Driving unit and cleaning robot comprising same

• US 9,950,586 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2015
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Sung Jin, Jeong, Jae Youl, Park, Heum Yong, Shin, Dong Min, Yoo, Jeong Ki, Lee, Dong Hun
• Primary Examiner(s): Walters, John D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Triggs, James J
• Application Number:
  US15/125,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20170001490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4066 Propulsion of the whole machine
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4072 Arrangement of castors or wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0157 non-fluid unit, e.g. electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0165 to an external condition, e.g. rough road surface, side wind
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/145 the electric gearing being disposed in or adjacent to traction wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0007 the motor being electric

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a cleaning robot including an improved driving unit to escape from an undriveable state occurring under various driving conditions. The cleaning robot includes a body, and a driving unit that drives the body. The driving unit includes a first driving motor and a second driving motor that generate driving power; a driving wheel that rotates when the driving power is delivered to the driving wheel from the first driving motor; and a wheel frame that supports the driving wheel to be rotatable and rotates between a first position and a second position with respect to a motor shaft of the first driving motor. The wheel frame rotates in at least one section between the first position and the second position when the driving power is delivered to the wheel frame from the second driving motor.

Claims

1. A cleaning robot comprising:

a body; and

a driving unit to drive the body;

wherein the driving unit comprises;

a first driving motor and a second driving motor to generate driving power;

a driving wheel to rotate when the driving power is delivered to the driving wheel from the first driving motor; and

a wheel frame to support the driving wheel to be rotatable, and rotate between a first position and a second position with respect to a motor shaft of the first driving motor,

wherein the wheel frame rotates in at least one section between the first position and the second position when the driving power is delivered to the wheel frame from the second driving motor.

2. The cleaning robot of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing to fix the first driving motor and the second driving motor; and

an elastic member disposed between the housing and the wheel frame,

wherein the wheel frame is pressurized by the elastic member to rotate in a section in which the driving power is not delivered to the wheel frame from the second driving motor.

3. The cleaning robot of claim 2, wherein the wheel frame is pressurized by the elastic member to rotate between the first position and a third position between the first position and the second position, and rotates between the third position and the second position when the driving power is delivered to the wheel frame from the second driving motor.

4. The cleaning robot of claim 3, wherein the driving unit comprises:

at least one first power transfer gear contained in the wheel frame to deliver the driving power generated by the first driving motor to the driving wheel; and

at least one second power transfer gear disposed between the second driving motor and the wheel frame to deliver the driving power generated by the second driving motor to the wheel frame.

5. The cleaning robot of claim 4, wherein the wheel frame comprises at least one drive gear disposed on an external surface of the wheel frame to receive the driving power from the second power transfer gear.

6. The cleaning robot of claim 5, wherein the at least one drive gear rotates on the motor shaft of the first driving motor.

7. The cleaning robot of claim 5, wherein the at least one drive gear and the second power transfer gear are not engaged with each other when the wheel frame rotates between the first position and the third position.

8. The cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the motor shaft of the first driving motor and a motor shaft of the second driving motor are parallel to each other.

9. A driving unit installed in a cleaning robot to drive the cleaning robot, the driving unit comprising:

a driving wheel;

a wheel frame to support the driving wheel to be rotatable;

an elastic member to pressurize the wheel frame;

a first driving motor to generate driving power for rotating the driving wheel; and

a second driving motor to generate driving power for rotating the wheel frame.

10. The driving unit of claim 9, wherein the elastic member and the second driving motor independently rotate the wheel frame.

11. The driving unit of claim 9, wherein the wheel frame comprises:

a gear storage unit disposed in the wheel frame; and

first power transfer gears contained in the gear storage unit to transfer the driving power generated by the first driving motor to the driving wheel.

12. The driving unit of claim 11, further comprising second power transfer gears disposed between the second driving motor and the wheel frame to transfer the driving power generated by the second driving motor to the wheel frame.

13. The driving unit of claim 12, further comprising a support frame to support the second power transfer gears to be rotatable.

14. The driving unit of claim 12, wherein the wheel frame comprises a drive gear disposed on an external surface of the wheel frame to receive the driving power from the second power transfer gears.

15. The driving unit of claim 14, wherein the second power transfer gears comprise:

a motor shaft gear engaged with a motor shaft of the second driving motor;

a tilt gear disposed to be engaged with the drive gear; and

at least one connection gear disposed between the motor shaft gear and the tilt gear, to transfer power.

16. The driving unit of claim 15, further comprising a power transfer prevention unit disposed on a circumferential surface of one of the drive gear and the tilt gear to not transfer power between the drive gear and the tilt gear when the wheel frame is pressurized by the elastic member to rotate.

17. The driving unit of claim 14, wherein the drive gear is integrally formed with the wheel frame.

18. The driving unit of claim 9, further comprising a housing to support the first driving motor and the second driving motor.

19. The driving unit of claim 9, wherein the elastic member is disposed at a position opposite the driving wheel with respect to a vertical line passing through a center of rotation of the wheel frame.

20. A cleaning robot comprising:

a body;

a driving unit installed in the body to drive the body,

wherein the driving unit comprises;

a driving wheel;

a wheel frame to support the driving wheel to be rotatable; and

a driving unit including a driving motor to generate driving power for rotating the wheel frame; and

a controller to control the driving unit by determining a driving state of the body,

wherein, when it is determined that the body is in a stuck state which prevents the body from driving, the controller drives the driving motor to rotate the wheel frame.