JP4017840B2 - Self-propelled vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a self-propelled cleaner having a self-propelled function in a cleaner body and automatically cleaning a surface to be cleaned.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, this type of self-propelled vacuum cleaner sucks dust adhering to the surface to be cleaned from the suction tool by the flow of air sucking in dust generated by the electric blower, and collects the sucked dust in the dust collecting part. Furthermore, a vacuum cleaner body is configured by providing a battery that supplies power to an electric blower, a drive motor described later, and a plurality of sensors that detect distance by light (infrared rays), and drives the vacuum cleaner body It is configured to be able to run by a roller driven by a motor.
[0003]
The self-propelled cleaner configured in this way turns on the power switch provided in the cleaner body, turns on the start switch and starts operation, and then the electric blower operates and goes straight by the roller driven by the drive motor. Start running. While traveling, measure the distance to obstacles such as furniture with multiple sensors, check the steps on the surface to be cleaned, avoid obstacles and steps, and simultaneously generate air generated by an electric blower. As a result of this flow, dust adhering to the surface to be cleaned is sucked from the suction tool, and the surface to be cleaned is automatically cleaned.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In such a conventional configuration, when cleaning is stopped during traveling, a stop switch provided on the cleaner body is pressed to stop the electric blower, the drive motor, etc. It is necessary to carry the battery to a charging place to charge the battery, which is troublesome to operate and has a problem that it is difficult to carry because the shape is large and heavy.
[0005]
In addition, when the surface to be cleaned is a carpet, there is a problem that when the cleaning is performed by running on the carpet, the running trace of the roller remains on the surface of the carpet, which is very unsightly.
[0006]
In addition, when there is a convex step on the surface to be cleaned, if the step is high and high enough to hit the suction tool, it may not be able to get over that step, and it is necessary to get over it manually or avoid the step. There was a problem that handling was troublesome though it was a self-propelled vacuum cleaner.
[0007]
The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems and provides a highly usable self-propelled cleaner. When cleaning is stopped during traveling, the operation is easily stopped and the operation is easily performed. It is intended to be portable.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a suction tool having a rotating brush for scraping dust adhering to a surface to be cleaned, an electric blower for generating a flow of air for sucking dust, and dust sucked by the electric blower. A dust collector that collects dust, a roller that is driven by a drive motor to run the cleaner body, a power supply that supplies power to the electric blower and the drive motor, and the rotary brush, electric blower, and drive motor. and stopping means for stopping at least one, is provided with the handle of the cleaner body for carrying, in the self-propelled cleaner raise have cleaner body with the handle, said stop means detecting means that operating the handle the rotary brush by detecting the electric blower, at least one of the driving motor and configured to stop, and said handle is of the cleaner body By a surface provided on the front side than the center of gravity of the cleaner body, when the suction tool when suspending the body with the handle is to be installed Ri Do above the rollers, from a state, appended to the cleaner main body on a floor The suction tool comes into contact with the floor after the roller.
[0009]
As a result, when cleaning is stopped during traveling, the operation can be stopped with a simple operation by simply lifting it with the handle, and it can be easily carried, and the main body of the vacuum cleaner is suspended by the handle. When installing on the floor surface from the state, the roller first comes into contact with the floor surface, so that a large force is not applied to the suction tool, and the suction tool can be prevented from being damaged.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
According to the first aspect of the present invention, a suction tool having a rotating brush that scrapes dust adhering to a surface to be cleaned, an electric blower that generates a flow of air for sucking dust, and the electric blower sucked by the electric blower. A dust collecting unit that collects dust, a roller that is driven by a drive motor to run the cleaner body, the electric blower, a power supply unit that supplies power to the drive motor, the rotating brush, the electric blower, and the drive motor. of a stopping means for stopping at least one, is provided with the handle of the cleaner body for carrying, in the self-propelled cleaner raise have cleaner body with the handle, said stop means detecting means that operating the handle in the rotary brush by detecting the electric blower, at least one of the driving motor and configured to stop, and said handle is on the cleaner body The vacuum cleaner by providing the front side than the center of gravity of the body, when the suction tool when suspending the body with the handle is to be installed Ri Do above the rollers, from a state, appended to the cleaner body on the floor there is, The suction tool comes into contact with the floor after the roller, and when cleaning is stopped during traveling, when the vacuum cleaner body is lifted by the handle, at least the rotating brush, electric blower, and drive motor are driven by the handle. To stop one, the vacuum cleaner main body can be lifted by the handle and stopped at the same time, can be carried as it is, can be stopped by a simple operation, and can be easily carried I can . Also, when the vacuum cleaner main body is suspended from the handle, such as when the vacuum cleaner body is carried by a handle, the vacuum cleaner first contacts the floor surface so that the vacuum cleaner main body is installed on the floor surface. Sometimes a large force is not applied to the suction tool, and damage to the suction tool can be prevented.
[0011]
【Example】
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[0012]
Example 1
As shown in FIG. 1, the cleaner body 1 is provided with a suction tool 3 having two rotating brushes 2 at the front bottom, and is configured to scrape dust adhering to the surface to be cleaned by the rotating brush 2. . The electric blower 4 generates a flow of air that sucks in dust, communicates with the suction tool 3 through the dust collecting unit 5, and collects the dust sucked from the suction tool 2 by the electric blower 4 into the dust collecting unit 5. It is configured to do.
[0013]
The power supply unit 6 includes a battery pack 7 that stores a plurality of rechargeable secondary batteries, and supplies power to the electric blower 4 and a drive motor 8 described later. The distance measuring sensor 9 measures the distance at an angle between the reflected light irradiated with light (infrared rays) and reflected by an obstacle such as furniture. As shown in FIG. A plurality of front, side, and rear are provided. The level difference sensor 10 detects the level difference of the surface to be cleaned, is configured in the same manner as the distance measuring sensor 8 described above, and is provided obliquely downward at the corner of the cleaner body 1.
[0014]
The rollers 11 run the cleaner body 1, are provided on the left and right sides of the cleaner body 1, and are driven independently by the drive motor 8. The drive motor 8 is a geared motor with a built-in reduction gear (not shown). The caster 12 supports the cleaner body 1 so that it can run freely.
[0015]
The operation unit 13 includes a panel switch having a function of turning on and off when touched with a function of displaying characters and the like, and the display unit 14 includes indicators such as a light emitting diode and a buzzer. The operation unit 13 and the display unit 14 are controlled. The drive motor is connected to the device 15 and the operation of the electric blower 4 and the drive motor 8 is controlled by the control device 15 when the user operates the panel switch. 8 is configured to automatically run by a roller 11 driven by 8. Reference numeral 16 denotes a power switch.
[0016]
The vacuum cleaner main body 1 includes a suction tool 3, an electric blower 4, a dust collecting unit 5, a power source unit 6, a drive motor 8, a distance measuring sensor 9, a step sensor 10, a control device 15, and the like, as shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. As shown, it is covered with a transparent or translucent shell 17. For this reason, the distance measuring sensor 9 and the step sensor 10 transmit and receive light (infrared rays) through the outer shell 17, and the step sensor 10 is provided obliquely downward at the corner of the cleaner body 1. Light (infrared rays) is transmitted and received through the protruding portion 18 that is partially protruded.
[0017]
Here, these sensors perform transmission / reception of light (infrared rays). Generally, since the heat source emits infrared rays, the heat source can also be detected. A bumper 19 made of an elastic body is provided below the outer shell 17.
[0018]
The handle 20 is provided on the upper surface of the cleaner body 1 so as to be pulled out and carries the cleaner body 1. As shown in FIG. 4, when the handle 20 is pulled out, detection means (FIG. (Not shown), the control device 15 constituting the stopping means is configured to stop at least one of the rotating brush 2, the electric blower 4, and the drive motor 8.
[0019]
As shown in FIG. 5, when the vacuum cleaner main body 1 is suspended by the handle 20, the handle 20 is provided at a position where the suction tool 3 is inclined so as to be higher than the roller 11, and when this is installed on the floor from this state The suction tool 3 comes into contact with the floor after the roller 11.
[0020]
The operation in the above configuration will be described. When the power switch 16 is turned on and the cleaner body 1 is placed almost parallel to the wall surface of the cleaning area and the start button of the operation unit 13 is pressed, the electric blower 4 is activated and the roller 11 is driven by the drive motor 8 to move forward. Start straight running. While traveling, while collecting dust with the electric blower 4, the distance sensor 9 always measures the distance to obstacles such as surrounding furniture, and the step sensor 10 confirms the step on the surface to be cleaned. .
[0021]
When the distance from the cleaner body 1 to an obstacle such as furniture approaches a predetermined distance, the vehicle temporarily stops and then changes its direction by a predetermined angle and travels. The same applies when there are steps on the surface to be cleaned. In this way, cleaning is performed by automatically running the cleaning area while avoiding obstacles such as furniture and steps.
[0022]
Next, when the cleaner body 1 is lifted by the handle 20 when cleaning is stopped during traveling, when the handle 20 is pulled out, the control device 15 causes at least the rotary brush 2, the electric blower 4, and the drive motor 8 to move. Since it is configured to stop one, the vacuum cleaner main body 1 can be lifted by the handle 20 and stopped at the same time, can be carried as it is, can be stopped by a simple operation, Can be easily carried around.
[0023]
Here, since the handle 20 is provided on the upper surface of the cleaner body 1, the cleaner body 1 can be easily lifted by the handle 20 when the cleaning is stopped during traveling, and can be carried as it is. Can be handled easily.
[0024]
In addition, the handle 20 can be pulled out from the cleaner body 1, and at least one of the rotating brush 2, the electric blower 4, and the drive motor 8 is stopped in a state in which the handle 20 is pulled out. The handle 20 does not get in the way of being housed in the machine main body 1, and at least one of the rotating brush 2, the electric blower 4, and the drive motor 8 by pulling out the handle 20 when cleaning is stopped during traveling. Can be stopped, can be carried as it is, and can be handled easily.
[0025]
Further, since the drive motor 8 is composed of a geared motor with a built-in reduction gear, when the cleaning is stopped during traveling, the main body 1 of the cleaner 1 is manually turned on while the drive motor 8 is de-energized. If you try to move it, the reduction gear built into the geared motor becomes a load and will not move unless a large force is applied, but it can be moved easily by carrying it with the handle 20, making it easy to handle. can do.
[0026]
In this embodiment, the handle 20 can be pulled out from the cleaner body 1, but the handle 20a is retractable as shown in FIG. 6, and the handle 20a is upright as shown in FIG. At least one of the rotary brush 2, the electric blower 4, and the drive motor 8 may be stopped. In this case, the handle 20a does not get in the way when the handle 20a is tilted, and cleaning is performed during traveling. When stopping the handle, by erecting the handle 20a, at least one of the rotating brush 2, the electric blower 4, and the drive motor 8 can be stopped, and it can be carried as it is and easy to handle. Can do.
[0027]
(Example 2)
As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the raised cloth 21 is attached to the lower surface of the cleaner body 1 and constitutes a trace erasing mechanism for erasing the running trace of the roller 11. Similarly, the blanket 22 is attached to the lower surface of the cleaner body 1 and constitutes a trace erasing mechanism for erasing the running trace of the caster 12 provided behind the roller 11, and is provided behind the caster 12. As shown in FIG. 10, the raised fabric 22 is biased downward by a spring 23. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.
[0028]
The operation in the above configuration will be described. When running with the roller 11 driven by the drive motor while operating the electric blower, if the surface to be cleaned is a carpet, a running trace of the roller 11 or the caster 12 may be made on the surface of the carpet.
[0029]
Even in this case, since the raised cloth 21 is provided behind the roller 11, the running trace of the roller 11 can be erased by the raised cloth 21, and the raising force urged by the spring 23 is provided behind the caster 12. By providing the blanket 22, the load on the floor surface of the caster 12 can be reduced, the running trace of the caster 12 can be surely erased, and the aesthetics after cleaning can be improved.
[0030]
(Example 3)
As shown in FIG. 11, the suction tool 3 is supported on a support body 25 supported by a first rotation shaft 24 so as to be rotatable, and is supported substantially horizontally with respect to the floor surface by a second rotation shaft 26. The body 25 is configured to be movable up and down, and an inclined surface 27 is provided on the front surface so that the rear side falls. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.
[0031]
The operation in the above configuration will be described. When running on the roller 11 driven by the drive motor while operating the electric blower, if there is a convex step on the surface to be cleaned, the suction tool 3 protrudes from the surface to be cleaned by the inclined surface 27 provided on the front surface. At the same time, the support body 25 rotates upwardly about the first rotation shaft 24, so that the suction tool 3 can be moved upward, and the suction tool 3 facilitates the level difference. It is possible to get over and clean, and to handle easily and improve usability.
[0032]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a highly usable self-propelled cleaner that can be easily carried and stopped by a simple operation when cleaning is stopped during traveling.
[0033]
In addition, when installing the vacuum cleaner body on the floor from the state where it is suspended by a handle, the roller comes into contact with the floor first, so that a large force is not applied to the suction tool, and damage to the suction tool can be prevented. .
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a self-propelled cleaner according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the self-propelled cleaner with a transparent outer shell. A perspective view of the vacuum cleaner with its semi-outside transparent. [Fig. 4] A perspective view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner pulled out. [Fig. 5] A perspective view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner suspended from the handle. [Fig. 6] Perspective view of the other half of the self-propelled cleaner with a semi-outlined transparent state. [Fig. 7] Perspective view of the self-propelled cleaner with the handle upright. FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the self-propelled cleaner according to the second embodiment of the invention. FIG. 9 is a side view of the self-propelled cleaner. FIG. ] Vertical sectional view of a self-propelled cleaner according to a third embodiment of the present invention [Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vacuum cleaner main body 2 Rotating brush 3 Suction tool 4 Electric blower 5 Dust collection part 6 Power supply part 8 Drive motor 11 Roller 15 Control apparatus (stop means)
20 Handle

Claims (1)

A suction tool having a rotating brush that sweeps up dust adhering to the surface to be cleaned, an electric blower that generates a flow of air that sucks in dust, a dust collector that collects dust sucked in by the electric blower, and a drive motor A roller driven by the cleaner to move the main body of the cleaner, a power supply for supplying power to the electric blower and the drive motor, stop means for stopping at least one of the rotating brush, electric blower and drive motor, and cleaning comprising a handle for the machine body carrying, in self-propelled cleaner raise have cleaner body with the handle, said stop means and said rotating brush, the electric blower by detecting by detection means that operates the handle, at least one of the driving motor and configured to stop, and said handle is the center of gravity of the cleaner body on an upper surface of the cleaner body By providing the front side, Ri Do above said suction device is a roller when suspending the body with the handle, when the state of suspending the cleaner body is placed on a floor, the floor surface after the suction device is above the rollers those A self-propelled vacuum cleaner that comes in contact.

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