JP3446286B2 - 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 relates to a self-propelled cleaner having a cleaning function and a moving function and automatically cleaning.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a vacuum cleaner has been developed in which a moving function is added to the vacuum cleaner to improve operability during cleaning. Particularly in recent years, so-called self-supporting induction type self-propelled vacuum cleaners in which a microcomputer and various sensors are mounted have been developed.

This type of self-propelled cleaner has a suction nozzle, a brush and the like at the bottom of the main body as a cleaning function, and has traveling wheels and steered wheels which are driven by a motor as a moving function. It is usual that the main body is guided and controlled by using inertial navigation means using a gyro and a power source such as a storage battery is provided inside.

In this type of self-propelled cleaner, as shown in FIG. 13, the vehicle moves straight inside the cleaning area until an obstacle such as a wall in front of the main body is detected, and an output of a gyro or the like is output at the detected point. Turn 180 degrees and proceed straight again. After that, such a reciprocating operation is repeated to perform cleaning.

[0005]

As described above, in the conventional self-propelled vacuum cleaner, when the front wall of the main body is detected and the direction is changed, the direction is reversed based on the data of the gyro which is the direction sensor, Go straight until you detect the wall again. Therefore, the accuracy of angle output of the gyro affects the accuracy of movement of the main body.

As shown in FIG. 14, when the direction is changed at the points B and C, the first straight line (reverse AB) and the second straight line (reverse C-D) should be in the same direction. θ1 and θ2 are performed at the same angle. However, if the output of the gyro in the left rotation and the right rotation of the main body is not the same, even if the direction is changed by the same angle, it becomes impossible to go straight in the same direction as the previous time as described above. Therefore, by repeating such an operation, the main body cleans the cleaning area obliquely as shown in FIG. 15, and an uncleaned area is generated.

The present invention is intended to solve such a conventional problem, and it is a first object to automatically correct the angular deviation of the gyro and move the main body with high accuracy to prevent the occurrence of an uncleaned area. Has an aim.

A second object is to prevent the generation of an uncleaned area even if the direction in which the main body is initially placed is not at right angles to the wall.

[0009]

First means [SUMMARY OF] The present invention for achieving the first object, a travel steering means for moving the body, whether the obstacle in front, as well as lateral direction of obstacle A plurality of obstacle detecting means for detecting distances to the main body, a face-to-face state determining portion for determining a state of a front obstacle facing the main body from an output of the obstacle detecting means, a cleaning means for performing cleaning, and a main body. Direction sensor for detecting the traveling direction of the main body, cleaning area input means for inputting an area to be cleaned by the main body, and straight ahead control direction for calculating the straight ahead direction of the main body in accordance with the distance of the area input by the cleaning area input means. A calculating means, a straight-ahead distance measuring means for measuring a distance actually traveled after the main body starts going straight on the outward path in the cleaning area, a power supply section for supplying electric power to the whole main body, and the straight-ahead distance measuring Means, said obstacle inspection Means, the cleaning area inputting means, and the straight-ahead control direction calculating means to process the signals and send an output signal to the traveling steering means to control the forward / backward / stop / direction change of the main body, and further the cleaning means. And a determination processing unit for controlling.

[0010] second means of the present invention, the output of the facing state determining unit when stopped by detecting the front wall, and a state storage unit for storing each time, the storage contents of these state storage unit And a face-to-face state tendency determining unit that determines the face-to-face state tendency.

Further, the third means of the present invention is provided with an angle adjusting section for adjusting the straight traveling control direction calculating means from the direction change direction of the main body which is determined by the facing state determining section.

Further, in order to achieve the second object, the fourth means of the present invention includes an initial state storage section for storing the output of the facing state determination section for the front wall which is first detected after the main body is started. Be prepared.

[0013]

The first means of the present invention operates as follows.

When the front wall of the main body is detected and stopped by the face-to-face state determination unit, the state of the front wall (angle facing the wall) is determined from the outputs of the plurality of obstacle detection means. The traveling steering means is controlled by the determination processing unit so that the main body becomes a right angle to the wall from the opposite angle.

Further, according to the second means of the present invention, the output result of the facing state judging unit which detects the wall in front of the main body and stops is stored in the state storing unit every time, and the facing state tendency is judged from the stored contents. The part determines the tendency of the state of the main body and the front wall, and correctly faces the wall without being affected by the unevenness of the wall.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the control direction calculated by the straight-ahead control direction calculation means is angle-adjusted from the direction change direction of the main body, which is determined by the face-to-face state determination unit and determines the face-to-face state with the wall. Depending on the part, adjust based on the forward and backward movement distance of the main body.

According to the fourth means of the present invention, the output of the facing state judging section for the front wall which is first detected after the main body is started is stored in the initial state storing section, and thereafter, the stored contents and the facing state judging are stored. The judgment processing section controls the traveling steering means so as to make the output of the section equal to that of the main section to change the direction of the main body.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the first means of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3
Shows the overall configuration of this embodiment. FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of this embodiment.

The following elements are housed inside the main body 1 of the self-propelled cleaner. Reference numerals 2a, 2b, and 2c denote an electric blower / dust collecting chamber and a filter provided inside the dust collecting chamber 2b, which constitute cleaning means. Further, 2d is a floor nozzle which also constitutes a cleaning means, and is provided at the center of the bottom of the main body 1. The left drive wheel 3 is provided at the lower rear of the main body 1.
a. A left drive motor 3b and an encoder 3d (not shown) for traveling distance detection attached to the left drive wheel 3a,
A right drive wheel and a right drive motor (not shown) are provided. A subordinate wheel 3c, which is rotatable for movement, is provided on the lower front side of the main body 1. The drive wheel 3a, the drive motor 3b, and the encoder 3d constitute the traveling steering means 3.

A plurality of obstacle detection sensors 4a using ultrasonic waves for detecting obstacles are provided in front of and on the left and right of the main body 1, and the main body 1 makes contact with obstacles around the entire lower portion of the main body 1. A contact sensor 4b is provided to detect that the contact has been made.

Obstacle detection sensor 4a, contact sensor 4b
Constitutes an obstacle detecting means 4.

Reference numeral 5 is a direction sensor such as a gyro that detects the moving direction of the main body. Reference numeral 7 processes signals from the obstacle detection means 4, orientation sensor 5 and cleaning area input means 8 and sends an output signal to the traveling steering means 3 to control forward / backward / stop / direction change of the main body 1. And a determination processing unit for controlling the cleaning unit 2. Reference numeral 6 is a power supply unit that supplies electric power to the entire main body. Reference numeral 8 is a cleaning area input means for inputting the vertical and horizontal distances of the area where the main body 1 is to be cleaned.
Reference numeral 9 is a straight-ahead distance measuring means for measuring the distance actually traveled after the main body 1 starts to go straight until an obstacle is detected. 10
Is a face-to-face state determination unit that determines the state of the front obstacle facing the main body from the output of the obstacle detection means. Reference numeral 11 is a straight-ahead control direction calculation means for calculating the straight-ahead direction of the main body 1 according to the vertical distance of the cleaning area input by the cleaning area input means 8.

FIG. 4 is a view showing the cleaning area input means 8. Reference numeral 8a is a distance input switch used for switching the cleaning area input mode and distance input, 8c is a switching switch used when switching between the vertical distance input and the horizontal distance input of the cleaning area, and 8b is an operation. Is a start switch for instructing the start of. 8e is a reset switch for operation. Further, 8d is a display unit for displaying the distance input by the distance input switch.

The operation of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. In this embodiment, when performing a limited partial cleaning, the main body 1 is placed facing the wall, and when the distance input switch is pressed in this state, the determination processing unit 7 is switched to the cleaning area input mode. "00" on the display 8d
Blink with. When the distance input switch 8a is further pressed in this state, the display on the display unit 8d is increased by one each time it is pressed.

In this way, the vertical distance of the cleaning area is input, and when the desired distance is reached, the changeover switch 8
Press c. When the changeover switch 8c is pressed, the determination processing unit 7 determines the distance displayed on the display unit 8d at that time as the vertical distance of the cleaning area and inputs it. (For example, the display unit 8
If the display of d is "08", it is 8 m. ) Also, the display unit 8d
Is cleared to "00" and the input is changed to the distance next to the cleaning area. When the distance switch 8a is pressed in this state, the display unit 8d is increased by one each time it is pressed as described above. Start switch 8 when the desired distance is reached
When d is pressed, the judgment processing unit 7 then inputs the distance displayed on the display unit 8d as the horizontal distance of the cleaning area, and the area indicated by the already input vertical distance (FIG. 13 and FIG. 14) Start cleaning.

First, the main body 1 goes straight toward the wall facing the front side as described above, and the minimum value of the plurality of obstacle detecting means 4 monitoring the front side reaches a preset distance. It stops when it approaches (point A in FIG. 5). After that, the facing state determination unit 10 monitors the detection outputs of the obstacle detection means 4a, 4a 'at both ends of the main body, and when they are the same,
The same output is output to the determination processing unit 7. In the judgment processing unit 7, the output of the azimuth sensor 5 at that time is used to make a straight-back control by the vertical distance input by the cleaning area input unit 8 as the straight-ahead control direction of the return path.

After the completion of the backward movement (point B in FIG. 5), the vehicle starts traveling straight toward the wall again, and stops at the place (point C in FIG. 5) approaching a preset distance in the same manner last time. The straight traveling control direction calculation means 11 is displaced from the place (point A in FIG. 5) by the cleaning width (for example, 0.4 m) in the cleaning proceeding direction.
Straight direction θ calculated in (θ = Tan-1 (0.4 m /
Based on the input vertical distance of the cleaning area)), a straight line of a cleaning forward path (second cleaning forward path, from point B to point C in FIG. 5) is performed. After reaching the point C, the same operation as that of the point A is performed, and thereafter, these operations are repeated. As described above, in the self-propelled cleaner of the present embodiment, it moves substantially at right angles to the wall with respect to the wall every time, and also moves in the cleaning advancing direction by the cleaning width (for example, 40 cm) by one reciprocating motion. In this way, by moving at right angles to the wall every time, it is possible to realize an operation without cleaning residue.

Next, FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of the self-propelled cleaner by the second means. A state storage unit 12 stores the output of the face-to-face state determination unit 10 each time the front wall is detected and stops, and 13 determines the face-to-face state determination tendency by averaging the stored contents in the state storage unit 12. It is a face-to-face tendency judgment unit.

The operation of the above configuration will be described.
Face-to-face state determination unit 10 when the main body 1 detects the front wall and stops
(The detection output of the obstacle detection means 4a, 4a ') is stored in the state storage unit 12 every time, and the facing state tendency determination unit 12 obtains the average of these past five times, for example, and outputs it to the determination processing unit. The determination processing unit 7 compares this state storage unit 12 with the input from the facing state determining unit 10, and the output from the facing state determining unit 10 is the output of the facing state tendency determining unit 12 as indicated by point N in FIG. From (a ″ = a ′ ≠
a, b ″ = b ′ ≠ b), the output from the face-to-face state determining unit 10 at this time is ignored, and a and b as in the first means of the present invention are used.
Is not changed, but is changed by θ2, which is the same as the direction change angle θ1 on the outward path, so as to be parallel to the previous straight travel.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, it is possible to perform cleaning without being disturbed even if the state where the main body and the wall face each other is partially changed due to a protrusion such as a pillar.

Next, FIG. 8 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of the self-propelled cleaner by the third means. An angle adjusting unit 13 adjusts the straight-ahead traveling control direction calculating unit from the direction change direction of the main body determined by the facing state determination unit 10.

The operation of the above configuration will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, when the wall is bent in the middle, when the main body is opened in the cleaning progress direction (FIG. 10) and closed (FIG. 9) by the output of the facing state determination unit 10 of the present invention. Can be determined. (When opening, the obstacle detecting means 4a <4a 'at both ends of the main body 1; see FIG. 10) When closing in the cleaning proceeding direction as shown in FIG. 9, the present invention is similar to the first means in the figure. Turn the body 1 so that it is at a right angle to the wall at point A, retract to point B, and then D
The direction is changed by the same angle θ1 as the point. However, FIG.
In the case of opening with respect to the cleaning progress direction as described above, if the direction is also changed at right angles to the wall, an uncleaned region is generated.

In this embodiment, the reciprocating motion of the main body removes the overlap margin from the cleaning nozzle width (for example, 50 cm) every time (for example, 10 cm), and the straight traveling control direction calculating means 11 secures an effective cleaning width (50-10 = 40 cm). The turning angle is calculated so that Therefore, in the case of FIG.
At the angle θ3 that is perpendicular to the wall at the point, the above-mentioned overlapping width is reduced by the angle adjustment unit 13 (for example, 5 cm), and the angle θ2 corresponding to that is calculated from the cleaning vertical distance input by the cleaning area input means 8 and goes straight. It outputs to the control direction calculation means 11. In the straight-ahead control direction calculating means 11, when there is an output from the angle adjusting section 13 in this way, the angle θ1 up to now is added and the angle of (θ1 + θ2) is output to the determination processing section 7, whereby the direction of the main body 1 is changed. Let

Next, FIG. 11 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of the self-propelled cleaner by the fourth means. An initial state storage unit 14 stores the state of the facing state determination unit 10 when the main body is stopped for the first time by the front wall.

The operation of the above configuration will be described.
As shown in FIG. 12, the initial state of the facing state determination unit 10 when the main body 1 is stopped at a right angle to the wall at the time of start is stored in the initial state storage unit 14. In the judgment processing unit, the main body 1 is turned so that the output of the facing condition judgment unit 10 is brought to the above-described state. As a result, it is possible to carry out cleaning while maintaining the direction at the time of starting, and it is possible to carry out cleaning without an uncleaned area from the start point regardless of the angle at which the wall is placed and starting.

[0036]

As described above, according to the first means of the present invention, by moving at right angles to the wall every time, the main body can be moved accurately without being affected by the angular deviation of the gyro, and uncleaned. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of areas.

According to the second means of the present invention, the first means
In addition to the effect of the above means, it is possible to obtain a self-propelled vacuum cleaner that can move at right angles every time even in the area of a wall having irregularities such as a pillar with respect to the wall.

Further, according to the third means of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the generation of an uncleaned region even on a curved wall on the way.

Further, according to the fourth means of the present invention, a self-propelled vacuum cleaner capable of performing cleaning without an uncleaned area from the start point regardless of the angle at which it is placed against the wall and started. Can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a self-propelled vacuum cleaner showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a cleaning area input means of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner.

FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory diagram of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a self-propelled vacuum cleaner showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an operation explanatory view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a self-propelled vacuum cleaner showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an operation explanatory view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner.

FIG. 10 is an operation explanatory view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a self-propelled vacuum cleaner showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is an operation explanatory view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of an operation of a conventional self-propelled cleaner.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 body 2 cleaning means 3 Travel steering means 4 Obstacle detection means 5 Direction sensor 6 power supply 7 Judgment processing unit 8 Cleaning area input means 9 Straight distance calculation means 10 Face-to-face condition judgment section 11 Straight ahead control direction calculation means 12 State memory 13 Face-to-face status judgment unit 14 Initial state storage

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Hidetaka Yabuuchi 1006 Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Mitsuyasu Ogawa 1006 Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Company (72) Inventor Toshiaki Fujiwara 1006 Kadoma, Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hirofumi Inui 1006 Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Invention Satoshi Takagi 1006, Kadoma, Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Takafumi Ishibashi 1006 Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Pref. Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yoshiki Kuroki Kadoma, Osaka city Oaza Kadoma 1006 address Matsushita unit intra-industry Co., Ltd. (56) reference Patent flat 7-47045 (JP, a) (58 ) investigated the field (Int.Cl. ⁷ DB name) A47L 9/00 102 A47L 9/28

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A traveling steering means for moving a main body, a plurality of obstacle detecting means for detecting presence or absence of an obstacle in front and left and right directions and a distance to the obstacle, and a main body based on an output of the obstacle detecting means. A facing state determination unit that determines the state of the front obstacle facing the unit, a cleaning unit that performs cleaning, a direction sensor that detects the traveling direction of the main unit, and a cleaning region input unit that inputs the region in which the main unit cleans. , A straight traveling control direction calculating means for calculating the straight traveling direction of the main body in accordance with the distance of the area input by the cleaning area input means, and the actual traveling until the main body detects an obstacle after the straight traveling of the forward path of the cleaning area The signals from the straight-ahead distance measuring means for measuring the distance, the power supply unit for supplying electric power to the entire main body, the straight-ahead distance measuring means, the obstacle detecting means, the cleaning area input means, and the straight-ahead control direction calculating means. place The output signal is sent to the traveling steering means to control forward / backward / stop / direction change of the main body,
A self-propelled cleaner including a determination processing unit that controls the cleaning unit. Wherein the state storage unit for storing each time the output of the facing state determining unit when stopped by detecting the front of the wall, this is the tendency of the facing state from the storage contents of <br/> et al state storage unit self-propelled cleaner of claim 1, further comprising a face-to-face state tendency determining section for determining. 3. The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an angle adjusting section for adjusting the straight-ahead control direction calculating means based on the direction change direction of the main body determined by the face-to-face state determining section. 4. The self-propelled vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , further comprising an initial state storage unit that stores an output of the facing state determination unit for the front wall detected first after the main body is started. Vacuum cleaner.