U.S. patent application number 11/161018 was filed with the patent office on 2007-01-25 for steering control sensor for an automatic vacuum cleaner.
Invention is credited to Jason Yan.
Application Number | 20070017061 11/161018 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37677717 |
Filed Date | 2007-01-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070017061 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yan; Jason |
January 25, 2007 |
STEERING CONTROL SENSOR FOR AN AUTOMATIC VACUUM CLEANER
Abstract
A steering control sensor installed in an automatic vacuum
cleaner for controlling the steering direction of the automatic
vacuum cleaner is disclosed to include a LED for emitting light
onto the floor to produce a reflected light signal, a photo sensor
for receiving the light signal, and a spring-supported contact
member, which allows the photo sensor to receive the light signal
when the automatic vacuum cleaner encounters no obstacle when
moving on the floor, or blocks the light signal from the photo
sensor to cause the photo sensor to output a signal to drive the
automatic vacuum cleaner to change the steering direction when the
automatic vacuum cleaner encounters an obstacle during
movement.
Inventors: |
Yan; Jason; (Taipei,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PAI PATENT & TRADEMARK LAW FIRM
1001 FOURTH AVENUE, SUITE 3200
SEATTLE
WA
98154
US
|
Family ID: |
37677717 |
Appl. No.: |
11/161018 |
Filed: |
July 20, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/319 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 2201/04 20130101;
A47L 9/009 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
015/319 |
International
Class: |
A47L 5/00 20060101
A47L005/00 |
Claims
1. A steering control sensor installed in an automatic vacuum
cleaner and electrically connected to a central processing unit of
said automatic vacuum cleaner for driving said automatic vacuum
cleaner to change the steering direction when said automatic vacuum
cleaner reaches a floor edge or is stopped against an obstacle or a
wall during movement on a floor, the steering control sensor
comprising: a casing mounted in said automatic vacuum cleaner; a
circuit board mounted inside said casing; a light emitting device
installed in said circuit board and adapted to emit light onto the
floor on which said automatic vacuum cleaner is placed, thereby
producing a light signal; a photo sensor installed in said circuit
board and adapted to detect said light signal; and a contact member
mounted in said casing and movable relative to said casing and said
photo sensor between an extended open position where said contact
member receives no external pressure, and a retracted close
position where said contact member is stopped against an external
object; wherein said photo sensor detects the presence of said
light signal and outputs a first signal to the CPU of said
automatic vacuum cleaner when said contact member receives no
external pressure and is moved to said extended open position; and
said contact member blocks said light signal from said photo sensor
and said photo sensor outputs a second signal to the CPU of said
automatic vacuum cleaner when said contact member is stopped
against an external object and moved to said retracted close
position.
2. The steering control sensor as claimed in claim 1, further
comprising a spring member mounted in said casing and adapted to
support said contact member in said extended open position.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1, Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to an automatic vacuum cleaner
and more specifically to a control sensor for use in an automatic
vacuum cleaner to control the steering of the automatic vacuum
cleaner.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Most people spend a lot of time in working and have a
relatively shorter time for entertainment. Therefore, cleaning
one's own house is a heavy work to most people. In order to help
people clean the house without labor, automatic vacuum cleaners
have been developed. These automatic vacuum cleaners move on the
floor automatically, and draw in air and dust together when moving
on the floor. Similar designs are seen in Taiwan Patent Nos.
7220383 and M247107. An automatic vacuum cleaner has multiple
infrared transmitters and receivers for detecting a floor edge or
an obstacle in the traveling path. Because multiple infrared
transmitters and infrared receivers are used, the cost of the
automatic vacuum cleaner is high.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention has been accomplished under the
circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present
invention to provide a steering control sensor for automatic vacuum
cleaner, which automatically drives the automatic vacuum cleaner to
change the steering direction when the automatic vacuum cleaner
reaches a floor edge or encounters an obstacle. To achieve this and
other objects of the present invention, the steering control sensor
is installed in an automatic vacuum cleaner and electrically
connected to a central processing unit of the automatic vacuum
cleaner for driving the automatic vacuum cleaner to change the
steering direction when the automatic vacuum cleaner reaches a
floor edge or is stopped against an obstacle or a wall during
movement on the floor. The steering control sensor comprises a
casing mounted in the automatic vacuum cleaner, a circuit board
mounted inside the casing, a light emitting device installed in the
circuit board and adapted to emit light onto the floor on which the
automatic vacuum cleaner is placed so as to produce a light signal,
a photo sensor installed in the circuit board and adapted to detect
the light signal, and a contact member mounted in the casing and
movable relative to the casing and the photo sensor between an
extended open position where the contact member receives no
external pressure and a retracted close position where the contact
member is stopped against an external object. The photo sensor
detects the presence of the light signal and outputs a first signal
to the CPU of the automatic vacuum cleaner when the contact member
receives no external pressure and is moved to the extended open
position; the contact member blocks the light signal from the photo
sensor and the photo sensor outputs a second signal to the CPU of
the automatic vacuum cleaner when the contact member is stopped
against an external object and moved to the retracted close
position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing a steering control
sensor installed in a vacuum cleaner according to the present
invention.
[0007] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the steering control sensor
according to the present invention.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of the present invention,
showing the contact member of the steering control sensor in the
open position.
[0009] FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3, but showing the contact member
moved to the close position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0010] Referring to FIG. 1, a steering control sensor 100 is
installed in the front bottom side of an automatic vacuum cleaner
to detect the surroundings. The steering control sensor 100 outputs
a signal to the CPU (not shown) of the automatic vacuum cleaner
when the automatic vacuum cleaner moves to a floor edge or is
stopped against an obstacle or a wall, causing the CPU to change
the steering direction of the automatic vacuum cleaner.
[0011] Referring to FIGS. 2.about.4, the steering control sensor
100 comprises a casing 1, a circuit device 2, a light emitting
device 3, a photo sensor 4, and a contact member 5.
[0012] The casing 1 is mounted in the front bottom side of the
vacuum cleaner, defining an accommodating chamber 10.
[0013] The circuit device 2 is a circuit board mounted inside the
accommodating chamber 10 of the casing 1.
[0014] The light emitting device 3 according to this embodiment is
a LED (light emitting diode) soldered to the circuit board 2 and
adapted to emit light onto the floor.
[0015] The photo sensor 4 is installed in the circuit board 2, and
adapted to detect the reflection of the light emitted onto the
floor by the light emitting device 3 and to convert the received
reflected light into a corresponding electronic signal.
[0016] The contact member 5 is supported on a spring member 6 in
the casing 1 and movable relative to the casing 1 between an open
position (the extended position) and a close position (the
retracted position). The contact member 5 has a through hole 51.
When the contact member 5 is in the open (extended) position as
shown in FIG. 3, the through hole 51 is in vertical alignment with
the photo sensor 4, and the photo sensor 4 can catch the light
reflected by the floor. On the contrary, when the contact member 5
is in the close (retracted) position as shown in FIG. 4, the
through hole 51 is not in vertical alignment with the photo sensor
4, i.e., the contact member 5 blocks the reflected light from the
floor, and the photo sensor 4 receives no signal of the reflected
light.
[0017] When the contact member 5 is in the open (extended) position
as the automatic vacuum cleaner is moving on the floor, the photo
sensor 4 keeps receiving the light signal of the light emitted by
the light emitting device 3 and reflected by the floor. When the
automatic vacuum cleaner moves to a floor edge, the photo sensor 4
receives no reflection of light. At this time, the photo sensor 4
outputs a signal to the CPU of the automatic vacuum cleaner,
causing the CPU to change the steering direction of the automatic
vacuum cleaner. Further, if the contact member 5 is stopped against
an obstacle or a wall during forward movement of the automatic
vacuum cleaner, the contact member 5 is forced backwards against
the spring 6 and moved to the close (retracted) position to block
the photo sensor 4, thereby causing the photo sensor 4 to change
the output signal to the CPU of the automatic vacuum cleaner, and
therefore the CPU drives the automatic vacuum cleaner to change the
steering direction.
[0018] As indicated above, with the use of the retractable design
of the contact member 5, the steering control sensor 100
automatically drives the automatic vacuum cleaner to change the
steering direction when the automatic vacuum cleaner reaches a
floor edge or is stopped against an obstacle or a wall during
movement.
[0019] Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been
described in detail for purposes of illustration, various
modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from
the spirit and scope of the invention.
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