Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

To perform control corresponding to deterioration of a secondary battery.SOLUTION: A vacuum cleaner includes a main body control section 200 and a memory section 300. The memory section 30 preserves a detection value of a deterioration state of a secondary battery detected by a SOC / SOHQ detection section 210 of the main body control section 200 and use history information of the secondary battery. The main body control section 200 includes: a deterioration suppression control section 280 for generating a deterioration formula of the second battery on the basis of the use history information of the secondary battery preserved in the memory section 300; and a deterioration determination section 240 for comparing a target value of a deterioration state of the secondary battery with the detection value of the deterioration state of the second battery so as to determine whether deterioration suppression operation is to be executed, and performing the deterioration suppression control on the basis of the deterioration formula of the second battery when executing the deterioration suppression operation. The deterioration suppression control section 280 compares a calculation value of the deterioration state of the secondary battery with the detection value so as to detect that the secondary battery has exchanged into another secondary battery, and corrects the deterioration formula of the secondary battery when the battery is exchanged into another secondary battery.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner equipped with a secondary battery. [Background technology]

[0002] As an example of a device equipped with a secondary battery, there are techniques described in Patent Documents 1 and 2. Since a secondary battery deteriorates with repeated charging cycles, appropriate control is required.

[0003] Patent Document 1 relates to a vacuum cleaner equipped with a secondary battery. In Patent Document 1, the vacuum cleaner is provided with a secondary battery unit that is removable from the vacuum cleaner. The secondary battery unit includes a secondary battery, a charging unit, a temperature detection unit, a charging current control unit, and a deterioration detection unit. The deterioration detection unit detects the degree of deterioration of the secondary battery. The charging current control unit changes the magnitude of the charging current based on the degree of deterioration detected by the deterioration detection unit in addition to the temperature of the secondary battery.

[0004] Patent Document 2 relates to secondary batteries used in vehicles such as railways and automobiles, solar power generation, wind power generation, etc. In Patent Document 2, the deterioration rate of the secondary battery is calculated, and if the current deterioration rate is higher than the past deterioration rate by a certain value or more, the charging and discharging conditions of the secondary battery are restricted. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-44950 [Patent Document 2] JP 2013-65481 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In a vacuum cleaner equipped with a secondary battery, multiple secondary battery packs are stored, and if the charge capacity of a secondary battery decreases during cleaning, the secondary battery pack is replaced with another secondary battery pack to continue cleaning. The degree of deterioration of secondary battery packs varies depending on the usage state, charging state, and the time of starting use.

[0007] The technology described in Patent Document 1 had a problem that when a secondary battery pack in use was replaced with another secondary battery pack with a different degree of deterioration during cleaning, discharge control according to the degree of deterioration of the replaced secondary battery pack could not be performed. Also, the technology described in Patent Document 2 did not take into consideration the fact that a secondary battery is replaced and used.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and provide a vacuum cleaner that is capable of performing control according to the degree of deterioration of a replaced secondary battery pack, even if the secondary battery pack is replaced during cleaning. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an electric vacuum cleaner comprising a vacuum cleaner main body having an electric blower and a main body control unit, a secondary battery pack having a secondary battery detachably connected to the vacuum cleaner main body and supplying power to the electric blower, and a memory unit for storing information about the secondary battery, the main body control unit comprising a deterioration state detection unit which detects a deterioration state of the secondary battery based on the voltage, current and surface temperature of the secondary battery, an operation information collection and analysis unit which collects the detection values ​​detected by the deterioration state detection unit and usage history information of the secondary battery and stores them in the memory unit, and The system comprises a degradation suppression control unit that creates a degradation equation for the secondary battery, and a degradation determination unit that compares a target value for the degradation state of the secondary battery stored in the memory unit with the detection value detected by the degradation state detection unit to determine whether or not to perform degradation suppression operation, and when performing degradation suppression operation, executes degradation suppression control based on the degradation equation for the secondary battery created by the degradation suppression control unit, wherein the degradation suppression control unit compares the calculated degradation state of the secondary battery with the detected degradation state of the secondary battery to detect that the secondary battery has been replaced with another secondary battery, and corrects the degradation equation for the secondary battery when it is replaced with the other secondary battery. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, even if the secondary battery pack is replaced during cleaning, control can be performed according to the degree of deterioration of the replaced secondary battery pack. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a vacuum cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is stored in a charging stand. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a vacuum cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow III in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a vacuum cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5]1 is a top view of an example of an operation unit 121 provided in a vacuum cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a control block diagram of a vacuum cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing the process of a degradation determination unit 240 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart of deterioration suppression control using a deterioration equation according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of degradation suppression control according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 13 is a flowchart showing a method for correcting the deterioration equation. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing a method for correcting the deterioration equation for secondary battery 1 and creating the deterioration equation for secondary battery 2. [Figure 12] 2 is an example of a display unit of a vacuum cleaner. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In principle, the same elements are given the same reference numerals in all drawings. Furthermore, explanations of parts having the same functions will be omitted. Note that the configurations described below are merely examples, and it is not intended that the embodiment of the present invention is limited to the specific embodiments described below.

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a vacuum cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is stored in a charging base. In Fig. 1(a), the vacuum cleaner 100 is stored in a stick state in the charging base.

[0014] The vacuum cleaner 100 can be changed to various states of use such as a handheld state and a stick state for cleaning. The charging stand 70a in which the vacuum cleaner 100 is stored stores the vacuum cleaner 100 in a stick state, and is configured with a base member 71, three stand members 72, and a holder member 73. The holder member 73 is adapted to receive an output plug of an AC adapter for charging the secondary battery pack 3 attached to the vacuum cleaner 100, and when the vacuum cleaner 100 is set on the charging stand 70a, the output plug is connected to the input jack of the vacuum cleaner 100, enabling charging.

[0015] The base member 71 has a mounting surface 71a and an extending portion 71b. The mounting surface 71a is a generally rectangular plate-shaped portion. The extending portion 71b is a generally truncated cone-shaped portion. The extending portion 71b is provided so as to be generally perpendicular to the mounting surface 71a. The central axis of the extending portion 71b is provided so as to be located approximately in the center of the mounting surface 71a in the left-right direction and approximately 3 / 4 of the way in the front-rear direction.

[0016] In FIG. 1(b), the vacuum cleaner 100 is stored in the charging stand in a handheld state. The charging stand 70b in this state stores the vacuum cleaner 100 in a handheld state, and is configured with one stand member 72, a base member 71, and a holder member 73, omitting two stand members 72, unlike the charging stand 70a. The user can also omit three stand members 72 for compact storage, or omit one stand member to adjust the height for easy removal. The pillar of the charging stand, which is made up of the stand member 72 and the holder member 73, is formed on the axis of the dust case 2, so that the vacuum cleaner 100 can be placed on the charging stand and stably held when charging.

[0017] Fig. 2 is an exploded view of a vacuum cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 2, the vacuum cleaner 100 includes a vacuum cleaner body 1, a dust case 2 (dust collecting device), a secondary battery pack 3 (power storage device), and an airtight member 90.

[0018] The vacuum cleaner body 1 is configured to include a main body section 10, a motor case section 11, and a handle section 12.

[0019] The main body 10 is formed with a connection port 10a (suction port) to which an extension tube 150 (see FIG. 1) or a standard suction port 160 (see FIG. 1) is connected. This connection port 10a is molded from the same resin as the main body 10, motor case 11, handle 12, etc. The connection port 10a has a substantially circular opening and is formed facing forward. In addition, the connection port 10a is designed to allow attachments such as a gap suction port 110, an extension tube 150, or a standard suction port 160 to be connected as accessories.

[0020] The main body 10 has a dust case 2 removably attached thereto, and is provided with an introduction pipe 14 (see FIG. 3) for feeding dust-containing air sucked in from the connection port 10a into the dust case 2.

[0021] An electric blower (not shown) and a main body circuit board (not shown) are housed in the motor case 11. A circular suction port 11a is formed on the front surface of the motor case 11, through which clean air is sucked in after dust is collected in the dust case 2. In addition, a main body terminal section 17 is provided on the front surface of the motor case 11 below the suction port 11a, which is connected to the charging stands 70a and 70b.

[0022] The handle portion 12 is provided on the rear side of the main body portion 10 and is formed in a generally arc shape. By forming the handle portion 12 in a generally arc shape, the user can grip the handle portion 12 in a position that is easy to use according to the usage situation.

[0023] The handle portion 12 is provided with a locking member 13 for locking the secondary battery pack 3. The locking member 13 is button-shaped and supported so as to be swingable. The handle portion 12 is provided with an operating section 121 on its upper surface (FIG. 5).

[0024] Furthermore, a release button 18 is provided at the upper front end of the handle portion 12, which is operated when removing an accessory such as an extension tube 150 (see FIG. 1). By pressing the release button 18, the lock between the main body portion 10 and the accessory is released, allowing the accessory to be removed from the main body portion 10.

[0025] An airtightness member 90 is attached to the front end of the main body 10. The airtightness member 90 has a substantially circular cylinder 91. The cylinder 91 has a brush part 90s with soft bristles planted in a bundle at the tip side. The brush part 90s is planted at multiple locations with spaces between them, and is made of an elastically deformable (flexibly deformable) material such as polyamide resin. By attaching such an airtightness member 90 to the connection port 10a of the vacuum cleaner main body 1, it is possible to sweep up dirt from the surface to be cleaned, and by pressing the tip of the airtightness member 90 against the floor surface, it is possible to improve the suction force. In addition, by forming the connection part 91b from a hard material, the airtightness member 90 can be stably attached to the main body 10 without falling off.

[0026] In this embodiment, the brush part 90s is formed of a brush such as polyamide bristles, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the tip side may be formed in a ring shape with soft resin. That is, the cylindrical body 91 is formed by integrally molding two different members, the elastic part 91a and the connecting part 91b. The elastic part 91a is made of an elastically deformable (flexibly deformable) material such as an elastomer. In this way, the entire brush part 90s of the airtight member 90 can be brought into close contact with the floor surface, and the suction force can be improved compared to when the brush part 90s is not in close contact with the floor surface.

[0027] The cylindrical body 91 may be substantially entirely made of the same material as the connecting portion 91b, and may be provided with a ring of electrostatically planted short bristles at the tip of the cylindrical body 91. Even with such electrostatically planted bristles, it is possible to bring the tip of the airtight member 90 into close contact with the floor surface, as with elastomer, and the suction force can be improved.

[0028] A horizontally elongated fitting groove 10b is formed on the upper side surface of the connection port 10a of the main body 10. A protrusion (not shown) that fits into and is locked in the fitting groove 10b is formed on the base end of the connection portion 91b.

[0029] Furthermore, a light emitting element 10c (see FIG. 2) is provided above the connection port 10a of the main body 10. The light emitting element 10c is configured to emit light forward, that is, toward the surface to be cleaned (such as a floor surface).

[0030] When the airtightness maintaining member 90 is attached to the vacuum cleaner body 1, the light-emitting element 10c is located above the airtightness maintaining member 90. In other words, the outer diameter of the airtightness maintaining member 90 is set so that the light-emitting element 10c is located outside the airtightness maintaining member 90.

[0031] The secondary battery pack 3 supplies power to an electric blower (not shown) and includes secondary batteries such as lithium ion, nickel hydride, etc. The secondary battery pack 3 has a substantially cylindrical case 3a made of synthetic resin, and can be attached to and detached from the main body 10 by sliding the case 3a in the forward and backward directions.

[0032] A terminal portion 3b connected to the main body portion 10 is provided on the upper surface of the case 3a. A slide groove 3c slidably supported by the main body portion 10 is formed on the upper surface of the case 3a in front of the terminal portion 3b. Slide rails 3d, 3d slidably supported by the main body portion 10 are formed protruding laterally to the left and right on the upper surface of the case 3a behind the terminal portion 3b.

[0033] Furthermore, an introduction hole 3e is formed on one side (left side) in the left-right direction (width direction) on the front surface of the case 3a, through which cooling air is introduced to cool the secondary battery pack 3. This introduction hole 3e is formed long and narrow in the vertical direction.

[0034] Furthermore, on the front surface of the case 3a, on the other (right) side in the left-right direction (width direction), an exhaust hole 3f is formed for discharging air after cooling the secondary battery pack 3. This exhaust hole 3f is formed to have a shape symmetrical to the aforementioned introduction hole 3e.

[0035] Further, a lock recess 3g into which a lock member 13 fits and which is locked to the main body 10 is formed on the rear surface of the case 3a.

[0036] 3 is a view in the direction of the arrow III in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the dust case 2 is of a cyclone type, and has a function of separating the air containing dust sucked from the inlet pipe 14 into dust and air, and collecting the dust. The dust case 2 is disposed in front of the motor case 11 with the axial direction in the front-rear direction, and has a substantially cylindrical storage section 2a. The storage section 2a has a storage section opening on the front side. The upper surface (side surface) of the dust case 2 is formed with a substantially rectangular inlet 2b (see FIG. 2) connected to the inlet pipe 14. The dust-containing air that flows into the inlet 2b becomes a swirling flow, and centrifugal force acts on the dust, separating the dust and air in the dust case 2, and the air from which the dust has been separated is discharged from the rear (back) of the dust case 2.

[0037] In addition, a lid 2c that opens and closes when disposing of dust accumulated in the dust case 2 is supported rotatably with respect to the storage section 2a via a hinge section 2d on the front surface of the dust case 2, and the opening of the storage section is blocked by closing the lid 2c. In addition, a lid lock mechanism 2e for unlocking the lid 2c is provided on the top of the lid 2c.

[0038] An exhaust port 16 is provided at the bottom of the motor case 11. Although not shown, the exhaust port 16 has a plurality of slits 16a along the front-rear direction, and the plurality of slits 16a are formed in a line in the up-down direction. The exhaust port 16 is provided on both the left and right sides. A cover member 16b is provided to cover either the left or right side of the exhaust port 16. The dust case 2, the motor, and the secondary battery pack 3 are arranged on a straight line in the longitudinal direction of the vacuum cleaner body or on the same axis, and the cover member 16b slides around the axis of the motor case 11 or the dust case 2 as a rotation center, and can selectively open either the left or right exhaust port 16. The outer shell surface of the cover member 16b is formed to be substantially the same surface as the motor case 11.

[0039] FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of a vacuum cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, the dust case 2 is attached to the lower part of the main body 10 and in front of the motor case 11 of the vacuum cleaner 100. In this case, when the dust case 2 is attached to the vacuum cleaner main body 1, the lid lock mechanism 2e is located on the vacuum cleaner main body 1 side. This is because, if the lid lock mechanism 2e is provided on the opposite side (outside), there is a risk that the lid lock mechanism 2e will be released during cleaning, but by positioning the lid lock mechanism 2e on the vacuum cleaner main body 1 side, it is possible to prevent malfunction. For example, when cleaning under a sofa or a bed in the stick state, the vacuum cleaner main body 1 may be brought close to the horizontal position relative to the floor surface. At this time, if the lid lock mechanism 2e is provided on the front side, there is a possibility that the lid lock mechanism 2e will come into contact with the floor surface and be released. The positions of the lid lock mechanism 2e and the hinge part 2d are not limited to this, and they may be provided on the left and right sides of the vacuum cleaner main body 1.

[0040] In addition, a maintenance brush 2s (see Figs. 2 and 3) is detachably provided in the dust case 2. This maintenance brush 2s is disposed in a position that is difficult to see from the outside when the dust case 2 is attached to the vacuum cleaner body 1. Therefore, it is difficult to come off during operation, and there is no need to store the maintenance brush 2s in a place separate from the vacuum cleaner 100.

[0041] FIG. 5 is an example of a top view of the operation unit 121 provided in the vacuum cleaner 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] The operation unit 121 has buttons 124, 125 for changing the operation mode by controlling the rotation speed of the electric blower housed in the motor case unit 11 (Fig. 2) to vary the suction force through the standard suction port 160 (Fig. 1). Button 124 drives the electric blower by switching the suction force to suit the user's preference. Button 124a switches the suction force from "standard" to "strong" to "standard" each time it is pressed. "Strong" is a mode with stronger suction force than "standard". Button 125 drives the electric blower by automatically switching the suction force to suit the type of floor surface.

[0043] When both the electric blower housed in the motor case portion 11 (FIG. 2) and the rotating brush housed in the standard suction port 160 are stopped, pressing the buttons 124 and 125 drives the motor to provide the corresponding suction force.

[0044] Operation unit 121 includes a battery display unit 122 that notifies by blinking when the remaining battery power of secondary battery pack 3 (FIG. 2) is low, and a clogging display unit 123 that notifies by blinking when a filter (not shown) housed in dust case 2 is clogged upon detection of a decrease in suction power. Operation unit 121 further includes a button 126 that stops the operation of vacuum cleaner 100 by stopping the driving of both the motor housed in motor case unit 11 (FIG. 2) and the rotating brush.

[0045] The vacuum cleaner 100 of this embodiment is equipped with a secondary battery pack 3. When the remaining battery power of the secondary battery pack 3 becomes low during cleaning, the secondary battery pack 3 may be replaced with another secondary battery pack to continue cleaning. Since the degree of deterioration of the secondary battery pack 3 varies depending on the usage state, charging state, and the time of start of use, it is preferable to perform charge / discharge control according to the secondary battery pack 3 attached to the vacuum cleaner 100 at the time of cleaning. The configuration for achieving this will be described below.

[0046] FIG. 6 is a control block diagram of the main body control unit 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] The main body control unit 200 is connected to a host control unit 400 that controls the electric blower and the like.

[0048] The main body control unit 200 includes a SOC / SOHQ detection unit 210 (charging rate / deterioration state detection unit) that detects the charging rate SOC (States Of Charge) and the deterioration state SOH (States Of Health) of the secondary battery based on the voltage V, current I, and surface temperature T of the secondary battery, and information on the number of charge / discharge cycles of the secondary battery calculated based on the detection values ​​(charging rate SOC, deterioration state SOH) detected by the SOC / SOHQ detection unit 210, the voltage V, current I, and surface temperature T of the secondary battery, and information on the usage history of the secondary battery (discharge current I of the secondary battery for each charge / discharge cycle dis , charging current I cha , upper voltage V max , battery surface temperature T S The system further includes an operation information collection and analysis unit 220 that collects information on the charge rate and deterioration state of the secondary battery (charging rate and deterioration state detection unit) and stores the collected information in the memory unit 300. The operation information collection and analysis unit 220 collects information required for predicting deterioration of the secondary battery and information required for deterioration suppression control operation. In this embodiment, the SOC / SOHQ detection unit 210 (charging rate and deterioration state detection unit) is mainly used as the deterioration state detection unit.

[0049] Generally, the state of health SOH of a battery includes a capacity maintenance rate SOHQ and a resistance increase rate SOHR. In this embodiment, the capacity maintenance rate SOHQ is used as the state of health SOH, but the resistance increase rate SOHR may be used. Any method may be used to detect the state of charge SOC and the capacity maintenance rate SOHQ, but the Kalman filter method is preferred from the viewpoint of low calculation load and high accuracy in detecting these values.

[0050] The main body control unit 200 also has a time / storage temperature management unit 230 that acquires the shipping time (day) of the secondary battery detected by the real time clock 500 and the storage temperature T (°C) detected by the thermometer 600 and stores them in the memory unit 300.

[0051] Furthermore, the main body control unit 200 stores the shipping time (day) of the secondary battery, the temperature T (°C) of the secondary battery, the detected value of the charging rate SOC / capacity maintenance rate SOHQ, the number of charge / discharge cycles, and the usage condition history (the discharge current I dis , charging current I cha , upper voltage V max , battery surface temperature T S The system is equipped with a degradation suppression control unit 280 that creates a degradation equation for the secondary battery in use based on the secondary battery usage trend information of the user, the daily charge / discharge amount of the secondary battery, target degradation curve data for the secondary battery, and degradation equation information for the secondary battery.

[0052] Furthermore, the main body control unit 200 stores the detected value of the charging rate SOC of the secondary battery, the target value of the capacity maintenance rate SOHQ of the secondary battery based on the target deterioration curve, the detected value of the capacity maintenance rate SOHQ of the secondary battery, the number of charge / discharge cycles of the secondary battery, and the history of the usage conditions of the secondary battery (the discharge current I of the secondary battery for each charge / discharge cycle, dis , charging current I cha , upper voltage V max , battery surface temperature T S The degradation determination unit 240 determines the degradation state of the secondary battery based on the temperature (° C.) and executes degradation suppression control based on a degradation equation for the secondary battery created by a degradation suppression control unit 280.

[0053] The memory unit 300 stores the above-mentioned secondary battery shipping time (day), the secondary battery warming temperature T (°C), the detected value of the charge rate SOC / capacity maintenance rate SOHQ, the number of charge / discharge cycles, and the usage condition history (the discharge current I dis , charging current I cha , upper voltage V max , battery surface temperature T S °C), information on the user's tendency to use the secondary battery, the amount of charge and discharge of the secondary battery in one day, target deterioration curve data for the secondary battery, a parameter table, and deterioration equation information. In addition to the base deterioration equation information, the memory unit 300 also stores newly created deterioration equation information for other secondary batteries.

[0054] The data relating to the target deterioration curve stored in the memory unit 300 is, for example, the value of the capacity maintenance rate SOHQ versus the number of charge / discharge cycles. The target of the target deterioration curve data is a value that can be set arbitrarily in advance by a user or manufacturer and stored in the memory unit 100. The deterioration suppression control unit 280 compares the detected value of the capacity maintenance rate SOHQ with the value of the target deterioration curve to provide a guideline for selecting whether or not to perform suppression operation when charging / discharging the device.

[0055] Next, the process of the deterioration determining unit 240 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the process of the deterioration determining unit 240 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] The deterioration determination section 240 of the main body control section 200 determines whether or not the charge / discharge cycle of the secondary battery has passed a predetermined number of cycles (step S701).

[0057] When the secondary battery has gone through a predetermined number of charge / discharge cycles, the deterioration determination section 240 of the main body control section 200 extracts the detected value of the capacity maintenance rate SOHQ from the memory section 300 (step S702).

[0058] Furthermore, the deterioration determination section 240 of the main body control section 200 extracts the target value of the target deterioration curve of the capacity maintenance rate SOHQ from the memory section 300 (step S703).

[0059] Deterioration determination section 240 of main body control section 200 compares the detected value of capacity maintenance rate SOHQ with the target value of the target deterioration curve (step S704), and if the detected value of capacity maintenance rate SOHQ is equal to or greater than the target value of the target deterioration curve (YES in step S704), continues normal operation of vacuum cleaner 100 (step S705). This corresponds to condition A for continuing operation without deterioration suppression control in Fig. 6. After continuing normal operation, the process ends.

[0060] If the detected value of the capacity maintenance rate SOHQ is less than the target value of the target deterioration curve (NO in step S704), the deterioration determination unit 240 of the main body control unit 200 determines that deterioration prevention control operation is necessary, and prompts the user whether or not to operate the vacuum cleaner 100 in deterioration prevention control operation (step S706). To prompt the user whether or not to operate the vacuum cleaner 100 in deterioration prevention control operation, for example, the battery display unit 122 of the operation unit 121 is used. For the display, the battery display unit 122 is made to flash at a faster interval than when the remaining battery power is low.

[0061] Step S706 is a step for selecting the desired deterioration suppression control. Some users desire a longer battery life and desire deterioration suppression operation, while other users do not care much about the battery life and place importance on performance, overwork the device, and are okay with frequent battery replacement. Therefore, by providing step S706, it is possible to obtain an effect of increasing user satisfaction. In addition, in step S706, an operating state is selected from buttons 124 and 125 of the operation unit 121 shown in FIG. 5, for example, in response to the user's request. As an example, pressing button 125 results in deterioration suppression operation, and pressing button 124 results in normal operation.

[0062] If the user desires operation under deterioration suppression control (YES in step S706), the deterioration determination unit 240 of the main body control unit 200 executes deterioration suppression control operation based on information from the deterioration suppression control unit 280 (step S707). This corresponds to condition B for executing deterioration suppression control operation in Fig. 6. After the deterioration suppression control operation is executed, the process ends.

[0063] If the user does not wish to operate under degradation prevention control (NO in step S706), the degradation determination section 240 of the main body control section 200 continues normal operation (step S808). This corresponds to condition C in FIG. 6 for continuing operation without degradation prevention control. Furthermore, the degradation determination section 240 of the main body control section 200 displays an alert on the battery display section 122 of the operation section 121 to the effect that the secondary battery will deteriorate early (step S809). To display the alert, a display section may be provided on the vacuum cleaner main body 1 of the vacuum cleaner 100.

[0064] Step S708 is a step when deterioration suppression control operation is not desired in step S806. Since deterioration suppression control operation is not performed in step S808 and there is a possibility that the battery may deteriorate early, step S809 may be provided to display an early deterioration alert. Displaying the alert has the effect of enabling the user to predict early battery replacement and to prepare a replacement battery in advance. When displaying the alert, the battery display unit 122 is made to flash at a faster interval than when the battery level is low. Then, after continuing normal operation, the process ends.

[0065] As described above, in this embodiment, the presence or absence of degradation suppression control operation is performed by comparing the detected value of the capacity maintenance rate SOHQ with the target value of the target degradation curve, thereby reducing the frequency of application of the degradation formula, which imposes a high calculation load. By applying an algorithm for making such a judgment, it is possible to apply the system to devices such as home appliances that require a reduction in the calculation load.

[0066] In this embodiment, in the case of condition B, deterioration suppression control is executed using a deterioration equation. Various deterioration equations have been devised, and any equation can be used as long as the prediction accuracy is guaranteed, but in this embodiment, the following equation is used. The capacity maintenance rate SOHQ is expressed as in equation (1).

[0067] Capacity maintenance rate SOHQ(%)=100-ΔQ(%)···(1) ΔQ is the capacity loss %, and ΔQ is expressed by equation (2).

[0068] ΔQ=f(a: upper limit voltage, b: charging current, c: discharging current, d: storage temperature)...(2) In (2), the deterioration factors are discharge current, charge current, upper limit voltage, and temperature, but the same can be applied to other deterioration factors.

[0069] An example of the degradation formula is shown below.

[0070] ΔQ=100- ast×day - acyc×day ···(3) (day: number of days, ast: storage deterioration coefficient, acyc: cycle deterioration coefficient) Additionally, ast and acyc are expressed by equations consisting of constants and degradation factors which are variables.

[0071] Moreover, the equation when storage deterioration is excluded from cycle deterioration can be expressed as equation (4).

[0072] ΔQ = 100 - acyc × day (4) It is also possible to convert the number of days into the number of cycles.

[0073] Next, the deterioration suppression control process will be described with reference to FIG. 8 and FIG.

[0074] Fig. 8 is a flowchart of degradation suppression control using the degradation equation according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 9 is a conceptual diagram of degradation suppression control according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0075] FIG. 9 illustrates a specific method of the flowchart in FIG. 8 in the past, present, and future. Note that FIG. 9 illustrates an example in which the horizontal axis is the number of cycles, and the actual number of cycles is, for example, 1st cycle in the past, 10th cycle currently, and 20th cycle in the future. In addition, when deterioration is expected not only during cycles but also during storage, the contribution of storage deterioration can also be added to the deterioration formula. Note that the number of cycles and the number of days can be calculated based on the time required for the cycle and converted into the number of days. The target deterioration curve shown by the dashed line in FIG. 9 indicates the target value of the capacity maintenance rate SOHQ at the number of cycles on the horizontal axis. In FIG. 9, the detected value of the capacity maintenance rate SOHQ at the 10th cycle is significantly below the target value. Therefore, deterioration suppression control is executed to limit the deterioration factors (upper limit voltage, charging current, discharging current, temperature) of the secondary battery so that the detected value of the capacity maintenance rate SOHQ at the 20th cycle in the future approaches the target value.

[0076] In FIG. 8, the deterioration determining section 240 of the main body control section 200 acquires the operating information from the memory section 300 (step S801).

[0077] The deterioration suppression control unit 280 of the main body control unit 200 calculates the capacity maintenance rate SOHQ from the past to the present using the deterioration equation (step S802). Step S802 corresponds to the process of calculating using the deterioration factors stored in the memory unit 300 from the past to the present in FIG.

[0078] The deterioration determination unit 240 of the main body control unit 200 compares the detected value of the capacity maintenance rate SOHQ with the past to present capacity maintenance rate SOHQ calculated by the deterioration suppression control unit 280, and sets a target value of the capacity maintenance rate SOHQ that will be the next target (step S803). If there is no difference between the detected value of the capacity maintenance rate SOHQ and the calculated capacity maintenance rate SOHQ as a result of comparing the two, there is no need to leave it as it is, but if there is a difference, the future target deterioration curve value in FIG. 9 is corrected.

[0079] Next, the deterioration determination section 240 of the main body control section 200 selects deterioration suppression factor candidates from the operation information (step S804). The factor to be suppressed is not limited to one, and may be multiple.

[0080] Next, the deterioration determination section 240 of the main body control section 200 uses the deterioration equation and the selected deterioration suppression factor as a parameter to calculate a value that results in a target deterioration curve in a predetermined cycle (step S805).

[0081] Next, the deterioration determination section 240 of the main body control section 200 determines whether or not the detected value of the capacity maintenance rate SOHQ has reached the target value of the target deterioration curve (step S806).

[0082] If the detected value of the capacity maintenance rate SOHQ has reached the target value of the target deterioration curve (YES in step S806), the deterioration determination unit 240 of the main body control unit 200 starts the suppression control operation of the vacuum cleaner 100 with the suppressed parameters (step S807). After that, the deterioration determination unit 240 of the main body control unit 200 ends the process.

[0083] If the detected value of the capacity maintenance rate SOHQ has not reached the target value of the target deterioration curve (NO in step S806), the deterioration determination unit 240 of the main body control unit 200 returns to step S804, raises the limiting priority in the parameter table by one, and performs calculations again in step S805 to check whether the target has been reached.

[0084] Now, a vacuum cleaner equipped with a secondary battery may have a plurality of secondary battery packs 3, and if the charge capacity of a secondary battery decreases during cleaning, the secondary battery pack 3 may be replaced with another secondary battery pack 3 to continue cleaning. The degree of deterioration of the secondary battery pack 3 varies depending on the usage state, charging state, start time of use, etc. When the secondary battery pack 3 in use is replaced with another secondary battery pack 3 with a different degree of deterioration during cleaning, discharge control according to the deterioration degree of the replaced other secondary battery pack 3 cannot be performed. In this embodiment, discharge control according to the deterioration degree of the secondary battery pack 3 is controlled based on a deterioration formula. When the secondary battery pack 3 in use is replaced with another secondary battery pack 3 with a different degree of deterioration, it is desirable to correct the deterioration formula.

[0085] In this embodiment, information on the base deterioration formula is stored in memory unit 300 in Fig. 6, and the calculation of the deterioration formula is executed by deterioration suppression control unit 280. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when correcting the deterioration formula, the base deterioration formula is corrected by deterioration suppression control unit 280 using information on the base deterioration formula and cleaning history information accumulated in memory unit 300, and a deterioration formula for the replaced secondary battery (new secondary battery) is created. Furthermore, information on the corrected deterioration formula for the replaced secondary battery (new secondary battery) is stored in memory unit 300.

[0086] A method for correcting the base deterioration formula will be explained below. In the base deterioration formula, the secondary battery in use is represented as secondary battery 1, and the replaced secondary battery (other secondary battery) is represented as secondary battery 2.

[0087] 10 is a flowchart showing a method for correcting the deterioration equation. The deterioration suppression control unit 280 of the main body control unit 200 calculates the capacity maintenance rate SOHQ from the past to the present using the deterioration equation. The deterioration determination unit 240 also executes deterioration suppression control (step S1001). This step S1001 corresponds to the process shown in the flowchart of FIG.

[0088] When the user replaces secondary battery 1 with secondary battery 2, the degradation suppression control unit 280 checks whether there is a predetermined difference between the calculated capacity maintenance rate SOHQ and the detected capacity maintenance rate SOHQ, or whether there is a difference between the capacity maintenance rate SOHQ stored in the memory unit and the calculated capacity maintenance rate SOHQ, and detects that secondary battery 1 has been replaced with secondary battery 2 based on the difference between the two (step S1002).

[0089] Normally, when secondary battery 1 is not replaced with secondary battery 2, the calculated capacity maintenance rate SOHQ and the detected capacity maintenance rate SOHQ are similar, but when secondary battery 1 is replaced with secondary battery 2, a difference occurs between the two because the calculated capacity maintenance rate SOHQ is calculated using the deterioration formula for secondary battery 1 and the detected capacity maintenance rate SOHQ is the value for secondary battery 2. Therefore, by detecting that this difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the deterioration suppression control unit 280 determines that secondary battery 1 has been replaced with secondary battery 2 and recognizes that a deterioration formula for secondary battery 2 needs to be created.

[0090] With regard to the predetermined difference, even when the secondary battery 1 is used, an error may occur between the detected capacity maintenance rate SOHQ and the capacity maintenance rate SOHQ calculated by the degradation formula 1. Therefore, in this embodiment, the predetermined difference can be set arbitrarily in consideration of this error. An absolute value may be used as the predetermined difference.

[0091] Next, the deterioration suppression control unit 280 corrects the deterioration equation for secondary battery 1 to create a deterioration equation for secondary battery 2. When correcting the deterioration equation, the deterioration suppression control unit 280 corrects the deterioration equation for secondary battery 1 and creates a deterioration equation for secondary battery 2 using the daily charge / discharge amounts of secondary batteries 1 and 2, which are history information stored in the memory unit 300, and the usage history of secondary battery 2.

[0092] FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing a method for correcting the deterioration equation for secondary battery 1 and creating the deterioration equation for secondary battery 2.

[0093] The above-mentioned formula (4) is used as the deterioration formula of the secondary battery 1. The deterioration formula of the secondary battery 1 is corrected in two stages: correction 1 and correction 2.

[0094] First, the SOC / SOHQ detection unit 210 of the main body control unit 200 detects the charge / discharge amount (assumed to be β) of the secondary battery 2 in one day, and stores it in the memory unit 300 of the vacuum cleaner via the operation information collection / analysis unit 220 .

[0095] Furthermore, the degradation suppression control unit 280 calculates the ratio (β / α) of the daily charge / discharge amount (α) of secondary battery 1 to the daily charge / discharge amount (β) of secondary battery 2, and corrects equation (4) using this as a correction coefficient to obtain equation (5). This equation (5) is set as the corrected degradation equation 1.

[0096] ΔQ=100-(β / α)× acyc×day ···(5) Next, the deterioration suppression control unit 280 applies the usage history information of the secondary battery 2 stored in the memory unit 300 (the discharge current I dis , charging current I cha , upper voltage V max , battery surface temperature T S °C) to calculate the capacity retention rate SOHQ. Also, the calculated capacity retention rate SOHQ is compared with the detected capacity retention rate SOHQ, and if there is a difference between the capacity retention rate SOHQ, a correction coefficient γ is calculated so that the error between the correction 1 deterioration formula and the detected capacity retention rate SOHQ is minimized.

[0097] The corrected second deterioration equation obtained by correcting the corrected first deterioration equation is expressed by equation (6). The corrected second deterioration equation becomes the new deterioration equation for the secondary battery 2, and the deterioration determination unit 240 performs deterioration suppression control using the corrected second deterioration equation.

[0098] ΔQ=100-γ×(β / α)× acyc×day ···(6) In addition, the correction of the deterioration formula 1 requires the use history information of the secondary battery 2. While the history information of the secondary battery 2 is being acquired, the deterioration suppression operation cannot be executed by the deterioration determination unit 240, which may cause the user to feel uncomfortable. Therefore, it is preferable to notify the user as shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 12 is an example of a display unit of an electric vacuum cleaner. In FIG. 12, the display unit displays "deterioration suppression control selected" when the deterioration suppression control is selected, and displays "use history information being stored" when the secondary battery is replaced from the secondary battery 1 to the secondary battery 2 and the use history information of the secondary battery 2 is acquired and stored in the memory unit 300. By notifying the user in this manner, the sense of discomfort can be reduced.

[0099] Furthermore, in this embodiment, deterioration formula 1 of secondary battery 1 is corrected to create deterioration formula 2 of secondary battery 2. For the correction, a correction coefficient is calculated based on usage history information of secondary battery 2, and deterioration formula 1 is corrected; however, if correction coefficients are calculated from a plurality of pieces of usage history information, averaged, and the averaged correction coefficient is used, the accuracy of deterioration formula 2 is improved. Therefore, the accuracy of the deterioration formula to be corrected can be improved by collecting and correcting usage history information for each unit cycle, for example, every 100 cycles, calculating a correction coefficient for the unit cycle, and averaging the correction coefficients for all unit cycles.

[0100] Furthermore, it is also possible to collect usage history information via a network, process it in a data center to calculate a correction coefficient, and receive the information on the correction coefficient in the main body control unit and use it as a deterioration formula for the secondary battery 2. One specific example of a network is the Internet.

[0101] As described above, according to this embodiment, even when secondary battery 1 is replaced with secondary battery 2, the deterioration equation for secondary battery 1 is corrected to create the deterioration equation for secondary battery 2, making it possible to perform control according to the replaced secondary battery 2.

[0102] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications are included. For example, the above-mentioned embodiment has been described in detail to easily explain the present invention, and is not necessarily limited to those including all of the configurations described. Also, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Also, it is possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of each embodiment with another configuration. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] 1...vacuum cleaner body, 2...dust case, 2a...storage section, 2b...inlet, 2c...lid, 2d...hinge section, 2e...lid lock mechanism, 2s...care brush, 3...secondary battery pack, 3a...case, 3b...terminal section, 3c...slide groove, 3d...slide rail, 3e...inlet hole, 3f...exhaust hole, 3g...lock recess, 5...information terminal device, 10...main body section, 10a...connection port, 10b...fitting groove, 10c...light-emitting element, 11...motor case section, 11a...suction port, 12...handle section, 13...lock member, 14...inlet tube, 16...exhaust port, 16a...slit, 16b...cover member, 17...main body terminal section, 18...release button, 70a...charging stand, 70b...charging stand, 71...base member, 71a... placement surface, 71b... extension portion, 72... stand member, 73... holder member, 90... airtight member, 90s... brush portion, 91... cylinder, 91a... elastic portion, 91b... connection portion, 100... vacuum cleaner, 110... gap suction nozzle, 121... operation portion, 122... battery display portion, 123... clogging display portion, 124... button, 124a... button, 125... button, 126... button, 150... extension tube, 160... standard suction nozzle, 200... main body control portion, 210... SOC / SOHQ detection portion, 220... operation information collection and analysis portion, 230... time and storage temperature management portion, 240... deterioration determination portion, 280... deterioration suppression control portion, 300... memory portion, 400... upper control portion, 500... real time clock, 600... thermometer

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising: a vacuum cleaner main body having an electric blower and a main body control unit; a secondary battery pack having a secondary battery detachably connected to the vacuum cleaner main body and supplying power to the electric blower; and a memory unit for storing information about the secondary battery, The main body control unit includes: a deterioration state detection unit that detects a deterioration state of the secondary battery based on a voltage, a current, and a surface temperature of the secondary battery; an operating information collection and analysis unit that collects the detected values ​​by the deterioration state detection unit and usage history information of the secondary battery and stores them in the memory unit; a degradation suppression control unit that creates a degradation formula for the secondary battery based on usage history information of the secondary battery stored in the memory unit; a degradation determination unit that compares a target value of the degradation state of the secondary battery stored in the memory unit with a detection value detected by the degradation state detection unit to determine whether or not to perform degradation suppression operation, and when performing degradation suppression operation, executes degradation suppression control based on a degradation equation for the secondary battery created by the degradation suppression control unit, the deterioration suppression control unit detects that the secondary battery has been replaced with another secondary battery by comparing the calculated deterioration state of the secondary battery with the detected deterioration state of the secondary battery, and corrects the deterioration formula of the secondary battery when the secondary battery is replaced with the other secondary battery.

2. 2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the deterioration state of the secondary battery is a capacity maintenance rate of the secondary battery.

3. 3. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, the deterioration suppression control unit detects that the secondary battery has been replaced with another secondary battery when it detects that the difference between the calculated capacity maintenance rate of the secondary battery and the detected capacity maintenance rate of the secondary battery is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

4. 4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 3, the deterioration suppression control unit calculates a ratio of a daily charge / discharge amount of the secondary battery to a daily charge / discharge amount of the other secondary battery, and corrects a deterioration formula for the secondary battery.

5. In claim 4, The deterioration suppression control unit further corrects the correction result of the deterioration equation of the secondary battery based on specification history information of the other secondary battery, thereby obtaining a deterioration equation for the other secondary battery.

6. 3. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, 2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the usage history information of the secondary battery and the usage history information of the other secondary battery include a discharge current, a charge current, an upper limit voltage, and a battery surface temperature.

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