Floor surface washing machine and squeegee device resetting method

Abstract

To provide a compact floor surface washing machine capable of suppressing foul water left without being sucked after washing with washing water and an occurrence of a streak of foul water leaking behind a squeegee device due to adhesion failure between the squeegee device and a floor surface, and capable of making quick turns, without increasing the cost of the machine steeply.SOLUTION: A floor surface washing machine 1 which supplies washing water and performs travelling washing for washing a floor surface F while causing a vehicle body 2 to travel includes: a squeegee device 15 for recovering foul water after washing; a storage part 26 for storing a reset condition for performing a reset operation of the squeegee device 15; and a control part 10. When a reset condition is satisfied while travelling washing is performed, the control part 10 functions as a squeegee reset control part 75 for performing, as reset operations, a travelling stop operation for temporarily stopping travelling, a suction backing operation for backing a predetermined first backing distance while continuing foul water sucking by the squeegee device 15 after the travelling stop operation, and a squeegee lifting operation for lifting the squeegee device 15 after the suction backing operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a floor cleaning machine and a method for resetting a squeegee device. [Background technology]

[0002] In the past, self-propelled floor cleaners capable of efficiently cleaning a wide range of floor surfaces have been realized. Recently, so-called cleaning robots equipped with an autonomous traveling function and autonomous floor cleaners that are larger versions of cleaning robots equipped with a floor cleaning function have also been realized.

[0003] Self-propelled floor washer and autonomously traveling floor washer move while spraying cleaning water onto the floor surface, cleaning the floor surface with cleaning members such as brushes and pads, and collecting the wastewater generated after cleaning with the cleaning water using a squeegee device.

[0004] When the cleaning area is large, a ride-on type self-propelled floor washer is used, but the operator riding on the machine is unable to find in a timely manner any missed wastewater collection after cleaning. In addition, when an autonomous floor washer is used, the operator does not constantly monitor the cleaning, and is unable to find in a timely manner any missed wastewater collection after cleaning. Therefore, in either case, it may become necessary to redo the cleaning over a large cleaning area, which may reduce cleaning efficiency. Therefore, self-propelled floor washer and autonomous floor washer that address the missed wastewater collection after cleaning have also been proposed.

[0005] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a cleaning device that is attached to the front of a floor washer. In this cleaning device, in order to eliminate the need for a cleaning operation prior to a cleaning operation even when the cleaning device is turned left and right, a first shaft and a second shaft are rotatably supported by a frame, the first shaft is fixed to the tip of a first arm that extends forward of the floor washer, and the rear end of a second arm having a cleaning tool at its tip is fixed to the second shaft, so that the frame and the second arm rotate in the direction in which the floor washer changes its traveling direction, changing the direction of the cleaning tool.

[0006] Patent Document 2 discloses a floor washer having a squeegee for sucking up dirty cleaning water. In this floor washer, a wiping mat made of water-absorbent and water-retentive microfiber is provided on the rear side of the squeegee in the traveling direction to further absorb the dirty cleaning water that could not be sucked up by the squeegee, in order to eliminate any residual cleaning water or streaks of cleaning water by the squeegee of the floor washer with a simple configuration and to eliminate the need for manual wiping up of residual cleaning water (dirty water) or streaks of cleaning water (dirty water). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-007320 A [Patent Document 2] Utility Model Registration No. 3182733 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, in the conventional floor cleaners such as those in Patent Documents 1 and 2, it is necessary to add cleaning tools and mats, which makes the device larger and less maneuverable. In addition, when these conventional technologies are adopted in an autonomous floor cleaner, an automatic operation mechanism for the cleaning tools and mats is also required, which complicates the structure and increases the product price. Furthermore, in the conventional technologies, the cleaning tools and mats require special care, which reduces the convenience for users.

[0009] In addition, if foreign matter such as cotton dust or hair has accumulated on the floor surface, the foreign matter can get caught between the squeegee device and the floor surface, which can lead to some of the wastewater remaining after suction and collection when the wastewater generated after cleaning with cleaning water is sucked up (remaining collected), or streaks of wastewater leaking out behind the squeegee device due to poor contact between the squeegee device and the floor surface.In particular, with autonomous floor cleaning machines, since the operator cannot visually check each step and reverse the machine to clean again, there is a problem that wastewater is easily left behind or streaks are easily left behind.

[0010] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a floor cleaning machine and a method for resetting a squeegee device that are small and maneuverable, do not increase the product price, and are capable of preventing wastewater from being left behind after cleaning with cleaning water, and preventing streaks of wastewater leaking out behind the squeegee device due to poor adhesion between the squeegee device and the floor surface. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to solve the above problems, a first floor washer of the present invention is a floor washer that performs traveling cleaning by supplying cleaning water to wash a floor surface while traveling a vehicle body, and is characterized in that it comprises a squeegee device that collects wastewater after cleaning, a memory unit that stores reset conditions for performing a reset operation of the squeegee device, and a control unit that, when the reset conditions are satisfied while the traveling cleaning is being performed, performs, as the reset operation, a traveling stop operation that temporarily stops traveling, a suction backward operation that travels backward a predetermined first backward distance while continuing to suction the wastewater by the squeegee device after the traveling stop operation, and a squeegee lifting operation that lifts the squeegee device after the suction backward operation.

[0012] The first floor washer of the present invention is configured as described above, is small and maneuverable, and is constructed without increasing the product price. By using the suction reverse operation and reset operation, the squeegee raising operation can separate foreign matter that has become caught between the squeegee device and the floor surface from the squeegee device and drop it to the floor surface, thereby preventing wastewater from being left behind and preventing streaks of wastewater from occurring.

[0013] In order to solve the above problems, in the second floor cleaning machine of the present invention, the control unit executes, as the travel stopping operation, a cleaning stop operation in which the cleaning member that cleans the floor surface is moved away from the floor surface and the supply of the cleaning water is stopped, and a preparatory forward movement operation in which, after the cleaning stop operation, the cleaning member moves forward a predetermined preparatory forward distance and then stops travelling.

[0014] According to the second floor washer of the present invention, after performing the preparatory forward movement, the above-mentioned suction backward movement or the preparatory backward movement described below is performed, so that the position at which the traveling cleaning, including the suction movement by the suction blower, is resumed can be prevented from changing significantly from the position at which the traveling cleaning was interrupted by the reset movement.

[0015] In order to solve the above problems, in the third floor cleaning machine of the present invention, the control unit executes, as the reset operation, a preliminary reverse operation in which the device further travels backward a predetermined second reverse distance after the suction reverse operation and the squeegee lifting operation.

[0016] According to the third floor washer of the present invention, the traveling cleaning can be resumed from the position where the machine has moved backward by the preliminary backward movement action, rather than the position where foreign objects would fall onto the floor surface by the suction backward movement action and the squeegee lifting action. Therefore, foreign objects that have fallen onto the floor surface by the reset action can be reliably collected by the squeegee device, and it is possible to prevent wastewater from remaining unsucked and the occurrence of wastewater streaks.

[0017] In order to solve the above problems, in a fourth floor washer of the present invention, the control unit executes, as the reset operation, a squeegee vibration operation for further vibrating the squeegee device after the squeegee lifting operation.

[0018] According to the fourth floor washer of the present invention, foreign matter adhering to the squeegee device can be more reliably dropped and collected.

[0019] In order to solve the above problem, in a fifth aspect of the floor washer of the present invention, the control unit determines that the reset condition is satisfied when the elapsed distance of the cleaning travel is equal to or greater than a predetermined elapsed distance threshold.

[0020] According to the fifth floor washer of the present invention, by referring to the elapsed distance of the traveling cleaning, the squeegee device can be reset before a significant amount of foreign matter accumulates, which may become caught between the squeegee device and the floor surface, thereby efficiently preventing wastewater from being left behind and the occurrence of wastewater streaks.

[0021] In order to solve the above problems, in the sixth floor cleaning machine of the present invention, a turbidity determination unit is further provided which detects the turbidity of the wastewater sucked by the squeegee device, and the control unit changes the reset condition according to the turbidity.

[0022] According to the sixth floor cleaning machine of the present invention, by changing the reset conditions according to the turbidity of the wastewater, the frequency of the reset operation of the squeegee device can be adapted to the cleaning conditions, and the remaining wastewater and the occurrence of wastewater streaks can be appropriately suppressed.

[0023] In order to solve the above problems, in the seventh floor cleaning machine of the present invention, the memory unit stores, together with the reset condition, a reset suppression condition for suppressing execution of the reset operation of the squeegee device, and the control unit suspends execution of the reset operation when the reset suppression condition is satisfied even when the reset condition is satisfied.

[0024] According to the seventh floor washer of the present invention, when the state is not appropriate, the reset operation of the squeegee device is suppressed, whereas when the state is appropriate, the reset operation is executed.

[0025] In order to solve the above problems, in an eighth floor washer of the present invention, the storage unit stores, as the reset suppression condition, that the traveling state of the vehicle body is turning traveling.

[0026] According to the eighth floor washer of the present invention, when the vehicle body is in a turning motion, the reset operation of the squeegee device is suppressed since the driving condition is not appropriate, whereas when the driving condition is appropriate, the reset operation can be performed.

[0027] In order to solve the above problem, in a ninth floor washer of the present invention, the storage unit stores, as the reset suppression condition, a traveling state of the vehicle body being traveling after a step.

[0028] According to the ninth floor cleaning machine of the present invention, when the vehicle body's traveling condition is traveling after a step, the condition is deemed to be inappropriate and the reset operation of the squeegee device is suppressed, whereas when the condition is appropriate, the reset operation can be performed.

[0029] In order to solve the above problem, in the tenth floor cleaning machine of the present invention, the squeegee device is formed long in the left-right direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the vehicle body, and is rotatably arranged between a neutral position in which a connecting arm connecting the squeegee device to the vehicle body is oriented along the traveling direction of the vehicle body and a rotational position in which the connecting arm is tilted to the left or right with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle body, and further includes a neutral movement mechanism that presses a part of the connecting arm or a neutral moving body provided on the connecting arm against a neutral guide portion provided on the bottom of the vehicle body in a curved state along the rotational direction of the connecting arm, thereby moving the squeegee device from the rotational position to the neutral position.

[0030] According to the tenth floor washer of the present invention, when the squeegee device is reset, the squeegee device can be displaced to a neutral position by the cam mechanism during reverse travel in the suction reverse operation, and the squeegee device can be placed in an appropriate state to resume running cleaning.

[0031] In order to solve the above problems, in an eleventh floor cleaning machine of the present invention, the neutral movement mechanism includes a limiter mechanism that enables the squeegee device, which is held in the neutral position, to rotate in response to an external force.

[0032] According to the eleventh floor washer of the present invention, when an obstacle or the like collides with the squeegee device, the neutral position is released to allow the squeegee device to rotate, thereby preventing damage to the squeegee device.

[0033] In addition, in order to solve the above problems, in the present invention, in a floor cleaning machine that performs traveling cleaning by supplying cleaning water to clean a floor surface while traveling a vehicle body, a reset method for a squeegee device that collects wastewater after cleaning is characterized in that, when a reset condition for performing a reset operation of the squeegee device is satisfied during the traveling cleaning, the reset operation includes performing a traveling stop operation that temporarily stops traveling, a suction backward operation that travels backward a predetermined first backward distance while continuing to suction the wastewater by the squeegee device after the traveling stop operation, and a squeegee raising operation that raises the squeegee device after the suction backward operation. Effect of the Invention

[0034] According to the present invention, the floor cleaning machine and squeegee unit resetting method are small and maneuverable, do not increase the product price, and can prevent wastewater from being left behind after cleaning with cleaning water and the formation of streaks of wastewater leaking out behind the squeegee unit due to poor adhesion between the squeegee unit and the floor surface. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0035] [Figure 1] 1 is a front perspective view of a floor cleaning machine according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the floor cleaning machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is a plan view showing a floor cleaning machine according to an embodiment of the present invention from above. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view showing a squeegee device of a floor cleaning machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the rear. [Diagram 5] 1 is a schematic diagram showing, from the side, the operation of a squeegee device of a floor cleaning machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram showing, from above, the operation of a squeegee device of a floor cleaning machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of operation of the floor cleaning machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a reset operation of the squeegee device in the floor cleaning machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 1 is a table showing examples of reset conditions and reset suppression conditions in the floor cleaning machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 1 is a schematic diagram showing, from the side, the operation of the floor cleaning machine according to the embodiment of the present invention when detecting a step. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0036] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the floor washer 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the directions indicated by the arrows in each drawing are set based on the operator who operates the floor washer 1, and "Fr" in the drawings indicates "front", "Rr" indicates "rear", "L" indicates "left", "R" indicates "right", "U" indicates "up" and "D" indicates "down".

[0037] <Overall configuration of floor cleaning machine> The configuration of the floor washer 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the floor washer 1. Figure 2 is a block diagram of the floor washer 1. Figure 3 is a plan view of the floor washer 1. The floor washer 1 performs traveling cleaning by supplying cleaning water to wash a floor F (see Figure 5) while traveling a vehicle body 2, and may be configured as a ride-on type self-propelled type, or may be configured as an autonomous traveling type so-called robot floor washer.

[0038] The autonomous floor washer 1 is a vehicle capable of manual driving based on manual operation and autonomous driving (automatic driving) based on automatic control, and operates in either a manual driving mode or an automatic driving mode. In the automatic driving mode, the floor washer 1 performs automatic driving cleaning, autonomously driving and automatically cleaning based on a cleaning plan consisting of preset data and programs.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 1, the floor washer 1 includes a vehicle body 2 for accommodating each component, a traveling section 3 for traveling the vehicle body 2, and a cleaning section 4 for cleaning the floor surface F below the vehicle body 2, and the cleaning section 4 includes a cleaning pad 13 and a squeegee device 15. The floor washer 1 rotates the cleaning pad 13 supplied with cleaning water while traveling the vehicle body 2 to clean the floor surface F, and collects the dirty water after cleaning with the squeegee device 15. The floor washer 1 cleans the floor surface F in a cleaning area 80 (see Fig. 6(1)), which may be all or part of a commercial facility such as a shopping mall, an office, a hotel, a hospital, a school, a factory, etc.

[0040] The floor washer 1 includes a travel operation unit 5 and an operation display unit 6 for operating and displaying various functions of the floor washer 1, and the travel operation unit 5 and the operation display unit 6 constitute an operation unit of the floor washer 1. The floor washer 1 also includes a measurement unit 7 that measures the distance and angle (for example, the angle with respect to the forward direction of the vehicle body 2) between the vehicle body 2 and obstacles (objects) such as walls and ornaments around the vehicle body 2, and an imaging unit 8 that images the surroundings of the vehicle body 2. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the floor washer 1 also includes a power supply unit 9 for controlling the charging of the battery (not shown) and supplying power to each unit, and a control unit 10 that controls the units and various functions of the floor washer 1 (travel by the travel unit 3, cleaning work by the cleaning unit 4, measurement by the measurement unit 7, etc.).

[0041] The vehicle body 2 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped appearance. A pair of left and right wheels 11 and a pair of left and right casters 12 are provided on the bottom of the vehicle body 2 as a running part 3.

[0042] The pair of left and right wheels 11 are supported by axles 11a extending in the left-right direction at approximately the center of the front-rear direction of the vehicle body 2 (see Figs. 3(1) and (2)), and each has a left and right drive motor 11b (see Fig. 3(2)). The left and right drive motors 11b (axles 11a) are provided with left and right encoders 11c that detect the number of rotations. The drive motors 11b simultaneously rotate the wheels 11 via the axles 11a to move the vehicle body 2 forward or backward, while the left and right wheels 11 are stopped or rotated at a reduced speed, and the right and left wheels 11 are simultaneously rotated, to turn the vehicle body 2 left or right. The pair of left and right casters 12 are disposed behind the wheels 11 and are rotatably supported on the bottom surface of the vehicle body 2.

[0043] The cleaning unit 4 is provided under the vehicle body 2 and configured to clean the floor surface F below the vehicle body 2. The cleaning unit 4 cleans the floor surface F in accordance with initially set cleaning data, cleaning data set via the operation and display unit 6, or cleaning data set by automatic control.

[0044] The cleaning unit 4 is configured, for example, with a wet cleaning mechanism that cleans the floor surface F using cleaning water as a detergent, and includes a cleaning pad 13 that comes into contact with the floor surface F to clean the floor surface F, a supply pump 14 for supplying and spraying the cleaning water onto the floor surface F, and a squeegee device 15 that collects the cleaning water used to clean the floor surface F, i.e., wastewater. The cleaning unit 4 is equipped inside the vehicle body 2 with a cleaning tank 16 that stores fresh water or cleaning water, and a recovery tank 17 that stores the cleaning water used to clean the floor surface F, i.e., wastewater. The cleaning unit 4 includes a cleaning tank sensor 16a that detects the level of the cleaning water in the cleaning tank 16 and a recovery tank sensor 17a that detects the level of the wastewater in the recovery tank 17.

[0045] The cleaning unit 4 is also provided with a suction blower 18 inside the vehicle body 2 that creates negative pressure in the collection tank 17 (or in a suction hose 23 described below), and the suction blower 18 functions as a suction unit that sucks the wastewater collected by the squeegee device 15 into the collection tank 17. The cleaning unit 4 is equipped with a cleaning motor 19 that rotates the cleaning pad 13 on the floor surface F, a pad cylinder 20 that moves the cleaning pad 13 up and down relative to the floor surface F, and a squeegee cylinder 21 that moves the squeegee device 15 up and down relative to the floor surface F.

[0046] The cleaning pad 13, which is an example of a cleaning member, is rotatably supported on the underside of the front part of the vehicle body 2 (forward of the wheels 11). The cleaning pad 13 is formed in a disk shape, and is provided on the vehicle body 2 in a position where the bottom part of the disk is in contact with the floor surface F. The cleaning pad 13 may be configured to be movable in the vertical direction between a position where it is in contact with the floor surface F and a position where it is separated from the floor surface F by a pad cylinder 20 or the like.

[0047] The rotating shaft 13a of the cleaning pad 13 is connected to a cleaning motor 19 provided inside the vehicle body 2 via a rotation transmission mechanism. The cleaning pad 13 rotates in one direction about the rotating shaft 13a by being driven by the cleaning motor 19, and wipes off dirt on the floor surface F below the cleaning pad 13. The upper surface and most of the side surfaces of the cleaning pad 13 are covered by a pad cover 22 (which also serves as a bumper) that is fixed to the front underside of the vehicle body 2. Note that a rotating brush may be used as the cleaning member instead of the cleaning pad 13.

[0048] The squeegee device 15 is disposed on the lower rear side of the vehicle body 2. The squeegee device 15 is a device that is towed to the rear of the vehicle body 2 and collects cleaning water (sewage) after cleaning. The squeegee device 15 receives and collects the sewage discharged rearward from the cleaning pad 13, and the collected sewage is sucked by a suction hose 23 connected to a suction blower 18 using the suction force of the suction blower 18, and the sucked sewage is collected in a collection tank 17 connected to the suction hose 23. The squeegee device 15 will be described in detail later.

[0049] The cleaning data in the cleaning unit 4 as described above includes start / stop of rotation of the cleaning pad 13, start / stop of cleaning water supply by the supply pump 14, start / stop of suction by the suction blower 18, the strength of the ground pressure of the cleaning pad 13 against the floor surface F and the rotation speed, the amount of cleaning water supplied by the supply pump 14, and the suction strength by the suction blower 18.

[0050] The traveling operation unit 5 is provided on the rear side of the vehicle body 2, and includes a handle 24 and a throttle (not shown) for operating manual traveling. The handle 24 is a part that is held and operated by an operator who performs the cleaning work of the floor surface F with the self-propelled floor washer 1 or performs teaching traveling with the autonomously traveling floor washer 1. The traveling operation unit 5 includes a handle sensor 24a that detects the steering amount of the handle 24 and an accelerator sensor 24b that detects the operation amount of the throttle. The traveling operation unit 5 converts the steering amount of the handle 24 and the operation amount of the throttle by the operator into an electric signal, and outputs the electric signal to the traveling unit 3 to drive the drive motor 11b, thereby enabling manual traveling and teaching traveling.

[0051] The operation display unit 6 is provided on the rear side of the vehicle body 2, and includes, for example, a main switch, a forced stop button, a microphone, a speaker, and a display, all of which are not shown. Each part of the operation display unit 6 is connected to the control unit 10. The operation display unit 6 may be configured integrally with the vehicle body 2, or may be configured as a tablet terminal or the like that is detachable from the vehicle body 2.

[0052] The main switch is configured to be switchable between "off", "manual" and "automatic". By switching the main switch to "manual", the control unit 10 (mode switching unit 70) switches the operation mode of the floor washer 1 to the manual driving mode, while by switching the main switch to "automatic", the control unit 10 (mode switching unit 70) switches the operation mode of the floor washer 1 to the automatic driving mode.

[0053] The forced stop button operates to forcibly stop the floor washer 1, and outputs a forced stop signal to the control unit 10 in response to the operation. The speaker generates an alarm sound or the like in response to the control of the control unit 10. The display is composed of a touch panel or the like, and displays various screens in response to control signals from the control unit 10, and transmits operation signals to the control unit 10 based on touch operations on each screen.

[0054] The measurement unit 7 includes an obstacle sensor 7a that measures the distance and angle between the obstacle (object) and the wall surface around the vehicle body 2. The obstacle sensor 7a is provided, for example, on the front side of the vehicle body 2 and is composed of a laser range finder (LRF) or the like, and detects obstacles that exist within a predetermined measurable height (for example, 30 cm) from the floor surface F and within a predetermined measurable range (for example, a radius of 20 m) from the obstacle sensor 7a. Note that a plurality of (two) LRFs that constitute the obstacle sensor 7a are provided in the left and right directions. The measurement unit 7 is connected to the control unit 10 and transmits the measurement results to the control unit 10.

[0055] The measuring unit 7 also includes a bumper sensor 7b attached to the pad cover 22, which also serves as a bumper, for detecting contact with a wall or an obstacle, a plurality of ultrasonic sensors 7c for detecting obstacles approaching the vehicle body 2, and a step sensor 7d for detecting steps on the floor surface F on which the traveling unit 3 travels. The ultrasonic sensor 7c can detect unknown obstacles approaching the vehicle body 2. The step sensor 7d is composed of an infrared sensor facing forward and downward from the front of the vehicle body 2, and is provided to detect stairs and grooves on the floor surface F in the forward and downward direction and prevent the vehicle body 2 from falling into stairs or large grooves. The step sensor 7d can also detect convex objects on the floor surface F in the forward and downward direction, and can detect, for example, wiring moldings that cover the power lines on an office floor, floor rails of sliding doors, and convex parts of braille blocks.

[0056] The imaging unit 8 includes a front camera 8a capable of capturing an image of the view in front of the vehicle body 2, including the floor surface F, and a rear camera 8b capable of capturing an image of the view behind the vehicle body 2. The front camera 8a can detect unknown obstacles approaching the vehicle body 2.

[0057] The power supply unit 9 includes a battery (power supply) mounted inside the vehicle body 2 and is configured to be chargeable by connecting to an external power supply, and supplies power to each part of the floor washer 1.

[0058] The control unit 10 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and the like. As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 10 is connected to the storage unit 26 via a bus 27, and the bus 27 is further connected to an interface 28. The control unit 10 is also connected to the traveling unit 3, the cleaning unit 4, the traveling operation unit 5, the operation display unit 6, the measurement unit 7, the imaging unit 8, and the power supply unit 9 via the bus 27 and the interface 28, and is further connected to a communication unit 29. The communication unit 29 wirelessly communicates with external devices by a wireless communication method using a wireless LAN such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or a short-distance wireless such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0059] The storage unit 26 is composed of a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a hard disk, a flash memory, etc., and stores programs and data for controlling each part and various functions of the floor washer 1. The control unit 10 reads the programs and data stored in the storage unit 26 and executes the programs to control each part and various functions. In particular, in this embodiment, the storage unit 26 stores reset conditions for executing the reset operation of the squeegee device 15 (squeegee 30) and reset suppression conditions for suppressing the reset operation, as shown in FIG. 9. The functions of the control unit 10 will be described in detail later.

[0060] <Floor cleaning machine function> The floor washer 1 described above is a self-propelled or autonomous type, and an operator operates the handle 24 to move the vehicle body 2 while cleaning the floor surface F. The cleaning work of the floor surface F is performed by driving the supply pump 14 to supply cleaning water and the like in the cleaning tank 16 to the cleaning pad 13 while rotating the cleaning pad 13 on the floor surface F. The wastewater after cleaning is collected in the squeegee device 15 towed to the rear of the vehicle body 2, and is sucked and collected from the squeegee device 15 into the collection tank 17 by driving the suction blower 18.

[0061] <Squeegee device configuration> The squeegee device 15 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3 to Fig. 5. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the squeegee device 15. Fig. 5 is a side view showing the squeegee device 15.

[0062] The squeegee device 15 includes a squeegee 30, a sliding connection unit 40, and a lifting unit 50. The squeegee 30 is disposed at the rear of the vehicle body 2 and scrapes off dirty water. The sliding connection unit 40 is provided between the vehicle body 2 and the squeegee 30. The lifting unit 50 separates the squeegee 30 from the floor surface F.

[0063] 3 and 4, the squeegee 30 is a member that is dragged across the floor surface F as the vehicle body 2 moves. The squeegee 30 is long in the left-right direction and formed in a bow shape that is convex rearward. The squeegee 30 includes a squeegee body 31, a front blade 32, a rear blade 33, and a pair of left and right guide rollers 34.

[0064] The squeegee body 31 is made of, for example, a metal material or a hard synthetic resin material, and is curved so as to be convex backward. In other words, the squeegee body 31 is curved forward from the center in the left-right direction toward both left and right ends when viewed from above (see FIG. 3). The squeegee body 31 is a plate-like member that is gradually tapered from the center in the left-right direction toward both left and right ends when viewed from above.

[0065] The front blade 32 is attached to the front side of the squeegee body 31, and the rear blade 33 is attached to the rear side of the squeegee body 31. Each blade 32, 33 is curved forward from the center in the left-right direction toward both left and right ends when viewed from above (see FIG. 3). The upper end of each blade 32, 33 is fixed to the squeegee body 31. Each blade 32, 33 extends downward from the squeegee body 31. Each blade 32, 33 is formed in a rectangular plate shape from an elastically deformable material such as silicone rubber. The rear blade 33 is thicker than the front blade 32 and is formed higher in the up-down direction than the front blade 32. A squeegee chamber S is formed in an area surrounded by the squeegee body 31 and the pair of front and rear blades 32, 33 (see FIG. 5). Although not shown, a plurality of recesses are formed at intervals in the left-right direction at the lower end of the front blade 32 to connect the outside to the squeegee chamber S.

[0066] The lower end of a suction hose 23 leading to the squeegee chamber S is connected to approximately the center of the squeegee body 31 in the left-right direction. The suction hose 23 is, for example, a so-called duct hose made of a flexible, lightweight material. The suction hose 23 extends upward from the squeegee body 31 along the rear surface of the vehicle body 2 and enters the interior from the upper rear surface of the vehicle body 2. The upper end of the suction hose 23 is connected to the recovery tank 17 inside the vehicle body 2 (see FIG. 1). The suction hose 23 communicates between the squeegee chamber S and the recovery tank 17 (suction blower 18).

[0067] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the pair of left and right guide rollers 34 are rotatably supported by a pair of roller brackets 35 extending rearward from both the left and right sides of the squeegee body 31. The front end of each roller bracket 35 is fixed to the upper surface of the squeegee body 31 with bolts and nuts. The rear end of each roller bracket 35 supports the guide roller 34 via a roller shaft 34a extending in the left-right direction. Each guide roller 34 comes into contact with the floor surface F and rotates around the roller shaft 34a.

[0068] A pair of horizontal rollers 36 are attached to both the left and right ends of the rear blade 33. Each horizontal roller 36 is provided rotatably about a roller shaft 36a extending in the vertical direction.

[0069] As shown in Fig. 3 to Fig. 5, the sliding connection part 40 includes a connection arm 41, a swivel support part 42, and a pair of left and right support wall parts 43. The sliding connection part 40 is made of, for example, a metal material with high rigidity. The connection arm 41 is a member for connecting the squeegee 30 to the vehicle body 2. The swivel support part 42 is rotatably connected to the bottom of the vehicle body 2. The pair of left and right support walls 43, which are an example of a sliding support part, are connected to the swivel support part 42.

[0070] The connecting arm 41 is formed long in the front-rear direction and has a cross section that is approximately inverted U-shaped when viewed from the front (rear). The rear end of the connecting arm 41 is formed in a plate shape that branches into two, left and right parts, and is attached via a bolt to the upper surface of the squeegee body 31 avoiding the suction hose 23. The central axis passing through the left-right center of the connecting arm 41 approximately coincides with the left-right center of the squeegee 30 (squeegee body 31). In other words, the connecting arm 41 and the squeegee 30 are connected straight (approximately inverted T-shaped when viewed from above).

[0071] The swivel support portion 42 is formed in a substantially plate-like shape, and a swivel support shaft 42a protrudes upward from the upper surface of the swivel support portion 42. The swivel support shaft 42a is rotatably fitted into a bearing portion (not shown) formed on the rear bottom surface of the vehicle body 2.

[0072] The pair of left and right support walls 43 extend downward from both left and right ends of the swivel support part 42. The swivel support part 42 and the pair of support walls 43 are formed in a substantially inverted U-shape when viewed from the front (rear). Each support wall 43 may be formed separately from the swivel support part 42 and connected thereto, or may be formed integrally with the swivel support part 42.

[0073] In each of the support walls 43, an inclined groove 44 is formed in a communicating manner. Each inclined groove 44 is an elongated hole opened in the support wall 43, and is inclined upward from the rear to the front. The pair of left and right support walls 43 are arranged to sandwich the front part of the connecting arm 41 from both the left and right sides. A sliding shaft 45 penetrating the connecting arm 41 in the left-right direction is provided on the front side surface of the connecting arm 41. The sliding shaft 45 as an example of a sliding part is formed in a columnar or cylindrical shape. Both left and right ends of the sliding shaft 45 extend from the side surface of the connecting arm 41 toward the outside in the left-right direction and are slidably fitted into the inclined grooves 44 of the pair of left and right support walls 43. In other words, the pair of left and right support walls 43 are connected to the front part of the connecting arm 41 via the sliding shaft 45. The connecting arm 41 is provided to be movable within the movement range of the sliding shaft 45 guided by each inclined groove 44.

[0074] The squeegee 30 is provided so as to be rotatable (swingable) in the left-right direction around a pivot shaft 42a (rotation fulcrum) of the pivot support 42 via a connecting arm 41. In detail, the squeegee 30 is provided so as to be rotatable between a neutral position (see FIG. 3(2)) in which the connecting arm 41 is oriented along the traveling direction of the vehicle body 2 and a rotated position (see FIG. 3(1)) in which the connecting arm 41 is oriented so as to be inclined leftward or rightward with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle body 2.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 4, the lifting section 50 includes a wire 52 extending downward from a squeegee lever 51 provided on the upper part of the rear surface of the vehicle body 2. The wire 52, which is an example of a suspension member, is formed, for example, from a flexible metal material. The lower end of the wire 52 is connected to the rear end of the connecting arm 41 via a hook 53. The upper end of the wire 52 is attached to the squeegee lever 51. The squeegee lever 51 is provided movably along a groove (not shown) formed in the rear surface of the vehicle body 2, and a squeegee cylinder 21 that drives the squeegee lever 51 in the up and down direction is built into the groove.

[0076] The lifting unit 50 lifts and lowers the connecting arm 41 via the wire 52. Specifically, when the squeegee lever 51 is moved to the lower end of the groove by the operation (e.g., contraction) of the squeegee cylinder 21 in one direction, the connecting arm 41 and the like are lowered to the lowest position, and the squeegee 30 (each blade 32, 33) is displaced to a lowered position where it contacts the floor surface F (see Figs. 5(1) and (2)). At this time, the contact portion of each blade 32, 33 with the floor surface F is formed over the entirety of each blade 32, 33. Although not precisely illustrated in Figs. 5(1) and (2), the wire 52 is slack in this state. Alternatively, a reel (not illustrated) capable of winding up a part of the wire 52 may be provided to prevent the wire 52 from slackening. On the other hand, when the squeegee lever 51 is moved to the upper end of the groove by the other movement (e.g., extension) of the squeegee cylinder 21, the connecting arm 41 etc. rise to the highest position, and the blades 32, 33 are displaced to a raised position away from the floor surface F (see FIGS. 5(4) and (5)). In this state, the wire 52 is stretched approximately vertically.

[0077] <Action of the squeegee device when the vehicle moves forward> Next, the operation of the squeegee device 15 when the vehicle body 2 is moved forward to perform cleaning work on the floor surface F will be described. When the vehicle body 2 moves forward, the squeegee device 15 is also pulled by the vehicle body 2 to move forward. The front blade 32 and the rear blade 33 are dragged on the floor surface F while being urged downward by the weight of the squeegee body 31 and the connecting arm 41. Therefore, as shown in Figs. 5(1) and (2), the lower ends of the blades 32, 33 slide on the floor surface F while being bent backward (curved backward). Note that the rear blade 33 is wider in the vertical direction than the front blade 32, so the amount of bending of the rear blade 33 is larger than the amount of bending of the front blade 32. In addition, the rear blade 33 has a higher ability to scrape off dirty water than the front blade 32.

[0078] The squeegee body 31 does not descend more than necessary because it is supported by the guide rollers 34 in contact with the floor surface F via the roller brackets 35. In other words, each guide roller 34 prevents the squeegee body 31 from sagging, and maintains the contact pressure of each blade 32, 33 against the floor surface F approximately uniform.

[0079] When the vehicle body 2 is moved forward, a rearward frictional force acts on the contact portions of the blades 32, 33 with the floor surface F. Due to this rearward frictional force, the connecting arm 41 is pulled relatively rearward, and the sliding shaft 45 moves rearward and downward while being guided by the inclined groove 44, as shown in Figs. 5(1) and (2). The connecting arm 41 is pulled down by the frictional force acting on the contact portions of the blades 32, 33 (squeegee 30) with the floor surface F, and assumes a first position (see Fig. 5(1)) in which the blades 32, 33 are in contact with the floor surface F. Specifically, the connecting arm 41 is changed to the first position by moving the sliding shaft 45 to the rear lower end portion 44a of the inclined groove 44.

[0080] 5(1) and (2), when the connecting arm 41 is in the first position (when the squeegee 30 is in contact with the floor surface F), the suction force generated by driving the suction blower 18 acts on the squeegee chamber S via the suction hose 23. Wastewater after cleaning the floor surface F passes through multiple recesses opening at the lower end of the front blade 32 and enters the squeegee chamber S, which is under negative pressure. The wastewater in the squeegee chamber S is then collected in the collection tank 17 via the suction hose 23.

[0081] When the advancing vehicle body 2 turns left or right, the squeegee device 15 turns about the turning support shaft 42a of the turning support part 42. That is, the squeegee device 15 turns from the neutral position toward the turning position following the turning of the vehicle body 2. Also, each horizontal roller 36 provided on the squeegee device 15 rotates when it comes into contact with an object (obstacle) placed on the floor surface F or a wall surface of a room, thereby suppressing damage to the squeegee 30 or the object.

[0082] <Action of the squeegee device when the vehicle moves backward> Next, referring to Fig. 5(3), the operation of the squeegee device 15 when the traveling direction of the vehicle body 2 is changed from forward to reverse will be described. Fig. 5(3) is a side view explaining the operation of the squeegee device 15 when the vehicle body 2 is reversed. In the explanation of the operation when the vehicle body 2 is reversed, the squeegee 30 is placed in a neutral position, and the suction blower 18 is in a driven state regardless of the traveling direction of the vehicle body 2.

[0083] In the process of changing the traveling direction of the vehicle body 2 from forward to reverse, the pair of front and rear blades 32, 33 change from a state in which they are bent backward to a state in which they are bent in a complex, approximately S-shape. In this state, each blade 32, 33 is pressed against the floor surface F by the repulsive force (elastic force) due to the bending and its own weight. The contact pressure of the rear blade 33 is greater than the contact pressure of the front blade 32. In this way, since the contact pressure of each blade 32, 33 against the floor surface F becomes very large, the frictional force generated at the contact portion between the floor surface F and each blade 32, 33 also increases. Then, a very large force is required to move the vehicle body 2 backward, so a large load is placed on the drive motor 11b that drives the wheels 11. If the vehicle body 2 continues to move backward, each blade 32, 33 will be bent forward.

[0084] Therefore, the squeegee device 15 is configured to automatically change the posture of the connecting arm 41 by utilizing the frictional force acting between the squeegee 30 and the floor surface F when the direction of travel of the vehicle body 2 is changed, thereby stabilizing the backward movement of the vehicle body 2.

[0085] When the traveling direction of the vehicle body 2 is changed from forward to reverse, a forward frictional force acts on the contact portions of the blades 32, 33 with the floor surface F so as to prevent the vehicle body 2 from moving backward. Due to this forward frictional force, as shown in Fig. 5(3), the connecting arm 41 is pushed relatively forward, and the sliding shaft 45 moves forward and upward while being guided by the inclined groove 44. The connecting arm 41 is pushed up by the frictional force acting on the contact portion of the squeegee 30 with the floor surface F, and assumes a second position (see Fig. 5(3)) in which all but a portion of the squeegee 30 is separated from the floor surface F.

[0086] Specifically, the connecting arm 41 is changed to the second position by moving the sliding shaft 45 to the front upper end 44b of the inclined groove 44. When the connecting arm 41 is changed to the second position, a part of the rear blade 33 is elastically deformed and contacts the floor surface F while the pair of left and right guide rollers 34 are in contact with the floor surface F, and the entire front blade 32 is separated upward from the floor surface F. In detail, the rear blade 33 is in contact with the floor surface F near the center in the left and right direction, but both the left and right sides of the rear blade 33 are separated upward from the floor surface F. The front blade 32 is separated upward from the floor surface F over the entire longitudinal direction (left and right direction). The front blade 32 is slightly separated from the floor surface F near the center in the left and right direction, but it does not matter if it is in slight contact.

[0087] With the connecting arm 41 in the second position, most of the blades 32, 33 are separated upward from the floor surface F, and the squeegee chamber S is opened to the atmosphere. Therefore, the suction force generated by driving the suction blower 18 does not create a negative pressure in the squeegee chamber S, and the adhesion of the blades 32, 33 to the floor surface F is released. This allows the wheels 11 to be driven without applying a large load to the drive motor 11b, and the vehicle body 2 to move backward.

[0088] <Function of the lifting section> Next, the operation of the lifting unit 50 will be described with reference to Fig. 5(4). Fig. 5(4) is a side view showing a state in which the squeegee device 15 is lifted. In the explanation of the operation of the lifting unit 50, the squeegee 30 is placed in a neutral position, and the cleaning motor 19 is stopped.

[0089] When the squeegee 30 is raised from the lowered position to the raised position during cleaning work, the squeegee lever 51 is moved to the upper end of the groove by driving the squeegee cylinder 21 in response to a raising operation by the worker using the operation display unit 6 or the like or the raising control by the control unit 10, and the squeegee 30 is placed in the raised position and the connecting arm 41 is suspended via the wire 52, as shown in Fig. 5 (4). Although not shown in the figures, the cleaning pad 13 and pad cover 22 are also raised from the floor surface F by driving the pad cylinder 20 in response to a raising operation by the worker using the operation display unit 6 or the like or the raising control by the control unit 10.

[0090] <Squeegee shape> Next, the shape of the squeegee 30 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0091] Since the squeegee 30 (squeegee body 31 and each blade 32, 33) has a curved bow shape, the left-right center of the rear blade 33 is located at the rearmost position. In addition, the roller shaft 34a (axis line C connecting the pair of left and right roller shafts 34a) of the pair of left and right guide rollers 34 is located slightly forward of the rearmost end of the squeegee 30 (rear blade 33). In addition, when the vehicle body 2 moves backward, the left-right center of the rear blade 33 is deflected forward. Here, the total length of the squeegee 30 in the left-right direction is called the "total length L1", the left-right length of the rear blade 33 located behind the axis line C is called the "reference length L2", and the left-right length of the deflected portion of the rear blade 33 when the vehicle body 2 moves backward is called the "deflected length L2'".

[0092] The deflection length L2' is slightly longer (wider) than the reference length L2. In the squeegee 30 of the squeegee device 15, it is desirable to set the ratio between the total length L1 and the reference length L2 or the deflection length L2' to about (L1:L2 (or L2')) = (10:2). In other words, it is desirable to design the shape and dimensions of the squeegee 30 and the arrangement of each guide roller 34 so that a portion equivalent to about 20% of the length of the rear blade 33 contacts the floor surface F and deflects relative to the total length L1 of the squeegee 30. Note that this ratio may vary slightly depending on the position of each roller shaft 34a (axis line C) and the curved shape (curvature) of the rear blade 33.

[0093] When the vehicle body 2 moves backward, the rear blade 33 bent at the above ratio is pressed against the floor surface F, generating a frictional force optimal for changing the position of the connecting arm 41. In other words, this frictional force acts as an appropriate load, making it possible to push the sliding shaft 45 up from the rear lower end 44a of the inclined groove 44 to the front upper end 44b.

[0094] If each guide roller 34 were disposed rearward from the position shown in Fig. 3(2), the frictional force between the floor surface F and the rear blade 33 would disappear during the process in which the sliding shaft 45 moves from the rear lower end 44a to the front upper end 44b of the inclined groove 44, and there is a risk that the connecting arm 41 cannot be put into the second position. On the other hand, if each guide roller 34 is disposed forward from the position shown in Fig. 3(2), the frictional force between the floor surface F and the rear blade 33 would become excessively large, impeding the backward movement of the vehicle body 2 and impairing operability. Therefore, the squeegee 30 is configured to satisfy the above ratio.

[0095] <Effect of the squeegee device> In the squeegee device 15 described above, the connecting arm 41 is configured to be able to change its position between a first position in which the squeegee 30 contacts the floor surface F when the vehicle body 2 is moved forward, and a second position in which substantially the entire squeegee 30 is separated from the floor surface F when the vehicle body 2 is moved backward. With this configuration, when the vehicle body 2 is moved forward or backward, the position of the connecting arm 41 can be automatically changed by utilizing the frictional force acting between the squeegee 30 and the floor surface F. When the vehicle body 2 is moved backward, when the connecting arm 41 changes from the first position to the second position, substantially the entire squeegee 30 is separated from the floor surface F. This reduces the adhesive force (load) of the squeegee 30 to the floor surface F, allowing the vehicle body 2 to be moved backward smoothly.

[0096] Furthermore, changing the posture of the connecting arm 41 does not require any specific operation or driving force from another driving device, but is automatically performed by simply moving the vehicle body 2 forward or backward. This makes it possible to omit a specific operation configuration or other driving devices, and therefore a structure for lifting the squeegee 30 when the vehicle body 2 moves backward can be constructed simply and inexpensively, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the floor washer 1.

[0097] Furthermore, the squeegee device 15 is configured such that when the vehicle body 2 moves backward, the connecting arm 41 is in the second position to reduce the frictional force between the squeegee 30 and the floor surface F. This configuration makes it possible to prevent the squeegee 30 from rotating left and right or swinging left and right.

[0098] In addition, in the squeegee device 15, when the vehicle body 2 moves backward, the left-right center portion (about 20% of the total length L1) of the rear blade 33 is configured to elastically contact the floor surface F with the connecting arm 41 in the second position. With this configuration, the repulsive force based on the elasticity of the rear blade 33 applies a stable load to the floor surface F, so that the connecting arm 41 can be maintained in the second position. Even when the suction blower 18 applies a suction force to the squeegee chamber S, the entire front blade 32 is raised from the floor surface F when the vehicle body 2 moves backward, so that the squeegee chamber S, which has become negative pressure, can be released. As a result, the adhesion of the squeegee 30 (each blade 32, 33) to the floor surface F is released, so that the position of the squeegee 30 is stable without being deviated left and right when the vehicle body 2 moves backward, and the straightness of the vehicle body 2 when moving backward can be improved.

[0099] <Neutral movement mechanism for the squeegee device> Next, the squeegee device 15 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 3(1) and (2). Fig. 3(1) is a plan view showing the floor washer 1 during turning. Fig. 3(2) is a plan view showing the floor washer 1 during reverse movement.

[0100] For example, as shown in FIG. 3(1), when the vehicle body 2 turns to the right, the squeegee device 15 also tilts to the right. That is, the squeegee 30 turns to the rotation position. Here, consider a case where the vehicle body 2 is moved straight backward after turning the vehicle body 2. In this case, the vehicle body 2 is moved backward with the squeegee 30 displaced to the rotation position. Since the squeegee 30 is long in the left-right direction, when it is displaced to the right rotation position, it protrudes significantly to the right of the vehicle body 2. In this state, when the vehicle body 2 is moved backward, there is an increased risk that the protruding squeegee 30 will come into contact with an object (obstacle) placed on the floor surface F or the wall of the room. In addition, when the squeegee 30 is positioned between the neutral position and the rotation position, the squeegee 30 (connecting arm 41) may swing unstably.

[0101] Therefore, in the squeegee device 15 according to this embodiment, the sliding connection portion 40 is provided with a neutral movement mechanism 60 that displaces the squeegee 30 to a neutral position when the vehicle body 2 moves backward. The neutral movement mechanism 60 includes a neutral roller 61 and a neutral guide portion 62.

[0102] The neutral roller 61, which is an example of a neutral moving body, is provided on a neutral bracket 61a extending forward from the front end of the connecting arm 41. The neutral roller 61 is rotatably supported on a support shaft extending downward from the front end of the neutral bracket 61a. The neutral roller 61 is provided forward of the pivot shaft 42a of the pivot support part 42.

[0103] The neutral guide portion 62 is provided on the bottom surface of the vehicle body 2, forward of the pivot shaft 42a. The neutral guide portion 62 is provided on the bottom of the vehicle body 2 in a curved state along the pivot direction of the pivot support portion 42. The neutral guide portion 62 is composed of a pair of left and right curved walls 62a extending downward from the bottom surface of the vehicle body 2. The pair of left and right curved walls 62a are formed in a substantially semicircular arc shape that is symmetrical so as to cover the front side of the pivot shaft 42a. The pair of left and right curved walls 62a are formed in a pivot (swing) range of the neutral roller 61 centered on the pivot shaft 42a. The pair of left and right curved walls 62a are formed so that the neutral roller 61 abuts against them when the squeegee 30 is displaced to the pivot position (see FIG. 3(1)). The front ends of the pair of left and right curved walls 62a are spaced from each other, forming an engagement groove 62b for engaging the neutral roller 61.

[0104] <Action of the squeegee device when moving backward after turning the vehicle> Next, the operation of the squeegee device 15 when the vehicle body 2 is reversed after turning will be described. It is assumed that the squeegee 30 is displaced to the rotation position (see FIG. 3(1)).

[0105] When the vehicle body 2 starts to move backward, the connecting arm 41 is changed from the first position to the second position (see FIG. 5(3)). In the process of changing the position of the connecting arm 41, the neutral roller 61 provided on the connecting arm 41 is pressed against the curved wall 62a of the neutral guide portion 62. By utilizing the relative forward movement of the connecting arm 41 caused by the backward movement of the vehicle body 2, the neutral roller 61 is guided by the curved wall 62a and rolls toward the engagement groove 62b. Then, the connecting arm 41 automatically rotates about the pivot shaft 42a, and moves the squeegee 30 from the rotation position toward the neutral position as shown in FIG. 3(2). While the connecting arm 41 maintains the second position, the squeegee 30 is displaced to the neutral position.

[0106] When the vehicle body 2 moves backward, the connecting arm 41 is pushed forward by a frictional force acting on the contact portion of the squeegee 30 with the floor surface F in a state where the connecting arm 41 has been changed to the second posture, and the portion of the squeegee 30 other than a part of the squeegee 30 is kept separated from the floor surface F. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5(3), the connecting arm 41 is kept in the second posture by moving the sliding shaft 45 to the front upper end portion 44b, which is the front terminal portion of the inclined groove 44. The connecting arm 41 automatically moves forward in parallel while keeping the second posture. At this time, the contact state of each blade 32, 33 with the floor surface F keeps the contact state in the second posture. That is, the left-right center portion of the rear blade 33 comes into contact with the floor surface F, and the left-right outer side of the rear blade 33 and the entire front blade 32 are separated from the floor surface F. 3B, while the connecting arm 41 maintains the second posture, the neutral roller 61 lightly fits (engages) with the engagement groove 62b of the neutral guide portion 62. By engaging the neutral roller 61 with the engagement groove 62b, the squeegee 30 is held in the neutral position.

[0107] Furthermore, the squeegee device 15 may be provided with a limiter mechanism (not shown) that not only holds the squeegee 30 in the neutral position by the neutral movement mechanism 60 when the vehicle body 2 is traveling backward, but also makes the squeegee 30 held in the neutral position swingable (rotatable) in response to an external force. In the neutral movement mechanism 60 described above, the neutral roller 61 engages with an engagement groove 62b provided between a pair of left and right curved walls 62a of the neutral guide portion 62, thereby holding the squeegee 30 in the neutral position.

[0108] In response to this, the limiter mechanism is configured to keep the height of the curved wall 62a of the neutral guide portion 62 low and tilt the curved wall 62a slightly outward (so as to open downward), making it easier for the neutral roller 61 to climb over the curved wall 62a of the neutral guide portion 62. As a result, for example, when one of the pair of left and right horizontal rollers 36 of the squeegee device 15 abuts against an obstacle behind the squeegee device 15 (left rear side or right rear side) while the vehicle body 2 is traveling backward, the limiter mechanism releases the neutral state of the squeegee 30 and makes the squeegee 30 rotatable due to an appropriate biasing force that the squeegee device 15 receives from the obstacle, so that damage to the squeegee device 15 can be suppressed and the squeegee device 15 can be used preferably.

[0109] <Control unit functions> Next, the details of the functions of the control unit 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. In the autonomously traveling floor washer 1, the control unit 10 includes a mode switching unit 70, a map creation unit 71, a plan creation unit 72, and an automatic travel control unit 73 (travel control unit). In addition, in the floor washer 1, regardless of whether it is a self-propelled or autonomously traveling type, the control unit 10 includes a turbidity determination unit 74 and a squeegee reset control unit 75. Note that the mode switching unit 70, the map creation unit 71, the plan creation unit 72, the automatic travel control unit 73, the turbidity determination unit 74, and the squeegee reset control unit 75 may be configured as programs stored in the storage unit 26 and executed by the control unit 10, and are executed by a computer such as the control unit 10.

[0110] The mode switching unit 70 switches the operation mode of the floor washer 1 to either a manual driving mode or an automatic driving mode in response to the operation of a main switch or the like on the operation display unit 6. While the operation mode is set to the manual driving mode by the mode switching unit 70, manual operation input to the driving operation unit 5 is possible, and while the operation mode is set to the automatic driving mode, manual operation input to the driving operation unit 5 is disabled.

[0111] The map creation unit 71 uses a technique such as SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) for estimating the self-position and creating an environmental map in real time. For the vehicle body 2 at a predetermined position, the map creation unit 71 creates a local map of the surroundings of the vehicle body 2 by performing coordinate conversion of the distance and angle from an obstacle (object) measured by the measurement unit 7, and estimates the self-position of the vehicle body 2 in the local map based on the created local map and the amount of movement of the vehicle body 2 measured by the measurement unit 7. Note that the obstacle sensor 7a of the measurement unit 7 acquires two-dimensional data of the distance and angle from the obstacle, and the map creation unit 71 creates the local map by piecing together the two-dimensional data acquired by the obstacle sensor 7a.

[0112] The plan creation unit 72 creates a cleaning plan including an environmental map and a travel route 81 (see FIG. 6(1)) for a cleaning area 80 (see FIG. 6(1)) where automatic travel cleaning is to be performed, and stores the plan in the storage unit 26. For example, the plan creation unit 72 creates an environmental map based on drawing data of the cleaning area 80 input in advance. Alternatively, the plan creation unit 72 creates an environmental map by stitching together (combining) each local map created by the map creation unit 71 at each position in the cleaning area 80 from when the floor washer 1 starts to when it ends its manual travel.

[0113] In addition, the plan creation unit 72 creates a travel route 81 that travels back and forth in a zigzag pattern so as to fill in the cleaning area 80 (so as not to miss any cleaning) in an environmental map of the cleaning area 80 as shown in FIG. 6 (1) based on various set values ​​such as the start position and end position, the safe distance from obstacles such as walls, the travel data such as the travel speed of the travel unit 3 during cleaning and non-cleaning, and the cleaning width and cleaning data of the cleaning unit 4 (ground pressure strength and rotation speed of the cleaning pad 13, the amount of cleaning water supplied by the supply pump 14, the suction strength of the suction blower 18, etc.) input in advance. In FIG. 6, the middle of the travel route 81 that is long in the left-right direction on the paper is omitted. The start position of the travel route 81 is indicated by a square mark, and the end position is indicated by a cross mark. At this time, the plan creation unit 72 may create the travel route 81 so that the cleaning unit 4 overlaps by a predetermined width on the outward and return routes that pass each other. The plan creation unit 72 creates the travel route 81 by associating position data (coordinates and angle), travel data of the travel unit 3, and cleaning data of the cleaning unit 4 for each step (position at a predetermined interval) of the travel route 81.

[0114] When the automatic driving mode is executed, the automatic driving control unit 73 reads the cleaning plan to be executed from the memory unit 26, and automatically controls the running unit 3 based on this cleaning plan, controlling the running unit 3 so that the vehicle body 2 performs automatic driving in accordance with the driving route 81 of the cleaning plan and the driving data for each step.

[0115] Furthermore, when the automatic driving mode is executed, while the driving unit 3 is automatically driving the vehicle body 2 along the driving route 81 of the cleaning plan, the automatic driving control unit 73 reads cleaning data corresponding to the position of the vehicle body 2 on the driving route 81 from the cleaning plan, and controls the cleaning unit 4 to perform cleaning work by automatic control according to this cleaning data.

[0116] The turbidity determination unit 74 determines the turbidity of the wastewater recovered from the squeegee device 15 of the cleaning unit 4 to the recovery tank 17, and specifically, the turbidity of the suctioned wastewater passing through the passage is determined by the turbidity sensor 23a installed in the passage from the suction hose 23 of the squeegee device 15 to the recovery tank 17. For example, the turbidity sensor 23a has a light source and a light receiving unit disposed as a detection unit in a part of the passage, and when light projected from the light source into the wastewater passing through the passage is scattered by particles in the water, the reflected light is detected by the light receiving unit, and the detection result is passed through a converter to measure the turbidity value.

[0117] The turbidity determination unit 74 determines and outputs the turbidity of the wastewater measured by the turbidity sensor 23a as a relatively high, medium, low, etc. level, taking into consideration the suction strength (suction power) and suction speed of the suction blower 18 that sucks the wastewater. For example, if the wastewater itself is dirty, the turbidity will naturally be determined to be low, medium, or high depending on the degree of dirtiness of the wastewater, and when it is at its dirtiest, it will be determined to be high turbidity. Also, even if foreign objects such as garbage or hair are mixed into the wastewater, the turbidity will likely be determined to be medium or high, regardless of the dirtiness of the wastewater.

[0118] The squeegee reset control unit 75 controls the squeegee device 15 (squeegee 30) to execute a reset operation when a predetermined reset condition is satisfied while the floor washer 1 is performing traveling cleaning (automatic traveling cleaning).

[0119] A situation where the reset operation of the squeegee device 15 is required will be described. In the floor washer 1, if a foreign object such as hair or lint gets caught between the squeegee device 15 (mainly the rear blade 33) and the floor F, the vehicle body 2 may move with the foreign object caught without being sucked in by the suction force of the suction blower 18. In this case, there is a risk that some wastewater will remain on the floor F (uncollected wastewater), or streaks of wastewater will leak out behind the squeegee 30 due to poor adhesion between the squeegee 30 and the floor F.

[0120] With conventional walk-behind floor washer, when an operator performs cleaning work by pushing the walk-behind floor washer from behind, if any sewage remains or streaks appear on the floor surface F, the operator can visually check for this, reverse the walk-behind floor washer, and then run the machine over the area again to re-clean the area where sewage remains or the streaks appear.

[0121] However, in the case of a self-propelled (e.g., ride-on) floor washer or an autonomously traveling floor washer, it is difficult to visually check for residual sewage or streaks, and immediate re-cleaning is not possible. Conventionally, after a self-propelled floor washer or an autonomously traveling floor washer has completed automatic cleaning according to a cleaning plan, if an operator visually checks for residual sewage or streaks remaining on the floor F, the operator must manually re-clean the floor or manually drive the self-propelled floor washer or autonomously traveling floor washer to re-clean the floor.

[0122] Therefore, in this embodiment, the squeegee reset control unit 75 executes a reset operation of the squeegee device 15 to eliminate foreign matter trapped between the squeegee device 15 and the floor surface F, suppresses residual sewage and the occurrence of streaks, and can automatically re-clean any residual sewage or streaks that have occurred. The reset operation refers to a series of operations for eliminating foreign matter trapped in the squeegee device 15.

[0123] <Reset condition determination> The squeegee reset control unit 75 judges whether or not a predetermined reset condition is satisfied as a prerequisite for executing a reset operation of the squeegee device 15 during the period from when the floor washer 1 starts traveling cleaning (automatic traveling cleaning) until it ends. For example, the memory unit 26 stores a predetermined elapsed distance threshold (e.g., 30 m) for the elapsed distance of the traveling cleaning of the floor washer 1 as the reset condition. The squeegee reset control unit 75 monitors the elapsed distance while the floor washer 1 is performing traveling cleaning, and judges that the reset condition is satisfied when the elapsed distance exceeds the elapsed distance threshold. When the squeegee reset control unit 75 judges that the reset condition is satisfied and executes the reset operation of the squeegee device 15, it resets the monitored elapsed distance back to zero.

[0124] <Travel stop operation> As a reset operation of the squeegee device 15, the squeegee reset control unit 75 first performs a travel stop operation to temporarily stop the travel (travel cleaning) of the floor washer 1. For example, as a travel cleaning operation, the floor washer 1 drives the pad cylinder 20 to lower the cleaning pad 13, starts the cleaning motor 19 to rotate the cleaning pad 13, and further starts the supply pump 14 to supply cleaning water, thereby cleaning the floor surface F. As a travel cleaning operation, the floor washer 1 drives the squeegee cylinder 21 to lower the squeegee device 15, and starts the suction blower 18 to suck and collect dirty water after cleaning. As a travel cleaning operation, the floor washer 1 drives the left and right drive motors 11b to rotate the wheels 11, thereby causing the body 2 to travel forward. At this time, the squeegee device 15 is in a first position as shown in FIG. 5(1).

[0125] <Washing stop operation> The squeegee reset control unit 75 performs a cleaning stop operation to stop cleaning of the floor surface F by driving the pad cylinder 20 to raise the cleaning pad 13 and stopping the cleaning motor 19 to stop rotation of the cleaning pad 13, and further stopping the supply pump 14 to stop the supply of cleaning water, as a travel stop operation for the above-mentioned travel cleaning. Note that when performing the cleaning stop operation, the squeegee reset control unit 75 continues the suction operation of the suction blower 18 to keep the squeegee chamber S at negative pressure with the squeegee device 15 lowered to the floor surface F by its own weight, without raising the squeegee device 15 or starting or stopping the suction blower 18.

[0126] <Preliminary forward movement> Furthermore, as a travel stopping operation, the squeegee reset control unit 75 controls the driving of the left and right drive motors 11b so as to gradually slow down the forward travel speed of the vehicle body 2, and after the cleaning stopping operation, stops the driving of the left and right drive motors 11b to stop the rotation of the wheels 11, thereby stopping the forward travel of the vehicle body 2. Here, during the period between the cleaning stopping operation and the stopping of the forward travel of the vehicle body 2 after the cleaning stopping operation, the squeegee reset control unit 75 executes a preliminary forward travel operation in which the forward travel is stopped after forward travel of a predetermined preliminary forward distance FD, as shown in FIG.

[0127] The preliminary forward distance FD may be set to a distance that allows the squeegee 30 to return to the neutral position by the (straight) forward travel of the floor washer 1 even when the squeegee 30 is rotated to a left or right rotation position by the rotation of the floor washer 1. Alternatively, the preliminary forward distance FD may be set so that the position to which the floor washer 1 is moved by the backward travel in the suction backward movement and preliminary backward movement described below returns to a position where the reset condition is satisfied and the reset movement is started (the start position of the preliminary forward movement). Alternatively, the preliminary forward distance FD may be set according to an arbitrary operation of the operator. Alternatively, the preliminary forward distance FD may be set to a distance that allows the squeegee device 15 to completely collect the cleaning water that was used before the reset movement.

[0128] <Suction backward movement> Furthermore, after the traveling stop operation, the squeegee reset control unit 75 executes a suction backward operation in which the vehicle travels backward a predetermined first backward distance BD1 while continuing to suck up dirty water with the squeegee device 15, as shown in Fig. 5 (3). As the suction backward operation, the squeegee reset control unit 75 drives the left and right drive motors 11b to rotate the wheels 11, thereby causing the vehicle body 2 to travel backward. At this time, the squeegee reset control unit 75 controls the drive of the left and right drive motors 11b so as to gradually slow down the backward speed of the vehicle body 2, and when the first backward distance BD1 has elapsed, stops the drive of the left and right drive motors 11b to stop the rotation of the wheels 11, thereby stopping the backward traveling of the vehicle body 2.

[0129] The foreign matter caught between the squeegee device 15 and the floor surface F may be released from the caught state by the squeegee device 15 being dragged backward during the reverse travel of the floor cleaning machine 1. The first backward travel distance BD1 may be set assuming the release of the foreign matter caught between the squeegee device 15 and the floor surface F, or may be set according to an arbitrary operation of the operator.

[0130] Incidentally, even in the suction backward movement operation, the squeegee reset control unit 75 continues from the travel stop operation, keeping the cleaning pad 13 raised and stopping the rotation of the cleaning pad 13, and further keeps the supply of cleaning water stopped. Furthermore, even in the suction backward movement operation, continuing from the travel stop operation, the squeegee reset control unit 75 does not raise the squeegee device 15 or start / stop the suction blower 18, but continues the suction operation of the suction blower 18 with the squeegee device 15 lowered to the floor surface F by its own weight, but the squeegee chamber S does not become negative pressure because the suction between the squeegee 30 and the floor surface F is released.

[0131] <Squeegee lifting motion> Furthermore, after the suction backward movement operation, the squeegee reset control unit 75 executes a squeegee lifting operation to lift the squeegee device 15 (squeegee 30) as shown in Fig. 5 (4). The squeegee reset control unit 75 drives the squeegee cylinder 21 to rotate the squeegee lever 51 upward and pull the wire 52, thereby lifting the squeegee device 15. While executing the squeegee lifting operation, the squeegee reset control unit 75 continues the suction operation of the suction blower 18, but because the squeegee device 15 is lifted, the gap between the squeegee device 15 and the floor surface F opens the squeegee chamber S, and negative pressure is not created.

[0132] Any foreign matter caught between the squeegee device 15 and the floor surface F is released from the caught state by the lifting of the squeegee device 15. If the foreign matter falls from the lifted squeegee device 15 to the floor surface F due to its own weight, the fallen foreign matter may be collected by the suction force of the suction blower 18. Also, if a foreign matter is attached to the lifted squeegee device 15, the attached foreign matter may be collected by the suction force of the suction blower 18.

[0133] <Preliminary reverse movement> Furthermore, after the squeegee raising operation, the squeegee reset control unit 75 further executes a preliminary reverse operation of traveling backward a predetermined second reverse distance BD2 as shown in Fig. 5 (5). As the preliminary reverse operation, the squeegee reset control unit 75 drives the left and right drive motors 11b to rotate the wheels 11, thereby causing the body 2 to travel backward. At this time, the squeegee reset control unit 75 controls the drive of the left and right drive motors 11b so as to gradually slow down the reverse speed of the body 2, and when the second reverse distance BD2 has elapsed, stops the drive of the left and right drive motors 11b to stop the rotation of the wheels 11, thereby stopping the reverse travel of the body 2.

[0134] As a result, the preliminary backward movement can move the squeegee device 15 rearward of the foreign object that has fallen from the squeegee device 15 to the floor surface F during the squeegee lifting movement, and the foreign object can be appropriately collected. The second backward movement distance BD2 may be set in anticipation of the collection of foreign objects that have fallen from the squeegee device 15 or foreign objects attached to the squeegee device 15, or may be set in response to an arbitrary operation by the operator.

[0135] The squeegee reset control unit 75 keeps the cleaning pad 13 raised and stops the rotation of the cleaning pad 13 even during the preliminary backward movement operation, continuing from the suction backward movement operation and the squeegee lifting operation, and further keeps the supply of cleaning water stopped. Furthermore, the squeegee reset control unit 75 keeps the squeegee device 15 raised and continues the suction operation of the suction blower 18 even during the preliminary backward movement operation, continuing from the squeegee lifting operation.

[0136] When the second backward distance BD2 has elapsed due to the backward travel of the floor washer 1 in the preliminary backward operation, the squeegee reset control unit 75 completes the reset operation and enables the floor washer 1 to resume traveling cleaning (automatic traveling cleaning).

[0137] <Reset suppression condition judgment> Incidentally, even if the reset condition is satisfied, the squeegee reset control unit 75 suspends execution of the reset operation if a predetermined reset suppression condition is satisfied. Also, if the reset suppression condition is no longer satisfied after it is determined that the reset suppression condition is satisfied, the squeegee reset control unit 75 cancels the suppression of the reset operation and executes the reset operation.

[0138] For example, the memory unit 26 stores the traveling state of the floor washer 1 being turning traveling as a reset suppression condition for suppressing execution of the reset operation of the squeegee device 15, and specifically, stores a predetermined turning radius threshold value for the turning radius (curvature). The squeegee reset control unit 75 determines that the reset suppression condition is satisfied when the turning radius of the turning traveling of the floor washer 1 is equal to or less than the turning radius threshold value and the floor washer 1 is in turning traveling (the rotation speeds of the left and right drive motors 11b are different).

[0139] In Fig. 6, a travel route 81 created by a cleaning plan for performing automatic travel cleaning by reciprocating travel in a cleaning area 80 is shown by a two-dot chain line, and a route that has already been traveled is shown by a thick line. As shown in Fig. 6 (1), the floor washer 1 performs automatic travel cleaning by moving straight from the right side to the left side on the paper, but performs a 180-degree turn to turn back to the right side at the left end of the cleaning area 80. Here, it is assumed that the elapsed distance from the start position (see the square mark) reaches the elapsed distance threshold during the turn.

[0140] In this way, even if the elapsed distance of the travel cleaning of the floor washer 1 exceeds the elapsed distance threshold and satisfies the reset condition, if the floor washer 1 is in a turning motion, the squeegee reset control unit 75 determines that the reset suppression condition is satisfied and suppresses the reset operation. If the reset operation of the squeegee device 15 is performed while the floor washer 1 is in a turning motion, there is a possibility that dirty water will leak from the greatly tilted squeegee device 15, but in the floor washer 1 according to this embodiment, the reset suppression condition is that the floor washer 1 is in a turning motion, so that the reset operation is not performed during the turning motion and it is possible to suppress the leakage of dirty water.

[0141] Thereafter, when the floor washer 1 ends its turning travel and starts moving straight ahead, the squeegee reset control unit 75 determines that the reset suppression condition is no longer satisfied and releases the suppression of the reset operation. As shown in FIG. 6(2), immediately after the end of the turning travel, the floor washer 1 is close to a wall surface, etc., and the first backward distance BD1 and the second backward distance BD2 cannot be secured between the wall surface and the floor washer 1, so that the suction backward movement and the preliminary backward movement may not be possible. Here, when the floor washer 1 ends its turning travel and can start moving to clean by moving forward, as shown in FIG. 6(3), the preliminary forward movement that secures the preliminary forward distance FD can secure the first backward movement distance BD1 and the second backward movement distance BD2 between the wall surface and the floor washer 1, so that the automatic moving to clean can be resumed after the suction backward movement and the preliminary backward movement, as shown in FIG. 6(4).

[0142] Also, immediately after the end of the turning run, the squeegee 30 is displaced to the turning position, but by performing a preliminary forward movement in the reset operation of the squeegee device 15, the load caused by contact between the blades 32, 33 of the squeegee device 15 and the floor surface F acts in the direction opposite to the traveling direction during the process in which the turning support shaft 42a of the squeegee device 15 moves linearly, so that the squeegee 30 can be returned to the neutral position, and the squeegee reset control unit 75 may determine that the reset suppression condition is no longer satisfied. Note that it is necessary to perform the preliminary forward movement at least until the front end of the squeegee device 15 in Fig. 6(3) (the position of the horizontal rollers 36 at both ends) is positioned in the traveling direction further than the front end of the squeegee device 15 in the fully turned state in Fig. 6(2) (the position of the horizontal roller 36 on the left side).

[0143] Also, for example, the memory unit 26 stores, as the reset suppression condition, that the traveling state of the floor washer 1 is traveling after a step, and specifically, stores a predetermined post-step distance threshold for the traveling distance from step detection. Even if the squeegee reset control unit 75 determines that the reset condition is satisfied after the step sensor 7d detects a step on the floor surface F during the floor washer 1 traveling for cleaning, the squeegee reset control unit 75 monitors the traveling distance from the step detection, and determines that the reset suppression condition is satisfied until the traveling distance from the step detection exceeds the post-step distance threshold.

[0144] The step rear distance threshold is set so that the squeegee device 15 does not perform a reset operation after passing over a step after the floor washer 1 has passed over the step. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 10(1), the step rear distance threshold may be set to a distance obtained by adding a predetermined distance α to the length W from the detection position on the floor surface F by the step sensor 7d to the rear end of the squeegee device 15 (e.g., the rear blade 33). For example, the predetermined distance may be the above-mentioned first backward distance BD1 and second backward distance BD2, that is, the preliminary forward distance FD.

[0145] As a result, the reset operation of the squeegee device 15 is not performed until the travel distance from the step detection exceeds the step distance threshold, so that dirty water does not leak from the squeegee device 15 that has climbed over a step. Also, since the reset suppression condition is released after the travel distance from the step detection exceeds the step distance threshold, the reset operation of the squeegee device 15, including the preliminary forward movement, suction backward movement, and preliminary backward movement described above, can be performed at the position after passing over the step, as shown in Fig. 10(2).

[0146] Furthermore, when determining the reset condition or the reset suppression condition, the squeegee reset control unit 75 may change the reset condition or the reset suppression condition according to the traveling state or the cleaning state of the floor washer 1. At this time, when it is determined that the necessity of the reset operation is relatively high according to the cleaning state, the squeegee reset control unit 75 strengthens the reset condition, whereas when it is determined that the necessity of the reset operation is relatively low, the squeegee reset control unit 75 relaxes the reset condition.

[0147] For example, the squeegee reset control unit 75 changes the reset condition according to the turbidity of the wastewater sucked by the suction blower 18 and collected in the collection tank 17 as the cleaning state. Specifically, a normal value (e.g., 30 m) is set in advance for the elapsed distance threshold for traveling cleaning, which is the reset condition, but the squeegee reset control unit 75 monitors the turbidity of the wastewater determined by the turbidity determination unit 74, and when high turbidity is frequently determined, strengthens the reset condition by multiplying the elapsed distance threshold by a predetermined coefficient. At this time, as shown in FIG. 9, when a coefficient of 0.8 (80%) is set for the frequent occurrence of high turbidity, the normal value of 30 m is multiplied by the coefficient of 0.8 to set the elapsed distance threshold to 22 m.

[0148] As a result, if high turbidity determinations occur frequently, there is a high possibility that foreign matter has accumulated or become trapped between the squeegee device 15 and the floor surface F, so the squeegee reset control unit 75 can determine that there is a relatively high need for a reset operation and expedite the execution of the reset operation.

[0149] The squeegee reset control unit 75 may determine that high turbidity determinations occur frequently when the number of high turbidity determinations per predetermined unit time exceeds a predetermined number threshold. Also, when low turbidity determinations continue for a predetermined long distance or long time, the squeegee reset control unit 75 may relax the reset condition by multiplying the elapsed distance threshold by a predetermined coefficient, thereby making the elapsed distance threshold longer than the normal value.

[0150] Furthermore, the squeegee reset control unit 75 changes the reset condition according to the amount of cleaning water supplied by the supply pump 14 as the cleaning state. Specifically, a normal value (e.g., 30 m) is set in advance for the elapsed distance threshold for traveling cleaning, which is the reset condition, but the squeegee reset control unit 75 monitors the amount of cleaning water supplied, and when traveling cleaning is performed with a large supply amount, the reset condition is strengthened by multiplying the elapsed distance threshold by a predetermined coefficient. At this time, as shown in FIG. 9, when a coefficient of 0.8 (80%) is set for the large supply amount of cleaning water, the normal value of 30 m is multiplied by the coefficient of 0.8 to set the elapsed distance threshold to 22 m.

[0151] As a result, when the supply amount of cleaning water is large, the squeegee reset control unit 75 can perform the reset operation as frequently as possible to maintain a good condition of the squeegee device 15. Furthermore, when cleaning travel with a small supply amount continues for a predetermined long distance or for a long period of time, the squeegee reset control unit 75 may ease the reset condition by multiplying the elapsed distance threshold by a predetermined coefficient, thereby making the elapsed distance threshold longer than the normal value.

[0152] In addition, the squeegee reset control unit 75 may monitor both the turbidity of the wastewater and the amount of cleaning water supplied as the cleaning status, and if high turbidity occurs frequently and the supply amount is large, the reset condition is strengthened by multiplying the elapsed distance threshold by the respective coefficients, for example, the elapsed distance threshold is set to 19.2 m by multiplying the normal value of 30 m by coefficient 0.8 (80%) x coefficient 0.8 (80%).

[0153] Furthermore, the squeegee reset control unit 75 changes the reset condition according to the detection result of a status sensor that detects an abnormality in the squeegee device 15 as the cleaning status. Specifically, a normal value (e.g., 30 m) is preset for the elapsed distance threshold for traveling cleaning, which is the reset condition, but when it is determined based on the detection result of the status sensor that there is an abnormality in the squeegee device 15, the squeegee reset control unit 75 strengthens the reset condition by multiplying the elapsed distance threshold by a predetermined coefficient, for example, by multiplying the normal value of 30 m by a coefficient 0 (0%) to set the elapsed distance threshold to 0 m, and may immediately execute the reset operation.

[0154] The status sensor may be a vibration sensor that detects vibrations of the squeegee device 15, a sensor that detects abnormalities in the suction force of the suction blower 18, a sensor that detects abnormalities in the supply amount by the supply pump 14, or a sensor that detects other abnormalities.

[0155] Next, an example of the operation of the autonomously traveling floor washer 1 will be described with reference to the flow charts of FIGS.

[0156] First, the floor washer 1 starts a cleaning operation, and the automatic travel control unit 73 starts automatic travel and cleaning based on a predetermined cleaning plan, and then starts the cleaning motor 19 to rotate the cleaning pad 13 and starts the suction blower 18 (step S1). At this time, the rotation speed of the cleaning motor 19 (cleaning pad 13) and the suction strength (suction force) of the suction blower 18 are appropriately set based on the cleaning plan or according to an arbitrary operation by the operator.

[0157] The automatic travel control unit 73 also drives the pad cylinder 20 to lower the cleaning pad 13 and press it against the floor surface F, starts the supply pump 14 to supply cleaning water to the floor surface F, and drives the squeegee cylinder 21 to lower the squeegee device 15 to bring the squeegee 30 into contact with the floor surface F, and drives the left and right drive motors 11b to rotate the wheels 11 and travel the floor washer 1 forward (step S2). At this time, the ground contact pressure strength of the pad cylinder 20 (cleaning pad 13), the amount of cleaning water supplied by the supply pump 14, and the rotation speed of the left and right drive motors 11b (wheels 11) are appropriately set based on the cleaning plan or in response to an arbitrary operation by the operator.

[0158] Next, while the automatic travel cleaning is being performed in the above state (step S3), the squeegee reset control unit 75 determines whether or not the reset condition is satisfied (step S4). If the reset condition is not satisfied (step S4: No), the automatic travel cleaning continues, and when the automatic travel control unit 73 ends the automatic travel cleaning based on the cleaning plan (step S5: Yes), the floor washer 1 is stopped and the operation ends.

[0159] On the other hand, if the reset condition is met (step S4: Yes), the squeegee reset control unit 75 starts executing the reset operation of the squeegee device 15 (step S6).

[0160] The squeegee reset control unit 75 first performs a travel stopping operation, drives the pad cylinder 20 to raise the cleaning pad 13 and release the pressure against the floor surface F, and stops the cleaning motor 19 to stop the rotation of the cleaning pad 13. It also stops the supply pump 14 to stop the supply of cleaning water, and controls the drive of the left and right drive motors 11b to slow down the forward travel speed of the floor washer 1 (step S7).

[0161] The forward travel at this time is a preliminary forward movement, and is performed while the cleaning pad 13 is separated from the floor surface F, the supply of cleaning water is stopped, and the squeegee device 15 is lowered to the floor surface F by its own weight, while the suction blower 18 continues to perform the suction operation. The squeegee reset control unit 75 determines whether the travel distance of the preliminary forward movement has exceeded the preliminary forward distance FD since the start of the travel stop operation (step S8).

[0162] When the preliminary forward distance FD has elapsed (Step S8: Yes), the squeegee reset control unit 75 stops the forward travel (preliminary forward movement) of the floor washer 1 by stopping the drive of the left and right drive motors 11b and stopping the rotation of the wheels 11, thereby completing the travel stopping operation. After that, the squeegee reset control unit 75 performs a suction backward movement operation, drives the left and right drive motors 11b (in the backward direction) to rotate the wheels 11, thereby causing the floor washer 1 to travel backward at a low speed (Step S9).

[0163] The backward travel (suction backward operation) at this time is performed with the cleaning pad 13 separated from the floor surface F, the supply of cleaning water stopped, and the squeegee device 15 lowered to the floor surface F by its own weight while continuing the suction operation of the suction blower 18. The squeegee reset control unit 75 determines whether the travel distance from the start of the suction backward operation has exceeded the first backward distance BD1 (step S10).

[0164] When the first backward distance BD1 has elapsed (step S10: Yes), the squeegee reset control unit 75 stops the drive of the left and right drive motors 11b to stop the rotation of the wheels 11, thereby stopping the backward travel (suction backward operation) of the floor washer 1. Thereafter, the squeegee reset control unit 75 performs a squeegee lifting operation, driving the squeegee cylinder 21 to rotate the squeegee lever 51 upward and pull the wire 52, thereby lifting the squeegee device 15 (step S11). This squeegee lifting operation is performed while the suction blower 18 continues its suction operation.

[0165] Furthermore, the squeegee reset control unit 75 performs a preliminary backward movement operation, driving the left and right drive motors 11b to rotate the wheels 11, thereby causing the floor washer 1 to travel backward at a low speed (step S12). The backward movement (preliminary backward movement) at this time is performed while the cleaning pad 13 is kept away from the floor surface F, the supply of cleaning water is stopped, the squeegee device 15 is raised and separated from the floor surface F, and the suction blower 18 continues to perform its suction operation. The squeegee reset control unit 75 determines whether the travel distance from the start of the preliminary backward movement operation has exceeded a second backward movement distance BD2 (step S13).

[0166] When the second backward distance BD2 has elapsed (Step S13: Yes), the squeegee reset control unit 75 stops the driving of the left and right drive motors 11b to stop the rotation of the wheels 11, thereby stopping the backward travel (suction backward operation) of the floor washer 1 (Step S14). As a result, the squeegee reset control unit 75 ends the reset operation of the squeegee device 15.

[0167] After that, the process returns to step S1, and the automatic travel control unit 73 resumes the automatic travel cleaning based on the cleaning plan. When the automatic travel cleaning is resumed, the rotation speed of the cleaning motor 19 (cleaning pad 13), the suction strength (suction force) of the suction blower 18, the ground pressure strength of the pad cylinder 20 (cleaning pad 13), the amount of cleaning water supplied by the supply pump 14, and the rotation speeds of the left and right drive motors 11b (wheels 11) are set again to the states before the reset operation.

[0168] In the above embodiment, the squeegee reset control unit 75 executes a travel stop operation including a cleaning stop operation and a preliminary forward movement operation, a suction backward movement operation, a squeegee lifting operation, and a preliminary backward movement operation, but the present invention is not limited to this example. In other examples, the squeegee reset control unit 75 may execute at least one of the suction backward movement operation and the squeegee lifting operation to directly eliminate a foreign object caught between the squeegee device 15 and the floor surface F, that is, may execute an appropriate combination of the cleaning stop operation, the preliminary forward movement operation, the suction backward movement operation, the squeegee lifting operation, and the preliminary backward movement operation.

[0169] Furthermore, in order to directly eliminate foreign matter getting caught between the squeegee device 15 and the floor surface F or foreign matter adhering to the squeegee device 15, the squeegee reset control unit 75 may perform a squeegee vibration operation that vibrates the raised squeegee device 15, in addition to the suction backward movement operation and the squeegee lifting operation. For example, with the squeegee device 15 in a raised state, the squeegee reset control unit 75 further drives the squeegee cylinder 21 to rotate the squeegee lever 51 up and down and pull the wire 52 up and down, thereby vibrating the squeegee device 15 up and down. This makes it easier for foreign matter adhering to the squeegee device 15 to fall off.

[0170] As described above, according to this embodiment, the floor washer 1 that performs traveling cleaning by supplying cleaning water to wash the floor surface F while traveling the vehicle body 2 includes the squeegee device 15 (squeegee 30) that collects dirty water after cleaning, a storage unit 26 that stores reset conditions for performing a reset operation of the squeegee device 15, and a control unit 10. When the reset conditions are satisfied during the performance of traveling cleaning, the control unit 10 functions as a squeegee reset control unit 75 that performs, as reset operations, a traveling stop operation that temporarily stops traveling, a suction backward movement operation that travels backward a predetermined first backward movement distance BD1 while continuing to suck up dirty water by the squeegee device 15 after the traveling stop movement, and a squeegee lifting operation that lifts the squeegee device 15 after the suction backward movement operation.

[0171] In other words, in a floor cleaning machine 1 that performs traveling cleaning by supplying cleaning water to clean a floor surface F while the vehicle body 2 is traveling, a resetting method for the squeegee device 15 (squeegee 30) that collects wastewater after cleaning performs the following reset operations when a reset condition for performing a reset operation of the squeegee device 15 is satisfied while the traveling cleaning is being performed: a traveling stop operation that temporarily stops traveling, a suction backward operation that travels backward a predetermined first backward distance BD1 while continuing to suck up the wastewater by the squeegee device 15 after the traveling stop operation, and a squeegee raising operation that raises the squeegee device 15 after the suction backward operation.

[0172] With this configuration, the floor washer 1 of this embodiment is small and maneuverable, and is configured without increasing the product price. By performing the suction backward operation and the reset operation of the squeegee device 15, the squeegee raising operation can separate foreign matter that has become caught between the squeegee device 15 and the floor surface F from the squeegee device 15 and drop it to the floor surface F, thereby preventing wastewater from being left behind and preventing streaks of wastewater from occurring.

[0173] Furthermore, in the floor cleaning machine 1 according to this embodiment, the squeegee reset control unit 75 executes, as a travel stop operation, a cleaning stop operation in which the cleaning pad 13, which is a cleaning member for cleaning the floor surface F, is separated from the floor surface F and the supply of cleaning water is stopped, and a preliminary forward movement operation in which, after the cleaning stop operation, the cleaning pad 13 moves forward a predetermined preliminary forward distance FD and then stops traveling.

[0174] With this configuration, the floor washer 1 performs the preparatory forward movement and then the above-mentioned suction backward movement and the preparatory backward movement described below, so that the position at which the moving cleaning is resumed, including the suction movement by the suction blower 18, can be prevented from changing significantly from the position at which the moving cleaning was interrupted by the reset movement.

[0175] Furthermore, in the floor washer 1 according to this embodiment, the squeegee reset control unit 75 executes, as a reset operation, a preliminary reverse operation in which the squeegee moves backward a predetermined second reverse distance BD2 after the suction reverse operation and the squeegee lifting operation.

[0176] With this configuration, the floor washer 1 can resume traveling and cleaning from a position where it has moved backward by the preliminary backward movement action, rather than a position where foreign objects would have fallen onto the floor surface F by the suction backward movement action and the squeegee lifting action. Therefore, foreign objects that have fallen onto the floor surface F by the reset action can be reliably collected by the squeegee device 15, and it is possible to prevent wastewater from remaining unsucked and the occurrence of wastewater streaks.

[0177] Furthermore, in the floor washer 1 according to this embodiment, the squeegee reset control unit 75 executes a squeegee vibration operation for vibrating the squeegee device 15 as a reset operation after the squeegee lifting operation.

[0178] With this configuration, the floor washer 1 can more reliably drop and collect foreign matter adhering to the squeegee device 15.

[0179] Furthermore, in the floor washer 1 according to this embodiment, the squeegee reset control unit 75 determines that the reset condition is met when the elapsed distance of the cleaning travel has exceeded a predetermined elapsed distance threshold.

[0180] With this configuration, the floor washer 1 can execute a reset operation of the squeegee device 15 by referring to the elapsed distance of the traveling cleaning before a significant amount of foreign matter accumulates that may become caught between the squeegee device 15 and the floor surface F, thereby efficiently preventing wastewater from being left behind and the occurrence of wastewater streaks.

[0181] In addition, in the floor cleaning machine 1 according to this embodiment, the control unit 10 functions as a turbidity determination unit 74 that detects the turbidity of the wastewater sucked by the squeegee device 15, and the squeegee reset control unit 75 changes the reset conditions according to the turbidity.

[0182] With this configuration, the floor cleaning machine 1 can adapt the frequency of the reset operation of the squeegee device 15 to the cleaning state by changing the reset conditions according to the turbidity of the wastewater, and can appropriately prevent wastewater from being left behind and the occurrence of wastewater streaks.

[0183] Furthermore, in the floor cleaning machine 1 according to this embodiment, the memory unit 26 stores, together with the reset condition, a reset suppression condition for suppressing the execution of the reset operation of the squeegee device 15, and the squeegee reset control unit 75 suspends the execution of the reset operation when the reset suppression condition is satisfied even when the reset condition is satisfied.

[0184] For example, the storage unit 26 stores, as the reset suppression condition, that the traveling state of the vehicle body 2 is turning.

[0185] Alternatively, the storage unit 26 stores, as the reset suppression condition, that the traveling state of the vehicle body 2 is traveling after a step.

[0186] With this configuration, the floor washer 1 suppresses the reset operation of the squeegee device 15 when the floor washer 1 is not in an appropriate state, but can execute the reset operation when the floor washer 1 is in an appropriate state.

[0187] In addition, in the floor cleaning machine 1 according to this embodiment, the squeegee device 15 is formed long in the left-right direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the vehicle body 2, and is rotatably arranged between a neutral position in which the connecting arm 41 connecting the squeegee device 15 to the vehicle body 2 is oriented along the traveling direction of the vehicle body 2, and a rotated position in which the connecting arm 41 is tilted to the left or right with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle body 2, and further includes a neutral movement mechanism 60 that presses a neutral moving body such as a part of the connecting arm 41 or a neutral roller 61 provided on the connecting arm 41 against a neutral guide portion 62 provided on the bottom of the vehicle body 2 in a curved state along the rotation direction of the connecting arm 41, thereby moving the squeegee device 15 from the rotated position to the neutral position.

[0188] With this configuration, when the floor cleaning machine 1 performs a reset operation of the squeegee device 15, the cam mechanism can displace the squeegee 30 to a neutral position during reverse travel in the suction reverse operation, and the squeegee device 15 can be placed in an appropriate state to resume running cleaning.

[0189] Moreover, in the floor washer 1 according to this embodiment, the neutral movement mechanism 60 includes a limiter mechanism that allows the squeegee device 15, which is held in the neutral position, to rotate in response to an external force.

[0190] With this configuration, when an obstacle or the like collides with the squeegee device 15, the floor cleaning machine 1 releases the neutral position and makes the squeegee device 15 rotatable, thereby preventing damage to the squeegee device 15.

[0191] <Other embodiments> In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the sliding shaft 45 is provided on the connecting arm 41 and each inclined groove 44 is provided on the support wall portion 43 in the squeegee device 15, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, a pair of left and right sliding shafts as an example of a sliding portion may be fixed to a pair of left and right support wall portions 43, and a pair of left and right inclined grooves into which the pair of left and right sliding shafts are fitted may be formed on both left and right side surfaces of the connecting arm 41. In this case, the connecting arm 41 is changed to a first posture by relatively moving each sliding shaft to the front upper end portion of each inclined groove, and is changed to a second posture by relatively moving each sliding shaft to the rear lower end portion of each inclined groove.

[0192] The neutral roller 61 (neutral bracket 61a) of the squeegee device 15 according to this embodiment may be omitted. In this case, for example, the tip (part) of the connecting arm 41 may be pressed against the neutral guide portion 62 (curved wall 62a) and engaged with the engagement groove 62b.

[0193] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the squeegee body 31 (squeegee 30) in the squeegee device 15 is formed in a bow shape, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the squeegee body 31 may be formed in a substantially U-shape (mountain shape). Alternatively, for example, the squeegee body 31 may be bent so as to convex backward and formed in a substantially V-shape.

[0194] In this embodiment, the squeegee reset control unit 75 determines that the reset condition is satisfied when the elapsed distance of the traveling cleaning of the floor washer 1 exceeds the elapsed distance threshold, but the present invention is not limited to this example. In another example, the squeegee reset control unit 75 may monitor the amount of cleaning water supplied or the amount of wastewater collected during the traveling cleaning of the floor washer 1, and determine that the reset condition is satisfied when the amount of cleaning water supplied or the amount of wastewater collected exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0195] In this embodiment, the suction strength (suction force) of the suction blower 18 during the reset operation of the squeegee device 15 continues to be in the same operating state as before the reset operation while performing preliminary forward movement, suction backward movement, and preliminary backward movement, etc., but the present invention is not limited to this, and the suction force of the suction blower 18 may be controlled to maximum strength during some or all of these reset operations.

[0196] In this embodiment, no particular alarm or the like is output while the reset operation of the squeegee device 15 is being performed. However, for example, an alarm sound or the lighting of a lamp indicating that the reset operation is being performed may be output as appropriate to make pedestrians or workers who may be in the vicinity aware of this and alert them that the reset operation will cause the vehicle body 2 to stop traveling, move in reverse, etc.

[0197] In addition, the technology of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and may be variously changed, substituted, or modified within the scope of the gist of the technical idea. Furthermore, if the technical idea can be realized in a different way due to the progress of technology or another derived technology, it may be implemented using that method. Therefore, the claims cover all embodiments that can be included in the scope of the technical idea. [Industrial Applicability]

[0198] As described above, the technique of the present invention is suitable for use in floor cleaners used in commercial facilities such as large shopping malls, offices, hotels, hospitals, schools, factories, and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0199] 1. Floor cleaning machine 2. Body 3 Running part 4 Cleaning Department 5. Driving operation unit 6 Operation display section 7. Measurement section 8. Imaging unit 9 Power supply section 10 Control section 13 Cleaning Pads 14 Supply pump 15 Squeegee device 18 Suction Blower 19 Washing motor 20 Pad Cylinder 21 Squeegee cylinder 23a Turbidity sensor 26 Memory section 30 Squeegee 32 Front Blade 33 Rear Blade 36 Horizontal roller 40 Sliding joint 41 Connecting arm 42 Swivel support 42a Swivel shaft 43 Support wall section 44 Slant groove 45 Sliding shaft 50 Lifting section 51 Squeegee lever 52 Wire 60 Neutral movement mechanism 61 Neutral roller 62 Neutral guide part 62a Curved Wall 62b Engagement groove 70 Mode switching section 71 Cartography Department 72 Planning Department 73 Automatic driving control unit 74 Turbidity determination section 75 Squeegee reset control section

Claims

1. A floor cleaning machine that performs traveling cleaning by supplying cleaning water to clean a floor surface while traveling a vehicle body, A squeegee device for collecting wastewater after cleaning; a memory unit that stores a reset condition for executing a reset operation of the squeegee device; When the reset condition is satisfied during the execution of the traveling cleaning, the reset operation is A running stop operation for temporarily stopping running; a suction backward movement operation in which the water tank moves backward a predetermined first backward movement distance while continuing to suction the wastewater by the squeegee device after the travel stopping operation; a control unit that executes a squeegee lifting operation to lift the squeegee device after the suction backward movement operation; A floor cleaning machine comprising:

2. The control unit, as the traveling stop operation, a cleaning stop operation for separating a cleaning member that cleans the floor surface from the floor surface and stopping the supply of the cleaning water; 2. The floor washer according to claim 1, further comprising a preparatory forward movement, which comprises moving forward a predetermined preparatory forward distance after the cleaning stop movement and then stopping the movement.

3. The control unit performs the reset operation as follows:

3. The floor washer according to claim 1, further comprising a preliminary reverse movement operation, which further comprises a second reverse movement distance, after the suction reverse movement operation and the squeegee lifting operation.

4. 3. The floor washer according to claim 1, wherein the control unit further executes a squeegee vibration operation for vibrating the squeegee device as the reset operation after the squeegee lifting operation.

5. 3. The floor washer according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines that the reset condition is satisfied when an elapsed distance of the cleaning by traveling exceeds a predetermined elapsed distance threshold.

6. The squeegee device further includes a turbidity determination unit that detects the turbidity of the wastewater sucked by the squeegee device, 3. The floor washer according to claim 1, wherein the control unit changes the reset condition depending on the turbidity.

7. The storage unit stores, together with the reset condition, a reset suppression condition for suppressing execution of the reset operation of the squeegee device; The floor washer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit suspends execution of the reset operation when the reset suppression condition is satisfied even when the reset condition is satisfied.

8. The floor washer according to claim 7, wherein the storage unit stores, as the reset suppression condition, that the traveling state of the vehicle body is a turning traveling.

9. The floor washer according to claim 7, wherein the memory unit stores, as the reset suppression condition, a driving state of the vehicle body being driving after a step.

10. The squeegee device is The vehicle body is elongated in a left-right direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the vehicle body. a connecting arm that connects the squeegee device to the vehicle body is provided rotatably between a neutral position in which the connecting arm is oriented along the traveling direction of the vehicle body and a rotational position in which the connecting arm is oriented in a leftward or rightward direction with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle body, 3. The floor washer according to claim 1, further comprising a neutral movement mechanism that presses a part of the connecting arm or a neutral moving body provided on the connecting arm against a neutral guide portion provided on the bottom of the vehicle body in a curved state along the rotation direction of the connecting arm, thereby moving the squeegee device from the rotation position to the neutral position.

11. 11. The floor washer according to claim 10, wherein the neutral movement mechanism includes a limiter mechanism that allows the squeegee device held in the neutral position to rotate in response to an external force.

12. A method for resetting a squeegee device that collects dirty water after cleaning in a floor cleaning machine that performs traveling cleaning by supplying cleaning water to clean a floor surface while traveling a vehicle body, comprising: When a reset condition for executing a reset operation of the squeegee device is satisfied during the execution of the traveling cleaning, the reset operation is performed by: A running stop operation for temporarily stopping running; a suction backward movement operation in which the water tank moves backward a predetermined first backward movement distance while continuing to suction the wastewater by the squeegee device after the travel stopping operation; and a squeegee raising operation for raising the squeegee device after the suction backward movement operation.

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