Cleaning robot, maintenance station, and cleaning system including same

Abstract

This cleaning system comprises: a cleaning robot including first and second traveling wheels, a first coupling portion, a second coupling portion, a third coupling portion, and a fourth coupling portion; a first processor configured to control traveling of the first and second traveling wheels; and a maintenance station. The maintenance station comprises a housing having a storage space; a lifting plate including a first fixing protrusion, a second fixing protrusion, a third fixing protrusion, and a fourth fixing protrusion; a door configured to open or close the storage space of the housing; and a second processor configured to control driving of the lifting plate. The first fixing protrusion, the second fixing protrusion, the third fixing protrusion, and the fourth fixing protrusion are coupled to the first coupling portion, the second coupling portion, the third coupling portion, and the fourth coupling portion, respectively.

Description

Cleaning robots, maintenance stations, and cleaning systems including these

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cleaning robot, a maintenance station, and a cleaning system including the same.

[0002] Cleaning robots are capable of autonomous driving to a significant degree, and this autonomous driving can be implemented in various ways. A cleaning robot is a device that moves around a cleaning area without user intervention and cleans floors of dust. Specifically, it can be used for vacuuming and mopping in the home. Here, "dust" refers to dust, dirt, powder, debris, and other particles that can be captured by a vacuum cleaner or an automatic or semi-automatic cleaning device.

[0003] Dust collected in the dustbin of the cleaning robot can be manually emptied by the user or automatically emptied by a dust collection device provided at the maintenance station.

[0004] The present disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description or may be learned by practicing the embodiments set forth herein.

[0005] A maintenance station configured to store a cleaning robot according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a housing having a storage space; a lifting plate for moving the cleaning robot docked to the housing into the storage space of the housing; and a door for opening and closing the storage space of the housing. The lifting plate may include a plurality of fixing protrusions configured to fix the cleaning robot to the lifting plate based on movement of the lifting plate between a first position where the cleaning robot is configured to dock with the housing and a second position in the storage space of the housing.

[0006] The plurality of fixing protrusions may include a first fixing protrusion configured to be inserted into a first coupling portion provided on a first side of the bottom surface of the cleaning robot; a second fixing protrusion configured to be inserted into a second coupling portion provided on a second side of the bottom surface of the cleaning robot; a third fixing protrusion adjacent to the first fixing protrusion and configured to be inserted into a third coupling portion of the bottom surface of the cleaning robot; and a fourth fixing protrusion adjacent to the second fixing protrusion and configured to be inserted into a fourth coupling portion of the bottom surface of the cleaning robot.

[0007] The first fixing protrusion may be configured to be inserted into the first coupling portion of the cleaning robot in a first direction in which the cleaning robot docks with the maintenance station, and the second fixing protrusion may be configured to be inserted into the second coupling portion of the cleaning robot in the first direction.

[0008] The first fixing protrusion may include a first head portion configured to interfere with the first coupling portion in a second direction toward the cleaning robot from the lifting plate, and the second fixing protrusion may include a second head portion configured to interfere with the second coupling portion in the second direction.

[0009] The third fixing protrusion may be configured to be inserted into the third coupling portion of the cleaning robot in the second direction, and the fourth fixing protrusion may be configured to be inserted into the fourth coupling portion of the cleaning robot in the second direction.

[0010] The third fixing protrusion and the fourth fixing protrusion may be configured to be spaced apart from the bottom surface of the cleaning robot based on the lifting plate being at the first position, and may be configured to be inserted into the third coupling portion and the fourth coupling portion by protruding from the upper surface of the lifting plate based on the lifting plate moving from the first position to the second position.

[0011] The lifting plate may further include a first lever that is elastically supported and rotatably connected to the lifting plate and configured to protrude the third fixing protrusion from the upper surface of the lifting plate and insert it into the third coupling portion or separate it from the third coupling portion; and a second lever that is elastically supported and rotatably connected to the lifting plate and configured to protrude the fourth fixing protrusion from the upper surface of the lifting plate and insert it into the fourth coupling portion or separate it from the fourth coupling portion.

[0012] The first lever and the second lever may be configured to press against the inner surface of the door based on the lifting plate being in the first position to separate the third fixing protrusion and the fourth fixing protrusion from the bottom surface of the cleaning robot, and may be configured to protrude the third fixing protrusion and the fourth fixing protrusion from the upper surface of the lifting plate based on the lifting plate moving from the first position to the second position and to insert them into the third coupling portion and the fourth coupling portion.

[0013] The third fixing protrusion and the fourth fixing protrusion may have a pin shape.

[0014] The door may further include a locker that unlocks the lifting plate at the first position and locks the lifting plate at the second position in conjunction with the operation of opening and closing the storage space.

[0015] A cleaning robot configured to be fixed to a lifting plate provided in a maintenance station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a main body; a dust bin provided in the main body; a brush provided in an opening of the main body and configured to sweep dust from the floor into the dust bin; a first driving wheel and a second driving wheel provided on a bottom surface of the main body; and a plurality of coupling parts provided on a bottom surface of the main body and configured to prevent the main body from being separated from the lifting plate of the maintenance station in a direction of gravity.

[0016] The plurality of coupling parts may include a first coupling part closer to the rear of the main body than the first driving wheel; a second coupling part closer to the rear of the main body than the second driving wheel; a third coupling part adjacent to the first coupling part; and a fourth coupling part adjacent to the second coupling part.

[0017] The first coupling portion may include a first guide rib including a first guide groove configured to guide a first fixing protrusion provided on a lifting plate of the maintenance station in a first direction in which the main body docks to the maintenance station and into which the first fixing protrusion is inserted in the first direction, and the second coupling portion may include a second guide rib including a second guide groove configured to guide a second fixing protrusion provided on a lifting plate of the maintenance station in the first direction and into which the second fixing protrusion is inserted in the first direction.

[0018] The third connecting portion may be inserted into a third fixing projection provided on the lifting plate of the maintenance station in a second direction toward the bottom surface of the main body from the lifting plate, and the fourth connecting portion may be inserted into a fourth fixing projection provided on the lifting plate of the maintenance station in the second direction.

[0019] A cleaning system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a cleaning robot including a first driving wheel, a second driving wheel, a first coupling portion, a second coupling portion, a third coupling portion, and a fourth coupling portion, and a first processor for controlling driving of the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel; and a maintenance station including a housing having a storage space, a lifting plate including a first fixing protrusion, a second fixing protrusion, a third fixing protrusion, and a fourth fixing protrusion, a door for opening and closing the storage space of the housing, and a second processor for controlling driving of the lifting plate. The first fixing protrusion, the second fixing protrusion, the third fixing protrusion, and the fourth fixing protrusion may be coupled to the first coupling portion, the second coupling portion, the third coupling portion, and the fourth coupling portion, respectively, to prevent the cleaning robot from being separated from the lifting plate in a direction of separation and in a direction of gravity. The second processor may control the lifting plate to move between a first position where the cleaning robot docks with the housing and a second position where the cleaning robot is stored in the storage space of the housing. Based on the lifting plate being at the first position, the first fixing protrusion and the first coupling portion may be coupled, and the second fixing protrusion and the second coupling portion may be coupled. Based on the lifting plate moving from the first position to the second position, the third fixing protrusion and the third coupling portion may be coupled, and the fourth fixing protrusion and the fourth coupling portion may be coupled, respectively.

[0020] The lifting plate may further include a first driving motor configured to drive the lifting plate to move between a first position and a second position. The door of the maintenance station may further include a second driving motor configured to control the door to move between an open state and a closed state. The second processor may be configured to control a driving signal of the first driving motor and a driving signal of the second driving motor.

[0021] While the cleaning robot is docked to the housing and the lifting plate is in the second position, the second processor can control the maintenance station to perform at least one of a pad drying operation or a dust collection operation.

[0022] The lifting plate may further include a driving gear configured to define a rotational axis and transmit a driving force to the lifting plate; and a first driving motor gear coupled with the driving gear and configured to drive the lifting plate.

[0023] The lifting plate may further include a locker coupled to the driving gear and configured to unlock the lifting plate in a first position and lock the lifting plate in a second position in conjunction with the operation of the door opening and closing the storage space.

[0024] The above and other objects, configurations and advantages of specific embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a cleaning system including a maintenance station and a cleaning robot according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 2 is a drawing showing an example of a cleaning robot docked to a maintenance station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a drawing showing an example of a cleaning robot being stored in a maintenance station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a drawing showing an example in which the storage space of a maintenance station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is closed by a door.

[0029] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the structure of a maintenance station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 6 is a drawing showing a lifting assembly and a door assembly of a maintenance station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 7 is a drawing showing a lifting assembly of a maintenance station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 8 is a drawing showing a part (part A of FIG. 8) of a lifting assembly of a maintenance station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 9 is a drawing showing a state in which a first fixing protrusion of a lifting plate is separated from a first coupling portion of a cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG. 10 is a drawing showing a state in which a first fixing protrusion of a lifting plate is inserted into a first coupling portion of a cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] FIG. 11 is a drawing showing a structure in which a third fixing projection of a lifting assembly of a maintenance station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is supported by a first lever.

[0036] FIG. 12 is a drawing showing a door assembly of a maintenance station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] FIG. 13 is a drawing showing a locker of a maintenance station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] FIG. 14 is a drawing showing the interior of a maintenance station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] FIG. 15 is a drawing showing an example of emptying a dust bin of a cleaning robot by a dust collection assembly of a maintenance station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing the structure of a cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] FIG. 17 is a bottom view of a cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating a process of storing a cleaning robot in a maintenance station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] FIG. 19 is a drawing showing an example of a cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure riding on a lifting plate in a first position.

[0044] FIG. 20 is a drawing showing an example in which a first fixing protrusion of a lifting plate is inserted into a first coupling portion of a cleaning robot according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] FIG. 21 is a drawing showing an example of detecting a third fixing protrusion of a lifting plate inserted into a third connecting portion of a cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] FIG. 22 is a drawing showing an example of lifting a cleaning robot while being guided by a door assembly of a maintenance station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] FIG. 23 is a drawing showing an example in which a lifting plate of a maintenance station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure transports a cleaning robot to a second position.

[0048] FIG. 24 is a drawing showing an example of a door being closed when a lifting plate of a maintenance station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is in a second position.

[0049] FIG. 25 is a drawing showing an example of a cleaning robot being stored in a storage space of a maintenance station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] FIG. 26 is a drawing showing an example of a cleaning robot in a storage position with a lifting plate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0051] The present embodiments may have various modifications and multiple embodiments, and thus, exemplary embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. However, it should be understood that these various embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments and include various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives of the embodiments of the present disclosure. In relation to the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar components, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0052] In describing the present disclosure, if it is determined that a specific description of a related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present disclosure, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0053] Additionally, the following embodiments may be modified in various other forms, and the scope of the technical concepts of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments. Rather, these embodiments are provided to further faithfully and completely convey the technical concepts of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0054] The terminology used in this disclosure is for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the rights. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0055] In this disclosure, expressions such as “has,” “can have,” “includes,” or “may include” indicate the presence of a corresponding feature (e.g., a component such as a number, function, operation, or part), and do not exclude the presence of additional features.

[0056] In this disclosure, expressions such as “A or B,” “at least one of A and / or B,” or “one or more of A or / and B” can include all possible combinations of the listed items. For example, “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” or “at least one of A or B” can all refer to (1) including at least one A, (2) including at least one B, or (3) including both at least one A and at least one B.

[0057] The expressions “first,” “second,” “first,” or “second,” etc., used in this disclosure can describe various components, regardless of order and / or importance, and are only used to distinguish one component from another, but do not limit the components.

[0058] When it is mentioned in the present disclosure that a component (e.g., a first component) is “(operatively or communicatively) coupled with / to” or “connected to” another component (e.g., a second component), it should be understood that the component can be directly coupled to the other component, or can be connected via another component (e.g., a third component). Conversely, when it is mentioned that a component (e.g., a first component) is “directly coupled to” or “directly connected to” another component (e.g., a second component), it should be understood that no other component (e.g., a third component) exists between the component and the other component.

[0059] The expression "configured to" as used herein can be used interchangeably with, for example, "suitable for," "having the capacity to," "designed to," "adapted to," "made to," or "capable of." The term "configured to" does not necessarily mean something is "specifically designed to" in terms of hardware. Instead, in some contexts, the expression "a device configured to" can mean that the device is "capable of" in conjunction with other devices or components. For example, the phrase "a processor configured to perform A, B, and C" can mean a dedicated processor for performing the operations (e.g., an embedded processor), or a general-purpose processor (e.g., a CPU or an application processor) that can perform the operations by executing one or more software programs stored in a memory device.

[0060] In the present disclosure, a "module" or "part" performs at least one function or operation and may be implemented in hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software. Furthermore, multiple "modules" or multiple "parts" may be integrated into at least one module and implemented as at least one processor, excluding any "modules" or "parts" that require specific hardware implementation.

[0061] Meanwhile, the various elements and areas in the drawings are schematically drawn. Therefore, the technical concept of the present invention is not limited by the relative sizes or spacing depicted in the attached drawings.

[0062] Hereinafter, one or more embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains can easily practice the present disclosure.

[0063] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a cleaning system including a maintenance station and a cleaning robot according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0064] Referring to FIG. 1, the cleaning system (1) may include a maintenance station (100) and a cleaning robot (300).

[0065] The housing (110) of the maintenance station (100) may include a storage space (111) for storing the cleaning robot (300). The maintenance station (100) may include a lifting assembly (120) that lifts the cleaning robot (300) and moves it to the storage space (111) of the housing (110). The structure of the lifting assembly (120) is described in detail below.

[0066] The lifting plate (121) of the lifting assembly (120) can move between a first position (see FIG. 2) where the cleaning robot (300) can dock with the maintenance station (100) and a second position (see FIG. 3) where the cleaning robot (300) is positioned in the storage space (111) of the housing (110). The lifting plate (121) can move from the first position to the second position or from the second position to the first position. The movable section of the lifting plate (121) can range from the first position to the second position. The lifting plate (121) can exhibit a constant trajectory while moving from the first position to the second position. The lifting plate (121) can be arranged parallel to or close to parallel with the floor in the first position, and can be arranged perpendicular to or close to perpendicular with the floor in the second position.

[0067] In the first position, the lifting plate (121) may have a bottom surface (121j, see FIGS. 25 and 26) adjacent to an inner surface (131a, see FIG. 12) of a door (131) of a door assembly (130). The structure of the door assembly (130) is described in detail below. The door (131) may be positioned on the lower side of the lifting plate (121) in contact with the floor. The upper surface of the lifting plate (121) may have a gentle slope so that the cleaning robot (300) can climb on the upper surface of the lifting plate (121).

[0068] In the second position, the lifting plate (121) may be positioned in a different posture from the first position so as to be positioned in the storage space (111) of the housing (110). For example, the lifting plate (121) may have one end (121a, see FIG. 1) of the lifting plate (121) positioned on the upper side of the storage space (111) of the housing (110) and the other end (121b) of the lifting plate (121) positioned on the lower side of the storage space (111) of the housing (110).

[0069] Referring to FIG. 1, the maintenance station (100) can lower the door (131) and the lifting plate (121) so that the cleaning robot (300) can dock with the maintenance station (100). In this case, the storage space (111) of the housing (110) is opened by the door (131). The maintenance station (100) can close the storage space (111) of the housing (110) while the cleaning robot (300) cleans the cleaning area so that the storage space (111) of the housing (110) is not exposed to the outside.

[0070] FIG. 2 is a drawing showing an example of a cleaning robot docked to a maintenance station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0071] Referring to FIG. 2, the cleaning robot (300) can dock to the maintenance station (100) when cleaning is finished or based on a user command.

[0072] The cleaning robot (300) can move along the upper surface of the lifting plate (121) at the first position to dock with the maintenance station (100). In this case, the cleaning robot (300) can move backward toward the maintenance station (100) and dock with the maintenance station (100) so that the rear portion (300b) of the cleaning robot (300) can be positioned in the storage space (111) of the housing (110). A user command can be input to the cleaning robot (300) by a remote controller capable of wirelessly communicating with the cleaning robot (300). Alternatively, the user command can be input to the cleaning robot (300) by the user operating at least one button among a plurality of function buttons provided on the cleaning robot (300).

[0073] The cleaning robot (300) may be provided with a cleaning pad (322a, 322b) at the rear of the bottom surface (303) of the cleaning robot (300). The bottom surface (303) of the cleaning robot (300) and the bottom surface (303) of the main body (301) may have the same meaning.

[0074] When the cleaning robot (300) moves backward and docks with the maintenance station (100), the cleaning pads (322a, 322b) coupled to the cleaning robot (300) can be aligned above the pad washing table (145a, 145b) provided at the lower side of the storage space (111) of the housing (110). The maintenance station (100) can perform a pad washing operation of washing the cleaning pads (322a, 322b) of the cleaning robot (300) through the pad washing assembly (140) after the cleaning robot (300) is docked with the maintenance station (100). The pad washing assembly (140) will be described in detail below.

[0075] The position where the cleaning pads (322a, 322b) of the cleaning robot (300) are coupled is not limited to the rear of the bottom surface (303) of the cleaning robot (300). For example, the cleaning pads (322a, 322b) of the cleaning robot (300) may be coupled to the front of the bottom surface (303) of the cleaning robot (300). In this case, the cleaning robot (300) may move forward toward the maintenance station (100) so that the entire body (300a) of the cleaning robot (300) enters the storage space (111) of the housing (110) and docks with the maintenance station (100).

[0076] The maintenance station (100) can omit the process of washing the cleaning pad (322a, 322b) of the cleaning robot (300) based on a user command.

[0077] FIG. 3 is a drawing showing an example of a cleaning robot being stored in a maintenance station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0078] Referring to FIG. 3, the maintenance station (100) can move the lifting plate (121) to the second position to store the cleaning robot (300) in the storage space (111) of the housing (110). The cleaning robot (300) can be fixed to the lifting plate (121) while moving to the storage space (111) of the housing (110). For example, a plurality of fixing protrusions (125, 126, 127, 128) provided on the upper surface (121c) of the lifting plate and a plurality of connecting portions (381, 382, ​​383, 384) provided on the lower surface (303) of the cleaning robot (300) and each corresponding to the plurality of fixing protrusions (125, 126, 127, 128) can be mutually coupled. The cleaning robot (300) can be firmly fixed to the lifting plate (121) so that the upper surface of the lifting plate (121) and the lower surface (303) of the cleaning robot (300) do not move in a direction in which they are separated from each other (e.g., the X-axis direction in FIG. 3), the left-right direction of the lifting plate (121) (e.g., the Y-axis direction in FIG. 3), and the direction of gravity (e.g., the Z-axis direction in FIG. 3).

[0079] FIG. 4 is a drawing showing an example in which the storage space of a maintenance station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is closed by a door.

[0080] Referring to FIG. 4, when the cleaning robot (300) is stored in the storage space (111) of the housing (110) together with the lifting plate (121), the maintenance station (100) can close the storage space (111) of the housing (110) by rotating the door (131) of the door assembly (130) included in the maintenance station (100).

[0081] When the storage space (111) of the housing (110) is closed by the door (131), the maintenance station (100) can have no portion protruding or extending toward the front. Accordingly, the maintenance station (100) can maintain a slim overall shape, and since the interior of the maintenance station (100) is not visible, it can provide a clean feeling to the user. The maintenance station (100) can be installed and used in a built-in manner embedded in a wall.

[0082] The maintenance station (100) can perform a pad drying operation and / or a dust collection operation while the door (131) is closed. For example, the maintenance station (100) can supply hot air to the cleaning pads (322a, 322b) to dry the cleaning pads (322a, 322b). For example, the maintenance station (100) can suck up dust stored in the dust bin (360) of the cleaning robot (300) and collect it into the dust collection bin (165) provided in the maintenance station (100). The maintenance station (100) can perform the pad drying operation and the dust collection operation simultaneously or sequentially. The maintenance station (100) can perform only one of the pad drying operation and the dust collection operation or omit both based on a user command.

[0083] In the present disclosure, user commands can be input to the cleaning robot (300) by a remote controller capable of wirelessly communicating with the maintenance station (100). In this case, the remote controller can selectively communicate with the maintenance station (100) and the cleaning robot (300).

[0084] The maintenance station (100) can perform pad drying operation and / or dust collection operation with the door (131) closed, thereby improving noise generated during pad drying operation and / or dust collection operation.

[0085] Hereinafter, the structure of a maintenance station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0086] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the structure of a maintenance station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0087] Referring to FIG. 5, the maintenance station (100) may include a lifting assembly (120), a door assembly (130), a pad washing assembly (140), a pad drying assembly (150), a dust collection assembly (160), a sensor (170), a communication interface (180), a charging device (191), a power supply device (195), a memory (196), and a processor (197). However, not all of the components illustrated in FIG. 5 are essential components of the maintenance station (100). It will be understood by those skilled in the art related to the present disclosure that the maintenance station (100) may be implemented with more components than the components illustrated in FIG. 5, or that the maintenance station (100) may be implemented with fewer components than the components illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0088] FIG. 6 is a drawing showing a lifting assembly and a door assembly of a maintenance station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0089] Referring to FIG. 6, the lifting assembly (120) can support the cleaning robot (300) so that the cleaning robot (300) can dock with the maintenance station (100). The lifting assembly (120) can lift the cleaning robot (300) docked with the maintenance station (100) and transport it to the storage space (111) of the housing (110). The lifting assembly (120) can include a first drive motor (122) as a power source for driving the lifting plate (121).

[0090] The door assembly (130) can open and close the storage space (111) of the housing (110). The door assembly (130) can close the storage space (111) of the housing (110) when the cleaning robot (300) is transported to the storage space (111) of the housing (110) by the lifting assembly (120). The door assembly (130) can include a second driving motor (132) as a power source for driving the door (131).

[0091] The lifting assembly (120) and the door assembly (130) may be arranged adjacent to each other. For example, the lifting plate (121) of the lifting assembly (120) may be arranged to overlap the door (131) of the door assembly (130) at the first position. The first lifting arm (123) and the second lifting arm (124) of the lifting assembly (120) connected to both sides of the lifting plate (121) may be arranged parallel to the first guide rail (133) and the second guide rail (134) provided on both sides of the door (131), respectively.

[0092] The lifting plate (121) may be slidably supported on the first guide rail (133) and the second guide rail (134) of the door assembly (130) when the other end (121b) of the lifting plate (121) moves from the first position to the second position or from the second position to the first position. In this case, a first roller (129a) and a second roller (129b) that rotate along the first guide rail (133) and the second guide rail (134) may be provided on both sides of the other end (121b) of the lifting plate (121).

[0093] Hereinafter, the structure of the lifting assembly (120) of the maintenance station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 7 to 11.

[0094] FIG. 7 is a drawing illustrating a lifting assembly of a maintenance station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 does not illustrate some components of a door assembly (130) so that the configuration of the lifting assembly (120) can be clearly seen.

[0095] Referring to FIG. 7, the lifting assembly (120) may include a lifting plate (121), a first lifting arm (123), a second lifting arm (124), a first driving motor (122), a first fixing protrusion (125), a second fixing protrusion (126), a third fixing protrusion (127), a fourth fixing protrusion (128), a first roller (129a), and a second roller (129b).

[0096] The lifting plate (121) can support the cleaning robot (300) so that it can be docked to the maintenance station (100). The upper surface (121c) of the lifting plate (121) can have a gentle slope (for example, about 8° to 10°) so that the cleaning robot (300) can climb up onto the upper surface of the lifting plate (121). The upper surface (121c) of the lifting plate (121) can be provided with a first track (121d) and a second track (121e) so that the first driving wheel (311) and the second driving wheel (312) of the cleaning robot (300) do not slip when the cleaning robot (300) climbs onto the upper surface (121c) of the lifting plate (121). The first track (121d) and the second track (121e) can include a plurality of anti-slip protrusions.

[0097] A first wheel receiving groove (121f) connected to a first track (121d) and a second wheel receiving groove (121g) connected to a second track (121e) may be provided on the upper surface (121c) of the lifting plate (121). The first driving wheel (311) and the second driving wheel (312) of the cleaning robot (300) may be received in the first wheel receiving groove (121f) and the second wheel receiving groove (121g), respectively. The first driving wheel (311) and the second driving wheel (312) of the cleaning robot (300) may move along the first track (121d) and the second track (121e) and then be received in the first wheel receiving groove (121f) and the second wheel receiving groove (121g), respectively. The first driving wheel (311) and the second driving wheel (312) of the cleaning robot (300) accommodated in the first wheel accommodation home (121f) and the second wheel accommodation home (121g) may be restricted from moving in the left and right direction of the lifting plate (121) (e.g., the Y-axis direction in FIG. 7).

[0098] The first lifting arm (123) and the second lifting arm (124) can be driven by power provided from the first driving motor (122) to move the lifting plate (121) to the first position and the second position. One end of the first lifting arm (123) and one end of the second lifting arm (124) can be hinge-connected to the left and right sides of the lifting plate (121), respectively. The other end of the first lifting arm (123) and the other end of the second lifting arm (124) can be hinge-connected to the first hinge bracket (115) and the second hinge bracket (116) arranged on the bottom part (113) of the housing (110).

[0099] A first lifting gear (G1) coupled to the rotational axis of the first lifting arm (123) and a second lifting gear (G2) gear-connected to the first lifting gear (G1) may be arranged on the inside of the first hinge bracket (115). The second lifting gear (G2) may be gear-connected to a connecting gear (CG). The connecting gear (CG) may be gear-connected to a driving gear (DG) connected to the rotational axis of the first driving motor (122).

[0100] A third lifting gear (G3) coupled to the rotational axis of the second lifting arm (124) and a fourth lifting gear (G4) gear-connected to the third lifting gear (G3) may be arranged on the inside of the second hinge bracket (116). The fourth lifting gear (G4) may receive the driving force of the second lifting gear (G2) through the first power transmission shaft (117a). The fourth lifting gear (G4) may rotate in the same direction as the rotational direction of the second lifting gear (G2).

[0101] When the first driving motor (122) is driven in the forward direction, the driving force of the first driving motor (122) can be sequentially transmitted to the second lifting gear (G2) and the first lifting gear (G1). The first lifting arm (123) can receive the driving force of the first lifting gear (G1) and rotate counterclockwise around the Y-axis of FIG. 7. In addition, the driving force of the first driving motor (122) can be sequentially transmitted to the fourth lifting gear (G4) and the third lifting gear (G3) through the first power transmission shaft (117a). The second lifting arm (124) can receive the driving force of the third lifting gear (G3) and rotate counterclockwise around the Y-axis of FIG. 7.

[0102] The lifting plate (121) may have a near-vertical inclination (e.g., about 80° to 85°) when one end of the lifting plate (121) is lifted upward by the counterclockwise rotation of the first lifting arm (123) and the second lifting arm (124). The lifting plate (121) may be moved from a first position to a second position by the first lifting arm (123) and the second lifting arm (124) and moved into the storage space (111) of the housing (110).

[0103] When the first driving motor (122) is driven in the reverse direction, the first lifting arm (123) and the second lifting arm (124) can be rotated clockwise around the Y-axis of FIG. 7. The lifting plate (121) can be lowered at one end by the first lifting arm (123) and the second lifting arm (124) and returned from the second position to the first position.

[0104] The first fixing protrusion (125) may be provided on the left side of one end (121b) of the lifting plate (121). The second fixing protrusion (126) may be provided on the right side of one end (121b) of the lifting plate (121). The first fixing protrusion (125) and the second fixing protrusion (126) may be arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line of the lifting plate (121) (e.g., a line parallel to the X-axis of FIG. 7). The first fixing protrusion (125) and the second fixing protrusion (126) may be coupled to the first coupling portion (381) and the second coupling portion (382) of the cleaning robot (300), respectively, when the cleaning robot (300) climbs onto the lifting plate (121) and docks with the maintenance station (100).

[0105] The third fixing protrusion (127) is positioned adjacent to the first fixing protrusion (125) and can be positioned further from one end of the lifting plate (121) than the first fixing protrusion (125). The third fixing protrusion (127) can be slidably inserted into the first guide hole (121h) provided in the lifting plate (121).

[0106] The fourth fixing protrusion (128) may be arranged adjacent to the second fixing protrusion (126) and may be arranged further from one end of the lifting plate (121) than the second fixing protrusion (126). The fourth fixing protrusion (128) may be slidably inserted into the second guide hole (121i) provided in the lifting plate (121). The third fixing protrusion (127) and the fourth fixing protrusion (128) may be arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line of the lifting plate (121) (e.g., a line parallel to the X-axis in FIG. 7).

[0107] FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a portion (part A of FIG. 8) of a lifting assembly of a maintenance station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a view showing a state in which a first fixing protrusion of a lifting plate is separated from a first coupling portion of a cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a view showing a state in which a first fixing protrusion of a lifting plate is inserted into a first coupling portion of a cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0108] Referring to Fig. 8, the first fixed protrusion (125) may include a pillar portion (125a) fixed to the lifting plate (121) and a head portion (125b) extended to the upper side of the pillar portion (125a). The width of the head portion (125b) (e.g., the length in the Y-axis direction of Fig. 8) may be formed to be larger than the width of the pillar portion (125a).

[0109] Referring to Fig. 9, when the cleaning robot (300) moves to dock with the maintenance station (100), the first coupling portion (381) can move toward the first fixing protrusion (125). The guide rib (381b) of the first coupling portion (381) can include an inclined surface (381d) that aligns the docking position of the cleaning robot (300) and a guide groove (381e) into which the column portion (125a) of the first fixing protrusion (125) is inserted.

[0110] Referring to Fig. 10, at the docking position of the cleaning robot (300), the pillar portion (125a) of the first fixing protrusion (125) can be inserted into the guide groove (381e) of the guide rib (381b) of the first coupling portion (381). The pillar portion (125a) of the first fixing protrusion (125) can interfere along the Y-axis direction of Fig. 10 within the guide groove (381e) of the guide rib (381b) of the first coupling portion (381). Therefore, the cleaning robot (300) can be restricted from moving left and right on the lifting plate (121).

[0111] In addition, at the docking position of the cleaning robot (300), the head portion (125b) of the first fixing protrusion (125) is inserted into the insertion groove (381a) of the first coupling portion (381). The head portion (125b) of the first fixing protrusion (125) is interfered with in the Z-axis direction of Fig. 10 by the guide rib (381b) of the first coupling portion (381). Therefore, the cleaning robot (300) can be restricted from moving in a direction away from the lifting plate (121).

[0112] By coupling between the first coupling portion (381) of the cleaning robot (300) and the first fixing protrusion (125) of the lifting plate (121), the cleaning robot (300) can be firmly fixed on the lifting plate (121).

[0113] The second fixed protrusion (126) may have substantially the same structure as the first fixed protrusion (125), and the second coupling portion (382) of the cleaning robot (300) may have substantially the same structure as the first coupling portion (381).

[0114] FIG. 11 is a drawing showing a structure in which a third fixing projection of a lifting assembly of a maintenance station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is supported by a first lever.

[0115] Referring to FIG. 11, the third fixed protrusion (127) may be positioned so that the upper end of the third fixed protrusion (127) corresponds to the upper surface (121c) of the lifting plate (121) or slightly protrudes from the upper surface (121c) of the lifting plate (121) so as not to interfere with the lower surface (303) of the cleaning robot (300) when the cleaning robot (300) moves along the upper surface (121c) of the lifting plate (121) at the first position.

[0116] The third fixed projection (127) can be protruded from the upper surface (121c) of the lifting plate (121) by a predetermined length or returned to its original position by the first lever (137) movably arranged on the inside of the lifting plate (121).

[0117] The first lever (137) can be rotatably connected to the lifting plate (121) by a first hinge pin (138). One end (137a) of the first lever (137) can be rotatably connected to the third fixing protrusion (127) by a second hinge pin (138b). A portion adjacent to the other end (137b) of the first lever (137) can be elastically supported on the lifting plate (121) by an elastic member (139) (e.g., a coil spring).

[0118] The other end (137b) of the first lever (137) can be pressed by the inner surface (131a) of the door (131) at the first position as shown in Fig. 11. In this case, one end (137a) of the first lever (137) can be moved to a position adjacent to the inner surface (131a) of the door (131). The third fixed protrusion (127) can be protruded from the upper surface (121c) of the lifting plate (121) by the one end (137a) of the first lever (137) to a minimum protrusion length. Here, the minimum protrusion length means a length at which the bottom surface (303) of the cleaning robot (300) is not interfered with by the third fixed protrusion (127) when the cleaning robot (300) moves along the upper surface (121c) of the lifting plate (121).

[0119] When one end of the lifting plate (121) rises by the driving of the first lifting arm (123) and the second lifting arm (124) and the inclination of the lifting plate (121) increases, the first lever (137) can be rotated clockwise by the elastic force of the elastic member (139) while the lifting plate (121) moves from the first position to the second position. The other end (137b) of the first lever (137) is pressed by the inner surface (131a) of the door (131) up to a certain section, and when the certain section is exceeded, the pressing force by the inner surface (131a) of the door (131) can be removed as it is spaced apart from the inner surface (131a) of the door (131). The third fixing protrusion (127) can protrude from the upper surface (121c) of the lifting plate (121) along the first through hole (122h). When the cleaning robot (300) is mounted on the upper surface (121c) of the lifting plate (121), the third fixing protrusion (127) can be inserted into the third connecting portion (383) of the cleaning robot (300).

[0120] The fourth fixed protrusion (128) can be operated substantially in the same manner as the third fixed protrusion (127) by the second lever (137-1, see Fig. 25). The structure of the second lever (137-1) is substantially the same as that of the first lever (137), and therefore, its description is omitted.

[0121] FIG. 12 is a drawing illustrating a door assembly of a maintenance station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 12 does not illustrate most of the configuration of the door assembly (130) so as to clearly show the configuration of the door assembly (130).

[0122] Referring to FIG. 12, the door assembly (130) may include a door (131), a second driving motor (132), a first guide rail (133), a second guide rail (134), and a locker (135).

[0123] The door (131) can open and close the storage space (111) of the housing (110) by rotating around the second power transmission shaft (117b) parallel to the Y-axis of FIG. 12 by the driving force provided from the second driving motor (132). The door (131) can be positioned below the lifting plate (121) when the lifting plate (121) is in the first position. The door (131) can close the storage space (111) of the housing (110) by rotating counterclockwise around the second power transmission shaft (117b) when the lifting plate (121) is in the second position.

[0124] The first guide rail (133) and the second guide rail (134) may be provided parallel to each other on both sides of the door (131). The first guide rail (133) and the second guide rail (134) may guide the first roller (129a) and the second roller (129b) of the lifting plate (121) when the lifting plate (121) moves between the first position and the second position. In this case, the first roller (129a) and the second roller (129b) of the lifting plate (121) may rotate while moving along the upper surfaces of the first guide rail (133) and the second guide rail (134).

[0125] The length of the first guide rail (133) and the second guide rail (134) may be a length that can guide the first roller (129a) and the second roller (129b) of the lifting plate (121) while the lifting plate (121) moves between the first position and the second position.

[0126] The first guide rail (133) and the second guide rail (134) may be configured with a plurality of parts so as to be deformable in consideration of the movement of the door (131) rotating clockwise or counterclockwise. For example, the first guide rail (133) may include a first part (133a) arranged on the inner surface (131a) of the door (131), a second part (133b) arranged on the bottom part (113) of the housing (110), and a third part (133c) connecting the first part (133a) and the second part (133b). The first part (133a), the second part (133b), and the third part (133c) of the first guide rail (133) may be arranged on the same straight line. Accordingly, the first guide rail (133) can continuously guide the first roller (129a) of the lifting plate (121) without any discontinued sections.

[0127] One end of the third part (133c) of the first guide rail (133) can be rotatably connected to the second part (133b) via the first connecting shaft (133d). The other end of the third part (133c) of the first guide rail (133) can be detachably mounted on the first part (133a) of the first guide rail (133). The other end of the third part (133c) of the first guide rail (133) can rotate counterclockwise around the first connecting shaft (133d) by interfering with the first part (133a) of the first guide rail (133) that moves together with the door (131) when the door (131) rotates counterclockwise around the second power transmission shaft (117b) parallel to the Y-axis of FIG. 12. The other end of the third part (133c) of the first guide rail (133) can rotate clockwise around the first connecting shaft (133d) due to the weight of the third part (133c) when the door (131) rotates clockwise around the second power transmission shaft (117b). The first guide rail (133) can be transformed into an unfolded form (see FIG. 12) and a folded form (see FIG. 26) depending on the rotational direction of the door (131).

[0128] The second guide rail (134) may be composed of a plurality of parts similar to the first guide rail (133). For example, the second guide rail (134) may include a first part (134a) disposed on the inner surface (131a) of the door (131), a second part (134b) disposed on the bottom part (113) of the housing (110), and a third part (134c) connecting the first part (134a) and the second part (134b). One end of the third part (134c) of the second guide rail (134) may be rotatably connected to the second part (134b) via a second connecting shaft (134d).

[0129] The locker (135) can fix the lifting plate (121) so that the lifting plate (121) does not descend (e.g., moves to the first position) and maintains the second position even when the power of the maintenance station (100) is turned off. The locker (135) can lock the driving gear (DG) that transmits driving force to the lifting plate (121) when the lifting plate (121) is in the second position.

[0130] The locker (135) may be arranged adjacent to one side of the first guide rail (133) along the longitudinal direction of the first guide rail (133). The locker (135) may move along the X-axis direction of FIG. 12 in conjunction with the rotation of the door (131). For example, the locker (135) may be spaced apart from the driving gear (DG) when the door (131) is in a position where the storage space (111) of the housing (110) is opened. When the door (131) is rotated from a position where the storage space (111) of the housing (110) is opened to a position where it is closed, the locker (135) may move toward the driving gear (DG) in conjunction with the rotation of the door (131) and engage with the locking projection (135a) of the locker (135). The locker (135) can move linearly to lock the drive gear (DG) using the rotational motion of the door (131) as a drive source without a separate electric drive source (e.g., drive motor, electric actuator, etc.).

[0131] FIG. 13 is a drawing showing a locker of a maintenance station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0132] Referring to Fig. 13, a locking projection (135a) may be elastically coupled to the tip of the locker (135). For example, the locking projection (135a) may be slidably inserted into a receiving groove (135b) formed at the tip of the locker (135). An elastic member (135c) (e.g., a coil spring) may be elastically supported in the receiving groove (135b) of the locker (135). The receiving groove (135b) may be closed by a cover (135d).

[0133] The rocker (135) may be provided with a plurality of guide protrusions (135f) along the bottom. The plurality of guide protrusions (135f) may be slidably inserted into a guide slot (113a) provided in the bottom portion (113) of the housing (110).

[0134] An adapter (136) may be hinge-connected to the rear end of the locker (135). The adapter (136) may be coupled to one end of the first portion (133a) of the first guide rail (133) via a second power transmission shaft (117b). The adapter (136) may receive driving force from the second drive motor (132) and transmit it to the second power transmission shaft (117b). The second power transmission shaft (117b) may rotate the door (131) clockwise or counterclockwise. The adapter (136) may include a cam protrusion (136a) eccentrically arranged on the second power transmission shaft (117b). The cam protrusion (136a) may be slidably connected to a long hole (135e) provided at the other end of the locker (135). The long hole (135e) can be arranged approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rocker (135). For example, the rocker (135) can move in a direction closer to the driving gear (DG) when the adapter (136) rotates counterclockwise around the second power transmission shaft (117b). The rocker (135) can move in a direction away from the driving gear (DG) when the adapter (136) rotates clockwise around the second power transmission shaft (117b).

[0135] FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing the interior of a housing of a maintenance station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0136] The pad cleaning assembly (140) may be configured to clean a cleaning pad (322a, 322b) coupled to the bottom (303) of a cleaning robot (300) docked to a maintenance station (100). The pad cleaning assembly (140) may be configured to spray steam when the cleaning robot (300) is in a first position. Referring to FIGS. 5 and 14, the pad cleaning assembly (140) may include a pad cleaning stand (141), a water pump (143), a steam device (145), and a plurality of steam spray nozzles (146, 147), a fresh water tank (148), and a waste water tank (149).

[0137] The pad washing station (141) may be placed at the bottom of the housing (110). For example, the bottom of the housing (110) where the pad washing station (141) is placed may be formed as a tub capable of receiving washing water sprayed from a plurality of steam spray nozzles (146, 147).

[0138] The water pump (143) may be placed inside the housing (110). The water pump (143) may be connected to a fresh water tank (148) via a first pipe, to a waste water tank (149) via a second pipe, to a tub in which a pad washing station (141) is placed via a third pipe, and to a steam device (145) via a fourth pipe. The steam device (145) may be connected to a plurality of steam injection nozzles (146, 147) via a fifth pipe.

[0139] The water pump (143) can suck in the washing water stored in the clean water tank (148) and supply it to the steam device (145). The steam device (145) can heat the washing water provided by the water pump (143) and supply high-temperature steam to a plurality of steam injection nozzles (146, 147).

[0140] A plurality of steam injection nozzles (146, 147) can spray steam toward the cleaning pads (322a, 322b) of the cleaning robot (300). The cleaning robot (300) can rotate the cleaning pads (322a, 322b) while the steam is being sprayed. The rotating cleaning pads (322a, 322b) can easily separate foreign substances attached to the cleaning pads (322a, 322b) by contacting the plurality of protrusions formed on the upper portion of the pad washing plate (141). The steam used to wash the cleaning pads (322a, 322b) can be liquefied and stored as wastewater in the tub. The water pump (143) can suck the wastewater stored in the tub and transport it to the wastewater tank (149).

[0141] A first mounting groove (118a) and a second mounting groove (118b) may be provided on the upper portion of the housing (110) to detachably accommodate a fresh water tank (148) and a waste water tank (149), respectively. A dust collector (165) may be detachably accommodated on one side of the first mounting groove (118a) on the upper portion of the housing (110). The first mounting groove (118a), the second mounting groove (118b), and the third mounting groove (118c) of the housing (110) may be opened and closed by an upper cover (119). When the upper cover (119) is coupled to the housing (110), it may form the outer shape of the housing (110) as a part of the housing (110).

[0142] The pad drying assembly (150) can supply hot air to the wet cleaning pads (322a, 322b) to dry the cleaning pads (322a, 322b) while the cleaning robot (300) is performing a cleaning process. The pad drying assembly (150) can be configured to operate when the cleaning robot (300) is in the second position. Referring to FIGS. 5 and 14, the pad drying assembly (150) can include a blower fan (151), a heater (153), and a plurality of hot air spray nozzles (156, 157).

[0143] A blower fan (151) may be connected to a plurality of hot air spray nozzles (156, 157) by a duct. The blower fan (151) may suck in air from outside the housing (110) and supply it to a plurality of hot air spray nozzles (156, 157). A heater (153) may be placed inside the duct. The heater (153) may heat the air supplied to the plurality of hot air spray nozzles (156, 157) by the blower fan (151) to form hot air.

[0144] A plurality of hot air spray nozzles (156, 157) can be arranged to correspond to the cleaning pads (322a, 322b) of the cleaning robot (300) located at the second position. The plurality of hot air spray nozzles (156, 157) can dry the cleaning pads (322a, 322b) by spraying hot air toward the facing cleaning pads (322a, 322b).

[0145] The dust collection assembly (160) may be configured to be connected to the cleaning robot (300) when the cleaning robot (300) is in the second position to empty dust stored in the dust bin (360) of the cleaning robot (300). Referring to FIGS. 5 and 14, the dust collection assembly (160) may include a suction motor (161), a dust suction nozzle (163), and a dust bin (165).

[0146] The suction motor (161) may be placed inside the housing (110). The intake side of the suction motor (161) may be connected to a dust suction nozzle (163) via a first dust transfer pipe (162). The exhaust side of the suction motor (161) may be connected to a dust collection bin (165) via a second dust transfer pipe.

[0147] Referring to Fig. 14, the dust suction nozzle (163) can protrude a predetermined length from the wall (112) surrounding the storage space (111) of the housing (110). While the cleaning robot (300) is moved from a first position to a second position by the lifting plate (121) while being fixed to the upper surface (121c) of the lifting plate (121), the dust suction nozzle (163) can be inserted into the discharge port (361) provided on the bottom surface (303) of the cleaning robot (300). In this case, the shutter (362) closing the discharge port (361) of the cleaning robot (300) can be rotated by the dust suction nozzle (163) to open the discharge port (361). Dust (D) stored in the dust bin (360) of the cleaning robot (300) can be sucked into the dust suction nozzle (163) through the opening (360a) of the dust bin (360) by the suction force generated by the driving of the suction motor (161). Dust (D) that has exited the dust bin (360) can be collected into the dust collection bin (165) of the dust collection assembly (160) through the first dust transfer pipe (162).

[0148] The sensor (170) can acquire sensing data for the maintenance station (100) to detect docking of the cleaning robot (300) and the opening and closing of the door (131). The sensing data may refer to data acquired through various sensors placed in the maintenance station (100). For example, the sensor (170) may include a docking detection sensor (171) and a door detection sensor (173).

[0149] The docking detection sensor (171) can obtain data used to detect the cleaning robot (300) that has moved to the docking position of the maintenance station (100). The docking detection sensor (171) can be placed on a wall (112) forming a storage space (111) of the housing (110). For example, the docking detection sensor (171) can be placed at a predetermined position of the wall (112) corresponding to approximately the center of the rear (300b) of the cleaning robot (300) when the cleaning robot (300) docks to the maintenance station (100). The docking detection sensor (171) can include a proximity sensor. The proximity sensor can be an electrostatic sensor or a photoelectric sensor that can detect the cleaning robot (300) when the outer cover of the cleaning robot (300) is made of a non-conductive material such as plastic. Additionally, the proximity sensor may be an inductive sensor capable of detecting the cleaning robot (300) when the outer cover of the cleaning robot (300) includes a metal material.

[0150] The door detection sensor (173) is disposed on the outer surface of the housing (110) and can obtain data used to detect the door (131) that closes the storage space (111) of the housing (110). The door detection sensor (173) can be disposed at a predetermined position on the outer surface of the housing (110) facing a part of the inner surface (131a) of the door (131) when the door (131) is in a position to close the storage space (111) of the housing (110) (see FIG. 1).

[0151] The door detection sensor (173) may be a mechanical limit switch or an optical sensor. If the door detection sensor (173) is a mechanical limit switch, the door detection sensor (173) may detect the door (131) when the door (131) is physically pressed to close the storage space (111) of the housing (110).

[0152] The communication interface (180) can communicate with the cleaning robot (300). For example, the communication interface (180) can wirelessly communicate with the communication interface (340) of the cleaning robot (300). In the present disclosure, the communication interface (180) of the maintenance station (100) may be referred to as a first communication interface, and the communication interface (340) of the cleaning robot (300) may be referred to as a second communication interface.

[0153] Additionally, the communication interface (180) can communicate with external devices. For example, the communication interface (180) can transmit and receive data with mobile terminals such as smart phones, laptop computers, tablet PCs, digital cameras, e-book terminals, and digital broadcasting terminals, server devices, or home appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines.

[0154] The communication interface (180) may include, but is not limited to, a Bluetooth communication unit, a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication unit, a near field communication interface, a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication unit, a Zigbee communication unit, an infrared (IrDA, infrared Data Association) communication unit, a WFD (Wi-Fi Direct) communication unit, a UWB (ultrawideband) communication unit, an ANT+ communication unit, a mobile communication unit, etc.

[0155] Referring to Fig. 14, the first charging terminal (191a) and the second charging terminal (191b) may be respectively disposed on the first structure (193a) and the second structure (193b) that protrude by a predetermined length from a portion that limits the upper side of the storage space (111) of the housing (110). The first charging terminal (191a) and the second charging terminal (191b) may be electrically connected to the charging terminal of the cleaning robot (300) stored in the storage space (111) of the housing (110).

[0156] A power supply unit (195) may be placed inside the housing (110). The power supply unit (195) may be configured to receive power from an external source and convert it into a power suitable for the maintenance station (100). The power supply unit (195) may supply power to a plurality of electronic devices provided in the maintenance station (100). The power supply unit (195) may be electrically connected to a first charging terminal (191a) and a second charging terminal (191b).

[0157] The memory (196) can store various types of data, such as an operating system (OS), programs such as applications, and files for data processing of the processor (197) and control of the maintenance station (100). The memory (196) can store at least one command (instruction) and at least one program for processing and controlling the processor (197). In the present disclosure, the memory (196) of the maintenance station (100) may be referred to as a first memory to distinguish it from the memory (371) of the cleaning robot (300), and the memory (371) of the cleaning robot (300) may be referred to as a second memory.

[0158] The memory (196) may include at least one type of storage medium among a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory, etc.), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read-Only Memory), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), a PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk, but is not limited thereto.

[0159] The processor (197) can control the overall operation of the cleaning robot (300). The processor (197) can be implemented with one or more processors. The processor (197) can control the lifting assembly (120), the door assembly (130), the pad washing assembly (140), the pad drying assembly (150), the dust collection assembly (160), the sensor (170), the communication interface (180), the charging device (191), the power supply device (195), the memory (196), etc., by executing instructions stored in the memory (196).

[0160] The processor (197) can control the operations of the maintenance station (100) by executing programs / commands. For example, the processor (197) can control the lifting assembly (120) to move the cleaning robot (300) docked to the maintenance station (100) to a first position or a second position. The processor (197) can generate a driving signal for controlling the lifting assembly (120) and output the driving signal to the lifting assembly (120). Based on the driving signal output from the processor (197), the lifting assembly (120) can drive the first driving motor (122) to move the lifting plate (121) from the first position to the second position or from the second position to the first position through the first lifting arm (123) and the second lifting arm (124). For example, when a cleaning robot (300) is fixed to a lifting plate (121), the lifting assembly (120) can move the cleaning robot (300) from the docking position to the storage space (111) of the housing (110) or from the storage space (111) of the housing (110) to the docking position based on a driving signal output from the processor (197).

[0161] The processor (197) can control the door assembly (130) to open and close the storage space (111) of the housing (110). The processor (197) can generate a driving signal for controlling the door assembly (130) and output the driving signal to the door assembly (130). Based on the driving signal output from the processor (197), the door assembly (130) can drive the second driving motor (132) to move the door (131) to a position for opening or closing the storage space (111) of the housing (110).

[0162] The processor (197) can control the pad cleaning assembly (140) to spray steam for cleaning the cleaning pads (322a, 322b) of the cleaning robot (300). The processor (197) can generate a driving signal for controlling the pad cleaning assembly (140) and output the driving signal to the pad cleaning assembly (140). Based on the driving signal output from the processor (197), the pad cleaning assembly (140) can drive the water pump (143) to transfer water stored in the water tank (148) to the steam device (145) and drive the steam device (145) to heat the cleaning water moving toward the plurality of steam injection nozzles (146, 147) to generate steam. The processor (197) can control the cleaning robot (300) to rotate the cleaning pad (322a, 322b) docked to the maintenance station (100) via the communication interface (180).

[0163] The processor (197) can control the pad drying assembly (150) to spray hot air for drying the cleaning pads (322a, 322b) of the cleaning robot (300). The processor (197) can generate a driving signal for controlling the pad drying assembly (150) and output the driving signal to the pad drying assembly (150). Based on the driving signal output from the processor (197), the pad drying assembly (150) can drive the blower fan (151) to transfer air to a plurality of hot air spray nozzles (156, 157) and drive the heater (153) to heat the air to be sprayed through the plurality of hot air spray nozzles (156, 157).

[0164] The processor (197) can control the dust collection assembly (160) to collect dust stored in the dust bin (360) of the cleaning robot (300). The processor (197) can generate a driving signal for controlling the dust collection assembly (160) and output the driving signal to the dust collection assembly (160). Based on the driving signal output from the processor (197), the dust collection assembly (160) can drive the suction motor (161) to suck dust stored in the dust bin (360) of the cleaning robot (300) into the dust bin (165) provided in the housing (110).

[0165] The processor (197) can process data acquired by the sensor (170). The processor (197) can determine, based on the data acquired by the sensor (170), whether the cleaning robot (300) has docked to the maintenance station (100) and whether the door (131) has opened or closed the storage space (111) of the housing (110).

[0166] The processor (197) can control the driving of the cleaning robot (300) based on a user input regarding a predetermined area received through the communication interface (180). The processor (197) can control the cleaning robot (300) to rotate and stop the cleaning pads (322a, 322b) of the cleaning robot (300). The processor (197) can control the cleaning robot (300) to move backward during a portion of the period in which the lifting plate (121) moves from the first position to the second position. The cleaning robot (300) may deviate from the engaging position due to a backlash phenomenon occurring in the first driving wheel (311) and the second driving wheel (312) and the self-weight of the cleaning robot (300). Here, the coupling position means the position where the third coupling portion (383) and the fourth coupling portion (384) of the cleaning robot (300) correspond to the third fixing protrusion (127) and the fourth fixing protrusion (128) provided on the lifting plate (121). The processor (197) can control the cleaning robot (300) to move backward so that the cleaning robot (300) does not deviate from the coupling position while the lifting plate (121) is rising.

[0167] FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing the structure of a cleaning robot according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0168] Referring to FIG. 16, the driving robot (300) may include a driving assembly (310), a cleaning assembly (320), a sensor (330), a communication interface (340), an input / output interface (350), a memory (371), and a processor (373). However, not all of the components illustrated in FIG. 16 are essential components of the cleaning robot (300). It will be understood by those skilled in the art related to the present embodiment that the cleaning robot (300) may be implemented with more components than the components illustrated in FIG. 16, or that the cleaning robot (300) may be implemented with fewer components than the components illustrated in FIG. 16.

[0169] The driving assembly (310) can move the cleaning robot (300). The driving assembly (310) can include a first driving wheel (311) and a second driving wheel (312) respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the bottom surface (303) of the main body (301) of the driving robot (300). The first driving wheel (311) and the second driving wheel (312) can be arranged symmetrically to each other on the main body (301) of the cleaning robot (300). The driving assembly (310) can include a wheel motor that applies a driving force to the first driving wheel (311) and the second driving wheel (312), and a caster (315) that is installed at the front of the bottom surface (303) of the main body (301) and rotates to change an angle depending on the state of the floor surface on which the cleaning robot (300) moves. The driving assembly (310) can move the cleaning robot (300) forward, backward, and rotate using the first driving wheel (311) and the second driving wheel (312).

[0170] The cleaning assembly (320) can perform cleaning operations while the cleaning robot (300) is moving. For example, the cleaning assembly (320) can perform vibration cleaning, vacuum cleaning, and / or water cleaning.

[0171] The cleaning assembly (320) may include a pad rotation device (321) that rotates a pair of cleaning pads (322a, 322b) for cleaning a predetermined area with water, a water tank that stores water to be supplied to the pad rotation device (321), and a water supply device (325) for supplying water to the pad rotation device (321). The pad rotation device (321) may include a holder that fixes the cleaning pads (322a, 322b) and a rotation motor that rotates the holder. The cleaning pads (322a, 322b) may be formed in a substantially circular shape and may be formed of a fiber material so as to absorb water supplied by the water supply device (325) to clean the floor with water.

[0172] The cleaning assembly (320) may include a mechanism for moving the cleaning pads (322a, 322b) so that the cleaning pads (322a, 322b) protrude outside the cleaning robot (300) and are drawn into the interior of the cleaning robot (300). For example, the cleaning assembly (320) may include a slider for moving a holder to which the cleaning pads (322a, 322b) are fixed. As another example, the cleaning assembly (320) may include an arm having one end connected to the cleaning robot (300) and the other end connected to a holder for fixing the cleaning pads (322a, 322b). The cleaning assembly (320) may include a sensor and a guide that help the cleaning pad (322a, 322b) protruding from the outside of the cleaning robot (300) to be brought into the correct position.

[0173] The sensor (330) can obtain sensing data used by the cleaning robot (300) to drive and / or clean. The sensing data may refer to data obtained through various sensors arranged in the cleaning robot (300). For example, the sensor (330) can obtain data used to detect obstacles while the cleaning robot (300) is driving. As another example, the sensor (330) can detect a HALO signal generated from the maintenance station (100). As another example, the sensor (330) can detect the remaining battery level of the cleaning robot (300). As another example, the sensor (330) can obtain data used by the cleaning robot (300) to explore an indoor space and create an indoor space map. The indoor space refers to an area in which the cleaning robot (300) can move substantially freely.

[0174] The sensor (330) may include an obstacle detection sensor (331), a position recognition sensor (333), and a fixed protrusion detection sensor (335). The obstacle detection sensor (331) may obtain data used to detect an obstacle located on the driving path of the cleaning robot (300). The obstacle detection sensor (331) may include at least one sensor among an image sensor that obtains an image, a 3D sensor, a Lidar sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor. For example, the image sensor may obtain a surrounding and / or ceiling image used to detect an obstacle located near the cleaning robot (300). The Lidar sensor and / or the ultrasonic sensor may obtain data regarding the distance to an obstacle located near the cleaning robot (300). The 3D sensor may obtain 3D data for an area within a predetermined distance from the driving robot (300).

[0175] The position recognition sensor (333) can obtain data for recognizing the position of the cleaning robot (300) within an indoor space. The position recognition sensor (333) can recognize the position of the cleaning robot (300) based on at least one of image data, 3D data obtained by a 3D sensor, distance information to an obstacle obtained by a lidar sensor, and the strength of a communication signal received from an AP and / or a home appliance. The position recognition sensor (333) can recognize the position of the cleaning robot (300) within an indoor space map. The indoor space map can include data regarding at least one of a navigation map, a simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) map, and an obstacle recognition map.

[0176] The fixed protrusion detection sensor (335) can obtain data detecting the third fixed protrusion (127) and the fourth fixed protrusion (128) of the lifting plate (121) inserted into the third connecting portion (383) and the fourth connecting portion (384) of the main body (301) of the cleaning robot (300). The third connecting portion (383) and the fourth connecting portion (384) can be provided in the form of holes on the bottom surface (303) of the main body (301) of the cleaning robot (300). The fixed protrusion detection sensor (335) can be an optical sensor.

[0177] The cleaning robot (300) docked to the lifting plate (121) of the maintenance station (100) can control the first driving wheel (311) and the second driving wheel (312) to drive during a preset section during which the lifting plate (121) moves from the first position to the second position, thereby preventing the cleaning robot (300) from slipping down on the lifting plate (121) when the incline gradually increases while the lifting plate (121) is driven. The cleaning robot (300) can control the first driving wheel (311) and the second driving wheel (312) to stop when the third fixing protrusion (127) and the fourth fixing protrusion (128) detect that the third coupling portion (383) and the fourth coupling portion (384) are inserted.

[0178] The communication interface (340) can communicate with the maintenance station (100). For example, the communication interface (340) can communicate wirelessly with the communication interface (180) of the maintenance station (100). The communication interface (340) can communicate with an external device. For example, the communication interface (340) can transmit and receive data with a mobile terminal such as a smart phone, a laptop computer, a tablet PC, a digital camera, an e-book terminal, a digital broadcasting terminal, a server device, or a home appliance such as a refrigerator or a washing machine.

[0179] The communication interface (340) may include, but is not limited to, a Bluetooth communication unit, a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication unit, a near field communication interface, a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication unit, a Zigbee communication unit, an infrared (IrDA, infrared Data Association) communication unit, a WFD (Wi-Fi Direct) communication unit, a UWB (ultrawideband) communication unit, an ANT+ communication unit, a mobile communication unit, etc.

[0180] The input / output interface (350) is a hardware module and / or device that receives user input and outputs information. For example, the input / output interface (350) may include a display (351), an output device such as a speaker, an input device such as a microphone, a keyboard, a touchpad, a mouse, and a combination of output devices and input devices (e.g., a touch screen). In addition, the input / output interface (350) may receive user input for controlling the cleaning robot (300). The input / output interface (350) may output information regarding the status of the cleaning robot (300) and information regarding the operation mode of the cleaning robot (300).

[0181] The memory (371) can store various types of data, such as an operating system (OS), programs such as applications, and files for data processing of the processor (373) and control of the cleaning robot (300). The memory (371) can store at least one command (instruction) and at least one program for processing and controlling the processor (373).

[0182] The memory (371) may include at least one type of storage medium among a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory, etc.), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read-Only Memory), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), a PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk, but is not limited thereto.

[0183] The processor (373) can control the overall operation of the cleaning robot (300). The processor (373) can be implemented as one or more processors. The processor (373) can control the driving assembly (310), the cleaning assembly (320), the sensor (330), the communication interface (340), the input / output interface (350), the memory (371), etc., by executing instructions stored in the memory (371).

[0184] The processor (373) can control the operations of the cleaning robot (300) by executing programs / commands. For example, the processor (373) can control the driving assembly (310) to control the driving of the cleaning robot (300). The processor (373) can generate a driving signal for controlling the driving assembly (310) and output the driving signal to the driving assembly (310). The driving assembly (310) can drive each component of the driving assembly (310) based on the driving signal output from the processor (373). The processor (373) can set a driving path of the cleaning robot (300) and drive the driving assembly (310) to move the cleaning robot (300) along the driving path.

[0185] The processor (373) can control the cleaning assembly (320) to control the driving robot (300) to clean while driving. The processor (373) can generate a driving signal for controlling the cleaning assembly (320) and output the driving signal to the cleaning assembly (320). The cleaning assembly (320) can drive each component of the cleaning assembly (320) based on the driving signal output from the processor (373). The cleaning assembly (320) can control the rotation and movement of the holder that fixes the cleaning pads (322a, 322b) and the water supply to the cleaning pads (322a, 322b) according to the driving signal output from the processor (373). The processor (373) can generate a driving signal that moves the holder that fixes the cleaning pads so that the cleaning pads (322a, 322b) pop out to the outside of the cleaning robot (300). The processor (373) can generate a drive signal to move the holder so that the pop-out cleaning pad pops in.

[0186] The processor (373) can process data acquired by the sensor (330). The processor (373) can process images acquired by the sensor (330) to identify obstacles. The processor (373) can identify obstacles from distance data acquired by the sensor (330). The processor (373) can generate and adjust a driving path using data regarding the location of the cleaning robot (300) acquired by the sensor (330).

[0187] The processor (373) can control the driving assembly (310) and the cleaning assembly (320) based on a control signal received through the communication interface (340). The processor (373) can control the driving assembly (310) so that the cleaning robot (300) moves to a predetermined area, and control the cleaning assembly (320) so that the cleaning robot (300) cleans the predetermined area, based on a user input regarding a predetermined area received through the communication interface (340).

[0188] The processor (373) can control the driving of the first driving wheel (311) and the second driving wheel (312) by driving the first driving motor (122) based on the driving commands of the first driving wheel (311) and the second driving wheel (312) transmitted from the maintenance station (100) received through the communication interface (340). For example, the processor (373) can control the driving of the first driving wheel (311) and the second driving wheel (312) so that the cleaning robot (300) moves backward (e.g., moves in a direction toward the inside of the housing (110) of the maintenance station (100) at the time of the lifting start of the lifting plate (121) of the maintenance station (100) based on the driving commands. The cleaning robot (300) can maintain its position without flowing down in the direction of gravity from the upper surface of the lifting plate (121) of the maintenance station (100) due to a backlash phenomenon occurring in the first driving wheel (311) and the second driving wheel (312) of the cleaning robot (300) and / or the self-weight of the cleaning robot (300) as it moves backward while the inclination of the lifting plate (121) of the maintenance station (100) increases. The processor (373) can control the first driving wheel (311) and the second driving wheel (312) to stop using data detected by the sensor (330) that the third fixed protrusion (127) and the fourth fixed protrusion (128) have been inserted into the third coupling portion (383) and the fourth coupling portion (384). The cleaning robot (300) can be stably fixed to the lifting plate (121) of the maintenance station (100) without falling in the direction of gravity while being lifted upward by the third fixing protrusion (127) and the fourth fixing protrusion (128) to the lifting plate (121) of the maintenance station (100).

[0189] The processor (373) can control the driving assembly (310) and the cleaning assembly (320) based on a control signal received through the input / output interface (350). The processor (373) can control the driving assembly (310) so that the cleaning robot (300) moves to a predetermined area, and control the cleaning assembly (320) so that the cleaning robot (300) cleans the predetermined area, based on a user input regarding a predetermined area input through the input / output interface (350).

[0190] The processor (373) can identify the moisture content of the cleaning pad (322a, 322b) from the load value of the rotation motor that applies rotational force to the cleaning pad (322a, 322b). For example, the processor (373) can identify the moisture content of the cleaning pad (322a, 322b) using data in which the load value of the rotation motor matches the moisture content of the cleaning pad (322a, 322b). The processor (373) can control the water supply motor of the cleaning assembly (320) to supply water to the cleaning pad based on the moisture content of the cleaning pad. The cleaning robot (300) can supply water to the cleaning pad (322a, 322b) based on the result of comparing the load value of the rotation motor according to the moisture content of the cleaning pad (322a, 322b) with the reference load value of the cleaning pad (322a, 322b). The processor (373) can control the water supply motor to supply water to the cleaning pad (322a, 322b) based on the moisture content of the cleaning pad (322a, 322b) obtained while driving.

[0191] The processor (373) can adjust the driving path based on the amount of water supplied to the cleaning pads (322a, 322b) while the driving robot (300) is driving. The processor (373) can adjust the driving path so that the area in which the driving robot (300) has driven is re-cleaned while the driving robot (300) is supplying water to the cleaning pads (322a, 322b).

[0192] FIG. 17 is a bottom view of a cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0193] Referring to FIG. 17, the cleaning robot (300) may include a main body (301), a first coupling portion (381), a second coupling portion (382), a third coupling portion (383), and a fourth coupling portion (384) provided on a bottom surface (303) of the main body (301). When the cleaning robot (300) docks to the maintenance station (100), a first fixing protrusion (125) and a second fixing protrusion (126) provided on the lifting plate (121) may be inserted into the first coupling portion (381) and the second coupling portion (382), respectively. While the lifting plate (121) moves from the first position to the second position, a third fixing protrusion (127) and a fourth fixing protrusion (128) provided on the lifting plate (121) may be inserted into the third coupling portion (383) and the fourth coupling portion (384), respectively.

[0194] The first coupling portion (381) and the second coupling portion (382) may be arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line of the main body (301) (e.g., a line parallel to the X-axis in FIG. 15). The first coupling portion (381) and the second coupling portion (382) may be opened toward the rear (300b) side of the cleaning robot (300) so that the first fixing protrusion (125) and the second fixing protrusion (126) of the lifting plate (121) can be inserted when the cleaning robot (300) moves backward and docks with the maintenance station (100).

[0195] The third coupling portion (383) and the fourth coupling portion (384) may be arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line of the main body (301). The third coupling portion (383) and the fourth coupling portion (384) may be arranged further from the rear portion (300b) of the main body (301) than the first coupling portion (381) and the second coupling portion (382). The third coupling portion (383) and the fourth coupling portion (384) may be formed in the form of holes of a predetermined width on the bottom surface (303) of the main body (301) so that the third fixing protrusion (127) and the fourth fixing protrusion (128) of a pin shape are inserted therein, respectively.

[0196] The cleaning robot (300) may include a first driving wheel (311), a second driving wheel (312), a caster (315), a cleaning pad (322a, 322b), an exhaust port (361), a shutter (362), a dust bin (360), a cleaning brush (375), and a side brush (377).

[0197] The first driving wheel (311) and the second driving wheel (312) may be provided symmetrically on both sides of the bottom surface (303) of the main body (301). The first driving wheel (311) may be arranged further from the rear (300b) of the cleaning robot (300) than the first coupling portion (381) and adjacent to the third coupling portion (383). In this case, the first driving wheel (311) may be arranged closer to the center of the main body (301) than the third coupling portion (383). The second driving wheel (312) may be arranged farther from the rear (300b) of the cleaning robot (300) than the second coupling portion (382) and adjacent to the fourth coupling portion (384). In this case, the second driving wheel (312) may be arranged closer to the center of the main body (301) than the fourth coupling portion (384).

[0198] The caster (315) is configured to assist the driving of the cleaning robot (300) together with the first driving wheel (311) and the second driving wheel (312). The caster (315) is installed at the front of the bottom surface (303) of the main body (301) and can rotate to change its angle depending on the condition of the floor surface on which the cleaning robot (300) moves.

[0199] Cleaning pads (322a, 322b) may be provided symmetrically on the left and right sides of the bottom surface (303) of the cleaning robot (300) with respect to the center line of the main body (301). The cleaning pads (322a, 322b) may be detachably coupled to the pad rotation device (321) of the cleaning robot (300) so that they can be replaced. The cleaning pads (322a, 322b) may be placed between the first coupling portion (381) and the second coupling portion (382).

[0200] An exhaust port (361) may be provided between the cleaning pads (322a, 322b) and the cleaning brush (375). The exhaust port (361) may correspond to the dust suction nozzle (163) when the cleaning robot (300) is placed in the storage space (111) of the housing (110). A shutter (362) may be rotatably placed on the inside of the main body (301) to open and close the exhaust port (361). The shutter (362) may be rotated by the dust suction nozzle (163) of the maintenance station (100) inserted into the exhaust port (361) to open the exhaust port (361).

[0201] The dust bin (360) can be detachably connected to the mounting groove provided on the bottom surface (303) of the main body (301). The dust bin (360) can store dust collected from the floor by the cleaning brush (375). The dust bin (360) can be connected to the exhaust port (361) inside the dust main body (301) so that the stored dust can be sucked into the dust collection bin (165) of the maintenance station (100).

[0202] A cleaning brush (375) may be rotatably provided on the bottom surface (303) of the main body (301) to collect dust from the ground. The cleaning brush (375) rotates by receiving driving force from a power source (e.g., a motor) disposed inside the main body (301). The cleaning brush (375) may be detachably coupled to the bottom surface (303) of the main body (301) for maintenance.

[0203] The side brush (377) can be rotatably positioned on one side of the bottom surface (303) of the main body (301). The side brush (377) can rotate by receiving driving force from another power source (e.g., a motor) placed inside the main body (301). The end of the side brush (377) can protrude beyond the outer edge of the main body (301) so as to remove dust accumulated in a corner area, which is the boundary between the floor and the wall.

[0204] Hereinafter, a process of storing a cleaning robot in a maintenance station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. For convenience of explanation, the processor (197) of the maintenance station (100) will be referred to as a second processor (197), and the processor (373) of the cleaning robot (300) will be referred to as a first processor (373).

[0205] FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating a process of storing a cleaning robot in a maintenance station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0206] The cleaning robot (300) that has completed cleaning returns to the maintenance station (100). The first processor (373) controls the driving assembly (310) to move to the front of the maintenance station (100) based on a map stored in advance in the memory (371).

[0207] When the cleaning robot (300) arrives at the front of the maintenance station (100), the first processor (373) controls the driving assembly (310) so that the rear (300b) of the cleaning robot (300) faces the front of the maintenance station (100) to move the cleaning robot (300) backward to the docking position of the maintenance station (100) (see FIG. 1).

[0208] FIG. 19 is a drawing showing an example of a cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure riding on a lifting plate at a first position. FIG. 20 is a drawing showing an example of a first fixing protrusion of a lifting plate being inserted into a first connecting portion of a cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0209] Referring to FIG. 19, the first processor (373) can control the driving assembly (310) to move the cleaning robot (300) backward so that it climbs onto the lifting plate (121) of the maintenance station (100) and moves to a docking position (1801 of FIG. 18). Although the docking of the cleaning robot (300) is described as being controlled by the first processor (373), it is not limited thereto. For example, the second processor (197) can transmit a driving signal to the communication interface (340) of the cleaning robot (300) through the communication interface (180) of the maintenance station (100). The first processor (373) can control the cleaning robot (300) to dock backward with the maintenance station (100) based on the driving signal of the second processor (197).

[0210] The cleaning pads (322a, 322b) of the cleaning robot (300) positioned at the docking position may be positioned on the pad cleaning stand (145a). The second processor (197) may control the pad cleaning assembly (140) to selectively clean the cleaning pads (322a, 322b) of the cleaning robot (300) before lifting the cleaning robot (300). For example, the second processor (197) may generate a driving signal for controlling the pad cleaning assembly (140) and output the driving signal to the pad cleaning assembly (140). The pad cleaning assembly (140) may control the water pump (143) and the steam device (145) based on the driving signal output from the processor (197) to spray steam through a plurality of steam spray nozzles (146, 147). The second processor (197) can transmit a driving signal to the first processor (373) through the communication interface (180). The first processor (373) can control the pad rotation device (321) of the cleaning robot (300) to rotate the cleaning pad (322a, 322b).

[0211] The pad cleaning assembly (140) may be configured to clean a cleaning pad (322a, 322b) coupled to the bottom (303) of a cleaning robot (300) docked to a maintenance station (100). The pad cleaning assembly (140) may be configured to spray steam when the cleaning robot (300) is in the first position.

[0212] Referring to FIG. 20, while the cleaning robot (300) moves to a docking position after entering the lifting plate (121), the first fixing protrusion (125) of the lifting plate (121) can be inserted into the first coupling portion (381) of the cleaning robot (300). At the same time, the second fixing protrusion (126) of the lifting plate (121) can be inserted into the second coupling portion (382) of the cleaning robot (300).

[0213] The second processor (197) can generate a driving signal for controlling the lifting assembly (120) and output the driving signal to the lifting assembly (120). Based on the driving signal output from the second processor (197), the lifting assembly (120) can drive the first driving motor (122) to lift the lifting plate (121) from the first position to the second position through the first lifting arm (123) and the second lifting arm (124) (1802 of FIG. 18).

[0214] As the inclination of the lifting plate (121) increases, the cleaning robot (300) may deviate from the engaging position due to the backlash phenomenon occurring in the first driving wheel (311) and the second driving wheel (312) and the self-weight of the cleaning robot (300). Here, the engaging position may mean a position where the third engaging portion (383) and the fourth engaging portion (384) of the cleaning robot (300) correspond to the third fixing protrusion (127) and the fourth fixing protrusion (128) provided on the lifting plate (121). The second processor (197) may control the driving assembly (310) of the cleaning robot (300) to move backward so that the cleaning robot (300) does not deviate from the engaging position while the lifting plate (121) is raised (1803 of FIG. 18).

[0215] The cleaning robot (300) can maintain its position without going beyond one end (121a) of the lifting plate (121) due to the gradually increasing inclination of the lifting plate (121). For example, the first driving wheel (311) and the second driving wheel (312) can rotate without leaving the first wheel receiving groove (121f) and the second wheel receiving groove (121g).

[0216] FIG. 21 is a drawing showing an example of detecting a third fixing protrusion of a lifting plate inserted into a third connecting portion of a cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0217] Referring to Fig. 21, as one end (121a) of the lifting plate (121) rises, the other end (137b) of the first lever (137) is spaced apart from the inner surface (131a) of the door (131). When the first lever (137) supporting the third fixed protrusion (127) rotates (e.g., rotates counterclockwise around the Y-axis of Fig. 21), the third fixed protrusion (127) can be inserted into the third connecting portion (383) of the cleaning robot (300). The fixed protrusion detection sensor (335) of the cleaning robot (300) can obtain detection data of the third fixed protrusion (127) inserted into the third connecting portion (383) of the cleaning robot (300) (1804 of Fig. 18).

[0218] The first processor (373) controls the driving assembly (310) of the cleaning robot (300) to stop the cleaning robot (300) from moving backward based on the detection data of the fixed protrusion detection sensor (335) (1805 of FIG. 18). The first processor (373) can transmit the detection data of the fixed protrusion detection sensor (335) to the second processor (197).

[0219] If detection data of the third fixed protrusion (127) is not acquired by the fixed protrusion detection sensor (335) within a preset time (e.g., 1 second to 3 seconds) after the lifting plate (121) is raised, the first processor (373) may transmit a detection failure signal to the second processor (197).

[0220] The second processor (197) controls the lifting assembly (120) to stop lifting the lifting plate (121) based on the detection failure signal (1806 of FIG. 18). The second processor (197) can control the lifting assembly (120) to return the lifting plate (121) to its original position, i.e., the first position (1807 of FIG. 18).

[0221] In this case, the cleaning robot (300) may slip out of the docking position by its own weight from the lifting plate (121). The second processor (197) and the first processor (373) may repeat steps 1801, 1802, 1803, and 1804 of FIG. 18 described above.

[0222] FIG. 22 is a drawing showing an example of lifting a cleaning robot while being guided by a door assembly of a maintenance station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0223] Referring to FIG. 22, when the first, second, third and fourth fixing protrusions (125, 126, 127, 128) of the lifting plate (121) are respectively coupled to the first, second, third and fourth coupling portions (381, 382, ​​383, 384) of the cleaning robot (300), the second processor (197) can control the lifting assembly (120) to continuously lift the lifting plate (121) to a preset second position.

[0224] The first drive motor (122) of the lifting assembly (120) can be driven counterclockwise to provide driving force to the drive gear (DG). The drive gear (DG) can transmit the driving force to the first lifting arm (123) and the second lifting arm (124) through the connecting gear (CG). The first lifting arm (123) and the second lifting arm (124) can rotate counterclockwise to lift the lifting plate (121) upward. The first roller (129a) and the second roller (129b) provided on both sides of the other end (121b) of the lifting plate (121) can move along the upper surfaces of the first guide rail (133) and the second guide rail (134). The lifting plate (121) may gradually increase its inclination as it moves to a second position (e.g., a position where the cleaning robot (300) is stored in the storage space (111) of the housing (110).

[0225] The cleaning robot (300) can be restricted from moving away from the lifting plate (121) by the connection between the first and second connecting portions (381, 382) and the first and second fixing protrusions (125, 126) of the lifting plate (121), and the movement of the lifting plate (121) in the left and right directions can be restricted. In addition, the cleaning robot (300) can be restricted from moving in the direction of gravity by the connection between the third and fourth connecting portions (383, 384) and the third and fourth fixing protrusions (127, 128) of the lifting plate (121). Therefore, the cleaning robot (300) can be firmly fixed to the upper surface (121a) of the lifting plate (121) while moving from the first position to the second position.

[0226] FIG. 23 is a drawing showing an example in which a lifting plate of a maintenance station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure transports a cleaning robot to a second position.

[0227] Referring to FIG. 23, the second processor (197) can control the lifting assembly (120) to store the cleaning robot (300) in the storage space (111) of the housing (110) (1808 of FIG. 18).

[0228] FIG. 24 is a drawing showing an example of a door being closed when a lifting plate of a maintenance station according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is in a second position.

[0229] Referring to FIG. 24, the second processor (197) controls the door assembly (130) to close the storage space (111) of the housing (110) (1809 of FIG. 18). The second processor (197) can generate a driving signal for controlling the door assembly (130) and output the driving signal to the door assembly (130). Based on the driving signal output from the second processor (197), the door assembly (130) can drive the second driving motor (132) to move the door (131) to a position where the storage space (111) of the housing (110) is closed.

[0230] While the door (131) closes the storage space (111) of the housing (110), the locker (135) can be linked to the rotation of the door (131). The adapter (136) that rotates together with the door (131) can transmit the rotational force of the door (131) to the locker (135). The locker (135) can be moved linearly toward the driving gear (DG) by the adapter (136). The fixing protrusion (135a) of the locker (135) can be connected to the driving gear (DG) in a gear-connected state. Accordingly, the lifting plate (121) can maintain the second position without descending (e.g., moving to the first position) even when the power of the maintenance station (100) is turned off. The maintenance station (100) does not need to be equipped with a separate electric drive source to drive the locker (135).

[0231] FIG. 25 is a drawing showing an example of a cleaning robot being stored in a storage space of a maintenance station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 26 is a drawing showing an example of a cleaning robot being stored in a storage position together with a lifting plate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0232] Referring to FIGS. 25 and 26, the cleaning robot (300) located in the storage space (111) of the housing (110) may have cleaning pads (322a, 322b) and a shutter (362) exposed to the upper side of the lifting plate (121). The cleaning pads (322a, 322b) may be located at positions corresponding to a plurality of hot air spray nozzles (156, 157) arranged on the wall (112) of the housing (110). The shutter (362) may be located at a position corresponding to the dust suction nozzle (163).

[0233] The second processor (197) can control the pad drying assembly (150) to dry the cleaning pad (322a, 322b) of the cleaning robot (300) while the door (131) closes the storage space (111) of the housing (110), and can control the dust collection assembly (160) to empty the dust bin (360) of the cleaning robot (300).

[0234] The second processor (197) generates a driving signal for controlling the pad drying assembly (150) and outputs the driving signal to the pad drying assembly (150). The pad drying assembly (150) can control the blower fan (151) and the heater (153) to spray hot air toward the cleaning pads (322a, 322b) of the cleaning robot (300) based on the driving signal output from the second processor (197).

[0235] The second processor (197) can generate a driving signal for controlling the dust collection assembly (160) and output the driving signal to the dust collection assembly (160). Based on the driving signal output from the second processor (197), the dust collection assembly (160) can drive the suction motor (161) to suck up dust stored in the dust bin (360) of the cleaning robot (300) into the dust bin (165) provided in the housing (110).

[0236] Additionally, the second processor (197) controls the power supply unit (195) to charge the battery provided in the cleaning robot (300). The cleaning robot (300) can charge the battery while being electrically connected to the first charging terminal (191a) and the second charging terminal (191b) provided in the maintenance station (100).

[0237] A cleaning robot (300) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a first processor (373). Furthermore, a maintenance station (100) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a second processor (197). It should be understood that the first processor (373) and the second processor (197) may be implemented together as one or more processors. The one or more processors may include one or more of a central processing unit (CPU), a many integrated core (MIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), a hardware accelerator, etc. The one or more processors may control one or any combination of other components or perform tasks related to communication or data processing. The one or more processors execute one or more programs stored in a memory.

[0238] Although exemplary embodiments have been illustrated and described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and various modifications may be made by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains without departing from the gist of the present disclosure as claimed in the claims, and such modifications should not be understood individually from the technical idea or prospect of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. In a maintenance station configured to store a cleaning robot, Housing with storage space; A lifting plate that moves the cleaning robot docked to the housing to the storage space of the housing; and Including a door for opening and closing the storage space of the housing; The above lifting plate, A maintenance station comprising a plurality of fixing projections configured to fix the cleaning robot to the lifting plate based on movement of the lifting plate between a first position configured to dock the cleaning robot with the housing and a second position in the storage space of the housing.

2. In paragraph 1, The above multiple fixed projections are, A first fixing projection configured to be inserted into a first coupling portion provided on a first side of the bottom surface of the cleaning robot; A second fixing projection configured to be inserted into a second connecting portion provided on the second side of the bottom surface of the cleaning robot; A third fixing projection adjacent to the first fixing projection and configured to be inserted into a third connecting portion on the bottom surface of the cleaning robot; and A maintenance station, comprising a fourth fixing projection adjacent to the second fixing projection and configured to be inserted into a fourth connecting portion on the bottom surface of the cleaning robot.

3. In paragraph 2, The above first fixed projection is, The cleaning robot is configured to be inserted into the first coupling portion of the cleaning robot in a first direction in which the cleaning robot docks to the maintenance station, The above second fixed protrusion is, A maintenance station configured to be inserted into a second coupling portion of the cleaning robot in the first direction.

4. In paragraph 3, The above first fixed projection is, Including a first head portion configured to interfere with the first coupling portion in a second direction toward the cleaning robot from the lifting plate, The above second fixed protrusion is, A maintenance station comprising a second head portion configured to interfere with the second coupling portion in the second direction.

5. In paragraph 4, The above third fixed protrusion is, It is configured to be inserted into the third joint of the cleaning robot in the second direction, The above fourth fixed protrusion is, A maintenance station configured to be inserted into the fourth coupling portion of the cleaning robot in the second direction.

6. In paragraph 5, The above third fixing protrusion and the above fourth fixing protrusion, The lifting plate is configured to be spaced apart from the bottom of the cleaning robot based on the first position, A maintenance station configured to protrude from the upper surface of the lifting plate and be inserted into the third coupling portion and the fourth coupling portion based on the movement of the lifting plate from the first position to the second position.

7. In paragraph 6, The above lifting plate, A first lever configured to be elastically supported and rotatably connected to the lifting plate and configured to protrude the third fixing projection from the upper surface of the lifting plate and insert it into the third coupling portion or separate it from the third coupling portion; and A maintenance station further comprising a second lever, which is elastically supported and rotatably connected to the lifting plate, and configured to protrude the fourth fixing projection from the upper surface of the lifting plate and insert it into the fourth coupling portion or separate it from the fourth coupling portion.

8. In paragraph 7, The above first lever and the above second lever, Based on the above lifting plate being in the first position, it is configured to press against the inner surface of the door to separate the third fixing protrusion and the fourth fixing protrusion from the bottom surface of the cleaning robot, A maintenance station configured to cause the third fixing projection and the fourth fixing projection to protrude from the upper surface of the lifting plate and be inserted into the third coupling portion and the fourth coupling portion based on the movement of the lifting plate from the first position to the second position.

9. In paragraph 6, A maintenance station, wherein the third fixing protrusion and the fourth fixing protrusion have a pin shape.

10. In paragraph 1, A maintenance station further comprising a locker for unlocking the lifting plate at the first position and locking the lifting plate at the second position in conjunction with the operation of the door opening and closing the storage space.

11. In a cleaning robot configured to be fixed to a lifting plate provided at a maintenance station, entity; A dustbin provided in the above main body; A brush provided in the opening of the above body and configured to sweep dust from the floor into the dust bin; A first driving wheel and a second driving wheel provided on the lower surface of the above body; and A cleaning robot comprising a plurality of coupling parts provided on the lower surface of the main body and configured to prevent the main body from being separated in the direction of gravity and away from the lifting plate of the maintenance station.

12. In paragraph 11, The above multiple connecting parts are, A first coupling portion closer to the rear of the main body than the first driving wheel; A second connecting member closer to the rear of the main body than the second driving wheel; a third joint adjacent to the first joint; and A cleaning robot, comprising a fourth coupling part adjacent to the second coupling part.

13. In paragraph 12, The above first connecting part is, A first fixing projection provided on the lifting plate of the maintenance station is inserted in a first direction in which the above main body docks to the maintenance station, A first guide rib including a first guide groove configured to guide the first fixing protrusion in the first direction, The above second connecting part, A second fixing projection provided on the lifting plate of the maintenance station is inserted in the first direction, A cleaning robot comprising a second guide rib including a second guide groove configured to guide the second fixed protrusion in the first direction.

14. In paragraph 13, The third connecting portion is inserted into the third fixing projection provided on the lifting plate of the maintenance station in the second direction toward the bottom surface of the main body from the lifting plate, A cleaning robot, wherein the fourth connecting part is inserted into the fourth fixing projection provided on the lifting plate of the maintenance station in the second direction.

15. A cleaning robot including a first driving wheel and a second driving wheel, a first coupling part, a second coupling part, a third coupling part and a fourth coupling part, and a first processor for controlling driving of the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel; and A maintenance station including a housing having a storage space, a lifting plate including a first fixing projection, a second fixing projection, a third fixing projection, and a fourth fixing projection, a door for opening and closing the storage space of the housing, and a second processor for controlling the operation of the lifting plate; The first fixing projection, the second fixing projection, the third fixing projection, and the fourth fixing projection are respectively coupled to the first coupling portion, the second coupling portion, the third coupling portion, and the fourth coupling portion to prevent the cleaning robot from being separated from the lifting plate and in the direction of gravity. The second processor, Controlling the lifting plate to move between a first position where the cleaning robot docks to the housing and a second position where the cleaning robot is stored in the storage space of the housing; Based on the lifting plate being in the first position, the first fixing projection and the first coupling portion are coupled, and the second fixing projection and the second coupling portion are coupled, A cleaning system, wherein the third fixing projection and the third coupling portion are coupled and the fourth fixing projection and the fourth coupling portion are coupled respectively based on the movement of the lifting plate from the first position to the second position.

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