Station, cleaning system including station, and cleaning pad replacing method of station

Abstract

A station configured to receive a used pad separated from a robot cleaner and supply a new pad to be coupled to the robot cleaner includes a station body, a pad replacement unit loaded with the used pad separated from the robot cleaner, a pad storage unit including a received pad container configured to store the used pad and a pad supply container configured to store the new pad, and a pad transfer unit arranged in the station body to reciprocate between the pad replacement unit and the pad storage unit, wherein the pad storage unit is configured to change positions of the received pad container and the pad supply container such that the received pad container and the pad supply container are located on a movement path of the pad transfer unit at different times.

1 . A station for use with a robot cleaner, the station comprising:
 a pad replacement unit;   a pad storage unit above the pad replacement unit and including a received pad container and a pad supply container; and   a pad transfer unit, wherein
 the pad replacement unit, the pad storage unit, and the pad transfer unit are configured so that
 the pad transfer unit is movable in a first direction along a movement path from the pad replacement unit to the pad storage unit while supporting a used pad that was detached from the robot cleaner and loaded in the pad replacement unit, so that the used pad is moved by the pad transfer unit to the pad storage unit to be received in the received pad container, and 
 the pad transfer unit is movable in a second direction, opposite the first direction, along the movement path from the pad storage unit to the pad replacement unit while supporting a new pad that was stored in the pad supply container and supplied to the pad transfer unit, so that the new pad is moved by the pad transfer unit to the pad replacement unit to be attached to the robot cleaner, and 
 
 the pad storage unit is configured to move the received pad container and the pad supply container so that the received pad container is located on the movement path when the used pad is to be received in the received pad container, and the pad supply container is located on the movement path when the new pad is to be supplied to the pad transfer unit. 
   
     
     
         2 . The station of  claim 1 , wherein
 the first direction is up along an up/down direction,   the second direction is down along the up/down direction, and   the pad transfer unit includes:
 a pad holder configured to support the used pad when the pad transfer unit moves in the first direction along the movement path and to support the new pad when the pad transfer unit moves in the second direction along the movement path, and 
 a movement module configured to move the pad holder in the first direction and the second direction. 
   
     
     
         3 . The station of  claim 2 , wherein the pad storage unit and the pad transfer unit are configured so that
 the pad storage unit moves the received pad container to be located on the movement path so that, when the pad holder is supporting the used pad and the movement module moves the pad holder in the first direction, the pad holder becomes inserted into the received pad container, and   when the new pad is to be supplied to the pad transfer unit, the movement module moves the pad holder in the first direction in an empty state without supporting the used pad, and the pad storage unit moves the pad supply container to be located on the movement path so that the pad holder moving in the first direction becomes inserted into the pad supply container.   
     
     
         4 . The station of  claim 1 , wherein the pad storage unit is configured to move the received pad container and the pad supply container by rotating the pad supply container and the received pad container to change positions with each other. 
     
     
         5 . The station of  claim 4 , wherein the pad supply container and the received pad container are at a same height when changing positions. 
     
     
         6 . The station of  claim 1 , wherein,
 when the received pad container is located on the movement path, the pad supply container is not located on the movement path, and   when the pad supply container is located on the movement path, the received pad container is not located on the movement path.   
     
     
         7 . The station of  claim 2 , wherein the pad holder has a support posture in which the pad holder supports the used pad or the new pad, and a separation posture in which the pad holder allows separation of the used pad or the new pad from the pad holder. 
     
     
         8 . The station of  claim 7 , wherein the pad holder has the separation posture or the support posture depending on position of the pad holder along the up/down direction. 
     
     
         9 . The station of  claim 8 , wherein the pad holder has the separation posture when located at the pad replacement unit, the pad holder has the support posture when moving from the pad replacement unit toward the received pad container, and the pad holder has the separation posture when located at the received pad container. 
     
     
         10 . The station of  claim 9 , wherein the pad holder includes a plurality of hook members configured to pivot to support the new pad or the used pad in the support posture. 
     
     
         11 . The station of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a first rotation guide unit configured to guide pivoting of the plurality of hook members when the pad holder is located at the pad replacement unit so that the pad holder has the separation posture at the pad replacement unit.   
     
     
         12 . The station of  claim 10 , wherein the received pad container includes a second rotation guide unit configured to guide pivoting of the plurality of hook members when the pad holder is located at the received pad container so that the pad holder has the separation posture at the received pad container. 
     
     
         13 . A cleaning system comprising:
 a robot cleaner;   a pad replacement unit;   a pad storage unit above the pad replacement unit and including a received pad container and a pad supply container; and   a pad transfer unit, wherein
 the robot cleaner, the pad replacement unit, the pad storage unit, and the pad transfer unit are configured so that
 the pad transfer unit is movable in a first direction along a movement path from the pad replacement unit to the pad storage unit while supporting a used pad that was detached from the robot cleaner and loaded in the pad replacement unit, so that the used pad is moved by the pad transfer unit to the pad storage unit to be received in the received pad container, and 
 the pad transfer unit is movable in a second direction, opposite the first direction, along the movement path from the pad storage unit to the pad replacement unit while supporting a new pad that was stored in the pad supply container and supplied to the pad transfer unit, so that the new pad is moved by the pad transfer unit to the pad replacement unit to be attached to the robot cleaner, and 
 
 the pad storage unit is configured to move the received pad container and the pad supply container so that the received pad container is located on the movement path when the used pad is to be received in the received pad container, and the pad supply container is located on the movement path when the new pad is to be supplied to the pad transfer unit. 
   
     
     
         14 . The cleaning system of  claim 13 , wherein
 the first direction is up along an up/down direction,   the second direction is down along the up/down direction,   the pad transfer unit includes:
 a pad holder configured to support the used pad when the pad transfer unit moves in the first direction along the movement path and to support the new pad when the pad transfer unit moves in the second direction along the movement path, and 
 a movement module configured to move the pad holder in the first direction and the second direction, and 
   the pad transfer unit and the pad storage unit are configured so that
 the pad storage unit moves the received pad container to be located on the movement path so that, when the pad holder is supporting the used pad and the movement module moves the pad holder in the first direction, the pad holder becomes inserted into the received pad container, and 
 when the new pad is to be supplied to the pad transfer unit, the movement module moves the pad holder in the first direction in an empty state without supporting the used pad, and the pad storage unit moves the pad supply container to be located on the movement path so that the pad holder moving in the first direction becomes inserted into the pad supply container. 
   
     
     
         15 . A cleaning pad replacement method for a cleaning system that includes a robot cleaner and a station that includes a pad replacement unit, a pad storage unit above the pad replacement unit and including a received pad container and a pad supply container, and a pad transfer unit, the cleaning pad replacement method comprising:
 moving, by the pad storage unit, the received pad container and the pad supply container so that the received pad container is located on a movement path of the pad transfer unit that extends from the pad replacement unit to the pad storage unit and the pad supply container is not located on the movement path;   moving the pad transfer unit in a first direction along the movement path from the pad replacement unit to the pad storage unit while the received pad container is located on the movement path and the pad transfer unit supports a used pad that was detached from the robot cleaner and loaded in the pad replacement unit, so that the used pad is moved by the pad transfer unit to the pad storage unit to be received in the received pad container;   after the used pad is received in the received pad container, moving, by the pad storage unit, the received pad container and the pad supply container so that the pad supply container is located on the movement path and the received pad container is not located on the movement path;   supplying a new pad stored in the pad supply container located on the movement path to the pad transfer unit; and   moving the pad transfer unit in a second direction, opposite the first direction, along the movement path from the pad storage unit to the pad replacement unit while the pad transfer unit supports the new pad supplied to the pad transfer unit, so that the new pad is moved by the pad transfer unit to the pad replacement unit to be attached to the robot cleaner.