KR102460609B1 - Cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a cleaner body including a control unit; a wheel cover mounted on the cleaner body; a driving module coupled to the wheel cover to be movable up and down; a driving wheel coupled to the driving module and configured to be rotatable by receiving a driving force from the driving module; a guide bar coupled to the wheel cover and disposed vertically to pass through the driving module to guide the vertical movement of the driving module; and an elastic member formed to surround the guide bar and connected to the wheel cover and the driving module, respectively, to absorb shock when the driving module moves up and down.

Description

vacuum cleaner {CLEANER}

The present invention relates to a cleaner having a driving wheel for moving the cleaner body.

A vacuum cleaner is a device that performs a cleaning function by sucking in dust and foreign substances or by mopping. In general, a vacuum cleaner performs a cleaning function for the floor, and the vacuum cleaner includes a wheel for movement.

In general, the wheel is rolled by an external force applied to the cleaner body to move the cleaner body with respect to the floor. However, recently, robot cleaners that perform cleaning while driving without a user's manipulation, cleaners that move by themselves along a nozzle moved by a user's manipulation, etc. have been developed. wheels are required.

In order for the vacuum cleaner to have stable running performance, even if the condition or condition of the floor changes, the driving wheel must be maintained in a grounded state to the floor, and the shock generated at this time must be able to be buffered. In this regard, Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2016-0121844 (published on Oct. 21, 2016) discloses that a driving wheel is connected to a driving arm that rotates about a rotation shaft, and an elastic member is connected to the housing and the driving arm to connect the driving arm. Disclosed is a suspension structure for elastically supporting the

The above structure has a problem in that there is a difference in suspension performance depending on the rotational direction of the driving wheel. For example, if the driving wheel has good suspension performance when it rotates clockwise, when the driving wheel rotates counterclockwise, the suspension performance is not secured as when it rotates clockwise.

In addition, in the above structure, a driving motor is connected to one side of the driving arm having a built-in gear unit, and a driving wheel is connected to the other side of the driving arm. Accordingly, since the driving motor, the driving arm, and the driving wheel each require space, there is a problem that they occupy a lot of space in the cleaner.

And, although the drive unit is modularized to some extent, a wiring connection process for electrical connection between the drive motor and the power unit is required separately from the mounting process of the drive unit, and a configuration separate from the drive unit (e.g., cover) may be additionally installed. Such a complicated assembly structure increases the defect rate and sometimes causes secondary defects in which other components are damaged when disassembled for repair or the like.

In addition, there may be cases in which the driving wheel rotates in vain because the cleaner body is caught by an obstacle, or the driving wheel continues to rotate even when the cleaner body is lifted by the user. This may be a factor hindering the advancement in terms of stability and user sensibility.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2016-0121844 (published on October 21, 2016)

A first object of the present invention is to provide a cleaner capable of exhibiting the same suspension performance regardless of the rotational direction of a driving wheel.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a cleaner in which a structure related to driving of a driving wheel is miniaturized.

A third object of the present invention is to provide a cleaner in which a structure related to driving of a driving wheel can be easily mounted on a cleaner body and electrically connected to the cleaner body, and maintenance is easy.

A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a cleaner that physically senses when the driving wheel does not come into contact with the floor and controls the rotation of the driving wheel.

In order to achieve the first object of the present invention, a cleaner of the present invention includes: a cleaner body including a control unit; a wheel cover mounted on the cleaner body; a driving module coupled to the wheel cover to be movable up and down; a driving wheel coupled to the driving module and configured to be rotatable by receiving a driving force from the driving module; a guide bar coupled to the wheel cover and disposed vertically to pass through the driving module to guide the vertical movement of the driving module; and an elastic member formed to surround the guide bar and connected to the wheel cover and the driving module, respectively, to absorb shock when the driving module moves up and down.

A first object of the present invention is to provide a cleaner body including a control unit; a driving module including a case coupled to the wheel house of the cleaner body to move up and down, a driving motor mounted to the case, and a planetary gear device for decelerating rotation of the driving motor; a driving wheel connected to the planetary gear device and configured to be rotatable; a guide bar coupled to the wheel house and disposed up and down, formed to pass through the case to guide the vertical movement of the case; and an elastic member formed to surround the guide bar and connected to the wheel house and the case, respectively, to absorb shock when the case moves up and down.

In order to achieve a second object of the present invention, a cleaner of the present invention includes: a cleaner body including a control unit; a wheel cover mounted on the cleaner body; a driving module including a case coupled to the wheel cover to move up and down, a driving motor mounted on the case, and a planetary gear device for decelerating rotation of the driving motor; a driving wheel connected to the planetary gear device and configured to be rotatable; and a suspension that guides the vertical movement of the case and absorbs shock when the case is vertically moved, wherein the rotational shaft of the driving motor and the rotational shaft of the driving wheel are on the same shaft, and inside the driving wheel A receiving portion for accommodating the planetary gear device is formed.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a cleaner body including a control unit; a driving module including a case coupled to the wheel house of the cleaner body to move up and down, a driving motor mounted to the case, and a planetary gear device for decelerating rotation of the driving motor; a driving wheel connected to the planetary gear device and configured to be rotatable; and a suspension that guides the vertical movement of the case and absorbs shock when the case is vertically moved, wherein the rotational shaft of the driving motor and the rotational shaft of the driving wheel are on the same shaft, and inside the driving wheel It can also be achieved by a cleaner in which a receiving portion for accommodating the planetary gear device is formed.

In order to achieve a third object of the present invention, the cleaner of the present invention, the cleaner body is formed with a mounting portion recessed toward the upper portion at the bottom; and a wheel assembly detachably mounted to the mounting unit, wherein a first connector is disposed on an inner surface of the mounting unit facing the opening of the mounting unit to face the opening, and the wheel assembly is disposed on an upper portion of the wheel assembly. A second connector connected to the first connector when accommodated in the mounting unit is provided.

The cleaner may further include a coupling part for coupling the wheel assembly to the cleaner body while the wheel assembly is accommodated in the mounting part.

In order to achieve a fourth object of the present invention, a cleaner of the present invention includes: a cleaner body including a control unit; a wheel cover mounted on the cleaner body; a driving module coupled to the wheel cover to be movable up and down; a driving wheel coupled to the driving module and configured to be rotatable by receiving a driving force from the driving module; a suspension guiding the vertical movement of the driving module and absorbing shock when the driving module is vertically moved; a link member rotatably installed on the wheel cover, the link member being rotated in contact with the protrusion of the driving module when the driving module moves downward by a predetermined distance; and a switch that is pressed by the rotation of the link member and transmits a pressing signal to the control unit.

A fourth object of the present invention, the cleaner body having a control unit; a driving module including a case coupled to the wheel house of the cleaner body to move up and down, a driving motor mounted to the case, and a planetary gear device for decelerating rotation of the driving motor; a driving wheel connected to the planetary gear device and configured to be rotatable; a link member rotatably installed in the wheel house and rotated in contact with the protrusion formed on the case when the case moves downward by a predetermined distance; and a switch that is pressed by the rotation of the link member and transmits a pressing signal to the control unit.

The above-described inventions can be configured as follows.

The driving module may include a case having a through hole through which the guide bar passes; a driving motor mounted to the case; and a planetary gear device that connects the driving motor and the driving wheel, decelerates the rotation of the driving motor and transmits it to the driving wheel.

The planetary gear device may include: a first planetary gear unit interlocked with a rotation shaft of the driving motor; and a second planetary gear unit interlocked with the first planetary gear unit and connected to the driving wheel.

The case may include a main case having the through hole, to which the driving motor is mounted, and accommodating the first planetary gear unit; a middle case coupled to the main case and disposed to cover the first planetary gear unit and accommodating the second planetary gear unit; and a front case coupled to the middle case and disposed to cover the second planetary gear unit.

The first planetary gear unit may include: a first sun gear coupled to a rotation shaft of the driving motor; a first ring gear formed in the main case and accommodating the first sun gear therein; A plurality of first planets meshing with the first sun gear and the first ring gear, rotating in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the first sun gear, and revolving around the first sun gear in the same direction as the rotation direction of the first sun gear Gear; and a first cage rotatably supporting a rotation axis of each of the plurality of first planetary gears.

The second planetary gear unit may include a second sun gear formed in the first cage; a second ring gear formed in the middle case and accommodating a second sun gear therein; A plurality of second planets meshing with the second sun gear and the second ring gear, rotating in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the second sun gear, and revolving around the second sun gear in the same direction as the rotation direction of the second sun gear Gear; and a second cage rotatably supporting a rotation axis of each of the plurality of second planetary gears.

A coupling protrusion may be formed on the second cage to engage the drive wheel with the coupling groove to prevent the drive wheel from spinning.

The wheel cover or the wheel house may include a first fixing part to which an upper end of the guide bar is fixed; and a second fixing part formed to face the first fixing part and fixed to the lower end of the guide bar, wherein the case is moved up and down by the guide bar between the first fixing part and the second fixing part. It may be configured to be movable.

When the case moves a predetermined distance in the downward direction, the case may be configured to be caught by the second fixing part.

The elastic member may be respectively connected to the first fixing part and the case.

The control unit may be configured to stop driving of the driving motor when the switch is pressed.

The link member may include: a first link exposed to one side of the wheel cover on which the protrusion is located; and a second link coupled to the first link and exposed to the other side of the wheel cover in which the switch is located.

The effects of the present invention obtained through the above-described solution are as follows.

First, according to the present invention, the driving module coupled with the driving wheel is configured to be movable up and down along the guide bar, and the elastic member is made to absorb the shock generated when the driving module moves up and down, so that the grounding function and the shock buffering function are improved. It can be exerted uniformly regardless of the rotational direction of the driving wheel.

Second, the gear device that decelerates the rotation of the drive motor and transmits it to the drive wheel is composed of a planetary gear device, so that the rotary shaft of the drive motor and the rotary shaft of the drive wheel are placed on the same shaft, and the planetary gear device is formed inside the drive wheel By being accommodated in the accommodating portion, the structure related to the driving of the driving wheel can be miniaturized. This may contribute to miniaturization of the cleaner or to increase the volume of other components (eg, dust bin).

Third, when the wheel assembly is inserted into the mounting part formed in the cleaner body, the first connector provided in the mounting part is configured to be connected to the second connector provided in the wheel assembly, so that the mounting and electrical connection of the wheel assembly to the cleaner body can be easily made. have. In addition, when a problem occurs in the wheel assembly, since only the wheel assembly can be separated from the cleaner body for inspection, repair, replacement, etc., there is an advantage of easy maintenance.

Fourth, when the driving module moves downward by a predetermined distance, the protrusion of the driving module rotates the link member, and due to the mechanism in which the rotated link member presses the switch, a situation in which the driving wheel does not contact the floor occurs. In this case, the rotation of the drive wheel may be controlled (eg, stopped). Accordingly, stability may be improved, and user satisfaction may be improved.

1 is a perspective view showing an example of a cleaner according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the cleaner shown in FIG. 1;
3 and 4 are perspective views of the wheel assembly of FIG. 2 viewed from different directions;
5 and 6 are conceptual views illustrating that the wheel assembly is detachably coupled to the bottom of the cleaner body shown in FIG. 2 .
7 and 8 are exploded perspective views of the wheel assembly of FIG. 3 viewed from different directions;
Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the wheel assembly of Fig. 3 taken along line AA;
10 and 11 are conceptual views illustrating a state in which the driving wheel is moved upward and downward in the wheel assembly of FIG. 3;
12 is an exploded perspective view of the driving module shown in FIG. 7 ;
Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the wheel assembly of Fig. 3 taken along line BB;
14 is a conceptual view showing a state in which the driving module is moved upward in the wheel assembly of FIG. 3 from the front (a) and the rear (b), respectively;
15 is a conceptual view showing a state in which the driving module is moved downward in the wheel assembly of FIG. 3 from the front (a) and the rear (b), respectively;
16 is a conceptual view showing the link member shown in FIG. 14;

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

The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In describing the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, if it is determined that detailed descriptions of related known technologies may obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The accompanying drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, and the technical spirit disclosed in the present specification is not limited by the accompanying drawings, and all changes and equivalents included in the spirit and scope of the present invention It should be understood to include water or substitutes.

1 is a perspective view showing an example of a cleaner 100 according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the cleaner 100 shown in FIG. 1 .

1 and 2 , as an example of the cleaner 100 , a robot cleaner 100 that performs a function of cleaning the floor while traveling on its own in a predetermined area is shown. The cleaning of the floor referred to herein includes sucking in dust and foreign substances on the floor or mopping the floor.

The cleaner 100 includes a cleaner body 110 and a driving wheel 123 .

The cleaner body 110 forms the exterior of the cleaner 100 . Various parts including a controller (not shown) for controlling the cleaner 100 are built-in or mounted in the cleaner body 110 .

The cleaner body 110 is provided with a driving wheel 123 for driving. The driving wheel 123 is configured to be rotatable by receiving driving force from the driving motor 122b. The rotation direction of the driving motor 122b may be controlled by the controller, and accordingly, the driving wheel 123 may be configured to be rotatable in one direction or the other.

The driving wheel 123 may be provided on both left and right sides of the cleaner body 110 , respectively. The cleaner body 110 may be moved or rotated forward, backward, left, and right by the driving wheel 123 . Each of the driving wheels 123 may be configured to be driven independently of each other. To this end, each driving wheel 123 may be driven by different driving motors 122b.

The cleaner 100 may be additionally provided with an auxiliary wheel 140 . The auxiliary wheel 140 supports the cleaner body 110 together with the driving wheel 123 , and is configured to assist the driving of the cleaner 100 by the driving wheel 123 .

The cleaner 100 may include at least one of a suction unit 150 and a mop unit (not shown) according to a cleaning function.

When the cleaner 100 is configured to suck the dust and foreign substances on the floor, the cleaner 100 may include a suction unit 150 . The suction unit 150 is configured to suck air containing dust and foreign substances by using a suction force generated by a motor (not shown) and a fan (not shown). The suction unit 150 may be disposed to protrude from the cleaner body 110 as shown, or may be formed at the bottom of the cleaner body 110 .

The suction unit 150 may have an opening (not shown) for sucking air containing dust and foreign substances. The opening may be formed to face the floor. A brush unit 151 configured to sweep up dust on the floor by rotational driving may be detachably mounted to the opening. The above-described auxiliary wheel 140 may also be provided in the suction unit 150 .

Dust and foreign substances in the air sucked through the suction unit 150 are filtered and collected in the dust container 160 , and the air in which the dust and foreign substances are separated is discharged to the outside of the cleaner 100 . In the inside of the cleaner body 110 , an intake flow path (not shown) guiding the flow of air from the suction unit 150 to the dust container 160 and the flow of air from the dust container 160 to the outside of the cleaner 100 are controlled. An exhaust flow path (not shown) to guide may be formed. The dust container 160 may include at least one of a filter and a cyclone for filtering dust and foreign substances in the sucked air.

The cleaner 100 may include a dust container cover 170 covering the dust container 160 . When the dust container cover 170 is disposed to cover the upper surface of the dust container 160 , the dust container 160 may be prevented from being separated from the cleaner body 110 by the dust container cover 170 .

In this drawing, the dust container cover 170 is hinged to the cleaner body 110 to be rotatably configured. The dust container cover 170 may be fixed to the dust container 160 or the cleaner body 110 to maintain a state of covering the upper surface of the dust container 160 .

When the cleaner 100 is configured to mop the floor, the cleaner 100 may include a mop part. The mop part may be detachably mounted to the bottom of the cleaner body 110 .

The mop part may be mounted on the cleaner body 110 by replacing the suction part 150 . Alternatively, the mop part may be mounted in the opening of the suction part 150 by replacing the brush unit 151 . Accordingly, the user may selectively mount the suction unit 150 or the mop unit according to the purpose of cleaning.

The cleaner body 110 may be provided with a sensing unit 180 for sensing the surrounding conditions of the cleaner body 110 . The controller may detect an obstacle, detect a terrain feature, or generate a map of a driving area through the sensing unit 180 .

Hereinafter, the driving wheel 123 provided in the cleaner 100 will be described in more detail.

3 and 4 are perspective views of the wheel assembly 120 of FIG. 2 viewed from different directions, and FIGS. 5 and 6 are the wheel assembly 120 detachable from the bottom of the cleaner body 110 shown in FIG. 2 . These are conceptual diagrams that show that they are closely combined.

3 to 6 , the wheel assembly 120 includes a driving module 122 that generates a driving force, a driving wheel 123 configured to be rotatably configured by receiving driving force from the driving module 122, and a driving module. and a wheel cover 121 disposed to cover an upper portion of the 122 and the driving wheel 123 . The wheel assembly 120 may be detachably coupled to the cleaner body 110 .

To this end, a mounting portion 110a for accommodating the wheel assembly 120 is formed in the cleaner body 110 . In this figure, it is shown that the mounting part 110a is formed to be recessed toward the upper part at the bottom of the cleaner body 110 .

The first connector 130 is disposed on the inner surface of the mounting portion 110a. The first connector 130 may be disposed on an inner surface of the mounting part 110a facing the opening 110a' of the mounting part 110a to face the opening 110a'. The first connector 130 is electrically connected to the control unit.

The wheel assembly 120 is provided with a second connector 127 . The second connector 127 is electrically connected to the electronic component of the wheel assembly 120 . For example, the second connector 127 may be electrically connected to the driving module 122 . An electric wire (not shown) may be used for electrical connection between the wheel assembly 120 and the electronic component. The electric wire may be exposed to the outside of the wheel cover 121 .

When the wheel assembly 120 is accommodated in the mounting part 110a, the second connector 127 is configured to be connected to the first connector 130 . A second connector 127 corresponding to the first connector 130 is provided on the upper portion of the wheel assembly 120 facing the inner surface when accommodated in the mounting portion 110a.

The connecting direction of the first connector 130 and the second connector 127 corresponds to the direction in which the wheel assembly 120 is accommodated in the mounting part 110a. The mounting part 110a guides the reception of the wheel assembly 120 so that the first connector 130 and the second connector 127 can be connected at an accurate position.

According to the structure described above, when the wheel assembly 120 is inserted into the mounting part 110a formed on the cleaner body 110 , the first connector 130 provided in the mounting part 110a is the second connector 130 provided in the wheel assembly 120 . It is configured to be connected with the connector 127 . Accordingly, mounting and electrical connection of the wheel assembly 120 to the cleaner body 110 may be easily performed. In addition, when a problem occurs with the wheel assembly 120 , since only the wheel assembly 120 can be separated from the cleaner body 110 to perform inspection, repair, and replacement, there is an advantage of easy maintenance.

In a state in which the wheel assembly 120 is accommodated in the mounting part 110a and the first and second connectors 130 and 127 are interconnected, the wheel assembly 120 is firmly fixed to the cleaner body 110 by the fastening part. can be The fastening part may include a hook coupling structure between the wheel assembly 120 and the mounting part 110a, a screw fastening structure, and the like. In this drawing, it is shown that the fastening part is composed of a fastening hole 121d formed in the wheel cover 121 and a fastening member 111 that is screwed to the cleaner body 110 through the fastening hole 121d.

The second connector 127 may be electrically connected to the switch 126 and the cliff sensor 129 as well as the above-described driving module 122 .

The switch 126 detects a downward movement according to the deflection of the driving wheel 123 , and is electrically connected to the control unit to transmit a detection signal. This will be described in detail later.

The cliff sensor 129 includes a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit, and is configured to measure the distance between the cliff sensor 129 and the floor by measuring the time the light irradiated from the light emitting unit to the floor is received by the light receiving unit. Accordingly, when there is a step that is sharply lowered in front, the received time is rapidly increased. When there is a cliff in front, the light is not received by the light receiving unit.

Accordingly, the topography of the lower side of the wheel assembly 120 may be detected by the cliff sensor 129 . The control unit is configured to control the driving of the driving module 122 when it is detected that the lower topography is lowered to a certain level or more through the cliff sensor 129 . For example, the controller may apply a driving signal in the opposite direction to the driving module 122 so that the cleaner 100 travels in the opposite direction. Alternatively, the controller may apply a driving signal only to the driving module 122 of one wheel assembly 120 so that the cleaner 100 rotates, or may apply different driving signals to the left and right wheel assemblies 120 .

On the other hand, the structure in which the electrical connection is made at the time of mounting is not limited to the mounting structure of the wheel assembly 120 with respect to the cleaner body 110 . The structure may be applied to any electronic component mounted on the cleaner body 110 .

For example, a battery 190 for supplying power to the cleaner 100 is mounted on the cleaner body 110 . The battery 190 is configured to be rechargeable, and may be detachably configured to a battery accommodating part formed at the bottom of the cleaner body 110 .

The battery accommodating part is formed in a shape corresponding to the battery 190 , and a third connector (not shown) is disposed on an inner surface facing the opening. A fourth connector (not shown) corresponding to the third connector is disposed on the upper surface of the battery 190 facing the inner surface when accommodated in the battery receiving unit. With the above structure, when the battery 190 is accommodated in the battery accommodating part, the third connector and the fourth connector may be interconnected.

7 and 8 are exploded perspective views of the wheel assembly 120 of FIG. 3 viewed from different directions, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the wheel assembly 120 of FIG. 3 taken along the line A-A.

7 to 9 , the wheel assembly 120 includes a wheel cover 121 , a driving module 122 , a driving wheel 123 , and a suspension 124 .

The wheel cover 121 is disposed to cover the upper portions of the driving wheel 123 and the driving module 122 , and is detachably coupled to the cleaner body 110 . A second connector 127 connected to the first connector 130 is provided on an upper portion of the wheel cover 121 , and a fastening member 111 for fixing to the cleaner body 110 is provided on a lower portion of the wheel cover 121 . A penetrating fastening hole 121d may be formed.

The driving module 122 is configured to generate a driving force and transmit the driving force to the driving wheel 123 , and is vertically coupled to the wheel cover 121 . The vertical movement of the driving module 122 may be guided by a guide bar 124a of the suspension 124 . A detailed configuration of the driving module 122 will be described later in detail.

The driving wheel 123 is coupled to the driving module 122 and is configured to be rotatable by receiving a driving force from the driving module 122 . The driving wheel 123 is configured to be movable up and down with the driving module 122 together with the top covered by the wheel cover 121 .

The suspension 124 guides the vertical movement of the driving module 122 and absorbs shock when the driving module 122 moves vertically. As the suspension 124 is provided, an impact applied to the cleaner body 110 when the driving wheel 123 goes over an uneven portion or a chin may be reduced.

The suspension 124 includes a guide bar 124a and an elastic member 124b.

The guide bar 124a is configured to guide the vertical movement of the driving module 122 . The guide bar 124a is formed to extend in one direction, passes through the driving module 122 and is disposed above and below the wheel cover 121 . In this figure, it is shown that the guide bars 124a are formed through the left and right sides of the driving module 122, respectively.

Both upper and lower ends of the guide bar 124a are fixed to the wheel cover 121 . In this figure, the upper end of the guide bar 124a is fixed to the first fixing portion 121a formed on the upper portion of the wheel cover 121 , and the lower end of the guide bar 124a is formed on the lower portion of the wheel cover 121 . It shows a structure fixed to the second fixing part 121b. The first fixing part 121a and the second fixing part 121b are formed to face each other in the vertical direction of the wheel cover 121 .

The driving module 122 is configured to be movable up and down by a guide bar 124a between the first fixing part 121a and the second fixing part 121b.

The elastic member 124b is configured to absorb a shock when the driving module 122 moves up and down. The elastic member 124b may be respectively connected to the wheel cover 121 and the driving module 122 . In this figure, it is shown that the elastic member 124b is formed of a coil spring surrounding the guide bar 124a and is connected to the first fixing part 121a of the wheel cover 121 and the upper part of the driving module 122, respectively. .

Although not shown in this figure, another elastic member separately connected to the second fixing part 121b of the wheel cover 121 and the lower part of the driving module 122 may be additionally provided separately from the elastic member 124b. may be

10 and 11 are conceptual views illustrating a state in which the driving wheel 123 is moved upward and downward in the wheel assembly 120 of FIG. 3 .

10 and 11 , the driving module 122 is configured to be movable up and down with respect to the wheel cover 121 along the guide bar 124a of the suspension 124 . Since the driving wheel 123 is coupled to the driving module 122 , it moves together with the driving module 122 . That is, the driving wheel 123 is configured to be movable up and down in a state in which the upper portion is covered by the wheel cover 121 together with the driving module 122 .

The vertical movement of the driving module 122 and the driving wheel 123 is closely related to a state in which the driving wheel 123 is grounded on the floor.

10 shows a first state in which the driving wheel 123 is grounded on the floor to support the cleaner body 110 . That is, the self-weight of the cleaner body 110 is loaded on the driving wheel 123 to indicate a state in which the driving wheel 123 is raised.

In the first state, the driving wheel 123 is maximally accommodated in the wheel cover 121 . As shown, the center of the driving wheel 123 may be located in the wheel cover 121 .

11 shows a second state in which the driving wheel 123 loses grounding to the floor. That is, the driving wheel 123 does not touch the floor, indicating a state in which the driving wheel 123 is drooping down. This may be understood as a case in which the driving wheel 123 continues to rotate when the cleaner body 110 is caught by an obstacle and the driving wheel 123 rotates idle or when the cleaner body 110 is lifted by a user.

In the second state, the driving wheel 123 is minimally accommodated in the wheel cover 121 . As shown, the center of the driving wheel 123 may be located under the wheel cover 121 .

While the cleaner body 110 is running, the grounding state of the driving wheel 123 with respect to the floor may vary depending on the state or condition of the floor. The driving wheel 123 moves up and down between the first state shown in FIG. 10 and the second state shown in FIG. 11 according to the grounding state with respect to the floor during the driving process, and at this time, the elastic member 124b is the driving wheel ( The driving module 122 connected to the 123 is elastically supported.

According to the structure, the grounding function and the shock-absorbing function can be uniformly exhibited regardless of the rotational direction of the driving wheel 123 . Accordingly, driving stability of the cleaner 100 may be improved.

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the driving module 122 shown in FIG. 7 , and FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the wheel assembly 120 of FIG. 3 taken along line B-B.

12 and 13 , the driving module 122 includes a case 122a, a driving motor 122b, and a planetary gear device.

A through hole 122a1a through which the guide bar 124a passes is formed in the case 122a. The through-holes 122a1a may be formed on both left and right sides of the case 122a, respectively. The case 122a is configured to be movable up and down along the guide bar 124a.

A driving motor 122b is mounted on one side of the case 122a. The driving motor 122b is electrically connected to the second connector 127 .

The planetary gear device 122c connects the driving motor 122b and the driving wheel 123 , and reduces the rotation of the driving motor 122b and transmits it to the driving wheel 123 . The planetary gear device 122c is provided on the other side of the case 122a.

The planetary gear device 122c may be configured in one or more stages. In this figure, it is shown that the planetary gear device 122c is composed of two stages.

A sun gear is mounted on a rotation shaft of the driving motor 122b, and a driving wheel 123 is mounted on a cage that rotatably supports the rotation shaft of each of the plurality of planetary gears. With the above structure, the rotating shaft of the driving motor 122b and the rotating shaft of the driving wheel 123 are placed on the same axis.

6 and 8 together, an accommodating portion 123a for accommodating at least a portion of the driving module 122 is formed inside the driving wheel 123 . The planetary gear device 122c may be completely accommodated in the receiving portion 123a, so that the periphery of the planetary gear device 122c may be surrounded by the driving wheel 123 . Accordingly, the planetary gear device 122c is not visible from the outside.

As such, the gear device for decelerating the rotation of the driving motor 122b and transmitting it to the driving wheel 123 is constituted by the planetary gear unit 122c, so that the rotational shaft of the driving motor 122b and the rotational shaft of the driving wheel 123 are on the same axis. and the planetary gear device 122c is accommodated in the receiving portion 123a formed inside the driving wheel 123, so that the structure related to the driving of the driving wheel 123 can be miniaturized. This may contribute to the miniaturization of the cleaner 100 or an increase in the volume of other components (eg, the dust container 160 ).

In order to obtain an appropriate reduction ratio, the planetary gear device 122c may be composed of a combination of the first planetary gear unit 122c1 and the second planetary gear unit 122c2, that is, two stages. The first planetary gear unit 122c1 is interlocked with the rotation shaft of the driving motor 122b. The second planetary gear unit 122c2 is interlocked with the first planetary gear unit 122c1 and is connected to the driving wheel 123 .

Looking at the structure in detail, the case 122a includes a main case 122a1 , a middle case 122a2 , and a front case 122a3 .

The main case 122a1 has a through hole 122a1a through which the guide bar 124a passes. A driving motor 122b is mounted on one side of the main case 122a1 , and the first planetary gear unit 122c1 is accommodated on the other side of the main case 122a1 . The rotation shaft of the driving motor 122b is formed to pass through the main case 122a1. The cover 122d may be disposed to cover the driving motor 122b and may be coupled to the main case 122a1.

The first planetary gear unit 122c1 includes a first sun gear 122c1a, a first ring gear 122c1b, a plurality of first planetary gears 122c1c and a first cage 122c1d.

The first sun gear 122c1a is coupled to the rotation shaft of the driving motor 122b and exposed to the other side of the main case 122a1 through the hole 122a1'. The first sun gear 122c1a may be configured to be rotatable in both directions according to a driving signal applied from the controller.

The first ring gear 122c1b is formed to surround the first sun gear 122c1a on the other side of the main case 122a1. The first sun gear 122c1a is disposed at the center of the first ring gear 122c1b. As shown, the first ring gear 122c1b may be formed in the main case 122a1 itself.

The plurality of first planetary gears 122c1c are meshed with the first sun gear 122c1a and the first ring gear 122c1b, rotate and revolve around the first sun gear 122c1a at the same time. In this structure in which the first ring gear 122c1b is fixed, the rotation direction of each of the plurality of first planetary gears 122c1c is opposite to the rotation direction of the first sun gear 122c1a, and the revolving direction is the first sun gear ( 122c1a) in the same direction as the rotation direction.

The first cage 122c1d rotatably supports the rotation axis of each of the plurality of first planetary gears 122c1c. The first cage 122c1d is disposed to cover a portion of each of the plurality of first planetary gears 122c1c. The first cage 122c1d may be disposed to cover the first sun gear 122c1a, and in this case, may be configured to rotatably support the rotation shaft of the first sun gear 122c1a.

The middle case 122a2 is coupled to the main case 122a1. One side of the middle case 122a2 is disposed to cover the first planetary gear unit 122c1 , and the second planetary gear unit 122c2 is accommodated at the other side of the middle case 122a2 . A hole 122a2' for connection between the first planetary gear part 122c1 and the second planetary gear part 122c2 is formed in the middle case 122a2.

The second planetary gear unit 122c2 includes a second sun gear 122c2a, a second ring gear 122c2b, a plurality of second planetary gears 122c2c, and a second cage 122c2d.

The second sun gear 122c2a is formed to protrude from the first cage 122c1d and is exposed to the other side of the middle case 122a2 through the hole 122a2'.

The second ring gear 122c2b is formed to surround the second sun gear 122c2a on the other side of the middle case 122a2. The second sun gear 122c2a is disposed at the center of the second ring gear 122c2b. As shown, the second ring gear 122c2b may be formed in the middle case 122a2 itself.

The plurality of second planetary gears 122c2c are meshed with the second sun gear 122c2a and the second ring gear 122c2b to rotate and revolve around the second sun gear 122c2a. In this structure in which the second ring gear 122c2b is fixed, the rotation direction of each of the plurality of second planet gears 122c2c is opposite to the rotation direction of the second sun gear 122c2a, and the revolving direction is the second sun gear ( 122c2a) in the same direction as the rotation direction.

The second cage 122c2d rotatably supports the rotation axis of each of the plurality of second planetary gears 122c2c. The second cage 122c2d is disposed to cover a portion of each of the plurality of second planetary gears 122c2c. The second cage 122c2d may be disposed to cover the second sun gear 122c2a, and in this case, may be configured to rotatably support the rotation shaft of the second sun gear 122c2a.

The front case 122a3 is coupled to the middle case 122a2 and is disposed to cover the second planetary gear unit 122c2. A hole 122a3 ′ for connection between the second planetary gear unit 122c2 and the driving wheel 123 is formed in the front case 122a3 .

A protrusion inserted into the hole 122a3' is formed in the second cage 122c2d, and a coupling protrusion 122c2d' engaged with the coupling groove 123b of the driving wheel 123 is formed on the protrusion. The coupling protrusion 122c2d ′ is engaged with the coupling groove 123b to prevent the driving wheel 123 from rotating in vain during rotation by receiving driving force through the planetary gear device 122c.

The coupling member 128 penetrates the driving wheel 123 and is fastened to the second cage 122c2d, thereby firmly fixing the driving wheel 123 to the planetary gear device 122c.

14 is a conceptual view illustrating a state in which the driving module 122 is moved upward in the wheel assembly 120 of FIG. 3 from the front (a) and the rear (b), respectively, and FIG. 15 is the wheel assembly 120 of FIG. 3 . ) are conceptual views showing a state in which the driving module 122 is moved downward from the front (a) and the rear (b), respectively, and FIG. 16 is a conceptual view showing the link member 125 shown in FIG. 14 .

FIG. 14 corresponds to the first state illustrated in FIG. 10 , and FIG. 15 corresponds to the second state illustrated in FIG. 11 . For reference, in FIGS. 14A and 15A , the driving wheel 123 is omitted for convenience of description.

14 to 16 , the driving module 122 is configured to be movable up and down along the guide bar 124a of the suspension 124 . Since the driving wheel 123 is coupled to the driving module 122 , it moves together with the driving module 122 .

14 illustrates a first state in which the driving module 122 is maximally moved upward. This indicates a state in which the driving wheel 123 is grounded on the floor to support the cleaner body 110 .

In the first state, the planetary gear device 122c is maximally accommodated in the wheel cover 121 . As shown, the center of the planetary gear device 122c may be located in the wheel cover 121 .

In the first state, the upper end of the case 122a of the driving module 122 is placed in a state that is maximally spaced apart from the second fixing part 121b. An upper end of the case 122a may be disposed adjacent to the first fixing part 121a.

In the first state, the elastic members 124b respectively connected to the first fixing part 121a and the case 122a are maximally compressed.

15 shows a second state in which the driving module 122 is moved to the lower side to the maximum. This indicates a state in which the driving wheel 123 has lost ground to the floor.

In the second state, the planetary gear device 122c is minimally accommodated in the wheel cover 121 . As shown, the center of the planetary gear device 122c may be located under the wheel cover 121 .

In the second state, the case 122a of the driving module 122 is caught by the second fixing part 121b. That is, as the case 122a is caught by the second fixing part 121b, the downward movement of the driving module 122 is limited. The upper end of the case 122a is placed in a state that is maximally spaced apart from the first fixing part 121a.

In the second state, the elastic members 124b respectively connected to the first fixing part 121a and the case 122a are maximally tensioned.

As shown, the case 122a of the driving module 122 has a first fixing part 121a to which the upper end of the guide bar 124a is fixed and a second fixing part 121b to which the lower end of the guide bar 124a is fixed. ) is configured to be movable up and down by the guide bar 124a between them. The upward movement of the case 122a is limited by the maximum compression of the elastic member 124b, and the downward movement of the case 122a is limited by the case 122a being caught by the second fixing part 121b. can

Meanwhile, the cleaner 100 may be configured to physically detect when the driving wheel 123 does not come into contact with the floor to control the rotation of the driving wheel 123 .

Specifically, the link member 125 is rotatably installed on the wheel cover 121 . In this figure, it is shown that the link member 125 is rotatably installed on the mounting part 121c connecting the first fixing part 121a and the second fixing part 121b.

The link member 125 includes a first link 125a and a second link 125b coupled to each other. The first link 125a is disposed on one surface of the mounting part 121c, and the second link 125b is disposed on the other surface of the mounting part 121c.

The first and second links 125a and 125b are coupled to each other and rotate together. For mutual coupling, a coupling portion is formed to protrude in any one of the first and second links 125a and 125b, and a coupling hole 125b' into which the coupling portion is inserted into the other one of the first and second links 125a and 125b. ) can be formed.

The coupling hole 125b' is preferably formed in a non-circular shape to prevent the coupling part from spinning when the coupling part is inserted. The coupling part is formed to protrude in a shape corresponding to the coupling hole 125b' and is inserted into the coupling hole 125b', the coupling protrusion 125a', and the coupling protrusion 125a' is formed to protrude from the coupling hole 125b'. It may be composed of an elastic pin (125a ") that prevents the falling off by being caught apart when inserted.

The link member 125 is configured to return to its original position by being rotated in the opposite direction by an elastic member (not shown) when the pressure is released while the pressure is applied and rotated.

A rotation guide 121e limiting a rotation range of the first link 125a may be formed on one surface of the mounting part 121c to surround a portion of the first link 125a. That is, the first link 125a may be caught by the rotation guide 121e, so that the rotation range thereof may be limited.

The first link 125a is configured to be rotated in contact with the protrusion 122a1b formed on the case 122a when the case 122a of the driving module 122 moves downward by a predetermined distance. The protrusion 122a1b may be formed to protrude from the side of the case 122a of the driving module 122 and be inclined to gently press the first link 125a.

14, in a state in which the upper end of the case 122a is spaced apart from the second fixing part 121b by a predetermined distance, the protrusion 122a1b and the first link 125a are placed in a state spaced apart from each other.

As the case 122a gradually moves downward, the protrusion 122a1b and the first link 125a gradually approach each other. When the case 122a moves further down while the protrusions 122a1b and the first link 125a are in contact with each other, the protrusions 122a1b press the first link 125a to rotate.

The rotation continues until the case 122a is caught by the second fixing part 121b, as shown in FIG. 15 . As described above, the state in which the case 122a is caught in the second fixing part 121b is a state in which the driving wheel 123 has lost ground to the floor, that is, the driving wheel 123 does not touch the floor, so the driving wheel ( 123) is drooping down.

A switch 126 pressed by the rotation of the second link 125b is provided on the other surface of the mounting portion 121c on which the second link 125b is located. The switch 126 is mounted on the wheel cover 121 and may be electrically connected to the second connector 127 .

In a state in which the case 122a is caught by the second fixing part 121b, the second link 125b connected to the first link 125a presses the switch 126, and the pressurized switch 126 is the control unit. It is configured to transmit a pressurization signal to the furnace.

When the switch 126 is pressed, the controller may control the driving of the driving motor 122b.

For example, when the switch 126 is pressed, the controller may stop the driving of the driving motor 122b to prevent the driving wheel 123 from rotating. The control may be performed when all of the switches 126 provided on both left and right driving wheels 123 of the cleaner body 110 are pressed. This may be understood as a control for stopping the rotating driving wheel 123 when the cleaner body 110 is lifted by the user.

As another example, when the switch 126 provided on any one of the left and right driving wheels 123 of the cleaner body 110 is pressed, the control unit drives the driving motor 122b in the opposite direction. Thus, the driving wheel 123 can be rotated in the opposite direction. This may be understood as a control for escaping the obstacle when the cleaner body 110 is caught by the obstacle and one driving wheel 123 is idle.

As described above, when the driving module 122 moves downward by a predetermined distance, the protrusion of the driving module 122 rotates the link member 125 , and the rotated link member 125 turns the switch 126 . The rotation of the driving wheel 123 may be controlled (eg, stopped) when a situation occurs in which the driving wheel 123 does not come into contact with the floor surface by the pressing mechanism. Accordingly, stability may be improved, and user satisfaction may be improved.

Meanwhile, the detailed structure of the wheel assembly 120 has been described above based on the structure in which the wheel assembly 120 is detachably coupled to the cleaner body 110 . However, the driving module 122 , the suspension 124 , the link member 125 , the switch 126 , and the cliff sensor 129 may be respectively mounted on the cleaner body 110 without forming a single assembly.

In this case, the wheel house of the cleaner body 110 may replace the above-described function of the wheel cover 121 . The wheel house is formed to surround the upper portion of the driving wheel 123 .

First and second fixing parts 121a and 121b to which the guide bars 124a are mounted may be formed in the wheel house. The link member 125 may be rotatably mounted to the wheel house mounting unit 121c, and the switch 126 may also be mounted to the wheel house mounting unit 121c. The cliff sensor 129 may be disposed on the wheel house or at the bottom of the cleaner body 110 adjacent thereto.

In addition, the robot cleaner to which the present invention is applied has been described above as an example. The robot cleaner is only for easy understanding of examples to which the present invention is applied, and the present invention should not be construed as being limited to being applied only to the robot cleaner.

That is, the structure described above can be applied to any structure including the driving wheel 123 rotated by a driving force in all cleaners such as canister type and upride type.

Claims (22)

a cleaner body having a control unit;
a wheel cover mounted on the cleaner body;
a driving module coupled to the wheel cover to be movable up and down;
a driving wheel coupled to the driving module and configured to be rotatable by receiving a driving force from the driving module;
a guide bar coupled to the wheel cover and disposed vertically to pass through the driving module to guide the vertical movement of the driving module; and
and an elastic member formed to surround the guide bar and connected to the wheel cover and the driving module to absorb shock when the driving module moves up and down,
The wheel cover is
a first fixing part to which the upper end of the guide bar is fixed; and
It is formed to face the first fixing part, and includes a second fixing part to which the lower end of the guide bar is fixed,
The driving module is
and a case formed to be movable up and down by the guide bar between the first fixing part and the second fixing part.
According to claim 1,
The cleaner, characterized in that the receiving portion for accommodating at least a portion of the driving module is formed inside the driving wheel. According to claim 1,
The driving module is
a driving motor mounted to the case; and
The cleaner further comprising a planetary gear device for decelerating the rotation of the driving motor and transmitting it to the driving wheel.
4. The method of claim 3,
The rotating shaft of the driving motor and the rotating shaft of the driving wheel are disposed on the same axis. 4. The method of claim 3,
The planetary gear device,
a first planetary gear unit interlocking with the rotation shaft of the driving motor; and
and a second planetary gear unit interlocked with the first planetary gear unit and connected to the driving wheel. 6. The method of claim 5,
The case is
a main case having a through hole, to which the driving motor is mounted, and accommodating the first planetary gear unit;
a middle case coupled to the main case and disposed to cover the first planetary gear part and accommodating the second planetary gear part; and
and a front case coupled to the middle case and disposed to cover the second planetary gear unit. 7. The method of claim 6,
The first planetary gear unit,
a first sun gear coupled to the rotation shaft of the driving motor;
a first ring gear formed in the main case and accommodating the first sun gear therein;
A plurality of first planets meshing with the first sun gear and the first ring gear, rotating in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the first sun gear, and revolving around the first sun gear in the same direction as the rotation direction of the first sun gear Gear; and
and a first cage rotatably supporting a rotation axis of each of the plurality of first planetary gears. 8. The method of claim 7,
The second planetary gear unit,
a second sun gear formed in the first cage;
a second ring gear formed in the middle case and accommodating a second sun gear therein;
A plurality of second planets meshing with the second sun gear and the second ring gear, rotating in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the second sun gear, and revolving around the second sun gear in the same direction as the rotation direction of the second sun gear Gear; and
and a second cage rotatably supporting the rotation axis of each of the plurality of second planetary gears. 9. The method of claim 8,
The second cage has a cleaner, characterized in that the engaging projection is formed to engage the engaging groove of the driving wheel to prevent the driving wheel from spinning. delete According to claim 1,
When the case moves downward a predetermined distance, the case is configured to be caught by the second fixing part.
According to claim 1,
The elastic member is a cleaner, characterized in that each connected to the first fixing part and the case.
According to claim 1,
and a link member rotatably installed on the wheel cover, the link member being rotated in contact with the protrusion formed on the case when the case moves downward by a predetermined distance.
delete 14. The method of claim 13,
The link member is
a first link exposed to one side of the wheel cover on which the protrusion is located; and
and a second link coupled to the first link and exposed to the other side of the wheel cover.
According to claim 1,
A mounting portion recessed toward the top is formed on the bottom of the cleaner body,
A first connector electrically connected to the control unit is disposed on an inner surface of the mounting unit facing the opening of the mounting unit to face the opening,
A second connector electrically connected to the driving module and connected to the first connector when the wheel cover is accommodated in the mounting unit is provided on an upper portion of the wheel cover. delete delete delete delete delete delete

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