JP7316490B2 - Autonomous vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an autonomous traveling cleaner.

In recent years, many self-running vacuum cleaners that automatically run and clean even when the user is away have been commercialized. In addition, a number of technologies related to this autonomously traveling vacuum cleaner are also disclosed in patent documents. is disclosed.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-511670

However, in the autonomous traveling vacuum cleaner described in Patent Document 1, since the floor surface is rubbed with the cleaning pad, for example, only the front of the floor pad may become extremely dirty, and the entire floor pad is effective. may not be available.

The present invention includes a main body, drive wheels and rollers arranged on the bottom side of the main body, a drive wheel motor for driving the drive wheels, a roller motor for rotating the rollers, and a control unit. At least one of a cloth member and a sheet for wiping the floor surface can be wrapped around the roller, and the controller controls the rotation and stop of the roller while the drive wheel is rotating by the drive wheel motor. Repeatedly, the roller motor is controlled, and the controller controls the roller motor and the drive wheel motor so that the roller rotates when the sheet is wound around the roller, and the main body moves in the order of retreat, stop, and retreat. It is an autonomous running type vacuum cleaner.

In the present invention, the roller is used to wipe the floor surface , so when cleaning the floor surface using a conventional pad, it is possible to avoid staining only a specific portion of the pad as much as possible.

Further, in the present invention, even if the motor for driving the rollers and the motor for driving the drive wheels have different torques, the rotation of the rollers can be synchronized with the rotation of the drive wheels, so that the sheets can be efficiently transferred to the rollers. In addition to being able to wrap around it, the main body can be run smoothly.

1 is a perspective view of an autonomously traveling cleaner of Example 1. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an autonomously traveling cleaner of Example 1. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the autonomous traveling cleaner of Example 1 as viewed from below; FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the main body of Example 1 with the rollers removed. FIG. FIG. 4 is a bottom view of a state in which rollers are attached to the main body of Example 1; 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which a cover is removed from the base of the main body of Example 1. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a roller of Example 1. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a roller of Example 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which a part of the fabric member of Example 1 is attached to a roller; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which the fabric member of Example 1 is attached to a roller; FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an autonomously traveling cleaner of Example 1. FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the autonomous traveling cleaner of Example 1; 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a sheet is set in the autonomously traveling cleaner of Example 1. FIG. FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged view of the cloth member of the autonomously traveling cleaner of Example 2; FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the autonomous traveling cleaner of Example 3; FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an autonomously traveling cleaner of Example 4; FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an autonomously traveling cleaner of Example 5; FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of an autonomously traveling cleaner of Example 5; FIG. 11 is a plan view of an autonomously traveling cleaner of Example 5; FIG. 11 is a plan view of an autonomously traveling cleaner of Example 5; FIG. 11 is a plan view of an autonomously traveling cleaner of Example 6; FIG. 11 is a side view of an autonomously traveling cleaner of Example 6; FIG. 12 is a bottom view of the autonomous traveling cleaner of Example 6; Fig. 11 is a plan view of an autonomously traveling cleaner of Example 7; Fig. 11 is a side view of an autonomously traveling cleaner of Example 7; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of an autonomously traveling cleaner of Example 7;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are omitted. Moreover, the present invention is not limited by the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the roller around which the sheet is wound is rotated instead of rubbing the pad against the floor surface, so it is possible to reduce the staining of only a portion of the sheet as much as possible. In addition, since the rotation of the rollers and the drive wheels that move the main body are synchronized, it is possible to avoid unstable running such as the rollers being dragged on the floor as much as possible.

A first embodiment has a main body, drive wheels and rollers arranged on the bottom surface of the main body, drive wheel motors for driving the drive wheels, roller motors for rotating the rollers, and a controller. The control unit is an autonomous traveling cleaner that controls a driving wheel motor so as to rotate and stop the driving wheel while the roller is rotating.

According to the first embodiment, since the roller around which the sheet is wound is rotated instead of rubbing the pad against the floor surface, it is possible to reduce staining of only a portion of the sheet as much as possible. In addition, since the rotation of the rollers and the drive wheels that move the main body are synchronized, the stable running is achieved as much as possible.

In a second embodiment, a sheet for wiping a floor surface can be wound around the roller, and the control unit rotates and stops the driving wheel while the roller is rotating when winding the sheet around the roller. It is an autonomous vacuum cleaner that controls the drive wheel motors as it does.

According to the second embodiment, the sheet can be wound around the roller as smoothly as possible when winding the sheet around the roller.

In a third embodiment, the roller is rotatable clockwise and counterclockwise, and the controller rotates the roller in the counterclockwise direction and then in the forward direction. Secondly, it is an autonomous traveling vacuum cleaner that controls the drive wheel motor so that the drive wheel rotates and stops when the roller rotates in the reverse direction.

According to the third embodiment, the sheet can be wound around the roller as smoothly as possible when winding the sheet around the roller.

In a fourth embodiment, the control unit controls the drive wheel motor so that the drive wheel at least rotates, stops, and rotates in order when the roller rotates in the reverse direction. is.

According to the fourth aspect, when winding the sheet around the roller, the sheet can be wound around the roller as smoothly as possible.

A fifth embodiment is that the drive wheels are rotatable in forward rotation, which is clockwise, and reverse rotation, which is counterclockwise, and rotation of the drive wheels includes rotating the drive wheels counterclockwise. , an autonomous vacuum cleaner.

According to the fifth embodiment, when winding the sheet around the roller, the sheet can be wound around the roller as smoothly as possible.

(Example 1)
The autonomous traveling cleaner according to Embodiment 1 will be described below.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an autonomously traveling cleaner according to this embodiment. The autonomous traveling vacuum cleaner of this embodiment has a housing 1 and a bumper 2 arranged in front of the housing 1 .

A tank 3 for storing water is arranged approximately in the center of the upper surface of the housing 1 . The user removes the tank 3 from the housing 1, fills it with tap water, etc., and then attaches it to the housing 1. - 特許庁

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the tank 3 is removed from the housing 1. FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the tank 3 can be attached and detached from the housing 1 .

As shown in FIG. 1, an operation unit 4 is formed on the rear side of the upper surface of the housing 1. As shown in FIG. The operation unit 4 includes, for example, a power button 5 for switching the power on and off, a start button 6 used when winding a sheet around the roller, which will be described later, a sheet removal button 7 used when removing the sheet from the roller, and a dry mode. It has a dry button 8 for setting and a wet button 9 for setting to wet mode.

A bumper 2 is arranged in front of the housing 1 . The bumper 2 is arranged so as to surround the front surface of the housing 1, the front of the upper surface, and the front of the left and right sides. When an obstacle hits the bumper 2, the bumper 2 is pushed toward the housing 1, and a switch arranged inside the bumper 2 is turned on. When the control unit detects that the switch is turned on, the control unit determines that the bumper 2 has been pushed.

A front sensor 10 is arranged on the front surface of the bumper 2 . The front sensor 10 is composed of, for example, a light-emitting portion and a light-receiving portion of an infrared sensor, and is a sensor for detecting an obstacle or the like in front. One or more front sensors 10 may be arranged.

A side sensor 11 is arranged on the side of the bumper 2 . The side sensor 11 is composed of, for example, a light-emitting portion and a light-receiving portion of an infrared sensor, and is a sensor for detecting obstacles or the like on the left and right sides. One side sensor 11 or a plurality of side sensors 11 may be arranged.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the autonomous traveling cleaner of this embodiment as seen from below.

A battery 12 is arranged substantially in the center of the back side of the housing 1, and a right drive wheel 13 and a left drive wheel 14 are arranged on both left and right sides of the battery 12, respectively.

A bumper 2 is arranged in front of the housing 1, and a tongue 15 and a roller 16 are arranged in order from the bumper 2 toward the rear of the housing 1. - 特許庁In this embodiment, the roller 16 can be wound with a wet sheet or a dry sheet. A tongue 15 is used to remove the sheet wound around the roller 16.例文帳に追加

Further, the tongue 15 is biased toward the roller mounting portion 18 shown in FIG. 4 by an elastic member such as a spring. The angle of the tongue 15 is changed by a motor or the like. You may make it incline in the direction away from.

Floor surface sensors 17 are arranged on the front and rear sides of the rear surface of the housing 1 . The floor surface sensor 17 is composed of, for example, a light-emitting portion and a light-receiving portion of an infrared sensor, and is a sensor for detecting steps on the floor surface. In this embodiment, the floor surface sensors 17 are arranged at two locations on the left and right of the back of the housing 1 and two locations on the left and right of the front of the back of the housing 1 .

FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing a state in which the rollers are removed from the housing 1. FIG.

In FIG. 4, a roller 16 is detachably attached to a roller attachment portion 18 formed in front of the housing 1 . 4 , a roller supporting member 19 for rotatably supporting the roller 16 is disposed on the left side of the paper surface of the roller mounting portion 18, and a roller lid is mounted on the right side of the paper surface of FIG . roller lateral opening 21 is formed.

In the apparatus of this embodiment, the roller 16 and the roller lid 20 are integrated so that the roller lid 20 cannot be detached from the roller 16. However, the roller lid 20 may be detachable from the roller 16. .

When the user mounts the roller 16 to the housing 1, the roller 16 is inserted into the roller mounting portion 18, and one end of the roller 16 is first connected to the roller support member 19, and then the other end of the roller 16 is formed with The roller lid 20 is attached to the roller lateral opening 21 . By such procedures, the user can mount the roller 16 on the roller mounting portion 18 .

On the front side of the rear surface of the housing 1, more specifically, on the portion between the tongue 15 and the bumper 2, a plurality of (eight in this embodiment) water jet holes 22 are formed for spraying the water inside the tank 3. It is In the apparatus of this embodiment, water droplets are discharged from the nozzle holes 22 onto the floor surface, and the water droplets on the floor surface can be wiped by the sheet wound around the roller 16 . It should be noted that the roller 16 or a cloth wrapped around the roller 16 may be used to wipe the water droplets on the floor surface.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view showing a state in which the rollers 16 are attached to the housing 1. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the roller opening on the right side of the paper surface is closed by the roller lid 20 . As described above, in the apparatus of this embodiment, the roller 16 part is hidden on the right side of the housing 1 shown in FIG. is mounted on the roller mounting portion 18, the roller lid 20 is exposed to the outside.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state in which the cover 24 is removed from the base 23 portion of the housing 1. As shown in FIG. The autonomous traveling cleaner of this embodiment has a structure in which a base 23 portion is covered with a cover 24 .

A roller mounting portion 18 is formed on the front side of the base 23 . A roller motor 25 for rotationally driving the roller 16 is arranged behind the roller mounting portion 18 on the right side of the paper surface of FIG . On the other hand, a pump motor 26 for driving a pump (not shown) for discharging water from the nozzle holes 22 is arranged behind the roller mounting portion 18 on the left side of FIG .

A circuit board 27 is arranged behind the base 23, and two drive wheel motors (not shown in FIG. 6) for driving the right drive wheel 13 and the left drive wheel 14 are provided below the circuit board 27. and a battery (not shown in FIG. 6) are arranged.

Incidentally, the battery of the apparatus of this embodiment is a rechargeable secondary battery. In this embodiment, a nickel-metal hydride battery is used as the secondary battery, but for example, a nickel-cadmium battery or a lithium-ion battery may also be used. Alternatively, a primary battery may be used.

7 and 8 are perspective views of the roller 16. FIG. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a roller top portion 28 extending in the direction in which the roller 16 extends is formed on the upper portion of the roller 16, and the roller 16 extends on both left and right sides of the roller top portion 28. A first hook-and-loop fastener 29 extending in the direction is formed. Furthermore, a second hook-and-loop fastener 30 is formed at the end of the roller 16 so as to surround the roller 16 .

This roller top portion 28 is for attaching the sheet to the roller 16, and the surface is formed of fiber such as acrylic. Further, the fibers may be linear or curved fibers, loop-shaped or hook-shaped fibers.

The first hook-and-loop fastener 29 and the second hook-and-loop fastener 30 are hook-and-loop fasteners for attaching the cloth member 31 to the roller 16 . The first hook-and-loop fastener 29 and the second hook-and-loop fastener 30 have a structure in which a plurality of surface fasteners are raised in a hook shape, or a structure in which a plurality of loop-shaped hook surfaces are raised.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the sides of the roller 16 are formed with two arrows on each side of the roller top 28 . This arrow serves as an indication for the user to apply a predesignated portion of the cloth member. Further, in FIG. 7 of the roller 16, a roller lid 20 is formed at the left tip, and a user's hand for instructing to press down the central portion of this roller lid 20 is drawn. When the user detaches the roller 16 from the housing 1, the user depresses the center of the roller lid 20 to release the engagement between the housing 1 and the roller lid 20. 16 can be removed.

In FIG. 8, six holes 32 are formed at the tip of the roller 16 on the right side. Further, the surfaces of the rollers 16 interposed in two of the six holes 32 are painted black. The end surface of the roller 16 and the hole 32 shown in FIG. 8 are made of white resin, and only one portion of the end surface of the roller 16 is painted black.

In FIG. 8, a roller sensor 38 (see FIG. 8) for detecting the rotational position or rotational distance of the roller 16 is provided on the portion of the housing 1 facing the right end of the roller 16 when the roller 16 is attached to the housing 1. 8) are arranged. The roller sensor 38 is composed of, for example, an infrared light emitting portion and an infrared light receiving portion.

The light emitted from the light-emitting portion of the roller sensor 38 strikes the hole 32 formed at the end of the roller 16 or the white or black portion of the end surface and is reflected, and the light-receiving portion of the roller sensor 38 detects the reflected light. is detected, the controller 35 connected to the roller sensor 38 determines the rotational position or rotational distance of the roller 16 .

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a state where a part of the cloth member 31 is attached to the roller 16. FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, the cloth member 31 has a substantially rectangular shape, and on one side of the two long sides of the top surface of the cloth member 31, a plurality of surfaces whose surfaces are formed of fibers such as acrylic, for example, are provided. A raised portion 33 having a straight or curved shape is formed. Also, the fibers may be looped or hooked. The upper surface of the cloth member 31 excluding the raised portion 33 is formed of cloth without raised fibers, for example.

On the other hand, the back side of the cloth member 31 has a structure in which a plurality of hook-like raised surfaces are formed, or a hook-and-loop fastener structure in which a plurality of loop-like raised surfaces are formed.

Next, a procedure for attaching the cloth member 31 to the roller 16 by the user will be described.

A portion of the upper surface of the cloth member 31 having the raised portion 33 is attached to the first hook-and-loop fastener 29 formed on the front side of the roller 16 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 (see FIG. 9). Subsequently, the user winds the cloth member 31 around the roller 16, and the long side opposite to the long side where the raised portion 33 is formed on the upper surface of the cloth member 31 is pulled toward the back of the roller 16 in FIG. Attach the first hook-and-loop fastener 29 formed on the side. Thus, the user can attach the cloth member 31 to the roller 16 (see FIG. 10).

Furthermore, when the user uses the apparatus of this embodiment, the sheet 34 (for example, a wet sheet or a dry sheet) is wrapped around the roller 16 to which the cloth member 31 is attached.

When the sheet 34 is wound around the roller 16, the housing 1 of the autonomously traveling cleaner is placed on the sheet and the roller 16 is rotated so that the sheet 34 is wrapped around the roller top portion 28 and the raised portion 33 shown in FIG. Adhering, the sheet 34 is wrapped around the roller 16 . This operation will be described later in detail.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of the device of this embodiment. Only blocks related to the present embodiment will be described, and description of other components will be omitted because they are the same as those of conventional autonomous traveling cleaners.

In FIG. 11, the control unit 35 is composed of a semiconductor device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and controls each circuit.

The storage unit 42 is composed of a semiconductor storage device such as a flash memory or a ROM (Read Only Memory), and stores programs for the operation of the control unit 35, various parameters, and the like.

A right drive wheel motor 36 is a motor for driving the right drive wheel 13 , and a left drive wheel motor 37 is a motor for driving the left drive wheel 14 . By controlling the right driving wheel motor 36 and the left driving wheel motor 37, the control unit 35 can drive only the right driving wheel 13 or only the left driving wheel 14, for example. The housing 1 can be turned by such control. Of course, both the right driving wheel 13 and the left driving wheel 14 can be simultaneously driven to move the housing 1 straight forward or backward.

A roller motor 25 is a motor for rotating the roller 16 .

The pump motor 26 is a motor for driving a pump for spouting water from the spout 22 .

The roller sensor 38 is a sensor for detecting the rotational position or rotational distance of the roller 16 . For example, it is configured by an optical sensor composed of an infrared light emitting portion and an infrared light receiving portion. The roller sensor 38 irradiates light onto the uneven surface arranged at the end of the roller 16 and detects the reflected light.

The notification unit 39 notifies the user of the abnormality when the control unit 35 detects, for example, the rotation abnormality of the right driving wheel motor 36 or the left driving wheel motor 37 or the rotation abnormality of the roller motor 25 . The notification unit 39 is composed of, for example, a speaker, a liquid crystal display device, and the like.

The operation unit 4 is composed of, for example, buttons, and receives input operations from the user.

The operation of the apparatus of this embodiment will be described below. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the apparatus of this embodiment. Before starting the operation shown in FIG. 12, it is necessary to mount the roller 16 on the housing 1 with the cloth member 31 wound around the roller 16 as shown in FIG.

In step S1, when the control unit 35 determines that the start instruction operation of the sheet winding operation is performed from the operation unit 4, that is, the start button 6 is pressed, the process proceeds to step S2.

In step S2, the controller 35 rotates the roller 16 by 30 degrees by controlling the roller motor 25, and then rotates the roller 16 until the roller sensor 38 detects the first position in step S3, which will be described later. .

In step S3, when the controller 35 detects a signal indicating that the first position has been detected from the roller sensor 38, the controller 35 determines that the roller 16 has stopped at the first position. Incidentally, this first position is a portion painted black only at one place on the surface of the end portion of the roller 16 shown in FIG.

In step S<b>4 , the controller 35 controls the roller motor 25 to rotate the roller 16 by 145 degrees. This 145-degree rotated position is called a second position in this embodiment. This second position is the position where the rollers 16 should be when the user sets the housing 1 on the seat 34 and is the initial position (default position) of the rollers 16 .

More specifically, this second position means that, in step S3, when the roller sensor 38 detects the part painted black on the end surface of the roller 16, the rotation angle of the roller 16 indicates that the roller 16 is rotated 145 degrees. Incidentally, the speed at which the roller 16 is rotated in step S4 is, for example, 10 rpm.

In step S5, the control unit 35 determines that the roller sensor 38 did not detect the first position within a predetermined time after the roller 16 was rotated in step S2, and an error occurred from the notification unit 39 to the user. let you know. For example, if the notification unit 39 is a speaker, it is possible to notify the user of the occurrence of an error by voice. It is possible to notify that an error has occurred.

In step S6, when the control unit 35 determines that the start button 6 has been pressed again, the process proceeds to step S7, otherwise the process proceeds to step S11. Note that the user sets the housing 1 on the seat 34 before the user operates the buttons in step S6. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the housing 1 is set on the seat 34 so that the front end of the housing 1 is aligned with the approximate center of the seat 34 .

In step S7, the controller 35 controls the roller motor 25 to reversely rotate the roller 16 by 185 degrees, and controls the right driving wheel motor 36 and the left driving wheel motor 37 to move the housing 1 backward. , stop, and reverse.

More specifically, the rotation speed of the roller 16 when rotating the roller 16 backward by 180 degrees is, for example, 10 rpm. On the other hand, the two drive wheels (the right drive wheel 13 and the left drive wheel 14) repeat, for example, retreating for 0.4 seconds, stopping for 1.2 seconds, and retreating for 0.4 seconds. be.

In this way, when the roller motor 25 is rotated, the right driving wheel 13 and the left driving wheel 14 are reversed and stopped because of the torque of the roller motor 25, the right driving wheel motor 36, and the left driving wheel motor 37. This is because the sheet 34 can be smoothly wound around the roller 16 even when the rotational speeds of the roller 16 and the right driving wheel 13 and the left driving wheel 14 are different due to a difference in speed.

In this embodiment, the right driving wheel 13 and the left driving wheel 14 are repeatedly reversed, stopped, and reversed. The operation may be repeated, and the periods of retreat and stop are not limited to the above-described times, and may be changed.

In step S8, the controller 35 controls the roller motor 25 to rotate the roller 16 by 900 degrees, for example. Incidentally, the rotation speed of the roller 16 at this time is, for example, 10 rpm. At this point, the sheet 34 is wound around the roller 16 .

In step S9, if the control unit 35 determines that the start button 6 pressed in step S1 or step S6 has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S10, and if there is no pressing operation of the start button 6 for a predetermined time. terminates the process.

In step S10, the control unit 35 rotates the roller 16 by controlling the roller motor 25, and controls the right driving wheel motor 36 and the left driving wheel motor 37 to rotate the driving wheels (right driving wheel 13 and left driving wheel 13). Rotate the wheel 14). More specifically, the roller 16 is repeatedly rotated for 5 seconds and then stopped for 2 seconds. At this time, the rotation speed of the roller 16 is, for example, 13 rpm. Also, the two driving wheels (the right driving wheel 13 and the left driving wheel 14) are advanced. At this time, the traveling speed of the two drive wheels (right drive wheel 13 and left drive wheel 14) is, for example, 15 cm/sec.

In step S10, instead of simply moving the two drive wheels (right drive wheel 13 and left drive wheel 14) forward, the controller 35 activates the two drive wheel motors (right drive wheel motor 36 and left drive wheel motor 37). By controlling it, it can move forward diagonally to the right and forward diagonally to the left alternately, that is, it can travel in such a way that it leaves traces of a straight line being alternately bent. You may move as if drawing a U-shape alternately.

Thus, in step S10, the roller 16 moves intermittently, but the two drive wheels (the right drive wheel 13 and the left drive wheel 14) move continuously or alternately.

In step S10, by moving the housing 1 while spraying water from the nozzles 22, the floor surface is wetted with the water sprayed from the nozzles 22, and then the sheet 34 wrapped around the rotating roller 16 is wetted. The housing 1 is cleaned by wiping the floor surface that has been previously wetted with the .

In step S11, if the controller 35 determines in steps S6 and S9 that the start button 6 has not been pressed for a predetermined period of time, the controller 35 notifies the user that an error has occurred. For example, if the notification unit 39 is a speaker, it is possible to notify the user of the occurrence of an error by voice. It is possible to notify that an error has occurred.

Thus, in the first embodiment, when the user places the housing 1 on the sheet 34 and winds the sheet 34 around the roller 16, the roller 16 is reversely rotated 185 degrees, and the housing 1 is Reverse, stop, reverse are performed in order. Therefore, even if the torques of the roller motor 25 , the right driving wheel motor 36 and the left driving wheel motor 37 are different, the sheet 34 can be smoothly wound around the roller 16 .

In addition, since the sheet 34 wound around the rotating roller 16 is used for wiping, the entire sheet 34 can be used to evenly wipe off dirt.

In addition to the case where the roller motor 25, the right drive wheel motor 36 and the left drive wheel motor 37 have different torques, for example, the roller motor 25, the right drive wheel motor 36 and the left drive wheel motor 37 have different diameters. Alternatively, the sheet 34 can be smoothly wound around the roller 16 by executing this embodiment even when the motor needs to be repeatedly driven and stopped as a countermeasure against heat generation of the motor.

In addition, not only when the sheet 34 is wound around the roller 16, but also when the housing 1 is cleaning, the operation of this embodiment can be performed.

(Embodiment 2) Next, Embodiment 2 will be described. Since the structure, control, etc. of the autonomously traveling cleaner of Embodiment 2 are all the same as those of Embodiment 1, description thereof will be omitted. Embodiment 2 is mainly characterized by the structure of the cloth side fastener of the cloth member 31 .

FIG. 14 is a partially enlarged view of the raised portion 33 shown in FIG. A plurality of hairs 40 are formed on the surface of the raised portion 33 . The bristles 40 may be straight, curved, hooked or looped, with all or most of the bristles 40 slanted in one direction. For example, when the roller 16 is rotated to wind the sheet 34 around the roller 16 as shown in FIGS. there is

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, the sheet 34 is arranged below the roller 16, and the roller 16 is rotated counterclockwise in FIG. The bristles 40 of the raised portion 33 are inclined toward the lower side of the roller, that is, toward the sheet 34 side.

On the other hand, when removing the sheet 34 from the roller 16, the roller 16 is rotated clockwise in FIG . At this time, when the tongue 15 hits the sheet 34 in the direction in which the bristles 40 are inclined and the tip of the tongue 15 abuts the tip of the bristles 40, the bristles 40 rise and the sheet 34 can be easily separated from the roller 16. ing.

In this way, since the plurality of bristles 40 of the bristles 33 are inclined in one direction, the roller 16
is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise, the sheet 34 easily adheres to the roller 16 and is easily peeled off from the roller 16.例文帳に追加

In this embodiment, the bristles 40 of the raised portion 33 are inclined, but the roller top portion 28, the first hook-and-loop fastener 29, the second hook-and-loop fastener 30, etc. can be configured similarly.

Further, in this embodiment, the raised portion 33 is formed on a part of the cloth member 31, but the raised portion 33 may be formed on the entire cloth member 31. FIG.

(Embodiment 3) Embodiment 3 will be described below. In the third embodiment, the control unit 35 controls to repeat the rotation and stop of the roller 16 while the drive wheels (the right drive wheel 13 and the left drive wheel 14) are rotating, or the control to reversely rotate the roller 16. contains.

In this way, when the driving wheels (the right driving wheel 13 and the left driving wheel 14) are rotating, the rotation and stopping of the roller 16 are repeated, thereby preventing a situation in which a specific portion of the roller 16 is concentrated and soiled. can be avoided as much as possible.

Further, by rotating the roller 16 in the reverse direction while the drive wheels (the right drive wheel 13 and the left drive wheel 14) are rotating, the dust can be wiped away without deflecting it backward when the roller 16 rotates.

The block diagram of Example 3 has the same structure as the structure of FIG. 11 described in Example 1, so description thereof is omitted.

The operation of Example 3 will be described. FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing the operation of the third embodiment. Before starting the operation shown in FIG. 15, it is necessary to mount the roller 16 on the housing 1 with the cloth member 31 wound around the roller 16 as shown in FIG.

In step S21, when the control unit 35 determines that there is an instruction to start operation from the operation unit 4, that is, the start button 6 is pressed, the process proceeds to step S22.

In step S22, the control unit 35 rotates the drive wheels (the right drive wheel 13 and the left drive wheel 14) by controlling the right drive wheel motor 36 and the left drive wheel motor 37. FIG. At this time, the traveling speed of the two drive wheels (right drive wheel 13 and left drive wheel 14) is, for example, 15 cm/sec.

In step S22, instead of simply moving the two drive wheels (the right drive wheel 13 and the left drive wheel 14) forward, the controller 35 controls the two drive wheel motors (the right drive wheel motor 36 and the left drive wheel motor 37). ), the robot can alternately move forward diagonally to the right and forward diagonally to the left. Alternatively, the housing may alternately swing left and right.

Further, in step S22, by moving the housing 1 while spraying water from the spray holes 22, the floor surface is wetted with the water sprayed from the spray holes 22, and then the cloth member wound around the rotating roller 16 is washed. The housing 1 is cleaned by wiping the floor surface that has been previously wetted by 31 .

In step S23, the controller 35 starts timing a predetermined time T1 (for example, 5 minutes and 30 seconds).

In step S24, when the control unit 35 determines that the predetermined time T1 (for example, 5 minutes and 30 seconds) has passed, the process proceeds to step S25.

In step S25, the controller 35 controls the roller motor 25 to rotate the roller 16 by a predetermined angle D (for example, 30 degrees) in a direction opposite to the main body advancing direction. The speed at which the roller 16 is rotated at this time is, for example, 10 rpm. The angle D may be an angle other than 30 degrees, and the rotation speed may also be a numerical value other than 10 rpm.

In subsequent step S26, if the controller 35 determines that the roller 16 has normally rotated in the reverse direction by a predetermined angle based on the signal from the roller sensor 38, the process advances to step S29. An error is notified in step S27.

In step S27, the control unit 35 causes the notification unit 39 to notify the user that an error has occurred. For example, if the notification unit 39 is a speaker, it is possible to notify the user of the occurrence of an error by voice. It is possible to notify that an error has occurred.

At step 28, the controller 35 terminates the cleaning operation. For example, the control unit 35 controls the right driving wheel motor 36 and the left driving wheel motor 37 to stop the rotation of the driving wheels (the right driving wheel 13 and the left driving wheel 14), and controls the roller motor 25. Thereby, the rotation of the roller 16 is stopped. In step S28, the control unit 35 may control the right driving wheel motor 36 and the left driving wheel motor 37 so as to return the autonomously traveling cleaner to the charging stand.

In step S29, the control unit 35 decrements the predetermined number of times N (eg, 10 times) by one. It should be noted that the number of times N may be another numerical value such as 9 times.

In step S30, when the controller 35 determines that the number of times N decremented in step S29 has reached 0, the process proceeds to step S28, and the cleaning operation ends. On the other hand, when N is not 0, the control unit 35 advances the process to step S31.

In step S31, the control unit 35 starts timing a predetermined time T2 (for example, 5 minutes and 30 seconds).

In step S32, when the control unit 35 determines that the predetermined time T2 (for example, 5 minutes and 30 seconds) has elapsed, the process returns to step S25.

In step S30, the control unit 35 terminates cleaning when it is determined that the number of times N has reached 0. may be configured to end. For example, if the preset area to be cleaned is narrow, there is a possibility that the entire area to be cleaned will be cleaned before the number of times N reaches 0. In such a case, before the number of times N reaches 0 cleaning may be terminated at

As for the control of the control unit 35, the control unit 35 performs the control shown in the flow chart of FIG. Alternatively, when it is determined that all of the preset routes have been cleaned, the process proceeds to step S28 and the cleaning is finished.

Alternatively, if the preset area to be cleaned is large, cleaning may be continued until the preset area to be cleaned is completely cleaned even when the number of times N reaches zero.

Alternatively, the user may select a mode for cleaning a preset area to be cleaned or a mode for cleaning until the number of times N reaches zero.

Although T1 and T2 are set to 5 minutes and 30 seconds in the third embodiment, this time is an example, and other times may be used.

In Example 3, by rotating the roller 16 in the direction opposite to the direction of movement of the main body, dust on the floor surface can be wiped away without diverting it backward even when the roller rotates. Among the contact surfaces (cleaning surfaces) of the member 31, the forward portion in the moving direction where the amount of adhesion is large can be moved to a position further away from the floor surface, thereby preventing re-adhesion of dirt to the floor surface.

In step S25, the control unit 35 controls the roller motor 25 to rotate the roller 16 by a predetermined angle D (for example, 30 degrees) in the direction opposite to the main body advancing direction. The roller 16 may be rotated in the forward direction by D (for example, 30 degrees). By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to avoid, as much as possible, a situation in which a specific portion of the roller 16 is concentrated and soiled.

As described above, in the third embodiment, by rotating the roller 16 while the main body is running, the cleaning surface (floor surface) of the cloth member 31 is moved to prevent only a part of the cloth member 31 from being soiled. The entire surface of the member 31 can be used effectively.

(Embodiment 4) Embodiment 4 will be described below. A different point from Examples 1 to 3 is that a second cleaning pad is provided behind the roller 16 . Since other configurations are the same as those of Examples 1 to 3, description thereof is omitted.

In the fourth embodiment, by providing the second cleaning pad behind the roller 16 in this manner, it is possible to wipe the floor surface again after wiping the floor surface with the roller 16, thereby reliably removing dirt from the floor surface. , and it is possible to more reliably remove moisture adhering to the floor surface.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the autonomous traveling cleaner of Example 4 as seen from the back side.

In FIG. 16, a second cleaning pad 41 having substantially the same axial length as the roller 16 is arranged behind the roller 16 .

The second cleaning pad 41 is made of, for example, cloth, silicone, or the like. The material is not limited to this material as long as it does not damage the floor surface, but it is preferable to use a material that can wipe off moisture, so for example, it is preferable to use a material that absorbs moisture such as cloth. .

Moreover, since it is preferable that the second cleaning pad 41 can be replaced when it is damaged or soiled, it is preferable that the second cleaning pad 41 be detachable.

Moreover, it is preferable that the tip of the second cleaning pad 41 has substantially the same height as the surface of the roller 16 that is in contact with the floor surface.

In the fourth embodiment, by providing the second cleaning pad 41 behind the roller 16 in this manner, it is possible to wipe the floor surface again after wiping the floor surface with the roller 16, thereby surely removing dirt from the floor surface. In addition, it is possible to more reliably remove moisture adhering to the floor surface.

(Embodiment 5) Embodiment 5 will be described below. The autonomously traveling cleaner of Example 5 has a pad that can be tilted in the left-right direction in front of the autonomously traveling cleaner. With such a configuration, even if the pad hits an obstacle while the autonomous traveling cleaner is traveling, the pad tilts, so that the cleaner can travel more smoothly than a configuration in which the pad is fixed. In particular, it is possible to smoothly perform operations such as turning in a narrow place such as a corner of a room.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of an autonomously traveling cleaner of Example 5. FIG. In FIG. 17, a cleaning pad 43 for cleaning the floor surface is arranged in front of the housing 1 having a substantially triangular upper surface.

In FIG. 17, front, back, left, and right directions are shown. The front and rear arrows indicate the front and rear sides of the housing, and the left and right arrows indicate the left side and right side of the housing, respectively.

FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view of an autonomously traveling cleaner of Example 5. FIG. For example, the housing 1 has an upper cover and a lower cover, and the upper cover is removed. As shown in FIG. 18, three grooves 44 are formed in the front of the housing. Of the three grooves 44, the grooves 44 provided on the left and right sides of the housing extend in the front-rear direction of the housing. On the other hand, the groove portion 44 provided in the front central portion of the housing has a substantially triangular cross section.

As in FIG. 17, in FIG. 18, the front, rear, left, and right directions are shown. The front and rear arrows indicate the front and rear sides of the housing, and the left and right arrows indicate the left side and right side of the housing, respectively.

Three pillars 45 are formed in the cleaning pad 43, and the three pillars 45 are slidably inserted into three grooves 44 formed in the housing. The two pillars 45 formed on the left and right sides of the inner housing of the three pillars 45 are connected to springs 46, respectively, and these two pillars 45 are pulled forward by the springs 46. ing.

FIG. 19 is a plan view showing the state of the cleaning pad 43 when an obstacle strikes the right side of the cleaning pad 43. FIG.

As in FIGS. 17 and 18, in FIG. 19, front, rear, left, and right directions are shown. The front and rear arrows indicate the front and rear sides of the housing, and the left and right arrows indicate the left side and right side of the housing, respectively.

When the right side of the cleaning pad 43 hits an obstacle, the right side of the cleaning pad 43 is pushed by the obstacle and moves backward, and the pillar 45 arranged on the right side of the housing moves backward, as shown in FIG. , the right side of the cleaning pad 43 is moved rearward.

On the other hand, FIG. 20 is a plan view showing the cleaning pad 43 when the left side of the cleaning pad 43 is hit by an obstacle.

As in FIGS. 17 to 19, FIG. 20 shows front, back, left, and right directions. The front and rear arrows indicate the front and rear sides of the housing, and the left and right arrows indicate the left side and right side of the housing, respectively.

When the left side of the cleaning pad 43 hits an obstacle, the left side of the cleaning pad 43 is pushed by the obstacle and moves backward, and the pillar 45 arranged on the left side of the housing moves backward, as shown in FIG. , the left side of the cleaning pad 43 is moved backward.

As shown in FIG. 18, a pillar 45 inserted into a groove 44 having a triangular cross section at the front center of the housing is moved forward by the force of two springs 46, but the cross section of the groove 44 is Because of the triangular shape, when the cleaning pad 43 hits an obstacle, it can move not only to the rear of the housing, but also to the right rear and left rear. Therefore, the cleaning pad 43 can smoothly move left and right or back and forth when an obstacle hits the cleaning pad 43 not only from the front but also from the right front and left front.

The triangular groove 44 in the front center of the housing may have a circular cross section. Even when the cross section is circular, the column portion 45 can smoothly move in the circular groove portion 44 .

(Embodiment 6) Next, Embodiment 6 will be described. In Example 6, a cleaning pad is provided behind the housing. Therefore, while the autonomous traveling cleaner is traveling, a load is applied to the rear side of the housing, and the cleaning pad 43 arranged on the rear side of the housing is pressed against the floor surface. Therefore, compared to a structure in which the cleaning pad 43 is arranged in front of the housing, the cleaning pad 43 is strongly pressed against the floor surface, and cleaning can be performed more reliably.

21 is a plan view of the autonomously traveling cleaner of Example 6, FIG. 22 is a side view of the autonomously traveling cleaner of Example 6, and FIG. 23 is the autonomously traveling cleaner of Example 6. It is a rear view.

In FIGS. 21 and 23, front, rear, right, and left directions are shown. The front and rear arrows indicate the front and rear sides of the housing, and the left and right arrows indicate the left side and right side of the housing, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 22, a cleaning pad 43 is arranged on the lower rear side of the housing. As shown in FIG. 23 , drive wheels 13 and 14 are arranged on the bottom side of the housing, and these drive wheels 13 and 14 are positioned in front of the cleaning pad 43 .

Thus, in Example 6, the cleaning pad 43 is provided behind the housing 1 . Therefore, while the autonomous traveling cleaner is traveling, a load is applied to the rear side of the housing 1, and the cleaning pad 43 arranged on the rear side of the housing 1 is pressed against the floor surface. Therefore, compared to a structure in which the cleaning pad 43 is arranged in front of the housing 1, the cleaning pad 43 is strongly pressed against the floor surface, and cleaning can be performed more reliably.

A battery (not shown) such as a secondary battery or a heavy component such as a motor may be arranged above the cleaning pad 43 on the rear side of the housing 1 . With such a configuration, the cleaning pad 43 is strongly pressed against the floor surface, so that the floor surface can be cleaned more reliably.

(Embodiment 7) Next, Embodiment 7 will be described. The autonomous traveling cleaner of Example 7 has a structure in which a sheet to be wound around the roller is inserted from above the housing and the sheet is wound around the roller. With such a configuration, the user can easily wind the sheet around the roller.

24 is a plan view of the autonomously traveling cleaner of Embodiment 7, FIG. 25 is a side view of the autonomously traveling cleaner of FIG. 24, and FIG. 26 is the autonomous traveling cleaner of FIG. It is a sectional view taken along line AA.

FIG. 24 shows the front, rear, left, and right directions. The front and rear arrows indicate the front and rear sides of the housing, and the left and right arrows indicate the left side and right side of the housing, respectively.

In FIG. 24, an insertion opening 47 for inserting a sheet is formed on the upper surface of the housing. As shown in FIG. 26, a hollow portion 48 whose width in the front-rear direction is gradually narrowed is formed downward from the insertion port 47 and has a substantially triangular cross section. A front wall portion 49 is formed on the front side of the hollow portion 48 and stands vertically with respect to the bottom surface of the housing. is formed. The rear wall portion 50 has a shape that slopes upward from the front to the rear. Drive wheels 13 and 14 are arranged behind the rear wall portion 50 , and rollers 16 are arranged in front of the front wall portion 49 .

A space is formed between the lower end of the front wall portion 49 and the lower end of the rear wall portion 50, and the sheet inserted from the insertion port 47 passes through the hollow portion 48 and this space and is wound around the roller 16.

When the sheet is wound around the roller 16, the sheet is wound around the roller 16 by rotating only the roller 16 while the drive wheels 13 and 14 are stopped. At this time, the drive wheels 13 and 14 may also be rotated to move the housing while winding the sheet around the roller 16 .

As described above, in the seventh embodiment, the sheet is wound around the roller 16 by the user inserting the sheet through the insertion opening 47 formed on the upper surface of the housing. With such a configuration, the user can easily wind the sheet around the roller 16 .

It should be noted that the design may be such that the rear wall portion 50 is positioned in the tangential direction of the roller 16 .

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The autonomously traveling vacuum cleaner of the present invention can be widely used for domestic vacuum cleaners, commercial autonomous traveling vacuum cleaners used in offices, factories, and the like.

1 Housing 2 Bumper 3 Tank 4 Operation Unit 5 Power Button 6 Start Button 7 Seat Removal Button 8 Dry Button 9 Wet Button 10 Front Sensor 11 Side Sensor 12 Battery 13 Right Driving Wheel 14 Left Driving Wheel 15 Tongue 16 Roller 17 Floor Sensor 18 Roller mounting portion 19 Roller supporting member 20 Roller lid 21 Roller lateral opening 22 Spout hole 23 Base 24 Cover 25 Roller motor 26 Pump motor 27 Circuit board 28 Roller top 29 First hook-and-loop fastener 30 Second hook-and-loop fastener 31 Cloth member 32 hole portion 33 raised portion 34 sheet 35 control portion 36 right drive wheel motor 37 left drive wheel motor 38 roller sensor 39 notification portion 40 bristles 41 second cleaning pad 42 storage portion 43 cleaning pad 44 groove portion 45 column portion 46 spring 47 insertion Mouth 48 Cavity 49 Front wall 50 Rear wall

Claims (2)

a main body, drive wheels and rollers arranged on the bottom side of the main body, a drive wheel motor for driving the drive wheels, a roller motor for rotating the rollers, and a controller,
At least one of a cloth member and a sheet for wiping the floor surface can be wound around the roller,
The control unit controls the roller motor so that the roller rotates and stops repeatedly when the driving wheel is rotated by the driving wheel motor ,
When the sheet is wound around the roller, the control unit rotates the roller and controls the roller motor and the driving wheel motor so that the main body moves in the order of retreat, stop, and retreat. traveling vacuum cleaner. The controller controls the roller motor to rotate the roller in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the drive wheel when the drive wheel is rotated by the drive wheel motor and the main body is moving forward. 2. The autonomous traveling cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the roller is rotated by a predetermined angle, and the rotation of the roller is stopped after the rotation of the predetermined angle.

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