U.S. patent application number 10/979669 was filed with the patent office on 2005-11-17 for robot cleaner.
Invention is credited to Jeung, Sam-jong, Jung, Il-du, Kim, Ki-man, Ko, Jang-youn, Lee, Ju-sang, Song, Jeong-gon.
Application Number | 20050251947 10/979669 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33536482 |
Filed Date | 2005-11-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050251947 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lee, Ju-sang ; et
al. |
November 17, 2005 |
Robot cleaner
Abstract
A robot vacuum cleaner comprises a main body having a driving
wheel, a suction port provided underneath the main body for drawing
in contaminants on a surface to be cleaned, and a guide member
disposed underneath the main body for guiding contaminants on the
surface to be cleaned toward the suction port.
Inventors: |
Lee, Ju-sang; (Gwangju-city,
KR) ; Ko, Jang-youn; (Gwangju-city, KR) ;
Song, Jeong-gon; (Gwangju-city, KR) ; Jung,
Il-du; ( Gwangju-city, KR) ; Kim, Ki-man;
(Gwangju-city, KR) ; Jeung, Sam-jong;
(Gwangju-city, KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LADAS & PARRY LLP
224 SOUTH MICHIGAN AVENUE
SUITE 1600
CHICAGO
IL
60604
US
|
Family ID: |
33536482 |
Appl. No.: |
10/979669 |
Filed: |
November 2, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/319 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 9/02 20130101; A47L
9/009 20130101; A47L 2201/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
015/319 |
International
Class: |
A47L 005/00; A47L
009/28 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 12, 2004 |
KR |
2004-33371 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A robot vacuum cleaner comprising: a main body having a driving
wheel; a suction port provided underneath the main body, for
drawing in contaminants on a surface to be cleaned; and a guide
member disposed underneath the main body for guiding contaminants
on the surface to be cleaned toward a location adjacent to the
suction port.
2. The robot vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein a pair of
the guide members are mounted on opposite ends of the suction
port.
3. The robot vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the guide
member is in contact with the surface to be cleaned and extends
laterally beyond the driving wheel.
4. The robot vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the guide
member is made of resiliently transformable material.
5. The robot vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the guide
member further comprises: a support connected with the underside of
the main body; and a guiding part extending upwardly from the
support, and configured to contact the surface to be cleaned.
6. The robot vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, wherein the upper
portion of the guiding part connection with the support of the main
body is thicker than the extended portion configured for contact
with the surface to be cleaned.
7. The robot vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the guide
member extends away from the suction port and toward that side of
the main body for which the guide portion is intended to clean.
8. The robot vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the guide
member is shaped and configured to collect the contaminants on the
surface to be cleaned and to direct the contaminants toward the
suction port.
9. The robot vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the
suction port is located behind the driving wheel in relation to the
direction of expected travel of the main body.
10. The robot vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the
suction port extends for a predetermined length in a direction
parallel to the rotation axis of the driving wheel; and the guide
member extends from opposite ends of the suction port.
11. The robot vacuum cleaner according to claim 10, further
comprising a main brush mounted on the underside of the main body
extending in a direction parallel to the suction port, and is
shaped and configured for providing contaminants on the surface to
be cleaned easy access to the suction port.
12. The robot vacuum cleaner according to claim. 4, wherein the
guide member further comprises a Thermoplastic Poly Urethane (TPU).
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent
Application No. 2004-33371 filed on May 12, 2004, in the Korean
Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates generally to a robot vacuum
cleaner, and more specifically to a robot vacuum cleaner that is
capable of more efficient collection of dust and contaminants from
hard to access corners.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Generally, a robot vacuum cleaner draws in contaminants,
such as dust from a surface to be cleaned, while automatically
traveling an area without being manually guided by a user.
[0006] These types of robot vacuum cleaners may detect an obstacle,
such as furniture, appliances, a wall in the area to be cleaned, or
the distance to the obstacle, by a distance sensor or a
photographing unit, such that the robot vacuum cleaner can clean
the area to be cleaned while avoiding a crash or maneuvering to
avoid any obstruction.
[0007] The conventional robot vacuum cleaner comprises left and
right driving wheels and driven wheels disposed underneath a main
body. Each driving wheel is connected to a driving motor to provide
a driving force to the wheels. A control part controls the driving
motor such that the direction of travel of the main body can be
changed by appropriate guidance of the wheels.
[0008] A suction port is disposed also underneath the main body to
draw in contaminants and dust from the surface to be cleaned. A
separate suction motor, disposed within the main body, provides
suction force that is applied to the suction port. The suction port
is connected with a separate dust collection chamber disposed in
the main body. The contaminants in the air drawn in to the suction
port are collected in the dust collection chamber.
[0009] The conventional robot vacuum cleaner having the
above-described structure cleans contaminants from the surface to
be cleaned while automatically traveling in a predetermined travel
pattern. In corner areas, defined between the floor and obstacles,
such as furniture and walls, dust or contaminants gather in greater
abundance than in other places because of the lack of air
circulation.
[0010] However, conventional robot vacuum cleaners have the suction
port only partially exposed underneath the main body, and
therefore, the contaminants in a corner area are difficult to
remove completely.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The present invention has been conceived to solve the
above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, and an aspect
of the present invention is to provide a robot vacuum cleaner
having an advanced structure, that is capable of guiding
contaminants found in a corner area surface to a suction port so as
to collect the contaminants into the vacuum cleaner.
[0012] In order to achieve the above aspects, there is provided a
robot vacuum cleaner, comprising a main body having a driving
wheel, a suction port provided underneath the main body for drawing
in contaminants on a surface to be cleaned, and a guide member
disposed underneath the main body for guiding contaminants on the
cleaning surface to be cleaned toward the suction port.
[0013] A pair of the guide members may be mounted on opposite ends
of the suction port.
[0014] The guide member is in contact with the surface to be
cleaned and extends laterally beyond the driving wheel.
[0015] The guide member may be made of resiliently transformable
material, such as Thermoplastic Poly Urethane (TPU).
[0016] The guide member may comprise a support connected underneath
the main body, and a guiding part extending upwardly from the
support, and configured to contact the cleaning surface to be
cleaned.
[0017] The upper portion of the guiding part connection with the
support of the main body may be thicker than the extended portion
configured for contact with the surface to be cleaned.
[0018] The guide member may extend away from the suction port and
toward that side of the main body for which the guide portion is
intended to clean.
[0019] The guide member may be shaped and configured to collect the
contaminants on the surface to be cleaned toward the suction
port.
[0020] The suction port may be provided behind the driving wheels
in relation to the direction of expected travel of the main
body.
[0021] The suction port extends for a predetermined length in a
direction parallel to the rotation axis of the driving wheel and
the guide member may be extend from the opposite ends of the
suction port.
[0022] The robot vacuum cleaner may further comprise a main brush
mounted to the underside of the main body extending in direction
parallel to the suction port, and is shaped and configured for
providing contaminants on the surface to be cleaned easy access to
the suction port.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the
present invention will become more apparent from achieving an
understanding of the following detailed description taken with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a robot vacuum cleaner
according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0025] FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the robot vacuum cleaner
shown in FIG. 1;
[0026] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a guide member shown in FIG.
2; and
[0027] FIG. 4 is a side plan view of the robot vacuum cleaner shown
in FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0028] Certain embodiments of the present invention will be
described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
[0029] In the following description, identical drawing reference
numerals are used for designating the same elements between the
different drawings. The elements defined in the description, such
as the detailed construction and structural elements, are only
provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of the
invention. Thus, it is apparent that the present invention can be
carried out without using those defined elements. Also, well-known
functions or constructions are not described in detail so as to
avoid obscuring the invention in unnecessary detail.
[0030] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a robot vacuum cleaner
according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is
a bottom plan view of the robot vacuum cleaner shown in FIG. 1.
[0031] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a robot vacuum cleaner according
to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a main body 10,
left/right driving wheels 12 and 13 disposed underneath the main
body 10 to extend downwardly therefrom, a suction port 20
configured to face the floor under the main body 10, and a guide
member 30 also disposed underneath the main body 10.
[0032] A filtering means is mounted within the main body 10 for
filtering or cleaning contaminants in the air drawn in through the
suction port 20. The filtering means can generally include a
cyclone collecting unit and a dust bag. A driving source is also
mounted in the main body 10 for driving the filtering means, that
is, for providing the suction port 20 with suction force, thereby
to draw in air in which entrained contaminants are present.
[0033] A camera unit 11 is disposed on an outer surface of the main
body 10, and preferably is directed in the direction of expected
travel of the vacuum cleaner. Obstacles such as furniture and walls
can be detected by the camera unit 11. The main body 10 may be
streamlined in a design to minimize the possibility of crash or
obstruction against obstacles while driving the vacuum cleaner. As
shown in FIG. 2, the main body 10 may have a substantially
circular-shaped bottom.
[0034] The left/right driving wheels 12 and 13 are selectively
driven by driving motors 41 and 42 (shown in phantom in FIG. 2),
respectively, which are arranged as separate motors from the
driving source motors. Driving of the driving motors 41 and 42 is
controlled by a control part (not shown). Idle wheels 14 and 15 may
be associated with each of the left/right driving wheels 12 and 13
for providing passive rotation and balance.
[0035] The suction port 20 is disposed behind the left/right
driving wheels 12 and 13 in the normal direction of travel of the
robot vacuum cleaner, as shown by the arrow A. The suction port 20
is provided to extend in a direction parallel to a rotation axis of
the left/right driving wheels, as shown, and the extension is for a
certain predetermined length. The suction port 20 does not extend
completely to a side of the main body 10, but is configured to have
a certain length extending only in that portion underneath of the
body 10, as shown. A rotation brush 21 is rotatably provided in the
suction port 20. The rotation brush 21 may be rotated by the
driving source, in accordance with known methods, for example, by a
belt connection to the axle.
[0036] A pair of guide members 30 are provided to correspond and be
connected to opposite ends of the suction port 20. Each guide
member 30 is extended to extend from the side of the main body 10,
and is exposed beyond the outer wall defining the main body 10.
When the main body 10 is moved, the guide members 30 guide and
gather contaminants, which are found at a distance from the suction
port 20, such as contaminants located in the corner area between
the floor and furniture or walls. The guide members 30 are
connected to the underside of main body 10 by supporting brackets
16 which are attached by screws, or other appropriate connectors.
The guide members 30 each comprise a support portion 31 (FIG. 3),
and a guide portion 33, extended from the supporting portion 31 and
are bent therearound in a partial semicircle. A screw hole 31 a is
configured in the supporting portion 31. The guide portion 33 is
configured to have a predetermined length such that the end of the
guide portion 33 may come into contact with the surface to be
cleaned. The guide member 30 is extended, so as to extend beyond
the driving wheels 12 and 13, and thus to contact with the surface
to be cleaned, shown in FIG. 4, for example, a floor 1. The lower
part of the guide member 30 is resiliently transformable, such that
the lower part closest to the surface 1 may be transformed by the
contact with the surface 1. Thus, contaminants located in the
corner area can be effectively guided to the suction port 20, and
thereby be collected by the vacuum cleaner.
[0037] The guide members 30 on both ends of the suction port 20 are
shaped and configured to extend in a forward direction, relative to
the running direction shown by arrow A. The upper portion of the
guide member 30 is preferably thicker than the lower portion, and a
section thereof is connected with the supporting portion 31.
Accordingly, only the lower side of the guide member 30, contacting
the surface 1 to be cleaned, is capable of resilient transformation
without greatly changing the shape of the entire guide member 30.
Thermoplastic Poly Urethane (TPU) can be a preferred material for
the guide member 30, which is a material being capable of providing
a proper strength and resilient transformation.
[0038] A main brush 40 is preferably provided in the underside of
the main body 10, extending in a direction parallel to the suction
port 20. The main brush 40 is disposed behind the suction-port 20
in the direction of travel of the main body 10, as shown by the
arrow A, and resiliently contacts the surface 1 to be cleaned. The
main brush 40 dislodges and collects contaminants, which then are
drawn into the suction port 20. The main brush 40 may be made of
the same material as the guide member 30, but that is not an
essential feature of the invention.
[0039] As described above, a robot vacuum cleaner having the
above-described structure according to the present invention has
guide members extending from opposite ends of the suction port,
such that contaminants located beyond the reach of the suction port
can be gathered and guided to a nearer location adjacent to the
suction port for drawing into the vacuum cleaner.
[0040] Accordingly, cleaning efficiency is increased, in that more
contaminants, even when located in a corner area, can be
collected.
[0041] The guide member extends and protrudes to the sidewall of
main body 10 such that contaminants found in corner areas between
the floor and an obstacle, such as furniture or a wall, are
effectively removed.
[0042] Additional advantages, objects, and features of the
embodiments of the invention are set forth in part in the above
description and in part will become apparent to those having
ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the description and
achieving an understanding of the invention, or may be learned from
practice of the invention. Other objects and advantages of the
embodiments of the invention may be realized and attained as
particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
* * * * *