JP2018015616A - Cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cleaner for reducing rotation inhibition of an auxiliary brush and abrasion of the auxiliary brush by reducing overlapping of the auxiliary brush and a suction port.SOLUTION: A cleaner 1 includes: a housing 2 having a suction port 90 in the bottom surface, and sucking dust on a floor surface from the suction port by negative pressure generated in the cleaner; and auxiliary brushes 8 arranged in the housing 2 so as to be rotatable with rotational axes nearly vertical to the floor surface, and guiding external side dust to the suction port by cleaning the same. The suction port 90 and the auxiliary brushes 8 are arranged to be partially overlapped in a plane view. The suction port 90 is provided with a notch formed in an overlapped portion with the auxiliary brush 8.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner provided with an auxiliary brush.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, self-propelled cleaners that include traveling means and autonomously clean a floor while traveling in a predetermined traveling pattern are known. (For example, patent document 1).

  FIG. 10 is a bottom view showing the cleaning robot 301 described in Patent Document 1. FIG. The main body housing of the cleaning robot 301 is provided with a pair of drive wheels 329 that protrude from the bottom surface and rotate about a rotation shaft 329a that is horizontal to the floor surface. Further, a suction port 306 is provided on the lower surface of the front portion of the main body casing by an open surface of a concave portion provided in the bottom surface of the main body casing. A main brush 309 that rotates on a rotation axis that is horizontal to the floor surface is disposed in the recess, and a side brush 310 that rotates on a rotation axis that is perpendicular to the floor surface is disposed on both sides of the recess.

  Then, dust and dirt on the floor surface are sucked from the suction port 306 by the advancement of the main body casing. At this time, the dust on the floor surface is scraped up by the rotation of the main brush 309 and guided into the recess, and the dust on the side of the suction port 306 is guided to the suction port 306 by the rotation of the side brush 310.

JP 2013-70953 A (published on April 22, 2013)

  However, in the cleaning robot 301 described in Patent Document 1, the side brush 310 is required to be disposed around the suction port 306 in order to efficiently guide the dust to the suction port 306 without being scattered by the side brush 310. However, when the side brush 310 and the suction port 306 are brought closer to each other, the side brush 310 is sandwiched between the suction port 306 and the floor surface to inhibit the rotation of the side brush 310 or the sides rotating with each other. It is conceivable that the brush hairs are worn due to the collision between the brush 310 and the main brush 309.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to reduce the overlap between the auxiliary brush and the suction port, thereby reducing the rotation inhibition of the auxiliary brush and the brush wear. It is to provide.

The vacuum cleaner according to the present invention has a suction port provided on the bottom surface, a housing that sucks dust on the floor surface from the suction port by the negative pressure generated inside, and a rotating shaft that is substantially perpendicular to the floor surface in the housing. An auxiliary brush that is rotatably provided and that guides the outside dust to the suction port,
The suction port and the auxiliary brush are arranged so that a part thereof overlaps in a plan view, and a notch is formed in the outer peripheral portion of the suction port at a portion overlapping the auxiliary brush.

According to the present invention, there is provided a vacuum cleaner that reduces rotation inhibition of the auxiliary brush and wear of the brush by reducing the overlap between the auxiliary brush and the suction port, or the overlap between the auxiliary brush and the bottom cover that forms the suction port. be able to.

It is a top view of the cleaner 1 which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a bottom view of the vacuum cleaner 1 which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a schematic diagram of the AA arrow cross section of the cleaner 1 of FIG. It is a schematic diagram of the BB arrow cross section of the cleaner 1 of FIG. It is a perspective view of the main brush 9 which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a perspective view of the bottom plate 91 which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. FIG. 3 is a main part enlarged view of the vacuum cleaner 1 of FIG. 2, and is a schematic diagram for explaining the relationship between the side brush 8, the suction port 90, and the bottom plate 91 when the side brush 8 is rotated. It is a perspective view of the bottom plate 191 which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a perspective view of the bottom plate 291 which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. 10 is a bottom view showing a cleaning robot 301 described in Patent Document 1. FIG.

[Embodiment 1]
The vacuum cleaner 1 which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention is demonstrated. The vacuum cleaner 1 is a self-propelled cleaner that includes traveling means and performs self-running and cleaning by the traveling means.

A specific structure of the vacuum cleaner 1 will be described with reference to the drawings.
(Structure of vacuum cleaner 1)
FIG. 1 is a plan view of the vacuum cleaner 1. The direction of travel when the cleaner 1 performs self-running and cleaning is defined as the forward direction, and is indicated by an arrow D1 in FIG. The direction opposite to the traveling direction is the rear.

  The vacuum cleaner 1 includes a circular housing 2 in a top view. On the upper surface of the housing 2, a lid 2 a that opens and closes with respect to the housing 2 when a dust collecting portion 6 described later is put in and out, and an exhaust port 2 b through which air from which dust has been removed by the dust collecting portion 6 is exhausted Is provided.

  Further, a signal receiving unit 3 that receives a feedback signal from a charging stand (not shown) of the cleaner 1 and a remote control signal from a remote controller (not shown) is provided on the front side of the upper surface of the housing 2. . For example, when cleaning is completed, the cleaner 1 can receive the feedback signal and autonomously return to the charging stand. Moreover, the cleaner 1 can receive the remote control signal and accept various instructions and settings from the user. Here, the signal transmission medium is not particularly limited. As a transmission medium for the feedback signal, for example, infrared rays such as IrDA or a remote controller, or wireless such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), WiFi (registered trademark), or IEEE 802.11 may be used.

  A charging terminal 11 is provided on the rear side surface of the housing 2 to be electrically connected to a power supply terminal provided on the charging stand when returning to the charging stand. Further, a side brush 8 described later is provided on the bottom surface of the housing 2. As shown in the figure, the side brush 8 is arranged so that a part thereof protrudes from the housing in a plan view. Here, the side brush 8 is an example of an auxiliary brush according to the present invention.

  FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the cleaner 1. Also in FIG. 2, the direction of travel when the cleaner 1 performs self-running and cleaning is defined as a forward direction and is indicated by an arrow D <b> 1. The direction opposite to the traveling direction is the rear.

A concave portion (not shown) communicating with an intake passage 60 described later is provided at the center of the bottom surface of the housing 2. A main brush 9 that rotates on a rotation shaft that is supported in parallel with the bottom surface is disposed in the recess. The main brush 9 is driven by the brush drive unit to scrape out dust on the floor surface and guide it to the intake path 60. In addition, a bottom plate 91 that covers a part of the recess and prevents the main brush 9 from falling off during the cleaning operation is provided. The opening of the bottom plate 91 forms a suction port 90 for sucking dust. The main brush 9 is provided so that a part thereof protrudes from the bottom plate 91 in order to sweep the floor surface. The bottom plate 91 will be described in detail later.

  A pair of left and right side brushes 8 are provided on the outside of the suction port 90 and rotate on a rotating shaft that is pivotally supported perpendicularly to the bottom surface. In FIG. 2, the direction in which the side brush 8 is rotated is illustrated by arrows D2 and D3. The side brush 8 is driven by the brush drive unit to sweep dust existing outside the suction port 90 toward the suction port 90 and guide it.

  The side brush 8 includes a brush base 8b in which a brush bundle 8a and a plurality of brush bundles 8a are radially provided.

  The brush bundle 8a is a bundle of flexible brush hairs. The material of the brush hair can be appropriately selected according to the floor surface. For example, as the bristle, chemical fibers such as nylon or polypropylene, animal fibers, plant fibers, or a mixture thereof can be used.

  The brush bundle 8a is provided on the brush base 8b with a predetermined angle downward. And the brush bundle 8a is comprised so that it may contact with a floor surface in the state attached to the cleaner 1, and the front-end | tip part has deform | transformed along the floor surface.

  A through hole (not shown) into which a rotating shaft (not shown) protruding from the bottom surface of the housing 2 is inserted is formed in the central portion of the brush base 8b. The side brush 8 is attached to the housing 2 with, for example, screws and washers in a state where the rotation shaft is inserted into the through hole.

  In addition, a pair of left and right drive wheels 5 are provided at the center of the bottom surface of the housing 2 so as to protrude from the bottom surface when viewed from the traveling direction. The drive wheels 5 are driven separately on the left and right sides by the wheel drive unit. The cleaner 1 moves forward or backward when both wheels of the drive wheel 5 rotate in the same direction, and changes direction when both wheels rotate in opposite directions. A rear wheel 51 is provided on the rear side of the bottom surface of the housing 2. The rear wheel 51 is not driven and is driven in accordance with the advancement / retraction and rotation of the cleaner 1.

  In front of the suction port 90, a convex portion 2c for getting over the step is provided. The convex portion 2c is formed so as to protrude from the bottom surface of the housing 2 so that the front side is gently inclined. When the cleaner 1 gets over the step, the convex portion 2c first contacts the step and goes over the step, so that the bottom plate 91 and the like can smoothly get over the step without being caught by the step.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a cross section taken along arrow AA of the vacuum cleaner 1 of FIG. 1. Inside the housing 2, an electric blower 4 that generates an air flow for sucking dust on the floor, a dust collecting unit 6 that separates dust from the sucked air and temporarily collects the dust, and sucked air An intake passage 60 that leads to the dust collector 6 is provided. Here, the electric blower 4 is an example of the blowing means according to the present invention.

  The dust collection unit 6 includes a bottomed dust collection container 6a and a filter 6b provided on the top of the dust collection container 6a. Here, when the dust in the dust collecting container 6a is thrown away, the dust collecting unit 6 can be taken out from the housing 2 by opening the lid 2a of the housing 2 upward as viewed from the paper surface.

By arranging the electric blower 4, the dust collecting unit 6, and the intake passage 60 in this way, the airflow flowing from the suction port 90 passes through the intake passage 60 and flows into the dust collecting unit 6. Filter 6
After the dust contained in the airflow is separated by b, the dust flows out from the dust collecting unit 6 and reaches the electric blower 4. And the airflow exhausted from the electric blower 4 is exhausted diagonally backward from the exhaust port 2b. In FIG. 3, the flow of the airflow is indicated by arrows. The intake passage 60 is provided with a dust detector 61 that detects dust sucked by the electric blower 4. The dust detector 61 will be described later.

  A battery 7 and a control board 10 are provided on the rear side inside the housing 2. The control board 10 is provided with a control unit 100 and a storage unit 101 which will be described later.

  The battery 7 is a power supply source of the cleaner 1. When an instruction for cleaning operation is received, the battery 7 is supplied with power, and the electric blower 4, the drive wheel 5, the side brush 8, the main brush 9, and the like are driven. The battery 7 is desirably a large-capacity rechargeable battery that can be repeatedly charged and discharged. For the battery 7, for example, a lead battery, a nickel metal hydride battery, or a lithium ion battery is used.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a cross section taken along line BB of the vacuum cleaner 1 of FIG. The dust detection unit 61 includes a light emitting unit 61a and a light receiving unit 61b provided to face each other in the middle of the suction path 60, and is an optical sensor that detects dust from a change in the output of the light receiving unit 61b. . As the light emitting unit 61a, for example, an infrared light emitting diode can be used. For example, a phototransistor can be used as the light receiving unit 61b.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the main brush 9. The main brush 9 includes a brush bundle 9a and a shaft portion 9b on which the brush bundle 9a is provided.

  Like the brush bundle 80, the brush bundle 9a is a bundle of flexible brush hairs. The brush bundle 9a is provided in a spiral manner on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 9b. The shaft portion 9b may be provided with a flexible blade in addition to the brush bundle 9a or instead of the brush bundle 9a.

  The shaft portion 9 b is a rotation axis of the main brush 9. Both ends of the shaft portion 9b are provided in the suction port 90 of the housing 2, and are formed so as to be respectively fitted with a pair of shaft support portions that rotatably support the main brush 9.

Next, the structure of the bottom plate 91 will be described.
(Structure of bottom plate 91)
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the bottom plate 91. In a state where the bottom plate 91 is attached to the housing 2, the direction that coincides with the traveling direction of the cleaner 1 is defined as the front, and is indicated by an arrow D1 in FIG. The direction opposite to the traveling direction is the rear.

The bottom plate 91 has a frame portion 91a having an opening serving as a suction port 90, and a pole 91b provided along the front-rear direction at the opening of the frame portion. The frame portion 91 a is formed with a thickness so that the bottom plate 91 protrudes from the bottom surface of the housing 2 in a state where the bottom plate 91 is attached to the housing 2. The pole 91b is for reducing the inhalation of foreign matter such as a power cord and a writing instrument. The pole 91b is provided in the opening of the frame portion 91a along the traveling direction.
The rotation is not hindered.

A pair of notches 91c are formed at the left and right ends of the front side of the frame portion 91a. The notch 91c of this embodiment is notched in an arc shape in plan view. In addition, due to the notch portion 91c, the suction port 90 also has a shape having arcuate notches 90c on both left and right ends on the front side. Moreover, the circular arc of the suction inlet 90 and the notch part 91c is made into the circular arc centering on the rotating shaft of the side brush 8 (refer FIG. 2).

  A capture member 91d is provided on the rear side of the suction port 90 in order to capture dust that has not been sucked through the suction port 90. As the capturing member 91d, for example, a brushed brush in which a large number of brush hairs are implanted on a brushed base serving as a base end can be used.

  On the rear side of the bottom plate 91, an elastically deformable engaging portion 91e is provided. A plurality of locking pieces 91 f are provided on the front side of the bottom plate 91 so as to protrude from the bottom plate 91. The bottom plate 91 can be held on the bottom surface of the housing 2 by inserting the locking pieces 91f into corresponding recesses (not shown) provided in the housing 2 and engaging with the engaging portions 91e. . On the other hand, the bottom plate 91 can be removed from the bottom surface of the housing 2 by elastically deforming the engaging portion 91e, releasing the engagement with the housing 2, and pulling out the locking piece 91f from the recess. That is, the bottom plate 91 is detachably attached to the housing 2.

Next, the action and effect of the cleaner 1 will be described.
(Operation and effect of vacuum cleaner 1)
As described above, the side brush 8 is provided around the bottom plate 91. By comprising in this way, the dust collected by sweeping the floor surface by the side brush 8 can be guided to the suction port 90 without being scattered around. In addition, notch portions 91c are formed at the left and right ends of the front of the bottom plate 91, and the suction port 90 has a shape having notches 90c at the left and right ends of the front.

  By configuring in this way, the region where the rotating side brush 8 and the bottom plate 91 overlap in a plan view can be narrowed while the side brush 8 is disposed in the vicinity of the suction port 90, so that the side brush 8 It is reduced that the rotation of the side brush 8 is hindered by being sandwiched between the bottom plate 91 and the floor surface, and the brush bristles hurt when the brush bristles of the side brush 8 and the main brush 9 come into contact with each other. This can be reduced.

  In the present embodiment, the notch 91c and the notch 90c of the suction port 90 are formed in an arc shape centering on the rotation axis of the side brush 8. Therefore, the notch 91c and the notch 90c The overlapping of the brush 8 with the suction port 90 and the bottom plate 91 is efficiently reduced.

  Next, the relationship between the side brush 8 and the bottom plate 91 when the side brush 8 is rotated will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a main part of the vacuum cleaner 1 of FIG. 2, and is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between the side brush 8, the bottom plate 91, and the suction port 90 when the side brush 8 is rotated. In FIG. 7, the side brush 8 is rotated counterclockwise as viewed from the paper (see arrow D2). FIGS. 7A to 7D sequentially show how the side brush 8 is rotated.

In the state of FIG. 7A, none of the brush bundles 8 a of the side brush 8 overlaps the bottom plate 91 in plan view. In the state of (b), the side brush 8 is rotated from the state of (a), and a part of the brush bundle 8a overlaps the bottom plate 91 in plan view. In the state (c), the side brush 8 is further rotated from the state (b), and the brush bundle 8 a reaches the notch 91 c and the notch 90 c of the suction port 90. In the state (d), the side brush 8 is further rotated from the state (c), and the brush bundle 8 a passes through the notch 91 c and the notch 90 c of the suction port 90. The dust collected by sweeping by the side brush 8 is sucked and removed from the suction port 90 while the brush bundle 8a passes through the notch 91c and the notch 90c of the suction port 90.

  Here, by forming the notch portion 91c and the notch 90c of the suction port 90, the brush bundle 8a, the suction port 90, and the bottom plate of the side brush 8 in the state shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C. The overlap with 91 is reduced. As a result, it is reduced that the brush bundle 8a is sandwiched between the bottom plate 91 and the floor surface and the rotation of the side brush 8 is obstructed. Similarly, the contact between the brushes of the side brush 8 and the main brush 9 is also reduced. As a result, the wear of the bristle of the side brush 8 and the main brush 9 is reduced.

7B and 7C, the front end side of the brush bundle 8a overlaps the bottom plate 91, and the brush bundle 8a on the front end side is located between the bottom plate 91 and the floor surface. Although it is conceivable that the tip of the bristle generally spreads in contact with the floor surface and becomes thinner, the side brush 8 can be sandwiched between the bottom plate 91 and the floor surface. The rotation of is difficult to block.
[Embodiment 2]
As a second embodiment of the present invention, a modified example related to the shape of the notch 90c formed in the suction port 90 will be described. In addition, about the component demonstrated in Embodiment 1, it shall have the same function as Embodiment 1, and description is abbreviate | omitted except the case where it describes especially.

  FIG. 8 is a plan view of a bottom plate 191 according to a modification. The notch 190c of the present modification is notched in a straight line in plan view by the notch 191c.

  FIG. 9 is a plan view of a bottom plate 291 according to a further modification. The cutout 290c of this modification is cut out in a circular shape on the front side and in a straight line on the rear side in plan view by the cutout portion 291c. Further, arc portions of the notch 290 c and the notch portion 291 c are arcs around the rotation axis of the side brush 8.

As described above, the shape of the notch 91c and the notch 91c of the suction port 91 is a shape other than the above as long as the overlap between the side brush 8, the suction port 90, and the bottom plate 91 can be reduced. It may be.
[Embodiment 3]
As a third embodiment of the present invention, a modified example relating to the position of the notch 90c formed in the suction port 90 will be described. That is, the position of the notch 90c formed in the suction port 90 may be set as appropriate so as to reduce the overlap between the side brush 8 and the suction port 90 and the bottom plate 91 in consideration of the positional relationship.

  For example, when the side brush 8 is disposed on the front side of the above-described embodiment, a notch may be formed in a part of the front side of the suction port 90 and the bottom plate 91. In addition, the shape of the notch 90c at that time can be selected as appropriate. The shape of the notch 90c may be U-shaped, V-shaped, or the like.

For example, when the vacuum cleaner 1 is provided with the side brush 8 only on either the left or the right when viewed from the traveling direction, the suction port 90 and the bottom plate 91 are notched only on the side corresponding to the side brush 8. 90 and the notch 91c may be formed.
[Other Embodiments]
In the above-mentioned embodiment, although the case where the vacuum cleaner 1 was provided with the removable bottom plate 91 was demonstrated, it is not limited only to it. For example, even when the vacuum cleaner 1 does not include the bottom plate 91, the shape of the suction port formed on the bottom surface of the housing 2 has a notch so that the suction port and the side brush 8 overlap each other. (Embodiment 4).

Moreover, in the above-mentioned embodiment, although the traveling means was provided as the cleaner 1, and the self-propelled cleaner that performs self-running and cleaning by the traveling means has been described, the invention is not limited thereto. A so-called canister type or upright type may be used, and in that case, the shape of the suction port provided in the suction body provided in the cleaner 1 may have the notch described above (Embodiment 5). .
[Summary]
As described above, the vacuum cleaner is provided with a suction port on the bottom surface, and a casing that sucks dust on the floor surface from the suction port by the negative pressure generated inside, and a rotation that is substantially perpendicular to the floor surface in the casing. An auxiliary brush that is rotatably provided on the shaft and guides dust from outside to the suction port, and the suction port and the auxiliary brush are arranged so that a part thereof overlaps in plan view. Has a notch formed in a portion overlapping the auxiliary brush.

  By configuring the vacuum cleaner in this manner, it is possible to reduce rotation inhibition of the auxiliary brush and wear of the auxiliary brush by reducing the overlap between the auxiliary brush and the suction port.

  The vacuum cleaner further includes a bottom plate that is detachably provided on the bottom surface of the housing, and the suction port is formed by an opening of the bottom plate, and the bottom plate has a notch portion that overlaps the auxiliary brush. May be formed.

  By configuring the vacuum cleaner in this manner, it is possible to reduce rotation inhibition of the auxiliary brush and wear of the auxiliary brush by reducing the overlap between the auxiliary brush and the bottom plate.

  Further, at least a part of the notch may be an arc centered on the rotation axis of the side brush.

  By configuring the vacuum cleaner in this way, the overlap between the auxiliary brush and the suction port can be efficiently reduced by the notch.

  The vacuum cleaner may further include a main brush that is disposed inside the housing such that a part thereof protrudes from the suction port and rotates on a rotation axis substantially parallel to the floor surface.

  By configuring the vacuum cleaner in this way, the overlap between the auxiliary brush and the suction port is reduced, and as a result, wear due to contact between the auxiliary brush and the main brush rotating with each other can be reduced.

  The vacuum cleaner may be a self-propelled cleaner that includes self-propelled means and performs self-propelled cleaning by the self-propelled means.

  The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning of the claims.

  The vacuum cleaner according to the present invention can be widely used in vacuum cleaners equipped with auxiliary brushes.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vacuum cleaner 2 Housing | casing 2a Cover part 2b Exhaust port 2c Convex part 3 Signal receiving part 4 Electric blower 5 Driving wheel (traveling means)
6 Dust collector 7 Battery 8 Side brush (auxiliary brush)
9 Main brush 90, 190, 290 Suction port 90c, 190c, 290c Notch 91, 191, 291 Bottom plate 91a Frame portion 91b Pole 91c, 191c, 291c Notch portion 91d Capture member 91e Engaging portion 91f Locking piece 10 Control board 11 Charging terminal 61 Dust detector 61a Light emitter 61b Light receiver

Claims (3)

A housing that is provided with a suction port on the bottom surface and sucks dust on the floor surface from the suction port by a negative pressure generated inside,
A bottom plate detachably provided on the bottom surface of the housing;
A pair of left and right auxiliary brushes that are rotatably provided on the casing with a rotation axis that is substantially perpendicular to the floor surface, and that sweeps outside dust to the suction port;
The rotating shaft is located in front of the front portion of the suction port,
The suction port is formed by the opening of the bottom plate,
The suction port and the auxiliary brush are arranged so that a part thereof overlaps in plan view,
The auxiliary brush rotates so as to pass from the front to the rear of the suction port,
The vacuum cleaner in which the arc-shaped notch part centering on the said rotating shaft of an auxiliary brush is formed in the bottom plate in at least one part of the part which overlaps with the said auxiliary brush.   The said vacuum cleaner is further arrange | positioned inside the said housing | casing so that the one part may protrude from the said suction inlet, The cleaning brush of Claim 1 which further rotates with the rotating shaft substantially parallel to a floor surface. Machine.   The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum cleaner is a self-propelled cleaner that includes self-propelled means and performs self-propelled cleaning by the self-propelled means.