JP7063534B2 - Self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a self-propelled vacuum cleaner .

As an electric vacuum cleaner that cleans the floor surface on which dust is falling, a so-called canister type in which the suction port reciprocates according to the operation of the user and a self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner that the vacuum cleaner itself drives autonomously are known. ing.

Patent Document 1 discloses a vacuum cleaner head 23 having a brush having a width substantially matching the width of the main body.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-52515

Known self-propelled vacuum cleaners tend to be larger or heavier in any of the left-right, front-back, and height directions in order to increase the brush width and expand the cleaning area. Self-propelled vacuum cleaners with this tendency tend to be difficult to accelerate and move at a relatively low speed in order to maintain a driving time under a limited rechargeable battery capacity. This makes it relatively difficult to pass through the area to be cleaned evenly and multiple times. Therefore, for example, the motor output tends to be increased so that cleaning can be performed even with a small number of passages.

However, it is desired for a self-propelled vacuum cleaner to perform cleaning by entering into a narrow place such as a gap between furniture and a gap between the floor and the bottom of furniture or a low place. Therefore, it is required to reduce the size of the main body. However, if the size is small, the brush width tends to be small, and the cleaning area becomes small. Therefore, it should be considered (1) to reduce the size while keeping the brush width large and / or (2) to increase the cleaning distance by some method. Regarding (2), more specifically, it is conceivable to suppress the energy requirement of the rechargeable battery and prolong the cleaning time by reducing the weight (2-1). However, if the cleaning time is simply lengthened, for example, even if the user operates to perform cleaning while he / she is out, it is assumed that the user is still cleaning even when he / she returns home. Therefore, (2-2) it is conceivable to reduce the weight and reduce the energy requirement of the rechargeable battery while increasing the moving speed of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner. By doing so, it is easy to secure a cleaning area while keeping the cleaning time within an appropriate range.

From the above studies, the present invention is compact, lightweight, and has a comparatively high moving speed, capable of cleaning the floor of a room with furniture by entering a narrow place or a low place in consideration of a cleaning area and a cleaning time. The purpose is to provide a fast self-propelled vacuum cleaner.

In view of the above circumstances, the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner of the present invention has two drive wheels facing each other in the left-right direction, a rotary brush having a rotation axis in the left-right direction, an electric blower, a rechargeable battery, and dust. It is a self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner that has a case and is driven autonomously. The left-right dimension is 300 mm or less, the front-rear dimension is 300 mm or less, and the height dimension when the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner is mounted. Is 100 mm or less, the left-right dimension is 230 mm or more, the front-rear dimension is 230 mm or more, the mass is 2500 g or less and 2000 g or more , and the average speed when going straight is 150 mm / s or more. It is equipped with an auxiliary wheel that is supported by a fixed shaft so that it rotates driven by the frictional force generated between them. The auxiliary ring has a ground ring, a disk portion, and a small disk portion that rotate in contact with the floor surface with the fixed shaft as a rotation axis, and the small disk portion is adjacent to the ground ring. It is arranged outward from the ground ring, has a smaller diameter than the ground ring and a larger diameter than the fixed shaft, is rotatable around the fixed shaft, and the disk portion is adjacent to the small disk portion. The ground ring is arranged on the outer side of the ground ring and the small disk portion, has a smaller diameter than the ground ring and a larger diameter than the small disk portion, is rotatable around the fixed shaft, and has the ground ring. And the small disk portion and the disk portion are provided so as not to overlap each other in the fixed axial direction .

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a small, lightweight, and relatively fast-moving self-propelled vacuum cleaner that can enter a narrow place or a low place and clean the floor surface of a room with furniture. ..

It is a perspective view of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a perspective view of the state in which the upper case and the dust case of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1 are removed. It is a bottom view of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a suction port, a dust sensor unit, and a dust case of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to the first embodiment. It is an exploded view of the mouthpiece part, the dust sensor unit and the dust case of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a front view of the dust sensor unit of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a side view of the dust sensor unit of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line DD of FIG. It is a perspective view of the dust case in the self-propelled vacuum cleaner main body which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view including a region where a dust case is mounted in the self-propelled vacuum cleaner main body according to the first embodiment. It is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. It is a perspective view which includes the prop storage part and props which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a rear perspective view of the main body which attached the dust case which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a perspective view of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner which removed the upper case which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line EE of FIG. It is a perspective view of the rotary brush which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is an enlarged perspective view of the training wheel which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a state in which the airtight member according to the first embodiment is removed from the main body. It is a back perspective view of the airtight member which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the control apparatus of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1, and the apparatus connected to the control apparatus. It is a figure explaining the statistical data of the leg-to-leg dimension of a chair which is an example of furniture. It is a figure explaining the statistical data of the height dimension of the leg of a bed which is an example of furniture.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Similar components are designated by the same reference numerals, and the same description is not repeated. The various components of the present invention do not necessarily have to be composed of one member, for example, one component is composed of a plurality of members, and a plurality of components are composed of one member. Allows some of one component and some of another to overlap with each other.

Of the directions in which the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 (see FIG. 1) travels, the direction in which the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 normally travels is forward, the direction opposite to the gravity direction is upward, and the drive wheels 116 (FIG. 1). The directions in which (see 3) face each other are left and right. That is, as shown in FIG. 1 and the like, front and back, top and bottom, and left and right are defined. In the present embodiment, the side brush 15 is attached to the front side of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1.

<Embodiment 1>
[Self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 according to the present embodiment. The self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 of the present embodiment is autonomously driven for cleaning, and has various configurations that contribute to miniaturization, as will be described later.
The self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1 is a vacuum cleaner that cleans while autonomously moving in a cleaning area (for example, indoors). The self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 has an upper case 111 which is an upper wall (and a part of the side wall), a lower case 112 which is a bottom wall (and a part of the side wall), and a bumper 18 installed in the front part. The main body 11 including the main body 11 is provided.

Further, a dust case 4 is provided on the upper rear side of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1. The self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 of the present embodiment autonomously drives and cleans the drive wheels 116 by the arithmetic processing of the control device 2, but may be driven by receiving a user's command by a remote controller or the like.

[Dimensions of small self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1]
The self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 of the present embodiment is a self-propelled vacuum cleaner that is small, lightweight, moves at a relatively high speed, and is assumed to clean a cleaning area a plurality of times. Specifically, both the front-rear dimension and the left-right dimension are 300 mm or less, preferably 280 mm or less or 260 mm or less, and the height dimension is 100 mm or less, preferably 95 mm or less. The reason why such dimensions are preferable will be described later. In order to secure a capacity for accommodating parts to be mounted on the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 while demonstrating the advantages of such a small shape, the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 has a diameter of 300 mm or less, preferably 280 mm. It is preferably a shape that fits within a circle of the following or 260 mm or less.

Further, in order to suppress the energy consumption of the rechargeable battery, the mass is 2700 g or less, preferably 2500 g or less, 2400 g or less, or 2350 g or less. Further, from the viewpoint of running stability and the like, the mass is 1800 g or more, preferably 2000 g or more. Specifically, it is preferable to set the lower limit of the mass in this way from the viewpoint of urging the drive mechanism that supports the drive wheels 116 by its own weight and preventing the drive mechanism from jumping up significantly at a step.

In order to reduce the size and weight, for example, assuming that the cleaning distance is long, that is, assuming that the same part of the cleaning area can be cleaned multiple times, the electric blower is made small. It is conceivable to make it a thing. By doing so, it is possible to further reduce the noise while reducing the size and weight of the autonomous traveling type vacuum cleaner. Specifically, as the electric blower 16 of the present embodiment, one having a diameter of 70 mm or less, an axial dimension of 65 mm or less, and a mass of 250 g or less can be adopted.

FIG. 24 is a diagram for explaining statistical data of the leg-to-leg dimension of a chair, which is an example of furniture, and FIG. 25 is a diagram for explaining statistical data of the height dimension of a bed leg, which is an example of furniture.
The horizontal axis of FIG. 24 is the distance between the legs of the chair, and the distance between the left and right legs of the chair is “a: front of the leg spacing” and the distance between the front and rear legs of the chair is “b: the side surface of the leg spacing”. The vertical axis shows the ratio (dimensional coverage ratio) of the chairs to be surveyed in the distance between the legs of the chairs shown on the horizontal axis. That is, it shows how many chairs have a leg-to-leg distance equal to or larger than the leg-to-leg distance value shown on the horizontal axis. The target chairs investigated by the inventors are about 150 chairs.

According to the investigation by the inventors, as shown in FIG. 24, when the distance between the legs is 350 mm, the dimensional coverage ratio is a little over 80% for a and a little less than 80% for b. The distance between the legs becomes narrower toward the right side of the figure, and the dimensional coverage on the vertical axis increases. As a result, it is specified that the dimensional coverage is 100% when the distance between the legs is 260 mm. That is, the distance between the legs of the chair 260 mm indicates that the distance between the legs of a general chair is equal to or larger than this value.

Based on this result, it is preferable to set the width dimension of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 of the present embodiment as described above. As a result, the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 of the present embodiment can pass between the legs of a large proportion of the chairs, and the cleanability around the chairs can be improved. In addition, since the range of movement that is obstructed by the chair is not easily restricted, the range that can be cleaned can be expanded.

The chair has been described as an example of furniture because it is considered that the legs of the chair have the narrowest space in general household furniture. Therefore, by having the above-mentioned dimensions, the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 of the present embodiment can pass between the legs not only for chairs but also for furniture with legs such as tables, and can be cleaned. The possible range can be expanded.

Next, FIG. 25 shows statistics on the height of the legs of the bed as an example of general furniture. The horizontal axis shows the dimension of the leg height of the bed. The vertical axis shows the ratio (dimensional coverage ratio) of the bed to be surveyed in the leg height of the bed shown on the horizontal axis. That is, it shows how many beds have legs higher than the value of the leg height shown on the horizontal axis. The number of beds targeted by the inventors was about 210.

As shown in FIG. 25, the leg height increases and the dimensional coverage of the vertical axis decreases toward the right side. As a result, it is specified that when the leg height is 10 cm, the dimensional coverage is about 80%. That is, it is specified that the leg height of the bed is 10 cm, and the leg height of a general bed is equal to or smaller than this value.

Based on this result, it is preferable that the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 of the present embodiment has the height dimension as described above. This makes it possible to pass under a general bed and improve the cleanability around the bed. In addition, since the range of movement that is obstructed by the bed is not easily restricted, the range that can be cleaned can be expanded.

In FIG. 25, the bed is described as an example of furniture, because it is considered that the leg height of the bed is low in general household furniture.

Since the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 of the present embodiment is supposed to clean one or more rooms, if it is too small, the cleaning area is limited. Will end up. Therefore, considering the general chair leg dimensions and bed dimensions, it is preferable that the front-rear dimensions and the vertical dimensions are 230 mm or more, 240 mm or more, 250 mm or more, 260 mm or more, or 270 mm or more. The height is preferably 70 mm or more, 80 mm or more, or 90 mm or more. Here, as will be described later, the drive wheel 116 is supported by the main body 11 and is rotatable, but when entering under the bed, the rotational state of the drive wheel 116 is added to the weight of the main body 11. It becomes the height dimension of the state. That is, the height dimension refers to a value measured with the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 mounted.

[Speed of self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1]
The self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 of the present embodiment is small and light, and by making the moving speed relatively fast, it can enter into a narrow place or a low place and expand the cleaning area, and the cleaning area is the same. It is supposed to pass through the part multiple times. That is, it is assumed that the dust is removed by passing multiple times instead of once, and for this reason, the electric blower is made smaller.

Specifically, the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1 of the present embodiment has an average speed of 81 mm / s or more when traveling straight, and an average speed of 81 mm / s or more when turning, and is cleaned once (full). The average speed from the charged state to returning to the charging stand or until the rechargeable battery capacity is exhausted and stopped) is set to 81 mm / s or more. For example, in the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) test assuming that the duration of the rechargeable battery is 50 minutes, it can be determined as the minimum speed required to perform a so-called triple pass that passes through the same region three times. can.

However, in consideration of the reduction of the cleaning time and the improvement of the image that the user is cleaning quickly, the above speeds are set to 100 mm / s or more, 130 mm / s or more, and 150 mm / s or more. , Or 170 mm / s or more. In the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 of the present embodiment, the duration of the rechargeable battery 19 is 60 minutes or more. The upper limit of the duration can be 90 minutes or less, preferably 80 minutes or less or 70 minutes or less.

The average speed when turning can be lower than the average speed when going straight, but from the viewpoint of the image that cleaning is done quickly, the average speed when turning is 80% of the average speed when going straight. It is preferably more than or equal to 90% or more.

[Width of rotating brush 14 of self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1]
It is preferable to make the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 small from the viewpoint of getting into the gaps of furniture, but from the viewpoint of the cleaning area, the width of the rotating brush 14 while making the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 small. Is desired to be large. The width of the rotary brush 14 (axial dimension; see L1 etc. in FIG. 3) is 51% or more with respect to the width of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 (left-right dimension; see L2 etc. in FIG. 3). Specifically, the distance from the left-right end of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 to the end of the rotary brush 14 (see L3 and the like in FIG. 3) is 65 mm or less, preferably 60 mm or less, and the rotary brush. The width of 14 is 120 mm or more, preferably 130 mm or more.

The width of the rotary brush 14 is preferably 95% or less with respect to the width of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1. As a result, the axis of the rotating brush 14 can be supported on the left and right outer sides of the rotating brush 14 so that the rotating brush 14 does not protrude from the width of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1.

In the IEC test, the test is performed assuming that an area of 4 m × 5 m is cleaned. In this case, assuming that the width of the rotating brush 14 is W, the duration of the rechargeable battery 19 is t, and the number of passes is s, the minimum speed v_min required for s passes is 4 × 5 × s / (w × t). Given as. When trying to take advantage of the small size and light weight like the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 of the present embodiment, s = 3 or 4, for example, t = 50 min, v_min> 4 × 5 × s / (w ×). It is preferable to satisfy t). As described above, the self-propelled vacuum cleaner of the present embodiment is assumed to increase the number of passes. For example, it is preferable to use a self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 having a triple pass rate of 80% or more.

If the left-right dimension of the rotating brush 14 is 120 mm or more, it is possible to effectively clean the space between the legs of almost all types of chairs by cleaning the circumference of the chair legs twice in relation to the chair leg spacing described later. When the thickness is 130 mm or more, the width of the rotating brush 14 becomes large while maintaining the effect, so that the cleaning area can be effectively expanded. The width of the rotary brush 14 has a large degree of freedom because the front end of the rotary brush 14 is provided behind the rear end of the drive wheel 116.

Hereinafter, each configuration of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 will be described in more detail.

[Lower case 112]
2 is a perspective view with the upper case 111 and the dust case 4 removed, FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the mouthpiece 113, the dust sensor unit 12, and the dust case 4.
The lower case 112 includes a drive mechanism accommodating portion 114 for accommodating a drive mechanism including a drive wheel 116, a traveling motor 1161, an arm 1141, and a reduction mechanism 1142, a side brush mounting portion 1121, a traveling motor 1161, and a rotation. It is a thin disk-shaped member to which a brush motor 1133, an electric blower 16, a rechargeable battery 19, a battery accommodating portion 115 (see FIG. 4) for accommodating the rechargeable battery 19, a control device 2, and a mouthpiece 113 are attached. ..

The lower case 112 has a bumper frame 1127 provided on the entire circumference or substantially the entire circumference of the side surface, including the lower end side, preferably the lower end. The bumper frame 1127 is made of a material that is softer than the members forming the other parts of the side surface, and for example, a resin material such as an elastomer can be adopted. Further, the bumper frame 1127 protrudes to the outer peripheral side of other parts of the side surface, for example, the bumper 18. As a result, even if the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 collides with furniture or the like, it is possible to prevent the furniture or the like from being damaged.

Since the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 mainly moves forward, the front side surface tends to collide with furniture or the like, but in consideration of, for example, when entering a bottleneck, the side surface or the rear surface is as in the present embodiment. It is also preferable to provide a bumper frame 1127. Further, since the bumper 18 is annular, the bumper frame 1127 can be positioned on the outer peripheral side of the bumper 18 by forming the bumper frame 1127 in an annular shape as in the present embodiment. By doing so, the bumper 18 can be pressed from the outer peripheral side, so that it is easy to assemble.

(Balance of self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1)
Among the members provided in the main body 11, the relatively heavy ones are the rechargeable battery 19 and the electric blower 16. The rechargeable battery 19 is often heavier than the electric blower 16. In order to balance the weight of the main body 11 of the present embodiment, first, the electric blower 16 is provided substantially in the center of the lower case 112, and the rechargeable battery 19 is provided on the front side.

Here, on the rear side of the center of the lower case 112, a mouthpiece 113 accommodating the rotating brush 14 and a scraping brush 13 are provided. Since the electric blower 16 is on the center side (between the two drive wheels 116) and the rechargeable battery 19 is on the front side, it is preferable to install a heavy object on the rear side for balance. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a weight is fixed to the inner circumference of the scraping brush 13 by sticking or the like (not shown). As a result, the dead space inside the scraping brush 13 can be effectively utilized. In the present embodiment, since the scraping brush 13 is on the side farther from the center than the rotating brush 14, it is preferable to provide a weight here. Further, from the viewpoint of left-right balance, it is preferable that the weight is provided on the center side of the main body 11 in the left-right direction. A weight may be provided in the rotary brush 14, but since the rotary brush 14 is a brush driven by the rotary brush motor 1133, if the weight is provided, it becomes a load on the motor. Therefore, it is preferable to provide a weight in the scraping brush 13 that rotates drivenly without being driven by the motor. Further, it is preferable that the center of gravity of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 is substantially centered in the front-rear direction (substantially coincides with the axis of the drive wheel 116) by the weight.

(Difference in radius of curvature of self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1)
The self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1 has a shape in which two substantially circles are connected, and the radius of curvature on the front side is larger than the radius of curvature on the rear side. Specifically, the width at the front-rear position where the side brush 15 is provided is larger than the width at the front-rear position where the rotary brush 14 is provided. By doing so, the side brush 15 is arranged on the left and right outside so that dust in a wide range can be collected, and the dimension from the end of the rotary brush 14 to the widthwise end of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 is suppressed. Then, the rotating brush 14 can be brought closer to the wall. When traveling near a wall, if the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1 is swung left and right for cleaning, the rotating brush 14 can be brought closer to the wall while expanding the cleaning area of the side brush 15.

(Protrusion of lower case 112)
Regarding the lower case 112, at least a part of the rear projection 1123, which is a convex portion provided on the bottom surface of the lower case 112, is provided on each of the left and right outer sides (right left outer side and right right outer side) of the rotating brush 14. At least a portion of each of the rear projections 1123 is also located directly behind the drive wheels 116.

Further, a central front projection 1124 and a central rear projection 1125 are provided in the central region of the lower case 112, which corresponds to the region between the two drive wheels 116. The central front projection 1124 is a convex portion located on the front end side of the drive wheel 116 in the front-rear direction and on the center side of the lower case 112 in the left-right direction. The central posterior projection 1125 is a convex portion extending in the front-rear direction on the posterior side of the central anterior projection 1124.

In the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 of the present embodiment, the rear end of the drive wheel 116 and the outer end of the rotary brush 14 are close to each other. Specifically, the distance from the left and right inner portions of the rear end of the drive wheel 116 to the left and right outer portions of the front end of the rotary brush 14 is set to 20 mm or less from the viewpoint of miniaturization, for example. The rotating brush 14 and / or the airtight member 118 described later protrudes from the lower case 112 in close proximity to the floor surface to facilitate suction of dust, and the drive wheel 116 also protrudes to contact the floor surface. .. Therefore, obstacles are present in the region between the two drive wheels 116 (the central region where the protrusions 1124 and 1125 are provided) and the region behind the drive wheels 116 (the region where the protrusions 1123 are provided). If it gets in, it may get stuck between the drive wheel 116 and the rotary brush 14 and hinder the drive of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1. In order to suppress such a situation, protrusions 1123, 1124, and 1125 are provided. Each of the protrusions 1123, 1124, 1125 is a protrusion adjusted to a dimension so as to be separated from the floor surface at least while the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 is running on a flat floor surface.

[Drive mechanism accommodating unit 114]
The drive mechanism accommodated in the drive mechanism accommodating portion 114 shown in FIG. 3 or the like is a mechanism that supports the drive wheels 116 on the main body 11. The drive mechanism includes a traveling motor 1161, an arm 1141 that supports the drive wheels 116 from the left and right inside, and a reduction mechanism 1142. The arm 1141 is provided between two drive wheels 116, one end of which is a rotation shaft extending in the front-rear direction, and the other end of which is a member connected to the drive wheel 116 by rotation around the rotation shaft. It is a member capable of rotating each of the drive wheels 116. Each of the rotating shafts is located between the two drive wheels 116, particularly between the drive wheels 116 and the central protrusions 1124 and 1125, respectively, in this embodiment.

[Battery housing 115]
As shown in FIG. 4 and the like, the battery accommodating portion 115 is a space for accommodating the rechargeable battery 19 inside, and is located on the front side of the center of the lower case 112. The battery accommodating portion 115 is configured to have a downward opening for replacing the rechargeable battery 19. Side brush mounting portions 1121 for mounting the side brush 15 are formed on the left and right sides of the battery accommodating portion 115.

[Driving wheel 116]
As shown in FIG. 3 and the like, each of the drive wheels 116 is a member that receives the drive force of each of the traveling motors 1161 via the reduction mechanism 1142. As a result, the drive wheel 116 itself can rotate to move the main body 11 forward, backward, and turn. The drive wheels 116 are arranged on both the left and right sides.

The self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 of the present embodiment can rotate or rotate substantially on the spot by rotating the two drive wheels 116 in opposite directions (super-credit turning). From the viewpoint of expanding the cleaning area, the drive wheel 116 is provided substantially in the center of the front-rear width of the main body as in the present embodiment, and the rotation center of the backflip is set at the center of gravity (center) of the upper case 111 or the lower case 112. It is preferable to have a side brush 15 in the front and a rotating brush 14 in the rear. By doing so, the side brush 15 and the rotating brush 14 can be positioned on the outside of the rotation, so that the corner where the two wall surfaces form a certain angle (for example, 90 °) can be effectively cleaned.

[Front lid 117]
As shown in FIG. 3 and the like, the front lid 117 is a substantially rectangular plate-shaped member that closes the opening of the battery accommodating portion 115 (see FIG. 4) formed on the front end side of the lower case 112 from the lower surface of the lower case 112. Further, the front lid 117 includes a circular training wheel mounting portion 1122 for mounting the training wheels 17 near the center side of the lower case 112.

[Auxiliary wheels 17]
FIG. 20 is an enlarged perspective view of the training wheels 17. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 20, the auxiliary wheels 17 are auxiliary wheels for smoothly moving the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 while keeping the lower case 112 away from the floor surface, and the lower case 112 It is provided. The training wheels 17 are supported by the fixed shaft 173 so as to be driven and rotated by the frictional force generated between the auxiliary wheels 17 and the floor surface due to the movement of the main body 11 by the drive wheels 116.

The training wheels 17 have a substantially circular ground ring 171, a disk portion 172, and a small disk portion 174 that are rotatably provided with the fixed shaft 173 as a rotation axis. The ground ring 171 comes into contact with the floor surface and rotates as the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 travels. The small disk portion 174 is adjacent to the ground ring 171 and is configured to have a smaller diameter than the ground ring 171 and a larger diameter than the fixed shaft 173, and is rotatable around the fixed shaft 173. The disk portion 172 is adjacent to the small disk portion 174, has a smaller diameter than the ground ring 171 and a larger diameter than the small disk portion 174, and is rotatable around the fixed shaft 173.

When hair dust or the like adheres to the ground ring 171 as the ground ring 171 rotates, the hair dust or the like may rotate around the fixed shaft 173 and try to get entangled with the fixed shaft 173. At this time, since the small disk portion 174 and the disk portion 172 are adjacent to the ground ring 171, hair dust and the like are likely to be entangled with the disk portion 172 instead of the fixed shaft 173. Therefore, by rotating the disk portion 172 around the fixed shaft 173, hair dust can be removed relatively easily. It is preferable that the small disk portion 174 and the disk portion 172 are integrally formed.

Further, the training wheels 17 are configured to be rotatable 360 ° in the horizontal direction. The training wheels 17 shown in FIG. 3 are provided in the center in the left-right direction in front of the main body 11 and are mounted on the training wheels mounting portion 1122.
The ground ring 17 may be replaced with a driven roller 1186, which will be described later, and the airtight member 118 may be provided with the same configuration as the disk portion 172.

[Bumpa 18]
The bumper 18 is installed so as to be movable in the front-rear direction, preferably further in the left-right direction, according to the pressing force acting from the outside. The bumper 18 is urged forward by a pair of left and right bumper springs (not shown). When drag from an obstacle acts on the bumper spring via the bumper 18, the bumper spring deforms, forcing the bumper 18 forward and allowing the bumper 18 to retreat. When the bumper 18 separates from the obstacle and loses drag, the bumper 18 returns to its original position due to the urging force of the bumper spring. Incidentally, the retreat of the bumper 18 (that is, contact with an obstacle) is detected by the bumper sensor (infrared sensor), and the detection result is input to the control device 2. Since the displacement amount of the bumper 18 differs depending on the contact position of the obstacle or the like, it is possible to detect the position of the obstacle or the like with respect to the main body 11.

[Scraping brush 13]
The scraping brush 13 is a brush having flocking on a part or substantially the entire surface of the surface and having an axis in a direction substantially parallel to the rotation brush 14 described later. In this embodiment, the scraping brush 13 is driven to rotate or rotate by contact with the floor surface. do. In the case of rotation, the rotation range is regulated by providing a stopper or the like. When cleaning the flooring (between the boards), the height position of the flocking of the scraping brush 13 is preferably such that the tip is separated from the floor surface by about 0.5 mm. Further, it is preferable that the position of the flocking of the scraping brush 13 overlaps with the bristles of the carpet when cleaning the carpet. Therefore, the scraping brush 13 can be collected so as to scrape dust from the surface of the carpet.

When the scraping brush 13 is used in a mode of rotating with a stopper provided, a predetermined area can continue to be in contact with the floor surface to scrape out dust. At this time, the region of the scraping brush 13 that will continue to be in contact with the floor surface is preferably a flat shape. That is, the shape of the scraping brush 13 is a shape in which a part of the cylindrical shape is replaced with a flat flat surface in the axial direction (for example, a shape in which a part of a circle is cut off with a string or a substantially half-moon shape). It is preferable to have it.

[Rotating brush 14]
FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the rotating brush 14. The rotary brush 14 is arranged substantially in parallel with the axis (left-right direction) passing through the rotation center of the drive wheel 116 (see FIG. 3). The rotary brush 14 has a cylindrical shape having a rotation axis in the horizontal direction (horizontal direction in the present embodiment), and is rotatably supported by the mouthpiece 113. The rotary brush 14 is rotationally driven by receiving a driving force from the rotary brush motor 1133 (see FIG. 2). The rotary brush 14 includes a plurality of flocked 142s protruding in the normal direction from the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 141. The flocking 142 of the rotating brush 14 includes a plurality of types of flocking such as flocking of different lengths and flocking of different hardness, and each flocking is arranged in a spiral line with respect to the rotation axis (FIG. FIG. 19).

A non-woven fabric 143 is provided adjacent to a part or all of the flocked 142. For each of the flocked 142, each of the non-woven fabrics 143 shares the root. This can be achieved, for example, by welding the flocked 142 and the nonwoven fabric 143 with ultrasonic waves to integrate the flocked 142 and the nonwoven fabric 143. As the flocking, it is desirable that the flocking has a certain degree of hardness, and for example, nylon can be adopted.

Further, the nonwoven fabric 143 adjacent to the flocking 142, for example, in the present embodiment, each of the flocking 142 and the nonwoven fabric 143 sharing the root is a nonwoven fabric before the flocking 142 when the rotating brush 14 is rotated by the rotating brush motor 1133. The 143 is arranged so as to be in contact with the floor surface. As a result, the hair dust and the like existing on the floor surface first come into contact with the non-woven fabric 143, and thus the entanglement with the flocked 142 is suppressed. Further, the nonwoven fabric 143 is provided with one or two or more slits 1431 extending in the radial direction. As a result, twisting of the non-woven fabric can be suppressed.

It should be noted that a configuration may be added in which a blade member made of an elastic material such as rubber is spirally arranged between the flocked 142 arranged in a spiral shape, and the configuration can be appropriately changed. The dust scraped up by the rotating brush 14 passes through the opening 17 and is stored in the dust case 4. Further, in order to prevent the flocked 142, the non-woven fabric 143 or the blade member from coming into contact with the crosslinked portion 1181 of the airtight member 118 described later, the length of a part thereof may be shortened or a notch may be provided.

[Airtight member 118]
21 is an exploded perspective view of the airtight member 118 removed from the main body 11, and FIG. 22 is a back perspective view of the airtight member 118.
An airtight member 118 is attached to a portion located below the rotary brush 14. In the bottom view of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1, the airtight member 118 includes a bridge portion 1181 provided in the region below the rotary brush 14 in the front-rear direction, a swing shaft 1182 extending in the left-right direction, and the rotary brush 14. It has a frame body portion 1183 having a shape surrounding the frame body portion 1183, a removal claw 1184 used for removing the airtight member 118, a bridging portion 1181 and an urging portion 1185 for downwardly urging the frame body portion 1183, and a driven roller 1186.

The airtight member 118 is a member that swings separately from the mouthpiece 113 and the rotating brush 14, and is urged downward by the urging portion 1185. Therefore, the airtight member 118 moves up and down as the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 travels on a step. As a result, the airtight member 118 maintains a position close to or in contact with the floor surface, so that the airtightness can be improved. Further, since the airtight member 118 swings separately from the mouthpiece 113 and the rotating brush 14, it is not necessary to provide a swing space for the mouthpiece 113 in the main body 11, which contributes to the miniaturization of the main body 11.

The swing shaft 1182 of the present embodiment is provided coaxially with the scraping brush 13, and the scraping brush 13 can be attached to the swing shaft 1182. As a result, when the airtight member 118 and the scraping brush 13 are both provided, the installation space can be reduced, which contributes to the miniaturization of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1. The swing shaft 118 is provided on the rear end side of the airtight member 118.

The swing shaft 118 may be provided on the front end side of the airtight member 118. By doing so, the airtight member 118 has an upward inclination from the rear to the front, so that the load when colliding with an obstacle in the front can be reduced. Further, the front end of the airtight member 118 forms an inclined portion 1187 that goes downward from the front to the rear (see FIG. 4 and the like). Therefore, the load when colliding with an obstacle in front can be further reduced.

The removal claw 1184 is attached to the left and right sides of the airtight member 118, and the removal claw 1184 can be removed from the main body 11 by moving it in the left-right direction (in the present embodiment, inward in the left-right direction). .. Since the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 mainly moves in the front-rear direction, it can be removed by moving it in the left-right direction in this way, so that the airtight member 118 can be prevented from falling off from the main body 11 during traveling. ..

The urging portion 1185 is provided on the back surface side of the airtight member 118, and is, for example, a spring-shaped member capable of urging the frame body portion 1183 or its vicinity downward. The urging portion 1185 urges the airtight member 118 so as to come into contact with the floor surface while the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 is running. As a result, the airtightness around the rotating brush 14 can be improved, so that the dust collection efficiency can be improved.

The driven rollers 1186 are provided on the left and right outer portions of the airtight member 118, respectively, and can come into contact with the floor surface as the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 travels to support the airtight member 118. As a result, even if the airtight member 118 is urged downward, the frictional resistance with the floor surface can be suppressed, and energy loss and damage to the floor surface can be suppressed. Further, since the driven roller 1186 is located on the opposite side of the auxiliary wheel 17 via the drive wheel 116 in the front-rear direction, the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 is effectively supported by these three components. Can be done.

[Side brush 15]
The side brush 15 illustrated in FIG. 3 and the like is a brush that guides dust to a suction port 113 (suction port 1131) in a place outside the main body 11 such as a corner of a room where it is not easy for the rotating brush 14 to reach. Is. The rotation axis of the side brush 15 is in the vertical direction, and a part of the side brush 15 is exposed from the main body 11 in a plan view. The side brush 15 has three bundles of brushes extending radially at intervals of 120 ° in a plan view, and is arranged on each of the front left and right sides of the lower case 112. The root of the side brush 15 is fixed to the side brush holder 151.

In each of the side brushes 15, the side brush holder 151 side (root side) is a root elastic portion 153 having flexibility such as an elastomer, and the tip side is a brush portion 154 which is, for example, a brush. In the present embodiment, the side brush holder 151 and the root elastic portion 153 forming the rotation axis (hub) of the side brush 15 are integrally formed. By making the root of the side brush 15 an elastic body such as the root elastic portion 153, the brush portion 154 is less likely to bend than the configuration extending from the root to the tip, so that the side brush 15 is less likely to bend. Can improve the durability of.

The flocking of the side brush 15 is inclined so as to approach the floor surface toward the tip, and the vicinity of the tip is in contact with the floor surface.

The side brush holder 151 is installed near the bottom surface of the lower case 112 and is connected to the side brush motor 152 (see FIG. 2). When the side brush motor 152 is driven, the side brush 15 rotates inward (in the direction of the arrow attached to FIG. 3) to collect dust at the suction port 1131.

[Electric blower 16]
The electric blower 16 shown in FIG. 4 has a fan having a shaft in the front-rear direction, and when the fan is rotationally driven, the air in the dust case 4 is discharged to the outside to generate a negative pressure, and a suction port from the floor surface. It has a function of sucking dust through 1131 (mouthpiece 113). An elastic body 161 is installed on the outer peripheral surface of the electric blower 16. By interposing the elastic body in this way, the vibration of the electric blower 16 is attenuated and is less likely to be transmitted to the main body 11, and the vibration and noise of the main body 11 can be reduced. In this embodiment, the electric blower 16 is arranged near the center of the lower case 112. Further, since it is assumed that the electric blower 16 passes through the cleaning area a plurality of times, it is preferable to adopt a relatively small electric blower 16, and the diameter thereof can be 70 mm or less as described above. On the other hand, in order to fully function as a self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 for cleaning a room or the like, its diameter is preferably 50 mm or more.

[Mouthpiece 113]
6 is an exploded perspective view of the mouthpiece 113, the dust sensor unit 12 and the dust case 4, FIG. 7 is a front view of the dust sensor unit 12, and FIG. 8 is a right side view of the dust sensor unit 12.
The suction port 113 is a member in which a suction port 1131 communicating with the dust case 4 is formed, and the scraping brush 13 and the rotary brush 14 are accommodated. A rotary brush motor 1133 may be attached to the mouthpiece 113. The upstream side (rotating brush 14 side) of the suction port 1131 is a space for accommodating the rotating brush 14, and has a larger cross-sectional area than the suction port 1131.

In the present embodiment, the air sucked by the negative pressure of the electric blower 16 is the suction port 1131, the dust sensor unit 12, the duct 42 of the dust case 4, the main storage chamber 41, the dust collection filter 46, the electric blower 16, and the like. , Exhaust port 1126 in this order. This air often contains dust, which is blocked by the dust collecting filter 46 and stored in the dust case 4. Hereinafter, the direction substantially perpendicular to the frame 121 of the suction port 1131 and the dust sensor unit 12 (the front view direction of the frame 121) is referred to as the main direction. It should be noted that the exhaust ports 1126 are provided in the lower case 112, and six exhaust ports 1126 are located between the two drive wheels 116 in the present embodiment.

The mouthpiece 113 of the present embodiment does not have a portion extending in the main direction from the suction port 1131, but extends in the main direction like the duct 42 of the dust case 4 described later, and the mouthpiece 113 It may have a mouthpiece duct integrated with. In this case, the suction port duct, the dust sensor unit 12, and the duct 42 surround the path from the suction port 1131 to the inside of the dust case 4. In this regard, as will be described later, from the viewpoint of improving the volume of the dust case 4, the length of the mouthpiece duct (for example, the length in the main direction) and the length of the frame 121 (for example, the length in the main direction) are included in this process. ), It is preferable that the length of the duct 42 (for example, the length in the main direction) is longer.

[Dust sensor unit 12]
The dust sensor unit 12 is arranged between the mouthpiece 113 and the dust case 4.
The dust sensor unit 12 has a frame 121, a light emitting unit 122 and a light receiving unit 123 provided on the frame 121 and facing each other, a close contact member 124 attached to the dust case 4 side of the frame 121, and a substrate 127. The dust sensor unit 12 is formed as a separate member from the mouthpiece 113 and the dust case 4, and by bringing the frame 121 into contact with the mouthpiece 113 and attaching it in this state, the light emitting unit 122, the light receiving unit 123, and the connector 126 are attached. And the close contact member 124 can be attached at the same time. Therefore, the dust sensor unit 12 of the present embodiment is excellent in assembling property.

(Frame 121)
The frame 121 is a member to which the light emitting unit 123 and the light receiving unit 124 can be attached to the frame 121 itself or its vicinity while securing a space in the optical axis connecting the light emitting unit 123 and the light receiving unit 124. The frame 121 of the present embodiment has a shape having a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction, and can be made into a rectangular shape, for example. In this embodiment, it has a substantially rectangular shape. A light receiving portion 123 and a substrate 127 are attached to one of the frames 121 in the longitudinal direction. A light emitting unit 122 is attached to the other side of the frame 121 in the longitudinal direction. The light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123 may be provided in the lateral direction of the frame 121. Further, the frame 121 may have a square shape, a circular shape, an elliptical shape, an egg shape, or the like.

(Light emitting unit 122 and light receiving unit 123)
The light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123 face each other, and light such as infrared rays emitted by the light emitting unit 122 is received by the light receiving unit 123. What is emitted by the light emitting unit 122 is not limited to light, and may be various known ones such as ultrasonic waves as long as the presence or absence of dust can be detected. The light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123 may be provided on the same side, but it is preferable that the light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123 face each other from the viewpoint of miniaturization and the like.

(Wiring 125, connector 126, board 127)
The substrate 127 can be equipped with a drive circuit of the light emitting unit 122, an amplifier circuit of the light receiving unit 123, a comparator that outputs a decrease in the amount of received light due to the passage of dust as a pulse by comparing the amplified signal with a certain reference voltage, and the like. Instead of or in addition to the comparator, it may be possible to detect that the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 123 is continuously decreasing. In this case, it can be inferred whether or not the dust case 4 is full.

The light emitting unit 122 and the substrate 127 are electrically connected by wiring 125. The wiring 125 is crawled in the vicinity of the frame 121, crawled in the frame 121, or incorporated between the frame 121 and the close contact member 124 along the facing direction of the light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123. The drive current of the light emitting unit 122 flows through the wiring 125. The light receiving unit 123 is also electrically connected to the substrate 127 by wiring (not shown). These wires are electrically connected to the connector 126.

(Adhesion member 124)
The close contact member 124 has a shape that matches the peripheral shape of the frame 121, and is a hollow substantially rectangular shape in the present embodiment. The shape of the frame 121 matches the shape of the suction port 1131. As the close contact member 124, packing or the like can be adopted.

(Advantages of Dust Sensor Unit 12)
Since the dust sensor unit 12 configured in this way can integrally hold the light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123, it is easy to align the optical axes. Further, since the light receiving unit 123 and the substrate 127 can be arranged close to each other, the distance from the light receiving unit 123 to the amplifier circuit can be shortened, and the influence of electromagnetic noise on the output of the light receiving unit 123, which is a weak signal, is reduced. can do. Further, the wiring 125 of the light emitting unit 122 is also integrated in the dust sensor unit 12, and when electrically connecting to the control device 2, it is sufficient to connect the wiring (not shown) to the connector 126, and the assembly is assembled. Is excellent.

Further, it is preferable to use an elastic material such as an elastomer for the close contact member 124 which is a member in contact with the dust case 4, but such a material deteriorates relatively faster than other parts. Further, the surfaces of the light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123 are also liable to be soiled or scratched by dust. According to the present embodiment, parts that are likely to need to be replaced due to such deterioration, dirt, and scratches can be replaced at the same time by replacing the dust sensor unit 12, so that the maintainability is excellent.

(Dimensions in the non-opposite direction of the frame 24, etc.)
FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. Regarding the dust sensor unit 12, among the directions parallel to the frame 121 (directions perpendicular to the main direction), the direction substantially perpendicular to the facing direction of the light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123 is referred to as a non-opposing direction. Assuming that the width of the frame 121 in the non-opposite direction on the suction port 1131 side is a and the width in the non-opposite direction on the dust case 4 side is b, a≈b and a <b. As a result, the cross-sectional area of the surface perpendicular to the principal direction is narrowed more than necessary and the loss is suppressed from increasing. Further, the center line 90 (which is substantially parallel to the main direction) of the area surrounded by the frame 121 is defined as a straight line passing through the midpoints of the dimensions a and b. That is, considering a straight line where a1 = a2 = a / 2 and b1 = b2 = b / 2 hold as illustrated in FIG. 9, a1 and b1 are on the upper side of the center line, and a2 and b2 are on the lower side of the center line. Is. At this time, the light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123 are arranged below the center line 90 in the non-opposing direction. Since the dust is heavier than air and has a high probability of passing under the center line 90, it is possible to detect the dust with high accuracy by providing the light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123 on the lower side.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD of FIG. The light emitting unit 122 has a light emitting element 1221 and a transparent resin cap 1239, and the light receiving unit 123 has a light receiving element 1232 and a transparent resin cap 1239. For the attached transparent resin cap 1239, each region between the light emitting element 1221 and the light receiving element 1232 has a dimension smaller than the dimension in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the light emitted by the light emitting element 1221. As a result, the transparent resin cap 1239 protects the element, and while guiding the light of the light emitting element 32, it is possible to suppress the enlargement of the vertical dimension and the front-rear dimension of the dust sensor unit 12.

(Dimensions in the opposite direction of the frame 24, etc.)
Of the directions parallel to the frame 121, the direction substantially parallel to the opposite direction of the light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123 is referred to as a facing direction. Assuming that the width in the facing direction on the suction port 1131 side is e and the width in the facing direction on the dust case 4 side is d, e> d. That is, the width of the frame 121 in the facing direction becomes smaller toward the dust case 4 side. As a result, the air containing the dust flows in the direction of the arrow 91, but the dust flows away from the wall surface due to the inertia. Therefore, scratches and stains on the transparent resin cap 1239 can be suppressed.

[Dust case 4]
11 is a perspective view showing the dust case 4 removed from the main body 11, FIG. 12 is a perspective view including a region of the main body 11 to which the dust case 4 is mounted in the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1, and FIG. 13 is a view. 12 is an enlarged view of the main part, FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 5, FIG. 15 is a perspective view including the prop accommodating portion 1102 and the prop 95, and FIG. 16 is a rear perspective view of the main body 11 to which the dust case 4 is attached. be.
The dust case 4 is a container for accumulating dust sucked from the floor surface through the suction port 1131 (suction port 113). The dust case 4 has a duct 42 formed on the suction port 1131 side, a main storage chamber 41 that mainly stores collected dust, a lid 45 that allows the accumulated dust to be taken out from the filter 46 side (upper side), and rotation. A check valve 44 capable of opening and closing the opening on the lower side (duct 42 side) of the main storage chamber 77 and a foldable handle 43 are provided. The dust case 4 is attached from diagonally above to diagonally below the main body 11.

(Main storage room 41)
The main storage chamber 41 is formed of, for example, a resin material and is a region containing a space, and the lid 45 and the check valve 44 prevent dust from leaking from the space to the outside. The lid 45 can close the opening on the horizontal side of the main storage chamber 41, and the check valve 44 can close the opening on the lower side of the main storage chamber 41. The cross-sectional area of the space included in the main storage chamber 41 is larger than the cross-sectional area of the frame 121. The cross-sectional area of the space included in the main storage chamber 41 here may be, for example, the cross-sectional area in the direction perpendicular to the filter 46.

(Duct 42)
The duct 42 has one end on the lower side of the main storage chamber 41 and the other end that can be opened and closed by the check valve 44. The duct 42 is a part integrated with the dust case 4 that forms a part, substantially all or all of the route from the suction port 1131 to the main storage chamber 41. The duct 42 of the present embodiment has a shape in which one end side extends substantially in the vertical direction and extends diagonally downward from the middle toward the other end side, but only the latter, that is, diagonally toward the other end side. It may consist only of a portion extending downward.

As described above, the duct 42 extends diagonally downward from one end to the other end as a whole. One end of the duct 42 can be provided, for example, on the lower surface of the main storage chamber 41, and is preferably provided at a position farther from the other end of the duct 42 with respect to the center of the lower surface of the main storage chamber 41 in the top view. Will be. This makes it easy to reduce the size of the dust case 4 when viewed from above.

(Handle 43)
The handle 43 is a member rotatably provided with the upper side of the main storage chamber 41 as a rotation axis, and has a grip portion 431, a retaining portion 432, an action point portion 433, and a locking portion 434. The handle 43 can rotate about 90 ° to 100 ° from the front of the rotation shaft to the upper side of the rotation shaft. In order to exert the actions of both the action point portion 433 and the locking portion 434, which will be described later, the rotation addition range is preferably more than 90 °, generally 135 ° or less, preferably 120 ° or less. Here, the state in which the grip portion 431 is lying down (the state in which the grip portion 431 is locked to the locking portion 434) is defined as a rotation angle of 0 °. The state as illustrated in FIG. 16 is a rotation angle of approximately 90 °.

The grip portion 431 is a portion that is easy for the user to grip the dust case 4 and use for attachment / detachment operation or the like, and a locking portion 434 is provided at the front end. In the state where the dust case 4 is attached to the main body 11, the locking portion 434 is locked to the non-locking portion (not shown) provided in the upper case 111, and the handle 43 can be locked.

The retaining portion 432 is a protrusion-shaped portion provided near the rotation shaft and on the locking portion 434 side (rotation angle 0 ° side) of the rotation shaft. When the handle 43 is located on the front side, the retaining portion 432 enters the main body 11 and comes into contact with the portion inside the main body 11 to generate frictional resistance. This prevents the handle 43 from coming off.

The action point portion 433 is a portion that comes into contact with the upper surface side of the main body 11 when the user further applies a force backward (toward a direction in which the rotation angle exceeds 90 °) while the handle 43 is located on the upper side. Is. In this state, the action point portion 433 becomes the action point of the force that the dust case 4 is lifted from the main body 11, and the rotation shaft serves as a fulcrum. This can assist the user in removing the dust case 4. The upper surface side of the main body 11 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a guide step 119 described later.

[Shape of dust case 4 and prop storage]
The dust case 4 has a shape in which the rear upper side protrudes rearward, and when attached to the main body 11, the rear upper side forms a part of the side surface of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 (see FIG. 16 and the like). Therefore, with respect to the main body 11, the region directly below the rear upper region in the dust case 4 also forms a part of the side surface of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1. In the present embodiment, a prop accommodating portion 1102 as illustrated in FIG. 15 or the like is provided in the vicinity of a part of the side surface of the main body 11, and a cleaning brush 95 as an example of the prop is stored. The cleaning brush 95 can be used, for example, for the user to clean the inside of the dust case 4, and has a curved shape along the outer peripheral shape of the main body 11. The cleaning brush 95 has a brush 951 and a jig portion 952. The brush portion 951 can be used when cleaning the dust case 4 and the like, and the jig portion 952 can be used when removing the side brush 15.

By bending the shape along the outer peripheral shape of the main body 11, a space required for storing the cleaning brush 95 can be provided along the inner circumference of the side surface of the main body 11. For example, it is not preferable to attach the cleaning brush 95 or the like to the outer surface of the dust case 4 because the capacity of the dust case 4 may be reduced. Further, by setting the storage space for the cleaning brush 95 or the like as the attachment / detachment area of the dust case 4, it is possible to prevent the cleaning brush 95 or the like from unintentionally falling off.

In addition, instead of this embodiment, for example, a jig for removing the side brush 15 and other props may be stored in place of or in addition to the cleaning brush 95.

The storage mode of the props is not limited to the above, and if the dust case 4 is attached to the main body 11, an area surrounded by the main body 11 and the dust case 4 may be provided in the main body 11.

(Backflow suppression valve 44)
The check valve 44 is integrally or separately attached to the main surface 441 and the main surface 441 that can close the opening as the other end of the duct 42, and is attached to the outside of the duct 42 in a direction substantially parallel to the main surface 441. It has a protruding portion 442 and an urging portion 443 that urges the main surface 441 and the protruding portion 442 in a direction to rotate. In the present embodiment, the protrusions 442 are provided on the outer sides in a direction substantially parallel to the main surface 441.

The urging portion 443 is a member that urges the check valve 44 in the direction in which the main surface 441 closes the opening, and various known ones can be used, and for example, a spring can be used. If the urging portion 443 is, for example, a coil spring, it can serve as a rotation shaft.
Therefore, when no external force is applied, the check valve 44 blocks the other end of the duct 42.

When the dust case 4 is attached to the main body 11, the protrusion 442 comes into contact with the guide step 119 provided in the area where the dust case 4 is housed. The guide step 119 is two step portions of the main body 11 provided in a visible area when the dust case 4 is removed. Each of the guide steps 119 is provided along the mounting direction of the dust case 4, and extends from the upper rear to the lower front in the present embodiment.

Due to the downward movement of the dust case 4 accompanying the attachment of the dust case 4 to the main body 11, the protruding portion 442 comes into contact with and slides on each of the guide steps 119, and the main surface 441 receives a force in the direction of opening the opening. As a result, the check valve 44 opens the other end of the duct 42 against the urging force of the urging portion 443. As in the guide step 119 illustrated in the present embodiment, the main surface 441 receives a force in the direction opposite to the urging force of the urging portion 443 due to the contact between the repulsive portion and the protruding portion 442, and the other end of the duct 42. The opening can be opened.

Specifically, the check valve 44 rotates about the longitudinal direction, and the other end of the duct 42 is opened. Since the check valve 44 of the present embodiment has a substantially rectangular shape, the check valve 44 rotates about the lateral direction or the direction perpendicular to the main surface 441. It is preferable to rotate it about the longitudinal direction because a large space is required for performing the above. That is, the urging portion 443 rotates the check valve 44 about the longitudinal direction of the main surface 441.

It is only necessary that the protruding portion 442 can open the check valve 44 by contacting some member (rebounding portion) of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1.

A gap 1101 is provided in front of the front end of the guide step 119 of the present embodiment, and the check valve 44 slides while being pressed by the guide step 119 in a state where the dust case 4 is attached to the main body 11. It is stored in the gap 1101. The gap 1101 is located outside the main direction projection plane of the frame 121. Therefore, when the dust case 4 is attached, the other end of the duct 42 comes into contact with the dust sensor unit 12, and in particular, in the present embodiment, it comes into close contact with the close contact member 124.

[Structure provided from the suction port 1131 to the main storage chamber 41]
In particular, as illustrated in FIG. 14, the dimension 92 of the dust sensor unit 12 is shorter than the dimension 93 on the other end side of the duct 42 in the main direction. That is, the dimension 93 on the other end side of the duct 42 forms a part of the path connecting the suction port 1131 to the main storage chamber 41, preferably more than the dimension 92. As a result, a part of the dust case 4 can be provided in the region from the suction port 1131 to the main storage chamber 41, so that the volume of the dust case 4 can be expanded.

Here, the duct 42 can form one end side of the duct 42 and include an upright portion 421 having a dimension of 94 and extending vertically. The upright portion 421 suppresses dust from leaking from the main storage chamber 41 to the other end side of the duct 42.

Here, as the dimension 93, the lower surface of the dust case 4 is simulated as a flat surface (the main storage chamber 41 is approximated to a box shape), and the measurement is performed with a straight line substantially parallel to the dimension 92 of the dust sensor unit 12. It can be considered as the distance from the flat surface to the dust sensor unit 12. The main storage chamber 41 of the present embodiment can be considered to be a box type.

[Blockage of duct 42 by check valve 44]
As described above, in the state where the dust case 4 is attached to the main body 11, the check valve 44 is housed above the rotary brush 14. When the dust case 4 is removed from the main body 11, the check valve 44 rotates due to the urging force of the urging portion 443 and closes the opening at the other end on the duct 42 side. As a result, even if dust is accumulated in the duct 42, it is possible to prevent the dust from spilling from the dust case 4. The main surface 441 may have a flat plate shape or a mesh shape that can suppress the passage of dust.

[Dust full detection]
When the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1 sucks dust, the sucked dust is first accumulated in the main storage chamber 41, and when the main storage chamber 41 is full, it is also accumulated in the duct 42. Since the duct 42 faces diagonally downward from the direction of gravity toward the horizontal direction, it is possible to prevent dust from falling from the duct 42. Further, since it faces the gravity direction side from the horizontal direction, dust is likely to be accumulated in the duct 42 relatively soon after the main storage chamber 41 is full, and the dust is easily detected by the dust sensor unit 12.

Further, the upright portion 421 can prevent dust from flowing into the duct 42 and falling even though the main storage chamber 41 has a margin. In the dust case 4 of the present embodiment, since the ratio of the majority of the space contained in the main storage chamber 41 is provided on the front side of one end of the duct 42, the dust tends to accumulate on the front side. However, since the upright portion 421 is provided between the ratio of the majority of the space and the duct 42, the dust moves backward as the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 accelerates forward, which is the main moving direction. However, it is possible to effectively prevent dust from falling into the duct 42. That is, from the front to the rear, the main storage chamber 41 is located in the order of the majority of the space contained therein, the upright portion 421, and one end of the duct 42.

When the dust accumulates in the duct 42 and becomes almost full, the dust continues to block the light of the light emitting unit 122, and the light receiving amount of the light receiving unit 123 continues to decrease. By detecting this state, it is possible to detect the fullness of the dust case 4 and notify the user, or start the control to return the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 to the charging stand (not shown).

[Detection of the amount of passing dust]
When the light of the light emitting unit 122 is momentarily blocked, the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 123 decreases in a pulsed manner. As a result, it is possible to detect that the dust is passing toward the dust case 4. In the present embodiment, the cross-sectional area in the main direction is larger on the rotating brush 14 side than the suction port 1131, smaller in the frame 121 and the duct 42, and larger in the main storage chamber 41. That is, the cross-sectional area in the path from the storage space of the rotating brush 14 to the main storage chamber 41 is the minimum in the frame 121 and / or the duct 42. Therefore, the sucked dust concentrates on the frame 121 having a small cross-sectional area according to the shape of the duct 42. Since the light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123 are provided on the frame 121, most of the dust passes between the light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123. That is, the amount of dust can be measured with high accuracy.

Further, since the dust after passing through the frame 121 passes through the duct 42 having substantially the same cross-sectional area, eddy currents are unlikely to occur in the vicinity of the frame 121. That is, it is possible to prevent the dust from flowing back due to the vortex and being detected multiple times. Further, since the cross-sectional area after passing through the duct 42 is expanded, wind damage can be suppressed.

Further, the cross-sectional area on the upstream side of the dust sensor unit 12, that is, the cross-sectional area from the mouthpiece 113 to the dust sensor unit 12 may be monotonically reduced. By doing so, it is possible to prevent a vortex flow from being generated upstream of the dust sensor unit 12 and multiple dust being detected by the dust sensor unit 12.

[Layout]
FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 with the upper case 111 removed, and FIG. 18 is a sectional view taken along the line EE of FIG.
In order to make the vertical dimension of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 small, the vertical dimension of the main body 11 is substantially the same as the vertical dimension of the electric blower 16. As illustrated in FIG. 17, when the upper case 111 is removed, the convex shape 162 that covers a part of the upper surface of the electric blower 16 can be seen. This contributes to the miniaturization of the vertical dimensions of the main body 11. The bottom surface side of the main body 11 may have a convex shape protruding downward at a position where it overlaps with the electric blower 16 in the bottom view.

By providing a convex shape 162 in the lower space of the upper case 111, only the portion on the upper end side of the electric blower 16 can be projected into this space, and another part can be arranged by the protruding dimension. It has become. That is, another part is arranged in the height region where the convex shape 162 is located.

For example, in the present embodiment, a part of the switch sheet 22, a circuit board or a circuit element, 7 segments, and a light emitting element such as an LED are arranged, and these can be covered with the upper case 111. This makes it easier to reduce the vertical dimensions of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1, which is easily affected by the dimensions of the electric blower 162. In addition to a part of the switch sheet 22, a circuit board or a circuit element, a 7-segment display, and a light emitting element such as an LED, some parts may be arranged, or only a part thereof may be arranged. The height dimension of these parts to be arranged is preferably 5 mm or less, preferably 3 mm or less, 2 mm or less, or 1 mm or less.

Further, the electric blower 162 is attached so as to blow air in the horizontal direction, that is, the fan opening is substantially horizontal (for example, ± 10 degrees or less, preferably ± 5 degrees or less from the horizontal direction). In this way, it is easy to connect the electric blower 162 and the dust case 4 in the horizontally formed passage as in the present embodiment. That is, the need to extend the passage in the height direction can be reduced, and the height dimension can be suppressed.

The upper end side portion of the electric blower 16 may be exposed by removing the upper case 111, or a flat plate-shaped member having the above-mentioned other parts may cover the upper end side portion of the electric blower 16. Is also good.

Further, if the cylindrical electric blower 16 is arranged diagonally, it is necessary to increase the vertical dimension of the main body 11, so that the axial direction of the electric blower 16 is horizontal or ± 10 degrees or less from the horizontal direction, preferably ± 10 degrees or less. The deviation is ± 5 degrees or less.

As for the axial view of the electric blower 16, as illustrated in FIG. 18, the rotation shaft side of the arm 1141 is located inside the substantially square region circumscribing the tubular electric blower 16. This area tends to be a dead space, but by arranging a part of the arm 1141 in this way, the space can be effectively utilized and the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 can be miniaturized. Further, since the exhaust port 1126 is located directly below the electric blower 16 or directly below the opening on the downstream side of the electric blower 16, the exhaust air passage can be shortened.

The present embodiment includes various configurations for miniaturization, and as a result, the vertical dimension can be brought close to the vertical dimension of the electric blower 16. Specifically, even considering the influence of the drive wheel 116 on the dimensions, the vertical dimensions of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 (that is, the arm 1141) when the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 is placed on the floor surface. Is configured to fit within 70% or more, preferably 75% or more or 85% or more of the vertical dimension of the state in which the drive wheel 116 is housed by rotating upward. There is.

The vertical dimension of the area where the upper case 111 and the lower case 112 surround the upper and lower sides is substantially the same as the vertical dimension of the electric blower 16. Specifically, the vertical dimension of the electric blower 16 is 90% or more, preferably 95% or more of the vertical dimension of the area surrounded by the upper case 111 and the lower case 112.

Further, as described above, among the structures mounted on the main body 11, the heavier ones are the rechargeable battery 19 and the electric blower 16. If the rechargeable battery 19 is arranged on the center side, it tends to interfere with wiring and the like. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the electric blower 16 is arranged on the center side and the rechargeable battery 19 is arranged on the front side.

[Rotation speed of side brush 15]
The self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 has side brushes 15 on the left side and the right side, respectively. In the present embodiment, the rotation speed of the side brush 15 can be changed. Specifically, when the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 is executing the wall-side cleaning mode in which the wall is located on the left side, the side brush 15 on the left side, which is on the same side as the side on which the wall is located, The rotation speed is controlled to be faster than the rotation speed of the other side brush 15. As a result, cleaning near the wall can be performed more effectively. The wall cleaning mode can be executed by various known methods, and can be realized, for example, by controlling the traveling so that the distance measuring sensor 210 provided on the left side of the main body 11 continues to detect the wall surface (obstacle).

It should be noted that the same control can be performed even when the wall cleaning mode in which the wall is located on the right side is executed. Further, when the rotation speed of the side brush 15 on the wall side during the wall cleaning mode is detected in another control mode, for example, a wall surface or an obstacle, the course is changed in a direction away from the wall surface or the obstacle to travel. The same effect can be obtained by controlling the rotation speed to be higher than the rotation speed during execution of the reflex running mode to be restarted. Further, similarly to the wall surface, the rotation speed and the torque described later can be similarly controlled at the corner where the two wall surfaces intersect.

[Torque of side brush 15]
Each of the side brushes 15 is driven by a side brush motor 152 driven by the electric power of the rechargeable battery 19. In this embodiment, a DC motor is used as the side brush motor 152. Even if the output voltage of the DC motor is the same on time average, the higher the duty ratio (longer voltage application time), the higher the torque can be transmitted. When the side brush 15 is in contact with a wall or an obstacle, the torque is reduced due to the friction thereof, so that the cleaning efficiency tends to decrease.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, for example, when the wall-side cleaning mode is executed so that the wall is located on the left side, torque is transmitted to the left side brush 15 which is the same side as the side where the wall is located. The duty ratio of the side brush motor 152 can be controlled to be higher than the duty ratio of the side brush motor 152 that transmits torque to the other side brush 15.

Further, when the energy of the rechargeable battery 19 is reduced and the output voltage is lowered, the torque is lowered even with the same duty ratio. Therefore, the lower the remaining power of the rechargeable battery 19, the larger the duty ratio.

For the same reason, the torque to be output differs depending on the material of the floor surface, so the duty ratio may be determined according to the type of the floor surface. For example, the duty ratio during carpet cleaning can be controlled to be higher than that during flooring cleaning.

Further, the larger the number of dust detected by the dust sensor unit 12, the lower the duty ratio can be. As a result, it is possible to prevent the side brush 15 from scattering the dust in the area where there is a large amount of dust.

Further, when the duty ratio of the side brush 15 on the wall side during the wall cleaning mode is detected in another control mode, for example, a wall surface or an obstacle, the course is changed in the direction away from the wall surface or the obstacle to drive. The same effect can be obtained by controlling the duty ratio to a value higher than the duty ratio during execution of the restarting reflection driving mode.

[Sensors]
FIG. 23 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a control device 2 of a self-propelled vacuum cleaner and a device connected to the control device 2. The bumper sensor (obstacle detecting means) is a sensor that detects the retreat of the bumper 18 (that is, contact with an obstacle).

The distance measuring sensor 210 (obstacle detecting means) exemplified in FIG. 2 and the like is an infrared sensor that detects the distance to an obstacle. In this embodiment, distance measuring sensors are provided at three locations on the front surface and two locations on the side surface, for a total of five locations.

The distance measuring sensor 210 has a light emitting unit (not shown) that emits infrared rays, and a light receiving unit (not shown) that receives reflected light that is reflected by an obstacle and returned. The distance to the obstacle is calculated based on the reflected light detected by the light receiving unit. Of the bumper 18, at least the vicinity of the distance measuring sensor is made of resin or glass that transmits infrared rays.

The floor distance measuring sensor 211 (floor surface detecting means) exemplified in FIG. 3 and the like is an infrared sensor that measures the distance to the floor surface, and is installed at four places on the front, back, left, and right of the lower surface of the lower case 112. .. More specifically, it is located on the front side of the auxiliary wheels 17, the rear side of the rotary brush 14 and the scraping brush 13, the front side of each drive wheel 116, and the outside in the left-right direction.

By detecting a large step such as a staircase with a distance measuring sensor for the floor surface, it is possible to prevent the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 from falling (from the staircase or the like). For example, when a step of about 30 mm is detected forward by the distance measuring sensor for the floor surface, the control device 2 controls the traveling motor to retract the main body 11 and change the traveling direction.

The floor distance measuring sensor 211 on the front side of the training wheels 17 (front end side of the lower case 112) detects that the distance from the floor surface is long, and the rear side of the rotary brush 14 (rear end side of the lower case 112). ), When the floor element distance sensor 211 detects that the distance from the floor surface is short, the control device 2 may continue to advance the main body 11 as it is. This is because it is considered that the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 often climbs a step in the case of such a combination of detections. Similarly, the floor surface distance measuring sensor 211 on the front side of the training wheels 17 detects that the distance from the floor surface is short, and the floor surface element distance sensor 211 on the rear side of the rotating brush 14 is far from the floor surface. When the fact is detected, the control device 2 may continue to advance the main body 11 as it is. The term "close" as used herein means, for example, a distance equal to or less than the distance detected by the floor ranging sensor 211 when the self-propelled vacuum cleaner C is traveling on a flat floor, and is "far". Is, for example, more than the distance detected by the floor distance measuring sensor 211 when the self-propelled vacuum cleaner C is traveling on a flat floor surface. In addition, it may be the result of setting one or two appropriate threshold values and comparing them.

The rotation speed and rotation angle of the travel motor 1161 are detected by using the travel motor pulse output shown in FIG. 23. The control device 2 calculates the moving speed and the moving distance of the main body 11 based on the rotation speed and the rotation angle detected from the traveling motor pulse output, the gear ratio of the reduction mechanism, and the diameter of the drive wheel 116.

The traveling motor current measuring instrument is a measuring instrument that measures the current flowing through the armature winding of the traveling motor 1161. Similarly, the electric blower current measuring instrument measures the current value of the electric blower 16, and the rotary brush motor current measuring instrument measures the current value of the rotary brush motor 1133. The two side brush motor current measuring instruments measure the current value of the side brush motor 152. Each current measuring instrument outputs the measured current value to the control device 2. Using the current value detection result, for example, it is possible to detect an abnormality in which foreign matter is entangled in the rotating brush and the rotation has stopped, and the user can be notified by the operation button.

Further, from the current value of the rotary brush motor 1133 and the current value of the traveling motor 1161, the state of the floor surface on which the main body 11 is traveling is detected. On the flooring, the input of the electric blower 16 is set to be small to control the power consumption of the rechargeable battery 19.

When the dust is detected by the dust sensor unit 12, the input of the electric blower 16 is increased for a certain period of time. The input increase time of the electric blower 16 is not determined (for example, extended) according to the detected dust amount. As a result, the power consumption of the electric blower 16 is suppressed. Further, even if dust is detected, the main body 11 is not inverted or reciprocated. As a result, it is possible to avoid a decrease in moving speed.

[Drive]
The traveling motor drive device (left) (right) shown in FIG. 23 is an inverter that drives the traveling motor 1161 on the left and right sides, or a pulse waveform generator by PWM control, and operates in response to a command from the control device 2. .. The same applies to the electric blower drive device, the rotary brush motor drive device, and the side brush motor drive device (left) (right). Each of these drive devices is installed in the control device 2 (see FIG. 2) in the main body 11.

[Control device 2]
The control device 2 is, for example, a microcomputer (not shown), reads a program stored in a ROM (Read Only Memory), expands it into a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) performs various processes. It is designed to run. The control device 2 executes arithmetic processing according to the signals input from the switch sheet 22 (see FIG. 1) and the above-mentioned sensors, and outputs a command signal to each of the above-mentioned drive devices.

[Included as a set with the manual]
As described above, the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 of the present embodiment is intended to clean the floor surface of the room in which the furniture is arranged. Other self-propelled vacuum cleaners are known to be designed to clean a very small area compared to a room, such as a desk, but to clean such a small area. The self-propelled vacuum cleaner of No. 1 and the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 described in detail in the present embodiment are significantly different in the assumed usage mode. The self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 described in detail in the present embodiment is manufactured to effectively clean the floor surface of the room in which the furniture is arranged. For this reason, it is preferable to bundle the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 with a manual indicating that effect by characters, images, or moving images and sell it as a self-propelled vacuum cleaner set. The manual can be, for example, a paper medium, a recording medium such as a DVD, or a storage medium such as a USB memory. As the paper medium, for example, a format may be used in which means for viewing downloadable streaming via a telecommunication means such as an Internet line is described.

The self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to the present invention has been described in detail by showing embodiments. Needless to say, the content of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment, and can be appropriately modified or changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1 Self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 11 Main body 111 Upper case 112 Lower case 1121 Side brush mounting part 1122 Auxiliary wheel mounting part 1123 Rear protrusion 1124 Central front side protrusion 1125 Central rear side protrusion 1126 Exhaust port 1127 Bumper frame 1128 Mounting claw locking part 113 Suction port 1131 Suction port 1133 Rotating brush motor 114 Drive mechanism housing section 1141 Arm (suspension)
1142 Deceleration mechanism 115 Battery accommodating part 116 Drive wheel 1161 Travel motor 117 Front lid 118 Airtight member 1181 Bridge part 1182 Swing shaft 1183 Frame body part 1184 Detachment claw 1185 Bounce part 1186 Driven roller 1187 Inclined part 119 Guide step 1101 Gap 1102 Props Accommodating part 12 Dust sensor unit 121 Frame 122 Light emitting part 1221 Light emitting element 123 Light receiving part 1232 Light receiving element 1239 Transparent resin cap 124 Adhesive member 125 Wiring 126 Connector 127 Board 13 Scraping brush 14 Rotating brush 141 Shaft part 142 Fleece 143 Non-woven fabric 1431 Slit 15 Side brush 151 Side brush holder 1511 Mounting claw 1512 Jig hole 152 Side brush motor 153 Root elastic part 1531 Fine part 1532 Thick part 154 Brush part 155 Mounting claw 16 Electric blower 161 Elastic body 17 Auxiliary ring 171 Grounding part 172 Disc Part 173 Fixed shaft 174 Small disk part 18 Bumper 19 Rechargeable battery 2 Control device 21 Control board 210 Sensors (distance measuring sensor)
211 Sensors (Floor distance measuring sensor)
22 Switch seat 221 Circular operation button 222 Ring-shaped operation button 4 Dust case 41 Main storage chamber 42 Duct 421 Upright part 43 Handle 431 Grip part 432 Retaining part 433 Action point part 434 Locking part 44 Backflow suppression valve 441 Main surface 442 Protruding part 443 Bounce part 45 Cover 46 Filter 47 Rib 80 Support plate 90 Center line 91 Arrow 92 Main direction dimension of dust sensor unit 93 Dimension on the other end side of duct (diagonal dimension)
94 Dimensions on one end side of the duct (vertical dimensions)
95 Cleaning brush as an example of props 951 Brush 952 Jig part

Claims (5)

A self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner that has two drive wheels facing each other in the left-right direction, a rotary brush having a rotation axis in the left-right direction, an electric blower, a rechargeable battery, and a dust case, and is driven autonomously. And,
Left and right dimensions are 300 mm or less,
Front and rear dimensions are 300 mm or less,
The height dimension with the self-propelled vacuum cleaner mounted is 100 mm or less,
Left and right dimensions are 230 mm or more,
Front and rear dimensions are 230 mm or more,
Weight is 2500g or less, 2000g or more,
The average speed when going straight is 150 mm / s or more,
The training wheels are provided with auxiliary wheels that are supported by a fixed shaft so that they rotate driven by the frictional force generated between the drive wheels and the floor surface as the main body moves.
The training wheels have a ground ring, a disk portion, and a small disk portion that rotate in contact with the floor surface with the fixed shaft as a rotation axis.
The small disk portion is arranged adjacent to the ground contact ring on the outer side of the ground contact ring, has a smaller diameter than the ground contact ring, and has a larger diameter than the fixed shaft, and can rotate around the fixed shaft. can be,
The disk portion is adjacent to the small disk portion and is arranged outside the ground ring and the small disk portion, and is configured to have a smaller diameter than the ground ring and a larger diameter than the small disk portion. It is rotatable around the fixed axis and can rotate.
A self-propelled vacuum cleaner characterized in that the ground ring, the small disk portion, and the disk portion are provided so as not to overlap each other in the fixed axial direction . In the self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to claim 1,
The radius of curvature on the front side of the center is larger than the radius of curvature on the rear side,
Side brushes on the front left and front right, respectively,
It is equipped with a control device that executes various processes of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner.
The rotating brush is arranged on the rear side from the center.
The control device is a self-propelled vacuum cleaner characterized in that when traveling near a wall, the self-propelled vacuum cleaner is cleaned while swinging left and right. In the self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to claim 1,
A mouthpiece provided in the lower case and having a suction port for sucking dust from the floor surface,
A dust sensor unit arranged between the mouthpiece and the dust case is provided.
The dust sensor unit has a frame forming a passage hole for the dust, a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion facing each other provided in the frame, and a substrate, and is formed as a separate member from the mouthpiece portion and the dust case. The frame is attached to the mouthpiece,
When the direction substantially parallel to the facing direction of the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion is defined as the facing direction among the directions parallel to the frame, the width of the frame in the facing direction becomes smaller toward the dust case side. A self-propelled vacuum cleaner featuring. In the self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to claim 1,
Side brushes on the front left and front right, respectively,
A pair of side brush motors that drive the front left side and front right side brushes, respectively.
A distance measuring sensor that detects the distance to an obstacle, and
It is equipped with a control device that executes various processes of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner.
The control device is characterized in that the rotation speed of one of the side brushes on the side where the corner where the wall or the two wall surfaces intersects is located is controlled to be faster than the rotation speed of the other side brush. Running electric vacuum cleaner. In the self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to claim 1,
Side brushes on the front left and front right, respectively,
A pair of side brush motors that drive the front left side and front right side brushes, respectively.
A distance measuring sensor that detects the distance to an obstacle, and
It is equipped with a control device that executes various processes of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner.
The control device makes the duty ratio of one of the side brush motors on the side where the wall or the corner where the two wall surfaces intersect is higher than the duty ratio of the other side brush motor when the wall cleaning mode is executed. A self-propelled vacuum cleaner characterized by its control.

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