US20220257076A1 - Vacuum cleaner and method of controlling a motor for a brush of the vacuum cleaner - Google Patents
Vacuum cleaner and method of controlling a motor for a brush of the vacuum cleaner Download PDFInfo
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- US20220257076A1 US20220257076A1 US17/668,128 US202217668128A US2022257076A1 US 20220257076 A1 US20220257076 A1 US 20220257076A1 US 202217668128 A US202217668128 A US 202217668128A US 2022257076 A1 US2022257076 A1 US 2022257076A1
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- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims description 19
- 238000004140 cleaning Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 14
- 230000004044 response Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 3
- 238000012545 processing Methods 0.000 claims description 12
- 230000003247 decreasing effect Effects 0.000 claims description 6
- 230000006870 function Effects 0.000 description 4
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000007423 decrease Effects 0.000 description 3
- 238000005259 measurement Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000008901 benefit Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000009471 action Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000003213 activating effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000654 additive Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000000996 additive effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000013459 approach Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000033228 biological regulation Effects 0.000 description 1
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Classifications
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
- A47L9/28—Installation of the electric equipment, e.g. adaptation or attachment to the suction cleaner; Controlling suction cleaners by electric means
- A47L9/2805—Parameters or conditions being sensed
- A47L9/2831—Motor parameters, e.g. motor load or speed
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L5/00—Structural features of suction cleaners
- A47L5/12—Structural features of suction cleaners with power-driven air-pumps or air-compressors, e.g. driven by motor vehicle engine vacuum
- A47L5/22—Structural features of suction cleaners with power-driven air-pumps or air-compressors, e.g. driven by motor vehicle engine vacuum with rotary fans
- A47L5/28—Suction cleaners with handles and nozzles fixed on the casings, e.g. wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle
- A47L5/30—Suction cleaners with handles and nozzles fixed on the casings, e.g. wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
- A47L9/02—Nozzles
- A47L9/04—Nozzles with driven brushes or agitators
- A47L9/0405—Driving means for the brushes or agitators
- A47L9/0411—Driving means for the brushes or agitators driven by electric motor
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
- A47L9/02—Nozzles
- A47L9/04—Nozzles with driven brushes or agitators
- A47L9/0461—Dust-loosening tools, e.g. agitators, brushes
- A47L9/0466—Rotating tools
- A47L9/0477—Rolls
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
- A47L9/28—Installation of the electric equipment, e.g. adaptation or attachment to the suction cleaner; Controlling suction cleaners by electric means
- A47L9/2805—Parameters or conditions being sensed
- A47L9/2826—Parameters or conditions being sensed the condition of the floor
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
- A47L9/28—Installation of the electric equipment, e.g. adaptation or attachment to the suction cleaner; Controlling suction cleaners by electric means
- A47L9/2836—Installation of the electric equipment, e.g. adaptation or attachment to the suction cleaner; Controlling suction cleaners by electric means characterised by the parts which are controlled
- A47L9/2842—Suction motors or blowers
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
- A47L9/28—Installation of the electric equipment, e.g. adaptation or attachment to the suction cleaner; Controlling suction cleaners by electric means
- A47L9/2836—Installation of the electric equipment, e.g. adaptation or attachment to the suction cleaner; Controlling suction cleaners by electric means characterised by the parts which are controlled
- A47L9/2847—Surface treating elements
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
- A47L9/28—Installation of the electric equipment, e.g. adaptation or attachment to the suction cleaner; Controlling suction cleaners by electric means
- A47L9/2857—User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
- A47L9/28—Installation of the electric equipment, e.g. adaptation or attachment to the suction cleaner; Controlling suction cleaners by electric means
- A47L9/30—Arrangement of illuminating devices
Definitions
- the invention relates to a vacuum cleaner including a surface cleaning head having a brush and motor for operating the brush.
- Upright vacuum cleaners are typically used to clean floor surfaces, such as carpeting. Sometimes the carpeting can have a long pile height or other attribute providing a significant resistance to the brush of the vacuum cleaner.
- a first aspect of the disclosure provides a vacuum cleaner that includes a surface cleaning head including a dirty air inlet, a brush supported by the surface cleaning head, a motor coupled to and operable to cause movement of the brush, a sensor to sense a voltage associated with a current of the motor, and a controller configured to control an amount of current provided to the motor in response to the sensed voltage.
- the controller is configured to control a first pulse width modulated (PWM) duty cycle provided to the motor when the sensed voltage is less than a reference voltage, control a second PWM duty cycle provided to the motor when the sensed voltage is greater than the reference voltage, the second PWM duty cycle being less than the first PWM duty cycle, and turn off the motor when the sensed voltage increases to a voltage associated with an overload current of the motor.
- PWM pulse width modulated
- Another aspect of the disclosure provides a method of controlling a motor for a brush of a vacuum cleaner.
- the method includes sensing a voltage associated with a current of the motor, controlling a first pulse width modulated (PWM) duty cycle provided to the motor when the sensed voltage is less than a reference voltage, and controlling a second PWM duty cycle provided to the motor when the sensed voltage is greater than the reference voltage, the second PWM duty cycle being less than the first PWM duty cycle.
- the method further includes turning off the motor when the sensed voltage increases to a voltage associated with an overload current of the motor.
- PWM pulse width modulated
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a portion of the vacuum cleaner of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a portion of the control circuit for the vacuum cleaner of FIG. 1
- FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a portion of the firmware used to control the brush motor of the control circuit of FIG. 3 .
- FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary vacuum cleaner 10 .
- the vacuum cleaner 10 includes a surface cleaning head 15 , a pivot assembly 20 , and a canister assembly 25 .
- the vacuum cleaner 10 further includes an upright handle 30 .
- the vacuum cleaner 10 shown in FIG. 1 is typically referred to as an upright vacuum cleaner.
- the invention is not limited to upright vacuum cleaners, i.e., can be used in other vacuum types for example canister vacuums, stick vacuums, and robot vacuums, and the arrangement of the upright vacuum cleaner can vary from the vacuum cleaner 10 shown in FIG. 1 .
- the surface cleaning head 15 is movable along a surface 35 to be cleaned, such as a carpeted floor.
- the upright handle 30 allows a user to move the surface cleaning head 15 along the surface 35 .
- the upright handle 30 is also movable relative to the surface cleaning head 15 between an upright position ( FIG. 1 ) and an inclined position.
- the surface cleaning head 15 includes a dirty air inlet 40 (shown in FIG. 2 ).
- the surface cleaning head further includes a brushroll (also referred to as a brush) 45 for agitating the surface 35 being cleaned.
- the brush 45 is driven by a brush motor 50 (shown in FIG. 3 ).
- the vacuum cleaner 10 includes other electrical components besides the brush motor 50 that are part of an appliance control circuit 55 .
- the control circuit 55 further includes an appliance controller 60 , a suction motor 65 , a user interface, and sensors.
- the appliance controller 60 includes combinations of software and hardware that are operable to, among other things, control the operation of the vacuum 10 , receive input from the sensors, receive input or provide output with the user interface, and control the motors 50 and 65 .
- the appliance controller 60 includes a printed circuit board (“PCB”) that is populated with a plurality of electrical and electronic components that provide, power, operational control, and protection to the vacuum 10 .
- the PCB includes, for example, a processing unit 70 (e.g., a microprocessor, a microcontroller, or another suitable programmable device) and a memory 75 .
- the memory 75 includes, for example, a read-only memory (“ROM”), a random access memory (“RAM”), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (“EEPROM”), a flash memory, or another suitable magnetic, optical, physical, or electronic memory device.
- the processing unit 70 is connected to the memory 75 and executes instructions (e.g., software) that is capable of being stored in the RAM (e.g., during execution), the ROM (e.g., on a generally permanent basis), or another non-transitory computer readable medium such as another memory or a disc. Additionally or alternatively, the memory 75 is included in the processing unit 70 (e.g., as part of a microcontroller).
- instructions e.g., software
- the RAM e.g., during execution
- the ROM e.g., on a generally permanent basis
- another non-transitory computer readable medium such as another memory or a disc.
- the memory 75 is included in the processing unit 70 (e.g., as part of a microcontroller).
- the software included in this implementation of the vacuum cleaner 10 is stored in the memory 75 of the appliance controller 60 .
- the software includes, for example, firmware, program data, one or more program modules, and other executable instructions.
- the appliance controller 60 is configured to retrieve from memory and execute, among other things, instructions related to the control processes and methods described herein.
- the PCB also includes, among other things, a plurality of additional passive and active components such as resistors, capacitors, inductors, integrated circuits, and amplifiers. These components are arranged and connected to provide a plurality of electrical functions to the PCB including, among other things, signal conditioning or voltage regulation.
- the PCB and the electrical components populated on the PCB are collectively referred to as the appliance controller 60 .
- the current sensor discussed below
- the current sensor for example can be mounted on the PCB and also considered part of the appliance controller 60 . However, for ease of description, the current sensor will be described separately.
- the user interface is included to control the vacuum cleaner 10 .
- the user interface can include a combination of digital and analog input devices to control the vacuum cleaner 10 .
- the user interface can include a display 80 and a switch 85 , or the like.
- the display 80 can be as simple as LEDs indicating operation of the vacuum cleaner 10 , and the switch 85 can be used for activating/deactivating the vacuum cleaner 10 .
- the display 80 can be mounted on a PCB with other additional passive and active components necessary for controlling the display, similar to what was discussed for the appliance controller 60 , or can be mounted on the PCB for the appliance controller 60 .
- the appliance controller 60 operates the brushroll motor 50 and the suction motor 65 , the operation of which may be based on a floor type. For example, the appliance controller 60 may operate the suction motor 65 at a lower power on a hard floor surface to conserve energy or a higher power on a hard floor surface to increase debris pick-up. In some embodiments, the brushroll motor 50 may be operated at a lower power on certain height carpets to reduce the action of the brushroll 45 to the carpet and the force applied from the carpet to the brushroll, or carpet load, so that the vacuum cleaner 10 is less likely to stall, for example.
- the current sensor 90 (also sometimes referred to as the brushroll sensor) refers to a sensor that senses an electrical parameter related directly or indirectly to an aspect of carpet load restricting the brush.
- An exemplary parameter may be the amount of current to or through the brushroll motor 50 .
- the brushroll sensor can be a tachometer for sensing a revolutions per minute (RPM) value of the brushroll 45 , a tachometer for sensing an RPM value of the brushroll motor 50 , an electrical sensor (e.g., the current sensor) for sensing an electrical parameter (e.g., current or voltage) of the brushroll motor 50 , a torque sensor for sensing a torque parameter of the brushroll motor 50 , etc. It is envisioned that the number of sensors can be greater than the single sensor shown.
- the vacuum cleaner 10 includes a current sensor 90 and an appliance controller 60 in communication with the current sensor 90 .
- the current sensor 90 is configured to sense a parameter indicative of the current draw of the brushroll motor 50 .
- the appliance controller 60 receives a signal from the current sensor 90 and compares the signal with a corresponding predetermined threshold.
- the appliance controller 60 includes an overload protection that will stop the brushroll motor 50 and/or vacuum cleaner operation after sensing a parameter related to an overload current (e.g., 2.3 amps in one specific example).
- a current stall indication may be provided to the user before the overload current, or failure threshold is met.
- a mechanical air bleed may be provided in the suction flow path of the vacuum cleaner 10 to provide inflow of air to the vacuum through the air bleed.
- the user is instructed to open the mechanical bleed if they are experiencing a brushroll stall event during normal use because the inflow of air to the vacuum reduces the amount of suction at the nozzle, reducing the nozzle engagement to the carpet caused by suction. Opening of the mechanical bleed reduces both the carpet load on the brushroll 45 and also the cleaning efficiency of the vacuum cleaner 10 itself.
- An alternative, or even additive, approach is to monitor the current being fed through the brushroll motor 50 and to automatically adjust via pulse width modulation (PWM) the voltage input to the brushroll motor 50 .
- PWM pulse width modulation
- the current consumption of the brushroll motor 50 will also decrease as well as the speed of the brushroll 45 itself.
- the brushroll motor 50 can be automatically protected without user intervention.
- a control signal 95 is a PWM signal from the controller 60 .
- the PWM signal When the PWM signal is high, current flows through the switch 100 to the brushroll motor 50 .
- the PWM signal is low, current is restricted by the switch 100 .
- the actual average motor input voltage can be varied by adjusting the PWM signal from a maximum to a minimum duty cycle.
- the current through the brushroll 50 is monitored with the current sensor 90 .
- a voltage indicative of the brushroll current is acquired from a secondary side of a transformer in a current path from the switch 85 to the brushroll motor 50 .
- a voltage indicative of the brushroll current is acquired from a resistor network in a current path between the switch 85 and the brushroll motor 50 .
- Firmware of the appliance controller 60 uses information gained from the current sensor signal to make adjustments to the control signal 95 to decrease the voltage at the motor as a result of increased current due to loading as a result of high pile carpet.
- a reference voltage 105 is set in the firmware.
- the reference voltage is less than the voltage associated with the overload current and selected to extend the brushroll motor run time in desired user conditions.
- the reference voltage may be a voltage providing a corresponding current that is a function of the overload current, such as 80% or 85% or 90% or other function of the overload current of the brushroll motor.
- the reference voltage is empirically determined to extend the brushroll motor run time a desired amount in the user condition.
- a reference voltage associated with 2.1 Amps is the maximum voltage that an implementation allows the PWM signal to operate with 100 percent duty.
- the vacuum cleaner 10 is turned on by the user with switch 85 and information is acquired via the current sensor 90 .
- the firmware determines a difference between the current signal and the set point reference (at 110).
- the firmware uses a filter, such as a proportional, integral, and derivative (PID) filter 115 , to filter the peaks and valleys out of the signal. If the current measurement is smaller than the reference voltage (at 120), the PWM duty cycle is increased to a PWM value.
- the PWM value is set to maximum voltage (e.g., 100 percent duty cycle). In other implementations, the PWM value is incremented by a value amount (e.g., 10 percent) until the maximum duty cycle is obtained.
- the PWM duty cycle typically remains at the maximum duty cycle until the voltage at the brushroll motor is equal to or larger than the reference voltage.
- the PWM value is decreased to extend the brushroll motor run time before reaching the overload current.
- the PWM value is decremented by a value amount (e.g., 10 percent) until a minimum duty cycle is obtained.
- the minimum duty cycle value may be 50 percent.
- the PWM value is decremented as a function of the reference voltage until the minimum duty cycle is obtained.
- the duty cycle is set to a first PWM duty cycle when the voltage is smaller than the reference voltage and a second, non-zero, PWM duty cycle when the voltage is larger than the reference voltage.
- the duty cycle may be 100% when the voltage associated with the brushroll current measurement is below the reference voltage and the duty cycle may be 50% when the voltage is above the reference voltage.
- the firmware wants to reduce the PWM value to be less than the minimum duty cycle value, then a current stall indication may be displayed to the user.
- the brushroll motor continues to operate at the reduced PWM duty cycle value until the current sensor signal of the brushroll motor either increases to the predetermined voltage associated with the overload current or decreases to below the reference voltage.
- the controller turns off the brushroll motor.
- the controller increases the PWM duty cycle value.
- the controller determines whether the PWM duty cycle value is less than an upper limit.
- the upper duty cycle limit may be 100%, or may be a lower limit such as 95% or 90% or any other desired predetermined limit. If the PWM duty cycle value is less than an upper limit and the measured voltage is less than the reference voltage, the controller increases the PWM duty cycle value. The controller may increase the PWM duty cycle to the upper limit or may increase the PWM duty cycle a predetermined amount.
- the invention provides a new and useful vacuum cleaner and method of controlling a motor for a brush of the vacuum cleaner.
Abstract
Description
- This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/878,501, filed Jan. 24, 2018, which claims the benefit of Chinese Patent Application No. 201710997069.XA, filed Oct. 20, 2017, and the entire contents of each are hereby incorporated by reference.
- The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner including a surface cleaning head having a brush and motor for operating the brush.
- Upright vacuum cleaners are typically used to clean floor surfaces, such as carpeting. Sometimes the carpeting can have a long pile height or other attribute providing a significant resistance to the brush of the vacuum cleaner.
- A first aspect of the disclosure provides a vacuum cleaner that includes a surface cleaning head including a dirty air inlet, a brush supported by the surface cleaning head, a motor coupled to and operable to cause movement of the brush, a sensor to sense a voltage associated with a current of the motor, and a controller configured to control an amount of current provided to the motor in response to the sensed voltage. The controller is configured to control a first pulse width modulated (PWM) duty cycle provided to the motor when the sensed voltage is less than a reference voltage, control a second PWM duty cycle provided to the motor when the sensed voltage is greater than the reference voltage, the second PWM duty cycle being less than the first PWM duty cycle, and turn off the motor when the sensed voltage increases to a voltage associated with an overload current of the motor.
- Another aspect of the disclosure provides a method of controlling a motor for a brush of a vacuum cleaner. The method includes sensing a voltage associated with a current of the motor, controlling a first pulse width modulated (PWM) duty cycle provided to the motor when the sensed voltage is less than a reference voltage, and controlling a second PWM duty cycle provided to the motor when the sensed voltage is greater than the reference voltage, the second PWM duty cycle being less than the first PWM duty cycle. The method further includes turning off the motor when the sensed voltage increases to a voltage associated with an overload current of the motor.
- Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the invention. -
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a portion of the vacuum cleaner ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a portion of the control circuit for the vacuum cleaner ofFIG. 1 -
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a portion of the firmware used to control the brush motor of the control circuit ofFIG. 3 . - Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.
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FIG. 1 illustrates anexemplary vacuum cleaner 10. Thevacuum cleaner 10 includes asurface cleaning head 15, apivot assembly 20, and acanister assembly 25. Thevacuum cleaner 10 further includes anupright handle 30. Thevacuum cleaner 10 shown inFIG. 1 is typically referred to as an upright vacuum cleaner. However, the invention is not limited to upright vacuum cleaners, i.e., can be used in other vacuum types for example canister vacuums, stick vacuums, and robot vacuums, and the arrangement of the upright vacuum cleaner can vary from thevacuum cleaner 10 shown inFIG. 1 . - In the illustrated embodiment of
FIG. 1 , thesurface cleaning head 15 is movable along asurface 35 to be cleaned, such as a carpeted floor. Theupright handle 30 allows a user to move thesurface cleaning head 15 along thesurface 35. Theupright handle 30 is also movable relative to thesurface cleaning head 15 between an upright position (FIG. 1 ) and an inclined position. - The
surface cleaning head 15 includes a dirty air inlet 40 (shown inFIG. 2 ). The surface cleaning head further includes a brushroll (also referred to as a brush) 45 for agitating thesurface 35 being cleaned. Thebrush 45 is driven by a brush motor 50 (shown inFIG. 3 ). - The
vacuum cleaner 10 includes other electrical components besides thebrush motor 50 that are part of an appliance control circuit 55. With reference toFIG. 3 , the control circuit 55 further includes anappliance controller 60, asuction motor 65, a user interface, and sensors. - The
appliance controller 60 includes combinations of software and hardware that are operable to, among other things, control the operation of thevacuum 10, receive input from the sensors, receive input or provide output with the user interface, and control themotors - In one construction, the
appliance controller 60 includes a printed circuit board (“PCB”) that is populated with a plurality of electrical and electronic components that provide, power, operational control, and protection to thevacuum 10. In some constructions, the PCB includes, for example, a processing unit 70 (e.g., a microprocessor, a microcontroller, or another suitable programmable device) and amemory 75. Thememory 75 includes, for example, a read-only memory (“ROM”), a random access memory (“RAM”), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (“EEPROM”), a flash memory, or another suitable magnetic, optical, physical, or electronic memory device. Theprocessing unit 70 is connected to thememory 75 and executes instructions (e.g., software) that is capable of being stored in the RAM (e.g., during execution), the ROM (e.g., on a generally permanent basis), or another non-transitory computer readable medium such as another memory or a disc. Additionally or alternatively, thememory 75 is included in the processing unit 70 (e.g., as part of a microcontroller). - Software included in this implementation of the
vacuum cleaner 10 is stored in thememory 75 of theappliance controller 60. The software includes, for example, firmware, program data, one or more program modules, and other executable instructions. Theappliance controller 60 is configured to retrieve from memory and execute, among other things, instructions related to the control processes and methods described herein. - The PCB also includes, among other things, a plurality of additional passive and active components such as resistors, capacitors, inductors, integrated circuits, and amplifiers. These components are arranged and connected to provide a plurality of electrical functions to the PCB including, among other things, signal conditioning or voltage regulation. For descriptive purposes, the PCB and the electrical components populated on the PCB are collectively referred to as the
appliance controller 60. It should also be noted that the current sensor (discussed below), for example can be mounted on the PCB and also considered part of theappliance controller 60. However, for ease of description, the current sensor will be described separately. - The user interface is included to control the
vacuum cleaner 10. The user interface can include a combination of digital and analog input devices to control thevacuum cleaner 10. For example, the user interface can include adisplay 80 and aswitch 85, or the like. Thedisplay 80 can be as simple as LEDs indicating operation of thevacuum cleaner 10, and theswitch 85 can be used for activating/deactivating thevacuum cleaner 10. Thedisplay 80 can be mounted on a PCB with other additional passive and active components necessary for controlling the display, similar to what was discussed for theappliance controller 60, or can be mounted on the PCB for theappliance controller 60. - The
appliance controller 60 operates thebrushroll motor 50 and thesuction motor 65, the operation of which may be based on a floor type. For example, theappliance controller 60 may operate thesuction motor 65 at a lower power on a hard floor surface to conserve energy or a higher power on a hard floor surface to increase debris pick-up. In some embodiments, thebrushroll motor 50 may be operated at a lower power on certain height carpets to reduce the action of thebrushroll 45 to the carpet and the force applied from the carpet to the brushroll, or carpet load, so that thevacuum cleaner 10 is less likely to stall, for example. - The current sensor 90 (also sometimes referred to as the brushroll sensor) refers to a sensor that senses an electrical parameter related directly or indirectly to an aspect of carpet load restricting the brush. An exemplary parameter may be the amount of current to or through the
brushroll motor 50. The brushroll sensor can be a tachometer for sensing a revolutions per minute (RPM) value of thebrushroll 45, a tachometer for sensing an RPM value of thebrushroll motor 50, an electrical sensor (e.g., the current sensor) for sensing an electrical parameter (e.g., current or voltage) of thebrushroll motor 50, a torque sensor for sensing a torque parameter of thebrushroll motor 50, etc. It is envisioned that the number of sensors can be greater than the single sensor shown. - With reference to the implementation of
FIG. 3 , thevacuum cleaner 10 includes acurrent sensor 90 and anappliance controller 60 in communication with thecurrent sensor 90. Thecurrent sensor 90 is configured to sense a parameter indicative of the current draw of thebrushroll motor 50. Theappliance controller 60 receives a signal from thecurrent sensor 90 and compares the signal with a corresponding predetermined threshold. In some implementations, theappliance controller 60 includes an overload protection that will stop thebrushroll motor 50 and/or vacuum cleaner operation after sensing a parameter related to an overload current (e.g., 2.3 amps in one specific example). In order to preserve the life of the brushroll motor 50 a current stall indication may be provided to the user before the overload current, or failure threshold is met. However, a load of this magnitude is possible during normal use on high pile carpet height, for example. In order to prevent the current stall from occurring, a mechanical air bleed may be provided in the suction flow path of thevacuum cleaner 10 to provide inflow of air to the vacuum through the air bleed. The user is instructed to open the mechanical bleed if they are experiencing a brushroll stall event during normal use because the inflow of air to the vacuum reduces the amount of suction at the nozzle, reducing the nozzle engagement to the carpet caused by suction. Opening of the mechanical bleed reduces both the carpet load on thebrushroll 45 and also the cleaning efficiency of thevacuum cleaner 10 itself. - An alternative, or even additive, approach is to monitor the current being fed through the
brushroll motor 50 and to automatically adjust via pulse width modulation (PWM) the voltage input to thebrushroll motor 50. As a result of decreasing the voltage to thebrushroll motor 50, the current consumption of thebrushroll motor 50 will also decrease as well as the speed of thebrushroll 45 itself. As a result, thebrushroll motor 50 can be automatically protected without user intervention. - In
FIG. 3 , acontrol signal 95 is a PWM signal from thecontroller 60. When the PWM signal is high, current flows through theswitch 100 to thebrushroll motor 50. When the PWM signal is low, current is restricted by theswitch 100. The actual average motor input voltage can be varied by adjusting the PWM signal from a maximum to a minimum duty cycle. - The current through the
brushroll 50 is monitored with thecurrent sensor 90. In one embodiment, a voltage indicative of the brushroll current is acquired from a secondary side of a transformer in a current path from theswitch 85 to thebrushroll motor 50. In an alternative embodiment, a voltage indicative of the brushroll current is acquired from a resistor network in a current path between theswitch 85 and thebrushroll motor 50. Firmware of theappliance controller 60 uses information gained from the current sensor signal to make adjustments to thecontrol signal 95 to decrease the voltage at the motor as a result of increased current due to loading as a result of high pile carpet. - An exemplary firmware logic is shown in
FIG. 4 . Areference voltage 105 is set in the firmware. The reference voltage is less than the voltage associated with the overload current and selected to extend the brushroll motor run time in desired user conditions. The reference voltage may be a voltage providing a corresponding current that is a function of the overload current, such as 80% or 85% or 90% or other function of the overload current of the brushroll motor. Alternatively or additionally, the reference voltage is empirically determined to extend the brushroll motor run time a desired amount in the user condition. In one specific example, a reference voltage associated with 2.1 Amps is the maximum voltage that an implementation allows the PWM signal to operate with 100 percent duty. - The
vacuum cleaner 10 is turned on by the user withswitch 85 and information is acquired via thecurrent sensor 90. The firmware determines a difference between the current signal and the set point reference (at 110). The firmware uses a filter, such as a proportional, integral, and derivative (PID)filter 115, to filter the peaks and valleys out of the signal. If the current measurement is smaller than the reference voltage (at 120), the PWM duty cycle is increased to a PWM value. In some implementations, the PWM value is set to maximum voltage (e.g., 100 percent duty cycle). In other implementations, the PWM value is incremented by a value amount (e.g., 10 percent) until the maximum duty cycle is obtained. The PWM duty cycle typically remains at the maximum duty cycle until the voltage at the brushroll motor is equal to or larger than the reference voltage. - If the voltage associated with the brushroll current measurement is larger than the reference voltage, the PWM value is decreased to extend the brushroll motor run time before reaching the overload current. In some implementations, the PWM value is decremented by a value amount (e.g., 10 percent) until a minimum duty cycle is obtained. For example, the minimum duty cycle value may be 50 percent. In an alternative implementation, the PWM value is decremented as a function of the reference voltage until the minimum duty cycle is obtained. In yet another implementation, the duty cycle is set to a first PWM duty cycle when the voltage is smaller than the reference voltage and a second, non-zero, PWM duty cycle when the voltage is larger than the reference voltage. For example, the duty cycle may be 100% when the voltage associated with the brushroll current measurement is below the reference voltage and the duty cycle may be 50% when the voltage is above the reference voltage. If the firmware wants to reduce the PWM value to be less than the minimum duty cycle value, then a current stall indication may be displayed to the user. The brushroll motor continues to operate at the reduced PWM duty cycle value until the current sensor signal of the brushroll motor either increases to the predetermined voltage associated with the overload current or decreases to below the reference voltage. When the brushroll motor current reaches the overload current, the controller turns off the brushroll motor. When the voltage of the current sensor drops below the reference voltage, the controller increases the PWM duty cycle value. In one embodiment, when the measured voltage drops below the reference voltage, the controller determines whether the PWM duty cycle value is less than an upper limit. The upper duty cycle limit may be 100%, or may be a lower limit such as 95% or 90% or any other desired predetermined limit. If the PWM duty cycle value is less than an upper limit and the measured voltage is less than the reference voltage, the controller increases the PWM duty cycle value. The controller may increase the PWM duty cycle to the upper limit or may increase the PWM duty cycle a predetermined amount.
- Accordingly, the invention provides a new and useful vacuum cleaner and method of controlling a motor for a brush of the vacuum cleaner. Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
Claims (20)
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US17/668,128 US20220257076A1 (en) | 2017-10-20 | 2022-02-09 | Vacuum cleaner and method of controlling a motor for a brush of the vacuum cleaner |
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CN201710997069.X | 2017-10-20 | ||
CN201710997069.XA CN109691931B (en) | 2017-10-20 | 2017-10-20 | Vacuum cleaner and method of controlling motor of brush of vacuum cleaner |
US15/878,501 US11324372B2 (en) | 2017-10-20 | 2018-01-24 | Vacuum cleaner and method of controlling a motor for a brush of the vacuum cleaner |
US17/668,128 US20220257076A1 (en) | 2017-10-20 | 2022-02-09 | Vacuum cleaner and method of controlling a motor for a brush of the vacuum cleaner |
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US15/878,501 Continuation US11324372B2 (en) | 2017-10-20 | 2018-01-24 | Vacuum cleaner and method of controlling a motor for a brush of the vacuum cleaner |
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US15/878,501 Active 2038-05-17 US11324372B2 (en) | 2017-10-20 | 2018-01-24 | Vacuum cleaner and method of controlling a motor for a brush of the vacuum cleaner |
US17/668,128 Pending US20220257076A1 (en) | 2017-10-20 | 2022-02-09 | Vacuum cleaner and method of controlling a motor for a brush of the vacuum cleaner |
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EP3473153A1 (en) | 2019-04-24 |
EP3473153B1 (en) | 2021-12-01 |
CN109691931A (en) | 2019-04-30 |
CN109691931B (en) | 2022-04-01 |
US20190117031A1 (en) | 2019-04-25 |
US11324372B2 (en) | 2022-05-10 |
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