Autonomous traveling body

• US 10,201,261 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2015
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corporation (Midea Group Co., Ltd)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corporation (Midea Group Co., Ltd)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Masatoshi, Morishita, Atsushi, Ichikawa, Hiromitsu, Murata, Hiromitsu, Machida, Yukio
• Primary Examiner(s): REDDING, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US15/304,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20170181591A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 15319
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/00 Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0472 Discs
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0488 Combinations or arrangements of several tools, e.g. edge cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/28 Installation of the electric equipment, e.g. adaptation or attachment to the suction cleaner; Controlling suction cleaners by electric means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2836 characterised by the parts which are controlled
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2852 Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0085 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0003 Home robots, i.e. small robots for domestic use
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0015 Flexure members, i.e. parts of manipulators having a narrowed section allowing articulation by flexion
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0027 Means for extending the operation range
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1666 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1676 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/02 Control of position or course in two dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0227 using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2201/0215 Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner includes link mechanisms that connect a bumper to be movable in a relatively horizontal direction with respect to a case main body. A coil spring energizes the bumper in a direction separated from the case main body. Obstacle sensors are arranged at positions facing the bumper in the case main body, and detect an obstacle by detecting movement of the bumper, due to contact with the obstacle, in at least one of a direction opposite to an energizing direction of the coil spring and a direction crossing such a direction. A controller controls the drive of a driving wheel based on detection of the obstacle by the obstacle sensor to allow the main body case to travel autonomously. The vacuum cleaner can detect an obstacle brought into contact with the bumper in a wide range with a simple configuration.

Claims

1. An autonomous traveling body, comprising:

a main body case that includes a main body part and a bumper arranged at an outer edge of the main body part;

a driving wheel that enables the main body case to travel;

a link mechanism that connects the bumper to be movable in a relatively horizontal direction with respect to the main body part;

a bumper energizing body that energizes the bumper in a direction separated from the main body part;

a pair of obstacle detectors that is arranged at positions facing the bumper in the main body part respectively and that detects an obstacle by detecting movement of the bumper, due to contact with the obstacle, in at least one of a direction opposite to an energizing direction of the bumper energizing body and a direction crossing the direction; and

a controller that controls drive of the driving wheel based on detection of the obstacle by the obstacle detectors to allow the main body case to travel autonomously,

wherein the bumper energizing body energizes the bumper in a direction opposite to a moving direction of the bumper in case the bumper moves in a direction other than the direction opposite the energizing direction of the bumper energizing body.

2. The autonomous traveling body according to claim 1, wherein each obstacle detector can detect the obstacle by converting movement of the bumper into rotation.

3. The autonomous traveling body according to claim 2, wherein each obstacle detector includes:

a contact that is provided in the main body part so as to be rotatable, that is energized in a direction rotating toward the bumper, and that rotates against energization by being pressed by the bumper due to movement of the bumper relative to the main body part, and

a non-contact type sensor that detects contact of the bumper with the obstacle by detecting a rotation of the contact.

4. The autonomous traveling body according to claim 3, wherein

the contact includes an action surface that is provided along a tangent direction of rotation, and

the bumper includes, at a position facing the main body part, a pressing part that presses the action surface by movement relative to the main body part.

5. The autonomous traveling body according to claim 4, wherein

each obstacle detector is arranged on opposite sides to each other relative to a center line along a front-rear direction of the main body case,

the action surface of each contact is positioned on an opposite side relative to a side of the center line, and

an end part of each contact near the side of the center line can rotate along the front-rear direction.

6. The autonomous traveling body according to claim 1, wherein the pair of obstacle detectors can detect a direction of the obstacle based on a presence or absence of detection by each of the obstacle detectors and detection timing.

7. The autonomous traveling body according to claim 1, wherein the link mechanism is pivotally supported to be rotatable to the bumper and to the main body part respectively in both sides sandwiching the bumper energizing body and includes a pair of connectors connecting the bumper and the main body part.

8. The autonomous traveling body according to claim 1, comprising an energizing body that energizes the bumper in a direction opposite to the moving direction of the bumper arranged in both sides sandwiching the bumper energizing body and the link mechanism.