Cleaner including wet mop brush

Abstract

Disclosed is a cleaner comprising: a cleaner body including a battery; and a wet mop brush detachably connected to the cleaner body and driven by power supplied from the battery. The wet mop brush comprises: at least one mop cloth disposed on the lower portion of a brush body to be in contact with a surface to be cleaned; a motor configured to rotate the at least one mop cloth; a heater for heating water supplied from a water tank to a heating water tank; a spray unit for spraying the water heated by the heater toward the surface to be cleaned; a pump for providing pressure for moving the water from the water tank to the spray unit; and at least one processor for adjusting the amount of power supplied to at least one of the motor, the heater, and the pump on the basis of a first current threshold value usable in the wet mop brush.

Description

Vacuum cleaner with mop brush

[0001] One embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a vacuum cleaner including a mop brush that sprays water heated by a heater and a method of operating the vacuum cleaner.

[0002] A cordless vacuum cleaner is a type of vacuum cleaner that recharges its built-in battery without the need for a corded outlet. Cordless vacuum cleaners incorporate a suction motor that generates suction. The suction generated by the motor draws in dust and other foreign substances along with the air through the vacuum head (brush), separating these foreign substances from the air and collecting them.

[0003] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a cleaner may include a cleaner body including a battery; and a mop brush detachably connected to the cleaner body and driven by power supplied from the battery. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush may include: at least one mop disposed at a lower portion of the brush body so as to contact a surface to be cleaned; a motor configured to rotate the at least one mop; a heater for heating water supplied from a water tank to a heating tank; a spray unit for spraying water heated by the heater toward a surface to be cleaned; a pump for providing pressure for moving water from the water tank to the spray unit; and at least one processor for controlling a power supply amount of at least one of the motor, the pump, and the heater based on a first current threshold value available in the mop brush.

[0004] A mop brush according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one mop disposed at a lower portion of a brush body so as to contact a surface to be cleaned; a motor configured to rotate the at least one mop; a heater for heating water supplied from a water tank to a heating tank; a spray unit for spraying water heated by the heater toward a surface to be cleaned; a pump for providing pressure for moving water from the water tank to the spray unit; and at least one processor for controlling a power supply amount of the heater based on a first current threshold value available in the mop brush.

[0005] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the embodiment will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0006] FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining a vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0007] FIG. 2 is a drawing for explaining a vacuum cleaner body according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0008] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the operation of at least one processor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0009] FIG. 4 is a drawing for explaining an operation of detecting a type of brush device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] FIG. 5A is a block diagram illustrating the function of a vacuum cleaner for signal line communication according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] FIG. 5b is a block diagram illustrating the function of a vacuum cleaner including an extension tube according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a circuit of a vacuum cleaner for signal line communication according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a mop brush according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing a portion of the mop brush of Fig. 7 separated.

[0015] Fig. 9 is a perspective view for explaining the bottom surface of the mop brush of Fig. 7.

[0016] FIG. 10 is a drawing showing a part of a mop brush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 11 is a front view of a heating module of a mop brush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Fig. 12 is an example of an exploded perspective view showing the heating module of Fig. 11 in an exploded view.

[0019] FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating the function of a mop brush according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control of a mop brush according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the power supply of each load based on a current threshold value by a mop brush according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the power supply of each load based on a reference current set for each load by a mop brush according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 17 is a drawing for explaining an operation of a mop brush according to one embodiment of the present disclosure to control the power supply of a heater or motor.

[0024] FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling a heater based on the temperature of water stored in a heating tank by a mop brush according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 19 is a drawing for explaining an operation of a cleaner according to one embodiment of the present disclosure to display a screen related to a hot water function.

[0026] FIG. 20 is a drawing for explaining the operation of a vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment of the present disclosure providing a lukewarm water mode and a hot water mode.

[0027] FIG. 21 is a drawing for explaining an operation of a vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment of the present disclosure to output information related to preheating.

[0028] FIG. 22 is a flowchart illustrating a method for a vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment of the present disclosure to output a notification related to a water tank.

[0029] FIG. 23 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the power supply of a motor by a mop brush according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 24 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a mop brush in a manual spray mode according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 25 is a drawing for explaining the operation of a mop brush driving a pump in a manual spray mode according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 26 is a flowchart for explaining a method of operating a mop brush in an automatic spray mode according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 27 is a drawing for explaining an operation of a cleaner in conjunction with a server device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG. 28 is a drawing for explaining a GUI (Graphical User Interface) related to setting the injection amount, injection strength, injection time, or water temperature according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] The terms used in this disclosure will be briefly explained, and one embodiment of the present disclosure will be specifically described.

[0036] The terms used in this disclosure are selected from widely used, current terms, taking into account the functions of one embodiment of the disclosure. However, these terms may vary depending on the intentions of those skilled in the art, precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. Furthermore, in certain cases, terms may be arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in such cases, their meanings will be described in detail in the description of the relevant embodiments of the disclosure. Therefore, the terms used in this disclosure should not be defined simply as names of terms, but rather based on the meanings of the terms and the overall content of the disclosure.

[0037] In this disclosure, the expression “at least one of a, b or c” may refer to “a”, “b”, “c”, “a and b”, “a and c”, “b and c”, “all of a, b and c”, or variations thereof.

[0038] Throughout this disclosure, when a part is said to "include" a certain component, this does not mean that other components are excluded, but rather that other components may be included, unless otherwise specifically stated. Furthermore, terms such as "part," "module," etc., used in this disclosure refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, and "part" and "module" may be implemented as hardware or software, or as a combination of hardware and software.

[0039] Below, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present disclosure. However, one embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In addition, in the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted to clearly describe one embodiment of the present disclosure, and similar parts are designated with similar drawing reference numerals throughout the present disclosure.

[0040] Terms such as "first" and "second" may be used to describe various components, but these components should not be limited to these terms. The above terms are used to distinguish one element from another.

[0041] As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0042] It will be understood that the terms "comprise," "comprising," "include" and / or "including" as used herein specify the presence of stated features or elements but do not preclude the addition of one or more other features or elements.

[0043] When a layer, region or element is referred to as being "on" another layer, region or element, it will be understood that it may be directly or indirectly on top of the other layer, region or element. That is, for example, there may be intervening layers, regions or elements.

[0044] The sizes of components in the drawings may be exaggerated or reduced for convenience of explanation. For example, the sizes and thicknesses of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily indicated for convenience of explanation, and the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto.

[0045] If a particular embodiment can be implemented differently, certain process sequences may be performed in a different order than described. For example, two processes described sequentially may be performed substantially simultaneously or in reverse order.

[0046] In this specification, "A and / or B" means A or B, or A and B. In this specification, "at least one of A and B" means A or B, or A and B.

[0047] It will be understood that when a layer, region, or element is referred to as being "connected" to another layer, region, or element, it may be "directly connected" to the other layer, region, or element. The other layer, region, or element may be "indirectly connected" to the other layer, region, or element by virtue of being interposed therebetween. For example, when a layer, region, or component is referred to as being "electrically connected" to another layer, region, or component, it will be understood that it may be "directly electrically connected" to the other layer, region, or element. The other layer, region, or element may be "indirectly electrically connected" to the other layer, region, or element by virtue of being interposed therebetween.

[0048] The x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis are not limited to the three axes of the Cartesian coordinate system and can be interpreted in a broader sense. For example, the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis can be perpendicular to each other, or they can represent different directions that are not perpendicular to each other.

[0049] FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining a vacuum cleaner (10) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] In Fig. 1, the vacuum cleaner (10) is described as a stick-type cordless vacuum cleaner, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, one embodiment of the present disclosure can also be applied to a handheld vacuum cleaner or a robot vacuum cleaner.

[0051] A cordless vacuum cleaner may refer to a vacuum cleaner that has a built-in rechargeable battery (1500) and does not need to connect a power cord to an outlet during cleaning. A cordless vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a cleaner body (1000), a brush device (2000), and an extension tube (3000). However, not all of the components illustrated in FIG. 1 are essential components. A cordless vacuum cleaner may be implemented with more components than those illustrated in FIG. 1, or may be implemented with fewer components. For example, a cordless vacuum cleaner may be implemented with a cleaner body (1000) and a brush device (2000), excluding the extension tube (3000). In addition, the cordless vacuum cleaner may further include a station (not illustrated) for dust discharge and battery charging of the cleaner body (1000).

[0052] The vacuum cleaner body (1000) may include a suction motor that forms a vacuum inside the vacuum cleaner (10), a dust collector (dust bin) that receives foreign substances sucked from a surface to be cleaned (e.g., a floor, bedding, a sofa, etc.), and a handle that a user can hold and move while cleaning. The configuration of the vacuum cleaner body (1000) will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 2.

[0053] The cleaner body (1000) may have a mounting portion on which an extension pipe (3000) or a brush device (2000) is mounted. The extension pipe (3000) may be formed as a hollow pipe. The extension pipe (3000) may have a predetermined rigidity. In addition, the extension pipe (3000) may be formed as a flexible hose. A brush device (2000) may be detachably connected to one end of the extension pipe (3000). The other end of the extension pipe (3000) may be detachably connected to an extension pipe mounting portion of the cleaner body (1000). The extension pipe (3000) may transmit suction force generated by a suction motor of the cleaner body (1000) to the brush device (2000) and move air and foreign substances sucked through the brush device (2000) to the cleaner body (1000). The extension pipe (3000) can be formed in multiple stages between the vacuum cleaner body (1000) and the brush device (2000). There may be two or more extension pipes (3000).

[0054] The brush device (2000) connected to the vacuum cleaner body (1000) or the extension tube (3000) is a device that can come into close contact with the surface to be cleaned and suck up air and foreign substances from the surface to be cleaned. The brush device (2000) may also be expressed as a vacuum cleaner head. The brush device (2000) may be rotatably coupled to the extension tube (3000). The brush device (2000) may include, but is not limited to, a motor (180), a drum having a rotating brush attached thereto, etc. The type of the brush device (2000) may vary. For example, the brush device (2000) may be classified into, but is not limited to, a general brush (floor brush), a carpet brush, a bedding brush, a pet brush, a mop brush (100), a multi-brush (a brush that can be used on both carpets and floors), etc., depending on the purpose. Hereinafter, an example will be described in which the brush device (2000) is a mop brush (100) for wet cleaning of a surface to be cleaned, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0055] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a mop brush (100) may include a motor (180) for rotating the mop and a pump (160) for spraying water on the front of the mop brush (100). In addition, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) may further include a heater (250) for heating water to spray high-temperature water.

[0056] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) can receive power from the battery (1500) of the cleaner body (1000) to drive the pump (160), the motor (180), or the heater (250). If a separate battery is provided for the mop brush (100), the weight of the mop brush (100) may increase, thereby reducing the convenience of use and lowering the competitiveness of the product. Therefore, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) can receive power from the battery (1500) of the cleaner body (1000) without being provided with a separate battery.

[0057] However, when the mop brush (100) receives power from the battery (1500) of the cleaner body (1000), there may be limitations on the power usage of the mop brush (100). In the case of the mop brush (100) that sprays high-temperature water, a heater (250) that consumes a lot of power may be provided. In addition, when PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control is performed to control the power supply from the suction motor controller of the cleaner body (1000) to the brush device (2000), it is difficult to properly control the current in the mop brush (100) circuit with a large load. Therefore, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) can appropriately distribute power to the pump (160), the motor (180), and the heater (250) based on a current threshold value (power threshold value) (e.g., about 5 A) available to the mop brush (100). For example, at least one processor of the mop brush (100) can individually control the power supply amount of each load by individually controlling the switch elements for PWM control (hereinafter referred to as PWM control switch elements) connected to each of the pump (160), the motor (180), and the heater (250). Therefore, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the power of the battery (1500) of the cleaner body (1000) can be efficiently used in the mop brush (100) that supplies hot water with high power consumption. The operation of the mop brush (100) controlling the power supply amount of each load will be described in detail later with reference to FIGS. 15 to 17.

[0058] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the cleaner body (1000), the brush device (2000), and the extension tube (3000) included in the cleaner (10) may include a power line (e.g., a + power line, a - power line) and a signal line. The power line may be a line for transmitting power supplied from a battery (1500) to the cleaner body (1000) and the brush device (2000) connected to the cleaner body (1000). The signal line is different from the power line and may be a line for transmitting and receiving signals between the cleaner body (1000) and the brush device (2000). The signal line may be implemented to be connected to the power line within the brush device (2000).

[0059] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the cleaner body (1000) and the brush device (2000) can transmit and receive signals, information, or data through a signal line. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, communication through a signal line will be defined as signal line communication. For example, when a mop brush (100) is connected to the cleaner body (1000), the mop brush (100) can transmit information indicating the type of brush, detection of overcurrent for each load of the mop brush (100), etc. to the cleaner body (1000) through signal line communication, and the cleaner body (1000) can continuously monitor the status of the mop brush (100). The signal line communication will be described in detail later with reference to FIGS. 5A to 6.

[0060] Below, the configuration of the vacuum cleaner body (1000) will be examined in more detail with reference to FIG. 2.

[0061] FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the function of a vacuum cleaner body (1000) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0062] Referring to FIG. 2, the cleaner body (1000) may include a suction force generating device (hereinafter referred to as a motor assembly (1100)) that generates suction force required to suck up foreign substances on a surface to be cleaned, a dust collector (1200, also referred to as a dust container) that receives foreign substances sucked up from the surface to be cleaned, a filter unit (1300), a pressure sensor (1400), a battery (1500) that can supply power to the motor assembly (1100), a communication interface (1600), a user interface (1700), a main processor (1800), and a memory (1900). However, not all of the components illustrated in FIG. 2 are essential components. The cleaner body (1000) may be implemented with more components than the components illustrated in FIG. 2, or may be implemented with fewer components. For example, the cleaner body (1000) may further include a motion sensor (not illustrated).

[0063] Let's take a look at each component below.

[0064] The motor assembly (1100) may include a suction motor (1110) that converts electrical power into mechanical rotational power, an impeller (1120) that is connected to the suction motor (1110) and rotates, and a printed circuit board (PCB) (or drive circuit) (1130) that is connected to the suction motor (1110). Here, the printed circuit board (PCB) may include a printed board assembly (PBA). The PBA may be a PCB in which electronic components are mounted. The suction motor (1110) and the impeller (1120) that is connected to the suction motor (1110) and rotates may create a vacuum inside the cleaner (10). Here, the vacuum means a state lower than atmospheric pressure. The suction motor (1110) may include a brushless motor (hereinafter, referred to as a BLDC (Brushless Direct Current) motor), but is not limited thereto.

[0065] The printed circuit board (1130) may include, but is not limited to, a processor (hereinafter referred to as a first processor (1131)) that controls the suction motor (1110) and controls communication with the brush device (2000), a first switch element (1132) connected to a signal line, a switch element (1133) (hereinafter referred to as a PWM control switch element) used to supply power to the brush device (2000), a load detection sensor (1134) that detects the load of the brush device (2000), and a moisture detection circuit (1135) for detecting moisture flowing into the cleaner body (1000) through the path (11). The PWM control switch element (1133) may include, but is not limited to, a transistor such as a FET (Field Effect Transistor), a BJT (Bipolar Junction Transistor), or an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor), for example. The load detection sensor (1134) may include a shunt resistor, a shunt resistor combined with an amplifier circuit (OP-AMP), a current detection sensor, a magnetic field detection sensor (non-contact type), etc. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, an FET will be described as an example of a PWM control switch element (1133), and a shunt resistor will be described as an example of a load detection sensor (1134). The moisture detection circuit (1135) may include a portion that is open when no liquid flows in and forms resistance according to the flow of liquid. The moisture detection circuit (1135) may include a voltage distribution circuit. The moisture detection circuit (1135) may be located between the + terminal and the - terminal that electrically connect the motor assembly (1100) and the battery (1500). The moisture detection circuit (1135) may be connected to the input port of the first processor (1131) and the + power line that receives power from the battery (1500), but is not limited thereto.

[0066] The motor assembly (1100) may have an inverted motor structure in which the positions of the impeller (1120) and the PCB (1130) are inverted. In the inverted motor structure, the PCB (1130) may be positioned lower (downstream) than the suction motor (1110) and the impeller (1120) may be positioned higher (upstream) than the suction motor (1110) based on the air flow direction. Accordingly, the impeller (1120) may be positioned closer to the filter unit (1300) than the PCB (1130).

[0067] The first processor (1131) can obtain data related to the status of the suction motor (1110) (hereinafter referred to as status data) and data on moisture inflow, and transmit the status data of the suction motor (1110) and data on moisture inflow to the main processor (1800). In addition, the first processor (1131) can control the operation of the first switch element (1132) connected to the signal line (e.g., turn on or turn off) to transmit a signal (hereinafter referred to as the first signal) to the brush device (2000) through the signal line. The first switch element (1132) is an element that can make the status of the signal line Low. For example, the first switch element (1132) is an element that can make the voltage of the signal line approximately 0 V. The first signal may include, but is not limited to, data representing at least one of a target rotational speed per minute (hereinafter, also referred to as target drum RPM) of the rotating brush of the brush device (2000), a target trip level of the brush device (2000), or power consumption of the suction motor (1110). For example, the first signal may include data for controlling a lighting device included in the brush device (2000), data for controlling a pump (160) (e.g., a water injection command), data for turning the hot water function on / off, etc. The first signal may be implemented with a preset number of bits. For example, the first signal may be implemented with 5 bits, 8 bits, and may have a transmission cycle of about 10 ms per bit, but is not limited thereto.

[0068] The first processor (1131) can detect a signal (hereinafter referred to as a second signal) transmitted from the brush device (2000) through a signal line. The second signal may include, but is not limited to, data indicating the current status of the brush device (2000). For example, the second signal may include data regarding the current operating conditions (e.g., current drum RPM, current restraint level, current lighting device setting value, etc.), and data regarding whether an overcurrent occurs in each load (e.g., motor (180), heater (250), pump (160)). In addition, the second signal may further include data indicating the type of the brush device (2000). The first processor (1131) can transmit data indicating the current status of the brush device (2000), data regarding a malfunction of the brush device (2000), or data indicating the type of the brush device (2000) included in the second signal to the main processor (1800).

[0069] The motor assembly (1100) may be located within a dust collector (dust collector, 1200). The dust collector (1200) may be configured to filter and collect dust or dirt in the air drawn in through a brush device (2000). The dust collector (1200) may be configured to be detachable from the vacuum cleaner body (1000).

[0070] The dust collector (1200) can collect foreign substances through a cyclone method that separates foreign substances using centrifugal force. The air from which foreign substances have been removed through the cyclone method can be discharged to the outside of the vacuum cleaner body (1000), and the foreign substances can be stored in the dust collector (1200). A multi-cyclone can be arranged inside the dust collector (1200). The dust collector (1200) can be arranged so that foreign substances are collected toward the lower side of the multi-cyclone. The dust collector (1200) can include a dust collector door (also referred to as a cover of the dust collector (1200)) that is arranged so that the dust collector (1200) can be opened when connected to a station. The dust collector (1200) can include a first dust collector where relatively large foreign substances are primarily collected and a second dust collector where relatively small foreign substances are collected by the multi-cyclone. Both the first dust collection unit and the second dust collection unit can be arranged to be open to the outside when the dust collection box door is opened.

[0071] The filter unit (1300) can filter ultrafine dust, etc., that is not filtered out by the dust collector (1200). The filter unit (1300) can include an outlet that allows air that has passed through the filter (197) to be discharged to the outside of the vacuum cleaner. The filter unit (1300) can include a motor filter, a HEPA filter, etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0072] The pressure sensor (1400) can measure the pressure inside the flow path (11) (hereinafter, also referred to as flow path pressure). In the case of a pressure sensor (1400) provided at a suction end (e.g., suction duct (41)), the static pressure can be measured to measure the change in flow rate at the corresponding location. The pressure sensor (1400) may be an absolute pressure sensor or a relative pressure sensor. When the pressure sensor (1400) is an absolute pressure sensor, the main processor (1800) can sense a first pressure value before operating the suction motor (1110) using the pressure sensor (1400). In addition, the main processor (1800) can sense a second pressure value after operating the suction motor (1110) at a target RPM, and use the difference between the first pressure value and the second pressure value as the pressure value inside the flow path (11). At this time, the first pressure value may be a pressure value due to internal / external influences such as weather, altitude, vacuum cleaner status, and dust inflow, and the second pressure value may be a pressure value due to internal / external influences such as altitude, vacuum cleaner status, and dust inflow and a pressure value due to the operation of the suction motor (1110), and the difference between the first pressure value and the second pressure value may be a pressure value due to the operation of the suction motor (1110). Therefore, when the difference between the first pressure value and the second pressure value is used as the pressure value inside the passage, internal / external influences other than the suction motor (1110) can be minimized.

[0073] The euro pressure measured by the pressure sensor (1400) can be used to identify the current usage environment status of the brush device (2000) (e.g., the status of the surface to be cleaned (floor, carpet, mat, corner, etc.), the state of being lifted from the surface to be cleaned, etc.), and can also be used to measure the suction power that changes depending on the degree of contamination of the dust collector (1200) or the degree of dust collection.

[0074] The pressure sensor (1400) may be located at the suction end (e.g., suction duct (41)). The suction duct (41) may be a structure that connects the dust collector (1200) and the extension pipe (3000) or the dust collector (1200) and the brush device (2000) to allow a fluid containing foreign substances to move to the dust collector (1200). The pressure sensor (1400) may be located at the end of the straight portion of the suction duct (41) (or the inflection point between the straight portion and the curved portion) in consideration of contamination by foreign substances / dust, but is not limited thereto. The pressure sensor (1400) may also be located in the middle of the straight portion of the suction duct (41). Meanwhile, when the pressure sensor (1400) is located in the suction duct (41), the pressure sensor (1400) can be implemented as a negative pressure sensor because the pressure sensor (1400) is located in front of the suction motor (1110) that generates suction force.

[0075] In the present disclosure, the pressure sensor (1400) is described as an example in which it is located in the suction duct (41), but is not limited thereto. The pressure sensor (1400) may also be located in the discharge end (e.g., within the motor assembly (1100)). When the pressure sensor (1400) is located in the discharge end, the pressure sensor (1400) may be implemented as a positive pressure sensor because it is located at the rear end of the suction motor (1110). In addition, a plurality of pressure sensors (1000) may be provided within the cleaner.

[0076] The battery (1500) may be detachably mounted on the vacuum cleaner body (1000). The battery (1500) may be expressed as a battery pack or a battery module. The battery (1500) may be electrically connected to a charging terminal provided in the station. The battery (1500) may be charged by receiving power from the charging terminal. According to one embodiment, the battery (1500) may include a processor (e.g., a Micro-Computer, Microprocessor Computer, Microprocessor controller (MICOM)) for controlling the voltage supplied to the vacuum cleaner body (1000) and communicating with the main processor (1800). The battery (1500) may perform data communication with the main processor (1800). The battery (1500) may periodically transmit information regarding the battery charge status, output voltage, etc. to the main processor (1800).

[0077] The battery (1500) may include an LED display to indicate the charging, discharging, or status of the battery. For example, the processor of the battery (1500) may output red, orange, or yellow through the LED display depending on the charging rate, and when charging is complete, the LED display may output green.

[0078] The communication interface (1600) may include a module for performing communication with an external device. For example, the cleaner body (1000) may perform communication with a station or server device through the communication interface (1600). The communication interface (1600) may include a short-range communication unit and a long-range communication unit, etc. The short-range wireless communication unit (short-range wireless communication interface) may include a Bluetooth communication unit, a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication unit, a near field communication interface (NFC), a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication unit, a Zigbee communication unit, an IrDA (Infrared Data Association) communication unit, a WFD (Wi-Fi Direct) communication unit, an UWB (ultra wideband) communication unit, an ANT+ communication unit, etc., but is not limited thereto. The long-range communication unit may be used for the cleaner body (1000) to remotely communicate with a server device. The telecommunications unit may include the Internet, a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN), and a mobile communication unit. The mobile communication unit may include, but is not limited to, a 3G module, a 4G module, a 5G module, an LTE module, an NB-IoT module, an LTE-M module, and the like.

[0079] A user interface (1700) may be provided on the handle. The user interface (1700) may include an input interface and an output interface. The cleaner body (1000) may receive user input related to the operation of the cleaner (10) through the user interface (1700) and output information related to the operation of the cleaner (10). The cleaner body (1000) may output information related to the operation status (e.g., operation mode), information related to the remaining battery power, information related to the docking status, information related to the status of the dust bin (1200), information related to the status of the dust bag, information related to moisture inflow, information related to foreign matter caught in the brush device (2000), information related to the mop brush (100) (e.g., information related to the status of preheating and spraying), etc. through the user interface (1700).

[0080] The input interface may include, but is not limited to, at least one of a motion input unit, a voice input unit (e.g., a microphone), or a manipulation input unit (e.g., a power button, a suction strength adjustment button). The output interface may include, but is not limited to, a light-emitting diode (LED) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a touch screen, a speaker, or the like.

[0081] The vacuum cleaner body (1000) may include at least one processor. The vacuum cleaner body (1000) may include one processor or may include multiple processors. For example, the vacuum cleaner body (1000) may include a main processor (1800) connected to a user interface (1700) and a first processor (1131) connected to a suction motor (1110). The at least one processor may control the overall operation of the vacuum cleaner. For example, the at least one processor may control the power consumption (suction force strength, suction force mode) of the suction motor (1110), the drum RPM of the brush device (2000), the trip level of the brush device (2000), etc.

[0082] At least one processor according to the present disclosure may include at least one of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an APU (Accelerated Processing Unit), a MIC (Many Integrated Core), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and an NPU (Neural Processing Unit). The at least one processor may be implemented in the form of an integrated system on a chip (SoC) including one or more electronic components. Each of the at least one processors may be implemented as separate hardware (H / W). The at least one processor may be expressed as a MICOM (Micro-Computer, Microprocessor Computer, Microprocessor controller), an MPU (Micro Processor unit), or an MCU (Micro Controller Unit).

[0083] At least one processor according to the present disclosure may be implemented as a single core processor or as a multicore processor.

[0084] The memory (1900) may store a program for processing and controlling at least one processor, and may store input / output data. For example, the memory (1900) may store a pre-learned artificial intelligence (AI) model (e.g., SVM (Support Vector Machine) algorithm, etc.), status data of the suction motor (1110), measurement values ​​of the pressure sensor (1400), status data of the battery (1500), status data of the brush device (2000) (e.g., RPM of the drum), error occurrence data (failure history data), power consumption of the suction motor (1110) corresponding to the operating condition, operation sequence of the suction motor (1110) corresponding to the suction force generation pattern, type of the brush device (2000) corresponding to the voltage value input through the signal line, constraint level by type of the brush device (2000), PWM frequency by type of the brush device (2000), average input voltage by type of the brush device (2000), high load reference value (or low load reference value) by type of the brush device (2000), information on movement patterns (user gestures) pre-defined in response to multiple control commands, and a vacuum cleaner. Information on moisture inflow into the main body (1000), reference load values ​​for distinguishing the state of the surface to be cleaned (e.g., floor or carpet) (e.g., multiple reference load values ​​corresponding to multiple suction power modes), etc. can be stored.

[0085] The memory (1900) may include external memory and internal memory. For example, the memory (1900) may include at least one type of storage medium among a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory, etc.), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read-Only Memory), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), a PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk. Programs stored in the memory (1900) may be classified into a plurality of modules according to their functions.

[0086] Below, the operation of the processors of the vacuum cleaner (10) will be examined in detail with reference to FIG. 3.

[0087] FIG. 3 is a drawing for explaining the operation of processors of a vacuum cleaner (10) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0088] Referring to FIG. 3, the main processor (1800) can check the status of components within the vacuum cleaner by communicating with the battery (1500), the pressure sensor (1400), the motion sensor (not shown) (e.g., a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor), and the first processor (1131) within the motor assembly (1100). At this time, the main processor (1800) can periodically communicate with each component using universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter (UART) communication or I2C (Inter Integrated Circuit) communication, but is not limited thereto. For example, the main processor (1800) can obtain data on the voltage status (e.g., normal, abnormal, fully charged, fully discharged, etc.) of the battery (1500) using UART. The main processor (1800) can obtain data on the euro pressure from the pressure sensor (1400) using I2C communication. The main processor (1800) can obtain angular velocity data from a gyro sensor (not shown) via UART communication, and can also obtain acceleration data from an acceleration sensor (not shown) via I2C communication.

[0089] In addition, the main processor (1800) can obtain data on the suction force, the RPM of the suction motor (1110), and the status (e.g., normal, abnormal, etc.) of the suction motor (1110) from the first processor (1131) connected to the suction motor (1110) using UART communication. The suction force is an electrical power consumed to operate the vacuum cleaner (10) and may be expressed as power consumption. The main processor (1800) can also obtain data related to the load of the brush device (2000) and data related to the type of the brush device (2000) from the first processor (1131). The main processor (1800) can also obtain data on the inflow of moisture into the vacuum cleaner body (1000) from the first processor (1131).

[0090] Meanwhile, the first processor (1131) may obtain status data (e.g., drum RPM, trip level, normal, abnormal, etc.) of the brush device (2000) from the brush device (2000) through signal line communication with the processor of the brush device (2000) (hereinafter referred to as the second processor (2410)). At this time, the first processor (1131) may transmit the status data of the brush device (2000) to the main processor (1800) through UART communication. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first processor (1131) may transmit the status data of the suction motor (1110) and the status data of the brush device (2000) to the main processor (1800) at different cycles. For example, the first processor (1131) may transmit status data of the suction motor (1110) to the main processor (1800) once every approximately 0.02 seconds and transmit status data of the brush device (2000) to the main processor (1800) once every approximately 0.2 seconds, but is not limited thereto.

[0091] The main processor (1800) may determine whether an error has occurred based on the status of components within the vacuum cleaner (10), the status of the suction motor (1110), and the status of the brush device (2000), and may periodically transmit data related to the occurrence of an error to the station via short-range wireless communication (e.g., BLE communication).

[0092] When the first processor (1131) of the cleaner body (1000) and the second processor (2410) of the brush device (2000) are connected via UART communication or I2C communication, problems may arise, such as high impedance influence due to internal wires of the extension tube (3000), damage to circuit elements due to electrostatic discharge (ESD) and / or overvoltage (e.g., exceeding the maximum voltage of the Micom AD port). Therefore, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first processor (1131) of the cleaner body (1000) and the second processor (2410) of the brush device (2000) may communicate via signal line communication instead of UART communication or I2C communication. At this time, the circuit for signal line communication may include a voltage distribution circuit (hereinafter referred to as a voltage divider) to prevent damage to circuit elements due to overvoltage, power noise, surge, electrostatic discharge (ESD), electrical overstress (EOS), etc. However, communication between the first processor (1131) of the cleaner body (1000) and the second processor (2410) of the brush device (2000) is not limited to signal line communication.

[0093] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when a noise reduction circuit is applied to the cleaner body (1000) and the brush device (2000), the first processor (1131) of the cleaner body (1000) and the second processor (2410) of the brush device (2000) may communicate using UART communication or I2C communication. The noise reduction circuit may include at least one of a low pass filter, a high pass filter, a band pass filter, a damping resistor, and a distribution resistor, but is not limited thereto. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when a level shifter circuit is applied to the cleaner body (1000) or the brush device (2000), the first processor (1131) of the cleaner body (1000) and the second processor (2410) of the brush device (2000) may communicate using UART communication or I2C communication. In the following, for convenience of explanation, the case where the vacuum cleaner body (1000) and the brush device (2000) communicate through signal line communication will be described as a main example.

[0094] Meanwhile, the main processor (1800) may receive user input for setting buttons (e.g., ON / OFF button, + / - setting button) included in the user interface (1700) and control the output of the LCD. The main processor (1800) may identify the usage environment state of the brush device (2000) (e.g., the state of the surface to be cleaned (floor, carpet, mat, corner), the state of being lifted from the surface to be cleaned, etc.) using a pre-learned AI model (e.g., SVM algorithm), and may determine the operation information of the cleaner (10) that matches the usage environment state of the brush device (2000) (e.g., power consumption of the suction motor (1110), drum RPM, trip level, etc.). At this time, the main processor (1800) may transmit the operation information of the cleaner (10) that matches the usage environment state of the brush device (2000) to the first processor (1131). The first processor (1131) can adjust the suction power (power consumption, RPM) of the suction motor (1110) according to the operation information of the cleaner (10), and can also transmit the operation information of the cleaner (10) that is suitable for the usage environment of the brush device (2000) to the second processor (2410) through signal line communication. In this case, the second processor (2410) can adjust the drum RPM, the restraint level, the settings of the lighting device (e.g., LED display), etc. according to the operation information of the cleaner (10).

[0095] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when a mop brush (100) is connected to a vacuum cleaner body (1000), the main processor (1800) may receive information that an abnormality has occurred in the load of the mop brush (100) (e.g., pump (160), motor (180), heater (250)). At this time, the main processor (1800) may transmit a command to cut off the power supply to the brush device (2000) to the first processor (1131). The first processor (1131) may turn off the PWM control switch element (1133) to cut off the power supply to the mop brush (100).

[0096] Meanwhile, the first processor (1131) may identify the type of the brush device (2000) connected to the cleaner body (1000) using the identification resistor included in the brush device (2000), and may transmit information about the type of the brush device (2000) to the main processor (1800). The operation of the cleaner body (1000) identifying the type of the brush device (2000) will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 4.

[0097]

[0098] FIG. 4 is a drawing for explaining an operation of identifying the type of brush device (2000) in a vacuum cleaner body (1000) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0099] Referring to FIG. 4, the motor assembly (1100) of the cleaner body (1000) may include a first processor (1131) and a load detection sensor (1134) (e.g., a shunt resistor), and the brush device (2000) may include an identification resistor (2500). The identification resistor (2500) may be expressed as an optional resistor. The identification resistor (2500) may be located between a power line and a signal line. The identification resistor (2500) indicates the type of the brush device (2000) and may be different for each type of the brush device (2000). For example, the identification resistance (2500) of a multi-brush or mop brush (100) may be about 330KΩ, the identification resistance (2500) of a floor brush may be about 2.2MΩ, and the identification resistance (2500) of a turbo (carpet) brush may be about 910KΩ, but is not limited thereto.

[0100] The first processor (1131) can detect whether the brush device (2000) is attached or detached using the load detection sensor (1134). For example, when the brush device (2000) is not attached to the cleaner (10) (e.g., handy mode, handheld mode), the operating current of the brush device (2000) detected by the load detection sensor (1134) may be approximately “0A” (zero). On the other hand, when the brush device (2000) is attached to the cleaner (10) (e.g., brush mode), the operating current of the brush device (2000) detected by the load detection sensor (1134) may be approximately 50 mA or more. Accordingly, the first processor (1131) can determine that the brush device (2000) is detached when the operating current of the brush device (2000) detected by the load detection sensor (1134) is about 0A, and can determine that the brush device (2000) is coupled when the operating current of the brush device (2000) detected by the load detection sensor (1134) is about 50mA or more. Meanwhile, the reference operating current value for determining that the brush device (2000) is coupled is not limited to about 50mA and may be changed.

[0101] If it is determined that a brush device (2000) is coupled to the cleaner (10), the first processor (1131) can identify the type of the brush device (2000) based on a voltage value input to an input port (e.g., AD port) of the first processor (1131). For example, if the brush device (2000) includes an identification resistor A and the driving circuit of the cleaner body (1000) includes a voltage divider (resistor B and resistor C) connected to a signal line, the voltage input to the input port of the first processor (1131) can be as follows.

[0102]

[0103] The voltage value input to the input port of the first processor (1131) may decrease as the value of the identification resistor (2500) increases. When the resistors B and C have constant resistance values, as shown in the equation above, the voltage value input to the input port varies depending on the value of the identification resistor A, so the first processor (1131) can identify the type of the brush device (2000) corresponding to the identification resistor (2500) based on the voltage value input to the input port.

[0104] For example, the identification resistance of the mop brush (100) may be about 330KΩ, the identification resistance of the floor brush may be about 2.2MΩ, and the identification resistance of the carpet brush may be about 910KΩ. If the voltage of the battery (1500) is about 25.2V, the voltage value input to the input port of the first processor (1131) when the mop brush (100) is coupled to the vacuum cleaner (10) may be about 2.785V, the voltage value input to the input port of the first processor (1131) when the floor brush is coupled to the vacuum cleaner (10) may be about 0.791V, and the voltage value input to the input port of the first processor (1131) when the carpet brush is coupled to the vacuum cleaner (10) may be about 1.563V. Accordingly, the first processor (1131) determines that the brush device (2000) is coupled to the vacuum cleaner (10), and when the voltage of the battery (1500) is about 25.2 V, if the voltage value input to the input port is about 2.785 V, it can identify that a mop brush is coupled, if the voltage value input to the input port is about 0.791 V, it can identify that a floor brush is coupled, and if the voltage value input to the input port is about 1.563 V, it can identify that a carpet brush is coupled.

[0105] Meanwhile, the cleaner body (1000) may additionally consider the signal received from the brush device (2000) to identify the type of the brush device (2000) coupled to the cleaner (10). For example, if the identification resistors (2500) of the mop brush (100) and the multi-brush have the same resistance value, the first processor (1131) may additionally determine whether the brush device (2000) coupled to the cleaner body (1000) is a multi-brush or a mop brush (100) based on the signal received from the brush device (2000) through signal line communication. The signal received from the brush device (2000) may have different forms depending on the type of the brush device (2000). For example, a first identification code indicating a multi-brush or a second identification code indicating a mop brush (100) may be inserted into the signal received from the brush device (2000). When the first processor (1131) receives a signal with a second identification code inserted through signal line communication, it can identify the brush device (2000) connected to the vacuum cleaner body (1000) as a mop brush (100).

[0106] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 5a to 6, the signal line communication between the vacuum cleaner body (1000) and the brush device (2000) will be examined in detail.

[0107]

[0108] FIG. 5a is a block diagram for explaining the function of a cleaner (10) for signal line communication according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0109] The driving circuit (1130) within the motor assembly (1100) for signal line communication may include, but is not limited to, a first processor (1131), a first communication circuit (1140) (e.g., input circuit (1135), output circuit (1136)), a power circuit (1138), etc.

[0110] The input circuit (1135) is a circuit for identifying the type of the brush device (2000) through the identification resistor (2500) of the brush device (2000) or detecting (receiving) a second signal transmitted from the brush device (2000). The input circuit (1135) may include a voltage divider (1137) (hereinafter, also referred to as a first voltage divider). The voltage divider (1137) is for dividing a voltage input from a signal line to an input port of the first processor (1131). When the input circuit (1135) includes the voltage divider (1137), even if a noise voltage is applied to the signal line, the noise voltage may also be distributed and input to an input port of the first processor (1131) (e.g., an AD port (Analog to Digital port, also referred to as an Analog to Digital converter (ADC))).

[0111] The output circuit (1136) is a circuit for transmitting a first signal to the brush device (2000). The output circuit (1136) may include a first switch element (1132). The first switch element (1132) may be a FET (Field Effect Transistor) or a BJT (Bipolar Junction Transistor), and is an element that can make the voltage of a signal line approximately 0 V (GND, Low) through a switching operation.

[0112] The first processor (1131) can control the operation of the first switch element (1132) connected to the signal line to transmit a first signal to the brush device (2000) through the signal line, and detect a second signal transmitted from the brush device (2000) through the signal line. The first processor (1131) can also control the brush device (2000) by transmitting the first signal through the output circuit (1136). For example, the first processor (1131) can transmit a first signal including data representing at least one of a target RPM of the drum of the brush device (2000), a target trip level of the brush device (2000), or power consumption of the suction motor (1110) to the brush device (2000), thereby controlling the drum RPM, trip level, etc. of the brush device (2000). In addition, the first processor (1131) can control the operation of the mop brush (100) by transmitting a first signal including a water spray command, a hot water function off command, etc. to the mop brush (100).

[0113] The power circuit (1138) is connected to the battery (1500) and may be a circuit for supplying power to the motor assembly (1100). The power circuit (1138) may be a step-down converter, for example, a DC / DC converter.

[0114] The driving circuit (2400) of the brush device (2000) for signal line communication may include, but is not limited to, a second processor (2410), a second communication circuit (2425) (e.g., input circuit (2420), output circuit (2430)), a power circuit (2440), an identification resistor (2500), etc.

[0115] The input circuit (2420) is a circuit for detecting (receiving) a first signal transmitted from the vacuum cleaner body (1000). The input circuit (2420) may include a switch element (e.g., a PNP transistor, a P-channel FET, etc.), but is not limited thereto. The input circuit (2420) may also include a second voltage divider.

[0116] The output circuit (2430) is a circuit for transmitting a second signal to the vacuum cleaner body (1000). The output circuit (2430) may include a second switch element (2435). The second switch element (2435) may be a FET (Field Effect Transistor) or a BJT (Bipolar Junction Transistor), and is an element that can make the voltage of a signal line approximately 0 V (GND, Low) through a switching operation.

[0117] The second processor (2410) controls the operation of the second switch element (2435) connected to the signal line to transmit a second signal to the cleaner body (1000) through the signal line, and can detect the first signal transmitted from the cleaner body (1000) through the signal line. The second processor (2410) can adjust the RPM of the drum to a target RPM or adjust the restraint level to a target restraint level according to the first signal. In addition, the second processor (2410) can also control the output or brightness intensity of the lighting device based on the first signal when the first signal includes data for controlling the lighting device included in the brush device (2000). For example, when the second processor (2410) receives a first signal indicating that an abnormality has occurred in the cleaner body (1000), it can control the lighting device to change to a color indicating the abnormality in the cleaner body (1000). The second processor (2410) may also control the lighting device to output a color corresponding to the current usage environment status of the brush device (2000) (e.g., the status of the surface to be cleaned (floor, carpet, mat, corner, etc.), the state of being lifted from the surface to be cleaned, etc.). If the second processor (2410) detects that a foreign substance is stuck in the drum, the color of the lighting device may be changed to a predetermined color (e.g., red).

[0118]

[0119] FIG. 5b is a block diagram for explaining the function of a cleaner (10) including an extension tube (3000) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0120] The driving circuit (1130) of the motor assembly (1100) illustrated in FIG. 5b may correspond to the driving circuit (1130) of the motor assembly (1100) illustrated in FIG. 5a, and the driving circuit (2400) of the brush device (2000) illustrated in FIG. 5b may correspond to the driving circuit (2400) illustrated in FIG. 5a.

[0121] Referring to FIG. 5b, the cleaner body (1000) and the brush device (2000) can be physically connected via an extension tube (3000). At this time, the extension tube (3000) can include a + power line, a - power line, and a signal line. Therefore, even if the cleaner body (1000) and the brush device (2000) are connected via the extension tube (3000), the cleaner body (1000) and the brush device (2000) can stably perform signal line communication.

[0122] Meanwhile, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the motor assembly (1100) may include a switch element (hereinafter, referred to as a PWM control switch element, 1133) for PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control used to control power of a battery (1500) supplied to a motor (2100) of a brush device (2000). The PWM control switch element (1133) is a component for the first processor (1131) of the cleaner body (1000) to control power supply to the brush device (2000), and may be expressed as a third switch element. The PWM control switch element (1133) may be a FET, but is not limited thereto.

[0123] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first processor (1131) can control the power supply to the brush device (2000) by controlling the PWM control switch element (1133) according to the type of the brush device (2000). For example, if the brush device (2000) is a mop brush (100) or a multi-brush including a drive circuit (2400), the first processor (1131) can continuously output a High signal to the PWM control switch element (1133) so that power is continuously supplied to the brush device (2000). In this case, since the PWM control switch element (1133) is continuously maintained in an ON state, the drive circuit (2400) of the brush device (2000) can continuously receive power.

[0124] On the other hand, if the brush device (2000) is a general brush that does not include a driving circuit (2400), the first processor (1131) can alternately output a High signal and a Low signal to the PWM control switch element (1133), thereby causing the PWM control switch element (1133) to repeat an ON state and an OFF state. In this case, the PWM control switch element (1133) can satisfy the output required for each brush device (2000) according to the characteristics of each application by controlling the power of the battery (1500) supplied to the motor (2100). That is, the first processor (1131) can control the output of the motor (2100) by adjusting the duty value (hereinafter, also referred to as Duty) of the PWM control switch element (1133) to be high in the case of a first brush device requiring high output and supplying power to the first brush device, and adjusting the duty value to be low in the case of a second brush device requiring low output and supplying power to the second brush device. Here, the duty value refers to the duty cycle of the pulse width when the cycle is constant, and in particular, can refer to the ratio of the section in which power is transmitted (On duty section) and the section in which power is cut off (Off duty section). As the duty value increases, the total time in which current flows to the motor (2100) increases, and therefore, the average power supplied to the brush device (2000) can increase.

[0125] In addition, in the case of a cordless vacuum cleaner, as the battery (1500) is discharged, the voltage supplied from the battery (1500) to the brush device (2000) tends to decrease. That is, when the motor (2100) of the brush device (2000) is driven with a constant duty value, the voltage of the battery (1500) drops as the cleaning time elapses, causing a phenomenon in which the drum RPM of the brush device (2000) decreases. Therefore, the first processor (1131) of the vacuum cleaner body (1000) may also perform control to compensate for the phenomenon in which the drum RPM of the brush device (2000) decreases by increasing the duty value (the section in which the PWM control switch element (1133) is turned on and power is supplied during a single cycle) as the voltage of the battery (1500) drops. Hereinafter, for the convenience of explanation, adjusting the duty value of the PWM control switch element may be expressed as PWM control.

[0126] Meanwhile, if the brush device (2000) connected to the vacuum cleaner body (1000) is a mop brush (100), the second processor (2410) of the mop brush (100) may perform PWM control instead of the first processor (1131) of the suction motor (1110). For example, the second processor (2410) of the mop brush (100) may perform control to compensate for a phenomenon in which the drum RPM of the brush device (2000) decreases by increasing the duty value of the first PWM control switch element connected to the motor (2100) as the voltage of the battery (1500) drops.

[0127] Referring to Fig. 6, an example of a circuit for signal line communication of a vacuum cleaner (10) will be specifically examined.

[0128]

[0129] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a circuit for signal line communication of a vacuum cleaner (10) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 6, for convenience of explanation, an example is given where A is approximately 330 KΩ, B is approximately 330 KΩ, and C is approximately 82 KΩ.

[0130] The first processor (1131) can identify the type of brush device (2000) based on the voltage input to the input port (AD port). For example, if the AD port input voltage of the first processor (1131) is about 2.785 V ( ), the first processor (1131) can identify that a mop brush (100) having an identification resistance (2500) of about 330KΩ (A) corresponding to an AD port input voltage of about 2.785V is connected.

[0131] When the brush device (2000) coupled to the vacuum cleaner (10) is identified as a mop brush (100) including a driving circuit (2400), the vacuum cleaner body (1000) can perform signal line communication with the brush device (2000).

[0132] The first processor (1131) of the vacuum cleaner body (1000) can receive a signal using an input port and transmit a signal using an output port. For example, when the first processor (1131) outputs a Low signal through the output port, the first switch element (1132) can be turned off. As the first switch element (1132) is turned off, the voltage of the signal line is about 14 V ( ), it can be in a High state. When the voltage of the signal line is about 14 V, it is greater than 5 V, so the PNP transistor (2425) is turned off, and a Low (0 V) signal can be input to the input port of the second processor (2410). Conversely, when the first processor (1131) outputs a High signal through the output port, the first switch element (1132) can be turned on. As the first switch element (1132) is turned on, the voltage of the signal line changes to about 0 V (GND), and can be in a Low state. When the voltage of the signal line is about 0 V, the PNP transistor (2425) is turned on, and a High signal (about 4.8 V) can be input to the input port of the second processor (2410). That is, when the first processor (1131) outputs a Low signal through the output port, a Low signal may be input to the input port of the second processor (2410), and when the first processor (1131) outputs a High signal through the output port, a High signal may also be input to the input port of the second processor (2410).

[0133] The second processor (2410) of the brush device (2000) can receive a signal using an input port and transmit a signal using an output port. For example, when the second processor (2410) outputs a High signal through the output port, the second switch element (2435) can be turned on. As the second switch element (2435) is turned on, the voltage of the signal line can change to about 0 V (GND), and thus become a Low state. When the voltage of the signal line is about 0 V, a Low signal (0 V) can be input to the input port of the first processor (1131). Conversely, when the second processor (2410) outputs a Low signal through the output port, the second switch element (2435) can be turned off. As the second switch element (2435) is turned off, the voltage of the signal line can change to about 14 V ( ), it can be in a High state. When the voltage of the signal line is about 14 V, about 2.785 V can be input to the input port of the first processor (1131). At this time, since the driving circuit (1130) of the cleaner body (1000) includes a voltage divider (1137), the high voltage (14 V) of the signal line is distributed so that about 2.785 V can be input to the input port of the first processor (1131). That is, when the second processor (2410) outputs a High signal through the output port, a Low signal (0 V) is input to the input port of the first processor (1131), and when the second processor (2410) outputs a Low signal through the output port, about 2.785 V (about 2.8 V) can be input to the input port of the first processor (1131).

[0134] In Fig. 6, a case in which a PNP transistor (2425) is included as a switching element in the driving circuit (2400) of the brush device (2000) is described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a P-channel FET may be used as a switching element instead of the PNP transistor (2425).

[0135] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the first processor (1131) receives a signal from the second processor (2410), the driving circuit (1130) for signal line communication of the cleaner body (1000) includes a voltage divider (1137), thereby enabling stable signal transmission by minimizing the influence of noise on the signal line.

[0136] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 7 to 12, the configuration and operation of the mop brush (100) among the brush devices (2000) that can be connected to the vacuum cleaner body (1000) will be examined in detail.

[0137] Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a mop brush (100) according to an embodiment, and Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the mop brush (100) of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a perspective view for explaining the bottom of the mop brush (100) of Fig. 7. Fig. 10 is a drawing showing a portion of the mop brush (100) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 11 is a front view of a heating module (200) of a mop brush (100) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Fig. 12 is an example of an exploded perspective view showing the heating module (200) of Fig. 11 in an exploded state.

[0138] Referring to FIGS. 7 to 10, the mop brush (100) sprays water onto the surface to be cleaned, and the mop (123) repeatedly contacts the surface to be cleaned to perform water cleaning on the surface to be cleaned.

[0139] A mop brush (100) may include a head body (110), at least one mop (123) positioned to contact a surface to be cleaned at the lower portion of the head body (110), a spray unit (140) positioned at the front of the head body (110), a water tank (150) for storing water, and a pump (160) positioned between the spray unit (140) and the water tank (150) and providing pressure so that the spray unit (140) sprays water.

[0140] The head body (110) may include a brush body (120) and a brush connection part (130) that is arranged to be mounted on the tip of an extension tube (3000). The brush connection part (130) may be connected to the brush body (120) so that its angle can be adjusted.

[0141] The brush body (120) may include a pair of rotating disks (121) provided on the lower surfaces on both the left and right sides. The rotating disks (121) may include a mop attachment portion (122) for detachably attaching a mop (123) to the lower surface facing the floor. The mop attachment portion (122) may be implemented in various structures, such as an adhesive pad or Velcro, depending on the material of the mop (123).

[0142] The mop (123) may comprise various fiber or plastic materials designed for cleaning. The mop (123) is rotated by a rotating disk (121) while in contact with the surface to be cleaned, and cleaning may be performed by the mop (123) during this process. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a structure in which the mop (123) rotates is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, although not illustrated, the mop (123) may not rotate but may be fixed to the brush body (120).

[0143] The brush body (120) may include a base frame (125) that supports a rotating disk (121) and an upper cover (126) that is detachably coupled to the base frame (125). The base frame (125) supports the rotating disk (121) so that it can rotate, and a heating module (200) may be installed. The upper cover (126) performs a function of covering components installed in the base frame (125), such as the heating module (200), so that they are not exposed upward, and may form the upper appearance of the mop brush (100). A border frame (127) may be arranged between the base frame (125) and the upper cover (126), and a control unit (273) may be supported by the border frame (127). The shape and structure of the brush body (120) are exemplary and may be variously modified as needed. The control unit (273) may be implemented on a PBA (Printed Board Assembly) and may include at least one processor.

[0144] The water tank (150) may be placed in the head body (110). For example, the water tank (150) may be detachably connected to the brush connection part (130) of the head body (110). The amount of water stored in the water tank (150) may be greater than the amount of water sprayed at one time by the spray part (140) (hereinafter referred to as “water spray amount”). For example, the storage capacity of the water that can be stored in the water tank (150) may be about 30 times or more the amount of water sprayed. For example, the storage capacity of the water tank (150) may be about 50 times or more the amount of water sprayed. However, considering the size of the mop brush (100), the storage capacity of the water tank (150) may be about 100 times or less the amount of water sprayed.

[0145] The spray unit (140) may be positioned in front of the brush body (120). The spray unit (140) may be positioned in front of the mop (123). The spray unit (140) may spray water directly onto the surface to be cleaned. The spray unit (140) may spray water in front of the moving path of the mop (123). A pump (160) may be positioned in the brush body (120) to provide pressure for water to move from the water tank (150) to the spray unit (140). For example, when the pump (160) operates, water in the water tank (150) is supplied to the heating module (200), and water in the heating module (200) may be sprayed in front of the brush body (120).

[0146] A water supply pipe may be arranged in the brush body (120) to provide at least a portion of the water movement path from the water tank (150) to the spray unit (140). The water supply pipe may include a first water supply pipe (171) connecting between the water tank (150) and the pump (160), and a second water supply pipe (172) connecting between the pump (160) and the spray unit (140).

[0147] A mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a heating module (200) for heating water supplied from a water tank (150). The heating module (200) may be disposed between a pump (160) and a spray unit (140) in the brush body (120). The heating module (200) may be disposed between the water tank (150) and the spray unit (140) and may be configured to heat water supplied from the water tank (150). The heating module (200) may be configured to heat water before the water is sprayed by the spray unit (140).

[0148] Since the mop brush (100) includes a heating module (200), high-temperature water can be sprayed onto the surface to be cleaned from the spray unit (140). The high-temperature water sprayed onto the surface to be cleaned can quickly soak foreign substances on the surface to be cleaned, and the soaked foreign substances can be easily removed by the mop (123).

[0149] The heating module (200) may be positioned close to the spray unit (140). For example, the heating module (200) may be positioned close to the spray unit (140) between the water tank (150) and the spray unit (140). The heating module (200) may be positioned between the pump (160) and the spray unit (140). The second water supply pipe (172) may include a third water supply pipe (173) connecting the pump (160) and the heating module (200) and a fourth water supply pipe (174) connecting the heating module (200) and the spray unit (140).

[0150] Referring to FIGS. 10 to 12, a heating module (200) may include a module case (210) and a heater (250) positioned inside the module case (210). The module case (210) supports the heater (250), and a heating tank (201) may be provided inside.

[0151] The module case (210) may include a lower case (230), an upper case (220) coupled to the lower case (230), and a gasket (240) disposed between the lower case (230) and the upper case (220). The upper case (220) may be coupled to the lower case (230) with a heater (250) therebetween.

[0152] A heater (250) may be placed in the lower case (230). The heater (250) may be fixed to the lower case (230) by fixing members (2341, 2342). As examples of the fixing members (2341, 2342), bolts and nuts have been exemplified, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications may be made to the structure for fixing the heater (250) to the lower case (230).

[0153] A power connection unit (231) for supplying current to the heater (250) and a power cutoff unit (232) to be described later may be provided at the lower portion of the heater (250) in the lower case (230). The power connection unit (231) may be connected to a control unit (273; see FIG. 8) via a wire (233).

[0154] The heater (250) may form the bottom surface of the heating tank (201). The heating tank (201) may be defined by the upper surface of the heater (250), the inner surface of the gasket (240), and the inner surface of the upper case (220). However, the structure for forming the heating tank (201) is not limited thereto, and may be modified in various ways as long as it provides a space for heating a predetermined amount of water within the module case (210).

[0155] The module case (210) may be provided with an inlet (202) for supplying water to the heating tank (201) and an outlet (203) for discharging water from the heating tank (201). For example, the inlet (202) and the outlet (203) may be provided at a higher position than the heater (250). For example, the inlet (202) and the outlet (203) may be provided in the upper case (220). However, the arrangement of the inlet (202) and the outlet (203) is not limited thereto, and may be modified in various ways as long as it is for supplying and discharging water to the heating tank (201). The end of the third water supply pipe (173) may be connected to the inlet (202), and the end of the fourth water supply pipe (174) may be connected to the outlet (203).

[0156] The heating tank (201) stores water supplied from the water tank (150), and the water stored in the heating tank (201) can be heated by the heater (250). The storage capacity of the heating tank (201) can be designed to be smaller than the storage capacity of the water tank (150) in consideration of the power usage of the heater (250). For example, the storage capacity of the heating tank (201) can be about 1 / 30 times or less than the storage capacity of the water tank (150). For example, the storage capacity of the heating tank (201) can be about 1 / 50 times or less than the storage capacity of the water tank (150).

[0157] The storage capacity of the heating tank (201) may be equal to or greater than the spray amount of the spray unit (140). For example, the storage capacity of the heating tank (201) may be about twice or more the spray amount of the spray unit (140).

[0158] The heater (250) may be placed at the bottom of the heating tank (201). The heater (250) may have a flat plate shape. For example, the heater (250) may have a flat plate shape upper surface. The heater (250) may be thin. For example, the thickness of the heater (250) may be about 2 mm or less. For example, the thickness of the heater (250) may be about 1.5 mm or less. For example, the thickness of the heater (250) may be about 0.5 mm to about 1.5 mm.

[0159] The heater (250) may include a heat source (251) and a conductive plate (252).

[0160] The heat source (251) may be in the form of a metal wire. The heat source (251) may be made of a metal material and may have a predetermined pattern. However, the heat source (251) is not limited thereto. For example, the heat source (251) may be a carbon nanotube film. The thickness of the heat source (251) may be about 0.5 mm or less. The thickness of the heat source (251) may be smaller than the thickness of the conductive plate (252). The thickness of the heat source (251) may be about 1 / 2 times or less the thickness of the conductive plate (252).

[0161] The conductive plate (252) can perform the function of transferring heat generated from the heat source (251) to the heating tank (201). The conductive plate (252) can block contact between the water in the heating tank (201) and the heat source (251). The conductive plate (252) can be placed between the heat source (251) and the heating tank (201).

[0162] The conductive plate (252) may have a flat upper surface. Since the conductive plate (252) is configured to be exposed to water, it may be made of a material that does not rust. For example, the conductive plate (252) may include stainless steel. The thickness of the conductive plate (252) may be about 2 mm or less. The thickness of the conductive plate (252) may be about 0.5 mm to about 1.5 mm.

[0163] The heater (250) can be installed in the module case (210) so that the upper surface of the conductive plate (252) forms the bottom surface of the heating tank (201).

[0164] The maximum temperature of the heater (250) may be about 200°C or less. The normal operating temperature of the heater (250) may be about 120°C or less. The normal operating temperature of the heater (250) may be about 100°C or less. However, if the heater (250) operates abnormally and overheats, the temperature of the heater (250) may rise to 200°C.

[0165] The water stored in the heating tank (201) can be heated by the heater (250). The temperature of the water stored in the heating tank (201) can be lukewarm or hot. For example, the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank (201) can be higher than room temperature. For example, the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank (201) can be about 40°C or higher. For example, the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank (201) can be about 55°C or higher.

[0166] The temperature of the water stored in the heating tank (201) may be lower than a predetermined temperature so as to prevent damage to the surface to be cleaned or burns to the human body due to the water sprayed by the spray unit (140). For example, the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank (201) may be lower than about 60°C. For example, the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank (201) may be between about 50°C and about 60°C.

[0167] The operating current of the heater (250) may be determined by considering the allowable current of the wire. The operating current of the heater (250) may be approximately 80% or less of the allowable current of the wire. For example, when the allowable current of the wire (43) is approximately 5 A, the operating current of the heater (250) may be approximately 4 A or less.

[0168] The heating module (200) may include a configuration to prevent overheating of the heater (250). For example, the heating module (200) may include at least one of a temperature sensor (271), a water sensor (272), and a power cutoff unit (232).

[0169] For example, the heating module (200) may include a temperature sensor (271) that detects the internal temperature of the heating tank (201). The temperature sensor (271) may detect the temperature of water stored in the heating tank (201). The temperature sensor (271) may be provided at a higher position than the heater (250). The temperature sensor (271) may be provided in the upper case (220). However, the arrangement of the temperature sensor (271) is not limited thereto, and may be provided at various positions.

[0170] The heating module (200) may further include a water level sensor (272) for detecting the water level of the heating tank (201). The water level sensor (272) may be installed at a higher position than the heater (250). The water level sensor (272) may be installed in the upper case (220). However, the arrangement of the water level sensor (272) is not limited thereto and may be installed at various positions. A plurality of water level sensors (272) may also be installed.

[0171] The control unit (273; see FIG. 8) can control the operation of the heater (250) based on the temperature of the water detected by the temperature sensor (271). For example, the control unit (273) can stop the operation of the heater (250) when the temperature of the water in the heating tank (201) exceeds a predetermined range. For example, the control unit (273) can stop the operation of the heater (250) when the temperature of the water in the heating tank (201) exceeds a reference temperature (e.g., about 60°C).

[0172] The control unit (273) can control the operation of the heater (250) based on the water level of the heating water tank (201) detected by the water level sensor (272). For example, if the water level sensor (272) determines that the heating water tank (201) is not filled with water, the control unit (273) can not operate the heater (250). Through this, overheating of the heater (250), which may occur when the heater (250) operates when the heating water tank (201) is not filled with water, can be prevented.

[0173] The heating module (200) may further include a power cutoff unit (232) to prevent overheating of the heater (250). The power cutoff unit (232) may cut off power supplied to the heater (250) when the heater (250) rises above a predetermined temperature. For example, the power cutoff unit (232) may include a bimetal whose shape changes depending on the temperature of the heater (250). The power cutoff unit (232) may physically cut off power transmitted to the heater (250) by changing the shape of the bimetal depending on the temperature of the heater (250).

[0174] In the above-described embodiment, the heating module (200) has been described with an example in which the heating module includes all of the temperature sensor (271), the water level sensor (272), and the power cutoff unit (232), but the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. For example, the heating module (200) may omit some of the temperature sensor (271), the water level sensor (272), and the power cutoff unit (232), if necessary.

[0175] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, water stored in the heating tank (201) of the heating module (200) is heated by the heater (250). In this state, as the pump (160) operates, the heated water can be sprayed by the spray unit (140) via the outlet (203) and the fourth water supply pipe (174).

[0176] However, looking at the process in which water in the heating tank (201) is sprayed by the spray unit (140), as the pump (160) operates, a portion of the heated water (hereinafter referred to as “high temperature water (HW)”) flows out through the outlet (203) in the heating tank (201), and at the same time, unheated water (hereinafter referred to as “low temperature water (LW)”) flows in through the inlet (202) in the same amount as the amount that flows out through the outlet (203). In the process, the newly introduced low temperature water (LW) mixes with the high temperature water (HW), and the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank (201) may drop. Accordingly, in the process in which the high temperature water (HW) is sprayed from the spray unit (140), the temperature of the water sprayed in the latter half of the spray may be lower than the temperature of the water sprayed in the beginning of the spray. For example, in the process of water being sprayed once by the spray unit (140), the temperature difference of the water may be about 10 degrees or more.

[0177] Therefore, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, in order to reduce the temperature difference of the sprayed water, the heating module (200) may include a channel structure (260) that guides the movement path of the water inside the heating tank (201).

[0178] The channel structure (260) may be configured to prevent low-temperature water (LW) and high-temperature water (HW) from mixing immediately. In other words, the channel structure (260) may delay the mixing time of the low-temperature water (LW) and high-temperature water (HW). For example, the channel structure (260) may reduce the contact area between the low-temperature water (LW) and high-temperature water (HW).

[0179] For example, the channel structure (260) may include a plurality of channels (CH) arranged parallel to each other. Each of the plurality of channels (CH) may extend in a first direction and be arranged along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. For example, the plurality of channels (CH) may extend in the width direction of the heating tank (201) and be arranged in the length direction of the heating tank (201). The width of each of the plurality of channels (CH) may be smaller than the width of the heating tank (201).

[0180] A channel (CH) may be connected to an adjacent channel (CH). The adjacent channels (CH) may be connected so that water may flow in a predetermined direction. The channel (CH) may be connected at an end to the adjacent channel (CH). In other words, the channel structure (260) may have a meandering channel (CH) from the inlet (202) toward the outlet (203).

[0181] A channel structure (260) may be provided in the upper case (220). The channel structure (260) may have a shape protruding from the inner surface of the upper case (220).

[0182] The channel structure (260) may include at least one channel wall (261) forming a channel (CH) through which water flowing in through the inlet (202) moves toward the outlet (203). The channel wall (261) may extend in a vertical direction (vertical direction). The channel wall (261) may extend toward the heater (250). The channel wall (261) may extend from the upper portion toward the lower portion of the inner surface of the upper case (220).

[0183] There may be a plurality of channel walls (261). The plurality of channel walls (261) may be arranged parallel to the longitudinal direction of the heating tank (201). As another example, the plurality of channel walls (261) may be arranged parallel to the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the heating tank (201). The plurality of channel walls (261) may be arranged in an alternating manner. However, the number of channel walls (261) is not necessarily limited to a plurality, and may be a single channel wall.

[0184] With reference to Fig. 13, let us take a closer look at the operating circuit of the mop brush (100).

[0185] FIG. 13 is a block diagram for explaining the function of a mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0186] Referring to FIG. 13, the mop brush (100) may include, but is not limited to, an inrush current limiting circuit (301), a capacitor (302), a DC / DC converter (303), a regulator (304), a lighting device (305) (e.g., an LED), at least one processor (306) (e.g., an MCU), an output interface (307) (e.g., an LED), an identification resistor (308), a brush communication unit (309), a pump (160), a motor (180), a heater (250), a first PWM control switch element (101), a second PWM control switch element (102), a third PWM control switch element (103), a first current detection circuit (111), a second current detection circuit (112), and a third current detection circuit (113). Each configuration will be described below.

[0187] The mop brush (100) may include an inrush current limiting circuit (301) to reduce inrush current. Inrush current may be the maximum instantaneous current that flows temporarily. For example, inrush current may refer to current that flows excessively when a capacitor (302) stores energy. Inrush current may significantly increase when the initial power is supplied, when the load is turned ON / OFF, when an impact occurs during the operation of the vacuum cleaner, etc., and at this time, an excessive current may be generated in the load of the mop brush (100), which may cause the operation of the mop brush (100) to stop. In particular, the mop brush (100) includes a load that consumes a large amount of current, such as a motor (180) and a heater (250), which may cause failure and malfunction of the PWM control switch elements (101, 102, 103) that drive the load when inrush current occurs. Therefore, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an inrush current limiting circuit (301) may be placed at the input terminal to which power is supplied from the battery (1500).

[0188] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the inrush current limiting circuit (301) may include an inrush current reduction resistor (R). According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the inrush current limiting circuit (301) may also include an inrush current reduction resistor (R) and a switch element (e.g., an FET). Since the capacitor (302) can be charged or discharged while current flows through the resistor (R) included in the inrush current limiting circuit (301), the inrush current can be significantly reduced.

[0189] The capacitor (302) may be expressed as an electrolytic capacitor. The electrolytic capacitor may be a small, large-capacity capacitor used to remove ripple current remaining in the DC voltage when applying a smoothing circuit or bias to a power supply for an electronic circuit. In particular, when the brush device (2000) is a mop brush (100) including a motor (180) and a heater (250), the driving load is large, so that the capacitor (302) may be quickly discharged in a short period of time. When the capacitor (302) is discharged, the operation of the brush device (2000) may stop. Meanwhile, when the connection part of the brush device (2000) is momentarily detached from the connection part of the extension tube (3000) and then reattached (or when the connection part of the cleaner body (1000) is momentarily detached from the connection part of the extension tube (3000) and then reattached), the discharged capacitor (302) can be charged.

[0190] The DC / DC converter (303) and the regulator (304) may correspond to the power circuit (2440) of FIGS. 5A to 6. The DC / DC converter (303) is a step-down converter that can convert the voltage supplied from the battery (1500) to about 12 V. The voltage converted through the DC / DC converter (303) can be applied to the lighting device (305). The regulator (304) is an electronic component that maintains a preset voltage constant regardless of any input voltage. For example, the regulator (304) can lower the voltage of about 12 V input from the DC / DC converter (303) to about 5 V in order to apply voltage to the processor (306).

[0191] The lighting device (305) is provided on the front or top of the mop brush (100) to illuminate a dark surface to be cleaned, to make it easier to identify dust or foreign substances on the surface to be cleaned, or to indicate the status of the mop brush (100). The lighting device (305) may include an LED display, but is not limited thereto. For example, the lighting device (305) may be a laser. The lighting device (305) may operate automatically as the motor (2100) is driven, or may operate under the control of the processor (306). According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the color or brightness of the lighting device (305) may be changed under the control of the processor (306). Meanwhile, the lighting device (305) may be composed of a plurality of LEDs (e.g., three LEDs), but is not limited thereto.

[0192] At least one processor (306) (e.g., MCU) can control the operation of each of the pump (160), the motor (180), and the heater (250). For example, the processor (306) can control the operation of the pump (160) according to a water spraying command received from the cleaner body (1000). In order to operate the pump (160), the processor (306) can control the duty value of the first PWM control switch element (101) so that a predetermined voltage (e.g., an average of 18 V) is supplied to the pump (160) for a predetermined period of time. For example, when the supply voltage of the battery (1500) drops, the processor (306) can increase the duty value of the first PWM control switch element (101) (or adjust it higher than the current duty value) so that a predetermined voltage (e.g., an average of 18 V) is supplied to the pump (160). The processor (306) can keep the first PWM control switch element (101) in an off state when a water spray command is not received. However, in the case of automatic spray mode, the processor (306) can drive the pump (160) at a predetermined cycle even when a water spray command is not received.

[0193] The processor (306) can turn on the second PWM control switch element (102) to drive the motor (180), or turn off the second PWM control switch element (102) to stop the driving of the motor (180). In addition, the processor (306) can control the duty value of the second PWM control switch element (102) to supply a constant voltage (e.g., about 18 V) to the motor (180). For example, when the supply voltage of the battery (1500) drops, the processor (306) can adjust the duty value of the second PWM control switch element (102) to be high to supply a constant voltage (e.g., about 18 V on average) to the motor (180). The operation of the processor (306) of the mop brush (100) to adjust the duty value based on the battery supply voltage will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 14.

[0194] Referring to 1401 of FIG. 14, as the battery (1500) is discharged, the voltage supplied from the battery (1500) to the mop brush (100) tends to decrease. Accordingly, when the battery (1500) is charged to about 100%, the drum of the mop brush (100) rotates quickly, but as the charge amount of the battery (1500) decreases, the drum of the mop brush (100) may gradually rotate more slowly. That is, the RPM (revolutions per minute) of the drum of the mop brush (100) is not maintained constant, and as the cleaning time elapses, the voltage of the battery (1500) drops, causing the RPM of the drum of the mop brush (100) (hereinafter, also referred to as drum RPM) to decrease.

[0195] Accordingly, the mop brush (100) may perform PWM control to ensure that the drum RPM of the mop brush (100) is maintained constant. PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control may refer to a control method that allows an average power per unit time to be input to the motor (180) or the pump (160) by repeating a power supply section (ON section) and a power cut-off section (OFF section) with a constant cycle. At this time, the average power per unit time input to the motor (180) or the pump (160) may vary depending on the duty value. The duty value refers to the duty ratio (Duty Cycle, Duty Ratio) of the pulse width when the cycle is constant, and in particular, may refer to the ratio occupied by the power transmission section (hereinafter, also referred to as the On duty section) within a single cycle. As the duty value increases, the total time that current flows to the motor (180) or pump (160) increases, so the average power supplied to the motor (180) or pump (160) can increase.

[0196] Referring to 1402 of FIG. 14, the processor (306) of the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may perform control to compensate for a phenomenon in which the drum RPM of the mop brush (100) decreases by increasing the duty value (i.e., the period in which the second PWM control switch element (102) is turned on and power is supplied to the motor (180)) as the voltage of the battery (1500) drops. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the duty value may be a value obtained by dividing the reference voltage (Vref, for example, about 18 V) set to the motor (180) by the battery supply voltage (Vbat) (Duty = Vref / Vbat). That is, the duty value may increase as the battery supply voltage decreases. For example, the processor (306) of the mop brush (100) can maintain the duty value at about 72% for the first certain period of time after starting cleaning, and then gradually increase the duty value according to the voltage drop of the battery (1500) so that the duty value becomes about 95%.

[0197] Referring to 1403 of FIG. 14, when the duty value is adjusted in the mop brush (100), the average voltage input to the motor (180) (or pump (160)) can be kept constant. For example, even if the voltage of the battery (1500) drops, when the duty value in the mop brush (100) is appropriately increased, the voltage (e.g., about 18 V) required by the motor (180) (or pump (160)) can be supplied to the motor (180) (or pump (160)) at a constant level.

[0198] Returning to FIG. 13, the processor (306) can control the operation of the heater (250) to provide a high-temperature water injection function. For example, the processor (306) can turn on the third PWM control switch element (103) to operate the heater (250), or turn off the third PWM control switch element (103) to stop the operation of the heater (250).

[0199] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the hot water function is activated, the processor (306) can drive the heater (250) to heat the water stored in the heating tank (201). The processor (306) can adjust the power supply of the heater (250) so as not to exceed a current threshold value (e.g., 5 A) available to the mop brush (100) while the heater (250) is driven. For example, the processor (306) can drive the heater (250) using the remaining power after driving the pump (160) and the motor (180) from among the battery supply power. Accordingly, when the operating current of the pump (160) and the motor (180) increases, the processor (306) can reduce the duty value of the third PWM control switch element (103) (or adjust it to be lower than the current duty value) to lower the power supply of the heater (250). On the other hand, when the operating current of the pump (160) and the motor (180) decreases, the processor (306) can adjust the duty value of the third PWM control switch element (103) higher to increase the power supply of the heater (250) within the maximum reference current (e.g., about 4 A).

[0200] The processor (306) can detect the operating current of the pump (160) through the first current detection circuit (111) connected to the pump (160). If the operating current of the pump (160) is detected through the first current detection circuit (111) even though the pump (160) is not driven, the processor (306) can determine that an abnormal situation has occurred in the pump (160). At this time, the processor (306) can transmit information that an abnormal situation has occurred in the pump (160) to the main body communication unit (e.g., the first communication circuit (1140), see FIG. 5A) of the cleaner main body (1000) through the brush communication unit (309). At this time, the cleaner main body (1000) can turn off the PWM control switch element (1133) to cut off the power supply to the mop brush (100). Therefore, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the cleaner (10) can prevent water leakage by stopping the operation of the mop brush (100) when an abnormal situation occurs in the pump (160).

[0201] The processor (306) can detect the operating current of the motor (180) through the second current detection circuit (112) connected to the motor (180). When the operating current of the motor (180) is detected through the second current detection circuit (112) while the operation of the motor (180) is stopped, the processor (306) can determine that an abnormal situation has occurred in the motor (180). At this time, the processor (306) can transmit information that an abnormal situation has occurred in the motor (180) to the cleaner body (1000) through the brush communication unit (309). When the cleaner body (1000) receives information that an abnormal situation has occurred in the motor (180), the cleaner body (1000) can turn off the PWM control switch element (1133) to cut off the power supply to the mop brush (100).

[0202] The processor (306) can detect the operating current of the heater (250) through the third current detection circuit (113) connected to the heater (250). When the operating current of the heater (250) is detected through the third current detection circuit (113) in a state where the operation of the heater (250) is stopped (e.g., preheating is completed or the hot water function is turned off), the processor (306) can determine that an abnormal situation has occurred in the heater (250). At this time, the processor (306) can transmit information that an abnormal situation has occurred in the heater (250) to the cleaner body (1000) through the brush communication unit (309). When the cleaner body (1000) receives information that an abnormal situation has occurred in the heater (250), the cleaner body (1000) can turn off the PWM control switch element (1133) to cut off the power supply to the mop brush (100). Therefore, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the cleaner (10) can prevent overheating of the heater (250) by stopping the operation of the mop brush (100) when an abnormal situation occurs in the heater (250).

[0203] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor (306) can stabilize the power supply through soft-start control that gradually increases the duty value of the second PWM control switch element (102) when the motor (180) is driven. In addition, the processor (306) can also perform soft-start control that gradually increases the duty value of the third PWM control switch element (103) when the heater (250) is driven. For example, if the heater (250) is driven at a 100% duty value while the motor (180) is driven, the power supply of the motor (180) may be affected. Therefore, the processor (306) can perform soft-start control for the heater (250) so that the RPM of the motor (180) does not change due to a change in power when the heater (250) is driven.

[0204] Meanwhile, the mop brush (100) can initially drive the motor (180) and heater (250) with a time difference. For example, when the power of the vacuum cleaner body (1000) is turned on, the mop brush (100) can first perform soft start control of the motor (180), and when the operation of the motor (180) is stabilized, it can perform soft start control of the heater (250).

[0205] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the first current sensing circuit (111), the second current sensing circuit (112), and the third current sensing circuit (113) may include a shunt resistor, but is not limited thereto.

[0206] The mop brush (100) may include an output interface (307) for outputting information related to the operation of the mop brush (100). The output interface (307) may include, but is not limited to, an LED display. The mop brush (100) may indicate, through the output interface (307), a state in which there is no water in the heating tank (201), a state in which the hot water function is turned off, a state in which the water in the heating tank (201) is being preheated, a state in which the water in the heating tank (201) is being preheated, and a state in which the water in the heating tank (201) is being preheated, etc. For example, the mop brush (100) may continuously light the LED display when preheating is complete, may blink the LED display at a predetermined cycle when preheating is in progress, and may turn off the LED display when the hot water function is turned off (normal mop mode) or when the heating tank (201) is not filled with water.

[0207] The mop brush (100) may include an optional resistor (308) to indicate that it is a mop brush (100). The optional resistor (308) may correspond to the identification resistor (2500) of FIG. 5A. For example, the optional resistor (308) of the mop brush (100) may be about 330 KΩ, but is not limited thereto.

[0208] The brush communication unit (309) of the mop brush (100) can communicate with the main body communication unit (1140) of the vacuum cleaner main body (1000) through signal line communication. The brush communication unit (309) can correspond to the second communication circuit (2425) of FIG. 5A, and the main body communication unit (1140) can correspond to the first communication circuit (1140) of FIG. 5A, and therefore, redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0209] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) can detect the temperature of water stored in the heating tank (201) through a temperature sensor (271) (310). The temperature sensor (271) may include a thermistor. A thermistor is a type of resistor, and is an electrical device that utilizes the property of a material's resistance changing depending on temperature.

[0210] The mop brush (100) can measure the battery voltage supplied from the battery (1500) to the mop brush (100) through a voltage detection circuit (311). The voltage detection circuit can include a voltage distribution circuit composed of two resistors. The mop brush (100) can also control the operating time of the heater (250) based on the battery voltage. For example, when the battery voltage is the maximum supply voltage (e.g., the supply voltage when fully charged), the mop brush (100) can control the third PWM control switch element (103) to operate the heater (250) for about 10 seconds, and when the battery voltage is the minimum supply voltage (e.g., the supply voltage when fully discharged), the mop brush (100) can control the third PWM control switch element (103) to operate the heater (250) for about 15 seconds.

[0211] The mop brush (100) can detect whether the heating water tank (201) is filled with water or not filled with water by using the water level sensor (272) (312).

[0212] The mop brush (100) can detect the total operating current of the mop brush (100) through the first current detection circuit (111), the second current detection circuit (112), and the third current detection circuit (113) (313). For example, the mop brush (100) can detect the first operating current of the pump (160) through the first current detection circuit (111), the second operating current of the motor (180) through the second current detection circuit (112), and the third operating current of the heater (250) through the third current detection circuit (113). In addition, the mop brush (100) can detect the sum of the first operating current, the second operating current, and the third operating current as the total operating current of the mop brush (100). According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, since the first operating current of the pump (160) is relatively very small, the mop brush (100) may detect the sum of the second operating current of the motor (180) and the third operating current of the heater (250) as the total operating current of the mop brush (100).

[0213] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) can adjust the power supply amount of each load so that the total operating current of the mop brush (100) does not exceed a current threshold value available to the mop brush (100). Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 15, the operation of the mop brush (100) adjusting the power supply amount of each load will be described in detail.

[0214] FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the power supply of each load based on a current threshold value by a mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0215] In step S1510, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can detect the total operating current of the loads included in the mop brush (100). The loads included in the mop brush (100) may be at least two of a pump (160), a motor (180), and a heater (250), but are not limited thereto.

[0216] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the total operating current of the loads included in the mop brush (100) may include the sum of the operating current of the motor (180) and the operating current of the heater (250). The total operating current of the loads included in the mop brush (100) may include the sum of the operating current of the motor (180), the operating current of the heater (250), and the operating current of the pump (160).

[0217] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) can monitor the operating current of the pump (160), the operating current of the motor (180), and the operating current of the heater (250) through the first current detection circuit (111) of the pump (160), the second current detection circuit (112) of the motor (180), and the third current detection circuit (113) of the heater (250). In addition, the mop brush (100) can detect the sum of the operating current of the pump (160), the operating current of the motor (180), and the operating current of the heater (250) as the total operating current of the mop brush (100) (313). However, since the pump (160) has a relatively short operating time and the operating current is not large, the mop brush (100) may detect the sum of the operating current of the motor (180) and the operating current of the heater (250) as the total operating current of the mop brush (100).

[0218] In step S1520, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can determine whether the total operating current of the loads included in the mop brush (100) exceeds a first current threshold value. The first current threshold value may be a value corresponding to a limit power available to the mop brush (100) using power from a battery (1500) attached to the cleaner body (1000). The first current threshold value may be initially preset. The first current threshold value may be, for example, 5 A, but is not limited thereto.

[0219] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) can determine whether the total operating current of the loads included in the mop brush (100) exceeds the first current threshold value by continuously comparing the total operating current of the loads with the first current threshold value.

[0220] In step S1530, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can operate each load normally if the total operating current of the loads does not exceed the first threshold current value (No in S1520).

[0221] For example, the mop brush (100) can drive the motor (180), the heater (250), and the pump (160) while maintaining the power supply of the motor (180), the heater (250), and the pump (160) at their current states when the total operating current of the loads is less than the first threshold current value. For example, the mop brush (100) can maintain the duty value of the first PWM control switch element (101) of the pump (160), the duty value of the second PWM control switch element (1020) of the motor (180), and the duty value of the third PWM control switch element (103) of the heater (250) at their current states when the total operating current of the loads is about 4 A and the first threshold current value is about 5 A.

[0222] Meanwhile, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) can continuously monitor the operating current of each load and / or the total operating current of the loads while driving the motor (180), heater (250), and pump (160).

[0223] In step S1540, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can determine whether the total operating current of the loads exceeds a first current threshold value (Yes in S1520), and whether the total operating current of the loads also exceeds a second current threshold value that is greater than the first current threshold value.

[0224] The second current threshold value may be preset as a reference current value for stopping the operation of the mop brush (100). The second current threshold value may be approximately 1.5 or approximately 2 times the first current threshold value, but is not limited thereto. Hereinafter, an example in which the first current threshold value is approximately 5 A and the second current threshold value is approximately 10 A will be described.

[0225] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) can determine whether the total operating current of the loads included in the mop brush (100) exceeds the second current threshold value by continuously comparing the total operating current of the loads with the second current threshold value.

[0226] In step S1550, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can adjust the power supply amount of at least one of the motor (180), the heater (250), or the pump (160) when the total operating current of the loads exceeds the first current threshold value (Yes in S1520) but does not exceed the second current threshold value (No in S1540).

[0227] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor (306) of the mop brush (100) can adjust the power supply of the heater (250) to be low when the total operating current of the loads included in the mop brush (100) exceeds a first current threshold value. For example, the processor (306) of the mop brush (100) can adjust the duty value of the third PWM control switch element (103) connected to the heater (250) to be low so that the total operating current of the loads becomes less than or equal to the first current threshold value. In the mop brush (100), the operation of the motor (180) and the pump (160) is essential, but the operation of the heater (250) for preheating the water in the heating tank (201) is optional. Therefore, the mop brush (100) can adjust the power supply of the heater (250) before that of the motor (180) and the pump (160) when the total operating current of the loads exceeds the first current threshold value.

[0228] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor (306) of the mop brush (100) can adjust the power supply of the motor (180) as well as the heater (250) to be low when the total operating current of the loads exceeds the first current threshold value. For example, the processor (306) of the mop brush (100) can slightly adjust the duty value of the third PWM control switch element (103) connected to the heater (250) and the duty value of the second PWM control switch element (102) connected to the motor (180) to be low.

[0229] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) can drive the heater (250) and the pump (160) alternately, taking into account the first current threshold value. For example, when a water spraying command is received from the cleaner body (1000), the mop brush (100) can stop driving the heater (250) and drive the pump (160). Then, when the driving of the pump (160) is completed, the mop brush (100) can drive the heater (250) again. The operation of the mop brush (100) driving the pump (160) and the heater (250) alternately will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 24.

[0230] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) may adjust the operating time of the pump (160) by taking into account the first current threshold value. For example, the mop brush (100) may adjust the operating time of the pump (160) to be shorter when the total operating current of the loads exceeds the first current threshold value. For example, the mop brush (100) may reduce the operating time of the pump (160) from about 4 seconds to about 3 seconds when the total operating current of the loads exceeds the first current threshold value.

[0231] In step S1560, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can determine whether a certain amount of time has elapsed after adjusting the power supply amount of at least one of the motor (180), the heater (250), or the pump (160).

[0232] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when a certain amount of time has not elapsed (No of S1560), the mop brush (100) may monitor the operating current of each load and / or the total operating current of the loads, and may lower the power supply amount (e.g., duty value) of at least one of the motor (180), the heater (250), or the pump (160) so that the total operating current of the loads becomes less than or equal to a first current threshold value.

[0233] Meanwhile, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, if the power supply of at least one of the motor (180), the heater (250), or the pump (160) is adjusted to a low level for a certain period of time, but the total operating current of the loads does not fall below the first current threshold value (Yes in S1560), the mop brush (100) can transmit a signal to the cleaner body (1000). For example, the mop brush (100) can transmit a signal indicating an overcurrent state to the cleaner body (1000) through signal line communication. At this time, the cleaner body (1000) can stop the operation of the mop brush (100). For example, the cleaner body (1000) can cut off the power supply to the mop brush (100) by turning off the PWM control switch element (1133) included in the PCB (1130) of the suction motor (1110).

[0234] In step S1570, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may transmit a signal to the cleaner body (1000) if the total operating current of the loads exceeds the second current threshold value (Yes in S1540). For example, the mop brush (100) may transmit a signal indicating an overcurrent state to the cleaner body (1000) through signal line communication. At this time, the cleaner body (1000) may stop the operation of the mop brush (100) by cutting off the power supply to the mop brush (100).

[0235] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the vacuum cleaner body (1000) may output a notification that the mop brush (100) is in an overcurrent state or a notification to check the status of the mop brush (100).

[0236] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) can efficiently use the power of the battery (1500) by controlling the power supply amount of each load based on the first current threshold value. Meanwhile, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the total operating current of the loads greatly exceeds the first current threshold value (i.e., when the total operating current of the loads exceeds the second current threshold value), the cleaner body (1000) can prevent damage to the loads of the mop brush (100) due to overcurrent by stopping the operation of the mop brush (100).

[0237] Meanwhile, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) may adjust the power supply amount of each load by taking into account the reference current set for each load in addition to the first current threshold value. With reference to FIG. 16, a method for the mop brush (100) to adjust the power supply amount of each load based on the reference current set for each load will be described in detail.

[0238] FIG. 16 is a flowchart for explaining a method for controlling the power supply amount of each load based on a reference current set for each load by a mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0239] In step S1610, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can obtain information about the reference current for each load.

[0240] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a reference current may be preset for each load and stored in the memory of the mop brush (100). At this time, the mop brush (100) may read information regarding the reference current for each load from the memory. In addition, when the reference current for each load is adjusted by a user or a system, the mop brush (100) may receive information regarding the adjusted reference current for each load from the cleaner body (1000).

[0241] For example, the reference current of the motor (180) may be about 2 A, the reference current of the heater may be about 4 A, and the reference current of the pump may be about 4 A, but is not limited thereto.

[0242] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the reference current of the motor (180) may vary depending on whether the heater (250) is driven. For example, when the heater (250) and the motor (180) are driven together, the reference current of the motor (180) may be approximately 2.1 A, and when only the motor (180) is driven, the reference current of the motor (180) may be approximately 2.5 A.

[0243] In step S1620, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can measure the operating current of each load.

[0244] For example, the mop brush (100) can detect the operating current of the pump (160) through the first current detection circuit (111) connected to the pump (160). The mop brush (100) can detect the operating current of the motor (180) through the second current detection circuit (112) connected to the motor (180). The mop brush (100) can detect the operating current of the heater (250) through the third current detection circuit (113) connected to the heater (250).

[0245] In step S1630, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can select a load whose operating current exceeds the reference current.

[0246] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) can detect a load whose operating current exceeds the reference current by comparing the operating current of each load with the reference current of each load. For example, when the operating current of the motor (180) is about 2.5 A and the reference current of the motor (180) is about 2 A, the mop brush (100) can identify that the operating current of the motor (180) exceeds the reference current of the motor (180).

[0247] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the operating current of each load may vary depending on the condition of the surface to be cleaned or the condition of the mop. For example, if the moisture content of the mop is high, the operating current of the motor (180) may increase.

[0248] In step S1640, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can adjust the power supply amount of a load whose operating current exceeds the reference current.

[0249] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) can lower the power supply amount of a load whose operating current exceeds the reference current so that the operating current becomes lower than the reference current. For example, when the operating current of the motor (180) exceeds the reference current of the motor (180), the mop brush (100) can lower the power supply amount of the motor (180) by lowering the duty value of the second PWM control switch element (102) connected to the motor (180). In this case, the operating current of the motor (180) can be lowered to become lower than the reference current of the motor (180).

[0250] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 17, the operation of the mop brush (100) to control the power supply of the load based on the first current threshold value or the reference current for each load will be examined in more detail.

[0251] FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining an operation of a mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure to control the power supply amount of a heater (250) or a motor (180). In FIG. 17, an example will be explained in which a first current threshold value is approximately 5 A, a reference current of the motor (180) is approximately 2 A, and the total operating current is the sum of the operating current of the motor (180) and the operating current of the heater (250).

[0252] In the first scenario (1701), the operating current of the motor (180) may be about 1 A, and the operating current of the heater (250) may be about 4 A. At this time, the overall operating current of the loads is about 5 A, which does not exceed the first current threshold value, and the operating current of the motor (180) (about 1 A) also does not exceed the reference current of the motor (180) (about 2 A). Therefore, the mop brush (100) can perform the default operation. For example, the mop brush (100) can drive the motor (180) and the heater (250) with the current duty value. At this time, the heater (250) can heat the water in the heating tank (201) so that the water in the heating tank (201) is maintained within the critical temperature range.

[0253] In the second scenario (1702), the operating current of the motor (180) may be about 2.5 A, and the operating current of the heater (250) may be about 4 A. At this time, the total operating current of the loads may be about 6.5 A, which may exceed the first current threshold value (e.g., about 5 A). Therefore, the mop brush (100) may reduce the power supply of the heater (250) so that the total operating current of the loads becomes about 5 A or less. For example, the mop brush (100) may lower the duty value of the third PWM control switch element (103) connected to the heater (250) so that the operating current of the heater (250) becomes about 2.5 A.

[0254] Meanwhile, the operating current of the motor (180) may also exceed the reference current of the motor (180) (e.g., about 2 A) by about 2.5 A. Therefore, the mop brush (100) may reduce the power supply amount of the motor (180) so that the operating current of the motor (180) becomes about 2 A or less. For example, the mop brush (100) may lower the duty value of the second PWM control switch element (102) connected to the motor (180).

[0255] In the third scenario (1703), the operating current of the motor (180) may be about 2 A, and the operating current of the heater (250) may be about 4 A. At this time, the total operating current of the loads may be about 6 A, which may exceed the first current threshold value (e.g., about 5 A). Therefore, the mop brush (100) may reduce the power supply of the heater (250) so that the total operating current of the loads becomes about 5 A or less. For example, the mop brush (100) may lower the duty value of the third PWM control switch element (103) connected to the heater (250) so that the operating current of the heater (250) becomes about 3 A.

[0256] Meanwhile, since the operating current of the motor (180) is about 2A and does not exceed the reference current of the motor (180) (e.g., about 2A), the mop brush (100) can maintain the power supply of the motor (180) in its current state.

[0257] In the fourth scenario (1704), the operating current of the motor (180) may be about 5 A, and the operating current of the heater (250) may be about 0 A. That is, in the fourth scenario (1704), the operation of the heater (250) may be stopped because preheating is completed or the hot water function is deactivated. Meanwhile, the operating current of the motor (180) may be about 5 A, which significantly exceeds the reference current of the motor (180) (e.g., about 2 A). At this time, the mop brush (100) may determine that an abnormality has occurred in the motor (180) and may transmit the abnormality of the motor (180) to the cleaner body (1000). The cleaner body (1000) may stop the operation of the mop brush (100) in response to the abnormality of the motor (180). For example, the vacuum cleaner body (1000) can cut off the power supply to the mop brush (100).

[0258] Meanwhile, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the operating current of the motor (180) may be detected through a load detection sensor (1134, see FIG. 2) in the cleaner body (1000). At this time, when the operating current of the motor (180) significantly exceeds the reference current of the motor (180), the cleaner body (1000) may cut off the power supply to the mop brush (100), thereby stopping the operation of the mop brush (100).

[0259] In the fifth scenario (1705), the operating current of the motor (180) may be about 1 A, and the operating current of the heater (250) may be about 5 A. At this time, the total operating current of the loads may be about 6 A, which may exceed the first current threshold value (e.g., about 5 A). Therefore, the mop brush (100) may reduce the power supply of the heater (250) so that the total operating current of the loads becomes about 5 A or less. For example, the mop brush (100) may lower the duty value of the third PWM control switch element (103) connected to the heater (250) so that the operating current of the heater (250) becomes about 4 A.

[0260] However, if the operating current of the heater (250) does not decrease below about 4 A even when the mop brush (100) lowers the duty value of the third PWM control switch element (103), the mop brush (100) can transmit a signal indicating that the heater (250) is in an overcurrent state to the cleaner body (1000). At this time, the cleaner body (1000) can cut off the power supply to the mop brush (100) to stop the operation of the mop brush (100).

[0261] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) can appropriately distribute the battery (1500) supply power to each load based on a threshold current value available to the mop brush (100) or a reference current of each load, and prevent overcurrent from flowing to the mop brush (100), thereby preventing each load from being damaged.

[0262] FIG. 18 is a flowchart for explaining a method for controlling a heater (250) based on the temperature of water stored in a heating tank (201) by a mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0263] In step S1810, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can determine whether the hot water function is activated.

[0264] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when a user turns off the hot water function in the cleaner body (1000), the mop brush (100) can receive a signal indicating that the hot water function has been deactivated. On the other hand, when the user turns on the hot water function in the cleaner body (1000) again, the mop brush (100) can receive a signal from the cleaner body (1000) indicating that the hot water function has been activated.

[0265] Meanwhile, if the hot water function is activated by default, the mop brush (100) can determine that the hot water function is activated unless it receives a signal from the vacuum cleaner body (1000) that the hot water function is deactivated.

[0266] In step S1820, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can maintain the off state of the third PWM control switch element (103) connected to the heater (250) when the hot water function is deactivated (No in S1810). At this time, when the user presses the water spray button, the mop brush (100) can spray water at room temperature.

[0267] In step S1830, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may drive the heater (250) if the hot water function is activated (Yes in S1810). For example, the mop brush (100) may drive the heater (250) to preheat the water in the heating tank (201). Preheating may mean maintaining the water in the heating tank (201) within a critical temperature range. Here, the critical temperature range is a temperature higher than room temperature, for example, about 52°C to about 58°C, but is not limited thereto. The critical temperature range may be changed by a user's setting or a system's setting.

[0268] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the hot water function is activated, the mop brush (100) can turn on the third PWM control switch element (103) connected to the heater (250) and control the duty value. For example, the mop brush (100) can adjust the duty value of the third PWM control switch element (103) connected to the heater (250) so that the total operating current of the loads does not exceed a first current threshold value (e.g., about 5 A).

[0269] Meanwhile, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) may initially drive the heater (250) at a duty value of about 100% so that the water stored in the heating tank (201) is quickly preheated, and then gradually reduce the duty value.

[0270] In step S1840, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can monitor the temperature of water stored in the heating tank (201). For example, the mop brush (100) can measure the temperature of water stored in the heating tank (201) through a temperature sensor (271, see FIG. 11). Since the heater (250) is operating, the temperature of water stored in the heating tank (201) can gradually increase.

[0271] In step S1850, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can determine whether the temperature of water stored in the heating tank (201) exceeds the maximum threshold temperature.

[0272] The maximum critical temperature may refer to the largest value within the critical temperature range. For example, if the critical temperature range is approximately 55 ± 3°C, the maximum critical temperature may be approximately 58°C.

[0273] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) can monitor whether the temperature of water stored in the heating tank (201) exceeds the maximum threshold temperature using a temperature sensor (271).

[0274] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) can monitor the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank (201) while continuously supplying power to the heater (250) when the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank (201) is below the maximum threshold temperature (No of S1850).

[0275] In step S1860, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can stop the operation of the heater (250) when the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank (201) exceeds the maximum threshold temperature (Yes in S1850).

[0276] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) can stop the operation of the heater (250) when the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank (201) exceeds the maximum threshold temperature so that the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank (201) is maintained within a threshold temperature range. For example, the mop brush (100) can cut off the power supply to the heater (250) by turning off the third PWM control switch element (103) connected to the heater (250).

[0277] In step S1870, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can continuously monitor the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank (201) while the operation of the heater (250) is stopped. For example, the mop brush (100) can continuously monitor the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank (201) using the temperature sensor (271). At this time, since the operation of the heater (250) is stopped, the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank (201) can gradually decrease.

[0278] In step S1880, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can determine whether the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank (201) is below the lowest threshold temperature.

[0279] The lower critical temperature may refer to the smallest value within the critical temperature range. For example, if the critical temperature range is approximately 55 ± 3°C, the lower critical temperature may be approximately 52°C.

[0280] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) can monitor whether the temperature of water stored in the heating tank (201) falls below the minimum threshold temperature using a temperature sensor (271).

[0281] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) can continuously monitor the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank (201) while maintaining the operation of the heater (250) stopped when the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank (201) is higher than the minimum threshold temperature (No of S1880).

[0282] In step 1890, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can drive the heater (250) again when the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank (201) becomes lower than the minimum threshold temperature (Yes in S1880).

[0283] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) can drive the heater (250) again when the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank (201) is lower than the lowest threshold temperature so that the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank (201) is maintained within a threshold temperature range. For example, the mop brush (100) can drive the heater (250) by turning on the third PWM control switch element (103) connected to the heater (250) and controlling the duty value of the third PWM control switch element (103).

[0284] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the mop brush (100) re-energizes the heater (250), the process returns to step S1840 and continues to monitor whether the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank (201) exceeds the maximum threshold temperature.

[0285] Therefore, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) can control the operation of the heater (250) so that the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank (201) is maintained within a critical temperature range. At this time, the mop brush (100) can spray warm water within the critical temperature range onto the surface to be cleaned, thereby cleaning the surface to be cleaned cleanly.

[0286] FIG. 19 is a drawing for explaining an operation of a cleaner (10) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure to display a screen related to a hot water function.

[0287] Referring to FIG. 19, the cleaner body (1000) can display a screen related to the hot water function through an output interface when a mop brush (100) is connected to the cleaner (10). For example, when a user activates the hot water function (e.g., high temperature water washing mode on), the cleaner body (1000) can output that the hot water function has been activated on the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). For example, the cleaner body (1000) can display 'Heat Jet' indicating a high temperature water mop on the LCD (1910).

[0288] On the other hand, the vacuum cleaner body (1000) may output that the hot water function is disabled on the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) when the user disables the hot water function (e.g., turning off the high temperature water cleaning mode). For example, the vacuum cleaner body (1000) may display 'Wet' on the LCD to indicate that it is a general mop brush (1920).

[0289] Meanwhile, the cleaner body (1000) may also display information guiding mode switching on the output interface. For example, the cleaner body (1000) may guide the user on how to disable the hot water function. If the hot water function can be disabled by pressing the - button, the cleaner body (1000) may display 'Press [-] to turn off Heat Jet' on the LCD (1915). At this time, the user may disable or enable the hot water function by selecting the - button on the cleaner body (1000) as needed.

[0290] FIG. 20 is a drawing for explaining the operation of a cleaner (10) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure providing a lukewarm water mode and a hot water mode.

[0291] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when a mop brush (100) is connected, the vacuum cleaner (10) can provide a lukewarm water mode and a hot water mode. The lukewarm water mode may be a mode in which water at a temperature slightly higher than room temperature is sprayed, and the hot water mode may be a mode in which water at a temperature much higher than room temperature is sprayed. For example, the lukewarm water mode may be a mode in which water at approximately 40°C is sprayed, and the hot water mode may be a mode in which water at approximately 55°C is sprayed, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0292] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when activating the hot water function, the user can additionally select one of a lukewarm water mode and a hot water mode. If the user selects the lukewarm water mode, the cleaner body (1000) can display a GUI indicating the lukewarm water mode (e.g., "Heat Jet lukewarm water") on the LCD (2010). Conversely, if the user selects the hot water mode, the cleaner body (1000) can display a GUI indicating the hot water mode (e.g., "Heat Jet hot water") on the LCD (2020).

[0293] Meanwhile, when a user selects the lukewarm water mode, the vacuum cleaner body (1000) can transmit information that the lukewarm water mode has been selected to the mop brush (100) through signal line communication. Upon receiving information that the lukewarm water mode has been selected from the vacuum cleaner body (1000), the mop brush (100) can control the operation of the heater (250) so that the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank (201) is maintained within a first critical temperature range corresponding to lukewarm water (e.g., approximately 40±3°C).

[0294] On the other hand, when the user selects the high temperature water mode, the vacuum cleaner body (1000) can transmit information that the high temperature water mode has been selected to the mop brush (100) through signal line communication. At this time, when the mop brush (100) receives information that the high temperature water has been selected from the vacuum cleaner body (1000), the mop brush (100) can control the operation of the heater (250) so that the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank (201) is maintained within a second critical temperature range corresponding to the high temperature water (e.g., approximately 55±3°C).

[0295] In Figure 20, the hot water range is described as an example where the hot water range is divided into two stages (e.g., lukewarm water and hot water), but this is not a limitation. For example, the hot water range may be divided into three or more stages.

[0296] FIG. 21 is a drawing for explaining an operation of a cleaner (10) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure to output information related to preheating.

[0297] Referring to Fig. 21, when the hot water function is activated, the mop brush (100) may perform a preheating operation to spray hot water. For example, the mop brush (100) may drive the heater (250) so that the water stored in the heating tank (201) is maintained within a critical temperature range. At this time, the cleaner body (1000) may display a GUI (e.g., Preheating) indicating that the mop brush (100) is preheating on the output interface (2110).

[0298] Meanwhile, the mop brush (100) can also indicate that the water in the heating tank (201) is being preheated through the output interface. For example, the mop brush (100) can indicate that the mop brush (100) is being preheated by blinking the LED display (2101) at a predetermined cycle (2120).

[0299] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) can, in addition to the state in which the water in the heating tank (201) is being preheated, indicate a state in which there is no water in the heating tank (201), a state in which the hot water function is turned off, a state in which the preheating of the water in the heating tank (201) is completed, and the like, through the output interface. For example, the mop brush (100) can continuously light the LED display (2101) when preheating is completed. The mop brush (100) can turn off the LED display (2101) when there is no water in the heating tank (201) or the hot water function is deactivated and the heater (250) is not operated.

[0300] FIG. 22 is a flowchart illustrating a method for a vacuum cleaner (10) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure to output a notification related to a water tank (150).

[0301] In step S2210, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can detect that there is no water in the heating tank (201) through the water level sensor (272).

[0302] For example, if there is no water in the water tank (150) or if there is a problem with the first water supply pipe (171) connecting the water tank (150) and the pump (160), and water is not supplied from the water tank (150) to the heating tank (201), the water in the heating tank (201) decreases, and the water level sensor (272) cannot detect water. The mop brush (100) can determine that there is no water in the heating tank (201) if the water level sensor (272) does not detect water.

[0303] In step S2220, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can transmit information that there is no water in the heating tank (201) to the cleaner body (1000) upon detecting that there is no water in the heating tank (201).

[0304] For example, the mop brush (100) can transmit information to the vacuum cleaner body (1000) using signal line communication that the heating tank (201) is not filled with water.

[0305] In step S2230, the cleaner body (1000) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may output a notification to check the status of the water tank (150) upon receiving information that there is no water in the heating tank (201).

[0306] For example, when there is no water in the water tank (150), there is a high possibility that water will not be supplied to the heating tank (201), so the cleaner body (1000) can output a notification to check the status of the water tank (150).

[0307] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the vacuum cleaner body (1000) may visually output a notification to check the status of the water tank (150) through an LCD or may audibly output a notification through a speaker.

[0308] In step S2240, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may stop the operation of the heater (250) when it detects that there is no water in the heating tank (201) through the water level sensor (272).

[0309] For example, the mop brush (100) can turn off the third PWM control switch element (103) connected to the heater (250), thereby cutting off the power supply to the heater (250). In this case, overheating of the heater (250), which may occur when the heater (250) operates while the heating tank (201) is not filled with water, can be prevented.

[0310] Meanwhile, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the mop brush (100) detects that there is no water in the heating tank (201) through the water level sensor (272) and detects that the temperature inside the heating tank (201) is rapidly rising through the temperature sensor (271), it can determine that the heating tank (201) is in an overheated state. At this time, the mop brush (100) can cut off the power supply to the heater (250) to stop the operation of the heater (250).

[0311] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the mop brush (100) detects that there is no water in the heating tank (201) or determines that the heating tank (201) is overheated, it can output a notification through the output interface. For example, when the mop brush (100) detects that there is no water in the heating tank (201) or determines that the heating tank (201) is overheated and stops the operation of the heater (250), it can also turn off the LED display (2101). The mop brush (100) can also light up or blink the LED display (2101) in a specific color (e.g., orange) indicating that there is no water in the heating tank (201).

[0312] The user can check whether the water tank (150) is filled with water if the LED display (2101) does not light up or if the LED display (2101) lights up in a specific color.

[0313] Meanwhile, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when a high output is required for the motor (180), the mop brush (100) can adjust the duty value of the second PWM control switch element (102) connected to the motor (180) to be high, and when a low output is required for the motor (180), the duty value of the second PWM control switch element (102) can be adjusted to be low. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 23, the operation of the mop brush (100) adjusting the power supply amount of the motor (180) will be described in detail.

[0314] FIG. 23 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the power supply of a motor (180) by a mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0315] In step S2301, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can obtain information about the state of the surface to be cleaned.

[0316] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the condition of the surface to be cleaned may include, but is not limited to, the material (type) of the surface to be cleaned (e.g., floorboard, marble, mat, etc.), the load of the surface to be cleaned, the degree of contamination of the surface to be cleaned, etc. The more slippery the material of the surface to be cleaned, the less friction therebetween between the mop brush (100) and the surface to be cleaned, and thus the load on the surface to be cleaned may be reduced.

[0317] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) can measure the load (e.g., floor load) of the surface to be cleaned through a load detection circuit (e.g., shunt resistor). For example, the load detection circuit can include a second current detection circuit (112) connected to the motor (180), and the load of the surface to be cleaned can be determined by the operating current of the motor (180).

[0318] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) may measure the contamination level of the surface to be cleaned using a contamination detection sensor.

[0319] In step S2302, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can determine whether the load of the surface to be cleaned exceeds the maximum threshold value.

[0320] For example, depending on the material of the surface to be cleaned, if the friction between the mop brush (100) and the surface to be cleaned is high, the load on the surface to be cleaned may increase rapidly. The mop brush (100) can monitor whether the load on the surface to be cleaned exceeds the maximum threshold value through a load detection circuit.

[0321] In step S2303, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can determine whether the load of the surface to be cleaned is less than the minimum threshold value if the load of the surface to be cleaned is less than the maximum threshold value (No in S2302).

[0322] In step S2304, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can maintain the current state of the motor (180) when the load of the surface to be cleaned is less than or equal to the maximum threshold value and greater than the minimum threshold value. For example, the mop brush (100) can maintain the duty value of the second PWM control switch element (102) connected to the motor (180) in the current state when the load of the surface to be cleaned is within the threshold range (e.g., a normal floor state).

[0323] And the mop brush (100) can continuously monitor the condition of the surface to be cleaned while driving the motor (180).

[0324] In step S2305, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can adjust the power supply of the motor (180) to a higher level if the load of the surface to be cleaned is less than the minimum threshold value (Yes in S2303). For example, the mop brush (100) can adjust the duty value of the second PWM switch element (102) connected to the motor (180) to a higher level.

[0325] That is, when the load on the floor is too low (when the floor is made of a slippery material), the friction between the mop (123) and the floor is too low, so the strength of the motor (180) can be increased to increase the cleaning efficiency of the floor.

[0326] In step S2306, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can adjust the power supply of the motor (180) to a lower level if the load of the surface to be cleaned exceeds the maximum threshold value (Yes in S2302). For example, the mop brush (100) can adjust the duty value of the second PWM switch element (102) connected to the motor (180) to a lower level.

[0327] That is, when the load on the floor is too high, the friction between the mop (123) and the floor is too great, so the RPM of the motor (180) can be lowered to increase the convenience of use.

[0328] In step S2307, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can determine whether the contamination level of the surface to be cleaned exceeds the standard contamination level.

[0329] The mop brush (100) can use a contamination detection sensor to determine whether the contamination level of the surface to be cleaned exceeds a standard contamination level. The standard contamination level may be a contamination level that serves as a reference for controlling the power supply of the motor (180).

[0330] For example, if there is sticky liquid on the floor, the mop brush (100) can determine that the contamination level of the surface to be cleaned exceeds the standard contamination level.

[0331] In step S2308, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can maintain the current state of the motor (180) if the contamination level of the surface to be cleaned is lower than or equal to the reference contamination level (No in S2307). For example, if the floor condition is a general contamination state, the mop brush (100) can maintain the duty value of the second PWM control switch element (102) connected to the motor (180) at the current state. In addition, the mop brush (100) can continuously monitor the contamination level of the surface to be cleaned while driving the motor (180).

[0332] In step S2309, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can adjust the power supply of the motor (180) to a higher level when the contamination level of the surface to be cleaned exceeds the standard contamination level (Yes in S2307).

[0333] For example, the mop brush (100) can increase the strength (or RPM) of the motor (180) by adjusting the duty value of the second PWM switch element (102) connected to the motor (180) higher when there is sticky liquid on the floor.

[0334] In step S2310, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can determine whether rapid heating of water stored in the heating tank (201) is required.

[0335] For example, the mop brush (100) may determine that rapid heating is necessary when the temperature of the stored water in the heating tank (201) is far beyond the minimum critical temperature or when the user requests rapid heating.

[0336] In step S2308, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may maintain the current state of the motor (180) if it is determined that rapid heating of the water stored in the heating tank (201) is not necessary (No in S2310). For example, if rapid heating is not necessary, the mop brush (100) may maintain the duty value of the second PWM control switch element (102) connected to the motor (180) in the current state.

[0337] In step S2311, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can adjust the power supply of the motor (180) to a low level and the power supply of the heater (250) to a high level if it is determined that rapid heating of the water stored in the heating tank (201) is necessary (Yes in S2310). For example, the mop brush (100) can adjust the duty value of the second PWM control switch element (102) connected to the motor (180) to a low level and the duty value of the third PWM control switch element (103) connected to the heater (250) to a high level.

[0338] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) receives power from the battery (1500) of the vacuum cleaner body (1000), and thus has limitations in power usage. Accordingly, when the mop brush (100) adjusts the power supply of the heater (250) to a high level for rapid heating in consideration of the first threshold current value (e.g., 5 A), the power supply of the motor (180) can be adjusted to a relatively low level.

[0339] FIG. 24 is a flowchart for explaining an operation method of a mop brush (100) in a manual spray mode according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0340] In step S2410, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can receive a water spray command from the vacuum cleaner body (1000).

[0341] For example, when a user selects a water spray button on the vacuum cleaner body (1000), the vacuum cleaner body (1000) can transmit a water spray command to the mop brush (100) through signal line communication.

[0342] In step S2420, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can determine whether water is being preheated. That is, the mop brush (100) can determine whether the heater (250) is being driven for preheating.

[0343] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, if preheating is complete or the hot water function is deactivated, the mop brush (100) can be determined not to be preheating. On the other hand, if the heater (250) is operating, the mop brush (100) can be determined to be preheating.

[0344] In step S2430, if the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is not preheating (No in S2420), the pump (160) can be driven to spray water.

[0345] For example, when the heater (250) is not running because preheating is complete or the hot water function is deactivated, the mop brush (100) can directly drive the pump (160) without considering the operation of the heater (250). According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the mop brush (100) drives the pump (160), water in the water tank (150) is supplied to the heating tank (201), and the water in the heating tank (201) can be sprayed forward of the mop brush (100) through the spray unit (140). According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when preheating is complete, high-temperature water can be sprayed through the spray unit (140), and when the hot water function is deactivated, room temperature water can be sprayed through the spray unit (140).

[0346] In step S2440, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may stop driving the heater (250) before driving the pump (160) if a water spray command is received but the water in the heating tank (201) is being preheated (Yes in S2420).

[0347] For example, the mop brush (100) can turn off the third PWM control switch element (103) connected to the heater (250), thereby cutting off the power supply to the heater (250).

[0348] In step S2450, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can drive the pump (160) to spray water when the operation of the heater (250) is stopped. For example, the mop brush (100) can supply power to the pump (160) by turning on the first PWM control switch element (101) connected to the pump (160) and controlling the duty value.

[0349] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the mop brush (100) drives the pump (160), water in the water tank (150) is supplied to the heating tank (201), and the water in the heating tank (201) can be sprayed forward of the mop brush (100) through the spray unit (140). According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, since preheating is not completed, the temperature of the water sprayed through the spray unit (140) may not reach the target temperature (e.g., about 55°C).

[0350] In step S2460, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can perform a preheating operation by driving the heater (250) again when water spraying is completed.

[0351] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, since the water at room temperature in the water tank (150) is newly supplied to the heating tank (201) as the pump (160) operates, the temperature of the water in the heating tank (201) may be lowered than before the pump (160) operates. Accordingly, the mop brush (100) may operate the heater (250) again to preheat the water in the heating tank (201) so that the temperature is maintained within a critical range (e.g., about 55±3°C).

[0352] FIG. 25 is a drawing for explaining the operation of a mop brush (100) driving a pump (10) in a manual spray mode according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0353] Referring to Fig. 25, when the vacuum cleaner body (1000) detects that a mop brush (100) is connected to the vacuum cleaner body (1000), it can identify whether the current operating mode is a manual spray mode or an automatic spray mode. The manual spray mode is a mode in which water is sprayed from the mop brush (100) according to a user's input, and the automatic spray mode may be a mode in which water is automatically sprayed from the mop brush (100) at a predetermined cycle.

[0354] Referring to 2510 of FIG. 25, the vacuum cleaner body (1000) can output information (e.g., Press [+] to spray) indicating that water spraying is possible when the + button is pressed when the current operation mode is the manual spraying mode.

[0355] Referring to 2520 of FIG. 25, the cleaner body (1000) can transmit a water spray command to the mop brush (100) through signal line communication upon receiving a user input of pressing the + button. Upon receiving the water spray command, the mop brush (100) can turn on the first PWM control switch element (101) connected to the pump (160) and control the duty to drive the pump (160). When the pump (160) is driven, water can be sprayed through the spray unit (140). According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when preheating of water stored in the heating tank (201) is completed, hot water can be sprayed through the spray unit (140). Therefore, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when water is needed during mop cleaning, the user can press the + button to spray water.

[0356] Meanwhile, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the cleaner (10) may provide an automatic spray mode. The automatic spray mode will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 26.

[0357] FIG. 26 is a flowchart for explaining an operation method of a mop brush (100) in an automatic spray mode according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0358] In step S2610, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can receive a signal from the cleaner body (1000) that sets the current operation mode to an automatic spray mode.

[0359] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when a user selects an automatic spray mode through a user interface (1700) of the cleaner body (1000), the cleaner body (1000) can transmit a signal to the mop brush (100) to switch to the automatic spray mode through signal line communication.

[0360] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the mop brush (100) receives a signal from the cleaner body (1000) to set the current operation mode to an automatic spray mode, the mop brush (100) can spray water (warm water) through the spray unit (140) at a predetermined cycle. For example, the mop brush (100) can spray about 3 cc of water for about 0.5 seconds by driving the pump (160) at intervals of about 30 seconds, but is not limited thereto. When the mop brush (100) operates in the automatic spray mode, the mop (123) disposed below the brush body (120) can be maintained in a wet state.

[0361] In step S2620, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can receive information about the spray strength, spray amount, spray time, or water temperature selected by the user from the cleaner body (1000).

[0362] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the automatic spray mode is set in the cleaner (10), the user can adjust the spray intensity, spray amount, spray time, or water temperature. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the user can adjust the spray intensity, spray amount, spray time, or water temperature through the user interface (1700) of the cleaner body (1000), or can adjust the spray intensity, spray amount, spray time, or water temperature through a specific application (e.g., a home appliance management application) installed on a user terminal (e.g., a smart phone).

[0363] Accordingly, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the cleaner body (1000) may receive a user input for selecting a spray intensity, a spray amount, a spray time, or a water temperature through a user interface (1700), and may also receive a user input for selecting a spray intensity, a spray amount, a spray time, or a water temperature through a server device connected to a user terminal.

[0364] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the cleaner body (1000) receives a user input for selecting a spray intensity, a spray amount, a spray time, or a water temperature, it can transmit information about the spray intensity, a spray amount, a spray time, or a water temperature selected by the user to the mop brush (100) through a signal line communication.

[0365] In step S2630, the mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can drive the pump (160) at a predetermined cycle according to the spray intensity, spray amount, spray time, or water temperature selected by the user. For example, the mop brush (100) can adjust the power supply amount or power supply time of the pump (160) according to the spray intensity, spray amount, or spray time selected by the user. The mop brush (100) can also adjust the power supply amount or power supply time of the heater (250) according to the water temperature selected by the user. Therefore, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, hot water corresponding to the water temperature selected by the user can be discharged at a predetermined cycle through the spray unit (140) according to the spray intensity, spray amount, or spray time selected by the user.

[0366] The mop brush (100) can increase the power supply of the pump (160) by increasing the duty value of the first PWM control switch element (101) as the spray intensity selected by the user increases. On the other hand, the mop brush (100) can decrease the power supply of the pump (160) by decreasing the duty value of the first PWM control switch element (101) as the spray intensity selected by the user decreases.

[0367] The mop brush (100) can increase the operating time of the first PWM control switch element (101) as the spray amount selected by the user increases, thereby allowing the pump (160) to operate for a longer time. For example, when the spray amount changes from about 3 cc to about 5 cc, the mop brush (100) can adjust the on time of the first PWM control switch element (101) connected to the pump (160) to be longer, thereby allowing the pump (160) to operate for a longer time. On the other hand, the mop brush (100) can decrease the operating time of the first PWM control switch element (101) as the spray amount selected by the user decreases, thereby allowing the pump (160) to operate for a shorter time.

[0368] The mop brush (100) can increase the operating time (on time) of the first PWM control switch element (101) as the spraying time selected by the user increases. For example, when the spraying time changes from about 0.5 seconds to about 1 second, the mop brush (100) can double the operating time (on time) of the first PWM control switch element (101).

[0369] The mop brush (100) can increase the operating time (on time) or duty value of the third PWM control switch element (103) as the water temperature selected by the user increases. For example, when the water temperature changes from about 55°C to about 65°C, the mop brush (100) can double the operating time (on time) or duty value of the third PWM control switch element (103).

[0370] Meanwhile, although not illustrated in FIG. 26, the user can also adjust the water spray cycle. For example, the user can change the water spray cycle from about 30 seconds to about 1 minute. At this time, the vacuum cleaner body (1000) can transmit information regarding the water spray cycle selected by the user to the mop brush (100) via signal line communication, and the mop brush (100) can drive the pump (160) according to the water spray cycle selected by the user.

[0371] Below, the operation of the user controlling the spray intensity, spray amount, spray time, or water temperature through the user terminal will be examined in detail with reference to FIGS. 27 and 28.

[0372] FIG. 27 is a drawing for explaining the operation of a cleaner (10) in conjunction with a server device (30) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0373] Referring to FIG. 27, a cleaning system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a cleaner (10), a station device (20), a server device (30), and a user terminal (40).

[0374] The station device (20) may be a device for dust discharge, battery charging, or storage of the vacuum cleaner (10). The station device (20) may also be expressed as a cleaning station or a charging station. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the station device (20) may communicate with the vacuum cleaner (10) or the server device (30) through a network. For example, the station device (20) may transmit and receive data with the vacuum cleaner (10) through a wireless local area network (WPAN) that does not use an access point (AP). The station device (20) may also transmit and receive data with the server device (30) through an access point (AP) that connects a local area network (LAN) to which the station device (20) is connected to a wide area network (WAN) to which the server device (30) is connected. For example, the station device (20) can be connected to the vacuum cleaner (10) through BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication, and can be connected to the server device (30) through Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi, IEEE 802.11) communication, but is not limited thereto.

[0375] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the station device (20) may include, but is not limited to, a communication interface, at least one processor, a suction motor (hereinafter referred to as a second suction motor), and a collection unit. The second suction motor may be a device that generates a suction force to discharge foreign substances collected in a dust bin (1200) of the cleaner (10) from the cleaner (10). For example, the second suction motor may generate a pressure difference inside the dust bin (1200). The second suction motor may be positioned lower than the collection unit when the station device (20) is in an upright state.

[0376] A server device (30) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may be a device for managing a station device (20) and a vacuum cleaner (10). For example, the server device (30) may be a home appliance management server. The server device (30) may manage user account information and information on home appliances connected to the user account. For example, a user may access the server device (30) through a user terminal (40) and create a user account. The user account may be identified by an ID and password set by the user. The server device (30) may register the station device (20) and the vacuum cleaner (10) to the user account according to a set procedure. For example, the server device (30) may link identification information (e.g., serial number or MAC address) of the station device (20) and identification information of the vacuum cleaner (10) to the user account, thereby registering the station device (20) and the vacuum cleaner (10). When a station device (20) and a cleaner (10) are registered in a server device (30), the server device (30) can manage the status of the station device (20) or the status of the cleaner (10) by periodically receiving status information of the station device (20) or the status information of the cleaner (10) from the station device (20).

[0377] The user terminal (40) may be a device registered to the server device (30) with the same account as the station device (20) or the vacuum cleaner (10). The user terminal (40) may be, but is not limited to, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a tablet PC, a digital camera, an e-book terminal, a digital broadcasting terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a PMP (Portable Multimedia Player), a wearable device, a device including a display, etc. For the convenience of explanation, the following description will be made using a case where the user terminal (40) is a smart phone as an example.

[0378] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a user terminal (40) can communicate with at least one of a server device (30), a station device (20), and a cleaner (10). The user terminal (40) may directly communicate with the station device (20) or the cleaner (10) via short-range wireless communication, or may indirectly communicate with the station device (20) or the cleaner (10) via the server device (30).

[0379] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the user terminal (40) can execute a specific application (e.g., a home appliance management application) provided by the server device (30) based on a user input. In this case, the user can check the status of the vacuum cleaner (10) or the status of the station device (20) through the execution window of the application. For example, the user terminal (40) can provide, through the execution window of the application, information related to the operation of the ultraviolet irradiation unit (e.g., UV LED in operation) and information related to dust discharge of the station device (20) (e.g., last dustbin emptied - 1 minute ago), but is not limited thereto.

[0380] Meanwhile, the user terminal (40) may provide an icon related to dust discharge (e.g., emptying the dustbin), a GUI for setting the discharge mode (e.g., buttons for manual discharge mode, automatic discharge mode, and smart discharge mode), a GUI for setting the threshold reduction amount for the smart discharge mode, a GUI for setting the discharge intensity or discharge maintenance time, a GUI for setting the discharge timing conditions, etc. In addition, the user terminal (40) may provide a GUI for setting the water spray amount, water spray strength, water spray time, and water temperature of the mop brush (100). The GUI related to the mop brush (100) will be examined in more detail with reference to FIG. 28.

[0381] FIG. 28 is a drawing for explaining a GUI related to setting the injection amount, injection strength, injection time, or water temperature according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0382] Referring to FIG. 28, the user can control the spray amount, spray strength, spray time, or water temperature of the mop brush (100) through the user terminal (40).

[0383] For example, the user terminal (40) may display a first screen (2810) in the execution window of a predetermined application (e.g., a home appliance management application). The first screen (2810) may include icons for setting the water spray amount. For example, the first screen (2810) may include a first icon for setting the water spray amount to high, a second icon for setting the water spray amount to medium, a third icon for setting the water spray amount to low, and a fourth icon for finely adjusting the water spray amount.

[0384] When a user selects one of the first, second, and third icons, the user terminal (40) can transmit information about the water spray amount corresponding to the selected icon to the station device (20). At this time, the user terminal (40) can transmit information about the water spray amount corresponding to the selected icon to the station device (20) via the server device (30). For example, when the user terminal (40) receives a user input for selecting the second icon (middle), the user terminal (40) can transmit information that a user input for setting the water spray amount to middle (about 3 cc) has been received to the server device (30). The server device (30) can transmit information to the station device (20) to set the water spray amount to middle (about 3 cc). At this time, the station device (20) can transmit information to set the water spray amount to middle (about 3 cc) to the cleaner (10) via short-range wireless communication (e.g., BLE communication). Meanwhile, the user terminal (40) may transmit information to the station device (20) via short-range wireless communication without going through the server device (30) to set the water spray amount to medium (about 3 cc). In addition, the user terminal (40) may transmit information to the vacuum cleaner (10) to set the water spray amount to medium (about 3 cc) without going through the server device (30) and the station device (20).

[0385] When the vacuum cleaner body (1000) receives information to set the water spray amount to the middle (about 3 cc), it can transmit a command to the mop brush (100) to set the water spray amount to the middle (about 3 cc) through signal line communication. The mop brush (100) can control the operation of the pump (160) to spray about 3 cc of water at a time according to the command of the vacuum cleaner body (1000). For example, the mop brush (100) can control the duty value of the first PWM control switch element (101) connected to the pump (160) to spray about 3 cc of water at a time through the spray unit (140).

[0386] The user terminal (40) may display a second screen (2820) in the execution window of a predetermined application (e.g., a home appliance management application). The second screen (2820) may include icons for setting the water spray intensity. For example, the second screen (2820) may include a fifth icon for setting the water spray intensity to strong, a sixth icon for setting the water spray intensity to medium, a seventh icon for setting the water spray intensity to weak, and an eighth icon for finely adjusting the water spray intensity.

[0387] When the user selects one of the fifth, sixth, and seventh icons, the user terminal (40) can transmit information about the water spray intensity corresponding to the selected icon to the station device (20). At this time, the user terminal (40) can transmit information about the water spray intensity corresponding to the selected icon to the station device (20) via the server device (30). For example, when the user terminal (40) receives a user input for selecting the sixth icon (middle), the user terminal (40) can transmit information that a user input for setting the water spray intensity to middle has been received to the server device (30). The server device (30) can transmit information to the station device (20) to set the water spray intensity to middle. At this time, the station device (20) can transmit information to set the water spray intensity to middle to the cleaner (10) via short-range wireless communication (e.g., BLE communication). Meanwhile, the user terminal (40) may transmit information to the station device (20) via short-range wireless communication without going through the server device (30) to set the water spray intensity to medium. In addition, the user terminal (40) may transmit information to the cleaner (10) to set the water spray intensity to medium without going through the server device (30) and the station device (20).

[0388] When the vacuum cleaner body (1000) receives information to set the water spray intensity to medium (approximately 3 cc), it can transmit a command to the mop brush (100) to set the water spray intensity to medium through signal line communication. The mop brush (100) can control the operation of the pump (160) to spray water at medium intensity according to the command of the vacuum cleaner body (1000). For example, the mop brush (100) can control the duty value of the first PWM control switch element (101) connected to the pump (160) to spray water at medium intensity.

[0389] The user terminal (40) may display a third screen (2830) in the execution window of a given application. The third screen (2830) may include icons for setting the water spray time. For example, the third screen (2830) may include a ninth icon for setting the water spray time to a long time (approximately 0.7 seconds), a tenth icon for setting the water spray time to a medium time (approximately 0.5 seconds), an eleventh icon for setting the water spray time to a short time (approximately 0.3 seconds), and a twelfth icon for finely adjusting the water spray time.

[0390] When a user selects one of the 9th, 10th, and 11th icons, the user terminal (40) can transmit information about the water spray time corresponding to the selected icon to the station device (20). At this time, the user terminal (40) can transmit information about the water spray time corresponding to the selected icon to the station device (20) via the server device (30). For example, when the user terminal (40) receives a user input for selecting the 10th icon (middle), the user terminal (40) can transmit information that a user input for setting the water spray time to the middle (about 0.5 seconds) has been received to the server device (30). The server device (30) can transmit information to the station device (20) to set the water spray time to the middle (about 0.5 seconds). At this time, the station device (20) can transmit information to set the water spray time to the middle (about 0.5 seconds) to the cleaner (10) via short-range wireless communication (e.g., BLE communication). Meanwhile, the user terminal (40) may transmit information to the station device (20) via short-range wireless communication without going through the server device (30) to set the water spray time to the middle (about 0.5 seconds). In addition, the user terminal (40) may transmit information to the cleaner (10) to set the water spray time to the middle (about 0.5 seconds) without going through the server device (30) and the station device (20).

[0391] When the vacuum cleaner body (1000) receives information to set the water spray time to the middle (about 0.5 seconds), it can transmit a command to the mop brush (100) to set the water spray time to the middle (about 0.5 seconds) through signal line communication. The mop brush (100) can control the operation of the pump (160) to spray water for about 0.5 seconds according to the command of the vacuum cleaner body (1000). For example, the mop brush (100) can cause the pump (160) to operate for about 0.5 seconds by turning on the first PWM control switch element (101) connected to the pump (160) for about 0.5 seconds.

[0392] The user terminal (40) may display a fourth screen (2840) in the execution window of a given application. The fourth screen (2840) may include icons for setting the water temperature. For example, the fourth screen (2840) may include a 13th icon for setting the water temperature to high (approximately 65°C), a 14th icon for setting the water temperature to medium (approximately 55°C), a 15th icon for setting the water temperature to low (approximately 45°C), and a 16th icon for finely adjusting the water temperature.

[0393] When the user selects one of the 13th, 14th, and 15th icons, the user terminal (40) can transmit information about the water temperature corresponding to the selected icon to the station device (20). At this time, the user terminal (40) can transmit information about the water temperature corresponding to the selected icon to the station device (20) via the server device (30). For example, when the user terminal (40) receives a user input for selecting the 14th icon (middle), the user terminal (40) can transmit information that a user input for setting the water temperature to middle (about 55°C) has been received to the server device (30). The server device (30) can transmit information to the station device (20) to set the water temperature to middle (about 55°C). At this time, the station device (20) can transmit information to set the water temperature to middle (about 55°C) to the cleaner (10) via short-range wireless communication (e.g., BLE communication). Meanwhile, the user terminal (40) may transmit information to the station device (20) via short-range wireless communication without going through the server device (30) to set the water temperature to medium (about 55°C). In addition, the user terminal (40) may transmit information to the vacuum cleaner (10) to set the water temperature to medium (about 55°C) without going through the server device (30) and the station device (20).

[0394] When the vacuum cleaner body (1000) receives information to set the water temperature to the middle (about 55°C), it can transmit a command to the mop brush (100) to set the water temperature to the middle (about 55°C) through signal line communication. The mop brush (100) can control the operation of the heater (250) so that the water temperature is maintained at the middle (about 55±2°C) according to the command of the vacuum cleaner body (1000). For example, the mop brush (100) can monitor the temperature of the water in the heating tank (201) through the temperature sensor (271), and when the water temperature is lower than about 53°C, it can drive the heater (250), and when the water temperature is higher than about 57°C, it can stop driving the heater (250).

[0395] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a cleaner (10) may be provided that includes a mop brush (100) having a high-temperature water spraying function and performing PWM control of each load (e.g., a motor (180), a heater (250), and a pump (160)). In particular, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a mop brush (100) that efficiently distributes power supplied from a battery (1500) of a cleaner body (1000) to the motor (180), the heater (250), and the pump (160) based on a current threshold value available to the mop brush (100) may be provided.

[0396] A vacuum cleaner (10) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a vacuum cleaner body (1000) including a battery (1500); and a mop brush (100) detachably connected to the vacuum cleaner body (1000) and driven by power supplied from the battery (1500). The mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one mop (123) arranged at a lower portion of the brush body (120) so as to come into contact with a surface to be cleaned. The mop brush (100) may include a motor (180) configured to rotate the at least one mop (123). The mop brush (100) may include a heater (250) that heats water supplied from a water tank (150) to a heating tank (201). The mop brush (100) may include a spray unit (140) that sprays water heated by a heater (250) toward a surface to be cleaned. The mop brush (100) may include a pump (160) that provides pressure to move water from a water tank (150) to the spray unit (140). The mop brush (100) may include at least one processor (306) that adjusts the power supply of at least one of the motor (180), the heater (250), and the pump (160) based on a first current threshold value available in the mop brush (100). According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) may efficiently use the power of the battery (1500) by adjusting the power supply of at least one of the motor (180), the heater (250), and the pump (160) based on the first current threshold value.

[0397] At least one processor (306) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can control the duty value of at least one of a first PWM control switch element (101) used for PWM control of a pump (160), a second PWM control switch element (102) used for PWM control of a motor (180), and a third PWM control switch element (103) used for PWM control of a heater (250), thereby adjusting the power supply amount of at least one of the motor (180), the heater (250), and the pump (160).

[0398] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor (306) can lower the power supply of the heater (250) when the total operating current of the loads included in the mop brush (100) exceeds a first current threshold value. Since the operation of the motor (180) and the pump (160) is essential in the mop brush (100), but the operation of the heater (250) is optional, when the mop brush (100) is in an overcurrent state, at least one processor (306) can first lower the power supply of the heater (250).

[0399] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the total operating current of the loads may include the sum of the operating current of the motor (180) and the operating current of the heater (250), or the sum of the operating current of the motor (180), the operating current of the heater (250), and the operating current of the pump (160).

[0400] At least one processor (306) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may stop driving of the mop brush (100) when the total operating current of the loads included in the mop brush (100) exceeds a second current threshold value that is greater than the first current threshold value.

[0401] At least one processor (306) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can monitor the temperature of water stored in the heating tank (201) through a temperature sensor (271). At least one processor (306) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can control the operation of the heater (250) so that the temperature of water stored in the heating tank (201) is maintained within a critical temperature range. The mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can preheat the water in the heating tank (201) using the heater (250) to spray high-temperature water.

[0402] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor (306) may control the operation of the heater (250) so that the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank (201) is maintained within a first threshold temperature range corresponding to the lukewarm water upon receiving information from the cleaner body (1000) that lukewarm water has been selected. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor (306) may control the operation of the heater (250) so that the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank (201) is maintained within a second threshold temperature range corresponding to the hot water upon receiving information from the cleaner body (1000) that high temperature water has been selected. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a user may adjust the preheating temperature of the heater (250).

[0403] At least one processor (306) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may stop operation of the heater (250) when it detects that there is no water in the heating tank (201) through the water level sensor (272). According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, overheating of the heater (250), which may occur when the heater (250) is operated in a state where there is no water in the heating tank (201), can be prevented.

[0404] At least one processor (306) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may stop operation of the heater (250) upon receiving a command to turn off the hot water function through a signal line from the cleaner body (1000). According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a user may turn off the hot water function to extend the usage time of the battery (1500).

[0405] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor (306) can transmit information that an abnormal situation has occurred in the heater (250) to the cleaner body (1000) through a signal line different from the power line when the operating current of the heater (250) is detected through the current detection circuit (113) connected to the heater (250) while the operation of the heater (250) is stopped. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) is provided with a brush communication unit (309) so that the status of the mop brush (100) can be immediately transmitted to the cleaner body (1000).

[0406] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the cleaner body (1000) can cut off the power supply to the mop brush (100) upon receiving information that an abnormal situation has occurred in the heater (250). According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the cleaner body (1000) can prevent damage to each load by cutting off the power supply to the mop brush (100) upon an abnormal situation of the mop brush (100).

[0407] At least one processor (306) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can measure the battery voltage supplied from the battery (1500) to the mop brush (100). At least one processor (306) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can control the operating time of the heater (250) based on the battery voltage. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mop brush (100) can efficiently utilize the battery voltage by controlling the operating time of the heater (250) according to the battery voltage.

[0408] A mop brush (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include an output interface for indicating at least one of a state in which there is no water in the heating tank (201), a state in which the hot water function is turned off, a state in which the water in the heating tank (201) is being preheated, and a state in which the preheating of the water in the heating tank (201) is completed.

[0409] At least one processor (306) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can measure the operating current of the motor (180) through a current sensing circuit (112) connected to the motor (180). At least one processor (306) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can lower the power supply amount of the motor (180) when the operating current of the motor (180) exceeds a reference current set for the motor (180).

[0410] The operating current of the motor (180) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may vary depending on the moisture content of at least one mop (123) or the condition of the surface to be cleaned.

[0411] At least one processor (306) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may stop driving the motor (180) when the operating current of the motor (180) exceeds a first current threshold value for a predetermined period of time.

[0412] At least one processor (306) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can receive a water spray command from the cleaner body (1000) through a signal line different from the power line. At least one processor (306) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can drive the pump (160) by controlling the first PWM control switch element (101) connected to the pump (160) so that water heated by the heater (250) is discharged through the spray unit (140) according to the water spray command.

[0413] At least one processor (306) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may drive the pump (160) at a predetermined cycle upon receiving a signal from the cleaner body (1000) that the automatic spray mode is set.

[0414] At least one processor (306) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can receive information about the spray intensity set by the user from the cleaner body (1000). At least one processor (306) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can adjust the duty value of the first PWM control switch element (101) connected to the pump (160) based on the spray intensity set by the user.

[0415] At least one processor (306) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can receive information about the spray amount, spray time, or water temperature set by the user from the cleaner body (1000). At least one processor (306) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can adjust the operating time of the pump (160) based on the spray amount or spray time set by the user. At least one processor (206) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can adjust the operating time of the heater (250) based on the water temperature set by the user.

[0416] A device-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, the term "non-transitory storage medium" simply means a tangible device that does not contain signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves). This term does not distinguish between cases where data is permanently stored in the storage medium and cases where data is temporarily stored. For example, a "non-transitory storage medium" may include a buffer in which data is temporarily stored.

[0417] According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in the present document may be provided as included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded as a product between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) through an application store or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product (e.g., a downloadable app) may be temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a machine-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or an intermediary server.

[0418] The embodiments described herein should be considered illustrative only and not limiting. The description of features or aspects within each embodiment should generally be considered applicable to other similar features or aspects of other embodiments. While one or more embodiments have been described with reference to the drawings, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the embodiments or portions of the embodiments may be combined, in whole or in part, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner body (1000) including a battery (1500); and It includes a mop brush (100) that is detachably connected to the above-mentioned cleaner body (1000) and is driven by power supplied from the above-mentioned battery (1500). The above mop brush (100) is At least one mop (123) positioned on the lower part of the brush body (120) so as to come into contact with the surface to be cleaned; A motor (180) configured to rotate at least one mop (123); A heater (250) for heating water supplied from a water tank (150) to a heating tank (201); A spray unit (140) that sprays water heated by the heater (250) toward the cleaning surface; A pump (160) providing pressure to move water from the water tank (150) to the spray unit (140); and A cleaner (10) comprising at least one processor (306) for controlling the power supply of at least one of the motor (180), the heater (250) and the pump (160) based on a first current threshold value.

2. In the first paragraph, at least one processor, A cleaner that controls the duty value of at least one of a first PWM control switch element (101) used for PWM control of the pump, a second PWM control switch element (102) used for PWM control of the motor, and a third PWM control switch element (103) used for PWM control of the heater, thereby controlling the power supply amount of at least one of the motor, the heater, and the pump.

3. In the first or second paragraph, at least one processor, When the total operating current of the loads included in the above mop brush exceeds the first current threshold value, the power supply of the heater is adjusted to a lower level, The total operating current of the above loads is, A cleaner comprising one of the sum of the operating current of the motor and the operating current of the heater, or the sum of the operating current of the motor, the operating current of the heater, and the operating current of the pump.

4. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 3, at least one processor, A vacuum cleaner, wherein the operation of the mop brush is stopped when the total operating current of the above loads exceeds a second current threshold value which is greater than the first current threshold value.

5. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 4, at least one processor, Monitor the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank through the temperature sensor (271), Controlling the operation of the heater so that the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank is maintained within a critical temperature range, Upon receiving information that lukewarm water is selected from the main body of the cleaner, the operation of the heater is controlled so that the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank is maintained within a first critical temperature range corresponding to lukewarm water. A cleaner, which controls the operation of the heater so that the temperature of the water stored in the heating tank is maintained within a second critical temperature range corresponding to the high temperature water upon receiving information that high temperature water has been selected from the cleaner body.

6. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 5, the at least one processor, A cleaner that stops operating the heater when it detects that there is no water in the heating tank through the water level sensor (272).

7. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 6, the at least one processor, A cleaner that stops operating the heater upon receiving a command to turn off the hot water function through a signal line from the main body of the cleaner.

8. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 7, the at least one processor, When the operating current of the heater is detected through the current detection circuit (113) connected to the heater while the operation of the heater is stopped, information that an abnormality has occurred in the heater is transmitted to the cleaner body through a signal line different from the power line. The above vacuum cleaner body, A vacuum cleaner that cuts off power supply to the mop brush upon receiving information that an abnormality has occurred in the above heater.

9. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 8, the at least one processor, Measure the battery voltage supplied from the above battery to the above mop brush, A vacuum cleaner that controls the operating time of the heater based on the battery voltage.

10. In any one of clauses 1 to 9, the mop brush, A cleaner further comprising an output interface for indicating at least one of a state in which there is no water in the heating tank, a state in which the hot water function is turned off, a state in which water in the heating tank is being preheated, and a state in which preheating of water in the heating tank is complete.

11. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 10, the at least one processor, The operating current of the motor is measured through a current detection circuit (112) connected to the motor, When the operating current of the above motor exceeds the reference current set for the above motor, the power supply of the above motor is adjusted to a lower level, The operating current of the above motor is A vacuum cleaner, wherein the moisture content of at least one of the mops or the condition of the surface to be cleaned varies.

12. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 11, the at least one processor, A vacuum cleaner that stops driving the motor when the operating current of the motor exceeds the first current threshold value for a certain period of time.

13. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 12, the at least one processor, Receives a water spray command from the main body of the cleaner through a signal line different from the power line, A cleaner that drives the pump by controlling the first PWM control switch element (101) connected to the pump so that water heated by the heater is discharged through the injection unit (140) according to the water injection command.

14. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 13, said at least one processor, A cleaner that operates the pump at a predetermined cycle upon receiving a signal from the cleaner body that the automatic spray mode has been set.

15. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 14, said at least one processor, Receive information about the spray intensity set by the user from the above cleaner body, Based on the injection intensity set by the user, the duty value of the first PWM control switch element connected to the pump is adjusted, Receive information about the spray amount, spray time or water temperature set by the user from the above cleaner body, Based on the injection amount or injection time set by the user, the operating time of the pump is adjusted, A cleaner that controls the operating time of the heater based on the water temperature set by the user.

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