Vacuum cleaning device

Abstract

To appropriately set a threshold for determining a dust accumulation state of a dust collection part by absorbing an individual difference of a suction motor mounted on a dust collection device for sucking and accumulating dust collected in a vacuum cleaner.SOLUTION: A load characteristic comparison unit configured to compare a first index of the dust collector measured by the load measurement unit at a first number of times of suction at a start of use or an initial use of the dust collector with a second index of the dust collector measured by the load measurement unit at a second number of times of suction; The dust collector includes a load determination part for determining which of a dust collection part empty state, a dust collection part full state, and an air passage blocked state is the internal state of the dust collector, and a notification part for performing notification when the dust collection full state or the air passage blocked state is determined.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric vacuum cleaner having a dust collecting device that sucks up dust accumulated in the electric vacuum cleaner. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, a variety of technologies have been developed in line with the spread of cordless vacuum cleaners. For example, there are vacuum cleaners that are specialized for being small and lightweight, vacuum cleaners that use paper bags to eliminate the hassle of dust disposal, and vacuum cleaners that come bundled with a dust station (DS) that sucks up dust that has accumulated in the cordless vacuum cleaner. There are also cyclone-type dust stations that do not use filters or dust collection units such as paper bags.

[0003] Because electric blowers in vacuum cleaners vary from one another, technologies have been developed to adjust the airflow operating point by correcting the input current to ensure consistent airflow performance. For example, there are known vacuum cleaners that compensate for the individual differences in the electric blowers. In these vacuum cleaners, the control unit that controls the operation of the electric blower changes the control amount based on the load current or power of the electric blower and corrects the offset in airflow caused by the individual differences in the electric blower.

[0004] Some vacuum cleaners have a suction motor mounted on a dust collector (dust station) separate from the electric blower to suck up dust accumulated in the vacuum cleaner. When the suction motor of the dust collector is driven to accumulate dust in the dust collector, airflow resistance between the vacuum cleaner and the dust collector increases, and the load current of the suction motor decreases as the load on the suction motor increases. The vacuum cleaner's control unit monitors the load current of the suction motor, taking advantage of this tendency for the load current of the suction motor to detect the dust accumulation state in the dust collector. In other words, if the load current of the suction motor is lower than a predetermined threshold, the vacuum cleaner's control unit determines that dust has accumulated in the dust collector and notifies the user of the dust accumulation state, prompting them to clean the dust collector or replace the filter or paper bag. The threshold for determining whether to notify the user of the dust accumulation state in the dust collector is predetermined. Taking into account individual differences in suction motors, the control unit of the electric cleaning device selects an optimal threshold from multiple thresholds based on parameters such as the voltage phase difference, duty ratio, power supply voltage, and power supply frequency when driving the suction motor, or the threshold is corrected according to the parameters. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-146382 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Although individual differences (variations) occur in the load current of suction motors mounted on the dust collectors of vacuum cleaners even when driven at the same voltage and the same phase angle, conventional technology can be applied to absorb the individual differences in suction motors. That is, when manufacturing the vacuum cleaner, the suction motor mounted on the dust collector is assembled to the control board, and then the suction motor is driven under predetermined conditions, and the threshold value set in the control unit of the vacuum cleaner is corrected based on the difference between the load current at that time and the predetermined value.

[0007] However, the factory environment where the vacuum cleaner is manufactured and inspected differs from the home environment where the user actually uses the vacuum cleaner in terms of conditions such as power supply voltage and temperature. Therefore, due to the differences between the factory environment where the manufacturing and inspection processes are carried out and the home environment, it is difficult to properly correct the threshold value for determining the dust accumulation state. Furthermore, as the vacuum cleaner is used for a long period of time, the suction motor deteriorates, causing a deviation from the threshold value corrected during the manufacturing process.

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an embodiment of the present invention aims to provide an electric cleaning device that sucks dust from an electric vacuum cleaner and accumulates the dust in the dust collection section of a dust collection device, which can absorb fluctuations due to individual differences and deterioration over time in the current characteristics of the suction motor installed in the dust collection device and can appropriately set a threshold value for determining the dust accumulation state in the dust collection section. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] An embodiment of the present invention is an electric cleaning device that sucks dust collected by a vacuum cleaner into a dust collecting unit with a suction airflow generated by an electric blower driven by a suction motor of the dust collecting device. The electric cleaning device includes a load measurement unit that measures, as an indicator of the operating status of the dust collecting device, a current characteristic of the suction motor that decreases as the airflow resistance of an airflow path formed between the vacuum cleaner and the dust collecting unit of the dust collecting device increases, and a first indicator of the dust collecting device measured by the load measurement unit during a first suction count in which dust is sucked by the dust collecting device during an operating status at the start of use of the dust collecting device or during an initial use of the dust collecting device, and a second indicator of the dust collecting device measured by the load measurement unit during a second suction count in which dust is sucked by the dust collecting device after the first suction count. a load determination unit that determines, based on the comparison result between the first index and the second index by the load characteristic comparison unit, whether the internal state of the dust collection device is an empty state in which no dust has accumulated in the dust collection unit, a full state in which the dust collection unit is filled with dust, or a blocked state in which blockage of the air path is predicted due to an increase in air path resistance regardless of the amount of dust accumulated in the dust collection unit; and a notification unit that issues a notification when the load determination unit determines that the dust collection unit is full or that the air path is blocked. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in an electric cleaning device that sucks dust from a vacuum cleaner and accumulates the dust in the dust collection section of the dust collection device, it is possible to absorb fluctuations due to individual differences in the current characteristics of the suction motor installed in the dust collection device and deterioration over time, and to appropriately set a threshold value for determining the dust accumulation state in the dust collection section. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1A is a schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of an electric cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a block diagram showing functions installed in the electric cleaning device. [Figure 2]FIG. 1A is a graph showing the current characteristics relating to the change over time in the suction current of a suction motor mounted in a dust collecting device of an embodiment of the electric cleaning device of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a simplified diagram for explaining a method for calculating the average value of the suction current of the suction motor. [Figure 3] 4 is a mode transition diagram applied to a control unit of the electric cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4] 10 is a graph showing a change in suction current of the dust collector according to a first transition procedure. [Figure 5] 10 is a graph showing a change in suction current of the dust collector according to a second transition procedure. [Figure 6] 10 is a graph showing a change in suction current of the dust collector according to a third transition procedure. [Figure 7] 10 is a graph showing a change in suction current of the dust collector according to a fourth transition procedure. [Figure 8] 10 is a graph showing a method for calculating a threshold value for determining clogging of a dust collection section of a dust collection device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] An electric cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In particular, the current characteristics of the suction current of a suction motor mounted in a dust collector connected to the electric vacuum cleaner and a method for setting and correcting a threshold for determining the dust accumulation state will be described in detail. In this embodiment, when the voltage applied to the suction motor is constant, for example, 100 V, the current characteristics showing the change over time in the suction current of the suction motor will be described using a power value (W) obtained by multiplying the current value (A) and the voltage value (V).

[0013] Suction motors such as AC motors with a rotor, stator, and brush commutator, DC brush motors, and DC brushless motors are used as the power source for the electric blowers installed in electric vacuum cleaners. Dust collectors are sometimes called dust stations (DS) that are separate from the vacuum cleaner and connected to a household AC power outlet. While a battery-powered DC motor is used for the electric blower in electric vacuum cleaners, an AC motor with a brush commutator is sometimes used for the suction motor in dust collectors. AC motors often tolerate a large tolerance of ±8% for individual variations in suction current, or so-called variation. For example, a suction motor with a maximum suction current (power) of 600 W will have a variation of approximately 50 W between the upper and lower sections. This embodiment aims to accurately determine the dust accumulation state despite variations due to temperature rise and voltage fluctuations associated with AC motor operation.

[0014] FIG. 1A shows the hardware configuration of a vacuum cleaner 1 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the vacuum cleaner 10 and the dust collecting device 20 are configured separately, but the present invention is not limited to this. The vacuum cleaner 10 includes a battery-powered electric blower and a dust box that collects dust sucked from the floor of a building or the like. The vacuum cleaner 10 and the dust collecting device 20 are connectable to each other to suck up dust accumulated in the dust box of the vacuum cleaner 10. Specifically, the dust collecting device 20 has a suction air passage 201 that protrudes upward from the housing, and an inlet is provided at the top end of the suction air passage 201, which sucks up dust from the dust box of the vacuum cleaner 10. A sensor or switch SW1 that detects connection with the vacuum cleaner 10 is provided on the side of the suction air passage 201. When the switch SW1 is turned on, connection of the dust collecting device 20 with the vacuum cleaner 10 is detected, and the dust collecting device 20 is ready to suck up dust accumulated in the dust box of the vacuum cleaner 10. A switch SW2 provided at the upper end of the lower part of the housing of the dust collecting device 20 is turned on and off by a user to start or stop the operation of the dust collecting device 20.

[0015] The lower part of suction air duct 201 is connected to dust collection unit 202, and dust sucked from the dust box of vacuum cleaner 10 is sucked into dust collection unit 202 via suction air duct 201, transported, and accumulated. A dust collection unit with a filter, such as a paper bag, is used as dust collection unit 202. A separation unit S, such as a seal with multiple holes, is provided between the upper and lower parts of dust collection device 20. Separation unit S allows suction airflow to pass between the upper and lower parts of dust collection device 20, but separates them so that foreign matter such as dust and particles do not flow from the upper part to the lower part.

[0016] An electric blower or electric suction machine MDS, which has a centrifugal fan 203 and a suction motor 204 integrated into one unit, is provided at the bottom of the dust collecting device 20. The suction motor 204 is, for example, an AC motor with a commutating brush. When the suction motor 204 is driven, the centrifugal fan 203 rotates, generating a suction airflow that flows from the top to the bottom of the dust collecting device 20. The suction airflow 201, the dust collecting unit 202, and the centrifugal fan 203 are fluidly linked. That is, the suction airflow generated by the centrifugal fan 203 acts through multiple holes in the paper bag used as the dust collecting unit 202, sucking dust from the dust box of the vacuum cleaner 10, transporting it, and accumulating it in the dust collecting unit 202. In this case, the paper bag that constitutes the dust collecting unit 202 accumulates dust, but has numerous holes formed at a density that allows air to pass through. Furthermore, dust collection section 202 and separation section S create airflow resistance to the suction airflow, creating a pressure difference. Therefore, when dust accumulates in dust collection section 202, the load on suction motor 204 decreases, reducing the suction current.

[0017] Compared to the suction airflow when dust collection section 202 is in an "empty state" where no dust has accumulated, the suction airflow when dust collection section 202 is in a "full state" where dust has accumulated is smaller. In other words, airflow resistance increases in accordance with the amount of dust accumulated in dust collection section 202. Accordingly, the rotation speed of suction motor 204, which drives centrifugal fan 203 fluidly coupled to dust collection section 202, changes, causing a fluctuation in load. In other words, as the amount of dust accumulated in dust collection section 202 increases, the suction airflow decreases and the suction current of suction motor 204 decreases. In this embodiment, the change in dust collection section 202 between the empty state and the full state is detected based on an increase or decrease in the suction current of suction motor 204.

[0018] The positive and negative terminals of the suction motor 204 are connected to a control board 205 via electric wires. A current detection unit (A) 206 is also connected to the electric wires to detect the suction current of the suction motor 204. The control board 205 is connected to a plug 207 that can be connected to, for example, a household power outlet, and the suction motor 204 is driven under the control of the control board 205. An exhaust or intake port 208 is provided at the bottom of the dust collector 20, and the centrifugal fan 203 generates a suction airflow by exhausting air drawn in through the dust collection unit 202 to the outside of the housing of the dust collector 20. The temperature of the suction motor 204 increases over time, so the exhaust port 208 serves to release heat generated by the suction motor 204 to the outside. Continuous operation of the suction motor 204 at short intervals can cause a temperature rise, potentially resulting in a discrepancy between the actual current characteristics and the measured value of the current detection unit 206. For this reason, a temperature sensor (T) 209 for measuring the temperature of the suction motor 204 may be provided.

[0019] To determine the dust accumulation state in the dust collection unit 202 of the dust collector 20, it is conceivable to set a threshold value based on measurements obtained by operating the suction motor 204 under specific conditions during the manufacturing process of the vacuum cleaner 1. In this case, there is a risk that a load current obtained under different conditions to confirm the performance of the vacuum cleaner 1 may be used to correct the threshold value. Specifically, even though the operation required to correct the threshold value is "operating with the air passage open," there is a risk that the load current obtained when the air passage is closed during the manufacturing process to check the safety device may be used to correct the threshold value. However, since the load current of the suction motor 204 may be determined to be lower than the actual load current, the load current will not fall below the corrected threshold value even when the air passage is closed. As a result, even if dust accumulates in the dust collection unit 202 of the dust collector 20 of the vacuum cleaner 1, an appropriate notification according to the dust accumulation state will not be provided to the user. In this embodiment, as described below, a feature is that the threshold value is calculated to vary depending on individual differences in the suction motor 204. This makes it possible to appropriately set a threshold value for determining the dust accumulation state of the dust collection section 202, taking into account the differences between the factory environment in which the manufacturing and inspection processes for the electric cleaning device 1 are carried out and the home environment in which the electric cleaning device 1 is actually used.

[0020] In this embodiment, the dust accumulation state of the dust collection unit 202 is estimated by measuring the suction current of the suction motor 204, which fluctuates depending on the amount of dust accumulated in the dust collection unit 202. The fluctuation range of the suction current of the suction motor 204 varies depending on the specifications of the AC motor and the airflow resistance. In this embodiment, the suction current of the suction motor 204 is changed within a certain range depending on the dust accumulation state of the dust collection unit 202. Hereinafter, the suction current of the suction motor 204, which varies within a certain range depending on the dust accumulation state of the dust collection unit 202, is referred to as the "current fluctuation range." When the suction current is near the upper limit of the current fluctuation range, the airflow resistance is low, and the dust collection unit 202 is determined to be empty. When the suction current is near the lower limit of the current fluctuation range, the airflow resistance is high, and the dust collection unit 202 is determined to be full.

[0021] In this embodiment, the current value of the dust collection unit 202 when it is empty is measured and defined as the "dust collection unit empty current." A predetermined difference is subtracted from the dust collection unit empty current to set a threshold value for determining whether the dust collection unit 202 is full. A first threshold value for determining whether the dust collection unit 202 is full and a second threshold value for determining whether the dust collection unit 202 is empty are calculated based on the suction current of the suction motor 204. That is, when the suction current of the suction motor 204 decreases from the dust collection unit empty current and falls below the first threshold, the full state of the dust collection unit 202 is detected. When the user subsequently replaces the paper bag used as the dust collection unit 202, the suction current of the suction motor 204 increases and exceeds the second threshold, detecting that the dust collection unit 202 has returned to an empty state. The second threshold value is set higher than the first threshold value, as will be described in detail below.

[0022] 1(B) shows the function of dust collecting device 20 according to this embodiment. In FIG. 1, dust collecting device 20 includes control unit 30, memory unit 40, and notification unit 50. Control unit 30 and memory unit 40 are mounted on control board 205, and notification unit 50 is mounted on the top of the housing of dust collecting device 20 or on the operation unit of vacuum cleaner 10. Control unit 30 includes load measurement unit 301, load characteristics comparison unit 302, load determination unit 303, and drive unit 304.

[0023] The load measurement unit 301 acquires the current value measured by the current detection unit 206, which measures the suction current of the suction motor 204. Since the dust collection unit 202 is initially empty, the load measurement unit 301 acquires the dust collection unit empty current as the current characteristic of the suction motor 204. The load measurement unit 301 stores multiple current values ​​measured by the current detection unit 206 in chronological order in the memory unit 40. Temperature rise may occur if the suction motor 204 is continuously operated, for example, at intervals of several seconds. Therefore, the load measurement unit 301 may perform temperature correction of the measurement value of the current detection unit 206 based on the measurement value of the temperature sensor 209. For temperature correction, a predetermined correction value may be added to the current value. Alternatively, the predetermined correction value may be changed depending on the temperature rise. If the temperature sensor 209 is not used, the elapsed time since the start of operation of the suction motor 204 or the number of suctions may be measured, and if a temperature rise is estimated, the temperature correction of the measurement value of the current detection unit 206 may be performed.

[0024] The storage unit 40 includes a volatile memory 401 configured with volatile memory elements and a nonvolatile memory 402 configured with nonvolatile memory elements such as a NAND flash memory. When the plug 207 of the dust collector 20 is unplugged from the power outlet and the voltage supply to the storage unit 40 is stopped, the stored contents of the volatile memory 401 are lost. On the other hand, the stored contents of the nonvolatile memory 402 are maintained regardless of whether or not a voltage is being supplied. A plurality of current values ​​measured in time series by the current detection unit 206 are written from the load measurement unit 301 to the volatile memory 401. On the other hand, a representative value of the plurality of current values, for example, an average value, is written to the nonvolatile memory 402.

[0025] Next, a method for measuring and calculating the suction current of suction motor 204 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B. FIG. 2A is a graph showing current characteristics relating to changes over time in the suction current of suction motor 204 mounted on dust collecting device 20 of vacuum cleaner 1. The horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents suction current. Suction motor 204 of dust collecting device 20 starts automatically when vacuum cleaner 10 is connected to dust collecting device 20, or starts in response to the user's operation of switch SW2. When vacuum cleaner 10 and dust collecting device 20 are not connected, the air passage is open and dust cannot be absorbed. Therefore, it is preferable to set dust collecting device 20 not to operate even when switch SW2 is operated.

[0026] When switch SW2 of dust collecting device 20 is operated, or when vacuum cleaner 10 and dust collecting device 20 are connected and switch SW1 is turned on, suction motor 204 is driven. As suction motor 204 is driven, centrifugal fan 203 rotates, generating a suction airflow. As a result, dust collected in the dust box of vacuum cleaner 10 is absorbed and transported through suction air passage 201 and accumulated in dust collecting section 202 of dust collecting device 20. After a predetermined time has elapsed, suction motor 204 automatically stops, or suction motor 204 stops in response to switch SW2 being operated by the user. Note that suction motor 204 is driven for a predetermined time, such as several seconds, when vacuum cleaner 10 and dust collecting device 20 are connected. Alternatively, suction motor 204 may be driven automatically at a regular interval. Furthermore, suction motor 204 may be driven for a predetermined time in response to switch SW2 being operated by the user.

[0027] 2(A), the change in suction current over time from when the suction motor 204 is started to when it is stopped will be described. When the suction motor 204 is started at time t0, the suction current rises sharply, reaching a peak current Ipeak at time t1, and then drops to a minimum current Imin at time t2. The suction current then rises gently again, reaching a maximum current Imax at time t3. When the suction motor 204 is stopped, the suction current reaches an end current Iend at time t4, then drops sharply to zero at time t5.

[0028] The electric blower of the vacuum cleaner 10 continues to operate for a relatively long period of time from start to stop, since it is used while moving widely over the area to be cleaned. On the other hand, the suction motor 204 of the dust collector 20 starts and stops in a relatively short period of time, since it operates to transfer dust from the dust box of the connected vacuum cleaner 10 to the dust collection unit 202. Therefore, the suction motor 204 of the dust collector 20 usually starts in a cooled state, approximately at room temperature, and increases in temperature as it continues to operate. The suction current of the suction motor 204 shown in FIG. 2(A) varies greatly depending on the amount of dust accumulated in the dust collection unit 202.

[0029] It is known that as the amount of dust accumulated in the dust collection unit 202 increases, the airflow resistance increases, reducing the suction force and the suction current of the suction motor 204. In other words, in the graph shown in FIG. 2A, the integral value of the suction current decreases as the amount of dust accumulated in the dust collection unit 202 increases. Therefore, the dust accumulation state can be determined by monitoring the suction current of the suction motor 204. In this embodiment, of the four current values ​​Ipeak, Imin, Imax, and Iend shown in FIG. 2A, the minimum current Imin after the peak and the end current Iend immediately before the end of suction are used as the current characteristics for determining the dust accumulation state of the dust collection unit 202. In addition to intermittently switching the suction motor 204 on and off, employing a soft-start process also changes the current characteristics of the suction motor 204. Therefore, the current value measured at a predetermined timing when the suction current of the suction motor 204 has stabilized after reaching the peak current Ipeak is used as the current characteristic for determining the dust accumulation state.

[0030] In this embodiment, the current characteristics for determining the dust accumulation state are recorded as a history associated with intermittent operation of the dust collecting device 20. For example, once the current characteristics have been stored a predetermined number of times in the volatile memory 401, the average value of the current characteristics for multiple times is calculated and written as the "average current value" in the nonvolatile memory 402. This is a measure to reduce the storage capacity of the storage unit 40, since measuring the current characteristics and storing all the current values ​​in the storage unit 40 every time the suction motor 204 is driven and dust accumulates in the dust collecting unit 202 would require a large storage area.

[0031] The reason why the current average value is not calculated until the current characteristics measured during intermittent driving of suction motor 204 have been accumulated a predetermined number of times is to absorb the difference, or so-called variation, between each operation of suction motor 204. Another reason is to prevent the current characteristics measured when suction motor 204 is driven in the manufacturing process to check the operation of dust collector 20 of vacuum cleaner 1 from being stored as the "dust collection section idle current" for determining the dust accumulation state.

[0032] For example, if the number of measurements of the current characteristics of the suction motor 204 is set to "4," the average current value is calculated from four current characteristics. After the average current value is calculated, the current characteristics stored for the calculation may be initialized (reset), or the oldest current characteristic may be deleted from the history. Alternatively, the current characteristics for multiple measurements may be written to the volatile memory 401, and the average current value may be written to the nonvolatile memory 402. This makes it possible to sequentially retain the history of average current values ​​and use them to estimate the dust accumulation state without unnecessarily consuming the storage capacity of the storage unit 40.

[0033] FIG. 2B schematically illustrates measurement data obtained by measuring four current values ​​Imin1, Imin2, Imin3, and Imin4 as the minimum current Imin and four current values ​​Iend1, Iend2, Iend3, and Iend4 as the end current Iend. In this embodiment, the average of the four current values ​​is calculated, and therefore the average of the minimum current values ​​Imin1 through Imin4 is the average current value Iminave. Similarly, the average of the end current values ​​Iend1 through Iend4 is the average current value Iendave. Note that either the average of the minimum current Imin or the average of the end current Iend may be used as the average current value for determining the dust accumulation state of the dust collection unit 202. Furthermore, the predetermined number of measurements for calculating the average current value is not limited to four, and other numbers may be used. In the above description, four current values ​​are grouped together, and the average current value is calculated for each group. The group for calculating the average current value is fixed, but this is not limiting. For example, multiple current values ​​may be arranged in chronological order, and the group for calculating the average current value may be determined by shifting the four current values ​​over time.

[0034] Dust collection unit 202 changes from an empty state where no dust has accumulated to a full state where dust has accumulated, and whether dust collection unit 202 is full or not is determined each time dust collection unit 202 sucks up dust. When dust collection unit 202 becomes full, the dust collection unit is initialized by either resetting dust collection device 20 by the user or replacing the paper bag or filter. Therefore, the current average value after initialization may be written to nonvolatile memory 402 as a new dust collection unit empty current.

[0035] The load characteristics comparison unit 302 calculates an average current value from multiple time-series current values ​​of the suction motor 204 measured by the current detection unit 206, and compares it with a first threshold value for determining whether the dust collection unit 202 is full or a second threshold value for determining whether the dust collection unit 202 is empty. The first threshold value is a value obtained by subtracting a certain difference from the load value in the empty state (the average current value for the first four suctions). The second threshold value is a value obtained by adding a certain amount to the average load value (average current value) calculated by repeated operation. The dust collection unit full current corresponds to the average current value of the suction motor 204 when the full state of the dust collection unit 202 is determined using the first threshold value.

[0036] Load determination unit 303 determines the dust accumulation state of dust collection unit 202 based on the comparison result of load characteristic comparison unit 302, and thereby determines the load applied to suction motor 204. For example, when the average current value of suction motor 204 falls below a first threshold, a full state of dust collection unit 202 is detected, and load determination unit 303 outputs a control signal to drive unit 304 to control drive of suction motor 204 by drive unit 304. On the other hand, when the average current value of suction motor 204 exceeds a second threshold, an empty state of dust collection unit 202 is detected. Furthermore, when load determination unit 303 determines that dust collection unit 202 is empty, it outputs a control signal to drive unit 304 to control drive of suction motor 204.

[0037] The load determination unit 303 outputs a notification signal to the notification unit 50 depending on whether the dust collection unit 202 is full or empty. The notification unit 50 is composed of an LED lamp and a speaker mounted on the dust collection device 20. For example, when the dust collection unit 202 is full, the LED lamp of the notification unit 50 lights up blue to notify the user of the full state and prompt the user to replace the paper pack that makes up the dust collection unit 202. On the other hand, when the dust collection unit 202 is empty, the LED lamp of the notification unit 50 goes out or lights up in another color to notify the user that the dust collection device 20 is ready for operation. The speaker serving as the notification unit 50 notifies the user by voice of a predetermined message indicating whether the dust collection unit 202 is full or empty.

[0038] 1(A), a microcomputer with software installed may be provided on the control board 205 as the control unit 30. In particular, the drive unit 304 that drives the suction motor 204 may be mounted on the control board 205. The storage unit 40 may be installed on the control board 205, or may be an external memory of the dust collecting device 20 that can be attached and detached by the user.

[0039] 3 shows a mode transition diagram applied to the control unit 30 of the vacuum cleaner 1 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, in addition to the dust collection unit empty state EMPT and the dust collection unit full state FULL, a total of four modes are provided: an empty state initialization candidate EMPTreset and a full state initialization candidate FULLreset. Transitions (1) to (6) are defined as transitions between the four modes.

[0040] Transition (1): Dust collection unit empty state EMPT → Dust collection unit full state FULL. This assumes a case where the air passage has narrowed due to dust sucked from vacuum cleaner 10 accumulating in dust collection unit 202, and prompts the user to initialize dust collection unit 202. Note that "the air passage has narrowed" refers to a phenomenon that can be interpreted as dust from suction air passage 201 creating air passage resistance for the suction airflow generated between dust collection unit 202 and centrifugal fan 203, reducing the air volume of the suction airflow and narrowing the cross-sectional area of ​​the air passage.

[0041] Transition (2): Dust collection unit full state FULL → Full state initialization candidate FULLreset. This transition assumes that the airway narrowed due to dust accumulation in the dust collection unit 202 is opened. "The airway is opened" means that dust that would cause airway resistance for the suction airflow is no longer accumulated in the dust collection unit 202. For example, it assumes that a user has replaced the paper bag that constitutes the dust collection unit 202 or cleaned the dust collection unit 202. In the dust collection device 20 according to this embodiment, a lid is provided for the dust collection unit 202 so that a user can check the state of dust accumulation in the dust collection unit 202. Therefore, it is possible that a temporary opening of the airway may be detected when a user opens the lid of the dust collection device 202. The full state initialization candidate FULLreset is provided to reserve the determination of whether the paper bag in the dust collection unit 202 has been replaced or cleaned.

[0042] Transition (3): Full state initialization candidate FULLreset→Dust collection unit full state FULL. This assumes a case where the air path narrows again after it is detected that the air path, which narrowed due to dust accumulation in dust collection unit 202, has been opened. That is, when transition (2) is determined, it may be determined that the air path has been opened accidentally, such as when the paper bag in dust collection unit 202 has not been replaced or cleaned, and the user has opened the lid of dust collection unit 202. In this way, in consideration of the possibility that it may be determined that the air path has been accidentally opened even though the dust-full state of dust collection unit 202 has not actually been resolved, the internal state of dust collection device 20 is returned to dust collection unit full state FULL again.

[0043] Transition (4a): Full state initialization candidate FULLreset → Dust collection unit empty state EMPT. This assumes that the air duct determined to be open will remain open. In other words, when transition (2) is determined, if the user actually replaces the paper bag in the dust collection unit 202 or cleans it, completely opening the air duct, the internal state of the dust collection device 20 transitions to the dust collection unit empty state EMPT.

[0044] Transition (5): Dust collection unit empty state EMPT → empty state initialization candidate EMPTreset. This assumes that the air passage is not narrow enough to be determined as the dust collection unit full state FULL, but is open compared to previous operations of the dust collection device 20. In other words, it is assumed that the user determined that dust has accumulated in the dust collection unit 202 and replaced or cleaned the paper bag of the dust collection unit 202, but it is also possible that the user actually just opened the lid of the dust collection unit 202. For this reason, the empty state initialization candidate EMPTreset is provided to reserve the determination of whether or not the user replaced or cleaned the paper bag of the dust collection unit 202.

[0045] Transition (6): Empty state initialization candidate EMPTreset → Dust collection unit empty state EMPT. As described above, transition (5) is determined when the air passage is narrowed again, but the user may not actually replace or clean the paper bag in the dust collection unit 202. Transition (6) assumes that the empty state initialization candidate EMPTreset determines that the air passage has opened due to an accidental factor, such as the user opening the lid of the dust collection unit 202. Similar to transition (4b) described below, transition (6) transitions from the empty state initialization candidate EMPTreset to the dust collection unit empty state EMPT. However, unlike transition (4b), transition (6) involves an initialization determination process associated with replacing or cleaning the paper bag in the dust collection unit 202.

[0046] Transition (4b): Empty state initialization candidate EMPTreset → Dust collection unit empty state EMPT. This assumes that the open air duct will be maintained in an open state. In other words, after the determination of transition (5), the user actually replaced or cleaned the paper bag in the dust collection unit 202 at the empty state initialization candidate EMPTreset, which indicates that the air duct has been completely opened.

[0047] Next, specific examples of the transition between the dust collection unit empty state EMPT shown in Fig. 3 and the dust collection unit full state FULL will be described with reference to Figs. 4 to 7. Here, as dust collecting device 20 sucks and transfers dust from vacuum cleaner 10, dust accumulates in dust collection unit 202, and the dust collection unit full state FULL is determined when the suction current of suction motor 204 decreases and falls below a first threshold. Thereafter, when the user replaces the paper bag in dust collection unit 202, the suction current of suction motor 204 increases and exceeds a second threshold, and the state transitions to the empty state initialization candidate EMPTreset.

[0048] 4 to 7 are graphs showing changes in the suction current of the dust collecting device 20 according to a number of transition procedures. In the graphs shown in Figs. 4 to 7, the horizontal axis indicates the number of times that the dust collecting device 20 has sucked dust from the vacuum cleaner 10, and the vertical axis indicates the suction current of the suction motor 204. The circles indicate the measured values ​​of the suction current of the suction motor 204 in chronological order. The measured values ​​of the suction current indicated by the circles are given subscripts, such as a number indicating the number of suctions. In Figs. 4 to 7, the same parts are given the same reference numerals, and their explanations will be omitted.

[0049] FIG. 4 is a graph showing changes in the suction current of the dust collector 20 according to the first transition procedure. The first transition procedure shown in FIG. 4 corresponds to transitions (1), (2), and (4). First, a fixed threshold Th1 is set corresponding to the lower limit of the current fluctuation range of the suction motor 204. The fixed threshold Th1 is a predetermined fixed value. Furthermore, after the dust collector 20 starts operating or after the paper bag in the dust collection unit 202 is replaced, the average of the current values ​​I1, I2, I3, and I4 measured during the first four suction attempts is calculated as the dust collection unit empty current Iempt. The current values ​​I1 to I4 are stored in the volatile memory 401, and the dust collection unit empty current Iempt is stored in the nonvolatile memory 402. Note that while FIG. 4 focuses on the minimum current Imin in FIG. 2A, the same process is also performed independently for the end current Iend in FIG. 2A.

[0050] A fixed threshold value Th1, Th2, or variable threshold value Th3 is set as the first threshold value for determining whether the dust collection section is in the FULL state. The fixed threshold value Th2 is a fixed value and is set separately from the dust collection section empty current Iempt, which depends on the individual performance of the suction motor 204. On the other hand, the variable threshold value Th3 is calculated by subtracting a predetermined difference value Sd1 from the dust collection section empty current Iempt, or by multiplying the dust collection section empty current Iempt by a reduction coefficient less than "1." The lower of the fixed threshold value Th2 or the variable threshold value Th3 is selected as the first threshold value for determining whether the dust collection section is in the FULL state.

[0051] Every time the vacuum cleaner 10 repeatedly sucks dust, the suction current of the suction motor 204 of the dust collector 20 gradually decreases from the dust collection section empty current Iempt. For example, when the current value I 16 From I 19 When the suction current falls below the fixed threshold value Th2 or the variable threshold value Th3, it is determined that the dust collection unit 202 is full of dust. 16 is below the fixed threshold Th2 or the variable threshold Th3, the current value I 16 is detected as the full current Ifull of the particulate collection unit and stored in the nonvolatile memory 402. That is, when the suction current reaches the current value I 16 When the dust collection unit 202 is depleted, a "full state determination" is performed, and the dust collection unit transitions from the dust collection unit empty state EMPT to the dust collection unit full state FULL according to transition (1).

[0052] If the dust collecting device 20 does not frequently suck dust from the vacuum cleaner 10, the dust collecting unit empty current Iempt is not calculated, and therefore the variable threshold value Th3 does not exist. In this case, the suction current may be compared with the fixed threshold value Th1, and the full state may be determined when the suction current falls below the fixed threshold value Th1. In this case, the dust collecting unit full current Ifull is not calculated, and is not stored in the nonvolatile memory 402.

[0053] When the dust collection unit 202 of the dust collection device 20 is determined to be full, for example, a blue LED is lit in the notification unit 50 to notify the user of the transition to the dust collection unit full state FULL. On the other hand, if the suction current is not lower than the fixed threshold value Th2 or the variable threshold value Th3, the dust collection unit 202 is not determined to be full, and the dust collection unit empty state EMPT is maintained.

[0054] When the dust collection unit is in the full state FULL, a predetermined difference value Ad is added to the dust collection unit full current Ifull to calculate the fluctuation threshold value Th4. Alternatively, the dust collection unit full current Ifull is multiplied by an increase coefficient of "1" or more to calculate the fluctuation threshold value Th4. 20 From I 23 When this occurs, it is estimated that the suction current exceeds the fluctuation threshold Th4, and the paper bag in the dust collection unit 202 may have been replaced or cleaned. In this case, the dust collection unit full state FULL is transitioned to the full state initialization candidate FULLreset in accordance with transition (2).

[0055] In Figure 4, the suction current is I 20 At this point, the current exceeds the fluctuation threshold value Th4, so the current value I 20 However, there is a possibility that the suction current may suddenly increase when the user opens the cover of the dust collection unit 202. For this reason, it is necessary to check that the current value for four times exceeds the fluctuation threshold value Th4. In FIG. 4, the suction current is a current value I 21 From I 23 Since the current value I 23 In this case, the full state initialization candidate FULLreset is shifted to the dust collection unit empty state EMPT according to transition (4a).

[0056] In addition, the current value I 20 From I 23The average current Iempt1 is calculated, and the dust collection unit empty current is updated from Iempt to Iempt1. A predetermined difference value Sd2 is subtracted from the new dust collection unit empty current Iempt1, or a reduction coefficient less than "1" is multiplied to calculate a variable threshold Th5. The lower of the fixed threshold Th2 or the variable threshold Th5 becomes the new first threshold for determining whether the dust collection unit 202 is full after the paper pack in the dust collection unit 202 has been replaced or cleaned.

[0057] In the full state initialization candidate FULLreset, when the suction current continuously exceeds the fluctuation threshold value Th4 due to replacement or cleaning of the paper pack in the dust collection unit 202 and replacement confirmation is determined, the blue LED of the notification unit 50 is not lit. On the other hand, when replacement confirmation is not determined, for example, when the suction current is a current value I 20 If the value subsequently falls below the fluctuation threshold Th4, the replacement candidate is discarded and the blue LED lights up.

[0058] FIG. 5 is a graph showing the change in the suction current of the dust collector 20 due to the second transition procedure. The second transition procedure shown in FIG. 5 corresponds to transition (1), transition (2), and transition (3). Therefore, the portions corresponding to transition (1) and transition (2) in FIG. 5 are the same as those in FIG. 4. In FIG. 5, as in FIG. 4, the suction current is a current value I 16 When the full state is determined, the dust collection unit full current Ifull is calculated, and the fluctuation threshold value Th4 is set taking the difference value Ad into consideration. 20 exceeds the fluctuation threshold Th4, the current value I 20 is considered a replacement candidate.

[0059] In FIG. 5, after determining the full state of the dust collection unit 202 and determining the replacement candidate, the replacement is discarded (the replacement candidate is discarded), and the transition from the full state initialization candidate FULLreset to the dust collection unit full state FULL is made according to transition (3). In FIG. 5, two variable thresholds Th 11 and Th 12 The fluctuation threshold Th 11 is the current value I 20 to the difference value Sd 10or multiplying it by a reduction coefficient less than "1". That is, the fluctuation threshold Th 11 is calculated from the power at the time of transition from the dust collection unit full state FULL to the full state initialization candidate FULLreset. 12 is the full current Ifull of the dust collection unit plus the difference Ad 10 or multiplying it by an increasing threshold value of "1" or more. That is, the fluctuation threshold value Th 12 is calculated from the power when the dust collection unit 202 is determined to be full. 11 or Th 12 Either of the above may be used.

[0060] The suction current is I 20 and the fluctuation threshold Th 11 or Th 12 The current value I 30 In Figure 4, the current value I 20 From I 23 When this is detected, the exchange is confirmed. In Figure 5, the suction current reaches a current value I 20 The fluctuation threshold value Th4 was exceeded only once at 30 Then, the fluctuation threshold Th 11 or Th 12 Since the current value of the suction current I 20 However, the variable threshold value Th4 for determining whether the dust collector is a replacement candidate is inherited. 11 or Th 12 If it exceeds this, the exchange will be confirmed.

[0061] If the replacement / discard is determined as described above, the state transitions to the dust collection unit full state FULL via transition (3), and the blue LED of the notification unit 50 is turned on. On the other hand, if the replacement / discard is not determined, the blue LED is turned off.

[0062] In Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, the fluctuation threshold value Th4 calculated for determining replacement candidates is maintained between the dust collection unit full state FULL due to transitions (2) and (3) and the full state initialization candidate FULLreset. In Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, multiple fluctuation threshold values ​​Th are calculated for determining replacement candidates between the dust collection unit empty state EMPT due to transitions (4b), (5), and (6) and the empty state initialization candidate EMPTreset. 41 , Th 42 , Th 43 , Th 44 is calculated according to the most recent average current values ​​Iave1, Iave2, Iave3, and Iave4 of the suction current.

[0063] FIG. 6 is a graph showing the change in the suction current of the dust collector 20 according to the third transition procedure. The third transition procedure shown in FIG. 6 corresponds to transition (5) and transition (4b). In FIG. 6, the suction current changes from a current value I1 to I 16 The average current value calculated every four suctions also decreases stepwise. That is, the average current value Iave1 of the current values ​​I1 to I4, the average current value Iave2 of the current values ​​I5 to I8, and the average current value Iave3 of the current values ​​I9 to I10 are calculated. 12 The average current Iave3 and the current I 13 From I 16 The average current Iave4 and the fluctuation threshold Th for determining replacement candidates are calculated. 41 is the current average value Iave1 plus a predetermined difference value Ad 20 Similarly, the threshold value Th 42 , Th 43 , Th 44 are the current average values ​​Iave2, Iave3, and Iave4 and the difference value Ad 20 Alternatively, the threshold value Th 41 From Th 44 may be obtained by multiplying the current average values ​​Iave1 to Iave4 by a reduction coefficient less than 1. The current average value Iave1 is stored in the nonvolatile memory 402 as the particulate collection unit empty current Iempt.

[0064] 4 and 5, fixed thresholds Th1 and Th2 are set in Fig. 6. In Fig. 6, the variable threshold Th3 is set by subtracting a predetermined difference value Sd from the average current Iave1. 20 The variable threshold value Th3 is maintained regardless of changes in the average current values ​​Iave1 to Iave4. Either the fixed threshold value Th2 or the variable threshold value Th3 may be used to determine whether the particulate collection unit 202 is full based on a decrease in suction current.

[0065] The current value of the suction current I1 to I 17 are both greater than the fixed threshold value Th2 or the variable threshold value Th3, the full state of the dust collection unit 202 is not determined, and the dust collection unit empty state EMPT is maintained. 18 is the fluctuation threshold Th 44 Since the current value I 18 At this point, the replacement candidate is determined. That is, according to transition (5), the state transitions from the empty state EMPT to the empty state initialization candidate EMPTreset. After that, the current value I 18 , I 19 , I 20 , I 21 The threshold value Th 44 Since it exceeds the current value I 21 As a result, the empty state initialization candidate EMPTreset transitions to the dust collection unit empty state EMPT according to transition (4b).

[0066] Then, the current value of the suction current I 18 From I 21 The current average value of the dust collection section empty current Iempt2 is calculated as a new dust collection section empty current Iempt2. As a result, the dust collection section empty current Iempt2 is updated to the new dust collection section empty current Iempt2. In addition, the new dust collection section empty current Iempt2 is subtracted from the predetermined difference value Sd 21 or multiplying it by a reduction coefficient less than "1" to obtain the variable threshold value Th for determining the full state of the dust collection unit. 20 is calculated. Note that the fluctuation threshold value Th 20 Instead, a fixed threshold Th2 may be used.

[0067] As described above, in FIG. 6, the full state of the particulate collection unit 202 is not determined, so the particulate collection unit full current Ifull does not exist, and the variable threshold value Th4 for determining whether or not a particulate collection unit is a replacement candidate cannot be calculated based on the particulate collection unit full current Ifull. 41 From Th 44 is calculated and used to determine replacement candidates.

[0068] FIG. 7 is a graph showing the change in the suction current of the dust collector 20 according to the fourth transition procedure. The fourth transition procedure shown in FIG. 7 corresponds to transitions (5) and (6). In FIG. 7, as in FIG. 6, the suction current changes from a current value I1 to I 17 The replacement candidate is determined by multiple thresholds Th 41 From Th 44 Then, the current value of the suction current I 18 is the fluctuation threshold Th 44 Since the current value I 18 A replacement candidate is determined at time (5). This causes a transition from the dust collector empty state EMPT to the empty state initialization candidate EMPTreset according to transition (5).

[0069] In FIG. 7, after determining the replacement candidate for the dust collector 202, the replacement is discarded (the replacement candidate is discarded) and the transition from the empty state initialization candidate EMPTreset to the dust collector empty state EMPT is made according to transition (6). In FIG. 7, as in FIG. 5, two variable thresholds Th 31 and Th 32 The fluctuation threshold Th is set. 31 is the current value I 18 to the difference value Sd 30 On the other hand, the fluctuation threshold Th 32 is the current average value Iave4 plus the difference value Ad 30 or multiplying it by an increasing coefficient of "1" or more. 31 or Th 32The threshold values ​​Th2 and Th3 for determining whether the dust collection unit 202 is full are maintained.

[0070] The suction current is I 18 and the fluctuation threshold Th 31 or Th 32 The current value I 30 , the exchange candidate is discarded. In other words, in Figure 7, the sink current reaches the current value I 30 The threshold value Th fluctuates only once at 44 However, the subsequent current value I 30 Then, the fluctuation threshold Th 31 or Th 32 Since the current value of the suction current I 18 is not stored as a new dust collection section empty current, and the dust collection section empty current Iempt is maintained.

[0071] 8 is a graph showing a method for calculating a threshold value for determining whether clogging of the paper bag or the filter provided in the air duct has occurred, as in the case of clogging of the dust collection unit 202 of the dust collection device 20. As in FIGS. 4 to 7, the horizontal axis represents the number of suctions, and the vertical axis represents the suction current.

[0072] 6 and 7, in FIG. 8, the suction current increases from I1 to I2 as the number of suction operations of the dust collector 20 increases. 17 As described above, the fixed thresholds Th1 and Th2 are set. The average value of the suction current values ​​I1 to I4 is calculated as the dust collection section empty current Iempt. The dust collection section empty current Iempt is calculated as a predetermined difference value Sd 40 The variable threshold value Th3 is calculated by subtracting the fixed threshold value Th2 from the dust collection unit 202 or by multiplying the fixed threshold value Th2 by a reduction coefficient equal to or less than 1. The fixed threshold value Th2 and the variable threshold value Th3 are set to determine whether the dust collection unit 202 is full, but the full state of the dust collection unit 202 is not determined in the graph of FIG.

[0073] To detect clogging of the dust collection section 202, two determination conditions are set.

[0074] (A) After the dust collector 20 is started, the dust collector empty current Iempt is calculated by four suctions and stored in the nonvolatile memory 402. In addition, the suction current is equal to or greater than a predetermined power (e.g., 90 W) for one second and is lower than either the fixed threshold value Th2 or the variable threshold value Th3, whichever is lower.

[0075] (A) The dust collecting device 20 has just been used, and the dust collecting section empty current Iempt has not been calculated and has not been stored in the nonvolatile memory 402. In addition, the suction current is equal to or greater than a predetermined power (e.g., 90 W) and is lower than the fixed threshold value Th1 for one second.

[0076] When the above condition (A) or (B) is met, it is detected that the dust collection unit 202 is clogged, and operation of the dust collection device 20 is stopped even if the suction operation of the dust collection device 20 is in progress. After that, the user can replace the paper bag of the dust collection unit 202 or clean the filter.

[0077] Determining whether dust collection unit 202 is clogged corresponds to determining whether the air passage is blocked, and is different from determining whether dust collection unit 202 is full with dust. Therefore, it is possible to use a different notification method by notification unit 50. For example, when dust collection unit 202 is full, a blue LED may be flashed, and when the air passage is blocked and the air passage is clogged, the blue LED may be lit. Note that when a determination is made that the air passage is blocked, the current characteristics (current values ​​of the suction current) accumulated for each previous suction may be discarded and not be included in the calculation of the average current value.

[0078] In this embodiment, various determinations are made based on electrical characteristics such as the current characteristics of the suction motor 204. However, in practice, any indicator related to the airflow resistance between the vacuum cleaner 10 and the dust collection unit 202 of the dust collector 20, or the operating status of the suction motor 204, whose load fluctuates depending on the airflow resistance, may be used. This indicator may include the airflow resistance that fluctuates depending on the dust accumulation state in the dust collection unit 202, the current characteristics of the suction motor 204, whose load fluctuates depending on the airflow resistance, the power consumption (suction power) of the suction motor 204, and impedance or admittance calculated from the voltage and current. Furthermore, the current characteristics stored in the nonvolatile memory 402 may be virtual admittance corrected based on the voltage. While this embodiment uses a commutated brush AC motor as the suction motor 204, a brushless motor may also be used. In this case, since the rotation speed of the brushless motor can be measured using a sensor, the rotation speed of the suction motor 204 may also be used as the indicator.

[0079] Next, a modification of the present embodiment will be described. In the electric cleaning device 1 according to the present embodiment, dust collected by the vacuum cleaner 10 is sucked into the dust collecting unit 202 by a suction airflow generated by driving the suction motor 204 of the dust collecting device 20. The control unit 30 of the dust collecting device 20 is provided with a load measurement unit 301, a load characteristics comparison unit 302, and a load determination unit 303. The load measurement unit 301 measures, as an index indicating the operating status of the dust collecting device 20, the current characteristics of the suction motor 204, which decrease as the airflow resistance of the airflow path formed between the vacuum cleaner 10 and the dust collecting unit 202 of the dust collecting device 20 increases. The load characteristics comparison unit 302 compares a first index measured during a first suction count in which dust is sucked by the dust collecting device 20, with a second index measured during a second suction count in which dust is sucked by the dust collecting device 20, during the operating status at the start of use of the dust collecting device 20 or during the initial use of the dust collecting device 20. The load determination unit 303 determines whether the internal state of the dust collection device 20 is an empty dust collection section state EMPT, a full dust collection section state FULL, or an air passage blocked state, based on the comparison result between the first index and the second index by the load characteristic comparison unit 302. The notification unit 50 issues a notification when the load determination unit 303 determines that the dust collection section is full in the FULL state or the air passage blocked state.

[0080] In this embodiment, the dust collection unit full state or air passage blockage state is determined based on the current characteristics of suction motor 204, which can absorb differences in current characteristics due to individual differences in suction motor 204 or deterioration over time, thereby accurately detecting the dust accumulation state of dust collection unit 202. Note that, although the air passage resistance of the air passage increases as dust accumulates in dust collection unit 202, because the maximum power (W) of suction motor 204 is determined by specifications, the increased air passage resistance increases the load on suction motor 204, and the current characteristics related to the suction current of suction motor 204 decrease.

[0081] A first threshold (for example, fixed thresholds Th1, Th2 or variable threshold Th3) is set for determining whether the dust collection unit is in a FULL state of the dust collection device 20. When the dust collection device 20 sucks dust, the airflow resistance increases, resulting in a high load, and the load characteristics comparison unit 302 may determine that the second index is lower than the first index and is equal to or less than the first threshold. In this case, the load determination unit 303 may determine that the dust collection unit 202 is filled with dust, and may transition the internal state of the dust collection device 20 from the EMPT state to the FULL state.

[0082] A second threshold (e.g., fluctuation threshold Th4) is set for determining whether the dust collection unit is in an empty state EMPT of the dust collection device 20. During the third suction count after the second suction count, the airflow resistance decreases, resulting in a low load, and the load characteristics comparison unit 302 may determine that the third index measured during the third suction count is equal to or greater than the second threshold. In this case, the load determination unit 303 may determine that the dust collection unit 202 has been initialized (e.g., the paper pack has been replaced) during the third suction count, and transition the internal state of the dust collection device 20 from the dust collection unit full state FULL to the full state initialization candidate FULLreset. The notification unit 50 may also stop providing notification.

[0083] On the other hand, when the load characteristic comparison unit 302 determines that the third index is not greater than or equal to the second threshold value, the load determination unit 303 may maintain the internal state of the dust collection device 20 in the dust collection unit full state FULL, and the notification unit 50 may issue a notification.

[0084] After the load determination unit 303 determines that the internal state of the dust collecting device 20 is the full-state initialization candidate FULLreset, the airflow resistance may increase during the fourth suction count after the third suction count, resulting in a high load, and the load characteristics comparison unit 302 may determine that the fourth index measured during the fourth suction count is equal to or less than the second threshold value. In this case, the load determination unit 303 may discard the full-state initialization candidate FULLreset for the internal state of the dust collecting device 20 and return to the dust collection unit full state FULL, and the notification unit 50 may resume notification.

[0085] After the load determination unit 303 determines that the internal state of the dust collecting device 20 is the full-state initialization candidate FULLreset, the load characteristic comparison unit 302 may determine that the fourth index measured at the fourth suction count after the third suction count is equal to or greater than the second threshold. At this time, the load determination unit 303 may transition the internal state of the dust collecting device 20 from the full-state initialization candidate FULLreset to the dust collection unit empty state EMPT.

[0086] There is a possibility that the airflow resistance will decrease and the load will become low during the third suction count after the load determination unit 303 has determined that the internal state of the dust collection device 20 is the dust collection unit empty state EMPT during the second suction count. In this case, the load characteristic comparison unit 302 may determine that the third index measured during the third suction count is equal to or greater than the second threshold value, and the load determination unit 303 may transition the internal state of the dust collection device 20 from the dust collection unit empty state EMPT to the empty state initialization candidate EMPTreset.

[0087] At the fourth suction count after the third suction count, the airflow resistance increases, resulting in a high load, and the load characteristics comparison unit 302 may determine that the fourth index measured at the fourth suction count is equal to or less than the second threshold value. At this time, the load determination unit 303 may discard the empty state initialization candidate EMPTreset for the internal state of the dust collection device 20 and return it to the dust collection unit empty state EMPT.

[0088] When the load characteristic comparison unit 302 determines that the fourth indicator is equal to or greater than the second threshold value during the fourth suction count after the third suction count, the load determination unit 303 may maintain the dust collection unit empty state EMPT for the internal state of the dust collection device 20.

[0089] An initial threshold value (e.g., Th1) is set for determining whether the dust collection section is in a full state after starting to use the dust collection device 20. When the dust collection device 20 starts to absorb dust, the load measurement unit 301 measures a first index, and the load characteristic comparison unit 302 may determine that the first index is equal to or less than the initial threshold value. At this time, the load determination unit 303 may determine that the dust collection section 202 is filled with dust, and may transition the internal state of the dust collection device 20 from the dust collection empty state EMPT to the dust collection section full state FULL.

[0090] A current fluctuation range defined by an upper limit value and a lower limit value may be set for the current characteristics of the dust collector 20 measured by the load measurement unit 301. In this case, a first threshold value for determining whether the dust collector 20 is in the dust collection section full state (FULL) may be set near the lower limit value of the current fluctuation range, and a second threshold value for determining whether the dust collector 20 is in the dust collection section empty state (EMPT) may be set near the upper limit value of the current fluctuation range.

[0091] If the load recorded as the operating status of the dust collecting device 20 during initial use is too small, the load determining unit 303 may overestimate the dust accumulation state of the dust collecting unit 202. That is, the load determining unit 303 may determine the internal state of the dust collecting device 20 as "FULL" even when there is not much dust accumulated in the dust collecting unit 202. On the other hand, if the load recorded as the operating status of the dust collecting device 20 is too large, the load determining unit 303 may underestimate the dust accumulation state of the dust collecting unit 202. That is, the load determining unit 303 may not determine the internal state of the dust collecting device 20 as "FULL" even when the dust collecting unit 202 is filled with dust. In this way, the current characteristics of the dust collecting device 20 are kept within a predetermined current fluctuation range in order to prevent the load determining unit 303 from overestimating or underestimating the dust accumulation state of the dust collecting unit 202.

[0092] During initial use of the dust collector 20, the load measurement unit 301 measures multiple current characteristics for multiple suction runs. If the difference between the multiple current characteristics is greater than a predetermined value or a predetermined percentage, the load characteristic comparison unit 302 may calculate the current current characteristics by adding a predetermined value to the past current characteristics or multiplying the past current characteristics by a predetermined percentage. Typically, the dust collector 20 sucks dust with the lid of the dust collector 202 closed. However, there is a possibility that an unexpected operation, such as a user sucking dust with the lid of the dust collector 202 open, may be performed. In this case, if the current characteristics measured by the load measurement unit 301 are detected as the operating conditions during initial use of the dust collector 20, the load determination unit 303 may be unable to accurately determine the dust accumulation state of the dust collector 202. To solve this problem, the load characteristic comparison unit 302 calculates the current current characteristics based on the past current characteristics, preventing large fluctuations in the current characteristics.

[0093] When the load measuring unit 301 measures multiple current characteristics for multiple suction counts during initial use of the dust collecting device 20, there is a possibility that the variations in the multiple current characteristics will exceed a predetermined range. In this case, specific current characteristics that fall outside the predetermined range may be excluded, an average value may be calculated for the multiple current characteristics, and the average value may be used to represent the multiple current characteristics. In other words, by excluding specific current characteristics that fall outside the predetermined range, even if the current characteristics fluctuate unexpectedly for some reason, a representative value of the multiple current characteristics can be appropriately determined and kept within the predetermined range.

[0094] A third threshold value (e.g., a fixed threshold value Th1, or the lower of the fixed threshold value Th2 and the variable threshold value Th3) may be set to determine whether the air path is blocked. For example, the air path resistance increases during the second suction count, resulting in a high load. If the dust collector 20 is initialized after the second suction count, the load characteristic comparison unit 302 may determine that the third indicator measured during the third suction count is equal to or less than the third threshold value. In this case, the load determination unit 303 may determine that the internal state of the dust collector is a blocked air path and take a predetermined action, or may cause the notification unit 50 to issue a notification. The predetermined action may include protective measures such as stopping the suction motor 204, reducing the drive power of the suction motor 204, or shortening the drive time of the suction motor 204. This prevents a sudden increase in air path resistance from causing the suction motor 204 to overload and break down.

[0095] The current characteristic measured by the load measuring unit 301 may be the suction current consumed by the suction motor 204 when the airflow resistance stabilizes within a predetermined range at the start or initial use of the dust collector 20. The suction current has the property of fluctuating significantly from the start to the stop of operation of the suction motor 204. For this reason, the minimum load or maximum load measured when the load on the suction motor 204 stabilizes, or the load after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of operation of the suction motor 204, may be used as an index indicating the operating status of the dust collector 20.

[0096] A storage unit 40 may be provided for storing the current characteristics measured by the load measurement unit 301. When the dust collecting device 20 is in an air passage blocked state or the temperature rises, the user may operate an operator (e.g., switch SW2) of the dust collecting device 20 to stop dust absorption. In this case, the current characteristics measured by the load measurement unit 301 may not be stored in the storage unit 40. That is, when the user performs an unexpected operation on the dust collecting device 20 or when an equipment abnormality occurs in the dust collecting device 20, the indicator of the operating condition measured by the load measurement unit 301 may be removed from the storage contents of the storage unit 40. This allows the load determination unit 303 to accurately determine the dust accumulation state of the dust collecting unit 202.

[0097] If it is determined that the suction motor 204 of the dust collector 20 is not operating normally due to its operating time or temperature rise, the current characteristics measured by the load measurement unit 301 may not be stored in the memory unit 40. For example, when the suction motor 204 is continuously operated for a short period of time, such as several seconds or several minutes, a temperature rise in the suction motor 204 may occur, causing fluctuations in the current characteristics. By eliminating the fluctuations in the suction current or load caused by this temperature rise, the state of the air passage and the dust accumulation state in the dust collection unit 202 can be accurately determined. Note that even when the suction motor 204 is not operating normally, the measured values ​​of the current characteristics may be corrected for temperature and stored in the memory unit 40. For temperature correction, the measured values ​​of the current characteristics may be corrected using a predetermined formula and stored in the memory unit 40. For example, the formula may include adding a predetermined correction value to the measured values ​​of the current characteristics. Specifically, it is determined whether the operating temperature of the suction motor 204 is within the normal range based on the measurement value of the temperature sensor 209, the time elapsed since the dust collector 20 was last driven, and changes in the load due to continued operation of the dust collector 20. If the operating temperature of the suction motor 204 exceeds the normal range, the current characteristics indicating the operating status may not be recorded in the memory unit 40, or the current characteristics indicating the operating status may be corrected according to a predetermined formula and recorded in the memory unit 40.

[0098] In the above, when load measurement unit 301 measures multiple current characteristics for multiple suction counts, load characteristic comparison unit 302 may sequentially store the multiple current characteristics in a volatile storage area of ​​storage unit 40 (e.g., volatile memory 401), and may also calculate an average value of the multiple current characteristics and store this average value in a non-volatile area of ​​storage unit 40 (e.g., non-volatile memory 402). Storing all current characteristics after dust collector 20 has been used in storage unit 40 requires a large storage capacity. Therefore, storing an average value representing the multiple current characteristics measured for multiple suction counts in the non-volatile area of ​​storage unit 40 can reduce the storage capacity. Furthermore, since the contents of the volatile area of ​​storage unit 40 are erased when the voltage supply to dust collector 20 is stopped, it is possible to prevent multiple current characteristics from being stored in storage unit 40.

[0099] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 1 Electric vacuum cleaner 10. Vacuum cleaner 20 Dust collector 30 Control Unit 40 Storage section 50 Information Department 202 Dust collection unit (paper pack) 203 Centrifugal Fan 204 Suction motor 205 Control board 206 Current detection section 207 Plug 208 Exhaust port 209 Temperature Sensor 301 Load measurement section 302 Load characteristic comparison section 303 Load judgment section 304 Drive unit 401 Volatile Memory 402 Non-volatile memory

Claims

1. An electric vacuum cleaner in which dust collected by an electric vacuum cleaner is sucked into a dust collecting section by a suction airflow generated by an electric blower when a suction motor of a dust collecting device is driven, a load measuring unit that measures, as an index indicating an operating state of the dust collecting device, a current characteristic of the suction motor that decreases as an airflow resistance of an airflow path formed between the vacuum cleaner and the dust collecting unit of the dust collecting device increases; a load characteristic comparison unit that compares a first indicator of the dust collecting device measured by the load measurement unit during a first suction count in which the dust collecting device sucks the dust, with a second indicator of the dust collecting device measured by the load measurement unit when the dust collecting device sucks the dust a second suction count after the first suction count, during the operating conditions at the start of use of the dust collecting device or during the initial use of the dust collecting device; a load determination unit that determines whether the internal state of the dust collecting device is an empty dust collection section state in which the dust is not accumulated in the dust collection section, a full dust collection section state in which the dust is filled in the dust collection section, or an air passage blockage state in which the air passage is predicted to be blocked due to an increase in air passage resistance regardless of the amount of dust accumulated in the dust collection section, according to a comparison result between the first index and the second index by the load characteristic comparison unit; a notification unit that issues a notification when the load determination unit determines that the dust collection unit is full or that the air passage is blocked; An electric cleaning device comprising:

2. The electric cleaning device of claim 1, wherein a first threshold value is set for determining whether the dust collection section of the dust collecting device is full, and when the suction of dust by the dust collecting device increases the air path resistance, resulting in a high load, and the load characteristic comparison unit determines that the second index is lower than the first index and that the second index is equal to or less than the first threshold value, the load determination unit determines that the dust collection section is filled with dust and transitions the internal state of the dust collecting device from the dust collection section empty state to the dust collection section full state.

3. The electric cleaning device described in claim 2, characterized in that a second threshold value is set for determining whether the dust collection section of the dust collecting device is empty, and when the air path resistance decreases and the load becomes low during a third suction count after the second suction count, and the load characteristic comparison unit determines that the third index measured by the load measurement unit during the third suction count is equal to or greater than the second threshold value, the load determination unit determines that the dust collection section has been initialized during the third suction count, transitions the internal state of the dust collecting device from the dust collection section full state to a full state initialization candidate, and the alarm unit stops the alarm.

4. The electric cleaning device described in claim 3, characterized in that when the load characteristic comparison unit determines that the third indicator is not greater than the second threshold value, the load determination unit maintains the internal state of the dust collection device in a dust collection unit full state, and the alarm unit issues the alarm.

5. The electric cleaning device described in claim 3, characterized in that after the load determination unit determines that the internal state of the dust collecting device is the full-state initialization candidate, when the air path resistance increases to a high load during the fourth suction count after the third suction count and the load characteristic comparison unit determines that the fourth index measured by the load measurement unit during the fourth suction count is equal to or less than the second threshold value, the load determination unit discards the full-state initialization candidate for the internal state of the dust collecting device and returns to the dust collection unit full state, and the notification unit resumes the notification.

6. The electric cleaning device described in claim 3, characterized in that after the load determination unit determines that the internal state of the dust collection device is the full-state initialization candidate, when the load characteristic comparison unit determines that the fourth index measured by the load measurement unit at the fourth suction count after the third suction count is equal to or greater than the second threshold, the load determination unit transitions the internal state of the dust collection device from the full-state initialization candidate to the dust collection unit empty state.

7. 2. The electric cleaning device of claim 1, wherein a second threshold value is set for determining whether the dust collection unit of the dust collecting device is empty, and when the load determination unit determines that the internal state of the dust collecting device is in the dust collection unit empty state at the second suction count and then the air path resistance decreases to a low load at the third suction count after the load determination unit determines that the third index measured by the load measurement unit at the third suction count is equal to or greater than the second threshold value, the load determination unit transitions the internal state of the dust collecting device from the dust collection unit empty state to a candidate for empty state initialization.

8. The electric cleaning device described in claim 7, characterized in that when the air path resistance increases and becomes high load during the fourth suction count after the third suction count, and the load characteristic comparison unit determines that the fourth index measured by the load measurement unit during the fourth suction count is equal to or less than the second threshold value, the load determination unit discards the empty state initialization candidate for the internal state of the dust collection device and returns to the dust collection unit empty state.

9. 8. The electric cleaning device of claim 7, wherein when the load characteristic comparison unit determines that the fourth index measured by the load measurement unit is equal to or greater than the second threshold value during the fourth suction count after the third suction count, the load determination unit maintains the dust collection unit empty state for the internal state of the dust collection device.

10. 2. The electric cleaning device of claim 1, wherein an initial threshold is set for determining whether the dust collection section is full after the dust collection device starts to be used, and when the load measurement section measures the first index as the dust collection device begins to absorb the dust, and the load characteristic comparison section determines that the first index is equal to or less than the initial threshold, the load determination section determines that the dust collection section is filled with dust and transitions the internal state of the dust collection device from the dust collection section empty state to the dust collection section full state.

11. The electric cleaning device of claim 1, wherein a current fluctuation range defined by an upper limit value and a lower limit value is set for the current characteristics of the dust collector measured by the load measuring unit, a first threshold value for determining whether the dust collection section of the dust collector is full is set near the lower limit value of the current fluctuation range, and a second threshold value for determining whether the dust collection section of the dust collector is empty is set near the upper limit value of the current fluctuation range.

12. 10. The electric cleaning device according to claim 6 or 9, wherein when the load measuring unit measures a plurality of current characteristics for a plurality of suction counts during initial use of the dust collecting device, if the difference between the plurality of current characteristics is greater than a predetermined value or a predetermined percentage, the load characteristic comparing unit adds the predetermined value to the past current characteristic or multiplies the predetermined percentage to calculate the current current characteristic.

13. 10. The electric cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein when the load measuring unit measures multiple current characteristics for multiple suction counts during initial use of the dust collecting device, if the variation in the multiple current characteristics exceeds a predetermined range, a specific current characteristic that falls outside the predetermined range is excluded, an average value is calculated for the multiple current characteristics, and the average value is used to represent the multiple current characteristics.

14. The electric cleaning device of claim 1, wherein a third threshold value is set for determining the air path blockage state of the air path, and when the air path resistance increases during the second suction count, resulting in a high load, the dust collecting device is initialized after the second suction count, and the load characteristic comparison unit determines that the third index measured by the load measurement unit is equal to or less than the third threshold value during the subsequent third suction count, the load determination unit determines that the internal state of the dust collecting device is in the air path blockage state and takes a predetermined measure, or causes the alarm unit to issue the alarm.

15. 2. The electric cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the current characteristic measured by the load measuring unit is a suction current consumed by the suction motor when the air path resistance stabilizes within a predetermined range at the start of use or during initial use of the dust collecting device.

16. The electric cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising a memory unit for storing the current characteristics measured by the load measuring unit, and when the air path of the dust collecting device is blocked or the temperature rises, if a user operates an operating member of the dust collecting device to stop the dust absorption, the current characteristics measured by the load measuring unit are not stored in the memory unit.

17. 17. The electric cleaning device according to claim 16, wherein when it is determined that the suction motor is not operating normally due to an increase in driving time or temperature of the suction motor, the current characteristics measured by the load measuring unit are not stored in the memory unit.

18. The electric cleaning device according to claim 17, wherein the current characteristics measured by the load measuring unit are subjected to temperature correction in accordance with a predetermined formula, and the corrected current characteristics are stored in the memory unit.

19. 2. The electric cleaning device according to claim 1, further comprising a memory unit for storing the current characteristics measured by the load measurement unit, and when the load measurement unit measures multiple current characteristics for multiple suction counts, the load characteristic comparison unit sequentially stores the multiple current characteristics in a volatile memory area of ​​the memory unit, calculates an average value of the multiple current characteristics, and stores the average value in a non-volatile area of ​​the memory unit.

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