TWI711422B - Self-propelled electric sweeper - Google Patents

Abstract

[Question] To provide a self-propelled electric sweeper that suppresses power consumption and cleans garbage efficiently. [Solution] The self-propelled electric sweeper is equipped with a dust sensor unit. When the garbage is small and the response of the dust sensor unit is small, the input of the electric blower is increased, and the dust is sensed when the garbage is too much. When the response of the device unit is large, it is to control the walking through the area with a lot of garbage. Furthermore, according to the load of the rotating brush motor, the texture of the floor, which is difficult to clean up, such as carpets, can be read. When the load increases above a certain level, control is performed to increase the input of the electric blower.

Description

Self-propelled electric sweeper

The present invention relates to a self-propelled electric sweeper and its action.

As an electric sweeper that stores dust sucked in through a suction port in a dust box, there is known a structure that connects the dust box with the suction port. However, in this structure, there are also cases where a sensor that detects the amount of dust is installed.

Patent Document 1 relates to a self-propelled electric sweeper. The suction nozzle 9 provided with the garbage sensor 17 extends roughly in a horizontal direction and extends from the suction port 9a to the dust box. Make connections between 10 and up (Figure 1).

Patent Document 2 relates to a self-propelled electric sweeper, and uses a sensor installed in a part of the suction tube to measure dust (Figure 5).

Patent Document 3 relates to an electric cleaning machine and is equipped with a photo-interrupter (Photo-interrupter) that detects garbage passing through the suction port (paragraph 0008, Fig. 1). [Prior Technical Literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] JP 2005-211365 A [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 64-2618 [Patent Document 3] JP 2000-60782 A

[The problem to be solved by the invention]

In a self-propelled electric sweeper, there is a limitation of a battery as an energy source, so it is necessary to clean up garbage efficiently.

Patent Document 1 refers to a person who moves in a spiral state after the garbage is detected by a garbage detection sensor, and it takes time until the end of the operation. Therefore, the battery will be consumed excessively, and the entire room may not be cleaned.

Patent Document 2 refers to a person who determines that there is no garbage in the cleaning area when the dust detection sensor does not respond within a certain period of time, and changes the direction by moving toward other places. If the dust detection sensor does not respond for a certain period of time, it is determined that the cleaning surface is clean, and the cleaning is ended. Therefore, if you stay in a complicated area (a place that is difficult to move and escape) for a long time during cleaning, the cleaning may end.

In Patent Document 3, after detecting that the amount of garbage is greater than or equal to the first set amount, if it is detected that the amount of garbage is less than the second set amount of garbage, the direction is changed by 180°, and it is turned back to the area with a lot of garbage for cleaning. And after the direction change, when the first set amount of garbage is not detected after a certain period of time or after moving a certain distance, return to the place where the initial direction change was performed. However, this system is only If the control of movement is to consider the cleaning of garbage, since the output of the electric blower has not been optimized, it cannot be said that the efficiency is absolutely optimal. [Means to solve the problem]

The self-propelled electric cleaning machine of the present invention developed in view of the above situation is equipped with: a rotating brush, which is driven by a rotating brush motor; and a suction port, which has a suction port; and an electric blower, which generates negative And the dust box is equipped with a main storage part, part or all of the path from the suction port to the main storage part is made by a pipeline integrated with the dust box Surrounding, the suction port is provided with a suction port pipeline that forms a part of the path from the suction port to the main reservoir, and the path from the suction port to the main reservoir is arranged with The dust box and the aforementioned suction port are different individual dust sensor units. If the aforementioned dust sensor unit reacts to a certain amount of dust, the number of rotations of the electric blower increases, and the attractive force increases. It is: in accordance with the rotation number of the electric blower, the rotation number of the rotating brush also increases.

Or, the system is equipped with: a rotating brush, which is driven by a rotating brush motor; and a suction port, which has a suction port; and an electric blower, which generates negative pressure and draws attraction; and a dust box, which has a main The accumulating part, part or all of the path from the suction port to the main accumulating part, is surrounded by a pipe integrated with the dust box, and the suction port is provided with a path formed from the suction port A part of the suction port pipeline that extends from the suction port to the main storage section, and in the path from the suction port to the main storage section, is arranged with individual dust that is different from the dust box and the suction port For the sensor unit, if the aforementioned dust sensor unit responds to a certain amount of dust, the rotation number of the electric blower increases, and the attraction force increases. The characteristic is: the rotation of the rotating brush corresponds to the rotation number of the electric blower The number also rises, and if the response of the aforementioned sensor unit becomes greater, a 180-degree reversal is performed with a small radius, and a straight forward walk of approximately the same size as the main body is performed, and then Rotate 180 degrees with a large radius, and walk straight forward with the same size as the main body.

In addition, the system has the following feature: that is, if the load of the rotating brush motor becomes more than a certain value, the number of rotations of the electric blower increases, and the number of rotations of the rotating brush also increases.

For the embodiment of the present invention, a detailed description will be made with reference to the attached drawings. For the same constituent elements, the same reference signs are attached, and the same description is not repeated. The various constituent elements of the present invention do not absolutely need to be constituted by a single member. For example, it is also allowed to constitute one constituent element by plural members, to constitute a plurality of constituent elements by one member, or to make a certain Part of the constituent elements overlaps with part of the other constituent elements.

In addition, in the direction in which the self-propelled electric sweeper 1 (refer to FIG. 1) is advancing, the direction in which the self-propelled electric sweeper 1 normally advances is defined as the front, and the direction opposite to the direction of gravity is defined as the upward direction. The directions facing the driving wheels 116 (refer to FIG. 3) are referred to as left and right. That is, the front and back, up and down, and left and right directions are defined as shown in FIG. 1 and the like. In this embodiment, the side brush 15 is attached to the front side of the self-propelled electric sweeper 1.

<Embodiment 1> [Self-propelled electric sweeper 1] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the self-propelled electric cleaning machine 1 of this embodiment. The self-propelled electric cleaning machine 1 is a cleaning machine that performs cleaning while autonomously moving in a cleaning area (for example, indoors). The self-propelled electric sweeper 1 is provided with a body 11, which includes an upper shell 111 as an upper wall (and part of the side walls) and a lower shell 112 as the bottom wall (and part of the side walls) , And a bumper 18 arranged at the front to form it. The upper shell 111 is provided with a switch sheet 22, which is an operation key for the user to give instructions to the control device 2 of the self-propelled electric cleaning machine 1, and a circular operation key 221 and a ring operation key are arranged 222.

In addition, a dust collecting box 4 is provided on the upper and rear side of the self-propelled electric cleaning machine 1. The self-propelled electric cleaning machine 1 of this embodiment autonomously drives the driving wheel 116 and performs cleaning by the calculation processing of the control device 2. However, it is also possible to receive instructions from the user by a remote control or the like. Drive.

[下壳112] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the state where the upper casing 111 and the dust box 4 are removed, Figure 3 is a bottom view of the self-propelled electric sweeper 1, and Figure 4 is a line AA in Figure 1 A cut cross-sectional view has been made. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the suction port 113, the dust sensor unit 12, and the dust box 4. The lower housing 112 is a thin disc-shaped member, and is installed with a drive mechanism accommodating portion 114 that houses a drive mechanism composed of a drive wheel 116, a traveling motor 1161, an arm 1141, and a deceleration mechanism 1142, and The side brush mounting portion 1121, the traveling motor 1161, and the rotating brush motor 1133, and the electric blower 16, and the rechargeable battery 19, and the battery accommodating portion 115 (refer to FIG. 4) accommodating the rechargeable battery 19, and the control device 2, and the suction port部113.

The lower shell 112 is provided with a bumper frame 1127. The bumper frame 1127 includes the lower end side of the side surface, and preferably includes the lower end ground, and is provided on the entire circumference or almost the entire circumference of the side surface. The bumper frame 1127 is formed of a softer material than the other parts forming the side surface. For example, a resin material such as an elastomer may be used. In addition, the bumper frame 1127 protrudes more toward the outer peripheral side than the bumper 18, for example, the other part of the side surface. With this, even if the self-propelled electric sweeper 1 collides with furniture, etc., damage to the furniture, etc. can be suppressed.

In addition, since the self-propelled electric sweeper 1 mainly moves forward, the side surface on the front side is likely to collide with furniture or the like. Therefore, it is ideal to include the bumper frame 1127 on the front side of the side surface.

(Balance of self-propelled electric sweeper 1) Among the components installed in the main body 11, those with relatively heavy weight are the rechargeable battery 19 and the electric blower 16. The rechargeable battery 19 is usually 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 installed at the approximate center of the lower casing 112, and the rechargeable battery 19 is installed at the front side.

Here, on the rear side than the center of the lower shell 112, a suction port 113 in which the rotating brush 14 is housed and a scraping brush 13 are provided. Since the electric blower 16 is located on the center side (between the two driving wheels 116) and the rechargeable battery 19 is located on the front side, 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 scraping brush 13 by sticking or the like. By this, the useless space in the scraping brush 13 can be effectively utilized. In this embodiment, since the scraping brush 13 is located on the side farther away from the center than the rotating brush 14, it is ideal to install a heavy object here. Of course, it is also possible to install a weight in the rotating brush 14. In addition, from the viewpoint of left-right balance, it is ideal that the weight is installed at the center of the main body 11 in the left-right direction.

(Protrusion of lower shell 112) Regarding the lower shell 112, at each of the left and right outer sides of the rotating brush 14 (the front left outer side and the front right outer side), at least a part of the rear protrusion 1123 which is a convex portion provided on the bottom surface of the lower shell 112 is provided . At least a part of each of the rear protrusions 1123 is also located directly behind the driving wheel 116.

In addition, a central front protrusion 1124 and a central rear protrusion 1125 are provided in the central area of the lower shell 112 corresponding to the area between the two driving wheels 116. The central front protrusion 1124 is a convex portion located at the front end side of the driving wheel 116 in the front-rear direction and at the center side of the lower shell 112 in the left-right direction. The central rear protrusion 1125 is a protrusion that extends in the front-rear direction at the rear side of the central front protrusion 1124.

In the self-propelled electric cleaning machine 1 of this embodiment, the rear end of the driving wheel 116 is close to the outer end of the rotating brush 14. Specifically, the distance from the left and right inner parts of the rear end of the drive wheel 116 to the left and right outer parts of the front end of the rotating brush 14 is set to 20 mm or less from the viewpoint of miniaturization, for example. The rotating brush 14 and/or the airtight member 118 described later protrude from the lower housing 112 in order to get close to the ground and easily attract dust, and the drive wheel 116 protrudes similarly in order to contact the ground. Therefore, if an obstacle enters the area between the two driving wheels 116 (the area on the central side where the protrusions 1124 and 1125 are provided) or the area behind the driving wheel 116 (the area where the protrusions 1123 is provided), There is a risk of being embedded between the driving wheel 116 and the rotating brush 14 and obstructing the driving of the self-propelled electric sweeper 1. In order to suppress this situation, protrusions 1123, protrusions 1124, and protrusions 1125 are provided. Regardless of the protrusion 1123, the protrusion 1124, and the protrusion 1125, the dimensions are adjusted so that the self-propelled electric sweeper 1 separates from the ground while at least while walking on a flat ground. Protruding.

[Drive mechanism housing part 114] The driving mechanism accommodated in the driving mechanism accommodating portion 114 shown in FIG. 3 etc. is a mechanism that supports the driving wheel 116 at the main body 11. The driving mechanism includes a traveling motor 1161, an arm 1141 that supports the driving wheel 116 from the left and right inner sides, and a deceleration mechanism 1142. The arm 1141 is arranged between the two driving wheels 116, and is a member in which one end is connected to a rotating shaft extending in the front-rear direction and the other end is connected to the driving wheel 116, and the body It is a member capable of rotating the driving wheels 116 by rotating around the rotating shaft. Each rotating shaft is located between the two driving wheels 116, and in particular, in this embodiment, it is located between each of the driving wheels 116 and the central protrusion 1124 and the protrusion 1125.

[Battery Storage 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 accommodating portion 115 is configured to have an opening facing downward in order to exchange the rechargeable battery 19. In addition, on the left and right of the battery accommodating portion 115, side brush attachment portions 1121 to which the side brush 15 are attached are formed.

[Drive Wheel 116] As shown in FIG. 3 and the like, the driving wheels 116 are members that receive the driving force of the traveling motors 1161 via the reduction mechanisms 1142. By this, the driving wheel 116 itself rotates, and by this, the main body 11 can be moved forward, backward, and rotated. The driving wheels 116 are arranged on the left and right sides.

[Front cover 117] As shown in FIG. 3 and the like, the front cover 117 is a slightly rectangular plate that closes the opening of the battery accommodating portion 115 (refer to FIG. 4) formed on the front end of the lower case 112 from the bottom of the lower case 112 The component. In addition, the front cover 117 is located near the center side of the lower case 112, and has a circular auxiliary wheel mounting portion 1122 to which the auxiliary wheel 17 is mounted.

[Auxiliary wheel 17] Figure 21 is an enlarged perspective view of the auxiliary wheel 17. As shown in FIGS. 3, 20, etc., the auxiliary wheels 17 are auxiliary wheels for separating the lower shell 112 from the ground and allowing the self-propelled electric sweeper 1 to move smoothly, and are arranged on the lower shell 112 places. The auxiliary wheel 17 is passively rotated by the friction force generated between itself and the ground along with the movement of the main body 11 caused by the driving wheel 116, and is supported by the fixed shaft 173 . The auxiliary wheel 17 is provided with a substantially circular ground wheel 171 and a disc portion 172 rotatably provided with a fixed shaft 173 as a rotating shaft. The grounding wheel 171 makes contact with the ground and rotates along with the walking of the self-propelled electric sweeper 1. The circular plate portion 172 is adjacent to the ground wheel 171 and is configured to have a smaller diameter than the ground wheel 171 and a larger diameter than the fixed shaft 173. If hair, trash, etc. are attached to the grounding wheel 171 along with the rotation of the grounding wheel 171, the hair, trash, etc. may rotate around the fixed shaft 173 and be wound around the fixed shaft 173. At this time, since the disc portion 172 is adjacent to the grounding wheel 171, hair, trash, etc. are not wound around the fixed shaft 173 but are easily wound around the disc portion 172. Therefore, by rotating the disc portion 172 around the fixed shaft 173, hair and trash can be removed relatively easily.

In addition, the auxiliary wheel 17 is configured to be able to rotate freely 360° in the horizontal direction. In addition, the auxiliary wheel 17 shown in FIG. 3 is installed at the center of the front side of the main body 11 in the left-right direction, and is installed at the auxiliary wheel installation portion 1122.

In addition, the grounding wheel 17 may be regarded as a passive roller 1186 described later, and the same configuration as the disc portion 172 may be provided at the airtight member 118.

[Bumper 18] The bumper 18 is installed in such a way that it can move in the front-rear direction, and more desirably, the left-right direction in response to the pushing force from the outside. The bumper 18 is urged forward by a pair of left and right bumper springs (not shown). If the resistance force from the obstacle through the bumper 18 acts on the bumper spring, the bumper spring is deformed, and the bumper 18 is allowed to retreat while pushing the bumper 18 in the forward direction. If the bumper 18 separates from the obstacle and the resistance disappears, the bumper 18 will return to its original position by the pushing force of the bumper spring. In addition, the back of the bumper 18 (that is, the contact with the obstacle) is detected by the bumper sensor (infrared sensor), and the detection result is input to the control device 2 locations. Since the displacement amount of the bumper 18 is different according to the contact position of the obstacle, etc., the position of the obstacle, etc. relative to the main body 11 can also be detected.

[Scrape Brush 13] The scraping brush 13 is provided with planting hairs on a part or all of the surface, and is a brush with a shaft in a direction slightly parallel to the rotating brush 14 described later. In this embodiment, it is combined with The contact between the ground makes passive rotation or rotation. In the case of rotation, the rotation range is restricted by setting a stopper, etc. The height position of the flocking of the scraping brush 13 is ideal when cleaning the laying floor (between the laying boards), and the front end is separated from the ground by about 0.5mm. In addition, the position of the flocking of the scraping brush 13 is ideal when cleaning the carpet, which overlaps with the hair of the carpet. Therefore, the scraping brush 13 can collect dust by scraping off the surface of the carpet.

Regarding the scraping brush 13, when the stopper is set and the state of rotation is used, it can continuously touch a specific area on the ground and scrape out the dust. At this time, the scraping brush 13 becomes an area continuously in contact with the ground, and ideally, the body has a flat shape. That is, the shape of the scraping brush 13 is ideal when viewed from the axial direction. It is a shape in which a part of the cylindrical shape is replaced with a flat plane (for example, a part of the circle is made of a string The truncated shape, or slightly half moon shape).

[Rotating Brush 14] FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the rotating brush 14. The rotating brush 14 is arranged slightly parallel to the axis (left-right direction) passing through the rotation center of the drive wheel 116 (refer to FIG. 3). The rotating brush 14 has a cylindrical shape with a rotating shaft in the horizontal direction (the left-right direction in this embodiment), and is rotatably supported at the suction port 113. The rotating brush 14 receives a driving force through a rotating brush motor 1133 (refer to FIG. 2) and is driven to rotate. The rotating brush 14 is provided with plural tufts 142 protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 141 in the normal direction. The tufted hairs 142 of the rotating brush 14 may also be provided with multiple types of tufts, such as tufts with different lengths and tufts with different hardnesses. Each tufted hair is arranged in a spiral arrangement with respect to the axis of rotation. As a configuration (refer to Figure 20).

The non-woven fabrics 143 are arranged adjacent to each other at each of the tufts 142. For each of the planting hairs 142 and the non-woven fabric 143, the roots are shared. In addition, the non-woven fabric 143 adjacent to the flocking 142, for example, in the present embodiment, the root is shared by the flocking 142 and the non-woven fabric 143, when the rotating brush 14 is rotated by the rotating motor 1133, it is The non-woven fabric 143 is arranged in a way that the non-woven fabric 143 comes into contact with the ground earlier than the flocking 142. As a result, since the hair, trash, etc. existing on the ground first come into contact with the non-woven fabric 143, it is possible to suppress the entanglement of the tufted hair 142. In addition, the non-woven fabric 143 is provided with one or more slits 1431 extending in the radial direction. By this, it is possible to suppress the twisting of the non-woven fabric.

In addition, it is also possible to add a configuration in which a scraper member made of an elastic material such as rubber is arranged in a spiral shape to be arranged between the spirally-shaped tufts 142, and it can be appropriately changed. The dust scraped by the rotating brush 14 passes through the opening 17 and is stored in the dust box 4. In addition, in order to prevent the bridging portion 1181 of the airtight member 118 described below from contacting the bristle portion 142, the non-woven fabric 143 or the scraper member, the length of some of these may be shortened or a cut-out portion may be provided.

[Airtight member 118] FIG. 22 is an exploded perspective view of a state where the airtight member 118 is removed from the main body 11, and FIG. 23 is a back perspective view of the airtight member 118. An airtight member 118 is installed at a portion located below the rotating brush 14. The airtight member 118, when viewed from underneath the self-propelled electric sweeper 1, is provided with a bridging portion 1181 provided in the area below the rotating brush 14 to cover the front and rear directions, and extend in the left and right directions The upper swing shaft 1182 and the frame portion 1183 that surrounds the rotating brush 14, the removal claw 1184 used when the airtight member 118 is removed, the bridge portion 1181 and the frame portion 1183 are pushed downward The pressing part 1185 and the passive roller 1186.

The airtight member 118 is a member that oscillates independently of the suction port 113 and the rotating brush 14, and is pressed downward by the pressing part 1185. Therefore, the airtight member 118 moves up and down along with the walking of the step difference of the self-propelled electric sweeper 1 or the like. With this, since the airtight member 118 maintains a position close to or in contact with the ground, the airtightness can be improved. In addition, since the airtight member 118 is shaken 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. beneficial.

The swing shaft 1182 of the present embodiment is arranged coaxially with the scraping brush 13, and the scraping brush 13 can be mounted on the swing shaft 1182. As a result, when the airtight member 118 and the scraping brush 13 are installed together, the installation space can be reduced, which contributes to the miniaturization of the self-propelled electric sweeper 1. In addition, the swing shaft 1182 is provided at the rear end side of the airtight member 118.

The removal claw 1184 is installed on the left and right sides of the airtight member 118, and by moving in the left and right direction (in this embodiment, it is toward the left and right inward), the removal claw 1184 can be removed from the body 11 under. Since the self-propelled electric sweeper 1 mainly moves in the front-rear direction, it is configured to be able to be removed by moving in the left-right direction, so that the airtight member 118 can be removed from The fall of the main body 11 is suppressed.

The pressing portion 1185 is provided on the back side of the airtight member 118 and is, for example, a spring-like member capable of pressing the frame portion 1183 or its vicinity downward. With the pressing portion 1185, the airtight member 118 is pressed so as to make contact with the ground during the walking of the self-propelled electric sweeper 1. With this, since the air tightness around the rotating brush 14 can be improved, the dust collection efficiency can be improved.

The passive rollers 1186 are respectively arranged at the left and right outer parts of the airtight member 118 and contact the ground with the walking of the self-propelled electric sweeper 1 to support the airtight member 118. By this, even if the airtight member 118 is pushed downward, the frictional resistance between it and the ground can be suppressed, and the loss of energy and the scratches caused to the ground can be suppressed. In addition, in the front-rear direction, since the passive roller 1186 is positioned on the opposite side of the auxiliary wheel 17 with the driving wheel 116 interposed therebetween, the self-propelled electric sweeper 1 can be supported by these three components. To do it effectively.

[Side Brush 15] The side brush 15 exemplified in Fig. 3, etc. is used to guide dust in the corners of the room, etc., which are located outside the main body 11 and not easily accessible by the rotating brush 14 to the suction port 113 (suction port 1131). brush. The rotation axis of the side brush 15 is in the vertical direction, and a part of the side brush 15 will be exposed from the main body 11 when viewed in plan. The side brushes 15 are provided with three brushes extending radially at intervals of 120° when viewed in plan, and are arranged on the left and right sides in front of the lower shell 112, respectively. The side brush 15 is fixed to the side brush holder 151 at its root.

For each of the side brushes 15, the side brush holder 151 side (root side) is a flexible root elastic portion 153 such as an elastic body, and the tip side is, for example, a bristle portion 154 which is a bristles. In this embodiment, the side brush holder 151 and the root elastic portion 153 forming the rotating shaft (hub) of the side brush 15 are integrally formed. By setting the root of the side brush 15 as an elastic body like the root elastic portion 153, compared to the configuration where the bristle portion 154 is covered from the root to the tip, the bristle portion 154 is less likely to curl Therefore, the durability of the side brush 15 can be improved.

The flocking of the side brush 15 is inclined in such a way that it gradually approaches the ground as it approaches the tip, and the vicinity of the tip is in contact with the ground.

The side brush holder 151 is arranged near the bottom surface of the lower shell 112 and is connected to the side brush motor 152 (refer to FIG. 2). By driving the side brush motor 152, the side brush 15 rotates toward the inside (in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 3), and the dust is scraped and collected to the suction port 1131.

[Electric blower 16] The electric blower 16 shown in FIG. 4 is equipped with a fan with a shaft in the front and rear direction, and has the function of discharging the air in the dust box 4 to the outside by rotating the fan to generate negative pressure and remove it from the ground It has a function of sucking dust through the suction port 1131 (the suction port 113). An elastic body 161 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the electric blower 16. By allowing the elastic body to exist as an intermediary in this way, the vibration of the electric blower 16 is attenuated and becomes difficult to be transmitted to the main body 11, and 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 casing 112.

[Suction 113] Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the suction port 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 the dust sensor unit 12 The right side view. The suction port 113 is a member formed with a suction port 1131 communicating with the dust box 4 and accommodating the scraping brush 13 and the rotating brush 14. At the suction port 113, a rotating brush motor 1133 may also be installed. The upstream side (the side of the rotating brush 14) from the suction port 1131 is a space in which the rotating brush 14 is housed, and the cross-sectional area is larger 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, and the main storage chamber 41, The dust collecting filter 46, the electric blower 16 and the exhaust port 1126. Most of the air contains dust, which is shielded by the dust collecting filter 46 and stored in the dust box 4. Hereinafter, the direction of the suction port 1131 and the dust sensor unit 12 that is slightly perpendicular to the frame 121 (the front view direction of the frame 121) is referred to as the main direction. In addition, the exhaust ports 1126 are provided at the lower housing 112 and between the two driving wheels 116. In this embodiment, there are six exhaust ports.

The suction port 113 of this embodiment is not provided with a portion extending from the suction port 1131 in the main direction, but, for example, it may be provided like the duct 42 of the dust box 4 described later. The suction port pipeline that extends in the main direction and is integrated with the suction port 113. In this case, the suction port pipe, the dust sensor unit 12, and the pipe 42 are surrounded by a path from the suction port 1131 to the dust box 4. Regarding this point, as will be described later, based on the viewpoint of increasing the volume of the dust box 4, etc., it is preferable that the path in this path is compared to the length of the suction port pipe (for example, the length in the main direction) and the length of the frame 121 ( For example, the length in the main direction), the length of the pipeline 42 (for example, the length in the main direction) is longer.

[Dust Sensor Unit 12] The dust sensor unit 12 is arranged between the suction port 113 and the dust box 4. The dust sensor unit 12 is provided with a frame 121, a light-emitting part 122 and a light-receiving part 123 arranged at the frame 121 and facing each other, and an adhesion member installed at the side of the dust box 4 of the frame 121 124, and a substrate 127. The dust sensor unit 12 is formed as a member different from the suction port 113 and the dust box 4. By making the frame 121 and the suction port 113 come into contact and being installed in this state, the light can be emitted The part 122, the light receiving part 123, the connector 126 and the adhesion member 124 are installed at the same time. Therefore, the dust sensor unit 12 of this embodiment is excellent in assemblability.

(Box 121) The frame 121 is a member capable of ensuring a space on the optical axis connecting the light emitting unit 123 and the light receiving unit 124 and mounting the light emitting unit 123 and the light receiving unit 124 on or near the frame 121 itself. The frame 121 of the present embodiment has a shape having a long side direction and a short side direction. For example, it can be rectangular. In this embodiment, it has a slightly rectangular shape. At one of the longitudinal directions of the frame 121, the light receiving portion 123 and the substrate 127 are mounted. At the other side of the frame 121 in the longitudinal direction, a light emitting part 122 is installed. In addition, the light-emitting part 122 and the light-receiving part 123 may also be arranged in the short-side direction of the frame 121. In addition, the frame 121 may have a square shape, a circular shape, an oval shape, an egg shape, or the like.

(Light emitting part 122 and light receiving part 123) The light emitting unit 122 and the light receiving unit 123 are opposed to 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 emitted by the light-emitting part 122 is not limited to light, but may also be ultrasonic waves, etc., as long as the presence or absence of dust can be detected, it may be various well-known things. Although the light-emitting part 122 and the light-receiving part 123 may be provided on the same side, it is desirable that they face each other from the viewpoint of miniaturization.

(Wiring 125, connector 126, substrate 127) The substrate 127 is capable of mounting the driving circuit of the light-emitting part 122 and the amplifier circuit of the light-receiving part 123. By comparing the amplified signal with a certain reference voltage, the reduction in the amount of received light caused by the passage of dust is taken as Comparator to output pulse. The comparator may be replaced or additionally, and it may be configured to be able to detect that the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 123 continues to decrease. In this case, it can be estimated whether the dust box 4 is full.

The light-emitting portion 122 and the substrate 127 are electrically connected by wiring 125. The wiring 125 is arranged along the opposing direction of the light-emitting part 122 and the light-receiving part 123, and is arranged near the frame 121, or arranged in the frame 121, or integrated into the frame 121 and the adhesion member 124 between. At the wiring 125, a driving current of the light emitting part 122 flows. In addition, the light receiving part 123 is also electrically connected to the substrate 127 by wiring (not shown). These wirings are electrically connected to the connector 126.

(Adhesive member 124) The adhesion member 124 has a shape that matches the shape of the periphery of the frame 121. In this embodiment, it has a hollow, slightly rectangular shape. The shape of the frame 121 matches the shape of the suction port 1131. As the adhesion member 124, a gasket or the like can be used.

(Advantages of Dust Sensor Unit 12) The dust sensor unit 12 constructed in this way can hold the light-emitting part 122 and the light-receiving part 123 integrally, so it is easy to align the optical axes with each other. In addition, since the light-receiving part 123 and the substrate 127 can be arranged in close proximity, the distance from the light-receiving part 123 to the amplifier circuit can be shortened, and the output of the light-receiving part 123 which is a weak signal can be reduced. The influence of electromagnetic noise is reduced. In addition, the wiring 125 of the light-emitting part 122 is also integrated in the dust sensor unit 12. When electrically connecting with the control device 2, it is only necessary to connect the wiring (not shown) with the connector 126. Yes, it is excellent in assemblability.

In addition, it is preferable to use an elastic material such as an elastomer for the adhesion member 124, which is a member that is in contact with the dust box 4. However, this kind of material is relatively higher than other members. And deteriorate faster. In addition, the surfaces of the light-emitting portion 122 and the light-receiving portion 123 are prone to dirt or scratches caused by dust. According to this embodiment, since these parts can be replaced easily due to deterioration, dirt, scratches, etc., the dust sensor unit 12 can be replaced at the same time. Therefore, in maintenance The sex is excellent.

(Dimensions in the non-opposing direction of frame 24, etc.) Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of C-C in Fig. 7. For the dust sensor unit 12, the direction that is slightly perpendicular to the opposing direction of the light emitting portion 122 and the light receiving portion 123 in the direction parallel to the frame 121 (the direction perpendicular to the main direction) is called the non-opposing direction . If the width of the non-opposing direction on the suction port 1131 side in the frame 121 is set to a, and the width of the non-opposing direction on the side of the dust box 4 is set to b, it becomes a≒b and a< b. By this, the cross-sectional area of the surface perpendicular to the main direction is narrowed more than necessary and the loss increases. In addition, the center line 90 (slightly parallel to the main direction) of the area surrounded by the frame 121 is set as a straight line passing through the midpoint of the dimensions a and b. That is, if the straight lines that make a1=a2=a/2 and b1=b2=b/2 are considered as exemplified in FIG. 9, then a1 and b1 are located farther than the center line. On the upper side, a2 and b2 are located on the lower side than the center line. At this time, the light-emitting part 122 and the light-receiving part 123 are arranged below the center line 90 in the non-opposing direction. Since dust is heavier than air, and the probability of passing through the lower side of the center line 90 is higher, by arranging the light-emitting part 122 and the light-receiving part 123 at the lower side, the dust can be detected with high accuracy .

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of D-D of Fig. 8. The light emitting unit 122 is provided with a light emitting element 1221 and a transparent resin cover 1239, and the light receiving unit 123 is provided with a light receiving element 1232 and a transparent resin cover 1239. Regarding the mounted transparent resin cover 1239, the area between the light-emitting element 1221 and the light-receiving element 1232 has a size smaller than the size in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the light emitted by the light-emitting element 1221, respectively. As a result, the transparent resin cover 1239 protects the device and guides the light of the light-emitting device 32, and can suppress the increase in the size of the dust sensor unit 12 up and down or the front and back size.

(Dimensions in the opposite direction of frame 24, etc.) Among the directions parallel to the frame 121, the direction slightly parallel to the opposing direction of the light emitting portion 122 and the light receiving portion 123 is referred to as the opposing direction. If the width in the opposite direction of the suction port 1131 side is set to e, and the width in the opposite direction of the dust box 4 side is set to d, it becomes e>d. That is, the width of the frame 121 in the opposing direction gradually decreases as it goes to the dust box 4 side. With this, when air containing dust flows in the direction of arrow 91, the dust is separated from the wall surface and flows due to inertia. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the damage or dirt of the transparent resin cover 1239.

[Dust box 4] Figures 11 and 12 are perspective views of the state where the dust box 4 is removed from the body 11, and Figure 12 is a self-propelled electric sweeper 1 including the dust box 4 The three-dimensional view of the area of the main body 11, Figure 14 (a), Figure 14 (b), is an enlarged view of the important parts of Figure 12, Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of BB in Figure 5, and Figure 16 is a prop containing part included The perspective view of 1102 and the props 95, FIG. 17, is a rear perspective view of the body 11 with the dust box 4 installed. The dust box 4 is a container for storing dust sucked from the ground through the suction port 1131 (the suction port 113). The dust box 4 is provided with a pipe 42 formed on the suction port 1131 side, a main storage chamber 41 that mainly stores collected dust, and a main storage chamber 41 that can collect the stored dust from the filter 46 side (upper side). ) To take out the cover 45, the reverse flow suppression valve 44 that can be rotated to open and close the opening on the lower side of the main storage chamber 77 (the pipe 42 side), and the foldable handle 43. The dust box 4 is installed from the upper side of the main body 11 toward the lower side.

(Main storage room 41) The main storage chamber 41 is formed of, for example, a resin material, and is an area enclosing a space. The cover 45 and the backflow suppression valve 44 prevent the leakage of dust from the space to the outside. The cover 45 can close the opening on the horizontal side of the main storage chamber 41, and the backflow suppression valve 44 can close the opening on the lower side of the main storage chamber 41. The cross-sectional area of the space enclosed by the main storage chamber 41 is larger than that of the frame 121. The cross-sectional area of the space enclosed by the so-called main storage chamber 41 may be, for example, a cross-sectional area in a direction perpendicular to the screen 46.

(Line 42) The pipe 42 is provided with one end at the lower side of the main storage chamber 41 and the other end which can be opened and closed by the reverse flow suppression valve 44. The duct 42 is a part that forms part, all or all of the path from the suction port 1131 to the main storage chamber 41 that is integral with the dust box 4. The pipeline 42 of this embodiment has a shape in which one end side extends in a slightly vertical direction, and from the middle to the other end side and extends in an oblique downward direction. However, it may be formed only by the latter, or That is, it is composed only of a portion extending obliquely downward toward the other end side.

In this way, in general, the pipeline 42 extends from one end to the other end obliquely downward. One end of the pipe 42 can be arranged below the main storage chamber 41, for example. Ideally, when viewed from above, it should be arranged on the lower side of the main storage chamber 41 relative to the center of the pipe 42. At the other end and further away. With this, it is easy to reduce the size of the dust box 4 when viewed from above.

(Handle 43) The handle 43 is a member rotatably installed with the upper side of the main storage chamber 41 as a rotating shaft, and is provided with a grip portion 431, an anti-drop portion 432, an action point portion 433, and a locking portion 434. The handle 43 can be rotated approximately 90°-100° from the front of the rotation axis to the upper side of the rotation axis. In order to exert the functions of both the action point portion 433 and the locking portion 434 described later, it is preferable that the rotation range is more than 90°, and is roughly 135° or less, and more preferably 120° or less. Here, the gripping portion 431 is in the lying state (the state locked at the locking portion 434), and the rotation angle is 0°. In addition, in the general state as illustrated in FIG. 17, the rotation angle is approximately 90°.

The grip part 431 is a part that is used by the user to hold the dust box 4 and is easy to use during attachment and detachment operations, etc., and a locking part 434 is provided at the front end. In the state where the dust box 4 is installed in the main body 11, the locking portion 434 is locked at the non-locking portion (not shown) provided at the upper shell 111, and the handle 43 can be used as Stuck.

The anti-dropping part 432 is a protruding part which is provided near the rotating shaft and closer to the locking part 434 side (rotation angle 0° side) than the rotating shaft. In the state where the handle 43 is positioned at the front side, the anti-dropping portion 432 enters the main body 11 and makes contact with the inner part of the main body 11 to generate frictional resistance. By this, the falling of the handle 43 is suppressed.

The action point portion 433 is a portion that is brought into contact with the upper side of the main body 11 if the user applies force from the state where the handle 43 is on the upper side toward the rear (toward a direction with a rotation angle exceeding 90°). In this state, the action point portion 433 becomes the action point of the force that causes the dust box 4 to be lifted from the main body 11, and the rotation axis becomes the fulcrum. With this, the system can be used as an aid when the user removes the dust box 4. The upper side of the main body 11 is not particularly limited, but it can be, for example, a guide step 119 described later.

[The shape of the dust box 4 and the prop storage part] The dust box 4 has a shape in which the rear upper side protrudes toward the rear. When installed in the main body 11, the rear upper side forms a part of the side surface of the self-propelled electric sweeper 1 (refer to Fig. 17 etc.). Therefore, for the main body 11, the area directly below the upper rear area in the dust box 4 also forms a part of the side surface of the self-propelled electric sweeper 1. In this embodiment, in the vicinity of a part of the side surface formed by the main body 11, a small tool storage 1102 as illustrated in FIG. 16 and the like is provided, and a cleaning brush 95 as an example of small tools is stored. . For example, the cleaning brush 95 has a shape that allows the user to clean the dust box 4 and is curved along the outer peripheral shape of the main body 11. By this, the space required for the accommodation of the cleaning brush 95 can be arranged along the inner periphery of the side surface of the main body 11. In addition, it is also possible to replace the cleaning brush 95 or additionally accommodate jigs and other small tools for removing the side brush 15.

The storage mode of the props is not limited to the above mode, as long as the dust box 4 is installed on the main body 11 and the main body 11 is provided with an area surrounded by the main body 11 and the dust box 4 OK.

(Reverse flow suppression valve 44) The reverse flow suppression valve 44 is equipped with a main surface 441 that can block the opening of the pipe 42 at the other end, is integrated with the main surface 441 or is installed as a separate unit, and is designed to be slightly parallel to the main surface 441 The direction of the protrusion 442 protrudes further outward than the pipe 42, and the pressing portion 443 that is pressed in the direction in which the main surface 441 and the protrusion 442 are rotated. In this embodiment, the protrusion 442 is provided at each of the outer sides in a direction substantially parallel to the main surface 441.

The pressing portion 443 is a member that presses the reverse flow suppression valve 44 in a direction in which the main surface 441 closes the opening. Various known members can be used, but, for example, a spring can be used. If the pressing portion 443 is used as a coil spring, for example, it can make itself a rotation axis. Therefore, in the state where no external force is applied, the reverse flow suppression valve 44 blocks the other end of the pipeline 42.

The protruding part 442, when the dust box 4 is mounted on the main body 11, is in contact with the guide step 119 as a counter-pushing part provided in the area where the dust box 4 is accommodated. The guide level difference 119 is set in the main body 11 and is the two level difference parts in the area that can be seen if the dust box 4 is removed. The guide steps 119 are respectively provided along the installation direction of the dust box 4, and in this embodiment, they extend from the upper rear to the lower front.

With the downward movement of the dust box 4 caused by the mounting of the dust box 4 to the main body 11, the protrusion 442 contacts and slides with each of the guide steps 119, and the main surface 441 is Received the force of opening the opening. As a result, the reverse flow suppression valve 44 counteracts the pressing force of the pressing portion 443 and opens the other end of the pipe 42. Like the guide step 119 illustrated in this embodiment, the main surface 441 receives a force in the opposite direction to the pushing force of the pushing portion 443 by the contact between the reverse pushing portion and the protruding portion 442, and can The pipe 42 is opened at the other end.

Specifically, a rotation with the longitudinal direction of the reverse flow suppression valve 44 as an axis occurs, and the other end of the pipeline 42 is opened. The backflow suppression valve 44 of this embodiment has a slightly rectangular shape. Therefore, if the backflow suppression valve 44 is rotated with the short side direction as the axis or the direction perpendicular to the main surface 441 is used as the axis, It is necessary to expand the space required for the rotation. Therefore, it is preferable to use the longitudinal direction as the axis for rotation. That is, the pressing portion 443 rotates the backflow suppression valve 44 with the longitudinal direction of the main surface 441 as an axis.

In addition, the protruding portion 442 only needs to be capable of bringing the backflow suppression valve 44 into an open state by making contact with any member (reverse pressing portion) of the self-propelled electric cleaner 1.

In the present embodiment, a gap 1101 is provided at the front end of the guide step 119. When the dust box 4 is installed in the main body 11, the reverse flow suppression valve 44 is guided on one side. The step 119 slides while pushing and is contained in the gap 1101. The gap 1101 is located outside the projection surface of the frame 121 in the main direction. Therefore, in the state where the dust box 4 is installed, the other end of the pipe 42 is in contact with the dust sensor unit 12, and particularly in this embodiment, is in close contact with the adhesion member 124.

[The structure installed from the suction port 1131 to the main storage chamber 41] Especially as illustrated in FIG. 15, for the main direction, the size 92 of the dust sensor unit 12 is shorter than the size 93 on the other end of the pipe 42. That is, the dimension 93 on the other end side of the pipe 42 is formed as a part of the path connecting the part from the suction port 1131 to the main storage chamber 41, and is preferably larger than the dimension 92 section. With this, since a part of the dust box 4 can be installed in the area from the suction port 1131 to the main storage chamber 41, the volume of the dust box 4 can be enlarged.

Here, the pipeline 42 can be provided with an upright portion 421 that forms one end of the pipeline 42 and has a size 94 and extends in the vertical direction. The upright portion 421 suppresses the leakage of dust from the main storage chamber 41 to the other end of the pipe 42.

Here, as the size 93, it can be regarded as "the lower surface of the dust box 4 is approximated as a plane (making the main storage chamber 41 approximate to a box shape), and a straight line slightly parallel to the size 92 of the dust sensor unit 12 The measured distance from this plane to the dust sensor unit 12". In addition, the main storage chamber 41 of this embodiment can be regarded as a box type.

[Blockage of the pipeline 42 caused by the reverse flow suppression valve 44] As described above, in a state where the dust box 4 is mounted on the main body 11, the reverse flow suppression valve 44 is stored on the upper side of the rotating brush 14. If the dust box 4 is removed from the main body 11, the backflow suppression valve 44 is rotated by the pressing force of the pressing portion 443, and the opening on the other end side of the pipe 42 is blocked. With this, even if dust is accumulated in the duct 42, it is possible to prevent the dust from falling from the dust box 4. In addition, the main surface 441 may have a flat plate shape, or a mesh shape to the extent that the passage of dust can be suppressed.

[Dust full detection] If the self-propelled electric sweeper 1 sucks dust, the sucked dust is first accumulated in the main storage chamber 41, and if the main storage chamber 41 becomes full, it is also stored in the pipeline 42. Since the duct 42 is directed obliquely downward from the direction of gravity to the horizontal direction side, it is possible to prevent dust from falling from the duct 42. In addition, since the system is more oriented toward the direction of gravity than the horizontal direction, it is easier to quickly accumulate dust in the duct 42 from the time when the main storage chamber 41 becomes full, and the dust sensor unit 12 is easily accessible. To detect the dust.

In addition, with the upright portion 421, it is possible to prevent dust from flowing and falling into the pipe 42 even when there is still a space in the main storage chamber 41. The dust box 4 of the present embodiment is installed at a ratio of more than half of the space enclosed by the main storage chamber 41 at a position farther forward than one end of the pipe 42. Therefore, dust is easily accumulated in The front side. However, since the vertical portion 421 is provided between the ratio of the half of the space and the pipe 42, even if it accelerates toward the front of the main moving direction of the self-propelled electric sweeper 1, it causes dust. Moving to the rear can also effectively suppress dust falling to the duct 42. That is, from the front to the rear, the vertical portion 421 and one end of the pipe 42 are installed in the order of the ratio of more than half of the space enclosed by the main storage chamber 41.

If dust also accumulates in the duct 42 and is roughly fully loaded, the dust will continue to shield the light of the light-emitting part 122, and the state where the amount of light received by the light-receiving part 123 has decreased continues. By detecting this state, it is possible to detect the full load of the dust box 4 and notify the user, or start the control of returning the self-propelled electric sweeper 1 to the charging station (not shown).

[Detection of the amount of dust passing through] If the light of the light-emitting part 122 is blocked momentarily, the amount of light received by the light-receiving part 123 is reduced in pulses. By this, it is possible to detect that the dust passes toward the dust box 4. In this embodiment, compared with the suction port 1131, the cross-sectional area in the main direction is larger on the side of the rotating brush 14, smaller at the frame 121 and the pipe 42, and larger at the main storage chamber 41. . That is, the cross-sectional area in the path from the accommodating space of the rotating brush 14 to the main storage chamber 41 is the smallest at the frame 121 and/or the pipe 42. Therefore, the sucked dust is concentrated in the frame 121 with a small cross-sectional area in accordance with the shape of the pipe 42. Since the light emitting part 122 and the light receiving part 123 are provided at the frame 121, most of the dust passes between the light emitting part 122 and the light receiving part 123. That is, the system can measure the amount of dust with high accuracy.

In addition, since the dust after passing through the frame 121 passes through the pipe 42 whose cross-sectional area is roughly the same, it is difficult to generate a vortex near the frame 121. In other words, the system can suppress the situation where dust is caused by the vortex and flows backward and is detected many times. Furthermore, since the cross-sectional area after passing through the duct 42 is enlarged, the 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 be simply reduced. In this way, it is possible to suppress the situation where a vortex is generated upstream of the dust sensor unit 12 and dust is detected by the dust sensor unit 12 multiple times.

[layout] Fig. 18 is a perspective view of the self-propelled electric cleaning machine 1 with the upper casing 111 removed, and Fig. 19 is a cross-sectional view of E-E in Fig. 1. In order to make the top and bottom dimensions of the self-propelled electric cleaner 1 small, the top and bottom dimensions of the main body 11 are set to be slightly the same as the top and bottom dimensions of the electric vacuum cleaner 16. As illustrated in FIG. 18, if the upper casing 111 is removed, it is configured to cover a part of the upper surface of the electric blower 16 to look like a convex shape 113. By this, it is helpful to the miniaturization of the upper and lower dimensions of the main body 11. In addition, the bottom surface side of the main body 11 may be provided with a convex shape protruding downward at a position overlapping with the electric blower 16 when viewed from below.

In addition, generally, if the cylindrical electric blower 16 is arranged obliquely, it is necessary to increase the upper and lower dimensions of the main body 11. Therefore, the axial direction of the electric blower 16 is the horizontal direction or from the horizontal direction. Instead, make an offset of ±10 degrees or less, preferably ±5 degrees or less.

Regarding the observation in the axial direction of the electric blower 16, as illustrated in FIG. 19, the rotation axis side of the arm 1141 is located at the inner side of a roughly square area circumscribed to the cylindrical electric blower 16. This area is likely to become a dead space. However, by arranging a part of the arm 1141 in this way, the space is effectively utilized, and the self-propelled electric sweeper 1 can be miniaturized. Moreover, since the exhaust port 1126 is positioned directly below the electric blower 16 or directly below the opening on the downstream side of the electric blower 16, the exhaust air path can be shortened.

The present embodiment is provided with various configurations for achieving miniaturization, and as a result, the vertical dimension can be made close to the vertical dimension of the electric blower 16. Specifically, even if the influence on the size caused by the drive wheel 116 is considered, it is also configured to allow the electric blower 16 to be sized up and down, so that the self-propelled electric sweeper 1 is placed on the ground. The top and bottom dimensions of the self-propelled electric sweeper 1 in the state of, (that is, the top and bottom dimensions of the self-propelled electric sweeper 1 when the arm 1141 is turned upward and the drive wheel 116 is accommodated) is 70% or more, preferably 75 % Or more or in the range of 85% or more.

The upper and lower dimensions of the area surrounded by the upper and lower sides of the upper casing 111 and the lower casing 112 are slightly the same as the upper and lower dimensions of the electric blower 16. Specifically, the upper and lower dimensions of the electric blower 16 are 90% or more of the upper and lower dimensions of the area surrounded by the upper shell 111 and the lower shell 112, and more preferably 95% or more.

In addition, as described above, among the structures placed in the main body 11, the heavier ones are the rechargeable battery 19 and the electric blower 16. Arrangement of the rechargeable battery 19 on the center side tends to hinder wiring and the like. Therefore, 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.

[Rotation speed of side brush 15] The self-propelled electric sweeper 1 is attached to each of the left and right sides, and is provided with a side brush 15. In this embodiment, it is set as the structure which can change the rotation speed of the side brush 15 individually. Specifically, when the self-propelled electric sweeper 1 is performing the wall-side cleaning mode in which the wall position is on the left side, the body is on the same side as the wall position. The rotation speed of the side brush 15 on the left side becomes faster than the rotation speed of the other side brush 15 and is controlled. With this, the system can clean the walls more effectively. The wall cleaning mode can be implemented by various well-known methods. For example, it can be performed by continuously detecting the wall surface (obstacle) by the ranging sensor 210 provided on the left side of the main body 11 Walk control, and realize it. In addition, the same control can be performed even when the wall cleaning mode is being executed in which the wall position is on the right side. In addition, even if the rotation speed of the side brush 15 on the wall side in the wall cleaning mode is controlled to be higher than that in the execution of other control modes, for example, "if a wall or obstacle is detected, the forward course will be changed The same effect can be obtained if the rotation speed in the implementation of the reflective walking mode is higher than the direction in which the wall or obstacle is separated and start walking again.

[Torque of side brush 15] Each of the side brushes 15 is driven by a side brush motor 152 driven by the electric power of the rechargeable battery 19. In this embodiment, as the side brush motor 152, a DC motor is used. For DC motors, even if the time-averaged output voltage is the same value, the higher the duty ratio (the longer the voltage application time) is, the higher the torque can be conducted. If the side brush 15 is in contact with a wall or an obstacle, the torque is reduced due to friction, so the cleaning efficiency is likely to decrease.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, for example, when the wall cleaning mode is being performed so that the wall position is on the left side, it is possible to set the position of the wall to the left side on the same side as the wall position. The energy rate ratio of the side brush motor 152 that transmits torque to the side brush 15 is controlled to be higher than the energy rate ratio of the side brush motor 152 that transmits torque to the other side brush 15.

Also, when the energy of the rechargeable battery 19 decreases and the output voltage decreases, the torque will decrease even if the energy rate ratio is the same. Therefore, the lower the remaining power of the rechargeable battery 19, the lower the energy rate Set the larger.

In addition, for the same reason, the torque to be output is also different depending on the material of the ground. Therefore, the system can also be configured to determine the energy rate ratio according to the type of ground. For example, it can be controlled in a way that the energy rate ratio of carpet cleaning becomes higher than that of floor cleaning.

Furthermore, the system can also be configured such that the larger the number of dust detections of the dust sensor unit 12 is, the more the energy efficiency ratio decreases. With this, in an area where there is a large amount of dust, it is possible to prevent the dust from being scattered due to the side brush 15.

In addition, even if the energy rate ratio of the side brush 15 on the wall side in the wall cleaning mode is controlled to be higher than that in the execution of other control modes, for example, "If a wall or obstacle is detected, change the forward course In order to move away from the wall or obstacle and start walking again, the energy rate in the implementation of the reflective walking mode is higher, and the same effect can be obtained.

[Sensor category] FIG. 24 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the control device 2 of the self-propelled electric sweeping machine 1 and the equipment connected to the control device 2. The bumper sensor (obstacle detection means) is a sensor that detects the bumper 18 backwards (that is, contact with the obstacle).

The distance measuring sensor 210 (obstacle detecting means) illustrated in FIG. 2 and the like is an infrared sensor that detects the distance to the obstacle. In the present embodiment, distance sensors are installed at a total of 5 places of 3 places on the front and 2 places on the side.

The distance measuring sensor 210 is provided with a light-emitting part (not shown) that emits infrared light, and a light-receiving part (not shown) that receives the reflected light of the infrared light reflected by the obstacle and returned. 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 bumper 18 is formed of resin or glass that transmits infrared rays.

The ground ranging sensor 211 (ground detection means) illustrated in FIG. 3, etc. is an infrared sensor that measures the distance to the ground, and is installed on the front, back, left, and right under the lower shell 112 Of 4 locations. More specifically, the tie position is on the front side of the auxiliary wheel 17, the rear side of the rotating brush 14 and the scraping brush 13, the front side of each drive wheel 116, and the outer side in the left-right direction.

By detecting the large step difference of stairs etc. with the ground distance sensor, it is possible to prevent the self-propelled electric sweeper 1 (from the stairs etc.) from falling down. For example, when a level difference of about 30 mm is detected in the front by the ground-use range sensor, the control device 2 controls the walking motor and causes the main body 11 to retreat to switch the forward direction.

In addition, when the ground distance sensor 211 on the front side of the auxiliary wheel 17 (the front end side of the lower housing 112) detects that the distance from the ground is far, and the rear side of the rotating brush 14 (the rear end side of the lower housing 112) When the ground distance sensor 211 detects that the distance to the ground is close, the control device 2 can also make the main body 11 move forward. This is because, in the case of such a combination of detections, it can be inferred that the self-propelled electric sweeper 1 is mostly climbing up the step difference. Similarly, when the ground distance sensor 211 on the front side of the auxiliary wheel 17 detects that the distance to the ground is close, and the ground distance sensor 211 on the back of the rotating brush 14 detects the distance to the ground When the distance is far, the control device 2 can also make the main body 11 move forward. The so-called "near" here, for example, refers to the distance detected by the ground range sensor 211 when the self-propelled electric sweeper C is walking on a flat ground, the so-called "far", For example, it exceeds the distance detected by the ground distance measuring sensor 211 when the self-propelled electric sweeper C is walking on a flat ground. In addition, it is also possible to set one or two appropriate thresholds, and as a result of comparison with this.

The pulse output of the traveling motor shown in FIG. 24 is used to detect the rotation speed and rotation angle of the traveling motor 1161. In addition, the control device 2 calculates the moving speed and moving distance of the main body 11 based on the rotation speed and the rotation angle detected by the pulse output of the walking motor, the gear ratio of the reduction mechanism, and the diameter of the driving wheel 116.

The traveling motor current measuring device is a measuring device that measures the current flowing in the armature winding of the traveling motor 1161. Similarly, the current measuring device for the electric blower measures the current value of the electric blower 16 and the current measuring device for the rotating brush motor measures the current value of the rotating brush motor 1133. The two current measuring devices for the side brush motor measure the current value of the side brush motor 152. Each current measuring device 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 the abnormality of foreign matter entangled in the rotating brush and cause the rotation to stop, and to report to the user by operating the key.

In addition, it is performed "based on the current value of the rotating brush motor 1133 to detect the state of the ground on which the main body 11 is walking, and for example, if it is recognized that it is on a carpet that is difficult to pick up garbage, the input of the electric blower 16 is increased , Which increases the number of rotations and increases the attractive force, and further increases the number of rotations of the rotating brush, which effectively improves the dust collection performance. Moreover, on the floor where the garbage is easy to pick up, the electric blower 16 is installed. The input is set to be small to suppress the number of rotations, and then the number of rotations of the rotating brush is also suppressed, and the power consumption of the rechargeable battery 19 is suppressed" control (FIG. 31).

If dust is detected by the dust sensor unit 12, the input of the electric blower 16 is increased for a certain period of time to increase the number of rotations (FIG. 31). The control that determines the input increase time (for example, extension) of the electric blower 16 according to the detected amount of dust is not performed. By this, the power consumption of the electric blower 16 can be suppressed. In addition, by matching the rotation number of the electric blower to increase the rotation number of the rotating brush, it is possible to further improve the dust collection performance compared to the case where only the rotation number of the electric blower is increased. In addition, if a larger amount of dust is detected, the main body is rotated 180 degrees with R50, and the main body is moved before about 250mm, and then rotated 180 degrees with a large radius R150, and proceed again Advance before 250mm (Figure 31). Here, since the size of the self-propelled electric sweeper is 250mm in length×250mm in width×92mm in height, after rotating with R50, it passes through a place where there is a garbage reaction again (passing through the same place). ), so the system can reliably pick up garbage. In addition, after rotating with R150, since the position where the self-propelled electric sweeper is operating before the sensor reacts, the position is shifted laterally by the amount of the main body. It becomes possible to clean the surrounding area where there is a garbage reaction (Figure 31). With this, it is possible to efficiently remove garbage by controlling the output of the electric blower 16 and the movement of the self-propelled electric sweeper, and it becomes possible to suppress the power consumption. In addition, in this embodiment, when the dust sensor unit detects dust and the dust reaches a certain threshold value or more, it counts 1, and it becomes 3 within 1 second. In the case of, the input of the electric blower is increased to increase the number of rotations, and the number of rotations of the rotating brush is also increased. When it reaches 6, the operation is also performed.

[Drive device] The traveling motor driving device (left) (right) shown in Fig. 24 is an inverter that drives the traveling motors 1161 on the left and right sides or a pulse waveform generating device caused by PWM control, and corresponds to the slave control device 2. Act upon instructions. The same applies to the electric blower driving device, the rotating brush motor driving device, and the side brush motor driving device (left) (right). These driving devices are installed at the control device 2 (refer to FIG. 2) in the main body 11.

[Control device 2] The control device 2 is, for example, a microcomputer (Microcomputer, not shown), and reads the program stored in the ROM (Read Only Memory) and expands it in the RAM (Random Access Memory), and makes the CPU (Central Processing Unit) performs various processing. The control device 2 performs calculation processing in response to signals input from the switch sheet 22 (refer to FIG. 1) and the aforementioned sensors, and outputs command signals to the aforementioned driving devices.

Above, the embodiment of the self-propelled electric cleaning machine of the present invention has been shown and explained in detail. In addition, the content of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment. Of course, changes, modifications, etc. can be appropriately made within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention. In addition, in this embodiment, although a self-propelled cleaning machine is used as an example, the same effect can be obtained even if it is applied to canister, rod, and hand-held cleaning machines.

<Embodiment 2> The configuration of the second embodiment can be the same as that of the first embodiment except for the following points. [Switch sheet 22] Fig. 25 is a perspective view of the self-propelled electric cleaning machine 1 with the upper case 11 removed, and Fig. 26 is a self-propelled type with the switch sheet 22 further removed from the state of Fig. 25 The perspective view of the electric cleaning machine 1, FIG. 27(a) is a front perspective view of the switch sheet 22, and FIG. 27(b) is a back perspective view of the switch sheet 22.

The switch sheet 22 is arranged between the upper case 111 and the control board 21. The control board 21 is located at the lower side of the upper shell 111 in the main body 11. In addition, between the control board 21 and the switch sheet 22, a resin support plate 80 on which the switch sheet 22 is placed is provided. The switch sheet 22 is provided with operation keys 221 and 222 for outputting operation signals corresponding to the operation of the user to the control device 2, and a soft part 223. As the operation keys 221 and 222, a circular operation key 221 having a circular shape and a ring-shaped operation key 222 surrounding the circular operation key 221 are provided. By pressing the operation keys 221 and 222, a signal can be output to the control device 2. The operation keys 221 and 222 and the soft portion 223 are assembled in advance and formed as a single member. The operation keys 221 and 222 are exposed on the top of the self-propelled electric sweeper 1. The operation keys 221 and 222, for example, can be provided with a function of outputting signals to the control device 2 to turn on/off the power, start/end cleaning, and change the cleaning mode. The soft portion 223 surrounds the peripheries of the operation keys 221 and 222, and can be, for example, a flexible rubber member. By placing the soft part 223 on the support plate 80 and pinching the soft part 223 by the upper shell 111 and the support plate 80, the operation key 221 exposed on the self-propelled electric sweeper 1 can be exposed to water droplets. , 222 suppresses the intrusion from nearby. By configuring in this way, the operation keys 221 and 222 can be exposed on the self-propelled electric sweeper 1 while suppressing the intrusion of water droplets, etc., so that the waterproof member can be integrated The need to surround the push-type operation keys 221, 222 and the like is reduced, so the design can be improved.

The soft part 223 is provided with one or more through holes 2231. A light emitting part (not shown) such as an LED is provided on the side opposite to the upper case 111 across the through hole 2231. The light emitting part may be provided at the control board 21, for example. By changing the color of the light emitted by the light-emitting part in response to pressing the operation keys 221, 222, it is possible to notify the user that the control device 2 has realized the operation caused by the operation keys 221, 222 . The through hole 2231 is separated from the operation keys 221 and 222 when viewed from the front of the switch sheet 22. By this, it is possible to suppress the intrusion of water droplets into the through holes 2231.

The display panel driving device is a device that applies a voltage to the electrodes of the display panel in response to a command from the control device 2 and makes the light emitting part emit light. The light-emitting part, for example, displays the operating state mode (automatic or manual) and status (whether garbage removal is required, report of the remaining charge value) of the self-propelled electric cleaner 1, the timer appointment time, and the input mode of the electric vacuum cleaner ( Strong, medium, weak) etc.

The support plate 80 is provided with a through hole 801 at a position overlapping with each of the operation keys 221 and 222. In addition, the operation keys 221 and 222 are provided with protrusions 2211, 2221 and supporting protrusions 2232 on the back side. By supporting the protrusions 2232, the protrusions 2211, 2221 are in contact with the switches of the control board 21 when the operation keys 221, 222 are not pressed, and the operation keys 221, 222 are pressed. In the lower state, the protrusions 2211 and 2221 enter the through hole 801 and can make contact with the switch of the control board 21. In addition, a through hole 802 is also provided at a position overlapping the above-mentioned light emitting portion and through hole 2231.

In addition, the operation keys 221 and 222 are not provided with a display unit for notifying detection of dust. Since the input mode of the electric blower is changed if dust is detected, it is used together with the input mode display part of the electric blower. With this, the cost of the display unit can be reduced.

The rechargeable battery 19 is, for example, a secondary battery that can be reused by charging, and is housed in the battery accommodating part 115 (refer to FIG. 4). The 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 can be the same as that of Embodiment 1 or 2, except for the following points. [Shape of side brush 15] FIG. 28 is a perspective view of the side brush 15 and FIG. 29 is a diagram showing the state where the side brush 15 is bent. The root elastic portion 153 of the side brush 15 has a shape that makes the thin portion 1531 on the side of the side brush holder 151 side (root side) become thinner than the thick portion 1532 on the side of the bristle portion 154 . However, since the thin portion 1531 and the side brush holder 151 are connected, the thick portion 1532 and the bristle portion 154 can be easily flexed by using the thin portion 1531 as an axis. Therefore, even if the power cord and the like are in contact with the side brush 15, as illustrated in FIG. 29, by bending the thin portion 1531 as a shaft, the side brush 15 is likely to not be entangled with the power cord, etc. And continue to rotate.

In addition, the dimension (length dimension) of the root elastic portion 153 along the bristle portion 154 is set when the self-propelled vacuum cleaner S is placed on the ground, even if the root elastic portion 153 is bent toward the ground Can not reach the length of the ground. By this, for example, even if a power cord or the like is in contact with the side brush 15 and the side brush 15 is bent, it is possible for the root elastic portion 153 to contact the ground and the side brush 15 can be violently folded back from the root. The state of affairs is suppressed. That is, the root elastic portion 153 is sized in such a way that the front end of the self-propelled electric sweeper 1 does not come into contact with the ground.

Also, 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 between the thin portion 1531 and the thick portion 1532 The difference size) is 1.2mm or less.

(Other technical ideas) This case contains the following technical ideas. In addition, the technical ideas described in the appendix m-n (m and n are natural numbers) can be combined arbitrarily as long as they are not hindered in context. In addition, the so-called "electric sweeper" disclosed below means an electric sweeper including the so-called canister type or rod type.

[Supplement 1-1] A self-propelled electric sweeper is provided with a suction port with a suction port and a dust box with a main storage section. Part or all of the path from the suction port to the main storage section is achieved by The aforementioned dust box is surrounded by an integrated pipeline.

According to Supplement 1-1, it is possible to provide a self-propelled electric sweeper with increased dust collection volume.

[Supplement 1-2] The self-propelled electric cleaning machine described in appendix 1-1, wherein the suction port is provided with a suction pipe that forms a part of the path from the suction port to the main reservoir, and the suction pipe The length of the road is shorter than the length of the aforementioned pipeline.

[Supplement 1-3] The self-propelled electric sweeper described in appendix 1-1 or 1-2, wherein, in the path from the suction port to the main storage part, it is equipped with the dust box and the suction port. In the dust sensor unit of a different member, the pipeline forms a longer path than the path formed by the dust sensor unit among the paths from the suction port to the main storage part.

[Supplement 1-4] A dust sensor unit is provided with a frame, a light-emitting part and a light-receiving part arranged at the frame and facing each other, and an adhesion member installed at the frame.

[Supplement 1-5] A dust box is integrally provided with a box-shaped main storage portion and a pipeline extending diagonally downward from the main storage portion, and is provided with a backflow suppression valve capable of opening and closing the pipeline. The reverse flow suppression valve is equipped with a main surface, a protrusion, and a pressing portion.

[Supplement 2-1] A self-propelled electric cleaning machine is provided with: an electric blower; and a suction part with a suction port; and a light-emitting part and a light-receiving part facing each other, and the light-emitting part and the light-receiving part detect passing The dust sensor unit of the dust; and the dust box, and the cross-sectional area perpendicular to the main direction of the main direction of air flow driven by the electric blower is directed from the upstream side of the suction port The dust sensor unit becomes smaller and becomes larger from the dust sensor unit toward the dust box.

According to Supplement 2-1, it is possible to provide a self-propelled electric cleaning machine equipped with a dust sensor unit that can effectively detect the amount of dust passing through. The aforementioned Patent Document 1 shows that the cross-sectional area is clearly reduced from the garbage detection sensor to the garbage can unit. If it is constructed like this, since the cross-sectional area of the downstream side of the garbage detection sensor is small, the air volume will be reduced. However, since the detection sensor is not located in such a small cross-sectional area, There is still room for improvement in the accuracy of dust detection. The same applies to Patent Document 2 mentioned above. In addition, Patent Document 3 mentioned above only has a description that the cross-sectional area is slightly constant.

[Supplement 2-2] The self-propelled electric cleaning machine described in appendix 2-1, wherein the cross-sectional area of the part facing the light-emitting part and the light-receiving part among the suction port, the dust sensor unit, and the dust box Department is slightly smallest or smallest.

[Supplement 2-3] The self-propelled electric sweeper described in appendix 2-1 or 2-2, wherein the dust box is provided with a pipeline formed integrally, and the dimensions in the main direction are compared with the aforementioned The dust sensor unit and the aforementioned pipeline is longer.

[Supplement 3-1] An electric cleaning machine is provided with a dust box having a main storage chamber and a handle that can be rotated with a rotating shaft as an axis. The handle is provided with a dust box that can be rotated and contacted with the electric cleaning machine. The point of action is the point of action of the force applied to the handle.

According to Supplement 3-1, it is possible to provide an electric cleaning machine that can easily remove the dust box.

[Supplement 4-1] An electric cleaning machine is provided with a dust box that can be freely attached to and removed from the main body. The main body, in a state where the dust box is installed in the main body, is provided with the dust box and the dust box. As an enclosed area, in this area, small props are contained.

According to Supplement 4-1, it is possible to provide an electric cleaning machine that can contain small props, and preferably is a small prop connected to the dust box.

[Supplement 4-2] The electric cleaning machine described in Supplement 4-1, wherein the small tool is a brush provided with a curved shape along the side surface of the main body.

[Supplement 5-1] A self-propelled electric cleaning machine is provided with a suction port for accommodating a rotating brush, and an airtight member arranged on the lower side of the rotating brush and the suction port, and the airtight member is pushed downward It is pressed and shaken with respect to the rotating brush and the suction port.

According to Supplement 5-1, a small self-propelled electric sweeper can be provided.

[Supplement 5-2] A self-propelled electric sweeper, wherein the airtight member is provided with a removal claw, and if the removal claw is moved in the left-right direction, the airtight member can be removed from the self-propelled electric cleaning machine under.

[Supplement 6-1] A self-propelled electric sweeping machine is provided with a lower shell, and two drive wheels mounted on the side of the lower shell, and are arranged in front of or behind the drive wheel and between the two drive wheels A rotating brush with a rotating shaft in a direction parallel to the opposing direction, the distance between the ends of the drive wheel and the rotating brush is 20mm or less, and it is equipped with a brush installed directly in front of the drive wheel Or right behind and a rear protrusion on the extension line of the rotation shaft, and/or a central protrusion provided between the two driving wheels.

According to Supplement 6-1, it is possible to provide a self-propelled electric sweeper that can suppress the embedding of obstacles.

[Supplement 7-1] A self-propelled electric sweeper is provided with: an electric blower installed in an upper shell and a lower shell, and a drive wheel installed at the side of the lower shell. The drive wheel is designed to make contact with the ground. In the mounted self-propelled electric sweeping machine, the axial direction of the electric blower is horizontal or inclined at 10 degrees or less with respect to the horizontal direction, and the upper shell and/or the lower shell are attached to the electric blower In the vicinity of the upper and lower end surfaces, there are recesses in the direction separating from the electric blower.

According to Supplement 7-1, a small self-propelled electric sweeper can be provided.

[Supplement 7-2] The self-propelled electric sweeper described in appendix 7-1, wherein the ratio of the upper and lower dimensions of the electric blower with respect to the area surrounded by the upper and lower sides of the upper casing and the lower casing is 0.90 the above.

[Supplement 7-3] The self-propelled electric sweeper described in appendix 7-2, which is provided with a drive wheel provided on the side of the lower housing and a drive mechanism that rotates the drive wheel, the upper housing and the lower housing The upper and lower dimensions of the enclosed area are equivalent to more than 70% of the upper and lower dimensions when the self-propelled electric sweeper is placed on the ground and the drive wheels are in contact with the ground.

[Supplement 8-1] A self-propelled electric sweeper, which is provided with: two drive wheels, an electric blower, and a rechargeable battery, and a brush with a rotating shaft in the horizontal direction. For the front and rear directions, the aforementioned electric blower and the two aforementioned drives The wheel is located on the central side of the self-propelled electric sweeper, the rechargeable battery is located on one side relative to the electric blower, and the brush is located on the other side relative to the electric blower. Where, the aforementioned brushes are equipped with heavy objects inside.

According to Supplement 8-1, it is possible to provide a self-propelled electric sweeper capable of arranging an electric blower at the center while achieving a balance of the center of gravity.

[Supplement 9-1] A self-propelled electric sweeper is provided with a DC motor that transmits power to the side brush and a sensor that detects the wall surface. The aforementioned DC motor is used to make the self-propelled electric sweeper walk on the wall In the implementation of the wall cleaning mode, the control is implemented to increase the rotation speed of the side brush or increase the energy rate ratio of the DC motor.

According to Supplement 9-1, the cleaning efficiency in the wall cleaning mode can be improved.

[Supplement 9-2] A self-propelled electric sweeper is equipped with a DC motor that transmits power to the side brushes, and a sensor that detects the type of ground by dividing it into 2 or more. The aforementioned DC motor is based on the aforementioned sensor. The type of ground detected by the sensor is used to control the rotation speed of the aforementioned side brush or to control the energy rate of the aforementioned DC motor.

According to Supplement 9-2, it can be cleaned more appropriately according to the type of ground.

[Supplement 9-3] A self-propelled electric sweeper is provided with 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 DC motor is combined with the DC motor to make the sense It is controlled by the way that the negative correlation between the number of dust detected by the detector and the energy rate ratio of the aforementioned DC motor is established.

According to Supplement 9-3, in areas with a lot of dust, the side brush can prevent dust from being scattered.

[Supplement 10-1] An electric cleaning machine is provided with a rotating brush that is rotated with a horizontal direction as a shaft by a motor. The rotating brush is provided with adjacent tufts and non-woven fabrics. The direction of rotation caused by the motor is adjusted The aforementioned non-woven fabric is installed in a way that it contacts the ground first compared to the aforementioned flocking.

According to Supplement 10-1, it is possible to provide an electric cleaning machine equipped with a rotating brush that suppresses entanglement of hair and the like.

[Supplement 10-2] The electric cleaning machine described in Supplement 10-1, wherein the non-woven fabric is provided with slits extending in the radial direction of the rotating brush.

[Supplement 11-1] An electric cleaning machine is provided with a side brush. The side brush has a bristle part that rotates with a side brush holder as a shaft. Between the bristle part and the side brush holder, the body is an elastic body. The root elastic part is provided as a member integral with the aforementioned side brush holder.

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

[Supplement 11-2] An electric sweeper, wherein the side brush is arranged at the lower shell of the electric sweeper, and the length of the elastic part of the root is longer from the ground to the bottom when the electric sweeper is grounded. The length up to the shell is shorter.

According to Supplement 11-2, the system can restrain the side brush from being twisted when the root elastic part contacts the ground and flexes.

[Supplement 12-1] An electric sweeper is provided with an auxiliary wheel for passive rotation. The auxiliary wheel is provided with a fixed shaft fixed to the electric sweeper, and a grounding wheel with the fixed shaft as the rotating shaft, and adjacent to the auxiliary wheel. The disc portion of the grounding wheel, the aforementioned disc portion, has a larger diameter than the fixed shaft and a smaller diameter than the aforementioned grounding wheel.

According to Supplement 12-1, the system can suppress the situation where hair etc. are entangled at the fixed shaft.

[Supplement 13-1] A machine is provided with: a switch sheet having operation keys and a soft part, a housing, a control substrate, and a support plate. The support plate is located on one side of the control substrate. The soft part is Being sandwiched between the supporting plate and the housing, the operation keys are exposed from the housing.

According to Supplement 13-1, it is possible to provide a machine that can improve the design of the operation keys while also suppressing the intrusion of water into the casing. As the machine, the system is not limited to a self-propelled electric sweeper, and various well-known electronic machines can be used.

[Supplement 14-1] An electric cleaning machine is provided with a dust box having a backflow suppression valve provided at an opening. The backflow suppression valve is provided with a main surface capable of closing the opening and facing the main surface to make the opening The pressing part that is pressed in the direction of the occlusion, and the protrusion extending in a direction substantially parallel to the main surface and reaching the outside of the opening. The pressing part is defined as the longitudinal direction of the backflow suppression valve The rotating shaft can be rotated by pushing the main surface. The electric sweeper is provided with a reverse thrust that comes into contact with the protruding portion and can apply force to the main surface in the direction of opening the opening Pressure department.

[Supplement 14-2] The electric sweeper described in Supplement 14-1, wherein the aforementioned reverse pressing part is a guide step difference as a step difference provided at the electric sweeper, and the aforementioned reverse flow suppression valve is installed in In the state of the electric sweeper, it is housed in a gap provided above the rotating brush.

[Supplement 14-3] The electric cleaning machine described in appendix 14-1 or 14-2, wherein the dust collection box is located on the downstream side of the opening and has a vertical portion extending in the up and down direction.

[Supplement 15-1] A self-propelled electric sweeper is equipped with a lower shell, a bumper set on the side, and controls the driving wheel to walk autonomously. It is equipped with a position on the whole or a little around the side. The bumper is a resin bumper frame on the outer peripheral side.

1: Self-propelled electric sweeper 11: body 111: upper shell 112: lower shell 1121: Side brush installation part 1122: auxiliary wheel mounting part 1123: rear protrusion 1124: Central front protrusion 1125: Central posterior protrusion 1126: exhaust port 1127: bumper frame 1128: Installation claw locking part 113: Suction 1131: suction 1133: Rotating brush motor 114: Drive mechanism housing section 1141: Arm (suspension system) 1142: speed reduction mechanism 115: battery storage 116: drive wheel 1161: Walking Motor 117: Front cover 118: Airtight component 1181: Bridge Department 1182: Shake the axis 1183: Frame 1184: remove claw 1185: Pushing Department 1186: Passive Roller 119: Guidance Step Difference 1101: gap 1102: Props Containment Department 12: Dust sensor unit 121: box 122: light-emitting part 1221: Light-emitting element 123: Light Receiving Department 1232: light receiving element 1239: Transparent resin cover 124: Closed member 125: Wiring 126: Connector 127: Substrate 13: Scrape brush 14: Rotating brush 141: Shaft 142: Flock 143: Non-woven 1431: Slit 15: side brush 151: Side brush supporter 152: Side brush motor 153: Root elastic part 1531: slender 1532: thick part 154: Bristles 155: Installation claw 16: Electric blower 161: Elastomer 17: auxiliary wheels 171: Grounding part 172: Disc Department 173: fixed shaft 18: bumper 19: Rechargeable battery 2: control device 21: Control board 210: Sensor class (range sensor) 211: Sensors (ranging sensors for ground use) 22: switch sheet 221: Circular operation key 222: Ring operation key 4: dust box 41: main storage room 42: Pipeline 421: Upright 43: handle 431: Control Department 432: Anti-drop part 433: action point 434: Card Stop 44: Reverse flow suppression valve 441: main face 442: protrusion 443: Pushing Department 45: cover 46: Filter 80: Support board 90: Centerline 91: Arrow 92: Dimensions of the main direction of the dust sensor unit 93: Dimensions of the other end of the pipeline (inclined dimensions) 94: Dimensions of one end of the pipeline (upper and lower dimensions)

[Fig. 1] It is a perspective view of the self-propelled electric cleaning machine in the first embodiment. [Fig. 2] It is a perspective view of the electric cleaning machine of the first embodiment with the upper case and dust box removed. [Figure 3] is a bottom view of the self-propelled electric sweeper of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] is the A-A cross-sectional view of Figure 1. [Figure 5] is a perspective view of the suction port, dust sensor unit, and dust box of the self-propelled electric sweeper of Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] is an exploded view of the suction port, dust sensor unit, and dust box of the self-propelled electric sweeper of Embodiment 1. [Fig. 7] It is a front view of the dust sensor unit of the self-propelled electric sweeper of the first embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a side view of the dust sensor unit of the self-propelled electric sweeper of the first embodiment. [Fig. 9] It is the C-C cross-sectional view of Fig. 7. [Figure 10] is the D-D sectional view of Figure 8. [Figure 11] is a perspective view of the dust box at the main body of the self-propelled electric sweeper of the first embodiment. [Figure 12] is a perspective view of the dust box at the main body of the self-propelled electric sweeper in the first embodiment. [Fig. 13] is a perspective view of the area where the dust box is installed in the main body of the self-propelled electric cleaning machine of the first embodiment. [Figure 14(a)] is an enlarged view of the important part of Figure 12. [Figure 14(b)] is an enlarged view of the important part of Figure 12. [Figure 15] is a B-B sectional view of Figure 5. [Figure 16] It is a perspective view of the first embodiment including the small item storage section and small items. [Figure 17] is a perspective view of the rear side of the body with the dust box installed in the first embodiment. [Fig. 18] It is a perspective view of the self-propelled electric cleaning machine with the upper case removed in the first embodiment. [Figure 19] is the E-E cross-sectional view of Figure 1. [Figure 20] is a perspective view of the rotating brush of the first embodiment. [Figure 21] is an enlarged perspective view of the auxiliary wheel of the first embodiment. [Fig. 22] is an exploded perspective view in a state where the airtight member of Embodiment 1 is removed from the main body. [Fig. 23] It is a perspective view of the back of the airtight member of the first embodiment. [Fig. 24] It is a structural diagram showing the control device of the self-propelled electric sweeping machine and the equipment connected to the control device in the first embodiment. [Figure 25] It is a perspective view of the self-propelled electric sweeper with the upper case removed in the second embodiment. [Figure 26] It is a perspective view of the self-propelled electric sweeper with the switch sheet removed from the state of Figure 25. [Fig. 27(a)] is a front perspective view of the switch sheet 22 of the second embodiment. [Fig. 27(b)] is a perspective view of the back of the switch sheet 22 of the second embodiment. [Figure 28] is a perspective view of the side brush of the third embodiment. [Fig. 29] It is a side view of the side brush of the third embodiment when it is bent. [Figure 30] It is an action diagram of the main body of the self-propelled electric cleaner when the dust sensor unit of Embodiment 1 responds. [Fig. 31] It is a diagram showing the attractiveness of the electric blower of the self-propelled electric sweeper according to the type of floor and garbage in the first embodiment.

Claims (4)

A self-propelled electric sweeper, which is equipped with: a rotating brush, which is driven by a rotating brush motor; and a suction port, which has a suction port; and an electric blower, which generates negative pressure and attracts; and dust collection The box has a main storage part, part or all of the path from the suction port to the main storage part is surrounded by a pipeline integrated with the dust box, and the suction port is provided with The suction port pipeline that forms part of the path from the suction port to the main storage section is arranged in the path from the suction port to the main storage section to be opposite to the dust box and the suction port. For the dust sensor unit of a different individual, if the aforementioned dust sensor unit responds to a certain amount of dust, the rotation number of the electric blower will increase, and the attractive force will increase. Its characteristic is: in accordance with the rotation number of the electric blower , The rotation number of the rotating brush also increases. A self-propelled electric sweeper, which is equipped with: a rotating brush, which is driven by a rotating brush motor; and a suction port, which has a suction port; and an electric blower, which generates negative pressure and attracts; and dust collection The box has a main storage part, one part of the path from the suction port to the main storage part Part or all are surrounded by a pipe integrated with the dust box, and the suction port is provided with a suction pipe that forms a part of the path from the suction port to the main storage section, In the path from the suction port to the main storage section, a dust sensor unit that is different from the dust box and the suction port is arranged. If the dust sensor unit responds to a certain amount of dust When a reaction occurs, the number of rotations of the electric blower increases, and the attraction force increases. The characteristic is that the number of rotations of the rotating brush also increases in response to the number of rotations of the electric blower, and if the response of the aforementioned sensor unit becomes Larger, 180-degree reversal with a small radius, and a straight forward walk of approximately the same size as the main body, and then a 180-degree rotation with a large radius, which is slightly the same as the main body Walk straight forward by the amount of size. For example, the self-propelled electric cleaning machine described in item 1 or item 2 of the scope of the patent application, wherein the dust sensor unit is provided with a frame, and a light-emitting part disposed at the frame and facing each other, and The light-receiving part and the adhesion member attached to the frame. For example, the self-propelled electric sweeper described in item 1 or item 2 of the scope of patent application, wherein, if the load of the rotating brush motor becomes more than a certain value, the number of rotations of the electric blower increases, and the number of rotations of the rotating brush It is also rising.

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