TWI691299B - Autonomous walking electric sweeping robot - Google Patents

Abstract

[Subject Item] Provide a self-propelled electric sweeping robot that can set the cleaning area according to the user's preferences. [Solution item] A self-propelled electric sweeping robot equipped with: a driving wheel that moves itself; and a distance measuring sensor for the ground, which can detect the length of the distance from the ground for the set threshold, in response to the distance measuring for the ground The detection result of the sensor changes the route, and the threshold can be changed.

Description

Autonomous walking electric sweeping robot

The invention relates to an autonomous walking electric sweeping robot.

As an electric sweeping robot that cleans a fallen ground, a self-propelled electric sweeping robot that is driven autonomously is known. Self-propelled electric floor-sweeping robots are expected to sweep over more than one room, but there is a difference in height between the room or between rooms, so a structure that can continuously sweep across this is required.

Patent Document 1 is to provide an electric sweeping robot 11 that can accurately detect whether it can cross the height difference D, and can accurately prevent the card from being caught in the convex height difference D that cannot be crossed, or falling to be unable to cross The case of concave height difference D (0047). [Prior Technical Literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2014-226266

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

In Patent Document 1, the height difference sensor 21 detects whether the height difference can be crossed, but when it is determined that the height difference can be crossed, it is prepared to reach the opposite side of the height difference. Because the boundary (threshold value) of the height difference is fixed, there is a range (sweepable area) that can be reached from the point where the self-discipline drive (self-discipline cleaning) starts to the self-propelled walking electric sweeping robot (sweepable area) than the user expects Be broad. However, there are cases where users do not want to enter an area where a self-propelled electric sweeping robot does not want to enter, such as at home, so it is desirable to limit or expand the cleaning area according to the user's preference. [Means to solve the problem]

The present invention completed in view of the above circumstances is a self-propelled electric sweeping robot including: a driving wheel that moves itself; and a distance measuring sensor for the ground, which can detect the length of the distance from the ground for the set threshold In response to the detection result of the above-mentioned distance measuring sensor on the ground, the route is changed. The characteristic is that the threshold can be changed.

Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a self-propelled electric sweeping robot according to an embodiment of the present invention viewed from the left front. In addition, in the direction in which the self-propelled electric sweeping robot S travels, the side where the side brush 7 is provided is regarded as the front, and the vertical upper side is regarded as the upper side, and the driving wheel 2 side is oriented in the direction where the driving wheels 2 and 3 face As the left, the drive wheel 3 side is regarded as the right. That is, as shown in FIG. 1 etc., the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions are defined.

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of an autonomous walking electric sweeping robot.

The self-propelled electric cleaning robot S is an electric machine that automatically cleans a predetermined cleaning area (for example, the floor Y of the room) while autonomously moving.

The self-propelled electric sweeping robot S includes a shell 1 (1u, 1s) having an outer contour, a pair of drive wheels 2 and 3 (see FIG. 2 ), and an auxiliary wheel 4 in the lower part. Moreover, the self-propelled electric sweeping robot S is provided with a rotating brush 5, a guide brush 6 and a side brush 7 in the lower part, and a distance measuring sensor 8 as a means for detecting obstacles around it (see FIGS. 2 and 3) ,Figure 4).

The drive wheels 2 and 3 are wheels for rotating the drive wheels 2 and 3 themselves to advance, retreat and revolve the self-propelled electric sweeping robot S. The driving wheels 2 and 3 are arranged on the left and right sides of the diameter, and are driven to rotate by wheel units 20 and 30 composed of a traveling motor and a speed reducer, respectively. The auxiliary wheel 4 is a driven wheel, that is, a freely rotating caster. The driving wheels 2 and 3 are provided on the center side in the front-back direction of the self-propelled electric sweeping robot S and outside in the left-right direction, and the auxiliary wheels 4 are provided on the front side in the front-rear direction and in the center side in the left-right direction.

The side brush 7 is provided on the front side of the self-propelled electric sweeping robot S and outside in the left-right direction, as shown by arrow α1 in FIG. 1, to move the area outside the front of the self-propelled electric sweeping robot S in the left-right direction The outer side rotates so as to sweep toward the inner direction, and collects dust on the ground to the side of the rotating brush 5 (see FIG. 2) in the center. The two guide brushes 6 are fixed to the drive wheels 2 and 3 on the inner side in the left-right direction, and are fixed so that the dust collected by the side brush 7 does not escape from the rotating brush 5 to the outside. brush.

The rotating brush 5 is provided behind the driving wheels 2 and 3 of the autonomous walking electric sweeping robot S. The positions of the left and right end portions of the left and right sides of the rotating brush 5 may be inside of the driving wheels 2 and 3 or inside of the guide brush 6, respectively. For example, the self-propelled electric sweeping robot S shown in this embodiment has a body with a width and length of approximately 250 mm and a body height of approximately 90 mm.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of Fig. 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an internal structure in which the shell of the self-propelled electric sweeping robot is disassembled. In addition, FIG. 4 shows a state where the dust box 12 is detached.

As shown in FIG. 3, the self-propelled electric sweeping robot S includes a rechargeable battery 9, a control device 10, a suction fan 11, and a dust box 12 inside. As an inlet of the dust box 12, a suction port 12i is formed above the rotating brush 5. In addition, the dust collecting box 12 is provided with a dust collecting filter 13 at the outlet.

The rechargeable battery 9 is, for example, a secondary battery that can be reused by charging, and is stored in the battery storage portion 1s6. The rechargeable battery 9 is arranged over the left and right ends of the self-propelled electric sweeping robot S. The electric power from the rechargeable battery 9 is supplied to various obstacle detection means (8, 15, 16), the control device 10, the motors of the driving wheels 2, 3 or various brushes (5, 7), the suction fan 11, and the like. The self-propelled electric sweeping robot S is controlled by the control device 10.

(Suction fan 11) As shown in FIG. 4, the suction fan 11 is arranged near the center of the lower case 1s. The flow path of the air caused by the suction fan 11 is provided in order from the suction port 14 (see FIG. 3) toward the downstream side: a dust box 12, a dust filter 13, a suction fan 11, and an exhaust port 1s5 (refer to figure 2). The exhaust port 1s5 is provided in front of the rotary brush 5 and inward in the left-right direction of the drive wheels 2 and 3. By driving the suction fan 11 (refer to FIG. 3 ), the air in the dust box 12 is discharged from the exhaust port 1s5 to the outside to generate a negative pressure, and the dust is sucked into the dust box 12 through the suction port 14 from the ground Y.

Near the suction port 14, a rotating brush 5 (see FIG. 3) for sweeping dust on the ground is provided. The suction fan 11 is provided through an elastic body (not shown) between the lower case 1s. By interposing an elastic body, the vibration of the suction fan 11 is attenuated and it is difficult to transmit it to the lower case 1s, which can reduce vibration and noise.

When the suction fan 11 and the rotating brush motor 5m (refer to FIG. 4) are driven, dust such as the ground is swept in by the rotating brush 5 (refer to FIG. 3). The dust that is swept in is guided into the dust box 12 through the suction port 14 and the suction port 12i. The air after the dust is removed by the dust collection filter 13 is discharged through the exhaust port 1s5 (refer to FIG. 2 ). The dust box 12 can be opened and removed by opening the cover 1u1 (see FIG. 1) provided on the upper case 1u, and the dust filter 13 can be removed to discard the dust.

(Overview of the operation of the self-propelled electric sweeping robot S) 　　The self-propelled electric sweeping robot S is moved autonomously by the driving wheels 2, 3 and the auxiliary wheel 4 (refer to FIG. 2), and can perform forward, backward, left and right rotation , Turning in place, etc. In addition, the self-propelled electric sweeping robot S collects the dust collected by the side brush 7 and the guide brush 6 and attaches the dust around the rotating brush 5 through the suction port 14 and sucks the suction force of the fan 11 to remove the dust. The suction port 12i at the inlet of the box 12 is sucked into the dust box 12, and is retained in the dust box 12 by the dust filter 13 at the outlet.

If dust accumulates in the dust box 12, the user is appropriately allowed to detach the dust box 12 from the body portion Sh, and the dust filter 13 is removed to discard the dust.

(Shell 1) The 　　 case 1 has an outer contour, and is a housing for housing the wheel units 20, 30, the rotary brush motor 5m, the suction fan 11, the dust box 12, the control device 10, and the like.

The case 1 includes an upper case 1u which becomes an upper wall, a lower case 1s which becomes a bottom wall (and a part of side walls), and a bumper 1b provided at a lower portion before the case 1.

The upper case 1u is provided with a cover 1u1 (refer to FIG. 1) for accessing the dust box 12 (refer to FIG. 3).

As shown in FIG. 2, the lower case 1s is formed with a wheel unit housing portion 1s1, a side brush mounting portion 1s3, a suction portion 1s4, an exhaust port 1s5, and a battery housing portion 1s6.

The wheel unit accommodating portion 1s1 is formed on the left and right sides of the center of the lower shell 1s that is substantially circular in plan view in FIG. 2.

The wheel unit accommodating portion 1s1 accommodates the wheel units 20 and 30 for supporting and driving the drive wheels 2 and 3.

The exhaust port 1s5 is formed in the vicinity of the center of the lower case 1s and is formed at a position sandwiched by the left and right wheel unit housing portions 1s1.

The battery housing portion 1s6 is formed on the front side of the center of the lower case 1s. The rechargeable battery 9 is stored in the battery storage portion 1s6. A side brush mounting portion 1s3 for mounting the side brush 7 is formed on the left and right of the battery housing portion 1s6.

A suction portion 1s4 (see FIG. 2) is provided on the rear side of the lower case 1s, that is, the exhaust port 1s5 and the rear side of the wheel unit housing portion 1s1.

The bumper 1b (refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2) is provided so as to be able to move forward and backward in response to the force applied from the outside when it collides with an obstacle such as a wall. The bumper 1b is urged outward by a pair of left and right bumper springs (not shown).

If the force at the time of collision with the obstacle through the bumper 1b acts on the bumper spring, the bumper spring will be deformed to fall inward when viewed from above, allowing the bumper 1b to spring Back off. If the bumper 1b moves away from the obstacle and the aforementioned force disappears, the bumper 1b is returned to its original position by the spring thrust of the bumper spring. In addition, the backward movement of the bumper 1b (that is, contact with an obstacle) is detected by a bumper sensor 15 (see FIG. 4) described later, and the detection result is input to the control device 10.

(Suction part 1s4) The suction part 1s4 shown in FIG. 3 is a part that forms a flow path of air, and the air contains dust attracted by the suction fan 11. The downstream flow path from the suction portion 1s4 communicates in order: the dust box 12, the dust filter 13, the suction fan 11, and the exhaust port 1s5 (see FIG. 2).

The suction brush 1s4 is provided with a rotary brush 5 that sweeps in dust, and a rotary brush motor 5m for driving the rotary brush 5 is fixed (see FIG. 4 ). The suction part 1s4 is formed with a suction port 14 that sucks the dust swept in by the rotating brush 5 into the dust box 12. Moreover, the rotating brush 5 (refer FIG. 2) has substantially the same length as the suction part 1s4.

As shown in FIG. 3, the suction port 14 communicates with the suction port 12i of the opening of the dust box 12, so that the dust passes through the suction port 14 and the suction port 12i to be collected in the dust box 12.

In the suction part 1s4, the rotating brush accommodating part 14b which accommodates the rotating brush 5 is formed in the lower case 1s, and the above-mentioned rotating brush 5 is arrange|positioned in the rotating brush accommodating part 14b. The rotating brush 5 is rotatably attached to the suction portion 1s4. The rotating brush 5 is detachably attached to the suction portion 1s4.

(Dust collection box 12) The dust collection box 12 shown in FIG. 3 is a container for collecting dust, and the dust is sucked from the ground Y through the suction port 14 formed in the suction part 1s4. The dust box 12 has substantially the same size as the rotating brush 5 in the left-right direction.

The dust box 12 includes a main body for storing the recovered dust, a cover for taking out the recovered dust, and a foldable handle at the upper part of the main body. The lower surface of the main body of the dust box 12 has a shape corresponding to the shape of the upper portion of the suction portion 1s4, and has a suction port 12i having an opening shape substantially the same as that of the suction port 14. The cover is opposed to the suction port of the suction fan 11 and includes the aforementioned dust collection filter 13.

(Obstacle detection means 8, 15, 16) As an obstacle detection means, a bumper sensor 15, a distance measuring sensor 8 for the front, and a distance measuring sensor 16 for the ground shown in FIG. 4 are provided. The bumper sensor 15 is a sensor that detects the contact between the bumper 1b (see FIG. 1) and an obstacle by the backward movement of the bumper 1b, for example, a photocoupler. When the obstacle contacts the bumper 1b, the sensor light is blocked by the backward movement of the bumper 1b. The detection signal is output to the control device 10 according to the change.

The aforementioned distance measuring sensor 8 is a distance measuring sensor that uses infrared rays to measure the distance from an obstacle, and is provided 5 to 15 mm inward from the surface of the bumper 1b. In addition, the vicinity of the distance measuring sensor 8 of the bumper 1b is formed of resin or glass through which infrared rays penetrate. The aforementioned distance measuring sensor 8 for the front senses the reflected light of infrared rays from an obstacle, and measures the distance by the intensity of the reflected light. The case where the intensity of the reflected light is strong is judged to be closer, and the case where it is weak is judged to be farther. That is to say, the distance from the obstacle is not determined by the binary value of 0 or 1, but a distance sensor that can determine the distance from the obstacle in a complex stage (quasi-analog). The front distance measuring sensor 8 is provided on the main body front surface 8a, the left side surface 8b, the right side surface 8c, the left front surface 8d between the front surface and the left side surface, and the right front surface 8e between the front and right side surfaces, for a total of 5 Pcs. In this embodiment, although all 5 are distance measuring sensors that can measure the "distance" in plural stages, at least either the left side 8b or the right side 8c can measure the "distance" in plural stages. Sensor. In addition, as the distance measuring sensor 8 for the front, visible light, ultraviolet light, and laser light can also be used. Moreover, it may not be a type of distance measuring sensor that measures the intensity of infrared rays, but a type that measures the distance by sensing the light receiving position of the reflected light, or a type that measures the distance from the time when the reflected light returns .

The distance measuring sensor 16 for the ground shown in FIG. 2 is a distance measuring sensor using infrared rays to measure the distance from the ground, and is provided at four places (16a, 16b, 16c, 16d) at the front, back, left, and right sides of the lower surface of the lower case 1s. ). If the distance sensor 16 on the ground detects that the distance to the ground is more than a threshold (the height difference is large), by changing the route of the self-propelled electric sweeping robot S, the fall from the height difference can be suppressed , Or it can suppress the situation of continuously going to the height difference that cannot be crossed. The distance measuring sensor 16 for the ground can detect the "descent height difference" of the self-propelled electric sweeping robot S toward a position lower than the current height, and can also detect the "rise" toward a position higher than the current height Height difference". For example, when the self-propelled electric sweeping robot S is advancing, the detection of the height difference of the descent can be detected by using the distance measuring sensor 16 for the ground in front of the ground with a large distance from the ground. Moreover, the detection of the height difference is because the self-propelled electric sweeping robot S wants to climb the height difference and tilt, so it detects that the distance between the ground-based distance measuring sensor 16 and the ground is small, and the front It is possible that the distance between the ground-based distance measuring sensor 16 and the ground is large (see FIG. 14 ). In the present embodiment, the self-propelled electric sweeping robot S has to change the path of a large descending height difference and an ascending height difference, and each adds an adjective of "above threshold".

The setting of the threshold value can be changed, and it can be appropriately changed by the control device 10 during autonomous driving, or the user can change it by operating the button bu. For example, when the threshold is set to "normal", when the ground distance measuring sensor 16 detects a height difference of more than 30 mm (first ground threshold) in front, the control device 10 (see FIG. 3) The driving wheels 2 and 3 are controlled to retreat the main body Sh, and the direction of the self-propelled electric sweeping robot S is switched. In addition, when the height difference corresponding to the threshold is set to “low”, when a height difference lower than about 30 mm, for example, 15 mm (second ground threshold) or more, is detected, the control device 10 controls the drive wheel 2 , 3 to move the main body Sh backward, and change the direction of the self-propelled electric sweeping robot S.

(Control device 10) The control device 10 shown in FIG. 3 is configured by mounting a microcomputer and peripheral circuits on a substrate, for example. The microcomputer reads out the control program memorized in ROM (Read Only Memory), expands it in RAM (Random Access Memory), and executes it by CPU (Central Processing Unit), thereby realizing various processes. The peripheral circuits include: A/D, D/A converters, drive circuits for various motors, sensor circuits, charging circuits for the rechargeable battery 9, and the like.

The control device 10 performs calculation processing according to the operation of the operation button bu caused by the user and the signals input by various obstacle detection means (sensors 8, 15, 16), and interacts with various motors and suction fans. 11, etc. input and output signals.

(Auxiliary wheel 4) The auxiliary wheel 4 shown in FIG. 2 is provided in the center in the left-right direction in front of the lower case 1s. The auxiliary wheel 4 is a wheel for smoothly moving the self-propelled electric cleaning robot S while maintaining the main body Sh at a predetermined height together with the drive wheels 2 and 3. The auxiliary wheel 4 is driven to rotate by generating friction with the ground Y as the body portion Sh moves, and is supported by the lower case 1 s so as to be able to rotate 360° in the horizontal direction.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a walking trajectory during cleaning. The self-propelled electric sweeping robot S walks in the room 50. The room 50 is surrounded by a wall 51, a table is provided on the lower left side, and a table leg 55 is shown in FIG. The dotted line 52 in the room 50 indicates the walking trajectory.

Reflected walking is walking in which the direction of travel is changed when an obstacle is detected by the sensor 8 for front distance measurement or the bumper sensor 15. The self-propelled electric sweeping robot S starts from P1 in the figure, and when approaching the wall 51b of the room 50 that becomes an obstacle (P2), it rotates to the left in-situ (turns in-situ) to change the direction of movement, and it appears as if The walking path reflected on the wall 51b.

After that, the operation of approaching the wall 51 and changing the direction of the movement is repeated (the angle of in-situ rotation is randomly changed), and the table leg 55a is approached (P3). If a thin (small) obstacle like the table leg 55a is judged, the main body is rotated around the obstacle to further clean the obstacle. After 　　, approach the wall 51c, change the direction of progress, approach the wall 51a, change the direction of progress, and approach the table leg 55c (P4). If a thin (small) obstacle like the table leg 55c is judged, the body is moved in such a way that it turns around more than one turn around the obstacle.

As described above, the winding distance (angle) is different between the case close to the table leg 55a and the case close to 55c. In this embodiment, the winding distance (random change) is random. However, the winding distance may be changed according to the frequency of detection of a thin obstacle. In a situation where there are many thin obstacles, such as a plurality of chairs under the dining table, etc., in order to surely clean the garbage around the feet of the chairs, it is better to make the winding distance longer and clean them intensively.

As described above, in addition to going straight, the self-propelled electric sweeping robot S also rotates in situ or around the obstacle.　　 shows the detailed operation when rotating in place as shown in Fig. 6. FIG. 6 is a simplified representation of the self-propelled electric sweeping robot S, showing only the main body Sh, the right driving wheel 2 and the left driving wheel 3, and P11 indicates the front (front) of the main body Sh. Moreover, the dotted line in the figure represents the position of the wheel after the body Sh rotates in place, and P12 represents the position of the head of the body after the movement. FIG. 6 shows a case where it rotates counterclockwise in situ, and rotates the right wheel 2 forward and the left wheel 3 backward at approximately the same angular velocity. The angular speed of the wheel during the rotation is faster than the angular speed of the wheel during the straight travel, thereby increasing the rotational speed of the body and rotating in a short time.

Specifically, FIG. 7 shows the change of the angular velocity of the wheel (right side). The moving speed during straight travel is 300 mm/s, and the left and right wheels 2 and 3 both rotate forward at approximately 510 deg/s (L1) (the wheel diameter is 68 mm), but when rotating, the right wheel 2 moves forward to At about 630 deg/s (L2), the left wheel 3 rotates backward at about 630 deg/s. For the angular velocity during straight travel, the angular velocity of the wheel during rotation is approximately 1.2 times.

Moreover, as the movement of the body Sh, the movement speed of the head P11 of the body is also faster than that in the straight travel, and it is about 550 mm/s during rotation.

As described above, the wheel speed during rotation is approximately equal to the angular speed of the wheel during straight travel, or relatively fast, and the time can be shortened. If it is the case that the angular velocity of the wheel when rotating in place is slower than the angular velocity of the wheel when going straight, for example, when decelerating by 35%, the time required to rotate the body by 150 degrees is about 1.2 seconds, but as in this embodiment Generally, the acceleration of the wheel's angular velocity is about 0.6 seconds, which can shorten the time by about 0.6 seconds. The number of reflections in one cleaning operation of the autonomous walking electric sweeping robot S is about 200, which can increase the walking distance by about 36m.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, the angular velocity during straight-forward and in-place rotation is not constant depending on the state of the ground, etc. From the time point of view, when straight-forward is in L1a to L1b, when in-place is in L2a to L2b The range of is tilted up and down, and the angular velocity L2b when rotating in place is at least higher than L1a.

Next, the angular velocity of the wheel in rotation will be described using FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. 8 is an example of the winding operation, and shows the operation of bypassing the obstacle 61 with a narrow body width.

First, the body is approaching or contacting the obstacle 61 (solid line Sh1 in FIG. 8). The obstacle 61 is confirmed by the distance measuring sensor 8 and/or the bumper sensor 15 on either side of the body Sh1. FIG. 8 shows the left side of the body Sh1. In this case, the clockwise rotation is performed (arrow A). At this time, while monitoring the distance measuring sensor 8, it rotates in place until the obstacle 61 is positioned on the substantially side surface of the body. After that, the point outside the outer periphery of the body is used as the center of rotation, and it is rotated counterclockwise (arrow B). FIG. 9 is a simplified representation of the self-propelled electric sweeping robot S during winding, showing only the main body Sh, the right driving wheel 2, and the left driving wheel 3, and P21 is showing the front (front) of the main body Sh. In addition, the dotted line in the figure indicates the position of the body and the wheel after the winding, and P22 indicates the position of the head of the body Sh after the movement. In the counterclockwise rotation, although the left and right wheels rotate in the forward direction, the right wheel 2 rotates at a faster angular speed than the left wheel 3.

The distance from the obstacle is grasped by the distance measuring sensor 8 provided on the side of the main body, and the rotation radius (rotation radius) R at the time of rotation is determined. Based on the rotation radius, the angular velocity of the left and right wheels is controlled while being rotated. At this time, the winding radius R is set so that the gap between the obstacle 61 and the outer contour of the body Sh is about 5 mm.

When rotating according to this winding radius R, the angular velocity of the wheel on the opposite side of the winding direction (right wheel 2 in FIG. 9) becomes faster than the angular velocity of the right wheel during straight travel, thereby shortening the rotation time.　　 Specifically, the moving speed of the head of the main body during winding is approximately equal to or faster than the moving speed of the head of the main body during straight travel. The moving speed of the head of the main body is 300 mm/s when it goes straight, and the moving speed of the head of the main body when it is wound is 320 mm/s. The distance from the center of rotation O to the wheel (right wheel 2) on the opposite side of the winding direction is almost the same as or slightly shorter than the distance from the center of rotation O to the front of the body P21, and the moving speed of the right wheel 2 is also about 320 mm/s.

FIG. 10 shows the change in the angular velocity of the wheel 2 on the right. The angular velocity of the right wheel 2 when spinning is about 540 deg/s (L4) (wheel diameter 68mm), which is faster than the angular velocity of the wheel during straight-travel about 510 deg/s (L1).

Compared to Patent Document 1 as shown in FIG. 10B, it is known that the moving speed during winding (about 310 mm/s) is decelerated (about 150 mm/s) during straight travel, and it can be seen that the time can be greatly shortened. As shown in FIG. 10, the angular velocity during straight-forward and revolving is not constant depending on the state of the ground, etc. From the time point of view, the straight-forward is deviated up and down in the range of L1a to L1b, and when revolving is in the range of L4a to L4b The angular velocity L4b during rotation is at least higher than L1a.

However, if the obstacle is touched while accelerating the moving speed of the body Sh during the in-situ rotation and the revolving, there is a possibility that the obstacle may be given a greater impact. Therefore, it is preferable to use the distance measuring sensor 8 provided from the front of the main body Sh to the side to detect obstacles near the main body Sh. During the in-situ rotation and winding, if the body approaches the obstacle, it will stop or decelerate without contacting the obstacle, or the shock during contact may be weakened.

In addition, although the case of rotating the left and right wheels in the forward direction is described as the rotation operation of the present embodiment, the same applies to the rotation to stop one-sided wheels or the rotation to slowly reverse one-sided rotation.　　 Furthermore, as the operation during the winding, it is possible to rotate with a predetermined rotation radius without using the distance measuring sensor 8 provided on the side of the body to grasp the distance from the obstacle. In addition, as the operation during the winding, the distance measuring sensor provided on the side of the main body can always grasp the distance from the obstacle, and the winding radius can be changed at any time to rotate.

Walking against the wall is performed by using a distance measuring sensor 8 provided on the side of the body to maintain a state separated from the wall 51 by about 10 mm. The moving speed of the body Sh when walking against the wall is approximately equal to or faster than the speed when traveling straight in reflective walking.

The ideal to walk against the wall is to go straight parallel to the wall 51 as shown by the dotted line C in FIG. 12, but in fact it will meander like the solid arrow line D in the figure to approach the wall 51 once and away from the wall 51. This is because the distance measurement sensor 8 measures the distance to the wall 51, and the walking control is implemented such that the distance is too close to the wall 51 and the distance is too close to the wall 51. When too close to the wall 51 or too far away from the wall 51, the angular velocities of the left and right wheels 2, 3 are changed. For the wall 51 on the left side of the body Sh, when the body Sh is brought close, the angular velocity of the right wheel 2 is faster than the angular velocity of the left wheel 3. In addition, when the body Sh is moved away from the wall 51, the angular velocity of the left wheel 3 is faster than the angular velocity of the right wheel 2.

FIG. 13 shows the change of the angular velocity of the left wheel 3. As in the case of the embodiment, when the body Sh is moved straight at 300 mm/s, both the left and right wheels 2 and 3 are rotated forward at about 510 deg/s (L1). When moving to the vicinity of the wall 51, the rotation of the left and right wheels 2, 3 is stopped, and thereafter, it is rotated in place to make the wall 51 and the main body proceed in a direction substantially parallel. Move from this state to walk against the wall.

During walking against the wall, when the body Sh is separated from the wall 51 by about 10 mm of the target value, the left and right wheels 2 and 3 are both rotated forward at about 510 deg/s (V1 in FIG. 13 ). When it is slightly closer to the wall than 10 mm (when it is 5 mm or more from the wall and less than 10 mm), the angular velocity of the right wheel 2 is 495 deg/s and the angular velocity of the left wheel 3 is 525 deg/s (Figure 13 V2) to rotate, and slowly away from the wall 51 with a winding radius of about 1500mm. At this time, the moving speed of the head of the body Sh is about 300 mm/s, which is almost the same speed as the straight travel.

In addition, when it is farther than 10 mm, the angular velocity of the right wheel 2 is rotated at 525 deg/s, the angular velocity of the left wheel 3 is rotated at 495 deg/s (V3 in FIG. 13), and the winding radius is about 1500 mm To come slowly to the wall 51. In this case, the moving speed of the head of the main body Sh is about 300 mm/s, which is almost the same speed as when traveling straight.

Moreover, when it is closer to the wall 51 (less than 5 mm from the wall), the angular velocity of the wheel 2 on the right is 440 deg/s, and the angular velocity of the wheel 3 on the left is 580 deg/s (V4 in FIG. 13 ) To rotate, and rapidly away from the wall 51 with a winding radius of about 300 mm. At this time, the moving speed of the head of the body Sh is about 330 mm/s, which is a faster speed than when going straight.

As mentioned above, when controlling the winding around the wall by keeping the distance from the wall constant, the angular velocity of at least one of the wheels is higher than that when going straight, so that even when walking against the wall Move as fast as when going straight. Thereby, it is possible to walk at a speed that is not slower than when traveling straight, and to prevent the walking distance from being shortened, and the area of the unpassed area can be reduced. In addition, the distance sensor 8 is used to change the operation (rotation radius) according to the distance between the wall 51 and the main body Sh as described above, thereby preventing contact with the wall even when walking against the wall at high speed. In addition, the self-propelled electric sweeping robot of this embodiment is shown in a substantially circular shape, but it may not be in a substantially circular shape. As described above, the angular velocity of at least one of the wheels when rotating, rotating, or walking against the wall is almost equal to or higher than the angular velocity of the wheel during straight travel, which can make the walking distance longer and can clean more. The wide area can reduce the area of the unpassed area.

＜<Height difference height selection>> 　　The self-propelled electric sweeping robot S uses the ground-based distance measuring sensor 16 as described above, and can detect falling height difference or rising height difference. The threshold value of the distance measuring sensor 16 for the ground is configured to be changeable, whereby the allowable/disallowed range can be set according to the user's preference.

For example, when the user places the self-propelled electric sweeping robot S in a certain room and is driven by the law, he thinks that he does not want to go out of the room. In this case, the user measures in advance, for example, the lowest height among the height differences of the entrance and exit of the room, and can set the threshold to a height that does not reach the height. In this way, the self-propelled electric sweeping robot S will inhibit the implementation of the control of the height difference across the entrance and exit of the room, so the cleaning area desired by the user (only in the area of this room) can be defined.

Moreover, as the distance measuring sensor 16 for the ground, it is not only possible to distinguish between two-stage sensors whose distance to the ground is less than the threshold or above, as long as the type that can obtain the distance to the ground (such as PSD) Sensor), it is possible to set the height that allows (below) the height difference to be a plurality of thresholds to distinguish. For example, a user who places a self-propelled electric sweeping robot S in a certain room wants to clean the entire area except high-end carpets in the room. Moreover, the room is a roughly horizontal wooden floor (height 0mm), the minimum height difference between the entrance and exit of the room is 30mm (+30mm or -30mm. 1st floor threshold), and the edge of the carpet is +10mm (2nd floor threshold) ). In this situation, the user is not allowed to cross the height difference below the second ground threshold, and the height difference from the second ground threshold to the first ground threshold is allowed, and the first ground threshold is not allowed to cross High and low difference above and below. In this way, you can set the height difference that allows/disallows entry in detail.

Moreover, the self-propelled electric sweeping robot S is based on its own mechanical structure or maximum speed to maintain information about the height that can be crossed. The distance measuring sensor 16 for the ground is a state in which the autonomous walking electric sweeping robot S is placed on a substantially horizontal ground to a height of 0, and the distance separated therefrom is determined to determine the existence of a height difference. In this way, for example, a carpet with long hair, if there is hair extending from the ground due to planting, there may be a case where the hair is determined to have a difference in height. Therefore, when starting operation from a carpet or the like, there is a possibility that the distance measuring sensor 16 for the ground will react to change the route and stop the operation. This concern is especially high when the setting is not allowed to enter a lower altitude. Therefore, in this embodiment, the predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds) after the start of the operation does not refer to the set threshold, but walks at a predetermined (for example, determined by the manufacturer of the self-propelled electric sweeping robot S), Thereby, the original safety can be maintained and the operation stop immediately after the start of operation can be suppressed. This threshold value is preferably close to the maximum height that the autonomous walking electric sweeping robot S can traverse, so it is called the maximum threshold value.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and can be appropriately changed without changing the scope of the idea of the present invention. For example, the means for detecting the height difference may not be the distance measuring sensor 16 for the ground. In addition, a structure using a smart phone such as a wireless LAN or Bluetooth (registered trademark) to change the height difference across the height, or a structure in which the suction brush 5 or the rotating brush 7 is not provided.

2. 3‧‧‧Drive wheel 5‧‧‧Rotary brush 8‧‧‧Range sensor for front (obstacle detection means) 9‧‧‧Rechargeable battery 11‧‧‧Suction fan 12‧‧‧ Dust box 14‧‧‧ Suction port 15‧‧‧ Bumper sensor (obstacle detection means) 16‧‧‧ Ground distance measurement sensor (obstacle detection means) S‧‧‧ Self-propelled electric sweeping robot Sh‧‧ ‧Body part (non-rotating part, car body)

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a self-propelled electric sweeping robot according to an embodiment of the present invention viewed from the left front. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the self-propelled electric sweeping robot of the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an internal structure in which the shell of the self-propelled electric sweeping robot of the embodiment is disassembled. FIG. 5 is a walking trajectory of the self-propelled electric sweeping robot during cleaning in the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the detailed operation of the in-situ rotation of the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the speed change of the right wheel rotating in place in the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the winding operation of the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the detailed operation of the winding in the embodiment.　　 FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the change in the speed of the right wheel that rotates. FIG. 11 is a walking locus of the self-propelled electric sweeping robot during cleaning according to the embodiment. FIG. 12 is a detailed diagram showing walking against the wall according to the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the change in the speed of the left wheel that is wound around in the embodiment.　　 FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the height difference across the embodiment

1‧‧‧shell

1u‧‧‧Upper shell

1s‧‧‧Lower shell

1b‧‧‧Bumper

1u1‧‧‧ cover

7‧‧‧Side brush

bu‧‧‧Operation button

S‧‧‧ Autonomous walking electric sweeping robot

Sh‧‧‧Body

Y‧‧‧Ground

Claims (4)

A self-propelled electric sweeping robot, comprising: a driving wheel that moves itself; and a distance measuring sensor for the ground, which can detect the length of the distance from the ground for the set threshold, in response to the above-mentioned distance measuring sensor for the ground The detection result changes the route, which is characterized in that the threshold can be changed, and the setting of the threshold can be changed by the user. The self-propelled electric sweeping robot according to claim 1, wherein the threshold can be set in plural, and the permission and disallow of entry can be set according to each threshold. The self-propelled electric sweeping robot according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the predetermined time after the self-driving self-driving starts from the self-propelled electric sweeping robot is to operate at the maximum threshold without being constrained by the setting of the threshold. The self-propelled electric sweeping robot according to claim 2, wherein a predetermined time after the self-driving self-driving driving of the self-propelled walking electric sweeping robot is operated at a maximum threshold value without being constrained by the setting of the threshold value.

Images