Vacuum cleaner, cleaning system, and control method of vacuum cleaner

Abstract

To provide a vacuum cleaner that enables a user to perform cleaning while setting a desired sucking force, a cleaning system, and a control method of the vacuum cleaner.SOLUTION: A vacuum cleaner includes: a body; an electric blower provided in the body; an operation part that includes an operation button operated by a user and receives cleaning operation of the user; and a control part that detects an operation signal being a signal indicating the cleaning operation of the user from the operation part, and controls the electric blower according to the operation signal. Upon detecting a signal serving as a trigger from the operation button, the control part controls the electric blower in an input power setting mode in which input power of the electric blower is set according to the operation signal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vacuum cleaner, a cleaning system, and a method for controlling a vacuum cleaner. [Background technology]

[0002] In an electric vacuum cleaner, the strength of suction during operation can be set by controlling the input power input to the electric blower.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an electric vacuum cleaner equipped with a memory that stores multiple operating patterns according to the power consumption of the electric blower. This electric vacuum cleaner determines the power consumption of the electric blower by combining the operating patterns stored in the memory, allowing the user to clean with suction power that suits their preference. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-21346 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, with conventional vacuum cleaners, even if a user decides on an operating pattern, if the user is unable to obtain the desired suction power, the user does not know whether the desired suction power has been obtained until the vacuum cleaner is operated, which has the problem of making the vacuum cleaner less user-friendly.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and aims to provide a vacuum cleaner, a cleaning system, and a method for controlling a vacuum cleaner that allow a user to clean while setting the suction power to suit their preferences. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The electric vacuum cleaner according to the present disclosure comprises a main body, an electric blower provided on the main body, an operation unit having an operation button operated by the user and accepting the user's cleaning operation, and a control unit that detects an operation signal from the operation unit that is a signal indicating the user's cleaning operation and controls the electric blower according to the operation signal, and when the control unit detects a trigger signal from the operation button, it controls the electric blower in an input power setting mode that sets the input power of the electric blower in accordance with the operation signal.

[0008] The electric vacuum cleaner according to the present disclosure comprises a main body, an electric blower provided in the main body, a sensor unit having a sensor that detects the cleaning action of a user, and a control unit that receives a signal from the sensor unit and controls the electric blower, and when the sensor unit detects an operation signal that is a signal indicating the cleaning action of a user, the control unit controls the electric blower in an input power setting mode that sets the input power of the electric blower in accordance with the operation signal.

[0009] The cleaning system according to the present disclosure comprises a vacuum cleaner and a charging device to which the vacuum cleaner is connected and which charges a battery for driving an electric blower, the charging device having a voltage conversion unit that converts AC voltage into DC voltage and an electrode unit that is electrically connected to the vacuum cleaner and outputs the DC voltage converted by the voltage conversion unit, and when the vacuum cleaner is connected to the charging device and DC voltage is output to the electrode unit, the control unit uses an operation signal as a trigger to temporarily stop charging of the battery and start an input power setting mode.

[0010] The cleaning system according to the present disclosure comprises an electric vacuum cleaner and a communication device capable of communicating with the electric vacuum cleaner, wherein the vacuum cleaner has a main body, an electric blower provided in the main body, a communication interface unit that communicates with the communication device, and a control unit that receives signals from the communication device via the communication interface unit and controls the electric blower, and when the control unit receives an operation signal from the communication device that indicates a user's cleaning operation, it starts an input power setting mode that sets the input power of the electric blower in accordance with the operation signal.

[0011] The method for controlling an electric vacuum cleaner according to the present disclosure includes the steps of: a control unit that controls an electric blower provided in the main body of the electric vacuum cleaner detecting a trigger signal from an operation button operated by a user; when the trigger signal is detected, the control unit detecting an operation signal that is a signal indicating the user's cleaning operation from an operation unit that accepts the user's cleaning operation and to which the operation button is provided; a step in which the control unit calculates the input power of the electric blower in accordance with the operation signal; and a step in which the control unit controls the electric blower with the input power of the electric blower calculated in accordance with the operation signal.

[0012] The method for controlling an electric vacuum cleaner according to the present disclosure includes the steps of receiving a signal from a sensor unit having a sensor that detects the user's cleaning action, and detecting an operation signal that indicates the user's cleaning action with a control unit that controls an electric blower, calculating the input power of the electric blower in accordance with the operation signal with the control unit when the operation signal is detected, and controlling the electric blower with the input power of the electric blower calculated in accordance with the operation signal by the control unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The vacuum cleaner, cleaning system, and vacuum cleaner control method according to the present disclosure allow the user to clean while setting the suction power to suit their preferences. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a vacuum cleaner according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view showing a vacuum cleaner and a charging device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electric vacuum cleaner according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an operation button of a vacuum cleaner according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of operation of the electric vacuum cleaner according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 6]4 is a flowchart showing a method for controlling the electric vacuum cleaner according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an electric vacuum cleaner according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the electric vacuum cleaner according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a cleaning system according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the cleaning system according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the electric vacuum cleaner according to the fifth embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The following describes a vacuum cleaner, a cleaning system, and a method for controlling a vacuum cleaner according to the present disclosure with reference to the drawings.

[0016] Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a vacuum cleaner according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure includes a main body 2, an electric blower 3, an operation unit 7, and a control unit 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the electric blower 3 is provided in the main body 2. The operation unit 7 is also provided in the main body 2 and receives a cleaning operation from a user. Here, the cleaning operation from the user is at least one of an operation of moving the main body 2 of the vacuum cleaner 1 to clean and an operation of changing the power of the electric blower 3 during cleaning. The vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure is provided with a control unit 10. When the operation unit 7 receives a cleaning operation, it transmits an operation signal indicating the cleaning operation to the control unit 10. The operation signal indicating the cleaning operation to move the vacuum cleaner 1 received by the operation unit 7 is detected by a sensor unit 13 (described later) and transmitted from the operation unit 7 to the control unit 10. The control unit 10 receives the operation signal from the operation unit 7 and controls whether to drive or stop the electric blower 3.

[0017] In this disclosure, dust and other debris are collectively referred to as dust, air containing dust is referred to as dust-laden air, and air from which dust has been removed is referred to as clean air.

[0018] The vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure is a cordless, upright vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner 1 further includes a battery 4, a cylindrical portion 5, a dust collection portion 6, a handle portion 72, an extension tube 8, and a suction tool 9. The extension tube 8 extends in one longitudinal direction.

[0019] 1, the longitudinal direction is the direction in which the side where the battery 4 is located is the upper side and the side where the suction tool 9 is located is the lower side. Also, in the present disclosure, in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the side where the dust collecting part 6 is located is the front side, and the side where the tubular part 5 is located is the rear side.

[0020] The main body 2 is a housing that houses the electric blower 3. The electric blower 3 generates an airflow for sucking in dust. The battery 4 is a power source for driving the electric blower 3 and the rotating brush 93 (described later), and is, for example, a rechargeable secondary battery. The battery 4 is attached to the rear side of the main body 2. The cylindrical portion 5 has a connection port 51 for sucking in dust at its lower end in the longitudinal direction in FIG. 1. An air passage is formed inside the cylindrical portion 5 to guide the dust-laden airflow that passes through the connection port 51 to the dust collection portion 6. A packing (not shown) is provided at the open edge of the connection port 51, and an extension tube 8 is connected to the cylindrical portion 5 while maintaining airtightness.

[0021] The dust collection unit 6 separates dust from the dust-laden air sucked in from the connection port 51 and collects the separated dust. The dust collection unit 6 has, for example, a cyclone separator (not shown). Instead of the cyclone separator, the dust collection unit 6 may have, for example, a dust collection bag that can collect dust by filtering the airflow. The airflow from which dust has been removed by the dust collection unit 6 is discharged to the outside from an exhaust port 2a opened in the main body 2.

[0022] The operation unit 7 has an operation button 71 that the user presses to turn the electric blower 3 on and off and to change the strength, and a grip portion 72 that the user grips.

[0023] Operation button 71 is provided in a position where it can be operated by the user's thumb when the user grips grip portion 72. Operation button 71 includes an operation switch. Grip portion 72 is provided with electrode portion 14 that is electrically connected to electrode portion 28 provided on charging device 20, which will be described later.

[0024] The extension pipe 8 is a straight, hollow tubular member. The upper end of the extension pipe 8 is connected to the connection port 51 of the cylindrical part 5. The lower end of the extension pipe 8 is connected to the suction tool 9.

[0025] The suction tool 9 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is elongated in the left-right direction, which is the width direction. A connecting part 91 is attached to the upper part of the suction tool 9 at the center in the width direction via a joint part 92.

[0026] As shown in Figure 1, the connection part 91 of the suction tool 9 is connected to the lower end of the extension tube 8. The joint part 92 can change the orientation of the extension tube 8 and therefore the main body 2 relative to the suction tool 9 in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions within a preset angular range. This allows the user of the vacuum cleaner 1 to perform cleaning with the main body 2 tilted relative to the suction tool 9 in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions within a preset angular range.

[0027] A suction chamber (not shown) elongated in the left-right direction is provided inside the suction tool 9, and a rotating brush 93 for sweeping up dust from the floor surface is rotatably housed inside the suction chamber. A motor 94 for driving the rotation of the rotating brush 93 is built into the suction tool 9. Power is supplied to the motor 94 from the battery 4. A suction port (not shown) that communicates with the suction chamber is opened on the bottom surface of the suction tool 9. Wheels 95 (not shown) supported by support members are provided on the bottom of the suction tool 9, outside the suction port in the left-right direction.

[0028] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the vacuum cleaner and charging device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 2, the main body 2 of the vacuum cleaner 1 can be placed on the charging device 20 in an upright position. In this state, the battery 4 can be charged, and the extension tube 8 and the suction tool 9 can be removed from the vacuum cleaner 1 by detaching the extension tube 8 from the cylindrical portion 5. This allows the vacuum cleaner 1 to be used as a handheld vacuum cleaner.

[0029] Charging device 20 has a base 21. A support column 22 extending vertically is attached to the upper surface of base 21. A first support column 23a is provided at the upper end of support column 22 to support grip section 7 from below. A second support column 23b is provided at the rear surface of first support column 23a to support dust collection section 6 from below. A third support column 23c is provided at the rear surface of second support column 23b to support the lower end of tubular section 5 and the upper end of extension tube 8. Base 21 is provided with a mounting section 24 on which suction tool 9 is placed.

[0030] Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vacuum cleaner according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 3, charging device 20 further includes power plug 26, voltage conversion unit 27, and electrode unit 28 on the charging device 20 side. Power plug 26 is connected to, for example, a commercial power outlet. Voltage conversion unit 27 converts the AC voltage (e.g., AC 100 V) of the commercial power supply supplied via power plug 26 into an arbitrary DC voltage (e.g., DC 26 V). The DC voltage converted by voltage conversion unit 27 is output from electrode unit 28 on the charging device 20 side. Electrode unit 28 on the charging device 20 side is provided on, for example, first support portion 23 a for supporting grip unit 7.

[0031] When the control unit 10 receives an operation signal from the operation unit, which is a signal indicating a cleaning operation by the user, the control unit 10 starts an input power setting mode in which the input power of the electric blower is set in accordance with the operation signal.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 10 has a microcomputer 11. Like the electric blower 3 and the brush motor 94, the microcomputer 11 is supplied with power from the battery 4. The microcomputer 11 is a microcomputer. The microcomputer 11 includes a processor 11a and a memory 11b. The processor 11a executes a program stored in the memory 11b, whereby the microcomputer 11 executes preset processes and controls the overall operation of the vacuum cleaner 1, including driving the electric blower 3 and the brush motor 94, which will be described later, charging and discharging the battery 4, etc.

[0033] Microcomputer 11 can execute control to drive or stop electric blower 3 based on the user's operation of operation button 71. That is, when operation button 71 is turned ON, microcomputer 11 drives electric blower 3, and when operation button 71 is turned OFF, microcomputer 11 stops electric blower 3.

[0034] Sensor unit 13 of vacuum cleaner 1 according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure is acceleration sensor 12 for detecting the attitude of main body 2. A known acceleration sensor may be used as acceleration sensor 12, and detailed description including the attitude detection method will be omitted here. Note that in FIG. 3 , sensor unit 13 may be provided on the same board as control unit 10, as long as it can detect the attitude of main body 2.

[0035] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the operation buttons of the electric vacuum cleaner according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 4, operation buttons 71 include an operation button 71a for operating the electric vacuum cleaner 1 on and off, and a strength button 71b for switching the input power setting of electric blower 3 and changing the operation mode of electric vacuum cleaner 1.

[0036] When the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure starts operation by pressing the operation ON button of the operation buttons 71, the electric blower 3 is driven in the default high mode with a preset input power. Pressing the high / low button 71b in this state switches the operation mode of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure to a medium mode in which the input power of the electric blower 3 is set lower than that in the high mode. Pressing the high / low button 71b further switches the operation mode of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure to a low mode in which the input power is set lower than that in the medium mode. Pressing the high / low button 71b while the electric vacuum cleaner 1 is operating in the low mode switches the operation mode of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure back to the high mode. In this way, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure can be controlled to repeatedly switch the input power of the electric blower 3 from the high mode to the medium mode, from the medium mode to the low mode, and from the low mode to the high mode, each time the high / low button is pressed. In the present disclosure, the operation in the low mode, medium mode, and high mode in which the input power of the electric blower 3 is preset is referred to as a normal operation mode.

[0037] Furthermore, microcomputer 11 can control the input power of electric blower 3 based on the angle detected by acceleration sensor 12. When acceleration sensor 12 detects an upright posture, microcomputer 11 sets electric blower 3 to the minimum input power, while when the posture of electric vacuum cleaner 1 is gradually tilted, microcomputer 11 controls the input power of electric blower 3 according to the angle detected by acceleration sensor 12.

[0038] When the microcomputer 11 drives the electric blower 3, a suction force acts on the inside of the dust collecting unit 6, the cylindrical unit 5, and the extension tube 8, and dust-laden air is sucked in through the suction tool 9. That is, the electric blower 3 generates an airflow that is sucked in through the suction port of the suction tool 9. At this time, the rotating brush 93 may be rotated to suck in the picked-up dust and other particles. The dust-laden air sucked in through the suction tool 9 passes through the extension tube 8 and the cylindrical unit 5 and is taken into the dust collecting unit 6. In the dust collecting unit 6, dust is separated from the dust-laden air. The clean air discharged from the dust collecting unit 6 passes through the electric blower 3 and is then discharged to the outside of the main body 2 through the exhaust port 2a.

[0039] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of operation of the vacuum cleaner according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. In the present disclosure, the attitude of the main body 2 is determined by the angle θ in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 5, the upright attitude of the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure is a state in which the main body 2 stands upright in the same direction as the vertical axis in FIG. 5. Furthermore, the tilted attitude of the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure is a state in which the main body 2 is tilted by the angle θ with respect to the vertical axis, as shown in FIG. 5. This angle θ is detected by the acceleration sensor 12 provided in the control unit 10.

[0040] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a method for controlling the electric vacuum cleaner according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. The routine shown in FIG. 6 is started by the microcomputer 11 while the electric blower 3 is stopped. In step S1, the control unit 10 detects a trigger signal from the operation button. In this disclosure, an example of the trigger signal is a signal generated when the strength button is pressed. However, a start button for the input power setting mode, which will be described later, may also be provided as the trigger signal. First, it is detected whether the strength button, which indicates the strength of the input power to the electric blower 3 provided on the electric vacuum cleaner 1, has been pressed. If the strength button has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S2, where the control unit 10 starts the input power setting mode. If the strength button has not been pressed, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 remains stopped. Steps S2 and onward show a specific flow of the input power setting mode.

[0041] If the intensity button is pressed in step S1, in step S2, the electric blower 3 provided on the main body 2 of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 is operated with minimum input power. Next, in step S3, the operation unit 7, which accepts the user's cleaning operation, and the sensor unit 13 detect an operation signal that indicates the user's cleaning operation. In the electric vacuum cleaner according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, the operation signal is a signal that indicates the attitude of the main body 2, and is angle θ detected by the acceleration sensor 12. In step S4, when the operation signal is detected, the control unit 10 calculates the input power of the electric blower 3 according to the angle θ of the operation signal.

[0042] In step S5, if the operation signal is detected in step S3 and the input power is calculated in step S4, electric blower 3 is controlled with the input power calculated in accordance with the operation signal.

[0043] The input power setting mode of the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure is a mode in which the input power of the electric blower 3 is set according to the attitude of the main body 2. In this input power setting mode, the angle when the main body 2 is in an upright position is set to 0 degrees, and the minimum input power allowable for the vacuum cleaner 1 is set. Furthermore, in the input power setting mode of the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, when the attitude of the main body 2 is increased by angle θ, the input power increases in accordance with the increase in angle θ. Note that in the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, the maximum input power allowable for the vacuum cleaner 1 is set when angle θ reaches θth, which is the maximum input power reach angle, and the input power is controlled so that the maximum input power is maintained even if the vacuum cleaner 1 is tilted any further.

[0044] At this time, the control unit 10 may gradually change the input power of the electric blower 3 in response to the operation signal. In the present disclosure, gradually changing the input power means changing the input power in steps, such as linearly or gradually.

[0045] In step S6, the control unit 10 detects whether the operation button 71a provided on the operation unit 7 has been pressed. When the operation button 71a has been pressed, the control unit 10 determines that a signal to confirm the input power of the electric blower 3 has been received from the operation unit 7 in the input power setting mode, and proceeds to step S7. If the operation button 71a has not been pressed, the control unit 10 returns to step S3 and continues in the input power setting mode.

[0046] In step S7, when the control unit 10 receives a signal from the operation unit 7 to confirm the input power of the electric blower 3 in the input power setting mode, the control unit 10 confirms the input power of the electric blower 3, registers the confirmed input power as an operating mode, and operates the electric blower 3 in the registered operating mode.

[0047] In this case, when the control unit 10 receives a signal from the operation unit 7 to confirm the input power of the electric blower 3 in the input power setting mode, the control unit 10 may store the input power used in the input power setting mode in memory and control the electric blower using the set value. This memory may be provided in the main body 2 of the electric vacuum cleaner 1, or may be stored in an external server via a communication device. The input power set value saved in the memory 11b may be registered as a new operating mode in addition to the existing high / medium / low modes, or the input power set value of the existing high / medium / low modes may be updated with the new set value. Furthermore, while multiple set values ​​can be registered through this flow, it is also possible to overwrite or erase registered set values, thereby restoring the set values ​​to the initial state immediately after shipping from the manufacturer. After registering the operating mode in step S7, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 is stopped, thereby completing the routine of the control method for the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0048] Therefore, the control method of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure includes a step in which a control unit 10 that controls an electric blower provided on the main body of the electric vacuum cleaner detects a trigger signal from an operation button operated by a user, a step in which, when the trigger signal is detected, the control unit 10 detects an operation signal that is a signal indicating the user's cleaning action from an operation unit that receives the user's cleaning action and has an operation button provided thereon, a step in which, when the operation signal is detected, the control unit 10 calculates the input power of the electric blower 3 according to the operation signal, and a step in which the control unit 10 controls the electric blower 3 with the input power of the electric blower 3 calculated according to the operation signal.

[0049] Furthermore, as described above, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a main body 2, an electric blower 3 provided on the main body 2, an operation unit 7 having an operation button operated by the user and accepting the user's cleaning operation, and a control unit 10 that detects an operation signal from the operation unit 7 that is a signal indicating the user's cleaning operation and controls the electric blower 3 according to the operation signal, and when the control unit 10 detects a trigger signal from the operation button, it controls the electric blower 3 in an input power setting mode that sets the input power of the electric blower 3 according to the operation signal.

[0050] Therefore, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 and the control method for the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure set the input power of the electric blower 3 in accordance with the operation signal, allowing the user to clean while setting the suction power to suit their preferences.

[0051] Furthermore, according to the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, the input power of the electric blower 3 can be easily set by using a signal indicating the attitude of the main body 2 as the operation signal.

[0052] Furthermore, according to the electric vacuum cleaner 1 of embodiment 1 of the present disclosure, the input power of the electric blower 3 is gradually changed, so that the change in the input power of the electric blower 3 is stepwise, allowing the user to set the input power to suit their preferences.

[0053] Furthermore, according to the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, by registering the input power determined in the input power setting mode as an operating mode, the input power that suits the user's preferences can be easily called up, thereby improving convenience.

[0054] Furthermore, with the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the input power determined in the input power setting mode can be stored in memory, allowing multiple input power values ​​to be prepared. This makes it possible to recall previously used input power values ​​at any time, allowing for more comfortable cleaning.

[0055] Embodiment 2 In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment of the present disclosure are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment. Hereinafter, an electric vacuum cleaner 1a according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0056] 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vacuum cleaner according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. In the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit 10 controls the electric blower 3 based on an operation signal detected by the operation unit 7. In the vacuum cleaner 1a according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure, a sensor unit 13 is provided instead of the operation unit 7. As shown in FIG. 7, the vacuum cleaner 1a according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure includes a main body 2, the electric blower 3 provided in the main body 2, the sensor unit 13 having a sensor that detects the cleaning operation of the user, and a control unit that receives a signal from the sensor unit 13 and drives and stops the electric blower 3.

[0057] In the electric vacuum cleaner 1a according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure, when the control unit 10 receives an operation signal from the sensor unit 13, which is a signal indicating the user's cleaning operation, the control unit 10 controls the electric blower 3 in an input power setting mode that sets the input power of the electric blower 3 according to the operation signal.

[0058] In addition, the control method for the electric vacuum cleaner 1a according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure includes the steps of receiving a signal from a sensor unit 13 having a sensor for detecting the cleaning action of the user, and detecting an operation signal indicating the cleaning action of the user by a control unit 10 that controls the electric blower 3; when the operation signal is detected, calculating the input power of the electric blower 3 in accordance with the operation signal by the control unit 10; and controlling the electric blower 3 with the input power of the electric blower 3 calculated in accordance with the operation signal by the control unit 10.

[0059] As a result, the electric vacuum cleaner 1a according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure allows the user to perform cleaning while setting the suction power to suit their preferences, similar to the first embodiment. Furthermore, the electric vacuum cleaner 1a according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure detects the operation signal not from the operation unit 7 but from the sensor unit 13, so there is no need to manually adjust the strength of the electric blower 3, allowing for more comfortable cleaning.

[0060] Furthermore, according to the electric vacuum cleaner 1a of the second embodiment of the present disclosure, the input power of the electric blower 3 can be easily set by using a signal indicating the posture of the main body 2 as the operating signal, as in the first embodiment.

[0061] Furthermore, according to the electric vacuum cleaner 1a of embodiment 2 of the present disclosure, as in embodiment 1, the input power of the electric blower 3 is gradually changed, so that the change in the input power of the electric blower 3 is stepwise, allowing the user to set the input power to suit their preferences.

[0062] Furthermore, according to the electric vacuum cleaner 1a according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure, as in the first embodiment, the input power determined in the input power setting mode can be registered as an operating mode, thereby making it possible to easily call up an input power that suits the user's preferences, thereby improving convenience.

[0063] Furthermore, with the vacuum cleaner 1a according to the second embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to prepare multiple input powers by storing the input power determined in the input power setting mode in memory, as in the first embodiment. This makes it possible to call up previously used input power values ​​at any time, allowing for more comfortable cleaning.

[0064] Embodiment 3 In the third embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment of the present disclosure are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description will focus on the differences from the first and second embodiments. Hereinafter, an electric vacuum cleaner 1b according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0065] Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the electric vacuum cleaner according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure. The electric vacuum cleaner 1b according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure sets the input power of the electric blower 3 without using a signal indicating the attitude of the main body 2. The series of operations shown in Fig. 8 are started by the control unit 10 while the electric blower 3 is stopped. The series of operations in the input power setting mode of the electric vacuum cleaner 1b according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below.

[0066] In step S11, the control unit 10 determines whether or not the strength button 71b has been pressed. If the strength button 71b has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S12.

[0067] In step S12, the electric blower 3 is driven with the minimum input power. In step S13, the control unit measures the time that the strength button 71b is pressed. The control unit 10 calculates the input power of the electric blower 3 based on the measured time that the strength button 71b is pressed. Note that the time that the strength button 71b is pressed does not have to be continuous; if the strength button 71b is pressed intermittently, the pressing time may be calculated by accumulating the pressing time.

[0068] In step S14, the control unit 10 changes the input power of the electric blower 3 based on the value calculated in step S13. In the electric vacuum cleaner 1b according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure, the minimum input power allowed for the cleaning function of the vacuum cleaner is set when the pressure button 71b is pressed for zero seconds. The input power increases according to the pressure button 71b. At this time, the control unit 10 may gradually change the input power according to the operation signal, as in the first embodiment.

[0069] When the pressing time measured by control unit 10 reaches an arbitrary threshold value Tth, the electric blower 3 is set to maximum input power. Even if strength button 71b is pressed for a period of time equal to or longer than threshold value Tth, the input power of electric blower 3 remains at maximum input power. In this case, Tth may be set by the manufacturer before shipping, or may be set by the user.

[0070] In step S15, the control unit 10 determines whether the strength button 71b has been pressed for a time longer than Tthmax, which is the maximum pressing time. This maximum pressing time Tthmax is a value greater than an arbitrary threshold Tth, and may be set by the manufacturer before shipping, or may be set by the user. When the strength button 71b reaches Tthmax, the vacuum cleaner 1b according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure proceeds to step S16. In step S16, the control unit 10 clears the accumulated pressing time up to that point, and proceeds to step S13 to re-measure the pressing time from 0 seconds. By automatically clearing the accumulated pressing time after a certain period of time has elapsed, it is possible to prevent the input power from remaining stuck at the upper limit.

[0071] If it is determined in step S15 that the strength button 71b has not reached Tthmax, it is determined in step S17 whether the operation button 71a has been pressed. If the operation button 71a has not been pressed, the process returns to step S13, and if the operation button 71a has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S18.

[0072] In step S18, the control unit 10 stores the input power value when the operation button 71a is pressed in the memory 11b and registers it as an operation mode. The input power saved in the memory 11b may be registered as a new operation mode in addition to the existing high / medium / low modes, or the input power setting value of the existing high / medium / low mode may be updated with the new setting value. Through this flow, multiple setting values ​​may be registered, existing registered setting values ​​may be overwritten or deleted, or the setting value may be reset to the initial state immediately after shipping from the manufacturer.

[0073] Although the operation of vacuum cleaner 1b according to embodiment 3 of the present disclosure has been described using an example in which there are two operation buttons 71, the number of operation buttons is not necessarily limited to 2. For example, if there are three or more operation buttons, it is possible to provide an operation button that is assigned so that the input power decreases depending on the press time, which makes it easy to prevent the input power from becoming stuck at the upper or lower limit value while setting the input power.

[0074] As described above, in the electric vacuum cleaner 1b according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure, the operating unit 7 has a gripping portion 72 that is held by the user and an operating button 71 that is provided on the gripping portion 72 and operated by the user, the operation signal is the time that the user presses the operating button 71, and the input power setting mode is a mode that sets the input power according to the time that the operating button 71 is pressed.

[0075] As a result, electric vacuum cleaner 1b according to embodiment 3 of the present disclosure allows the user to perform cleaning while setting the suction power to suit the user's preferences, similar to embodiment 1. Furthermore, electric vacuum cleaner 1b according to embodiment 3 of the present disclosure allows the user to adjust the input power of electric blower 3 simply by continuing to press intensity button 71b, allowing the user to easily and intuitively optimize the input power to obtain the operating noise and suction power that the user desires while checking the product status.

[0076] Embodiment 4 In the fourth embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment of the present disclosure are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description will focus on the differences from the first to third embodiments. Hereinafter, a cleaning system 100 according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0077] 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a cleaning system according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. Cleaning system 100 according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure includes vacuum cleaner 1 and communication device 40 capable of communicating with vacuum cleaner 1. As in the first embodiment, vacuum cleaner 1 includes main body 2, electric blower 3 built into main body 2, communication interface unit 30 that communicates with communication device 40, and control unit 10 that receives signals from communication device 40 via communication interface unit 30 and drives and stops electric blower 3. When control unit 10 receives an operation signal indicating a user's cleaning operation from communication device 40, it controls electric blower 3 in an input power setting mode that sets the input power of electric blower 3 in accordance with the operation signal.

[0078] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the cleaning system according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. In cleaning system 100 according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure, first, in step S21, control unit 10 determines whether or not it has received an operation signal from communication device 40. In this case, the operation signal is a signal that the user has sent via communication device 40 to indicate that cleaning should be started. If control unit 10 has received a signal from communication device 40 in step S21, the process proceeds to step S22.

[0079] In step S22, the control unit 10 drives the electric blower 3 with the minimum input power. In step S23, the user inputs the input power setting value of the electric blower 3 through the communication interface unit 30 of the communication device 40. When the user inputs the input power setting value, parameter information displayed on the liquid crystal display of the communication device 40 may be transmitted to the control unit 10 and reflected in the input power setting of the electric blower 3. The set parameter values ​​may be input directly, or may be changed by visually and intuitively manipulating objects displayed on a graphical user interface (GUI). Other methods for changing the input power setting value using a smartphone are also possible. For example, the input power setting may be set by voice input via a microphone, or the input power setting may be set according to the smartphone's body angle (the angle detection target in the first embodiment may be replaced by the communication device 40).

[0080] When the user inputs a set value for input power using communication device 40, control unit 10 sets the input set value as the input power of electric blower 3. In step S24, control unit 10 changes the input power of electric blower 3 so that it operates at the input set value. The user optimizes the input power while operating communication device 40. In step S25, control unit 10 determines whether a request to end the cleaning operation has been made from communication device 40. If a signal to end the cleaning operation has not been received from communication device 40, control unit 10 returns to step S23; if a signal to end the cleaning operation has been received, control unit 10 proceeds to step S26.

[0081] In step S26, control unit 10 confirms the input power value used as the set value and saves it in memory 11b. At this time, the input power value used as the operation mode may be saved at the same time as saving it in memory 11b. Thereafter, electric blower 3 is stopped, thereby ending the operation of cleaning system 100 according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0082] As described above, the cleaning system 100 according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure comprises an electric vacuum cleaner 1 and a communication device 40 capable of communicating with the electric vacuum cleaner 1, and the electric vacuum cleaner 1 has a main body 2, an electric blower 3 built into the main body 2, a communication interface unit 30 that communicates with the communication device 40, and a control unit 10 that receives signals from the communication device 40 via the communication interface unit 30 and drives and stops the electric blower 3, and when the control unit 10 receives an operation signal from the communication device 40 that indicates the user's cleaning operation, the control unit 10 controls the electric blower 3 in an input power setting mode that sets the input power of the electric blower 3 in accordance with the operation signal.

[0083] As a result, cleaning system 100 according to embodiment 4 of the present disclosure allows the user to clean while setting the suction power to suit their preferences, similar to embodiment 1. Furthermore, cleaning system 100 according to embodiment 4 of the present disclosure allows the user to set the input power simply by operating communication device 40, allowing the user to easily and intuitively optimize the input power to achieve the operating noise and suction power they desire while checking the product status.

[0084] Embodiment 5. In the fifth embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment of the present disclosure are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description will focus on the differences from the first to fourth embodiments. Hereinafter, a cleaning system 100a according to the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0085] Cleaning system 100a according to a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure includes vacuum cleaner 1 and charging device 20 to which vacuum cleaner 1 is connected and which charges battery 4 that drives electric blower 3. Charging device 20 has voltage conversion unit 27 that converts AC voltage into DC voltage, and electrode unit 28 that is electrically connected to vacuum cleaner 1 and outputs the DC voltage converted by voltage conversion unit 27. When vacuum cleaner 1 is connected to charging device 20 and DC voltage is being output to electrode unit 28, control unit 10 is triggered by an operation signal to temporarily stop charging of battery 4 and control electric blower 3 in input power setting mode.

[0086] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vacuum cleaner according to the fifth embodiment of the present disclosure. The following mainly describes the differences from FIG. 9. The main differences are steps S31, S33, and S38. As shown in FIG. 11, in step S31, control unit 10 detects the output voltage of electrode unit 28 provided on charging device 20. If a voltage is detected from electrode unit 28, the process proceeds to step S32. When an operation signal is received from communication device 40 in step S32, electrode 14 on vacuum cleaner 1 is disconnected from electrode unit 28 on charging device 20 in step S33, thereby halting charging control. Thereafter, steps S34 to S37 are carried out in the same manner as in the fourth embodiment. In step S38, charging control is started in addition to saving the data in memory 11b and registering it in the operation mode.

[0087] As described above, the cleaning system 100a according to the fifth embodiment of the present disclosure includes a charging device 20 to which the electric vacuum cleaner 1 is connected and which charges the battery 4 that drives the electric blower 3, and the charging device 20 has a voltage conversion unit 27 that converts AC voltage into DC voltage, and an electrode unit 28 that is electrically connected to the electric vacuum cleaner 1 and outputs the DC voltage converted by the voltage conversion unit 27, and when the electric vacuum cleaner is connected to the charging device 20 and DC voltage is being output to the electrode unit 28, the control unit 10 uses an operation signal as a trigger to temporarily stop charging the battery 4 and control the electric blower 3 in input power setting mode.

[0088] As a result, cleaning system 100a according to embodiment 5 of the present disclosure allows the user to clean while setting the suction power to suit their preferences, similar to embodiment 1. Furthermore, cleaning system 100a according to embodiment 5 of the present disclosure allows vacuum cleaner 1 to switch charging control during cleaning using charging device 20, so cleaning can be performed according to the remaining charge of battery 4, improving convenience.

[0089] The configurations described in the above embodiments are merely examples of the contents of the present disclosure, and may be combined with other known technologies. Furthermore, parts of the configurations may be omitted or modified without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0090] Various aspects of the present disclosure are summarized below as appendices. (Appendix 1) The main body and an electric blower provided in the main body; an operation unit having an operation button operated by a user and accepting a cleaning operation from the user; a control unit that detects an operation signal that indicates the cleaning operation of the user from the operation unit and controls the electric blower in accordance with the operation signal, When a trigger signal is detected from the operation button, the control unit controls the electric blower in an input power setting mode to set input power of the electric blower in accordance with the operation signal. (Appendix 2) The main body and an electric blower provided in the main body; a sensor unit having a sensor that detects a cleaning operation by a user; a control unit that receives a signal from the sensor unit and controls the electric blower, When the sensor unit detects an operation signal that indicates a cleaning operation by the user, the control unit controls the electric blower in an input power setting mode that sets input power of the electric blower in accordance with the operation signal. (Appendix 3) 3. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the operation signal is a signal indicating the attitude of the main body, and the input power setting mode is a mode in which the input power of the electric blower is set in accordance with the attitude of the main body. (Appendix 4) 4. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the control unit gradually changes the input power of the electric blower in response to the operation signal. (Appendix 5) 5. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein, when the control unit receives a signal from at least one of the operation unit and the sensor unit to confirm the input power of the electric blower in the input power setting mode, the control unit confirms the input power of the electric blower, registers the confirmed input power as an operating mode, and operates the electric blower in the registered operating mode. (Appendix 6) 6. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein, when the control unit receives a signal from at least one of the operation unit and the sensor unit in the input power setting mode to confirm the input power of the electric blower, the control unit stores the input power used in the input power setting mode in a memory and controls the electric blower based on the set value. (Appendix 7) 2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the operation signal is the time the user presses the operation button, and the input power setting mode is a mode that sets the input power according to the time the operation button is pressed. (Appendix 8) A vacuum cleaner and a communication device capable of communicating with the vacuum cleaner, The electric vacuum cleaner includes a main body, an electric blower built into the main body, a communication interface unit that communicates with the communication device; and a control unit that receives a signal from the communication device via the communication interface unit and controls the electric blower, When the control unit receives an operation signal indicating a user's cleaning operation from the communication device, the control unit controls the electric blower in an input power setting mode that sets input power of the electric blower in accordance with the operation signal. (Appendix 9) a charging device to which the electric vacuum cleaner is connected and which charges a battery that drives the electric blower, The charging device includes a voltage conversion unit that converts AC voltage into DC voltage; an electrode unit electrically connected to the vacuum cleaner and configured to output the DC voltage converted by the voltage converter; The cleaning system described in Appendix 8, wherein when the vacuum cleaner is connected to the charging device and the DC voltage is output to the electrode section, the control unit uses the operation signal as a trigger to temporarily stop charging of the battery and control the electric blower in the input power setting mode. (Appendix 10) a step in which a control unit that controls an electric blower provided in a main body of the electric vacuum cleaner detects a trigger signal from an operation button operated by a user; When the trigger signal is detected, the control unit detects an operation signal, which is a signal indicating the cleaning operation of the user, from an operation unit provided with the operation button and configured to accept the cleaning operation of the user; the control unit calculating an input power of the electric blower in response to the operation signal; a step of controlling the electric blower by the control unit with input power of the electric blower calculated in response to the operation signal. (Appendix 11) receiving a signal from a sensor unit having a sensor that detects a cleaning operation by a user, and detecting an operation signal that is a signal indicating the cleaning operation by a control unit that controls an electric blower provided in a main body of the vacuum cleaner; When the operation signal is detected, the control unit calculates an input power of the electric blower in accordance with the operation signal; a step of controlling the electric blower by the control unit with input power of the electric blower calculated in response to the operation signal. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 1 1a 1b electric vacuum cleaner, 2 main body, 2a exhaust port, 3 electric blower, 4 battery, 5 cylindrical part, 6 dust collection part, 7 operation part, 71 operation button, 71a operation button, 71b strength button, 72 grip part, 8 extension tube, 9 suction tool, 93 rotating brush, 94 electric motor, 10 control part, 11 microcomputer, 11a processor, 11b memory, 12 acceleration sensor, 13 sensor part, 14 electrode, 20 charging device, 26 power plug, 27 voltage conversion part, 28 electrode part, 30 communication interface part, 40 communication device, 100 100a cleaning system, θ angle detection value, θth maximum input power reach angle, Tth maximum input reach press time, Tthmax measurement time clear time

Claims

1. The main body and an electric blower provided in the main body; an operation unit having an operation button operated by a user and accepting a cleaning operation from the user; a control unit that detects an operation signal that indicates the cleaning operation of the user from the operation unit and controls the electric blower in accordance with the operation signal, When a trigger signal is detected from the operation button, the control unit controls the electric blower in an input power setting mode to set input power of the electric blower in accordance with the operation signal.

2. The main body and an electric blower provided in the main body; a sensor unit having a sensor that detects a cleaning operation by a user; a control unit that receives a signal from the sensor unit and controls the electric blower, When the sensor unit detects an operation signal that indicates a cleaning operation by the user, the control unit controls the electric blower in an input power setting mode that sets input power of the electric blower in accordance with the operation signal.

3. 3. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the operation signal is a signal indicating the attitude of the main body, and the input power setting mode is a mode for setting the input power of the electric blower in accordance with the attitude of the main body.

4. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit gradually changes the input power of the electric blower in response to the operation signal.

5. 3. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein when the control unit receives a signal from at least one of the operation unit and the sensor unit to confirm the input power of the electric blower in the input power setting mode, the control unit confirms the input power of the electric blower, registers the confirmed input power as an operating mode, and operates the electric blower in the registered operating mode.

6. 3. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein when the control unit receives a signal from at least one of the operation unit and the sensor unit in the input power setting mode to determine the input power of the electric blower, the control unit stores the input power used in the input power setting mode in a memory and controls the electric blower based on the set value.

7. 2. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the operation signal is a time period during which the user presses the operation button, and the input power setting mode is a mode for setting the input power in accordance with a time period during which the operation button is pressed.

8. A vacuum cleaner and a communication device capable of communicating with the vacuum cleaner, The electric vacuum cleaner includes a main body, an electric blower built into the main body, a communication interface unit that communicates with the communication device; and a control unit that receives a signal from the communication device via the communication interface unit and controls the electric blower, When the control unit receives an operation signal indicating a user's cleaning operation from the communication device, the control unit controls the electric blower in an input power setting mode that sets input power of the electric blower in accordance with the operation signal.

9. a charging device to which the electric vacuum cleaner is connected and which charges a battery that drives the electric blower, The charging device includes a voltage conversion unit that converts AC voltage into DC voltage; an electrode unit electrically connected to the vacuum cleaner and configured to output the DC voltage converted by the voltage converter; 9. The cleaning system of claim 8, wherein, when the vacuum cleaner is connected to the charging device and the DC voltage is output to the electrode unit, the control unit temporarily stops charging of the battery in response to the operation signal as a trigger and controls the electric blower in the input power setting mode.

10. a step in which a control unit that controls an electric blower provided in a main body of the electric vacuum cleaner detects a trigger signal from an operation button operated by a user; When the trigger signal is detected, the control unit detects an operation signal, which is a signal indicating the cleaning operation of the user, from an operation unit provided with the operation button and configured to accept the cleaning operation of the user; the control unit calculating an input power of the electric blower in response to the operation signal; a step of controlling the electric blower by the control unit with input power of the electric blower calculated in response to the operation signal.

11. receiving a signal from a sensor unit having a sensor that detects a cleaning operation by a user, and detecting an operation signal that is a signal indicating the cleaning operation by a control unit that controls an electric blower provided in a main body of the vacuum cleaner; When the operation signal is detected, the control unit calculates an input power of the electric blower in accordance with the operation signal; a step of controlling the electric blower by the control unit with input power of the electric blower calculated in response to the operation signal.

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