IP Library › Granted Patent US 12660972

Granted Patent B2

US 12660972 · App. 18/201,109 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Robot cleaner for climbing and cleaning stairs

Inventors: Yun Long (Newark, CA); Youdong Wang (Newark, CA); Feng Zhu (Newark, CA)

Assignee: Shanghai Rushen Robotics Co., Ltd

A47L9/2852 A47L9/009 A47L9/2805 A47L11/4011 A47L11/4066 A47L11/4072 G05B19/4155 G05D1/024 H02P5/74 A47L2201/04 G05B2219/45098

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12660972
App. No.: 18/201,109
Granted: Jun 23, 2026
Kind: B2

External Links

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Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosure provide a robot cleaner for cleaning a stair. The robot cleaner includes a main body configured to rotate around a first shaft. The robot cleaner further includes at least one leg each configured to rotate around a second shaft. The robot cleaner also includes at least one connector each configured to connect each leg to the main body. Each connector comprises a first end attached to the first shaft and a second end attached to the second shaft. The robot cleaner is configured to climb the stair by first lifting the main body onto a tread of the stair through rotations of the main body and the at least one connector and then lifting the at least one leg onto the tread through rotations of the at least one connector and the at least one leg.

Claims (47)

1 . A robot cleaner for cleaning a stair, comprising:

a main body configured to rotate around a first shaft;

at least one leg each configured to rotate around a second shaft; and

at least one connector each configured to connect each leg to the main body, wherein each connector comprises a first end attached to the first shaft and a second end attached to the second shaft,

wherein the robot cleaner is configured to climb the stair by following steps, comprising:

rotating the main body relative to the at least one connector and the at least one leg by 90 degrees;

rotating the main body and the at least one connector relative to the at least one leg to make the main body and the at least one connector be in a same plane and make the main body be vertical to the at least one leg;

rotating the main body relative to the at least one connector to make the main body be lifted on a tread of the stair; and

lifting the at least one leg onto the tread through rotations of the at least one connector and the at least one leg.

2 . The robot cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one leg comprises a first leg and a second leg, wherein the at least one connector comprises a first connector configured to connect the first leg to the main body and a second connector configured to connect the second leg to the main body,

wherein lifting the at least one leg onto the tread through rotations of the at least one connector and the at least one leg comprises:

lifting the first leg onto the tread through rotations of the first leg with the first connector; and

lifting the second leg onto the tread through rotations of the second leg with the second connector.

3 . The robot cleaner according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one first motor configured to drive the main body and the at least one connector through the first shaft.

4 . The robot cleaner according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one first motor comprises two motors configured to rotate in opposite directions to drive the main body to rotate relative to the at least one connector.

5 . The robot cleaner according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one first motor is configured to drive the at least one connector to rotate with the at least one leg relative to the main body in order to lift the at least one leg onto the tread.

6 . The robot cleaner according to claim 1 , further comprising a second motor configured to drive each leg and the corresponding connector through the second shaft.

7 . The robot cleaner according to claim 6 , wherein the second motor is configured to drive the connector to rotate together with the main body relative to the leg in order to lift the main body onto the tread.

8 . The robot cleaner according to claim 6 , wherein the second motor is configured to drive the leg to rotate relative to the corresponding connector in order to align the leg with the corresponding connector.

9 . The robot cleaner according to claim 1 , further comprising a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensor configured to sense information of the stair or a surrounding environment.

10 . The robot cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein each connector comprises a linear actuator configured to adjust a length of the connector according to a height of the stair.

11 . The robot cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein each leg comprises at least one of mecanum wheels, omni-direction wheels, or universal wheels, configured to move the robot cleaner laterally on the tread.

12 . A robot cleaner for cleaning a stair, comprising:

a main body configured to rotate around a first shaft;

a first leg connected to a first side of the main body through a first connector and configured to rotate around a second shaft; and

a second leg connected to a second side of the main body through a second connector and configured to rotate around a third shaft, the second side opposing the first side,

wherein the robot cleaner is configured to climb the stair by following steps, comprising:

rotating the main body relative to the first connector and the second connector by 90 degrees;

rotating the main body, the first connector and the second connector relative to the first leg and the second leg to make the main body, the first connector, and the second connector be in a same plane and make the main body be vertical to the first leg and the second leg;

rotating the main body relative to the first connector and the second connector to make the main body be lifted on a tread of the stair; and

lifting the first leg and the second leg onto the tread through rotations of the first connector, the second connector, the first leg, and the second leg.

13 . The robot cleaner according to claim 12 , wherein:

the first connector comprises a first end attached to the first shaft on the first side and a second end attached to the second shaft; and

the second connector comprises a third end attached to the first shaft on the second side and a fourth end attached to the third shaft.

14 . The robot cleaner according to claim 12 , further comprising:

a first motor configured to drive the main body and the first connector through the first shaft, and

a second motor configured to drive the main body and the second connector through the first shaft.

15 . The robot cleaner according to claim 14 , wherein the first motor and the second motor are configured to rotate in opposite directions to drive the main body to rotate relative to the first connector and the second connector.

16 . The robot cleaner according to claim 14 , wherein the first motor is configured to drive the first connector to rotate with the first leg relative to the main body in order to lift the first leg onto the tread, and the second motor is configured to drive the second connector to rotate with the second leg relative to the main body in order to lift the second leg onto the tread.

17 . The robot cleaner according to claim 12 , further comprising:

a third motor configured to drive the first leg and the first connector through the second shaft, and

a fourth motor configured to drive the second leg and the second connector through the third shaft.

18 . The robot cleaner according to claim 17 , wherein the third motor and the fourth motor are configured to drive the first connector and the second connector to rotate together with the main body relative to the corresponding leg in order to lift the main body onto the tread.

19 . The robot cleaner according to claim 17 , wherein:

the third motor is configured to drive the first leg to rotate relative to the first connector in order to align the first leg with the first connector, and

the fourth motor is configured to drive the second leg to rotate relative to the second connector in order to align the second leg with the second connector.

20 . The robot cleaner according to claim 12 , further comprising a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensor configured to sense information of the stair or a surrounding environment.