JP6958997B2 - Self-propelled vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a self-propelled vacuum cleaner.

As an electric vacuum cleaner that stores dust sucked through a suction port in a dust case, a vacuum cleaner that forms a structure connecting the suction port and the dust case is known. Then, a sensor for detecting the amount of dust may be provided in this structure.

Patent Document 1 relates to a self-propelled vacuum cleaner, and has an upper space of the main brush 43 by a duct 171 provided with an inlet 172 for accommodating the upper part of the main brush 43 and an outlet 173 connected to the space inside the trash can unit 60. The inlet 61A of the trash can unit 60 is connected from (near the suction port) (paragraphs 0138, 0139, FIG. 18, etc.).
The trash can 61 of the trash can unit 60 is connected to the upper space of the main brush 43 by a duct 171 extending substantially parallel to the direction of gravity. Further, the dust detection sensor 300 is provided in a duct 171 integrally formed with the brush housing 170.

Patent Document 2 relates to a self-propelled vacuum cleaner, and a suction nozzle 9 provided with a dust sensor 17 extends in a substantially horizontal direction and connects a suction port 9a to a dust box 10 (FIG. 1).

Patent Document 3 relates to an electric vacuum cleaner, and the air passage forming portion 33 provided with the optical sensor 71 has a substantially constant cross-sectional area (0024).

International Publication WO2016 / 056226 Pamphlet Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-21365 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-046689

While it is desirable for a self-propelled vacuum cleaner to have a dust case that can store a large amount of dust, the self-propelled vacuum cleaner body is kept small in order to ensure cleaning performance in a narrow place or a low place. Is desired.

Patent Document 1 arranges a dust detection sensor in a duct integrally formed with a brush housing forming a space for accommodating a main brush, but does not disclose any cross-sectional area of the duct. Since the dust flowing through the duct can pass through the area far from the dust detection sensor, there is room for improvement in the detection accuracy.

In Patent Document 2, the dust osensor 17 is located on the upstream side where the cross-sectional area of the suction nozzle 9 is large. Therefore, if dust overlaps with the dust sensor 17 in the suction nozzle 9, the dust detection accuracy may decrease.

In Patent Document 3, since the cross-sectional area is constant, the dimension in the direction in which the optical sensor 71 faces is widened toward the downstream side. Then, a turbulent flow is generated near the optical sensor 71, and the optical sensor 71 may be soiled or scratched. Further, if the dimension in the direction in which the optical sensor 71 faces is too long, dust may overlap the optical sensor 71 and the detection accuracy may decrease.

The self-propelled vacuum cleaner of the present invention made in view of the above circumstances has an electric blower, a suction part having a suction port, a light emitting part and a light receiving part facing each other, and is provided by the light emitting part and the light receiving part. A self-propelled vacuum cleaner including a dust sensor unit for detecting passing dust and a dust case. The light emitting unit has a light emitting element and a transparent resin cap, and the light receiving unit receives light. The dust sensor unit has an element and a transparent resin cap, and the dust sensor unit includes an annular frame, the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit facing each other provided in the frame, a drive circuit of the light emitting unit, and amplification of the light receiving unit. The substrate on which the circuit is mounted, the wiring connecting the light emitting unit and the driving circuit, the wiring connecting the light receiving unit and the amplification circuit, and the connector electrically connected to the substrate are integrated. The dust sensor unit integrated with the suction portion and the dust case is attached to the above, and the cross-sectional area perpendicular to the main direction, which is the direction in which air mainly flows by the drive of the electric blower, is the above. It becomes smaller toward the dust sensor unit from the upstream side of the suction port and becomes larger toward the dust case from the dust sensor unit. On the opposite side of the light emitting portion, the frame is arranged at a distance closer to the light receiving portion than the distance between the light receiving portion and the light emitting portion, and the frame has a dimension in the main direction of the light receiving portion. The inner surface, which is shorter than the distance between the light emitting portion and is formed together with the transparent resin cap on the side where the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion face each other, is from the suction port side in the direction in which the air mainly flows. The light emitting portion and the light receiving portion are formed of a curved surface having a radius of curvature smaller than the dimension from the inner surface on the side where the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion face each other to the light emitting element or the light receiving element. The dimension in the direction in which the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion face each other from the suction port side to the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion in the direction in which the air mainly flows is small from the suction port side to the dust case side. It is characterized by being.

It is a perspective view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a perspective view of the state in which the upper case and the dust case of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to the first embodiment are removed. It is a bottom view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a suction port, a dust sensor unit, and a dust case of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a suction port, a dust sensor unit, and a dust case of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to the first embodiment. It is a front view of the dust sensor unit of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a side view of the dust sensor unit of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD of FIG. It is a perspective view of the dust case in the self-propelled vacuum cleaner main body which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view including an area where a dust case is mounted in the self-propelled vacuum cleaner main body according to the first embodiment. It is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. It is a perspective view which includes the prop storage part and props which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a rear perspective view of the main body which attached the dust case which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a perspective view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner which removed the upper case which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line EE of FIG. It is a perspective view of the rotary brush which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is an enlarged perspective view of the training wheel which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a state in which the airtight member according to the first embodiment is removed from the main body. It is a back side perspective view of the airtight member which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the control device of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1, and the device connected to the control device. It is a perspective view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner which removed the upper case which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a perspective view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner which further removed the switch sheet from the state of FIG. (A) according to the second embodiment is a front perspective view of the switch sheet 22, and (b) is a back perspective view of the switch sheet 22. It is a perspective view of the side brush which concerns on Embodiment 3. It is a side view when the side brush which concerns on Embodiment 3 is bent. It is a front perspective view which see through the lid and the filter of the dust case which concerns on Embodiment 3.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Similar components are designated by the same reference numerals, and the same description will not be repeated. The various components of the present invention do not necessarily have to be composed of one member, for example, one component is composed of a plurality of members, and a plurality of components are composed of one member. Allows some of one component and some of another component to overlap each other.

Of the directions in which the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 (see FIG. 1) travels, the direction in which the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 normally travels is forward, the direction opposite to the gravity direction is upward, and the drive wheels 116 (FIG. 1). The directions in which (see 3) face each other are left and right. That is, as shown in FIG. 1 and the like, front and back, top and bottom, and left and right are defined. In the present embodiment, the side brush 15 is attached to the front side of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1.

<Embodiment 1>
[Self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 according to the present embodiment.
The self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 is a vacuum cleaner that cleans while autonomously moving in a cleaning area (for example, indoors). The self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 includes an upper case 111 which is an upper wall (and a part of the side walls), a lower case 112 which is a bottom wall (and a part of the side walls), and a bumper 18 installed in the front part. The main body 11 including the main body 11 is provided. The upper case 111 is arranged with a switch sheet 22, a circular operation button 221 and a ring-shaped operation button 222 as operation buttons for giving commands to the control unit 2 of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1.

Further, a dust case 4 is provided on the upper rear side of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1. The self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 of the present embodiment autonomously drives and cleans the drive wheels 116 by the arithmetic processing of the control device 2, but may be driven by receiving a user's command by a remote controller or the like.

[Lower case 112]
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the upper case 111 and the dust case 4 removed, FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the mouthpiece 113, the dust sensor unit 12, and the dust case 4.
The lower case 112 includes a drive mechanism accommodating portion 114 for accommodating a drive mechanism including a drive wheel 116, a traveling motor 1161, an arm 1141, and a reduction mechanism 1142, a side brush mounting portion 1121, a traveling motor 1161, and a rotation. It is a thin disk-shaped member to which a brush motor 1133, an electric blower 16, a rechargeable battery 19, a battery accommodating portion 115 (see FIG. 4) for accommodating the rechargeable battery 19, a control device 2, and a mouthpiece 113 are attached. ..

The lower case 112 has a bumper frame 1127 provided on the entire circumference or substantially the entire circumference of the side surface, including the lower end side of the side surface, preferably the lower end. The bumper frame 1127 is made of a material softer than the members forming the other parts of the side surface, and for example, a resin material such as an elastomer can be adopted. Further, the bumper frame 1127 protrudes to the outer peripheral side from other parts on the side surface, for example, the bumper 18. As a result, even if the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 collides with furniture or the like, it is possible to prevent the furniture or the like from being damaged.

Since the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 mainly moves forward, the front side surface tends to collide with furniture or the like. It is also preferable to provide a bumper frame 1127. Further, since the bumper 18 is annular, the bumper frame 1127 can be positioned on the outer peripheral side of the bumper 18 by forming the bumper frame 1127 in an annular shape as in the present embodiment. By doing so, the bumper 18 can be pressed from the outer peripheral side, so that it is easy to assemble.

(Balance of self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1)
Among the members provided in the main body 11, the ones having a relatively heavy weight are the rechargeable battery 19 and the electric blower 16. The rechargeable battery 19 is often heavier than the electric blower 16. In order to balance the weight of the main body 11 of the present embodiment, first, the electric blower 16 is provided substantially in the center of the lower case 112, and the rechargeable battery 19 is provided on the front side.

Here, a mouthpiece 113 accommodating the rotating brush 14 and a scraping brush 13 are provided on the rear side of the center of the lower case 112. Since the electric blower 16 is on the center side (between the two drive wheels 116) and the rechargeable battery 19 is on the front side, it is preferable to install a heavy object on the rear side to balance the electric blower 16. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a weight is fixed to the inner circumference of the scraping brush 13 by sticking or the like (not shown). As a result, the dead space inside the scraping brush 13 can be effectively utilized. In the present embodiment, since the scraping brush 13 is on the side farther from the center than the rotating brush 14, it is preferable to provide a weight here. Further, from the viewpoint of left-right balance, it is preferable that the weight is provided on the center side of the main body 11 in the left-right direction. A weight may be provided in the rotating brush 14, but since the rotating brush 14 is a brush driven by the rotating brush motor 1133, providing the weight causes a load on the motor. Therefore, it is preferable to provide a weight in the scraping brush 13 that rotates drivenly without being driven by the motor. Further, it is preferable that the center of gravity of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 is substantially centered in the front-rear direction (substantially coincides with the axis of the drive wheel 116) by the weight.

(Protrusion of lower case 112)
Regarding the lower case 112, at least a part of the rear projection 1123, which is a convex portion provided on the bottom surface of the lower case 112, is provided on each of the left and right outer sides (right left outer side and right right outer side) of the rotating brush 14. At least a portion of each of the rear projections 1123 is also located directly behind the drive wheels 116.

Further, a central front projection 1124 and a central rear projection 1125 are provided in the central region of the lower case 112, which corresponds to the region between the two drive wheels 116. The central front projection 1124 is a convex portion located on the front end side of the drive wheel 116 in the front-rear direction and on the center side of the lower case 112 in the left-right direction. The central posterior projection 1125 is a convex portion extending in the front-rear direction on the posterior side of the central anterior projection 1124.

In the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 of the present embodiment, the rear end of the drive wheel 116 and the outer end of the rotary brush 14 are close to each other. Specifically, the distance from the left and right inner portions of the rear end of the drive wheel 116 to the left and right outer portions of the front end of the rotary brush 14 is set to 20 mm or less from the viewpoint of miniaturization, for example. The rotating brush 14 and / or the airtight member 118, which will be described later, protrudes from the lower case 112 in order to facilitate suction of dust in the vicinity of the floor surface, and the drive wheel 116 also protrudes so as to come into contact with the floor surface. .. Therefore, there are obstacles in the area between the two drive wheels 116 (the central area where the protrusions 1124 and 1125 are provided) and the area behind the drive wheels 116 (the area where the protrusions 1123 are provided). If it gets in, it may get stuck between the drive wheel 116 and the rotary brush 14 and hinder the drive of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1. In order to suppress such a situation, protrusions 1123, protrusions 1124, and protrusions 1125 are provided. Each of the protrusions 1123, 1124, 1125 is a protrusion adjusted to a dimension so as to be separated from the floor surface at least while the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 is running on a flat floor surface.

[Drive mechanism accommodating unit 114]
The drive mechanism accommodated in the drive mechanism accommodating portion 114 shown in FIG. 3 or the like is a mechanism that supports the drive wheels 116 on the main body 11. The drive mechanism includes a traveling motor 1161, an arm 1141 that supports the drive wheels 116 from the left and right inside, and a reduction mechanism 1142. The arm 1141 is provided between two drive wheels 116, one end of which is a rotating shaft extending in the front-rear direction, and the other end of which is a member connected to the drive wheels 116. It is a member capable of rotating each of the drive wheels 116. Each of the rotating shafts is located between the two drive wheels 116, especially between the drive wheels 116 and the central protrusions 1124 and 1125 in this embodiment.

[Battery housing 115]
As shown in FIG. 4 and the like, the battery accommodating portion 115 is a space for accommodating the rechargeable battery 19 inside, and is located on the front side of the center of the lower case 112. The battery accommodating portion 115 is configured to have a downward opening for replacing the rechargeable battery 19. Side brush mounting portions 1121 for mounting the side brush 15 are formed on the left and right sides of the battery housing portion 115.

[Driving wheel 116]
As shown in FIG. 3 and the like, each of the drive wheels 116 is a member that receives the driving force of each of the traveling motors 1161 via the reduction mechanism 1142. As a result, the drive wheel 116 itself rotates, so that the main body 11 can be moved forward, backward, and turned. The drive wheels 116 are arranged on both the left and right sides.

[Front lid 117]
As shown in FIG. 3 and the like, the front lid 117 is a substantially rectangular plate-shaped member that closes the opening of the battery accommodating portion 115 (see FIG. 4) formed on the front end side of the lower case 112 from the lower surface of the lower case 112. Further, the front lid 117 includes a circular training wheel mounting portion 1122 for mounting the training wheels 17 near the center side of the lower case 112.

[Training wheels 17]
FIG. 20 is an enlarged perspective view of the training wheels 17. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 20, the auxiliary wheels 17 are auxiliary wheels for smoothly moving the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 while keeping the lower case 112 away from the floor surface. It is provided. The training wheels 17 are supported by the fixed shaft 173 so as to be driven to rotate by the frictional force generated between the auxiliary wheels 17 and the floor surface as the main body 11 moves by the drive wheels 116.

The training wheels 17 have a substantially circular ground ring 171, a disk portion 172, and a small disk portion 174 that are rotatably provided with the fixed shaft 173 as a rotation axis. The ground ring 171 comes into contact with the floor surface and rotates as the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 travels. The small disk portion 174 is adjacent to the ground ring 171 and has a diameter smaller than that of the ground ring 171 and a diameter larger than that of the fixed shaft 173, and is rotatable around the fixed shaft 173. The disc portion 172 is adjacent to the small disc portion 174, has a diameter smaller than that of the ground ring 171 and a diameter larger than that of the small disc portion 174, and is rotatable around the fixed shaft 173.

When hair dust or the like adheres to the ground ring 171 as the ground ring 171 rotates, the hair dust or the like may turn around the fixed shaft 173 and try to get entangled with the fixed shaft 173. At this time, since the small disk portion 174 and the disk portion 172 are adjacent to the ground ring 171, hair dust and the like are likely to be entangled with the disk portion 172 instead of the fixed shaft 173. Therefore, by rotating the disk portion 172 around the fixed shaft 173, hair dust can be removed relatively easily. It is preferable that the small disk portion 174 and the disk portion 172 are integrally formed.

Further, the training wheels 17 are configured to be rotatable 360 ° in the horizontal direction. The training wheels 17 shown in FIG. 3 are provided in the center of the front of the main body 11 in the left-right direction and are mounted on the training wheels mounting portion 1122.
The ground contact ring 17 may be replaced with a driven roller 1186, which will be described later, and the airtight member 118 may be provided with the same configuration as the disk portion 172.

[Bumpa 18]
The bumper 18 is installed so as to be movable in the front-rear direction, preferably further in the left-right direction, in response to a pressing force acting from the outside. The bumper 18 is urged in the forward direction by a pair of left and right bumper springs (not shown). When drag from an obstacle acts on the bumper spring via the bumper 18, the bumper spring deforms, forcing the bumper 18 forward and allowing the bumper 18 to retreat. When the bumper 18 separates from the obstacle and loses drag, the bumper 18 returns to its original position due to the urging force of the bumper spring. Incidentally, the retreat of the bumper 18 (that is, contact with an obstacle) is detected by the bumper sensor (infrared sensor), and the detection result is input to the control device 2. Since the displacement amount of the bumper 18 differs depending on the contact position of the obstacle or the like, it is possible to detect the position of the obstacle or the like with respect to the main body 11.

[Scraping brush 13]
The scraping brush 13 is a brush having flocking on a part or substantially the entire surface and having an axis in a direction substantially parallel to the rotation brush 14 described later. In this embodiment, the scraping brush 13 is driven to rotate or rotate by contact with the floor surface. do. In the case of rotation, the rotation range is regulated by providing a stopper or the like. When cleaning the flooring (between the boards), the height position of the flocking of the scraping brush 13 is preferably such that the tip is separated from the floor surface by about 0.5 mm. Further, the position of the flocking of the scraping brush 13 preferably overlaps with the bristles of the carpet when cleaning the carpet. Therefore, the scraping brush 13 can collect dust so as to scrape it from the surface of the carpet.

When the scraping brush 13 is used in a mode in which a stopper is provided to rotate the scraping brush 13, a predetermined region can continue to be in contact with the floor surface to scrape out dust. At this time, the region of the scraping brush 13 that will continue to be in contact with the floor surface preferably has a flat shape. That is, the shape of the scraping brush 13 is a shape in which a part of the cylindrical shape is replaced with a flat flat surface in the axial direction (for example, a shape in which a part of a circle is cut out with a string or a substantially half-moon shape). It is preferable to have it.

[Rotating brush 14]
FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the rotating brush 14. The rotary brush 14 is arranged substantially in parallel with the axis (left-right direction) passing through the rotation center of the drive wheel 116 (see FIG. 3). The rotary brush 14 has a cylindrical shape having a rotation axis in the horizontal direction (horizontal direction in the present embodiment), and is rotatably supported by the mouthpiece 113. The rotary brush 14 is rotationally driven by receiving a driving force from the rotary brush motor 1133 (see FIG. 2). The rotary brush 14 includes a plurality of flocked 142s protruding in the normal direction from the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 141. The flocking 142 of the rotating brush 14 includes a plurality of types of flocking such as flocking having different lengths and flocking having different hardness, and each flocking is arranged so as to form a spiral line with respect to the rotation axis (FIG. 19).

A non-woven fabric 143 is provided adjacent to a part or all of the flocked 142. For each of the flocked 142, each of the non-woven fabrics 143 shares a root. This can be achieved, for example, by welding the flocked 142 and the non-woven fabric 143 with ultrasonic waves to integrate the flocked 142 and the non-woven fabric 143. As the flocking, it is desirable that the flocking has a certain degree of hardness, and for example, nylon can be adopted.

Further, the non-woven fabric 143 adjacent to the flocked 142, for example, in the present embodiment, each of the flocked 142 and the non-woven fabric 143 sharing the root is a non-woven fabric before the flocked 142 when the rotating brush 14 is rotated by the rotary brush motor 1133. The 143 is arranged so as to come into contact with the floor surface. As a result, the hair dust and the like existing on the floor surface first come into contact with the non-woven fabric 143, so that the hair dust and the like are prevented from being entangled with the flocked 142. Further, the non-woven fabric 143 is provided with one or two or more slits 1431 extending in the radial direction. As a result, twisting of the non-woven fabric can be suppressed.

A configuration may be added in which a blade member made of an elastic material such as rubber is spirally arranged between the flocked 142s arranged in a spiral shape, and the configuration can be appropriately changed. The dust scraped up by the rotating brush 14 passes through the opening 17 and is stored in the dust case 4. Further, in order to prevent the flocked 142, the non-woven fabric 143 or the blade member from coming into contact with the crosslinked portion 1181 of the airtight member 118 described later, the length of a part thereof may be shortened or a notch may be provided.

[Airtight member 118]
FIG. 21 is an exploded perspective view of the airtight member 118 removed from the main body 11, and FIG. 22 is a back perspective view of the airtight member 118.
An airtight member 118 is attached to a portion located below the rotary brush 14. In the bottom view of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1, the airtight member 118 includes a bridge portion 1181 provided over a region below the rotary brush 14 in the front-rear direction, a swing shaft 1182 extending in the left-right direction, and the rotary brush 14. It has a frame body portion 1183 having a shape surrounding the frame body portion 1183, a removal claw 1184 used when removing the airtight member 118, a bridging portion 1181 and an urging portion 1185 for urging the frame body portion 1183 downward, and a driven roller 1186.

The airtight member 118 is a member that swings separately from the mouthpiece 113 and the rotating brush 14, and is urged downward by the urging portion 1185. Therefore, the airtight member 118 moves up and down as the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 travels on a step. As a result, the airtightness member 118 is maintained at a position close to or in contact with the floor surface, so that the airtightness can be improved. Further, since the airtight member 118 swings separately from the mouthpiece 113 and the rotating brush 14, it is not necessary to provide a swing space for the mouthpiece 113 in the main body 11, which contributes to miniaturization of the main body 11.

The swing shaft 1182 of the present embodiment is provided coaxially with the scraping brush 13, and the scraping brush 13 can be attached to the swing shaft 1182. As a result, when the airtight member 118 and the scraping brush 13 are provided together, the installation space can be reduced, which contributes to the miniaturization of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1. The swing shaft 118 is provided on the rear end side of the airtight member 118.

The swing shaft 118 may be provided on the front end side of the airtight member 118. In this way, the airtight member 118 has an upward inclination from the rear to the front, so that the load when colliding with an obstacle in the front can be reduced. Further, the front end of the airtight member 118 forms an inclined portion 1187 that goes downward from the front to the rear (see FIG. 4 and the like). Therefore, the load when colliding with an obstacle in front can be further reduced.

The removal claws 1184 are attached to the left and right sides of the airtight member 118, and the removal claws 1184 can be removed from the main body 11 by moving them in the left-right direction (in this embodiment, inward in the left-right direction). .. Since the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 mainly moves in the front-rear direction, it can be removed by moving it in the left-right direction in this way, so that the airtight member 118 can be prevented from falling off from the main body 11 during running. ..

The urging portion 1185 is provided on the back surface side of the airtight member 118, and is, for example, a spring-shaped member capable of urging the frame body portion 1183 or its vicinity downward. The urging portion 1185 urges the airtight member 118 so as to come into contact with the floor surface while the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 is traveling. As a result, the airtightness around the rotating brush 14 can be improved, so that the dust collection efficiency can be improved.

The driven rollers 1186 are provided on the left and right outer portions of the airtight member 118, respectively, and can come into contact with the floor surface as the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 travels to support the airtight member 118. As a result, even if the airtight member 118 is urged downward, the frictional resistance with the floor surface can be suppressed, and energy loss and damage to the floor surface can be suppressed. Further, since the driven roller 1186 is located on the opposite side of the auxiliary wheels 17 via the driving wheels 116 in the front-rear direction, the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 is effectively supported by these three components. Can be done.

[Side brush 15]
The side brush 15 illustrated in FIG. 3 and the like is a brush that guides dust to a suction port 113 (suction port 1131) in a place outside the main body 11 such as a corner of a room where it is not easy for the rotating brush 14 to reach. Is. The rotation axis of the side brush 15 is in the vertical direction, and a part of the side brush 15 is exposed from the main body 11 in a plan view. The side brushes 15 have three bundles of brushes extending radially at intervals of 120 ° in a plan view, and are arranged on the front left and right sides of the lower case 112, respectively. The root of the side brush 15 is fixed to the side brush holder 151.

In each of the side brushes 15, the side brush holder 151 side (root side) is a root elastic portion 153 having flexibility such as an elastomer, and the tip side is a brush portion 154 which is, for example, a brush. In the present embodiment, the side brush holder 151 and the root elastic portion 153 forming the rotation axis (hub) of the side brush 15 are integrally formed. By making the root of the side brush 15 an elastic body such as the root elastic portion 153, the brush portion 154 is less likely to bend than the structure extending from the root to the tip, so that the side brush 15 is less likely to bend. Durability can be improved.

The flocking of the side brush 15 is inclined so as to approach the floor surface toward the tip, and the vicinity of the tip is in contact with the floor surface.

The side brush holder 151 is installed near the bottom surface of the lower case 112 and is connected to the side brush motor 152 (see FIG. 2). When the side brush motor 152 is driven, the side brush 15 rotates inward (in the direction of the arrow attached to FIG. 3) to collect dust at the suction port 1131.

[Electric blower 16]
The electric blower 16 shown in FIG. 4 has a fan having a shaft in the front-rear direction, and when the fan is rotationally driven, the air in the dust case 4 is discharged to the outside to generate a negative pressure, and a suction port from the floor surface. It has a function of sucking dust through 1131 (mouthpiece 113). An elastic body 161 is installed on the outer peripheral surface of the electric blower 16. By interposing the elastic body in this way, the vibration of the electric blower 16 is attenuated and is less likely to be transmitted to the main body 11, and the vibration and noise of the main body 11 can be reduced. In the present embodiment, the electric blower 16 is arranged near the center of the lower case 112.

[Mouthpiece 113]
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the mouthpiece 113, the dust sensor unit 12 and the dust case 4, FIG. 7 is a front view of the dust sensor unit 12, and FIG. 8 is a right side view of the dust sensor unit 12.
The suction port 113 is a member in which a suction port 1131 communicating with the dust case 4 is formed, and also accommodates the scraping brush 13 and the rotating brush 14. A rotary brush motor 1133 may be attached to the mouthpiece 113. The upstream side (rotating brush 14 side) of the suction port 1131 is a space in which the rotating brush 14 is stored, and has a larger cross-sectional area than the suction port 1131.

In the present embodiment, the air sucked by the negative pressure of the electric blower 16 is the suction port 1131, the dust sensor unit 12, the duct 42 of the dust case 4, the main storage chamber 41, the dust collection filter 46, the electric blower 16, and the like. , Exhaust port 1126 in this order. This air often contains dust, which is blocked by the dust collecting filter 46 and stored in the dust case 4. Hereinafter, the direction substantially perpendicular to the frame 121 of the suction port 1131 and the dust sensor unit 12 (the front view direction of the frame 121) is referred to as a main direction. The exhaust ports 1126 are provided in the lower case 112, and six exhaust ports 1126 are located between the two drive wheels 116 in the present embodiment.

The mouthpiece 113 of the present embodiment does not have a portion extending in the main direction from the suction port 1131, but extends in the main direction like the duct 42 of the dust case 4 described later, and the mouthpiece 113 It may have a mouthpiece duct integrated with. In this case, the suction port duct, the dust sensor unit 12, and the duct 42 surround the path from the suction port 1131 to the inside of the dust case 4. In this regard, as will be described later, from the viewpoint of improving the volume of the dust case 4, the length of the mouthpiece duct (for example, the length in the main direction) and the length of the frame 121 (for example, the length in the main direction) are taken from the viewpoint of improving the volume of the dust case 4. ), It is preferable that the length of the duct 42 (for example, the length in the main direction) is longer.

[Dust sensor unit 12]
The dust sensor unit 12 is arranged between the mouthpiece 113 and the dust case 4.
The dust sensor unit 12 has a frame 121, a light emitting unit 122 and a light receiving unit 123 provided on the frame 121 and facing each other, a close contact member 124 attached to the dust case 4 side of the frame 121, and a substrate 127. The dust sensor unit 12 is formed as a separate member from the mouthpiece 113 and the dust case 4, and by bringing the frame 121 into contact with the mouthpiece 113 and attaching it in this state, the light emitting unit 122, the light receiving unit 123, and the connector 126 are attached. And the close contact member 124 can be attached at the same time. Therefore, the dust sensor unit 12 of the present embodiment is excellent in assembling property.

(Frame 121)
The frame 121 is a member to which the light emitting unit 123 and the light receiving unit 124 can be attached to the frame 121 itself or its vicinity while securing a space on the optical axis connecting the light emitting unit 123 and the light receiving unit 124. The frame 121 of the present embodiment has a shape having a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction, and can be made into a rectangular shape, for example. In this embodiment, it has a substantially rectangular shape. A light receiving portion 123 and a substrate 127 are attached to one of the frames 121 in the longitudinal direction. A light emitting unit 122 is attached to the other side of the frame 121 in the longitudinal direction. The light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123 may be provided in the lateral direction of the frame 121. Further, the frame 121 may have a square shape, a circular shape, an elliptical shape, an egg shape, or the like.

(Light emitting unit 122 and light receiving unit 123)
The light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123 face each other, and light such as infrared rays emitted by the light emitting unit 122 is received by the light receiving unit 123. The light emitting unit 122 emits not only light but also various known ones such as ultrasonic waves as long as the presence or absence of dust can be detected. The light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123 may be provided on the same side, but it is preferable that the light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123 face each other from the viewpoint of miniaturization and the like.

(Wiring 125, connector 126, board 127)
The substrate 127 can be equipped with a drive circuit of the light emitting unit 122, an amplifier circuit of the light receiving unit 123, a comparator that outputs a decrease in the amount of received light due to the passage of dust as a pulse by comparing the amplified signal with a certain reference voltage. Instead of or in addition to the comparator, it may be possible to detect that the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 123 is continuously decreasing. In this case, it can be inferred whether or not the dust case 4 is full.

The light emitting unit 122 and the substrate 127 are electrically connected by wiring 125. The wiring 125 is crawled in the vicinity of the frame 121 or in the frame 121 along the opposite direction of the light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123, or is incorporated between the frame 121 and the close contact member 124. The drive current of the light emitting unit 122 flows through the wiring 125. The light receiving unit 123 is also electrically connected to the substrate 127 by wiring (not shown). These wires are electrically connected to the connector 126.

(Adhesion member 124)
The close contact member 124 has a shape that matches the peripheral shape of the frame 121, and in the present embodiment, it has a hollow substantially rectangular shape. The shape of the frame 121 is matched to the shape of the suction port 1131. As the close contact member 124, packing or the like can be adopted.

(Advantages of Dust Sensor Unit 12)
Since the dust sensor unit 12 configured in this way can integrally hold the light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123, it is easy to align the optical axes. Further, since the light receiving unit 123 and the substrate 127 can be arranged close to each other, the distance from the light receiving unit 123 to the amplifier circuit can be shortened, and the influence of electromagnetic noise on the output of the light receiving unit 123, which is a weak signal, is reduced. can do. Further, the wiring 125 of the light emitting unit 122 is also integrated in the dust sensor unit 12, and when electrically connecting to the control device 2, it is only necessary to connect the wiring (not shown) to the connector 126, and the assembly is easy. Is excellent.

Further, it is preferable to use an elastic material such as an elastomer for the close contact member 124, which is a member that comes into contact with the dust case 4, but such a material deteriorates relatively faster than other parts. Further, the surfaces of the light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123 are also liable to be soiled or scratched by dust. According to the present embodiment, parts that are likely to need to be replaced due to such deterioration, dirt, and scratches can be replaced at the same time by replacing the dust sensor unit 12, and thus the maintainability is excellent.

(Dimensions of the frame 24 in the non-opposing direction, etc.)
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. Regarding the dust sensor unit 12, among the directions parallel to the frame 121 (directions perpendicular to the main direction), the direction substantially perpendicular to the opposite direction of the light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123 is referred to as a non-opposing direction. Assuming that the width of the frame 121 in the non-opposing direction on the suction port 1131 side is a and the width of the dust case 4 side in the non-opposing direction is b, a≈b and a <b. As a result, the cross-sectional area of the surface perpendicular to the main direction is narrowed more than necessary and the loss is suppressed from increasing. Further, the center line 90 (which is substantially parallel to the main direction) of the area surrounded by the frame 121 is defined as a straight line passing through the midpoints of the dimensions a and b. That is, considering a straight line where a1 = a2 = a / 2 and b1 = b2 = b / 2 hold as illustrated in FIG. 9, a1 and b1 are on the upper side of the center line, and a2 and b2 are on the lower side of the center line. Is. At this time, the light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123 are arranged below the center line 90 in the non-opposing direction. Since the dust is heavier than air and has a high probability of passing under the center line 90, it is possible to detect the dust with high accuracy by providing the light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123 on the lower side.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD of FIG. The light emitting unit 122 has a light emitting element 1221 and a transparent resin cap 1239, and the light receiving unit 123 has a light receiving element 1232 and a transparent resin cap 1239. For the attached transparent resin cap 1239, the region between the light emitting element 1221 and the light receiving element 1232 has a size smaller than the size in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the light emitted by the light emitting element 1221, respectively. As a result, the transparent resin cap 1239 protects the element, and while guiding the light of the light emitting element 32, it is possible to suppress the enlargement of the vertical dimension and the front-rear dimension of the dust sensor unit 12.

(Dimensions of the frame 24 in the opposite direction, etc.)
Of the directions parallel to the frame 121, the direction substantially parallel to the opposite direction of the light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123 is referred to as a facing direction. Assuming that the width in the facing direction on the suction port 1131 side is e and the width in the facing direction on the dust case 4 side is d, e> d. That is, the width of the frame 121 in the opposite direction becomes smaller toward the dust case 4 side. As a result, the air containing dust flows in the direction of arrow 91, but due to inertia, the dust flows away from the wall surface. Therefore, scratches and stains on the transparent resin cap 1239 can be suppressed.

[Dust case 4]
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the dust case 4 removed from the main body 11, FIG. 12 is a perspective view including a region of the main body 11 to which the dust case 4 is mounted in the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1, and FIG. 13 is a view. 12 is an enlarged view of the main part, FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 5, FIG. 15 is a perspective view including the prop accommodating portion 1102 and the prop 95, and FIG. 16 is a rear perspective view of the main body 11 to which the dust case 4 is attached. be.
The dust case 4 is a container for accumulating dust sucked from the floor surface through the suction port 1131 (suction port 113). The dust case 4 includes a duct 42 formed on the suction port 1131 side, a main storage chamber 41 that mainly stores collected dust, a lid 45 that allows the accumulated dust to be taken out from the filter 46 side (upper side), and rotation. A check valve 44 capable of opening and closing the opening on the lower side (duct 42 side) of the main storage chamber 77 and a foldable handle 43 are provided. The dust case 4 is attached from diagonally above to diagonally below the main body 11.

(Main storage room 41)
The main storage chamber 41 is formed of, for example, a resin material and is a region containing a space, and the lid 45 and the check valve 44 prevent dust from leaking from the space to the outside. The lid 45 can close the opening on the horizontal side of the main storage chamber 41, and the check valve 44 can close the opening on the lower side of the main storage chamber 41. The cross-sectional area of the space included in the main storage chamber 41 is larger than the cross-sectional area of the frame 121. The cross-sectional area of the space included in the main storage chamber 41 referred to here may be, for example, the cross-sectional area in the direction perpendicular to the filter 46.

(Duct 42)
The duct 42 has one end on the lower side of the main storage chamber 41 and the other end that can be opened and closed by the check valve 44. The duct 42 is a part integrated with the dust case 4 that forms a part, substantially all or all of the route from the suction port 1131 to the main storage chamber 41. The duct 42 of the present embodiment has a shape in which one end side extends substantially in the vertical direction and extends diagonally downward from the middle toward the other end side, but only the latter, that is, obliquely toward the other end side. It may consist only of a portion extending downward.

As described above, the duct 42 extends diagonally downward from one end to the other end as a whole. One end of the duct 42 can be provided, for example, on the lower surface of the main storage chamber 41, and is preferably provided at a position farther from the other end of the duct 42 with respect to the center of the lower surface of the main storage chamber 41 in top view. Be done. This makes it easy to reduce the size of the dust case 4 when viewed from above.

(Handle 43)
The handle 43 is a member rotatably provided with the upper side of the main storage chamber 41 as a rotation axis, and has a grip portion 431, a retaining portion 432, an action point portion 433, and a locking portion 434. The handle 43 can rotate about 90 ° to 100 ° from the front of the rotation shaft to the top of the rotation shaft. In order to exert the actions of both the action point portion 433 and the locking portion 434, which will be described later, the rotation adjustment range is preferably more than 90 °, approximately 135 ° or less, preferably 120 ° or less. Here, the state in which the grip portion 431 is lying down (the state in which the grip portion 431 is locked by the locking portion 434) is defined as a rotation angle of 0 °. The state as illustrated in FIG. 16 is a rotation angle of approximately 90 °.

The grip portion 431 is a portion that is easy for the user to grip the dust case 4 and be used for attachment / detachment operation or the like, and a locking portion 434 is provided at the front end. When the dust case 4 is attached to the main body 11, the locking portion 434 is locked to a non-locking portion (not shown) provided in the upper case 111, and the handle 43 can be locked.

The retaining portion 432 is a protruding portion provided near the rotation shaft and on the locking portion 434 side (rotation angle 0 ° side) of the rotation shaft. When the handle 43 is located on the front side, the retaining portion 432 enters the main body 11 and comes into contact with the portion inside the main body 11 to generate frictional resistance. As a result, the handle 43 is prevented from coming off.

The action point portion 433 is a portion that comes into contact with the upper surface side of the main body 11 when the user further applies a force rearward (toward a direction in which the rotation angle exceeds 90 °) while the handle 43 is located on the upper side. Is. In this state, the action point portion 433 serves as the action point of the force that lifts the dust case 4 from the main body 11, and the rotation shaft serves as a fulcrum. This can assist the user in removing the dust case 4. The upper surface side of the main body 11 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a guide step 119 described later.

[Shape of dust case 4 and prop storage]
The dust case 4 has a shape in which the rear upper side protrudes rearward, and when attached to the main body 11, the rear upper side forms a part of the side surface of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 (see FIG. 16 and the like). Therefore, with respect to the main body 11, the region directly below the rear upper region in the dust case 4 also forms a part of the side surface of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1. In the present embodiment, a prop accommodating portion 1102 as illustrated in FIG. 15 or the like is provided in the vicinity of a part of the side surface of the main body 11, and a cleaning brush 95 as an example of the prop is stored. The cleaning brush 95 can be used, for example, for the user to clean the inside of the dust case 4, and has a shape bent along the outer peripheral shape of the main body 11. The cleaning brush 95 has a brush 951 and a jig portion 952. The brush portion 951 can be used when cleaning the dust case 4 and the like, and the jig portion 952 can be used when removing the side brush 15.

By making the shape bent along the outer peripheral shape of the main body 11, the space required for storing the cleaning brush 95 can be provided along the inner circumference of the side surface of the main body 11. For example, if the cleaning brush 95 or the like is attached to the outer surface of the dust case 4, the capacity of the dust case 4 may be reduced, which is not preferable. Further, by setting the storage space of the cleaning brush 95 or the like as the attachment / detachment area of the dust case 4, it is possible to prevent the cleaning brush 95 or the like from being unintentionally dropped off.

In addition, instead of this embodiment, for example, a jig for removing the side brush 15 and other props may be stored in place of or in addition to the cleaning brush 95.

The storage mode of the props is not limited to the above, and if the dust case 4 is attached to the main body 11, an area surrounded by the main body 11 and the dust case 4 may be provided in the main body 11.

(Backflow suppression valve 44)
The check valve 44 is integrally or separately attached to the main surface 441 and the main surface 441 that can close the opening as the other end of the duct 42, and is attached to the outside of the duct 42 in a direction substantially parallel to the main surface 441. It has a protruding portion 442 and an urging portion 443 that urges the main surface 441 and the protruding portion 442 in the direction of rotation. In the present embodiment, the protrusions 442 are provided on the outer sides in a direction substantially parallel to the main surface 441.

The urging portion 443 is a member that urges the check valve 44 in the direction in which the main surface 441 closes the opening, and various known ones can be used, and for example, a spring can be used. If the urging portion 443 is, for example, a coil spring, it can serve as a rotation shaft.
Therefore, when no external force is applied, the check valve 44 closes the other end of the duct 42.

When the dust case 4 is attached to the main body 11, the projecting portion 442 comes into contact with the guide step 119 provided in the area where the dust case 4 is housed as a repulsive portion. The guide step 119 is two step portions of the main body 11 provided in a visible area when the dust case 4 is removed. Each of the guide steps 119 is provided along the mounting direction of the dust case 4, and extends from the upper rear to the lower front in the present embodiment.

When the dust case 4 is attached to the main body 11, the protrusion 442 comes into contact with and slides on each of the guide steps 119, and the main surface 441 receives a force in the direction of opening the opening. As a result, the check valve 44 opens the other end of the duct 42 against the urging force of the urging portion 443. As in the guide step 119 illustrated in the present embodiment, the main surface 441 receives a force in the direction opposite to the urging force of the urging portion 443 due to the contact between the repulsive portion and the protruding portion 442, and the other end of the duct 42. The opening can be opened.

Specifically, the check valve 44 rotates about the longitudinal direction, and the other end of the duct 42 is opened. Since the check valve 44 of the present embodiment has a substantially rectangular shape, the check valve 44 rotates about the lateral direction or the direction perpendicular to the main surface 441. Since a large space is required to perform the above, it is preferable to rotate the space around the longitudinal direction. That is, the urging portion 443 rotates the check valve 44 about the longitudinal direction of the main surface 441.

It is sufficient that the protruding portion 442 can open the check valve 44 by contacting some member (repulsive portion) of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1.

A gap 1101 is provided in front of the front end of the guide step 119 of the present embodiment, and the check valve 44 slides while being pressed by the guide step 119 in a state where the dust case 4 is attached to the main body 11. It is stored in the gap 1101. The gap 1101 is located outside the main projection plane of the frame 121. Therefore, when the dust case 4 is attached, the other end of the duct 42 comes into contact with the dust sensor unit 12, and in particular, in the present embodiment, it comes into close contact with the close contact member 124.

[Structures provided from the suction port 1131 to the main storage chamber 41]
In particular, as illustrated in FIG. 14, the dimension 92 of the dust sensor unit 12 is shorter than the dimension 93 on the other end side of the duct 42 in the main direction. That is, the dimension 93 on the other end side of the duct 42 forms a part of the path connecting the suction port 1131 to the main storage chamber 41, preferably more than the dimension 92. As a result, a part of the dust case 4 can be provided in the region from the suction port 1131 to the main storage chamber 41, so that the volume of the dust case 4 can be expanded.

Here, the duct 42 can form one end side of the duct 42 and include an upright portion 421 having a dimension of 94 and extending vertically. The upright portion 421 suppresses dust from leaking from the main storage chamber 41 to the other end side of the duct 42.

Here, as the dimension 93, the lower surface of the dust case 4 is simulated as a flat surface (the main storage chamber 41 is approximated to a box shape), and the measurement is performed with a straight line substantially parallel to the dimension 92 of the dust sensor unit 12. It can be considered as the distance from the flat surface to the dust sensor unit 12. The main storage chamber 41 of the present embodiment can be considered as a box type.

[Blockage of duct 42 by check valve 44]
As described above, in the state where the dust case 4 is attached to the main body 11, the check valve 44 is stored above the rotary brush 14. When the dust case 4 is removed from the main body 11, the check valve 44 rotates due to the urging force of the urging portion 443 to close the opening at the other end on the duct 42 side. As a result, even if dust is accumulated in the duct 42, it is possible to prevent the dust from spilling from the dust case 4. The main surface 441 may have a flat plate shape or a mesh shape capable of suppressing the passage of dust.

[Dust full detection]
When the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 sucks dust, the sucked dust is first accumulated in the main storage chamber 41, and when the main storage chamber 41 is full, it is also accumulated in the duct 42. Since the duct 42 faces diagonally downward from the direction of gravity toward the horizontal direction, it is possible to prevent dust from falling from the duct 42. Further, since it faces the gravity direction side from the horizontal direction, dust is likely to be accumulated in the duct 42 relatively soon after the main storage chamber 41 is full, and the dust sensor unit 12 can easily detect the dust.

Further, the upright portion 421 can prevent dust from flowing into the duct 42 and falling even though the main storage chamber 41 has a margin. Since the dust case 4 of the present embodiment is provided with a majority of the space contained in the main storage chamber 41 on the front side of one end of the duct 42, dust tends to accumulate on the front side. However, since the upright portion 421 is provided between the majority of the space and the duct 42, the dust moves backward as the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 accelerates forward, which is the main moving direction. However, it is possible to effectively prevent dust from falling into the duct 42. That is, from the front to the rear, the main storage chamber 41 is located in the order of the majority of the space contained therein, the upright portion 421, and one end of the duct 42.

When dust accumulates in the duct 42 and becomes almost full, the dust continues to block the light of the light emitting unit 122, and the state in which the light receiving amount of the light receiving unit 123 is reduced continues. By detecting this state, it is possible to detect the fullness of the dust case 4 and notify the user, or to start the control of returning the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 to the charging stand (not shown).

[Detection of the amount of dust passing through]
When the light of the light emitting unit 122 is momentarily blocked, the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 123 decreases in a pulsed manner. Thereby, it can be detected that the dust is passing toward the dust case 4. In the present embodiment, the cross-sectional area in the main direction is larger on the rotating brush 14 side than the suction port 1131, smaller on the frame 121 and the duct 42, and larger on the main storage chamber 41. That is, the cross-sectional area in the path from the storage space of the rotating brush 14 to the main storage chamber 41 is the smallest in the frame 121 and / or the duct 42. Therefore, the sucked dust is concentrated in the frame 121 having a small cross-sectional area according to the shape of the duct 42. Since the light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123 are provided on the frame 121, most of the dust passes between the light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123. That is, the amount of dust can be measured with high accuracy.

Further, since the dust after passing through the frame 121 passes through the duct 42 having substantially the same cross-sectional area, eddy currents are unlikely to occur in the vicinity of the frame 121. That is, it is possible to prevent the dust from flowing back due to the vortex and being detected multiple times. Further, since the cross-sectional area after passing through the duct 42 is expanded, wind damage can be suppressed.

Further, the cross-sectional area on the upstream side of the dust sensor unit 12, that is, the cross-sectional area from the mouthpiece 113 to the dust sensor unit 12 may be monotonically reduced. By doing so, it is possible to prevent a vortex flow from being generated upstream of the dust sensor unit 12 and multiple dust being detected by the dust sensor unit 12.

[Layout]
FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 with the upper case 111 removed, and FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line EE of FIG.
In order to make the vertical dimension of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 small, the vertical dimension of the main body 11 is substantially the same as the vertical dimension of the electric blower 16. As illustrated in FIG. 17, when the upper case 111 is removed, the convex shape 113 covering a part of the upper surface of the electric blower 16 can be seen. This contributes to the miniaturization of the vertical dimensions of the main body 11. The bottom surface side of the main body 11 may have a convex shape protruding downward at a position where it overlaps with the electric blower 16 in the bottom view.

By providing the convex shape 162 in the lower space of the upper case 111, only the portion on the upper end side of the electric blower 16 can be projected into this space, and another part can be arranged by the protruding dimension. It has become. That is, another part is arranged in the height region where the convex shape 162 is located.

For example, in the present embodiment, a part of the switch sheet 22, a circuit board or a circuit element, a 7-segment display, and a light emitting element such as an LED are arranged, and these can be covered with the upper case 111. This makes it easier to reduce the vertical dimension of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1, which is easily affected by the dimensions of the electric blower 162. In addition to a part of the switch sheet 22, a circuit board or a circuit element, a 7-segment display, and a light emitting element such as an LED, some parts may be arranged, or only a part thereof may be arranged. The height dimension of these parts to be arranged is preferably not more than the height dimension of the convex shape 162, and can be, for example, 5 mm or less, 3 mm or less, 2 mm or less, or 1 mm or less.

Further, the electric blower 162 is attached so as to blow air in the horizontal direction, that is, the fan opening is substantially horizontal (for example, ± 10 degrees or less, preferably ± 5 degrees or less from the horizontal direction). In this way, it is easy to connect the electric blower 162 and the dust case 4 in the horizontally formed passage as in the present embodiment. That is, the need to extend the passage in the height direction can be reduced, and the height dimension can be suppressed.

The upper end side portion of the electric blower 16 may be exposed by removing the upper case 111, or the flat plate-shaped member on which the above-mentioned other parts are arranged covers the upper end side portion of the electric blower 16. Is also good.

Further, if the cylindrical electric blower 16 is arranged diagonally, it is necessary to increase the vertical dimension of the main body 11, so that the axial direction of the electric blower 16 is horizontal or ± 10 degrees or less from the horizontal direction, preferably ± 10 degrees or less. The deviation is ± 5 degrees or less.

Regarding the axial view of the electric blower 16, as illustrated in FIG. 18, the rotation shaft side of the arm 1141 is located inside a substantially square region circumscribing the tubular electric blower 16. This region tends to be a dead space, but by arranging a part of the arm 1141 in this way, the space can be effectively utilized and the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 can be miniaturized. Further, since the exhaust port 1126 is located directly below the electric blower 16 and directly below the opening on the downstream side of the electric blower 16, the exhaust air passage can be shortened.

The present embodiment includes various configurations for miniaturization, and as a result, the vertical dimension can be brought close to the vertical dimension of the electric blower 16. Specifically, even considering the influence of the drive wheels 116 on the dimensions, the vertical dimensions of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 (that is, the arm 1141) when the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 is placed on the floor surface. Is configured so that the vertical dimension of the electric blower 16 falls within a range of 70% or more, preferably 75% or more or 85% or more of the vertical dimension in which the drive wheel 116 is housed by rotating upward. There is.

The vertical dimension of the area where the upper case 111 and the lower case 112 surround the vertical side is substantially the same as the vertical dimension of the electric blower 16. Specifically, the vertical dimension of the electric blower 16 is 90% or more, preferably 95% or more of the vertical dimension of the area surrounded by the upper case 111 and the lower case 112.

Further, as described above, among the structures mounted on the main body 11, the heavier ones are the rechargeable battery 19 and the electric blower 16. If the rechargeable battery 19 is arranged on the center side, it tends to interfere with wiring and the like. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the electric blower 16 is arranged on the center side and the rechargeable battery 19 is arranged on the front side.

[Rotation speed of side brush 15]
The self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 has side brushes 15 on the left side and the right side, respectively. In the present embodiment, the rotation speed of the side brush 15 can be changed. Specifically, when the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 is executing the wall-side cleaning mode in which the wall is located on the left side, the side brush 15 on the left side, which is on the same side as the side on which the wall is located, The rotation speed is controlled to be faster than the rotation speed of the other side brush 15. As a result, cleaning near the wall can be performed more effectively. The wall cleaning mode can be executed by various known methods, and can be realized, for example, by controlling the traveling so that the distance measuring sensor 210 provided on the left side of the main body 11 continues to detect the wall surface (obstacle).

It should be noted that the same control can be performed even when the wall cleaning mode in which the wall is located on the right side is executed. Further, when the rotation speed of the side brush 15 on the wall side during the wall cleaning mode is detected in another control mode, for example, a wall surface or an obstacle, the course is changed in the direction away from the wall surface or the obstacle to travel. The same effect can be obtained by controlling the rotation speed to be higher than the rotation speed during execution of the reflex running mode that resumes. Further, similarly to the wall edge, the rotation speed and the torque described later can be similarly controlled at the corner where the two wall surfaces intersect.

[Torque of side brush 15]
Each of the side brushes 15 is driven by a side brush motor 152 driven by the electric power of the rechargeable battery 19. In this embodiment, a DC motor is used as the side brush motor 152. Even if the output voltage of the DC motor is the same on time average, the higher the duty ratio (longer voltage application time), the higher the torque can be transmitted. When the side brush 15 is in contact with a wall or an obstacle, the torque is reduced due to the friction thereof, so that the cleaning efficiency tends to be lowered.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, for example, when the wall cleaning mode in which the wall is located on the left side is executed, torque is transmitted to the left side brush 15 which is the same side as the side where the wall is located. The duty ratio of the side brush motor 152 can be controlled to be higher than the duty ratio of the side brush motor 152 that transmits torque to the other side brush 15.

Further, when the energy of the rechargeable battery 19 is reduced and the output voltage is lowered, the torque is lowered even with the same duty ratio. Therefore, the lower the remaining power of the rechargeable battery 19, the larger the duty ratio.

For the same reason, the torque to be output differs depending on the material of the floor surface, so the duty ratio may be determined according to the type of the floor surface. For example, the duty ratio during carpet cleaning can be controlled to be higher than that during flooring cleaning.

Further, the larger the number of dust detected by the dust sensor unit 12, the lower the duty ratio can be. As a result, it is possible to prevent the side brush 15 from scattering the dust in the area where there is a large amount of dust.

Further, when the duty ratio of the side brush 15 on the wall side during the wall cleaning mode is detected in another control mode, for example, a wall surface or an obstacle, the course is changed in the direction away from the wall surface or the obstacle to drive the vehicle. The same effect can be obtained by controlling the duty ratio to be higher than the duty ratio during execution of the resuming reflection driving mode.

[Sensors]
FIG. 23 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a control device 2 of a self-propelled vacuum cleaner and a device connected to the control device 2. The bumper sensor (obstacle detecting means) is a sensor that detects the backward movement of the bumper 18 (that is, contact with an obstacle).

The distance measuring sensor 210 (obstacle detecting means) illustrated in FIG. 2 and the like is an infrared sensor that detects the distance to an obstacle. In this embodiment, distance measuring sensors are provided at three locations on the front surface and two locations on the side surface, for a total of five locations.

The distance measuring sensor 210 has a light emitting unit (not shown) that emits infrared rays, and a light receiving unit (not shown) that receives reflected light that is reflected by an obstacle and returned. The distance to the obstacle is calculated based on the reflected light detected by the light receiving unit. Of the bumper 18, at least the vicinity of the distance measuring sensor is made of resin or glass that transmits infrared rays.

The floor surface detection sensor 211 (floor surface detection means) illustrated in FIG. 3 or the like is an infrared sensor that measures the distance to the floor surface, and is installed at four locations in front, back, left, and right of the lower surface of the lower case 112. .. More specifically, it is located on the front side of the training wheels 17, the rear side of the rotary brush 14 and the scraping brush 13, the front side of each drive wheel 116, and the outside in the left-right direction.

By detecting a large step such as a staircase with a distance measuring sensor for the floor surface, it is possible to prevent the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 from falling (from the staircase or the like). For example, when a step of about 30 mm is detected in the front by the distance measuring sensor for the floor surface, the control device 2 controls the traveling motor to retract the main body 11 and change the traveling direction.

The floor distance measuring sensor 211 on the front side of the training wheels 17 (front end side of the lower case 112) detects that the distance from the floor surface is long, and the rear side of the rotating brush 14 (rear end side of the lower case 112). ), When the floor element distance sensor 211 detects that the distance from the floor surface is short, the control device 2 may continue to advance the main body 11 as it is. This is because, in the case of such a combination of detections, it is considered that the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 often climbs a step. Similarly, the floor surface distance measuring sensor 211 on the front side of the training wheels 17 detects that the distance from the floor surface is short, and the floor surface element distance sensor 211 on the rear side of the rotating brush 14 is far from the floor surface. When the fact is detected, the control device 2 may continue to advance the main body 11 as it is. The term "close" as used herein means, for example, a distance equal to or less than the distance detected by the floor ranging sensor 211 when the self-propelled vacuum cleaner C is traveling on a flat floor, and is referred to as "far". Is, for example, more than the distance detected by the floor distance measuring sensor 211 when the self-propelled vacuum cleaner C is traveling on a flat floor surface. In addition, it may be the result of setting one or two appropriate threshold values and comparing them.

The rotation speed and rotation angle of the traveling motor 1161 are detected by using the traveling motor pulse output shown in FIG. 23. The control device 2 calculates the moving speed and moving distance of the main body 11 based on the rotation speed and the rotation angle detected from the traveling motor pulse output, the gear ratio of the reduction mechanism, and the diameter of the drive wheel 116.

The traveling motor current measuring instrument is a measuring instrument that measures the current flowing through the armature winding of the traveling motor 1161. Similarly, the electric blower current measuring instrument measures the current value of the electric blower 16, and the rotating brush motor current measuring instrument measures the current value of the rotating brush motor 1133. The two side brush motor current measuring instruments measure the current value of the side brush motor 152. Each current measuring instrument outputs the measured current value to the control device 2. Using the current value detection result, for example, it is possible to detect an abnormality in which foreign matter is entangled in the rotating brush and the rotation is stopped, and the user can be notified by the operation button.

Further, from the current value of the rotary brush motor 1133 and the current value of the traveling motor 1161, the state of the floor surface on which the main body 11 is traveling is detected. On the flooring, the input of the electric blower 16 is set small to reduce the power consumption of the rechargeable battery 19.

When the dust is detected by the dust sensor unit 12, the input of the electric blower 16 is increased for a certain period of time. The input increase time of the electric blower 16 is not determined (for example, extended) according to the detected amount of dust. As a result, the power consumption of the electric blower 16 is suppressed. Further, even if dust is detected, the main body 11 is not inverted or reciprocated. As a result, it is possible to avoid a decrease in moving speed.

[Drive]
The traveling motor drive device (left) (right) shown in FIG. 23 is an inverter that drives the traveling motors 1161 on the left and right sides, or a pulse waveform generator by PWM control, and operates in response to a command from the control device 2. .. The same applies to the electric blower drive device, the rotary brush motor drive device, and the side brush motor drive device (left) (right). Each of these drive devices is installed in a control device 2 (see FIG. 2) in the main body 11.

[Control device 2]
The control device 2 is, for example, a microcomputer (not shown), reads a program stored in a ROM (Read Only Memory), expands it into a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) performs various processes. It is supposed to run. The control device 2 executes arithmetic processing according to the signals input from the switch sheet 22 (see FIG. 1) and the sensors described above, and outputs a command signal to each of the drive devices described above.

The self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to the present invention has been described in detail by showing embodiments. Needless to say, the content of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment, and can be appropriately modified or changed within a range that does not deviate from the gist thereof. Further, in the present embodiment, the self-propelled vacuum cleaner has been described as an example, but the same effect can be obtained even if the vacuum cleaner is applied to a canister type, a stick type, and a handy type vacuum cleaner.

<Embodiment 2>
The configuration of the second embodiment can be the same as that of the first embodiment except for the following points.
[Switch sheet 22]
FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 from which the upper case 111 is removed, and FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 from which the switch sheet 22 is further removed from the state of FIG. 24, FIG. 26 (a). ) Is a front perspective view of the switch sheet 22, and FIG. 26B is a back perspective view of the switch sheet 22.

The switch sheet 22 is provided between the upper case 111 and the control board 21. The control board 21 is located below the upper case 111 in the main body 11. Further, for example, a resin support plate 80 on which the switch sheet 22 is placed is provided between the control board 21 and the switch sheet 22.
The switch sheet 22 has operation buttons 221,222 and a soft portion 223 that output operation signals corresponding to the user's operation to the control device 2. The operation buttons 221 and 222 include a circular operation button 221 having a circular shape and an annular ring-shaped operation button 222 surrounding the circular operation button 221. By pressing the operation buttons 221 and 222, the control device 2 can output a signal. The operation buttons 221 and 222 and the soft portion 223 are assembled in advance to form one member.
The operation buttons 221 and 222 are exposed on the upper surface of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1. The operation buttons 221, 222 can be provided with, for example, a function of outputting a signal for turning on / off the power supply, starting / ending cleaning, and changing the cleaning mode to the control device 2.
The soft portion 223 can be made of, for example, a flexible rubber member that surrounds the operation buttons 221,222. By placing the soft portion 223 on the support plate 80 and sandwiching the soft portion 223 between the upper case 111 and the support plate 80, from the vicinity of the operation buttons 221, 222 exposed on the upper surface of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1. It is possible to suppress the infiltration of water droplets and the like. With this configuration, the operation buttons 221 and 222 can be exposed on the upper surface of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 while suppressing the ingress of water droplets and the like, so that the push-type operation buttons 221 and 222 are waterproof. Since it is possible to reduce the need to surround the member with the same member, the design can be improved.

The soft portion 223 has one or more through holes 2231. A light emitting portion (not shown) such as an LED is provided on the side opposite to the upper case 111 via the through hole 2231. The light emitting unit can be provided on, for example, the control board 21. By changing the color of the light emitted by the light emitting unit in response to the pressing of the operation buttons 221 and 222, it is possible to notify the user that the operation by the operation buttons 221 and 222 has been recognized by the control device 2. The through hole 2231 is separated from the operation buttons 221,222 in the front view of the switch sheet 22. As a result, it is possible to prevent water droplets from entering the through hole 2231.

The display panel drive device is a device that applies a voltage to the electrodes of the display panel to emit a light emitting unit in response to a command from the control device 2. The light emitting unit includes, for example, the operating state mode (automatic or manual) and state (notification of the necessity of dumping garbage and the remaining charge value) of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1, the timer reservation time, and the input mode of the electric blower (strong, medium,). Weak) etc. are displayed.

The support plate 80 has through holes 801 at positions overlapping the operation buttons 221 and 222, respectively. Further, the operation buttons 221,222 have protrusions 2211 and 2221 and support protrusions 2232 on the back surface. The support protrusions 2232 prevent the protrusions 2211 and 221 from coming into contact with the switch of the control board 21 when the operation buttons 211.222 are not pressed, and the protrusions 2211 and 221 when the operation buttons 221,222 are pressed. Can enter the through hole 801 and come into contact with the switch of the control board 21. The through hole 802 is also provided at a position overlapping the light emitting portion and the through hole 2231 described above.

The operation buttons 221 and 222 do not have a display unit for notifying the detection of dust. Since the input mode of the electric blower changes when dust is detected, it is also used as the input mode display unit of this electric blower. As a result, the cost of the display unit can be reduced.

The rechargeable battery 19 is, for example, a secondary battery that can be reused by charging, and is housed in a battery housing unit 115 (see FIG. 4). The electric power from the rechargeable battery 19 is supplied to each sensor, each motor, each drive device, and control device 2.

<Embodiment 3>
The configuration of the present embodiment can be the same as that of the first or second embodiment except for the following points.
[Shape of side brush 15]
FIG. 27 is a perspective view of the side brush 15, and FIG. 28 is a view showing a state in which the side brush 15 is bent. The root elastic portion 153 of the side brush 15 has a shape in which the fine portion 1531 on the side brush holder 151 side (root side) is thinner than the thick portion 1532 on the brush portion 154 side. Since the fine portion 1531 is connected to the side brush holder 151, the thick portion 1532 and the brush portion 154 can be bent relatively easily with the fine portion 1531 as an axis. Therefore, even if the power cord or the like comes into contact with the side brush 15, the side brush 15 can rotate without being entangled with the power cord or the like by bending around the narrow portion 1531 as illustrated in FIG. 28. Easy to continue.

Further, the dimension (length dimension) of the root elastic portion 153 along the brush portion 154 is such that when the autonomous traveling type vacuum cleaner S is placed on the floor surface, the root elastic portion 153 is bent toward the floor surface. The length does not reach the floor. Thereby, for example, even if the power cord or the like comes into contact with the side brush 15 and the side brush 15 is bent, the situation where the root elastic portion 153 comes into contact with the floor surface and the side brush 15 is violently folded back from the root can be suppressed. That is, the root elastic portion 153 is dimensionally adjusted so that the tip thereof does not come into contact with the floor surface while the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 is running.

Further, the distance from the upper surface portion of the fine portion 1531 to the upper surface portion of the thick portion 1532 in the direction perpendicular to the brush portion 154 (dimension of the step between the fine portion 1531 and the thick portion 1532) is 1. .2 mm or less.

The thin portion 1531 has a shape in which each of the surfaces on both sides in the rotation direction is thinner than that of the thick portion 1532, and can be commonly used for each of the two side brushes 15. Here, when there is no narrowed portion on either side in the rotation direction, the root elastic portion 153 tends to bend downward when it comes into contact with an obstacle. At this time, the brush portion 154 may be greatly bent and become peculiar. On the other hand, when there is a narrowed portion in either one of the rotation directions, the root elastic portion 153 tends to bend diagonally downward when it comes into contact with an obstacle. That is, the brush portion 154 is less likely to be sandwiched between the brush portion 154 and the floor surface, and habit can be suppressed. However, at this time, since the rotation directions of the two side brushes 15 are usually opposite to each other, the directions in which the narrowed portions should be provided are opposite to each other by the two side brushes 15. That is, it is difficult to use the two side brushes 15 as common parts. Then, as in the present embodiment, when there are narrowed portions in both the rotation directions, it is possible to suppress the root elastic portion 153 from being habituated, and the two side brushes 15 can be used as common parts.

The side brush holder 151 has a jig insertion hole 1512 on the lower surface as illustrated in FIG. The jig insertion hole 1512 penetrates above and below the side brush holder 151, and two claws forming the mounting claws 1511 are located on both sides of the jig insertion hole 1512. The mounting claw 1511 is mounted on a mounted portion (not shown) provided on the lower case 112. The mounted portion has a substantially rectangular shape as can be seen from the shape of the mounting claw 1511.

The user can remove the side brush 15 by inserting the jig portion 952 of the rod-shaped prop 95 into the jig insertion hole 1512 and applying a force using the principle of leverage. As a result, the user can replace or clean the side brush 15 while firmly fixing the side brush 15. Further, by making the shape of the mounting claw 1511 and the mounted portion substantially rectangular, it is possible to prevent the side brush 15 from falling off even if the side brush 15 rotates. The attached portion may have other polygonal shapes.

[Rib 47 of dust case 4]
FIG. 29 is a front perspective view of the lid 45 and the filter 46 of the dust case 4 as seen through. A rib 47 attached to the inner surface of the dust case 4 is provided above, directly above, or above and behind one end of the duct 42. The rib 47 affects the air flow flowing into the main storage chamber 41 from one end of the duct 42, and can guide dust. It is preferable that at least a part of the rib 47 overlaps directly above one end of the duct 42. The rib 47 is a portion of the inner surface of the main storage chamber 41 that protrudes in the front-rear direction and extends substantially in the left-right direction. In addition, it slopes upward from the outside of the left and right walk toward the center. Since it is inclined upward toward the center side, it is easy to guide dust to the center side of the main storage chamber 41.

(Other technical ideas)
The present application includes the following technical ideas. It should be noted that the respective technical ideas described as the appendix mn (m and n are natural numbers) can be arbitrarily combined as long as there is no problem in the context. The "vacuum cleaner" described below includes, in addition to the autonomously driven self-propelled vacuum cleaner exemplified in the above-described embodiment, a so-called canister type or stick type vacuum cleaner. Is.

[Appendix 1-1]
A mouthpiece with a suction port and
With a dust case having a main storage part,
A self-propelled vacuum cleaner in which a part or all of the route from the suction port to the main storage portion is surrounded by a duct integrated with the dust case.

According to Appendix 1-1, it is possible to provide a small self-propelled vacuum cleaner having an improved dust collecting volume.

[Appendix 1-2]
The mouthpiece has a mouthpiece duct that forms a part of the path from the suction port to the main storage part, and the length of the mouthpiece duct is shorter than the length of the duct. The self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to 1-1.

[Appendix 1-3]
A dust case and a dust sensor unit separate from the suction port are provided on the route from the suction port to the main storage portion.
The self-described according to Appendix 1-1 or 1-2, wherein the duct forms a longer path than the path formed by the dust sensor unit among the paths from the suction port to the main storage portion. Running type vacuum cleaner.

[Appendix 1-4]
A dust sensor unit including a frame, a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion provided on the frame and facing each other, and a close contact member attached to the frame.

[Appendix 1-5]
It integrally has a box-shaped main storage part and a duct extending diagonally downward from the main storage part.
It has a check valve that can open and close the duct.
The check valve is a dust case having a main surface, a protruding portion, and an urging portion.

[Appendix 2-1]
With an electric blower,
A suction part with a suction port and
A dust sensor unit having a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit facing each other and detecting the passing dust by the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit.
A self-propelled vacuum cleaner with a dust case
The cross-sectional area perpendicular to the main direction, which is the direction in which air mainly flows by driving the electric blower, becomes smaller from the upstream side of the suction port toward the dust sensor unit, and from the dust sensor unit toward the dust case. A self-propelled vacuum cleaner that is characterized by its large size.

According to Appendix 2-1 it is possible to provide a self-propelled vacuum cleaner having a dust sensor unit capable of effectively detecting the amount of dust passing through.

[Appendix 2-2]
2. Running type vacuum cleaner.

[Appendix 2-3]
The dust case has an integrally formed duct.
The self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to Appendix 2-1 or 2-2, wherein the duct is longer than the dust sensor unit in terms of dimensions in the main direction.

[Appendix 3-1]
A vacuum cleaner including a dust case having a main storage chamber and a handle that can rotate around a rotation shaft.
The handle is characterized by having an action point portion that can be a point of action of a force applied to the handle by rotating the handle and bringing it into contact with the vacuum cleaner.

According to Appendix 3-1 it is possible to provide a vacuum cleaner that can easily remove the dust case.

[Appendix 3-2]
The vacuum cleaner according to Appendix 3-1 characterized in that the dust case is lifted upward by causing the force applied to the handle to act on the point of action as the point of action.

[Appendix 4-1]
It is a vacuum cleaner that has a removable dust case on the main body.
The main body has a region surrounded by the main body and the dust case when the dust case is attached to the main body.
A vacuum cleaner characterized in that props are stored in the area.

According to Appendix 4-1 it is possible to provide a vacuum cleaner capable of storing props, preferably props related to a dust case.

[Appendix 4-2]
The vacuum cleaner according to Appendix 4-1 characterized in that the prop is a brush having a shape bent along the side surface shape of the main body.

[Appendix 4-3]
The vacuum cleaner according to Appendix 4-1 or 4-2, wherein the prop has a jig portion that can be used to remove a brush and a brush of the vacuum cleaner.

[Appendix 5-1]
A self-propelled vacuum cleaner having a mouthpiece for accommodating a rotating brush, the rotating brush, and an airtight member provided under the mouthpiece.
A self-propelled vacuum cleaner characterized in that the airtight member is urged downward and swings with respect to the rotating brush and the mouthpiece.

According to Appendix 5-1 it is possible to provide a small self-propelled vacuum cleaner.

[Appendix 5-2]
The airtight member has a removable claw and
A self-propelled vacuum cleaner characterized in that the airtight member can be removed from the self-propelled vacuum cleaner by moving the removing claw in the left-right direction.

[Appendix 5-3]
The self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to Appendix 5-1 or 5-2, wherein the airtight member has a rotating shaft on the front side or the rear side.

[Appendix 5-4]
Has a scraping brush that rotates in a driven manner,
The self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to any one of Appendix 5-1 to 5-3, wherein the rotation shaft of the airtight member is coaxial with the scraping brush.

[Appendix 6-1]
With the lower case
A self having two drive wheels attached to the lower case side and a rotary brush provided in front of or behind the drive wheels and having a rotation axis in a direction substantially parallel to the opposite direction of the two drive wheels. It ’s a running electric vacuum cleaner,
The distance between the end portions of the drive wheel and the rotary brush is 20 mm or less.
Rear protrusions provided immediately before or after the drive wheels and on the extension line of the rotating shaft, and / or
A self-propelled vacuum cleaner characterized by having a central protrusion provided between the two drive wheels.

According to Appendix 6-1 it is possible to provide a self-propelled vacuum cleaner capable of suppressing the fitting of obstacles.

[Appendix 7-1]
A self-propelled vacuum cleaner having an electric blower provided in an upper case and a lower case, and a drive wheel attached to the lower case side.
Regarding the self-propelled vacuum cleaner in which the drive wheels are placed in contact with the floor surface, the axial direction of the electric blower is horizontal or an inclination of 10 degrees or less with respect to the horizontal direction.
The upper case and / or the lower case is a self-propelled vacuum cleaner having a recess in the vicinity of the upper and lower end surfaces of the electric blower in a direction away from the electric blower.

According to Appendix 7-1, a small self-propelled vacuum cleaner can be provided.

[Appendix 7-2]
The self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to Appendix 7-1, wherein other parts are arranged in a height region where the recess is provided.

[Appendix 7-3]
The self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to Appendix 7-2, wherein at least one of a switch sheet, a circuit board, a circuit element, a 7-segment display, and a light emitting element is arranged as the other parts.

[Appendix 7-4]
The ratio of the vertical dimension of the electric blower attached to the upper case to the vertical dimension of the region surrounding the upper and lower cases is 0.90 or more. 7-3 The self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to any one of the items.

[Appendix 7-5]
It has a drive wheel provided on the lower case side and a drive mechanism for rotating the drive wheel.
The vertical dimension of the area surrounded by the upper case and the lower case is 70% or more of the vertical dimension when the self-propelled vacuum cleaner is placed on the floor surface and the drive wheels are in contact with the floor surface. The self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to any one of Supplementary Provisions 7-1 to 7-4, wherein the self-propelled vacuum cleaner corresponds to the above.

[Appendix 8-1]
A self-propelled vacuum cleaner having two drive wheels, an electric blower, a rechargeable battery, and a brush having a horizontal axis of rotation.
The brush is a self-propelled vacuum cleaner characterized by having a weight inside.

According to Appendix 8-1, it is possible to provide a self-propelled vacuum cleaner in which the electric blower can be arranged on the center side while maintaining the balance of the center of gravity.

[Appendix 8-2]
The brush is a driven rotating brush.
The self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to Appendix 8-1, which has another brush driven by a motor.

[Appendix 8-3]
The self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to Appendix 8-2, wherein the brush is provided at a position far from the center of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner as compared with the other brush.

[Appendix 8-4]
The self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to any one of Appendix 8-1 to 8-3, wherein the center of gravity substantially coincides with the shaft of the drive wheel.

[Appendix 9-1]
A self-propelled vacuum cleaner that has a DC motor that transmits power to the side brushes and a sensor that detects the wall surface.
The DC motor executes control to increase the rotation speed of the side brush or increase the duty ratio of the DC motor while the self-propelled vacuum cleaner is executing the wall cleaning mode in which the self-propelled vacuum cleaner travels near the wall. A featured self-propelled vacuum cleaner.

According to Appendix 9-1, the cleaning efficiency in the wall-side cleaning mode can be improved.

[Appendix 9-2]
It is a self-propelled vacuum cleaner that has a DC motor that transmits power to the side brushes and a sensor that distinguishes and detects two or more types of floor surfaces.
The DC motor is a self-propelled vacuum cleaner characterized in that the rotation speed of the side brush is controlled or the duty ratio of the DC motor is controlled according to the type of the floor surface detected by the sensor.

According to Appendix 9-2, cleaning can be performed more appropriately depending on the type of floor surface.

[Appendix 9-3]
A self-propelled vacuum cleaner that has a DC motor that transmits power to the side brush and a sensor that detects the amount of dust passing through the mouthpiece.
A self-propelled vacuum cleaner characterized in that the DC motor is controlled so that a negative phase is established between the number of dust detected by the sensor and the duty ratio of the DC motor.

According to Appendix 9-3, it is possible to prevent the side brush from scattering the dust in the dusty area.

[Appendix 9-4]
It has two side brushes on each of the left and right sides.
Of the side brushes, when the rotation speed of the side brush on the wall side is increased or the duty ratio is increased, the other side brush is also characterized in that the rotation speed is increased or the duty ratio is increased. The self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner according to any one of 1 to 9-3.

[Appendix 10-1]
A vacuum cleaner with a rotating brush that is rotated about the horizontal direction by a motor.
The rotating brush has flocking and non-woven fabric adjacent to each other, and is provided so that the non-woven fabric comes into contact with the floor surface before the flocking in the direction of rotation by the motor. Machine.

According to Appendix 10-1, it is possible to provide an electric vacuum cleaner having a rotating brush that suppresses entanglement of hair and the like.

[Appendix 10-2]
The vacuum cleaner according to Appendix 10-1, wherein the non-woven fabric has a slit extending in the radial direction of the rotating brush.

[Appendix 10-3]
The vacuum cleaner according to Appendix 10-1 or 10-2, wherein the flocked fabric and the non-woven fabric have an integral root.

[Appendix 11-1]
A vacuum cleaner equipped with a side brush having a brush portion that rotates around a side brush holder.
A vacuum cleaner characterized in that a root elastic portion, which is an elastic body, is provided between the brush portion and the side brush holder as a member integrated with the side brush holder.

According to Appendix 11-1, the durability of the side brush can be improved.

[Appendix 11-2]
The side brush is provided in the lower case of the vacuum cleaner.
A vacuum cleaner characterized in that the length of the root elastic portion is shorter than the length from the floor surface to the lower case when the vacuum cleaner is grounded.

According to Appendix 11-2, it is possible to prevent the root elastic portion from coming into contact with the floor and bending, and the side brush from being twisted.

[Appendix 11-3]
The root elastic portion is characterized by having a fine portion provided on the side brush holder side and a thick portion provided on the brush portion side, which is thicker than the fine portion 11-. The vacuum cleaner according to 2.

[Appendix 11-4]
The vacuum cleaner according to Appendix 11-2 or 11-3, wherein the fine portion has a narrow portion on both sides in the rotation direction.

[Appendix 12-1]
A vacuum cleaner with training wheels that rotate in a driven manner.
The training wheels include a fixed shaft fixed to the vacuum cleaner, a grounding ring having the fixed shaft as a rotation axis, a small disk portion adjacent to the grounding ring, and a disk adjacent to the small disk portion. Has a part and
The small disk portion can rotate with the fixed shaft as a rotation axis.
The small disk portion has a larger diameter than the fixed shaft and a smaller diameter than the disk portion.
The disk portion is an electric vacuum cleaner having a diameter smaller than that of the ground ring.

According to Appendix 12-1, it is possible to prevent hair dust and the like from being entangled with the fixed shaft.

[Appendix 13-1]
A switch sheet with operation buttons and soft parts,
A device having a case, a control board, and a support plate.
The support plate is located on one side of the control board.
The soft portion is sandwiched between the support plate and the case, and is sandwiched between the support plate and the case.
The operation button is a device characterized in that it is exposed from the case.

According to Appendix 13-1, it is possible to provide a device capable of suppressing the ingress of water into the case while improving the design of the operation buttons. The device is not limited to the self-propelled vacuum cleaner, and various known electric devices can be adopted.

[Appendix 14-1]
A vacuum cleaner equipped with a dust case having a check valve provided in the opening.
The check valve is
A main surface that can close the opening and
An urging portion that urges the main surface in a direction that closes the opening,
It has a protrusion that extends in a direction substantially parallel to the main surface and reaches the outside of the opening.
The urging portion can rotate the main surface by urging with the longitudinal direction of the check valve as a rotation axis.
The vacuum cleaner
A vacuum cleaner having a repulsive portion capable of applying a force in a direction of contacting the protruding portion to open the opening to the main surface.

[Appendix 14-2]
The anti-vibration portion is a guide step as a step provided in the vacuum cleaner.
The vacuum cleaner according to Appendix 14-1, wherein the check valve is housed in a gap provided above the rotary brush when attached to the vacuum cleaner.

[Appendix 14-3]
The vacuum cleaner according to Appendix 14-1 or 14-2, wherein the dust case has an upright portion extending in the vertical direction on the downstream side of the opening.

[Appendix 15-1]
It is a self-propelled vacuum cleaner that has a lower case and bumpers provided on the side, and controls the drive wheels to run autonomously.
A self-propelled vacuum cleaner characterized by having a resin bumper frame located on the outer peripheral side of the bumper on the entire side surface or substantially the entire circumference.

[Appendix 15-2]
The bumper is annular and
The bumper frame is provided on the entire circumference of the outer circumference of the bumper.
The self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to Appendix 15-1, wherein the bumper receives a force pressed inward by the bumper frame.

[Appendix 16-1]
A vacuum cleaner having a main storage chamber and a duct or one end side of the duct connected to the main storage chamber.
A vacuum cleaner that is above the duct or one end side of the duct and has ribs provided on the inner surface of the main storage chamber.

According to Appendix 16-1, it is possible to provide an electric vacuum cleaner capable of guiding dust flowing into the main storage chamber through a duct or the like.

[Appendix 16-2]
The duct or one end side of the duct is located below the main storage chamber.
The vacuum cleaner according to Appendix 16-1, wherein the rib has an upward inclination toward the center side from the end side of the main storage chamber.

[Appendix 16-3]
The vacuum cleaner according to Appendix 16-1 or 16-2, wherein one end side of the duct faces a direction different from the position where the filter is provided.

1 Self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 11 Main body 111 Upper case 112 Lower case 1121 Side brush mounting part 1122 Auxiliary wheel mounting part 1123 Rear protrusion 1124 Central front side protrusion 1125 Central rear side protrusion 1126 Exhaust port 1127 Bumper frame 1128 Mounting claw locking part 113 Suction port 1131 Suction port 1133 Rotating brush motor 114 Drive mechanism housing 1141 Arm (suspension)
1142 Deceleration mechanism 115 Battery housing part 116 Drive wheel 1161 Traveling motor 117 Front lid 118 Airtight member 1181 Bridge part 1182 Swinging shaft 1183 Frame body part 1184 Removal claw 1185 Biasing part 1186 Driven roller 1187 Inclined part 119 Guide step 1101 Gap 1102 Props Accommodating part 12 Dust sensor unit 121 Frame 122 Light emitting part 1221 Light emitting element 123 Light receiving part 1232 Light receiving element 1239 Transparent resin cap 124 Adhesive member 125 Wiring 126 Connector 127 Board 13 Scraping brush 14 Rotating brush 141 Shaft part 142 Fleece 143 Non-woven fabric 1431 Slit 15 Side brush 151 Side brush holder 1511 Mounting claw 1512 Jig hole 152 Side brush motor 153 Root elastic part 1531 Fine part 1532 Thick part 154 Brush part 155 Mounting claw 16 Electric blower 161 Elastic body 162 Convex shape 17 Auxiliary ring 171 Grounding part 172 Disc 173 Fixed shaft 174 Small disc 18 Bumper 19 Rechargeable battery 2 Control device 21 Control board 210 Sensors (distance measuring sensor)
211 Sensors (Floor surface distance measurement sensor)
22 Switch seat 221 Circular operation button 222 Ring-shaped operation button 4 Dust case 41 Main storage chamber 42 Duct 421 Upright part 43 Handle 431 Grip part 432 Retaining part 433 Action point part 434 Locking part 44 Backflow suppression valve 441 Main surface 442 Protruding part 443 Biasing part 45 Lid 46 Filter 47 Rib 80 Support plate 90 Center line 91 Arrow 92 Main direction dimension of dust sensor unit 93 Dimension on the other end side of the duct (diagonal dimension)
94 Dimensions on one end side of the duct (upper and lower dimensions)
95 Cleaning brush as an example of props 951 Brush 952 Jig part

Claims (3)

With an electric blower,
A suction part with a suction port and
A dust sensor unit having a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit facing each other and detecting the passing dust by the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit.
A self-propelled vacuum cleaner with a dust case
The light emitting unit has a light emitting element and a transparent resin cap.
The light receiving portion has a light receiving element and a transparent resin cap.
The dust sensor unit is
An annular frame, a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit that are provided on the frame and face each other, a substrate on which a driving circuit of the light emitting unit and an amplifier circuit of the light receiving unit are mounted, and the light emitting unit and the driving circuit. The wiring to which the light receiving part is connected, the wiring to which the light receiving portion and the amplifier circuit are connected, and the connector electrically connected to the substrate are integrally provided.
An integral dust sensor unit is attached between the suction portion and the dust case.
The cross-sectional area perpendicular to the main direction, which is the direction in which air mainly flows by driving the electric blower, becomes smaller from the upstream side of the suction port toward the dust sensor unit, and from the dust sensor unit toward the dust case. And grow up
The substrate is
Arranged at a distance closer to the light receiving portion than the distance between the light receiving portion and the light emitting portion, which is the opposite direction of the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion and is opposite to the light receiving portion. Being done
The frame is
The dimension in the main direction is shorter than the distance between the light receiving part and the light emitting part, and
The inner surface formed together with the transparent resin cap on the side where the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion face each other emits light from the suction port side to the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion in the direction in which the air mainly flows. It is formed by a curved surface having a radius of curvature smaller than the dimension from the inner surface on the side where the portion and the light receiving portion face each other to the light emitting element or the light receiving element, and
The dimension in the direction in which the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion face each other from the suction port side to the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion in the direction in which the air mainly flows is small from the suction port side to the dust case side. A self-propelled vacuum cleaner that is characterized by being The self-propelled vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional area of a portion of the suction port, the dust sensor unit, and the dust case facing the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion is substantially the minimum or the minimum. Type vacuum cleaner. The dust case has an integrally formed duct.
The self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the duct is longer than the dust sensor unit in the main direction.

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