Disinfection robot

Abstract

A disinfection robot according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a mobile platform, a manipulator installed on the mobile platform, and a disinfection tool installed on the manipulator that performs contact sterilization or non-contact sterilization based on an image of a target object.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a disinfection robot, and more particularly to a disinfection robot capable of recognizing a disinfection target and performing contact sterilization or non-contact sterilization. Background Technology

[0002] In hospital facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes, or accommodation facilities such as hotels, there are multiple rooms including patient rooms and guest rooms where patients and guests stay, and within the rooms, objects subject to disinfection (hereinafter referred to as "objects subject to disinfection") such as wardrobes, beds, shelves, and telephones are placed.

[0003] Since disinfecting rooms requires a significant amount of manpower, time, and cost, the development of robots that move around rooms to perform disinfection is currently actively underway.

[0004] For example, conventional disinfection robots perform disinfection by spraying disinfectant solution onto objects to be disinfected, and have the advantage of enabling rapid disinfection by spraying disinfectant solution onto the interior of a room and the objects to be disinfected.

[0005] However, since the disinfectant solution can diffuse into the air in aerosol form before being applied to the target, direct inhalation by humans can have adverse effects on health, including lung disease.

[0006] As another example, conventional disinfection robots perform disinfection by emitting germicidal light, which is ultraviolet light. By emitting germicidal light to the target object, they can perform rapid disinfection and have the advantage of resolving the problem of inhaling disinfectant solution.

[0007] However, when the object to be disinfected is located at a distance, precise sterilization is difficult due to insufficient output from the light source, and if large particles such as dust or food (hereinafter referred to as 'contaminants') cover the surface of the object to be disinfected, the sterilization light cannot reach the surface of the object, making it difficult to perform proper disinfection. Prior art literature

[65535] Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-2428301 (Publication Date: August 3, 2022) The problem to be solved

[0008] Based on the technical background described above, the present invention provides a disinfection robot capable of recognizing a disinfection target and performing contact or non-contact disinfection. means of solving the problem

[0009] A disinfection robot according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a mobile platform, a manipulator installed on the mobile platform, and a disinfection tool installed on the manipulator that performs contact sterilization or non-contact sterilization based on an image of a target object.

[0010] A disinfection tool according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a housing hinge-coupled to the end of a manipulator, a wiping unit installed in the housing to perform contact sterilization disinfection, a light source sterilization unit installed in the housing to perform non-contact sterilization disinfection, an image sensor that generates an image, and a speed-distance measuring sensor that measures at least one of the distance between a disinfection target and the wiping unit, the distance between a disinfection target and the light source sterilization unit, and the movement speed of the manipulator.

[0011] A disinfection robot according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include a control unit that selectively controls the operation of a wiping unit or a light source sterilization unit based on at least one of an image, the distance between a disinfection target and a wiping unit, the distance between a disinfection target and a light source sterilization unit, and the movement speed of a manipulator.

[0012] A control unit according to one embodiment of the present invention can recognize a contact sterilization area or a non-contact sterilization area in a disinfection target object based on an image.

[0013] A control unit according to one embodiment of the present invention can recognize the contamination level of a disinfection target based on an image and determine whether to perform contact disinfection or non-contact disinfection based on the contamination level.

[0014] A control unit according to one embodiment of the present invention can perform contact sterilization and disinfection if the contamination level exceeds a preset range, perform non-contact sterilization and disinfection if the contamination level is within a preset range, and terminate non-contact sterilization and disinfection if the contamination level is below a preset range.

[0015] A control unit according to one embodiment of the present invention can wipe a disinfection target by driving a manipulator and a wiping unit based on the distance between the disinfection target and the wiping unit during contact sterilization.

[0016] A control unit according to one embodiment of the present invention can drive a manipulator and a light source sterilization unit based on the distance between the disinfection target and the light source sterilization unit during non-contact disinfection to output disinfection light to the disinfection target.

[0017] A control unit according to one embodiment of the present invention can increase the output amount of sterilization light if the movement speed of the manipulator or the distance between the object to be disinfected and the light source sterilization unit exceeds a preset range, and decrease the output amount of sterilization light if the movement speed of the manipulator or the distance between the object to be disinfected and the light source sterilization unit is less than a preset range.

[0018] A control unit according to one embodiment of the present invention can recognize the level of contamination again after performing contact sterilization or non-contact sterilization. Effects of the invention

[0019] As described above, a disinfection robot according to one embodiment of the present invention can have a control unit that recognizes a contact sterilization area, a non-contact sterilization area, and a contamination level based on an image of a disinfection target.

[0020] In addition, the control unit performs contact sterilization and disinfection based on the level of contamination using a manipulator and a wiping unit, thereby easily removing contaminants covering the surface of the object to be disinfected.

[0021] In addition, the control unit can perform non-contact sterilization and disinfection based on the contamination level using a manipulator and a wiping unit, and precisely output sterilization light to the surface of the object to be disinfected. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0022] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a disinfection robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a front view of the disinfection tool shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the disinfection tool shown in Figure 1. FIG. 4 is a section diagram of AA shown in FIG. 3, illustrating a first embodiment of a disinfection tool. FIG. 5 is a BB section diagram shown in FIG. 3, illustrating a first embodiment of a disinfection tool. FIG. 6 is a section diagram of AA shown in FIG. 3, illustrating a second embodiment of the disinfection tool. FIG. 7 is a BB section diagram illustrated in FIG. 3. It shows a second embodiment of the disinfection tool. Figure 8 shows the state in which the disinfection tool illustrated in Figure 1 performs contact sterilization. Figure 9 shows the state in which the disinfection tool illustrated in Figure 1 performs non-contact sterilization and disinfection. Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the disinfection process of the disinfection robot illustrated in Figure 1 in a chronological order. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0023] The present invention is capable of various modifications and may have various embodiments, and specific embodiments are to be illustrated and described in detail. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, and it should be understood that it includes all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0024] The terms used in this invention are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this invention, terms such as "comprising" or "having" are intended to indicate the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0025] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that in the accompanying drawings, identical components are indicated by the same reference numerals whenever possible. Furthermore, detailed descriptions of known functions and configurations that may obscure the essence of the present invention will be omitted. For the same reason, some components in the accompanying drawings may be exaggerated, omitted, or schematically depicted.

[0026] A disinfection robot according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a disinfection robot according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of a disinfection tool shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a disinfection tool shown in FIG. 1.

[0028] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the disinfection robot (100) may include a mobile platform (110), a manipulator (120), a disinfection tool (200), and a control unit.

[0029] The disinfection robot (100) can be manufactured from known materials such as metal and synthetic resin that have a certain rigidity and corrosion resistance.

[0030] The mobile platform (110) is made of a body in the shape of a cylinder or a polyhedron, and a known drive unit, including an electric motor, is installed inside the body to rotate the wheels.

[0031] In addition to the drive unit, a battery, control unit, and communication unit may be installed inside the body.

[0032] The battery can be connected to an external power source to be charged and can supply power to the components forming the disinfection robot (100).

[0033] The components forming the disinfection robot (100) can be interconnected via wired or wireless means through a communication unit.

[0034] The control unit can selectively control the operation of the components forming the disinfection robot (100) and can receive various signals related to the operation of the disinfection robot (100) by being connected to a manager's terminal (e.g., smartphone, PC, remote controller) through a communication unit.

[0035] Here, the control unit may be installed on a manipulator (120) or a disinfection tool (200) rather than a mobile platform (110), depending on the design conditions of the disinfection robot (100).

[0036] A storage space is formed inside the body, so that items related to disease prevention, such as disinfectant solution and disinfection blankets, may be stored.

[0037] The manipulator (120) is a multi-jointed robot arm, and its lower end can be positioned and fixed on the upper surface of the moving platform (110).

[0038] The fixation between the manipulator (120) and the moving platform (110) can be achieved through known fixing members such as bolts, screws, clamps, and ties.

[0039] This fixing method can be applied to fixing between all components forming the disinfection robot (100), and a redundant explanation thereof is omitted.

[0040] The disinfection tool (200) is installed on the top of the manipulator (120) and can detect a disinfection target to perform contact disinfection or non-contact disinfection.

[0041] The disinfection tool (200) may include a housing (210), a wiping part (220), a light source sterilization part (230), an image sensor (250), and a speed distance measuring sensor (240).

[0042] The housing (210) is in the form of a hollow polyhedron and is hinged to the top of the manipulator (120) to rotate in place and can move up, down, left, and right in sync with the movement of the manipulator (120).

[0043] The wiping part (220) is installed in the housing (210) and can perform contact sterilization and disinfection by coming into contact with the object to be disinfected.

[0044] The light source sterilization unit (230) is installed in the housing (210) and can perform non-contact sterilization and disinfection in close proximity to the object to be disinfected.

[0045] The light source sterilization unit (230) is fixed to the side of the housing (210) via a bracket (231), and a light source is placed inside so that sterilization light, including UV-C and other ultraviolet rays, can be output through an opening formed on the side.

[0046] The image sensor (250) may be a known image sensor, such as a CCD or CMOS sensor, and may generate an image of the object to be disinfected.

[0047] The speed distance measuring sensor (240) may be a known speed distance measuring sensor, such as an infrared sensor, a gyroscope sensor, or an ultrasonic sensor.

[0048] The speed distance measuring sensor (240) can measure at least one of the distance between the disinfection target and the wiping part, the distance between the disinfection target and the light source sterilization part, and the movement speed of the manipulator.

[0049] In the drawing, the image sensor (250) is installed on the manipulator (120) and the speed distance measuring sensor (240) is installed on the light source sterilization unit (230), but is not limited thereto and may be installed on at least one of the moving platform (110), manipulator (120), wiping unit (220), and light source sterilization unit (230).

[0050] FIG. 4 is a section AA shown in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a section BB shown in FIG. 3, showing a first embodiment of a disinfection tool.

[0051] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the wiping part (220) of the disinfection tool (200) may include a release roller (222), a winding roller (223), a motor (221), a disinfection cloth (225), an elastic body (226), and an encoder (227).

[0052] The housing (210) may include a main housing (211), a sub-housing (212), and a motor housing (213).

[0053] The main housing (211) is in the shape of a cuboid with an open bottom surface, and the upper surface of the main housing (211) is hinged to the manipulator (120), and the sub housing (212) can be formed in the shape of a cuboid with an open top surface.

[0054] The lower part of the main housing (211) and the upper part of the sub-housing (212) can be combined or separated to perform replacement and maintenance of a number of components, including a disinfectant cloth (225) placed inside the housing (210).

[0055] Between the main housing (211) and the sub-housing (212), a disinfection cloth withdrawal hole (215) and a disinfection cloth inlet hole (214) may be formed.

[0056] The motor housing (213) is in the shape of a cuboid and is coupled to the upper surface of the main housing (211), and a motor (221) can be placed and fixed inside.

[0057] The release roller (222) is positioned inside the housing (210) and can be rotatably fixed to the inner surface of the housing (210) via a bearing.

[0058] The winding roll (223) is positioned inside the housing (210) parallel to the release roll (222) and can be rotatably fixed to the inner surface of the housing (210) via a bearing.

[0059] The motor (221) is, for example, an electric motor, is placed inside the motor housing (213) and fixed to the motor housing (213), and can rotate the release roll (222) and the winding roll (223).

[0060] The gear assembly (224) is installed on the motor (221), release roll (222), and winding roll (223) to transmit the rotational force of the motor (221) to the release roll (222) and winding roll (223).

[0061] The disinfectant cloth (225) may be manufactured from a fiber material such as synthetic resin, for example, and may be kept in a state where a disinfectant solution is applied in advance.

[0062] The disinfectant cloth (225) can be unwound from the release roll (222), pulled out to the outside of the housing (210), and then brought back into the inside of the housing (210) and wound onto the winding roll (223).

[0063] The elastic body (226) is in the shape of a semi-cylindrical column and is positioned on the outer lower part of the sub-housing (212) and fixed to the sub-housing (212), and can support the disinfection cloth (225) by contacting it so that the disinfection cloth (225) remains in an unfolded state.

[0064] The elastic body (226) can be manufactured from known synthetic resin materials having a certain elasticity, such as silicone, for example.

[0065] When the disinfection cloth (225) comes into contact with the disinfection target, the elastic body (226) is elastically deformed according to the shape of the disinfection target, so that the disinfection cloth (225) can reach even the fine parts of the disinfection target, allowing for more precise sterilization and disinfection to be performed.

[0066] The encoder (227) is installed inside the main housing (211) and can measure the amount of disinfection cloth (225) used by contacting the disinfection cloth (225).

[0067] FIG. 6 is a section AA illustrated in FIG. 3, and FIG. 7 is a section BB illustrated in FIG. 3, showing a second embodiment of the disinfection tool.

[0068] If the disinfection cloth (225) is exposed to the outside for a long time, or if the disinfection cloth (225) wipes the surface of the object to be disinfected while dry, there is a possibility that the effect of removing contaminants and sterilization will be reduced.

[0069] To resolve this problem, the disinfection tool (200') further includes a spraying part (260), and the spraying part (260) is installed in the housing (210) to apply disinfectant solution to the disinfection cloth (225).

[0070] The injection unit (260) may include a tank (261), a flow pipe (263), a branch pipe (262), a hose (264), and a pump (265).

[0071] The tank (261) is placed and fixed in the main housing (211) or motor housing (213) and can contain disinfectant solution inside.

[0072] The flow tube (263) can be placed inside the elastic body (226) along the longitudinal direction of the elastic body (226) and fixed to the elastic body (226).

[0073] One end of the branch pipe (262) is connected to the flow pipe (263) and extends along the diameter direction of the elastic body (226), so that the other end of the branch pipe (262) can be exposed to the outside of the elastic body (226).

[0074] Here, the flow tube (263) is positioned at the center of the elastic body (226), and the branch tube (262) is positioned parallel to the lower surface of the sub-housing (212) so that the elastic deformation of the elastic body (226) is prevented by the flow tube (263) and the branch tube (262).

[0075] The hose (264) connects the flow pipe (263) and the tank (261), and the pump (265) is installed in the hose (264) to pump the disinfectant solution.

[0076] That is, the disinfectant solution contained in the tank (261) can flow along the hose (264), flow pipe (263), and branch pipe (262) by driving the pump (265) and be applied to the disinfection cloth (225).

[0077] Here, the branch pipes (262) are made up of multiple pipes spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of the elastic body (226) and connected to the flow pipe (263), so that the disinfectant solution can be evenly applied to the disinfection cloth (225) through the branch pipes (262).

[0078] Additionally, an expansion nozzle (262a) is formed at the other end of the branch pipe (262), and the diameter of the expansion nozzle (262a) can increase along the flow direction of the disinfectant solution.

[0079] That is, the application area of ​​the disinfectant solution can be secured more widely through the expansion nozzle (262a).

[0080] FIG. 8 shows the state in which the disinfection tool illustrated in FIG. 1 performs contact disinfection, FIG. 9 shows the state in which the disinfection tool illustrated in FIG. 1 performs non-contact disinfection, and FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the disinfection process of the disinfection robot illustrated in FIG. 1 in a chronological order.

[0081] Referring to FIGS. 8 to 10, the control unit can selectively control the operation of the wiping unit (220) or the light source sterilization unit (230) based on at least one of an image, the distance between the disinfection target and the wiping unit, the distance between the disinfection target and the light source sterilization unit, and the movement speed of the manipulator.

[0082] In the sterilization and disinfection process (S100) of the disinfection robot (100, illustrated in Fig. 1), the control unit can first recognize a contact sterilization and disinfection area or a non-contact sterilization and disinfection area on the disinfection target based on an image.

[0083] Here, the contact sterilization area is defined as a plane on the surface of the object to be sterilized that is larger than a preset area, and the non-contact sterilization area may be defined as a plane or composite surface on the surface of the object to be sterilized that is smaller than a preset area.

[0084] Afterwards, the control unit recognizes the contamination level of the object to be disinfected based on the image (S110), and can determine whether to perform contact disinfection or non-contact disinfection based on the contamination level (S120).

[0085] Here, if the contamination level exceeds a preset range, the control unit determines that contaminants are attached to the surface of the object to be disinfected and performs contact sterilization and disinfection; if the contamination level is within the preset range, it performs non-contact sterilization and disinfection; and if the contamination level is below the preset range, it can terminate non-contact sterilization and disinfection.

[0086] When performing contact sterilization, the control unit can drive the manipulator (120) and the wiping unit (220) based on the distance between the disinfection target and the wiping unit (220) to wipe the disinfection target.

[0087] More specifically, the control unit can drive the manipulator (120) based on the distance between the disinfection target and the wiping unit (220) to move the disinfection cloth (225) to contact the disinfection target for sterilization (S121, S122).

[0088] And, the control unit can drive the manipulator (120) to move the disinfection cloth (225) back and forth and wipe the disinfection target (S123).

[0089] Here, the control unit can drive a motor (221, illustrated in FIG. 4) at regular intervals during contact sterilization and disinfection to unwind a new disinfection cloth (225) from a release roll (222, illustrated in FIG. 4) and wipe the disinfection target to wind the contaminated disinfection cloth (225) onto a winding roll (223, illustrated in FIG. 4).

[0090] In addition, a pump (265, illustrated in FIG. 6) can be driven to spray disinfectant solution onto the disinfectant cloth (225) released from the release roll (222, illustrated in FIG. 4).

[0091] When performing non-contact sterilization and disinfection, the control unit can drive the manipulator (120) and the light source sterilization unit (230) based on the distance between the disinfection target and the light source sterilization unit (230) to output sterilization light to the disinfection target.

[0092] More specifically, the control unit can drive the manipulator (120) based on the distance between the object to be disinfected and the light source sterilization unit (230) to bring the light source sterilization unit (230) closer to non-contact sterilization (S131).

[0093] And, the control unit can drive the manipulator (120) to move the light source sterilization unit (230) back and forth and output sterilization light to the disinfection target (S132).

[0094] In other words, the disinfection robot can perform more precise sterilization by removing contaminants from the object to be disinfected and then emitting sterilizing light when in close proximity to the object.

[0095] Afterwards, if the movement speed of the manipulator or the distance between the disinfection target and the light source sterilization unit exceeds a preset range, the control unit can increase the output amount of the sterilization light to prevent the sterilization effect of the disinfection target from being reduced (S140, S141).

[0096] In addition, if the movement speed of the manipulator or the distance between the disinfection target and the light source sterilization unit is less than a preset range, the control unit can reduce the output amount of the sterilization light to prevent the disinfection target from being damaged by excessive sterilization light (S150, S151).

[0097] Afterward, the control unit may, after performing contact sterilization or non-contact sterilization, recognize the contamination level of the object to be sterilized again, and depending on the contamination level, re-perform the aforementioned sterilization or terminate the sterilization (S130, S160).

[0098] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described above, those skilled in the art may modify and change the present invention in various ways by adding, changing, deleting, or adding components, etc., without departing from the spirit of the present invention as described in the claims, and such modifications and changes are also to be included within the scope of the rights of the present invention. Explanation of the symbols

[0099] 10: Disinfectant solution 20: Contact sterilization and disease control area 30: Non-contact sterilization and disinfection area 100: Disinfection robot 110: Mobile Platform 120: Manipulator 200,200': Disinfection Tool 210: Housing 211: Main Housing 212: Sub Housing 213: Motor Housing 214: Disinfection Point Inlet 215: Disinfection Pouch Dispenser 220: Wiping Unit 221: Motor 222: Release Roll 223: Winding roll 224: Gear assembly 225: Disinfection cloth 226: Elastic body 227: Encoder 230: Light source sterilization unit 231: Bracket 240: Speed-distance measuring sensor 250: Image sensor 260: Spray unit 261: Tank 262: Branch pipe 262a: Expansion nozzle 263: Flow pipe 264: Hose 265: Pump

Claims

Claim 1 A mobile platform; a manipulator installed on the mobile platform; and a disinfection tool installed on the manipulator and performing contact sterilization or non-contact sterilization based on an image of a target for disinfection; wherein the disinfection tool comprises: a housing hinge-coupled to an end of the manipulator; a light source sterilization unit installed on the housing and outputting sterilization light to the target for disinfection to perform the non-contact sterilization; and an image sensor that generates the image. The system includes a speed-distance measuring sensor that measures at least one of the distance between the disinfection target and the light source sterilization unit and the movement speed of the manipulator; and further includes a control unit that selectively controls the operation of the light source sterilization unit based on at least one of the image, the distance between the disinfection target and the light source sterilization unit, and the movement speed of the manipulator. The control unit recognizes a contact sterilization area or a non-contact sterilization area in the disinfection target based on the image, and recognizes the contamination level of the disinfection target based on the image. If the contamination level exceeds a preset range, the contact sterilization is performed; if the contamination level is within a preset range, the non-contact sterilization is performed; and if the contamination level is below a preset range, the non-contact sterilization is terminated. When performing the non-contact sterilization, the control unit increases the output amount of the sterilization light irradiated from the light source sterilization unit if the movement speed of the manipulator exceeds a preset range, and decreases the output amount of the sterilization light if the movement speed of the manipulator is below a preset range. Disinfection robot. Claim 2 In claim 1, the disinfection tool further includes a wiping part installed in the housing to perform contact sterilization disinfection, and the speed distance measuring sensor measures the distance between the disinfection target and the wiping part, thereby forming a disinfection robot. Claim 3 In claim 2, the control unit selectively controls the driving of the wiping unit based on at least one of the image, the distance between the disinfection target and the wiping unit, the distance between the disinfection target and the light source sterilization unit, and the movement speed of the manipulator. Claim 4 delete Claim 5 delete Claim 6 delete Claim 7 In claim 3, the control unit drives the manipulator and the wiping unit based on the distance between the disinfection target and the wiping unit during contact sterilization and disinfection to wipe the disinfection target. Claim 8 In claim 1, the control unit drives the manipulator and the light source sterilization unit based on the distance between the disinfection target and the light source sterilization unit during non-contact disinfection, thereby outputting the sterilization light to the disinfection target. Claim 9 In claim 8, the control unit increases the output amount of the sterilization light when the distance between the disinfection target and the light source sterilization unit exceeds a preset range, and decreases the output amount of the sterilization light when the distance between the disinfection target and the light source sterilization unit is less than a preset range. Claim 10 In claim 1, the control unit is a disinfection robot that recognizes the contamination level again after performing the contact disinfection or the non-contact disinfection.

Images