Movement aid, vacuum cleaner, and cleaner system

Abstract

To provide a movement aid having an advantage in reducing rolling resistance of a spherical body, and also to provide a vacuum cleaner including the movement aids, and a cleaning system.SOLUTION: A movement aid to be arranged on a bottom surface of a cleaner head for cleaning a cleaned surface includes: a spherical body arranged to have contact with the cleaned surface; and a storage part for storing the spherical body. Three or more projections to have contact with the spherical body are arranged on an inner side of the storage part. The movement aid has an opening to expose the spherical body to the bottom surface of the cleaner head. A lid to be attachable / detachable to / from the storage part may be included in the movement aid.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to mobility aids, vacuum cleaners, and vacuum cleaner systems. [Background technology]

[0002] The following Patent Document 1 proposes a floor suction tool in which the wheels for movement are spherical wheels and the tool is provided with a plurality of wheels for movement arranged between the main body case and the floor surface, with at least one of the wheels being a spherical drive wheel, and the wheel being composed of a resin ball and a spherical cover around it that is slightly larger in diameter than the ball and has a notch cut out so that part of the ball can protrude from the bottom. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 04-285519 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, friction occurs between the moving wheels and the cover, which may cause the wheels to move unevenly.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a mobility aid that is advantageous in reducing the rolling resistance of a sphere, and an electric vacuum cleaner and a vacuum cleaner system that include the mobility aid. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The mobility aid of the present disclosure is a mobility aid that is installed on the bottom surface of a vacuum cleaner head that cleans the surface to be cleaned, and comprises a sphere that is arranged to contact the surface to be cleaned, and a storage section that stores the sphere, with three or more protrusions that contact the sphere on the inside of the storage section. The vacuum cleaner according to the present disclosure is provided with the mobility aid. A vacuum cleaner system according to the present disclosure includes the above-described vacuum cleaner and an information processing device capable of communicating with the vacuum cleaner via a communication network, and the information processing device provides a maintenance service for the mobility aid. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a mobility aid that is advantageous in reducing the rolling resistance of a sphere, and an electric vacuum cleaner and vacuum cleaner system equipped with the mobility aid. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a bottom view of a conventional suction tool. [Figure 3] 2 is a bottom view of the suction tool of the vacuum cleaner according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line YY in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of the arrangement of protrusions. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional plan view showing cross section A in FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is a cross-sectional plan view showing another example of the arrangement of the protrusions. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the suction tool of the vacuum cleaner according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional side view taken along line ZZ in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of a vacuum cleaner system according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Common or corresponding elements in each drawing are designated by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be simplified or omitted. The configurations shown in the following embodiments are examples of the technical ideas of the present disclosure, and may be combined with other known technologies, or multiple technical ideas described in the present disclosure may be combined. Furthermore, it is also possible to omit or modify part of the configuration without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0010] Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner according to a first embodiment. In the following description, dust and other debris may be collectively referred to simply as "dust." Air containing dust may be referred to as "dust-containing air." Air from which dust has been removed may be referred to as "clean air."

[0011] The vacuum cleaner 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a cordless upright vacuum cleaner. As shown in FIG. 1, the vacuum cleaner 1 has, as its main components, a main body 3, a tubular body 4, and a suction tool 5. The main body 3 has a handle 15, an outer casing 16, and a dust collection unit 17. The handle 15 is the part that a user holds with their hand while using the vacuum cleaner 1. The user can hold the main body 3 of the vacuum cleaner 1 by gripping the handle 15. Note that the vacuum cleaner of the present disclosure is not limited to cordless upright vacuum cleaners, and can also be applied to canister-type vacuum cleaners, for example.

[0012] The outer casing 16 is a member that forms the outer cover of the main body 3. The outer casing 16 of the main body 3 houses an electric blower 23 and a power supply unit 19. The electric blower 23 is used to generate suction air for the electric vacuum cleaner 1. The power supply unit 19 includes a battery for driving the electric blower 23.

[0013] Dust collection unit 17 is for capturing dust in the dust-laden air sucked into main body 3 by the suction air generated by electric blower 23. Dust collection unit 17 may be detachably attached to main body 3. Dust collection unit 17 has a cyclone separator. The cyclone separator is a device that separates dust from the dust-laden air by swirling the dust-laden air inside using the airflow generated by electric blower 23.

[0014] The clean air from which dust has been removed by the cyclone separator is discharged to the outside through an exhaust port formed in the outer shell 16. The dust collection section of the vacuum cleaner of the present disclosure is not limited to one equipped with a cyclone separator, but may also be a paper bag type. Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner of the present disclosure is not limited to a vacuum cleaner, but may also be a vacuum cleaner that performs wiping.

[0015] The tube 4 is a hollow tubular member having a linear outer shape along its longitudinal axis. One end of the tube 4 is detachably connected to the main body 3. The other end of the tube 4 is detachably connected to the suction tool 5. The longitudinal axis of the tube 4 is the longitudinal axis of the internal air passage of the tube 4. The internal air passage is a linear air passage. The outer shape of the tube 4 is rod-like.

[0016] The suction tool 5 is used to clean surfaces such as floors and tatami mats. The suction tool 5 is attached to the tubular body 4 via an articulated structure. The suction tool 5 has a shape whose longitudinal direction is the horizontal direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction of the vacuum cleaner 1. The suction tool 5 is an example of a vacuum cleaner head.

[0017] Electric blower 23 is driven in response to operation of an operating unit provided on handle 15. When electric blower 23 is driven, a suction force acts inside dust collection unit 17, and dust-laden air is sucked in through suction tool 5. The dust-laden air sucked into suction tool 5 passes through tubular body 4 and is taken into dust collection unit 17. In dust collection unit 17, dust is separated from the dust-laden air. Clean air discharged from dust collection unit 17 passes through electric blower 23. The clean air that has passed through electric blower 23 is discharged to the outside of main body 3 through an exhaust port.

[0018] Fig. 2 is a bottom view of a conventional suction tool. As shown in Fig. 2, conventional suction tool 100 has a suction port 101 formed on its bottom surface. A rotating brush 102 is disposed in suction port 101. In addition, two wheels 103 are provided on the bottom surface of suction tool 100.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the suction tool 5 of the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line YY in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of the arrangement of the protrusions 81. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional plan view showing cross section A in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 3, a suction port 51 is formed on the bottom surface of the suction tool 5 of this embodiment. A rotating brush 52 is disposed in the suction port 51. Furthermore, two mobility aids 6 are disposed on the bottom surface of the suction tool 5 in place of the conventional wheels 103. The two mobility aids 6 are disposed near both ends of the rotating brush 52. The number of mobility aids 6 may be three or more.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 4, the mobility aid 6 has a sphere 7 arranged to contact the surface to be cleaned, and a storage section 8 that at least partially stores the sphere 7. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the inside of the storage section 8 is provided with three or more protrusions 81 that contact the sphere 7. The protrusions 81 make it possible to reduce the frictional force between the sphere 7 and the storage section 8.

[0021] In this embodiment, the movement aid 6 has no axis, making it difficult for hair or dirt to become entangled. Furthermore, the sphere 7 can easily rotate in either direction. Therefore, the suction tool 5 can easily move in either direction on the surface to be cleaned, improving convenience during cleaning.

[0022] In the illustrated example, the storage section 8 has a hemispherical shape along a spherical surface having a radius slightly larger than the radius of the sphere 7.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the mobility aid 6 is provided with a lid 9 that can be attached to and detached from the storage section 8. The lid 9 has an opening 91 that exposes the sphere 7 at the bottom surface of the suction tool 5. The lid 9 may be screw-on type. When removing hair or dust that has become lodged between the sphere 7 and the storage section 8, the sphere 7 can be removed by removing the lid 9. This makes the removal process easy.

[0024] The coefficient of dynamic friction between the sphere 7 and the protrusion 81 is preferably less than 0.2, which allows the sphere 7 to rotate smoothly, allowing the suction tool 5 to move more smoothly on the surface to be cleaned.

[0025] The material of the sphere 7 may be a resin material or a metal material. Alternatively, the outside may be made of a metal material and the inside may be made of a resin material. The material of the protrusion 81 may be a resin material or a metal material.

[0026] It is desirable that the protrusions 81 have a hemispherical shape, which minimizes the contact area between the spheres 7 and the protrusions 81, and is therefore more advantageous in reducing the coefficient of dynamic friction between the spheres 7 and the protrusions 81.

[0027] In the examples shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, three protrusions 81 are arranged so as to be in contact with the upper hemisphere of the sphere 7. As shown in FIG. 6, the three protrusions 81 are arranged at the vertices of an equilateral triangle. The lengths d of the three sides of this equilateral triangle are equal to each other. In a plan view, the center of gravity C of the equilateral triangle, which is a figure with the multiple protrusions 81 as vertices, is equal to the position of the center of the sphere 7. By arranging the multiple protrusions 81 in this way, the sphere 7 can rotate more smoothly.

[0028] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional plan view showing another example of the arrangement of the protrusions 81. In the example shown in FIG. 7, four protrusions 81 are arranged so as to be in contact with the upper hemisphere of the sphere 7. The shape with the four protrusions 81 as vertices is a rectangle. This rectangle has a pair of opposite sides with an equal length a and a pair of opposite sides with an equal length b. The four protrusions 81 are arranged so that the center of gravity C of this rectangle is equal to the center of the sphere 7 in a plan view. This allows the sphere 7 to rotate more smoothly.

[0029] Furthermore, the four protrusions 81 are arranged so that the distance a between the protrusions 81 in the direction parallel to the direction of travel of the suction tool 5 is longer than the distance b between the protrusions 81 in the direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the suction tool 5. This allows the sphere 7 to rotate more smoothly when the suction tool 5 moves back and forth.

[0030] The storage section 8 may be detachable from the suction tool 5. By detaching the storage section 8, the work of removing dust accumulated between the storage section 8 and the sphere 7 can be more easily carried out.

[0031] It is preferable that the plurality of protrusions 81 are arranged so that the clearance between the sphere 7 and the storage section 8 is uniform when the suction tool 5 is placed on the floor surface.

[0032] The protrusion 81 may have a spring structure. That is, a spring may be provided to bias the protrusion 81 from the retracted state to the protruding state. By using a spring structure for the protrusion 81, it is possible to maintain a constant clearance between the sphere 7 and the storage section 8 even if there is variation in the size of the protrusion 81.

[0033] Embodiment 2 Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. The description will focus on differences from the first embodiment, and common explanations will be simplified or omitted. Elements that are common to or correspond to the elements described above will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0034] FIG. 8 is a bottom view of a suction tool of a vacuum cleaner according to a second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional side view taken along line ZZ in FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 8, suction tool 5 of this embodiment includes mobility aid 10 instead of mobility aid 6 of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, mobility aid 10 includes non-rotatable central shaft 11, multiple spheres 12 arranged around central shaft 11, and ring-shaped rotor 13 arranged outside of multiple spheres 12. Multiple spheres 12 contact the outer circumferential surface of central shaft 11. Multiple spheres 12 contact the inner circumferential surface of rotor 13. The outer circumferential surface of rotor 13 contacts surface S to be cleaned. Cylindrical rollers may be provided instead of spheres 12. In such mobility aid 10, central shaft 11 does not rotate, making it less likely for hair or dirt to become entangled around central shaft 11.

[0035] In the illustrated example, the mobility aid 10 is stored in a housing 14 provided in the suction tool 5. The housing 14 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with an open bottom. A cover may be further provided to cover the side of the bearing structure made up of multiple spheres 12. If such a cover is provided, it becomes possible to more reliably prevent dust and the like from entering the gaps between the multiple spheres 12.

[0036] Embodiment 3 Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10. The differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the description of the commonalities will be simplified or omitted. Elements that are common to or correspond to the elements described above will be given the same reference numerals. Fig. 10 is a functional block diagram of a vacuum cleaner system according to the third embodiment.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 10 , the vacuum cleaner 1 includes a control unit 113, a transmission unit 111, and a reception unit 112. The control unit 113 controls the operation of the vacuum cleaner 1. The transmission unit 111 and the reception unit 112 transmit and receive various types of data via a communication network 300. This transmission and reception may be performed either wired or wirelessly. Furthermore, any communication protocol may be used as long as data transmission and reception is possible. The vacuum cleaner 1 is capable of communicating with an information processing device 200 via the communication network 300. The transmission unit 111 transmits various types of data to the information processing device 200. The reception unit 112 receives various types of data transmitted from the information processing device 200.

[0038] The communication network 300 may include, for example, one of an intranet, an extranet, a virtual private network (VPN), a local area network (LAN), a wireless LAN, a wide area network (WAN), the Internet, a public telephone network, a mobile phone network, an integrated service digital network (ISDN), satellite communications, etc., or a combination of two or more of these.

[0039] In this embodiment, the movement aid 6 is detachable from the suction tool 5 and can be replaced or cleaned for maintenance purposes.

[0040] The information processing device 200 provides a maintenance service for the mobility aid 6. The information processing device 200 is, for example, a single server device. However, the information processing device 200 is not limited to being configured from a single server device. Alternatively, for example, the information processing device 200 may be constructed on a cloud. That is, the functions of the information processing device 200 may be realized by cooperation between multiple devices that are arranged to be able to communicate with each other via a communication network 300 or the like.

[0041] The information processing device 200 includes a communication unit 210. The communication unit 210 of the information processing device 200 transmits and receives various types of data via the communication network 300. This transmission and reception may be performed either wired or wirelessly. Furthermore, any communication protocol may be used as long as data transmission and reception can be performed. The communication unit 210 of the information processing device 200 includes a transmission unit 211 and a reception unit 212. The transmission unit 211 transmits various types of data to the vacuum cleaner 1. The reception unit 212 receives the various types of data transmitted from the vacuum cleaner 1.

[0042] The information processing device 200 further includes a data processing unit 220 and a storage unit 250. The data processing unit 220 performs various data processing related to maintenance services for the mobility aid 6. As part of maintenance of the mobility aid 6, the information processing device 200 may perform processing to send a replacement mobility aid 6 to the user of the vacuum cleaner 1. Alternatively, as part of maintenance of the mobility aid 6, the information processing device 200 may perform processing to provide a cleaning service for the mobility aid 6 to the user. The maintenance service for the mobility aid 6 provided by the information processing device 200 may be a subscription service.

[0043] The vacuum cleaner 1 may periodically transmit a request for maintenance of the mobility aid 6 to the information processing device 200 at intervals specified by the user. Alternatively, the vacuum cleaner 1 may be provided with a dirt sensor (not shown) that detects the degree of dirt on the mobility aid 6, and may transmit a request for maintenance of the mobility aid 6 to the information processing device 200 in accordance with the dirt on the mobility aid 6 detected by the dirt sensor. Alternatively, the vacuum cleaner 1 may calculate the accumulated operating time, and when the accumulated operating time reaches a predetermined reference value, it may assume that dirt has accumulated on the mobility aid 6 and transmit a request for maintenance of the mobility aid 6 to the information processing device 200.

[0044] Of the features of the above-described multiple embodiments, two or more features that can be combined may be combined and implemented.

[0045] Various aspects of the present disclosure are summarized below as appendices.

[0046] (Appendix 1) A mobility aid attached to the bottom of a vacuum cleaner head that cleans a surface to be cleaned, a sphere disposed in contact with the surface to be cleaned; a storage unit for storing the sphere; Equipped with A mobility aid having three or more protrusions on the inside of the storage section that come into contact with the sphere. (Appendix 2) A mobility aid as described in Appendix 1, having an opening that exposes the sphere to the bottom surface of the vacuum cleaner head and a detachable lid for the storage section. (Appendix 3) 3. The mobility aid of claim 1, wherein the coefficient of dynamic friction between the sphere and the protrusion is less than 0.2. (Appendix 4) The mobility aid described in any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 3, wherein the plurality of protrusions are arranged on the upper hemisphere side of the sphere, and the plurality of protrusions are arranged so that the center of gravity of a figure with the plurality of protrusions as vertices is equal to the center of the sphere in a planar view. (Appendix 5) 5. The mobility aid according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the protrusion has a hemispherical shape. (Appendix 6) 6. The mobility aid of any one of clauses 1 to 5, wherein the storage section is detachable from the cleaner head. (Appendix 7) A mobility aid attached to the bottom of a vacuum cleaner head that cleans a surface to be cleaned, a central shaft provided so as not to rotate; a plurality of spheres or rollers arranged around the central axis; a ring-shaped rotating body provided on the outside of the sphere or the roller; A mobility aid equipped with: (Appendix 8) 10. A vacuum cleaner equipped with the mobility aid according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 7. (Appendix 9) a vacuum cleaner according to Appendix 8; an information processing device capable of communicating with the vacuum cleaner via a communication network; Equipped with The information processing device is a vacuum cleaner system that provides maintenance services for the mobility aid. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 electric vacuum cleaner, 3 main body, 4 tube body, 5 suction tool, 6 mobility aid, 7 sphere, 8 storage section, 9 lid, 10 mobility aid, 11 central axis, 12 sphere, 13 rotating body, 14 housing, 15 handle, 16 outer shell, 17 dust collection section, 19 power supply unit, 23 electric blower, 51 suction port, 52 rotating brush, 81 protrusion, 91 opening, 100 suction tool, 101 suction port, 102 rotating brush, 103 wheels, 111 transmitting section, 112 receiving section, 113 control section, 200 information processing device, 210 communication section, 211 transmitting section, 212 receiving section, 220 data processing section, 250 memory unit, 300 communication network

Claims

1. A mobility aid attached to the bottom of a vacuum cleaner head that cleans a surface to be cleaned, a sphere disposed so as to contact the surface to be cleaned; a storage unit for storing the sphere; Equipped with The mobility aid has three or more protrusions on the inside of the storage section that come into contact with the sphere.

2. 2. The mobility aid of claim 1, further comprising a removable cover for the storage section, the cover having an opening that exposes the sphere at the bottom of the cleaner head.

3. 3. The mobility aid according to claim 1, wherein the coefficient of dynamic friction between the sphere and the protrusion is less than 0.

2.

4. The mobility aid according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the plurality of protrusions are arranged on the upper hemisphere side of the sphere, and the plurality of protrusions are arranged so that the center of gravity of a figure with the plurality of protrusions as vertices is equal to the center of the sphere in a planar view.

5. The mobility aid according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the protrusion has a hemispherical shape.

6. A mobility aid as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the storage section is detachable from the cleaner head.

7. A mobility aid attached to the bottom of a vacuum cleaner head that cleans a surface to be cleaned, a central shaft provided so as not to rotate; a plurality of spheres or rollers arranged around the central axis; a ring-shaped rotating body provided on the outside of the sphere or the roller; A mobility aid equipped with:

8. An electric vacuum cleaner equipped with the mobility aid according to claim 1 or 7.

9. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 8; an information processing device capable of communicating with the vacuum cleaner via a communication network; Equipped with The information processing device is a vacuum cleaner system that provides maintenance services for the mobility aid.

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