Self-propelled cleaner and suspension mechanism

• US 20060005344A1
• Filed: 07/08/2005
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Uehigashi, Naoya
• Application Number:
  US11/177,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20060005344A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/319
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles

Abstract

A suspension mechanism includes: a drive unit that includes the drive wheel, a drive source for rotating the drive wheel, and a transmission mechanism that transmits a driving force of the drive source to the drive wheel, being integrally provided with each other; a supporting member that supports the drive unit and is fixedly mounted on the cleaner main body; a biasing member that biases the drive unit towards a traveling surface of the self-propelled cleaner; a first and a second linking members that connects the drive unit to the supporting member at two different points, respectively.

Claims

1. A self-propelled cleaner that performs cleaning by traveling autonomously, the self-propelled cleaner comprising:

a cleaner main body;

a drive unit that includes a drive wheel, a drive source for rotating the drive wheel, and a transmission mechanism that transmits a driving force of the drive source to the drive wheel, being integrally provided with each other;

a supporting member that supports the drive unit and is fixedly mounted on the cleaner main body;

a biasing member that biases the drive unit towards a traveling surface of the self-propelled cleaner;

a first and a second linking members that connects the drive unit to the supporting member at two different points, respectively,

wherein the drive unit includes;

a unit-side primary connecting portion to which the first linking member is connected, the unit-side primary connecting portion being provided at a position coaxial with a rotational shaft of the drive wheel; and

a unit-side secondary connecting portion to which the second linking member is connected, the unit-side secondary connecting portion being provided at a position upward of the unit-side primary connecting portion, and at a position that is substantially superposed on the unit-side primary connecting portion in substantially a normal direction relative to the traveling surface,

wherein the supporting member includes;

a supporting member-side primary connecting portion to which the first linking member is connected; and

a supporting member-side secondary connecting portion to which the second linking member is connected, the supporting member-side secondary connecting portion being provided at a position upward of the supporting member-side primary connecting portion and at a position that is substantially superposed on the supporting member-side primary connecting portion in substantially a normal direction relative to the traveling surface,

wherein the supporting member is provided at a position that is displaced in an advancing direction of the self-propelled cleaner with respect to a rotational shaft of the drive wheel, and

wherein the biasing member is provided on the supporting member and biases the drive unit via at least either one of the first linking member and the second linking member.

2. A suspension mechanism of a drive wheel to be mounted on a cleaner main body of a self-propelled cleaner that performs cleaning by traveling autonomously, the suspension mechanism comprising:

a drive unit that includes the drive wheel, a drive source for rotating the drive wheel, and a transmission mechanism that transmits a driving force of the drive source to the drive wheel, being integrally provided with each other;

a supporting member that supports the drive unit and is fixedly mounted on the cleaner main body;

a biasing member that biases the drive unit towards a traveling surface of the self-propelled cleaner;

a first and a second linking members that connects the drive unit to the supporting member at two different points, respectively.

3. The suspension mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the drive unit includes:

a unit-side primary connecting portion to which the first linking member is connected, the unit-side primary connecting portion being provided at a position coaxial with a rotational shaft of the drive wheel; and

a unit-side secondary connecting portion to which the second linking member is connected, the unit-side secondary connecting portion being provided at a position upward of the unit-side primary connecting portion, and at a position that is substantially superposed on the unit-side primary connecting portion in substantially a normal direction relative to the traveling surface.

4. The suspension mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the supporting member includes:

a supporting member-side primary connecting portion to which the first linking member is connected; and

a supporting member-side secondary connecting portion to which the second linking member is connected, the supporting member-side secondary connecting portion being provided at a position upward of the supporting member-side primary connecting portion and at a position that is substantially superposed on the supporting member-side primary connecting portion in substantially a normal direction relative to the traveling surface.

5. The suspension mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the supporting member is provided at a position that is displaced in an advancing direction of the self-propelled cleaner with respect to a rotational shaft of the drive wheel.

6. The suspension mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the biasing member is provided on the supporting member and biases the drive unit via at least either one of the first linking member and the second linking member.