JP2005211426A - Self-traveling cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a self-traveling cleaner which can reliably collect various sizes of dust. <P>SOLUTION: The self-traveling cleaner is provided with: a driving device including driving wheels 13 and a driving motor 14 for moving a cleaner body 1; and the cleaner body including a battery 15 for supplying power to the driving motor 14, a control section 20 for controlling the driving motor 14 and imparting a required rotation angle to the driving wheels and a cleaning section for cleaning the surface of the floor. The cleaning section includes a plurality of stages of cleaning tools 6, 12 which are arranged from the front side of the cleaner body 1 to its rear side and face the surface of the floor, and the plurality of stages of cleaning tools 6, 12 are arranged to collect dust in order from the biggest dust. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a self-propelled cleaner that cleans a floor surface while being self-propelled.

  For cleaning the floor using a self-propelled vacuum cleaner, dust and dust are often swept by a brush, sucked using a filter, and collected by a cyclone mechanism. When a brush is used, the rotating brush is rotated on the side of the main body to collect the dust on the floor surface in the center of the main body, which is sucked into the dust collecting chamber by a dust collecting device such as a suction nozzle and stored. There exists what was disclosed by patent document 1 as such a self-propelled cleaner. The self-propelled cleaner disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a side brush device that rotates a rotating brush to sweep a floor surface, and a dust collector that has a suction nozzle that collects dust on the floor surface. .

Moreover, in the self-propelled cleaner disclosed in Patent Document 2, a dust collection sheet is urged by a spring on the lower surface of the main body, and the dust collection sheet is pressed against the floor surface. Thereby, the floor such as flooring can be wiped and cleaned by the dust collection sheet.
JP-A-6-125861 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-178765

  In vacuum cleaners that are widely used for general households, products of alternating current and high work rate have been developed. The suction nozzle has also been improved and adapted to all flooring materials.

  On the other hand, as a tool for removing dust easily, a product with a dust adsorbing sheet attached to a bag has been developed, and an increasing number of households adsorb and clean fine dust and dust left by a vacuum cleaner.

  Whether cleaning with an electric vacuum cleaner or a scissor with a suction sheet, the nozzle part at the tip moves back and forth to collect dust, so there is little leftover and it is possible to handle garbage of any size. It has become.

  In contrast, conventional self-propelled vacuum cleaners have products that have various cleaning mechanisms such as dust and dust sweeping out by brush, suction using a filter, dust collection by a cyclone mechanism, floor cleaning such as flooring. Has been proposed. However, there are garbage of all sizes in the home. In the self-propelled cleaner having the cleaning mechanism as described above, it is difficult to clean without leaving these wastes, and the cleaning performance is inferior compared to cleaning using a vacuum cleaner or a scissor with a suction sheet. There was a problem.

  Therefore, this invention is made | formed in order to solve the said subject, and it aims at providing the self-propelled cleaner which can collect the garbage of various sizes reliably.

  According to the self-propelled cleaner based on the present invention, a drive device having a drive wheel for moving the cleaner body and a drive motor, a battery for supplying power to the drive motor, the drive motor is controlled, and A vacuum cleaner main body having a control unit for providing a rotation angle necessary for the drive wheels and a cleaning unit for cleaning the floor surface is provided. The cleaning unit has a plurality of stages of cleaning tools that are arranged from the front to the rear of the vacuum cleaner main body, facing the floor surface, and the plurality of stages of cleaning tools can be collected in order from large garbage. It is arranged.

  According to the self-propelled cleaner, larger garbage is collected by the cleaning tool arranged at the front, and relatively small garbage is collected by the cleaning tool arranged at the rear. In this way, by arranging the cleaning tools corresponding to the size of the garbage in order, it is possible to collect the garbage in order from a relatively large garbage to a small garbage, thereby minimizing the remaining garbage. Also, more detailed cleaning is possible by increasing the number of stages of the cleaning tool.

  In the self-propelled cleaner, the main body of the cleaner preferably has a bumper portion in front of the cleaning portion that excludes large dust that cannot be cleaned by the cleaner. The bumper can eliminate large garbage that cannot be collected by the main body of the vacuum cleaner and miscellaneous goods that have fallen on the floor.

  More preferably, in the self-propelled cleaner, the cleaning unit includes a brush cleaning unit that rotates a rotating brush and scrapes garbage. Furthermore, it is preferable that the brush cleaning unit is further provided with a dust collecting chamber for collecting the dust scraped by the brush cleaning unit and a blade for scraping off the dust of the rotating brush. An auxiliary brush may be disposed behind the rotating brush portion.

  According to this self-propelled cleaner, the dust that has passed through the bumper is scraped into the dust collection chamber with a rotating brush. Furthermore, the dust that has passed through the rotating brush is blocked by an auxiliary brush installed behind the brush cleaning unit, and these can also be collected in the dust collection chamber.

  In the self-propelled cleaner, more preferably, the cleaning unit includes a wiping cleaning unit that is disposed behind the brush cleaning unit and includes a wiping tool that wipes off dust on the floor surface. According to this self-propelled cleaner, fine dust that has passed through the brush cleaner can be wiped off with the wiping cleaner, and fine cleaning is possible.

  More preferably, in the self-propelled cleaner, the cleaner main body further includes a cleaning tool motor that drives a cleaning tool, and the rotary brush and the wiping cleaner are both in a roller shape, and the rotary brush and the above The wiping and cleaning tool is rotationally driven by the single cleaning tool motor. Furthermore, it is preferable that the interval between the rotating brush and the floor surface of the brush cleaning unit is larger than the interval between the wiping tool and the floor surface of the wiping cleaning unit.

  Furthermore, the said wiping cleaning tool is made into a roller shape, the said wiping cleaning tool is arrange | positioned so that the lower end may become the same height as the lower end of the said driving wheel, and the said wiping cleaning tool is good also as a follower wheel of the said cleaner body. In conventional self-propelled vacuum cleaners, casters are often used as slave wheels, but when driving the drive wheels, if the wheels of the casters are not in the direction of travel, the casters do not go straight and rotate the left and right drive wheels. It was necessary to control and correct the traveling direction of the self-propelled cleaner. If the rotating roller of the wiping cleaner is driven by a motor, it is not necessary to correct the direction of travel, and even when the cleaner body climbs over a step in the room, it can easily get over the step using the rotational force. .

  In the self-propelled cleaner, more preferably, the self-propelled cleaner further includes a fixed station to which the cleaner body returns, and the fixed station is a cleaning unit that cleans at least one of the rotating brush, the wiping cleaner, and the driving wheel. And a charging unit that charges the battery of the cleaner body. In the fixed station, the returned vacuum cleaner body is charged by the charging unit and cleaned by the cleaning unit at the same time. Furthermore, a cleaning tank into which a cleaning liquid is injected may be provided in the cleaning unit, and a bactericidal metal ion water or a solvent containing an abrasive or an abrasive material may be used as the cleaning liquid injected into the cleaning tank.

  According to these configurations, while charging the battery of the vacuum cleaner body, the wiping tool is rotated in the washing tub of the fixed station to clean the wiping tool, or the wiping tool is coated with bactericidal metal ion water. can do. In addition, the cleaner body travels on the floor surface using a cleaning tool with detergent, bactericidal metal ion water, and abrasives, so that the floor surface is polished and coated simultaneously with the cleaning of the floor surface. Can do.

  According to the self-propelled cleaner according to the present invention, since it has a plurality of stages of cleaning tools, it becomes possible to deal with garbage of various sizes, and it is possible to reduce the amount of waste left and improve the cleaning performance.

  Hereinafter, the self-propelled cleaner in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a side view in which a part of the cleaner body in the present embodiment is deleted, and FIG. 2 is a side view showing the structure of the cleaner body and the fixed station.

  In FIG. 1, the cleaner body 1 includes a cleaning tool motor 2 and a rechargeable battery 15. The current output from the rechargeable battery 15 is sent to the control board 20 via the harness 16. The current is input to the cleaning tool motor 2 via the harness 17.

  When the cleaning tool motor 2 is driven, the timing pulley 3 rotates and the timing pulley 5 rotates via the timing belt 4. Thereby, the cleaning brush 6 coaxial with the timing pulley 5 rotates.

  The timing pulley 3 rotates the timing pulleys 8 and 9 via the timing belt 7 and further rotates the timing pulley 11 using the timing belt 10. Thereby, the suction sheet roller 12 which is a wiping cleaner rotates.

  The suction sheet roller 12 is configured by winding a suction sheet such as a microfiber fiber around a plastic or metal roller member. This adsorption sheet can take in fine dust and dust into the fiber. Further, the adsorption sheet can be used repeatedly by washing with water.

  The cleaning brush 6 and the suction sheet roller 12 are pivotally attached to the base chassis 21 of the cleaner body 1, and the cleaning brush 6 is included in the base chassis 21 and the bottom cover 23. Behind the cleaning brush 6, a dust collection chamber 28 for collecting the scraped dust 24 is provided. The garbage 24 is easily carried to the dust collection chamber 28 by the guide piece 29 of the bottom cover 23.

  The base chassis 21 is provided with a blade 27 for peeling off dust attached to the cleaning brush 6. Here, the distance between the lower end of the cleaning brush 6 and the floor surface is larger than the distance between the lower end of the suction sheet roller 12 and the floor surface by a distance indicated by d in FIG. Fine dust is not attached, and the fine dust is collected on the suction sheet roller 12 at the subsequent stage.

  The drive wheel 13 that causes the cleaner body 1 to travel is driven by a drive motor 14 that is mounted on the base chassis 21. The drive motor 14 is a high-torque and long-life motor represented by, for example, a stepping motor. A pulse signal from the microcomputer 19 on the control board 20 is sent to the drive motor via the harness 18. The vacuum cleaner body 1 is covered with a cabinet 22.

  Hereinafter, operation | movement of the cleaner body 1 of this Embodiment is demonstrated.

  Various sizes of garbage may be scattered in the room to be cleaned, and miscellaneous goods that are not collected as garbage, that is, rings, clothes buttons, clips, and the like may be scattered. In order to clean up such an environment by self-propelling, it is necessary to discriminate between garbage and miscellaneous goods, and since the cleaning tool differs depending on the particle size of the garbage, means for separating the garbage is also required.

  First, large-sized garbage and miscellaneous goods are eliminated by the bumper portion 31 attached to the front surface portion of the cleaner body 1. Garbage 24 and 25 that have passed through the bumper portion 31 are sent to the cleaning brush 6. Garbage and miscellaneous goods having a large size stop in front of the bumper portion 31, and the cleaner body 1 advances while pushing these. Garbage and miscellaneous goods having a large size may be picked up by the user, or a storage section may be provided in the bumper section 31 and stored there.

  The cleaning brush 6 scrapes the dust 24 having a large particle size out of the dusts 24 and 25 that have passed through the bumper portion 31, and sends the dust 24 to the dust collecting chamber 28 through the guide piece 29. The dust that the cleaning brush 6 could not feed into the dust collection chamber 28 is returned by the blade 27 and further scraped into the dust collection chamber 28 by the cleaning brush 6. Since the blade 27 is in contact with the cleaning brush 6, it also serves to clean the brush. This structure is similar to the structure of a cleaning blade that contacts a fixing roller or the like and removes paper dust and toner in a cleaning roller of a copying machine, for example.

  An auxiliary brush 26 is attached to the rear of the cleaning brush 6 and serves to block the dust 24 so that the dust 24 having a large particle size is not sent backward. The dammed garbage 24 having a relatively large particle size is carried to the dust collecting chamber 28 by the cleaning brush 6.

  The dust 25 having a small particle diameter that has passed through the auxiliary brush 26 is adsorbed by the adsorbing sheet roller 12. A sheet body sold under a name such as a floor sheet, mop, or chemical cloth is wound around the suction sheet roller 12. This sheet body can hold dust having a minute particle diameter inside the fiber.

  The floor sheet, mop, and chemical cloth used as the suction sheet can be repeatedly used after being removed from the suction sheet roller 12 and washed, or washed with a washing basket provided in a fixed station described later.

  In this embodiment, the two-stage cleaning tool is mounted facing the floor surface, but it is also possible to use three or more stages of cleaning tools, and by increasing the number of cleaning tools, Fine cleaning can be realized.

  The multi-stage cleaning tools at this time may contain the same type of cleaning tools, but in order to clean them finely and efficiently, collect small garbage gradually from large particles. It is desirable to continuously arrange cleaning tools suitable for the size.

  By adopting the above structure, the traveling performance of the cleaner body 1 is also stabilized. The suction sheet roller 12 has a roller shape. If the suction sheet roller 12 is mounted so that the height from the floor is the same as that of the drive wheels 13, the suction sheet roller 12 becomes a highly stable slave wheel. Conventionally, casters are often used as slave wheels. However, when the drive wheels 13 are driven, if the wheels of the casters are not oriented in the traveling direction, the casters do not go straight. Although it has been necessary to correct the traveling direction of the traveling cleaner, stability is increased by using the suction sheet roller 12 driven by the motor as a secondary wheel, and the direction correction by the driving wheel 13 is not necessary. Further, when the cleaner body 1 gets over the level difference in the room, the suction sheet roller 12 is driven by the cleaning tool motor 2, so that the level difference can be easily climbed using the rotational force.

  FIG. 2 shows a state in which the cleaner body 1 returns to the fixed station 51. When the cleaner body 1 finishes the cleaning action, the fixed station 51 is searched by a magnetic sensor or an infrared sensor (not shown). Return. At the fixed station 51, the rechargeable battery 15 of the cleaner body 1 is charged and the cleaning brush 6 is cleaned. This charging and washing may be performed simultaneously.

  The fixed station 51 includes a charger 52 and a power supply terminal 53, and the rechargeable battery of the cleaner main body 1 is connected by connecting the charge terminal 32 on the cleaner main body 1 side to the power supply terminal 53 of the fixed station 51. 15 charging is started. The charger 52 in the fixed station 51 is connected to an external power source (not shown).

  In FIG. 2, the fixed station 51 has a sloped portion 64 for the cleaner body 1 to enter the fixed station 51, and the cleaner body 1 rises from the right side in FIG. To enter the fixed station 51. Then, the rechargeable battery 15 is charged or the cleaning brush 6 is cleaned at a predetermined position of the fixed station 51.

  The drive wheel 13 of the cleaner body 1 that has entered the fixed station 51 is located in the concave portion 56 on the upper surface of the fixed station 51, the suction sheet roller 12 is located in the concave portion 55 on the upper surface of the fixed station 51, and the cleaning brush 6 is fixed. It is located in the recess 54 on the upper surface of the station 51.

  The recesses 54 and 55 are supplied with cleaning liquid for cleaning the cleaning brush 6 and the suction sheet roller 12. By rotating the cleaning brush 6 and the suction sheet roller 12 of the cleaner body 1, the cleaning brush 6 and the suction sheet roller 12 are cleaned by this cleaning liquid.

  Simultaneously with this cleaning, it is desirable to charge the rechargeable battery 15 of the cleaner body 1. That is, if the driving switch for the cleaning tool motor 2 is built in the charging terminal 32 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1, charging can be performed while cleaning, so that the power consumption of the rechargeable battery 15 can be suppressed. it can.

  In this embodiment, the cleaning brush 6 and the suction sheet roller 12 are cleaned, but the driving wheel 13 can be cleaned in the same manner.

  The fixed station 51 is provided with a water reservoir 58 for injecting a cleaning liquid and an inlet 57. By the pipe 59, the cleaning liquid stored in the storage tank 58 is conveyed to the recesses 54 and 55 constituting the cleaning tank, and the three-way cock 60 and the two-way cock 61 are opened and closed as necessary to adjust the amount of the cleaning liquid. It is structured to discharge the cleaning liquid.

  When Ag + ion water, which is a typical bactericidal metal ion water, is injected into the recesses 54 and 55, Ag + ions adhere to the cleaning brush 6 and the adsorption sheet roller 12, and an excellent sterilization effect is expected during cleaning. it can.

  Further, if the floor is cleaned by the cleaner body 1 using the cleaning brush 6 coated with Ag + ions, the floor surface can be sterilized and deodorized. Ag + ionized water is known to have sterilizing and deodorizing effects, and the effects are known to last. It has been put to practical use in washing machines and the like, and its effects are recognized in laundry.

  In addition, if a solvent containing an abrasive or a polishing material is injected into the recesses 54 and 55, the floor surface can be polished when cleaning the floor such as flooring. Conventionally, a polisher has been used for polishing the flooring. However, according to the self-propelled cleaner of the present embodiment, the flooring can be polished only by changing the cleaning liquid.

  According to the self-propelled cleaner of the present embodiment, a series of cleaning operations from collecting dust on the floor surface, wiping and cleaning, floor polishing, and coating can be completed using one self-propelled cleaner.

  In addition, since the self-propelled cleaner of this embodiment is equipped with a plurality of cleaning tools, the cleaning residue that was a drawback of the self-propelled cleaner is reduced, and the room is effectively cleaned. Can do.

  Furthermore, since the cleaning tool can be cleaned at a fixed station, troublesome maintenance work such as brush replacement and brush cleaning is not required.

  In addition, the said embodiment disclosed this time is an illustration in all the points, Comprising: It does not become the basis of limited interpretation. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is not interpreted only by the above-described embodiments, but is defined based on the description of the claims. Further, all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of the claims are included.

It is the side view which deleted a part of vacuum cleaner main body in embodiment based on this invention. It is a side view which shows the structure of the cleaner main body and fixed station in embodiment based on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vacuum cleaner body, 2 Cleaning tool motor, 6 Cleaning brush, 12 Adsorption sheet roller, 13 Drive wheel, 14 Drive motor, 15 Rechargeable battery, 20 Control board, 26 Auxiliary brush, 27 Blade, 28 Dust collection chamber, 31 Bumper Part, 51 fixed station, 52 charger, 54, 55, 56 recess (cleaning tank).

Claims (14)

A drive device having a drive wheel and a drive motor for moving the cleaner body; a battery for supplying power to the drive motor; a control unit for controlling the drive motor and providing a rotation angle required for the drive wheel; In the self-propelled cleaner provided with a cleaner body having a cleaning part for cleaning the surface,
The cleaning unit has a plurality of stages of cleaning tools that are arranged from the front to the back of the vacuum cleaner body and that are opposed to the floor surface, and the plurality of stages of the cleaning tools can be collected in order from large garbage. A self-propelled vacuum cleaner characterized by being arranged.   The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum cleaner body has a bumper portion in front of the cleaning portion that excludes large dust that cannot be cleaned by the cleaning tool.   3. The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning unit includes a rotating brush, and has a brush cleaning unit that rotates the rotating brush and scrapes dust. 4.   The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 3, wherein the brush cleaning unit further includes a dust collection chamber that collects dust scraped by the rotating brush, and a blade that scrapes off the dust of the rotating brush.   The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the brush cleaning part further includes an auxiliary brush disposed behind the rotating brush part.   The self-propelled cleaner according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the cleaning unit includes a wiping cleaning unit that is disposed behind the brush cleaning unit and includes a wiping cleaning tool that wipes off dust on the floor surface. The vacuum cleaner body further includes a cleaning tool motor that drives the cleaning tool,
The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 6, wherein the rotating brush and the wiping cleaner are both roller-shaped, and the rotating brush and the wiping cleaner are driven to rotate by a single cleaning tool motor.   The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 6 or 7, wherein an interval between the rotating brush and the floor surface of the brush cleaning unit is larger than an interval between the wiping tool and the floor surface of the wiping cleaning unit.   The wiper has a roller shape, and the wiper is disposed such that a lower end thereof is at the same height as a lower end of the driving wheel, and the wiper functions as a follower wheel of the cleaner body. The self-propelled cleaner according to any one of 6 to 8. Further comprising a stationary station to which the vacuum cleaner body returns,
The said fixed station has any one of the washing | cleaning part which wash | cleans at least any one of the said rotating brush, the said wiping cleaning tool, and the said driving wheel, and the charging part which charges the said battery of the said vacuum cleaner main body. The self-propelled vacuum cleaner described in Crab.   11. The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 10, wherein in the fixed station, charging by the charging unit and cleaning by the cleaning unit are simultaneously performed on the returned vacuum cleaner main body.   The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the cleaning unit includes a cleaning tank into which a cleaning liquid is injected.   The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 12, wherein the cleaning liquid injected into the cleaning tank is bactericidal metal ion water.   The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 12, wherein the cleaning liquid injected into the cleaning tank is a solvent containing an abrasive or an abrasive material.

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