JP7249496B2 - Autonomous vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an autonomous traveling cleaner.

Conventionally, autonomous traveling cleaners having a body, a drive unit, a main brush, a suction unit, side brushes, etc. have been disclosed (see Patent Documents 1 to 4, for example). Various components are mounted on the body of the autonomously traveling cleaner. A drive unit moves the body. The main brush is arranged in a suction port formed in the body and collects dirt present on the cleaning surface. The suction unit sucks dust from the suction port of the body. The side brush collects dust on the floor existing on the bottom surface of the body. That is, the autonomous traveling cleaner rotates the side brush to collect dust such as dirt on the surface to be cleaned and guide the dust to the suction port.

Conventional autonomous traveling vacuum cleaners described in the above patent documents are configured to collect dust on the floor surface by rotating side brushes provided in front of the bottom surface of the body. Therefore, most of the dust collected by the side brush is collected through the suction port on the bottom surface of the body.

JP 2012-231937 A JP 2013-146303 A JP 2016-116541 A JP 2016-154597 A

However, some of the dust adhering to the side brushes may be swept out of the machine body again by the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the side brushes and scattered on the floor surface.

In addition, the side brushes are provided on the front side of the bottom surface of the body in order to improve the performance of collecting dust on the floor surface. And the side brush rotates at a position relatively close to the floor surface. Therefore, carpet and fibrous dust easily get entangled in the side brushes, and when a strong entanglement occurs that locks the rotation of the side brushes, the base of the side brushes (bonded part) is driven by the rotation of the motor. Stress is applied directly. As a result, the flocked bristle bundles tend to curl and fall off.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems by preventing the dust from being swept out of the machine body again by the rotation of the side brush, and suppressing the entanglement of the dust on the side brush, thereby reducing the bristles of the side brush. To provide an autonomously traveling vacuum cleaner capable of extending the life of a bundle.

The autonomous traveling vacuum cleaner of the present invention includes a body, a side brush provided on the bottom surface of the body for sweeping dust on the floor surface, a brush cover provided on the bottom surface of the body and having a suction port for sucking dust, and a brush. a cleaning cloth for sweeping off dust adhering to the side brush within the rotation area of the side brush of the cover, the side brush including a brush shaft and a bristle bundle, and the cleaning cloth being between the floor surface and the floor surface. The side brushes are arranged with a predetermined gap, and when the side brush rotates, the bristle bundles pass through the gap between the cleaning cloth and the floor surface while being in contact with the cleaning cloth. It is designed to wipe off the attached dust.

A side brush is provided on the bottom of the body to sweep away dust on the floor surface, and a cleaning cloth is provided within the rotation area of the side brush to sweep off dust adhering to the side brush. When the side brush rotates, the side brush passes through the gap between the raised cleaning cloth and the floor while contacting the raised cleaning cloth, thereby wiping off the dust adhering to the side brush.

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of an autonomously traveling cleaner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the autonomous traveling vacuum cleaner Figure 3 is a bottom view of the autonomous traveling vacuum cleaner Fig. 4 is a front view of the autonomous traveling vacuum cleaner Fig. 5 is a left side view of the autonomous traveling cleaner Fig. 6 is a plan view of the autonomous traveling vacuum cleaner with the lid open Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a state in which the trash can unit of the autonomous traveling vacuum cleaner is taken out; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the lower unit of the autonomous traveling vacuum cleaner; Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the upper unit of the autonomous traveling cleaner Fig. 10 is a left cross-sectional view of the autonomous traveling vacuum cleaner Fig. 11 is a left cross-sectional view of the autonomous traveling vacuum cleaner with the trash can unit taken out. FIG. 12 is a partial view showing the rotation area of the side brush viewed from the bottom of the autonomous traveling type vacuum cleaner; FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 12, and is a cross-sectional view of the side brush. FIG. 14 shows a BB section of FIG. 12, which is a sectional view of the main part of the cleaning raising cloth FIG. 15 is a partial view showing a state of the side brush during rotation, viewed from the bottom of the autonomous traveling cleaner. FIG. 16 is a partial view showing a state of the side brush during rotation, viewed from the bottom of the autonomous traveling cleaner.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited by this embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
The configuration of an autonomously traveling cleaner 10 (sometimes simply referred to as "cleaner 10") according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 16. FIG.

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of an autonomously traveling cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the autonomous traveling cleaner. FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the autonomous traveling cleaner. FIG. 4 is a front view of the autonomous traveling cleaner. FIG. 5 is a left side view of the autonomous traveling cleaner. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the autonomous traveling cleaner with the lid open. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the autonomous traveling cleaner with the dustbin unit taken out. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a lower unit of the autonomous traveling cleaner. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an upper unit of the autonomous traveling cleaner. FIG. 10 is a left sectional view of the autonomous traveling cleaner. FIG. 11 is a left cross-sectional view of the autonomous traveling cleaner with the dustbin unit taken out. FIG. 12 is a partial view showing the rotation area of the side brush viewed from the bottom of the autonomous traveling cleaner. FIG. 13 shows a section taken along line AA of FIG. 12, which is a sectional view of the main part of the side brush. FIG. 14 shows a BB section of FIG. 12, which is a partial sectional view of the cleaning cloth. FIG. 15 shows the rotating state of the side brush viewed from the bottom of the autonomous traveling cleaner, and indicates the state where the cleaning raising cloth is 0.5 mm or less from the floor surface. FIG. 16 shows the rotating state of the side brush viewed from the bottom of the autonomous traveling cleaner, and indicates the state when the cleaning raising cloth is separated from the floor surface by 0.5 mm or more.

The autonomous traveling cleaner 10 of the present embodiment is exemplified by a robot cleaner that autonomously travels on the cleaning surface of the target area and sucks dust such as dust existing on the cleaning surface. Vacuum cleaner 10 includes a plurality of structural functional blocks. Note that the target area is, for example, a room. The surface to be cleaned is, for example, the floor surface of a room.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 13, the vacuum cleaner 10 of this embodiment includes a body 20 mounting the following various components, a cleaning unit 40, a suction unit 50, a trash can unit 60, a pair of drive units 30, a control It includes a unit 70, a power supply unit 80, and the like. Part of the drive unit 30 , part of the cleaning unit 40 , the dustbin unit 60 , the suction unit 50 , the control unit 70 and the power supply unit 80 are arranged inside the body 20 .

In the following description, as shown in the drawings, the front surface 21 side of the body 20 is the front direction, and the rear top portion 24 side is the rear direction. In addition, the side of the surface to be cleaned of the body 20 is defined as the lower side, the opposite side is defined as the upper side, and the right side of the front surface 21 of the body 20 is defined as the right side, and the left side as the left side.

Specifically, the cleaning unit 40 collects debris present in a target area, such as a room. The suction unit 50 sucks the collected dust into the body 20 . The dustbin unit 60 collects dust sucked by the suction unit 50 .

As shown in FIG. 3 , the drive unit 30 is configured as a pair, for example, and provided on the bottom side of the body 20 . The drive unit 30 moves the body 20 in a predetermined direction in cooperation with casters 90 that rotate following the rotation of the drive unit 30, which will be described later. The control unit 70 controls operations of the drive unit 30, the cleaning unit 40, the suction unit 50, and the like. The power supply unit 80 supplies power to the drive unit 30, the cleaning unit 40, the suction unit 50, the control unit 70, and the like.

Body 20 includes a lower unit 100 (see FIG. 8) and an upper unit 200 (see FIG. 9). The lower unit 100 forms the lower contour of the body 20 . The upper unit 200 forms the upper contour of the body 20 . The outer shell of the body 20 is configured by combining the lower unit 100 and the upper unit 200 .

The upper unit 200 includes a cover 210, a lid 220 (see FIGS. 1 and 7), a bumper 230, and the like. Cover 210 forms a main part of upper unit 200 . Lid 220 is disposed on cover 210 so as to be openable and closable. Bumper 230 is provided on front surface 21 side of cover 210 . Bumper 230 constitutes the outer shell of upper unit 200, is configured to be displaceable with respect to lower unit 100, and absorbs or mitigates the impact of collision with an obstacle or the like.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, the drive unit 30 is arranged on the bottom side of the lower unit 100 and includes a plurality of elements. The plurality of elements include a pair of tires 34, wheels 33 (see FIG. 10), running motor 31, housing 32, support shaft 35, and the like. The tires 34 run over the cleaning surface and move the body 20 . Wheels 33 hold tires 34 . The traveling motor 31 applies rotational torque to the wheels 33 . The housing 32 accommodates the traveling motor 31 . Housing 32 is accommodated in a recess (not shown) formed in lower unit 100 . The housing 32 rotatably supports the tire 34 with the lower unit 100 .

The wheel 33 is arranged outside the traveling motor 31 in the width direction (longitudinal direction) of the main brush 43 . This arrangement widens the distance between the right wheel 33 and the left wheel 33 compared to the case where the wheel 33 is arranged inside the traveling motor 31 . Therefore, the stability of the body 20 is improved during running.

The vacuum cleaner 10 of the present embodiment is driven by an opposed two-wheel drive system. That is, in the cleaner 10 , the right drive unit 30 and the left drive unit 30 are arranged to face each other in the width direction (horizontal direction) of the body 20 . The rotation axis H of the right wheel 33 and the rotation axis H of the left wheel 33 shown in FIG. Further, the rotation shafts H of the left and right wheels 33 are fixed to suspensions 36 (see FIG. 8) via support shafts 35 . The suspension 36 serves as a cushion that reduces vibrations applied to the body 20 due to unevenness of the surface to be cleaned or the like during driving.

Further, the lower unit 100 includes the casters 90 described above near the rear top portion 24 of the body 20 on the rear lower surface side. The caster 90 is rotatably supported by the lower unit 100 via a support shaft 91 and a support shaft 92 . That is, the body 20 is supported on the surface to be cleaned at three points, the left and right drive units 30 and the casters 90 . Therefore, the body 20 can always be stably moved.

The cleaning unit 40 is arranged in the lower unit 100 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 8 and includes a plurality of elements. The multiple elements include, for example, a brush drive motor 41, a gearbox 42, a main brush 43, side brushes 44, and the like. Brush drive motor 41 and gearbox 42 are arranged inside body 20 . The main brush 43 is arranged at the suction port 101 of the body 20 . The side brushes 44 are arranged on the left and right front apexes 23 at the intersections of the front surface 21 and the left and right side surfaces 22 of the body 20, as shown in FIG. The side brush 44 includes a brush shaft 44A and a bristle bundle 44B fixed to the brush shaft 44A and arranged to protrude downward from the body 20. As shown in FIG. The brush shaft 44A is fixed to the gearbox 42 (see FIG. 8).

As shown in FIG. 12, the side brushes 44 are composed of, for example, 2:4 bristle bundles 44B composed of first bristle bundles 44BA and second bristle bundles 44BB having different lengths. At this time, the first bristle bundle 44BA is positioned ahead of the second bristle bundle 44BB in the rotational direction. The length of the first bristle bundle 44BA is formed longer than the length of the second bristle bundle 44BB. At this time, the length of the second bristle bundle 44BB is configured such that the distal end portion contacts at least a cleaning raised cloth 121 (see FIG. 3), which will be described later, during rotation. Specifically, the length of the first bristle bundle 44BA is approximately 52 mm, and the length of the second bristle bundle 44BB is approximately 44 mm.

One pair of bristle bundles 44B and the other pair of bristle bundles 44B are provided at two-fold rotational symmetry of 180 degrees with respect to the rotation axis of the brush shaft 44A.

Further, the first bristle bundle 44BA and the second bristle bundle 44BB, which constitute a pair of bristle bundles 44B, are planted at different angles with respect to the brush shaft 44A. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12 , the first bristle bundle 44BA and the second bristle bundle 44BB are substantially V-shaped (including V-shaped) different rotations with respect to the brush shaft 44A in the rotational direction. Flocked at an angle. For example, with the second bristle bundle 44BB as a reference, the first bristle bundle 4
4BA is planted at an advanced rotation angle of 8° to 10° in the rotation direction with respect to the brush shaft 44A.

Also, the second bristle bundle 44BB is planted at a different inclination angle, for example, 12° from the horizontal direction, which is inclined further downward than the first bristle bundle 44BA in the vertical direction. Specifically, the first bristle bundle 44BA is planted at an inclination angle of 31° from the horizontal direction of the brush shaft 44A, and the second bristle bundle 44BB is planted at an inclination angle of 43°.

That is, in the present embodiment, the length and angle of each of the first bristle bundle 44BA and the second bristle bundle 44BB, which constitute the pair of bristle bundles 44B, are set appropriately so as to increase the collection area during rotation. is determined by

As described above, the side brushes 44 are arranged on the front top portion 23 projecting left and right forward of the cleaner 10 (see FIG. 1). With this arrangement, dust in the corners of the room can be collected with higher collection performance.

Also, the brush drive motor 41 and the gearbox 42 are attached to the lower unit 100 as shown in FIG. An output shaft (not shown) of the brush drive motor 41 is connected to a gearbox 42, a main brush 43 (see FIG. 3) and left and right front side brushes 44. As shown in FIG. Thereby, the rotational output of the brush drive motor 41 is transmitted to the main brush 43 and the side brushes 44 .

The longitudinal length of the main brush 43 is substantially the same as the longitudinal length of the suction port 101 formed in the lower unit 100 . The main brush 43 is rotatably supported with respect to the lower unit 100 by bearings (not shown). The bearings are arranged in one or both of the gearbox 42 and the lower unit 100, for example. At this time, the main brush 43 rotates, for example, in a direction to send out the dust to the front side of the body 20 .

Also, the main brush 43 is protected by a brush cover 120, as shown in FIGS. The brush cover 120 has a cleaning raised cloth 121 arranged on the side of the surface to be cleaned. As shown in FIG. 14, the cleaning raising blanket 121 is positioned slightly away from the floor surface to provide a small gap E, which will be described later, with the floor surface.

As shown in FIG. 16, when the rotating side brushes 44 pass through the raised cleaning cloth surface, the side brushes pass through a slight gap provided between the floor surface and the side brushes while spreading, so that the side brushes pass through the raised cleaning cloth surface. The purpose is to clean the side brushes 44 by sweeping off dust adhering to them.

Therefore, the side brushes 44 are always kept dust-free in the floor-contacting area of the bristle bundle 44B. That is, when collecting dust or the like while the main body is running in the front-rear direction, dust with a relatively large mass is collected in the suction port 101 via the side brush 44 when the side brush 44 rotates, and is sucked. be done. However, for example, sebum components and fibrous fine dust with a small mass tend to remain attached to the side brush 44 . Therefore, fine dust may not be reliably sucked and removed by the suction port 101 and may be swept out again by the centrifugal separation of the side brush 44 . Therefore, in the present embodiment, a cleaning cloth 121 is provided in the rotation area of the side brush 44 so that the dust adhering to the floor contact area of the side brush 44 can be swept off and removed by suction. It consists of

As shown in FIG. 14, it is effective to provide a small gap between the cleaning cloth 121 and the floor surface, and the gap E is set to be at least 0.5 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less. is desirable, and as a more effective dimension within that range, the cleaning raising cloth 121 is set at a distance of, for example, 1.0 mm from the floor surface.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 15, when the gap between the cleaning cloth and the floor surface is set to be less than 0.5 mm, the first bristle bundle 44BA of the side brush 44 is set to the gap between the cleaning cloth 121 and the floor surface. , the first bristle bundle 44BA and the second bristle bundle 44BB are bent in accordance with the rotation of the side brush.

In such a state as shown in FIG. 15, dust attached to the first bristle bundle 44BA is wiped off via the cleaning cloth 121, but the second bristle bundle 44BB is removed from the first bristle bundle 44BA. , and is not in contact with the cleaning cloth 121, the attached dust is swept out again by the centrifugal separation of the side brush 44 without being swept off.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 13, in the cleaner 10 of the present embodiment, the distance D between the brush shaft 44A of the side brush 44 and the floor surface is set to , 10 mm or more and 18 mm or less.

When the distance D exceeds 18 mm, the first bristle bundle 44BA and the second bristle bundle 44BB of the side brush 44 are planted at an inclination angle of more than about 60° from the horizontal direction of the brush shaft 44A in the vertical direction. This reduces the area where the first bristle bundle 44BA and the second bristle bundle 44BB bend and contact the cleaning surface. Therefore, the area cleaned by the side brushes 44 is reduced, and there is a concern that the cleaning efficiency will be lowered.

Specifically, in the vacuum cleaner 10 of the present embodiment, the distance D from the floor is set to 12 mm, for example, when the tire 34 is in the most depressed state. Normally, the vacuum cleaner 10 is configured so that the body 20 is lifted by the suspension 36 in order to cope with step climbing. Therefore, when the tire 34 is completely protruding from the body 20, it protrudes from the body 20 by about 40 mm.

However, in reality, the step sensor works when it is far from the floor surface. Also, the weight of the body 20 prevents the suspension 36 from being lifted up to 40 mm. Further, when the side brush 44 is far away from the floor, the side brush 44 is separated from the floor and the area to be cleaned is reduced. Therefore, considering the above points, the distance D is preferably about 20 to 25 mm or less, more preferably 18 mm or less.

On the other hand, if the distance D is set to be less than 10 mm, which is close to the floor surface, the side brushes 44 and the carpet are likely to get entangled when the body 20 approaches the carpet with a soft base material or a long pile carpet. Also, when going over a step, the brush shaft 44A comes into contact with the step of the carpet first, and the carpet cannot be climbed over.

Therefore, the brush shaft 44A of the side brush 44, which is a rotating body, is arranged apart from the floor by approximately 10 mm or more and 18 mm or less. This suppresses entanglement between the brush shaft 44A and a carpet or the like. Furthermore, collision between the brush shaft 44A and a step corresponding to the thickness of the carpet, for example, can be avoided.

The suction unit 50, as shown in FIGS. 8, 10 and 11, is arranged in the lower unit 100 and includes a plurality of elements. Specifically, the suction unit 50 is arranged, for example, on the rear side of the trash can unit 60 and on the front side of the power supply unit 80 . The multiple elements include, for example, the fan case 52 and the electric fan 51 arranged inside the fan case 52 .

The fan case 52 has an air intake port 52A that contacts the outlet 61B of the trash can unit 60, which is arranged in front. The electric fan 51 sucks the internal air from the outlet 61B of the trash box unit 60 through the air inlet 52A. The sucked air is discharged outward behind the electric fan 51 . Specifically, the air discharged from the electric fan 51 passes through the space inside the fan case 52 and the space inside the body 20 . Then, it is discharged from inside the body 20 to the outside through an exhaust port 211 (see FIG. 7) formed in the upper unit 200 .

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the trash can unit 60 is located behind the main brush 43, forward of the suction unit 50, and between the pair of drive units 30 (see FIG. 3). placed inside. The trash can unit 60 is detachably attached to the body 20 by opening the lid 220 . In other words, the trash can unit 60 has a detachable structure that allows it to be attached to the body 20 and detached from the body 20 .

Also, the trash box unit 60 is accommodated in the trash box storage section 250 and includes a plurality of elements (see FIG. 11). The multiple elements include, for example, a trash can 61 with an inlet 61A, an outlet 61B and a bottom 61C for collecting dust, a filter 62 for collecting fine dust, and the like.

The trash can unit 60 functions as follows.

First, the suction unit 50 sucks dust on the floor together with air through the suction port 101 (see FIG. 3) of the cleaning unit 40 . The sucked air containing dust enters the dustbin 61 through the inlet 61A through the duct 110 (see FIG. 8) provided in the lower unit 100. As shown in FIG. Large dust that has entered the dustbin 61 accumulates on the bottom portion 61C. On the other hand, air containing fine dust (such as small dust particles) that has entered the dustbin 61 is filtered by the filter 62 of the suction unit 50 that is in contact with the outlet 61B of the dustbin 61 . Then, the air from which the dust has been filtered is discharged to the outside from the air outlet 211 (see FIG. 7) of the body 20 via the suction unit 50 . As a result, dust is collected in the trash box unit 60 in a disposable state.

The control unit 70 is arranged behind the suction unit 50 inside the body 20 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10 .

Further, the cleaner 10 of this embodiment includes a plurality of sensors, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 8. FIG. The multiple sensors include, for example, an obstacle detection sensor 71, a side distance measurement sensor 72, a collision detection sensor 73, a floor surface detection sensor 74, a derailment detection switch 75, and the like.

The obstacle detection sensor 71 (see FIG. 1) is provided in the front center of the body 20 and detects an obstacle present in front. The obstacle detection sensor 71 has a laser emitting portion 71A and a laser receiving portion 71B. Specifically, the obstacle detection sensor 71 emits laser light forward from the laser light emitting section 71A. Reflected light from an obstacle or the like is received by the laser light receiving section 71B and read. Further, an ultrasonic wave transmitting section 71C and an ultrasonic wave receiving section 71D are provided. Specifically, the obstacle detection sensor 71 forwardly transmits ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic wave transmitting section 71C. Then, the ultrasonic wave receiving section 71D receives and reads the reflection from an obstacle or the like. Thereby, the obstacle detection sensor 71 detects an obstacle present in front of the body 20 .

Side distance measurement sensors 72 (see FIG. 4) are provided, for example, two on the left and right sides of the front side of the side surface of the body 20, and detect the distance between an obstacle present on the side surface side and the body 20, and perform cleaning along the wall. come true. A collision detection sensor 73 (see FIG. 9) is provided in front of the upper unit 200 of the body 20 and detects a collision between the body 20 and surrounding objects. A plurality of floor detection sensors 74 (see FIG. 3) are provided at various locations of the lower unit 100 of the body 20 and detect whether or not there is a surface to be cleaned on the bottom side of the body 20 . The derailment detection switch 75 (see FIG. 8) is arranged behind the left and right drive units 30, respectively, and detects derailment of the tire 34 or the like.

The obstacle detection sensor 71, the side distance measurement sensor 72, the collision detection sensor 73, the floor surface detection sensor 74, and the wheel derailment detection switch 75 output detection signals to the control unit 70, respectively. The control unit 70 controls each unit based on the input detection signal.

Furthermore, the cleaner 10 of the present embodiment includes an interface section 240 as shown in FIG. The interface unit 240 includes, for example, a panel 241, operation buttons 242, a display unit 243, and the like. The user can check each operation status and operating state of the cleaner 10 via the interface unit 240 .

Specifically, the display unit 243 of the interface unit 240 is detected by the obstacle detection sensor 71, the side distance measurement sensor 72, the collision detection sensor 73, the floor surface detection sensor 74 and the derailment detection switch 75. 10 error conditions, etc. are displayed. Thereby, the user can confirm the error status of the cleaner 10 via the display unit 243 .

In addition, the user can instruct each operation of the body 20 via the operation button 242 of the interface section 240 and each button of the panel 241 .

Vacuum cleaner 10 of the present embodiment further includes power supply unit 80 including a plurality of elements, as shown in FIG. 10 . The power supply unit 80 supplies power to the drive unit 30 , the cleaning unit 40 , the suction unit 50 and the control unit 70 . Specifically, the power supply unit 80 is arranged on the rear side of the center of the body 20 in the front-rear direction and on the rear side of the suction unit 50 . The multiple elements include, for example, a battery case 81, a storage battery 82, and the like. Battery case 81 is attached to lower unit 100 . The storage battery 82 is accommodated in the battery case 81 . The storage battery 82 is exemplified by a secondary battery such as a lithium battery.

As described above, the autonomously traveling cleaner 10 of the present embodiment is an autonomously traveling cleaner that collects dust on the floor surface. Specifically, the vacuum cleaner 10 incorporates a suction unit 50 that generates suction air and a dustbin unit 60 that collects dust. The vacuum cleaner 10 has, on its bottom side, a suction port 101 mounted with a main brush 43 for collecting dust, and sides arranged on the left and right in front of the suction port 101 for collecting dust on the floor surface to the suction port 101. A brush 44 is mounted. Then, the cleaner 10 uses the suction unit 50 to generate an air flow that draws in dust. As a result, dust on the floor surface is sucked through the suction port 101 and the sucked dust is collected in the trash box unit 60 .

The vacuum cleaner 10 further includes a drive unit 30, a power supply unit 80, a control unit 70, and the like. The drive unit 30 is provided on the left and right sides of the bottom surface of the cleaner 10, and includes tires 34 that move in the front-rear direction and turn in the left-right direction on the floor surface. The power supply unit 80 supplies electric power to the suction unit 50 and the driving motor 31 mounted on the drive unit 30 .

The control unit 70 has an obstacle detection sensor 71, a side distance measurement sensor 72, a collision detection sensor 73, a floor detection sensor 74, etc., which detect obstacles, etc. Based on their detection signals, the suction unit 50 , the drive unit 30, and the like. As a result, the cleaner 10 drives the tires 34 of the drive unit 30 under the control of the control unit 70, and is configured to be able to clean while running on the surface to be cleaned.

The cleaner 10 of this embodiment includes at least one pair of side brushes 44 arranged on the bottom side of the cleaner 10 . Specifically, the side brushes 44 are provided on the left and right front top portions 23 of the cleaner 10 . The rotation trajectory of the right side brush 44 and the rotation trajectory of the left side brush 44 each rotate around the cleaner 10 in the direction from the front surface 21 toward the suction port 101 .

That is, the left and right side brushes 44 rotate in opposite directions. As a result, dust is collected toward the suction port 101 by the side brush 44 while the cleaner 10 is moving forward. As a result, the dust on the floor surface is collected by the cleaner 10 and the room is cleaned.

Further, each side brush 44 includes, for example, 2:4 bristle bundles 44B and a brush shaft 44A. The one-to-two bristle bundle 44B is configured by bundling a first bristle bundle 44BA and a second bristle bundle 44BB of two different lengths, long and short. The long first bristle bundle 44BA has a large turning radius and can pick up dust from a farther distance. On the other hand, the short second bristle bundle 44BB has a small rotation radius and can pick up nearby dust more reliably. Furthermore, the first bristle bundle 44BA and the second bristle bundle 44BB are flocked at different rotational angles or tilt angles with respect to the brush shaft 44A in the rotational direction and the vertical direction. As a result, it is possible to cover a wide dust collection area on the floor surface.

Further, the brush cover 120 is provided with a raised cleaning cloth 121 within the rotation area of the bristle bundle 44B of the side brush 44, and a small gap is provided between the raised cleaning cloth 121 and the floor surface. Therefore, the bristle bundle 44B passes through the gap between the raised cleaning cloth 121 and the floor surface while being in contact with the raised cleaning cloth 121 . As a result, dust adhering to the bristle bundle 44B during rotation of the side brush 44 is wiped off by contact with the cleaning raised cloth 121. As shown in FIG. For example, in the vacuum cleaner of this embodiment, the gap between the cleaning raising cloth 121 and the floor surface is set to 1.0 mm as a more effective gap size. The wiped-off dust is sucked into the trash box unit 60 through the suction port 101 . As a result, dust such as fine dust adhering to the bristle bundle 44B is prevented from being swept out of the cleaner 10 again by the centrifugal force of the side brush 44 .

Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner of this embodiment arranges the brush shaft 44A of the side brush 44 at a position of 10 mm or more and 18 mm or less from the floor surface. As a result, entanglement of the carpet or the like with the bristle bundle 44B can be suppressed more than in a conventional autonomous traveling cleaner having brush shafts arranged at a distance of about 5 mm. Furthermore, the frequency of collisions with bumps can be reduced when the vehicle climbs over bumps. As a result, it is possible to realize a vacuum cleaner with high reliability and excellent cleaning performance.

As one form of the cleaner 10 of the present embodiment, a plurality of drive units 30 for running the cleaner 10 are provided. including. Furthermore, the first drive unit 30 and the second drive unit 30 may be configured to have a coaxial rotating shaft (not shown). Thereby, each drive unit 30 can be driven independently.

Further, as one form of the cleaner 10 of the present embodiment, a control unit 70 that controls the plurality of drive units 30 is provided. Alternatively, the first drive unit 30 and the second drive unit 30 may be controlled.

According to the above configuration, by operating each of the drive units 30 individually, the front portion of the cleaner 10 can be moved to or near the apex of the corner of the target area to be cleaned. That is, the suction port 101 of the cleaner 10 can be brought closer to the apex of the corner of the target area. As a result, more dust present in the corners of the target area can be reliably sucked and cleaned.

As described above, the autonomously traveling vacuum cleaner of the present invention includes a body, a plurality of side brushes 44 provided on the bottom surface of the body for sweeping dust on the floor, and side brushes within the rotation area of the side brushes 44 A cleaning cloth 121 for sweeping off dust adhering to 44 is provided.

A small gap is provided between the cleaning cloth 121 and the floor surface, and the bristle bundle 44B passes through the gap between the cleaning cloth 121 and the floor surface while contacting the cleaning cloth 121. do.

The side brush 44 includes a brush shaft arranged at a predetermined distance above the floor surface and a pair of bristle bundles 44B having different lengths. The second bristle bundle 44 BB having a short length is configured to have a length such that at least the leading end thereof contacts the cleaning raised cloth 121 .

According to this configuration, dust adhering to the side brushes during rotation is swept off via the cleaning cloth 121. Therefore, the dust adhering to the side brushes 44 is again removed from the body by centrifugal force. can be prevented from being swept out. Furthermore, the length of the bristle bundles 44B provided on the side brushes 44 is short because the tip portion thereof contacts the cleaning raised cloth. Therefore, entanglement of dust such as hair and fibers can be suppressed.

Further, in the autonomous traveling cleaner of the present invention, the predetermined distance should be 10 mm or more and 18 mm or less. As a result, entanglement of the carpet or the like with the brush shaft can be suppressed. Further, the collision between the brush shaft of the side brush 44 and the step, which occurs when the vehicle climbs over the step, is largely avoided. Therefore, the brush shaft of the side brush 44 can be prevented from being scratched or damaged.

Also, in the autonomous traveling cleaner of the present invention, the side brushes 44 may be arranged at protruding positions in front of the left and right sides of the body. As a result, the dust present in the corners of the room can be collected more reliably.

Also, in the autonomous traveling cleaner of the present invention, a pair of bristle bundles 44B includes a first bristle bundle 44BA and a second bristle bundle 44BB formed by flocking. The first bristle bundle 44BA may be bristle-implanted with a predetermined rotation angle with respect to the second bristle bundle 44BB in the direction of rotation of the side brush. Further, in the autonomous traveling cleaner of the present invention, the different predetermined rotation angles may be 8° or more and 10° or less.

Also, in the autonomous traveling cleaner of the present invention, the pair of bristle bundles 44B includes a first bristle bundle 44BA and a second bristle bundle 44BB formed by flocking. The first bristle bundle 44BA may be bristle-implanted with a predetermined different inclination angle with respect to the second bristle bundle 44BB in the bristle-implanting direction in the vertical direction.

Further, in the autonomous traveling cleaner of the present invention, the different predetermined tilt angles should be 31° or more and 43° or less.

Further, in the autonomous traveling cleaner of the present invention, the gap between the cleaning raising cloth 121 and the floor surface should be 0.5 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less.

According to these configurations, it is possible to reduce the maintenance frequency of the side brushes while ensuring the collection performance.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION The autonomous traveling cleaner of the present invention suppresses the entanglement of dust on the bristle bundle of the side brush, prevents the bristle bundle from crimping and falling off, and extends the life of the bristle bundle. Therefore, it can be applied to various autonomous traveling vacuum cleaners that are used in various environments, regardless of whether they are for home use or for business use, and require a reduction in the maintenance frequency of the side brushes.

10 Autonomous travel type vacuum cleaner (vacuum cleaner)
20 Body 21 Front 22 Side 23 Front Top 24 Rear Top 30 Drive Unit 31 Traveling Motor 32 Housing 33 Wheel 34 Tire 35 Support Shaft 36 Suspension 40 Cleaning Unit 41 Brush Drive Motor 42 Gear Box 43 Main Brush 44 Side Brush 44A Brush Shaft 44B Bristle bundle 44BA First bristle bundle 44BB Second bristle bundle 50 Suction unit 51 Electric fan 52 Fan case 52A Air inlet 60 Trash can unit 61 Trash can 61A Inlet 61B Outlet 61C Bottom 62 Filter 70 Control unit 71 Obstacle detection sensor 71A Laser emitter 71B Laser light receiving part 71C Ultrasonic wave transmitting part 71D Ultrasonic wave receiving part 72 Side distance measurement sensor 73 Collision detection sensor 74 Floor detection sensor 75 Wheel derailment detection switch 80 Power supply unit 81 Battery case 82 Storage battery 90 Caster 91 Support shaft 92 Post shaft 100 lower unit 101 suction port 110 duct 120 brush cover 121 cleaning blanket 200 upper unit 210 cover 211 exhaust port 220 lid 230 bumper 240 interface section 241 panel 242 operation button 243 display section 250 trash can storage section

Claims (2)

a body, a side brush provided on the bottom surface of the body for sweeping dust on the floor;
a brush cover arranged on the bottom surface of the body and having a suction port for sucking dust;
a cleaning cloth for sweeping off dust adhering to the side brushes within the rotation area of the side brushes of the brush cover;
The side brush includes a brush shaft and a bristle bundle,
The cleaning raising cloth is arranged with a predetermined gap between the cleaning raising cloth and the floor surface, and when the side brush rotates, the bristle bundle is positioned so that the cleaning raising cloth and the floor surface are separated from each other by the bristle bundle. The autonomously traveling vacuum cleaner wipes off dust adhering to the bristle bundle by passing through the cleaning cloth while contacting the cleaning cloth. 2. The autonomously traveling cleaner according to claim 1, wherein said cleaning raising cloth is arranged in front of said suction port of said brush cover.

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