VACUUM CLEANER

• US 20170273531A1
• Filed: 08/17/2015
• Published: 09/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2014
• 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: WATANABE, Koichi, TOMIYAMA, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 10,398,273 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/022 Recharging of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/22 with rotary fans
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0411 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls
• 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 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• 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 9/2873 Docking units or charging stations for autonomous or robotic vacuum cleaners A47L2201/02
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2884 Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner capable of more efficiently cleaning narrow spots while effectively avoiding an object. An object sensor provided in a main casing detects the presence or absence of an object within a specified distance in a plurality of directions on a forward side of the main casing. A control unit controls operation of driving wheels, based on detection of an object by the object sensor to thereby make the main casing autonomously travel. When an object is detected by the object sensor, the control unit controls the operation of the driving wheels, so that the main casing is swung to an angle corresponding to a direction of the detected object to thereby make a side portion of the main casing face the object.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a main casing;

a driving wheel for enabling the main casing to travel on a cleaning-object surface;

a cleaning unit for cleaning the cleaning-object surface;

an object sensor provided in the main casing and serving for detecting presence or absence of an object within a specified distance in a plurality of directions on a forward side of the main casing; and

a control unit for controlling operation of the driving wheels based on detection of an object by the object sensor to thereby make the main casing autonomously travel, wherein

when an object is detected by the object sensor, the control unit controls the operation of the driving wheels so that the main casing is swung to an angle corresponding to a direction of the detected object to thereby make a side portion of the main casing face the object.

2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein

the object sensor detects presence or absence of an object within a specified distance of an angular range in the plurality of directions on the forward side of the main casing, and

when an object is detected by the object sensor, the control unit controls the operation of the driving wheels so that the main casing is swung to an angle set in correspondence to an angular range of a direction of the detected object to thereby make a side portion of the main casing face the object.

3. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein

the object sensor is a contact sensor for detecting an object by contact with the object, and

when an object is detected by the object sensor, the control unit controls the operation of the driving wheels so that the main casing is once retreated so as to make the object sensor separated from the object and thereafter the main casing is swung to an angle corresponding to a direction of the detected object to thereby make a side portion of the main casing face the object.

4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising

a detection sensor provided in the main casing and serving for detecting presence or absence of an object within a specified distance forward of a side portion of the main casing, wherein

when an object is detected by the object sensor, the control unit controls the operation of the driving wheels so that the main casing is swung to an angle corresponding to a direction of the detected object to thereby make a side portion of the main casing face the object, in which state, when no object is detected by the detection sensor, the control unit controls the operation of the driving wheels so that the main casing is traveled straight to a specified distance and thereafter swingingly traveled toward the object detected by the object sensor.

5. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising

a detection sensor provided in the main casing and serving for detecting an object within a specified distance forward of a side portion of the main casing, wherein

when an object is detected by the object sensor, the control unit controls the operation of the driving wheels so that the main casing is swung to an angle corresponding to a direction of the detected object to thereby make a side portion of the main casing face the object, in which state, when an object is detected by the detection sensor, the control unit controls the operation of the driving wheels so that the main casing is traveled straight along the object.

6. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit has a first traveling mode in which the control unit controls the operation of the driving wheels so that the main casing is traveled straight and moreover, when an object is detected by the object sensor, a side portion of the main casing faces the object, and a second traveling mode in which the control unit controls the operation of the driving wheels so that the main casing travels in a curved shape along the object detected by the object sensor, and wherein when detection of an object by the object sensor within a specified time has occurred consecutively for a specified number of times or more in the first traveling mode, the mode is switched over to the second traveling mode.

7. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 6, wherein

the control unit, when having decided that the main casing has swung to a specified angle or more in the second traveling mode, controls the operation of the driving wheels so that the main casing is swung in a reverse direction and thereafter traveled straight.

8. A travel control method for a vacuum cleaner for autonomously traveling a main casing of the vacuum cleaner based on detection of the presence or absence of an object within a specified distance in a plurality of directions on a forward side of the main casing by an object sensor, the method comprising:

when an object is detected within a specified distance in the plurality of directions on the forward side of the main casing, the main casing is swung to an angle corresponding to a direction of the detected object to thereby make a side portion of the main casing face the object.