Vacuum cleaner that can be connected to a collection device

Abstract

To provide a cleaner and a collection device capable of suppressing generation of noise by the rotation of a suction fan by inhibiting the suction fan from rotating by a collection air flow in the cleaner.SOLUTION: A cleaner 100 configured so as to suck dust includes: a motor 182 configured so as to generate driving force; a motor control part 175; a rotary vane part 180 for generating a suction air flow; and a dust storage chamber 152 in which a filter part 115 for capturing dust contained in the suction air flow is stored. The dust storage chamber 152 is configured so as to discharge the dust in the dust storage chamber 152 by receiving suction force of a collection device 200 configured so as to suck the dust in the dust storage chamber 152. When the motor 182 is stopped, the motor control part 175 executes rotation suppression control for suppressing the rotation of the rotary vane part 180 by a collection air flow generated by the suction force of the collection device 200.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner that can be connected to a recovery device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a stick-type vacuum cleaner 300 as shown in FIG. 12. This vacuum cleaner 300 includes a vacuum cleaner main body 310, a suction pipe 320 extending downward from the vacuum cleaner main body 310, and a suction nozzle 330 connected to the lower end of the suction pipe 320. The vacuum cleaner main body 310 is configured to suck dust through the suction nozzle 330 and store the sucked dust. The vacuum cleaner main body 310 has a suction fan 312 that generates a suction force for sucking dust, a fan housing chamber 315 that houses the suction fan 312, a dust storage chamber 317 that stores dust, and a filter unit 3'13 that partitions the fan housing chamber 315 and the dust storage chamber 317 and captures dust.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, as shown in FIG. 13, in order to recover the dust stored in the dust storage chamber 317, a recovery device 400 that recovers dust from the vacuum cleaner 300 while being connected to the vacuum cleaner 300 is used. The recovery device 400 includes a housing 410, a dust suction source 420 that generates a suction force for dust recovery, a control unit 414 that drives the dust suction source 420, a recovery chamber 440 that collects the recovered dust, and a dust flow path 430 that extends from the recovery chamber 440. The tip of the dust flow path 430 can be connected to a dust discharge port 319 provided in the dust storage chamber 317 of the vacuum cleaner 300. The recovery device 400 is configured to recover the dust in the dust storage chamber 317 into the recovery chamber 440 through the dust flow path 430 by the suction force of the dust suction source 420.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0005] In the vacuum cleaner 300 of Patent Document 1, during cleaning, a suction airflow is generated by the suction force of the suction fan 312 to draw dust into the dust storage chamber 317. Conversely, during dust collection, a collection airflow is generated by the suction force of the dust collection source 420 to draw dust out of the dust storage chamber 317. The collection airflow generated by the suction force of the dust collection source 420 can generate a rotational force that rotates the suction fan 312. At this time, the rotation of the suction fan 312 may generate noise that is unpleasant to the user.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a vacuum cleaner that suppresses the rotation of the suction fan by preventing the suction fan from rotating due to the recovered airflow, thereby suppressing the generation of noise caused by the rotation of the suction fan. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The vacuum cleaner in this disclosure is configured to suck up dust, and comprises a motor configured to generate a driving force, a rotating blade section configured to generate an intake airflow that sucks up dust by being rotated by the motor, a dust storage chamber which houses a filter section that captures dust contained in the intake airflow and stores the dust captured by the filter section, and a motor control section which controls the motor. A battery that supplies power to the motor, and a charge level detection unit that detects the amount of charge stored in the battery, The dust storage chamber is configured to receive the suction force of a recovery device configured to suck up dust from the dust storage chamber, and to discharge the dust from the dust storage chamber to the recovery device. The motor control unit is configured to perform rotation suppression control when the motor is stopped, to suppress the rotation of the rotating blades by the recovered airflow generated by the suction force of the recovery device. The motor includes a rotor connected to the rotating blade section, a plurality of coils, and a motor circuit configured to generate a rotating magnetic field that rotates the rotor by supplying current to the plurality of coils while switching the plurality of switching elements on and off. The rotation suppression control includes a first rotation suppression control that sets the on / off state of the plurality of switching elements to form a static magnetic field that suppresses the rotation of the rotor, and a second rotation suppression control that sets the on / off state of the plurality of switching elements to form a closed circuit that connects the plurality of coils to each other. When the motor is driven, the motor control unit performs attraction control to turn the plurality of switching elements on and off so that the rotating magnetic field is generated, and when the motor is stopped, if the amount of stored energy detected by the energy storage amount detection unit exceeds a predetermined threshold, the first rotation suppression control is performed, while if the amount of stored energy detected by the energy storage amount detection unit does not exceed a predetermined threshold, the second rotation suppression control is performed, and in the second rotation suppression control, current flows through the closed circuit due to the rotation of the rotating blade section by the recovered airflow.

[0008] In a vacuum cleaner configured in this way, the rotational drive of the rotating blade section by the motor generates an intake airflow that draws dust into the vacuum cleaner. At this time, the dust contained in the intake airflow is captured by the filter section and stored in the dust collection chamber. When the dust stored in the dust collection chamber is collected by the collection device, the dust in the dust collection chamber is discharged from the dust collection chamber by the suction force of the collection device. At this time, the collection airflow generated by the suction force of the collection device may act to rotate the rotating blade section of the vacuum cleaner. However, in this vacuum cleaner, when the motor is stopped, rotation suppression control is performed to suppress the rotation of the rotating blade section by the collection airflow, thus suppressing the rotation of the rotating blade section. As a result, the rotation of the suction fan by the collection airflow is suppressed in the vacuum cleaner, and the generation of noise caused by the rotation of the suction fan is suppressed.

[0016] When performing the first rotation suppression control, the battery needs to have a predetermined amount of stored energy to supply current to the coil. On the other hand, when performing the second rotation suppression control, there is no need to supply current to the coil, so the battery's stored energy is hardly required. In this embodiment, the first rotation suppression control is performed when the battery's stored energy exceeds a predetermined threshold, and the second rotation suppression control is performed when the battery's stored energy does not exceed the predetermined threshold. In other words, in a vacuum cleaner, rotation suppression control can be performed by either the first rotation suppression control or the second rotation suppression control, regardless of the battery's stored energy, so that the rotation of the rotating blades can be reliably suppressed when the rotating blades are rotated by the recovered airflow.

[0017] The vacuum cleaner may further include a charging circuit for charging the battery. The charging circuit may supply power to the battery and charge it when the motor control unit is performing the second rotation suppression control.

[0018] In this embodiment, when a second rotation control is performed in the vacuum cleaner, requiring almost no battery charge, rotation suppression control can be performed while the battery is being charged by the charging circuit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vacuum cleaner that suppresses the rotation of the suction fan of the vacuum cleaner by the recovered air flow from the recovery device and suppresses the generation of noise due to the rotation of the suction fan.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1] Schematic cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner according to the first embodiment [Figure 2] Front view of the vacuum cleaner according to the first embodiment [Figure 3] Cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner and the recovery device around the dust storage chamber in the first embodiment [Figure 4] Schematic functional configuration diagram of the motor and the control unit in the first embodiment [Figure 5] Cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner and the recovery device according to the first embodiment [Figure 6] Cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner and the recovery device according to the first embodiment as viewed from above [Figure 7] Front view of the recovery device according to the first embodiment [Figure 8] Schematic functional configuration diagram of the connection circuit in the first embodiment [Figure 9] Schematic functional configuration diagram of the motor in the first embodiment [Figure 10] Schematic functional configuration diagram of the motor in the first embodiment [Figure 11] Schematic functional configuration diagram of the motor and the control unit in the second embodiment [Figure 12] Schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional vacuum cleaner [Figure 13] Schematic perspective view of a conventional recovery device

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] (First Embodiment) Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, for the convenience of those skilled in the art, for example, detailed descriptions of well-known matters or redundant descriptions of substantially the same configurations may be omitted. It should be noted that the attached drawings and the following description are provided for those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims thereby.

[0022] (Overall Structure of the Vacuum Cleaner) The stick-type vacuum cleaner 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the vacuum cleaner 100 includes a suction nozzle 130 that sucks dust on the floor surface, a vacuum cleaner main body 110 to which the suction nozzle 130 is attached, and a grip portion 140 extending upward from the upper end 112 of the vacuum cleaner main body 110. The vacuum cleaner main body 110 and the grip portion 140 are tiltable in the front-rear direction with respect to the suction nozzle 130. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the vacuum cleaner main body 110 and the grip portion 140 are in a posture upright with respect to the suction nozzle 130 and do not tilt forward from this upright posture. When the vacuum cleaner 100 is in use, the vacuum cleaner main body 110 and the grip portion 140 are held by the user in a posture tilted backward with respect to the suction nozzle 130.

[0023] The suction nozzle 130 includes a nozzle case 132 that is wider than the vacuum cleaner main body 110 so as to form a wide suction space 131 for sucking dust. The suction space 131 opens toward the floor surface at the front side portion of the nozzle case 132. At the rear side of this opening portion, the suction space 131 is closed by the bottom of the nozzle case 132. A rotary scraping brush 133 is disposed in the suction space 131, and the scraping brush 133 is exposed from the nozzle case 132 so as to be able to contact the floor surface through the opening of the suction space 131.

[0024] The vacuum cleaner body 110 has a vertically elongated housing 111. The lower end of the housing 111 is attached to the rear of the nozzle case 132 to allow the vacuum cleaner body 110 to tilt in the front-to-back direction. The upper part of the housing 111 tapers towards the upper end 112 of the housing 111, and a gripping portion 140 extends upward from the upper end 112. The gripping portion 140 is a rod-shaped part with a thickness that allows it to be gripped by the user. As shown in Figure 2, the gripping portion 140 is provided with an operating portion 141 (operating button) that is operated by the user.

[0025] The housing 111 is configured to house various components for sucking up dust from the floor surface and storing the collected dust. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, the housing 111 contains a fan housing chamber 153 located at the top of the housing 111, a dust storage chamber 152 located below the fan housing chamber 153, and a suction pipe 113 located below the dust storage chamber 152 and extending vertically. The fan housing chamber 153, the dust storage chamber 152, and the suction pipe 113 are in communication with each other.

[0026] The fan housing chamber 153 contains a suction fan 116 that generates an upward suction airflow to suck up dust from the floor surface, a battery 117 that supplies power to the suction fan 116, and a control unit 170 for operating the suction fan 116.

[0027] The suction tube 113 is fixed inside the housing 111, and when the vacuum cleaner body 110 tilts backward from an upright position, it tilts backward together with the housing 111. When the vacuum cleaner body 110 is in an upright position, the lower end of the suction tube 113 is closed by the bottom of the nozzle case 132. On the other hand, when the vacuum cleaner body 110 tilts backward from an upright position, the rotation of the lower end of the suction tube 113 (see arrow A in Figure 1) causes the internal space of the suction tube 113 and the suction space 131 of the nozzle case 132 to communicate with each other.

[0028] A check valve 114 is positioned at the upper end of the suction pipe 113, formed to close the opening at the upper end of the suction pipe 113 when the suction fan 116 is stopped. The check valve 114 is configured to deform due to the upward suction force of the suction fan 116, thereby opening the opening at the upper end of the suction pipe 113.

[0029] The suction fan 116 includes a rotating blade section 180 composed of multiple blades and a motor 182 that rotates the rotating blade section 180. When the user operates the control unit 141 to activate the suction fan 116, the control unit 141 sends a signal to the control unit 170 to activate the suction fan 116. When the user operates the control unit 141 to stop the suction fan 116, the control unit 141 sends a signal to the control unit 170 to stop the operation of the suction fan 116.

[0030] As shown in Figure 2, the front wall of the housing 111 is provided with an exhaust port 151 connected to a fan housing chamber 153, and an electrical contact 171 and a magnetic plate 173 located above the exhaust port 151. The suction airflow generated by the suction force of the suction fan 116 is exhausted outside the vacuum cleaner 100 from the fan housing chamber 153 through the exhaust port 151. The exhaust port 151 is formed to be in contact with the vent 236 of the recovery device 200, which will be described later. The electrical contact 171 is electrically connected to the control unit 170 and is formed to protrude so as to contact the contact portion 283 of the recovery device 200, which will be described later. The magnetic plate 173 is formed to be in contact with the holding portion 297 of the recovery device 200, which will be described later.

[0031] As shown in Figure 3, a container-shaped filter section 115 with a downward opening is arranged inside the dust storage chamber 152. The filter section 115 is configured to allow the suction airflow generated by the suction force of the suction fan 116 to pass through, while capturing dust contained in the suction airflow. The filter section 115 is made of, for example, a non-woven fabric filter. The dust captured by the filter section 115 is stored inside the dust storage chamber 152.

[0032] The dust storage chamber 152 is provided with a dust outlet 124 that opens into the front wall of the housing 111, and a lid 121 that is rotatably formed to open and close the dust outlet 124. The lid 121 is configured to rotate between a closed position, which is upright to close the dust outlet 124, and an open position, which is rotated downward by a predetermined angle (a rotation angle of 90° or less) from the closed position to open the dust outlet 124 (see arrow in Figure 3).

[0033] As shown in Figure 3, the dust discharge port 124 is formed to connect to the dust passage 230, facing the collection port 216 of the collection device 200 (described later), when the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected to the collection device 200. At this time, the lid 121 rotates to enter the dust passage 230 and becomes open, and the dust storage chamber 152 and the dust passage 230 communicate with each other. When the dust storage chamber 152 and the dust passage 230 are in communication, the collected airflow generated by the suction force of the collection device 200 (described later) can cause the dust stored in the dust storage chamber 152 to flow into the dust passage 230. In other words, the vacuum cleaner 100 is configured to discharge dust from the dust storage chamber 152 to the collection device 200 when the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected to the collection device 200.

[0034] (Explanation of the vacuum cleaner's motor and control unit) Here, the configuration of the motor 182 and control unit 170 in the vacuum cleaner 100 will be explained with reference to Figure 4. The motor 182 includes a motor body 186 and a motor circuit 184 that transmits the current supplied from the battery 117 to the motor body 186. The motor circuit 184 converts the DC current supplied from the battery 117 via the control unit 170 into a three-phase AC drive current to drive the motor body 186 and supplies it to the motor body 186.

[0035] The motor body 186 includes a cylindrical rotor 188, a stator 190 formed to surround the rotor 188 in the circumferential direction, and a motor case (not shown) that houses the rotor 188 and the stator 190. The inner circumferential surface of the stator 190 is formed to conform to the outer circumferential surface of the rotor 188 as a whole. The rotor 188 shares a rotation axis with the rotating blade section 180 (see Figure 1). In the suction fan 116, the rotating blade section 180 rotates as the rotor 188 rotates.

[0036] Three core sections 192 are provided on the inner circumferential surface of the stator 190, arranged at predetermined intervals. Coils 192a, 192b, and 192c are wound around each of the three core sections 192 so that a three-phase AC drive current (U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase) flows from the motor circuit 184. When the drive current flows through the coils 192a, 192b, and 192c, a rotating magnetic field is formed around them. This rotating magnetic field is a time-varying magnetic field that generates a magnetic force on the rotor 188 that causes it to rotate.

[0037] The rotor 188 is provided with multiple magnetic parts arranged such that multiple magnetic poles appear in the circumferential direction of the rotor 188. In Figure 4, the symbols "N" and "S" indicate that north and south magnetic poles are present on the outer surface of the rotor 188. As described above, in this embodiment, the motor body 186 is composed of a two-pole, three-phase synchronous motor. However, the configuration of the motor body 186 is not limited to this.

[0038] The motor circuit 184 is configured as an inverter circuit equipped with six switching elements Tr1 to Tr6 for converting the supplied DC current into a three-phase AC drive current. Each of the switching elements Tr1 to Tr6 is switched by the control unit 170 between an ON state where current flows and an OFF state where no current flows. For example, semiconductor switching elements such as IGBTs (insulated gate bipolar transistors) are used for the switching elements Tr1 to Tr6. The motor circuit 184 may also be equipped with FWDs (freewheeling diodes) for commutating the load current of the switching elements Tr1 to Tr6. Furthermore, the motor circuit 184 may be equipped with a pulse modulator for controlling the rotational speed of the motor body 186 by PWM control (pulse width modulation control).

[0039] The control unit 170 includes a motor control unit 175 that controls the rotational drive of the motor 182, a charge level detection unit 177 that detects the amount of charge stored in the battery 117, and a charging circuit 178 for supplying power to the battery 117. When the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected to the collection device 200, the control unit 170 is electrically connected to the collection device control unit 260 of the collection device 200, which will be described later, and power is supplied from the collection device control unit 260 to the control unit 170. When power is supplied from the collection device control unit 260 to the control unit 170 and power is not supplied from the battery 117 to the motor 182, power is supplied from the charging circuit 178 to the battery 117, and the battery 117 is charged.

[0040] (Overall structure of the recovery device) Next, a collection device 200 for collecting dust from the dust storage chamber 152 of the vacuum cleaner 100 while connected to the vacuum cleaner 100 will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 7. The collection device 200 is configured to be connectable to the vacuum cleaner 100 and comprises a housing 210, a dust flow path 230, a collection chamber 240, a dust collection source 250, and a collection device control unit 260.

[0041] As shown in Figure 5, the dust passage 230 is connected to the collection port 216 on the rear of the housing 210 and the collection chamber 240. The dust collection source 250 generates suction force under the control of the collection device control unit 260 to create a collection airflow for sucking dust from the dust storage chamber 152 of the vacuum cleaner 100 to the collection chamber 240 of the collection device 200. Power is supplied to the collection device control unit 260 from an external power source via a power cable.

[0042] The left and right sides of the housing 210 are provided with an air intake port for bringing air into the housing 210 from the outside, and an exhaust port for releasing air from the inside of the housing 210 to the outside. As shown in Figure 6, a connecting wall 214 for connecting the vacuum cleaner body 110 is formed on the rear surface of the housing 210. As shown in Figure 7, the connecting wall 214 has a groove portion 215 extending in the vertical direction, a contact portion 283, a holding portion 297, a vent 236, and a collection port 216. As shown in Figure 6, the groove portion 215 is formed complementary to the front portion of the vacuum cleaner body 110, and the front portion of the vacuum cleaner body 110 in an upright position can be fitted into it.

[0043] The contact portion 283 is formed to face the electrical contact 171 of the vacuum cleaner 100 when the vacuum cleaner body 110 is fitted into the groove portion 215. The contact portion 283 is retractable in and out of the hole formed in the connecting wall 214 and is biased to protrude from the hole. When the vacuum cleaner body 110 is fitted into the groove portion 215, the contact portion 283 comes into contact with the electrical contact 171, and the contact portion 283 and the electrical contact 171 are electrically connected, forming a connection circuit 203 as shown in Figure 8. On the other hand, when the vacuum cleaner body 110 is not fitted into the groove portion 215, the contact portion 283 and the electrical contact 171 are insulated from each other.

[0044] The holding portion 297 is formed in a position facing the magnetic plate 173 of the vacuum cleaner body 110 when the vacuum cleaner body 110 is fitted into the groove portion 215. The holding portion 297 is composed of, for example, a magnetic plate that magnetically attracts the magnetic plate 173. The magnetic force acting between the holding portion 297 and the magnetic plate 173 positions the vacuum cleaner body 110 in the vertical and horizontal directions relative to the collection device 200. This magnetic force also serves as a holding force to maintain the connection state of the vacuum cleaner body 110 connected to the collection device 200. As a result, when the vacuum cleaner body 110 is fitted into the groove portion 215, the position and orientation of the vacuum cleaner 100 relative to the collection device 200 are maintained.

[0045] A space for collecting dust collected from the vacuum cleaner 100 is formed inside the collection chamber 240. A circular communication opening is formed in the bottom wall 245 of the collection chamber 240, connecting the space inside the collection chamber 240 with the dust collection source 250. As shown in Figure 6, a dust removal filter 247 is attached to this communication opening, which allows air to pass through while capturing dust contained in the passing air.

[0046] The dust collection source 250 is configured to draw in air from the recovery chamber 240 through the dust removal filter 247. The suction force of the dust collection source 250 acts on the lid 121 of the vacuum cleaner 100 through the recovery chamber 240 and the dust passage 230 when the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected to the recovery device 200. The dust collection source 250 is configured to provide a suction force large enough to tilt the lid 121 from a closed position to an open position and to suck in dust from the dust storage chamber 152. The dust collection source 250 is composed of, for example, a fan and a motor.

[0047] The air drawn into the dust collection source 250 flows out into the space formed between the dust collection source 250 and the peripheral wall portion 271, and is exhausted to the outside of the housing 210 through the exhaust port. In other words, in the vacuum cleaner 100 and the recovery device 200, as shown in Figure 5, a flow path is formed to carry the recovery airflow, which is the airflow generated by the suction force of the dust collection source 250, by connecting the fan housing chamber 153, the dust storage chamber 152, the dust flow path 230, the recovery chamber 240, and the dust collection source 250.

[0048] (Configuration of the detection circuit) Here, the connection circuit 203 for detecting that the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected to the collection device 200 will be explained with reference to Figure 8. When the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected to the collection device 200, the electrical circuit 201 formed in the vacuum cleaner body 110 and the electrical circuit 202 formed in the collection device 200 form a connection circuit 203 for detecting that the vacuum cleaner body 110 is connected to the collection device 200.

[0049] The electrical circuit 201 of the vacuum cleaner 100 includes a first current path 172 that electrically connects the control unit 170 and the electrical contact 171. In the electrical circuit 201, the control unit 170 and the battery 117 are electrically connected, and the battery 117 and the suction fan 116 are electrically connected.

[0050] The electrical circuit 202 of the recovery device 200 includes a second current path 284 that electrically connects the recovery device control unit 260 and the contact part 283, and a connection detection unit 286 that detects the current flowing through the second current path 284. In the electrical circuit 202, the recovery device control unit 260 is electrically connected to the dust collection source 250, and the recovery device control unit 260 is supplied with power from an external power source via a power cable.

[0051] When the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected to the collection device 200, the contact portion 283 and the electrical contact 171 make contact, electrically connecting the first current path 172 and the second current path 284, thereby forming a connection circuit 203 that electrically connects the control unit 170 and the collection device control unit 260. At this time, if power from an external power source is supplied to the collection device control unit 260, current flows through the connection circuit 203. When the connection detection unit 286 detects the current flowing through the second current path 284 of the connection circuit 203, the connection detection unit 286 transmits a connection detection signal to the control unit 170 and the collection device control unit 260 indicating that the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected to the collection device 200.

[0052] The collection device 200 is configured to activate the dust collection source 250 in response to a connection detection signal from the connection detection unit 286, thereby collecting dust by sucking it from the dust storage chamber 152 into the collection chamber 240. When the collection device 200 starts dust collection by activating the dust collection source 250, it transmits a signal to the vacuum cleaner 100 indicating the start of dust collection. When the vacuum cleaner 100 receives a signal from the collection device 200 indicating the start of dust collection, it is configured to perform rotation suppression control in order to suppress the rotation of the rotating blade section 180 by the collected airflow.

[0053] (Explanation of the operation and control method of the vacuum cleaner) When cleaning with the vacuum cleaner 100 begins, the control unit 170 receives a signal from the operation unit 141 to activate the suction fan 116 and activates the suction fan 116. At this time, power is supplied to the suction fan 116 from the battery 117. The motor control unit 175 switches the on and off states of the switching elements Tr1 to Tr6 of the motor circuit 184 to flow the desired drive current to the coils 192a, 192b, and 192c by forming a rotating magnetic field around the coils 192a, 192b, and 192c that rotates the rotor 188.

[0054] The rotor 188 rotates due to the rotating magnetic field formed around coils 192a, 192b, and 192c, and the rotating blades 180 are driven to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the rotor 188. As a result, the suction fan 116 generates suction force, creating a suction airflow that flows from the suction nozzle 130 to the suction pipe 113, dust storage chamber 152, fan housing chamber 153, and exhaust port 151. Dust contained in the suction airflow is captured by the filter 115 in the dust storage chamber 152, and the captured dust is stored in the dust storage chamber 152.

[0055] When cleaning with the vacuum cleaner 100 is stopped, the control unit 170 receives a signal from the operation unit 141 to stop the suction fan 116 and stops the operation of the suction fan 116.

[0056] After cleaning with the vacuum cleaner 100 is completed, the user connects the vacuum cleaner 100 to the collection device 200 to collect the dust accumulated in the dust storage chamber 152 from the vacuum cleaner 100. Specifically, when the collection device control unit 260 receives a connection detection signal from the connection detection unit 286, it activates the dust collection source 250 to generate suction force to collect dust from the dust storage chamber 152 to the collection chamber 240.

[0057] The suction force of the dust collection source 250 causes the lid 121 of the vacuum cleaner 100 to open, the dust discharge port 124 to open, and the dust storage chamber 152 and the fan housing chamber 153 to communicate via the dust flow path 230. At this time, the suction force of the dust collection source 250 generates a recovery airflow that flows from the intake port provided on the side of the housing 210, through the vent port 236, exhaust port 151, fan housing chamber 153, dust storage chamber 152, dust discharge port 124, dust flow path 230 and recovery chamber 240, and back to the dust collection source 250, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 5. The recovery airflow discharges dust from the dust storage chamber 152 to the dust flow path 230 and then to the recovery chamber 240. In the recovery chamber 240, the dust contained in the recovery airflow is captured by the dust removal filter 247 and stored in the recovery chamber 240.

[0058] When the suction fan 116 stops operating, and the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected to the collection device 200 to collect dust from the vacuum cleaner 100 to the collection device 200, the control unit 170 performs rotation suppression control to suppress the rotation of the rotating blades 180 due to the collected airflow. The rotation suppression control in the vacuum cleaner 100 will be described below.

[0059] (Explanation of rotation suppression control) When the dust collection device 200 is collecting dust, the collected airflow flowing through the fan housing chamber 153 generates a rotational force on the rotating blade section 180, causing the rotating blade section 180 to rotate and potentially generating noise that may be unpleasant to the user. The rotation suppression control of the vacuum cleaner 100 is performed to suppress the rotation of the rotating blade section 180 caused by the collected airflow, thereby suppressing the generation of noise in the vacuum cleaner 100. In the vacuum cleaner 100, rotation suppression control is performed by a first rotation suppression control that suppresses the rotation of the rotating blade section 180 by forming a static magnetic field by passing current through coils 192a, 192b, and 192c, and a second rotation suppression control that suppresses the rotation of the rotating blade section 180 by forming a closed circuit that generates electromotive force in coils 192a, 192b, and 192c.

[0060] When the suction fan 116 stops operating, the control unit 170 receives a signal from the collection device 200 indicating the start of dust collection and initiates rotation suppression control. In the vacuum cleaner 100, rotation suppression control is maintained while dust collection by the collection device 200 is in progress. At this time, if the amount of charge stored in the battery 117 detected by the charge amount detection unit 177 exceeds a predetermined power threshold, rotation suppression control is performed by the first rotation suppression control; if it does not exceed the predetermined power threshold, rotation suppression control is performed by the second rotation suppression control.

[0061] The first rotation suppression control requires a predetermined amount of power to form a static magnetic field, while the second rotation suppression control requires almost no power because it only forms a closed circuit. In other words, the predetermined power threshold is a threshold that indicates the amount of power required for the first rotation suppression control, and in the vacuum cleaner 100, the second rotation suppression control is performed when the amount of charge stored in the battery 117 is insufficient to perform the first rotation suppression control. The first rotation suppression control and the second rotation suppression control will be explained in detail below with reference to Figures 9 and 10. Figure 9 shows the state of the motor circuit 184 when the first rotation suppression control is performed, and Figure 10 shows the state of the motor circuit 184 when the second rotation suppression control is performed.

[0062] In the first rotation suppression control, as shown in Figure 9, in the motor circuit 184, switching elements Tr1 and Tr4 are switched to the ON state, and switching elements Tr2, Tr3, Tr5, and Tr6 are switched to the OFF state. In this state, a current path 195 is formed in the motor circuit 184 and the motor body 186 through which current from the battery 117 flows in a constant direction. Due to the current flowing in a constant direction, a static magnetic field that does not fluctuate over time is formed around coils 192a, 192b, and 192c.

[0063] Specifically, of the three coils 192a, 192b, and 192c, a current flows through the U-phase coil 192a such that a south pole appears relative to the rotor 188, while currents flow through the V-phase coil 192c and W-phase coil 192b such that a north pole appears relative to the rotor 188. In other words, magnetic forces are generated between the north-pole side of the magnetic part of the rotor 188 and the U-phase coil 192a, and between the south-pole side of the magnetic part of the rotor 188 and the V-phase coil 192c and W-phase coil 192b. That is, when the rotating blade section 180 is rotating, a braking force is generated that suppresses the rotation of the rotating blade section 180 due to the magnetic force generated between the static magnetic fields of coils 192a, 192b, and 192c and the magnetic part of the rotor 188.

[0064] In the second rotation suppression control, as shown in Figure 10, the motor circuit 184 has switching elements Tr2, Tr4, and Tr6 switched to the ON state, and switching elements Tr1, Tr3, and Tr5 switched to the OFF state. In this state, a closed circuit energizing path 197 is formed that connects coils 192a, 192b, and 192c to each other. No current flows from the battery 117 through the energizing path 197.

[0065] When the rotating blade section 180 rotates with the current supply path 197 formed in the motor 182, the magnetic field that fluctuates over time due to the rotation of the magnetic section of the rotor 188 generates electromotive forces in each of the coils 192a, 192b, and 192c, as shown by the arrows in Figure 10. This electromotive force causes current to flow through the current supply path 197, and the rotational energy of the rotor 188 is converted into thermal energy in the current supply path 197, thereby applying a braking force to the rotor 188 that suppresses its rotation.

[0066] The control unit 170 further performs charging control by supplying power to the battery 117 through the charging circuit 178 during the period when rotation suppression control by the second rotation suppression control is being performed in the vacuum cleaner 100, thereby charging the battery 117. However, the control unit 170 does not need to perform charging control during the period when rotation suppression control by the second rotation suppression control is being performed in the vacuum cleaner 100.

[0067] (Effects, etc.) In the vacuum cleaner 100 configured in this way, the rotational drive of the rotating blade section 180 by the motor 182 generates an intake airflow that draws dust into the vacuum cleaner 100. At this time, the dust contained in the intake airflow is captured by the filter section 115 and stored in the dust storage chamber 152. When the dust stored in the dust storage chamber 152 is collected by the collection device 200, the dust in the dust storage chamber 152 is discharged from the dust storage chamber 152 by the suction force from the collection device 200. At this time, the collection airflow generated by the suction force of the collection device 200 may act to rotate the rotating blade section 180 of the vacuum cleaner 100. However, in this vacuum cleaner 100, when the motor 182 is stopped, rotation suppression control is performed to suppress the rotation of the rotating blade section 180 caused by the collection airflow, thus suppressing the rotation of the rotating blade section 180. As a result, the recovered airflow from the recovery device 200 suppresses the rotation of the vacuum cleaner 100's suction fan 116, thereby suppressing the generation of noise caused by the rotation of the suction fan 116.

[0068] When suction control is performed in the vacuum cleaner 100, a rotating magnetic field is formed around the multiple coils 192a, 192b, and 192c that causes the rotor 188 to rotate.

[0069] In the vacuum cleaner 100, when rotation suppression control is performed by the first rotation suppression control, a static magnetic field is formed in the coil according to the on / off state of the switching elements Tr1 to Tr6 of the motor circuit 184. Therefore, even if the rotating blade section 180 rotates due to the recovered airflow of the recovery device 200, the static magnetic field generates a force that suppresses rotation in the rotor 188, thereby suppressing the rotation of the rotating blade section 180.

[0070] In the vacuum cleaner 100, when rotation suppression control is performed by the second rotation suppression control, coils 192a, 192b, and 192c are connected to each other, forming a closed circuit energizing path 197 through which current flows due to the rotation of the rotating blade section 180. Due to the electromotive force in coils 192a, 192b, and 192c associated with the rotation of the rotating blade section 180 by the recovered airflow, current flows through the energizing path 197, and Joule heat is generated in the energizing path 197. Therefore, a portion of the rotational energy that would otherwise rotate the rotating blade section 180 is converted into thermal energy and consumed in the energizing path 197, so that only the remaining rotational energy contributes to the rotation of the rotating blade section 180. Thus, even when the rotating blade section 180 rotates due to the recovered airflow, the rotation of the rotating blade section 180 can be suppressed by the second rotation suppression control.

[0071] When performing the first rotation suppression control, the battery 117 needs to have a predetermined amount of stored energy to supply current to the coils 192a, 192b, and 192c. On the other hand, when performing the second rotation suppression control, it is not necessary to supply current to the coils 192a, 192b, and 192c, so the amount of stored energy in the battery 117 is hardly required. In the vacuum cleaner 100, the first rotation suppression control is performed when the amount of stored energy in the battery 117 exceeds a predetermined power threshold, and the second rotation suppression control is performed when the amount of stored energy in the battery 117 does not exceed the predetermined power threshold. In other words, in the vacuum cleaner 100, rotation suppression control can be performed by either the first rotation suppression control or the second rotation suppression control, regardless of the amount of stored energy in the battery 117, so that when the rotating blade section 180 rotates due to the recovered airflow, the rotation of the rotating blade section 180 can be reliably suppressed.

[0072] Furthermore, in the vacuum cleaner 100, when the second rotation control is performed, which requires almost no charge from the battery 117, the charging circuit 178 can be used to charge the battery 117 while simultaneously performing rotation suppression control.

[0073] In this embodiment, the connection detection unit 286 detects that the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected to the collection device 200 by detecting the current flowing through the second current path 284, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, the collection device 200 may be provided with a switch configured to switch between an open state and a closed state when the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected to the collection device 200, and the connection detection unit 286 may be configured to determine that the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected to the collection device 200 by detecting the state of this switch. In this case, the connection circuit 203 does not function as a circuit for electrically detecting that the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected to the collection device 200.

[0074] Furthermore, the motor body 186 is configured such that a static magnetic field is formed in each of the three coils 192a, 192b, and 192c during rotation suppression control, but it is not limited to this configuration. For example, the motor body 186 may be configured such that a static magnetic field is formed in any one of the three coils 192a, 192b, and 192c.

[0075] Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner 100 is configured to perform rotation suppression control by a first rotation suppression control and rotation suppression control by a second rotation suppression control, depending on the amount of charge stored in the battery 117, but is not limited to this configuration. For example, the vacuum cleaner 100 may be configured to perform only one of the rotation suppression control methods, either the first rotation suppression control or the second rotation suppression control.

[0076] Furthermore, the control unit 170 does not need to perform charging control to charge the battery 117 through the charging circuit 178 when the motor control unit 175 performs the second rotation suppression control. In this case, the vacuum cleaner 100 performs charging control by the control unit 170 when rotation suppression control is not being performed.

[0077] Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner 100 may be configured so that rotation suppression control by first rotation suppression control is performed by power supply from the recovery device 200 to the motor 182, rather than power supply from the battery 117 to the motor 182. When the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected to the recovery device 200, power is supplied from the recovery device control unit 260 to the motor 182 via the control unit 170 through the connection circuit 203. Therefore, even if the battery 117 does not have a stored charge amount exceeding a predetermined power threshold, the rotation of the rotating blade section 180 due to the recovered airflow can be reliably suppressed by rotation suppression control by first rotation suppression control in the vacuum cleaner 100. In this case, rotation suppression control by second rotation suppression control is not required in the vacuum cleaner 100.

[0078] (Second Embodiment) In the second embodiment of the vacuum cleaner 100, as shown in Figure 11, the control unit 170 further includes a collection instruction unit 179 for transmitting a dust collection instruction to the collection device 200, which is different from the vacuum cleaner 100 of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, rotation suppression control is performed by the first rotation suppression control, and rotation suppression control is not performed by the second rotation suppression control.

[0079] The vacuum cleaner 100's collection instruction unit 179 is configured to send a signal to the collection device control unit 260 of the collection device 200 indicating a dust collection instruction, provided that the charge stored in the battery 117 exceeds a predetermined power threshold. When the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected to the collection device 200, the collection device control unit 260 of the collection device 200 activates the dust collection source 250, provided that it has received a signal from the collection instruction unit 179 indicating a dust collection instruction. At this time, since the battery 117 has a charge exceeding the predetermined power threshold, the vacuum cleaner 100 performs rotation suppression control by first rotation suppression control, a static magnetic field is formed around the coils 192a, 192b, and 192c, and the rotation of the rotating blades 180 is reliably suppressed.

[0080] On the other hand, if the battery 117 does not have a charge level exceeding a predetermined power threshold, even if the vacuum cleaner 100 is connected to the collection device 200, the collection instruction unit 179 will not send a signal to the collection device 200 instructing it to collect dust. Therefore, dust collection by the collection device 200 will not be performed, and rotation suppression control in the vacuum cleaner 100 will not be necessary. The collection instruction unit 179 sends a signal to the collection device 200 instructing it to collect dust after the battery 117 has been charged to a charge level exceeding a predetermined power threshold.

[0081] The embodiments disclosed herein should be understood in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is indicated by the claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended. [Industrial applicability]

[0082] The vacuum cleaner of the above-described embodiment is suitably used as a device for cleaning work. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0083] 100 vacuum cleaner 115 Filter section 117 Battery 152 Dust storage room 175 Motor Control Unit 177 Energy storage amount detection unit 178 Charging circuit 179 Recovery Instruction Unit 180 Rotating blade section 182 Motor 184 Motor Circuit 188 Rotor 192 coils 200 Recovery device Tr1~Tr6 Switching elements

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner configured to suck up dust, A motor configured to generate driving force, A rotating blade section is configured to be rotated by the motor to generate an intake airflow that sucks in dust, A filter unit is housed in which dust is captured in the intake airflow, and a dust storage chamber is provided for storing the dust captured by the filter unit. A motor control unit that controls the motor, A battery that supplies power to the motor, The system includes a charge level detection unit for detecting the amount of charge stored in the battery, The dust storage chamber is configured to receive the suction force of a recovery device configured to suck up dust from within the dust storage chamber, and to discharge the dust from within the dust storage chamber to the recovery device. The motor control unit is configured to perform rotation suppression control to prevent the rotating blades from rotating due to the recovered airflow generated by the suction force of the recovery device when the motor is stopped. The motor includes a rotor connected to the rotating blade section, a plurality of coils, and a motor circuit configured to generate a rotating magnetic field that rotates the rotor by supplying current to the plurality of coils while switching a plurality of switching elements on and off. The rotation suppression control described above is A first rotation suppression control that sets the on / off state of the plurality of switching elements to form a static magnetic field that suppresses the rotation of the rotor, This includes a second rotation suppression control that sets the on / off state of the plurality of switching elements to form a closed circuit that connects the plurality of coils to each other, The motor control unit, When the motor is driven, attraction control is performed to turn the plurality of switching elements on and off so that the rotating magnetic field is generated. When the motor stops, if the amount of stored energy detected by the energy storage detection unit exceeds a predetermined threshold, the first rotation suppression control is performed. Conversely, if the amount of stored energy detected by the energy storage detection unit does not exceed a predetermined threshold, the second rotation suppression control is performed. In the second rotation suppression control, the closed circuit includes the rotating blade section by the recovered airflow. A vacuum cleaner that generates an electric current through rotation.

2. The system further includes a charging circuit for charging the aforementioned battery, The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the charging circuit supplies power to the battery and charges the battery when the motor control unit performs the second rotation suppression control.

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