Debris detecting unit and robot cleaning device having the same

A robot cleaning device comprising:

• a body;
• a driving unit to enable the body to travel;
• a drum brush unit provided at the body, to sweep up debris, using a brush and a rotating drum;
• a debris box to store the debris swept up by the drum brush unit;
• a debris detecting unit to detect whether debris has been introduced into the debris box through the drum brush unit during a cleaning operation, the debris detecting unit comprising a light emitter to emit beams and a light receiver to receive the emitted beams;
• and
• a controller to determine whether debris is introduced into the debris box and whether debris has been accumulated in the debris box in a predetermined amount, based on introduction or non-introduction of debris detected by the debris detecting unit,
• wherein the debris detecting unit comprises at least one reflector or refractor to reflect or refract the beams emitted from the light emitter along a predetermined path so that the emitted beams are received by the light receiver.

A debris detecting unit comprising:

• a light emitter to emit beams;
• a light receiver to receive the emitted beams;
• and
• at least one reflector or refractor to reflect or refract the beams emitted from the light emitter along a predetermined path so that the emitted beams are received by the light receiver,
• whereby the debris detecting unit detects introduction or non-introduction of debris.

A robot cleaning device comprising:

• a body;
• a driving unit to enable the body to travel;
• a drum brush unit provided at the body, to sweep up debris, using a brush and a rotating drum;
• a debris box to store the debris swept up by the drum brush unit;
• a debris detecting unit to detect whether debris has been introduced into the debris box through the drum brush unit during a cleaning operation;
• and
• a controller to determine an amount of debris introduced into the debris box, based on a detection signal from the debris detecting unit, to compare the determined debris amount with at least two predetermined reference values, and to control the robot cleaning device to perform cleaning operations in a stepwise manner in accordance with results of the comparison.

A robot cleaning device comprising:

• a body;
• a driving unit to enable the body to travel;
• a drum brush unit provided at the body, to sweep up debris, using a brush and a rotating drum;
• a debris box to store the debris swept up by the drum brush unit;
• a debris detecting unit to detect whether debris has been introduced into the debris box through the drum brush unit during a cleaning operation, the debris detecting unit comprising a light emitter to emit beams and a light receiver to receive the emitted beams, the light emitter and the light receiver being arranged to face each other at a point where a path, along which debris is introduced, crosses an outline of a shape formed by the debris accumulated in the debris box in a predetermined amount;
• and
• a controller to determine an amount of debris introduced into the debris box, based on a detection signal from the debris detecting unit, to compare the determined debris amount with at least two predetermined reference values, and to control the robot cleaning device to perform cleaning operations in a stepwise manner in accordance with results of the comparison.