Cleaning Device Including Cleaner and Docking Station and Control Method Thereof

This application is a continuation application is a continuation application, under 35 U.S.C. § 111 (a), of international application No. PCT/KR2024/001424, filed Jan. 30, 2024, which claims priority under 35 U. S. C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0038881, filed Mar. 24, 2023, Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0071939, filed Jun. 2, 2023, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

The present disclosure relates to a cleaning device and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a cleaning device including a cleaner and a docking station, and a control method thereof.

A vacuum cleaner is a device that includes a fan motor configured to generate suction force, so as to draw in foreign substances such as dust along with air using the suction force generated by the fan motor, to separate the foreign substances contained in the drawn air from the air, and then to collect the foreign substances to perform cleaning.

The vacuum cleaner includes a dustbin that collects foreign substances, and users must periodically separate the foreign substances collected in the dustbin from the vacuum cleaner and discharge the collected foreign substances from the dustbin.

The present disclosure is directed to providing a cleaning device including an improved structure to provide convenience to a user, and a control method thereof.

The present disclosure is directed to providing a cleaning device including an improved structure to stably close a dustbin cover, and a control method thereof.

The present disclosure is directed to providing a cleaning device including an improved structure to efficiently perform an operation of closing a dustbin cover, and a control method thereof.

Additional aspects of the disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the disclosure.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a cleaning device may include: a cleaner including: a cleaner suction device configured to generate suction force; a dustbin configured to collect dirt; a dustbin cover configured to open and close the dustbin; and a cleaner controller configured to control an operation of the cleaner suction device; and a docking station, to which the cleaner is coupleable and decoupleable, the docking station configured to collect dirt that is collected in the dustbin based on the cleaner being coupled thereto, the docking station including: a cover closing device configured to close the dustbin cover based on a predetermined cover closing condition involving controlling of the cleaner suction device to generate the suction force. The cleaner controller may be configured to control the operation of the cleaner suction device so that the suction force is generated to draw air into the dustbin based on the cover closing device closing the dustbin cover and the predetermined cover closing condition being met.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a control method of a cleaning device may include: a cleaner coupleable to and decoupleable from a docking station which is configured to collect dirt based on the cleaner being coupled thereto, the control method including: opening a dustbin cover configured to open and close a dustbin of the cleaner configured to collect dirt; discharging dirt from the dustbin based on a predetermined dust discharge condition involving generation of suction force; and controlling a cleaner suction device of the cleaner to generate the suction force to draw air into the dustbin using a cleaner suction device of the cleaner based on the dustbin cover being closed using a cover closing device based on an operation, in which dirt is discharged from the dustbin, being completed and the predetermined dust discharge condition being met.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a cleaning device may include: a cleaner including: a cleaner suction device configured to generate suction force; a dustbin configured to collect dirt; a dustbin cover configured to open and close the dustbin; a cleaner communication circuitry; and a cleaner controller electrically connectable to the cleaner suction device and the cleaner communication circuitry; and a docking station, to which the cleaner is coupleable and decoupleable, the docking station configured to collect dirt in the dustbin based on the cleaner being coupled thereto. The docking station may include: a cover closing device configured to close the dustbin cover; a station communication circuitry configured to communicate with the cleaner communication circuitry; and a station controller configured to control the cover closing device to close the dustbin cover based on a predetermined cover closing condition, and configured to control the station communication circuitry to transmit a cover closing signal, based on the predetermined cover closing condition being met, to the cleaner communication circuitry. The cleaner controller is configured to control the cleaner suction device to generate suction force to draw air into the dustbin based on the cover closing device closing the dustbin cover and the cover closing signal being received through the cleaner communication circuitry.

Embodiments described in the disclosure and configurations shown in the drawings are merely examples of the embodiments of the disclosure, and may be modified in various different ways at the time of filing of the present application to replace the embodiments and drawings of the disclosure.

In addition, the same reference numerals or signs shown in the drawings of the disclosure indicate elements or components performing substantially the same function.

Also, the terms used herein are used to describe the embodiments and are not intended to limit and/or restrict the disclosure. The singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this disclosure, the terms “including”, “having”, and the like are used to specify features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more of the features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, but elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, without departing from the scope of the disclosure, a first element may be termed as a second element, and a second element may be termed as a first element. The term of “and/or” includes a plurality of combinations of relevant items or any one item among a plurality of relevant items.

In the following detailed description, the terms of “upper”, “lower”, and the like may be defined by the drawings, but the shape and the location of the component is not limited by the term.

The terms such as “unit”, “module”, “member” and “block” may be embodied as hardware or software. According to embodiments, a plurality of “unit”, “module”, and “member” may be implemented as a single component or a single “unit”, “module”, “member” and “block” may include a plurality of components

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected” another element, it can be directly or indirectly connected to the other element, wherein the indirect connection includes “connection via a wireless communication network”.

Hereinafter exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

is a perspective view of a cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.is an enlarged view of a portion of a cleaner included in the cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.is a cross-sectional view illustrating a portion of the cleaner included in the cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.is a view illustrating a docking station of the cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.is a cross-sectional view of the cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to, a cleaning deviceaccording to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a cleaner, and a docking stationon which the cleaneris detachably mounted. The cleanermay be coupled to the docking stationby being seating on the docking station.

The cleanermay include a cleaner body, and a dustbinconfigured to collect dirt moved to an inside of the cleaner. The dustbinmay be detachably coupled to the cleaner body.

The cleanermay include a suction nozzleprovided to draw in foreign substances such as dust from a surface to be cleaned by suction force generated by the cleaner body.

The cleanermay include a connecting pipeprovided to connect between the suction nozzleand the cleaner body.

The suction nozzlemay include a suction brush (not shown) and provided to come into contact with the surface to be cleaned so as to draw in air and foreign substances on the surface to be cleaned. The suction nozzlemay be rotatably coupled to the connecting pipe.

The connecting pipemay be formed with a flexible hose having a predetermined rigidity. The connecting pipemay transmit the suction force generated by cleaner suction devices(refer to):andto the suction nozzleand guide the air and foreign substances such as dust drawn through the suction nozzleto the cleaner body. The foreign substances may be drawn through the suction nozzleand moved to the dustbinalong the connecting pipeand collected to the dustbin.

The connecting pipemay be detachably coupled to the cleaner body. The suction nozzlemay be detachably coupled to the connecting pipe.

The cleaner bodymay include the cleaner suction devices(refer to):andconfigured to generate suction force required to draw in foreign substances on the surface to be cleaned.

Particularly, the cleaner suction device of the cleaner bodymay include a first suction fanconfigured to be rotatable to generate suction force on the surface to be cleaned, and a first motorconfigured to provide rotational force to the first suction fan

The first motormay perform a function of converting electromagnetic force into mechanical rotational force. In order to perform the above function, the first motormay include a statorin which a coil is provided, a rotorhaving magnetism and configured to rotate by electromagnetic force, and a rotor shaftto which the rotoris connected and configured to rotate. The first suction fanmay be connected to the rotor shaftof the first motor

In, it is illustrated that the first motoris an inner-rotor type in which the rotoris located on an inner side of the stator, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The first motormay also be provided as an outer-rotor type in which the rotor is located on an outer side of the stator.

The cleanermay include a dust separatorconfigured to separate dust from the drawn air and collect the dust. The dust separatormay be configured to separate foreign substances from the air drawn into the cleaner body.

For example, as illustrated in, the dust separatormay include a cyclone structure configured to separate foreign substances from the drawn air. The cyclone structure of the dust separatormay separate foreign substances by a centrifugal force generated as the drawn air and foreign substances rotate in a flow. In the cyclone structure, an air inlet may be formed to include various structures capable of guiding a rotational flow of air, such as a helical inlet, a tangential inlet, and a guide vane inlet.

However, the dust separator provided in the cleaneraccording to one embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited to the dust separator of the cyclone type, and various types of dust separators may be provided.

The cleaneraccording to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a dustbinconfigured to receive foreign substances drawn from a surface to be cleaned. The dustbinmay be configured to filter out and store dust or dirt from air that is drawn in through the suction nozzle. Particularly, the dustbinmay be provided to collect dirt separated from air, which is drawn in by suction force generated by the cleaner body, by the dust separator.

A dust collection chamber C, in which foreign substances separated from the air are collected, may be formed in the dustbin. That is, foreign substances separated by the dust separatorfrom the air drawn into the cleanermay be collected in the dust collection chamber C. The dust collection chamber C may be defined as an internal space of the dustbin.

The dustbinmay be provided so as to be detachable from the cleaner body.

The cleanermay include a coupling buttonprovided to detachably couple the dustbinto the cleaner body. For example, as illustrated in, the coupling buttonmay be disposed in an upper portion of the dustbin.

The coupling buttonmay be provided to be hooked to one side of the cleaner body. When the coupling buttonis hooked to one side of the cleaner body, the dustbinmay be mounted on the cleaner body.

When a user presses the coupling buttonwhile the dustbinis mounted on the cleaner body, the coupling buttonmay be configured to release the coupling, and accordingly, the dustbinmay be separated from the cleaner body.

However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the dustbinmay be separated from the cleaner bodyin various ways.

The cleaner bodymay include a filter housing. The filter housing may be provided in a substantially donut shape. An exhaust filtermay be received inside the filter housing. There is no limitation on the type of filter of the exhaust filter, and the exhaust filtermay include a HEPA filter. The exhaust filtermay filter out ultrafine dust and the like that are not separated by the dust separatorand are not collected in the dustbin.

The cleaner bodymay include a handleprovided to be held by a user so as to operate the cleaner. The user can move the cleanerto clean by holding the handle.

The cleaner bodymay further include a cleaner manipulator. A user can turn on/off the cleaneror adjust the suction strength by operating a power button provided on the cleaner manipulator.

The cleanermay further include a battery. The batterymay be detachably mounted on the cleaner.

Additionally, the batterymay be electrically connected to a charging terminalprovided in a cleaner holder or the docking station. The batterymay be charged by receiving power from the charging terminalprovided in the docking station.

The cleanermay include a dustbin coverconfigured to open and close the dustbin. The dustbin covermay be provided on one side of the dustbinand configured to open and close the dust collection chamber C.

The dustbin covermay be configured to be rotatable relative to a first dustbinby a cover rotation shaft

The cleanermay include a buttonprovided to open and close the dustbin cover. Particularly, when the buttonis pressed, the dustbin covermay be rotated downward and opened. With the configuration, a user can easily remove dirt inside the dust collection chamber C without separating the dustbinfrom the cleaner body.

A detailed description of the structure or operation of the dustbin coverto open or close the dustbinwill be described later.