JPH05192279A - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain suction force being suitable for the floor quality, and to improve the suction performance by setting a reference value of an operation period of a forward/backward operation to a microcomputer, comparing the operation period detected by a detecting means with the reference value, detecting a material of the floor surface by its signal and correcting the suction force and the speed of revolution of a rotary brush. CONSTITUTION:A pressure signal through an amplifying circuit 8 from a pressure sensor 7 is detected by a detector, and by deciding a material of the floor surface, outputs of both motors 11, 12 are determined temporarily to a value conforming to the floor surface and the suction capacity is controlled. Subsequently, a forward/backward operation period of a cution port 1 is detected by a detecting means, compared with a period inputted in advance by a comparing means and in the case it is decided to be 'ordinary', the suction capacity determined temporarily is adopted. In the case the operation period is a little shorter, the suction capacity is raised to one larger by one step, and in the case the period is much shorter, the suction capacity output is raised to one larger by two steps. The suction capacity is determined by combination of suction force and rotational force of a rotary brush.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly to control of suction force or rotational speed of a rotary brush.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, this type of equipment detects the absolute value of the vacuum pressure and the pressure change during suction of the floor material,
It is known that the suction force suitable for the material of the floor surface and the rotation speed of the rotary brush are automatically controlled by the signal of the detection means.

[0003]

By the way, in normal cleaning, the user visually judges the degree of dirt on the floor surface, that is, the amount of dust, and sucks the dust quickly on the floor surface with much dust. As a result, the operation cycle before and after the suction port is shortened, the number of times is increased, and conversely, on a floor with little dust,
It is common to clean slowly and with a small number of cleanings.

However, in the conventional vacuum cleaner, in the above cases, it is necessary to manually operate the switch to change the suction force and the rotation speed of the rotary brush, which is troublesome.

[0005]

As means for solving the above problems, the present invention is directed to a detection means for detecting the material of the floor surface, and a suction force or the rotation speed of the rotary brush of the suction port according to the signal of the detection means. In a vacuum cleaner having a control means for automatically controlling by a microcomputer, the microcomputer sets a reference value of the operation cycle of the suction opening operated by the user back and forth to detect the operation cycle of the suction opening during cleaning. Detection means,
A comparison means for comparing the operation cycle detected by the detection means with the reference value, and a suction force or rotation controlled by the signal of the detection means by detecting the material of the floor surface by the signal of the comparison means. A correction means for correcting the number of rotations of the brush is provided.

[0006]

With the structure of the present invention, both the material of the floor surface and the operation cycle of the suction port operated by the user in the front and rear direction are detected, and the suction performance closer to actual use can be obtained.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the entire structure of a general electric vacuum cleaner, FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a waveform of a pressure signal from a pressure sensor through an amplifier circuit.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the same flowchart.

The vacuum cleaner is composed of a suction port 1, an extension tube 2, a hose 4, an operating portion 3 provided on the hose 4, and a cleaner body 5 as a whole. Although not shown in the figure, a cord reel and an electric blower are arranged in the rear part inside the cleaner body 5, and a dust collecting chamber containing a filter communicating with the intake side of the electric blower is provided. It is divided into all areas. Further, the cleaner body 5
A connection port facing the dust collection chamber has an opening formed in the front part of the upper surface, and an exhaust port communicating with the exhaust side of the electric blower has an opening formed in the rear part.

The cleaner body 5 and the suction port 1 are electrically connected to each other, and the control circuit thereof has a one-chip microcomputer 6 for controlling the entire cleaner. A signal from the operation unit 3 and a signal amplified by the amplifier circuit 8 from the pressure sensor 7 for detecting the suction vacuum pressure are provided to the rotation speed of the electric blower 11 and the suction port 3 via the drive circuits 9 and 10. The number of rotations of the rotary brush 12 is controlled.

The pressure sensor 7 is generally a cleaner body 5.
Although a pressure tube (not shown) is used to detect the pressure immediately before the electric blower 11 in the inside, the same detection can be performed by disposing the pressure inside the vicinity of the operation unit 3.

The waveform shown in FIG. 3 is a waveform of a pressure signal when the suction port 1 is moved back and forth at the same cycle.
A is a waveform when operated on a wooden floor, and B is a waveform when operated on a carpet. A'and B'are respective pressure average values, and A "and B" are respective amplitudes. From this, we can see that the carpets are all larger. In this way, the pressure waveform varies depending on the material of the floor surface, so that the material of the floor surface can be detected.

Further, these waveforms are obtained when the suction force is constant, and have a characteristic that both the average value and the amplitude become relatively large when the suction force is increased. Although not shown in FIG. 3, in the case of a shaggy rug with long fur, the average pressure is lower than that of the rug, but the amplitude is larger than that of the rug.

From the above data, the material of the floor surface can be detected almost accurately by combining the pressure average value and the pressure amplitude.

In FIG. 3, the portion where the pressure value is increasing in the waveforms A and B shows the time when the suction port is advanced, and the portion where the pressure value is decreasing is moving the suction port backward. It shows the time. From FIG. 3, it can be seen that the cycle of the pressure signal is the operation cycle of the suction port of the user. In this example, one cycle is from the maximum value to the next maximum value, but one cycle may be twice the time from the maximum value to the minimum value.

Next, the operation of the electric vacuum cleaner of the present invention will be described based on the control flowchart of the vacuum cleaner shown in FIG. When cleaning, as shown in FIG.
Connect the hose 4, the extension pipe 2 and the suction port 1 to each other. In this state, when a power cord (not shown) is connected to an outlet and the switch of the operation unit 3 is turned on, the electric blower 11 inside the cleaner body 5 and the electric motor 12 inside the suction port 1
Is driven to operate the suction port 1 back and forth on the floor surface, dust is sucked.

At this time, the pressure signal from the pressure sensor 7 through the amplifier circuit 8 is detected by the detector (F1), the material of the floor surface is judged, and the outputs of the both electric motors 11 and 12 are present on the floor surface. The output is provisionally determined and the suction capability is controlled (F2).

Then, the operation cycle before and after the suction port 1 is detected by the detecting means, and the comparing means compares it with the cycle inputted in advance (F3), and when it is judged as "normal", the provisional decision is made. Adopt suction capacity (F4).

When the operation cycle is a little short, the suction capacity is increased by one step (F5), and when the operation cycle is shorter, the suction capacity output is increased by two steps (F6).

The suction capacity is determined by a combination of the suction force of the cleaner body 5 and the rotation force of the rotating brush of the suction port 1. When the floor surface material is rug, the rotation of the rotating brush is determined. It depends on the floor material, such as strengthening the power or increasing the suction power in the flooring with a wooden floor.

If the operation speed of the suction port 1 not mentioned in the above example is extremely slow, that is, if the operation cycle is extremely long,
Even with the same material, the pressure amplitude may be smaller, so
When the cycle is extremely long, a method of strengthening the suction ability may be adopted.

Further, in the flowchart of FIG. 4, the output of the electric motors 11 and 12 is tentatively determined based on the pressure average value and the pressure amplitude, and then the correction based on the operation cycle is added. The output may be determined by fuzzy control or the like in which three of the cycles are input, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, in addition to the detection of the floor quality, the suction port operation cycle of the user is detected, and the suction force suitable for the floor quality is corrected based on the result. ,
The suction performance is further improved, the cleaning intended by the user can be performed, the cleaning time can be shortened, and the electricity bill can be saved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a general vacuum cleaner.

FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a waveform diagram of a pressure signal from the pressure sensor that has also passed through an amplifier circuit.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the same.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Suction port 5 Vacuum cleaner body 6 Microcomputer 11 Electric blower 12 Rotating brush drive electric motor

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An electric vacuum cleaner comprising: a detection means for detecting the material of the floor surface; and a control means for automatically controlling the suction force or the rotation speed of the rotary brush of the suction port with a microcomputer according to the signal of the detection means. In the microcomputer, a reference value of the operation cycle of the suction port operated by the user back and forth is set, and detection means for detecting the operation cycle of the suction port during cleaning, and the operation cycle detected by the detection means and the reference. The comparison means for comparing the value with the value and the correction means for detecting the material of the floor surface by the signal of the comparison means and correcting the suction force and the rotation speed of the rotary brush controlled by the signal of the detection means are provided. An electric vacuum cleaner characterized in that.