Autonomous electrical cleaning apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020205628-A1
Application number	US-201816615491-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 8, 2018
Priority date	Jun 8, 2017
Publication date	Jul 2, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

An autonomous electrical cleaning apparatus including: an electric blower that generates suction negative pressure on a suction port; a rotating brush disposed at the suction port; a rotating brush driver that drives the rotating brush; a drive wheel that supports a cleaner body, driven by a drive wheel driver, a cleaning-target-surface detector that detects the surface type to be cleaned; and a robot controller that adjusts a controlled variable for any of the suction negative pressure, speed of the rotating brush, rotation direction of the rotating brush, and speed of the drive wheel, based on the surface type to be cleaned. The cleaning-target-surface detector detects the surface type be cleaned at a detection position ahead of the element for which the controlled variable is to be adjusted, and the robot controller adjusts the controlled variable when the element for which the controlled variable is to be changed reaches the detection position.

First claim

1 : An autonomous electrical cleaning apparatus comprising:
a cleaner body that can move autonomously on a surface to be cleaned and provides with a suction port on a bottom face; an electric blower that generates suction vacuum pressure on the suction port; a rotating brush disposed at the suction port; a rotating-brush driver that drives the rotating brush; a driving wheel that movably supports the cleaner body; a wheel driver that drives the driving wheel; a cleaning-target-surface detector configured to detect a type of the surface to be cleaned; and a controller configured to adjust a controlled variable of at least one of strength of suction vacuum pressure acting on the suction port, a rotation speed of the rotating brush, a rotation direction of the rotating brush, and a rotation speed of the driving wheel based on the type of the surface to be cleaned detected with the cleaning-target-surface detector, wherein the cleaning-target-surface detector is configured to detect the type of the surface to be cleaned at a detection position ahead of an apparatus-component to be adjusted in the controlled variable among the suction port, the rotating brush, and the driving wheel, and wherein the controller is configured to adjust the controlled variable of the apparatus-component when the apparatus-component moves by a distance between the apparatus-component and the detection position of the cleaning-target-surface detector after the type of the surface to be cleaned is changed.

2 : The autonomous electrical cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the cleaning-target-surface detector is configured to detect the type of the surface to be cleaned from an area ahead of the cleaner body.

3 : The autonomous electrical cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the cleaning-target-surface detector is configured to detect the type of the surface to be cleaned from an area directly below the cleaning body.

4 : The autonomous electrical cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the cleaning-target-surface detector includes an image sensor configured to generate an image of the detection position.

5 : The autonomous electrical cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the cleaning-target-surface detector includes an infrared sensor configured to detect infrared rays from the detection position.

6 : The autonomous electrical cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is configured to adjust the controlled variable of a rotation speed of the electric blower, when a type of a current surface to be cleaned that the suction port faces is different from a type of a next surface to be cleaned to be detected with the cleaning-target-surface detector and the apparatus-component moves by a distance from the detection position of the cleaning-target-surface detector.

7 : The autonomous electrical cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is configured to adjust the controlled variable of at least one of a rotation speed and a rotation direction of the rotating-brush driver, when a type of a current surface to be cleaned that the rotating brush contacts is different from a type of a next surface to be cleaned to be detected with the cleaning-target-surface detector and the apparatus-component moves by a distance from the detection position of the cleaning-target-surface detector.

8 : The autonomous electrical cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is configured to adjust the controlled variable of a rotation speed of the wheel driver, when a type of a current surface to be cleaned that the driving wheel contacts is different from a type of a next surface to be cleaned to be detected with the cleaning-target-surface detector and the apparatus-component moves by a distance from the detection position of the cleaning-target-surface detector.

9 : The autonomous electrical cleaning apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the controller is configured to adjust the controlled variable of a rotation speed of the electric blower, when a next surface to be cleaned to be detected with the cleaning-target-surface detector is rougher in terms of surface unevenness than a current surface to be cleaned that the suction port faces and the apparatus-component moves by a distance from the detection position of the cleaning-target-surface detector.

10 : The autonomous electrical cleaning apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the controller is configured to decrease a rotation speed of the electric blower, when a next surface to be cleaned to be detected with the cleaning-target-surface detector is finer in terms of surface unevenness than a current surface to be cleaned that the suction port faces and the apparatus-component moves by a distance from the detection position of the cleaning-target-surface detector.

11 : The autonomous electrical cleaning apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the controller is configured to increase the rotation speed of the rotating-brush driver, when the next surface to be cleaned detected is larger in friction coefficient than the current surface to be cleaned and the apparatus-component moves the distance from the detection position of the cleaning-target-surface detector.

12 : The autonomous electrical cleaning apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the controller is configured to decrease the rotation speed of the rotating-brush driver, when the next surface to be cleaned is smaller in friction coefficient than the current surface to be cleaned and the apparatus-component moves the distance from the detection position of the cleaning-target-surface detector.

13 : The autonomous electrical cleaning apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the controller is configured to reverse the rotation direction of the rotating brush when the rotating brush reaches the next surface to be cleaned.

14 : The autonomous electrical cleaning apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the controller is configured to decrease the rotation speed of the wheel driver, when the next surface to be cleaned is larger in friction coefficient than the current surface to be cleaned and the apparatus-component moves the distance from the detection position of the cleaning-target-surface detector.

15 : The autonomous electrical cleaning apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the controller is configured to increase the rotation speed of the wheel driver, when the next surface to be cleaned is smaller in friction coefficient than the current surface to be cleaned and the apparatus-component moves the distance from the detection position of the cleaning-target-surface detector.

16 : The autonomous electrical cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising;
a pair of right and left second rotating brushes that are provided on the bottom face of the cleaner body and are disposed on respective right and left sides of the suction port; and a pair of right and left second brush drivers that drive the corresponding right and left second rotating brushes, wherein the controller is configured to vary at least one of a rotation speed of each of the second rotating brushes, a rotation direction of each of the second rotating brushes, and an elevation position of each of the second rotating brushes when the second rotating brushes reaches a next surface to be cleaned to be detected with the cleaning-target-surface detector.

Assignees

• Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corp

Inventors

• Marutani Yuuki
• Izawa Hirokazu
• Watanabe Kota

Classifications

• A47L9/2821

  Pressure, vacuum level or airflow · CPC title

• A47L9/2842

  Suction motors or blowers · CPC title

• A47L9/28 Primary

  Installation of the electric equipment, e.g. adaptation or attachment to the suction cleaner; Controlling suction cleaners by electric means · CPC title

• A47L9/2831

  Motor parameters, e.g. motor load or speed · CPC title

• A47L9/2847

  Surface treating elements · CPC title