JP3778150B2 - Cleaning robot - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In a cleaning robot that detects an obstacle with an ultrasonic sensor and performs a cleaning operation while moving independently with a battery as a power source, the obstacle detection capability is improved by changing the driving cycle of the ultrasonic sensor, The present invention relates to a cleaning robot that maintains battery performance by performing battery voltage detection in multiple stages.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, many obstacle detection means for cleaning robots that move without a path are based on an ultrasonic sensor, but one that rotates an ultrasonic sensor to detect obstacles all around, In order to prevent obstacles from interfering with each other with an ultrasonic sensor, an ultrasonic wave was sequentially emitted to detect an obstacle.
[0003]
As for battery voltage detection, most of them display the voltage like a level meter to inform the operator.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, regarding the voltage detection of the battery, even if it is displayed on a cleaning robot that automatically performs work, it does not make much sense.
[0005]
The present invention solves the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning robot that prevents overdischarge of a battery.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a battery as a power source, a steering and driving means for moving the main body, a cleaning means including a floor nozzle and a fan motor, and a plurality of devices provided around the main body. An ultrasonic sensor, use mode switching means for switching between automatic cleaning and movement, determination processing means for controlling the main body, voltage detection means having a plurality of voltage detection levels corresponding to the load of the battery, and A voltage level switching means having a usage mode compatible voltage level switching means for switching the level of the voltage detection means according to the output of the usage mode switching means, and a voltage detection means according to the output of the usage mode switching means for switching between automatic cleaning and movement. The battery level is switched to prevent overdischarge of the battery.
[0007]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a battery as a power source, a steering and driving means for moving the main body, a cleaning means including a floor nozzle and a fan motor, and a plurality of parts provided around the main body. An ultrasonic sensor, use mode switching means for switching between automatic cleaning and movement, determination processing means for controlling the main body, voltage detection means having a plurality of voltage detection levels corresponding to the load of the battery, and A voltage level switching means having a usage mode compatible voltage level switching means for switching the level of the voltage detection means according to the output of the usage mode switching means, and a voltage detection means according to the output of the usage mode switching means for switching between automatic cleaning and movement. The battery level is switched to prevent overdischarge of the battery.
[0008]
【Example】
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a cleaning robot according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0009]
The overall configuration of the cleaning robot of this embodiment is shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, a steering / driving means 2 having left and right independent driving wheels for moving to the lower part of the main body 1 of the cleaning robot and a caster 3 are provided, and a floor nozzle 4 and a main body provided at the lower part of the main body 1 are further provided. 1 is provided with a cleaning means 7 composed of a garbage bag 5 and a fan motor 6 provided in the central part of the apparatus. In addition, a plurality of ultrasonic sensors 8 for detecting surrounding obstacles such as walls and doors are provided. An operation panel 9 for manual operation is provided at the upper part of the main body 1 and an operation panel for switching between automatic cleaning and movement. The use mode switching means 10 is provided, and the main body 1 is provided with a judgment processing means 11 for performing independent movement control and a battery 12 as a power source.
[0010]
Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the ultrasonic sensor 8 has 8a, 8b, 8c for looking forward, 8d, 8e, 8f for looking right, 8g, 8h, 8i for looking back, and left It consists of 8j, 8k and 8l for viewing.
[0011]
Next, the operation of this cleaning robot will be described with reference to FIG. First, the operator selects the movement from the location A where the main body 1 is located by the use mode switching means 10, and moves the main body 1 to the location B while pushing the operation handle 9. Next, automatic cleaning is selected by the use mode switching means 10 and the main body 1 is started. The main body 1 moves forward and stops once the front wall 13 is detected by the ultrasonic sensor 8. The vehicle moves backward by swinging an angle D proportional to the advanced distance C. As a result, the movement width E is made equal to the length of the floor nozzle 4 so that no cleaning is left behind. Similarly, once the wall 14 is detected, it stops. Thereafter, the same operation is repeated, and when the side wall 15 is detected by the ultrasonic sensor 8, the automatic cleaning operation is finished. This series of operations is performed by the judgment processing means 11.
[0012]
FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention. The battery 12 supplies power to the entire system, and the steering / driving unit 2 and the cleaning unit 7 are operated by the determination processing unit 11. The determination processing means 11 is connected to the ultrasonic sensors 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 8e, 8f, 8g, 8h, 8i, 8j, 8k, 8l (hereinafter referred to as all ultrasonic sensors) via the ultrasonic simultaneous drive receiving means 16. In this case, the ultrasonic sensor 8) is driven and received for each of the front, rear, left and right groups.
[0013]
Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The operation | movement which detects the walls 17 and 18 using the ultrasonic sensor 8a, 8b, 8c of the front is shown. Since the ultrasonic waves are reflected by the walls 17 and 18 so that the incident angle reflection angle is the same, the ultrasonic waves emitted forward from the ultrasonic sensor 8a are reflected by the walls 17 and 18 and are reflected on the ultrasonic sensors 8b and 8c, respectively. Reach and detect. Since the ultrasonic sensor 8a has directivity in one direction, the ultrasonic wave emitted by itself cannot be detected by the independent drive of the ultrasonic sensor 8a because the ultrasonic waves 8a do not return to their place when the walls 17 and 18 are inclined. .
[0014]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The battery 12 supplies power to the entire system, and the steering / driving unit 2 and the cleaning unit 7 are operated by the determination processing unit 11. The determination processing means 11 is configured to drive the ultrasonic sensor 8 by periodically switching between the ultrasonic simultaneous drive receiving means 16 and the ultrasonic independent drive receiving means 20 via the timing means 19.
[0015]
The operation of the above configuration is as follows. FIG. 7 shows the drive timing of the ultrasonic simultaneous drive receiving means 16, the ultrasonic independent drive receiving means 20 and the ultrasonic sensor 8 by the timing means 19. In this example, the front and rear ultrasonic sensors 8a, 8b, 8c, 8j, 8k, 8l are driven. When the ultrasonic independent drive receiving means 20 is driven, the front ultrasonic sensors 8a, 8b, 8c and the rear ultrasonic sensors 8j, 8k, 8l are sequentially and independently driven, and the ultrasonic simultaneous drive receiving means at the next timing. When 16 is driven, the front ultrasonic sensors 8a, 8b and 8c are simultaneously driven in a group, and then the rear ultrasonic sensors 8j, 8k and 8l are simultaneously driven in a group. Thereafter, this operation is repeated.
[0016]
FIG. 8 shows a third embodiment according to the present invention. The battery 12 supplies power to the entire system, and the steering / driving unit 2 and the cleaning unit 7 are operated by the determination processing unit 11. The judgment processing means 11 drives the timing means 19 via the forward / reverse switching means 21, and the timing means 19 periodically switches between the ultrasonic simultaneous drive receiving means 16 and the ultrasonic independent drive receiving means 20. The sound wave sensor 8 is driven.
[0017]
The operation of the above configuration is as follows. FIG. 9 shows the driving timing of the ultrasonic simultaneous drive receiving means 16, the ultrasonic independent drive receiving means 20, and the ultrasonic sensor 8 by the timing means 19 combined with the forward / reverse switching means 21. In this example, the front and rear ultrasonic sensors 8a, 8b, 8c, 8j, 8k, 8l are driven during advance. When the ultrasonic independent drive receiving means 20 is driven, the front ultrasonic sensors 8a, 8b, 8c and the rear ultrasonic sensors 8j, 8k, 8l are sequentially and independently driven, and the ultrasonic simultaneous drive receiving means at the next timing. When 16 is driven, the front ultrasonic sensors 8a, 8b and 8c are simultaneously driven in groups. Thereafter, this operation is repeated. By using this forward / reverse switching means 21 together, the time for simultaneously driving the rear ultrasonic sensors 8j, 8k, 8l in a group is reduced.
[0018]
FIG. 10 shows a fourth embodiment according to the present invention. The battery 12 supplies electric power to the entire system, and the steering / driving unit 2, the cleaning unit 7, and the ultrasonic sensor 8 are operated by the determination processing unit 11. The determination processing means 11 is configured to receive the signal from the use mode switching means 10 and determine the operation mode. At this time, the voltage detection level of the voltage detection means 23 having a plurality of voltage detection levels is changed corresponding to the load of the battery 12 driven by the determination processing means 11. The voltage detection means 23 is configured to detect the voltage of the battery 12 and to output to the determination processing means 11 when the voltage drop of the battery 12 is detected at the voltage detection level. The judgment processing means 11 receives this signal and performs operations such as stopping the load.
[0019]
The operation of this configuration is as follows, and FIG. 11 is a discharge curve diagram of the battery 12. F in the figure is a discharge curve when the load is light, that is, when the use current is small, and G is a discharge curve when the load is heavy, that is, when the use current is large. When the load is light, when the battery 12 is discharged to a low voltage, the battery 12 is overdischarged and the life is deteriorated. In addition, when the load is heavy, the electric power cannot be sufficiently taken out unless the battery is discharged to a low voltage. For this reason, in the case of the curve F, the voltage V1 is switched to the end voltage of the battery 12, and in the case of the curve G, the voltage V2 is switched to the end voltage of the battery 12.
[0020]
FIG. 12 shows a fifth embodiment according to the present invention. The battery 12 supplies electric power to the entire system, and the steering / driving unit 2, the cleaning unit 7, and the ultrasonic sensor 8 are operated by the determination processing unit 11. The determination processing means 11 is configured to receive the signal from the use mode switching means 10 and determine the operation mode. In response to a signal from the use mode switching means 22, the use mode-compatible voltage level switching means 24 changes the voltage detection level of the voltage detection means 23.
[0021]
As an operation, according to this method, since the voltage level is selected according to the use mode, the overdischarge protection of the battery 12 can be performed with a simple configuration in which the use mode and the voltage level correspond one-to-one.
[0022]
Next, a sixth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The battery 12 supplies electric power to the entire system, and the steering / driving unit 2, the cleaning unit 7, and the ultrasonic sensor 8 are operated by the determination processing unit 11. The determination processing means 11 is configured to receive the signal from the use mode switching means 10 and determine the operation mode. The current supplied from the battery 12 is detected by the current detection means 25, and the voltage level of the voltage detection means 23 is changed according to this current value.
[0023]
FIG. 14 shows an example of the correlation between the discharge end voltage level and the current value. When the current value i4 is large, the voltage level V4 is low, and when the current value i3 is small, the voltage level V4 is set high, so that the battery 12 can be protected.
[0024]
【The invention's effect】
ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the cleaning robot which prevents the overdischarge of a battery can be provided.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a cleaning robot according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the cleaning robot. FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view of the cleaning robot. FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory diagram of the ultrasonic sensor of the cleaning robot. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the cleaning robot showing a second embodiment of the invention. FIG. 7 is a drive timing diagram of the ultrasonic sensor of the cleaning robot. FIG. 8 is a system configuration diagram of a cleaning robot showing a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a drive timing diagram of an ultrasonic sensor of the cleaning robot. FIG. 10 is a cleaning showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Block diagram of robot FIG. 11 is a discharge curve diagram of a battery used in the cleaning robot. FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a cleaning robot showing a fifth embodiment of the invention. FIG. Example cleaning robot [Figure 14] Correlation diagram of battery end voltage and current used for the cleaning robot [Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body 2 Steering and drive means 3 Caster 7 Cleaning means 8 Ultrasonic sensor 9 Operation handle 10 Use mode switching means 11 Judgment processing means 12 Battery 16 Ultrasonic simultaneous drive receiving means 19 Timing means 20 Ultrasonic independent drive receiving means 21 Before and after Advance switching means 23 Voltage detection means 24 Voltage level switching means corresponding to use mode 25 Current detection means

Claims (1)

  A battery that is a power source, a steering and driving means for moving the main body, a cleaning means composed of a floor nozzle and a fan motor, a plurality of ultrasonic sensors provided around the main body, automatic cleaning and movement, etc. A use mode switching means for switching, a determination processing means for controlling the main body, a voltage detection means having a plurality of voltage detection levels corresponding to the load of the battery, and the voltage according to the output of the use mode switching means A cleaning robot having a use mode-compatible voltage level switching means for switching the level of the detection means.

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