Robot cleaner, refrigerator, container transfer system, and method of transferring and retrieving container using the robot cleaner

• US 10,577,199 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2017
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Sang Tak, Kim, Sang Hak, Kim, Bo Kyung, Seo, Ji Ho, Lee, Ho Jin, Choi, Sang Hwa
• Primary Examiner(s): Collins, Michael
• Application Number:
  US15/665,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20180029809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 700231-244
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/02 Docking stations; Docking operations
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/022 Recharging of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/22 with rotary fans
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0085 adapted for special purposes not related to cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/009 Details of suction cleaner tools for additional purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2852 Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2873 Docking units or charging stations for autonomous or robotic vacuum cleaners A47L2201/02
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 67/02 Loading or unloading land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 11/00 Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/12 Arrangements of compartments additional to cooling compartments; Combinations of refrigerators with other equipment, e.g. stove
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/20 Carts specially adapted for transporting objects to be cooled
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/005 using containers

Abstract

Disclosed are a robot cleaner, a refrigerator, a container transfer system, and a method of transferring and retrieving a container using the robot cleaner. The method of transferring a container include returning a robot cleaner to a position guide device installed at a refrigerator, mounting the robot cleaner on the position guide device, transferring, by the refrigerator, a container built in the refrigerator to mount the container on the robot cleaner, and moving the robot cleaner on which the container is mounted to a target position.

Claims

1. A method of transferring a container, comprising:

returning a robot cleaner to a position guide device installed at a refrigerator;

mounting the robot cleaner on the position guide device;

transferring, by the refrigerator, a container stored in the refrigerator to mount the container on the robot cleaner; and

moving the robot cleaner on which the container is mounted to a target position.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising moving the position guide device stored in a bottom end of the refrigerator to be exposed outside the refrigerator.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the position guide device is movable forward or backward by a position guide device transferer provided at a bottom end portion of the refrigerator.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the position guide device transferer comprises a rack, a rotor that moves along the rack, and a position guide device driver that generates a driving force with respect to the rotor.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically opening a door of the refrigerator.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transferring, by the refrigerator, of the container stored in the refrigerator to mount the container on the robot cleaner comprises moving, by a container transferer, a container mounter on which the container is mounted to a top end of the robot cleaner and separating the container from the container mounter.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the container comprises a mounted portion, and the container mounter comprises a mounting member on or from which the mounted portion is mountable or separable.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the container transferer comprises at least one pivoting member pivotably coupled with the container mounter and a driver that rotates the pivoting member in at least one direction.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by a terminal device, a container transfer command.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transferring the container transfer command to the position guide device; and

transmitting, by the position guide device, a control signal corresponding to the container transfer command to at least one of the robot cleaner and the refrigerator.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting, by the terminal device, information about a position of the terminal device together with the container transfer command,

wherein the moving of the robot cleaner on which the container is mounted to the target position comprises setting the position of the terminal device to be the target position and moving the robot cleaner to the set target position.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the moving of the robot cleaner on which the container is mounted to the target position comprises performing, by the robot cleaner, communication with a terminal device and moving the robot cleaner following the terminal device according to a communication result with the terminal device.

13. A method of retrieving a container, comprising:

returning a robot cleaner on which a container is mounted to a position guide device installed at a refrigerator;

mounting the robot cleaner on the position guide device; and

retrieving and storing, by the refrigerator, the container mounted on the robot cleaner.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

forward moving the robot cleaner mounted on the position guide device;

automatically opening a door of the refrigerator; and

backward moving the robot cleaner corresponding to a forward movement distance and remounting of the robot cleaner on the position guide device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising moving the position guide device stored in the refrigerator to be exposed outside the refrigerator.

16. A container transfer system comprising:

a robot cleaner;

a position guide device provided to allow the robot cleaner to be mounted thereon; and

a refrigerator that mounts a container stored therein on the robot cleaner when the robot cleaner is mounted on the position guide device,

wherein the position guide device moves from a bottom end of the refrigerator to be stored in the refrigerator or to be exposed outside the refrigerator.

17. The container transfer system of claim 16, wherein the refrigerator comprises a position guide device transferer that is provided at a bottom end portion of the refrigerator and transfers the position guide device forward or backward.

18. The container transfer system of claim 17, wherein the position guide device transferer comprises a rack, a rotor that moves along the rack, and a position guide device driver that generates a driving force with respect to the rotor.

19. The container transfer system of claim 16, wherein the refrigerator comprises a container mounter on or from which the container is mounted or separated and a container transferer that transfers the container mounter.

20. The container transfer system of claim 16, further comprising a terminal device that transmits at least one of a container transfer command and a container retrieval command to at least one of the robot cleaner, the position guide device, and the refrigerator.