JPS61213030A - Dust detector in suction cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Technical Field The present invention relates to a dust detection device in a suction cleaner for detecting dust passing through an air passage of the cleaner.

<Summary of the Invention> In summary, the dust detection device for a suction vacuum cleaner of the present invention detects dust on the air passage of the vacuum cleaner, thereby detecting the remaining amount of dust to be sucked, abnormalities in the dust collection bag, etc. This is what we are trying to detect.

<Prior Art> A dust detection device in a conventional vacuum cleaner merely detects the amount of dust accumulated in a dust collection bag and notifies the time to replace the dust collection bag. For this reason, it is not possible to detect how much dust the vacuum cleaner is currently sucking up during cleaning, and it cannot be used as a guideline for performing appropriate work according to the amount of dust in the cleaning area. Ta. In addition, conventional dust detection devices that detect the amount of dust in a dust collection bag by detecting the amount of suction from an air blower cannot detect and issue a warning if the dust collection bag has been forgotten to be set. Even if the dust collection bag was damaged, it was not possible to detect abnormalities such as leakage of dust due to damage to the dust collection bag.

<Object of the Invention> The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and by installing an optical sensor on the air passage and extracting and detecting only the alternating current component from the output of this optical sensor, the optical sensor It is an object of the present invention to provide a dust detection device for a suction cleaner that can detect passing dust without being affected by deterioration of the characteristics of the vacuum cleaner or dirt on the optical path.

<Configuration and Effects of the Invention> The dust detection device for a suction vacuum cleaner of the present invention includes a light emitting device that emits light at a constant brightness and a light receiving device that receives the light and converts it into an electrical signal, which are arranged facing each other via an air passage. In addition, it is characterized by comprising a filter circuit that extracts only the alternating current component of the output of the light receiving device, and a display device that performs display according to the magnitude of the output of the filter circuit.

In addition to displaying the amount in stepless or multiple stages according to the magnitude of the output, the display device also displays a message or issues an alarm when the magnitude of the output is smaller than a predetermined value or exceeds a predetermined value. It may also be configured to emit.

When the dust detection device for the suction vacuum cleaner of the present invention is configured as described above, only the alternating current component is extracted from the output of the light receiving device and detected, so there is no possibility that the amount of light will decrease due to deterioration of the light emitting characteristics of the light emitting device. This eliminates the influence of a decrease in sensitivity due to deterioration of the light emitting/receiving device, or a decrease in the DC component of the output level caused by dirt on the optical path due to dust adhering to the window of the light emitting/receiving device. Therefore, accurate detection can be performed for a long period of time without maintenance. In addition, since the amount of dust passing through the air passage during cleaning can be detected, by placing the dust detection device of this invention in front of the dust collection bag, it is possible to detect how much dust the vacuum cleaner is currently sucking. This allows you to know whether the area to be cleaned is dusty or not, and provides a guideline for performing the appropriate work depending on the amount of dust in the area to be cleaned, as well as when to finish cleaning when the area to be cleaned cannot be seen sufficiently.

It can be used as a guideline. Furthermore, by placing the dust detection device of the present invention behind the dust collection bag, through which dust normally cannot pass, it can detect abnormalities such as dust leakage due to forgetting to set the dust collection bag or breakage, and issue an alarm. be able to.

<Embodiment> Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a dust detection device in a suction vacuum cleaner that is an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the installation part of a light emitting device and a light receiving device in the same dust detection device. be.

The dust detection device in the suction vacuum cleaner of this embodiment includes a light emitting device 1, a light receiving device 2. Filter circuit 3 and display device 4
It consists of

The light emitting device 1 is a light emitting diode that is connected to a drive circuit 7 and emits light at a constant brightness, and the light receiving device 2 is a phototransistor. As shown in FIG. 2, the light emitting device 1 and the light receiving device 2 are arranged facing each other with an air passage 5 of the suction cleaner interposed therebetween. 6 is a suction blower.

The filter circuit 3 is an amplifier that extracts only the alternating current component from the output of the light receiving device 2 and amplifies it. The display device 4 includes a rectifying and smoothing circuit 8. Comprising a comparison circuit 9 and an alarm means 10,
An alarm is issued when the output of the filter circuit 3 exceeds a predetermined value. The rectifying and smoothing circuit 8 rectifies and smoothes the AC output of the filter circuit 3 to obtain a DC output according to its magnitude. The comparison circuit 9 is a circuit that compares the DC output value of the rectifying and smoothing circuit 8 with a predetermined value and issues a signal when the DC output value exceeds the predetermined value. By receiving the signal from the comparison circuit 9, the alarm means 10
It issues a warning by sounding a buzzer or lighting a warning light.

The operation of the dust detection device in the suction cleaner of this embodiment configured as described above will be explained.

If no dust passes through the air passage 5, the light from the light emitting device 1 will reach the output of the light receiving device 2 as it is, so the output of the light receiving device 2 will be only a direct current component and will contain an alternating current component, as shown by the solid line in FIG. do not have. When dust passes over the air passage 5, the light from the light emitting device 1 is momentarily interrupted, so as shown by the broken line in FIG. become. From the output of the light receiving device 2, only the alternating current component is extracted by the filter circuit 3 and sent to the display device 4. Therefore, when the output value from the filter circuit 3 exceeds a predetermined value due to an increase in the amount of dust passing through the air passage 5, the display device 4 issues an alarm by sounding a buzzer or lighting a warning light. will be emitted.

When the dust detection device in the suction vacuum cleaner of this embodiment is configured as described above, only the alternating current component is extracted from the output of the light receiving device 2 and detected, so it is not affected by the deterioration of the elements of the light emitting device 1 and the light receiving device 2. Therefore, stable detection can be performed against changes over time. In addition, since the light path is not affected by contamination of the optical path due to dust adhering to the windows of the light emitting device 1 and the light receiving device 2, accurate detection can be performed for a long period of time without maintenance.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the dust detection device of this embodiment in a suction cleaner.

In the arrangement example shown in FIG. 4, one light emitting device 1° and light receiving device 21 are arranged on the suction hose 12 of the vacuum cleaner 1), and the other light emitting device 1'' and light receiving device 2'' are placed on the vacuum cleaner 1). 1)
It is arranged on the exhaust passage 13 of. 14 is a changeover switch for these light receiving devices 2Jul, and 15 is an opening/closing switch for stopping the alarm of the alarm means.

When the changeover switch 14 is switched to the 2° side of the light receiving device on the suction hose 12, the amount of dust passing over the suction hose 12 during cleaning is detected to determine whether the vacuum cleaner 1) is currently suctioning dust. can be known. Therefore, when the area to be cleaned cannot be sufficiently seen, such as in gaps or behind the furniture, the alarm can be turned off, which can be used as a guide to the end of cleaning. Also, by switching the changeover switch 14 to the 2° side of the light receiving device on the exhaust passage 13, it is possible to detect when dust passes over the exhaust passage 13, so you can avoid forgetting to set the dust collection bag 16. It can detect abnormalities such as dust leakage due to damage and issue an alarm.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a dust detection device in a suction vacuum cleaner that is an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the installation part of a light emitting device and a light receiving device in the same dust detection device, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the output characteristics of the light receiving device in the dust detection device, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the dust detection device in a suction cleaner. 1 - Light emitting device, 2 - Light receiving device, 3 - Filter circuit, 4 - Display device, 5 - Air passage, 8 - Rectification and smoothing circuit, 9 - Comparison circuit, 10 - Alarm means. 1: Light emitting device 2: Light receiving device building 2 diagram

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A light-emitting device that emits light at a constant brightness and a light-receiving device that receives this light and converts it into an electrical signal are placed facing each other via an air passage, and a filter circuit that extracts only the alternating current component of the output of the light-receiving device is provided. A dust detection device for a suction vacuum cleaner, comprising: a display device that displays information according to the magnitude of the filter circuit output. (2) The display device compares a rectifying and smoothing circuit that converts the AC output of the filter circuit into DC, and the DC output value of this rectifying and smoothing circuit with a predetermined value, and issues a signal when the DC output value exceeds the predetermined value. A dust detection device for a suction cleaner according to claim 1, comprising a circuit and an alarm means for issuing an alarm upon receiving a signal from the comparison circuit.