JP2008279066A - Cleaning robot - Google Patents

Abstract

In a cleaning robot, there is no need to provide a sensor for detecting a collision with an external obstacle on a movable suction body, and a movable suction body for cleaning a wall or a corner of a room can be easily put in and out. An object is to provide a simple configuration.
A movable suction body that sucks dust into the robot body so as to be able to project outward from the robot body, and a biasing means that biases the movable suction body to project outward. Drive means for operating the movable suction body to be housed in the robot body against the biasing force of the biasing means, first transmission means coupled to the drive means, and the biasing means; A second transmission means connected to the movable suction body and detachably connected to the first transmission means is provided.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly to a cleaning robot that performs cleaning while moving autonomously.

  There has been proposed a robot main body including a dust collecting unit and an electric blower, a suction opening that opens on the bottom surface of the robot main body and communicates with the dust collecting unit, and a traveling wheel provided on the robot main body. Yes. These cleaning robots usually have an outer shape like a flat cylindrical shape, and therefore there is a problem that it is impossible to clean a wall or a corner of a room. Therefore, in the following patent document, a method of enhancing the cleaning effect at the wall side by cleaning the rotatable floor nozzle installed behind the lower part of the main body to protrude outside the outer periphery of the main body in a timely manner is disclosed. .

  As this kind of known technology, for example, there are Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2.

JP 2004-275304 A JP 2004-337301 A

  The conventional configuration has a problem that the floor nozzle that can be taken in and out becomes large because the mechanism for projecting and storing is complicated.

  The present invention provides a cleaning robot that does not require a sensor for detecting a collision with an external obstacle on the movable mouthpiece, and can be easily put in and out of a movable mouthpiece for cleaning a wall or a corner of a room. The purpose is to provide a simple configuration.

  The present invention includes a movable suction body that sucks dust into the robot body so as to be able to project outward from the robot body, and biasing means that biases the movable suction body to project outward. Drive means for operating the movable suction body to be housed in the robot body against the urging force of the urging means, first transmission means coupled to the drive means, and the urging means, It has the 2nd transmission means which connected the said movable suction body and was connected to the 1st transmission means so that separation was possible, It was characterized by the above-mentioned.

  According to the present invention, it is not necessary to provide a sensor for detecting a collision with an external obstacle on the movable suction body, and the movable suction body can be easily put in and out with a small and simple configuration.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a cleaning robot according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a top view thereof. The outer shape of the cleaning robot 101 is substantially circular in a top view so that the cleaning robot can rotate even if there are obstacles around it. FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the cleaning robot according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view. A pair of drive wheels 401 and 402 are attached to both sides of the lower part 102 of the cleaning robot main body lower case 102. The power generated by the traveling motor (not shown) is transmitted to the drive wheels 401 and 402 by being decelerated by a reduction gear (not shown). By this driving force, the cleaning robot moves forward, backward, or rotates. The direction of arrow 206 in FIG. 2 is the forward direction (traveling direction).

  As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of switches 103 to 106 are provided on the upper surface of the cleaning robot body. These switches 103 to 106 are used for power on / off and a cleaning mode command to the cleaning robot. A bumper 107 is provided on the front surface of the cleaning robot body, and infrared distance sensors 201 to 205 are arranged on the bumper 107 as shown in FIG. The infrared distance sensors 201 to 205 measure the distance to an object located around the cleaning robot. Thereby, the cleaning robot can move in the room without touching surrounding objects. However, since there is an object (glass or the like) that the infrared distance sensors 201 to 205 cannot detect, the bumper 107 is provided with a contact sensor (not shown), and when the collision of the object is detected, the cleaning robot immediately stops.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a suction body 403 is provided on the rear side of the lower case 102 of the cleaning robot and facing the floor surface. The brush chamber 405 communicates with the rotating brush 404 and the dust collecting chamber 303 which come into contact with the floor surface to scrape dust. Above the brush chamber, there are provided a dust transfer channel 305 and a dust collection chamber 303 for transporting and collecting dust sucked from the brush chamber 405, and a filter for separating dust and air at the front side of the dust collection chamber 303. An electric blower 302 that generates a suction force is provided on the front side of 301. A battery 304 that supplies power to the cleaning robot is held behind the dust collection chamber 303.

  A movable suction body 108 is provided on the rear side of the lower case 102 of the cleaning robot and facing the floor surface. The movable mouthpiece 108 operates so as to be able to appear in the lower case 102 of the cleaning robot substantially in parallel with the floor surface, that is, in the horizontal direction.

  Next, the operation of the cleaning robot will be described with the movable mouthpiece 108 as the center.

  FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the drive unit of the movable mouthpiece 108. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 501 denotes a lower case of a cleaning robot with a part cut away for easy viewing, 502 a torsion coil spring that urges the suction body 108 to protrude outward, and 503 an attachment of the torsion coil spring 502. A motor with a speed reduction mechanism that operates to accommodate the movable mouthpiece 108 in the lower case 102 of the robot against the force, 504 is a first transmission means coupled to the motor 503 with a speed reduction mechanism, and 505 is a mouthpiece. 108 is a second transmission means coupled to 108. The first transmission means 504 and the second transmission means 505 are connected in a freely rotating state. One end 509 of the torsion coil spring 502 is fixed to the lower case 102, and the other end 508 is in contact with the action portion 510 of the second transmission means.

  FIG. 6 shows an operation when the movable suction body 108 is housed in the lower case 501 of the cleaning robot. The motor 503 with a speed reduction mechanism rotates in the direction of the arrow 601. At that time, the action portion 506 of the first transmission means 504 and the upper protrusion 507 of the second transmission means 505 come into contact with each other, and the force is transmitted. For this reason, the second transmission means 505 and the movable suction body 108 are accommodated in the lower robot case 501 against the urging force of the torsion coil spring 502.

  FIG. 7 shows an operation in which the movable suction body 108 protrudes from the lower case 501 of the cleaning robot. The motor 503 with a speed reduction mechanism rotates in the direction of the arrow 701. At this time, the second transmission means 505 rotates in the direction of the arrow 701 by the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 502. As a result, the mouthpiece 108 protrudes from the lower case 501 of the cleaning robot. At that time, the action portion 506 of the first transmission means 504 and the upper protrusion 507 of the second transmission means 505 are in contact with each other, but the driving force is transmitted from the first transmission means 504 to the second transmission means 505. There is no.

  At this time, when the movable suction body 108 collides with an obstacle outside the cleaning robot, the movable suction body 108 is stored in the robot lower case 501 against the urging force of the torsion coil spring 502 as shown in FIG. Is done. At that time, since the first transmission unit 504 and the second transmission unit 505 are connected in a freely rotating state, the first transmission unit 504 does not rotate. Therefore, it is sufficient that the motor 503 with the speed reduction mechanism is kept in a state where the rotation is stopped, and it is not necessary to detect a collision or perform control for housing the movable suction body 108. The movable mouthpiece 108 protrudes again when it leaves the obstacle.

  Since the motor 503 with a speed reduction mechanism has a large speed reduction ratio, if the power supply to the motor 503 with a speed reduction mechanism is stopped, the rotation stops against the urging force of the torsion coil spring 502. In addition, a rotary encoder, a photo interrupter, or the like may be used to detect a position where the rotation of the motor 503 with a speed reduction mechanism is stopped.

  In the above embodiment, the motor 503 with a speed reduction mechanism is used. However, when the motor 503 is energized and resists the urging force, a motor without a speed reduction mechanism can be used. .

  Further, when the cleaning robot 101 moves backward or rotates clockwise, the movable suction body 108 is stored in the robot lower case 501 in advance, so that there is no problem in the movement of the cleaning robot 101.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the wall 407 of the movable suction body 108 also serves as a lid for the opening 406. Therefore, when the movable mouthpiece 108 protrudes from the lower case 501 of the cleaning robot, the opening 406 opens. The opening 406 communicates with the brush chamber 405, and the suction force generated by the electric blower 302 reaches the movable suction body 108, sucks dust outside the cleaning robot body, passes through the brush chamber 405, and collects the dust collection chamber 303. It is conveyed to. The air separated by the filter 301 is exhausted to the outside through the exhaust port 109.

  Since the movable mouthpiece 108 has a substantially fan shape, the center of rotation can be provided on the outermost side of the cleaning robot body. For this reason, even if the movable suction body 108 is small, it is possible to increase the amount of protrusion from the cleaning robot.

  Further, since the entire movable suction body 108 can form a flow path that communicates with the opening 406 that directly communicates with the brush chamber 405, there is no need to provide a duct that tends to be clogged with dust.

  Further, since the wall 407 of the movable suction body 108 also serves as a lid for the opening 406, the opening 406 can be opened and closed only by the rotation of the movable suction body 108.

  Thus, according to the present embodiment, there is an effect that it is possible to configure a movable mouthpiece that can be protruded and to further easily configure a mechanism that protrudes.

  In addition, there is no need to provide a sensor for detecting a collision with an external obstacle on the movable mouthpiece, and there is an effect that the movable mouthpiece can be configured to be small and inexpensive.

  Next, the operation of the movable mouthpiece 108 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the drive unit of the movable suction body 108. In FIG. 9, reference numeral 501 denotes a lower case of a cleaning robot with a part cut away for easy viewing, 904 a torsion coil spring that urges the suction body 108 to protrude outward, and 902 an attachment of the torsion coil spring 904. A linear drive motor that operates to accommodate the movable suction body 108 in the robot lower case 501 against the force, 903 is a first transmission means connected to the linear drive motor 902, and 901 is connected to the suction body 108. The second transmission means. The first transmission means 903 and the second transmission means 901 are connected in a slidable state.

  FIG. 10 shows an operation when the movable suction body 108 is housed in the lower case 501 of the cleaning robot. The linear drive motor 902 is driven in the direction in which the first transmission means 903 extends. At that time, the first transmission means 903 and the second transmission means 901 come into contact with each other to transmit force. For this reason, the second transmission means 901 and the movable suction body 108 are accommodated in the lower robot case 501 against the urging force of the torsion coil spring 904.

  FIG. 11 shows an operation in which the movable suction body 108 protrudes from the lower case 501 of the cleaning robot. The linear drive motor 902 is driven in the direction in which the first transmission means 903 contracts. At this time, the second transmission means 901 rotates in the direction of the arrow 111 by the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 904. As a result, the mouthpiece 108 protrudes from the lower case 501 of the cleaning robot. At that time, the first transmission unit 903 and the second transmission unit 901 are in contact with each other, but no driving force is transmitted from the first transmission unit 903 to the second transmission unit 901.

  At this time, when the movable suction body 108 collides with an obstacle outside the cleaning robot, the second transmission means 901 and the movable suction body 108 are opposed to the urging force of the torsion coil spring 904 as shown in FIG. It is stored in the lower case 501. At that time, since the first transmission unit 903 and the second transmission unit 901 are separated from each other, the linear drive motor 902 only needs to maintain a state in which the expansion / contraction operation is stopped. There is no need to perform control for storing 108. Further, a rotary encoder, a photo interrupter, or the like may be used to detect a position where the linear drive motor 902 stops the expansion / contraction operation.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, there is an effect that the movable suction body that can be protruded can be configured to be small, and the mechanism to be protruded can be easily configured.

  In addition, there is no need to provide a sensor for detecting a collision with an external obstacle on the movable mouthpiece, and there is an effect that the movable mouthpiece can be configured to be small and inexpensive.

1 is a top perspective view of a cleaning robot according to the present invention. It is a top view of the cleaning robot according to the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the cleaning robot by this invention. It is a bottom perspective view of the cleaning robot according to the present invention. It is an exploded view of the drive unit of the movable suction body by the 1st example of the present invention. It is an operation | movement figure of the movable suction body by 1st Example of this invention. It is an operation | movement figure of the movable suction body by 1st Example of this invention. It is an operation | movement figure of the movable suction body by 1st Example of this invention. It is an exploded view of the drive unit of the movable mouthpiece by the 2nd example of the present invention. It is an operation | movement figure of the movable suction mouth by the 2nd Example of this invention. It is an operation | movement figure of the movable suction mouth by the 2nd Example of this invention. It is an operation | movement figure of the movable suction mouth by the 2nd Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 ... Cleaning robot, 102 ... Lower case, 103, 104, 105, 106 ... Switch, 107 ... Bumper, 108 ... Moving suction body, 109 ... Exhaust port, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205 ... Infrared distance sensor, 301 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Filter, 302 ... Electric blower, 303 ... Dust collection chamber, 304 ... Battery, 305 ... Dust transfer channel, 401, 402 ... Wheel, 403 ... Suction body, 404 ... Brush, 405 ... Brush chamber, 406 ... Opening, 407 ... Wall, 501 ... Lower case, 502 ... Torsion coil spring, 503 ... Motor with speed reduction mechanism, 504 ... Rotating shaft of first transmitting means, 505 ... Rotating shaft of second transmitting means, 506 ... First transmitting means 507, upper projections of the second transmission means, 508, 509, end portions of the torsion coil spring, 510, action parts of the second transmission means.

Claims (12)

  In a cleaning robot comprising a robot body incorporating a dust collection unit and an electric blower, a suction opening that opens on a bottom surface of the robot body and communicates with the dust collection unit, and traveling means provided in the robot body, A movable suction body that is capable of projecting outward from the robot body and sucking dust; and a biasing means that biases the movable suction body to project outward. A driving means for operating the movable suction body to be housed in the robot body against the urging force of the urging means; a first transmission means coupled to the driving means; the urging means; A second transmission means connected to the mouthpiece and detachably connected to the first transmission means, the movable mouthpiece being attached to the biasing means when colliding with an obstacle. The robot against the forces Cleaning robot, characterized by being configured to be received into the body.   In a cleaning robot comprising a robot body incorporating a dust collection unit and an electric blower, a suction opening that opens on a bottom surface of the robot body and communicates with the dust collection unit, and traveling means provided in the robot body, A movable suction body that is capable of projecting outward from the robot body and sucking dust; and a biasing means that biases the movable suction body to project outward. A driving means for operating the movable suction body to be housed in the robot body against the urging force of the urging means; a first transmission means coupled to the driving means; the urging means; A second transmission means connected to the suction body and detachably connected to the first transmission means, and when the movable suction body is housed in the robot body, Means for transmitting Cleaning robot, characterized in that transmitting the driving force of the means to the second transmission means.   The cleaning robot according to claim 1, wherein the movable suction body is installed so as to protrude in a substantially horizontal direction.   4. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, wherein the movable suction body is installed so as to be retractable in a substantially horizontal direction.   5. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, wherein a spring constant of the biasing force is set so that a biasing force of the biasing means is smaller than a force acting between the movable suction mouth and the obstacle. A cleaning robot characterized by that.   5. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, wherein the urging force of the urging means is smaller than the force acting between the movable mouthpiece and the obstacle as the robot body moves. A cleaning robot characterized in that the spring constant of the urging force is set in.   5. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, wherein the biasing means is applied more than the force acting between the movable suction body and the obstacle due to the driving force of the traveling means of the robot body. A cleaning robot characterized by setting a spring constant of an urging force so that the urging force is reduced.   The cleaning robot according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the biasing force of the biasing means is smaller than a force acting in a substantially horizontal direction between the movable mouthpiece and the obstacle. A cleaning robot characterized by setting a spring constant.   9. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, wherein the driving means is a motor with a speed reduction mechanism.   9. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, wherein the driving means is a linear motor.   11. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, wherein the movable suction body communicates with the dust collecting portion when the movable suction body projects outward from the robot body. A cleaning robot characterized by forming an opening.   The cleaning robot according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein a planar shape of the movable suction body is substantially a fan shape.

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