JP2012217787A - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner capable of accurately determining a state change of a surface to be cleaned even when a current value is directly detected during phase control of an electric motor.
An electric blower that generates a suction force, an electric motor that drives a rotating brush built in a floor suction tool that sucks dust, and a current supplied to the electric motor is phase-controlled at a predetermined firing angle A. A control means and a current detection means for directly detecting a current value supplied to the electric motor, wherein the detection timing of the electric current value of the electric motor is detected at a phase larger than A + (180 ° -A) × 2/3, A vacuum cleaner that determines the type of surface to be cleaned based on the current value detected at the detection timing.
[Selection] Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner that can accurately determine a state change of a surface to be cleaned.

  FIG. 8 shows a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional vacuum cleaner.

  In FIG. 8, 1 is the main body of the vacuum cleaner, 2 is the electric blower built in the main body 1 of the vacuum cleaner and generates suction air, and 3 is the operation of the electric blower 2 with different inputs (power supply). A hose having an operation unit 4 for operating a mode, 5 is an extension pipe, 8 is a floor suction tool that sucks dust and the like in contact with the surface to be cleaned, and 6 stores accumulated dust. The dust collecting chamber is connected to the hose 3 and the dust collecting chamber 6 through an air inlet 7 provided in the main body 1 of the vacuum cleaner, and the dust collecting chamber 6, the air inlet 7, the hose 3, the extension pipe 5, and the floor. An intake passage is formed by the suction tool 8. The floor suction tool 8 includes a rotary brush 9 that scrapes dust on the floor surface and a motor 10 for rotationally driving the rotary brush 9 so as to face the floor surface.

  The vacuum cleaner configured as described above is in a stop mode in which the user operates the operation unit 4 to supply power to the electric blower 2 by the control unit, and the power supply to the electric blower 2 is stopped. When the operation mode is shifted to, the dust sucked from the floor suction tool 8 is accumulated in the dust collecting chamber 6 through the intake path. Further, the power supplied to the electric blower 2 and the power supplied to the electric motor 10 controlled by the control means are switched by the user operating the operation unit 4, and the user has relatively weak suction force such as flooring, In addition, on the floor surface where dust on the floor surface can be removed even if the scraping force by the rotating brush 9 is weak, the power supplied to the electric blower 2 and the electric motor 10 is lowered, and dust behind the hairs such as carpets is removed. On the floor surface that requires a scraping force and a suction force, the operation unit 4 is operated according to the type of the floor surface so that the power supplied to the electric blower 2 and the electric motor 10 is set higher.

  In the above configuration, every time the floor surface changes, the user has to operate the operation unit 4, and in order to improve usability, the output fluctuation of the detection circuit that detects the current flowing in the electric motor that drives the rotating brush is large. The surface to be cleaned is discriminated from the shape and the electric power supplied to the electric blower 2 is controlled accordingly (for example, see Patent Document 1), or the instantaneous current that flows through the electric motor that drives the rotating brush There has been proposed one that determines the surface to be cleaned based on the fluctuation range of the value and controls the power supplied to the electric blower 2 accordingly (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

JP-A-10-248777 JP 2011-10801 A

  However, in the above conventional configuration, the output fluctuation and magnitude of the current value of the electric motor that drives the rotating brush are detected, and when detecting the state change of the surface to be cleaned, an amplification, smoothing circuit, and a complicated algorithm are required. It was expensive to construct a smoothing circuit.

In recent years, there has been an increasing need for phase control of motors from the viewpoint of noise reduction, reducing the number of rotations of the motors, and reducing noise generated by the motors, as well as output fluctuations and magnitudes of current values during motor phase control. In addition, if the surface to be cleaned is discriminated, a more complicated algorithm is required, and it may be possible to detect the current value directly as an easy detection method that does not cost much, but when the motor is phase controlled, the peak current value In the vicinity of the peak current, noise such as sparks is likely to occur in the motor.Therefore, it may be difficult to detect the change in the current value due to the influence of the spark and accurately change the state of the original surface to be cleaned. there were.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems of the prior art, and can be used to accurately determine a state change of a surface to be cleaned even when a current value is directly detected during phase control of an electric motor. The purpose is to provide.

  In order to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, the present invention is supplied to an electric blower that generates a suction force, an electric motor that drives a rotating brush built in a floor suction tool that sucks dust, and an electric motor. The control means for controlling the phase of the current at a predetermined firing angle A and the current detection means for directly detecting the current value supplied to the electric motor, and the detection timing of the electric current value of the electric motor is A + (180 ° −A) × The electric vacuum cleaner detects the type of the surface to be cleaned based on the current value detected at the detection timing at the phase larger than 2/3.

  As a result, in the method of directly detecting the current value of the motor, when the phase of the motor is controlled and the peak current value increases, detection of the current value of the motor at a timing at which noise such as spark is likely to occur can be avoided. Therefore, it is possible to provide a vacuum cleaner that is less susceptible to the occurrence of sparks and that can accurately determine the state change of the surface to be cleaned.

  According to the vacuum cleaner of the present invention, in the method of directly detecting the electric current value of the electric motor, when the electric motor is phase-controlled and the peak electric current value increases, the electric current value of the electric motor at a timing at which noise such as spark is likely to occur. Therefore, it is possible to provide a vacuum cleaner that is less susceptible to the occurrence of sparks and that can accurately determine the state change of the surface to be cleaned.

The circuit block diagram of the vacuum cleaner in Embodiment 1 of this invention The circuit diagram of the vacuum cleaner Operational diagram of the rotating brush provided on the vacuum cleaner floor suction tool The same figure which shows the electric current detection timing of the electric motor of the vacuum cleaner Explanatory drawing which shows the floor surface discrimination method by the electric current detection of the electric motor of a vacuum cleaner The block diagram of control of the vacuum cleaner in Embodiment 2 of this invention Explanatory drawing which shows the floor surface discrimination method by the electric current detection of the electric motor of a vacuum cleaner External configuration diagram of conventional vacuum cleaner

The first invention is
An electric blower that generates a suction force, an electric motor that drives a rotating brush built in a floor suction tool that sucks dust, and a control means that phase-controls the current supplied to the electric motor at a predetermined firing angle A; Current detection means for directly detecting the current value supplied to the motor, and the detection timing of the current value of the motor is detected at a phase larger than A + (180 ° -A) × 2/3, and detected at the detection timing The electric vacuum cleaner discriminates the type of the surface to be cleaned based on the measured current value.

As a result, in the method of directly detecting the current value of the motor, when the phase of the motor is controlled and the peak current value increases, detection of the current value of the motor at a timing at which noise such as spark is likely to occur can be avoided. Therefore, it is possible to provide a vacuum cleaner that is less susceptible to noise such as the occurrence of sparks and that can accurately determine the state change of the surface to be cleaned.

  The second invention is the first invention, in particular, in the first invention, two power lines for supplying AC power from the main body of the vacuum cleaner to the electric motor, and a hose having the power line and connected to the main body of the electric vacuum cleaner. An operating pipe having the power line and connecting the hose and the floor suction tool, and an operating means provided on the hose, the control means having a switch for controlling the operation of the electric blower and the electric motor. And two signal lines for transmitting an operation signal generated from the operation means to the control means, one of the two signal lines being a common line, and the common line Impedance is used as current detection means.

  As a result, the current value of the motor can be detected using the impedance, and therefore the current value of the motor can be detected with a simple and inexpensive configuration without providing a dedicated circuit for detecting the current value of the motor. it can.

  The third invention is characterized in that, in particular, in the first or second invention, the firing angle A is 30 ° to 150 °, and flows to the motor as the phase angle approaches 90 °. There is a tendency that the peak current value increases and is easily affected by the occurrence of sparks, and the effect of detecting the current value at a phase that is less susceptible to the noise effects of the occurrence of sparks can be maximized.

  In particular, the fourth invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to third inventions, the type of the surface to be cleaned is discriminated by the maximum current value detected within a predetermined time.

  Thereby, since the change of the electric current value by the load concerning the electric motor in a reciprocating cleaning operation can be taken into consideration, it is possible to determine the type of the surface to be cleaned reliably with better accuracy.

  In particular, the fifth invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to fourth inventions, the suction capability of the electric blower is controlled based on the determined type information of the surface to be cleaned.

  This provides an efficient electric vacuum cleaner that can perform cleaning with the minimum necessary power supply while ensuring the necessary suction force for the surface to be cleaned, and achieve energy savings. Can do.

  Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a vacuum cleaner of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

(Embodiment 1)
Embodiment 1 of the vacuum cleaner of this invention is demonstrated using FIGS. The same reference numerals are given to components having the same configuration as the conventional one.

  FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram of the electric vacuum cleaner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, 2 is an electric blower, 10 is an electric motor for rotationally driving the rotary brush 9, and 11 is a first bidirectional thyristor that is an element that controls the power supplied to the electric blower 2, Reference numeral 12 denotes a second bidirectional thyristor that is an element that controls the power supplied to the electric motor 10, reference numeral 13 denotes a control unit that controls the electric power supplied to the electric blower 2 and the electric motor 10, and reference numeral 14 denotes a flow through the electric motor 10. Reference numeral 15 denotes current detection means for detecting a current. Reference numeral 15 denotes a surface to be cleaned determining means for determining the surface to be cleaned based on the current value detected by the current detection means 14. The control means 13 and the surface to be cleaned discriminating means 15 are constituted by a microcomputer 16. (Hereafter, they are collectively described as a microcomputer.)
The microcomputer 16 detects the zero cross of the commercial power source, and controls the phase of the first bidirectional thyristor 11 and the second bidirectional thyristor 12 in synchronization with the zero cross as the operation of the control means. The electric power supplied to the electric blower 2 and the electric motor 10 is controlled.

  Further, in particular, FIG. 2 shows a circuit configuration diagram for a path for controlling the electric motor 10. As a path for supplying electric power to the electric motor 10, the floor suction tool 8, the extension pipe 5, and the hose 3 include A power supply line 18 is provided, and the hose 3 has a configuration in which one side of a signal path for transmitting a signal of the operation unit 4 to the microcomputer 16 and one side of the power supply line 18 are common.

  The operation unit 4 includes three switches SW1, SW2, and SW3. The SW1 is a “stop switch” that switches to the “stop mode” in which the power supply to the electric blower 2 and the electric motor 10 is stopped. "High mode" that controls the maximum power supply to the electric blower 2 and the electric motor 10 in order to exert the maximum suction force and scraping power, and lower power supply used when priority is given to quietness. “Strong / weak switch” that switches “weak mode” every time it is operated, SW2 is “automatic mode” that automatically switches the power supplied to the electric blower 2 and the electric motor 10 according to the discrimination result as the surface to be cleaned discriminating means. It is set as an “automatic switch” to be transferred to.

  There are resistors r1, r2, r3, and r4 before and after SW1, SW2, and SW3. When V1 changes due to a change in the combined resistance when SW1, SW2, and SW3 are operated, the microcomputer 16 changes which switch. Is operated, the mode is switched to the mode corresponding to the operated switch, and the supplied power is controlled.

  FIG. 3 shows a configuration diagram of the rotating brush 9 provided in the floor suction tool 8. In FIG. 3, the rotary brush 9 is disposed in the space of the opening 20 provided on the floor suction tool 8 for opening the surface to be cleaned and sucking dust on the surface to be cleaned. When power is supplied, it rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. The rotating brush 9 has a cleaning body 21 that periodically contacts the surface to be cleaned and scrapes dust on the surface to be cleaned as the rotating brush 9 rotates. The cleaning body 21 is made of a soft material such as a resin blade or flocking that is suitable for scraping dust on the surface to be cleaned in a straight line or a spiral shape in the axial direction of the rotary brush 9. ing. In this embodiment, three cleaning bodies 21 are provided.

  The operation of the floor surface discrimination method of the vacuum cleaner configured as described above and the vacuum cleaner using the method will be described. In this embodiment, the surface to be cleaned is divided into two stages of flooring and carpet. A case of determination will be described.

  First, how the microcomputer 16 detects the current flowing through the electric motor 10 will be described.

  In FIG. 2, the signal of the operation unit 4 is input to the microcomputer 16 as the signal V1, and the resistances r1, r2, r3, r4 of the operation unit 4 that become effective when any one of SW1, SW2, SW3 is pressed and The voltage obtained by dividing Vdd by the resistance R on the vacuum cleaner body 1 side is input, and the phase control of the electric blower 2 and the electric motor 10 is performed according to the voltage corresponding to the operated switch, thereby controlling the suction capacity. Or the scraping force is controlled.

For example, when SW2 is pressed, the signal voltage of V1 is
V1 = Vdd × R / (R + r + r0 + r1 + r2) (Formula 1)
It becomes. Here, the hose resistances r0 and r shown in FIG. 2 exist on the signal line V1, but the microcomputer 16 triggers the second bidirectional thyristor 12 at the timing shown in FIG. The phase of the electric power supplied to the electric motor 10 is controlled, and the switch is determined for the signal voltage of V1 at the timing T2 during the trigger-off period. At this timing, the current flowing in the signal path is very small and is set in the relationship r, r0 << R, r0, r1, r2, so that the voltage drop at r and r0 is negligible. r, r0 = 0Ω, and V1 is
V1 = Vdd × R / (R + r1 + r2) (Equation 2)
As a switch state of the operation unit 4, it can be determined that SW2 is pressed.

V1 when the operation unit 4 is not pressed at all is
V1 = Vdd × R / (R + r1 + r2 + r3 + r4) (Equation 3)
It becomes.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, one side of the signal path is configured to be common (one common line in FIG. 2) with one side of the power supply line 18 for supplying power to the electric motor 10, and the microcomputer 16 includes: The voltage V1 is also determined at timing T3 after the electric motor 10 is triggered.

At this time, the second bidirectional thyristor 12 is in a state of supplying electric power to the electric motor 10, and a current I of several hundred mA to several A flows through the power supply line 18, for example, Vdd = 5 When [V], r = 2Ω and I = 0.5A, r × I = 1 [V], and the voltage (r × I) at both ends of the hose resistance r on the common line side is large in signal voltage. The V1 voltage after the motor 10 is triggered on is based on the GND of the microcomputer 16, and V1 = (Vdd−r ×) when the operation unit 4 is not operated. I) × R / (R + r0 + r1 + r2 + r3 + r4) (Formula 4)
However, since the current I flows on the common line side and does not flow in the path where the signal path V1 is input to the microcomputer 16, r0 can be set to r0 = 0Ω as described above. ,
V1 = (Vdd−r × I) × R / (R + r1 + r2 + r3 + r4) (Equation 5)
Thus, in a state where the operation unit 4 is not operated, a waveform as shown in FIG. 4 appears in V1 in a form in which a voltage corresponding to the AC current I is superimposed on the signal shown in (Equation 3). Since the current I is an AC current, as a change component of V1 by the current I,
V1 = (r × I) × R / (R + r1 + r2 + r3 + r4) (Expression 6)
V1 becomes a relationship expressed as a function of the current I, and the resistance component of the hose 3 is used to determine V1 when the operation unit 4 is not operated at the timing T3 with respect to the zero cross. The computer 16 can detect the current flowing through the electric motor 10.

  When electric power is supplied to the electric motor 10 and the rotary brush 9 rotates, the cleaning body 21 comes into contact with the surface to be cleaned and scrapes up dust on the surface to be cleaned. At this time, if the surface to be cleaned is a hard surface such as flooring, the mechanical load resistance that the cleaning body 21 receives from the surface to be cleaned when the cleaning body 21 is in contact is relatively small. Yes, the floor suction tool 8 tends to sink to the hair feet, and the load resistance increases on the surface to be cleaned where the contact area with the cleaning body 21 increases.

  Therefore, the current I flowing through the electric motor 10 is small in the flooring and large in the carpet. Then, a determination threshold voltage VS is determined for the detected voltage V1, and if the detected voltage value of V1 is smaller than VS, it is determined to be flooring, and if it is higher than VS, it is set to be determined as a carpet. Can be determined.

  However, noise is superimposed on the detected voltage waveform of V1 due to the influence of the spark of the electric motor 10 or the like. In particular, when the phase of the electric motor 10 is controlled at a phase close to an ignition angle of 90 ° (for example, about 30 ° to 150 °), the peak current flowing through the electric motor 10 increases, the spark generation level increases, and V1 Noise superimposed on the voltage increases.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 5, if the voltage detected at the peak of the current value of the electric motor 10, that is, the voltage value of V <b> 1 is larger or smaller than VS, the flooring and the carpet on the surface to be cleaned are discriminated. It will be misdetected by the influence of.

  Thus, for example, assuming that the phase of the electric motor 10 is controlled at the firing angle A, A + (180) avoiding the vicinity of the phase of A + (180 ° −A) × ½, which is near the current value peak that is easily affected by noise. A determination threshold voltage VSL lower than VS is determined at a predetermined phase B larger than −A) × 2/3, and whether the voltage value of V1 detected in phase B is larger or smaller than VSL When the flooring and the carpet are discriminated, the flooring and the carpet can be accurately discriminated without being affected by noise.

  Furthermore, based on the discriminating information of flooring or carpet, the flooring can obtain a sufficient cleaning effect even if the suction force of the electric blower 2 is low, so the power supplied to the electric blower 2 is lowered, and conversely the carpet. If there is no high suction force, a sufficient cleaning effect cannot be obtained. Therefore, it is possible to increase the power supplied to the electric blower 2 and perform the cleaning with the minimum required power while ensuring the necessary suction force. it can.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the electric blower 2 that generates suction force, the electric motor 10 that drives the rotary brush 9 built in the floor suction tool 8 that sucks dust, and the electric motor are supplied. The control means 13 for phase-controlling the current at a predetermined firing angle and the current detection means 14 for directly detecting the current value supplied to the electric motor 10 are provided, and the detection timing of the electric current value of the electric motor 10 is set to A + (180 ° −A ) Even in the method of directly detecting the current value of the electric motor 10 by setting the phase larger than × 2/3, noise such as spark is generated when the phase of the electric motor 10 is controlled and the peak current value increases. Since it is possible to avoid the detection of the current value of the electric motor 10 at an easy timing, it is possible to provide an electric vacuum cleaner that is less susceptible to the occurrence of sparks and that accurately determines the state change of the surface to be cleaned. Yes.

  Further, by using the impedance of the power supply line 18 as a current detection means, it can be realized with a simple and inexpensive configuration without providing a dedicated circuit for detecting the current value of the electric motor 10.

  In this embodiment, the phase B is determined to be greater than A + (180 ° −A) × 2/3 from the voltage value of V1 in the actual vacuum cleaner. However, if the phase avoids a current peak that is difficult to receive noise. 2/3 of the above formula can be either 3/5 or 4/7, and the effect of this embodiment can be exhibited.

(Embodiment 2)
Hereinafter, Embodiment 2 of the vacuum cleaner of this invention is demonstrated using FIG. The same reference numerals are given to components having the same configuration as the conventional one.

  The difference from the first embodiment is that the voltage value information of V1 detected during a predetermined time TS is stored in the information storage means 17 arranged in the microcomputer 16, and the surface to be cleaned is stored at the stored maximum voltage value V1MAX. It is a point which discriminate | determines between flooring and carpet. The operation will be described below.

As in the first embodiment, the control is performed so that the voltage value of V1 is detected at the phase B shown in FIG. 5. However, for example, when the cleaning operation is performed three times in a predetermined time TS, the flooring and the carpet are used. FIG. 7 shows the detected change in the voltage value of V1 on the time axis. When cleaning the carpet, the load current of the electric motor 10 increases in the return path shown in FIG. 3, and the detected voltage value of V1 increases. On the other hand, when cleaning the flooring, there is little change in the voltage value of V1 in the reciprocating cleaning operation.

  Therefore, it is possible to discriminate between flooring and carpet even when the maximum voltage value V1MAX for a predetermined time TS and the discrimination threshold voltage VSL for discriminating flooring and carpet are set to VSLH, which is set higher. Therefore, it is possible to reliably determine the type of the surface to be cleaned with better accuracy.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the type of the surface to be cleaned is determined based on the maximum current value detected within a predetermined time, thereby taking into account the change in the current value due to the load on the motor in the reciprocating cleaning operation. Therefore, it is possible to provide a vacuum cleaner that reliably determines the type of the surface to be cleaned with better accuracy.

  Even in the method of directly detecting the electric current value of the electric motor according to the present invention, the electric current value of the electric motor at a timing at which noise such as spark is likely to occur when the electric motor is phase-controlled and the peak electric current value increases. Can be avoided, it is difficult to be affected by the occurrence of sparks, and it is possible to provide a vacuum cleaner that can accurately determine the state change of the surface to be cleaned. -It can apply suitably for a use.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vacuum cleaner body 2 Electric blower 3 Hose 4 Operation part (operation means)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 5 Extension pipe 6 Dust collection chamber 7 Air inlet 8 Floor suction tool 9 Rotating brush 10 Electric motor 11 1st bidirectional thyristor 12 2nd bidirectional thyristor 13 Control means 14 Current detection means 15 Cleaning surface discrimination means 16 Microcomputer 17 Information storage means 18 Power supply line (power line)
20 opening 21 cleaning body

Claims (5)

An electric blower for generating a suction force, an electric motor for driving a rotating brush built in a floor suction tool for sucking dust, and a control means for phase-controlling a current supplied to the electric motor at a predetermined ignition angle A; Current detection means for directly detecting a current value supplied to the electric motor, wherein the detection timing of the current value is detected at a phase greater than A + (180 ° -A) × 2/3, and the detection timing A vacuum cleaner that determines the type of surface to be cleaned based on the current value detected in step 1. Two power lines for supplying AC power from the main body of the vacuum cleaner to the electric motor, a hose having the power line and connected to the main body of the vacuum cleaner, the hose having the power line and the suction tool for the floor An extension pipe that connects to the hose, operating means having a switch for controlling the electric blower and the driving operation of the electric motor by the control means, and an operation signal generated from the operating means. 2. The electric signal according to claim 1, further comprising: two signal lines that transmit to each other, wherein one of the two signal lines is a common line, and the impedance of the common line is current detection means. Vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ignition angle A is 30 ° to 150 °. The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the type of the surface to be cleaned is determined by a maximum current value detected within a predetermined time. The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the suction performance of the electric blower is controlled based on the determined type information of the surface to be cleaned.

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