Cleaning robot

• US 5,815,880 A
• Filed: 08/06/1996
• Issued: 10/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Moneual Incorporated (Hong-Seok Park, MBA)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakanishi, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, CHRISTOPHER K
• Application Number:
  US08/689,278
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 15/320, 15/319, 15/339, 15/340.1, 15/340.4
• US Class Current: 15/319
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/20 combined with vacuum cleaning devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4038 Disk shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4055 for lifting the tools to a non-working position
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• 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: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0227 using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0238 using obstacle or wall sensors G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93

Abstract

The robot according to the present invention sequentially performs a collecting operation in which dust and particles on the floor are collected, and a cleaning or waxing operation. The cleaning robot includes a moving unit including driving wheels or crawlers, a collecting unit for suctioning dust from the floor, and a wiping unit for wiping the floor with a detergent, disinfectant, wax, etc. The collecting unit is positioned on the front of the cleaning robot with respect to the moving direction while the wiping unit is positioned on the back of the cleaning robot. Thus, the robot prevents secondary contamination of the floor and slippage or failure of the moving means caused by soiling of the moving means. The cleaning unit and the wiping unit include sensors which sense an obstacle and determine whether the obstacle is one which can be moved over, such as a cord, or whether the obstacle is one which must be avoided, such as a wall.

Claims

1. A working robot comprising:

a main unit;

a moving unit which moves said main unit on a floor in a moving direction;

a collecting unit which is disposed at a front of the moving unit with respect to the moving direction of the main unit and collects dust on the floor;

a wiping unit which is disposed at a rear of the moving unit with respect to the moving direction of the main unit and cleans the floor; and

wherein said wiping unit has a width in a direction transverse to the moving direction, said moving unit has a width in a direction transverse to the moving direction, and said collecting unit has a width in a direction transverse to the moving direction, wherein the wiping unit width is larger than the moving unit width, and the collecting unit width is approximately equal to or larger than the width of said wiping unit.

2. A working robot comprising:

a main unit;

a moving unit which moves said main unit on a floor in a moving direction;

a collecting unit which is disposed at a front of the moving unit with respect to the moving direction of the main unit and collects dust on the floor;

a wiping unit which is disposed at a rear of the moving unit with respect to the moving direction of the main unit and cleans the floor; and

a lifting mechanism including a first lifting member which raises and lowers the collecting unit and a second lifting member which raises and lowers the wiping unit.

3. A working robot as claimed in claim 2 wherein the first lifting member and the second lifting member are integrally formed.

4. A working robot comprising:

a main unit;

a moving unit which moves said main unit on a floor in a moving direction;

a collecting unit which is disposed at a front of the moving unit with respect to the moving direction of the main unit and collects dust on the floor;

a wiping unit which is disposed at a rear of the moving unit with respect to the moving direction; and

wherein each of the collecting unit and the wiping unit is provided with an upper sensor and a lower sensor for detecting an obstacle during movement of the main unit.

5. A working robot as claim in claim 4 wherein the upper and lower sensors provided at the collecting unit and the wiping unit are contact sensors.

6. A working robot as claim in claim 4 wherein the upper sensor and the lower sensor of the collecting unit and the upper sensor of the wiping unit each include a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion.

7. A working robot as claim in claim 4 wherein the upper sensor and the lower sensor of the collecting unit and the upper sensor of the wiping unit each include a passive auto focus sensor.

8. A working robot comprising:

a main unit;

a moving unit which moves said main unit on a floor in a moving direction;

a collecting unit which is disposed at a front of the moving unit with respect to the moving direction of the main unit and collects dust on the floor;

a wiping unit which is disposed at a rear of the moving unit with respect to the moving direction; and

said moving unit includes a pair of driving wheels having axes disposed perpendicular to the moving direction of the main unit.

9. A working robot as claim in claim 8 wherein said moving unit includes a pair of guiding wheels disposed between said driving wheels and the guiding wheels having axes disposed perpendicular to the moving direction of the main unit.

10. A working robot comprising:

a main unit;

a moving unit which moves said main unit on a floor in a moving direction;

a collecting unit which is disposed at a front of the moving unit with respect to the moving direction of the main unit and collects dust on the floor;

a wiping unit which is disposed at a rear of the moving unit with respect to the moving direction; and

wherein said moving unit includes a pair of crawlers disposed parallel to the moving direction of the main unit.

11. A working robot as claim in claim 10 wherein said moving unit includes an orientation changing mechanism placed in the center and at the bottom of the main unit, said orientation changing mechanism lifting the main unit to a predetermined height when the robot turns so that the crawlers are lifted away from the floor.

12. A working robot comprising:

a main unit;

a moving unit which moves said main unit on a floor in a moving direction;

a first working unit which is disposed at the front of the moving unit with respect to the moving direction of the main unit and performs a first cleaning operation; and

a second working unit which is disposed at the rear of the moving unit with respect to the moving direction of the main unit and performs a second cleaning operation wherein said second working unit has a width in a direction transverse to the moving direction, said moving unit has a width in a direction transverse to the moving direction, and said first working unit has a width in a direction transverse to the moving direction, wherein the second working unit width is larger than the moving unit width, and the first working unit width is approximately equal to or larger than the width of said second working unit.

13. A working robot as claimed in claim 12 wherein said first working unit includes a suction inlet for suctioning dust on the floor.

14. A working robot as claimed in claim 12 wherein said second working unit includes a plurality of rotatable members for wiping the floor.

15. A working robot as claimed in claim 14 wherein each of the rotatable members includes a hole formed in the center thereof, for dispensing the fluid which is dropped through each hole onto the floor.

16. A working robot as claimed in claim 15 wherein said fluid includes a cleaning solution or a wax solution.

17. A working robot as claimed in claim 12 further comprising:

a lifting mechanism including a first lifting member which raises and lowers the first working unit and a second lifting member which raises and lowers the second working unit.

18. A working robot as claimed in claim 17 wherein each of the first working unit and the second working unit has an upper sensor and a lower sensor for detecting an obstacle during movement of the main unit, and the lifting mechanism operates when the lower sensor of the first working unit or the second working unit detects an obstacle and the upper sensors do not detect an obstacle.

19. A self-guided working robot comprising:

a main unit;

a moving unit which moves said main unit on a floor in a moving direction;

a first working unit which is disposed at the front of the moving unit with respect to the moving direction of the main unit and performs a first cleaning operation; and

a second working unit which is disposed at the rear of the moving unit with respect to the moving direction of the main unit and performs a second cleaning operation, the second working unit including a plurality of rotatable members for wiping the floor and a dispensing mechanism for dispensing a fluid.