CN107913030A - Self walking electric dust catcher - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a kind of Self walking electric dust catcher, such as improves the electric dust collector of the sweeping efficiency in the cleaning modes of wall angle.The electric dust collector is the Self walking electric dust catcher for having the d.c. motor of directed edge brush passing power and detecting the sensor of wall, wherein, d.c. motor improves the rotating speed of side brush, or the duty cycle of increase d.c. motor in execution of the Self walking electric dust catcher in the wall angle cleaning modes that wall angle travels.

Description

self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner

technical field

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

Background technique

As electric vacuum cleaners for cleaning dusty floor surfaces, so-called canister vacuum cleaners in which a suction port is reciprocated by user's operation, and self-propelled electric vacuum cleaners in which the electric vacuum cleaner itself drives itself are known.

Patent Document 1 discloses a self-propelled cleaner that controls rotation of a cleaning brush based on floor characteristics.

prior art literature

patent documents

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2016-59766

Contents of the invention

The problem to be solved by the invention

Patent Document 1 does not disclose any improvement in cleaning efficiency in areas where dust tends to accumulate, such as corners and corners, of each room, although it performs control according to different floor conditions for each room, for example.

Solution to the problem

The self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner of the first aspect of the present invention made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances has: a DC motor that transmits power to the side brushes; and a sensor that detects the wall surface. In the corner cleaning mode in which the electric vacuum cleaner travels along a corner, the DC motor is controlled to increase the rotational speed of the side brush or to increase the duty ratio of the DC motor.

In addition, the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner according to the second aspect of the invention made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances has: a DC motor that transmits power to the side brushes; and a sensor that detects the amount of dust passing through the suction port. The DC motor is controlled such that the number of dust particles detected by the sensor and the duty ratio of the DC motor have a negative correlation.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

2 is a perspective view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1 in a state where an upper case and a dust box are removed.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

Fig. 4 is an AA sectional view of Fig. 1 .

5 is a perspective view of a suction port, a dust sensor unit, and a dust box of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

6 is an exploded view of the suction port, the dust sensor unit, and the dust box of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

7 is a front view of a dust sensor unit of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

FIG. 8 is a side view of a dust sensor unit of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

FIG. 9 is a CC sectional view of FIG. 7 .

Fig. 10 is a DD sectional view of Fig. 8 .

11 is a perspective view of the dust box of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner main body according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

12 is a perspective view including a region where a dust box is mounted in the main body of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

13( a ) and ( b ) are enlarged views of main parts of FIG. 12 .

Fig. 14 is a BB sectional view of Fig. 5 .

FIG. 15 is a perspective view including a small tool storage unit and a small tool according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

Fig. 16 is a rear perspective view of the main body to which the dust box is attached according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 17 is a perspective view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1 with the upper case removed.

Fig. 18 is a sectional view taken along line EE of Fig. 1 .

Fig. 19 is a perspective view of a rotating brush according to Embodiment 1.

FIG. 20 is an enlarged perspective view of an auxiliary wheel according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

Fig. 21 is an exploded perspective view of Embodiment 1 in a state where the airtight member is detached from the main body.

FIG. 22 is a rear perspective view of the airtight member according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

23 is a configuration diagram showing a control device of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1, and devices connected to the control device.

Fig. 24 is a perspective view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 2 with the upper case removed.

Fig. 25 is a perspective view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner from the state of Fig. 24 with the switch piece further removed.

FIG. 26( a ) is a front perspective view of the switch piece 22 according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 26( b ) is a rear perspective view of the switch piece 22 according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of a side brush according to Embodiment 3. FIG.

Fig. 28 is a side view of the side brush according to Embodiment 3 when it is bent.

Fig. 29 is a front perspective view through which a cover and a filter of the dust box according to Embodiment 3 are seen through.

In the picture:

1—self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner, 11—main body, 111—upper housing, 112—lower housing, 1121—side brush installation part, 1122—auxiliary wheel installation part, 1123—rear protrusion, 1124—central front side protrusion, 1125—central rear side protrusion, 1126—exhaust port, 1127—buffer frame, 1128—mounting claw locking part, 113—suction port, 1131—suction port, 1133—rotating brush motor, 114—drive mechanism accommodation part, 1141—bracket (suspension), 1142—reduction mechanism, 115—battery housing, 116—driving wheel, 1161—traveling motor, 117—front cover, 118—airtight component, 1181—erecting portion, 1182—oscillating shaft, 1183—frame part, 1184—removal claw, 1185—force applying portion, 1186—driven roller, 1187—inclined portion, 119—guiding step, 1101—gap, 1102—small tool accommodation portion, 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—adherent part, 125—wiring, 126—connector, 127—substrate, 13—scraper brush, 14—rotating brush, 141—shaft, 142—flocking, 143—non-woven fabric, 1431—slit, 15—side brush, 151—side brush seat, 1511—installation claw, 1512—fixture Jack, 152—side brush motor, 153—basic elastic part, 1531—thin part, 1532—thick part, 154—bristle part, 155—installation claw, 16—electric blower, 161—elastic body, 17—auxiliary Wheel, 171—grounding portion, 172—circular plate portion, 173—fixed shaft, 174—small circular plate portion, 18—bumper, 19—rechargeable battery, 2—control device, 21—control substrate, 210—sensor class ( Distance measuring sensor), 211—sensor class (distance measuring sensor for floor surface), 22—switch piece, 221—round operation button, 222—ring operation button, 4—dust box, 41—main storage room, 42— Pipeline, 421—upright portion, 43—handle, 431—holding portion, 432—anti-off portion, 433—action point, 434—locking portion, 44—return valve, 441—main surface, 442—protruding portion, 443—force application portion, 45—cover, 46—filter, 47—rib, 80—support plate, 90—central line, 91—arrow, 92—dimension of the main direction of the dust sensor unit, 93—the other end of the pipe Side dimensions (inclined dimensions), 94—dimensions of one end side of the pipe (upper and lower dimensions), 95—cleaning brush as an example of a small tool, 951—bristles, 952—clamp portion.

Detailed ways

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The same symbols are assigned to the same structural units, and the same description will not be repeated. The various structural units of the present invention do not necessarily consist of one part. For example, one structural unit is allowed to be composed of multiple parts, multiple structural units are composed of one part, or a part of a structural unit overlaps with a part of another structural unit.

In addition, in the direction in which the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1 (refer to FIG. 1 ) travels, the direction in which the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1 normally travels is defined as the front, and the direction opposite to the direction of gravity is defined as the upward direction, and the driving wheel 116 (refer to FIG. FIG. 3 ) The opposing directions are left and right. That is, front and rear, top and bottom, and left and right are defined as shown in FIG. 1 and the like. In this embodiment, side brush 15 is attached to the front side of self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 .

<Embodiment 1>

[Self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 according to the present embodiment.

The self-propelled 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 a main body 11. The main body 11 is configured to include an upper case 111 as an upper wall (and a part of the side wall), a lower case 112 as a bottom wall (and a part of the side wall), and a Buffer 18. The upper case 111 is provided with a switch piece 22 , and a circular operation button 221 and a circular operation button 222 as operation buttons for a user to give instructions to the control unit 2 of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 .

In addition, dust box 4 is provided on the upper rear side of self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 . The self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 of the present embodiment cleans by autonomously driving the driving wheels 116 through arithmetic processing of the control device 2 , but it may be driven by receiving a user's command through a remote control or the like.

[Lower case 112]

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a state where the upper casing 111 and dust box 4 have been removed, Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1, Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view cut along line AA of Fig. 1 , Fig. 5 It is a perspective view of the suction port part 113, the dust sensor unit 12, and the dust box 4.

The lower case 112 is a thin disc-shaped member, and is equipped with a driving mechanism housing part 114 for housing the driving mechanism, a side brush mounting part 1121, a travel motor 1161, a rotating brush motor 1133, an electric blower 16, a rechargeable battery 19, and a storage and charging unit. The battery housing portion 115 (see FIG. 4 ) of the battery 19 , the control device 2 , and the suction port 113 , and the drive mechanism include a drive wheel 116 , a travel motor 1161 , a bracket 1141 , and a speed reduction mechanism 1142 .

The lower case 112 has a shock absorber frame 1127 provided on the lower end side of the side surface, preferably including the lower end, and provided on the entire or substantially entire circumference of the side surface. The bumper frame 1127 is formed of a material softer than other parts forming the side surface, for example, a resin material such as an elastomer can be used. In addition, the shock absorber frame 1127 protrudes to the outer peripheral side than other parts of the side surface, for example, the shock absorber 18 . Thereby, even if self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 collides with furniture etc., damage to furniture etc. can be suppressed.

In addition, since the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1 mainly moves forward, the side surface on the front side is likely to collide with furniture, etc. However, considering the situation of entering a narrow road, for example, it is preferable to provide a shock absorber frame on the side surface and the rear surface as in this embodiment. 1127. In addition, since the damper 18 is annular, by forming the damper frame 1127 in an annular shape as in this embodiment, the damper frame 1127 can be located on the outer peripheral side of the damper 18 . As a result, the shock absorber 18 can be pressed from the outer peripheral side, so that assembly is easy.

(balance of self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1)

The rechargeable battery 19 and the electric blower 16 are relatively heavy among the parts arranged in the main body 11 . In most cases, the rechargeable battery 19 is heavier than the electric blower 16 . In order to achieve the weight balance of the main body 11 of this embodiment, first, the electric blower 16 is provided in the approximate center of the lower case 112, and the rechargeable battery 19 is provided in the front side.

Here, the suction port 113 in which the rotating brush 14 is accommodated and the scraper brush 13 are provided on the rear side of the lower case 112 from the center. The electric blower 16 is located on the center side (between the two drive wheels 116 ), and the rechargeable battery 19 is located on the front side, so it is preferable to install a weight on the rear side for balance. Therefore, in this embodiment, a weight (not shown) is fixed to the inner periphery of the squeegee brush 13 by sticking or the like. Thereby, what is called a dead space in the squeegee brush 13 can be effectively utilized. In this embodiment, since the squeegee brush 13 is located farther from the center than the rotary brush 14, it is preferable to provide a counterweight here. In addition, from the viewpoint of left-right balance, it is preferable that the weight is provided on the center side in the left-right direction of the main body 11 . In addition, although a counterweight may be provided in the rotating brush 14, since the rotating brush 14 is a brush driven by the rotating brush motor 1133, if a counterweight is provided, it will become a load of a motor. Therefore, it is preferable to provide a counterweight in the scraper brush 13 which is driven to rotate without being driven by a motor. In addition, it is preferable that the center of gravity of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1 is substantially centered in the front-rear direction (almost coincides with the axis of the drive wheel 116 ) by the counterweight.

(Protrusion of lower case 112)

In the lower case 112 , at least a part of the rear protrusion 1123 , which is a convex portion provided on the bottom surface of the lower case 112 , is provided on the left-right outer side of the rotary brush 14 (right outer side and right outer side). At least a portion of each rear protrusion 1123 is also located directly rearward of the drive wheel 116 .

In addition, a central front protrusion 1124 and a central rear protrusion 1125 are provided in a central area of the lower case 112 corresponding to the area between the two driving wheels 116 . The central front protrusion 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 rear protrusion 1125 is a protrusion extending in the front-back direction on the rear side of the central front protrusion 1124 .

In the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 of this embodiment, the rear end of the drive wheel 116 is close to the outer end of the rotating brush 14 . Specifically, for example, the distance from the left and right inner parts of the rear end of the driving wheel 116 to the left and right outer parts of the front end of the rotating brush 14 is 20 mm or less from the viewpoint of downsizing. The rotating brush 14 and/or an airtight member 118 described later protrudes from the lower case 112 to approach the floor surface to easily attract dust, and the driving wheel 116 similarly protrudes to contact the floor surface. Therefore, if an obstacle enters the area between the two driving wheels 116 (the central side area where the protrusion 1124 and the protrusion 1125 are provided), the area behind the driving wheel 116 (the area where the protrusion 1123 is provided), there is an embedded driving wheel. 116 and the rotating brush 14 hinder the driving of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1 . In order to suppress this, the protrusion 1123, the protrusion 1124, and the protrusion 1125 are provided. Any protrusions 1123 , 1124 , and 1125 are adjusted to a size that is separated from the floor surface while the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1 is running at least on a flat floor surface.

[Drive Mechanism Housing 114]

The drive mechanism housed in the drive mechanism housing portion 114 shown in FIG. 3 and the like is a mechanism that supports the drive wheel 116 on the main body 11 . The drive mechanism includes a travel motor 1161 , a bracket 1141 supporting the drive wheels 116 from the left and right inner sides, and a reduction mechanism 1142 . The bracket 1141 is provided between the two driving wheels 116, and is a member whose one end is connected to the rotating shaft extending in the front-rear direction and the other end is connected to the driving wheel 116, and the driving wheels 116 can be rotated respectively by rotating around the rotating shaft. part. The rotating shafts are respectively located between the two driving wheels 116 , especially in this embodiment, between each driving wheel 116 and the central protrusion 1124 and the protrusion 1125 .

[battery housing part 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 housing portion 115 is configured to have a downward opening for replacing the rechargeable battery 19 . In addition, side brush mounting portions 1121 to which the side brushes 15 are mounted are formed on the left and right of the battery housing portion 115 .

[drive wheel 116]

As shown in FIG. 3 and the like, the driving wheels 116 are members that receive the respective driving forces of the travel motors 1161 via the reduction mechanisms 1142 . As a result, the main body 11 can be moved forward, backward, or turned by the rotation of the drive wheel 116 itself. The drive wheels 116 are arranged on the left and right sides.

[front cover 117]

As shown in FIG. 3 etc., the front cover 117 is a substantially rectangular member that closes the opening of the battery housing 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 . In addition, the front cover 117 includes a circular auxiliary wheel attachment portion 1122 near the center of the lower case 112 to which the auxiliary wheel 17 is attached.

[training wheel 17]

FIG. 20 is an enlarged perspective view of the auxiliary wheel 17 . As shown in FIGS. 3 and 20 , the auxiliary wheels 17 are auxiliary wheels for moving the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 smoothly by separating the lower case 112 from the floor surface, and are provided on the lower case 112 . The auxiliary wheel 17 is supported by the fixed shaft 173 so as to follow the movement of the main body 11 by the drive wheel 116 and to rotate drivenly by the frictional force generated between it and the floor surface.

The auxiliary wheel 17 has a substantially circular ground wheel 171 rotatable about a fixed shaft 173 as a rotation axis, a disc portion 172 , and a small disc portion 174 . The grounding wheels 171 are rotated in contact with the floor surface as the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 travels. The small circular plate portion 174 is adjacent to the grounding wheel 171 , has a smaller diameter than the grounding wheel 171 and a larger diameter than the fixed shaft 173 , and is rotatable around the fixed shaft 173 . The circular plate portion 172 is adjacent to the small circular plate portion 174 , has a smaller diameter than the ground wheel 171 and a larger diameter than the small circular plate portion 174 , and is configured to rotate around the fixed shaft 173 .

When the ground wheel 171 is rotated and the ground wheel 171 is attached with hair, trash, etc., the hair, trash, etc. may spiral around the fixed shaft 173 and become entangled with the fixed shaft 173 . At this time, the small circular plate portion 174 and the circular plate portion 172 are adjacent to the grounding wheel 171 , so hair and garbage are not only wound around the fixed shaft 173 but also easily wound around the circular plate portion 172 . Therefore, by rotating the disc portion 172 around the fixed shaft 173, it is possible to relatively easily remove hair waste. The small circular plate portion 174 and the circular plate portion 172 are preferably integrally formed.

In addition, the orientation of the auxiliary wheels 17 is configured to be rotatable by 360° in the horizontal direction. Moreover, the auxiliary wheel 17 shown in FIG. 3 is provided in the center of the front of the main body 11 in the left-right direction, and is attached to the auxiliary wheel attachment part 1122. As shown in FIG.

In addition, the grounding roller 17 may also be referred to as a driven roller 1186 described later, and the airtight member 118 is provided with the same structure as the disc portion 172 .

[buffer 18]

The shock absorber 18 is provided so as to be movable in the front-rear direction, preferably in the left-right direction according to a pressing force applied from the outside. The damper 18 is biased forward by a pair of left and right damper springs (not shown). When resistance from an obstacle acts on the damper spring via the damper 18, the damper spring deforms, and the damper 18 is allowed to move backward while biasing the damper 18 forward. When the buffer 18 moves away from the obstacle and the resistance disappears, the buffer 18 returns to its original position by the active force of the buffer spring. That is, 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 amount of displacement of the bumper 18 differs depending on the contact position of the obstacle or the like, it is also possible to detect the position of the obstacle or the like with respect to the main body 11 .

[squeegee brush 13]

The scraper brush 13 is provided with flocking on a part or almost all of the surface, and has an axis in a direction substantially parallel to the rotating brush 14 described later. In this embodiment, it is driven to rotate by contact with the floor surface. or turn. In the case of rotation, the range of rotation is limited by providing stoppers or the like. The height position of the flocking of the scraper brush 13 is preferably about 0.5 mm away from the floor surface when cleaning a wooden floor (between boards). In addition, it is preferable that the position of the flocking of the squeegee brush 13 overlaps the bristles of the carpet when cleaning the carpet. Therefore, the scraper brush 13 can collect dust from the surface of the carpet by scraping.

When the scraper brush 13 is provided with a stopper and used in a rotating form, it can continuously contact a predetermined area on the floor surface and scrape off dust. At this time, it is preferable that the region of the squeegee brush 13 that continues to be in contact with the floor surface has a flat shape. That is, the shape of the squeegee brush 13 is preferably a shape obtained by substituting a part of the cylindrical shape with a flat plane in an axial view (for example, a shape obtained by cutting a part of a circle with a chord, approximately a half-moon shape). .

[rotating brush 14]

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

The nonwoven fabric 143 is provided adjacent to a part or all of the flocking 142 . Each flock 142 shares a root with each nonwoven fabric 143 . This can be realized, for example, by ultrasonically welding the flock 142 and the nonwoven fabric 143 to integrate the flock 142 and the nonwoven fabric 143 . It is desired to have a certain degree of hardness as the hair implant, and for example, nylon can be used.

In addition, the non-woven fabric 143 adjacent to the flock 142, for example, in the present embodiment, the flock 142 and the non-woven fabric 143 having a common root are respectively arranged so that when the rotating brush 14 is rotated by the rotating brush motor 1133, the Flocking 142, non-woven fabric 143 first contacts the floor surface. Thereby, since the hair garbage etc. which exist on a floor surface contact the nonwoven fabric 143 first, entanglement with the flocking 142 is suppressed. In addition, one or two or more slits 1431 extending radially are provided in the nonwoven fabric 143 . Thereby, twisting of the nonwoven fabric can be suppressed.

Moreover, the scraper member which consists of elastic materials, such as rubber, may be added and arrange|positioned in a spiral form between the hair-planting 142 arrange|positioned in a spiral form, and it can change suitably. The dust raised by the rotating brush 14 passes through the opening 17 and is collected in the dust box 4 . Moreover, in order to prevent the flocking 142, the nonwoven fabric 143, or the scraper member from contacting the erection part 1181 of the airtight member 118 mentioned later, the length of some of them may be shortened, or a notch may be provided.

[airtight part 118]

FIG. 21 is an exploded perspective view of a state where the airtight member 118 is detached from the main body 11 , and FIG. 22 is a rear perspective view of the airtight member 118 .

An airtight member 118 is provided at a portion below the rotary brush 14 . In the bottom view of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1 , the airtight member 118 has an erection portion 1181 arranged across the area below the rotating brush 14 in the front-rear direction, a swing shaft 1182 extending in the left-right direction, and a shape surrounding the rotating brush 14 . The frame portion 1183 , the detachment claw 1184 used for detaching the airtight member 118 , the biasing portion 1185 for biasing the bridging portion 1181 and the frame portion 1183 downward, and the driven roller 1186 .

The airtight member 118 is a member that swings independently of the suction port 113 and the rotary brush 14 , and is biased downward by the biasing portion 1185 . Therefore, the airtight member 118 moves up and down in accordance with, for example, the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 traveling with a difference in elevation. As a result, the airtight member 118 maintains a position close to or in contact with the floor surface, thereby improving airtightness. In addition, since the air-tight member 118 swings independently of the suction port 113 and the rotating brush 14 , there is no need to provide a swing space for the suction port 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 coaxial with the squeegee brush 13 , and the squeegee brush 13 can be attached to the swing shaft 1182 . Accordingly, since the installation space can be reduced when the airtight member 118 and the scraper brush 13 are installed at the same time, it contributes to downsizing of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 . Furthermore, the swing shaft 118 is provided on the rear end side of the airtight member 118 .

The swing shaft 118 may also be provided on the front end side of the airtight member 118 . In this way, since the airtight member 118 has an upward slope from the rear to the front, it is possible to reduce the load when colliding with an obstacle located in the front. In addition, the front end of the airtight member 118 is formed with an inclined portion 1187 that goes downward from the front to the rear (see FIG. 4 and the like). Therefore, it is possible to further reduce the load when the vehicle collides with an obstacle ahead.

The detachment claws 1184 are attached to the left and right sides of the airtight member 118 , and can be detached from the main body 11 by moving in the left and right direction (inward in the left and right direction in this embodiment). Since the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 mainly moves in the front-back direction, the airtight member 118 can be prevented from coming off from the main body 11 during running by making it movable in the left-right direction for detachment.

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

The driven rollers 1186 are respectively provided on the left and right outer sides of the airtight member 118 , come into contact with the floor surface as the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1 travels, and can support the airtight member 118 . Thereby, even if the airtight member 118 is biased downward, frictional resistance with the floor surface can be suppressed, and energy loss and damage to the floor surface can be suppressed. In addition, the driven roller 1186 is located on the opposite side to the auxiliary wheel 17 via the drive wheel 116 in the front-rear direction, and the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 can be effectively supported by these three structural units.

[side brush 15]

The side brush 15 illustrated in FIG. 3 etc. is a brush that guides dust, such as a corner of a room, located outside the main body 11 and where the rotating brush 14 cannot easily reach, to the suction port 113 (suction port 1131 ). The rotation axis of the side brush 15 is in the up-down direction, and a part of the side brush 15 is exposed from the main body 11 in a plan view. The side brushes 15 have three bundles of brushes extending radially at intervals of 120° in a planar viewing angle, and are disposed on the front, left, and right sides of the lower housing 112 . The foundation of the side brush 15 is fixed on the side brush seat 151 .

For each brush of the side brush 15 , the side brush holder 151 side (base side) is a flexible base elastic portion 153 such as an elastic body, and the front end side is a bristle, that is, a bristle portion 154 . In the present embodiment, the side brush holder 151 and the base elastic portion 153 forming the rotation shaft (hub) of the side brush 15 are integrally formed. By making the base of the side brush 15 an elastic body similar to the base elastic part 153, compared with the structure in which the bristle part 154 traverses from the base to the front end, the bristle part 154 is difficult to bend, so the durability of the side brush 15 can be improved. sex.

The bristles of the side brush 15 are inclined so as to approach the floor surface toward the front end, and the vicinity of the front end is in contact with the floor surface.

The side brush holder 151 is provided near the bottom surface of the lower case 112 and connected to the side brush motor 152 (see FIG. 2 ). Driven by the side brush motor 152 , the side brush 15 rotates toward the inside (in the direction of the arrow marked in FIG. 3 ), and sweeps the dust to the suction port 1131 .

[Electric blower 16]

The electric blower 16 shown in FIG. 4 has a fan with a shaft in the front-rear direction, and is rotated and driven by the fan to discharge the air in the dust box 4 to the outside to generate a negative pressure, so as to generate a negative pressure from the floor surface through the suction port 1131 ( Suction port 113) has the function of sucking dust. An elastic body 161 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the electric blower 16 . Therefore, by inserting the elastic body, the vibration of the electric blower 16 is attenuated, and it is difficult to transmit to the main body 11, so that the vibration and noise of the main body 11 can be reduced. In addition, in this embodiment, the electric blower 16 is arranged near the center of the lower case 112 .

[mouthpiece part 113]

6 is an exploded perspective view of the mouthpiece 113 , the dust sensor unit 12 and the dust box 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 formed with a suction port 1131 communicating with the dust collecting box 4 and accommodates the scraper brush 13 and the rotary brush 14 . A rotary brush motor 1133 may also be attached to the suction port 113 . The upstream side of the suction port 1131 (rotating brush 14 side) is a space for accommodating the rotating brush 14 , and has a larger cross-sectional area than the suction port 1131 .

In this embodiment, the air sucked by the negative pressure of the electric blower 16 passes through the suction port 1131, the dust sensor unit 12, the duct 42 of the dust box 4, the main storage chamber 41, the dust filter 46, the electric blower 16, and exhaust port 1126 . Most of this air contains dust, and is blocked by the dust collection filter 46 and collected in the dust collection box 4 . Hereinafter, a direction substantially perpendicular to the suction opening 1131 and the frame 121 of the dust sensor unit 12 (the front view direction of the frame 121 ) is referred to as a main direction. In addition, the exhaust port 1126 is provided in the lower housing 112 , and in this embodiment, there are six between the two driving wheels 116 .

The suction port 113 of the present embodiment does not have a portion extending in the main direction from the suction port 1131, but may have a portion extending in the main direction and integrated with the suction port 113, for example, like the duct 42 of the dust box 4 described later. Suction pipe. In this case, the suction port duct, the dust sensor unit 12 , and the duct 42 surround the distance from the suction port 1131 to the inside of the dust box 4 . Regarding this point, as will be described later, from the viewpoint of increasing the volume of the dust collecting box 4, it is preferable that the length of the duct 42 (for example, the length in the main direction) in this path is shorter than the length of the duct at the suction port (for example, the length in the main direction) and the frame 121. The length (such as the length of the main direction) is long.

[Dust sensor unit 12]

The dust sensor unit 12 is disposed between the suction port 113 and the dust box 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 to face each other, an adhering member 124 attached to the dust box 4 side of the frame 121 , and a substrate 127 . The dust sensor unit 12, the suction port 113, and the dust box 4 are formed as independent parts, and the frame 121 is brought into contact with the suction port 113, and installed in this state, so that the light emitting part 122, the light receiving part 123, and the connector 126 can be mounted at the same time. And the adhering part 124. Therefore, the dust sensor unit 12 of this embodiment is excellent in assemblability.

(box 121)

The frame 121 secures a space on the optical axis connecting the light emitting unit 123 and the light receiving unit 124 , and can mount the light emitting unit 123 and the light receiving unit 124 on the frame 121 itself or its vicinity. The frame 121 of the present embodiment has a shape having a long side direction and a short side direction, and can be provided, for example, in a rectangular shape. In this embodiment, it is substantially rectangular. A light receiving unit 123 and a substrate 127 are mounted on one side in the longitudinal direction of the frame 121 . The light emitting unit 122 is mounted on the other side of the frame 121 in the longitudinal direction. In addition, the light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123 may be provided in the short side direction of the frame 121 . In addition, the frame 121 can also be square, circular, oval, egg-shaped, etc.

(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 . The light emitting unit 122 is not limited to emitting light, and may be ultrasonic waves or the like, and various known means may be used 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 they are preferably opposed to each other from the viewpoint of miniaturization and the like.

(wiring 125, connector 126, substrate 127)

The substrate 127 can mount a drive circuit for the light emitting unit 122, an amplifier circuit for the light receiving unit 123, a comparator circuit that compares an amplified signal with a certain reference voltage to output a decrease in the amount of received light due to passing dust as a pulse, and the like. A comparator circuit may be replaced or added so that it can be detected that the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 123 continues to decrease. In this case, it can be estimated whether or not dust box 4 is full.

The light emitting unit 122 and the substrate 127 are electrically connected by wiring 125 . The wiring 125 is laid near the frame 121 along the opposing direction of the light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123 , or is laid in the frame 121 , or is inserted between the frame 121 and the adhering member 124 . The driving current of the light emitting unit 122 flows through the wiring 125 . In addition, the light receiving unit 123 is also electrically connected to the substrate 127 through wiring (not shown). These wires are electrically connected to the connector 126 .

(adherence part 124)

The contact member 124 has a shape matching the shape of the periphery of the frame 121, and is a hollow substantially rectangular shape in this embodiment. The shape of the frame 121 matches the shape of the suction port 1131 . A gasket or the like can be used as the close contact member 124 .

(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. In addition, since the light receiving unit 123 and the substrate 127 can be placed 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 can be reduced. In addition, the wiring 125 of the light emitting part 122 is also integrated in the dust sensor unit 12, and when electrically connecting to the control device 2, only wiring (not shown) needs to be connected to the connector 126, and the assemblability is excellent.

In addition, it is preferable to use an elastic material such as an elastomer for the close contact member 124 as a member in contact with the dust box 4, but this material deteriorates relatively faster than other members. In addition, dirt, damage, and the like due to dust are likely to occur on the surfaces of the light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123 . According to the present embodiment, components that are likely to require replacement due to such deterioration and damage can be replaced at the same time by replacing the dust sensor unit 12 , so maintainability is excellent.

(Dimensions in the non-opposing direction of the frame 24, etc.)

FIG. 9 is a CC sectional view of FIG. 7 . In dust sensor unit 12 , a direction substantially perpendicular to the opposing direction of light emitting unit 122 and light receiving unit 123 among directions parallel to frame 121 (direction perpendicular to the main direction) is referred to as a non-opposing direction. In block 121, if a is the width in the non-opposing direction on the side of the suction port 1131 and b is the width in the non-opposing direction on the side of the dust box 4, then a≈b, and a<b. This prevents excessive narrowing of the cross-sectional area of the surface perpendicular to the main direction to increase loss. In addition, the center line 90 (approximately parallel to the main direction) of the area surrounded by the frame 121 is defined as a straight line passing through the midpoint of the dimensions a and b. That is, as shown in FIG. 9 , considering a straight line where a1=a2=a/2 and b1=b2=b/2 hold, a1 and b1 are above the center line, and a2 and b2 are below the center line. At this time, the light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123 are arranged on the lower side of the center line 90 in the non-facing direction. Dust is heavier than air and has a high probability of passing below the center line 90 . Therefore, by providing the light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123 on the lower side, dust can be detected with high precision.

Fig. 10 is a DD sectional view of Fig. 8 . 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 . With the attached transparent resin cap 1239 , the regions between the light emitting element 1221 and the light receiving element 1232 each have a size smaller than the dimension in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis of light emitted from the light emitting element 1221 . Thereby, the element can be protected by the transparent resin cap 1239 , and the light of the light emitting element 32 can be guided, while suppressing an increase in the vertical dimension and the front-back dimension of the dust sensor unit 12 .

(Dimensions in the opposing direction of the frame 24, etc.)

Among the directions parallel to the frame 121 , the direction substantially parallel to the opposing direction of the light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123 is referred to as an opposing direction. If the width in the opposing direction on the suction port 1131 side is e, and the width in the opposing direction on the dust box 4 side is d, then e>d. That is, the width of the frame 121 in the facing direction becomes smaller toward the dust box 4 side. Thereby, when the air containing dust flows in the direction of the arrow 91, the dust flows away from the wall surface due to inertia. Therefore, damage and contamination of the transparent resin cap 1239 can be suppressed.

[Dust box 4]

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the state after the dust box 4 is detached from the main body 11, and Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the area including the main body 11 of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1 where the dust box 4 is assembled, and Fig. 13(a) and ( b) is an enlarged view of the main part of Fig. 12, Fig. 14 is a sectional view of BB in Fig. 5, Fig. 15 is a perspective view including the small tool accommodating portion 1102 and the small tool 95, and Fig. 16 is the main body 11 with the dust box 4 installed rear perspective view of .

The dust box 4 is a container for storing dust sucked in from the floor surface through the suction port 1131 (suction port 113 ). The dust collecting box 4 is equipped with: the duct 42 formed on the side of the suction port 1131; the main storage chamber 41 which mainly stores the recovered dust; the cover 45 which can take out the stored dust from the filter 46 side (upper side); On the other hand, the check valve 44 capable of opening and closing the opening on the lower side (pipe 42 side) of the main storage chamber 77 , and the foldable handle 43 . The dust box 4 is installed from the oblique top to the oblique bottom of 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 including a space inside, and leakage of dust from the space to the outside is suppressed by the cover 45 and the check valve 44 . The cover 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 contained inside the so-called main storage chamber 41 here can be set, for example, to a cross-sectional area in a direction perpendicular to the filter 46 .

(pipeline 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 a check valve 44 . Duct 42 is a part integral with dust box 4 that forms part, substantially all, or all of the path from suction port 1131 to 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 obliquely downward from the middle toward the other end side. part of the composition.

Therefore, overall, the duct 42 extends obliquely downward from one end toward the other end. One end of the duct 42 can be provided, for example, on the lower surface of the main storage chamber 41 , and is preferably located farther from the center of the lower surface of the main storage chamber 41 than the other end of the duct 42 in plan view. Thereby, it becomes easy to reduce the size of the dust box 4 in plan view.

(handle 43)

The handle 43 is a member provided so as to be rotatable around the upper side of the main storage chamber 41 as a rotation axis, and has a grip portion 431 , a detachment prevention portion 432 , an action point portion 433 , and a locking portion 434 . The handle 43 is rotatable approximately 90° to 100° from the front of the rotation shaft to the upper side of the rotation shaft. In order to function as both the action point portion 433 and the locking portion 434 described later, the rotatable range is preferably more than 90° and approximately 135° or less, more preferably 120° or less. Here, the state in which the grasping portion 431 lies flat (the state in which it is locked to the locking portion 434 ) is defined as a rotation angle of 0°. In addition, the state illustrated in FIG. 16 is that the rotation angle is approximately 90°.

The grip portion 431 is a portion that enables the user to easily grip the dust box 4 for attachment and detachment operations, etc., and a locking portion 434 is provided at the front end. When the dust box 4 is mounted on the main body 11 , the locking portion 434 is locked to a non-locking portion (not shown) provided on the upper case 111 to lock the handle 43 .

The detachment preventing portion 432 is a protruding portion provided near the rotation axis and on the locking portion 434 side (rotation angle 0° side) from the rotation axis. In the state where the handle 43 is located on the front side, the detachment preventing portion 432 enters into the main body 11 and comes into contact with a part inside the main body 11 to generate frictional resistance. Thereby, detachment of the handle 43 is suppressed.

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 (in a direction in which the turning angle exceeds 90°) with the handle 43 positioned upward. In this state, the acting point part 433 becomes the acting point of the force which raises the dust box 4 from the main body 11, and a rotation axis becomes a fulcrum. Thereby, it can become assistance when a user removes dust box 4. FIG. The upper surface side of the main body 11 is not particularly limited, and may be provided as a guide step 119 described later, for example.

[Shape of dust box 4 and gadget storage part]

The dust box 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 part of the side surface of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 (see FIG. 16 and the like). Therefore, the area of the main body 11 located directly below the rear upper side area in the dust box 4 also forms a part of the side surface of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1 . In the present embodiment, a small tool storage portion 1102 shown in FIG. 15 and the like is provided near a part of the side surface of the main body 11, and a cleaning brush 95 as an example of a small tool is stored therein. The cleaning brush 95 can be used, for example, by a user to clean the inside of the dust box 4 , and has a curved shape along the outer peripheral shape of the main body 11 . The cleaning brush 95 has bristles 951 and a clip part 952 . The bristle part 951 can be used when cleaning the dust box 4 and the like, and the clip part 952 can be used when detaching the side brush 15 .

By making the shape curved along the outer peripheral shape of the main body 11 , a space required for accommodating the cleaning brush 95 can be provided along the inner periphery of the side surface of the main body 11 . For example, when the cleaning brush 95 etc. are attached to the outer surface of the dust box 4, since it will cause the reduction of the capacity of the dust box 4, it is not recommended. Moreover, by making the storage space of the cleaning brush 95 etc. into the attachment-detachment area|region of the dust box 4, it can suppress that the cleaning brush 95 etc. fall off unexpectedly.

In addition, instead of the present embodiment, for example, instead of the cleaning brush 95 or in addition, a jig for removing the side brush 15 or other small tools may be accommodated.

The storage form of the small tools is not limited to the above, as long as the dust box 4 is mounted on the main body 11 , the area surrounded by the main body 11 and the dust box 4 may be provided on the main body 11 .

(return valve 44)

The check valve 44 has: a main surface 441 capable of blocking the opening of the other end of the pipe 42; integrally or separately mounted on the main surface 441, and protrudes to the outside of the pipe 42 in a direction substantially parallel to the main surface 441 The protruding portion 442; and the biasing portion 443 that biases the main surface 441 and the protruding portion 442 in a direction to rotate. In the present embodiment, the protrusions 442 are respectively provided on the outer side in a direction substantially parallel to the main surface 441 .

The urging portion 443 is a member that urges the check valve 44 in a direction to close the opening of the main surface 441, and various known members can be used, for example, a spring can be used. If the urging part 44 is made into a coil spring, for example, it can itself become a rotation shaft.

Therefore, in the state where the external force does not work, the check valve 44 blocks the other end of the pipeline 42 .

When the dust box 4 is attached to the main body 11 , the protruding portion 442 comes into contact with the guide step 119 as a counter force portion provided in the area where the dust box 4 is housed. The guide steps 119 are two stepped portions provided in the main body 11 at a region that can be seen when the dust box 4 is detached. The guide steps 119 are respectively provided along the installation direction of the dust box 4, and in this embodiment, extend from the upper rear to the lower front.

As the dust box 4 moves downward accompanying the assembly of the dust box 4 to the main body 11 , the protrusions 442 come into contact with and slide on the guide steps 119 , and receive force in a direction to open the main surface 441 . Accordingly, the check valve 44 resists the urging force of the urging portion 443 and opens the other end of the duct 42 . Like the guide step 119 exemplified in this embodiment, the main surface 441 receives a force opposite to the force of the biasing portion 443 through the contact of the counter biasing portion and the protruding portion 442 , thereby being able to open as the other end of the duct 42 . opening.

Specifically, rotation about the longitudinal direction of the check valve 44 occurs, and the other end of the duct 42 is opened. The check valve 44 of the present embodiment has a substantially rectangular shape. Therefore, for rotation about the short-side direction of the check valve 44 and rotation about the direction perpendicular to the main surface 441, etc., it is necessary to enlarge the area for rotation. The required space, therefore, is preferably rotated around the longitudinal direction. That is, the urging part 443 rotates the check valve 44 about the longitudinal direction of the main surface 441 as an axis.

In addition, the protrusion part 442 should just be able to make the check valve 44 into an open state by contacting the arbitrary member (reaction force part) of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1.

In this embodiment, a gap 1101 is provided in front of the front end of the guide step 119 , and the check valve 44 slides while being pressed by the guide step 119 when the dust box 4 is mounted on the main body 11 , and is accommodated in the gap 1101 . The gap 1101 is located outside the main direction projection plane of the frame 121 . Therefore, in the state where the dust collecting box 4 is mounted, the other end of the duct 42 is in contact with the dust sensor unit 12 , and is particularly in close contact with the adhering member 124 in this embodiment.

[Structure provided from the suction port 1131 to the main storage chamber 41]

In particular, as exemplified in FIG. 14 , the dimension 92 of the dust sensor unit 12 is shorter than the dimension 93 of the other end side of the duct 42 in the main direction. That is, the dimension 93 of the other end side of the duct 42 is formed to be larger than the preferred dimension 92 of a part of the path connecting the suction port 1131 to the main storage chamber 41 . Thereby, since a part of dust collecting box 4 can be installed in the area from suction port 1131 to main storage chamber 41 , the capacity of dust collecting box 4 can be enlarged.

Here, the duct 42 can include an upright portion 421 that forms one end side of the duct 42 , has a dimension of 94, and extends up and down. The upright portion 421 suppresses leakage of dust from the main storage chamber 41 to the other end side of the duct 42 .

Here, the dimension 93 can be considered to be a distance approximately parallel to the dimension 92 of the dust sensor unit 12 assuming that the lower surface of the dust box 4 is flat (approximately the main storage chamber 41 is box-shaped). The distance from the plane to the dust sensor unit 12 is measured in a straight line. In addition, the main storage chamber 41 of this embodiment can be considered as a box shape.

[Clogging of pipeline 42 by check valve 44]

As described above, the check valve 44 is housed above the rotating brush 14 in a state where the dust box 4 is attached to the main body 11 . When the dust collecting box 4 is detached from the main body 11 , the check valve 44 rotates due to the force of the biasing portion 443 , and blocks the opening at the other end of the duct 42 . Thereby, even if dust accumulates in duct 42 , dust can be suppressed from being scattered from dust box 4 . In addition, the main surface 441 may be flat or mesh-shaped to the extent that dust can be suppressed from passing through.

[full detection of dust]

When the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1 sucks dust, the sucked dust is first stored in the main storage chamber 41 , and is also stored in the duct 42 when the main storage room 41 is full. Since the duct 42 is oriented obliquely downward to the horizontal side with respect to the direction of gravity, it is possible to suppress dust falling from the duct 42 . In addition, since the main storage chamber 41 is oriented toward the gravitational direction side rather than the horizontal direction, it is easy to store dust in the duct 42 relatively quickly after the main storage chamber 41 is full, and it is easy to detect the dust by the dust sensor unit 12 .

In addition, the upright portion 421 prevents the dust from flowing through the duct 42 and falling down regardless of whether the main storage chamber 41 is rich or not. In the dust collecting box 4 of the present embodiment, more than half of the space contained in the main storage chamber 41 is provided on the front side of one end of the duct 42 , so dust tends to accumulate on the front side. However, since the upright portion 421 is provided between more than half of the space and the duct 42, even if the dust moves backward as the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1 accelerates to the front as the main moving direction, the dust can be effectively suppressed. Falls towards pipe 42. That is, from the front toward the rear, more than half of the space included in the main storage chamber 41 , the upright portion 421 , and one end of the duct 42 are located in this order.

When the dust accumulated in the duct 42 is almost full, the dust continues to block the light of the light emitting unit 122 , and the light received by the light receiving unit 123 remains in a reduced state. By detecting this state, it is possible to detect that dust box 4 is full, notify the user, or start control to return self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1 to a charging stand (not shown).

[Detection of 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. Thereby, it is possible to detect the passage of dust into dust box 4 . In this embodiment, the cross-sectional area in the main direction increases from the suction port 1131 toward the rotating brush 14 , becomes smaller in the frame 121 and the duct 42 , and becomes larger in the main storage chamber 41 . That is, the cross-sectional area of the path from the storage space of the rotating brush 14 to the main storage chamber 41 is smallest in the frame 121 and/or the duct 42 . Therefore, the sucked dust gathers in the frame 121 having a small cross-sectional area according to the shape of the duct 42 . The light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123 are disposed on the frame 121 , so 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 precision.

In addition, since the dust passing through the frame 121 passes through the duct 42 having substantially the same cross-sectional area, it is difficult to generate eddy currents near the frame 121 . That is, it is possible to prevent the dust from being detected multiple times due to backflow due to the eddy current. Furthermore, since the cross-sectional area after passing through the duct 42 is enlarged, wind loss can be suppressed.

In addition, the cross-sectional area on the upstream side of the dust sensor unit 12 , that is, the cross-sectional area from the suction port 113 to the dust sensor unit 12 may decrease monotonically. In this way, it is possible to suppress generation of eddy current upstream of dust sensor unit 12 and dust being detected by dust sensor unit 12 many times.

[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 cross-sectional view taken along line EE of FIG. 1 .

In order to reduce the vertical dimension of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 , the vertical dimension of the main body 11 is made substantially the same as the vertical dimension of the electric blower 16 . As shown in FIG. 17 , the convex shape 113 covering a part of the upper surface of the electric blower 16 is visible in a state where the upper case 111 is detached. This contributes to miniaturization of the vertical dimension of the main body 11 . In addition, the bottom surface side of the main body 11 may have a convex shape protruding downward at the position which overlaps with the electric blower 16 in planar view.

In addition, generally, if the cylindrical electric blower 16 is arranged obliquely, the vertical dimension of the main body 11 needs to be increased, so the axial direction of the electric blower 16 is horizontal or deviates from the horizontal by ±10 degrees or less, preferably ±5 degrees. the following.

In the axial view of electric blower 16 , as shown in FIG. 18 , the rotation axis side of bracket 1141 is located inside a substantially square region circumscribing cylindrical electric blower 16 . This area tends to become a dead zone, but by arranging a part of the bracket 1141 in this way, the space can be effectively used and the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 can be downsized. In addition, since the exhaust port 1126 is located directly below the electric blower 16 and directly below the opening on the downstream side of the electric blower 16, the exhaust air path can be shortened.

The present embodiment includes various structures for downsizing, and as a result, the vertical dimension can be made close to that of the electric blower 16 . Specifically, even if the influence of the drive wheel 116 on the size is considered, the vertical dimension of the electric blower 16 falls within the range of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1 in a state where the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1 is placed on the floor surface. The vertical dimension (that is, the vertical dimension when the bracket 1141 is rotated upward and the drive wheel 116 is accommodated) is in the range of 70% or more, preferably 75% or more, or 85% or more.

The vertical dimension of the region surrounded by the upper case 111 and the lower case 112 on 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 .

In addition, as described above, the rechargeable battery 19 and the electric blower 16 are heavy components among the structures placed on the main body 11 . If the rechargeable battery 19 is arranged on the center side, wiring and the like are likely to be obstructed, so 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.

[speed of side brush 15]

The self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 has side brushes 15 on the left and right sides, respectively. In this embodiment, the rotation speed of the side brush 15 is each changeable. Specifically, when the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 executes the corner cleaning mode in which the wall is positioned on the left side, it is controlled so that the side brush on the left side that is the same side as the wall is positioned The rotating speed of 15 is faster than the rotating speed of the side brush 15 of the other side. Thereby, the cleaning of a wall corner can be performed more efficiently. The corner cleaning mode can be executed by various known methods, for example, it can be realized by running control so that the distance measuring sensor 210 provided on the left side of the main body 11 continuously detects the wall surface (obstacle).

In addition, when performing the corner cleaning mode in which the arm travels so that an arm may be located in the right side, it can control similarly. In addition, even if it is controlled to make the rotation speed of the side brush 15 on the wall side during the execution of the corner cleaning mode be higher than that of other control modes, such as detecting a wall surface or an obstacle, changing the forward route in a direction away from the wall surface or obstacle and then driving again The same effect can be obtained even if the rotational speed during execution of the reflex driving mode is high. In addition, similarly to the wall corner, even at the corner where both wall surfaces intersect, the rotational speed and the torque to be described later can be similarly controlled.

[Torque for side brush 15]

The side brushes 15 are respectively driven by a side brush motor 152 driven by electric power of the rechargeable battery 19 . In this embodiment, a DC motor is used as the side brush motor 152 . Even if the average time output voltage of a DC motor is the same value, the one with a higher duty ratio (voltage application time is longer) can transmit a higher torque. When the side brush 15 contacts a wall or an obstacle, the torque decreases due to the friction, and thus cleaning efficiency tends to decrease.

Therefore, in this embodiment, for example, in the case of executing the corner cleaning mode in which the wall is positioned on the left side, it can be controlled so that the edge on the left side on the same side as the wall is positioned The duty ratio of the side brush motor 152 that transmits torque to the brush 15 is higher than the duty ratio of the side brush motor 152 that transmits torque to the other side brush 15 .

In addition, when the energy of the rechargeable battery 19 decreases and the output voltage decreases, the torque decreases at the same duty ratio. Therefore, the lower the remaining power of the rechargeable battery 19 is, the more the duty ratio is increased.

Also, for the same reason, the torque to be output varies depending on the material of the floor surface, so the duty ratio can be determined according to the type of the floor surface. For example, it can be controlled so that the duty ratio is higher when cleaning carpets than when cleaning wooden floors.

Moreover, the duty ratio can be reduced more as the number of dust detection objects of the dust sensor unit 12 increases. As a result, dust can be prevented from being scattered by the side brushes 15 in areas with a lot of dust.

In addition, even if it is controlled to make the duty ratio of the side brush 15 on the wall side during the execution of the corner cleaning mode, other control modes, such as detecting a wall surface or an obstacle, change the forward route in a direction away from the wall surface or obstacle, and then start driving again. The same effect can be obtained even if the duty ratio during execution of the reflex driving mode is high.

[sensor type]

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

The distance measuring sensor 210 (obstacle detection means) illustrated 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 places on the front and two places on the side, a total of five places.

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 returned by infrared rays reflected by obstacles. Based on the reflected light detected by the light receiving unit, the distance to the obstacle is calculated. In addition, at least the vicinity of the distance measuring sensor in the buffer 18 is formed of resin or glass that transmits infrared rays.

The distance-measuring sensor 211 for the floor (floor detection means) shown in FIG. More specifically, it is located on the front side of the auxiliary wheel 17, the rear side of the rotary brush 14 and the scraper brush 13, and the front side of each drive wheel 116, and on the outside in the left-right direction.

It is possible to prevent the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 from falling (from the stairs, etc.) by detecting large steps such as stairs with the distance measuring sensor for the floor surface. For example, when a step of about 30 mm is detected in front by the distance measuring sensor for the floor surface, the control device 2 controls the traveling motor to make the main body 11 retreat and change the traveling direction.

In addition, the floor surface distance measuring sensor 211 on the front side of the auxiliary wheel 17 (the front end side of the lower case 112 ) detects that the distance from the floor surface is long and the rear side of the rotating brush 14 (the rear end side of the lower case 112 ) ) under the situation that the floor surface distance measuring sensor 211 detects that the distance from the floor surface is short, the control device 2 may also make the main body 11 continue to move forward. This is because in the case of such a combination of detections, it is considered that the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 is climbing steps in many cases. Similarly, the floor surface distance measuring sensor 211 on the front side of the auxiliary wheel 17 detects that the distance from the floor surface is short and the floor surface distance measuring sensor 211 on the rear side of the rotating brush 14 detects that the distance from the floor surface is long. Under the situation of situation, control device 2 also can make main body 11 continue to advance as before. The so-called "near" here is, for example, below the distance detected by the distance measuring sensor 211 on the floor when the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner C is running on a flat floor, and "far" is, for example, exceeding the distance detected by the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner C. This is the distance detected by the floor surface distance measuring sensor 211 when the cleaner C is running on a flat floor surface. In addition, one or two appropriate thresholds can also be set, and "far" and "near" are the results of comparison with the thresholds.

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

The travel motor current meter is a meter for measuring the current flowing through the armature winding of the travel motor 1161 . Similarly, the current meter for the electric blower measures the current value of the electric blower 16 , and the current meter for the rotating brush motor measures the current value of the rotating brush motor 1133 . The two side brush motors use current meters to measure the current value of the side brush motor 152 . Each current meter outputs the measured current value to the control device 2 . Using the detection result of the current value, it is possible to detect, for example, an abnormality in which a foreign object is wound around the rotating brush and the rotation stops, and it is possible to notify the user by operating a button.

In addition, according to the current value of the rotating brush motor 1133 and the current value of the travel motor 1161, the state of the floor surface on which the main body 11 is traveling is detected. If the power is recognized as being on the wooden floor, the input of the electric blower 16 is set to be reduced, and the power consumption of the rechargeable battery 19 is suppressed.

When dust is detected by the dust sensor unit 12, the input of the electric blower 16 is increased for a fixed time. The process of determining the input increase time (for example, extension) of the electric blower 16 based on the detected amount of dust is not performed. Thereby, the power consumption of the electric blower 16 is suppressed. In addition, even if dust is detected, the main body 11 is not reversed or reciprocated. Thereby, reduction of a moving speed can be avoided.

[drive unit]

The travel motor driving devices (left) and (right) shown in FIG. 23 are inverters for driving the left and right travel motors 1161 or pulse waveform generators based on PWM control, and operate according to commands from the control device 2 . The same applies to the electric blower drive unit, the motor drive unit for the rotary brush, and the motor drive unit for the side brush (left) (right). These respective driving devices are provided in the control device 2 (see FIG. 2 ) inside the main body 11 .

[Control device 2]

The control device 2 is, for example, a microcomputer (Microcomputer: not shown in the figure), which reads a program stored in a ROM (Read Only Memory: Read Only Memory), expands it in a RAM (Random Access Memory: Random Access Memory), and causes the CPU ( Central Processing Unit: Central Processing Unit) performs various processing. The control device 2 executes arithmetic processing based on signals input from the switch piece 22 (see FIG. 1 ) and the above-mentioned various sensors, and outputs command signals to the above-mentioned respective driving devices.

As mentioned above, embodiment was shown and demonstrated in detail about the self-propelled vacuum cleaner concerning this invention. In addition, the content of this invention is not limited to embodiment, Needless to say, it can change and change suitably in the range which does not deviate from the summary. In addition, in this embodiment, although the self-propelled vacuum cleaner was demonstrated as an example, even if it applies to a horizontal type, a stick type, and a portable vacuum cleaner, it will have the same effect.

<Embodiment 2>

The configuration of Embodiment 2 is the same as that of Embodiment 1 except for the following points.

[Switch piece 22]

Fig. 24 is a perspective view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 with the upper housing 111 removed, and Fig. 25 is a perspective view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 with the switch piece 22 removed from the state of Fig. 24, and Fig. 26(a) is a front perspective view of the switch piece 22 , and FIG. 26( b ) is a rear perspective view of the switch piece 22 .

The switch piece 22 is disposed between the upper casing 111 and the control substrate 21 . The control substrate 21 is located on the lower side of the upper case 111 in the main body 11 . Further, between the control board 21 and the switch piece 22 , for example, a resin support plate 80 on which the switch piece 22 is placed is provided.

The switch piece 22 has operation buttons 221 and 222 for outputting an operation signal corresponding to a user's operation to the control device 2 , and a soft part 223 . The operation buttons 221 and 222 include a circular circular operation button 221 and a circular annular operation button 222 surrounding the circular operation button 221 . By pressing the operation buttons 221 and 222 , a signal can be output to the control device 2 . The operation buttons 221, 222 and the soft part 223 are preassembled and formed as one component.

Operation buttons 221 and 222 are exposed on the upper surface of self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 . The operation buttons 221 and 222 can have, for example, a function of outputting a signal to the control device 2 to turn on/off the power supply, start/stop cleaning, and change the cleaning mode.

The soft part 223 is formed, for example, as a member made of flexible rubber that surrounds the operation buttons 221 and 222 . The soft part 223 is placed on the support plate 80, and the soft part 223 is sandwiched between the upper case 111 and the support plate 80, so that water droplets and the like can be prevented from being exposed from the operation buttons 221 and 222 on the upper surface of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1. near immersion. With this configuration, the intrusion of water droplets and the like can be suppressed, and the operation buttons 221, 222 are exposed on the upper surface of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1, so the necessity of surrounding the push-type operation buttons 221, 222 with waterproof members can be reduced. , thereby improving designability.

The soft part 223 has one or more than two through holes 2231 . A light emitting unit (not shown) such as an LED is provided on the side opposite to the upper case 111 through the through hole 2231 . The light emitting unit can be provided on the control board 21, for example. When the operation buttons 221 and 222 are pressed, the color of the light emitted by the light emitting unit is changed, thereby notifying the user that the operation of the operation buttons 221 and 222 has been recognized by the control device 2 . The through hole 2231 is separated from the operation buttons 221 and 222 in the front view of the switch piece 22 . Thereby, water droplets can be suppressed from entering the through-hole 2231 .

The display panel driving device is a device that applies a voltage to electrodes of the display panel in accordance with an instruction from the control device 2 to cause the light emitting unit to emit light. The light-emitting part displays, for example, the operating state mode (automatic, manual), status (notification of whether to take out the garbage, remaining charge value), timer reservation time, and input mode of the electric blower (strong, medium, weak) of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1 Wait.

The support plate 80 has a through-hole 801 at a position overlapping the operation buttons 221 , 222 . In addition, the operation buttons 221 and 222 have protrusions 2211 and 2221 and support protrusions 2232 on the back. With the support protrusion 2232, the protrusions 2211, 2221 are prevented from contacting the switch of the control board 21 when the operation buttons 221, 222 are not pressed, and the protrusions 2211, 2221 can be moved in the state where the operation buttons 221, 222 are pressed. The through hole 801 is in contact with the switch of the control board 21 . In addition, a through hole 802 is provided at a position overlapping with the above-mentioned light emitting part and the through hole 2231 .

In addition, the operation buttons 221 and 222 do not have a display unit for notifying that dust has been detected. Since the input mode of the electric blower changes when dust is detected, it is shared with the input mode display unit of the electric blower. Thereby, cost reduction of a display part is achieved.

The rechargeable battery 19 is, for example, a secondary battery that can be reused by charging, and is accommodated in the battery housing portion 115 (see FIG. 4 ). Electric power from the rechargeable battery 19 is supplied to each sensor, each motor, each driving device, and the control device 2 .

<Embodiment 3>

The configuration of this embodiment is the same as that of Embodiment 1 or 2 except for the following points.

[Shape of side brush 15]

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of the side brush 15, and FIG. 28 is a diagram showing a state in which the side brush 15 is bent. The base elastic portion 153 of the side brush 15 has a thinner portion 1531 on the side brush holder 151 side (base side) than a thick portion 1532 on the bristle portion 154 side. Moreover, since the thin portion 1531 is connected to the side brush holder 151 , the thick portion 1532 and the bristle portion 154 can be relatively easily bent around the thin portion 1531 . Therefore, even if the power cord or the like touches the side brush 15 , as shown in FIG. 28 , the side brush 15 can easily continue to rotate without being entangled by the power cord by bending around the thin portion 1531 .

In addition, the size (length dimension) of the bristle portion 154 along the base elastic portion 153 is such that when the self-propelled cleaner S is placed on the floor, even if the base elastic portion 153 is bent toward the floor, It also does not reach the floor surface. Thereby, for example, even if the side brush 15 is bent due to contact with the power cord or the like, it is possible to prevent the side brush 15 from being largely folded back from the base when the base elastic portion 153 contacts the floor surface. That is, the size of the base elastic portion 153 is adjusted so that the front end of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 does not come into contact with the floor surface.

In addition, the distance from the upper surface portion of the thin portion 1531 to the upper surface portion of the thick portion 1532 in the direction perpendicular to the bristle portion 154 (the step size between the thin portion 1531 and the thick portion 1532) is 1.2 mm or less.

The thin portion 1531 has a shape that is thinner on both sides in the rotation direction than the thick portion 1532 , and can be used in common with the two side brushes 15 . Here, when there is no tapered portion on both sides in the rotation direction, the base elastic portion 153 is easily bent downward when it comes into contact with an obstacle. In this case, the bristle portion 154 is largely bent, and there is a problem of causing this disadvantage. On the other hand, when there is a tapered portion in either direction of rotation, the base elastic portion 153 tends to bend obliquely downward when contacting an obstacle. That is, the bristle portion 154 is less likely to be caught between the floor surface, and the above-mentioned disadvantage can be suppressed. However, at this time, since the rotation directions of the two side brushes 15 are usually reversed, the orientations of the thinned portions are opposite to each other in the two side brushes 15 . That is, it is difficult to use the two side brushes 15 as a common component. Furthermore, when there are tapered portions on both sides of the rotation direction as in the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress the formation of the above-mentioned defect in the base elastic portion 153 and to use the two side brushes 15 as a common member.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the side brush holder 151 has a clamp insertion hole 1512 on the lower surface. The clamp insertion hole 1512 passes through the top and bottom of the side brush holder 151 , and two claws forming the mounting claws 1511 are provided on both sides of the clamp insertion hole 1512 . The attachment claw 1511 is attached to an attached portion (not shown) provided on the lower case 112 . In order to match the shape of the mounting claw 1511, the portion to be mounted has a substantially rectangular shape.

The user inserts the jig part 952 of the stick-shaped small tool 95 into the jig insertion hole 1512 and exerts force using the principle of leverage to detach the side brush 15 . Thereby, it is possible to reinforce the fixation of the side brush 15 and enable the user to replace and clean the side brush 15 . In addition, by making the attachment claw 1511 and the attached portion substantially rectangular, even if the side brush 15 is rotated, it is possible to prevent the side brush 15 from coming off. The mounted portion may also be formed in other polygonal shapes.

[rib 47 of dust box 4]

FIG. 29 is a front perspective view through which the cover 45 and the filter 46 of the dust collecting box 4 are seen through. A rib 47 attached to the inner surface of the dust box 4 is provided above, directly above, or above the rear of one end of the duct 42 . The ribs 47 affect the airflow flowing from one end of the duct 42 into the main storage chamber 41 and can guide dust. It is preferable that at least a part of the rib 47 overlaps directly above one end of the duct 42 . The rib 47 is a portion protruding in the front-rear direction on the inner surface of the main storage chamber 41 and extends substantially in the left-right direction. Moreover, it inclines upward as it goes from the left-right direction outer side to the center side. By inclining upward toward the center side, dust is easily guided to the center side of the main storage chamber 41 .

(other technical ideas)

This application includes the following technical ideas. In addition, the respective technical ideas described in the appendix m-n (m and n are natural numbers) can be combined arbitrarily as long as there is no obstacle in the context. In addition, the "electric vacuum cleaner" disclosed below is the gist including so-called horizontal type, stick type, etc. electric vacuum cleaners.

[Note 1-1]

A self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner having:

a suction port having a suction port; and

The dust box with the main storage part,

Part or all of the path from the suction port to the main storage unit is surrounded by a duct integrated with the dust box.

According to Note 1-1, it is possible to provide a small self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner with an increased dust collection volume.

[Note 1-2]

The self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to Supplementary Note 1-1, wherein the suction port has a suction port duct forming a part of the journey from the suction port to the main storage unit, and the length of the suction port duct is longer than that of the duct. Short length.

[Notes 1-3]

The self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner according to Supplementary Note 1-1 or Supplementary Note 1-2 is characterized in that there is a dust sensor unit integral with the dust box and the suction port on the way from the suction port to the main storage part,

The duct forms a path longer than a path formed by the dust sensor unit in a path from the suction port to the main reservoir.

[Notes 1-4]

A dust sensor unit includes a frame, a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit provided on the frame and facing each other, and an adhesive member attached to the frame.

[Notes 1-5]

A dust collecting box which integrally has a box-shaped main storage part and a duct extending obliquely downward from the main storage part,

Moreover, it has a check valve capable of opening and closing the above-mentioned pipeline,

The check valve has a main surface, a protruding portion, and a biasing portion.

[Note 2-1]

A self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner with:

electric blower;

a suction portion having a suction port;

a dust sensor unit having a light-emitting part and a light-receiving part facing each other, and detecting passing dust through the light-emitting part and the light-receiving part; and

dust box,

The above-mentioned self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner is characterized in that,

A cross-sectional area perpendicular to a main direction in which air mainly flows due to the driving of the electric blower decreases from the upstream side of the suction port toward the dust sensor unit, and increases from the dust sensor unit toward the dust box.

According to Note 2-1, it is possible to provide a self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner including a dust sensor unit capable of efficiently detecting the amount of passing dust.

[Note 2-2]

The self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to appendix 2-1, wherein the cross-sectional area of the suction port, the dust sensor unit, and the part of the dust box where the light-emitting part and the light-receiving part face each other is substantially the smallest or smallest. .

[Note 2-3]

According to the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner described in Note 2-1 or Note 2-2, it is characterized in that the dust collection box has an integrally formed duct,

In terms of dimension in the main direction, the above-mentioned duct is longer than the above-mentioned dust sensor unit.

[Note 3-1]

An electric vacuum cleaner, provided with a dust collecting box, the dust collecting box has a main storage chamber, and a handle that can be rotated around a rotating shaft,

The above-mentioned electric vacuum cleaner is characterized in that,

The handle has an action point portion capable of serving as an action point of a force applied to the handle by turning the handle into contact with the electric vacuum cleaner.

According to Note 3-1, it is possible to provide an electric vacuum cleaner in which the dust box can be easily detached.

[Note 3-2]

The electric vacuum cleaner according to appendix 3-1, wherein the dust box is lifted upward by causing the force applied to the handle to act on the action point portion as an action point.

[Note 4-1]

An electric vacuum cleaner having a dust collecting box which can be freely attached and detached from a main body,

The above-mentioned electric vacuum cleaner is characterized in that,

The main body has an area surrounded by the main body and the dust box when the dust box is mounted on the main body,

Gadgets are stored in this area.

According to Supplementary Note 4-1, it is possible to provide an electric vacuum cleaner capable of storing a small tool, preferably a small tool related to a dust box.

[Note 4-2]

The electric vacuum cleaner according to appendix 4-1, wherein the small tool is a brush having a shape curved along a side surface of the main body.

[Note 4-3]

The electric vacuum cleaner according to Supplementary Note 4-1 or Supplementary Note 4-2, wherein the small tool has a jig portion capable of detaching bristles and a brush of the electric vacuum cleaner.

[Note 5-1]

A self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner having a suction port for accommodating a rotating brush, and an airtight member provided on the lower side of the rotating brush and the suction port,

The above-mentioned self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner is characterized in that,

The airtight member is biased downward and swings relative to the rotating brush and the suction port.

According to Note 5-1, a small self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner can be provided.

[Note 5-2]

A self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner, characterized in that the above-mentioned airtight part has a dismounting claw,

The airtight member can be detached from the self-propelled vacuum cleaner when the detaching claw is moved to the left and right.

[Note 5-3]

The self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner according to Supplementary Note 5-1 or Supplementary Note 5-2, wherein the airtight member has a rotation shaft on the front side or the rear side.

[Note 5-4]

The self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner according to any one of Notes 5-1 to 5-3, characterized in that it has a scraper-type brush driven to rotate,

The rotation axis of the airtight member is coaxial with the scraper brush.

[Note 6-1]

A self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner having:

Lower shell;

two drive wheels mounted on the side of the lower housing; and

a rotating brush provided in front or behind the drive wheel and having a rotation axis in a direction substantially parallel to the opposing direction of the two drive wheels,

The above-mentioned self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner is characterized in that,

The distance between the respective ends of the driving wheel and the rotating brush is 20 mm or less,

The self-propelled vacuum cleaner has a rear protrusion provided directly in front of or directly behind the driving wheel on an extension line of the rotating shaft, and/or a central protrusion provided between the two driving wheels.

According to Note 6-1, it is possible to provide a self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner capable of suppressing the insertion of obstacles.

[Note 7-1]

A self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner, which has an electric blower arranged in an upper casing and a lower casing, and a driving wheel installed on the side of the lower casing,

The above-mentioned self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner is characterized in that,

For the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner placed so that the driving wheels contact the floor surface, the axial direction of the electric blower is horizontal or inclined by 10 degrees or less relative to the horizontal direction,

The upper case and/or the lower case may have recesses in a direction away from the electric blower near upper and lower end surfaces of the electric blower.

According to Note 7-1, a small self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner can be provided.

[Note 7-2]

The self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner according to appendix 7-1, wherein the ratio of the vertical dimension of the electric blower attached to the region surrounding the upper and lower sides of the upper case and the lower case to the vertical dimension of the region is: Above 0.90.

[Note 7-3]

The self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner according to Supplementary Note 7-2, which includes a drive wheel provided on the side of the lower case, and a drive mechanism for rotating the drive wheel,

The vertical dimension of the region surrounded by the upper case and the lower case corresponds to 70% or more of the vertical dimension in a state where the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner is placed on the floor and the drive wheels are in contact with the floor.

[Note 8-1]

A self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner having two drive wheels, an electric blower, a rechargeable battery, and a brush with an axis of rotation in the horizontal direction,

The above-mentioned self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner is characterized in that,

The aforementioned brush has a counterweight inside.

According to Note 8-1, it is possible to provide a self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner in which the center of gravity is balanced and the electric blower can be disposed on the center side.

[Note 8-2]

The self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner described in Note 8-1 is characterized in that,

The above-mentioned brush is a driven rotating brush,

The aforementioned self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner has other brushes driven by a motor.

[Note 8-3]

The self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to appendix 8-2, wherein the brush is provided at a position farther from the center of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner than the other brushes described above.

[Note 8-4]

The self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner according to any one of Supplementary Notes 8-1 to 8-3, wherein the center of gravity substantially coincides with the axis of the driving wheel.

[Note 9-1]

A self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner with a DC motor that transmits power to the side brushes and a sensor that detects the wall surface,

The above-mentioned self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner is characterized in that,

The DC motor is controlled to increase the rotational speed of the side brush or to increase the duty ratio of the DC motor during execution of a corner cleaning mode in which the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner travels around a corner.

According to Note 9-1, the cleaning efficiency in the corner cleaning mode can be improved.

[Note 9-2]

A self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner including a DC motor that transmits power to the side brushes, and a sensor that detects and classifies floor types into two or more types,

The above-mentioned self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner is characterized in that,

The DC motor controls the rotation speed of the side brush or controls the duty ratio of the DC motor according to the type of the floor surface detected by the sensor.

According to Note 9-2, more appropriate cleaning can be performed according to the type of the floor surface.

[Note 9-3]

A self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner having a DC motor that transmits power to the side brushes, and a sensor that detects the amount of dust passing through the suction port,

The above-mentioned self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner is characterized in that,

The DC motor is controlled so that the number of dust particles detected by the sensor and the duty ratio of the DC motor have a negative correlation.

According to Note 9-3, it is possible to suppress side brushes from scattering dust in dusty areas.

[Note 9-4]

The self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner according to any one of Notes 9-1 to 9-3, characterized in that,

With two of the aforementioned side brushes on the left and right,

In the case of increasing the rotation speed or increasing the duty ratio of the side brush on the wall side among the side brushes, the rotation speed or the duty ratio of the other side brush is also increased.

[Note 10-1]

An electric vacuum cleaner having a rotating brush that rotates on a horizontal axis using a motor,

The above-mentioned electric vacuum cleaner is characterized in that,

The above-mentioned rotating brush has flocks and non-woven fabrics adjacent to each other, and is arranged so that the non-woven fabrics contact the floor surface earlier than the flocks in the direction of rotation by the motor, or,

It has a rotating brush that rotates on the horizontal axis with a motor,

The above-mentioned rotating brush has flocking and non-woven fabrics adjacent to each other,

The base of the above-mentioned flocking and the above-mentioned nonwoven fabric is integrated.

According to Supplementary Note 10-1, it is possible to provide an electric vacuum cleaner having a rotating brush that suppresses entanglement of hair and the like. Note 10-1 is made in consideration of the following circumstances.

JP 2011-188951 discloses a structure in which the anti-tangle scraper 45 is disposed on the front side in the rotation direction A of the rotation shaft 63 with respect to the cleaning brush 44 (paragraph 0051).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-188951 separates the anti-winding scraper and the cleaning brush, which has room for improvement in assemblability.

[Note 10-2]

The vacuum cleaner according to appendix 10-1, wherein the nonwoven fabric has slits extending in the radial direction of the rotating brush.

[Note 10-3]

The electric vacuum cleaner according to appendix 10-1 or appendix 10-2, wherein the flocking and the base of the nonwoven fabric are integrated.

[Note 11-1]

An electric vacuum cleaner provided with a side brush having a bristle part rotating around a side brush holder,

The above-mentioned electric vacuum cleaner is characterized in that,

Between the bristle portion and the side brush holder, an elastic body, that is, a base elastic portion is provided as a member integral with the side brush holder.

According to Note 11-1, the durability of the side brush can be improved.

[Note 11-2]

An electric vacuum cleaner, characterized in that the above-mentioned side brush is arranged on the lower casing of the electric vacuum cleaner,

The length of the said base elastic part is shorter than the length from a floor surface to the said lower case when this electric vacuum cleaner is grounded.

According to Note 11-2, it is possible to suppress twisting of the side brush by suppressing the base elastic portion from contacting the floor and being deflected.

[Note 11-3]

The electric vacuum cleaner according to appendix 11-2, wherein the base elastic portion has a thin portion provided on the side brush holder side, and a thick portion thicker than the thin portion and provided on the bristle portion side.

[Note 11-4]

The vacuum cleaner according to Supplementary Note 11-2 or Supplementary Note 11-3, wherein the thin portion has tapered portions on both sides in the rotation direction.

[Note 12-1]

An electric vacuum cleaner having auxiliary wheels for driven rotation,

The above-mentioned electric vacuum cleaner is characterized in that,

The above-mentioned auxiliary wheel has: a fixed shaft fixed to the electric vacuum cleaner; a grounding wheel with the fixed shaft as a rotation axis; a small circular plate portion adjacent to the grounding wheel; and a circular plate portion adjacent to the small circular plate portion ,

The above-mentioned small circular plate part can rotate around the above-mentioned fixed shaft as a rotation axis,

The small circular plate portion has a larger diameter than the fixed shaft and a smaller diameter than the circular plate portion,

The disc portion has a smaller diameter than the ground wheel.

According to Note 12-1, it is possible to suppress hair debris and the like from being entangled on the fixed shaft.

[Note 13-1]

A device comprising: a switch piece having an operation button and a soft part; a housing; a control substrate; and a support plate,

The above device is characterized in that,

The support plate is located on one side of the control substrate,

The soft part is clamped between the support plate and the housing,

The operation buttons are exposed from the housing.

According to Note 13-1, it is possible to provide a device capable of suppressing intrusion of water into the housing while improving the design of the operation buttons. The device is not limited to a self-propelled vacuum cleaner, and various known electric devices can be employed.

[Note 14-1]

An electric vacuum cleaner is provided with a dust collecting box, and the dust collecting box has a check valve arranged at an opening,

The above-mentioned electric vacuum cleaner is characterized in that,

The above check valve has:

the main face capable of blocking said opening;

a biasing portion that biases the main surface in a direction to block the opening; and

a protruding portion extending in a direction substantially parallel to the main surface and reaching the outside of the opening,

The urging portion can rotate the main surface by urging the longitudinal direction of the check valve as a rotation axis,

This electric vacuum cleaner has a reaction force portion capable of contacting the protruding portion and applying a force in a direction to open the opening to the main surface.

[Note 14-2]

The electric vacuum cleaner described in Note 14-2, characterized in that,

The reaction force portion is a guide step provided on the step of the electric vacuum cleaner,

The said check valve is accommodated in the gap provided above the rotating brush in the state attached to this electric vacuum cleaner.

[Note 14-3]

The electric vacuum cleaner according to Supplementary Note 14-1 or Supplementary Note 14-2, wherein the dust collecting box has an upright portion extending in the vertical direction on the downstream side of the opening.

[Note 15-1]

A self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner has a lower casing and a buffer provided on the side, and controls driving wheels to drive autonomously,

The above-mentioned self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner is characterized in that,

There is a resin damper frame located on the outer peripheral side of the above-mentioned damper on the entire or substantially entire circumference of the side surface.

[Note 15-2]

The self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner described in Supplementary Note 15-1 is characterized in that the buffer is annular,

The buffer is installed over the entire circumference of the outer circumference of the buffer,

The shock absorber receives a force pressed inward by the shock absorber frame.

[Note 16-1]

An electric vacuum cleaner having a main storage chamber, a pipe connected to the main storage chamber or one end side of the pipe,

The above electric vacuum cleaner is characterized by having a rib provided above the duct or one end side of the duct and provided on the inner surface of the main storage chamber.

According to Supplementary Note 16-1, it is possible to provide an electric vacuum cleaner capable of guiding dust flowing into the main storage chamber through a duct or the like.

[Note 16-2]

The electric vacuum cleaner according to appendix 16-1, wherein the duct or one end side of the duct is located below the main storage chamber,

The rib has an upward inclination from the end side of the main storage chamber toward the center side.

Claims (5)

1. A self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner, which has: a DC motor that transmits power to the side brush; and a sensor that detects the wall surface, The above-mentioned self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner is characterized in that, In the corner cleaning mode in which the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner travels along a corner, the DC motor is controlled to increase the rotational speed of the side brush or to increase the duty ratio of the DC motor. 2. A self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner, which has: a DC motor that transmits power to the side brush; and a sensor that detects the amount of dust passing through the suction port, The above-mentioned self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner is characterized in that, The DC motor is controlled such that there is a negative correlation between the number of dust particles detected by the sensor and the duty ratio of the DC motor. 3. The self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, with two of the aforementioned side brushes on the left and right, In the case of increasing the rotation speed or increasing the duty ratio of the side brush on the wall side among the side brushes, the rotation speed or the duty ratio of the other side brush is also increased. 4. An electric vacuum cleaner, characterized in that, It has a rotating brush that is rotated by a motor with the axis of the horizontal direction, The above-mentioned rotating brush has flocking and non-woven fabrics adjacent to each other, The base of the above-mentioned flocking and the above-mentioned nonwoven fabric is integrated. 5. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, characterized in that, The nonwoven fabric has slits extending in the radial direction of the rotating brush.