Power tool and blockage monitoring method

Abstract

The invention provides a power tool and a blockage monitoring method. The power tool includes: a housing including an inlet and an air duct positioned inside the housing and communicating with the inlet; an inlet device positioned adjacent to the inlet so as to at least partially trap particulate matter in the air flow entering the air duct; the motor drives the fan so as to generate air flow which passes through the inlet device and enters the air duct; a sensor positioned within the air duct and configured to sense an air pressure; and a controller electrically connected with the sensor and configured to: record a first air pressure before the motor is started; after the motor reaches the preset working rotating speed, second air pressure is recorded; issuing a first alarm signal when the difference between the first air pressure and the second air pressure is greater than or equal to a first threshold value; wherein the first alarm signal indicates that the entrance device has reached a predetermined degree of occlusion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of power tool operation. More specifically, the present invention relates to a power tool that is designed to provide improved self-monitoring capabilities. The present invention also relates to a blockage monitoring method for the above-mentioned power tool. Background Art

[0002] Power tools are usually driven by motors, such as brushless motors. Power tools are usually used in harsh environments, and dust and debris generated during operation may enter the power tool, thereby adversely affecting the operation of the motor. In order to avoid the influence of dust and debris, the inlet device may be arranged near the air inlet. However, as the power tool is used, dust and debris may accumulate in the inlet device and eventually cause blockage, resulting in poor ventilation and heat dissipation. Summary of the invention

[0003] One object of the present application is to provide an electric tool that can provide continuous blocking monitoring capability and improve user experience. Another object of the present application is to provide a blocking monitoring method for the above-mentioned electric tool.

[0004] The purpose of this application is achieved through the following technical solutions: An electric tool, comprising: a housing including an inlet and an air duct, wherein the air duct is positioned inside the housing and communicates with the inlet; an inlet device positioned adjacent the inlet to at least partially capture particulate matter in the air flow entering the air duct; a motor that drives the fan to generate an air flow through the inlet device into the air duct; a sensor positioned within the air duct and configured to sense air pressure; and A controller is electrically connected to the sensor and is configured to: Before the motor starts, record the first air pressure; After the motor reaches a predetermined operating speed, recording the second air pressure; When the difference between the first air pressure and the second air pressure is greater than or equal to a first threshold, issuing a first alarm signal; Therein, the first alarm signal indicates that the inlet device has reached a predetermined degree of obstruction.

[0005] A method for monitoring a blockage of an electric tool comprises the following steps: Power tool starting; sensing and recording a first air pressure inside the power tool; Motor start; After the rotation speed of the motor reaches a predetermined value, sensing and recording a second air pressure inside the electric tool; and When the difference between the first air pressure and the second air pressure is greater than or equal to a first threshold, issuing a first alarm signal; Therein, the first alarm signal indicates that the inlet device has reached a predetermined degree of obstruction. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] The present application will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that these drawings are drawn only for the purpose of explaining the preferred embodiments and therefore should not be used as a limitation on the scope of the present application. In addition, unless otherwise specified, the drawings are intended only to conceptually represent the composition or structure of the described objects and may contain exaggerated displays. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0007] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the electric tool of the present application.

[0008] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of part B.

[0009] Figure 3 It is a flow chart of an embodiment of the blocking monitoring method of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0010] The preferred embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that these descriptions are only illustrative and exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present application.

[0011] First, it should be noted that the top, bottom, upward, downward, and other directional terms mentioned in this article are defined relative to the directions in the various drawings. These directions are relative concepts and will therefore vary depending on the position and state they are in. Therefore, these or other directional terms should not be understood as restrictive.

[0012] In addition, it should be pointed out that for any single technical feature described or implied in the embodiments of this document or any single technical feature shown or implied in the accompanying drawings, these technical features (or their equivalents) can be further combined to obtain other embodiments not directly mentioned in this document.

[0013] It should be noted that in different drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same or substantially the same components.

[0014] Figure 1 and Figure 2The partial structure of an embodiment of the power tool of the present application is shown. The power tool 10 may include: a housing 100, an inlet device 200, a motor 300, a sensor 400, a controller 500, etc. In one embodiment, the power tool 10 may be an angle grinder. In one embodiment, the power tool 10 may be an electric drill, a punch, or any other suitable hand-held tool.

[0015] The housing 100 may include a space located inside and have an inlet 110 and an air duct 120. It is easy to understand that the housing 100 may have an outlet not shown, and the outlet and the air duct 120 are connected to form a complete flow channel for air flow. The air duct 120 may extend inside the housing 100, and the inlet 110 may have a reduced shape or have a reduced size compared to the size of the housing 100.

[0016] The inlet device 200 can be positioned near the inlet 110. In the illustrated embodiment, the inlet device 200 can be arranged before the inlet 110. Therefore, the air flow entering the air duct 120 through the inlet 110 will first be filtered by the inlet device 200, and the dust, debris and other particulate matter in the air flow will be at least partially captured by the inlet device 200. As the power tool 10 is used, more and more particulate matter is captured in the filter 200, and the ventilation capacity of the inlet device 200 will continue to decrease. The inlet device 200 can be some type of filter, such as a detachable sponge filter. The inlet device 200 can also be some kind of filter net or filter cotton attached to the housing 100. In one embodiment, the inlet device 200 can be an air intake grille on the housing 100. The above different types of filters can also be used in combination.

[0017] In this article, the degree of blockage of the inlet device 200 will be monitored. For a brand new inlet device 200, its blockage degree can be considered to be 0%. At a blockage degree of 0%, the structure of the inlet device 200 itself will cause a certain resistance to the air flow, but this is considered to be a natural obstruction. In this case, for a specific fan speed, the air flow through the inlet device 200 can have a certain flow rate, or in other words, have a 100% capacity. For an inlet device 200 that is completely blocked (that is, the air flow cannot pass through at all), its blockage degree can be considered to be 100%, or in other words, have a 0% capacity. Such an inlet device 200 has a similar effect to a partition wall or a partition, so that the air flow cannot enter the air duct 120 at all. The blockage monitoring method of the present application focuses on the inlet device 200 that reaches a predetermined blockage degree. In the following, the predetermined blockage degree may refer to a blockage degree of 50%. In one embodiment, the predetermined degree of obstruction means that for a specific fan speed, the air flow through the inlet device 200 has a 50% flow rate compared to the inlet device 200 with a 0% degree of obstruction, where 50% means 100% capacity minus 50% degree of obstruction to obtain 50% capacity. In a similar manner, 30%, 70%, 80% and other degrees of obstruction can be defined.

[0018] The motor 300 and the fan 310 may be disposed within the air duct 120. For heat dissipation purposes, the motor 300 may be positioned upstream of the fan 310 and drive the fan 310 via the shaft 320. The shaft 320 may be further connected to a gearbox or other device not shown so that the motor 300 drives the gearbox or other device.

[0019] The sensor 400 and the controller 500 may be positioned within the air duct 120 and may be manufactured as one piece. The controller 500 may include a first side 510 and a second side 520. The first side 510 may be toward the inlet device 200, and the second side 520 may be away from the inlet device 200. The sensor 400 may be an air pressure sensor. The sensor 400 may include a sensing opening 410, and the opening direction of the sensing opening 410 may be away from the inlet device 200, or in other words, the orientation of the sensing opening 410 may be along the direction of the air flow in the air duct 120.

[0020] The controller 500 may also be electrically connected to the sensor 400. The sensor 400 may collect or sense air pressure data inside the air duct 120, and the controller 500 may collect or record the sensed data from the sensor 400. According to the blockage monitoring method described in detail below, the controller 500 may determine whether an alarm needs to be issued based on the pressure situation. In one embodiment, the controller 500 may also be electrically connected to the motor 300 and control the motor 300.

[0021] In use, after the motor 300 is started, it drives the fan 310 to rotate, and forms an air flow inside the air duct 120. Ambient air passes through the inlet device 200 under the action of the pressure difference, and then enters the air duct 120 through the inlet 110. In this process, an air flow direction as shown by arrow A1 is formed. Inside the air duct 120, the air flow can travel along substantially parallel flow paths, as shown by arrow A2. Near the motor 300, the air flow can be separated in the direction shown by arrow A3, thereby providing heat dissipation for the motor 300.

[0022] Figure 3 One embodiment of the obstruction monitoring method of the present application is shown. In one embodiment, an embodiment of the obstruction monitoring method according to the present application is executed each time the power tool 10 is turned on. In one embodiment, an embodiment of the obstruction monitoring method according to the present application is executed at least once each time the power tool 10 is turned on. In one embodiment, an embodiment of the obstruction monitoring method according to the present application is executed by the controller 500.

[0023] At step S100, the power tool 10 is started. After the power tool 10 is started, before the motor 300 is started, the sensor 400 can sense the air pressure data and record it as the first air pressure P1 (step S110). Subsequently, at step S120, the motor 300 is started and gradually accelerated until the speed of the motor 300 reaches a predetermined speed. Step S130 will determine whether the speed of the motor 300 has reached the predetermined speed. Figure 3 The letter Y in represents a judgment path of "yes", and the letter N represents a judgment path of "no". In one embodiment, the predetermined speed may be the speed of the motor 300 at the lowest gear of the power tool 10. Subsequently, at step S140, the sensor 400 may sense the air pressure data and record it as the second air pressure P2.

[0024] The controller 500 can determine the degree of obstruction of the inlet device 200 based on the difference between the first air pressure P1 and the second air pressure P2. The applicant has found that as the degree of obstruction of the inlet device increases, the difference between the first air pressure P1 and the second air pressure P2 will increase significantly. Therefore, by calculating the value of the first air pressure P1 minus the second air pressure P2, it is possible to determine the degree of obstruction of the inlet device 200. It is easy to understand that as the degree of obstruction increases, it becomes increasingly difficult to supply air through the inlet device 200, and the air drawn from the air duct 120 by the motor 300 cannot be replenished in time. Therefore, the air pressure inside the air duct 120 will further decrease.

[0025] exist Figure 3In step S150, it is determined whether the difference between the first air pressure P1 and the second air pressure P2 is less than the first threshold value T1. If the difference between the first air pressure P1 and the second air pressure P2 is less than the first threshold value T1, the process turns to step S180 to end the single operation of the monitoring method. In fact, in the above path, the air pressure drop is relatively small, and it indicates that the inlet device 200 has not accumulated blockages that require attention.

[0026] In one embodiment, when the difference between the first air pressure P1 and the second air pressure P2 is greater than or equal to the first threshold T1, the controller 500 may issue a first alarm signal. In this case, the first alarm signal may indicate that the inlet device 200 has reached a predetermined blockage level, for example, a 50% blockage level.

[0027] exist Figure 3 At step S150 in the process, if the difference between the first air pressure P1 and the second air pressure P2 is greater than or equal to the first threshold value T1, the process goes to step S160 to determine whether the difference between the first air pressure P1 and the second air pressure P2 is less than the second threshold value T2.

[0028] In one embodiment, when the difference between the first air pressure P1 and the second air pressure P2 is greater than or equal to the first threshold value T1 and less than the second threshold value T2, the controller 500 may issue a first alarm signal (step S171). When the pressure difference between the first air pressure P1 and the second air pressure P2 is greater than or equal to the second threshold value T2, the controller 500 may issue a second alarm signal (step S172). The first alarm signal may indicate that the inlet device 200 has reached a relatively low degree of blockage, for example, a blockage degree of 50%. The second alarm signal may indicate that the inlet device 200 has reached a relatively high degree of blockage, for example, a blockage degree of 80%. After step S171 or step S172 is executed, go to step S180 to end a single run of the monitoring method.

[0029] The first alarm signal and the second alarm signal are issued in one or more of the following ways: sounding through a buzzer or a speaker, lighting up one or more light-emitting diodes, lighting up an alarm icon on the human-machine interface of the power tool 10, displaying an alarm on the display screen of the power tool 10, and issuing an alarm on a handheld device (e.g., a smart phone, a tablet computer, etc.). In one embodiment, the alarm can be issued in a smart phone application that is compatible with the power tool 10. The first alarm signal and the second alarm signal can remind the user that the inlet device 200 has been blocked to a certain extent and needs to be replaced, dusted or cleaned in time. In one embodiment, the first alarm signal and the second alarm signal can have different forms of expression, such as being represented by different colors, being represented by different sounds, being represented by different text sizes, etc., so that the user can easily distinguish the first alarm signal from the second alarm signal. For example, the first alarm signal can be displayed using a yellow mark or a yellow light-emitting diode, and the second alarm signal can be displayed using a red mark or a red light-emitting diode.

[0030] The first threshold T1 and the second threshold T2 can be set according to one or more of the following parameters: the model, type and operating environment of the power tool 10, the rotation speed of the motor 300, the altitude of the power tool 10, the ambient temperature, the ambient humidity, etc. In one embodiment, the first threshold T1 and the second threshold T2 can be calibrated before leaving the factory.

[0031] The obstruction monitoring method of the present application may be run at least once after the power tool 10 is started, so as to provide the user with notification information for cleaning the inlet device 200 .

[0032] The electric tool and the blockage monitoring method of the present application have the advantages of being simple and reliable, easy to implement, and convenient to use, and can provide improved blockage monitoring capabilities. By adopting the electric tool and the blockage monitoring method of the present application, the operation convenience and user experience of the electric tool are improved.

[0033] This specification discloses the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings, and also enables those skilled in the art to implement the present application, including making and using any device or system, selecting suitable materials, and using any combined method. The scope of the present application is defined by the technical solution for protection, and includes other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. As long as such other examples include structural elements that are not different from the literal language of the technical solution for protection, or such other examples include equivalent structural elements that are not substantially different from the literal language of the technical solution for protection, such other examples should be deemed to be within the scope of protection determined by the technical solution for protection of the present application.

Claims

1. An electric tool, characterized in that: include: A housing (100) comprising an inlet (110) and an air duct (120), wherein the air duct (120) is positioned inside the housing (100) and communicates with the inlet (110); an inlet device (200) positioned near the inlet (110) to at least partially capture particulate matter in the air flow entering the air duct (120); a motor (300) driving a fan (310) to generate an air flow passing through the inlet device (200) and entering the air duct (120); a sensor (400) positioned within the air duct (120) and configured to sense air pressure; and A controller (500) is electrically connected to the sensor (400) and is configured to: Before the motor (300) is started, recording a first air pressure (P1); After the motor (300) reaches a predetermined operating speed, recording a second air pressure (P2); When the difference between the first air pressure (P1) and the second air pressure (P2) is greater than or equal to a first threshold value (T1), issuing a first alarm signal; Wherein, the first alarm signal indicates that the inlet device (200) has reached a predetermined blocking level.

2. The electric tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controller (500) is also configured to: issuing a first alarm signal when the difference between the first air pressure (P1) and the second air pressure (P2) is greater than or equal to a first threshold value (T1) and less than a second threshold value (T2); and issuing a second alarm signal when the difference between the first air pressure (P1) and the second air pressure (P2) is greater than or equal to a second threshold value (T2); The first alarm signal indicates that the inlet device (200) has reached a relatively low level of blockage, and the second alarm signal indicates that the inlet device (200) has reached a relatively high level of blockage.

3. The electric tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The motor (300) and the fan (310) are positioned within the air duct (120), and the controller (500) is positioned between the inlet device (200) and the fan (310); the controller (500) includes a first side (510) and a second side (520), the first side (510) faces the inlet device (200), and the second side (520) faces away from the inlet device (200), wherein the sensor (400) is arranged on the second side (520), and the sensor (400) includes a sensing opening (410), and the sensing opening (410) is oriented to face away from the inlet device (200).

4. The electric tool according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The first alarm signal and the second alarm signal are issued in one or more of the following ways: sound is emitted through a buzzer or a speaker, one or more light-emitting diodes are illuminated, an alarm icon on a human-machine interface of the power tool (10) is illuminated, an alarm is displayed on a display screen of the power tool (10), or an alarm is emitted on a handheld device.

5. The electric tool according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The inlet device (200) includes one or more of the following types: a filter screen, filter cotton, a detachable filter, an inlet grille or a combination thereof, and the first threshold value (T1) and the second threshold value (T2) are determined based on one or more of the following parameters: the rotation speed of the motor (300), the altitude, the ambient temperature, and the ambient humidity.

6. A method for monitoring blockage of an electric tool, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: The electric tool (10) is started; sensing and recording a first air pressure (P1) inside the electric tool (10); The motor (300) is started; After the rotation speed of the motor (300) reaches a predetermined value, sensing and recording a second air pressure (P2) inside the electric tool (10); and When the difference between the first air pressure (P1) and the second air pressure (P2) is greater than or equal to a first threshold value (T1), issuing a first alarm signal; Wherein, the first alarm signal indicates that the inlet device (200) has reached a predetermined blocking level.

7. The obstruction monitoring method according to claim 6, characterized in that: When the difference between the first air pressure (P1) and the second air pressure (P2) is greater than or equal to a first threshold value (T1) and less than a second threshold value (T2), issuing a first alarm signal; and When the pressure difference between the first air pressure (P1) and the second air pressure (P2) is greater than or equal to the second threshold value (T2), issuing a second alarm signal; The first alarm signal indicates that the inlet device (200) has reached a relatively low level of blockage, and the second alarm signal indicates that the inlet device (200) has reached a relatively high level of blockage.

8. The obstruction monitoring method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first air pressure (P1) and the second air pressure (P2) are sensed by a sensor (400) disposed in the air duct (120) of the electric tool (10), wherein the inlet device (200) is disposed in the air duct (120) and at least partially captures particles in the air flow entering the air duct (120), and the sensor (400) includes a sensing opening (410), the orientation of the sensing opening (410) is substantially the same as the flow direction of the air flow in the air duct (120), and is oriented away from the inlet device (200).

9. The obstruction monitoring method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that: The first alarm signal and the second alarm signal are issued in one or more of the following ways: sound is emitted through a buzzer or a speaker, one or more light-emitting diodes are illuminated, an alarm icon on a human-machine interface of the power tool (10) is illuminated, an alarm is displayed on a display screen of the power tool (10), or an alarm is emitted on a handheld device.

10. The obstruction monitoring method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that: The inlet device (200) includes one or more of the following types: a filter screen, filter cotton, a detachable filter, an inlet grille or a combination thereof, and the first threshold value (T1) and the second threshold value (T2) are determined based on one or more of the following parameters: the rotation speed of the motor (300), the altitude, the ambient temperature, and the ambient humidity.

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