JP7345139B2 - autonomous vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to an autonomous vacuum cleaner.

A conventional general autonomous vacuum cleaner has drive wheels on each of the left and right sides, and a motor connected to each drive wheel to rotate the drive wheels (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-116756

However, when an autonomous vacuum cleaner is used continuously for a long period of time, the left and right drive wheels rotate continuously, which may cause the motor to become hot. Furthermore, when the motor becomes high in temperature, there is a possibility that the performance of the motor and the electronic components around the motor will deteriorate.

In order to solve the above problems, an autonomous vacuum cleaner according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a housing, a drive wheel for moving the housing, a suction motor for sucking dust, and a vacuum cleaner from the suction motor. It includes an exhaust port for discharging exhaust gas to the outside of the casing, and a drive section that is provided between the suction motor and the exhaust port and that drives the drive wheels.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce heat generation of a motor of an autonomous vacuum cleaner.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an autonomous vacuum cleaner that is a device of this embodiment. FIG. 1 is a plan view of an autonomous vacuum cleaner that is a device of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a left side view of the autonomous vacuum cleaner that is the device of this embodiment. FIG. 1 is a front view of an autonomous vacuum cleaner that is a device of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the autonomous vacuum cleaner that is the device of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the autonomous vacuum cleaner, which is the device of this embodiment, as seen from the lower front side. FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged side view for explaining the outline of Example 2; FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged side view for explaining the outline of Example 2; FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged side view for explaining the outline of Example 2; FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of parts near the LIDAR. 11 is a view of the base member, switch lever, and LIDAR cover shown in FIG. 10 as viewed from the rear in FIG. 10. FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the base member viewed diagonally from below. 11 is a view of the base member, switch lever, and LIDAR cover shown in FIG. 10 as viewed from the rear in FIG. 10. FIG. FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the base member viewed from below. FIG. 7 is a right front perspective view of an autonomous vacuum cleaner according to a third embodiment. FIG. 7 is a left front perspective view of an autonomous vacuum cleaner according to a third embodiment. FIG. 7 is a left front perspective view showing the internal configuration of the autonomous vacuum cleaner according to the third embodiment. FIG. 7 is a top view showing the internal configuration of an autonomous vacuum cleaner according to a third embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an exhaust route of an autonomous vacuum cleaner according to a third embodiment. FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged view of a left drive wheel and a wheel support member of an autonomous vacuum cleaner according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 3 is a right side view of an autonomous vacuum cleaner according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining how the autonomous vacuum cleaner of Example 5 detects the shape of an obstacle. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the device of this embodiment. It is a functional block diagram of a map production part. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the autonomous vacuum cleaner according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the autonomous vacuum cleaner according to the sixth embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a map of rooms cleaned by an autonomous vacuum cleaner according to a sixth embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. Further, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[Example 1]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an autonomous vacuum cleaner that is the device of this embodiment. In FIG. 1, the front side, rear side, left side, and right side of the autonomous vacuum cleaner are illustrated by arrows, respectively.

In FIG. 1, a housing 1 of an autonomous vacuum cleaner has an upper body 2 and a lower body 3, and a bumper 4 is disposed in front of the housing 1. One or more collision detection switches (not shown) are arranged inside the bumper 4, and when the bumper 4 collides with an obstacle, the bumper 4 moves toward the inside of the housing 1 and switches. is turned on, and it is detected that the bumper 4 has collided with an obstacle.

A cover 5 is arranged on the upper surface of the housing 1 and behind the bumper 4. A dust collection container (not shown) is disposed inside the cover 5, and when the user presses down the cover 5, the front or rear portion of the cover 5 comes off and the dust collection container can be taken out from the housing 1.

A LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 6 is arranged behind the cover 5 . This LIDAR 6 can detect obstacles around the housing 1 by rotating the light emitting part and the light receiving part around the center of the LIDAR 6. Furthermore, by using this LIDAR 6, it is also possible to create a map of the room.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the autonomous vacuum cleaner that is the device of this embodiment. In FIG. 2, the front side, rear side, left side, and right side of the autonomous vacuum cleaner are illustrated by arrows, respectively.

In FIG. 2, a bumper 4 having a substantially U-shape when viewed from above is arranged at the front of the casing 1, and an upper body 2 is arranged at the rear of the casing 1. A cover 5 is arranged between the bumper 4 and the upper body 2, and a LIDAR 6 is arranged behind the cover 5.

The bumper 4 is biased toward the front of the housing 1 by a spring (not shown) disposed inside, and a gap exists between the bumper 4 and the upper body 2. When the bumper 4 collides with an obstacle, the bumper 4 can move rearward by this gap against the force of the spring.

FIG. 3 is a left side view of the autonomous vacuum cleaner that is the device of this embodiment. In FIG. 3, the front, rear, upper, and lower sides of the autonomous vacuum cleaner are indicated by arrows, respectively.

A bumper 4 is arranged in front of the housing 1, and an upper body 2 is arranged behind it. Further, exhaust ports 7 are formed on the left and right side surfaces of the upper body 2, and a LIDAR 6 is arranged on the rear upper surface of the upper body 2. A side brush 8 is arranged at the front of the lower body 3, and a rear wheel 9 is arranged at the rear.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the autonomous vacuum cleaner that is the device of this embodiment. In FIG. 4, the upper side, lower side, left side, and right side of the autonomous vacuum cleaner are indicated by arrows, respectively.

The front surface of the bumper 4 has two ultrasonic sensors 10, and an upper left sensor 11 and an upper right sensor 12, each consisting of a light emitting element and a light receiving element. Further, the lower body 3 has a lower left sensor 13 and a lower right sensor 14 which are composed of a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and side brushes 8 are arranged on both left and right front sides of the lower body 3. Incidentally, this side brush 8 may be arranged either on the front right side or the left side of the lower body 3.

The upper left sensor 11 and the lower left sensor 13 are located at substantially the same position in the vertical direction of the housing 1 . Similarly, the upper right sensor 12 and the lower right sensor 14 are located at substantially the same position in the vertical direction of the housing 1.

As is clear from FIG. 3, the front of the lower body 3 is a slope 15 that slopes from the front to the rear. Two recesses 16 are formed in this slope 15, and a lower left sensor 13 and a lower right sensor 14 are arranged in each of these recesses 16.

Further, the lower left sensor 13 and the lower right sensor 14 are each formed with a window portion 17 that is a surface substantially parallel to a direction perpendicular to the floor surface when the housing 1 is placed on the floor surface. A light emitting element and a light receiving element are arranged inside the section 17. As a result, even if dust flies up from the floor surface due to the rotation of the side brush 8, it is possible to reduce the accumulation of dust in the recess 16 where the light emitting element and light receiving element of the lower left sensor 13 and the lower right sensor 14 are arranged. . Further, a side brush 8 is arranged near the window 17, and when the side brush 8 rotates, the wind generated by the rotation of the side brush 8 hits the window 17 and blows away the dust attached to the window 17. It is possible to remove it by This can prevent false detection by the lower left sensor 13 and the lower right sensor 14 due to dust adhering to the window portion 17.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the autonomous vacuum cleaner that is the device of this embodiment. In FIG. 5, the front side, rear side, left side, and right side of the autonomous vacuum cleaner are illustrated by arrows, respectively.

In FIG. 5, a rear wheel 9 is arranged behind the lower body 3, and a battery 18 made of a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery is arranged in front of the rear wheel 9. Further, a right drive wheel 19 and a left drive wheel 20 are arranged approximately at the center of the lower body 3, and a wheel support member 21 is connected to each of the right drive wheel 19 and the left drive wheel 20. This wheel support member 21 is movable in the vertical direction of the casing 1 about the axis A, and each of the two wheel support members 21 is provided with a wheel spring (not shown) between the lower body 3 and the lower body 3. ) are arranged, and the wheel support member 21, the right drive wheel 19, and the left drive wheel 20 are urged toward the floor by this wheel spring.

In FIG. 5, a part of the battery 18 is located between the right drive wheel 19 and the left drive wheel 20, but the battery 18 may also be arranged behind the right drive wheel 19 and the left drive wheel 20. good. However, in this embodiment, by arranging the battery 18 at the rear of the casing 1, the center of gravity of the casing 1 is placed at the rear of the casing. For this reason, it is preferable that at least a portion of the battery 18 be located between the axes A of the two wheel support members 21.

In FIG. 5, a suction port 22 for sucking collected dust is formed in front of the battery 18 and in front of the right drive wheel 19 and the left drive wheel 20. , a main brush 23 is rotatably supported.

Level difference sensors 24 are arranged on the left and right sides of the main brush 23, respectively, and the level difference sensors 24 are composed of a light emitting part and a light receiving part, and detect when the casing 1 approaches a level difference.

In FIG. 5, the tip of the step sensor 24 is located on the axis of the rotating shaft of the main brush 23, or at approximately the same position. Alternatively, the tip of the step sensor 24 may be placed further back than the axis of the rotation shaft of the main brush 23.

There is a depression 25 in front of the step sensor 24, and the side brush 8 is arranged around the approximate center of the depression 25. The side brush 8 rotates toward the suction port 22. Therefore, in FIG. 5, the left side brush 8 rotates clockwise, and the right side brush 8 rotates counterclockwise.

In this embodiment, the center of gravity G of the casing 1 is located at the rear of the central portion of the main body, as shown in FIG. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide the step sensor 24 in front of the lower body 3. Specifically, even if the housing 1 moves forward in the direction where there is a step and the housing 1 moves forward until the step sensor 24 located behind the side brush 8 detects the step, the center of gravity G of the housing 1 remains unchanged. Since it is located at the rear of the right drive wheel 19 and the left drive wheel 20, it does not fall on the step and can clean up to the very edge of the step. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to provide the step sensor 24 in front of the lower body 3, manufacturing costs can be reduced.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the autonomous vacuum cleaner, which is the device of this embodiment, seen from the lower front side. In FIG. 6, the front of the lower body 3 is a slope 15, and recesses 16 are formed on the left and right sides of the slope 15, respectively. Furthermore, a lower left sensor 13 and a lower right sensor 14 are arranged in each of the recesses 16 .

In FIG. 6, recesses 25 in which the side brushes 8 are disposed are formed on the left and right sides of the front of the lower body 3, and the recesses 25 extend to the vicinity of the recess 16. The length of the side brush 8 is such that it protrudes further to the outside of the housing 1 than the recess 25, and since the recess 25 has a curved surface toward the vicinity of the recess 16, the side brush 8 does not fit into the suction port 22. Not only can the side brush 8 rotate smoothly, but also the wind generated by the rotation of the side brush 8 can be blown to the window 17 inside the recess 16. Therefore, dust attached to the window portion 17 can be blown away by the wind.

[Example 2]
Next, Example 2 will be explained. Note that the structure of the autonomous vacuum cleaner of the second embodiment is the same as the structure explained in the first embodiment, so the description thereof will be omitted.

7 to 9 are partially enlarged side views for explaining the outline of the second embodiment. In FIGS. 7 to 9, the upper side, lower side, front side, and rear side of the housing 1 are indicated by arrows, respectively.

First, an outline of the structure of the autonomous vacuum cleaner according to the second embodiment will be explained. As shown in FIG. 7, a switch lever 27 is arranged below the LIDAR cover 26, and the LIDAR cover 26 and the switch lever 27 are integrally formed, or the LIDAR cover 26 is attached to the switch lever 27. It is being Further, the switch lever 27 is supported by the housing 1 around the axis B.

Furthermore, near the axis B in front of the switch lever 27, a collision detection section 28 is provided for detecting that an obstacle has collided with the LIDAR cover 26. At the rear of the switch lever 27, the switch lever 27 is urged upward by a spring 29.

Although not shown, a spring 29 is also disposed near the shaft B, and this spring 29 urges the switch lever 27 upward.

As shown in FIG. 8, when an obstacle coming from the front collides with the front end of the LIDAR cover 26 while the vacuum cleaner is moving forward, the LIDAR cover 26 is pushed from the front to the rear. Then, using the axis B as a fulcrum, the rear of the LIDAR cover 26 and the rear of the switch lever 27 are pushed downward against the force of the spring 29, and the collision detection section 28 is pushed downward by the switch lever 27. In this way, it is possible to detect that an obstacle has collided with the LIDAR cover 26.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, when an obstacle collides with the LIDAR cover 26 from above, the rear of the switch lever 27 is pushed downward against the force of the spring 29 using the axis B as a fulcrum. , the collision detection section 28 is also pushed downward. In this way, it is possible to detect that an obstacle has collided with the LIDAR cover 26.

In this way, in the third embodiment, when the LIDAR cover 26 collides with an obstacle from above the housing 1 or from the horizontal direction, it is possible to easily detect that the LIDAR cover 26 has collided with the obstacle.

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of parts near the LIDAR 6. In FIG. 10, arrows indicate upward, downward, backward, forward, leftward, and rightward, respectively.

In FIG. 10, a base member 32 is disposed above a circuit board 31 on which a tactile switch 30 is mounted, and a substantially horseshoe-shaped groove portion 33 is formed in this base member 32. Furthermore, a switch lever 27 is pivotally supported at two ends located in front of the groove portion 33 so as to be openable and closable in the vertical direction with the shaft B as an axis.

This switch lever 27 has a substantially horseshoe-like shape, and has a bridge portion 34 formed near the two shaft portions B, and a switch protrusion 35 formed on the back side of this bridge portion 34. . This switch protrusion 35 passes through a switch hole 36 formed in the base member 32 and presses down the tact switch 30 on the circuit board 31 from above.

A spring 29 is arranged between the groove portion 33 and the switch lever 27 near the shaft portion B, and furthermore, a spring 29 is arranged between the groove portion 33 near the rear end of the switch lever 27 and the switch lever 27. There is. The switch lever 27 is urged upward by these three springs 29.

A rotating portion 47 of the LIDAR 6 is arranged inside the groove portion 33 of the base member 32. This rotating section 47 is located approximately at the center of the LIDAR 6, and a light emitting section and a light receiving section provided inside the rotating section 47 rotate 360 degrees.

The upper body 2 is arranged to cover the circuit board 31, the base member 32, and the switch lever 27, and the LIDAR cover 26 and the switch lever 27 are connected through three upper body holes 48 formed in the upper body 2. , or integrally formed.

The size of this upper body hole 48 is such that a cover pillar portion 49 formed on the back surface of the LIDAR cover 26 can move up and down. Note that this cover pillar portion 49 is illustrated in FIG. 11.

FIG. 11 is a diagram of the base member 32, switch lever 27, and LIDAR cover 26 shown in FIG. 10, viewed from the rear in FIG. In FIG. 11, arrows indicate upward, downward, leftward, and rightward, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 11, a wall portion 25 is formed at the rear end of the groove portion 33 of the base member 32, and a substantially triangular floating hole 37 is formed in this wall portion 25. As shown in FIG. A protruding floating protrusion 38 is formed at the rear end of the switch lever 27, and the floating protrusion 38 is inserted into the floating hole 37 so as to be movable.

This floating protrusion 38 is movable up to the three vertices of the substantially triangular floating hole 37. Therefore, when a force is applied from above the LIDAR cover 26, the floating protrusion 38 can move to the center of the bottom of the floating hole 37, and when a force is applied from the upper right of the LIDAR cover 26, the floating protrusion 38 38 is movable to the lower left apex of the floating hole 37, and when force is applied from the upper left of the LIDAR cover 26, the floating protrusion 38 is movable to the lower right apex of the floating hole 37.

In order to enable such movement, a slight gap is formed between the wall portion 25 formed on the base member 32 so as to surround the groove portion 33 and the switch lever 27.

Further, a slight gap is also formed between the bridge portion 34 of the switch lever 27 and the wall portion 25 of the base member 32.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the base member 32 viewed diagonally from below. In FIG. 12, upward, downward, backward, and forward directions are indicated by arrows.

As shown in FIG. 12, in the shaft B at the front end of the base member 32, a floating hole 37 is formed in each of the left and right shafts B, and two floating holes 37 formed in the switch lever 27 are formed in the two floating holes 37, respectively. A floating protrusion 38 is movably inserted. This floating hole 37 also has a substantially triangular shape like the floating hole 37 shown in FIG.

This floating protrusion 38 is movable up to the three vertices of the substantially triangular floating hole 37. Therefore, if force is applied from above the LIDAR cover 26. The floating protrusion 38 can move to the center of the bottom of the floating hole 37, and when force is applied from the front of the LIDAR cover 26 in FIG. If a force is applied from the rear of the LIDAR cover 26 in FIG.

FIG. 13 is a diagram of the base member 32, switch lever 27, and LIDAR cover 26 shown in FIG. 10, viewed from the rear in FIG. In FIG. 13, arrows indicate upward, downward, leftward, and rightward, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 13, a rotating part arrangement space 39 for arranging the rotating part 47 is formed approximately at the center of the base member 32. As shown in FIG. The rotating unit 47 rotates the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit 360 degrees in this rotating unit arrangement space 39, and irradiates light from the gap between the base member 32 (more specifically, the upper body 2) and the LIDAR cover 26, It is possible to receive reflected light.

FIG. 14 is a bottom view of the base member 32 viewed from below. A switch hole 36 is formed in the base member 32, and a switch protrusion 35 of the switch lever 27 projects from this switch hole 36.

Note that the collision detection section 28 shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 corresponds to the switch protrusion 35 and the tact switch 30 in FIGS. 10 to 13.

In the third embodiment, the switch lever 27 is pivotally supported on the base member 32 by two shafts B of the base member 32, and the switch lever 27 is urged upward by a spring 29. Further, a gap is formed between the wall portion 25 formed on the base member 32 and the switch lever 27, and a gap is formed between the wall portion 25 formed on the base member 32 and the bridge portion 34 of the switch lever 27. is forming.

Furthermore, substantially triangular floating holes 37 are formed at two locations near the axis B of the base member 32 and near the rear end of the base member 32, and the switch lever 27 has a floating hole 37 formed at these three locations. A floating protrusion 38 is formed that can be inserted.

Further, a switch protrusion 35 that protrudes downward is formed on the switch lever 27, and this switch protrusion 35 is configured to press down a tact switch 30 formed on a circuit board 31.

Because of this structure, even if an obstacle collides with the LIDAR cover 26 from above or horizontally, the tact switch 30 will be turned on and the collision of the LIDAR 6 with the obstacle will be detected. It is possible to do so.

Additionally, when the user presses down the LIDAR cover 26 from above, the autonomous vacuum cleaner stops running or cleaning, and when the user presses the LIDAR cover 26 from above again, the autonomous vacuum cleaner stops running or cleaning. It may also be configured to restart the operation. With this configuration, the user can easily stop or start the autonomous vacuum cleaner's running or cleaning operation.

Furthermore, when the user presses down the LIDAR cover 26 from above, the autonomous vacuum cleaner may be configured to turn on or off. With such a configuration, the user can easily turn on and off the power of the autonomous vacuum cleaner, and can also make an emergency stop of the autonomous vacuum cleaner.

In this embodiment, the light emitting section and the light receiving section are mounted on the rotating body, but an imaging section such as a camera may be mounted on the rotating body. In this case, if image analysis takes time, the rotation speed of the camera may be lowered. Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which a light emitting section, a light receiving section, and a camera are mounted on a rotating body, and any of the elements can be used selectively or simultaneously. In this case, when the elements can be selectively used, the rotational speed of the rotating body when the camera is used may be slower than the rotational speed of the rotating body when the light emitting section and the light receiving section are used.

[Example 3]
Next, Example 3 will be explained. Note that the structure of the autonomous vacuum cleaner according to the third embodiment is the same as the structure explained in the first embodiment, so the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 15 is a right front perspective view of the autonomous vacuum cleaner according to the third embodiment. FIG. 16 is a left front perspective view of the autonomous vacuum cleaner according to the third embodiment. An exhaust port 7a is provided on the right side of the housing 1 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner, and an exhaust port 7b is provided on the left side.

FIG. 17 is a left front perspective view showing the internal configuration of the autonomous vacuum cleaner according to the third embodiment. FIG. 18 is a top view showing the internal configuration of the autonomous vacuum cleaner according to the third embodiment. A suction motor 43 is provided near the center inside the housing 1 . Walls are provided on the left and right sides and behind the suction motor 43, and vent holes 56a and 56b are provided on the left and right walls. A right drive section 44 that is a motor that drives the right drive wheel 19 and a left drive section 45 that is a motor that drives the left drive wheel 20 are provided on the left and right sides of the suction motor 43 with a wall separating them.

FIG. 19 shows the exhaust route of the autonomous vacuum cleaner according to the third embodiment. FIG. 19(a) is a left side view of the autonomous vacuum cleaner of Example 3, and FIG. 19(b) is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 19(a). Since vents 56a and 56b and exhaust ports 7a and 7b are provided on the left and right sides of the suction motor 43, exhaust paths from the suction motor 43 to the exhaust ports 7a and 7b via the vents 56a and 56, respectively, are connected to the housing 1. formed within.

The exhaust air from the suction motor 43 is almost evenly distributed to the left and right through vents 56a and 56b provided on the left and right walls, and is exhausted to the outside of the housing 1 through exhaust ports 7a and 7b, respectively. A right drive section 44 is provided on the exhaust path from the suction motor 43 to the exhaust port 7a via the vent 56a, and a left drive section 45 is provided on the exhaust path from the suction motor 43 to the exhaust port 7b via the vent 56b. It will be done. Therefore, the right drive section 44 and the left drive section 45 disposed on the left and right sides of the suction motor 43 can be equally and efficiently cooled by the exhaust air from the suction motor 43.

In another example, three or more exhaust ports 7 may be provided. In this case as well, a heat generating member such as the circuit board 31 or the battery 18 may be arranged in the exhaust path from the suction motor 43 to the exhaust port 7. Thereby, the heat generating member can be evenly and efficiently cooled by the exhaust air from the suction motor 43.

[Example 4]
Next, Example 4 will be explained. The structure of the autonomous vacuum cleaner according to the fourth embodiment is the same as that described in the first embodiment, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 20 is a partially enlarged view of the left drive wheel 20 and wheel support member 21 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner according to the fourth embodiment. The right drive wheel 19 and the left drive wheel 20 are vertically movably suspended on the housing 1 by a wheel support member 21 . A cam 90 is provided between the wheel support member 21 and the casing 1, which functions as a lifting portion that lifts the front of the casing 1. The cam 90 is rotatably supported on the housing 1 by a shaft 91, and rotated by a motor (not shown).

In the normal state of the autonomous vacuum cleaner, the cam 90 is arranged so that the longitudinal direction of the cam 90 is parallel to the vertical direction, as shown in FIG. 20(a). When lifting the front of the housing 1, the cam 90 is rotated forward about the shaft 91, as shown in FIG. 20(b). At this time, the side surface of the cam 90 presses the side surface of the wheel support member 21 diagonally downward, so the wheel support member 21 is lifted at the rear with the left drive wheel 20 as a fulcrum, and the housing 1 is moved forward with the rear wheel 9 as a fulcrum. is lifted.

FIG. 21 is a right side view of the autonomous vacuum cleaner according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 21(a) shows the normal state. FIG. 21(b) shows a state in which the front side of the housing 1 is lifted up by the cam 90. By lifting the front part of the housing 1, it is possible to climb over a step or detect the shape above an obstacle as described later.

If an object falls onto the housing 1 while the front of the housing 1 is lifted, or a user or animal pushes down on the top of the housing 1, and excessive force is applied from above, The cam 90 may be damaged. Therefore, in the autonomous vacuum cleaner of the fourth embodiment, when a force is applied to the cam 90 from above, the cam 90 is pushed by the wheel support member 21, rotates in the opposite direction, and returns to its original state. It is composed of Thereby, even if force is applied from the information while the front of the housing 1 is lifted, the cam 90 can release the force, thereby preventing damage.

More specifically, when rotating the cam 90 to lift the front of the housing 1, the angle between the cam 90 and the contact surface of the wheel support member 21 is set to be 90° or less. If the cam 90 is rotated until the angle between the contact surface of the cam 90 and the wheel support member 21 exceeds 90°, the cam 90 will be pushed by the wheel support member 21 and rotate forward excessively when force is applied from above. It may rotate and be damaged. If the angle between the contact surface of the cam 90 and the wheel support member 21 is set to 90° or less, the cam 90 will be pushed by the wheel support member 21 and rotate in the opposite direction when a force is applied from above. , it returns to its original normal state, so damage can be prevented. Note that this angle of 90° is an example, and the design can be changed by changing the shape of the cam 90 and the wheel support member 21, changing the type of motor, etc.

[Example 5]
Next, Example 5 will be described. Note that the structure of the autonomous vacuum cleaner of Example 5 is the same as that described in Example 1, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 22 is a diagram for explaining how the autonomous vacuum cleaner of Example 5 detects the shape of an obstacle. As shown in FIG. 22, the autonomous vacuum cleaner of Embodiment 5 can lift the front of the housing 1 from a state where the housing 1 is approximately parallel to the floor. , has a function of detecting the shape of the object 80.

FIG. 23 is a block diagram of the device of this embodiment. In FIG. 23, the control unit 40 is composed of a microcomputer such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and controls each circuit.

The communication unit 41 can be wirelessly connected to a communication terminal, a router, etc., and has communication functions such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) and Bluetooth (registered trademark).

The storage unit 42 is made of, for example, a nonvolatile memory such as a flash memory, and stores control programs executed by the control unit, various parameters, and the like.

The suction motor 43 is a motor for generating suction air. The suction motor 43 and the suction port 22 are in communication with each other, and outside air is sucked from the suction port 22 by the suction motor 43 .

The right drive section 44 is a motor for driving the right drive wheel 19.

The left drive unit 45 is a motor for driving the left drive wheel 20.

The level difference sensor 24 is a sensor for detecting a level difference on a floor surface, and includes, for example, an infrared light emitting element and a light receiving element.

The bumper sensor 46 is a sensor for detecting that the bumper 4 has collided with an obstacle.

The LIDAR 6 includes a light emitting section, a light receiving section, and a rotation mechanism and a motor for rotating these elements. This LIDAR 6 can detect obstacles around the housing 1 by rotating the light emitting part and the light receiving part around the center of the LIDAR 6. Furthermore, by using this LIDAR 6, it is also possible to create a map of the room.

The upper right sensor 12, the lower right sensor 14, the upper left sensor 11, and the lower left sensor 13 are composed of, for example, an infrared light emitting element and a light receiving element, and detect the distance to an obstacle.

The map creation unit 50 has a function of detecting the shape of an obstacle, a function of creating map information, and the like.

In addition to these configurations, the device of this embodiment is also equipped with an ultrasonic sensor 10, a motor for driving the main brush 23, a motor for driving the side brush 8, etc.; Since there is no direct relationship, the explanation in FIG. 23 will be omitted.

FIG. 24 is a functional block diagram of the map creation section. The map creation section 50 includes a distance calculation section 51, an obstacle shape detection section 52, a self-position determination section 53, a map information creation section 54, and a map information storage section 55.

The distance calculation unit 51 calculates the distance to the obstacle based on signals input from the upper right sensor 12, the lower right sensor 14, the upper left sensor 11, the lower left sensor 13, the LIDAR 6, etc.

The obstacle shape detection unit 52 detects the shape of the obstacle based on signals input from the upper right sensor 12, the lower right sensor 14, the upper left sensor 11, the lower left sensor 13, the LIDAR 6, etc.

The self-position determining unit 53 determines the self-position of the housing 1 with respect to the charging stand based on the rotation speed of the wheels and the output of a gyro sensor (not shown).

The map information creation unit 54 creates map information of the room based on signals input from the upper right sensor 12, the lower right sensor 14, the upper left sensor 11, the lower left sensor 13, the LIDAR 6, the ultrasonic sensor 10, and the like. Furthermore, it is also possible to add information on the shape of the obstacle detected by the obstacle shape detection section 52 to the created map information.

The map information storage unit 55 stores map information created by the map information creation unit 54. Further, information on the distance to the obstacle calculated by the distance calculation unit 51, the shape of the obstacle detected by the obstacle shape detection unit 52, information on the self-position determined by the self-position determination unit 53, etc. can also be stored. .

When the autonomous vacuum cleaner is not in use, it is held on a charging stand and charged. When the set cleaning start time arrives or when the user instructs the user to start cleaning, the control unit 40 controls the right drive unit 44 and the left drive unit 45 to move the right drive wheel 19 and the left drive The wheels 20 are driven to detach the autonomous vacuum cleaner from the charging stand. The control unit 40 drives the main brush 23 and the side brushes 8 to clean the floor while referring to the map stored in the map information storage unit 55 while driving around the room according to a predetermined travel plan or randomly. to clean up. The map information creation unit 54 creates map information based on signals input from the upper right sensor 12 and the lower right sensor 14, the upper left sensor 11 and the lower left sensor 13, the LIDAR 6, the ultrasonic sensor 10, etc., and stores it in the map information storage unit 55. Store. Furthermore, if the created map information is different from the map stored in the map information storage section 55, the map information creation section 54 updates the map stored in the map information storage section 55. The control unit 40 detects a level difference by the level difference sensor 24, an obstacle is detected by the upper right sensor 12, the lower right sensor 14, the upper left sensor 11, the lower left sensor 13, the LIDAR 6, the ultrasonic sensor 10, etc. When a collision with an obstacle is detected by the bumper sensor 46, the autonomous vacuum cleaner is moved while avoiding steps, obstacles, etc. When cleaning is completed, the control unit 40 causes the autonomous vacuum cleaner to return to the charging stand based on the map stored in the map information storage unit 55 and the self-position determined by the self-position determination unit 53. When the autonomous vacuum cleaner returns to the vicinity of the charging stand, the control unit 40 recognizes the position and orientation of the charging stand using the reflective surface provided on the charging stand as a target, and adjusts the holding position of the charging stand, as will be described later. Move the autonomous vacuum cleaner to

FIG. 25 is a flow diagram showing the operation of the autonomous vacuum cleaner according to the fifth embodiment. The outline of the operation shown in the flowchart of FIG. 25 is that when the autonomous vacuum cleaner is cleaning and the housing 1 comes into contact with an obstacle, the housing 1 is moved back by a predetermined distance. Subsequently, when the front of the housing 1 is lifted, the shape of the obstacle is scanned from bottom to top using an infrared sensor, LIDAR 6, etc., and the scanned shape of the obstacle is stored in the map information storage section 55. Thereafter, based on the scanned shape of the obstacle, actions such as cleaning around the obstacle or moving away from the obstacle are performed.

Note that, before executing the operation shown in the flowchart of FIG. 25, the control unit 40 moves the housing 1 around the wall of the room, and the map information creation unit 54 detects the upper right sensor 12, the lower right sensor 14, Map information of the room is created based on signals input from the upper left sensor 11, the lower left sensor 13, the LIDAR 6, the ultrasonic sensor 10, etc. The map information storage unit 55 stores created map information.

In FIG. 25, in step S1, when the control unit 40 detects a signal from the bumper sensor 46 indicating that the bumper 4 has collided with an obstacle, the control unit 40 advances the process to step S2.

In step S2, the control unit 40 controls the right drive unit 44 and the left drive unit 45 to move the housing 1 backward by a predetermined distance (for example, 30 cm), and advances the process to step S3.

In step S3, the control unit 40 controls the front of the housing 1 to be lifted. Note that the details of this lifting control are as explained in the fourth embodiment.

In step S4, the obstacle shape detection unit 52 determines the shape of the obstacle based on the signals input from the upper right sensor 12, the lower right sensor 14, the upper left sensor 11, the lower left sensor 13, the LIDAR 6, etc., and the information is It is stored in the map information storage section 55.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 22, the lower right sensor 14, the lower left sensor 13, and the LIDAR 6 are used to scan the shape of the obstacle when the housing 1 is lifted, and the obstacle shape detection unit 52 detects the shape of the obstacle. The shape of the obstacle is detected based on signals from the lower right sensor 14, the lower left sensor 13, and the LIDAR 6. Although it is explained here that the shape of the obstacle is detected, more specifically, the unevenness of the surface of the obstacle is detected. The obstacle shape detection unit 52 determines the distance from the time from light irradiation to light reception by the lower right sensor 14, the lower left sensor 13, and the LIDAR 6, and detects the unevenness of the surface of the obstacle.

Note that this operation of scanning for obstacles may be performed not only when the front of the casing 1 is lifted up, but also when the casing 1 is lowered from a lifted state, or by scanning the front of the casing 1 many times. It may also be configured to move up and down and scan for obstacles at that time.

In step S5, the map creation section 50 adds and stores obstacle information to the map information previously stored in the map information storage section 55.

As described above, in the fifth embodiment, when the casing 1 comes into contact with an obstacle while the autonomous vacuum cleaner is cleaning, the casing 1 is moved back by a predetermined distance. Subsequently, when the front of the housing 1 is lifted, the shape of the obstacle is scanned from bottom to top using an infrared sensor, LIDAR6 sensor, etc., and the scanned shape of the obstacle is stored in the map information storage section 55. .

Therefore, the user can judge what kind of obstacles are placed in which positions based on the shape of the obstacles on the map displayed on the display of the communication terminal, etc., and the user can autonomously navigate around every corner of the room. The self-driving vacuum cleaner can move obstacles that it cannot overcome before letting the vacuum cleaner clean.

[Example 6]
Next, Example 6 will be explained. FIG. 26 is a flow diagram showing the operation of the autonomous vacuum cleaner according to the sixth embodiment. The outline of the operation shown in the flowchart of FIG. 26 is that when the autonomous vacuum cleaner arrives at the center of the area (for example, the center of the room), when the front of the housing 1 is lifted, the infrared sensor, LIDAR6 sensor, etc. is used to scan the shape of the obstacle from bottom to top, and the scanned shape of the obstacle is stored in the map information storage section 55. After that, the case 1 is rotated clockwise by a predetermined angle (for example, 15 degrees), and the operation of scanning the shape of the obstacle again is performed multiple times. The shape of is stored in the map information storage section 55.

Note that, before executing the operation shown in the flowchart of FIG. 26, the control unit 40 moves the housing 1 around the wall of the room, and the map information creation unit 54 detects the upper right sensor 12, the lower right sensor 14, Map information of the room is created based on signals input from the upper left sensor 11, the lower left sensor 13, the LIDAR 6, the ultrasonic sensor 10, etc. The map information storage unit 55 stores created map information.

The operation will be explained using the flow diagram in FIG. First, as shown in FIG. 27(a), the autonomous vacuum cleaner departs from the charging stand 60 and heads toward the center of the room. FIG. 27(b) is a diagram showing a state in which the autonomous vacuum cleaner has reached the approximate center of the room.

In step S10, when the control unit 40 determines that the central part of the map information stored in the map information storage unit 55 has been reached, the control unit 40 advances the process to step S11. Note that the control unit 40 uses a method of determining how far the user has traveled in the X and Y directions of the map from the charging stand as a starting point, based on the number of rotations of the driving wheels, etc., and determining that the central portion of the map information has been reached. , a method of determining using a gyro sensor, etc.

In step S11, the control unit 40 controls the front of the housing 1 to be lifted. Note that the details of this lifting control are as explained in the fourth embodiment.

In step S12, the obstacle shape detection unit 52 determines the shape of the obstacle based on the signals input from the upper right sensor 12, the lower right sensor 14, the upper left sensor 11, the lower left sensor 13, the LIDAR 6, etc., and the information is The map information is stored in the map information storage section 55.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 22, the lower right sensor 14, the lower left sensor 13, and the LIDAR 6 are used to scan the shape of the obstacle when the housing 1 is lifted, and the obstacle shape detection unit 52 detects the shape of the obstacle. The shape of the obstacle is detected based on signals from the lower right sensor 14, the lower left sensor 13, and the LIDAR 6. Although it is explained here that the shape of the obstacle is detected, more specifically, the unevenness of the surface of the obstacle is detected. The obstacle shape detection unit 52 determines the distance from the time from light irradiation to light reception by the lower right sensor 14, the lower left sensor 13, and the LIDAR 6, and detects the unevenness of the surface of the obstacle.

Note that this operation of scanning for obstacles may be performed not only when the front of the casing 1 is lifted up, but also when the casing 1 is lowered from a lifted state, or by scanning the front of the casing 1 many times. It may also be configured to move up and down and scan for obstacles at that time.

In step S13, information on the shape of the obstacle and information on the angle at which the housing 1 is rotated, which will be described later, are stored in the map information storage section 55.

In step S14, if the control unit 40 determines that the casing 1 has been rotated 360 degrees, the process ends; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S15.

In step S15, the control unit 40 rotates the housing 1 clockwise by a predetermined angle (for example, 15 degrees). For example, the control unit 40 controls the left drive unit 45 and the right drive unit 44 to drive only the left drive wheel 20 after moving the housing 1 backward, or to move the left drive wheel 20 forward. By rotating the right drive wheel 19 in the opposite direction to the left drive wheel 20, the housing 1 is rotated by a predetermined angle, and the process returns to step S11. Furthermore, when executing steps S10 and subsequent steps in the flowchart of FIG. determines the total number of times the housing 1 has rotated from the information stored in the storage unit 42.

In this way, by executing the process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 26, it is possible to detect the shapes of obstacles around 360 degrees from the center of the room and add them to the map information. Therefore, it is possible to display three-dimensional information about obstacles on the map. Alternatively, it becomes possible to create and display three-dimensional map information.

The map information stored in the map information storage section 55 can be transmitted to a mobile terminal etc. using the communication section 41, and the user can display two-dimensional map information or the like on the display section of the mobile terminal. It is possible to display three-dimensional map information.

Therefore, the user can understand what kind of obstacles are in the room before using the autonomous vacuum cleaner to clean the room, and the autonomous vacuum cleaner can move obstacles that it cannot overcome. can be done.

The present disclosure has been described above based on examples. Those skilled in the art will understand that these examples are merely illustrative, and that various modifications can be made to the combinations of their constituent elements and processing processes, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure. be.

Although the embodiment described above is the best mode that can be implemented by those skilled in the art, it is also possible to implement it as follows.

In this embodiment, the casing 1 has been described as having an upper body 2, a lower body 3, and a cover 5, but the casing 1 has a lower body 3 including a lower body 3 and a cover 5. It may be defined as

In FIG. 5, the right drive wheel 19, the left drive wheel 20, and the two wheel support members 21 were explained as separate parts, but the right drive wheel 19 and the wheel support member 21, the left drive wheel 20 and the wheel support member 21, may be defined as the right drive wheel 19 and the left drive wheel 20, respectively.

In FIG. 5, the battery 18 is located behind the axis connecting the center axis of the right drive wheel 19 and the center axis of the left drive wheel 20, but the battery 18 may be partially located on this axis. Also good.

In the third embodiment, if an obstacle collides with the LIDAR cover 26 from above, the object may have fallen onto the housing 1 due to an earthquake, etc., so cleaning is interrupted and the housing 1 is returned to the charging stand. Alternatively, the configuration may be such that movement of the casing 1 is stopped and a warning sound is sounded for a predetermined period of time.

In the third embodiment, the LIDAR cover 26 and the switch lever 27 are formed as separate parts, but the LIDAR cover 26 and the switch lever 27 may be formed integrally.

In the third embodiment, when the user presses the LIDAR cover 26, the autonomous vacuum cleaner stops running or turns off the power, and when the user presses the LIDAR cover 26 again, the autonomous vacuum cleaner stops running or turns off the power. It may be configured to restart running or turn on the power. With such a configuration, the user can easily operate the autonomous vacuum cleaner to turn on and off the power supply, or to interrupt or restart cleaning.

In addition to autonomous vacuum cleaners, the technology of this embodiment is applicable to various types of mobile objects that can run on their own, such as self-driving cars, unmanned aerial vehicles, and self-propelled robots. Further, it is possible to apply two or more of the techniques of Examples 1 to 6 described above in any combination.

The autonomous vacuum cleaner of the present invention can be widely used as a household vacuum cleaner or a commercial vacuum cleaner used in offices, factories, etc.

1 housing, 2 upper body, 3 lower body, 4 bumper, 5 cover, 6 LIDAR, 7 exhaust port, 8 side brush, 9 rear wheel, 10 ultrasonic sensor, 11 upper left sensor, 12 upper right sensor, 13 lower left sensor, 14 lower right sensor, 15 slope, 16 recess, 17 window, 18 battery, 19 right drive wheel, 20 left drive wheel, 21 wheel support member, 22 suction port, 23 main brush, 24 step sensor, 25 wall, 26 LIDAR cover, 27 switch lever, 28 collision detection unit, 29 spring, 30 tact switch, 31 circuit board, 32 base member, 33 groove, 34 bridge, 35 switch protrusion, 36 switch hole, 37 floating hole, 38 floating Projection, 39 Rotating part arrangement space, 40 Control part, 41 Communication part, 42 Storage part, 43 Suction motor, 44 Right drive part, 45 Left drive part, 46 Bumper sensor, 47 Rotating part, 48 Upper body hole, 49 Cover column part, 50 map creation part, 51 distance calculation part, 52 obstacle shape detection part, 53 self-position determination part, 54 map information creation part, 55 map information storage part, 56 vent, 60 charging stand, 80 object, 90 cam , 91 axis.

Claims (1)

A casing and
a drive wheel for moving the casing;
a suction motor for sucking up dust;
an exhaust port for discharging exhaust from the suction motor to the outside of the casing;
a drive section provided between the suction motor and the exhaust port for driving the drive wheel;
Equipped with
The drive wheels include at least one pair of left and right drive wheels,
The exhaust port is provided at least on both left and right sides of the housing,
The drive unit includes:
a right drive section provided between the suction motor and the right exhaust port for driving the right drive wheel;
a left drive section provided between the suction motor and the left exhaust port for driving the left drive wheel;
The suction motor is provided near the center of the housing in the left-right direction,
An exhaust path from the suction motor to the exhaust port on the right side via the right drive unit, and an exhaust path from the suction motor to the exhaust port on the left side via the left drive unit are formed in the housing.
Autonomous vacuum cleaner.

Images