KR101949281B1 - Robot cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner comprising: a cleaner main body having a dust container receiving portion; A dust container accommodated in the dust container housing portion and having an inlet and an outlet communicating with first and second openings formed in an inner wall of the dust container housing portion; A fan motor unit disposed inside the cleaner main body; A suction unit disposed apart from the dust container receiving portion with the fan motor portion therebetween; An intake passage connecting the intake unit and the first opening; And a ventilation passage connecting the second opening and an exhaust port formed at a rear side of the cleaner main body, wherein a part of the intake passage and a part of the exhaust passage overlap in a vertical direction at the fan motor part .

Description

Robot Cleaner {ROBOT CLEANER}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a robot cleaner that performs a function of cleaning a floor while traveling a certain area by itself.

In general, robots have been developed for industrial use and have been part of factory automation. In recent years, the field of applications of robots has been expanded, and home robots that can be used in ordinary households as well as aerospace robots and medical robots have been made.

A typical example of a home robot is a robot cleaner. The robot cleaner carries out a function of cleaning the floor while traveling a certain area by itself. For example, a home robot cleaner is operated to self-drive the inside of the house, to suck dust (including foreign substances) on the floor, or to mop the floor.

Such a robot cleaner generally includes a rechargeable battery and various sensors capable of avoiding obstacles during traveling, so that the robot cleaner runs the inside of the house by itself and performs a cleaning function.

It is important to set the whole path and to detect obstacles in the traveling route for smooth self-running of the robot cleaner. The robot cleaner also performs functions such as photographing and monitoring the inside of the house using autonomous driving characteristics. In order to perform the above-described functions, various sensors are used in the robot cleaner, but the optimized design has not yet been studied.

In addition, a conventional robot cleaner has a structure in which a suction unit is provided at the bottom of the cleaner main body. However, the structure in which the suction part is housed in the cleaner main body has problems such as deterioration of suction force and inability to separate the brush roller. However, the structure of the suction unit is not limited to the case where the possibility of collision between the suction unit and the obstacle is increased, the suction unit is installed in the blind spot of the sensing unit provided in the cleaner body, There are many points that need to be solved in terms of location and so on.

The structure in which the dust container is coupled to the cleaner body and the dust container cover is coupled to the dust container is important for accurate assembly of the respective components and ease of assembly.

In addition, the air introduced into the robot cleaner passes through a HEPA filter, which typically filters fine dust before being discharged through an exhaust port. In order to replace or clean the HEPA filter, a conventional robot cleaner uses a part of the cleaner main body There was an inconvenience to disassemble.

Patent Document 1: U.S. Published Patent Application No. US 2013/0305484 A1 (published on November 21, 2013) Patent Document 2: U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2013/0061420 A1 (published on Mar. 13, 2013) Patent Document 3: U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2013/0061417 A1 (published on March 13, 2013)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a first object of the present invention to provide a new sensing unit capable of implementing a forward surveillance / photographing function, a SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) function and an obstacle sensing function while minimizing a sensing unit and improving an obstacle sensing performance have.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a suction unit capable of detecting a collision with an obstacle more directly by supplementing the sensing unit and detecting a step or a cliff which is rapidly lowered ahead .

A third object of the present invention is to provide a structure in which the dust container can be firmly fixed to the dust container receiving portion, and the assembling convenience between the cleaner main body, the dust container and the dust container cover can be improved.

A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a new flow structure inside the dust container that can increase the capacity of the dust container while considering the height restriction of the cleaner main body.

A fifth object of the present invention is to provide a structure in which a filter for filtering fine dust can be easily replaced.

A sixth object of the present invention is to provide an optimum design of an intake passage and an exhaust passage in a structure in which a battery and a fan motor portion are disposed between a suction unit and a dust container.

The robot cleaner of the present invention comprises: a cleaner main body having a wheel unit for autonomous travel; A suction unit arranged to protrude from one side of the cleaner main body and to suck air containing dust; A sensing unit disposed on one side of the cleaner main body; A dust container accommodated in a dust container accommodating portion formed on the other side of the cleaner main body and collecting dust filtered from the sucked air; And a dust container cap which is hingedly coupled to the cleaner main body and is rotatable, the dust container cap being disposed to cover the upper surface of the dust container when the dust container is coupled to the dust container.

In order to accomplish the first object of the present invention, a robot cleaner of the present invention comprises: a cleaner main body having a wheel unit and a control unit for controlling driving of the wheel unit; A suction unit arranged to protrude from one side of the cleaner main body and to suck air containing dust; And a sensing unit disposed at one side of the cleaner main body, wherein the sensing unit comprises: a first sensing unit arranged obliquely with respect to one surface of the cleaner main body so as to photograph the front and the upper side of the sensing unit; And a second sensing unit arranged in a direction intersecting with the first sensing unit and sensing an obstacle located in front of the first sensing unit.

The sensing unit may be arranged to overlap the suction unit in a vertical direction of the cleaner main body.

The first sensing unit may be positioned at an upper corner where the upper surface and the side surface of the cleaner body meet.

The second sensing unit may be disposed on a side surface of the cleaner main body.

The control unit may sense the current position in the travel region using the upward image captured by the first sensing unit.

The control unit compares the forward images photographed by the first sensing unit at predetermined time intervals to generate control signals when the forward images are different from each other.

The second sensing unit may include: a first laser that irradiates a laser toward a front lower side; A second laser for irradiating a laser toward the front upper side; And a camera for photographing the laser irradiated by the first laser and the second laser within a predetermined photographing area.

The first laser, the second laser, and the camera may be arranged in a line along the vertical direction of the cleaner main body.

The first laser may be inclined downward with respect to a side surface of the cleaner main body, and the second laser may be inclined upward with respect to a side surface of the cleaner main body.

The control unit may determine that an obstacle is located ahead of the obstacle when the obstacle is detected in the front of the camera, and control the driving of the wheel unit.

The shooting region may include an area from the bottom to the top of the cleaner body.

Wherein the sensing unit includes: a window disposed to cover the first and second sensing units and formed of a light-transmitting material; And a case mounted on the cleaner main body and accommodating at least a part of the window.

The window may include a first window formed of a light-transmitting material and disposed to cover the first sensing unit; And a second window formed of a translucent material and disposed to cover the second sensing unit.

A through hole may be formed in a portion of the second window corresponding to the first sensing unit, and the first window may be disposed to cover the through hole.

Wherein the second window comprises: a first portion having the through-hole; A second portion extending downwardly from the first portion in an inclined manner and disposed to cover the first and second lasers; An extension extending downwardly from the second portion and covered by the case; And a third portion extending downwardly from the extension portion and projecting from the outside of the case, the third portion being disposed to cover the camera.

In order to attain the second object of the present invention, the robot cleaner of the present invention comprises: a cleaner main body having a wheel unit and a control unit for controlling driving of the wheel unit; And a suction unit arranged to project from one side of the cleaner body and to suck air containing dust, wherein the suction unit comprises: a case; And a bumper switch which is disposed to cover at least one side of the case and which is pressed upon contact with an obstacle and transmits a contact signal to the control unit.

When the contact signal is transmitted through the bumper switch, the controller determines that the vehicle is hit by an obstacle and controls driving of the wheel unit.

The bumper switch includes: a front bumper switch provided on a front side of the case; And a side bumper switch provided on both sides of the case, respectively.

The side bumper switch may be arranged to protrude laterally from both sides of the cleaner main body.

The bumper switch includes a bumper mounted on the case and exposed to the outside, being pressurized when the bumper switch is in contact with an obstacle and movable inward; And a switch disposed inside the bumper and adapted to generate an electrical signal when the bumper is moved inward.

The bumper switch may further include an elastic member interposed between the bumper and the case to press the bumper.

The suction unit may further include a cliff sensor disposed at a front-end portion on the bottom side of the case, for sensing a downward terrain.

The control unit may control driving of the wheel unit when it is detected that the downward terrain is lowered to a certain level or more through the cliff sensor.

The suction unit may further include a charging terminal disposed at a front end portion on the bottom side of the case and configured to be connectable with the charging station.

The clipping sensors may be provided on both sides of the charging terminal.

The case includes: a main case portion having a brush roller rotatable therein; And a cover case part detachably coupled to the main case part to open and close an opening provided at one side of the main case part.

The suction unit may further include an operation unit that is operable to operate the main case unit and releases the locking of the cover case unit with respect to the main case unit during the operation.

The suction unit may further include an elastic member provided inside the other side of the main case part and elastically pressing the brush roller.

In order to achieve the third object of the present invention, the robot cleaner of the present invention includes a cleaner main body having a control part and having a dust container receiving part; A wheel unit mounted on the cleaner main body and controlled to be driven by the control unit; A suction unit mounted on the cleaner main body and sucking air containing dust; A dust container detachably mounted in the dust receptacle and filtering dust from the sucked air to collect dust; And a hinge unit rotatably coupled to the cleaner main body, and a dust container cap which is detachably coupled to the dust container to cover the upper surface of the dust container.

In the state where the dust bin cover is coupled to the dust container, the dust container is restricted from being separated from the dust container receiving portion.

Mounting protrusions are protruded from the bottom surface of the dust container receiving part, and mounting grooves corresponding to the mounting protrusions are formed on the bottom surface of the dust container.

A recess is formed in the cleaner main body along the outer periphery of the dust receptacle, and a part of the dust receptacle may be accommodated in the recess when the dust receptacle is coupled to the dust receptacle.

An alignment mark may be formed on the upper portion of the dust container, and a guide mark corresponding to the alignment mark may be formed on the recess portion.

The recess portion may be formed with a receiving recess that is recessed with respect to the recess portion. A hook may be formed on the outer periphery of the dust receptacle such that the dust receptacle is hooked to the end of the receiving recess when the dust receptacle is received in the dust receptacle receiving portion .

The dust container cover includes a hinge portion rotatably connected to the cleaner main body. The hinge portion can be received in the receiving groove in a state where the dust container cover is coupled to the dust container.

A hook may be formed on the outer periphery of the dust container. The vacuum cleaner body may be formed with a step to which the hook is hooked when the dust container is received in the dust container receiving portion.

In a state where the dust bin cover is coupled to the dust container, the dust container cover may be arranged to cover the hook.

The dust container cover may include a hook portion that is fastenable to the locking portion of the dust container.

The locking portion may be exposed to the rear of the cleaner main body.

The dust container includes: a handle receiving portion formed on an upper surface; A handle configured to be hinged to the handle receiving portion so as to be rotatable and to be received in the handle receiving portion; And an elastic portion elastically pressing the handle so that the handle is in a state of being projected obliquely with respect to the upper surface.

In a state where the dust bin cover is engaged with the dust container, the handle can be pressed by the dust container cover and received in the handle container.

When the coupling between the dust container case and the dust container is released, the dust container case can be tilted upwardly inclined with respect to the dust container.

When the dust container cover is tilted upwardly inclined with respect to the dust container, the driving of the wheel unit may be stopped.

The dust container cover may be provided with a touch key.

The dust container cover may be provided with a touch screen for outputting time information and receiving a touch input for the time information.

The dust container cover may be provided with a display unit for outputting time information.

A sub circuit board electrically connected to the main circuit board provided in the cleaner main body is provided in the dust container lid and an infrared ray receiving unit for receiving an infrared signal can be mounted on the sub circuit board.

The dust container cover may protrude from the upper surface of the cleaner body so that the infrared receiver can receive an infrared signal flowing through the side surface of the dust container cover.

A third object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner comprising: a cleaner main body having a dust receptacle portion opened rearward and upward; A dust container detachably mounted on the dust container receiving portion through an upwardly open portion and filtering dust from the sucked air to collect dust; And a hinge unit rotatably coupled to the cleaner main body, and a dust container cap removably coupled to the dust container to cover the upper surface of the dust container, wherein, in a state where the dust container is mounted on the dust container receiving unit, The rearward movement of the dust container is limited and the upward movement of the dust container is restricted in a state where the dust container cover is fastened to the dust container.

In order to achieve the fourth object of the present invention, the robot cleaner of the present invention comprises: a cleaner main body having a control part and having a dust container receiving part; A wheel unit mounted on the cleaner main body and controlled to be driven by the control unit; And a dust container detachably coupled to the dust container receiving portion, wherein the first opening and the second opening are disposed on the same height on the inner wall of the dust container receiving portion, the dust container is arranged in parallel along the circumference, An inlet and an outlet communicating with the first and second openings when the dust container is received in the dust container receiving portion; And a guide portion extending downwardly inclined along the inner periphery of the dust container and separating and guiding the flow of air flowing through the inlet and the flow of air discharged toward the outlet from the lower portion to the upper portion.

The inlet is provided below the guide so that the air flowing through the inlet flows in the lower portion of the guide, and the outlet is arranged on the guide .

The guide portion may extend from an upper side of the inlet to a lower side of the outlet.

The outlet may be formed immediately adjacent to the inlet.

The guide portion may be formed to block the gap between the inlet and the outlet.

At least one cyclone for filtering dust in the air introduced into the dust container may be provided in the dust container.

The cyclone comprising: a first cyclone for filtering the dust in the air introduced through the inlet; And a second cyclone accommodated in a receiving portion defined by the guide portion and disposed inside the first cyclone to filter the fine dust.

The robot cleaner may further include a filter disposed to cover the receptacle and filtering dust in the air that has passed through the second cyclone.

The filter may be in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the receiving portion.

A hollow space communicating with the upper portion of the guide portion may be formed on the outer circumference of the filter so that air having passed through the filter can be introduced into the upper portion of the guide portion.

Wherein the dust container includes a main body case having the inlet, the outlet, the receiving portion, and the guide portion, the first and second cyclones accommodating therein the first and second cyclones; An upper case coupled to an upper portion of the main body case and having an upper opening overlapping with the receiving portion; And an upper cover detachably coupled to the upper case to open and close the upper opening and to which the filter is mounted on a rear surface.

A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a cleaner main body having a dust container receiving portion formed therein; And a dust receptacle detachably coupled to the dust receptacle, wherein the dust receptacle is formed around the dust receptacle and includes a first and a second dust receptacle formed on the inner wall of the dust receptacle receiving part when the dust receptacle is received in the dust receptacle receiving part, An inlet and an outlet communicating with the second opening, respectively; A guiding part extending along the inner periphery of the dust container and separating and guiding the flow of air flowing through the inlet and the flow of air discharged toward the outlet separately from each other; A first cyclone for filtering the dust from the air introduced through the inlet; A second cyclone accommodated in a receiving portion defined by the guide portion and disposed inside the first cyclone to filter fine dust; And a filter disposed to cover the receiving portion and configured to filter dust in the air that has passed through the second cyclone.

The filter may be in close contact with the upper surface of the guide portion or in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the receiving portion.

A hollow space communicating with the upper portion of the guide portion may be formed on the outer circumference of the filter so that air having passed through the filter can be introduced into the upper portion of the guide portion.

Wherein the dust container includes a main body case having the inlet, the outlet, the receiving portion, and the guide portion, the first and second cyclones accommodating therein the first and second cyclones; An upper case coupled to an upper portion of the main body case and having an upper opening overlapping with the receiving portion; And an upper cover detachably coupled to the upper case to open and close the upper opening and to which the filter is mounted on a rear surface.

In order to achieve the fifth object of the present invention, the robot cleaner of the present invention comprises: a cleaner main body having an intake port and an exhaust port; And a filter unit accommodated in the cleaner main body and disposed in front of the exhaust port to filter fine dust, wherein the filter unit has a filter accommodating portion, and the filter accommodating portion is hinged to the cleaner main body, A filter case configured to be rotatable to be exposed to the outside; And a filter mounted on the filter accommodating portion.

The cleaner main body is provided with a dust container receiving portion, and the air outlet may be formed on an inner wall of the cleaner main body which defines the dust container receiving portion.

The filter case is configured to be received in the cleaner main body through an opening formed in the inner wall, and the dust container receiving portion can be defined together with the inner wall while being housed in the cleaner main body.

The filter case may be positioned in the dust container receiving portion in a state rotated to open the opening.

The filter case may be provided with a vent which communicates with the filter accommodating portion and is arranged to face the vent.

In order to achieve the sixth object of the present invention, the robot cleaner of the present invention comprises: a cleaner main body having a dust receptacle; A dust container accommodated in the dust container housing portion and having an inlet and an outlet communicating with first and second openings formed in an inner wall of the dust container housing portion; A fan motor unit disposed inside the cleaner main body; A suction unit disposed apart from the dust container receiving portion with the fan motor portion therebetween; An intake passage connecting the intake unit and the first opening; And an exhaust passage connecting the second opening and an exhaust port formed at a rear side of the cleaner main body, wherein a part of the intake passage and a part of the exhaust passage overlap in a vertical direction in the fan motor part.

The suction passage may extend upward from an inlet connected to the suction unit and then be bent toward one side of the cleaner main body and pass the upper portion of the fan motor portion.

The inlet may be located at the center of the front bottom of the cleaner body.

The exhaust passage may extend forward and then pass through the fan motor portion and then may be diverted rearward to extend toward the exhaust port.

A filter unit may be disposed between the fan motor unit and the exhaust port on the exhaust flow path.

Wherein the filter unit comprises: a filter case configured to be received in the cleaner body through an opening formed in an inner wall of the dust container housing part; And a filter detachably mounted on the filter case.

The filter unit may be located below the intake passage in a state of being housed inside the cleaner main body.

The intake passage and the exhaust passage, which are located between the fan motor portion and the dust container receiving portion, may be arranged in parallel with each other.

The inlet and the outlet may be opened toward the fan motor portion while the dust container is received in the dust container receiving portion.

The intake passage and the exhaust passage may be disposed on one side of the cleaner main body, and a battery may be disposed on the other side of the cleaner main body.

A sixth object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner comprising: a cleaner main body having a dust receptacle; A dust container accommodated in the dust container housing portion and having an inlet and an outlet communicating with first and second openings formed in an inner wall of the dust container housing portion; A fan motor unit disposed at an inner side of the cleaner main body; A battery disposed on the other side of the cleaner main body; A suction unit disposed between the battery and the fan motor unit and spaced apart from the dust container housing unit; An intake passage connecting the intake unit and the first opening; And an exhaust passage connecting the second opening and an exhaust port formed on the other rear side of the cleaner main body, wherein the first and second openings are formed on one side of the cleaner main body in parallel along the circumference of the inner wall And the intake passage and the exhaust passage are disposed on one side of the cleaner main body while avoiding the battery.

Effects of the present invention obtained through the above-mentioned solution are as follows.

First, the first sensing unit of the sensing unit is inclined with respect to one surface of the cleaner body so that both the front and the top are taken together, and the control unit separates the captured image into the forward image and the upward image according to different purposes, The sensing unit can be used more efficiently and the sensing unit provided for the existing purpose can be integrated into one.

The second sensing unit of the sensing unit is provided with first and second lasers for respectively irradiating the laser toward the front lower side and the front upper side and the camera for photographing the laser, As a result, the obstacle avoidance ability of the robot cleaner can be improved.

In addition, since the first sensing unit and the second sensing unit are integrated to form a single sensing unit, a robot cleaner having a new form factor can be provided.

Secondly, a bumper switch that is mechanically operated on the suction unit arranged in a protruding form from one side of the cleaner main body is provided, so that a direct detection can be performed when the bumper switch is collided with an obstacle. Further, since the side bumper switches provided on both sides of the suction unit are arranged to protrude laterally from both sides of the cleaner main body, the detection of the lateral obstacles can be effectively performed.

When the above-described bumper switch is combined with the sensing unit, a further improved obstacle detection and direction switching function can be realized.

In addition, when the cliff sensor is attached to the inclined portion of the suction unit, if there is a step or a cliff which abruptly drops in front of the cliff sensor, the cliff sensor can be detected in advance and an appropriate avoidance maneuver can be performed.

Further, the cover case portion of the suction unit is configured to open and close the opening of the main case portion, so that the brush roller incorporated in the main case portion can be configured to be drawn out to the outside. Therefore, cleaning of the brush roller can be made easier.

Thirdly, in a state in which the dust container is mounted on the dust container receiving portion, the rearward movement of the dust container is restricted by the engagement structure between the dust container and the dust container receiving portion. In the state where the dust container case is fastened to the dust container, the upward movement of the dust container is limited. And the assembling convenience between the cleaner main body, the dust container and the dust container cover can be improved.

In addition, the middle frame of the dust bin case is provided with a receiving portion which is disposed so as to cover the upper portion of the infrared ray receiving unit and which is open at the front so as to receive infrared rays, whereby the infrared ray receiving unit Can be prevented. Further, the side surface of the dust bin cover is disposed so as to protrude from the upper surface of the cleaner main body, so that the reception performance of the infrared ray receiving unit can be improved.

Fourth, the outlet of the dust container is formed at the same height as the inlet, so that the capacity of the dust container can be increased without increasing the height of the cleaner main body. Further, since the outlet of the dust container is formed right beside the inlet, the downward inclination angle of the guide portion for guiding the flow of the air flowing through the inlet and the flow of the air discharged toward the outlet from the lower portion to the upper portion is reduced, The air introduced into the dust container can form a sufficient rotational flow and scattering of the dust collected at the bottom of the dust container can be prevented.

Fifth, the filter case is hinged to the cleaner main body to open and close the opening formed in the inner wall of the dust container receiving portion, so that the filter case is disposed in the dust container receiving portion while being rotated to open the opening, , The filter can be easily replaced.

Sixth, since the intake passage is extended upward from the inlet port connected to the suction unit, and then bent toward one side of the cleaner main body to pass over the upper portion of the fan motor portion, a sufficient amount An intake flow passage capable of forming a rotational flow can be realized.

Further, since the exhaust passage extends forward in parallel with the intake passage and passes through the fan motor portion, the exhaust passage is changed in the direction to the rear and connected to the exhaust passage through the filter unit, thereby achieving an optimum exhaust passage design within the narrow vacuum cleaner main body .

1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a robot cleaner according to the present invention.
2 is a plan view of the robot cleaner shown in Fig.
3 is a side view of the robot cleaner shown in Fig.
Fig. 4 shows the sensing unit shown in Fig. 1; Fig.
5 is an exploded perspective view of the sensing unit shown in Fig.
Fig. 6 conceptually shows a cross section of the sensing unit shown in Fig. 4; Fig.
FIG. 7 is a view for explaining separation of an image photographed by the first sensing unit shown in FIG. 6; FIG.
FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a concept of detecting an obstacle by the second sensing unit shown in FIG. 4; FIG.
Fig. 9 shows the suction unit shown in Fig. 1; Fig.
Fig. 10 is a side view of the suction unit shown in Fig. 9; Fig.
11 is a front view of the suction unit shown in Fig.
Fig. 12 shows the bottom of the suction unit shown in Fig. 9; Fig.
Fig. 13 is a view for explaining the concept that the brush roller protrudes by the operation of the operating portion in the suction unit shown in Fig. 9; Fig.
FIG. 14 is a conceptual view showing the flow of air inside the robot cleaner shown in FIG. 1; FIG.
Fig. 15 is a view showing a state before the dust bin is attached to the dust container receiving portion in the robot cleaner shown in Fig. 1. Fig.
Fig. 16 is a view showing the dust container shown in Fig. 1. Fig.
Fig. 17 is a bottom view of the dust bin shown in Fig. 16; Fig.
FIG. 18 is a view showing a state in which a dust container is mounted in the dust container receiving portion shown in FIG. 15. FIG.
Fig. 19 is a front view of the dust bin shown in Fig. 16; Fig.
FIG. 20 is a conceptual view showing a state in which the upper case and the upper cover are separated from the dust container shown in FIG. 16;
21 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA shown in Fig.
Fig. 22 is a left side view of the dust bin shown in Fig. 16; Fig.
Fig. 23 is a view showing the dust bin cover shown in Fig. 1. Fig.
24 is an exploded perspective view of the dust bin cover shown in Fig.
Fig. 25 is a rear view of the dust bin cover shown in Fig. 23; Fig.
Fig. 26 is a sectional view showing a structure in which the hook portion shown in Fig. 25 is fastened to the dustbin. Fig.
Fig. 27 is a view showing the inside of the dust container receiving portion shown in Fig. 15. Fig.
28 is a conceptual diagram showing a state in which the filter unit shown in Fig. 27 is rotated;
29 is an exploded perspective view of the filter unit shown in Fig.

Hereinafter, a robot cleaner according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a robot cleaner 100 according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the robot cleaner 100 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the robot cleaner 100 shown in FIG. Fig.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the robot cleaner 100 performs a function of cleaning a floor while traveling on a certain area by itself. Cleaning of the floor includes suction of dust on the floor (including foreign matter) or mopping the floor.

The robot cleaner 100 includes a cleaner main body 110, a suction unit 120, a sensing unit 130, and a dust box 140.

The cleaner main body 110 is provided with a control unit (not shown) for controlling the robot cleaner 100 and a wheel unit 111 for traveling the robot cleaner 100. The robot cleaner 100 can be moved forward or backward or to the left or to the right by the wheel unit 111.

The wheel unit 111 includes a main wheel 111a and a sub wheel 111b.

The main wheel 111a is provided on both sides of the cleaner main body 110 and is configured to be rotatable in one direction or another direction according to a control signal of the control unit. Each of the main wheels 111a can be configured to be drivable independently of each other. For example, each main wheel 111a may be driven by a different drive motor.

The sub wheel 111b supports the cleaner main body 110 together with the main wheel 111a and assists the running of the robot cleaner 100 by the main wheel 111a. The sub wheel 111b may also be provided in the suction unit 120 described later.

As described above, the control unit controls the driving of the wheel unit 111, so that the robot cleaner 100 is made to run on the floor autonomously.

Meanwhile, a battery 180 for supplying power to the robot cleaner 100 is mounted on the cleaner main body 110. The battery 180 is configured to be chargeable and detachable from the bottom of the cleaner body 110.

The suction unit 120 is arranged to protrude from one side of the cleaner main body 110 to suck air containing dust. The one side may be the side where the cleaner main body 110 travels in the forward direction F, that is, the front side of the cleaner main body 110.

In this figure, it is shown that the suction unit 120 is protruded from one side of the cleaner main body 110 to both front and left and right sides. Specifically, the front end of the suction unit 120 is disposed at a position spaced forward from the one side of the cleaner main body 110, and the left and right ends of the suction unit 120 are spaced apart from one side of the cleaner main body 110 .

The cleaner main body 110 is formed in a circular shape and both sides of the rear end of the suction unit 120 are protruded from the cleaner main body 110 to the left and right sides, Space, that is, a gap can be formed. The empty space is a space between both left and right ends of the cleaner main body 110 and both left and right ends of the suction unit 120 and has a shape recessed inward of the robot cleaner 100.

If an obstacle is caught in the empty space, the robot cleaner 100 may be blocked by an obstacle. In order to prevent this, a cover member 129 may be arranged to cover at least a part of the empty space. The cover member 129 may be provided in the cleaner main body 110 or the suction unit 120. A cover member 129 is formed on both sides of the rear end of the suction unit 120 so as to cover the outer peripheral surface of the cleaner main body 110. [

The cover member 129 is disposed to fill at least part of the empty space, that is, the empty space between the cleaner main body 110 and the suction unit 120. In other words, the cover member 129 is disposed so as to fill at least a part of the inwardly recessed space between the left and right outer peripheral surfaces of the cleaner body 110 formed in a curved surface and the left and right both ends of the suction unit 120 protruded from the left and right outer peripheral surfaces. do. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the obstacle from being caught in the empty space, or to easily remove the obstacle from the obstacle even if the obstacle is caught in the empty space.

The cover member 129 protruding from the suction unit 120 can be supported on the outer circumferential surface of the cleaner main body 110. The cover member 129 may be supported on the rear portion of the suction unit 120. In this case, According to the structure, when the suction unit 120 is impacted by an impact with an obstacle, a part of the impact is transmitted to the cleaner main body 110 so that the impact can be dispersed.

The suction unit 120 may be detachably coupled to the cleaner main body 110. When the suction unit 120 is separated into the cleaner main body 110, a mop module (not shown) may be detachably coupled to the cleaner main body 110 in place of the separate suction unit 120. Accordingly, when the user desires to remove dust on the floor, the suction unit 120 may be mounted on the cleaner main body 110, and the mop module may be mounted on the cleaner main body 110 when the floor is to be cleaned.

When the suction unit 120 is mounted on the cleaner main body 110, the mounting can be guided by the cover member 129 described above. That is, the cover member 129 is disposed so as to cover the outer peripheral surface of the cleaner main body 110, whereby the relative position of the suction unit 120 with respect to the cleaner main body 110 can be determined.

A sensing unit 130 is disposed in the cleaner main body 110. The sensing unit 130 may be disposed on one side of the cleaner body 110 where the suction unit 120 is located, that is, on the front side of the cleaner body 110. The sensing unit 130 may protrude from the upper surface and the side surface of the cleaner main body 110 and the upper end 134b1 of the sensing unit 130 may protrude upward from the upper surface of the cleaner main body 110. [

The sensing unit 130 may be arranged to overlap the suction unit 120 in the vertical direction of the cleaner main body 110. The sensing unit 130 is disposed at an upper portion of the suction unit 120 so as to detect an obstacle or feature in front of the suction unit 120 so that the suction unit 120 positioned at the forefront of the robot cleaner 100 does not hit the obstacle.

The sensing unit 130 is further configured to perform a sensing function other than the sensing function. This will be described in detail later.

The cleaner main body 110 is provided with a dust receptacle 113. The dust receptacle 140 separates and collects the dust in the sucked air is detachably coupled to the dust receptacle 113. [ As shown in the figure, the dust receptacle 113 may be formed on the other side of the cleaner main body 110, that is, behind the cleaner main body 110. The dust container receiving portion 113 has a shape that opens rearward and upward of the cleaner main body 110. And may be recessed from the rear side of the cleaner main body 110 toward the front side.

A part of the dust container 140 is received in the dust container receiving portion 113 and another portion of the dust container 140 protrudes toward the rear of the cleaner body 110 (i.e., the reverse direction R opposite to the forward direction F) .

The dust box 140 is formed with an inlet 140a (see FIG. 16) through which air containing dust is introduced and an outlet 140b (see FIG. 16) through which dust is separated. The inlet 140a and the outlet 140b when installed in the dust container receiving portion 113 and the first opening 110a (see FIG. 15) and the second opening 110b (see FIG. 15) formed in the inner wall of the dust container receiving portion 113 Respectively.

The suction flow path inside the cleaner main body 110 corresponds to the flow path from the inlet 110 'to the first opening 110a communicating with the communicating portion 120b' 'and the exhaust flow path from the second opening 110b to the air outlet 112).

The air containing the dust introduced through the suction unit 120 flows into the dust box 140 through the suction passage in the cleaner main body 110 and flows into the dust box 140 through the at least one cyclone Air and dust are separated from each other. The dust is collected in the dust container 140 and the air is discharged from the dust container 140 and then discharged to the outside through the discharge port 112 of the cleaner main body 110 and finally through the discharge port 112.

Hereinafter, the sensing unit 130 will be described in more detail.

4 is an exploded perspective view of the sensing unit 130 shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the sensing unit 130 shown in FIG. 1 is a conceptual view of a cross section of the sensing unit 130 shown. For reference, in FIG. 6, for the sake of convenience of explanation, some configurations are excluded or briefly shown.

4 to 6, the sensing unit 130 includes a first sensing unit 131 and a second sensing unit 132.

The first sensing unit 131 is disposed obliquely with respect to one surface of the cleaner main body 110 so as to photograph both the front side and the upper side. The first sensing unit 131 may be a camera. One surface of the cleaner main body 110 may be a bottom surface parallel to the bottom surface or an upper surface or a side surface of the cleaner main body 110. The first sensing portion 131 may be disposed at an acute angle It can be arranged obliquely. For example, the first sensing unit 131 may be disposed at an angle of 30 degrees with respect to the upper surface of the cleaner main body 110 parallel to the floor.

The first sensing unit 131 may be positioned at an upper corner of the cleaner body 110 where the upper surface and the side surface meet. In the figure, the first sensing unit 131 is disposed at the upper center corner of the cleaner main body 110, and is inclined relative to the upper surface and the side surface.

As described above, the first sensing unit 131 is inclined within a range of an acute angle with respect to one surface of the cleaner main body 110, so that the first sensing unit 131 is arranged to photograph both the front side and the upper side.

7, the image captured by the first sensing unit 131 is separated into a forward image A and an upward image B. In FIG.

7, the front image A and the upper image B captured by the first sensing unit 131 are transmitted to the first sensing unit 131 in the vertical direction (that is, vertical direction) . ≪ / RTI > That is, an image corresponding to a part? 1 of the angle of view? Of the photographed image A + B is recognized as a forward image A, and an image corresponding to another part? 2 of the angle of view? Can be recognized as the upper image B. As shown in Fig. 6, the angle of view alpha can be an obtuse angle.

The front image A photographed by the first sensing unit 131 is used to monitor forward in real time. For example, when the robot cleaner 100 is used for home use, the forward image A photographed by the first sensing unit 131 may be used to monitor intrusion of an empty house, For example, a mobile terminal possessed by a user).

In the case where the forward image A photographed by the first sensing unit 131 is configured to monitor the trespassing of the empty house, the following control can be performed. The control unit compares the forward images A photographed by the first sensing unit 131 with a predetermined time interval to generate a control signal when the forward images A are different from each other. The control may be performed while the cleaner main body 110 is stopped. The control signal may be a warning sound output signal, or a transmission signal for notifying an electronic device through a remote connection, providing a captured front image A, and the like.

In the case where the forward image A photographed by the first sensing unit 131 is provided to provide an image of the house to the electronic apparatus via the remote connection, the following control can be performed. When the video request signal is received from the remote-connected electronic device, the control unit can separate the forward image A of the images photographed by the first sensing unit 131 and send it to the electronic device. The control unit may be configured to control the driving of the wheel unit 111 to move to a specific position and then transmit the forward image A at the corresponding position to the electronic device. For this, as shown in FIG. 6, the angle of view? May have a range in which the first sensing unit 131 can photograph the upper image B including the ceiling.

The upper image B photographed by the first sensing unit 131 is used to generate a map of the running area and to sense the current position in the running area. For example, when the robot cleaner 100 is used for home use, the controller generates a map of the traveling area using the boundary between the ceiling and the side of the upper image B photographed by the first sensing unit 131 And the current position in the travel region can be sensed based on the main feature points of the upper image B.

The control unit may use the forward image (A) together with the upper image (B) as well as the front image (A) in order to generate a map of the traveling region and to sense the current position in the traveling region.

The second sensing unit 132 is disposed in a direction crossing the first sensing unit 131 to detect obstacles or features located in the front. In this figure, the second sensing unit 132 is arranged long on the side surface of the cleaner main body 110 along the vertical direction.

The second sensing unit 132 includes a first laser 132a, a second laser 132b, and a camera 132c.

The first laser 132a irradiates the laser toward the front lower side of the robot cleaner 100 and the second laser 132b irradiates the laser toward the upper front side of the robot cleaner 100. [ The first laser 132a and the second laser 132b may be arranged in a line along the vertical direction. In this figure, the second laser 132b is arranged below the first laser 132a.

The camera 132c is configured to photograph the laser beam irradiated by the first laser 132a and the second laser 132b within a preset photographing area. The preset photographing area includes an area from the floor to the upper end of the robot cleaner 100. Therefore, the obstacle ahead of the robot cleaner 100 can be detected, and the problem that the robot cleaner 100 hits the upper obstacle can be prevented.

The predetermined photographing area may be an angle of view of 105 degrees in a vertical direction (i.e., vertical direction), an angle of view 135 degrees in a horizontal direction (i.e., horizontal direction), and an area within 25 meters in front of the predetermined photographing area. The predetermined photographing area can be changed by various factors such as the installation position of the first and second lasers 132a and 132b, the angle of irradiation of the first and second lasers 132a and 132b, and the height of the robot cleaner 100 have.

The first laser 132a, the second laser 132b and the camera 132c may be arranged in a line along the vertical direction of the cleaner main body 110. [ In this figure, the camera 132c is disposed below the second laser 132b.

The first laser 132a is disposed downwardly inclined with respect to the side surface of the cleaner main body 110 and the second laser 132b is disposed upwardly inclined with respect to the side surface of the cleaner main body 110. [

In FIG. 8, the concept that an obstacle is detected by the second sensing unit 132 shown in FIG. 4 is shown.

First, referring to FIG. 8A, the laser beams emitted from the first and second lasers 132a and 132b are configured to irradiate a laser beam extending in at least one direction. In this figure, the first laser 132a irradiates a linear laser beam crossing each other, and the second laser 132b irradiates a single linear laser beam. According to this, the lowermost laser is used to detect obstacles in the bottom part, the uppermost laser is used to detect obstacles in the upper part, and the intermediate laser between the lowermost laser and the uppermost laser is used to detect obstacles in the middle part .

For example, as shown in FIG. 8 (b), when the obstacle o is located in front, the lowermost laser and a part of the intermediate laser are blocked or distorted by the obstacle o. The camera 132c transmits an obstacle detection signal to the control unit when the blocking or distortion is detected.

When the obstacle detection signal is received, the controller determines that the obstacle (o) is located ahead and controls the driving of the wheel unit (111). For example, the control unit may apply a driving force in the opposite direction to the main wheel 111a so that the robot cleaner 100 moves backward. Alternatively, the control unit may apply a driving force to only one of the main wheels 111a or apply driving force to the main wheels 111a in opposite directions so that the robot cleaner 100 rotates.

Hereinafter, the detailed configuration of the sensing unit 130 will be described.

5, the sensing unit 130 further includes a window unit 133 and a case 134 in addition to the first sensing unit 131 and the second sensing unit 132. [

The window portion 133 is disposed so as to cover the first and second sensing portions 131 and 132 and has a light transmitting property. Here, the term " translucency " means a property of transmitting at least a part of incident light, and is a concept including a translucency.

The window portion 133 may be formed of a synthetic resin material or a glass material. When the window portion 133 is semi-transmissive, the material itself may be formed to have a translucency, the material itself may be transmissive, and the film attached to the material may be formed to have a translucency .

The case 134 is mounted on the cleaner main body 110 and is configured to fix the first and second sensing parts 131 and 132 and the window part 133. [ As shown, the case 134 is configured to receive at least a portion of the window portion 133. The case 134 may be formed of a synthetic resin material or a metal material, and is opaque.

As shown, the case 134 may include a mounting frame 134a and a cover frame 134b.

The mounting frame 134a provides a space in which the first and second sensing units 131 and 132 are mounted and supported. The mounting frame 134a may be provided with a first mounting portion 134a1 for mounting the first sensing portion 131 and a second mounting portion 134a2 for mounting the second sensing portion 132, have. The substrate 132 'on which the first and second lasers 132a and 132b and the camera 132c are mounted may be mounted on the second mounting portion 134a2. The second mounting portion 134a2 may be disposed obliquely with respect to the first mounting portion 134a1.

The mounting frame 134a is provided with first and second fastening hooks 134a 'and 134a "for fastening with the cover frame 134b and the window portion 133. The first fastening hook 134a' Is fastened to the fastening hole 134b 'of the frame 134b and the second fastening hook 134a "is fastened to the fastening hole 133b" of the window part 133. The mounting frame 134a is fastened to the cleaner main body 110 As shown in FIG.

The cover frame 134b is coupled to the mounting frame 134a and is mounted on the cleaner body 110 while accommodating at least a part of the window portion 133. [ The cover frame 134b may be formed in an L shape so as to cover the upper surface and the side surface of the cleaner body 110 at an edge thereof.

The upper end 134b1 of the cover frame 134b is positioned on the upper side of the first sensing unit 131 and may be formed to be inclined back and forth to have a pointed shape. According to the above configuration, even if the robot cleaner 100 is caught in furniture or other gaps during traveling, the robot cleaner 100 can be easily detached and the first and second sensing parts 131 and 132 can be separated from each other by the upper end 134b1 positioned above the first and second sensing parts 131 and 132. [ 2 sensing units 131 and 132 can be protected. In the figure, the upper end 134b1 is formed at the end of a hole 134 " described later.

At least a part of the first sensing unit 131 and the second sensing unit 132 may be accommodated in the hole 134b 'formed in the cover frame 134b. In this figure, the first sensing unit 131 ) And the first and second lasers 132a and 132b of the second sensing unit 132 are accommodated in the hole 134b ".

The window portion 133 may include a first window 133a and a second window 133b.

The first window 133a is formed of a light-transmitting material and is disposed to cover the first sensing unit 131. [ The second window 133b has a semi-transmissive property and is arranged to cover the second sensing portion 132. [ As shown in the figure, a through hole 133b 'may be formed in a portion corresponding to the first sensing portion 131 in the second window 133b, and the first window 133a may have a through hole 133b' As shown in Fig.

Since the first sensing unit 131 is formed of a light-transmitting material, images in front and in the upper side can be clearly photographed. The first laser 132a, the second laser 132b, and the camera 132c on the rear surface of the second window 133b are well visible when viewed from the outside, as the second window 133b has translucency A neat appearance can be realized.

The second window 133b may be partitioned into a first portion 133b1, a second portion 133b2, an extending portion 133b4, and a third portion 133b3.

The first portion 133b1 is a portion having the through-hole 133b 'and is disposed obliquely with respect to the upper surface of the cleaner main body 110. [ The first window 133a mounted on the through hole 133b 'is disposed to cover the first sensing unit 131. [

The second portion 133b2 extends downwardly in an inclined form in the first portion 133b1 and is arranged to cover the first and second lasers 132a and 132b. In this embodiment, the second portion 133b2 is shown extending downward in parallel with the side surface of the cleaner main body 110. [

The extension portion 133b4 extends downward in the second portion 133b2 and is covered by the cover frame 134b. As shown, the extension portion 133b4 may extend downward inward from the second portion 133b2. In other words, the extended portion 133b4 can be arranged to be inclined upward with respect to the third portion 133b3 so as not to interfere with the view angle in the vertical direction of the camera 132c. Likewise, the portion of the cover frame 134b that covers the extending portion 133b4 is inclined so as not to interfere with the vertical angle of view of the camera 132c.

The third portion 133b3 extends downward from the extension portion 133b4 and protrudes from the outer side of the cover frame 134b and is arranged to cover the camera 132c. The third portion 133b3 may extend downward along the side of the cleaner body 110 parallel to the second portion 133b2.

Hereinafter, the suction unit 120 will be described in more detail.

9 is a view showing the suction unit 120 separated from the robot cleaner 100 shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 10 is a side view of the suction unit 120 shown in FIG. 9, Fig. 12 is a bottom view of the suction unit 120 shown in Fig. 9. Fig.

In the case where the suction unit 120 protrudes from the cleaner main body 110 as in the present embodiment, the suction unit 120 is not provided with a separate sensing unit 130, . Of course, if the sensing unit 130 provided in the cleaner main body 110 detects an obstacle in front of the suction unit 120, but the obstacle exists in the blind spot where the sensing unit 130 can not sense, the robot cleaner 100) and obstacles may occur. When such a physical collision occurs, avoidance of obstacles through retreat or redirection must be made, and detection of a physical collision with an obstacle is first required.

The suction unit 120 includes a case 121 and a bumper switch 122 for sensing the physical impact.

The case 121 includes an intake port 120b 'for sucking dust-containing air and a communication port 120b' for communicating with an intake flow path inside the cleaner main body 110, which form an outer shape of the suction unit 120 . At least a part of the case 121 may be formed to be transmissive so that the inside thereof can be seen.

A bumper switch 122 is disposed on at least one surface of the case 121. The bumper switch 122 is pressed upon contact with an obstacle to transmit a contact signal to the control unit.

The bumper switch 122 may be arranged to enclose the case 121. [ This figure illustrates that the front bumper switch 122a is provided on the front side of the case 121 and the side bumper switches 122b and 122c are provided on the left and right sides of the case 121, respectively.

According to the above configuration, a physical collision with an obstacle located on the side of the suction unit 120 as well as a physical collision with an obstacle located in front of the suction unit 120 can be detected. Thus, the detection range of the physical collision with the obstacle can be extended.

Referring to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the side bumper switches 122b and 122c protrude from a virtual extension line contacting both sides of the cleaner main body 110. That is, the side bumper switches 122b and 122c may be arranged to protrude laterally from both sides of the cleaner main body 110.

In this case, when the obstacle is positioned on the side surface of the robot cleaner 100, the side bumper switches 122b and 122c may hit the obstacle first rather than the cleaner main body 110, and the obstacle can be effectively detected.

The bumper switch 122 is comprised of a bumper 122 'and a switch 122 ".

The bumper 122 'is mounted on the case 121 and is exposed to the outside. The bumper 122' is configured to be pressurized when in contact with the obstacle and move inward.

An elastic member (not shown) may be disposed on the inside of the bumper 122 'to press the bumper 122' outward so that the bumper 122 'is restored when the bumper 122' is removed from the obstacle . The elastic member may be supported by the bumper 122 'and the case 121, respectively.

The switch 122 " is disposed inside the bumper 122 ' and is configured to generate an electrical signal when the bumper 122 ' is moved inward. As the switch 122 " have.

When the contact signal with the obstacle is transmitted through the bumper switch 122, the control unit determines that the obstacle is struck and controls the driving of the wheel unit 111. For example, the control unit may apply a driving force in the opposite direction to the main wheel 111a so that the robot cleaner 100 moves backward. Alternatively, the control unit may apply a driving force to only one of the main wheels 111a or apply driving force to the main wheels 111a in opposite directions so that the robot cleaner 100 rotates.

In the above description, the bumper switch 122 is configured to be divided into the front bumper switch 122a and the side bumper switches 122b and 122c, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The bumper switch 122 may be formed in a 'C' shape so as to cover the front and left and right sides of the case 121.

In this case, the bumper switch 122 is disposed on the rear side (when the portion disposed on the front surface of the case 121 contacts the obstacle), on the right side (when the portion disposed on the left side surface of the case 121 contacts the obstacle) (When the portion disposed on the right side of the case 121 is in contact with the obstacle).

Thus, when the suction unit 120 is provided with the mechanical bumper switch 122, it is possible to prevent the collision with the obstacle more directly (for example, in the case of an acceleration sensor, a PSD sensor, etc.) It is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost, and it is possible to simplify the circuit configuration.

Further, by combining the bumper switch 122 and the sensing unit 130 provided in the cleaner main body 110 described above, it is possible to realize an improved obstacle detection and a corresponding direction switching function.

On the other hand, when the robot cleaner 100 travels in the forward direction F and is located near a step or a cliff falling sharply, a proper avoidance start is required. If such a situation is not detected and corresponding control is not performed, the robot cleaner 100 may fall down the step and may result in failure or step-up.

To this end, a cliff sensor 124 for sensing a downward terrain is disposed at a front end portion on the bottom side of the suction unit 120. The cliff sensor 124 includes a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion and is configured to measure a time when the light emitted to the bottom G from the light emitting portion is received by the light receiving portion and measure the distance between the cliff sensor 124 and the floor G . Therefore, in the case where there is a sudden lowering step in the forward direction, the received time rapidly increases. When there is a cliff in front, light is not received by the light receiving unit.

In this figure, an inclined portion 120a inclined upward with respect to the floor G is formed at the front end portion on the bottom side of the suction unit 120, and a cliff sensor 124 is provided on the inclined portion 120a, As shown in FIG. With this structure, the cliff sensor 124 is inclined toward the bottom G of the front lower side. Therefore, the topography of the front lower side of the suction unit 120 can be detected by the cliff sensor 124. [

Unlike the above arrangement, the cliff sensor 124 may be arranged perpendicular to the floor G and configured to sense the terrain just below the cliff sensor 124. [

The control unit is configured to control the driving of the wheel unit 111 when it is detected through the cliff sensor 124 that the downward terrain is lowered to a certain level or more. For example, the control unit may apply a driving force to the main wheel 111a in a direction opposite to that of the main wheel 111a so that the robot cleaner 100 moves backward in the reverse direction (R). Alternatively, the control unit may apply a driving force to only one of the main wheels 111a or apply driving force to the main wheels 111a in opposite directions so that the robot cleaner 100 rotates.

The above-described cliff sensor 124 may also be disposed on the bottom surface of the cleaner main body 110. In consideration of the function of the cliff sensor 124, it is preferable that the cliff sensor included in the cleaner main body 110 is disposed adjacent to the rear side of the cleaner main body 110.

For reference, the inclined portion 120a is formed at the front end portion on the bottom side of the suction unit 120, so that a low threshold or an obstacle can be easily climbed. Also, as shown in the figure, when the auxiliary wheel 123 is provided on the inclined portion 120a, the climbing can be performed more easily. In FIG. 10, the auxiliary wheel 123 is omitted in order to explain the cliff sensor 124.

Meanwhile, since the robot cleaner 100 is driven wirelessly, it is required to charge the battery 180 provided in the cleaner main body 110 during use. A charging station (not shown) as a power supply unit is provided for charging the battery 180 and a charging terminal 125 is provided in the suction unit 120 so as to be connectable with the charging station.

In this figure, the charging terminal 125 is disposed in the inclined portion 120a of the case 121 described above and exposed frontward. The charging terminals 125 may be disposed between the cliff sensors 124 disposed on both sides of the suction unit 120, respectively.

Meanwhile, the suction unit 120 may be provided with a brush roller 126 for effective suction of dust. The brush roller 126 is configured to be rotatable on the suction port 120b 'so as to sweep the dust on the floor and to introduce the dust into the suction unit 120.

As the brush roller 126 functions, the brush roller 126 becomes dusty over time. Although there is a need for cleaning of the brush roller 126, the suction unit 120 is usually formed in a structure difficult to be broken, so that it is difficult to substantially clean the brush roller 126.

The present invention discloses a structure in which only the brush roller 126 can be separated and cleaned without disassembling the suction unit 120 as a whole.

13 is a view for explaining the concept that the brush roller 126 is projected by the operation of the operation unit 127 in the suction unit 120 shown in Fig.

Referring to FIG. 13, the case 121 includes a main case part 121a and a cover case part 121b.

The main case part 121a includes a brush roller 126 rotatable therein, and an opening 121a 'is formed at one side thereof. A front bumper switch 122a is mounted on the front side of the main case portion 121a and side bumper switches 122b and 122c are mounted on the other side of the main case portion 121a.

The cover case 121b is detachably coupled to the main case 121a to open and close the opening 121a 'provided on one side of the main case 121a. The other side bumper switch 122b, 122c is mounted on the cover case 121b.

When the cover case 121b is separated from the main case part 121a by the above structure, the opening 121a 'provided on one side of the main case part 121a is exposed to the outside. Therefore, the brush roller 126 disposed in the main case part 121a can be drawn out to the outside through the opening 121a '.

The suction unit 120 may be provided with an operation unit 127 that releases the locking of the cover case 121b with respect to the main case unit 121a during operation. The operating portion 127 may be disposed in the main case portion 121a or the cover case portion 121b. The operation method of the operation unit 127 can be implemented in various ways such as a slide method and a pushing method. In this figure, it is seen that the slide-type operation portion 127 is provided in the main case portion 121a.

And an elastic member 128 for elastically pressing the brush roller 126 may be provided on the other side of the main case part 121a. As the elastic member 128, a leaf spring, a coil spring, or the like can be used.

The elastic member 128 is in a state in which the cover case portion 121b is pressed by the brush roller 126 when the main case portion 121a is fastened and when the fastening is released by the operation of the operation portion 127, Thereby pressing the brush roller 126. Accordingly, at least a part of the brush roller 126 can be exposed to the outside through the opening 121a '. At this time, as shown in the figure, the cover case 121b may be in a state of being coupled to the brush roller 126. [

FIG. 14 is a conceptual diagram showing the flow of air inside the robot cleaner 100 shown in FIG.

14, air introduced into the suction unit 120 through the suction port 120b 'of the suction unit 120 flows into the cleaner main body 110 through the communication part 120b' , The air sucked through the suction unit 120 contains dust (including foreign matter).

The air introduced into the cleaner main body 110 flows into the dust container through the intake air flow path. The intake flow path corresponds to a flow path from the inlet 110 'to the first opening 110a (see FIG. 15) communicating with the communication portion 120b' '. The intake flow path may be a duct, a peripheral structure, As shown in FIG.

In this figure, the intake duct 117 connects the inlet 110 'and the first opening 110a to form an intake passage.

The communication portion 120b " of the suction unit 120 may be disposed below the front side bottom surface of the cleaner body 110. In this case, the inlet 110 'is formed on the front side bottom surface of the cleaner body 110. [ As shown, the inlet 110 'may be located at the center of the front bottom of the cleaner body 110.

The fan motor unit 170 and the battery 180 are disposed on the left and right sides of the front of the dust container 140 as the dust container 140 is disposed behind the cleaner main body 110. That is, as shown in the drawing, the suction unit 120 is disposed apart from the dust container 140 with the fan motor part 170 and the battery 180 therebetween.

According to this arrangement, the front end portion of the intake duct 117 communicating with the inlet 110 'is formed to extend upward. The intake duct 117 may extend to one side of the cleaner main body 110 while avoiding the battery 180 and may be arranged to pass over the fan motor unit 170 disposed on the one side.

The first opening 110a is formed in the upper inner circumferential surface of the dust receptacle accommodating portion 113 so as to communicate with the inlet 140a formed in the upper outer circumferential surface of the dust container 140. [ Thus, the intake duct 117 extends upwardly from the inlet 110 'toward the first opening 110a.

The air introduced into the dust box 140 passes through at least one cyclone in the dust box 140. The dust contained in the air is separated by the at least one cyclone and is collected in the dust box 140, and the dust-removed air is discharged from the dust box 140.

Specifically, the air in the dust box 140 forms a rotational flow, and the dust and air are separated from each other by the centrifugal force difference between air and dust. The air flows to the outlet 140b through at least one cyclone by the suction force by the fan motor unit 170. However, the inertia force due to the weight is larger than the suction force by the fan motor unit 170, 140 at the bottom.

As shown in the drawing, the inlet 110 'may be formed at the center of the front bottom of the cleaner body 110. The inlet 140a of the dust container 140 may be formed to open in a tangential direction to the inner circumferential surface of the dust container 140 so that air flows in the lateral direction and naturally forms a rotational flow. The inlet 140a may be positioned in the lateral direction of the cleaner main body 110 in a state where the dust container 140 is received in the dust container receiving portion 113. [

The dust-separated air is discharged from the dust container 140, and finally discharged to the outside through the exhaust port 112 through the exhaust passage in the cleaner main body 110. The air outlet 112 is formed at a rear side of the cleaner main body 110. As shown in the drawing, the exhaust port 112 is disposed on the same side as the fan motor portion 170 (right side of the cleaner main body 110 in the figure).

The exhaust flow path corresponds to the flow path from the second opening 110b (see FIG. 15) to the exhaust port 112. The exhaust flow path may be formed by a duct, a peripheral structure, or a combination of ducts and peripheral structures.

In this figure, an exhaust duct includes an exhaust duct 118 for connecting the second opening 110b and the fan motor unit 170, and an internal structure for guiding the flow of air from the fan motor unit 170 to the exhaust port 112 As shown in FIG.

The fan motor portion 170 may be disposed adjacent to a central portion of the cleaner body 110 so as to reduce noise emitted to the outside. Correspondingly, the second opening 110b can also be formed adjacent to the center portion of the cleaner body 110. [ In this figure, the fan motor unit 170 and the second opening 110b are arranged or formed adjacent to the central portion of the cleaner main body 110, and the fan motor unit 170 and the second opening 110b are disposed adjacent to the center of the cleaner main body 110, (Right side of the display unit 110).

The front end of the exhaust duct 118 communicating with the second opening 110b may be arranged at the same height as the rear end of the intake duct 117 communicating with the first opening 110a.

Hereinafter, the shapes and related structures of the intake passage and the exhaust passage will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

As shown in the figure, a part of the intake passage and a part of the exhaust passage are arranged so as to overlap with each other in the vertical direction in the fan motor part 170. [ That is, in the fan motor section 170, the intake flow path and the exhaust flow path cross each other.

The intake flow path extends upward from the inlet 110 'connected to the suction unit 120 and then is bent toward one side of the cleaner main body 110 to pass over the upper portion of the fan motor portion 170. Therefore, an intake flow path can be realized which can form a sufficient rotational flow to the upper portion of the dust container 140 while avoiding the battery 180 disposed on the other side of the cleaner main body 110.

The exhaust passage extends forward, passes through the fan motor portion 170, and then is diverted rearward to extend toward the exhaust port 112.

A filter unit 160 is disposed between the fan motor unit 170 and the exhaust port 112 on the exhaust flow path. The filter unit 160 can be disposed under the intake passage in a state of being housed inside the cleaner main body 110. In this case, the intake passage is disposed on the exhaust passage extending toward the exhaust port 112 after the passage of the fan motor portion 170 and then the rear direction.

The intake air passage and the exhaust passage located between the fan motor portion 170 and the dust container receiving portion 113 can be arranged in parallel with each other. The inlet 140a and the outlet 140b are opened toward the fan motor portion 170 while the dust container 140 is received in the dust container receiving portion 113. [

An intake path and an exhaust path are disposed on one side of the cleaner main body 110 and a battery 180 is disposed on the other side of the cleaner main body 110. That is, the intake passage and the exhaust passage are disposed on one side of the interior of the cleaner main body 110 while avoiding the battery 180.

With the above-described structure, it is possible to realize the optimum intake flow path and exhaust flow path design within the narrow vacuum cleaner main body 110.

Hereinafter, the dust container receiving portion 113, the dust container 140, and the dust container case 150 will be described in more detail.

FIG. 15 is a view showing a state before the dust container 140 is mounted on the dust container receiving portion 113 in the robot cleaner 100 shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 15, a dust container receiving portion 113 for receiving the dust container 140 is formed in the cleaner main body 110. The dust container receiving portion 113 is recessed toward the front side from the rear side of the cleaner main body 110 and opens to the rear of the cleaner main body 110 and upward. The dust container receiving portion 113 may be defined by a bottom surface for supporting the dust container 140 and an inner wall surrounding a part of the outer circumference of the dust container 140.

The cleaner main body 110 is formed with a recess portion 116 which is recessed from the upper surface thereof along the outer periphery of the dust container receiving portion 113. The dust container cover 150 is accommodated in the dust container receiving portion 113 by pivoting so as to cover the upper surface of the dust container 140 and the recess portion 116 together (see FIG. 2). A part of the dust container cover 150 is received in the recess portion 116 in a state where the dust container cover 150 is engaged with the dust container 140.

A first opening 110a and a second opening 110b are formed on the inner side wall of the dust container receiving portion 113. The first opening 110a and the second opening 110b may be disposed on the same height. In this figure, the first opening 110a and the second opening 110b are formed so as to be laterally adjacent to the upper end of the inner wall of the dust container receiving portion 113.

The first and second openings 110a and 110b should be arranged so as to communicate with the inlet 140a and the outlet 140b, respectively, in order to form a flow of air leading to the intake duct-dirt chamber 140-the exhaust passage. In order to communicate with the dust container 140, the dust container 140 should be mounted at a predetermined position of the dust container receiving portion 113.

A mounting protrusion 113b protrudes from the bottom surface of the dust container receiving portion 113 and a mounting groove 149 corresponding to the mounting protrusion 113b is formed on the bottom surface of the dust container 140 . The dust container 140 can be mounted in the correct position of the dust container receiving portion 113 by the mounting protrusion 113b being received in the mounting groove 149. [

The mounting protrusion 113b is preferably formed at a position deviated from the center of the dust container 140 so that the dust container 140 formed in a cylindrical shape is not rotated while being accommodated in the dust container receiving portion 113. [ In this figure, mounting protrusions 113b are formed on both left and right sides of the center of the dust container 140, respectively.

For reference, the positions of the mounting protrusion 113b and the mounting groove 149 may be reversed. That is, mounting protrusions may protrude from the bottom surface of the dust container 140, and mounting grooves may be formed on the bottom surface of the dust container receiving portion 113.

A protrusion 113a may protrude from the bottom surface of the dust receptacle 113 and a groove 148 corresponding to the protrusion 113a may be formed on the bottom surface of the dust receptacle 140. [ The groove portion 148 may be formed at the center of the dust container 140.

The dust receptacle 140 or the dust receptacle 140 is provided with the first opening 110a and the inlet 140a and the second opening 110b and the outlet 140b when the dust receptacle 140 is mounted in the correct position of the dust receptacle receiving portion 113. [ And gaskets 110a 'and 110b' that maintain the airtightness between the gasket 140b and the gasket 110b. The gaskets 110a 'and 110b' may be formed so as to surround the first opening 110a and the second opening 110b or may surround the inlet 140a and the outlet 140b.

Fig. 16 is a view showing the dust box 140 shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 17 is a bottom view of the dust box 140 shown in Fig.

The dust container 140 is accommodated in a dust container receiving portion 113 formed on the other side of the cleaner main body 110 and is configured to collect dust that has been filtered from the sucked air. As shown in the figure, the dust container 140 is formed in a cylindrical shape and may include a body case 141a, an upper case 141b, and a lower case 141c.

At least one cyclone may be disposed inside the body case 141a. For example, the main body case 141a includes a first cyclone 147a for filtering dust from the air introduced through the inlet 140a, and a second cyclone 147b disposed inside the first cyclone 147a for filtering fine dust The second cyclone 147b may be disposed. The second cyclone 147b may be accommodated in a receiving portion 141a "defined by a guide 141a 'described later. The second cyclone 147b may be provided in a plurality of ways.

The upper case 141b is disposed to cover the upper portion of the main body case 141a and the lower case 141c is disposed to cover the lower portion of the main body case 141a.

The dust box 140 is provided with an inlet 140a through which air containing dust is introduced into the dust box 140 and an outlet 140b through which the dust-filtered air is discharged. In this drawing, an inlet 140a and an outlet 140b are formed on the side surface of the main body case 141a, respectively. The inlet 140a and the outlet 140b may be disposed on the same height. In this figure, an inlet 140a and an outlet 140b are formed adjacent to each other at the upper end of the main body case 141a.

Since the dust box 140 is configured to be detachable from the dust box receiving portion 113, a handle 143 may be provided on the dust box 140 for easy attachment and detachment. In detail, the handle 143 is hinged to the upper case 141b so as to be rotatable. The upper case 141b is formed with a knob receiving portion 142 in which the knob 143 can be received.

The handle 143 is pressed by the dust container lid 150 to be received in the handle receiving portion 142 in a state where the dust container lid 150 is disposed to cover the dust container 140 while being coupled to the dust container 140, The cover 150 can be in a state of protruding from the handle receiving portion 142 in a state where the cover 150 is separated from the dust container 140. [ To this end, the upper case 141b may be provided with an elastic portion (not shown) for elastically pressing the knob 143.

A hooking hook 145 may be formed on the upper case 141b. The latching hook 145 is formed in front of the upper case 141b. The front of the upper case 141b refers to a direction toward the front of the cleaner main body 110 when the dust container 140 is mounted at a predetermined position of the dust container receiving portion 113. [

The hooking hook 145 is received in the receiving groove 116a formed in the recess portion 116 of the cleaner main body 110. [ The hooking hook 145 may protrude from the outer circumferential surface of the upper case 141b and be bent downward. The receiving groove 116a is formed with a step 116a 'and the hooking hook 145 can be engaged with the step 116a'.

The lower case 141c can be rotatably coupled to the main body case 141a by a hinge portion 141c '. The locking member 141c "provided on the lower case 141c is detachably coupled to the main body case 141a so that the lower case 141c is fixed to the main body case 141a when engaged, The lower case 141c rotates with respect to the main body case 141a so that the dust collected in the dust container 140 is discharged through the lower opening.

The hinge portion 141c 'and the locking member 141c' 'may be provided at positions opposite to each other with the center of the lower case 141c interposed therebetween. When the dust container 140 is positioned at the predetermined position of the dust container receiving portion 113 The hinge portion 141c 'and the locking member 141c' 'may be covered with the inner wall of the dust container receiving portion 113 so as not to be exposed to the outside.

A mounting groove 149 corresponding to the mounting protrusion 113b described above is formed on the bottom surface of the lower case 141c. As shown, the mounting groove 149 can be formed at a position adjacent to the hinge portion 141c 'and the locking member 141c ".

In addition, a groove 148 corresponding to the projection 113a described above may be formed on the bottom surface of the lower case 141c. The groove portion 148 may be formed at the center of the dust container 140. Figure 18 is a view showing a state in which the dust container 140 is installed in the dust container receiving portion 113 shown in Figure 15. [

18, in a state where the dust container 140 is not attached to the dust container receiving portion 113, the dust container lid 150 may be disposed upward by a hinge portion 150a that provides an elastic pressing force upward. Accordingly, the dust box 140 can be inclined downward from the rear upper side of the dust box receiving portion 113, and can be accommodated in the dust box receiving portion 113.

When the dust container 140 is received in the predetermined position of the dust container receiving portion 113, the hook 145 protruded from the outer periphery of the dust container 140 is inserted into the receiving groove formed in the recess portion 116 of the cleaner main body 110 116a. The receiving groove 116a has a shape that is relatively more recessed than the recess portion 116. [

Accordingly, a step 116a 'may be formed in the receiving groove 116a. The step 116a 'is inserted into the hook 145 so that the hook 145 is latched when the hook 145 is laterally moved. In a state where the dust bin cover 150 is engaged with the dust box 140, the dust box cover 150 is disposed to cover the hook 145.

The upper surface of the upper case 141b can form the same plane as the recess portion 116 in a state where the dust container 140 is received in the dust container receiving portion 113. [

An alignment mark 146 is formed on the upper part of the dust container 140 so that the engaging hook 145 can be received in the correct position of the receiving groove 116a and the alignment mark 146 The guide marks 116 'corresponding to the guide marks 116' may be formed. In this figure, an alignment mark 146 is formed in the upper case 141b at a negative angle, and a guide mark 116 'is formed in the recess portion 116 at a negative angle.

The receiving groove 116a may be extended toward the front of the cleaner main body 110. The hinge portion 150a of the dust container case 150 can be received in the receiving groove 116a in a state where the dust container case 150 is coupled to the dust container 140. [

As described above, the engagement of the engagement hook 145 with the step 116a 'of the receiving groove 116a restricts the movement of the dust container 140 in the lateral direction in the dust container receiving portion 113.

The mounting protrusion 113b of the dust container receiving portion 113 is inserted into the mounting groove 149 formed in the dust container 140 as described above. In this case, too, the dust container 140 is restricted from moving laterally in the dust container receiving portion 113.

Therefore, the dust container 140 can not be removed from the dust container receiving portion 113 without being moved upward. The dust container 140 is restricted from moving upward in the dust container 140 so that the dust container 140 is separated from the dust container receiving portion 113 in a state where the dust container case 150 is fastened to the dust container 140 and disposed to cover the dust container 140 I can not.

FIG. 19 is a front view of the dust box 140 shown in FIG. 16, FIG. 20 is a conceptual view showing a state in which the upper case 141b and the upper cover 141d are separated from the dust box 140 shown in FIG. 21 is a sectional view taken along the line AA shown in Fig. 19, and Fig. 22 is a left side view of the dust container 140 shown in Fig.

In some drawings, for convenience of explanation, the second cyclone 147b provided inside the first cyclone 147a is omitted.

Referring to FIGS. 19 to 22 together with FIG. 16, the upper cover 141d is configured to open and close the upper opening 141b 'of the dust container 140. FIG. In this embodiment, an upper opening 141b 'is formed in the upper case 141b, and a structure in which the upper cover 141d is detachably coupled to the upper case 141b so as to open and close the upper opening 141b' have. The upper opening 141b 'is arranged to overlap on the accommodating portion 141a " of the main body case 141a in which the multi-cyclone is disposed.

The upper cover 141d is provided with an operating portion 141d 'for engaging and disengaging the upper case 141b. The operating portions 141d 'are respectively formed on both left and right sides of the upper cover 141d so that they can be configured to face each other, that is, to be able to press the inside of the upper cover 141d by a pressing operation and an elastic force.

The upper cover 141d is provided with a fixing protrusion 141d "which is pulled out or drawn out from the outer periphery of the upper cover 141d in conjunction with the operation of the operating portion 141d 'The fixing protrusion 141d" And is in a state of being protruded from the outer periphery of the upper cover 141d when it is unfolded by the elastic force.

A fixing groove 141b " is formed in the inner surface of the upper case 141b forming the upper opening 141b 'by inserting and fixing the fixing protrusion 141d ". The fixing grooves 141b " may be formed at positions corresponding to the fixing projections 141d " and may be arranged to face each other. Alternatively, the fixing groove 141b " may extend in the form of a loop along the inner surface of the upper case 141b. In this case, there is an advantage in that the degree of freedom of mounting the fixing protrusion 141d " increases.

The body case 141a is provided with a guide portion 141a 'for separating the flow of air flowing through the inlet 140a and the flow of air discharged toward the outlet 140a from each other and guiding the flow. The guide portion 141a 'may be formed integrally with the body case 141a during injection molding.

The inlet portion 140a and the outlet portion 140b are formed on opposite surfaces of the guide portion 141a '. As shown in the drawing, the inlet portion 140a' The outlet 140b is formed on the lower surface of the guide portion 141a 'so that the air flowing through the inlet 140a flows in the lower portion of the guide portion 141a'. And the air discharged toward the outlet 140b flows at the upper portion of the guide portion 141a '.

The guide portion 141a 'is formed to block the gap between the inlet 140a and the outlet 140b so that the air introduced through the inlet 140a and the air discharged toward the outlet 140b are separated from each other.

The inlet 140a of the dust container 140 is preferably opened such that the air flowing into the dust container 140 faces the inner circumferential surface of the dust container 140 so as to form a rotational flow. For example, the inlet 140a may be opened to abut the inner circumferential surface of the dust container 140.

The outlet 140b of the dust container 140 is preferably formed to minimize flow loss and to be harmonized with the surrounding structures without interference.

The inlet 140a and the outlet 140b may be arranged laterally along the upper circumference of the dust container 140. [ That is, the inlet 140a and the outlet 140b may be formed at the same height of the dust container 140.

The inlet 140a is formed at an upper portion of the dust container 140 so that the air introduced into the dust container 140 does not scatter dust collected at the bottom of the dust container 140. [

In the case of a vacuum cleaner (for example, an upright type, a canister type, etc.) in which the height restriction of the multi-cyclone is small, the outlet is generally installed at a position higher than the inlet. However, when the capacity of the dust container 140 is increased, the outlet 140b may be formed at the same height of the inlet 140a and the dust container 140 in consideration of the height restriction, as in the robot cleaner 100 of the present invention. have.

In the structure of the present invention in which the air introduced into the inlet 140a is guided by the downwardly inclined guide portion 141a ', the angle of the air introduced into the inlet 140a is downward, It is related to slope. In this respect, if the inclination of the guide portion 141a 'is large, the air introduced into the inlet 140a may not receive sufficient centrifugal force, and may scatter dust collected at the bottom of the dust container 140. [

In this respect, it is preferable that the inclination of the guide portion 141a 'is as small as possible. The guide part 141a 'extends from the upper side of the inlet 140a to the lower side of the outlet 140b. Therefore, when the inlet 140a and the outlet 140b are formed at the same height of the dust container 140, The longer the length of the guide portion 141a ', the gentle downward inclination of the guide portion 141a' appears. According to this, the guide portion 141a 'is formed to be the longest when the outlet 140b is positioned right next to the inlet 140a, and as a result, has the most gentle slope.

In this figure, the inlet 140a and the outlet 140b are formed horizontally on the upper end of the main body case 141a. The guide portion 141a 'may have a spiral downward inclination shape along the inner circumferential surface of the main body case 141a from the upper end of the inlet 140a to the lower end of the outlet 140b.

The multi-cyclone in the dust box 140 is accommodated in the receiving portion 141a " to filter out foreign matter or dust in the air introduced into the inside through the inlet 140a. The dust box 140 of the present invention is configured such that the air that flows in this way is filtered once again before the air is finally discharged to the outlet 140b Respectively.

On the rear surface of the upper cover 141d, a filter 141f for filtering foreign matter and dust in the air exhausted toward the outlet 140b after passing through the multi-cyclone is provided. The filter 141f is disposed so as to cover the second cyclone 147b accommodated in the accommodating portion 141a " to filter dust in the air that has passed through the second cyclone 147b.

The filter 141f is disposed so as to cover the receiving portion 141a "in a state where the upper cover 141d is mounted on the upper case 141b. Or may be in close contact with the inner circumferential surface of the receiving portion 141a ".

The filter 141f may be mounted on the mounting rib 141e protruding from the back surface of the upper cover 141d. In this figure, the mounting rib 141e includes a plurality of protruding portions 141e 'and a mounting portion 141e ". The mounting rib 141e is integrally formed in the injection molding of the upper cover 141d .

The protrusion 141e 'protrudes from the back surface of the upper cover 141d and is provided at a plurality of locations. The mounting portion 141e "is spaced apart from the back surface of the upper cover 141d by a predetermined distance and is supported at a plurality of locations by a plurality of protruding portions 141e '. The mounting portion 141e" It can be formed in a larger loop shape.

The filter 141f includes a filter portion 141f 'and a sealing portion 141f ".

The filter portion 141f 'is disposed to cover the accommodating portion 141a "and is configured to filter foreign matter and dust in the air discharged to the outlet 140b. The filter portion 141f' may have a mesh shape.

The sealing portion 141f "is disposed to surround the filter portion 141f 'and mounted on the mounting portion 141e" so that the filter 141f can be fixed to the mounting rib 141e. For the fixing, the sealing portion 141f " may be formed with a groove into which the mounting portion 141e " is fitted. The sealing portion 141f " may be disposed in close contact with the upper surface of the guide portion 141a 'so as to surround the receiving portion 141a ". Alternatively, the sealing portion 141f " may be in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the receiving portion 141a ".

With this structure, the air filtered by the multi-cyclone can be discharged to the outlet 141f through the empty space between the protruding portions 141e 'through the filter portion 141f'. Here, the empty space is formed on the outer periphery of the filter 141f and communicates with the upper portion of the guide portion 141a '. The sealing portion 141f "is configured to seal a gap between the filter 141f and the upper surface of the guide portion 141a 'closely contacting the filter 141f and the inner peripheral surface of the receiving portion 141a" Dust can be prevented from being discharged to the outlet 141f.

Other detailed configurations of the dust container 140 are structurally related to the dust container case 150, and the dust container case 150 will be described below.

FIG. 23 is a view showing the dust container cover 150 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 24 is an exploded perspective view of the dust container cover 150 shown in FIG.

Referring to FIGS. 23 and 24 together with FIGS. 1 to 3, the dust box cover 150 is rotatably coupled to the cleaner body 110 by a hinge portion 150a. When the dust box cover 150 is coupled to the dust box 140, (140). A portion of the dust container case 150 is received in the dust container receiving portion 113 while another portion of the dust container case 150 is disposed in the backward direction of the cleaner body 110 (R)). The hinge portion 150a is configured to elastically press the dust container cover 150 upward so that when the dust container cover 150 is not engaged with the dust container 140, the hinge portion 150a can be tilted upwardly inclined relative to the upper surface of the dust container 140 have.

The dust container cover 150 may be formed to have a long oval shape in the front-rear direction of the cleaner body 110 and may be disposed so as to completely cover the circular dust container 140 when engaged with the dust container 140. The cleaner main body 110 is formed with a recess portion 116 which is recessed from the upper surface of the cleaner main body 110 along the outer periphery of the dust receptacle accommodating portion 113 (see Figs. 15 and 18). The dust container cover 150 is accommodated in the dust container receiving portion 113 by pivoting so as to cover the upper surface of the dust container 140 and the recess portion 116 together. The front and rear lengths of the dust container cover 150 corresponding to the front and rear directions of the cleaner main body 110 may be longer than the left and right lengths of the dust container cover 150 corresponding to the left and right direction of the cleaner main body 110, Is formed to be equal to or longer than the radius of the dustbin case 150.

At least one of the touch key 150 ', the touch screen 150' 'and the display unit (not shown) may be provided on the dust container case 150. The touch screen 150' outputs time information, The display device can be distinguished from a display device that outputs time information but does not have a touch function.

The dust bin cover 150 may include a top cover 151, a bottom cover 152 and a middle frame 153 between the top cover 151 and the bottom cover 152. The structures may be formed of a synthetic resin material.

The top cover 151 may be configured to have a light transmitting property. For example, the top cover 151 itself may be formed to have translucency, or the top cover 151 itself may be formed to have translucency and the film attached to the back surface of the top cover 151 may have a translucency have. As the top cover 151 is transparent, the pictogram of the touch key 150 ', or the time information output from the touch screen 150' or the display can be transmitted to the user through the top cover 151.

A touch sensor for sensing a touch input to the top cover 151 may be attached to the back surface of the top cover 151. The touch sensor may constitute a touch key module 154a and / or a touch screen module 154b, which will be described later.

The bottom cover 152 is engaged with the top cover 151 to form an appearance of the dust box cover 150 together with the top cover 151. [ The bottom cover 152 may be formed of an opaque material and forms a mounting surface on which the electronic device or the sub circuit board 157 can be mounted in the dust container case 150.

The hinge unit 150a may be coupled to the top cover 151 or the bottom cover 152 so as to be rotatably coupled to the cleaner body 110. The hinge portion 150a may be provided on the top cover 151 or the bottom cover 152 itself.

An electronic element or sub circuit board 157 is mounted on the bottom cover 152. For example, a sub circuit board 157 electrically connected to a main circuit board (not shown) of the cleaner main body 110 may be mounted on the bottom cover 152. Here, the main circuit board may be configured as an example of a controller for operating various functions of the robot cleaner 100.

Various electronic elements are mounted on the sub circuit board 157. In this figure, a touch key module 154a, a touch screen module 154b, and an infrared receiving unit 156 (for example, an IR sensor) are electrically connected to the sub circuit board 157. [ The electrical connection includes not only that the electronic device is mounted on the sub circuit board 157 but also that the electronic device is connected to the sub circuit board 157 through the flexible printed circuit board (FPCB).

A pictogram is printed on the top cover 151 on the touch key module 154a and the touch key module 154a detects touch input to the pictogram portion of the top cover 151. [ The touch key module 154a includes a touch sensor, which may be attached to or disposed adjacent to the back surface of the top cover 151. [ The touch key module 154a may further include a backlight unit for illuminating the pictogram.

The touch screen module 154b is configured to provide an output interface between the robot cleaner 100 and the user through the output of time information and to detect the touch input to the top cover 151, Lt; / RTI > The touch screen module 154b includes a display for outputting time information through the top cover 151 and a touch sensor for sensing a touch input to the top cover 151. The touch screen module 154b has a mutual layer structure or is integrally formed Implement a touch screen.

The touch screen module 154b may be received in the through hole 153b of the middle frame 153 and may be coupled to the middle frame 153 by bonding, hook coupling, or the like. In this case, the touch screen module 154b may be electrically connected to the sub circuit board 157 through the flexible printed circuit board. The touch screen module 154b may be attached to or disposed adjacent to the back surface of the top cover 151. [

The dust container cover 150 may be provided with an acceleration sensor 155. The acceleration sensor 155 may be mounted on the sub circuit board 157 or may be electrically connected to the sub circuit board 157 through the flexible printed circuit board. The acceleration sensor 155 senses the gravitational acceleration acting on the acceleration sensor 155 by dividing it into X, Y, and Z vectors that are perpendicular to each other.

The control unit can detect whether the dust bin cover 150 is opened or closed by using the X, Y, Z vector values sensed by the acceleration sensor 155. Specifically, when the dust container case 150 is in the closed state, at least two vector values are changed when the dust container case 150 is opened (tilted state). That is, the vector values sensed through the acceleration sensor 155 vary according to the degree of inclination of the dust bin cover 150.

If the difference between the vector values in the above two states is equal to or greater than the predetermined reference value, the control unit may determine that the dust bin cover 150 is not fastened to the dust bin 140 and generate a corresponding control signal. For example, if the dust bin cover 150 is opened and tilted, the control unit senses this through the acceleration sensor 155, stops the driving of the wheel unit 111, and can generate an alarm.

In addition, when vibration is applied to the dust bin cover 150, the vector values sensed through the acceleration sensor 155 are changed. The control unit may be configured to switch the touch screen module 154b from the OFF state to the ON state when a change in the vector values equal to or greater than a preset reference value is detected within a predetermined time. For example, when the user touches the dust container cover 150 a plurality of times while the touch screen module 154b is inactivated, the controller senses this through the acceleration sensor 155 and activates the touch screen module 154b You can call.

A gyro sensor may be used instead of the acceleration sensor 155 described above. Alternatively, the acceleration sensor 155 and the gyro sensor may be used together to provide enhanced sensing performance by complementing each other.

The infrared receiving unit 156 may be disposed at each corner of the sub circuit board 157 and may be configured to receive infrared signals transmitted in different directions. Here, the infrared signal may be a signal output from the remote controller during operation of a remote controller (not shown) for controlling the robot cleaner 100.

The middle frame 153 is disposed to cover the sub circuit board 157 and has through holes 153a corresponding to the touch key module 154a and the touch screen module 154b mounted on the sub circuit board 157, And 153b. The inner surface defining the through holes 153a and 153b is formed to surround the touch key module 154a and the touch screen module 154b, respectively.

Each corner of the middle frame 153 may be provided with a receiving portion 153c which is disposed to cover the upper portion of each of the infrared receiving units 156 and has a front opening so as to receive infrared rays. According to this arrangement, the infrared ray receiving unit 156 is disposed to face the side surface of the dust bin cover 150 (specifically, the side surface of the transparent cover 151 having transparency). Since the upper portion of the infrared ray receiving unit 156 is covered by the receiving portion 153c, malfunction of the infrared ray receiving unit 156 by the three-wavelength lamp or sunlight disposed on the ceiling can be prevented.

At least a part of the dust bin cover 150 may be disposed so as to protrude from the upper surface of the cleaner body 110. As shown in the figure, the top cover 151 may have a tapered portion 151a extending downward from the top surface. The tapered portion 151a extends along the outer circumference of the top cover 151 and is connected to the upper surface of the cleaner main body 110 in a state where the dust container case 150 is coupled to the dust container 140, It can be positioned to protrude.

If a vertically downwardly extending side surface is formed on the top surface of the top cover 151, the infrared signal received by the top cover 151 from the corner of the top cover 151 is refracted or reflected to form an infrared receiving unit 156 May be deteriorated. Further, if the side surface of the top cover 151 is completely covered by the upper surface of the cleaner main body 110, the deterioration of the receiving performance of the infrared ray receiving unit 156 is intensified.

However, according to the above structure, the infrared signal introduced into the top cover 151 is transmitted to the infrared receiving unit 156, which is disposed adjacent to the inside of the tapered portion 151a, without being refracted or reflected by the tapered portion 151a . Since the tapered portion 151a is positioned so as to protrude from the upper surface of the cleaner main body 110 and a plurality of infrared ray receiving units 156 are provided and are spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval on the inside of the tapered portion 151a, An infrared signal can be received. Therefore, the reception performance of the infrared ray receiving unit 156 can be improved.

Hereinafter, the fixing structure of the dust container 140 will be described.

FIG. 25 is a rear view of the dust container cover 150 shown in FIG. 23, and FIG. 26 is a sectional view showing a structure in which the hook portion 158 shown in FIG. 25 is fastened to the dust container 140.

Referring to FIGS. 25 and 26 together with FIG. 16, the dust container cover 150 has a hook portion 158 which is fastenable to the locking portion 144 of the dust container 140. In this figure, a hook portion 158 is protruded on one side of the bottom surface of the bottom cover 152. The hook portion 158 may be provided on the opposite side of the hinge portion 150a.

When the hook portion 158 is fastened to the locking portion 144, the handle 143 provided at the upper portion of the dust box 140 is pressed by the dust box lid 150 and is received in the handle receiving portion 142. When the engagement between the hook portion 158 and the locking portion 144 is released, the knob 143 is pressed by the elastic portion and protruded from the knob accommodating portion 142. As shown above, the handle 143 may be disposed at an inclination with respect to the upper case 141b.

The locking portion 144 provided in the dust container 140 includes a button portion 144a and a locking portion 144b. The locking portion 144 is exposed behind the cleaner main body 110.

The button portion 144a is configured to be pressed on the side surface of the dust container 140. The hook portion 144b is configured to engage with the hook portion 158 of the dust container case cover 150, So that the engagement with the hook portion 158 is released during the pressing operation. The latching portion 144b may be formed on the upper portion of the dust container 140. [

The hook portion 158 is formed in the dust container cover 150 and the blocking portion 144 is provided in the dust container 140. However, the hook portion 158 and the locking portion 144 The positions can be interchanged. In other words, the dust container case 150 may be provided with a locking portion, and the dust container 140 may be provided with a hook portion.

The dust container cover 150 is detachably coupled to the dust container 140 by the fastening structure of the hook portion 158 and the locking portion 144. [ That is, there is no direct coupling between the dust container case 150 and the cleaner body 110, and the dust container case 150 is fastened to the dust container 140 accommodated in the dust container receiving portion 113.

As described above, the dust container 140 accommodated in the dust container receiving portion 113 is moved in the lateral direction by the above-described mounting protrusion 113b-mounting groove 149 and the hooking hook 145-step 116a ' Is limited. When the dust box 140 is received in the dust box receiving portion 113 and the dust box lid 150 is fastened to the dust box 140 while covering the dust box 140, the upward movement of the dust box 140 is limited , The dust container 140 can be prevented from being separated from the dust container receiving portion 113.

When the dust container 140 is not attached, the dust container case 150 is freely rotatable about the hinge portion 150a, that is, is not fixed. As described above, in this unfixed state, the dust container case 150 can be arranged to be tilted upward.

The dust bin cover 150 is disposed horizontally when it is fastened to the dust box 140. If the dust bin cover 150 is not fastened to the dust container 140, the dust container cover 150 is in an upwardly inclined and tilted state. It is a matter of course that the dust container lid 150 is in a state in which the dust container 140 is not inclined in the dust container receiving portion 113 and is inclined upwardly inclined.

Accordingly, the user can intuitively confirm whether or not the dust container case 150 is fastened to the dust container 140 by visually confirming whether or not the dust container case 150 is in a tilted state.

On the other hand, the air filtered in the dust container 140 is discharged from the dust container 140 and finally discharged to the outside through the air outlet 112. Here, a filter unit 160 for filtering fine dust contained in the filtered air is disposed in front of the exhaust port 112. Hereinafter, the filter unit 160 will be described.

FIG. 27 is a view showing the inside of the dust container receiving portion 113 shown in FIG. 15, FIG. 28 is a conceptual view showing a state in which the filter unit 160 shown in FIG. 27 is rotated, Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the filter unit 160 shown in Fig.

27 to 29, the filter unit 160 is accommodated in the interior of the cleaner main body 110, and is disposed in front of the exhaust port 112. The filter unit 160 is exposed to the outside when the dust container 140 is separated from the dust container receiving portion 113. Here, the exhaust port 112 may be formed on the inner wall of the cleaner main body 110 defining the dust container receiving portion 113. The exhaust port 112 may be formed at one end (left or right) end of the cleaner main body 110 surrounding the dust container receiving portion 113. In the present embodiment, the exhaust port 112 is formed to be long along the height direction of the cleaner main body 110 at the left end of the dust container receiving portion 113 as shown in the drawing.

As described above, the air discharged from the second opening 110b is guided to the exhaust port 112 through the exhaust passage. The exhaust passage extends to one end of the cleaner main body 110 in a structure in which the exhaust port 122 is formed at one end of the cleaner main body 110. The filter unit 160 is disposed on the exhaust passage.

The filter unit 160 includes a filter case 161 and a filter 162.

The filter case 161 has a hinge portion 161c hinged to the inner wall of the cleaner main body 110 defining the dust container receiving portion 113. [ Therefore, the filter case 161 is configured to be rotatable with respect to the cleaner main body 110.

The filter case 161 has a filter accommodating portion 161a and a vent 161b communicating with the filter accommodating portion 161a and disposed to face the exhaust port 112. [ The air flowing into the filter case 161 is discharged to the air vent 161b through the filter 162 mounted in the filter accommodating portion 161a.

The filter 162 is mounted on the filter accommodating portion 161a. As the filter 162, a HEPA filter for filtering fine dust may be used. The filter 162 may be provided with a handle 162a.

This figure illustrates that a filter accommodating portion 161a is formed on the front surface of the filter case 161 and a vent 161b is formed on the side surface of the filter case 161. [ More specifically, a through-hole 161e is formed in a side surface of the filter case 161, and a filter 162 (not shown) is formed on the bottom surface of the filter case 161 to guide insertion of the filter 162 through the through- A guide rail 161f is formed to protrude along the insertion direction of the guide rail 161f.

The mounting structure of the filter 162 to the filter case 161 is not limited thereto. As another example, unlike the structure shown in this figure, the filter 162 may be mounted at the front surface of the filter case 161 and be accommodated in the filter accommodating portion 161a. In this case, the filter 162 can be fixed to the filter accommodating portion 161a through the hook coupling.

The filter case 161 is configured to be housed in the cleaner body 110 through an opening 115 formed in an inner wall of the cleaner body 110. The filter case 161 is housed in the cleaner body 110, 110) with the inner wall of the dust receptacle (113). For this, the outer surface of the filter case 161 may have a rounded shape, and preferably a curved surface having substantially the same curvature as the inner wall of the dust container receiving portion 113.

A knob 161d may be formed on one surface of the filter case 161 that defines the dust receptacle 113 together with the inner wall of the cleaner main body 110. [ 15, when the dust container 140 is received in the dust container receiving portion 113, the dust container 140 is configured to cover and cover the filter case 161. The knob 161d is covered with the dust container 140, Lt; / RTI >

The filter case 161 can be disposed in the dust container receiving portion 113 in a state rotated to open the opening 115. [ According to this structure, the filter accommodating portion 161a is exposed to the outside, and the filter 162 can be easily replaced.

Claims (15)

A cleaner main body having a dust container receiving portion;
A dust container accommodated in the dust container housing portion and having an inlet and an outlet communicating with first and second openings formed in an inner wall of the dust container housing portion;
A fan motor unit disposed inside the cleaner main body;
A suction unit disposed apart from the dust container receiving portion with the fan motor portion therebetween;
An intake passage connecting the intake unit and the first opening; And
And an exhaust passage connecting the second opening and an exhaust port formed at a rear side of the cleaner main body,
Wherein a part of the intake passage and a part of the exhaust passage overlap in a vertical direction in the fan motor portion. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the suction passage extends upward from an inlet connected to the suction unit and then is bent toward one side of the cleaner main body so as to pass through an upper portion of the fan motor portion. 3. The method of claim 2,
And the inflow port is located at the center of the front bottom of the cleaner main body. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the exhaust passage extends forward and passes through the fan motor portion and then is diverted rearward to extend toward the exhaust port. 5. The method of claim 4,
And a filter unit is disposed between the fan motor unit and the exhaust port on the exhaust passage. 6. The method of claim 5,
The filter unit includes:
A filter case configured to be received in the cleaner main body through an opening formed in an inner wall of the dust receptacle; And
And a filter removably mounted on the filter case. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the filter unit is located below the intake passage in a state in which the filter unit is housed inside the cleaner main body. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the intake passage and the exhaust passage, which are located between the fan motor portion and the dust container housing portion, are arranged in parallel with each other. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the inlet and the outlet are opened toward the fan motor unit in a state where the dust container is received in the dust container receiving portion. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the intake passage and the exhaust passage are disposed at one side of the interior of the cleaner main body,
And a battery is disposed on the other side of the cleaner main body. A cleaner main body having a dust container receiving portion;
A dust container accommodated in the dust container housing portion and having an inlet and an outlet communicating with first and second openings formed in an inner wall of the dust container housing portion;
A fan motor unit disposed at an inner side of the cleaner main body;
A battery disposed on the other side of the cleaner main body;
A suction unit disposed between the battery and the fan motor unit and spaced apart from the dust container housing unit;
An intake passage connecting the intake unit and the first opening; And
And an exhaust passage connecting the second opening and an exhaust port formed on the other rear side of the cleaner main body,
Wherein the first and second openings are formed on one side of the cleaner body along a circumference of the inner wall, the outlet being located at the same height as the inlet and next to the inlet,
Wherein the intake passage and the exhaust passage are disposed at one side of the inside of the cleaner main body avoiding the battery,
The dust container is provided with a dust container which extends downwardly from the upper side of the inlet to the lower side of the inlet along the inner periphery so as to divide the flow of the air flowing through the inlet and the flow of the air discharged toward the outlet into a lower portion and an upper portion, Wherein the guiding part is provided with a guiding part for guiding the robot. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the suction passage extends upward from an inlet connected to the suction unit and then is bent toward one side of the cleaner main body so as to pass through an upper portion of the fan motor portion. 13. The method of claim 12,
Wherein the exhaust passage extends forward and passes through the fan motor portion and then is diverted rearward to extend toward the exhaust port. 14. The method of claim 13,
And a filter unit is disposed between the fan motor unit and the exhaust port on the exhaust passage. 15. The method of claim 14,
Wherein the filter unit is located below the intake passage in a state in which the filter unit is housed inside the cleaner main body.

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