Cleaner

• US 10,568,482 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2017
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Sun, Changhwa, Kim, Sangjo
• Primary Examiner(s): Muller, Bryan R
• Application Number:
  US15/856,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20180184871A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 15392, 15 411, 15 503, 15 521, 15 98
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0002 Arrangements for enhancing monitoring or controlling the brushing process
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0004 with a controlling means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4036 Parts or details of the surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• 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 2201/06 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 9/0411 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0455 Bearing means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/22 Mountings for motor fan assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2821 Pressure, vacuum level or airflow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2884 Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation

Abstract

Disclosed is a cleaner having a structure that a supporting member and a cleaning module are coupled to or separated from a cleaner body. The cleaner includes a cleaner body having a module mounting portion; a supporting member inserted and mounted to the module mounting portion, and separated and withdrawn from the module mounting portion, through a bottom part of the cleaner body; and a cleaning module coupled to the supporting member so as to be inserted or withdrawn together with the supporting member when the supporting member is inserted or withdrawn.

Claims

1. A cleaner, comprising:

a cleaner body having a bottom surface that includes a mounting recess;

a rotation driving gear provided at one side of the mounting recess;

a frame; and

a cleaning head configured to be coupled to the frame so that the support frame and the cleaning head are inserted into or withdrawn together from the mounting recess, wherein the cleaning head includes;

a roller that is rotatably supported by the frame when the cleaning head is coupled to the frame, and that engages the rotation driving gear to receive a rotational driving force when the cleaning head is inserted into the mounting recess with the frame, and

a cleaning extension provided on an outer circumferential surface of the roller, and configured to clean a floor when the roller is rotated by the rotation driving force transmitted from the rotation driving gear,

wherein the cleaning head includes one of a first cleaning head having a first type of the cleaning extension or a second cleaning head having a second type of the cleaning extension which are selectively mountable to the frame,

wherein the roller of the first cleaning head and the roller of the second cleaning head are provided with respective different numbers of contact terminals at a common position,

wherein the rotation driving gear is provided with a contact switch at a contact position with the contact terminals when one of the first cleaning head or the second cleaning head is inserted in the mounting recess, and

wherein the cleaner further comprises a controller configured to recognize whether the first cleaning head or the second cleaning head is inserted in the mounting recess based on the number of the contact terminals contacting the contact switch, and modifies operation of the cleaner based on whether the first cleaning head or the second cleaning head is mounted to the mounting recess.

2. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein the roller includes:

a rotation coupling button at a first axial end of the roller, the rotation coupling button being movable along an axis of the roller between an exposed position outside the first axial end of the roller and a depressed position at least partially inside the roller; and

a spring configured to provide an elastic force such that the rotation coupling button is biased towards the exposed position, and

wherein the mounting recess includes an inclined surface formed at a position contacting with the rotation coupling button while the cleaning head is being inserted such that the inclined surface provides a compression force to move the rotation coupling button towards the depressed position while the cleaning head is being inserted.

3. The cleaner of claim 2, wherein the inclined surface is slanted to be closer to the first axial end of roller inside of the mounting recess and away from the bottom surface of the cleaner body.

4. The cleaner of claim 2, wherein the rotation driving gear includes a recess configured to accommodate the rotation coupling button when the cleaning head is inserted in the mounting recess, and

wherein, when the cleaning head is inserted in the mounting recess, the rotation coupling button is pressurized by the spring to be inserted into the recess of the rotation driving gear.

5. The cleaner of claim 2, wherein while the cleaning head is being inserted in the mounting recess, the rotation coupling button sequentially passes along the inclined surface to be compressed into the depressed positioned and then is restored to the exposed position by the elastic force provided from the spring to engage the rotation driving gear.

6. The cleaner of claim 2, wherein the frame includes:

a first wall which includes an opening that encloses one end of the roller so as to rotatably support the roller, and a second wall which encloses another end of the roller; and

a first connection plate and a second connection plate that are spaced apart from each other and extend between the first and second portions walls, and

wherein the cleaning head is exposed in a space between the first and second connection plates to clean a floor.

7. The cleaner of claim 6, wherein the mounting recess is provided with a protrusion extending towards the member, and

wherein the frame is provided with a hook that engages a ledge on the protrusion of the mounting recess when the frame is received in the mounting recess.

8. The cleaner of claim 7, wherein the hook includes:

a first wall extending from one end of the frame and towards an interior of the mounting recess;

a second wall part contacting the first wall opposite the one end of the support frame, and extending out of the mounting recess;

a manipulation contact surface protruding from an end of the second wall so as to manipulate the hook; and

a latch extending from the second wall and towards the ledge of the protrusion, so as to engage the ledge of the protrusion when the frame is inserted into the mounting recess.

9. The cleaner of claim 8, wherein the latch includes:

an inclined surface which contacts the ledge of the protrusion while the frame is being inserted in mounting recess, and configured be slide along a surface of the protrusion; and

a locking surface formed at an opposite side to the inclined surface, and formed to contact the ledge of the protrusion when the frame is inserted to the mounting recess.

10. The cleaner of claim 8, wherein when the frame is inserted to the mounting recess, the latch contacts the ledge of the protrusion to apply a force moving the manipulation contact surface towards the cleaner body.

11. The cleaner of claim 10, wherein when a force is applied to the manipulation contact surface in an axial direction of the roller and away from the ledge of the protrusion, the latch is released from the ledge of the protrusion such that the frame can be removed from the mounting recess.

12. The cleaner of claim 10, wherein the hook is formed at an opposite side of the frame relative to the rotation coupling button, and

wherein when the ledge of the protrusion and the latch are released from engagement, the frame and the cleaning head are tilted around the rotation coupling button accommodated in the rotation driving gear to be separated from the mounting recess.

13. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein first cleaning head includes a brush and the second cleaning head includes a mop, and wherein the controller is configured to deactivate a suction motor included in the cleaner when the second cleaning head is mounted in the mounting recess.