KR100963387B1

KR100963387B1 - Wheel assembly for robot vacuum cleaner

Info

Publication number: KR100963387B1
Application number: KR1020030029132A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 박창도
Original assignee: 엘지전자 주식회사
Priority date: 2003-05-07
Filing date: 2003-05-07
Publication date: 2010-06-14
Also published as: KR20040096253A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wheel assembly which is an operating part of a robot vacuum cleaner. The wheel assembly according to the present invention includes a driving wheel 110 for moving the main body C in contact with the floor to be cleaned; A gear box (130) rotatably attached to the driving wheel (110) and serving as a medium for transmitting rotational force to the driving wheel (110); The driving unit 100 is coupled to the gear box 130, and includes a wheel motor (WM) that is a driving source for generating power for rotating the driving wheel 110: integrally molded in the body (C) , Box support portion 200 including a support member 210 for rotatably supporting the gear box 130 and: a spring support 311 for supporting the spring (S) is formed on the upper, the lower portion of the gear An intermediate member 310 rotatably connected to the box 130; It is integrally molded from the inside of the main body (C), the finger portion 300 including a guide shaft 330 for supporting the spring (S) inserted into the spring support 311 of the intermediate member 310 It is configured to include.

Robot, vacuum cleaner, wheel assembly, drive wheel, wheel motor

Description

Wheel assembly for robot vacuum cleaner

1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a structure of a robot cleaner according to the present invention;

Figure 2a is a front view showing an embodiment of a wheel assembly according to the present invention,

Figure 2b is a front view showing a state in which the wheel assembly of Figure 2a is raised,

3 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the wheel assembly of FIG. 2A is viewed from one side;

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a state of the wheel assembly of Figure 2a seen from the other side.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

100 ..... Drive section 110 ..... Drive wheel

130 ..... Gearbox 131 ..... Motor Gear

133 ..... Auxiliary Gear 135 ..... Wheel Gear

137 ..... Protruding rib 200 ..... Box support

210 ..... Supporting member 230 ..... Hinge cover

300 ..... Tangier 310 .....

330 ..... Guide Shaft WM ..... Wheel Motor

The present invention relates to a robot vacuum cleaner, by means of wheels installed through an elastic body to be in close contact with the floor, the wheels are smoothly reduced even when running on a slippery surface, as well as attenuation of shock generated when an obstacle such as a threshold passes. A wheel assembly for a robot vacuum cleaner designed to be rotated.

The robot vacuum cleaner is a vacuum cleaner that performs cleaning by itself while moving the floor according to the input program using a charged battery as a power source. According to such a robot vacuum cleaner, unlike the conventional cleaning method in which the user carries the cleaning by directly dragging the cleaner, the cleaner can be operated by the operation of the remote controller and the cleaning can be performed. This saves you the time it took to clean.

A general robot cleaner uses an ultrasonic sensor installed on a main body to determine an area to be cleaned by driving the outside of a cleaning area surrounded by a wall or an obstacle, and plans a cleaning path for cleaning the determined cleaning area. Then, the wheel is driven to drive the planned cleaning path while calculating the mileage and the current position from the detected signal through the sensor for detecting the rotational speed and the rotation angle of the wheel.

However, since the wheel is fixed to the main body of the cleaner and rotates, the rotational movement of the wheel is affected by the state of the floor in contact with the wheel. And since the body is moved by the rotation of the wheel, the body is to move while being affected by the floor.

If the bottom is uneven and only one wheel is in contact with the floor, and the other wheel is placed in a concave depression, the direction of travel of the main body is determined by the rotation of the one wheel in contact with the floor. In this case, the main body rotates continuously in the same position with the wheels not in contact with the floor. That is, since the main body does not move forward and revolves in one place, a problem occurs that the cleaning cannot be performed. In addition, in a slippery floor having a small frictional force, since the frictional force acting on the floor and the wheels is small, the wheels cannot be easily grounded to the floor and the main body cannot be moved in a desired direction. Due to such abnormal movement of the main body, smooth cleaning is not performed.

And since the wheel is attached directly to the body, the impact generated from the wheel is transmitted directly to the body. That is, when the robot cleaner passes the bumpy floor, the vibration of the wheel is moved to various parts of the main body, and in particular, the electric component including the sensor. In this way, an abnormality may occur in a sensitive sensor or the like due to the shock moved to the electric component, or may occur until the malfunction of the cleaner or, in severe cases, the operation stops.

An object of the present invention for solving the above problems is to improve the grip between the wheel and the bottom surface by supporting the wheel of the robot cleaner to always face the floor which is the surface to be cleaned.

And by the non-uniform floor state, the impact generated from the wheel is moved to the main body, and to prevent the damage to the control parts such as the circuit inside the main body by another purpose.

Wheel assembly of a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object, the driving wheel to move the main body in contact with the floor to be cleaned; A gear box rotatably attached to the driving wheel and serving as a medium for transmitting rotational force to the driving wheel; A driving unit coupled to the gear box, the driving unit including a wheel motor as a driving source for generating power for rotating the driving wheel; and integrally formed in the main body to support the gear box in a rotatable manner. Box support portion: the upper portion is formed with a spring support for supporting the spring, the lower portion and the intermediate member rotatably connected to the gear box; It is formed integrally from the inside of the main body, and comprises a stopper portion including a guide shaft for supporting the spring inserted into the spring support of the medium.

The gear box further includes a hinge on the upper side and a protruding rib on the lower side so as to rotate in response to the up and down motion of the driving wheel, and a motor gear connected to the wheel motor to transmit power therein. A wheel gear coupled to a driving wheel and an auxiliary gear is installed between the motor gear and the wheel gear to serve as a medium for transmitting power of the motor gear to the wheel gear.

And, at the upper end of the support member is further formed a guide portion for supporting the hinge formed in the gear box to be rotatable, on the upper portion of the support member, for fixing the hinge to be rotatably raised to the support member The hinge cover is attached.

A lower portion of the intermediate member is formed with support ribs rotatably connected to the protruding ribs of the gearbox, and protrusions are formed therein to prevent the spring from flowing.

According to the present invention as described above, the driving wheel for moving the robot cleaner is always supported by an elastic body so as to be in contact with the floor, which is the surface to be cleaned, so that the main body can be moved in a desired direction regardless of the state of the floor. And since the driving wheel is supported by the elastic body, the impact transmitted to the driving wheel is not directly transmitted to the main body, it can be expected to the effect of preventing product damage.

Hereinafter, the robot cleaner of the present invention for achieving the above object will be described in detail with reference to an embodiment.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a robot cleaner according to the present invention. As shown, the robot cleaner according to the present invention is formed in a disk-shaped spaceship shape, the fan motor 30 for generating a suction force in the same way as a general vacuum cleaner, and the driving wheel 110 for moving the body (C) ), A dust container 50 for collecting dust sucked by the suction force generated by the fan motor 30, and an exhaust path 33 and an exhaust hole C1 through which air passing through the fan motor 30 is exhausted. It includes.

In addition to the general vacuum cleaner, the generator 70 for supplying power to the cleaner and the controller 90 including various sensors and electric parts for automatically moving are distributed in various parts of the main body C. Is installed.

The fan motor 30 is installed at the center of the main body C so that the inlet faces the rear of the main body C, and rotates by the power generated by the generator 70. And the motor chamber 31 is provided to guide the air discharged from each body of the fan motor 30 in a predetermined direction, as well as the noise generated by the fan motor 30. The motor chamber 31 surrounds the outside of the fan motor 30, and through the exhaust passage 33 formed on the upper side of the motor chamber 31 and the exhaust hole C1 formed in the main body C, Air is exhausted to the outside. As such, the air having a high flow rate exhausted by the motor chamber 31 and the exhaust path 33 may be directly discharged to the outside without being moved to the control unit 90 in which various electric appliances are installed.

At the rear of the fan motor 30, a dust collecting device is installed in contact with the inlet of the fan motor 30. The dust collector is a dust collecting place by the suction force of the fan motor 30, the suction head 40 to suck the dust in contact with the floor to be cleaned surface, and to move the dust sucked by the suction head 40 And a dust filter 53 for filtering the air containing dust moving to the fan motor 30.

The suction pipe 41 communicates with the suction head 40 installed at the rear of the main body C, and collects air suspended by a pair of rotary brushes 43 installed at the suction head 40 inside the dust container 50. Serves as a flow path In addition, a cover 42 that is selectively opened and closed by the presence or absence of suction power is provided at the top of the suction pipe 41 that protrudes into the dust container 50. When the suction force is generated, the cover 42 is opened while one side of the cover 42 facing the hinge is moved upward by a hinge means (not shown) provided on one side. When the suction force is removed, one side of the cover 42 moves downward by its own weight, thereby closing the upper part of the suction pipe 41, and the dust inside the dust container 50 flows backward through the suction pipe 41 and leaks to the outside. To prevent them.

The dust container 50 is coupled to the inside of the main body C, and the suction pipe 41 protrudes and extends into the dust container 50 to collect external dust via the suction pipe 41 into the dust container 50. Can be. A handle 51 is attached to the rear of the dust container 50 to easily detach and move the dust container 50. In addition, the dust container 50, the dust filter 53 for filtering the air sucked by the fan motor 30 to move to the fan motor 30 is provided.

The generator 70 is attached to the bottom surface of the main body C, and supplies power to the fan motor 30 generating the suction force, the rotating brush 43, and the driving wheel 110 moving the main body C. do. The generator 70 uses a rechargeable battery that is charged by electricity in one embodiment. By using the rechargeable battery in this way, the generator 70 can be continuously used as a power source.

In addition, a charging terminal 94 for charging the generator 70 is provided on the rear surface of the main body C. The power supply terminal 95 provided on the wall surface B1 of the room is provided with a connection terminal 97 so as to be connected to the charging terminal 94, so that the charging terminal 94 is connected to the connection terminal 97. The generator 70 inside the main body C can be charged.

In addition, a light emitting unit 99 that emits an optical signal for guiding the charging terminal 94 toward the power terminal 95 is provided below the power terminal 95, and below the charging terminal 94. The light receiving unit 98 is provided to receive the light signal emitted from the light emitting unit 99.

In addition, an ultrasonic transmitter 91 for transmitting ultrasonic waves is provided at the front center portion of the cleaner body C. In addition, a plurality of ultrasonic receivers 93 are formed at upper and lower sides of the ultrasonic transmitter 91 to receive an ultrasonic wave reflected by the ultrasonic transmitter 91 and detect an obstacle to form a predetermined interval.

The controller 90 is mainly installed on the front and side surfaces of the main body C as a part for controlling the overall electrical components and various sensors. Under the control of the controller 90, the main body C may move, stop, and perform all functions such as suction force generation and object detection.

2A to 4, the wheel assembly including the driving wheel 110 which is a moving means for moving the robot cleaner according to the present invention will be described in detail. Figure 2a shows an embodiment of the wheel assembly according to the present invention, Figure 2b shows the wheel assembly is grounded to the floor and partly inserted into the body. 3 and 4 show the wheel assembly at different angles.

The wheel assembly includes a driving part 100 for moving the main body C, and a stop part 300 for elastically supporting the driving wheel 110.

The drive unit 100 includes a drive wheel 110 for moving the main body C, a wheel motor WM for rotating the drive wheel 110, and the wheel motor WM (shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4). And a gearbox 130 for transmitting the rotational force of the driving wheel 110 to the driving wheel 110.

The driving wheel 110 serves to move the main body C in a desired direction while being in contact with the floor to be cleaned. A pair is attached to both side surfaces of the main body C, and each driving wheel may be moved separately under the control of the controller 90. That is, when the main body C hits a wall or the like and cannot go straight any further, one driving wheel 110 may be stopped and the other driving wheel 110 may be rotated to rotate the main body C at a desired angle. . In addition, in order to move the main body (C) to the front as well as the rear, the driving wheel 110 may be rotated forward or reverse. One driving wheel 110 may be rotated forward, and the other driving wheel 110 may be rotated in reverse to rotate the body C 360 degrees in place.

A gear box 130 to which the driving wheel 110 is attached is formed. The gearbox 130 plays three roles, the first role of which constitutes a portion to which the driving wheel 110 is attached, and the second of which drives the rotational force of the wheel motor WM to the driving wheel 110. It serves to deliver to, and the third serves to mitigate the impact that is accompanied when the drive wheel 110 moves up and down.

The gearbox 130 has a motor gear 131 connected to the wheel motor WM to transmit power, a wheel gear 135 coupled to the driving wheel 110, and the motor. An auxiliary gear 133 is installed between the gear 131 and the wheel gear 135 to serve as a medium for transmitting the power of the motor gear 131 to the wheel gear 135. By the three gears described above, the driving force of the wheel motor WM may be transmitted to the driving wheel 110.

And a hinge 132 protruding from the upper one side of the gear box 130 is formed. The hinge 132 is integrally formed with the gearbox 130 and is rotatably seated on the upper surface of the support member 210 to be described later. In addition, a semicircular protrusion rib 137 is protruded and formed on the lower side of the gear box 130, and a coupling hole is formed in the center thereof.

Inside the main body (C), the wheel motor (WM) attached to the gear box 130, serves to transmit the rotational force to the drive wheel (110). The rotational force of the wheel motor WM is transmitted from the motor gear 131 coupled with the wheel motor WM to the wheel gear 135 coupled with the auxiliary gear 133 and the driving wheel 110 to drive the wheel. Rotate 110.

In addition, a box support part 200 including a support member 210 for rotatably supporting the gear box 130 is formed in the main body C. The support member 210 protrudes from the bottom of the body (C) to the top in a cylindrical shape, the upper end of the semi-circular guide portion 211 for supporting the hinge 132 of the gear box 130 is formed do.

In addition, a hinge cover 230 is formed on an upper portion of the support member 210 to prevent the hinge 132 placed on the upper portion of the support member 210 from being separated from the support member 210. Coupling of the hinge cover 230 and the support member 210 may be fastened to each other with a screw or the like in one embodiment. In a state in which the hinge cover 230 is coupled to the support member 210, the gearbox 130 may rotate at a predetermined interval about the hinge 132.

In addition, a carbon part 300 is formed to support the gear box 130 connected to the driving wheel 110 with elastic force. The tangy part 300 is a media member 310 for rotatably coupling with the protruding rib 137 of the gearbox 130, and a guide shaft 330 for fixing while supporting the media member 310. It is configured to include.

The intermediate member 310, the spring support 311 for supporting the spring (S) is formed on the upper portion, the lower portion of the spring support 311 is rotated with the protruding rib 137 of the gear box 130. Support ribs 313 are formed for possible coupling.

The spring support 311 has a cylindrical shape with an upper portion open, and a protrusion 316 capable of supporting the spring S is formed at the center of the spring support 311. And formed integrally with the spring support 311, the support ribs 313 extending to the lower portion of the spring support 311 is formed. A fastening hole is formed at the center of one side of the support rib 313, and is coupled to the protrusion rib 137 of the gear box 130 by a pin P so as to be rotatable with each other.

The guide shaft 330 is used as a means for elastically supporting the driving wheel 110 by supporting the spring S provided in the spring support 311 from above. The guide shaft 330 is formed in a '-' shape, the support protrusion 316 is formed in a portion bent in parallel with the bottom surface of the body (C) can support the spring (S) from the top. .

By the spring (S) elasticity of the finger portion 300, the driving wheel 110 maintains the state pushed to the bottom of the body (C). Figure 2a shows the state when the body (C) is floating in the space without touching the floor, wherein the distance between the bottom of the body (C) and the lower end of the driving wheel 110 is maintained at about 18mm. 2b shows a state in which the main body is placed on the floor, and the spring S is compressed by the weight of the main body C, and the distance between the bottom of the main body C and the lower end of the driving wheel 110 is about 8 mm. Keep it. In this way, the driving wheel 110 is elastically supported from the main body by the spring (S).

Looking at the operation of the wheel assembly is configured as described above are as follows. In order to operate the main body C, the wheel motor WM is rotated. By the rotation of the wheel motor (WM), the motor gear 131, the auxiliary gear 133, the wheel gear 135 of the gear box 130 rotates in order, and rotates by the rotation of the wheel gear 135 Rotation of the driving wheel 110 is made.

By the rotation of the driving wheel 110 as described above, the main body C moves in the controlled direction. In addition, while the cleaner is moving, one driving wheel 110 may be positioned on a normal floor, and the other driving wheel 110 may reach a concave bottom. In this case, the driving wheel 110 of the concave bottom surface is continuously pushed out of the main body C by the elasticity of the spring S, so that the driving wheel 110 can be in contact with the concave bottom surface and continuously move in the moving direction. have.

When the main body C moves to the convex bottom surface, as shown in FIG. 2B, the driving wheel 110 is lifted upward, connected to the driving wheel 110, and rotatably connected to the box support 200. The combined gearbox 130 rotates slightly clockwise. And the spring (S) is compressed by the rotation of the gearbox 130 is made of a buffer action. The shock transmitted by the driving wheel 110 is not directly transmitted to the main body C and the control unit 90 by such a buffering operation, thereby protecting various control units and the cleaner main body from the impact.

According to the present invention as described above, the driving wheel 110 is firmly grounded and grounded by the stopper portion 300 formed inside the main body C, and the basic technical gist is configured to be able to act as a buffer. It can be seen that.

Within the scope of the basic technical idea of the present invention as described above, many other modifications are possible to those skilled in the art, as well as the present invention should be interpreted based on the appended claims.

As described in detail above, in the wheel assembly of the robot cleaner according to the present invention, one driving wheel of the main body is formed on the driving wheel for moving the main body by forming a holding part for holding the driving part for transmitting power. Even when the concave bottom is reached, the driving wheel may touch the floor, thereby moving the main body in a desired direction without the driving wheel idling.

In addition, by the formation of the stopper, the shock generated by the driving wheel is not absorbed by the spring of the stopper and transmitted directly to the main body, thereby preventing damage to the main body, as well as damage to the control unit, which is a relatively sensitive part.

Claims

A drive wheel for moving the main body in contact with the floor to be cleaned;

A gear box rotatably attached to the driving wheel and serving as a medium for transmitting rotational force to the driving wheel;

A driving unit coupled to the gear box and including a wheel motor which is a driving source for generating power for rotating the driving wheel;

A box support part integrally molded in the main body and including a support member rotatably supporting the gear box;

A spring support for supporting the spring is formed on the upper portion, and the intermediate member is connected to the gear box rotatably in the lower portion;

The wheel assembly of the robot vacuum cleaner, which is integrally molded from the inside of the main body, and comprises a stopper part including a guide shaft for supporting a spring inserted into the spring support of the intermediate member.

The wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein the gear box further includes a hinge and a protruding rib formed on a lower side of the gear box so as to rotate in response to a vertical movement of the driving wheel.

According to claim 1 or 2, Inside the gear box, the motor gear for transmitting power connected to each other with the wheel motor, the wheel gear coupled to the drive wheel, the motor gear and the wheel gear The wheel assembly of the robot vacuum cleaner, characterized in that the auxiliary gear is installed between the auxiliary gear to serve as a medium for transmitting the power of the motor gear to the wheel gear.

The wheel assembly of claim 1, further comprising a guide part rotatably supporting a hinge formed on the gear box at an upper end of the support member.

The wheel assembly of claim 1 or 4, wherein a hinge cover for rotatably fixing the pivotally mounted hinge to the support member is attached to the support member.

The wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein a support rib is rotatably connected to the protruding rib of the gear box at a lower portion of the intermediate member.

The wheel assembly of claim 1 or 6, wherein a protrusion is formed inside the intermediate member to prevent the flow of the spring.

The wheel assembly of claim 1, wherein a support protrusion for supporting the spring is formed at an upper end portion of the finger portion.