JPH07255656A - Mobile cleaning device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] The tilting of the cleaning tool with respect to the surface to be cleaned due to the contact frictional resistance force, the incidental increase in the contact frictional resistance force which occurs accompanying this, and the lifting of a part of it from the surface to be cleaned. It is an object of the present invention to provide a mobile cleaning device that suppresses the ground pressure on the surface to be cleaned of the cleaning device in an appropriate state and enables efficient cleaning. A cleaning device 3 is provided on a device body 1 movable along a floor surface A via a support mechanism 2, and the device body 1 is moved while the cleaning device tool 3 is in contact with the floor surface A to move the floor. In a mobile cleaning device that cleans a surface A, an idler wheel 1 that suppresses tilting of the cleaning device 3 due to a contact friction resistance force with the floor surface A.
1 is disposed on both the front side and the rear side of the cleaning device 3 so as to be in contact with the surface to be cleaned.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mobile cleaning device used for cleaning a floor surface of a building or a vehicle such as a train.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a mobile cleaning device of this type, there is known a device called a floor cleaning robot which cleans a surface to be cleaned, for example, a floor surface while moving manually or automatically.

The structure will be briefly described with reference to FIG.
It is composed of a device main body 1 such as a traveling carriage that can be moved manually or automatically along the floor surface A, and a cleaning device 3 attached to the front part of the device main body 1 via a support mechanism 2. Although not shown, a water supply tank for storing cleaning liquid, a cleaning dirty water recovery tank after cleaning, and the like are mounted in the apparatus body 1.

The cleaning device 3 is a cover-shaped device body 4
And a substantially disk-shaped cleaning brush or cleaning pad (hereinafter simply referred to as a brush) 6 provided downward on the lower side of the rotary shaft 5, and the brush 6 installed on the upper part of the equipment main body 4 to rotate the brush 6. A rotation drive unit 7 such as a motor that is rotationally driven via the shaft 5, and a water supply mechanism (not shown) for spraying (dripping) the cleaning liquid from the water supply tank to the floor surface A from inside the cleaning brush 6 via a flexible hose or the like. ), And a water absorption mechanism 8 which absorbs cleaning waste water after cleaning from the floor surface A and collects it in a recovery tank in the apparatus body 1 via a flexible hose or the like.

The water absorption mechanism 8 has a sewage suction portion 8a mounted and supported on the rear side of the equipment main body 4 through a support link 9 and a laterally elongated slit-like flexible structure vertically extending from the sewage suction portion. It is composed of a suction nozzle 8b.

At the time of cleaning the floor surface, the cleaning device 3
The brush 6 is brought into contact with the floor surface A while being rotated by the rotation driving unit 7, and the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the water absorption tank to the floor surface A by the water absorbing mechanism, and the apparatus main body 1 is moved and moved in this state to move the brush 6 At the same time as cleaning the floor surface A with the cleaning liquid, the cleaning waste water after cleaning is sucked from the floor surface A from the suction nozzle 8b of the water absorbing mechanism 8 and collected in the recovery tank.

In addition, the brush 6 of the cleaning device 3 has a floor surface A.
The support mechanism 2 includes a pair of left and right link arms 2 so as to follow up-down changes (inclination) and unevenness and waviness.
This is a configuration in which the tool body 4 of the cleaning tool 3 is flipped up and supported by using a. That is, those link arms 2
The base end side of a is rotatable with respect to the apparatus main body 1 via a fulcrum 2b, and by this rotation, the equipment main body 4 can follow the vertical displacement of the floor surface A, and the equipment main body 4 of the link arm 2a. It is possible to rotate via the fulcrum 2c on the front end side and follow the unevenness and undulations of the floor surface A.

Further, the water absorption mechanism 8 of the cleaning device 3 also has a support link 9 in addition to the vertical and rotational movement of the device body 4.
By the pivotal movement of the fulcrum 9a about the axis, it is possible to follow up-down changes in the floor surface A and unevenness and undulations.

[0009]

The mobile cleaning device having the above-mentioned structure has the following problems. First, as shown in FIG. 7, when the apparatus body 1 moves forward (arrow B
(When moving in the direction), a contact friction resistance force F ₁ is generated between the brush 6 of the cleaning device 3 supported by the link arm 2 and the floor surface A, whereby the entire cleaning device 3 of the link arm 2 moves. There is a possibility that the ground pressure of the brush 6 with respect to the floor surface A may become non-uniform or the rear side may float up by receiving the moment of the rotational force in the direction of the arrow C around the fulcrum 2c and rotating so as to tilt upward. .

On the contrary, when the apparatus main body 1 moves backward in the direction indicated by the arrow D in FIG. 8, the suction nozzle 8b of the water absorption mechanism 8 on the rear side of the cleaning device 3 comes into contact with the floor surface A. A frictional resistance force F ₂ is generated, which causes the water absorbing mechanism 8 to receive a moment of a rotational force in the arrow E direction around the fulcrum 9 a of the support link 9. Moreover, since the suction nozzle 8b is normally made of a flexible material, the suction nozzle 8b is deflected by the moment, which increases the angle θ in the figure and further increases the contact friction resistance force F _2. Become.

That is, assuming that the weight of the water absorbing mechanism 8 is W and the coefficient of contact friction between the suction nozzle 8b and the floor surface A is μ, the contact friction resistance force F ₂ can be expressed by the following formula. F ₂ = μ (W + F ₂ ′) F ₂ ′ = F ₂ tan θ ∴F ₂ = μW / (1-μ tan θ) (1) However, F ₂ ′ is the pressing force acting on the suction nozzle 8 b by F ₂ . It is an increase.

As can be seen from the equation (1), 1-μ t
In the condition of an θ> 0, as the angle θ increases, the contact frictional resistance force F ₂ increases, and when the angle approaches 1−μ tan θ = 0, the contact frictional resistance force F ₂ rapidly increases and the self-locking There is a risk of becoming a state.

Moreover, since the water absorption mechanism 8 is supported by the support link 9 on the tool body 4 of the cleaning tool 3 as shown in FIG. 6, the contact frictional resistance between the suction nozzle 8b and the floor surface A is reduced. Due to the force F _{2, the} entire cleaning device 3 receives the moment of the force of rotating so as to incline forward and tilt around the fulcrum 2c and the fulcrum 2b, so that the ground pressure of the brush 6 against the floor surface A is not the same as during the forward movement. There is a risk that the brush 6 will be uniform or the front side of the brush 6 will rise.

As a result, at the time of cleaning, the brush 6 of the cleaning device 3 and the suction nozzle 8b of the water absorption mechanism 8 and the floor surface A cannot be kept in proper contact with each other, and it becomes difficult to efficiently clean the floor surface. . Further, if the cleaning device 3 is greatly tilted, the lower edge of the cleaning device body 4 and the dirty water suction portion 8a of the water absorbing mechanism 8 may come into contact with the floor surface A to cause damage. Further, due to the increase in the contact frictional resistance force between the brush 6 and the suction nozzle 8b of the cleaning device 3 and the floor surface A, the traveling control of the apparatus main body 1 is impaired and the automatic floor surface cleaning is hindered. is there.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to tilt the cleaning tool with respect to the surface to be cleaned due to the contact frictional resistance force, and to increase the contact frictional resistance force that accompanies the tilting. It is an object of the present invention to provide a movable cleaning device that suppresses the lifting of a part from a surface to be cleaned, maintains an appropriate ground pressure for the surface to be cleaned of a cleaning tool, and enables efficient cleaning.

[0016]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a cleaning machine tool via a support mechanism on a main body of an apparatus movable along a surface to be cleaned, and the cleaning machine tool is covered with the cleaning machine tool. In a mobile cleaning device that cleans a surface to be cleaned by moving the apparatus body while contacting the surface to be cleaned, a friction reducing member that suppresses tilting due to a contact frictional resistance force with the surface to be cleaned of the cleaning device, It is characterized in that it is provided so as to be in contact with the surface to be cleaned at least on the advancing direction side of the cleaning device.

With the mobile cleaning device having such a structure,
With the movement of the apparatus main body, the contact frictional resistance force of the cleaning machine tool against the surface to be cleaned tends to tilt the cleaning machine tool, but at that time, the friction reducing member arranged on the side of the cleaning machine tool in the traveling direction of the apparatus body. The cleaning device is prevented from tilting by coming into contact with the surface to be cleaned, and incidental increase in contact frictional resistance with the surface to be cleaned and suppression of lifting of part of the cleaning device from the surface to be cleaned. However, the ground pressure for the surface to be cleaned of the cleaning device can be maintained in an appropriate state for efficient cleaning.

Moreover, as described above, the cleaning tool does not largely tilt due to the action of the friction reducing member, so that the problem that the cleaning surface is damaged by the cleaning tool can be solved and the cleaning tool for the cleaning surface can be removed. Since the increase in contact frictional resistance is suppressed, it is possible to perform accurate traveling control of the apparatus main body, which is effective in realizing automatic cleaning.

The friction reducing member is preferably provided on both the front side and the rear side of the cleaning device. This prevents tilting of the cleaning device in both forward and backward movements of the main body of the device, and increases incidental contact frictional resistance with the surface to be cleaned and a part of the cleaning device. It is also possible to suppress lifting from the surface to be cleaned and to perform cleaning more efficiently.

It is preferable that the friction reducing member is a free wheel capable of rolling contact with the surface to be cleaned or a sliding body having a low friction coefficient. With such an idler or a sliding body, the contact frictional resistance with respect to the surface to be cleaned is very small, and the tilting of the cleaning device and the contact frictional resistance with the surface to be cleaned are increased accurately and the part of the cleaning device is covered. Lifting from the cleaning surface can be suppressed, and more efficient cleaning can be performed.

Further, the idle wheel as the friction reducing member is
It is preferable that the caster is a flexible caster and that the caster turning shaft is substantially perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned when the caster wheel contacts the surface to be cleaned.

As the cleaning tool, a cleaning brush or a cleaning pad that comes into contact with the surface to be cleaned while rotating, a rotary drive unit of the brush or pad, and a water absorption mechanism for collecting cleaning wastewater from the surface to be cleaned. It is preferable to have a configuration including.

[0023]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In the figure, the same components as those shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 are given the same reference numerals to simplify the description.

First, in FIG. 1, the apparatus main body 1 has traveling wheels (not shown), and is self-propelled by a traveling motor or manually pushed to be a surface to be cleaned, such as in a building or a vehicle such as a train. It is a traveling carriage that can move on the floor surface A. Although not shown, a water supply tank for storing cleaning liquid, a cleaning dirty water recovery tank after cleaning, and the like are mounted in the apparatus main body 1.

A cleaning device 3 is attached to the front surface of the main body 1 of the apparatus through a support mechanism 2 using a pair of left and right link arms 2a so as to flip up and rotate. The cleaning tool 3
Is a cover-shaped device main body 4, a substantially disk-shaped cleaning brush or cleaning pad (hereinafter simply referred to as a brush) 6 provided below the cover 4 through a rotary shaft 5, and installed on the upper part of the device main body 4. The cleaning liquid is sprayed (dripping) from the inside of the cleaning brush 6 to the floor surface A from the water supply tank via a rotary hose 7 such as a motor for rotating the brush 6 via the rotary shaft 5 and a flexible hose. A water supply mechanism (not shown) for that purpose, and a water absorption mechanism 8 that absorbs the cleaning wastewater after cleaning from the floor surface A and collects it in a recovery tank in the apparatus body 1 via a flexible hose or the like.

The water absorbing mechanism 8 is attached to and supported by a rear side of the main body 4 of the equipment via a support link 9 to collect a dirty water suction portion 8a.
And a suction nozzle 8b having a horizontally long slit-like flexible structure which is vertically provided from the dirty water suction portion.

When the floor is cleaned, the cleaning device 3 is used.
The brush 6 is brought into contact with the floor surface A while being rotated by the rotation driving unit 7, and the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the water absorption tank to the floor surface A by the water absorbing mechanism, and the apparatus main body 1 is moved and moved in this state to move the brush 6 At the same time as cleaning the floor surface A with the cleaning liquid, the cleaning waste water after cleaning is sucked from the floor surface A from the suction nozzle 8b of the water absorbing mechanism 8 and collected in the recovery tank.

At this time, the link arm 2a of the support mechanism 2 is rotatable with respect to the apparatus main body 1 via the fulcrum 2b, and the equipment main body 4 is attached to the fulcrum 2c on the tip side of the link arm 2a.
Since the brush 6 is rotatable, the brush 6 can follow the vertical displacement of the floor surface A and the unevenness and undulations.

The water absorption mechanism 8 of the cleaning device 3 also has a support link 9 in addition to the vertical and rotational movements of the device body 4.
By the pivotal movement of the fulcrum 9a about the axis, it is possible to follow up-down changes in the floor surface A and unevenness and undulations. Up to this point, it is the same as the conventional one.

Here, as the friction reducing member for suppressing the tilting of the cleaning device 3 due to the contact frictional resistance force with the floor surface A, the idle wheel 11 is at least on the side of the cleaning device 3 in the traveling direction of the device main body, for example, in the present embodiment, the device. The cleaning device 3 is provided on both the front side and the rear side in preparation for the forward and backward movements of the main body 1.

That is, the idler wheel 11 on the front side is rotatably attached to the front side of the tool body 4 of the cleaning tool 3 via the bracket 12 projecting forward in a slanting state, and the idler wheel 1 on the rear side is attached.
1 is rotatably attached via a bracket 13 protruding rearward from the rear surface of the dirty water suction portion 8a of the water absorption mechanism 8 of the cleaning device 3 in a descending state. The front and rear idlers 11 are like rollers and rollers, and are in a position floating a few millimeters from the floor surface A in the normal state, and when the brush 6 and the suction nozzle 8b of the cleaning device 3 are slightly tilted or bent, It is designed to transfer to A.

With the mobile cleaning device having such a structure,
While the apparatus main body 1 is automatically or manually moved to clean the floor surface A by cleaning the cleaning liquid and the rotation of the brush 6, it is possible to perform cleaning work such that the cleaning waste water is sucked and collected by the water absorbing mechanism 8, and At that time, as the apparatus body 1 travels, the cleaning tool 3 tries to tilt due to the contact frictional resistance force of the cleaning tool 3 to the floor A, but the idle wheel 11 as a friction reducing member contacts the floor A. The cleaning device 3 is prevented from tilting, and an incidental increase in contact frictional resistance with the surface to be cleaned and the lifting of a part of the cleaning device from the surface to be cleaned are suppressed. The ground pressure for the surface to be cleaned can be maintained in an appropriate state for efficient cleaning.

That is, when the apparatus main body 1 moves forward as shown by the arrow B in FIG. 2, the brush 6 of the cleaning device 3 moves to the floor surface A.
By receiving the contact frictional resistance force F ₁ with the cleaning device 3
The entire unit receives the moment of the rotational force in the direction of arrow C around the fulcrum 2c of the link arm 2 and tries to rotate so as to tilt upward. Then, in contact with the front side of遊輪11 floor surface A by its tilting, it generates a normal force F _3, the moment of rotational force in the direction of arrow C is the normal force F ₃ by the contact friction resistance force F ₁ Since it acts so as to cancel, further tilting of the cleaning tool 3 is prevented, incidental increase in contact frictional resistance force F ₁ with the floor surface A and the rear surface side of the brush 6 from the floor surface A. It is also possible to suppress lifting and keep the ground pressure of the brush 6 on the floor surface A in an appropriate state for efficient cleaning.

On the contrary, when the apparatus body 1 moves backward in the direction indicated by the arrow D in FIG. 3, the suction nozzle 8b of the water absorption mechanism 8 on the rear side of the cleaning device 3 comes into contact with the floor surface A. A frictional resistance force F ₂ is generated, which causes the water absorbing mechanism 8 to receive the moment of the rotational force in the direction of the arrow E around the fulcrum 9a of the support link 9 and the suction nozzle 8b to bend, which results in the angle θ in the figure. The water absorption mechanism 8 tends to tilt in the direction in which Then, the tilting of the rear idler wheel 11 causes the floor surface A to move.
To generate a normal force F _4, which produces a normal force FF
_{Since 4} acts to cancel the moment of the rotational force in the direction of arrow E due to the contact frictional resistance force F ₂ , further tilting of the water absorbing mechanism 8 (expansion of the angle θ) is prevented, and incidentally generated. The increase of the contact frictional resistance force F ₂ with the floor surface A and the lifting of the brush 6 from the front side floor surface A are also suppressed, and the ground pressure of the brush 6 on the floor surface A is kept in an appropriate state. Efficient cleaning will be possible.

Moreover, as described above, the idler wheel 11 does not cause the tool body 4 of the cleaning tool 3 and the brush 6 and the water absorbing mechanism 8 to be greatly inclined, so that the tool body 4 and the water absorbing portion 8a of the water absorbing mechanism 8 can be disposed underneath. Since it is possible to solve the problem of damaging the floor surface A at the edge portion and to suppress the increase of the contact frictional resistance forces F ₁ and F ₂ of the cleaning device 3 with respect to the floor surface A, the proper accuracy of the apparatus main body 1 is ensured. Traveling control is possible and effective for realizing automatic cleaning.

In the above embodiment, a sliding body (not shown) having a low coefficient of friction may be provided as the friction reducing member so as to be capable of sliding contact with the floor surface A instead of the idle wheel 11. Similar to the idler wheel 11, this sliding body also has a very small contact frictional resistance with respect to the floor surface A, and therefore the same action and effect as in the above embodiment can be obtained.

Further, the idle wheel as the friction reducing member is
The caster 21 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 may be used.
By providing the free casters 21 in front of and behind the cleaning device 3 as described above, in addition to the forward and backward movements of the apparatus main body 1,
Even when turning to the left and right, the above-described effects can be obtained.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the universal caster 21. In this case, the caster turning shaft 21b is mounted so as to be substantially perpendicular to the floor surface when the caster wheel 21a comes into contact with the floor surface. Is good.

Further, since the caster turning shaft 21b is only one in the universal caster 21 of FIG. 4, if the floor surface has a step when the traveling direction is changed by approximately 180 degrees, the caster of the universal caster 21 is changed. Since the rotation of the wheel 21a is hindered and free turning becomes difficult and an excessive running resistance force may be generated, in such a case, as shown in FIG. 5, the turning shaft 22a is set to the base end portion. The caster turning shaft 21b of the free caster 21 is attached to the tip of the rotary link 22
Is attached to the front and rear of the cleaning device 3 in a state of being supported, and the tip end side portion of the rotary link 22 is biased by a pair of left and right springs 23 to rotate the rotary link 22 in the horizontal direction. Regulate within an appropriate range.

With this structure, the rotation link 2
2 within the range regulated by the left and right springs 23 with the turning shaft 22a as a fulcrum, in the directions of arrows G and H.
Since it can be rotated together with 1b, the traveling caster 21 generates a traveling resistance force in the above-described situation by moving the caster turning shaft 21b in the directions of arrow G and H while the swivel caster 21 moves relatively. It is possible to easily turn and prevent the occurrence of excessive traveling resistance.

[0041]

Since the movable cleaning device of the present invention is configured as described above, the cleaning device is tilted by the contact frictional resistance force with respect to the surface to be cleaned, and the contact frictional resistance force which is additionally generated is increased. A part of the surface to be cleaned can be suppressed from rising, and the ground pressure of the cleaning device can be efficiently maintained by keeping the ground pressure against the surface to be cleaned.

Further, as described above, since the cleaning tool does not largely tilt due to the action of the friction reducing member, it is possible to solve the problem that the cleaning tool is damaged on the surface to be cleaned, and at the same time, to remove the cleaning tool from the surface to be cleaned. Since the increase in contact frictional resistance is suppressed, it is possible to perform accurate traveling control of the apparatus main body, which is effective in realizing automatic cleaning.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of essential parts showing an embodiment of a mobile cleaning device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a main part showing an action during forward movement of the movable cleaning device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the main part showing the action of the movable cleaning device of the above-described embodiment during the backward movement.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a universal caster used as a friction reducing member.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a universal caster used as a friction reducing member, a rotary link supporting the caster, and a spring.

FIG. 6 is a partial side view showing a conventional mobile cleaning device.

FIG. 7 is an operation explanatory view of the conventional moving type cleaning device when moving forward.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of the action of the conventional moving type cleaning device when moving backward.

[Explanation of symbols]

A ... Cleaning surface (floor surface), 1 ... Device body, 2 ... Support mechanism,
3 ... Cleaning tool, 4 ... Tool body, 5 ... Rotating shaft, 6 ... Cleaning brush or cleaning pad, 7 ... Rotation drive section, 8 ... Water absorption mechanism,
11, 21 ... Friction reducing members (11 ... Idler wheels, 21 ... Flexible casters), 21a ... Castor wheels, 21b ... Caster turning shafts.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Tomonari Nakagawa No. 1 Toshiba-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo Toshiba Corporation Fuchu factory inside

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A cleaning device is provided on a device body movable along a surface to be cleaned through a support mechanism, and the device body is moved while bringing the cleaning device tool into contact with the surface to be cleaned, thereby cleaning the surface to be cleaned. In a mobile cleaning device for cleaning, a friction reducing member that suppresses tilting due to a contact frictional resistance force with a surface to be cleaned of the cleaning machine tool can be brought into contact with the surface to be cleaned at least on the side of the main body traveling direction of the cleaning machine tool. A mobile cleaning device characterized by being provided. 2. The movable cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein friction reducing members are provided on both the front side and the rear side of the cleaning tool in preparation for the forward and backward movement of the main body of the apparatus. Mobile cleaning device. 3. The movable cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the friction reducing member is a free wheel capable of rolling contact with the surface to be cleaned or a sliding body having a low friction coefficient. 4. The idler wheel as a friction reducing member is a free caster, and when the caster wheel comes into contact with the surface to be cleaned, the caster turning shaft is substantially perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned. The mobile cleaning device according to claim 3. 5. The cleaning tool includes a cleaning brush or cleaning pad that comes into contact with the surface to be cleaned while rotating, a rotary drive unit of the brush or pad, and a water absorption mechanism that collects cleaning wastewater from the surface to be cleaned. The mobile cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the mobile cleaning device has a different structure.