Dust inflow sensing unit and robot cleaner having the same

• US 9,723,962 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Hong, Jun Pyo, Jang, Hwi Chan, Yoon, Sang Sik
• Primary Examiner(s): REDDING, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US13/200,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20120079670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,146 Days
• Field of Search: 15319, 15339, 153401, 153403
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/06 Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2815 using optical detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2847 Surface treating elements
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2852 Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

A dust inflow sensing unit and a robot cleaner having the same. The dust inflow sensing unit includes a light emitting element to emit a beam having a transmission region, a light receiving element having a reception region overlapping the transmission region of the light emitting element, and a guide member to restrict the reception region of the light receiving element to a designated range until the reception region reaches the light emitting element.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner, comprising:

a main body;

a drive unit to drive the main body;

a brush drum unit provided on the main body to form a dust inflow channel; and

a dust inflow sensing unit to sense dust flowing into the main body through the dust inflow channel of the brush drum unit, the dust inflow sensing unit including;

a light emitting part having a transmission region to emit a beam, and

a light receiving part having a reception region to overlap the transmission region and the reception region is restricted to a designated range, the light receiving part including a light receiving element and a light receiving guide member to restrict the reception region of the light receiving element,

wherein the light receiving guide member enables a width of the reception region of the light receiving element to be gradually decreased in a direction toward the light emitting part.

2. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein:

the brush drum unit includes a housing having a first opening and a second opening so as to form the dust inflow channel; and

the light emitting part and the light receiving part are installed in the second opening so as to be opposite to each other.

3. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising a dust container provided with an inflow hole to store the dust flowing into the main body through the dust inflow channel of the brush drum unit, and

the light emitting part and the light receiving part are installed in the inflow hole so as to be opposite to each other.

4. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein a width of the reception region of the light receiving part is smaller than that of the transmission region of the light emitting part at a position at which the light emitting part is located.

5. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit to determine an area in which dust is sensed by the dust inflow sensing unit and an area in which dust is not sensed by the dust inflow sensing unit,

wherein the control unit controls the robot cleaner so as to divisionally clean the area in which dust is sensed by the dust inflow sensing unit and the area in which dust is not sensed by the dust inflow sensing unit.

6. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit to determine an area in which dust is sensed by the dust inflow sensing unit and an area in which dust is not sensed by the dust inflow sensing unit,

wherein the control unit controls the robot cleaner so as to repeatedly clean the area in which dust is sensed by the dust inflow sensing unit more than the area in which dust is not sensed by the dust inflow sensing unit.

7. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit to determine an area in which dust is sensed by the dust inflow sensing unit and an area in which dust is not sensed by the dust inflow sensing unit, wherein:

the brush drum unit includes a brush unit provided in the dust inflow channel; and

the control unit increases rotary force of the brush unit in the area in which dust is sensed by the dust inflow sensing unit.

8. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising:

an air blowing unit to provide suction force to the dust inflow channel of the brush drum unit; and

a control unit to determine an area in which dust is sensed by the dust inflow sensing unit and an area in which dust is not sensed by the dust inflow sensing unit,

wherein the control unit increases suction force of the air blowing unit in the area in which dust is sensed by the dust inflow sensing unit.

9. A robot cleaner comprising:

a main body;

a drive unit to drive the main body;

a brush drum unit provided on the main body to form a dust inflow channel; and

a dust inflow sensing unit to sense dust flowing into the main body through the dust inflow channel of the brush drum unit, the dust inflow sensing unit including;

a light emitting part having a transmission region to emit a beam, and

a light receiving part having a reception region to overlap the transmission region and the reception region is restricted to a designated range, the light receiving part including a light receiving element and a light receiving guide member to restrict the reception region of the light receiving element,

wherein the light receiving guide member enables a width of the reception region of the light receiving part to be uniformly maintained in a direction toward the light emitting part.

10. The robot cleaner according to claim 9, wherein the width of the reception region of the light receiving part is equal to that of the transmission region of the light emitting part at a position at which the light emitting part is located.

11. A robot cleaner comprising:

a main body;

a drive unit to drive the main body;

a brush drum unit provided on the main body to form a dust inflow channel; and

a dust inflow sensing unit to sense dust flowing into the main body through the dust inflow channel of the brush drum unit, the dust inflow sensing unit including;

a light emitting part having a transmission region to emit a beam, and

a light receiving part having a reception region to overlap the transmission region and the reception region is restricted to a designated range, the light receiving part including a light receiving element and a light receiving guide member to restrict the reception region of the light receiving element,

wherein the guide member enables a width of the reception region of the light receiving part to be gradually increased in a direction toward the light emitting part.

12. The robot cleaner according to claim 11, wherein the width of the reception region of the light receiving part is greater than that of the transmission region of the light emitting part at a position at which the light emitting part is located.