KR20220044316A - robotic vacuum - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a robot cleaner, and more particularly, a structure that can immediately escape from the restraint state when the robot cleaner is placed in a restrained state in which the wheels are removed from the main body of the robot cleaner while the robot cleaner is traveling on the floor of the area to be cleaned is applied It is about a robot vacuum cleaner.

Description

robotic vacuum

The present invention relates to a robot cleaner that performs cleaning by sucking dust, foreign substances, etc. while traveling on a floor by itself.

In general, a cleaner includes a main body having a suction device and a dust container, and a cleaning nozzle connected to the main body to perform cleaning in a state close to the floor surface of the area to be cleaned.

The vacuum cleaner is divided into a manual cleaner in which a user manually cleans the floor, and a robot cleaner in which the main body cleans the floor while driving by itself.

In the manual vacuum cleaner, when the user places the cleaning nozzle on the floor while holding the cleaning nozzle or the main body in a state in which the suction device generates a suction force by the driving force of the electric motor, the cleaning is performed by the suction force The nozzle sucks foreign substances including dust on the floor, and the suctioned foreign substances are collected in the dust container, whereby the floor surface is cleaned.

The robot vacuum cleaner sucks foreign substances such as dust from the floor while driving in the area to be cleaned by itself. That is, the robot cleaner automatically performs cleaning of a predetermined area. To this end, the robot cleaner is provided with a distance sensor for detecting the distance to obstacles such as furniture, office supplies, and walls installed in the cleaning area, and left and right wheels for moving the robot cleaner. Here, the left and right wheels are configured to be rotated by a left wheel motor and a right wheel motor, respectively, and the robot cleaner automatically changes directions according to the driving of the left wheel motor and the right wheel motor to clean the room.

In addition, a suction nozzle for sucking foreign substances from the floor is provided under the robot cleaner. The suction nozzle includes a nozzle case fixed immovably to the cleaner body, a suction port formed on the bottom of the nozzle case for sucking foreign substances, and a rotatably provided at the suction port to remove foreign substances such as dust accumulated on the floor into the suction port It consists of a sweep-up agitator.

When the robot cleaner is running, if the height of an obstacle located at a predetermined height such as a threshold existing in the cleaning target area is high, a problem occurs that the wheels of the main body cannot ride over the obstacle. In this case, the robot cleaner may be constrained.

In a state in which the robot cleaner is restrained, the motor continues to rotate while the wheel is caught in the obstacle, which may cause damage to the wheel, overload of the motor, battery consumption of the robot cleaner, and the like.

Korean Patent Laid-Open Patent Publication (10-2014-0067705, publication date: June 05, 2014) discloses that a movement assistance device 200 is provided to climb an obstacle such as a threshold, and the movement assistance device 200 is a second driving unit 210 , the movable member 230 receiving power from the second driving unit 210 , the power transmission unit 220 transmitting the power of the second driving unit 210 to the movable member 230 , and the power transmission A housing 201 containing the portion 220 is shown.

That is, in the case of the prior literature, as a swing suspension type, a separate motor is required, and a separate sensor that detects that the robot cleaner's wheel is in a restrained state such as a wheel dropout phenomenon that does not touch the floor through a separate sensor There is a problem in that it is technically and structurally complicated because it requires control.

Accordingly, the invention of various embodiments disclosed by this document aims to solve the above-described problem.

One of the various problems of the present invention is to provide a mechanism capable of applying a ground frictional force with the floor in a state in which the wheel of the robot cleaner is removed.

One of the various problems of the present invention is to provide a structure that can be grounded with the floor by receiving the power of the motor for driving the wheels without the need for a separate motor.

One of the various problems of the present invention is to provide a structure that does not contact the floor while the robot cleaner is running, and contacts the floor when the wheel of the robot cleaner descends with respect to the body and a wheel dropout phenomenon occurs.

In order to solve the various problems of the present invention, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is a robot cleaner having a wheel, meshing with an end gear shaft of a speed reducer for driving the wheel to generate rotation, and using this rotation 1 Post a structure that protrudes from the wheel and contacts the floor when the wheel comes off as much as the suspension stroke due to the combination of link members with degrees of freedom.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the structure does not come out when the wheel of the robot cleaner is hidden in the body, and the structure (linkage) protrudes to the outside in a situation where the wheel is removed from the body of the robot cleaner and is located below the wheel , Post a robot cleaner capable of escaping the restraint situation by causing contact and friction with the floor by performing repetitive reciprocating movements of the structure.

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a main body running on the floor and a wheel provided in the lower part of the main body to rotate the main body and connecting the main body and the wheel, and changing the height of the wheel with respect to the main body An effector that is provided on one side of the driving unit and the wheel, and includes an escape portion contacting the floor according to a change in height of the wheel, wherein the escape portion performs a reciprocating motion along a radial direction of the wheel from one side of the wheel It provides a robot cleaner comprising a.

Preferably, the driving unit may include a motor for generating rotational power of the wheel and a reduction unit provided between the motor and the wheel to transmit the power of the motor, and one side of the reduction unit is connected to the motor, and the The other end of the reduction unit is connected to the wheel, and the reduction unit rotates based on one side, so that the height of the wheel may be changed with respect to the main body.

The escape part may further include a link part provided in the reduction part to rotate, the effector may be connected to the link part to perform a reciprocating motion by rotation of the link part, and the link part may be applied to the power of the motor. can be rotated by

The link unit may include a first link member connected to the reduction unit, rotating about a rotation axis, and one end connected to the first link member, and the other end connected to the effector to perform a rotational movement of the first link member. It may include a second link member for transmitting to the effector, the rotation shaft of the first link member may be formed to be the same as the rotation shaft of the wheel.

The first link member may include a protruding member protruding from the first link member, and the second link member may include a groove coupled to the protruding member on one side of the second link member, the The protruding member may be formed to protrude at a position deviated from the rotational axis of the first link member.

The effector may include a guide part penetrating through the effector along the longitudinal direction of the effector and forming a reciprocating motion range of the effector, and the deceleration part is inserted into the guide part to perform the reciprocating motion of the effector. It may include a guide member for supporting.

The effector may include a contact member provided at one end of the effector and contacting the floor according to a change in height of the wheel.

On the other hand, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a main body traveling on the floor and a wheel provided in the lower part of the main body to rotate the main body and the main body and the wheel are connected, and the main body is uniaxial with respect to the main body. A traveling part that changes the height of the wheel with respect to the body as it rotates and an escape part provided on one side of the wheel, the escape part coming into contact with the floor as the wheel moves away from the body, wherein the escape part is connected to the floor By contacting, it provides a robot cleaner, characterized in that pushing the wheel from the floor.

Preferably, the escape unit may include an effector that performs a reciprocating motion from one side of the wheel toward the radial direction of the wheel, and the traveling unit includes a motor generating rotational power of the wheel, the effector comprising: Reciprocating motion may be performed by receiving the power of the motor.

Further scope of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples represent preferred embodiments of the present invention and are merely exemplary. The reason is that various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art within the spirit and scope of the detailed description of the present invention.

According to the invention of various embodiments published by this document, without separately controlling the structure for escaping the restraint state of the robot cleaner, as the wheel descends with respect to the body of the robot cleaner, the structure is grounded with the floor to make the robot cleaner can escape the restraint of

In addition, it is possible to escape the restraint state of the robot cleaner through the motor for rotation of the wheel without the need to use a separate motor for the structure.

In addition, the structure does not contact the floor while the robot cleaner is running, so it does not interfere with the running of the robot cleaner. can escape the restraint of

1 is a view showing a lower surface of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is an internal perspective view of a robot cleaner according to an exemplary embodiment.
3 is a view showing a lower surface of FIG.
FIG. 4 is a view showing a wheel, a driving part, and an escape part of FIG. 2 .
FIG. 5 is a view showing a side surface and an effector of FIG. 4 .
Fig. 6 is a view showing the embodiment of Fig. 4;
7 is a view illustrating a driving and restraining state of a robot cleaner according to an exemplary embodiment.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following detailed description is provided to provide a comprehensive understanding of the methods, devices, 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 will 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 in no way be limiting. Unless explicitly used otherwise, expressions in the singular include the meaning of 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 view showing a lower surface of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, it will be described with reference to FIG. 1 .

The robot cleaner of this embodiment includes a main body 10 forming an exterior, a wheel 40 provided on the main body 10 to move the main body 10 back and forth or to be rotatable, and the main body 10 and a front auxiliary wheel 20 supporting one side of the and assisting rotation of the main body 10 by the wheel 40 .

At this time, the wheels 40 are provided independently of each other on the left and right sides of the main body 10, so that the left and right sides can be driven independently of each other.

When the main body 10 is driven forward and backward, the wheels 40 may rotate in the same direction, and when the main body 10 rotates, the wheels 40 may rotate in different directions.

The rotation of the main body 10 may be performed to change the traveling direction of the robot cleaner, for example, when the main body 10 is blocked by a wall, a high-level obstacle, etc. and cannot travel forward, the main body 10 It will be possible to rotate the main body 10 to change the running direction of the.

On the other hand, the main body 10 is provided with a suction part 14 for sucking foreign substances and the like and an inclined part 12 for guiding the main body 10 when the main body 10 ascends a step. The inclined portion 12 is formed at the lower end of one front side of the main body 10 and means a portion provided to be inclined at a predetermined angle.

The suction part 14 is an agitator provided in the main body 10 and in contact with the bottom surface to be cleaned while being rotated. It may include a suction port through which foreign substances can be sucked.

The inclined portion 12 is disposed at the front of the main body 10 , the front auxiliary wheel 20 is provided at the rear thereof, and the wheel 40 is disposed at the rear of the front auxiliary wheel 20 . .

Meanwhile, a rear auxiliary wheel 30 may be provided at the rear of the wheel 40 to support the other side of the main body 10 .

The front auxiliary wheel 20 and the rear auxiliary wheel 30 are provided to be freely rotatable in a horizontal direction with respect to the main body 10 . Meanwhile, the front auxiliary wheel 20 and the rear auxiliary wheel 30 are provided to have a fixed height with respect to the main body 10 .

On the other hand, the wheel 40 is composed of two wheels on both sides, and the wheels on both sides rotate at different rotation speeds or in different rotation directions so that the main body 10 can rotate to either left or right. do.

In particular, the wheel 40 is provided such that the height is changed with respect to the main body 10 unlike the front auxiliary wheel 20 .

FIG. 2 is an internal perspective view of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a view showing a lower surface of FIG. 2 . Hereinafter, it will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 .

The main body 10 of this embodiment runs on the floor of the area to be cleaned, and the wheels 40 are provided in the lower part of the main body 10 and rotate, thereby driving the main body 10 .

The main body 10 and the wheel 40 may be connected by a driving unit 50 , and the wheel 40 may have a different height with respect to the main body 10 by the driving unit 50 . .

In detail, the driving unit 50 is provided between a motor 51 generating rotational power of the wheel 40 and the motor 51 and the wheel 40 to transmit the power of the motor 51 . It may include a reduction unit 53, one side of the reduction unit 53 is connected to the motor 51, the other side of the reduction unit 53 is connected to the wheel 40, the reduction unit ( 53 ) rotates with respect to one side, so that the height of the wheel 40 may be changed with respect to the main body 10 .

A change in the height of the wheel 40 may occur when the body 10 is caught by a threshold, a step, or the like and a restrained state occurs. For example, when the robot cleaner climbs a threshold while driving and the main body 10 is caught on the threshold and the wheel 40 floats off the floor, the reduction unit 53 is moved by the weight of the wheel 40 with respect to one side. As it rotates, the height of the wheel 40 is relatively lowered with respect to the body 10 .

On the other hand, the reduction part 53 may form a predetermined gear ratio by a plurality of gears, and the escape part 60 is provided in engagement with the plurality of gears, so that the effector 65 is provided on one side of the wheel 40 . may perform a reciprocating motion along the radial direction of the wheel.

That is, the wheel 40 and the escape unit 60 of the present embodiment may receive power by the same motor.

The escape part 60 includes link parts 61 and 63 that are provided in the speed reduction part 53 and rotate, and the effector 65 is connected to the link parts 61 and 63 and the link part ( 61 and 63), reciprocating motion can be performed. And the link part may be rotated by receiving power by the motor 51 .

In detail, the link part is connected to the reduction part 53 to form a rotation shaft, and a first link member 61 that rotates, one end is connected to the first link member 61, and the other end is connected to the effector 65 and It may include a second link member 63 that is connected to transmit the rotational motion of the first link member 61 to the effector 65 . The connection relationship between the first link member 61 and the reduction unit 53 may be variously configured, but as described above, since the reduction unit 53 engages a plurality of gears to form a predetermined gear ratio, the It may also rotate by meshing with one of the gears.

That is, the first link member 61 performs a rotational movement about a rotational axis, and transmits the rotational movement to the effector 65 by the second link member 63, so that the effector 65 rotates the wheel ( 40) can perform a reciprocating motion in the radial direction.

Meanwhile, the driving unit 50 may be provided inside the robot cleaner formed by the main body 10 , and the wheels 40 are provided on the left and right sides of the main body 10 , respectively, and are driven independently of each other. Therefore, it is preferable to be positioned close to the wheel 40 from the inside of the main body 10 .

FIG. 4 is a view showing the wheel, the driving part, and the escape part of FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is a view showing the side surface and the effector of FIG. Hereinafter, it will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 .

The first link member 61 of this embodiment is provided rotatably based on a first rotation axis r1, and one side of the second link member 63 is a second rotation axis formed on the first link member 61. It is provided rotatably based on (r2), the other side of the second link member 63 is connected to the effector 65, and is provided rotatably based on the third rotation axis (r3).

The first rotational axis r1 may be defined as the rotational axis of the first link member 61 and simultaneously defined as the rotational axis of the wheel 40 . That is, the rotation shafts of the first link member 61 and the wheel 40 may be identically formed as the first rotation shaft r1. Accordingly, the rotation of the wheel 40 and the rotation of the first link member 61 may be performed in the same manner.

In addition, a protrusion member 611 protruding from the first link member 61 may be formed in the first link member 61 , and a groove 631 is formed in the second link member 63 to protrude the protrusion member 611 . It may be rotatably fitted to the member 611 .

As the protrusion member 611 and the groove 631 are fitted and coupled, the second link member 63 may be connected to the first link member 61 while forming a second rotation shaft r2 . Since the second rotation shaft r2 is provided in a parallel position that does not share a rotation axis with the first rotation shaft r1 , the protruding member 611 protrudes at a position deviated from the rotation axis of the first link member 61 . is formed If the first rotation shaft r1 and the second rotation shaft r2 share a rotation axis, power of the motor cannot be transmitted by the second link member 63, so that the first rotation shaft r1 and The second rotation shafts r2 are formed at positions parallel to each other.

On the other hand, the effector 65 may include a guide part 651 that passes through the effector 65 along the longitudinal direction of the effector 65 and forms a reciprocating motion range of the effector 65, The deceleration part 53 may include a guide member 531 inserted into the guide part 651 to support the reciprocating motion of the effector 65 .

In detail, the effector 65 receives power by the motor 51 to perform a reciprocating motion along the radial direction of the wheel 40 , and a guide member 531 is inserted into the guide part 651 , While fixing the position of the effector 65 on the side of the wheel 40 , the effector 65 performs a reciprocating motion while being supported by the guide member 531 along the longitudinal direction of the guide part 651 . can do.

On the other hand, a cover 41 may be provided on the upper portion of the wheel 40 , and the cover 41 prevents the wheel 40 from contacting the inside of the main body 10 while the main body 10 is running. can be prevented

In addition, a contact member 653 may be provided at one end of the effector 65 , and the contact member 653 may contact the floor according to a change in height of the wheel 40 . Therefore, the contact member 653 may be formed of one of various materials that do not slip on the floor so that the contact member 653 can apply a ground friction force to the floor.

FIG. 6 is a view showing the embodiment of FIG. 4 , and FIG. 7 is a view showing the driving and restraining state of the robot cleaner according to the embodiment. Hereinafter, it will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 .

Looking at the process in which the rotational motion by the link part of the present embodiment is transmitted to the effector 65 and the effector 65 performs reciprocating motion, the reduction unit 53 engages a plurality of gears to provide the power of the motor 51 . is transmitted to the wheel 40 so that the wheel 40 rotates. In addition, the first link member 61 is connected to the reduction unit 53 to receive power from the motor 51 to rotate the first link member 61 .

The first link member 61 may be provided in engagement with the gear of the reduction unit 53 , and may rotate together with the wheel 40 . And as described above, the axis of rotation of the first link member 61 may be formed to be the same as the axis of rotation of the wheel 40 .

The second link member 63 is rotatably connected with respect to the first link member 61 at a position deviated from the rotation axis of the first link member 61, so that the rotation of the first link member 61 is reduced. Accordingly, one side of the second link member 63 is rotated together.

The effector 65 is rotatably connected to the other side of the second link member 63, the rotational force of the first link member 61 is transmitted to the effector 65, and the effector 65 is rotated by a wheel ( 40) performs a reciprocating motion along the radial direction d1.

In the effector 65, the guide member 531 is inserted into the guide part 651 that is formed through the longitudinal direction of the effector 65 and is supported at one side of the wheel 40, so that the guide part 651. The effector 65 may perform a reciprocating motion by the length of .

6A to 6D, as the power of the motor 51 is transmitted to the effector 65, the first link member 61 rotates in a clockwise direction, and as the first link member 61 rotates, the The effector 65 performs a forward and backward reciprocating motion along the radial direction d1 of the wheel. When the protruding member 611 is positioned relatively close to the motor 51 as shown in FIG. 6A , the effector 65 may be positioned inside the circumference of the wheel 40 , and as shown in FIG. 6C , the protruding member 6C When the 611 is positioned relatively far from the motor 51 , the effector 65 may be positioned to protrude toward the outside of the circumference of the wheel 40 .

7A is a view showing the relative positions of the wheels 40 and the main body 10 when the robot cleaner is running, and FIG. 7B is the wheel 40 and the main body 10 when the wheels are removed in the restrained state of the robot cleaner. A diagram showing the relative position of

As described above, with the rotation of the wheel 40, the effector 65 performs a forward and backward reciprocating motion, and when the robot cleaner runs on the floor as shown in FIG. Since it is provided in and rotates only a part of it in contact with the floor, at this time, the effector 65 performs a back and forth reciprocating motion inside the main body 10, so it is covered by the main body 10 so that the movement of the effector 65 is caused by the main body 10 not exposed to the outside of Of course, the forward and backward reciprocating motion of the effector 65 does not interfere with the running of the main body 10 .

And when the robot cleaner is placed in a restrained state as shown in FIG. 7B , the wheel 40 is relatively separated from the main body 10 and is relatively located at the lower portion of the main body 10 to cause a wheel dropout phenomenon, in this case Since the height of the wheel 40 is changed by rotating the reduction unit 53 with respect to one side, the effector 65 may contact the floor, thereby pushing the wheel 40 from the floor. If the wheel 40 changes in height along an axis perpendicular to the floor, the effector 65 will not contact the floor.

That is, since the effector 65 does not require a separate motor for performing reciprocating motion, and receives power by the motor 51 that transmits power to the wheels 40, the wheels 40 when the robot cleaner is running. continues to run with

In addition, without the need for a separate sensor for detecting that the restraint state of the robot cleaner occurs, when the wheel 40 is pulled out, the effector 65 immediately contacts the floor, thereby removing the wheel 40 from the floor. By pushing, the robot cleaner can immediately escape from restraint.

In addition, since the effector 65 is passively and continuously driven by the motor 51, a separate control for escaping is not required by detecting the restraint state of a separate robot cleaner.

Although representative 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 within the limits 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, but should be defined by the claims described below as well as the claims and equivalents.

Claims (15)

a body running on the floor;
a wheel provided in the lower part of the main body to rotate the main body to drive the main body;
a traveling part connecting the body and the wheel, and changing the height of the wheel with respect to the body; and
Includes; an escape part provided on one side of the wheel and in contact with the floor according to a change in height of the wheel;
The escaping unit includes an effector that performs a reciprocating motion from one side of the wheel in a radial direction of the wheel. The method of claim 1,
The driving unit,
a motor for generating rotational power of the wheel; and
and a reduction unit provided between the motor and the wheel to transmit the power of the motor. 3. The method of claim 2,
One side of the reduction unit is connected to the motor, and the other side of the reduction unit is connected to the wheel,
By rotating the reduction unit with respect to one side, the height of the wheel is changed with respect to the main body. 3. The method of claim 2,
The escape part,
It further comprises;
The effector is connected to the link unit, the robot cleaner, characterized in that performing a reciprocating motion by the rotation of the link unit. 5. The method of claim 4,
The link part is a robot cleaner, characterized in that rotated by the power of the motor. 5. The method of claim 4,
The link part,
a first link member connected to the reduction unit and rotating about a rotation axis; and
and a second link member having one end connected to the first link member and the other end connected to the effector to transmit the rotational motion of the first link member to the effector. 7. The method of claim 6,
A rotation axis of the first link member is the same as a rotation axis of the wheel. 7. The method of claim 6,
The first link member includes a protruding member protruding from the first link member;
The second link member includes a groove coupled to the protruding member on one side of the second link member. 9. The method of claim 8,
The protruding member is a robot cleaner, characterized in that the protrusion is formed at a position deviated from the rotational axis of the first link member. 3. The method of claim 2,
The effector is
and a guide part passing through the effector along the longitudinal direction of the effector and forming a reciprocating motion range of the effector. 11. The method of claim 10,
The deceleration unit,
and a guide member inserted into the guide part to support the reciprocating motion of the effector. According to claim 1,
The effector is
and a contact member provided at one end of the effector and contacting the floor according to a change in height of the wheel. a body running on the floor;
a wheel provided in the lower part of the main body to rotate the main body to drive the main body;
a traveling part connecting the body and the wheel, and changing the height of the wheel with respect to the body as it rotates about one axis with respect to the body; and
It includes a; is provided on one side of the wheel, the escape part is in contact with the floor as the wheel moves away from the body;
A robot cleaner, characterized in that the escaping portion is in contact with the floor, thereby pushing the wheel from the floor. 14. The method of claim 13,
The escape part, the effector for performing a reciprocating motion from one side of the wheel toward the radial direction of the wheel; Robot cleaner comprising a. 15. The method of claim 14,
The driving unit includes a motor for generating rotational power of the wheel;
The effector is a robot cleaner, characterized in that performing a reciprocating motion by receiving the power of the motor.

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