Electric vacuum cleaners and electric cleaning systems

Abstract

To provide an electric vacuum cleaner that can be used as both a cordless and a corded vacuum cleaner, with improved usability. [Solution] The electric vacuum cleaner 1 comprises a main body equipped with an electric blower 10, a dust collection unit 6, and a main body power terminal 12; a battery unit 30 equipped with a battery unit 34 for storing power and a first power terminal 31 configured to be connectable to the main body power terminal 12, which, when attached to the main body 2, supplies power stored in the battery unit 34 to the electric blower 10 via the first power terminal 31; and a power cord unit 40 equipped with a power cord 44 for supplying power from an external power source and a second power terminal 41 configured to be connectable to the main body power terminal 12, which, when attached to the main body 2, supplies power supplied from an external power source to the electric blower 10 via the second power terminal 41, wherein either the battery unit 30 or the power cord unit 40 is attached to the main body 2.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vacuum cleaner.

Background Art

[0002] A vacuum cleaner generates a suction airflow by driving an electric blower to suck dust. In a cordless cleaner, the power for driving the electric blower is supplied from a battery provided in the vacuum cleaner. In a corded cleaner equipped with a power cord, the power for driving the electric blower is supplied from an external power source such as a commercial power supply through the power cord provided in the vacuum cleaner. In conventional vacuum cleaners, there has been proposed a vacuum cleaner that can be configured to be interchangeable between a battery and a power cord and can be used as both a cordless cleaner and a corded cleaner (for example, Patent Document 1). This enables the vacuum cleaner to have both the advantage of being convenient to use when cleaning with a cordless cleaner and the advantage of being able to clean for a long time without worrying about the remaining battery level with a corded cleaner equipped with a power cord.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the vacuum cleaner disclosed in Patent Document 1, the battery and power cord are interchangeable, so that when used as a cordless vacuum cleaner, the power cord is removed and the battery is attached, and when used as a corded vacuum cleaner, the battery is removed and the power cord is attached, eliminating the need to use an unnecessarily heavy vacuum cleaner. However, in the vacuum cleaner disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to be able to drive the electric blower with both DC power supplied from the battery and AC power supplied from the commercial power supply via the power cord. For this reason, it was necessary to provide both a DC power terminal and an AC power terminal in the vacuum cleaner.

[0005] This disclosure aims to solve the aforementioned problems by providing an electric vacuum cleaner that can be used as both a cordless and a corded vacuum cleaner, and that offers improved usability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vacuum cleaner according to this disclosure comprises a main body having an electric blower that generates a suction airflow for sucking in air containing dust, a dust collection unit for collecting dust contained in the suction airflow, and a main body power terminal electrically connected to the electric blower; a battery unit configured to be attachable to the main body and having a battery unit for storing power and a first power terminal configured to be connectable to the main body power terminal, which, when attached to the main body, supplies power stored in the battery unit to the electric blower via the first power terminal; and a power cord unit configured to be attachable to the main body and having a power cord for supplying power from an external power source and a second power terminal configured to be connectable to the main body power terminal, which, when attached to the main body, supplies power supplied from an external power source to the electric blower via the second power terminal, wherein either the battery unit or the power cord unit is attached to the main body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide an electric vacuum cleaner that can be used as both a cordless and a corded vacuum cleaner, with improved ease of use. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner body according to Embodiment 1 with the pipe and suction attachment attached. [Figure 2] This is a side view of the vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1, showing the main body of the vacuum cleaner supported by the support device. [Figure 3] This is a front view of the main body of the vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] This is a partial cross-sectional view from the rear of the main body of the vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1, with the power supply unit removed. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view of the main body with the battery unit according to Embodiment 1 attached to it. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view of the main body with the battery unit according to Embodiment 1 removed from the main body. [Figure 7] This is a block diagram showing the battery unit according to Embodiment 1 in a state where it is attached to the main body. [Figure 8] This is a perspective view of the main unit with the power cord unit according to Embodiment 1 attached to the main unit. [Figure 9] This is a perspective view of the main unit with the power cord unit according to Embodiment 1 removed from the main unit. [Figure 10] This is a block diagram showing the power cord unit according to Embodiment 1 attached to the main unit. [Figure 11] Figure 3, AA is a cross-sectional view showing the main body of the vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1 with the power supply unit attached. [Figure 12] This is a cross-sectional view AA of Figure 3, showing the removal of the power supply unit from the main body of the vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 13] This is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1, showing the main body of the vacuum cleaner supported by the support device. [Figure 14]It is a block diagram of the battery unit according to Embodiment 2 attached to the main body. [Figure 15] It is a block diagram of the power cord unit according to Embodiment 2 attached to the main body. [Figure 16] It is a functional block diagram of the main body according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 17] It is a flowchart showing an example of control in the control device according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 18] It is a flowchart showing an example of the restriction mode in the control device according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 19] It is a functional block diagram of the main body according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 20] It is a flowchart showing an example of control in the control device according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 21] It is a functional block diagram of the vacuum cleaning system including the vacuum cleaner 1 according to Embodiment 4. [Figure 22] It is a bottom view of the suction tool of the vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 4. [Figure 23] It is a flowchart regarding the learning process of the inference device according to Embodiment 4. [Figure 24] It is a flowchart showing the procedure for inferring the usage method of the vacuum cleaner 1 suitable for the cleaning target using the learned model according to Embodiment 4.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Embodiments for carrying out the subject matter of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each figure, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are appropriately simplified or omitted. Note that the subject matter of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and modifications of any component of the embodiments, combinations of any components of the embodiments, and omissions are possible without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0010] >Embodiment 1. The vacuum cleaner 1 according to Embodiment 1 is a vacuum cleaner that can be used as both a cordless vacuum cleaner and a corded vacuum cleaner by swapping the battery unit 30 and the power cord unit 40, which are power supply units. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner 1 according to Embodiment 1 with the pipe 3 and suction attachment 4 attached to the main body 2. Figure 2 is a side view of the vacuum cleaner 1 according to Embodiment 1 with the main body 2 supported by the support device 5. Figure 3 is a front view of the main body 2 of the vacuum cleaner 1 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 4 is a rear view of the main body 2 of the vacuum cleaner 1 according to Embodiment 1 with the power supply unit removed. Referring to Figures 1 to 4, each component of the vacuum cleaner 1 in this embodiment will be described.

[0011] In the following explanation, "front" and "back" of the main body 2 of the vacuum cleaner 1 refer to the directions shown in Figure 2. That is, the direction in which the dust collection unit 6 is located relative to the suction pipe 13 of the main body 2 of the vacuum cleaner 1 is considered the "front," and the opposite side is considered the "back." Also, "top" and "bottom" of the main body 2 of the vacuum cleaner 1 refer to the directions shown in Figure 2. That is, the side where the handle 8 of the main body 2 of the vacuum cleaner 1 is located is considered the "top," and the side to which the pipe 3 is connected is considered the "bottom." Furthermore, in the following explanation, dust and other debris will be collectively referred to simply as "dust." Also, air mixed with dust will be referred to as "dust-containing air." Also, air from which dust has been removed will be referred to as "clean air."

[0012] The electric vacuum cleaner 1 comprises a main body 2, a pipe 3 and a suction attachment 4 that are detachably attached to the main body 2, and a support device 5 that supports the main body 2. The support device 5 is freestanding on the floor. The electric vacuum cleaner 1 is removed from the support device 5 when cleaning is performed and attached to the support device 5 after cleaning is completed.

[0013] The main body 2 comprises a dust collection section 6, an outer casing 7, and a handle 8. The outer casing 7 also houses an electric blower 10 and a control device 60. Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of the outer casing 7, illustrating the built-in electric blower 10. The main body 2 also includes a unit mounting surface 11 for connecting a power supply unit, a unit mounting structure 15 for mounting the power supply unit (not shown in Figures 1-4), and a main body power terminal 12 for obtaining power from the power supply unit. Details of the power supply unit and the unit mounting structure 15 will be described later. Note that in Figures 2 and 4, only the lever 18 of the unit mounting structure 15 is shown.

[0014] The dust collection unit 6 separates dust from the dust-laden air sucked in through the connection port 19 of the suction pipe 13 (described later) by the suction air generated by the electric blower 10, and collects the separated dust. The dust collection unit 6 has, for example, a cyclone separator (not shown). The airflow from which dust has been removed in the dust collection unit 6 is discharged to the outside through the outlet 20 formed in the main body 2. The dust collection unit 6 is configured to be detachable from the main body 2, and the user can remove the dust collection unit 6 from the main body 2 and remove the dust collected inside. Alternatively, the dust collection unit 6 may have, for example, a dust collection bag capable of collecting dust by filtering the airflow instead of a cyclone separator. Or, the dust collection unit 6 may primarily collect dust using a filter.

[0015] The outer casing 7 is a cylindrical housing and forms the outer casing, or outer cover, of the main body 2. The outer casing 7 of the main body 2 is equipped with an electric blower 10 that generates an airflow for sucking in dust, and a control device 60 that controls the electric blower 10. The outer casing 7 is equipped with a suction pipe 13 through which the suction air generated by the electric blower 10 passes. The suction pipe 13 has a connection port 19 that allows the pipe body 3 to be attached and detached. Inside the suction pipe 13, an air passage is formed that guides the dust-laden air that has passed through the connection port 19 to the dust collection unit 6. The outer casing 7 is also provided with an outlet 20 for exhausting the clean air from which dust has been removed by the dust collection unit 6.

[0016] The electric blower 10 incorporates a motor 10a (not shown in Figure 4) and a blower fan 10b (not shown in Figure 4). The electric blower 10 generates suction air for the vacuum cleaner 1 by driving the motor 10a, which rotates the blower fan 10b. The electric blower 10 is electrically connected to the control device 60 and the main unit power terminal 12, and is driven by power supplied from the power supply unit via the main unit power terminal 12.

[0017] The control device 60 controls the vacuum cleaner 1. Specifically, it controls the power supplied from the power supply unit to the electric blower 10 in response to signals from the operation unit 9, which will be described later.

[0018] The handle 8 is the part that the user grips with their hand when using the vacuum cleaner 1 for cleaning. By gripping the handle 8, the user can operate the main body 2 of the vacuum cleaner 1. The handle 8 is also equipped with an operating unit 9. The operating unit 9 is located at the front of the handle 8. For example, the operating unit 9 is equipped with multiple operating switches. The operating unit 9 is communicatively connected to the control device 60. When the user operates the operating unit 9, a control signal is sent to the control device 60, which can control the on / off state of the vacuum cleaner 1, the strength of the suction airflow, and so on. The rear of the handle 8 is also equipped with a locking member 16 (not shown in Figure 1-4) for holding the power supply unit attached to it. Details of the unit mounting structure 15 for attaching the power supply unit will be described later.

[0019] The pipe body 3 is a hollow tubular member having a straight outer shape. One end of the pipe body 3 is detachably connected to the connection port 19 of the suction pipe 13. The other end of the pipe body 3 is detachably connected to the suction device 4.

[0020] The suction attachment 4 is located on the vacuum cleaner 1 closest to the object being cleaned. The suction attachment 4 is connected to the other end of the pipe 3 via an articulated structure. The suction attachment 4 has a suction port formed on its bottom surface that contacts the object being cleaned, which draws in suction air. The vacuum cleaner 1 can also clean by suction through the connection port 19 without attaching the pipe 3 and suction attachment 4 to the main body 2. In addition, the vacuum cleaner 1 can clean by attaching attachments other than the pipe 3 and suction attachment 4 to the main body 2 via the connection port 19. Attachments include narrower nozzles for cleaning crevices and bristle brushes that allow for simultaneous suction and sweeping.

[0021] Next, the power supply unit attached to the main unit 2 will be described. The power supply unit is a device for supplying power to the main unit 2 via the main unit power terminal 12. The power supply unit consists of a battery unit 30 and a power cord unit 40. Either the battery unit 30 or the power cord unit 40 can be attached to the main unit 2 via the main unit power terminal 12 provided on the unit mounting surface 11.

[0022] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the main body 2 with the battery unit 30 according to Embodiment 1 attached to it. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the main body 2 with the battery unit 30 according to Embodiment 1 removed from it. Figure 7 is a block diagram of the battery unit 30 according to Embodiment 1 attached to the main body 2. The battery unit 30 will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 7.

[0023] The battery unit 30 comprises a first power terminal 31, a locking portion 32, and a battery portion 34. The battery unit 30 supplies power stored in the battery portion 34 to the main unit 2. In other words, when the battery unit 30 is attached, the vacuum cleaner 1 can be used as a cordless vacuum cleaner. Cordless vacuum cleaners have the advantage of being easy to use because they do not require a power cord when cleaning, eliminating the need to worry about the distance from a power source, and the power cord does not get caught on furniture or other objects.

[0024] The battery unit 34 is a rechargeable secondary battery. The first power terminal 31 is connected in contact with the main unit power terminal 12 when the battery unit 30 is attached to the main unit 2 as shown in Figure 5. When the first power terminal 31 and the main unit power terminal 12 are connected, the power stored in the battery unit 34 is supplied to the main unit 2 via the main unit power terminal 12. The first power terminal 31 and the main unit power terminal 12 are electrically connected, for example, by configuring the main unit power terminal 12 as a male connector and the first power terminal 31 as a female connector, and when the battery unit 30 is attached to the main unit 2, the main unit power terminal 12 fits into the first power terminal 31. Note that the shape of the first power terminal 31 and the main unit power terminal 12 is not limited as long as their terminals can make contact and electrically connect when the battery unit 30 is attached to the main unit 2. Also, although Figure 7 shows two terminals for the first power terminal 31, a positive terminal and a negative terminal, the number of first power terminals 31 is not limited to two as long as power can be supplied from the battery unit 30 to the main unit 2. Furthermore, the first power terminal 31 may also be provided with a communication terminal.

[0025] The power supplied from the battery unit 34 to the main unit 2 is controlled by the control device 60 and supplied to the electric blower 10. If the motor 10a of the electric blower 10 is a DC motor driven by DC power, the DC power output from the battery unit 34 is converted by the control device 60 to power suitable for the motor 10a and supplied to the motor 10a. Alternatively, if the motor 10a of the electric blower 10 is an AC motor driven by AC power, the control device 60 is equipped with a DC-AC conversion circuit that converts the DC power output from the battery unit 34 to AC power and supplies it to the motor 10a.

[0026] The locking portion 32 is a protruding component provided on the surface of the battery unit 30 that contacts the main body 2 when the battery unit 30 is attached to the main body 2. The locking portion 32 can be used to attach the battery unit 30 to the main body 2 by combining it with the unit mounting structure 15 of the main body 2. The operation of combining the locking portion 32 with the unit mounting structure 15 will be described later.

[0027] Figure 8 is a perspective view of the main body 2 with the power cord unit 40 according to Embodiment 1 attached to the main body 2. Figure 9 is a perspective view of the main body 2 with the power cord unit 40 according to Embodiment 1 removed from the main body 2. Figure 10 is a block diagram of the power cord unit 40 according to Embodiment 1 attached to the main body 2. The power cord unit 40 will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 10.

[0028] The power cord unit 40 includes a second power terminal 41, a locking part 42, a power cord 44, a power plug 45, and a power circuit 46. By plugging the power plug 45 of the power cord unit 40 into an outlet provided by an external power source of the vacuum cleaner 1, such as a commercial power outlet, power can be supplied to the main unit 2 from an external power source via the power cord 44. In other words, with the power cord unit 40 attached, the vacuum cleaner 1 can be used as a corded vacuum cleaner. Since a corded vacuum cleaner obtains power from an external power source via the power cord 44, there is no need to charge the battery in advance. Also, unlike cordless vacuum cleaners, there is no interruption to cleaning due to a decrease in battery charge during cleaning.

[0029] The power supply circuit 46 is a circuit that converts power supplied from an external power source into power suitable for the vacuum cleaner 1. The power supply circuit 46 is, for example, an AC / DC converter that converts AC power to DC power, and converts the AC power supplied from the external power source into DC power and supplies it to the control device 60 of the main unit 2. The second power terminal 41 is connected in contact with the main unit power terminal 12 by attaching the power cord unit 40 to the main unit 2 as shown in Figure 8. When the second power terminal 41 and the main unit power terminal 12 are connected, power supplied from the external power source is supplied to the main unit 2 via the main unit power terminal 12. The second power terminal 41 and the main unit power terminal 12 are electrically connected by, for example, the main unit power terminal 12 being a male connector and the second power terminal 41 being a female connector, and the main unit power terminal 12 fitting into the second power terminal 41 when the power cord unit 40 is attached to the main unit 2. The second power terminal 41 and the main power terminal 12 can be electrically connected by contacting each other's terminals when the power cord unit 40 is attached to the main unit 2; their shapes are not limited. In Figure 10, the second power terminal 41 is shown with two terminals, a positive terminal and a negative terminal, but the number of second power terminals 41 is not limited to two as long as power can be supplied from the power cord unit 40 to the main unit 2. In addition, the second power terminal 41 may also be provided with a terminal for communication.

[0030] When using the vacuum cleaner 1 with the power cord unit 40 attached to the main unit 2, the power cord 44 can be hooked onto the power cord holder 14 on the main unit 2, preventing it from dangling into the user's hand while holding the handle 8 and improving usability. The power cord holder 14 may also be provided on the power cord unit 40.

[0031] Furthermore, the power cord unit 40 may have a cord reel inside so that the power cord 44 of the required length can be pulled out and used depending on the distance between the surface to be cleaned and the power outlet.

[0032] The locking portion 42 is a protruding component provided on the surface of the power cord unit 40 that contacts the main body 2 when the power cord unit 40 is attached to the main body 2. The locking portion 42 can be used to attach the power cord unit 40 to the main body 2 by combining it with the unit mounting structure 15 of the main body 2. The operation of combining the locking portion 42 with the unit mounting structure 15 will be described later.

[0033] The first power terminal 31 of the battery unit 30 and the second power terminal 41 of the power cord unit 40 have the same shape and are electrically connected by fitting into or contacting the main unit power terminal 12. This eliminates the need for the main unit 2 to have multiple power terminals corresponding to the power supply unit to be attached, thus reducing the weight of the main unit 2. Furthermore, by making the first power terminal 31 and the second power terminal 41 the same shape, the main unit power terminal 12 provided on the main unit 2 can be shared.

[0034] It is desirable to set the output power range of the battery unit 30 to be equal to the power range output to the control device 60 when the power cord unit 40 is used. For example, when the electric vacuum cleaner 1 is used as a corded vacuum cleaner with the power cord unit 40, the power output to the control device 60 is 250 to 394 W. In this case, the battery unit 30 is configured such that the minimum power output from the battery unit 30 to the control device 60 is greater than 250 W and the maximum power is less than 394 W. In other words, when the battery unit 30 is attached to the main unit 2 and used as a power supply unit, the power output to the electric blower 10 via the main unit power terminal 12 is set to be within the range of the minimum to maximum power output to the electric blower 10 via the main unit power terminal 12 when the power cord unit 40 is used as a power supply unit. This makes it possible to share the electrical circuit through which the control device 60 outputs power to the electric blower 10. Furthermore, the performance of the vacuum cleaner 1 can be made equivalent when using the battery unit 30 and the power cord unit 40, allowing the user to use the battery unit 30 and the power cord unit 40 without any discomfort.

[0035] Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view AA of Figure 3 showing the power supply unit attached to the main body 2 of the vacuum cleaner 1 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view AA of Figure 3 showing the power supply unit being removed from the main body 2 of the vacuum cleaner 1 according to Embodiment 1. The unit mounting structure 15 for attaching the power supply unit to the main body 2 will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12.

[0036] The unit mounting structure 15 comprises a locking member 16, an elastic body 17, and a lever 18. When the power supply unit is not attached to the main body 2, the locking member 16 is pushed toward the unit mounting surface 11 by the elastic body 17. When the battery unit 30 is inserted into the main body 2, the locking portion 32, which is configured to protrude from the surface of the battery unit 30, pushes the locking member 16, causing the elastic body 17 to deform slightly and the locking member 16 to slide in the opposite direction to the unit mounting surface 11. Further pushing the locking portion 32 toward the main body 2 causes the locking portion 32 to catch on the locking member 16, as shown in Figure 11. When the battery unit 30 is attached to the main body 2, the surface of the locking portion 32 facing the main body 2 is inclined, acting to push the locking member 16 upward. The surface of the locking portion 32 opposite to the inclined surface is formed parallel to the locking member 16. As a result, after the battery unit 30 is attached to the main body 2, the engagement between the locking portion 32 and the locking member 16 becomes difficult to disengage. The locking member 16 is in communication with a lever 18 that can be operated by the user from the outer side of the handle 8. Figure 12 shows the lever 18 in an upward sliding position. As shown in Figure 12, when the lever 18 is slid upward by the user, the locking member 16 also moves upward in conjunction, releasing the engagement between the locking member 16 and the locking portion 32, allowing the battery unit 30 to be removed from the main body 2.

[0037] In Figures 11 and 12, the power supply unit is shown as a battery unit 30. However, even when the power supply unit is a power cord unit 40, the operation of the unit mounting structure 15 on the main body 2 is the same as in the case of the battery unit 30. Specifically, the power cord unit 40 can be attached to the main body 2 by the locking portion 42 of the power cord unit 40 engaging with the locking member 16. When the user operates the lever 18, the locking member 16 and the locking portion 42 become disengaged, and the power cord unit 40 can be removed from the main body 2.

[0038] Next, the support device 5 provided by the vacuum cleaner 1 will be described in detail. Figure 13 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner 1 according to Embodiment 1, showing the main body 2 supported by the support device 5. The support device 5 will be described with reference to Figure 13.

[0039] The support device 5 comprises a support column 5a, a base 5b, a support body 5c, and a unit storage section 5d. The support device 5 is placed, for example, on the floor of a living room. When the vacuum cleaner 1 is not in use, the support device 5 can store the vacuum cleaner 1 in a small area by supporting it upright.

[0040] The base portion 5b is positioned at the lowest point of the support device 5. The support column portion 5a is formed in a columnar shape extending upward from the base portion 5b. The support body 5c is attached above the support column portion 5a. The support body 5c is positioned, for example, directly above the base portion 5b. The support body 5c is positioned to support the dust collection unit 6 from below when the vacuum cleaner 1 is set on the support device 5. When attaching or detaching the vacuum cleaner 1 to the support device 5, it is desirable that the base portion 5b be designed to be heavier than the combined weight of the support column portion 5a and the support body 5c, so that the support device 5 is less likely to tip over.

[0041] When the vacuum cleaner 1 is attached to the support device 5, at least one of the main body 2 and the pipe 3 is held by the support 5c. The suction attachment 4 is held by the base portion 5b.

[0042] The unit storage section 5d is a box for housing the power supply unit. The unit storage section 5d is shaped to accommodate either the battery unit 30 or the power cord unit 40. Alternatively, separate unit storage sections 5d may be provided for housing the battery unit 30 and the power cord unit 40. The unit storage section 5d is installed in a direction different from the support column 5a from the support column 5c so that the power supply unit can be easily removed while the main body 2 of the vacuum cleaner 1 is held by the support column 5c. In the example in Figure 13, the support column 5c is installed behind the support column 5a, and the unit storage section 5d is installed on the side.

[0043] The unit storage section 5d is equipped with a power terminal (not shown) and functions as a charging stand for charging the battery unit 30 when it is stored inside. The base section 5b has a power plug (not shown), and the support column section 5a has an internal power supply path for supplying power to the unit storage section 5d. That is, by plugging the power plug of the base section 5b into an external power outlet such as a commercial power outlet, the battery unit 30 can be charged from the power terminal of the unit storage section 5d.

[0044] Thus, the support device 5 of the vacuum cleaner 1 is equipped with a unit storage section 5d that can charge the battery unit 30, allowing the battery unit 30 to be charged while the vacuum cleaner 1 is in use with the power cord unit 40 attached. For example, if the battery unit 30 does not have enough power when the user is cleaning, the user can attach the power cord unit 40 to the vacuum cleaner 1 and clean, while the battery unit 30 is stored in the unit storage section 5d and charged. When the user needs to clean an area that cannot be reached from the outlet by the power cord 44 of the power cord unit 40, they can switch to the charged battery unit 30 and continue cleaning, eliminating the need to interrupt cleaning for charging and improving usability.

[0045] Furthermore, the support device 5 may be configured such that a power supply path connecting the base portion 5b to the support body 5c is provided inside the support column portion 5a, allowing the support body 5c to be used as a charging stand. That is, when the main body 2 of the vacuum cleaner 1 is attached to the support body 5c with the battery unit 30 attached to it, the battery unit 30 is charged from the support body 5c via the main body 2.

[0046] As described above, the vacuum cleaner 1 comprises a main body 2 having an electric blower 10 that generates a suction airflow to suck in air containing dust, a dust collection unit 6 that collects dust contained in the suction airflow, and a main body power terminal 12 electrically connected to the electric blower 10, and a battery unit 34 that stores power and a first power terminal 31 that can be connected to the main body power terminal 12, which are configured to be attachable to the unit mounting surface 11 of the main body 2, and when attached to the unit mounting surface 11 of the main body 2, the power stored in the battery unit 34 is electrically supplied via the first power terminal 31. The device comprises a battery unit 30 that supplies power to the fan 10, and a power cord unit 40 that is mounted on the unit mounting surface 11 of the main body 2 and includes a power cord 44 for supplying power from an external power source and a second power terminal 41 that can be connected to the main body power terminal 12, and when mounted on the unit mounting surface 11 of the main body 2, supplies power supplied from an external power source via the second power terminal 41 to the electric fan 10, and the main body 2 is characterized in that either the battery unit 30 or the power cord unit 40 is mounted on the main body 2.

[0047] In this way, the battery unit 30 and the power cord unit 40 are configured to be connectable to the main unit's power terminal 12. The main unit 2 does not need to have multiple power terminals corresponding to the power supply unit to be attached, and the weight of the main unit 2 can be reduced. Furthermore, since the power cord unit 40 is equipped with a power circuit 46 that converts the power supplied from an external power source into power suitable for the vacuum cleaner 1, when the battery unit 30 is used, the vacuum cleaner 1 does not have unnecessary components and its weight can be reduced.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment of the vacuum cleaner 1, the power output by the battery unit 30 to the electric blower 10 via the main unit power terminal 12 is set to fall within the range of the minimum and maximum power output by the power cord unit 40 to the electric blower 10 via the main unit power terminal 12. This allows the electrical circuit that outputs power to the electric blower 10, which is provided by the control device 60, to be standardized. In addition, the performance of the vacuum cleaner 1 can be made equivalent when using the battery unit 30 and the power cord unit 40, and the user can use the battery unit 30 and the power cord unit 40 without any discomfort.

[0049] Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner 1 is further equipped with a support device 5 that supports the main body 2, and the support device 5 has a unit storage section 5d that houses at least one of a power cord unit 40 that is not attached to the main body 2 and a battery unit 30 that is not attached to the main body 2. This allows the power supply unit that is not attached to the main body 2 to be housed integrally with the main body 2.

[0050] Furthermore, the support device 5 has a charging unit 23 for charging the battery unit 30 when it is detached from the main body 2. This allows the battery unit 30 to be charged in parallel while cleaning is being performed with the vacuum cleaner 1, to which the power cord unit 40 is attached to the unit mounting surface 11, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0051] Furthermore, the main body 2 of the vacuum cleaner 1 is further equipped with a power cord holder 14 that holds a portion of the power cord 44 when the power cord unit 40 is attached. This prevents the power cord from dangling down into the user's hand when using the vacuum cleaner 1 with the power cord unit 40 attached to the main body 2, thereby improving usability.

[0052] Embodiment 2. Next, Embodiment 2 will be described. In Embodiment 1, the control device 60 of the main unit 2 did not identify whether the battery unit 30 or the power cord unit 40 was installed as the power supply unit. In Embodiment 2, the control device 60 identifies whether the battery unit 30 or the power cord unit 40 is installed as the power supply unit and changes the control of the electric blower 10 according to the power supply unit. Components similar to those in Embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0053] Figure 14 is a block diagram showing the battery unit 30 according to Embodiment 2 attached to the main body 2. Figure 15 is a block diagram showing the power cord unit 40 according to Embodiment 2 attached to the main body 2. As shown in Figures 14 and 15, in this embodiment, the main body 2 is equipped with a main body identification terminal 21 for communicating with the power supply unit, in addition to the main body power terminal 12. The battery unit 30 is equipped with a first identification terminal 33 that is connected to the main body identification terminal 21 when attached to the main body 2. The power cord unit 40 is equipped with a second identification terminal 43 that is connected to the main body identification terminal 21 when attached to the main body 2. The control device 60 communicates with the power supply unit via the main body identification terminal 21 and either the first identification terminal 33 or the second identification terminal 43. When the power supply unit is attached to the main body 2, it transmits an identification signal to the control device 60 indicating that it is either the battery unit 30 or the power cord unit 40. The power supply unit may also transmit an identification signal when the power of the vacuum cleaner 1 is turned on by the user operating the operation unit 9. This allows the control device 60 to identify whether the power supply unit attached to the main unit 2 is the battery unit 30 or the power cord unit 40.

[0054] Figure 16 is a functional block diagram of the main body 2 according to Embodiment 2. Referring to Figure 16, the functions of the control device 60 in Embodiment 2 will be described. The control device 60 includes a first discrimination unit 61, a voltage detection unit 62, a power supply control unit 63, and a power supply unit 64.

[0055] The first discrimination unit 61 receives an identification signal transmitted from the power supply unit via the main unit identification terminal 21 and determines whether the power supply unit attached to the main unit 2 is the battery unit 30 or the power cord unit 40.

[0056] The voltage detection unit 62 detects the voltage of the power output from the battery unit 30 if the power supply unit identified by the first discrimination unit 61 is the battery unit 30. It also estimates the charge level of the battery unit 30 from the detected voltage. The voltage detection unit 62 functions as a charge level detection means. In this embodiment, the charge level detection means does not have to be the voltage detection unit 62, as long as it can detect the charge level of the battery unit 30. For example, the battery unit 30 may be configured to periodically transmit a signal representing the charge level to the charge level detection means of the control device 60.

[0057] The power supply control unit 63 receives an operation command signal from the operation unit 9 and controls the power supply unit 64 to supply power to the electric blower 10 according to the strength of the suction airflow set by the user operating the operation unit 9. The suction airflow may be set automatically according to the material of the floor surface to be cleaned and the speed at which the vacuum cleaner 1 is moved. In the restriction mode described later, the amount of power supplied from the battery unit 30 to the electric blower 10 is controlled according to the amount of charge of the battery unit 30 estimated by the voltage detection unit 62.

[0058] The power supply unit 64 supplies power from the battery unit 30 to the electric blower 10 under the control of the power supply control unit 63.

[0059] Figure 17 is a flowchart illustrating an example of control in the control device 60 according to Embodiment 2. Referring to Figure 17, the control of the vacuum cleaner 1 in the control device 60 of Embodiment 2 will now be explained. When the power is turned on by the user operating the control unit 9, the process proceeds to step S101. Note that for the vacuum cleaner 1 to be powered on, a power supply unit must be attached to the main body 2. Alternatively, the control device 60 may be provided with a power storage unit (not shown) capable of storing a small amount of power, allowing the power to be turned on even if the power supply unit is not attached. Providing the control device 60 with a power storage unit large enough to drive the electric blower 10 would increase the weight of the main body 2; therefore, the power storage unit of the control device 60 is limited to a charge sufficient to display or announce that the power supply unit is not attached.

[0060] First, in step S101, the first discrimination unit 61 of the control device 60 receives an identification signal from the power supply unit. Next, the process proceeds to step S102.

[0061] Next, in step S102, the first discrimination unit 61 determines from the received identification signal whether the power supply unit attached to the main body 2 is either the battery unit 30 or the power cord unit 40. Then, the process proceeds to step S103.

[0062] Next, in step S103, the power supply control unit 63 changes its control according to the power supply unit identified by the first discrimination unit 61. If the power supply unit is the battery unit 30 (S103: Yes), the process proceeds to step S104. If the power supply unit is not the battery unit 30 (S104: No), the process proceeds to step S105. In Figure 17, if the power supply unit is not the battery unit 30, it is assumed to be the power cord unit 40, and the process proceeds to step S105. However, the process may also proceed to step S105 if the power supply unit is the power cord unit 40. In this case, if the first discrimination unit 61 cannot identify the power supply unit in S102, the control device 60 performs error processing, such as sounding an alarm. In this way, by not operating the vacuum cleaner 1 when the power supply unit is neither the battery unit 30 nor the power cord unit, the use of non-genuine or other power supply units that the vacuum cleaner 1 is not compatible with can be suppressed.

[0063] In step S105, the power supply control unit 63 controls the power supplied to the electric blower 10 in normal mode. Normal mode is when the user operates the control unit 9 to control the power supply unit 64 to supply power to the electric blower 10 according to the set suction air strength. The suction air strength can be set in stages, for example, "weak" and "strong". When the suction air is "strong", the motor 10a of the electric blower 10 rotates faster than when it is "weak", so the electric blower 10 is supplied with more power than when it is "weak". Note that the suction air strength can also be set in multiple stages, such as "weak", "medium", and "strong".

[0064] In step S104, the power supply control unit 63 controls the power supplied to the electric blower 10 in limit mode. Limit mode limits the power supplied to the electric blower 10 according to the charge level of the battery unit 30. Figure 18 is a flowchart showing an example of a limit mode in the control device 60 according to Embodiment 2. The limit mode will be explained with reference to Figure 18.

[0065] In the restricted mode, first in step S201, the voltage detection unit 62 detects the voltage of the power output from the battery unit 30. Next, the process proceeds to step S202.

[0066] In step S202, the voltage detection unit 62 calculates the charge level of the battery unit 30 from the voltage of the power output from the battery unit 30. Next, the process proceeds to step S203.

[0067] In step S203, the power supply control unit 63 determines whether the charge amount calculated by the voltage detection unit 62 is less than a preset threshold. If the charge amount is greater than or equal to the threshold (S203: No), proceed to S204. If the charge amount is less than the threshold (S203: Yes), proceed to S205. The threshold is, for example, 10% of the full charge amount of the battery unit 30. Alternatively, it is, for example, the amount of power that can be supplied to the electric blower 10 for about 10 minutes when power corresponding to the weakest suction airflow that can be set by the operation unit 9 is supplied.

[0068] In step S204, the power supply control unit 63 controls the power supply unit 64 to supply power to the electric blower 10 according to the set suction air strength, based on the user's operation of the control unit 9. Then, the process returns to step S201.

[0069] In step S205, the power supply control unit 63 controls the power supply unit 64 so that the power supplied to the electric blower 10 corresponds to the weakest suction airflow that can be set by the user operating the control unit 9, regardless of the set suction airflow strength. In step S205, the power supplied to the electric blower 10 may be even lower than the power corresponding to the weakest suction airflow that can be set by the control unit 9. This completes the control of the power supplied to the electric blower 10 in limit mode.

[0070] This concludes the control flow of the vacuum cleaner 1 in the control device 60 of Embodiment 2.

[0071] In this way, when the charge level of the battery unit 30 is below a threshold, power corresponding to the weakest suction airflow is supplied to the electric blower 10, allowing cleaning to be performed for a long time using the battery unit 30. Furthermore, when the user is cleaning with the vacuum cleaner 1 with the battery unit 30 attached, they can understand that the charge level has fallen below the threshold by the weakening of the suction airflow, even without operating the control unit 9.

[0072] In addition, in the restriction mode, instead of limiting the power supplied to the electric blower 10 when the charge level of the battery unit 30 falls below a threshold, a warning sound may be emitted. This allows the user to be aware that the charge level has fallen below the threshold.

[0073] As described above, the vacuum cleaner 1 further includes a main unit identification terminal 21 on the unit mounting surface 11 of the main unit 2 that receives an identification signal indicating whether the battery unit 30 or the power cord unit 40 is attached, the battery unit 30 further includes a first identification terminal 33 configured to be connectable to the main unit identification terminal 21, and when the battery unit 30 is attached to the unit mounting surface 11 of the main unit 2, it transmits an identification signal to the main unit identification terminal 21 via the first identification terminal 33 indicating that it is the battery unit 30, and the power cord unit 40 further includes a second identification terminal 43 configured to be connectable to the main unit identification terminal 21, and when the power cord unit 40 is attached to the unit mounting surface 11 of the main unit 2, it transmits an identification signal to the main unit identification terminal 21 via the second identification terminal 43 indicating that it is the power cord unit 40, and the main unit 2 determines whether the battery unit 30 or the power cord unit 40 is attached to the main unit 2 based on the identification signal. As a result, the control device 60 of the main unit 2 can determine whether the battery unit 30 or the power cord unit 40 is attached to the main unit 2 as a power supply unit, and can change the control of the power supplied to the electric blower 10 to a control appropriate for the power supply unit. Furthermore, this configuration has the effect of suppressing the use of non-genuine power supply units that are not compatible with the vacuum cleaner 1, such as those with an identification signal.

[0074] Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner 1 further includes a power supply control unit 63 that controls the amount of power supplied to the electric blower 10, and a charge amount detection means that detects the amount of charge, which is the amount of power stored in the battery unit 34, when the battery unit 30 is attached to the main body 2. The power supply control unit 63 controls the amount of power supplied to the electric blower 10 in a normal mode that supplies power to the electric blower 10 according to the set suction airflow when the power cord unit 40 is attached to the main body 2, and the power supply control unit 63 controls the amount of power supplied to the electric blower 10 in a restricted mode that changes the amount of power supplied to the electric blower 10 according to the amount of charge detected by the charge amount detection means when the battery unit 30 is attached to the main body 2. In this way, when the battery unit 30 is attached to the main body 2, the power supplied to the electric blower 10 is limited, allowing cleaning to be performed for a long time using the battery unit 30.

[0075] Furthermore, the suction airflow corresponding to the "strong" setting is referred to as the first suction airflow, and the suction airflow corresponding to the "weak" setting is referred to as the second suction airflow. At least two types of suction airflow can be set in the power supply control unit 63: the first suction airflow and the second suction airflow, which is weaker than the first suction airflow. In the limiting mode, if the charge amount detected by the charge amount detection means is greater than the threshold, the power supply control unit 63 supplies power to the electric blower corresponding to the set suction airflow. If the charge amount detected by the charge amount detection means is less than or equal to the threshold, the power supply control unit 63 supplies power to the electric blower 10 that is less than or equal to the power corresponding to the second suction airflow, regardless of the set suction airflow. This allows the battery unit 30 to be used for cleaning for a long time by supplying power to the electric blower 10 that is less than or equal to the power corresponding to the "weak" suction airflow when the charge amount of the battery unit 30 is less than the threshold. In addition, when the user is cleaning with the electric vacuum cleaner 1 with the battery unit 30 attached, they can understand that the charge amount has fallen below the threshold by the weakening of the suction airflow, even without operating the control unit 9.

[0076] Embodiment 3. Next, Embodiment 3 will be described. In Embodiment 2, the control device 60 was equipped with a main unit identification terminal 21 on the main unit 2, a first identification terminal 33 on the battery unit 30, and a second identification terminal 43 on the power cord unit 40 to identify whether the battery unit 30 or the power cord unit 40 was installed as the power supply unit, and an identification signal was transmitted from the power supply unit to the control device 60. In Embodiment 3, the control device 60 does not use an identification signal, but identifies whether the battery unit 30 or the power cord unit 40 is installed by the output power of the power supply unit. Components similar to those in Embodiments 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals and their description is omitted.

[0077] Figure 19 is a functional block diagram of the main unit according to Embodiment 3. The functions of the control device 60 in Embodiment 3 will be described with reference to Figure 19. In Figure 19, components similar to those in the control device 60 in Embodiment 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted. The control device 60 in this embodiment includes a second discrimination unit 65, a power detection unit 66, a power supply control unit 63, and a power supply unit 64.

[0078] The second discrimination unit 65 determines whether the battery unit 30 or the power cord unit 40 is installed based on the output power of the power supply unit detected by the power detection unit 66. Therefore, in this embodiment, the range of output power of the battery unit 30 must be set to a value different from the range of power output to the control device 60 when the power cord unit 40 is used. For example, when using the power cord unit 40 and using the electric vacuum cleaner 1 as a corded vacuum cleaner, the power output to the control device 60 is assumed to be 250 to 394 W. In this case, the output power of the battery unit 30 is set so that the power output from the battery unit 30 to the control device 60 is less than 250 W or greater than 394 W.

[0079] The power detection unit 66 detects the power output from the power supply unit. The power detection unit 66 determines the power by detecting, for example, the voltage and current of the power output from the power supply unit. Furthermore, if the power supply unit attached to the main body 2 is a battery unit 30, the power detection unit 66 estimates the charge level of the battery unit 30 from the detected power voltage. The power detection unit 66 functions as a charge level detection means. In this embodiment, the control device 60 is equipped with the power detection unit 66 so that the second discrimination unit 65 can determine whether the battery unit 30 or the power cord unit 40 is attached using the power detected by the power detection unit 66.

[0080] Figure 20 is a flowchart showing an example of control in the control device 60 according to Embodiment 3. The control of the vacuum cleaner 1 in the control device 60 of Embodiment 3 will be explained with reference to Figure 20. Note that in Figure 20, processes similar to those in Embodiment 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals as in Figure 17, and the explanation is simplified.

[0081] First, in step S301, the power detection unit 66 of the control device 60 detects the output power from the power supply unit. Next, the process proceeds to step S302.

[0082] Next, in step S302, the second discrimination unit 65 uses the power value detected by the power detection unit 66 to determine whether the battery unit 30 or the power cord unit 40 is installed. Since the output power range of the battery unit 30 is set to a different value from the power range output to the control device 60 when the power cord unit 40 is used, the power supply unit can be determined by the power value. Next, the process proceeds to step S103.

[0083] Next, in step S103, the power supply control unit 63 changes its control according to the power supply unit identified by the second discrimination unit 65. If the power supply unit is the battery unit 30 (S103: Yes), the process proceeds to step S104. If the power supply unit is not the battery unit 30 (S103: No), the process proceeds to step S105. In Figure 20, if the power supply unit is not the battery unit 30, it is assumed to be the power cord unit 40, and the process proceeds to step S105. However, the process may also proceed to step S105 if the power supply unit is the power cord unit 40. In this case, if the second discrimination unit 65 cannot identify the power supply unit in S302, the control device 60 performs error processing, such as sounding an alarm.

[0084] In step S105, the power supply control unit 63 controls the power supplied to the electric blower 10 in normal mode. Normal mode is when the user operates the control unit 9 to control the power supply unit 64 to supply power to the electric blower 10 according to the set suction air strength.

[0085] In step S104, the power supply control unit 63 controls the power supplied to the electric blower 10 in limit mode. Limit mode limits the power supplied to the electric blower 10 according to the charge level of the battery unit 30. The limit mode is the same as the limit mode in the control device 60 according to Embodiment 2, so its explanation is omitted.

[0086] This concludes the control flow of the vacuum cleaner 1 in the control device 60 of Embodiment 3. In this way, the second discrimination unit 65 determines whether the battery unit 30 or the power cord unit 40 is attached to the main body 2 based on the output power of the power supply unit detected by the power detection unit 66. As a result, the control device 60 can distinguish the power supply unit even if the vacuum cleaner 1 does not have a main body identification terminal 21 on the main body 2, a first identification terminal 33 on the battery unit 30, and a second identification terminal 43 on the power cord unit 40. Therefore, the control device 60 can change the control of the power supplied to the electric blower 10 depending on whether it is the battery unit 30 or the power cord unit 40.

[0087] As described above, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 is configured such that the power output by the battery unit 30 to the electric blower 10 via the main unit power terminal 12 is different from the minimum to maximum range of the power output by the power cord unit 40 to the electric blower 10 via the main unit power terminal 12. The main unit 2 determines whether the battery unit 30 or the power cord unit 40 is attached to the main unit 2 based on the amount of power supplied to the main unit power terminal 12. As a result, the control device 60 of the main unit 2 can determine whether the battery unit 30 or the power cord unit 40 is attached to the main unit 2 as a power supply unit, and can change the control of the power supplied to the electric blower 10 depending on whether the power supply unit is the battery unit 30 or the power cord unit 40.

[0088] Embodiment 4. Next, Embodiment 4 will be described. Figure 21 is a functional block diagram of an electric cleaning system 100 equipped with an electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to Embodiment 4. The electric cleaning system 100 will be described with reference to Figure 21. The electric vacuum cleaner 1 equipped in the electric cleaning system 100 is the electric vacuum cleaner 1 described in Embodiment 2 or 3, and the main body 2 can determine whether a battery unit 30 or a power cord unit 40 is attached as a power supply unit. The electric cleaning system 100 acquires information about the object to be cleaned from a sensor 25 installed on the electric vacuum cleaner 1 and generates a trained model that outputs how to use the power supply unit by learning information about the use of the electric vacuum cleaner 1. Furthermore, it infers an appropriate way to use the power supply unit using the trained model and provides it to the user. Learning information about the use of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 is performed using a known learning algorithm.

[0089] The electric cleaning system 100 comprises an electric vacuum cleaner 1, an inference device 70, an input unit 75, and a display unit 76. The electric vacuum cleaner 1 of the electric cleaning system 100 is equipped with a sensor 25 for acquiring information about the object to be cleaned. The inference device 70 is communicatively connected to the electric vacuum cleaner 1 and acquires the content detected by the sensor 25 and the control content of the control device 60. The inference device 70 is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet PC, or a cloud server. Alternatively, the inference device 70 may be configured integrally with the electric vacuum cleaner 1. The input unit 75 accepts information input from the user's operation. The display unit 76 displays the information output by the inference device 70 to the user. The input unit 75 and the display unit 76 are, for example, a smartphone or a tablet PC. If the inference device 70 is a smartphone or a tablet PC, the input unit 75 and the display unit 76 may be configured integrally with the inference device 70. Alternatively, the operation unit 9 of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 may be configured to have the functions of the input unit 75 and the display unit 76.

[0090] The sensors 25 of the vacuum cleaner 1 are, for example, a floor surface detection sensor 25a, a dust detection sensor 25b, or an acceleration sensor 25c. The floor surface detection sensor 25a and the dust detection sensor 25b are provided on the suction attachment 4 located closest to the object to be cleaned. Figure 22 is a bottom view of the suction attachment 4 of the vacuum cleaner 1 according to Embodiment 4. As shown in Figure 22, the suction attachment 4 comprises an outer case portion 4a, a rotating brush 4b rotatably attached to the case portion 4a facing the floor surface on a rotation axis with the longitudinal direction of the suction attachment 4 as its axis, and a connection port 4c connected to the connection port 19 of the main body 2 or to the pipe 3. The suction attachment 4 also has a floor surface detection sensor 25a and a dust detection sensor 25b on the surface facing the floor surface. Furthermore, the suction device 4 is equipped with a brush motor (not shown) inside the case portion 4a for driving the rotating brush 4b, and the resistance value between the rotating brush 4b and the floor surface to be cleaned is collected by the control device 60 of the main unit 2 via the brush motor during cleaning.

[0091] The floor detection sensor 25a detects the material of the floor surface to be cleaned. The floor detection sensor 25a measures the distance from the floor surface to the floor surface using, for example, infrared light, and determines the material of the floor surface, such as carpet or hardwood flooring, based on the distance. Alternatively, the resistance value of the brush motor used to drive the rotating brush 4b, as described above, may be used to determine the material of the floor surface.

[0092] The dust detection sensor 25b is installed in the passage through which the inhaled dust in the connection port 4c passes, and detects the amount of dust sucked in from the suction tool 4. The dust detection sensor 25b is composed of, for example, a light-emitting part and a light-receiving part opposite the light-emitting part, and detects changes in the amount of light received due to passing dust. The dust detection sensor 25b may also be installed in the pipe 3 or the connection port 19 of the main body of the vacuum cleaner 1.

[0093] The acceleration sensor 25c detects the acceleration generated when the user moves the vacuum cleaner 1. The acceleration sensor 25c is installed on the suction attachment 4 or the main body 2.

[0094] The inference device 70 comprises a data acquisition unit 71, a model generation unit 72, a trained model storage unit 73, and an inference unit 74.

[0095] The data acquisition unit 71 acquires information about the object to be cleaned and information about the use of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 as training data.

[0096] Information regarding the cleaning target includes the material of the floor surface or other surface to be cleaned using the vacuum cleaner 1, and the amount of dust on the floor surface. The data acquisition unit 71 acquires information regarding the cleaning target from the floor surface detection sensor 25a and the dust detection sensor 25b.

[0097] Furthermore, as information regarding the cleaning target, the data acquisition unit 71 may acquire the room layout and the location of obstacles such as furniture that obstruct the movement of the vacuum cleaner 1 within the room. The room layout and the location of obstacles that obstruct the movement of the vacuum cleaner 1 within the room are input by the user, for example, via the input unit 75.

[0098] Information regarding the use of the vacuum cleaner 1 refers to information indicating how the user used the vacuum cleaner 1 when cleaning with it. This information may include, for example, whether the power supply unit used was the battery unit 30 or the power cord unit 40, the duration of cleaning, and the amount of power used. Furthermore, this information may also include information regarding the acceleration of the vacuum cleaner 1 detected by the acceleration sensor 25c. This information is stored by the vacuum cleaner 1 when the user uses it. The data acquisition unit 71 acquires information related to a single cleaning session from the control device 60 of the vacuum cleaner 1 as information regarding the use of the vacuum cleaner 1. A single cleaning session refers to the period from removing the vacuum cleaner 1 from the support device 5, performing the cleaning, and then reattaching the vacuum cleaner 1 to the support device 5. However, in the case where the vacuum cleaner 1 is temporarily attached to the support device 5 for the purpose of changing the power supply unit or attachments, if the time the vacuum cleaner 1 is attached to the support device 5 is within a certain period of time (for example, 5 minutes), it may be considered as one cleaning session.

[0099] The model generation unit 72 learns information about using the vacuum cleaner 1 appropriately for a given cleaning target, based on training data that includes information about the cleaning target and information about the use of the vacuum cleaner 1. In other words, it generates a trained model that infers how to use the vacuum cleaner 1 appropriately for a given cleaning target from the training data, which is a combination of information about the cleaning target and information about the use of the vacuum cleaner 1 acquired by the data acquisition unit 71.

[0100] The model generation unit 72 can use any known learning algorithm, such as supervised learning, unsupervised learning, or reinforcement learning. As an example, the case where reinforcement learning is applied will be described.

[0101] In reinforcement learning, an agent (an actor) in a given environment observes the current state (environmental parameters) and decides what action to take. The environment changes dynamically as a result of the agent's actions, and the agent is rewarded according to the changes in the environment. The agent repeats this process and learns the action strategy that yields the most rewards through a series of actions. Representative reinforcement learning methods include Q-learning and TD-learning. For example, in the case of Q-learning, the general update formula for the action-value function Q(s,a) is expressed by the following equation 1.

[0102]

number

[0103] In Math 1, st represents the state of the environment at time t, and at represents the action at time t. The action at changes the state to st+1. rt+1 represents the reward received for this change in state, γ represents the discount rate, and α represents the learning rate. Note that γ is in the range of 0 < γ ≤ 1 and α is in the range of 0 < α ≤ 1. Information about the use of vacuum cleaner 1 by the user becomes action at, and information about the object to be cleaned becomes state st. The best action at for state st at time t is learned.

[0104] The update formula, represented by equation 1, increases the action value Q of action a if the action value Q of action a with the highest Q value at time t+1 is greater than the action value Q of action a performed at time t, and decreases the action value Q if the opposite is true. In other words, the action value function Q(s,a) is updated so that the action value Q of action a at time t approaches the best action value at time t+1. As a result, the best action value in a given environment is sequentially propagated to the action values ​​in previous environments.

[0105] As described above, when a trained model is generated by reinforcement learning, the model generation unit 72 comprises a reward calculation unit 72a and a function update unit 72b.

[0106] The reward calculation unit 72a calculates a reward based on information about the object to be cleaned and information about the use of the vacuum cleaner 1. The reward calculation unit 72a calculates a reward r according to the content of the information about the use of the vacuum cleaner 1. For example, if the charge level of the battery unit 30 becomes zero during cleaning, the reward is reduced. Also, if the object to be cleaned is a carpet or other floor surface where it is appropriate to set the vacuum cleaner 1 to "high," and the charge level of the battery unit 30 becomes low, forcing operation on "low," the reward is reduced. Alternatively, if the charge level of the battery unit 30 remains above a threshold when cleaning is completed, the reward is increased. Alternatively, when cleaning is finished and the vacuum cleaner 1 is attached to the support device 5, the user may input their satisfaction level from the input unit 75, and the reward may be increased or decreased according to the satisfaction level.

[0107] The function update unit 72b updates the function for inferring information indicating the operation of the vacuum cleaner 1 suitable for the object to be cleaned, according to the reward calculated by the reward calculation unit 72a, and outputs it to the trained model storage unit 73. For example, in the case of Q-learning, the action value function Q(s) represented by equation 1 is used. t ,a t ) is used as a function to calculate how to use vacuum cleaner 1.

[0108] The learning process described above is repeated. The trained model memory unit 73 stores the action-value function Q(s) updated by the function update unit 72b. t ,a t ), in other words, it memorizes the trained model.

[0109] The instructions for using the vacuum cleaner 1, output by the trained model, are information indicating how the user can use the vacuum cleaner 1 to clean efficiently. The instructions for using the vacuum cleaner 1 include information on how to use the battery unit 30 and the power cord unit 40. For example, it may include information on whether to use either the battery unit 30 or the power cord unit 40 as the power supply unit, or how many hours to clean using the battery unit 30. Furthermore, the instructions for using the vacuum cleaner 1, which are suitable for the cleaning target, may also include information on which setting to select in the control unit 9 to determine the strength of the vacuum cleaner 1's suction airflow, such as "weak" or "strong," and information on how fast to move the vacuum cleaner 1. By cleaning according to the instructions for using the vacuum cleaner 1, which are suitable for the cleaning target, output by the trained model, the user is less likely to experience inconveniences related to the vacuum cleaner 1, such as the battery unit 30 running out of charge in the middle of cleaning, or operating on "weak" when cleaning a carpet.

[0110] Figure 23 is a flowchart relating to the learning process of the inference device 70 according to Embodiment 4. The learning process in the inference device 70 will be explained using Figure 23.

[0111] First, in step b1, the data acquisition unit 71 acquires information about the object to be cleaned and information about the use of the vacuum cleaner 1 as training data. Next, the process proceeds to step b2.

[0112] In step b2, the model generation unit 72 calculates a reward based on information about the object to be cleaned and information about the use of the vacuum cleaner 1. Specifically, the reward calculation unit 72a acquires information about the object to be cleaned and information about the use of the vacuum cleaner 1, and reduces the reward if the charge level of the battery unit 30 becomes zero during cleaning, or if the object to be cleaned is a carpet and the charge level of the battery unit 30 becomes low and the vacuum cleaner 1 has to be operated on "low" (step b4). Alternatively, it increases the reward if the charge level of the battery unit 30 remains above a threshold when cleaning is completed (step b3).

[0113] If the reward calculation unit 72a determines that the reward should be increased, it increases the reward in step b3. On the other hand, if the reward calculation unit 72a determines that the reward should be decreased, it decreases the reward in step b4. Next, the process proceeds to step b5.

[0114] In step b5, the function update unit 72b updates the action value function Q(s) represented by the number 1 stored in the trained model memory unit 73, based on the reward calculated by the reward calculation unit 72a. t ,a t ) Update.

[0115] The inference device 70 repeatedly executes steps b1 to b5 above and stores the generated action-value function Q(st,at) as a trained model in the trained model storage unit 73.

[0116] Figure 24 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure for inferring a suitable method of using the vacuum cleaner 1 for the cleaning target using the trained model according to Embodiment 4. Using Figure 24, the process by which the inference unit 74 infers a suitable method of using the vacuum cleaner 1 for the cleaning target will be explained. The flow in Figure 24 is performed when the vacuum cleaner 1 is removed from the support device 5 and the power is turned on.

[0117] First, in step c1, the data acquisition unit 71 acquires information about the object to be cleaned. Note that, among the information about the object to be cleaned, the room layout and the locations of obstacles that obstruct the movement of the vacuum cleaner 1 within the room may be stored in advance in the inference device 70.

[0118] In step c2, the inference unit 74 inputs information about the object to be cleaned into the learned model in the learned model storage unit 73. Next, the process proceeds to step c3.

[0119] In step c3, the inference unit 74 obtains the appropriate method for using the vacuum cleaner 1 for the target to be cleaned, as output from the trained model. Next, the process proceeds to step c4.

[0120] In step c4, the display unit 76 displays the instructions for using the vacuum cleaner 1 that are suitable for the cleaning target, as stored in step c3. Next, the process returns to step c1 and steps c1 to c4 are repeated.

[0121] By following the instructions for using the vacuum cleaner 1 appropriate for the cleaning target displayed on the display unit 76, the user can perform cleaning properly whether using the battery unit 30 or the power cord unit 40. In other words, inconveniences related to the vacuum cleaner 1, such as the battery unit 30 running out of charge in the middle of cleaning or having to operate it on the "low" setting when cleaning a carpet, are less likely to occur.

[0122] Furthermore, after returning to step c1 from step c4, the process may proceed to step c2 if the floor surface detected by the floor surface detection sensor 25a changes. Also, after step c4, if the power supply unit is replaced, step c1 may be executed again.

[0123] In this embodiment, we have described a case where reinforcement learning is applied to the learning algorithm used by the inference device 70, but this is not the only possible case. In addition to reinforcement learning, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, or semi-supervised learning can also be applied to the learning algorithm.

[0124] Furthermore, the learning algorithm used in the model generation unit 72 may be deep learning, which learns to extract the features themselves, or machine learning may be performed according to other known methods, such as neural networks, genetic programming, inductive logic programming, or support vector machines.

[0125] As described above, the electric cleaning system 100 comprises an electric vacuum cleaner 1, a data acquisition unit 71 that acquires information about the object to be cleaned, an inference unit 74 that outputs information indicating how to use the battery unit 30 and the power cord unit 40 from the information about the object to be cleaned acquired by the data acquisition unit 71, and a display unit 76 that displays the information indicating how to use the object output by the inference unit 74.

[0126] By making the power supply unit interchangeable, users can use the vacuum cleaner 1 as both a cordless and a corded vacuum cleaner, improving usability. On the other hand, if the battery unit 30 and the power cord unit 40 are not used properly, inconveniences may occur, such as the battery unit 30 running out of charge when cleaning areas that the power cord 44 cannot reach. However, with the configuration of this embodiment, users can learn how to properly clean using the vacuum cleaner 1, regardless of whether they are using the battery unit 30 or the power cord unit 40.

[0127] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are merely examples of the content of the present invention, and can be combined with other known technologies. Furthermore, it is possible to omit or modify parts of the configuration without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0128] Examples of aspects that may be included in this disclosure are listed below as an addendum. (Note 1) A main unit comprising: an electric blower that generates a suction airflow to draw in air containing dust; a dust collection unit that collects the dust contained in the suction airflow; and a main unit power terminal electrically connected to the electric blower, A battery unit is provided which is configured to be attachable to the main body and comprises a battery section for storing power and a first power terminal configured to be connectable to the main body's power terminal, and which, when attached to the main body, supplies power stored in the battery section to the electric blower via the first power terminal, The power cord unit comprises a power cord that is mounted on the main body and has a power cord that guides power supplied from an external power source and a second power terminal that is connected to the main body's power terminal, and when mounted on the main body, the power cord unit supplies power supplied from the external power source to the electric blower via the second power terminal, The electric vacuum cleaner is characterized in that either the battery unit or the power cord unit is attached to the main body. (Note 2) The vacuum cleaner according to Appendix 1, characterized in that the power output by the battery unit to the electric blower via the main unit power terminal is set to be within the range of the minimum to maximum power output by the power cord unit to the electric blower via the main unit power terminal. (Note 3) The main unit further includes a main unit identification terminal that receives an identification signal indicating whether the battery unit or the power cord unit is attached, The battery unit further comprises a first identification terminal configured to be connectable to the main unit identification terminal, and when the battery unit is attached to the main unit, it transmits an identification signal to the main unit identification terminal via the first identification terminal indicating that it is the battery unit. The power cord unit further comprises a second identification terminal configured to be connectable to the main unit identification terminal, and when attached to the main unit, transmits an identification signal to the main unit identification terminal via the second identification terminal indicating that it is the power cord unit. The vacuum cleaner according to Appendix 1, characterized in that the main body determines, by the identification signal, whether the battery unit or the power cord unit is attached to the main body. (Note 4) The power output by the battery unit to the electric blower via the main unit power terminal is set to a value different from the minimum to maximum range of the power output by the power cord unit to the electric blower via the main unit power terminal. The vacuum cleaner according to Appendix 1, characterized in that the main unit determines whether the battery unit or the power cord unit is attached to the main unit based on the amount of power supplied to the main unit's power terminal. (Note 5) A power supply control unit controls the amount of power supplied to the electric blower, The system further comprises a charge amount detection means for detecting the amount of charge, which is the amount of electrical energy stored in the battery section, when the battery unit is attached to the main body, The power supply control unit controls the amount of power supplied to the electric blower in a normal mode, which supplies power to the electric blower according to the set suction airflow, when the power cord unit is attached to the main body. The electric vacuum cleaner according to Appendix 3 or 4, characterized in that, when the battery unit is attached to the main body, the power supply control unit controls the amount of power supplied to the electric blower in a restriction mode that changes the amount of power supplied to the electric blower according to the amount of charge detected by the charge amount detection means. (Note 6) The suction airflow set in the power supply control unit can be set to at least two types: a first suction airflow and a second suction airflow that is weaker than the first suction airflow. The electric vacuum cleaner according to Appendix 5, characterized in that, in the limiting mode, the power supply control unit supplies power to the electric blower corresponding to the set suction airflow when the charge amount detected by the charge amount detection means is greater than a threshold, and supplies power to the electric blower that is less than or equal to the power corresponding to the second suction airflow, regardless of the set suction airflow, when the charge amount detected by the charge amount detection means is less than or equal to the threshold. (Note 7) The system further comprises a support device for supporting the main body, The support device has a unit storage section for housing at least one of the power cord unit, which is not attached to the main body, and the battery unit, which is not attached to the main body. A vacuum cleaner as described in any one of the items 1 to 4 in the appendix. (Note 8) The support device has a charging unit for charging the battery unit when it is detached from the main body. The electric vacuum cleaner described in Appendix 7. (Note 9) The main body further includes a power cord holding portion that holds a portion of the power cord when the power cord unit is attached. A vacuum cleaner as described in any one of the items 1 to 4 in the appendix. (Note 10) The electric vacuum cleaner described in Appendix 3 or 4, A data acquisition unit that acquires information about the item to be cleaned, An inference unit that outputs information indicating how to use the battery unit and the power cord unit from the information about the cleaning target acquired by the data acquisition unit, A display unit that displays information indicating the usage method output by the inference unit, An electric cleaning system equipped with [unspecified features]. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0129] 1 Electric vacuum cleaner, 2 Main unit, 3 Pipe body, 4 Suction attachment, 4a Case part, 4b Rotating brush, 4c Connection port, 5 Support device, 5a Support column part, 5b Base part, 5c Support body, 5d Unit storage part, 6 Dust collection part, 7 Outer casing, 8 Handle, 9 Operation part, 10 Electric blower, 11 Unit mounting surface, 12 Main unit power terminal, 13 Suction tube, 14 Power cord holder part, 15 Unit mounting structure, 16 Locking member, 17 Elastic body, 18 Lever, 19 Connection port, 20 Air outlet, 21 Main unit identification terminal, 23 Charging part, 25 Sensor, 25a Floor surface detection sensor, 25b Dust detection sensor, 25c Acceleration sensor, 30 Battery unit, 31 First power terminal, 32 Locking part, 33 First identification terminal, 34 Battery part, 40 Power cord unit, 41 Second power terminal, 42 Locking part, 43 Second identification terminal, 44 Power cord, 45 Power plug, 46 Power circuit, 60 Control device, 61 First discrimination unit, 62 Voltage detection unit, 63 Power supply control unit, 64 Power supply unit, 65 Second discrimination unit, 66 Power detection unit, 70 Inference device, 71 Data acquisition unit, 72 Model generation unit, 72a Reward calculation unit, 72b Function update unit, 73 Learned model storage unit, 74 Inference unit, 75 Input unit, 76 Display unit, 100 Electric cleaning system.

Claims

1. A main unit comprising: an electric blower that generates a suction airflow to draw in air containing dust; a dust collection unit that collects the dust contained in the suction airflow; and a main unit power terminal electrically connected to the electric blower, A battery unit is provided which is configured to be attachable to the main body and comprises a battery section for storing power and a first power terminal configured to be connectable to the main body's power terminal, and which, when attached to the main body, supplies power stored in the battery section to the electric blower via the first power terminal. The power cord unit comprises a power cord that is mounted on the main body and has a power cord for supplying power from an external power source and a second power terminal that is connected to the main body's power terminal, and when mounted on the main body, the power supplied from the external power source to the electric blower via the second power terminal, The electric vacuum cleaner is characterized in that either the battery unit or the power cord unit is attached to the main body.

2. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, characterized in that the power output by the battery unit to the electric blower via the main unit power terminal is set to be within the range of the minimum to maximum power output by the power cord unit to the electric blower via the main unit power terminal.

3. The main unit further includes a main unit identification terminal that receives an identification signal indicating whether the battery unit or the power cord unit is attached, The battery unit further comprises a first identification terminal configured to be connectable to the main unit identification terminal, and when the battery unit is attached to the main unit, it transmits an identification signal to the main unit identification terminal via the first identification terminal indicating that it is the battery unit. The power cord unit further comprises a second identification terminal configured to be connectable to the main unit identification terminal, and when attached to the main unit, transmits an identification signal to the main unit identification terminal via the second identification terminal indicating that it is the power cord unit. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, characterized in that the main body determines whether the battery unit or the power cord unit is attached to the main body based on the identification signal.

4. The power output by the battery unit to the electric blower via the main unit power terminal is set to a value different from the minimum to maximum range of the power output by the power cord unit to the electric blower via the main unit power terminal. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, characterized in that the main unit determines whether the battery unit or the power cord unit is attached to the main unit based on the amount of power supplied to the main unit's power terminal.

5. A power supply control unit controls the amount of power supplied to the electric blower, The system further comprises a charge amount detection means for detecting the amount of charge, which is the amount of electrical energy stored in the battery section, when the battery unit is attached to the main body, The power supply control unit controls the amount of power supplied to the electric blower in a normal mode, which supplies power to the electric blower according to the set suction airflow, when the power cord unit is attached to the main body. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the power supply control unit controls the amount of power supplied to the electric blower in a restriction mode that changes the amount of power supplied to the electric blower according to the amount of charge detected by the charge amount detection means when the battery unit is attached to the main body.

6. The power supply control unit can be configured to have at least two types of suction airflow: a first suction airflow and a second suction airflow that is weaker than the first suction airflow. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, characterized in that, in the limiting mode, the power supply control unit supplies power to the electric blower corresponding to the set suction airflow when the charge amount detected by the charge amount detection means is greater than a threshold, and supplies power to the electric blower that is less than or equal to the power corresponding to the second suction airflow, regardless of the set suction airflow, when the charge amount detected by the charge amount detection means is less than or equal to the threshold.

7. The system further comprises a support device for supporting the main body, The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the support device has a unit storage section for storing at least one of the power cord unit not attached to the main body and the battery unit not attached to the main body.

8. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 7, wherein the support device has a charging unit for charging the battery unit when it is detached from the main body.

9. The main body further includes a power cord holding portion that holds a portion of the power cord when the power cord unit is attached. The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

10. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 3 or 4, A data acquisition unit that acquires information about the item to be cleaned, An inference unit that outputs information indicating how to use the battery unit and the power cord unit from the information about the cleaning target acquired by the data acquisition unit, A display unit that displays information indicating the usage method output by the inference unit, An electric cleaning system equipped with [unspecified features].

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