JP6731754B2 - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments according to the present invention relate to a vacuum cleaner.

Generally, an electric vacuum cleaner includes an electric blower that produces a negative suction pressure. Some electric blowers include a centrifugal fan that sucks in air, and a commutator motor that drives the centrifugal fan. The commutator motor includes a commutator and a brush (carbon brush) that mechanically contacts the commutator.

The commutator motor constantly generates sparks due to friction between the commutator and the brush when the centrifugal fan is rotating. If the spark generated between the commutator and the brush becomes excessive, the electric blower may smoke and ignite.

Therefore, the spark detection unit that detects sparks generated between the commutator and the brush, and the predicted next value is calculated from the difference between the previous value and the current value of the detection result sampled by the spark detection unit. When the absolute value of the difference from the actual next value of the detection result sampled by the detection unit is larger than a predetermined value set in advance, a control unit that gradually reduces the input of the electric blower until the absolute value becomes a predetermined value or less. There are known vacuum cleaners provided with the vacuum cleaner.

JP, 2014-33725, A

By the way, by temporarily stopping the commutator motor, the contact state between the commutator and the brush may be changed, or the temperature of the contact portion between the commutator and the brush may be lowered, thereby improving the amount of sparks generated. .. When the amount of sparks is improved, the vacuum cleaner can be kept running.

Therefore, the present invention appropriately and appropriately changes the input of the electric blower when the recovery of the spark generation amount is expected while preventing the smoke and ignition of the electric blower based on the friction between the commutator and the brush. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electric vacuum cleaner that can continue to be cleaned.

To solve the above problems, the electric vacuum cleaner according to the embodiment of the present invention is an electric blower having a commutator and a brush, and a spark that detects the size of the spark generated by the friction between the commutator and the brush. A detection unit, a storage unit, a predicted next value is calculated from the difference between the previous value and the current value of the detection result sampled by the spark detection unit, and the predicted next value and the actual detection result sampled by the spark detection unit. When the absolute value of the difference from the next time value is larger than a predetermined value, and when the operation of the electric blower is stopped , a count value that increases every time the absolute value exceeds the predetermined value is stored in the storage unit. While storing the predetermined value excess information including, when the electric blower is started, if the predetermined value excess information is stored in the storage unit in a predetermined number or more, the input of the electric blower is input as the predetermined value excess information. Is smaller than the predetermined number , the control unit reduces the input because the predetermined value excess information is stored in the storage unit by the predetermined number or more, and the electric blower. after starting the, if the absolute value is less than the predetermined value, as well as to erase or zero value the predetermined value excess information from the storage unit, Ru to restore the input of the electric blower.

The perspective view showing the appearance of the vacuum cleaner concerning the embodiment of the present invention. The figure which partially cuts and shows the electric blower of the electric vacuum cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The block diagram which shows the vacuum cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which shows the 1st Example of the spark detection of the electric vacuum cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The conceptual diagram which shows the sampling method of the 1st Example of the spark detection of the vacuum cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which shows the 2nd Example of the spark detection of the electric vacuum cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The conceptual diagram which shows the sampling method of the 2nd Example of the spark detection of the electric vacuum cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which shows the 3rd Example of the spark detection of the electric vacuum cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The conceptual diagram which shows the sampling method of the 3rd Example of the spark detection of the electric vacuum cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The chart which shows the difference of the average absolute value sum total by power supply voltage, frequency, and operation mode with respect to the electric blower of the vacuum cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The line diagram which shows the frequency of a vacuum cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention, the frequency of 50 Hz, and the correlation of the power supply voltage in a strong operation mode, and an average absolute value sum total. The line diagram which shows the frequency of a vacuum cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention, frequency of 50 Hz, and the correlation of the power supply voltage and average absolute value sum total in a middle driving mode. The line diagram which shows the frequency of a vacuum cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention, the frequency of 60 Hz, and the correlation of the power supply voltage and average absolute value sum total in a strong operation mode. The figure which shows the correlation of the detection voltage and predetermined value when the power supply voltage of an electric blower is 100V rated in the vacuum cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which shows the input change control of the vacuum cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which shows the input change control of the vacuum cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

An embodiment of a vacuum cleaner according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 16.

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

As shown in FIG. 1, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the present embodiment is a so-called canister type. The electric vacuum cleaner 1 includes a cleaner body 2 that can travel on a surface to be cleaned, and a tube portion 3 that is detachably attached to the cleaner body 2. The cleaner body 2 and the pipe portion 3 are fluidly connected to each other.

The cleaner main body 2 includes a main body case 5, a pair of wheels 6 provided on the left and right side portions of the main body case 5, and a detachable dust separating and collecting portion 7 arranged in the front half of the main body case 5. An electric blower 8 housed in the latter half of the main body case 5, a main body control unit 9 that mainly controls the electric blower 8, and a power cord 11 that guides electric power to the electric blower 8 are provided.

The cleaner body 2 drives the electric blower 8 with the electric power supplied through the power cord 11. Further, the cleaner body 2 causes the negative pressure generated by the drive of the electric blower 8 to act on the pipe portion 3. The electric vacuum cleaner 1 sucks air containing dust (hereinafter referred to as “dust-containing air”) from the surface to be cleaned through the pipe portion 3, separates the dust from the dust-containing air, and collects the separated dust. Then, the clean air that has accumulated and separated the dust is exhausted.

A body connection port 12 is provided on the front surface of the body case 5. The main body connection port 12 is a fluidic inlet of the cleaner main body 2 and has a joint structure for detachably connecting the pipe portion 3. The main body connection port 12 fluidly connects the tube portion 3 and the dust separating and collecting portion 7.

The wheels 6 are traveling wheels of large diameter and support the cleaner body 2.

The dust separating/collecting unit 7 separates dust from the dust-containing air flowing into the cleaner body 2, collects and accumulates the dust, and sends clean air from which dust has been removed to the electric blower 8. The dust separating/collecting unit 7 may be a centrifugal separation type or a filtration separation type.

The electric blower 8 sucks air from the dust separating and collecting unit 7 to generate a negative pressure (suction negative pressure).

The main body control unit 9 includes a microprocessor (not shown) and a storage device (not shown) that stores various calculation programs executed by the microprocessor, parameters, and the like. The storage device stores a plurality of preset operation modes. The plurality of operation modes set in advance relate to the magnitude of the operation output of the electric blower 8 and correspond to the user's operation on the pipe section 3. Different input values (input values of the electric blower 8) are set for the respective operation modes. The main body control unit 9 selectively selects an arbitrary operation mode corresponding to the operation from a plurality of operation modes set in advance in accordance with an input received by the pipe unit 3, reads it from the storage unit, and reads the read operation mode. The electric blower 8 is controlled accordingly.

The power cord 11 supplies electric power to the cleaner body 2 from a plug-in connector for wiring (not shown, a so-called outlet). A plug 14 is provided at the free end of the power cord 11.

The tube portion 3 sucks dust-containing air from the surface to be cleaned and guides it to the cleaner body 2 by the negative pressure applied from the cleaner body 2. The pipe portion 3 is fluidly connected to the dust collecting hose 21, a connection pipe 19 as a joint that is detachably connected to the cleaner body 2, a dust collecting hose 21 that is fluidly connected to the connection pipe 19. The hand operation pipe 22, the grip portion 23 protruding from the hand operation pipe 22, the operation portion 24 provided in the grip portion 23, the extension pipe 25 detachably connected to the hand operation pipe 22, and the extension pipe 25. And a suction port body 26 that is detachably connected.

The connection pipe 19 is a joint that is detachably connected to the main body connection port 12, and is fluidly connected to the dust separating and collecting part 7 through the main body connection port 12.

The dust collecting hose 21 is a long and flexible substantially cylindrical hose. One end portion (here, the rear end portion) of the dust collecting hose 21 is fluidly connected to the connection pipe 19. The dust collecting hose 21 is fluidly connected to the dust separating and collecting portion 7 through the connecting pipe 19.

The hand operation pipe 22 relays the dust collecting hose 21 and the extension pipe 25. One end portion (here, the rear end portion) of the hand operation pipe 22 is fluidly connected to the other end portion (here, the front end portion) of the dust collecting hose 21. The hand operation pipe 22 is fluidly connected to the dust separating and collecting unit 7 through the dust collecting hose 21 and the connecting pipe 19.

The grip portion 23 is a portion that a user grips with a hand in order to operate the electric vacuum cleaner 1. The grip portion 23 projects from the hand operation tube 22 in an appropriate shape that can be easily gripped by the user's hand.

The operation unit 24 includes a switch associated with each operation mode. Specifically, the operation unit 24 includes a stop switch 24a associated with an operation stop operation of the electric blower 8, a start switch 24b associated with an operation start operation of the electric blower 8, and a power supply to the suction port body 26. And a brush switch 24c associated with. The stop switch 24a and the start switch 24b are electrically connected to the main body controller 9. The user of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 can operate the operation unit 24 to selectively select the operation mode of the electric blower 8. The start-up switch 24b also functions as an operation mode selection switch during operation of the electric blower 8. In this case, the main body control unit 9 switches the operation mode in the order of strong→medium→weak→strong→medium→weak→... Every time the operation signal is received from the activation switch 24b. The operation unit 24 may individually include a strong operation switch (not shown), a middle operation switch (not shown), and a weak operation switch (not shown) instead of the start switch 24b.

The extension tube 25 having a telescopic structure formed by stacking a plurality of tubular bodies is an elongated, substantially cylindrical tube that can expand and contract. One end (here, the rear end) of the extension pipe 25 is provided with a detachable joint structure at the other end (here, the front end) of the hand operation pipe 22. The extension pipe 25 is fluidly connected to the dust separating and collecting unit 7 through the hand operation pipe 22, the dust collecting hose 21, and the connecting pipe 19.

The suction port body 26 can travel or slide on a surface to be cleaned such as a wooden floor or a carpet, and has a suction port 28 on the bottom surface facing the surface to be cleaned in the running state or the sliding state. Further, the suction port body 26 includes a rotatable cleaning member 29 arranged in the suction port 28, and an electric motor 31 for driving the rotation cleaning member 29. At one end (here, the rear end) of the suction port body 26, a detachable joint structure is provided at the other end (here, the front end) of the extension pipe 25. The suction port body 26 is fluidly connected to the dust separating and collecting portion 7 through the extension pipe 25, the hand operation pipe 22, the dust collecting hose 21, and the connecting pipe 19. That is, the suction port body 26, the extension pipe 25, the hand operation pipe 22, the dust collecting hose 21, the connection pipe 19, and the dust separation dust collecting portion 7 are a suction air passage extending from the electric blower 8 to the suction port 28. The electric motor 31 alternately repeats starting and stopping each time it receives an operation signal from the brush switch 24c.

The electric vacuum cleaner 1 starts the electric blower 8 when the start switch 24b is operated. For example, in the electric vacuum cleaner 1, when the start switch 24b is operated while the electric blower 8 is stopped, the electric blower 8 is first operated in the strong operation mode, and when the start switch 24b is operated again, the electric blower is operated. 8 is operated in the medium operation mode, and when the start switch 24b is operated three times, the electric blower 8 is operated in the weak operation mode, and so on. The strong operation mode, the middle operation mode, and the weak operation mode are a plurality of operation modes set in advance, and the input value to the electric blower 8 is small in the order of the strong operation mode, the middle operation mode, and the weak operation mode. The started electric blower 8 exhausts the air from the dust separating and collecting unit 7 to make the inside thereof a negative pressure.

The negative pressure in the dust separating and collecting unit 7 acts on the suction port 28 by sequentially passing through the main body connection port 12, the connection pipe 19, the dust collection hose 21, the hand operation pipe 22, the extension pipe 25, and the suction port body 26. To do. The vacuum cleaner 1 sucks the dust on the surface to be cleaned together with the air by the negative pressure acting on the suction port 28 to clean the surface. The dust separating/collecting unit 7 separates dust from the dust-containing air sucked into the electric vacuum cleaner 1 and accumulates the dust, while sending the air separated from the dust-containing air to the electric blower 8. The electric blower 8 exhausts the air sucked from the dust separating and collecting unit 7 to the outside of the cleaner body 2.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway view showing the electric blower of the electric vacuum cleaner according to the embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the electric blower 8 of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the present embodiment includes a centrifugal fan unit 36 having an intake port 35 and a motor unit 38 having an exhaust port 37.

The motor unit 38 is a commutator motor. The motor unit 38 includes a motor housing 39 having an exhaust port 37, a stator 41 provided on an inner peripheral surface 39 a of the motor housing 39, a rotor 42 rotatably supported in the motor housing 39, and a motor housing 39. And a pair of brush mechanisms 43 that are electrically connected to the rotor 42.

The stator 41 surrounds the rotor 42 in a ring shape.

The rotor 42 is arranged inside the stator 41. The rotor 42 includes a rotor shaft 45 serving as a rotation center, a rotor core 46 provided on the rotor shaft 45, a field winding 47 wound on the rotor core 46, and a field winding 47 provided on the rotor shaft 45. And a commutator 48 electrically connected to the.

The brush mechanism 43 presses the brush holder 51 fixed through the brush holder fixing portion 49 of the motor housing 39, the slidable brush 52 housed in the brush holder 51, and the brush 52 to the commutator 48. And a coil spring 53. The brush 52 is a carbon brush.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the electric vacuum cleaner according to the embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the present embodiment includes a main body control circuit 55 electrically connected to the commercial AC power source E via the plug 14.

The main body control circuit 55 controls the operation of the electric blower 8. The main body control circuit 55 converts the electric blower 8 connected in series to the commercial AC power supply E, the switching element 56 that opens and closes the electric path connecting the commercial AC power supply E and the electric blower 8, and the commercial AC power supply E. A main body power supply unit 57 that supplies operating power to the main body control unit 9, a spark detection unit 58 that detects the size of a spark generated by the friction between the commutator 48 and the brush 52, and a main body that controls the operation of the electric blower 8. And a control unit 9.

The switching element 56 is an element such as a bidirectional thyristor or a reverse blocking three-terminal thyristor, and has a gate connected to the main body control unit 9. The switching element 56 changes the input of the electric blower 8 according to the change of the gate current.

The main body power supply unit 57 is a power supply circuit that generates control power for the main body control unit 9.

The spark detection unit 58 is, for example, a current transformer, and detects the current flowing through the electric blower 8. The spark detection unit 58 may be an optical sensor that detects the size of the spark generated by the friction between the commutator 48 and the brush 52 with the light emitted by the spark. The spark detector 58 converts the detected current value into a voltage value and outputs it to the main body controller 9. As the power supply of the spark detection unit 58, for example, a commercial power supply rating of 100V is used. When the sparks generated by the friction between the commutator 48 and the brush 52 increase, the current value detected by the spark detector 58 tends to decrease, and when the spark decreases, the current value detected by the spark detector 58 decreases. , Tend to increase.

The main body control unit 9 includes a microcomputer, and includes a central processing unit (not shown), a storage unit 59, an I/O unit (not shown), and a timer (not shown). The storage unit 59 stores in advance data such as a control program executed by the central processing unit and constants necessary for executing the control program. This data includes a constant indicating an input value corresponding to each preset operation mode. The storage unit 59 is a data storage area and a work area for temporarily storing calculation data of the central processing unit.

Further, the main body control unit 9 periodically reads the operation signal output by the operation unit 24 and the zero-cross timing of the commercial AC power supply E detected by the zero-cross detector (not shown), and according to the selected operation mode. The switching control (phase control) of the switching element 56 is performed to control the input of the electric blower 8.

Further, the main body control unit 9 controls the input of the electric blower 8 in accordance with, for example, three operation modes of weak, medium and strong. The main body control unit 9 sequentially switches the operation mode and controls the switching of the switching element 56 each time the operation signal is received from the activation switch 24b.

Furthermore, the main body control unit 9 controls the electric blower 8 based on the spark detection result input from the spark detection unit 58. The main body control unit 9 calculates the predicted value Ine (predicted next value) from the difference between the previously measured value Ia (previous value) and the currently measured value Ib (current value) of the detection results sampled by the spark detection unit 58, and When the absolute value of the difference between the predicted value Ine and the actual measurement value In (actual next value) of the detection result sampled by the spark detection unit 58 is larger than the predetermined value Is set in advance, the commutator 48 and the brush 52 of the electric blower 8 are It is speculated that sparks were excessively generated due to friction with.

Here, first, the spark detection by the main body control unit 9 will be described in detail. After explaining the first to fourth embodiments relating to spark detection, the input change for reducing the input of the electric blower 8 in conjunction with the size of the spark generated by the electric blower 8 and for determining the input at the time of restarting. The control will be described.

(First example of spark detection)
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a first example of spark detection of the electric vacuum cleaner according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5: is a conceptual diagram which shows the sampling method of the 1st Example of the spark detection of the vacuum cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the main body control unit 9 according to the present embodiment starts the operation of the electric blower 8 and the spark detection when the activation switch 24b of the operation unit 24 is operated.

The main body control unit 9 continuously samples the detection result of the spark detection unit 58, that is, the output voltage of the spark detection unit 58 at equal time intervals (step S1). This sampling is performed, for example, at 100 points (that is, every 0.1 msec) per half cycle of 50 Hz (per 10 msec). When the phase control is being performed, the main body control unit 9 performs sampling only while the current is flowing.

Next, the main body control unit 9 stores the (n-2)th sampling result in the storage unit 59 as the previous measured value Ia (previous value) (step S2).

Further, the main body control unit 9 stores the (n-1)th sampling result in the storage unit 59 as the current measured value Ib (current value) (step S3).

Next, the main body control unit 9 calculates the predicted value Ine (step S4). The predicted value Ine is calculated from the previously measured value Ia and the currently measured value Ib. Specifically, the predicted value Ine is obtained by adding the currently measured value Ib to the difference between the previously measured value Ia and the currently measured value Ib, that is, Ine=(Ib-Ia)+Ib=2Ib-Ia.

Next, the main body control unit 9 determines whether or not the absolute value |In-Ine| of the difference between the predicted value Ine and the actually measured value In is larger than a predetermined value Is determined in advance, that is, |In-Ine|>Is. (Step S5). The nth sampling result is used as the measured value In. The predetermined value Is determined in advance is a value when the brush 52 is in a normal state, which is obtained by an experiment in advance. When the absolute value |In−Ine| of the difference between the predicted value Ine and the actually measured value In is larger than the predetermined value Is, the main body control unit 9 determines that the spark is excessively generated. In other cases, the main body control unit 9 returns to step S1 to repeat the spark detection and continue.

By the way, FIG. 5 shows a detection result of the spark detection unit 58 observed in a sine wave form, from a phase angle of 0 degrees to 90 degrees, or from a phase angle of 270 degrees to 360 degrees, that is, the phase angle at which the current value rises. It is an arbitrary part cut out. The small wave in FIG. 5 is a noise component superimposed on the power supply.

Then, in the (n−2)th sampling and the (n−1)th sampling, a large amount of sparks are generated, so that the amplitude at the phase angle is reduced. That is, the previously measured value Ia and the currently measured value Ib are observed to be smaller than the current value when no spark is generated. On the other hand, the actually measured value In at the n-th sampling has a small amount of sparks and is restored to the original amplitude (current value) at the phase angle. The predicted value Ine based on the previously measured value Ia and the currently measured value Ib is predicted to be smaller than the actually measured value In.

If no spark is generated in the (n−2)th sampling and the (n−1)th sampling, the original amplitude at the phase angle becomes large. On the other hand, when a spark is generated in the n-th sampling, the amplitude at the phase angle becomes small. In this case, unlike FIG. 5, the predicted value Ine in the n-th sampling is predicted to be larger than the current value when the spark is generated, that is, the actually measured value In. In this case, the vertical positional relationship between the predicted value Ine and the actually measured value In is reversed with respect to the case of FIG. Even in this case, the spark abnormality can be determined by determining Ine-In|>Is.

Further, even if the detection result of the spark detection unit 58 is a down tone, that is, the predicted value Ine is obtained in the section of the phase angle of 90 degrees to 270 degrees, the predicted value Ine=Ib-|Ib-Ia|=Ib-(Ia -Ib)=2*Ib-Ia.

As described above, in the first embodiment of the spark detection, the main body control unit 9 determines that the electric power is changed when the absolute value |In-Ine| of the difference between the predicted value Ine and the actual measurement value In is larger than the predetermined value Is determined in advance. Excessive generation of sparks due to friction between the commutator 48 of the blower 8 and the brush 52 is assumed. On the other hand, when the absolute value |In-Ine| of the difference between the predicted value Ine and the actually measured value In is not larger than the predetermined value Is, the main body control unit 9 causes friction between the commutator 48 of the electric blower 8 and the brush 52. The operation of the electric blower 8 is continued assuming that there is no excessive spark generation.

(Second embodiment of spark detection)
The main body control unit 9 can also execute the spark detection of the second embodiment instead of the spark detection of the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a second example of spark detection of the electric vacuum cleaner according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7: is a conceptual diagram which shows the sampling method of the 2nd Example of the spark detection of the electric vacuum cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the main body control unit 9 according to the present embodiment performs steps S1 to S4 of the first example a plurality of times at the same frequency (specifically, (n-2) times). Repeat (step S11, step S1 to step S4, step S12, step S13). The integer n is a predetermined integer.

The main body control unit 9 continuously repeats sampling of the detection result of the spark detection unit 58 a plurality of times (specifically, (n-2) times) at equal time intervals, and determines the absolute difference between the measured value In and the predicted value Ine. It is determined whether or not the sum of absolute values Σ|In-Ine| of (n-2) times of the value |In-Ine| is larger than a predetermined value Is, that is, Σ|In-Ine|>Is (step S14). ).

As described above, in the second embodiment of spark detection, the main body control unit 9 causes (n−2) times of absolute value sum Σ of the absolute value |In−Ine| of the difference between the predicted value Ine and the actually measured value In. When |In-Ine| is larger than a predetermined value Is set in advance, it is estimated that excessive sparks are generated due to friction between the commutator 48 of the electric blower 8 and the brush 52. On the other hand, the main body control unit 9 determines that the absolute value sum Σ|In-Ine| of (n−2) times of the absolute value |In−Ine| of the difference between the predicted value Ine and the actually measured value In is larger than the predetermined value Is. If not, it is assumed that there is no excessive spark generation due to the friction between the commutator 48 of the electric blower 8 and the brush 52, and the operation of the electric blower 8 is continued.

(Third Example of Spark Detection)
Further, the body control unit 9 can also execute the spark detection of the third embodiment instead of the spark detection of the first and second embodiments.

FIG. 8: is a flowchart which shows the 3rd Example of the spark detection of the electric vacuum cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 9: is a conceptual diagram which shows the sampling method of the 3rd Example of the spark detection of the vacuum cleaner which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the main body control unit 9 according to the present embodiment performs step S11, step S1 to step S4, and step S12 of the second example a plurality of times for each predetermined cycle C (specifically, N times) (step S21, step S22, step S11, step S1 to step S4, step S12, step S13, step S14, step S24, step S25). The predetermined cycle C is a power supply cycle of the electric blower 8 or an integral multiple thereof. The integer N is a predetermined integer. In each cycle C, the main body control unit 9 continuously repeats sampling of the detection result of the spark detection unit 58 a plurality of times (specifically, n−2 times) at equal time intervals, and measures the measured value In and the predicted value Ine. The absolute value sum Σ|In-Ine| of the absolute value |In−Ine| of the difference for (n−2) times is calculated and temporarily stored in the storage unit 59 (step S13). The sum of absolute values Σ|In-Ine| in each cycle C is expressed as Σ1, Σ2,..., ΣN.

Next, the main body control unit 9 averages the sum Σ(Σ1+Σ2+...+ΣN) of the absolute value sums Σ1, Σ2,..., ΣN for each cycle C by an integer N (that is, the absolute difference between the measured value In and the predicted value Ine). The average value of absolute value sum Σ|In-Ine| of (n−2) times of the value |In−Ine| is calculated), and whether or not it is larger than a predetermined value Is, that is, Σ(Σ1+Σ2+...+ΣN)/N >Is is determined (step S26). For example, if the cycle C=1/50 Hz and the integer N=50, the average sum of absolute values Σ(Σ1+Σ2+...+ΣN)/N for one second can be obtained.

As described above, in the third embodiment of spark detection, the main body control unit 9 corresponds to (n-2 times) of the absolute value |In-Ine| of the difference between the measured value In and the predicted value Ine for each cycle C. Absolute value sum Σ|In-Ine| is calculated, and when the average absolute value sum Σ(Σ1+Σ2+...+ΣN)/N is larger than a predetermined value Is set in advance, it depends on friction between commutator 48 of electric blower 8 and brush 52 Infer excessive sparking. On the other hand, when the average sum of absolute values Σ(Σ1+Σ2+... +ΣN)/N is not larger than the predetermined value Is, the main body control unit 9 causes excessive spark generation due to friction between the commutator 48 of the electric blower 8 and the brush 52. It is inferred that the electric blower 8 does not exist, and the operation of the electric blower 8 is continued.

In the third embodiment of spark detection, the average sum of absolute values Σ(Σ1+Σ2+... +ΣN)/N is obtained, thereby suppressing the sensitivity and responsiveness to the occurrence of sudden sparks and reducing the commutator 48 of the electric blower 8. It stabilizes the estimation of excessive spark generation due to friction with the brush 52.

(Fourth embodiment of spark detection)
In the fourth embodiment of spark detection, the predetermined value Is is changed according to the change (actual measurement with respect to the rating) of the power supply voltage supplied to the electric blower 8 as compared with the first to third embodiments of spark detection.

FIG. 10 is a table showing a difference in average sum of absolute values depending on a power supply voltage, a frequency, and an operation mode for an electric blower of an electric vacuum cleaner according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10A shows the case of the strong operation mode, and FIG. 10B shows the case of the medium operation mode.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a correlation between the power supply voltage and the average sum of absolute values in the strong operation mode of the electric vacuum cleaner according to the embodiment of the present invention at a frequency of 50 Hz.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the correlation between the power supply voltage and the average sum of absolute values in the medium operation mode at a frequency of 50 Hz of the vacuum cleaner according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a correlation between the power supply voltage and the average sum of absolute values in the strong operation mode of the electric vacuum cleaner according to the embodiment of the present invention having a frequency of 60 Hz.

As shown in FIGS. 10 to 13, when the power supply voltage (actual measurement) is increased, the average sum of absolute values Σ(Σ1+Σ2+...+ΣN)/N is increased at both the frequencies of 50 Hz and 60 Hz. It can be seen that also in the power supply voltage (actual measurement), the average sum of absolute values Σ(Σ1+Σ2+... +ΣN)/N at frequency 60 Hz is larger than that at frequency 50 Hz.

On the other hand, at the frequency of 50 Hz, the average absolute value sum Σ(Σ1+Σ2+... +ΣN)/N of the strong operation mode and the medium operation mode is inverted in magnitude depending on the power supply voltage (actual measurement).

Therefore, it is necessary to change the predetermined value Is according to the change of the power supply voltage and the change of the frequency.

For example, first, the storage unit 59 stores a plurality of predetermined values Is for each power supply voltage (actual measurement) supplied to the electric blower 8 and for each operation mode. Then, the power supply voltage supplied to the electric blower 8 is detected, the detected voltage (actually measured value of the power supply voltage) is read by the main body control unit 9, and the optimum predetermined value Is is selected in combination with the selected operation mode. As a specific example, when the power supply voltage is 100V, the relationship between the detection voltage and the predetermined value Is is set as shown in FIG.

FIG. 14 is a chart showing the correlation between the detected voltage and the predetermined value when the power supply voltage of the electric blower is 100V rated in the electric vacuum cleaner according to the embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 14, the predetermined value Is when the detection voltage <80V is the A value, the predetermined value Is when 80V≦detection voltage <90V is the B value, and the predetermined value Is when 90V≦the detection voltage <100V is The predetermined value Is in the case of C value and 100 V≦detection voltage is the D value. In this way, the predetermined value Is is rewritten in units of 10V.

In the fourth embodiment of spark detection, in addition to the spark detection according to the first to third embodiments of spark detection, the commutator 48 and the brush 52 are changed by changing the predetermined value Is according to the power supply voltage (actual measurement). Accurately detects sparks caused by friction with and without erroneous detection.

Next, the input change control for reducing the input of the electric blower 8 in association with the size of the spark generated by the electric blower 8 and determining the input at the time of restart will be described.

(Example of input change control)
15 and 16 are flowcharts showing the input change control of the electric vacuum cleaner according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a stop time determination process performed when the electric vacuum cleaner is stopped, and FIG. 16 is an during-operation period process that is performed during the operation period from the start of the electric vacuum cleaner to the stop.

As shown in FIG. 15 and FIG. 16, the main body control unit 9 of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the present embodiment uses the previous actual measurement value Ia (previous value) and the current actual measurement value Ib(of the detection result sampled by the spark detection unit 58. The predicted value Ine (predicted next value) is calculated from the difference with the present value), and the absolute value |In of the difference between the predicted value Ine and the actual measurement value In (actual next value) of the detection result sampled by the spark detection unit 58 |In If −Ine| is larger than the predetermined value Is set in advance, the predetermined value excess information is stored in the storage unit 59, while the predetermined value excess information is stored in the storage unit 59 when the electric blower 8 is started. If N or more are stored, the input of the electric blower 8 is reduced more than when the predetermined value excess information is smaller than the predetermined number N.

Further, since the main body control unit 9 stores the predetermined value excess information in the storage unit 59 for the predetermined number N or more, after the input is reduced and the electric blower 8 is started, the absolute value |In-Ine| is set to the predetermined value Is. In the following cases, the predetermined value excess information is deleted from the storage unit 59 or set to zero, and the input of the electric blower 8 is restored.

Further, when the absolute value |In-Ine| is larger than the predetermined value Is, the main body control unit 9 gradually reduces the input of the electric blower 8.

Furthermore, when the absolute value |In-Ine| is equal to or less than the predetermined value Is, the main body control unit 9 gradually increases the input of the electric blower 8.

When the input of the electric blower 8 is changed, the current detected by the spark detector 58 (for example, current transformer) is substantially the same even if the sparks have the same spark number (JEC-54 standard of the Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan). Change. Therefore, it is preferable to appropriately change the predetermined value Is in accordance with the input of the electric blower 8. The "substantially the same number of sparks" as used herein includes not only one number such as No. 4 and No. 5 but also a range extending over a plurality of adjacent numbers such as No. 4 to No. 5. But good.

In addition, in order to simplify the description, it is assumed that the electric blower 8 is operated in the strong operation mode.

First, the stop time determination process of FIG. 15 will be described in detail.

As shown in FIG. 15, the main body control unit 9 of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the present embodiment detects sparks (from the first embodiment of the spark detection described above during the operation of the electric blower 8). Any one of the four examples) is performed to estimate the presence or absence of excessive sparking (steps S31 and S32).

When it is estimated that the spark is excessively generated (step S33, step S34 Yes), that is, the absolute value of the difference between the predicted value Ine and the actual measurement value In (actual next value) of the detection result sampled by the spark detection unit 58 |In When −Ine| exceeds the predetermined value Is and the operation of the electric blower 8 is stopped (Yes in step S35), the main body control unit 9 stores the predetermined value excess information in the storage unit 59. Yes (step S36). The storage process of the predetermined value excess information in step S36 includes a counting process, and specifically includes a so-called increment that increases every time the absolute value |In-Ine| exceeds the predetermined value Is. The predetermined value excess information is preferably an integer value, and may include a NULL value. The predetermined number N may be 1 or more. When the predetermined number N=1, the predetermined value excess information may be binary information such as “0” and “1”. The main body control unit 9 performs a process of reducing the input at the next start of the electric blower 8 by using the predetermined value excess information stored in the storage unit 59 as a trigger (FIG. 16).

On the other hand, when it is not estimated that the spark is excessively generated (No in step S33 and step S34), that is, the absolute value of the difference between the predicted value Ine and the actual measurement value In (actual next value) of the detection result sampled by the spark detection unit 58. When |In-Ine| falls within the predetermined value Is, and when the electric blower 8 continues to operate (No in step S35), the main body control unit 9 repeats the stop time determination process.

Note that the operation stop of the electric blower 8 in step S35 may be based on the operation of the stop switch 24a by the user, or the predicted value Ine and the actual measurement value In (actual value of the detection result sampled by the spark detection unit 58 (actual The control may be performed autonomously by the main body control unit 9 triggered by the absolute value |In-Ine| of the difference from the next value) exceeding the predetermined value Is.

Further, the main body control unit 9 executes the process of storing the predetermined value excess information in the storage unit 59 (step S33 to step S36) only when the electric blower 8 is stopped, and the electric blower 8 is operated. Even if the absolute value |In-Ine| exceeds the predetermined value Is in another period of time, the predetermined value excess information is not stored in the storage unit 59, but the entire period of operating the electric blower 8 is targeted. Is also good. In this case, the determination in step S35 will not be performed.

Next, the processing during the operation period in FIG. 16 will be described in detail.

As shown in FIG. 16, the main body control unit 9 of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the present embodiment first stores the predetermined value excess information in the storage unit 59 for a predetermined number N (for example, a predetermined number N=10) or more. It is determined whether or not (step S41). When the predetermined value excess information is not stored in the storage unit 59 by the predetermined number N or more (No in step S41), that is, the body control unit 9 determines that the predetermined value excess information stored in the storage unit 59 is less than the predetermined number N. If it is smaller, the electric blower 8 is started at the rated input in the strong operation mode, for example, 1000 watts (step S42).

On the other hand, if the predetermined value excess information is stored in the storage unit 59 in a predetermined number N or more (step S41 Yes), the main body control unit 9 reduces the input of the electric blower 8 to, for example, 100 watts. The electric blower 8 is started (step S43).

In addition, the reduction of the input of the electric blower 8 in step S43 is not only reduced to 100 watts at once, but every time when the electric air guide 8 is restarted, it may be stepwise, for example, 700 watts, 400 watts, 100 watts. Alternatively, it may be gradually reduced at each restart.

Next, the main body control unit 9 performs spark detection (any one of the first to fourth embodiments of spark detection described above) while operating the electric blower 8 to generate an excessive spark. It is estimated whether or not there is (step S44, step S45).

When the excessive occurrence of sparks is estimated (step S44, step S45 Yes), that is, the absolute value of the difference between the predicted value Ine and the actual measurement value In (actual next value) of the detection result sampled by the spark detection unit 58 |In When −Ine| exceeds the predetermined value Is and the excessive generation of sparks continues for a predetermined time or longer (step S46 Yes), the main body control unit 9 stops the electric blower 8 (step S47).

Further, when the excessive occurrence of the spark is estimated (step S44, step S45 Yes), that is, the absolute value of the difference between the predicted value Ine and the actual measurement value In (actual next value) of the detection result sampled by the spark detection unit 58. Even if |In-Ine| exceeds the predetermined value Is, if the excessive occurrence of sparks is improved within a predetermined time (No in step S46), the main body control unit 9 causes the electric blower 8 to operate. To continue monitoring (return to step S44).

On the other hand, when the excessive occurrence of sparks is not estimated (No in step S44 and step S45), that is, the absolute value of the difference between the predicted value Ine and the actual measurement value In (actual next value) of the detection result sampled by the spark detection unit 58. When |In-Ine| falls within the predetermined value Is, the main body control unit 9 erases the predetermined value excess information from the storage unit 59 (NULL value) or sets it to zero value (step S48), and inputs the electric blower 8. The rating is restored and the operation is continued (step S49).

For example, when the main body control unit 9 stops the electric blower 8 triggered by the absolute value |In-Ine| exceeding the predetermined value Is, the predetermined value excess information “1” is stored in the storage unit 59. It At the next start (restart), the main body control unit 9 compares the predetermined number N=1 with the predetermined value excess information, for example, and the predetermined value excess information “1” is the predetermined number N=1 or more. From the above, it is determined that the absolute value |In-Ine| exceeded the predetermined value Is during the previous operation, and the input is reduced compared to the case where the absolute value |In-Ine| does not exceed the predetermined value Is.

It should be noted that the recovery of the input of the electric blower 8 in step S49 is performed by not only increasing the rating to the rated value at once, but also performing the processing from step S44 to step S49 stepwise, for example, from 100 watts to 400 watts, 700 watts, 1000 watts. It may be increased stepwise as shown in.

As described above, in the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the present embodiment, the predicted value Ine (from the difference between the previously measured value Ia (previous value) and the currently measured value Ib (current value) of the detection result sampled by the spark detection unit 58 is calculated. The predicted next value) is calculated, and the absolute value |In-Ine| of the difference between the predicted value Ine and the actual measurement value In (actual next value) of the detection result sampled by the spark detection unit 58 is larger than a predetermined value Is set in advance. In this case, while the predetermined value excess information is stored in the storage unit 59, if the predetermined value excess information is stored in the storage unit 59 for a predetermined number N or more when the electric blower 8 is started, the electric blower 8 By reducing the input compared with the case where the predetermined value excess information is smaller than the predetermined number N, it is possible to reliably suppress the amount of sparks generated by the electric blower 8 at the time of restarting after being temporarily stopped, and improve safety.

Further, since the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the present embodiment stores the predetermined value excess information in the storage unit 59 for the predetermined number N or more in advance, the absolute value |In after the electric blower 8 is started by reducing the input. When −Ine| is equal to or less than the predetermined value Is, the predetermined value excess information is deleted from the storage unit 59 (NULL value) or set to zero, and the input of the electric blower 8 is restored to stop and restart. When the situation improves after that, the convenience of cleaning can be restored by operating the electric blower 8 properly.

Furthermore, when the absolute value |In-Ine| is larger than the predetermined value Is, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the present embodiment reduces the input of the electric blower 8 in stages, thereby improving the usability of the electric vacuum cleaner 1. It is possible to ensure the safety of the electric blower 8 each time the engine is restarted without drastically reducing the temperature.

Furthermore, in the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the present embodiment, when the absolute value |In-Ine| is equal to or less than the predetermined value Is, the state of the electric blower 8 is increased by gradually increasing the input of the electric blower 8. It is possible to provide convenience of cleaning by gradually recovering the suction force in a range where it is easy to ensure safety while checking the above.

Therefore, according to the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the present embodiment, when the smoke generation and the ignition of the electric blower 8 due to the friction between the commutator 48 and the brush 52 are prevented in advance, the recovery of the spark generation amount is expected. The cleaning can be continued by changing the input of the electric blower 8 appropriately and appropriately.

The vacuum cleaner 1 according to the present embodiment is not limited to the canister type, but may be an upright type, a stick type, a handy type or the like. The electric vacuum cleaner 1 may be a cordless type that includes a secondary battery in addition to the commercial AC power source E.

Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and its equivalent scope.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Electric vacuum cleaner, 2... Vacuum cleaner main body, 3... Pipe part, 5... Main body case, 6... Wheel, 7... Dust separation and dust collecting part, 8... Electric blower, 9... Main body control part, 11... Power cord, 12... Main body connection port, 14... Insertion plug, 19... Connection pipe, 21... Dust collection hose, 22... Hand operation pipe, 23... Gripping part, 24... Operation part, 24a... Stop switch, 24b... Start switch, 24c ... brush switch, 25... extension tube, 26... suction port body, 28... suction port, 29... rotary cleaning body, 31... electric motor, 35... intake port, 36... centrifugal fan section, 37... exhaust port, 38... motor section , 39... Motor housing, 39a... Inner peripheral surface, 41... Stator, 42... Rotor, 43... Brush mechanism, 45... Rotor shaft, 46... Rotor core, 47... Field winding, 48... Commutator, 49 ... Brush holder fixing portion, 51... Brush holder, 52... Brush, 53... Coil spring, 55... Main body control circuit, 56... Switching element, 57... Main body power supply section, 58... Spark detection section, 59... Storage section.

Claims (3)

An electric blower having a commutator and a brush,
A spark detection unit that detects the size of a spark generated by the friction between the commutator and the brush,
Storage part,
The predicted next value is calculated from the difference between the previous value and the current value of the detection result sampled by the spark detection unit, and the absolute value of the difference between the predicted next value and the actual next value of the detection result sampled by the spark detection unit. Is larger than a predetermined value and the electric blower is stopped, the storage unit stores predetermined value excess information including a count value that increases each time the absolute value exceeds the predetermined value. On the other hand, when the electric blower is started, if the predetermined value excess information is stored in the storage unit in a predetermined number or more, the input of the electric blower is performed more than when the predetermined value excess information is smaller than the predetermined number. and a control unit which also reduces, and
Since the control unit starts the electric blower by reducing the input because the predetermined value excess information is stored in the storage unit in the predetermined number or more, if the absolute value is equal to or less than the predetermined value, while the erase or zero value the predetermined value excess information from the storage unit, electric vacuum cleaner Ru to restore the input of the electric blower. Wherein, wherein when the absolute value is larger than the predetermined value, the electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, stepwise reduces the input of the electric blower. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the controller increases the input of the electric blower stepwise when the absolute value is equal to or less than the predetermined value.

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