Movable air purification robot system

• US 8,496,737 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2010
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Moneual Incorporated (Hong-Seok Park, MBA)
• Original Assignee: Moneual Incorporated (Hong-Seok Park, MBA)
• Inventors: Park, Hong Seuk, Kim, Un Ki, Chang, Hee Nam, Lee, Man Hee
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Christopher P
• Application Number:
  US12/775,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20110271839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 553/18, 553/56, 553/851, 554/00, 961/11
• US Class Current: 96/111
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/708 Volatile organic compounds V.O.C.'s
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/90 Odorous compounds not provided for in groups B01D2257/00 - B01D2257/708
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/91 Bacteria; Microorganisms
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2258/06 Polluted air
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/4508 for cleaning air in buildings
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/4558 for being employed as mobile cleaners for ambient air, i.e. the earth's atmosphere
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/72 Organic compounds not provided for in groups B01D53/48 - B01D53/70, e.g. hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/42 Mobile autonomous air conditioner, e.g. robots

Abstract

A movable air purification robot system may automatically eliminate dust, bacteria and smell from air while freely moving along a polluted area irrespective of a space dimension. The movable air purification robot system includes an air purification robot which has an air pollution detector detecting pollution and humidity of floating substances contained in air, an air purifier circulating the air containing pollutants by means of the air pollution detection unit and filtering, absorbing and purifying the same, a robot propulsion unit formed of two driving wheels disposed at both lower sides of a robot body and independently operating, an obstacle detector detecting obstacles a robot user interface allowing a user to operate the robot, a robot control unit controlling the operations of each element, and a power unit supplying electric power to operating elements.

Claims

1. A movable air purification robot system, comprising:

an air purification robot, said air purification robot including;

an air pollution detector detecting pollution and humidity of floating substances contained in ambient air;

an air purifier circulating the ambient air containing pollutants by means of the air pollution detector and filtering, absorbing, and purifying the same;

a robot propulsion unit formed of two driving wheels disposed at different lower sides of a robot body to operate independently of each other;

an obstacle detector detecting obstacles to guide the movement of the robot propulsion unit;

a user interface allowing a user to operate said air purification robot; and

a robot control unit controlling operations of the air pollution detector, the air purifier, the robot propulsion unit, the obstacle detector, and the user interface; and

a charging unit which communicates with the air purification robot charging the air purification robot; and

at least one external detection device which calls the air purification robot to an air purification request region and is installed in the air purification region setting the air purification region by means of the air purification robot which has moved to the air purification request region.

2. The system of claim 1, said charging unit

a charging power unit connected with a first power outlet supplying charging power to the air purification robot;

a charging communication unit guiding the air purification robot through a communication with the air purification robot;

a charging approach detector detecting an approach of the air purification robot and

a charging control unit controlling operations of the charging power unit and the air purification robot, respectively, and

said external detection device including;

an external device pollution detector detecting air pollution;

an external device communication unit communicating with the air purification robot;

an external device approach detector detecting an approach of the air purification robot;

an external device control unit controlling an operation between the external device pollution detector and the external device communication unit;

an external device operation unit allowing the external detection device to selectively perform a purification region monitoring function and an air purification robot approach prohibition function; and

an external device power unit supplying electric power for operations of the external device pollution detector, the external device communication unit, the external device approach detector, the external device control unit, and the external device operation unit.

3. The system of claim 2, said external device power unit formed of either a battery disposed in the interior of the same or a power plug connected to a second power outlet disposed on a wall.

4. The system of claim 2, said external device power unit including a power plug which can be connected to a second power outlet, said external detection device including an external device power communication unit communicating, with an electric cable connected through the second power outlet, and said charging unit including a charging electric power communication unit.

5. A movable air purification robot system, comprising:

an air purification robot, said air purification robot including;

an air pollution detector detecting pollution and humidity of floating substances contained in ambient air;

an air purifier circulating the ambient air containing pollutants by means of the air pollution detector and filtering, absorbing, and purifying the same

a robot propulsion unit formed of two driving wheels disposed at different lower sides of a robot body to operate independently of each other;

an obstacle detector detecting obstacles to guide the movement of the robot propulsion unit;

a user interface allowing a user to operate said air purification robot; and

a robot control unit controlling operations of the air purification robot, the air pollution detector, the air purifier, the robot propulsion unit, the obstacle detector, and the user interface, and

said robot propulsion unit further including;

a rear side driven wheel disposed at a rear lower side of the robot body;

a front side driven wheel disposed at a front lower side of the robot body; and

a seesaw engaging plate of which a center portion can rotate about a seesaw shaft at a lower side of the robot body by engaging the front side driven wheel and the two driving wheels so that the driving wheels can seesaw with respect to a lifting-up motion of the front side driving wheels wheel for thereby preventing the driving wheels from separating from a ground when the front side driven wheel roll-contacts with a protruded obstacle.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said seesaw shaft, which is a seesaw axis of the seesaw engaging plate, is installed at a portion deviated toward the driving wheels for thereby preventing the robot body from falling down by means of an up and down displacement of the front driven wheel by preventing an over up and down displacement of the driving wheels with respect to the up and down displacement of the front side driven wheel, and the ratio between the distance from the front side driven wheel to the seesaw shaft and the distance from the seesaw shaft to one of the driving wheels is 2˜

3;

1.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein a protruded obstacle collision cushioning structure is installed cushioning a collision impact when the front side driven wheel collides with a protruded obstacle, and said protruded obstacle collision cushioning structure consists of a driven wheel cushioning plate limiting the front side driven wheel, a cushioning plate driving part which forms a driving space so that the driven wheel cushioning plate can be backwardly cushioned in the seesaw plate for thereby allowing the driven wheel cushioning plate to slide, and a damper elastically supporting the driven wheel cushioning plate in the cushioning plate driving part.

8. A movable air purification robot system, comprising:

an air purification robot including;

an air pollution detector detecting pollution and humidity of floating substances contained in ambient air;

an air purifier circulating the ambient air containing pollutants and filtering, absorbing, and purifying the same;

a robot propulsion unit formed of two driving wheels disposed at different lower sides of a robot body to operate independently of each other;

an obstacle detector detecting obstacles to guide the movement of the robot propulsion unit;

a user interface allowing a user to operate said air purification robot;

a robot control unit controlling operations of the air pollution detector, the air purifier, the robot propulsion unit, the obstacle detector, and the user interface; and

a power unit supplying electric power to the air pollution detector, the air purifier, the robot propulsion unit, the obstacle detector, the user interface, and the robot control unit,

said air pollution detector including;

an air pollution level sensor detecting a concentration of dusts and harmful gases (VOC;

Volatile Organic Components) in the ambient air; and

a humidity sensor detecting humidity of the ambient air, and

said air purifier installed at a center portion of the robot body and forming a purification pipe passage to suck the ambient air from a lateral side and to discharge the same upward, and said air purifier further including;

a purification filter engaged to an air inlet formed in the purification pipe passage; and

a circulation fan circulating air through the purification pipe passage, and

said air inlet formed either in a backside of the robot body which corresponds to the direction opposite to a running direction of the robot body or in a front side of the robot body which corresponds to a running direction of the robot body, and

said user interface including;

a display unit disposed on an upper side of the robot body displaying air pollution, temperature, and humidity;

an operation switch disposed in the display unit operating the same; and

a wireless remote controller disposed in the air purification robot transmitting a wireless operation signal, and

said power unit including a secondary battery accommodated in the lower side of the robot body and a power supply unit disposed in a backside fixing body receiving electric power from a charging unit,

said power supply unit including either a connection terminal directly connected with the charging unit or an induction coil connector receiving electric power from the charging unit based on magnetic induction, and

said robot control unit including a communication control unit that transmits signals to an external detection device which detects air pollution and to the charging unit and operationally responds to receipt of signals from the external detection device, the charging unit, and the wireless remote controller.

9. The system of claim 8, said robot control unit further including:

a pollution detection control unit disposed in an upper body of the robot body detecting air pollution by using the air pollution detector and controlling an operation of the air purifier;

a movement control unit detecting obstacles by using the obstacle detector and controlling an operation of the robot propulsion unit;

a charging control unit detecting the remaining power of the power unit and controlling the air purification robot to move toward the charging unit to self-charge the air purification robot; and

a main control unit controlling the operation of each control unit and controlling each control unit in accordance with an input signal of the operation switch and a display operation on the display unit.

10. The system of claim 8, said robot body of the air purification robot including:

a lower body in which the robot propulsion unit is installed;

four body poles installed in an upper side of the lower body forming the purification pipe passage;

a front side body engaged to one of the body pole;

a couple of side surface bodies engaged to one of the body poles;

a backside body which forms an air inlet opening and closing the air purification unit;

the backside fixing body disposed at a lower side of the backside body and engaged to the lower body;

the display unit engaged to an upper side of one of the body poles; and

an upper body which forms an air outlet along a rim portion of the display unit.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said air pollution detector is installed at a plurality of sides of the robot body so that the air purification robot can move to a polluted area that needs air purification by recognizing the polluted area in accordance with a pollution difference between two sensors installed at the plurality of sides of the robot body.