Cleaner station and method of controlling the same

Abstract

A cleaner station and a method of controlling the same are provided, the method including: a dust bin fixing step of holding and fixing, by a fixing member of the cleaner station, a dust bin of a cleaner when the cleaner is coupled to the cleaner station; a door opening step of opening a door of the cleaner station when the dust bin is fixed; a cover opening step of opening a discharge cover configured to open or close the dust bin when the door is opened; and a dust collecting step of collecting dust in the dust bin by operating a dust collecting motor of the cleaner station when the discharge cover is opened such that a dust passing hole is opened by detecting coupling of the cleaner without a user's separate manipulation and the dust in the dust bin is removed by operation of the dust collecting motor.

1 . A cleaner station comprising:
 an outer wall surface formed to extend in a gravitational direction;   a coupling recess provided on the outer wall surface and including a dust bin guide surface configured to be coupled to an outer surface of a dust bin of a cleaner, the dust bin being configured to receive debris and including a dust bin main body, a discharge cover configured selectively open the main body, and a coupling lever configured to selectively fix the discharge cover to the dust bin main body or release the discharge cover from the dust bin main body;   a dust passage hole that communicates with an inner space of the dust bin when the dust bin is received in the coupling recess and the discharge cover is released from the dust bin main body, the dust passage hole extending along a direction crossing the gravitational direction;   a dust collecting motor that generates a suction force that causes debris in the dust bin to be discharged through the dust passage hole;   a dust collecting bin that collects debris flowing from the dust bin of the cleaner and through the dust passage hole based on the suction force of the dust collecting motor; and   a cover opener configured to open the discharge cover,   wherein the cover opener includes:
 a push protrusion configured to press the coupling lever to open the discharge cover from the dust bin main body so that the dust passage hole communicates with the inner space of the dust bin when the discharge cover is opened; and 
 a cover opening motor that moves the push protrusion; 
   wherein the push protrusion is externally exposed through a protrusion moving hole formed on the dust bin guide surface, and is linearly moved reciprocally along a direction crossing the gravitational direction by the cover opening motor such that the push protrusion presses the coupling lever in the direction crossing the gravitational direction.   
     
     
         2 . The cleaner station of  claim 1 , further comprising a controller that activates the dust collecting motor after the discharge cover of the dust bin is opened. 
     
     
         3 . The cleaner station of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the coupling recess further includes:
 a coupling surface provided at a predetermined angle with respect to a ground surface supporting the cleaner station, 
   wherein the dust bin guide surface is connected to the coupling surface and is formed in a shape corresponding to the outer surface of the dust bin, and an extension direction of the coupling surface is perpendicular to an extension direction of the dust bin guide surface.   
     
     
         4 . The cleaner station of  claim 3 , wherein the outer wall surface includes:
 a first outer wall surface forming a front surface of the cleaner station;   a second outer wall surface forming a rear surface of the cleaner station and provided to face the first outer wall surface;   a third outer wall surface connecting the first outer wall surface and the second outer wall surface; and   a fourth outer wall surface provided at a position facing the third outer wall surface.   
     
     
         5 . The cleaner station of  claim 4 , wherein the dust bin guide surface extends inward from the first outer wall surface and toward the coupling surface to contact the outer surface of the dust bin. 
     
     
         6 . The cleaner station of  claim 4 , wherein the dust bin guide surface is recessed toward an inside of the cleaner station from the first outer wall surface and extends toward the coupling surface. 
     
     
         7 . The cleaner station of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a flow path connecting the through the dust passage hole and the dust collecting bin,   wherein the flow path is formed backward along the direction crossing the gravitational direction from the dust passage hole and then extending downward toward the dust collecting bin.   
     
     
         8 . The cleaner station of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the cleaner further comprises:
 a suction motor configured to generate a suction force to suck debris; and 
 a suction port having a flow path through which debris is sucked into the dust bin, 
   wherein a longitudinal direction of the suction port is parallel to a longitudinal direction of the cleaner station when the dust bin is coupled to the coupling recess.   
     
     
         9 . The cleaner station of  claim 8 , wherein the dust bin of the cleaner is formed along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the suction port. 
     
     
         10 . The cleaner station of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the discharge cover is rotated around a hinge provided on an opposite side of the coupling lever in the dust container body, and   wherein the hinge of the dust bin is provided above the coupling lever when the dust bin is coupled to the coupling recess.   
     
     
         11 . The cleaner station of  claim 2 , wherein the controller determines that discharge cover of the dust bin is opened when the cover opening motor positions the push protrusion to contact the coupling lever. 
     
     
         12 . The cleaner station of  claim 2 , wherein the controller activates the dust collecting motor further based on determining that the cleaner is coupled to the coupling recess. 
     
     
         13 . The cleaner station of  claim 12 , further comprising a fixing unit including at least one fixing member having a sealing surface configured to engage the outer surface of the dust bin when the cleaner is received in the coupling recess, and a fixing part motor provides a force to move the at least one fixing member to engage the outer surface of the dust bin,
 wherein the controller determines that the cleaner is coupled to the coupling recess when the fixing part motor moves the at least one fixing member to engage the outer surface of the dust bin.   
     
     
         14 . The cleaner station of  claim 13 , wherein the fixing unit further includes at least one fixing part gear coupled to the fixing part motor, and at least one fixing part link coupled to the at least one fixing part gear and the at least one fixing member and configured to rotate the fixing member based on rotation of the at least one fixing part gear. 
     
     
         15 . The cleaner station of  claim 2 , wherein the cleaner further includes a dust bin compression lever that is configured to move to compress debris in the dust bin, and wherein the controller activates the dust collecting motor further based on determining that the dust bin compression lever has moved to compress debris in the dust bin. 
     
     
         16 . The cleaner station of  claim 15 , further comprising a lever pulling unit configured to move the dust bin compression lever of the cleaner, the lever pulling unit including an arm configured to contact the dust bin compression lever, and a motor configured to move the arm to move the dust bin compression lever,
 wherein the controller determines that the dust bin compression lever has moved to compress debris in the dust bin based on activation of the motor of the lever pulling unit.   
     
     
         17 . The cleaner station of  claim 2 , wherein the cover opener includes a sensor that detects a position of the push protrusion, and
 wherein the controller activates the dust collecting motor further based on determining that the push protrusion is positioned to contact the coupling lever.   
     
     
         18 . The cleaner station of  claim 2 , wherein the controller deactivates the dust collecting motor based on determining that the dust bin is empty or that the discharge cover of the dust bin is closed. 
     
     
         19 . A cleaner station comprising:
 a housing;   a coupling recess provided on the housing and configured to be coupled to an outer surface of a dust bin of a cleaner;   a dust passage hole that communicates with an inner space of the dust bin when the dust bin is received in the coupling recess and a cover of the dust bin is opened;   a dust collecting motor that generates a suction force that causes debris in the dust bin to be discharged through the dust passage hole;   a dust collecting bin that is provided below the coupling recess and collects debris flowing from the dust bin of the cleaner and through the dust passage hole based on the suction force of the dust collecting motor;   a push protrusion configured to move based on force received from an opener motor to open the cover of the dust bin; and   a controller that activates the dust collecting motor after the cover of the dust bin is opened by the push protrusion.   
     
     
         20 . A cleaner station comprising:
 a housing;   a coupling recess provided on the housing and configured to be coupled to an outer surface of a dust bin of a cleaner;   a dust passage hole that communicates with an inner space of the dust bin when the dust bin is opened;   a dust collecting motor that generates a suction force that causes debris in the dust bin to be discharged through the dust passage hole;   a dust collecting bin that collects debris flowing from the dust bin of the cleaner and through the dust passage hole based on the suction force of the dust collecting motor;   a cover opening motor that opens the dust bin; and   a controller that activates the cover opening motor after the cleaner is received in the coupling recess and activates that dust collecting motor after the dust bin is opened.