U.S. patent application number 11/034773 was filed with the patent office on 2006-02-16 for brush assembly of cleaner.
This patent application is currently assigned to LG Electronics Inc.. Invention is credited to Young-Gie Kim.
Application Number | 20060032013 11/034773 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36075613 |
Filed Date | 2006-02-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060032013 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kim; Young-Gie |
February 16, 2006 |
Brush assembly of cleaner
Abstract
A brush assembly of a cleaner includes a driving motor mounted
at a cleaner main body, for generating a rotary force; a brush
rotatably disposed at a suction opening formed at the cleaner main
body; and a driving force transfer device installed between the
driving motor and the brush, rotating the brush by transferring a
rotary force of the driving motor to the brush, and protecting the
driving motor by preventing transfer of a load generated at the
brush to the driving motor. Accordingly, the driving motor can be
continuously rotated even if the brush cannot be rotated by being
caught by a stuff or the like, thereby preventing motor damage.
Inventors: |
Kim; Young-Gie; (Seoul,
KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BIRCH STEWART KOLASCH & BIRCH
PO BOX 747
FALLS CHURCH
VA
22040-0747
US
|
Assignee: |
LG Electronics Inc.
|
Family ID: |
36075613 |
Appl. No.: |
11/034773 |
Filed: |
January 14, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/319 ;
15/383 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 9/0411 20130101;
A47L 9/0009 20130101; A47L 2201/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
015/319 ;
015/383 |
International
Class: |
A47L 5/00 20060101
A47L005/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 13, 2004 |
KR |
63916/2004 |
Claims
1. A brush assembly of a cleaner comprising: a driving motor
mounted at a cleaner main body, for generating a rotary force; a
brush rotatably disposed at a suction opening formed at the cleaner
main body; and a driving force transfer device installed between
the driving motor and the brush, rotating the brush by transferring
a rotary force of the driving motor to the brush, and protecting
the driving motor by preventing transfer of a load generated at the
brush to the driving motor.
2. The brush assembly of claim 1, wherein the driving force
transfer device comprises: a first magnet mounted at a rotary shaft
of the driving motor; and a second magnet mounted at a rotary shaft
of the brush and disposed to face the first magnet so that an
attractive force can work between itself and the first magnet.
3. The brush assembly of claim 2, wherein the attractive force
working between the first magnet and the second magnet is set to be
smaller than the rotary force of the driving motor.
4. The brush assembly of claim 1, wherein the driving force
transfer device comprises: a magnetic body mounted at a rotary
shaft of the motor; and a magnet mounted at a rotary shaft of the
brush and disposed to face the magnetic body.
5. The brush assembly of claim 4, wherein an attractive force
working between the magnetic body and the magnet is set to be
smaller than the rotary force of the driving motor.
6. The brush assembly of claim 1, wherein the driving force
transfer device comprises: a magnet mounted at a rotary shaft of
the driving motor; and a magnetic body mounted at a rotary shaft of
the brush and disposed to face the magnet.
7. A brush assembly of a robot cleaner provided with a suction
opening at the center of a bottom of a cleaner main body,
performing a cleaning operation while moving for itself, and
automatically charging a battery, comprising: a driving motor
mounted at the cleaner main body, for generating a rotary force; a
brush rotatably disposed at the suction opening; and a driving
force transfer device installed between the driving motor and the
brush, rotating the brush by transferring the rotary force of the
driving motor to the brush, and preventing transfer of a load
generated at the brush to the motor.
8. The brush assembly of claim 7, wherein the driving force
transfer device comprises: a first magnet mounted at a rotary shaft
of the driving motor; and a second magnet mounted at a rotary shaft
of the brush and disposed to face the first magnet so that an
attractive force can work between itself and the first magnet.
9. The brush assembly of claim 8, wherein the attractive force
working between the first magnet and the second magnet is set to be
smaller than the rotary force of the driving motor.
10. The brush assembly of claim 7, wherein the driving force
transfer device comprises: a magnetic body mounted at a rotary
shaft of the motor; and a magnet mounted at a rotary shaft of the
brush and disposed to face the magnetic body.
11. The brush assembly of claim 10, wherein the attractive force
working between the magnetic body and the magnet is set to be
smaller than the rotary force of the driving motor.
12. The brush assembly of claim 7, the driving force transfer
device comprises: a magnet mounted at a rotary shaft of the driving
motor; and a magnetic body mounted at a rotary shaft of the brush
and disposed to face the magnet.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a brush assembly of a
cleaner, and particularly, to a brush assembly of a cleaner capable
of preventing motor damage by keeping the motor rotating when a
brush cannot be rotated by being caught by a stuff or the like.
[0003] 2. Description of the Background Art
[0004] In general, a robot cleaner performs a cleaning operation
while moving for itself without manipulation of a user, moves to a
charging station if power of a battery is consumed during cleaning,
and moves back to a cleaning zone to perform a cleaning operation
when the battery charge is completed.
[0005] A brush assembly for sweeping up dirt or foreign substances
from a floor is installed at a suction opening through which dirt
is sucked, of the robot cleaner.
[0006] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a brush assembly of a robot
cleaner in accordance with the conventional art.
[0007] The brush assembly in accordance with the conventional art
includes a driving motor 102 for generating a rotary force; a brush
106 rotatably installed at a suction opening of the robot cleaner,
for sweeping up dirt and foreign substances from a floor; and a
driving force transfer device 120 for transferring a rotary force
of the driving motor 102 to the brush 106.
[0008] Here, the driving force transfer device 120 includes a
driving pulley 108 mounted at a rotary shaft 104 of the driving
motor 102; a driven pulley 110 mounted at a rotary shaft 116 of the
brush 106; and a belt 112 wound between the driving pulley 108 an
the driven pulley 110 to transfer a driving force.
[0009] In another embodiment, the driving force transfer device
includes a driving gear mounted at the rotary shaft of the driving
motor; and a driven gear mounted at the rotary shaft of the brush,
and transfers a driving force as the driving gear and the driven
gear are engaged with each other.
[0010] However, because the brush driving force transfer device in
accordance with the conventional art mechanically transfers a
rotary force of the driving motor to the brush, a motor overload
occurs as the brush cannot be rotated by being caught by a stuff or
the like, causing motor damage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide
a brush assembly of a cleaner capable of preventing motor damage by
normally rotating a driving motor when a brush cannot be rotated by
being caught by a stuff or the like.
[0012] To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with
the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly
described herein, there is provided a brush assembly of a cleaner
comprising: a driving motor mounted at a cleaner main body, for
generating a rotary force; a brush rotatably disposed at a suction
opening formed at the cleaner main body; and a driving force
transfer device installed between the driving motor and the brush,
rotating the brush by transferring a rotary force of the driving
motor to the brush, and protecting the driving motor by preventing
transfer of a load generated at the brush to the driving motor.
[0013] The driving force transfer device comprises: a first magnet
mounted at a rotary shaft of the driving motor; and a second magnet
mounted at a rotary shaft of the brush and disposed to face the
first magnet so that an attractive force can work between itself
and the first magnet.
[0014] The attractive force working between the first magnet and
the second magnet is set to be smaller than the rotary force of the
driving motor.
[0015] The driving force transfer device comprises: a magnetic body
mounted at a rotary shaft of the motor; and a magnet mounted at a
rotary shaft of the brush and disposed to face the magnetic
body.
[0016] The driving force transfer device comprises: a magnet
mounted at a rotary shaft of the driving motor; and a magnetic body
mounted at a rotary shaft of the brush and disposed to face the
magnet.
[0017] To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with
the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly
described herein, there is provided a brush assembly of a robot
cleaner provided with a suction opening at the center of a bottom
of a cleaner main body, performing a cleaning operation while
moving for itself, and automatically charging a battery,
comprising: a driving motor mounted at the cleaner main body, for
generating a rotary force; a brush rotatably disposed at the
suction opening; and a driving force transfer device installed
between the driving motor and the brush, rotating the brush by
transferring the rotary force of the driving motor to the brush,
and preventing transfer of a load generated at the brush to the
motor.
[0018] The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and
advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from
the following detailed description of the present invention when
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a
further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and
constitute a unit of this specification, illustrate embodiments of
the invention and together with the description serve to explain
the principles of the invention.
[0020] In the drawings:
[0021] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a brush assembly of a cleaner
in accordance with the conventional art;
[0022] FIG. 2 is a front view of a cleaner in accordance with one
embodiment of the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 3 is a rear view of the cleaner in accordance with one
embodiment of the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the cleaner in accordance with
one embodiment of the present invention;
[0025] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a brush assembly of the
cleaner in accordance with one embodiment of the present
invention;
[0026] FIG. 6 is a side view of the brush assembly of the cleaner
in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and
[0027] FIGS. 7 and 8 are views showing operation of the brush
assembly of the cleaner in accordance with one embodiment of the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0028] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred
embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
[0029] A plurality of embodiments of a brush assembly of a cleaner
in accordance with the present invention may exist, and the most
embodiment will be described.
[0030] FIG. 2 is a side view of a robot cleaner in accordance with
one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a rear view of
the robot cleaner in accordance with one embodiment of the present
invention, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the robot cleaner in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
[0031] The robot cleaner in accordance with the present invention
includes: a cleaner main body 10; a suction fan 12 mounted in the
cleaner main body 10, for generating a suction force of the
cleaner; a filter container 16 mounted in front of the suction fan
12 and having therein a filter 14 for collecting dirt or filth
sucked by the suction fan 12; a suction opening 20 connected to the
filter container 16 through a suction pipe 18 and formed at a lower
side of the main body 10 to suck dirt or filth on a floor 30; and a
brush assembly 22 rotatably mounted at one side of the suction
opening 20, for sweeping up the dirt and filth from the floor
30.
[0032] An ultrasonic wave transmitter 24 for transmitting
ultrasonic waves when the cleaner main body 10 moves, and an
ultrasonic wave receiver 26 for receiving the ultrasonic waves
transmitted from the ultrasonic wave transmitter 24 are mounted at
the front of the cleaner main body 10 to detect a position of an
obstacle.
[0033] A charging terminal 28 is mounted at a rear of the cleaner
main body 10, and a battery 32 is charged as the charging terminal
28 is connected to a connection terminal 42 installed on a wall 40
of a room. In addition, a light emitting unit 34 for inducing the
charging terminal 28 to the connection terminal 42 is installed at
the rear of the cleaner main body 10, and a light receiving unit 44
for receiving an optical signal emitted from the light emitting
unit 34 is installed on the wall 40 of the room, where the
connection terminal 42 is installed.
[0034] A pair of driving wheels 38 driven by a motor 36, and
auxiliary wheels 48 supporting the cleaner main body 10 and
maintaining a horizontal state are mounted at a lower side of the
cleaner main body 10.
[0035] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a brush assembly in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6
is a side view of the brush assembly in accordance with one
embodiment of the present invention.
[0036] The brush assembly 22 includes: a driving motor 50 mounted
at the main body 10, for generating a rotary force; a brush 52
rotatably disposed at the suction opening 20; and a driving force
transfer device 58 installed between a rotary shaft 54 of the
driving motor 50 and a rotary shaft 56 of the brush 52 to transfer
a rotary force of the driving motor 50 to the brush 52, and
protecting the driving motor 50 by preventing a load generated at
the brush 52, for example, as the brush 52 is caught by a stuff,
from being transferred to the driving motor 50.
[0037] The driving force transfer device 58 includes a first magnet
60 mounted at a rotary shaft 54 of the driving motor 50 to be
rotated therewith; and a second magnet 62 mounted at a rotary shaft
56 of the brush 52 and disposed to face the first magnet 60, so
that an attractive force works between the first magnet 60 and the
second magnet 62.
[0038] Here, each of the first magnet 60 and the second magnet 62
is formed as a disc shape, and the attractive force working between
the first magnet 60 and the second magnet 62 is set to be smaller
than a rotary force of the driving motor 50.
[0039] And, surfaces of the first magnet 60 and the second magnet
62, which face each other, have opposite polarities, so that an
attractive force can work between the first magnet 60 and the
second magnet 62. Namely, as one embodiment, if a facing surface of
the first magnet 60 has a north (N) pole, a facing surface of the
second magnet 62 has a south (S) pole.
[0040] In another embodiment, the driving force transfer device
includes a magnetic body (not shown) mounted at the rotary shaft 54
of the driving motor 50; and a magnet (not shown) mounted at the
rotary shaft 56 of the brush 52 and disposed to face the magnetic
body. Therefore, a rotary force of the driving motor 50 is
transferred to the brush 52 by an attractive force working between
the magnetic body and the magnet. If a load is generated, for
example, as the brush 52 is caught by a stuff, a magnetism of the
magnet is overcome, and only the magnetic body is rotated, thereby
preventing transfer of the load generated at the brush to the
driving motor 50.
[0041] In still another embodiment of the driving force transfer
device, a magnet (not shown) is mounted at the rotary shaft 54 of
the driving motor 50, and a magnetic body (not sown) is mounted at
the rotary shaft 56 of the brush 52, wherein the magnet and the
magnetic body are disposed to face each other.
[0042] Operation of the cleaner in accordance with present
invention will now be described.
[0043] FIGS. 7 and 8 are views showing the operation of the brush
assembly of the cleaner in accordance with the present
invention.
[0044] When a user presses an operation button, power of a battery
32 is transmitted to the suction fan 12, and the suction fan 12 is
driven. Then, a suction force is generated by the driving of the
suction fan 12, and thus dirt or filth on the floor 30 are sucked
to the suction opening 20 and collected in the filter 14 through
the suction pipe 18.
[0045] At this time, the brush is rotated 52, sweeping up the dirt
and filth from the floor into the suction opening 20. Namely, a
rotary force of the driving motor 50 is transferred to the brush 52
through the driving force transfer device 58, thereby rotating the
brush 52.
[0046] The operation of the driving force transfer device 58 will
now be described. First, as shown in FIG. 7, when the driving motor
50 is driven, the first magnet 60 mounted at the rotary shaft 54 of
the driving motor 50 is rotated, and the second magnet 62
positioned to face the first magnet 60 is rotated by an attractive
force working between itself and the first magnet 60, thereby
rotating the second brush 52 connected to the second magnet 62.
[0047] As shown in FIG. 8, even if the brush 52 cannot be rotated
as a stuff 70 or the like is undesirably put between the brush 52
and the suction opening 20 during a cleaning operation, the driving
motor 50 is continuously and normally rotated because the rotary
force of the driving motor 50 is greater than the attractive force
working between the first magnet 60 and the second magnet 62.
Accordingly, the driving motor damage due to an overload can be
prevented.
[0048] In the brush assembly of the cleaner constructed and
operated in such a manner, the first magnet and the second magnet
are disposed between the driving motor and the brush in a facing
manner, and a rotary force of the driving motor is transferred to
the brush by an attractive force working between the first magnet
and the second magnet, so that the driving motor is normally
rotated even if rotation of the brush is stopped as the brush is
caught by a stuff or the like. Accordingly, the driving motor can
be prevented from being damaged by an overload.
[0049] In addition, because the brush is driven only by a force
corresponding to an attractive force working between the first
magnet and the second magnet, if friction severely occurs between
the brush and the floor, the brush stops rotating, thereby
preventing floor damage.
[0050] As the present invention may be embodied in several forms
without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics
thereof, it should also be understood that the above-described
embodiments are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing
description, unless otherwise specified, but rather should be
construed broadly within its spirit and scope as defined in the
appended claims, and therefore all changes and modifications that
fall within the metes and bounds of the claims, or equivalence of
such metes and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the
appended claims.
* * * * *