JPH07324A - Control device for automatic cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a control device for an automatic cleaner having no uncleaned portion and causing no trouble to clean the same path again by providing a mop wiping the floor surface separately from a suction port. CONSTITUTION:A frame sucks the refuse on the floor surface from a suction port while being traveled, and it wipes and cleans the floor surface with a mop member located behind the suction port. When the frame reaches the end of a prescribed cleaning area or an obstacle is detected in the advance direction during this cleaning, the travel is stopped, and the frame is retreated by a prescribed distance for the next process. The refuse not sucked into the suction port is thrust forward by the mop member, however the suction port passes on the refuse when the frame is retreated, and the refuse is sucked.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a control device for an automatic cleaner which sucks dust on a floor surface to clean 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.

[0003]

By the way, there is a case where dust stuck to the floor cannot be sucked and remains on the floor.
In such a case, there is a problem that the automatic cleaner has to travel the same route again. The present invention is
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a mop for wiping the floor surface is provided separately from the suction port, and by devising control of the movement of the aircraft, there is no leftover cleaning on the floor surface, It is an object of the present invention to provide a control device for an automatic cleaner that does not require repeated cleaning of the same route.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to an automatic cleaner control device for cleaning while sucking dust on a floor surface while traveling, in which the machine body has a predetermined cleaning area. Detecting means for detecting that the end has been reached or that there is an obstacle in the traveling direction of the machine body, and a suction port provided on the lower surface of the front part of the machine body for sucking and cleaning dust on the floor surface. , The mop member that is disposed on the lower rear surface of the suction port and wipes the floor surface, and that the detection means causes the machine body to reach the end of the cleaning area while cleaning while the machine body is running, or there is an obstacle. When the presence of an object is detected, the vehicle is stopped and the control means for controlling the aircraft so as to move the aircraft backward by a predetermined distance before proceeding to the next process.

[0005]

According to the above construction, while the vehicle is running, dust on the floor surface is sucked through the suction port, and the floor surface is wiped by the mop member located behind the suction port for cleaning.
During this cleaning, if it is detected that the aircraft has reached the end of the predetermined cleaning area or that there is an obstacle in the traveling direction of the aircraft, the vehicle stops running and the aircraft is moved for a predetermined distance. After retreating, move to the next processing. Thus, the dust that cannot be sucked through the suction port is pushed forward by the mop member, but the suction port passes over the dust again when the machine body moves backward, and is sucked.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a side structure of an automatic cleaner equipped with the present control device. A non-contact type obstacle detection sensor 11 (such as an ultrasonic sensor or an optical sensor) is arranged in the forward direction of the automatic cleaner 10 in the forward direction. The automatic cleaner 10 can be driven by the left and right drive wheels 13 and casters 14, and the drive wheels 13 include a drive motor 15 (FIG. 2),
An encoder 17 (FIG. 2) for detecting the current position or movement distance of the vehicle body is connected. Further, the automatic vacuum cleaner 10 is equipped with a vacuum suction device 20 for cleaning, and its suction port 21 is arranged on the lower surface of the front part of the vehicle body so as to face the floor surface. Further, a mop member 22 for wiping the floor surface is provided on the lower rear surface of the suction port 21.

FIG. 2 shows a block configuration of this control device.
The control device 30 receives the detection signals from the sensor 11 and the encoder 17, detects obstacles in the traveling direction of the vehicle body and the current position, and recognizes a predetermined cleaning area to drive the motor 1.
5 to control the traveling stop of the automatic cleaner. The control device 30 controls when the aircraft is moving forward while cleaning.
When it detects that the aircraft has reached the edge of the cleaning area or that there is an obstacle in front of it, it stops the traveling of the aircraft, and then the front-rear distance between the suction port 21 and the mop member 22 (a predetermined distance is , (Corresponding to the length indicated by A in FIG. 1), the aircraft is moved backward. After that, the aircraft is controlled to move to the next processing. The backward movement of the predetermined distance A is performed by counting the signals from the encoder 17.

FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of the operation of the control device 30. To explain this, first, when cleaning while traveling forward (# 1), it is checked whether the aircraft has reached the edge of the predetermined cleaning area (# 2), and when it reaches, it immediately travels. Is stopped (# 4). When the obstacle is not reached, it is checked whether or not the obstacle is detected by the obstacle detection sensor 11 (# 3). If it is not detected, the process returns. If the obstacle is detected, the process proceeds to # 4 and the stop operation is performed. Next, the vehicle travels backward by the above predetermined distance (# 5), and then moves to another process (# 6). By operating in this way, the dust that could not be sucked by the suction port 21 during forward movement is pushed forward by the mop member 22, but the suction port 21 passes over the dust again when the aircraft retreats. , Can be inhaled. If the process is moved to another process without the backward movement of such a predetermined distance, the dust remains and the probability of repeatedly cleaning the same route increases.

In the above description, another process is a case where the machine body is turned to change the traveling course. The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible. For example, even when the obstacle is stopped by detecting the obstacle, the obstacle is immediately removed and the forward movement is resumed. , It is not always necessary to include the retreat operation as described above. Further, the predetermined distance for moving the machine body backward may be at least the length of A in FIG. 1, but may be slightly larger than this and may be about twice the length of A.

[0010]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the airframe is stopped while sucking dust from the suction port while moving forward and wiping the floor surface with the mop member, Before moving on to the processing, it retreats for a predetermined distance, so even if there is dust that cannot be sucked in by the suction port during forward movement and is pushed forward by the mop member, the suction port will re-enter the dust when moving backward. It can be passed over and sucked in, thus ensuring reliable cleaning without repeated cleaning of the same path.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of an automatic cleaner including a control device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block configuration diagram for controlling the control device.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation of the control device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Automatic Vacuum Cleaner 11 Obstacle Detection Sensor 21 Suction Port 22 Mop Member 30 Control Device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A control device for an automatic vacuum cleaner, which sucks dust on a floor surface for cleaning while traveling, wherein the machine body has reached an end of a predetermined cleaning area, or an obstacle is present in a traveling direction of the machine body. The detection means for detecting the presence, the suction port provided on the lower surface of the front part of the machine body for sucking and cleaning dust on the floor surface, and the lower surface rearward of the suction port, the floor surface. When the mop member for wiping the machine and the machine body are cleaning while traveling, if the detection means detects that the machine body has reached the edge of the cleaning area or that there is an obstacle, the traveling is stopped and A control device for an automatic vacuum cleaner, comprising: a control means for controlling the machine body so as to move the machine body backward by a predetermined distance before proceeding to the next process.