Electric cleaning system

Abstract

This invention provides an electric cleaning system that can efficiently remove dust and debris from the cleaning body of the vacuum cleaner's suction attachment, while also making the vacuum cleaner smaller and easier to maintain. [Solution] The electric cleaning system S, based on the detection result by the mounting detection means, performs a dust transfer operation by operating the electric motor for the cleaning body with the first control means 13 and operating the second electric blower 21 with the second control means when the voltage of the secondary battery 10 is greater than the limit reference voltage, without charging the secondary battery 10 with the charging circuit. When the voltage of the secondary battery 10 is less than or equal to the limit reference voltage, the charging circuit charges the secondary battery 10 by power supply from the power supply means while the operation of at least the electric motor for the cleaning body in the dust transfer operation is stopped by the first control means 13.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a vacuum cleaning system including a vacuum cleaner and a stand on which the vacuum cleaner is mounted.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a vacuum cleaning system in which a vacuum cleaner powered by a secondary battery is mounted on a stand, which is a charging station, after cleaning is completed, dust entangled with a rotating cleaning body of a suction tool provided in the vacuum cleaner is removed in a stored state where the vacuum cleaner is mounted on the stand. In this configuration, in the vacuum cleaner mounted on the stand in a state where the secondary battery is not charged, by rotating the rotating cleaning body by an electric motor, dust is scraped off from the rotating cleaning body by the cleaning means on the stand side, and by the suction operation of an electric blower provided in the vacuum cleaner, the scraped dust is sucked into and collected by the dust collection unit of the vacuum cleaner. That is, on the vacuum cleaner side, in order to operate the electric blower and the electric motor, the power consumption of the secondary battery is large, the time for removing dust from the rotating cleaning body tends to be insufficient, the frequency of discarding the dust collected in the dust collection unit increases, and in order to reduce that frequency, it is necessary to increase the size of the dust collection unit, which makes the vacuum cleaner heavy.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a vacuum cleaning system that can efficiently remove dust from the cleaning body of a suction tool of a vacuum cleaner and can make the vacuum cleaner small and easy to maintain. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The electric cleaning system of the embodiment comprises an electric vacuum cleaner, a stand on which the electric vacuum cleaner is mounted, a charging circuit provided in at least one of the electric vacuum cleaner and the stand, and mounting detection means provided in at least one of the electric vacuum cleaner and the stand for detecting the mounting of the electric vacuum cleaner to the stand. The electric vacuum cleaner comprises a cleaning body, an electric motor for the cleaning body that rotates the cleaning body, and a suction tool having a suction port, a first electric blower that generates an airflow to be drawn in from the suction port, a first dust collection unit that collects dust sucked in by the airflow generated by the first electric blower, a secondary battery that supplies power to the first electric blower and the electric motor for the cleaning body, and a first control means that controls the operation of the electric motor for the cleaning body by controlling the power supply from the secondary battery. The stand comprises a support column for supporting the vacuum cleaner, a base that supports the support column relative to the installation position, a facing portion that faces the suction attachment of the vacuum cleaner mounted on the stand, a cleaning means positioned on the facing portion to remove dust adhering to the cleaning body of the vacuum cleaner's suction attachment, a second electric blower that generates an airflow to suck up dust collected in the first dust collection section of the vacuum cleaner mounted on the stand, a second dust collection section that collects dust sucked up by the airflow generated by the second electric blower, a second control means that controls the operation of the second electric blower, and a power supply means that supplies charging power to charge the secondary battery of the vacuum cleaner mounted on the stand. Based on the detection result by the mounting detection means, when the voltage of the secondary battery is greater than the limiting reference voltage, a dust transfer operation is performed by operating the electric motor for the cleaning body with the first control means and operating the second electric blower with the second control means without charging the secondary battery with the charging circuit. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view showing an electric cleaning system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the internal structure of the same electric cleaning system. [Figure 3]A perspective view showing an example of the usage state of the vacuum cleaner in the same electric cleaning system. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing the stand for the same electric cleaning system. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view showing the same electric cleaning system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] One embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0008] In Figures 1, 2, and 5, S represents an electric cleaning system. The electric cleaning system S comprises an electric vacuum cleaner 1 and a stand 2. The electric cleaning system S is configured such that when cleaning, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 is removed from the stand 2 and operated, and when cleaning is finished, the stopped electric vacuum cleaner 1 can be attached to the stand 2 for storage.

[0009] The electric vacuum cleaner 1 is a cordless type equipped with a secondary battery 10 as the first power supply unit, which is the power supply unit on the vacuum cleaner side, and is driven by power supplied from the secondary battery 10. The electric vacuum cleaner 1 is equipped with a first electric blower 11, which is the electric blower on the vacuum cleaner side, and collects dust in a first dust collection unit 12, which is the dust collection unit on the vacuum cleaner side, by the suction operation of the first electric blower 11. The operation of the first electric blower 11 is controlled by a first control means 13, which is the control means on the vacuum cleaner side. The electric vacuum cleaner 1 is also equipped with a gripping part 14 that is held by the user during cleaning operation. Furthermore, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 is equipped with an operation switch 15 for setting the operating operation of the electric vacuum cleaner 1, and the operating operation of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 is controlled according to the operation of the operation switch 15 by the user.

[0010] The electric vacuum cleaner 1 shown in Figures 1 to 3 is, for example, a handheld or stick-type electric vacuum cleaner. The electric vacuum cleaner 1 comprises a vacuum cleaner body 16, to which an attachment, a suction tool 17, is connected either directly or via a pipe 18. In the figures, an example is shown where the suction tool 17 is connected to the vacuum cleaner body 16 via a pipe 18. The electric vacuum cleaner 1 is detachable from the stand 2, and is removed from the stand 2 when in use and attached to the stand 2 when cleaning is finished or when storing.

[0011] The secondary battery 10 is located, for example, inside the gripping part 14. However, it is not limited to this, and the secondary battery 10 may also be located inside the vacuum cleaner body 16 or elsewhere.

[0012] The first electric blower 11 is powered by a secondary battery 10. The operation of the first electric blower 11 is controlled by the power supply from the secondary battery 10 controlled by the first control means 13. The first control means 13 does not start the operation of the first electric blower 11, or stops its operation, when the secondary battery 10 is below a limiting reference voltage, which is a first reference voltage. The limiting reference voltage is the low charge level state of the secondary battery 10, and is, for example, the discharge termination voltage or a voltage slightly greater than the discharge termination voltage. In other words, in this embodiment, the limiting reference voltage is the voltage at which the vacuum cleaner 1 does not start operating. This limiting reference voltage may be a predetermined voltage value set in advance according to, for example, the type of secondary battery 10, or it may be a voltage arbitrarily set by the user.

[0013] The dust separation method of the first dust collection unit 12 may be arbitrary, but in the illustrated example, a cyclone separation type or centrifugal separation type dust collection unit is used, which separates dust from the air by swirling the dust-containing air.

[0014] A microcontroller is preferably used for the first control means 13. The first control means 13 is powered by a secondary battery 10. A signal corresponding to the user's operation from the operation switch 15 is input to the first control means 13. In this embodiment, the first control means 13 also functions as a charging circuit for charging the secondary battery 10. The first control means 13 charges the secondary battery 10 using the function of the charging circuit, and terminates charging when the voltage of the secondary battery 10 reaches a charging termination reference voltage, which is a second reference voltage greater than the limiting reference voltage. The charging termination reference voltage is, for example, the full charge voltage or a voltage slightly less than the full charge voltage. Note that the first control means 13 and the charging circuit may be configured as separate circuits.

[0015] The gripping portion 14 is integrally formed with the vacuum cleaner body 16. However, depending on the form of the electric vacuum cleaner 1, the gripping portion 14 may be integrally formed with the tubular body 18.

[0016] The vacuum cleaner body 16 is formed in an elongated shape. The vacuum cleaner body 16 houses a first control means 13, a first electric blower 11, and a first dust collection unit 12. For example, the first electric blower 11 and the first dust collection unit 12 are arranged coaxially or substantially coaxially in the longitudinal direction of the vacuum cleaner body 16. The vacuum cleaner body 16 has a main suction port 160 that communicates with the suction side of the first electric blower 11 via the first dust collection unit 12, and a main exhaust port 161 for exhaust that communicates with the exhaust side of the first electric blower 11. In this embodiment, the vacuum cleaner body 16 also has a dust discharge port 162 that communicates with the first dust collection unit 12. The dust discharge port 162 is a part that discharges dust collected in the first dust collection unit 12 in order to transfer it to the stand 2 side. The dust discharge port 162 can be opened and closed by an opening / closing mechanism 163 such as an opening / closing valve. It is closed when the vacuum cleaner 1 is used to collect dust in the first dust collection section 12, and opened when the dust collected in the first dust collection section 12 is transferred from the first dust collection section 12 to the stand 2. The opening and closing of the opening / closing mechanism 163 may be controlled electrically or mechanically in accordance with the attachment of the vacuum cleaner 1 to the vacuuming device 1. The dust discharge port 162 and the opening / closing mechanism 163 may be formed in the first dust collection section 12.

[0017] The suction device 17 is also called a suction port body, floor brush, or suction head. The suction device 17 is elongated horizontally, as viewed from the user. The suction device 17 has a suction port 170. The suction port 170 is for sucking dust into the first dust collection unit 12 using the airflow generated by the first electric blower 11. In other words, a cleaning air passage is formed from the suction port 170 to the first dust collection unit 12 for sucking up dust during cleaning. The suction port 170 is located at least at the bottom of the suction device 17.

[0018] Further, a cleaning body 171 is disposed in the suction tool 17. The cleaning body 171 removes dust from a cleaning target portion such as a floor surface during cleaning. The cleaning body 171 is located at least in the lower part of the suction tool 17. The cleaning body 171 may be disposed, for example, inside the suction port 170 or at a position close to the suction port 170 as long as it can suck the dust removed from the cleaning target portion into the suction port 170.

[0019] The cleaning body 171 is a rotary cleaning body. That is, the cleaning body 171 is configured to remove dust by a rotating operation. The cleaning body 171 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and cleaning members are disposed on the outer peripheral surface. Further, the cleaning body 171 is rotationally driven by a cleaning body motor 172. The cleaning body motor 172 is disposed inside the suction tool 17. The cleaning body motor 172 is operable by power supply from the secondary battery 10. The operation of the cleaning body motor 172 is controlled by controlling the power supply from the secondary battery 10 by the first control means 13. A cleaning body motor 172 with lower power consumption or power than the first electric blower 11 is used. The cleaning body motor 172 rotates the cleaning body 171 at a high speed.

[0020] The operation switch 15 is disposed on the cleaner main body 16 or the pipe body 18. The operation switch 15 can switch the on / off of the operation of the first electric blower 11. In the present embodiment, the operation switch 15 can switch the on / off of the operation of the cleaning body motor 172 for rotating the cleaning body 171 and / or the operation speed of the cleaning body motor 172, that is, the rotation speed of the cleaning body 171. The cleaning body motor 172 is preferably turned on and off in conjunction with the on / off of the first electric blower 11 according to the operation of the operation switch 15 during cleaning. However, as long as the first electric blower 11 is operating, the on / off can be switched by the operation switch 15 independently of the first electric blower 11.

[0021] The tubular body 18 of the present embodiment is an extension pipe formed in a straight tubular shape. Preferably, the tubular body 18 is detachable from the cleaner main body 16 and the suction tool 17. The electric cleaner 1 can be selectively used in any of the following states: a state where the tubular body 18 and the suction tool 17 are not used, a handy state where the suction tool 17 is directly connected to the main body suction port 160 of the cleaner main body 16, and a stick state where the suction tool 17 is connected to the tubular body 18 and the tubular body 18 is connected to the main body suction port 160 of the cleaner main body 16. Further, the tubular body 18 is not limited to a straight tubular shape, and depending on the form of the electric cleaner 1, the tubular body 18 may have a flexible portion such as a hose body.

[0022] Further, the electric cleaner 1 includes a first mounting detection means 19 as a cleaner-side mounting detection means for detecting the mounting of the electric cleaner 1 on the stand 2. That is, the first mounting detection means 19 is a stand detection means for detecting the stand 2 on which the electric cleaner 1 is mounted. The first mounting detection means 19 may be a contact-type or non-contact-type sensor, or a mechanical switch or the like. In the present embodiment, the first mounting detection means 19 includes a first electrode 190 which is an input-side electrode, and a voltage detection unit 191, and is composed of these first electrode 190 and voltage detection unit 191, and the first control means 13. The first mounting detection means 19 monitors the voltage of the first electrode 190 by the first control means 13 via the voltage detection unit 191, and determines whether or not the electric cleaner 1 is mounted on the stand 2 based on whether or not the voltage is a predetermined value or within a predetermined range. The first electrode 190 is disposed on the cleaner main body 16. Further, the voltage detection unit 191 is electrically connected to the first control means 13 or incorporated in the first control means 13, and is configured such that the detection result is input to the first control means 13.

[0023] The stand 2 shown in Figures 1, 2, and 4 is a dust collection device that transfers dust collected in the first dust collection unit 12 of the vacuum cleaner 1, and is a stationary type that is installed and used on a floor or other installation location. In this embodiment, the stand 2 is described in a manner in which the vacuum cleaner 1 is mounted in a stick position, but it may also be mounted in a handheld position with the pipe body 18 mounted separately. The vertical direction will be described below based on the stand 2 being installed in a horizontal position. In the front-to-back direction, the side facing the user is considered the front, and the opposite side is considered the rear. Furthermore, the left-to-right direction will be based on the direction in which the stand 2 is viewed from the front. In the figures, the direction of arrow U is the up direction, the direction of arrow D is the down direction, the direction of arrow FR is the front direction, the direction of arrow RR is the rear direction, the direction of arrow L is the left direction, and the direction of arrow R is the right direction.

[0024] Stand 2 is equipped with a power supply means 20, which is a second power supply unit that is the stand-side power supply unit, and is driven by power supplied from the power supply means 20. In this embodiment, the power supply means 20 has a power plug 200 and a power cord 201 for taking power from an external power source such as a commercial power supply, and converts the power supplied from the external power source by the power plug 200 and supplies it to each part. In addition, the power supply means 20 can supply charging power to the vacuum cleaner 1, which is mounted on stand 2, to the vacuum cleaner 1.

[0025] Stand 2 is equipped with a second electric blower 21, which is a stand-side electric blower. The suction operation of the second electric blower 21 transfers dust from the first dust collection unit 12, or dust removed from the first dust collection unit 12 and the cleaning body 171, to the second dust collection unit 22, which is a stand-side dust collection unit. The operation of the second electric blower 21 is controlled by a second control means 23.

[0026] The second electric blower 21 is operated by power supplied from the power supply means 20. The operation of the second electric blower 21 is controlled by the second control means 23, which controls the power supply from the power supply means 20. Preferably, the second electric blower 21 has a higher power consumption or power than the first electric blower 11.

[0027] The dust separation method for the second dust collection unit 22 may be arbitrary, but in the illustrated example, a filter or dust collection bag is used to filter and collect dust from dust-containing air. Preferably, the second dust collection unit 22 has a larger dust accumulation capacity than the first dust collection unit 12.

[0028] A microcontroller is preferably used for the second control means 23. The second control means 23 is operable by power supplied from the power supply means 20.

[0029] The power supply means 20, the second electric blower 21, the second dust collection unit 22, and the second control means 23 are arranged in the stand body 24.

[0030] The stand body 24 has a support column 240. The support column 240 supports the vacuum cleaner 1 mounted on the stand 2. The support column 240 is formed in a longitudinal shape in the vertical direction. A support portion 2400 is formed at the front of the support column 240 to support the vacuum cleaner body 16 of the vacuum cleaner 1. The vacuum cleaner body 16 of the vacuum cleaner 1 is mounted on the support portion 2400 from above. In addition, a communication air passage 2401 that communicates with the second dust collection section 22 is formed inside the support column 240. Furthermore, a connection port 2402, which serves as the entrance to the communication air passage 2401, is opened at the front of the support column 240. The connection port 2402 is connected to the dust discharge port 162 of the vacuum cleaner 1 mounted on the stand 2. The connection port 2402 is located above the support portion 2400.

[0031] The stand body 24 has a base 241. The base 241 is placed on the mounting position and supports the support column 240 relative to the mounting position. The support column 240 protrudes from the top of the base 241. The second electric blower 21, the second dust collection unit 22, and the second control means 23 are arranged inside the base 241. The second dust collection unit 22 is detachable from the base 241. In the illustrated example, the base 241 is formed to be larger in the front-rear, left-right, and right directions relative to the support column 240. The base 241 has a stand exhaust port 2410 for discharging exhaust air from the second electric blower 21. The stand exhaust port 2410 is located, for example, on the side of the base 241. A power cord 201 is led out from the base 241, and a power plug 200 is connected to the end of the power cord 201.

[0032] Furthermore, the stand body 24 has an opposing portion 242. The opposing portion 242 protrudes forward from the lower part of the base portion 241. The opposing portion 242 is positioned to face the suction nozzle 17 of the vacuum cleaner 1 mounted on the stand 2 in the vertical direction. The opposing portion 242 may be a mounting portion that contacts the lower part of the suction nozzle 17, or it may not contact the lower part of the suction nozzle 17. In this embodiment, the upper part of the opposing portion 242 is an opposing surface 2420 that faces the cleaning body 171. The opposing surface 2420 is an inclined portion that slopes downward toward the front.

[0033] Furthermore, the stand 2 is equipped with a cleaning means 25. The cleaning means 25 removes dust adhering to the cleaning body 171 of the suction attachment 17 of the vacuum cleaner 1 mounted on the stand 2. The cleaning means 25 is positioned on the opposing portion 240 of the stand body 24 and opposite the lower part of the suction attachment 17 of the vacuum cleaner 1 mounted on the stand 2. In the illustrated example, the cleaning means 25 is positioned on the upper part of the opposing portion 242 and on the opposing surface 2420. The cleaning means 25 is also positioned longitudinally in the left-right direction so as to coincide with or substantially coincide with the longitudinal direction of the cleaning body 171.

[0034] The cleaning means 25 is capable of making close or slight contact with the cleaning member of the cleaning body 171. The cleaning means 25 can be static or dynamic as long as it can remove dust and debris entangled in the cleaning member of the cleaning body 171. For example, the cleaning means 25 may be configured to operate an electric motor powered by the power supply means 20 to cut off the dust and debris. In that case, the operation of the cleaning means 25 is controlled by the second control means 13 or other control means.

[0035] Furthermore, the stand 2 includes a second mounting detection means 26, which is a stand-side mounting detection means for detecting the mounting of the vacuum cleaner 1 to the stand 2. In other words, the second mounting detection means 26 is a vacuum cleaner detection means for detecting the vacuum cleaner 1 mounted on the stand 2. The second mounting detection means 26 may be a contact-type or non-contact-type sensor, or a mechanical switch, etc., but in this embodiment it has a second electrode 260 which is an output-side electrode, and consists of this second electrode 260 and a second control means 23. The second mounting detection means 26 determines whether or not the vacuum cleaner 1 is mounted on the stand 2 based on the presence or absence of contact or conductivity between the second electrode 260 and the first electrode 190, by detecting contact or conductivity between the second electrode 260 and the first electrode 190 using the second control means 23. The second electrode 260 is located on the stand body 24. In this embodiment, the second electrode 260 is located on the support column 240. In the illustrated example, the second electrode 260 is located on the support portion 2400. The second electrode 260 is electrically connected to the power supply means 20 and the second control means 23, and is electrically connected to the first electrode 190 of the vacuum cleaner 1 when the vacuum cleaner 1 is mounted on the stand 2. The second electrode 260 is configured to output the charging power of the secondary battery 10 of the vacuum cleaner 1 to the electric blower 1 side via the first electrode 190, and the detection result by the second mounting detection means 26 is input to the second control means 23.

[0036] Next, the operation of one embodiment will be described.

[0037] As shown in Figure 5, the stand 2 should be installed in a location that does not obstruct the room, and the power plug 200 should be connected to a wall outlet (outlet) C so that it is powered from an external power source.

[0038] When cleaning, the user removes the vacuum cleaner 1 from the stand 2. For example, when the user removes the vacuum cleaner 1 from the stand 2 by grasping the grip 14, the opening / closing mechanism 163 shown in Figure 1 closes the dust outlet 162. Then, when the user sets the operation of the first electric blower 11 by operating the operation switch 15, the first control means 13 controls the power supplied from the secondary battery 10 to the first electric blower 11 according to the setting, and operates the first electric blower 11. Also, in the case of using the suction attachment 17 as shown in Figure 3, the first control means 13 controls the power supplied from the secondary battery 10 to the electric motor for the cleaning body 172, and rotates the cleaning body 171. The user places the suction tool 17 on the area to be cleaned and moves the entire vacuum cleaner 1 back and forth using the gripping part 14, while the rotation of the cleaning body 171 scrapes out dust from the area to be cleaned. At the same time, the airflow generated by the operation of the first electric blower 11 sucks the dust along with the air through the suction port 170 of the suction tool 17 into the cleaning air passage.

[0039] The inhaled dust-laden air is introduced from the main unit's intake port 160 to the first dust collection unit 12, where the dust is separated from the air and collected. The air from which the dust has been separated is then discharged from the main unit's exhaust port 161 to the outside of the vacuum cleaner body 16 while cooling the first electric blower 11.

[0040] When cleaning with the vacuum cleaner 1 is complete, the user stops the first electric blower 11 and the electric motor for the cleaning body 172 by operating the operation switch 15, and mounts the vacuum cleaner 1 onto the stand 2 as shown in Figures 1 and 5. For example, in this embodiment, the vacuum cleaner 1 is mounted onto the stand 2 by placing the vacuum cleaner body 16 of the vacuum cleaner 1 on the support portion 2400 of the support column 240 of the stand 2 from the front and above. In this mounted state, the lower part of the suction attachment 17 of the vacuum cleaner 1 is positioned above or on the surface of the opposing surface 2420 of the opposing portion 242 of the stand 2, and the cleaning means 25 approaches or contacts the cleaning body 171.

[0041] Furthermore, with this attachment, the opening / closing mechanism 163 of the vacuum cleaner 1 opens the dust discharge port 162, which is then airtightly connected to the connection port 2402 of the stand 2, and the first dust collection unit 12 communicates with the second dust collection unit 22 via the connecting air passage 2401. Consequently, the suction port 170 of the suction tool 17 also communicates with the second dust collection unit 22 via the cleaning air passage, the first dust collection unit 12, and the connecting air passage 2401.

[0042] In the vacuum cleaner 1, the first electrode 190 of the first mounting detection means 19 shown in Figure 2 contacts the second electrode 260 of the second mounting detection means 26 of the stand 2. As a result, the voltage of the charging power supplied from the power supply means 20 of the stand 2 is detected by the first control means 13 via the first electrode 190 from the second electrode 260 to the voltage detection unit 191. Based on the detection result by the first mounting detection means 19, when the voltage of the secondary battery 10 is greater than the limit reference voltage, the first control means 13 operates the electric motor 172 for the cleaning body to rotate the cleaning body 171 at a predetermined speed, for example, without charging the secondary battery 10, i.e., with the charging of the secondary battery 10 stopped. Note that when the charging of the secondary battery 10 is stopped, the supply of charging power from the power supply means 20 to the vacuum cleaner 1 side may be cut off on either the vacuum cleaner 1 side or the stand 2 side. Furthermore, when the voltage of the secondary battery 10 is below the limit reference voltage, the operation of the cleaning body motor 172 is stopped by the first control means 13, and the secondary battery 10 is charged by the charging circuit function of the first control means 13.

[0043] At stand 2, the second control means 23 detects that the second electrode 260 of the second mounting detection means 26 has come into contact with the first electrode 190 of the first mounting detection means 19 of the vacuum cleaner 1. Based on this detection result of the second mounting detection means 26, the second control means 23 operates the second electric blower 21. If the cleaning means 25 is dynamic, the second control means 23 operates the cleaning means 25 as needed. When operating the cleaning means 25, it is preferable that there be a period of time when it operates at least simultaneously with the electric motor for the cleaning body 172. In this case, it is basically preferable for the second control means 23 to operate the second electric blower 21 and / or cleaning means 25 when the voltage of the secondary battery 10 is greater than the limit reference voltage, that is, when the secondary battery 10 is not being charged by the function of the charging circuit of the first control means 13. However, even when the voltage of the secondary battery 10 is below the limit reference voltage, the second electric blower 21 may be operated to transfer dust collected in the first dust collection unit 12 by normal cleaning to the second dust collection unit 22.

[0044] Here, "based on the detection result of the attachment detection means" means that the attachment detection means has detected attachment as at least one of the conditions. In other words, one or more conditions may be added in addition to the attachment detection means detecting attachment, or there may be no such additional conditions. For example, possible additional conditions may be arbitrarily set, such as a predetermined time having elapsed since the attachment detection means detected attachment, the opening / closing means 163 being opened and the first dust collection unit 12 and the second dust collection unit 22 being in communication, the user performing a predetermined operation such as operating a predetermined switch, or the operation start time set by the user, etc., and furthermore, conditions may be a combination of any or more of these conditions.

[0045] The first control means 13 may, for example, operate the electric motor 172 for the cleaning body for a preset time, or it may set the operating time according to the voltage of the secondary battery 10.

[0046] Dust removed by the cleaning means 25 is carried by the airflow generated by the operation of the second electric blower 21 through the intake port 170 from the cleaning air passage to the first dust collection unit 12, and together with the dust in the first dust collection unit 12, is transferred from the connecting air passage 2401 to the second dust collection unit 22 and collected in the second dust collection unit 22. The timing of the start of operation of the second electric blower 21 is preferably after the start of operation of the electric motor for the cleaning body 172 or the cleaning body 171. Hereinafter, "after" means "simultaneously or later". Furthermore, the operating period of the second electric blower 21 may or may not overlap with the operating period of the electric motor for the cleaning body 172 or the cleaning body 171. In other words, the timing of the start of operation of the second electric blower 21 may be before the timing of the stopping of operation of the electric motor for the cleaning body 172 or the cleaning body 171, creating a period in which the electric motor for the cleaning body 172 or the cleaning body 171 and the second electric blower 21 are operating simultaneously, or it may be at the same time as the stopping of operation of the electric motor for the cleaning body 172 or the cleaning body 171, or after.

[0047] The second control means 23 may, for example, operate the second electric blower 21 for a preset time, or it may operate the second electric blower 21 until predetermined conditions related to dust transfer are met, such as detecting that a predetermined amount of dust has been transferred from inside the first dust collection unit 12. The operating time of the second electric blower 21 may be a fixed time or a time arbitrarily set by the user. For example, it is also possible to perform a process such as forcibly stopping the operation of the second electric blower 21 when the user performs a predetermined operation such as operating a switch.

[0048] Thus, the operation in which the first control means 13 operates the electric motor 172 for the cleaning body to remove dust from the cleaning body 171 using the cleaning means 25, and the second control means 23 operates the second electric blower 21 to generate airflow, thereby sucking the removed dust, along with the dust collected in the first dust collection unit 12, to the second dust collection unit 22 via the transfer air passage 2401, is called the "dust transfer operation." During the dust transfer operation, the first control means 13 monitors the voltage of the secondary battery 10, and if the voltage of the secondary battery 10 falls below the limit reference voltage, it forcibly stops the electric motor 172 for the cleaning body, even if the dust transfer operation has not yet ended. Furthermore, during the dust transfer operation, the second control means 23 preferably operates the second electric blower 21 to suck the dust in the first dust collection unit 12 into the second dust collection unit 22, regardless of whether the first control means 13 has stopped the electric motor 172 for the cleaning body. However, the second electric blower 21 may be stopped with the stopping of the electric motor 172 for the cleaning body as at least one of the conditions.

[0049] When the first control means 13 starts charging the secondary battery 10, the electric motor 172 for the cleaning unit is stopped. That is, charging of the secondary battery 10 is performed when the vacuum cleaner 1 is mounted on the stand 2 and the electric motor 172 for the cleaning unit is not operating during the dust transport operation. During this charging, the operation of the stand 2 is optional; for example, the second electric blower 22 may or may not be operating. Furthermore, after the dust transport operation is completed, the first control means 13 may charge the secondary battery 10 regardless of its voltage. That is, with the vacuum cleaner 1 mounted on the stand 2, charging of the secondary battery 10 may be performed at will, provided that the electric motor 172 for the cleaning unit is not operating during the dust transport operation.

[0050] Furthermore, the first control means 13 may operate the electric motor 172 for the cleaning unit during the dust transfer operation when the voltage of the secondary battery 10 becomes greater than or equal to the permitted reference voltage, which is a third reference voltage that is greater than the limiting reference voltage due to charging. Therefore, based on the detection result of the mounting detection means for mounting the vacuum cleaner 1 to the stand 2, if the voltage of the secondary battery 10 is less than or equal to the limiting reference voltage, the electric motor 172 for the cleaning unit during the dust transfer operation will start when the voltage of the secondary battery 10 becomes greater than or equal to the permitted reference voltage due to charging. Also, based on the detection result of the mounting detection means for mounting the vacuum cleaner 1 to the stand 2, if the voltage of the secondary battery 10 is greater than the limiting reference voltage, the dust transfer operation will start, but if the voltage of the secondary battery 10 falls below the limiting reference voltage before the operation is completed, the operation of the electric motor 172 for the cleaning unit during the dust transfer operation will be temporarily stopped, and the remaining operation of the electric motor 172 for the cleaning unit will be resumed when the secondary battery 10 is charged to or greater than the permitted reference voltage. The permitted reference voltage is a voltage greater than the limiting reference voltage and less than the charging completion reference voltage. For example, the permitted reference voltage is set to a voltage greater than the limiting reference voltage by at least the amount that can cover the power consumption of the secondary battery 10 during dust transport operation, that is, a voltage that allows the cleaning motor 172 to complete operation before reaching the limiting reference voltage. This permitted reference voltage may be a predetermined voltage value set in advance depending on the type of secondary battery 10, for example, or it may be a voltage arbitrarily set by the user.

[0051] The second dust collection unit 22, to which the dust has been transported, can be removed from the stand 2 as needed, and the dust collected inside, or the dust collection bag used as the second dust collection unit 22, can be disposed of.

[0052] As described above, according to one embodiment, when the vacuum cleaner 1 is attached to the stand 2, if the voltage of the secondary battery 10 is greater than the limit reference voltage, the first control means 13 operates the electric motor for the cleaning body 172 to rotate the cleaning body 171 without charging the secondary battery 10, based on the detection result of the first attachment detection means 19 which detects the attachment. This loosens the dust clinging to the cleaning body 171, allowing the cleaning means 25 of the stand 2 to evenly remove the dust from the cleaning body 171. At the same time, based on the detection result of the second attachment detection means 26 which detects the attachment, the second control means 23 operates the second electric blower 21, so that the dust removed from the cleaning body 171 by the suction attachment 17 of the vacuum cleaner 1 is collected in the second dust collection unit 22 of the stand 2 along with the dust collected in the first dust collection unit 12, via the first dust collection unit 12 of the vacuum cleaner 1. Therefore, when the user attaches the vacuum cleaner 1 to the stand 2, the dust collected in the first dust collection unit 12 and the dust removed from the cleaning body 171 of the suction tool 17 can be transferred to the second dust collection unit 22 basically automatically without requiring much effort.

[0053] Therefore, on the vacuum cleaner 1 side, during the dust transfer operation, the first electric blower 11 is not operated, and the electric motor for the cleaning body 172, which has lower power consumption or power compared to the first electric blower 11, is operated. As a result, it is possible to operate even if the remaining charge of the secondary battery 10 is not large, and it is possible to start the dust transfer operation immediately when the vacuum cleaner 1 is attached to the stand 2. Furthermore, because the capacity of the secondary battery 10 is consumed little, the decrease in the remaining charge of the secondary battery 10 can be suppressed, allowing for relatively long operating times and efficient removal of dust from the cleaning body 171. In addition, over-discharge of the secondary battery 10 caused by performing the dust transfer operation at a low voltage can be prevented. Furthermore, the user is less likely to need to dispose of dust from the vacuum cleaner 1 or maintain the cleaning body 171, making maintenance of the vacuum cleaner 1 easier. In addition, there is no need to accumulate dust removed from the suction attachment 17 in the first dust collection unit 12, and dust is transferred from the first dust collection unit 12 each time the vacuum cleaner 1 is attached to the stand 2 after cleaning is finished. Therefore, there is no need to accumulate a large amount of dust in the first dust collection unit 12, making it possible to miniaturize and lighten the first dust collection unit 12, and thus making the vacuum cleaner 1 small and lightweight.

[0054] In particular, by making the dust collection capacity of the second dust collection unit 22 larger than that of the first dust collection unit 12, the number of times the user has to dispose of the collected dust can be reduced. Also, since there is no need to increase the dust collection capacity of the first dust collection unit 12, it is possible to prevent the vacuum cleaner 1 from becoming larger and heavier due to the enlargement of the first dust collection unit 12.

[0055] Furthermore, when the vacuum cleaner 1 is removed from the stand 2 and put into use, it can be used from a state where there is basically no dust accumulated in the first dust collection unit 12, thus ensuring good suction power from the first electric blower 11 while cleaning.

[0056] Furthermore, when transferring the dust removed from the cleaning body 171 of the suction device 17 to the second dust collection unit 22, it passes through the normal cleaning air passage from the suction port 170 to the first dust collection unit 12, which is used for cleaning with the electric vacuum cleaner 1. Therefore, there is no need to separately form a dedicated transfer air passage, resulting in a simple configuration.

[0057] Furthermore, since the power supply means 20 draws power from an external power source such as a commercial power supply, it is possible to operate the second electric blower 21, which has more power than when using limited power such as a battery, regardless of the remaining charge of the secondary battery 10 of the vacuum cleaner 1, and to efficiently suck dust into the second dust collection unit 22.

[0058] In other words, for the dust transfer operation, the secondary battery 10, which has a limited capacity, is used to power the cleaning motor 172, which consumes relatively little power, and the power supply means 20, which takes power from an external source, is used to power the second electric blower 21, which consumes relatively more power, thereby enabling efficient work optimized for each power source.

[0059] Furthermore, based on the detection result by the first mounting detection means 19, if the voltage of the secondary battery 10 is below the limit reference voltage, the charging circuit of the first control means 13 charges the secondary battery 10 by supplying power from the power supply means 20 while the cleaning motor 172 is stopped. Therefore, the cleaning motor 172 is stopped when charging the secondary battery 10, allowing the secondary battery 10 to be charged efficiently.

[0060] Furthermore, since the electric motor 172 for the cleaning unit consumes little power, it does not require a large capacity secondary battery 10 for dust transport operation. Therefore, by operating the electric motor 172 for the cleaning unit during dust transport operation when the charging voltage of the secondary battery 10 is greater than the limiting reference voltage and less than the charging completion reference voltage, the dust transport operation can be performed without waiting for a long time for the secondary battery 10 to charge.

[0061] In the dust transfer operation, by ensuring that the operation of the electric motor 172 for the cleaning body by the first control means 13 and the operation of the second electric blower 21 by the second control means 23 are performed at least simultaneously for a period of time, the dust removed from the cleaning body 171 by the cleaning means 25 can be immediately sucked into the second dust collection unit 22 without the dust remaining on the upper part of the opposing unit 242 or elsewhere.

[0062] Furthermore, in the dust transfer operation, by starting the operation of the second electric blower 21 by the second control means 23 after the operation of the electric motor 172 for the cleaning body by the first control means 13 has started, the dust removed from the cleaning body 171 by the cleaning means 25 can be reliably sucked into the second dust collection unit 22.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the operation of the first electric blower 11 and the electric motor for the cleaning body 172 is controlled by the first control means 13, but the control means for controlling these may be set up separately.

[0064] Regarding the charging circuit, an example of one provided in the vacuum cleaner 1 was shown, but it is not limited to this; it may also be provided in the stand 2, or the function may be divided between the vacuum cleaner 1 and the stand 2.

[0065] Furthermore, although an example was shown in which mounting detection means are provided on both the vacuum cleaner 1 and the stand 2, the mounting detection means only needs to be on at least one of the vacuum cleaner 1 or the stand 2.

[0066] While several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention to these embodiments. These novel embodiments can be carried out in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0067] S Electric Cleaning System 1. Electric vacuum cleaner 2 Stands 10 Secondary battery 11 First electric blower 12 First dust collection section 13 First control means having the function of a charging circuit 17. Suction device 19 First mounting detection means which is a mounting detection means 20 Power supply means 21 Second electric blower 22 Second dust collection section 23 Second control means 25 Cleaning means 26 Second mounting detection means, which is a mounting detection means 170 Inlet 171 Cleaning Unit 172 Electric motor for cleaning body 240 Post section 241 Base 242 Opposing part

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner, The stand on which this vacuum cleaner is mounted, A charging circuit provided in at least one of the vacuum cleaner and the stand, The vacuum cleaner and the stand are provided with mounting detection means for detecting the mounting of the vacuum cleaner to the stand, The aforementioned vacuum cleaner, A cleaning body, an electric motor for rotating the cleaning body, and a suction tool having a suction port, A first electric blower that generates an airflow drawn in from the aforementioned intake port, This first dust collection unit collects dust drawn in by the airflow generated by the first electric blower, A secondary battery that supplies power to the first electric blower and the electric motor for the cleaning unit, This includes a first control means that controls the operation of the electric motor for the cleaning unit by controlling the power supply from the secondary battery, The aforementioned stand, The support column for the aforementioned vacuum cleaner, This support column is supported by a base that supports it in the installation position, The stand is equipped with a part facing the suction attachment of the vacuum cleaner, A cleaning means is provided on the opposing part to remove dust and debris adhering to the cleaning body of the suction attachment of the electric vacuum cleaner mounted on the stand, A second electric blower that generates an airflow to suck up the dust collected in the first dust collection section of the electric vacuum cleaner mounted on the stand, This second electric blower generates a second dust collection unit that collects dust sucked in by the airflow, A second control means for controlling the operation of the second electric blower, The stand is equipped with a power supply means that supplies charging power for charging the secondary battery of the vacuum cleaner, Based on the detection result by the mounting detection means, when the voltage of the secondary battery is greater than the limit reference voltage, the first control means operates the electric motor for the cleaning unit and the second control means operates the second electric blower, thereby performing a dust transfer operation without charging the secondary battery by the charging circuit. An electric cleaning system characterized by the following features.

2. In the dust transfer operation, there is a period during which the operation of the electric motor for the cleaning body by the first control means and the operation of the second electric blower by the second control means are performed at least simultaneously. The electric cleaning system according to feature 1.

3. In the dust transfer operation, the operation of the second electric blower by the second control means is started after the operation of the electric motor for the cleaning body by the first control means is started. The electric cleaning system according to feature 1.

4. When the voltage of the secondary battery is below the limit reference voltage, the first control means stops the operation of the electric motor for the cleaning unit and the second control means operates the second electric blower during the dust transfer operation. The electric cleaning system according to feature 1.

5. When the voltage of the secondary battery is below the limit reference voltage, the charging circuit charges the secondary battery by power supplied from the power supply means, with the operation of at least the electric motor for the cleaning body in the dust transport operation stopped by the first control means. The cleaning system according to claim 1, characterized by the features described above.

6. The first control means performs the operation of the electric motor for the cleaning unit in the dust transport operation when the charging voltage of the secondary battery becomes greater than or equal to the permitted reference voltage, which is greater than the limiting reference voltage. The electric cleaning system according to claim 5, characterized in that it is a feature of the present invention.

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