DEVICE COMPRISING AT LEAST A BODY AND A BUMPER, AND ROBOT CLEANER COMPRISING SUCH A DEVICE

• US 20100306932A1
• Filed: 01/23/2009
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Schneider, Ronald Maarten, Bruggers, Jan Willem, Dekkers, Jeroen, Rijs, Robertus Mathijs Gerardus
• Granted Patent: US 8,458,854 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/3
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0227 using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area

Abstract

A device (1) comprises at least a body (2) and a bumper (6) which is movably attached to the body so as to protect the body from shock caused by collision with an obstacle during movement of the device across a surface. The bumper is attached to the body by means of at least one spring (9) extending in a direction which is at least substantially perpendicular to the direction into which the bumper is movable with respect to the body. Furthermore,a robot cleaner comprising such a device is provided.

Claims

1. A device (1, 21) comprising at least a body (2, 22) and a bumper (6) which is movably attached to the body so as to protect the body from shock caused by collision with an obstacle during movement of the device across a surface, characterized in that the bumper (6) is attached to the body (2, 22) by means of at least one spring (9, 25) extending in a direction which is at least substantially perpendicular to the direction into which the bumper is movable with respect to the body.

2. A device (1, 21) according to claim 1, characterized in that the bumper (6) is at least substantially ring-shaped and at least substantially surrounds the body (2, 22).

3. A device (1, 21) according to claim 1, characterized in that the bumper (6) is movable with respect to the body (2, 22) in directions parallel to the surface across which the device is movable, with at least one spring (9, 25) extending perpendicularly to the surface.

4. A device (1, 21) according to claim 1, characterized in that the bumper (6) is attached to the body (2, 22) by means of at least three springs (9) extending parallel to each other and being at least substantially perpendicular to the direction into which the bumper is movable with respect to the body.

5. A device (1, 21) according to claim 1, characterized in that the spring (9, 25) is a pretensioned tension spring.

6. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the spring (9, 25) has a relatively large stiffness at forces below a predetermined value and a relatively small stiffness at forces above the predetermined value.

7. A device (1, 21) according to claim 6, characterized in that the bumper (6) is movable with respect to the body (2, 22) through a predetermined distance, with the relatively large stiffness occurring through at least 20 percent of the predetermined distance.

8. A device (1, 21) according to claim 1, characterized in that the device comprises at least one sensor for detecting a displacement of the bumper with respect to the body, and stopping means for stopping the movement of the body if the detected displacement is larger than a predetermined displacement.

9. A device (21) according to claim 1, characterized in that the body comprises a funnel-shaped surface (23) on which an element, which is connected to the bumper by means of the spring (25), is slidable or rollable.

10. A robot cleaner (31) comprising a device according to claim 1, wherein the body (32, 33) is motor-driven.