JPH05245080A - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a vacuum cleaner with ease of handling which controls a suction force according to floor surfaces of various kinds and dust clogging level by detecting the type and quality of the floor surfaces to be cleaned and the dust clogging level of the cleaner. CONSTITUTION:This apparatus has an electromotive suction device for floors which has a fan motor 9 for sucking dust, a hose and an extension pipe and includes a rotary brush rotating electrically at the tip of the extension pipe. The electromotive suction device for floors is also provided with a lip 2 which outputs a pressure change when contacting a floor surface to be cleaned to detect the condition and the type of floor surfaces. Moreover, a pressure sensor 5 is provided in the main body of a cleaner to detect a differential pressure between the pressure at the front of the fan motor 9 and the atmospheric air. A fuzzy inference device 8 is provided to determine a suction force of the fan motor 9 by a fuzzy inference from detection values of the lip 2 and the pressure sensor 5. With such an arrangement, an electric cleaner with ease of handling can be provided which controls the suction force according to floor surfaces of various kinds and a dust clogging level by detecting the type and quality of the floor surfaces to be cleaned and the dust clogging level of the cleaner.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention automatically detects the suction power of a fan motor and the rotation speed of a rotary brush of an electric floor suction tool by detecting the type and quality of the floor surface and the amount of dust clogging of a vacuum cleaner. Adjusting vacuum cleaner.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, this type of vacuum cleaner indirectly detects the type and quality of the floor surface by detecting the amount of dust to be sucked, and automatically sets the suction force of the vacuum cleaner in multiple stages. It was a thing. Also, there are some that set the suction force according to the condition of the floor surface such as the floor, tatami mat, and the length of the fur of the carpet.
In this case as well, the condition of the floor surface could be distinguished only in about three stages.

[0003]

However, such a conventional electric vacuum cleaner has the following problems. That is, the amount of dust and the condition of the floor surface cannot be simply set in 3 to 4 stages but continuously change, and the suction force set according to the state of the floor face must also be set in multiple stages. I have to. However, the conventional vacuum cleaner has a problem that an appropriate suction amount cannot be set depending on the amount of dust clogging and the condition of the floor surface.

The present invention solves such a problem by more accurately detecting the type and quality of the floor surface and the dust clogging amount of the vacuum cleaner, and finely adjusting the suction force according to various floor surfaces and the dust clogging amount. The purpose is to provide a vacuum cleaner that can be set.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a fan motor for sucking dust, and
An electric vacuum cleaner with an electric floor suction tool equipped with a hose and an extension tube, and an electric rotating rotary brush at the tip of the extension tube, and detects the floor surface state and type of the electric floor suction tool. In order to do this, a lip that outputs the pressure change when it contacts the cleaning floor surface as a resistance change and a pressure sensor that detects the differential pressure between the front of the fan motor and the atmosphere are provided. Is equipped with a fuzzy reasoner that determines the suction force of the fan motor by fuzzy reasoning.

Further, the fuzzy reasoner has a function of determining the number of rotations of the rotating brush of the electric floor suction tool.

[0007]

According to this structure, the suction force of the fan motor is controlled by fuzzy reasoning by inputting signals from the detection values of the lip and the pressure sensor, and the signals are detected from the detection values of the lip and the pressure sensor. By inputting the information, the suction force of the fan motor and the rotation speed of the rotating brush of the electric floor suction tool are controlled by fuzzy reasoning.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An electric vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the structure of the electric vacuum cleaner of this embodiment. As shown in the figure, an electric floor suction tool 1 includes a lip 2 that outputs a change in pressing force as a change in electric resistance value when it comes into contact with a floor surface to be cleaned. The lip 2 detects the unevenness of the floor surface. The absolute resistance value detecting means 3 detects the absolute value of the electric resistance value output from the lip 2. The resistance value change amount detecting means 4 calculates a time change amount of the resistance value. Further, the pressure sensor 5 is arranged in front of the fan motor 9 of the cleaner body (not shown), detects the pressure difference between the cleaner body and the atmospheric pressure, and detects the amount of dust in the dust collecting chamber and the electric power. The degree of close contact between the floor suction device 1 and the floor surface is detected as a change (absolute value) in pressure, and the change in pressure is converted into an electrical signal, and an analog output proportional to time is obtained. Is becoming The output of the pressure sensor 5 is calculated by the pressure amount absolute value integrating means 6 and the pressure change rate calculating means 7, and in the fuzzy reasoner 8, the output of the absolute value detecting means 3 of the resistance value of the lip 2 and the change amount detecting means of the resistance value. The output power of the fan motor 9 suitable for the floor quality and floor type, and the dust clogging state is deduced from the output of 4 and the inputs of the pressure amount absolute value integrating means 6 and the pressure change rate calculating means 7 of the pressure sensor 5. Reference numeral 10 is a control means, which calculates a phase control amount from the inferred output power and drives the fan motor 9.

The arithmetic means for the lip 2 and the pressure sensor 5 of the fuzzy reasoner 8 is constructed as shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the lip 2 and the input from the absolute amount detecting means 3 of the resistance value and the fitness to the membership function stored in the absolute amount membership function storing means 11 are obtained by taking the MAX of both. Similarly, the variation adaptability calculation for obtaining the adaptability with respect to the membership function stored in the resistance adaptability calculation means 12 and the resistance value variation detection means 4 and the resistance value change membership function storage means 13 is performed. The pressure amount conformity to the input from the means 14 and the pressure amount absolute value accumulating means 6 of the pressure sensor 5 and the fitness degree to the membership function stored in the pressure amount membership function storage means 15 is obtained by taking MAX of both. Input from the degree calculation means 16, the pressure rate change rate calculation means 7, and the pressure change rate membership function storage means 17 are stored. Pressure change rate adaptation degree calculation means 18 for obtaining the same manner adaptability with respect to membership functions
According to the rules stored in the antecedent part minimum computing means 19 which takes the MIN of the four suitability values as the suitability of the antecedent part, and the suction power inference rule storage means 20,
The antecedent part suitability and the consequent part minimum computing means 22 for taking the MIN of the consequent suction power membership function stored in the suction power membership function storage means 21 to conclude the rule, and all After obtaining each conclusion for the rule, take the MAX of all conclusions,
The center of gravity calculation means 23 finally calculates the suction power by calculating the center of gravity.

The fuzzy reasoner 8 can be easily realized by a microcomputer. The control means 10 calculates and controls the phase control amount of the fan motor 9 based on the determined suction power.

Next, the operation of the electric vacuum cleaner configured as described above will be described. Generally, when the floor surface to be cleaned is a carpet, the unevenness of the floor surface is large, and when the floor surface to be cleaned and the lip 2 come into contact with each other, the electric resistance value becomes large and the amount of change in the electric resistance value tends to become large.

When the floor surface to be cleaned is flat, such as a wooden floor or a fold, the unevenness of the floor surface is relatively small, so that the electric resistance value output from the lip 2 becomes small and the electric resistance value changes. The amount also tends to be smaller. Therefore,
The type and quality of the floor surface can be discriminated from the output of the lip 2.

In this way, the absolute amount and change amount of the electric resistance value of the lip 2 are detected by the absolute amount detecting means 3 and the resistance value change amount detecting means 4.
By calculating with, it is possible to estimate what the characteristics of the floor surface currently being cleaned are.

Further, by detecting the integrated value and the change amount of the pressure amount by the pressure sensor 5, it is possible to detect the clogging condition of dust in the cleaner body and the floor quality to some extent. As described above, if the type, quality, and dust clogging state of the floor surface can be specified, the optimum suction power is determined, and this is inferred by the fuzzy reasoner 8.

Next, the process of inferring the suction power will be described. The fuzzy reasoning of this embodiment is “lip 2”.
Has a small resistance value and small unevenness (a small amount of change in the resistance value), a small rate of change in the pressure value of the pressure sensor 5, and a low absolute pressure value amount, the floor surface to be cleaned is the floor. (A wooden floor, etc.) to reduce the suction power ", or" the floor of the lip 2 having a small resistance value and small unevenness (the change amount of the resistance value is small) and the pressure sensor 5
If the rate of change in pressure value is small and the absolute value of pressure is large, the floor to be cleaned is the floor (wooden floor, etc.), and there is a lot of dust in the dust collection chamber of the cleaner body. Increase the power a little. ""If the lip 2 has a high resistance value and a large unevenness (the change amount of the resistance value is large), the pressure sensor 5 has a large change rate of the pressure value, and the absolute pressure value is small, the floor to be cleaned is a carpet. Yes, there is little dust in the dust chamber of the vacuum cleaner body, and the suction power is slightly higher. ” Furthermore, “If the lip 2 has a high resistance value and a large unevenness (the change amount of the resistance value is large) and the pressure sensor 5 has a large change rate of the pressure value, and the pressure amount is small, the floor surface to be cleaned is a carpet. , There is little dust on the carpet surface and the suction power is normal. ”
It is based on a general judgment such as. Inference rules consist of several rules. Qualitative concepts such as "high" resistance, "small" resistance change, and "very large" suction power are quantified by membership functions as shown in Figs. 3 (a)-(c). Is expressed as In the fuzzy reasoner 8, in the absolute value fitness calculating means 12 of the resistance value of the lip 2, for the input from the absolute value detecting means 3 of the resistance value and the membership function stored in the absolute amount membership function storage means 11. The goodness of fit is obtained by taking the MAX of both. The resistance value change amount adaptability calculating means 14 similarly obtains the adaptability with respect to the input from the resistance value change amount detecting means 4 and the membership function stored in the resistance value change amount membership function storage means 13. The same calculation is performed for the pressure sensor 5.
The antecedent part minimum computing means 19 takes the MINs of the four suitability values and uses them as the suitability values of the antecedent part. In the consequent part minimum computing means 22, the suction power inference rule storage means 2
According to the rule stored in 0, the suitability of the antecedent part and the suction power membership function M of the consequent part stored in the suction power membership function storage means 21.
Take IN to conclude the rule.

After obtaining the respective conclusions for all the rules, the center-of-gravity calculating means 23 takes MAX of all the conclusions and calculates the center of gravity thereof to finally obtain the suction power. The control means 10 calculates the phase control amount of the fan motor 9 based on the determined suction power and controls the fan motor.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the fuzzy reasoner also controls the motor 24 for the rotating brush of the electric floor suction tool 1. That is, the inference rule is, for example, "the floor of the lip 2 having a high resistance value and large irregularities (the change amount of the resistance value is large), the pressure value change rate of the pressure sensor 5 is large, and the absolute pressure value amount is a little. If it is higher, the cleaning floor surface is a carpet, and the suction power is made slightly higher and the rotation speed of the rotating brush of the electric floor suction tool 1 is also increased. "Furthermore, the floor surface having a high resistance value of the lip 2 and large unevenness If the change rate of the resistance value is large, the rate of change of the pressure value of the pressure sensor 5 is large, and the absolute value of the pressure value is small, the floor surface to be cleaned is a Neil punch carpet close to a wooden floor, and the suction power is increased. The rotation speed of the rotating brush of the electric floor suction tool 1 is lowered and the rotation speed of the rotating brush of the electric floor suction tool 1 is lowered ".

In this embodiment, MAX is included in the inference methods.
-Although the MIN synthesis method and the center of gravity method are used, other inference methods are also possible, and the power of suction, which is the consequent part, is expressed by a membership function, but it can also be expressed by a real value or a linear form. Needless to say. According to the above configuration, the lip 2 and the pressure sensor 5 can discriminate the type of carpet and the like, and the motor 24 for the rotating brush can be controlled so that the number of rotations is optimum for the cleaning floor surface.

[0020]

As is apparent from the above description of the embodiments, according to the electric vacuum cleaner of the present invention, the change in pressure when the cleaning floor surface attached to the electric floor suction tool is brought into contact with the electric resistance value. Since the fuzzy reasoner that determines the output of the fan motor from the detected values of the lip and the pressure sensor that is output as is provided, the following effects can be obtained. That is, when cleaning with an electric vacuum cleaner, it goes without saying that dust can be removed efficiently, but an important item is operability.
The suction power of a vacuum cleaner tends to increase year by year, and currently about 350 W is standard. However, if cleaning is performed with this suction power on all the cleaning floor surfaces, the cleaning nozzle surface made of a carpet or the like causes the floor nozzle to stick to the cleaning floor surface due to the strong suction force, resulting in a very poor feeling of operation. In the present invention, the pressure change upon contact with the cleaning floor surface is optimally adjusted according to the type of the cleaning floor surface and the amount of dust collected in the cleaner body by a composite sensor including a lip that outputs a resistance value change and a pressure sensor. So that the suction power lasts,
The suction force is finely determined by fuzzy reasoning. Therefore, it is possible to provide an electric vacuum cleaner that efficiently removes dust regardless of the floor surface to be cleaned and has a very comfortable operation.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control method for an electric vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a fuzzy reasoner used in the vacuum cleaner.

3A to 3C are diagrams showing membership functions of the vacuum cleaner.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a method of controlling the electric vacuum cleaner according to another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Electric floor suction tool 2 Lip 5 Pressure sensor 8 Fuzzy reasoner 9 Fan motor

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A structure having an electric floor suction tool provided with a fan motor for sucking in dust, a hose, and an extension pipe, and a rotary brush that is electrically driven is provided at the tip of the extension pipe. A lip for outputting to the electric suction tool for a floor as a resistance change a pressure change upon contact with a floor surface to be cleaned in order to detect a floor state and a floor type; and a front portion of the fan motor. An electric vacuum cleaner provided with a pressure sensor for detecting a differential pressure between the air and the atmosphere, and provided with a fuzzy inference device for determining the suction force of the fan motor by fuzzy inference from the detection values of the lip and the pressure sensor. 2. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the fuzzy reasoner also has a function of determining the number of rotations of the rotating brush of the electric floor suction tool.