JP6667648B2 - Household cleaning appliances and base station for household cleaning appliances - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to household cleaning appliances, and more particularly to at least one accessory connectable to a body, at least one first rechargeable energy storage located within the body, and at least one located within the accessory. It relates to a vacuum cleaner comprising one further rechargeable energy storage and at least one consumer that can be energized by at least one of the rechargeable energy storages. Furthermore, the invention relates to a base station for household cleaning appliances.

  A household cleaning appliance according to the invention refers in particular to a vacuum cleaner, such as a hand-held vacuum cleaner. The household cleaning appliance includes a main body and accessories connected or connectable to the main body. The body may include a handle for the user, or the handle may be located on a rod connected to the body.

  An accessory in this case refers in particular to a component that can be coupled to the body or that is fixedly connected. The accessory may be, for example, a suction unit or a nozzle unit for cleaning the surface. During operation of the hand-held vacuum cleaner, the contact surfaces of the accessories provided therefor, such as the rollers and / or the actuating elements of the accessories, come into contact with the surface to be cleaned.

  The suction device is in particular arranged in the body. The suction device comprises an actuating element in the form of a suction fan which can be driven by an electric consumer in the form of an electric motor. Particles located on the surface to be cleaned can be sucked up by the suction device via a suction channel arranged between the suction device and the accessory.

  There are many household cleaning appliances in the prior art in which a rechargeable electrical energy storage is arranged in the body to supply energy to at least one electrical consumer. For example, energy storage in the form of a storage battery is used to supply electrical energy to at least one consumer. For example, the electric motor of the suction device can be supplied with electric energy. Placing the rechargeable electrical energy storage in the body allows for cordless and therefore user friendly operation.

  One of the disadvantages of this type of rechargeable energy storage is that the energy storage is heavy. Placing the energy storage in the body increases the weight that the user must carry while operating the hand-held vacuum cleaner. This reduces the operating comfort of the hand-held vacuum cleaner. Therefore, the comfort of operation of the hand-held vacuum cleaner is reduced. As a result, the prior art typically uses lower capacity electrical energy storage, thereby providing weight savings.

  In addition, improved home cleaning appliances of the prior art provide active accessories that include additional rechargeable energy storage. Additional rechargeable energy storage is used to supply electrical energy to electrical consumers, such as electrical motors and / or sensors of the actuation elements, located within the accessory.

  In fact, with this type of household cleaning appliance, the total amount of electrical energy available to the household consumer of the household cleaning appliance is increasing. However, the available electrical energy cannot be flexibly used. This reduces the ease of use and performance of the household cleaning appliance user.

  Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to at least mitigate the drawbacks of household cleaning appliances known in the art, and in particular to improve the performance of household cleaning appliances and their usability for users. It is to provide.

  This object is solved according to a first aspect of the present invention by a cleaning appliance according to claim 1. Household cleaning appliances, especially vacuum cleaners, comprise at least one accessory that is at least connectable to a body. The household cleaning appliance includes at least one first rechargeable energy storage disposed within the body. The household cleaning appliance comprises at least one further rechargeable energy storage arranged in the accessory. Household cleaning appliances comprise at least one consumer that can be energized by at least one of the rechargeable energy storages. The household cleaning appliance is characterized in that at least one first switch unit is provided arranged between the first rechargeable energy storage and the further rechargeable energy storage. The first switch unit is configured to connect a first rechargeable energy storage and a further rechargeable energy storage in parallel at a first switch position and in series at a second switch position.

  Unlike the prior art, a switch unit is provided for flexibly interconnecting at least one first rechargeable energy storage of the body and at least one further rechargeable energy storage of the accessory, so that household cleaning The performance of the device and the ease of use for the user are improved. In particular, the performance and ease of use for the user can be increased if necessary by the parallel connection of at least two energy storages (longer operating duration), and furthermore if necessary , In that an increase in the maximum amount of power available by the series connection of at least two energy storages can be provided (by a voltage increase). Furthermore, the weight of the energy storage of the accessory is preferably distributed directly to the contact surface of the accessory, such as the roller and / or the actuating element of the accessory.

  The household cleaning appliance may in particular be a vacuum cleaner. Household cleaning appliances comprise a body to which at least one accessory or a plurality of (different) accessories can be coupled. The accessory is, in particular, a combined accessory element. The at least one accessory may suitably be an active accessory (eg an active nozzle) or a passive accessory (eg a passive nozzle and / or an extension hose with a handle). The active accessory comprises at least one electric consumer, such as an electric sensor and / or an electric actuator. The actuator may be, for example, an electric motor that activates an activation element of a household cleaning appliance or an activation element of an accessory. On the other hand, passive accessories do not have electricity consumers.

  Household appliances include at least two rechargeable electrical energy storages. The rechargeable energy storage is configured to store electrical energy and send it to at least one electrical consumer as needed. The rechargeable energy storage is preferably configured as a storage battery.

  The first rechargeable energy storage is located in the body and the further rechargeable energy storage is preferably located in a combined accessory. Additional energy storage is located within the accessories of the household cleaning appliance, thus increasing the electrical energy available to operate the household cleaning appliance and / or the active accessory, especially the weight of the body. Without any increase.

  In order to use the available electrical energy in a flexible and demand-optimized manner, a first switch unit is provided. The first switch unit comprises switch means for connecting at least two provided rechargeable energy storages in parallel or in series. In the first switch position, the rechargeable energy storage is connected in parallel, and in the second switch position, the rechargeable energy storage is connected in series. Thus, depending on current requirements, the maximum available power is increased or the operating duration of the household cleaning device is extended.

  According to a first embodiment of the household cleaning appliance according to the present invention, the household cleaning appliance may comprise a control unit configured to control the first switch unit. According to a preferred embodiment, the household cleaning appliance may comprise a control unit configured to control the first switch unit according to the operating state of the household cleaning appliance. For example, in at least one first detectable operating state, the first switch unit is (always) set to the first switch position and / or in at least one further operating state, the first switch unit is The setting of the (always) second switch position may be implemented in the control unit. During the connection, ease of use for the user can be automatically improved by taking into account the current operating state.

  Alternatively or additionally, the control unit can be configured to control the first switch unit in response to a detected accessory type of the accessory connected to the household cleaning appliance. Due to the type of accessory and in particular the intended use associated therewith, the predetermined mode of operation may, for example, be such that the first switch unit is set in the first switch position or the second switch position. May control the first switch unit. This is caused by its use, for example, in the case of a suction hose with a passive suction nozzle connected to the body for the purpose of cleaning the surface, said suction nozzle having an additional rechargeable energy storage. It makes it possible to compensate for suction line flow losses (stroemungstechnisch bedingten Saugleistungsverluste, UK: suction line flow losses), in which a first mode of operation is provided, in which the first switch unit has at least This is because the two rechargeable energy storages are switched in series with each other to compensate for the resulting loss of increased suction performance.

  The control unit is preferably configurable to control the first switch unit in response to a state of the first rechargeable energy storage and / or a state of the further rechargeable energy storage. The state may in particular be the current state of charge of the first rechargeable energy storage, the further rechargeable energy storage and / or the at least two rechargeable energy storages. The control unit controls the first switch unit according to the (current) state of charge of the rechargeable energy storage, so that the available operating time of the household cleaning appliance can in particular be increased.

  The control unit may be configured at least partially as a hardware module and / or at least partially as a software module.

  According to a particularly preferred embodiment, at least one detection unit for detecting the state of charge of the first rechargeable energy storage and / or for detecting the state of charge of a further rechargeable energy storage can be provided. Of course, it is also possible to provide two (or more) separate detection units. The detection unit may comprise a measurement module for determining a current state of charge of the rechargeable energy storage. The measurement module may perform, for example, a chemical measurement, a voltage dependence measurement, a current integral (Strom-integrative, German: power-integrative) measurement, a pressure dependence measurement, or a battery impedance measurement. The at least one detection unit may have a communication connection to the control unit and may provide the control unit with the measured state of charge.

  If the control unit detects a drop below the comparative charging state (Germany: Vergleichsladezustand, English: comparable charging state) due to at least one detected charging state, the first rechargeable energy storage and the further rechargeable energy storage are switched off. It may be configured to drive the first switch units in such a manner as to be connected in parallel. For example, a first comparative charge state (e.g., between 10-50%) may be specified for a first rechargeable energy storage of the body. If the current state of charge of the first rechargeable energy storage of the body drops below this first comparative state of charge, a parallel connection of the first rechargeable energy storage of the body to a further rechargeable energy storage of the accessory May be triggered automatically, especially to extend the operating period. Additionally or alternatively, a further comparison charge state (e.g., between 10-50%) may be specified for additional rechargeable energy storage of the accessory. Again, if the current state of charge of the additional rechargeable energy storage of the accessory drops below a further comparative state of charge, the additional energy of the accessory in the first energy storage of the body, especially to extend the operating time A parallel connection to the storage may be defined to be automatically triggered.

In an alternative or preferably additional embodiment, the control unit can be configured to control the first switch unit in response to at least one mode of operation. The household cleaning device can preferably operate in various modes of operation. The operating modes may differ, for example, in that different maximum powers are provided to the consumer. For example, in the first mode of operation, the electric motor of the suction fan can be operated at a higher speed (for example up to 150,000 min ^-1 ) than in the further operation mode, in order to provide a particularly strong suction. According to the present invention, the first mode of operation may be provided by a first switch unit connecting at least two rechargeable energy storages in series with one another. For example, the maximum available operating voltage of 24V can be increased by 50% to 100%, especially up to 48V. This allows, for example, individually designed motors to operate at higher speeds. For this, the control unit may detect the corresponding first operation mode, and may drive the first switch unit according to the detected operation mode. In a further (energy-saving) operating mode, the electric motor can be operated at a lower speed (lower maximum power or operating voltage), for example to save energy. When the other mode of operation is detected, the control unit may cause the first switch unit to connect at least two rechargeable energy storages in parallel.

  The (desired) mode of operation can be preset by the user, for example via a user interface on a household cleaning appliance. Alternatively or additionally, the household cleaning appliance may include one or more sensors. A sensor, such as an ultrasonic sensor, may be arranged especially in the accessory. The at least one sensor may, for example, detect the type of surface currently being cleaned or the degree of soiling detected on the surface currently being cleaned. Depending on the type of floor detected and / or the degree of soiling detected, the evaluation unit can determine the optimal mode of operation according to preset rules. The control unit may control the first switch unit according to an operation mode that is automatically set thereafter, and set the first switch unit to the first switch position or the second switch position. Can be done.

  According to a further embodiment, it may further be provided that the first switch unit is configured to connect at least one consumer in the third switch state only to a further rechargeable energy storage of the accessory. . The first switch unit may be controllable such that only the additional rechargeable electrical energy storage of the accessory supplies electrical energy to at least one consumer, such as the electric motor of the body. For example, the control unit may, by way of example, only supply a further rechargeable electrical energy storage of the accessory to at least one of the household cleaning appliances up to a preset second comparative charging state (for example, 10 to 50%). It may be programmed to be used for supplying to consumers. In particular, in the case of removable accessories, there is the advantage that an accessory with discharged energy storage can be exchanged for another accessory with charged energy storage. In other words, energy storage can be exchanged by exchanging accessories. Thereby, the operating time of the household cleaning appliance can be further improved by simple means.

  Household cleaning appliances may have at least one permanently connected accessory. In other words, in this case, the accessory cannot be replaced by the user (without a considerable amount of assembly work). The accessory is preferably connectable to the body in a detachable manner. Detachable means in particular that it can be separated from the main body by a (simple) action of the user and can be replaced, for example, with further accessories.

  The accessory may preferably comprise at least one electrical charging port. The accessory also has its own charging port, so that the rechargeable energy storage of the accessory can be charged independently of the body of the household cleaning appliance. The charging port may correspond to a charging port of a charging module of the base station. Alternatively, the charging module may be integrated into the accessory. In that case, the charging port can be configured, for example, to connect a cable to the plug.

  In the case of an accessory in a removable configuration, preferably the plug-in connection provides an electrical connection between the additional rechargeable energy storage of the accessory and the first rechargeable energy storage of the body. It may be configured. For example, the accessory comprises a pluggable component (eg, a plug socket) corresponding to a pluggable component (eg, a plug) of the body. The electrical connection can be used to deliver electrical energy from the accessory to a consumer in the body and / or to deliver electrical energy from the body to a consumer in the accessory. Between the consumer of the main body and the additional rechargeable energy storage of the accessory, for example, an electrical cable with a plug connection may be provided.

  As already mentioned, the at least one electric consumer may be an electric sensor and / or an actuator. The at least one consumer may suitably be an electric motor. An electric motor may be located within the body to drive at least one actuation element located within the body. The at least one actuating element disposed in the body may be, for example, a suction fan for generating an air flow for sucking up particles on the surface to be cleaned. The suction fan is preferably driven, for example, by an electric drive or an electric motor.

  In principle, the accessory according to the invention may be a passive accessory or an active accessory. Passive accessories are to be understood as meaning accessories that do not include motorized consumers. The active accessory in this case is an accessory comprising at least one electric consumer, such as an electric sensor or an electric motor.

  For example, at least one electric motor may be located in the accessory to drive at least one actuation element located in the accessory. The accessory presents an electrical connection between the further rechargeable electrical energy storage and the accessory electric motor. The electric motor may drive an actuating element, for example, a brush device, a wiping device, or a polishing device. It will be appreciated that the accessory may comprise more than one electric motor, sensor, and / or more than one actuation element.

  To provide a direct electrical connection between the electric motor of the accessory and the additional rechargeable energy storage of the accessory, but at the same time, if necessary, to provide an electrical connection of the body to a further electric motor, For example, a second switch unit can be provided. According to a preferred embodiment, the second switch unit can be arranged in the accessory. The second switch unit may be controllable by the control unit such that only the additional rechargeable electrical energy storage of the accessory supplies electrical energy to the consumer of the accessory. For example, the control unit may transfer electrical energy to the consumer of the accessory only from the additional energy storage of the accessory depending on the status data of the rechargeable energy storage, the data entered by the user and / or the rules that can be predefined. An electrical connection may be established as provided.

  The accessory may be a passive accessory in the form of a dual use nozzle. The hard floor and carpet nozzles can be switched manually. The accessory may further be a parquet nozzle. In the case of a parquet nozzle, the additional weight of the storage battery arranged in the parquet nozzle is a particularly advantageous effect, since the brush and sealing elements of the parquet nozzle are each pressed with greater force against the parquet floor to be cleaned. Having. Further exemplary, non-exclusive accessories that can carry additional batteries according to the present invention include hard floor nozzles, electric brushes, polisher brushes, wiping nozzles, carpet nozzles, and nozzles for upholstered furniture, which increase the working area. And a suction hose.

  It will be appreciated that the household cleaning appliance may further include a power cable (Germany: Germany) for charging at least one first rechargeable energy storage and / or for optional cable operation of the household cleaning appliance. Netzkable (English: mains cable) may be presented.

  Another aspect of the invention is a base station for household cleaning appliances, in particular for a household cleaning appliance as described above, comprising a first charging port corresponding to a further charging port of the body of the household cleaning appliance. A first charging module. The base station is characterized in that the base station comprises at least one further charging module with a further charging port corresponding to a further charging port of the accessory.

  The accessory can be charged independently of the main body or main unit of the household cleaning appliance, since accessories with additional rechargeable energy storage, for example in the form of accumulators, can be electrically connected to the base station. The base station may preferably present a charging module for the main body and at least one charging module for at least one accessory. The at least two charging modules may each be configured in such a way as to optimally meet the charging requirements of the individual energy storage. Thus, the first charging module may supply a first charging current for the first rechargeable energy storage of the body, and the further charging module may supply the first charging current for the additional rechargeable energy storage of the accessory ( A (possibly) different (eg different current intensity) charging current may be supplied.

  While the rechargeable energy storage of the accessory is being charged, the user operates the body with further accessories and the rechargeable energy storage, or charges the first rechargeable energy storage of the body. Can be. For example, a base station with at least two charging modules may be made in the form of a storage box for the body and especially for a plurality of accessories. The plurality of accessories, especially their individual charging ports, make direct contact with the charging port contacts of the base station or of the charging module of the base station after the accessories have been placed in the corresponding receiving means of the base station. You may. As a result, the accessory is easily rechargeable. Thus, the operating time of the household cleaning appliance can be increased. In particular, the base charging station can provide some kind of replacement storage battery concept. The difference compared to the known replacement storage battery concept is that in this case the accessory is replaced, not the energy storage itself. This further improves the comfort for the user.

  There are several possible ways to construct and develop a household cleaning appliance according to the invention and a base station according to the invention. For this purpose, reference is first made to the claims dependent on the independent claims and then to the description of exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a first exemplary embodiment of a household cleaning appliance according to the invention. FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of another exemplary embodiment of a household cleaning appliance according to the present invention. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a base station according to the invention.

  In the following, the same reference numbers are used for the same components.

  FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of a household cleaning appliance 2 in the form of a hand-held vacuum cleaner 2. The hand-held vacuum cleaner 2 is configured to clean a surface 24 such as a floor 24, for example. The handheld vacuum cleaner 2 includes a main body 14 and accessories 4 connected to the main body 14.

  The body 14 comprises a suction device 26 with a built-in actuation element 8 in the form of a suction fan 8. The suction fan 8 is driven by the electric motor 6. Furthermore, the suction device 26 comprises a storage means 28 for a dust bag (not shown).

  Further, in the present exemplary embodiment, the main body 14 is connected to the handle 20 via the rod 18 so that the user can operate the handheld vacuum cleaner 2 in the upright position. The rod 18 is, in particular, a telescopic rod 18. The user can operate the cleaner 2 using the main switch 30. In operation, in particular the electric motor 6 is supplied with a voltage to drive the fan 8. The supply of electric energy in this case is performed via the first rechargeable energy storage 12 installed on the main body 14 of the cleaner 2.

  In this case, the vacuum cleaner 2 has an electrical energy source in the form of a further energy storage 10 installed on the accessory 4. Preferably, storage batteries 10, 12 are provided as rechargeable energy storage 10, 12. The electric drive 6 receives a supply of electric energy from the storage batteries 10, 12 via an electric connection 16 in the form of a wiring 16.

  The accessory 4 in this example is configured in the form of a passive accessory 4. The passive accessory 4 does not include a motorized consumer. The accessory shown comprises a passive actuating element 22 in the form of a bristle strip (Borstenstreifens, UK) 22.

  By implementing the additional energy storage 10 in the accessory 4, the maximum available power and / or operating time of the vacuum cleaner 2 without the user feeling that the vacuum cleaner 2 is too heavy to hold by hand (Period) can be increased. The reason for this is that the weight of the additional rechargeable energy storage 10 in this case is (mainly) distributed to the rollers 32 and the bristle pieces 22 of the accessory 4.

  Greater overall storage capacity of the energy storage 10, 12 is achieved by the parallel connection of the rechargeable energy storage 10, 12, and an increase in the maximum available power is realized by the series connection of the rechargeable energy storage 10, 12. .

  To this end, in the present exemplary embodiment, a first switch unit 13 is arranged between the further rechargeable energy storage 10 of the accessory 4 and the first rechargeable energy storage 12 of the body 14. . The first switch unit 13 is configured to connect the rechargeable energy storages 10 and 12 in parallel at a first switch position, and to connect the rechargeable energy storages 10 and 12 in series at a second switch position. It is configured as follows. The controllable first switch unit 13 is activated by the control unit 11. The control unit 11 may switch the first switch unit according to the current operating state of the cleaner 2 and / or the current operating mode of the cleaner 2 and / or the accessory type of the accessory 4 connected to the body 14. 13 may be configured to be controlled.

  For example, a user may preset a first operating mode in which a greater maximum available power is provided (as compared to a normal mode or an energy saving mode). In this case, for example, the maximum suction force can be increased in the first operating mode. When detecting the first operation mode, the control unit 11 drives the first switch unit 13 to cause the rechargeable energy storages 10 and 12 to be connected in series. Conversely, if a second operating mode, such as an energy saving mode, is set and detected in advance, the control unit 11 may cause the first switch unit 13 to cause the parallel connection of the rechargeable energy storage 10,12. it can.

  Further, it may be defined that the operation mode is set automatically. At least one sensor (not shown), such as an ultrasonic sensor, can detect the type of surface that is currently being cleaned. An evaluation module (not shown) can derive the operating mode from the detected floor type according to the stored specification and configure the vacuum cleaner 2 accordingly. In the present case, this may involve a change in the connection of at least two rechargeable energy storages 10,12.

  In a preferred embodiment, the first switch unit 13 is further configured to supply only the energy from the further rechargeable energy storage 10 of the accessory 4 to the electrical consumer 6 of the body 14 in the third switch setting. May be done. It is further controlled by the control unit 11 according to the current operating state of the cleaner 2 and / or the current operating mode of the cleaner 2 and / or the accessory type of the accessory 4 connected to the body 14. It is also possible to be done.

  The accessory 4 in this case is detachably connected to the end of the main body 14. A plug connection 36 is provided, for example, to establish an electrical connection between the energy storage 10 of the accessory 4 and the electric motor 6 of the body 14. The plug connection 36 can be seen in an enlarged detail in FIG. In particular, the accessory 4 comprises a plug element 36.1 corresponding to the plug element 36.2 of the body 14.

  In this case, the removable accessory 4 is further provided with a charging port 34 which is simply arranged, for example, on one side wall of the accessory 4. The charging port 34 comprises, in particular, suitable electrical contacts. Further rechargeable energy storage 10 can be recharged via charging port 34 by combined charging (ankoppelbaren Ladegeraets, English: couplable charging) (not shown). For example, when it is detected that the rechargeable energy storage 10 of the accessory 4 has been discharged, the accessory 4 is detached from the main body 14 and replaced with the accessory 4 having the charged energy storage 10. Can provide the concept of replacement storage battery.

  A further exemplary embodiment, shown schematically, of a household cleaning appliance 2.1 according to the invention is shown in FIG. The household cleaning appliance 2.1, shown in this case in the form of a hand-held vacuum cleaner 2.1, comprises an active accessory 4.1. The accessory 4.1 shown is a suction polisher nozzle 4.1 with a wiper unit 40 configured as an actuating element 40. The wiper unit 40 includes a vibrator 42 and a wiping cloth holder 44. An electric consumer in the form of an electric motor 46 is provided for driving the wiper unit 40. The electric motor 46 may generate a vibration or a rotational movement of the wiping cloth holder 44. The double-headed arrow 48 indicates, for example, the linear movement of the vibrating body 42, whereby the wiping cloth holder 44 is moved on the floor 24. During this exercise, the floor 24 is wet or dry cleaned or polished. Further, the suction passage 50 can be arranged beside the vibrator 42 to suck up particles. In this case, the wiping cloth is detachably fixed to the wiping cloth holder 44 by mounting with Velcro (registered trademark) fastener.

  For the supply of electrical energy, the hand-held vacuum cleaner 2.1 and the accessory 4.1 have two rechargeable energy storages 10,12 in the form of accumulators 10,12.

  As already mentioned, the rechargeable energy storages 10, 12 can be connected at least in parallel or in series by a first switch unit 13.

  Further, in the present exemplary embodiment, a first detection unit 15 is provided for detecting a current state of charge of the first rechargeable energy storage 12. The measured state of charge can be provided by the detection unit 15 to the control unit 11.

  The further rechargeable energy storage 10 can also be electrically connected via a second switch unit 52 to the electric motor 6 of the body 14 and / or the electric motor 46 of the accessory 4.1. The second switch unit 52 may in particular be driven by the control unit 11 via a communication connection (not shown). Alternatively or additionally, a further control unit (not shown) can be provided in the accessory 4.1 for controlling the second switch unit 52.

  Furthermore, a further detection unit 54 for detecting the current state of charge of the further rechargeable energy storage 10 is arranged in the accessory 4.1. The detected state of charge can be provided to the first control unit 11 via a communication connection (not shown).

  Depending on the operating state of the vacuum cleaner 2.1, in particular the received current state of charge of the at least two rechargeable energy storages 10, 12, the control unit 11 can control the first switch unit 13. For example, at least a first comparative charge state of at least one rechargeable energy storage 10, 12 can be stored in the control unit 11. The control unit 11 can be configured, for example, to compare the current state of charge of the first energy storage 12 with a first comparative state of charge (eg, a value between 10% and 50%). If the current state of charge of the first rechargeable energy storage 12 drops below the previously set first comparative state of charge, the control unit 11 will activate the rechargeable energy storage, in particular independently of the current operating mode. 10 and 12 may be switched in parallel.

  Via the communication input 17, the control unit 11 can be provided with, for example, the current or desired operating mode. By way of example, the mode of operation may be determined by a user and / or by input via a user interface (not shown), and / or by one or more sensors (not shown), and / or It can be provided by a control signal representing the type of article 4.1. The control signal may be generated, for example, by a controller (not shown) arranged in the accessory 4.1 and transmitted to the control unit 11, or may be stored in the storage unit (the accessory 4.1). (Not shown) by the control unit 11.

  It may further be provided that the electric motor 46 is supplied with electric energy exclusively by the further energy storage 10 mounted on the accessory 4.1. This applies, provided that the additional energy storage 10 is still showing a proper amount of charging. The advantage of the associated connection is that the current must not first be led to the body 14 and from there again to the motor 46 of the accessory 4.1.

  Further, FIG. 3 discloses an exemplary embodiment of a base station 60 according to the present invention. In this case, the base station 60 is in particular a charging station 60 for household cleaning appliances 2, 2.1 and two accessories 4, 4.1 (the appliances and accessories are not shown). Base station 60 can be electrically connected to a power supply network (not shown) via cable 74.

  Base station 60 includes three accommodation means 62, 64, and 66. The first accommodating means 62 is used for accommodating the main body 14. For example, the receiving means 62 may correspond to the end of the body 14 to which the accessories 4, 4.1 can be coupled. The accommodation means 62 includes a charging module 63 having a charging port 68. The charging port 68 corresponds to a charging port of the body 14 that is at least arranged for charging of the electrical energy storage integrated in the body. For example, the charging port of the body 14 may be a plug-in component 36.2 (see FIG. 1). The charging module 63 is adapted to the first rechargeable energy storage 12 of the body 14 in such a way that an optimal charging current can be supplied.

  Furthermore, the base station 60 in the present case comprises two further accommodation means 64, 66 for two different accessories 4, 4.1. In particular, the shape of the receiving means 64 may correspond to the shape of the first accessory 4, 4.1, and the shape of the further receiving means 66 may correspond to the shape of the further accessory 4, 4.1. Is also good.

  Each storage means 64, 66 may comprise individually configured charging modules 65, 67, each having a separate charging port 70, 72. The charging ports 70, 72 may in each case correspond to the charging ports 34 of the individual accessories 4, 4.1. The individual charging modules 65, 67 can in each case be adapted to the additional energy storage 10 of the accessories 4, 4.1.

  For example, the three charging modules 63, 65, 67 may supply different maximum charging currents and the like.

2, 2.1 Household cleaning appliances 4, 4.1 Accessories 6 Electric motor 8 Suction fan 10 Further rechargeable energy storage 11 Control unit 12 First rechargeable energy storage 13 First switch unit 14 Main body 15 Detection unit Reference Signs List 16 Wiring 17 Communication input 18 Telescopic rod 20 Handle 22 Bristle piece 24 Surface 26 Suction device 28 Dust bag storage means 30 Main switch 32 Roller 34 Charging port 36 Plug connection 36.1, 36.2 Plug-in component 40 Wiper unit 42 Vibrating body 44 Wiping cloth holder 46 Electric motor 48 Double arrow 50 Suction duct 52 Second switch unit 54 Further detection unit 60 Base station 62, 64, 66 Housing means 63, 65, 67 Charging module 68 70, 72 charging port 74 cable

Claims (9)

A household cleaning appliance (2, 2.1), in particular a vacuum cleaner (2, 2.1),
-At least one accessory (4, 4.1) at least connectable to the body (14);
-At least one first rechargeable energy storage (12) arranged in said body (14);
-At least one further rechargeable energy storage (10) arranged in said accessory (4, 4.1);
-At least one consumer (6, 46) capable of supplying energy by at least one of said rechargeable energy storages (10, 12);
A household cleaning appliance (2, 2.1) comprising:
-Provided at least one first switch unit (13) arranged between said first rechargeable energy storage (12) and said further rechargeable energy storage (10);
The first switch unit (13) connects the first rechargeable energy storage (12) and the further rechargeable energy storage (10) in parallel in a first switch position and in a second switch position; Are configured to be connected in series at
The household cleaning appliance (2, 2.1) comprises a control unit (11) configured to control the first switch unit (13);
The control unit (11) is adapted to control the first switch unit according to the detected accessory type of the accessory (4, 4.1) connected to the household cleaning appliance (2, 2.1); (13) is configured to control the first switch unit (13) based on the usage of the detected accessory type. Controlling the first switch unit (13) to be set to the second switch position;
A household cleaning appliance (2, 2.1), characterized in that:   The control unit (11) is configured to control the first switch unit (13) in response to an operating state of the household cleaning appliance (2, 2.1). Household cleaning appliance (2, 2.1) according to 1.   3. Household cleaning appliance according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the control unit (11) is configured to control the first switch unit (13) according to at least one operating mode. (2, 2.1).   The control unit (11) controls the first switch unit (13) according to the state of the first rechargeable energy storage (12) and / or the state of the further rechargeable energy storage (10). Household cleaning appliance (2, 2.1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is configured as such. -At least one detection unit (15, 54) is provided for detecting the state of charge of the first rechargeable energy storage (12) and / or for detecting the state of charge of the further rechargeable energy storage (10). ,
The first rechargeable energy storage (12) and the further rechargeable energy storage (10) when the control unit (11) detects a drop in the at least one detected state of charge below a comparative state of charge; ) Are configured to drive the first switch unit (13) such that the first switch unit (13) is connected in parallel.
5. Household cleaning appliance (2, 2.1) according to claim 4, characterized in that:   The first switch unit (13) transfers the at least one consumer (6, 46) to the further rechargeable energy storage (10) of the accessory (4, 4.1) in a third switch state. Household cleaning appliance (2, 2.1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is configured to be connected only. The accessories (4, 4.1) are detachably connected to the body (14);
-To establish an electrical connection between the further rechargeable energy storage (10) of the accessory (4, 4.1) and the first rechargeable energy storage (12) of the body (14). A plug connection (36) is provided;
Household cleaning appliance (2, 2.1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that: -At least one consumer (46) is arranged in said accessory (4);
The accessory (4.1) comprises a second switch unit (52) in the accessory (4.1);
The control unit (11) is such that only the further rechargeable energy storage (10) of the accessory (4.1) supplies energy to the consumer (46) of the accessory (4.1). Configured to drive the second switch unit (52) in a suitable manner;
Household cleaning appliance (2, 2.1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that: A first operating mode for compensating for suction line flow losses caused by its use when the detected accessory type is a suction hose with a passive suction nozzle intended for surface cleaning use; Setting the first switch unit (13) to the second switch position, the resulting increased suction performance compensating for the suction line flow loss. Household cleaning appliance (2, 2.1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

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