JP2004350801A - Cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To effectively utilize water generated in a fuel cell in a cleaner on which the fuel cell is loaded. <P>SOLUTION: In the cleaner 10, the water generated in the fuel cell 14 is discharged from a water drain pipe 36, a brush 34 is driven and the stains of a floor are removed. Also, the water generated in the fuel cell 14 is heated in a humidification unit 20 and discharged as steam. Thus, the inside of a room is humidified. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner equipped with a fuel cell.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, the development of fuel cells has progressed and is being put to practical use as a power source for cordless devices and the like. However, in fuel cells, water is generated as a by-product with power generation, and this water treatment becomes a problem.
[0003]
By the way, the power source is a battery in a cordless cleaner or a self-propelled cleaner as a cordless device (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). The inventor has proposed that a power source of a cordless vacuum cleaner or a robot cleaner is a fuel cell, and water generated by the fuel cell can be effectively used.
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 7-163500 A [Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-241261
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described facts, and an object thereof is to effectively use water generated by a fuel cell in a vacuum cleaner equipped with the fuel cell.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum cleaner is equipped with a fuel cell, and includes a tank that stores water generated by the fuel cell, and a water discharge unit that discharges the water stored in the tank to the outside. It is characterized by having.
[0007]
In the vacuum cleaner according to the first aspect, the water generated by the fuel cell is stored in the tank and discharged from the tank to the outside by the water discharge means. As a result, not only dust on the floor can be sucked but also dirt on the floor and walls can be removed. Thus, by using the water generated by the fuel cell, it is possible to save water for cleaning the floor and walls.
[0008]
The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2 is a vacuum cleaner equipped with a fuel cell, a tank for storing water generated by the fuel cell, and water stored in the tank is vaporized and released to the outside as water vapor. Steam generating means; humidity detecting means for detecting indoor humidity; and humidification control means for operating the steam generating means when the indoor humidity detected by the humidity detecting means is lower than a predetermined value W1. It is characterized by that.
[0009]
In the vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, when the humidity in the room is detected by the humidity detecting means, and the indoor humidity is lower than the predetermined value W1, the steam generating means is operated by the humidification control means. . As a result, the water generated in the fuel cell and stored in the tank is vaporized and released to the outside as water vapor.
[0010]
Therefore, this vacuum cleaner can not only suck up dust on the floor but also humidify the room. Thus, the water for humidifying the room can be saved by using the water generated by the fuel cell.
[0011]
The vacuum cleaner according to claim 3 is a vacuum cleaner equipped with a fuel cell, a tank for storing water generated by the fuel cell, dehumidifying indoor air, and recovering moisture in the air to the tank. Dehumidifying means, humidity detecting means for detecting humidity in the room, and dehumidifying control means for operating the dehumidifying means when the humidity detected by the humidity detecting means is higher than a predetermined value W2. To do.
[0012]
In the vacuum cleaner according to claim 3, when the humidity in the room is detected by the humidity detecting means and the indoor humidity is higher than the predetermined value W2, the dehumidifying means is operated by the dehumidifying control means. As a result, indoor air is dehumidified, and moisture in the air comes out from the dehumidifying means, but since the vacuum cleaner is equipped with a tank that stores the water generated by the fuel cell, the water coming out from the dehumidifying means is not It can be collected in this tank. Therefore, it is not necessary to individually treat the water coming out from the dehumidifying means.
[0013]
A vacuum cleaner according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the vacuum cleaner according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein a water amount detecting means for detecting the amount of water stored in the tank, and the water amount detecting means When it is detected that the amount of water has reached a predetermined amount, water amount control means for stopping power generation of the fuel cell or stopping the dehumidifying means is provided.
[0014]
In the vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, when the amount of water stored in the tank reaches a predetermined amount, for example, when the water amount detecting means detects that the water in the tank is full, the water amount control The power generation of the fuel cell is stopped by the means, or the dehumidifying means is stopped. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the water from overflowing from the tank by sending the water generated in the fuel cell or coming out from the dehumidifying means to the full tank.
[0015]
The vacuum cleaner according to claim 5 is the vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, wherein when the water amount detection means detects that the water amount in the tank has reached a predetermined amount, the water amount control means It has a warning means which is activated and issues a warning.
[0016]
In the vacuum cleaner according to the fifth aspect, when the water amount detecting means detects that the amount of water in the tank has reached a predetermined amount, the warning means is activated by the water amount control means and a warning is issued. Thereby, the user can know that the vacuum cleaner stops.
[0017]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[0018]
As shown in FIG. 1, a self-propelled cleaner (hereinafter referred to as a cleaner) 10 is provided with a fuel cell unit 12 as a power source. The fuel cell unit 12 generates power by a chemical reaction between methanol (CH ₃ OH + H ₂ O) and oxygen (O ₂ ), and generates water (H ₂ O) and carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) as by-products. A methanol direct fuel cell (hereinafter referred to as fuel cell) 14 (see FIG. 3) is provided.
[0019]
Further, the vacuum cleaner 10 includes a vacuum device 16 (see FIG. 2) that sucks floor dust, a water brush 18 that cleans the floor using water generated by the fuel cell 12, and a fuel cell 12. There is provided a humidity control unit 20 that adjusts the humidity of the room using water.
[0020]
The vacuum cleaner 10 is provided with a video camera 21, and a moving image captured by the video camera 21 is displayed on a monitor of a mobile phone or a dedicated monitor for operating the cleaner. Then, the operator can see the image displayed on the monitor, and the cleaner 10 can be steered and driven by an operation key of the mobile phone or a dedicated operation key.
[0021]
In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the cleaner 10 includes a plurality of ultrasonic sensors 22 that detect surrounding barriers such as walls, a control unit 24 that controls the entire cleaner 10, and steering drive wheels 26. Is provided. The control means 24 receives the detection signal from the ultrasonic sensor 22 and steers and drives the steering drive wheels 26. As a result, the cleaner 10 moves independently. That is, the vacuum cleaner 10 is for both self-propelled and operated types, and either can be selected.
[0022]
The vacuum device 16 includes a floor nozzle 28, a garbage bag 30, and a fan motor 32. When the vacuum cleaner 10 is moving independently, dust that has fallen on the floor when the fan motor 32 is driven, Dust is sucked from the floor nozzle 28 and collected in the garbage bag 30.
[0023]
The water brush 18 is rotated by a driving means (not shown) and rubs and cleans the floor. The water brush 18 extends from the fuel cell unit 12 to the center of the brush 34 and discharges water generated by the fuel cell 14 to the floor. It is comprised with the water discharge pipe 36. FIG.
[0024]
Further, the vacuum cleaner 10 is provided with a humidity sensor 38, and the control means 24 controls the humidity control unit 20 in accordance with the humidity in the room detected by the humidity sensor 38, so that the room has an appropriate humidity. adjust.
[0025]
FIG. 3 shows a simple configuration of the fuel cell unit 12 and the humidity control unit 20. The fuel cell unit 12 includes a fuel cell 14, a fuel tank 40 that stores methanol consumed by the fuel cell 14, and a water tank 42 that collects water generated by the fuel cell 14. The fuel tank 40 is provided with a window 40A for confirming the remaining amount of methanol in the tank.
[0026]
The fuel cell 14 is divided into a fuel chamber 14 </ b> A and an air chamber 14 </ b> B by battery cells 44. The fuel chamber 14 </ b> A is connected to the fuel tank 40 by a fuel supply pipe 46 and is connected to the water tank 42 by a water supply pipe 48. The air chamber 14 </ b> B is connected to the water tank 42 by a water pipe 50. An oxygen supply pipe 52 extends from the air chamber 14B, and a carbon dioxide discharge pipe 54 extends from the fuel chamber 14A to the outside of the cleaner 10.
[0027]
The battery cell 44 includes a fuel electrode 44A that constitutes the wall surface of the fuel chamber 14A, an air electrode 44B that constitutes the wall surface of the air chamber 14B, and a proton conductive film 44C sandwiched between the fuel electrode 44A and the air electrode 44B. .
[0028]
When methanol is supplied from the fuel tank 40 to the fuel chamber 14A, water is supplied from the water tank 42 to the fuel chamber 14A, and a voltage is applied to the fuel electrode 44A, the methanol is expressed by the chemical reaction formula (1): Decomposed into carbon dioxide, hydrogen ions, and electrons.
[0029]
CH ₃ OH + H ₂ O → CO ₂ + 6H ⁺ + e ⁻ (1)
Carbon dioxide is released to the outside from the carbon dioxide discharge pipe 54, and hydrogen ions pass through the proton conductive film 44C and move to the air electrode 44B. And an electron passes resistance and goes to the air electrode 44B. That is, it is taken out from the positive electrode 56 of the fuel cell 14 as electric energy, works with resistance, and returns to the negative electrode 58. In the vacuum cleaner 10, this resistance corresponds to the steering drive of the steering drive wheel 26, the drive of the vacuum device 16, or the drive of the humidity control unit 20.
[0030]
The hydrogen ions H ⁺ that have moved to the air electrode 44B combine with oxygen supplied from the oxygen supply pipe 52 to the air chamber 14B and electrons that have passed through the resistance to become water. This water is collected in the water tank 42 through the water pipe 50.
[0031]
A water discharge pipe 36 extends from the water tank 42. The vacuum cleaner 10 can select a suction mode for sucking up dust and dirt on the floor and a dirt removal mode for removing dirt on the floor. When the dirt removal mode is selected, the control means 24 operates the pump 60 of the water discharge pipe 36 to discharge the water in the water tank 42 to the floor surface, and the brush 34 (see FIG. 2) is driven to dirt the floor. Is dropped.
[0032]
Further, the humidity control unit 20 is provided with a steam generator 62 and a dehumidifier 64. The steam generator 62 and the dehumidifier 64 are connected to the water tank 42 by water pipes 66 and 68. The water supply pipe 66 is provided with a pump 72. A steam discharge pipe 70 extends from the steam generator 62 to the outside.
[0033]
Here, the operation method of the humidity control unit 20 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
[0034]
When the power of the vacuum cleaner 10 is turned on, this flow is started and the process proceeds to step 201. In step 201, the humidity in the room is measured by the humidity sensor 38, and the process proceeds to step 202. In step 202, it is determined whether or not the humidity in the room is less than 30% (predetermined value W1). In step 203, the pump 72 of the water supply pipe 66 is driven by the control means 24, and the water in the water tank 42 is sent to the steam generation means through the water supply pipe 66. The water is heated and vaporized by the steam generating means. As a result, steam is generated from the steam discharge pipe 68 and the room is humidified.
[0035]
If the result in Step 202 is negative, that is, if it is determined that the humidity in the room is 30% or more and the room is not dry, the process proceeds to Step 204. In step 204, it is determined whether or not the indoor humidity is 50% (predetermined value W2) or more. If affirmative, the routine proceeds to step 205, where the dehumidifying device 64 is driven. As a result, indoor air is dehumidified, and moisture in the air exits the dehumidifier 64 and is collected in the water tank 42 through the water supply pipe 68.
[0036]
Then, the process proceeds to step 206, where the liquid amount detection sensor 74 detects the amount of liquid in the water tank 42, and the control means 24 determines whether or not the water tank 42 is full. When negative, it returns to step 201 and this flow is repeated. If the determination is affirmative, the routine proceeds to step 207, where an alarm 76 is sounded by the alarm 76 to warn that the water tank 42 is full. And it progresses to step 213, the power supply of the cleaner 10 is turned off, and the power generation of the fuel cell 14 and the drive of the dehumidifying device are stopped. As a result, water does not overflow from the water tank 42. Moreover, since the warning sound is sounded, the user can know that the power source of the cleaner 10 is turned off.
[0037]
If the result in Step 204 is negative, the process proceeds to Step 206 and then returns to Step 201. As described above, since the water generated in the fuel cell 14 and the water discharged from the dehumidifying device 64 are collected in the same water tank 42, the space inside the cleaner 10 can be saved.
[0038]
After step 203, the process proceeds to step 208. In step 208, the humidity is detected by the humidity sensor 38, and the process proceeds to step 209. In step 209, it is determined whether or not the humidity in the room is 50% or higher.
[0039]
In step 210, the amount of water in the water tank is detected by the liquid amount detection sensor 74, and it is determined by the control means 24 whether or not the amount of water in the water tank 42 is zero. If the determination is negative, the process returns to step 209, and the steam generator 62 is driven and humidification is continued until the determination in step 210 is affirmative. If the determination in step 209 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 211, the steam generator 62 is stopped, and humidification in the room is stopped.
[0040]
Then, the process proceeds to step 212, where the remaining amount of fuel in the fuel tank 40 is detected by the remaining fuel detection sensor 78, and it is determined whether or not the remaining amount of fuel in the fuel tank 40 is zero. If negative, the process returns to step 201 and steps 201 to 212 are repeated. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 213, the power source of the cleaner 10 is turned off, and this flow ends.
[0041]
As described above, in the cleaner 10 of the present embodiment, by using the water generated by the fuel cell 14, not only dust and dirt on the floor can be absorbed, but also the floor can be cleaned and the room can be humidified. In addition, water for cleaning the floor and humidifying the room can be saved.
[0042]
In the vacuum cleaner 10 of the present embodiment, a methanol direct fuel cell has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other fuel cells are also applicable. In addition, the example of discharging water to the floor and rubbing the floor with a brush to remove the dirt on the floor has been explained, but not limited to this, other cleaning methods such as spraying water and removing dirt with water pressure are also available. Applicable.
[0043]
【The invention's effect】
Since the present invention has the above-described configuration, water generated by the fuel cell can be effectively used in a vacuum cleaner equipped with the fuel cell.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an outline of a fuel cell unit and a humidity control unit of the vacuum cleaner according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation method of the humidity control unit of the vacuum cleaner according to the embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 Self-propelled vacuum cleaner (vacuum cleaner)
14 Fuel cell 24 Control means (humidification control means, dehumidification control means, water amount control means)
36 Water discharge pipe (water discharge means)
38 Humidity sensor (humidity detection means)
42 Water tank
62 Steam generator (steam generating means)
64 Dehumidifier (Dehumidifier)
74 Liquid quantity detection sensor (Liquid quantity detection means)
76 Alarm (Warning means)

Claims (5)

In a vacuum cleaner equipped with a fuel cell,
A tank for storing water generated by the fuel cell;
Water discharge means for discharging water stored in the tank to the outside;
The vacuum cleaner characterized by having. In a vacuum cleaner equipped with a fuel cell,
A tank for storing water generated by the fuel cell;
Vapor generating means for evaporating water stored in the tank and releasing it as water vapor to the outside;
Humidity detection means for detecting indoor humidity;
Humidification control means for operating the steam generation means when the indoor humidity detected by the humidity detection means is lower than a predetermined value W1,
The vacuum cleaner characterized by having. In a vacuum cleaner equipped with a fuel cell,
A tank for storing water generated by the fuel cell;
Dehumidifying means for dehumidifying indoor air and collecting moisture in the air to the tank;
Humidity detection means for detecting indoor humidity;
Dehumidification control means for operating the dehumidification means when the humidity detected by the humidity detection means is higher than a predetermined value W2,
The vacuum cleaner characterized by having. Water amount detection means for detecting the amount of water stored in the tank;
A water amount control means for stopping power generation of the fuel cell or stopping the dehumidifying means when the water amount detecting means detects that the amount of water in the tank has reached a predetermined amount;
The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the vacuum cleaner is provided. 5. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, further comprising a warning unit that is activated by the water amount control unit to issue a warning when the water amount detection unit detects that the amount of water in the tank has reached a predetermined amount. .

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