Rotating body drive device and mist collection device

Abstract

This rotating body drive device makes it possible to ascertain, before a motor shaft is engaged with a shaft insertion hole of a rotating body, that the mount state of the rotating body is not correct.　A rotating body drive device, in which a motor shaft (6a) of a rotating body motor (6) is inserted into and mounted to a shaft insertion hole (5a) of a rotating body (5), comprises: a control unit (12) that, when starting the rotation of the rotating body (5), increases the rotation speed of the rotating body motor (6) to a determination rotation speed, then reduces an output to the rotating body motor (6), and determines whether the rotating body (5) is in a correct mount state or not in accordance with a change in the rotation state of the motor shaft (6a) thereafter; and a reporting means (14) that issues a report when the control unit (12) has determined that the rotating body (5) is not in the correct mount state. The rotating body drive device is configured to make it possible to ascertain, by the report of the reporting means (14), that the mount state of the rotating body (5) is not correct.

Description

Rotating body drive device and mist collection device

[0001] The present invention relates to a rotating body drive device for rotating a rotating body such as a filter or a fan of a range hood, and a mist collection device such as a range hood.

[0002] Conventionally, there are range hoods that rotate filters, fans, etc. with a motor. For example, in Patent Document 1, a shaft insertion hole of a filter formed of a rotating body having a large number of holes is fitted and attached to a motor shaft of a filter motor, and the filter is rotated at high speed by rotating the filter motor at high speed to prevent oil contained in cooking fumes from entering the inside of the range hood. A range hood has been proposed.

[0003] Japanese Patent No. 7341481

[0004] When the range hood is used for a long time, the filter may be soiled with oil or the like. In that case, the filter may be removed from the motor shaft for cleaning and then attached to the motor shaft again. The filter needs to be attached in a correct attachment state so as to rotate integrally with the motor shaft. However, when the filter removed from the motor shaft is attached to the motor shaft again, the filter may be attached in an incorrect attachment state where it rotates relative to the motor shaft instead of rotating integrally. When the filter motor is rotated at high speed in this incorrect attachment state, the motor shaft and the shaft insertion hole of the filter rub against each other, generating strong friction and at the same time getting damaged. The damaged part is welded by frictional heat, and the motor shaft and the shaft insertion hole are in a state of being jammed. As a result, there may be a problem that the filter cannot be removed or is difficult to remove. This also occurs not only in a device for driving a filter of a range hood but also in a device for driving a fan or a device for driving a rotating body used outside a range hood.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a rotating body drive device capable of detecting that the attachment state of the rotating body is incorrect before the motor shaft of the rotating body motor and the shaft insertion hole of the rotating body are jammed.

[0006] The present invention provides a rotating body drive device in which the motor shaft of a rotating body motor is inserted into a shaft insertion hole of the rotating body and the rotating body is rotated by rotating the motor, and the device comprises a control unit that performs an operation to determine the mounting state of the rotating body, an input unit that inputs the start and stop of rotation of the rotating body to the control unit, a detection means for detecting the rotational speed of the motor shaft, and a notification means. The operation of the control unit to determine the mounting state of the rotating body is as follows: when the control unit receives an input to start the rotation of the rotating body, it increases the rotational speed of the motor for the rotating body to a determination rotational speed that is lower than the normal rotational speed of the motor for the rotating body, then reduces the output to the motor for the rotating body, and determines whether the rotating body is in the correct mounting state or not based on the change in the rotational state of the motor shaft after the output to the motor for the rotating body is reduced, and if it is determined that the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state, the notification means notifies the user.

[0007] In the rotating body drive device of the present invention, if the rotational speed of the motor shaft detected by the detection means is below a predetermined rotational speed after a specified time has elapsed since the output to the motor for the rotating body was reduced, the device can be configured to determine that the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state and to notify the user via the notification means.

[0008] In the rotating body drive device of the present invention, the output to the motor for the rotating body is reduced to a stop, and if the rotational speed of the motor shaft detected by the detection means is below a predetermined rotational speed after a specified time has elapsed since the output to the motor for the rotating body was stopped, the device determines that the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state and notifies the user via the notification means. With this rotating body drive device, the rotational speed of the motor shaft after a specified time has elapsed since the output to the motor for the rotating body was stopped differs significantly between when the rotating body is in the correct mounting state and when it is in the incorrect mounting state, allowing for a more accurate determination of the mounting state of the rotating body.

[0009] In the rotating body drive device of the present invention, the rate at which the rotational speed of the motor shaft decreases after the output to the motor for the rotating body is reduced is monitored by the rotational speed of the motor shaft detected by the detection means, and if the rate at which the rotational speed of the motor shaft decreases is rapid, it is determined that the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state, and the notification means notifies the system.

[0010] In the rotating body drive device of the present invention, the control unit can be configured to rotate the motor for the rotating body at a normal rotational speed if it determines that the rotating body is in a correct mounting state, and to stop the output to the motor for the rotating body and maintain that output stop if it determines that the rotating body is not in a correct mounting state. With this rotating body drive device, if the rotating body is in a correct mounting state, the rotating body will rotate at a normal rotational speed after the mounting state is determined, so there is no need to perform any operation to rotate it at a normal speed after the mounting state is determined. If the rotating body is not in a correct mounting state, the rotating body will remain stopped even after the mounting state is determined and will not rotate at a normal rotational speed, so it is possible to prevent the motor shaft from jamming into the shaft insertion hole of the rotating body, and to prevent the rotating body from coming into contact with other components and being damaged when it rotates in an incorrect mounting state.

[0011] In the rotating body drive device of the present invention, the control unit has a memory unit that stores the fact that the rotating body is determined to be not in the correct mounting state, and when the memory unit stores that the rotating body is determined to be not in the correct mounting state, the control unit maintains the suspension of output to the rotating body motor even if there is an input to start the rotation of the rotating body. With this rotating body drive device, even if the input unit inputs a command to start the rotation of the rotating body to the control unit again when the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state, the rotating body will not rotate, thereby preventing jamming between the motor shaft and the shaft insertion hole of the rotating body, and preventing the rotating body from being damaged by contact with other components.

[0012] In the rotating body drive device of the present invention, the control unit has a memory unit that stores the fact that the rotating body is determined to be not in the correct mounting state, and if the memory unit stores that the rotating body is determined to be not in the correct mounting state, the control unit maintains the stopped output to the rotating body motor even if there is an input to start the rotation of the rotating body, and does not perform the operation to determine the mounting state of the rotating body again. With this rotating body drive device, once the operation to determine the mounting state of the rotating body is determined to be incorrect, the operation to determine the mounting state of the rotating body is not performed again, thus reducing the load on determining the mounting state of the rotating body. Since the operation that occurs when determining the mounting state of the rotating body is not performed many times, there is no discomfort caused by the repeated operation that occurs when determining the mounting state.

[0013] In the rotating body drive device of the present invention, the control unit has a memory unit that stores the fact that the rotating body is determined to be not in the correct mounting state, and if the memory unit stores that the rotating body is determined to be not in the correct mounting state, the control unit maintains the output stopped to the rotating body motor even if there is an input to start the rotation of the rotating body, and the notification means notifies again. With this rotating body drive device, the user may find it unnatural if the rotating body does not rotate despite the operation to start the rotation of the rotating body, but since the notification means notifies the user that the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state, it is possible to prevent the user from finding it unnatural.

[0014] In the rotating body drive device of the present invention, the control unit can be configured to reset the memory in the storage unit that determines the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state when the input unit receives an input that the rotating body should stop rotating. With this rotating body drive device, by resetting the memory in the storage unit that determines the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state, the operation to determine the mounting state of the rotating body can be performed again when the rotating body is mounted again after the rotation body has been determined to be in the correct mounting state.

[0015] The mist collection device of the present invention is a mist collection device equipped with a rotating body drive device of the present invention.

[0016] The rotating body drive device of the present invention can have the following configuration: (1) A rotating body drive device that rotates a rotating body by rotating the motor for the rotating body, wherein the motor shaft of the motor for the rotating body is inserted into a shaft insertion hole of the rotating body and the rotating body is rotated, the device comprises a control unit that performs an operation to determine the mounting state of the rotating body, an input unit that inputs the start and stop of rotation of the rotating body to the control unit, a detection means for detecting the rotational speed of the motor shaft, and a notification means, wherein the operation of determining the mounting state of the rotating body by the control unit is, when the control unit receives an input to start the rotation of the rotating body, to increase the rotational speed of the motor for the rotating body to a determination rotational speed that is lower than the normal rotational speed of the motor for the rotating body, then to reduce the output to the motor for the rotating body, and to determine whether the rotating body is in the correct mounting state or not based on the change in the rotational state of the motor shaft after the output to the motor for the rotating body has been reduced, and if it is determined that the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state, the notification means notifies the user.

[0017] (2) The rotating body drive device according to (1), wherein if the rotational speed of the motor shaft detected by the detection means is less than or equal to a predetermined rotational speed after a specified time has elapsed since the output to the motor for the rotating body has been reduced, the device determines that the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state and notifies the user using the notification means.

[0018] (3) A rotating body drive device according to (1) or (2), wherein the output to the motor for the rotating body is reduced to a stop, and after a specified time has elapsed since the output to the motor for the rotating body was stopped, if the rotational speed of the motor shaft detected by the detection means is below a predetermined rotational speed, it is determined that the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state and the notification means notifies the user.

[0019] (4) A rotating body drive device according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the rate at which the rotational speed of the motor shaft decreases after the output to the motor for the rotating body is reduced is monitored by the rotational speed of the motor shaft detected by the detection means, and if the rate at which the rotational speed of the motor shaft decreases is fast, it is determined that the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state and the notification means notifies the user.

[0020] (5) A rotating body drive device according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the control unit determines that the rotating body is in the correct mounting state and rotates the motor for the rotating body at the normal rotational speed, and determines that the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state and stops the output to the motor for the rotating body and maintains that output stop.

[0021] (6) A rotating body drive device according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the control unit stops outputting to the motor for the rotating body if it determines that the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state, and has a storage unit that stores that it has determined that the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state, and the control unit maintains the stopped output to the motor for the rotating body even if there is an input to start the rotation of the rotating body.

[0022] (7) A rotating body drive device according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the control unit stops outputting to the motor for the rotating body if it determines that the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state, and has a memory unit that stores that it has determined that the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state, and when the memory unit stores that it has determined that the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state, even if there is an input to start the rotation of the rotating body, the control unit maintains the output stopped to the motor for the rotating body and does not perform the operation to determine the mounting state of the rotating body again.

[0023] (8) A rotating body drive device according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the control unit has a memory unit that stores the fact that the rotating body has been determined not to be in the correct mounting state, and when the memory unit has been stored that the rotating body has been determined not to be in the correct mounting state, the control unit maintains the output stopped to the rotating body motor even if there is an input to start the rotation of the rotating body, and the notification means notifies again.

[0024] (9) The rotating body drive device according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein the control unit resets the memory in the memory unit that it has determined the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state when the input unit receives an input from the input unit that the rotating body should stop rotating.

[0025] According to the rotating body drive device of the present invention, if the mounting state of the rotating body is incorrect, a notification means will provide notification, and since the rotational speed for judgment is lower than the normal rotational speed of the rotating body, it is possible to detect that the mounting state of the rotating body is incorrect before the rotating body rotates at its normal rotational speed and the motor shaft and the shaft insertion hole of the rotating body become engaged.

[0026] This is a front view of the mist collection device. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of the mist collection device shown in Figure 1. This is an enlarged cross-sectional view of section B of the mist collection device shown in Figure 2. This is a block diagram for explaining the motor drive control for a rotating body.

[0027] The overall configuration of the mist collection device equipped with the rotating body drive mechanism of the present invention will be explained with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a front view of the mist collection device, and Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the mist collection device shown in Figure 1 along line A-A. The mist collection device 1 includes a fan 3 that generates airflow inside the device body 2, a fan motor 4 that rotates the fan 3, a rotating body 5 that is rotatably provided in the airflow path inside the device body 2 and has numerous holes, and a rotating body motor 6 that rotates the rotating body 5, etc. The fan 3 rotates to collect mist inside the device body 2, foreign matter contained in the mist is removed by passing through the holes in the rotating body 5, and the mist free of foreign matter is discharged outside the device body 2. The mist collection device 1 of this embodiment is a range hood that collects and discharges oil fumes etc. generated when cooking with a heating appliance, the device body 2 is the hood, and the rotating body 5 with holes is the filter.

[0028] Mist collection device 1 is not limited to range hoods. Mist refers to liquids such as water vapor and oil, and the mist collection device may also be one of the following: an oil fumes collection device installed near a cooking appliance to collect oil fumes and water vapor generated by cooking; a dehumidifier to remove moisture from the air; or a collection device that draws in indoor air or mist and is installed in or at the end of a duct.

[0029] The rotating body 5 and the motor 6 for the rotating body constitute the rotating body drive device of the present invention. Hereinafter, an embodiment of this rotating body drive device will be described. The mounting configuration of the rotating body in the rotating body drive device will be described with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of section B in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 3, the rotating body 5 has a shaft insertion hole 5a through which the motor shaft 6a of the motor 6 for the rotating body is inserted, and a boss groove 5b. By fitting the shaft insertion hole 5a onto the motor shaft 6a, the motor pin 6b provided on the motor shaft 6a is engaged with the boss groove 5b, and the rotating body 5 is attached to the motor shaft 6a by locking it with a locking mechanism 7 to prevent it from coming off the motor shaft 6a. By releasing the lock by the locking mechanism 7, the rotating body 5 can be removed from the motor shaft 6a.

[0030] The locking mechanism 7 is similar to the attachment / detachment device shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 7248340. The locking piece 7a is movable between a locked position, where it engages with the small diameter portion 6c of the motor shaft 6a to lock it, and an unlocked position, where it releases the lock. The locking piece 7a is held in the locked position by a spring or the like. When the shaft insertion hole 5a of the rotating body 5 is fitted onto the motor shaft 6a, the locking piece 7a moves against the spring to the unlocked position. When the rotating body 5 is pushed along the motor shaft 6a, the locking piece 7a moves to the small diameter portion 6c of the motor shaft 6a, moving to the locked position and engaging with the small diameter portion 6c, locking the rotating body 5 so that it cannot be removed from the motor shaft 6a. The rotating body 5 can be removed from the motor shaft 6a by manually moving the locking piece 7a to the unlocked position.

[0031] The locking mechanism 7 is not limited to this configuration. For example, a screw groove may be formed at the tip of the motor shaft 6a, and a nut may be screwed into the screw groove to lock the rotating body 5 in place, and the lock may be released by loosening the nut, allowing the rotating body 5 to be removed. Alternatively, a locking pin may be inserted through the rotating body 5 onto the motor shaft 6a to lock the rotating body 5 in place, and the lock may be released by removing the locking pin from the motor shaft 6a, allowing the rotating body 5 to be removed from the motor shaft 6a.

[0032] The drive control of the rotating motor 6 will be explained based on Figure 4. Figure 4 is a block diagram for explaining the drive control of the rotating motor. As shown in Figure 4, the system includes a power supply 10, a motor drive unit 11, a control unit 12, an input unit 13 for inputting the start and stop of rotation to the control unit 12, a notification means 14, and a storage unit 15. The motor drive unit 11 supplies current to the rotating motor 6 to rotate it. The control unit 12 sends the rotation speed of the rotating motor 6 to the motor drive unit 11. The motor drive unit 11 supplies a current to the rotating motor 6 that is strong enough (current value) to rotate the rotating motor 6 at the sent rotation speed.

[0033] The rotating motor 6 rotates at a rotational speed corresponding to the strength (current value) of the current supplied from the motor drive unit 11, and rotates at a rotational speed sent from the control unit 12. In other words, the control unit 12 can control the rotational speed of the rotating motor 6. The rotating motor 6 has a function to feed back the rotational speed (rotational speed of the motor shaft 6a) to the control unit 12, and this function is provided by a detection means for detecting the rotational speed of the motor shaft 6a. The detection means for detecting the rotational speed of the motor shaft 6a may be a speed detector that directly detects the rotational speed of the motor shaft 6a.

[0034] As shown in Figure 1, the input unit 13 is located on the front of the main body 2 of the device and includes a rotation start operation button 13a for inputting the start of rotation and a rotation stop operation button 13b for inputting the stop of rotation. In this embodiment, since it is a range hood, the rotation start operation button 13a is the button to start the operation of the range hood, and the rotation stop operation button 13b is the button to stop the operation of the range hood, and the input unit 13 is equipped with several other operation buttons for operating the range hood. Some range hoods start operating in conjunction with the start of heating of a cooking appliance and stop operating in conjunction with the end of heating of the cooking appliance. In the case of this range hood, the start of heating of the cooking appliance can be used to input a rotation start to the control unit 12, and the end of heating of the cooking appliance can be used to input a rotation stop to the control unit 12.

[0035] For example, a cooking appliance can be configured to emit a heating start signal when heating begins and a heating stop signal when heating ends. A signal receiver can be installed in the range hood. When the signal receiver receives the heating start signal, it inputs a rotation start signal to the control unit 12. When the signal receiver receives the heating stop signal, it inputs a rotation stop signal to the control unit 12. In other words, the heating start and heating end signals of the cooking appliance become input units 13 that input rotation start and rotation end signals to the control unit 12.

[0036] When the input unit 13 signals the control unit 12 to start rotation, the control unit 12 sends the rotational speed of the rotating motor 6 to the motor drive unit 11. The motor drive unit 11 supplies a current strong enough to rotate the rotating motor 6 at the rotational speed sent by the control unit 12, and the rotating motor 6 rotates at the rotational speed sent by the control unit 12. When the input unit 13 signals the control unit 12 to stop rotation, the control unit 12 stops sending the rotational speed of the rotating motor 6 to the motor drive unit 11, meaning the motor drive unit 11 stops supplying current to the rotating motor 6, and the rotation of the rotating motor 6 stops. In this way, the output to the rotating motor 6 is controlled by the control unit 12, and when the rotational speed sent from the control unit 12 is zero, the output to the rotating motor 6 is zero, meaning the rotating motor 6 stops. After the rotating motor 6 stops, the motor shaft 6a rotates due to its moment of inertia, and then stops rotating.

[0037] Next, the operation for determining the mounting state of the rotating body 5 will be explained. In the following explanation, the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is correct when the motor pin 6b and the boss groove 5b are engaged and the rotating body 5 is mounted in a state in which it rotates integrally with the motor shaft 6a. The mounting state of the rotating body 5 is incorrect when the motor pin 6b and the boss groove 5b are not engaged and the rotating body 5 and the motor shaft 6a are mounted in a state in which they can rotate relative to each other, or when the rotating body 5 is not mounted on the motor shaft 6a. If the motor 6 for the rotating body rotates at high speed when the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is incorrect, the motor shaft 6a and the rotating body 5 will rotate relative to each other, causing the rotating body 5 to move slightly (loosely) relative to the motor shaft 6a, and the motor shaft 6a and the shaft insertion hole 5a will rub against each other, generating strong friction and damage, and the parts will weld together due to frictional heat, making it difficult or impossible to remove the rotating body 5. Whether the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is correct or incorrect depends on the mounting configuration of the rotating body 5 as described above, and this explanation is not limited to cases where the mounting configuration of the rotating body 5 is different. The rotation start operation button 13a of the input unit 13 is operated to input the start of rotation of the rotating body 5 to the control unit 12. Upon receiving the input of the start of rotation, the control unit 12 sends the determination rotation speed of the rotating body motor 6 to the motor drive unit 11. Upon receiving the determination rotation speed, the motor drive unit 11 supplies a current to the rotating body motor 6 with a strength (current value) that rotates the rotating body motor 6 at the determination rotation speed. As a result, the rotating body motor 6 rotates at the determination rotation speed, and the motor shaft 6a rotates at the determination rotation speed. The rotation speed of the motor shaft 6a is fed back to the control unit 12. The rotational speed for judgment is a speed lower than the normal rotational speed, for example, a speed at which, even if the motor 6 for the rotating body rotates when the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is incorrect, there is no risk of the shaft insertion hole 5a of the rotating body 5 and the motor shaft 6a becoming jammed, for example, a speed of 1000 rpm or less, more preferably 500 rpm or less. The normal rotational speed is the rotational speed set when the rotating body is rotated by the drive device for the rotating body, depending on the purpose of rotating the rotating body.

[0038] At this time, the control unit 12 gradually increases the rotational speed sent to the motor drive unit 11 from zero to the judgment rotational speed, and the motor drive unit 11 gradually increases the current supplied to the rotating body motor 6 from zero to a predetermined strength, so that the rotating body motor 6 slowly increases to the judgment rotational speed. Therefore, even if the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is incorrect, it is possible to prevent the shaft insertion hole 5a of the rotating body 5 and the motor shaft 6a from becoming jammed. In other words, if the rotating body motor 6 rapidly increases to the judgment rotational speed, the shaft insertion hole 5a of the rotating body 5 and the motor shaft 6a may become jammed if the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is incorrect.

[0039] When the rotational speed of the motor shaft 6a, which is fed back to the control unit 12, reaches the judgment rotational speed, the control unit 12 reduces the rotational speed sent to the motor drive unit 11 from the judgment rotational speed to zero. The motor drive unit 11 reduces the strength of the current supplied to the rotating motor 6 to zero. As a result, the current supplied to the rotating motor 6 becomes zero, and the output to the rotating motor 6 stops. In other words, the control unit 12 reduces the output to the rotating motor 6 to zero after the rotational speed of the rotating motor 6 has risen to the judgment rotational speed.

[0040] As a result, no current is supplied to the motor 6 for the rotating body, so the motor shaft 6a rotates only due to the moment of inertia of the motor shaft 6a and the moment of inertia of the rotating body 5 (hereinafter referred to as the moment of inertia of the motor shaft 6a). After this, the control unit 12 measures the time since the output to the motor 6 for the rotating body was stopped, and after a specified time has elapsed, it compares the rotational speed of the motor shaft 6a fed back from the motor 6 for the rotating body with a predetermined rotational speed. If the rotational speed of the motor shaft 6a is less than or equal to the predetermined rotational speed, it determines that the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is incorrect. In other words, if the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is incorrect, the rotating body 5 and the motor shaft 6a rotate relative to each other, so the moment of inertia of the motor shaft 6a is small, and the time until the motor shaft 6a stops rotating is short, so the rotational speed of the motor shaft 6a becomes slower than the predetermined rotational speed after a specified time has elapsed.

[0041] If the control unit 12 determines that the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is incorrect, the notification means 14 will notify the system that the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is incorrect, and the system will also store this information in the storage unit 15. The notification means 14 can be a buzzer, lamp, sound generator, display unit, etc., which will notify the system that the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is incorrect using sound, light, voice, text, etc. The notification from the notification means 14 may be a temporary notification or a continuous notification, such as keeping a lamp lit. Alternatively, the notification means 14 may be a smartphone or a remote controller that remotely operates the drive device of the rotating body, and the information that the system has determined that the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is incorrect may be transmitted to the smartphone or remote controller to notify the system that the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is incorrect. In this way, if the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is incorrect, the notification means 14 will give a notification, and since the rotation speed for judgment is lower than the normal rotation speed of the rotating body 5, it is possible to detect that the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is incorrect before the rotating body 5 rotates at its normal rotation speed and the motor shaft 6a and the shaft insertion hole 5a of the rotating body 5 become engaged. Moreover, the notification means 14 will also give a notification if the rotating body 5 is not attached to the motor shaft 6a, so it is possible to detect if the rotating body 5 has been forgotten to be attached.

[0042] Furthermore, if the control unit 12 determines that the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is incorrect, it maintains the output stop to the motor 6 for the rotating body. As a result, if the rotating body 5 is not mounted correctly, it will continue to stop even after the mounting state has been determined and will not rotate at its normal speed. This prevents the motor shaft 6a from jamming with the shaft insertion hole 5a of the rotating body 5, and also prevents the rotating body 5 from continuing to rotate in an incorrect mounting state and coming into contact with other components, which could cause damage.

[0043] When the rotational speed of the motor shaft 6a is faster than a predetermined rotational speed, the control unit 12 determines that the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is correct. That is, when the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is correct, since the rotating body 5 rotates integrally with the motor shaft 6a, the inertia of the motor shaft 6a is large and the time until the motor shaft 6a stops rotating is long, so the rotational speed of the motor shaft 6a is faster than the predetermined rotational speed after a specified time. When the control unit 12 determines that the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is correct, the control unit 12 sends the normal rotational speed to the motor drive unit 11, and the motor drive unit 11 supplies a current of a strength that rotates the motor 6 for the rotating body at the normal rotational speed to the motor 6 for the rotating body, and the motor 6 for the rotating body rotates at the normal rotational speed. Because of this, when the rotating body 5 is attached to the motor shaft 6a in a correct mounting state, after determining the mounting state of the rotating body 5, the rotating body 5 automatically rotates at the normal rotational speed without any operation, so a special operation for rotating the rotating body 5 at the normal rotational speed is unnecessary.

[0044] The rotational speed of the motor shaft 6a after a specified time has elapsed since the output to the motor 6 for the rotating body stopped is significantly different between the case where the rotating body 5 is in the correct mounting state and the case where the rotating body 5 is in an incorrect mounting state, and the mounting state of the rotating body 5 can be judged more accurately. That is, since the motor shaft 6a rotates only by inertia after the output to the motor 6 for the rotating body stops, when the rotating body 5, which rotates integrally with the motor shaft 6a and has a large inertia, is in the correct mounting state, the rotational speed after the specified time is fast, and when the rotating body 5, which rotates relatively to the motor shaft 6a and has a small inertia, is in an incorrect mounting state, the rotational speed after the specified time is slow, and the speed difference is large, making it easy to judge whether the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is correct or incorrect, so it can be judged correctly.

[0045] The mounting condition of the rotating body 5 can also be determined as follows: Instead of reducing the output to the motor 6 for the rotating body until it stops, the output is reduced to a predetermined level, and after a specified time has elapsed, the rotational speed of the motor shaft 6a fed back from the motor 6 for the rotating body is compared with a predetermined rotational speed. If the rotational speed of the motor shaft 6a is less than or equal to the predetermined rotational speed, it is determined that the mounting condition of the rotating body 5 is incorrect. The predetermined output is preferably such that the rotational force of the motor 6 for the rotating body due to the supplied current is smaller than the moment of inertia of the rotating motor shaft 6a, and the motor shaft 6a decelerates due to the moment of inertia and stops after a certain amount of time. In this case, the specified time is preferably shorter than the specified time when the output to the motor 6 for the rotating body is reduced until it stops, as described above.

[0046] The operation of making this determination will now be explained. As explained above, the rotation speed of the rotating motor 6 is increased to the determination speed, and after the rotation speed of the motor shaft 6a (rotation speed of the rotating motor 6) fed back to the control unit 12 has increased to the determination speed, the control unit 12 reduces the rotation speed of the rotating motor 6 that it sends to the motor drive unit 11 from the determination speed to a predetermined rotation speed greater than zero, and the motor drive unit 11 reduces the strength of the current supplied to the rotating motor 6 to a predetermined current strength slightly stronger than zero, thereby reducing the output to the rotating motor 6 to a predetermined output by setting the rotation speed of the rotating motor 6 to a predetermined rotation speed slower than the determination speed.

[0047] The control unit 12 measures the time after the rotational speed of the motor shaft 6a fed back from the motor 6 for the rotating body reaches a predetermined rotational speed (that is, after the output to the motor 6 for the rotating body is decreased to a predetermined output), and after the elapse of a specified time, compares the rotational speed of the motor shaft 6a fed back from the motor 6 for the rotating body with a preset predetermined rotational speed. If the rotational speed of the motor shaft 6a is not more than the predetermined rotational speed, it is determined that the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is incorrect. The control unit 12 notifies with the notification means 14 and stores in the storage unit 15 that the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is incorrect. Further, the control unit 12 does not send the rotational speed of the motor 6 for the rotating body to the motor drive unit 11, stops the output to the motor 6 for the rotating body, and maintains the stop of the output. The predetermined rotational speed in this case is preferably set slower than the predetermined rotational speed in the case of decreasing until the output to the motor 6 for the rotating body described above is stopped. The operation after determining the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is the same as the previous description.

[0048] The mounting state of the rotating body 5 can be determined as follows. After the rotational speed of the motor 6 for the rotating body has increased to the determination rotational speed in the same manner as described above, the control unit 12 decreases the rotational speed of the motor 6 for the rotating body sent to the motor drive unit 11 from the determination rotational speed to a predetermined rotational speed, and decreases the strength of the current supplied from the motor drive unit 11 to the motor 6 for the rotating body to a predetermined strength, thereby decelerating the rotational speed of the motor 6 for the rotating body to the predetermined rotational speed and decreasing the output of the motor 6 for the rotating body to a predetermined output. That is, after the rotational speed of the motor 6 for the rotating body has increased to the determination rotational speed, the control unit 12 decreases the output to the motor 6 for the rotating body to a predetermined output. Thereby, the rotational speed of the motor shaft 6a of the motor 6 for the rotating body decelerates from the determination rotational speed to the predetermined rotational speed and then rotates at the predetermined rotational speed.

[0049] The control unit 12 monitors the rate at which the rotational speed of the motor shaft 6a, which is fed back to the control unit 11, decreases when the rotational speed of the motor shaft 6a, which is fed back from the motor shaft 6a, reaches a predetermined rotational speed (i.e., after the rotational speed of the motor shaft 6a that sends the signal to the motor drive unit 11 has decreased from the judgment rotational speed to the predetermined rotational speed). If the rate at which the rotational speed of the motor shaft 6a decreases is fast, the control unit 12 determines that the rotating body 5 is not in the correct mounting state. If the rate at which the rotational speed of the motor shaft 6a decreases is slow, the control unit 12 determines that the rotating body 5 is in the correct mounting state. In other words, the rate at which the rotational speed of the rotating body 5 decreases is the rate at which it is reduced per unit time (speed reduction gradient). If the rotating body 5 is in the correct mounting state, the rotating body 5 rotates together with the motor shaft 6a, so the moment of inertia (rotational resistance) of the motor shaft 6a is large, the rate at which it is reduced per unit time is slow (speed reduction gradient is gentle), and the rate at which the rotational speed of the motor shaft 6a decreases is slow. If the rotating body 5 is not properly mounted, the rotating body 5 and the motor shaft 6a will rotate relative to each other. As a result, the moment of inertia (rotational resistance) of the motor shaft 6a will be small, the rate of deceleration per unit time will be fast (the rate of decrease will be steep), and the rotational speed of the motor shaft 6a will decrease rapidly.

[0050] The predetermined rotational speed of the motor 6 for the rotating body at this time can be any speed slower than the rotational speed used for judgment, but it is preferable that it be the speed at which the motor shaft 6a is decelerated by the moment of inertia. In other words, it is preferable that the strength of the current supplied to the motor 6 for the rotating body be set to the speed at which the motor shaft 6a of the motor 6 is decelerated by the moment of inertia. By doing so, the rate at which the rotational speed of the motor shaft 6a decreases from the predetermined rotational speed differs greatly depending on whether the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is correct or incorrect, making it easier to judge the mounting state of the rotating body 5.

[0051] For example, the rate at which the rotational speed of the motor shaft 6a decreases when the rotating body 5 is correctly mounted is set. The rate at which the rotational speed of the monitored motor shaft 6a decreases is compared with the set rate. If the rate at which the rotational speed of the monitored motor shaft 6a decreases is greater than or equal to the set rate, it is determined that the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is incorrect. If the rate at which the rotational speed of the monitored motor shaft 6a decreases is less than the set rate, it is determined that the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is correct. The operation after determining the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is the same as described above. Although a detailed explanation is omitted, after the rotational speed of the motor 6 for the rotating body increases to a judgment speed, the output to the motor 6 for the rotating body is reduced to zero, and the mounting state of the rotating body 5 can be determined by the rate at which the rotational speed of the motor shaft 6a decreases after the output stops.

[0052] From the above explanation, the operation for determining the mounting state of the rotating body 5 in the rotating body drive device of the present invention is as follows: When the control unit 12 receives an input for the start of rotation of the rotating body 5, it rotates the motor 6 for the rotating body at a determination rotation speed that is lower than the normal rotation speed of the motor 6 for the rotating body, then reduces the output to the motor 6 for the rotating body, and determines whether the rotating body 5 is in the correct mounting state or not based on the change in the rotation state of the motor shaft 6a after the output to the motor 6 has been reduced. The change in rotation state is the change in the deceleration state of the motor shaft 6a from the determination rotation speed.

[0053] Next, the configuration of the control unit 12 will be described. If the control unit 12 determines that the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is incorrect, and the user operates the rotation start operation button 13a to rotate the rotating body 5, the rotating body 5 may become jammed between the motor shaft 6a and the shaft insertion hole 5a of the rotating body 5, or the rotating body 5 may come into contact with other components and be damaged. To prevent this, the control unit 12 is configured as follows: When the memory unit 15 has stored that the rotating body 5 is not in the correct mounting state, and the rotation start operation button 13a of the input unit 13 is operated to input the start of rotation of the rotating body 5 to the control unit 12, the control unit 12 does not send the rotation speed of the rotating body motor 6 to the motor drive unit 11, and maintains the output stop to the rotating body motor 6.

[0054] With this configuration, even if the user inputs a command to start the rotation of the rotating body 5 from the input unit 13 after the control unit 12 has determined that the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is incorrect, no current is supplied from the motor drive unit 11 to the motor for the rotating body 6, and the motor for the rotating body 6 does not rotate. In this way, even if the control unit 12 inputs a command to start the rotation of the rotating body 5 again from the input unit 13 when the rotating body 5 is not in the correct mounting state, the rotating body 5 will not rotate, thus preventing the motor shaft 6a from jamming with the shaft insertion hole 5a of the rotating body 5, and preventing the rotating body 5 from coming into contact with other components and being damaged.

[0055] If the user operates the rotation start operation button 13a to rotate the rotating body 5 after it has been determined that the rotating body 5 is not mounted correctly, the aforementioned operation to determine the mounting status of the rotating body 5 will be performed, which may put a load on the rotating body 5 and cause discomfort to the user. To prevent this, the control unit 12 is configured as follows: When the memory unit 15 has stored the information that the rotating body 5 is not mounted correctly, and the user operates the rotation start operation button 13a on the input unit 13 to input a signal to start the rotation of the rotating body 5 to the control unit 12, the control unit 12 does not send the rotation speed of the motor 6 for the rotating body to the motor drive unit 11 and does not perform the operation to determine the mounting status of the rotating body 5 again.

[0056] With this configuration, if the control unit 12 determines that the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is incorrect, and the user operates the rotation start operation button 13a on the input unit 13 to input a command to start the rotation of the rotating body 5 to the control unit 12, no current is sent from the motor drive unit 11 to the motor for the rotating body 6, the motor for the rotating body 6 does not rotate, and the operation to determine the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is not performed again. In this way, once the operation to determine the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is determined to be incorrect, the operation to determine the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is not performed again, thus reducing the load on determining the mounting state of the rotating body 5. Since the operation that occurs when determining the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is not performed multiple times, the user does not experience the discomfort caused by repeated operation during the determination process.

[0057] If, after determining that the rotating body 5 is not properly mounted, the user operates the rotation start operation button 13a to rotate the rotating body 5, the user may find it unnatural if the rotating body 5 does not rotate. To prevent this, the control unit 12 is configured as follows: When the memory unit 15 has stored the information that the rotating body 5 is not properly mounted, and the rotation start operation button 13a on the input unit 13 is operated to input a rotation start signal for the rotating body 5, the control unit 12 maintains the output stop to the rotating body motor 6 without sending the rotation speed of the rotating body motor 6 to the motor drive unit 11, and also notifies the user via the notification means 14 that the rotating body 5 is not properly mounted.

[0058] With this configuration, even if the user inputs a command to start the rotation of the rotating body 5 from the input unit 13 to the control unit 12 after determining that the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is incorrect, no current is sent from the motor drive unit 11 to the motor for the rotating body 6, the motor for the rotating body 6 does not rotate, and the notification means 14 notifies again. In this way, even if the rotating body 5 does not rotate despite the user's operation to start its rotation, the notification from the notification means 14 allows the user to know that the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is incorrect, thus preventing the user from feeling that something is wrong.

[0059] If the control unit 12 is configured such that it does not perform the operation to determine the mounting state of the rotating body 5 even when the rotation start operation button 13a on the input unit 13 is operated, then when the user removes and reinstalls the rotating body 5 after it has been determined that it is not mounted correctly, the control unit 12 will not be able to determine the mounting state of the rotating body 5. To prevent this, the control unit 12 is configured as follows: If the rotation stop operation button 13b on the input unit 13 is operated when the rotation stop of the rotating body 5 is input to the control unit 12, while the rotation stop operation button 13b on the input unit 13 is stored in the storage unit 15 that it has been determined that the rotating body 5 is not mounted correctly, the storage unit 15 is configured to reset the memory of the determination that the rotating body 5 is not mounted correctly.

[0060] With this configuration, if the control unit 12 determines that the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is incorrect, the user can operate the rotation stop button 13b on the input unit 13, which resets the memory in the storage unit 15 that the user determined the rotating body 5 was not mounted correctly. Then, by operating the rotation start button 13a on the input unit 13 to input the rotation start command for the rotating body motor 6 to the control unit 12, the control unit 12 can determine the mounting state of the rotating body 5. Thus, if the user removes and reattaches the rotating body 5 after determining that the mounting state of the rotating body 5 is incorrect, the user can operate the rotation stop button 13b on the input unit 13, which resets the memory in the storage unit 15 that the user determined the rotating body 5 was not mounted correctly. After that, by operating the rotation start button 13a on the input unit 13 to input the rotation start command for the rotating body motor 6 to the control unit 12, the control unit 12 performs the operation to determine the mounting state of the rotating body 5.

[0061] Furthermore, the block diagram used to explain the motor drive control for rotating bodies is not limited to the configuration shown in Figure 4; any configuration that can perform the operations described in the specification is acceptable.

[0062] 5...Rotating body, 5a...Shaft insertion hole, 6...Motor for rotating body, 6a...Motor shaft, 11...Motor drive unit, 12...Control unit, 13...Input unit, 13a...Operation button for starting rotation, 13b...Operation button for stopping rotation, 14...Notification means, 15...Storage unit.

Claims

1. A rotating body drive device that rotates a rotating body by rotating the motor for the rotating body, wherein the motor shaft of the motor for the rotating body is inserted into a shaft insertion hole of the rotating body, and the rotating body is rotated by rotating the motor for the rotating body, the device comprises a control unit that performs an operation to determine the mounting state of the rotating body, an input unit that inputs the start and stop of rotation of the rotating body to the control unit, a detection means for detecting the rotational speed of the motor shaft, and a notification means, wherein the operation of the control unit to determine the mounting state of the rotating body is, when the control unit receives an input to start the rotation of the rotating body, to increase the rotational speed of the motor for the rotating body to a determination rotational speed that is lower than the normal rotational speed of the motor for the rotating body, then to reduce the output to the motor for the rotating body, and to determine whether the rotating body is in the correct mounting state or not based on the change in the rotational state of the motor shaft after the output to the motor for the rotating body has been reduced, and if it is determined that the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state, the notification means notifies the user.

2. A rotating body drive device according to claim 1, wherein, after a specified time has elapsed since reducing the output to the motor for the rotating body, if the rotational speed of the motor shaft detected by the detection means is below a predetermined rotational speed, the device determines that the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state and notifies the user via the notification means.

3. A rotating body drive device according to claim 1, wherein the output to the motor for the rotating body is reduced to a stop, and if the rotational speed of the motor shaft detected by the detection means is less than or equal to a predetermined rotational speed after a specified time has elapsed since the output to the motor for the rotating body was stopped, the device determines that the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state and notifies the user via the notification means.

4. A rotating body drive device according to claim 1, wherein the rate at which the rotational speed of the motor shaft decreases after the output to the motor for the rotating body is reduced is monitored by the rotational speed of the motor shaft detected by the detection means, and if the rate at which the rotational speed of the motor shaft decreases is rapid, it is determined that the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state and the notification means notifies the system.

5. A rotating body drive device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit rotates the motor for the rotating body at a normal rotational speed when it determines that the rotating body is in a correct mounting state, and stops the output to the motor for the rotating body and maintains that output stop when it determines that the rotating body is not in a correct mounting state.

6. A rotating body drive device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit stops outputting to the motor for the rotating body if it determines that the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state, and has a storage unit that stores that it has been determined that the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state, and the control unit maintains the output to the motor for the rotating body even if there is an input to start the rotation of the rotating body.

7. A rotating body drive device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit stops outputting to the motor for the rotating body if it determines that the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state, and has a storage unit that stores that it has been determined that the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state, and when the storage unit stores that it has been determined that the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state, even if there is an input to start the rotation of the rotating body, the control unit maintains the output stopped to the motor for the rotating body and does not perform the operation to determine the mounting state of the rotating body again.

8. A rotating body drive device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit stops outputting to the motor for the rotating body if it determines that the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state, and has a storage unit that stores that it has been determined that the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state, and when the storage unit stores that it has been determined that the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state, even if there is an input to start the rotation of the rotating body, the control unit maintains the output stopped to the motor for the rotating body and notifies again by the notification means.

9. A rotating body drive device according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the control unit resets the memory in the storage unit that it has determined the rotating body is not in the correct mounting state when the input unit receives an input from the input unit to stop the rotation of the rotating body.

10. A mist collection device comprising a rotating body drive device according to claim 1.

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