JP2020018412A - Cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a cleaner capable of reducing noise and power consumption.SOLUTION: A cleaner 1 includes: a motor 31; a dust collection fan to be driven by the motor 31; and a control section 50 for controlling driving of the motor 31. The control section 50 reduces an effective value of a voltage to be applied to the motor 31 when a quantity of air to flow into a suction port per unit time becomes equal to or more than a first predetermined value. The control section 50 continuously or gradually reduces an effective value of a voltage to be applied to the motor 31 as a quantity of air increases from the first predetermined value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

  The present invention relates to a cleaner including a dust collection fan driven by a motor.

  Patent Literature 1 below discloses a configuration of a portable cleaner that rotates a dust collection fan by the power of a motor. In such a cleaner, the opening ratio of the suction port changes depending on whether or not the head portion is in contact with the non-working material and a change in conditions such as the material of the non-working material. As the aperture ratio increases, the amount of air passing through the suction port increases.

JP-A-2006-67664

  The suction power obtained from the multiplication of the air volume and the degree of vacuum reaches a maximum at a predetermined air volume, and gradually decreases as the air volume increases beyond the predetermined air volume. For this reason, if the opening ratio is increased and the air volume is excessively increased, the air volume becomes large despite the low suction power, and noise and power consumption are unnecessarily increased.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a cleaner capable of reducing noise and power consumption.

One embodiment of the present invention is a cleaner. This cleaner is
Motor and
A dust collection fan driven by the motor,
A main body housing that houses the motor and the dust collection fan;
A control unit that controls the driving of the motor,
The main body housing is provided with a suction port into which the air sucked into the dust collecting fan flows, and an exhaust port through which the air passing through the dust collecting fan is exhausted,
The control unit reduces the effective value of the voltage applied to the motor when the amount of air flowing into the suction port per unit time is equal to or more than a first predetermined value.

  The control unit may decrease the effective value of the voltage applied to the motor continuously or stepwise as the air amount increases from the first predetermined value.

  The first predetermined value may be a value equal to or more than the air amount when the suction power is maximized.

  The control unit may maximize the effective value of the voltage applied to the motor when the air amount is equal to or less than a second predetermined value.

  The control unit may increase an effective value of a voltage applied to the motor in a process where the air amount decreases toward the second predetermined value.

  The control unit may specify the amount of air based on an effective value of a voltage applied to the motor and at least one of a current flowing through the motor and a rotation speed of the motor.

  A table may be provided that stores a relationship between an effective value of a voltage applied to the motor, at least one of a current flowing through the motor and the number of rotations of the motor, and the air amount.

  Note that any combination of the above-described components, and any conversion of the expression of the present invention between a method, a system, and the like, are also effective as aspects of the present invention.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cleaner capable of reducing noise and power consumption.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the cleaner 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The sectional side view of the cleaner 1. AA sectional drawing of FIG. BB sectional drawing of FIG. 1. CC sectional drawing of FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a head section 40 of the cleaner 1. FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the head unit 40. FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the head unit 40. FIG. 4 is a rear view of the head unit 40. FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram of the cleaner 1. The relationship between the air volume and the suction power in the stepless control of the cleaner 1 is shown in each case where the duty of the PWM control of the motor voltage in the cleaner 1 is fixed at 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, and 100%. The graph shown with the relationship between the air volume and the suction power. The relationship between the motor current and the motor speed with respect to the change in the opening ratio of the suction port in the stepless control of the cleaner 1 was fixed at a duty of 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, and 100% in the cleaner 1. 7 is a graph showing a relationship between a motor current and a motor rotation speed with respect to a change in aperture ratio in each case. 4 is a graph showing a relationship between a duty and a motor current with respect to a change in an opening ratio in the stepless control of the cleaner 1 together with a relationship between a duty and a motor current for each opening ratio in the cleaner 1. 5 is a flowchart of stepless control of the cleaner 1. The relationship between the air volume and the suction power in the multistage control of the cleaner 1 is shown below. The relationship between the air volume and the suction power in each case where the duty is fixed at 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, and 100% in the cleaner 1 is shown. The graph shown with. The relationship between the motor current and the motor rotation speed with respect to the change in the opening ratio in the multi-stage control of the cleaner 1 is shown in FIG. 4 is a graph showing a relationship between a motor current and a motor rotation speed with respect to a change in rate. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between the air volume and the suction power in the two-stage control of the cleaner 1 together with the relationship between the air volume and the suction power in each case where the duty is fixed at 80% and 100% in the cleaner 1. The relationship between the motor current and the motor speed with respect to the change in the aperture ratio in the two-stage control of the cleaner 1 is shown in each case where the duty is fixed at 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, and 100% in the cleaner 1. 4 is a graph showing a relationship between a motor current and a motor rotation speed with respect to a change in aperture ratio. 4 is a flowchart of two-stage control of the cleaner 1.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent components, members, processes, and the like shown in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the repeated description will be omitted as appropriate. In addition, the embodiments do not limit the invention, but are exemplifications, and all features and combinations described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention.

  The mechanical configuration of the cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, the front and rear, up and down, and left and right directions of the cleaner 1 which are orthogonal to each other are defined. 2 to 5, the flow of the airflow generated by the dust collecting fan 33 is indicated by a broken arrow. The cleaner 1 is a portable cyclone type cleaner. The cleaner 1 includes a housing 2, an intake pipe 7, and a cyclone unit 10.

  The housing 2 is, for example, a resin molded body. The housing 2 includes a handle portion 2a, a motor housing 2b, a control circuit housing 2c, and an exhaust port 2d. The handle portion 2a is provided with an operation portion 2e for an operator to instruct starting, stopping, and the like of the cleaner 1. The motor housing 2b houses the motor 31 and the dust collection fan 33. The motor 31 is a brushless motor here. Here, the dust collecting fan 33 is a centrifugal fan. The control circuit housing section 2c houses the control circuit board 35. The exhaust port 2d opens on the front left side of the control circuit housing 2c. A battery pack 5 serving as a power source for the cleaner 1 is detachably attached to a lower rear end of the housing 2.

  The cyclone unit 10 is detachably attached to the front of the motor housing 2b. The cyclone unit 10 has first and second cyclone units. The first cyclone unit includes a first exhaust pipe 11, a first swirl chamber 12, and a first dust collection chamber 13. The second cyclone unit includes a second exhaust pipe 15, a second swirling chamber 16, and a second dust collecting chamber 17. A plurality of sets of the second exhaust pipe 15, the second swirling chamber 16, and the second dust collecting chamber 17 are provided around the first cyclone unit, and ten sets in the illustrated example. A cylindrical filter 37 is provided in the air path from the second exhaust pipe 15 to the dust collection fan 33.

  The intake pipe 7 is a member constituting a suction passage, and is provided below the cyclone unit 10. A not-shown end of the intake pipe 7 is an intake port of the cleaner 1. A head section 40 shown in FIGS. 6 to 9 is detachably attached to the tip of the intake pipe 7. The head section 40 has a rotating brush 41 and incorporates a motor (not shown) for driving the rotating brush 41 to rotate. The head section 40 has a floor detection switch 43. The floor detection switch 43 is a roller supported on a vertically movable shaft. When this roller touches the floor and moves upward together with the shaft, the floor detection switch 43 is turned on, and it is determined that the head unit 40 has touched the floor.

  In the cleaner 1, when the motor 31 is started, the dust collection fan 33 is driven to rotate. By the rotation of the dust collection fan 33, dust is sucked from the intake pipe 7 together with air. The air mixed with the dust forms a tornado-like swirling flow in the first swirling chamber 12. Thus, the dust is centrifuged and collected in the first dust collection chamber 13. The air from which the dust has been removed is sucked into the first exhaust pipe 11 and flows into the second swirling chamber 16 to again form a tornado-like swirling flow. Thus, the dust is further centrifuged and collected in the second dust collecting chamber 17. The air from which the dust has been removed is sucked into the second exhaust pipe 15, passes through the filter 37, and is sucked into the dust collecting fan 33. The air discharged from the dust collection fan 33 flows to the rear of the motor 31 through the inside of the motor 31 or a gap between the motor housing 2b and the motor 31, and then flows forward through the control circuit housing 2c. And is exhausted from the exhaust port 2d.

  FIG. 10 is a simplified block diagram of the cleaner 1. The control unit 50 includes a microcontroller and the like. The control unit 50 is provided on the control circuit board 35 shown in FIG. The control unit 50 controls the voltage applied to the motor 31 (also referred to as “motor voltage”) by controlling the inverter 51, for example, PWM control, and controls the driving of the motor 31. The inverter 51 is a switching element such as a three-phase bridge-connected FET or IGBT. The inverter 51 performs a switching operation under the control of the control unit 50, converts a DC voltage supplied from the battery pack 5 into an AC voltage, and supplies the AC voltage to the motor 31. The detection resistor Rs is provided in a path of a current flowing through the motor 31 (also referred to as “motor current”). The current detection circuit 52 detects the motor current based on the voltage between both ends of the detection resistor Rs, and feeds it back to the control unit 50. The magnetic sensors 54 are, for example, Hall elements, and a predetermined number are provided near the motor 31. The rotation speed detection circuit 53 detects the rotation speed of the motor 31 (also referred to as “motor rotation speed”) based on the output signal of the magnetic sensor 54, and feeds it back to the control unit 50.

  The control by the control unit 50 includes at least one of stepless control, multi-step control, and two-step control. Hereinafter, each control will be described.

  FIG. 11 shows the relationship between the air volume and the suction power in the stepless control of the cleaner 1, and the duty of the PWM control of the motor voltage in the cleaner 1 (also simply referred to as “duty”) being 50%, 60%, 70%, and 80%. , 90%, and 100% are graphs showing the relationship between the air volume and the suction power in each case. The air volume on the horizontal axis is the amount of air flowing into the suction port (also simply referred to as “suction port”) at the tip of the intake pipe 7 per unit time. The air volume at each duty was increased or decreased by changing the opening ratio of the suction port (also simply referred to as “opening ratio”). When the duty is constant, the air volume increases as the opening ratio of the suction port increases. The opening ratio was set to an arbitrary value by closing a part or the whole of the suction port with a barrier. If the entire suction port is closed, the opening ratio is 0%. If half of the suction port is closed, the opening ratio is 50%. If there is no blockage, the opening ratio is 100%. The state where the opening ratio is 100% indicates a state where there is no member serving as a flow path resistance around the suction port. A state in which a floor surface, a carpet, or the like is close to the suction port and the flow of air flowing into the suction port is obstructed is regarded as a state in which the opening ratio is reduced.

  As shown in FIG. 11, in each duty, when the opening rate is increased and the air volume is increased, the suction power continues to increase up to a predetermined air volume, but when the air volume exceeds the predetermined air volume (exceeds the predetermined aperture ratio). , The suction power decreases. For this reason, if the opening ratio is increased and the air volume is excessively increased, the air volume becomes large despite the low suction power, and noise and power consumption are unnecessarily increased. Therefore, in the stepless control, the duty of the motor voltage is set to 100% (maximum) until the air volume reaches the first predetermined value, and the duty is continuously reduced as the air volume increases from the first predetermined value. Is continuously reduced. When the air volume is maximum, the duty is reduced to, for example, 50%. The first predetermined value may be a value equal to or greater than the air volume at which the suction power is maximized. In the example of FIG. 11, the air volume at which the suction power is maximized is set to the first predetermined value. In the stepless control, the duty is continuously increased while the air flow decreases toward the second predetermined value, and the effective value of the motor voltage is continuously increased to 100%. Here, the second predetermined value is the same value as the first predetermined value, but may be a value smaller than the first predetermined value.

  FIG. 12 shows the relationship between the motor current and the motor rotation speed with respect to the change in the opening ratio of the suction port in the stepless control of the cleaner 1, and shows the duty of the cleaner 1 at 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 100 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the motor current and the motor rotation speed with respect to the change in the opening ratio of the suction port in each case fixed at%. FIG. 13 is a graph showing the relationship between the duty and the motor current with respect to the change in the opening ratio of the suction port in the stepless control of the cleaner 1 together with the relationship between the duty and the motor current for each opening ratio of the suction port in the cleaner 1. 12 and 13, when the duty is constant in the cleaner 1, as the aperture ratio increases, the motor current increases and the motor rotation speed decreases. In addition, when the opening ratio is fixed and the duty is increased, both the motor current and the motor rotation speed increase. In the stepless control, the duty is set to 100% when the suction power is equal to or less than the opening ratio at which the suction power is maximum, and the duty is continuously reduced as the opening ratio increases from the opening ratio at which the suction power is maximum. The effective value of the voltage is continuously reduced. When the aperture ratio is the maximum (100%), the duty is reduced to, for example, 50%. The relationship between the motor current, the motor rotation speed, the aperture ratio, and the duty shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 may be stored as a table in a memory built in the control unit 50. The control unit 50 can specify (derive) the aperture ratio and can also specify the air volume based on the duty and at least one of the motor current and the motor rotation speed.

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart of the stepless control of the cleaner 1. This flowchart is started when the operator instructs activation of the cleaner 1 by operating the operation unit 2e. The control unit 50 sets an initial value of the duty of the PWM control of the motor voltage (S1). The initial value of the duty is, for example, 100% (maximum duty value). The control unit 50 calculates a control target value according to the duty (S2). The control target value is at least one of the target value of the motor current and the target value of the motor rotation speed, and corresponds to a portion of the stepless control line in FIGS. This is a value set for each duty. The control target value may be stored in a memory built in the control unit 50 in association with the duty as a table. The control unit 50 acquires the detected value of the motor current from the current detection circuit 52 and the detected value of the motor rotation speed from the rotation speed detection circuit 53 while driving the motor 31 with the set duty (S3). When the detected value of the motor current is larger than the control target value, or when the detected value of the motor speed is smaller than the control target value (YES in S4), the controller 50 reduces the duty (S5). When the detected value of the motor current is smaller than the control target value, or when the detected value of the motor speed is larger than the control target value (NO in S4), the controller 50 increases the duty (S6). After the duty adjustment (S5 or S6), the control returns to step S2. Although illustration is omitted, if the detected value of the motor current and the detected value of the motor speed coincide with the control target value in step S4, the duty adjustment (S5 or S6) is not performed.

  FIG. 15 shows the relationship between the air volume and the suction power in the multi-stage control of the cleaner 1 with the duty of the PWM control of the motor voltage in the cleaner 1 fixed at 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, and 100%. It is the graph shown with the relationship between the air volume and the suction power in each case. FIG. 16 shows the relationship between the motor current and the motor rotation speed with respect to the change in the opening ratio of the suction port in the multi-stage control of the cleaner 1, and the duty of the PWM control of the motor voltage in the cleaner 1 is set to 50%, 60%, 70%, and 80% , 90%, and 100% are graphs showing the relationship between the motor current and the motor rotation speed with respect to the change in the opening ratio of the suction port in each case. In the multi-stage control, the duty is reduced stepwise as the air volume increases from the first predetermined value. In the example of FIG. 16, the duty is set to 100% when the suction power is equal to or less than the opening rate at which the suction power is maximized, while the duty is reduced to 90% when the suction power is exceeded. Thereafter, the duty is gradually reduced to 80%, 70%, 60%, and 50% in accordance with the increase in the aperture ratio. Specifically, for each duty, the duty is reduced by 10% when the motor current and the motor speed enter the duty reduction region shown in FIG. On the other hand, in the process of decreasing the aperture ratio, the duty is increased by 10% at each duty when the motor current and the motor rotation speed enter the duty increase region shown in FIG.

  FIG. 17 shows the relationship between the air volume and the suction power in the two-stage control of the cleaner 1 together with the relationship between the air volume and the suction power in each case where the duty of the PWM control of the motor voltage in the cleaner 1 is fixed at 80% and 100%. It is a graph shown. FIG. 18 shows the relationship between the motor current and the motor rotation speed with respect to the change in the opening ratio of the suction port in the two-stage control of the cleaner 1, and shows the duty of the PWM control of the motor voltage in the cleaner 1 by 50%, 60%, 70%, and 80%. It is the graph shown with the relationship between the motor current and the motor rotation speed with respect to the change of the opening ratio of the suction port in each case fixed at%, 90%, and 100%. In the two-stage control, when the air flow exceeds a first predetermined value, the duty is reduced from 100% to 80%, and when the air flow falls below a second predetermined value (here, a value equal to the first predetermined value), The duty is increased from 80% to 100%. Specifically, at a duty of 100%, the duty is reduced to 80% when the motor current and the motor rotation speed enter the duty reduction region shown in FIG. On the other hand, at a duty of 80%, the duty is increased to 100% when the motor current and the motor rotation speed enter the duty increase region shown in FIG.

  FIG. 19 is a flowchart of the two-stage control of the cleaner 1. Motor current I1 and motor rotation speed R1 shown in steps S12 and S13 in FIG. 19 are motor current I1 and motor rotation speed R1 at point A in the graph of FIG. Motor current I2 and motor rotation speed R2 shown in steps S15 and S16 in FIG. 19 are motor current I2 and motor rotation speed R2 at point B in the graph of FIG. The control unit 50 acquires the detected value of the motor current from the current detection circuit 52 and the detected value of the motor rotation speed from the rotation speed detection circuit 53 while driving the motor 31 (S11). When the motor current exceeds I1 (YES in S12) and the motor speed falls below R1 (YES in S13), the controller 50 reduces the duty to 80% (S14). When the motor current falls below I2 (YES in S15) and the motor speed exceeds R2 (YES in S16), the controller 50 increases the duty to 100% (S14). The change of the duty may be determined based on only one of the motor current and the motor speed.

  According to the present embodiment, since the duty is reduced when the air flow or the opening ratio is larger than the air volume or the opening ratio at which the suction power is maximized, an excessive increase in the air volume when the opening ratio is increased is suppressed. It is possible to suppress a situation where the air volume is large despite the low suction power. Thereby, it is possible to suppress unnecessary increase in noise and power consumption without lowering the maximum value of the suction power.

  As described above, the present invention has been described by taking the embodiment as an example. However, it is understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to each component and each processing process of the embodiment within the scope described in the claims. By the way. Hereinafter, modified examples will be described.

  The cleaner of the present invention is not limited to the cyclone type, but may be a paper pack type. The cleaner of the present invention is not limited to the battery-driven cordless type, but may be a type with a cord that operates with power supplied from an external AC power supply. The motor 31 is not limited to a brushless motor, and may be a motor with a brush.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cleaner, 2 housing, 2a handle part, 2b motor accommodation part, 2c control circuit accommodation part, 2d exhaust port, 2e operation part, 5 battery pack, 10 cyclone unit, 11 first exhaust cylinder, 12 first swirl chamber, 13 1st dust collection chamber, 15 2nd exhaust pipe, 16 2nd swirl chamber, 17 2nd dust collection chamber, 31 motor, 33 dust collection fan, 35 control circuit board, 37 filter, 50 control unit, 51 inverter, 52 current Detection circuit, 53 Rotation speed detection circuit, 54 Magnetic sensor

Claims (8)

Motor and
A dust collection fan driven by the motor,
A main body housing that houses the motor and the dust collection fan;
A control unit that controls the driving of the motor,
The main body housing is provided with a suction port into which the air sucked into the dust collecting fan flows, and an exhaust port through which the air passing through the dust collecting fan is exhausted,
The controller is configured to reduce an effective value of a voltage applied to the motor when an amount of air flowing into the suction port per unit time becomes equal to or more than a first predetermined value.   The cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the control unit decreases the effective value of the voltage applied to the motor continuously or stepwise as the air amount increases from the first predetermined value.   The cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the first predetermined value is a value equal to or more than the air amount when the suction power is maximized.   The cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit maximizes an effective value of a voltage applied to the motor when the air amount is equal to or less than a second predetermined value.   The cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit increases an effective value of a voltage applied to the motor in a process in which the air amount decreases toward the second predetermined value. .   The said control part specifies the said air amount by the effective value of the voltage applied to the said motor, and the at least one of the electric current which flows into the said motor, and the rotation speed of the said motor, The air amount in any one of Claims 1-5. A cleaner according to claim 1.   The cleaner according to claim 6, further comprising a table storing a relationship between an effective value of a voltage applied to the motor, at least one of a current flowing through the motor and a rotation speed of the motor, and the air amount.   The cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the control unit controls an effective value of a voltage applied to the motor by duty control.