JP2018019814A - Wall surface travel device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a device from sliding down due to an obstacle, and prevent a cleaning part from peeling an obstacle from a wall surface.SOLUTION: A wall surface travel device includes a first sucked part which is vacuum-sucked on the wall surface, a wall surface processing part for processing the wall surface, and a sucking appropriateness determination part arranged outside the wall surface processing part for determining the sucking appropriateness on the wall surface. These are provided on the wall surface opposing surface that faces the wall surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a wall surface traveling device that cleans the entire wall surface by running forward on a wall surface such as a glass surface and rotates as necessary, or performs some processing on the entire wall surface.

  Conventionally, a glass surface cleaning robot has been proposed as a device that travels on a wall surface such as a glass surface. For example, a vacuum suction part, a cleaning part, and a traveling part are provided on a glass surface facing the glass surface, and the traveling part travels on the glass surface while maintaining the suction state on the glass surface by the vacuum suction part. The glass surface is cleaned by the cleaning unit when traveling on the glass surface.

  There exists what is shown by patent document 1 as a preceding wall surface traveling apparatus.

  The preceding wall surface traveling apparatus has the following configuration.

  An inner chamber and an outer chamber are formed by a circular inner suction cup and a circular outer suction cup by vacuum suction. The drive unit is formed on both sides. A cleaning part is formed in front of the traveling direction.

  With the above configuration, when the traveling device travels on the glass surface, even if the internal suction cup or the external suction cup is lifted by a protrusion existing on the glass surface, a vacuum state is generated in at least one of the inner chamber and the outer chamber. Maintained. Thereby, the adsorption | suction state to the glass surface is always maintained, and sliding from the glass surface of a traveling apparatus can be prevented.

Special table 2015-512310 gazette

  However, the wall surface traveling device has the following problems.

  If there is an uneven part (other than an obstacle) such as a depression or groove on a wall surface such as a glass surface, the cleaning part may be caught by the uneven part, which may cause running failure such as being unable to travel.

  In addition, in the case of a thin sealing material with an uneven part stuck to a wall surface such as a glass surface, the cleaning part in front of the traveling direction hits an obstacle such as a seal, and if it proceeds as it is, the cleaning part peels off the seal .

An object of the present invention is to provide a wall surface traveling device that prevents a cleaning part from being caught by an uneven part when the uneven part such as a depression or a groove is present on a wall surface such as a glass surface.

Another object of the present invention is to prevent the cleaning part from peeling off the thin sealing material from the wall surface even when there is an uneven part such as a thin sealing material on the way on the wall surface without unevenness. It is in providing the wall surface traveling apparatus which can do.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a wall surface traveling device that prevents the cleaning unit from being stopped due to the cleaning unit being caught by the concavo-convex portion or from being damaged.

The wall running device of the present invention is
A wall facing surface facing the wall surface;
A first suction portion provided on the wall-facing surface and vacuum-sucked to the wall surface;
A wall surface processing unit that is provided on the wall facing surface and processes the wall surface;
A suction adequacy determination unit that is provided on the wall facing surface and is disposed outside the wall surface processing unit and that determines the adequacy of adsorption to the wall surface.

  The first suction portion provided on the wall facing surface of the wall running device is vacuum-sucked on a wall surface such as a glass surface. Since the adequacy adsorption determination unit is arranged outside the wall processing unit composed of the wall surface cleaning unit, etc., the adequacy adequacy determination unit before the wall processing unit hits the concave and convex portions of the wall surface such as the depression, groove, and seal. Is used to determine whether the wall surface adsorption pressure is appropriate. When the decrease in wall surface adsorption pressure is detected by the adsorption adequacy determination unit, it is possible to control to stop traveling, and the wall surface processing unit can be caught and contacted with the uneven surface, and the wall surface processing unit can remove the uneven surface. Can be prevented. It is also possible to prevent the first suction part from climbing on an uneven part such as a seal and causing a vacuum break to cause the device to slide down.

  In addition to the first adsorption unit that vacuum-adsorbs to the wall surface, an adsorption adequacy determination unit that determines the adequacy of adsorption to the wall surface is provided outside the wall processing unit. When a decrease in the amount is detected, it is possible to control the vehicle to stop or rotate, so that the wall surface processing unit may come into contact with the concavo-convex parts such as the wall surface depressions, grooves, seals, etc. It is possible to prevent the apparatus from sliding off due to peeling off or causing vacuum breakage of the first suction part.

The schematic plane block diagram of the glass surface cleaning apparatus 1 which is embodiment of the wall surface traveling apparatus which concerns on this invention General front sectional view of glass surface cleaning device 1 Schematic internal configuration diagram of vacuum suction unit 14 The figure which shows the state just before the seal | sticker 40 exists ahead during driving | running | working of the glass surface cleaning apparatus 1. FIG. Diagram showing seal avoidance operation The figure which shows an example of the running algorithm of the glass surface cleaning apparatus 1 The figure which shows the glass surface cleaning apparatus 1 of other embodiment. The figure which shows the glass surface cleaning apparatus 1 of other embodiment.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a glass surface cleaning device 1 as an embodiment of a wall surface traveling device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic front sectional view of the glass surface cleaning device 1.

  As for the glass surface cleaning apparatus 1, the planar shape of the whole is a rectangle. 1 and 2 show that the glass surface cleaning device 1 is vacuum-adsorbed to the glass surface 2 of the vertically provided window frame and is traveling in the direction of the arrow X. FIG.

  The glass surface cleaning device 1 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as “device 1”) has, as its basic structure, a circular vacuum suction portion (first suction portion) 10 provided at the center portion and both sides thereof. The first traveling wheel 11 and the second traveling wheel 12 that are provided, the glass surface cleaning unit 13 provided near the front end of the glass surface cleaning device 1 in front of the traveling direction X, and the glass surface cleaning unit 13 is provided with a vacuum suction part (second suction part) 14 provided on the outer side of 13 and a control part 15 for controlling them. The vacuum suction unit 10, the first traveling wheel 11, the second traveling wheel 12, the glass surface cleaning unit 13, and the vacuum suction unit 14 are provided on the glass surface facing surface 17 (the bottom surface of the apparatus 1) facing the glass surface 2. The control unit 15 is disposed in the apparatus 1.

  The glass surface cleaning unit 13 is formed of a soft non-woven material or the like having a long and slender strip shape as a whole. Other configuration examples include a rotating brush, a vibrating brush, and a microfiber pressed against the glass surface 2 by a spring. The length is substantially the same as the vacuum suction part 14 as a whole. In the example shown in the figure, the laterally elongated portion of the vacuum suction portion 14 is substantially the same as the glass surface cleaning portion 13, and further, part of the vertical direction of both end portions of the vacuum suction portion 14 is the glass surface cleaning portion 13. It covers both ends.

  The vacuum suction portion 10 is formed using rubber or the like as a material, and is formed in a circular sucker shape as a whole. A negative pressure space (chamber) is formed in the central portion, and this central portion is connected to the vacuum pump 16 by a duct 18. The vacuum suction part 10 is vacuum-sucked to the glass surface 2 by setting the central part to a negative pressure with the vacuum pump 16.

  The vacuum suction unit 10, the first traveling wheel 11, and the second traveling wheel 12 are located inside the vacuum suction unit 10, and the first traveling wheel 11 and the second traveling wheel 12 are on both sides of the vacuum suction unit 10. It is arranged to be located in. The first traveling wheel 11 and the second traveling wheel 12 are formed of a material having a constant coefficient of friction such as a rubber tire, and have physical characteristics that allow the vehicle to travel without slipping on the glass surface 2 having a smooth surface. .

  A travel motor 20 is connected to the first travel wheel 11, and a travel motor 21 is connected to the second travel wheel 12. These travel motors 20 and 21 can be driven independently, and can be rotated in forward and reverse directions by switching the internal gear portion.

  The wall surface cleaning device 1 further includes a rechargeable battery 19 such as a lithium ion battery. The battery 19 supplies power to the entire apparatus. That is, power is supplied to a decompression motor (not shown), the traveling motors 20 and 21, and the control unit 15 provided in the decompression pump 16.

  The vacuum suction portion 14 is formed using rubber or the like as a material, and is formed in a slender suction cup shape as a whole. A plurality of small, independent negative pressure spaces (chambers) 30 are formed along the longitudinal direction (lateral direction). The vacuum suction section 14 has a smaller suction force than the circular vacuum suction section 10, but a plurality of negative pressure chambers are arranged in the lateral direction. As will be described later, a region where the plurality of negative pressure chambers is provided is a determination region for the adequacy of adsorption.

  FIG. 3 shows a schematic internal configuration diagram of the vacuum suction portion 14.

  The plurality of negative pressure spaces 30 are connected to each other by ducts 31 at the upper part and led to a decompression pump 32. The decompression pump 32 is connected to a known pressure detection sensor 33. The vacuum pump 32 makes each negative pressure space 30 of the vacuum suction portion 14 negative pressure so that the vacuum suction portion 14 vacuum-sucks to the glass surface 2, and the total pressure of all the negative pressure spaces 30 of the vacuum suction portion 14. Is detected by the pressure detection sensor 33. When the pressure detected by the pressure detection sensor 33 falls below a certain level, the controller 15 is notified of this. The fact that the pressure in the total negative pressure space 30 drops to a certain level or more means that the appropriateness of adsorption to the glass surface 2 by the vacuum suction unit 14 becomes below a certain level. Based on a certain threshold value and the magnitude of the pressure detected by the pressure detection sensor 33, the adequacy of adsorption is determined.

  For example, it is assumed that a thin seal is attached to the glass surface 2 as an uneven portion. Since the seal surface is uneven as compared with the glass surface 2, when the vacuum suction portion 14 rides on the seal, the pressure in one of the negative pressure spaces 30 is reduced, and this is detected by the pressure detection sensor 33. Further, if the glass surface 2 has depressions or grooves as uneven portions, when the vacuum suction portion 14 rides on this portion, the pressure in one of the negative pressure spaces 30 decreases, and this is detected by the pressure detection sensor 33. To detect. As will be described later, at this time, the control unit 15 can stop and rotate the device so that the device does not advance further.

  Since the vacuum suction part 14 is provided for the purpose of judging the adequacy of suction to the glass surface 2, its suction force is set to be considerably smaller than that of the vacuum suction part 10. It does not have an adsorption force for adsorbing 1 to the glass surface 2.

  Next, the operation will be described.

  Now, it is assumed that the glass surface cleaning device 1 is placed on the glass surface 2 of the vertically standing window frame, and the vacuum suction unit 10 and the vacuum suction unit 14 are in a vacuum suction state on the glass surface 2.

  In the above state, the device 1 is attracted to the glass surface 2 by the vacuum suction force, but when the traveling motors 20 and 21 are driven, the first traveling wheel 11 and the second traveling wheel 12 travel on the glass surface 2. I can do it.

  Therefore, when the traveling motors 20 and 21 are rotated in the positive direction at the same number of rotations, the apparatus moves forward (in the direction of arrow X in FIG. 1) by the rotation of the first traveling wheel 11 and the second traveling wheel 12 on the glass surface 2. ). At this time, a combined vector of the forward running force A by the two wheels 11 and 12 and the friction force B by the suction force on the glass surfaces of the vacuum suction part 10 and the vacuum suction part 14 acts on the device 1. However, when the traveling force A is sufficiently large, the device 1 travels forward.

  For this reason, the apparatus 1 travels forward while maintaining the suction state on the glass surface 2, and at the same time, the glass surface 2 is cleaned by the glass surface cleaning unit 13.

  Next, when the apparatus 1 is traveling forward, if there is a seal that is a concavo-convex part immediately before the apparatus 1, the vacuum suction part 14 of the apparatus 1 rides on the seal a little. At this time, since the vacuum suction unit 14 is disposed outside the glass surface cleaning unit 13, the glass surface cleaning unit 13 does not contact the seal. FIG. 4 shows a state immediately before the seal 40 exists in front of the glass surface cleaning device 1 during traveling. Since the surface of the seal 40 is uneven or curved as compared to the glass surface 2, the pressure in one of the negative pressure spaces 30 of the vacuum suction portion 14 decreases, and the pressure detection sensor 33 detects this. . The pressure detection sensor 33 transmits this to the control unit 15. At this time, the control unit 15 performs the avoidance operation of the seal 40 using a preset algorithm. In this embodiment, control is performed in the following order.

(1) The rotation operation of the first traveling wheel 11 and the second traveling wheel 12 in the positive direction is stopped.

(2) The first traveling wheel 11 and the second traveling wheel 12 are reversely rotated for a predetermined time or until the pressure in the negative pressure space 30 is restored (first drive control).

(3) The first traveling wheel 11 is rotated in the reverse direction, and the second traveling wheel 12 is rotated in the forward direction (second drive control).

(4) The first traveling wheel 11 and the second traveling wheel 12 are rotated in the forward direction for a predetermined time (third drive control).

(5) The first traveling wheel 11 is rotated in the forward direction, and the second traveling wheel 12 is rotated in the reverse direction (fourth drive control).
(6) The first traveling wheel 11 and the second traveling wheel 12 are rotated in the forward direction (fifth drive control).

  FIG. 5 shows the behavior of the apparatus 1 when performing the above-described control, and operates in the order of (A) to (E).

  FIG. 5A shows the first drive control in which the apparatus 1 detects the seal 40, stops once, and then travels in the reverse direction until the pressure in the negative pressure space 30 returns to a certain distance (a certain time) or the negative pressure space 30. .

  FIG. 5B shows the second drive control in which the device 1 rotates 90 degrees counterclockwise.

  FIG. 5C shows the third drive control in which the device 1 travels forward (leftward in the figure) for a fixed distance (fixed time).

  FIG. 5D shows the fourth drive control in which the device 1 rotates 90 degrees counterclockwise.

  FIG. 5E shows fifth drive control in which the device 1 travels forward.

  In FIG. 5C, in the mode in which the vehicle travels for a certain distance, the device 1 travels for a certain distance regardless of the size of the seal 40. Therefore, when the seal 40 is large, in FIG. There is a possibility of hitting the seal 40. However, since the operations shown in FIGS. 5A to 5E are repeated at this time as well, the apparatus 1 eventually travels on the glass surface 2 while avoiding the seal 40.

As mentioned above, since the glass surface cleaning apparatus 1 of this embodiment has arrange | positioned the vacuum suction part 14 which determines the adsorption | suction suitability to the glass surface 2 on the outer side of the glass surface cleaning part 13, it is a glass surface cleaning part. 13
The device 1 can be stopped before it touches the seal 40 and then the direction of travel can be changed. For this reason, the glass surface cleaning part 13 does not peel off the seal 40. Moreover, since the vacuum suction part 10 does not run on the seal 40, it is possible to prevent the apparatus 1 from sliding off the glass surface 2 due to a vacuum break in this part.

  FIG. 6 shows an example of a running algorithm of the glass surface cleaning apparatus 1 when the seals 40 and 50 are present on the glass surface 2.

  The device 1 travels from the upper left end of the glass surface 2 and rotates 90 degrees at the right glass surface end. This rotation control is performed in the same manner as when the vacuum suction unit 14 detects the seal 40. That is, when the vacuum suction part 14 reaches the end of the right glass surface, the pressure in one of the negative pressure spaces 30 of the vacuum suction part 14 drops to a certain level or more, so the apparatus 1 is rotated 90 degrees at this timing. As another method for detecting that the device 1 reaches the end of the glass surface 2, the lateral travel distance of the glass surface 1 is determined by counting the rotation of the first travel wheel 11 and the second travel wheel 12. Then, there is a method of detecting that the apparatus 1 has reached the end of the glass surface 2 by this count number. Further, there is a method of separately providing a sensor that optically detects that the end of the glass surface 2 has been reached (a sensor that projects light reflected from the glass surface to the lower part of the apparatus and detects the reflected light).

  The device 1 rotates 90 degrees at the end of the right glass surface and then travels forward (downward in the figure) by a fixed distance a. If the constant distance a is a distance that maintains a relational expression of a <2b with respect to the width b of the device 1, it is preferable that no wiping is left by the left-right reciprocating motion on the glass surface. The fixed distance a can also be determined by counting the rotations of the first traveling wheel 11 and the second traveling wheel 12. After that, when rotating 90 degrees clockwise and traveling forward, the vacuum suction part 14 detects the circular seal 40. Then, the vehicle travels forward again while avoiding the seal 40 by the method shown in FIG. In FIG. 6, the direction of avoiding the seal 40 is different from that in FIG. That is, in FIG. 6, the vehicle rotates a predetermined angle in the clockwise direction (90 ° rotation), travels a predetermined distance, rotates a predetermined angle in the counterclockwise direction (90 ° rotation), and travels forward. Whether the avoidance direction is as shown in FIG. 6 or the avoidance direction as shown in FIG. 5 depends on the algorithm. Thereafter, the same operation is performed.

  In addition, when the seal is detected while moving the end of the glass surface by a certain distance a as in the case of detecting the seal 41 in FIG. 6, it is not avoided by rotating clockwise in a uniform manner and there is no seal. Rotate towards the original direction. That is, when the seal is detected during movement of the right end of the glass, it rotates clockwise so as to turn to the left. When the seal is detected during movement of the left end of the glass, it rotates counterclockwise so as to face to the right. Furthermore, in the case of avoidance action during movement of the glass edge, if the distance a ″ ≡a − the edge movement distance a ′ before avoidance is moved downward after avoiding the seal, it is rotated and moved toward the original direction. As a result of this operation, only a distance that is the same as or shorter than the distance a is moved downward by one line of left-right movement, so that no wiping is left.

  As described above, even if the seal 40 in the glass surface and the seal 41 at the glass end are present, the glass surface 2 is cleaned while avoiding these, and finally reaches the lower left end of the glass surface 2.

  When the device 1 changes direction by the above operation, as shown in FIG. 5, the device 1 once moves backward, but since the backward movement is a route once taken, there is no seal in this route. For this reason, the device 1 does not ride on the seal during reverse travel.

  The algorithm used when the glass surface cleaning device 1 travels on the glass surface can be arbitrarily designed, and is not limited to the algorithm shown in FIG.

  In any algorithm, as long as the vacuum suction unit 14 is arranged outside the glass surface cleaning unit 13, the glass surface cleaning unit 13 can avoid peeling off the seals 40, 41, and the like. Further, it is possible to prevent the vacuum suction part 10 from riding on the seal and causing a vacuum break.

  FIG. 7 shows a glass surface cleaning apparatus 1 according to another embodiment.

  This glass surface cleaning device 1 is different from that shown in FIG. 1 in that vacuum suction portions 10 a and 10 b are arranged between the first traveling wheel 11 and the second traveling wheel 12. The vacuum suction parts 10a and 10b, the first traveling wheel 11 and the second traveling wheel 12 are located on the inside, and the first traveling wheel 11 and the second traveling wheel 12 are the two suction parts. It is arranged so that it may be located on both sides of the part. By configuring the two vacuum suction portions, a predetermined vacuum suction force can be secured without increasing the area of the suction portion. Further, with the arrangement as described above, the movement of the combined vector of the vacuum suction force and the traveling force can be simplified, and the traveling control of the apparatus becomes easy.

  FIG. 8 shows a glass surface cleaning apparatus 1 according to still another embodiment.

  In this embodiment, the overall shape of the device is circular. Thereby, the glass surface cleaning part 13 and the vacuum suction part 14 are also circular arc shape. In this embodiment, since the overall shape of the device 1 is circular, the circular shape is always maintained when viewed from a plan view regardless of the traveling direction (whether the traveling is linear or rotating). For this reason, no matter what the movement range of the apparatus 1 is, and even if there are obstacles such as protrusions in the movement range, the apparatus 1 is not caught.

  In the above embodiment, the uneven portion on the glass plane 2 is the seal 40, but all obstacles that form a step with respect to the glass surface 2, such as large dust and resin, such as depressions and grooves, are also included.

  The present invention includes the above modifications.

  The wall surface includes not only the glass surface of the window frame but also a flat surface, for example, the surface of a large flat display, the surface of a solar panel, a mirror surface, a metal surface, and the like.

  The wall surface processing unit includes not only a cleaning unit for a wall surface such as a glass surface but also a processing unit for polishing the wall surface, inspecting the state of the wall surface, and applying a thin film on the wall surface.

  It is also possible to run the wall travel device by any known drive unit without providing the first travel wheel 11 and the second travel wheel 12. It is also possible to replace the first traveling wheel 11 and the second traveling wheel 12 with a crawler or the like.

  The adsorption adequacy determination unit is configured not only by the second vacuum adsorption unit and the pressure sensor 33, but also by a pressure sensor that directly or indirectly detects the pressure on the wall surface of the wall processing unit. Means for determining the degree.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the laterally elongated portion of the vacuum suction portion 14 is substantially the same as the glass surface cleaning portion 13, and further, a part of the vacuum suction portion 14 in the vertical direction is at both ends of the glass surface cleaning portion 13. It is designed to cover the part. Instead of this, a configuration in which the elongated portion in the lateral direction of the vacuum suction portion 14 is provided at a position corresponding to at least one-half or more of the glass surface cleaning portion 13 may be used. In such a configuration, the determination region of the adequacy of adsorption by the vacuum adsorbing unit 14 is ½ that of the above-described embodiment, but is large enough to determine the adequacy of adsorption of the device 1.

  In FIG. 7, the two vacuum suction units 10 a and 10 b are arranged between the first traveling wheel 11 and the second traveling wheel 12, but this number may be three or more.

1-Glass surface cleaning device 10-Vacuum suction part (first suction part)
11-first traveling wheel 12-second traveling wheel 13-glass surface cleaning unit 14-vacuum suction unit (second suction unit)
15-Control part

Claims (9)

A wall facing surface facing the wall surface;
A first suction portion provided on the wall-facing surface and vacuum-sucked to the wall surface;
A wall surface processing unit that is provided on the wall facing surface and processes the wall surface;
An adsorption adequacy determination unit that is provided on the wall-facing surface and is disposed outside the wall processing unit, and determines adequacy of adsorption to the wall;
A wall surface travel device comprising: The adsorption appropriateness determination unit
The wall surface travel device according to claim 1, comprising: a second suction portion that vacuum-sucks to the wall surface and has a smaller suction force than the first suction portion; The determination area of the adsorption appropriateness determination unit is:
The wall surface traveling device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the wall surface traveling device is provided at a position corresponding to at least a half or more of an outer side of the wall surface processing unit.   The wall surface travel device according to claim 2, wherein the second suction portion includes a plurality of suction holes arranged in a line.   The wall surface traveling apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising a first traveling wheel and a second traveling wheel that are provided on the wall surface and that travel on the wall surface.   The first adsorbing portion is composed of two adsorbing portions, and the two adsorbing portions, the first wheel, and the second wheel have the two adsorbing portions located inside, and the first traveling The wall surface traveling device according to claim 5, wherein the wheel and the second traveling wheel are arranged so as to be positioned on both sides of the two adsorption portions. The wall surface processing unit and the adsorption appropriateness determination unit are
The wall surface traveling apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the two traveling wheels are positioned forward with respect to the first suction portion when the two traveling wheels are driven and controlled forward. A control unit for independently driving the two traveling wheels back and forth;
The controller is
When the adsorption adequacy determination unit detects a predetermined pressure drop of the adsorption pressure on the wall surface, the two traveling wheels are driven and controlled backward until the adsorption pressure returns to the original or for a certain time. The wall surface traveling device according to claim 7, wherein one drive control, a second drive control for controlling the rotation in a predetermined direction thereafter, and a third drive control for controlling the drive forward thereafter are performed.   The wall surface traveling device according to claim 1, wherein the wall surface processing unit is a wall surface cleaning unit that cleans the wall surface.

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