Self-propelling cleaner

• US 20050183229A1
• Filed: 01/25/2005
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd. (Funai Electric Holdings Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd. (Funai Electric Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: Uehigashi, Naoya
• Application Number:
  US11/042,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20050183229A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/319
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/06 Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/19 Means for monitoring filtering operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• 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: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2889 Safety or protection devices or systems, e.g. for prevention of motor over-heating or for protection of the user

Abstract

A side wall 51 provided with a coupling hole 50 coupled to the dust transporting pipe 6 of a dust chamber 5 is configured in a sloped shape so as to have a predetermined angle θ with respect to the bottom surface of the dust chamber. A photo detector 14 having a light receiving surface along the surface 51 is disposed near the coupling hole 50 of the side wall 51. A photo diode 15 for irradiating light toward the photo detector 14 is disposed on the upper surface of the dust chamber 5. When dust is filled within the dust chamber 5, since dust is accumulated on the photo detector 14, the photo detector 14 does not outputs a light detection signal.

Claims

1. A self-propelling cleaner comprising:

a main body;

a cleaning unit that accommodates dust taken from a cleaning nozzle through a dust transporting pipe within a dust chamber;

a propelling unit that propels and turnarounds the main body;

a propelling control unit that controls the propelling unit to move the main body within a predetermined region; and

a dust amount detection unit that detects an amount of dust accommodated within the dust chamber, the dust amount detection unit including a light detector that detects light introduced within the dust chamber to detect the amount of dust,

wherein one side wall of the dust chamber having a coupling hole coupled to the dust transporting pipe is formed in a sloped shape,

wherein the light detector is disposed at a position near the coupling hole of the side wall,

wherein a plurality of the light detector are disposed at different positions in a vertical direction of the side wall,

wherein the propelling control unit controls the propelling unit to perform a propelling and circling movement different from a movement at a normal cleaning operation when the dust amount detection unit detects that dust is filled within the dust chamber.

2. A self-propelling cleaner comprising:

a main body;

a cleaning unit that accommodates dust taken from a cleaning nozzle through a dust transporting pipe within a dust chamber;

a propelling unit that propels and turnarounds the main body;

a propelling control unit that controls the propelling unit to move the main body within a predetermined region; and

a dust amount detection unit that detects an amount of dust accommodated within the dust chamber, the dust amount detection unit including a light detector that detects light introduced within the dust chamber to detect the amount of dust,

wherein one side wall of the dust chamber having a coupling hole coupled to the dust transporting pipe is formed in a sloped shape, and

wherein the light detector is disposed at a position near the coupling hole of the side wall.

3. The self-propelling cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the dust amount detection unit includes a light emitting unit that emits light within the dust chamber towards the light detector.

4. The self-propelling cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the dust amount detection unit includes an external-light introducing window that is provided at the main body and introduces light into the dust chamber towards the light detector.

5. The self-propelling cleaner according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of the light detector are disposed at different positions in a vertical direction of the side wall.

6. The self-propelling cleaner according to claim 2, wherein another side wall of the dust chamber opposing to the one side wall having the coupling hole is formed in a sloped shape, and

wherein the dust amount detection unit is provided at both of the one side wall and the another side wall.

7. The self-propelling cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the propelling control unit controls the propelling unit to perform a propelling and circling movement different from a movement at a normal cleaning operation when the dust amount detection unit detects that dust is filled within the dust chamber.