Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

To prolong the operation time of a cleaner operated by a storage battery.SOLUTION: A vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment includes a storage battery, a dust suction drive unit, and a power generation unit. The dust suction driving part is operated by the power of the storage battery and generates a suction force for cleaning. The power generation unit generates power based on the rotation of the motor of the dust-suction driving unit and charges the storage battery.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner. [Background technology]

[0002] Robot vacuum cleaners are becoming increasingly popular. These types of vacuum cleaners run on power from an onboard storage battery. When the battery runs out of power, the robot vacuum cleaner moves to a charging location to recharge. In order to extend the operating time of a robot vacuum cleaner, the storage battery capacity must be increased. However, the larger the storage battery capacity, the heavier it becomes, which raises the problem of increased manufacturing costs for the vacuum cleaner.

[0003] Increasing the capacity of the battery in a handheld cordless vacuum cleaner increases its weight, making it difficult to operate. Extending the operating time of a robot vacuum cleaner or handheld vacuum cleaner is a major challenge. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-146617 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to extend the operating time of a battery-operated vacuum cleaner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment includes a storage battery, a dust suction drive unit, and a power generation unit. The dust suction drive unit operates on power from the storage battery and generates suction power for cleaning. The power generation unit generates power based on the rotation of the motor of the dust suction drive unit and charges the storage battery. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram of a vacuum cleaner according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a configuration diagram of a power generating unit of the vacuum cleaner according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a storage battery of a vacuum cleaner according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] (Embodiment 1) This embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vacuum cleaner 1 according to this embodiment. The vacuum cleaner 1 includes a sensor 10, a control device 80, a dust collection drive unit 41, a movement drive unit 42, a power generation unit 60, a storage battery 70, etc.

[0009] The sensor 10 is composed of a camera or the like. The sensor 10 acquires information about the object and the distance to the object. The information acquired by the sensor 10 is sent to the control device 80 and processed by an image recognition program or the like within the control device 80.

[0010] The control device 80 is a computer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a main memory, an auxiliary memory, and an interface. The CPU executes various processes according to the programs stored in the auxiliary memory. The main memory has RAM (Random Access Memory) and the like. The main memory is used as a working area for the CPU. The auxiliary memory has ROM (Read Only Memory), semiconductor memory, and other non-volatile memory. The auxiliary memory stores programs executed by the CPU, various parameters, and the like. The programs executed by the CPU include an image recognition program, a map creation program, and the like. The control device 80 enables the vacuum cleaner 1 to autonomously travel based on the image recognition program, map creation program, and the like, thereby cleaning a specified area.

[0011] The dust suction drive unit 41 has the function of generating suction power for cleaning. The dust suction drive unit 41 includes a motor that rotates and drives rotating bodies such as blades that move air in a gear pump, etc. The movement drive unit 42 has the function of moving the main body. The movement drive unit 42 includes a motor that rotates and drives tires, etc. The motors of the dust suction drive unit 41 and the movement drive unit 42 operate using electricity from the storage battery 70 as a power source.

[0012] Power generating unit 60 generates power based on the rotation of the motors of dust suction drive unit 41 and movement drive unit 42, and charges storage battery 70. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of power generating unit 60. FIG. 2 shows power generating unit 60 that generates power based on the rotation of the motor of dust suction drive unit 41. Here, the power generating unit 60 that generates power based on the rotation of the motor of dust suction drive unit 41 will be described as an example. The power generating unit 60 that generates power based on the rotation of the motor of movement drive unit 42 has the same configuration. Power generating unit 60 has a generator 61 and a control unit 62.

[0013] The generator 61 rotates based on the rotation of the motor of the dust suction drive unit 41 and outputs AC power. The generator 61 is composed of a motor. The rotating shaft of the motor constituting the generator 61 is connected to the rotating shaft of the motor of the dust suction drive unit 41 by, for example, gears or a belt. The rotating shaft of the generator 61 rotates based on the rotation of the rotating shaft of the motor of the dust suction drive unit 41, and the generator 61 outputs AC power voltage of, for example, 24 V or 100 V. The frequency of the AC power output by the generator 61 is determined by the number of poles of the generator 61, the rotation speed of the motor of the dust suction drive unit 41, the gear ratio of the gears, etc. If it is not necessary to limit the frequency of the AC power output by the generator 61, the rotating shaft of the generator 61 and the rotating shaft of the motor of the dust suction drive unit 41 may be formed by a single common rotating shaft.

[0014] The control unit 62 converts the AC power output by the generator 61 into a predetermined voltage and charges the storage battery 70. The control unit 62 includes a rectifier 621 and a current driver 623.

[0015] The rectifier 621 converts the AC power output by the generator 61 into DC power. The rectifier 621 is composed of, for example, a capacitor, a diode, etc. The rectifier 621 supplies the rectified DC power to the current driver 623. The current driver 623 is composed of, for example, a DC / DC converter. The current driver 623 converts the input DC voltage into a voltage suitable for charging the storage battery 70. The current driver 623 may be a constant current source that supplies a current suitable for charging the storage battery 70.

[0016] The storage battery 70 supplies power to the electronic circuits in the device. The storage battery 70 is configured, for example, as a lithium-ion battery. The storage battery 70 has a charge monitoring sensor 71 that monitors the charge state. The charge monitoring sensor 71 can be configured as a voltage measuring device or the like. The charge monitoring sensor 71 notifies the control device 80 of information as to whether the storage battery 70 is in a fully charged state (output voltage information of the storage battery 70).

[0017] The explanation about the power generating unit 60 that generates power based on the rotation of the motor of the movement driving unit 42 is the same as that explained above.

[0018] Next, we will explain the operation of the vacuum cleaner 1. The vacuum cleaner 1 moves within a predetermined range based on the built-in program and image information acquired by the sensor 10, and when it recognizes dust or other debris photographed by the sensor 10, it sucks up the dust. The vacuum cleaner 1 may also suck up the floor even if it does not recognize dust.

[0019] When vacuum cleaner 1 moves, the motor of movement drive unit 42 rotates. When vacuum cleaner 1 is sucking up dust and the like, the motor of dust suction drive unit 41 rotates. As the rotating shafts of the motors of dust suction drive unit 41 and movement drive unit 42 rotate, the rotating shaft of generator 61 of power generation unit 60 rotates, and generator 61 outputs AC power. Control unit 62 converts the AC power output by generator 61 into a voltage and current suitable for charging storage battery 70, and charges storage battery 70.

[0020] When the storage battery 70 is fully charged, the output voltage of the storage battery 70 tends to be high. The output voltage of the storage battery 70 gradually decreases according to the remaining capacity. Then, when the remaining capacity of the storage battery 70 runs out, the output voltage of the storage battery 70 tends to drop suddenly. The remaining capacity of the storage battery 70 can be estimated by focusing on the voltage characteristics of the storage battery 70. The storage battery 70 has a charge monitoring sensor 71 that monitors the output voltage. The charge monitoring sensor 71 notifies the control device 80 of the value of the output voltage of the storage battery 70.

[0021] The control device 80 determines whether the output voltage of the storage battery 70 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold voltage based on the output information of the charge monitoring sensor 71. The threshold voltage is set to the value of the output voltage when the storage battery 70 has a predetermined remaining capacity (for example, 90% or 95%) relative to when it is fully charged. When the output voltage of the storage battery 70 is less than the threshold voltage, the control device 80 controls the power generation unit 60 to charge the storage battery 70. On the other hand, when the output voltage of the storage battery 70 is equal to or greater than the threshold voltage, the control device 80 controls the power generation unit 60 not to charge the storage battery 70.

[0022] The vacuum cleaner 1 according to the embodiment includes a power generating unit 60 having a generator 61 that rotates based on the rotation of the motors of the dust suction drive unit 41 and the moving drive unit 42 and outputs AC power, and a control unit 62 that converts the AC power output by the generator 61 into a predetermined voltage. The vacuum cleaner 1 according to the embodiment stores the power output by the power generating unit 60 in a storage battery 70 and uses that power in the electronic circuits within the device. Energy supplied to the motors of the dust suction drive unit 41 and the moving drive unit 42 is used to rotate the motors. However, a portion of the energy supplied to the motors is dissipated as heat energy in the motors. By providing the power generating unit 60, the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the embodiment effectively utilizes the heat energy dissipated by the motors of the dust suction drive unit 41 and the moving drive unit 42. This improves energy efficiency and extends the operating time of the vacuum cleaner when powered by a storage battery. In other words, for example, if the continuous operating time is set to one hour, the storage battery 70 can be made smaller. This allows the vacuum cleaner 1 to be made smaller and lighter.

[0023] Furthermore, the storage battery 70 of the vacuum cleaner 1 according to this embodiment has a charge monitoring sensor 71 that monitors the charge state of the storage battery 70. When the charge monitoring sensor 71 detects that the storage battery 70 is not fully charged, the power generating unit 60 charges the generated power to the storage battery 70. On the other hand, when the charge monitoring sensor 71 detects that the storage battery 70 is fully charged, the power generating unit 60 does not charge the generated power to the storage battery 70. In this way, when the storage battery 70 is not saturated, the power generating unit 60 converts the kinetic energy (rotational energy) of the motors of the dust collection drive unit 41 and the movement drive unit 42 into electrical energy to charge the storage battery 70, thereby improving the energy efficiency of the vacuum cleaner 1. Furthermore, when the storage battery 70 is saturated, the power generating unit 60 does not charge the storage battery 70, thereby preventing the storage battery from emitting smoke or catching fire.

[0024] In the above description, the control unit 62 is configured with the rectifier 621 and the current driver 623, but the configuration of the control unit 62 is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 62 may be configured with an AC / DC converter.

[0025] Furthermore, in the above explanation, the power generating unit 60 outputs AC power based on the rotation of the motors of the dust collection drive unit 41 and the movement drive unit 42, but the power generating unit 60 may also output AC power based on the rotation of the motor of only one of the dust collection drive unit 41 or the movement drive unit 42.

[0026] (Embodiment 2) In the first embodiment, the case where the storage battery 70 is configured with one storage battery has been described. In the second embodiment, the case where the storage battery 70 includes two storage batteries will be described.

[0027] 3 is a configuration diagram of a storage battery 70 according to embodiment 2. The storage battery 70 includes a first storage battery 72, a second storage battery 73, a first switch 74, a second switch 75, and a charge monitoring sensor 71.

[0028] The first storage battery 72 and the second storage battery 73 are configured, for example, by lithium-ion batteries. The first switch 74 is a circuit for switching the storage battery to be used. The first switch 74 selects the first storage battery 72 or the second storage battery 73 as the output of the power generating unit 60 based on control by the control device 80. The second switch 75 is a circuit for selecting the storage battery to be charged by the power generating unit 60. The second switch 75 connects the output of the power generating unit 60 to the first storage battery 72 or the second storage battery 73 based on control by the control device 80. The first switch 74 and the second switch 75 can be configured by a field effect transistor (FET), a relay, etc.

[0029] The control device 80 monitors the charge states of the first storage battery 72 and the second storage battery 73, for example, based on information on the output voltages of the first storage battery 72 and the second storage battery 73 obtained by the charge monitoring sensor 71. When the first switch 74 selects the first storage battery 72, the control device 80 controls the first switch 74 to select the second storage battery 73 when the output voltage of the first storage battery 72 falls below a predetermined threshold indicating a decrease in the remaining battery charge.

[0030] The control device 80 controls the second switch 75 so that the storage battery not selected by the first switch 74 is charged. Furthermore, when the output voltage of the storage battery to be charged reaches or exceeds a predetermined threshold value indicating that the storage battery is nearly fully charged, the control device 80 controls the second switch 75 so that the storage battery to be charged is not charged. In this case, the power generation unit 60 enters a state in which neither the first storage battery 72 nor the second storage battery 73 is charged. Alternatively, the control device 80 controls the power generation unit 60 so that neither the first storage battery 72 nor the second storage battery 73 is charged. The reason for not charging the storage battery that is nearly fully charged is to reduce the probability of storage battery failure.

[0031] The power generating unit 60 of the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the second embodiment switches between using the first storage battery 72 and the second storage battery 73. With this configuration, it is possible to use one of the storage batteries mounted on the vacuum cleaner 1 while charging the other storage battery.

[0032] If the rotation speed of the motors of the dust collection drive unit 41 and the moving drive unit 42 suddenly changes, the generator 61 may output large amounts of power (voltage and current). Depending on the circuit configuration, charging a storage battery while discharging it can apply an overcurrent or overvoltage to semiconductors, such as diodes, that make up the circuit separating charging and discharging. Semiconductor elements, such as diodes, often break down in a short-circuit mode when a voltage or current exceeding their absolute rating is applied. If diodes or other components of the storage battery break down in a short-circuit mode, this could lead to a battery smoke or fire accident. The power generation unit 60 of the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the second embodiment uses a first switch 74 and a second switch 75 to physically separate the discharging battery from the charging battery. This prevents the battery from emitting smoke or catching fire.

[0033] Furthermore, in the explanation of the second embodiment, the case where two batteries are used has been described, but the number of batteries does not need to be limited. The number of batteries may be three or four. The more batteries there are, the greater the storage capacity becomes, and the longer the operating time of the vacuum cleaner can be.

[0034] (Variation) In the explanation of the first and second embodiments, a robot vacuum cleaner was described. Here, a handheld vacuum cleaner will be described. In the case of a handheld vacuum cleaner, there is no mobile drive unit 42 shown in FIG. 1 . Therefore, there is no power generation unit 60 connected to the mobile drive unit 42. The rest of the explanation is the same as the explanation of the first and second embodiments.

[0035] 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 may be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications may 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 set forth in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 1...Vacuum cleaner 10...Sensor 41...Dust collection drive unit 42...Moving drive unit 60...Power generation section 61...Generator 62...Control unit 621…Rectification section 623...Current driver 70...storage battery 71...Charging monitoring sensor 72...1st storage battery 73...Second storage battery 74...First switch 75...Second switch 80...Control device

Claims

1. A storage battery and a dust suction drive unit that operates on power from the storage battery and generates suction power for cleaning; a power generating unit that generates power based on the rotation of the motor of the dust suction driving unit and charges the storage battery; A vacuum cleaner having:

2. The power generation unit a generator that rotates based on the rotation of the motor of the dust suction drive unit and outputs AC power; a control unit that converts AC power output by the generator into a predetermined voltage and charges the storage battery; having 2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1.

3. A storage battery and a movement drive unit that operates using power from the storage battery and moves the main body; a power generating unit that generates power based on the rotation of the motor of the movement driving unit and charges the storage battery; A vacuum cleaner having:

4. The power generation unit a generator that rotates based on the rotation of the motor of the movement drive unit and outputs AC power; a control unit that converts AC power output by the generator into a predetermined voltage and charges the storage battery; having 4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 3.

5. the storage battery has a charge monitoring sensor that monitors the charge state of the storage battery; the power generation unit charges the generated power to the storage battery when it detects that the storage battery is not in a fully charged state based on output information from the charge monitoring sensor, and does not charge the generated power to the storage battery when it detects that the storage battery is in a fully charged state.

4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 or 3.

6. The storage battery is A first storage battery; A second storage battery; a first switch that selects the first storage battery or the second storage battery as a storage battery that supplies power to an electronic circuit in the device; a second switch that selects the first storage battery or the second storage battery as a storage battery to be charged by the power generation unit; 4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 or 3, comprising:

Images