JP5214303B2 - Electric vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner in which the operation output of an electric blower is controlled by the attitude of a hand control tube.

  2. Description of the Related Art There is known an electric vacuum cleaner that controls the operation output of an electric blower by measuring the pressure of air sucked into the electric blower by a detection unit such as a pressure sensor or a current sensor provided in the cleaner body.

  There is also known a vacuum cleaner that measures the amount of dust accumulated in the dust collecting unit and controls the operation output of the electric blower.

Furthermore, in the vacuum cleaner of patent document 1, the operation output of an electric blower is controlled by the operation mode changeover switch provided in the local operation pipe.
JP-A-4-122344

  With conventional vacuum cleaners, it is possible to determine which direction of the surface to be cleaned and the object to be cleaned is being cleaned among the surface to be cleaned and the place to be cleaned, the substantially horizontal floor surface, the ceiling surface, and the substantially vertical wall surface. Can not.

  Therefore, the user of the conventional vacuum cleaner operates the operation mode switch provided on the hand control tube at his / her own judgment, and the output of the electric blower is set to the operation output suitable for the surface to be cleaned and the object to be cleaned. Must be controlled.

  The present invention proposes a vacuum cleaner capable of adjusting the operation output of an electric blower by discriminating the direction of the surface to be cleaned and the object to be cleaned.

In order to solve the above problems, in the present invention, a vacuum cleaner main body that houses an electric blower, a hand control pipe connected to the vacuum cleaner body via a dust collecting hose, and provided on the hand control pipe, the hand Gravitational acceleration is detected based on the vertical acceleration when the operation tube is in the downward posture, and the downward posture of the hand control tube, the lateral orientation, and a direction detecting means for measuring the upward attitude, the electric blower operation output if the detection result of the direction detecting means and the hand operation pipe at least one of the lateral attitude and the upward orientation Is suppressed from the normal driving output in the downward posture .

  The present invention can propose a vacuum cleaner capable of adjusting the operation output of the electric blower by determining the direction of the surface to be cleaned and the direction of the object to be cleaned.

  An embodiment of a vacuum cleaner according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

  FIG. 1 is a view showing an appearance of a vacuum cleaner according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the vacuum cleaner 1 according to this embodiment includes a vacuum cleaner body 2, a dust collection hose 3 having one end detachably connected to a connection port 2 a provided in the vacuum cleaner body 2, and The hand operating tube 4 having one end provided at the other end of the dust collecting hose 3, the extension tube 5 having one end detachably connected to the other end of the hand operating tube 4, and the other end of the extension tube 5 detachable And a suction port body 6 connected thereto.

  The vacuum cleaner main body 2 is housed therein, and the electric blower 7 that applies a negative pressure to the suction port body 6 through the connection port 2a and the dust sucked together with the air by the negative pressure generated by the electric blower 7 from the air. A detachable dust separating and collecting unit (not shown) that separates and collects dust, and air in which dust is collected in the dust separating and collecting unit is exhausted to the outside of the cleaner body 2 as exhaust air from the electric blower 7. And a main body exhaust port (not shown).

  The hand control tube 4 is a part that the user holds and operates the vacuum cleaner 1 when using the vacuum cleaner 1. The hand operation tube 4 is provided with an operation unit 4a to which an operation mode of the vacuum cleaner 1 is input and a direction detection means 10. The operation unit 4a is provided with a switch 4b for stopping the operation of the vacuum cleaner 1, a start switch 4c for starting the operation of the vacuum cleaner 1, and the like.

  The direction detection means 10 detects the acceleration in the coordinate system XYZ fixed to the hand operation tube 4 with the desired position of the hand operation tube 4 as the origin O. The coordinate system XYZ has the posture shown in FIG. 1 as a basic posture. When the hand operating tube 4 is gripped and the suction port body 6 is moved forward on a substantially horizontal surface to be cleaned such as a floor surface, the hand operating tube 4 The horizontal direction to move is the + X-axis direction, the normal direction upward from the horizontal plane where the hand operation tube 4 moves is the + Z-axis direction, and the left direction of the hand operation tube 4 perpendicular to the X-axis and the Z-axis is the + Y-axis direction And The direction detecting means 10 detects acceleration in the Z-axis direction. That is, the direction detection means 10 measures the posture of the hand operating tube 4 by detecting the acceleration in the Z-axis direction.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the basic posture of the hand control tube 4 when the + Z-axis direction is close to the vertical upward is called “downward posture”, and when the + Z-axis direction is inclined near the horizontal plane The posture of the hand control tube 4 is referred to as a “sideways posture”, and when the + Z-axis direction is inclined close to the vertically downward direction, the posture of the hand control tube 4 is referred to as an “upward posture”.

  When the hand operation tube 4 is in the downward posture, the hand operation tube 4 is in the basic posture as shown in FIG. 1, and the vacuum cleaner 1 is cleaning the substantially horizontal surface to be cleaned such as the floor surface. In addition, when the hand operation tube 4 is in the upward posture, it is considered that the vacuum cleaner 1 is cleaning a substantially horizontal surface to be cleaned such as the ceiling surface, and the hand operation tube 4 is in the horizontal posture. In this case, it is considered that a substantially vertical surface to be cleaned such as a wall surface is being cleaned, and in particular, a soft cloth-like object to be cleaned such as a curtain is being cleaned.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a vacuum cleaner according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the vacuum cleaner 1 includes an electric blower 7 connected to a commercial AC power source E through a switching element 11, a control unit 12 connected to a gate terminal of the switching element 11, and a commercial AC power source. A power supply circuit 13 that drives the control means 12 by reducing the voltage of E to about 5 V, an operation means 14 connected to the control means 12, and a direction detection means 10 connected to the control means 12 are provided.

  The switching element 11, the electric blower 7, the control means 12, and the power supply circuit 13 are accommodated in the cleaner body 2, and the operation means 14 and the direction detection means 10 are accommodated in the hand operation tube 4.

  The switching element 11 is an element such as a bidirectional thyristor or a reverse blocking three-terminal thyristor for power control. The switching element 11 is given a trigger signal St whose trigger level value is the time from 0 V to ON for every half cycle of the commercial AC power supply E, that is, the operation output of the electric blower 7 is controlled.

  In the operation unit 14, an operation signal corresponding to the operation content is output to the control unit 12 based on the operation input from the operation unit 4 a by the user of the vacuum cleaner 1. Specifically, when the off switch 4b is operated, a stop signal Soff of the vacuum cleaner 1 is output. Further, when the start switch 4c is operated, the start signal Son of the vacuum cleaner 1 is output.

  The direction detection unit 10 detects the acceleration Az in the Z-axis direction and outputs an inclination angle θz between the + Z-axis direction and the vertical downward direction to the control unit 12. For example, an angle input of 0 ° to 180 ° of the inclination angle θz is converted into a voltage signal of 0V to 5V and output to the control means 12 as the direction detection signal Sd. The acceleration Az is an acceleration component in the Z-axis direction of gravity acceleration.

  The control unit 12 outputs a trigger signal St having a trigger level value corresponding to the operation signal output from the operation unit 14 to the switching element 11. At this time, when the direction detection signal Sd output from the direction detection unit 10 is predetermined, the control unit 12 outputs the trigger signal St to the switching element 11 while suppressing the trigger signal St. The phase angle of the switching element 11 is controlled by the trigger level value of the trigger signal St, and the operation output of the electric blower 7 is controlled via the switching element 11.

  Specifically, if the operation signal is the activation signal Son, the control unit 12 acquires the direction detection signal Sd output from the direction detection unit 10. Here, when 1.25 V ≦ direction detection signal Sd ≦ 3.75 V, that is, when the Z-axis inclination angle θz detected by the direction detection means 10 is 45 ° ≦ inclination angle θz ≦ 135 °, the control means 12 is triggered. Let the phase angle of the signal St be the trigger level value b. On the other hand, when the direction detection signal Sd is 0V ≦ direction detection signal Sd <1.25V or 3.75V <direction detection signal Sd ≦ 5V, that is, the Z-axis inclination angle θz detected by the direction detection means 10 is 0 ° ≦ inclination. When the angle θz <45 ° or 135 ° <tilt angle θz ≦ 180 °, the control means 12 sets the phase angle of the trigger signal St as the trigger level value a.

  When the frequency of the commercial AC power supply E is 50 Hz, 0 ≦ trigger level value a50 <trigger level value b50 <10.0 msec, and when 60 Hz, 0 ≦ trigger level value a60 <trigger level value b60 <8.33 msec. The trigger level values a and b are set so that When the frequency of the commercial AC power source E is 50 Hz and 60 Hz, an equivalent operation is achieved at 50 Hz and 60 Hz by making a difference between the trigger level values a50,.

  That is, the vacuum cleaner 1 operates the electric blower 7 with a normal output when the hand operation tube 4 is positioned in an upward posture or a downward posture, while the hand operation tube 4 is positioned in a lateral posture. When this happens, the operation output of the electric blower 7 is reduced and suppressed.

  Such control at the start of operation of the electric blower 7 is performed, for example, by a program in a microcomputer constituting the control means 12.

  The vacuum cleaner 1 starts operation control of the vacuum cleaner 1 when the activation signal Son is output from the operation means 14 to the control means 12 based on the operation input of the activation switch 4c.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart of operation control of the vacuum cleaner according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 3, first, in step S1, when the vacuum cleaner 1 is connected to the commercial AC power source E and the power is turned on, the control means 12 performs initialization.

  In step S <b> 2, the control unit 12 acquires an operation signal from the operation unit 14.

  In addition, an operation signal means the stop signal Soff and the starting signal Son according to the operation content which the user of the vacuum cleaner 1 input with the operation part 4a.

  In step S <b> 3, the control unit 12 determines whether the operation signal acquired from the operation unit 14 is the activation signal Son. If the operation signal acquired from the operation means 14 is the activation signal Son, the process proceeds to step S4. If the operation signal acquired from the operation means 14 is other than the activation signal Son, the process proceeds to step S8. The case where the operation signal acquired from the operation means 14 is the activation signal Son is a case where the user of the vacuum cleaner 1 sets the activation switch 4c of the operation unit 4a, and the case where the electric blower 7 is operated.

  In step S <b> 4, the control unit 12 acquires the direction detection signal Sd from the direction detection unit 10.

  In step S5, the control means 12 determines whether or not the hand operating tube 4 provided with the direction detection means 10 is in the horizontal orientation. If the hand control tube 4 is in the horizontal orientation, the process proceeds to step S6. If the hand control tube 4 is not in the horizontal orientation, the process proceeds to step S7.

  Specifically, the control unit 12 determines that the direction detection signal Sd output from the direction detection unit 10 is 1.25 V ≦ direction detection signal Sd ≦ 3.75 V, that is, the Z-axis tilt angle detected by the direction detection unit 10. When θz is 45 ° ≦ inclination angle θz ≦ 135 °, it is determined that the hand operating tube 4 is in the horizontal orientation. On the other hand, when the direction detection signal Sd is 0V ≦ direction detection signal Sd <1.25V or 3.75V <direction detection signal Sd ≦ 5V, that is, the Z-axis inclination angle θz detected by the direction detection means 10 is 0 ° ≦ inclination. When the angle θz <45 ° or 135 ° <inclination angle θz ≦ 180 °, it is determined that the hand operation tube 4 is in the upward posture or the downward posture.

  In step S <b> 6, the control unit 12 outputs the trigger signal St having the trigger level value b to the switching element 11. Therefore, the switching element 11 supplies electric power to the electric blower 7 with the trigger level value b. The operation output of the electric blower 7 is suppressed, and the process returns to step S3.

  In step S <b> 7, the control unit 12 outputs the trigger signal St having the trigger level value “a” to the switching element 11. Therefore, the switching element 11 supplies electric power to the electric blower 7 with the trigger level value a. The electric blower 7 is in a normal output operation state and returns to step S3.

  In step S8, the control means 12 stops the trigger signal St given to the switching element 11, stops the electric blower 7, and ends. That is, the vacuum cleaner 1 stops.

  Next, the cleaning operation of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

  First, the user of the vacuum cleaner 1 connects the dust collecting hose 3, the hand operation tube 4, the extension tube 5, and the suction port body 6 in order to the connection port 2 a of the vacuum cleaner body 2.

  Next, a power cord (not shown) is pulled out from the cleaner body 2 and connected to an outlet (not shown) for supplying commercial power.

  Next, the hand control tube 4 is held and the start switch 4c of the operation unit 4a is operated. Then, the electric blower 7 starts operation. The electric blower 7 sucks air from a suction opening (not shown), and a negative pressure acts on the dust separation and dust collection unit housed in the cleaner body 2. Furthermore, a negative pressure is also applied to the dust collecting hose 3, the hand operating tube 4, the extension tube 5, and the suction port body 6 sequentially through the connection port 2 a of the cleaner body 2.

  Next, the user grasps the hand operating tube 4 and travels forward and backward through the suction port body 6 on a substantially horizontal surface to be cleaned such as a floor surface. If it does so, the dust which exists on a to-be-cleaned surface will be suck | inhaled by the suction inlet body 6 with air.

At this time, the hand control tube 4 takes a downward posture, and the direction detection means 10 detects the Z-axis inclination angle θz of 135 ° < inclination angle θz ≦ 180 ° . That is, a direction detection signal Sd of 3.75 V < direction detection signal Sd ≦ 5 V is output to the control means 12. Therefore, the control unit 12 outputs the trigger signal St having the trigger level value “a” to the switching element 11. Then, the electric blower 7 is operated with a normal output.

  The dust-containing air sucked into the suction port body 6 is sucked into the cleaner body 2 through the extension tube 5, the hand operation tube 4 and the dust collecting hose 3 in order.

  The dust-containing air sucked into the cleaner body 2 is separated into dust and air by the dust separation and collection unit. The dust separated from the dust-containing air is collected in a dust separation and collection unit, and the air from which the dust has been separated is exhausted from the cleaner body 2 through the body exhaust port.

  Next, when cleaning a substantially horizontal surface to be cleaned such as a ceiling surface, the user removes the extension tube 5 and the suction port body 6 from the hand operation tube 4, and the tip of the hand operation tube 4 is abbreviated to the ceiling surface or the like. Point to a horizontal surface to be cleaned. If it does so, the dust adhering to the to-be-cleaned surface will be sucked into the front-end | tip of the hand operation tube 4 with air.

At this time, the hand operating tube 4 takes an upward posture, and the direction detection means 10 detects the Z-axis inclination angle θz where 0 ° ≦ inclination angle θz <45 ° . That is, a direction detection signal Sd of 0V ≦ direction detection signal Sd < 1.25 V is output to the control means 12. Therefore, the control unit 12 outputs the trigger signal St having the trigger level value “a” to the switching element 11. Then, the electric blower 7 is operated with a normal output.

  The dust-containing air sucked into the tip of the hand operation tube 4 is sucked into the cleaner body 2 through the dust collecting hose 3.

  The dust-containing air sucked into the cleaner body 2 is separated into dust and air by the dust separation and collection unit. The dust separated from the dust-containing air is collected in a dust separation and collection unit, and the air from which the dust has been separated is exhausted from the cleaner body 2 through the body exhaust port.

  Next, a case where a substantially vertical surface to be cleaned such as a wall surface, in particular, a substantially vertical soft cloth-like object to be cleaned such as a curtain will be shown.

  FIG. 4 is a view partially showing a state in which a substantially vertical object to be cleaned is cleaned using the electric vacuum cleaner according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 4, when cleaning a substantially vertical surface to be cleaned such as a wall surface, particularly a substantially vertical soft cloth-like object C to be cleaned such as a curtain, the user has a hand control tube 4 provided with a brush or the like. The tip of is directed to a substantially vertical object C to be cleaned such as a curtain. If it does so, the dust adhering to the to-be-cleaned object C will be suck | inhaled by the front-end | tip of the hand control tube 4 with air.

  At this time, the hand control tube 4 takes a horizontal orientation, and the direction detection means 10 detects the Z-axis inclination angle θz of 45 ° ≦ inclination angle θz ≦ 135 °. That is, a direction detection signal Sd of 1.25 V ≦ direction detection signal Sd ≦ 3.75 V is output to the control means 12. Therefore, the control means 12 outputs the trigger signal St having the trigger level value b to the switching element 11. If it does so, the electric blower 7 will be suppressed from an operation output.

  The dust-containing air sucked into the tip of the hand operation tube 4 is sucked into the cleaner body 2 through the dust collecting hose 3.

  The dust-containing air sucked into the cleaner body 2 is separated into dust and air by the dust separation and collection unit. The dust separated from the dust-containing air is collected in a dust separation and collection unit, and the air from which the dust has been separated is exhausted from the cleaner body 2 through the body exhaust port.

  When the cleaning of the surface to be cleaned is finished, the user operates the off switch 4b of the hand control tube 4. Then, the electric blower 7 stops operation.

When the tilt angle θz of the Z axis detected by the direction detection means 10 is 135 ° < tilt angle θz ≦ 180 ° , the hand control tube 4 is in a downward posture, and 45 ° ≦ tilt angle θz ≦ 135 ° In this case, the hand control tube 4 is in the horizontal orientation, and when 0 ° ≦ inclination angle θz <45 ° , the hand control tube 4 is in the upward posture. However, the threshold value for each direction is limited to this condition. It is not something that can be done.

  Further, the operation output of the electric blower 7 may be suppressed even when the hand control tube 4 is in the upward posture.

  According to the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the present embodiment, any one of a substantially horizontal floor surface, a ceiling surface, and a substantially vertical wall surface as a surface to be cleaned or an object to be cleaned by a direction detection unit provided in the hand operation tube 4. It can be determined whether the surface to be cleaned and the object to be cleaned are being cleaned. Moreover, the user of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 does not need to control the operation output of the electric blower 7 to an output suitable for the surface to be cleaned and the object to be cleaned by his / her own judgment. In particular, when there is a soft cloth-like object to be cleaned such as a curtain on the ceiling surface or wall surface, the object to be cleaned is not sucked in, and cleaning is not difficult.

  Therefore, according to the vacuum cleaner 1 which concerns on this embodiment, the operation output of the electric blower 7 can be adjusted by discriminating the direction of the surface to be cleaned and the object to be cleaned.

The figure which showed the external appearance of the vacuum cleaner which concerns on this invention. The block diagram of the vacuum cleaner which concerns on this invention. The flowchart of the operation control of the vacuum cleaner which concerns on this invention. The figure which shows partially the state which cleans the substantially vertical to-be-cleaned thing using the vacuum cleaner which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electric vacuum cleaner 2 Vacuum cleaner main body 2a Connection port 3 Dust collection hose 4 Hand operation pipe 4a Operation part 4b Off switch 4c Start switch 5 Extension pipe 6 Suction port body 7 Electric blower 10 Direction detection means 11 Switching element 12 Control means 13 Power supply Circuit 14 operation means

Claims (1)

A vacuum cleaner body that houses an electric blower;
A hand control tube connected to the vacuum cleaner body via a dust collecting hose;
Gravity acceleration is detected with reference to the acceleration in the vertical direction when the hand operation tube takes a downward posture, and is determined based on the difference in inclination between the reference and the gravitational acceleration. Direction detecting means for measuring the downward posture, the lateral posture, the upward posture of the hand control tube ,
Suppressing than normal operating output in the downward posture driving output of at least the electric blower if either one of the hand operation pipe said lateral posture and the upward orientation from the detection result of the direction detecting means A vacuum cleaner characterized by that.

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