JP2008155041A - Battery charger for self-propelled vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automate charge operation for a self-propelled vacuum cleaner by a simple structure. <P>SOLUTION: The battery charger includes a power supply means for supplying power to a power source 22 mounted on the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 from a commercial power source, a first contact point to electrically connect the self-propelled vacuum cleaner to the power supply means, and a guide means for guiding the self-propelled vacuum cleaner when a second contact point of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner is connected to the first contact point. An input means to input an operation instruction to the self-propelled vacuum cleaner and a means to transmit the operation instruction input from the input means to the self-propelled vacuum cleaner are also included. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a charging device for a self-propelled cleaner.

  An example of a conventional self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner is described in Patent Document 1. The vacuum cleaner described in this publication includes a main body having each support wheel, drive means for driving the wheel of the vacuum cleaner in a direction of traveling on the cleaning surface, a dust separator, and a fan that draws air into the dust separator. It has. The cleaner head is attached in a direction crossing the traveling direction so as to be in close contact with the wall or the like and protrudes at least on one side of the main body. Where there is an obstacle, the protruding head can be pulled into the main body.

  Another example of a conventional self-propelled cleaner is described in Patent Document 2. The robot cleaner described in this publication includes a charge level detection means for detecting that the charge level of the battery is equal to or lower than a predetermined level so that the battery can be automatically charged when the battery power is consumed, and a power source for the battery. And a power supply input means for electrically connecting the power supply and the battery.

  Still another example of a conventional self-propelled cleaner is described in Patent Document 3. The robot cleaner described in this pamphlet has a chassis having a front bumper portion and at least two drive wheels. The front bumper portion is movable with respect to the chassis, detects the movement of the chassis and the front bumper portion, and transmits a control signal to the guidance control system when the flon and the bumper portion meet an obstacle. Thereby, even if there is an obstacle, the guidance control system can operate the robot cleaner around the obstacle.

Special Table 2002-532177 JP-A-8-83125 International Publication No. 02/067745 Pamphlet

  The self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner described in Patent Document 1 does not have means for detecting the amount of protrusion of the mouthpiece and means for controlling the mouthpiece based on the positional relationship between the wall and the cleaner body. Therefore, there is still a possibility that unsucked material may still occur at the corners of the room. In addition, since the mouthpiece is pressed against the wall by a spring or the like, there is a possibility that a rubbing trace remains on the wall.

  Moreover, in the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner described in Patent Document 2, when the dust collection case is filled with the sucked dust, the dust must be discarded manually. Therefore, in a self-propelled cleaner with a limited capacity, it is often necessary to treat dust, and it is difficult to fully automate the cleaner. Furthermore, in the self-propelled cleaner described in Patent Document 3, since only obstacles in front of the self-propelled cleaner can be detected, it is necessary to change the direction when going backward. is there.

  An object of the present invention is to automate the charging operation of a self-propelled cleaner.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is characterized in that power supply means for supplying power from a commercial power source to a power source mounted on the self-propelled cleaner, and electrically connecting the power supply means and the self-propelled cleaner. A self-propelled cleaner having a first contact to be connected and guide means for guiding the self-propelled cleaner when the second contact of the self-propelled cleaner is connected to the first contact; An input means for inputting an operation command and means for transmitting the operation command input from the input means to the self-propelled cleaner are provided.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to clean a large area or a long time without mounting a large-capacity storage battery or a dust collection case. Since a physical guide is used, a highly reliable automatic charging and dust removal system can be realized with a simple structure.

  An embodiment of a self-propelled cleaner system according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The self-propelled cleaner system includes a cleaner 1 that self-propels and cleans dust, and a charging device 200 that supplies power to a storage battery 22 included in the cleaner 1. In FIG. 1, sectional drawing of the self-propelled cleaner 1 is shown. 2A is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2B, and is a top view, and FIG. 2B is a vertical cross-sectional view. The traveling direction of the cleaner 1 is the left direction in FIG.

  The outer shape of the self-propelled cleaner 1 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape by the upper surface cover 27 and the side surface cover 23. A pair of driving wheels 4a and 4b for traveling are attached to the inside of the vacuum cleaner 1 and on both lower side surfaces. The drive wheels 4a and 4b are individually driven by motors 2a and 2b attached to the base. A reduction gear 5 that decelerates the outputs of the motors 2a and 2b is attached to the motors 2a and 2b.

  Encoders 3a and 3b are attached to rotation shaft ends of the left and right traveling motors 2a and 2b. The encoders 3a and 3b output the rotational speeds of the traveling motors 2a and 2b to the controller 6 mounted on the upper rear part in the cleaner 1. The controller 6 separately controls the voltage applied to the traveling motors 2a and 2b. The controller 6 feedback-controls the rotational speeds of the traveling motors 2a and 2b detected by the encoders 3a and 3b, thereby controlling the rotational speeds of the drive wheels 4a and 4b.

  When the traveling direction is controlled, the pair of motors 2a and 2b are rotated in the same rotational speed and in the same direction to cause the cleaner 1 to go straight, and the motors 2a and 2b are rotated in the same rotational speed and in the opposite directions. The vacuum cleaner 1 is rotated on the spot.

  The hinge pins 8a and 8b support the speed reducers 5a and 5b so as to freely rotate around a horizontal axis orthogonal to the traveling direction. The reduction gears 5a and 5b are connected to the upper part of the cleaner 1 via suspensions 7a and 7b. When the speed reducers 5a and 5b rotate around the hinge pins 8a and 8b, the drive wheels 4a and 4b are displaced substantially in the vertical direction. When the cleaner 1 is placed on the floor, the springs of the suspensions 7a and 7b are most contracted by the weight of the cleaner 1. The drive wheel 4b and the speed reducer 5b are located at a position (α) indicated by a solid line in FIG. When the cleaner 1 is lifted, the springs of the suspensions 7a and 7b extend, and the speed reducers 5a and 5b and the drive wheels 4a and 4b are displaced up to a position (β) indicated by a broken line in FIG. Thereby, even if the floor surface on which the self-propelled cleaner 1 travels is uneven, the drive wheels 4a and 4b can be reliably grounded.

  A suction body 30 that is displaceable to the left and right is attached to the rear side of the direction of travel of the vacuum cleaner 1. The manner of displacement of the mouthpiece 30 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2A, the mouthpiece 30 is housed inside the cleaner 1 during normal operation. In this state, the external shape of the self-propelled cleaner 1 is substantially cylindrical. Since the external shape of the vacuum cleaner 1 is cylindrical, if the vacuum cleaner 1 is not in contact with an obstacle, it can turn on the spot without being obstructed by the obstacle. Therefore, the direction can be changed in any direction.

  In addition, the external shape of the self-propelled cleaner 1 is not limited to a cylindrical shape, and may be a rounded shape such as a hemispherical shape or a truncated cone shape. These shapes can also be turned to change the direction of travel without being obstructed by obstacles.

  If the mouthpiece 30 is located inside the cleaner 1, the mouthpiece 30 does not reach the wall. In this case, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), the tip of the suction body 30 is projected outside the right end (line γ) of the cleaner 1 within the movable range of the suction body 30. Thereby, the front-end | tip of the suction body 30 reaches near the wall.

  A storage battery 22 that supplies electric power to each part is mounted at the center of the self-propelled cleaner 1. The storage battery 22 is a nickel metal hydride battery. The voltage of the storage battery 22 is detected by a detection circuit provided in the controller 6. The controller 6 monitors the detected voltage output, and sequentially grasps the charged amount. A charging terminal 14 is attached to the front surface of the vacuum cleaner 1. When a specified voltage is applied to the charging terminal 14, the storage battery 22 inside the cleaner 1 is charged.

  A cover 27 is attached to the upper part of the cleaner 1. Details of the cover 27 are shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a top view of the cleaner 1, and the upper side of the drawing is the traveling direction. An operation panel 46 having a plurality of switches 15, 15,... Is attached to the rear side in the traveling direction. The switch 15 is used for turning on / off the power source and manually instructing the self-propelled cleaner 1. A light-emitting diode indicator 47 is also mounted on the operation panel 46. The indicator 47 indicates power on / off and the remaining capacity of the storage battery 22. A liquid crystal display may be used for the indicator 47.

  An infrared remote control receiver 16 is attached on the top cover 27 near the operation panel. The receiving unit 16 is used to receive a signal from an infrared remote control transmitter 100 (not shown) provided outside. Based on the signal received by the receiver 16, the cleaner 1 moves forward or backward, turns, and starts / stops the dust collecting fan. In addition, the autonomous cleaning operation is started or interrupted.

  A cylindrical side cover 23 is disposed on the outer peripheral portion of the cleaner 1. The upper portion of the side cover 23 is bent inward, and an engaging portion with the upper surface cover 27 is formed at an end thereof. Infrared distance sensors 10 a to 10 c are arranged inside the side cover 23 and in the vicinity of the side cover 23. The infrared distance sensors 10a to 10c measure the distance to an object located in front of the sensors 10a to 10c. The outputs of the sensors 10a to 10c are monitored by the controller 6. The portion of the side cover 23 that faces the light receiving portions of the infrared distance sensors 10a to 10c is made of a material that transmits infrared rays. Thereby, the controller 6 can recognize the distance between the self-propelled cleaner 1 and surrounding objects.

  A gyro sensor (not shown) is attached inside the cleaner 1. The gyro sensor outputs the angular velocity around the vertical axis of the self-propelled cleaner to the controller 6. Thereby, even if the drive wheels 4a and 4b slip on the floor, the angular velocity of the self-propelled cleaner 1 can be detected.

  Step sensors 12a and 12b are attached to the lower side of the vacuum cleaner 1 and on both sides on the front side. The step sensors 12a and 12b are reflection type infrared distance measuring sensors, and output the presence / absence of an object within a predetermined distance from the light receiving portions of the sensors 12a and 12b. Thereby, even if the floor of the traveling direction of the self-propelled cleaner 1 is depressed, the depression can be detected. If the step sensor 12a or 12b detects a step while the cleaner 1 is traveling, the cleaner 1 is temporarily stopped. And the direction of the vacuum cleaner 1 is changed to the direction without a level | step difference. Thereby, it is avoided that the vacuum cleaner 1 falls from a level | step difference. In addition to the infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor or a contact switch can be used for the step sensor 12.

  The details of the dust collection structure inside the vacuum cleaner 1 will be described below. A dust collection case 21 is installed adjacent to the suction body 30 movable in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the mouthpiece 30 is provided with a hole 70 on a surface in contact with the dust collecting case 21. The dust collecting case 21 is also provided with a hole 71 on the surface in contact with the suction body 30. Through the holes 70 and 71 formed in the suction body 30 and the dust collecting case 21, air containing dust collected by the suction body 30 flows.

  A packing 36 is attached around the hole 71 of the dust collecting case 21. The packing 36 is used to keep the space between the suction body 30 and the dust collecting case 21 airtight. The surface of the portion where the packing 36 is in contact with the mouthpiece 30 is processed smoothly.

  A dust collection fan 20 is attached on the base 45. A dust collection case 21 is held on the lower surface side of the base 45. The dust collection fan 20 is connected to the dust collection case 21 via a base. The connection portion between the dust collection case 21 and the dust collection fan 20 of the base 45 is provided with a ventilation hole for suction air. In a state where the dust collecting case 21 is attached to the vacuum cleaner 1, a packing (not shown) keeps the flow path airtight.

  A non-woven filter 54 is attached to the part where the dust collecting case 21 faces the dust collecting fan 20. Due to the pressure difference generated by the operation of the dust collection fan 20, air containing dust is sucked from the suction body 30. Air containing dust passes from the suction body 30 through the dust collecting case 21 to the dust collecting fan 20. Then, dust and air are separated by the dust collection filter 54, and the separated dust is stored inside the dust collection case 21.

  Since holes 70 and 71 are formed in each of the suction body 30 and the dust collection case 21 to form an air passage, the suction body 30 can be displaced left and right while sliding with the packing 36 on the dust collection case 21 (see FIG. 2). ). Therefore, a hose and a pipe are unnecessary and the vacuum cleaner 1 can be reduced in size. Compared to the case where the dust collection case 21 and the suction body 30 are displaced together, the displacement portion can be reduced in weight, and the force required to displace the suction body 30 can be reduced. As a result, the drive device that moves the suction body 30 in the left-right direction can be reduced in size. The range in which the suction body 30 can be displaced is a range in which the hole 70 of the suction body 30 does not protrude from the range surrounded by the packing 36 when the suction body 30 protrudes most, as shown in FIG. In addition, the left end of the suction body 30 is a range that does not exceed the left end of the packing 36.

  The dust collection case 21 is restricted in lateral movement by a guide (not shown) attached to the base 45. However, it can slide along the guide in the forward direction. Thereby, the dust collecting case 21 can be removed from the cleaner 1. When the dust collecting case 21 is pushed into the self-propelled cleaner 1 until the packing 36 provided at the rear end of the dust collecting case 21 comes into contact with the suction body 30, the dust collecting case is placed in the recess 29 formed on the cleaner 1 side. The provided claw 28 is fitted. Thereby, the movement of the dust collection case 21 in the traveling direction can be restricted.

  The nail | claw 28 is an elastic body, and when the dust collection case 21 is pulled forward strongly, the nail | claw 28 will dent below. And the nail | claw 28 and the hollow 29 by the side of the cleaner 1 remove | deviate, and the dust collection case 21 can be easily removed from the cleaner 1. FIG. The upper lid of the dust collection case 21 can be detached from the dust collection case 21. Therefore, if the dust collection case 21 is removed, the dust accumulated in the dust collection case 21 can be easily discarded. Moreover, since the dust collection case is removable and the dust collection case 21 and the sliding surface of the suction body 30 are exposed, the cleaning of the sliding surface is easy.

  In order to displace the suction body 30 in the left-right direction, a suction body feed motor 32, an encoder 34 attached to the motor 32, a ball screw 37 connected to the shaft of the motor 32, a suction body origin detection switch 90, a suction mouth It has a support arm 42 that suspends and supports the body 30 from above.

  The suction body 30 is connected to the ball screw 37 via the support arm 42. The ball screw 37 is rotatably supported by a bearing 35 held by a support member 45a that is substantially rigidly attached to the base 45. A connecting portion for connecting the support arm 42 to the ball screw 37 is a top 43, and a female screw is cut on the inner surface side. When the ball screw 37 rotates, the mouthpiece 30, the top 43, and the support arm 42 move in the lateral direction.

  The encoder 34 detects the amount of displacement of the top 43 and outputs it to the controller 6. The mouthpiece origin detection switch 90 is arranged such that the top 43 is switched on when the top 43 is within a predetermined range. When the top 43 is out of the predetermined range, the switch is turned off. This on / off switching position is determined as the origin. By combining the origin detected by the suction mouth origin detection switch 90 and the output value of the encoder 34, the absolute value of the position of the support arm 42 is known. In the present embodiment, the position origin is determined by a mechanical method, but it goes without saying that an optical sensor may be used.

  A slider 33 that can be displaced in the lateral direction is attached to the middle of the support arm 42. In order to return the slider 33 to the neutral position, the slider 33 has a spring 33b. When a lateral force acts on the mouthpiece 30, the slider is displaced according to the magnitude of the force. When the motor 32 is rotated, the suction body 30 is displaced in the lateral direction while sliding between the dust collection case 21.

  According to the present embodiment, since the tip of the mouthpiece 30 is supported by the support arm 42 via the slider 33, the tip of the mouthpiece 30 can be delivered to the wall. In addition, when the tip of the protruding suction body 30 touches an external object such as a wall, it is possible to prevent the direction of the self-propelled cleaner 1 from being changed by a reaction force from the object. If the strength of the spring of the slider 33 is made sufficiently weak, it is possible to prevent damage to the suction body 30 and the touched object even if an object touches the tip of the projected suction body 30.

  A contact detection sensor 44 is attached in the vicinity of the portion where the mouthpiece 30 protrudes from the self-propelled cleaner 1. The contact detection sensor 44 has a plurality of switches arranged on a sheet, and the switch is pushed down when a wall or an obstacle comes into contact. The contact detection sensor 44 outputs the touched position to the controller 6. Thereby, it can be detected that a wall or an obstacle touches the protruding portion of the mouthpiece 30.

  Operation | movement of the self-propelled cleaner 1 comprised in this way is demonstrated below. Self-propelled cleaner 1 has two kinds of running modes, an autonomous running mode and a manual running mode. In the autonomous traveling mode, autonomous traveling is performed based on information of various sensors mounted on the self-propelled cleaner 1. In the manual travel mode, a single operation such as forward movement, backward movement or turning is performed based on a signal transmitted from the remote control transmitter 100.

  When the self-propelled cleaner 1 is started, the manual travel mode is set. In the manual travel mode, the user instructs the travel direction of the cleaner 1 using the remote control transmitter 100. Therefore, if the user sets the manual travel mode and displaces the cleaner 1 to the room to be cleaned without lifting the cleaner 1, the physical burden on the user can be reduced. When operating in the manual mode, if the cleaner 1 is instructed from the remote control transmitter 100 or a switch on the operation panel 46 of the cleaner 1, the self-propelled cleaner 1 shifts to the autonomous travel mode. In the autonomous traveling mode, the vehicle travels so as to thoroughly clean the entire room using outputs of various sensors such as the infrared distance sensors 10a to 10c based on an algorithm stored in the controller 6 in advance.

  When the self-propelled cleaner 1 described in the present embodiment is used, it is possible to clean up to a wall or near an obstacle during autonomous traveling. Therefore, when the self-propelled cleaner 1 cleans the wall, the self-propelled cleaner 1 runs along the wall. When traveling along the wall, a predetermined interval is maintained between the self-propelled cleaner 1 and the wall surface. The predetermined interval is equal to or shorter than the distance at which the mouthpiece 30 hits the wall when the mouthpiece 30 is most protruded.

  The difference between the distance to the wall measured by the infrared distance measuring sensor 10a and the target distance is obtained. When the difference between the two distances is positive, the self-propelled cleaner 1 is instructed to approach the wall. If the difference between the two distances is negative, the self-propelled cleaner 1 is instructed to move away from the wall. The mouthpiece 30 is protruded until the contact detection sensor 44 detects that the tip of the mouthpiece protrusion is touching the wall. Alternatively, the protruding amount of the mouthpiece 30 is determined based on the distance from the self-propelled cleaner 1 to the wall detected by the infrared distance measuring sensor 10a. According to the latter method, if the amount of protrusion of the mouthpiece 30 is adjusted, the tip of the mouthpiece 30 can be cleaned to the vicinity without contacting the wall.

  According to the present embodiment, even if an obstacle is caught on the front surface of the mouthpiece 30 that protrudes during traveling, the contact detection sensor 44 can detect the obstacle, so that the mouthpiece is temporarily placed in the self-propelled cleaner 1. By storing, it is possible to continue cleaning while avoiding obstacles.

  When cleaning the wall, it is often necessary to turn the self-propelled cleaner 1 at the corner of the room. FIG. 4 shows a state where the self-propelled cleaner 1 is turned. When the self-propelled cleaner 1 reaches the corner of the room while traveling along the wall in the autonomous traveling mode, the infrared distance sensors 10a and 10b detect the wall. Therefore, the self-propelled cleaner 1 shifts to an operation of turning on the spot while cleaning the corner. At this time, if the amount of protrusion of the mouthpiece 30 is controlled so that the tip of the mouthpiece 30 is displaced along the wall, the uncleaned area at the corner can be reduced.

  The amount of protrusion of the mouthpiece 30 is based on the information of the contact detection sensor 44, or the information on the distance from the self-propelled cleaner 1 to the wall detected by the infrared distance sensor 10a, as in the case of displacement along a normal wall. Determine based on. Since the infrared distance sensor 10a precedes the tip of the mouthpiece 30 in the rotation direction of the self-propelled cleaner 1 (counterclockwise in FIG. 4), the tip of the mouthpiece 30 passes through the shape of the corner. I can grasp before. Thereby, according to the shape of a corner, the suction body 30 can be controlled to a position as close as possible without touching a wall or the like. Even when the wall is made of a material that easily wears, the wall will not be damaged. In addition, when determining the protrusion amount of the front-end | tip of the suction mouth 30, the program which assumed that the corner shape of the room was corner shapes, such as a right angle, can also be used. In this case, the control of the cleaner 1 is simplified.

  The side cover 23 is formed with a notch in a portion that protrudes from the mouthpiece 30. The suction body 30 can be smoothly displaced by this notch. A lower portion of the front side surface of the side cover 23 is provided with a hatch 26 that slides up and down to remove the dust collecting case 21.

  Four springs 25a to 25d are attached to the base 45 near the inner peripheral surface of the side cover 23 at substantially equal intervals. The springs 25a to 25d are piano wires and hardly extend or contract in the longitudinal direction, but are easily displaced in the bending direction. When the load is removed, it returns to its original state. The springs 25a to 25d are arranged in the vertical direction. Details of the springs 25a to 25d are shown in a partial cross-sectional view in FIG. A step 27 a that is lowered inward is formed at the upper end of the upper surface cover 27. The step 27a prevents the side cover 23 from being displaced downward. By this step 27a, even if a downward force is applied to the side cover 23, the upper surface cover 27 supports this force and prevents the springs 25a to 25d from buckling.

  Note that the horizontal displacement of the side cover 23 is limited to about 3 mm by the step 27a of the top cover 27. Furthermore, since the springs 25 a to 25 d hardly deform with respect to the tensile force, the side cover 23 does not leave the base 45 even when the side cover 23 of the self-propelled cleaner 1 is lifted.

  Switches 24 a to 24 d for detecting the horizontal displacement of the side cover 23 are arranged with a slight gap from the side cover 23. The switches 24 a to 24 d are held at the tips of brackets 72 a to 72 d provided perpendicular to the base 45. When the side cover 23 is displaced in any one of the horizontal directions, the one or two switches 24a to 24d and the side cover 23 come into contact with each other, and the switches 24a to 24d are operated. Depending on which switch 24a to 24d is activated, the general direction of the object can be known. Outputs from the switches 24 a to 24 d are output to the controller 6. Therefore, if an object contacts the side surface of the cleaner 1 and the side cover 23 is displaced, contact with the object can be detected.

  According to the present embodiment, since the side cover 23 is integrally supported on the entire circumference by a spring and is provided with four contact switches at a pitch of approximately 90 degrees, it can be detected regardless of the position at which the object comes into contact. There is no blind spot. In addition, the detection mechanism requires few parts, has a simple structure, and is inexpensive. Since the parts required for these detections can be arranged in the vicinity of the side cover 23 of the vacuum cleaner 1, a space for other parts can be secured in the center of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1. Since the side cover 23 is supported by the top cover 27, the structure is strong against external force in the vertical direction. Since it is possible to know the approximate direction of the object, it is easy to take avoidance actions.

  Note that the detection sensitivity can be easily changed simply by changing the rigidity of the springs 25a to 25d. If the horizontal clearance between the top cover 27 and the side cover 23 is changed, the horizontal movable range of the side cover 23 can be changed. By appropriately combining the rigidity of the springs 25a to 25d and the movable range in the horizontal direction, it is possible to detect a touch of soft touch. In this setting, the self-propelled cleaner 1 and surrounding objects can be prevented from coming into contact with each other and being damaged.

  In this embodiment, four springs 25a to 25d are used to support the side cover and four switches 24a to 24d are used to detect displacement. However, the number is not limited to four. . The number of springs 25 and the number of switches 24 may be different. This switch is not limited to the rounded shape used in the above embodiment, but may be a polyhedron having round corners. In either case, no blind spot is generated in detection.

  A pressure sensor (not shown) is attached to the mouthpiece 30. The pressure detected by the pressure sensor is output to the controller 6. While the self-propelled cleaner 1 is in use, the suction port 40 may be blocked with paper or the like, and dust may not be sucked. At this time, the pressure inside the mouthpiece 30 is rapidly reduced. If this state continues for a long time, the motor 20a that drives the dust collecting fan 20 becomes overloaded, and the self-propelled cleaner 1 breaks down. Therefore, the pressure sensor detects the pressure change inside the mouthpiece 30 to avoid the overload state of the motor 20a.

  Specifically, once the pressure sensor 13 detects a sudden pressure drop, the suction of the cleaner 1 is once stopped. When the suction is stopped, the pressure inside the suction body 30 becomes equal to the atmospheric pressure, and it becomes easy to remove the object stuck to the suction port 40. Next, the cleaner 1 is caused to travel a predetermined distance, and the object stuck to the suction port 40 is taken out. The suction is resumed and the cleaning is resumed after confirming that the pressure is restored to the normal state. When the pressure difference has not returned to the normal state, the suction stop and the traveling of the cleaner 1 are repeated. If the pressure does not become normal even after repeating this procedure a predetermined number of times, suction is stopped and cleaning is stopped. In order to inform the user of the abnormality, an error is displayed on the indicator 47.

  As dust accumulates in the dust collection case 21, the pressure drop in the suction body 30 is reduced in the suction state. Since the pressure sensor monitors the pressure when the dust collecting fan 20 is operating, it is possible to detect the degree of dust accumulation in the dust collecting case 21. An indicator 47 indicates the dust accumulation state to the user. Since the dust accumulation state can be detected, the timing for taking out the dust from the dust collecting case 21 can be automatically known.

  Since the cleaner 1 uses the storage battery 22 as a power source, a charging operation is required. Further, since the capacity of the dust collection case 21 is also limited, it is necessary to take out the dust from the dust collection case 21 when a predetermined amount of dust has accumulated. In this embodiment, the vacuum cleaner 1 autonomously executes these operations. This will be described with reference to FIGS.

  6A and 6B are schematic views of the self-propelled cleaner 1 and the charging device 200 provided at one corner of the room. FIG. 6A is a top view thereof and FIG. 6B is a side view thereof. The charging device 200 includes a lower plate portion 201, a side wall portion 202, a box portion 203, and a charging device guide portion 204. 7A and 7B show the details of the charging device guide part. FIG. 7A is a top view thereof, FIG. 7B is a side view thereof, and FIG. 7C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. is there.

  The box unit 203 is a power supply unit provided on the building side. The guide unit 204 is connected to the box unit 20 so that when the cleaner 1 is charged, it can be smoothly connected to the contact on the cleaner 1 side. A charging terminal 205 is provided on the end surface of the box portion 203 on the guide portion 204 side. The charging terminal 205 is electrically connected to a charging circuit 230 provided in the box unit 203. Commercial power is supplied to the charging circuit 230.

  The box unit 203 is provided with a charging device dust collection fan 206, a charging device dust collection case 207, and a charging device controller 250. The charging device dust collection case 207 has a larger dust collection capacity than the dust collection case 21 of the self-propelled cleaner 1. The charging device controller 250 monitors and controls the current and voltage that the charging circuit 230 flows to the charging terminal 205 and controls the operation of the charging device dust collecting fan 206.

  The charging device guide portion 204 is formed with a guide 208 whose width is narrowed toward the tip and a trapezoidal dust suction port 209 surrounded by the guide 208. A flange 208 a is formed on the upper surface edge of the guide 208. The upper surface of the dust suction port 209 is higher than the upper surface of the guide 208. The dust suction port 209 communicates with the charging device dust collection case 207 via a suction channel 210 formed inside the guide.

  When the charging device dust collecting fan 206 operates, air is sucked from the dust suction port 209. Then, dust contained in the sucked air is separated by the filter 207 a held in the charging device dust collection case 207 and stored in the charging device dust collection case 207. Thereby, the dust accumulated in the dust collection case 21 of the cleaner 1 is displaced to the dust collection case 207 on the charging device 200 side.

  FIG. 8 shows details of the dust collecting case 21 part of the self-propelled cleaner 1 to which the guide part 204 of the charging device 200 shown in FIG. 7 is engaged. FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the self-propelled cleaner 1, FIG. 8A shows a state in which the shutter 59 provided on the bottom surface of the dust collecting case 21 is closed, and FIG. 8B shows an open state. is there.

  A dust exhaust port 60 is formed on the bottom surface of the dust collection case 21, and the dust exhaust port 6 is covered with a shutter 59. The shutter 59 slides in the traveling direction of the self-propelled cleaner 1. A spring 61 is held at the rear part of the dust collecting case 21, and this spring 61 presses the shutter 59 leftward. During normal operation of the vacuum cleaner 1, the dust outlet 60 is covered with the shutter 61 so that dust in the dust collecting case 21 does not spill (see FIG. 8A).

  When the shutter 59 is pushed to the right, the spring 61 contracts and the dust outlet 60 appears as shown in FIG. A bent part 62 that bends downward is formed at the front edge of the shutter 59. When the self-propelled cleaner 1 is engaged with the charging device 200, the lower end of the bent portion 62 is set higher than the upper surface of the charging device guide 208 and lower than the edge of the dust suction port 209. Guides 63 are provided on both sides of the dust outlet 58. The guide 63 is in a male-female relationship with the guide 208 of the charging device 200. When the self-propelled cleaner 1 is engaged with the charging device 200, the heights of the guides 63 and 208 are set so that the height of the guide 63 and the height of the guide 208 coincide. Further, when the guide 208 and the guide 63 are engaged, the charging terminals 14 and 205 are set so that the charging terminal 205 contacts the charging terminal 14 of the cleaner 1.

  The dust removal operation of the self-propelled cleaner 1 configured as described above will be described below with reference to FIGS. 6 and 8. The side wall 202 of the charging device 200 is installed in advance in contact with the wall of the room. If the voltage of the storage battery 22 falls below a predetermined value during the operation of the self-propelled cleaner 1, the controller 6 determines that the remaining battery level is low. And it transfers to charging operation.

  If it transfers to charge operation, self-propelled cleaner 1 will go straight and look for the wall of a room. When the controller 6 determines that the wall has been reached from the outputs of the side cover switches 24a to 24d or the contact detection sensor 44 of the mouthpiece 30, the vehicle travels along the wall so that the wall is on the right side of the cleaner 1. When traveling along the wall continues and reaches the charging device 200, it rides on the lower plate portion 201 along the side wall portion 202 of the charging device 200.

  When traveling along the side wall 202, the cleaner 1 is moved away from the side wall by a distance determined based on the distance between the guide 208 and the side wall 202. As a result, when the self-propelled cleaner 1 rides on the lower plate portion 201 of the charging device 200, the guide 208 on the charging device 200 side and the guide 63 on the self-propelled cleaner 1 side substantially face each other.

  When the self-propelled cleaner 1 continues to travel along the side wall 202, the front end of the guide 63 on the self-propelled cleaner 1 side automatically fits with the tip of the guide 208 on the charging device 200 side. Finally, the two guides 208 and 63 come into close contact with each other. At that time, the charging terminal 14 on the self-propelled cleaner 1 side and the charging terminal 205 on the charger 200 side come into contact with each other, energization is started, and the storage battery 22 is charged.

  When the self-propelled cleaner 1 continues to travel along the side wall 202, the shutter 59 of the self-propelled cleaner 1 is caught on the edge of the dust suction port 209 of the charging device 200. Next, the shutter 59 is pushed and opened by the guide portion 204, and the dust suction port 209 and the dust discharge port 58 face each other. When the controller 6 of the self-propelled cleaner 1 detects that the contact terminal 14 is energized with the charging terminal 205 on the charging device 200 side, the controller 6 stops the traveling of the cleaner 1.

  The charging device controller 250 detects the current flowing through the charging terminal 205 and determines that the self-propelled cleaner 1 is engaged with the charging device 200. The controller 250 operates the charging device dust collecting fan 206 for a predetermined time to suck dust from the dust collecting case 21 of the self-propelled cleaner 1 into the charging device dust collecting case 207. Continue aspiration for a specified time.

  After it is determined that the dust suction has been completed and the charging device controller 250 or the controller 6 of the self-propelled cleaner 1 determines that the charging of the storage battery 22 has been completed, the self-propelled cleaner is moved backward. Then, the charging terminal 208 on the charging device 200 side is disconnected from the charging terminal 14 on the self-propelled cleaner side. Alternatively, voltage application to the storage battery 22 is stopped using the controller 6 of the self-propelled cleaner 1 or the charging device controller 250. Since both charging and dust removal have been completed, cleaning is resumed as necessary.

  According to the present embodiment, the dust in the dust collection case 21 that has been manually discarded is displaced to the dust collection case 207 on the charging device 200 side, so that a large capacity is required for autonomous cleaning. The capacity of the dust collecting case 21 on the cleaner 1 side can be reduced. Thereby, a vacuum cleaner can be reduced in size. In addition, in the said Example, although the dust is isolate | separated using a filter, you may use the centrifugation system used with a vacuum cleaner.

  Further, according to this embodiment, it is possible to clean a large area or for a long time without mounting a large capacity storage battery or a dust collecting case. Since a physical guide is used, a highly reliable automatic charging and dust removal system can be realized with a simple structure.

  Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. In the above embodiment, the dust collection case is arranged at the lower part of the vacuum cleaner. However, in this embodiment, the dust collection case is arranged at the upper part of the vacuum cleaner. Therefore, the dust collecting means provided on the charging device side is also different from the above embodiment. FIG. 9 shows a state in which the cleaner 1a is housed in the charging device 200a. FIG. 9A is a top view thereof, and FIG. 9B is a side sectional view thereof.

  The dust collecting case 21a of the cleaner 1a is held by a dust collecting case holder 73 provided on the upper surface cover 27b. A check valve 77 is provided on the upper surface of the dust collecting case 21a, and a tapered base 76 that is recessed from the outside is formed around the check valve 77. The material of the base 76 is a ferromagnetic material such as iron. The material of the upper surface of the dust collecting case 21 a is a transparent resin except for the base 76 and the check valve 77.

  The mouthpiece 30 can be displaced in the left-right direction as in the above-described embodiment. A duct 78 extending in the vertical direction connects the suction body 30 and the dust collecting case 21a. A sliding plate 74 is attached to the upper end portion of the duct 78. The sliding plate 74 is slidable with the packing 75 attached to the dust collecting case holder 73. The guide 63 attached to the bottom surface of the dust collecting case 21 in the above embodiment is attached to the bottom surface of the vacuum cleaner 1a. However, the shutter 59 and the dust exhaust port 60 arranged around the guide 63 are not necessary in this embodiment.

  Also in this embodiment, the configuration of the charging device 200a is the same as that in the above embodiment, but only the side plate portion 202a and the box portion 203a are different from the above embodiment. The box portion 203a is located above the side plate portion 202a and is in a position that covers only the front half of the cleaner 1a in a state where the cleaner 1a is engaged with the charging device 200a. A flexible hose 220 extends from the charging device dust collecting fan 206, and the hose 220 sucks dust.

  An electromagnet 221 is attached to the tip of the hose 220 to allow the charging device controller 250 to control the current. The tip of the hose 220 is pulled out to the outside of the box portion 203a, and when the cleaner 1a is positioned at the charging position, the base 76 is located immediately below the tip of the hose 220. The guide part 204 of the charging apparatus 200a is the same as that of the said Example.

  The operation of this embodiment configured as described above will be described below. Until the cleaner 1a engages with the charging device 200a, the process is the same as in the above embodiment. When the charging device 200a and the cleaner 1a are engaged, the cleaner 1a stops traveling. The charging device 200a detects that the charging terminal 14 on the cleaner 1a side and the charging terminal 205 on the charging device side are in contact with each other, and starts charging.

  The charger controller 250 starts energizing the electromagnet 221 at the tip of the hose 220. The electromagnet 221 is magnetized, and an attractive force is applied between the electromagnet 221 and the ferromagnetic base 76. The flexible hose 220 extends and the tip of the hose 220 and the base 76 are joined. At this time, the electromagnet 221 and the base 76 are in close contact with each other because they are fitted with a taper.

  The charging device dust collecting fan 206 is operated to open the check valve 77 with the generated pressure. Dust in the dust collection case 21 a is sucked into the charging device dust collection case 207. When the charging device dust collecting fan 206 is operated for a predetermined time, the energization to the electromagnet 221 is stopped. The tip of the hose 220 is separated from the base 76 due to the elasticity of the hose 220. Thereby, the discharge of dust from the dust collecting case 21 is completed. Subsequent operations are the same as in the above embodiment.

  According to the present embodiment, since the side wall portions 202a are provided on both sides of the charging device 200a, the cleaner 1 can be prevented from entering the charging device 200a from the side of the charging device 200a. Since the dust collecting case 21 is provided on the upper surface of the main body and made of a transparent resin, the amount of dust in the dust collecting case 21 can be confirmed visually. In addition, it is possible to prevent a situation in which valuables are sucked and accidentally discarded together with dust. Since the box portion 203a has a high structure in the vertical direction, the charging device 200a can reduce the occupied floor area. Since the box part 203a covers only the front side of the cleaner 1a, the operation panel 46 and the infrared remote control receiver 16 arranged on the rear side of the cleaner 1a can be exposed. As a result, even if the cleaner 1a is accommodated in the charging device 200a, it can be easily operated and remotely operated.

  A modification of this embodiment is shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view of the cleaner 1a and the charging device 200c. In this modified example as well, the box portion 203c is located above the side plate portion 202c, but is different from the above embodiment in that the box portion 203c is above the entire side plate portion 202c.

  An operation panel 222 and an infrared remote control receiver 223 provided in the vacuum cleaner 1a are provided on the upper surface of the charging device 200c. Outputs from the operation panel 220 and the infrared remote control receiver 223 are input to a controller 250 provided in the box unit 203c. An infrared remote control transmission unit 224 is provided on the lower surface of the box unit 203c. The transmission unit 224 is used to transmit a remote control signal in the charging device 200c in response to an instruction from the controller 250. An entry detection sensor 29 for detecting the entry of the self-propelled cleaner 1 into the charging device 200c is provided at the upper part on the inner surface side of the portion that houses the self-propelled cleaner 1, and the output of this sensor is a controller. 250.

  When the switch on the operation panel 222 is pressed, and when the infrared remote control receiver 223 receives a signal from an infrared remote controller transmitter (not shown), the infrared remote controller transmitter 224 sends the corresponding signal to the remote control receiver of the cleaner 1a. 16 to send. Thereby, even if the cleaner 1a is accommodated in the charging device 200c, the cleaner 1a can be operated. Moreover, since the whole upper side of the charging device 200c is the box part 203c, the charging device 200c can be made more compact.

  When the entry detection sensor 229 detects that the self-propelled cleaner 1a has entered the charging device 200c, the controller 250 has entered the cleaner 1a, and the cleaner 1a has entered the charger 200c from the infrared remote control transmitter 224. Command to send a signal indicating. Thereby, even if the cleaner 1a enters the charging device 200c unexpectedly while the cleaner 1a is traveling, the course of the cleaner 1a can be changed before the cleaner 1a engages with the charger 200c.

  Further, since the entry detection sensor 229 does not operate when the cleaner 1a does not enter the charging device 200c, it can be seen that the cleaner 1a has not entered the charging device 200c, and the traveling speed can be increased. As a result, when the vacuum cleaner 1a is engaged with the charging device 200c, the charging device 200c can be traced quickly by simply running near the charging device 200c and reducing the traveling speed in the vicinity of the charging device 200c. Can do. As a result, the traveling speed can be increased before reaching the charging device 200c, and the vehicle can be driven slowly when it reaches the charging device 200c, so that the cleaning efficiency is improved and the charging and dust removal operations can be performed reliably.

  Note that if the position of the infrared remote control transmitter 224 and the shape of the side plate 202 are determined so that the signal transmitted from the infrared remote controller transmitter 224 does not leak outside the charging device 200c, the entry detection sensor 229 can be omitted. Good. In this case, a signal indicating a constant approach may be transmitted from the infrared remote control transmitter 224.

The upper surface sectional view and side sectional view of one example of a self-propelled cleaner concerning the present invention. The figure explaining the movable range of the movable suction mouth used for the self-propelled cleaner shown in FIG. The top view of the upper surface cover with which the self-propelled cleaner shown in FIG. 1 is provided. The figure explaining the cleaning method of a self-propelled cleaner. The fragmentary longitudinal cross-section of the self-propelled cleaner shown in FIG. The top view and side view of the main-body part of a self-propelled cleaner shown in FIG. 1, and a charging device. The top view and front view of the guide part of the self-propelled cleaner shown in FIG. The bottom view of the self-propelled cleaner shown in FIG. The top view and side view of other Examples of the self-propelled cleaner concerning the present invention. The side view of the modification of the self-propelled cleaner shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... (Self-propelled) Vacuum cleaner, 2a, 2b ... Traveling motor, 3a, 3b ... Traveling motor encoder, 4a, 4b ... Drive wheel, 5a, 5b ... Reduction gear, 6 ... Controller, 7a, 7b ... Suspension 8a, 8b ... Hinge pins, 10a-10c ... Infrared distance sensor, 12a, 12b ... Step sensor, 14 ... Charging terminal, 15 ... Main body operation switch, 16 ... Receiver, 19 ... Caster, 20 ... Dust collecting fan, 21 ... Dust collection case, 22 ... Storage battery, 23 ... Side cover, 24a-24d ... Switch, 25a-25d ... Spring, 26 ... Hatch, 27 ... Top cover, 28 ... Pawl, 29 ... Recess, 30 ... Mouthpiece, 32 ... Mouthpiece Body feed motor 33 ... Spring 34 ... Encoder 35 ... Bearing 36 ... Packing 37 ... Ball screw 40 ... Suction port 42 ... Support arm 43 ... Top 44 ... Contact Sensor, 45 ... base, 46 ... operation panel, 47 ... indicator, 50 ... packing, 59 ... shutter, 60 ... dust outlet, 61 ... spring, 62 ... bent part, 63 ... guide, 70 ... hole (suction body), 71: Hole (dust collection case), 72 ... Bracket, 73 ... Dust collection case holder, 74 ... Sliding plate, 75 ... Packing, 76 ... Base, 77 ... Check valve, 78 ... Duct, 90 ... Mouth body origin detection Switch ... 100 Infrared remote control transmitter 200 ... Charging device 201 ... Lower plate portion 202 ... Side plate portion 203 ... Box portion 204 ... Guide portion 205 ... Charge terminal 206 ... Charge dust collecting fan 207 ... Charging device dust collecting case, 208 ... guide, 209 ... dust suction port, 210 ... flow path, 220 ... hose, 221 ... electromagnet, 229 ... intrusion detection sensor, 230 ... charging circuit, 250 ... con Roller.

Claims (4)

  Power supply means for supplying power from a commercial power source to a power source mounted on the self-propelled cleaner, a first contact for electrically connecting the power supply means and the self-propelled cleaner, and the first contact A guide means for guiding the self-propelled cleaner when connecting the second contact of the self-propelled cleaner to the self-propelled cleaner, an input means for inputting an operation command to the self-propelled cleaner, and from this input means A charging device for a self-propelled cleaner, comprising: means for transmitting an input operation command to the self-propelled cleaner.   Power supply means for supplying power from a commercial power source to a power source mounted on the self-propelled cleaner, a first contact for electrically connecting the power supply means and the self-propelled cleaner, and the first contact Guide means for guiding the self-propelled cleaner when the second contact of the self-propelled cleaner is connected to the suction means, suction means for moving the dust stored in the dust collecting case of the self-propelled cleaner, and collection A charging device for a self-propelled cleaner characterized by comprising dust means.   3. The charging device for a self-propelled cleaner according to claim 2, further comprising a control unit that controls the suction unit, wherein the control unit controls the suction unit to operate while the power supply unit is operating. .   3. A housing part for housing the self-propelled cleaner, wherein means for detecting that the self-propelled cleaner has entered the housing part and means for displaying the entry are provided. The charging device for self-propelled cleaners as described.

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