Self-running cleaning apparatus and self-running cleaning method

• US 20030102014A1
• Filed: 12/05/2002
• Published: 06/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amenity-Technos Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Amenity-Technos Company Limited
• Inventors: Yoshino, Junji
• Granted Patent: US 7,047,595 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/21
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/28 Suction cleaners with handles and nozzles fixed on the casings, e.g. wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle A47L5/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/1654 Self-propelled cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0227 using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area

Abstract

This invention provides a self-running cleaning apparatus and self-cleaning method that is capable of efficiently moving over the entire bottom surface of a pool and cleaning the entire bottom surface of the pool in a short period of time. A movement-control unit 50 operates a right motor 51, left motor 53 and displacement motor 55 based on a movement-operation program that is stored in the operation memory 57, and moves the self-running cleaning apparatus according to information received from distance sensors 16 to 21 that are located on the front, right side and left side. The operation memory 57 stores the wall-movement operation, detour-movement operation, 90-degree right turn operation, 180-degree right turn operation, 180-degree left turn operation and position-detection operation as the movement-operation program.

Claims

1. A self-running cleaning apparatus that moves over and cleans an area enclosed by wall surfaces and comprising:

a side-distance-detection means of detecting the distance from the sides of said self-running cleaning apparatus to said wall surfaces; and

a wall-movement-control means that moves said self-running cleaning apparatus along the wall surface while maintaining the side distance detected by said side-distance-detection means.

2. The self-running cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a front-distance-detection means of detecting the distance from the front of said self-running cleaning apparatus to said wall surface in the front; and

a 90-degree-turn-control means of turning the direction of movement of said self-running cleaning apparatus 90 degrees when said front-distance-detection means detects that the distance is a first pre-determined front distance.

3. The self-running cleaning apparatus of claim 2 wherein after said 90-degree-turn-control means turns said self-running cleaning apparatus 90 degrees, said wall-movement-control means moves said self-running cleaning apparatus along the wall surface while maintaining the same side distance that was maintained when moving along the wall surface before the 90-degree turn.

4. The self-running cleaning apparatus of claim 2 or claim 3 further comprising a 180-degree-turn-control means of turning the direction of movement of said self-running cleaning apparatus 180 degrees when said wall-movement-control means moves said self-running cleaning apparatus along the wall surface and said front-distance-detection means detects that the distance to the wall surface in the front is a second pre-determined front distance.

5. The self-running cleaning apparatus of claim 4 wherein after said 180-degree-turn-control means turns said self-running cleaning apparatus 180 degrees, said wall-movement-control means moves said self-cleaning apparatus along the wall surface while maintaining a different side distance than the side distance that was maintained when moving along the wall surface before the 180-degree turn.

6. The self-running cleaning apparatus of any of the claims 1 to 5 further comprising:

an obstacle-detection means of detecting obstacles in the front of said self-running cleaning apparatus; and

a detour-control means of moving along a pre-determined detour route when said obstacle-detection means detects an obstacle.

7. A self-running cleaning method of moving a self-running cleaning apparatus over a cleaning area enclosed by walls and cleaning said cleaning area and whereby said self-running cleaning apparatus detects the side distances from the sides to said wall surfaces, and cleans moving along the wall surface while keeping said detected side distance constant.

8. The self-running cleaning method of claim 7 whereby said self-running apparatus detects the distance from the front to said wall surface in the front, and turns the direction of movement 90 degrees when it detects while moving along the wall surface that the distance from the front to said wall surface in the front is a first pre-determined front distance.

9. The self-running cleaning method of claim 8 whereby after said self-running cleaning apparatus turns 90 degrees, it moves along the wall surface while maintaining the same side distance that was maintained when moving along the wall surface before the 90-degree turn.

10. The self-running cleaning method of either claim 8 or claim 9 whereby said self-running cleaning apparatus turns the direction of movement 180 degrees when it detects that the distance from the front to said wall surface in the front is a second pre-determined front distance.

11. The self-running cleaning method of claim 10 whereby after said self-running cleaning apparatus turns 180 degrees, it moves along the wall surface while maintaining a side distance that is different than the side distance that was maintained while moving along the wall surface before the 180-degree turn.

12. The self-running cleaning method of any of the claims 7 to 11 whereby said self-running cleaning apparatus detects obstacles in the front by an obstacle-detection arm, and moves along a pre-determined detour route when it detects an obstacle.

13. A self-running cleaning apparatus that cleans while moving along a wall surface and comprising:

wheels for moving;

a suction inlet that has a straight front side and where at least the free end is located further toward said wall side than said wheels;

a suction-inlet-installation means of installing said suction inlet such that it can rotate; and

a tension means of applying tension to the rotation of said suction inlet such that the front side of said suction inlet is parallel with the axis of said wheels when no external force is applied.

14. The self-running cleaning apparatus of claim 13 where, when no external force is applied, said suction inlet is positioned at the very front.

15. The self-running cleaning apparatus of claim 13 or claim 14 further comprising:

a rotation-control means of rotating the direction of movement of said self-running cleaning apparatus 90 degrees when the distance from the front to said wall surface in the front becomes a specified pre-determined distance; and

wherein

said suction inlet is pressed and rotated by said wall surface in the front during the turning operation by said rotation-control means.

16. The self-running cleaning apparatus of any of the claims 13 to 15 wherein when the shortest distance between the center of rotation during the turning operation by said rotation-control means and said wall surface is taken to be R, the range of rotation of said suction inlet can be located within an arc having radius R around whose center the free end of said suction inlet rotates.

17. The self-running cleaning apparatus of any of the claims 13 to 16 wherein a rotatable guide roller is attached to the free end of said suction inlet.

18. The self-running cleaning apparatus of any of the claims 13 to 17 wherein said suction inlet comprises a suspended rotating shaft, and said suction-inlet-installation means comprises a bearing that supports said rotating shaft from the outside such that it can rotate, and wherein suction is performed through said rotating shaft.

19. A self-running cleaning apparatus comprising:

wheels for moving;

a suction inlet that has a straight front side and where at least the free end is located further toward said wall side than said wheels;

a suction-inlet-installation means of installing said suction inlet such that it can rotate; and

a tension means of applying tension to the rotation of said suction inlet such that the front side of said suction inlet is parallel with the axis of said wheels when no external force is applied.

20. The self-running cleaning apparatus of claim 19 where, when no external force is applied, said suction inlet is positioned at the very front.

21. The self-running cleaning apparatus of claim 19 or claim 20 further comprising:

a rotation-control means of rotating the direction of movement of said self-running cleaning apparatus 90 degrees when the distance from the front to said wall surface in the front becomes a specified pre-determined distance; and

wherein

said suction inlet is pressed and rotated by said wall surface in the front during the turning operation by said rotation-control means.

22. The self-running cleaning apparatus of any of the claims 19 to 21 wherein when the shortest distance between the center of rotation during the turning operation by said rotation-control means and said wall surface is taken to be R, the range of rotation of said suction inlet can be located within an arc having radius R around whose center the free end of said suction inlet rotates.

23. The self-running cleaning apparatus of any of the claims 19 to 22 wherein a rotatable guide roller is attached to the free end of said suction inlet.

24. The self-running cleaning apparatus of any of the claims 19 to 23 wherein said suction inlet comprises a suspended rotating shaft, and said suction-inlet-installation means comprises a bearing that supports said rotating shaft from the outside such that it can rotate, and wherein suction is performed through said rotating shaft.