Surface treating device

Abstract

To provide a control method for an automatic floor wiper which continuously treats a floor in a wet wiping manner.SOLUTION: A control method for a surface treating device includes the steps of: rotating wheels 6, 7 to move forward an automatic floor wiper 1 in a state where a sheet 23 is caused to contact a floor by a roller-shaped sheet contact body 40; moving an unused sheet part positioned on an upstream side of the sheet contact body 40 toward downstream of the sheet contact body 40 via a surface of the sheet contact body 40 while maintaining a state where the sheet 23 is caused to contact the floor by the sheet contact body 40 during the forward movement of the automatic floor wiper 1 and replacing a used sheet part in contact with the floor with the unused sheet part; and ejecting liquid by a liquid ejector 17 to make the unused floor part wet during a period from a start to a completion of the movement of the sheet 23 during the forward movement of the automatic floor wiper 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a surface treatment apparatus, and more particularly, to a surface treatment apparatus that obtains dust from a surface such as a floor by wiping and cleaning.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an autonomous robot equipped with a movement drive system configured to autonomously move a cleaning element on a cleaning surface for floor cleaning work. This robot includes a housing supported to move on the cleaning surface, and a first collection device, a liquid applicator, a spreading element, a scrubbing element, and a second collection device are attached to the housing. The first collection device is configured to collect particulate matter freed from the cleaning surface over the cleaning width. The liquid applicator is configured to apply a cleaning liquid to the cleaning surface. The spreading element is configured to spread the cleaning liquid uniformly on the cleaning surface by spreading the cleaning liquid applied to the cleaning surface. The scrubbing element is configured to polish the cleaning surface. The second collection device is configured to collect waste liquid containing the cleaning liquid applied by the liquid applicator and any contaminants removed from the cleaning surface by the cleaning liquid from the cleaning surface. When moving the housing in the forward direction, on the cleaning surface, the first collection device is made to precede the liquid applicator, the liquid applicator is made to precede the spreading element, the liquid applicator is made to precede the scrubbing element, and the scrubbing element is made to precede the second collection device. The scrubbing element is configured to contact the cleaning surface during the cleaning operation to stir the cleaning liquid applied on the cleaning surface, and by stirring, the cleaning liquid is emulsified, decomposed, or mixed with contaminants so as to chemically react with the contaminants, and is configured to be replaceable by a user or automatically replenished.

[0003] That is, the scrubbing element precedes the second collection device, the liquid applicator precedes the scrubbing element and the spreading element, and the first collection device precedes the liquid applicator.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Document

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The scrubbing element is configured to be replaced by the user. In order to perform long-term cleaning by an autonomous robot, the user has to regularly replace the scrubbing element for cleaning. Therefore, there was a constraint that the user had to be beside the autonomous robot. Also, since there was no disclosure of a method for realizing a configuration for automatic replenishment, its realization has been desired. Further, when the autonomous robot moves forward and collides with a wall, since the liquid applicator precedes the second recovery device, the second recovery device cannot reach a position where it can recover the cleaning liquid applied by the liquid applicator, and there is a case where the cleaning liquid applied by the liquid applicator cannot be recovered. Therefore, in order to avoid such a situation, in a room where there are obstacles such as walls, desks, and chairs in the forward direction of the autonomous robot, there was a problem that the operation of the liquid applicator had to be restricted near the obstacles.

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a surface treatment device that can automatically supply an unused sheet and perform surface treatment such as long-term floor wiping and cleaning. Further, a surface treatment device is provided that can perform surface treatment such as wiping and cleaning even near a wall.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The surface treatment apparatus according to the present invention is a surface treatment apparatus including a main body that moves on a surface to be treated to treat the surface to be treated, wherein the main body includes a first sheet storage unit that stores a long sheet, a second sheet storage unit that stores the long sheet that has moved from the first sheet storage unit, a sheet driving unit that pulls out the long sheet from the first sheet storage unit and moves it toward the second sheet storage unit during forward movement of the main body, a sheet contact body that contacts one surface of the long sheet that moves from the first sheet storage unit toward the second sheet storage unit during forward movement of the main body and rotates while contacting the long sheet, and contacts the other surface of the long sheet with the surface to be treated, a wheel unit, and a housing that holds the first sheet storage unit, the second sheet storage unit, the sheet driving unit, the sheet contact body, and the wheel unit. The main body is not limited to a self-propelled one, and may be one that travels by receiving an external force. The main body does not necessarily have to be an integral object. A part of the main body may be configured to be detachable from other parts. For example, the first sheet storage unit, the second sheet storage unit, and the sheet contact body, or a part including all or part of these may be unitized, and this unit may be configured to be detachable from the remaining part of the main body, that is, replaceable as a unit. The sheet driving unit does not necessarily have to always move the long sheet during forward movement of the main body, and may move the long sheet during at least a part of the period during movement of the main body. The forward movement is not limited to straight forward movement, and includes right-turn forward movement and left-turn forward movement. The "rotation along with the movement of the long sheet" includes not only the case of driven rotation along with the movement of the long sheet, but also the case of driving rotation at the same peripheral speed as the movement speed of the long sheet. The wheel unit may be any part that contacts the surface to be treated and contributes to the movement of the main body, and is not limited to wheels that contact the surface to be treated by rolling. Those having a function equivalent to that of wheels, for example, a pair of rollers and an endless belt that is stretched between the pair of rollers and moves, may also be used. The surface treatment device is not limited to wiping and cleaning the surface to be treated. It also includes devices that move while bringing a long sheet into contact with the surface to be treated and cause some change to the surface to be treated, such as a device that waxes the surface to be treated using a long sheet impregnated with wax.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, when the main body moves, an unused portion of the long sheet can be supplied to the surface to be treated, and the unused portion of the supplied long sheet can be brought into contact with the surface to be treated. Thereby, surface treatment such as cleaning of the surface to be treated, such as the floor, can be performed using an unused, for example, clean sheet portion. Moreover, if the main body that can move automatically is used, surface treatment such as long-time cleaning without a person can be performed. Further, when the sheet contact body does not rotate as the long sheet moves, the long sheet will slide on the sheet contact body during the movement of the long sheet, and the movement cannot be performed smoothly due to friction, that is, a problem may occur in that the sheet contact body hinders the movement of the long sheet. However, according to the present invention, since the sheet contact body is configured to rotate as the long sheet moves, no slippage occurs between the long sheet and the sheet contact body during the movement of the long sheet, and the long sheet can be moved smoothly.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] In Fig. 1, a floor wiper 1 which is an embodiment of the surface treatment apparatus of the present invention includes a main body 2 having a substantially rectangular housing 2a in plan view. An opening / closing lid 3, an operation unit 4, and a display unit 5 are provided on the upper surface of the housing 2a, and a first wheel 6 (shown by a broken line), a second wheel 7 (shown by a broken line), an electric circuit unit 8, and a battery 9 are provided inside the housing 2a. The electric circuit unit 8 has a control unit 10 (shown in Fig. 10). The first wheel 6 and the second wheel 7 are examples of wheel parts. Regarding the main body 2, the up, down, left, and right directions will be described as the directions indicated by the arrows C1, C2, and C3 in Figs. 1 and 2.

[0012] A description will be given of FIG. 2. The main body 2 further includes a container 15, a tube 16, a liquid injector 17, a first motor 20, a second motor 21 (shown in FIG. 10), a long sheet 23, a first cylindrical member 24, a second cylindrical member 25, a first sheet storage portion 27, a sheet contact portion 29, and a second sheet storage portion 31. The first sheet storage portion 27 includes a first roller 33, a second roller 34, a third roller 35, and a first spring 36. The sheet contact portion 29 is an example of a sheet contact body and includes a third cylindrical member 40, a fourth roller 41, a fifth roller 42, a sixth roller 43, a fourth shaft 44 (shown in FIG. 3), a fifth shaft 45 (shown in FIG. 3), a sixth shaft 46 (shown in FIG. 3), a belt 47, and a mounting plate 48. The second sheet storage portion 31 includes a seventh roller 50, an eighth roller 51, a ninth roller 52, and a second spring 53. The floor wiper 1 shown in FIG. 2 is in a state of being movably placed on a floor surface 55 (such as the surface of a wooden floor, tile, or laminate floor), which is an example of a flat surface to be processed. Note that components other than the housing 2a of the main body 2, that is, the wheel portion (the first wheel 6, the second wheel 7), the first sheet storage portion 27, the sheet contact portion 29, the second sheet storage portion 31, the sheet drive portion 60 (the control portion 10, the third motor 22, the eighth roller 51), etc., which will be described later, are all directly or indirectly held by the housing 2a. In this specification, "held" means directly or indirectly holding.

[0013] This will be described in detail using both FIGS. 1 and 2. The opening / closing lid 3 can be freely opened by the user. When the opening / closing lid 3 is opened in the direction of arrow A (shown in FIG. 2), the container 15 is exposed. In FIG. 2, the state where the opening / closing lid 3 is open is shown by a two-dot chain line. The container 15 stores a liquid such as a cleaning liquid (water, oil agent, mixed liquid containing alcohol, etc.). The tube (liquid supply part) 16 is hollow, one end of which is connected to the bottom of the container 15 and the other end is connected to the liquid injector 17, and supplies the liquid stored in the container 15 to the liquid injector 17. When the liquid injector 17 operates, the liquid injector 17 injects an appropriate amount of the supplied liquid toward the long sheet 23. If the injection amount is too large, the liquid will drip from the long sheet and the trace of the liquid will remain on the floor. If it is too small, the effect of dissolving or lifting the dirt will be reduced. The liquid stored in the container 15 is supplied to the liquid injector 17 through the tube 16. The liquid injector 17 also has a first injection port 17a, a second injection port 17b, a third injection port 17c, and a fourth injection port 17d (all shown in FIG. 1), and the liquid supplied from the container 15 is injected from each of the injection ports 17a, 17b, 17c, and 17d so that the liquid can be uniformly applied over the entire width of the long sheet 23 (the entire width in the direction orthogonal to the direction of arrow C). The liquid ejected from the liquid injector 17 is indicated by 17e (see FIG. 2). If the liquid is continuously ejected from each of the injection ports 17a, 17b, 17c, and 17d, the amount of liquid applied to the long sheet 23 will be too much and sometimes it will drip from the long sheet 23. In this embodiment, by intermittently ejecting the liquid, the injection amount of the liquid is made appropriate.

[0014] The first wheel 6 is connected to the first motor 20. Parallel to the first wheel 6 and having the same diameter as the first wheel 6, the second wheel 7 is connected to the second motor 21. Both the first wheel 6 and the second wheel 7 are wheels that rotate while contacting the floor surface 55 when traveling on the floor surface 55. For example, when the main body 2 is placed on the floor surface 55, if the first motor 20 and the second motor operate such that the first wheel 6 and the second wheel 7 rotate at the same rotational speed and in the same direction, if the first wheel 6 and the second wheel 7 rotate forward (rotation in the direction of arrow B shown in FIG. 2), the main body 2 moves in the direction of arrow C (illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2), that is, forward (this movement is referred to as straight forward movement). If the first wheel 6 and the second wheel 7 rotate at the same rotational speed and both rotate reversely (rotation in the direction opposite to arrow B), the main body 2 moves in the direction opposite to arrow C, that is, backward (this movement is referred to as straight backward movement). If the rotational speed of the second wheel 7 is higher than that of the first wheel 6 and both rotate forward, the main body 2 moves in the direction of arrow D (shown in FIG. 1, and this movement is referred to as forward movement during a right turn). If the rotational speed of the second wheel 7 is lower than that of the first wheel 6 and both rotate forward, the main body 2 moves in the direction of arrow E (shown in FIG. 1, and this movement is referred to as forward movement during a left turn). If the rotational speed of the second wheel 7 is higher than that of the first wheel 6 and both rotate reversely, the main body 2 moves in the direction opposite to arrow D (this movement is referred to as backward movement during a right turn). If the rotational speed of the second wheel 7 is lower than that of the first wheel 6 and both rotate reversely, the main body 2 moves in the direction opposite to arrow E (this movement is referred to as backward movement during a left turn). When simply referred to as forward movement in this specification, it basically includes straight forward movement, forward movement during a right turn, and forward movement during a left turn. When simply referred to as backward movement, it basically includes straight backward movement, backward movement during a right turn, and backward movement during a left turn.

[0015] The long sheet 23 has a predetermined length and is made of materials such as polyester, nylon, rayon, and cotton. It is formed into an elongated strip shape from a woven or knitted fabric obtained by weaving or knitting fibers, or a non-woven fabric such as paper or felt that is not woven or knitted. One end 23e (shown in FIG. 9) of this long sheet 23 is held and fixed to a first cylindrical member 24 which is an example of a first holding member that holds one end of the long sheet 23, and is wound multiple times counterclockwise in FIG. 2. The other end of the long sheet 23 extending from the upper side of the first cylindrical member 24 and passing through the surface of the third cylindrical member 40 is held and fixed to a second cylindrical member 25 which is an example of a second holding member that holds the other end of the long sheet 23, and is wound multiple times clockwise in FIG. 2. The first cylindrical member 24, the third cylindrical member 40, and the second cylindrical member 25 are all arranged such that their axial directions are parallel to the left-right direction orthogonal to the front-back direction. The long sheet 23 moves in the front-back direction within the main body 2 from the first cylindrical member 24 through the third cylindrical member 40 toward the second cylindrical member 25. When the long sheet 23 is attached to the main body 2, in a plan view (the state of FIG. 1), with respect to the housing 2a, for the third cylindrical member 40, its right end portion 40a and left end portion 40b both protrude by P to the right and left sides, and further, with respect to the third cylindrical member 40, the long sheet 23 is attached such that both its right end portion and left end portion protrude by Q.

[0016] In addition, with respect to the protruding amount P, the protruding amounts of the first cylindrical member 24 protruding from the housing 2a in the same direction and the second cylindrical member 25 protruding from the housing 2a in the same direction are both made to be P or less. The reason for this is to avoid a situation where when the main body 2 moves in the room for cleaning and advances parallel to the wall, the first cylindrical member 24 and the second cylindrical member 25 come into contact with the wall before the third cylindrical member 40, making it impossible to clean the corners of the room.

[0017] The first roller 33 and the second roller 34 are arranged apart from each other and are rotatably held by the housing 2a. One end of the first spring 36 abuts or is fixed to the bearing of the third roller 35 rotatably held by the housing 2a. The other end of the first spring 36 abuts or is fixed to the housing 2a. The first roller 33, the second roller 34, and the third roller 35 abut against the long sheet 23 wound around the outer periphery of the first cylindrical member 24. Since the diameter of the long sheet 23 wound around the first cylindrical member 24 becomes larger if the number of windings is large, the first spring 36 is compressed, and the third roller 35 biases the long sheet 23 wound around the first cylindrical member 24 toward the first roller 33 and the second roller 34. Since the diameter of the long sheet 23 wound around the first cylindrical member 24 becomes smaller if the number of windings is small, the first spring 36 extends, and the third roller 35 biases the long sheet 23 wound around the first cylindrical member 24 toward the first roller 33 and the second roller 34.

[0018] Accordingly, regardless of the amount of the long sheet 23 wound around the first cylindrical member 24, the long sheet 23 wound around the first cylindrical member 24 is accommodated between the first roller 33, the second roller 34, and the third roller 35 so as not to easily slip out between these rollers.

[0019] The seventh roller 50 is rotatably held by the housing 2a. The eighth roller 51, which is disposed at a distance from the seventh roller 50 and is connected to the third motor 22, has irregularities on its surface and is adapted to be rotationally driven by the third motor 22. One end of the second spring 53 abuts or is fixed to the bearing of the rotatable ninth roller 52. The other end of the second spring 53 abuts or is fixed to the housing 2a. The seventh roller 50, the eighth roller 51, and the ninth roller 52 abut against the long sheet 23 wound around the outer periphery of the second cylindrical member 25. Since the diameter of the long sheet 23 wound around the second cylindrical member 25 becomes larger if the number of windings is large, the second spring 53 is compressed while the ninth roller 52 biases the long sheet 23 wound around the second cylindrical member 25 toward the seventh roller 50 and the eighth roller 51. Since the diameter of the long sheet 23 wound around the second cylindrical member 25 becomes smaller if the number of windings is small, the second spring 53 extends while the ninth roller 52 biases the long sheet 23 wound around the second cylindrical member 25 toward the seventh roller 50 and the eighth roller 51. In FIG. 2, a large amount of the long sheet 23 is wound around the first cylindrical member 24 to form a large diameter, and a small amount of the long sheet 25 is wound around the second cylindrical member 25 to form a small diameter.

[0020] When the third motor 22 operates, the eighth roller 51 rotates in the direction of arrow F. The eighth roller 51 is in contact with the long sheet 23 wound around the second cylindrical member 25. Moreover, since the surface has irregularities, the second cylindrical member 25 rotates in the direction of arrow G in conjunction with the rotational movement of the eighth roller 51. The long sheet 23 is drawn into the second cylindrical member 25 from the direction of arrow H, and while being wound around the second cylindrical member 25 and thickening, the long sheet 23 is wound around the periphery of the second cylindrical member 25 and collected. The third cylindrical member 40 rotates idly in the direction of arrow J in conjunction with the long sheet 23 being fed out in the direction of arrow H, and the fourth roller 41 and the fifth roller 42 in contact with the third cylindrical member 40 also rotate idly in conjunction. Also, a belt 47 is stretched between the third cylindrical member 40 and the sixth roller 43. The belt 47 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the third cylindrical member 40, and the sixth roller 43 rotates in the direction of arrow K in conjunction with the rotation of the belt 47. When the long sheet 23 moves in the direction of arrow L from the side of the first cylindrical member 24 to the side of the third cylindrical member 40, the first cylindrical member 24 thins while rotating in the direction of arrow M. The amount of decrease in the long sheet 23 wound around the first cylindrical member 24 is equal to the amount of increase in the long sheet 23 wound around the second cylindrical member 25.

[0021] The third motor 22 is provided with a worm, and a worm wheel is provided on the eighth roller 51 or the rotation shaft of the eighth roller 51 (not shown). Therefore, when the third motor 22 rotates, the eighth roller 51 rotates, but even if an attempt is made to deliberately rotate the eighth roller 51, the third motor 22 does not rotate. That is, when the long sheet 23 is attached to the main body 2, even if an attempt is made to deliberately rotate the second cylindrical member 25, it will not rotate in either the forward direction (direction of arrow G) or the reverse direction. If the control unit 10 controls the rotation of the third motor 22 so that the eighth roller 51 rotates only in the direction of arrow F, the long sheet 23 is wound around the second cylindrical member 25 in only one direction, and since the second cylindrical member 25 does not rotate in the reverse direction, sagging does not occur in the long sheet 23 between the third cylindrical member 40 and the second cylindrical member 25, and in the long sheet 23 between the third cylindrical member 40 and the first cylindrical member 24.

[0022] The third cylindrical member 40, which is a sheet contact body, is formed of an elastic body made of an elastic material. The third cylindrical member 40 around which the long sheet 23 is wound from about the 5 o'clock direction to about the 9 o'clock direction is compressed by Y due to the weight of the main body 2. At the same time, the long sheet 23 forms a contact width X with respect to the floor surface 55. If the third cylindrical member 40 were a rigid body, Y would be almost zero and X would become infinitely narrow (linear). When the third cylindrical member 40 is crushed by Y, the long sheet 23 is pressed against the floor surface 55 through the third cylindrical member 40. When the main body 2 moves in this state, the long sheet 23 pressed against the floor surface 55 by the third cylindrical member 40 acquires dirt on the floor surface 55 by rubbing against the floor surface 55. Note that the third cylindrical member 40 does not necessarily need to be entirely formed of an elastic body, and only the outer peripheral portion thereof may be formed of an elastic body. In that case, the thickness of the elastic body layer of the outer peripheral portion can be set to be equal to or greater than the thickness at which the desired amount Y of crushing occurs due to the weight of the main body 2. Further, as the elastic material, for example, rubber or sponge can be used, and as those materials, urethane or silicon can be used. In the above-described embodiment, the weight of the main body 2 is supported by the wheel portions 6 and 7 and the third cylindrical member 40, so that the weight of the main body 2 acts on the third cylindrical member 40 to compress the elastic body. However, for example, the third cylindrical member 40 may be rotatably supported by a shaft body, and the shaft body may be elastically biased toward the floor surface 55 by an elastic means such as a spring whose one end is supported by the housing 2a to cause compressive deformation.

[0023] Further, the third cylindrical member 40 protrudes forward by N from the foremost end position of the housing 2a. When the main body 2 moves forward in the direction of arrow C, if there is a wall in front of the traveling direction, the long sheet 23 wound around the third cylindrical member 40 collides with the wall ahead of the housing 2a. By securing a gap N between the housing 2a and the wall, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the housing 2a collides with the wall and the long sheet 23 wound around the third cylindrical member 40 does not reach the corner. That is, the long sheet 23 reaches the corner where the wall and the floor are in contact so that cleaning can be performed. Further, as described above, since the third cylindrical member 40 is formed of an elastic body, the third cylindrical member 40 is elastically deformed, and the long sheet 23 reaches the corner formed by the floor surface 55 and the wall.

[0024] When the long sheet 23 is fed out from the side of the first cylindrical member 24 toward the side of the second cylindrical member 25, the first cylindrical member 24 where the number of windings of the long sheet 23 decreases changes from a large-diameter state to a small-diameter state, and the second cylindrical member 25 where the number of windings of the long sheet 23 increases changes from a small-diameter state to a large-diameter state. The outer diameter of the first cylindrical member 24 around which the long sheet 23 is wound after the long sheet 23 is sent out from the first cylindrical member 24 around which the long sheet 23 is wound a lot is indicated by a two-dot chain line 60a. Also, the outer diameter of the second cylindrical member 25 around which the long sheet 23 is wound after a large amount of the long sheet 23 is wound around the second cylindrical member 25 around which the long sheet 23 is wound a little is indicated by a two-dot chain line 60b.

[0025] Also, when the first cylindrical member 24 is in a large-diameter state, the long sheet 23 between the first cylindrical member 24 and the third cylindrical member 40 is designated as 23a. When the first cylindrical member 24 is in a small-diameter state, the long sheet 23 between the first cylindrical member 24 and the third cylindrical member 40 is designated as 23b. When the second cylindrical member 25 is in a small-diameter state, the long sheet 23 between the second cylindrical member 25 and the third cylindrical member 40 is designated as 23c. When the second cylindrical member 25 is in a large-diameter state, the long sheet 23 between the second cylindrical member 25 and the third cylindrical member 40 is designated as 23d. When the first cylindrical member 24 changes from a large-diameter state to a small-diameter state, from the liquid injector 17 to the long sheet 23, it changes from the long sheet 23a to the long sheet 23b, but since the degree of change is minute, a situation where the liquid injected from the liquid injector 17 does not reach the long sheet 23 is prevented.

[0026] The liquid injection by the liquid injector 17 is for supplying the long sheet 23 impregnated with the liquid to the floor surface 55. To achieve this purpose, it may be injected onto the long sheet 23 wound around the first cylindrical member 24. Or, it may be injected onto the surface of the third cylindrical member 40 and transferred to the long sheet 23 in contact therewith. When the liquid injector 17 is not used, a long sheet 23 containing the liquid in advance may be used. In this case, since the liquid impregnated in the long sheet 23 may vaporize, it is better to make the surrounding of the long sheet 23 wound around the first cylindrical member 24 into a sealed structure.

[0027] If the long sheet 23 contains the liquid ejected from the liquid ejector 17, it can perform wet cleaning on the floor surface 55, and if it does not contain the liquid ejected from the liquid ejector 17, it can perform dry cleaning on the floor surface 55.

[0028] Next, the sheet contact portion 29 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a plan view partially showing the periphery of the right end portion 40a of the third cylindrical member 40 with the housing 2a and the long sheet 23 excluded from the state of FIG. 1. A fourth shaft 44, a fifth shaft 45, and a sixth shaft 46 are fixed to a mounting plate 48 that is directly or indirectly fixed to the housing 2a. A fourth roller 41 is rotatably supported by the fourth shaft 44, a fifth roller 42 having the same diameter as the fourth roller 41 is rotatably supported by the fifth shaft 45, and a sixth roller 43 is rotatably supported by the sixth shaft 46. A belt 47 is stretched between the sixth roller 43 (shown by a broken line) and the third cylindrical member 40. Due to the tension of the belt 47, the third cylindrical member 40 is pulled toward the fourth roller 41 and the fifth roller 42 fixed to the housing 2a. Therefore, the third cylindrical member 40 is rotatably held by the housing 2a. Further, the belt 47 sinks from the surface of the third cylindrical member 40 by the thickness thereof, and the surface of the third cylindrical member 40 that has not sunk and the surface of the belt 47 are configured to be substantially flush. Note that the fourth roller 41, the fifth roller 42, the sixth roller 43, the fourth shaft 44, the fifth shaft 45, the sixth shaft 46, the belt 47, and the mounting plate 48 shown in FIG. 3 are also provided on the left end portion 40b side of the third cylindrical member 40 in the same manner.

[0029] FIG. 4 is a view of a part of the main body 2 shown in FIG. 2 as seen from the front and is a cross-sectional view taken at the position of the central axis extending in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction) of the third cylindrical member 40. Therefore, the front direction of the figure coincides with the direction of arrow C. Using this FIG. 4, the case of cleaning the floor surface 55 near the corner of the room will be described. The left end portion 40b of the third cylindrical member 40 protrudes by P with respect to the housing 2a. Further, the long sheet 23 protrudes by Q from the left end portion 40b of the third cylindrical member 40. Let the distance from the left end portion 40b of the third cylindrical member 40 to the wall 65 be R1 (where the relationship Q < R1 holds). The long sheet 23 is pressed against the floor surface 55 by the third cylindrical member 40, and the long sheet 23 can contact the floor surface 55 and clean the floor surface 55. The range of Q is such that the long sheet 23 is not pressed against the floor surface 55 side by the third cylindrical member 40, and the long sheet 23 lightly touches the floor surface 55 to capture dust. In the range from the left end of the long sheet 23 to the wall 65, since the long sheet 23 does not touch at all, the floor surface 55 cannot be cleaned. Note that the right end portion 40a of the third cylindrical member 40 also protrudes by P from the housing 2a, and the long sheet 23 protrudes by Q from the right end portion 40a of the third cylindrical member 40. Therefore, regarding floor cleaning, the situation on the right end portion 40a side of the third cylindrical member 40 is the same as that on the left end portion 40b side of the third cylindrical member 40 described above.

[0030] Next, an explanation will be given with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 shows the case where R1 shown in FIG. 4 becomes R2 (where the relationship R2 < Q holds). Using this FIG. 5, the case of cleaning the floor surface 55 near the corner of the room will be described. The left end portion 40b of the third cylindrical member 40 protrudes from the housing 2a by P. Also, the long sheet 23 protrudes from the left end portion 40b of the third cylindrical member 40 by Q. Let the distance from the left end portion 40b of the third cylindrical member 40 to the wall 65 be R2. When the long sheet 23 is pressed against the floor surface 55 side by the third cylindrical member 40, the long sheet 23 can clean the floor surface 55 while contacting the floor surface 55. Since R2 < Q, the long sheet 23 hits the wall 65, but since the long sheet 23 is soft, it can bend upward from the left end portion 40b of the third cylindrical member 40, thereby making R2 approach zero. Even when R2 becomes zero, the housing 2a does not come into contact with the wall 65. As a result, since the long sheet 23 can be pressed against the floor surface 55 side near the wall 65 by the third cylindrical member 40, the long sheet 23 can clean the floor surface 55 near the wall 65.

[0031] Thus, in the present embodiment, the third cylindrical member 40 is protruded from the housing 2a in the width direction of the main body 2, that is, in the left - right direction (the axial direction of the first cylindrical member 24, the second cylindrical member 25, and the third cylindrical member 40), and further, the long sheet 23 is protruded from the third cylindrical member 40 in the width direction of the main body 2. Therefore, the cleaning of the corner of the room due to the housing 2a hitting the wall 65 is not hindered. Even if the long sheet 23 is not protruded from the third cylindrical member 40 in the width direction of the main body 2, wiping cleaning in the room can be performed, but it is not suitable for cleaning near the wall.

[0032] Next, the moving distance of the main body 2 and the moving distance of the long sheet 23 when the main body 2 moves will be described.

[0033] The case of dry cleaning will be described. If the main body 2 continues to move forward (including not only straight forward but also forward with a right turn and forward with a left turn) for a first predetermined time from the start of forward movement, the third motor 22 starts after the lapse of the first predetermined time from the start of forward movement of the main body 2 to start the movement of the long sheet 23. If the forward movement of the main body 2 continues for a second predetermined time after the third motor 22 starts, the third motor 22 stops after operating for the second predetermined time. If the main body 2 moves backward (including not only straight backward but also backward with a right turn and backward with a left turn) or stops within the second predetermined time after the third motor 22 starts, the third motor 22 stops with a delay of Δt from the end of the forward movement of the main body 2.

[0034] In the case of wet cleaning, before the movement of the main body 2 is started, liquid is supplied from the liquid injector 17 to the long sheet 23, and then the third motor 22 operates and stops after the portion of the long sheet 23 containing the liquid is positioned between the third cylindrical member 40 and the floor surface 55. Then, the movement of the main body 2 is started.

[0035] Hereinafter, including the above-described content, with reference to FIG. 6, the movement amount of the main body 2 and the movement amount of the long sheet 23 in the case of dry cleaning will be described. In FIG. 6, the fact that the third motor 22 is stopped means that the long sheet 23 does not move, and the fact that the third motor 22 is operating means that the long sheet 23 is moving.

[0036] FIG. 6 shows the time and the moving distance (the moving distances of the main body 2 and the long sheet 23) when the floor wiper 1 moves forward and backward on a flat floor surface for dry cleaning. The horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the moving distance. The case where the main body 2 moves forward and backward will be described. Let the starting point of the main body 2 be S0. Let the distance from S0 to the first point be S1. Let the distance from S0 to the second point be S2. Let the distance from S0 to the third point be S3. S3 is longer than S2, and S2 is longer than S1. Also, let the moving distance of the main body 2 per unit time during forward and backward movement be θ1, and the moving distance of the long sheet 23 per unit time be θ2. θ1 is greater than θ2.

[0037] The main body 2 is stopped at S0 from time t0 to time t1, and the third motor 22 is also stopped. After the time reaches t1, the main body 2 starts to move forward toward the first point. When the time reaches t2 after the main body 2 starts (let the time from t1 to t2 be T1), since the forward movement of the main body 2 continues, the third motor 22 starts and the movement of the long sheet 23 begins. That is, at time t2, it is considered that the main body 2 has moved for a predetermined time T1 and a predetermined amount of dust has been captured on the long sheet 23. Therefore, the long sheet 23 is moved to supply an unused sheet portion to the sheet contact body 40.

[0038] At time t3 (let the time elapsed from when the third motor 22 starts to t3 be T2), the forward movement of the main body 2 continues. However, when the time reaches t3, since T2 has elapsed from time t2, the third motor 22 stops and the movement of the long sheet 23 stops. It is desirable that T2 be the time required or more for the portion of the long sheet 23 in contact with the sheet contact body 40 to be completely replaced with an unused sheet portion. After that, the main body 2 passes through the first point. Since the forward movement of the main body 2 continues even after time T1 has elapsed after the third motor 22 stops, at time t4, which is when T1 has elapsed after the third motor 22 stops, the third motor 22 starts again and the movement of the long sheet 23 begins. Then, when the main body 2 arrives at the second point and stops at time t5, the third motor 22 stops after Δt although it has only elapsed T2 or less since the start of operation. The fact that the long sheet 23 is moving means that a predetermined amount of dust has been captured on the long sheet 23. In order to sufficiently replace the used sheet portion capturing the predetermined amount of dust with an unused sheet portion, the movement of the long sheet 23 is continued for Δt. When the main body 23 stops moving during the movement of the long sheet 23, the movement of the long sheet 23 is continued for Δt, and during that time, that is, until the movement of the long sheet 23 is completed, the stop of the movement of the main body 2 is continued. This is because if backward movement is started, for example, before the movement of the long sheet 23 is completed, there is a risk that the dust will be left on the floor surface 55.

[0039] After the main body 2 stops at the second point, when the time reaches t6, the main body 2 moves backward. When the time reaches t7, the main body 2 arrives at the first point and stops. During the backward movement, the third motor 22 is configured not to operate. When the time reaches t8, the main body 2 moves forward again toward the third point located ahead of the second point.

[0040] When the main body 2 starts moving forward from time t8 and the time reaches t9, since a time T1 has elapsed since the main body 2 started moving forward, the third motor 22 starts, and the long sheet 23 starts moving. When the main body 2 passes the second point and the time reaches t10, the main body 2 arrives at the third point and stops. At time t10, since the time elapsed since the third motor 22 started is not more than T2, the third motor 22 stops at time t11, which is Δt after the main body 2 stops. After the third motor 22 stops at time t11, the main body 2 resumes moving forward at time t12 and stops at time t13. In this case, since the time from when the main body 2 resumes moving forward until it stops (the time from time t12 to time t13) is not more than T1, the third motor 22 remains stopped, and the long sheet 23 remains stopped after time t11. At t13, since the forward movement time of the main body 2 is not more than T1, only a predetermined amount or less of dust has been captured on the long sheet 23. Therefore, after t13, the main body 2 can resume moving while the long sheet 23 remains stopped. When the main body 2 changes from moving forward to stopping during the movement of the long sheet 23, the movement of the long sheet 23 continues until a time Δt elapses after the main body 2 stops. During that time, the main body 2 continues to stop and does not move forward or backward. Also, although not shown in FIG. 6, if the long sheet 23 is not moving when the main body 2 changes from moving forward to stopping, the movement stop of the long sheet 23 can be continued.

[0041] When performing wet cleaning, in FIG. 6, the liquid injector 17 operates for a predetermined time immediately before the third motor 22 starts to wet the long sheet 23. When the third motor 22 operates, the wet long sheet 23 contacts the sheet contact member 29 and also contacts the floor surface 55, enabling wet cleaning to be performed. The injection by the liquid injector 17 is carried out from immediately before the start of the third motor 22 until the third motor 22 stops after the main body 2 starts to move forward.

[0042] Explanation will be given for FIG. 7. FIG. 7 shows the state between times t1 and t2 in FIG. 6 (referred to as the U state). The main body 2 moves forward in the direction of arrow C, and dust on the floor surface 55 accumulates at the boundary between the long sheet 23 in close contact with the surface of the third cylindrical member 40 and the floor surface 55, forming a dust accumulation 80a. Since the dust 80a is a state where a plurality of dust particles have accumulated, the dust 80b, 80c, 80d, 80e on the floor surface 55 that has not yet contacted the long sheet 23 is in a state that is sufficiently smaller than the accumulated dust 80a.

[0043] Explanation will be given for FIG. 8. FIG. 8 shows the state between times t2 and t3 in FIG. 6 (referred to as the V state). As the main body 2 moves forward in the direction of arrow C and the long sheet 23 moves while rotating in the direction of arrow J of the third cylindrical member 40 due to the operation of the third motor 22, the dust 80a that was in contact with the long sheet 23 is captured by the long sheet 23 and moves away from the floor surface 55 with the movement of the long sheet accompanying the rotation of the third cylindrical member 40 in the direction of arrow J. At the boundary between the long sheet 23 in close contact with the surface of the third cylindrical member 40 and the floor surface 55, new dust 80b and dust 80c accumulate and combine, becoming larger than the dust 80b and dust 80c shown in FIG. 7. Due to the forward movement of the main body 2 and the movement of the long sheet 23, these dust 80b and dust 80c are sequentially captured by the long sheet 23, thereby cleaning the floor surface 55.

[0044] Dust is not attached to one surface (referred to as the back surface) of the long sheet 23 that has come into contact with the third cylindrical member 40, and the acquired dust is attached to the other surface (referred to as the front surface) of the long sheet 23, which is the surface opposite to the back surface. The long sheet 23 that has passed through the third cylindrical member 40 is wound around the second cylindrical member 25, and the surface with the attached dust is wound so as to face the axis of the third cylindrical member 25, that is, inward. In other words, since the seventh roller 50, the eighth roller 51, and the ninth roller 52 do not come into contact with the surface where the dust is attached, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of a situation that hinders smooth rotation due to the transfer of dust to the surfaces of these seventh roller 50, eighth roller 51, and ninth roller 52. Further, since the long sheet 23 wound around the second cylindrical member 25 is wound such that the surface with the acquired dust attached faces the axis of the third cylindrical member 25, it is also possible to prevent the dust from falling from the long sheet 23 onto the floor surface 55. Further, in order to make it difficult for the dust to fall from the long sheet 23 that has passed through the third cylindrical member 40 onto the floor surface 55, the arrangement position of the second cylindrical member 25 is determined such that the surface of the long sheet 23 that has passed through the third cylindrical member 40 faces upward (does not face the floor surface 55).

[0045] When the main body 2 is moving forward in the direction of arrow C, the long sheet 23 on the surface of the third cylindrical member 40 moves in the same direction (arrow W direction) as the moving direction of the main body 2 (at the position where it passes through the sheet contact body 40, that is, the position where it contacts the floor surface 55) between the third cylindrical member 40 and the floor surface 55 due to the operation of the third motor 22. In other words, the rotation directions of the first wheel 6 and the second wheel 7 and the rotation direction of the third cylindrical member 40 are opposite.

[0046] A description will be given with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 shows the first round 23f of the long sheet 23 wound around the first cylindrical member 24, the second round 23g of the long sheet 23, and the first holding portion 67 that holds one end 23e of the long sheet 23 on the surface of the first cylindrical member 24. The first cylindrical member 24 has a recess 24a for accommodating one end 23e of the long sheet 23. After one end 23e of the long sheet 23 is accommodated in the recess 24a of the first cylindrical member 24, the first holding portion 67 covers the one end 23e of the long sheet 23 and the first cylindrical member 24 across them, so that one end 23e of the long sheet 23 is held in the recess 24a of the first cylindrical member 24. The first holding portion 67 can be realized in various configurations, such as a sheet having an adhesive surface on the opposing surface facing the surface of the first cylindrical member 24, or a spring member pressing one end 23e of the long sheet 23 against the surface of the first cylindrical member 24 to prevent one end 23e of the long sheet 23 from coming out of the recess 24a of the first cylindrical member 24.

[0047] Note that the other end of the long sheet 23 is held by a second holding portion (not shown) on the second cylindrical member 25. However, the method of fixing the other end of the long sheet 23 to the second cylindrical member 25 is the same as the configuration for holding the aforementioned one end 23e, so the description will be omitted. Also, the first holding portion 67 and the second holding portion do not necessarily need to be realized with the same configuration, and it is advisable to appropriately select them according to the cost and the size of the surrounding space.

[0048] A description will be given of FIG. 10. The control unit 10 is connected to the operation unit 4, the display unit 5, the battery 9, the liquid injector 17, the first motor 20, the second motor 21, the third motor 22, the water level detection unit 70, the sheet detection unit 73, the information processing unit 74, and the camera unit 75. The control unit 10, the third motor 22, and the eighth roller 51 constitute a sheet drive unit 60. The movement of the long sheet 23 shown in FIG. 6 is controlled by this sheet drive unit 60. The sheet drive unit 60 stores in advance the above-mentioned T1, T2, Δt, θ2 (the movement speed of the long sheet 23) and the rules of sheet movement, measures the elapsed time from the start of rotation of the first motor 20 and the elapsed time from the stop of rotation using a timer, measures the elapsed time from the start of rotation of the third motor 22 and the elapsed time from the stop of rotation, and controls the rotation (start of rotation, stop of rotation, rotation speed) of the third motor based on them, thereby realizing the above-mentioned sheet movement control. Note that the control unit 10 is realized as an LSI, which is a typical integrated circuit. The method of integrating into a circuit is not limited to LSI, and it may be realized by a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) that can be programmed after LSI manufacturing, or a reconfigurable processor capable of connecting and reconfiguring circuit cells inside the LSI may be used.

[0049] The operation unit 4 has a switch for turning on and off the power of the main body unit 2. It also has the start function and stop function of the operation of the main body unit 2. When an operation to start the operation of the main body unit 2 is performed, the main body unit 2 is controlled by the control unit 10 to start floor cleaning while moving in the room by moving forward or backward. When an operation to end the operation is performed, the movement of the main body unit 2 stops. The display unit 5 is controlled by the control unit 10 to display the capacity of the liquid stored in the container 15 and the remaining capacity information of the battery 9 when the power of the main body unit 2 is turned on. The battery 9 supplies power to the operation unit 4, the display unit 5, the liquid injector 17, the water level detection unit 70, the first motor 20, the second motor 21, the third motor 22, the sheet detection unit 73, the information processing unit 74, and the camera 75 under the control of the control unit 10. The water level detection unit 70 is provided in the container 15 and detects the capacity of the liquid in the container 15. When the liquid reaches a predetermined amount or less, in order to notify the user that the remaining amount of the liquid is small, the display unit 5 displays that the remaining amount is less than the predetermined amount.

[0050] Note that by operating the operation unit 4, it is possible to select dry cleaning that performs cleaning without containing liquid or wet cleaning that performs cleaning containing a small amount of liquid. Only when wet cleaning is selected, the liquid injector 17 performs the above-described injection operation. If the water level detection unit 70 detects that the water level is below a predetermined amount, the user cannot select wet cleaning.

[0051] The sheet detection unit 73 is provided in the first sheet storage unit 27 and detects whether the long sheet 23 is wound around the surface of the first cylindrical member 24 or whether the thickness of the wound long sheet 23 has a predetermined amount. Whether the long sheet 23 is wound or not can be determined by detecting, for example, whether the surface of the first cylindrical member 24 is exposed. If the sheet detection unit 73 determines that there is no long sheet 23 on the surface of the first cylindrical member 24 or the thickness of the wound long sheet 23 is less than a predetermined amount, the third motor 22 is controlled not to operate, and the display unit 5 displays to notify the user that there is no long sheet 23 on the first cylindrical member 24.

[0052] The information processing unit 74 processes the position information of the main body unit 2 obtained from the shooting information shot by the camera unit 75, and performs processing of information for instructing the first motor 20, the second motor 21, and the third motor 22 in order to eliminate the uncleaned areas in the room. As a result, the entire area in the room can be cleaned. The camera unit 75 is provided inside the main body unit 2. When the main body unit 2 moves to every corner in the room by combining forward and backward movements, the camera unit 75 controlled by the control unit 10 shoots the surroundings, and it is possible to detect from the shot shooting information how far and in which direction the main body unit 2 has moved from the starting position.

[0053] FIG. 11 is a view showing a state in which a fixture 77 is attached to a long sheet wound around the first cylindrical member 24. In the long sheet 23 wound around the first cylindrical member 24, if the long sheet 23 is covered with a C-shaped fixture 77 so as to exclude the portion extending toward the second cylindrical member 25 side, unwinding of the long sheet 23 from the first cylindrical member 24 is prevented. As a result, the handleability before the long sheet 23 is stored in the first sheet storage portion 27 of the first cylindrical member having the long sheet 23 is improved. Of course, the fixture 77 is removed when the first cylindrical member 24 having the long sheet 23 is stored in the first sheet storage portion 27. The C-shape has an opening 77a, and a line segment formed by connecting the first end 77b, which is an end of the opening 77a and contacts the long sheet 23, and the center of the first cylindrical member 24, and the second end 77c, which is an end of the opening 77a of the fixture 77 and contacts the long sheet 23, and the center of the first cylindrical member 24. The angle α formed by the line segments is less than 180 degrees, and the interval D1 between the first end 77b and the second end 77c is smaller than the diameter D2 formed by the long sheet 23 wound around the first cylindrical member 24. When α is 180 degrees or more, even if the fixture 77 is attached to cover the long sheet 23, it will easily come off to the right side in FIG. 11. If α is less than 180 degrees, in order to come off to the right side in FIG. 11, it will not come off unless the opening 77a expands until the interval D1 between the first end 77b and the second end 77c becomes D2 or more.

[0054] Next, the operation when cleaning the floor surface 55 in the room will be described.

[0055] When the user operates the operation unit 4 to turn on the power of the main body unit 2, the main body unit 2 becomes movable. Further, when the user operates the operation unit 4 to select either the wet cleaning mode or the dry cleaning mode, it is determined whether or not to eject liquid from the liquid ejector 17 during the subsequent moving operation. Further, when the user operates the operation unit 4 to perform a start operation, if it is detected that the long sheet 23 is attached to the main body unit 2 and the long sheet 23 is wound around the surface of the first cylindrical member 24, the main body unit 2 can start moving. By controlling the first motor 20 and the second motor 21 while processing the imaging information captured by the camera unit 75, the main body unit 2 self-propels and moves inside the room. When the main body unit 2 moves, the long sheet 23 pressed against the floor surface by the third cylindrical member 40 cleans the floor surface. In cleaning, as shown in FIG. 1, the long sheet 23 moves in the front-rear direction of the main body unit 2, that is, the width direction of the long sheet 23 is the left-right direction of the main body unit 2, and when viewed from the front of the main body unit 2, the first wheel 6 and the second wheel 7 are arranged so as to be located within the width region of the long sheet. Therefore, when the main body unit 2 moves forward to perform cleaning, the first wheel 6 and the second wheel 7 run on the floor surface that has been cleaned by the long sheet 23, and dust on the floor surface is prevented from adhering to the first wheel 6 and the second wheel 7. During cleaning, if the dry cleaning mode is selected by the operation before starting, no liquid is ejected from the liquid ejector 17, and if the wet cleaning mode is selected, liquid is ejected from the liquid ejector 17.

[0056] The operation of the long sheet 23 will be described. When the third motor 22 operates and the second cylindrical member 25 around which the long sheet 23 is wound rotates in the direction of arrow G, the long sheet 23 wound around the first cylindrical member 24 is pulled out from the first cylindrical member 24 and pressed against the floor surface by the third cylindrical member 40 to clean the floor surface. In the case of wet cleaning, the long sheet 23 that has not come into contact with the floor surface and contains the liquid injected from the liquid injector 17 comes into contact with the floor surface and cleaning of the floor surface is performed. The difference between dry cleaning and wet cleaning is only the presence or absence of liquid injection from the liquid injector 17. By repeating this operation, the long sheet 23 that has not come into contact with the floor surface is sequentially supplied, and the supplied long sheet 23 can be brought into contact with the floor surface for cleaning, so that the floor surface can be cleaned cleanly. By continuously bringing the dirty long sheet 23 into contact with the floor surface, it is possible to avoid the long sheet 23 from being unable to acquire the dirt on the floor surface.

[0057] Next, the replacement operation of the long sheet 23 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the description will be made from the state where the long sheet 23 is attached to the main body 2. When the first cylindrical member 24 housed in the first sheet storage portion 27 is pulled out in the direction of arrow C, the first cylindrical member 24 starts to move in the direction of arrow C while the first spring 36 is compressed, and a virtual line connecting the center of the second roller 34 and the center of the third roller 35, when the maximum diameter portion of the winding portion of the long sheet 23 wound around the first cylindrical member 24 passes through, the removal from the first sheet storage portion 27 is completed. Also, when the second cylindrical member 25 housed in the second sheet storage portion 31 is pulled out in the direction opposite to arrow H, the second cylindrical member 25 starts to move in the direction opposite to arrow H while the second spring 53 is compressed, and a virtual line connecting the center of the seventh roller 50 and the center of the ninth roller 52, when the maximum diameter portion of the winding portion of the long sheet 23 wound around the second cylindrical member 25 passes through, the removal from the second sheet storage portion 31 is completed. When the above-described removal operation is performed in reverse order, the long sheet 23 can be attached to the main body 2.

[0058] In order to make the attachment and detachment operation of the long sheet 23 easier, it is desirable to integrate and consolidate a plurality of components. By integrating and integrally configuring the first cylindrical member 24, the first sheet storage portion 27, the sheet contact portion 29, the second sheet storage portion 31, the second cylindrical member 25, and the long sheet 23 into an integrated product (referred to as a cleaning cartridge) 80 that can be detachably attached to the main body portion 2, the time required for the replacement work by the user can be shortened. For example, for the configuration of transmitting power from the third motor 22 to the eighth roller 51, a worm may be provided on the third motor 22, and a worm wheel may be provided coaxially with the rotating shaft of the eighth roller 51. When removing the cleaning cartridge, the meshing of the worm and the worm wheel is disengaged, and when attaching the cleaning cartridge to the main body portion 2, the worm and the worm wheel can be meshed. Note that the cleaning cartridge only needs to include at least the first cylindrical member 24 that holds one end 23a of the long sheet 23 and the second cylindrical member 25 that holds the other end, and the components may be appropriately added or the mode may be changed. In this case, if the long sheet 23 is covered with the aforementioned fixture 77 so as to exclude the portion drawn out toward the second cylindrical member 25 in the long sheet 23 wound around the first cylindrical member 24, the unwinding of the long sheet 23 from the first cylindrical member 24 can be prevented, so that the handleability of the first cylindrical member 24 having the long sheet 23 or the cleaning cartridge 80 is improved.

[0059] The main body portion 2 does not necessarily have to be an integrated object in which each component is integrated. A part of the main body portion 2 may be unitized, and this unit may be configured to be detachable from the remaining portion of the main body portion 2. For example, the first sheet storage portion 27, the sheet contact body 40 (or the sheet contact portion 29), and the second sheet storage portion 31 may be made into one unit, or a part of these three may be made into one unit, or all or a part of these three and other parts may be made into one unit. The aforementioned cleaning cartridge is an example of this unit.

[0060] Further, in order to rotate the second cylindrical member 25 to move the long sheet 23, the driving force generated by the third motor 22 is transmitted to the surface of the long sheet 23 wound around the second cylindrical member 25 by applying the eighth roller 51 to move the long sheet 23. As an alternative to the method of applying the force to move the long sheet 23 by the eighth roller 51, an eighth roller separated from the surface of the long sheet 23 and a new roller are provided separately from this eighth roller, and a belt member is stretched between this new roller and the eighth roller. If this belt member is applied to the surface of the long sheet 23 wound around the second cylindrical member 25 and rotated, a large contact area can be ensured between the long sheet 23 and the belt member, making it easier to avoid the occurrence of slippage (a state where the long sheet 23 wound around the second cylindrical member 25 does not move even though the eighth roller 51 rotates), and more reliably applying the force to move the long sheet 23 (or the force to rotate the second cylindrical member 25). Note that the movement of the long sheet 23 may be performed by directly rotationally driving the second cylindrical member 25.

[0061] Note that the wet cleaning described in this embodiment is not an operation of wetting the long sheet 23 with water, wringing it, and then wiping the surface to be cleaned, but rather moving the long sheet 23 supplied with a liquid in an amount that does not require wringing while bringing it into contact with the surface to be cleaned to capture and acquire dust on the surface to be cleaned.

[0062] Note that between the first cylindrical member 24 and the third cylindrical member 40, a roller member that the long sheet 23 partially contacts may be appropriately provided to change the path of the long sheet 23. Also, between the second cylindrical member 25 and the third cylindrical member 40, a roller member that the long sheet 23 partially contacts may be appropriately provided to change the path of the long sheet 23.

[0063] Also, although the sheet contact body 40 has been described as being configured by a cylindrical member, it does not necessarily have to be in this form.

[0064] Summarize the above embodiments. In the following, the operation and effect will be described assuming that the surface treatment apparatus of the present invention is configured as a floor wiper for cleaning the floor surface.

[0065] The first invention is a surface treatment apparatus including a main body that moves on a surface to be treated and treats the surface to be treated. The main body includes a first sheet storage portion that stores a long sheet, a second sheet storage portion that stores the long sheet that has moved from the first sheet storage portion, a sheet driving portion that pulls out the long sheet from the first sheet storage portion and moves it toward the second sheet storage portion during forward movement of the main body, a sheet contact body that contacts one surface of the long sheet that moves from the first sheet storage portion toward the second sheet storage portion during forward movement of the main body and rotates as it moves, and contacts the other surface of the long sheet with the surface to be treated, a wheel portion, and a housing that holds the first sheet storage portion, the second sheet storage portion, the sheet contact body, the sheet driving portion, and the wheel portion. For example, a first holding member that holds one end of the long sheet is stored in the first sheet storage portion. A second holding member that holds the other end of the long sheet is stored in the second sheet storage portion.

[0066] According to this configuration, when the main body moves on the floor surface, the long sheet that captures and acquires dust on the floor surface moves while contacting the sheet contact body that rotates as the long sheet moves. Therefore, no slip occurs between the long sheet and the sheet contact body when the long sheet moves, and the long sheet contacting the sheet contact body can be smoothly switched from the used portion (the portion that has already contacted the floor surface) to the unused portion (the portion that has not contacted the floor surface). As a result, the floor surface can be wiped and cleaned sequentially using the unused long sheet.

[0067] The second invention is the invention according to the first invention, wherein a part or all of the sheet contact body is configured to be disposed in front of the first sheet storage portion and the second sheet storage portion.

[0068] According to this configuration, since the long sheet that contacts the sheet contact body can be made to reach a position in front of the first sheet storage part and the second sheet storage part, when cleaning while the main body part moves forward, if there is an obstacle in front, before the first sheet storage part or the second sheet storage part collides with the obstacle, the long sheet that is in contact with the sheet contact body can be made to reach the vicinity of the foot of the obstacle. Therefore, the cleanable area can be widened, such as being able to clean the foot of the obstacle, and the so-called missed wiping area can be reduced.

[0069] A third invention is the invention according to the first or second invention, wherein when the main body part moves forward, a part or all of the sheet contact body is configured to be located in front of the foremost end position of the housing. Note that the sheet contact body may be arranged such that a part or all of it is located in front of the foremost end position of the housing, or may be configured to move forward such that a part or all of it is located in front of the foremost end position of the housing when the main body part moves forward.

[0070] According to this configuration, since the long sheet that contacts the sheet contact body can be made to reach a position in front of the housing of the main body part, when cleaning while the main body part moves forward, if there is an obstacle in front, before the housing collides with the obstacle, the long sheet that is in contact with the sheet contact body can be made to reach the vicinity of the foot of the obstacle. Therefore, the cleanable area can be widened, such as being able to clean the foot of the obstacle, and the so-called missed wiping area can be reduced.

[0071] A fourth invention is the invention according to the first or second invention, wherein when the main body part moves forward, a part or all of the sheet contact body is configured to be located at a position where it is exposed in front of the foremost end position of the housing when the main body part is viewed from above. Note that the sheet contact body may be arranged such that a part or all of it is located at a position where it is exposed in front of the foremost end position of the housing, or may be configured to move forward such that a part or all of it is located at a position where it is exposed in front of the foremost end position of the housing when the main body part moves forward.

[0072] The operational effects of this configuration are the same as those of the third invention.

[0073] The fifth invention is one of the first to fourth inventions, wherein the long sheet moves in the front-rear direction of the main body, the sheet contact body is disposed in front of the wheel portion, and the wheel portion is configured to be disposed within the width region of the long sheet when the main body is viewed from the front side. Note that "the long sheet moves in the front-rear direction of the main body" means that when the long sheet moves from the first sheet storage portion through the sheet contact body to the second sheet storage portion, the moving direction of the long sheet is the front-rear direction of the main body, that is, the width direction of the sheet (the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the long sheet) coincides with the left-right direction of the main body and moves in this state.

[0074] According to this configuration, when the main body advances, the wheel portion passes through the area where the long sheet that contacts the sheet contact body on the floor surface has passed, so that the wheel portion can be prevented from being soiled. If the wheel portion is not soiled, it is possible to avoid the soiling of the floor surface after cleaning due to the dirt falling from the wheel portion.

[0075] The sixth invention is one of the first to fifth inventions, wherein the sheet contact body has an elastic body on its outer periphery, and the weight of the main body acts so that the elastic body is compressed and deformed on the surface to be treated.

[0076] According to this configuration, due to the weight of the main body, the long sheet is pressed against the floor surface through the sheet contact body, so that even if relatively difficult-to-remove dirt adheres to the floor surface, it is possible to perform dirt acquisition cleaning by strongly rubbing. Further, by compressing and deforming the elastic body on the floor surface, the contact area of the long sheet with the floor surface can be increased, and more reliable cleaning can be performed.

[0077] The seventh invention is one of the first to sixth inventions, wherein the long sheet that has passed through the sheet contact body moves toward the second sheet storage portion with the other surface of the long sheet facing upward, and in the second sheet storage portion, the long sheet is configured to be wound up with the other surface facing inward. Note that "with the other surface of the long sheet facing upward" means a state where the other surface does not face the floor surface when the main body is placed on the floor surface. This includes not only the case where the other surface moves directly upward but also the case where the other surface moves obliquely upward. Also, "wound up with the other surface facing inward" means that while one surface of the long sheet is exposed facing outward, the other surface of the long sheet faces and is overlapped on the one surface of the wound-up long sheet and is wound up.

[0078] According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the dust captured by the long sheet from falling onto the floor surface. Also, in a state where the long sheet (used long sheet portion) containing the captured dust is stored in the second sheet storage portion, the use surface (the surface that has contacted the floor surface) is not exposed facing outward, so it is possible to avoid the dust captured and acquired on the floor surface after cleaning from falling off the long sheet.

[0079] The eighth invention is one of the first to seventh inventions, wherein the sheet driving unit is configured to move the long sheet so that when the main body moves forward a predetermined distance, the moving distance of the long sheet during the movement of the main body by the predetermined distance is shorter than the predetermined distance. Here, the "moving distance of the long sheet" means the distance that the long sheet moves from the first sheet storage portion toward the second sheet storage portion, that is, the length passing through the sheet contact body.

[0080] According to this configuration, while supplying the unused long sheet to the sheet contact body, it is possible to reduce the amount by which the unused portion of the long sheet decreases. Therefore, it is possible to clean a wide area with a long sheet of finite length.

[0081] The ninth invention is one of the first to eighth inventions, wherein the sheet driving unit is configured to move the long sheet at a moving speed smaller than the moving speed of the main body when the main body moves forward.

[0082] According to this configuration, while supplying the unused long sheet to the sheet contact body, the amount by which the unused portion of the long sheet decreases can be reduced, so that a wide area can be cleaned with a long sheet of finite length.

[0083] The tenth invention is one of the first to ninth inventions, wherein the sheet driving unit is configured to continue the movement stop of the long sheet for a predetermined period when the main body starts to move forward while the long sheet is in a stopped state. Note that the "predetermined period" may be a period determined by any method, for example, a period until a predetermined time elapses, or a period until the main body moves forward by a predetermined distance.

[0084] According to this configuration, when the main body moves forward, a predetermined amount of dust can be accumulated on the long sheet and then the movement of the long sheet can be started, so that a wide area can be cleaned with a long sheet of finite length.

[0085] The 11th invention is one of the 1st to 10th inventions, in which the sheet driving unit starts moving the long sheet after a predetermined period has elapsed since the start of the forward movement of the main body, and stops moving the long sheet even when the main body is moving forward after a predetermined period has elapsed since the start of the movement of the long sheet. Note that the "predetermined period" may be a period determined by any method. For example, it can be a period until a predetermined time elapses, or a period until the main body moves forward by a predetermined distance. Also, the "predetermined period" in "after a predetermined period has elapsed since the start of the forward movement of the main body" and "after a predetermined period has elapsed since the start of the movement of the long sheet" may be the same length or different lengths. Further, when controlling the movement of the long sheet with the "predetermined period" being the period until the main body moves forward by a predetermined distance, for example, the forward distance can be detected by detecting the number of rotations of the wheel portion when the main body moves forward, and control can be performed based on the detected forward distance.

[0086] According to this configuration, even when the main body is moving, the long sheet can be appropriately stopped, so that cleaning of a wide area can be performed with a long sheet of finite length.

[0087] The 12th invention is one of the 1st to 11th inventions, in which the sheet driving unit is configured to continue moving the long sheet for a predetermined period after the forward movement of the main body stops during the movement of the long sheet, and then stop moving the long sheet. Note that the "predetermined period" may be a period determined by any method. For example, it can be a period until a predetermined time elapses.

[0088] According to this configuration, when the forward movement of the main body stops, the portion of the long sheet in contact with the sheet contact portion can be switched from the used portion to the unused portion of the long sheet. Therefore, when the main body moves forward again or backward after stopping, cleaning can be restarted with the unused portion of the long sheet.

[0089] In the 13th invention, in any one of the 1st to 12th inventions, when the main body part stops its forward movement while the sheet driving part stops the movement of the long sheet, the sheet driving part is configured to continue to stop the movement of the long sheet at least while the main body part is stopped.

[0090] When the main body part is moving forward while the long sheet is stopped, it means that only a dust amount less than a predetermined amount has been captured on the long sheet. When the main body part starts moving forward again after stopping, the part of the long sheet that is still in contact with the floor surface can continue to be used for dust capture as it is. Therefore, according to the above configuration, by continuing to stop the movement of the long sheet at least while the main body part is stopped, it is possible to avoid moving the long sheet unnecessarily and supplying the unused part to the sheet contact body, and it is possible to reduce the decrease in the unused part of the long sheet.

[0091] In the 14th invention, in any one of the 1st to 13th inventions, the main body part is configured to have a sheet movement suppression part that suppresses the movement of the long sheet from the first sheet storage part toward the second sheet storage part due to the friction between the long sheet and the surface to be processed when the main body part is moving backward. In the above-described embodiment, the sheet movement suppression part is constituted by the first spring 36 and the third roller 35. By pressing the third roller against the long sheet 23 wound around the first cylindrical member 24 with the first spring 36, the first cylindrical member 24 is prevented from rotating easily.

[0092] According to this configuration, when the main body part moves backward, it is possible to suppress the movement of the long sheet that is pushed by the sheet contact body and in contact with the surface to be processed from moving from the first sheet storage part toward the second sheet storage part due to the friction between the long sheet and the surface to be processed. As a result, it is possible to suppress the supply of the unused part of the long sheet to the sheet contact part and the decrease in the unused part of the sheet.

[0093] The 15th invention is configured such that, in any one of the 1st to 14th inventions, the main body portion includes a container for storing a liquid, and a liquid application portion for applying the liquid stored in the container to the long sheet before reaching the sheet contact portion.

[0094] According to this configuration, wet cleaning can be performed by wiping the floor surface with a long sheet containing a liquid, and the floor surface can be cleaned more cleanly. Furthermore, if the liquid is a liquid containing alcohol, the floor surface can be finished more cleanly and sterilization can also be performed.

[0095] The 16th invention is a cleaning cartridge that constitutes a part of any one of the surface treatment apparatuses from the 1st to 15th, and is detachable from the housing, and includes the long sheet, a first holding member for holding one end of the long sheet, and a second holding member for holding the other end of the long sheet. Note that "detachable from the housing" means that the cleaning cartridge is detachable from a part other than the cleaning cartridge of the main body portion.

[0096] According to this configuration, when replacing the used long sheet with a new long sheet, the replacement work by the user can be shortened.

[0097] The 17th invention is a surface treatment apparatus, including a first sheet storage portion for storing a long sheet, a second sheet storage portion for storing the long sheet, a sheet contact portion that contacts the long sheet, and a main body portion that is movable and has the first sheet storage portion, the second sheet storage portion, and the sheet contact portion. The long sheet mounted on the main body portion moves from the first sheet storage portion to the second sheet storage portion via the sheet contact portion, and is configured such that when the main body portion moves on a moving surface, the long sheet contacts the moving surface while contacting the sheet contact portion. More specifically, the first sheet storage portion houses a first holding member for holding one end of the long sheet. The first sheet storage portion houses a second holding member for holding the other end of the long sheet.

[0098] According to this configuration, an unused (new) long sheet can be supplied to the moving surface (floor surface), and when the main body moves, the supplied long sheet can be brought into contact with the floor. Thereby, dry cleaning of the floor can be performed using a clean long sheet. Moreover, if the main body can move automatically, cleaning can be performed for a long time without a person.

[0099] The eighteenth invention is the seventeenth invention, wherein the moving distance of the long sheet from the first sheet accommodating portion toward the sheet contact portion when the main body moves from the first predetermined position to the second predetermined position is smaller than the moving distance of the main body moving from the first predetermined position to the second predetermined position, or the moving distance of the long sheet from the sheet contact portion toward the second sheet accommodating portion when the main body moves from the first predetermined position to the second predetermined position is configured to be smaller.

[0100] According to this configuration, while supplying an unused (new) long sheet to the sheet contact portion, the amount by which the unused portion of the long sheet decreases can be reduced, so that cleaning of a wide area can be performed with a long sheet of a finite length.

[0101] The nineteenth invention is the seventeenth or eighteenth invention, wherein the sheet contact portion is configured to be closer to the second predetermined position than the first sheet accommodating portion and the second sheet accommodating portion when the main body moves from the first predetermined position to the second predetermined position.

[0102] According to this configuration, since the long sheet can be made to arrive at the second predetermined position prior to the first and second accommodating portions, the second predetermined position, which is a part of the moving surface (floor surface), can be surely cleaned.

[0103] The twentieth invention is any one of the seventeenth to nineteenth inventions, wherein the sheet contact portion is configured to be closer to the second predetermined position than the outermost shape of the main body when the main body moves from the first predetermined position to the second predetermined position.

[0104] According to this configuration, when there is an obstacle in the moving direction, before the main body collides with the obstacle, the seat contact portion reaches the foot of the obstacle, so that the area that can be cleaned can be expanded, such as being able to clean the foot of the obstacle. That is, the so-called wiped remaining area can be reduced.

[0105] A 21st invention is an invention according to any one of the 17th to 20th inventions, wherein the main body has wheels, and the seat contact portion is configured to face the moving surface when the wheels are on the moving surface and to be disposed at a position closer to the moving surface than the first seat storage portion and the second seat storage portion.

[0106] According to this configuration, when the main body is on the moving surface, a long sheet can be reliably brought into contact with this moving surface.

[0107] A 22nd invention is an invention according to any one of the 17th to 21st inventions, wherein when a part of the long sheet is in contact with the seat contact portion, one end side of the long sheet is configured to be stored in the first seat storage portion in a folded state or a wound state, or the other end side of the long sheet is configured to be stored in the second seat storage portion in a wound state.

[0108] According to this configuration, according to this configuration, the used long sheet is not randomly deposited, but can be stored in a regularly wound state, and the space for storage can be saved to reduce the size of the main body, and as a result, an inexpensive device can be provided.

[0109] A 23rd invention is an invention according to any one of the 17th to 22nd inventions, wherein the seat contact portion has a cylindrical member whose outermost surface is made of an elastic material, and when the main body is on the moving surface, the long sheet that contacts the cylindrical member is configured to be pressed against the moving surface while the cylindrical member is being crushed and to come into contact therewith.

[0110] According to this configuration, by pressing the long sheet against the moving surface, even if dirt that is relatively difficult to remove adheres to the moving surface, it is possible to perform strong rubbing dirt removal cleaning.

[0111] A 24th invention is one of the inventions according to any one of the 17th to 23rd inventions, wherein the back surface of the long sheet contacts the sheet contact portion and the opposite surface on the side opposite to the back surface does not contact, and the long sheet that has passed through the sheet contact portion is configured such that the opposite surface of the long sheet is hidden and accommodated in the second sheet accommodating portion.

[0112] According to this configuration, it is possible to avoid dust captured and acquired by the long sheet from the moving surface from falling onto the cleaned moving surface from the long sheet accommodated in the second sheet accommodating portion, so that there is no need to re-clean.

[0113] A 25th invention is one of the inventions according to any one of the 17th to 24th inventions, wherein the long sheet that has passed through the sheet contact portion is configured such that the back surface faces the moving surface side.

[0114] According to this configuration, it is possible to avoid dust captured and acquired by the long sheet from the moving surface from falling onto the cleaned moving surface, so that there is no need to re-clean.

[0115] A 26th invention is one of the inventions according to any one of the 17th to 25th inventions, and is configured to be provided with a reverse movement preventing means for preventing the long sheet accommodated in the second sheet accommodating portion from moving reversely toward the sheet contact portion side.

[0116] According to this configuration, since it is possible to prevent the long sheet that has acquired dust from being sent to the contact portion after being collected in the second sheet accommodating portion, the floor can always be cleaned with an unused long sheet.

[0117] The 27th invention has a container for containing a liquid, a liquid supply unit for supplying the liquid contained in the container to the liquid injector, and a liquid injector for injecting the liquid, and the liquid injected from the liquid injector is configured to be applied to the long sheet located between the first sheet accommodating portion and the sheet contact portion.

[0118] According to this configuration, since wet cleaning can be performed by wiping the floor with a long sheet containing a liquid, the floor can be cleaned more cleanly.

[0119] The 28th invention is a cleaning cartridge that is detachable from a main body having wheels and processes a moving surface on which the wheels move, and includes a first holding member that holds one end of a long sheet, a second holding member that holds the other end of the long sheet, and a sheet contact portion that contacts the long sheet, and the long sheet is movable from the first holding member to the second holding member via the sheet contact portion, and is configured to contact the moving surface on which the main body moves while the long sheet contacts the sheet contact portion.

[0120] According to this configuration, an unused (new) long sheet can be supplied to the moving surface (floor surface), and the long sheet supplied when the main body moves can be brought into contact with the floor. Thereby, dry cleaning of the floor can be performed using a clean long sheet. Moreover, if the main body can move automatically, long-time cleaning can be performed without a person.

[0121] The 29th invention is the 28th invention, and when the main body moves from a first predetermined position to a second predetermined position, the sheet contact portion is configured to be closer to the second predetermined position than the first holding member and the second holding member.

[0122] According to this configuration, since the long sheet can be made to reach the second predetermined position before the first and second holding members, the second predetermined position, which is a part of the moving surface (floor surface), can be surely cleaned.

[0123] Invention No. 30 is an invention in Invention No. 28 or 29, wherein the sheet contact portion is configured to be closer to the second predetermined position than the outermost shape of the main body portion when the main body portion moves from the first predetermined position to the second predetermined position.

[0124] According to this configuration, when there is an obstacle in the travel destination, the sheet contact portion reaches the foot of the obstacle before the main body portion collides with the obstacle, so that the foot of the obstacle can also be cleaned, etc., and the cleanable area can be widened. That is, the so-called wiped remaining area can be reduced.

[0125] Invention No. 31 is an invention in any one of Inventions No. 28 to 30, wherein the sheet contact portion is configured to face the moving surface when the wheel is on the moving surface and to be disposed at a position closer to the moving surface than the first holding member and the second holding member.

[0126] According to this configuration, when the main body portion is on the moving surface, the long sheet can be surely brought into contact with the moving surface on which the main body portion moves.

[0127] Invention No. 32 is an invention in any one of Inventions No. 28 to 31, wherein when a part of the long sheet is in contact with the sheet contact portion, the first holding member is configured to hold one end side of the long sheet in a wound state, or the second holding member is configured to hold the other end side of the long sheet in a wound state.

[0128] According to this configuration, the used long sheet can be held in a regularly wound state instead of being randomly deposited, and the space-saving of the holding area can be achieved, so that the main body portion can be miniaturized, and as a result, a low-cost device can be provided.

[0129] Invention No. 33 is an invention according to any one of Inventions Nos. 28 to 32, wherein the sheet contact portion has a cylindrical member whose outermost surface is made of an elastic material, and when the main body portion is on the moving surface, the long sheet that contacts the cylindrical member is configured to be pressed against the moving surface while the cylindrical member is being crushed and come into contact therewith.

[0130] According to this configuration, by pressing the long sheet toward the moving surface, even if relatively difficult-to-remove dirt adheres to the moving surface, strong rubbing dirt-removing cleaning can be performed.

[0131] Invention No. 34 is an invention according to any one of Inventions Nos. 28 to 33, wherein the back surface of the long sheet contacts the sheet contact portion and the opposite surface on the side opposite to the back surface does not contact, and the long sheet that has passed through the sheet contact portion is configured such that the opposite surface of the long sheet is hidden and accommodated in the second sheet accommodating portion.

[0132] According to this configuration, it is possible to avoid the dust captured and acquired by the long sheet from the moving surface from falling onto the cleaned moving surface from the long sheet held by the second holding member, so there is no need to re-clean.

[0133] Invention No. 35 is an invention according to any one of Inventions Nos. 28 to 34, wherein the long sheet that has passed through the sheet contact portion is configured to be parallel or inclined with respect to the moving surface such that the opposite surface that does not contact the moving surface faces the moving surface.

[0134] According to this configuration, it is possible to avoid the dust captured and acquired by the long sheet from the moving surface from falling onto the cleaned moving surface, so there is no need to re-clean.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0135] 1 Surface treatment device 2 Main body portion 2a Housing 6,7 Wheel portion 17 Liquid injector 23 Long sheet 24 First holding member (first cylindrical member) 25 Second holding member (second cylindrical member) 27 First sheet accommodating portion 29 Sheet contact portion 31 Second sheet accommodating portion 40 Sheet contact body (third cylindrical member) 55 Surface to be treated 60 Sheet driving portion 65 Wall

Claims

【Claim 1】 A control method for a self-propelled floor wiping machine that self-propels on a floor and wipes the floor with a seat to be worn, comprising: rotating the wheels of the self-propelled floor wiping machine to move the self-propelled floor wiping machine forward with the sheet in contact with the floor by a roller-shaped sheet contact body; while maintaining the state in which the sheet is in contact with the floor by the sheet contact body during the forward movement of the self-propelled floor wiping machine, moving an unused sheet portion located upstream of the sheet contact body toward the downstream side of the sheet contact body via the surface of the sheet contact body, and replacing the used sheet portion in contact with the floor with the unused sheet portion; injecting a liquid by a liquid injector to wet the unused sheet portion during the period from before the start to the end of the movement of the sheet while the self-propelled floor wiping machine is moving forward. A control method for a self-propelled floor wiping machine, characterized by comprising the above steps.

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