JPS63183032A - Cleaning robot - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cleaning robot that automatically cleans all parts of a room.

Conventional technology Conventional cleaning robots mainly perform only fixed movements, move toward a landmark, or draw a basic line and move along that line. There are also known devices that operate while constantly monitoring.

Problems that the invention aims to solve Among the conventional cleaning robots mentioned above, it is difficult to thoroughly clean the room with those whose movements are restricted.
Furthermore, when cleaning a large room, there is a problem with the sensor-based sensor, which cannot reliably detect walls that are far away and malfunctions, making it impossible to clean the room satisfactorily.

The present invention solves these conventional problems and aims to provide a cleaning robot that can reliably clean even large rooms such as gymnasiums.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the cleaning robot of the present invention includes a driving means for driving the main body in two orthogonal directions, front and back and left and right, and a measuring means for measuring the distance traveled in these two directions. and a sensor that detects the distance between the cleaning means installed in the main body and the wall surface of the room to be cleaned, and
It has a control means that stores the basic locus according to the distance of movement in the direction and controls the movement of the main body in a spiral manner to the center of the room while keeping a constant distance from the locus.

Operation With the above configuration, the movement of the main body depends on the detection action of the sensor until it draws the basic trajectory, but after that it automatically moves in a spiral shape to the center of the room while maintaining a constant distance from the basic trajectory. It allows you to clean every part of the room, regardless of its size or shape.

EXAMPLE Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings. In Figures 1 and 2, 1°2.3.4 is
These wheels are located on the front, rear, left and right sides of the robot's main body 5, and each wheel has a structure in which elements consisting of three rotating bodies 6 and their supporting extensions are combined, as shown in FIG. The above-mentioned elements are combined so that the rotating bodies of other elements are located between the rotating bodies 6, and the outer peripheries of the respective rotating bodies are connected to form a circle, which can be freely moved forward, backward, left and right. This is commonly commercially available and is called an omniwheel. Reference numerals 8, 9, and 10° 11 are motors capable of forward and reverse rotation, and are directly connected to the wheels 1°, 2, 3, and 4 through shafts, respectively. These wheels 1 to 4 and motors 8 to 11 move the main body 5 into two orthogonal directions, front and rear and left and right.
It constitutes a driving means for driving in the direction. Reference numerals 12 and 13 denote measuring means for measuring the moving distance of the main body 6 in two directions, such as a pulse generator (encoder). Measuring means 12i
d for the X-axis, and measuring means 131' for the Y-axis, and are set to the motors 1o and 8 by gears so that they rotate at the same time.

14-21Fi This is a sensor that detects the distance to the wall of the room to be cleaned, and is set at each corner of the main body 5 at right angles to each surface of the main body 5.

22 is a cleaning means installed on the main body 5, which includes a blower,
It has a dust collection chamber, filter and suction nozzle. 1st
In the figure, the area within the dotted line frame indicates the range of the suction port of the cleaning means 22. Reference numeral 23 denotes a control means that stores the basic trajectory of the movement of the main body 5 based on the distance traveled in two directions, and controls the movement of the main body 5 in a spiral manner to the center of the room while maintaining a constant interval from the basic trajectory. This control means 23 is composed of a microcomputer, and as shown in FIG. 4, receives signals from each sensor 14 to 21 and measuring means 12, 13 to control each motor 8 to 11 and end notification section 24. It is.

FIG. 5 explains the basic movement pattern of the cleaning robot. The subsequent movements of the robot main body 5 will be explained assuming that the position of the person is the starting position.

At the start, the motor 10.1 is centered on the main body 5.
The operating direction of motor 1 is the X-axis, and the operating direction of motors 8 and 9 is the Y-axis. The numerical value of Yo is stored in the control means 23.

When the motors 10 and 11 rotate forward from the person's position, they move forward toward position B. At this time, when the main body 5 approaches the left wall, the sensor 14 turns on, and at the same time as the motors 10 and 11 stop, the motors 8 and 9 rotate forward, so that the main body 5 moves away from the left wall, and the sensor 14 turns off. Then, at the same time as the motors 8 and 9 stop, the motors 10 and 11 rotate forward and move forward. Also, while moving, the main body 5 is on the left wall 7υ
When it leaves, the sensor 15, which is set at the same position as the sensor 14, turns ON and the motors 10 and 1175 stop, and at the same time, the motors 8 and 9 rotate in the opposite direction, so that the sensor 15 approaches the left wall, and the sensor 15 turns OFF. Then, at the same time as the motors 8 and 9 stop, the motors 10 and 11 rotate forward and move forward.

While repeating these operations, the main body 5 moves forward along the left wall from the person to position B.

During this process, since the measuring means 12, 13 are directly connected to each motor, all counts are started. Then, when the X-axis measuring means 12 counts a certain number T while traveling a distance B from the person, the numerical values of X and Y are stored in the control means 23.

Further, the value added to the constant number TiX is the value of kX2Y2 at the time point counted by the measuring means 12, and the control means 23
to be memorized. Similarly, until position B, X is a constant number T
The numerical values up to xnYn are stored in the control means 23 at intervals of .

At position B, sensor 1 due to proximity to the front wall
The motors 10 and 11 are stopped by the ON signal of 6.

Next, the method of moving along the front wall is the same as the method of moving along the left wall, by rotating the motor 8゜9 in the forward direction, and by the detection of the sensor 16, 1a, the motor 10, 11i rotate,
While rotating in the opposite direction, move along the front wall to C.

Then, at position C, the motors 8 and 9 are stopped by a signal from the sensor 18 caused by approaching the right wall.

In the same way as moving along the left wall while moving from B to C,
Based on the count of the Y-axis measuring means 13, the XnYne control means 23 stores the position advanced by a fixed number T intervals.

Next, to move along the right wall, rotate the motor 10°11 in the opposite direction, and use the sensors 18 and 19 in the same way as the previous movement.
As a result of this detection, the motors 8 and 9 are rotated forward and backward, and the robot moves against the right wall to D.

Then, the motors 10 and 11 are stopped by a signal from the sensor 20 caused by approaching the rear wall at position D.

While moving from C to D, the X-axis measuring means 1 is
By counting 2, the control means 23 stores xnYn at a position advanced by a fixed number T intervals.

Next, the method of moving along the rear wall is to rotate the motors 8 and 9 in the opposite direction, and as described above, when the sensors 20 and 21 detect the motors 10 and 11'ii, the motors 10 and 11'ii are rotated forward and backward while moving along the rear wall. moving along.

Then, the motors 8 and 9 are activated by the signal from the sensor 14 caused by approaching the left wall at position E, which is the same position as the person's position.
stops.

Next, at the closing position, the XoYo stored in the control means 23 last time is
Compare the numerical values of xnYn with the numerical values of xnYn, and if it is determined that they are near the same location, the fixed number 5-i numerical value Y of the Y axis is placed at the position F.

The motors 8 and 9 are rotated in the forward direction.

Then, at the count of (yo-s), the motors 8 and 9 are stopped. This position has a total of 2.

Next, the position of F is used as the base point, and the data stored last time is fcx, Y,.

Each Y-axis value (Yn-
8), face the xnYn-5 position, and turn the motor 10
．． 11 and motors 8 and 9 while moving toward position G.

The position of G is detected by subtracting the value of S from the value of xnYn stored in B, and each motor stops at a value xn-5+"n-S.

In the same way, move towards the center of the room in a spiral shape while subtracting a certain number S from the xnYn points you memorized last time to H, I, J, and so on.

Then, at position Z, which is the center of the room, xnYn=0,
Depending on whether xnYn=minus, each motor is stopped and the end notification section 24 gives a notification. Note that from position F, the sensors 14 to 21 are unrelated to the operation of the main body 5. Therefore, the sensor is short-range sensing and works well.

Furthermore, if the pattern follows the basic locus as in the embodiment, it is possible to thoroughly clean the room even if the room is not only square or rectangular, but also parallelogram, oval, and the like. The main body 5 can be moved along a curve by simultaneously driving each wheel by motor control or by varying the number of rotations. Furthermore, for example, if there is a slight difference in the outer diameters of wheel 1 and wheel 2, the numerical value measured by measuring means 12.13 will be X.
Even if the main body 5 actually moves in a curved line despite moving straight in the axial direction, it moves based on the basic trajectory obtained by detecting the distance to the wall of the room. Therefore, while drawing a trajectory similar to this basic trajectory, you can thoroughly clean the entire room toward the center of the room.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, the basic trajectory of the main body is memorized and the basic trajectory of the main body is followed to move to the center of the room in a spiral pattern, so regardless of the size and shape of the room, It is capable of thoroughly cleaning the inside of a room, making it an extremely practical cleaning robot.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic internal configuration of a cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of the same cleaning robot, FIG. 3 is a plan view of elements constituting wheels, and FIG. 4 is a control block diagram, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the basic running pattern of the cleaning robot. 1-4...Wheel, 5...Body, 8
~11...Motor, 12.13...Measuring means, 14-21...Sensor, 22...
...Cleaning means, 23...Control means. Name of agent: Patent attorney Toshio Nakao and 1 other person
4- Wheel 5 per wheel 2'5 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5

Claims (1)

[Claims] A driving means for driving the main body in two perpendicular directions, front and back and left and right, and a measuring means for measuring the distance traveled in these two directions.
A sensor that detects the distance between the cleaning means installed on the main body and the wall surface of the room to be cleaned, and a sensor that memorizes the basic trajectory based on the distance traveled in two directions during the movement of the main body and maintains a constant distance from the trajectory. A cleaning robot having a control means for controlling the movement of the main body in a spiral manner to the center of a room.