Floor Care Device Automatic Power Control to Reduce Energy Consumption

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing floor care devices, such as vacuum cleaners, often consume excessive energy due to users typically setting them at maximum power for convenience, leading to inefficiency and reduced service life for handles and control electronics, while also increasing environmental impact.

Innovation Solution

An automatic power control system that sets a default, energy-efficient operating power when the device is switched on, which can be adjusted by the user through a handle or other controls, allowing for reduced energy consumption without compromising performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the device is set to maximum power for convenience, then ease of operation is improved, but energy consumption increases and service life of components decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The device automatically selects and switches between power levels based on detected operating conditions without user intervention. The control system monitors parameters such as motor load, suction pressure, or operating mode and autonomously adjusts power consumption, allowing the device to serve itself in optimizing energy usage while maintaining required performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of operation

If the device is set to maximum power for convenience, then ease of operation is improved, but service life of handles and control electronics decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoidservice life of components
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The device dynamically adjusts its power level based on real-time operating conditions rather than remaining static at maximum power. The control system continuously monitors parameters and adapts power consumption accordingly, reducing stress on components during normal operation while maintaining high power availability when needed, thus extending component service life.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Use of energy by moving object

If automatic power control is implemented, then energy consumption is reduced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The automatic power control system incorporates feedback mechanisms that monitor operating parameters such as motor current, suction pressure, or operational mode and use this information to automatically adjust power levels. This feedback loop enables the device to optimize energy consumption based on actual needs without requiring complex user programming or intervention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP2783618B1Floor care device with power saving function
Publication Date: 2020.07.15 BSH HAUSGERATE GMBH
  • EP2783618B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2783618B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The invention relates to an electrically operable floor care device with a motor and a manual power control for the motor, the floor care device comprising a handle for a user to manually select a desired operating power of the motor from two or more possible desired operating powers. The floor care device includes an automatic power control for the motor, which is configured to override the desired operating power manually selected by means of the handle when the motor of the floor care device is switched on and to operate the motor automatically at a specified automatic operating power instead of at the desired operating power selected via the handle. Such an automatic power control, which overrides a manually selected desired operating power immediately when the floor care appliance is switched on, then results in two energy-saving methods according to the invention for such a floor care appliance. Achievable benefits can be, for example, improved user-friendliness and reduced energy requirements.