JP2017131558A - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vacuum cleaner designed so that backward movement thereof is less likely to be disturbed by a rotary brush.SOLUTION: Level difference detecting means 43 detects a travel obstacle in front of a body case 20. Control means controls operations of a driving wheel 34 and a rotary brush 46. When the level difference detecting means 43 detects a travel obstacle ahead, the control means controls the operation of the driving wheel 34 so as to change a traveling direction after moving the body case 20 backward by a prescribed distance, and makes a rotational direction of the rotary brush 46 the same as a rotational direction of the drive wheel 34 during the backward movement.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  Embodiments of the present invention relate to a vacuum cleaner that drives a rotary cleaning body provided with a rotation shaft in a direction along a rotation axis of a drive wheel at a lower portion of a main body case facing a surface to be cleaned.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a so-called autonomous traveling type vacuum cleaner (cleaning robot) that cleans a floor surface while autonomously traveling on the floor surface as a surface to be cleaned is known.

  This electric vacuum cleaner is provided with a rotating brush which rotates at high speed and scrapes dust on the floor surface at a lower portion facing the floor surface. Normally, this rotating brush is rotated along the forward direction, which is the traveling direction of the vacuum cleaner, so that it does not interfere with the forward traveling of the vacuum cleaner. If you are approaching or if you reach a step such as a front door, the vacuum cleaner that detected these running obstacles will once move backward from the running obstacle and turn to change the direction of travel. In order to avoid running obstacles, the rotating brush rotates in the direction opposite to the running direction during the backward movement. For this reason, for example, there is a possibility that the rotating brush is caught on a rug such as a so-called entrance mat, which is laid on the entrance, obstructing the backward movement of the vacuum cleaner, or the rug is rolled up.

  Then, the structure which makes a rotary brush hard to prevent reverse of a vacuum cleaner is desired.

JP-A-7-322977 JP-A-6-125861

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner that is difficult to prevent the vacuum cleaner from retreating by a rotary cleaning body.

  The vacuum cleaner of the embodiment includes a main body case, drive wheels, a rotary cleaning body, a travel failure detection unit, and a control unit. The drive wheel allows the main body case to travel at least in the front-rear direction on the surface to be cleaned. The rotary cleaning body is provided with a rotation shaft in a direction along the rotation axis of the drive wheel at a lower portion facing the surface to be cleaned of the main body case, and cleans the surface to be cleaned by rotation. The travel failure detection means detects a travel failure in front of the main body case. The control means controls the operation of the drive wheels and the rotary cleaning body. The control means controls the operation of the drive wheels so as to change the advancing direction after the main body case is moved backward by a predetermined distance when the driving trouble detection means detects the forward running trouble and rotates when the backward movement is performed. The rotation direction of the cleaning body is the same as the rotation direction of the drive wheels.

(a) is an explanatory side view showing an operation when a travel obstacle (obstacle) is detected by the travel fault detection means (obstacle detection means) of the vacuum cleaner of one embodiment, and (b) is a travel of the vacuum cleaner. FIG. 6 is an explanatory side view showing an operation when a travel obstacle (concave step) is detected by a fault detection means (step detection means). It is a perspective view which shows a vacuum cleaner same as the above. It is a top view which shows a vacuum cleaner same as the above from the downward direction. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of a vacuum cleaner same as the above.

  The configuration of one embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.

  1 to 4, reference numeral 11 denotes a vacuum cleaner. In this embodiment, the vacuum cleaner 11 is a floor while autonomously running (self-running) on a floor surface F that is a surface to be cleaned as a running surface. This is a so-called self-propelled robot cleaner (cleaning robot) that cleans the surface F. And this vacuum cleaner 11 comprises the vacuum cleaner with the charging device etc. which are not shown in figure.

  The vacuum cleaner 11 includes a hollow main body case 20, a traveling unit 21 that causes the main body case 20 to travel on the floor surface F, a cleaning unit 22 as a cleaning means for cleaning dust such as the floor surface F, Control means that is a controller that controls the communication unit 23 that communicates with an external device including a charging device, a display unit 24 that displays various information, a traveling unit 21, a cleaning unit 22, a communication unit 23, a display unit 24, and the like ( Control unit) 26, and a secondary battery 27 that supplies power to the traveling unit 21, the cleaning unit 22, the communication unit 23, the display unit 24, the control means 26, and the like. In the following, the direction along the traveling direction of the vacuum cleaner 11 (main body case 20) is the front-rear direction (arrows FR and RR shown in FIG. 2 and the like), and the left-right direction intersecting (orthogonal) with the front-rear direction. (Both sides direction) is described as the width direction.

  The main body case 20 is formed into a flat columnar shape, for example, with a synthetic resin or the like. In this embodiment, for example, the front side is formed in a square shape and the rear side is formed in a semicircular shape. A suction port 31 that is a dust collection port is opened on the lower surface of the main body case 20 facing the floor surface F. The suction port 31 is arranged to be biased toward the front side of the lower surface of the main body case 20.

  The traveling unit 21 includes a plurality of (a pair of) drive wheels 34 and 34 as drive units, motors 35 and 35 as drive means for driving these drive wheels 34 and 34, and a turning wheel 36 for turning. And a sensor unit 37 having various sensors.

  Each drive wheel 34 travels (autonomous travel) the vacuum cleaner 11 (main body case 20) in the forward and backward directions on the floor surface F, that is, for traveling, on both sides behind the suction port 31. Has been placed. Accordingly, the drive wheels 34 are arranged so as to have a rotation axis along the left-right width direction of the main body case 20.

  Each motor 35 is arranged corresponding to each of the driving wheels 34, for example, and can drive each driving wheel 34 independently.

  The swivel wheel 36 is a driven wheel that is located at a substantially central portion in the width direction of the lower surface of the main body case 20 and at the rear, and can be swung along the floor surface F.

  The sensor unit 37 detects the presence or absence of a physical object (obstacle) such as a wall or furniture within a predetermined distance in front of the main body case 20, for example (first) traveling obstacle detection means ((first) obstacle). Non-contact object detection means (non-contact object detection part) 41 such as an ultrasonic sensor which is a front obstacle detection part as an object detection means), a physical object (obstacle) provided at the front of the main body case 20, for example, Contact object detection means (contact object detection unit) such as a contact sensor which is a front obstacle detection unit as a (second) travel obstacle detection unit ((second) obstacle detection unit) detected by contact with this object 42, by detecting a distance from the floor surface F below the main body case 20 to detect a concave step or the like of the floor surface F, for example, a lower obstacle detection unit as a (third) traveling obstacle detection means such as an infrared sensor A certain step detection means (step detection unit) 43, a wireless signal output from an external device such as a charging device ( (Fourth) traveling obstacle detection means for detecting a physical or virtual object (obstacle) formed around the external device or in the cleaning area by detecting the external signal) For example, a detection means 44 such as an infrared sensor, which is a forward obstacle detection unit ((third) obstacle detection means), is provided.

  The cleaning unit 22 includes, for example, an electric blower 45 that is located in the body case 20 and sucks dust, a rotary brush 46 that is rotatably attached to the suction port 31 and scrapes up dust, and the rotary brush 46. A brush motor 47 serving as a cleaning body driving means (cleaning body driving unit) for rotationally driving, a dust collecting unit 50 for collecting dust, and the like are provided. In the present embodiment, the electric blower 45 is not an essential configuration. Further, as the cleaning unit 22, side brushes may be provided on both sides such as the front side of the main body case 20, and the side brushes may be driven by a side brush motor.

  The rotating brush 46 is arranged to have a rotation axis along a direction along the rotation axis of the drive wheels 34, 34 (substantially parallel to the rotation axis). That is, the rotating brush 46 has a rotation axis along the left-right width direction of the main body case 20. Further, brush hair 46a as a cleaning member protrudes from the outer periphery of the rotating brush 46, and dust that has entered the floor surface F such as a carpet by the rotation of the rotating brush 46 is caused by the rotation of the rotating brush 46. It has come to scrape.

  The communication unit 23 transmits a wireless signal (infrared signal) to a charging device or the like, for example, a traveling body transmission means (traveling body transmission unit) 55 such as an infrared light emitting element, and a wireless signal from an external device such as a charging device ( For example, a traveling body receiving means (running body receiving unit) 56 such as a phototransistor is provided.

  The display unit 24 displays various information related to the vacuum cleaner 11 such as the time and cleaning time, the charging state of the secondary battery 27, the cleaning mode of the vacuum cleaner 11, etc. Has been. The display unit 24 may be, for example, a touch panel that also has a function of an input operation unit (input operation unit) that allows a user to directly input various settings.

  The control means 26 includes, for example, a CPU which is a control means main body (control part main body), a ROM which is a storage portion storing fixed data such as a program read by the CPU, and a work area which is a work area for data processing by the program The microcomputer includes a RAM (area storage unit) that dynamically forms various memory areas such as a timer and a timer (not shown) that measures calendar information such as the current date and time. Further, the control means 26 includes the motor 35 and the sensor part 37 of the traveling part 21, the electric blower 45 of the cleaning part 22, the brush motor 47, the traveling body transmitting means 55 and the traveling body receiving means 56 of the communication part 23, and the display part. It is electrically connected to 24 etc. Further, the control means 26 controls the operation of the motors 35, 35, the brush motor 47, etc. in accordance with the presence / absence of detection of a travel failure by the sensor unit 37 (at least one of the detection means 41 to 44), and performs electric cleaning. The machine 11 (main body case 20) travels on the floor surface F and rotates the rotating brush 46 to clean the floor surface F, the charging mode for charging the secondary battery 27 via the charging device, and the operation And a standby mode during standby.

  Further, the secondary battery 27 is electrically connected to charging terminals 58 and 58 as connection portions exposed on both sides of the rear portion of the lower surface of the main body case 20, for example, and the charging terminals 58 and 58 are connected to the charging device side. By being electrically and mechanically connected, charging is performed via a charging circuit built in the charging device.

  Next, the operation of the one embodiment will be described.

  The vacuum cleaner 11 is normally connected to a charging device and is in a standby mode. When the preset cleaning start time is reached from this standby mode, a command to start cleaning by the user is given by the remote controller. When input, the control means 26 enters the cleaning mode, and the cleaning unit 22 (the electric blower 45 and the rotating brush 46 (brush motor 47)), the drive wheels 34 and 34 (motors 35 and 35) of the traveling unit 21, etc. For example, the vehicle is separated from the charging device, and cleaning is started while autonomously running on the floor surface F by the drive wheels 34 and 34. The cleaning start position can be set at an arbitrary place such as the travel start position of the electric vacuum cleaner 11 or the entrance / exit of the cleaning area.

  During traveling, the control means 26 receives a signal from the traveling body receiving means 56 of the communication unit 23 and transmits an infrared signal from the traveling body transmitting means 55 forward in the traveling direction, etc. Via the means 41, the contact object detection means 42, the level difference detection means 43 and the detection means 44, for example, obstacles such as walls surrounding the cleaning area, obstacles in the cleaning area, and concave steps on the floor F are detected. Thus, the running state of the vacuum cleaner 11 (main body case 20) is monitored, and the driving wheels 34 and 34 (motors 35 and 35) are driven in response to the detection from the sensor unit 37, so that obstacles and The vacuum cleaner 11 is run on the floor F while avoiding steps.

  Specifically, the control means 26 cleans the floor F with the cleaning unit 22 (the electric blower 45 and the rotating brush 46) while moving the electric vacuum cleaner 11 (main body case 20) forward, and the sensor unit 37 (non-contact object detection). Means 41, contact object detection means 42, level difference detection means 43, or detection means 44), when the travel obstacle is detected, the vacuum cleaner 11 (main body case 20) is moved backward with respect to the travel obstacle and either left or right direction The drive wheels 34 and 34 (motors 35 and 35) and the drive of the rotating brush 46 (brush motor 47) are controlled so as to move forward again after changing the forward direction.

  More specifically, the control means 26 is configured to drive the drive wheel 34 in a direction in which the vacuum cleaner 11 (main body case 20) is moved forward during normal travel in which a travel failure is not detected by the sensor unit 37 (any of the detection means 41 to 44). , 34 is controlled so that the motors 35, 35 are rotated, and the rotary brush 46 is moved forward along the forward direction of the vacuum cleaner 11 (main body case 20), that is, in the same direction as the drive wheels 34, 34. The drive of the brush motor 47 is controlled to rotate in the direction.

  In addition, when the travel failure is detected by the sensor unit 37 (at least one of the detection means 41 to 44), the control means 26 first sets the drive wheels 34 and 34 in the direction in which the vacuum cleaner 11 (main body case 20) is moved backward. By controlling the driving of the motors 35 and 35 so as to rotate, the vacuum cleaner 11 (main body case 20) is moved backward by a predetermined distance with respect to a travel obstacle. This predetermined distance is related to, for example, the shape of the main body case 20, and when the main body case 20 changes the direction of travel (changes direction), it touches (impacts) a travel obstacle (obstacle) or travel obstacle (concave step). It is set not to fall from. At this time, the control means 26 controls the drive of the brush motor 47 so that the rotating brush 46 rotates in the same direction as the rotation direction of the drive wheels 34, that is, in the backward direction. In other words, when the control unit 26 detects a travel failure by the sensor unit 37 (non-contact object detection unit 41, contact object detection unit 42, step detection unit 43, or detection unit 44), the drive wheels 34, 34 (motor 35, 35) and the rotating brush 46 (brush motor 47) are both reversed (FIG. 1 (a) and FIG. 1 (b)). The reversal timing may be the same for the drive wheels 34 and 34 (motors 35 and 35) and the rotating brush 46 (brush motor 47), or one of them may be set earlier than the other. Note that FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B show only a part and omit other parts for the sake of clarity.

  Here, for example, when the travel obstacle (obstacle) P1 is detected by the non-contact object detection means 41, the contact object detection means 42, or the detection means 44 (FIG. 1 (a)), the control means 26 is a vacuum cleaner. 11 (main body case 20) is retreated about 5 cm (first predetermined distance), and when the step difference detecting means 43 detects the concave step P2 (FIG. 1 (b)), the control means 26 is connected to the vacuum cleaner 11 (main body The case 20) is driven to move backward about 15 cm (second predetermined distance), that is, a longer distance than the case where the travel obstacle is detected by any of the non-contact object detection means 41, the contact object detection means 42, or the detection means 44. The drive (rotation speed) of the wheels 34 and 34 (motors 35 and 35) is controlled.

  Next, the control means 26 controls the driving of the motors 35 and 35 so as to rotate the drive wheels 34 and 34 in opposite directions, thereby moving the vacuum cleaner 11 (main body case 20) in either the left or right direction. Turn to change (change) the direction of travel (forward direction). During this turning, the control means 26 may drive the rotary brush 46 (brush motor 47), or may stop temporarily or over the entire period. When the rotary brush 46 (brush motor 47) is driven, it may be forward or backward.

  Thereafter, the control means 26 returns to the control during normal running and controls the driving of the motors 35 and 35 so as to rotate the drive wheels 34 and 34 in the direction in which the vacuum cleaner 11 (main body case 20) moves forward. The driving of the brush motor 47 is controlled so that the rotating brush 46 is rotated along the forward direction of the vacuum cleaner 11 (main body case 20).

  Note that the electric blower 45 may continue to be driven while the electric vacuum cleaner 11 (main body case 20) is reversed and turned forward, or temporarily or over the entire period. May be stopped.

  The vacuum cleaner 11 sucks dust on the floor surface F together with air into the dust collecting portion 50 through the suction port 31 through which the negative pressure generated by driving the electric blower 45 acts via the dust collecting portion 50. Further, the rotary brush 46 that is driven to rotate scrapes off dust on the floor surface F to the dust collecting unit 50.

  The dust sucked together with the air from the suction port 31 is separated and collected by the dust collecting unit 50, and the air from which the dust is separated is sucked into the electric blower 45, and after cooling the electric blower 45, it becomes exhaust air. Air is exhausted from an exhaust port (not shown) of the main body case 20 to the outside.

  In addition, when the cleaning of the cleaning area is completed or when the capacity of the secondary battery 27 is reduced to a predetermined amount and is insufficient to complete the cleaning, the predetermined return to the charging device is performed. Perform the operation.

  According to the embodiment described above, when the detection means 41 to 44 detect a travel failure, the control means 26 reverses the rotation direction of the drive wheels 34, 34 by the motors 35, 35 in the backward direction. Necessary to prevent the main body case 20 from touching the driving obstacle or falling from the driving obstacle (step) even if the main body case 20 (the vacuum cleaner 11) turns (changes direction) by retreating from the obstacle After securing a certain distance, change the direction of travel. At this time, the control means 26 reverses the rotating direction of the rotating brush 46 by the brush motor 47 in the retracting direction so as to be the same as the rotating direction of the drive wheels 34, 34, so that the rotating brush 46 is moved to the floor during the retreating. It is difficult to get caught on the surface F and the like, and it is difficult to prevent the vacuum cleaner 11 (main body case 20) from moving backward by the rotating brush 46.

  In particular, when an obstacle P1 such as a front wall is detected by the detection means 41, 42, 44, etc., the main body case 20 (electric vacuum cleaner 11) contacts or rubs against the obstacle P1 when the traveling direction is changed. In order to prevent this, the rotating direction of the drive wheels 34 and 34 by the motors 35 and 35 is reversed in the backward direction so that the main body case 20 (the vacuum cleaner 11) is moved backward to take a sufficient distance. Correspondingly, the rotation direction of the rotating brush 46 by the brush motor 47 is set to the retreat direction which is the same as the rotation direction of the drive wheels 34, 34, so that it is positioned in the vicinity of the wall or the like when retreating from the obstacle P1. The rotating brush 46 is not easily caught by the end of the rug R such as a carpet to be moved, and the retreating of the electric vacuum cleaner 11 (main body case 20) is difficult to be prevented by the rotating brush 46, and the rug R is not easily raised.

  Similarly, in order to prevent the main body case 20 (the electric vacuum cleaner 11) from dropping from the concave step P2 when the traveling direction is changed when the concave step P2 of the floor surface F is detected by the step detection means 43, this Corresponding to reversing the rotation direction of the drive wheels 34, 34 by the motors 35, 35 in the backward direction so that the main body case 20 (the electric vacuum cleaner 11) is moved backward to take a sufficient distance, by the brush motor 47 If the concave step P2 such as the entrance is detected by setting the rotation direction of the rotating brush 46 to the reverse direction that is the same as the rotation direction of the drive wheels 34, 34, the normal entrance is used when the reverse step from the concave step P2 is detected. The rotating brush 46 is less likely to get caught on the edge of the rug R such as a doormat placed on the floor surface F, and it is difficult for the rotating brush 46 to prevent the electric vacuum cleaner 11 (main body case 20) from moving backward. It becomes difficult to raise R.

  In the above-described embodiment, when the travel failure is detected by the detection means 41, 42, 44, the distance by which the vacuum cleaner 11 (main body case 20) is moved backward is determined by the step detection means 43. Therefore, it is not necessary to reverse the driving of the rotary brush 46 (brush motor 47). That is, when the main body case 20 (electric vacuum cleaner 11) is moved backward by detecting a concave step on the floor surface F by at least the step detecting means 43, the driving wheel 34, If the rotation direction is the same as the rotation direction of 34, it is not necessary to reverse the drive of the rotating brush 46 (brush motor 47) when reversing after detecting other running obstacles.

  Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The novel embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

11 Vacuum cleaner
20 Main unit case
26 Control means
34 Drive wheels
41 Non-contact object detection means as obstacle detection means as running obstacle detection means
42 Contact object detection means as obstacle detection means as travel obstacle detection means
43 Step detection means as travel obstacle detection means
44 Detection means as obstacle detection means as travel obstacle detection means
46 Rotating brush as rotating cleaning body F Floor surface to be cleaned P1 Obstacle P2 Concave step

Claims (3)

A body case,
A drive wheel that allows the main body case to travel at least in the front-rear direction on the surface to be cleaned;
A rotating cleaning body provided with a rotating shaft in a direction along the rotating shaft of the drive wheel at a lower portion facing the cleaning surface of the main body case, and cleaning the cleaning surface by rotation;
A travel failure detection means for detecting a travel failure in front of the main body case;
Control means for controlling the operation of the drive wheel and the rotary cleaning body,
The control means controls the operation of the drive wheels so as to change the direction of travel after the main body case is moved backward by a predetermined distance when the running obstacle is detected forward by the running obstacle detection means, and the backward movement A vacuum cleaner characterized in that the rotational direction of the rotary cleaning body is sometimes the same as the rotational direction of the drive wheel. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the traveling obstacle detection means includes obstacle detection means for detecting an obstacle in front of the main body case. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the travel obstacle detection means includes a step detection means provided at a lower portion of the main body case and detecting a concave step at the lower portion of the main body case.

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