JP2018079171A - Vacuum cleaner and mouthpiece - Google Patents

Abstract

A compact vacuum cleaner having a speed reduction mechanism is provided. An electric vacuum cleaner comprising: a suction port that accommodates a rotating brush having a rotating shaft in a horizontal direction; and a rotating brush motor that transmits a driving force to the rotating brush via a reduction mechanism. Are arranged obliquely above the rotation axis of the rotating brush, and the lower end of the rotating brush motor is located below the upper end of the upper surface of the suction opening. [Selection diagram] FIG.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner and a mouthpiece.

  There is known a vacuum cleaner in which a suction body is provided with a configuration for transmitting a driving force of a rotating brush motor to a rotating brush via a speed reduction mechanism.

JP 2011-217901 A

  Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in that the suction body (suction part) and the vacuum cleaner are formed in a small size while ensuring the reduction ratio.

  The first aspect of the present invention made in view of the above circumstances includes: a suction portion that houses a rotating brush having a rotating shaft in a horizontal direction; and a rotating brush motor that transmits a driving force to the rotating brush via a speed reduction mechanism. The rotary brush motor is disposed obliquely above the rotary shaft of the rotary brush, and the lower end of the rotary brush motor is positioned below the upper end of the upper surface of the suction port. It is characterized by doing.

  The second aspect of the present invention made in view of the above circumstances includes a space in which a rotating brush having a rotating shaft in a horizontal direction can be stored, a space in which a speed reduction mechanism can be stored, a suction port, a motor mounting portion, A suction part having an auxiliary wheel, wherein the space capable of accommodating the speed reduction mechanism is provided between the space capable of accommodating the rotating brush and the auxiliary wheel, and the motor mounting part, It is provided in the space side which can store the speed-reduction mechanism with respect to the suction port, and the suction port and the motor mounting part are located in the diameter direction outside of the space which can store the rotation brush. It is characterized by that.

1 is a perspective view of a self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a perspective view of the state where the upper case and dust case of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner concerning Embodiment 1 were removed. It is a bottom view of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner according to the first embodiment. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the speed reduction mechanism according to the first embodiment. It is the (a) perspective view and (b) side view of the speed-reduction mechanism concerning Embodiment 1. It is a perspective view of a suction mouth part, a dust sensor unit, and a dust case of a self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner concerning Embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a suction part, a dust sensor unit, and a dust case of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner according to the first embodiment. It is a front view of the dust sensor unit of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner concerning Embodiment 1. It is a perspective view of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner of the state which removed the dust case concerning Embodiment 1. It is BB sectional drawing of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the rotating brush and reduction mechanism which were cut | disconnected in the cross section perpendicular | vertical to the front-back direction along the central axis of the rotating brush which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the apparatus connected to the control apparatus of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1, and a control apparatus. 2 is a perspective view of a rotating brush 14 according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the same description will not be repeated. The various components of the present invention do not necessarily need to be composed of one member. For example, one component is composed of a plurality of members, and a plurality of components are composed of one member. , A part of a certain component and a part of another component are allowed to overlap each other.

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

<Embodiment 1>
[Self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the present embodiment.
The self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1 is a vacuum cleaner that cleans while moving autonomously in a cleaning area (for example, a room). The self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 includes an upper case 111 that is an upper wall (and some side walls), a lower case 112 that is a bottom wall (and some side walls), and a bumper 18 that is installed at the front. The main body 11 comprised is provided. In the upper case 111, a switch sheet 22 and a circular operation button 221 and an annular operation button 222 as operation buttons for giving a command to the control unit 2 of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1 are arranged.

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

[Lower case 112]
2 is a perspective view with the upper case 111 and the dust case 4 removed, FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the suction port 113, the dust sensor unit 12, and the dust case 4.
The lower case 112 includes a drive mechanism housing portion 114 that houses a drive mechanism including a drive wheel 116, a travel motor 1161, an arm 1141, and a drive wheel speed reduction mechanism 1142, a side brush attachment portion 1121, and a travel motor 1161. , A rotary brush motor 1133, an electric blower 16, a rechargeable battery 19, a battery accommodating portion 115 for housing the rechargeable battery 19 (see FIG. 4A), a control device 2, and a thin disc on which a suction port 113 is attached. Shaped member.

  The lower case 112 includes a bumper frame 1127 provided on the entire side surface or substantially the entire periphery including the lower end side of the side surface, preferably the lower end. The bumper frame 1127 is formed of a material softer than members forming other portions of the side surface, and for example, a resin material such as an elastomer can be employed. Further, the bumper frame 1127 protrudes to the outer peripheral side of the other part of the side surface, for example, the bumper 18. Thereby, even if self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 collides with furniture etc., it can control that furniture etc. are damaged.

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

  Here, on the rear side of the center of the lower case 112, a suction port 113 that houses the rotating brush 14 and a scraping brush 13 are provided. Since the electric blower 16 is on the center side (between the two drive wheels 116) and the rechargeable battery 19 is on the front side, it is preferable to balance by placing heavy objects on the rear side. For this reason, in this embodiment, a weight is fixed to the inner periphery of the scraping brush 13 by sticking or the like (not shown). Thereby, the dead space in the scraping brush 13 can be utilized effectively.

[Driving mechanism accommodating portion 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, an arm 1141 that supports the drive wheel 116 from the left and right inner sides, and a drive wheel reduction mechanism 1142. The arm 1141 is provided between the two drive wheels 116, and is a member having one end extending in the front-rear direction and the other end connected to the drive wheel 116. This is a member that can rotate each of the drive wheels 116.

[Battery housing 115]
As shown in FIG. 4 and the like, the battery accommodating portion 115 is a space for accommodating the rechargeable battery 19 therein, 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 in order to replace the rechargeable battery 19. Note that side brush attachment portions 1121 for attaching the side brush 15 are formed on the left and right sides of the battery housing portion 115.

[Driving wheel 116]
As shown in FIG. 3 and the like, each of the driving wheels 116 is a member that receives the driving force of each of the travel motors 1161 via each of the driving wheel speed reduction mechanisms 1142. As a result, the drive wheel 116 itself rotates, so that the main body 11 can be moved forward, backward, and turned. The drive wheels 116 are arranged on both the left and right sides.

[Front lid 117]
The front lid 117 is a substantially rectangular plate-like member that closes the opening of the battery housing portion 115 formed on the front end side of the lower case 112 from the lower surface of the lower case 112. Further, the front lid 117 includes a circular auxiliary wheel attachment portion 1122 for attaching the auxiliary wheel 17 near the center side of the lower case 112.

[Bumper 18]
The bumper 18 is installed so as to be movable in the front-rear direction, preferably further in the left-right direction, according to the pressing force acting from the outside. The bumper 18 is urged forward by a pair of left and right bumper springs (not shown). When a drag force from an obstacle acts on the bumper spring via the bumper 18, the bumper spring is deformed, and the bumper 18 is allowed to move backward while urging the bumper 18 forward. When the bumper 18 moves away from the obstacle and loses the drag, the bumper 18 returns to its original position by the biasing force of the bumper spring. Incidentally, the backward movement of the bumper 18 (that is, contact with an obstacle) is detected by a bumper sensor (infrared sensor), and the detection result is input to the control device 2. Since the amount of displacement of the bumper 18 varies 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.

[Scraping brush 13]
The scraping brush 13 is a brush having a flock on a part or almost the entire surface thereof and having an axis in a direction substantially parallel to a rotating brush 14 described later. In this embodiment, the scraping brush 13 is driven to rotate or rotate by contact with the floor surface. To do. In the case of rotation, the rotation range is regulated by providing a stopper or the like. The position of flocking of the scraping brush 13 preferably overlaps with the hair of the carpet when cleaning the carpet. For this reason, the scraping brush 13 can collect | recover so that dust may be scraped off from the carpet surface.

  When the scraping brush 13 is used in such a manner that it is provided with a stopper and is rotated, a predetermined area can be kept in contact with the floor surface and dust can be scraped off. At this time, it is preferable that the area | region which will keep contacting a floor surface among scraping brush 13 is a flat shape. That is, the shape of the scraping brush 13 is a shape obtained by replacing a part of the cylindrical shape with a flat plane as viewed in the axial direction (for example, a shape obtained by cutting a part of a circle with a string or a substantially half-moon shape). Preferably there is.

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

[Mouthpiece 113]
8 is an exploded perspective view of the suction port 113, the dust sensor unit 12, and the dust case 4. FIG. 9 is a front view of the dust sensor unit 12. FIG.
The suction port 113 is a member that accommodates the scraping brush 13 and the rotary brush 14 while the suction port 1131 that communicates with the dust case 4 from the space that accommodates the rotary brush 14 is formed. The rotating brush 14 rotates in a direction (ω direction in FIG. 4) in which the floor surface side is directed from the front to the rear. A rotary brush motor 1133 and a speed reduction mechanism 3 are attached to the suction port 113, and the rotary brush motor 1133 is placed on the motor placement portion 1132, obliquely above the shaft portion 141 of the rotary brush 14. ing. Specifically, for example, a brushless motor can be used as the rotating brush motor 1133, and the rotary brush motor 1133 is disposed on the side of the path from the suction port 1131 into the dust case 4. In this embodiment, the duct 42 is connected to the suction port 1131 via the frame 121, and the rotary brush motor 1133 is located on the side of the suction port 1131, the frame 121, and the duct 42.

The motor mounting portion 1132 is located below the upper end of the upper surface 1134 of the suction port 113. Here, the upper surface 1134 refers to the other side of the surface that forms the suction port 113 and one side of which faces the rotating brush 14.
Accordingly, the lower end position of the rotary brush motor 1133 is disposed at a position below the upper end of the upper surface 113, and substantially all or all of the rotary brush motor 1133 is disposed radially outside and axially inside the rotary brush 14. Therefore, it can be configured with reduced height and width.

  The upstream side (rotating brush 14 side) from the suction port 1131 is a space for storing the rotating brush 14. Considering the area where the rotating brush 14 is disposed, the dimension of the rotating brush 14 is larger than the dimension of the suction port 1131 in the axial direction of the rotating brush 14. Further, with respect to the axial direction of the rotary brush 14, the suction port 1131 and the rotary brush motor 1133 are arranged within the dimension of the suction port 113, and the end of the suction port 1131 and the end of the rotary brush motor 1133 are separated from each other. ing. Thereby, since the rotary brush motor 1133 can be located in the side of the suction opening 1131, the frame 121, and the duct 42, it can comprise in a small size.

In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the suction port 113 has auxiliary wheels 1135, and the auxiliary wheels 1135 are provided on the rear side of the drive wheels 116.
A speed reduction mechanism 3 to be described later is provided between the auxiliary wheel 1135 and the rotating brush 14 in the left-right direction. Thereby, the space between the auxiliary wheel 1135 and the rotating brush 14 in the suction port 113 can be used effectively, and a small size can be configured.

  In the present embodiment, the air sucked by the negative pressure of the electric blower 16 includes the suction port 1131, the dust sensor unit 12, the duct 42 and the main accumulation chamber 41 of the dust case 4, the dust collection filter 46, the electric blower 16, and And the exhaust port 1126 in this order. The air often contains dust and is blocked by the dust collection filter 46 and stored in the dust case 4. Hereinafter, a direction substantially perpendicular to the suction port 1131 and the frame 121 of the dust sensor unit 12 (a front view direction of the frame 121) is referred to as a main direction. Note that six exhaust ports 1126 are provided in the lower case 112, and six exhaust ports 1126 are positioned between the two drive wheels 116 in the present embodiment.

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

[Dust sensor unit 12]
The dust sensor unit 12 is disposed between the suction port 113 and the dust case 4.
The dust sensor unit 12 includes a frame 121, a light emitting unit 122 and a light receiving unit 123 that are provided on the frame 121 and face each other, a contact member 124 attached to the dust case 4 side of the frame 121, and a substrate 127. The dust sensor unit 12 is formed as a separate member from the suction port 113 and the dust case 4. By attaching the frame 121 to the suction port 113 and mounting in this state, the light emitting unit 122, the light receiving unit 123, and the connector 126. The contact member 124 can be attached at the same time. For this reason, the dust sensor unit 12 of this embodiment is excellent in assemblability.

[Deceleration mechanism 3]
5 is an exploded perspective view of the speed reduction mechanism 3, FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the speed reduction mechanism 3, FIG. 6B is a side view of the speed reduction mechanism 3, and FIG. It is sectional drawing of the rotating brush 14 and the speed reduction mechanism 3 cut | disconnected by the cross section perpendicular | vertical to a direction.
The speed reduction mechanism 3 includes a shaft 31 that is a rotating shaft, a motor shaft 311 that is connected to the rotating brush motor 1133, a relay shaft 312 that is connected to the second-stage pulley, a clutch 313 that is connected to the shaft portion 141 of the rotating brush 14, It has a tension shaft 314 located between the first and second pulleys.

Further, as the timing belt 32, the first belt 321 meshed with the pulley 3211 around the motor shaft 311 and the pulley 3212 with the larger diameter among the pulleys around the relay shaft 312 and the pulley around the relay shaft 312 A pulley 3221 having a smaller diameter and a second belt 322 engaged with a pulley 3222 around the clutch 313 are provided. One end of the clutch 313 is a recess that fits in the pentagonal shape of the shaft portion 141, and the other end is a portion having a pulley 3222. Of the clutch 313, the axial end of the pulley 3222 is larger in diameter than the pulley 3222. Thereby, the possibility that the second belt 322 falls off is reduced.
Both the first belt 321 and the second belt 322 are meshed with any pulley around the relay shaft 312, and the first belt 321 extends from there in the first direction (front-rear direction in this embodiment). The second belt 322 extends from the second belt 322 in a second direction (vertical direction in the present embodiment) orthogonal to the first direction. That is, the first belt 321 and the second belt 322 are arranged in a substantially L shape.
Here, regarding the pulley, the pulley around the motor shaft 311 is referred to as a first input-side pulley 3211, and the pulley having the larger diameter among the pulleys around the relay shaft 312 is referred to as a first output-side pulley 3212, The pulley having the smaller diameter is referred to as a second input pulley 3221, and the pulley around the clutch 313 is referred to as a second output pulley 3222. A pulley around the tension shaft 314 is referred to as a tension pulley 33.
The speed reduction mechanism 3 stores these pulleys and timing belt in a casing 34.

The diameter and the number of teeth of the first input side pulley 3211 are smaller and smaller than the diameter and the number of teeth of the first output side pulley 3212.
The diameter and the number of teeth of the first output pulley 3212 are larger and larger than the diameter and the number of teeth of the second input pulley 3221.
The diameter and the number of teeth of the second input pulley 3221 are smaller and smaller than the diameter and the number of teeth of the second output pulley 3222.
Of these four pulleys, the first output pulley 3212 has the largest and most diameters and number of teeth.
In addition, as described above, the first output side pulley 3212 and the second input side pulley 3221 are pulleys around the relay shaft 312 that is the same rotation shaft. For this reason, the speed reduction mechanism 3 includes the first input side pulley 3211, the first output side pulley 3212, the first speed reduction unit having the first belt 321, the second input side pulley 3221, The speed is reduced by the output side pulley 3222 and the second speed reduction unit having the second belt 322.

  The motor shaft 311 and the relay shaft 312 are spaced apart in a substantially horizontal direction, and the relay shaft 312 and the clutch 313 are spaced apart in a substantially vertical direction.

  In the vertical direction, the motor shaft 311 is arranged at a position displaced to one side (vertically lower side in the present embodiment) from the relay shaft 312. Thereby, the rotary brush motor 1133 can be arranged on the lower side, and the height of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1 (a mouthpiece when applied to a so-called canister-type electric vacuum cleaner or the like) can be reduced. In this case, the vertical upper portion of the first belt 321 is more likely to “float” from the pulley. To suppress this, the tension pulley 33 is arranged on the other side (vertically upper side in this embodiment) from the relay shaft 312. doing. By arranging the first belt 321 so as to pass between the motor shaft 311 and the tension shaft 314 and between the relay shaft 312 and the tension shaft 314 in the vertical direction, the first belt 321 “floats”. That is restrained. The tension pulley 33 may or may not have teeth.

  The casing 34 has a contact portion 341 that contacts the upper surface 1135 of the suction port 113 between the second input side pulley 3221 and the second output side pulley 3222. The rotary brush motor 1133 is often heavier than the speed reduction mechanism 3. For this reason, when the rotary brush motor 1133 is connected to the end of the substantially L-shaped reduction mechanism 3 as in the present embodiment, the balance is likely to be lost. Accordingly, the rotating brush motor 1133 is supported by the motor mounting portion 1132, and the contact portion 341 is provided on the opposite side of the motor shaft 311 to which the rotating brush motor 1133 is connected with the relay shaft 312 interposed therebetween. Thus, the speed reduction mechanism 3 can be arranged.

[Dust case 4]
11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG.
The dust case 4 is a container that accumulates dust sucked from the floor via the suction port 1131 (suction port 113). The dust case 4 includes a duct 42 formed on the suction port 1131 side, a main accumulation chamber 41 that mainly accumulates collected dust, a lid 45 that allows the accumulated dust to be taken out from the filter 46 side (upper side), and rotation Then, a backflow suppression valve 44 capable of opening and closing the opening on the lower side (duct 42 side) of the main storage chamber 77 and a foldable handle 43 are provided. The dust case 4 is attached from obliquely upward to obliquely downward of the main body 11.
The backflow suppression valve 44 has a main surface that can close the opening as the other end of the duct 42 and a biasing portion that biases the main surface in a direction in which the main surface is rotated.

  The urging unit is a member that urges the backflow suppression valve 44 in a direction in which the main surface closes the opening, and various known members can be used. For example, a spring can be used. For this reason, the backflow suppression valve 44 closes the other end of the duct 42 when no external force is applied.

  By the downward movement of the dust case 4 accompanying the attachment of the dust case 4 to the main body 11, the backflow suppression valve 44 contacts and slides on a part of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 1, and the main surface opens the opening. Receive force in the direction. Thereby, the backflow suppression valve 44 opens the other end of the duct 42 against the urging force of the urging portion.

  In the state where the dust case 4 is attached to the main body 11, the backflow suppression valve 44 is stored on the upper side of the rotating brush 14. When the dust case 4 is removed from the main body 11, the backflow suppression valve 44 is rotated by the urging force of the urging portion to close the opening at the other end on the duct 42 side. Thereby, even if dust is accumulated in the duct 42, it is possible to prevent the dust from spilling out from the dust case 4.

[Sensors]
FIG. 13 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the control device 2 of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner and devices connected to the control device 2. The bumper sensor (obstacle detection means) is a sensor that detects the backward movement of the bumper 18 (that is, contact with the obstacle).

  A distance measuring sensor 210 (obstacle detection means) illustrated in FIG. 2 and the like is an infrared sensor that detects a distance to an obstacle. In the present embodiment, distance measuring sensors are provided at a total of five locations, three at the front and two at the side.

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

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

  By detecting a large step such as a staircase or the like using the floor surface ranging sensor, the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 can be prevented from falling (from the staircase or the like). For example, when a level difference of about 30 mm is detected forward by the distance measuring sensor for the floor surface, the control device 2 controls the travel motor to move the main body 11 backward to change the traveling direction.

  The floor surface ranging 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 far, and the rear side of the rotating brush 14 (the rear end side of the lower case 112). ), The control device 2 may continue to move the main body 11 as it is. This is because, in the case of such a combination of detections, the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 is considered to often climb a step. 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 element distance sensor 211 on the rear side of the rotating brush 14 is far from the floor surface. When detecting that, the control device 2 may continue to advance the main body 11 as it is. “Near” here is, for example, equal to or less than the distance detected by the floor surface ranging sensor 211 when the self-propelled vacuum cleaner C is traveling on a flat floor surface, For example, when the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner C is traveling on a flat floor surface, the distance is detected by the floor surface distance measuring sensor 211 that exceeds the distance. In addition, one or two appropriate threshold values may be set and compared with this.

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

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

  Further, when the state of the floor surface on which the main body 11 is traveling is detected from the current value of the rotary brush motor 1133 and the current value of the traveling motor 1161, for example, if it is recognized as being on a carpet, the input of the electric blower 16 is increased and the suction force is increased. Is increased, and on the flooring, the input of the electric blower 16 is set to be small, and control for suppressing the power consumption of the rechargeable battery 19 is performed.

  When dust is detected by the dust sensor unit 12, the input of the electric blower 16 is increased for a certain time. The input increase time of the electric blower 16 is not determined (for example, extended) according to the detected dust amount. Thereby, the power consumption of the electric blower 16 is suppressed. Further, even if dust is detected, the main body 11 is not reversed or reciprocated. Thereby, the fall of a moving speed can be avoided.

[Driver]
The travel motor drive device (left) (right) shown in FIG. 13 is an inverter that drives the left and right travel motors 1161 or a pulse waveform generator by PWM control, and operates according to a command from the control device 2. . The same applies to the electric blower driving device, the rotating brush motor driving device, and the side brush motor driving device (left) (right). Each of these driving devices is installed in the control device 2 (see FIG. 2) in the main body 11.

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

  The self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the embodiment. Needless to say, the content of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment, and can be appropriately modified and changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the self-propelled vacuum cleaner has been described as an example, but the same effect can be obtained when applied to canister-type, stick-type and handy-type vacuum cleaners.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Self-propelled vacuum cleaner 11 Main body 111 Upper case 112 Lower case 1121 Side brush mounting part 1122 Auxiliary wheel mounting part 1126 Exhaust port 1127 Bumper frame 1128 Mounting nail latching part 113 Suction part 1131 Suction port 1132 Motor mounting part 1133 Rotation Brush motor 1134 Upper surface 1135 Auxiliary wheel 114 Drive mechanism accommodating portion 1141 Arm (suspension)
1142 Driving wheel deceleration mechanism 115 Battery housing part 116 Driving wheel 1161 Traveling motor 117 Front lid 118 Airtight member 12 Dust sensor unit 121 Frame 122 Light emitting part 1221 Light emitting element 123 Light receiving part 1232 Light receiving element 124 Adhering member 125 Wire 126 Connector 127 Substrate 13 Scratch Take-up brush 14 Rotating brush 15 Side brush 151 Side brush holder 152 Side brush motor 16 Electric blower 161 Three-dimensional lattice 162 Recess 163 Elastic body 164 Suction port 165 Rear surface (suction side surface)
17 Auxiliary wheel 18 Bumper 19 Rechargeable battery 2 Control device 21 Control board 210 Sensors (ranging sensor)
211 Sensors (ranging sensors for floors)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 Deceleration mechanism 31 Shaft 311 Motor shaft 312 Relay shaft 313 Clutch 314 Tension shaft 32 Timing belt 321 1st belt 322 2nd belt 3211 1st input side pulley 3212 1st output side pulley 3221 2nd input side pulley 3222 Second output pulley 33 Tension pulley 34 Casing 4 Dust case 41 Main storage chamber 42 Duct 421 Upright portion 43 Handle 44 Backflow suppression valve 45 Lid 46 Filter

Claims (7)

A mouthpiece portion for storing a rotating brush having a rotating shaft in the horizontal direction;
A rotary brush motor that transmits a driving force to the rotary brush via a speed reduction mechanism, and a vacuum cleaner comprising:
The rotating brush motor is disposed obliquely above the rotating shaft of the rotating brush,
The vacuum cleaner, wherein a lower end portion of the rotary brush motor is positioned below an upper end of an upper surface of the suction port portion. The suction port has a suction port communicating with the opening of the dust case,
2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the rotary brush motor is positioned outside an end portion of the suction port and within a dimension of the rotary brush in an axial direction of the rotary brush. The deceleration mechanism is
A motor shaft connected to the rotating shaft of the rotating brush motor;
A first input pulley provided around the motor shaft;
A relay shaft;
A first output pulley provided around the relay shaft;
A first speed reducer having a first belt meshed with the first input pulley and the first output pulley;
A second input side pulley provided around the relay shaft;
A clutch connected to the shaft of the rotating brush;
A second output pulley provided around the clutch;
3. The electricity according to claim 1, further comprising: a second speed reduction unit including a second belt meshed with the second input pulley and the second output pulley. Vacuum cleaner.   The position of the lower end part of the rotary brush motor is located below the upper end part of the upper surface of the suction port part and is located radially outside and axially inside of the rotary brush. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1. The relay shaft and the motor shaft are located above the clutch,
The vacuum cleaner according to claim 3 or 4, wherein a diameter of the first output side pulley is larger than a diameter of the second input side pulley. Having an auxiliary wheel provided in the mouthpiece,
The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the speed reduction mechanism is provided between the auxiliary wheel and the rotary brush motor. A space capable of storing a rotating brush having a rotating shaft in the horizontal direction;
A space in which the speed reduction mechanism can be stored;
A suction port;
A motor mounting section;
A mouthpiece having an auxiliary wheel,
The space in which the speed reduction mechanism can be stored is provided between the space in which the rotating brush can be stored and the auxiliary wheel,
The motor mounting portion is provided on the space side where the speed reduction mechanism can be accommodated with respect to the suction port,
The suction port is characterized in that the suction port and the motor mounting portion are located radially outside a space in which the rotating brush can be stored.

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