US20230255436A1

US20230255436A1 - Robot cleaner

Info

Publication number: US20230255436A1
Application number: US17/609,398
Authority: US
Inventors: Woo Chul Jung
Original assignee: EVERYBOT Inc
Current assignee: EVERYBOT Inc
Priority date: 2020-12-29
Filing date: 2021-10-14
Publication date: 2023-08-17
Also published as: KR102481190B1; WO2022145650A1; KR20220094861A

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a robot cleaner. The robot cleaner includes a body, a drive unit provided in the body to power the robot cleaner to travel, and a plurality of rotating members, each rotating about its axis of rotation by the power of the drive unit, a cleaner section being fixable to each of the rotating members to perform wet cleaning on a surface to be cleaned, wherein each of the rotating members has a predetermined angle of tilt and angle of rotation set, so as to determine a traveling direction of the robot cleaner.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a robot cleaner.

BACKGROUND ART

With the development of industrial technology, various devices have been being automated. As is well known, robot cleaners are used to automatically clean an area intended to be cleaned by sucking or wiping foreign substances such as dust from a surface to be cleaned while traveling in the area to be cleaned by themselves without user manipulation.
A typical robot cleaner may include a vacuum cleaner that performs cleaning using suction force generated by a motor.
The typical robot cleaner including the vacuum cleaner has a limited ability to remove stuck foreign substances or ingrained dirt from a surface to be cleaned. Recently, a robot cleaner capable of performing wet cleaning by means of a mop attached thereto has emerged.
However, the wet cleaning of this robot cleaner has disadvantages in that it is insufficient to remove foreign substances and is inefficient since it is merely a simple method of using the mop or the like attached to the lower portion of an existing robot vacuum cleaner.
In particular, since a typical robot cleaner having a wet cleaning feature travels and avoids obstacles in the same manner as an existing suction-type vacuum cleaner, the robot cleaner may not easily remove stuck foreign substances or the like from a surface to be cleaned even if it removes scattered dust or the like from the surface to be cleaned.
In addition, a typical robot cleaner having a mop attachment structure requires an additional separate propulsion force for moving its wheels due to an increased frictional force between the mop surface thereof and the ground, which results in an increase in battery consumption.

DISCLOSURE

Technical Problem

Various embodiments are directed to a robot cleaner capable of having a simpler structure to reduce manufacturing costs and be easier to control than in the prior art, as a traveling direction of the robot cleaner is determined by a rotating member having a predetermined angle of tilt and angle of rotation set and a variable direction of rotation and speed of rotation depending on the traveling condition of the robot cleaner.

Technical Solution

In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a robot cleaner that includes a body, a drive unit provided in the body to power the robot cleaner to travel, and a plurality of rotating members, each rotating about its axis of rotation by the power of the drive unit, a cleaner section being fixable to each of the rotating members to perform wet cleaning on a surface to be cleaned, wherein each of the rotating members has a predetermined angle of tilt and angle of rotation set, so as to determine a traveling direction of the robot cleaner.
The angle of tilt may be an angular displacement between a vertical central axis of the robot cleaner and the tilted axis of rotation.
The angle of rotation may be an angular displacement of the axis of rotation rotated on an imaginary plane perpendicular to the vertical central axis of the robot cleaner at a tilted angle of displacement thereof.
The tilted axis of rotation may be formed in such a manner that the axis of rotation of the rotating member is inclined downward and outward with respect to the vertical central axis of the robot cleaner.
The rotated axis of rotation may be formed in such a manner that the axis of rotation of the rotating member is rotated in a circular trajectory on the imaginary plane perpendicular to the vertical central axis of the robot cleaner at the tilted angle of displacement thereof.
The robot cleaner may travel using frictional force, as a moving force source, between the surface to be cleaned and the cleaner section, the frictional force being generated while the cleaner section rotates.
At least one of directions of rotation and speeds of rotation of the plurality of rotating members may be controlled.
The angles of tilt and angles of rotation of the plurality of rotating members may be set, and at least one of the directions of rotation and speeds of rotation of the plurality of rotating members may be varied depending on the driving condition of the robot cleaner.
The angles of tilt and angles of rotation of the plurality of rotating members may be set, so that the robot cleaner travels in a straight line.
The angles of tilt and angles of rotation of the plurality of rotating members may be set, so that the robot cleaner travels along a trajectory including a curve having a predetermined radius of curvature.
The cleaner section may have an independent angle of tilt and angle of rotation set.
The plurality of rotating members may include a first rotating member, a second rotating member, and a third rotating member.

Advantageous Effects

According to the present disclosure, since the rotating member has a predetermined angle of tilt and angle of rotation set to determine the traveling direction of the robot cleaner, and a variable direction of rotation and speed of rotation depending on the traveling condition of the robot cleaner, it is possible to further simplify the structure of the robot cleaner to reduce manufacturing costs and be easier to control than in the prior art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective and front views illustrating an external appearance of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the robot cleaner according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating a traveling operation of the robot cleaner according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are views illustrating a configuration of a drive unit according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating a cleaner section when a rotating member tilts in the robot cleaner according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a view illustrating the cleaner section when the rotating member tilts and then rotates in the robot cleaner according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating, with respect to the plane formed by x- and y-axes, a position trajectory of an axis of rotation of the cleaner section after the rotating member sequentially tilts and rotates in the robot cleaner according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a view illustrating a trajectory in which a first axis of rotation after tilting may be positioned during rotation.

FIG. 11 is a view illustrating a plurality of cleaner sections having different rotation trajectories as a plurality of rotating member each have an independent angle of tilt and angle of rotation set in the embodiment of the present disclosure.

MODE FOR DISCLOSURE

The following description is merely illustrative of the principles of the present disclosure. Therefore, various devices may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the disclosure and fall within the spirit and scope thereof, although not explicitly described or illustrated herein. It should be understood that all conditional terms and embodiments used herein are clearly intended only for the purpose of understanding the concept of the disclosure in principle, and are not limited to the particular embodiments and conditions set forth herein.
It should be understood that all detailed descriptions of the principles, viewpoints, and embodiments of the disclosure as well as specific embodiments are intended to cover structural and functional equivalents thereof. It should also be understood that the equivalents include not only currently known equivalents but also equivalents to be developed in the future, namely, all elements invented to perform the same function, regardless of the structure thereof.
For example, the block diagrams herein should be understood as representing exemplary conceptual viewpoints for embodying the principles of the disclosure. Similarly, all flowcharts, state transition diagrams, pseudo code, etc. should be understood to be substantially embodied on computer-readable media and to represent various processes performed by a computer or processor, regardless of whether the computer or the processor is clearly illustrated.
The functions of various elements illustrated in the drawings, including a processor or a functional block represented by a concept similar thereto, may be provided for use of dedicated hardware as well as hardware having the ability to execute software in association with appropriate software. When the functions are provided by a processor, the functions may be provided by a single dedicated processor, a single shared processor, or a plurality of individual processors, some of which may be shared.
In addition, terms used herein, such as “processor” or “control”, or terms presented by a concept similar thereto should not be interpreted as excluding hardware having the ability to execute software, and should be understood to implicitly include, without limitation, digital signal processor (DSP) hardware, ROM for storing software, RAM, and non-volatile memory. The terms may also include any other well-known hardware.
In the claims of the present disclosure, components expressed as means for performing the functions described herein are intended to include, for example, all methods of performing a function including any form of software, including a combination of circuit elements that perform the above function, firmware/microcode, or the like, and are combined with suitable circuitry for executing the software to perform the function. Since the present disclosure defined in these claims is combined with the functions provided by the various means set forth herein and in a manner required by the claims, any means capable of providing the functions should be understood to be equivalent to those contemplated by the disclosure.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains will easily implement the technical spirit of the disclosure. In certain embodiments, a detailed description of functions and configurations well known in the art may be omitted to avoid obscuring appreciation of the disclosure by those of ordinary skill in the art.
Hereinafter, various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective and front views illustrating an external appearance of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the robot cleaner according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 , the robot cleaner, which is designated by reference numeral 100, according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may include a body 10, a drive unit 150, a first rotating member 110, a second rotating member 120, a third rotating member 130, and a control unit 170.
Referring to FIG. 3 , the robot cleaner 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may further include at least one of a sensing unit 145, a communication unit 140, a storage unit 160, an input unit 180, an output unit 185, and a power supply unit 190.
The body 10 may define an exterior appearance of the robot cleaner 100.
In some embodiments, a bumper (not shown) may be formed around the outer periphery of the body 10 to protect the body 10 from external shocks.
The drive unit 150 may be provided in the body 10 to power the robot cleaner 100 to travel.
The first rotating member 110, the second rotating member 120, and the third rotating member 130 may be rotated about their first axis of rotation 310, second axis of rotation 320, and third axis of rotation 330, respectively, by the power of the drive unit 150. Each of the rotating members may be rotated either in a clockwise direction CW or in a counterclockwise direction CCW about its axis of rotation.
The drive unit 150 may drive the first rotating member 110, the second rotating member 120, and the third rotating member 130. More specifically, the drive unit 150 may power the first, second, and third rotating members 110, 120, and 130 to rotate under the control of the control unit 170. The drive unit 150 may include a first drive unit 151, a second drive unit 152, and a third drive unit 153 for driving the respective first rotating member 110, second rotating member 120, and third rotating member 130, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 . Furthermore, the drive unit 150 may include a motor and/or a gear assembly.
A first cleaner section 210, a second cleaner section 220, and a third cleaner section 230 are fixable to the respective first rotating member 110, second rotating member 120, and third rotating member 130 to perform wet cleaning on a surface to be cleaned 900.
The robot cleaner 100 may travel while performing wet cleaning using the cleaner sections 210, 220, and 230. Here, “wet cleaning” may refer to cleaning the surface to be cleaned 900 using the cleaner sections 210, 220, 230, and may include, for example, both cleaning using a dry mop or the like and cleaning using a wet mop or the like.
Each of the first, second, and third cleaner sections 210, 220, and 230 may be made of a material, such as a microfiber cloth, a mop, a non-woven fabric, or a brush, capable of wiping various surfaces to be cleaned, so as to remove stuck foreign substances from a floor surface during rotation. In addition, each of the first, second, and third cleaner sections 210, 220, and 230 may have a circular shape as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 , but may be implemented in various shapes without limitation.
The cleaner section rotates in the clockwise direction CW or in the counterclockwise direction CCW in response to the direction of rotation of the rotating member.
The first, second, and third cleaner sections 210, 220, and 230 may be fixed to the respective associated rotating members 110, 120, and 130 by covering the rotating members 110, 120, and 130, or by using a separate attachment means. For example, each of the first, second, and third cleaner sections 210, 220, and 230 may be fixedly attached to the associated rotating member by means of a Velcro tape or the like.
As described above, the robot cleaner 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may remove stuck foreign substances from the floor through friction with the surface to be cleaned 900 by rotating the first, second, and third cleaner sections 210, 220, and 230 along with the rotation of the first, second, and third rotating members 110, 120, and 130.
When a frictional force is generated between each cleaner section 210, 220, or 230 and the surface to be cleaned 900, the frictional force may be used as a moving force source of the robot cleaner 100.
Since each of the first, second, and third rotating members 110, 120, and 130 forms a predetermined angle with the surface to be cleaned 900, a frictional force is generated between the cleaner section coupled to the rotating member and the surface to be cleaned 900, thereby enabling the robot cleaner 100 to move while simultaneously cleaning the surface to be cleaned 900.
The control unit 170 controls the direction of rotation CW or CCW and speed of rotation of each individual rotating member. A description thereof will be given later in detail.
The sensing unit 145 may detect different types of information required for the operation of the robot cleaner 100, and transmit a detection signal to the control unit 170.
The communication unit 140 may include one or more modules that enable wireless communication between the robot cleaner 100 and any other wireless terminal or wireless communication between the robot cleaner 100 and a network in which the other wireless terminal is located. For example, the communication unit 140 may communicate with a wireless terminal as a remote control device, and may include a short-range communication module, a wireless Internet module, or the like for this purpose.
The robot cleaner 100 may be configured such that the operation state or method thereof or the like is controlled in response to a control signal received by the communication unit 140. Examples of the terminal for controlling the robot cleaner 100 may include a smart phone, a tablet, a personal computer, a remote controller (remote control device), etc., which are able to communicate with the robot cleaner 100.
The storage unit 160 may store a program for operating the control unit 170, and may temporarily store input/output data. The storage unit 160 may include at least one type of storage medium among a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory), random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk.
The input unit 180 may receive user input to operate the robot cleaner 100. In particular, the input unit 180 may receive user input for selecting an operation mode of the robot cleaner 100.
The input unit 180 may include a keypad, a dome switch, a touch pad (static pressure/capacitance), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.
The output unit 185 is to generate output related to sight, hearing, and the like. The output unit 185 may include, although not illustrated in the drawings, a display, a sound output module, an alarm, and the like.
The display serves to display (output) information processed by the robot cleaner 100. For example, when the robot cleaner is cleaning, the display may include a user interface (UI) or a graphic user interface (GUI) that displays a cleaning time, a cleaning method, a cleaning area, and the like related to a cleaning mode.
The power supply unit 190 supplies electric power to the robot cleaner 100. Specifically, the power supply unit 190 may supply electric power to the constituent functional components of the robot cleaner 100, and may be charged by receiving a charging current from an external charger when the remaining power thereof is insufficient. The power supply unit 190 may be implemented as a rechargeable battery.
FIG. 4 is a view illustrating a traveling operation of the robot cleaner according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.
As illustrated in FIG. 4 , the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 are disposed in the front of the robot cleaner 100, and the third rotating member 130 is disposed in the rear of the robot cleaner 100, which allows the robot cleaner 100 to travel straight forward. Alternatively, the third rotating member 130 is disposed in the front of the robot cleaner 100, and the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 are disposed in the rear of the robot cleaner 100, which allows the robot cleaner 100 to travel straight forward. On the other hand, the robot cleaner 100 may also travel backward as opposed to traveling forward.
In addition, the robot cleaner 100 may travel in a straight line while simultaneously traveling in a curve along a trajectory including a curve having a predetermined radius of curvature under the control of the control unit 170.
FIG. 7 illustrates the cleaner section when the rotating member tilts in the robot cleaner according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.
Here, the tilting of the rotating member will be described with reference to FIG. 7 to show in what trajectory the rotating member is tilted. The tilting and rotation of the rotating member are already carried out when the robot cleaner according to the present disclosure is manufactured, in order to determine the traveling direction of the robot cleaner. That is, the angle of tilt and angle of rotation of the rotating member are already set according to the design thereof.
For clarity of description, the disclosure will be described on the basis of the first rotating member 110, the first cleaner section 210, and the first axis of rotation 310.
In FIG. 7 , in an initial state before the rotating member tilts, it is assumed that the surface to be cleaned 900 is flush with the plane formed by the x- and y-axes and that a central axis 300 parallel to the vertical axis (hereinafter, referred to as “vertical central axis”) of the robot cleaner 100 is positioned on the same line as the axis of rotation of the rotating member.
In FIG. 7 , the vertical central axis 300 is positioned on the same line as the first axis of rotation axis 310 in the robot cleaner 100, and the first cleaner section 210 is positioned parallel to the surface to be cleaned 900 on the plane formed by the x- and y-axes. An initial state is indicated by a dotted line.
Here, the terms “parallel” and “to be parallel” may refer to “parallel substantially or within the margin of error” and “to be parallel substantially or within the margin of error”.
When intended to tilt, the first rotating member 110 is tilted (or tilts) to have a predetermined angular displacement el with respect to the vertical central axis 300 of the robot cleaner 100 such that the first axis of rotation 310 thereof is inclined downward and outward with respect to the vertical central axis 300. In the present disclosure, the predetermined angular displacement el is referred to as an “angle of tilt”. In FIG. 7 , the first rotating member 110 is also tilted to have an angle of tilt el with respect to the z-axis. For convenience, a first axis of rotation after tilting is denoted by reference numeral “310 a”.
The first cleaner section 210 shares the first axis of rotation 310 a with the first rotating member 110, and accordingly the first cleaner section 210 is also tilted as illustrated in FIG. 7 .
In FIG. 7 , in the initial state, one point of the first cleaner section 210 in contact with the x-axis is referred to as “A1”, and the other point of the first cleaner section 210 in contact with the x-axis is referred to as “B1”. In this case, when the first rotating member 110 is tilted, the point “A1” moves up and down in the direction of the z-axis while drawing a curved trajectory. On the other hand, the other point “B1” is fixed at a corresponding position since the other point “B1” is required to be in contact with the surface to be cleaned (for movement of the robot cleaner 100 and cleaning of the surface to be cleaned).
One point after such tilting is referred to as “A2”, and the other point after tilting is referred to as “B2”. Therefore, after tilting, the point “A1” is not the same as the point “A2”, and the point “B1” is the same as the point “B2”.
As described above, when the first rotating member 110 tilts, the first cleaner section 210 is movable by generating frictional force with the surface to be cleaned 900, so as to clean the surface to be cleaned.
FIG. 8 illustrates the cleaner section when the rotating member tilts and then rotates in the robot cleaner according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.
Here, the rotation of the rotating member will be described with reference to FIG. 8 to show in what trajectory the rotating member is rotated. The tilting and rotation of the rotating member are already carried out when the robot cleaner according to the present disclosure is manufactured, in order to determine the traveling direction of the robot cleaner. That is, the angle of tilt and angle of rotation of the rotating member are already set according to the design thereof.
FIG. 9 is a view illustrating, with respect to the plane formed by the x- and y-axes, a position trajectory of an axis of rotation of the cleaner section after the rotating member sequentially tilts and rotates in the robot cleaner according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. For clarity of description, the disclosure will be described on the basis of the first rotating member 110, the first cleaner section 210, and the first axis of rotation 310.
Hereinafter, the rotation of the rotating member will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9 .
The first rotating member 110 is rotated with respect to the vertical central axis 300 of the robot cleaner 100. That is, the first rotating member 110 is tilted around the vertical central axis 300 of the robot cleaner 100, and is then rotated with the tilting angle θ1 thereof fixed. For convenience, a first axis of rotation after tilting and rotation is denoted by reference numeral “310 b”.
In FIG. 8 , as described above, after tilting, one point of the first cleaner section 210 is referred to as “A2”, and the other point thereof is referred to as “B2”. In this state, when the first rotating member 110 is rotated, the point “A2” moves while drawing a curved trajectory without changing in the direction of the z-axis on the plane formed by the x- and y-axes, as illustrated in FIG. 9 . In addition, the other point “B2” moves while drawing a curved trajectory without changing in the direction of the z-axis on the plane formed by the x- and y-axes, unlike the above tilting operation. In more detail, the point “B2” moves while drawing a curved trajectory without changing in the direction of the z-axis on the surface to be cleaned 900 (for movement of the robot cleaner 100 and cleaning of the surface to be cleaned).
One point after such rotation is referred to as “A3”, and the other point after rotation is referred to as “B3”. Therefore, after rotation, the point “A2” is not the same as the point “A3”, and the point “B2” is not the same as the point “B3” as well.
In FIG. 9 , the rotation of the first rotating member 110 allows a predetermined angular displacement θ2 to occur between an imaginary straight line connecting the vertical central axis 300 of the robot cleaner 100 to the first axis of rotation after tilting 310 a and an imaginary straight line connecting the vertical central axis 300 of the robot cleaner 100 to the first axis of rotation after tilting and rotation 310 b on the plane formed by the x- and y-axes. In the present disclosure, the predetermined angular displacement θ2 is referred to as an “angle of rotation”.
Each rotating member may have both the independent angle of tilt θ1 and angle of rotation θ2 describe above, and may have different angle of tilt 81 and angle of rotation θ2. Based on the set angle of tilt 81 and angle of rotation θ2, the traveling direction of the robot cleaner 100 may be determined according to the design thereof.
FIG. 10 is a view illustrating a rotatable trajectory of the first axis of rotation after tilting.
Here, the “rotatable trajectory of the first axis of rotation” refers to a trajectory formed by the point where the first axis of rotation 310 b meets an imaginary plane perpendicular to the vertical central axis 300 of the robot cleaner 100 (wherein, the imaginary plane is a plane formed by x1- and y1-axes parallel to the plane formed by the x- and y-axes) on the imaginary plane, when the angle of rotation is set. This makes it possible to check in what range the first axis of rotation 310 b moves during rotation. In this case, this trajectory is not the trajectory of the first cleaner section 210. According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first axis of rotation 310 b may rotate in a circular trajectory on an imaginary plane, as illustrated in FIG. 10 .
FIG. 11 is a view illustrating the plurality of cleaner sections 210, 220, and 230 having different rotation trajectories as the plurality of rotating members are each independently tilted and rotated in the embodiment of the present disclosure. For convenience of description, the plurality of cleaner sections 210, 220, and 230 are illustrated on the plane formed by the x- and y-axes.
As described above, the angle of tilt el and the angle of rotation θ2 are already set according to the design. The plurality of rotating members 110, 120, and 130 have respective angles of tilt el of d°, e°, and f°, and respective angles of rotation θ2 of a°, b°, and c° at the same time.
Each of the rotating members 110, 120, and 130 may have a direction of rotation CW or CCW determined based on the changed axis of rotation thereof, and may have a speed of rotation v1, v2, or v3 determined based on the changed axis of rotation thereof. Accordingly, the traveling speed of the robot cleaner 100 is determined. The above direction of rotation and speed of rotation may be varied by the control unit 170.
That is, the robot cleaner 100 travels at the angle of tilt el and the angle of rotation θ2 as fixed constants and in the direction of rotation and speed of rotation as variables.
When the robot cleaner travels straight forward, travels straight backward, rotates left or right while traveling straight forward, rotates left or right while traveling straight backward, or rotate left or right in place, it is very important to precisely control the robot cleaner to move or rotate by the distance and angle set by a user.
In order for only a cleaner section, without wheels, to provide the robot cleaner with a moving power source while cleaning at the same time, if an even number of cleaner sections (e.g., two or four) is provided, it is easy to perform precise control because of symmetry.
However, when an odd number of cleaner sections (e.g., three) is provided as in the present disclosure, the rotational force of each cleaner section cannot be maintained at 1:1, resulting in an axial force. Hence, since the robot cleaner is inclined to one side when traveling in a straight line, it is difficult to precisely control the robot cleaner to move to a user's desired position.
In order to solve this issue, a separate actuator may be provided to the cleaner section of the robot cleaner to vary the angle of the cleaner section. However, this solution may cause an increase in manufacturing costs, and excessive manufacturing time-consuming and difficult control of the robot cleaner.
However, according to the present disclosure, since the angle of tilt and angle of rotation of the rotating member are set according to the design thereof to determine the traveling direction of the robot cleaner, and the direction of rotation and speed of rotation of the rotating member are varied depending on the traveling condition of the robot cleaner, it is possible to further simplify the structure of the robot cleaner to reduce manufacturing costs and be easier to control than in the prior art.
Meanwhile, the above-mentioned control method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented as a program code, and may be stored in various non-transitory computer readable media to be provided to each server or device.
The term “non-transitory computer readable medium” refers to any medium that stores data semi-permanently and is readable by a device, rather than a medium that stores data for a short moment, such as a register, a cache, or a memory. Specifically, the above-mentioned various applications or programs may be stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium such as CD, DVD, a hard disk, a Blu-ray disk, USB, a memory card, ROM, or the like.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present disclosure provides a robot cleaner capable of having a simpler structure to reduce manufacturing costs and be easier to control than in the prior art, as a traveling direction of the robot cleaner is determined by a rotating member having a predetermined angle of tilt and angle of rotation set and a variable direction of rotation and speed of rotation depending on the traveling condition of the robot cleaner.
Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and applications may be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the intrinsic aspects of the embodiments. More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in concrete constituent elements of the embodiments. In addition, it is to be understood that differences relevant to the variations and modifications fall within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner comprising:

a body;

a drive unit provided in the body to power the robot cleaner to travel; and

a plurality of rotating members, each rotating about its axis of rotation by the power of the drive unit, a cleaner section being fixable to each of the rotating members to perform wet cleaning on a surface to be cleaned,

wherein each of the rotating members has a predetermined angle of tilt and angle of rotation set, so as to determine a traveling direction of the robot cleaner.

2. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the angle of tilt is an angular displacement between a vertical central axis of the robot cleaner and the tilted axis of rotation.

3. The robot cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the angle of rotation is an angular displacement of the axis of rotation rotated on an imaginary plane perpendicular to the vertical central axis of the robot cleaner at a tilted angle of displacement thereof.

4. The robot cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the tilted axis of rotation is formed in such a manner that the axis of rotation of the rotating member is inclined downward and outward with respect to the vertical central axis of the robot cleaner.

5. The robot cleaner according to claim 3, wherein the rotated axis of rotation is formed in such a manner that the axis of rotation of the rotating member is rotated in a circular trajectory on the imaginary plane perpendicular to the vertical central axis of the robot cleaner at the tilted angle of displacement thereof.

6. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the robot cleaner travels using frictional force, as a moving force source, between the surface to be cleaned and the cleaner section, the frictional force being generated while the cleaner section rotates.

7. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein at least one of directions of rotation and speeds of rotation of the plurality of rotating members is controlled.

8. The robot cleaner according to claim 7, wherein:

the angles of tilt and angles of rotation of the plurality of rotating members are set; and

at least one of the directions of rotation and speeds of rotation of the plurality of rotating members is varied depending on the driving condition of the robot cleaner.

9. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the angles of tilt and angles of rotation of the plurality of rotating members are set, so that the robot cleaner travels in a straight line.

10. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the angles of tilt and angles of rotation of the plurality of rotating members are set, so that the robot cleaner travels along a trajectory comprising a curve having a predetermined radius of curvature.

11. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the cleaner section has an independent angle of tilt and angle of rotation set.

12. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of rotating members comprise a first rotating member, a second rotating member, and a third rotating member.