EP3795052A1 - Domestic appliance, preferably vacuum cleaner, particularly preferably hand-held vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a household appliance (1), preferably a vacuum cleaner (1), particularly preferably a hand-held vacuum cleaner (1). The household appliance (1) is characterized in that the household appliance (1) is designed to detect at least one vibration of at least one section of the household appliance (1) and / or at least one vibration-generating component of the household appliance (1), and that the household appliance (1 ) is also designed to recognize an operating state of the household appliance (1) and / or the vibration-generating component based on the detected vibration.

Description

The invention relates to a household appliance, preferably a vacuum cleaner, particularly preferably a hand-held vacuum cleaner, according to the preamble of claim 1.

Nowadays, a wide variety of electrical devices are known which are used in the household to make everyday life easier for the user. This includes in particular household appliances that are used to clean the household and are used in the kitchen. In both cases, a distinction can be made between stationary household appliances and mobile household appliances. Stationary household appliances can be, for example, washing machines, tumble dryers and the like for cleaning the household, as well as hobs, refrigerators, ovens, steamers and the like for preparing or storing food. Mobile household appliances can be e.g. vacuum cleaners for cleaning the household, e.g. irons to smooth clothes after drying and e.g. kettles for heating water.

Such mobile household devices are usually held, guided and / or operated by a user with one hand or with both hands when used as intended, which is why mobile household devices can also be referred to as hand-held or hand-operated household devices. As already mentioned, these can be, for example, vacuum cleaners and especially hand-held vacuum cleaners. Holding, guiding and / or operating with at least one hand of a user can also generally be referred to as handling.

Many of the mobile and stationary household appliances mentioned above by way of example have at least one electric motor in order to drive, for example, a laundry drum of a washing machine, a tumble dryer or a washer dryer. An electric motor can also be used to drive, for example, a fan wheel of a fan of a vacuum cleaner, a floor brush of a vacuum cleaner, an oven or a steam cooker and to generate an air flow or to let a brush rotate on a surface.

If such an electric motor, which can also be referred to as an electric motor, is to be operated in a speed-controlled manner, the actual speed is usually detected by sensors required in order to compare this with a predetermined target speed and to generate the manipulated variable for the electric motor from this.

Furthermore, for safety reasons, a blockage of the floor brush and thus its electric motor must be able to be detected in a vacuum cleaner, e.g. to avoid overheating or a fire in the motor windings. It must also be possible to detect an overload of the electric motor of the floor brush so that it can be switched off in good time and overheating and damage to the electric motor resulting therefrom can be avoided.

Since these functions are usually implemented based on the detected speed of the electric motor, an exact detection of the speed of the electric motor is required, which must take place reliably over the entire service life of the household appliance. For this purpose, a sensor-based speed detection can take place, but this requires a speed sensor.

The invention thus poses the problem of providing a household appliance so that the operating state of the household appliance can be recognized. In particular, it should be possible to determine the speed of the electric motor as a vibration-generating component as simply, inexpensively, precisely and reliably as possible. For this purpose, it should preferably be possible to dispense with a classic speed sensor. The operating state should preferably be recognized as reliably as possible over the service life of the household appliance. As an alternative or in addition, an overload of the electric motor and / or a blockage of the electric motor should preferably be able to be detected. As an alternative or in addition, technical defects of the household appliance and in particular of the vibration-generating components that are on the horizon should preferably be able to be detected.

According to the invention, this problem is solved by a household appliance with the features of claim 1. Advantageous refinements and developments of the invention emerge from the following subclaims.

The invention thus relates to a household appliance, preferably a vacuum cleaner, particularly preferably a hand-held vacuum cleaner, which is characterized in that the household appliance is designed to detect at least one vibration of at least one section of the household appliance and / or at least one vibration-generating component of the household appliance, and that the household appliance is further designed to recognize an operating state of the household appliance and / or the vibration-generating component based on the detected vibration. The vibration-generating component of the household appliance can preferably be a rotating component and in particular an electric motor. In the case of a vacuum cleaner, the electric motor can in particular do that Drive the fan or the brush of a nozzle. A vibration is to be understood as a periodic, mechanical oscillation. The vibration can preferably be viewed as a time curve or as a frequency spectrum obtained therefrom.

The invention is based on the knowledge that the vibrations that occur during normal use of a household appliance in operation are known. These can be determined, for example, by simulation or tests under laboratory conditions and the like. The vibrations of several operating states can also be known as a result. These vibrations, which occur during operation or in different operating states of the household appliance when the household appliance is used as intended and handled and used by the user, can be viewed as the desired vibrations of normal operation or various normal operating states.

If the vibrations actually occurring during operation are recorded, they can be compared directly or indirectly, e.g. by means of a frequency analysis, with at least one known desired vibration. Taking into account appropriate tolerances, according to the invention, at least one can choose between a desired normal operation in which the detected vibrations have sufficient similarity to a known, predetermined vibration of a desired normal operation, and an abnormal operation in which this similarity does not exist or the appropriate one Tolerance is not adhered to, can be distinguished. In this way, the operation of the household appliance can be assessed as a function of the detected vibrations and at least a distinction can be made between a desired normal and an undesired abnormal operation.

According to one aspect of the invention, the vibration-generating component is an electric motor and the household appliance is further designed to determine a rotational speed of the electric motor based on the detected vibration. For this purpose, at least one vibration can be known, the speed of which is known, so that if there is sufficient correspondence between the detected vibration and known vibration, the corresponding known speed can be deduced. Preferably, there can be a plurality of known vibrations with corresponding known rotational speeds, of which that one can be recognized as the rotational speed of the electric motor which has the greatest correspondence with the detected vibration. This means that a distinction can be made between different speeds. This allows the speed of the electric motor to be determined without having to use a classic speed sensor or a speed determination via its induction voltage.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the household appliance is also designed to regulate the speed of the electric motor based on the determined speed. This enables speed control to be implemented without having to use a classic speed sensor or determine the speed via its induction voltage.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the household appliance is also designed to compare the detected vibration with at least one predetermined vibration, preferably with at least two predetermined vibrations, and to recognize the operating state of the household appliance and / or the vibration-generating component as a function of the result of the comparison , preferably to determine the speed of the electric motor. As a result, the previously described possibilities of the household appliance can be implemented in concrete terms.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the household appliance is also designed to use a frequency analysis of the detected vibration to determine a frequency spectrum of the detected vibration, to compare the specific frequency spectrum of the detected vibration with at least one predetermined frequency spectrum, preferably with at least two predetermined frequency spectra, and as a function the result of the comparison to recognize the operating state of the household appliance and / or the vibration-generating component, preferably to determine the speed of the electric motor. The implementation of the comparison described above in the frequency domain can improve the result of the observation or comparison.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the household appliance is further designed to recognize an overload of the vibration-generating component based on the detected vibration, preferably based on the specific frequency spectrum of the detected vibration. In this way, the previously described aspects of the invention can also be used for this purpose, so that such an operating state can also be recognized without additional measures.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the household appliance is further designed to influence, preferably reduce or terminate, the operation of the vibration-generating component in response to a detected overload of the vibration-generating component. This can make it possible for the household appliance to react to this recognized operating state automatically and thus without any action on the part of the user. Reducing or even stopping the operation of the vibration-generating component can in particular counteract a progressive overload of the vibration-generating component.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the household appliance is further designed to recognize a blockage of the vibration-generating component based on the detected vibration, preferably based on the specific frequency spectrum of the detected vibration. In this way, the previously described aspects of the invention can also be used for this purpose, so that such an operating state can also be recognized without additional measures.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the household appliance is further designed to influence, preferably reduce or terminate, the operation of the vibration-generating component in response to a detected blockage of the vibration-generating component. This can make it possible for the household appliance to react to this recognized operating state automatically and thus without any action on the part of the user. Reducing or even stopping the operation of the vibration-generating component can in particular prevent the blockage of the vibration-generating component from damaging or destroying it and from having a damaging effect on other components of the household appliance.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the household appliance is also designed to recognize an undesired operating state of the household appliance and / or the vibration-generating component and to output information to a user in response thereto. This can be done optically, acoustically and / or haptically as well as a message on e.g. a mobile device such as a smartphone. In this way, the user can be informed about the detected undesired operating state in order to be able to react to it and, if necessary, to rectify it.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the household appliance is also designed to recognize an undesired operating state of the household appliance and / or the vibration-generating component and, in response to this, to determine a remaining useful life of the household appliance until maintenance and preferably to display it to a user. This can be done optically, acoustically and / or haptically as well as a message on e.g. a mobile device such as a smartphone. In this way, the user can be informed about the remaining useful life of the household appliance up to maintenance, in order to be able to plan and carry out further use of the household appliance and its maintenance.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the household appliance has at least one acceleration sensor which is arranged and designed to detect the vibrations as accelerations. Such an acceleration sensor can preferably be used to detect vibrations in one direction of the household appliance or the vibration-generating Component designed and arranged accordingly on the household appliance or on the vibration-generating component. Possibly. accelerations in several directions, preferably perpendicular to one another, can also be recorded, which, although increasing the costs of the acceleration sensor and the effort of the evaluation, can also enable additional options for analyzing the recorded vibrations. In any case, the above-described vibrations can be detected by detecting accelerations, so that the above-described aspects of the invention can be carried out based on the detected acceleration or its course over time or its frequency spectrum.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the household appliance is a vacuum cleaner. Thus, the aspects of the invention described above can be implemented in a vacuum cleaner. This can be advantageous because, for example, through the fan and possibly through a driven nozzle in a vacuum cleaner, sufficiently strong and significant vibrations can occur during normal operation in order to be able to effectively implement the aspects of the invention described above.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the vacuum cleaner has a nozzle with a brush, the vacuum cleaner being designed to detect the vibrations, preferably the accelerations, of the brush. Since the brush of a nozzle of the vacuum cleaner can cause significant vibrations and malfunctions such as motor overload, for example due to dirt accumulating, the application of the above-described aspects of the invention to this component of the vacuum cleaner can be particularly useful and effective.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the vacuum cleaner is designed to reduce the vibrations, preferably the accelerations, of a belt, preferably a toothed belt, the brush and / or a design feature, preferably an arrangement of the bristles and / or rollers, the brush and / or or an imbalance, preferably an additional additional mass arranged on the brush and / or on an electric motor of the brush, to detect the brush. Particularly significant vibrations can occur at these points, so that the application of the previously described aspects of the invention to one or more of these components of the vacuum cleaner can be particularly effective.

1. a) ein Zahnriemen, welcher die Antriebskraft des Bodenbürsten-Motors auf die Bodenbürsten-Walze überträgt;
2. b) eine Bodenbürsten-Ausgestaltung wie die Positionierung von Borsten und bzw. oder Walzen auf der Bodenbürsten-Walze, welche den Bodenbelag "sauber-bürsten" sollen;
3. c) eine an der Bodenbürsten-Walze oder an dem BodenbürstenMotors absichtlich eingebrachte zusätzliche Masse, z.B. als Unwucht-Quelle, welche eine drehzahlproportionale und unwuchtbedingte Vibration generieren kann.

In other words, the invention is based on the knowledge that an acceleration sensor can be located in a vacuum cleaner, which can continuously measure the acceleration values acting on the device. If the floor brush starts up, the vacuum cleaner starts to vibrate specifically. The following floor brush components can be regarded as the source of these vibrations:

1. a) a toothed belt which transmits the driving force of the floor brush motor to the floor brush roller;
2. b) a floor brush design such as the positioning of bristles and / or rollers on the floor brush roller, which are intended to "brush clean" the floor covering;
3. c) an additional mass intentionally introduced on the floor brush roller or on the floor brush motor, for example as an unbalance source, which can generate unbalance-related vibration that is proportional to the speed.

These vibration sources can be measured with an acceleration sensor. With the help of a frequency analysis of the vibrations occurring in the device, in conjunction with knowledge of the frequency-spectral vibration behavior of the sources a), b) or c) mentioned, the speed of the brush can be determined.

In addition to being useful in regulating the brush, the determined speed can also be used to detect a possible overload of the motor. If the motor is overloaded, the speed is usually lower than usual at the operating point or, with speed control, the control signal of the controller is significantly higher than usual at the operating point.

If the vacuum cleaner is operated and the brush suddenly becomes blocked, this can be expressed as a jolt and the absence of the typical operating vibrations. This characteristic can be recognized via the acceleration sensor and the engine can be switched off.

In addition, in the sense of predictive maintenance, unusual vibrations in the vibration spectrum can be recognized and assigned to a cause of failure or wear, e.g. toothed belt damage, ball bearing damage, contamination of the brush and the associated imbalance as well as consumption or wear of the brush contacts or the commutator.

Advantages of the invention can thus be a higher reliability of the speed measurement over the entire service life of the device as well as the detection of blockage and overload of the motor. In addition, upcoming technical defects can be detected early in the sense of predictive maintenance and countermeasures can be initiated, e.g. replacement of the toothed belt by customer service or cleaning of the brush by the user.

Figur 1

eine schematische Seitenansicht eines erfindungsgemäßen Haushaltsgeräts in Form eines Staubsaugers bzw. eines Handstaubsaugers.

An embodiment of the invention is shown purely schematically in the drawing and is described in more detail below. It shows

Figure 1

a schematic side view of a household appliance according to the invention in the form of a vacuum cleaner or a handheld vacuum cleaner.

The above figure is viewed in Cartesian coordinates. A longitudinal direction X extends, which can also be referred to as depth X or length X. A transverse direction (not shown), which can also be referred to as the width, extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X. A vertical direction Z, which can also be referred to as the height Z, extends perpendicularly both to the longitudinal direction X and to the transverse direction.

The Figure 1 shows a schematic side view of a household appliance 1 according to the invention in the form of a vacuum cleaner 1 or a handheld vacuum cleaner 1. The handheld vacuum cleaner 1 has a housing 10 which can be held and guided by a user by means of a handle 11. In the housing 10, a fan including a fan drive as well as at least one filter and an exhaust opening are arranged (not shown). A suction tube 12 is arranged on the housing 10 opposite the handle 11. At the opposite end of the suction tube 12, a nozzle 13 is provided, which can also be referred to as a floor nozzle 13 or a brush head 13. The nozzle 13 has an interior space which is designed to be open at the bottom by means of an opening 15, which can also be referred to as a suction opening 15. A brush 14 is arranged inside the interior of the nozzle 13 and can be driven in rotation by means of a brush motor (not shown).

The hand vacuum cleaner 1 can be placed by a user on a floor 2 or on a floor covering 2 such as a carpet with the nozzle 13 and moved back and forth in the longitudinal direction X in order to clean the floor 2 as the surface 2 to be cleaned. For this purpose, the hand vacuum cleaner 1 is switched on, so that the fan is operated by means of the fan motor and the brush 14 is operated by means of the brush motor. In this way, on the one hand, an air flow is sucked in by the fan, which is cleaned via the suction opening 15 into the nozzle 13 and from there via the suction pipe 12 to the fan and through at least one filter again into the environment. On the other hand, dirt particles such as dust, crumbs and the like are conveyed from the floor 2 into the air flow by the brush 14, so that the cleaning effect on the floor 2 can be intensified by the brush 14.

According to the invention, an acceleration sensor (not shown) is arranged in the area of the brush 14 or the brush motor, which can detect at least the vibrations that can occur in this area during operation of the hand-held vacuum cleaner 1 or when cleaning the floor 2. The detected accelerations can be transferred to a control unit (not shown) of the hand-held vacuum cleaner 1 via a data line (not shown) and evaluated there. For this purpose, the control unit can use a Frequency analysis of a section of the temporal course or also of the complete temporal course of the accelerations can be carried out in order to create a frequency spectrum of the vibrations therefrom.

In the control unit, several frequency spectra can be stored in a memory unit (not shown), which correspond to different speeds of the brush motor and can each be viewed as the desired operating state of the brush motor or the vacuum cleaner. Furthermore, frequency spectra can be stored which correspond to an overload of the brush motor and a blockage of the brush or the brush motor. Several frequency spectra can also be stored, which correspond to different undesired operating states of the brush motor or the vacuum cleaner and, for example, different states of wear of different components, e.g. the brush 14 and / or the brush motor.

Thus, according to the invention, the control unit can compare the frequency spectrum of the currently available vibrations detected by the acceleration sensor with the stored frequency spectra and, taking into account predetermined tolerances, recognize one or more of the stored known frequency spectra as being sufficiently similar to the frequency spectrum of the currently available vibrations captured by the acceleration sensor. In this way, the above-mentioned operating states such as a desired normal operating state with a certain speed can be recognized. This can be indicated to a user of the vacuum cleaner 1, e.g. via a green LED, and the detected speed can be used to control the speed of the brush motor.

In the event of a detected blockage of the brush 14 or the brush motor, this can be indicated to the user, e.g. by a red LED. In this case, the brush motor can also be stopped automatically by the control unit in order to avoid damage to the brush motor due to the blockage. Correspondingly, if an overload of the brush motor is detected, it can also be stopped or at least its speed reduced.

A state of wear and tear can also be recognized in this way and indicated to the user, for example by a yellow LED. Possibly. the power of the brush motor and / or the fan motor can also be reduced in this case.

List of reference symbols (part of the description)

X

Longitudinal direction; Depth; length

Z

vertical direction; height

1

Household appliance; Vacuum cleaner; Hand vacuum cleaner

10

casing

11

Housing handle 10

12th

Suction pipe

13th

(Floor) nozzle; Brush head

14th

rotatable (floor) brush

15th

(Suction) opening

2

Ground; Flooring; surface to be cleaned

Claims (15)

Household appliance (1), preferably vacuum cleaner (1), particularly preferably hand-held vacuum cleaner (1),
characterized in that
the household appliance (1) is designed to detect at least one vibration of at least one section of the household appliance (1) and / or at least one vibration-generating component of the household appliance (1), and that
the household appliance (1) is further designed to recognize an operating state of the household appliance (1) and / or the vibration-generating component based on the detected vibration. Household appliance (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that
the vibration-generating component is an electric motor or an element mechanically connected to the rotating motor shaft, and
the household appliance (1) is further designed to determine a speed of the electric motor based on the detected vibrations. Household appliance (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that
the household appliance (1) is further designed to regulate the speed of the electric motor based on the determined speed. Household appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
the household appliance (1) is also designed to compare the detected vibrations with at least one predetermined vibration, preferably with at least two predetermined vibrations, and to recognize the operating state of the household appliance (1) and / or the vibration-generating component as a function of the result of the comparison, preferably to determine the speed of the electric motor. Household appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
the household appliance (1) is further designed to determine a frequency spectrum of the detected vibration by means of a frequency analysis of the detected vibrations, to compare the specific frequency spectrum of the detected vibrations with at least one predetermined frequency spectrum, preferably with at least two predetermined frequency spectra, and depending on the result of the Comparing the operating state of the household appliance (1) and / or the vibration-generating component to recognize, preferably to determine the speed of the electric motor. Household appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
the household appliance (1) is further designed to recognize an overload operation of the vibration-generating component based on the detected vibrations, preferably based on the specific frequency spectrum of the detected vibrations. Household appliance (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that
the household appliance (1) is further designed to influence, preferably to reduce or terminate, the operation of the vibration-generating component in response to a detected overload of the vibration-generating component. Household appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
the household appliance (1) is further designed to recognize a blockage of the vibration-generating component based on the detected vibrations, preferably based on the specific frequency spectrum of the detected vibrations. Household appliance (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that
the household appliance (1) is further designed, in response to a detected blockage of the vibration-generating component, to influence the operation of the vibration-generating component, preferably to reduce it or to terminate it. Household appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
the household appliance (1) is further designed to recognize an undesired operating state of the household appliance (1) and / or the vibration-generating component and to output information to a user in response thereto. Household appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
the household appliance (1) is also designed to recognize an undesired operating state of the household appliance (1) and / or the vibration-generating component and in response to this, to determine a remaining useful life of the household appliance (1) up to a maintenance interval and, preferably, to display it to a user. Household appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
the household appliance (1) has at least one acceleration sensor which is arranged and designed to detect the vibrations as acceleration. Household appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
the household appliance (1) is a vacuum cleaner (1), preferably a hand-held vacuum cleaner (1). Domestic appliance (1) according to claim 13, characterized in that
the vacuum cleaner (1) has a nozzle (13) with a brush (14),
wherein the vacuum cleaner (1) is designed to detect a vibration, preferably an acceleration, of the brush (14). Domestic appliance (1) according to claim 14, characterized in that
the vacuum cleaner (1) is designed, a vibration, preferably an acceleration, a belt, preferably a toothed belt, the brush (14) and / or a design feature, preferably an arrangement of the bristles and / or rollers, the brush (14) and / or an imbalance, preferably an additional mass arranged on the brush (14) and / or on an electric motor of the brush (14), the brush (14) capture.

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