KR101199358B1 - Dust-Emptying Equipment for Robot Cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is to provide a dust emptying device for automatically emptying the dust of the dust collector of the robot charger. To this end, the present invention, the dust emptying device main body provided to correspond to the appearance of the robot cleaner having a receiving portion for receiving the robot cleaner; A connection part provided in the dust evacuation device body to communicate with a dust collecting part provided in the robot cleaner; Filtering means for separating foreign matters from the air introduced through the connection part; And, it provides a dust cleaning apparatus for a robot cleaner comprising a fan-motor assembly for forcibly flowing the air introduced through the connection.

By the above configuration, the dust of the robot cleaner can be automatically emptied by the dust emptying device, so that the user does not have to empty the dust storage unit of the robot cleaner every time, and thus it is convenient to use.

Robot cleaner, dust evacuation device, connection

Description

Dust-Emptying Equipment for Robot Cleaner {Dust-Emptying Equipment for Robot Cleaner}

1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a robot cleaner;

2 is a perspective view showing an internal configuration of an embodiment of the robot cleaner;

3 is a bottom perspective view showing an embodiment of the robot cleaner;

4 is a perspective view showing a dust emptying apparatus according to the present invention;

5 is a configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of the dust emptying apparatus according to the present invention;

Figure 6 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the dust emptying apparatus according to the present invention;

Figure 7 is a partial cutaway view showing the internal configuration of an embodiment of a robot cleaner according to the present invention.

Description of the Related Art

100: robot cleaner 110: cabinet

120: suction device 130: suction nozzle

140: dust collector 141: communication hole

143: opening and closing member 150: left drive wheel

160: right driving wheel: 170: auxiliary wheel

180: control unit 200: dust emptying device

210: dust emptying unit body 215: receiving portion

220: connecting portion 221: first connecting portion

223: second connection portion 225: drive device

235: coupling member 230: dust bag

240: fan-motor assembly 250: charging terminal

260: first sensor unit 270: guide plate

271: inclined surface 273: support

280: air outlet 290: cord portion

330: dust storage unit 331: filtering means

The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly, to a dust emptying system of a robot cleaner for forcibly sucking and storing dust stored in a dust collector of a robot cleaner.

In general, the vacuum cleaner is a device for cleaning the floor or the carpet of the room, and is provided inside the cleaner body to drive air containing foreign substances by driving the air suction device composed of a motor and a fan to generate air suction force. After suctioning from the outside, the foreign matter is separated and collected, and the device for discharging the purified air separated from the foreign matter to the outside of the cleaner.

The vacuum cleaners are classified into a manual vacuum cleaner which is directly operated by a user and a robot cleaner which performs cleaning by itself without the user's manipulation.

Here, the robot cleaner automatically cleans the area to be cleaned by inhaling foreign substances such as dust from the floor while driving itself in the area to be cleaned.

To this end, the robot cleaner is provided with a distance sensor for detecting the distance to the obstacles such as furniture, office supplies, walls, and the like, and left and right wheels for moving the robot cleaner.

Here, the left and right wheels are configured to rotate by the left wheel motor and the right wheel motor, respectively, so that the robot cleaner performs the cleaning of the room by changing the direction by itself according to the driving of the left wheel motor and the right wheel motor.

A suction means is provided inside the robot cleaner main body, and a lower surface of the robot cleaner is a suction hole through which the dust is sucked. Furthermore, the suction port is rotatably mounted with a sweeper for sweeping up dust on the bottom of the cleaning area.

In addition, a filter is provided on the air flow path inside the robot cleaner to purify the air by filtering foreign substances in the air sucked from the floor. Therefore, the robot cleaner performs cleaning automatically by moving dust in the floor by collecting the suction force by the suction means and the rotation of the sweeper while collecting the dust in the main body by collecting the filter. The collected dust is stored in a dust collecting part inside the robot cleaner.

However, the conventional robot cleaner has a small amount of dust collecting part for storing dust collected, so that the user has to empty the dust collecting part every time. In addition, since the dust collector often needs to be emptied after cleaning, there is a problem in that dust is blown and adversely affects the health of the user.

In addition, due to the dust collected in the filter, the flow resistance of the air passing through the filter increases, there is a problem that the suction force is lowered.

The present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a dust cleaning system of the robot cleaner to automatically suck and store the dust stored in the dust collector of the robot cleaner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a dust emptying system in which the dust stored in the robot cleaner is emptied from time to time, thereby preventing the lowering of suction force due to the dust collected in the filter, thereby improving dust collection performance.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention, the dust emptying device main body having a receiving portion for accommodating the appearance of the robot cleaner to accommodate the robot cleaner; A connection part provided in the dust evacuation device body to communicate with a dust collecting part provided in the robot cleaner; Filtering means for separating foreign matters from the air introduced through the connection part; And, it provides a dust emptying device of the robot cleaner comprising a fan-motor assembly for forcibly flowing the air introduced through the connection.

According to the first embodiment of the present invention, the filtering means of the dust emptying device is made of a dust bag detachably coupled to the main body of the dust emptying device.

According to a second embodiment of the present invention, the filtering means of the dust emptying apparatus includes: a dust collecting filter which is provided on a flow path through which the air sucked through the connection part flows, and separates foreign substances contained in the sucked air; And a filter housing accommodating the dust collecting filter. And, it is preferably configured to further comprise a dust storage unit for storing the foreign matter separated by the filtering means.

On the other hand, the lower portion of the connection portion of the dust emptying device is movable in the vertical direction, it is preferable that the robot cleaner is moved to the bottom when the robot cleaner is coupled to the main body of the dust emptying device is in close contact with the dust collector of the robot cleaner. In addition, the dust emptying device, it is more preferably configured to include a driving device for allowing the end of the connecting portion to move in the vertical direction.

In addition, the charging device is provided in the main body, it is preferably configured to include a charging terminal for charging the battery of the robot cleaner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First, referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the basic configuration of the robot cleaner will be described as an example.

1 is a perspective view showing a robot cleaner according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the robot cleaner according to the present invention, Figure 3 is a bottom perspective view of the robot cleaner according to the present invention.

The robot cleaner 100 sucks dust from the floor by driving the cleaner body 110 forming the exterior, the suction device 120 provided inside the cleaner body 110, and the suction device 120. It comprises a suction nozzle 130, and a dust collecting unit 140 for collecting the foreign matter in the air sucked by the suction nozzle 130.

Here, the cleaner body 110 of the robot cleaner 100 has a cylindrical shape having a relatively low height, that is, a flat cylindrical shape compared to the diameter.

The suction unit 120, the suction nozzle 130, and the dust collecting unit 140, which communicate with the suction nozzle 130, are provided in the cleaner main body 110.

A detailed description of the dust collector of the robot cleaner 100 will be described later.

On the other hand, the outer circumferential surface of the cleaner body 110 is provided with a sensor (not shown) for sensing the distance to the wall or an obstacle in the room and a bumper (not shown) for buffering the impact during the collision, the cleaner body 110 Lower left and right driving wheels 150 and 160 for movement of the robot cleaner 100 are provided at both lower sides, respectively.

Here, the left and right driving wheels 150 and 160 are configured to rotate by the left wheel motor 151 and the right wheel motor 161 controlled by the controller 180, respectively, and the left wheel motor 151 and the right wheel motor ( In accordance with the driving of the 161, the robot cleaner 100 performs the cleaning of the room while changing the direction by itself.

In addition, at least one auxiliary wheel 170 is provided at the bottom of the cleaner body 110 to guide the movement of the robot cleaner 100 while minimizing friction between the robot cleaner and the floor.

When the internal structure of the robot cleaner 100 will be described in more detail, the front part of the cleaner body 110 is provided with a controller 180 in which various electric components for controlling the driving of the robot cleaner 100 are arranged. The battery 190 is provided at the rear of the controller 180 to supply power to the suction device 120 and the like.

The suction device 120 for generating an air suction force is provided at the rear of the battery 190, and the dust collector 140 is attached to or detached from the dust collector mounting part 140a provided at the rear of the suction device 120. Possibly mounted.

In addition, the suction nozzle 130 is provided below the dust collecting part 140 to suck foreign substances at the bottom together with air.

Here, the suction device 120 is installed inclined between the battery 190 and the dust collecting unit 140, and is connected to a motor (not shown) electrically connected to the battery 190 and a rotating shaft of the motor. And a fan (not shown) forcing the flow of air.

On the other hand, the suction nozzle 130 is exposed to the lower side of the cleaner body 110 through an opening (not shown) formed in the bottom of the cleaner body 110, so as to contact the floor of the room.

4 and 5, the dust emptying apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

4 is a perspective view showing a dust emptying apparatus according to the present invention, Figure 5 is a block diagram showing a dust emptying apparatus of the robot cleaner according to the present invention.

The dust emptying apparatus 200 according to the present embodiment is provided in the dust emptying apparatus main body 210 having the accommodating part for accommodating the robot vacuum cleaner 100, the dust emptying apparatus main body 210, and the robot vacuum cleaner 100. The connecting portion 220 to communicate with the dust collector of the dust bag 233 to store the separated foreign matter while separating the foreign matter from the air introduced through the connecting portion 220, the fan-motor assembly forcibly flowing the introduced air ( 240, the first sensor unit 260 for inducing the return of the robot cleaner 100 is configured.

The main body of the dust emptying device 200 is provided in a shape corresponding to the appearance of the robot vacuum cleaner 100, and has a receiving portion 215 for coupling the robot vacuum cleaner 100 to the dust emptying device 200. . In general, the robot cleaner 100 corresponds to a flat cylindrical shape, and the receiving portion has a recessed shape having a predetermined curvature.

The connection part 220 is provided in the main body of the dust emptying device 200 to communicate with the dust collecting part provided in the robot cleaner 100. In the present embodiment, the connection part 220 includes a first connection part 221, a second connection part 223, and a driving device 225. One side of the first connector 221 is accommodated in the second connector 223 and is provided to be movable in the vertical direction.

The first connector 221 is a portion inserted into the communication hole 141 of the dust collector of the robot cleaner 100, the first connector 221 is moved in the vertical direction by the drive device 225.

The driving device 225 is a device for moving the first connector 221 in the vertical direction, and may be implemented in various ways. In this embodiment, the driving device 225 is configured in such a way that the pinion gear coupled to the predetermined motor is engaged with the rack gear coupled to the first connection portion 221, thereby preventing the rotational movement of the motor. It consists of converting to linear motion. On the other hand, the driving device 225 may be made in a manner of applying a driving force of the linear motion directly to the first connecting portion 221 by a linear motor (linear motor).

The dust bag 233 is provided in the dust storage chamber 231 partitioned inside the dust emptying body main body 210, detachably coupled to the receiving member 235 provided on one side of the dust storage chamber 231. do. In addition, the dust bag 233 is a filtering means, and serves to separate the foreign matter from the introduced air. In addition, the dust bag 233 has a function of separating foreign matters, and serves to forcibly suck and store dust stored in the dust collector of the robot cleaner 100.

The dust bag 233 has a relatively large capacity compared to the dust collector of the robot cleaner 100, it can store the dust forcibly sucked in the dust collector of the robot cleaner 100 several times. In addition, when a predetermined amount or more of dust is stored in the dust bag, the dust bag 233 coupled to one side of the dust storage chamber 231 is configured to be separated and empty.

In the present embodiment, by configuring the dust bag 233 with a relatively large capacity, the user does not empty the dust collecting portion of the robot cleaner 100 at any time, and emptying the dust bag 233 stored dust for several times. Therefore, the number of times the user emptyes the dust is relatively reduced.

The fan-motor assembly 240 performs a function of forcibly flowing air introduced into the dust emptying device 200 through the connecting portion 220. Therefore, suction force is generated by the fan-motor assembly 240, and the suction force is forced to suck dust of the dust collector of the robot cleaner 100 communicated by the connection part 220 by the suction force. Therefore, the foreign matter contained in the air sucked by the filtering action of the dust bag 233 remains in the dust bag 233, only the air from which the foreign matter is separated through the air outlet 280 by the fan-motor assembly 240. Is discharged to the outside.

The first sensor unit 260 transmits and receives a signal to and from the second sensor unit provided in the robot cleaner 100 to induce the robot cleaner 100 to return to the dust emptying device 200. . Therefore, the robot cleaner 100 may be coupled to the dust emptying device 200 by the interaction of the first sensor unit 260 and the second sensor unit. For example, the first signal unit sends a signal to the second sensor unit of the robot cleaner 100 to inform the position of the dust emptying device 200, so that a predetermined amount or more of dust accumulates in the dust collector of the robot cleaner 100. Or, the cleaning operation induces the robot cleaner 100 to return to the dust emptying device 200.

That is, the first sensor unit 260 may serve to transmit a predetermined signal, and the second sensor unit 260 may be configured to receive a signal transmitted from the first sensor unit 260. However, the first sensor unit 260 of the dust emptying apparatus 200 does not necessarily transmit a signal, and the second sensor unit of the robot cleaner 100 does not receive a signal, but the second sensor unit of the robot cleaner 100 does not receive the signal. It is also possible to transmit a signal and the dust emptying device 200 to receive the signal.

The signal transmitted and received by the first sensor unit 260 and the second sensor unit may be, for example, an optical signal. Accordingly, the first and second sensor units may include a light emitting sensor and a light receiving sensor. The robot cleaner 100 may approach the dust emptying device 200 according to the intensity of the optical signal output from the light receiving sensor.

The guide plate 270 is provided at a lower portion of the receiving portion, and protrudes forward of the dust emptying device 200. In addition, the guide plate 270 is formed with inclined surfaces 271 and 271 having a predetermined inclination so that the robot cleaner 100 easily enters the receiving portion during automatic charging.

In addition, the guide plate 270 further includes a support 273 for supporting the wheels accommodated therein so as not to move while the robot cleaner is charged. In addition, the support portion 273 is a groove recessed therein, and the groove is preferably formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the moving wheel of the robot cleaner 100.

By the groove made of the wheel shape of the robot cleaner 100, the robot cleaner 100 can prevent the wheels of the robot cleaner 100 from flowing down during charging, so that the robot cleaner 100 of the robot cleaner 100 for stable coupling By continuously supplying power to the wheels there is no need to apply a separate force in the direction that the dust emptying device 200 is coupled.

The rear side of the dust emptying device 200 is provided with a cord portion for applying electricity to the dust emptying device 200. The cord part is stored in a state drawn inside the dust emptying apparatus 200 and is provided to be adjustable in length, and is used to withdraw when needed by the user.

On the other hand, the dust emptying device 200 may also function as a charging device for the robot cleaner 100. In order to perform the charging function, the dust emptying device 200 is further provided with a charging terminal 250. The charging terminal 250 is provided on one side of the main body to charge the battery of the robot cleaner 100, and is configured to correspond to the shape of the charging socket of the robot cleaner 100.

In order for the dust emptying device 200 to function as a charging device, the first sensor part not only has a predetermined amount or more of dust in the dust collecting part 140, but also a battery voltage of the robot cleaner 100 has a predetermined value. Even when falling below, it is preferable to induce the robot cleaner 100 to return to the dust emptying device 200.

The charging terminal 250 in this embodiment consists of six point terminals. In order for the robot cleaner 100 to charge the battery, the back of the robot cleaner 100 should be inserted into the receiving part. When the robot cleaner 100 and the inserting part are inserted, the charging socket and the charging terminal may be at the same time. 250 is in contact. As a result, the battery of the robot cleaner 100 may be charged by the dust emptying device 200.

Referring to Figure 6, when describing the dust emptying apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

The basic configuration of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment. However, the filtering means 331 for separating foreign matters from the air introduced through the connecting portion 220 is composed of a dust collecting filter (not shown) and a filter housing (not shown), not a dust bag, and the dust storage chamber stores dust. It consists of a dust storage unit 330 detachably provided in the apparatus body.

That is, in this embodiment, the dust bag of the first embodiment is replaced, and the dust bag filtering function and the filter housing are separately provided, and the dust storage function of the dust bag is performed by the dust storage unit 330. do.

The dust collecting filter is mounted on a filter housing provided at one side of the dust storage unit 330, and may be formed of a sponge or a nonwoven fabric. By the dust collecting filter, foreign matter is separated from the air flowing into the filter, and only the air from which the foreign matter is separated is discharged to the outside of the dust emptying apparatus 200 through the filter.

The dust storage unit 330 is detachably coupled to the dust emptying unit body 210, it is good to configure so that only the dust storage unit 330 can be separated separately. In addition, since the dust collecting filter needs to be periodically replaced or washed, the dust collecting filter is preferably configured to be detachably coupled to the filter housing provided at one side of the dust storage unit.

Referring to FIG. 7, the structure of the dust collecting part of the robot cleaner corresponding to the dust emptying apparatus of the present embodiment is as follows.

As shown in FIG. 7, the dust collecting part 140 of the robot cleaner 100 has a communication hole 141 formed at one side thereof, and an opening / closing member 143 is provided at the lower side of the communication hole 141.

The communication hole 141 is a hole into which the connecting portion 220 of the dust emptying apparatus 200 is inserted, and is provided larger than the diameter of the first connecting portion 220 of the dust emptying apparatus 200. Further, a sealing member (not shown) is further provided at a portion where the connection part 220 of the dust emptying device 200 is coupled to the communication hole 141 of the robot cleaner 100 to prevent air from leaking to the outside. It is preferable to be. The sealing member prevents air from leaking to the outside, thereby preventing the suction force of the dust emptying device 200 from being lowered.

The opening and closing member 143 is configured to be selectively opened and closed, so that the opening and closing member 143 is opened when the connection portion 220 of the dust emptying device 200 is moved downward and inserted into the communication hole 141. The connection part 220 may be in communication with the interior of the dust collector 140.

In addition, the configuration of the opening and closing member 143 is not limited. As shown in FIG. 6, the embodiment illustrates an opening and closing member 143 including a plate covering the communication hole 141 and an elastic spring provided at an end of the plate. On the other hand, the opening and closing member 143 may be configured to be opened by a sliding method correspondingly when the first connecting portion 220 of the dust emptying device 200 moves downward.

Hereinafter, the operation of the robot cleaner 100 and the dust emptying device 200 having the above configuration will be described.

First, when cleaning is performed to the robot cleaner 100 by applying power, the motor generates suction power using a charged battery as a power source. At this time, the suction force is transmitted to the suction nozzle 130 mounted close to the bottom surface to suck foreign substances on the bottom surface.

In addition, the wheel that is rotatably mounted on the lower part of the robot cleaner 100 to move the robot cleaner 100 to the cleaning area is rotated to guide the robot cleaner 100 in a desired direction. At this time, the protrusion provided on the outer circumferential surface of the moving wheel helps to run the cleaning area without slipping by linear contact with the bottom surface of the cleaning area.

On the other hand, the obstacle sensor detects the presence of walls or obstacles using ultrasonic waves while driving for cleaning, determines the area to be cleaned by driving the outside of the cleaning area surrounded by the walls or obstacles, and cleans the determined cleaning area. Plan a cleaning path for

The obstacle detecting sensor receives a signal from a sensor (not shown) that detects the number of revolutions and the angle of rotation of the wheel to calculate a travel distance and a current position, and controls the wheel to travel the planned cleaning path. .

When the robot cleaner 100 completes the cleaning operation in the cleaning area or when the dust stored in the dust collecting part 140 of the robot cleaner 100 is a predetermined amount or more, the second sensor part is transmitted from the first sensor part 260. By detecting a predetermined signal to check the position of the dust emptying device 200, and at the same time, the robot cleaner 100 to control the moving wheel to proceed to the dust emptying device (200).

When the robot cleaner 100 approaches the dust emptying device 200, the robot cleaner 100 is inserted into the receiving portion 215 through the guide plate 270, and the moving wheel is attached to the guide plate 270. When seated on the provided support 273, the first connecting portion 220 of the dust emptying device 200 is moved to the lower portion is inserted into the communication hole 141 of the robot cleaner 100, the dust emptying device 200 ) And the dust collector 140 of the robot cleaner 100 is in communication.

At this time, the fan-motor assembly 240 in the dust emptying device 200 is operated, and the dust stored in the dust collecting part 140 of the robot cleaner 100 by the forced suction force of the fan-motor assembly 240 is connected to the connection part 220. It will be sucked into the dust emptying device 200 through the). Foreign matter from the air sucked through the connecting portion 220 is accumulated in the dust bag 233 or the dust storage unit 330, and only the air from which the foreign matter is separated is discharged to the outside via the air outlet 280.

On the other hand, the charging socket provided in the robot cleaner 100 and the charging terminal 250 provided on one side of the receiving portion 215 are in contact with the battery built in the robot cleaner 100 can be charged. .

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. It is obvious to them.

Therefore, the above-described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive, and thus, the present invention is not limited to the above description and may be modified within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

The dust emptying system of the robot cleaner according to the present invention having the above configuration has the following effects.

First, by providing a dust emptying device that automatically sucks and stored the dust stored in the dust collector of the robot cleaner, the user is convenient to use, eliminating the need to empty the dust collector of the robot cleaner from time to time.

Second, by frequently emptying the dust stored in the robot cleaner by the dust emptying device, dust collection performance is improved by preventing the suction force decrease due to the dust collected in the filter.

Third, there is an advantage that the dust emptying device is further provided with a charging terminal, the dust emptying device can also function as a conventional robot cleaner charging device.

Claims (7)

A dust emptying apparatus main body provided to correspond to the exterior of the robot cleaner and having a receiving portion to accommodate the robot cleaner; A connection part including a first connection part movable up and down and communicating with a dust collecting part provided in the robot cleaner, and a second connection part receiving one side of the first connection part and extending from the dust emptying body; Filtering means for separating foreign matters from the air introduced through the connection part; And, Dust cleaning apparatus of the robot cleaner comprising a fan-motor assembly for forcibly flowing the air introduced through the connection. The method of claim 1, The filtering means of the dust emptying device, Dust vacuum device of the robot cleaner, characterized in that consisting of a dust bag detachably coupled to the body of the dust emptying device. The method of claim 1, The filtering means of the dust emptying device, A dust collecting filter provided on the flow path through which the air sucked through the connection unit separates the foreign matter contained in the sucked air; And, Dust collecting device of the robot cleaner, characterized in that it comprises a filter housing for receiving the dust collecting filter. The method of claim 3, The dust emptying device, Dust emptying device of the robot cleaner, characterized in that the dust storage unit for storing the foreign matter separated by the filtering means is further provided. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The first connection part is moved to the bottom when the robot cleaner is coupled to the dust emptying device main body dust emptying device of the robot cleaner, characterized in that the close contact with the dust collector of the robot cleaner. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, In the connecting portion, Dust cleaning device of the robot cleaner, characterized in that the drive device for moving the first connection in the vertical direction further provided. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The dust emptying device, The dust emptying device of the robot cleaner, characterized in that the dusting device is provided on the main body, the charging terminal for further charging the battery of the robot cleaner.

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