KR100671897B1 - Robot vacuum cleaner having switch type sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a robot cleaner, and in particular, by installing a switch-type sensor that detects cliffs or obstacles at the same time by physical contact, the cost of manufacturing and installing the sensor is reduced, and the physical contact in detecting the cliff The present invention relates to a robot cleaner equipped with a switch type sensor for accurate detection.

The robot cleaner equipped with a switch sensor according to the present invention includes a cleaner body which forms a predetermined space in the robot cleaner and has an inclined surface which is inclined outwardly from the lower end to the upper side, and the outer side of the direction in which the cleaner body proceeds. The driving device to slide while the end is in contact with the ground, the suction device is installed in the vacuum cleaner body for introducing foreign matter into the vacuum cleaner body, and installed on the bottom surface of the outer end in the direction in which the vacuum cleaner body proceeds with the ground And a switch for sensing a physical contact.

Robot cleaner, infrared sensor, touch sensor, switch

Description

Robot cleaner with switch type sensor {ROBOT VACUUM CLEANER HAVING SWITCH TYPE SENSOR}

1 is a bottom perspective view of a robot cleaner equipped with a switch type sensor according to the present invention;

2 is a cross-sectional view showing a switch-type sensor of the present invention,

3 is a side view showing a driving state of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a side view showing the cliff detection state of the present invention,

5 is a side view showing an obstacle detection state of the present invention;

6 is a side view showing a switch-type sensor of a second embodiment of the present invention;

7 is a side view illustrating the contact protrusion of the third embodiment of the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols on main parts of the drawings>

10: cleaner body 12: slope

20: roller 30: suction device

40: switch 42: knob

44: projection protrusion 46: projection

48: spring 49: detector

The present invention relates to a robot cleaner, and in particular, by installing a switch-type sensor that detects cliffs or obstacles at the same time by physical contact, the cost of manufacturing and installing the sensor is reduced, and the physical contact in detecting the cliff The present invention relates to a robot cleaner equipped with a switch type sensor for accurate detection.

In general, a robot cleaner is a device that automatically cleans an area to be cleaned by suctioning foreign matter such as dust from the ground while driving itself in the area to be cleaned without a user's operation.

The robot cleaner according to the related art has a cleaner body constituting a predetermined space, a drive device including a plurality of rollers protruding from the bottom of the cleaner body, and a motor for applying a driving force to the rollers, a suction port and a blowing air protrusion protruding from the bottom of the cleaner body. It includes a suction device consisting of a fan, a container, and a sensor for detecting a cliff and an obstacle in a traveling direction of the cleaner body to change the traveling direction.

Here, the sensor is installed on the circumferential surface of the cleaner body to detect the contact when the cleaner body is in contact with the obstacle, and is installed on the bottom of the edge of the cleaner body to irradiate the bottom surface with infrared radiation to reflect the amount of infrared rays Since it detects the cliff is configured to include an infrared sensor.

However, the sensor according to the prior art has a problem that it is difficult to reduce the cost of manufacturing and installing the sensor because both the contact sensor and the infrared sensor is installed.

In addition, the robot cleaner according to the prior art has an infrared sensor that detects the cliff only by the reflection of infrared rays without physical contact, so that an infrared ray is reflected at the end of the cliff, such as newspapers, but there is no physical support for supporting the cleaner. If hanging, there is a problem that it is difficult to prevent the malfunction of the cleaner body falls below the cliff.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems of the prior art, by installing a switch-type sensor that can detect the cliff and the obstacle at the same time by physical contact, the sensor for detecting the cliff and the obstacle detection sensor separately The purpose of the present invention is to provide a robot cleaner equipped with a switch-type sensor that prevents the tipping of the cleaner due to malfunction because the cost is reduced and the cliff is detected by physical contact.

Robotic cleaner equipped with a switch-type sensor according to the present invention for solving the above problems, in the robot cleaner, a cleaner body which forms a predetermined space, the inclined surface inclined outward from the lower side toward the upper side, and the cleaner A driving device to slide while the outer end of the main body is in the direction of contact with the ground, a suction device installed in the cleaner main body to introduce foreign matter into the cleaner main body, and an outer side of the direction in which the main vacuum cleaner proceeds It is installed on the bottom end of the end, characterized in that it comprises a switch to detect the physical contact with the ground.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a robot cleaner equipped with a switch type sensor according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a bottom perspective view showing a robot cleaner equipped with a switch sensor according to the present invention.

The robot cleaner equipped with a switch type sensor according to the present invention forms a predetermined space, and has a cleaner body 10 having an inclined surface that is inclined outward from the lower end to an upper side thereof, and a direction in which the cleaner body 10 proceeds. The driving device to slide while the outer end is in contact with the ground, the suction device 30 is installed in the cleaner body 10 to introduce foreign matter into the cleaner body 10, the direction in which the cleaner body proceeds It is installed on the bottom of the outer end of the switch 40 is configured to include a physical contact with the ground is detected.

Here, the cleaner main body 10 is generally formed in a circular shape, and a hemispherical or elliptic cover is usually provided, but the cleaner main body 10 of the present invention has an inclined surface 12 at an edge thereof. When the cleaner body 10 in progress is in contact with an obstacle, the front end of the cleaner body 12 is lifted upward by the inclined surface 12 as shown in FIG. Allow obstacles to be detected off the ground.

The driving device includes a plurality of rollers 20 protruding from the bottom surface of the cleaner body 10, and a motor (not shown) for applying a driving force to the rollers 20, and the rollers 20 include Since the cleaner main body 10 is disposed to be biased toward the rear of the cleaner main body 10, the cleaner main body 10 is inclined forward, so that the switch 40 is installed on the bottom surface of the front end of the cleaner main body 10. ) Should always be kept in contact with the ground.

Thus, if the cleaner body 10 corresponds to the cliff during the process, the front end is disposed outside the cliff as shown in FIG. 4, and the switch 40 detects the cliff because the contact state with the ground is released. do.

When the cliff is detected in this way, after the driving of the motor is stopped by the electrical signal generated by the switch 40, the reverse rotation is performed so that the cleaning operation can be performed again in the state away from the cliff.

2 is a cross-sectional view showing a switch of a robot cleaner equipped with a switch sensor according to the present invention.

The switch 40 includes a knob 42 provided to be protruded from the cleaner body 10 to the bottom surface of the outer end in the travel direction, a sensing unit 49 provided inside the knob 42, and the knob ( The upper surface of the 42 is formed with a projection 46 corresponding to the detection unit 49, and a spring 48 provided between the projection 46 and the detection unit 49 is configured to include.

Here, the knob 42 is formed to be protruding in the hole formed on the bottom surface of the front end of the cleaner body 10, one end is hinged, the other end is formed with a locking projection 44, Since the protrusion 46 is formed at the top, when the cleaner body contacts the ground, the cleaner 46 is driven by being rotated about the hinge connection part and inserted into the cleaner body 10 so that the protrusion 46 contacts the sensing unit 49. Can be detected.

Looking at the operation of the robot cleaner equipped with a switch-type sensor according to the present invention configured as described above are as follows.

First, when the driving device is operated by a user's operation, the suction device 30 is also driven while the cleaner body 10 is moved, and the cleaner body 10 moves while the front end portion slides in contact with the ground. do.

At this time, the knob 42 is in contact with the ground is inserted into the cleaner body 10 while the spring 48 is compressed, and the protrusion 46 is in contact with the detector 49 to detect that the cleaner is in normal operation. can do.

When passing through the cliff during the normal operation as described above, as shown in Figure 4, the front end of the cleaner body 10 falls off the ground and at the same time the knob 42 also moves away from the ground, so the restoring force of the spring 48 As a result, the knob 42 protrudes out of the cleaner body, whereby the projection 46 is separated from the sensing unit 49 to transmit an electrical signal to the controller.

In addition, when the cleaner body 10 comes into contact with an obstacle during normal operation, the front part of the cleaner body 10 is lifted upward by the inclined surface 12, and the cleaner body 10 and the knob 42 are operated as described above. The knob 42 protrudes out of the cleaner body 10 by the restoring force of the spring 48 while being away from the ground to generate an electrical signal.

As described above, when a cliff or an obstacle is detected, the motor is stopped by the electric signal transmitted from the detection unit 49 and then rotated in reverse to move the cleaner body 10 backward, and then move to another area by the cleaning method set thereafter. Cleaning is in progress.

6 is a side view showing a second embodiment of a robot cleaner equipped with a switch type sensor according to the present invention, in which the cleaner body 10, a driving device, a suction device 30, and a switch 40 are configured. The same as that of the switch 40, but the knob 42 of the switch 40 is provided with a roller 42a at an end portion corresponding to the ground, so that the knob 42 slides on the ground during normal operation. ) To prevent abrasion and to prevent foreign matter from being deposited at the end of the knob 42 to achieve a clean cleaning.

FIG. 7 is a side view showing a third embodiment of a robot cleaner equipped with a switch type sensor according to the present invention. The third embodiment of the present invention includes a cleaner body 10, a driving device, a suction device 30, and a switch. 40 is the same as the one embodiment, but the cleaner body 10, the contact protrusion 14 protruding to the outside of the inclined surface 12 is formed on the upper end of the outer end in the direction in which the cleaner body 10 More easily raises the front end of the cleaner main body 10 when it comes in contact with an obstacle, and a roller 14a is installed at the end of the contact protrusion 14 so that the roller 14a is located above the obstacle. Since it moves to the cleaner body 10 is more easily lifted is characterized in that the easy cleaning operation can be made.

As a result, the robot cleaner equipped with the switch-type sensor according to the present invention can detect an obstacle and a cliff at the same time by using a single sensor, and can prevent falling below the cliff by a malfunction.

The robot cleaner equipped with a switch-type sensor according to the present invention configured as described above is provided with a switch that serves as a touch sensor for detecting an obstacle and an infrared sensor for detecting a cliff, thereby making an oath of production and installation. The cost can be reduced and the cost of the product is lowered.

In addition, the switch of the present invention slides in contact with the ground during normal operation, and the cliff is detected by the change of physical external force as it moves away from the ground as it passes the cliff, compared with the infrared sensor for detecting the cliff by the reflection of infrared rays. By preventing the malfunction more safely, there is an advantage that the reliability of the product is improved.

Claims (5)

In a robot cleaner; A cleaner body which forms a predetermined space and has an inclined surface inclined outwardly from the lower end to the upper side; A driving device configured to slide while the outer end of the cleaner body is in a direction in which the cleaner body is in contact with the ground; A suction device installed in the cleaner body to introduce foreign substances into the cleaner body; Robot cleaners with a switch-type sensor, characterized in that the switch is installed on the bottom surface of the outer end in the direction in which the cleaner body proceeds to detect the physical contact with the ground. The method of claim 1, The cleaner body, the robot cleaner with a switch-type sensor, characterized in that the contact projection protruding outward of the inclined surface formed on the upper end of the outer end in the direction of the progress. The method of claim 2; The contact protrusion is a robot cleaner with a switch-type sensor, characterized in that the roller is installed at the end corresponding to the obstacle. The method of claim 1; The switch may include a knob provided to be protruded from the cleaner body to the bottom surface of the outer end in the traveling direction, a sensing unit installed inside the knob, a protrusion formed on the upper surface of the knob to correspond to the sensing unit, and between the protrusion and the sensing unit. Robot cleaner provided with a switch-type sensor, characterized in that the spring is installed on. The method of claim 4; The knob is a robot cleaner with a switch-type sensor, characterized in that the roller is installed at the end corresponding to the ground.

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