Robot cleaner and control method thereof
A robot cleaner includes a motor, a rotating-shaft member, and a rotation member coupled to the rotating-shaft member and including a cleaning member coupling configured to be detachably coupled to a plurality of cleaning members. The motor, rotating-shaft member, and the rotation member are configured so that the motor is drivable to rotate the rotating-shaft member and thereby cause the rotation member to move in a first direction or a second direction opposite to the first direction, along a longitudinal direction of the rotating-shaft member. In a case that the rotation member moves in the first direction with the cleaning member coupling detachably coupled to the plurality of cleaning members, at least one cleaning member of the plurality of cleaning members becomes detached, and is thereby released, from the cleaning member coupling.
1 . A robot cleaner comprising:
a motor;
a rotating-shaft member; and
a rotation member coupled to the rotating-shaft member and including a cleaning member coupling configured to be detachably coupled to a first cleaning member and a second cleaning member such that, when the cleaning member coupling is detachably coupled to the first cleaning member and the second cleaning member, the first cleaning member is at a first position at which the first cleaning member is in position to contact a surface to be cleaned by the robot cleaner and the second cleaning member is at a second position stacked above the first position,
wherein the motor, the rotating-shaft member, and the rotation member are configured such that, when the cleaning member coupling is detachably coupled to the first cleaning member and the second cleaning member,
the motor is drivable to rotate the rotating-shaft member in a first rotation direction and thereby cause the rotation member to rotate in the first rotation direction and move in a first direction along a longitudinal direction of the rotating-shaft member, such that the first cleaning member becomes detached from the cleaning member coupling, and
after the first cleaning member is detached from the cleaning member coupling, the motor is drivable to rotate the rotating-shaft member in a second rotation direction, opposite the first direction, and thereby cause the rotation member to rotate in the second rotation direction and move in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, along the longitudinal direction of the rotating-shaft member, such that the second cleaning member moves to the first position.
2 . The robot cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning member coupling, the first cleaning member, and the second cleaning member each include one or more magnetic bodies configured such that the cleaning member coupling is magnetically coupleable to the first cleaning member and the second cleaning member.
3 . The robot cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein the first cleaning member includes a first uneven (concavoconvex) coupling structure, the second cleaning member includes a second uneven (concavoconvex) coupling structure, and the cleaning member coupling includes a first protrusion coupleable to the first uneven (concavoconvex) coupling structure and a second protrusion coupleable to the second uneven (concavoconvex) coupling structure.
4 . The robot cleaner according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an accommodating case including an upper surface disposed above the rotation member along the first direction and a second locking part configured to engage and couple with a first locking part of the rotation member as the rotation member rotates in the first rotation direction, and to be released from being coupled to the first locking part as the rotation member rotates in the second rotation direction.
5 . The robot cleaner according to claim 4 , wherein the accommodating case includes:
a side surface that, together with the upper surface, defines an internal space for accommodating the second cleaning member, and
a locking rib extending parallel to the upper surface from a lower end of the side surface.
6 . The robot cleaner according to claim 5 , wherein
when the cleaning member coupling is detachably coupled to the first cleaning member and the second cleaning member, the second cleaning member is accommodated in the internal space and the first cleaning member is outside the internal space,
the detaching of first cleaning member from the cleaning member coupling is at least partially by resistance of the locking rib, and
when the rotation member moves in the second direction, the second cleaning member moves out of the internal space and remains coupled to the cleaning member coupling.
7 . The robot cleaner according to claim 4 , wherein
the first locking part and the second locking part have inclined structures corresponding to each other,
coupling of the first locking part and the second locking part is performed by coupling in between the inclined structures, and
with the first locking part and the second locking part coupled together, the rotation member is movable in the first direction.
8 . The robot cleaner according to claim 4 , wherein the first locking part includes:
a first opening through which a part of the second locking part is insertable, and
a first inclined part adjacent to the first opening to guide insertion of the part of the second locking part.
9 . The robot cleaner according to claim 8 , wherein the first inclined part is inclined downward in a direction in which the part of the second locking part is inserted.
10 . The robot cleaner according to claim 8 , wherein the second locking part includes:
a second opening through which a part of the first locking part is insertable, and
a second inclined part adjacent to the second opening to guide the insertion of the part of the first locking part.
11 . The robot cleaner according to claim 10 , wherein the second inclined part is inclined upward in a direction in which the part of the first locking part is inserted.
12 . The robot cleaner according to claim 4 , wherein as the rotation member rotates in the first rotation direction, the first locking part and the second locking part couple with each other.
13 . The robot cleaner according to claim 12 , wherein as the rotation member rotates in the second rotation direction, the coupling of the first locking part and the second locking part is released.
14 . A method of controlling an operation of a robot cleaner,
the robot cleaner comprising:
a motor;
a rotating-shaft member; and
a rotation member coupled to the rotating-shaft member and including a cleaning member coupling configured to be detachably coupled to a first cleaning member and a second cleaning member such that, when the cleaning member coupling is detachably coupled to the first cleaning member and the second cleaning member, the first cleaning member is at a first position at which the first cleaning member is in position to contact a surface to be cleaned by the robot cleaner and the second cleaning member is at a second position stacked above the first position,
wherein the motor, the rotating-shaft member, and the rotation member are configured such that, when the cleaning member coupling is detachably coupled to the first cleaning member and the second cleaning member,
the motor is drivable to rotate the rotating-shaft member in a first rotation direction and thereby cause the rotation member to rotate in the first rotation direction and move in a first direction along a longitudinal direction of the rotating-shaft member, such that the first cleaning member becomes detached from the cleaning member coupling, and
after the first cleaning member is detached from the cleaning member coupling, the motor is drivable to rotate the rotating-shaft member in a second rotation direction, opposite the first direction, and thereby cause the rotation member to rotate in the second rotation direction and move in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, along the longitudinal direction of the rotating-shaft member, such that the second cleaning member moves to the first position,
the method comprising:
with the cleaning member coupling detachably coupled to the first cleaning member and the second cleaning member, determining whether the first cleaning member is required to be replaced;
based on determining that the first cleaning member is required to be replaced, driving the motor such that the rotation member rotates in the first rotation direction and moves in the first direction, and the first cleaning member thereby becomes detached from the cleaning member coupling; and
after the first cleaning member is detached from the cleaning member coupling, driving the motor to such that the rotation member rotates in the second rotation direction and moves in the second direction, and the second cleaning member thereby moves to the first position.
15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the determining whether the first cleaning member is required to be replaced is determined based on whether a time duration for which cleaning of a floor surface using the first cleaning member is performed exceeds a reference time.
16 . The method according to claim 14 , further comprising:
controlling the robot cleaner to travel to a predetermined position, based on determining that the first cleaning member is required to be replaced.
17 . A robot cleaner comprising:
a motor;
a rotating-shaft member; and
a rotation member coupled to the rotating-shaft member and including a cleaning member coupling configured to be detachably coupled to a plurality of cleaning members,
wherein the motor, the rotating-shaft member, and the rotation member are configured such that the motor is drivable to rotate the rotating-shaft member and thereby cause the rotation member to move in a first direction or a second direction opposite to the first direction, along a longitudinal direction of the rotating-shaft member, and such that, in a case that the rotation member moves in the first direction, at least one cleaning member of the plurality of cleaning members becomes detached, and is thereby released, from the cleaning member coupling,
wherein the cleaning member coupling and the plurality of cleaning members each include one or more magnetic bodies configured such that the cleaning member coupling is magnetically coupleable to each of the plurality of cleaning members.
18 . A robot cleaner comprising:
a motor;
a rotating-shaft member; and
a rotation member coupled to the rotating-shaft member and including a cleaning member coupling configured to be detachably coupled to a plurality of cleaning members,
wherein the motor, the rotating-shaft member, and the rotation member are configured such that the motor is drivable to rotate the rotating-shaft member and thereby cause the rotation member to move in a first direction or a second direction opposite to the first direction, along a longitudinal direction of the rotating-shaft member, and such that, in a case that the rotation member moves in the first direction, at least one cleaning member of the plurality of cleaning members becomes detached, and is thereby released, from the cleaning member coupling,
wherein the plurality of cleaning members include a plurality of uneven (concavoconvex) coupling structures, respectively, and the cleaning member coupling includes a plurality of protrusions coupleable to the plurality of cleaning members by engaging with the plurality of uneven (concavoconvex) coupling structures, respectively.