JP2007195791A - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a highly usable vacuum cleaner allowing a user to rehear emitted voice notification information. <P>SOLUTION: This vacuum cleaner is provided with a voice notification means 11 outputting voice when a preset prescribed condition is satisfied, a sound volume adjusting means 17 changing the volume of the voice to be output from the voice notification means 11, and a voice re-notification means 16 allowing the user to rehear the voice notification by the voice notification means 11. This vacuum cleaner executes the voice notification again by the voice re-notification means 16 while stopping the electric blower 2, allows the user to rehear it and, in doing so, executes it at the regular volume, so that, even if the user fails to hear it, the user can rehear it. Because it is a quiet time when stopping the driving, this vacuum cleaner executes the voice notification not at a big volume as doing so during the driving but at the regular volume so as to keep the grade of this merchandise product. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly to a vacuum cleaner having a voice notification function.

Conventionally, in a vacuum cleaner having this type of voice notification function, since the operation sound of the electric blower is loud, a configuration that improves the audibility of voice notification, such as providing a voice output device (voice notification means) at the hand control unit (For example, see Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-197324

  However, in the conventional configuration, although the audibility of the voice notification is improved, it is not always easy for the user to listen to the voice notification in an operation mode where the operation sound generated from the electric blower is large, for example, in a strong operation mode. For this reason, there has been a problem of missing the voice notification.

  The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and in consideration of a case where the user has missed the sound, makes it possible to listen again by providing a re-speech notification means, and by changing the speed and volume of the sound notification, it is easy to hear. An object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner having a function of performing voice notification.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, an electric vacuum cleaner according to the present invention is based on an electric blower that generates a suction force, an operation unit that receives an operation of operation / stop, and a signal that is generated by an operation that is received by the operation unit. Control means for controlling the electric blower, sound notification means for outputting sound when a predetermined condition set in advance is satisfied, volume adjustment means for changing the volume of sound output from the sound notification means, A re-speech notifying unit that can rehearse the sound to be informed by the sound notifying unit, and when the electric blower is stopped, the re-speech notifying unit can re-speech and re-listen. At the same time, the volume of voice notification at that time is set at a standard volume.

  As a result, it is possible to re-listen with a re-speech notification means, and it is possible to perform easy-to-listen sound notification by changing the volume of the sound notification.

  In the present invention, since the user can re-listen the information notified by voice, the user can surely hear the voice notification, and the voice that is easy to hear can be obtained by changing the speed and volume of the voice notification. It is possible to provide a highly usable vacuum cleaner having a function of performing notification.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electric blower that generates a suction force, an operation unit that receives an operation / stop operation, and a control unit that controls the electric blower based on a signal generated by an operation received by the operation unit. A voice notification unit that outputs a sound when a predetermined condition set in advance is satisfied, a volume adjustment unit that changes a volume of a voice output from the voice notification unit, and a voice that is notified by the voice notification unit Re-speech notification means, and when the electric blower is stopped, the re-speech notification unit performs voice notification again so that it can be heard again, and the volume of the voice notification at that time is set. This is done at a standard volume. This makes it possible to re-listen even if you missed the sound, and when you are quiet when the operation is stopped, instead of sounding the sound at a loud volume that sounds during driving, you can hear the sound at a standard volume. By doing so, the quality of the product can be maintained.

  In addition to the first invention, the second invention includes a notification speed changing means for changing the notification speed of the voice output from the voice notification means, and when the voice notification is performed again by the re-voice notification means, the notification speed Since the notification is performed slowly even when the sound volume becomes standard at the time of re-speech notification, the user can clearly hear.

  The third invention includes, in addition to the first invention, a notification speed changing means for changing the notification speed of the voice output from the voice notification means, and when the voice notification is performed again by the re-voice notification means, the first time Is characterized in that the notification speed is slowed and the notification speed is returned to the standard speed or increased from the second time onward, and since the notification is performed slowly at the first time, the volume of re-speech notification becomes standard. However, the user can hear clearly, and by predicting that there are only a few parts that could not be heard after the second time, the user can quickly reach the part that could not be heard by returning the notification speed to the standard.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited by this embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective external view of the vacuum cleaner, and FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view thereof. Reference numeral 1 denotes a vacuum cleaner main body (hereinafter referred to as “main body”), and reference numeral 2 denotes an electric blower that generates a suction force stored in the main body 1. A hose 3 is connected to the main body 1, and an operating means 4 operated by a user is provided in a part of the hose 3. The operation unit 4 includes a re-speech notification unit 16 for re-speech notification. The main body 1 has a dust collection chamber 6 in which a dust collection bag 5 is accommodated. Reference numeral 7 provided on the hose 3 is a dust detection unit in which dust detection means 15 described later is accommodated.

  Next, FIG. 1 is a control block diagram of this electric vacuum cleaner, and 8 is a drive means composed of a bidirectional thyristor for driving the electric blower 2. Reference numeral 9 denotes control means composed of a microcomputer or the like. The control means 9 receives and determines the operation signal from the operation means 4 and sends a drive signal to the drive means 8. Reference numeral 10 denotes a dust detection unit including an infrared light emitting diode (light emitting unit) and a phototransistor (light receiving unit). A dust detection signal is sent to the control unit 9. Reference numeral 11 denotes a sound notification means composed of an amplifier and a speaker for amplifying an electric signal from the control means 9. The voice notification unit 11 is built in the main body 1, and the voice notification unit 11 is provided above the dust collection chamber 6 (not shown). Reference numeral 12 denotes current detection means electrically connected on the path through which the commercial AC power flows, and detects the current value flowing through the electric blower 2 and transmits it to the control means 9. Reference numeral 13 denotes a temperature detecting means attached in the vicinity of the electric blower 2 and is composed of a thermistor whose resistance value changes depending on the temperature. 14 is a detection display means composed of LEDs, etc., which receives and displays a signal from the control means 9 to notify the user of the dust detection status, and 15 is when the dust bag 5 is replaced. This is an accumulation clear input means composed of a switch or the like for clearing the accumulation amount judged by the control means 9, and by this input, the control means 9 clears the accumulation amount and starts the next accumulation amount judgment. . When an operation is performed by the re-speech notification unit 16 when the voice notification is missed, a process for receiving the operation signal and re-sounding the sound by the control unit 9 is performed. At this time, the control means 9 can change the sound notification volume by the sound volume adjusting means 17 and the sound notification speed by the notification speed changing means 18.

  Hereinafter, the operation will be described.

  First, the main body 1 is connected to a commercial power source (not shown), and the user instructs operation by the operation means 4. An operation signal is sent from the operation means 4 to the control means 9, and the control means 9 sends a drive signal to the drive means 8 so that the operation is performed with an initial value (for example, 300 W) according to the operated content. The drive means 8 energizes the electric blower 2 according to the sent signal, and the electric blower 2 starts to rotate and a suction force is generated.

  Due to this suction force, the sucked dust is collected through the hose 3 into the dust collection bag 5 of the dust collection chamber 6 in the main body 1. During this time, the amount of received light changes when the dust passes through the suction path of the dust collection detection unit 7, that is, when the dust passes between the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit. Send to 9. Based on the detection signal per unit time, the control means 9 determines the degree of dirt on the surface to be cleaned, determines the power supply amount of the electric blower 2 according to the degree, and sends a signal to the drive means 8. . The driving means 8 drives the electric blower 2 according to the signal, and the electric blower 2 can be operated according to the amount of dust.

  The sound notification means 11 receives the drive signal from the control means 9 and notifies the user of the abnormal state of the vacuum cleaner using sound. The re-speech notification unit 16 is operated to transmit a signal for re-speech notification to the control unit 9.

About the vacuum cleaner comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement and an effect | action are demonstrated below.
One of the conditions for performing sound notification is a case where a decrease in air volume due to accumulation of dust occurs. It is well known that an electric blower has a correlation between an air volume and a current value, and when the air volume decreases, the current value also decreases. Using this characteristic, the control means 9 detects the clogging of the dust bag 5 by detecting the current value of the electric blower 2 via the current detection means 12, and when it becomes less than a predetermined current value, A condition for performing sound notification for encouraging inspection of the dust bag 5 is established. In response to this, the voice notification means 11 performs voice notification.

  At this time, if the user has not been able to hear the content of the voice notification, or if the user wants to listen to the notified information again, the user is in an abnormal state. By operating 16, the control means 9 transmits a signal for causing the voice notification means 11 to perform the same voice notification again, and the voice notification means 11 again prompts the user to check the dust collection bag 5. I do.

  Here, the volume of voice notification will be described. When the voice notification is performed when the voice notification condition is satisfied, the vacuum cleaner is not stopped. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the volume of the voice notification so that the user can hear it. However, since the vacuum cleaner is stopped when re-speech notification is performed, the sound volume can be sufficiently heard by the user even if the sound notification sound volume is reduced to the standard level by the volume control means. In this way, by standardizing the volume in the case of re-speech notification, the quality of the product can be maintained without deteriorating audibility.

  In the case of re-speech notification, the user can hear clearly by slowing down the speed of the sound notification by the notification speed changing means. Further, when the second re-voice notification is performed, the notification portion that could not be heard can be quickly reached by returning the notification speed to the standard. Or, in the case of performing the second re-speech notification, it is possible to reach the notification portion that could not be heard more quickly by increasing the notification speed. When the voice notification is simply performed quickly, the notification is performed with a voice having a high frequency, and when the voice notification is performed slowly, the notification is performed with a voice having a low frequency. For this reason, the sound quality changes depending on the speed of the voice notification, and in some cases, the quality may be impaired. Therefore, the control means 9 can avoid the change of the sound quality ear by performing the control to change the content of the voice notification when the voice notification is performed quickly or when the voice notification is performed late. However, it is known for elderly people that the higher the frequency is, the worse the audibility becomes in a frequency band of 2 kHz or higher, and lowering the frequency by slowing down sound notification may improve the audibility.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, when the electric blower 2 is stopped, the re-voice notification means 16 is operated to notify the user once again of the information that has been voice-reported. In addition, the audio notification at the time of re-listening is heard in a state where the electric blower 2 is stopped, so that the information notified by the audio can be surely heard, and the audio notification is made during driving. The quality of the product can be maintained by notifying the voice at a high volume but performing the voice notification at a standard volume.

  In addition, although the vacuum cleaner of this Embodiment demonstrated by the structure which requires complicated control, for example, it is a vacuum cleaner of a simple structure which operates by directly connecting the fan motor 1 and a commercial power source. You may re-listen.

(Embodiment 2)
The configuration of the electric vacuum cleaner in the second embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment. Operation | movement of the vacuum cleaner in Embodiment 2 is demonstrated.

  When a missed part occurs in the voice notification once performed, the user generally feels that the user wants to rehearse the missed part quickly. Therefore, when the voice notification is performed again by the re-speech notification unit, the notification part that could not be heard can be quickly reached by increasing the speed of the voice notification by the notification speed changing unit.

  As described above, since the electric vacuum cleaner according to the present invention performs voice notification in a state where the electric blower is stopped, it is possible to solve the problem that information to be notified to the user is not transmitted. Therefore, it can be applied not only to household vacuum cleaners but also to commercial vacuum cleaners where maintenance is more important.

Control block diagram of the electric vacuum cleaner in Embodiment 1 of the present invention External perspective view of the electric vacuum cleaner in the same embodiment Schematic sectional view of the electric vacuum cleaner in the same embodiment

Explanation of symbols

2 electric blower 4 operation means 9 control means 11 voice notification means 16 re-speech notification means 17 volume adjustment means 18 notification speed change means

Claims (3)

An electric blower that generates a suction force; an operation means that receives an operation of operation / stop; a control means that controls the electric blower based on a signal generated by an operation received by the operation means; and a predetermined preset value Audio notification means for outputting sound when the condition is satisfied, volume adjustment means for changing the volume of the sound output from the sound notification means, and re-audio notification capable of re-listening the sound notified by the sound notification means And when the electric blower is stopped, the re-speech notification unit performs voice notification again so that the user can listen again, and the sound volume at that time is set to a standard volume. A vacuum cleaner characterized by that. 2. An informing speed changing means for changing the informing speed of the sound output from the informing means, and when the informing is performed again by the re-informing means, the informing speed is made slower than the standard. The vacuum cleaner described. When a notification speed changing means for changing the notification speed of the voice output from the voice notification means is provided, and when the voice notification is performed again by the re-voice notification means, the notification speed is slowed for the first time, and the notification speed is set for the second time and thereafter. 2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum cleaner is returned to the standard or made faster.

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