Cleaning robot

Abstract

To sufficiently clean a floor surface even under a rough environment.SOLUTION: A cleaning robot includes: wheels for traveling on a floor surface; sensors for detecting a peripheral state; a cleaning mechanism for cleaning the floor surface; and a control section for controlling the wheels, the sensors, and the cleaning mechanism. The cleaning mechanism comprises: a first mechanism for collecting trash on the floor surface; a second mechanism for collecting trash having a size equal to or more than a predetermined size included in the trash collected by the first mechanism; and a third mechanism for sucking trash not to be collected by the second mechanism.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning robot. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, cleaning robots that travel autonomously to clean floors have become popular. These cleaning robots are equipped with, for example, LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) and ultrasonic sensors, and travel autonomously while detecting and avoiding obstacles, sucking up dirt and dust on the floor and polishing the floor.

[0003] However, conventional cleaning robots have a problem in that they are difficult to clean sufficiently in dirty and messy environments such as construction sites. That is, conventional cleaning robots are designed to clean floors that are cleaned daily and relatively clean, so at construction sites where a wide variety of garbage such as building material fragments and large amounts of dust is scattered, the cleaning function is not fully utilized and there is a limit to how much the floor can be cleaned. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2021-142062 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-68897 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning robot that can sufficiently clean a floor surface even in a messy environment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a cleaning robot has wheels that run on a floor surface, a sensor that detects the surrounding conditions, a cleaning mechanism that cleans the floor surface, and a control unit that controls the wheels, the sensor, and the cleaning mechanism, and the cleaning mechanism has a first mechanism that collects dirt on the floor surface, a second mechanism that recovers dirt of a predetermined size or larger contained in the dirt collected by the first mechanism, and a third mechanism that sucks up dirt not collected by the second mechanism.

[0007] With this configuration, the three different types of mechanisms can efficiently collect a wide variety of garbage scattered around construction sites and other places, and can thoroughly clean floors even in messy environments.

[0008] According to another aspect of the present invention, the first mechanism has a pair of side brushes that are aligned in the width direction of the cleaning robot and each rotates around an axis of rotation perpendicular to the floor surface, and the pair of side brushes rotate in opposite directions to each other and collect dirt between the pair of side brushes.

[0009] According to this configuration, dirt on the path of the cleaning robot is collected between the pair of side brushes, so that the dirt is collected near the center of the width of the cleaning robot, making it easier to collect.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present invention, the second mechanism includes a pair of roll brushes arranged in a front-to-rear relationship behind the first mechanism, each of which rotates around an axis of rotation parallel to the axle of the wheel, and a dust box for collecting dust that is clamped and guided by the pair of roll brushes.

[0011] According to this configuration, the roll brush can pinch the dirt on the floor surface and move it to the dust box, making it possible to collect relatively large dirt.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present invention, the cleaning robot further includes a vacuum cleaner that sucks inside the dust box.

[0013] According to this configuration, the pressure inside the dust box that increases due to the rotation of the roll brush can be reduced, thereby preventing dust from flowing back from the dust box.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, the cleaning robot further includes a cyclone mechanism connected between the dust box and the vacuum cleaner to collect dust sucked from the dust box.

[0015] According to this configuration, fine dust is captured in the cyclone mechanism, thereby making it possible to prevent clogging of the filter provided inside the vacuum cleaner.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, the third mechanism is provided at a position rearward of the second mechanism and in contact with the second mechanism, and has a nozzle for sucking in dirt and a hose for guiding the dirt sucked in by the nozzle into the inside of the cleaning robot.

[0017] With this configuration, the nozzle that sucks up the dirt is located very close to the second mechanism, so that even when the cleaning robot turns, for example, the nozzle also passes over the floor surface that the second mechanism passes over, and dirt that is not collected by the second mechanism can be sucked up without being left behind.

[0018] According to another aspect of the present invention, the cleaning robot further includes a vacuum cleaner connected to the hose and the nozzle and configured to suck up dirt through the hose and the nozzle.

[0019] With this configuration, dirt on the floor can be sucked in through the nozzle by the suction force of the vacuum cleaner.

[0020] According to another aspect of the present invention, the cleaning robot further includes a cyclone mechanism connected between the hose and the vacuum cleaner to collect dust sucked by the nozzle.

[0021] According to this configuration, fine dust is captured in the cyclone mechanism, thereby making it possible to prevent clogging of the filter provided inside the vacuum cleaner. Effect of the Invention

[0022] According to the present invention, the floor surface can be sufficiently cleaned even in a messy environment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a cleaning robot according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side perspective view showing the configuration of the cleaning mechanism. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a bottom view showing the configuration of the first mechanism. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the second mechanism. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view showing the configuration of the vacuum cleaner according to the second mechanism. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view showing the configuration of the vacuum cleaner according to the third mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiment described below is merely an example, and should not be construed as being limited by this description.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a cleaning robot 100 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the cleaning robot 100 has wheels including front wheels 110 and rear wheels 120, and moves autonomously by driving the front wheels 110. For example, the left and right front wheels 110 rotate at different rotation speeds or in opposite directions, so that the cleaning robot 100 can change its direction of travel or turn. The front wheels 110 are provided with a suspension mechanism (not shown), so that the cleaning robot 100 can move on a floor surface that is slightly uneven. In addition, the surfaces of the front wheels 110 that come into contact with the floor surface are covered with, for example, urethane, so that tire marks such as rubber are not transferred to the floor surface.

[0026] The cleaning robot 100 has a cleaning mechanism 130 including side brushes and the like at its bottom, and cleans the floor surface using the cleaning mechanism 130 while autonomously traveling. The cleaning mechanism 130 includes three different types of mechanisms, and can sufficiently clean the floor surface even in a messy environment such as a construction site. The configuration of the cleaning mechanism 130 will be described in detail later.

[0027] Tape switches 140 are provided at the front and rear ends of the cleaning robot 100. The tape switches 140 are pressure-sensitive switches that sense contact and detect when the cleaning robot 100 collides with an obstacle or a human body while traveling. When the tape switch 140 detects a collision, the cleaning robot 100 makes an emergency stop.

[0028] The cleaning robot 100 is equipped with sensors that detect the surrounding conditions. Specifically, a camera 150 and a LIDAR 160 are provided on the upper part of the cleaning robot 100. The camera 150 captures the surroundings of the cleaning robot 100 and obtains a three-dimensional image used for detecting obstacles. The LIDAR 160 measures the distance to an obstacle, wall, pillar, etc. based on the time it takes for an irradiated laser light to be reflected from the object and returned. Information detected by the sensors including the camera 150 and the LIDAR 160 enables the cleaning robot 100 to travel while avoiding obstacles.

[0029] Further, a fall prevention sensor (not shown) may be provided at the front and rear of the lower part of the cleaning robot 100 to prevent the cleaning robot 100 from falling into a hole or a step in the floor. The fall prevention sensor measures the distance to the floor and makes it possible to detect the presence of a hole or a step in the floor when the distance to the floor increases by a predetermined value or more. For example, an ultrasonic sensor or a ToF (Time of Flight) sensor can be used as such a fall prevention sensor.

[0030] The patrol lamp 170 lights up in conjunction with the operation of the cleaning robot 100. For example, the patrol lamp 170 may include a plurality of LEDs of different colors, and may light up in different lighting patterns depending on the operating status of the cleaning robot 100, such as normal operation or the occurrence of an error.

[0031] The storage unit 180 stores a control unit and a power supply unit of the cleaning robot 100. That is, the storage unit 180 stores a control computer, a microcomputer board, a motor driver, a battery, and the like. The computer stored in the storage unit 180 executes information processing based on the three-dimensional image and distance information acquired by the camera 150 and the LIDAR 160. The computer controls the motor driver according to the result of the information processing, and drives the front wheel 110 to move the cleaning robot 100. Furthermore, the computer controls cleaning by the cleaning mechanism 130.

[0032] An inlet capable of supplying power from a battery may be provided on the outer surface of the storage section 180. This allows the power of the cleaning robot 100 to be used for purposes other than cleaning, for example, in an emergency such as a disaster.

[0033] Fig. 2 is a side perspective view of the cleaning robot 100, showing the configuration of the cleaning mechanism 130. As shown in Fig. 2, the cleaning mechanism 130 has a first mechanism 210, a second mechanism 220, and a third mechanism 230. The first mechanism 210, the second mechanism 220, and the third mechanism 230 each have different functions and work together to clean the floor surface, so that the cleaning mechanism 130 can efficiently collect a wide variety of garbage scattered around a construction site, etc., and can sufficiently clean the floor surface even in a messy environment.

[0034] The first mechanism 210 is provided in front of the cleaning robot 100, and collects dirt on the floor surface near the center of the cleaning robot 100 in the width direction, and removes dirt in the path of the front wheels 110 and rear wheels 120.

[0035] Specifically, the first mechanism 210 has a pair of side brushes 211 arranged in the width direction of the cleaning robot 100, and a hood 212 that covers the side brushes 211. The side brushes 211 rotate about a rotation axis perpendicular to the floor surface while in contact with the floor surface, and collect dirt within a rotation radius near the center of the cleaning robot 100 in the width direction. At the same time, the side brushes 211 remove dirt in the paths of the front wheels 110 and rear wheels 120 behind the side brushes 211. This ensures that the paths of the front wheels 110 and rear wheels 120 are clear, and the cleaning robot 100 is not hindered from moving by dirt.

[0036] The hood 212 supports the rotation shaft of the side brush 211 and covers the entire side brush 211 to suppress the stirring up of dust due to the rotation of the side brush 211. In addition, when a large object such as a clamp or a construction tool is present on the path of the cleaning robot 100, the hood 212 pushes the large object out of the path of the cleaning robot 100. That is, an object larger than the height from the floor surface to the bottom end of the hood 212 hits the front end of the hood 212 and is pushed out of the path of the cleaning robot 100, and is not collected by the side brush 211. This makes it possible to prevent large objects that cannot be collected from entering the cleaning mechanism 130 and hindering the rotation of the brush or clogging the path of the dirt.

[0037] The hood 212 may be configured to be foldable together with the side brushes 211 around the upper rear end as an axis. This makes it easier to manually move the cleaning robot 100 when carrying it in and out, and to store it in a predetermined storage position.

[0038] Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the first mechanism 210. As shown in Fig. 3, the first mechanism 210 has a pair of side brushes 211a, 211b aligned in the width direction of the cleaning robot 100. The widths of both ends of the two side brushes 211a, 211b are greater than the widths of the front wheels 110 and rear wheels 120 on both the left and right sides of the cleaning robot 100. Therefore, the side brushes 211a, 211b can remove dirt in the paths through which the front wheels 110 and rear wheels 120 pass.

[0039] Moreover, the side brush 211a rotates clockwise in the figure, and the side brush 211b rotates counterclockwise in the figure. That is, the two side brushes 211a, 211b rotate so as to collect dirt in the traveling direction between the two side brushes 211a, 211b. Therefore, dirt within the rotation radius of the side brushes 211a, 211b can be collected near the center in the width direction of the cleaning robot 100. The side brushes 211a, 211b can also rotate in the opposite directions, and for example, when dirt gets stuck in the brushes, the stuck dirt can be removed by rotating in the opposite directions.

[0040] A sprinkling mechanism for sprinkling water on the floor surface may be provided at the rear end of the first mechanism 210. The sprinkling mechanism sprinkles water in the direction of the front side brushes 211a, 211b. This can suppress the kicking up of dust by the side brushes 211a, 211b, and can also suppress the kicking up of dust in the second mechanism 220. The first mechanism 210 does not necessarily have to include the pair of side brushes 211a, 211b, and may have a structure having one side brush at one end side of the cleaning robot 100 in the width direction, for example.

[0041] Returning to Fig. 2, the second mechanism 220 is provided behind the first mechanism 210, and collects relatively large debris of a predetermined size or more, such as wood chips, contained in the debris collected by the first mechanism 210 near the center of the width of the cleaning robot 100. The second mechanism 220 also collects dust stirred up by the brush.

[0042] Specifically, the second mechanism 220 has a front roll brush 221, a rear roll brush 222, a rubber cover 223, and a dust box 224. The front roll brush 221 and the rear roll brush 222 are roll brushes arranged in the front and rear of the cleaning robot 100 in the traveling direction, rotate around a rotation axis parallel to the axles of the front wheel 110 and the rear wheel 120, and sandwich and collect dust between the two roll brushes. That is, the front roll brush 221 rotates counterclockwise in the figure, and the rear roll brush 222 rotates clockwise in the figure, so that relatively large dust is sandwiched between the two roll brushes and guided to the inside of the cleaning robot 100. In addition, dust stirred up by the rotation of the front roll brush 221 and the rear roll brush 222 is collected into the inside of the cleaning robot 100.

[0043] The rubber cover 223 is disposed so as to surround the periphery of the front roll brush 221 and the rear roll brush 222. By surrounding the periphery of the front roll brush 221 and the rear roll brush 222 with the rubber cover 223, it is possible to suppress the stirring up of dust due to the rotation of the roll brushes and to maintain negative pressure in the space around the roll brushes.

[0044] The dust box 224 receives the dust that is sandwiched between the front roll brush 221 and the rear roll brush 222 and guided to the inside of the cleaning robot 100. That is, the dust that is sandwiched between the front roll brush 221 and the rear roll brush 222 is urged by the rotation of the roll brushes and thrown into the dust box 224 provided behind the rear roll brush 222.

[0045] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a moving path of the dirt in the second mechanism 220. The dirt collected near the center of the width direction of the cleaning robot 100 by the first mechanism 210 is sandwiched between the front roll brush 221 and the rear roll brush 222 and guided to the inside of the cleaning robot 100, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 4. Then, the dirt is urged by the rotation of the roll brushes and thrown into the dust box 224.

[0046] In addition, the second mechanism 220 does not necessarily have to be structured to sandwich the dirt between the front roll brush 221 and the rear roll brush 222 and throw it into the dust box 224. For example, the second mechanism 220 may be structured so that dirt is pushed by the rotation of one roll brush and guided into the dust box 224 by a plate-shaped dust collection portion.

[0047] Fig. 5 is a rear perspective view of the cleaning robot 100 as seen from the rear. As shown in Fig. 5, an exhaust port 224a is provided at the top of the dust box 224, and the exhaust port 224a is connected to the cyclone mechanism 310 by a hose (not shown). Furthermore, the cyclone mechanism 310 is connected to the vacuum cleaner 320 by a hose (not shown). The vacuum cleaner 320 sucks the inside of the dust box 224 through the exhaust port 224a.

[0048] With this configuration, it is possible to reduce the pressure inside the dust box 224 that rises due to the rotation of the front roll brush 221 and the rear roll brush 222, and prevent the backflow of dirt from the dust box 224. In addition, the dust collected together with the dirt in the dust box 224 is sucked by the vacuum cleaner 320 and collected by the cyclone mechanism 310. By collecting fine dust in the cyclone mechanism 310, it is possible to prevent clogging of a filter provided inside the vacuum cleaner 320.

[0049] Returning to FIG. 2, the third mechanism 230 is provided behind the second mechanism 220, and sucks up relatively small pieces of debris and dust that are collected by the first mechanism 210 near the center of the width of the cleaning robot 100 but are not collected by the second mechanism 220.

[0050] Specifically, the third mechanism 230 has a nozzle 231 that sucks in dirt and dust, and a hose 232 that guides the sucked dirt and dust.

[0051] The nozzle 231 is disposed at a position in contact with the rear end of the second mechanism 220, and sucks in dirt and dust that is not collected by the second mechanism 220. By bringing the nozzle 231 into contact with the rear end of the second mechanism 220, the nozzle 231 can be disposed near the center of rotation of the cleaning robot 100. As a result, for example, even when the cleaning robot 100 turns, the nozzle 231 also passes through the floor surface that the second mechanism 220 passes through, and dirt and dust that is not collected by the second mechanism 220 can be sucked in without leaving any residue.

[0052] The hose 232 guides the dirt and dust sucked by the nozzle 231 to a vacuum cleaner, which will be described later. When the hose 232 shown in Fig. 2 is viewed from the front or rear of the moving direction of the cleaning robot 100, the hose 232 is arranged so as to bypass the outer periphery of the dust box 224. Note that the hose 232 may be arranged so as to pass through the inside of the dust box 224 of the second mechanism 220.

[0053] Fig. 6 is a rear perspective view of the cleaning robot 100 as seen from the rear. As shown in Fig. 6, the nozzle 231 and the hose 232 of the third mechanism 230 are connected to the cyclone mechanism 330 by a hose not shown. Furthermore, the cyclone mechanism 330 is connected to the vacuum cleaner 340 by a hose not shown. The vacuum cleaner 340 sucks up dirt and dust on the floor surface via the hose 232 and the nozzle 231.

[0054] Furthermore, dust sucked in together with dirt from nozzle 231 by vacuum cleaner 340 is collected by cyclone mechanism 330. By collecting fine dust in cyclone mechanism 330, clogging of a filter provided inside vacuum cleaner 340 can be prevented.

[0055] As described above, according to this embodiment, the cleaning mechanism of the cleaning robot includes a first mechanism that collects trash on its path near the center, a second mechanism that collects relatively large trash and dust collected by the first mechanism, and a third mechanism that sucks in relatively small trash and dust not collected by the second mechanism. This allows the robot to efficiently collect a wide variety of trash scattered around construction sites and the like, and to sufficiently clean floors even in messy environments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 100 Cleaning Robot 110 Front wheel 120 Rear wheel 130 Cleaning mechanism 140 Tape Switch 150 Camera 160 Rider 170 Patrol Lamp 180 Storage section 210 Mechanism 1 211, 211a, 211b Side brush 212 Food 220 Second mechanism 221 Front Roll Brush 222 Rear Roll Brush 223 Rubber cover 224 Dust Box 230 Third Mechanism 231 Nozzle 232 Hose 310, 330 Cyclone mechanism 320, 340 vacuum cleaner

Claims

1. Wheels that run on a floor surface; A sensor that detects the surrounding situation; A cleaning mechanism for cleaning the floor surface; a control unit that controls the wheels, the sensor, and the cleaning mechanism, The cleaning mechanism includes: a first mechanism for collecting debris from the floor surface; a second mechanism for collecting dust particles having a predetermined size or larger contained in the dust particles collected by the first mechanism; and a third mechanism for sucking up dust that is not collected by the second mechanism. Cleaning robot.

2. The first mechanism is a pair of side brushes arranged in a width direction of the cleaning robot and each of which rotates around a rotation axis perpendicular to the floor surface; The pair of side brushes include The pair of side brushes rotate in opposite directions to each other and collect dirt between them. The cleaning robot according to claim 1 .

3. The second mechanism includes: a pair of roll brushes arranged in a front-rear direction behind the first mechanism and each of which rotates about a rotation axis parallel to the axle of the wheel; a dust box for accommodating dust that is pinched and guided by the pair of roll brushes; The cleaning robot according to claim 1 .

4. The cleaning device further includes a vacuum cleaner for sucking the inside of the dust box. The cleaning robot according to claim 3.

5. The vacuum cleaner further includes a cyclone mechanism connected between the dust box and the vacuum cleaner for collecting dust sucked from the dust box. The cleaning robot according to claim 4.

6. The third mechanism is a nozzle provided behind the second mechanism for sucking in dust; a hose for guiding the dust sucked by the nozzle to an inside of the cleaning robot; The cleaning robot according to claim 1 .

7. The apparatus further includes a vacuum cleaner connected to the hose and the nozzle, and configured to suck up dirt through the hose and the nozzle. The cleaning robot according to claim 6.

8. The vacuum cleaner further includes a cyclone mechanism connected between the hose and the vacuum cleaner for collecting dust sucked by the nozzle. The cleaning robot according to claim 7.

9. a battery for supplying power to the wheels, the sensor, the cleaning mechanism, and the control unit; an inlet for supplying power from the battery to an outside; The cleaning robot according to claim 1 , further comprising:

10. The cleaning mechanism includes:

2. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, further comprising a water sprinkling mechanism for sprinkling water on the floor surface.

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