JPH0744911B2 - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of application] The present invention is used in a building such as a house indoors or in an outdoor building having a flat area, and drives a fan for sucking air and the fan. The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner that moves a main body having a built-in motor onto the floor to perform cleaning. In particular, it is related to technology required for robotization, with low power consumption, miniaturization, and cordlessness.

[Conventional technology]

Conventional power cleaners use an AC commercial power source indoors and an internal combustion engine outdoors as power sources. Recently, a small-capacity handy type that uses a secondary battery as a power source has also been put on the market, but it has a small capacity and a small capacity, and it is used on a desk, sofa, in a car, or on a limited floor surface. However, there is not enough space to clean the entire room. Floor type (hereinafter referred to as floor level) is used for full-scale cleaning.

A conventional technique will be described below for a floor level power source using an AC commercial power source, which is the most used example.

As shown in Fig. 15, the conventional full-scale floor type is as follows.
The main body 11 is made to be able to move on the floor by the wheels 12, the fan 13 is housed in the main body 11, the fan 13 is rotated by the motor 14, and the rotation of the fan 13 causes the air from the suction port at the left end of the filter 18. It is sucked and exhausted from the exhaust port 15 at the other end. One end of a rigid and / or flexible suction air pipe 16 is connected to the suction end at the left end of the filter 18, and various exchangeable suction ports 17 are attached to the other end of the suction air pipe 16
The air sucked from 17 is passed through a filter 18 in the main body 11 and dust is captured by the filter 18. The power cord 19 connected to the motor 14 is often wound up and stored in the main body 11, and when pulled out, the spring is biased, and when stored, it is wound up by the loosening force of the spring.

The suction port 17 is generally long and slender for the floor surface, circular and has a brush, for non-floor surfaces with long bristles, and spear-shaped ones for sucking slits etc. It is ready for use. In addition, the suction port 17 for the floor surface is a floor plate, rubber,
It has a manual switching lever that changes the shape and structure of the suction port for smooth surfaces such as vinyl, for semi-smooth surfaces such as folds, and for surfaces where hair is planted like rugs.

The suction trachea 16 is a combination of a rigid one 16a for supporting by hand and a flexible hose 16b for moving the suction port 17 regardless of the position of the main body 11, or a hose 16b.
It can be used by directly connecting the suction port 17 to.

The filter 18 filters the dust in the sucked airflow and accumulates the dust.
It also helps prevent dust from adhering to 14. The airflow flowing from the fan 13 passes through the motor 14, serves to cool the motor 14, and is finally discharged from the discharge port 15.

It is for general houses and the one for the floor is about 500W of electric power. This electric power is first used to release the dust adhering to the object to be cleaned or attracted to the object to be cleaned by static electricity in the suction air flow, and then used to convey the dust in the air flow into the intake pipe 16. Further, the air flow is used to pass through the pores of the filter 18 and the gaps of the accumulated dust. Suction port
A fan 13 and a motor 14 are used to create a negative pressure and flow rate to energize the air flow from 17 through the filter 18. The airflow that has passed through the fan 13 is given energy, is pressurized and becomes positive pressure, and
After cooling 14 etc., a large amount of high-speed airflow is discharged from the rear outlet 15. This discharged air flow is a main source of noise, and it is impossible to talk during cleaning. In addition, the discharged air flow contains minute dust and debris of mite that have passed through the eyes of the filter 18, which is bad for hygiene.

The conventional type requires a strong suction force to release dust adhering to the object to be cleaned only by the suction force, and also needs a strong flow to pass the airflow through the dust-laden filter. became. To make it cordless, the internal combustion engine pollutes the air and cannot be used indoors, so some form of battery (secondary battery, fuel cell, etc.)
It is necessary to use and store it in the subject. However, if it can be used continuously for about 2 hours at about 500W even for general houses, it will be 12
Need 80 AH on V. A battery capacity of about 100 AH is required, and the external dimensions and weight of the battery are too large, making it impractical.

The cordless floor level has been announced for commercial use as a cleaning robot, but even if the cleaning power is limited to 300 W and the usage time is limited to 15 minutes, the battery weight will be about 2.4 Kg,
It is not practical in terms of size, weight, and price for household use, and is limited to commercial use.

In order to reduce the capacity of the battery, it is necessary to increase the energy use efficiency of the vacuum cleaner at least about twice, but there is no conventional vacuum cleaner with such high efficiency. First, it is necessary to improve efficiency. Further, if the efficiency can be improved, the main components can be reduced in size and weight, noise can be reduced, mobility can be improved, and usability can be improved.

As a method of improving efficiency, the energy of the air flow (referred to as a fan wake) flowing out of the fan 13 is reused to eject the wake of the fan near the suction port to release the dust from the blast (Jitsuko Sho 43- No. 22616: Publication 1) and one in which an air turbine is rotated by a fan downstream to rotate a brush near a suction port (Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Sho-39-36553: Publication 2), etc. have been proposed. Publication 1 jets the wake from the air outlet facing the suction port in parallel with the cleaning surface, releases the dust by the combined force of the air flow and the suction flow, and is a suction pipe and a return pipe. I am using a hose.

Publication 2 shows the concept of rotating an air turbine in the wake and driving the brush with its rotational energy. Publication 1
The one with the blow-out port of the
Gazette No. 7: Presented in Publication 3), and more than ten similar systems have been proposed since then. In each case, the dust collecting port (generally having a blowout port and a suction port) and the main body having a fan motor and a filter are connected by two hoses or a double pipe hose. Since the two hoses and the double tube hose are not easy to handle, a method in which the dust collecting port and the main body are integrated (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.
-48162 Publication: Seen in opening 4). Since then, 3 to 4 proposals for integrated type (horseless) have been seen.

In any case, such a recirculation system that reuses the fan wake energy can increase the cleaning efficiency (dust dust weight per electric power under specific conditions). Further, since the airflow is in a closed loop, it is possible to reduce the noise of the fan and the like, and solves the sanitary problem of indoor discharge of fine dust passing through the filter eyes, fragments of carcasses of mites, bacteria and the like.

In all of these prior arts, except for the following two cases, the recirculation rate (flow rate used for recirculation relative to fan motor output flow rate) is 100.
%.

A first example in which the reflux rate is 100% or less (JP-A-49-6772:
The publication 24) is based on "the concept of effectively recycling wake energy" and "discharging at least a part of exhaust gas (synonymous with wake energy) to the vicinity of the intake port (claim 2). 3 lines) "is used, and its purpose is to increase suction power (page 2, lines 13 to 16) and prevent air pollution due to discharged dust (page 2, lines 17 to 19). Page 2, page 20 to page 3, line 1), and the objective is to achieve the maximum when the reflux rate is 100%.

Although there is an expression of "at least a part" of the recirculation, the explanation about this is that "the entire exhaust can be exposed to the intake port, or it may be sufficient to expose a part thereof.
(Especially in the case of the pattern shown in Fig. 2B) "(4th
Pp. 14-17) and `` All of the above examples show 100% exhaust.
% It is designed to be discharged near the intake port,
When it is necessary to reduce the exhaust volume, an exhaust port may be provided on the outer wall of the exhaust chamber of the main body "(page 5, lines 10-3).
There is only.

As far as these descriptions are concerned, "the idea of setting a reflux rate of 100% or less within a specific value range for a specific purpose"
Is lacking. All possible examples of the example in Figure 2B above
It is only one of A, B, and C, and is not intended for a specific purpose and effect. That is, as will be described later, there is an optimum range of the recirculation rate in order to solve the abnormal heating of the fan heater required to realize the recirculation system and the discharge of dust at the dust collecting port. Publication 24 does not explore anything about its scope.

The second example (Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Sho 60-188553: Publication 5) is No. 16
As shown in the figure, a valve 30 is provided in the return path, and it is proposed to adjust or open / close the valve manually or automatically by suction negative pressure. This adjusts the suction force to prevent the suction port from adsorbing to the floor surface, etc., so that it will automatically operate in the event of adsorption, it is clear from the diagram structure and description and its purpose. Thus, 50% or more of the wake is discharged, and even if the reflux rate is the maximum, only 50% or less can be obtained. This is because the flow has already been split in the fan 13 part, and after that, only the return flow is opened and closed by the valve 30.

Conventional (suction type) vacuum cleaners are used to release most of the air power from the dust to be cleaned, and in order to improve this, it is directly driven by the turbine brush by the intake air flow or the motor. A mechanical dust releasing method such as a power brush is used. Although it is possible to combine it with the reflux type as it is, it is proposed in Publication 2 that the characteristics of the reflux type are used to rotate the air turbine with the wake (energy) which has been conventionally discarded and to drive the brush. .

The method of using ultrasonic waves and air vibrations to release dust is the conventional suction method (Actual No. 55-25824: Publication 6), and the method of ultrasonically vibrating the object to be cleaned (actually applied). 57-1522
52 gazette: Proposed in publication 7), but there is no example of combination in a reflux system.

An object to be cleaned, which is charged with static electricity, electrostatically adsorbs dust and makes it difficult to release the dust, but there is no conventional example having a static electricity removing means even in the conventional suction type. (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 02-82928: Publication 8) is provided with a steam ejecting device in a conventional method, but its purpose is to kill and sterilize mites, and the reflux method has no such example.

In conventional (suction) or reflux systems, another source of significant aerodynamic power consumption is increased filter flow resistance due to dust accumulated in the filter. As a countermeasure against this, dust collected by scraping with a scraper that intermittently moves on the filter surface can be removed.
Publication: Publication 9) A method in which the filter is made wavy and the top of the wave is rubbed with a rotating contactor when necessary to give vibration to remove dust (Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 55-32052: Publication 11), or when necessary. A method has been proposed in which a person reverses the direction of airflow passing through a filter (Jitsuko 38-10927: Publication 10).

Further, none of the above-mentioned reflux type prior art examples describes a power source, and of course, does not describe a battery used as a power source. However, some of the integrated dust collector and main body are intended for small size, desktop type, in-vehicle use, etc., and there are some battery-powered cordless types, but they are full-scale floor level ones. I haven't seen an example of a battery built in. This is probably because the conventional suction type required too much power, and the reflux type did not give rise to the idea of making a battery for the floor level. Therefore, it has a power cord at the floor level.

There have been proposed many conventional suction type and reflux type hoseless types, that is, those having a suction port or a dust collecting port integrated with the main body. These are not for tabletops, cars, etc.
In the case of a full-fledged floor level, due to the structure in which the dust collection port and the main body are integrated, it is dedicated to the floor surface, and wall surfaces, shelves, etc. cannot be cleaned. For this reason, in the conventional suction type, a large number of upright type in which a non-floor cleaning port (suction port or dust collecting port) is mainly attached and detached with a hose has been announced. There are several examples of canister type. However, the reflux method does not see such an example.

In both the conventional suction type and the recirculation type, there are the following methods for moving the cleaner.

a. ・ In the system with a hose, pull the hose by hand to move it.

・ Hoseless type and small handy items can be carried by hand.
Support and move.

・ Most of the conventional (suction) types of hoseless type for floor use are upright type. This is because the wheels that are in contact with the floor support most of the weight, and the handle moves with supporting the handle partially by hand.

・ A conventional suction type, hoseless, canister type, rod-like tilting movement handle is provided, and a method of moving by hand with that handle is described in (Kokoku Sho 55-25018: Publication 13). ing. A method in which a bar-shaped handle is fixedly installed and the handle is used to move it by hand (Shokai Sho 56
-60452 Publication: Publication 14) is also proposed.

b. There are the following examples of traveling / moving by power.

.Conventional suction type, upright type, equipped with forward / backward changeover switch on its handle for power running
63-286120: Publication 12; JP-A-1-185232: Publication 12-1) and the like have been proposed.

・ A conventional suction-type canister type is used to drive the vehicle, and a rod-shaped handle that can rotate around the shaft is fixedly installed in the axial direction.When the shaft is rotated, a switch on the handle shaft base is operated to steer forward and backward or left and right. A method (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 57-206418: Publication 15) is proposed.

The conventional type is a hoseless, cordless, canister (self-sustaining on the floor) drive type, and a robot type that is remotely controlled (infrared rays, radio waves, etc.) is proposed and shown in the publications 16 and 17 described later. . In addition, a fully robotized one has been prototyped. Since these consume a large amount of power, they are extremely large and expensive, limited to some business purposes, and are not ready to be provided to ordinary households.

It is a conventional vacuum cleaner, hoseless, cordless, canister type. First, a human being runs by remote control etc.,
A cleaning robot that calculates the traveling position at that time from a traveling distance sensor, a traveling direction sensor, etc., learns and memorizes a traveling route, and is controlled so as to travel according to the learned contents thereafter (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-149724). 16), (JP-A-59-
121405 publication: publication 17), (JP-A-59-121408 publication: publication 18), (JP-A-59-121402 publication: publication 1)
9) etc., it has also been proposed to detect obstacles such as surrounding walls with a sensor and let them learn, and to automatically create a program that runs inside.

An example of installing a handy compact cordless cleaner on a floor level cleaner is a conventional suction type upright type Hoover company
U3301-030 type (Actual development 63-83417 publication: Publication 20)
However, there is no example in the reflux type.

An example in which a handy cleaner charger is installed mainly on an upright is found in (Actual Kaihei 01-59556 Publication: Publication 21) and (Actual Kaihei 01-59557 Publication: Publication 22), but of course it is an example of the reflux type. I don't see. Of course, there is no example of a combination of a reflux type power-saving, cordless main body and a handy cleaner, and there is no description of its charging.

In a battery-powered vacuum cleaner driven by a rechargeable battery, a heater installed near the dust collection chamber is energized at the same time during charging to kill ticks (JP-A-63-153946: Publication 23). Has been proposed for a traditional suction handy cordless vacuum cleaner.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

As described above, in order to robotize the vacuum cleaner, it is necessary to first reduce the fan motor power in order to reduce the battery capacity, weight, and size. Fan motor power is converted to pneumatic power by the fan. In the conventional (suction) system, aerodynamic power is first used to release dust (a) from the object to be cleaned, then to transport dust (b) to the filter, and (c) filter Used to pass through. This filter passing resistance has a large value when dust is accumulated. After that, it is used for cooling the motor, and finally discharged into the chamber (d).

The recirculation type in which the released downstream energy of (d) is reused for liberation of (a) significantly increases the cleaning efficiency per electric power. Previously, there has been no published value for this rate of increase. At the time of application, the inventor predicted that it would be about twice as much as that at the time of filing, but after that, experiments showed that "the reflux jet type reaches 3 to 4 times. The rate of increase is the highest when the reflux rate is 100%, and it decreases with the reduction of the reflux rate. It drops suddenly. " Therefore, the reflux rate of Publication 5 of 50% or less is effective for preventing the adsorption of the object to be cleaned as its purpose, but it is hardly useful for increasing the cleaning efficiency. All prior proposals of reflux type other than Publication 5 either specify 100% reflux rate or can be considered 100% from the context.

This 100% recirculation gives the highest cleaning efficiency, and can realize safe closed-loop circulation of the air flow, which is useful for noise countermeasures and solving hygienic problems against dust emission, but it causes a big problem of temperature rise. . That is, copper loss, iron loss, brush resistance loss, brush friction loss, bearing friction loss, etc. of the motor are all converted into heat, and the value becomes about 30% of the input power. Furthermore, the aerodynamic loss of the fan (consisting of friction loss due to the viscosity of the fan and airflow, vortex, etc., the value is about 30%) is also converted to heat. That is, the conversion from input power to pneumatic power is only about 40%, and 60% of this difference is heat generation. In the conventional suction type, the air flow created by the fan cools the motor and heats itself to be discharged, but in the recirculation type the air is circulated and used, so the air flow and its passages, fan motors, etc. Will be heated continuously and the temperature will rise, causing damage to the equipment,
The dust release efficiency is reduced due to the reduction of the air flow density.

As another method for increasing the cleaning efficiency by using the wake energy, as shown in Publication 2, the air turbine is rotated by the wake energy and the dust releasing brush is rotated by the rotation energy to increase the cleaning efficiency. It has been proposed to measure. When this method is realized, the conversion rate of airflow power to mechanical power from the turbine is low, the loss of the connection system from the turbine to the brush is large, the friction between the brush and the surface to be cleaned is large, and the turbine input Pressure, that is, the back pressure of the fan is increased, and there is a drawback that the efficiency of air power conversion of the fan motor is reduced. Rather, it is more efficient to directly drive the brush with another small motor.

In order to further improve the cleaning efficiency, the method of using ultrasonic waves to release dust by a conventional (suction) method is shown in Publications 6 and 7, but even if dust is released by ultrasonic waves, the suction air flow is Near the surface of the object to be cleaned where the free dust exists (boundary layer,
Dust could not be removed effectively because it did not flow through the viscous layer) and flowed away from the surface.

In addition, there is no method in the prior art in which dust is easily adsorbed on an object to be cleaned in order to increase cleaning efficiency, and dust is easily released.

Next, we will discuss the removal of accumulated dust on the filter, which is a major cause of air power loss. In Publication 9, the dust on the filter surface was scraped off intermittently with a rotary scraper.
11 proposes a method in which the contact is applied to the top of the wave of a wavy filter to drop dust by manual contact excitation, and Publication 10 proposes a method in which the air flow passage direction is switched in the opposite direction when necessary. However, the accumulated dust is intermittently scraped off, or it is performed by a person after a long time of use, so that the dust is accumulated in the meantime. Forgot to operate. If the scraping interval is improper, the aerodynamic power loss will be large.

The next problem in robotization is cleaning the non-floor surface. For a robot that runs automatically, not only cordlessness but also hoseless, that is, integration of the dust collecting port and the main body is an essential requirement. In this case, the vacuum cleaner is essentially dedicated to the floor surface. At this time, it is necessary to provide a cleaning method for non-floor surfaces such as walls, shelves, furniture, curtains and windows.

In the conventional suction type, the upright type comes with a non-floor hose and several suction ports, and there are those that can be connected to the tracheal connection port for the floor or a specially provided connection port, and there are also some cases in the canister type . The reflux method does not see such an example. In the recirculation type, it is necessary to attach a hose to the non-floor surface, and it is necessary to take measures such as using two pipes for intake and recirculation, one combination, or two pipes. . In order to utilize the pressure balance at the recirculation port suction port, the non-floor surface type will also be a two-pipe type. However, the non-floor surface type requires less electric power than the floor type, so that the non-floor surface type can be a single tube suction type. This can simplify handling and configuration.

Although a robot cleaner is ideal, it is difficult to solve the various problems under unexpected conditions due to its technical complexity and unmanned operation, and to put it to practical use all at once because of its large size and high price. For that purpose, first of all, it is necessary to precede the technology for motive power driving. In this case, power steering technology is important.

In the past, most of the movements were carried out manually, but some of them are powered and have an upright / reverse switch on the handle as shown in Publication 12. Also, as in Publication 12-1, there are some which move forward and backward by pushing and pulling the sliding grip of the handle. Further, as disclosed in Publication 15, there is a canister type in which a bar-shaped handle is twistably fixed, and the left and right twists turn the handle base switch ON and OFF to steer left and right.

Since the upright type is not self-sustainable even when it is powered, it has a drawback that a person must hold the handle and a part of the weight must be supported by the person. It is possible to use only an upright structure (installing a filter fan motor on the dust collecting part) to operate and steer a person by supporting the entire weight of the vacuum cleaner on the floor and making it stand alone. The center of gravity is high and unstable. For self-sustaining, a pot type or a canister type in which filters, fans and motors are arranged side by side is preferable. Of course, an intermediate design between the two is also possible. There is an example of a self-supporting power-running type that has manual, simple, stable, small-sized, inexpensive and safe running / steering control means that is not automatically automated by a robot.

That is, at that time, since the human being operates in a standing position, an operating portion is required at a position of a human hand that is far from the main body, and at that position, a steering function for forward / backward / leftward / rightward traveling and a cleaning function are manually operated.

A remote that allows humans to manually operate the vacuum cleaner without touching it.
Control (remote control) will be the next step towards robotization, further reducing human effort. Publications 16 and 17 have proposed a conventional suction-type robot cleaner to which a remote control is added as a means for a human to make a robot learn in advance. However, this remote control and the learning robot described below all require hoseless and cordless, and the conventional suction method is poor in cleaning efficiency and requires a large amount of electric power. Therefore, the battery is large, heavy and expensive. Although trial products have been announced, they have not spread.

Next, a problem in putting the cleaning robot into practical use is how to automatically travel in accordance with various places of use which may be different depending on the user and the time of use. Housewives in ordinary households cannot enter or program requirements. On the other hand, it is technically extremely difficult for a robot to recognize its surroundings with its own sensors and determine the driving route by itself, and it is probably impossible to respond 100% to various unexpected situations. near.

However, even with the learning program method, the conventional suction method shown in publications 16, 17, 18, and 20 has the same problem as the remote control described above, that is, the problem of power, battery, size, weight, and price, and is practically used. Not not.

Further, there is a conventional attempt to automatically avoid the obstacle when a new traveling obstacle which is not included in the learning program is detected, but the program is complicated and malfunction is likely to occur.

In a cordless battery-powered vacuum cleaner, when the battery is in a charged state after cleaning, the heater installed near the dust collection chamber is preliminarily heated to disinfect the dust mites and disinfect the dust. Is proposed in Publication 19.

This is because the ticks are killed by heating with an external power source instead of the battery, which has the advantage that the battery can be made smaller.
However, in order to perform the battery charging and the mite killing and heating at the same time, it is necessary to increase the power (current) capacity of the battery charging circuit, which leads to increase in size and cost. Particularly, the conventional suction type requires a large-capacity battery, and therefore requires a large charging circuit capacity.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems and aims at an ideal vacuum cleaner with high efficiency, low power consumption, small size, light weight, cordless, hoseless, and ultimately a robotized figure, and necessary elements for that purpose. It establishes technology. That is, specifically, the following objects are realized.

Heat generation and dust scattering at the dust collection port, which were the biggest problems in the practical application of the circulation type vacuum cleaner known for high cleaning efficiency (cleaning dust collection amount per power), are solved by optimizing the circulation rate.

Cleaning efficiency is further enhanced by making the jet of reflux, using ultrasonic waves, removing static electricity, and cooling means.

 Improve the cleaning efficiency by improving the dust collection filter.

Achieves a battery-operated cordless floor vacuum cleaner with reduced power consumption due to increased cleaning efficiency.

A method of cleaning a non-floor surface in the case of a reflux type and hoseless is provided.

Realizes remote control of a self-propelled reflux type vacuum cleaner that is hoseless and cordless. Furthermore, a learning robot is realized by learning human remote control operations.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

According to the invention of claim 1, the reflux rate is 98-60%. As a result, it is used for releasing dust, and 2 to 40% is discharged to the outside, and the same amount of fresh low-temperature air is sucked in, and the temperature is suppressed and the reflux is efficiently performed.

According to the invention of claim 2, a nozzle is provided for ejecting the wake of the fan as fumes (jet) near the intake port,
Alternatively, a mechanism driven by a fan wake to strike or vibrate the object to be cleaned is provided near the intake port, or an ultrasonic oscillation source that applies ultrasonic vibration of air to the object to be cleaned is provided near the intake port. Alternatively, a cooling means for lowering the temperature of the air is provided in a part of the passage and / or the return air pipe from the intake port to the exhaust port.

According to the tapping and vibration, airflow power is converted into mechanical power by the turbine, the friction loss with the cleaning surface is smaller than that when the brush is rotated by the turbine, and the air-to-machine conversion efficiency can be improved. . When a wake jet is blown onto the dust in the boundary layer released by ultrasonic waves, the dust rises into the main stream and is easily absorbed.

A means for electrostatically removing the air discharged from the recirculation trachea is provided, and the dust adsorbed on the object to be cleaned can be easily released.

According to the invention of claim 3, the scraper is fixed, the filter is continuously moved, and the accumulated dust on the filter is continuously removed.

Alternatively, an air flow backflow portion is provided for fine dust that has clogged the filter that cannot be scraped off, and a part of the reflux flow is used for the backflow. In this way the air resistance in the filter is always kept to a minimum, the cleaning efficiency is high and the cleaning amount per power is significantly improved. Even floor-level vacuum cleaners can be made cordless because they can use less power, can be made smaller and lighter, and can be made into batteries. Therefore, the invention of claim 4 provides a cordless floor level cleaner mainly including a battery.

According to the invention of claim 5, in the reflux type vacuum cleaner, a vacuum cleaner such as a hoseless upright or canister to which the attached non-floor hose is detachably or fixedly attached can be obtained. Alternatively, a small handy vacuum cleaner dedicated to the non-floor surface can be detachably attached to a vacuum cleaner such as a hoseless upright or canister. Alternatively, the operating body handle is hollow, one end is connected to the switching valve, the other end is connected to the flexible suction pipe, and the suction port is further connected, so that the switching valve can be switched to clean the non-floor surface. To be done.

According to the invention of claim 6, on the premise of the invention of claim 5, the main body is provided with an operating body (handle) for moving and operating the main body on the floor surface, and the operating body is hollow and has a non-floor surface. The intake pipe is also used, and a flexible trachea and a suction port (dust collecting port) are connected to the upper end thereof, or a flexible tracheal holder or a holder for a small vacuum cleaner is provided on the operating body.

According to the invention of claim 7, in a self-sustaining vacuum cleaner having a power drive mechanism for traveling on a floor surface and a steering mechanism for controlling the traveling direction thereof, the main body extends from the main body for a human to steer in standing position. An operation rod (handle) is provided, and an element that operates by gripping the handle is provided on the handle, and the fan motor is turned on by gripping it, and it is turned off by loosening the grip or releasing the hand.

According to the invention of claim 8, the reflux type cordless is further remote controlled. Further, there is a program that causes the robot to learn the traveling route and the cleaning function control in the manual control or the remote control, and after the learning, the same action is repeated according to the learning content. As a learning content of the learning program, in addition to the position, memory is stored for the control of the control elements of the traveling and cleaning functions as a function of the traveling time or the traveling distance.

According to the invention of claim 9, a non-floor handy cleaner is mounted on a hoseless floor cleaner (upright, canister, pot type, etc.) which is a reflux type vacuum cleaner, and a means for charging the cleaner battery is mainly provided. Has been.

According to the invention of claim 10, in the reflux type cordless vacuum cleaner of claim 4, during charging, dust is heated by the electric power from the charging circuit to kill the mites. Alternatively, the cosmetics are made into a vapor or vapor form by charging power to kill dust mites in the main body. Furthermore, the charging and tick killing are staggered in time.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment in which the inventions of claims 1 and 2 are applied to a floor cleaner, and the parts corresponding to those in FIG. 15 are designated by the same reference numerals. A fan 13, a motor 14, and a dust filter 18 are provided inside the main body 11, and the main body 11 is movable on the floor surface by wheels 12. In this example, since the floor surface hose is not used, the floor surface intake port 17 is opened in a semi-cylindrical shape in the front part of the bottom surface of the main body 11, and the center part thereof is connected to the suction side of the filter 18 by the suction air tube 16. There is. The outer peripheral end of the intake port 17 contacts the floor surface with an appropriate pressure. One end of the return air pipe 21 according to the invention of claim 1 is connected to a passage for the fan wake between the motor 14 and the exhaust port 15 provided at the rear end of the main body 11, the return air pipe 21 is extended forward, and the like. The end is connected to a squirt nozzle 22 (claim 2) formed at the opening of the intake port 17. Exhaust port 15
A branch adjusting vane 23 is provided in front of, and the branch adjusting vane 23 is adjusted to adjust the ratio of the exhaust gas amount and the recirculation amount, and the recirculation amount is 98% or less. That is, the suction amount from the intake port 17 is made larger than the ejection amount from the nozzle 22. In addition, it will not fall below 60%.

Most of the fan wake flows out from the nozzle 22 through the recirculation air pipe 21 as high-speed fumes (jet air flow), and by hitting this against the object to be cleaned, dust is released from the object to be cleaned. The dust once separated and entering the airflow is easily sucked through the intake port 17 and guided to the filter 18.

In the conventional vacuum cleaner (FIG. 15), electric power is applied to the fan motor 14 and is further applied to the airflow as air power energy via the fan 13. Airflow energy is suction 17
Is consumed to release the dust from the object to be cleaned, and is then consumed to convey the dust while passing through the suction air pipe 16. The latter is less than the former. Further filter 18
Therefore, a large amount of energy is consumed in order to pass through the fine pores and the dust accumulated on the filter surface. After passing through the fan 13, energy is given, the motor 14 is cooled, and a large amount of high-speed airflow is discharged from the rear exhaust port 15. That is, most of the electric power is discarded as kinetic energy of exhaust gas. In the present invention, this waste energy is reused to release dust from the object to be cleaned near the intake port 17.

The motor 14 is generally a powerful and small type, and is designed to cool the heat generated by iron loss and copper loss by the wake of the fan. Because of this and because of the loss of air power in the fan, the wake after passing the motor has a high temperature. This is 100% nozzle 2 as it is
When it is recirculated to 2, that is, when the branch regulator 23 sets the discharge amount to 0, the fan wake is again sucked into the suction airflow 16 and repeatedly circulated and heated, and the temperature of the entire system rises abnormally ( Recently, there are some that utilize this temperature rise to kill the mites in the dust collection), which damages the equipment and lowers the circulating air flow density, thus reducing the dust releasing ability. However, according to the first aspect of the invention, the branch regulator 23 is adjusted so that the ejection amount from the nozzle 22 is controlled by the intake port 17
It is smaller than the suction amount (equal to the flow rate after being sent from the fan) from 98% to 60%. Therefore, 2% to 40% of cold fresh air is sucked and mixed into the floor suction port 17, and the temperature of the jet airflow can be lowered. There is an optimal ratio for this. Further, this suction air has an effect of preventing dust from being blown out to other than the intake port 17 due to the fumes at the intake port 17.

Another embodiment of the invention of claim 2 will be described.

By reusing the energy behind the fan, mechanically tapping on the principle of wind turbines and blades, instead of vibrating, hitting the object to be cleaned,
The dust can be released by vibrating it. When using the tapping, the tapping piece may be vertically vibrated by wind force, and for example, the rotation of the wind turbine such as an axial flow or an axial cross flow may be converted into vertical movement by a cam or a crank. It is also possible to oscillate on the principle of a fluid element. FIG. 2 shows an example in which the "straightening" method is used. A cylindrical rotating body 28 is rotatably held at the outlet of the reflux air tube 21 by arranging the intake port 17 and the outlet of the reflux air tube 21. The peripheral surface of the cylindrical rotating body 28 has, for example, five notches as shown in the drawing. Formed in each of the cutouts is a valve vane 31 which is free to rotate about an axis 29 parallel to the axis of the rotor 28. The valve vanes 31 are raised to the outside of the rotating body 28 by the return flow, and the rotating body 28 and the return trachea outside the rotating body 28.
The valve vanes 31 block the space formed between the valve vanes 31 like a piston, and the valve vanes 31 are driven by the reflux to rotate the rotating body 28, and the valve vanes 31 collide with the floor surface to cause the floor surface to collide. Slap. By the tapping, the valve blade 31 is housed in the cutout portion of the rotating body 28, and again enters the airflow in the return air tube 21. The number of valve wings 31 provided on the rotating body 28 can be freely designed. In the illustrated example, the valve blade 31 taps the floor surface five times with one rotation of the rotor 28. The large area of the valve vanes 31, the small friction between the valve vanes 31 and the floor surface, and the small number of mechanical conversion stages have the advantage that the backflow backpressure is small.

A further embodiment of the invention of claim 2 will be described.

To save power, ultrasonic waves can be applied to the object to be cleaned near the suction port. When the dust is released by the conventional suction airflow, the airflow becomes a steady flow and the release of the dust becomes insufficient. According to the present invention, when the recirculation of the fan wake is used by squirting the air, the fan wake is a turbulent flow, so the dust adhering to the object to be cleaned is shaken, and the object to be cleaned is shaken by tapping and vibration. Rubbing or shaking with the bristles of a brush enhances the release of dust. However, even in these cases, the frequency of swaying is low, and there are still cases where the release of dust is still unsatisfactory. It is of course effective to give air pressure (sound pressure) vibration using an oscillating source in the human audible frequency range, but this is unnecessary for humans and it is difficult to obtain sufficient sound pressure directivity, which is unnecessary. Radiation of sound pressure occurs in the direction, and the efficiency also decreases. A sharp directivity can be obtained by using an ultrasonic oscillation source in the audible range or higher (15 kHz or higher), and a vibration source capable of focusing can be obtained. If the frequency is too high, the radiation efficiency from the oscillation source to the air deteriorates, and if transmission loss occurs, the reach distance may be 5 cm or less when used in a vacuum cleaner, and the optimum value should be selected in a wide frequency range. It will be possible.

FIG. 5 shows a structural diagram in the vicinity of the suction port 17 to which an ultrasonic wave oscillation source is attached. The one that uses electromagnetic force as the ultrasonic source,
Those using electrostriction, those using magnetostriction, and the like can be used. In the illustrated example, the electrostrictive effect of PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) is used. PV on the inner surface of the semi-cylindrical intake port 17
A DF membrane 36 is attached. FIG. 5A uses electrostriction in the thickness direction and is attached to the inner peripheral surface of the intake port 17,
FIG. 5B uses lateral electrostriction, and an air layer 37 is present between the inner peripheral surface of the intake port 17 and the inner peripheral surface. Both of them are semi-cylindrical, and the sound pressure is focused on the axial center f of the semi-cylindrical, vibrating strongly the object to be cleaned and dust in the vicinity thereof and releasing the dust.

Even if ultrasonic waves are used in the suction method, the dust released by the ultrasonic waves is near the surface of the object to be cleaned, and since the suction airflow is viscous near the surface, a boundary layer / viscous layer is formed and the flow velocity is low, and the dust is effective. It flows off the surface without being removed. When a reflux jet is blown, dust released in the boundary layer near the surface released by this ultrasonic wave rises,
Can be carried into the main air flow.

Still another embodiment of the invention of claim 2 will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 1, a metal tube having a heat exchange function such as a metal tube having a cooling fin 24 is used as the return air tube 21, and by exposing the cooling fin 24 to the outside air, the temperature of the recirculated object downstream of the fan is cooled. can do. Alternatively, a cooling means utilizing the heat of vaporization as shown in FIG. 3 can be provided in the middle of the reflux pipe 21. A water-containing film 25 such as a fiber or paper having a wide surface wet with water is arranged in parallel with the air flow so that the reflux is cooled by the heat of vaporization. A heat pipe can also be used. The water-containing film 25 allows water in the tank 26 below the reflux trachea 21 to be sucked up by the water-containing film 25 by a capillary phenomenon. The cooling by the water-containing film 25 simultaneously gives a temperature to the reflux, and in still another embodiment of the invention of claim 2 which will be described later, it is also useful for removing static electricity of the object to be cleaned, and addition of water molecules in the fumes is a gas. Increases density and improves dust release capacity.

Still another embodiment of the invention of claim 2 will be described below.

When dust is adsorbed to an object to be cleaned by static electricity, a humidification chamber shown in FIG. 3, for example, in the humidification chamber shown in FIG. A static electricity removing agent addition chamber such as the ion generation chamber 32 is provided, and static electricity is removed by applying humidified or ion-added fumes to the object to be cleaned near the air intake 17 to remove dust jets, tapping, or liberation by brushes. It makes it easy. In the ion generating chamber 32, for example, reflux is caused to flow between the discharge electrodes to cause discharge and ionize.

An embodiment of the invention of claim 3 will be described.

The airflow energy causes a large loss due to the airflow passage resistance when passing through the filter 18, especially when the filtered dust is accumulated on the surface of the filter. In order to improve the power usage efficiency of the vacuum cleaner, it is necessary to remove the accumulated dust as early as possible. An example of this embodiment is shown in FIG. The filter 18 has a cylindrical shape, and is rotated around its axis, so that the air flow from the suction air tube 16 is introduced into the filter 18 from the bottom surface of the cylindrical filter 18, and is discharged to the outer periphery through the filter 18. The portion where the airflow is discharged to the outer periphery to filter the dust and collect the dust on the filter is set to an angle range of θ ₀ with respect to the rotation center, and the remaining angle range θ ₁ scrapes off the dust accumulated on the filter 18 by the scraper 33, for example. As a part, the filter 18 sequentially and alternately circulates both parts of θ ₀ and θ ₁ . Therefore, the dust accumulated on the filter 18 is removed early. A dust storage chamber 34 is provided below the filter 18, and the bottom portion of the dust storage chamber 34 can be removed as necessary to remove the stored dust. Scraper 33 filter 18
4 has a cross section shown in FIG. 4B and is fixed to the dust storage chamber 34 at the lower portion thereof. The scraper 33 is twisted in a screw shape so as to generate a component force for moving the dust that has been peeled off downward with the rotation of the cylindrical filter 18. The edge of the scraper 33 is attached so as to contact the filter 18 in the region of θ ₁ . In the illustrated example, the intervals between the edges of the three scrapers 33 and the filter 18 are gradually narrowed in the filter advancing direction. Further, in the region of θ _0, the pressure inside the filter 18 is higher than that of the outside, and the airflow passes through the filter 18 more than inside. However, in the region of θ ₁ , the pressure outside the inside of the filter 18 is higher than that of the outside, and the airflow is outside. When passing through the inside of the scraper 33 and scraping off the dust of the scraper 33, the scraped dust is prevented from returning to the top of the filter 18 again. Remove by inward air flow. For this purpose, the member 35 covers the outer surface of the θ ₁ portion of the filter 18, and a part of the fan wake is introduced into the inside thereof.

In the illustrated example, the filter 18 is made of a rigid material,
By stacking a paper filter or the like on a mesh of metal, synthetic resin, or the like, a flexible endless belt can be obtained, and the same concept can be realized. The belt can bend the passage in the middle of the circulation many times, can form a vast filter area inside a narrow space, and can reduce the passage resistance.

Next, an embodiment of the invention of claim 4 will be described.

In FIG. 1, instead of using the commercial power source with the power cord 19, the secondary battery is housed in the main body 11 and the fan motor 14 is driven to make the main body 11 cordless, which is convenient for movement and power running. . Charging is performed during the rest period. In this case, by using the above-mentioned reflux method, various dust releasing means, and dust removing means of the filter, the power use efficiency is increased, the required power is reduced, and the secondary battery in the main body becomes smaller and lighter. At the floor level, a cordless vacuum cleaner, which has been difficult to put into practical use for home use due to its large size, high weight, high price, and short operating time, can be provided with practical specifications and prices for the first time.

Next, an embodiment of the invention of claim 5 will be described.

Conventional vacuum cleaners cover all the floor surfaces, other wall surfaces, shelves, installations, and non-floor surfaces such as gaps by replacing the intake port at the tip of one suction air tube. At least for the floor surface, the suction trachea can be eliminated (hoseless) by directly connecting the suction port and the main body. From the frequency of use in general houses, most of the cleaning is on the floor, and the frequency of non-floor use is low. Particularly, in the case of the reflux type, two pipes for suction and reflux are required, and for the floor, a hoseless structure in which the dust inlet and the main body are integrated becomes convenient in operation. Therefore, non-floor cleaning requires special consideration in the recirculation type. Therefore, in the invention of claim 5, in the reflux type, the floor suction port is integrated with the main body so as to be hoseless so as to be convenient for moving and self-propelling, and a non-floor suction / recirculation trachea can be attached and detached separately. The non-floor surface is dealt with by providing a mouth on the main body or connecting a non-floor suction / reflux trachea to the main body as a built-in device. Since it is still inconvenient to handle this non-floor suction / reflux double trachea (or double tube) in the reflux type, paying attention to the fact that the non-floor type requires only a small amount of power, so there is only a non-floor type It can be a conventional suction type. FIG. 6 shows an example of a suction type for non-floor surfaces. The intake air passages for the floor surface and the non-floor surface can be switched and used by the valve 41, but may be used simultaneously. In the latter case, for non-floor surfaces, it is necessary to close the intake passage when not in use.

Next, examples of the inventions (a) and (b) of claim 5 and the invention of claim 6 will be given.

Fig. 6 shows an example in which a non-floor suction pipe is built in as a main body, and a holding tool for the main body is also used as a gripping tool and a handle (operating body) for moving the main body described later. . Although not shown, the main body 11 for the return type hoseless floor is provided with a return passage. A rigid non-floor suction trachea 38 is attached to the main body 11 via a connecting portion 39,
38 is connected to the suction air tube 16 in the main body 11, a switching valve 41 is provided at the connection portion, and the switching valve 41 is operated by an external operation to place either the suction air tubes 16 or 38 on the filter 18 side. Can be communicated. The other end of the non-floor suction pipe 38 is connected to a flexible suction pipe (hose) 42, and the hose 42 is connected to a convertible intake port 43. The tip of the hose 42 is housed in a box 44 provided in the rigid non-floor suction tube 38. The rigid non-floor suction pipe 38 also serves as an operating body and a handle for operating the main body 11.The tip of the suction pipe 38 serves as a handle 45, and the suction pipe 38 is ± 90 ° from the vertical direction in the direction of the arrow. It is desirable to be able to freely change the angle to the left and right, if necessary, and to stop at that angle with a free stop.

For cleaning non-floor surfaces such as shelves, walls and ceilings in a recirculation type floor vacuum cleaner, as shown in FIG.
The trachea 38, 42 can be connected and used. However, the suction (/ reflux) trachea may be inconvenient because it is restricted in operation and hits other objects. (C) of the invention of claim 5
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, a general-purpose handy (small) cordless vacuum cleaner 46 with a built-in battery is used as an operating body of the main body 11.
By storing it in the box 48 of 47 (or the main body 11) or attaching it to the box easily so that it can be easily attached and detached, it is possible to use the cordless vacuum cleaner 46 at any time and at any time during the floor surface moving cleaning, without being annoyed by the suction trachea The surface can be cleaned.

The charging of the cordless vacuum cleaner 46 will be described in the embodiment of the invention of claim 9.

The embodiment (b) of the invention of claim 6 is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. In each case, non-floor accessories 42, 43, 46 are attached, installed, or stored in the handle 47 of the main body.

An embodiment of the invention of claim 7 will be described.

In order to make it easier to move the vacuum cleaner manually,
By providing a power running and steering mechanism in 11, and manually electronically controlling the power running function and / or the cleaning function, a human can operate the control unit (switch or variable resistor, etc.) It is possible to save the effort for cleaning. Electric power is used as the power source, and it can be easily realized by applying the technology used in automobiles, transport vehicles, and the like. With or without a cord or hose. In the case of simplification, steering such as running, stopping, forward moving, backward moving, left and right rotation, etc. is necessary, but when local movement is required, left and right movement is possible with another drive wheel for left and right movement separately from forward and backward movement That would be a great convenience. If the cleaning function is simplified, it is necessary to operate / stop the fan, switch the intake port on the smooth surface / rug surface, and switch the floor surface / non-floor surface.

It is desirable that these electronic controls for running, steering, and cleaning be performed by an operation (control) unit that is integrated in one place as much as possible. FIG. 9 shows an example in which the electronic control unit is provided in the handle portion 45 of FIG. 6 or 7, and the handle portion 45 is a support rod (handle) 53.
(38 that also serves as a rigid suction trachea, 47 that does not also serve)
It is slidably fitted to the upper end cylinder of the support rod 53 and can be pushed in the direction of the main body 11 with respect to the support rod 53, pulled backward, and twisted left and right, and the upper end of the support rod 53 is a spring. Both push and pull and left and right twists are held by the neutral position. For example, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the support rod 53
Is inserted into the grip portion 45, the grip portion 45 is held by the support rod 53 so as to be axially movable and rotatable, and the coil springs 55, 56
Are held at neutral points in the axial direction and the rotation direction. Vertically oriented microswitches 57 and 58 are attached to the support rod 53 in the grip portion 45 in the axial direction, and drive protrusions are provided between the operator rollers 57a and 58a of these microswitches 57 and 58.
59 is projected from the inner surface of the handle portion 45. Lateral microswitches 61 and 62 are reversely attached to the support rod 53 between the microswitches 57 and 58, and these microswitches 61 and 6 are
A drive protrusion 59 is located between the two operator rollers 61a and 62a as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 12, a micro switch 63 is housed in the grip 54, and its operator roller 63 is
a protrudes from the grip 54, and the rubber cover 6
4 is covered. When a person grips and pushes the grip portion 54 of the grip portion 45, the grip portion 45 moves in the main body direction from the neutral position,
The spring 56 contracts, the spring 55 expands, the operating roller 57a of the micro switch 57 is driven by the drive projection 59, the micro switch 57 operates, and the forward motor operates. Conversely, if you pull the grip 54 toward you, the micro switch 58 on the drive protrusion 59
Is activated and moves backward. Similarly, when the handle portion 45 is rotated (twisted) to the right by the grip portion 54, the micro switch 61 is actuated by the drive protrusion 59 and moves to the right, and when the handle portion 45 is rotated to the left, the drive protrusion portion 59 is moved.
Then, the micro switch 62 operates and moves left. By gripping the grip portion 54 from the outside of the rubber cover 64, the micro switch 63 comes into contact with the fan motor 14 to operate.
By loosening the grip or releasing the hand, the micro switch 63 is turned off and the fan motor 14 is stopped. If the main functions can be controlled by the hand part with one hand in this way, great convenience can be obtained in use. The main body 11 may be provided with a tow line instead of the rod-shaped handle, and the grip may be provided with an operation unit composed of a similar push button switch group or joystick, or the main body and the operation unit may be separately housed with a signal line group. You may connect with the cord. If you control it with a variable resistor like a joystick, you can also control the speed in an analog way, and you can change the direction to any arbitrary angle.

An example of claim 8- (a) will be given.

FIG. 13 shows an example in which a remote control using a wireless signal transmission means such as infrared rays, radio waves, and ultrasonic waves is combined with a reflux type to increase cleaning efficiency and reduce power consumption to enable cordless operation.

The operation and cleaning operation of the main body 11 are controlled by operating the buttons or the joystick of the controller unit 65 at hand. Since the vacuum cleaner is not touched, no labor is required.

When infrared rays are used for wireless communication, in a room or the like, operation may become unstable if a desk or chair cuts off the transmission / reception path. In this case, signals from the remote control unit 65 as shown in FIG. Subject 11 antenna 66 to receive
The communication path can be secured by setting the position higher on the floor.

An example of claim 8- (b) will be given.

In a cordless vacuum cleaner having a high efficiency of recirculation and having reduced power consumption, a main body 11 has a microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as a microcomputer) and the like built therein, and at least the opening / closing of the control unit (micro switch, joystick, etc.) and control conditions, If necessary, the output of the position sensor such as reflected waves of ultrasonic waves can be stored as a function of time, mileage, or position, and a person can manually control a specific cleaning area in advance, that is, place and direction first. Is set as the main body, then the main body is moved, cleaning is performed by a manual control sequence, and various controls are learned and stored in the microcomputer as a function of time, mileage, or position at that time. From the next time, the main body is set to the initial position in the initial position and the start button is pressed, or every time the time programmed in the microcomputer comes in advance, the cleaning action is repeated according to the control sequence learned first. Positional errors may accumulate over a long period of time (or long mileage) due to differences in the initial set posture, differences in running speed, etc.To correct this, use position sensors, contact sensors, proximity sensors, etc., within the cleaning area. The position error may be corrected intermittently. For example, if the vehicle hits an obstacle such as a wall earlier than the content of the learning program, the value of the odometer of the subject is reset to the value of the distance on the learning program for the obstacle.

In addition, the conventional cleaning robot calculates the position of the subject by the traveling distance sensor and the traveling direction sensor, and stores (learns) the position of the subject.
However, this method requires a complicated calculation program and has the drawback of causing errors. In addition, in claim 8- (b), a method of storing the opening / closing of each switch for traveling and cleaning, the angle of the variable resistor, etc. as a function of traveling distance (or time) for each operation is also provided. It also suggests making it available and simplifying the program. Accumulated errors can be eliminated by transmitting ultrasonic pulses at various points, comparing the reflected signals with those at the time of learning, and calculating and correcting the position error. It is also possible to correct the actual distance counter to the value of the sequence on the program when it is confirmed by the proximity or contact sensor with the wall or the stationary object to eliminate the accumulated error.

In this way, when the learning robot is realized by improving the power efficiency and making the floor cleaner cordless, it is possible to greatly automate floor cleaning and save labor. In this case, the performance / price ratio is good if only the floor running cleaning is automated, the non-floor surface cleaning is manual, and semi-automated, such as when a person runs together with the subject.

An example of claim 8- (c) will be given.

The learning robot repeats the learning after the first learning after the first learning, but generally, after the second learning, it collides with a running obstacle that was not in the first sequence due to chair movement or leaving small articles. It is possible. At this time, a contact sensor is provided in the main body in advance, or contact is detected based on interruption of traveling, change in direction, change in motor current, etc.
Immediately stop the control program sequence, stop the driving drive and cleaning function, sound an alarm such as sound or light, and ask for human assistance. When a person removes the obstacle and corrects the posture of the cleaner and then presses the restart button, the control program sequence begins the continued operation and the running and cleaning functions are resumed. Further, when the obstacle cannot be eliminated without human assistance even after the lapse of a specific time, it is possible to prevent the consumption of the battery by stopping all the functions.

When a tape player or the like is mainly installed and music is played for an appropriate period such as the start, end, and the whole period of automatic cleaning to notify the person, the interface with the person who is doing other actions is improved.

If the cordless floor vacuum cleaner described above becomes practically possible, more advanced functions can be added. For example, an image sensor (for TV, etc.) or a radar using ultrasonic echo is installed in the main body, and a computer having a high-level recognition and judgment function for analyzing the image information and the echo information is built in,
In addition, a robot hand commanded by a computer is provided, small obstacles on the road are pushed to the left and right by a barrier in front of the road, and large obstacles are removed by the robot hand. You can also

The floor is a smooth surface (board, vinyl, linoleum, rubber, etc.),
Recognizing either a quasi-smooth surface (tatami) or a flocked surface such as a carpet, a woven surface, etc., and the floor surface or flocked surface such as the floor surface contact part of the suction port, the brush bristles, the ejection port, the ultrasonic focusing point The distance between and can be automatically adjusted to the optimum.

It is also possible to perform automatic cleaning while grasping the intake port 43 at the end of the non-floor surface flexible suction trachea with a robot hand and recognizing and determining the situation of the non-floor surface.

As a result, the ultimate goal of an unmanned and automatic vacuum cleaner is realized.

An embodiment of claim 9 will be described with reference to FIGS.

When the handy small vacuum cleaner shown in FIG. 7 is used for non-floor surfaces, the handle 47 is provided with a charging connector 49, and when the small cordless vacuum cleaner 46 is housed in the box 48, the charging terminal of the vacuum cleaner 46. It is convenient to use if the structure is such that is connected to the plug 49. When the main body 11 is operated by the AC power source, the main body 11 can be provided with the charger 51 as shown in FIG. 8A. It can be recharged during cleaning or in charging mode. Subject 11
When the main body 11 is connected to the charger 52 provided outside or in the storage stand or storage box as shown in FIG. 8B, the charging voltage is distributed in parallel to the handy cordless vacuum cleaner 46 as well. Can be done. Further, the storage battery of the handy cordless vacuum cleaner 46 can be charged from the storage battery 53a of the main body 11. These can be appropriately combined and used by switching. Further, the maximum current of the charger can be lowered by shifting the charging temporally so as not to overlap the charging period for the main body 11 and the charging period for the handy cordless vacuum cleaner 46. Charging is performed when the main body 11 is installed / stored in the storage stand or the storage box,
It is desirable that the battery has already been charged when it is desired to reuse it. Power is supplied by automatic (or manual) plug connection or electromagnetic coupling when the main body 11 is installed or stored, and the charging circuit is automatically disconnected when both the main body 11 and the handy cordless vacuum cleaner 46 are fully charged. By doing so, forgetting to charge can be prevented.

The embodiment of claim 10 will be described.

Recently, harmful effects of mites and the like have been noticed, and as a tick-killing mechanism, a method of killing a collision by a high-speed airflow and a method of killing insects by raising the temperature by using a motor heat generation by circulating an airflow in a closed loop have been announced. However, if the cleaning efficiency is increased, the airflow does not have to be high speed, and the temperature of the circulating airflow may not be sufficiently increased because power consumption can be reduced. Especially when the cordless type is used, an unnecessary increase in the air flow velocity and closed loop circulation heating unnecessarily consume the storage battery. Therefore, in claim 10, when the main body is installed on the storage stand or stored in the storage box after the cleaning is completed,
The power switch connector terminal provided on the storage base or storage box automatically contacts the main power receiver connector terminal (the plug connector may be manually inserted). hand,
By coupling such as exciting the electromagnetic coupling coil, a charger provided outside or on a storage stand / storage box supplies power to the main body and non-floor handy cordless vacuum cleaner to charge respective storage batteries. At that time, as shown in FIG. 14, the heater 52 of the dust storage chamber 34 is energized by the electric power of the charger 52 and / or the storage battery 53a during charging of the main body or the like to heat the dust or to kill insects or molds.
When a chemical such as sterilizer is evaporated, vaporized or atomized by heating and introduced into the dust storage chamber 34, insects can be killed from an external AC power source.
Energy for mold killing / sterilization is obtained, power consumption of the storage battery 53a is prevented, and a large amount of external power can be used for insecticidal, mold killing / sterilizing.

For heating, not only the dedicated electric heater 67 of the dust storage chamber 34 but also a closed loop circulating air flow can be used.

An AC power supply may be used directly for heating without passing through the charger 52 or the storage battery 53a. In this case, the control circuit increases, but the charger
The load on the battery 52 and the storage battery 53a can be reduced.

When the charging and the insecticide (mold killing / sterilization) are performed in different periods as in claim 10- (c), the current capacity of the charger and the storage battery or the AC power supply can be reduced. it can.

Claim 10 uses a reflux type high efficiency product as a vacuum cleaner, so that even if charging and insecticide are performed at the same time, the output current of the charging circuit can be smaller than that of the conventional type, which is small, An inexpensive charging circuit can be used. According to claim 10- (c) in which the periods are shifted, the size and cost are further reduced.

As in the case of charging, if the main body is stored and stored, the process of insecticidal / mold / sterilization is automatically performed.
It has the advantage that humans do not have to wait until the end and do not forget to kill insects, molds and sterilization.

The elemental technologies have been described above in response to the respective claims, but examples of various vacuum cleaners that combine them will be given below.

A synergistic action / effect can be obtained.

I. The invention of claims 1, 2 and 3 is to increase the cleaning efficiency per power consumption and to reduce the power consumption of the fan and the fan motor, etc., thereby reducing the power consumption of a floor level vacuum cleaner. Is possible. Therefore, even if the cord is attached, it is useful for reducing the weight and size of the subject, making it convenient to move around and welcomed by an aging society. Further, the reduction of the exhaust gas by using the wake of the fan serves to reduce the noise mainly generated from the exhaust gas and enables the use of the exhaust silencer (muffler). It also reduces the emission of fine dust and mite fragments that pass through the filter, which is good for hygiene.

Since the cleaning efficiency against electric power can be improved, the electric power of the fan motor can be reduced, and the battery capacity can be reduced by the generation of claims 1, 2, and 3, as shown in claim 4, it is cordless even for the floor level. Because it is possible, it is cordless, small, lightweight,
It is possible to realize a low-noise, floor-mounted intake pipe-less human-powered mobile cleaner. It has a good performance / price ratio and an absolute price value, which makes it a convenient first-level vacuum cleaner. The appearance of one example is shown in FIG.

Of course, the floor / level cordless type with hose, such as the main shoulder type, is often welcomed for its performance / price ratio.

B. Further, when the invention of claim 7 is combined, it is only necessary for a person to operate the control section, and the main body has the power running capability, so that the labor can be further saved. The handle portion 45 of FIG. 6 has the structure of FIG. 9, and the control signal line from the handle portion is integrated with the support rod 53 and guided into the main body. In this way, the power-driven traveling second level cleaner is obtained.

When combined with claim 8- (a), it becomes a remote controller, so rather the non-floor surface is transferred to another commercially available small handy (using secondary battery) cleaner, and is a canister type, and the handle is also shown in FIG. Performance /
It provides a 2-A level vacuum cleaner with a good price ratio and ease of use.

C. In the vacuum cleaner of the second level or the second-A level,
By combining claims 8 (b) and (c), a vacuum cleaner of the third level and the third-A level with a learning function is provided.

In the storage position of the vacuum cleaner, the built-in secondary battery is charged by the commercial power source in advance. From the storage position or another specific position (one corner of the room, etc.) as a starting point, a person first performs cleaning, and the connection / disconnection state of various (running and cleaning) control signals at that time is changed with time or the distance traveled by the main body. The position function is stored in the built-in microcomputer (that is, learned). Higher position accuracy is generally obtained by using a function of the travel distance rather than time. It is also simpler than using a position function. Of course, it may be a position function. The mileage is obtained from the rotation of the wheels attached to the subject.

In the above method, if there is an installation posture of the main body at the starting point, (especially the traveling direction angle), or a direction angle variation due to a traveling resistance variation during traveling, the error angle of the traveling position is integrated,
Position accuracy is reduced. In consideration of this error in advance, it is possible to take measures by, for example, gradually overlapping the sweep width during one scan during learning. However, if you run continuously in a large room to clean, there will be a residual cleaning residue at the end due to cumulative error.
There is a risk that the edge of the vacuum cleaner will hit the wall. These are (a) a plurality of contact or proximity sensors are mainly provided, and the vehicle travels in a straight line scan until it comes in contact with or comes close to the front wall and then stops. This can be corrected by correcting the posture and further correcting the traveling distance so as to start a new scan.

Further, (b) an ultrasonic pulse is emitted in the front and rear X directions and the left and right Y directions, the arrival time (positional information) of the main reflected wave is stored at the same time during learning, and the echo storage is reproduced after the second time. By controlling the steering of the main body in this manner, it is possible to travel while reproducing the position at the time of learning almost faithfully. At higher altitude, the position can be determined by (c) ultrasonic radar, image sensor or the like.

The problem in this case is that the placement of the installation objects on the floor surface may differ between the time of learning and the time of actual cleaning. Forgetting to leave it on the surface occurs everyday. This can be prevented by re-installing or inspecting by a person before cleaning. However, in the unlikely event of an oversight, etc., when you encounter a running obstacle that did not exist during learning while driving, small objects can be pushed away by the exclusion barrier attached to the subject, or if you can not push it away, stop running It is necessary to consider such things as issuing an alarm sound and asking for human assistance. If the cause cannot be eliminated within a specified time even if an alarm is issued, it is necessary to consider disconnecting a large power device such as a fan motor or total power from the secondary battery. One of the important factors is improving the interface with humans by using the music mentioned above.

In this way, the third and third-A levels are realized. This method has the advantage that it can be automated with a relatively small increase in price.

In the third level, only the traveling of the main body is automated, and a person follows the traveling of the main body or separately and manually performs non-floor cleaning. At level 3-A, cleaning of non-floor surfaces is difficult and difficult to automate, and is manually performed using a handy vacuum cleaner or the like.

D. At the 3rd or 3rd-A level, an altitude sensor such as an image sensor (such as a video camera or an ultrasonic radar) is used to complement or replace the position determination and to recognize a traveling obstacle on the traveling road. Exclude or remove by adding a robot arm or make a detour decision. Although it is possible to recognize and judge these with the current technology, there is a problem in increasing the price and increasing the size of the device. However, future prices are expected to fall to the practicable range.

The condition of the floor surface (smooth surface and rug) may be judged by the image sensor, but it can be judged by the reflectance of other light or ultrasonic waves, the degree of scattering of the reflected light, etc. In this case, the price does not increase significantly. . Thereby, the adjustment of the suction port, for example, the setting of the upper and lower sides of the brush surface can be automated. Although the price is high, a vacuum cleaner of the 4th level or the 4-A level is made.

E. In principle, it has been successful in part to recognize the shape of a three-dimensional object by automatically determining the non-floor surface by grasping the non-floor surface with an image sensor and grasping the non-floor suction opening with a robot arm. However, the present technology requires more cognitive logic and improvement, and it is necessary to wait for further progress in practical use. If it is realized up to this point, a fully automated fifth level vacuum cleaner can be realized, but it will be even more practical in the future due to its large size and price. But,
It is not impossible with current technology.

[Advantages of the Invention] According to the present invention, by reusing the fan wake energy that was conventionally discarded, the jet is blown, hit, or ultrasonically used to release the dust and humidify it. Dust can be easily released by removing static electricity, and dust accumulated on the filter surface can be moved through the filter to scrape it off. , The cleaning efficiency per power consumption is increased by removing the accumulated dust on the filter showing the maximum intake resistance in the system, and the power required for cleaning is reduced. For this reason, the vacuum cleaner is reduced in size and weight, convenient to move, and has the effects of achieving low noise and hygiene. In addition, the capacity of the battery used when it is made cordless becomes smaller, and the weight of the battery is reduced, making it possible to make the cordless even at the floor level in terms of size, weight, and price. Since a large area is cleaned, the convenience of making the cordless is great.

Further, based on the above-mentioned effects, the floor level is made hoseless to improve mobility, and a moving gripping body is provided to enable manual traveling or power-driven traveling, facilitating operation during human movement. It has the effect of realizing labor saving.

Further, by the above-mentioned effects, the automation of cleaning is simplified by learning the control of the cleaning performed by the first person and repeatedly executing the learning from the next time. In addition, the countermeasures against obstacles at that time can be simplified, automation can be practically made in terms of size, weight, and price, and there is an effect that a person can be released from the regular cleaning work that is performed almost regularly.

Further, due to the above-mentioned various effects, it is possible to realize a cleaning robot, and it is possible to bring more advanced functions closer to practical use with the progress of recognition technology.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention in which a jet air flow is created by utilizing a fan wake to enhance the cleaning effect, and FIG. 2 is a dust collection in which a hitting body is driven by a fan wake to enhance cleaning efficiency. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the mouth portion, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of means for cooling and heating the fan wake, and FIGS. 4A and 4B are respectively for continuously removing accumulated dust from the filter. A longitudinal sectional view showing the movable filter and its AA sectional view, FIGS. 5A and 5B are sectional views of an intake port with an ultrasonic wave source provided to improve cleaning efficiency, and FIG. 6 is a floor level cleaning. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention in which a means for cleaning a non-floor surface is provided in the machine, FIG. 7 is an external view showing an example in which a handy cordless vacuum cleaner for the non-floor surface is mounted, and FIG. Is a diagram showing the charging connection between the main body and the Handy compact cordless vacuum cleaner,
FIG. 9 is an external view of the grip portion 45 of FIG. 6 having a manual control unit for driving by power, FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view thereof, and FIG.
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 12, FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the grip 54 in FIG. 9, FIG. 13 is an external view showing an embodiment of a remote control system during power running, and FIG. Connection diagram showing an example in which a heater for dust heating is connected when is connected, Fig. 15 is a structural diagram explaining the technology of a conventional vacuum cleaner, and Fig. 16 is a conventional semi-reflux cleaner technology. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating.

Claims (10)

[Claims] Claim: What is claimed is: 1. A blower fan (hereinafter referred to as a fan) operates to suck in air from an intake port, the sucked air is passed through a dust (hereinafter referred to as dust) filter to capture the dust, and the air passed through the filter. In a vacuum cleaner that exhausts air from the exhaust port, a recirculation trachea that guides 98 to 60% of the air supplied from the fan to the exhaust port (hereinafter referred to as the fan wake) to the intake port must be provided. Vacuum cleaner characterized by. 2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the fan wake guided by the reflux air duct is ejected as fumes (hereinafter referred to as a jet) into the vicinity of the intake port, and the vicinity of the intake port. A mechanism for tapping or vibrating the object to be cleaned driven by the fan wake guided by the reflux air duct, and to apply ultrasonic vibration of air to the object to be cleaned provided near the intake port An ultrasonic source, a passage provided from the intake port to the exhaust port, and / or a cooling means provided in a part of the return air pipe to lower the temperature of the air passing through the inside, and air released from the return air pipe. On the other hand, a vacuum cleaner comprising at least one of means for imparting a static electricity removing function. 3. A cleaning method in which air is sucked from an intake port by the operation of a fan, the sucked air is passed through a dust (hereinafter referred to as "dust") filter to capture the dust, and the air passing through the filter is exhausted from an exhaust port. In the machine, the dust filter is a portion for filtering dust from the suction air flow, a dust removing portion for scraping off dust adhering to the filter, a means for cyclically moving the filter to both of these portions, and the dust removing portion for the filter. And a means for passing at least a part of the fan wake in a direction opposite to the suction direction. 4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the cleaning ability is at a floor level, and the filter, the fan, and a driving energy source of the fan are housed in the main body, and the main body is housed in the main body. , A vacuum cleaner characterized in that a main weight support is attached so that it can rotate and slide on the floor. 5. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the main body is provided with a floor air inlet or dust inlet (having an air inlet and an air outlet) facing the floor, and the main body is on the floor surface. A floor cleaner to which a main body weight support member is attached so as to be rotatable and slidable, comprising at least one of the following (a) to (c). (A) A non-floor surface cleaning flexible trachea (hose) which is provided in the main body and can be connected to the floor surface intake port or the dust collection port side of the fan is detachable or remains attached. A coupling port used by switching the flow path. (B) A non-floor surface hose connected to the floor surface intake port or dust collection port side of the fan, and a holder provided on the main body for holding the hose. (C) A small vacuum cleaner with a built-in battery that is detachably attached to the above main body. 6. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 5 (b) or (c), wherein an operating body (handle) for moving the main body on the floor is attached to the main body, and any one of the following structures is provided. A vacuum cleaner characterized by having. (A) A structure in which the operating body (handle) is hollow and also serves as a non-floor surface intake pipe, and a flexible trachea and an intake port (dust collection port) are connected to the upper end thereof. (B) A structure in which the holder for the flexible trachea or the holder for a small vacuum cleaner is provided on the operating body. 7. A self-sustaining vacuum cleaner having a power drive mechanism for traveling on a floor surface and a steering mechanism for controlling the traveling direction thereof. An operating rod extending from the subject for manipulating the subject in a standing position. A vacuum cleaner characterized in that a handle) is provided, and an element that operates by gripping the handle is provided in the handle, and the fan motor is turned on by gripping it and turned off by loosening the grip or releasing the hand. . 8. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, further comprising a traveling / steering mechanism by power, and the following (a), (b),
A vacuum cleaner having at least one of (c). (A) A remote controller that wirelessly transmits signals corresponding to various driving and steering commands when manually input,
A receiving unit that is provided in the main body, receives a signal from the remote controller, and controls at least the drive mechanism and the steering mechanism according to the signal. (B) A control circuit for controlling the traveling / steering mechanism and the cleaning function in the main body, and learning for storing the control for the traveling / steering mechanism and the cleaning function in the cleaning area as a function of traveling time or traveling distance or position. A program and means for executing cleaning according to this learning program are provided. (C) Means for interrupting running and cleaning and issuing an alarm when an obstacle not included in the learning program is detected during the cleaning operation. 9. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 5 is provided with means for charging a storage battery in the small vacuum cleaner through the main body with the small vacuum cleaner attached to the main body. 10. A vacuum cleaner for driving a fan with the electric power of a storage battery provided in the main body of claim 4, which operates when the storage battery is charged from the outside (a),
A vacuum cleaner having at least one of (b) and (c). (A) A means for heating the dust in the main body by using the charging power source power. (B) Use the above charging power source to vaporize chemicals,
Means for contacting dust inside the main body in the form of vapor. (C) Means for preventing the charging of the storage battery and the heating or vaporization of the chemical from overlapping in time.