KR20050012049A - Robot cleaner and system thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A robot cleaner and a system thereof are provided to be hygiene by purifying air while cleaning and to help a fresh living environment y supplying fresh air. CONSTITUTION: A robot cleaner contains a main body(12), a driving unit, an intake unit(16), an air purifying unit and a control unit(40). The driving unit drives plural wheels(21,22) under the main body. The intake unit is installed in the main body to suck dust on a floor. The air purifying unit sucks, purify and discharge the air containing the dust of the cleaning space by installing in the main body. The control unit controls the air purifying unit and the driving unit by installing in the main body. Thereby, the robot cleaner purifies air while cleaning a floor.

Description

Robot cleaner and system with air cleaning function

The present invention relates to a robot cleaner having an air cleaning function and a system thereof, and more particularly, to a robot cleaner and a system capable of purifying air in a cleaning space while cleaning the floor surface.

In general, the housework is to be done in the home, even if you use a vacuum cleaner, even if you use every corner of the work around every corner of the work because it is relatively more hands than the other housework.

Accordingly, research and development of robot cleaners that can run and clean by autonomous judgment at home without outside assistance is steadily progressing. In general, robot cleaners can be driven by themselves while the user wants to clean the area. It is a device that automatically cleans the area to be cleaned by inhaling foreign substances such as dust from the floor.

However, the conventional robot cleaner does not perform the air cleaning or air purifying function, but merely cleans dust or dirt on the floor, but in recent years, the public's interest in health is increasing, especially yellow dust or Under the influence of Severe Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), consumers' desire to breathe a pleasant environment and air has increased.

1 is a configuration diagram showing a general robot cleaner. Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional robot cleaner which does not have an air cleaning or air purifying function includes a cleaning main body 7, a drive wheel 1 and a driven wheel 2 provided below the cleaning main body 7. It is provided. In addition, an antenna 3 and a distance sensor 4 for transmitting and receiving a signal to and from the remote controller are provided at an upper portion of the cleaning main body 7 at a predetermined position. In addition, a driving motor (not shown) and a foreign matter container for generating a suction force are installed in the cleaning main body 7.

The suction force of the driving motor of the robot cleaner is transmitted to the suction port 5 installed in the lower portion of the cleaning main body 7, whereby foreign substances such as dust on the cleaning surface are sucked into the suction port 5 by the suction force and removed.

By the way, the robot cleaner according to the above configuration cleans the foreign matter on the cleaning surface while driving the cleaning area in a predetermined driving pattern, but has the following problems.

First, the robot cleaner only collects and cleans dust or dirt on the bottom surface, and there is no function to purify the air in the cleaning space, so that the user has to purchase an air cleaner separately.

Second, since the robot cleaner itself is not equipped with an air purifying function, when the dust on the floor is not completely sucked into the suction port, the air in the cleaning space becomes more turbid, which may cause a problem for the user's health.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a robot cleaner and its system capable of purifying the air in the cleaning space while cleaning the bottom surface.

1 is a block diagram showing a general robot cleaner,

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a robot vacuum cleaner system having an air cleaner according to the present invention,

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the state in which the upper cover of the robot cleaner of Figure 2 removed;

4 is a plan view of a main part of the air cleaner of the robot cleaner of FIG. 2 viewed from the bottom;

Figure 5 is a block diagram showing a central control device of the robot vacuum cleaner system according to the present invention, and

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of a robot vacuum cleaner system having an air cleaner according to the present invention.

<Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

10; Robot cleaner 12; main body

20; A driver 16; Reducer

30; Upper camera 32; Front camera

40; A control unit 43; Transmitter / Receiver

60; Air Authority 63; Suction port

65; discharge port 67; Air Purification Duct

69; filter

An object of the present invention as described above, the robot cleaner body; A driving unit for driving a plurality of wheels installed under the robot cleaner main body; A suction part installed in the robot cleaner main body to suck dust of a floor; An air cleaner installed on the robot cleaner main body to suck and purify air including dust in a cleaning space and to discharge the air; And a control unit provided in the robot cleaner main body and controlling the air cleaner and the driving unit.

In addition, the robot cleaner body is coupled to the body cover to form the appearance of the robot cleaner, the air cleaner, the suction drive source for sucking air containing dust in the cleaning space; A suction port connected to one side of the main body cover of the robot cleaner; A discharge port connected to the other side of the robot cleaner main body cover; An air purifying duct in communication with the suction port and the discharge port; And a plurality of filters installed in the air purification duct to purify the sucked air.

The suction port may be formed at one front side of the robot cleaner body cover, and may be formed at an upper side of the robot cleaner body cover.

On the other hand, the discharge port may be formed on the other front side of the robot cleaner body cover, it may be formed on the upper other side of the robot cleaner body cover.

And it is preferable that the suction driving source is installed inside the air purifying duct to suck air.

In addition, the plurality of filters, the primary filter for filtering the large dust particles sucked in the air; And a secondary filter for removing fine dust and odors.

And the object of the present invention as described above, in the robot cleaner system including a drive unit for driving a plurality of wheels, a suction unit capable of sucking the dust of the floor and a control unit for controlling the drive unit, which is controlled by the control unit Further comprising an air cleaning unit, while performing the vacuum cleaning and the air cleaning by the air cleaning unit at the same time while automatically driving the surface to be cleaned, or selectively performing the vacuum cleaning or the air cleaning It is achieved by providing a robot cleaner system, characterized in that.

The air cleaner includes a suction driving source for sucking air including dust in a cleaning space, a suction port for suctioning air, a discharge port for discharging purified air, and at least one filter for purifying the sucked air. When the suction driving source is operated by the controller, it is preferable to suck the air through the suction port, purify the air through the filter, and discharge the air to the discharge port.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in more detail the robot cleaner and its system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a robot vacuum cleaner system having an air cleaner according to the present invention, Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the upper portion of the robot cleaner of Figure 2 in a state in which the cover is removed, Figure 4 is Main part plan view showing the air cleaner of the robot vacuum cleaner of Figure 2, Figure 5 is a block diagram showing a central control device of the robot vacuum cleaner system according to the present invention.

2 to 5, the robot cleaner largely includes a main body 12, a main body cover 11, a suction unit 16, a driving unit 20, which are combined with the main body 12 to form an appearance of the robot cleaner. The upper camera 30, the front camera 32, the obstacle detection sensor 34, the air cleaner 60, the control unit 40, the storage device 41, and the transmission / reception unit 43 are included. However, reference numeral I denotes the front of the robot cleaner.

The suction part 16 is provided on the main body 12 so as to collect dust on the floor facing the air while inhaling air. Such a suction unit 16 can be configured by a variety of known methods. As an example, the suction unit 16 includes a suction motor (not shown) and a dust collecting chamber for collecting dust sucked through a suction port or a suction pipe formed to face the floor by driving the suction motor.

The drive unit 20 is a pair of motors for respectively driving two driven wheels 21 installed on both sides of the front, two drive wheels 22 installed on both sides of the rear, and two wheels 22 at the rear, respectively. And a timing belt 25 installed to transmit the power of the 24 and the rear wheels 22 to the front wheels 21.

In addition, the driving unit 20 independently drives each of the motors 24 in the forward or reverse directions according to the control signal of the control unit 40. The running direction is determined by controlling the rotation speed of each motor 24 differently.

The front camera 32 is installed on the main body 12 so that the front image can be captured and outputs the captured image to the controller 40.

The upper camera 30 is installed on the main body 12 so as to capture the image of the upper side and outputs the captured image to the control unit 40. Preferably, a fisheye lens (not shown) is applied to the upper camera 30.

The fisheye lens structure is disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 1996-7005245, Korean Patent Publication No. 1997-48669, Korean Patent Publication No. 1994-22112, etc., and is marketed by various lens manufacturers, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The obstacle detection sensor 34 is disposed at predetermined intervals around the side of the body to transmit a signal to the outside and receive the reflected signal.

Alternatively, the obstacle detection sensor 34 may apply an ultrasonic sensor that emits ultrasonic waves and receives the reflected ultrasonic waves. The obstacle detecting sensor 34 is also used to measure the distance from the obstacle or the wall.

4, the air cleaner 60 is installed on one side of the main body 12 to suck air to purify the dust in the cleaning space.

In addition, the air cleaner 60 has a suction drive source 61, a suction port 63 connected to one side of the main body cover 11, a discharge port 65 connected to the other side of the robot cleaner main cover 11, and an air purifying duct. (67) and a plurality of filters (69).

The suction drive source 61 provides a suction force to suck the air including the dust of the cleaning space. In addition, the suction driving source 61 is installed inside the air purifying duct 67 to suck air, and is also linked with a suction motor (not shown) that provides suction power to the bottom of the suction part of the main body 12. It can also provide suction.

Therefore, the suction drive source 61 may be configured to work in conjunction with the suction motor (not shown) or separately configured if it can provide a suction force to the air cleaning unit 60 from the viewpoint of those skilled in the art. Preferably, the suction drive source 61 is composed of a motor and a fan system.

The suction port 63 may be formed at one front side or an upper side of the main body cover 11, and the discharge port 65 may be formed at the other front side or the upper other side of the main body cover 11.

As shown in FIG. 2, the suction port 63 may be formed at one front side of the main body cover 11, and the discharge port 65 may be formed at one rear side of the main body cover 11.

The suction port 63 and the discharge port 65 may be formed in various positions other than the above, and as shown in FIG. 6, the suction port 63 is formed at one front side of the main body cover 11 and discharged. Port 65 may be formed on the upper side of the body cover (11).

In addition, the suction port 63 and the discharge port 65 may be composed of two or more ports, in which case each of the suction port 63 and the discharge port 65 is a separate air purification duct (67) It may be composed of, or may be composed of air purification duct 67 connected to each other.

In addition, the air purification duct 67 is in communication with the suction port 63 and the discharge port 65 and the air sucked into the suction port 63 by the suction drive source 61 is connected to the discharge port 65. Connected to discharge through.

Therefore, as long as the suction port 63 and the discharge port 65 communicate with each other, the suction port 63 and the discharge port 65 do not necessarily have to be straight.

The plurality of filters 69 may reversely purify the air sucked through the suction port 63 and include a first filter 71 and a second filter 73.

The primary filter 71 filters the large dust particles in the inhaled air, and the secondary filter 73 serves to remove fine dust and odor from the filtered air.

Preferably, the secondary filter 73 is composed of a general HEPA filter to filter out molds, house dust, microorganisms and viruses that cause respiratory diseases and allergies, and a general deodorizing filter. It may be configured as. The deodorizing filter serves to purify all the various odors to clean the air.

The controller 40 processes signals received through the transmitter / receiver 43 and controls each element. When a key input device (not shown) provided with a plurality of keys for manipulating the function setting of the device is further provided on the main body 12, the controller 40 processes the key signal input from the key input device.

In particular, the control unit 40 may operate the dust collecting unit 16 or the driving unit 20 of each element to clean the dust on the floor while moving, and at the same time operate the air purifying unit 60, The air may be purified while moving the air purifying unit 60 while operating the driving unit 20 without operating the suction unit 16.

The storage device 41 stores the upper image captured by the upper camera 30 and assists the control unit 40 to calculate the positional information or the driving information.

The transmitter / receiver 43 transmits the data to be transmitted to the external device 80 through a transceiver (not shown) installed in the controller 40 and receives the external device 80 through the transceiver (not shown). Transmits a signal to the control unit 40. The external device 80 is generally a wireless repeater (not shown) or a remote controller (not shown) capable of inputting and outputting data. The external device 80 is preferably composed of a remote control device.

Referring to the operation of the system of the robot cleaner for purifying the air having the above configuration as follows.

When the work command is received from the external device 80, the robot cleaner 10 recognizes the work command through the transmitter / receiver 43 to work.

When the operation command is a cleaning operation or an air cleaning operation, the control unit 40 operates the driving unit 20, the reduction unit 16, or the air cleaning unit 60 to clean the work area and clean the air. Do this.

Therefore, the vacuum cleaning by the dust collecting unit 16 and the air cleaning by the air cleaning unit 60 may be simultaneously performed while the vehicle to be cleaned is automatically driven, or the vacuum cleaning or the air cleaning operation may be selectively performed.

When the suction drive source 61 is operated by the controller 40, air is sucked through the suction port 63, and after the air is purified through the filter 69 of the air cleaner 60, The air is discharged to the discharge port 65 to purify the air in a predetermined space.

In this case, when the user inputs a signal for stopping the operation of the driving unit 20 to the external device 80, the robot cleaner 10 may perform an air cleaning operation while stopping in a predetermined space.

As described above, the robot cleaner can selectively or simultaneously perform the air cleaning work and the air cleaning work to purify the air in a predetermined space.

As described above, the robot cleaner and the system according to the present invention are equipped with a function of purifying the air in a predetermined space while cleaning the bottom surface, so that the user does not need to purchase a separate air cleaner, and is economical while cleaning the air. It is hygienic and clean air is supplied to a predetermined space to help a pleasant living environment.

While the invention has been shown and described with respect to preferred embodiments for illustrating the principles of the invention, the invention is not limited to the construction and operation as shown and described. Rather, those skilled in the art will appreciate that many changes and modifications to the present invention are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed claims. Accordingly, all such suitable changes and modifications and equivalents should be considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (10)

Robot cleaner main body; A driving unit for driving a plurality of wheels installed under the robot cleaner main body; A suction part installed in the robot cleaner main body to suck dust of a floor; An air cleaner installed on the robot cleaner main body to suck and purify air including dust in a cleaning space and to discharge the air; And And a controller provided in the robot cleaner main body and controlling the air cleaner and the driving unit. According to claim 1, wherein the robot cleaner body is coupled to the body cover to form the appearance of the robot cleaner, the air cleaner, Suction drive source for sucking air containing dust in the cleaning space; A suction port connected to one side of the main body cover of the robot cleaner; A discharge port connected to the other side of the robot cleaner main body cover; An air purifying duct in communication with the suction port and the discharge port; And And a plurality of filters installed in the air purifying duct to purify the sucked air. The method of claim 2, The suction port is a robot cleaner, characterized in that formed on one front side of the main body of the robot cleaner. The method of claim 2, The suction port is a robot cleaner, characterized in that formed on the upper side of the robot cleaner body cover. The method according to claim 3 or 4, The discharge port is a robot cleaner, characterized in that formed on the other front side of the main body of the robot cleaner. The method according to claim 3 or 4, The discharge port is a robot cleaner, characterized in that formed on the other side of the upper part of the main body of the robot cleaner. The method of claim 2, wherein the suction drive source, A robot cleaner installed in the air purifying duct to suck air. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of filters, A primary filter for filtering large dust in the inhaled air; And And a secondary filter for removing fine dust and odors. In the robot vacuum cleaner system comprising a drive unit for driving a plurality of wheels, a suction unit for sucking dust on the floor and a control unit for controlling the drive unit, Further comprising an air cleaning unit controlled by the control unit, and performs the vacuum cleaning by the dust reduction unit and the air cleaning by the air cleaning unit at the same time while automatically driving the surface to be cleaned, or the vacuum or the air Robot cleaner system, characterized in that to perform the cleaning selectively. The method of claim 9, The air cleaner includes a suction driving source for sucking air including dust in a cleaning space, a suction port for suctioning air, a discharge port for discharging purified air, and at least one filter for purifying the sucked air; , And, when the suction driving source is operated by the controller, the air is sucked through the suction port to purify the air through the filter and then discharged to the discharge port.