Autonomous cleaning machine

• US 8,695,144 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2013
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jang, Hwi Chan, Kim, Dong Won, Chung, Woo Ram, Joo, Jae Man, Hong, Jun Pyo, Jung, Jae Young, Yoo, Kyung Hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): KARLS, SHAY LYNN
• Application Number:
  US13/869,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20130232703A1
• Time in Patent Office: 356 Days
• Field of Search: 15/411, 15/44, 15/43, 15/4, 15/521, 15/98, 15/503
• US Class Current: 15/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• 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 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0488 Combinations or arrangements of several tools, e.g. edge cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/122 flat
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/248 Parts, details or accessories of hoses or pipes nozzles A47L9/02

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an autonomous cleaning machine with a brush cleaning unit to clean a brush unit. The autonomous cleaning machine includes a main body, the brush unit rotatably provided on the main body, first brush cleaning members contacting the brush unit to move foreign substances wound on the brush unit in a lengthwise direction of the brush unit, and second brush cleaning members contacting the brush unit to remove the foreign substances wound on the brush unit from the brush unit.

Claims

1. An autonomous cleaning machine to clean a floor comprising:

a main body including a suction unit;

an edge cleaning assembly installed at one side of the main body and moving dust into a traveling path of the autonomous cleaning machine;

a main cleaning assembly rotatably provided on the main body and removing the dust on the traveling path while moving the autonomous cleaning machine along the traveling path;

first brush cleaning unit including a plurality of members and contacting the main cleaning assembly to move foreign substances wound on the main cleaning assembly in a lengthwise direction of the main cleaning assembly;

second brush cleaning unit including second brush cleaning members contacting the main cleaning assembly to pick up the foreign substances wound from the main cleaning assembly; and

a dust collection assembly provided in the main body and having a vacuum suction channel along a lengthwise direction of the main cleaning assembly,

wherein the plurality of members are installed such that each of the plurality of members is respectively inclined in a designated direction based on a rotating direction of the main cleaning assembly,

wherein the second brush cleaning members are positioned adjacent to the vacuum suction channel, so that foreign substances removed from the main cleaning assembly are collected in the dust collection assembly through the vacuum suction channel.

2. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of members are arranged symmetrically to move the foreign substances to a central portion of the main cleaning assembly.

3. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 1, wherein the first brush cleaning unit provided at a first side of the cleaning machine are inclined to a second side of the cleaning machine based on a rotating direction of the main cleaning assembly, and the first brush cleaning unit provided at the second side are inclined to the first side based on the rotating direction of the main cleaning assembly.

4. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 1, wherein the second brush cleaning members are arranged in a lengthwise direction of the main cleaning assembly.

5. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 1, wherein each of the second brush cleaning members includes a pick-up and guide part to pick up the foreign substances wound on the main cleaning assembly and to move the foreign substances to an outside of the main cleaning assembly along a rotating radius of the main cleaning assembly.

6. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 5, wherein the pick-up and guide part is arranged in the vertical direction.

7. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 5, wherein the pick-up and guide part is located at a height lower than a top dead center of the rotating radius of the main cleaning assembly.

8. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 7,

wherein the pick-up and guide part guides the foreign substances to the dust collection assembly.

9. The autonomous cleaning machine according to claim 7, wherein the pick-up and guide part includes a sharpened part which is interfered with by the main cleaning assembly.