KR20220018174A - Mowing Robot - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mowing robot and, more specifically, to a mowing robot including: a body forming an exterior; a wheel moving the body; a blade provided in the bottom of the body to enable the body to perform mowing while being moved; and an antenna assembly for transmitting and receiving signals from a plurality of beacons installed in a working area in which the mowing is being performed. The antenna assembly includes: an antenna rod for transmitting and receiving the signals from the plurality of beacons; a support part spaced apart from the antenna rod to be combined with the body; an elastic member connecting the antenna rod with the support part, and providing a restoring force so as to enable the antenna rod to be returned to a preset position for the support part; and a wire member connecting the antenna rod with the support part, and supporting the antenna rod so as to maintain a spacing distance between the antenna rod and the support part at no more than a preset length. Therefore, the present invention is capable of properly relieving an external shock through the elastic member.

Description

Lawn Mowing Robot {Mowing Robot}

The present invention relates to a lawn mower robot including an antenna assembly for transmitting and receiving various types of information required for operation.

Robots have been developed for industrial use and have been a part of factory automation. Recently, the field of application of robots has been further expanded, and medical robots, aerospace robots, etc. are being developed, and household robots that can be used in a general residential environment are also being made. Among these robots, those capable of driving by their own force can be called mobile robots.

These mobile robots can perform tasks while driving autonomously without user manipulation. In order for a mobile robot to autonomously drive, location recognition of the robot may be essential. In general, the current position of the robot may be recognized using map information of the environment in which the mobile robot travels and various sensor data.

Meanwhile, a mobile robot used in an outdoor environment as well as a general residential environment is being developed, and a representative example of such a mobile robot is a lawn mower robot. The lawn mower robot is equipped with a lawn mower for trimming the lawn planted in the yard or playground of the home. can also be distinguished.

A lawn mower robot that automatically performs mowing while driving autonomously without a user's manipulation includes various information necessary for the operation, for example, mapping information on a work area, location information of the lawn mower robot, and a lawn mower robot. It may include an antenna assembly for transmitting and receiving location information of the charging device for use.

In this regard, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2017/0234961 A1 (hereinafter referred to as prior art) discloses a lawn mower robot including a base assembly and an antenna assembly connected by a spring, wherein the antenna assembly is protected from external impact by the spring. It can be returned to the pre-installed position without being damaged.

As disclosed in the prior art, in general, the antenna assembly may include an elastic member having an elastic force, and a cushioning action may be performed from an external impact through the elastic member. However, when an external shock is continuously applied to the antenna assembly, plastic deformation of the elastic member may occur, and accordingly, a buffering action from external shock may not be properly performed.

One of the various objects of the present invention is to provide a lawn mower robot including an antenna assembly that is prevented from plastic deformation due to external impact.

A lawn mower robot according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention may include an antenna assembly for transmitting and receiving signals from a plurality of beacons installed in a work area where lawn mowing is performed, wherein the antenna assembly includes: an antenna load for transmitting and receiving signals from a plurality of beacons; a support portion spaced apart from the antenna rod and coupled to the body; an elastic member connecting the antenna rod and the support part and providing a restoring force so that the antenna rod returns to a position previously installed with respect to the support part; and a wire member connecting the antenna rod and the support part and supporting the antenna rod so as to maintain a separation distance between the antenna rod and the support part to be less than or equal to a preset length. The wire member may include a metal, may extend along the longitudinal direction of the antenna rod together with the elastic member, and may have an extension length equal to the extension length of the elastic member in the longitudinal direction of the antenna rod have.

A lawn mower robot according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention includes: a body forming an exterior; a wheel for moving the body; a blade provided on a lower surface of the body to perform lawn mowing while the body moves; and an antenna assembly for transmitting and receiving signals from a plurality of beacons installed in a work area where lawn mowers are performed. The antenna assembly may include: an antenna rod for transmitting and receiving signals from the plurality of beacons; a support portion spaced apart from the antenna rod and coupled to the body; an elastic member connecting the antenna rod and the support part and providing a restoring force so that the antenna rod returns to a position previously installed with respect to the support part; and a wire member connecting the antenna rod and the support part and supporting the antenna rod so as to maintain a separation distance between the antenna rod and the support part to be less than or equal to a preset length.

The elastic member may include a spring extension portion extending between the antenna rod and the support portion and a pair of spring coupling portions provided at both ends of the spring extension portion, respectively, and the wire member may include the antenna rod and the support portion. It may include a wire extension portion extending therebetween and a pair of wire coupling portions respectively provided at both ends of the wire extension portion, and the spring extension portion and the wire extension portion may extend to have different shapes.

The spring extension may extend to have a spiral curved line shape, and the wire extension may extend to have a straight line shape.

The wire extension part and the spring extension part may have the same extension length in the longitudinal direction of the antenna rod.

The antenna rod may include a first coupling part provided under the antenna rod to which the elastic member and the wire member are coupled, respectively, and the support part is provided inside the support part and the elastic member and the wire member Each member may include a second coupling portion coupled to each other, the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of the antenna rod.

One of the pair of spring coupling parts and one of the pair of wire coupling parts may be coupled to the first coupling part together, and the other one of the pair of spring coupling parts and the pair of wire coupling parts may be coupled together. The other one may be coupled to the second coupling part together.

The pair of spring coupling parts and the pair of wire coupling parts may be disposed to overlap each other, and the wire extension part may extend from the inside of the spring extension part along a longitudinal direction of the antenna rod.

The antenna assembly may include: a support housing that entirely covers the support; and a corrugate tube coupled to the lower portion of the antenna rod and the support housing to protect the elastic member and the wire member, respectively.

The support housing may include a corrugated pipe coupling groove which is provided on the upper surface of the support housing and has a shape in which the upper surface of the support housing is partially removed, and the corrugated pipe is provided under the corrugated pipe and the corrugated pipe It may include a first corrugated pipe coupling part having a shape corresponding to the coupling groove, and the corrugated pipe may be coupled to the support housing by the first corrugated pipe coupling part being drawn into the corrugated pipe coupling groove.

The corrugated pipe may further include a first water penetration prevention rib having a shape protruding from the inner circumferential surface of the first corrugated pipe coupling part, and the support part is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the upper part of the support part and has a concave shape toward the inside of the corrugated pipe. It may further include a first rib receiving groove having a, the first water penetration prevention rib may be coupled to the first rib receiving groove when the corrugated pipe is coupled to the support housing.

The antenna rod may include a second corrugated pipe coupling portion provided under the antenna rod and having a shape protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the antenna rod, wherein the corrugated pipe has a corrugated uppermost layer of the corrugated pipe covering the second corrugated pipe coupling part Thus, it may be coupled to the antenna rod.

The antenna rod may further include an anti-rotation surface provided under the antenna rod and having a flat surface along the width direction of the antenna rod, and the corrugated pipe is provided inside the corrugated pipe and the antenna rod It may further include an anti-rotation portion having a flat surface along the width direction of the corrugated pipe may be prevented from rotating by being disposed to face the anti-rotation portion on the anti-rotation surface.

The antenna assembly may further include an antenna cap coupled to the upper portion of the corrugated pipe to protect the antenna rod.

The antenna cap may include a cap coupling groove provided under the antenna cap, the corrugated pipe may include a cap coupling part provided at an upper portion of the corrugated pipe, and the antenna cap may include the cap coupling part and the cap. It can be coupled to the corrugated pipe by the coupling of the coupling groove.

The cap coupling groove may have a shape in which the inner circumferential surface of the antenna cap is recessed, and the cap coupling part may have a shape protruding from the uppermost corrugation of the corrugated pipe toward the inner circumferential surface of the antenna cap.

The antenna assembly included in the lawn mower robot according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention includes an antenna rod for transmitting and receiving signals from a plurality of beacons installed in a work area where lawn mowing is performed, and the antenna rod is the lawn mower. It may include an elastic member for providing a restoring force to return to a position previously installed with respect to the robot, and a wire member for supporting the antenna rod to maintain a separation distance between the antenna rod and the lawn mower robot to a predetermined length or less.

The antenna assembly may be provided such that a cushioning action is performed from an external impact by the elastic member, and even when an external impact is continuously applied to the antenna assembly, the extension length of the elastic member is preset by the wire member. length can be maintained. Accordingly, plastic deformation of the elastic member may not occur, and accordingly, a buffering action from an external impact through the elastic member may be properly performed.

1 is a perspective view of a lawn mower robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a bottom view of FIG. 1 .
4 to 10 are perspective views and cross-sectional views illustrating an antenna assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following detailed description may be provided to provide a comprehensive understanding of the methods, apparatus, and/or systems described herein. However, this is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

In describing the embodiments of the present invention, if it is determined that the detailed description of the known technology related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof may be omitted. And, the terms to be described later are terms defined in consideration of functions in the present invention, which may vary according to intentions or customs of users and operators. Therefore, the definition should be made based on the content throughout this specification. The terminology used in the detailed description is for the purpose of describing embodiments of the present invention only, and should not be limiting in any way. Unless explicitly used otherwise, expressions in the singular may include meanings in the plural. In this description, expressions such as “comprising” or “comprising” are intended to indicate certain features, numbers, steps, acts, elements, some or a combination thereof, one or more other than those described. It should not be construed to exclude the presence or possibility of other features, numbers, steps, acts, elements, or any part or combination thereof.

In addition, in describing the components of the embodiment of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used. These terms are only for distinguishing the elements from other elements, and the essence, order, or order of the elements are not limited by the terms.

1 is a perspective view of a lawn mower robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a bottom view of FIG. 1 .

1 and 2 , the lawn mower robot 1 of the present embodiment may include a body 10 forming an exterior, and the body 10 may form an interior space. The lawn mower robot 1 may include wheels 20 for moving the body 10 with respect to the running surface. The lawn mower robot 1 may include a blade 30 for mowing the lawn while the body 10 moves along a running surface.

The body 10 may form a bottom surface of the lawn mower robot 1 , and may include a frame 11 to which the wheels 20 , the motor 21 , the blade 30 and the like are fixed. A blade motor providing rotational force to the blade 30 may be fixed to the rear surface of the frame 11 . The frame 11 may provide a skeletal structure for supporting various other parts, and the frame 11 may be supported on the running surface by the auxiliary wheels 22 and the wheels 20 .

A caster (not shown) for rotatably supporting the auxiliary wheel 22 may be disposed on the frame 11 . The caster may be rotatably disposed with respect to the frame 11 , and the caster may be rotatably provided about a vertical axis. The caster may be disposed on the lower side of the frame 11 . A pair of casters corresponding to the pair of auxiliary wheels 22 may be provided.

The body 10 may include a case 12 that forms an inner space of the lawn mower robot 1 by having the frame 11 cover the upper portion. The case 12 may form the upper surface and the front, rear, left, and right side surfaces of the lawn mower robot 1 .

The body 10 may further include a case connection part (not shown) for fixing the case 12 to the frame 11 , and the case 12 may be fixed to an upper end of the case connection part. The case connection part may be movably disposed on the frame 11 . The case connection part may be arranged to be movable only in the vertical direction with respect to the frame 11 . The case connection part may be provided to be movable only within a predetermined range. As the case connection part flows integrally with the case 12 , the case 12 may be provided to be movable with respect to the frame 11 .

The body 10 may include a bumper 12a disposed on the front part. The bumper 12a may be installed in front of the lawn mower robot 1 to absorb shock when the lawn mower robot 1 comes into contact with an external obstacle while driving. The bumper 12a has a front surface and left and right side surfaces connected to each other to cover some of the front surface and side surfaces of the body 10, and the front surface and side surfaces of the bumper 12a may be connected in a round manner. The bumper 12a is preferably formed of a material advantageous to shock absorption, such as rubber.

The body 10 may include a handle 13 . The handle 13 may be disposed on the rear side of the case 12 . The handle 13 is a component gripped by a user, and since relatively heavy components such as wheels 20, a motor 21, and a battery (not shown) are provided on the rear side of the lawn mower robot 1, the handle 13 is Reference numeral 13 is disposed on the rear side of the case 12 so that the user can more stably hold the lawn mower robot 1 .

The body 10 may include a battery cover 14 for inserting and withdrawing a battery (not shown) built into the lawn mower robot 1 . The battery cover 14 may be disposed on the lower side of the frame 11 . The battery cover 14 may be disposed on the rear side of the frame 11 .

The body 10 may include a power switch 15 for turning on/off the power of the lawn mower robot 1 . The power switch 15 may be disposed on the frame 11 .

The body 10 may include a blade cover 16 that covers the lower side of the central portion of the blade 30 . The blade cover 16 may be provided such that the blade of the centrifugal direction portion of the blade 30 is exposed, but the central portion of the blade 30 is covered.

The blade 30 may be a component for mowing grass by a blade in a centrifugal direction by rotating about the rotation shaft 30r. Since the blade cover 16 covers the central portion of the blade 30 , it is possible to prevent a safety accident from occurring due to the blade 30 when the user handles the lawn mower robot 1 . In addition, it is possible to prevent the blade motor (not shown) from being overloaded due to turf foreign matter or the like caught in the rotation shaft portion of the blade 30 .

The body 10 may include a first cover 17 that opens and closes a portion on which the height adjustment unit 31 and the height display unit 33 are disposed. The first cover 17 is hinged to the case 12, and may be provided with an opening operation and a closing operation by rotating it. The first cover 17 may be disposed on the upper surface of the case 12 . The first cover 17 is formed in a plate shape and covers the upper sides of the height adjustment unit 31 and the height display unit 33 in the closed state. The first cover 17 may be made of a transparent material so that the user can check the height indicator 33 in the closed state.

The lawn mower robot 1 is provided so that the height of the blade 30 with respect to the ground can be changed, so that the lawn mower robot 1 can change the lawn mower height while driving. The height adjustment unit 31 is a configuration that allows the height of the blade 30 to be changed, and may be provided as a rotatable dial. A user may change the height of the blade 30 by opening the first cover 17 and rotating the height adjusting unit 31 to change the height of the blade 30 .

The height display unit 33 may display the height level of the blade 30 . When the height of the blade 30 is changed according to the manipulation of the height adjustment unit 31 , the height level displayed by the height display unit 33 may also be changed correspondingly. For example, the height display unit 33 may predict and display an expected height value of the lawn after the lawn mower robot 1 performs lawn mowing with the current height of the blade 30 .

The body 10 may include a second cover 18 that opens and closes a portion where the display module 37 and the input unit 35 are disposed. The second cover 18 may be hinge-coupled to the case 12 so that an opening operation and a closing operation are possible. The second cover 18 may be disposed on the upper surface of the case 12 . The second cover 18 may be disposed behind the first cover 17 . The second cover 18 is formed in a plate shape and covers the display module 37 and the input unit 35 in a closed state. The second cover 18 may be made of a transparent material so that the user can check the display module 37 in the closed state.

It is preferable that the openable angle of the second cover 18 is set to be smaller than the openable angle of the first cover 17 . Because, in the state in which the second cover 18 is opened, the user can easily open the first cover 17 to operate the height adjustment unit 31, and even in the open state of the second cover 18, the user can adjust the height The contents of the display unit 33 can be visually checked easily.

Accordingly, the first cover 17 operates by lifting the rear end upwards around the front end, and the second cover 18 performs the opening operation by lifting the rear end upwards around the front end, the first cover (17) and the opening operation of the second cover 18 is preferably provided so as not to interfere with each other.

The display module 37 may be disposed on the upper side of the case 12 to output information to the user in an upward direction. For example, the display module 37 may include a thin film transistor liquid crystal display (LCD) panel. In addition, the display module 37 may be implemented using various display panels such as a plasma display panel or an organic light emitting diode display panel.

The input unit 35 may include a button, a dial, and a touch display. Also, the input unit 35 may include a microphone (not shown) for voice recognition. The input unit 35 of the present embodiment may be provided in a configuration in which a plurality of buttons are disposed on the upper side of the case 12 .

The wheel 20 may include a wheel 20a provided on the left side of the lawn mower robot 1 and a wheel 20b provided on the right side of the lawnmower robot 1 . The pair of wheels may be disposed to be spaced apart from one another to the left and right, and may be disposed on a lower rear portion of the body 10 . Preferably, the pair of wheels are each independently rotatably provided. For example, when the pair of wheels rotate at the same rotational speed, the body 11 may perform a forward or backward motion with respect to the ground. And when the rotational speed of the wheel 20a and the wheel 20b are different, the body 11 may perform a rotational motion with respect to the ground.

The wheel 30 may transmit power by the motor 21 . In the motor 21 , a motor 21a providing power to the wheel 20a and a motor 21b providing power to the wheel 20b may be disposed to be left and right, respectively, spaced apart from each other. The motor 21 may be disposed on a lower rear portion of the body 11 .

In this embodiment, the wheel 20a and the wheel 20b are directly connected to the rotation shaft of the motor 21a and the rotation shaft of the motor 21b), respectively, but parts such as a shaft may be connected to the wheels, and a gear or a chain It may be implemented such that the rotational force of the motors 21a and 21b is transmitted to the wheels 20a and 20b.

The auxiliary wheel 22 is configured to support the body 11 from the ground together with the wheel 20 , and may be disposed on the lower front side of the body 11 . The auxiliary wheel 22 of this embodiment may be disposed in front of the blade 30 . The auxiliary wheel 22 is a wheel that does not receive driving force by a motor, and may serve to support the body 11 with respect to the ground. The caster supporting the rotation shaft of the auxiliary wheel 22 may be rotatably coupled to the frame 11 with respect to a vertical axis. The auxiliary wheel 22 may include an auxiliary wheel 22a disposed on the left and an auxiliary wheel 22b disposed on the right side.

3 is a perspective view illustrating a lawn mower robot, a charging device for a lawn mower robot for charging the lawn mower robot, and a beacon for specifying a work area of the lawn mower robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the lawn mower robot 1 of the present embodiment is provided in the rear portion of the body 10 and includes various types of information necessary for work, for example, mapping information for a work area, lawn mowers. It may include an antenna assembly 100 for transmitting and receiving location information of the robot 1, location information of the charging device 200 for a lawn mower robot, and the like. The mapping information may be obtained when the antenna assembly 100 transmits/receives signals to and from a plurality of beacons 300 installed in the work area.

In the lawn mower robot (1) traveling in a work area in which a plurality of beacons are installed, the orientation transmitted from the beacon (300) to increase the accuracy of positioning the lawn mower robot (1) in the work area The position of the lawn mower robot 1 can be measured based on the LOS signal by distinguishing the LOS (Line Of Sight) signal and the NLOS (None Line Of Sight) signal from the information.

The LOS signal means a linear signal transmitted from at least one of a plurality of beacons 300 installed in the work area and transmitted to the lawn mower 1 , and generally, the LOS signal is transmitted from the beacon 300 . It is a signal having the shortest distance to the mobile robot (1).

The NLOS signal is transmitted from at least one of the plurality of beacons 300 installed in the work area to the lawn mower robot 1 by an obstacle or other external factors among signals transmitted to the lawn mower robot 1 . It is a signal that is not transmitted directly but is transmitted by returning to a path farther than the shortest path.

Accordingly, the NLOS signal may mean a signal that always returns to a path farther than the LOS signal.

The lawn mower robot 1 of the present embodiment may start traveling and move into the work area or may start running within the work area. As described above, since the lawn mower robot 1 receives a signal from the beacon 300 installed in the work area to recognize the position of the lawn mower robot 1 , before acquiring the orientation data of the beacon 300 , the lawn The mowing robot 1 is preferably located in the work area.

Accordingly, when the lawn mower robot 1 starts traveling within the work area, the beacon orientation information can be acquired, and the orientation information transmitted from the beacon 300 is transmitted from the antenna assembly ( The direction information received and received by the lawn mower robot 1 through 100) may be stored in a memory (not shown) installed in the robot cleaner.

In addition, the lawn mower robot 1 may perform a driving approach to the charging device 200 for the lawn mower robot for charging, and the location information of the charging device 200 for the lawn mower robot also includes the antenna assembly 100 . through the lawn mower robot 1 .

Hereinafter, the antenna assembly 100 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 10 .

4 to 10 are perspective views and cross-sectional views illustrating an antenna assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. More specifically, FIGS. 4, 6, 7 and 8 are perspective views, respectively, and FIGS. 5, 9 and 10 are cross-sectional views, respectively. 4 is an exploded perspective view for explaining the components of the antenna assembly, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of area A of FIG. 3 .

4 and 5 , the antenna assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an antenna rod for transmitting and receiving signals from the charging device 200 for a lawn mower robot and a plurality of beacons 300 , respectively. (110), the antenna rod 110 is spaced apart from the support portion 120 coupled to the body 10 of the lawnmower robot (1), the antenna rod 110 and the support portion 120 are connected, the antenna rod (110) An elastic member 130 providing a restoring force to return to a previously installed position with respect to the support 120 , and the antenna rod 110 and the support part 120 are connected, and the distance between the antenna rod 110 and the support part 120 . It may include a wire member 140 supporting the antenna rod 110 to maintain the distance to be less than or equal to a preset length.

The antenna rod 110 may have a cylindrical shape as a whole.

The support unit 120 may have a lower portion of a polygonal box shape, for example, a rectangular box shape, and may be provided such that an upper portion thereof has a cylindrical shape.

The antenna rod 110 is provided under the antenna rod 110 and may include a first coupling part 115 to which the elastic member 130 and the wire member 140 are coupled, respectively, and the support part 120 is , which is provided inside the lower portion of the support portion 120 and may include a second coupling portion 125 to which the elastic member 130 and the wire member 140 are coupled, respectively. The first coupling part 115 and the second coupling part 125 may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the antenna rod 110 .

The elastic member 130 includes a spring extension portion 135 extending between the antenna rod 110 and the support portion 120 and a pair of spring coupling portions 133 and 137 respectively provided at both ends of the spring extension portion 135 . ) may be included. Among the pair of spring coupling parts 133 and 137 , the spring coupling part formed at the upper part may be referred to as an upper spring coupling part 133 , and the spring coupling part formed in the lower part may be referred to as the lower spring coupling part 137 . . At this time, since the upper spring coupling part 133 and the lower spring coupling part 137 may have the same shape by being symmetrical to each other, the names referring to them may be used interchangeably.

The spring extension part 135 and the pair of spring coupling parts 133 and 137 may be integrally formed. The spring extension part 135 and the pair of spring coupling parts 133 and 137 may be made of metal and/or plastic having elasticity together.

The wire member 140 is a wire extension portion 145 extending between the antenna rod 110 and the support portion 120 and a pair of wire coupling portions 143 and 147 provided at both ends of the wire extension portion 145, respectively. ) may be included. Among the pair of wire coupling parts 143 and 147 , the wire coupling part formed on the upper part may be referred to as an upper wire coupling part 143 , and the wire coupling part formed in the lower part may be referred to as a lower wire coupling part 147 . . At this time, since the upper wire coupling part 143 and the lower wire coupling part 147 are symmetrical to each other and may have the same shape, the names referring to them may be used interchangeably.

The wire extension part 145 and the pair of wire coupling parts 143 and 147 may not be integrally formed, and the wire extension part 145 winds the pair of wire coupling parts 143 and 147 respectively. can be formed to In this case, the wire extension portion 145 may be made of metal and/or plastic having no elasticity or small elasticity, and the material of each of the pair of wire coupling portions 143 and 147 is not particularly limited.

Alternatively, the wire extension part 145 and the pair of wire coupling parts 143 and 147 may be integrally formed, and in this case, the wire extension part 145 and the pair of wire coupling parts do not have elasticity together. or made of metal and/or plastic with little elasticity.

In example embodiments, the spring extension 135 and the wire extension 145 may extend to have different shapes. In an embodiment, the spring extension 135 may extend to have a spiral curved line shape, and the wire extension 145 may extend to have a straight line shape.

The wire extension 145 and the spring extension 135 may have the same extension length in the longitudinal direction of the antenna rod 110 . That is, the extension length of the wire extension part 145 in the longitudinal direction of the antenna rod 110 and the extension length of the spring extension part 135 in the longitudinal direction of the antenna rod 110 may be the same.

The pair of wire coupling portions 143 and 147 and the pair of spring coupling portions 133 and 137 may be disposed to overlap each other, and the antenna rod 110 and Each may be coupled to the support 120 and fixed.

One of the pair of spring coupling parts 133 and 137 and one of the pair of wire coupling parts 143 and 147 may be coupled to the first coupling part 115 together, and the pair of spring coupling parts may be coupled together. The other one of the parts 133 and 137 and the other one of the pair of wire coupling parts 143 and 147 may be coupled to the second coupling part 125 together.

More specifically, the upper wire coupling portion 143 and the upper spring coupling portion 133 are disposed to overlap each other and may be coupled to the first coupling portion 115 through one fixing member 150, and the lower wire coupling portion The part 147 and the lower spring coupling part 137 are also disposed to overlap each other and may be coupled to the second coupling part 125 through one fixing member 150 . In one embodiment, in a state in which the wire member 140 and the spring member 130 are respectively coupled to the wire rod 110 and the support part 120 , the wire extension part 145 is the inner side of the spring extension part 135 . may extend along the longitudinal direction of the antenna rod 110 .

Although not shown, the wire member 140 may be coupled so as not to overlap the spring member 130 . That is, the wire rod 110 may further include a third coupling part (not shown) provided to be spaced apart from the first coupling part 115 , and the support part 120 may be spaced apart from the second coupling part 125 . It may further include a provided fourth coupling part (not shown), and the third coupling part and the fourth coupling part may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the antenna rod 110 . In this case, the spring member 130 may be coupled to the first coupling part 115 and the second coupling part 125 , and the wire member 140 may be coupled to the third coupling part and the fourth coupling part. In this case, the wire member 140 may be coupled so as not to overlap the spring member 130 . Meanwhile, the wire member 140 is coupled to the first coupling part 115 and the second coupling part 125 , and the spring member 130 is coupled to the third coupling part and the fourth coupling part, whereby the wire member (140) It is also possible to be coupled so as not to overlap the spring member (130). That is, the wire member 140 may be coupled to overlap the spring member 130 , or may be coupled not to overlap the spring member 130 .

The antenna assembly 100 is provided on the lower portion of the antenna rod 110 and the support housing 129 to protect the support housing 129, the elastic member 130, and the wire member 140 that cover the support 120 as a whole. It may further include an antenna cap 170 coupled to the upper portion of the corrugated tube (corrugate tube, 160), and the corrugated tube (160) to protect the antenna rod (110). Each of the corrugated pipe 160 and the antenna cap 170 may be made of a rubber material.

6 to 9, the support housing 129 is provided on the upper surface of the support housing 129, the corrugated pipe coupling groove 1290 having a shape in which the upper surface of the support housing 129 is partially removed. may include, and the corrugated pipe 160 is provided under the corrugated pipe 160, and may include a first corrugated pipe coupling part 1600 having a shape corresponding to the corrugated pipe coupling groove 1290, and the corrugated pipe 160 ) may be coupled to the support housing 129 as the first corrugated pipe coupling portion 1600 is drawn into the corrugated pipe coupling groove 1290 .

The corrugated pipe 160 may further include a first water penetration prevention rib 1605 having a shape protruding from the inner circumferential surface of the first corrugated pipe coupling part 1600 , and the support part 120 is the outer circumferential surface of the upper part of the support part 120 . It is provided in the corrugated pipe 160 may further include a first rib receiving groove 1295 having a concave shape toward the inside. The first water penetration preventing rib 1605 may be coupled to the first rib receiving groove 1295 when the corrugated pipe 160 is coupled to the support housing 129 , and thus water penetrates into the support 120 . At the same time, the coupling between the corrugated pipe 160 and the support housing 129 can be made stronger.

The corrugated pipe 160 may further include a support coupling part 165 coupled to a lower portion of the support part 120 , and the support coupling part 165 may be coupled to a lower part of the support part 120 . In this case, the rectangular box shape of the lower portion of the support part 120 may be provided so that one surface is open, and the support part coupling part 165 may be provided to cover one surface of the rectangular box shape.

8 (a) shows a state before the lower portion of the corrugated pipe 160 is coupled to the support 120 and the support housing 129, and FIG. 8 (b) shows the lower portion of the corrugated pipe 160 is the support 120 ) and a state after being coupled to the support housing 129 is shown.

6 and 10 together, the antenna rod 110 is provided under the antenna rod 110 and includes a second corrugated tube coupling portion 117 having a shape protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the antenna rod 110 . The corrugated pipe 160 may be coupled to the antenna rod 110 by covering the second corrugated pipe coupling portion 117 with the corrugated top layer of the corrugated pipe 160 .

In this case, the antenna rod 110 is provided under the antenna rod 110, and may further include a rotation preventing surface 119 having a flat surface along the width direction of the antenna rod 110, and the corrugated pipe 160 ) is provided on the inner side of the upper portion of the corrugated pipe 160 and may further include a rotation preventing portion 168 having a flat surface along the width direction of the antenna rod (110). The corrugated pipe 160 is disposed so that the anti-rotation unit 168 faces the anti-rotation surface 119 , thereby preventing rotation.

In exemplary embodiments, the second corrugated tube coupling portion 117 and the rotation preventing surface 119 may be formed at the same height as each other on the outer peripheral surface of the lower portion of the antenna rod 110, but on different surfaces of the outer peripheral surface. can be formed. In one embodiment, the second corrugated pipe coupling portion 117 and the rotation preventing surface 119 may be formed in plurality, respectively, and the plurality of second corrugated pipe coupling portions 117 and the plurality of rotation preventing surfaces 119 are It may be alternately arranged repeatedly.

4 and 10 together, the antenna cap 170 may include a cap coupling groove 175 provided at a lower portion of the antenna cap 170 , and the corrugated pipe 160 is an upper portion of the corrugated pipe 160 . It may include a cap coupling part 169 provided in the , and the antenna cap 170 may be coupled to the corrugated pipe 160 by coupling the cap coupling part 169 and the cap coupling groove 175 .

The cap coupling groove 175 may have a shape in which the inner circumferential surface of the lower portion of the antenna cap 170 is recessed, and the cap coupling portion 169 is formed from the uppermost corrugation of the corrugated pipe 160 to the inner circumferential surface of the lower portion of the antenna cap 170 . It may have a shape protruding outward toward the.

The cap coupling portion 169 may be coupled to the cap coupling groove 175 , and accordingly, the antenna cap 170 is coupled to the corrugated pipe 160 , and water penetrates into the antenna cap 160 . can be prevented. The cap coupling portion 169 may be referred to as a second water penetration prevention rib, and the cap coupling groove 175 may be referred to as a second water penetration prevention groove.

As described above, the antenna assembly 100 included in the lawn mower robot 1 according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention receives a signal from a plurality of beacons 300 installed in a work area where lawn mowing is performed. An antenna rod 110 for transmitting and receiving , an elastic member 130 that provides a restoring force so that the antenna rod 110 returns to a position previously installed with respect to the lawn mower robot 1 , and the antenna rod 110 and the lawn mower robot It may include a wire member 140 supporting the antenna rod 110 to maintain the separation distance of (1) to be less than or equal to a preset length.

The antenna assembly 100 may be provided such that a cushioning action is performed from an external impact by the elastic member 130 , and even when an external impact is continuously applied to the antenna assembly 100 , the length of the elastic member 130 is extended. may be maintained below a preset length by the wire member 140 . Accordingly, plastic deformation of the elastic member 130 may not occur, and accordingly, a buffering action from an external impact through the elastic member 130 may be properly performed.

Although various embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains will understand that various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention with respect to the above-described embodiments. . Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, and may have to be defined not only by the following claims, but also by these claims and equivalents.

1: lawn mower robot 10: main body
20: wheel 100: antenna assembly
110: antenna rod 115: first coupling part
120: support part 125: second coupling part
129: support housing 130: elastic member
133, 137: spring coupling portion 135: spring extension portion
140: wire member 143, 147: wire coupling portion
150: fixing member 160: corrugated pipe
170: antenna cap
200: charging device for lawn mower robot 300: beacon

Claims (15)

a body forming an appearance;
a wheel for moving the body;
a blade provided on a lower surface of the body to perform lawn mowing while the body moves; and
and an antenna assembly for transmitting and receiving signals from a plurality of beacons installed in a work area where lawn mowers are performed;
The antenna assembly comprises:
an antenna load for transmitting and receiving signals from the plurality of beacons;
a support portion spaced apart from the antenna rod and coupled to the body;
an elastic member connecting the antenna rod and the support part, and providing a restoring force so that the antenna rod returns to a position previously installed with respect to the support part; and
and a wire member connecting the antenna rod and the support part and supporting the antenna rod so as to maintain a separation distance between the antenna rod and the support part less than or equal to a preset length. According to claim 1,
The elastic member includes a spring extension portion extending between the antenna rod and the support portion and a pair of spring coupling portions respectively provided at both ends of the spring extension portion,
The wire member includes a wire extension portion extending between the antenna rod and the support portion and a pair of wire coupling portions respectively provided at both ends of the wire extension portion, and
The lawn mower robot extends so that the spring extension portion and the wire extension portion have different shapes. 3. The method of claim 2,
The spring extension extends to have a spiral curved line shape, and
The wire extension portion is a lawn mower robot that extends to have a straight line shape. 4. The method of claim 3,
The wire extension part and the spring extension part have the same extension length in the longitudinal direction of the antenna rod. 4. The method of claim 3,
The antenna rod includes a first coupling part provided under the antenna rod and to which the elastic member and the wire member are respectively coupled,
The support portion includes a second coupling portion provided inside the support portion and to which the elastic member and the wire member are coupled, respectively, and
The first coupling part and the second coupling part are arranged to be spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction of the antenna rod. 6. The method of claim 5,
One of the pair of spring coupling parts and one of the pair of wire coupling parts are coupled together to the first coupling part, and
The other one of the pair of spring coupling parts and the other one of the pair of wire coupling parts are coupled together to the second coupling part. 7. The method of claim 6,
The pair of spring coupling parts and the pair of wire coupling parts are arranged to overlap each other, and
The wire extension portion extends along the length direction of the antenna rod from the inside of the spring extension portion. 6. The method of claim 5,
The antenna assembly comprises:
a support housing that entirely covers the support; and
and corrugate tubes respectively coupled to the lower portion of the antenna rod and the support housing to protect the elastic member and the wire member. 9. The method of claim 8,
The support housing includes a corrugated pipe coupling groove which is provided on the upper surface of the support housing and has a shape in which the upper surface of the support housing is partially removed,
The corrugated pipe is provided under the corrugated pipe and includes a first corrugated pipe coupling part having a shape corresponding to the corrugated pipe coupling groove, and
The corrugated pipe is a lawn mower robot in which the first corrugated pipe coupling portion is inserted into the corrugated pipe coupling groove to be coupled to the support housing housing. 10. The method of claim 9,
The corrugated pipe further includes a first water penetration prevention rib having a shape protruding from the inner circumferential surface of the first corrugated pipe coupling part,
The support part further includes a first rib receiving groove provided on the outer peripheral surface of the support part and having a concave shape toward the inside of the corrugated pipe, and
The first water penetration prevention rib is coupled to the first rib receiving groove when the corrugated pipe is coupled to the support housing. 10. The method of claim 9,
The antenna rod includes a second corrugated tube coupling portion provided under the antenna rod and having a shape protruding from an outer circumferential surface of the antenna rod, and
The corrugated pipe is a lawn mower robot in which the uppermost corrugation of the corrugated pipe is coupled to the antenna rod by covering the second corrugated pipe coupling part. 12. The method of claim 11,
The antenna rod further includes a rotation preventing surface provided under the antenna rod and having a flat surface along the width direction of the antenna rod,
The corrugated pipe is provided on the inside of the upper part of the corrugated pipe and further includes an anti-rotation part having a flat surface along the width direction of the antenna rod, and
The corrugated pipe is a lawn mower robot that is prevented from rotating by disposing the anti-rotation part to face the anti-rotation surface. 12. The method of claim 11,
The antenna assembly comprises:
The lawn mower robot further comprising a; antenna cap coupled to the upper portion of the corrugated pipe to protect the antenna rod. 14. The method of claim 13,
The antenna cap includes a cap coupling groove provided under the antenna cap, the corrugated pipe includes a cap coupling part provided on an upper portion of the corrugated pipe, and the antenna cap is a coupling between the cap coupling part and the cap coupling groove A lawn mower robot coupled to the corrugated pipe by a 15. The method of claim 14,
The cap coupling groove has a shape in which an inner circumferential surface of the antenna cap is recessed, and the cap coupling part has a shape protruding from the uppermost corrugation of the corrugated pipe toward the inner circumferential surface of the antenna cap.

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