EP2384678A2 - Vacuum cleaner with filter change indicator - Google Patents

Abstract

The vacuum cleaner (10) has a filter, particularly designed as a vacuum cleaner exhaust filter (26) in an exhaust stream, where a light emitting diode is provided as a lighting medium (100). A ultra-violet sensitive filter change indicator (101) is provided, which is optically controlled. The filter change indicator has a filter mounted in or on the vacuum cleaner.

Description

The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner with a filter, in particular with a vacuum cleaner exhaust filter in a Abluftstromkanal a suction blower included by the vacuum cleaner.

Vacuum cleaners, in particular electric vacuum cleaners in a version as domestic vacuum cleaners, work almost exclusively with multi-stage particle filters. So are usually before a vacuum cleaner fan a pre-filter - preferably designed as a dust bag - and behind an exhaust filter (vacuum cleaner exhaust filter) for the removal of fine dust that still passes the bag provided. The latter takes z. B. still the abrasion of carbon brushes or the like of the drive motor of the fan. Both filter stages must be replaced as consumables by the user of the vacuum cleaner. A user must be reliably and conveniently signaled when the bag or the exhaust filter must be changed as a result of reaching an upper limit for a filling or saturation. For the dust bag sensors are usually used, which operate on the differential pressure principle. For the exhaust filter is known to use an operating time of the filter as a criterion for a required replacement. For this purpose, a time counter is considered, which is reset manually after inserting the exhaust filter by the user and the expiration of a fixed operating time signals the necessary change of the filter. The algorithm for this and necessary operating and display elements are implemented in a vacuum cleaner control or part of the vacuum cleaner control.

The DE 102 29 796 describes a filter with a temperature-dependent integrating consumption indicator. The color of the indicator changes depending on the temperature always when the vacuum cleaner is operated for a long time. The DE 602 05753 T2 describes time-dependent consumption indicators that must be activated by the user by opening a fluid store. A colored indicator liquid diffuses into an absorbent material in the consumption indicator, which then discolors over time and thus represents a measure of the useful life.

The operating time as a criterion for a required filter change, however, does not take into account or not yet optimally an actual load situation of the filter, because the pure, linear time sequence is not able to represent the actual and over time varying usage behavior.

An object of the present invention is accordingly to provide a vacuum cleaner with means for generating a consumption or saturation-compatible filter change signal.

This object is achieved with the features of claim 1. For this purpose, in a vacuum cleaner with a filter, in particular as a vacuum cleaner exhaust filter in a Abluftstromkanal a vacuum cleaner suction filter acting, at least one electrically variably controllable light emitting means provided with a beam region comprising an optically sensitive filter change indicator mounted in or on the vacuum cleaner filter.

With the electrically variably controllable light source, which detects an optically sensitive filter change indicator of the filter with its beam area, a consumption and thus saturation-compliant irradiation of the filter change indicator can be effected by the light source. While a per se known optically sensitive filter change indicator, the z. B. ambient light is independent of an actual use of the vacuum cleaner and the same regardless of the operating state of the vacuum cleaner on the ambient light, the approach according to the invention, a reaction of the optically sensitive filter change indicator is provided at least or exclusively on the variably controllable light source. The variably controllable lighting means is only active when the vacuum cleaner is in operation, so that a reaction of the optically sensitive filter change indicator outside the operating phases of the vacuum cleaner is excluded or at least reduced. The reaction of the optically sensitive filter change indicator, e.g. B. its discoloration or decolorization, is a saturation-compatible filter change signal.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims. This used backlinks point to the further development of the subject matter of the main claim by the features of the respective subclaim; they may also contain independent inventions having a design independent of the objects of the preceding claims and are not to be understood as a waiver of the achievement of independent, objective protection for their characteristics. Furthermore, with a view to an interpretation of the claims in a closer specification of a feature in a subordinate claim, it is to be assumed that such a restriction does not exist in the respective preceding claims.

Preferably, a light-emitting diode emitting in the ultraviolet range is provided as the light-emitting means, so that a basically UV-sensitive filter change indicator can be used as the optically sensitive filter change indicator.

For electrically variable control of the bulb, this is not only activated during operation of the vacuum cleaner, but also controlled variable depending on a vacuum cleaner set or adjustable power level. In a particular embodiment, a controllable by a vacuum cleaner control of the vacuum cleaner power source is provided, from which the or each light source is fed for electrically variable control. The control of the power source by the vacuum cleaner control is carried out depending on the set or adjustable power level of the vacuum cleaner. In this embodiment, the irradiation of the optically sensitive filter change indicator takes place not only during the operating phases of the vacuum cleaner, but also during these operating phases depending on the power level of the vacuum cleaner used. Since the power level of the vacuum cleaner determines the power with which the suction fan of the vacuum cleaner is operated, this power level is proportional to an amount of particles or the like, which are supplied in the exhaust duct of the suction fan to the attached vacuum cleaner exhaust filter. With this proportionality results in a proportional dependence of an increasing saturation level of the vacuum cleaner exhaust filter of the power level.

If the vacuum cleaner comprises a control window enabling optical control of the filter change indicator and designed as a UV filter, the condition of the filter change indicator can be checked without the need to open the vacuum cleaner or even remove the filter. If the control window is designed as a UV filter and the filter change indicator is a UV-sensitive filter change indicator, it is ensured that there is no entry of a light energy that falsifies the state of the filter change indicator via the control window. As a UV-sensitive filter change indicator, it reacts only or essentially only to UV light, which is filtered out of the ambient light by the UV-filtered control window, so that the filter change indicator remains visible through the control window without the necessary illumination of the filter change indicator its condition falsifies.

Alternatively or in addition to the ability of a user to control the state of the filter change indicator through the control window, the vacuum cleaner may be equipped with a sensor for evaluating a change in at least one optical property of the filter change indicator. This eliminates the need for the user to periodically check the filter change indicator, and this check can instead be done automatically by the sensor. In a still existing control window for optical control of the filter change indicator the user has the opportunity to convince himself of the further usability of the vacuum cleaner exhaust filter and / or to monitor the automatic inspection of the filter change indicator.

As a sensor for evaluating a change in at least one optical property of the filter change indicator is an electro-optical system with a beam source and a photodiode or a phototransistor into consideration. The photodiode or the phototransistor is able to generate an electrical signal, which is dependent on a detected amount of light in a suitable, known per se circuitry. The photodiode or the phototransistor are oriented so as to detect the at least one optical property of the filter change indicator so that the filter change indicator lies in its or its detection range. The photodiode or the phototransistor then detect z. B. reflected by the filter change indicator light. The reflected amount of light changes z. B. with a color change of the filter change indicator. For this reason, with an electro-optical system as a sensor at least one optical property of the filter change indicator, ie z. B. its color or color changes detectable.

If the or each light source also functions as a beam source of the electro-optical system for evaluating a change in the at least one optical property of the filter change indicator, a separate beam source is not required and the or each light source assumes a dual function, namely the irradiation of the filter change indicator There to cause a consumption-dependent change of at least one optical property of the filter change indicator, and on the other hand, the irradiation of the filter change indicator to detect detectable by the photodiode or the phototransistor, reflected by the filter change indicator light radiation. Since the light radiation reflected by the filter change indicator also depends on the type of activation of the light source when using the electrically variably controllable light source as the beam source of the electro-optical system, this control must be taken into account in the evaluation of the signal delivered by the photodiode or by the phototransistor, z. B. by a gain, which is inversely proportional to the current, which is used in the control of the bulb.

If a signal that can be processed by a vacuum cleaner control comprised by the vacuum cleaner can be generated with the sensor, the sensor signal can be processed and / or processed by the vacuum cleaner control, for example by means of a vacuum cleaner control. B. according to an implemented in the vacuum cleaner control algorithm and / or with a z. B. covered by the vacuum cleaner control filter and / or amplification circuit.

If the vacuum cleaner control comprises means for comparing the signal that can be generated by the sensor with a predetermined or predefinable threshold value and a control signal can be generated as a function of the result of the comparison, the generation of the control signal z. B. only when a characterized by the predetermined or predetermined threshold threshold with respect to the saturation of the Vacuum cleaner exhaust filter is reached. As a means for comparing the signal and threshold value is a known comparator into consideration, which may be implemented in software or hardware as part of the vacuum cleaner control.

To inform a user about the achievement or exceeding of such a limit is a signal device, so an optical display element or an acoustic signal, so that an embodiment of the vacuum cleaner is characterized in that due to a signal generated by the sensor or due to the control signal of the vacuum cleaner control the signaling device is controllable. As long as the saturation level limit of the vacuum cleaner exhaust air filter is not reached, the user need not worry about its monitoring or control. Once the limit is reached, the user is alerted to this fact by the automatic control of the signaling device. As signaling device then acts z. As an optical display element and due to an optical indication of reaching or exceeding the limit with respect to the degree of saturation of the vacuum cleaner exhaust filter, the user can make or cause its replacement.

An embodiment of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings. Corresponding objects or elements are provided in all figures with the same reference numerals. The or each embodiment is not to be understood as limiting the invention. Rather, numerous modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the present disclosure, in particular those variants, elements and combinations and / or materials, for example, by combination or modification of individual in conjunction with those in the general description, the or each embodiment and the claims described and contained in the drawings features or elements or method steps for a person skilled in the art with regard to solving the problem and lead by combinable features to a new subject or to new process steps or process steps.

Fig. 1

einen an sich bekannten Staubsauger und

Fig. 2

einen Staubsauger mit einem elektrisch variabel ansteuerbaren Leuchtmittel mit einem Strahlbereich, der einen optisch sensitiven Filterwechselindikator eines im oder am Staubsauger angebrachten Staubsaugerabluftfilters umfasst,

Fig. 3

den Staubsaugerabluftfilter mit einem Leuchtmittel und dem Filterwechselindikator in dessen Strahlbereich,

Fig. 4

eine Prinzipdarstellung einer Schaltung zur elektrisch variablen Ansteuerung des Leuchtmittels,

Fig. 5

einen Zusammenhang zwischen einer Strahlungsintensität des Leuchtmittels oder dessen Betriebsstrom und der Betriebszeit des Staubsaugerabluftfilters,

Fig. 6

den Staubsaugerabluftfilter aus Fig. 3 mit einem Sensor zur Auswertung einer Veränderung mindestens einer optischen Eigenschaft des Filterwechselindikators und

Fig. 7

eine Prinzipdarstellung einer Schaltung zur automatischen Generierung eines Filterwechselsignals.

Show it

Fig. 1

a vacuum cleaner known per se and

Fig. 2

a vacuum cleaner with an electrically variably controllable light source with a beam area, which comprises an optically sensitive filter change indicator of a vacuum cleaner exhaust filter mounted in or on the vacuum cleaner,

Fig. 3

the vacuum cleaner exhaust filter with a lamp and the filter change indicator in its beam area,

Fig. 4

a schematic diagram of a circuit for electrically variable control of the bulb,

Fig. 5

a relationship between a radiation intensity of the luminous means or its operating current and the operating time of the vacuum cleaner exhaust filter,

Fig. 6

the vacuum cleaner exhaust filter off Fig. 3 with a sensor for evaluating a change in at least one optical property of the filter change indicator and

Fig. 7

a schematic diagram of a circuit for automatically generating a filter change signal.

Fig. 1 shows a vacuum cleaner 10 known per se, which has a dust chamber 12 with there attachable dust bag 14. In the dust bag 14 16 supplied dust via a suction hose 16 is collected. The dust 18 in turn is transported by the suction flow 20, the blower 22 (vacuum cleaner fan) generated. The dust chamber 12 is closed by means of a dust chamber cover 24. Finer components of the dust 18 that pass through the dust bag 14, pass through the exhaust air or the suction flow 20 of the blower 22 in a vacuum cleaner exhaust filter 26th

The vacuum cleaner 10 comprises a control computer 28 as a vacuum cleaner control, which is in operative connection with a vacuum cleaner 10 arranged on the operating and display unit 30. About the signals of the control and display unit 30, the suction power of the fan 22 and thus a quantity of recordable dust 18 is set by the control computer 28 through the vacuum cleaner 10.

Further, in individual embodiments of the known vacuum cleaner 10, the control and display unit 30 indicates a change of the vacuum cleaner exhaust filter 26 which becomes necessary as a function of z. In a vacuum cleaner 10 with such functionality after the replacement of the vacuum cleaner exhaust filter 26 via the control and display unit 30 of the operating time counter is reset.

An embodiment of the invention is in Fig. 2 shown schematically simplified in a side view. Related to this Fig. 3 in a schematically simplified, perspective view of the vacuum cleaner exhaust filter 26th

Fig. 2 shows the vacuum cleaner 10 with the vacuum cleaner exhaust filter 26 and an optically sensitive, in particular UV-sensitive filter change indicator 101. In the area or against the filter change indicator 101 is a light source 100, in particular a UV light source, ie z. As a UV-LED, attached, which is / are driven by the control computer 28 of the vacuum cleaner 10. Under the influence of the radiation of the luminous means 100, the filter change indicator 101 continuously changes at least one optical property, e.g. B. its color. In a color change of the filter change indicator 101 results z. B. a transition from black to a new vacuum cleaner exhaust filter 26 to yellow or red with saturated vacuum cleaner exhaust filter 26 by z. B. by UV irradiation, the black color component is slowly decomposed and the yellow or red color component emerges.

In addition, it may be provided (not shown) that a previously non-transparent strip on the filter change indicator 101 is continuously switched to transparent to show an underlying colored signal strip.

In the area of the filter change indicator 101, mainly above the filter change indicator 101, there is a transparent control window 102, through which the filter change indicator 101 can be viewed from the outside. The control window 102 can be embodied as a UV filter in order to prevent the ambient light falling through the control window 102 from falling on the filter change indicator 101, which also has UV components, from discoloring the filter change indicator 101 regardless of consumption.

Fig. 4 schematically shows a simplified embodiment of the connection of the light source 100 to the control computer 28 of the vacuum cleaner 10. The light source 100 is powered by a power source 200 with an operating current 201, wherein the power source 200 is controlled by the control computer 28 power source 200. As a control variable for the operating current 201 of the luminous means 100, a power P1 (power level) of the vacuum cleaner 10 set on the operating and display unit 30 functions.

A central idea of the approach of the present invention is the change of at least one optical property - explained below using the example of a color change - attached to the vacuum cleaner exhaust filter 26 (exhaust filter) Filterwechselindikators 101 by one with the dust receptacle of the vacuum cleaner 10 and thus with the Dust entry in the vacuum cleaner exhaust filter 26 correlated size to control, so as to realize a consumption and use or saturation-dependent filter change display. Thereafter, the consumption-dependent or consumption-oriented color change of the filter change indicator 101 takes place as follows: With a level of the power P1 set on the operating and display unit 30, the suction flow 20 moved by the vacuum cleaner 10 or by the blower 22 also changes and thus the intensity of the recording of dust 18 from the ground. As a result, the dust input into the vacuum cleaner exhaust filter 26 increases with the power P1. Depending on the power P1, the control computer 28 changes the level of the operating current 201 and thus the radiation intensity of the luminous means 100. For use-dependent activation of the luminous means 100, the functional relationship "I = f (P1)" in the control computer 28 is preferably correlated to the relationship "Dust pickup = f (P1)" deposited, so z. B. as a software algorithm or in the form of a hardware implementation. So, for example the operating current 201 at maximum power P1 30mA and in the lowest setting P1 5mA amount, whereby the amount of dust in the vacuum cleaner exhaust filter 26 is indirectly transferred to each acting on the filter change indicator 101 radiation intensity of the lamp 100 or UV illuminant. The sensitivity or UV sensitivity of the filter change indicator 101 is designed or calibrated under laboratory conditions such that, with continuous, uninterrupted absorption of a standardized test dust in the highest power level P1, the color change of the filter change indicator 101 changes from, for example, black to yellow or red within about fifty Operating hours. If the user deviates from the maximum power P1, the radiation intensity of the luminous means 100 changes via the operating current 201, which leads to a deceleration of the color change of the filter change indicator 101. The vacuum cleaner exhaust filter 26 may remain longer in the vacuum cleaner 10, since at reduced power P1, the capacity limit of the vacuum cleaner exhaust filter 26 is reached later due to the lower dust input. The lower the selected power P1, the longer the allowable service life of the vacuum cleaner exhaust filter 26.

This fact clarifies additionally the Fig. 5 It shows the relationship between the radiation intensity <t * of the luminous means 100 or its operating current 201 1 and the operating time t of the vacuum cleaner exhaust filter 26. The surface of the rectangle E1 symbolizes the energy which is applied to the complete discoloration of the filter change indicator 101 by the illuminant 100 got to. The necessary energy input does not change with the height of the operating current 201 1, so that a longer service life of the vacuum cleaner exhaust filter 26 results at reduced operating current 201 at constant energy input or constant area of the rectangle, which is illustrated by the rectangle E2. For example, the service life of the vacuum cleaner exhaust filter 26 may be about one hundred hours at the lowest power P1.

If a z. B. yellow color of the consumption indicator through the control window 102 visible, must or should the vacuum cleaner exhaust filter 26 are replaced.

Another embodiment of the invention is in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 shown. This is characterized in that a request to change the vacuum cleaner exhaust filter 26 is generated automatically. In the case of an automatically generated filter change signal, the user of the vacuum cleaner 10 no longer has to read the filter change indicator 101 himself through the control window 102. Fig. 6 shows, as an example of a sensor for evaluating a change in at least one optical property of the filter change indicator 101, a reflection light barrier 300 arranged opposite the filter change indicator 101 and beside or behind the light source 100, which monitors the current color status of the filter change indicator 101. Such reflection light barriers include in known type a transmitter (beam source) and a receiver, for. B. an infrared transmitting diode 301 ( Fig. 7 ) or an infrared receiver diode or infrared transistor / infrared receiver transistor 302 (FIG. Fig. 7 ). Thus, the reflection light barrier 300 provides, for example, a high voltage signal of z. B. 5V at a new vacuum cleaner exhaust filter 26 and black filter change indicator 101 and a low voltage signal of z. B. 1 V with spent vacuum cleaner exhaust filter 26 and yellow filter change indicator 101st

A signal generated by the reflection light barrier 300 during operation is read in by the control computer 28, which causes the Fig. 7 illustrated schematically. The transmission beam 303 emanating from the transmitting diode 301 is reflected in intensity as a function of the color state of the filter change indicator 101 as a receiving beam 304 and detected by the receiving transistor 302. The light energy of the receive beam 304 changes the resistance of the receive transistor 302 and results in a variable transistor voltage. Depending on the reflectance of the filter change indicator 101, which is least pronounced when the filter change indicator black 101, the control computer 28 detects the respective transistor voltage from, for example, 5V at low reflectance to, for example, 1V at high reflectance, which is at spent vacuum cleaner exhaust filter 26 with yellow filter change indicator 101 results. If the voltage of the receiving transistor 302 falls below a permissible value of z. B. 1 V, the control computer 28 activates a signaling device, namely z. B. located in the control and display unit 30 signal light 400, which prompts the user to change the filter.

The recognition of the filter replacement is advantageously also automated in analogy to the above-described function of the consumption sensor by the signal lamp 400 is turned off in the control and display unit 30 by the control computer 28 again. The user only needs to change the vacuum cleaner exhaust filter 26 and the vacuum cleaner 10 automatically adapts to the new vacuum cleaner exhaust filter 26.

As light-emitting means 100, conventional light-emitting diodes also come into consideration in the case of a UV-sensitive filter change indicator 101 whose spectrum has a high UV component or whose combination with additive color mixing can produce ultraviolet light, such as white, violet, blue through light-emitting diodes , green and red. Thus, the combination of white, violet, blue, green and red light can produce ultraviolet light. The sensitivity of the filter change indicator 101 is adjusted accordingly. If necessary, a reduction in the cost of the luminous means 100 is possible by this measure.

The invention is thus briefly described as follows: A vacuum cleaner 10 with a filter is specified, in particular a filter acting as a vacuum cleaner exhaust filter 26 in an exhaust air flow duct of a suction blower 22 comprised by the vacuum cleaner 10, with at least one light source 100 having a beam range that can be electrically controlled variably. which comprises an optically sensitive filter change indicator 101 of a filter mounted in or on the vacuum cleaner 10 so that the filter change indicator 101 is irradiated by the luminous means 100 because of the electrically variable actuation depending on the operation or operating mode of the vacuum cleaner, so that in the course of the time due to the irradiation results in a change of at least one optical property of the filter change indicator 101, wherein the changing or changed optical property represents a consumption or saturation-conforming signal for a necessary filter change. Further advantages of individual embodiments are that the user does not have to manually reset the signal light 400 after the filter change, since this is either eliminated by the visible filter change indicator 101 according to the invention on the vacuum cleaner exhaust filter 26 or is automatically performed by the control computer 28. Overall, the filter functioning as a vacuum cleaner exhaust filter 26 receives a high-quality appearance through the filter replacement indicator 101 as a "sophisticated" vacuum cleaner exhaust filter 26. In addition, no operation time counter or the like needs to be heeded or reset.

Claims (10)

Vacuum cleaner (10) having a filter, in particular a filter acting as a vacuum cleaner exhaust filter (26) in an exhaust air flow channel of a suction blower (22) enclosed by the vacuum cleaner (10),
marked by
at least one during the operation of the vacuum cleaner electrically variable as a function of a vacuum cleaner (10) set or adjustable power level of the vacuum cleaner (10) controllable light source (100) having a beam region having an optically sensitive filter change indicator (101) in or on a vacuum cleaner ( 10) attached filter comprises. Vacuum cleaner (10) according to Claim 1, having a light-emitting diode emitting in the ultraviolet range as the light source (100) and a UV-sensitive filter change indicator (101). Vacuum cleaner (10) according to claim 1 or 2, with a, in particular by a vacuum cleaner control of the vacuum cleaner (10), controllable current source (200) for electrically variable control of the lighting means (100). Vacuum cleaner (10) according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, having a control window (102) enabling optical control of the filter change indicator (101) and designed as a UV filter. Vacuum cleaner (10) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a sensor for evaluating a change in at least one optical property of the filter change indicator (101). Vacuum cleaner (10) according to claim 5, having an electro-optical system with a beam source and a photodiode or a phototransistor as a sensor for evaluating a change in at least one optical property of the filter change indicator (101). Vacuum cleaner (10) according to claim 6, wherein the or each illuminant (100) also acts as a beam source of the electro-optical system for evaluating a change in the at least one optical property of the filter change indicator (101). Vacuum cleaner (10) according to claim 5, 6, or 7, wherein the sensor can be generated by a signal from the vacuum cleaner (10) vacuum cleaner control processable signal. Vacuum cleaner (10) according to claim 8, wherein the vacuum cleaner control means for comparing the sensor-generated signal with a predetermined or comprises predefinable threshold and wherein a control signal can be generated depending on the result of the comparison. Vacuum cleaner (10) according to claim 5, 6, 7 or 8 or claim 9, wherein due to a signal generated by the sensor or due to the control signal, a signaling device, in particular by a vacuum cleaner control of the vacuum cleaner (10), can be controlled.

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