Abstract: There are provided a moving robot and a method of operating the same. A bottom surface is photographed to sense a moving distance and a moving direction based on input image data. The amount of light radiated to photograph the bottom surface is sensed to feedback control the light emission degree of a light source unit. The light source unit is controlled when errors are generated in sensing the image data. Therefore, the sensing ratio of the photographed image is improved so that correctness of calculating the position of the moving robot is improved.

Abstract: Disclosed are a mobile robot and a controlling method thereof. The mobile robot comprises: a case; and a sensor unit having two or more sending portions and two or more receiving portions arranged on an outer surface of the case separately and alternately. The plurality of sending portions and receiving portions are arranged in an alternating manner, thereby having a directivity. Also, since signals received through the receiving portions are judged based on a reference value, an area unallowable to be detected for an obstacle sensing is minimized, which allows an obstacle to be detected more accurately. When the obstacle corresponds to a side wall on the basis of a moving path of the mobile robot, a distance between the side wall and the mobile robot is calculated based on signals received by the receiving portion closest to the side wall. Accordingly, the mobile robot can move with maintaining a constant distance from the side wall.

Abstract: A robot includes a second bumper that senses an obstacle having such a height that can be passed over. Thus, the robot can pass over the obstacle without avoiding it.

Abstract: A moving object capable of recognizing an image and a system for directing the moving object are disclosed. The system for directing the moving object includes: a charging device on which a docking direction pattern is printed, such that a central point of the docking direction pattern for directing the moving object to a docking location and a power-supply terminal are arranged in a straight line; and a moving object for driving wheel operations to allow the central point of the docking direction pattern captured by a camera to be identical with a central point of an image captured by the camera, and moving to the docking location. The moving-object directing system drives a wheel to track a central point of the docking direction pattern captured by a camera, such that it can quickly and correctly move to the docking location of the charging device.

Abstract: Disclosed are a mobile robot and a controlling method thereof. The mobile robot comprises: a case; and a sensor unit having two or more sending portions and two or more receiving portions arranged on an outer surface of the case separately and alternately. The plurality of sending portions and receiving portions are arranged in an alternating manner, thereby having a directivity. Also, since signals received through the receiving portions are judged based on a reference value, an area unallowable to be detected for an obstacle sensing is minimized, which allows an obstacle to be detected more accurately. When the obstacle corresponds to a side wall on the basis of a moving path of the mobile robot, a distance between the side wall and the mobile robot is calculated based on signals received by the receiving portion closest to the side wall. Accordingly, the mobile robot can move with maintaining a constant distance from the side wall.

Abstract: There are provided a moving robot and a method of operating the same. A bottom surface is photographed to sense a moving distance and a moving direction based on input image data. The amount of light radiated to photograph the bottom surface is sensed to feedback control the light emission degree of a light source unit. The light source unit is controlled when errors are generated in sensing the image data. Therefore, the sensing ratio of the photographed image is improved so that correctness of calculating the position of the moving robot is improved.

Abstract: A cleaner includes a body provided with a dust collecting container for storing dust, a fan motor installed at the body and generating a suction force; a vacuum cleaning head disposed at a lower side of the body, into which dust is sucked when the cleaner performs vacuum cleaning. A water cleaning head is mounted at the vacuum cleaning head, for spraying cleaning water onto a region to be cleaned, sucking contaminated water after completing water cleaning, and storing the sucked contaminated water, when water cleaning. By implementing both a vacuum cleaning function for sucking dust and a water cleaning function in one cleaner, a cleaner capable of reducing the cost and, increasing convenience of use is provided.

Abstract: A cleaner includes: a body provided with a dust collecting container for storing dust; a fan motor installed at the body and generating a suction force; a vacuum cleaning head disposed at a lower side of the body, for sucking dust when vacuum cleaning; and a water cleaning head mounted at the vacuum cleaning head, and provided with a suction head through which contaminated water is sucked when water cleaning and a water collecting container for storing contaminated water sucked through the suction head. As a suction nozzle for sucking contaminated water and a water collecting container for storing the contaminated water sucked through the suction nozzle are integrally formed and installed at a suction head, a cleaner capable of reducing the number of parts and a production cost, and employing a small capacity fan motor is provided.

Abstract: A complex type cleaner is provided. The complex type cleaner includes a body having either a dust collecting container that stores dust or a water collecting container that stores contaminated water, a fan motor installed in the body that generates a suction force, a suction head arranged at a lower side of the body, that sucks dust at a time of performing a vacuum cleaning operation, a water tank mounted adjacent the suction head, that stores cleaning water to be sprayed onto a region to be cleaned at a time of performing a water cleaning operation, and a suction nozzle integrally formed with the water tank, that sucks water contaminated after completing the water cleaning operation. The complex type cleaner so configured reduces a number of components, reduces a fabrication cost, and has a large capacity water tank.

Abstract: A filter device for a vacuum cleaner includes a casing having a collecting space therein, a suction opening through which air including dust is sucked, formed eccentrically at one side so that sucked air can be rotated and a discharge opening through which purified air is discharged. A filter is installed at an internal space of the casing, for filtering dust from air sucked through the suction opening. A filter cleaning unit is disposed at an outer circumferential surface of the filter, for cleaning the filter by being rotated by a rotation force of air sucked through the suction opening. A rotation restrainer is provided for restraining rotation of the filter cleaning unit when the filter cleaning unit reaches a topmost position. Accordingly, fine dust attached to the filter in cleaning is removed so that a channel of the filter can be prevented from being closed.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a discharge valve for a compressor. The discharge valve comprises a valve plate for opening or closing a discharge port, a valve spring positioned downstream from the valve plate and adapted to provide elasticity to the valve plate, and a retainer positioned downstream from the valve spring and adapted to limit a maximum displacement of both the valve plate and the valve spring. The valve spring has a fluid-passage hole for the passage of fluid discharged from the discharge port. With such a configuration, the discharge valve can not only reduce flow loss and overshooting loss of the fluid, but also minimize backflow of the discharged fluid, resulting in an improvement in performance of the compressor.

Abstract: Disclosed is a cooling fan including a fan rotated by a motor, for forcibly circulating the air, and a fan housing having a through hole with a predetermined inside diameter so that the fan can be mounted thereon. A curvature radius of the end of the inner circumference of the through hole sucking the air is smaller than a curvature radius of the end of the inner circumference of the through hole discharging the air. As a result, the cooling fan can minimize noises in the operation.

Abstract: A complex type cleaner includes: a cleaner body having at least one of a dust collecting container for storing dust or foreign materials and a water collecting container for storing contaminated water; and a suction head having a dust suction opening disposed at a lower portion of the cleaner body and sucking dust when the cleaner performs a vacuum cleaning and a suction head having a suction nozzle for sucking contaminated water when the cleaner performs a water cleaning. By implementing both vacuum cleaning function for sucking dust and water cleaning function in one cleaner, a cost can be reduced, users' convenience can be improved, and the cleaner can be conveniently kept in storage.

Abstract: A centrifugal fan, in which an expansion angle of a radius of curvature of the outer periphery of a scroll housing from a position angle of a cutoff portion, serving as a suction portion, to a designated portion from the former in the direction of air flow is gradually decreased; and an expansion angle of the radius of curvature of the outer periphery of the scroll housing from the above designated portion to a discharge portion is gradually increased, thereby easily converting the velocity of the discharged fluid to pressure due to the increased dimensions of the discharge region and increasing the flow rate. Further, since noise generated from a cutoff portion of the centrifugal fan of the present invention maintains the same level as that of the conventional centrifugal fan, the centrifugal fan of the present invention has reduced noise at the same flow rate.

Abstract: A cleaner includes a suction motor mounted in a cleaner main body, and generating a suction force; a filter for collecting dust or filth sucked by the suction force generated at the suction motor; a suction head connected with the filter by a suction tube, and sucking dust and filth on a floor; a brush installed in the suction head so as to ascend/descend in a vertical direction, and sweeping dust and foreign substances into the suction head; and a brush height control apparatus installed in the suction head, and making the brush ascend/descend in a vertical direction. The cleaner having a brush height control apparatus can prevent deterioration of a suction force and improving cleaning performance by constantly maintaining a gap between the suction head and the floor.

Abstract: A complex type cleaner comprises: a body; a suction head arranged at a lower side of the body, for sucking dust at the time of performing a vacuum cleaning and sucking dirty water at the time of performing a water cleaning; a suction fan for generating a suction force so that dust and dirty water can be sucked into the suction head; a reservoir detachably mounted at the body and storing dust or dirty water; and a valve assembly for converting a cleaning mode into a vacuum cleaning mode or a water cleaning mode by selectively opening and closing passages connected among the suction head, the reservoir, and the suction fan. A vacuum cleaning function for sucking dust and a water cleaning function are implemented at one cleaner, thereby reducing the cost and facilitating the usage and the storage.

Abstract: A suction apparatus of a cleaner includes: a suction motor inserted in a cleaner body and generating a suction force; a filter for collecting dust or filth sucked by a suction force generated for the suction motor; a suction head connected to the filter by a suction pipe and sucking dust and filth on the floor by the suction force generated from the suction motor; and an auxiliary suction unit installed at the opposite side of a side where the suction pipe of the suction head is connected. A cleaning performance is enhanced by compensating a suction force at a portion where the suction force is relatively weak.

Abstract: A cleaner having a brush includes a suction motor mounted in a main body, and generating a suction force; a filter for collecting dust or filth sucked by the suction force generated at the suction motor; a suction head connected with the filter by a suction pipe, and having an inlet through which dust and filth on a floor are sucked; and a brush rotatably mounted at an inside of the suction head. The inlet is partitioned off into a first section and a second section by a belt cover for protecting a belt winding around the brush, and a flow passage unit is formed at the brush so that air can flow between the first and second sections. Accordingly, air can flow smoothly at a portion, which is blocked by the belt cover, and thus cleaning performance can be improved.

Abstract: In a vacuum cleaner, by including a casing having a certain internal space; a suction force generating unit installed in the casing to generate a suction force and discharge sucked air; a head unit combined with the casing to suck impurities on the bottom with air by a suction force of the suction force generating unit or discharge air sucked from the outside; a filter unit for filtering off impurities in air sucked through the head unit or ambient air received from the outside; a flow channel switch connected with the head unit, the filter unit and the suction force generating unit so as to selectively switch a flow channel in order to guide air including impurities sucked through the head unit by the suction force of the suction force generating unit or make ambient air introduced in the flow channel switch flow to the head unit; and plural pipes for providing passages of air flowing in the head unit, the filter unit, the suction force generating unit and the flow channel switch, it is possible to perform n

Abstract: The present invention relates to an over-the-range. The over-the-range including: a cavity having an electronic equipment chamber at one side, and within which cooking is performed; a door for opening and closing a cooking chamber within the cavity; a front grill part disposed at the upper side of the cavity and the upper side of the door, for air circulation; and a guide grill part combined to the front grill part such that the guide grill part can be transferred in the front and rear directions in a drawer type to suck and exhaust polluted air at a periphery of the cavity.