WO2021137477A1

WO2021137477A1 - Robot vacuum charging station

Info

Publication number: WO2021137477A1
Application number: PCT/KR2020/018362
Authority: WO
Inventors: 김영빈; 장재원; 이민우; 이영재
Original assignee: 엘지전자 주식회사
Priority date: 2019-12-30
Filing date: 2020-12-15
Publication date: 2021-07-08
Also published as: EP4085809A4; EP4085809A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a robot vacuum charging station, and to a robot vacuum charging station comprising: a charging station body including a housing for accommodating a power module therein, and a bottom plate which is coupled to the bottom surface of the housing and which has a charging terminal disposed thereon; and a docking plate which is selectively mounted on the bottom plate of the charging station body, and which has the robot vacuum docked thereon, wherein the docking plate includes: a coupling protrusion which is disposed at the front part thereof and of which at least a portion is inserted into the charging station body; and a hook which is disposed at the rear of the coupling protrusion and of which at least a portion is caught at the charging station body, and thus the docking plate is easily mounted to and separated from the charging station body.

Description

charging stand for robot vacuum cleaner

The present invention relates to a charging stand for a robot cleaner, and more particularly, to a charging stand for a robot cleaner that docks the cleaned robot cleaner and charges a battery provided in the robot cleaner.

Recently, with the development of industrial technology, a robot vacuum cleaner that cleans while driving in an area that needs to be cleaned by itself without user manipulation has been developed. Such a robot cleaner is provided with a sensor capable of recognizing a space to be cleaned, a mop capable of cleaning the floor, and the like, and can run while wiping the floor of the space recognized by the sensor with a mop.

Among robot cleaners, there is a wet robot cleaner that can wipe the floor with a mop containing moisture in order to effectively remove foreign substances strongly attached to the floor. The wet robot vacuum cleaner has a water tank, and the water contained in the water tank is supplied to the mop, and the mop is configured to wipe the floor surface with moisture to effectively remove foreign substances strongly attached to the floor surface.

In the wet robot cleaner, the mop is formed in a circular shape, and it is rotated to come into contact with the floor to wipe the floor. In addition, a plurality of mops may be configured so that the robot cleaner can travel in a specific direction by using frictional force in contact with the floor while rotating.

On the other hand, the greater the frictional force between the mop and the floor, the stronger the mop can wipe the floor, so that the robot cleaner can effectively clean the floor.

The charging stand of the robot cleaner is a device that docks the charged robot cleaner and supplies power to the battery provided in the robot cleaner to charge the battery. The charging stand has a power supply module therein. The charging stand has a charging terminal connected to the power supply module, and the robot cleaner has a corresponding terminal. When the charging terminal and the corresponding terminal are in contact, power is supplied to the battery to be charged.

Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1654014 is presented as prior art 1. Prior art 1 discloses a mobile robot that moves by a mop surface. In the prior art 1, the mobile robot is provided with a first rotating member and a second rotating member for fixing a pair of mop surfaces arranged in the left and right directions as a vertical axis. In the mobile robot according to Prior Art 1, a pair of mop surfaces are rotated as the first rotating member and the second rotating member rotate, and the mobile robot is moved by friction between the pair of mop surfaces and the floor. A pair of mop surfaces is characterized by continuous contact with the floor.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2012-0019437 is presented as Prior Art 2. Prior art 2 is an invention related to a charging device for a robot cleaner, and discloses a charging device for a robot cleaner that docks and charges the robot cleaner. According to Prior Art 2, the robot cleaner is docked on one side of the charging device, and the charging terminal of the charging device and the corresponding terminal of the robot cleaner are in contact with each other to be charged. According to the prior art 2, only a portion of the robot cleaner is disposed to overlap the charging terminal vertically and the rest is characterized in that it is supported on the floor.

As described above, according to Prior Art 1, a pair of mop surfaces disposed at the bottom of the robot cleaner are characterized in continuous contact with the floor. In addition, according to Prior Art 2, when the robot cleaner is docked with the charging device, only a portion of the corresponding terminal is disposed to overlap the charging terminal vertically and the rest is characterized in that it is in continuous contact with the floor. Therefore, when docking the robot cleaner according to the prior art 1 to the charging device according to the prior art 2, the mop surface is inevitably exposed to the floor while docking.

Accordingly, during the charging time or during the cleaning waiting time is long, the mop surface continues to contact the floor, and the moisture remaining on the mop is not dried, so there is a problem in that the mop is contaminated and an odor is generated.

In addition, since the floor is continuously exposed to a wet mop, there is also a problem in that the floor is stained or contaminated.

As prior art 3, US Patent Registration US10383499 is presented. Prior art 3 relates to a robot docking station, wherein the docking station has a plate for docking the robot cleaner on the upper part, and a fluid management area for collecting moisture remaining from the mop is formed on the plate. The robot vacuum cleaner includes a wheel and a mop, the robot cleaner is driven by the wheel, and the mop cleans the floor while the wheel moves the robot cleaner.

Referring to the prior art 3, the plate of the charging stand is generally formed as a horizontally wide plate for docking the robot cleaner on the top, and the charging stand body is usually formed vertically to minimize the space occupied. . Therefore, in the case of a charging stand having a plate, it shows an L-shape as a whole. However, in the case of having such an arrangement, a problem arises in that it becomes bulky at the time of packaging. In addition, there is a problem in that the possibility of damage is high when the charging stand is moved due to bending stress (or lever principle).

In addition, since the plate is continuously exposed to the mop surface of the robot cleaner, it is characterized in that it must be washed frequently for hygiene. On the other hand, the charging base body accommodates the power module therein, and when exposed to water, a short circuit occurs and is damaged. Therefore, there is a problem in that the user has to transport the entire charging station together with the charging station body in order to wash the plate, and wash the plate while taking care not to submerge the charging station body. That is, in light of the fact that the charging cradle body has a considerable weight due to the power module and care must be taken not to expose the charging cradle body to water, there is also a problem of causing great inconvenience to the user.

The present invention was created to improve the problems of the charging stand of the conventional robot cleaner as described above, and the floor surface is damaged or the mop is contaminated due to continuous contact between the mop disposed at the bottom of the robot cleaner and the floor surface. An object to be solved by the present invention is to provide a charging stand for a robot cleaner having a docking plate that maintains a mop spaced apart from the floor during charging of the robot cleaner.

In addition, in order to reduce the volume of the packed charging stand when not in use, the docking plate is to provide a charging stand for a robot cleaner that is detachable from the charging stand body.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a charging stand for a robot cleaner in which a docking plate for docking the robot vacuum cleaner is easily mounted on and detached from the charging stand body for accommodating the power module therein.

In order to achieve the above object, the charging stand of the robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a housing for accommodating a power module therein and a bottom plate coupled to the bottom of the housing and on which the charging terminal is disposed. and a docking plate selectively mounted on the bottom plate of the charging station body and docking the robot cleaner thereon. The docking plate includes an engaging protrusion disposed in the front part and at least a part of which is inserted into the charging station body, and a hook disposed at the rear of the coupling protrusion and at least a part hooked to the charging station body.

The docking plate may be disposed on the top of the bottom plate of the charging station body, and at least a portion may be disposed to overlap the bottom plate of the charging station body up and down.

The coupling protrusion protrudes downward from the docking plate, and the bottom plate of the charging station body may include a coupling groove into which at least a portion of the coupling protrusion is inserted.

In the docking plate, the lower end of the engaging protrusion is disposed above the lower end of the hook, and when the docking plate is mounted on the charging cradle body, the engaging protrusion may be inserted into the charging cradle body before the hook is caught on the charging cradle body.

The hook protrudes downward from the docking plate, and the bottom plate may include a locking groove formed at the rear end and into which at least a portion of the hook is inserted.

The docking plate further includes a charging terminal insertion hole through which the charging terminal passes, and when the docking plate is mounted, the charging terminal may be disposed between the coupling protrusion and the hook.

The bottom plate of the charging stand body further includes a first upper surface disposed to overlap at least a portion of the docking plate on the upper side and a charging terminal installation surface that further protrudes upward from the first upper surface and the charging terminal is installed, docking The plate is disposed to overlap the charging terminal installation surface vertically and may further include a corresponding surface that further protrudes upward.

The docking plate may further include a gap maintaining member protruding downward from one side, and the lower end supporting one side of the charging terminal.

The docking plate may include a rotating shaft passing through the hook, and may be detachably rotated about the rotating shaft.

As described above, according to the charging stand of the robot cleaner according to the present invention, the following effects are obtained.

First, when the charging stand is not used, the docking plate and the charging stand body are formed to be detachable, and are mounted and detached as necessary, so that the charging stand is easy to transport and the docking plate is easily washed.

Second, the coupling protrusion of the docking plate is inserted into the charging station body and guides the docking plate to the correct mounting position, and when the docking plate is guided to the correct position, the hook is caught on the charging station body to fix the docking plate. It has the effect of being able to install it accurately.

Third, based on when the docking plate is mounted, the charging terminal is disposed between the coupling protrusion and the hook, and the docking plate is guided to the original position by the coupling protrusion disposed on the outside of the charging terminal, and disposed inside the charging terminal. It has the effect of being fixed at the same time on the left and right by the hook.

Fourth, the docking plate rotates about the axis of rotation passing through the hook, and by rotating the docking plate in one direction, there is an effect that the docking plate can be easily detached from the charging body body.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a part of the robot cleaner shown in FIG. 1 by separating it.

FIG. 3 is a rear view illustrating the robot cleaner shown in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a part of the robot cleaner shown in FIG. 3 by separating it.

5 is a bottom view illustrating a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

6 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a robot cleaner.

7 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a robot cleaner and its configurations according to an embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a perspective view illustrating a lower body in a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

9 is a bottom view for explaining a lower body in the robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

10 is a cross-sectional view taken along a connecting line in order to explain a state in which a rotating plate and a mop are mounted in a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

11 is a diagram illustrating that the robot cleaner shown in FIG. 1 is docked on a charging stand.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating only the charging stand excluding the robot cleaner in FIG. 11 .

13 is an exploded perspective view in which the charging base body and the docking plate are separated from FIG. 12 .

14A is a bottom view of the charging station of FIG. 12 , and FIG. 14B is a bottom view of the docking plate shown in FIG. 14A without the charging station body.

FIG. 15 is a right cross-sectional view of the docking plate passing through the coupling protrusion in FIG. 14B .

FIG. 16 is a right cross-sectional view of the docking plate passing through the charging terminal in FIG. 14B .

FIG. 17 is a right cross-sectional view of the docking plate passing through the hook in FIG. 14B ;

18 is a right sectional view of the docking plate passing through the support wheel insertion groove in FIG. 14b.

19 is a cross-sectional view of the docking plate passing through the hook and the engaging projection at the same time in Figure 14b.

20 is a view showing various forms of the coupling protrusion.

21 is a state diagram illustrating that the docking plate is separated from the charging station body.

22 is a state diagram as viewed from above when the robot cleaner enters the charging station.

23 is a state diagram as viewed from the left as the robot cleaner enters the charging station.

FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view of the docking plate viewed from the rear on the basis of an imaginary connection line connecting the rotation shaft of the first rotation plate and the rotation shaft of the second rotation plate in FIG. 14B .

25 is a plan view of a docking plate according to another embodiment.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Since the present invention can have various changes and can have various embodiments, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and will be described in detail in the detailed description. This is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, and should be construed to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention.

In describing the present invention, terms such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components may not be limited by the terms. The above terms are only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component may also be referred to as a first component.

The term “and/or” may include a combination of a plurality of related listed items or any of a plurality of related listed items.

When a component is referred to as being “connected” or “connected” to another component, it may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but other components may exist in between. can be understood On the other hand, when it is mentioned that a certain element is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it may be understood that the other element does not exist in the middle.

The terms used in the present application are only used to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The singular expression may include the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In the present application, terms such as "comprise" or "have" are intended to designate that a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification exists, and one or more other features It may be understood that the presence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof is not precluded in advance.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, may have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in a commonly used dictionary may be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related art, and unless explicitly defined in the present application, it is interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal meaning. it may not be

In addition, the following embodiments are provided to more completely explain to those with average knowledge in the art, and the shapes and sizes of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated for clearer description.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a robot cleaner 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a view showing some components separated from the robot cleaner 1 shown in FIG. 1 , and FIG. 3 is a rear view showing the robot cleaner 1 shown in FIG. 1 , FIG. 4 is a view showing some components separated from the robot cleaner 1 shown in FIG. 3 , and FIG. 5 is another embodiment of the present invention It is a bottom view showing the robot cleaner 1 according to the example, and FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the robot cleaner 1 .

The robot cleaner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is placed on the floor and moved along the floor surface B to clean the floor. Accordingly, in the following description, the vertical direction is determined based on the state in which the robot cleaner 1 is placed on the floor.

And based on the first rotating plate 10 and the second rotating plate 20, the side to which the first and

second support wheels

120 and 130, which will be described later, are coupled to the front side will be described.

The 'lowest part' of each configuration described in the embodiment of the present invention may be a part located at the lowest position in each configuration when the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is placed on the floor and used, or It may be the part closest to the floor.

The robot cleaner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a body 100 , rotating

plates

10 and 20 and

mops

30 and 40 . In this case, the rotating

plates

10 and 20 include a first rotating plate 10 and a second rotating plate 20 , and the

mops

30 and 40 include a first mop 30 and a second mop 40 . .

The body 100 may form the overall appearance of the robot cleaner 1 or may be formed in the form of a frame. Each component constituting the robot cleaner 1 may be coupled to the body 100 , and some components constituting the robot cleaner 1 may be accommodated in the body 100 .

Specifically, the body 100 may be divided into a lower body 110 and an upper body 105 covering the lower body 110, and in a space formed by combining the lower body 110 and the upper body 105 with each other. The parts of the robot cleaner 1 may be provided. For example, the body 100 may accommodate the battery 220 , the water bottle 230 , and the motors 162 and 172 in an internal space (see FIG. 6 ).

In an embodiment of the present invention, the body 100 may be formed in a shape in which the width (or diameter) in the horizontal direction (direction parallel to X and Y) is larger than the height in the vertical direction (direction parallel to Z). The body 100 may help the robot cleaner 1 to achieve a stable structure, and provide a structure advantageous for avoiding obstacles in the robot cleaner 1 moving (driving).

When viewed from above or below, the body 100 may have various shapes, such as a circle, an oval, or a square.

The first rotating plate 10 may be rotatably disposed on the bottom surface 112 of the lower body 110 and the first mop 30 facing the floor is coupled to the lower side.

The first rotating plate 10 is made to have a predetermined area, and is formed in the form of a flat plate or a flat frame. The first rotating plate 10 is generally laid down horizontally, and thus the horizontal width (or diameter) is sufficiently larger than the vertical height. The first rotating plate 10 coupled to the body 100 may be parallel to the bottom surface (B), or may form an inclination with the bottom surface (B).

The first rotating plate 10 may have a circular plate shape, and the bottom surface of the first rotating plate 10 may have a substantially circular shape.

The first rotating plate 10 may be formed in a rotationally symmetrical shape as a whole.

The first rotating plate 10 may include a first central plate 11 , a first outer plate 12 , and a first spoke 13 .

The first central plate 11 is rotatably coupled to the body 100 while forming the center of the first rotating plate 10 . The first center plate 11 may be coupled to the lower side of the body 100 , and may be coupled to the body 100 while the upper surface of the first center plate 11 faces the bottom surface of the body 100 .

The rotation shaft 15 of the first rotation plate 10 may be formed along a direction penetrating the center of the first central plate 11 . In addition, the rotation shaft 15 of the first rotating plate 10 may be formed along a direction orthogonal to the bottom surface (B), or may achieve a predetermined inclination in a direction orthogonal to the bottom surface (B).

The first outer plate 12 is formed to surround the first central plate 11 to be spaced apart from the first central plate 11 .

The first spokes 13 connect the first central plate 11 and the first outer plate 12 , and are provided in plurality and are repeatedly formed along the circumferential direction of the first central plate 11 . The first spokes 13 may be arranged at equal intervals, and a plurality of holes 14 penetrating up and down between the first spokes 13 are provided, and the liquid discharged from the water supply tube 240 to be described later. (eg, water) may be delivered to the first mop 30 through this hole 14 .

In the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the bottom surface of the first rotating plate 10 coupled to the body 100 may form a predetermined inclination with the bottom surface B, at this time the first rotating plate ( 10) of the rotation shaft 15 may form a direction perpendicular to the bottom surface (B) and a predetermined inclination.

In the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the angle θ1 between the bottom surface of the first rotation plate 10 and the floor surface B is, the rotation shaft 15 of the first rotation plate 10 is the bottom surface It may be made the same as the angle θ2 formed with the direction perpendicular to (B). Accordingly, when the first rotating plate 10 rotates with respect to the body 100 , the bottom surface of the first rotating plate 10 may be formed to maintain the same angle as the bottom surface (B).

The second rotating plate 20 may be coupled to the lower side of the second mop 40 facing the bottom surface B, and may be rotatably disposed on the bottom surface 112 of the lower body 110 .

The second rotating plate 20 is made to have a predetermined area, and is formed in the form of a flat plate or a flat frame. The second rotating plate 20 is generally laid down horizontally, and thus the horizontal width (or diameter) is sufficiently larger than the vertical height. The second rotating plate 20 coupled to the body 100 may be parallel to the bottom surface (B), or may form an inclination with the bottom surface (B).

The second rotating plate 20 may have a circular plate shape, and the bottom surface of the second rotating plate 20 may have a substantially circular shape.

The second rotating plate 20 may be formed in a rotationally symmetrical shape as a whole.

The second rotation plate 20 may include a second center plate 21 , a second outer plate 22 , and a second spoke 23 .

The second center plate 21 is rotatably coupled to the body 100 while forming the center of the second rotating plate 20 . The second center plate 21 may be coupled to the lower side of the body 100 , and the upper surface of the second center plate 21 may be coupled to the body 100 while facing the bottom surface of the body 100 .

The rotation shaft 25 of the second rotation plate 20 may be formed along a direction penetrating the center of the second central plate 21 . In addition, the rotation shaft 25 of the second rotating plate 20 may be formed along a direction orthogonal to the bottom surface B, or may achieve a predetermined inclination in a direction orthogonal to the bottom surface B.

The second outer plate 22 is formed to surround the second central plate 21 to be spaced apart from the second central plate 21 .

The second spokes 23 connect the second center plate 21 and the second outer plate 22 , and are provided in plurality and are repeatedly formed along the circumferential direction of the second center plate 21 . The second spokes 23 may be arranged at equal intervals, and a plurality of holes 24 penetrating up and down between the second spokes 23 are provided, and the liquid discharged from the water supply tube 240 to be described later. (Water) may be transferred toward the second mop 40 through this hole 24 .

In the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the bottom surface of the second rotation plate 20 coupled to the body 100 may form a predetermined inclination with the bottom surface B, in this case the second rotation plate 20 ) of the rotation shaft 25 may form a direction perpendicular to the bottom surface (B) and a predetermined inclination.

In the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the angle θ3 between the bottom surface of the second rotation plate 20 and the floor surface B is, the rotation shaft 25 of the second rotation plate 20 is the bottom surface It may be made the same as the angle θ4 formed with the direction perpendicular to (B). Accordingly, when the second rotating plate 20 rotates with respect to the body 100 , the bottom surface of the second rotating plate 20 may be formed to maintain the same angle as the bottom surface (B).

In the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the second rotating plate 20 may be made the same as the first rotating plate 10, or may be made symmetrically. If the first rotating plate 10 is located on the left side of the robot cleaner 1, the second rotating plate 20 may be located on the right side of the robot cleaner 1, and in this case, the first rotating plate 10 and the second rotating plate ( 20) can be symmetrical to each other.

The first mop 30 may be formed so that the lower surface facing the bottom surface (B) has a predetermined area. In addition, the first mop 30 is made in a flat form. The first mop 30 is formed in a form in which the width (or diameter) in the horizontal direction is sufficiently larger than the height in the vertical direction. When the first mop 30 is coupled to the body 100 side, the lower surface of the first mop 30 may be parallel to the bottom surface (B), or may form an inclination with the bottom surface (B).

The lower surface of the first mop 30 may form a generally circular shape.

The first mop 30 may be formed in a rotationally symmetrical shape as a whole.

The first mop 30 may be made of various materials capable of wiping the bottom surface (B) while in contact with the bottom surface (B). To this end, the lower surface of the first mop 30 may be made of a cloth made of a woven or knitted fabric, a nonwoven fabric, and/or a brush having a predetermined area.

In the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the first mop 30 is detachably attached to the lower surface of the first rotating plate 10, coupled to the first rotating plate 10, and the first rotating plate 10 and made to rotate together. For example, the first mop 30 may be closely coupled to the bottom surface of the first outer plate 12 , and may be closely coupled to the bottom surfaces of the first central plate 11 and the first outer plate 12 .

The first mop 30 may be detachably attached to the first rotating plate 10 using various devices and methods. For example, at least a portion of the first mop 30 may be coupled to the first rotating plate 10 in a manner such as being caught on the first rotating plate 10 , fitting, or the like.

As another example, a separate device such as a clamp for coupling the first mop 30 and the first rotating plate 10 may be provided.

As another example, a pair of fastening devices coupled to and separated from each other (as a specific example of a fastening device, a pair of magnets that attract each other, a pair of velcro coupled to each other, or a pair coupled to each other One of the buttons (female buttons and single weights, etc. can be used) is fixed to the first mop 30 and the other side can be fixed to the first rotating plate 10 .

As the first mop 30 is coupled to the first rotary plate 10 , the first mop 30 and the first rotary plate 10 may be coupled to each other in an overlapping form, and the center of the first mop 30 . The first mop 30 may be coupled to the first rotating plate 10 so as to coincide with the center of the first rotating plate 10 .

The second mop 40 may be formed so that the lower surface facing the floor has a predetermined area. In addition, the second mop 40 is made in a flat form. The second mop 40 is formed in a form in which the width (or diameter) in the horizontal direction is sufficiently larger than the height in the vertical direction. When the second mop 40 is coupled to the body 100 side, the bottom surface of the second mop 40 may be parallel to the bottom surface (B), or may form an inclination with the bottom surface (B).

The lower surface of the second mop 40 may form a substantially circular shape.

The second mop 40 may be formed in a rotationally symmetrical shape as a whole.

The second mop 40 may be made of various materials capable of wiping the floor aus (B) while in contact with the floor surface (B). To this end, the lower surface of the second mop 40 may be made of a cloth made of a woven or knitted fabric, a non-woven fabric, and/or a brush having a predetermined area.

In the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the second mop 40 is detachably attached to the lower surface of the second rotating plate 20 , coupled to the second rotating plate 20 , and the second rotating plate 20 and made to rotate together. The second mop 40 may be closely coupled to the lower surface of the second outer plate 22 , and may be closely coupled to the lower surface of the second center plate 21 and the second outer plate 22 .

The second mop 40 may be detachably attached to the second rotating plate 20 using various devices and methods. For example, at least a portion of the second mop 40 may be coupled to the second rotating plate 20 in a manner such as being caught on the second rotating plate 20 or fitted.

As another example, a separate device such as a clamp for coupling the second mop 40 and the second rotating plate 20 may be provided.

As another example, a pair of fastening devices coupled to and separated from each other (as a specific example of a fastening device, a pair of magnets that attract each other, a pair of velcro coupled to each other, or a pair coupled to each other One of the buttons (female buttons and single weights), etc. can be used) is fixed to the second mop 40 and the other side can be fixed to the second rotating plate (20).

As the second mop 40 is coupled to the second rotary plate 20 , the second mop 40 and the second rotary plate 20 may be coupled to each other in an overlapping form, and the center of the second mop 40 . The second mop 40 may be coupled to the second rotating plate 20 so as to coincide with the center of the second rotating plate 20 .

The robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention may be made to go straight along the floor surface (B). For example, the robot cleaner 1 may go straight forward (X direction) when cleaning, or may go straight backward when it is necessary to avoid obstacles or cliffs.

In the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the first rotating plate 10 and the second rotating plate 20 are each bottom surface so that the side closer to each other is more spaced apart from the floor surface B than the side farther away from each other. It can be inclined with (B). That is, the first rotating plate 10 and the second rotating plate 20 may be configured such that the side farther from the center of the robot cleaner 1 is located closer to the floor than the side closer to the center of the robot cleaner 1 . 3 and 4)

And at this time, the rotation shaft 15 of the first rotation plate 10 is perpendicular to the lower surface of the first rotation plate 10 , and the rotation shaft 25 of the second rotation plate 20 is on the lower surface of the second rotation plate 20 . It can be arranged vertically.

When the first mop 30 is coupled to the first rotary plate 10 and the second mop 40 is coupled to the second rotary plate 20, the first mop 30 and the second mop 40 are farther from each other. part of each is in stronger contact with the floor.

When the first rotating plate 10 is rotated, a frictional force is generated between the lower surface and the bottom surface (B) of the first mop (30), and at this time, the point and direction of the frictional force is the rotation shaft (15) of the first rotating plate (10). ), so that the first rotating plate 10 is moved against the floor surface B, and the robot cleaner 1 is able to move along the floor surface B.

In addition, when the second rotary plate 20 is rotated, a frictional force is generated between the lower surface and the bottom surface B of the second mop 40 , and at this time, the point and direction of the frictional force is the rotation axis of the second rotary plate 20 . Since it is away from (25), the second rotating plate 20 moves against the floor surface B, and again, the robot cleaner 1 can move along the floor surface B accordingly.

When the first rotating plate 10 and the second rotating plate 20 rotate in opposite directions at the same speed, the robot cleaner 1 may move in a linear direction, and may move forward or backward. For example, when viewed from above, when the first rotating plate 10 rotates counterclockwise and the second rotating plate 20 rotates clockwise, the robot cleaner 1 may move forward.

When only one of the first rotating plate 10 and the second rotating plate 20 rotates, the robot cleaner 1 may change direction and may rotate.

When the rotation speed of the first rotation plate 10 and the rotation speed of the second rotation plate 20 are different from each other, or when the first rotation plate 10 and the second rotation plate 20 rotate in the same direction, the robot cleaner (1) can move while changing direction, and can move in a curved direction.

However, in the portion where the first rotating plate 10 and the second rotating plate 20 are disposed close to each other, the bottom surface (B) and the first mop 30 or the second mop 40 are spaced apart from the bottom surface (B). cases may occur. That is, in the portion where the first mop 30 and the second mop 40 are in contact with each other, the first mop 30 or the second mop 40 does not make contact with the bottom surface B, or even if there is contact. Since the friction is very small, the floor surface B is not wiped, and the cleaning performance of the robot cleaner 1 may be reduced.

In order to solve this problem, in the present invention, a mop support part 118 is provided on the lower body 110 to improve the cleaning performance of the robot cleaner 1 .

The specific configuration of the mop support 118 will be described later in detail with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10 .

The robot cleaner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first support wheel 120 , a second support wheel 130 , and a first lower sensor 250 .

The first support wheel 120 and the second support wheel 130 may be made to contact the floor together with the first mop 30 and the second mop 40 .

The first support wheel 120 and the second support wheel 130 are spaced apart from each other, and each may be formed in the same shape as a conventional wheel. The first support wheel 120 and the second support wheel 130 may move while rolling in contact with the floor, and accordingly, the robot cleaner 1 may move along the floor surface (B).

The first supporting wheel 120 may be coupled to the bottom surface of the body 100 at a point spaced apart from the first rotating plate 10 and the second rotating plate 20, and the second supporting wheel 130 is also a first rotating plate ( 10) and the second rotating plate 20 may be coupled to the bottom surface of the body 100 at a spaced point.

When an imaginary line connecting the center of the first rotating plate 10 and the center of the second rotating plate 20 in a horizontal direction (a direction parallel to the bottom surface B) is referred to as a connecting line L1, the second support The wheel 130 is located on the same side as the first support wheel 120 with respect to the connecting line L1, and at this time, the auxiliary wheel 140 to be described later is different from the first supporting wheel 120 based on the connecting line L1. located on the side

The interval between the first support wheel 120 and the second support wheel 130 may be made in a relatively wide form, considering the overall size of the robot cleaner 1 . More specifically, a state in which the first support wheel 120 and the second support wheel 130 are placed on the bottom surface B (the rotation shaft 125 and the second support wheel 130 of the first support wheel 120 ) of the rotation shaft 135 in a state parallel to the floor surface B), the first support wheel 120 and the second support wheel 130 stand up without collapsing sideways while supporting a part of the load of the robot cleaner 1 It may be made to have a gap sufficient to be placed.

The first support wheel 120 may be located in front of the first rotation plate 10 , and the second support wheel 130 may be located in front of the second rotation plate 20 .

In the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the overall center of gravity G is the first mop 30 and the second mop (30) rather than the first support wheel 120 and the second support wheel 130 side. 40), the load of the robot cleaner 1 is supported by the first mop 30 and the second mop 40 rather than the first support wheel 120 and the second support wheel 130. .

The first lower sensor 250 is formed on the lower side of the body 100, and is configured to detect a relative distance to the floor (B). The first lower sensor 250 may be formed in various ways within a range capable of detecting the relative distance between the point where the first lower sensor 250 is formed and the bottom surface (B).

The relative distance (which may be a distance in a vertical direction from the floor surface, or a distance in an inclined direction from the floor surface) to the floor surface B, sensed by the first lower sensor 250, has a predetermined value. In the case of exceeding or exceeding the predetermined range, the bottom surface may be suddenly lowered, and accordingly, the first lower sensor 250 may detect the cliff.

The first lower sensor 250 may be formed of an optical sensor, and may include a light emitting unit for irradiating light and a light receiving unit through which the reflected light is incident. The first lower sensor 250 may be an infrared sensor.

The first lower sensor 250 may be referred to as a cliff sensor.

The first lower sensor 250 is formed on the same side as the first support wheel 120 and the second support wheel 130 with respect to the connection line L1.

The first lower sensor 250 is positioned between the first support wheel 120 and the second support wheel 130 along the rim direction of the body 100 . In the robot cleaner 1, if the first support wheel 120 is located on the relatively left side and the second support wheel 130 is located on the relatively right side, the first lower sensor 250 is generally located in the middle.

The first lower sensor 250 is formed in front of the

support wheels

120 and 130 .

As the first lower sensor 250 is formed on the lower surface of the body 100 , the sensing of the cliff by the first lower sensor 250 is not hindered by the first mop 30 and the second mop 40 . In addition, for the rapid detection of the cliff located in front of the robot cleaner 1, the first lower sensor 250 is a point sufficiently spaced apart from the first rotating plate 10 and the second rotating plate 20 (also the second The first mop 30 and the second mop 40 and a point sufficiently spaced apart) may be formed. Accordingly, the first lower sensor 250 may be formed adjacent to the edge of the body 100 .

The robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention may be configured such that the operation is controlled according to the distance sensed by the first lower sensor 250 . More specifically, according to the distance sensed by the first lower sensor 250 , the rotation of any one or more of the first rotating plate 10 and the second rotating plate 20 may be controlled. For example, when the distance sensed by the first lower sensor 250 exceeds a predetermined value or out of a predetermined range, the rotation of the first rotating plate 10 and the second rotating plate 20 is stopped while the robot cleaner ( 1) is stopped, or the direction of rotation of the first rotating plate 10 and/or the second rotating plate 20 is switched while the moving direction of the robot cleaner 1 is changed.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the direction detected by the first lower sensor 250 may be inclined downward toward the edge of the body 100 . For example, when the first lower sensor 250 is a photosensor, the direction of the light irradiated by the first lower sensor 250 is not perpendicular to the bottom surface B, but may be inclined toward the front. have.

Accordingly, the first lower sensor 250 may detect a cliff located further in front of the first lower sensor 250 and may detect a cliff located in the front of the body 100 relatively, and the robot cleaner (1) can be prevented from entering the cliff.

The robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention may change the direction to the left or right during cleaning, and may move in a curved direction, in which case the first mop 30, the second mop 40, the second mop The first support wheel 120 and the second support wheel 130 contact the floor and support the load of the robot cleaner 1 .

When the robot cleaner 1 moves while changing the direction to the left, the first supporting wheel 120 and the second supporting wheel 130 move onto the cliff by the first lower sensor 250 before entering the cliff (F). (F) may be detected, at least before the second support wheel 130 enters the cliff (F), the cliff (F) may be detected by the first lower sensor (250). When the detection of the cliff F by the first lower sensor 250 is made, the robot cleaner 1 includes the first mop 30 , the second mop 40 , the first support wheel 120 and the second The load is supported by the support wheel 130 , and at least, the load is supported by the first mop 30 , the second mop 40 , and the second support wheel 130 .

When the robot cleaner 1 rotates to the right and moves, the first support wheel 120 and the second support wheel 130 move to the cliff F by the first lower sensor 250 before entering the cliff F. ) may be detected, and the cliff F may be detected by the first lower sensor 250 before at least the first support wheel 120 enters the cliff F. When the detection of the cliff F by the first lower sensor 250 is made, the robot cleaner 1 includes the first mop 30 , the second mop 40 , the first support wheel 120 and the second The load is supported by the support wheel 130 , and at least, the load is supported by the first mop 30 , the second mop 40 and the first support wheel 120 .

As described above, according to the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the first support wheel 120 and the second support wheel even when the robot cleaner 1 moves straight as well as when the direction is changed. The cliff (F) can be detected by the first lower sensor before 130 enters the cliff (F), and the robot cleaner (1) can be prevented from falling to the cliff (F), and the robot cleaner ( It can prevent the overall balance of 1) from being broken.

The robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a second lower sensor 260 and a third lower sensor 270 .

The second lower sensor 260 and the third lower sensor 270 are formed on the lower side of the body 100 on the same side as the first support wheel 120 and the second support wheel 130 with respect to the connection line L1. And it can be made to sense the relative distance to the floor (B).

As the second lower sensor 260 is formed on the lower surface of the body 100 , the detection of the cliff F by the second lower sensor 260 is detected by the first mop 30 and the second mop 40 . The second lower sensor 260 is formed to be spaced apart from the first mop 30 and the second mop 40 so as not to be disturbed by it. In addition, in order to quickly detect the cliff F located on the left or right side of the robot cleaner 1 , the second lower sensor 260 is provided from the first support wheel 120 or the second support wheel 130 . It may be formed at points spaced outward. The second lower sensor 260 may be formed adjacent to the edge of the body 100 .

The second lower sensor 260 may be formed opposite to the first lower sensor 250 with respect to the first support wheel 120 . Accordingly, the detection of the cliff F on either side of the first support wheel 120 is made by the first lower sensor 250, and the detection of the cliff F on the other side is performed by the second lower sensor ( 260), the detection of the cliff (F) around the first support wheel 120 can be made effectively.

As the third lower sensor 270 is formed on the lower surface of the body 100 , the detection of the cliff F by the third lower sensor 270 is detected by the first mop 30 and the second mop 40 . The third lower sensor 270 is formed to be spaced apart from the first mop 30 and the second mop 40 so as not to be disturbed by it. In addition, in order to quickly detect the cliff F located on the left or right side of the robot cleaner 1 , the second lower sensor 260 is provided from the first support wheel 120 or the second support wheel 130 . It may be formed at points spaced outward. The second lower sensor 260 may be formed adjacent to the edge of the body 100 .

The third lower sensor 270 may be formed opposite to the first lower sensor 250 with respect to the second support wheel 130 . Accordingly, the detection of the cliff F on either side of the second support wheel 130 is made by the first lower sensor 250, and the detection of the cliff F on the other side is performed by the second lower sensor ( 260), the detection of the cliff (F) around the second support wheel 130 can be made effectively.

Each of the second lower sensor 260 and the third lower sensor 270 may be formed in various ways within a range capable of detecting a relative distance to the floor B. Each of the second lower sensor 260 and the third lower sensor 270 may be formed in the same manner as the above-described first lower sensor 250 except for a position where it is formed.

The robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention may be configured such that the operation is controlled according to the distance sensed by the second lower sensor 260 . More specifically, according to the distance sensed by the second lower sensor 260 , the rotation of any one or more of the first rotating plate 10 and the second rotating plate 20 may be controlled. For example, when the distance detected by the second lower sensor 260 exceeds a predetermined value or out of a predetermined range, the rotation of the first rotating plate 10 and the second rotating plate 20 is stopped while the robot cleaner ( 1) is stopped, or the direction of rotation of the first rotating plate 10 and/or the second rotating plate 20 is switched while the moving direction of the robot cleaner 1 is changed.

In addition, the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention may be configured such that the operation is controlled according to the distance sensed by the third lower sensor 270 . More specifically, according to the distance sensed by the third lower sensor 270 , the rotation of any one or more of the first rotating plate 10 and the second rotating plate 20 may be controlled. For example, when the distance detected by the third lower sensor 270 exceeds a predetermined value or out of a predetermined range, the rotation of the first rotation plate 10 and the second rotation plate 20 is stopped while the robot cleaner ( 1) is stopped, or the direction of rotation of the first rotating plate 10 and/or the second rotating plate 20 is switched while the moving direction of the robot cleaner 1 is changed.

The distance from the connecting line (L1) to the second lower sensor 260 and the distance from the connecting line (L1) to the third lower sensor 270, the distance from the connecting line (L1) to the first support wheel 120 and the connecting line ( It may be made shorter than the distance from L1) to the second support wheel 130 .

In addition, the second lower sensor 260 and the third lower sensor 270 are the center of the first rotation plate 10 , the center of the second rotation plate 20 , the center of the first support wheel 120 , and the second support. It is located outside the rectangular vertical region having the center of the wheel 130 as each vertex.

When the second lower sensor 260 is positioned on the left side of the robot cleaner 1 , the third lower sensor 270 may be positioned on the right side of the robot cleaner 1 .

The second lower sensor 260 and the third lower sensor 270 may form a symmetry with each other.

The robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention can be rotated, and at this time, the first mop 30 , the second mop 40 , the first support wheel 120 and the second support wheel 130 are It contacts the floor and supports the load of the robot cleaner (1).

When the cliff F is located on the left side of the robot cleaner 1 and the robot cleaner 1 changes the direction or turns to the left, the first support wheel 120 and the second support wheel 130 move the cliff (F) The cliff F may be detected by the second lower sensor 260 before entering the road. When the detection of the cliff F by the second lower sensor 260 is made, the robot cleaner 1 includes a first mop 30 , a second mop 40 , a first support wheel 120 and a second The load is supported by the support wheel 130 .

In addition, when the cliff F is located on the right side of the robot cleaner 1 and the robot cleaner 1 changes the direction to the right or rotates, the first support wheel 120 and the second support wheel 130 fall off the cliff ( The cliff F may be detected by the third lower sensor 270 before entering F). When the detection of the cliff F by the third lower sensor 270 is made, the robot cleaner 1 includes the first mop 30 , the second mop 40 , the first support wheel 120 and the second The load is supported by the support wheel 130 .

As described above, according to the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the robot cleaner 1 prevents the robot cleaner 1 from falling to the cliff F when the robot cleaner 1 changes direction or rotates to either side. and it is possible to prevent the overall balance of the robot cleaner 1 from collapsing.

The robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include an auxiliary wheel 140 together with the first support wheel 120 and the second support wheel 130 .

The auxiliary wheel 140 may be spaced apart from the first rotating plate 10 and the second rotating plate 20 and coupled to the lower side of the body 100 .

The auxiliary wheel 140 is located on the other side from the first support wheel 120 and the second support wheel 130 with respect to the connection line L1.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the auxiliary wheel 140 may be formed in the same shape as a conventional wheel, and the rotation shaft 145 of the auxiliary wheel 140 may be formed parallel to the bottom surface (B). The auxiliary wheel 140 may move while rolling in contact with the floor, and accordingly, the robot cleaner 1 may move along the floor surface (B).

However, in the embodiment of the present invention, the auxiliary wheel 140 is made so as not to contact the floor when the first mop 30 and the second mop 40 are in contact with the floor.

Based on the first rotating plate 10 and the second rotating plate 20, the first supporting wheel 120 and the second supporting wheel 130 are located at the front, and the auxiliary wheel 140 is located at the rear.

In the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the first rotating plate 10 and the second rotating plate 20 are symmetrical (left-right symmetric) to each other, and the first supporting wheel 120 and the second supporting wheel ( 130) may be symmetrical (left and right symmetry) to each other.

In the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, in a state in which the first mop 30 is coupled to the first rotary plate 10 and the second mop 40 is coupled to the second rotary plate 20, the first The first support wheel 120 , the second support wheel 130 , and the auxiliary wheel 140 do not prevent the first mop 30 and the second mop 40 from contacting the floor.

Accordingly, the first mop 30 and the second mop 40 are in contact with the floor, and mopping and cleaning can be made by the rotation of the first mop 30 and the second mop 40 . At this time, the first support wheel 120 , the second support wheel 130 , and the auxiliary wheel 140 may all be spaced apart from the floor, or the auxiliary wheel 140 may be spaced apart from the floor and the first support wheel 120 . And the second support wheel 130 may be made to contact the floor.

In the embodiment of the present invention, in a state in which the robot cleaner 1 is placed so that the first mop 30 and the second mop 40 are in contact with the floor, the most of the first support wheel 120 from the floor surface B The height to the lower part and the height from the bottom surface (B) to the lowest part of the second support wheel 130 are made lower than the height from the bottom surface (B) to the lowest part of the auxiliary wheel 140 .

The robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention comprises a first actuator 160 , a second actuator 170 , a battery 220 , a water tank 230 , and a water supply tube 240 .

The first actuator 160 is coupled to the body 100 to rotate the first rotating plate 10 .

The first actuator 160 may include a first case 161 , a first motor 162 , and one or more first gears 163 .

The first case 161 supports the components constituting the first actuator 160 , and is fixedly coupled to the body 100 .

The first motor 162 may be an electric motor.

The plurality of first gears 163 are engaged with each other to rotate, connect the first motor 162 and the first rotation plate 10 , and use the rotational power of the first motor 162 to the first rotation plate 10 . transmit Accordingly, when the rotation shaft of the first motor 162 rotates, the first rotation plate 10 rotates.

The second actuator 170 is coupled to the body 100 to rotate the second rotating plate 20 .

The second actuator 170 may include a second case 171 , a second motor 172 , and one or more second gears 173 .

The second case 171 supports the components constituting the second actuator 170 , and is fixedly coupled to the body 100 .

The second motor 172 may be an electric motor.

The plurality of second gears 173 are engaged with each other to rotate, connect the second motor 172 and the second rotating plate 20 , and use the rotational power of the second motor 172 to the second rotating plate 20 . transmit Accordingly, when the rotation shaft of the second motor 172 rotates, the second rotation plate 20 rotates.

As such, in the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the first rotating plate 10 and the first mop 30 may rotate by the operation of the first actuator 160 , and the second actuator 170 . By the operation of the second rotary plate 20 and the second mop 40 can be rotated.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the first actuator 160 may be disposed directly above the first rotating plate 10 . With this configuration, it is possible to minimize the loss of power transmitted from the first actuator 160 to the first rotating plate 10 . In addition, by applying the load of the first actuator 160 toward the first rotary plate 10, the first mop 30 can be sufficiently rubbed with the floor to make mopping.

Also, in the embodiment of the present invention, the second actuator 170 may be disposed directly above the second rotating plate 20 . With this configuration, the loss of power transmitted from the second actuator 170 to the second rotary plate 20 can be minimized. In addition, by applying the load of the second actuator 170 toward the second rotary plate 20, the second mop 40 can be sufficiently rubbed with the floor to make mopping.

The second actuator 170 may form a symmetry (left and right symmetry) with the first actuator 160 .

The battery 220 is coupled to the body 100 to supply power to other components constituting the robot cleaner 1 . The battery 220 may supply power to the first actuator 160 and the second actuator 170 , and in particular, supplies power to the first motor 162 and the second motor 172 .

In an embodiment of the present invention, the battery 220 may be charged by an external power source, and for this, one side of the body 100 or the battery 220 itself has a corresponding terminal 222 for charging the battery 220 . ) may be provided.

In the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the battery 220 may be coupled to the body 100 .

The bucket 230 is made in the form of a container having an internal space so that a liquid such as water is stored therein. The bucket 230 may be fixedly coupled to the body 100 , or may be detachably coupled from the body 100 .

In an embodiment of the present invention, the bucket 230 may be located above the auxiliary wheel 140 .

The water supply tube 240 is made in the form of a tube or pipe, and is connected to the water tank 230 so that the liquid inside the water tank 230 can flow through the inside. The water supply tube 240 is made such that the opposite end connected to the water tank 230 is located above the first rotary plate 10 and the second rotary plate 20, and accordingly, the liquid inside the water tank 230 is removed. 1 so that it can be supplied to the mop 30 and the second mop (40).

In the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the water supply tube 240 may be formed in a form in which one tube is branched into two, and at this time, any one of the branched ends is on the upper side of the first rotating plate 10 . is located, and the other branched end may be located above the second rotating plate 20 .

In the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, a separate pump may be provided to move the liquid through the water supply tube 240 .

The center of gravity G of the robot cleaner 1 is the center of the first rotating plate 10 , the center of the second rotating plate 20 , the center of the first supporting wheel 120 , and the center of the second supporting wheel 130 . It may be located inside the vertical region of the rectangle with each vertex. Accordingly, the robot cleaner 1 is supported by the first mop 30 , the second mop 40 , the first support wheel 120 , and the second support wheel 130 .

In the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, each of the first actuator 160 , the second actuator 170 , the battery 220 and the water tank 230 is relatively heavy in the robot cleaner 1 . It can be achieved, the first actuator 160 and the second actuator 170 are located on or adjacent to the connecting line, the battery 220 is located in front of the connecting line, and the bucket 230 is located behind the connecting line, The overall center of gravity (G) of the robot cleaner (1) can be positioned at the center of the robot cleaner (1), so that the first mop (30) and the second mop (40) are in stable contact with the floor can do.

In addition, since the first actuator 160, the second actuator 170, the battery 220, and the bucket 230 are each located on different areas in a plan view, a relatively flat body 100 and It is possible to form the robot cleaner 1, and it is possible to form the robot cleaner 1, which can easily enter the lower side of a shelf or table.

In addition, according to the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, only the first mop 30 and the second mop 40 are the floor when the robot cleaner 1 in which the liquid is sufficiently accommodated in the water tank 230 is initially driven. Each weight can be distributed so as to be cleaned while in contact with, and at this time, even when the center of gravity (G) of the robot cleaner (1) moves forward while the liquid inside the bucket 230 is exhausted, the first support wheel ( 120) and the second support wheel 130 together with the first mop 30 and the second mop 40 can be cleaned while in contact with the floor.

In addition, the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, regardless of whether the liquid inside the water tank 230 is exhausted, the first support wheel together with the first mop 30 and the second mop 40 ( 120) and the second support wheel 130 may be cleaned while in contact with the floor.

The robot cleaner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a second lower sensor 260 , a first support wheel 120 , a first lower sensor 250 , and a second along the rim direction of the body 100 . The support wheel 130 and the third lower sensor 270 may be arranged in order.

7 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the robot cleaner 1 and its configurations according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include a controller 180 , a bumper 190 , a first sensor 200 , and a second sensor 210 .

The controller 180 may be configured to control the operations of the first actuator 160 and the second actuator 170 according to preset information or real-time information. For the control of the controller 180 , the robot cleaner 1 may include a storage medium in which an application program is stored, and the controller 180 outputs information input to the robot cleaner 1 and output from the robot cleaner 1 . It may be made to control the robot cleaner 1 by driving an application program according to the information and the like.

The bumper 190 is coupled along the rim of the body 100 , and is made to move relative to the body 100 . For example, the bumper 190 may be coupled to the body 100 to be reciprocally movable along a direction approaching the center of the body 100 .

The bumper 190 may be coupled along a portion of the rim of the body 100 , or may be coupled along the entire rim of the body 100 .

In the cleaner according to the embodiment of the present invention, the lowest portion of the body 100 forming the same side as the bumper 190 with respect to the connecting line L1 may be made higher than or equal to the lowest portion of the bumper 190 . . That is, the bumper 190 may be lower than or equal to the body 100 . Accordingly, an obstacle at a relatively low position may collide with the bumper 190 and be sensed by the bumper 190 .

The first sensor 200 may be coupled to the body 100 and may be configured to detect a movement (relative movement) of the bumper 190 with respect to the body 100 . The first sensor 200 may be formed using a microswitch, a photo interrupter, or a tact switch.

The controller 180 may control the robot cleaner 1 to avoid maneuvering when the bumper 190 of the robot cleaner 1 comes into contact with an obstacle, and according to information from the first sensor 200 , It may be configured to control the operation of the first actuator 160 and/or the second actuator 170 . For example, when the bumper 190 comes into contact with an obstacle while the robot cleaner 1 is driving, the position where the bumper 190 comes into contact may be recognized by the first sensor 200 , and the controller 180 may The operation of the first actuator 160 and/or the second actuator 170 may be controlled so as to leave the contact position.

The second sensor 210 may be coupled to the body 100 and configured to detect a relative distance to an obstacle. The second sensor 210 may be a distance sensor.

When the distance between the robot cleaner 1 and the obstacle is less than or equal to a predetermined value, the controller 180 changes the traveling direction of the robot cleaner 1 or the robot cleaner 1 according to the information from the second sensor 210 . ) may control the operation of the first actuator 160 and/or the second actuator 170 so as to move away from the obstacle.

In addition, the control unit 180, according to the distance detected by the first lower sensor 250, the second lower sensor 260, or the third lower sensor 270, the robot cleaner 1 is stopped or the driving direction is switched As much as possible, the operation of the first actuator 160 and/or the second actuator 170 may be controlled.

In the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the frictional force between the first mop 30 and the bottom surface B generated when the first rotating plate 10 is rotated and the second rotating plate 20 is rotated By the frictional force between the generated second mop 40 and the bottom surface (B), movement (running) can be made.

In the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the first support wheel 120 and the second support wheel 130 prevent the movement (running) of the robot cleaner 1 by friction with the floor. It can be done to the extent that it does not occur, and it can be made to the extent that the load does not increase when the robot cleaner 1 moves (driving).

To this end, the width of the first support wheel 120 and the width of the second support wheel 130 may be made sufficiently small compared to the diameter of the first rotation plate 10 or the diameter of the second rotation plate 20 .

With this configuration, even if the first support wheel 120 and the second support wheel 130 come into contact with the floor together with the first mop 30 and the second mop 40 and the robot cleaner 1 is driven, the second The frictional force between the first support wheel 120 and the floor surface (B) and the friction force between the second support wheel 130 and the floor surface (B), the friction force between the first mop 30 and the floor surface (B) and the second mop It is made very small compared to the frictional force between (40) and the floor surface (B), and thus does not cause unnecessary power loss, and does not interfere with the movement of the robot cleaner (1).

The robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention has a stable four-point support by the first support wheel 120 , the second support wheel 130 , the first mop 30 and the second mop 40 . It is possible.

In the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the rotation shaft 125 of the first support wheel 120 and the rotation shaft 135 of the second support wheel 130 may be made parallel to the connection line L1. have. That is, the position of the rotation shaft 125 of the first support wheel 120 and the rotation shaft 135 of the second support wheel 130 may be fixed (fixed in the left and right directions) on the body 100 .

The first support wheel 120 and the second support wheel 130 may come into contact with the floor together with the first mop 30 and the second mop 40, and at this time, the linear movement of the robot cleaner 1 is performed. To this end, the first mop 30 and the second mop 40 may rotate in opposite directions at the same speed, the first support wheel 120 and the second support wheel 130 are the robot cleaner (1). It assists the forward and backward linear movement.

The robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include an auxiliary wheel body 150 . At this time, the auxiliary wheel body 150 is rotatably coupled to the lower side of the body 100 , and the auxiliary wheel 140 is rotatably coupled to the auxiliary wheel body 150 .

That is, the auxiliary wheel 140 is coupled to the body 100 via the auxiliary wheel body 150 .

And the rotation shaft 145 of the auxiliary wheel 140 and the rotation shaft 155 of the auxiliary wheel body 150 may be formed to intersect each other, and the direction of the rotation shaft 145 of the auxiliary wheel 140 and the auxiliary wheel body ( The directions of the rotation shafts 155 of 150 may be orthogonal to each other. For example, the axis of rotation 155 of the auxiliary wheel body 150 may be directed in the vertical direction or slightly inclined in the vertical direction, and the axis of rotation 145 of the auxiliary wheel 140 may be directed in the horizontal direction.

In the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the auxiliary wheel 140 is, when the robot cleaner 1 is not substantially used (the first mop 30 and the second mop 40 are the robot cleaners) (When it is separated in (1)) it comes into contact with the floor surface (B), and when you want to move the robot cleaner 1 in this state, the direction in which the auxiliary wheel 140 is directed by the auxiliary wheel body 150 is It is freely deformed, and movement of the robot cleaner 1 can be made easily.

Meanwhile, FIG. 8 is a perspective view for explaining the lower body in the robot cleaner according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is for explaining the lower body in the robot cleaner according to the first embodiment of the present invention. A bottom view is disclosed, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along a connecting line to explain a state in which the rotating plate and the mop are mounted in the robot cleaner according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

The lower body 110 of the robot cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 8 to 10 .

The lower body 110, the upper surface is combined with the upper body 105 to form a space that can accommodate the battery 220, the water tank 230 and the motors 162, 172, the lower surface is the first The first rotating plate 10 , the second rotating plate 20 , the first supporting wheel 120 , the second supporting wheel 130 , and the auxiliary wheel 140 may be disposed.

On the lower surface of the lower body 110 of the present invention, a bottom surface 112 disposed toward the bottom surface B of the floor may be formed. In addition, the first rotating plate 10 and the second rotating plate 20 may be rotatably disposed on the bottom surface 112 .

The first rotating plate 10 and the second rotating plate 20 may be symmetrically disposed on the bottom surface 112 . Specifically, the first rotation shaft hole 113 and the second rotation shaft hole 114 may be symmetrically formed on the bottom surface 112 .

The rotation shaft 15 of the first rotation plate 10 may be engaged with the first gear 163 of the first actuator 160 through the first rotation shaft hole 113 . In addition, the rotation shaft 25 of the second rotation plate 20 may penetrate the second rotation shaft hole 114 to be meshed with the second gear 173 of the second actuator 170 .

Meanwhile, in the present invention, the lower body 110 may further include a virtual connection line L1 connecting the rotation shaft 15 of the first rotation plate 10 and the rotation shaft 25 of the second rotation plate 20 . At this time, since the rotation shaft 15 of the first rotation plate 10 and the rotation shaft 25 of the second rotation plate 20 pass through the first rotation shaft hole 113 and the second rotation shaft hole 114, respectively, the connection line ( L1) may mean a virtual line connecting the first rotation shaft hole 113 and the second rotation shaft hole 114 .

The distance C2 between the first rotation shaft hole 113 and the second rotation shaft hole 114 is preferably longer than twice the radius of the first rotation plate 10 or the second rotation plate 20 . With this configuration, the first rotating plate 10 and the second rotating plate 20 are rotatable without interfering with each other.

In addition, in this embodiment, the bottom surface 112 is in the direction of the first rotation shaft hole 113 and the second rotation shaft hole 114 with respect to the midpoint of the first rotation shaft hole 113 and the second rotation shaft hole 114 . It may be formed to be inclined to be closer to the bottom surface (B). With this configuration, portions of the first rotating plate 10 and the second rotating plate 20 that are far from each other can be in stronger contact with the floor, respectively.

The lower body 110 of the present invention may further include a guide surface 111 . The guide surface 111 may be disposed in front of the bottom surface 112 . In addition, the guide surface 111 may be formed to face at least a portion of the bottom surface (B).

The guide surface 111 may form a step with the bottom surface 112 and be disposed close to the bottom surface (B). A first support wheel 120 and a second support wheel 130 may be disposed on the guide surface 111 . In addition, the battery accommodating part 115 may be formed on the guide surface 111 .

The battery 220 may be accommodated in the battery accommodating part 115 . For example, the battery accommodating part 115 may be formed in a shape similar to a rectangular hole so that the battery 220 can be inserted and coupled thereto. Accordingly, the battery 220 may be screw-assembled after being inserted into the battery accommodating part 115 to be fixed to the body 100 .

The lower body 110 may further include an auxiliary wheel accommodating part 116 . The auxiliary wheel accommodating part 116 may be disposed at the rear with respect to the bottom surface 112 . In addition, the auxiliary wheel accommodating part 116 may be formed in a shape protruding from the lower surface of the lower body 110 toward the bottom surface (B). The auxiliary wheel 140 and the auxiliary wheel body 150 may be coupled to the auxiliary wheel receiving part 116 .

On the other hand, the lower body 110 may include a center line (b). Specifically, the center line (b) is perpendicular to the connecting line (L1) at the midpoint of the first rotation shaft hole 113 and the second rotation shaft hole 114, and is formed by drawing an imaginary line parallel to the bottom surface (B). can

In addition, the battery accommodating part 115 may be disposed on one side based on the connection line L1 , and the auxiliary wheel accommodating part 116 may be disposed on the other side based on the connection line L1 .

In this case, the auxiliary wheel accommodating part 116 and the battery accommodating part 115 may be disposed on the center line (b). That is, the center line b may be a virtual line that connects the battery accommodating part 115 and the auxiliary wheel accommodating part 116 and is perpendicular to the connection line L1.

Accordingly, the first rotating plate 10 and the second rotating plate 20 may be symmetrically (line symmetrical) arranged with respect to the center line (b) as a center (reference).

In the present embodiment, the lower body 110 may further include a foreign material preventing rib 117 . The foreign material prevention rib 117 is formed to protrude downward from the bottom surface 112 , and may be formed along the outer edges of the first rotation plate 10 and the second rotation plate 20 .

As an example, the foreign material preventing rib 117 is formed with the first foreign material preventing rib 117a and the second rotating shaft hole 114 protruding in the circumferential direction in the circumferential direction with respect to the first rotating shaft hole 113 as the center. It may include a second foreign material prevention rib 117b protruding in the form of a rib along the circumferential direction.

At this time, it is preferable that the distance d from the first rotation shaft hole 113 to the first foreign material prevention rib 117a is larger than the radius of the first rotation plate 10 and smaller than the radius of the first mop 30 . Do.

In addition, the distance (d) from the second rotation shaft hole 114 to the second foreign object prevention rib 117b is greater than the radius of the second rotation plate 20, preferably formed smaller than the radius of the second mop 40 Do.

In addition, the foreign material preventing rib 117 may be disposed to be spaced apart from the first rotating plate 10 or the second rotating plate 20 at a predetermined distance. At this time, the gap between the foreign material prevention rib 117 and the first rotating plate 10 or the second rotating plate 20 is, when the first rotating plate 10 or the second rotating plate 20 is rotated, the foreign material preventing rib 117 and the first rotating plate 10 or the second rotating plate 20 is preferably narrow within a range that does not interfere with each other.

With such a configuration, in the robot cleaner 1 of the present invention, even when the first rotating plate 10 and the second rotating plate 20 rotate, foreign substances including hair and dust on the floor are introduced into the inside of the robot cleaner 1 . has the effect of preventing

Meanwhile, although not shown, it is also possible that at least one additional foreign object prevention structure is further formed between the first rotation shaft hole 113 and the first foreign object prevention rib 117a in the robot cleaner 1 according to an embodiment. In addition, at least one additional foreign object preventing structure may be further formed between the second rotation shaft hole 114 and the second foreign material preventing rib 117b. With such a configuration, there is an effect of preventing foreign substances from flowing into the inside of the robot cleaner 1 .

The lower body 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a mop support 118 .

The mop support part 118 may be disposed on the bottom surface 112 and protrude downward from the bottom surface 112 . In this case, the mop support part 118 may be disposed between the first rotation shaft hole 113 and the second rotation shaft hole 114 .

In addition, the mop support 118 may be disposed on a circular arc centered on the first rotation shaft hole 113 and the second rotation shaft hole 114, respectively.

Specifically, the mop support 118 may be formed by extending a portion of the foreign material prevention rib 117 to the lower side. At this time, the mop support 118 may have various protruding shapes. For example, the mop support 118 may be formed to protrude from the foreign material prevention rib 117 in a flat bell shape. With this shape, even if the first mop 30 or the second mop 40 is in contact with the mop support 118 while rotating, between the first mop 30 or the second mop 40 and the mop support 118 . There is an effect of minimizing the friction of the first mop 30 or the second mop 40 is prevented from being damaged.

The mop support 118 may be formed to protrude from the foreign object prevention rib 117, including a point where the connecting line L1 and the foreign material prevention rib 117 intersect.

Specifically, the connecting line L1 may intersect at four points with the foreign material prevention rib 117 symmetrically formed in two on the bottom surface 112 . At this time, it is preferable that the mop support part 118 is formed in an area including two crossing points disposed between the first rotation shaft hole 113 and the second rotation shaft hole 114 .

In addition, it is preferable that the mop support 118 has the longest protrusion length (h1) at the point where the connecting line L1 intersects the foreign material prevention rib 117 with each other.

In this embodiment, the bottom surface 112 is the bottom toward the first rotation shaft hole 113 and the second rotation shaft hole 114 with respect to the midpoint of the first rotation shaft hole 113 and the second rotation shaft hole 114 as a reference. It is formed to be inclined so that it may become close to the surface (B). Accordingly, two points disposed between the first rotation shaft hole 113 and the second rotation shaft hole 114 have the greatest distance from the bottom surface B among the foreign matter prevention ribs 117 . In addition, the above two points are disposed at the position closest to the center of the robot cleaner 1 among the foreign matter prevention ribs 117 . Therefore, in order to increase the cleaning power of the central part of the robot cleaner 1, the mop support part 118 is formed at the above position, and it is preferable that the above two points have the longest protrusion length.

In addition, the protruding length (h1) of the mop support portion 118 is at least greater than the axial thickness of the first rotating plate 10 or the second rotating plate (20). And, the protrusion length (h1) of the mop support part 118 is greater than the height (h2) from the bottom surface 112 to the lower surface of the first rotation plate 10 or the second rotation plate 20 (h1 > h2). desirable.

With this configuration, the mop support 118 may be in contact with the first mop 10 and the second mop 20 by protruding further downward than the first rotating plate 10 or the second rotating plate 20 .

For example, the mop support 118 may include a first mop support 118a in contact with the first mop and a second mop support 118b in contact with the second mop.

At this time, the distance from the first rotary shaft hole 113 to the first mop support part 118a may be greater than the radius of the first rotary plate 10, and from the second rotary shaft hole 114 to the second mop support part 118b. The distance may be greater than the radius of the second rotating plate 20 .

And, the distance from the first rotary shaft hole 113 to the first mop support part 118a may be smaller than the radius of the first mop 30, and from the second rotary shaft hole 114 to the second mop support part 118b. The distance may be smaller than the radius of the second mop (40).

That is, the first mop 30 is formed to protrude toward the center of the robot cleaner 1 than the first rotating plate 10 , and the second mop 40 is the center of the robot cleaner 1 rather than the second rotating plate 20 . It is formed to protrude toward, and the mop support 118 may be disposed on the upper side of the protruding portion of the first mop 30 and the second mop 40 .

With this configuration, when the robot cleaner 1 is raised to the floor surface B in a state in which the

mops

30 and 40 are attached to the

rotating plates

10 and 20, at least a portion of the lower surface of the

mops

30 and 40 is the floor It can be in contact with the side (B). And, the upper surface of the mop (30, 40) may be attached to the lower surface of the rotating plate (10, 20).

And, a portion of the upper surface of the mops (30, 40) and a portion of the lower surface of the rotating plates (10, 20) may be closer to each other by the weight of the body (100).

On the other hand, the portion in contact with the mop support 118 among the upper surfaces of the

mops

30 and 40 may have a greater distance from the lower surfaces of the

rotating plates

10 and 20 .

Accordingly, when the

rotating plates

10 and 20 rotate, the distance between the

mops

30 and 40 and the

rotating plates

10 and 20 and the bottom surface B may be changed periodically.

Specifically, when the

rotary plates

10 and 20 rotate while the

mops

30 and 40 are attached to the

rotary plates

10 and 20, the upper surfaces of the

mops

30 and 40 according to the rotation of the

rotary plates

10 and 20. A distance between a portion and a portion of the lower surface of the

rotary plates

10 and 20 may be periodically changed. In addition, the distance between a portion of the lower surface of the

mops

30 and 40 and the bottom surface B may also be changed periodically.

Therefore, there is an effect of increasing the area of friction with the floor while the first mop 30 is bent in contact with the first mop support 118a. In addition, there is an effect of increasing the area of friction with the floor while the second mop 40 is bent in contact with the second mop support 118b.

And, the first mop 30 has an effect of increasing the friction force between the mop and the floor while being pressed toward the floor by the first mop support 118a. In addition, the second mop 40 has an effect of increasing the friction force between the mop and the floor while being pressed toward the floor by the second mop support portion 118b.

As a result, according to the present invention, there is an effect that the cleaning performance of the central portion of the robot cleaner 1 is improved by an increase in friction between the first mop 30 and the second mop 40 and the floor.

Hereinafter, a charging stand of the robot cleaner will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 25 .

The charging stand includes a charging stand body 300 having a power module, and a docking plate 400 coupled to the lower end of the charging stand body 300 . The robot cleaner is docked on the docking plate 400 . After completing the cleaning operation, the robot vacuum cleaner enters the charging station. The robot cleaner is docked on the docking plate 400 by climbing the docking plate 400 . When the robot cleaner is docked, the charging terminal 330 of the charging stand and the corresponding terminal of the robot cleaner are in contact with each other. That is, the robot cleaner is docked on the docking plate 400 and is electrically connected to the charging stand to be charged.

Referring to FIG. 13 , the charging base body 300 includes a housing 310 for accommodating the power module therein, and a bottom plate 320 coupled to the bottom surface of the housing 310 and on which the charging terminal 330 is disposed. do.

The housing 310 of the charging station body forms an outer shape and forms a space therein.

The power module is accommodated in the inner space of the housing 310 of the charging station body. Other electronic devices may be accommodated in the inner space of the housing 310 . For example, when the control unit is provided in the charging station separately from the robot cleaner, the control unit of the charging station of the robot cleaner may be disposed in the inner space of the housing 310 .

The housing 310 is disposed in front of the robot cleaner and may be formed in a column shape. Accordingly, when the robot cleaner moves out of the docked space, the housing 310 may function as a stopper.

The bottom plate 320 of the charging station body is a component for fastening the housing 310 and the docking plate 400 to each other.

Referring to FIG. 13 , the bottom plate 320 is coupled to the bottom surface of the housing 310 . Alternatively, the bottom plate 320 may be integrally formed with the housing 310 on the bottom surface of the housing 310 . The bottom plate 320 is formed in a plate shape widely arranged in the horizontal direction.

The docking plate 400 is connected to the upper surface of the bottom plate 320 .

The bottom plate 320 includes a first upper surface 321 , a second upper surface 322 , and a charging terminal installation surface 323 .

The first upper surface 321 is a surface formed on the upper portion of the bottom plate 320 . The first upper surface 321 is formed horizontally. A left side of the first upper surface 321 may be inclined downward to the left. The right side of the first upper surface 321 may be inclined downwardly to the right.

The second upper surface 322 is formed at the rear end of the first upper surface 321 . The second upper surface 322 may form a step difference with the first upper surface 321 , and in more detail, the second upper surface 322 may be disposed below the first upper surface 321 . The robot cleaner may be formed in various types, and the bottom surface of the robot cleaner may also be formed in various shapes. The shape of the second upper surface 322 and the first upper surface 321 may dock the robot cleaner having a specific bottom surface shape.

The charging terminal installation surface 323 is a surface on which the charging terminal 330 is installed. The charging terminal installation surface 323 is formed to protrude upward from the first upper surface 321 . The charging terminal installation surface 323 may be formed left-right symmetrically with respect to an imaginary center line b passing through the front and rear ends of the robot cleaner. The charging terminal installation surface 323 forms a step with the first upper surface 321 to guide the docking plate 400 to be coupled to the correct position.

The bottom plate 320 of the charging station body is formed with a coupling groove 340 into which the coupling protrusion 440 is inserted. Referring to FIG. 13 , the coupling groove 340 is disposed on the first upper surface 321 and is formed by recessing downward.

The bottom plate 320 of the charging station body is formed with a hooking groove 350 through which the hook 450 is split. Referring to FIG. 13 , the locking groove 350 is formed at the rear end of the second upper surface 322 , and is recessed forward.

The charging terminal 330 is electrically connected to the robot cleaner to charge a battery disposed inside the robot cleaner, and the charging terminal 330 protrudes upward from the bottom plate 320 of the charging base body, and one end of the power source is stored in the housing 310 It is electrically connected to the module. The charging terminal 330 may be arranged as a left/right pair around an imaginary center line b passing through the front and rear ends of the robot cleaner.

The robot cleaner includes a corresponding terminal corresponding to the charging terminal (330). The corresponding terminal of the robot cleaner may be formed to protrude downward so as to be electrically connected to the charging terminal 330 .

The docking plate 400 docks the robot cleaner on the upper part. 12 and 13 , the docking plate 400 is selectively mounted on the bottom plate 320 of the charging station body.

The docking plate 400 includes a coupling protrusion 440 , and the bottom plate 320 includes a coupling groove 340 . The coupling protrusion 440 guides the docking plate 400 to be fastened to the correct position while being inserted into the coupling groove 340 .

The docking plate 400 includes a coupling protrusion 440 disposed in the front part, at least a portion of which is inserted into the charging station body 300 . The bottom plate 320 includes a coupling groove 340 into which at least a portion of the coupling protrusion 440 is inserted. 15, the coupling protrusion 440 guides the position of the docking plate 400 while being inserted into the coupling groove 340, and when all the coupling protrusions 440 are inserted into the coupling groove 340, the docking plate ( 400) is fixed to the charging station body 300 .

Referring to FIG. 13 , the coupling protrusion 440 protrudes downward from the docking plate 400 .

The coupling protrusion 440 is disposed in the front part. Referring to FIG. 14B , it is disposed in the first half based on a virtual connection line L1 connecting the rotation shaft of the first rotation plate and the rotation shaft of the second rotation plate.

The docking plate 400 is disposed on the top of the bottom plate 320 of the charging station body, at least a portion is disposed to overlap the bottom plate 320 of the charging station body up and down. The coupling protrusion 440 is formed on the docking plate 400 overlapping the bottom plate 320 of the charging station body. The coupling groove 340 is formed in the bottom plate 320 of the charging station body overlapping the docking plate 400 . The coupling protrusion 440 and the coupling groove 340 overlap vertically.

The coupling groove 340 is formed in the bottom plate 320 of the charging station body. The coupling groove 340 is formed in the first upper surface 321 .

The coupling protrusion 440 is formed symmetrically from left to right based on an imaginary center line passing the front and rear ends of the robot cleaner. The coupling groove 340 is formed symmetrically from left to right based on an imaginary center line passing through the front and rear ends of the robot cleaner.

The coupling protrusion 440 has a lower horizontal cross-sectional area smaller than an upper horizontal cross-sectional area. In other words, the coupling protrusion 440 is formed in the shape of the upper light-lower narrow. Therefore, when the lower end of the coupling protrusion 440 is inserted into the coupling groove 340, it is more easily inserted, and the upper end of the coupling protrusion 440 is engaged with the coupling groove 340 so that the docking plate 400 is positioned at the correct position. guide you to do

Referring to FIG. 13 , the coupling protrusion 440 may be formed in a cross (+) shape. The coupling protrusion 440 may include a first coupling protrusion 441 protruding downward from the docking plate 400 and a second coupling protrusion 442 protruding in a radial direction from the first coupling protrusion 441 . .

The first coupling protrusion 441 protrudes in a cylindrical shape. The lower end of the first coupling protrusion 441 is rounded.

A plurality of second coupling protrusions 442 protrude in the radial direction from the first coupling protrusions 441 . The second coupling protrusion 442 protrudes in four directions in front, back, left, and right directions. The second coupling protrusion 442 is formed in a cross (+) or X-shape. The lower end of the second coupling protrusion 442 is rounded.

The coupling protrusion 440 has a lower horizontal cross-sectional area smaller than an upper horizontal cross-sectional area. The lower end of the coupling protrusion 440 has a smaller horizontal cross-sectional area so as to be easily inserted into the coupling groove 340 . The upper end of the coupling protrusion 440 is formed to have a larger horizontal cross-sectional area to be inserted into the coupling groove 340 at an accurate position. Therefore, the coupling protrusion 440 begins to be easily inserted into the coupling protrusion 440 , and when all the coupling protrusions 440 are inserted, the position of the docking plate 400 is accurately guided.

Referring to FIG. 20 , the coupling protrusion 440 may be formed in various shapes other than the shape shown in FIG. 13 .

20A shows a coupling protrusion 440a according to another embodiment. When viewed from the side, the coupling protrusion 440a may have a front surface that is convex to the front. The second coupling protrusion 442a disposed in the front of the second coupling protrusions 442a may form a convex curved surface in the front, and may form a convex curved surface forward when the coupling protrusion is viewed from the side. The coupling protrusion forms a convex curved surface in the front, so that the lower end of the coupling protrusion is inserted more easily when inserted into the coupling groove 340 . In addition, referring to FIG. 21 , when the docking plate 400 is detached, the docking plate 400 rotates the hook 450 as a rotation axis, and forms the front of the coupling protrusion in a curved surface, so that the docking plate 400 rotates smoothly. let it do

20B shows a coupling protrusion 440b according to another embodiment. When viewed from the side, the coupling protrusion 440b may have a rear surface that forms a vertical surface from a lower end, and a front surface that forms a front upward inclined surface from the lower end. The second coupling protrusion 442b disposed at the rear of the second coupling protrusion 442b forms a vertical surface, and the second coupling protrusion 442b disposed at the front forms a front upward inclined surface, and the coupling protrusion from the side When viewed, it can form a convex curved surface forward. The coupling protrusion forms a convex curved surface in the front, so that the lower end of the coupling protrusion is inserted more easily when inserted into the coupling groove 340 . In addition, referring to FIG. 21 , when the docking plate 400 is detached, the docking plate 400 rotates the hook 450 as a rotation axis, and the front of the coupling protrusion is formed as an inclined surface so that the docking plate 400 rotates smoothly. let it do

The docking plate 400 includes a hook 450 , and the bottom plate 320 includes a locking groove 350 . The hook 450 is caught in the locking groove 350 , and fixes the docking plate 400 .

The docking plate 400 is disposed at the rear of the coupling protrusion 440 , and at least a portion includes a hook 450 caught on the charging station body 300 . The hook 450 protrudes downward from the docking plate 400 .

The docking plate 400 may have a wall in contact with the side surface of the bottom plate 320 of the charging station body, and the hook 450 may be formed in a portion of the wall. Accordingly, the side surface of the bottom plate 320 is slid along the wall and is secured to the hook 450 .

The locking groove 350 is a component in which at least a portion of the hook 450 is inserted to fix the docking plate 400 and the bottom plate 320 . The locking groove 350 is formed at the rear end of the bottom plate 320 .

13 and 17 , the locking groove 350 is formed in the corners formed by the rear surface and the bottom surface of the bottom plate 320 of the charging station body. Therefore, when the rear end of the docking plate 400 is pushed downward, the docking plate 400 rotates the corners formed by the rear surface and the bottom surface of the bottom plate 320 as a rotation axis, and can be easily detached.

19, the lower end of the engaging projection 440 is disposed above the lower end of the hook 450, when the docking plate 400 is mounted on the charging cradle body 300, the hook 450 is the charging cradle body ( The coupling protrusion 440 is inserted into the charging station body 300 before being caught by the 300 ).

19 is a view illustrating when the coupling protrusion 440 is inserted into the coupling groove 340 while the docking plate 400 is coupled to the charging station body 300 . Referring to FIG. 19 , the engaging protrusion 440 is adjacent to the engaging groove 340 , whereas the hook 450 is spaced apart from the engaging groove 350 . Accordingly, after the coupling protrusion 440 is inserted into the coupling groove 340 and the position of the docking plate 400 is determined, the hook 450 is caught in the locking groove 350 and the docking plate 400 is fixed.

13 and 14 , when the docking plate 400 is mounted, the charging terminal 330 is disposed between the coupling protrusion 440 and the hook 450 .

The coupling protrusion 440 is disposed in front of the charging terminal 330 , and the hook 450 is disposed in the rear of the charging terminal 330 . Since the coupling protrusion 440 is a component that guides the docking plate 400 to be fastened to the correct position, the minimum force to be applied for fastening is small. On the other hand, since the hook 450 is a component for fixing the docking plate 400 , the minimum force to be applied for fastening is large. Therefore, by disposing the coupling protrusion 440 in front of the charging terminal 330 and the hook 450 at the rear of the charging terminal 330 , the docking plate 400 is fastened with less force.

The coupling protrusion 440 is disposed on the outside of the charging terminal 330 , and the hook 450 is disposed on the inside of the charging terminal 330 . In other words, based on the center line passing through the front and rear ends of the robot cleaner, the coupling protrusion 440 is disposed farther than the charging terminal 330 , and the hook 450 is disposed closer than the charging terminal 330 . The docking plate 400 has a wide plate shape, and there is a problem in that the left and right sides cannot be maintained horizontally when fastened. Since the coupling protrusion 440 is a component that guides the docking plate 400 to be fastened to the correct position, it is disposed on the outermost side and guides the docking plate 400 to be horizontally fastened left and right. Since the hook 450 is a component constituting the docking plate 400 , it is disposed on the innermost side and supported in the center.

The docking plate 400 may further include a corresponding surface 431 corresponding to the charging terminal installation surface 323 .

The corresponding surface 431 is disposed to overlap the charging terminal installation surface 323 vertically and further protrudes upward.

The corresponding surface 431 is formed in the seating portion 405 among various portions of the docking plate 400 .

The lower surface of the corresponding surface 431 is in contact with the upper surface of the charging terminal installation surface 323 . The lower surface of the corresponding surface 431 is further recessed upward from the bottom surface of the docking plate 400 , the charging terminal installation surface 323 may be inserted to fix the position of the docking plate 400 .

The upper surface of the corresponding surface 431 further protrudes upward from the seating portion 405 , so that the charging terminal 330 and the corresponding terminal can easily contact each other.

The docking plate 400 includes a charging terminal insertion hole 430 through which the charging terminal 330 passes.

The charging terminal insertion hole 430 may be formed as a rectangular hole. However, the shape of the charging terminal insertion hole 430 is not limited thereto, and may be formed in various shapes according to the cross-sectional area of the charging terminal 330 .

The charging terminal insertion hole 430 penetrates the docking plate 400 up and down. The charging terminal 330 passes through the charging terminal insertion hole 430 from the bottom upward, and the upper end of the charging terminal 330 protrudes to the upper portion of the docking plate 400 .

Referring to FIG. 16 , the docking plate 400 includes a gap maintaining member 432 that maintains an interval at which the charging terminal 330 protrudes above the docking plate 400 . The spacing member 432 protrudes downward from one side of the docking plate 400 , and the lower end supports one side of the charging terminal 330 .

The gap maintaining member 432 is formed to protrude downward from one side of the charging terminal insertion hole 430 . The gap maintaining member 432 is formed to protrude downward from the front end of the charging terminal insertion hole 430 .

The gap maintaining member 432 supports one side of the charging terminal 330 . The gap maintaining member 432 is inserted into the gap between the front end of the charging terminal 330 and the charging terminal installation surface 323 , and is in contact with one side of the charging terminal 330 . The gap maintaining member 432 supports one side of the charging terminal 330 , and maintains a gap between the docking plate 400 and the charging terminal 330 .

When the charging terminal 330 protrudes too much, the robot cleaner is caught on the charging terminal 330 and cannot be docked. Conversely, when the charging terminal 330 does not protrude, it cannot come into contact with the corresponding terminal of the robot cleaner. Therefore, the gap maintaining member 432 maintains a gap at which the charging terminal 330 protrudes to the upper portion of the docking plate 400 so that the robot cleaner is completely docked, and at the same time, the charging terminal 330 and the corresponding terminal easily make contact

Referring to FIG. 21 , the docking plate 400 includes a rotating shaft passing through the hook 450 , and is detachably rotated about the rotating shaft. The docking plate 400 includes a rotation shaft passing through the hook 450 and may rotate counterclockwise when viewed from the right. The user may rotate the docking plate 400 by pressing the rear end of the docking plate 400 downward. When the docking plate 400 rotates counterclockwise, the coupling protrusion 440 is easily separated from the coupling groove 340 . Accordingly, the docking plate 400 is easily detached from the charging station body 300 .

Hereinafter, the shape of the upper surface of the docking plate 400 will be described. 12 is a perspective view of the docking plate 400 viewed from the top, and FIG. 18 is a right cross-sectional view of the docking plate 400 passing through the support wheel insertion groove 460 .

Referring to FIG. 12 , the plate may be formed of a plurality of surfaces. The docking plate 400 includes an inlet portion 401 , an inclined portion 402 , a docking portion 403 , a rising portion 404 , and a seating portion 405 .

The inlet 401 is a portion constituting one side of the docking plate 400, and the robot cleaner enters.

The inlet 401 is formed at the rear of the docking plate 400 . The inlet 401 is formed in an arc shape. The rear end of the inlet portion 401 is formed in an arc shape, so that the robot cleaner entering obliquely from the side may be guided in the front-rear direction. For example, when the robot cleaner enters from the left rear end, the first support wheel on the left enters the upper part of the entry part 401 . Therefore, since a greater load is applied to the second mop, which is the right mop of the robot cleaner, the robot cleaner moves forward while turning to the left. When the robot cleaner, which was entering from the left rear, turns to the left, it is positioned in the forward direction.

The inclined portion 402 is a portion constituting one side of the docking plate 400 , and the robot cleaner passing through the inlet portion 401 has an inclined surface toward the docking portion 403 .

The inclined portion 402 has a rear end connected to the inlet 401, and a front end is disposed above the rear end. The front end of the inclined part 402 is connected to the docking part 403 .

The inclined portion 402 includes a front upward inclined surface. A robot cleaner entering obliquely from the side may be guided in the front-rear direction by passing the inclined portion 402 . For example, when the robot cleaner enters from the left rear end, the first support wheel of the robot cleaner that climbs the inclined portion 402 is disposed higher than the second support wheel. Accordingly, since the load of the robot cleaner is greater on the first support wheel than on the second support wheel, and greater on the second mop than the first mop, the robot cleaner moves forward while turning to the left. When the robot cleaner, which was entering from the left rear, turns to the left, it is positioned in the forward direction.

A reaction force removal groove 420 is formed in the inclined portion 402 .

A plurality of ventilation holes 470 are formed in the inclined portion 402 .

A plurality of fine protrusions may be formed on the inclined portion to prevent slipping.

The docking unit 403 is a part constituting one side of the docking plate 400 and has a flat surface on which the charging robot cleaner is docked.

The docking unit 403 has a rear end connected to the front end of the inclined unit 402 , and is disposed to vertically overlap with at least one of the first rotating plate and the second rotating plate when the robot cleaner is docked. The front end of the docking part 403 is connected to the rising part 404 .

A first rotating plate and a first mop are disposed on the docking unit 403 . A second rotary plate and a second mop are disposed on the docking unit 403 .

When the robot cleaner is docked, the center of gravity G of the robot cleaner is located above the docking unit 403 .

A reaction force removal groove 420 is formed in the docking part 403 . Therefore, some areas of the first mop or the second mop are located on the upper portion of the reaction force removal groove 420 and are spaced apart from the docking plate 400, and the remaining areas are in contact with the docking plate 400. . Moisture remaining in a portion of the mop positioned on the reaction force removal groove 420 falls into the reaction force removal groove 420, or is naturally evaporated.

A plurality of ventilation holes 470 are formed in the docking unit 403 . The ventilation hole 470 is formed on the outer periphery of the reaction force removal groove (420). Accordingly, the remaining area in contact with the docking plate 400 among the first mop 30 or the second mop 40 is disposed on the upper portion of the vent 470 . Accordingly, the moisture remaining in the remaining area falls through the vent 470 or is naturally evaporated.

The rising part 404 is a part constituting one side of the docking plate 400, and has a convex surface that slightly lifts the front end of the advancing robot cleaner upward to access the charging terminal 330 from the top.

The rising part 404 connects the front end of the docking part 403 and the rear end of the seating part 405, and forms a curved surface convex upward.

When the support wheel passes the lifting part 404, the front end of the robot cleaner is lifted upward. Accordingly, the front end of the robot cleaner is disposed above the upper end of the charging terminal 330 . As a result, the robot cleaner does not approach from the rear of the charging terminal 330 , but approaches from the top of the charging terminal 330 .

The hook 450 is disposed behind the highest point of the riser 404 . The hook 450 protrudes downward from the rear than the highest point of the rising part 404 , and is fastened to the charging stand body 300 . Accordingly, when the support wheel passes the rising part 404 , the hook 450 is fastened to the locking groove 350 by the weight of the robot cleaner.

The seating part 405 is a part constituting one side of the docking plate 400 and has a concave surface in order to completely contact the charging terminal 330 and the corresponding terminal.

When the robot cleaner is docked, the seating part 405 is disposed to be vertically spaced apart from the support wheel at least in part. The rear end of the seating part 405 is connected to the front end of the rising part 404 , and the separation preventing wall 410 protrudes from the front end of the seating part 405 .

The seating part 405 may be disposed on an extension line of the docking part 403 . Alternatively, the seating part 405 may be disposed below the extension line of the docking part 403 .

A support wheel insertion groove 460 is formed in the seating portion 405 . The support wheel insertion groove 460 is disposed to be spaced apart from the

support wheels

120 and 130 under the

support wheels

120 and 130 when the robot cleaner is docked. That is, when the robot cleaner is running, the load in front of the robot cleaner is supported by the

support wheels

120 and 130, but when the robot cleaner is docked, the load in front of the robot cleaner is supported by the corresponding terminal. The load in front of the robot cleaner is supported by the corresponding terminal, and the electrical connection between the corresponding terminal and the charging terminal is effective.

The separation preventing wall 410 is disposed in the first half of the docking plate 400 and is formed to protrude upward from the outer circumferential surface.

The first half of the docking plate 400 refers to the front with respect to a straight line connecting the left and right ends of the docking plate 400 . The separation preventing wall 410 is disposed in the first half of the docking plate 400 to prevent the robot cleaner entering from the rear from moving further forward and leaving the docking plate 400 .

12, the separation preventing wall 410 is formed in an arc shape. The robot cleaner is formed in a circular shape when viewed from the top, and the docking plate 400 may be formed in a circular shape according to the shape of the robot cleaner. The separation preventing wall 410 protrudes upward from the outer circumferential surface of the docking plate 400 , and may be formed in an arc shape according to the shape of the robot cleaner.

The separation preventing wall 410 includes an outer surface 411 disposed farther from the robot cleaner and an inner surface 412 disposed closer to the robot cleaner. The outer surface 411 of the separation prevention wall coincides with the outer circumferential surface of the docking plate 400, and the inner surface 412 is formed at a position spaced inwardly at regular intervals from the outer circumferential surface of the docking plate 400. can The outer surface 411 and the inner surface 412 face each other.

Referring to FIG. 12 , the rear end of the outer surface 411 of the separation preventing wall is disposed behind the rear end of the inner surface 412 . A surface connecting the rear end of the outer surface 411 and the rear end of the inner surface 412 may form an inwardly convex curved surface. When the robot cleaner enters from the side, it collides with the rear end of the separation preventing wall 410 . By disposing the rear end of the outer surface 411 of the departure prevention wall behind the rear of the inner surface 412, when a robot cleaner entering from the side collides with the rear end of the departure prevention wall 410, the separation prevention wall 410 ) can easily guide the robot cleaner into the docking plate 400 .

Referring to FIG. 14A , the separation preventing wall 410 is disposed in front of at least one of the rear end of the rotation shaft 15 of the first rotation plate or the rotation shaft 25 of the second rotation plate when the robot cleaner is docked. Referring to FIG. 14A , a straight line connecting the first rotating shaft 15 and the second rotating shaft 25 is L1, and the rear end of the separation preventing wall 410 is disposed in front of the straight line L1. When the robot cleaner enters from the side, it collides with the rear end of the separation preventing wall 410 . By disposing the rear end of the separation prevention wall 410 in front of the first or second rotation axis, when a robot cleaner entering from the side collides with the rear end of the separation prevention wall 410, the separation prevention wall 410 is a robot. The cleaner may be easily guided into the docking plate 400 .

Referring to FIG. 12 , the stopper 413 protrudes backward from the separation preventing wall 410 , and the rear end is adjacent to the robot cleaner when the robot cleaner is docked.

The stopper 413 protrudes backward from the inner wall of the separation preventing wall.

The stopper 413 is disposed outside the charging terminal 330 with respect to the imaginary center line b passing through the front and rear ends of the robot cleaner. The stopper 413 is symmetrically disposed on the basis of the virtual center line (b) passing through the front and rear ends of the robot cleaner.

When the robot cleaner enters from the side, the stopper 413 guides the robot cleaner to be positioned in the forward direction, and guides the charging terminal 330 and the corresponding terminal to contact each other. For example, in the robot cleaner entering from the left room, the stopper 413 first contacts the stopper 413 disposed on the right side with respect to the center line b, and the stopper 413 disposed on the right side moves the robot cleaner to the left. , the stopper 413 disposed on the left and the robot cleaner contact each other.

The stopper 413 is disposed on the outside of the charging terminal 330 with respect to the center line (b), and the effect of guiding the corresponding terminal 222 of the robot cleaner and the charging terminal 330 of the charging stand to accurately overlap vertically is effective. have.

The reaction force removal groove 420 is a component that removes the reaction force caused by the rotation of the mop of the robot cleaner, so that the robot cleaner is more easily docked.

The reaction force removal groove 420 is formed by being depressed downward from the docking plate, and is disposed to vertically overlap with at least a portion of the first rotating plate 10 or the second rotating plate 20 when the robot cleaner is docked.

The reaction force removal groove 420 is disposed between the rotation shaft 15 of the first rotation plate and the rotation shaft 25 of the second rotation plate.

The reaction force removal groove 420 may be formed over the docking portion 403 and the inclined portion 402 . The connecting portion between the docking portion 403 and the inclined portion 402 may be formed with a bent portion protruding upward. There is a problem that an action point at which the load of the robot cleaner acts may change before and after the bent part, and thus an indeterminate element may be added to the control of the robot cleaner. Therefore, since the reaction force removal groove 420 is formed over the docking portion 403 and the inclined portion 402, by removing the reaction force that may occur in the bent portion between the docking portion 403 and the inclined portion 402, There is an effect that the robot vacuum cleaner can be easily climbed.

The rotating plate is centered on the rotating shaft, and the outer part of the rotating shaft generates a running force, and the inner part generates a reaction force. For example, when the robot cleaner wants to run, referring to FIG. 22 , the first rotating plate 10 rotates counterclockwise and the second rotating plate 20 rotates clockwise when viewed from the top. . The left half surface of the first rotary plate 10 and the right half surface of the second rotary plate 20 cause friction with the floor to advance the robot cleaner, thereby providing driving force. Conversely, the right half surface of the first rotary plate 10 and the left half surface of the second rotary plate 20 generate friction with the floor to provide a reaction force that prevents the robot cleaner from moving forward. At this time, the reaction force removal groove 420 is disposed between the rotation shaft 15 of the first rotation plate and the rotation shaft 25 of the second rotation plate, the reaction force provided by the first mop 30 or the second mop 40 . serves to remove

In addition, the reaction force removal groove 420 collects the water remaining in the first mop 30 or the second mop 40 . For example, referring to FIG. 23 , a portion of the first mop 30 or the second mop 40 is disposed on the upper portion of the reaction force removal groove 420 . The partial area is not in contact with the docking plate 400 while being vertically spaced apart. Accordingly, there is an effect that the moisture remaining in the partial region can be collected in the reaction force removing groove 420 by gravity or can be naturally dried. The remaining area of the first mop 30 or the second mop 40 will be dried by the ventilation hole 470 as will be described later.

Referring to FIG. 14B , the reaction force removing groove may be configured of a front surface, a rear surface, a left surface, and a right surface. The front side constitutes the front end of the reaction force removal groove. In the front, the center is disposed in front of both side ends. More specifically, the front surface is formed as a curved surface convex forward. The rear side constitutes the rear end of the reaction force removal groove. As for the rear surface, the center is arranged behind both side ends. More specifically, the rear surface is formed as a curved surface convex to the rear. The left side constitutes the left end of the reaction force removing groove. The left side may be formed as a plane extending back and forth. The right side constitutes the right end of the reaction force removal groove. The right side may be formed as a plane extending back and forth.

When the reaction force removal groove is viewed from the top, the center of the rear surface is disposed behind one side end of the rear surface. Since it has such an arrangement, there is an effect that the support wheel does not fall into the reaction force removal groove. It will be described in more detail with the example of FIG. 22 . Referring to FIG. 22 , the robot cleaner may enter from the left side of the charging station. In this case, the left support wheel of the robot cleaner may fall into the left rear corner of the reaction force removal groove, and the left front body of the robot cleaner may collide with the charging stand because the bar cannot support the left front of the robot cleaner. Accordingly, the side end of the rear side of the reaction force removing groove is arranged in front of the center, so that the support wheel does not fall into the reaction force removing groove no matter from which direction the robot cleaner enters.

The distance L3 between the left end and the right end of the reaction force removing groove may be shorter than the distance L4 between the front end and the rear end of the reaction force removing groove. By having such an arrangement, there is an effect that the robot cleaner that enters an oblique line from the side can be positioned at a regular position due to a difference in frictional force. The robot vacuum cleaner that enters an oblique line from the side is located in the regular position in the second half of the reaction force removal groove, and can move straight forward along the reaction force removal groove. In order to guide the robot cleaner to the correct position, the distance L3 between the left end and the right end of the reaction force removing groove is preferably shorter than the distance L4 between the front end and the rear end of the reaction force removing groove.

The reaction force removal groove is disposed closer to the side end than the support wheel insertion groove with respect to the center line. More specifically, the reaction force removal groove is disposed between the pair of support wheel insertion grooves. By having such an arrangement, it is possible to prevent the support wheel from falling into the reaction force removal groove when the robot cleaner enters the docking plate. For example, the left support wheel will pass through the left side of the left end of the reaction force removing groove, and the right supporting wheel will pass through the right side of the right end of the reaction force removing groove. The side end of the reaction force removal groove and the support wheel insertion groove may have a gap of about 3 cm from side to side.

The distance L2 between the pair of support wheels of the robot cleaner may be disposed farther than the maximum distance L3 between the left end and the right end of the reaction force removal groove. Therefore, even when one of the support wheels of the robot cleaner is positioned above the reaction force removal groove because the robot cleaner attempts to enter from the wrong position, the other support wheel can always be supported by the docking plate, It has the effect of being able to move to The distance L2 between the pair of support wheels of the robot cleaner may be less than the maximum distance L3 between the left end and the right end of the reaction force removal groove by about 6 cm.

The support wheel insertion groove 460 is disposed to overlap the support wheel vertically when the robot cleaner is docked, and is recessed downward.

The support wheel insertion groove 460 formed on the left side is disposed under the first support wheel, and the support wheel insertion groove 460 formed on the right side is disposed under the second support wheel.

The support wheel insertion groove 460 is further recessed downward from the seating portion 405 .

When the robot cleaner is docked, the charging terminal 330 of the charging stand and the corresponding terminal of the robot cleaner are in contact with each other, and the support wheel insertion groove 460 is vertically spaced apart from the support wheel. In other words, the load applied to the front part of the robot cleaner is not supported by the support wheel, but is supported by the corresponding terminal.

The support wheel insertion groove 460 is spaced apart from the support wheel so that the charging terminal 330 and the corresponding terminal are in contact with each other by their own weight. Accordingly, there is an effect of preventing a contact failure between the charging terminal 330 and the corresponding terminal.

The ventilation hole 470 is disposed to overlap the first mop or the second mop up and down.

Referring to FIG. 24 , the vent 470 is disposed in the docking unit 403 and is a plurality of holes formed by vertically penetrating the docking plate 400 . The ventilation hole 470 may be formed in the inclined portion 402 or the rising portion 404 .

An opening communicating with the vent 470 may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the docking plate 400 . The docking plate 400 forms a flow path through the opening and the vent 470 to dry the first or second rags to prevent odor from occurring.

The vent 470 may be formed on the left or right side to match the first and second mops, respectively, as shown in FIG. 12 . Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 25 , it may be formed over the inclined part 402 , the docking part 403 , the rising part 404 , and the seating part 405 .

Hereinafter, the operation of the charging stand according to the present invention will be described.

Referring to FIG. 21 , a process of attaching and detaching the charging station body 300 and the docking plate 400 will be described.

For mounting of the docking plate 400 , the coupling protrusion 440 of the docking plate 400 is positioned above the coupling groove 340 of the bottom plate 320 of the charging station body. When the docking plate 400 is pressed, the coupling protrusion 440 is inserted into the coupling groove 340 , and the hook 450 is caught in the locking recess 350 and fixed.

Even when the force pressing the docking plate 400 is weak and the hook 450 is not caught in the engaging groove 350 , the hook 450 may be caught in the engaging groove 350 by the weight of the robot cleaner and be fixed. In more detail, when the support wheel of the robot cleaner passes the lifting part 404 , the hook 450 is caught by the locking groove 350 and fixed by the load of the robot cleaner.

For detachment of the docking plate 400 , the rear end of the docking plate 400 is pushed down. When the rear end of the docking plate 400 is pushed down, the docking plate 400 rotates around the hook 450 , and the coupling protrusion 440 is separated from the coupling groove 340 . Therefore, it is more easily detached.

A docking process of the robot cleaner will be described with reference to FIG. 22 .

It is preferable that the robot cleaner enters from the front, but may also enter from the side as shown in FIG. 22 . A robot cleaner entering from the rear left collides with the left rear end of the escape prevention wall 410 . The robot cleaner turns to the right along the left rear end of the separation preventing wall 410 , and is guided to the inside of the docking plate 400 . The robot cleaner may collide with the right stopper 413 . The robot cleaner may rotate to the left along the right stopper 413 and be accurately positioned at the docking position.

A docking process of the robot cleaner will be described with reference to FIG. 23 .

The support wheel of the robot cleaner moves the entry part 401, the inclined part 402, the docking part 403, the rising part 404, and the "G seating part 405. The support wheel moves the rising part 404. After passing, the front end of the robot cleaner is lifted to the upper part, rises to the upper part of the charging terminal 330, and the front end of the robot cleaner and the charging terminal 330 do not collide with each other. The front end of the robot cleaner descends again, and the corresponding terminal of the robot cleaner is electrically connected in contact with the upper end of the charging terminal 330. At this time, the support wheel insertion groove 460 disposed at the lower part of the support wheel to be spaced apart from the support wheel. ) is formed, the charging terminal 330 and the corresponding terminal are more firmly connected by the load of the robot cleaner.

The docking plate 400 of the charging station has a coupling protrusion 440 , and the bottom plate 320 of the charging station body is provided with a coupling groove 340 corresponding to the coupling protrusion 440 . In addition, the docking plate 400 is provided with a hook 450, the bottom plate 320 of the charging base body is provided with a locking groove 350 corresponding to the hook (450). The coupling protrusion 440 is inserted into the coupling groove 340 and guides the docking plate 400 to be fastened to the correct position. When the docking plate 400 is guided to the correct position, the hook 450 is caught in the locking groove 350 so that the docking plate 400 and the charging station body 300 are fastened. Accordingly, the docking plate 400 may be mounted to the charging stand body 300 more easily and more securely.

In addition, the docking plate 400 may rotate the hook 450 as a rotation axis, and when the docking plate 400 rotates, the fastening protrusion is separated from the coupling groove 340 . Accordingly, the docking plate 400 may be more easily detached from the charging station body 300 .

Although the present invention has been described in detail through specific examples, it is intended to describe the present invention in detail, and the present invention is not limited thereto. It is clear that the transformation or improvement is possible by the person.

All simple modifications and variations of the present invention fall within the scope of the present invention, and the specific scope of protection of the present invention will be made clear by the appended claims.

Claims

a charging base body including a housing for accommodating the power module therein, and a bottom plate coupled to a bottom surface of the housing and on which a charging terminal is disposed;

It includes; a docking plate selectively mounted on the bottom plate of the charging station body and docking the robot cleaner on the upper part;

The docking plate,

a coupling protrusion disposed in the front part, at least a portion of which is inserted into the charging station body;

A charging stand for a robot cleaner including a; it is disposed at the rear of the coupling protrusion, and at least a part of the hook is caught on the charging stand body.
According to claim 1,

The docking plate,

Doedoe disposed on the top of the bottom plate of the charging station body,

At least a portion of the charging stand of the robot cleaner is disposed to overlap the bottom plate of the charging stand body up and down.
According to claim 1,

The coupling protrusion protrudes downward from the docking plate,

The bottom plate of the charging stand body is a charging stand of a robot cleaner including a coupling groove into which at least a portion of the coupling protrusion is inserted.
4. The method of claim 3,

The bonding protrusion,

A charging stand for a robot cleaner with a lower horizontal cross-sectional area smaller than the upper horizontal cross-sectional area.
4. The method of claim 3,

The bonding protrusion,

When viewed from the side, the front surface of the robot vacuum cleaner forms a convex curved surface.
4. The method of claim 3,

The bonding protrusion,

When viewed from the side,

The rear surface forms a vertical surface from the bottom,

The front side is the charging stand of the robot vacuum cleaner that forms a slope from the bottom to the front upward.
According to claim 1,

The docking plate,

The lower end of the coupling protrusion is disposed above the lower end of the hook,

When the docking plate is mounted on the charging cradle body, the engaging projection is inserted into the charging cradle body before the hook is caught on the charging cradle body.
According to claim 1,

The hook protrudes downward from the docking plate,

The bottom plate is formed at the rear end and the charging stand of the robot cleaner includes a locking groove into which at least a part of the hook is inserted.
9. The method of claim 8,

The locking groove is

A charging stand for a robot cleaner that is formed at corners formed by the rear and bottom surfaces of the docking plate.
According to claim 1,

The docking plate further includes a charging terminal insertion hole through which the charging terminal passes,

When the docking plate is mounted,

The charging terminal is a charging stand of a robot cleaner disposed between the coupling protrusion and the hook.
11. The method of claim 10,

The coupling protrusion is disposed in front of the charging terminal,

The hook is a charging stand of the robot cleaner disposed behind the charging terminal.
11. The method of claim 10,

The coupling protrusion is disposed on the outside of the charging terminal,

The hook is a charging stand of the robot cleaner disposed inside the charging terminal.
According to claim 1,

The bottom plate of the charging station body,

a first upper surface disposed on the upper portion to vertically overlap with at least a portion of the docking plate;

It further includes a; further protruding upward from the first upper surface, the charging terminal installation surface on which the charging terminal is installed,

The docking plate,

The charging stand of the robot cleaner is disposed to overlap the charging terminal installation surface in the vertical direction, and further comprises a corresponding surface that further protrudes upward.
According to claim 1,

The docking plate,

protruding downward from one side,

The charging stand of the robot cleaner further comprising; a space maintaining member whose lower end supports one side of the charging terminal.
According to claim 1,

The docking plate,

and a rotating shaft passing through the hook,

A charging stand for a robot cleaner that is detachable while rotating about the rotation axis.