Self-moving cleaner

• US 6,901,624 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2002
• Issued: 06/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Mori, Hiroshi, Haji, Masayo, Kato, Kiminori, Nakayama, Atsushi, Ohara, Naoyuki, Yasuno, Miki, Kayama, Hiroyuki, Odachi, Toru, Oshima, Yasuo, Yabuuchi, Hidetaka, Fukushima, Masaichi, Imai, Hidetoshi, Matsuyo, Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Till, Terrence R.
• Application Number:
  US10/160,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20020189045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 153/19, 153/39, 700/245
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00

Abstract

A self-moving cleaner has a main body and comprises an intake opening for suctioning dust, an electric blower for generating airflow to suction dust, a dust receiver for collecting the dust suctioned by the electric blower, rollers driven by drive motors, a power source for supplying electric power to the electric blower and the drive motors, and sensors for optically detecting a distance to an obstacle. An enclosure surrounds the main body, the electric blower, the dust receiver, the power source, and the sensors, wherein the enclosure is transparent or semi-transparent, and the sensors transmit and receive light through the enclosure.

Claims

1. A self-moving cleaner comprising:

a main body;

an intake opening for suctioning therethrough dust collected on a surface to be cleaned;

an electric blower for generating airflow to suction the dust;

a dust receiver for collecting the dust suctioned through said intake opening;

a drive motor;

a roller to be driven by said drive motor;

a power source for supplying electric power to said electric blower and said drive motor;

a sensor for optically detecting a distance to an obstacle; and

an enclosure containing therein said electric blower, said dust receiver, said power source, and said sensor,

wherein said enclosure is entirely transparent or entirely semi-transparent such that said sensor can transmit and receive light through said enclosure.

2. The self-moving cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising:

an indicator for displaying at least one of

(i) a state of detection of said sensor, and

(ii) an operating condition of at least one of said electric blower and said drive motor.

3. The self-moving cleaner according to claim 2, wherein

said indicator comprises a first indicator for displaying the state of detection of said sensors, and a second indicator for displaying the operating condition of said at least one of said electric blower and said drive motor.

4. The self-moving cleaner according to claim 1, wherein

said sensor is mounted to a corner of said main body as viewed from above said main body.

5. The self-moving cleaner according to claim 1, wherein said sensor is mounted to a forward section of said main body.

6. The self-moving cleaner according to claim 5, further comprising:

a direction sensor for detecting a moving direction of said main body;

another plurality of sensors mounted to a side of said main body for optically detecting a distance to an obstacle; and

a travel control device for controlling said roller according to an output of said direction sensor, said sensor mounted to the forward section of said main body, and said another plurality of sensors mounted to the side of said main body, such that

(i) said main body turns and travels alongside a wall a room when said sensor mounted to the forward section of said main body detects the wall,

(ii) designated as a reference direction is a direction of movement of said main body at a time when outputs of said another plurality of sensors mounted to the side of said main body are generally in agreement, and set as a reference for output of said direction sensor is the direction of movement of said main body, and

(iii) determined is that said main body has completed a full round alongside walls of the room, when said main body has traveled for a predetermined time after said direction sensor has detected the moving direction of said main body as being the reference direction.

7. The self-moving cleaner according to claim 6, wherein said travel control device is for controlling said roller such that

(iv) said main body travels in a predetermined direction in the room according to an output of said direction sensor after determination that said main body has completed a full round along the walls of the room,

(v) said main body turns and travels in a second direction when said sensor mounted to the forward section of said main body detects an obstacle, and

(vi) said main body again turns when said sensor mounted to the forward section of said main body detects another obstacle, and then travels back and forth in said predetermined direction and said second direction.

8. The self-moving cleaner according to claim 6, wherein said travel control device is for controlling said roller such that

(iv) said main body travels in a predetermined direction in the room according to an output of said direction sensor,

(v) said main body turns and travels in a second direction when said sensor mounted to the forward section of said main body detects an obstacle,

(vi) said main body again turns when said sensor mounted to the forward section of said main body detects a wall, and then travels back and forth in said predetermined direction and said second direction,

(vii) upon completion of (iv)-(vi), said main body travels again alongside the walls of the room, and

(viii) said main body moves toward an inner area of the room, and supply of electric power to said drive motor is terminated after determination that said main body has completed a full round along the walls of the room.

9. A self-moving cleaner comprising:

a main body;

a moving device for moving said main body;

a direction sensor for detecting a moving direction of said main body;

distance sensors disposed at a forward section and a side of said main body for measuring a distance to an obstacle around said main body;

a battery defining a power source;

a travel control device for controlling said moving device according to an output of said direction sensor and any of said distance sensors such that

(i) said main body turns and travels alongside a wall of a room when any of said distance sensors disposed at the forward section of said main body detects the wall,

(ii) designated as a reference direction is a direction of movement of said main body at a time when outputs of said distance sensors disposed at the side of said main body are generally in agreement, and set as a reference for output of said direction sensor is the direction of movement of said main body, and

(iii) determined is that said main body has completed a full round alongside walls of the room, when said main body has traveled for a predetermined time after said direction sensor has detected the moving direction of said main body as being the reference direction; and

an enclosure containing therein said distance sensors, said travel control device and said battery, with said enclosure being entirely transparent or entirely semi-transparent.