Robot cleaner, station, and cleaning apparatus

Abstract

A cleaning apparatus including a robot cleaner including a main body having a lower portion to which a mop is detachably mountable; and a station on which the robot cleaner is placeable, the station including a water storage container configured to store water, a washing chamber configured so that, while the robot cleaner is placed on the station and a mop is mounted to the lower portion of the main body, the mop is washable in the washing chamber, a steam generation device to generate steam using water from the water storage container, a pump configured to pump the water in the water storage container out of the water storage container, a first pipe to guide the water pumped out of the water storage container to the washing chamber, and a second pipe to guide the water pumped out of the water storage container to the steam generation device.

1 . A cleaning apparatus, comprising:
 a robot cleaner including a main body having a lower portion to which a mop is detachably mountable; and   a station on which the robot cleaner is placeable, the station including:
 a water storage container configured to store water, 
 a washing chamber configured so that, while the robot cleaner is placed on the station and a mop is mounted to the lower portion of the main body, the mop is washable in the washing chamber, 
 a steam generation device configured to generate steam using water stored in the water storage container, 
 a pump configured to pump the water stored in the water storage container out of the water storage container, 
 a first pipe configured to guide the water pumped out of the water storage container by the pump to the washing chamber, and 
 a second pipe configured to guide the water pumped out of the water storage container by the pump to the steam generation device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the station includes:
 a valve connected to the first pipe and the second pipe, 
 a third pipe between the pump and the valve, and configured to guide the water pumped out of the water storage container by the pump to the valve, and 
 the valve is configured to:
 direct the water pumped out of the water storage container by the pump from the third pipe to the first pipe, or 
 direct the water pumped out of the water storage container by the pump from the third pipe to the second pipe. 
 
   
     
     
         3 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein
 the valve is a first valve, and   the station includes:
 a fourth pipe configured to, when the robot cleaner is placed on the station, guide the water pumped out of the water storage container by the pump to the robot cleaner, 
 a second valve connected to the third pipe and the fourth pipe, and 
 a fifth pipe connecting the pump and the second valve, and 
 wherein the second valve is configured to:
 direct the water pumped out of the water storage container by the pump from the fifth pipe to the third pipe, or 
 direct the water pumped out of the water storage container by the pump from the fifth pipe to the fourth pipe. 
 
   
     
     
         4 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the station includes:
 a third pipe configured to guide the steam generated by the steam generation device to the washing chamber, and including:
 a first end configured to communicate with the steam generation device, and 
 a second end configured to communicate with the washing chamber. 
 
   
     
     
         5 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein
 the station includes:
 a washing frame that is detachably mountable to the washing chamber, and including a steam discharge opening, 
 wherein the washing frame is configured so that, while the washing frame is mounted to the washing chamber, the robot cleaner is placed on the station, and the mop is mounted to the lower portion of the main body:
 the washing frame is positioned to rub against the mop, and 
 the steam discharge opening is positioned to spray the steam guided to the washing chamber through the third pipe to the mop. 
 
   
     
     
         6 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein
 the second pipe is connected to a lower portion of the steam generation device, and   the third pipe is connected to an upper portion of the steam generation device.   
     
     
         7 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein
 the steam generation device is disposed below the water storage container, and   the third pipe includes a bending portion at a height between the steam generation device and the water storage container.   
     
     
         8 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein
 while the robot cleaner is placed on the station and the mop is mounted to the lower portion of the main body, at least a portion of the steam discharge opening is disposed below a lower surface of the mop.   
     
     
         9 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein
 a size of the second end of the third pipe is greater than a size of the steam discharge opening.   
     
     
         10 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 a bottom of the washing chamber is inclined downward along a direction in which the robot cleaner enters the station.   
     
     
         11 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the station includes:
 a steam container configured to accommodate the water guided by the second pipe, 
 a heater configured to heat the water accommodated in the steam container, 
 a water level sensor configured to detect a water level in the steam container, and 
 a controller configured to operate the heater based on a predetermined water level being detected by the water level sensor. 
   
     
     
         12 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the station includes:
 a steam container configured to accommodate the water guided by the second pipe, 
 a heater configured to heat the water accommodated in the steam container, 
 a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature in the steam container, and 
 a controller configured to stop the heater based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor reaching a predetermined temperature. 
   
     
     
         13 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 while the robot cleaner is placed on the station and the mop is mounted to the lower portion of the main body, the station is configured to, based on an end of a washing operation that washes the mop in the washing chamber, or receipt of a steam operation signal from at least one of the robot cleaner or a user device:
 control the steam generation device to perform a steam generation operation. 
   
     
     
         14 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein
 the station is configured to transmit a steam start signal to the robot cleaner based on a start of the steam generation operation.   
     
     
         15 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein
 the robot cleaner is configured to rotate the mop based on receiving the steam start signal from the station.