Robot cleaner having air cleaning function and system thereof

{
  "publication_number": "US2005015914A1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A1",
  "title": "Robot cleaner having air cleaning function and system thereof",
  "abstract": "A robot cleaner for cleaning ambient air in a cleaning area while cleaning a cleaning surface, and a system thereof. The robot cleaner and the system thereof comprise a body, a driving part driving a plurality of wheels disposed at a lower portion of the body, a dust suction part formed in the body to draw-in dust from a cleaning surface, and an air cleaning part formed in the body to draw-in dust-ladened air from a cleaning area. The robot cleaner cleans the air and discharges cleaned air, and, utilizing a controller disposed in the body, controls the driving part and the air cleaning part. Accordingly, since the robot cleaner provides cleaned and fresh air to a predetermined cleaning area while cleaning a surface, it contributes to a fresher residential environment.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A robot cleaner comprising: a body; a driving part driving a plurality of wheels disposed at a lower portion of the body; a dust suction part formed in the body to draw-in dust from a cleaning surface; an air cleaning part formed in the body to draw-in dust-ladened air from a cleaning area, clean the air and discharge the cleaned air; and a controller disposed in the body to control the driving part and the air cleaning part.",
    "2. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body is connected to a body cover forming an exterior of the robot cleaner, and the air cleaning part comprises: a suction driving source to draw-in the dust-ladened air from the cleaning area; a suction port connected to one side of the body cover; a discharge port connected to another side of the body cover; an air cleaning duct in fluid communication with the suction port and the discharge port; and a plurality of filters disposed in the air cleaning duct to clean the drawn-in air.",
    "3. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 2, wherein the suction port is formed in one side of a front portion of the body cover.",
    "4. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 2, wherein the suction port is formed in one side of an upper portion of the body cover.",
    "5. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 3, wherein the discharge port is formed in another side of the front portion of the body cover.",
    "6. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 4, wherein the discharge port is formed in another side of a front portion of the body cover.",
    "7. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 4, wherein the discharge port is formed in another side of the upper portion of the body cover.",
    "8. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 2, wherein the suction driving source is disposed in the air cleaning duct to draw-in air.",
    "9. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plurality of filters comprise: a first filter filtering out relatively large dust particles from the drawn-in air; and a second filter filtering out minute dust particles and indifferent odors from air.",
    "10. A robot cleaning system comprising a driving part for driving a plurality of wheels, a dust suction part for drawing-in dust from a cleaning surface, and a controller for controlling the driving part and the dust suction part, the robot cleaning system further comprising an air cleaning part controlled by the controller, wherein the robot cleaning system performs a cleaning task via the dust suction part and an air cleaning work via the air cleaning part simultaneously or selectively.",
    "11. The robot cleaning system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the air cleaning part comprises a suction driving source for drawing-in dust-ladened air from a predetermined cleaning area, a suction port through which air is drawn-in, a discharge port through which cleaned air is discharged, and at least one filter for cleaning the drawn-in air, and when the suction driving source is driven by the controller, air is drawn-in through the suction port, cleaned though the filter, and discharged through the discharge port."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to a robot cleaner with an air cleaning function and a system thereof, and more particularly, to a robot cleaner capable of cleaning ambient air in a predetermined cleaning area while performing a cleaning with respect to a floor, and a system thereof.\n\nDespite the convenience provided by the invention of a vacuum cleaner, cleaning is still an exhausting house chore because a user has to run the vacuum cleaner to different places of the house by himself/herself. In order to solve this problem, research has been conducted for a robot cleaner which is capable of running and cleaning automatically. Such a convention robot cleaner runs around automatically on a predetermined area and draws-in dust and dirt from a surface without requiring a user's intervention. However, the conventional robot cleaner has no air cleaning function and simply functions to clean the area surface by drawing-in dust and dirt. Recently, concern regarding the Asian Dust and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), many customers are deeply interested in health and clean and fresh air. It is time that the robot cleaner includes an air cleaning function.\n\nFIG. 1 is a view showing a conventional robot cleaner. Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional robot cleaner, i.e., having neither an air cleaning function nor an air filtering function, includes a cleaner body 7, and driving wheels 1 and driven wheels 2 disposed at a lower portion of the cleaner body 7.",
  "cpc": [
    "F24F 8/80",
    "A47L 11/00",
    "A47L 2201/04",
    "A47L 7/04",
    "F24F 2221/42",
    "F24F 8/10",
    "F24F 8/108"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "A47L 11/00",
    "A47L 5/00",
    "A47L 5/12",
    "A47L 7/00",
    "A47L 7/02",
    "A47L 7/04",
    "A47L 9/00",
    "A47L 9/10",
    "A47L 9/12",
    "A47L 9/19",
    "A47L 9/28",
    "B01D 46/04",
    "B01D 46/44",
    "B25J 5/00",
    "F24F 8/108",
    "F24F 8/80"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Samsung Gwangju Electronics Co Ltd"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Jea-sun You",
    "Jee-su Park",
    "Ju-Sang Lee",
    "Jang-youn Ko",
    "Jeong-Gon Song"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2004-03-19",
  "publication_date": "2005-01-27",
  "priority_date": "2003-07-24",
  "application_number": "US-80407804-A",
  "family_id": "32322397",
  "cited_by_count": 31,
  "citations": [
    "US4006511A",
    "US5839156A",
    "US6459955B1",
    "US6813807B2",
    "US20020153185A1",
    "US20050011036A1"
  ]
}