JPH0732751B2 - Self-propelled vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a self-propelled cleaner having a cleaning function and a moving function, which cleans a floor surface.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a vacuum cleaner having a moving function added to the vacuum cleaner to improve operability during cleaning has been developed. In particular, recently, by mounting a microcomputer and various sensors on this, cleaning is performed while determining the movement of the cleaning place by oneself. So-called self-supporting self-propelled vacuum cleaners are also being developed.

In this type of self-propelled cleaner, for example, a rotary encoder is connected to the left and right running wheels, the moving direction is determined by measuring the moving distance from the number of rotations of the running wheels, and ultrasonic waves mounted around the main body are used. Obstacles are usually avoided by a distance sensor or the like. In addition, in some cases, a gyro sensor such as a gas rate gyro is added in order to more reliably measure the moving direction. In addition, as a cleaning function, there is one that is equipped with an electric blower that sucks dust on the floor surface, and is equipped with a rotary brush that sweeps the floor surface to improve the cleaning ability.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention Generally, such a self-propelled vacuum cleaner is developed for the purpose of automatically cleaning a large area such as a gymnasium, a hotel lobby, and a corridor. It goes without saying that the cleaning width can be increased as efficiently as possible. Therefore, as shown in FIG.
Rotating brush 2, which rotates in the direction of arrow A, A ′ on the front side of
There is one in which the cleaning width is widened by attaching the 2'and the brush driving parts 3, 3'to guide the dust on the side of the main body 1 to the nozzle 4. However, if the diameter of the rotating brushes 2 and 2'is made to be larger than the outer peripheral surface of the main body 1 in order to further widen the cleaning width, the unevenness of the wall may be caught during the movement.
There has been a problem that the friction with the floor becomes large and the straightness is deteriorated, and at the same time, the direction cannot be changed smoothly.

Therefore, the present invention provides a self-propelled vacuum cleaner that can be cleaned with a wide cleaning width without deteriorating the straightness and the direction changing performance when the rotary brush moves.

Means for Solving the Problems Technical means of the present invention for solving the above problems include traveling wheels for moving the main body, a steering device for changing the moving direction of the main body, and a floor surface located below the main body for sweeping the floor surface. A rotating brush, the traveling wheels are provided on the left and right sides of the main body, and the rotating brushes are arranged so as to project to the left and right sides of the main body, and when contacting an obstacle, move to the inside of the main body and to the traveling wheel side. It is configured to do.

Operation The effects of this technical means are as follows. That is, in a wide place where there are no walls or obstacles on the side of the main body, the cleaning width can be increased because the rotary brush can be moved while protruding from the side surface of the main body. Further, when there is a protrusion or an obstacle on the side of the main body due to a wall or the like, or when the direction is changed at a corner of the room, the rotating brush can be retracted in the main body, so that the moving performance is not deteriorated.

Embodiments Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, 5 is the main body of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner,
The running wheels 6R, 6L are located inside the main body on the left and right lower surfaces of the main body 5.
Is provided. The traveling wheels 6R and 6L are connected to drive motors 7R and 7L, which are servo motors and pulse motors, respectively. Reference numeral 8 denotes an auxiliary wheel rotatably attached to the bottom surface of the main body 5. Reference numerals 9R and 9L denote rotating brushes provided on both sides of the lower front portion of the main body 5, and rotating shafts 9R 'and 9L' thereof are supported by mounting arms 10R and 10L. Further, the mounting arms 10R and 10L are provided with drive units (not shown) for rotating the rotary brushes 9R and 9L, respectively. Further, the mounting arms 10R and 10L are slidably mounted in the directions of the arrows B and C, and the rotating brushes 9R and 9L can be moved forward and backward from the side surface of the main body 5. Also, this mounting arm 10R, 10
L is biased in the direction of arrow B by a spring (not shown), and the mounting arms 10R and 10L are normally projected from the side surface of the main body 5. Reference numeral 11 is an electric blower that generates an air suction force for sucking the rubber on the floor surface, and 12 is a filter arranged on the suction side, which is located in the dust collection chamber 13. The dust collecting chamber 13 is connected via a hose 14 to a suction nozzle 15 provided below the main body 5. Reference numeral 16 is a power source such as a lead storage battery or dry battery, and 17 is a movement control circuit that controls the drive motors 7R and 7L to control traveling and steering.

The operation of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner configured as above will be described below.

When the self-propelled cleaner is placed in the cleaning area, the traveling wheels 6R, 6L of the main body 5 are driven by the drive motors 7R, 7L and start moving in the direction of arrow D. At this time, the drive motors 7R and 7L are controlled through the movement control circuit 17 by the signals from the obstacle detection device and the position detection device which are not shown in the figure, and the entire cleaning area is repeated by repeating straight movement, stop and direction change. To move. During the movement, the electric blower 11 is activated and the rotary brushes 9R and 9L are rotated at the same time. This rotation guides dust around the left and right sides of the main body 5 to the suction nozzle 15, and the electric blower 12 causes the suction nozzle 15 to pass through the hose 14 Dust is collected in the dust collection chamber 13 via the and cleaned.

In a wide place where there are no walls or obstacles on the side of the main body 5, the rotary brush 9 is, for example, the rotary brush 9R in FIG.
As described above, the mounting arm 10 slides in the direction of the arrow B from the main body 5 by the biasing force of the spring and projects more largely than before, so that cleaning is performed in a wide range up to the tip of the rotary brush 9. Also, for example, the rotating brush 9L in FIG.
When it moves while sweeping around the wall 18 and hits the convex portion 19 of the wall 18 as a result, the mounting arm 10L is retracted to the main body 5 side by the reaction and the rotating brush 9 and the mounting arm are caught on the convex portion 19 and the main body is caught. There is no possibility that 5 does not go straight and moves in an unexpected direction. Further, for example, when it is attempted to change the direction at a corner of a room sandwiched between the walls, there is little possibility that the rotating brush 9 or the mounting arm 10L will be caught on the wall and cannot be changed. Can be moved smoothly.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment, 20 is a main body, 21R, 21L
Is the left and right running wheels, 22R and 22L are drive motors connected to the respective running wheels 21R and 21L, 23 is an auxiliary wheel, and 24 is a suction nozzle,
These have the same operations as in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the rotating brushes 25R, 25L are supported by mounting arms 26R, 26L, and the mounting arms 26R, 26L are rotatably mounted on fulcrums 27R, 27L in the main body 20, respectively. The mounting arms 26R and 26L are biased by springs (not shown) in the directions of arrows D and D ', respectively, and the rotating brushes 25R and 25L and the mounting arms 26R and 26L are normally attached to the outer surface of the main body 20. It is in a protruding state and can be cleaned with a wide cleaning width from the tip of the rotary brush 25R to the tip of the rotary brush 25L. Further, similar to the first embodiment, the rotating brush 25R, while moving along the uneven wall or changing direction at the corner of the room,
When 25L hits the wall, the reaction causes the mounting arms 26R, 26L to retract and rotate in the directions of arrows E, E ′, respectively, to be housed in the main body 20 and smoothly move without being caught by the wall.

In both the above first and second embodiments, the mounting arm is simply biased by the spring so as to project from the main body, and when the rotary brush hits something, it is accommodated in the main body by its reaction. Although it is configured so that, for example, when the rotating brush hits something, another actuator may detect it and move the rotating brush in the direction of the inside of the main body. It may be configured to be housed in the main body so that it does not get caught on the wall, etc.The point is that in a wide place where there are no obstacles on the side of the main body, the rotating brush advances in the direction away from the side surface of the main body. It may be configured such that the or mounting arm is retracted toward the main body when it hits an obstacle or a wall.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, the rotating brushes are arranged so as to project to the left and right of the main body, and when contacting an obstacle, the configuration is such that the rotary brush moves toward the inside of the main body and toward the running wheels. (EN) Provided is a self-propelled cleaning device which has a large width to improve cleaning efficiency and can smoothly move in a cleaning area without deteriorating movement performance even if there is an obstacle.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a self-propelled cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the self-propelled cleaner, and FIG. 3 is a self-propelled cleaner according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the vacuum cleaner, and FIG. 4 is a plan view of a conventional self-propelled vacuum cleaner. 5,20 …… Main body, 6R, 6L, 21R, 21L …… Running wheels, 9R, 9
L, 25R, 25L …… Rotating brush, 17 …… Movement control circuit (steering device).

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A running wheel for moving a main body, a steering device for changing a moving direction of the main body, and a rotating brush located below the main body for sweeping a floor surface, wherein the running wheels are provided on the left and right sides of the main body.
The self-propelled cleaning device is arranged such that the rotating brush is arranged so as to project to the left and right of the main body, and moves to the inside of the main body and to the running wheel side when contacting an obstacle.