JP2755866B2 - Electric vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly to a controller for a vacuum cleaner.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of a conventional general vacuum cleaner, FIG. 4 is a graph showing a change in suction vacuum pressure during cleaning, and FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an example of a conventional vacuum cleaner A0. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration. As shown in FIG. 3, a conventional general vacuum cleaner A0 includes a suction port 1, an extension pipe 2,
It comprises an operation section 3, a hose 4, and a main body 5. The schematic circuit of the vacuum cleaner A0 is as shown in FIG. 5, and includes a pressure sensor 7 for detecting a suction vacuum pressure, an amplification circuit 8 for amplifying a detection signal from the pressure sensor 7, and an amplification circuit 8 for amplifying the detection signal. A suction motor 11 for generating a suction force via drive circuits 9 and 10 based on a signal from the operation unit 6a for calculating a pressure amplitude value and the like based on a signal and a signal from the operation unit 3 and a calculation amplitude value and the like by the calculation unit 6a; And a controller 6b for controlling the brush motor 12. Among them, regarding the arithmetic unit 6a and the control unit 6b, software for realizing each function is incorporated in the one-chip microcomputer 6 for controlling the entire vacuum cleaner A0. The pressure sensor 7 generally detects the pressure immediately before the suction motor 11 inside the main body 5 through a pressure guiding tube (not shown), but may be arranged near the operation unit 3.
The rotating brush motor 12 is housed inside the suction port 1 and is configured to drive a rotating brush (not shown) by a belt or the like. Hereinafter, a change in the suction vacuum pressure during the operation of the vacuum cleaner A0 will be described with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4A shows a change over time of the suction vacuum pressure value during operation based on a signal input from the pressure sensor 7 to the microcomputer 6 via the amplification circuit 8. A in the figure is a pressure characteristic curve when the suction port 1 is operated back and forth on a raised floor such as a carpet, and A 'is a pressure average value during a measurement cycle (generally about 1.5 seconds). A ″ indicates the pressure amplitude value during the same period.
Is a pressure characteristic curve when the suction port 1 is operated back and forth on the floor surface with little irregularity such as flooring as in A,
B ′ and B ″ indicate a pressure average value and a pressure amplitude value, respectively.
From the changes in the pressure characteristic curves A and B, it can be seen that in the case of the carpet flooring material, both the pressure average value and the pressure amplitude value are larger than in the case of the flooring flooring material. Conventionally, the flooring material is determined based on such a characteristic of the pressure change to control the cleaning ability (suction vacuum pressure and rotating brush rotation speed).

[0003]

However, in the conventional vacuum cleaner A0 described above, the following malfunction may occur. For example, a pressure characteristic curve C shown in FIG. 4B shows a pressure value change when the suction force 1 is moved from the carpet system to the flooring system during the measurement cycle (C ′,
C ″ indicates a pressure average value and a pressure amplitude value as in FIG. 4 (a). In this case, the pressure characteristic curve C in FIG. The microcomputer 6 of the vacuum cleaner A0 determines that the floor material is neither a carpet nor a flooring based on the pressure average value and the pressure amplitude value, that is, another floor material as shown in FIG. Since the values are similar to the pressure average value and the amplitude value for the pressure characteristic curve D, the microcomputer 6 determines that the floor material corresponds to the pressure characteristic curve D. Generally, the pressure amplitude value is large. In this case, the brushing of the flooring material is often long, and control is performed to increase the cleaning ability, so that the suction force is increased even though the suction port 1 is moved to the flooring, and the number of rotations of the rotating brush is increased. Therefore, the actual Low rotation or stop of the suction port and a rotary brush of "medium" can not be realized that from the "weak" necessary in-ring. Further, a pressure characteristic curve E in FIG. 4C shows a pressure change when the suction port 1 is floated in the air for a short time while the carpet floor material is being cleaned. In this case, the suction port 1 is opened only when floating, so that the suction vacuum pressure value becomes low. Therefore,
As in the case of the pressure characteristic curve C in FIG. 4B, the pressure amplitude value is detected to be larger than the actual floor material, and as a result, the cleaning ability is controlled to be higher. In order to solve the problems in the conventional technology, the present invention has improved an electric vacuum cleaner so that a stable operation can be achieved without causing a malfunction even when the floor material on the surface to be cleaned changes or when the suction port is lifted. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electric vacuum cleaner capable of exerting a cleaning ability.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a pressure detecting means for detecting a suction vacuum pressure during operation, and an arithmetic operation for calculating an amplitude value of the pressure detected by the pressure detecting means. Means for controlling a cleaning ability by judging a floor material based on at least the amplitude value calculated by the calculating means,
When the amplitude value is larger than a predetermined value, as a vacuum cleaner, characterized by comprising providing a comparison means for the control means to not have to change the cleaning ability without determination of flooring It is configured.

[0005]

According to the present invention, when the amplitude value of the suction vacuum pressure during operation is greater than a predetermined value, as the control means by comparing means does not change the cleaning ability without determination of flooring I do. As a result, even when the floor material on the surface to be cleaned changes or when the suction port is lifted, a stable cleaning ability can always be exhibited without causing a malfunction.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings to provide an understanding of the present invention. The following embodiment is an example embodying the present invention and is not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention. Here, FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic circuit configuration of a vacuum cleaner A1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of the vacuum cleaner A1, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a graph showing the change of suction vacuum pressure during cleaning (common with the conventional example).
It is. Note that the same reference numerals are used for the same elements as those in the block diagram showing the schematic circuit configuration in an example of the conventional vacuum cleaner A0 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the external appearance of the vacuum cleaner A1 according to the present embodiment is the same as that of the conventional example, the suction port 1, the extension pipe 2, the operation section 3, the hose 4, the main body 5 and the like.
The schematic circuit of the operation unit 3 as shown in FIG.
, A pressure sensor 7 (corresponding to pressure detecting means), an amplifying circuit 8, an arithmetic unit 6a (corresponding to arithmetic means), and a control unit 6b.
A microcomputer 6 (corresponding to control means)
And a drive circuit 9, 10, a suction motor 11, and a rotary brush motor 12 as in the conventional example.
However, in the circuit configuration of this embodiment, a comparison circuit 13 described later is used.
(Corresponding to comparison means) is different from the conventional example.
In the following, in this embodiment, parts different from the conventional example will be mainly described, and the parts similar to the conventional example are as described above, and therefore, detailed description thereof will be omitted. When the comparator circuit 13 is the pressure amplitude value computed by the computing section 6a of the microcomputer 6 is larger than the set value, the control unit 6b is
It has a function of preventing the cleaning ability from changing without making a judgment on the floor material. Instead of providing this circuit 13, for example, soft software for realizing this function is provided in the same manner as the arithmetic unit 6a and the control unit 6b. It may be incorporated in the microcomputer 6. The operation of the vacuum cleaner A1 according to the present embodiment including the comparison circuit 13 will be described below in the order of steps F1, F2,... With reference to FIG. First, when an operation start signal is input to the microcomputer 6 from the operation unit 3, the operation of the vacuum cleaner A1 is started (F1), and the flooring detection is completed for the cleaning ability (suction vacuum pressure and rotating brush rotation speed). Therefore, it is set to "weak" for the time being (F2). The suction motor 11 starts rotating from the stopped state and waits until the suction vacuum pressure is stabilized (generally about one second) (F3).

Next, if there is an operation end signal from the operation unit 3 (F4), the operation is ended (F12), and if there is no operation end signal, the pressure change value is measured during a measurement cycle of about 1.5 seconds. (F5). Then, a pressure average value and a pressure amplitude value are calculated from the measured pressure change value (F6), and it is determined whether the pressure amplitude value is larger than a set value (F7). here,
Generally, if the suction force is strong even for the same floor material, both the pressure average value and the pressure amplitude value become higher, and if the suction force is weak, both values become lower. Therefore, individual values are adopted as the measured values corresponding to the magnitude of the suction force during the measurement period. If the pressure amplitude value is equal to or less than the set value, a cleaning capability suitable for the floor material is determined from the detected pressure average value and the detected pressure amplitude value, and the suction motor 11 is set to have the determined cleaning capability. And the rotary brush motor 12 (F8). Next, if the cleaning ability determined in step F8 is the same as the cleaning ability determined in the previous measurement cycle, that is, if the floor material has not changed (F9), the process returns to step F4, and
Move to the next cycle. If there is a change in the cleaning capability, the process waits (F10) until the suction vacuum pressure becomes stable due to a change in the motor output as in step F3, and then proceeds to the next cycle. If the pressure amplitude value is larger than the set value in step F7, the floor material of the suction port operation changes,
It is determined that it is not normal continuous operation of the suction port such as lifting the suction port 1 for a short time. Then, without changing the cleaning ability, the apparatus waits until the pressure becomes stable (F11), and then moves to the next cycle. This state corresponds to the pressure characteristic curve C in FIG.
If the pressure amplitude value is larger than the set value, it means that the floor material determination is suspended until the next measurement cycle without adopting the pressure average value or the pressure amplitude value in the measurement cycle. By this operation, a reliable flooring material such as the pressure characteristic curve B in FIG. 4A in the next measurement cycle can be detected. 4A, the cleaning ability suitable for the carpet system can be stably maintained by not adopting the pressure change due to the lifting of the suction port 1 in the pressure characteristic curve E of FIG. As described above, according to the electric vacuum cleaner A1, malfunctions can be prevented when the floor material changes on the surface to be cleaned or when the suction port 1 is lifted, and a stable cleaning ability can always be obtained.

[0008]

Since the vacuum cleaner according to the present invention is constructed as described above, malfunctions can be prevented when the floor material changes on the surface to be cleaned or when the suction port is lifted, and a stable cleaning performance can always be obtained. Can be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic circuit configuration of a vacuum cleaner A1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of the electric vacuum cleaner A1.

FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of a general vacuum cleaner (shared with a conventional example).

FIG. 4 is a graph showing a change in suction vacuum pressure during cleaning (shared with a conventional example).

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a schematic circuit configuration of an example of a conventional vacuum cleaner A0.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A1: Vacuum cleaner 6a: Calculation unit (corresponding to calculation means) 6b: Control unit (corresponding to control means) 7: Pressure sensor (corresponding to pressure detection means) 13: Comparison circuit (corresponding to comparison means)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A pressure detecting means for detecting a suction vacuum pressure during operation, a calculating means for calculating an amplitude value of a pressure detected by the pressure detecting means, and at least the amplitude value calculated by the calculating means. in the electric vacuum cleaner and a control unit for controlling the determined cleaning ability flooring based, when the amplitude value is larger than a predetermined value, said control means does not perform the determination of the flooring above An electric vacuum cleaner comprising a comparison means for preventing a change in cleaning ability.