JP2009285177A - Electric vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electric vacuum cleaner which can drive a driving source with a driving sound corresponding to the surrounding sound volume. <P>SOLUTION: The electric vacuum cleaner is provided with an electric blower 2 which generates operating noise when it is driven, a control means 11 which controls operations of the electric blower 2 and a sound volume detecting means 13 which detects the surrounding sound volume. The control means 11 controls the operations of the electric blower 2 in accordance with the surrounding sound volume detected by the sound volume detecting means 13 when the electric blower 2 is stopped. In this manner, the electric blower 2 can be driven with driving sound corresponding to the surrounding sound volume. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner provided with notification means for outputting a notification sound.

Conventionally, this type of vacuum cleaner includes a vacuum cleaner body that houses an electric blower. In this vacuum cleaner main body, a dust collecting part is arranged in communication with the suction side of the electric blower. The vacuum cleaner main body has a main body suction port that communicates with the dust collecting portion, and the main body suction port has a hose body, an extension pipe, and a floor brush provided with a hand operating portion including a setting button on the distal end side. Are sequentially connected. Further, in the cleaner body, a control means for controlling the input of the electric blower according to the operation mode set by the setting button, and a microphone for collecting high-frequency sound including wind noise generated by driving the electric blower And are arranged. Then, the control means sets the input of the electric blower so that the high frequency sound collected by the microphone becomes the lowest level in the input range of the electric blower corresponding to the operation mode set by the setting button (for example, (See Patent Document 1).
JP 2000-166832 A (page 3-4, FIG. 1-2)

  In the above vacuum cleaner, for example, when the microphone is driven in a relatively quiet night, when the microphone is to be cleaned in an environment that is not easily affected by sounds other than the high-frequency sound generated by driving the electric blower, the cleaning environment is Can be kept quiet and effective.

  However, when cleaning is performed in an environment where the microphone may collect sound other than the high-frequency sound generated by driving the electric blower, such as in the daytime and where the noise is relatively high, the microphone may There is a problem that the sound is erroneously detected and the input of the electric blower may not be sufficiently increased.

  This invention is made | formed in view of such a point, and it aims at providing the vacuum cleaner which can drive a drive source with the drive sound corresponding to the surrounding sound volume.

  The present invention includes a drive source that generates an operation sound by driving, a control unit that controls the operation of the drive source, and a volume detection unit that detects a surrounding volume. The control unit is in a stopped state of the drive source. The operation of the drive source is controlled according to the surrounding sound volume detected by the sound volume detecting means.

  According to the present invention, the control unit controls the operation of the drive source according to the surrounding sound volume detected by the sound volume detection unit while the drive source is stopped, so that the drive source is driven with the drive sound corresponding to the surrounding sound volume. Can be made.

  Hereinafter, the structure of the vacuum cleaner of the 1st Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated with reference to drawings.

  In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a cleaner body, which collects dust sucked together with intake air generated by driving an electric blower 2 as a first drive source as a drive source housed inside. It is collected in the dust part. That is, that the drive source includes at least the electric blower 2 includes a case where the drive source is the electric blower 2 itself.

  Moreover, the main body inlet 3 which attracts | sucks air from the outside is opened by the front part in this vacuum cleaner main body 1. FIG. An elongated substantially cylindrical hose body 4 that is flexible and can be bent is connected to the main body suction port 3. At the tip of the hose body 4, a hand operating section 5 is provided as a hand operating means capable of selecting the operation mode of the electric blower 2. The hand operating section 5 is provided with a gripping portion 6 that is gripped by an operator when cleaning, and projects to the base end side. The gripping portion 6 is connected to the electric blower 2 in the cleaner body 1, for example. A plurality of setting buttons 7 are provided as switches for setting one of a plurality of operation modes such as strong, medium, weak, and stop.

  Further, an elongated, substantially cylindrical extension tube 8 that can be extended and retracted is detachably connected to the distal end of the hand operation unit 5. That is, the extension pipe 8 is connected to the suction side of the electric blower 2 through the hose body 4. In addition, the extension brush 8 can be detachably mounted on the tip of the extension pipe 8, for example, on a floor carpet as an indoor surface to be cleaned, and as a suction port for sucking dust on the carpet. It is connected in communication. That is, the floor brush 9 is connected to the suction side of the electric blower 2 through the extension pipe 8, the hose body 4, and the main body suction port 3.

  Next, the internal configuration of the vacuum cleaner will be described with reference to FIG.

  This electric vacuum cleaner is connected to a commercial AC power source e which is a commercial power source through a power cord 10 which can be inserted into and removed from the main body 1 of the vacuum cleaner, and a triac Tr1 which is a switching element as a control element. A series circuit is connected, and to this series circuit, a power supply circuit 12 for generating a power source such as 5 V for the control means 11 is connected in parallel. In other words, power is supplied from the commercial AC power source e to the cleaner body 1 via the power cord.

  The control means 11 is, for example, a microcomputer or a predetermined control circuit, and is electrically connected to the setting button 7 and the gate terminal of the triac Tr1, and set to the gate terminal of the triac Tr1 by the setting button 7. By supplying a pulse signal corresponding to the operation mode, the conduction angle of the electric blower 2 is controlled. Further, the control means 11 is electrically connected to a volume detection means 13 that is a noise detection means.

  The sound volume detection means 13 is, for example, a sound volume sensor or a predetermined sound volume detection circuit, and detects the sound volume around the electric vacuum cleaner (operator), that is, the sound volume of the environmental sound. Etc. are provided.

  Here, the timing at which the sound volume detecting means 13 detects the surrounding sound volume is the state in which the power cord 10 is connected to the commercial AC power source e via an outlet (not shown), that is, the power source is obtained, and the electric blower 2 At least one of a state in which the electric blower 2 is stopped and a state in which the electric blower 2 is stopped by operating the setting button 7. In other words, the volume detection means 13 is operated by the operator via the setting button 7 immediately before the electric blower 2 (electric vacuum cleaner) is started until the electric blower 2 is operated after the power cord 10 is connected to the outlet. The peripheral sound volume is detected after the mode setting operation is performed until the electric blower 2 operates in the operation mode) or after the electric blower 2 is stopped. This volume detection is performed within a few seconds, for example.

  It should be noted that the detection of the surrounding sound volume by the sound volume detection means 13 may be performed periodically every predetermined time and an average value thereof may be taken, or an instantaneous value at a predetermined timing may be used.

  Then, when the electric blower 2 is driven in the operation mode set by the setting button 7 such as strong, medium, and weak, the control means 11 detects the surrounding volume detected by the volume detection means 13 when the electric blower 2 is stopped. Input corresponding to V. That is, in each operation mode excluding the stop mode, the input range of the electric blower 2 is set, and the control unit 11 detects the volume detected by the volume detection unit 13 within the range. V is varied according to V.

  Therefore, a threshold A that is a predetermined volume for driving the electric blower 2 at a volume corresponding to the surrounding volume V detected by the volume detector 13 is set in the control unit 11 for each operation mode. A plurality of threshold values may be set for each operation mode, for example.

  Next, the control of the first embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. Hereinafter, the circled numbers in the flowcharts represent step numbers.

  At the time of cleaning, an operator first attaches a dust collecting portion to the cleaner main body 1, and sequentially connects the hose body 4, the extension pipe 8 and the floor brush 9 to the main body suction port 3.

  Next, the power cord 10 is pulled out from the cleaner body 1 and connected to the commercial AC power source e through an outlet. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, the surrounding sound volume V is detected by the sound volume detecting means 13 with the electric blower 2 stopped (step 1).

  Thereafter, the control means 11 determines whether or not the setting button 7 has been operated (step 2). If the control means 11 determines that the operation has not been performed, the control means 11 returns to step 1 to control that the operation has been performed. When the means 11 determines, the control means 11 determines whether or not the stop mode is selected by this operation (step 3).

  Furthermore, when the control unit 11 determines that the stop mode is selected in step 3, the control unit 11 determines whether or not the electric blower 2 is operating (step 4).

  If the control means 11 determines in step 4 that the electric blower 2 is operating, the electric blower 2 is stopped (step 5) and the process is terminated. If the control unit 11 determines in step 4 that the electric blower 2 is not operating, the process returns to step 1.

  If the control means 11 determines in step 3 that the stop mode is not selected, the control means 11 indicates that the surrounding volume V detected by the volume detection means 13 in step 1 is the setting button in step 2. It is determined whether or not the threshold value A is equal to or less than the threshold A corresponding to the operation mode set in step 7 (step 6).

  In step 6, when the control means 11 determines that the surrounding volume V is equal to or less than the threshold value A, the control means 11 assumes that the surrounding is a relatively quiet environment, the input of the electric blower 2, That is, the operation speed (the number of rotations) of the electric blower 2 is suppressed within a range corresponding to the operation mode set by the setting button 7 (step 7), and the process returns to step 2. If the control means 11 determines in step 6 that the surrounding volume V is not less than or equal to the threshold A, that is, the surrounding volume V is greater than the threshold A, the control means 11 has a relatively loud noise in the surroundings. Assuming that it is an environment, the input of the electric blower 2 is left in normal control (step 8), and the process returns to step 2.

  The operator causes the floor brush 9 to run forward and backward on the floor surface, thereby sucking dust on the floor surface together with air from the front end side of the floor brush 9 and cleaning it.

  The sucked dust is sucked together with air into the dust collecting portion through the floor brush 9, the extension pipe 8, the hose body 4, and the main body suction port 3, and is collected in the dust collecting portion. The air in which the dust is collected passes through the electric blower 2 and is then exhausted.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, the control unit 11 controls the operation of the electric blower 2 according to the surrounding volume detected by the volume detection unit 13 when the electric blower 2 is stopped. The electric blower 2 can be driven with a driving sound corresponding to the surrounding volume.

  Specifically, when the surrounding volume V detected by the volume detection means 13 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold A, the electric blower 2 is operated in a state in which the operation speed is suppressed, so that the surrounding environmental sound is relatively low. Under a quiet environment, it is possible to suppress the operation sound generated when the electric blower 2 is driven, such as wind noise and driving sound, and the vacuum cleaner can be operated quietly. Since the electric blower 2 is operated in a normal state, dust can be reliably sucked.

  Moreover, since the electric blower 2 is a drive source with the loudest operating sound in the electric vacuum cleaner, the operation of the electric blower 2 can be controlled quietly by controlling the operation according to the surrounding sound volume detected by the sound volume detecting means 13. It is possible to realize an electric vacuum cleaner that can be quietly cleaned in a difficult environment.

  Furthermore, the sound volume detection means 13 is at least one of a state where the electric blower 2 is stopped and the power cord 10 is connected to the commercial AC power source e and a state where the electric blower 2 is stopped by operating the setting button 7. By detecting the surrounding sound volume in this state, it is possible to accurately detect the surrounding sound volume without being disturbed by the driving sound of the electric blower 2 or the like.

  Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, about the structure and effect | action similar to the said embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the second embodiment, in the first embodiment, the control means 11 has a function of time measuring means for recognizing the current time, and the current time is, for example, a time zone from midnight to early morning ( If the surrounding volume V detected by the volume detection means 13 is equal to or less than the threshold value A, that is, the input of the electric blower 2, that is, the operation It reduces the speed (number of rotations).

  Note that the predetermined time period T may be set in advance in the control means 11, or may be arbitrarily set by the operator.

  Then, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4, when the control unit 11 determines that the surrounding volume V is equal to or less than the threshold value A in step 6 of the first embodiment, the current time is a predetermined time zone. It is determined whether or not T (step 9). Further, when the control means 11 determines that the current time is in the predetermined time zone T in step 9, the control means 11 proceeds to step 7, and if the current time is not in the predetermined time zone T in step 9, the control means 11 If it is determined, and if the control means 11 determines in step 6 that the surrounding volume V is not equal to or less than the threshold value A, the process proceeds to step 8 respectively.

  As a result, when the surrounding sound volume V detected by the sound volume detecting means 13 is equal to or lower than the threshold value A in the predetermined time zone T, the operation speed of the electric blower 2 is reduced, for example, at night. The vacuum cleaner can be operated quietly during times when is not preferred.

  Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, about the structure and effect | action similar to the said embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the third embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, in the first embodiment, a rotary brush 15 that is a rotary cleaning body in the floor brush 9, and the rotary brush 15 is driven to rotate. An electric motor that is a cleaning body drive source (second drive source), that is, a motor 16 as a drive source to be driven is provided. That is, the drive source including at least the motor 16 includes a case where the drive source is the motor 16 itself.

  The rotary brush 15 is formed in a horizontally long substantially cylindrical shape, and a cleaning member such as brush bristles or blades is attached to the outer peripheral surface, and an unillustrated suction opening is formed in the lower surface of the floor brush 9 facing the floor surface. It is pivotally supported by the mouth. Further, the on / off switching of the rotation of the rotating brush 15 is set by a predetermined setting button 7.

  The motor 16 is connected to the rotating brush 15 via a belt 17 or the like as a transmission member with respect to the rotating brush 15, and is configured to transmit the rotational force to the rotating brush 15 via the belt 17 or the like. ing. Further, in this motor 16, a series circuit with a triac Tr2 which is a switching element as an electric motor control element is connected in parallel with a series circuit of the electric blower 2 and the triac Tr1 with respect to the commercial AC power source e.

  Like the triac Tr1, the triac Tr2 has a gate terminal connected to the control means 11, and when the rotation of the rotary brush 15 is turned on by the setting button 7, a pulse signal is supplied from the control means 11 to 16 is configured to drive and control.

  When the control means 11 drives the motor 16 (the rotating brush 15) in the on mode set by the setting button 7, the motor 16 (the rotating brush 15) is stopped and the power cord 10 is connected to the commercial AC power source e. And an input corresponding to the surrounding volume V detected by the volume detection means 13 in at least one of the state where the motor 16 (the rotating brush 15) is stopped by the operation of the setting button 7 . That is, in the on mode, the input range of the motor 16 is set, and the control unit 11 varies the input of the motor 16 in accordance with the volume V detected by the volume detection unit 13 within the range.

  Therefore, the control means 11 is set to the on mode with a threshold value B, which is a predetermined volume for driving the motor 16 (rotating brush 15) at a volume corresponding to the surrounding volume V detected by the volume detection means 13. Yes. For example, a plurality of threshold values may be set.

  Next, the control of the third embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  The sound volume detection means 13 is in a state where the power cord 10 is connected to a commercial AC power source e through an outlet (not shown), that is, in a state where a power source is obtained and the motor 16 (the rotating brush 15) is stopped. The surrounding volume V is detected (step 11). At this time, the electric blower 2 may be in a stopped state or an operating state.

  Thereafter, the control means 11 determines whether or not the setting button 7 has been operated (step 12). If the control means 11 determines that the operation has not been performed, the control means 11 returns to step 11 to control that the operation has been performed. When the means 11 determines, the control means 11 determines whether or not the off mode of the rotating brush 15 has been selected by this operation (step 13).

  Further, when the control means 11 determines that the off mode is selected in step 13, the control means 11 determines whether or not the motor 16 (rotating brush 15) is operating (step 14).

  If the control means 11 determines in step 14 that the motor 16 (rotating brush 15) is operating, the motor 16 (rotating brush 15) is stopped (step 15) and the process is terminated. If the control means 11 determines in step 14 that the motor 16 (rotary brush 15) is not operating, the process returns to step 11.

  If the control means 11 determines that the off mode is not selected in step 13, the control means 11 determines whether or not the electric blower 2 is operating (step 16).

  If the control unit 11 determines in step 16 that the electric blower 2 is not operating, the process returns to step 11. If the control means 11 determines in step 16 that the electric blower 2 is operating, the control means 11 sets the peripheral volume V detected by the volume detection means 13 in step 11 in step 2. It is determined whether or not the threshold value B is equal to or less than the threshold value B corresponding to the operation mode set by the button 7 (step 17).

  If the control means 11 determines in step 17 that the surrounding volume V is equal to or less than the threshold value B, the control means 11 assumes that the surrounding is in a relatively quiet environment, that is, the input of the motor 16, that is, The operating speed (number of rotations) of the motor 16 is suppressed within the range of the on mode (step 18), and the process returns to step 12. If the control means 11 determines in step 17 that the surrounding volume V is not less than or equal to the threshold A, that is, the surrounding volume V is greater than the threshold A, the control means 11 has a relatively loud noise in the surroundings. Assuming that it is an environment, the input of the motor 16 is left in normal control (step 19), and the process returns to step 12.

  As described above, when the surrounding volume V detected by the volume detecting means 13 is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold B, the motor 16 is operated in a state where the operation speed is suppressed. In a rough environment, it is possible to suppress the operation sound generated by the driving of the rotary brush 15, for example, the sound of hitting the floor surface, etc., and the vacuum cleaner can be operated quietly. Since 16 (rotating brush 15) is operated in a normal state, dust can be reliably removed from the floor surface.

  Further, the rotating brush 15 generates a loud sound depending on the type of the floor surface when, for example, the cleaning member knocks out dust from the floor surface. Therefore, the operation of the rotating brush 15 is controlled by controlling the driving of the motor 16. Is controlled according to the surrounding sound volume detected by the sound volume detection means 13, thereby realizing a vacuum cleaner that can be cleaned quietly in a quiet environment.

  Next, a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, about the structure and effect | action similar to the said embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the fourth embodiment, in the third embodiment, the control means 11 has a function of a time measuring means for recognizing the current time as in the second embodiment. When the time is a predetermined time zone T such as a time zone from midnight to early morning, and the surrounding volume V detected by the volume detection means 13 is equal to or less than the threshold value B, the input of the motor 16, that is, the operation It reduces the speed (number of rotations).

  Then, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 8, when the control unit 11 determines that the surrounding volume V is equal to or less than the threshold value B in step 17 of the third embodiment, the current time is a predetermined time zone. It is determined whether or not T (step 20). Further, if the control means 11 determines that the current time is in the predetermined time zone T in step 20, the control means 11 proceeds to step 18, and if the current time is not in the predetermined time zone T in step 20, the control means 11 If it is determined, and if the control means 11 determines in step 17 that the surrounding volume V is not less than or equal to the threshold value B, the process proceeds to step 19 respectively.

  As a result, when the surrounding volume V detected by the volume detection means 13 is equal to or less than the threshold value B in the predetermined time zone T, the operating speed of the motor 16 (rotating brush 15) is reduced, for example, The vacuum cleaner can be operated quietly during periods of low noise, such as at night.

  In the third embodiment and the fourth embodiment, the drive source for rotating the rotary brush 15 is not the motor 16, but for example, a structure that sucks air and blows it to the rotary brush 15, for example, a sound generated by the drive. As long as this occurs, various other things can be used.

  Further, in the configuration in which the control of the first embodiment and the control of the third embodiment are combined, that is, in the third embodiment, the control means 11 includes the electric blower 2 and the rotating brush 15. The operation of at least one of the (motor 16) may be controlled according to the surrounding sound volume detected by the sound volume detecting means 13.

  Similarly, in the configuration in which the control of the second embodiment and the control of the fourth embodiment are combined, that is, in the fifth embodiment, the control unit 11 measures the time when the current time is recognized. When the current time is a predetermined time zone T such as a time zone from midnight to early morning, and the surrounding volume detected by the volume detection unit 13 is equal to or lower than the predetermined volume In addition, the input of the electric blower 2 or the rotating brush 15 (motor 16), that is, the operation speed (number of rotations) may be reduced.

  Further, in each of the above embodiments, the sound volume detection means 13 can be arranged at any position other than the upper part of the cleaner body 1.

  Further, the vacuum cleaner is not limited to the canister type, and for example, an upright type, a handy type, or an autonomous traveling type can be used in correspondence with the above configuration.

  And as a vacuum cleaner, not only the alternating current type connected to the commercial alternating current power supply e but the direct current type using DC power supplies, such as a battery, can show the same effect.

It is a circuit diagram showing the vacuum cleaner of a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows a vacuum cleaner same as the above. It is a flowchart which shows control of a vacuum cleaner same as the above. It is a flowchart which shows control of the vacuum cleaner of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a circuit diagram which shows the vacuum cleaner of the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows a vacuum cleaner same as the above. It is a flowchart which shows control of a vacuum cleaner same as the above. It is a flowchart which shows control of the vacuum cleaner of the 4th Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vacuum cleaner main body 2 Electric blower as drive source 7 Setting button as switch 9 Floor brush as suction inlet
10 Power cord
11 Control means
13 Volume detection means
15 Rotating brush that is a rotating cleaning body
16 Motor as cleaning body drive source as drive source e Commercial AC power source as commercial power source

Claims (6)

The vacuum cleaner body,
A driving source that generates an operating sound by driving; and
Control means for controlling the operation of the drive source;
Volume detecting means for detecting the surrounding volume,
The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the operation of the drive source according to a surrounding volume detected by the volume detection unit in a stopped state of the drive source. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the drive source includes at least an electric blower. A rotary cleaning body that can rotate, and a suction port body that is connected to and connected to the suction side of the electric blower with respect to the cleaner body,
The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the drive source includes at least a cleaning body drive source for rotating the rotary cleaning body. The control means reduces the operating speed of the drive source when the surrounding sound volume detected by the sound volume detection means is equal to or lower than a predetermined sound volume when the drive source is stopped. The vacuum cleaner described. The control means reduces the operation speed of the drive source when the surrounding sound volume detected by the sound volume detection means is equal to or lower than the predetermined sound volume in a predetermined time zone and the drive source is stopped. Claim | item 1 thru | or 3 vacuum cleaner. A power cord that is connected to a commercial power source and supplies power to the vacuum cleaner main body,
A switch for at least stopping the operation of the drive source,
The sound volume detection means is configured to detect a surrounding sound volume in at least one of a state in which the drive source is stopped and the power cord is connected to a commercial power source, and a state in which the drive source is stopped by operating the switch. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum cleaner is detected.

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