Dust collection device

Abstract

To provide a dust collection device capable of performing dust collection control suitable for a state of a cleaner.SOLUTION: A dust collection device includes a cleaner and a dust collection station. The cleaner includes: a suction port; a first electric suction device; a first dust collection part; a dust exhaust port; a first storage part for storing a plurality of pieces of operation information of the cleaner; and a first communication part. The dust collection station includes: a collection port to be detachable from the dust exhaust port of the cleaner; a second electric suction device; a second dust collection part; a second control part for controlling the suction force of the second electric suction device and an operation duration time of the second electric suction device; and a second communication part. The first communication part transmits at least the one piece of operation information among the pieces of operation information stored in the first storage part to the second communication part. The second control part determines at least one of the suction force of the second electric suction device and the operation duration time of the second electric suction device based on at least one of the operation information received by the second communication part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The following disclosure relates to a dust collection device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, a dust collection device has been developed that includes a vacuum cleaner and a dust collection station for installing the vacuum cleaner. The dust collection station moves dust accumulated in the connected vacuum cleaner to the dust collection station, eliminating the need for the user to empty the vacuum cleaner, thereby improving user convenience.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a cleaning device in which, when the operating mode of a first electric blower in a first device (vacuum cleaner) is a mode in which the driving force of the first electric blower is relatively small, the driving force of a second electric blower in a second device (dust station) is set to be relatively small. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-166276 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As described in Patent Document 1, it has sometimes been impossible to appropriately control the driving force of the electric blower on the dust station side based solely on information about the operating mode of the vacuum cleaner immediately before it was connected to the dust station. For example, even if the operating mode of the vacuum cleaner immediately before it was connected to the dust station was a low-driving-force mode, if there was a large amount of dust accumulated on the vacuum cleaner side, reducing the driving force of the electric blower on the dust station side could prevent the dust on the vacuum cleaner side from being sufficiently moved toward the dust station.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a dust collection device that can perform dust collection control suitable for the state of the vacuum cleaner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A dust collection device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a vacuum cleaner and a dust collection station connectable to the vacuum cleaner, the vacuum cleaner having a suction port, a first electric suction machine, a first dust collection unit that stores dust sucked by the first electric suction machine, a dust discharge port for discharging the dust in the first dust collection unit, a first memory unit that stores a plurality of pieces of operation information of the vacuum cleaner, and a first communication unit, and the dust collection station has a collection port that is detachable from the dust discharge port of the vacuum cleaner, a second electric suction machine that generates suction force to suck dust from the collection port, and a dust collection station that is connected to the second electric suction machine. a second dust collecting unit that stores the dust sucked by the second electric suction machine; a second control unit that controls the suction force of the second electric suction machine and the duration of operation of the second electric suction machine; and a second communication unit that communicates with the first communication unit, wherein the first communication unit transmits at least one piece of operation information from the plurality of pieces of operation information stored in the first memory unit to the second communication unit, and the second control unit determines at least one of the suction force of the second electric suction machine and the duration of operation of the second electric suction machine based on the at least one piece of operation information received by the second communication unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The present disclosure makes it possible to provide a dust collection device that can perform dust collection control suited to the state of the vacuum cleaner. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view showing a simplified appearance of a vacuum cleaner 100 and a dust collection station 200 that constitute the dust collection device 1. FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing the external appearance and internal structure of a vacuum cleaner 100. FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a right side view showing the exterior and internal structure of the dust collection station 200. FIG. [Figure 4]1 is an example of a block diagram of a dust collection device 1 according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining error information according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining the difference between the clogging threshold rotation speed and the rotation speed of the first motor 152 in the second embodiment. [Figure 7] 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining a peak temperature in each operation mode in the third embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collecting section 130 based on the measurement value of the dust sensor 72 in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 9] 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collecting section 130 based on the number of detections by the dust counter 73 in the fifth embodiment. [Figure 10A] 13 is a first flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining a PWM ratio and an operation time of a first motor 152 in a sixth embodiment. [Figure 10B] 20 is a second flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining the PWM ratio and operation time of the first motor 152 in the sixth embodiment. [Figure 10C] 13 is a third flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining the PWM ratio and operation time of the first motor 152 in the sixth embodiment. [Figure 11] 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining error information according to the seventh embodiment. [Figure 12] 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining the difference between the clogging threshold rotation speed and the rotation speed of the first motor 152 in the seventh embodiment. [Figure 13] 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining a peak temperature in each operation mode in the seventh embodiment. [Figure 14] 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collecting section 130 based on the measurement value of the dust sensor 72 in the seventh embodiment. [Figure 15]13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collecting section 130 based on the number of detections by the dust counter 73 in the seventh embodiment. [Figure 16A] 13 is a first flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining a PWM ratio and an operation time of a first motor 152 in the seventh embodiment. [Figure 16B] 13 is a second flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining the PWM ratio and operation time of the first motor 152 in the seventh embodiment. [Figure 16C] 13 is a third flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining the PWM ratio and operation time of the first motor 152 in the seventh embodiment. [Figure 17] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for recording the activation history of the vacuum cleaner 100. [Figure 18] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a method by which the dust collection station 200 checks whether or not the vacuum cleaner 100 has an activation history. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a dust collection device according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to the contents described in the following embodiments, and appropriate design changes can be made within the scope of the configuration of the present disclosure. In the drawings, identical or equivalent elements are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. Only the main parts are shown in the drawings. The following description will focus on the main parts and parts related to the present disclosure.

[0011] In the following embodiments, the vacuum cleaner 100 will be described as an example of a so-called stick-type vacuum cleaner having a rod-like shape, but the vacuum cleaner 100 provided in the dust collection device 1 of the present disclosure is not limited to a stick-type vacuum cleaner and may be, for example, an autonomous vacuum cleaner (also called a robot vacuum cleaner).

[0012] The dust collection device 1 of the embodiment includes a vacuum cleaner 100 and a dust collection station 200 connectable to the vacuum cleaner 100. Fig. 1 is a front view showing a simplified appearance of the vacuum cleaner 100 and the dust collection station 200 that constitute the dust collection device 1. Fig. 2 is a front view showing a simplified appearance and internal structure of the vacuum cleaner 100. Fig. 3 is a right side view showing a simplified appearance and internal structure of the dust collection station 200.

[0013] First, the basic structure and operation of the vacuum cleaner 100 and the dust collection station 200 will be described below.

[0014] The vacuum cleaner 100 comprises a suction port 120 that sucks in dust (also referred to as dust) on the floor surface, a first electric suction device 150 that sucks in the dust, a first dust collection unit 130 that stores the dust sucked by the first electric suction device 150, a dust discharge port 160 for discharging the dust in the first dust collection unit 130, a first control unit 31 (see FIG. 4) that controls each member and functional unit provided in the vacuum cleaner 100, and a first communication unit 61 (see FIG. 4) that communicates information with the dust collection station 200. Preferably, the vacuum cleaner 100 further comprises a connection detection unit (also referred to as a first connection detection unit) that detects that the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected to the dust collection station 200.

[0015] The first connection detection unit may be a sensor such as a near field communication (NFC), a pressure sensor, or an optical sensor.

[0016] 1 to 3 includes a suction port body 102 provided with a suction port 120, a vacuum cleaner body 101 that is attached above the suction port body 102 and has a generally cylindrical shape that is elongated in the vertical direction, and a grip part 103 that extends above the vacuum cleaner body 101, and a first electric suction unit 150, a first dust collection part 130, and a dust discharge port 160 are provided on the vacuum cleaner body 101. The longitudinal direction of the vacuum cleaner body 101 is defined as the vertical direction. There are no particular limitations on the locations where the first control unit 31 and the first communication part 61 are disposed, but the first control unit 31 and the first communication part 61 may be provided on the vacuum cleaner body 101 or the grip part 103, for example.

[0017] The suction port body 102 has a suction port 120 on its bottom surface. Although not shown, the suction port body 102 is provided with a rotating cleaning body (e.g., a rotating brush) and a motor that drives the rotating cleaning body. The rotating cleaning body rotates when the motor rotates.

[0018] As described above, the vacuum cleaner main body 101 includes the first electric suction unit 150, the first dust collection unit 130, and the dust discharge port 160. The vacuum cleaner main body 101 also includes a battery 170 for supplying power to the first electric suction unit 150 and other components. The battery 170 is provided, for example, above the first electric suction unit 150. The first electric suction unit 150 is composed of a fan 151 and a motor 152 (also referred to as a first motor) that drives the fan 151. The first dust collection unit 130 is in communication with the suction port 120 and the dust discharge port 160. The first dust collection unit 130 may be, for example, a filter type that separates dust-containing air sucked through the suction port 120, or a cyclone type that separates dust using a cyclone flow. FIG. 2 illustrates an example in which the first dust collection unit 130 includes a filter 140. The dust discharge port 160 is provided with a cover 161 and is opened and closed by the cover 161. The grip part 103 is provided with a first operation part 104 (for example, an operation button) that is operated by the user.

[0019] The dust collection station 200 includes a station main body 201 and a base 202. The station main body 201 includes a collection port 220 that is connected to the dust discharge port 160 of the vacuum cleaner 100 when the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected to the dust collection station 200, a second electric suction device 250 that generates a suction force to suck dust in the first dust collection unit 130 via the collection port 220, a second dust collection unit 230 that stores the dust sucked by the second electric suction device 250, a second control unit 32 (see FIG. 4) that controls each member and functional unit included in the dust collection station 200, and a second communication unit 62 (see FIG. 4) that communicates information with the vacuum cleaner 100. The second electric suction device 250, the second dust collection unit 230, the second control unit 32, and the second communication unit 62 are provided within the station main body 201. Moreover, it is preferable that the dust collection station 200 further includes a connection detection unit (also referred to as a second connection detection unit) that detects that the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected to the dust collection station 200. The dust collection station 200 also includes a power cord for connecting the dust collection station 200 to a commercial power source.

[0020] The second connection detection unit may be either a contact-type connection detection unit or a non-contact-type connection detection unit. The contact-type attachment detection unit is a physical switch or the like. When the vacuum cleaner 100 is attached to the dust collection station 200, the vacuum cleaner 100 acts on an operator of the physical switch, thereby changing the state to one of an on state or an off state. When the vacuum cleaner 100 is removed from the dust collection station 200, the vacuum cleaner 100 no longer acts on the operator of the physical switch, thereby changing the state to the other of an on state or an off state. The physical switch is, for example, a momentary push button switch. When the vacuum cleaner 100 is attached to the dust collection station 200, the vacuum cleaner 100 presses the push button of the momentary push button switch, thereby changing the state to one of an on state or an off state. When the vacuum cleaner 100 is removed from the dust collection station 200, the vacuum cleaner 100 releases the push button of the momentary push button switch, thereby changing the state to the other of an on state or an off state. The non-contact type attachment detection unit is, for example, an infrared photoelectric sensor, a distance sensor, etc. The infrared photoelectric sensor detects whether or not an object is present at a predetermined position, and when an object is detected at the predetermined position, it determines that the vacuum cleaner 100 is attached to the dust collection station 200. The distance sensor detects the distance to an object near the predetermined position. When the distance sensor detects an object at the predetermined position, it determines that the vacuum cleaner 100 is attached to the dust collection station 200. The distance sensor is, for example, a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor. Other examples of the second connection detection unit include a near field communication (NFC), a pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, etc.

[0021] The recovery port 220 is provided with a lid 222 and is opened and closed by the lid 222. The recovery port 220 and the second dust collecting unit 230 are in communication with each other via a dust flow path 221. The second electric suction machine 250 is disposed, for example, below the second dust collecting unit 230. The second electric suction machine 250 is composed of a fan 251 and a motor (also referred to as a second motor) 252 that drives the fan 251. A filter 240 is disposed below the second dust collecting unit 230. In other words, the filter 240 is disposed at the communication part between the second dust collecting unit 230 and the second electric suction machine. The second control unit 32 and the second communication unit 62 are provided, for example, in the station main body 201. The lid 222 may be omitted.

[0022] When a user uses the vacuum cleaner 100, first, the user removes (also referred to as disconnecting) the vacuum cleaner 100 from the dust collection station 200. When the vacuum cleaner 100 is disconnected from the dust collection station 200, power is not supplied from the battery 170 to the first control unit 31. When the user operates the first operating unit 104 to start operating the vacuum cleaner 100, power supply from the battery 170 to the first control unit 31 begins, and the first control unit 31 starts controlling the first electric suction machine 150.

[0023] When the vacuum cleaner 100 starts operating, the first control unit 31 activates the first electric suction device 150 and rotates the rotary cleaning body. Dust-containing air sucked in through the suction port 120 passes from the suction port 120 through a suction pipe and enters the first dust collecting unit 130. If the first dust collecting unit 130 is a filter type, the dust-containing air is filtered by the filter. If the first dust collecting unit 130 is a cyclone type, the dust is separated by centrifugation due to cyclone flow (swirl flow). The dust is stored in the first dust collecting unit 130. The air from which the dust has been separated is sucked in by the first electric suction device 150 and discharged outside the vacuum cleaner 100 through the exhaust port via the exhaust path of the first electric suction device 150. When the user stops the operation of the vacuum cleaner 100, for example by operating the first operating unit 104, the first control unit 31 stops the first electric suction device 150 and the rotary cleaning body.

[0024] For example, even if a user stops operation of the vacuum cleaner 100 by, for example, pressing a stop button on the vacuum cleaner 100, the power supply from the battery 170 to the first control unit 31 is not immediately stopped. Preferably, the power supply to the first control unit 31 continues until a certain time T1 (e.g., 5 seconds) has elapsed, and the power supply is automatically stopped after the certain time T1 has elapsed. The certain time T1 is not limited to 5 seconds, but may be 1 to 2 minutes. For example, there are cases where the vacuum cleaner 100 cannot be attached to the dust collection station 200 within 5 seconds, such as when a user remotely stops operation of the vacuum cleaner 100 from a location away from the dust collection station 200. On the other hand, if the power supply to the first control unit 31 is not automatically stopped until the vacuum cleaner 100 is attached to the dust collection station 200, if the vacuum cleaner 100 is left unattached to the dust collection station 200, the remaining charge of the battery 170 will continue to decrease because power will continue to be supplied to the first control unit 31, which is not preferable. Therefore, the certain time T1 may be longer than 5 seconds, but is preferably at most about 5 to 10 minutes. After the vacuum cleaner 100 is attached to the dust collection station 200 and the first communication unit 61 transmits start-up information and a plurality of pieces of operation information of the vacuum cleaner 100, which will be described later, to the second communication unit 62, the first control unit 31 preferably stops supplying power to itself from the battery 170. This saves energy.

[0025] After using the vacuum cleaner 100, when the user attaches (connects) the vacuum cleaner 100 to the dust collection station 200, the dust outlet 160 of the vacuum cleaner 100 and the collection port 220 of the dust collection station 200 become connected. In FIG. 1 , an arrow indicates that the dust outlet 160 of the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected to the collection port 220 of the dust collection station 200. After the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected (also referred to as attached) to the dust collection station 200 and startup information and multiple pieces of operation information of the vacuum cleaner 100 (described later) are transmitted from the first communication unit 61 to the second communication unit 62, the first control unit 31 stops supplying power from the battery 170 to the first control unit 31. This automatically stops power supply to the first control unit 31. The dust outlet 160 may be provided on the front side or the back side of the vacuum cleaner 100. In the case of a stick-type vacuum cleaner, the side closest to the user during use is the back side, and the side opposite the back side is the front side. The vacuum cleaner 100 is mounted on the dust collection station 200 so that the dust outlet 160 and the collection outlet 220 face each other, and if the dust outlet 160 is on the rear side, the rear side of the vacuum cleaner 100 is mounted facing the front of the dust collection station 200, thereby connecting the dust outlet 160 and the collection outlet 220.

[0026] When the second control unit 32 detects that the vacuum cleaner 100 has been connected to the dust collection station 200, it is preferable that the second control unit 32 charges the battery 170 provided in the vacuum cleaner 100. The vacuum cleaner 100 is provided with a terminal 105 for supplying power to the battery 170, and the dust collection station 200 is also provided with a terminal 205 for supplying power to the battery 170. When the user attaches the vacuum cleaner 100 to the dust collection station 200, the charging terminals come into contact with each other, and power is supplied from the dust collection station 200 side to the vacuum cleaner 100 side via the charging terminal.

[0027] The second control unit 32 may also perform control such that, when it detects that the vacuum cleaner 100 has been attached (connected) to the dust collection station 200, dust is collected from the vacuum cleaner 100. A state in which the second control unit 32 performs this control is referred to as an automatic collection on state. On the other hand, a state in which the second control unit 32 does not perform this control (i.e., a state in which the second control unit 32 does not collect dust from the vacuum cleaner 100 even when it detects that the vacuum cleaner 100 has been attached (connected) to the dust collection station 200) is referred to as an automatic collection off state.

[0028] In the automatic collection on state, the second control unit 32 activates the second electric suction device 250 when it detects that the vacuum cleaner 100 has been attached (connected) to the dust collection station 200. That is, when the user attaches the vacuum cleaner 100 to the dust collection station 200, the second electric suction device 250 is automatically activated. When the second electric suction device 250 is activated, dust accumulated in the first dust collection unit 130 of the vacuum cleaner 100 moves sequentially through the dust discharge port 160, the collection port 220 of the dust collection station 200, the dust flow path 221, and the second dust collection unit 230, and the dust is accumulated in the second dust collection unit 230. The dust collection station 200 may have a structure in which a paper bag is provided inside the second dust collection unit 230 and dust is collected using the paper bag. The second control unit 32 activates the second electric suction device 250 for a predetermined period of time and then stops it. For example, when first dust collecting section 130 is full of dust, the time for which second electric suction device 250 operates is preferably at least the time required for all of the dust to be collected in second dust collecting section 230 and for no dust to remain in dust flow path 221. In the dust collection device of this embodiment, the predetermined time is determined based on at least one piece of operation information among multiple pieces of operation information for the vacuum cleaner. After second electric suction device 250 stops, dust collection station 200 enters a standby state. This series of operations is also performed when vacuum cleaner 100 is detached from dust collection station 200 and then reattached.

[0029] On the other hand, in the automatic collection off state, when the user attaches the vacuum cleaner 100 to the dust collection station 200, the dust discharge port 160 of the vacuum cleaner 100 and the collection port 220 of the dust collection station 200 are connected, but the second control unit 32 does not operate the second electric suction device 250. In other words, even if the user attaches the vacuum cleaner 100 to the dust collection station 200, the second electric suction device 250 does not operate automatically.

[0030] FIG. 4 is an example of a block diagram of the dust collection device 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the vacuum cleaner 100 and the dust collection station 200 each have a control unit that controls the operation of various components, functional units, etc. The control unit included in the vacuum cleaner 100 is referred to as a first control unit 31, and the control unit included in the dust collection station 200 is referred to as a second control unit 32. The operation of the various components, functional units, etc. may be controlled in response to an operation instruction from, for example, a user. The operation instruction from the user is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, an instruction to start operation (operation ON), stop operation (operation OFF), set or change an operation mode (e.g., automatic operation, low mode, medium mode, high mode, etc.), or set or change an operation time, etc. The location where the first control unit 31 is located is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, the vacuum cleaner main body 101 or the grip unit 103. The second control unit 32 is, for example, the station main body 201.

[0031] The first control unit 31 and the second control unit 32 are each configured with, for example, a CPU, an MPU, etc., and execute programs recorded in various storage units or external storage devices. The first control unit 31 and the second control unit 32 may also be a microcomputer (hereinafter also referred to as a microcomputer) equipped with a CPU, a storage device, etc. The various storage units are, for example, a first storage unit 51 and a second storage unit 52, which will be described later, and can be realized by various ROMs (such as flash memory ROMs), RAMs, etc.

[0032] The first control unit 31 controls at least the suction power of the first electric suction unit 150. For example, upon receiving an instruction from a user or the like regarding an operation mode, the first control unit 31 controls the suction power of the first electric suction unit 150 so that the suction power corresponds to strong mode, medium mode, or weak mode. In the case of automatic operation, the first control unit 31 may also control the operation duration of the first electric suction unit 150. The second control unit 32 controls at least one of the suction power of the second electric suction unit 250 and the operation duration of the second electric suction unit 250. As will be described later, in this embodiment, the suction power and / or the operation duration of the second electric suction unit 250 are determined based on operation information of the vacuum cleaner 100.

[0033] The suction force of the electric vacuum cleaner can be adjusted by the rotation speed of the motor (fan motor) included in the vacuum cleaner. Increasing the rotation speed of the fan motor increases the suction force, while decreasing the rotation speed of the fan motor decreases the suction force. The fan motor is controlled, for example, by PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control. PWM control is a control method in which an average voltage is applied to the fan motor by switching the voltage applied to the fan motor between ON and OFF using a microcomputer. The sum of the time the voltage is ON and OFF is defined as a period, and the ratio of the time the voltage is ON to the period (pulse width / period) is called the PWM ratio (duty ratio). The higher the PWM ratio, the higher the rotation speed of the fan motor and the higher the suction force of the electric vacuum cleaner. The first control unit 31 preferably controls the PWM ratio of the first motor 152. The second control unit 32 preferably controls the PWM ratio of the second motor 252 and the operation duration of the second motor 252 at the PWM ratio. Furthermore, the PWM ratios of the first motor 152 and the second motor 252 may be gradually increased after the motor starts to reach the specified PWM ratio at its peak. The operation duration may be the time from when the motor starts to when it stops, or the time the motor is driven at the specified PWM ratio. Operating the motor at the specified PWM ratio immediately after starting operation, especially when the PWM ratio is high, causes the motor to start rotating suddenly, resulting in sudden noise and vibration, which is undesirable for the user. Therefore, the PWM ratio may be gradually increased after the motor starts to operate until it reaches the specified PWM ratio. The operation duration may be the operation time from when the motor starts to when it stops, including this increase in the PWM ratio.

[0034] The first control unit 31 has a first memory unit 51 that stores multiple pieces of operational information about the vacuum cleaner 100. The multiple pieces of operational information about the vacuum cleaner 100 are pieces of information generated in the vacuum cleaner 100 while the vacuum cleaner 100 is powered on, specifically, information about events performed by the first control unit 31 and events performed on the first control unit 31. The multiple pieces of operational information are preferably information for estimating the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collection unit 130 and clogging of the first dust collection unit 130. When the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collection unit 130 increases, clogging is likely to occur, and the first motor may become hot. Therefore, the first memory unit 51 preferably stores information that leads to clogging of the first dust collection unit 130 or a high-temperature error. For example, if the vacuum cleaner 100 includes a filter 140, clogging of the first dust collection unit 130 may occur due to clogging of the filter 140.

[0035] The vacuum cleaner 100 may further have a temperature sensor 71, a dust sensor 72, a dust counter 73, an error determination unit 74, etc., and the first memory unit 51 stores the above-mentioned multiple pieces of operating information, such as the rotation speed of the first motor 152 included in the first electric suction device 150, the peak temperature during operation of the first electric suction device 150 measured using the temperature sensor 71, the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collection unit 130 measured using the dust sensor 72, the number of dust detections detected by the dust counter 73, the PWM ratio of the first motor 152 and the operating time of the first motor 152 at the above-mentioned PWM ratio, and error information.

[0036] The first communication unit 61 transmits at least one piece of operation information among the plurality of pieces of operation information stored in the first memory unit 51 to the second communication unit 62. It is sufficient that the first communication unit 61 transmits information including at least the operation information to the second communication unit 62 and the second communication unit 62 can receive information from the first communication unit 61, but it is preferable that the first communication unit 61 and the second communication unit 62 can communicate (transmit and receive) information with each other.

[0037] The second communication unit 62 outputs the received information to the second control unit 32. The second control unit 32 may have a second memory unit 52, which may store the operation information input from the second communication unit 62. The second control unit 32 determines at least one of the suction power of the second electric suction unit 250 and the operation duration of the second electric suction unit 250 based on at least one piece of operation information received by the second communication unit 62. The second control unit 32 controls the second electric suction unit 250 based on the determined information on the suction power and / or the operation duration of the second electric suction unit 250.

[0038] According to the embodiment, dust can be appropriately moved from the first dust collection unit 130 on the vacuum cleaner 100 side to the second dust collection unit 230 on the dust collection station 200 side, depending on the state of dust accumulation in the vacuum cleaner 100 after operation. For example, if the operating mode executed after the vacuum cleaner 100 last left the dust collection station 200 was an operating mode with weak suction power, even if the amount of dust sucked by the vacuum cleaner 100 in the previous operation was small, it is possible that clogging has occurred or dust has already accumulated in the first dust collection unit 130. In such a case, if the suction power of the dust collection station is reduced or the automatic dust collection time is shortened in accordance with the operating mode of the vacuum cleaner 100, dust may not be moved sufficiently from the vacuum cleaner 100 side to the dust collection station 200 side, and therefore it is not desirable to relatively reduce the driving force of the fan on the station side. On the other hand, according to the embodiment, by appropriately transferring dust from the first dust collection section 130 on the vacuum cleaner 100 side to the second dust collection section 230 on the dust collection station 200 side depending on the dust accumulation state of the vacuum cleaner 100 after operation, it is possible to reduce the inability to transfer dust sufficiently from the vacuum cleaner 100 side to the dust collection station 200 side, and also to save power because the dust collection work of the dust collection station 200 is not performed with stronger power or for longer time than necessary.

[0039] It is preferable that the first communication unit 61 transmits two or more pieces of operation information out of the plurality of pieces of operation information stored in the first memory unit 51 to the second communication unit 62, and the second control unit 32 determines at least one of the suction power and the operation duration of the second electric suction unit 250 based on each of the two or more pieces of operation information. By determining at least one of the suction power and the operation duration of the second electric suction unit 250 based on two or more pieces of operation information, it is possible to more accurately estimate the amount of dust accumulated on the vacuum cleaner side and appropriately collect dust from the vacuum cleaner 100 side to the dust collection station 200 side. The two or more pieces of operation information can be appropriately combined from the plurality of pieces of operation information.

[0040] The first communication unit 61 and the second communication unit 62 may each be connected to a communication line via a router, a gateway, or the like and be able to communicate with each other via the communication line, or they may be able to communicate with each other without using a communication line, for example, by near field communication (NFC) such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). At least one of the dust collection station 200 and the vacuum cleaner 100 preferably includes a detection unit (for example, a sensor) that can detect that they are within a certain distance from each other. Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner 100 and the dust collection station 200 may each include a communication terminal, and may be configured to communicate by making contact with each other's communication terminals when the vacuum cleaner 100 is attached (connected) to the dust collection station 200, for example.

[0041] When the vacuum cleaner 100 and the dust collection station 200 each have a communication terminal, the timing at which the first communication unit 61 and the second communication unit 62 communicate may be after the vacuum cleaner 100 is attached (connected) to the dust collection station 200. The communication between the first communication unit 61 and the second communication unit 62 may be performed after at least one of the first connection detection unit on the vacuum cleaner 100 side and the second connection detection unit on the dust collection station 200 side detects the connection between the vacuum cleaner 100 and the dust collection station 200.

[0042] If the first communication unit 61 and the second communication unit 62 are equipped with wireless communication means, for example, when the user stops the operation of the vacuum cleaner 100 to end the cleaning operation of the vacuum cleaner 100, the first communication unit 61 may transmit the plurality of pieces of operation information to the second communication unit 62. Alternatively, communication between the first communication unit 61 and the second communication unit 62 may be performed when the dust collection station 200 detects the approach of the vacuum cleaner 100, after detecting that the vacuum cleaner 100 has been installed on the dust collection station 200, or after the vacuum cleaner 100 has been attached (connected) to the dust collection station 200. Furthermore, the user may start the communication by an arbitrary operation. The arbitrary operation may be, for example, an operation of an information transmission button or the like provided on the vacuum cleaner 100. Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner 100 may be linked to an information communication terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet, and the information transmission operation may be performed from the information communication terminal.

[0043] First memory unit 51 may store the PWM ratio of first motor 152 and the operation time of first motor 152 at the PWM ratio as operation information of vacuum cleaner 100. The amount of dust accumulated in first dust collecting unit 130 of vacuum cleaner 100 can be predicted from the operation modes of vacuum cleaner 100 set by the PWM ratio of first motor 152 and the operation time in each operation mode.

[0044] The operation mode of the vacuum cleaner 100 can be set by the PWM ratio of the first motor 152 or the rotation speed of the first motor 152. The operation mode is generally set by setting a specific PWM ratio as a fixed value. For example, any one point in the range of the PWM ratio of the first motor 152 between 5% and less than 20% may be set as the weak mode, any one point in the range of the PWM ratio of the first motor 152 between 20% and less than 50% may be set as the medium mode, and any one point in the range of the PWM ratio of the first motor 152 between 50% and more may be set as the strong mode. For example, the PWM ratio of the first motor 152 may be set to 10% as the weak mode, 30% as the medium mode, and 60% as the strong mode.

[0045] When the vacuum cleaner is operated in strong mode for a long period of time, it is predicted that the amount of dust in first dust collecting section 130 will be large, and when the vacuum cleaner is operated in weak mode for a short period of time, it is predicted that the amount of dust in first dust collecting section 130 will be small. When it is predicted that the amount of dust in first dust collecting section 130 will be large, second control section 32 controls second electric suction machine 250 to have a strong suction force and to operate for a long time. On the other hand, when it is predicted that the amount of dust in first dust collecting section 130 will be small, second control section 32 controls second electric suction machine 250 to have a weak suction force and to operate for a short time.

[0046] In the dust collection device 1 according to the embodiment, a lookup table may be created in advance that associates the operation modes of the vacuum cleaner 100 and the operation times in the operation modes with the suction power of the second electric suction device 250 and / or the operation duration of the second electric suction device 250. The lookup table may be stored in either the first memory unit 51 or the second memory unit 52.

[0047] When first memory unit 51 stores the lookup table, first control unit 31 refers to the lookup table in first memory unit 51 to determine the suction power and / or operation duration of second electric suction unit 250 corresponding to the operation mode of vacuum cleaner 100 and the operation duration in that operation mode, and outputs the determined information to first communication unit 61. First communication unit 61 transmits the information input from first control unit 31 to second communication unit 62, and second communication unit 62 outputs the information received from first communication unit 61 to second control unit 32. Second control unit 32 controls second electric suction unit 250 based on the information on the suction power and / or operation duration of second electric suction unit 250 input from second communication unit 62.

[0048] When second memory unit 52 stores the lookup table, first memory unit 51 outputs information about the operation mode of vacuum cleaner 100 and the operation time in that operation mode to first communication unit 61. First communication unit 61 transmits the information input from first control unit 31 to second communication unit 62, and second communication unit 62 outputs the information received from first communication unit 61 to second control unit 32. Second control unit 32 determines the suction power of second electric suction unit 250 and / or the operation duration of second electric suction unit 250 by referring to the lookup table based on the information about the operation mode of vacuum cleaner 100 and the operation time in that operation mode input from second communication unit 62, and controls second electric suction unit 250 based on the information about the suction power and / or the operation duration of second electric suction unit 250.

[0049] The dust collection station 200 may have an alarm unit that may notify the user by display, sound, or the like when it is determined that the dust in the first dust collection unit 130 cannot be sufficiently collected by simply controlling the suction power and / or operation duration of the second electric suction unit 250. An example of a case in which the dust in the first dust collection unit 130 cannot be sufficiently collected by simply controlling the suction power and / or operation duration of the second electric suction unit 250 is when the amount of dust accumulated in the second dust collection unit 230 is already large when the second communication unit 62 acquires operation information of the vacuum cleaner 100 from the first communication unit 61, and it is determined that the dust in the first dust collection unit 130 cannot be sufficiently collected into the second dust collection unit 230. In other words, an example of a case in which it is determined that controlling the suction power and / or operation duration of the second electric suction unit 250 would cause the second dust collection unit 230 to become full during the automatic collection operation, causing dust to overflow from the second dust collection unit 230 into the dust flow path 221.

[0050] The first memory unit 51 may store the rotation speed of the first motor 152 included in the first electric suction unit 150 as operation information of the vacuum cleaner 100. The rotation speed of the first motor 152 can be used to predict the degree of clogging of the first dust collection unit 130. The rotation speed of the first motor 152 is the average rotation speed of the first motor 152 operated in a certain operating mode over a certain period of time. For example, the first memory unit 51 may acquire the rotation speed at regular intervals while the vacuum cleaner 100 is operating, and store the averaged value as the rotation speed of the first motor 152. When the first dust collection unit 130 becomes clogged, the rotation speed of the first motor 152 becomes higher than when the vacuum cleaner 100 is not clogged, even when the vacuum cleaner 100 is operated in the same operating mode. The rotation speed of the first motor 152 at which it is determined that the first dust collection unit 130 is clogged is also referred to as the clogging threshold rotation speed. The clogging threshold rotation speed may be used as a threshold for determining a clogging error of the first dust collection unit 130, as described below. The clogging threshold rotation speed may be set in advance for each operating mode of the vacuum cleaner 100, such as weak mode, medium mode, and strong mode, and the clogging threshold rotation speed may be set higher for operating modes with higher PWM ratios of the first motor 152.

[0051] The vacuum cleaner 100 or the dust collection station 200 may have a calculation unit that calculates the value obtained by subtracting the clogging threshold rotation speed for a certain operation mode from the rotation speed of the first motor 152 when the first motor 152 is operated in the certain operation mode. The smaller the difference between the rotation speed of the first motor 152 and the clogging threshold rotation speed, the greater the degree of clogging in the first dust collection unit 130. When the difference between the rotation speed of the first motor 152 and the clogging threshold rotation speed is equal to or less than a reference value, the second control unit 32 preferably controls the second electric suction device 250 to increase the suction force and extend the operation duration of the second electric suction device 250.

[0052] The reference value may be set in advance for each operation mode of the vacuum cleaner 100, and the reference value may be set to a larger value for an operation mode with a higher PWM ratio of the first motor 152. For example, the reference value for the strong mode may be set to any one point in the range of 80,000 rpm or more and 85,000 rpm or less, the reference value for the medium mode may be set to any one point in the range of 55,000 rpm or more and 58,000 rpm or less, and the reference value for the weak mode may be set to any one point in the range of 47,000 rpm or more and 50,000 rpm or less.

[0053] In the dust collection device 1 of the embodiment, a lookup table may be created in advance for each operation mode, which associates the difference between the rotation speed of the first motor 152 and the clogging threshold rotation speed with the suction force of the second electric suction device 250 and / or the operation duration of the second electric suction device 250. The clogging threshold rotation speed and the lookup table may be stored in either the first memory unit 51 or the second memory unit 52.

[0054] If vacuum cleaner 100 has a calculation unit, and first memory unit 51 stores the rotation speed of first motor 152, the clogging threshold rotation speed, and a lookup table, the calculation unit calculates the difference between the rotation speed of first motor 152 and the clogging threshold rotation speed, and by referring to the lookup table, determines the suction power and / or operation duration of second electric suction device 250 corresponding to said difference, and outputs the result to first communication unit 61. First communication unit 61 transmits the information input from first control unit 31 to second communication unit 62, and second communication unit 62 outputs the information received from first communication unit 61 to second control unit 32. Second control unit 32 controls second electric suction device 250 based on the information on the suction power and / or operation duration of second electric suction device 250 input from second communication unit 62.

[0055] When the vacuum cleaner 100 has a calculation unit, the first memory unit 51 stores the rotation speed of the first motor 152 and the clogging threshold rotation speed, and the second memory unit 52 stores a look-up table, the calculation unit calculates the difference between the rotation speed of the first motor 152 and the clogging threshold rotation speed and outputs the difference to the first communication unit 61. The first communication unit 61 transmits the information input from the first control unit 31 to the second communication unit 62, and the second communication unit 62 outputs the information received from the first communication unit 61 to the second control unit 32. The second control unit 32 determines the suction power of the second electric suction unit 250 and / or the operation duration of the second electric suction unit 250 by referring to the look-up table based on the difference between the rotation speed of the first motor 152 and the clogging threshold rotation speed input from the second communication unit 62, and controls the second electric suction unit 250 based on the information on the suction power and / or the operation duration of the second electric suction unit 250.

[0056] When the first memory unit 51 stores the rotation speed of the first motor 152, the dust collection station 200 has a calculation unit, and the second memory unit 52 stores the clogging threshold rotation speed and a look-up table, the first control unit 31 outputs the rotation speed of the first motor 152 to the first communication unit 61. The first communication unit 61 transmits the information input from the first control unit 31 to the second communication unit 62, and the second communication unit 62 outputs the information received from the first communication unit 61 to the second control unit 32. The calculation unit calculates the difference between the rotation speed of the first motor 152 and the clogging threshold rotation speed from the rotation speed of the first motor 152 input from the second communication unit 62, and the second control unit 32 determines the suction power of the second electric suction unit 250 and / or the operation duration of the second electric suction unit 250 by referring to the look-up table based on the difference, and controls the second electric suction unit 250 based on the information on the suction power and / or the operation duration of the second electric suction unit 250.

[0057] The vacuum cleaner 100 has, for example, an error determination unit 74 that determines an error, and the error determination unit 74 determines that an error has occurred when the rotation speed of the first motor included in the first electric suction device 150 becomes equal to or exceeds a threshold value, and the first memory unit 51 stores the error information. The error is also referred to as a clogging error of the first dust collecting unit 130. The threshold value may also be a clogging threshold rotation speed of the first motor.

[0058] The error determination unit 74 obtains the rotation speed of the first motor 152 for each operation mode from the first memory unit 51, for example, and determines that a clogging error has occurred in the first dust collection unit 130 if the rotation speed of the first motor 152 for each operation mode is equal to or greater than the clogging threshold rotation speed for the corresponding operation mode. If a clogging error in the first dust collection unit 130 is determined to have occurred, it can be predicted that a large amount of dust has accumulated in the first dust collection unit 130. Therefore, it is preferable that the second control unit 32 further strengthens the suction power of the second electric suction unit 250 and controls the second electric suction unit 250 to operate for a longer time than when the difference between the rotation speed of the first motor 152 and the clogging threshold rotation speed in the strong mode is equal to or less than the reference value.

[0059] Although the error determination unit 74 may be provided on the dust collection station 200 side, it is preferable that the error determination unit 74 be provided on the vacuum cleaner 100 side from the viewpoint of being able to notify the user of an error when the vacuum cleaner 100 is being used alone.

[0060] The vacuum cleaner 100 has at least a temperature sensor 71 that measures the temperature of the first electric suction device 150, and the first memory unit 51 may store the peak temperature of the first electric suction device 150 during operation, measured using the temperature sensor 71, as operational information of the vacuum cleaner 100. The peak temperature of the first motor 152 can be used to predict the degree of clogging of the first dust collecting unit 130. The peak temperature of the first motor 152 stored in the first memory unit 51 is updated, for example, every time the peak temperature measured by the temperature sensor 71 during operation is updated. If the peak temperature of the first motor 152 during operation of the vacuum cleaner 100 is high, it is predicted that the dust flow path from the suction port 120 to the first dust collecting unit 130 is clogged.

[0061] The temperature sensor 71 is required to be able to measure at least the temperature of the first electric suction device 150, and is preferably able to measure the temperature of the first motor 152 of the first electric suction device 150. The temperature sensor 71 may also measure the temperature of a circuit board that drives the first motor 152.

[0062] The first memory unit 51 may store, in advance, a peak temperature determination value of the first motor 152, which is used to determine whether the first dust collecting unit 130 is about to become clogged, for each operation mode of the vacuum cleaner 100. When the peak temperature of the first motor 152 operating in a certain operation mode exceeds the determination value for that operation mode, the second control unit 32 controls the second electric suction device 250 to increase the suction power and extend the operation time of the second electric suction device 250. The peak temperature determination value may be set for each operation mode, and the determination value may be set higher for operation modes with a higher PWM ratio of the first motor 152. For example, the peak temperature determination value for the strong mode may be set to any point in the range of 75°C or higher and 80°C or lower, the peak temperature determination value for the medium mode may be set to any point in the range of 70°C or higher and lower than 75°C, and the peak temperature determination value for the weak mode may be set to any point in the range of 65°C or higher and lower than 70°C. Furthermore, if the peak temperature is 80° C. or higher in the strong mode, 75° C. or higher in the medium mode, or 70° C. or higher in the weak mode, it may be determined as a high temperature error, which will be described later.

[0063] In the dust collection device 1 according to the embodiment, a lookup table may be created in advance that corresponds the relationship between the peak temperature of the first motor 152 and the suction force of the second electric suction machine 250 and / or the operating duration of the second electric suction machine 250 for each operating mode.

[0064] When the first memory unit 51 stores the lookup table, the first control unit 31 refers to the lookup table in the first memory unit 51 to determine the suction power and / or operation duration of the second electric suction unit 250 corresponding to the operation mode of the vacuum cleaner 100 and the peak temperature in the operation mode, and outputs the determined information to the first communication unit 61. The first communication unit 61 transmits the information input from the first control unit 31 to the second communication unit 62, and the second communication unit 62 outputs the information received from the first communication unit 61 to the second control unit 32. The second control unit 32 controls the second electric suction unit 250 based on the information on the suction power and / or operation duration of the second electric suction unit 250 input from the second communication unit 62.

[0065] When second memory unit 52 stores the lookup table, first memory unit 51 outputs information about the operation mode of vacuum cleaner 100 and the peak temperature in the operation mode to first communication unit 61. First communication unit 61 transmits the information input from first control unit 31 to second communication unit 62, and second communication unit 62 outputs the information received from first communication unit 61 to second control unit 32. Second control unit 32 determines the suction power of second electric suction unit 250 and / or the operation duration of second electric suction unit 250 by referring to the lookup table based on the information about the operation mode of vacuum cleaner 100 and the operation duration in the operation mode input from second communication unit 62, and controls second electric suction unit 250 based on the information about the suction power and / or the operation duration of second electric suction unit 250.

[0066] The vacuum cleaner 100 has a temperature sensor 71 that can measure the temperature of at least the first electric suction unit 150, and the error determination unit 74 determines that an error has occurred, for example, when the temperature of the first electric suction unit 150 measured by the temperature sensor 71 exceeds a predetermined value. The error is also referred to as a high temperature error. The first memory unit 51 may store in advance, for each operation mode of the vacuum cleaner 100, a clogging determination temperature at which it can be determined that clogging has occurred in the first dust collecting unit 130, and the predetermined value may be the clogging determination temperature.

[0067] The error determination unit 74 acquires the peak temperature of the first motor 152 for each operation mode from the first memory unit 51, for example, and determines that a high-temperature error has occurred if the peak temperature of the first motor 152 for each operation mode is equal to or higher than the clogging determination temperature for the corresponding operation mode. If a high-temperature error is determined to have occurred, it can be predicted that a large amount of dust has accumulated in the first dust collecting unit 130. Therefore, it is preferable that the second control unit 32 further strengthens the suction force of the second electric suction machine 250 and controls the second electric suction machine 250 to operate for a longer time than when the peak temperature of the first motor 152 is equal to or higher than the reference value in the strong mode.

[0068] The vacuum cleaner 100 has a dust sensor 72, and the first storage unit 51 may store, as operational information of the vacuum cleaner 100, the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collecting unit 130 measured using the dust sensor 72.

[0069] The dust sensor 72 includes at least one selected from the group consisting of an optical sensor, a distance sensor, and a pressure sensor. For example, an optical sensor may be provided on the side of the first dust collection unit 130 to detect the position of the top surface of accumulated dust. Multiple optical sensors may be provided from the bottom to the top of the first dust collection unit 130, and the amount of dust may be determined as small, medium, or large as the detection progresses from the optical sensor located at the bottom to the optical sensor located at the top. Alternatively, a distance sensor may be used to measure the height from the bottom of the first dust collection unit 130 to the top surface of the accumulated dust, and the dust amount may be determined as small, medium, or large as the height increases. Alternatively, a pressure sensor may be provided at the bottom of the first dust collection unit 130, and the dust amount may be determined as small, medium, or large as the weight detected by the pressure sensor increases.

[0070] The second control unit 32 controls the second electric suction machine 250 so that the suction force is increased and the operating time of the second electric suction machine 250 is extended as the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collecting unit 130 increases from small to medium to large.

[0071] In the dust collection device 1 according to the embodiment, the first memory unit 51 may estimate the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collection unit 130 from the measurement value of the dust sensor 72, and may create in advance a lookup table that associates the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collection unit 130 with the suction force of the second electric suction machine 250 and / or the operation duration of the second electric suction machine 250. The lookup table may be stored in either the first memory unit 51 or the second memory unit 52.

[0072] When the first memory unit 51 stores the lookup table, the first control unit 31 refers to the lookup table in the first memory unit 51 to determine the suction power and / or operation duration of the second electric suction unit 250 corresponding to the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collecting unit 130, and outputs the determined information to the first communication unit 61. The first communication unit 61 transmits the information input from the first control unit 31 to the second communication unit 62, and the second communication unit 62 outputs the information received from the first communication unit 61 to the second control unit 32. The second control unit 32 controls the second electric suction unit 250 based on the information on the suction power and / or operation duration of the second electric suction unit 250 input from the second communication unit 62.

[0073] When second memory unit 52 stores the lookup table, first memory unit 51 outputs information about the measurement values ​​of dust sensor 72 to first communication unit 61. First communication unit 61 transmits the information input from first control unit 31 to second communication unit 62, and second communication unit 62 outputs the information received from first communication unit 61 to second control unit 32. Second control unit 32 refers to the lookup table, and based on the information about the measurement values ​​of dust sensor 72 input from second communication unit 62, determines the suction power of second electric suction unit 250 and / or the operation duration of second electric suction unit 250 that correspond to the amount of dust accumulated in first dust collection unit 130 estimated from the measurement values ​​of dust sensor 72, and controls second electric suction unit 250 based on the information about the suction power and / or the operation duration of second electric suction unit 250.

[0074] The vacuum cleaner 100 has a dust counter 73, and the first storage unit 51 may store the number of times dust has been detected by the dust counter 73 as operation information of the vacuum cleaner 100. The dust counter 73 includes, for example, an LED or other light-emitting / light-receiving element, and can detect dust based on changes in a light-receiving signal. The dust counter 73 is provided between the suction port 120 and the first dust collection unit 130, and emits a signal when dust is detected. The amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collection unit 130 can be predicted from the number of times dust has been detected by the dust counter 73.

[0075] If the number of detections by dust counter 73 is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, it is determined that the amount of dust accumulated in first dust collection unit 130 is large, and second control unit 32 controls second electric suction device 250 to increase the suction power and extend the continuous operation time of second electric suction device 250. On the other hand, if the number of detections by dust counter 73 is less than the predetermined number, it is determined that the amount of dust accumulated in first dust collection unit 130 is small, and second control unit 32 controls second electric suction device 250 to decrease the suction power and shorten the continuous operation time of second electric suction device 250, thereby reducing unnecessary power consumption.

[0076] The second memory unit 52 may store a lookup table that associates the number of detections by the dust counter 73 with the suction power of the second electric suction unit 250 and / or the continuous operation time of the second electric suction unit 250. The second memory unit 52 may also store a data set in which the relationship between the operating time of the vacuum cleaner 100 and the predetermined number of times is conditioned in multiple stages, so that the longer the operating time of the vacuum cleaner 100, the higher the predetermined number of times. The second memory unit 52 may also store a data set in which the relationship between the proportion of the total detection time of the dust counter 73 to the entire operating time of the vacuum cleaner 100 and the predetermined number of times is conditioned in multiple stages, so that the higher the proportion of the total detection time of the dust counter 73 to the entire operating time of the vacuum cleaner 100, the higher the predetermined number of times. The second control unit 32 may change the suction power of the second electric suction unit 250 and / or the continuous operation time of the second electric suction unit 250 in multiple stages based on these data sets. The data set may be created in advance, or may be automatically generated by the second control unit 32 based on the operation history of the vacuum cleaner 100 or the like.

[0077] The second control unit 32 may estimate the suction power of the second electric suction machine 250 and / or the operation duration of the second electric suction machine 250 based on each of two or more pieces of operation information received by the second communication unit 62, and determine the suction power of the second electric suction machine 250 and / or the operation duration of at least one of the second electric suction machine 250 by judging the operation information in order from the one with the highest estimated suction power of the second electric suction machine 250 or the one with the longest estimated operation duration of the second electric suction machine 250.

[0078] For example, (i) if error information such as a clogging error or a high temperature error of the first dust collecting unit 130 is stored in the first memory unit 51 as the operation information, it is predicted that a very large amount of dust has accumulated in the first dust collecting unit 130, and therefore it is preferable to control the second electric suction unit 250 to have the highest suction power and the longest continuous operation time. Subsequently, it is predicted that the suction power of the second electric suction unit 250 will be weakened and / or the continuous operation time of the second electric suction unit 250 will be shortened in the following order: (ii) the value obtained by subtracting the rotation speed of the first motor 152 for each operation mode from the clogging threshold rotation speed for each operation mode; (iii) the peak temperature of the first motor 152 in the executed operation mode; (iv) the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collecting unit 130 measured using the dust sensor 72; or (v) the number of dust detections detected by the dust counter 73; and (vi) the PWM ratio of the first motor 152 and the operation time of the first motor 152 at the PWM ratio. Therefore, it is preferable to perform the determinations in the order of (i) to (vi) above and control at least one of the suction force of the second electric suction device 250 and the operation duration of the second electric suction device 250.

[0079] It is not necessary to determine all of the above (i) to (vi), and two or more pieces of operation information from the above (i) to (vi) may be determined in order, starting with the operation information that is estimated to indicate that the suction power of the second electric suction device 250 is high or the operation duration of the second electric suction device 250 is long. (iv) The amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collection unit 130 measured using the dust sensor 72 and (v) the number of dust detections detected by the dust counter 73 are both information for estimating the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collection unit 130, so it is not necessary to determine both, and it is sufficient to determine either one of them. Note that the determination order of the operation information may be stored in the second storage unit in advance, and the second control unit 32 may perform determination according to the determination order.

[0080] The vacuum cleaner 100 and the dust collection station 200 only need to be in a state where at least the first communication unit and the second communication unit can communicate, and the dust discharge port 160 of the vacuum cleaner 100 and the collection port 220 of the dust collection station 200 only need to be connected before the dust collection station 200 starts automatic collection of dust.

[0081] 4 illustrates a case where the first communication unit 61 and the second communication unit 62 communicate directly, but the first communication unit 61 and the second communication unit 62 may also communicate via an external storage unit such as a server. Another aspect of the present disclosure may be a dust collection system including the dust collection device 1 and a server. In the dust collection system, for example, the first communication unit 61 may transmit the plurality of pieces of operation information to the server, the server may store the received plurality of pieces of operation information in a storage unit included in the server, and the server may transmit the plurality of pieces of operation information stored in the storage unit to the second communication unit 62.

[0082] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the components disclosed in the above embodiments can be modified as appropriate. For example, some of the components shown in one embodiment may be added to the components of another embodiment, or some of the components shown in one embodiment may be deleted from the embodiment.

[0083] Furthermore, the drawings mainly show each component in a schematic manner to facilitate understanding of the invention, and the thickness, length, number, spacing, etc. of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual ones due to the convenience of creating the drawings. Furthermore, the configurations of each component shown in the above embodiment are merely examples and are not particularly limited, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible within a scope that does not substantially deviate from the effects of the present disclosure. [Example]

[0084] The dust collection and recovery device according to the embodiment will be described in more detail below using examples, but the present disclosure is not limited to these examples.

[0085] In the following examples, a PWM ratio of the first motor 152 less than 10% represents weak mode, 10% or more but less than 30% represents medium mode, and 30% or more represents strong mode. As shown in Table 1 below, the suction force level of the second electric suction machine is represented by "no operation" or one of six levels from 1 to 5, and the operation duration level is represented by "no operation" or one of six levels from 1 to 5. Level 5 represents the strongest suction force, with the suction force decreasing as the level decreases, and level 1 represents the weakest suction force. Level 5 has the longest operation duration, with the operation duration decreasing as the level decreases, and level 1 has the shortest operation duration. The operation duration is the time from when the motor starts to operate until it stops.

[0086] [Table 1]

[0087] Example 1 In the dust collection and recovery device of the first embodiment, the vacuum cleaner 100 has an error determination unit (see FIG. 4). The first memory unit 51 stores error information including the history of high temperature errors and the history of clogging errors of the first dust collection unit 130.

[0088] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining error information in Example 1. When the first communication unit 61 and the second communication unit 62 start communication, the first communication unit 61 transmits error information, including a history of high-temperature errors and a history of clogging errors in the first dust collecting unit 130, to the second communication unit 62. The second communication unit 62 stores the information received from the first communication unit 61 in the second storage unit 52 ("START" in FIG. 5). The second control unit 32 acquires the history of high-temperature errors and the history of clogging errors in the first dust collecting unit 130 from the information stored in the second storage unit 52 (step S1-1). In step S1-2, the presence or absence of a high-temperature error is determined. If a history of a high-temperature error has occurred, the second control unit 32 determines in step S1-2 that a high-temperature error has occurred, i.e., "Yes," and determines to control the suction force level of the second electric suction unit 250 to 5 and the operation duration level of the second electric suction unit 250 to 5 (step S1-3).

[0089] If there is no history of a high temperature error, the second control unit 32 determines in step S1-2 that there is no high temperature error, i.e., "No," and then determines whether there is a clogging error in the first dust collection unit 130. If there is a history of a clogging error in the first dust collection unit 130, the second control unit 32 determines in step S1-4 that there is a clogging error in the first dust collection unit 130, i.e., "Yes," and determines to control the second electric suction unit 250 at a suction force level of 5 and an operation duration level of 5 (step S1-3). If there is no history of a clogging error in the first dust collection unit 130, the second control unit 32 determines in step S1-4 that there is no clogging error in the first dust collection unit 130, i.e., "No," and determines to control the second electric suction unit 250 at a suction force level of 3 and an operation duration level of 3 (step S1-5). The second control unit 32 drives the second electric suction unit 250 at the suction force level and operation duration level of the second electric suction unit 250 determined in the above flow, and ends the automatic collection of dust ("End" in FIG. 5). In the first embodiment, a high temperature error is determined and then a clogging error of the first dust collection unit 130 is determined, but a high temperature error may also be determined after a clogging error of the first dust collection unit 130 is determined.

[0090] The first communication unit 61 and the second communication unit 62 may start communication at the same time that the dust outlet 160 and the collection port 220 are connected. Note that the timing at which the dust outlet 160 and the collection port 220 are connected and the timing at which the first communication unit 61 and the second communication unit 62 start communication may be slightly different, as long as the dust outlet 160 of the vacuum cleaner 100 and the collection port 220 of the dust collection station 200 are connected by the time the second control unit 32 drives the second electric suction device 250 in accordance with the suction power level and operation duration level of the second electric suction device 250 determined in the above flow. For example, the dust outlet 160 and the collection port 220 may be connected after the first communication unit 61 and the second communication unit 62 start communication, or the dust outlet 160 and the collection port 220 may be connected after the second control unit 32 determines the suction power level and operation duration level of the second electric suction device 250. In Examples 2 to 8 described below, the timing at which the dust discharge port 160 of the vacuum cleaner 100 and the collection port 220 of the dust collection station 200 are connected may be the same as in Example 1, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted in each Example. Note that the second control unit 32 may also drive the second electric suction device 250 before the dust discharge port 160 of the vacuum cleaner 100 and the collection port 220 of the dust collection station 200 are connected. In this case, the average time lag until the dust discharge port 160 of the vacuum cleaner 100 and the collection port 220 of the dust collection station 200 are connected may be added to the operation duration.

[0091] Example 2 In Example 2, an example is given in which the first memory unit 51 stores the operating mode and the rotation speed of the first motor 152, the second control unit 32 has a calculation unit, and the second memory unit 52 stores the clogging threshold rotation speed and a lookup table.

[0092] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining the difference between the clogging threshold rotation speed and the rotation speed of the first motor 152 in the second embodiment. When the first communication unit 61 and the second communication unit 62 start communication, the first communication unit 61 transmits the history of the operation mode and the rotation speed of the first motor 152 stored in the first storage unit 51 to the second communication unit 62, and the second communication unit 62 stores the received information in the second storage unit 52 ("START" in FIG. 6). The second control unit 32 acquires the history of the executed operation mode from the information stored in the second storage unit 52 (step S2-1), acquires the rotation speed of the first motor 152 in the executed operation mode (step S2-2), and acquires the clogging threshold rotation speed for each operation mode (step S2-3). Thereafter, the calculation unit calculates a value obtained by subtracting the rotation speed of the first motor 152 from the clogging threshold rotation speed for each operation mode (step S2-4).

[0093] In step S2-5, the second control unit 32 determines whether the difference between the clogging threshold rotation speed in strong mode and the rotation speed of the first motor 152 is 700 rpm or less. If the difference is 700 rpm or less, i.e., if the determination is "Yes," the second control unit 32 determines to control the suction force level of the second electric suction unit 250 at 4 and the operation duration level of the second electric suction unit 250 at 4 (step S2-6). If the difference is more than 700 rpm, i.e., if the determination is "No," the second control unit 32 then determines the difference between the clogging threshold rotation speed in medium mode and the rotation speed of the first motor 152.

[0094] In step S2-7, the second control unit 32 determines whether the difference between the clogging threshold rotation speed in medium mode and the rotation speed of the first motor 152 is 400 rpm or less. If the difference is 400 rpm or less, i.e., the determination is "Yes" in step S2-4, the second control unit 32 determines to control the suction force level of the second electric suction unit 250 at 4 and the operation duration level of the second electric suction unit 250 at 4 (step S2-6). If the difference is more than 400 rpm, i.e., the determination is "No" in step S2-4, the second control unit 32 then determines the difference between the clogging threshold rotation speed in weak mode and the rotation speed of the first motor 152.

[0095] In step S2-8, the second control unit 32 determines whether the difference between the clogging threshold rotation speed in weak mode and the rotation speed of the first motor 152 is 200 rpm or less. If the difference is 200 rpm or less, i.e., the determination is "Yes," in step S2-8, the second control unit 32 determines to control the second electric suction device 250 at a suction force level of 4 and at a continuous operation time level of 4 (step S2-6). If the difference is more than 200 rpm, i.e., the determination is "No," in step S2-8, the second control unit 32 determines to control the second electric suction device 250 at a suction force level of 3 and at a continuous operation time level of 3 (step S2-9).

[0096] The second control unit 32 drives the second electric suction device 250 at the suction force level and operation duration level of the second electric suction device 250 determined in the above flow, and ends the automatic collection of dust ("End" in Figure 6).

[0097] Example 3 In the third embodiment, the first storage unit 51 stores the operation modes and the peak temperatures of the first motor 152. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining the peak temperature in each operation mode in the third embodiment. When the first communication unit 61 and the second communication unit 62 start communication, the first communication unit 61 transmits the operation modes and the peak temperature history of the first motor 152 stored in the first storage unit 51 to the second communication unit 62, and the second communication unit 62 stores the received information in the second storage unit 52 ("START" in FIG. 7). The second control unit 32 acquires the history of the executed operation modes from the information stored in the second storage unit 52 (step S3-1), and acquires the peak temperature of the first motor 152 in the executed operation mode (step S3-2).

[0098] In step S3-3, the second control unit 32 determines whether the peak temperature of the first motor 152 in the strong mode is 70°C or higher. If the peak temperature is 70°C or higher, i.e., if the determination is "Yes," the second control unit 32 determines to control the suction force level of the second electric suction device 250 at 4 and the operation duration level of the second electric suction device 250 at 4 (step S3-4). If the peak temperature is less than 70°C, i.e., if the determination is "No" in step S3-3, the second control unit 32 then determines the peak temperature of the first motor 152 in the medium mode.

[0099] In step S3-5, the second control unit 32 determines whether the peak temperature of the first motor 152 in medium mode is 50°C or higher. If the peak temperature is 50°C or higher, i.e., if the determination is "Yes," the second control unit 32 determines to control the suction force level of the second electric suction device 250 at 4 and the operation duration level of the second electric suction device 250 at 4 (step S3-4). If the peak temperature is less than 50°C, i.e., if the determination is "No" in step S3-5, the second control unit 32 then determines the peak temperature of the first motor 152 in weak mode.

[0100] In step S3-6, the second control unit 32 determines whether the peak temperature of the first motor 152 in the weak mode is 40°C or higher. If the peak temperature is 40°C or higher, i.e., the determination is "Yes," the second control unit 32 determines to control the second electric suction device 250 at a suction force level of 4 and at a continuous operation time level of 4 (step S3-4). If the peak temperature is determined to be less than 40°C, i.e., the determination is "No," the second control unit 32 determines to control the second electric suction device 250 at a suction force level of 3 and at a continuous operation time level of 3 (step S3-7).

[0101] The second control unit 32 drives the second electric suction device 250 at the suction force level and operation duration level of the second electric suction device 250 determined in the above flow, and ends the automatic collection of dust ("End" in Figure 7).

[0102] Example 4 In Example 4, an example is given in which the vacuum cleaner 100 has a dust sensor 72 including at least one selected from the group consisting of an optical sensor, a distance measurement sensor, and a pressure sensor, the first memory unit 51 stores the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collection unit 130 measured using the dust sensor 72, and the second memory unit 52 stores a lookup table.

[0103] 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collection unit 130 based on the measurement value of the dust sensor 72 in Example 4. When the first communication unit 61 and the second communication unit 62 start communication, the first communication unit 61 transmits information about the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collection unit 130 measured using the dust sensor 72 and stored in the first memory unit 51 to the second communication unit 62, and the second communication unit 62 stores the received information in the second memory unit 52 ("START" in FIG. 8). The second control unit 32 obtains the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collection unit 130 from the information stored in the second memory unit 52 (step S4-1), and determines whether the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collection unit 130 is large by referring to the lookup table stored in the second memory unit (step S4-2). If step S4-2 determines that the amount of dust accumulated in first dust collecting unit 130 is large, i.e., "Yes," second control unit 32 determines to control second electric suction device 250 at suction force level 4 and operation duration level 3 (step S4-3). If step S4-2 determines that the amount of dust accumulated in first dust collecting unit 130 is not large, i.e., "No," second control unit 32 refers to the lookup table stored in the second memory unit and determines whether the amount of dust accumulated in first dust collecting unit 130 is medium (step S4-4).

[0104] If step S4-4 determines that the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collecting section 130 is medium, i.e., "Yes," the second control section 32 decides to control the suction force level of the second electric suction machine 250 to 3 and the operation duration level of the second electric suction machine 250 to 3 (step S4-5). If step S4-4 determines that the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collecting section 130 is not medium, i.e., "No," then the second control section 32 determines that the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collecting section 130 is small or less (step S4-6), and decides to control the suction force level of the second electric suction machine 250 to 2 and the operation duration level of the second electric suction machine 250 to 2 (step S4-7).

[0105] The second control unit 32 drives the second electric suction device 250 at the suction force level and operation duration level of the second electric suction device 250 determined in the above flow, and ends the automatic collection of dust ("End" in Figure 8).

[0106] Example 5 In the fifth embodiment, the vacuum cleaner 100 has a dust counter 73, and the first memory unit 51 stores the number of detections of the dust counter 73. The second memory unit has a look-up table that associates the suction power of the second electric suction device 250 and / or the operation duration of the second electric suction device 250 with each other.

[0107] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collection unit 130 based on the number of detections by the dust counter 73 in Example 5. When the first communication unit 61 and the second communication unit 62 start communication, the first communication unit 61 transmits information about the number of detections by the dust counter 73 stored in the first memory unit 51 to the second communication unit 62, and the second communication unit 62 stores the received information in the second memory unit 52 ("START" in FIG. 9). The second control unit 32 obtains the number of detections by the dust counter 73 from the information stored in the second memory unit 52 (step S5-1) and determines whether the number of detections by the dust counter 73 is equal to or greater than a predetermined number (step S5-2). If the second control unit 32 determines in step S5-2 that the number of detections by the dust counter 73 is equal to or greater than the predetermined number, i.e., "Yes," then the second control unit 32 determines to control the second electric suction device 250 to a suction force level of 3 and an operation duration level of 3 (step S5-3). If the number of detections by the dust counter 73 is determined to be less than the predetermined number in step S5-2, i.e., "No," the second control unit 32 decides to control the suction force level of the second electric suction machine 250 to 2 and the operation duration level of the second electric suction machine 250 to 2 (step S5-4).

[0108] The second control unit 32 drives the second electric suction device 250 at the suction force level and operation duration level of the second electric suction device 250 determined in the above flow, and ends the automatic collection of dust ("End" in Figure 9).

[0109] Example 6 In Example 6, an example is given in which the first memory unit 51 stores the PWM ratio of the first motor 152 and the operating time of the first motor 152 at the above PWM ratio, the second control unit 32 has a calculation unit, and the second memory unit 52 stores the clogging threshold rotation speed and a lookup table.

[0110] 10A to 10C are first to third flowcharts illustrating an example of a method for determining the PWM ratio and operation time of the first motor 152 in Example 6. When the first communication unit 61 and the second communication unit 62 start communication, the first communication unit 61 transmits the PWM ratio of the first motor 152 stored in the first storage unit 51 and the history of operation time of the first motor 152 at the PWM ratio to the second communication unit 62, and the second communication unit 62 stores the received information in the second storage unit 52 ("START" in FIG. 10A). The second control unit 32 acquires the PWM ratio of the first motor 152 and the history of operation time of the first motor 152 at the PWM ratio from the information stored in the second storage unit 52 (step S6-1).

[0111] As shown in Table 2 below, the second control unit 32 first determines in step S6-2 whether the operating time T of the first motor 152 when the PWM ratio of the first motor 152 is 60% is 10 minutes or more. If the operating time T is determined to be 10 minutes or more, i.e., "Yes," the second control unit 32 determines to control the suction force level of the second electric suction machine 250 to 3 and the operating duration level of the second electric suction machine 250 to 3 (step S6-3).

[0112] If the operating time T is less than 10 minutes, i.e., if the determination in step S6-2 is "No," the second control unit 32 determines in step S6-4 whether the operating time T of the first motor 152 at a PWM ratio of 60% is equal to or greater than 1 minute and less than 10 minutes. If the determination in step S6-4 is that the operating time T of the first motor 152 at a PWM ratio of 60% is equal to or greater than 1 minute and less than 10 minutes, i.e., if the determination is "Yes," the second control unit 32 determines to control the suction force level of the second electric suction device 250 to 3 and the operation duration level of the second electric suction device 250 to 2 (step S6-5).

[0113] If the second control unit 32 determines in step S6-4 that the operating time T is less than 1 minute, i.e., "No," then in step S6-6 it determines whether the operating time T of the first motor 152 at a PWM ratio of 60% is 5 seconds or more and less than 1 minute. If the second control unit 32 determines in step S6-6 that the operating time T of the first motor 152 at a PWM ratio of 60% is 5 seconds or more and less than 1 minute, i.e., "Yes," then the second control unit 32 determines to control the second electric suction device 250 to have a suction force level of 2 and an operation duration level of 2 (step S6-7). If the second control unit 32 determines in step S6-6 that the operating time T is less than 5 seconds, i.e., "No," then the second control unit 32 proceeds to "1" in the flowchart.

[0114] [Table 2]

[0115] The second control unit 32 then determines the operation time T of the first motor 152 when the PWM ratio of the first motor 152 is 20%, as shown in Table 3 below. As shown in FIG. 10B , the second control unit 32 sequentially determines whether the operation time T of the first motor 152 when the PWM ratio is 20% is 21 minutes or more (step S6-8), whether the operation time T is 3 minutes or more but less than 21 minutes (step S6-9), and whether the operation time T is 5 seconds or more but less than 3 minutes (step S6-10), and determines the suction power level and operation duration level of the second electric suction device 250 based on the determination results, as shown in Table 3. If the second control unit 32 determines in step S6-10 that the operation time T is less than 5 seconds, i.e., "No," the process proceeds to "2" in the flowchart.

[0116] [Table 3]

[0117] The second control unit 32 then determines the operation time T of the first motor 152 when the PWM ratio of the first motor 152 is 10%, as shown in Table 4 below. As shown in FIG. 10C , the second control unit 32 sequentially determines whether the operation time T of the first motor 152 when the PWM ratio is 10% is 46 minutes or more (step S6-12), whether the operation time T is 20 minutes or more but less than 46 minutes (step S6-13), and whether the operation time T is 5 minutes or more but less than 20 minutes (step S6-14), and based on the determination results, determines the suction power level and operation duration level of the second electric suction device 250 as shown in Table 4. If the second control unit 32 determines in step S6-15 that the operation time T is longer than 0 seconds but less than 5 minutes, i.e., "Yes," it determines to control the second electric suction device 250 so that the suction power level and operation duration level of the second electric suction device 250 are set to 1 (step S6-16). If the second control unit 32 determines in step S6-15 that the operating time T is 0 seconds or less, that is, determines "No", it determines that the vacuum cleaner 100 has not been operated (step S6-17).

[0118] [Table 4]

[0119] The second control unit 32 operates the second electric suction unit 250 at the suction power level and operation duration level of the second electric suction unit 250 determined in the above flow, and ends the automatic collection of dust. Also, if it is determined in step S6-17 that the vacuum cleaner 100 has not been operated, the second control unit 32 ends the dust collection operation of the dust collection station without controlling the second electric suction unit 250. Note that in the sixth embodiment, the operating time for determining that the vacuum cleaner 100 has not been operated in step S6-15 is 0 seconds or less, but it may also be determined that the vacuum cleaner 100 has not been operated if, for example, the operating time is 5 seconds or less. This is because if the operating time is 5 seconds or less, it can be determined that almost no dust has been sucked up.

[0120] Example 7 Example 7 illustrates a case where the suction power of the second electric suction unit 250 and the duration of operation of the second electric suction unit 250 are estimated based on the operation information of the vacuum cleaner 100 determined in Examples 1 to 6, and the determination is made in order from the operation information in which the estimated suction power of the second electric suction unit 250 is higher or the duration of operation of the second electric suction unit 250 is longer.

[0121] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining error information in the seventh embodiment. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining the difference between the clogging threshold rotation speed and the rotation speed of the first motor 152 in the seventh embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining the peak temperature in each operation mode in the seventh embodiment. FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collecting unit 130 based on the measurement value of the dust sensor 72 in the seventh embodiment. FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collecting unit 130 based on the number of detections by the dust counter 73 in the seventh embodiment. FIGS. 16A to 16C are first to third flowcharts illustrating an example of a method for determining the PWM ratio and operation time of the first motor 152 in the seventh embodiment.

[0122] In Example 7, when the first communication unit 61 and the second communication unit 62 start communication, the first communication unit 61 transmits to the second communication unit 62 error information including the history of high temperature errors and the history of clogging errors in the first dust collection unit 130, the history of the operating mode and the rotation speed of the first motor 152, the history of the operating mode and the peak temperature of the first motor 152, information on the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collection unit 130 measured using the dust sensor 72, information on the number of detections by the dust counter 73, the PWM ratio of the first motor 152, and the history of the operating time of the first motor 152 at the above PWM ratio, and the second communication unit 62 stores the received information in the second memory unit 52 ("Start" in Figure 11).

[0123] As shown in Fig. 11, in Example 7, first, the presence or absence of error information is determined in the same manner as in Example 1. Steps S1-1 to S1-4 related to determining error information are the same as in Example 1, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. In Example 7, if the second control unit 32 determines in step S1-4 of Fig. 11 that there is no clogging error in the first dust collecting unit 130, i.e., determines "No," then proceeds to "A" in Fig. 12, where the difference between the clogging threshold rotation speed for each operation mode and the rotation speed of the first motor 152 is determined, or proceeds to "A" in Fig. 13, where the peak temperature of the first motor 152 is determined for each operation mode.

[0124] 11, when determining the difference between the clogging threshold rotation speed for each operation mode shown in Fig. 12 and the rotation speed of the first motor 152, steps S2-1 to S2-6 are the same as in Example 2, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. In Example 7, if the second control unit 32 determines in step S2-8 of Fig. 12 that the difference between the clogging threshold rotation speed in the weak mode and the rotation speed of the first motor 152 exceeds 200 rpm, i.e., determines "No," the process proceeds to "B" of Fig. 14, where the operation mode and the peak temperature of the first motor 152 are determined.

[0125] 11, when determining the operation mode and the peak temperature of the first motor 152 shown in Fig. 13, steps S3-1 to S3-6 are the same as those in the third embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. In the seventh embodiment, if the second control unit 32 determines in step S3-6 of Fig. 13 that the peak temperature of the first motor 152 in the weak mode is less than 40°C, i.e., "No," the process proceeds to "B" of Fig. 14, where the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collection unit 130 measured using the dust sensor 72 is determined.

[0126] Steps S4-1 to S4-6 relating to determining the amount of dust accumulated in first dust collection section 130 measured using dust sensor 72 are the same as in Example 4, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. In Example 7, when second control section 32 determines in step S4-4 of Fig. 14 that the amount of dust accumulated in first dust collection section 130 is not a medium amount, i.e., determines that the amount of dust accumulated in first dust collection section 130 is a small amount or less (step S4-6), and then proceeds to "C" in Fig. 15, where the amount of dust accumulated in first dust collection section 130 is determined based on the number of detections by dust counter 73.

[0127] Steps S5-1 to S5-3 relating to determining the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collection unit 130 measured by the dust counter 73 are the same as those in the fifth embodiment, and therefore will not be described again. In the seventh embodiment, when the second control unit 32 determines in step S5-2 of Fig. 15 that the number of detections by the dust counter 73 is less than the threshold, i.e., determines "No," the process proceeds to "D" of Fig. 16A, where the PWM ratio of the first motor 152 and the operating time of the first motor 152 at the PWM ratio are determined.

[0128] Steps S6-1 to S6-18 relating to the determination of the PWM ratio of the first motor 152 and the operation time of the first motor 152 at the PWM ratio are the same as those in the sixth embodiment, and therefore will not be described again. In the seventh embodiment, similarly to the sixth embodiment, the second control unit 32 determines the suction force level and operation duration level of the second electric suction machine 250 based on the determination results as shown in Tables 1 to 4 above. Although the case where the dust collection station 200 detects the connection with the vacuum cleaner 100 has been described above, the vacuum cleaner 100 may detect the connection with the dust collection station 200 instead.

[0129] 17 and 18, a method by which the vacuum cleaner 100 records its own activation history and a method by which the dust collection station 200 checks the activation history of the vacuum cleaner 100 will be described below. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for recording the activation history of the vacuum cleaner 100. When a user performs cleaning, the user turns on the operation switch of the vacuum cleaner 100, whereby power is supplied from the battery 170 to the first control unit 31, and the first control unit 31 starts controlling the first electric suction device 150. As a result, simply removing the vacuum cleaner 100 from the dust collection station 200 does not supply power from the battery 170 to the first control unit 31, and the first control unit 31 does not operate. Therefore, when the vacuum cleaner 100 is left unattached to the dust collection station 200, the vacuum cleaner 100 does not consume power, thereby saving energy.

[0130] The first storage unit 51 may store a startup history indicating that the first electric suction device 150 has been started when the first electric suction device 150 is started. The first storage unit 51 may also store a startup history indicating that the first electric suction device 150 has not been started between the time when the vacuum cleaner 100 is removed from the dust collection station 200 and the time when the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected to the dust collection station 200, or that the first communication unit 61 and the second communication unit 62 have communicated with each other. The "startup history with startup" means, for example, that the startup history flag of the vacuum cleaner 100 is ON, and the "startup history with no startup" means, for example, that the startup history flag of the vacuum cleaner 100 is OFF. As will be described later, the first control unit 31 controls whether the startup history flag is ON or OFF.

[0131] When the user activates the first electric suction cleaner 150 by, for example, turning on the operation switch of the vacuum cleaner 100 ("Start 'Vacuum Cleaner'" in Figure 17), the first control unit 31 turns on the startup history flag of the vacuum cleaner 100 in step S1 and ends recording the startup history of the vacuum cleaner 100 in the first memory unit 51.

[0132] FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing an example of a method by which the dust collection station 200 checks whether or not the vacuum cleaner 100 has a startup history. The following describes an example in which the vacuum cleaner 100 and the dust collection station 200 each have communication terminals, and when the communication terminals are electrically connected, the dust collection station 200 detects the connection of the vacuum cleaner 100. The example also illustrates a case in which the vacuum cleaner 100 is attached to the dust collection station 200 without power being supplied from the battery 170 of the vacuum cleaner 100 to the first control unit 31, i.e., with the first control unit 31 in a non-energized state. When a user attaches the vacuum cleaner 100 to the dust collection station 200, the charging terminals come into contact with each other, and power is supplied from the dust collection station 200 to the vacuum cleaner 100 via the charging terminals. The vacuum cleaner 100 is provided with a circuit that starts energizing the first control unit 31 when a voltage is applied to the charging terminals. Therefore, when a user attaches the vacuum cleaner 100 to the dust collection station 200, power is supplied to the first control unit 31.

[0133] As shown in FIG. 18, when the user attaches the vacuum cleaner 100 to the dust collection station 200, power is supplied to the first control unit 31 (START "Vacuum Cleaning"). The first control unit 31 of the vacuum cleaner 100 checks the startup history flag of the vacuum cleaner 100 in step Sa-1. The first control unit 31 determines whether the startup history flag of the vacuum cleaner 100 is ON in step Sa-2. If the first control unit 31 determines that the history flag is OFF, i.e., "No", in step Sa-2, the first control unit 31 does nothing in step Sa-3, and the first communication unit 61 ends communication with the second communication unit 62. If the first electric suction machine 150 has not been operating between the time the vacuum cleaner 100 was removed from the dust collection station 200 and the time the vacuum cleaner 100 was connected to the dust collection station 200, i.e., if the vacuum cleaner 100 has not been used, the history flag is OFF in step Sa-2.

[0134] The first control unit 31 sets the startup history of the vacuum cleaner 100 to "no startup history" (sets the history flag to OFF) not only when the vacuum cleaner 100 is not in use but also after the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected to the dust collection station 200 and the first communication unit 61 and the second communication unit 62 have communicated. Specifically, if the startup history flag of the vacuum cleaner 100 is ON, i.e., if the first control unit 31 determines "Yes" in step Sa-2, the first control unit 31 turns the port ON in step Sa-4. Thereafter, the first control unit 31 determines "No" until a certain time has elapsed in step Sa-5, and after the certain time has elapsed in step Sa-5, the first control unit 31 turns the port OFF, sets the startup history flag of the vacuum cleaner 100 to OFF, and powers off the microcomputer on the vacuum cleaner side, and the first communication unit 61 ends communication with the second communication unit 62. Note that even if the startup history flag is OFF in step Sa-3, the first communication unit 61 may send information to the second communication unit 62 that the startup history flag is OFF.

[0135] For example, when a user activates the first electric suction device 150, the first control unit 31 (microcomputer) outputs a High signal to set the bit flag to 1. Setting the bit flag to 1 is referred to as the startup history flag being ON. The port is an output port that outputs the ON / OFF status of the startup history flag of the vacuum cleaner 100 to the dust collection station 200. When the startup history flag is turned ON, the first control unit 31 switches the port to a state (turns the port ON) in which the first communication unit 61 can output the startup history of the vacuum cleaner 100 to the second communication unit 62. When a certain period of time has elapsed since the port was turned ON, the first control unit 31 outputs a Low signal to set the bit flag to 0. Setting the bit flag to 0 is referred to as the startup history flag being OFF. When the startup history flag is turned OFF, the first control unit 31 switches the port to a state in which the first communication unit 61 does not output the startup history of the vacuum cleaner 100 to the second communication unit 62 (turns the port OFF). The vacuum cleaner 100 has a communication terminal corresponding to the port. When the communication method between the first communication unit 61 and the second communication unit 62 is signal communication, which will be described later, the port is also called a signal port.

[0136] As shown in FIG. 18 , the second control unit 32 of the dust collection station 200 determines whether or not a connection with the vacuum cleaner 100 is established in step Sb-1. If a connection with the vacuum cleaner 100 is not detected in step Sb-1, i.e., if the determination is "No," the second control unit 32 continues the detection operation. If the dust collection station 200 detects a connection with the vacuum cleaner 100, i.e., if the determination is "Yes," the second control unit 32 begins checking the port in step Sb-2. The second control unit 32 determines whether the port is ON in step Sb-3, and if the port is ON, i.e., if the port on the vacuum cleaner 100 side is ON in step Sb-5, the second control unit 32 determines "Yes," and in step Sb-4 determines that there is a startup history of the vacuum cleaner 100, and terminates communication between the first communication unit and the second communication unit 62. The second control unit 32 then drives the second electric suction device 250 for a predetermined time to move dust accumulated in the first dust collection unit 130 to the second dust collection unit 230. After the predetermined time has elapsed, the second control unit 32 stops the second electric suction device and terminates automatic collection. Alternatively, the above-described first to seventh embodiments may be implemented. On the other hand, if the port is OFF in step Sb-3, i.e., if the port on the vacuum cleaner 100 side is OFF in step Sa-5, the second control unit 32 determines "No" and repeats the determination of whether the port is ON in step Sb-3 until a predetermined time has elapsed in step Sb-5. If the predetermined time has elapsed in step Sb-5, i.e., if the determination is "Yes," the second control unit 32 determines in step Sb-6 that the vacuum cleaner 100 has not been activated and terminates communication between the first communication unit 61 and the second communication unit 62. The predetermined time is, for example, 0.01 seconds or more and 1 second or less. In this case, the second control unit 32 does not drive the second electric suction device 250. Communication between the first communication unit 61 and the second communication unit 62 may be performed using a communication method such as synchronous serial communication such as I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit), asynchronous serial communication such as UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter), or TCP (Transmission Control Protocol).

[0137] The method for recording the activation history of the vacuum cleaner 100 has been described. For multiple pieces of operation information, such as the error information, when the vacuum cleaner 100 performs an operation related to the multiple pieces of operation information, the vacuum cleaner 100 turns on the history flag for the corresponding operation information and turns on the port corresponding to the operation information. When the dust collection station 200 detects the connection of the vacuum cleaner 100, the dust collection station 200 checks whether the port corresponding to each piece of operation information of the vacuum cleaner 100 is on. Then, based on the history of at least one piece of operation information received from the vacuum cleaner 100, the dust collection station 200 may operate the second electric suction device 250 at a predetermined suction force for a predetermined time, e.g., 30 seconds, to move dust from the first dust collection unit 130 to the second dust collection unit 230. The second control unit 32 may check the ports corresponding to all pieces of operation information, or may check the ports corresponding to one or more pieces of operation information to be determined. In this case, a communication terminal corresponding to each port is required. Therefore, it is preferable that the first storage unit 51 stores history flags for all of the operation information included in the plurality of pieces of operation information, and the first communication unit 61 transmits history flag information (ON or OFF) to the second communication unit 62. The second control unit 32 may check the history flags for all of the operation information received by the second communication unit 62, or may check the history flags for one or more pieces of operation information to be judged from among the operation information received by the second communication unit 62. In this way, the number of communication terminals can be reduced. [Explanation of symbols]

[0138] 1: Dust collection device 31: First control section 32: Second control section 51:First memory section 52:Second memory section 61: First Communications Department 62: Second Communications Department 71: Temperature sensor 72: Dust sensor 73: Dust counter 74: Error detection section 100: Vacuum cleaner 101: Vacuum cleaner body 102: Inlet body 103: Grip part 104:First operation section 105, 205: Charging terminal 120: Intake port 130:First dust collection section 140: Filter 150:First electric suction machine 151: Fan 152: Motor (first motor) 160: Dust exhaust port 161: Lid 170: Battery 200: Dust collection station 201: Station body 202: Pedestal 220: Collection port 221: Dust flow path 222: Lid 230:Second dust collection section 240: Filter 250:Second electric suction machine 251: Fan 252: Motor (second motor)

Claims

1. a vacuum cleaner and a dust collection station connectable to the vacuum cleaner; the vacuum cleaner has a suction port, a first electric suction device, a first dust collection unit that collects dust sucked by the first electric suction device, a dust discharge port that discharges dust in the first dust collection unit, a first memory unit that stores a plurality of pieces of operation information of the vacuum cleaner, and a first communication unit; the dust collection station includes a collection port detachable from the dust discharge port of the vacuum cleaner, a second electric suction machine that generates suction force to suck dust from the collection port, a second dust collection unit that stores the dust sucked by the second electric suction machine, a second control unit that controls the suction force of the second electric suction machine and the operation duration of the second electric suction machine, and a second communication unit that communicates with the first communication unit; the first communication unit transmits at least one piece of operation information among the plurality of pieces of operation information stored in the first storage unit to the second communication unit; The second control unit controls at least one of the suction force of the second electric suction machine and the operating duration of the second electric suction machine based on the at least one piece of operation information received by the second communication unit.

2. the first communication unit transmits two or more pieces of operation information among the plurality of pieces of operation information stored in the first storage unit to the second communication unit; The dust collection device according to claim 1 , wherein the second control unit determines at least one of a suction force of the second electric suction machine and an operation duration of the second electric suction machine based on each of the two or more pieces of operation information.

3. The dust collection device of claim 2, wherein the second control unit estimates the suction force of the second electric suction machine and / or the operating duration of the second electric suction machine based on each of the two or more pieces of operation information received by the second communication unit, and determines at least one of the suction force of the second electric suction machine and the operating duration of the second electric suction machine by judging the operation information in descending order of the estimated suction force of the second electric suction machine or the estimated operating duration of the second electric suction machine.

4. 4. The dust collection device according to claim 1, wherein the first storage unit stores a rotation speed of a first motor included in the first electric suction machine.

5. The vacuum cleaner further includes a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of at least the first electric suction unit.

4. The dust collection device according to claim 1, wherein the first storage unit stores a peak temperature during operation of the first electric suction machine measured using the temperature sensor.

6. the vacuum cleaner further comprises a dust sensor including at least one selected from the group consisting of an optical sensor, a distance measurement sensor, and a pressure sensor; 4. The dust collection device according to claim 1, wherein the first storage section stores the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collection section measured by the dust sensor.

7. The vacuum cleaner further includes a dust counter that issues a signal when dust is detected between the suction port and the first dust collecting unit, 4. The dust collection device according to claim 1, wherein the first storage unit stores the number of times that the dust counter has detected dust.

8. the first electric suction machine includes a first motor; 4. The dust collection device according to claim 1, wherein the first storage unit stores a PWM ratio of the first motor and an operation time of the first motor at the PWM ratio.

9. The vacuum cleaner has an error determination unit that determines an error, the error determination unit determines that an error has occurred when the rotation speed of a first motor included in the first electric suction machine becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value, or when the temperature of the first electric suction machine measured by a temperature sensor becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value; 4. The dust collection device according to claim 1, wherein the first storage unit stores the error information.

10. The first storage unit stores a start-up history indicating that the first electric suction machine has been started when the first electric suction machine is operated, and A dust collection device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, which stores a startup history indicating that the first electric suction machine has not been operating between the time the vacuum cleaner is removed from the dust collection station and the time it is connected to the dust collection station, or that there is no startup history after the vacuum cleaner is connected to the dust collection station and the first communication unit and the second communication unit communicate.

Images