JP2008264424A - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vacuum cleaner which recognizes an inconvenient situation if a cleaner body self-propels and moves by automatically switching between validity and invalidity of self-propelling function. <P>SOLUTION: This vacuum cleaner is provided with a cleaner body 1, a dust collection part 3 which collects dust and dirt, a roller 10 which is prepared on the bottom of the cleaner body 1 and is for traveling, a drive motor 14 which drives the roller 10, a rotation detecting means 12 which can detect the rotation state of the roller 10, a self-diagnostic means 47 which diagnoses whether the cleaner body 1 can move or not, and a control means 20 which controls the driving to the drive motor 14 according to signals from the rotation detecting means 12 and the self-diagnostic means 47. The control means 20 controls not to drive the drive motor 14 even if the signal from the rotation detecting means 12 is detected when a signal which shows going condition from the self-diagnostic means 47 can not be detected at predetermined time. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for controlling a vacuum cleaner having a self-propelled function.

  A conventional floor moving type electric vacuum cleaner has a structure as shown in FIG. 8, and an electric blower 2 and a dust collecting part 3 are built in the vacuum cleaner body 1, and a caster 9 and a rear wheel are provided at the bottom of the vacuum cleaner body 1. 10a is provided, and the hose 4 provided with the suction tool 7 and the extension pipe 6 is connected and fixed to the front of the cleaner body 1.

  And in the conventional vacuum cleaner, the user pulls the cleaner main body 1 to perform the cleaning work, but when starting the movement of the cleaner main body 1, the greatest resistance acts on the hand grip 5 due to inertia, The operation of the suction tool 7 is obstructed. For this reason, the user is tired easily and feels very annoying. In particular, since the rolling frictional resistance of the caster 9 and the rear wheel 10a increases on the carpet, not only the resistance at the start of movement is increased, but also the resistance at the time of traveling is considerably increased, which deteriorates the feeling of use felt by the user. I had a problem to say.

  As a method for avoiding this, a method is known in which a traveling roller connected to a drive motor is provided, the pulling force of the hose 4 is detected to drive the drive motor, and resistance due to inertia at the start of movement of the cleaner body is eliminated. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

As another avoidance method, a driving motor that drives the traveling roller, a rotation direction detecting unit that detects a rotation direction of the traveling roller, and a rotation that detects a rotation speed when the traveling roller starts to move by a user operation. When the travel roller is driven by the rotation direction detection means and the rotation speed detection means to detect that the travel roller has started to move by the user's operation and move the cleaner body. There is known a method of reducing the operating force of the above and improving the operability (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-232025 Japanese Patent No. 2893941

These methods are convenient functions that improve the operability by reducing the operating force of the user by running the cleaner body with a drive motor. However, there are scenes that do not require this self-propelled function in a series of cleaning operations performed by the user, or scenes that are inconvenient if the main body of the cleaner is driven by the drive motor. For example, the following scene.
(1) When throwing away trash in a dust collection unit such as a paper pack or dust box or during maintenance work.
(2) When the hose is attached to or detached from the main body of the vacuum cleaner at the start or end of cleaning.
(3) When the vacuum cleaner body falls.
(4) During cleaning that requires almost no movement on the spot using attachments.
(5) The vacuum cleaner body is in a position where the power cord does not extend any further.

  Even in the above scene, if it is detected that the running roller starts to move, the cleaner body starts a self-running operation by the drive motor. This is an unfavorable situation for the user.

  The present invention solves this problem, and provides a vacuum cleaner that operates by automatically switching between valid / invalid of the self-propelled function by determining that a disadvantage occurs when the main body of the vacuum cleaner is self-propelled. With the goal.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, the vacuum cleaner of the present invention includes a vacuum cleaner body, a dust collecting part for collecting dust, a roller provided at the bottom of the cleaner body, and a roller for traveling. A drive motor for driving the motor, rotation detection means capable of detecting the rotation state of the roller, self-diagnosis means for diagnosing whether or not the cleaner body is capable of running, the rotation detection means, and the self-diagnosis means Control means for controlling the drive to the drive motor in response to a signal from the rotation detection means, when the control means is unable to detect a signal representing a travelable state from the self-diagnosis means for a predetermined time, from the rotation detection means Even if this signal is detected, control is performed so that the drive motor is not driven. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the vacuum cleaner body from causing a self-running operation by the drive motor not intended by the user, that is, a malfunction.

  Since the electric vacuum cleaner of the present invention has a self-propelled function, the user can reduce the operation force when moving the main body of the cleaner to improve operability, and does not require self-propelled operation by a drive motor. Since the self-running function is automatically stopped in the scene, the user does not move unintentionally.

  The first invention is a vacuum cleaner body, a dust collecting part for collecting dust, a roller provided at the bottom of the vacuum cleaner body for traveling, a drive motor for driving the roller, and rotation of the roller A rotation detecting means capable of detecting a state; a self-diagnosis means for diagnosing whether or not the cleaner body is in a travelable state; and a signal from the rotation detecting means and the self-diagnosis means to the drive motor. Control means for controlling the drive, and when the control means cannot detect a signal representing the runnable state from the self-diagnosis means for a predetermined time, even if it detects the signal from the rotation detection means, The vacuum cleaner is characterized in that it is controlled so as not to drive, and the drive motor is stopped while the self-diagnosis means detects that the conditions necessary for running are not met. . This prevents the user from being surprised or uncomfortable by movements not intended by the user.

  According to a second aspect of the invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect of the invention, the cleaner body further includes a lid that covers the dust collector, and the self-diagnostic means stores the dust collector in the cleaner body. When the lid is closed, the vacuum cleaner has a dust collecting unit detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of the dust collecting unit based on whether or not it comes into contact with the dust collecting unit. As a result, the dust collecting part is removed from the main body of the vacuum cleaner, and cleaning cannot be performed in the state where the user is performing garbage disposal and maintenance (cleaning and inspection of the electric vacuum cleaner) of the dust collecting part. Do not drive the drive motor. As a result, the main body of the vacuum cleaner starts moving due to an unexpected shock, and the user is not surprised or uncomfortable.

  According to a third invention, in addition to the configuration of the first or second invention, the self-diagnosis means includes a hose detection circuit at a connection portion of the hose, and the hose is attached to the cleaner body, whereby the hose A detection circuit and the control means are electrically connected, and the electric vacuum cleaner has hose connection detection means for detecting the presence or absence of a hose connection. If the hose is disconnected from the main body of the vacuum cleaner, this is considered to be a situation where the user prepares for cleaning at the beginning or end of cleaning and is cleaning up after cleaning. Since the self-running function of the main body is not required, the control means does not drive the drive motor. As a result, the impact on the main body of the vacuum cleaner given when the hose is attached or detached by the user prevents the main body of the vacuum cleaner from moving freely and surprises the user or causes discomfort.

  According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in addition to the configuration of any one of the first to third aspects, the roller is biased downward by a spring while being movable up and down. The vacuum cleaner has roller contact detection means for detecting the presence or absence of contact of the roller according to the difference in power. As a result, when the vacuum cleaner body falls, the roller does not run idle due to the rotation of the drive motor, and the user is not surprised or uncomfortable.

  According to a fifth aspect of the invention, in addition to the configuration of any one of the first to fourth aspects, the self-diagnosis means is provided in the extension pipe detection circuit provided in the extension pipe connection part and in the connection part of the suction tool. A suction tool detection circuit, and the extension pipe detection circuit and the suction tool detection circuit are electrically connected to control means in the cleaner body via the hose, and the extension pipe and Or it is set as the vacuum cleaner which has the attachment detection means which detects the presence or absence of the connection of the said suction tool. As a result, when the user cleans the ceiling or shelf using the attachment instead of the suction tool, it detects that the attachment is connected to the tip of the hose, stops the drive to the drive motor, and the vacuum cleaner It is possible to prevent the main body from moving freely and not to disturb the movement of the user.

  According to a sixth aspect of the invention, in addition to any one of the configurations of the first to fifth aspects, the self-diagnosis unit includes a power cord detection unit that detects a load applied to the power cord. When it is detected that the input from the power cord detection means has exceeded a predetermined level, the vacuum cleaner is characterized in that it is controlled not to drive the drive motor. The vacuum cleaner body does not move freely due to false detection, and the plug does not come off, or the roller idles on the spot and the floor is not damaged by friction.

  In a seventh aspect of the present invention, when the control means of any one of the first to sixth aspects detects again a signal representing a travelable state from the self-diagnostic means from a state where driving to the drive motor is stopped The electric vacuum cleaner is characterized in that a signal from the next rotation detecting means is validated and driving to the drive motor is resumed. Thereby, the user can use again the function which reduces the operation force at the time of moving a cleaner main body, and improves operativity, without performing special operation.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment)
Hereinafter, the vacuum cleaner which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated, referring FIGS. 1-8.

  FIG. 1 is an external side view of the electric vacuum cleaner according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the electric vacuum cleaner body viewed from the side.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the cleaner body 1 includes an electric blower 2 that generates suction air and a dust collection unit 3 that collects dust. When an air flow for sucking dust is generated by the rotation of the electric blower 2, dust on the surface to be cleaned is sucked from the suction tool 7, enters the cleaner body 1 through the extension pipe 6 and the hose 4, and collects dust. Collected in Part 3. The air that has carried the dust passes through the dust collecting unit 3 and is exhausted outside the cleaner body 1. A hand grip 5 is provided at the tip of the hose 4 so that the user can easily handle the vacuum cleaner. The hand grip 5 is provided with operation means 8 that can set “ON” and “OFF” of the input of the electric blower 2.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the cleaner body 1 is provided with a caster 9 having a single roller at the front of the bottom and two traveling rollers 10 at the rear for movement. The traveling roller 10 is driven by the drive motor 14 and rotates forward (in the direction of the hose 4) through the speed reduction means 13. The caster 9 is locked so as to be movable up and down, and is urged downward by a spring 40 in the floor direction. The roller contact detection means 42 is constituted by a micro switch. When the caster 9 is urged toward the floor surface with the ground contact, the connecting rod connected to the caster 9 pushes up the support plate 41 and the roller contact detection means 42. Turn on. On the contrary, when the urging is lost, the force to push down the support plate 41 of the spring 40 is lost, and the roller contact detection means 42 is turned off (no contact), so that the presence or absence of contact of the roller can be detected. .

  FIG. 3 is a top sectional view of the main body of the vacuum cleaner, and FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the circuit configuration of the vacuum cleaner. The travel roller 10 includes a drive motor 14 driven by power supplied from the drive means 19, a speed reduction means 13 that drives the drive shaft 15 to rotate by reducing the rotational output of the drive motor 14, and the rotation of the drive shaft 15. The rotation of the drive shaft 15 is detected in the same manner as the traveling roller 10 that rotates and causes the cleaner body 1 to self-run, and controls the two signals (encoder output signals) of the A phase and the B phase according to the rotation speed and the rotation direction. A rotation detecting means (hereinafter referred to as an encoder) 12 for outputting to the means 20 is provided.

  Here, the speed reduction means 13 is separated by the clutch mechanism 16 so that the drive shaft 15 is rotatable (idling) when the drive motor 14 is stopped. When the drive motor 14 is stopped, the traveling roller 10 is lightly rotated with a small force because it is separated from the speed reducing means 13 by the clutch mechanism 16. This prevents, for example, when the user moves the cleaner body 1 while the drive motor 14 is stopped, the free rotation of the traveling roller 10 is obstructed by the speed reduction means 13 and hinders the movement. Is for. The control means 20 outputs a phase control timing signal to the electric blower driving means 31 in accordance with the signal from the operation means 8. The electric blower 2 is operated with electric power obtained by phase-controlling the commercial power supply 30 supplied from the electric blower driving unit 31. Reference numeral 18 denotes a DC power supply that rectifies and smoothes the commercial power supply 30 and outputs DC power to the driving means 19. The drive means 19 performs PWM control on the DC power in accordance with the PWM timing signal from the control means 20 and outputs the supplied power to the drive motor 14. The control means 20 can detect the rotation speed and the rotation direction of the traveling roller 10 based on the two encoder output signals (A phase and B phase) output from the encoder 12. The moving speed can also be detected.

  2 and 4, the switch constituting the dust collecting unit detecting means 43 has no dust collecting unit in the cleaner body 1 even when the lid 11 for taking out the dust collecting unit 3 is open. It is also configured to be turned off only when the lid 11 is closed with the dust collecting unit 3 stored in the cleaner body 1.

  The hose connection detecting means 44 in FIG. 4 detects whether or not the hose is connected, and the attachment detecting means 45 is the attachment (the hose 4, the extension pipe 6, and the floor suction tool 7 attached to the tip of the extension pipe 6. The presence or absence of use of a suction tool 7a) such as gap cleaning other than the above is detected. FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram for detecting the presence / absence of a hose and the presence / absence of using an attachment in the present embodiment.

  4 and 5, the resistors R1, R2, and R3 are disposed at the connection portions of the hose 4, the extension pipe 6, and the suction tool 7, respectively. When these components are connected to the main body of the vacuum cleaner so that the vacuum cleaner can be used, these resistors R1, R2, and R3 are connected to the input terminal of the control means 20 arranged in the main body of the vacuum cleaner 1. , Connected to the resistor R0. The control means 20 takes in the voltage (detection voltage) obtained by dividing the power supply voltage by the resistor R0 and the resistors (R1, R2, R3) and determines the voltage level of the detection voltage to connect to the cleaner body 1 The presence or absence of attachments (hose 4, extension pipe 6, suction tool 7a other than floor suction tool 7) can be detected.

  The detection method using the hose connection detection means 44 and the attachment detection means 45 will be described in more detail. The hose detection circuit is configured by forming a resistor R1 at the connection portion of the hose 4, and the extension pipe detection circuit is an extension pipe. 6 is formed by forming the resistor R2 at the connection portion, and the suction tool detection circuit is formed by forming the resistor R3 at the connection portion of the suction tool 7a. The level detection on the control means 20 side is performed as follows. When the hose 4 is removed, everything except the hose 4 is removed, so that the detected voltage at the input terminal of the control means 20 is 0V. For example, a level comparator (not shown) that operates with the detected voltage (0 V) at a reference voltage of 0.5 (V) is used to recognize that the signal is zero and the hose 4 is not connected. Next, when only the hose 4 is connected to the cleaner body 1, the detection voltage is obtained by dividing the power supply voltage Vcc = 5V by the series circuit of the resistor R1 and the resistor R0. The values of the resistor R1 and the resistor R0 are preferably selected so that the detection voltage at this time is about 1V, and it is recognized that the hose 4 is connected by the level comparator described above.

  Next, when the extension pipe 6 is connected to the tip of the hose 4, the resistor R1 and the resistor R2 are connected in parallel, and the power source voltage Vcc is set by connecting the parallel circuit of the resistors R1 and R2 and the resistor R0 in series. Divide the voltage to obtain the detection voltage. The values of the resistors R0, R1, and R2 are preferably selected so that the detection voltage at this time is Vcc / 2 = 2.5 (V), and a level comparator that operates at the reference voltage 2 (V) (FIG. (Not shown), it is recognized that the extension pipe 6 and the hose 4 are connected to the cleaner body 1.

  Next, when the hose 4, the extension pipe 6, and the suction tool are connected, the resistors R1 to R3 become a parallel circuit, and the power supply voltage Vcc is divided by the parallel connection of the resistors R1 to R3 and the resistor R0. To obtain the detection voltage. The value of the resistors R1 to R3 is selected so that the detection voltage at this time becomes a predetermined value of 3.5 (V) or more, and a level comparator (not shown) operating at the reference voltage 3 (V) It can be recognized that the hose 4, the extension pipe 6 and the suction tool are all connected. As described above, how many attachments are connected to the cleaner body 1 by connecting the inputs of a plurality of level comparators (not shown) having different detection levels to the input terminal of the control means 20. It can be easily understood that it can be determined. Needless to say, if a level comparator having a different detection level is further added, and the value of the resistor is made different depending on the type of the suction tool, the type of the suction tool can be discriminated and recognized.

  The power cord detection means 46 in FIG. 4 detects a load applied to the power cord, and a specific configuration will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of the power cord detection means showing a state in which the plug 51 provided at the tip of the power cord 50 is inserted into the outlet 53 of the wall 52. If the cleaner body 1 is pulled in the direction of the arrow X with the plug 51 at the end of the power cord 50 inserted into the outlet 53 of the wall 52, a load is applied to the power cord 50 to make it straight, and the spring 47 lowers it. The guide roller 48 biased in the direction is lifted in the arrow Y direction. In conjunction with this, the guide plate 49 is lifted upward and the switch 46 is turned on to detect the presence or absence of a load applied to the power cord 50.

  About the vacuum cleaner comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement and an effect | action are demonstrated below.

  When the user pulls the hose 4 to move the cleaning place, the cleaner body 1 receives a pulling force and moves slightly forward. Due to the movement of the cleaner body 1, the traveling roller 10 disposed in the cleaner body 1 rotates. The rotation of the traveling roller 10 is transmitted to the encoder 12 by the drive shaft 15, and the encoder 12 outputs two A-phase and B-phase encoder output signals as shown in FIG. The two signals of the A phase and the B phase have different signal phase shift methods depending on the rotation direction of the traveling roller 10, and the waveform when the traveling roller 10 rotates forward is the A phase signal as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7B, the waveform when the B phase signal is delayed by about 90 degrees and the traveling roller 10 reverses is advanced by about 90 degrees with respect to the A phase signal. For example, when the B phase signal becomes high level at the falling edge of the A phase signal, it can be determined that the traveling roller 10 is rotating forward (the main body 1 of the cleaner is moving forward). When the B-phase signal becomes low level at the falling edge, it can be determined that the traveling roller 10 is reversely rotated (the cleaner body 1 is retracted). The detection is not necessarily performed at the falling edge of the A-phase signal, and may be performed at the rising edge of the A-phase signal, or may be determined by the phase of the A-phase signal based on the B-phase signal. The control means 20 recognizes from the encoder output signal whether the moving direction of the cleaner body 1 is forward or reverse, does nothing in the reverse direction, and outputs a PWM timing signal to the drive means 19 in the forward direction. The reason is that it is assumed that the user pushes the vacuum cleaner body 1 backward while using the foot while cleaning the vacuum cleaner body 1. Needless to say, this control can be realized by detecting two signals of the A phase and the B phase of the encoder 12.

  In the case of forward movement, the drive means 19 that operates by supplying power from the DC power supply 18 supplies the drive motor 14 with supply power whose pulse width is changed according to the PWM timing signal of the control means 20. When the drive motor 14 starts to rotate, the clutch mechanism 16 of the speed reduction means 13 is connected to the drive shaft 15, and the rotational force of the drive motor 14 is transmitted to the travel roller 10, so that the cleaner body 1 runs by itself. When the cleaner main body 1 starts self-propelling in this manner, the subsequent pulling force of the user is reduced.

This is a convenient function to reduce the user's pulling force, but it does not require this function in a series of cleaning operations performed by the user, or the main body of the vacuum cleaner is driven by a motor. There are inconvenient scenes. For example, the following scene.
(1) When the dust collecting unit (paper pack, dust box, etc.) is thrown away or is undergoing maintenance.
(2) When the hose is attached to or detached from the main body of the vacuum cleaner at the start or end of cleaning.
(3) When the vacuum cleaner body falls.
(4) During cleaning that requires almost no movement on the spot using attachments.
(5) The vacuum cleaner body is in a position where the power cord does not extend any further.

  In the case of (1) and (2) above, cleaning (suction by the electric blower 2) is not performed, and a self-running function for reducing the pulling force of the user of the cleaner main body 1 is not necessary.

  In the case of the above (3), the traveling roller 10 exposed by the overturning of the cleaner body 1 may involve a curtain, clothes, etc., and the rotation of the traveling roller 10 by the drive motor 14 is not preferable.

  In the case of (4) above, the top of the ceiling or shelf is being cleaned. If the self-propelled function is activated, the worst case is that the hose 4 is pulled by the vacuum cleaner body 1 and the hand is left out of order. It can be damaged by hitting it or damaged by dropping.

  In the case of (5) above, even if the user pulls it, the power cord does not extend any further, so the cleaner body 1 cannot move forward, and even if it moves forward, the plug will come out of the outlet. As a result, the user's hand is bothered.

  In order to avoid these situations, the vacuum cleaner of the present invention includes self-diagnosis means 47 for determining the states of (1) to (5) above, and the control means 20 uses the control information from the self-diagnosis means 47 to Control is performed so that the drive motor 14 is not driven even if a signal from the rotation detection means 12 is detected.

(Operation pattern 1)
Next, the operation relating to the dust collecting unit detection means 43 will be described with reference to FIGS. The control means 20 normally sets the drive setting time of the supplied power supplied to the drive motor 14 when detecting the state where the cleaner body 1 is moving forward to 1 second. When the user replaces the paper pack 3, a signal indicating that the dust collection unit 3 is not detected by detecting that the dust collection unit 3 such as a paper pack has been removed is detected by the dust collection unit detection means 43. Is output. The control means 20 recognizes that there is no dust collection part 3 when detecting a signal representing a state without the dust collection part for 1 second or more from the dust collection part detection means 43. Then, the next drive setting time is reset to 0 second (pulse width is zero), the power supply to the drive motor 14 is stopped, and the self-running function of the cleaner body 1 is stopped. When a new paper pack 3 is set by the user, the dust collecting unit detecting means 43 detects this and outputs a signal indicating that the dust collecting unit 3 is present. Then, when the control means 20 detects the signal for 1 second or more, it recognizes that the dust collecting unit 3 is present, waits for about 1 second until the user holds the hand grip 5, and again sets the drive set time. By returning to 1 second, the self-running function of the vacuum cleaner main body 1 is enabled again.

(Operation pattern 2)
Next, the operation relating to the hose connection detection means 44 will be described with reference to FIGS. At the end of cleaning, when the user removes the hose 4 from the vacuum cleaner body 1 in order to put the vacuum cleaner in the stowed state, the hose connection detecting means 44 detects that the hose 4 is not connected, and there is no hose 4. A signal indicating that is output. And if the control means 20 detects the signal showing the state without the hose for 1 second or more, it will recognize that there is no hose, and the drive time normally set to 1 second is set to 0 second (pulse width is zero). It resets and prevents the unexpected malfunction that the cleaner body 1 runs without permission. And when taking out a vacuum cleaner from a storage place and starting cleaning, the control means 20 has set the drive time to 0 second in the state where the hose 4 is not connected. When the user connects the hose 4 to the cleaner body 1, the hose connection detection means 44 detects that the hose 4 is connected and outputs a signal indicating the presence of the hose 4. After detecting the signal with the hose 4 for more than 1 second, the control means 20 further waits for about 1 second until the user grasps the hand grip 5 and sets the drive setting time to 1 second by the drive means 19. The drive motor 14 is driven. Thereby, the self-propelled function of the cleaner body 1 can be made effective.

(Operation pattern 3)
Next, the operation relating to the roller contact detection means 42 will be described with reference to FIGS. For example, when the cleaner body 1 collides with furniture and falls during cleaning, the caster 9 descends and the control means 20 detects a signal indicating the absence of ground contact from the roller ground contact detection means 42. When the detection time becomes 1 second or longer, the driving time that is normally set to 1 second is reset to 0 second (pulse width is zero) to prevent the running roller 10 from idling. When the caster 9 is grounded by returning the vacuum cleaner body 1 to which the user has fallen and the caster 9 is grounded, the roller grounding detection means 42 detects the grounding state of the roller and outputs a signal indicating the grounded state. The control means 20 detects a signal indicating the ground contact state from the roller contact detection means 42, and resets the drive time set to 0 seconds to 1 second when this detection time continues for 1 second or more. . This enables the self-running function again.

(Operation pattern 4)
Next, the operation relating to the attachment detection means 45 will be described with reference to FIGS. For example, when the attachment for cleaning is attached to the tip of the hose 4 to clean the top of the shelf, the cleaner body 1 does not move as frequently as the floor surface is being cleaned. When the user removes the extension pipe 6 and the suction tool 7 connected to the tip of the hose 4 in order to use the attachment, the circuit diagram of the attachment detection means 45 in FIG. 5 shows that there are no resistors R2 and R3. Become. The control means 20 recognizes that the cleaning using the attachment of only the hose 4 is performed by detecting the partial pressure of the resistor R0 and the resistor R1. When the control means 20 detects this attachment use signal for 1 second or more, the user who is cleaning the top of the shelf by resetting the drive time that is normally set to 1 second to 0 seconds, It is prevented from being surprised by the unexpected self-propelled operation of the vacuum cleaner body 1. Then, when the user tries to clean the floor surface and connects the extension pipe 6 and the suction tool 7 which have been removed to the hose 4 again, the circuit shown in FIG. 5 is obtained. The control means 20 detects the partial pressure of the resistors (R1, R2, R3) connected in parallel with the resistor R0, so that the floor cleaning without attachment (with the extension pipe 6 and the suction tool 7 connected) can be performed. Recognize what will be done. The control means 20 waits for about 1 second until the user grasps the hand grip 5 after detecting this attachment non-use signal for 1 second or more, and sets the drive time set to 0 seconds, Reset to 1 second. This enables the self-running function again.

(Operation pattern 5)
Next, operations relating to the power cord detection means 46 will be described with reference to FIGS. When the cleaner body 1 is in a position where the power cord 50 does not extend any further, even if the traveling roller 10 is driven, it cannot move forward. If the driving force is strong, the power cord 50 is pulled and the plug 51 is pulled out of the outlet 53, which is not good. Therefore, when the power cord 50 is pulled, the control means 20 is normally set to 1 second when the power cord detection means 46 detects a load detection (switch-on) signal for 0.5 seconds or more. The drive time is reset to 0 seconds and the drive is stopped so as not to pull the power cord 50.

  Then, if the user moves the cleaner body 1 and returns to a position within the range of the length of the power cord 50 where the cleaner body 1 can move freely, the power cord 50 is not pulled, so the control means 20 The power cord detection means 46 detects a signal indicating no load detection (switch off). When this signal is detected for 1 second or longer, the driving time set to 0 seconds is reset to 1 second. This enables the self-running function again.

  Thus, according to the present invention, the control means 20 is provided with a self-running function of the vacuum cleaner according to the situation such as when it obstructs the user's cleaning work or when the self-running function by the drive motor is not required. Therefore, it is possible to provide an electric vacuum cleaner that is easy to use for the user without troublesome manual switching by the user.

  In the above-described embodiments, the alternative embodiments where the self-diagnosis means is the dust collecting part detection means, the attachment detection means, the roller grounding detection means, and the power cord detection means have been described. May be combined and implemented. In addition, although the method of automatically switching the validity / invalidity of the self-propelled function based on the information from the self-diagnostic means has been described, in addition to this, means for forcibly stopping the self-propelled function by the user (forced stop switch Etc.) may be provided.

  As mentioned above, this invention is utilized for the vacuum cleaner which has a self-propelled function, and can apply widely irrespective of an AC type or a DC type vacuum cleaner.

Overview of the entire vacuum cleaner in an embodiment of the present invention Side sectional view of the main body of the vacuum cleaner Top view of the vacuum cleaner Circuit block diagram of the vacuum cleaner The circuit diagram which shows the circuit structure of the attachment detection means of the same vacuum cleaner Configuration diagram of power cord detection means of the vacuum cleaner It is a figure which shows the output signal waveform of the encoder of the same vacuum cleaner, (a) The output signal waveform figure when a traveling roller rotates forward, (b) The output signal waveform figure when a traveling roller reversely rotates External perspective view of a conventional vacuum cleaner

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vacuum cleaner main body 3 Dust collection part 9 Caster 10 Traveling roller 11 Cover body 12 Encoder (rotation detection means)
14 Drive motor 20 Control means 42 Roller contact detection means (switch)
43 Dust collector detection means 44 Hose connection detection means 45 Attachment detection means 46 Power cord detection means (switch)
47 Self-diagnosis means 50 Power cord

Claims (7)

A vacuum cleaner body, a dust collecting part for collecting dust, a roller provided at the bottom of the vacuum cleaner body for traveling, a drive motor for driving the roller, and a rotation capable of detecting the rotation state of the roller Detection means, self-diagnosis means for diagnosing whether or not the cleaner body is in a travelable state, and control means for controlling the drive to the drive motor in accordance with signals from the rotation detection means and the self-diagnosis means The control means does not drive the drive motor even if the signal from the rotation detection means is detected when the signal indicating the travelable state from the self-diagnosis means cannot be detected for a predetermined time. A vacuum cleaner characterized by controlling. Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner body includes a lid that covers the dust collecting portion,
The self-diagnosis means is configured to detect the presence or absence of the dust collecting part by determining whether or not the dust collecting part comes into contact with the dust collecting part when the dust collecting part is housed in a cleaner body and the lid is closed. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising a detection means. The self-diagnosis means includes a hose detection circuit at a hose connection portion, and the hose detection circuit and the control means are electrically connected to each other by attaching the hose to the cleaner body. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising hose connection detection means for detecting The roller is urged downward by a spring in a vertically movable state,
The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the self-diagnosis unit includes a roller contact detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the contact of the roller based on a difference in the biasing force of the spring. The self-diagnosis means includes an extension pipe detection circuit provided at a connection part of the extension pipe and a suction tool detection circuit provided at a connection part of the suction tool, and the extension pipe detection circuit and the suction tool detection are provided. The circuit includes an attachment detection unit that is electrically connected to a control unit in the cleaner body through the hose and detects whether the extension pipe and / or the suction tool are connected. The vacuum cleaner of any one of. The self-diagnosis means has power cord detection means for detecting a load applied to the power cord,
6. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein when the input from the power cord detection unit detects that the input has become a predetermined level or more, the control unit performs control so as not to drive the drive motor. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1. When the control means detects again the signal indicating the travelable state from the self-diagnosis means from the state where the drive to the drive motor is stopped, the signal from the next rotation detection means is validated and is sent to the drive motor. The electric vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein driving is resumed.

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