JP3301677B2 - Self-propelled vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention makes it possible to easily remove dust scattered at a corner between a floor and a standing wall rising from the floor without increasing the cost when cleaning the floor. It relates to a self-propelled vacuum cleaner.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Various self-propelled cleaners have been proposed for cleaning floors by providing the cleaner with a traveling function. In such a vacuum cleaner, dust existing near the wall remains without being completely sucked through a suction port provided in a lower portion of the vehicle body.

In order to solve such a problem, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-292124 and shown in FIG.
The rotating brush b is provided so as to protrude from the side, and dust is swept out from the wall w by the rotation of the rotating brush b and collected from the suction port d.

However, the provision of the rotary brush b causes the rotary brush b to protrude from the side plate of the vehicle body a and is attached to the rotary brush b. The provision of the rotary brush b increases the cost and complicates the structure, and requires maintenance. And the like.

As a result of repeated studies to solve the above-mentioned problems, the inventor has utilized the exhaust air from the vacuum device for sucking dust which has been discharged in the past, and directed the exhaust air toward the wall. The present inventors have found that dust on the wall can be blown off in the direction of travel by spraying, and the dust can be collected from the suction port, and the present invention has been completed.

According to the present invention, self-propelled cleaning which can easily form dust at a corner formed by a floor surface and an upright wall portion rising from the floor surface without increasing the cost and which is easy to maintain. The purpose is to provide the machine.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a self-propelled cleaner in which a traveling / steering wheel is arranged on a vehicle body provided with a suction device for sucking dust. having a suction port opening toward provided at the bottom on the floor
A vacuum device is provided, and is connected to an exhaust port of the vacuum device.
The nozzle is connected via a pipe and the nozzle of the nozzle is connected.
The chisel holes are located on the left and right sides of the vehicle body and in front of the traveling direction.
And open to the outside diagonally downward and forward
I do .

The vehicle body may be provided with a sensor for detecting a standing wall rising from the floor surface, and the communication pipe may be provided with an opening / closing valve which opens by a detection output for detecting the standing wall of the sensor.

The upright wall may be a wall for dividing a room including the floor, and furniture standing on the floor,
Further, a stair or a sill having an upward step with respect to the floor surface may be used.

[0010]

With the above construction, dust scattered at the corner formed by the floor and the standing wall can be efficiently blown off toward the front of the vehicle body, and the dust is sucked at the bottom of the vehicle body. Dust can be collected from the mouth.

Further, since the air is discharged by nozzle holes provided on the side of the vehicle body, when the vehicle body is self-propelled as in a conventional structure provided with a rotating brush extending to the side of the vehicle body. Interference with an obstacle present on the side is reduced, and efficient floor cleaning can be achieved.

Further, since the dust is blown away, the exhaust from the dust collecting vacuum which has been exhausted without being used in the past is used, so that the structure is simple and the power is increased economically. And can be easily maintained.

In the case where the opening / closing valve is opened to discharge air when the presence of the standing wall portion is detected using the sensor, dust on the floor surface can be prevented from being unnecessarily scattered.
Further improve the cleaning environment.

[0014]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 3, a self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 has a vehicle body 3 provided with a suction device 2 for sucking dust, and a wheel including a pair of driving wheels 4 and 4 and a caster wheel 5 for traveling. I have.

The driving wheels 4 are individually provided with a motor 2 with a speed reducer.
1 and the individual motors 21 with speed reducers
Control is performed by 2 so that the vehicle can travel along a predetermined traveling course. In addition, the traveling direction of the vehicle body 3 is changed based on the rotation difference between the left and right drive wheels 4, 4. The motor 21 with a speed reducer uses a battery BA loaded on the vehicle body 3 as a power source.

The suction device 2 has a downwardly oriented suction port 7 disposed on the bottom 3a in front of the vehicle body 3 in the traveling direction.
And a vacuum device 9 connected through an intake duct 24 in which a dust collecting portion 23 is interposed.

The vacuum device 9 includes a vacuum motor 9A.
By driving the air, dust and air can be sucked from the suction port 7 together with the dust, the dust is collected in the dust collecting portion 23, and only the air is exhausted.
Discharge from 10

In this embodiment, a muffler 26 is arranged upstream of the exhaust port 10 to muffle the sound. The exhaust port 10
Is connected to a distribution valve 27 that branches in three directions in the present embodiment. This distribution valve includes one side surface 28A of the vehicle body 3.
Is located in front of the door and opens diagonally outward and forward.
One side connected to one nozzle 12A having a chir hole 11
Communication tube 13A and the other side of the one nozzle 12A
Nozzle holes 11 arranged at symmetric positions on the side surface 28B of the nozzle
Other communication pipe 1 connected to the other nozzle 12B provided with
3B and an exhaust pipe 29 that exhausts air from the vehicle body 3 to the outside.
Connect each. Thus, the nozzle hole 11 is, on the other hand,
On the opposite side, that is, on the left and right side surfaces 28A and 28B of the vehicle body 3
While being located in front, the other nozzle 12A,
12B has a hopper shape whose diameter slightly increases toward the nozzle hole 11 in this example.

Further, in the present embodiment, on the other hand, flexible portions 30, 30 capable of adjusting the direction of the nozzle hole 11 and adjusting valves 31, 3, for adjusting the air volume are provided in the other communicating pipes 13A, 13B, respectively.
1 is attached.

Also, the side surfaces 28A, 28 on both sides of the vehicle body 3
B, the lower end thereof and the nozzle holes 11, 1
Sensors 15 and 15 are provided to detect standing wall portions W rising from the floor surface F on the side in the traveling direction and located in front of the vehicle 1.

As the sensor 15, a distance measuring sensor that emits ultrasonic waves or infrared rays and measures the distance to the standing wall W by detecting the reflected sound or reflected light is employed.

During the cleaning operation, as shown in FIG. 3, a sensor 1 disposed on one side surface 28A of the vehicle body 3 is used.
When it is detected that 5 is close to the standing wall portion W, the distribution valve 27 is operated by the detection output of the sensor 15,
The exhaust port 10 is connected to the one communication pipe 13A, and the exhaust air from the vacuum tool 9 is jetted from the nozzle 11 of the one nozzle 12A to the side of the vehicle body 3 and obliquely downward.

The dust scattered in the corner formed by the floor surface F and the standing wall portion W due to the injection is blown toward the front in the traveling direction of the suction port 7 and landed, and is sucked from the suction port 7 and collected. It is stored in the dust part 23.

As described above, dust scattered in the corners of the standing wall W beyond the suction range of the suction port 7 can be collected without hindering traveling.

When the sensor 15 detects the separation from the vertical wall W, the distribution valve 27 connects the exhaust port 10 to the exhaust pipe 29 and stops the injection from the nozzle 12A.

Further, as shown by a dashed line in FIG. 3, when the sensor 15 disposed on the other side surface 28B of the vehicle body 3 detects the proximity of the standing wall W ', the distribution valve 2 is detected by the detection.
Numeral 7 communicates the exhaust port 10 with the other communication pipe 13B, and injects the exhaust air from the vacuum 9 from the other nozzle 12B. In this example, the upright wall portion W 'is formed by a recessed plate of a rising staircase.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the distribution valve 27 forms the on-off valve 14 which is opened by a detection output for detecting the standing wall W of the sensor 15.

In the present invention, the exhaust gas discharged from the exhaust port from one of the two nozzles may always be formed so as to discharge the exhaust gas without providing a sensor. Also, a plurality of sensors may be arranged in parallel on the side surface of the vehicle body, and the on-off valve may be operated by detection of any of the sensors,
Further, as the sensor, a mechanical sensor having a contact rod that detects by contacting the standing wall portion may be employed. As described above, the present invention can be modified into various aspects.

[0029]

As described above, the self-propelled vacuum cleaner of the present invention having the above-described structure removes dust scattered in the corner where the floor to be cleaned and the wall rising from the floor are formed. It is formed with a simple structure, can be cleaned economically and without an increase in power, can be easily maintained, and has an opportunity to interfere with obstacles during self-propelled operation compared to the conventional one provided with a rotating brush. The floor can be cleaned efficiently with reduced efficiency.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view in the traveling direction showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a horizontal sectional view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing an operation.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Suction device 3 Body body 3a Bottom part 4, 5 Wheel 7 Suction port 9 Vacuum device 10 Exhaust port 11 Nozzle hole 12A, 12B Nozzle 13A, 13B Communication pipe 14 Open / close valve 15 Sensor F Floor surface W, W 'Standing wall

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Chen Akebono 2-1, 1-1 Higashikami, Nagaokakyo-shi, Kyoto Japan Transport Equipment Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-4-328607 (JP, A) JP Hei 4-220223 (JP, A) Japanese Utility Model Showa 50-105758 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model Hei 5-88472 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A47L 9 / 02 A47L 9/00 102

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A self-propelled vacuum cleaner having a traveling / steering wheel disposed on a vehicle body provided with a dust suction device, wherein the suction device is provided at a bottom portion of the vehicle body and provided on a floor surface. A vacuum device having a suction opening opening toward the subject; and
A nozzle is connected to the exhaust port of the vacuum device via a communication pipe
And the nozzle hole of the nozzle is
Located on the side and forward in the running direction
Self-propelled vacuum cleaner characterized by opening . 2. The vehicle body further comprises a sensor for detecting a standing wall rising from the floor surface, wherein the communication pipe includes an on-off valve which is opened by a detection output for detecting the standing wall of the sensor. The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 1.