KR101578887B1

KR101578887B1 - Wet cleaning apparatus, robot cleaner and control method thereof

Info

Publication number: KR101578887B1
Application number: KR1020140118525A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 이상규; 홍성균; 원덕연; 천광배; 박주영
Original assignee: 에브리봇 주식회사
Priority date: 2014-09-05
Filing date: 2014-09-05
Publication date: 2015-12-21
Also published as: WO2016036183A1

Abstract

A wet cleaning apparatus is disclosed. The wet cleaning apparatus comprises: a liquid storage part which stores liquid for wet cleaning; a drive part which provides driving force; first and second rotary members which rotate around first and second rotary shafts using the driving force and fixate cleaners for wet cleaning thereto individually; and a rotation valve which rotates according to the rotation of at least one between the first and second rotary members to supply the liquid stored in the liquid storage part to the cleaners. Therefore, the present invention automatically supplies liquid for wet cleaning to the cleaners using the rotation valve.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wet cleaning apparatus, a robot cleaner,

The present invention relates to a wet cleaning apparatus, a robot cleaner and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a wet cleaning apparatus for wet cleaning, a wet cleaning apparatus for cleaning the wet cleaning apparatus, To a robot cleaner and a control method thereof.

With the development of industrial technology, various devices are being automated. As is well known, the robot cleaner is a device for automatically cleaning the area to be cleaned by suctioning foreign objects such as dust from the surface to be cleaned while rubbing itself in the area to be cleaned without user's operation, or wiping off foreign matter on the surface to be cleaned .

Generally, such a robot cleaner may include a vacuum cleaner that performs cleaning using a suction force using a power source such as electricity.

The robot cleaner including such a vacuum cleaner has a limitation in that it can not remove foreign matter, stains, etc. adhering to the surface to be cleaned. Recently, a robot cleaner has been developed which can perform wet cleaning by attaching a mop to the robot cleaner .

However, the conventional wet cleaning method using the robot cleaner is merely a simple method of attaching a wipe or the like to the lower part of the conventional robot cleaner, so that the effect of removing foreign matter is low and efficient wet cleaning can not be performed. There is a problem in that the battery consumed in traveling the robot cleaner is increased.

Further, in the conventional wet cleaning method of the robot cleaner, since the traveling method using the conventional suction type vacuum cleaner and the avoidance method for the obstacle are used as they are, the foreign matter and the like adhering to the surface to be cleaned There is a problem that it can not be easily removed.

Further, in the conventional wet cleaning method of the robot cleaner, since the free fall supply method is used for supplying liquid for wet cleaning, it is impossible to control the liquid supply. Accordingly, There was a dangerous problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been accomplished in view of the above-mentioned needs, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and a system for controlling a water- And a wet cleaning apparatus capable of automatically supplying a liquid for cleaning to a cleaner such as a mop.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a robot cleaner capable of attaching and detaching the wet cleaning apparatus described above and a control method of the robot cleaner.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wet cleaning apparatus including a liquid storage unit for storing a liquid for wet cleaning, a driving unit for providing a driving force, a first rotating shaft, The cleaner for wet cleaning rotates in conjunction with the rotation of at least one of the first and second rotatable members and the first and second rotatable members, And a rotary valve for supplying the stored liquid to the cleaner

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a robot cleaner including a wet cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The wet cleaning apparatus includes a liquid storage unit for storing liquid for wet cleaning, A first and a second rotary member, each of which rotates about a first rotary shaft and a second rotary shaft using the driving force, respectively, and in which a cleaner for wet cleaning is respectively fixable, and at least one of the first and second rotary members And a rotary valve that rotates in conjunction with one rotary motion to supply the liquid stored in the liquid storage portion to the cleaner.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a robot cleaner, the method comprising: receiving a user input to cause the robot cleaner to perform a cleaning run; The method comprising the steps of: supplying power to a power terminal of the wet cleaning apparatus when the installation of the wet cleaning apparatus is detected; and performing cleaning operation using the wet cleaning apparatus, wherein the wet cleaning apparatus includes: And a driving unit for rotating the first and second rotating shafts by using the driving force, wherein the first and second rotating members are rotatably mounted on the first and second rotating shafts, respectively, And rotates in conjunction with the rotation of at least one of the first and second rotating members to be stored in the liquid storage portion And a rotary valve for supplying a liquid to the cleaner.

The wet cleaning apparatus according to the various embodiments of the present invention can automatically supply the liquid for wet cleaning to each of the first cleaner and the second cleaner by the rotational motion of each of the first rotating member and the second rotating member. As a result, the user who wants to perform the wet cleaning can dispense with the operation of wetting the mop or the like with the liquid, and thus the user convenience can be achieved.

In addition, the wet cleaning apparatus according to various embodiments of the present invention may include a first cleaner and a second cleaner that are rotated by respective rotational movements of the first rotating member and the second rotating member, respectively, It is possible to more effectively remove the adhered foreign matter and the like.

The robot cleaner according to various embodiments of the present invention may further include a first cleaner and a second cleaner that are respectively rotated by rotational movements of the first rotating member and the second rotating member, The battery efficiency can be improved.

1 is a perspective view of a wet cleaning apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a perspective view of a wet cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a perspective view of a wet cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a perspective view of a wet cleaning apparatus in a state in which a main body frame and a liquid storage unit are removed according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a plan view showing the inside of a liquid storage unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a perspective view showing the inside of a liquid storage unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a view illustrating a liquid supply process according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a block diagram illustrating a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The following merely illustrates the principles of the invention. Thus, those skilled in the art will be able to devise various apparatuses which, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the invention and are included in the concept and scope of the invention. Furthermore, all of the conditional terms and embodiments listed herein are, in principle, only intended for the purpose of enabling understanding of the concepts of the present invention, and are not to be construed as being limited to such specifically recited embodiments and conditions do.

It is also to be understood that the detailed description, as well as the principles, aspects and embodiments of the invention, as well as specific embodiments thereof, are intended to cover structural and functional equivalents thereof. It is also to be understood that such equivalents include all elements contemplated to perform the same function irrespective of the currently known equivalents as well as the equivalents to be developed in the future, i.e., the structure.

Thus, for example, it should be understood that the block diagrams herein represent conceptual views of exemplary circuits embodying the principles of the invention. Similarly, all flowcharts, state transition diagrams, pseudo code, and the like are representative of various processes that may be substantially represented on a computer-readable medium and executed by a computer or processor, whether or not the computer or processor is explicitly shown .

The functions of the various elements shown in the figures, including the functional blocks depicted in the processor or similar concept, may be provided by use of dedicated hardware as well as hardware capable of executing software in connection with appropriate software. When provided by a processor, the functions may be provided by a single dedicated processor, a single shared processor, or a plurality of individual processors, some of which may be shared.

Also, the explicit use of terms such as processor, control, or similar concepts should not be interpreted exclusively as hardware capable of running software, and may be used without limitation as a digital signal processor (DSP) (ROM), random access memory (RAM), and non-volatile memory. Other hardware may also be included.

In the claims hereof, the elements represented as means for performing the functions described in the detailed description include all types of software including, for example, a combination of circuit elements performing the function or firmware / microcode etc. , And is coupled with appropriate circuitry to execute the software to perform the function. It is to be understood that the invention defined by the appended claims is not to be construed as encompassing any means capable of providing such functionality, as the functions provided by the various listed means are combined and combined with the manner in which the claims require .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and other objects, features 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, in which: There will be. In the following description, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the invention in unnecessary detail.

Various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view of a wet cleaning apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a perspective view of a wet cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a perspective view of a wet cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 to 3, the wet cleaning apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can perform wet cleaning to remove foreign substances fixed on a surface to be cleaned by using liquid such as water, detergent, or the like. The wet cleaning apparatus 100 includes a liquid storage unit 110 for storing liquid for wet cleaning, a body frame 120 for forming an outer appearance capable of supporting various components, a driving unit 130 for providing a driving force, First and second rotary members 151 and 152, which are respectively rotated about the first rotary shaft and the second rotary shaft using the driving force of the driving unit 130 and are respectively capable of fixing the cleaners 161 and 162 for wet cleaning, And rotary valves 171 and 172 for supplying the liquid stored in the liquid storage part 110 to the cleaners 161 and 162 in association with the rotation of at least one of the first and second rotary members 151 and 152.

Here, the liquid storage part 110 may be a liquid such as a liquid for wet cleaning, for example, 'water' or a mixture of water and at least one of soap, solvent, fragrance, disinfectant, emulsifier, And the liquid container main body 112 forming the lower end and the liquid container case lid 111 forming the upper end can be coupled to each other.

The driving unit 130 may include a gear assembly 132 installed on one side of the main body frame 120 to provide a driving force and to decelerate the driving force of the motor 131 and / or the driving force of the motor.

The first rotary member 151 rotates about the first rotary shaft in accordance with the driving force of the driving unit 130 and can fix the first cleaner 161 for wet cleaning.

The second rotary member 152 is gear-connected to the first rotary member 151 so that when the first rotary member 151 rotates, the second rotary member 152 rotates about the second rotary shaft in conjunction therewith. In addition, the second rotating member 152 can fix the second cleaner 162 for wet cleaning.

The first cleaner 161 and the second cleaner 162 are made of a fiber such as a cloth capable of wiping the surface to be cleaned, such as a microfiber cloth, a rag, a nonwoven fabric, etc., Material. A plurality of brushes may be formed on the outer circumferential surface of each of the first and second cleaners 161 and 162 to easily collect free particles such as dust, trash, and the like located on the surface to be cleaned in a wide range. Here, the plurality of brushes may be made of the same material as the cleaners 161 and 162, or may be made of other materials. The shapes of the first cleaner 161 and the second cleaner 162 may be circular as shown in the drawing, but may be embodied in various forms without limitation.

The fixing of the first and second cleaners 161 and 162 may be performed by using a method of covering the first and second rotary members 151 and 152 or a method using a different attachment means. For example, the first cleaner 161 and the second cleaner 162 may be attached and fixed to the first rotating member 151 and the second rotating member 152 with a Velcro tape or the like.

The driving unit 130 and the first and second rotary members 151 and 152 may be coupled to the body frame 120 by being coupled to the inside or outside of the body frame 120 by the body frame 120.

Here, when the first rotating member 151 and the second rotating member 152 are supported by the main body frame 120, the lower end regions of the first rotating member 151 and the second rotating member 152, respectively, And may protrude toward the surface to be cleaned. Accordingly, the user can fix the first and second cleaners 161 and 162 to the protruding regions of the first rotating member 151 and the second rotating member 152, respectively.

On the other hand, the body frame 120 and the liquid storage unit 110 described above can be mutually attached and detached.

The wet cleaning apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention rotates in conjunction with the rotation of at least one of the first and second rotary members 151 and 152 to circulate the liquid stored in the liquid storage unit 110 to the cleaner 161 and 162, respectively. This will be described later with reference to Figs. 4 to 7.

The first rotary valve 171 is connected to the first rotary member 151 through the first through hole 121 formed in the main body frame 120 and the second rotary valve 172 is connected to the main frame 120 Through the second through hole 122 formed in the second rotating member 152. [

4 is a perspective view of a wet cleaning apparatus in a state in which a main body frame and a liquid storage unit are removed according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4, the first rotary member 151 rotates about the first rotary shaft 151-1 according to the driving force of the driving unit 130, and the second rotary member 152 rotates about the first rotary member 151 151, and when the first rotary member 151 is rotated, the first rotary member 151 can rotate together with the second rotary shaft 152-1. Gears are formed on the outer circumferential surfaces of the first rotating member 151 and the second rotating member 152, respectively, so that they can be rotationally moved in opposite directions according to the gear connection. For example, when the first rotating member 151 rotates clockwise, the second rotating member 152 can rotate in the counterclockwise direction and the first rotating member 151 rotates counterclockwise The second rotating member 152 can be rotated in the clockwise direction.

Each of the first rotating member 151 and the second rotating member 152 is spaced apart from the inner circumferential surface by a predetermined distance so that each of the first rotating member 151 and the second rotating member 152 is connected to the first rotary valve 171 and the second rotary valve 172, respectively, and a second connection portion 152-2.

The first rotary valve 171 is connected to the first connection portion 151-2 of the first rotary member 151 and the second rotary valve 172 is connected to the second connection portion 151-2 of the second rotary member 152, (Not shown). The first rotary valve 171 rotates about the third rotary shaft 171-1 in accordance with the rotation of the first rotary member 151 and the second rotary valve 172 rotates about the second rotary member 152 to rotate around the fourth rotary shaft 172-1.

An opening may be formed within a predetermined distance from the outer circumferential surface of each of the first connection portion 151-1 and the second connection portion 152-2 and within a predetermined distance from the inner circumferential surface toward the rotation axis. The rotary valves 171 and 172 can supply liquid to the cleaners 161 and 162 through the openings.

5 is a plan view showing the inside of a liquid storage unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a perspective view showing the inside of a liquid storage unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. 5 to 6, the liquid container main body 112 forming the lower end of the liquid storage part 110 may include a first receiving part 113 and a second receiving part 114 which are spaced apart from each other.

The first accommodating portion 113 accommodates a portion of the first rotary valve 171 and can support the third rotary shaft 171-1 of the first rotary valve 171. [ In this case, the first rotary valve 171 can rotate about the third rotary shaft 171-1 supported by the first accommodating portion 113. [ The remaining unreceivable area of the first rotary valve 171 may be connected to the first rotary member 151 through the first through hole 121 of the main body frame 120.

The second accommodating portion 114 accommodates a portion of the second rotary valve 172 and can support the fourth rotary shaft 172-1 of the second rotary valve 172. [ In this case, the second rotary valve 172 can rotate about the fourth rotary shaft 172-1 supported by the second accommodating portion 114. [ The remaining unreceivable area of the second rotary valve 172 may be connected to the second rotary member 152 through the second through hole 122 of the main body frame 120.

The first storage portion 113 and the second storage portion 114 supply the liquid stored in the liquid storage portion 110 to the first rotary valve 171 and the second rotary valve 172 accommodated in the first storage portion 113 and the second storage portion 114, And may include openings 113-1 and 114-1.

Hereinafter, a liquid supply process according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. However, for convenience of explanation, the first accommodating portion 111 and the first rotary valve 171 will be described as an example.

7 (a), the first rotary valve 171 may include a plurality of holes through which the valve passes or aesthetic passage, and the first rotary valve 171 may include a plurality of holes through which the rotary motion of the first rotary member 151 The first hole 171-2 of the plurality of holes of the first rotary valve 171 is connected to the opening 113 of the first accommodating portion 113 -1). &Lt; / RTI > Accordingly, the liquid stored in the liquid storage part 110 can be filled in the first hole 171-2.

7 (b), when the first rotary valve 171 rotates about the third rotary shaft 171-1 in conjunction with the rotary motion of the first rotary member 151, The first hole 171-2 may be located in an area not accommodated by the first accommodating portion 111, for example, in the first through hole 121. [ In this case, the liquid filled in the first hole 171-2 can be discharged to the outside of the hole, and the discharged liquid is discharged from the outer circumferential surface of each of the first connection portion 151-1 and the second connection portion 152-2 162 and the first and second cleaners 161, 162 through an opening formed within a predetermined distance toward the rotating shaft and a predetermined distance from the inner peripheral surface toward the rotating shaft.

The wet cleaning apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a first cleaner 161 and a second cleaner 162 by rotation of the first rotating member 151 and the second rotating member 152, ) Can be automatically supplied with liquid for wet cleaning. As a result, the user who wants to perform the wet cleaning can dispense with the operation of wetting the mop or the like with the liquid, and thus the user convenience can be achieved.

The wet cleaning apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first cleaner 161 and a second cleaner 161. The first cleaner 161 and the second cleaner 162 are rotated by the rotation of the first rotating member 151 and the second rotating member 152, 2 cleaner 162 and the surface to be cleaned can be effectively removed and the foreign matter adhered to the surface to be cleaned can be effectively removed.

When the wet cleaner 100 according to various embodiments of the present invention is installed in the robot cleaner 200, the robot cleaner 200 rotates the first rotating member 151 and the second rotating member 152, respectively, The battery efficiency can be improved by using the frictional force between the first cleaner 161 and the second cleaner 162 and the surface to be cleaned, which are respectively rotated by the motion, as the moving source of the robot cleaner 200.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the wet cleaning apparatus 100 may further include a power terminal (not shown) for receiving power from the robot cleaner 200. Accordingly, when the wet cleaning apparatus 100 is mounted on the robot cleaner 200, the power terminal (not shown) can receive power from the power supply unit 160 of the robot cleaner 200.

In addition, according to the above-described example, the second rotary member 152 is described as being rotationally moved in conjunction with the rotational motion of the first rotary member 151 by gearing with the first rotary member 151, It is not. According to another example of the present invention, the wet cleaning apparatus 100 includes a first driving unit that provides a driving force to the first rotating member, and a second driving unit that provides a driving force to the second rotating member, It can be realized to be rotatable even if the gear is not connected.

In addition, according to the above-described example, the wet cleaning apparatus 100 has been described as being mounted on and used by the robot cleaner 200 performing self-running and cleaning, but the present invention is not limited thereto. According to another example of the present invention, the wet cleaning apparatus 100 may be implemented as a robot cleaner capable of self-moving and wet cleaning. In this case, the wet cleaning apparatus 100 includes a first cleaner 161 and a second cleaner 162, which rotate by the rotational movement of the first rotary member 151 and the second rotary member 152, respectively, The vehicle can travel in a predetermined direction and at a predetermined speed through the friction of the cleaning surface, and an obstacle detection sensor, a control module, and the like can be provided to avoid obstacles and to travel.

8 is a block diagram illustrating a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. 8, the robot cleaner 200 includes a body forming an outer appearance of the robot cleaner 200, an input / output unit 210, a driving unit 220, a cleaning unit 230, a traveling unit 240, a storage unit 250 A power supply unit 260, a sensor unit 270, a communication unit 280, and a control unit 290. Here, the main body of the robot cleaner 200 may be provided with a receiving part for the wet cleaning device 100, and the wet cleaning device 100 may be detachable and attachable to the robot cleaner 200 through the receiving part . If the wet cleaning apparatus 100 is mounted on the robot cleaner 200, the robot cleaner 200 may perform wet cleaning to remove foreign matter adhering to the surface to be cleaned by using liquid such as water, detergent or the like.

The input / output unit 210 includes an input unit for receiving a user input for operating the robot cleaner and an output unit for outputting information related to the robot cleaner. Specifically, the input unit may receive various user inputs such as a user input for operating the robot cleaner power on / off, a user input for operating the cleaning mode of the robot cleaner, a user input for operating or stopping the robot cleaner, Here, the input unit may include a key pad dome switch, a touch pad (static / static), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

The output unit may output information related to the robot cleaner such as the battery state of the robot cleaner, the cleaning mode of the robot cleaner, etc., and the output unit may include an audio output unit for outputting data that can be perceptually recognized, And a display unit for outputting the data. Here, the audio output unit may be implemented as a speaker. The display unit may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a flexible display, , A field emission display (FED), a three-dimensional display (3D display), and a transparent display.

The driving unit 220 may provide a driving force for driving the cleaning unit 230 and the driving unit 240, respectively. Specifically, the driving unit 220 includes a motor that rotates the main wheels of the traveling unit 240, so that the robot cleaner can be driven by driving the motor. The motors are respectively connected to the main wheels so that the main wheels rotate, and the motors operate independently of each other and can rotate in both directions. The driving unit 220 includes a motor for rotating each of the main brush assembly and the side brush assembly so that the robot cleaner 200 can perform a dry cleaning operation in which the robot cleaner 200 sucks and removes free particles such as dust, . &Lt; / RTI >

The driving unit 240 drives the robot cleaner 200 according to driving of the driving unit 220. The traveling unit 240 may include a main wheel that allows the robot cleaner 200 to perform forward, backward, and rotational movements in the process of cleaning the robot cleaner 200 according to driving of the driving unit 220.

Also, the traveling unit 240 may include a secondary wheel. Here, the auxiliary wheel supports the body of the robot cleaner 200, minimizes the friction with the floor (the surface to be cleaned), and can smoothly run the robot cleaner 200. Here, the auxiliary wheels may be implemented as a caster that rotates in accordance with the running direction of the robot cleaner 200 to maintain the body in a stable posture.

The cleaning unit 230 cleans the cleaning area. Here, the cleaning unit 230 includes a main brush assembly for sweeping free particles of dust or the like present on a clean surface such as a floor surface to a suction port, and a side brush assembly for cleaning adjacent portions of the wall surface and corner portions.

Although not shown in the drawing, the cleaning unit 130 includes a suction unit (not shown) for generating a suction force to the suction port and allowing the free particles induced in the suction port to be sucked through the suction port, and a dust collecting unit And a dust collecting device (not shown). Here, the suction unit may be embodied as a suction motor, for example.

The storage unit 250 stores various programs and data for the operation of the robot cleaner 200. Specifically, the storage unit 250 may store at least one of the cleaning map and the cleaning area.

Herein, the storage unit 250 may be a RAM, a flash memory, a ROM (Read Only Memory), an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), an EEPROM (Electronically Erasable and Programmable ROM), a register, a hard disk, A memory card, a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM), and the like, as well as a detachable type storage device such as a USB memory.

The power supply unit 260 supplies power to the robot cleaner 200. Specifically, the power supply unit 260 supplies the driving power and the operation power to the robot cleaner 100 for driving or cleaning the robot cleaner. When the remaining power is insufficient, the power supply unit 260 moves to the charging station, It can be charged with an electric current. Here, the power supply unit 260 may be implemented as a rechargeable battery. When the wet cleaning apparatus 100 is installed in the robot cleaner 200, the power supply unit 260 can supply power to the power supply terminal of the wet cleaning apparatus 100.

The sensor unit 270 can sense various information related to the clean running of the robot cleaner 200. Specifically, the sensor unit 270 may include one or more sensors provided on a side surface of the robot cleaner 200 to detect a second obstacle that can not be climbed, such as a wall. The sensor unit 270 may include one or more sensors positioned at the front and / or rear bottom of the main body of the robot cleaner 200 to detect a first obstacle at a predetermined height, such as a threshold. Here, the sensors for sensing the first and second obstacles may be embodied as an obstacle detection sensor or a camera sensor that emits infrared or ultrasound signals to the outside and receives signals reflected from obstacles.

In addition, the sensor unit 270 may include a sensor, for example, an acceleration sensor, for sensing a traveling state of the robot cleaner 200 such as a traveling distance, a traveling speed, and a traveling acceleration.

In addition, the sensor unit 270 can detect whether the wet cleaning apparatus 100 is mounted in the receiving portion of the main body of the robot cleaner 200.

The sensor unit 270 may transmit the sensing signal to the controller 290.

The communication unit 280 may include one or more modules for enabling wireless communication between the robot cleaner 200 and another wireless terminal or between the robot cleaner 200 and a network in which the other wireless terminal is located. For example, the communication unit 280 may communicate with a wireless terminal as a remote control device, and may include a short-range communication module or a wireless Internet module.

The robot cleaner 200 can control the operation state, the operation mode, and the like by the control signal received by the communication unit 280. The terminal for controlling the robot cleaner 200 may include, for example, a smart phone, a tablet, a personal computer, and a remote controller (a remote controller) that can communicate with the robot cleaner 200.

The controller 290 controls the overall operation of the robot cleaner 200. More specifically, the control unit 290 includes an input / output unit 210, a driving unit 220, a cleaning unit 230, a traveling unit 240, a storage unit 250, a power supply unit 260, a sensor unit 270, Can be controlled in whole or in part.

Particularly, when the user input for allowing the robot cleaner 200 to perform the cleaning run is received through the input / output unit 210, the control unit 290 can detect whether the wet cleaning apparatus is mounted through the sensor unit 270 . Herein, the user input for performing the cleaning run may be a user input for selecting a mode related to the wet cleaning from among a plurality of cleaning modes, for example, an automatic cleaning mode, an intensive cleaning mode, a manual cleaning mode, A bottom cleaning mode, a wet cleaning mode, and a user input to select a cleaning mode to perform cleaning including wet cleaning, such as a user input to select a wet cleaning mode. However, the cleaning mode in which the robot cleaner 200 performs only the dry cleaning without performing the wet cleaning may be excluded from the mode related to the wet cleaning during the plurality of cleaning modes.

When the installation of the wet cleaning apparatus 100 is sensed through the sensor unit 270, the power supply unit 260 may be controlled to supply power to the power supply terminal of the wet cleaning apparatus 100.

In this case, the robot cleaner 200 can cleanly run using the mounted wet cleaning apparatus 100.

9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 9, the robot cleaner 200 may receive a user input for performing a clean running (S101). Here, the user input may be a user input for selecting a mode associated with wet cleaning from among a plurality of cleaning modes.

In this case, the robot cleaner 200 can detect whether or not the wet cleaning apparatus is mounted. For example, a sensor 270 for detecting whether the wet cleaning apparatus 100 is installed may be installed in the receiving portion of the main body of the robot cleaner 200, and the controller 290 may determine It is possible to judge whether or not the wet cleaning apparatus is mounted.

When the installation of the wet cleaning apparatus of the robot cleaner 200 is detected, power can be supplied to the power supply terminal of the wet cleaning apparatus (S103). Specifically, when the installation of the wet cleaning apparatus 100 is detected, the controller 290 controls the power supply unit 260 to supply power to the power terminal of the wet cleaning apparatus.

Then, the robot cleaner 100 can be cleaned and run using the wet cleaning apparatus (S104). For example, when the cleaning mode for performing both the dry cleaning and the wet cleaning is selected, the robot cleaner 100 performs the wet cleaning using the installed wet cleaning apparatus 100, and simultaneously performs the wet cleaning using the dry cleaning using the main brush assembly, the side brush assembly, Cleaning can be performed.

Meanwhile, the control method according to various embodiments of the present invention described above can be implemented by a program and provided to a server or devices. Accordingly, each device can access the server or the device in which the program is stored, and download the program.

In addition, the control method according to various embodiments of the present invention described above can be implemented as a program and stored in various non-transitory computer readable media. A non-transitory readable medium is a medium that stores data for a short period of time, such as a register, cache, memory, etc., but semi-permanently stores data and is readable by the apparatus. In particular, the various applications or programs described above may be stored on non-volatile readable media such as CD, DVD, hard disk, Blu-ray disk, USB, memory card, ROM,

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, but, on the contrary, It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

100: wet cleaning apparatus 110: liquid storage unit
120: main frame 130:
150: rotating member 160: cleaner
170: Rotary valve 200: Robot cleaner
210: input / output unit 220:
230: cleaning unit 240:
250: storage unit 260: power supply unit
270: sensor unit 280: communication unit
290:

Claims

In a wet cleaning apparatus,
A liquid storage for storing liquid for wet cleaning;
A driving unit for providing driving force;
First and second rotatable members each of which rotates around a first rotation axis and a second rotation axis using the driving force and is capable of fixing the cleaner for wet cleaning respectively; And
And a rotary valve that rotates in conjunction with rotation of at least one of the first and second rotary members to supply the liquid stored in the liquid storage unit to the cleaner.

The method according to claim 1,
The rotary valve includes:
A first rotary valve connected to the first rotary member and rotating about a third rotary shaft in accordance with a rotary motion of the first rotary member; And
And a second rotary valve connected to the second rotary member and rotating about the fourth rotary shaft in accordance with the rotary motion of the second rotary member.

3. The method of claim 2,
The liquid storage portion
And a first accommodating portion and a second accommodating portion, each having at least one opening for supplying the liquid, for accommodating the first and second rotary valves, respectively,
The third rotary shaft of the first rotary valve is supported by the first accommodating portion,
And the fourth rotary shaft of the second rotary valve is supported by the second accommodating portion.

The method of claim 3,
And a main frame supporting the driving unit, the first and second rotating members,
Wherein the first rotating member rotates in accordance with the driving force of the driving unit,
Wherein the second rotating member is gear-connected to the first rotating member and rotates in conjunction with rotation of the first rotating member.

5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the main body frame and the liquid storage portion are mutually detachable and mountable.

6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein,
A first through hole and a second through hole which are mutually spaced apart from each other,
The first rotary valve is connected to the first rotary member through the first through hole,
And the second rotary valve is connected to the second rotary member through the second through hole.

The method according to claim 6,
Wherein each of the first and second rotary valves includes at least one hole,
When the openings of the first accommodating portion and the second accommodating portion and the holes of the first and second rotary valves form a flow passage in accordance with the rotation of the first and second rotary valves, And the stored liquid is supplied to the cleaner.

The method according to claim 6,
Further comprising a power terminal for receiving power from a power source of the robot cleaner when the wet cleaner is mounted on a robot cleaner performing self-running and cleaning.

1. A robot cleaner comprising a wet cleaning device,
In the wet cleaning apparatus,
A liquid storage for storing liquid for wet cleaning;
A driving unit for providing driving force;
First and second rotatable members each of which rotates around a first rotation axis and a second rotation axis using the driving force and is capable of fixing the cleaner for wet cleaning respectively; And
And a rotary valve that rotates in conjunction with rotation of at least one of the first and second rotary members and supplies the liquid stored in the liquid storage unit to the cleaner.

10. The method of claim 9,
Further comprising a main body having an accommodating portion formed at one side thereof to form an outer appearance of the robot cleaner,
In the wet cleaning apparatus,
And the robot cleaner is detachable and mountable to the robot cleaning device through the accommodating portion.

10. The method of claim 9,
A sensor unit for detecting whether the wet cleaning apparatus is mounted; And
And a power supply unit for supplying power to a power terminal of the wet cleaning apparatus when the sensor unit detects the mounting of the wet cleaning apparatus.

A control method for a robot cleaner,
Receiving a user input for causing the robot cleaner to perform a cleaning run;
Detecting whether or not the wet cleaning apparatus is mounted;
Supplying power to a power terminal of the wet cleaning apparatus when the installation of the wet cleaning apparatus is detected; And
And cleaning and running using the wet cleaning apparatus,
In the wet cleaning apparatus,
A liquid storage for storing liquid for wet cleaning;
A driving unit for providing driving force;
First and second rotatable members each of which rotates around a first rotation axis and a second rotation axis using the driving force and is capable of fixing the cleaner for wet cleaning respectively; And
And a rotary valve that rotates in conjunction with rotation of at least one of the first and second rotary members and supplies the liquid stored in the liquid storage unit to the cleaner.