JP3004793B2 - Electric vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly to a vacuum cleaner having a traveling wheel for movably supporting a suction nozzle, and a driving unit for driving the traveling wheel. The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner that moves in the front-rear direction with respect to the traveling direction of a vacuum cleaner.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In housework, the task of cleaning has been reduced by the development of vacuum cleaners, but the operation has been improved by improving suction power and diversifying the floor surface to be cleaned (for example, the spread of carpets and flooring). It is hard work for a worker to suck the carpet or the like on the floor surface and move the nozzle section, and the work is still accompanied by fatigue.

[0003] A cleaning robot has been proposed which suctions dust and dirt while traveling unattended on the floor by itself.
In Japanese homes with many small rooms with furniture, cleaning robots do not work well, and the cost is high.

Therefore, various developments have been made for the purpose of reducing the running resistance and improving the operability of a vacuum cleaner which is operated and cleaned by a person.
There is an invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 9-No.

[0005] The suction nozzle portion of the vacuum cleaner according to the invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-29 has a suction nozzle portion main body having a suction port, and the suction nozzle portion has a right side facing the suction port. A rotating brush rotatably supported in the reverse direction, a rotating brush motor for rotating the rotating brush provided in the suction nozzle portion main body in the normal and reverse directions, and a forward and reverse rotation in the suction nozzle portion main body. A driving wheel for driving is supported, and an electric motor for driving wheel provided in the suction nozzle portion main body and capable of rotating the driving wheel for normal and reverse rotation in normal and reverse directions, and the electric motor for driving wheel rotates forward. A forward / reverse inverting switch that interlocks both motors so that the rotating brush motor rotates in the normal direction and the rotating brush motor rotates in the reverse direction when the driving motor rotates in the reverse direction. With this configuration, good running performance can be obtained both when moving forward and when moving backward, and the rotating brush is inverted, so that dust can be effectively scraped out of carpets and the like, and the brushing effect is improved. I do.

[0006]

The conventional vacuum cleaner is:
With the configuration described above, since the rotation of the driving wheels for traveling is constant, the carpet has a large traveling resistance, so the traveling speed decreases, and the carpet does not match the cleaning feeling of the operator, and the operator feels discomfort. There was a problem of learning. Furthermore, when the power brush is not rotating, there is a problem that the suction nozzle cannot travel by itself.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and maintains the running speed regardless of the type of floor surface.
It is an object of the present invention to obtain an electric vacuum cleaner adapted to the cleaning feeling of the operator, when the user wants to move slowly, the traveling speed becomes slow.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An electric vacuum cleaner according to the present invention is connected to a vacuum cleaner main body containing an electric blower and a dust collecting chamber communicating with the electric blower, and a connection port opened in the vacuum cleaner main body. A hose connected to the dust collection chamber, a handle provided at the tip of the hose, a pipe connected to the tip of the handle, a suction nozzle connected to the tip of the pipe, and a suction nozzle. In a vacuum cleaner having a traveling wheel movably supported and a driving unit for driving the traveling wheel, the suction nozzle portion is moved in the front-rear direction with respect to the traveling direction of the cleaner main body. Operating force detecting means for detecting an operating force of the operator operating the suction nozzle portion and a change in the operating force,
Traveling speed detecting means for detecting the traveling speed of the suction nozzle portion, and the operating force of the operator operating the suction nozzle portion detected by the operating force detecting means and the traveling speed of the suction nozzle portion detected by the traveling speed detecting device. based, which suction determined by inference travel direction of the nozzle portion, characterized in that a control means for controlling the direction of rotation of the running wheels by controlling the drive unit in accordance with the determined direction of travel It is.

Further, the control means obtains, by inference, an increase / decrease in the traveling speed of the suction nozzle based on the operating force of the operator operating the suction nozzle detected by the operating force detecting means and a change in the operating force. , According to the amount of increase or decrease
Controlling the drive unit to rotate the traveling wheels.
It is characterized by controlling the speed .

[0010]

[0011]

According to the vacuum cleaner of the present invention, the operating force of the operator operating the suction nozzle portion via the pipe by the handle portion and a change in the operating force are detected by the operating force detecting means, and the operating force detecting means detects the operating force. based on the running speed of the suction nozzle unit is detected by the operator of the operating force and the running speed detecting means for operating the nozzle unit suction to, determined by the travel direction suction nozzle portion reasoning, in response to said determined direction of travel The rotation direction of the traveling wheel is controlled by controlling the driving unit. Further, based on the operating force of the operator operating the suction nozzle portion detected by the operating force detection means and the change in the operating force, the amount of increase or decrease in the traveling speed of the suction nozzle portion is obtained by inference, and the drive is performed according to the obtained amount of increase or decrease. The rotation speed of the traveling wheel is controlled by controlling the section.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a vacuum cleaner according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the electric vacuum cleaner has a cleaner main body 1 having a built-in electric blower and a dust collecting chamber communicating with the electric blower, and also having a built-in cord reel for winding the power cord 3. The cleaner body 1 is movably supported by a front wheel and a rear wheel 2 (not shown).

The cleaner body 1 has a connection port 1a communicating with the dust collection chamber, and the connection port 1a is fitted with a connection pipe 5 provided at one end of a hose 4. It has become. Further, a grip tube 6 having a handle 7 is provided at the other end of the hose 4, and a hand control panel (operation unit) 8 is provided on the grip tube 6. The handy control panel 8 is provided with on / off switches for supplying power to the control circuit while supplying power to the electric blower, and switches necessary for operating the vacuum cleaner, such as knobs for adjusting the air volume. I have. Further, a detachable pipe 9 is connected to the gripping tube 6 with a predetermined amount of play, and a suction nozzle portion 10 is connected to a tip of the pipe 9.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a pipe 9 according to the present invention, and FIG.
It is sectional drawing which shows 56.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a projection 9a is provided on the proximal side of the pipe 9 so that the projection 9a fits into a groove 6a formed in the gripping tube 6. A pre-pressure-sensitive sensor 55 and a post-pressure-sensitive sensor 56 as operation force detecting means are arranged in the groove 6a and on both sides of the position where the projection 9a is fitted.
By gripping and operating before or after, either the pre-pressure sensing sensor 55 or the post-pressure sensing sensor 56 is pressurized.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a state where the upper cover of the suction nozzle unit 10 is removed.

As shown in detail in FIG. 5, the suction nozzle portion 10 has a rotary brush 14 rotatably and removably supported in the suction port 13 in the longitudinal direction of the suction nozzle portion main body 11 in a forward and reverse direction. And a pulley 15 is provided at one end of the shaft of the rotating brush 14. Further, a rotating brush driving motor 16 is disposed near the rotating brush 14, and a timing belt 18 is wound around a pulley 17 fixed to a shaft of the rotating brush driving motor 16 and the pulley 15. The rotating brush 14 is rotated by the driving force of the rotating brush drive motor 16.

At four corners of the suction nozzle portion main body 11, running wheels 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d are supported so as to be rotatable forward and backward in parallel with the rotating brush 14, and the running wheels 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d. Is slightly exposed from the bottom plate of the suction nozzle portion main body 11. Further, the traveling wheels 20c and 20d are connected to a common traveling drive shaft 2 rotatably supported by the suction nozzle portion main body 11 via a bearing 22.
1 and the traveling drive shaft 21 has gears 25 and 24
Through the output gear of the traveling wheel drive motor 23.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the speed sensor 52.

On the axis of the traveling wheel drive motor 23, there is provided a slit disk 52a having a large number of light-shielding plates separated by a large number of slits, and near the slit disk 52a, a slit of the slit disk 52a is provided. A photo interrupter 52b for detecting
The slit disk 52a and the photo interrupter 52b constitute a speed sensor 52 for detecting the rotation speed of the traveling wheel drive motor 23, that is, the traveling speed of the suction nozzle unit 10.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a control device of the traveling wheel drive motor 23.

As shown in FIG. 1, the control device for the traveling wheel drive motor 23 has a controller 35. The controller 35 includes a CPU 35a, a memory 35b for storing data and programs, and an input as an interface for data input. It comprises a circuit 35c and an output circuit 35d as an interface for data output. The input circuit 35c has a pre-pressure sensor 5 for detecting the operating force of a person operating the vacuum cleaner via the A / D converter 43 and operating the gripping tube 6 before or after and the change in the operating force.
5 and the pressure-sensitive sensor 56 are connected, and
The speed sensor 52 is connected.

The output circuit 35d is connected to a right drive circuit 36 and a left drive circuit 37 composed of a photocoupler, and the right drive circuit 36 and the left drive circuit 37 are connected to a direction switching circuit 33. ing. The direction switching circuit 33 is composed of transistors Tr1, Tr2, Tr3 and Tr4, which are switching elements. The traveling wheel drive motor 23 is turned on or off by turning on the transistors Tr1 and Tr2 or turning on the transistors Tr3 and Tr4. Is a circuit for reversing the rotation direction. Reference numeral 34 denotes a power supply of the traveling wheel drive motor 23.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the operation of the present invention.

The CPU 35a, as shown in FIG.
Based on the force applied to the pre-pressure sensor 55 or the post-pressure sensor 56 (operating force of the operator) and a change in the force, the amount of increase or decrease in the output of the traveling wheel drive motor 23 is determined by fuzzy inference, and the determined traveling The output of the motor 23 is increased or decreased according to the amount of increase or decrease of the output of the wheel drive motor 23.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the operation of the present invention.

The CPU 35a, as shown in FIG.
Force applied to the pre-pressure sensor 55 or the post-pressure sensor 56, and the suction nozzle unit 10 by the speed sensor 52
Based on the traveling speed, the traveling direction (forward or backward) of the suction nozzle unit 10 is determined by fuzzy inference, and the rotational direction control (forward rotation or reverse rotation) of the traveling wheel drive motor 23 is performed based on the determined traveling direction. It has become.

Next, operation of the present embodiment will be described along the flowchart of FIG.

When the cord 3 of the vacuum cleaner is connected to an outlet and the on / off switch provided on the control panel 8 at hand is turned on, power is supplied to the controller 35. For example, assuming that the rotation direction of the traveling wheel drive motor 23 is forward rotation and the traveling direction of the suction nozzle unit 10 moves forward, at the start of forward movement, the operator grips the grip tube 6 and applies a force forward. At this time, the projection 9a of the pipe 9
Abuts on the post-pressure sensor 56, the post-pressure sensor 56 is pressurized, and the CPU 35a detects a force applied to the post-pressure sensor 56 and a change in the force (step 1).

Based on the detected force applied to the post-pressure sensor 56 and the change in the force, the traveling wheel drive motor 23
Is increased or decreased by fuzzy inference (step 2), and the output of the motor 23 is increased or decreased according to the increased or decreased amount of output of the traveling wheel drive motor 23 (step 3). In the case of cleaning the carpet, since the running resistance is large, the operating force, that is, the force applied to the pressure-sensitive front and rear sensors 55 and 56 is increased, the output of the running wheel drive motor 23 is increased, the running speed is maintained, and When the operator wants to move slowly, the traveling speed becomes slower, and when the operator wants to move slowly, the operator performs cleaning according to the cleaning feeling of the operator.

Then, as the traveling of the suction nozzle section 10 proceeds, the force applied to the post-pressure sensing sensor 56 gradually decreases, and the force applied to the pre-pressure sensing sensor 55 gradually increases after the middle of the traveling distance. Further, when approaching the reversing position, the traveling speed of the suction nozzle unit 10 decreases, and C
The PU 35a determines the traveling speed of the suction nozzle unit 10 using the speed sensor 52 (step 4), and the pressure-sensitive sensor 5
6 and the traveling speed of the suction nozzle unit 10 by the speed sensor 52.
Is determined by fuzzy inference (step 5). Further, the CPU 35a controls the rotation direction (for example, reverse rotation control) of the traveling wheel drive motor 23 based on the determined traveling direction (for example, forward direction) of the suction nozzle unit 10 (Step 6).

The control of the motor output and the control of the rotation direction of the motor are performed by the same operation when the vehicle retreats.

Here, fuzzy inference will be described.

[0036] FIG. 10 (a) shows the rules for determining the increase or decrease of the output of the traveling wheel drive motor 23, for example during forward, sensors or force exerted on the pressure-sensitive front sensor 5 5 in the traveling direction is large ( "PL )), The change in the force increases ("P
L ”),“ U3 ”, that is, the traveling wheel drive motor 23
Increasing the output of the large and the force and the force of change are both zero according to the pressure-sensitive front sensor 5 5 ( "ZR"), increase or decrease the amount of output of the drive wheel driving motor 23 is zero ( "ZR") and the sensor of the reverse direction during the forward i.e. the pressure-sensitive front sensor 5
5 , a force is applied, and the force is zero or more (ZR, PS, PL)
, The output of the traveling wheel drive motor 23 is reduced (“D
W "). Note that the blank portion maintains the current state.

FIG. 10B shows the membership function of the force applied to the sensor, and FIG. 10C shows the membership function of the change in the force applied to the sensor.
(D) shows the membership function of the increase / decrease of the output of the traveling wheel drive motor 23.

The CPU 35a uses the force applied to the sensor and its change as an input to form an antecedent membership function (MF) as shown in the figure, and infers the increase or decrease of the output of the traveling wheel drive motor 23 by the MIN-MAX gravity center method. .

FIG. 11A shows a rule for determining the traveling direction of the suction nozzle unit 10. For example, while the suction nozzle unit 10 is moving forward or backward, the direction is not changed ("UC"). If a large force is applied to the pre-pressure-sensitive sensor 55 while the nozzle unit 10 is about to stop, the running direction is changed to backward, and if a large force is applied to the post-pressure-sensitive sensor 56, the running direction is changed to forward. FIG. 11B shows the membership function of the force applied to the sensor.
FIG. 11C shows a membership function of the traveling speed of the suction nozzle unit 10, and FIG. 11D shows a membership function of the direction switching.

The CPU 35a detects the current traveling speed of the suction nozzle 10 by the speed sensor 52, and receives the force applied to the pre-pressure-sensitive sensor 55 or the post-pressure-sensitive sensor 56 as an input and uses the MIN-MAX gravity center method to input the suction nozzle 10
The traveling direction of the vehicle.

[0041]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The operating force of the operator who operates the suction nozzle unit, wherein the operating force of the operator operating the suction nozzle unit via the pipe by the handle unit and a change in the operating force are detected by the operating force detecting unit and detected by the operating force detecting unit. and based on the running speed of the suction nozzle unit is detected by the running speed detecting means, since it is configured to determine the travel direction suction nozzle inference, does not require special equipment, determines the direction of travel of the suction nozzle unit It is possible to match the cleaning feeling of the operator. In particular, the configuration is such that the amount of increase or decrease in the traveling speed of the suction nozzle portion is determined by inference based on the operating force of the operator operating the suction nozzle portion detected by the operating force detection means and the change in the operating force. The running speed can be maintained irrespective of the type, and the cleaning feeling of the operator can be matched.

[0042]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a control device for a traveling wheel drive motor according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a vacuum cleaner according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a pipe of the vacuum cleaner according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a pre-pressure sensor and a post-pressure sensor according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a suction nozzle portion of the vacuum cleaner according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a traveling distance sensor according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining fuzzy inference of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining fuzzy inference of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vacuum cleaner main body 1a Connection port 4 Hose 9 Pipe 10 Suction nozzle part 20c, 20d Traveling wheel 21 Traveling drive shaft 23 Traveling wheel drive motor 35 Controller 35a CPU 52 Speed sensor 55 Pre-pressure-sensitive sensor 56 Pressure-sensitive sensor

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Masafumi Nagata 2-14-40 Ofuna, Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture Inside the Living Systems Research Laboratory, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (72) Inventor Masaji Kukino 2--14, Ofuna, Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa No. 40: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation Lifestyle Research Institute (56) References JP-A-3-275024 (JP, A) JP-A-4-231017 (JP, A) JP-A-4-79926 (JP, A) JP-A-1-185233 (JP, A) JP-A-2-283344 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A47L 9/02 A47L 9/28

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A cleaner body having a built-in electric blower and a dust collecting chamber communicating with the electric blower, a hose connected to a connection port formed in the cleaner body to communicate with the dust collecting chamber, and a tip of the hose. Handle part provided on the side, a pipe connected to the tip side of the handle part, a suction nozzle part connected to the tip of the pipe, a traveling wheel that movably supports the suction nozzle part, and this traveling wheel. A driving unit that drives the suction nozzle unit in the front-rear direction with respect to the traveling direction of the cleaner main body, wherein an operating force of an operator operating the suction nozzle unit via the pipe by the handle unit and Operating force detecting means for detecting a change in operating force, running speed detecting means for detecting the running speed of the suction nozzle section, and operating the suction nozzle section detected by the operating force detecting means Wherein by based on the running speed of the suction nozzle unit is detected by the author of the operation force and the running speed detecting means, determined by the travel Direction suction nozzle portion inference, controls the drive unit in accordance with the determined direction of travel A vacuum cleaner provided with control means for controlling a rotation direction of a traveling wheel. 2. The control means calculates, by inference, an increase / decrease in travel speed of the suction nozzle based on an operating force of an operator operating the suction nozzle detected by the operating force detecting means and a change in the operating force. 2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the drive unit in accordance with the obtained increase / decrease amount to control the rotation speed of the traveling wheel.