U.S. patent application number 11/044259 was filed with the patent office on 2005-08-04 for self-propelled vacuum cleaner.
This patent application is currently assigned to Funai Electric Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Uehigashi, Naoya.
Application Number | 20050166356 11/044259 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34805658 |
Filed Date | 2005-08-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050166356 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Uehigashi, Naoya |
August 4, 2005 |
Self-propelled vacuum cleaner
Abstract
A self-propelled vacuum cleaner having right and left side
brushes for directing dust on a floor surface toward the inside of
the bottom of the cleaner body. The right side brush rotates in a
counterclockwise direction as viewed from top on a rotary shaft,
which is tilted so that the lower end is located toward the right
of and the rear of the cleaner body as compared with the upper end.
The left side brush rotates in a clockwise direction as viewed from
top on a rotary shaft, which is tilted so that the lower end is
located toward the left of and the rear of the cleaner body as
compared with the upper end. The tilted rotary shafts can prevent
the outer portions of the side brushes at their rear portions from
contacting a floor surface, thereby preventing dust collected by
the front portions of the side brushes from being scattered to the
outside of the cleaner body by the rear portions of the
brushes.
Inventors: |
Uehigashi, Naoya; (Osaka,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CROWELL & MORING LLP
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY GROUP
P.O. BOX 14300
WASHINGTON
DC
20044-4300
US
|
Assignee: |
Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
Daito-shi
JP
|
Family ID: |
34805658 |
Appl. No.: |
11/044259 |
Filed: |
January 28, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/319 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 11/4038 20130101;
A47L 11/32 20130101; A47L 11/4041 20130101; A47L 11/4013 20130101;
A47L 11/4011 20130101; A47L 2201/00 20130101; A47L 11/4069
20130101; A47L 5/30 20130101; A47L 11/4002 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
015/319 |
International
Class: |
A47L 005/00; E01H
001/08 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 30, 2004 |
JP |
2004-022413 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A self-propelled vacuum cleaner, comprising: a pair of side
brushes for directing dust on a floor surface toward an inside of a
bottom of a main body of the cleaner, the side brushes including a
right side brush that rotates in a counterclockwise direction, as
viewed from top, on a rotary shaft and a left side brush that
rotates in a clockwise direction, as viewed from top, on a rotary
shaft, wherein the rotary shaft of the right side brush is angled
with respect to a vertical axis of the main body so that a lower
end of the rotary shaft is located toward the right of and the rear
of the main body as compared with an upper end of the rotary shaft,
and wherein the rotary shaft of the left side brush is angled with
respect to the vertical axis of the main body so that a lower end
of the rotary shaft is located toward the left of and the rear of
the main body as compared with an upper end of the rotary
shaft.
2. The self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein
each of the side brushes includes the rotary shaft to be rotated, a
brush holder mounted on a lower end of the rotary shaft, and a
mop-like brush body that spreads out like a truncated cone with an
upper end fixed to the brush holder and a lower end free, and
wherein an inner portion of each of the side brushes comes in
contact with a floor surface under pressure higher than that at an
outer portion of each of the side brushes.
3. The self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, further
comprising a dust collection unit, the dust collection unit
including: a main brush that is located behind the side brushes and
rotates on a shaft extending in a width direction of the main body
so as to bring up dust collected at the inside of the bottom of the
main body by the side brushes; a dust suction fan for sucking the
dust brought up by the main brush; and a dust box for collecting
the dust sucked by the dust suction fan.
4. The self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, further
comprising: obstacle detection means for detecting an obstacle
while the cleaner moves; and position identifying means for
identifying a position of the cleaner while the cleaner moves,
wherein the cleaner moves on and clean a surface while
automatically determining an area to be cleaned based on outputs of
the obstacle detection means and the position identifying means.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a self-propelled vacuum
cleaner, and more particularly to a self-propelled vacuum cleaner
having side brushes for directing dust on a floor surface toward
the inside of the cleaner body.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Self-propelled vacuum cleaners are known that have drive
motors mounted in the main body thereof for driving wheels so as to
clean a surface while controlling movement of the main body by
controlling the drive motors. Especially in recent years,
self-propelled vacuum cleaners capable of autonomous movement have
been developed that can clean a surface while autonomously
determining an area to be cleaned based on output signals of a
plurality of sensors.
[0005] Some of the conventional self-propelled vacuum cleaners have
side brushes. The side brushes are mounted at both sides of a
cleaner body, and rotate on rotary shafts extending in the vertical
direction to sweep dust on a floor surface toward the inside of the
cleaner body. However, in such a conventional self-propelled vacuum
cleaner, since the rotary shafts of the side brushes are arranged
to extend in the vertical direction, the entire surfaces of the
side brushes that face a floor come in contact with the floor.
Accordingly, the side brushes can possibly direct dust, which is
collected at the inside of the cleaner body by the front portions
of the brushes, toward the outside of the cleaner body to scatter
it by the rear portions of the brushes.
[0006] A known self-propelled vacuum cleaner has side brushes with
rotary shafts each mounted to be pivotable about an axis extending
in the front-rear direction of the cleaner body and biased to be
angled with respect to the vertical direction so that the side
brushes come in contact with a floor surface from the outer ends
thereof (see, for example, Japanese laid-open patent publication
HEI 5-228090).
[0007] However, the self-propelled vacuum cleaner as disclosed in
the Japanese laid-open patent publication HEI 5-228090 has the
following problem. The cleaner can keep part of the surfaces of the
side brushes that face a floor from contacting the floor due to the
rotary shafts arranged in the cleaner body to be angled with
respect to the vertical direction, but since the rotary shafts are
biased so that the outer ends of the side brushes come in contact
with a floor, the cleaner cannot prevent the outer end portions of
the side brushes at the rear portions from contacting with a floor.
Accordingly, the cleaner cannot sufficiently prevent dust
scattering at the rear portions of the side brushes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a
self-propelled vacuum cleaner that can prevent dust gathered up by
the front portion of a side brush from being scattered to the
outside of the cleaner body by the rear portion of the side brush,
thereby having improved dust collecting power.
[0009] According to a first aspect of the present invention, the
above object is achieved by a self-propelled vacuum cleaner
comprising: a pair of side brushes for directing dust on a floor
surface toward an inside of a bottom of a main body of the cleaner,
the side brushes including a right side brush that rotates in a
counterclockwise direction, as viewed from top, on a rotary shaft
and a left side brush that rotates in a clockwise direction, as
viewed from top, on a rotary shaft, wherein the rotary shaft of the
right side brush is angled with respect to a vertical axis of the
main body so that a lower end of the rotary shaft is located toward
the right of and the rear of the main body as compared with an
upper end of the rotary shaft, and wherein the rotary shaft of the
left side brush is angled with respect to the vertical axis of the
main body so that a lower end of the rotary shaft is located toward
the left of and the rear of the main body as compared with an upper
end of the rotary shaft.
[0010] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the
rotary shaft of the right side brush rotating in the
counterclockwise direction as viewed from top is tilted so that the
lower end is located toward the right and the rear of the cleaner
body as compared with the upper end while the rotary shaft of the
left side brush rotating in the clockwise direction as viewed from
top is tilted so that the lower end is located toward the left of
and the rear of the cleaner body as compared with the upper end. By
such a configuration, the outer portions of the side brushes at the
rear portions can be prevented from coming in contact with a floor
surface. Therefore, the side brushes can prevent dust gathered up
by the front portions thereof from being scattered to the outside
of the cleaner body by the rear portions thereof.
[0011] Preferably, in the self-propelled vacuum cleaner, each of
the side brushes includes the rotary shaft to be rotated, a brush
holder mounted on a lower end of the rotary shaft, and a mop-like
brush body that spreads out like a truncated cone with an upper end
fixed to the brush holder and a lower end free, and an inner
portion of each of the side brushes comes in contact with a floor
surface under pressure higher than that at an outer portion of each
of the side brushes.
[0012] By such a configuration, since the inner portions of the
side brushes contact a floor surface under pressure higher than
that at the outer portions of the side brushes, dust collecting
power at the inside of the bottom of the cleaner body can be
enhanced. Further, since the brush body of the side brush is shaped
like a mop to spread out like a truncated cone with the free lower
end, the side brush can cover a relatively large area to be
cleaned. Accordingly, the cleaner can have improved dust collecting
power.
[0013] Preferably, the self-propelled vacuum cleaner further
comprises a dust collection unit, the dust collection unit
including: a main brush that is located behind the side brushes and
rotates on a shaft extending in a width direction of the main body
so as to bring up dust collected at the inside of the bottom of the
main body by the side brushes; a dust suction fan for sucking the
dust brought up by the main brush; and a dust box for collecting
the dust sucked by the dust suction fan.
[0014] Preferably, the self-propelled vacuum cleaner further
comprises: obstacle detection means for detecting an obstacle while
the cleaner moves; and position identifying means for identifying a
position of the cleaner while the cleaner moves, wherein the
cleaner moves on and clean a surface while automatically
determining an area to be cleaned based on outputs of the obstacle
detection means and the position identifying means.
[0015] By such a configuration, the self-propelled vacuum cleaner
autonomously moves on and cleans a surface while automatically
determining an area to be cleaned, so that it generally avoids a
redundant cleaning operation for an already cleaned area. As
described above, the side brushes of the self-propelled vacuum
cleaner can prevent dust gathered up by the front portions thereof
from being scattered to the outside of the cleaner body by the rear
portions thereof. Therefore, dust scattering by the rear portions
of the side brushes toward already cleaned areas can be inhibited,
and thus dust collecting performance of the cleaner can be
improved.
[0016] While the novel features of the present invention are set
forth in the appended claims, the present invention will be better
understood from the following detailed description taken in
conjunction with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a cleaner body of
a self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the
present invention.
[0018] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the cleaner body.
[0019] FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B, and FIG. 3C are a top view, a front view,
and a left side view, respectively, showing a dust collection unit
in the cleaner.
[0020] FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B, and FIG. 4C are a top view, a front view,
and a left side view, respectively, showing a dust collecting
operation of the cleaner.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0021] Referring now to the accompanying drawings, a self-propelled
vacuum cleaner embodying the present invention will be described.
FIG. 1 shows a cleaner body 1 of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner
according to this embodiment, which is a device that autonomously
moves on a floor surface to clean the floor surface. The cleaner
body 1 comprises: a behavior control unit 2 that determines an area
to be cleaned based on output signals of a plurality of sensors S1,
S2, etc. and controls a cleaning operation of the cleaner body 1;
and a dust collection unit 3 that moves around a floor surface
based on control signals from the behavior control unit 2 to remove
dust from the floor. In FIG. 1, the cleaner body 1 comprising the
behavior control unit 2 and the dust collection unit 3 is separated
into the behavior control unit 2 and the dust collection unit 3 for
purposes of illustration.
[0022] The dust collection unit 3 comprises a pair of side brushes
30R and 30L provided at right and left sides of the cleaner body 1
for directing dust on a floor surface toward the inside of the
bottom of the cleaner body 1, side brush motors 34 that rotates the
side brushes 30R and 30L, a main brush 40 that brings up the dust
collected at the inside of the bottom of the cleaner body 1 by the
side brushes 30R and 30L, a main brush motor 41 that rotates the
main brush 40, a roller 42 that rotates following the rotation of
the main brush 40, a dust suction fan 51 that sucks the dust
brought up by the main brush 40, and a dust box 52 that collects
the dust sucked by the dust suction fan 51.
[0023] The dust collection unit 3 further comprises a right wheel
60R and a left wheel 60L that are provided at both sides of the
cleaner body 1, a right wheel motor 61R and a left wheel motor 61L
that rotate the right and left wheels 60R and 60L, respectively,
and an idler wheel 62 that is located in front of the two wheels
60R and 60L and rotates following the rotation of the two wheels
60R and 60L. The respective components of the dust collection unit
3 will be described in more detail below.
[0024] Referring now to FIG. 2, a block configuration of the
cleaner body 1 will be described. The cleaner body 1 comprises: a
front sensor S1, a ceiling sensor S2, and a step sensor S3 that are
included in obstacle detection means for detecting an object and so
on; and a geomagnetic sensor S4, an acceleration sensor S5, a map
information memory 71 that are included in position identifying
means for identifying the position of the cleaner body 1 while the
cleaner body 1 moves. Each of the front sensor S1, the ceiling
sensor S2, and the step sensor S3 is an optical distance sensor for
example. The front sensor S1 monitors the area in front of the
cleaner body 1 downward diagonally so as to detect and measure
distances to obstacles such as a step, a wall, a pillar, a
furniture, a leg of a table or a bed, and the like. The ceiling
sensor S2 monitors the area in front of the cleaner body 1 upward
diagonally so as to detect obstacles located above and in front of
the cleaner body 1 (as to whether or not it can pass through, under
a table, a bed or the like) and measures heights of and distances
to the obstacles. The step sensor S3 monitors the area slightly in
front of the cleaner body 1 downward diagonally so as to detect and
measure distances to obstacles. The acceleration sensor S5 detects
accelerations acting on the cleaner body 1 in up-down direction,
forward-backward direction and left-right direction,
respectively.
[0025] The cleaner body 1 further comprises an operating unit 72 to
be operated by a user, a controller 73 to control the respective
components of the cleaner body 1, and a battery 74 to supply power
to the cleaner body 1. The operating unit 72 is operated by a user
to start and stop a cleaning operation of the cleaner body 1, and
to make various other settings.
[0026] The controller 73 controls the respective components of the
cleaner body 1 based on output signals of the respective sensors S1
to S5 and so on, and comprises a position and direction
determination section 73a, a movement control section 73b, and a
cleaning operation control section 73c.
[0027] The position and direction determination section 73a creates
map information about already cleaned areas and areas where an
obstacle is present based on outputs of the front sensor S1, the
ceiling sensor S2, and the step sensor S3, and stores the map
information in a map information memory 71. Further, the position
and direction determination section 73a time-integrates an output
value of the acceleration sensor S5 in the forward-backward
direction and thereby calculates a traveling speed of the cleaner
body 1. Based on the calculated traveling speed and a travel time,
the position and direction determination section 73a calculates a
travel distance. The position and direction determination section
73a further determines the direction in which the cleaner body 1
faces based on an output value of the geomagnetic sensor S4 in
accordance with the direction of the geomagnetic field.
[0028] The movement control section 73b controls directions and
speeds of the rotations of the right wheel motor 61R and the left
wheel motor 61L independently so as to control a moving direction
and a traveling speed of the cleaner body 1. The map information
stored in the map information memory 71 is updated at all times
during a cleaning operation so that the cleaner body 1 carries out
the cleaning operation while reading the updated map
information.
[0029] The cleaning operation control section 73c controls the
rotations of the side brush motors 34, the main brush motor 41, and
a dust suction motor 51a that rotates the dust suction fan 51 so as
to adjust the dust collecting power.
[0030] Referring now to FIG. 3, the configuration of the dust
collection unit 3 is described in detail. Each of the side brushes
30R and 30L comprises a rotary shaft 31R or 31L to be rotated by
the side brush motor 34, a brush holder 32R or 32L mounted on the
lower end of the rotary shaft 31R or 31L, and a mop-like brush body
33R or 33L that spreads out like a truncated cone with the upper
end fixed to the brush holder 32R or 32L and the lower end free.
Since the side brushes 30R and 30L have the brush bodies 33R and
33L each shaped like a mop to spread out like a truncated cone with
the free lower end, they can cover a relatively large area to be
cleaned. Accordingly, the cleaner body 1 can have improved dust
collecting power.
[0031] The rotary shaft 31R of the right side brush 30R is tilted,
namely, angled with respect to the vertical axis of the cleaner
body so that the lower end 31a is located toward the right, namely,
outside of and the rear of the cleaner body 1 as compared with the
upper end. The rotary shaft 31L of the left side brush 30L is
tilted, namely, angled with respect to the vertical axis so that
the lower end 31a is located toward the left, namely, outside of
and the rear of the cleaner body 1 as compared with the upper end.
The side brush motors 34 are mounted on the rotary shafts 31R and
31L to rotate the right side brush 30R and the left side brush 30L
in a counterclockwise direction r1 and a clockwise direction r2,
respectively as viewed from top. Thereby, dust on a floor surface
is directed toward the inside of the cleaner body 1.
[0032] The titled rotary shafts 31R and 31L of the side brushes 30R
and 30L allow the inner portions of the side brushes 30R and 30L to
contact a floor surface under pressure higher than that at the
outer portions of the side brushes 30R and 30L, thereby enhancing
the dust collecting power of the cleaner body 1 at the inner
portion of the bottom.
[0033] The main brush 40 is located behind the side brushes 30R and
30L. The main brush 40 is rotated by the main brush motor 41 in a
direction indicated by an arrow r3 about a shaft 40a extending in a
width direction of the cleaner body 1. Thereby, the main brush 40
brings up dust collected at the inside of the bottom of the cleaner
body 1. Disposed in front of the main brush 40 is the roller 42.
The roller 42 rotates in a direction indicated by an arrow r4
following the rotation of the main brush 40. Accordingly, the
roller 42 cooperates with the main brush 40 to bring up the
dust.
[0034] Disposed above the main brush 40 is a nozzle 53. The nozzle
53 sucks the dust brought up by the main brush 40 into the dust box
52, by air flow produced by the dust suction fan 51. The nozzle 53
has a valve 53a at the inlet facing the main brush 40. The valve
53a allows dust to pass through the nozzle only when the dust
suction fan 51 is in operation.
[0035] Referring now to FIG. 4, a cleaning operation of the cleaner
body 1 will be described. The cleaner body 1 carries out a cleaning
operation using the side brushes 30R and 30L, the main brush 40,
the dust suction fan 51 and so on while moving in a forward
direction F by rotating the right and left wheels 60R and 60L. For
example, as the left side brush 30L is rotated in the direction r2,
dust on a position P1 on a floor surface is brought via a position
P2 to the inside of the bottom of the cleaner body 1. Since the
rotary shafts 31R and 31L of the side brushes 30R and 30L are
tilted as described above, the outer portions of the side brushes
30R and 30L at their rear portions can be kept from contacting the
floor surface. Accordingly, dust gathered up by the front portions
of the side brushes 30R and 30L can be prevented from being brought
out to e.g. a position P5. In other words, the side brushes 30R and
30L can prevent dust scattering by the rear portions thereof. As
described above, the autonomous self-propelled vacuum cleaner
stores already cleaned areas to avoid a redundant cleaning
operation for such already cleaned areas. Accordingly, by
preventing the side brushes 30R and 30L from scattering dust toward
already cleaned areas, the dust collecting performance of the
cleaner can be enhanced.
[0036] Dust collected at the inside of the bottom of the cleaner
body 1 by the side brushes 30R and 30L is brought up toward the
inlet of the nozzle 53 that faces the main brush (position P3) by
the main brush 40 and the roller 42. Thereafter, the dust is
transported to a position P4 within the nozzle 53 by the air flow
produced by the dust suction fan 51 so as to be sucked into the
dust box 52.
[0037] The present invention has been described above using a
presently preferred embodiment, but those skilled in the art will
appreciate that various modifications are possible. Accordingly,
all such modifications are intended to be included within the
spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the cleaner
body 1 is not limited to a so-called autonomous vacuum cleaner, but
can be a self-propelled vacuum cleaner having at least a pair of
right and left side brushes.
[0038] This application is based on Japanese patent application
2004-22413 filed in Japan dated Jan. 30, 2004, the contents of
which are hereby incorporated by references.
* * * * *