JP2017127595A - Robot cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow a user to communicate with a robot cleaner in such a feeling as if communicating with a person.SOLUTION: A robot cleaner 1 cleans a surface to be cleaned while moving autonomously, characterized in that the cleaner can perform a nodding movement by moving a front side of the body vertically as a response to a user's action. Specifically, a position control wheel 21 is rotated using a shaft fixed to the body of the robot cleaner 1 as a fulcrum such that the position control wheel juts out toward an installation surface of the robot cleaner 1, thereby allowing the front side of the body to be pushed up by the position control wheel 21 and the body to be inclined relative to the installation surface. In addition, the robot cleaner 1 returns from a position shown in Fig. 2(b) to a position shown in Fig. 2(a) by retracting the position control wheel 21 into the body. This allows the robot cleaner 1 to perform a nodding movement by putting in and out the position control wheel 21 continuously.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a robot cleaner that performs cleaning while autonomously moving and a charger thereof.

  Conventionally, a robot cleaner that performs cleaning while moving autonomously is known (for example, Patent Document 1 below). Moreover, the invention regarding the charger of such a robot cleaner is also made | formed (for example, the following patent document 2).

JP 2002-360480 A (published on December 17, 2002) Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-329223 (released on December 2, 2005)

  However, in the prior art as described above, the robot cleaner is handled as a tool for automatically cleaning and is not handled as a communication partner with the user. For this reason, the conventional robot cleaner has room for improvement in the function for communication with the user. For example, the vacuum cleaner described in Patent Document 1 shows the detection state of the sensor and the operation state of the motor to the user by lighting the light emitting diode. However, such mechanical notification is far from communication between people.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a robot cleaner capable of allowing a user to communicate with a robot cleaner in a manner similar to communication between people. It is in realizing.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a robot cleaner according to the present invention is a robot cleaner that cleans a surface to be cleaned while autonomously moving, and as a response operation to a user's action, It is the structure which performs the nodding operation which moves up and down.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, there is an effect that a user can communicate with a robot cleaner in a sense like communication between people.

It is a figure which shows the characteristic operation | movement of the robot cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of a nodding operation | movement mechanism. It is a figure which shows an example of the external appearance of the said robot cleaner. It is a figure which shows an example of the external appearance of the bottom face side of the said robot cleaner. It is a perspective view of the robot cleaner with the top plate removed. It is a partially transparent top view of the robot cleaner with the top plate removed. It is a partially transparent side view of the robot cleaner. It is a figure explaining the nodding operation | movement mechanism of the robot cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a figure explaining the nodding operation | movement mechanism of the robot cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a figure explaining the nodding operation | movement mechanism of the robot cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is a figure explaining the swing operation | movement mechanism of the robot cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 5 of this invention. It is a bottom view of the robot cleaner 1 which concerns on Embodiment 6 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the example of the charger of the robot cleaner of each said embodiment.

Embodiment 1
An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

〔Overview〕
First, the outline | summary of the robot cleaner of this embodiment is demonstrated based on FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a characteristic operation of the robot cleaner 1. The robot cleaner 1 has a rectangular parallelepiped housing and collects dust on a surface to be cleaned (for example, a floor surface) while moving autonomously. In addition to such a cleaning function, a function of performing a plurality of types of gesture operations as a response operation to the user's behavior is provided. More specifically, the robot cleaner 1 performs a gesture operation for communication with the user during a non-cleaning operation (an operation mode in which components for cleaning (rotating brush, fan fan motor, etc.) are not operated). The function to perform.

  Specifically, the robot cleaner 1 performs an operation (nodding operation) of raising and lowering an end portion on the front side (side facing the user) of the housing, as shown in FIG. The nodding operation is performed as a response operation to the user's action (for example, a cleaning start instruction by the user). Moreover, the robot cleaner 1 performs the operation | movement (swing motion) which moves the front side of a housing | casing to the left and right, as shown to (b) of the figure. The head swing operation is also performed as a response operation to the user's action. For example, the swinging operation is performed when an instruction from the user cannot be executed (when the start of cleaning is instructed but the remaining battery level is insufficient).

  Since the robot cleaner 1 performs the gesture operation as described above according to the user's action (for example, speech or action), the user communicates with the robot cleaner 1 as if it were interacting with a person. Can do. That is, the robot cleaner 1 can be anthropomorphic by performing a gesture operation. Of course, as a response action of the robot cleaner 1 to the user's action, it goes without saying that a combination of a voice response and a gesture action or only a voice response is effective in anthropomorphizing the robot cleaner 1. .

[Nod operation mechanism]
Next, a nodling operation mechanism for realizing the noding operation will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a nodding operation mechanism. The robot cleaner 1 is normally in a state (posture) in which the housing is parallel to the installation surface, as shown in FIG. At this time, the posture control wheel (posture control member) 21 is housed in the posture control wheel housing portion 20 inside the housing of the robot cleaner 1.

  Here, as shown in (b) of the figure, the attitude control wheel 21 is rotated with the axis fixed to the housing of the robot cleaner 1 as a fulcrum, and protrudes toward the installation surface of the robot cleaner 1. Accordingly, the front side of the casing can be pushed up by the attitude control wheel 21 and the casing can be tilted with respect to the installation surface. Moreover, the robot cleaner 1 returns to the attitude | position of (a) of the figure from the attitude | position of (b) of the figure by returning the attitude | position control wheel 21 to the inside of a housing | casing. Therefore, the robot cleaner 1 can perform a nodding operation by continuously taking in and out the posture control wheel 21.

  The execution of the nodding operation is controlled by a control circuit described later. Specifically, when the control circuit detects the occurrence of a predetermined event associated with the nodding action, the control circuit drives the attitude control wheel 21 as described above to cause the robot cleaner 1 to perform the nodding action. The predetermined event is not particularly limited as long as it relates to the user's behavior, and may be an event related to cleaning (such as receiving a cleaning execution instruction from the user) or an event not related to cleaning (for example, For example, a predetermined question may be received from the user. In addition, you may perform the response operation | movement according to the condition when the action was performed with respect to the same action of a user. For example, when the user calls the robot cleaner 1 “Clean”, if the battery is sufficiently charged and can be cleaned, a voice response (for example, “Yeah!”) A nodding operation may be performed. On the other hand, if the battery is depleted to some extent but can be cleaned, the response may be made only by a nodding operation. Then, if the situation cannot be cleaned, a voice response (for example, “No”) and a swing motion may be executed.

[Configuration of each part]
Next, the structure of each part of the robot cleaner 1 is demonstrated based on FIG. 3 and FIG. 3 and 4 are views showing an example of the appearance of the robot cleaner 1. FIG. (A) of the figure is a perspective view, (b) of the figure is a front view, (c) of the figure is a right side view, and (d) of the figure is a rear view. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bottom surface side of the robot cleaner 1. FIG. 4A shows a state in which the attitude control wheel 21 is accommodated, and FIG. 4B shows a state in which the robot cleaner 1 is protruded. ing.

  As shown in FIGS. 3A to 3D, the housing of the robot cleaner 1 has a top plate 101 disposed on the upper side of the side plate 100 and a bottom plate 102 disposed on the lower side. A slit 12 is formed between the upper end of the side plate 100 and the top plate 101 over the entire periphery of the top plate 101.

  The top plate 101 has a shape in which four corners of a square are cut out in an arc shape, and serves as a lid that covers the upper opening of the side plate 100. Although details will be described later, at least a part of the top plate 101 is made of a transparent or translucent material so that light from the light emitting part provided inside the housing can be visually recognized through the top plate 101. It has become. That is, the top plate 101 becomes a light emitting surface by causing the light emitting unit to emit light.

  The side plate 100 constitutes the side surface of the housing that houses the internal components of the robot cleaner 1. The upper opening of the side plate 100 has a shape in which four corners of a square are cut out in an arc shape, and is closed by the top plate 101 having the same shape as the opening as described above. In addition, the lower opening of the side plate 100 is closed by a bottom plate 102 having the same shape as the opening. As shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, the side plate 100 has a horizontally long rectangular shape in front view and side view. Although only the right side is shown in the figure, the left side of the housing has the same shape as the right side. Further, as shown in FIG. 4D, the side plate 100 has a horizontally long rectangular shape even when viewed from the rear, but a vertical slit 103 is formed from the upper end of the central part to the vicinity of the lower end. A part of the dust collecting container accommodated in the inside of the side plate 100 can be visually recognized through the.

  The slit 12 is a groove-shaped portion formed in the housing of the robot cleaner 1 (specifically, between the top plate 101 and the side plate 100). A plurality of sensors, specifically, proximity sensors 13a to 13f and infrared sensors 14a to 14c are arranged inside the slit 12 as shown in FIGS. In addition, when not distinguishing each proximity sensor, it only calls the proximity sensor 13, and similarly, when not distinguishing each infrared sensor, it only calls the infrared sensor 14.

  The proximity sensor 13 is a sensor for detecting the approach of an obstacle. As shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, two proximity sensors 13 are provided on the front side of the robot cleaner 1 of the slit 12 (13c and 13d), and one on each of the right side and the left side ( 13a and 13f) and one (13b and 13e) are provided at the front corners. The proximity sensors 13a and 13f on the side surface side are arranged on the front side (near the front side) of the robot cleaner 1. The proximity sensor 13 may be any sensor that can detect the approach of an obstacle, and may be, for example, an ultrasonic sensor.

  The infrared sensor 14 is a sensor for detecting a charger. As shown in FIG. 5B, three infrared sensors 14 (14a, 14b, 14c) are provided on the front side of the robot cleaner 1 of the slit 12. Yes. That is, the robot cleaner 1 automatically detects the charger with the infrared sensor 14 and automatically moves to the charger to charge itself. The infrared sensor 14 may also serve as an infrared signal (for example, a signal transmitted by a remote controller) for remotely operating the robot cleaner 1.

  Thus, in the robot cleaner 1, since each sensor is accommodated in one slit 12, compared with the conventional robot cleaner in which each sensor is distributed and arranged in individual accommodation positions. It has a flat and simple appearance. Further, each sensor is disposed at a position deeper on the inner side of the housing than the side surface of the top plate 101. Therefore, as shown in FIG. It is in the blind spot and is hard to see. As described above, in the robot cleaner 1, the exposure of each sensor to the user is reduced, thereby improving the design of the robot cleaner 1.

  In addition, you may arrange | position the raw material which reflects light in at least any one of the upper end of the side plate 100, and the side surface of the top plate 101 so that each sensor may become inconspicuous. For example, metal edges may be provided on the upper end of the side plate 100 and the side surface of the top plate 101. Further, at least one of the upper end of the side plate 100 and the side surface of the top plate 101 may be plated. Since the slit 12 is a shadow of the top plate 101, it is difficult for the user to pay attention to the slit 12 in the first place. However, by arranging a reflective material in which the user's eyes are easily oriented in the vicinity of the slit 12, the slit 12 In addition, the user's attention can be made more difficult.

  Of course, what is accommodated in the slit 12 is not limited to proximity sensors. If an optical camera is installed, it is possible to detect obstacles and avoid collisions with camera images, and further, it can be used for user identification and user facial expression recognition. Moreover, you may mount LED illumination in the slit 12 as another device. Thereby, it becomes possible to illuminate the floor and the traveling direction. In addition, a projector may be mounted in the slit 12. By using the projector, it is possible to show the video to the user, so that it is possible to widen the communication range between the robot cleaner 1 and the user. Any device can be made inconspicuous by disposing it in the slit 12, so that the design of the robot cleaner 1 can be improved.

  The ratio of the height (from the lower end of the side plate 100 to the upper end of the top plate 101) and the width of the robot cleaner 1 is equal to or close to the golden ratio (1: 1.618). It is preferable. As a result, the robot cleaner 1 can have a stable and beautiful appearance. Moreover, when the user looks down on the robot cleaner 1 placed on the floor from above, the height may be higher than the golden ratio in consideration of the fact that it looks lower than the actual height. . In addition, the drive wheel 16b shown to (c) of FIG. 3 and the casters 17a-17d shown to (b)-(d) of the same figure are demonstrated below based on FIG.

  Then, the bottom face of the robot cleaner 1 is demonstrated based on FIG. As illustrated, the bottom plate 102 is configured to be slightly smaller than the outer periphery of the side plate 100. For this reason, as shown to (a) of FIG. 3, when the robot cleaner 1 is seen from upper direction, the baseplate 102 will enter into the blind spot of the top plate 101 and the side plate 100, and will become difficult to see. Thereby, the external appearance of the robot cleaner 1 is simple and clean.

  On the bottom surface of the robot cleaner 1, driving wheels 16 a and 16 b (simply referred to as driving wheels 16 when the driving wheels are not distinguished from each other) are exposed from the opening of the bottom plate 102. At the four corners of the bottom plate 102, casters 17a to 17d (simply referred to as casters 17 when the casters are not distinguished) are provided. The caster 17 shown in the figure is a ball caster, and the ball portion rotates as the robot cleaner 1 is moved by the drive wheel 16 to move the robot cleaner 1 smoothly. Of course, the caster 17 is not limited to a ball caster as long as it supports the robot cleaner 1 that is stationary and moving.

  The robot cleaner 1 is supported by drive wheels 16 and casters 17, and can move in any direction by driving the drive wheels 16. Further, the swing motion can be realized by driving the drive wheels 16. Specifically, by continuously performing the operation of rotating the drive wheel 16b while rotating the drive wheel 16a in the forward direction and the operation of rotating the drive wheel 16b while rotating the drive wheel 16a in the reverse direction. Swing motion is realized. Note that the execution of the swing motion is controlled by a control circuit described later. Specifically, when the control circuit detects the occurrence of a predetermined event associated with the swing motion, the control circuit drives the drive wheel 16 as described above to cause the robot cleaner 1 to perform the swing motion. . The predetermined event is not particularly limited as long as it relates to the user's behavior, and may be an event related to cleaning (such as an instruction to perform cleaning when the dust collecting container is full and cleaning cannot be performed). In addition, it may be an event not related to cleaning (for example, a predetermined inquiry from the user).

  Further, a suction port 18 is formed between the casters 17 a and 17 b in the bottom plate 102, and a rotating brush 19 is disposed in the suction port 18. The robot cleaner 1 sucks dust from the suction port 18 while rotating the rotary brush 19.

  At the position near the center front (suction port 18 side) of the bottom plate 102, the attitude control wheel accommodating portion 20 is open, and as shown in FIG. Contains a posture control wheel 21. Further, when performing the above-described nodding operation, the posture control wheel 21 protrudes to the outside of the posture control wheel housing portion 20 as shown in FIG. More specifically, the attitude control wheel 21 is provided with a wheel at the tip, and is pivotally connected to the robot cleaner 1 at the base. Then, by rotating around the connecting shaft, the tip portion moves in an arc shape and protrudes to the outside of the attitude control wheel housing portion 20. Since the posture control wheel 21 has a wheel at the tip which is grounded when protruding, the force for pushing the robot cleaner 1 backward at the time of the rotation can be released by the rotation of the wheel. Therefore, during the nodding operation, the robot cleaner 1 can be prevented from moving backward, and a stable nodding operation can be performed at the same position.

〔exhaust port〕
Next, the exhaust port of the robot cleaner 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the robot cleaner 1 with the top plate 101 removed. In addition, in the same figure, illustration of the structure inside a housing | casing is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in the figure, a transparent inner side plate 104 is provided inside the side plate 100. The inner side plate 104 is provided over the entire circumference of the side plate 100 in order to form the slit 12 between the side plate 100 and the top plate 101. The inner side plate 104 also plays a role in preventing foreign matter from entering the inside of the housing. That is, the inner side plate 104 also covers the portion of the vertical slit 103 shown in FIG. In addition, since the proximity sensor 13 and the infrared sensor 14 are disposed on the inner side of the housing with respect to the inner side plate 104, the inner side plate 104 has a material and a shape that do not hinder the detection of these sensors. For example, when an ultrasonic sensor is used as the proximity sensor 13, an opening is provided in the inner side plate 104 so that ultrasonic waves can be transmitted and received through the opening.

  The inner side plate 104 is provided with two exhaust ports 105a and 105b (simply described as the exhaust port 105 when the exhaust ports are not distinguished from each other). Specifically, an exhaust port 105 a formed by making a plurality of holes in the inner side plate 104 is provided in the central portion of the left side surface of the robot cleaner 1. Similarly, an exhaust port 105b is provided at the center of the right side surface of the robot cleaner 1. These exhaust ports 105 are connected to an exhaust channel (details will be described later) inside the housing, and exhaust gas that has passed through the exhaust channel is exhausted from the exhaust port 105 during a cleaning operation.

[Internal configuration]
Next, the internal configuration of the robot cleaner 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 6 is a partially transparent top view of the robot cleaner 1 with the top plate 101 removed, and FIG. 7 is a partially transparent side view of the robot cleaner 1.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a dust collecting container 30 is disposed at the rear center of the robot cleaner 1. Thus, by arranging the dust collecting container 30 at the rear end of the robot cleaner 1, the dust collecting container 30 is greatly shaken up and down during the nodding operation of the robot cleaner 1. Thereby, the cotton dust in the dust container 30 can be dropped on the bottom of the dust container 30. Further, since the gap between the dust accumulated at the bottom of the dust collection container 30 is filled by the vertical movement of the dust collection container 30, the volume of the dust can be reduced. That is, the amount (weight) of dust in the dust collection container 30 can be increased by the nodding operation of the robot cleaner 1. Thereby, the frequency | count that a user throws away the dust in the dust collecting container 30 can be reduced. Further, when the user discards the dust in the dust collection container 30, it is possible to prevent the cotton dust from rising from the lid of the dust collection container 30 or the like. In the example shown in the figure, a dust collection container 30 is disposed at the rear center of the robot cleaner 1. As described above, by arranging the dust collecting container 30 near the rear (or front) end of the housing, the dust collecting container 30 can be greatly swung up and down, so that the effect of reducing the volume of dust is enhanced. Can do. However, even if the dust collecting container 30 is arranged near the center of the housing, the dust collecting container 30 is shaken by the nodding operation, so that the effect of reducing the volume of dust can be obtained. As described above, the nodding operation can reduce the volume of dust, so the nodding operation may be executed when communication with the user is not performed. For example, when detecting that the amount (volume) of dust in the dust collecting container 30 exceeds a predetermined amount, a nodding operation may be performed to reduce the volume of the dust.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, an exhaust passage 31 is provided in the robot cleaner 1 to connect the exhaust port 105 a at the center of the left side of the robot cleaner 1 to the exhaust port 105 b at the center of the right side. It has been. A blower fan 33 is arranged inside the exhaust channel 31 at a position on the left side of the center. The exhaust channel 31 at this portion swells in a circular shape in accordance with the shape of the blower fan 33. The exhaust passage 31 is connected to the dust collecting container 30 via the exhaust pipe 32. The exhaust pipe 32 is connected to a position directly below the blower fan 33 as shown in FIG. 7, and is connected to an exhaust pipe connecting portion 30a on the side of the dust collecting container 30 as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the end of the rotating shaft of the blower fan 33 is exposed at the upper portion of the exhaust passage 31, and the end and the rotating shaft of the blower fan motor 34 are connected by a belt. Yes. Accordingly, the rotation of the blower fan motor 34 is transmitted to the blower fan 33 by the belt, and the blower fan 33 rotates. As described above, the configuration in which the rotational force of the blower fan motor 34 is transmitted to the blower fan 33 via the belt makes it possible to compare the blower fan 33 and the blower fan 33 directly with the blower fan 33. The height from the top to the bottom of the blower fan motor 34 can be kept low.

  The blower fan 33 is a centrifugal fan, and sends out air outward in the radial direction of the blower fan 33. That is, the blower fan 33 sucks the air in the dust collecting container 30 through the exhaust pipe 32 and discharges it from each of the exhaust ports 105 a and 105 b through the exhaust passage 31.

  An intake pipe 35 is connected to the intake pipe connecting portion 30 b of the dust collecting container 30. The intake pipe connecting portion 30b is provided at the right end position of the dust collecting container 30 so that air flows in the tangential direction of the dust collecting container 30 that is circular in a top view (see FIG. 6). Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the intake pipe connection portion 30 b is provided at a position below the dust collection container 30. On the other hand, the end of the intake pipe 35 on the side not connected to the intake pipe connecting portion 30 b extends so as to cover the rotating brush 19, and the opening at this end serves as the suction port 18.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a rotary brush drive motor 19a is arranged above the vicinity of the right end of the rotary brush 19, and the rotary shaft of the rotary brush drive motor 19a and the rotary shaft of the rotary brush 19 are Connected with a belt. Thereby, the rotation of the rotary brush drive motor 19a is transmitted to the rotary brush 19 by the belt, and the rotary brush 19 rotates to scrape out dust on the floor surface and guide it into the suction port 18. In this way, by configuring the rotary brush 19 to rotate through the belt, the rotary brush drive motor 19a can be disposed above the rotary brush 19 as shown in FIG. It is possible to take a wide width.

  In addition, the conventional general robot cleaner has a circular shape when viewed from above, and the circular case cannot obstruct the suction port to the corner of the room. It had a side brush that scraped out the garbage in the corner. On the other hand, in the robot cleaner 1, the shape of the housing is rectangular in a top view, and the suction port can be brought close to the corner of the room. Therefore, the robot cleaner 1 can cleanly clean up to the corner of the room without providing a side brush. That is, the robot cleaner 1 makes it possible to reduce the number of parts by reducing the number of components by omitting the mounting of the side brush and its drive unit by making the casing shape rectangular. In addition, the robot cleaner 1 can have a compact, simple and beautiful appearance.

  Below the blower fan motor 34, a battery 36 serving as a power source of each part of the robot cleaner 1 is disposed. A circular contactless charging coil 37 is disposed near the center of the robot cleaner 1. The contactless charging coil 37 can charge the battery 36 without contact. 6 and 7, components such as wiring for transmitting the electric power from the battery 36 to each part of the robot cleaner 1 and members for holding the respective components in the housing are shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Etc. are omitted. In FIG. 7, the battery 36, the contactless charging coil 37, and the casters 17a and 17b are not shown.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the posture control wheel 21 is disposed near the front of the central portion of the robot cleaner 1. As shown in FIG. 7, an attitude control motor 21a is arranged above the attitude control wheel 21, and the rotation axis of the attitude control motor 21a and the end of the attitude control wheel 21 (on the side where no wheel is attached). And an end portion) are connected by a power transmission member 21b. The attitude control wheel 21 is connected to the bottom plate 102 by a rotating shaft provided between the connecting portion of the power transmission member 21b and the wheel. When the attitude control motor 21a is rotated counterclockwise, the power transmission member 21b moves upward, and the attitude control wheel 21 rotates counterclockwise around the rotation shaft as a fulcrum and is exposed below the bottom plate 102. To do. On the other hand, when the attitude control motor 21a is rotated clockwise, the power transmission member 21b moves downward, and the attitude control wheel 21 is rotated clockwise around the rotation shaft as a fulcrum and is accommodated in the housing. .

  As shown in FIG. 6, the substrate 40 is disposed so as to cover substantially the entire front surface of the robot cleaner 1 relative to the exhaust flow path 31. The substrate 40 has a rectangular shape with the upper left end cut out. A blower fan motor 34 is arranged in the notch.

  On the upper surface of the substrate 40, the proximity sensor 13 and the infrared sensor 14 are disposed, and the light emitting unit 41 is disposed. Although not shown, a control circuit (which may include a CPU, a memory, and the like) for controlling the operation of each component such as each motor and the light emitting unit 41 is also arranged on the substrate 40. Since the robot cleaner 1 has each sensor arranged in one slit 12 as described based on FIG. 3B, each sensor can be arranged on one substrate 40. It has become. The operation control of each part of the robot cleaner 1 is basically performed by the control circuit arranged on the substrate 40. Of course, the robot cleaner 1 may further include a substrate other than the substrate 40, and the operation of each part of the robot cleaner 1 may be controlled by a control circuit on the substrate.

  The light emitting unit 41 is disposed near the rear of the central portion of the substrate 40 and emits light according to control of a control circuit provided on the substrate 40. For example, an LED light emitting element may be applied as the light emitting unit 41. The top plate 101 is disposed immediately above the light emitting unit 41. Since at least a part of the top plate 101 is made of a material that transmits light, the light emitted from the light emitting unit 41 is visually recognized by the user through the top plate 101. The The light emitting unit 41 is used for purposes such as notification to the user (for example, notification that the user's operation has been normally received). Of course, the use of the light emitting unit 41 is not limited to this, and the light emitting unit 41 may emit light in a predetermined pattern as one of response operations to the user. Further, the light emission of the light emitting unit 41 may be combined with a nodding operation or a swinging operation.

  As shown in FIG. 6, a drive wheel support portion 50b is disposed next to the drive wheel 16b. The drive wheel support portion 50b indicates the drive wheel 16b, and is connected to the bottom plate 102 by a rotating shaft 53b. In addition, a drive motor 51b and a transmission 52b are accommodated inside the drive wheel support portion 50b, a rotation shaft of the drive motor 51b is connected to the transmission 52b, and an output shaft of the transmission 52b is connected. It is connected to the drive wheel 16b. The drive wheel support portion 50a has the same configuration as the drive wheel support portion 50b, and thus the description of the drive wheel support portion 50a is omitted.

  Since the driving wheel support portion 50b is rotatable about the rotation shaft 53b, the driving wheel 16b supported by the driving wheel support portion 50b moves up and down together with the driving wheel support portion 50b. Thereby, the impact which the drive wheel 16b receives from a grounding surface can be relieved. That is, the drive wheel support part 50b has a function as a damper.

  The transmission 52b transmits the rotation of the drive motor 51b to the drive wheel 16b, and has a function of switching the rotation speed of the drive wheel 16b. The transmission 52b may include a plurality of gears, for example, and may switch the rotation speed by switching the gear used for the rotation of the drive wheel 16b. Switching of the rotational speed by the transmission 52b is also performed by the above-described control circuit. Note that the control circuit may switch to the transmission 52b during the non-cleaning operation and increase the rotational speed of the drive wheels 16 during the cleaning operation, thereby setting the high-speed movement mode. Thereby, the robot cleaner 1 can be moved at a higher speed during the non-cleaning operation than during the cleaning operation.

[Embodiment 2]
Another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those described in the embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted. The same applies to the third and subsequent embodiments.

  FIG. 8 is a view for explaining a nodding operation mechanism of the robot cleaner 1 of the present embodiment. (A) of the figure shows a bottom view of the robot cleaner 1 of the present embodiment, and (b) of the figure shows a partially transparent side view. The robot cleaner 1 of the present embodiment is different from the robot cleaner 1 of the above embodiment in the nodding operation mechanism. The number of casters 17 is also different from that of the robot cleaner 1 of the above embodiment. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4A, the robot cleaner 1 of the present embodiment includes casters 17a and 17b on the front side of the drive wheels 16 as in the example of FIG. The casters 17c and 17d on the rear side of the drive wheel 16 are not provided. And instead of not having the casters 17c and 17d, the drive wheels 16 are arranged closer to the rear.

  The drive wheel 16b of the present embodiment is provided with a brake 55b as shown in FIG. 5B, so that the rotation of the drive wheel 16b can be stopped by the brake 55b. Although not shown, the drive wheel 16a is also provided with a similar brake 55a, and the brake 55a is controlled in the same manner as the brake 55b.

  When performing the nodding operation, the robot cleaner 1 according to the present embodiment reverses the driving motor 51b while the rotation of the driving wheel 16b is stopped by the brake 55b, as shown in FIG. Rotate (rotation in the direction of rotation when moving backward, clockwise rotation in the figure). At this time, since the driving wheel 16b does not rotate due to the action of the brake 55b, a force opposite to the rotation direction is applied to the driving motor 51b and the bottom plate 102 to which the driving motor 51b is attached. Thereby, as illustrated, the robot cleaner 1 rotates in the rotation direction of the drive motor 51b with the grounding point of the drive wheel 16b as a fulcrum, and the caster 17b is lifted. Thereafter, the caster 17b returns to the grounded state by releasing the brake 55b or rotating the drive motor 51b in the forward direction. The robot cleaner 1 of the present embodiment realizes a nodding operation in this way.

[Embodiment 3]
This embodiment demonstrates the robot cleaner 1 which performs a nodding operation | movement with the nodding operation | movement mechanism different from said each embodiment based on FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a nodding operation mechanism of the robot cleaner 1 of the present embodiment. The partially transparent side view of the robot cleaner 1 of the present embodiment is shown in FIGS.

  As illustrated, a caster push-out mechanism (posture control member) 61 is connected to the caster 17 b of the robot cleaner 1 of this embodiment, and a caster push-out motor 60 is connected to the caster push-out mechanism 61. . One end of the caster push-out mechanism 61 is connected to the caster 17b, and the other end is connected to the caster push-out motor 60. Here, the caster push-out mechanism 61 and the caster push-out motor 60 connected to the caster 17b will be described, but the same caster push-out mechanism 61 and the caster push-out motor 60 are also connected to the caster 17a. Here, as in the second embodiment, casters 17 a and 17 b are provided on the front side of the robot cleaner 1, and drive wheels 16 a and 16 b are provided on the rear side of the robot cleaner 1. explain. However, like Embodiment 1, it is good also as a structure provided with the casters 17a-17d, and it is good also considering the drive wheel 16 and the caster 17 other than these arrangement | positioning.

  Then, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, by rotating the caster pushing motor 60 clockwise, the caster pushing mechanism 61 moves downward, and the caster 17b is moved to FIG. 9B. Project downward as shown. Thereby, the front side of the robot cleaner 1 is lifted. Further, by rotating the caster push-out motor 60 counterclockwise, the caster push-out mechanism 61 moves upward and the caster 17b returns to the position (a) in FIG. Therefore, the robot cleaner 1 can perform the nodding operation by continuously performing the clockwise rotation and the counterclockwise rotation of the caster pushing motor 60.

[Embodiment 4]
This embodiment demonstrates the robot cleaner 1 which performs a nodding operation | movement with the nodding operation mechanism different from said each embodiment based on FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a nodding operation mechanism of the robot cleaner 1 of the present embodiment. The partially transparent side view of the robot cleaner 1 of the present embodiment is shown in FIGS.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 (a) and 10 (b), a nodling motor 70 is disposed inside the robot cleaner 1 of the present embodiment (near the center of the bottom plate 102). It is connected to the side plate 100. As shown in FIG. 5A, when the nodling motor 70 is rotated clockwise, the side plate 100 and the top plate 101 connected to the rotating shaft 71 are also rotated clockwise, and the front of the robot cleaner 1 is moved forward. The side is lifted. That is, in the robot cleaner 1 of the present embodiment, the side plate 100 and the top plate 101 are held so as to be rotatable about the rotation shaft 71 as a fulcrum. Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the nodding operation motor 70 is rotated counterclockwise, the side plate 100 and the top plate 101 connected to the rotary shaft 71 are also rotated counterclockwise, and the robot cleaning is performed. The rear side of the machine 1 is lifted. Therefore, the robot cleaner 1 can perform the nodding operation by continuously performing the clockwise rotation and the counterclockwise rotation of the nodding operation motor 70.

[Embodiment 5]
In the present embodiment, a robot cleaner 1 that performs a swing motion using a swing motion mechanism different from the above-described embodiments will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a swinging operation mechanism of the robot cleaner 1 according to the present embodiment. (A) (b) of the figure shows a partially transparent bottom view of the robot cleaner 1 of the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, a swinging motor 80 is disposed inside the robot cleaner 1 of the present embodiment (near the center of the bottom plate 102), and its rotating shaft 81. Is connected to the side plate 100. As shown in FIG. 6A, when the swinging motor 80 is rotated counterclockwise, the side plate 100 (and the top plate 101) connected to the rotary shaft 81 is also rotated counterclockwise, and the robot The housing of the vacuum cleaner 1 faces left. That is, in the robot cleaner 1 of the present embodiment, the side plate 100 and the top plate 101 are held so as to be rotatable about the rotation shaft 81 as a fulcrum. Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, when the swinging motor 80 is rotated clockwise, the side plate 100 and the top plate 101 connected to the rotary shaft 81 are also rotated clockwise, and the robot cleaner 1 case faces right. Therefore, the robot cleaner 1 can perform the swing motion by continuously performing the counterclockwise rotation and the clockwise rotation of the swing motion motor 80.

  It should be noted that the swing motion mechanism of the present embodiment can be combined with the nod motion mechanism described in any of the first to fourth embodiments, and the arrangement of drive wheels and casters as in the sixth embodiment described later. It can also be applied to the robot cleaner 1.

[Embodiment 6]
In the present embodiment, a robot cleaner 1 having a different caster and drive wheel arrangement from the above embodiments will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 12 is a bottom view of the robot cleaner 1 of the present embodiment.

  As illustrated, the drive wheels 16 of the robot cleaner 1 of the present embodiment are arranged on the front side compared to the robot cleaners 1 of the above embodiments. And the caster 17e of the robot cleaner 1 of this embodiment is arrange | positioned in the back center part of the baseplate 102. FIG. That is, the robot cleaner 1 of the present embodiment is grounded at three points: two drive wheels 16 a and 16 b arranged near the front of the bottom plate 102 and one caster 17 e arranged near the rear of the bottom plate 102. . The illustrated caster 17e is a roller caster in which the ground contact portion is a wheel, but may be another type of caster such as a ball caster.

  The robot cleaner 1 of this embodiment is different from the robot cleaner 1 of each of the above embodiments in that no caster is provided on the side of the suction port 18. And based on this difference, the robot cleaner 1 of this embodiment can provide the suction inlet 18 comparable as the width | variety of the robot cleaner 1 like illustration. Thereby, it is possible to more surely suck out dust near the wall surface and the corner of the room without providing a side brush.

[Embodiment 7]
As described in Patent Document 1 listed in [Background Art], a conventional charger for a robot cleaner generally charges the main body with the robot cleaner placed sideways. It is. In such a conventional general charger, when the battery is not charged, the main body protruding from the wall surface takes up space, and when charging, the robot cleaner is located beside the main body, further increasing the space. take. And there is no sense of unity in the design of the robot cleaner and the charger, and neither the robot cleaner nor the charger is in harmony with the interior of the room where they are installed. The charger (also referred to as a charging stand or a charging station) described in this embodiment solves the problems of such a conventional charger.

  The charger of this embodiment is demonstrated based on FIG. FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the charger of the robot cleaner 1. A charger 90 shown in FIG. 5A is a contactless charger and includes an infrared light emitting unit 91. When the robot cleaner 1 is charged, the infrared sensor 14 detects the infrared rays emitted from the infrared light emitting unit 91 to identify the position of the charger 90 and automatically moves to the position of the charger 90. Then, when the robot cleaner 1 rides right above the charger 90, power supply to the robot cleaner 1 by the charger 90 is started.

  Similarly to the top plate 101 of the robot cleaner 1, the charger 90 has a flat outer shape in which four corners of a square are cut out in an arc shape, and the size is slightly smaller than the top plate 101. For this reason, the charger 90 fits under the robot cleaner 1 during charging. Therefore, if there is enough space to install the robot cleaner 1, the charger 90 can be placed in the space and charged there. At the time of charging, the entire charger 90 is hidden by the robot cleaner 1, so that the user does not even notice the charger 90. Note that it is not always necessary to hide the entire charger 90, and a part of the charger 90 may be exposed.

  In addition, since the charger 90 is thin enough to allow the robot cleaner 1 to ride on, the charger 90 does not easily get in the way even during non-charging. Furthermore, since the external appearance of the charger 90 is the same shape as the top plate 101 of the robot cleaner 1, there is a sense of unity and the design is high. Thereby, the robot cleaner 1 and the charger 90 can be melted into the interior (furniture or the like). In addition, it is preferable that the top plate 101 and the charger 90 have the same color or similar colors so that a sense of unity is emphasized.

  In addition, when the robot cleaner 1 does not support the contactless charging, the charger needs to be a contacted type. FIG. 13B shows a contact point type charger 95. The charger 95 is different from the charger 90 in that a charging terminal 96 is provided near the center. A charging terminal is provided at the bottom of the robot cleaner 1 charged by the charger 95, and the charging terminal 96 is provided at a position corresponding to the charging terminal provided at the bottom of the robot cleaner 1. Yes. Then, when the robot cleaner 1 rides on the charger 95, the charging terminal at the bottom of the robot cleaner 1 comes into contact with the charging terminal 96 to start charging.

[Modification]
The above-described nodding operation may be an operation in which the front end of the robot cleaner 1 moves downward at least once, and the upward movement may not be included during the nodding operation. For example, in the example of FIG. 10, an operation is performed in which the top plate 101 is shifted from a state parallel to the installation surface of the robot cleaner 1 to a state where the top plate 101 is tilted forward as shown in FIG. It may be a nodding operation. However, when the nodding motion has a small vertical swing width, it is difficult for the user to recognize the nodding motion. From the viewpoint of securing a sufficient swing width, the front end of the robot cleaner 1 is moved upward. Is preferably included in the nodding operation.

  Moreover, it is good also as a nodding operation | movement which moves the front edge part of the robot cleaner 1 up and down continuously several times. Further, the robot cleaner 1 may be configured to execute a plurality of patterns of nodding operations. In this case, the nod operation selected at random among the nod operations of the executable pattern may be executed, or the nod operation of a predetermined pattern according to the situation when the nod operation is performed may be executed. For example, when the battery of the robot cleaner 1 is high, a nodding operation is performed with a pattern with a large swing width and a pattern with a large number of vertical movements. A nodding operation may be performed. As described above, by causing the nodding operation to be performed in a pattern corresponding to the internal information of the robot cleaner 1, the user who has seen the nodding operation of the pattern is notified of the content of the internal information (in the above example, the amount of remaining battery power is high). ) Can be recognized. Further, for example, when the amount (volume) of dust in the dust collecting container 30 is larger than a predetermined amount, a nodding operation is performed with a pattern with a large swing width or a pattern with a large number of vertical movements, thereby increasing the volume of dust. You may make it reduce.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, an example in which a nodding operation and a swinging operation are performed during a non-cleaning operation is shown, but it may be performed during a cleaning operation. For example, when the user performs an action such as speaking to the robot cleaner 1 during the cleaning operation, as a response operation according to the content of the voice call or the situation at that time, the nodding operation or the swinging motion An operation may be performed. Of course, in such a case, the nodding operation or the swinging operation may be executed after the cleaning operation is temporarily stopped.

  In addition, it is preferable to perform the above-described nodding operation and swinging operation toward the user (with the front side of the housing facing the user). For this reason, the robot cleaner 1 may include a detection unit that detects the position of the user that is the target of the response operation (for example, the position of the user who speaks to the robot cleaner 1). Then, when performing a nodding operation or a swinging operation, the direction may be changed so that the front side of the housing faces the position detected by the detection unit. Furthermore, the robot cleaner 1 may include a detection unit that recognizes the user's face and facial expression. Then, for each recognized user, the gesture mode, specifically, the size and speed of the nodding operation and the swinging operation, the presence / absence of the operation, and the like may be changed. Thereby, it is possible to give the user a feeling as if the robot cleaner 1 has character.

  In addition, the above-described nodding operation can be used for purposes other than communication with the user. For example, when the control circuit of the robot cleaner 1 detects an obstacle (which may be a step or the like) on the path, the driving wheel 16 and the front side are moved upward by pushing up the front side of the housing in the nodding operation. The caster 17 is floated. Then, in this state, the robot cleaner 1 is moved forward, and at the time when at least one of the driving wheel 16 and the front caster 17 comes into contact with or over the obstacle, the front side of the casing is lifted. May be released. Thereby, the overcoming performance of an obstacle can be improved.

  In each of the above embodiments, the robot cleaner 1 that sucks dust by the cyclone method has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to any robot as long as it is a robot cleaner that cleans the surface to be cleaned while moving autonomously. Applicable to vacuum cleaner. For example, the present invention can be applied to a robot cleaner that collects dust by a non-cyclone method, or can be applied to a robot cleaner that performs wiping and cleaning.

[Summary]
The robot cleaner 1 according to the first aspect of the present invention is a robot cleaner 1 that cleans the surface to be cleaned while autonomously moving, and moves the front side of the housing up and down as one of the response operations to the user's action. It is a configuration that performs a nodding operation.

  According to said structure, the nodding operation | movement which moves up and down the front side of a housing | casing is performed as one of the response operations with respect to a user's action. Since the operation of nodding is an operation used in communication between people, it is possible to cause the user to communicate with the robot cleaner as if it were communication between people.

  The robot cleaner 1 which concerns on aspect 2 of this invention is the structure which performs the swing operation | movement which moves the front side of a housing | casing to the left and right as one of the response operations with respect to a user's action in the said aspect 1. FIG.

  According to the above configuration, as one of the response operations to the user's action, the swinging operation of moving the front side of the housing to the left and right is executed. Therefore, the robot cleaning is performed to the user with a feeling like communication between people. Can communicate with the machine. For example, it is possible to perform a nodding operation as a response operation indicating a positive response content and a swing operation as a response operation indicating a negative response content.

  A robot cleaner 1 according to aspect 3 of the present invention is the above-described aspect 1 or 2, wherein the robot cleaner 1 protrudes toward the installation surface of the robot cleaner 1 and pushes the front side of the casing upward (posture control wheel). 21 and a caster push-out mechanism 61).

  According to said structure, the attitude | position control member which protrudes toward the installation surface of the robot cleaner 1 and pushes up the front side of a housing | casing upward is provided. Therefore, by pushing up the front side of the housing upward by the posture control member and then releasing the push-up, the robot cleaner 1 can perform a nodding operation by moving the front side of the housing up and down.

  In the robot cleaner 1 according to the aspect 4 of the present invention, in the above aspects 1 to 3, the nodding operation includes an operation of pushing the front side of the housing upward, In addition, the above-described push-up operation may be executed.

  According to said structure, when getting over an obstruction, the operation | movement which pushes up the front side of a housing | casing upward is performed. Since the front side of the housing is pushed upward, it is possible to get over a larger obstacle. According to the above configuration, the ability to get over the obstacle is improved by using the function of performing the nodding operation. be able to. Note that overcoming obstacles may be performed during a cleaning operation or during a non-cleaning operation.

  The robot cleaner 1 which concerns on aspect 5 of this invention is good also as a structure which performs the said nodding operation | movement at the time of a non-cleaning operation among the time of a cleaning operation and the non-cleaning operation in any of the said aspects 1-4.

  According to the above configuration, since the nodding operation is performed during the non-cleaning operation, the nodding operation is not an operation for cleaning (for example, an operation for overcoming a step during cleaning) but an operation for communication. The user can be clearly recognized.

  The robot cleaner 1 which concerns on aspect 6 of this invention is good also as a structure which becomes a high-speed movement mode which can move at high speed in the said non-cleaning operation | movement in the said aspect 5 rather than the time of the said cleaning operation | movement.

  According to said structure, since it becomes high-speed movement mode at the time of non-cleaning operation | movement, the robot cleaner 1 can be moved rapidly at the time of non-cleaning operation | movement.

  The robot cleaner 1 according to aspect 7 of the present invention includes the dust collecting container 30 that stores the dust sucked from the surface to be cleaned in any one of the above aspects 1 to 6, and performs the above-described nodding operation to perform the above-described collection. It is good also as a structure which shakes the dust container 30. FIG.

  According to said structure, the dust collecting container 30 is shaken by performing a nodding operation. By shaking the dust collection container 30, the volume of the dust in the dust collection container 30 is reduced, so that it becomes possible to accommodate more dust in the dust collection container 30. Therefore, according to the above configuration, it is possible to reduce the number of times the user throws away the garbage. The act of shaking the dust container 30 by the nodding operation may be performed during the cleaning operation or may be performed during the non-cleaning operation.

  The robot cleaner 1 according to the aspect 8 of the present invention is a robot cleaner that cleans the surface to be cleaned while moving autonomously, and includes a plurality of sensors (proximity sensor 13 and infrared sensor 14) for detecting an object. The plurality of sensors may be arranged in one slit 12 provided in the housing.

  According to said structure, since the several sensor is arrange | positioned in one slit, an external appearance can be made flat and simple compared with the structure which provides the accommodating part for every sensor in a housing | casing.

  The robot cleaner 1 according to the ninth aspect of the present invention is the robot cleaner 1 according to the eighth aspect, wherein one substrate 40 parallel to the slit 12 is disposed inside the housing. The plurality of sensors and circuits related to the sensors may be arranged.

  According to the above configuration, since a plurality of sensors and circuits related to the sensors are arranged on one substrate parallel to the slit, a simple configuration utilizing a configuration in which a plurality of sensors are arranged in one slit. And a wasteful board and circuit configuration can be realized.

  In the robot cleaner 1 according to the aspect 10 of the present invention, in any one of the aspects 1 to 9, the shape of the housing may be a rectangular shape in a top view.

  According to said structure, since the shape of a housing | casing is rectangular shape in top view, a housing | casing fits the linear part of the edge of a room, or the corner | angular part of a room. Therefore, it becomes possible to clean every corner of the room without providing a side brush or the like.

  The chargers (90, 95) according to the aspect 11 of the present invention are chargers for the robot cleaner 1 that autonomously moves and cleans the surface to be cleaned, have a flat outer shape, and have an upper portion of the charger. It is the structure which supplies electric power with respect to the said robot cleaner 1 which got on.

  According to said structure, since the external shape of a charger is flat form, a charger is hard to become obstructive at the time of non-charging. Moreover, since the robot cleaner 1 rides on the upper part of the charger on the flat plate at the time of charging, the charger can be hidden by the robot cleaner 1.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope shown in the claims, and embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. Is also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, a new technical feature can be formed by combining the technical means disclosed in each embodiment.

1 Robot Cleaner 12 Slit 13 Proximity Sensor (Sensor)
14 Infrared sensor (sensor)
21 Attitude control wheel (Attitude control member)
30 Dust collection container 40 Substrate 61 Caster push-out mechanism (attitude control member)
90, 95 Charger 100 Side plate (housing)
101 Top plate (housing)
102 Bottom plate (housing)

Claims (5)

A robot cleaner that cleans the surface to be cleaned while moving autonomously,
A robot cleaner characterized by executing a nodding operation for moving the front side of the housing up and down as one of the response operations to the user's behavior.   2. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein a swinging motion of moving the front side of the housing to the left and right is executed as one of response operations to the user's behavior.   The robot cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising a posture control member that protrudes toward an installation surface of the robot cleaner and pushes the front side of the housing upward. The nodding operation includes an operation of pushing the front side of the housing upward,
The robot cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein when the vehicle gets over an obstacle, the pushing-up operation is executed.   The robot cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the nodding operation is executed during the non-cleaning operation among the cleaning operation and the non-cleaning operation.

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