Wheel assembly and robot cleaner having same
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorsJae Youl Jeong, Dong Wook Kim
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed herein are a wheel assembly and a robot cleaner including a main body and a wheel assembly coupled to the main body to guide movement of the main body. The wheel assembly has a rotation arm including a first end portion rotatably mounted on the main body, a drive wheel rotatably installed on a second end portion of the rotation arm opposite the first end portion, and an elastic member including a first end installed at the main body and a second end vertically moveably installed at the rotation arm opposite the first end, such that a reduction degree of a contact force due to a descent of the drive wheel.
Claims15
A robot cleaner comprising:
- a main body;
- and
- a wheel assembly coupled to the main body and configured to guide movement of the main body;
- wherein the wheel assembly includes:
- a drive wheel;
- a rotation arm including a first portion rotatably coupled to the main body, a second portion to which the drive wheel is rotatably coupled, and a guide extending from the second portion of the rotation arm, the guide having first and second ends and a sliding portion between the first and second ends, the first end being closer to the first portion of the rotation arm which is rotatably coupled to the main body, than the second end;
- and
- an elastic member including a first end coupled to the main body and a second end opposite to the first end, the second end coupled to the sliding portion of the guide and configured to slide on the sliding portion of the guide between the first and second ends of the guide so as to be moveable along the sliding portion of the guide.
A method of operating a wheel assembly including a rotation arm having a first portion rotatably coupled to a moving object, a second portion, and a guide extending from the second portion of the rotation arm, a drive wheel rotatably coupled to the second portion of the rotation arm opposite the first portion, and an elastic member having a first end coupled to the moving object and having a second end disposed opposite the first end, the guide having first and second ends and a sliding portion between the first and second ends, the first end being closer to the first portion of the rotation arm which is rotatably coupled to the main body, than the second end, the second end of the elastic member coupled to the sliding portion of the guide and configured to slide on the sliding portion of the guide between the first and second ends of the guide, so as to be moveable with respect to the rotation arm, the method comprising:
- rotating the rotation arm about the first portion of the rotation arm;
- moving the drive wheel disposed at the second portion of the rotation arm downward;
- and
- sliding the second end of the elastic member upward on the sliding portion of the guide between the first and second ends of the guide based on a downward movement of the drive wheel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.