Robot cleaner

• US 9,549,649 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2013
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Baek, Ohhyun, Ko, Moohyun, Shim, Inbo
• Primary Examiner(s): Hail, Joseph J
• Assistant Examiner(s): HONG, HENRY Y
• Application Number:
  US13/791,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20130232718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: 734/31, 153/39, 116/305
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 9/10 Filters in general B01D; cyclones B04C; Dust separators; Dust removal; Automatic exchange of filters for machines for cleaning floors A47L11/40
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1427 Means for mounting or attaching bags or filtering receptacles in suction cleaners; Adapters
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1472 combined with security means, e.g. for preventing use, e.g. in case of absence of the bag

Abstract

There is provided a robot cleaner including a main body, a suction unit that sucks air including foreign substances into the main body, a moving unit that moves the main body, a dust collecting unit that has a filter for filtering the foreign substances included in the air sucked by the suction unit and a dust collecting case that collects the foreign substances filtered by the filter, and a detection unit that detects whether or not the filter is attached to the main body.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner, comprising:

a main body;

a suction unit that sucks air including foreign substances into the main body;

a moving unit that moves the main body;

a dust collecting unit that has a filter for filtering the foreign substances included in the air sucked by the suction unit and a dust collecting case that collects the foreign substances filtered by the filter;

a detection unit that detects whether the filter is attached to the main body in a state where the dust collection case is attached to the main body; and

a control unit configured to control the suction unit,

wherein the filter is detachably coupled to the dust collecting case, and the filter is attached to the main body in a state which the filter is attached to the dust collecting case,

wherein the dust collecting case comprises an opening for exposing a part of the filter to an outside of the dust collecting case and a communication hole through which air filtered by the filter passes, and

wherein the detection unit detects the filter exposed through the opening,

wherein the control unit allows an operation of the suction unit when the detection unit detects the filter in a state which the dust collecting case is attached to the main body,

wherein the control unit restricts an operation of the suction unit when the detection unit cannot detect the filter in a state which the dust collecting case is attached to the main body.

2. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the detection unit includes a micro switch turned on or off by the filter.

3. The robot cleaner of claim 2, wherein the micro switch is turned on or off by the filter exposed through the opening.

4. The robot cleaner of claim 2, wherein a driving lever operated by the filter exposed through the opening is provided at the main body to turn on or off the micro switch.

5. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the detection unit includes a touch switch turned on or off by being touched by the filter.

6. The robot cleaner of claim 5, wherein the touch switch is touched by the filter exposed through the opening.

7. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the detection unit includes a light generating unit provided at the main body and an optical sensor for detecting light irradiated from the light generating unit.

8. The robot cleaner of claim 7, wherein the filter is located between the light generating unit and the optical sensor when the filter is attached to the main body.

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

a display unit that, when a command to operate the main body is received even though an unmounted state of the filter is detected, displays information for notifying of the unmounted state of the filter.

10. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein, when a command to operate the main body is received even though an unmounted state of the filter is detected, the suction unit is not operated.

11. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein when a command to operate the main body is received even though an unmounted state of the filter is detected, the moving unit is not operated.

12. A robot cleaner, comprising:

a main body at which a settling portion is formed;

a suction unit provided at the main body to suck air including foreign substances into the main body;

a moving unit provided at the main body to move the main body;

a dust collecting unit that is settled in the settling portion and has a filter for filtering the foreign substances included in the air sucked by the suction unit, and a dust collecting case to which the filter is detachably coupled;

a detection unit that detects the filter of the dust collecting unit mounted in the settling portion; and

a control unit configured to control the suction unit,

wherein the dust collecting case comprises an opening for exposing a part of the filter to an outside of the dust collecting case and a communication hole through which air filtered by the filter passes, and

wherein the detection unit detects the filter exposed through the opening,

wherein the control unit allows an operation of the suction unit when the detection unit detects the filter in a state which the dust collecting case is settled in the settling portion,

wherein the control unit restricts an operation of the suction unit when the detection unit cannot detect the filter in a state which the dust collecting case is settled in the settling portion.

13. The robot cleaner of claim 12, further comprising:

a display unit that, when the filter is not detected by the detection unit, displays information for notifying the unmounted state of the filter.

14. The robot cleaner of claim 12,

wherein the detection unit includes a light generating unit provided at the settling portion and an optical sensor for detecting light irradiated from the light generating unit.