Autonomous travel device

Abstract

To clean various under-shelf parts different in size.SOLUTION: An autonomous travel device (100) comprises an accessory unit (2) including an accessory unit main brush (21) for wiping a floor surface; and an accessory unit side brush (22) arranged on an outer side of the accessory unit main brush and to be rotated by linkage with the rotation of the accessory unit main brush.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an autonomous driving device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, autonomously traveling cleaning devices known as cleaning robots have been known. This type of cleaning robot has a main brush that lifts dust off the floor and sucks the dust through a suction port (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] In addition, by providing side brushes separate from the main brush, it is possible to efficiently clean areas near walls and windows that the main brush cannot reach. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-337301 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2021-87556 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As described above, conventional cleaning robots are capable of cleaning floor surfaces, including near walls and windows. Cleaning robots are also required to clean not only floor surfaces, including near walls and windows, but also under shelves of office furniture (including furniture found in ordinary homes). While the size of the space under shelves varies depending on the office furniture, in order to clean under as many shelves as possible, the size of the cleaning robot, particularly its height, is important and should be as low as possible. This is because a low height cleaning robot can get under shelves of various sizes and clean them.

[0006] However, in conventional cleaning robots, the motor that rotates the side brushes must be installed vertically due to the structure of the side brushes that rotate relative to the floor surface. This arrangement increases the height of the entire device by the height of the motor, limiting the size of the area under the shelf that can be cleaned.

[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure aims to achieve more under-shelf cleaning of different sizes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, an autonomous driving device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is an autonomous driving device that travels on a floor surface and has an accessory unit that includes a first rotating brush (attachment unit main brush) that sweeps the floor surface, and a second rotating brush (attachment unit side brush) that is provided on the outside of the first rotating brush and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the first rotating brush. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to clean under a larger number of shelves of different sizes. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of an autonomous driving device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a main body and an accessory unit that constitute an autonomous driving device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic bottom view of the accessory unit. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a rotation mechanism of an auxiliary unit. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a comparative example. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic bottom view of an accessory unit according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, identical or substantially identical components will be designated by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. The drawings used in the following description are schematic and do not necessarily reflect the actual product. For the convenience of illustration and ease of understanding, the scale and aspect ratios may be changed from the actual product and may be exaggerated.

[0012] (Overview of the autonomous mobile device 100) 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of an autonomous mobile device 100. As shown in FIG.

[0013] The autonomous mobile device 100 is a cleaning robot that autonomously navigates a predetermined floor corresponding to a predetermined navigation map, cleaning the floor and under-shelf areas of the floor. The predetermined floor is, for example, a floor surrounded by walls, windows, and the like within a building. The building may be, for example, an office building, a hotel, a commercial facility, a hospital, or an apartment building. In this embodiment, "under-shelf" refers to the space under the shelves of office furniture (including furniture used in ordinary homes). The size of the space under the shelves, i.e., the height from the floor to the shelf, varies depending on the office furniture. The autonomous mobile device 100 can clean under a variety of shelves of different sizes using the accessory unit 2. Note that the use of the autonomous mobile device 100 is not limited to cleaning; the autonomous mobile device 100 may also be used for tasks such as patrolling security within a facility, providing facility guidance, and inspecting equipment. In the following, the autonomous mobile device 100 will be described as a cleaning robot.

[0014] The main body 1 is a device capable of autonomous movement using a traction motor driven by a built-in battery as a power source.

[0015] The accessory unit 2 is detachably attached to the main body 1. The accessory unit 2 is a device that can clean under shelves, which is difficult to clean using the main body 1. There are no particular limitations on the method for attaching and detaching the accessory unit 2. A support part may be provided on the side of the main body 1 so that the accessory unit 2 can be supported. Alternatively, a space may be provided in the main body 1 in which the accessory unit 2 can be stored, and the accessory unit 2 may be stored in that space.

[0016] (Configuration of main body 1 and accessory unit 2) FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the main body 1 and the accessory unit 2 that make up the autonomous mobile device 100.

[0017] 2, the main body 1 includes a camera 10, a position sensor 11, a control unit 12, a memory unit 13, wheels 14, a first motor 15, a main body main brush 16, a second motor 17, a main body side brush 18, and a battery 19. The accessory unit 2 includes a third motor 20, an accessory unit main brush 21, and an accessory unit side brush 22.

[0018] Camera 10 has an imaging element such as a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), and continuously captures images of the surroundings of autonomous mobile device 100. Camera 10 outputs the captured images to control unit 12. Camera 10 is primarily used to detect obstacles (walls, people, etc.) around autonomous mobile device 100, but the sensor for detecting obstacles is not limited to camera 10; for example, an ultrasonic sensor or the like may be used instead of or in combination with camera 10.

[0019] The position sensor 11 is a sensor that detects objects around the autonomous mobile device 100 and acquires the positional relationship of the objects with respect to the autonomous mobile device 100. The position sensor 11 may be, for example, a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) that emits light and detects the positional relationship based on the light reflected by an obstacle. The position sensor 11 is used to calculate its own position, but its use is not limited to calculating its own position, and it may also be used as a sensor to detect obstacles. Furthermore, as another method for identifying the position of the autonomous mobile device 100, a global positioning system (GPS) or odometry may be used. The position sensor 11 outputs the acquired information to the control unit 12.

[0020] The control unit 12 performs various arithmetic processing based on information obtained by sensing the environment around the autonomous mobile device 100 using the camera 10 and the position sensor 11, and a driving map 131 stored in the memory unit 13. The control unit 12 is realized, for example, by a processor, a microcomputer, or a dedicated circuit. The control unit 12 may also be realized by a combination of two or more of a processor, a microcomputer, or a dedicated circuit. The control unit 12 includes a self-position calculation unit 121, a driving control unit 122, and a cleaning control unit 123.

[0021] The navigation map 131 stored in the memory unit 13 is a map that sets an area to be cleaned by the autonomous mobile device 100. The autonomous mobile device 100 performs cleaning by referring to the navigation map 131. The memory unit 13 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory. Note that it is not essential to generate and store such a map in advance. For example, if the autonomous mobile device 100 uses SLAM (Simultaneous Localization And Mapping), the navigation map 131 may not be necessary.

[0022] The self-position calculation unit 121 calculates the self-position, which is the position of the autonomous mobile device 100 on the map, using the positional relationship of surrounding objects with respect to the autonomous mobile device 100 acquired by the position sensor 11 and the driving map 131. The self-position calculation unit 121 outputs the calculated self-position to the driving control unit 122 and the cleaning control unit 123.

[0023] The driving control unit 122 controls the driving motor (not shown) of the main body 1 to drive the wheels 14 and move the autonomous driving device 100 so that the autonomous driving device 100 travels according to a preset driving plan based on the self-position calculated by the self-position calculation unit 121 and the driving map 131.

[0024] The cleaning control unit 123 controls cleaning in accordance with a preset cleaning plan while the travel control unit 122 controls the movement of the autonomous mobile device 100. Specifically, the cleaning control unit 123 controls the first motor 15 and the second motor 17 to rotate the main body brush 16 and the main body side brushes 18.

[0025] The main body brush 16 is provided, for example, in the center of the bottom surface of the main body 1. The main body brush 16 rotates in the direction of travel of the main body 1, lifting dust on the floor surface and guiding it to a suction port (not shown) of the main body 1. The dust sucked into the suction port is collected in a dust box (not shown) of the main body 1.

[0026] The main body side brushes 18 are provided outside the main body main brush 16, i.e., at the bottom end of the main body 1. The main body side brushes 18 rotate relative to the floor surface to sweep up dust along walls and windows that the main body main brush 16 cannot reach, and direct the dust to the suction port of the main body 1.

[0027] The travel control unit 122 and the cleaning control unit 123 are capable of transmitting control signals not only to the main body 1 but also to the accessory unit 2 to perform various controls.

[0028] Specifically, the travel control unit 122 controls a travel motor (not shown) of the attachment unit 2 to drive wheels (not shown) of the attachment unit 2, and moves the attachment unit 2 to below the shelf of the office furniture.

[0029] The cleaning control unit 123 also controls the third motor 20 of the attachment unit 2 to rotate the attachment unit main brush 21 and also rotate the attachment unit side brush 22 in conjunction with the rotation of the attachment unit main brush 21. In other words, the cleaning control unit 123 controls the rotation of two brushes (the attachment unit main brush 21 and the attachment unit side brush 22) with one motor (the third motor 20).

[0030] The accessory unit main brush 21 is provided, for example, in the center of the bottom surface of the accessory unit 2. The accessory unit main brush 21 rotates in the direction of movement of the accessory unit 2, lifting up dust from under the shelf and directing it to a suction port (not shown) of the accessory unit 2. The dust sucked into the suction port is collected in a dust box (not shown) of the accessory unit 2. The suction port and dust box of the accessory unit 2 do not necessarily have to be provided. Not providing a suction port and dust box is advantageous in terms of cost and also allows the height of the accessory unit 2 to be made lower. Even if a suction port and dust box are not provided, the dust under the shelf can be cleaned by sweeping it up with the accessory unit main brush 21 and the accessory unit side brushes 22.

[0031] The accessory unit side brush 22 is provided outside the accessory unit main brush 21, i.e., at the bottom end of the accessory unit 2. The accessory unit side brush 22 rotates relative to the floor surface to sweep up dust along the wall under the shelf that the accessory unit main brush 21 cannot reach, and guides it to the suction port of the accessory unit 2.

[0032] The first motor 15, the second motor 17, and the third motor 20 rotate using power supplied from a battery 19 provided in the main body 1. The battery 19 is, for example, a lithium-ion secondary battery that can be repeatedly charged from an external power source. The main body 1 and the accessory unit 2 may be configured to be driven by power supplied directly from an external power source. In other words, the main body 1 may be provided with an outlet for connecting to an external power source.

[0033] The auxiliary unit 2 may also be provided with a processor, a microcomputer, or a dedicated circuit. When the auxiliary unit 2 is provided with such a processor, the processor may control the third motor 20 based on a control signal received from the control unit 12 of the main body 1.

[0034] (Bottom of accessory unit 2) Fig. 3 is a bottom view showing a schematic appearance of the accessory unit 2 as seen from the rear side. In Fig. 3, the direction of movement of the accessory unit 2 is the Y-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to the Y-axis direction is the X-axis direction. Because the bottom surface of the accessory unit 2 is the surface that contacts the floor surface, the two-dimensional plane indicated by the X-axis and Y-axis can also be said to indicate the floor surface. The same applies to the X-axis and Y-axis in the following drawings.

[0035] 3, the attachment unit side brush 22 is provided outside the attachment unit main brush 21, i.e., at the bottom end of the attachment unit 2. Although a portion of the attachment unit side brush 22 protrudes from the attachment unit 2 when viewed from the bottom, this is just an example and it does not have to protrude.

[0036] When the attachment unit main brush 21 rotates, some of the brushes of the attachment unit main brush 21 come into contact with the attachment unit side brush 22, which rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the attachment unit main brush 21. Specifically, the end brush 21A located at the end of the attachment unit main brush 21 comes into contact with the attachment unit side brush 22. This is due to the coupling configuration between the rotation shaft of the attachment unit main brush 21 and the rotation shaft of the attachment unit side brush 22, which will be described later.

[0037] (Rotation mechanism of accessory unit 2) FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a rotation mechanism of the attachment unit 2. In FIG. 4, the Z-axis direction is the vertical direction relative to the floor surface. The same applies to the Z-axis in the following drawings. As shown in FIG. 4, the rotation axis of the attachment unit main brush 21 and the rotation axis of the attachment unit side brush 22 are connected by a bevel gear unit 40. The bevel gear unit 40 has gears that intersect at a right angle and transmits rotation between the two perpendicularly intersecting axes. Specifically, the bevel gear unit 40 transmits the rotation of the attachment unit main brush 21 (the rotation of the third motor 20) to the rotation axis of the attachment unit side brush 22. As a result, the attachment unit side brush 22 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the attachment unit main brush 21. By using the bevel gear unit 40 in this way, the rotation of two brushes (the attachment unit main brush 21 and the attachment unit side brush 22) can be controlled by a single motor (the third motor 20).

[0038] (Comparative Example) Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating a comparative example. As shown in Fig. 5, in a conventional cleaning robot, a main brush motor is used to rotate the main brush, and a side brush motor is used to rotate the side brush.

[0039] In the conventional configuration shown in Figure 5, the motor for the side brush must be installed vertically due to the structure of the side brush, which rotates relative to the floor surface. This means that the height of the motor increases the height of the entire device, limiting the size of the area under the shelf that can be cleaned.

[0040] In contrast, according to this embodiment, as explained in FIG. 4, one motor (third motor 20) can control the rotation of two brushes (attachment unit main brush 21 and attachment unit side brush 22), eliminating the need to provide a motor for the side brushes as in the comparative example shown in FIG. 5. This allows the height of the attachment unit 2 to be lowered, increasing the size of the under-shelf space that can be cleaned, making it possible to clean under more shelves. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, there is no need for a motor for the side brushes, which is advantageous in terms of cost.

[0041] 3, it was explained that the end brush 21A located at the end of the attachment unit main brush 21 comes into contact with the attachment unit side brush 22. This is because, as shown in FIG. 4, the rotational axis of the attachment unit main brush 21 and the rotational axis of the attachment unit side brush 22 are connected by the bevel gear unit 40. The bevel gear unit 40 is usually designed so that the rotational axes rotate in a plane perpendicular to each other, so the attachment unit side brush 22 is configured to be positioned relatively close to the attachment unit main brush 21. For this reason, the end brush 21A located at the end of the attachment unit main brush 21 comes into contact with the attachment unit side brush 22. If the brushes come into contact with each other every time cleaning is performed, they will wear out quickly, which is disadvantageous in terms of durability.

[0042] Therefore, the end brush 21A of the attachment unit main brush 21, which comes into contact with the attachment unit side brush 22 during rotation, may be made of a more flexible material than the brush that does not come into contact with the attachment unit side brush 22 during rotation. This reduces wear on the end brush 21A and improves durability. The flexible material is not particularly limited, but may be nylon, for example.

[0043] Furthermore, the thickness of the end brush 21A of the attachment unit main brush 21 that comes into contact with the attachment unit side brush 22 during rotation may be made thinner than the thickness of the brush that does not come into contact with the attachment unit side brush 22 during rotation. This makes it possible to suppress wear on the end brush 21A and improve durability. Note that the thickness of the end brush 21A may also be referred to as the diameter of the end brush 21A. In other words, the diameter of the end brush 21A of the attachment unit main brush 21 that comes into contact with the attachment unit side brush 22 during rotation may be made smaller than the diameter of the brush that does not come into contact with the attachment unit side brush 22 during rotation.

[0044] It should be noted that not only the end brush 21A of the attachment unit main brush 21 but also the attachment unit side brush 22 may be configured in the same manner. That is, the attachment unit side brush 22 may be formed from a more flexible material. Also, the thickness of the attachment unit side brush 22 may be made thinner. In other words, the diameter of the attachment unit side brush 22 may be made smaller.

[0045] The control unit 12 may adjust the rotation speed of the third motor 20 so that the end brush 21A of the attachment unit main brush 21 does not come into contact with the attachment unit side brush 22. Since the attachment unit main brush 21 usually has bristles arranged intermittently in groups, adjusting the rotation speed of the third motor 20 can prevent contact between the end brush 21A of the attachment unit main brush 21 and the attachment unit side brush 22. The appropriate rotation speed may vary depending on the configurations of the attachment unit main brush 21 and the attachment unit side brush 22. Therefore, the rotation speed according to the configurations of the attachment unit main brush 21 and the attachment unit side brush 22 may be calculated through experiments or simulations.

[0046] (Action and effect) As described above, according to this embodiment, the following advantageous effects can be obtained.

[0047] The autonomous mobile device 100 is a device that travels on a floor surface and includes a first rotating brush (attachment unit main brush 21) that sweeps the floor surface, and a second rotating brush (attachment unit side brush 22) that is provided on the outside of the first rotating brush and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the first rotating brush. Here, the "first rotating brush" corresponds to the attachment unit main brush 21, and the "second rotating brush" corresponds to the attachment unit side brush 22. The same applies to the following description. However, they are not limited to this. The "first rotating brush" may correspond to the main body main brush 16, and the "second rotating brush" may correspond to the main body side brush 18.

[0048] As explained in the comparative example shown in FIG. 5 , in conventional cleaning robots, the height of the side brush motor increases the overall height of the device, limiting the size of the under-shelf cleaning area. In contrast, with the above-described configuration, the attachment unit side brush 22 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the attachment unit main brush 21. Therefore, a single motor, the third motor 20 that rotates the attachment unit main brush 21, is sufficient for the attachment unit 2. Therefore, there is no need for a side brush motor, as in the comparative example shown in FIG. 5 , and the height of the attachment unit 2 can be lowered. This increases the size of the under-shelf cleaning area, allowing for cleaning under more shelves. Furthermore, since a side brush motor is not required, this is advantageous in terms of cost. As mentioned above, when the "first rotating brush" corresponds to the main body main brush 16 and the "second rotating brush" corresponds to the main body side brush 18, the second motor 17 that rotates the main body side brush 18 described in FIG. 2 is not required, which is not directly related to under-shelf cleaning, but is advantageous in terms of cost.

[0049] Furthermore, the rotation axis of the first rotating brush (attachment unit main brush 21) and the rotation axis of the second rotating brush (attachment unit side brush 22), which is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the first rotating brush, may be connected by a predetermined gear unit. The predetermined gear unit here is, for example, a bevel gear unit 40. The perpendicular direction is the vertical direction.

[0050] According to the above configuration, the rotation shaft of the attachment unit main brush 21 and the rotation shaft of the attachment unit side brush 22 are connected by the bevel gear unit 40, which transmits rotation between two shafts that intersect at right angles. This allows one motor (third motor 20) to control the rotation of two brushes (attachment unit main brush 21 and attachment unit side brush 22).

[0051] Furthermore, the brush (end brush 21A) of the first rotating brush (attachment unit main brush 21) that comes into contact with the second rotating brush (attachment unit side brush 22) during rotation may be made of a softer material than the brush that does not come into contact with the second rotating brush during rotation. Furthermore, the thickness of the brush of the first rotating brush that comes into contact with the second rotating brush during rotation may be thinner than the thickness of the brush that does not come into contact with the second rotating brush during rotation.

[0052] When the rotation shaft of the attachment unit main brush 21 and the rotation shaft of the attachment unit side brush 22 are connected using the bevel gear unit 40, the end brush 21A located at the end of the attachment unit main brush 21 comes into contact with the attachment unit side brush 22. If the brushes come into contact with each other every time cleaning is performed, wear will progress quickly, which will be disadvantageous in terms of durability. In this regard, the above configuration can suppress wear on the end brush 21A and improve durability.

[0053] The autonomous mobile device 100 also includes at least one processor (controller 12). The processor may rotate the first rotating brush (attachment unit main brush 21) so that the first rotating brush and the second rotating brush (attachment unit side brush 22) do not come into contact with each other.

[0054] According to the above configuration, contact between the end brush 21A of the attachment unit main brush 21 and the attachment unit side brush 22 can be avoided, so that wear of the end brush 21A can be suppressed and durability can be improved.

[0055] The autonomous mobile device 100 also includes a main body 1 and an accessory unit 2 that is detachably attached to the main body 1. A first rotating brush (an accessory unit main brush 21) and a second rotating brush (an accessory unit side brush 22) are provided on the accessory unit 2.

[0056] The main body 1 can be used to automatically clean floors in office buildings, hotels, commercial facilities, etc., while the accessory unit 2 can be used to clean under shelves, which are difficult to clean with the main body 1. Therefore, with the above configuration, it is possible to automatically clean more places.

[0057] (Variation) In the above embodiment, the rotation axis of the attachment unit main brush 21 and the rotation axis of the attachment unit side brush 22 are described as being coupled in a plane (XZ plane) where these rotation axes are perpendicular to each other, but this is not limited to this.

[0058] The rotation axis of the attachment unit main brush 21 and the rotation axis of the attachment unit side brush 22, which extends vertically and is spaced apart from the rotation axis of the attachment unit main brush 21, may be connected by a rotation axis that is perpendicular to the attachment unit main brush 21 in the horizontal direction. A bevel gear unit 40 may be used to connect these shafts. If the "rotation axis that is perpendicular to the attachment unit main brush 21 in the horizontal direction" is defined as rotation axis A, rotation axis A and the rotation axis of the attachment unit main brush 21 are connected on the XY plane. Furthermore, rotation axis A and the rotation axis of the attachment unit side brush 22 are connected on the YZ plane.

[0059] 6 is a bottom view showing the appearance of the attachment unit 2 according to the modified example, as seen from the rear side. As described above, by adding the rotation axis A, the attachment unit side brush 22 is arranged at the front end of the attachment unit 2. As a result, compared to the arrangement example described in FIG. 4, the attachment unit side brush 22 is arranged further away from the attachment unit main brush 21, and contact between the end brush 21A of the attachment unit main brush 21 and the attachment unit side brush 22 can be avoided. This makes it possible to suppress wear on the end brush 21A and improve durability.

[0060] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 100 Autonomous Driving Device 1 Main unit 2 Accessory units 12 Control Unit 21 Main brush accessory unit 21A End Brush 22 Side brush accessory unit 40 Bevel Gear Unit

Claims

1. An autonomous mobile device that travels on a floor surface, a first rotary brush for sweeping the floor surface; a second rotating brush provided outside the first rotating brush and rotating in conjunction with the rotation of the first rotating brush, Autonomous driving device.

2. a rotation shaft of the first rotary brush and a rotation shaft of the second rotary brush that is perpendicular to the rotation shaft of the first rotary brush are connected by a predetermined gear unit; The autonomous driving device according to claim 1 .

3. a rotation shaft of the first rotary brush and a rotation shaft of the second rotary brush extending in a vertical direction and spaced apart from the rotation shaft of the first rotary brush are connected by a rotation shaft that is perpendicular to the first rotary brush in a horizontal direction; The autonomous driving device according to claim 1 .

4. The first rotating brush, which comes into contact with the second rotating brush during rotation, is made of a softer material than the brush which does not come into contact with the second rotating brush during rotation; or a thickness of a brush of the first rotary brush that comes into contact with the second rotary brush during rotation is smaller than a thickness of a brush that does not come into contact with the second rotary brush during rotation; The autonomous driving device according to claim 1 .

5. at least one processor; the processor rotates the first rotary brush so that the first rotary brush and the second rotary brush do not come into contact with each other; The autonomous driving device according to claim 1 .

6. The main body and an accessory unit detachably attached to the main body, The first rotating brush and the second rotating brush are provided on the accessory unit. The autonomous driving device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

Images