Vacuum cleaner

• US 11,129,511 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2014
• Issued: 09/28/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Keon Soo, Kim, Shin, Lee, Dong Hyun, Ha, Dong Woo, Lee, Chang Hyun, Han, Ji Yeon
• Primary Examiner(s): Aviles, Orlando E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Crandall, Joel D
• Application Number:
  US15/024,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20160235268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,562 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• 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 9/2863 Control elements activated by pivoting movement of the upright vacuum cleaner handle
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/32 Handles

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner includes an actuator connected to a suction hose to rotate in left and right directions centering on a first rotation axis, or in forward and backward directions centering on a second rotation axis according to movement of the suction hose, a first displacement sensor detecting rotational displacement of the actuator in the left and right directions, and a second displacement sensor detecting rotational displacement of the actuator in the forward and backward directions, and controls activation of a plurality of driving motors according to the rotational displacement of the actuator in the left and right directions and in the forward and backward directions, which are detected by the first displacement sensor and the second displacement sensor, thereby advancing or rotating the main body in the left and right directions.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a main body;

a suction nozzle configured to suck in air;

a suction hose configured to guide the air sucked in through the suction nozzle to the main body;

a wheel configured to rotate to move the main body;

a driving motor configured to provide a driving force to the wheel to rotate the wheel;

an actuator provided on the main body, connected to the suction hose, and including

a first rotating body configured to rotate along a first rotation axis according to a movement of the suction hose, and

a second rotating body configured to rotate along a second rotation axis according to the movement of the suction hose;

a vent unit provided inside the actuator to communicate with the suction hose;

a first displacement sensor configured to detect a rotational displacement of the first rotating body of the actuator along the first rotation axis;

a second displacement sensor configured to detect a rotational displacement of the second rotating body of the actuator along the second rotation axis; and

a control unit configured to control the driving motor according to the detected rotational displacement of the first rotating body and the detected rotational displacement of the second rotating body so that the main body moves according to the movement of the suction hose,

wherein the vent unit includes;

a first vent coupled to a lower portion of the second rotating body to communicate with the suction hose, and

a second vent rotatably coupled to the first vent by a universal joint to communicate with the first vent.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the first rotating body is rotatable with respect to the main body along the first rotation axis, and

the second rotating body is coupled between the first rotating body and the suction hose, and is rotatable with respect to the first rotating body along the second rotation axis.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2, further comprising:

a supporting body fixed to the main body and coupled to the first rotating body to support the rotation of the first rotating body.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 3, wherein the first displacement sensor is a first potentiometer having a sensor body and an adjustment knob rotatably provided on the sensor body of the first potentiometer to change a resistance of the sensor body of the first potentiometer.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 4, wherein the sensor body of the first potentiometer is coupled to the supporting body, and the adjustment knob of the first potentiometer is inserted into the first rotating body to be rotated together with the first rotating body.

6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 4, wherein the second displacement sensor is a second potentiometer having a sensor body and an adjustment knob rotatably provided on the sensor body of the second potentiometer to change a resistance of the sensor body of the second potentiometer.

7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6, wherein the sensor body of the second potentiometer is coupled to the first rotating body, and the adjustment knob of the second potentiometer is inserted into the second rotating body to be rotated together with the second rotating body.

8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one elastic member configured to elastically support the actuator.

9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, further comprising:

an inner hose provided inside the actuator to communicate with the suction hose.

10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein

the second vent includes a bowl unit having a spherical outer circumferential surface, and

the first vent includes a bowl housing configured to surround and support the bowl unit.

11. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the actuator is provided at an upper portion of the main body,

wherein a detected rotational displacement of the actuator includes the detected rotational displacement of the first rotating body and the detected rotational displacement of the second rotating body, and

wherein:

when the suction hose is pulled in a forward direction of the main body, the detected rotational displacement of the actuator occurs in the forward direction and the control unit controls the driving motor to provide a driving force to the wheel to rotate the wheel to move the main body in the forward direction,

when the suction hose is pulled in a left direction of the main body, the detected rotational displacement of the actuator occurs in the left direction and the control unit controls the driving motor to provide a driving force to the wheel to rotate the wheel to rotate the main body in the left direction, and

when the suction hose is pulled in a right direction of the main body, the detected rotational displacement of the actuator occurs in the right direction and the control unit controls the driving motor to provide a driving force to the wheel to rotate the wheel to rotate the main body in the right direction.

12. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the actuator is provided at a front portion of the main body,

wherein a detected rotational displacement of the actuator includes the detected rotational displacement of the first rotating body and the detected rotational displacement of the second rotating body, and

wherein:

when the suction hose is pulled in a forward direction of the main body, the detected rotational displacement of the actuator occurs in the forward direction and the control unit controls the driving motor to provide a driving force to the wheel to rotate the wheel to move the main body in the forward direction,

when the suction hose is pulled in a left direction of the main body, the detected rotational displacement of the actuator occurs in the left direction and the control unit controls the driving motor to provide a driving force to the wheel to rotate the wheel to rotate the main body in the left direction, and

when the suction hose is pulled in a right direction of the main body, the detected rotational displacement of the actuator occurs in the right direction and the control unit controls the driving motor to provide a driving force to the wheel to rotate the wheel to rotate the main body in the right direction.

13. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a main body;

a plurality of wheels provided at both sides of the main body;

a plurality of driving motors configured to provide the plurality of wheels with driving forces;

a plurality of reduction gears configured to deliver the driving forces of the plurality of driving motors to the plurality of wheels;

an actuator configured to rotate in left and right directions centering on a first rotation axis or in forward and backward directions centering on a second rotation axis;

a first displacement sensor configured to detect rotational displacement of the actuator in the left and right directions;

a second displacement sensor configured to detect rotational displacement of the actuator in the forward and backward directions; and

multiple clutches configured to intermit power transmission by connecting or disconnecting the plurality of reduction gears and the plurality of wheels,

wherein the vacuum cleaner has an active driving mode in which the multiple clutches are connected and a manual driving mode in which the multiple clutches are disconnected.

14. The vacuum cleaner of claim 13, wherein the plurality of driving motors are activated according to rotation of the actuator in the active driving mode to enable the main body to actively advance or rotate in the left and right directions.

15. The vacuum cleaner of claim 13, wherein the plurality of wheels idly rotate in the manual driving mode without interfering with loads of the plurality of driving motors and the plurality of reduction gears.

16. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a main body configured to generate a suction force and to separate dust from air being sucked in;

a suction nozzle unit provided at a lower portion of the main body to suck in air;

a driving unit configured to drive the main body;

a handle unit provided at an upper portion of the main body to be rotatable with respect to the main body;

an actuator including

a first rotating body configured to rotate along a first rotation axis according to a movement of the handle unit,

a second rotating body configured to rotate along a second rotation axis according to the movement of the handle unit,

and

a displacement sensor configured to detect a rotational displacement of the actuator,

wherein the rotational displacement of the actuator includes a rotational displacement of first rotating body along the first rotation axis and a rotational displacement of the second rotating body along the second rotation axis;

a vent unit provided inside the actuator to communicate with the handle unit; and

a control unit configured to control the driving unit on the basis of the rotational displacement of the actuator,

wherein the vent unit includes;

a first vent coupled to a lower portion of the second rotating body to communicate with the handle unit, and

a second vent rotatably coupled to the first vent by a universal joint to communicate with the first vent.

17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 16, wherein the first rotation axis is perpendicular to the second rotation axis.

18. The vacuum cleaner of claim 16, wherein the actuator is provided between the main body and the handle unit to rotatably couple the main body to the handle unit so that the displacement sensor is configured to detect a rotational displacement of the handle unit with respect to the main body.