Robot cleaner

• US 9,795,265 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2013
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Hyun, Du Hwan, Jang, Hwi Chan, Kim, Dong Won, Lee, Byoung In, Lee, Sahng Jin, Lee, Won Min, Jung, Hyun Soo, Han, Seung Il
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIN, RANDALL E
• Application Number:
  US14/075,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20140130289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/145 with supply of cleaning agents
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/185 with supply of cleaning agents
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/19 Parts or details of the brushing tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4036 Parts or details of the surface treating tools
• 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 11/4052 Movement of the tools or the like perpendicular to the cleaning surface
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4083 Liquid supply reservoirs; Preparation of the agents, e.g. mixing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation

Abstract

A robot cleaner enables a wet cleaning, has a replaceable cleaning unit, and ensures a sufficient friction force for doing a wet cleaning of a floor. The robot cleaner includes a frame including a wheel for driving, a replaceable cleaning unit formed at a lower part of the frame to clean a bottom surface and disposed in front of the wheel, a tank disposed at an upper part of the wheel and configured to supply fluid to the cleaning unit, a pump configured to pump the fluid contained in the tank such that the fluid contained in the tank is supplied to the cleaning unit, a hose configured to extend to the pump and the upper part of the cleaning unit and through which the fluid pumped by the pump flows, and a bumper formed on a side of the frame.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner, comprising:

a frame including a wheel for driving and including a cleaning unit receiver at its lower part;

a cleaning unit detachably disposed in the cleaning unit receiver and in front of the wheel to clean a surface located below the cleaning unit;

a tank disposed at an upper part of the wheel, and configured to supply fluid to the cleaning unit;

a pump configured to pump the fluid contained in the tank such that the fluid contained in the tank is supplied to the cleaning unit;

a hose configured to extend to the pump and the upper part of the cleaning unit, and through which the fluid pumped by the pump flows; and

a bumper formed on a side of the frame,

wherein the frame comprises a cleaning unit receiver at its lower part,

wherein the cleaning unit receiver comprises a holder,

the holder comprising;

a first holder disposed on a side of the cleaning unit receiver; and

a second holder disposed on the other side of the cleaning unit receiver,

wherein the second holder is disposed to be opened and closed and comprises a fixing holder and a moving holder hinge-coupled to one side of the fixing holder.

2. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning unit is detachably disposed in the cleaning unit receiver.

3. The robot cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the cleaning unit receiver further comprises a holder including a projection insertion part.

4. The robot cleaner according to claim 3, wherein the cleaning unit comprises a fixing projection inserted into the projection insertion part.

5. The robot cleaner according to claim 4, wherein the cleaning unit comprises a rotation shaft and a roll pad put into the rotation shaft to clean a surface.

6. The robot cleaner according to claim 5, wherein the rotation shaft is rotatably mounted on the holder.

7. The robot cleaner according to claim 6, wherein the roll pad rotates together with the rotation shaft to clean the surface when a driving part rotates the rotation shaft.

8. The robot cleaner according to claim 4, wherein the cleaning unit includes:

a first frame;

a second frame hinge-coupled to the first frame; and

a pad fixed between the first frame and the second frame to clean the surface.

9. The robot cleaner according to claim 8, wherein the first frame is disposed to be hook-coupled to the second frame after the pad is inserted between the first frame and the second frame.

10. The robot cleaner according to claim 8, wherein the pad is a disposable pad.

11. The robot cleaner according to claim 6, wherein the rotation shaft is connected to the driving part through the holder, and rotates in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction by driving force transferred from the driving part.

12. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the fixing holder and the moving holder include a hole into which the fixing projection is inserted, and

the moving holder is disposed to be closed after the fixing projection is inserted into the hole with the moving holder opened.

13. The robot cleaner according to claim 12, wherein the moving holder is hook-coupled to the fixing holder.

14. A robot cleaner, comprising:

a frame including a driving part;

a wheel mounted on the frame, and configured to rotate by receiving driving force from the driving part;

a cleaning unit disposed in front of the wheel, and detachably disposed at a lower part of the frame;

a tank disposed at an upper part of the cleaning unit;

a pump configured to pump fluid contained in the tank; and

a hose connected to the pump to supply fluid to the cleaning unit,

wherein the frame comprises a cleaning unit receiver, and

the cleaning unit receiver comprises a holder on which the cleaning unit is detachably mounted,

wherein the holder comprising;

a first holder disposed on a side of the cleaning unit receiver, and

a second holder disposed on the other side of the cleaning unit receiver,

wherein the second holder is disposed to be opened and closed and comprises a fixing holder and a moving holder hinge-coupled to one side of the fixing holder.

15. The robot cleaner according to claim 14, wherein the cleaning unit comprises a fixing projection formed thereon, and

the holder comprises a projection insertion part into which the fixing projection is inserted.

16. The robot cleaner according to claim 15, wherein the projection insertion part is supported by an elastic member formed in the first holder to be applied with an elastic force toward the cleaning unit receiver.

17. The robot cleaner according to claim 14, wherein the wheel repeats rotation in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, and drives to repeat forward or backward movement at a predetermined interval.

18. The robot cleaner according to claim 17, wherein the robot cleaner advances in a first direction, moves laterally by a predetermined distance and moves in a second direction, the second direction being opposite and parallel to the first direction.

19. The robot cleaner according to claim 17, wherein the robot cleaner moves forward by a first distance, moves backward by a second distance and moves forward by a third distance, the third distance being greater than the first distance.

20. A robot cleaner, comprising:

a frame;

a cleaning unit detachably disposed at a lower part of the frame;

a tank disposed at an upper part of the cleaning unit;

a pump configured to pump fluid contained in the tank; and

a hose connected to the pump to supply fluid to the cleaning unit,

wherein the frame comprises a cleaning unit receiver, and

the cleaning unit receiver comprises a holder on which the cleaning unit is detachably mounted,

wherein the holder comprising;

a first holder disposed on a side of the cleaning unit receiver, and

a second holder disposed on the other side of the cleaning unit receiver,

wherein the second holder is disposed to be opened and closed and comprises a fixing holder and a moving holder hinge-coupled to one side of the fixing holder.

21. The robot cleaner according to claim 20, wherein the cleaning unit comprises a fixing projection formed thereon, and

the holder comprises a projection insertion part into which the fixing projection is inserted.

22. The robot cleaner according to claim 20, wherein the cleaning unit comprises a rotation shaft and a roll pad put into the rotation shaft to clean a surface.

23. The robot cleaner according to claim 20, wherein the cleaning unit includes:

a first frame;

a second frame hinge-coupled to the first frame; and

a pad fixed between the first frame and the second frame to clean the surface.