Cleaning robot, maintenance station and cleaning system having them

Abstract

A cleaning system includes a cleaning robot including first and second driving wheels, a first coupling portion, a second coupling portion, a third coupling portion, and a fourth coupling portion, and a first processor configured to control a driving of the first and second driving wheels, and a maintenance station including a housing in which a storage space is provided, a lifting plate including a first fixing projection, a second fixing projection, a third fixing projection, and a fourth fixing projection, a door configured to open or close the storage space of the housing, and a second processor configured to control a driving of the lifting plate. The first fixing projection, the second fixing projection, the third fixing projection, and the fourth fixing projection are coupled to the first coupling portion, the second coupling portion, the third coupling portion, and the fourth coupling portions, respectively.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A maintenance station configured to store a cleaning robot, comprising:
 a housing in which a storage space is provided;   a lifting plate configured to move the cleaning robot docked with the housing to the storage space of the housing; and   a door configured to open or close the storage space of the housing,   wherein the lifting plate comprises:
 a plurality of fixing projections configured to fix the cleaning robot to the lifting plate based on the lifting plate moving between a first location in which the cleaning robot is configured to dock with the housing and a second location in the storage space of the housing. 
   
     
     
         2 . The maintenance station of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the plurality of fixing projections comprise:
 a first fixing projection configured to insert into a first coupling portion provided on a first side of a bottom surface of the cleaning robot; 
 a second fixing projection configured to insert into a second coupling portion provided on a second side of the bottom surface of the cleaning robot; 
 a third fixing projection adjacent to the first fixing projection and configured to insert into a third coupling portion on the bottom surface of the cleaning robot; and 
 a fourth fixing projection adjacent to the second fixing projection and configured to insert into a fourth coupling portion on the bottom surface of the cleaning robot. 
   
     
     
         3 . The maintenance station of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the first fixing projection is configured to insert into the first coupling portion of the cleaning robot in a first direction in which the cleaning robot is configured to dock with the maintenance station, and   wherein the second fixing projection is configured to insert into the second coupling portion of the cleaning robot in the first direction.   
     
     
         4 . The maintenance station of  claim 3 ,
 wherein the first fixing projection comprises 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   wherein the second fixing projection comprises a second head portion configured to interfere with the second coupling portion in the second direction.   
     
     
         5 . The maintenance station of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the third fixing projection is configured to insert into the third coupling portion of the cleaning robot in the second direction, and   wherein the fourth fixing projection is configured to insert into the fourth coupling portion of the cleaning robot in the second direction.   
     
     
         6 . The maintenance station of  claim 5 ,
 wherein the third fixing projection and the fourth fixing projection are configured to be separated from the bottom surface of the cleaning robot based on the lifting plate being in the first location, and   wherein the third fixing projection and the fourth fixing projection project from a top surface of the lifting plate based on the lifting plate moving from the first location to the second location and are to be inserted into the third coupling portion and the fourth coupling portion.   
     
     
         7 . The maintenance station of  claim 6 ,
 wherein the lifting plate further comprises:
 a first lever rotatably connected to the lifting plate, elastically supported, and configured to project the third fixing projection from the top surface of the lifting plate to be inserted into the third coupling portion or separate the third fixing projection from the third coupling portion; and 
 a second lever rotatably connected to the lifting plate, elastically supported, and configured to project the fourth fixing projection from the top surface of the lifting plate to be inserted into the fourth coupling portion or separate the fourth fixing projection from the fourth coupling portion. 
   
     
     
         8 . The maintenance station of  claim 7 ,
 wherein the first lever and the second lever are configured to be pressurized by an inner side surface of the door based on the lifting plate being in the first location, and separate the third fixing projection and the fourth fixing projection from the bottom surface of the cleaning robot, and   wherein, based on the lifting plate moving from the first location to the second location, the first lever and the second lever are configured to project the third fixing projection and the fourth fixing projection from the top surface of the lifting plate to be inserted into the third coupling portion and the fourth coupling portion.   
     
     
         9 . The maintenance station of  claim 6 ,
 wherein the third fixing projection and the fourth fixing projection have a pin shape.   
     
     
         10 . The maintenance station of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a locker configured to unlock the lifting plate in the first location, and lock the lifting plate in the second location by being interlocked with an operation of the door opening or closing the storage space.   
     
     
         11 . A cleaning robot configured to be fixed to a lifting plate provided in a maintenance station, comprising:
 a body;   a dust bin provided in the body;   a brush provided in an opening of the body and configured to sweep dust into the dust bin;   a first driving wheel and a second driving wheel provided on a bottom surface of the body; and   a plurality of coupling portions provided on the bottom surface of the body, and configured to prevent detachment of the body in a direction away from the lifting plate of the maintenance station and a direction of gravity.   
     
     
         12 . The cleaning robot of  claim 11 ,
 wherein the plurality of coupling portions comprise:
 a first coupling portion more adjacent to a rear part of the body than the first driving wheel; 
 a second coupling portion more adjacent to the rear part of the body than the second driving wheel; 
 a third coupling portion adjacent to the first coupling portion; and 
 a fourth coupling portion adjacent to the second coupling portion. 
   
     
     
         13 . The cleaning robot of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the first coupling portion is configured to couple with a first fixing projection provided on the lifting plate of the maintenance station based on the first fixing projection being inserted in a first direction in which the body docks with the maintenance station,   wherein the first coupling portion comprises:
 a first guide rib comprising a first guide groove configured to guide the first fixing projection in the first direction, 
   wherein the second coupling portion is configured to couple with a second fixing projection provided on the lifting plate of the maintenance station based on the second fixing projection being inserted in the first direction, and   wherein the second coupling portion comprises:
 a second guide rib comprising a second guide groove configured to guide the second fixing projection in the first direction. 
   
     
     
         14 . The cleaning robot of  claim 13 ,
 wherein, the third coupling portion is configured to couple with a third fixing projection provided on the lifting plate of the maintenance station based on the third fixing projection being inserted in a second direction toward the bottom surface of the body from the lifting plate, and   wherein the fourth coupling portion is configured to couple with a fourth fixing projection provided on the lifting plate of the maintenance station based on the fourth fixing projection being inserted in the second direction.   
     
     
         15 . A cleaning system comprising:
 a cleaning robot comprising:
 a first driving wheel and 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 configured to control a driving of the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel; and 
   a maintenance station comprising:
 a housing in which a storage space is provided, 
 a lifting plate comprising a first fixing projection, a second fixing projection, a third fixing projection, and a fourth fixing projection, 
 a door configured to open or close the storage space of the housing, and 
 a second processor configured to control a driving of the lifting plate, 
   wherein the first fixing projection, the second fixing projection, the third fixing projection, and the fourth fixing projection are coupled to the first coupling portion, the second coupling portion, the third coupling portion, and the fourth coupling portion, respectively, and configured to prevent detachment of the cleaning robot in a direction away from the lifting plate and a direction of gravity,   wherein the second processor is configured to:
 control the lifting plate to move between a first location in which the cleaning robot docks with the housing and a second location in which the cleaning robot is stored in the storage space of the housing, 
   wherein, based on the lifting plate being in the first location, the first fixing projection and the first coupling portion are coupled, and the second fixing projection and the second coupling portion are coupled, and   wherein, based on the lifting plate moving from the first location to the second location, the third fixing projection and the third coupling portion are coupled, and the fourth fixing projection and the fourth coupling portion are coupled.   
     
     
         16 . The cleaning system of  claim 15 , wherein the lifting plate further comprises:
 a first driving motor configured to drive the lifting plate to move between the first location and the second location,   wherein the door of the maintenance station further comprises a second driving motor configured to control the door to move to an open state and a closed state, and   wherein the second processor is further configured to control a driving signal of the first driving motor and a driving signal of the second driving motor.   
     
     
         17 . The cleaning system of  claim 15 , wherein, in a state in which the cleaning robot is docked with the housing and the lifting plate is in the second location, the second processor is further configured to:
 control the maintenance station to perform at least one of a pad drying operation or a dust collecting operation.   
     
     
         18 . The maintenance station of  claim 1 , wherein the lifting plate further comprises:
 a driving gear defining a rotation axis and configured to transmit a driving force to the lifting plate; and   a first drive motor gear coupled with the driving gear and configured to drive the lifting plate.   
     
     
         19 . The maintenance station of  claim 18 , wherein the lifting plate further comprises:
 a locker coupled to the driving gear and configured to unlock the lifting plate in the first location, and lock the lifting plate in the second location by being interlocked with an operation of the door opening or closing the storage space.