JP2023127087A - autonomous vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

To suppress a reduction in dust collection capacity in an autonomous vacuum cleaner including a ranging sensor.SOLUTION: An autonomous vacuum cleaner S according to the present invention includes: a vacuum cleaner main body 1 equipped with traveling motors 3m, 4m for driving drive wheels 3, 4; a dust case 8 that is provided to the vacuum cleaner main body 1 and collects dust; a fan motor 22 that is provided to the vacuum cleaner main body 1 and generates a suction force; and a storage battery 21 that supplies power to the traveling motors 3m, 4m and the fan motor 22. The vacuum cleaner main body 1 includes a main body front portion 1f formed forward of a front-rear direction central portion 1c of the vacuum cleaner main body 1, and a main body rear portion 1r formed in the rear. The main body front portion 1f includes a LiDAR unit 40 that is installed protruding from an upper surface of the main body front portion 1f, and that measures the distance between the autonomous vacuum cleaner S and the surroundings. The main body rear portion 1r includes the dust case 8. An upper surface 17b of the main body rear portion 1r is formed so as to be higher than an upper surface 17a of the main body front portion 1f.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to an autonomous vacuum cleaner that autonomously runs and cleans.

The autonomous vacuum cleaner is equipped with a detection means for detecting obstacles around the casing of the autonomous vacuum cleaner. LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is a means for detecting obstacles. LiDAR includes a light emitting part and a light receiving part, and detects obstacles around the housing by rotating the light emitting part and the light receiving part around the center of the LiDAR. In order to rotate the light emitting part and the light receiving part, LiDAR is installed so as to protrude from the top surface of the main body of the autonomous vacuum cleaner.

An autonomous vacuum cleaner drives a suction motor to generate suction force, and collects dust sucked in from the bottom surface of the housing into a dust collection container inside the housing. The autonomous vacuum cleaner then avoids obstacles detected by LiDAR and cleans the entire room. Such an autonomous vacuum cleaner is described in, for example, Patent Document 1.

JP 2021-112408 Publication

Since an autonomous vacuum cleaner needs to clean by entering, for example, a gap under a bed or the like, its dimension in the height direction is limited to match the gap under the bed or the like. As described in Patent Document 1, in an autonomous vacuum cleaner equipped with a LiDAR (distance measurement sensor) on the upper part of the main body, the upper position of the LiDAR is limited in the height direction. For this reason, in the autonomous vacuum cleaner described in Patent Document 1, the main body of the autonomous vacuum cleaner is designed based on the upper position of LiDAR, so the height dimension of the main body is reduced, and the inside of the main body is reduced. There was a problem in that the dust collection capacity of the dust case installed in the In the autonomous vacuum cleaner described in Patent Document 1, the frequency of garbage disposal increases, which is troublesome.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and provide an autonomous vacuum cleaner equipped with a range sensor that suppresses a reduction in dust collection capacity.

In order to achieve the above object, an autonomous vacuum cleaner of the present invention includes a vacuum cleaner body including a drive wheel and a travel motor for driving the drive wheel, and a dust collector provided in the vacuum cleaner body to collect dust. An autonomous vacuum cleaner comprising: a case; a fan motor that is included in the vacuum cleaner body and generates suction; a storage battery that supplies power to the traveling motor and the fan motor; The main body front part is formed forward of the central part of the vacuum cleaner main body in the longitudinal direction, and the main body rear part is formed behind the longitudinal central part of the vacuum cleaner main body. is provided with a first distance measuring sensor that is installed to protrude from the upper surface of the front part of the main body and measures the distance between the autonomous vacuum cleaner and the surroundings; the rear part of the main body is provided with the dust case; The upper surface of the rear part is formed higher than the upper surface of the front part of the main body.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an autonomous vacuum cleaner that is equipped with a range sensor and suppresses a reduction in dust collection capacity.

1 is an external perspective view of an autonomous vacuum cleaner S according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a left side view in the direction of movement of the autonomous vacuum cleaner S according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of an autonomous vacuum cleaner S according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which an upper cover 1u is removed from an autonomous vacuum cleaner S according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line VV in FIG. 1; 4 is a sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in FIG. 3. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line VII-VII in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a LiDAR unit 40. FIG. FIG. 1 is a control block diagram showing an autonomous vacuum cleaner S according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a configuration diagram of a cleaning system including an autonomous vacuum cleaner S according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control device 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Similar components are given the same reference numerals, and similar descriptions will not be repeated.

The various components of the present invention do not necessarily have to exist independently, and one component may be made up of multiple members, multiple components may be made of one member, or a certain component may be different from each other. It is allowed that a part of a certain component overlaps with a part of another component, etc.

In the diagram, the ceiling side is up, the floor side is down, the side in the direction of travel of the autonomous vacuum cleaner is the front, the side opposite the direction of travel of the autonomous vacuum cleaner is the back, and the left side in the direction of travel of the autonomous vacuum cleaner is the left. , the right side in the direction of movement of the autonomous vacuum cleaner is defined as right.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an autonomous vacuum cleaner S according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a left side view in the traveling direction of the autonomous vacuum cleaner S according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the autonomous vacuum cleaner S according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which the top cover 1u is removed from the autonomous vacuum cleaner S according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line VV in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 3. FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line VII-VII in FIG. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the LiDAR unit 40.

The autonomous vacuum cleaner S is an electric device that automatically cleans a predetermined cleaning area (for example, the floor surface Y of a room (see FIGS. 2 and 5)) while autonomously moving thereon. The autonomous vacuum cleaner S also includes a vacuum cleaner main body 1, a bumper 2 that covers the side periphery of the vacuum cleaner main body 1, a pair of drive wheels 3 and 4 (see FIG. 3), an auxiliary wheel 5 (see FIG. 3), and It is equipped with a side brush 6.

The vacuum cleaner main body 1 has an upper cover 1u forming at least a part of the top surface and a lower case 1s forming at least a part of the bottom surface. Further, the cleaner body 1 includes a front body part 1f in front of the center part 1c in the front-rear direction, and a rear part 1r in the rear of the center part 1c in the front-rear direction. The upper surface of the vacuum cleaner main body 1 (upper cover 1u) is formed in a step shape so that the heights in the vertical direction are different from each other with the center portion 1c in the front-rear direction as a boundary. Note that the front-rear direction central portion 1c does not necessarily mean the center position in the front-rear direction, but means a position where a step is formed.

A LiDAR unit 40 (Light Detection and Ranging) is installed in the front part 1f of the cleaner body 1. The LiDAR unit 40 is provided so as to protrude upward from the upper surface 17a of the main body front part 1f. The center of the LiDAR unit 40 in the front-rear direction overlaps with the storage battery 21, and a rotational drive motor 42 for rotating the LiDAR 41 is arranged on the side of the storage battery 21, so that the lower surface of the rotational drive motor 42 is connected to the storage battery 21. By arranging it below the top surface of the battery 21, the main body size can be reduced.

Further, a dust case 8 is provided at the rear part 1r of the cleaner body 1. The dust case 8 is provided so as to be removable upward from the rear part 1r of the main body, and is attached with a rotatable handle 8a which becomes a handle for the user when removing it from the rear part 1r of the main body. Although details will be described later, the upper surface 17b of the rear main body 1r is formed to be higher than the upper surface 17a of the front main body 1f.

The bumper 2 is provided in front of the center portion 1c of the cleaner body 1 in the front-rear direction, and has an end portion 2a provided at the center portion 1c of the cleaner body 1 in the front-rear direction. That is, the bumper 2 is integrally formed on the front surface and both left and right side surfaces of the cleaner main body 1 up to the end 2a of the central portion 1c in the front-rear direction. With this configuration, there is no gap in the bumper 2, and noise leaking from the bumper 2 is suppressed, making the autonomous vacuum cleaner S quieter.

The bumper 2 may be provided in such a manner that at least the front side circumference of the cleaner body 1 is movable in the horizontal direction, particularly in the front-back direction. In addition, when the autonomous vacuum cleaner S moves and comes into contact with an obstacle, the bumper 2 is pushed by the force caused by the contact, and the bumper 2 is moved inside the autonomous vacuum cleaner S (in front of the autonomous vacuum cleaner S). If it contacts the bumper 2 on the side, it can be displaced toward the rear).

As shown in FIG. 3, the drive wheels 3 and 4 are wheels as an example of a drive unit, and are attached to the lower case 1s. Furthermore, by rotating the drive wheels 3 and 4 themselves, the autonomous vacuum cleaner S can move forward, backward, and turn (including a super-turn). Further, the driving wheels 3 and 4 are arranged on both the left and right sides, and are rotationally driven by wheel units each composed of traveling motors 3m and 4m (see FIG. 4) and deceleration mechanisms 3b and 4b (see FIG. 3). Further, the driving wheels 3 and 4 are provided approximately at the center in the front-rear direction and near the outer periphery (outside) of the lower case in the left-right direction.

Further, the lower case 1s is provided with drive mechanism housing portions 11, 11 (see FIG. 3) that house drive mechanisms including travel motors 3m, 4m, arms 3a, 4a, and deceleration mechanisms 3b, 4b. It is being

Further, on the rear side of the drive wheels 3, 4 and the drive mechanism housing parts 11, 11, a suction port 12 that houses the rotating brush 14 and sucks in dirt, a scraping brush 15, etc. are provided.

The rotating brush 14 is arranged substantially parallel to an axis (in the left-right direction) passing through the rotation centers of the drive wheels 3 and 4. Further, the rotating brush 14 is driven by a rotating brush motor 14a (see FIG. 4).

The scraping brush 15 is arranged parallel to the rotation axis of the rotating brush 14. Further, the scraping brush 15 is composed of a so-called lint brush, and is configured to rotate within a predetermined angular range.

The auxiliary wheel 5 is a driven wheel and is a caster that rotates freely. Further, the auxiliary wheel 5 is provided on the front side of the autonomous vacuum cleaner S in the front-rear direction and approximately in the center in the left-right direction. Further, the auxiliary wheels 5, together with the drive wheels 3 and 4, contribute to keeping the lower case 1s at a predetermined height from the floor surface Y (see FIG. 5). In addition, the drive wheels 3 and 4 and the auxiliary wheels 5 allow the autonomous vacuum cleaner S to move smoothly. The auxiliary wheels 5 rotate due to the frictional force generated between the autonomous vacuum cleaner S and the floor surface Y as the autonomous vacuum cleaner S moves, and are pivoted on the lower case 1s so that the auxiliary wheels 5 can rotate 360° in the horizontal direction. ing.

The side brush 6 is placed to either the left or right from the center of the vacuum cleaner body 1 in the left-right direction, and a part of the side brush 6 is located outside the vacuum cleaner body 1 to scrape out dust from places that are difficult for the rotating brush 14 to reach, such as near walls. , a brush that leads to the mouthpiece 12. Further, the side brush 6 has three bundles of brushes extending radially at intervals of 120° in a plan view, and is arranged on the front side of the lower case 1s. Further, the base of the side brush 6 is fixed to the side brush holder 6a. In this embodiment, the side brush 6 is placed on the left side in the direction of travel, but it may be placed on the right side in the direction of travel. It may be placed at least on either the left or right side.

The bristles of the side brush 6 are inclined so as to approach the floor surface Y (see FIG. 5) toward the tip, and the vicinity of the tip is in contact with the floor surface. In addition, the side brush 6 rotates to sweep the front outer area of the autonomous vacuum cleaner S from the outer side to the inner side in the left and right direction, as shown by arrow α1 (see FIG. 3), and cleans the floor. Dust on surface Y is collected on the central rotating brush 14 side. Note that the side brush 6 is rotationally driven by a side brush motor 6b (see FIGS. 4 and 6). A portion of the side brush 6 protrudes outward from the cleaner body 1 (see FIGS. 1 and 3) in plan view.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the autonomous vacuum cleaner S is placed on the floor surface Y, the rotation shaft 6c of the side brush 6 is positioned above the vertical line V from the floor surface Y. It is tilted at an angle θ so as to fall forward. In this embodiment, the angle θ is 15°.

The side brush 6 rotates around the inclined rotation shaft 6c by the driving force of the side brush motor 6b, so when the side brush 6 is located in the front, it contacts the floor surface Y, and when it is located in the rear, it contacts the floor surface Y. It moves away from the floor Y. In other words, the side brush 6 is in contact with the floor surface Y at the front where dust is to be collected, and the side brush 6 is separated from the floor surface Y at the rear where it is not desired to scatter the dust. In this embodiment, with this configuration, it is possible to efficiently collect dust without scattering it around.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the lower case 1s is provided with floor distance measuring sensors 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d at four locations on the front, back, left, and right. The floor distance measuring sensor 13a is located in front of the auxiliary wheels 5. The floor distance measuring sensor 13c is located on the outer peripheral side between the drive wheel 4 and the left side brush 6. The floor distance measurement sensor 13b is located symmetrically with respect to the floor distance measurement sensor 13c. The floor distance measuring sensor 13d is located behind the scraping brush 15.

Further, the lower case 1s is provided with connection parts 16, 16 that are electrically connected to the charging stand. The connecting portion 16 is located between the side brush holder 6a and the floor distance measuring sensor 13a.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 5, the autonomous vacuum cleaner S includes a LiDAR unit 40 (first distance measurement sensor) as an example of a distance measurement sensor using light, a camera (image pickup ) 50, a distance measurement sensor 60 (second distance measurement sensor), a distance measurement sensor 61 (third distance measurement sensor), and an infrared light receiving section 70. The LiDAR unit 40 (Light Detection and Ranging) is arranged on the upper surface 17b of the front part 1f of the autonomous vacuum cleaner S. As shown in FIG. 1, the camera 50, distance measuring sensor 60, and infrared light receiving section 70 are arranged in front of the main body front part 1f so as to face the front side.

The distance sensor 61 is arranged on the side surface of the cleaner main body 1 on the side where the side brush 6 is arranged, of the left and right sides in the direction of movement of the autonomous vacuum cleaner S. In this embodiment, the distance measurement sensor 61 is arranged so as to face the left side in the direction of movement of the autonomous vacuum cleaner S.

The infrared light receiving section 70 receives an infrared signal (charging stand return signal) transmitted from the charging stand.

The autonomous vacuum cleaner S of this embodiment includes drive wheels 3 and 4 that drive the cleaner body 1, a LiDAR unit 40 provided in the cleaner body 1, and a camera provided on the front and side surfaces of the cleaner body 1. (imaging unit) 50 and a camera (imaging unit) 50 provided in the cleaner body 1, it is possible to accurately create a map of the cleaning location.

As shown in FIG. 8, the LiDAR unit 40 is divided into an upper rotating part 40a and a lower fixed part 40b. The upper side includes a LiDAR 41 which is a distance sensor that measures the distance between the autonomous vacuum cleaner S and the surroundings using light such as infrared rays, and a photointerrupter that detects the angle of the LiDAR 41 on a horizontal plane. The lower fixed part includes a rotary drive motor 42 for rotating the LiDAR 41, a bearing that reduces the frictional force between the belt 43 that transmits the rotation of the rotary drive motor 42 to the LiDAR 41, and the fixed part when the rotating part rotates, and a photo interrupter. consists of protrusions for detecting angles on the horizontal plane. The LiDAR 41 includes a light emitting section 41a and a light receiving section 41b, and measures the distance to an object using trigonometry based on the light emitting angle of the light emitting section 41a and the light receiving angle of the light receiving section 41b. In this embodiment, the light emitting section 41a is an infrared light emitting section, and the light receiving section 41b is an infrared light receiving section, and these are configured as one unit.

The angle on the horizontal plane with respect to the vacuum cleaner body 1 is determined by the angle of each protrusion on the fixed part 40b fixed to the cleaner body 1 and the photointerrupter of the rotating part, and the protrusion detected between the light emitting element and the light receiving element of the photointerrupter. The angle of the rotating part on the horizontal plane is detected by the number of pieces. Only one protrusion in the front direction of the cleaner body 1 is made shorter than the other protrusions, the angle of the front face of the cleaner body 1 is detected, and each angle is detected by the number of protrusions detected from there.

The position and velocity vector of the vacuum cleaner body 1 on the map are specified while creating surrounding map information based on the angle of the vacuum cleaner body 1 on the horizontal plane measured by the LiDAR unit 40 and the distance to an obstacle. Note that the long-range surrounding detection sensor may be any distance measuring sensor capable of measuring 1 m or more, such as a millimeter wave radar or an ultrasonic sensor, instead of the LiDAR 41. Further, the rotation angle of the rotating part of the LiDAR unit 40 is not limited to 360 degrees, and it is sufficient that the belt can be replaced with a link mechanism to measure 60 degrees or more. The rotation may be performed as a swinging motion. The LiDAR distance measurement method may be a time of flight method that uses the phase difference between the light from the light emitting part and the light receiving part instead of the trigonometric method.

Moreover, the LiDAR unit 40 can detect obstacles further away by changing the intensity of the light of the LiDAR 41. However, if the intensity of the light from the LiDAR 41 is always kept high, power consumption will increase, so it is better to lower the intensity when there is no need to detect distant obstacles. Furthermore, by increasing the rotational speed of the rotary drive motor 42, obstacles can be detected in more detail. However, if the rotational speed of the rotary drive motor 42 is always kept high, the power consumption will increase, so when it is not necessary to detect an obstacle at a detailed angle, it is preferable to lower the rotational speed.

The camera (imaging unit) 50 is a monocular camera, and is located on the central axis of the front surface of the cleaner body 1. Furthermore, the camera 50 can detect the shape and position of objects more accurately than the LiDAR unit 40, making it easier to avoid obstacles. Furthermore, since the camera 50 can have a wider angle of view in the vertical direction than the LiDAR unit 40, obstacles on the floor can be avoided. For example, it can prevent clothes on the floor from getting caught in the brush or cords from getting tangled with the brush. In this way, by using the camera 50 in conjunction with the LiDAR unit 40, it is possible to detect the rough location of obstacles over a wide range, while clearly detecting the shape and position of obstacles at a short distance. It becomes possible to distinguish.

Further, the camera 50 can change the frame rate. For example, when detecting nearby obstacles, the frame rate is increased, and when moving in a large area with no obstacles, the frame rate is decreased. As a result, it is not necessary to constantly operate the camera 50 at a high frame rate, so that the power consumption of the camera 50 can be suppressed.

In this way, in this embodiment, by using both the LiDAR 41 and the camera 50, distance information and shape information to the obstacle can be detected with high accuracy. More specifically, when creating a map of the cleaning area, the position information of detected obstacles etc. is detected and mapped mainly or exclusively using LiDAR 41, and the shape information is mainly or exclusively used using the camera. Can be detected and mapped. In order to make these connections highly accurate, in this embodiment, the LiDAR 41 and the camera are provided adjacent to each other (within a distance of 10 cm, 5 cm, or 3 cm).

Furthermore, the focal length of the camera may be adjusted or the moving speed of the cleaner body 1 may be changed (for example, decelerated) based on the distance information detected by the LiDAR 41.

The distance measuring sensor 60 (second distance measuring sensor) is an ultrasonic sensor, and measures the distance to an obstacle by emitting ultrasonic waves and measuring the time until the ultrasonic waves return. The distance measuring sensors 60 are provided at two locations on both the left and right sides of the front of the cleaner body 1.

Further, on the left side in the direction of movement of the vacuum cleaner body 1, a distance measurement sensor 61 (third distance measurement sensor) has a detection range that is, for example, about 1/10 or more shorter than that of LiDAR, and detects relatively nearby obstacles (for example, about 1 m, etc.). It is an infrared sensor that measures a distance (preferably up to about 50 cm or 30 cm or less), and is constituted by, for example, a PSD (Position Sensitive Detector) sensor. The distance measurement sensor 61 includes a light emitting section that emits infrared rays and a light receiving section that receives reflected light that is returned after being reflected by an obstacle. The distance to the obstacle is calculated based on the reflected light detected by the light receiving section. Specifically, the distance to the obstacle is calculated based on the position where the reflected light is received, the time until the reflected light is received, the amount and intensity of the reflected light, etc. Note that the distance measurement sensor 61 is not limited to a PSD sensor, and may be an ultrasonic sensor. By providing the distance sensor 61 on the side where the side brush 6 is arranged in this way, the autonomous vacuum cleaner S can be brought close to the wall and the side brush 6 can be brought into contact with the wall, allowing cleaning along the wall. It can be performed.

The autonomous vacuum cleaner S is electrically connected to the charging stand via the connection part 16 and supplies power to the storage battery 21 . In addition, the autonomous vacuum cleaner S specifies the direction of the charging stand with respect to the cleaner body 1 according to the type of received infrared rays by receiving three types of infrared LEDs emitted from the charging stand with the infrared receiver 70. do.

As shown in FIG. 5, the autonomous vacuum cleaner S includes a storage battery 21, a fan motor 22, a dust sensor 80, a first control board 10a, and a second control board 10b.

The storage battery 21 is arranged in front of the fan motor 22, and connects various motors such as travel motors 3m and 4m (see FIG. 4), side brush motor 6b (see FIGS. 4 and 6), rotating brush motor 14a, and fan motor 22, Power is supplied to various sensors such as a bumper sensor (not shown), a camera 50, distance sensors 60 and 61, floor distance sensors 13a to 13d, and a LiDAR unit 40.

The first control board 10a and the second control board 10b constitute a control device 30 (see FIG. 9), which will be described later. The first control board 10a extends from a central position in the front-rear direction of the autonomous vacuum cleaner S toward the front, avoiding the LiDAR unit 40, and is disposed above the fan motor 22. The second control board 10b is disposed at the front of the autonomous vacuum cleaner S in the front-rear direction, and in front of the fan motor 22 (behind the camera 50 and the ranging sensors 60 and 61). The first control board 10a is arranged to extend in the horizontal direction, and the second control board 10b is arranged to extend in the vertical direction.

The first control board 10a controls the travel motors 3m and 4m, the side brush motor 6b, the rotary brush motor 14a, the fan motor 22, the dust sensor 80, the floor distance measuring sensors 13a to 13d, and the like. The second control board 10b controls the camera 50, distance measuring sensors 60, 61, LiDAR unit 40, and the like. In this embodiment, since the control board is divided into the first control board 10a and the second control board 10b, for example, the camera 50, distance measuring sensors 60, 61, LiDAR unit 40, and second control board 10b are configured separately. The wiring to be connected can be shortened, and the workability of assembling the autonomous vacuum cleaner S can be improved.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the storage battery 21 is composed of a plurality of cells 21a, 21b, and 21c, and the cells 21a and 21b are arranged one behind the other in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cells (see FIG. 5), and the cells 21a and 21c are arranged in series along the longitudinal direction of the cells (see FIG. 7). Moreover, as shown in FIG. 7, the storage battery 21 is arranged on the side opposite to the side where the side brush 6 is arranged from the left-right center in the traveling direction of the autonomous vacuum cleaner S. That is, the cell 21a is arranged at the left and right center in the traveling direction of the autonomous vacuum cleaner S, and the cell 21c is arranged on the opposite side to the side where the side brush 6 is arranged. In this embodiment, the cell 21c, which is a part of the storage battery 21, is arranged on the side opposite to the side where the side brush 6 is arranged, so that the side brush motor 6b and the storage battery 21 do not interfere with each other. It is possible to suppress an increase in the height dimension of the cleaner body 1.

The fan motor 22 (see FIG. 5) generates a suction force to collect the dust scraped off by the rotating brush 14 into the dust case 8. The fan motor 22 includes a motor section 22a, a fan 22b driven by the motor section 22a, and a rotating shaft 22c connecting the motor section 22a and the fan 22b. Further, the fan motor 22 is provided between the drive wheels 3 and 4 at the center in the front-rear direction.

The dust case 8 includes an inlet 8c that serves as an inlet for dust, a dust accommodating section 8d that accommodates dust, and a guide rib 8e that guides the dust that has flowed in from the inlet 8c to the dust accommodating section 8d. The guide ribs 8e are arranged to extend in the up-down direction (vertical direction). As shown by arrow A in FIG. 5, the dust flowing in from the inlet 8c moves upward along the guide rib 8e, changes its flow direction at the upper end of the guide rib 8e, and moves forward. The dust is stored in the dust storage section 8d. A dust filter 8b is arranged between the dust case 8 and the fan motor 22.

The air taken into the dust case 8 together with dust is taken into the fan motor 22 via the dust collection filter 8b. The exhaust air from the fan motor 22 is mainly exhausted to the outside of the autonomous vacuum cleaner S from the exhaust port 1t formed in the lower case 1s (see Figure 4), but a portion is exhausted toward the front of the cleaner body 1. The exhaust gas is used to cool the rotary drive motor 42.

As shown in FIG. 5, the rotation shaft 22c of the fan motor 22 of this embodiment is arranged to extend in the front-rear direction of the vacuum cleaner body 1, and the autonomous vacuum cleaner S is placed on the floor Y. In this state, the dust collecting filter 8b side (rear side) is inclined and arranged so that it is higher. The fan 22b attached to the rotating shaft 22c faces the dust filter 8b, and air flows smoothly from the inlet 8c, the guide rib 8e, the dust storage section 8d, to the dust filter 8b. This suppresses ventilation resistance and improves dust collection efficiency.

FIG. 9 is a control block diagram showing an autonomous vacuum cleaner S according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 9, the control device 30 centrally controls the autonomous vacuum cleaner S, and is configured by, for example, a microcomputer and peripheral circuits mounted on a board. A microcomputer reads a control program stored in a ROM (Read Only Memory), expands it to a RAM (Random Access Memory), and executes it by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), thereby realizing various processes. The peripheral circuit includes an A/D/D/A converter, a sensor drive circuit, a charging circuit for the storage battery 21, as well as a map creation section, an image processing section, a self-position determination section, a travel route creation section, and a travel control section. ing.

The control device 30 also operates the operation button 7 that allows the user to input commands, a bumper sensor (not shown), floor distance sensors 13a to 13d, a distance sensor 60, a camera 50, LiDAR 41, and a dust sensor. 80, performs arithmetic processing according to the signal input from the communication means 90, and outputs the signal after the arithmetic processing. Although not shown, the communication means 90 is provided at an arbitrary position on the cleaner body 1.

The autonomous vacuum cleaner S starts running from the charging stand and cleans the floor, etc., for example, when instructed by the user or at a scheduled start time. When the cleaning is finished, the autonomous vacuum cleaner returns to the charging stand.

FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram of a cleaning system including an autonomous vacuum cleaner S according to an embodiment of the present invention. The cleaning system of this embodiment includes an autonomous vacuum cleaner S, a wireless LAN router 200, an information terminal device 100, and a home appliance server 300.

The autonomous vacuum cleaner S can be wirelessly connected to a home appliance server 300 outside the house via a wireless LAN router 200 installed in the house. Furthermore, the autonomous vacuum cleaner S can communicate with the information terminal device 100 outside the home and inside the home via the wireless LAN router 200 and the home appliance server 300. When the autonomous vacuum cleaner S communicates with the information terminal device 100 in the house, it communicates with the information terminal device 100 in the house via the wireless LAN router 200, the home appliance server 300, the wireless LAN router 200, and the home appliance server 300.

The information terminal device 100 can make a schedule reservation for the autonomous vacuum cleaner S, and instruct the autonomous vacuum cleaner S to start and stop cleaning, via the wireless LAN router 200 and the home appliance server 300. The autonomous vacuum cleaner S that has received the schedule reservation starts cleaning at the set date and time. Furthermore, the autonomous vacuum cleaner S that has received the request to start cleaning leaves the charging stand and starts cleaning.

Furthermore, the autonomous vacuum cleaner S transmits map information created based on the information of the LiDAR 41 and the camera 50 to the information terminal device 100 via the wireless LAN router 200 and the home appliance server 300.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control device 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 11, the map creation unit 31 creates a map of the room that the autonomous vacuum cleaner S is cleaning based on the information detected by the LiDAR 41. The map information created by the map creation section 31 is a two-dimensional grid map.

The image processing unit 32 identifies obstacles from the image data captured by the camera 50, acquires information regarding the relative positions of the obstacles, and transmits the information to the map creation unit 31.

The self-position determination unit 33 determines the self-position of the autonomous vacuum cleaner S based on the information detected by the LiDAR 41 and transmits the determined position to the map creation unit 31 .

The map creation unit 31 writes the obstacle identification result including the position information of the obstacle identified by the image processing unit 32 and the self-position of the autonomous vacuum cleaner S determined by the self-position determination unit 33 on the created map. The map information and obstacle identification results created by the map creation section 31 are stored in the storage section of the control device 30.

The travel route creation unit 34 calculates the travelable range based on the self-position of the autonomous vacuum cleaner S determined by the self-position determination unit 33 and the map information stored in the storage unit, and determines the self-position. A travel route for the autonomous vacuum cleaner S is created as a starting point and transmitted to the communication means 90 and the travel control unit 35.

The travel control unit 35 controls the travel motors 3m and 4m so that the autonomous vacuum cleaner S travels according to the created travel route.

The device control unit 36 controls the travel motors 3m, 4m, the side brush motor 6b, the rotary brush motor 14a, and the fan motor 22 as the autonomous vacuum cleaner S travels.

The communication means 90 transmits the travel route created by the travel route creation unit 34 to the home appliance server 300, and also transmits the self-position of the autonomous vacuum cleaner S determined by the self-position determination unit 33 and the map information stored in the storage unit. , periodically transmits the obstacle identification results stored in the storage unit to the home appliance server 300.

Now, since an autonomous vacuum cleaner needs to clean by getting into the gap under the bed, for example, its height dimension is limited to match the gap under the bed. In an autonomous vacuum cleaner equipped with LiDAR on the upper part of the casing, the upper position of LiDAR is limited in the height direction. For this reason, in autonomous vacuum cleaners, the casing of the autonomous vacuum cleaner is designed based on the upper position of LiDAR, so the height dimension of the casing becomes smaller and it can be installed inside the casing. There was a problem that the capacity of the dust collection container became small. As a result, the frequency of garbage disposal increases, making it troublesome. Means for solving this problem will be explained using FIGS. 2, 5, and 6.

As described above, the front part 1f of the cleaner body 1 is equipped with the LiDAR unit 40, and the rear part 1r of the cleaner body 1 is equipped with the dust case 8, which is removable from the cleaner body 1. The upper surface 17b of the main body rear part 1r where the dust case 8 is provided is formed to be higher than the upper surface 17a of the main body front part 1f where the LiDAR unit 40 is installed. In other words, the upper surface 17a of the main body front part 1f is formed lower than the upper surface 17b of the main body rear part 1r. The upper surface 8u of the dust case 8 is formed flush with the upper surface 17b of the rear main body 1r.

According to this embodiment, the upper surface 17b of the rear body 1r where the dust case 8 is provided is formed to be higher than the upper surface 17a of the front body 1f where the LiDAR unit 40 is installed. Even with the autonomous vacuum cleaner S equipped with the unit 40, it is possible to clean by entering the gap under the bed, etc., and the dust collection capacity of the dust case 8 can be secured. Moreover, since the LiDAR unit 40 is provided so as to protrude from the upper surface 17a of the main body front part 1f, it is possible to suppress obstruction of obstacle detection by the LiDAR unit 40.

In the autonomous vacuum cleaner S of this embodiment, the top surface position of the LiDAR unit 40 is higher than the top surface 17b of the main body rear part 1r. Depending on the type of furniture, when the autonomous vacuum cleaner S enters the gap under the bed, etc., the top of the LiDAR unit 40 may get caught on the bed, etc., and the autonomous vacuum cleaner S may become unable to move. . If the travel motors 3m and 4m operate in a state where the autonomous vacuum cleaner S is unable to travel and continue to drive the drive wheels 3 and 4, there is a possibility that the floor surface Y may be damaged. Therefore, it is preferable to install a contact sensor on the top of the LiDAR unit 40 so that when the LiDAR unit 40 comes into contact with furniture such as a bed, the contact sensor reacts and stops driving the travel motors 3m and 4m. Alternatively, when the LiDAR unit 40 comes into contact with furniture such as a bed, the LiDAR unit 40 moves downward (toward the vacuum cleaner body 1 side), detects the vertical movement of the LiDAR unit 40, and drives the travel motors 3m and 4m. It may be stopped. Note that the driving and stopping of the traveling motors 3m and 4m is performed by the control device 30. According to this embodiment, when the autonomous vacuum cleaner S is unable to travel due to contact with an obstacle such as furniture, the control device 30 stops driving the travel motors 3m and 4m. , it is possible to suppress scratches on the floor surface Y.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and includes various modifications. The embodiments described above are described in detail to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described.

S...Autonomous vacuum cleaner, 1...Vacuum cleaner body, 1c...Front-back center part, 1f...Front part of main body, 1r...Rear part of main body, 1s...Lower case, 1t...Exhaust port, 1u...Upper cover, 2...Bumper , 2a... End, 3... Drive wheel, 3a... Arm, 3b... Reduction mechanism, 3m... Traveling motor, 4... Drive wheel, 4a... Arm, 4b... Reduction mechanism, 4m... Traveling motor, 5... Auxiliary wheel, 6 ...Side brush, 6a...Side brush holder, 6b...Side brush motor, 6c...Rotary shaft, 7...Operation button, 8...Dust case, 8a...Handle, 8b...Dust filter, 8u...Top surface, 10a...First control Substrate, 10b...Second control board, 11...Drive mechanism accommodating part, 12...Suction part, 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d...Distance measuring sensor for floor surface, 14...Rotating brush, 14a...Rotating brush motor, 15...Cleaning Removal brush, 16...Connection section, 17a, 17b...Top surface, 21...Storage battery, 21a, 21b, 21c...Cell, 22...Fan motor, 30...Control device, 31...Map creation section, 32...Image processing section, 33... Self-position determination unit, 34... Travel route creation unit, 35... Travel control unit, 36... Device control unit, 40... LiDAR unit, 41... LiDAR, 40a... Rotating unit, 40b... Fixed unit, 50... Camera, 60, 61 ...Distance sensor, 70...Infrared light receiving unit, 80...Dust sensor, 90...Communication means, 100...Information terminal device, 101...Display screen, 200...Wireless LAN router, 300...Home appliance server

Claims (11)

A vacuum cleaner body including a drive wheel and a travel motor that drives the drive wheel, a dust case included in the vacuum cleaner body to collect dust, and a fan included in the vacuum cleaner body to generate suction force. An autonomous vacuum cleaner comprising a motor and a storage battery that supplies power to the traveling motor and the fan motor,
The vacuum cleaner main body includes a main body front part formed in front of a front-back central part of the vacuum cleaner main body, and a main body rear part formed behind a front-back central part of the vacuum cleaner main body,
The front part of the main body includes a first distance measurement sensor that is installed to protrude from the upper surface of the front part of the main body and measures the distance between the autonomous vacuum cleaner and the surroundings,
The rear part of the main body includes the dust case,
The autonomous vacuum cleaner is characterized in that the upper surface of the rear part of the main body is higher than the upper surface of the front part of the main body. In claim 1,
An autonomous vacuum cleaner characterized in that a second distance measuring sensor for measuring a distance to an obstacle is disposed in front of the front part of the main body. In claim 2,
A side brush is provided on either the left or right side from the center of the vacuum cleaner body in the lateral direction, and is provided with a side brush for scraping out dust from the wall;
An autonomous vacuum cleaner, characterized in that a third distance measuring sensor for measuring a distance to an obstacle is disposed on a side surface of the vacuum cleaner main body on the side where the side brush is disposed. In claim 3,
The vacuum cleaner main body includes a first control board disposed above the fan motor to extend in the horizontal direction, and a second control board disposed in front of the fan motor to extend in the vertical direction;
The first control board controls the fan motor and the travel motor,
The autonomous vacuum cleaner is characterized in that the second control board controls the first distance measurement sensor, the second distance measurement sensor, and the third distance measurement sensor. In claim 3 or 4,
comprising a side brush motor that drives the side brush,
The rotation shaft of the side brush motor is inclined with respect to a vertical line from the floor surface so that the upper part of the rotation shaft tilts forward when the autonomous vacuum cleaner is placed on the floor surface. An autonomous vacuum cleaner characterized by the fact that In claim 3 or 4,
The storage battery is composed of a plurality of cells,
The autonomous vacuum cleaner is characterized in that some of the plurality of cells are arranged in series so as to extend from a central position in the left-right direction of the vacuum cleaner body toward a side opposite to the side where the side brush is arranged. Traveling vacuum cleaner. In claim 1,
Bumpers are integrally formed on the front and both left and right sides of the vacuum cleaner body,
An autonomous vacuum cleaner characterized in that the ends of the bumpers located on both left and right sides are located at the center of the vacuum cleaner main body in the front-rear direction. In claim 1,
The autonomous vacuum cleaner is characterized in that the dust case is removably installed upward from the rear of the main body, and the upper surface of the dust case is flush with the upper surface of the rear of the main body. In claim 8,
An autonomous vacuum cleaner characterized in that the dust case includes a guide rib arranged to extend in the vertical direction. In claim 4,
A control device is configured by the first control board and the second control board,
The autonomous vacuum cleaner is characterized in that when the first distance measurement sensor comes into contact with an obstacle, the control device controls the driving motor to stop. In claim 1,
The fan motor includes a motor section, a fan driven by the motor section, and a rotating shaft connecting the motor section and the fan,
The rotating shaft is arranged so as to extend in the front-rear direction of the vacuum cleaner main body, and is arranged at an angle so that the rear side is higher when the autonomous vacuum cleaner is placed on the floor. An autonomous vacuum cleaner.

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