Electric vacuum cleaner

Abstract

To provide an electric cleaning device that can appropriately set the control mode of the second control unit of the recovery device. [Solution] The collection device 3 includes a second dust collection unit 32, a second electric blower 31, and a second control unit 35 that controls the second electric blower 31. The vacuum cleaner 2 is detachable, and by operating the second electric blower 31 via the second control unit 35, dust from the first dust collection unit 22 of the attached vacuum cleaner 2 can be transferred to the second dust collection unit 32. The second control unit 35 is set to selectively switch between a normal mode in which the second electric blower 31 is operated and a silent mode in which the second electric blower 31 is in a state that is less burdensome to the user than the normal mode. In silent mode, the control unit switches between maintaining and releasing silent mode based on the status information of the vacuum cleaner 2.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a vacuum cleaner capable of transferring dust of a vacuum cleaner attached to a collection device to the collection device side.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a vacuum cleaner including a vacuum cleaner and a collection device to which the vacuum cleaner is detachably attached, after cleaning, with the vacuum cleaner attached to the collection device, the dust collected in the dust collection part on the vacuum cleaner side is sucked and transferred to the dust collection part on the collection device side by an electric blower on the collection device side. The collection device is provided with a normal mode in which the electric blower operates with normal input, and a silent mode in which the operation of the electric blower is not permitted at a predetermined time zone not desired by the user, such as at night. It is desirable that these modes be appropriately and automatically switched according to the intention of the user.

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 cleaner capable of appropriately setting the control mode of the control unit of the collection device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The electric cleaning device of this embodiment comprises an electric vacuum cleaner and a collection device. The electric vacuum cleaner has a first dust collection unit and a first electric blower that sucks dust into the first dust collection unit. The collection device has a second dust collection unit, a second electric blower, and a control unit that controls the second electric blower. The electric vacuum cleaner is detachable, and by operating the second electric blower via the control unit, dust in the first dust collection unit of the attached electric vacuum cleaner can be transferred to the second dust collection unit. The control unit is set to selectively switch between a normal mode in which the second electric blower is operated and a silent mode in which the second electric blower is in a state that is less burdensome to the user than the normal mode. In silent mode, the control unit switches between maintaining and deactivating silent mode based on the status information of the electric vacuum cleaner. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing an electric vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment, where (a) shows the electric vacuum cleaner attached to the collection device, and (b) shows the electric vacuum cleaner removed from the collection device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

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

[0008] In Figures 1(a) and 1(b), 1 represents an electric cleaning device. The electric cleaning device 1 comprises an electric vacuum cleaner 2 for cleaning dust from the area to be cleaned, and a collection device 3 for holding the electric vacuum cleaner 2 when it is not in use, such as after cleaning is finished, and collecting the dust from the electric vacuum cleaner 2. The electric cleaning device 1 may also be equipped with a function to charge the battery of the electric vacuum cleaner 2 attached to the collection device 3.

[0009] The electric vacuum cleaner 2 is a cordless type powered by a battery 20 such as a secondary battery, and is a suction vacuum cleaner that cleans by sucking up dust and air into the first dust collection unit 22 using the first electric blower 21. In this embodiment, the electric vacuum cleaner 2 will be described using, for example, an electric vacuum cleaner that is manually attached to and detached by the user from the collection device 3, and preferably a stick-type electric vacuum cleaner.

[0010] The first electric blower 21 is powered by the battery 20. The operation of the first electric blower 21 is set by the user using an operation switch.

[0011] The first electric blower 21 is controlled by the first control unit 23. The first control unit 23 is powered by a battery 20. The first control unit 23 operates the first electric blower 21 in a set operating state by operating an operation switch. Preferably, a microcontroller or the like is used as the first control unit 23.

[0012] The first dust collection unit 22 separates and collects dust from the dust-containing air drawn in by the operation of the first electric blower 21. A dust collection cup for accumulating dust is preferably used as the first dust collection unit 22.

[0013] The dust collection device 3 is powered by an external power source such as a commercial power supply. The dust collection device 3 uses a second electric blower 31 to suck up dust from the first dust collection unit 22 of the vacuum cleaner 2 attached to the dust collection device 3 and transfer it to the second dust collection unit 32. For this purpose, the dust collection device 3 has an air passage 33 that airtightly connects the first dust collection unit 22 and the second dust collection unit 32 of the attached vacuum cleaner 2.

[0014] The second electric blower 31 is driven by a power supply unit 34 that generates power for driving from an external power source. The second electric blower 31 is controlled by a second control unit 35, which is a control unit. The second control unit 35 is driven by the power supply unit 34. A microcontroller or the like is preferably used as the second control unit 35.

[0015] Furthermore, the second control unit 35 has at least two control modes or operating modes set for the second electric blower 31: a normal mode and a silent mode. In addition, the second control unit 35 may have any other control modes set.

[0016] The normal mode is a mode in which the second electric blower 31 is operated for a predetermined time with a predetermined input. The silent mode is a mode in which the second electric blower 31 is in a state that places a lower load on the user than in the normal mode. Here, "lower load on the user" means that there is little noise, or that the noise is short-lived or absent, etc., so that it is not burdensome for the user. For example, in silent mode, the second control unit 35 performs controls such as reducing the input to the second electric blower 31 or not operating the second electric blower 31 compared to the normal mode, and / or shortening the operating time of the second electric blower 31.

[0017] When reducing the input of the second electric blower 31 in silent mode compared to normal mode, the appropriate setting will vary depending on the model of the electric cleaning device 1 and the rated power of the second electric blower 31. For example, the input in silent mode should be about 1 / 3 of the input in normal mode. As an example, if the input of the second electric blower 31 is 600W in normal mode, it should be about 200W in silent mode.

[0018] Alternatively, if the operating time of the second electric blower 31 in silent mode is to be shortened compared to normal mode, the operating time will vary depending on the model of the electric cleaning device 1 and the rated power of the second electric blower 31, but for example, the operating time in silent mode should be about 1 / 2 to 70% of the operating time in normal mode. For example, if the operating time in normal mode is 15 seconds, the operating time in silent mode should be about 7.5 to 10 seconds.

[0019] The control mode of the second electric blower 31 in the second control unit 35 is manually controlled by the user using a setting means 36, such as a setting switch. In this embodiment, the setting means 36 is provided in the recovery device 3. The user can switch between normal mode and silent mode by operating the setting means 36. However, the setting means 36 may be a dedicated input device such as a remote control, or a general-purpose external input device such as a smartphone with an application installed.

[0020] When cleaning, the user removes the vacuum cleaner 2 from the collection device 3 and operates the operation switch. In response to this operation, the first control unit 23 controls the amount of power supplied from the battery 20 to the first electric blower 21, thereby driving the first electric blower 21. The negative pressure generated by the operation of the first electric blower 21 draws dust into the first dust collection unit 22 along with the air. The dust drawn into the first dust collection unit 22 is separated from the air and collected inside the first dust collection unit 22. The air discharged from the first dust collection unit 22 is drawn into the first electric blower 21, cools the first electric blower 21, and then is exhausted.

[0021] When the cleaning is completed, the user operates the operation switch, and the first control unit 23 stops the first electric blower 21 and the like. The vacuum cleaner 2 that has completed cleaning is attached to the recovery device 3. By this attachment, the first dust collection unit 22 of the vacuum cleaner 2 and the second dust collection unit 32 of the recovery device 3 are airtightly connected via the air duct 33. Therefore, the second control unit 35 drives the second electric blower 31 for a certain period of time according to the set control mode, and transfers and accumulates the dust collected in the first dust collection unit 22 to the second dust collection unit 32 via the air duct 33. In the silent mode, when the input of the second electric blower 31 is made smaller than that in the normal mode, the dust can be quietly transferred from the first dust collection unit 22 to the second dust collection unit 32, reducing the burden on the user. Alternatively, when the second electric blower 31 is not operated in the silent mode, the transfer of dust from the first dust collection unit 22 to the second dust collection unit 32 is not performed until the silent mode is released while the vacuum cleaner 2 is attached to the recovery device 3, reducing the burden on the user. Also, in the silent mode, when the driving time of the second electric blower 31 is made shorter than that in the normal mode, the generation time of the noise generated by the operation of the second electric blower 31 can be shortened, reducing the burden on the user.

[0022] Here, in the present embodiment, when the second control unit 35 is set to the silent mode, it is possible to switch between maintaining and releasing the silent mode based on the state information of the vacuum cleaner 2. That is, for the silent mode, it is configured to be able to switch between maintaining and releasing automatically or semi-automatically without requiring an input operation dedicated to switching the control mode by the user.

[0023] The "state information of the vacuum cleaner 2" includes, for example, information such as the attachment / detachment state of the vacuum cleaner 2 to the recovery device 3 and / or the driving state of the vacuum cleaner 2 while it is detached from the recovery device 3. That is, the "state information of the vacuum cleaner 2" includes not only information obtained from the vacuum cleaner 2 but also information detected or obtained by the recovery device 3 such as when the vacuum cleaner 2 is attached to the recovery device 3.

[0024] The attached / detached state of the dust collector 3 with respect to the vacuum cleaner 2 is information obtained from the dust collector 3 and / or the vacuum cleaner 2. Examples of parameters indicating the attached / detached state of the dust collector 3 with respect to the vacuum cleaner 2 include the separation time from when the vacuum cleaner 2 is detached from the dust collector 3 until it is attached, the attachment time from when the vacuum cleaner 2 is attached to the dust collector 3 until it is detached, and the like. The separation time is the time during which the vacuum cleaner 2 is continuously separated from the dust collector 3. For example, when the vacuum cleaner 2 is detached from the dust collector 3, it is reset and the timing starts, and when the vacuum cleaner 2 is attached to the dust collector 3, the timing ends. The attachment time is the time during which the vacuum cleaner 2 is continuously attached to the dust collector 3. For example, when the vacuum cleaner 2 is attached to the dust collector 3, it is reset and the timing starts, and when the vacuum cleaner 2 is detached from the dust collector 3, the timing ends. Therefore, the separation time and the attachment time can be detected by attachment detection means such as a sensor for detecting whether the vacuum cleaner 2 is attached to the dust collector 3 and timing means such as a timer. The attachment detection means and the timing means may be provided in the dust collector 3, may be provided in the vacuum cleaner 2, or the functions may be divided between the dust collector 3 and the vacuum cleaner 2.

[0025] Also, the driving state of the vacuum cleaner 2 is basically information obtained from the vacuum cleaner 2. Examples of parameters indicating the driving state of the vacuum cleaner 2 include the driving information of the first electric blower 21, the power consumption of the vacuum cleaner 2, and the like. The driving information of the first electric blower 21 is, for example, whether the first electric blower 21 has operated. Whether the first electric blower 21 has operated is basically determined based on whether the first electric blower 21 has started at least once. The driving information of the first electric blower 21 is recorded in non-volatile storage means, such as the memory of the first control unit 23. Also, the power consumption of the vacuum cleaner 2 is the total power consumption of the entire vacuum cleaner 2 including the power consumption of the first electric blower 21. This power consumption can be estimated by the following two methods.

[0026] (a) While the vacuum cleaner 2 is in operation, the voltage and current consumption of the battery 20 are measured at a predetermined constant period, such as 100 ms, and the power obtained as the product of these is integrated over time. For example, if the voltage of the battery 20 is 18V, the current consumption is 5A, and the total operating time is 5 minutes while the vacuum cleaner 2 is in operation, the power consumption is 7.5 (=18 × 5 × 5 / 60) Wh. At least one of the voltage measuring means for measuring the voltage of the battery 20 and the current measuring means for measuring the current consumption may be incorporated into the first control unit 23, or it may be separate from the first control unit 23. This estimation method has the advantage that, because power is measured directly, the amount of power consumed can be estimated accurately without being affected by the decrease in capacity due to aging of the battery 20.

[0027] (b) The first control unit 23 acquires the State of Charge (SoC: amount of power stored relative to a full charge) of the battery 20 before and after the operation of the vacuum cleaner 2, and calculates the product of the difference and the amount of power stored in the battery 20. For example, if the SoC acquired before the operation of the vacuum cleaner 2 is 100%, the SoC acquired after the operation is 80%, and the amount of power stored in the battery 20 is 50Wh, then the power consumption is 10 (= 50 × (100 - 80) / 100) Wh. This estimation method has the advantage of being simple in its power consumption calculation process.

[0028] Then, the second control unit 35 maintains the silent mode when set to silent mode, based on the information acquired by the recovery device 3 and / or the information acquired by the vacuum cleaner 2 attached to the recovery device 3, in at least one of the following three cases.

[0029] (i) When the first electric blower 21 of the vacuum cleaner 2 is driven, and the time the vacuum cleaner 2 is separated from the collection device 3 during that time is shorter than a predetermined time. This control is based on the assumption that by checking whether or not the user has performed a cleaning action based on whether or not the first electric blower 21 is driven, it is possible to detect, for example, when a user has attached the vacuum cleaner 2 to the collection device 3, noticed some remaining dirt, and then removed the vacuum cleaner 2 from the collection device 3 to perform a short, quick cleaning. In such cases, the situation in which the user desires silent mode has basically not changed, so it is preferable to maintain silent mode. The "predetermined time" in this control is, for example, a short time compared to the time required for general normal cleaning, and is a time that can suck up a certain amount of dust, and is set to about 3 minutes as an example. This "predetermined time" may be a fixed time determined in advance, may be arbitrarily set or selected by the user through input, etc., or may be determined in a timely manner based on information indicating the user's cleaning tendencies, such as the user's past cleaning time.

[0030] (ii) When the amount of power consumed by the vacuum cleaner 2 from the time it is detached from the collection device 3 until it is reattached is less than a predetermined amount. This control is based on the assumption that, because the power consumption of the vacuum cleaner 2 is low, the amount of dust accumulated in the first dust collection unit 22 is small, and therefore, the strong suction power and long operating time of the second electric blower 31 for transferring dust from the first dust collection unit 22 to the second dust collection unit 32 is not required, or it is not necessary to immediately transfer the dust from the first dust collection unit 22 to the second dust collection unit 32, so it is preferable to maintain the silent mode. "Power consumption is less than a predetermined amount" means that the power consumption is less than a predetermined threshold power amount. The threshold power amount may be, for example, a fixed threshold power amount that has been determined in advance, or it may be arbitrarily set or selected by the user through input, etc., or it may be determined in a timely manner based on information indicating the user's cleaning trends, such as the amount of power consumed during past cleanings.

[0031] (iii) When the time the vacuum cleaner 2 is attached to the collection device 3 and then detached from it is shorter than the predetermined time. This control is based on the assumption that since the time the vacuum cleaner 2 is attached to the collection device 3 is short, the situation in which the user desires silent mode has not changed, and therefore it is preferable to maintain silent mode. The "predetermined time" in this control is longer than the "predetermined time" in (i) above, and shorter than the time in which the surrounding conditions, such as morning, noon, evening, and night, can change, and is set to about one hour as an example.

[0032] At least one of these controls (i) to (iii) can reflect the user's intentions to maintain silent mode and prevent unintentional deactivation of silent mode.

[0033] Furthermore, the second control unit 35, when set to silent mode, cancels silent mode after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vacuum cleaner 2 was attached to the collection device 3 or since silent mode was set. This control is based on the assumption that if the vacuum cleaner 2 has been attached to the collection device 3 for a long time or silent mode has continued for a long time, it is preferable to cancel silent mode, assuming that the surrounding conditions around the vacuum cleaner 1, such as the time of day, have changed, for example, from night to morning. The "predetermined time" in this control is a longer period than the "predetermined time" in (iii) above, and is a time when the surrounding conditions, such as the time of day, such as morning, noon, evening, and night, can change, and is set to approximately 8 hours as an example. With this configuration, for example, if it is assumed that the time period when silent mode is desired is from 22:00 to 6:00 the next day, silent mode will be maintained during that time, and then canceled in the morning. Therefore, silent mode is automatically canceled without the user having to manually cancel it, saving the user time and effort. Furthermore, the prolonged duration of the silent mode helps to suppress the excessive accumulation of dust in the first dust collection unit 22 of the vacuum cleaner 2.

[0034] As described above, according to this embodiment, in silent mode, the maintenance and deactivation of silent mode can be automatically or semi-automatically and accurately set to the appropriate control mode based on the status information of the vacuum cleaner 2, so that the silent mode can be deactivated or maintained according to the user's intention. Therefore, noise caused by the unintended activation of the second electric blower 31 due to the unintended deactivation of silent mode can be avoided, and the usability of the vacuum cleaner 1 is improved.

[0035] In the above embodiment, the vacuum cleaner 2 is not limited to a stick-type vacuum cleaner, but may also be a handheld vacuum cleaner, a floor-traveling vacuum cleaner, or a self-propelled vacuum cleaner that autonomously attaches to and detaches from the collection device 3.

[0036] 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]

[0037] 1. Electric cleaning device 2. Electric vacuum cleaner 3. Recovery device 21 First electric blower 22 First dust collection section 31 Second electric blower 32 Second dust collection section 35 The second control unit, which is the control unit.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner having a first dust collection unit and a first electric blower that sucks dust into the first dust collection unit, The vacuum cleaner is detachable from the vacuum cleaner, and the vacuum cleaner is equipped with a collection device that allows the dust in the first dust collection unit of the attached vacuum cleaner to be transferred to the second dust collection unit by operating the second electric blower using the control unit. The control unit is configured to selectively switch between a normal mode for operating the second electric blower and a silent mode that places a lower load on the user than the normal mode for the second electric blower, and in the silent mode, it switches between maintaining and deactivating the silent mode based on the status information of the vacuum cleaner. An electric cleaning device characterized by the following features.

2. The status information of the vacuum cleaner includes the separation time from when the vacuum cleaner is detached from the collection device until it is attached, and the drive information of the first electric blower of the vacuum cleaner. The control unit maintains the silent mode on the condition that the first electric blower of the vacuum cleaner is driven and the separation time is shorter than a predetermined time. The electric cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a feature.

3. The status information of the vacuum cleaner is the amount of power consumed by the vacuum cleaner from the time it is detached from the collection device until it is reattached. The control unit maintains the silent mode on the condition that the power consumption is less than a predetermined amount. The electric cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a feature.

4. The status information of the vacuum cleaner is the time from when the vacuum cleaner is attached to the collection device until it is detached. The control unit maintains the silent mode when the vacuum cleaner is next attached to the collection device, provided that the attachment time is shorter than a predetermined time. The electric cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a feature.

5. The control unit cancels the silent mode after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vacuum cleaner was attached to the collection device or set to silent mode. The electric cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a feature.

6. The silent mode is a mode in which the input to the second electric blower is lower than that of the normal mode, or a mode in which the second electric blower is not operated. The electric cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a feature.

7. The silent mode is a mode in which the operating time of the second electric blower is shorter than that of the normal mode. The electric cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a feature.

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