JP2782923B2 - Self-propelled vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a self-propelled vacuum cleaner having a cleaning function and a moving function and performing automatic cleaning.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a vacuum cleaner has been developed in which operability during cleaning is improved by adding a moving function to the vacuum cleaner. Particularly recently, a so-called self-guided self-propelled cleaner having a microcomputer and various sensors mounted thereon has been developed.

This type of self-propelled cleaner has a suction nozzle, a brush, etc. at the bottom of the main body as a cleaning function, has a traveling wheel or a steering wheel driven by a motor as a moving function, and has a position recognition function for recognizing the position of the main body. The means and the obstacle detection means for detecting an obstacle during traveling move the cleaning area so as to fill it, thereby cleaning the entire cleaning area.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention Such conventional self-propelled vacuum cleaners have the following problems.

In the conventional self-propelled vacuum cleaner, the self-propelled vacuum cleaner uses a power source such as a battery built into the main unit to perform automatic cleaning, but for charging the battery, carry the main unit to the charger and connect the cord. Was to be charged. For this reason, it was impossible to operate all self-propelled cleaners automatically.

2.The conventional self-propelled cleaner uses only the relative position recognition from the start point of the main body to determine the moving path.If the relative position recognition shifts when moving in a large cleaning area, etc. The cleaning path was shifted or the starting point was missing.

3. Also, at the time of automatic charging, the connection between the charger and the main body is made up of contact points using electrodes, which not only requires precision in positioning between the electrode terminals but also exposes the electrode terminals, thus ensuring safety and reliability. It was an issue in terms of gender.

4.Also, with a conventional self-propelled vacuum cleaner, it is impossible to clean passages and furniture clearances smaller than the width of the main unit.To clean such uncleaned parts, use a suction hose. Had to have a separate regular vacuum cleaner.

5. In addition, the cleaning area had to be designated by programming in advance, and there was no means to clean the designated place.

Therefore, the present invention relates to a self-propelled vacuum cleaner that starts cleaning from a position of a charger, performs automatic cleaning, and then returns to a charger position and automatically charges the battery. As a first object.

The second purpose is to ensure that the self-propelled cleaner main body is guided to the charger and to add a guiding means to the charger,
It is an object of the present invention to improve the accuracy of determining a moving route for cleaning and to perform non-contact charging using an induction magnetic field of an induction unit.

A third object is to realize a self-propelled vacuum cleaner that can be manually cleaned and that automatically charges after cleaning.

A fourth object is to specify a specific cleaning area using manual cleaning.

Means for Solving the Problems A first invention for achieving the first object is a cleaning device, a traveling device and a steering device, an obstacle detecting device for detecting an external obstacle, and a main body of the cleaner. A direction detecting means for detecting a moving direction, a moving distance detecting means for detecting a moving distance of the main body, a power supply, and a guiding detecting means for detecting an output from a guiding means provided in an externally installed charger; A charger provided with a charging means for charging the power supply and a judgment processing means for controlling the entire main body, moving along a surrounding wall to go around a cleaning area and cleaning a corner, and a charger installed at a cleaning start point Recognizes the cleaning start area by detecting the position and once returning to the charger position to recognize the cleaning area, cleaning the inside of the cleaning area and cleaning the inside to determine the end of cleaning, and then moving along the wall again to move the charger Rita detecting position again and returning to charger position And automatic charging thereafter.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cleaning unit, a traveling unit and a steering unit, an obstacle detecting unit for detecting an external obstacle, and a direction detecting unit for detecting a moving direction of a main body of the cleaner. Means, a moving distance detecting means for detecting a moving distance of the main body, a power supply, an inductive detecting means for detecting an output from an inducing means provided in an externally installed charger and generating an inductive magnetic field, and A charging means for receiving the charging power and charging the power supply; and a determination processing means for controlling the entire main body, a transition along a wall for rounding a cleaning area along a peripheral wall and cleaning a corner, and a cleaning start point. Detects the position of the charger installed in the charger, returns to the charger position, recognizes the cleaning area once, recognizes the starting point of cleaning, then cleans the inside of the cleaning area, moves the inside to determine the end of cleaning, and then touches the wall again. Travel along and re-detect charger position It made a return back to the charger position Te, in which so as to induce charge automatically using the induced magnetic field thereafter.

A third invention for achieving the third object is a cleaning means, a traveling means and a steering means, an obstacle detection means for detecting an external obstacle, and a direction detection for detecting a moving direction of a main body of the cleaner. Means, a moving distance detecting means for detecting a moving distance of the main body, a power supply, an inductive detecting means for detecting an output from an inducing means provided in an externally installed charger, and a charging means for charging the power supply And the outlet of the suction hose,
Suction hose state detection means for detecting the state of the suction hose connected to the outlet, and judgment processing means for controlling the entire body, self-propelled body in the state of the suction hose,
When the hose is removed, the user searches the wall, moves along the rear wall, detects the charger position again, returns to the charger position, and then performs automatic charging.

A fourth aspect of the present invention for achieving the fourth object is that the main body is guided from a charger position installed at a cleaning start point by guiding the main body by a suction hose, and the area where the main body has moved until the charger position is detected again. Is recognized as a cleaning area.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, corner cleaning is performed around the cleaning area along the peripheral wall, the charger is detected at the charger position set at the cleaning start point, and once returned to the charger position, the cleaning area is recognized and cleaning is performed. When the cleaning movement is performed within the area and the cleaning end is determined, the robot moves along the wall again, detects the charger position again, returns to the charger position,
After this, automatic charging is performed.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, corner cleaning is performed around the cleaning area along the surrounding wall, and the cleaning area is detected at the charger position installed at the cleaning start point, and once returned to the charger position, the cleaning area is recognized and the cleaning area is recognized. When the inside of the inside is cleaned and the cleaning is determined to end, it moves along the wall again, detects the charger position again, returns to the charger position,
Thereafter, induction charging is performed using an induction magnetic field.

According to the third aspect, the suction hose can be manually cleaned using the suction hose, and when the user pulls the suction hose, the state of the suction hose is detected by the suction hose state detecting means, and the main body is moved to follow the suction hose. When the hose is removed after cleaning, it automatically returns to the charging position and is charged automatically.

According to the fourth invention, when the user pulls the suction hose in the manner of manually cleaning using the suction hose,
The state of the suction hose is detected by the suction hose state detecting means, the main body is moved to follow the suction hose, the main body is guided from the charger position set at the cleaning start point, and the main body is moved until the charger position is detected again. The moved area is recognized as a cleaning area, and the designated place can be cleaned.

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 to 4 show the overall configuration of a self-propelled cleaner according to the present invention. Inside a main body 1 of a self-propelled vacuum cleaner having a substantially circular bottom surface, there are provided a basic portion of a vacuum cleaner including an electric blower 32, a dust collecting chamber 3, and a filter 4 provided inside the dust collecting chamber 3. In addition, the following are provided. Reference numeral 5 denotes a floor nozzle provided over substantially the entire diameter portion at the bottom of the main body 1 and includes an agitator 7 composed of a rotating brush driven by a drive motor 6, and the electric blowers 2 to 7 constitute cleaning means. At the upper part of the main body 1, a hose mounting base 8, which is an outlet of a suction hose, is provided, and a suction hose 9 is detachably mounted as shown in FIG. Reference numeral 10 denotes an air passage switching device for switching the suction side of the electric blower 2 to either the floor nozzle 5 side or the suction hose 9 side. A floor nozzle connection pipe 11 is attached below and an end thereof is connected to the floor nozzle 5. A suction hose connection pipe 12 is mounted on the upper side, and is connected to a suction hose 9 via a hose mount 8. Reference numeral 13 denotes a mounting cover for covering the hose mounting base 8 from the outside, which is made of a bendable material, is slidably mounted on the outer wall of the main body 1, and is openable and closable. The air passage switching device 10 is interlocked with the mounting base cover 13, and when the mounting base cover 13 is closed, the suction side of the electric blower 2 is on the floor nozzle 5 side. When the knob 14 provided on the upper part of the mounting base cover 13 is manually slid in the direction of arrow A and opened, the suction side is switched to the suction hose 9 side.

Reference numerals 15 and 16 denote traveling wheels mounted on a traveling drive unit 17 provided in front of the floor nozzle 5, and are driven by a traveling motor 18 via a speed reducer (not shown). Reference numerals 19 and 20 denote follower wheels rotatably mounted behind the floor nozzle 5. The traveling drive unit 17 is driven by a steering motor 23 via a steering shaft 21 and a steering reduction gear 22 attached thereto, whereby the traveling drive unit 17 rotates right and left to change the traveling direction.
The traveling means and the steering means are constituted by the above 15 to 23. Reference numeral 24 denotes a rotary encoder for detecting the rotation speed of the traveling motor 18, and reference numeral 25 denotes a rotary encoder for detecting the rotation speed of the steering motor 23. The rotary encoder 24 detects the rotation speed of the traveling motor 18 to detect the rotation speeds of the traveling wheels 15 and 16 via a speed reducer, and serves as a moving distance detecting means.

Reference numeral 26 denotes a direction detecting sensor for detecting the direction of the main body 1. In this embodiment, a direction gyro is used as direction detecting means. The traveling distance and traveling direction of the main body 1 are detected from the rotation speed detected by the rotary encoder 24 and the direction of the main body 1 detected by the direction detection sensor 26, and the relative position from the movement start point is recognized. . Reference numerals 27 and 28 denote ultrasonic ranging sensors provided around the main body 1 for measuring the distance to an obstacle. Reference numeral 29 denotes a bumper attached to the outer periphery of the main body 1, which has a contact sensor inside and detects that it has come into contact with an obstacle. Ultrasonic ranging sensors 27, 28 and bumper 2
The nine contact sensors constitute an obstacle detecting means. 30
Is a floor surface sensor composed of an ultrasonic sensor mounted in front of the traveling drive unit 17, and determines the floor quality based on the reflection state of the ultrasonic wave on the floor surface, whether the floor surface is a carpet or a bare floor, and at the same time, the floor To detect whether there is a step. That is, the floor sensor 30 also functions as a step detecting means and a floor determining means. Reference numeral 31 denotes a dust passage sensor including a photo interrupter attached to the floor nozzle connection pipe 11, which detects the amount of dust passing through the floor nozzle connection pipe 11.
The cleaning condition detecting means is constituted by the floor determining means of the floor sensor 30 and the dust passing sensor 31. 32 is the suction hose 9
This is a hose direction detection sensor for detecting the direction of departure from the main body 1, and in this embodiment, a potentiometer is used. 33
Is a hose pulling force detecting sensor for detecting that the suction hose 9 is pulled, and detects the displacement of the hose mounting base 8 with a switch. The hose direction detecting sensor 32 and the hose pulling force detecting sensor 33 constitute suction hose state detecting means. Reference numeral 34 denotes a state detection switch provided in the air passage switching device, which detects the open / closed state of the mounting base cover 13. Reference numeral 100 denotes a search coil, which is an induction detection unit that detects an output from an induction unit 102 that generates an induction magnetic field and is provided in a charger 101 provided outside. Reference numeral 103 denotes an induction coil for receiving electric power by induction using a magnetic field of the induction means 102, and serves as charging means.

35 is a control circuit for performing overall control, which separates the signal circuit section and the drive circuit section and distributes them to the left and right sides of the main body 1;
It constitutes a judgment processing means. Numeral 36 denotes a power supply composed of two storage batteries, which is disposed above the traveling drive unit 17 to minimize the slip of the traveling wheels 15, 16 by weight balance. An operation unit 37 includes an operation switch 38 and a display 39 such as a display lamp and a buzzer.

Next, FIG. 5 is a system block diagram of the present embodiment, showing the input and output of signals to and from the main processor 40 which is composed of a microcomputer and constitutes the judgment processing means. 41 to 44 are sub-processors each composed of a one-chip microcomputer and a main processor through a bus line 45.
Connected to 40. The sub-processor 41 for cleaning control includes:
Floor surface sensor 30, dust passage sensor 31, status detection switch 34
In addition, input processing from the operation switch 38 of the operation unit 37 and output processing to the drive circuit 46 connected to the electric blower 2 and the drive motor 6 and the display 39 of the operation unit 37 are performed. The obstacle detection sub-processor 42 is connected to the ultrasonic distance sensors 27 and 28 and the bumper 29 contact sensor via the amplifier 47. Reference numeral 43 denotes a sub-processor for controlling the traveling motor, which is a motor control circuit 48 for connecting the traveling motor 18 and the rotary encoder 24, a floor sensor 30, and a hose tension detecting sensor 33.
Is connected to Sub-processor 4 for steering motor control
4. The motor control circuit 49 connecting the steering motor 23 and the rotary encoder 25, the hose direction detection sensor 32, and the search coil 100 are connected. The traveling motor control sub-processor 43 and the steering motor control sub-processor 44 are movement control sub-processors. In addition, a bus line 45 of the main processor 40 is connected to an integrator 51 of the direction detection sensor 26 via an input port 50, a storage device 52 for storing programs and data, and a timer 53 for measuring a clock. I have. Although not shown in FIG. 5, the power supply 36 supplies power to the entire system.
When a voltage equal to or higher than the voltage of the power supply 36 is induced in the induction coil 103, charging is automatically performed.

The automatic cleaning operation of the first embodiment in the self-propelled cleaner configured as described above will be described with reference to the movement operation diagram of FIG.

When cleaning a room surrounded by walls 104 on all sides,
The operation switch 38 of the main body 1 from which the suction hose 9 at the position of the charger 101 is removed is operated. In this state, since the mounting base cover 13 is closed, the suction side of the electric blower 2 is switched to the floor nozzle 5 by the air passage switching device 10. When the operation switch 38 is operated, the main processor
40 issues a cleaning start command to the cleaning control sub-processor 41 and simultaneously issues a movement command to the traveling motor control sub-processor 43 and the steering motor control sub-processor 44,
The electric blower 2 is operated, the traveling motor 18 is driven, and the main body 1 is driven.
Travels and starts cleaning.

The basic operation of determining the moving route is performed by the main processor 40, and the floor surface to be cleaned is prepared as a square block map in the storage device 52, and the block map is displayed on the block map in descending order of priority (as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the priority order is set to west / south / north / east.)
Further, the main processor 40 receives the detection signals of the direction detection sensor 26 and the rotary encoder 24 via the sub-processor 43, recognizes the relative position of the main body 1 from the movement start point, and recognizes as a passed block when passing over the block. . Furthermore, while receiving the detection signals from the ultrasonic ranging sensors 27 and 28 and the contact sensor of the bumper 29 from the sub-processor 42 for obstacle detection, blocks that cannot be moved due to the presence of the obstacle 105 are also regarded as passed blocks. recognize. The main processor 40 includes, in addition to the basic operation,
The moving route is determined under the condition that the vehicle does not move on the already passed block, and a moving command is issued to the sub-processor 43 for controlling the traveling motor and the sub-processor 44 for controlling the steering motor. According to this condition, the main body 1 starts from the cleaning start point B, and when the front reaches the point C which is the wall 104, the main body 1 does not proceed forward, so it changes direction and also avoids the case where the obstacle 105 comes forward. Move the room while cleaning the floor. At point D, which has passed the side of the obstacle 105, the route is changed to advance to the west, which has a higher priority, and at point E, since the front is a passed block, the direction is changed and cleaning is continued. When it comes to point F,
Since no further progress can be made, the cleaning is terminated.

In the present embodiment, after temporarily backing, the vehicle moves in the direction of the block with the higher priority and heads for the start point B. At this time, the direction is changed at the point G to facilitate departure in preparation for the next cleaning, and the charger is changed. It is controlled to return to 101. Here, the fourth
As shown in the figure, the induction means 102 provided in the charger 101 for generating an induction magnetic field and the induction coil 103 provided at the rear of the main body 1 face each other, and charging is started. In this embodiment, the inductive charging is described, but it goes without saying that an electrode terminal may be provided to serve as a charging unit.

If a step such as a staircase appears on the floor in front of the main body 1 while moving, the traveling motor control sub-processor 43 receives the step detection signal from the floor sensor 30 and immediately stops the traveling motor 18. After that, this is the main processor
Notify 40 and receive a new movement command to avoid step.
In this case, as in the case of the obstacle detection, it is stored in the block map of the storage device 52 as a passed block. Further, during this automatic cleaning operation, the amount of dust sucked from the floor nozzle 5 is detected by the dust passage sensor 31, and the cleaning control sub-processor 41 reduces the suction force of the electric blower 2 if the amount of dust sucked is small. Since the control is performed so that the suction power is increased if the power is reduced, the unnecessary power consumption of the power source 36 is prevented without lowering the cleaning ability, and noise at the time of suction is minimized. At the same time, the cleaning control sub-processor 41 is
When the floor surface is a carpet, the drive motor 6 is controlled to rotate the agitator 7, and when the floor surface is a bare floor, the rotation is stopped. Therefore, it is possible to continuously clean even a place where different floor materials are combined.

In this manner, the main processor 40 only issues commands for starting and ending cleaning, and the sub processor 41 for cleaning control receives a signal from the cleaning condition detecting means including the floor determining means of the floor sensor 30 and the dust passing sensor 31. Since the drive motor 6 of the electric blower 2 or the agitator 7 is controlled by the output signal,
There is no delay that the main processor 40 overlooks obstacle data or issues a command.

Next, the automatic cleaning operation will be described with reference to the movement operation diagram of FIG. In order to clean the room surrounded by the wall 104 on all sides, the operation switch 38 of the main body 1 at the position of the charger 101 is operated. When the operation switch 38 is operated, the main processor 40 issues a cleaning start command to the cleaning control sub-processor 41 and simultaneously issues a movement command to the traveling motor control sub-processor 43 and the steering motor control sub-processor 44. Then, the electric blower 2 is operated, the traveling motor 18 is driven, and the main body 1 starts traveling. During traveling, the main processor 40 includes the ultrasonic ranging sensors 27 and 28 and the bumper 29.
The moving route is determined while receiving the obstacle data based on the detection signal from the sub-processor 42 for obstacle detection, and a movement command is sent to the sub-processor 43 for traveling motor control and the sub-processor 44 for steering motor control. put out. The traveling motor control sub-processor 43 and the steering motor control sub-processor 44, which have received the movement command,
Forward, stop, and retreat are repeated by controlling the driving of the traveling motor 18, and the traveling direction is changed by controlling the driving of the steering motor 23. The main body 1 moves along the wall 104 around the room while moving along the wall 104. Clean the corners of the enclosed floor. During such running, the movement locus is recognized by the relative position recognition from the movement start point H described above, and this is stored in the storage device.
52 memorized.

After one round of movement along the surrounding wall 104, it reaches the position of the charger 101 (cleaning start point H). Here, an induction magnetic field generated by the induction means 102 inside the charger 101 is detected by the search coil 100 and transmitted to the main processor 40 via the sub-processor 44, and the main processor 40
And a command to the steering sub-processor 44 to issue a
The main body 1 is guided to the position, the charger 101 and the main body 1 are directly opposed to each other, the direction of the start point is again directed, and the direction is corrected to recognize the cleaning start origin. By this operation, even if the relative position detection from the cleaning start point H is deviated, the cleaning start origin can be accurately recognized, and the correct direction at the start time can be determined again at this time, so that the movement can be performed more accurately, and cleaning can be performed. It is something that can not be left behind.

The guidance of the main body 1 to the position of the charger 101 is as shown in FIG. The search coil 100 includes a magnetic field strength detection coil 106 and a magnetic field direction detection coil 107. The search coil 100 starts guiding the main body 1 to the charger 101 in accordance with the output of the magnetic field strength detection coil 106, and the magnetic field direction detection coil The main body 1 is guided to the charger 101 along the lines of magnetic force 108 according to the output of 107.

After completing a round of the room as shown in FIG. 7, the inside of the moving area is determined to be a cleaning area, and the entire cleaning area is automatically cleaned by traveling through the cleaning area as in the automatic cleaning described above.

From the point i when the cleaning is completed, the electric blower 2 is stopped, the main body 1 is moved again along the wall 104, and when the main body 1 reaches the charger 101, the main body 1 is directly opposed to the charger 101 as in the case of cleaning the outer periphery. , Automatic charging by the induction coil 103. In this embodiment, the inductive charging is described, but it goes without saying that the charging means may be provided by providing an electrode terminal, and the charging means is not limited.

Regarding the third embodiment, in the second embodiment, the main body 1 is guided to the charger 101 by using the induction magnetic field of the guidance means 102 for guiding the main body 1 twice, and at the same time, the same guidance means 102 is used. The point is that the charging power to the power supply 36 is also obtained by the induction coil 103 provided at a position inside the main body 1 facing the induction means 102 by the output, and the charging is automatically performed.

Next, the operation of the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

When cleaning parts that cannot be cleaned by automatic cleaning, for example, between furniture and furniture or on a desk, use a suction hose 9
Is attached to the main body 1. When the mounting base cover 13 is opened, the suction side of the electric blower 2 is switched to the suction hose 9 by the air passage switching device 10 so that the suction hose 9 can be cleaned. The electric blower 2 is turned on / off by a hand switch (not shown) provided on the suction hose 9, so that the electric blower 2 can be cleaned manually like a normal vacuum cleaner. At this time, the suction hose 9
When the hose is pulled, the hose pulling force detection sensor 33 is activated, whereby the traveling motor control sub-processor 43 drives the traveling motor 18 to add 1.3 ms to the time when the main body 1 is pulled as shown in FIG. Just run. At the same time, the steering motor control sub-processor 44 detects the lead-out direction θi of the suction hose 9 with respect to the main body 1 by the hose direction detection sensor 32 so that the traveling direction θo with respect to the main body 1 always coincides with the lead-out direction of the suction hose 9. The drive of the steering motor 23 is controlled. As described above, at the time of manual cleaning, the sub-processor for movement control, that is, the sub-processor 43 for traveling motor control, and the sub-processor 44 for steering motor control are provided with suction hose detection means, that is, a hose tension detection sensor 33.
And the signals from the hose direction detection sensor 32 can be directly input, so that quick processing is possible, the user can follow the user without delay, and there is no burden on the main processor 40 at all.

If there is an obstacle in front of the vehicle, the ultrasonic distance sensors 27 and 28 or the bumper 29 detects the obstacle and stops. Therefore, when the suction hose 9 is used, the main body 1 always moves after the user, and the operation force required for the movement is very small even though the weight of the main body 1 is larger than that of a normal vacuum cleaner. FIG. 11 illustrates a series of operations during manual cleaning. The main body 1 at the position J of the charger 101 arranged in the corner of the room surrounded by the wall 104 is moved by the above manual cleaning, and when the main body 1 ends at the point K, the suction hose 9 is moved.
From the main body 1, close the mounting base cover 13, and set the operation switch
When the user operates 38, the main body 1 goes straight and detects the wall 104 at the point L. From point L, the main body 1 is a wall as in the second technical means.
It moves along 104, is guided to the charger 101 at the position J of the charger 101, and is in an automatic charging state directly facing the same.

Next, the operation of the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

In order to teach the cleaning area, the suction hose 9 is attached to the main body 1 at the position of the charger 101, the manual cleaning mode is temporarily set, and the operation switch 38 is operated to switch to the teaching mode. In this mode, the apparent operation is exactly the same as that during manual cleaning, but the movement trajectory of the main body 1 following the suction hose 9 is recognized by the relative position recognition from the cleaning start point and stored in the storage device 52. I will do it. At the end of the teaching, the main body 1 is guided near the charger 101, and when the main processor 40 determines that the main body 1 is near the charger 101 based on the output of the magnetic field strength detection coil 106, the buzzer is activated via the sub processor 41. Since the sound is emitted, the operator can recognize (M point). Here, the suction hose 9 is removed, the mounting base cover 13 is closed, and the operation switch 38 is operated to restart. When the main body 1 is once guided to the charger 101, the main body direction is corrected, and this is determined as a cleaning area. Then, the entirety of the cleaning area is cleaned by running all over the cleaning area while avoiding obstacles. When the cleaning is completed at the point N, the main body 1 moves straight and detects the wall 104 at the point 0. From point 0, as in the second embodiment, the main body 1 moves along the wall 104, is guided by the charger 101, and faces the automatic charging state.

Effect of the Invention As described above, the self-propelled cleaner of the present invention returns to the position of the charger installed at the start position after cleaning and performs automatic charging, thereby enabling completely automatic cleaning. In this embodiment, an example in which the cleaning is started by the operation switch has been described. However, it is also possible to perform the cleaning periodically by using a timer (or the timer shown in FIG. 5).

Also, in contrast to the conventional self-propelled cleaner in which the moving route is determined only by recognizing the relative position from the start point of the main body, the present invention recognizes the charger position once after cleaning the outer periphery,
Since the direction is corrected, the relative position recognition is shifted when moving in a large cleaning area, etc., and if the start point is lost or the traveling direction is shifted, it will not be left behind after cleaning. At the same time, if there is a wall, it can be surely returned to the charger position along the wall.

Also, in the present invention, the induction magnetic field generated by the charger is used not only for guiding the main body but also for inductive charging. This eliminates the need for a configuration, eliminates the need for positioning between electrode terminals, which required precision, and improves safety and reliability because the electrode terminals are not exposed.

Further, in the present invention, since the suction can be manually performed using the suction hose, it is possible to clean a passage narrower than the width of the main body, a clearance of furniture, and the like.

Furthermore, in the present invention, when the hose is removed after the cleaning is completed, the hose automatically returns to the charger position and is automatically charged, so that it is easy to use. Furthermore, since the cleaning area can be designated in the manner of manually cleaning using the suction hose, partial cleaning is also possible, and a self-propelled cleaner that is very easy to use can be realized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a self-propelled vacuum cleaner showing an embodiment of the present invention,
2 is a plan sectional view of the self-propelled cleaner, FIG. 3 is a side view of the self-propelled cleaner, FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the self-propelled cleaner in a charged state, and FIG. Is a system block diagram of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner, FIGS. 6 and 7 are diagrams showing a cleaning movement of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner, respectively, and FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a guide of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner to a charger. , FIG. 9 is a plan view of the self-propelled cleaner when a suction hose is attached, FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an operation algorithm of manual movement in the self-propelled cleaner, and FIGS. 11 and 12 are the same. It is a figure showing the example of cleaning movement in a self-propelled cleaner. 1 ... body, 2-7 ... cleaning means (2 ... electric blower,
3 ... dust collection chamber, 4 ... filter, 5 ... floor nozzle, 6 ...
... Drive motor, 7 agitator, 8 hose mount, 9 suction hose, 15 to 23 running means and steering means (15, 16 running wheels, 17 running drive section, 18) ......
Traveling motor, 19,20 …… Follower wheel, 23 …… Steering motor), 24
...... Moving distance detecting means (rotary encoder), 26 ...
... Direction detecting means (direction detecting sensor), 27 to 29 ... Obstacle detecting means (27, 28 ... Ultrasonic distance measuring sensor, 29 ... Contact sensor), 32 ... Hose direction detecting sensor, 33 ... Hose Tensile force detection sensor, 35 ... Judgment detection means (control circuit), 36
... power supply, 40 ... main processor, 100 ... induction detection means (search coil), 103 ... induction coil.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (72) Shinji Kondo, Inventor 1006 Kazuma Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture Inside Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-2-107219 (JP, A) JP-A-62-262603 (JP, A) JP-A-64-86926 (JP, A) JP-A-1-293408 (JP, A) JP-A-62-247704 (JP, A) JP-A-1-195515 (JP, A) JP-A-2-209121 (JP, A) Patent 2574456 (JP, B2) (58) Fields investigated (Int. . ^6, DB name) A47L 9/00 A47L 9/28

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] A cleaning means; a traveling means and a steering means;
An obstacle detecting means for detecting an external obstacle, a direction detecting means for detecting a moving direction of the main body of the cleaner, a moving distance detecting means for detecting a moving distance of the main body, a power supply, and an externally mounted charger. Induction detection means for detecting the output from the guidance means provided in the, provided a charging means for charging the power supply, and a judgment processing means for controlling the entire body, to go around the cleaning area along the surrounding wall Move along the wall to perform corner cleaning, detect the charger position installed at the cleaning start point, return to the charger position once and recognize the cleaning start origin to recognize the cleaning area, and then clean and move inside the cleaning area to clean A self-propelled vacuum cleaner that performs internal cleaning for judging completion, then returns along the wall again, detects the charger position again, returns to the charger position, and performs automatic charging thereafter. 2. A cleaning means, a traveling means and a steering means,
An obstacle detecting means for detecting an external obstacle, a direction detecting means for detecting a moving direction of the main body of the cleaner, a moving distance detecting means for detecting a moving distance of the main body, a power supply, and an externally mounted charger. An inductive detecting means for detecting an output from an inducing means for generating an inductive magnetic field, a charging means for receiving charging power from the inducing means and charging the power supply, and a judgment processing means for controlling the whole body. Along the wall to go around the cleaning area along the surrounding wall and perform corner cleaning, and the cleaning start origin which detects the charger position installed at the cleaning start point and returns to the charger position once and recognizes the cleaning area Recognition, then cleaning inside the cleaning area and moving inside to determine the end of cleaning, and then returning along the wall to detect the charger position again and return to the charger position, followed by the guidance Automatic guidance using magnetic field Self-propelled vacuum cleaner so as to electricity. 3. A cleaning means, a traveling means and a steering means,
An obstacle detecting means for detecting an external obstacle, a direction detecting means for detecting a moving direction of the main body of the cleaner, a moving distance detecting means for detecting a moving distance of the main body, a power supply, and an externally mounted charger. Induction detection means for detecting the output from the induction means provided in the power supply, charging means for charging the power supply, an outlet of the suction hose, and a suction hose state for detecting a state of the suction hose connected to the outlet. Detecting means and judgment processing means for controlling the entire main body are provided.The self-propelled main body is in the state of the suction hose, and when the hose is removed, a wall is searched for, and then moved along the rear wall to recharge the charger. A self-propelled vacuum cleaner that detects and returns to the charger position, and then automatically charges. 4. The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 3, wherein a suction hose is detachably mounted on the main body. 5. The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 3, wherein the suction side of the electric blower constituting the cleaning means can be switched between the floor nozzle side and the suction hose side. 6. The cleaning unit guides the main body from the charger position set at the cleaning start point by guiding the main body by the suction hose, and recognizes the moved area of the main body until the charger position is detected again as the cleaning area. Self-propelled vacuum cleaner as described.