JPH07124080A - Automatic cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an automatic cleaner which enables the suction of relatively large dirt accumulated by being forced on the front side of a suction member during the stoppage of a machine body. CONSTITUTION:A suction port 43 of a suction member 4 is located with a specified gap kept from a floor surface 50 during a cleaning under running and relatively large dirts 52 are forced to be accumulated on the front side of the suction member 4. The suction member 4 is lifted at a position imme-diately before the machine body stops running, and then, the suction member 4 is lowered at the stoppage position to suck up the accumulated dirts.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic cleaner for sucking dust on a floor surface for cleaning while traveling.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, an automatic cleaner of this type is designed to vacuum the dust on the floor surface through a suction port provided on the lower surface of the machine body while running. In this type of automatic cleaner, the clearance between the suction port and the floor surface is set small in order to ensure suction performance.

[0003]

However, since the gap is set small as described above, large dust is not sucked in and is pushed by the front side of the suction port member as the machine advances, There was a problem that it accumulated there.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems and makes it possible to suck in a comparatively large dust that has been pushed and accumulated on the front side of the suction member when the machine is stopped, thereby improving the cleaning ability. The purpose is to provide an automatic vacuum cleaner.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is an automatic cleaner for sucking dust on a floor surface for cleaning while traveling, and a suction port opened facing the floor surface. And a suction member whose suction opening is located with a predetermined gap from the floor surface during cleaning, an elevating and lowering operation mechanism for moving the suction member up and down with respect to the machine body, and immediately before the machine body stops traveling. And a control device that controls the elevator mechanism to be operated at a position to raise the suction member, and the elevator mechanism to be operated at a stop position to lower the suction member.

[0006]

According to the above construction, when cleaning while traveling, the suction port of the suction member is located with a predetermined gap from the floor surface, and relatively large dust is pushed and accumulated on the front side of the suction member. However, the lifting mechanism is operated at the position immediately before the aircraft stops traveling, and the suction member is raised,
Then, since the suction member is lowered at the stop position, the accumulated dust is sucked.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an external configuration of the automatic cleaner, FIG. 2 shows a plan configuration of essential parts, FIG. 3 shows a front configuration, and FIG. 4 shows a side configuration. 5 to 7 show the structure of the suction member. The automatic cleaner 1 has left and right drive wheels 2 connected to a traveling motor.
a, 2b and casters (not shown) enable traveling, and a vacuum suction device (not shown) for cleaning
The suction member 4 is mounted between the front bumper 3 and the machine body so as to be movable up and down so as to face the floor surface. The suction member 4 is provided with a suction port 43 facing the floor surface, and a relatively large-diameter wheel 5 having a rotating shaft fixed to a mounting plate 51 disposed on the rear side of both sides of the suction port 43.
a and 5b are provided. At the time of cleaning, the suction member 4 is lowered, and at this time, the wheels 5a and 5b come into contact with the floor surface and rotate as the vehicle travels, thereby maintaining a constant gap between the suction port 43 and the floor surface. Further, the suction member 4 is moved up and down with respect to the machine body by the lifting operation mechanism 6.

The elevating operation mechanism 6 comprises connecting plates 41a and 41b fixed to the suction member 4, link mechanisms 6a to 6d, shafts 7 to 10, an elevating operation cylinder 11 and its plunger 12, a connecting rod 13 and the like. By driving the cylinder 11, the suction member 4 is moved via the link mechanism from the lowered state shown by the solid line in FIG. 4 to the raised state shown by the chain double-dashed line, or vice versa. The lifting / lowering mechanism 6 lowers the suction member 4 during cleaning traveling and raises it during traveling without cleaning. As a result, it is possible to prevent abrasion due to the contact of the suction port 43 with the floor surface, and it is possible to maintain stable suction performance for a long period of time.

When the wheels 5a and 5b come into contact with the floor surface, the gap formed between the opening edge of the suction port 43 and the floor surface is set to be small so as to have an efficient suction capacity. . In addition, since the diameter of the wheels 5a and 5b can be made relatively large as compared with the case of the conventional caster wheel in which the wheel diameter cannot be increased, the wheel may be fitted into the recessed portion of the floor surface, or it may hit the protruding portion and cannot get over. Is eliminated, the followability of the suction port 43 to the floor surface is improved,
As a result, the suction performance is improved.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the suction member 4 has a front plate 42 of the suction port 43 as an inclined surface which is retracted downward with respect to the traveling direction of the machine body. By providing this inclined surface, it is possible to enhance the ability to suck dust on the floor surface while traveling. The suction member 4 is provided with mountain-shaped nozzle portions 44a and 44b and duct connection ports 45a and 45b to which the other end of a duct (not shown) whose one end is connected to the vacuum suction device is connected. Further, the suction member 4 is configured to be lifted and lowered by the lifting / lowering cylinder 11 in accordance with a predetermined control program of a control device (not shown) mounted on the machine body, in conjunction with traveling stop control of the machine body. Further, the control device is configured to drive wheels 2a and 2b.
The drive motor is driven and controlled in response to a signal from an encoder attached to.

FIG. 8 shows the raising / lowering operation of the suction member 4 when the traveling of the airframe is stopped. In FIG. 8, when the machine body is traveling in the traveling direction (arrow A) and is being cleaned, the suction port 43
Since the gap between the floor surface 50 and the floor surface 50 is set small in order to secure the suction ability, the large dust 52 on the floor surface 50 is not sucked into the suction port 43 on the front side of the suction member 4 and is advanced. It accumulates while being pushed in the direction. Therefore, in this machine, when the machine body reaches immediately before the stop position, the lifting / lowering operation cylinder 11 of the lifting / lowering operation mechanism 6 is operated according to a predetermined control program to raise the suction member 4 (arrow B). Next, when the stop position is reached, the suction member 4 is lowered this time (arrow C). By this series of operations, the large dust 52 pushed and accumulated on the front side of the suction member 4 is sucked into the suction port 43.
It should be noted that the time immediately before the stop position may be about 1/2 of the length L of the suction port 43 in the front-rear direction.

The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, but various modifications can be made. For example, although the suction member 4 is moved up and down according to the control program when the airframe is stopped in the above description, the same operation may be performed when the airframe changes its traveling direction.
It is also possible to detect the amount of dust 52 that has been pushed to the front side of the above by a sensor or the like, and stop the above when the amount of dust exceeds a certain amount to perform the above operation. Further, as the lifting operation mechanism 6, any mechanism other than the one using a cylinder or a link mechanism can be used.

[0013]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the suction member is moved up and down immediately before the traveling is stopped, the suction member is not sucked into the suction member but is pushed and accumulated on the front side in the traveling direction. The relatively large dust that was used can be sucked in, and the cleaning ability can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of an automatic cleaner according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a main part of the automatic cleaner.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a main part of the automatic cleaner.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a main part of the automatic cleaner.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a suction member of the automatic cleaner.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a suction member of the automatic cleaner.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a suction member of the automatic cleaner.

8 (a) and 8 (b) are views showing the raising / lowering operation of the suction member of the same automatic cleaner.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Automatic Vacuum Cleaner 4 Suction Member 43 Suction Port 6 Lifting Mechanism

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI Technical display location B65F 7/00 Z G05D 1/02 L 9323-3H

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An automatic cleaner for sucking dust on a floor surface for cleaning while traveling, which has a suction port facing the floor surface, and the suction port has a predetermined surface with the floor surface at the time of cleaning. A suction member positioned with a gap, a lifting operation mechanism for moving the suction member up and down with respect to the machine body, and a lifting mechanism operating at a position immediately before the machine body stops traveling to raise the suction member. And a control device for controlling the elevator mechanism to operate at the stop position so as to lower the suction member.