiliency , e.g. with conical interacting pressure-surfaces resilient wheels comprising rail-engaging elements B60B17/0027

Abstract

A robot cleaner includes: a body having a suction port; a plurality of wheels for movement of the body; and a plurality of driving devices configured to drive the plurality of wheels, respectively, wherein each of the plurality of wheels includes an inner wheel and an outer wheel having a thickness that is larger than a thickness of the inner wheel, and each of the inner wheel and the outer wheel includes a plurality of slits.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner comprising:

a body having a suction port;

a plurality of wheels at the body; and

at least one driving device configured to provide a driving force for driving at least one of the plurality of wheels,

wherein each of the plurality of wheels includes;

a wheel frame to receive the driving force of the at least one driving device;

an outer wheel to couple to the wheel frame;

an inner wheel to couple to the wheel frame; and

a cover to cover a circumference of the outer wheel and a circumference of the inner wheel,

wherein a rotation center of the outer wheel is aligned with a rotation center of the inner wheel,

wherein a thickness of the outer wheel in an extension direction of the rotation center of the outer wheel is greater than a thickness of the inner wheel in an extension direction of the rotation center of the inner wheel,

wherein the outer wheel includes a plurality of first slits such that the outer wheel is to be deformed by external force,

wherein the inner wheel includes a plurality of second slits such that the inner wheel is to be deformed by external force, and

wherein an arrangement the plurality of first slits is different from an arrangement of the plurality of second slits, and a shape of at least one of the plurality of first slits is different from at least one of the plurality of second slits.

2. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the arrangement and the shape of the plurality of first slits and the arrangement and the shape of the plurality of second slits are opposite to each other with respect to the rotation centers of the inner and outer wheels.

3. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of first slits of the outer wheel has a length that is larger than a width, and each of the plurality of second slits of the inner wheel has a length that is larger than a width.

4. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of first slits and each of the plurality of second slits has a first end and a second end, and

wherein the first end of each of the first slits is closer to an outer peripheral surface of the outer wheel than the second end of the same corresponding one of the first slits, and

wherein the first end of each of the second slits is closer to an outer peripheral surface of the inner wheel than the second end of the same corresponding one of the second slits.

5. The robot cleaner of claim 4, wherein a first virtual line connecting the rotation center of the outer wheel and the first end of the first slit of the outer wheel and a second virtual line connecting the rotation center of the outer wheel and the second end of the first slit of the outer wheel are arranged to have a constant angle,

wherein a third virtual line connecting the rotation center of the inner wheel and the first end of the second slit of the inner wheel and a fourth virtual line connecting the rotation center of the inner wheel and the second end of the second slit of the inner wheel are arranged to have a constant angle,

wherein when the outer wheel is rotated in a specific direction to move the body in a first direction, the first virtual line is rotated before the second virtual line, and

wherein when the inner wheel is rotated in a specific direction to move the body in a second direction, the third virtual line is rotated before the fourth virtual line.

6. The robot cleaner of claim 5, wherein a middle line corresponds to a virtual line connecting one point between the first end and the second end of the first slit and the rotation center of the outer wheel, and an angle between the second virtual line and the middle line is larger than an angle between the first virtual line and the second virtual line.

7. The robot cleaner of claim 5, wherein a connection line of a straight line connecting the first end and the second end is provided outside each slit.

8. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of first slits of the outer wheel is rounded or is bent one or more times, and each of the plurality of second slits of the inner wheel is rounded or is bent one or more times.

9. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the outer wheel and the inner wheel are coupled to the wheel frame in a direction that is parallel to an extending direction of a rotation center line of the wheel frame.

10. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the wheel frame includes one of fastening bosses or fastening grooves on an outer peripheral surface of the wheel frame, and

wherein the other one of the fastening bosses or the fastening grooves are provided on an inner peripheral surface of the outer wheel and on an inner peripheral surface of the inner wheel.

11. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein one of fastening bosses or fastening grooves are provided on an outer peripheral surface of each of the outer wheel and the inner wheel, and

wherein the other one of the fastening bosses or the fastening grooves are provided on an inner peripheral surface of the cover.

12. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the cover includes a plurality of contact protrusions on an outer peripheral surface of the cover.

13. A wheel assembly comprising:

a wheel frame to receive a driving force;

an outer wheel to couple to an outer peripheral surface of the wheel frame;

an inner wheel to couple to the outer peripheral surface of the wheel frame; and

a cover to cover a circumference of the outer wheel and a circumference of the inner wheel,

wherein a thickness of the outer wheel in an extension direction of a rotation center of the outer wheel is larger than a thickness of the inner wheel in an extension direction of a rotation center of the inner wheel,

wherein the outer wheel includes a plurality of first slits such that the outer wheel is deformed by external force, and

wherein the inner wheel includes a plurality of second slits such that the inner wheel is deformed by external force.

14. The wheel assembly of claim 13, wherein an arrangement of the plurality of first slits is different from an arrangement of the plurality of second slits, and a shape of at least one of the first slits is different from a shape of at least one of the second slits.

15. The wheel assembly of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of first slits of the outer wheel has a length that is larger than a width, and each of the plurality of second slits of the inner wheel has a length that is larger than a width.

16. A robot cleaner comprising:

a body having a suction port;

a wheel assembly provided at the body; and

at least one driving device to provide a driving force to the wheel assembly,

wherein the wheel assembly includes;

a wheel frame to receive a driving force;

an outer wheel to couple to an outer peripheral surface of the wheel frame;

an inner wheel to couple to the outer peripheral surface of the wheel frame; and

a cover to cover a circumference of the outer wheel and a circumference of the inner wheel,

wherein a thickness of the outer wheel in an extension direction of a rotation center of the outer wheel is larger than a thickness of the inner wheel in an extension direction of a rotation center of the inner wheel,

wherein the outer wheel includes a plurality of first slits such that the outer wheel is deformed by external force, and

wherein the inner wheel includes a plurality of second slits such that the inner wheel is deformed by external force.

17. A robot cleaner comprising:

a body having a suction port;

a wheel assembly having a plurality of wheels at the body; and

at least one driving device at the body to provide a driving force to at least one of the plurality of wheels,

wherein the at least one of the plurality of wheels includes;

a wheel frame to receive the driving force of the at least one driving device;

a first wheel to couple to the wheel frame; and

a second wheel to couple to the wheel frame,

wherein a rotational point of the first wheel is aligned with a rotational point of the second wheel,

wherein a thickness of the first wheel in an extension direction of a rotation center of the first wheel is larger than a thickness of the second wheel in an extension direction of a rotation center of the second wheel,

wherein the first wheel includes a plurality of first slits,

wherein the second wheel includes a plurality of second slits, and

wherein an arrangement of the plurality of first slits is different from an arrangement the plurality of second slits, and a shape of one of the first slits is different from a shape of one of the second slits.

18. The robot cleaner of claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of first slits of the first wheel has a length that is larger than a width, and each of the plurality of second slits of the second wheel has a length that is larger than a width.

19. The robot cleaner of claim 17, further comprising a cover to cover a portion of the first wheel and a portion of the second wheel.

20. The robot cleaner of claim 19, wherein one of fastening bosses or fastening grooves are provided on an outer surface of each of the first wheel and the second wheel, and

wherein the other one of the fastening bosses or the fastening grooves are provided on an inner surface of the cover.

21. The robot cleaner of claim 17, wherein the wheel frame includes one of fastening bosses or fastening grooves on an outer surface of the wheel frame, and

wherein the other one of the fastening bosses or the fastening grooves are provided on an inner surface of the first wheel and on an inner surface of the second wheel.