JP2013144028A - Dust collector and self-propelled vacuum cleaner including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a dust collector having a simple configuration, easy to use, and suitable for user-friendly self-propelled vacuum cleaners, and to provide a self-propelled vacuum cleaner including the same.SOLUTION: A dust collector includes: a dust collection container having an opening and storing dust therein; an inlet allowing dust sucked in through a suction port at the bottom of a self-propelled vacuum cleaner to flow into the dust collection container together with air; a filter allowing air flowing into the dust collection container to pass therethrough and catching dust; and a cover openably/closably pivoted at the dust collection container in such a manner as to cover the filter and the opening of the dust collection container. The filter is turnably pivoted in the vicinity of the pivot part of the cover in the dust collection container.

Description

  The present invention relates to a dust collector and a self-propelled cleaner equipped with the dust collector, and more particularly to a dust collector suitable for the self-propelled cleaner and a self-propelled cleaner equipped with the dust collector.

In general, a vacuum cleaner for cleaning dust such as a floor surface is configured to suck air and collect dust in the sucked air.
As the dust collection method, a method in which a detachable bag that also serves as a filter is provided and the bag is filled with dust is replaced with a new bag.
In this method, the vacuum cleaner cannot be used without a new replacement bag, so the user must always stock a new bag for replacement.

  On the other hand, an air cyclone type vacuum cleaner that collects dust by centrifuging the sucked air has been proposed and implemented. This type of vacuum cleaner collects the centrifuged dust in a cylindrical dust cup. When the dust cup is full, the dust cup can be reused by removing the dust cup from the vacuum cleaner body and discarding and emptying the dust in the dust cup. For this reason, there is no need to replace the bag or the like, and the bag can be used semipermanently.

However, the cyclone type vacuum cleaner requires a large suction force for centrifugal separation. In addition, the path for forming the swirling airflow to be centrifuged is not only very complicated, but also the disposal of the collected dust is troublesome.
In addition, such a cyclone method is hardly used in a portable vacuum cleaner of a charging method in which output and size are restricted or a self-propelled cleaner such as a so-called robot cleaner. Therefore, in a charge-type vacuum cleaner including a self-propelled cleaner, a filter is generally provided in the dust cup without using a bag, and the dust collected by the filter is collected by the dust cup. .
In addition, as an example of a self-propelled cleaner, the thing like patent document 1 and 2 shown below is known.

JP 2004-195215 A JP 2007-167617 A

For example, in a self-propelled cleaner as described in Patent Document 1, a first dust collecting chamber that collects large dust in the sucked air and fine dust in the air that passes through the first dust collecting chamber. A dust collecting device is composed of a second dust collecting chamber having a filter for collecting air.
For this reason, the structure of the dust collector becomes complicated, and even if the dust collector is removed from the main body of the cleaner in order to discard the collected dust, it is not possible to discard all the dust at once. That is, a separate operation for opening the second dust collection chamber is required.
In addition, the first dust collection chamber is a system in which the dust collector is pulled out to the side and removed when the collected dust is discarded, even though all parts connected to the vacuum cleaner body are open. Sometimes dust collected may spill from the first dust collection chamber.

On the other hand, for example, in a self-propelled cleaner as described in Patent Document 2, since a cyclone system is used, an air path for forming a swirling airflow for centrifugation is required, and the structure of the dust collector is complicated.
Further, since the dust inlet is provided below the dust collector, the dust collecting capacity cannot be increased in a self-propelled cleaner with a height restriction.
Furthermore, since the inlet is formed at the bottom of the dust collector, dust that has not been centrifuged may fall naturally from the inlet.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a dust collector that is easy to use with a simple configuration.
Moreover, this invention provides the dust collector suitable for a self-propelled cleaner, and also provides the self-propelled cleaner provided with the convenient dust collector.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a dust collector that takes into account the handling of a filter that collects dust in the dust collector, and a self-propelled cleaner equipped with the dust collector.
Furthermore, this invention is a dust collector which can handle a filter easily by the user side, and aims at provision of a self-propelled cleaner provided with the dust collector.

Thus, according to the present invention, there is provided a dust collecting container having an opening and containing dust, an inlet for allowing dust sucked from the suction port at the bottom of the vacuum cleaner to flow into the dust collecting container together with air, and a dust collecting container. A filter part that allows air flowing into the container to pass through and collects dust; and a cover part that is pivotally supported by the dust container so as to be openable and closable so as to cover the filter part and the opening of the dust container.
The filter unit is provided with a dust collector that is pivotally supported in the vicinity of the pivotal support portion of the cover portion of the dust collection container.

Moreover, the dust collector of this invention may be comprised as follows.
(1) The shaft support part of the filter part and the shaft support part of the cover part may be arranged on the same axis.
(2) The dust collecting container has a pair of short cylindrical shaft portions arranged on the same axis center with a predetermined interval in the vicinity of the opening,
The shaft support portion of the cover portion is provided between the pair of short cylindrical shaft portions, and has a pair of inner short shaft portions inserted into the holes of the respective short cylindrical shaft portions,
The shaft support portion of the filter portion may be provided on both sides of the pair of short cylindrical shaft portions and may have a pair of outer short shaft portions inserted into the holes of the respective short cylindrical shaft portions.
(3) The filter portion may be configured to be detachable from the pair of short cylindrical shaft portions by elastically expanding between the pair of outer short shaft portions.
(4) The filter part may have a packing member that is press-fitted into the cover part on the outer peripheral part thereof.
(5) The cover part may have a discharge port for discharging the air that has passed through the filter part.

Moreover, according to another viewpoint of this invention, the self-propelled cleaner provided with the said dust collector is provided.
In the present invention, the term “self-propelled cleaner” refers to a housing having a suction port on the bottom and a dust collecting portion inside, a drive wheel for running the housing, rotation, stop and rotation direction of the drive wheel, etc. This means a vacuum cleaner that includes a control unit for controlling the operation and performs a cleaning operation independently from the user's hand, and an example is shown by an embodiment using the drawings described later.

  According to the dust collecting apparatus of the present invention, when removing dust adhering to the filter unit, the filter unit covers the opening of the dust collecting container by opening the cover unit to the dust collecting container and the filter unit. It can be set to the part open state. In this state, dust can be removed by rubbing a bar member against the upper surface of the filter portion and vibrating. This dust removal operation can be performed in a hygienic and simple manner without causing the user to get dirty because the dust-adhered portion of the filter portion is housed in the dust collecting container. Further, after the dust removal operation, if the filter unit is opened with respect to the dust collecting container so that the filter unit is accommodated in the cover unit, the dust in the dust collecting container can be discarded.

Moreover, according to the said structure (1), the structure of the axial support part of the cover part with respect to a dust container and the axial support part of a filter part can be simplified. Specifically, the configuration (2) can be adopted.
Moreover, according to the said structure (3), attachment and removal of the filter part with respect to a dust collecting container become easy, and replacement | exchange operation | work of a filter part can be performed easily.

Further, according to the configuration (4), in a state where the opening of the dust collecting container is closed by the filter part and the cover part, the packing member is in pressure contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cover part and the opening part of the dust collecting container is Since it abuts against the opening edge, leakage of air that flows into and out of the dust collector during cleaning by a vacuum cleaner is prevented.
Also, if the dust collection container is opened with respect to the cover part, the filter part is maintained in a state where it is press-fitted into the cover part, so that the filter part does not get in the way when the dust in the dust collection container is discarded. Convenient.
Moreover, according to the said structure (5), air can be distribute | circulated smoothly within a dust collector.

  Moreover, according to the self-propelled cleaner provided with the dust collector of the present invention, these effects can be achieved during the cleaning operation.

It is a perspective view of the self-propelled cleaner concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is AA arrow sectional drawing of the self-propelled cleaner shown by FIG. It is a bottom view of the self-propelled cleaner shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2, showing a state where the lid of the housing is opened and the dust collecting unit is taken out. It is a block diagram which shows the electrical structure of the self-propelled cleaner shown by FIG. It is a perspective view of a dust collection unit simple substance provided in a self-propelled cleaner concerning an embodiment of the present invention, and has shown the state seen from the front side. It is the perspective view which looked at the dust collection part shown by FIG. 6 from the back side. It is a left view of the dust collecting part shown by FIG. It is BB arrow sectional drawing of FIG. FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6 illustrating a state where the handle is raised. FIG. 8 is a view corresponding to FIG. 7 showing a state where the handle is raised. FIG. 9 is a view corresponding to FIG. 8 illustrating a state where the handle is raised. FIG. 10 is a view corresponding to FIG. 9 showing a state where the handle is raised. FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6 showing a state where the dust collecting container is opened. FIG. 8 is a view corresponding to FIG. 7 showing a state where the dust collecting container is opened. FIG. 9 is a view corresponding to FIG. 8 illustrating a state in which the dust collecting container is opened. FIG. 10 is a view corresponding to FIG. 9 illustrating a state where the dust collecting container is opened. It is a top view of the dust collector shown by FIG. 6, and has shown the state from which the handle was removed from the cover part. It is a principal part enlarged view of the cover part shown by FIG. It is a principal part enlarged view of the cover part shown by FIG. It is a front view of the handle simple substance provided in the dust collector shown in FIG. It is a principal part enlarged view of the handle shown by FIG. It is a principal part enlarged view of the handle shown by FIG. It is a disassembled block diagram of the dust collector shown by FIG. FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6 showing a state where the cover portion is opened, and shows a state where the filter portion is rotated so as to cover the opening of the dust collecting container. FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6 showing a state where the cover portion is opened, and showing a state where the filter portion is housed in the cover portion. It is a principal part enlarged view of FIG. It is a perspective view of the filter part single-piece | unit provided in the dust collector shown by FIG. It is CC sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is a principal part enlarged view of the filter part shown by FIG. It is a principal part enlarged view of the filter part shown by FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which is maintaining the filter part with the rod member. FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6 illustrating a state in which a bar member is accommodated in a recess of the cover portion. It is a perspective view which shows an introduction board. It is a perspective view which shows the modification 1 of an introductory board. It is a perspective view which shows the modification 2 of an introduction board.

<Description of self-propelled vacuum cleaner>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a self-propelled cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the self-propelled cleaner shown in FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the self-propelled cleaner shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 showing a state where the cover of the housing is opened and the dust collecting part is taken out, and FIG. 5 is shown in FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the electrical structure of a self-propelled cleaner. Hereinafter, the “self-propelled cleaner” may be referred to as a “cleaning robot”.

The cleaning robot (self-propelled cleaner) 1 according to the present invention sucks air containing dust on the floor and exhausts the air from which the dust is removed while self-propelled on the floor where it is installed. It is a cleaning robot that cleans the floor surface.
The cleaning robot 1 includes a disk-shaped housing 2, and a rotating brush 9, a side brush 10, a dust collecting device 30, an electric blower 22, a pair of drive wheels 29, Components such as a control unit including a rear wheel 26, a front wheel 27, and various sensors are provided.
In this cleaning robot 1, the portion where the front wheel 27 is disposed is the front portion, the portion where the rear wheel 26 is disposed is the rear portion, and the portion where the dust collecting device 30 is disposed is the intermediate portion.

  The housing 2 opens and closes when the dust collector 30 is taken in and out of the housing 2 and the bottom plate 2a having a suction port 6 formed at a position near the boundary with the intermediate portion in the front portion. A top plate 2b having a lid portion 3 at an intermediate portion, and a bottom plate 2a and a side plate 2c having an annular shape in plan view provided along the outer periphery of the top plate 2b are provided. The bottom plate 2a is formed with a plurality of holes for projecting the lower portions of the front wheel 27, the pair of drive wheels 29 and the rear wheel 26 from the inside of the housing 2 to the outside, and the boundary between the front portion and the middle portion of the top plate 2b. An exhaust port 7 is formed in the vicinity. In addition, the side plate 2c is divided into two in the front and rear directions, and the front side portion of the side plate functions as a bumper.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the housing 2 has a front storage chamber R <b> 1 that stores the motor unit 20, the electric blower 22, the ion generator 25 (see FIG. 5), and the like in the front portion. It has an intermediate storage room R2 for storing the dust collecting device 30 in the part, and a rear storage room R3 for storing the control board 15, the battery 14, the charging terminal 4 and the like of the control part in the rear part, and the front part and the intermediate part. A suction passage 11 and an exhaust passage 12 are provided in the vicinity of the boundary. The suction path 11 communicates the suction port 6 and the intermediate storage chamber R2, and the exhaust path 12 communicates the intermediate storage chamber R2 and the front storage chamber R1. Each of the storage chambers R1, R2, R3, the suction path 11 and the exhaust path 12 is partitioned by a partition wall 39 provided inside the housing 2 and constituting these spaces.

The pair of drive wheels 29 are fixed to a pair of rotating shafts 29a that intersect at right angles with a center line C passing through the center of the case 2 that is circular in plan view. When the pair of drive wheels 29 rotate in the same direction, the case 2 When the drive wheel 29 advances and retreats and each drive wheel 29 rotates in the opposite direction, the housing 2 rotates around the center line C.
The pair of rotating shafts 29a are coupled so that rotational force can be obtained individually from a pair of motors (not shown), and each motor is fixed to the bottom plate 2a of the housing directly or via a suspension mechanism.

The front wheel 27 is made of a roller, contacts the step appearing on the path, and the bottom of the bottom plate 2a of the housing 2 so that the drive wheel 29 is slightly lifted from the floor F where the driving wheel 29 contacts the ground so that the housing 2 can easily get over the step. The part is rotatably provided.
The rear wheel 26 is a free wheel, and is rotatably provided on a part of the bottom plate 2a of the housing 2 so as to be in contact with the floor surface F to which the driving wheel 29 is grounded.
In this way, the pair of driving wheels 29 is arranged in the middle in the front-rear direction with respect to the housing 2, the front wheels 27 are lifted from the floor surface F, and the weight of the cleaning robot 1 can be supported by the pair of driving wheels 29 and the rear wheels 26. Thus, the weight is distributed to the housing 2 in the front-rear direction. Thereby, the dust in front of the course can be guided to the suction port 6 without being blocked by the front wheel 27.

  The suction port 6 is an open surface of the concave portion 8 formed on the bottom surface of the housing 2 (the lower surface of the bottom plate 2a) so as to face the floor surface F. A rotating brush 9 that rotates about a rotation axis parallel to the bottom surface of the housing 2 is provided in the recess 8, and a side brush 10 that rotates about a vertical rotation axis is provided on the left and right sides of the recess 8. Is provided. The rotating brush 9 is formed by implanting a brush spirally on the outer peripheral surface of a roller that is a rotating shaft. The side brush 10 is formed by providing a brush bundle radially at the lower end of the rotating shaft. The rotating shaft of the rotating brush 9 and the rotating shaft of the pair of side brushes 10 are pivotally attached to a part of the bottom plate 2a of the housing 2 and include a drive motor, a pulley, a belt, and the like provided in the vicinity thereof. It is connected via a power transmission mechanism.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a floor surface detection sensor 13 for detecting the floor surface F is disposed between the bottom surface of the housing 2 and the front wheel 27, and a similar floor is disposed in front of the side portions of the left and right drive wheels 29. A surface detection sensor 19 is arranged. When the downstairs are detected by the floor surface detection sensor 13, the detection signal is transmitted to the control unit, and the control unit controls the drive wheels 29 to stop. Further, when the floor detection sensor 13 breaks down, the floor detection sensor 19 can detect the descending stair and stop both driving wheels 29, so that the cleaning robot 1 is prevented from falling to the descending stair. . Further, when the floor surface detection sensor 19 detects the descending staircase, the detection signal may be transmitted to the control unit, and the control unit may control the drive wheel 29 to travel avoiding the descending staircase.

The control board 15 is provided with a control circuit that controls each element of the cleaning robot 1 such as the driving wheel 29, the rotating brush 9, the side brush 10, and the electric blower 22.
A charging terminal 4 for charging the battery 14 is provided at the rear end of the side plate 2 c of the housing 2. The cleaning robot 1 that cleans the room while traveling by itself returns to the charging stand 40 installed in the room. Thereby, the charging terminal 4 contacts the terminal part 41 provided in the charging stand 40, and the battery 14 is charged. The charging stand 40 connected to a commercial power source (outlet) is usually installed along the side wall S in the room.
The battery 14 is charged from the charging stand 40 via the charging terminal 4 and supplies power to each element such as the control board 15, the drive wheel 29, the rotating brush 9, the side brush 10, the electric blower 22, and various sensors.

The dust collector 30 is normally stored in the intermediate storage chamber R2 above the axis of the rotation shaft 29a of the drive wheels 29 in the housing 2, and the dust collected in the dust collector 30 is collected. When discarding the dust collector, as shown in FIG. 4, the lid 3 of the housing 2 can be opened and the dust collector 30 can be taken in and out.
The dust collector 30 includes a dust collection container 31 having an opening 31d (see FIG. 14), a filter unit 33 that covers the opening 31d of the dust collection container 31, a filter unit 33, and an opening 31d of the dust collection container 31. The cover part 32 which covers is provided. The cover part 32 and the filter part 33 are pivotally supported by the opening edge of the front side of the dust collecting container 31 so that rotation is possible.
An inflow path 34 communicating with the suction path 11 of the housing 2 and the housing 2 in a state where the dust collecting device 30 is housed in the intermediate storage chamber R2 of the housing 2 are disposed at the front portion of the side wall of the dust collecting container 31. An exhaust passage 35 communicating with the exhaust passage 12 is provided. The dust collector 30 will be described in detail later.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit for controlling the operation of the entire cleaning robot 1 includes a control board 15 having a control circuit composed of a CPU 15a and other electronic components (not shown), and a storage unit for storing a travel map 18a. 18, a motor driver 22a for driving the electric blower 22, a motor driver 51a for driving the traveling motor 51 of the drive wheel 29, a louver 17 rotatably provided near the exhaust port 7 in the housing 2, and A control unit 17a for driving it, an odor sensor 52 and its control unit 52a, a humidity sensor 53 and its control unit 53a, a human sensor 54 and its control unit 54a, a contact sensor 55 and its control unit 55a, etc. Composed.

The CPU 15a is a central processing unit and transmits control signals individually to the motor drivers 22a and 51a and the control unit 17a based on the program data stored in advance in the storage unit 18, and the electric blower 22, the traveling motor 51, and the louver. 17 is driven and controlled, and a series of cleaning operation and ion emission operation are performed.
Further, the CPU 15a accepts a condition setting related to the operation of the cleaning robot 1 by the user from an operation panel (not shown) and stores it in the storage unit 18. The storage unit 18 can store a travel map 18 a around the installation location of the cleaning robot 1. The travel map 18a is information related to travel such as the travel route and travel speed of the cleaning robot 1, and is stored in advance in the storage unit 18 by the user or automatically recorded during the cleaning operation by the cleaning robot 1 itself. Can do.

  The odor sensor 52 detects odor around the outside of the housing 2. As the odor sensor 52, for example, a semiconductor type or catalytic combustion type odor sensor can be used. In order to detect the odor around the outside of the cleaning robot 1, for example, the odor sensor 52 is arranged in a state of being exposed to the outside from the side plate 2c or the top plate 2b of the housing 2. The CPU 15a is connected to the odor sensor 52 via the control unit 52a, and obtains odor information around the outside of the housing 2 based on an output signal from the odor sensor 52.

  The humidity sensor 53 detects the humidity around the outside of the housing 2. As the humidity sensor 53, for example, a capacitance type or electric resistance type humidity sensor using a polymer moisture sensitive material can be used. In order to detect the relative humidity around the outside of the cleaning robot 1, for example, the humidity sensor 53 is arranged in a state of being exposed to the outside from the side plate 2c or the top plate 2b of the housing 2. The CPU 15a is connected to the humidity sensor 53 via the control unit 53a, and obtains humidity information around the outside of the housing 2 based on an output signal from the humidity sensor 53.

  In the travel map 18a, a location where an odor above a predetermined threshold at a location where the cleaning robot 1 is installed and a location where the humidity is higher than the predetermined threshold may be stored in advance as specific locations. In this way, the CPU 15a can determine that this specific location is a location determined based on the surrounding environment of the housing 2. That is, like the odor sensor 52 and the humidity sensor 53, the travel map 18a serves as an environment detection device that detects the surrounding environment of the housing 2.

  As the human sensor 54, for example, a human sensor that detects the presence of a person using infrared rays, ultrasonic waves, visible light, or the like can be used. In order to detect the presence of a person around the outside of the cleaning robot 1, for example, the human sensor 54 is disposed in a state of being exposed to the outside from the side plate 2c or the top plate 2b of the housing 2. The CPU 15a is connected to the human sensor 54 through the control unit 54a, and obtains presence information of people around the outside of the housing 2 based on an output signal from the human sensor 54.

  The contact sensor 55 is disposed, for example, at the front portion of the side plate 2c of the housing 2 in order to detect that the cleaning robot 1 has come into contact with an obstacle during traveling. The CPU 15a is connected to the contact sensor 55 via the control unit 55a, and obtains presence information of obstacles around the outside of the housing 2 based on an output signal from the contact sensor 55.

  In the cleaning robot 1 configured as described above, the electric blower 22, the ion generator 25, the drive wheel 29, the rotating brush 9, and the side brush 10 are driven by a cleaning operation command. As a result, in a state where the rotary brush 9, the side brush 10, the drive wheel 29 and the rear wheel 26 are in contact with the floor surface F, the casing 2 self-propells within a predetermined range and removes dust on the floor surface F from the suction port 6. Inhale air containing. At this time, the dust on the floor surface F is scraped up by the rotation of the rotating brush 9 and guided to the suction port 6. Further, the dust on the side of the suction port 6 is guided to the suction port 6 by the rotation of the side brush 10.

  Air containing dust sucked into the housing 2 from the suction port 6 passes through the suction passage 11 of the housing 2 and the inflow passage 34 of the dust collector 30 as indicated by an arrow A1 in FIG. It flows into the dust collecting container 31. The airflow that has flowed into the dust collecting container 31 passes through the filter portion 33, flows into the space 50 between the filter portion 33 and the cover portion 32, and is discharged to the exhaust passage 12 of the housing 2 through the discharge passage 35. Is done. At this time, the dust contained in the airflow in the dust collecting container 31 is captured by the filter unit 33, so that the dust accumulates in the dust collecting container 31.

The airflow flowing into the exhaust passage 12 of the housing 2 from the dust collector 30 flows into the front storage chamber R1 as indicated by the arrow A2 in FIG. 2, and flows through the first exhaust passage and the second exhaust passage (not shown). . The airflow flowing through the first exhaust path includes ions (plasma cluster ions (registered trademark)) released by the ion generator 25. Then, as shown by an arrow A3 in FIG. 2, an airflow containing ions is exhausted obliquely upward at the rear from the exhaust port 7 provided on the upper surface of the housing 2. Thereby, cleaning on the floor surface F is performed, and indoor sterilization and deodorization are performed by ions contained in the exhaust of the cleaning robot 1. At this time, exhaust is performed obliquely upward from the exhaust port 7 to the rear, so that the dust on the floor surface F is prevented from being rolled up, and the cleanliness of the room can be improved.
Although not shown, a part of the airflow flowing through the first exhaust path may be guided to the recess 8. In this way, since ions are included in the airflow guided from the suction port 6 to the suction path 11, sterilization and deodorization of the dust collection container 31 of the dust collector 30 and the filter unit 33 can be performed.

  Further, the cleaning robot 1 turns around the center line C by rotating the left and right drive wheels 29 forward in the same direction, moving forward, moving backward in the same direction, moving backward, and rotating in opposite directions. For example, when the cleaning robot 1 reaches the periphery of the cleaning area and collides with an obstacle on the course, the driving wheel 29 stops and the left and right driving wheels 29 rotate in opposite directions to change their directions. Thereby, the cleaning robot 1 can be self-propelled while avoiding obstacles in the entire installation place or the entire desired range.

In addition, the cleaning robot 1 is grounded at three points of the left and right drive wheels 29 and the rear wheel 26, and the weight is distributed in such a balance that the rear wheel 26 does not lift from the floor F even if it stops suddenly during forward movement. Yes. Therefore, it is prevented that the cleaning robot 1 suddenly stops in front of the descending stairs while moving forward, and thereby the cleaning robot 1 is tilted forward and falls to the descending stairs. The drive wheels 29 are formed by fitting rubber tires having grooves into the wheels so that they do not slip even when suddenly stopped.
Further, since the dust collector 30 is disposed above the rotation shaft 29a of the drive wheel 29, the weight balance of the cleaning robot 1 is maintained even if the weight increases due to dust collection.

The cleaning robot 1 can execute a unique operation based on information obtained from the odor sensor 52, the humidity sensor 53, the travel map 18a, and the human sensor 54, which are environment detection devices. For example, the cleaning robot 1 can stay for a certain period of time at a specific location determined based on the surrounding environment detected by the environment detection device, and can release an airflow including ions from the exhaust port 7.
The cleaning robot 1 returns to the charging stand 40 when cleaning is completed. Thereby, the charging terminal 4 contacts the terminal part 41 and the battery 14 is charged.

  Moreover, the cleaning robot 1 can drive the electric blower 22 and the ion generator 25 in a state of returning to the charging stand 40. As a result, an airflow containing ions is released obliquely upward from the exhaust port 7, and the airflow containing ions rises along the side wall S and circulates along the indoor ceiling wall and the opposite side wall. As a result, ions spread throughout the room, and the sterilization effect and deodorization effect can be improved. Thus, the cleaning robot 1 can also perform the ion emission operation alone.

  An operation unit is provided on the upper surface of the cleaning robot 1, and a cleaning operation and an ion emission operation can be executed by the operation unit. In addition, a receiving unit may be provided in the housing 2 and a transmitter that transmits a command signal to the receiving unit may be provided so that the remote controller can be operated. In addition, a command signal may be transmitted to the cleaning robot 1 from a mobile phone called a smartphone via an Internet line and a router provided in the room so that it can be remotely operated.

<Detailed description of dust collector>
(About the inlet)
As shown in FIG. 4, the cleaning robot 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a dust collector 30 that is detachably mounted.
6-9, the dust collector 30 has the dust collecting container 31 which collects dust. Further, as shown in FIG. 26, the dust container 31 has a main bottom 31x ₁ and the side wall portion 31x ₂ Metropolitan opening 31d defined by the upper end of the side wall portion 31x ₂ above consists. Then, except when the dust collecting device 30 is detached from the cleaning robot 1 and the dust is discarded, the opening 31d of the dust collecting container 31 is usually covered with the filter unit 33 as shown in FIG.

  15-17, the dust collector 30 is the cover part pivotally supported so that opening and closing with respect to the dust container 31 was possible so that the opening part 31d of the dust container 31 might be covered with the said filter part 33. As shown in FIG. 32. Normally, the filter part 33 is accommodated in the cover part 32 by press-fitting, but the filter part 33 can be detached from the cover part 32 as needed. The structure that allows the filter portion 33 to be detached from the cover portion 32 will be described in detail in another item.

As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, an inflow port 31 a communicating with the suction port 6 (see FIG. 2) of the cleaning robot 1 is formed in the side wall portion 31 x ₂ on the front side of the dust collecting container 31. The inflow port 31 a is formed at a position above the bottom portion 31 x ₁ of the dust collecting container 31 and below the filter portion 33. More specifically, the inflow port 31a is formed near the upper end of the side wall portion 31x ₂ to be positioned adjacent to the vicinity of the filter unit 33.

From this inflow port 31a, the inflow path 34 which guides the air sucked together with dust from the suction port 6 to the dust collecting container 31 is integrally formed so as to extend forward. Inflow path 34 is formed an inlet passage leading end 34a ₁ which is detachably connected to the suction passage 11 communicating with the inlet 6 of the cleaning robot 1 is connected to the side wall 31x ₂ of the dust container 31 to the inlet 31a and a inflow channel proximal end 34a ₂ to.

Here, the inflow path 34 is provided in an upwardly inclined state so that a difference in height from the bottom 31x ₁ increases from the inflow path front end 34a ₁ toward the inflow path base end 34a ₂ . Thus, the inlet 31a near the upper end of the side wall portion 31x ₂ of the dust container 31 to be adjacent the filter portion 33 can be formed by. As a result, the bottom 31x ₁ of the dust-collecting container 31 can be extended to the vicinity of the bottom plate 2a of the robot cleaner 1 can design a large dust collection capacity (see Fig. 2).

According to the above configuration, it is possible to extend the bottom 31x ₁ of the dust container 31 to the vicinity of the bottom plate 2a of the robot cleaner 1, the dust collecting capacity may be the same plane size becomes inevitably large. Thereby, in dust collector 30, the time until dust becomes full becomes long, and the cleaning continuation time of robot cleaner 1 can be extended. Further, the robot cleaner 1 is not increased in size.

Further, as described above, since the inlet 31a near the upper end of the side wall portion 31x ₂ of the dust collecting container 31 is formed, the dust collecting been dust between the bottom 31x ₁ of the dust-collecting container 31 until the inlet 31a, That is, it accumulates below the inflow port 31a. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 4, it is possible to take out the dust by collecting the dust collecting device 30 by opening the cover 3 of the housing 2 of the cleaning robot 1 and pulling the dust collecting device 30 upward. Can also be prevented from falling from the dust collecting container 31.
The opening 31d of the dust container 31 may be in the vicinity is preferably located on the side wall 31x ₂ upper.
As described above, according to the dust collecting device 30 of the present invention, it is possible to deal with problems such as dust falling off when taking out from the main body of the cleaner 1, and to solve the problem that is the problem. . In other words, by providing the inlet 31a above the dust collecting container 31, there is a problem that even when the dust collector 30 or the like is slightly tilted during extraction, the collected dust spills from the inlet 31a. Disappear. Moreover, when taking out the dust collector 30 upwards, there is no worry that dust will spill further.

(About the arrangement of inflow and discharge channels)
As described above, the dust collecting device 30 includes the cover portion 32 that is pivotally supported with respect to the dust collecting container 31 so as to be opened and closed. As shown in FIG. 9, the cover portion 32 has a discharge port 32 a serving as an outlet for the air that has passed through the filter portion 33. It extends. That is, the discharge path 35 extends in the same direction as the inflow path 34.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the discharge path 35 is connected to the discharge path tip 35a ₁ detachably connected to the exhaust path 12 of the robot cleaner ₁ and the cover portion 32 to form the discharge port 32a. And a discharge passage base end 35a ₂ . Discharge passage 35 is parallel to the inclined face portion overlapping the inlet channel 34 toward the discharge channel proximal end 35a ₂ to the discharge passage leading end 35a ₁ is an inflow passage 34, toward the discharge channel proximal end 35a ₂ to the discharge passage leading end 35a ₁ It has a shape that spreads out. The inflow path front end 34a ₁ and the discharge path front end 35a ₁ are each formed with a planar inflow path flange and a discharge path flange projecting outwardly on the same plane.

  The plane on which the inflow passage flange and the discharge passage flange are positioned is set to be parallel to the inclined partition wall 39 (see FIG. 4) on the front side that constitutes the intermediate storage chamber R2 of the robot cleaner 1. Since this partition wall 39 is inclined so that the space in the front-rear direction of the intermediate storage chamber R2 becomes smaller as it goes downward, the inflow passage flange and the discharge passage flange are also separated from the partition wall 39 on the front side of the intermediate storage chamber R2. Similarly, it will be inclined.

According to the above configuration, since the discharge path 35 extends in the same direction as the inflow path 34 so as to overlap the inflow path 34, the size of the dust collector 30 in the front-rear direction can be suppressed to the minimum necessary dimension. Moreover, since the opposing part which opposes the inflow path 34 among the discharge paths 35 inclines in parallel with the inflow path 34 and becomes widening, it is exhausted, suppressing the dimension of the height direction of the dust collector 30 to the minimum required dimension. Resistance can be suppressed, and as a result, the efficiency with which dust-containing air flows into the dust collector 30 is improved.
Furthermore, since the inflow passage flange and the discharge passage flange are located on the same plane and are inclined similarly to the partition wall 39 on the front side of the intermediate storage chamber R2, the dust collecting device 30 is set in the intermediate storage chamber R2. Then, the position of the dust collector 30 in the front-rear direction is determined, and a good connection with the suction path 11 and the exhaust path 12 is obtained. In particular, since the inflow passage flange and the discharge passage flange can be formed in the same plane, a configuration for ensuring a close contact state between the suction passage 11 on the intermediate storage chamber R2 side on the main body side of the cleaner 1 and the exhaust passage 12. , Making the design easier. In other words, the end surfaces of the suction path 11 and the exhaust path 12 may be inclined on the same plane, and a normal packing member is provided on the end surfaces, so that the tight contact state of the packing member can be reliably ensured.
In addition, although the inflow path front end 34a ₁ and the discharge path front end 35a ₁ preferably have planar flanges, they may be omitted.

(About the locking mechanism of the handle)
As shown in FIGS. 6 to 13, the cover portion 32 is provided with a handle 36 that is pivotally supported with respect to the cover portion 32.
As shown in FIGS. 18 to 20, shaft portions 32 i are formed on both side surfaces of the cover portion 32 so as to protrude in a direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction of the dust collector 30.
On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 21 to 23, the handle 36 is formed in a U shape in plan view, and through holes 36 b are formed at both ends.
For this reason, when the shaft portions 32 i formed on both side surfaces of the cover portion 32 are respectively inserted into the through holes 36 b formed at both ends of the handle 36 so that the handle 36 can rotate with respect to the cover portion 32. Become.

As shown in FIGS. 18 to 20, a recessed storage portion 32 g is formed on the rear side of the upper surface of the cover portion 32 so as to correspond to the shape of the handle 36. As shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, the storage portion 32 g has a function of storing the handle 36 in the recess when the handle 36 is not raised, and flattening the upper surface of the dust collector 30.
In addition, the cover portion 32 is formed with a recess 32b that is recessed over a wider range than the substantially central portion of the storage portion 32g so that the handle 36 stored in the storage portion 32g can be easily picked when the handle 36 is raised. ing. As shown in FIGS. 32 and 33, a housing recess 32 k that houses a brushed rod member K described later is formed on the upper surface of the cover portion 32.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, when the dust collector 30 is mounted on the robot cleaner 1, the user opens the lid 3 of the housing 2 and picks the handle 36 stored in the storage portion 32g. If the handle 36 is turned upward, the handle 36 is in an upright state protruding upward from the upper surface of the dust collector 30. Therefore, the user can easily take out the dust collecting device 30 from the robot cleaner 1 by holding the handle 36 in the standing state and pulling the dust collecting device 30 upward.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the pivots of the handle 36 are in contact with each other when the handle 36 is pivoted with respect to the cover portion 32 and is in an upright state, thereby restricting the rotation of the handle 36. A pair of regulating members 38 are provided for this purpose. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 18 to 20, the pair of regulating members 38 includes a protruding portion 38 a that protrudes upward from the storage portion 32 g in the vicinity of the rear portion of the shaft support portion of the handle 36, and FIGS. 10, 21, and 23. As shown in FIG. 3, the both ends of the handle 36 are constituted by locking portions 36a protruding from the handle 36.

  As shown in FIG. 16, when the handle 36 is rotated with respect to the cover portion 32 to be in an upright state, the handle locking portion 36 a is locked to a protruding portion 38 a that protrudes upward in the vicinity of the rear of the shaft support location. Thus, the rotation of the handle 36 is restricted. Further, at this time, the rotation of the handle 36 is also restricted by the contact of the surface of the handle 36 opposite to the engaging portion 36a with the vertical surface 32c formed between the storage portion 32g and the upper surface of the cover portion 32. The

As shown in FIGS. 19 to 23, a pair of raised portions 32 j and 36 c for locking the handle 36 so as to be releasable in an upright state are provided in the vicinity of the shaft support portion of the handle 36 in addition to the above-described regulating member 38. It is formed. The pair of raised portions 32j and 36c also function as a pair of regulating members that regulate the rotation of the handle 36 and maintain the standing state. That is, the same mechanism can be achieved and the same effect can be expected by providing a pair of raised portions 32j and 36c instead of the pair of restricting members 38 (the protruding portion 38a and the locking portion 36b). Moreover, the effect which maintains the handle 36 in the standing state is promoted by providing these simultaneously.
The pair of raised portions 32j and 36c are formed around the shaft portion 32i of the cover portion 32 and around the through hole 36b of the handle 36, respectively, and both ends of the handle 36 are rotated when the handle 36 is rotated and brought into contact with each other. It has an inclined surface 32j ₁ and 36c ₁ so that the protruding portion 36c of the handle 36 can get over the protruding portion 32j of the cover portion 32.

When the raised portion 36c of the handle 36 gets over the raised portion 32j of the cover portion 32 and the handle 36 is in an upright state, the raised portion 36c of the handle 36 and the raised portion 32j of the cover portion 32 come into contact with each other, and the handle 36 is in an upright state. The rotation of the handle 36 is restricted. In particular, the restriction by the pair of raised portions 32j and 36c is to lock the standing state so as to be releasable.
Note that when the raised portion 36c of the handle 36 gets over the raised portion 32j of the cover portion 32, the handle 36 is elastically deformed so that both ends thereof are expanded and returns to the original state. An urging force that forcibly guides the handle 36 is applied, and the user can clearly recognize that the handle 36 is in the standing state. The urging force acts similarly when the handle 36 is released from the standing state and the handle 36 is stored in the storage portion 32g.

According to the above configuration, when the handle 36 is raised, the rotation of the handle 36 is restricted, and the handle 36 is releasably locked so as to maintain the standing state. Therefore, the user does not hold the dust collection container 31 or the cover portion 32. However, the dust collector 30 can be lifted in a stable state by gripping the handle 36. Since the dust collecting device 30 can be lifted in a stable state, the opening operation of the dust collecting container 31 is facilitated, and the collected dust can be reliably discarded.
The locking mechanism that locks the cover portion 32 with respect to the dust collecting container 31 will be described in detail later.
In the dust collector 30 of the present invention described above, the handle 36 is in a standing state by the pair of restricting members 38 or the pair of raised portions 32j and 36c, and the pair of restricting members 38 and the pair of raised portions 32j and 36c. Maintained or locked. This can achieve the purpose of stabilizing the removal of the dust collector 30 from the main body of the cleaner 1. In addition, since the dust collecting device 30 can be stably taken out, the problem and problem of dust falling from the inlet 31a can be solved.

(About the center of gravity of the dust collector and the arrangement of the handles)
As shown in FIG. 13, in the state where the cover portion 32 is closed, the pivotal support portion of the handle 36 is positioned so as to be shifted by a distance L <b> 1 on the inlet 31 a side from the center of gravity G of the entire dust collector 30. Yes. As a result, when the user holds the handle 36 in the standing state and pulls up the dust collector 30 from the robot cleaner 1, the dust collector is caused by the deviation between the shaft support location of the handle 36 and the center of gravity G of the entire dust collector 30. The whole 30 tries to rotate clockwise. For this reason, the dust collecting apparatus 30 lifted by the user naturally has the inflow port 31a facing upward, and can prevent a situation in which the collected dust unexpectedly flows out of the inflow port 31a. Such an arrangement, even if the height difference between the inflow port 31a and the bottom 31x ₁ is small, dust collection is dust is effective to prevent the fall spill from the inlet 31a.
Therefore, the configuration in which the support position of the handle 36 is shifted closer to the inlet 31a side with respect to the center of gravity G of the dust collector 30 solves the problem and problem of inadvertent spillage of dust from the inlet 31a. It becomes a means.

  As shown in FIG. 17, when the locking of the cover portion 32 and the dust collection container 31 is released and the dust collection container 31 is opened, the dust collection container 31 rotates about the pivotal support position with respect to the cover portion 32. Displace forward. Accordingly, the center of gravity G of the entire dust collector 30 also moves forward. The shaft support location of the handle 36 may be set so that the horizontal distance L2 from the center of gravity G of the entire dust collector 30 when the dust container 31 is opened is as small as possible. As a result, when the user grips the handle 36 and opens the dust collecting container 31, the horizontal deviation between the center of gravity G of the entire dust collecting device 30 and the pivotal support portion of the handle 36 is reduced, and the user intends. At least the upper surface of the cover part 32 is maintained substantially horizontal. Accordingly, the opening 31d of the opened dust collection container 31 can be easily directed downward, and the collected dust can be easily discarded.

(About locking mechanism)
In order to enable the dust collection container 31 and the cover portion 32 to be opened relatively, a configuration for supporting them is required. Before explaining this configuration, a mechanism for regulating the rotation state, that is, a locking mechanism for regulating the relative opening and closing of the dust collecting container 31 and the cover portion 32 will be explained.
9 and 17, the locking mechanism includes a locking portion 32e having a locking claw 32d provided on the cover portion 32 side, and a locking claw 32d provided on the dust collecting container 31 side. It is comprised by the protrusion 31b to hook. The locking portion 32e is pivotally attached to a side surface of the cover portion 32 opposite to the shaft support portion so as to be rotatable, and is locked by a not-shown elastic member (for example, a leaf spring, a coil spring, etc.). 32d is urged in a direction to lock the protrusion 31b.

Further, in order to be able to rotate the locking portion 32e in a direction against the urging force of the locking portion 32e, a concave portion 32h (FIG. 9 etc.) is provided on the side of the cover portion 32 opposite to the locking claw 32d. Are formed). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 17, when the upper end of the locking portion 32e locked to the protrusion 31b is pushed, the locking claw 32d at the lower end of the locking portion 32e is separated from the protrusion 31b, and the locked state is released. . Thereby, the dust collecting container 31 is opened with respect to the cover part 32.
Further, in the locking mechanism, the protrusion 32 also protrudes on the side surface of the dust collecting container 31 in accordance with the provision of the locking portion 32e in the recessed portion 32h in which the central portion of the side surface of the cover portion 32 is recessed. A protrusion 31b is provided in a recessed portion 31e in which a portion corresponding to 31b is recessed. This prevents the locking mechanism from protruding from the dust collector 30. For this reason, when the dust collecting device 30 is mounted in the intermediate storage chamber R2 of the cleaner body, the locking state of the locking mechanism is not unexpectedly released. Further, the inner side surface of the intermediate storage chamber R2 on the cleaner body side can be formed into a simple flat surface, and there is no need to form a complicated shape in accordance with the locking mechanism portion.

(About the shaft support structure of the dust collection container)
On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, the filter portion 33 is detachably attached to the cover portion 32. A space 50 is formed between the upper surface of the filter portion 33 and the lower surface of the cover 32 as shown in FIG. 9, and this space 50 becomes an exhaust space. The air that has passed through the filter unit 33 from inside the dust collecting container 31 is exhausted from the dust collecting device 30 to the cleaner body side via the exhaust space 50. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the air that has passed through the filter unit 33 is introduced into the discharge path 35 that communicates with the exhaust path 12 on the cleaner body side. Therefore, the discharge path 35 is integrally formed on the side surface of the cover portion 32 on the inflow path 34 side.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 24, a pair of support shafts 35a projecting outward from both ends in the longitudinal direction of the discharge path 35 of the cover portion 32 are integrally formed. A pair of short cylindrical boss portions 31c formed integrally with the dust collecting container 31 are pivotally supported on the support shaft 35a. The boss portion 31c is provided so as to protrude from the side surface of the dust collecting container 31, and has a support hole into which the support shaft 35a is inserted. By inserting the pair of support shafts 35a into the pair of boss portions 31c, the cover 32 is attached to the dust collecting container 31 so as to be rotatable.
As a modification, the cover portion 32 may be provided with a boss portion, and the dust collecting container 31 may be provided with a support shaft. Further, the pair of support shafts 35 a are provided so as to protrude from the side surface of the discharge path 35 formed integrally with the cover portion 32. That is, it is only necessary to provide the cover portion 32, and the cover portion 32 may be provided directly on the main body.

As shown in FIGS. 24 and 27, a coil spring 37 as an urging member is fitted into one of the pair of support shafts 35a. One end of the coil spring 37 is locked to the cover portion 32 side, and the other end is locked to the boss portion 31 c side of the dust collecting container 31. Due to the biasing force of the coil spring 37, the dust collecting container 31 is largely opened as shown in FIGS.
On the other hand, when the coil spring 37 is omitted, the opening angle when the dust collecting container 31 is opened by its own weight with the cover portion 32 maintained in a horizontal state is 90 degrees or less. However, when the cover 32 is moved from the horizontal state to the state where the locking mechanism is lowered or raised, the opening 31d of the dust collecting container 31 is closed or the opening 31d faces upward. Therefore, it becomes difficult to discharge the dust in the dust collection container 31, and becomes more prominent as the dust collection container 31 is deeper.
Thus, when it becomes difficult to discharge the dust from the dust collection container 31, it is necessary to operate with both hands so that the opening 31d of the dust collection container 31 faces downward. If such an operation is performed, as a matter of course, instead of a configuration in which the dust collection container 31 is pivotally supported, a structure in which the cover portion 32 can be removed from the dust collection container 31 is structured. It can be simplified.

In the present invention, if the handle 36 is held with one hand and the locked state is released, the opening 31d of the dust collecting container 31 is opened at an opening angle exceeding 90 degrees by the biasing force of the coil spring 37 as shown in FIG. Since the opening 31d opens widely, the opening 31d faces downward, and the dust in the dust collecting container 31 can be easily discharged without dirtying the hands. At this time, the state in which the bottom portion 31x ₁ of the dust container 31 is inclined to face down, the opening 31d is also inclined downward, the side wall portion 31x ₂ of the dust container 31 is inclined downwardly toward the opening 31d It becomes. In this state, since the dust in the dust collecting container 31 is easily moved to the opening 31d side, the disposal process can be easily performed.

  In the present invention, the opening 31d faces downward means that the opening 31d faces downward so that dust collected in the dust collecting container 31 is naturally discharged from the opening 31d by its own weight. This means broadly and does not necessarily mean only the state in which the opening 31d is directed vertically downward.

As described above, the operation of opening the dust collecting container 31 is performed by unlocking the locking claw 32d and the protrusion 31b by the locking mechanism, whereby the dust collecting container 31 is automatically opened largely. To do. Moreover, in the handle 36, since a rotation state is controlled by a pair of regulating member 38 or a pair of raised parts 32j and 36c, and these cooperation actions, the handle 36 is held and the cover part 32 is kept horizontal. In the state, the dust collecting container 31 can be opened. Therefore, as described above, the disposal process can be performed in a state in which dust is easily discharged, that is, in a state in which the opening 31d of the dust collection container 31 faces downward.
As mentioned above, according to the dust collector 30 of this invention, the problem of a disposal and subject of disposal of the dust collected in the dust collecting container 31 are eliminated. That is, it is possible to increase the opening angle of the dust collecting container 31 for collecting dust, and the disposal operation of the collected dust can be surely and easily performed.

(Dust collection container introduction plate)
As described above, since the inflow port 31a of the dust collection container 31 of the present invention is formed at a position near the opening 31d, the air sucked into the dust collection container 31 from the inflow port 31a directly enters the filter unit 33. Will be guided. In this case, since dust contained in the air is directly collected by the filter unit 33, the vicinity of the inflow port 31a in the filter unit 33 is likely to be locally clogged. In order to eliminate such a point, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 34A, the present invention is further provided with an introduction plate 34b in the dust collecting apparatus 30 of the present invention.

The introducing plate 34b is disposed in the vicinity of the inflow port 31a in the side wall 31x ₂ inner surface of the dust container 31, to guide the flowing in from the inflow port 31a into the dust collecting container 31 the air flow into the bottom 31x ₁ side.
Introducing plate 34b includes a proximal end 34b ₁ arranged along the upper edge of the inlet port 31a, a distal end portion 34b ₂ whose ends are disposed toward the bottom 31x ₁ part side, a proximal end 34b ₁ and an intermediate portion 34b ₃ provided continuously to the tip portion 34b _2, shaped intermediate portion 34b ₃ is to be guided from the inlet 31a to gradually bottom 31x ₁ the introduced air flow to the dust collecting container 31 Has been. Specifically, the intermediate portion 34b ₃ is formed in a curved shape so that the tip end portion 34b ₂ is oriented in a direction perpendicular to the bottom portion 31x ₁ . Further, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 26, the introduction plate 34b has side wall portions 34b ₄ on both sides from the base end portion 34b ₁ to the tip end portion 34b ₂ , so that it is formed into a duct mouth shape as a whole. Has been.

Further, as shown in FIG. 26, the introduction plate 34b has a block-shaped attachment portion 34b ₅ integrally formed with the left and right side wall portions 34b _4, and a pair of left and right projections protruding from the bottom surface of the dust collecting container 31. A pair of attachment portions 34b ₅ are fixed to the protrusions by, for example, screwing or bonding.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 9, the airflow traveling obliquely upward in the inflow path 34 is gradually guided from the inlet 31a to the bottom surface of the dust collecting container 31 by the introduction plate 34b. As a result, a decrease in suction force is suppressed.
The point provided with the inlet plate 34b that covers the inflow port 31a and is opened facing the bottom surface of the dust collection container 31 is aligned with the point that the inflow port 31a of the dust collection container 31 is formed at the upper position. Thus, the dust collection container 31 can be formed into a deep container shape.

  As described above, by providing the introduction plate 34b, the airflow flowing into the dust collecting container 31 from the inflow port 31a is directed toward the bottom surface. Thereby, a part of the dust, for example, large dust is accumulated on the bottom surface, and the small dust contained in the air is guided to the filter unit 33. As a result, the filter unit 33 does not directly collect dust in the air sucked from the inlet 31a, and clogging of the filter unit 33 is suppressed. In addition, the filter unit 33 does not collect dust locally, and can collect fine dust that has not accumulated in the dust collection container 31 over the entire area of the filter. Therefore, the maintenance and replacement time of the filter unit 33 can be extended. In this case, “maintenance” is a cleaning operation for removing dust adhering to the filter unit 33.

FIG. 34 (B) is a perspective view showing Modification 1 of the introduction plate, and FIG. 34 (C) is a perspective view showing Modification 2 of the introduction plate.
The introduction plate 34ba shown in FIG. 34B has a tip 34b ₂₁ close to the bottom surface of the dust collecting container 31 formed in a comb shape. In this way, the comb tooth-like gap portion of the tip portion 34b ₂₁ of the introducing plate 34ba a (slit) is the air while passing through, lint, elongated dust of hairs or the like are collected caught on the tooth portions. The introduction plate 34bb shown in FIG. 34 (C) has a lattice-like tip 34b _22, the same effect can be obtained in this way.

  In the present embodiment, an inlet 31 a and an introduction plate 34 b are provided on the shaft support portion side of the dust collection container 31. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 17, when the dust collection container 31 is opened and the internal dust is discarded, there is no problem that the dust is caught on the introduction plate 34b and is not discharged from the dust collection container 31.

In the present embodiment, the case where the introduction plate 34 b is provided in the dust collection container 31 is illustrated, but may be provided in the filter unit 33. In this case, for example, the base end portion of the introduction plate 34 b can be integrally connected to the frame 33 b of the filter portion 33.
Further, the cover plate 32 may be provided with an introduction plate 34b. In this case, in the state where the filter part 33 and the cover part 32 are closed with respect to the dust collection container 31, a notch part for projecting the introduction plate 34b from the cover part 32 side to the dust collection container 31 side is provided in the filter part 33. A seal portion that closes the gap between the notch portion and the introduction plate 34 b is also provided in the cover portion 32. Moreover, when the cover part 32 is rotated with respect to the filter part 33, it comprises so that the introduction board 34b can pass a notch part.

(About the shaft support structure of the dust collection container, filter part and cover part)
As shown in FIG. 13, the filter unit 33 is normally housed and held in the cover unit 32 as described above. Therefore, the function can be sufficiently expected by detachably providing the filter portion 33 to the cover portion 32.
On the other hand, in order to remove dust adhering to the filter unit 33, it is necessary to remove the filter unit 33 from the cover unit 32. At this time, when the dust collecting container 31 is opened, the surface of the filter unit 33 attached to the cover unit 32 to which dust is attached is exposed. Then, the user manually removes the filter unit 33 from which the dust-adhered surface is exposed from the cover unit 32, and thus the user's hand is contaminated with dust.

In order to eliminate this problem, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 13, the filter unit 33 is accommodated in the cover unit 32 when the dust collector 30 is used, and when the filter is cleaned as shown in FIG. The filter part 33 is rotatable with respect to the dust collection container 31 and the cover part 32 so that the filter part 33 can be removed from the cover part 32 and cover the opening part 31 d of the dust collection container 31.
That is, as shown in FIGS. 11, 24, and 26, the cover portion 32 is pivotally supported by the dust collection container 31 so as to be openable and closable so as to cover the filter portion 33 and the opening 31 d of the dust collection container 31. The filter portion 33 is also pivotally supported in the vicinity of the pivot portion of the cover portion 32 in the dust collecting container 31 so as to be rotatable.

The shaft support part of the filter part 33 and the shaft support part of the cover part 32 may be arranged on the same axis or may be arranged on different axes parallel to each other, but the structure can be simplified. It is preferable that they are arranged on the same axis.
Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 24 to 27, the dust collecting container 31 includes the pair of short cylinders arranged on the same axis at a predetermined interval in the vicinity of the opening 31d as described above. A boss 31c is formed. The shaft support portion of the cover portion 32 is provided between the pair of boss portions 31c of the dust collecting container 31, and has a pair of support shafts 35a inserted into the holes of the boss portions 31c. The shaft journal section of the filter unit 33, together are provided on both sides of the pair of the boss portion 31c of the dust container 31, comprising a pair of support shafts 33d ₁ which is inserted into the hole of the boss portion 31c.

More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 28 to 30, the filter unit 33 includes a pleated filter body 33 a for collecting dust while allowing air to pass therethrough, and a resin made around the periphery of the filter body 33 a. A frame 33b (for example, ABS resin) and a packing member 33b ₁ provided integrally on the outer periphery of the frame 33b are provided. The side surface of the frame body 33b, a pair of protruding pieces 33d are integrally molded, the support shaft 33d ₁ of substantially hemispherical in each opposing surface of the pair of protruding pieces 33d are integrally molded.
In addition to the hemispherical shape of the pair of support shafts 33d ₁ of the filter portion 33, the frame body 33b, the pair of projecting pieces 33d, and the pair of support shafts 33d ₁ are integrally formed of resin. between the shaft 33d ₁ can be elastically easily spread the. Therefore, the pair of support shafts 33d ₁ of the filter portion 33 can be easily inserted from the outside into the holes of the boss portions 31c of the dust collecting container 31.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 15, the cover portion 32 has the discharge port 32 a serving as an inlet of the discharge path 35 for discharging the air that has passed through the filter portion 33. The support shaft 35a is integrally formed in the vicinity of the discharge port 32a, specifically on both sides of the discharge path 35 (see FIG. 15). As shown in FIG. 24, the distance between the end surfaces of the pair of support shafts 35 a of the cover portion 32 is set slightly longer than the distance between the inside of the pair of boss portions 31 c of the dust collecting container 31.
Therefore, when attaching the cover part 32 to the dust collecting container 31, it can be inserted by inserting the one support shaft 35a into one boss part 31c and then pushing the other support shaft 35a into the other boss part 31c obliquely. .

As a result, as shown in FIGS. 10 to 17, the filter unit 33 is normally housed in the housing recess of the cover 32 while being press-fitted with the packing member 33 b ₁ . Is rotatable with respect to the dust collecting container 31. Therefore, this shaft support structure has no influence on the operation of opening the dust collecting container 31 and discarding the dust inside. In addition, since the pair of support shafts 33d ₁ of the filter unit 33 also serves as a restricting member that prevents the pair of boss portions 31c of the dust collecting container 31 from being detached from the pair of support shafts 35a of the cover unit 32. There is an advantage that it is not necessary to newly provide such a regulating member.

Further, the filter portion 33 is made to be elastically widened between the pair of support shafts 33 d ₁ by utilizing the elastic deformation of the pair of projecting pieces 33 d of the frame portion 33 b of the filter portion 33. Since it can be easily removed from the cylindrical shaft portion 31c and elastic deformation can be used for attaching a new filter portion 33, the filter portion 33 can be easily replaced.
Further, when removing dust adhering to the filter main body 33a of the filter unit 33, the filter unit 33 is opened by opening the cover unit 32 with respect to the dust collecting container 31 and the filter unit 33 as shown in FIG. Only the cover portion covering the opening portion 31d of the dust collecting container 31 can be set in an open state. As shown in FIG. 32, in this state, dust can be removed by moving the bar member K to the left and right in the direction of the arrow and rubbing it against the pleats on the upper surface of the filter body 33a to vibrate. This dust removal operation can be performed in a state where the dust collecting surface to which the dust of the filter main body 33a adheres is housed in the dust collecting container 31, so that the dust is not scattered indoors and the user can easily and hygienically do not get his hands dirty. It can be done.

After the dust removal operation, as shown in FIGS. 14 to 17, the dust collecting container 31 can be opened by rotating the filter part 33 and opening the dust collecting container 31 so that the filter part 33 is accommodated in the cover part 32. The dust inside can be discarded.
As described above, the filter main body 33a is formed in a pleat shape that repeats peaks and valleys. Therefore, the filter main body 33a can be vibrated by sequentially rubbing the bar member K against the peak portions, thereby enhancing the dust removal effect. (See FIGS. 29 and 32). In addition, since the filter area increases, clogging of the filter main body 33a is suppressed, and there is an advantage that it is not necessary to frequently perform the dust removal operation. The filter main body 33a is not limited to this shape, and may be a general flat shape, but a pleated shape is preferable because the above-mentioned merit can be obtained.
In this way, the filter portion 33 is pivotally supported by the dust collection container 31 and the shaft support portion is disposed on the same axis as the shaft support portion of the cover portion 32 with respect to the dust collection container 31. The handling of the portion 33 becomes very convenient, and the shaft support structure can be simplified.

(Regarding the configuration for easily rotating the filter section)
As described above, the thin strip-shaped packing member 33b ₁ made of rubber, soft resin, or the like is integrally provided around the entire frame 33b of the filter portion 33 (see FIG. 28). As shown in FIG. 13, when the opening 31 d of the dust collecting container 31 is covered with the filter part 33 and the cover part 32, the lower surface of the packing member 33 b ₁ contacts the opening edge of the opening 31 d of the dust collecting container 31. Therefore, air leakage in the dust collection container 31 is prevented, and the dust collection container 31 is sealed. Further, in a state where the filter portion 33 is housed in the cover portion 32, the packing member 33 b ₁ is in pressure contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cover portion 32, whereby the filter portion 33 is held in a state where it is press-fitted into the cover portion 32. In addition, the sealed state of the exhaust space 50 after passing through the filter portion 33 is ensured.

With such a configuration, as shown in FIGS. 14 to 17 and FIG. 26, when the dust collecting container 31 is opened (rotated) with respect to the cover portion 32, the filter portion 33 is press-fitted into the cover portion 32. Maintain the held state.
When removing the dust from the filter body 33a of the filter unit 33, as shown in FIGS. 25 and 32, the filter unit 33 needs to be detached from the cover unit 32. 26, the filter unit 33 is maintained in the cover 32 as shown in FIG. 26. As a result, the dust collecting surface of the filter unit 33 is exposed, and the user is exposed to dust. There is a risk of touching the collecting surface.

To solve such problems, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 25, the filter unit 33 has a convex portion 33e in at least one position of the packing member 33b _1, the cover portion 32 is convex portion 33e and opposed It has a notch 32f for exposing the convex portion 33e at a position where the protrusion 33e is exposed.
When the opening portion 31d of the dust collecting container 31 is closed by the cover portion 32 (see FIG. 10), the convex portion 33e is pressed with a finger, the locking mechanism is released, and the cover portion 32 is opened to collect dust. The opening 31d of the container 31 is kept closed by the filter 33 (see FIG. 25). That is, the user can easily remove the filter unit 33 from the cover unit 32 without exposing the dust collecting surface of the filter unit 33 to the outside. Then, as described above, the filter part 33 is vibrated using the rod member K, whereby the dust collected on the dust collecting surface can be shaken down into the dust collecting container 31 (see FIG. 32). At this time, since the packing member 33 b ₁ of the filter unit 33 is in close contact with the opening edge of the dust collecting container 31, dust does not scatter from the dust collecting container 31 to the outside.

Further, the convex portion 33 e of the filter portion 33 is provided on the side opposite to the shaft support portion of the filter portion 33. Thereby, even if the convex part 33e is lightly pressed with a finger | toe, the filter part 33 can be easily removed from the cover part 32. FIG.
Moreover, the convex part 33e has a non-slip | skid part in the exposed part so that a finger | toe may be easily caught on the convex part 33e. As shown in FIG. 31, the non-slip portion is formed of a small uneven group formed on the exposed surface of the convex portion 33e, such as a knurled surface.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiment shown in the drawings, and may be configured as follows.
(1) In the dust collector shown in the drawing, the dust support container 31, the cover part 32, and the filter part 33 are connected to each other so that the dust collection container 31, the cover part 32, and the filter part 33 can be rotated relative to each other. Although it is arranged on the outlet 32a side, the pivotal support portion may be arranged on the side opposite to the inlet 31a and the outlet 32a. In this case, the locking part 32e and the protrusion 31b that lock the state where the opening 31d of the dust collecting container 31 is closed by the cover part 32 together with the filter part 33 may be disposed beside the inlet 31a and the outlet 32a. . When the dust in the dust collecting container 31 is discarded, the dust collecting container 31 is opened by holding the handle 36, and then the dust collecting container 31 is placed vertically to remove dust from between the inlet 31a and the shaft support portion. It can be discarded.

(2) The dust collector shown in the drawing is such that the exhaust port 32a of the cover portion 32 is disposed on the same side as the inlet 31a of the dust collecting container 31, but the exhaust port 32a is the inlet 31a. It may be arranged on the opposite side. In this case, the locking portion 32e and the protrusion 31b may be disposed beside the discharge port 32a. This configuration (2) can also be applied to the configuration (1).

(3) The dust collector having the configuration (2) can be applied as a dust collector of a normal vacuum cleaner in which a head portion having a suction port is connected to a cleaner body through a hose. In this case, the inflow path 34 of the dust collecting container 31 can be leveled without being inclined.

1 Self-propelled vacuum cleaner (cleaning robot)
6 Suction port 30 Dust collector 31 Dust collection container 31a Inflow port 31c Boss portion 31d Opening portion 32 Cover portion 32a Discharge port 33 Filter portion 33b ₁ Packing member 33d ₁ Support shaft 35a Support shaft

Claims (7)

A dust collection container that has an opening and accommodates dust, an inlet through which dust sucked from the suction port at the bottom of the vacuum cleaner flows into the dust collection container together with air, and air that has flowed into the dust collection container is allowed to pass through. A filter part for collecting dust and a cover part pivotally supported by the dust collection container so as to cover the filter part and the opening part of the dust collection container.
The filter unit is a dust collector that is pivotally supported in the vicinity of a pivotal support portion of the cover portion of the dust collecting container.   The dust collector according to claim 1, wherein the shaft support portion of the filter portion and the shaft support portion of the cover portion are disposed on the same axis. The dust collecting container has a pair of short cylindrical bosses arranged on the same axis with a predetermined interval in the vicinity of the opening,
The shaft support portion of the cover portion is provided between the pair of boss portions, and has a pair of support shafts inserted into the holes of the boss portions,
The dust collector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the shaft support portion of the filter portion is provided on both sides of the pair of boss portions, and has a pair of support shafts inserted into holes of the boss portions.   The dust collector according to claim 3, wherein the filter unit is configured to be detachable from the pair of bosses by elastically expanding between the pair of support shafts.   The dust collecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the filter portion includes a packing member press-fitted into the cover portion at an outer peripheral portion thereof.   The dust collecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cover portion has a discharge port for discharging the air that has passed through the filter portion.   The self-propelled cleaner provided with the dust collector according to any one of claims 1 to 6.