JP2935610B2 - Electric vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly, to a method for storing operation information input by a user at a hose.
The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner provided with a unit for transmitting a signal from a unit to a cleaner body .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional vacuum cleaner, a switch at the hose hand and a control circuit in the cleaner body are connected by wiring embedded in the hose, and a switch signal (operation information) by the switch at the hose hand is connected. It is common to adopt a configuration in which the signal is sent to a control circuit in the main body via electric wiring. This complicates the structure of the hose, and the structure of the connection and connection between the base of the hose and the cleaner body, and also breaks the wiring in the hose and the connection between the base of the hose and the cleaner body. There is a possibility that the reliability of the electrical connection at the connection / connection site may be degraded. Furthermore, since the wiring inside the hose must be helically wound in multiple layers along the bellows of the hose, the weight of the hose increases, which is one of the causes of poor operability, and the cost of the hose is also expensive. Had become.

Therefore, a vacuum cleaner in which a switch signal, which has been conventionally transmitted by wiring in a hose, is optically transmitted using a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho.
These are proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 8-221924, 61-87527 and 62-207427. That is, in the prior application, a light emitting element is provided at a hose hand portion of a hose, and an optical signal emitted from the light emitting element is received by a light receiving element on the cleaner body side. According to the earlier application, a light emitting element and a light receiving element are provided at a connection / connection portion between a connection pipe at the base of a hose and a cleaner body, and light is emitted regardless of the orientation of the light emitting element disposed on the connection pipe side. A reflecting mirror is provided so that light emitted from the element is received by the light receiving element on the main body side. In the earlier application, a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element are provided at a connection / connection portion between a hose base and a cleaner body, and the light-emitting element at the hose base and the light-receiving element on the body side face each other. A light emitting element is provided in the section, and this light emitting element is optically coupled to a light receiving element on the main body side via an optical fiber in a hose.

[0004]

However, in the prior art described in the above-mentioned prior application, the light signal (infrared light signal) output from the light emitting element (infrared light transmitting section) at the hose hand is used. Is not always taken into consideration by the light receiving element (infrared light receiving unit) on the cleaner body side, and if the infrared transmitter on the hose hand is not always pointed toward the cleaner body, Because it is not possible to send and receive signals reliably,
There is a drawback that the use form of the vacuum cleaner hose is greatly restricted. Furthermore, in the case of a vacuum cleaner, there is no guarantee that the main body of the cleaner is always in a fixed direction with respect to the hose hand, and a user intervenes between the hose hand and the cleaner body to emit an optical signal. There is a drawback that it is often impossible to control the main body of the vacuum cleaner from the hose hand part because of the high possibility of blocking the vacuum cleaner.

In the prior art described in the above-mentioned prior application, transmission and reception of an optical signal between a light emitting element (infrared light transmitting section) and a light receiving element (infrared light receiving section) are ensured. However, since it is necessary to embed electrical wiring and optical fibers in the hose, the structure of the hose is complicated, increasing the cost of the hose, and increasing the weight of the hose and deteriorating the operability. . Further, in the case where an optical fiber is used, there is a problem that adjustment is complicated due to optical coupling between the main body of the cleaner and the hose base, and the cost is relatively high.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to transmit a signal in a hose.
In configurations where there is no need to bury transmission lines,
Even if you do not point the transmitter at the base toward the cleaner body,
The user is interposed between the base of the
Control of the vacuum cleaner from the hose
To provide a vacuum cleaner.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an electric blower for generating a suction force, a cleaner main body having control means for driving the electric blower, and a cleaner main body connected to the cleaner main body. A hose connected to the hose, an extension pipe connected to the hose, a suction port connected to the extension pipe, and operation information for controlling the operation of the cleaner main body, which is provided at a hose hand portion of the hose. A switch means, and an infrared light source for transmitting operation information input by the switch means by infrared light.
Infrared transmitting an optical unit, said control unit receives a signal from being disposed on the cleaner body wherein the infrared light emitting hand <br/> stage
In an electric vacuum cleaner provided with the light receiving means, the infrared
The light emitting means is arranged such that a signal transmitted from the infrared light emitting means is transmitted upward from the hose hand portion. Further, in order to achieve the above object, an electric blower for generating a suction force, a cleaner main body having control means for driving the electric blower, a hose connected to the cleaner main body, and an extension connected to the hose A pipe, a suction port connected to the extension pipe, switch means provided at a hose hand portion of the hose for inputting operation information for controlling operation of the cleaner body, and an operation input by the switch means an infrared light emitting means for transmitting information in the infrared, in an electric vacuum cleaner provided with the infrared light receiving means for transmitting to the control means receives a signal from the infrared light emitting means is disposed in the cleaner body, the infrared a light-emitting means, the red
The signal transmitted from the outside line light emitting means is arranged so that the signal is reflected from the hose hand portion on the ceiling or wall in the room and transmitted to the cleaner body. Further, it is preferable that the transmission means is provided on the extension tube side of the switch means . Also, the orientation angle of the infrared light emitting means may be less than 25 °. Further, it is preferable that the infrared light receiving means is disposed on the rear side of the upper surface of the cleaner body so that the optical axis faces substantially vertically upward, and the light receiving angle is set to 40 ° or more.

[0008]

The operation information input by the user through the switch means at the hose hand is reflected on the ceiling or wall in the room as an infrared signal and transmitted to the cleaner body. For this reason, regardless of the positional relationship between the hose hand and the cleaner body, or even if a user enters between the hose hand and the cleaner body, signal transmission is not obstructed, and the cleaner is surely removed. The remote control of the main body becomes possible.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to a first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 and a second embodiment shown in FIGS.

First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a vacuum cleaner according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 101 denotes a cleaner main body in which a control circuit and an electric blower, which will be described later, are incorporated, and 102 denotes a cleaner main body 101. The hose 103 connected to the suction port of the hose 103 is a hose hand 1 at the tip of the hose 102.
Reference numeral 104 denotes a switch operation unit disposed at 09, an infrared light emitting diode 1 also disposed at a hose
Reference numeral 05 denotes an extension tube connected to the tip of the hose 102 (hose hand 109), reference numeral 106 denotes a suction port connected to the extension tube 105, reference numeral 107 denotes an infrared photodiode disposed on the upper surface of the cleaner main body 101, and reference numeral 108 denotes Shows the indoor ceiling.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of a control system of the electric vacuum cleaner according to the first embodiment.
201 is a hose hand control circuit provided in the hose hand 109, and 202 is a main body control circuit provided in the cleaner main body 101. Hose hand control circuit 2
On the 01 side, reference numeral 203 denotes a hose hand control circuit 201.
(Hereinafter abbreviated as a microcomputer) 204, a dry cell, 205 to 207 switches of the switch operation unit 103, 104 an infrared light emitting diode, and 208 a transistor for driving the infrared light emitting diode 104. On the other hand, in the main body control circuit 202, 107 is the infrared photodiode, 209 is a microcomputer which controls the overall control of the main body control circuit 202, 211
Is a receiving unit for photoelectrically converting a signal received by the infrared photodiode 107 and returning it to a digital code, 212 is an electric blower for generating a suction force, and 213 is an electric blower 2
Reference numeral 12 denotes a drive circuit, 214 denotes a power supply circuit, and 215 denotes an AC power supply.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. When the user of the vacuum cleaner switches on the hose
Is pressed, the microcomputer 203 detects this, and
A signal code (digital code) is generated according to the pressed switch. Then, the microcomputer 203 emits and controls the infrared light emitting diode 104 via the driving transistor 208 based on the generated digital code, and converts the generated signal code into an infrared light signal (an operation information signal converted into a light signal). As radiation. Here, since the infrared light emitting diode 104 is arranged so as to be directed substantially vertically upward in a normal use state as described later, the infrared light emitted upward from the light emitting diode 104 is transmitted to the ceiling 1 of the room.
08 and is reflected and reaches the infrared photodiode 107 of the cleaner main body 101. The infrared light signal received by the infrared photodiode 107 is converted into a digital code by the receiving unit 211, and
09 is input. The microcomputer 209 controls the driving circuit 213 according to the signal code output from the receiving unit 211, and thereby controls the operation state of the electric blower 212.

Here, the infrared light emitting diode 104
3 will be described with reference to FIG. Hose hand 10
The infrared light emitting diode 104 attached to 9 is positioned closer to the extension tube 105 than the switches 205 to 207 (switch operation unit 103). This is so that even if the switches 205 to 207 are operated by holding the stick-shaped grip portion 301 of the hose hand portion 109, the infrared light emitting diode 104 is not covered by the hand. Also, as described above, the infrared light emitting diode 104
Is separated from the grip portion 301,
The infrared light signal emitted from the infrared light emitting diode 104 is less likely to be blocked by the upper body of the user, and can more reliably reach the ceiling.

The infrared radiation angle of the infrared light emitting diode 104 (the inclination angle with respect to the optical axis at which the light emission output relative value becomes 0.5) will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in the figure, the infrared light emitting diode 104 is attached to the hose hand portion 109 so as to face substantially vertically upward in a normal use state. The infrared light emitting diode 104
It is desirable to select a product with a narrow directivity angle 401 (25 ° or less). Since the emitted infrared light is reflected by the indoor ceiling 108 and reaches the light receiving portion of the cleaner main body 101, the transmission distance of the infrared light is lengthened, and when the infrared light is reflected on the ceiling, This is because the directional angle is widened because the light is almost diffusely reflected, so that even if the directional angle is narrow, the range in which the infrared light reflected from the ceiling reaches can be sufficiently widened.

Next, a method of driving the infrared light emitting diode 104 will be described with reference to FIG. In a remote control system using infrared light, in order to avoid malfunction due to disturbance noise, a pulse modulated signal 501 obtained by modulating data by a pulse position modulation method is used, and this is further converted to a subcarrier 50.
2 for amplitude modulation. The frequency of the normal sub-carrier 502 is selected to be 33 kHz or more and 40 kHz or less, and is set to, for example, 40 kHz in the present embodiment. The data modulated by the microcomputer 203 is output as an infrared light signal by driving and controlling the infrared light emitting diode 104 by the microcomputer 203. on the other hand,
The light receiving unit 211 of the vacuum cleaner main body 101 converts the infrared light signal received by the infrared photodiode 107 into an electric signal, and amplifies only a carrier wave component by a 40 kHz band pass filter (hereinafter abbreviated as BPF). , And detects a signal component, and sends a pulse modulated signal (data corresponding to operation information) 501 to the microcomputer 209. Since the receiving unit 211 has a built-in BPF of 40 kHz, only the fundamental component of the subcarrier 502 contributes to reception. Therefore, the duty ratio of the subcarrier is set to D
If UTY ratio = Ton / (Ton + Toff), DU
When the TY ratio is 50%, the fundamental wave component 40 kHz becomes the largest. However, considering the problem of the life of the dry battery 204 and the problem of thermal destruction of the infrared light emitting diode 104, it is desirable that the DUTY ratio of the subcarrier 502 is 35% or more and less than 50%.

Next, the infrared photodiode 107
The light receiving angle (the angle at which the sensitivity is reduced by half compared to the value on the optical axis)
This will be described with reference to FIG. Infrared photodiode 107
Is disposed at a rear position on the upper surface of the cleaner main body 101 so that its optical axis faces substantially vertically upward. In addition, the light receiving angle 601 of the infrared photodiode 107 is, as shown in FIG.
Those that are at least 40 ° are selected. By doing so, the infrared photodiode 107 is placed in a position where it is unlikely to be shadowed by the hose 102 or the user, and by increasing the light receiving angle 601 to 40 ° or more, the infrared photodiode 107 is surely reflected from the ceiling 108. The incoming infrared light signal can be received.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the infrared light signal transmitted from the infrared light emitting diode 104 of the hose hand 109 is reflected by the ceiling or wall in the room and the infrared light signal on the upper surface of the cleaner main body 101 is detected. Since it reaches the photodiode 107 and is received, the hose hand 109 and the cleaner body 1
Irrespective of the positional relationship of 01, even if a user enters between the hose hand section 109 and the cleaner main body 101, it does not hinder the transmission of infrared light. Remote control of the vacuum cleaner main body 101 can be reliably performed. This eliminates the need for wiring conventionally buried in the hose, thereby reducing the weight of the hose and improving operability.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the infrared light signal is directly transmitted to the cleaner main body 1 in a normal use state.
Another infrared light emitting diode that can be input to the 01 infrared photodiode 107 is added. In FIGS. 7 to 9, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the vacuum cleaner according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 7, reference numeral 701 denotes a vacuum cleaner disposed at the grip end of the stick type grip portion 301 of the hose hand portion 109. The infrared light emitting diode 701 is mounted such that its infrared light emission angle is substantially lower than horizontal in a normal use state.

Next, the mounting location of the infrared light emitting diode 701 and the infrared radiation angle will be described with reference to FIG. The infrared light emitting diode 701 is attached to the grip end of the grip part 301 of the hose hand part 109 as described above. This reduces the possibility that the infrared light signal radiated from the infrared light emitting diode 701 is blocked by the hose 102 and increases the possibility of reaching the infrared photodiode 107 of the cleaner main body 101. Further, the infrared light emitting diode 701 has an infrared directional angle of 80.
1 is used to select a variety (wider than 25 °). This is because the distance between the infrared light emitting diode 701 and the infrared photodiode 107 is limited by the length of the hose 102, so that the operating range is expanded more than the reach of the infrared light.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a hose hand control circuit 201 on the hose hand 109 side according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG.
01, together with the infrared light emitting diode 104 described above,
Under the control of the microcomputer 203, light emission and control are simultaneously performed by the driving transistor 208. Thereby, the ceiling reflected infrared light signal from the infrared light emitting diode 104,
The direct infrared light signal from the infrared light emitting diode 701 can be received by the infrared photodiode 107 at the same time, and the remote control of the cleaner main body 101 can be performed more reliably.

As described above, according to the second embodiment,
Even if the infrared light signal transmitted from the infrared light emitting diode 104 of the hose hand 109 is reflected on the ceiling or wall in the room and the state of reflection on the ceiling is poor, the hose hand 1
Since the infrared light signal from the infrared diode 701 attached to the grip end of the grip part 09 of FIG. 09 reaches and is received by the infrared photodiode 107 on the upper surface of the cleaner main body 101, the light signal from the hose hand part 109 is further increased by the light signal. Remote control of the vacuum cleaner main body 101 can be reliably performed.

According to the above-described first and second embodiments, since the wiring buried in the hose is not required at all, the structure of the hose and the connection / connection portion between the root of the hose and the cleaner main body are not required. There is an effect that the structure is simplified and the cost can be reduced. In addition, the wiring in the hose is disconnected, and the electrical connection failure at the connection / connection portion between the hose base and the cleaner body is eliminated, so that there is an effect that reliability is improved.

As described above, according to the present invention, since the infrared signal transmitted from the hose hand is reflected on the ceiling or wall in the room and transmitted to the cleaner body side, the hose hand and the cleaner are cleaned. Regardless of the positional relationship with the machine body, even if the user enters between the hose hand and the cleaner body, signal transmission will not be obstructed, and the operation information input at the hose hand will ensure the operation. It is possible to remotely control the main body of the vacuum cleaner.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a vacuum cleaner according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing a control system in the vacuum cleaner according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a mounting position of an infrared light emitting diode according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an infrared directivity angle of the infrared light emitting diode according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a driving method of the infrared light emitting diode according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a light receiving angle of the infrared photodiode according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating an external appearance of a vacuum cleaner according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing a mounting location and an infrared radiation angle of an infrared light emitting diode disposed on a grip according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a hose hand control circuit according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Vacuum cleaner main body 102 Hose 103 Switch operation part 104 Infrared light emitting diode 105 Extension tube 106 Suction opening 107 Infrared photodiode 108 Indoor ceiling 109 Hose hand part 301 Grip part 701 Infrared light emitting diode

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Toshio Shinozaki 292 Yoshida-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture Inside Hitachi, Ltd. Image Media Research Laboratory (72) Inventor Hisao Suga 1-1-1 Higashitaga-cho, Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture In the Taga Factory of Hitachi, Ltd. (56) References JP-A-2-172433 (JP, A) JP-A-58-221924 (JP, A) JP-A-2-140125 (JP, A)

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] An electric blower for generating a suction force; a cleaner main body having a control means for driving the electric blower; a hose connected to the cleaner main body; an extension pipe connected to the hose; A suction port connected to an extension pipe, a switch means arranged at a hose hand portion of the hose for inputting operation information for controlling operation of the cleaner body, and the operation information input by the switch means is transmitted by infrared rays . Infrared to send
Light emitting means, the infrared transmitting to the control means receives a signal from being disposed on the cleaner body wherein the infrared light emitting <br/> means
A vacuum cleaner provided with a line light receiving means, wherein the infrared light emitting means is arranged such that a signal transmitted from the infrared light emitting means is transmitted upward from the hose hand portion. Vacuum cleaner. 2. A cleaner main body having an electric blower for generating a suction force and control means for driving the electric blower, a hose connected to the cleaner main body, an extension pipe connected to the hose, A suction port connected to an extension pipe, a switch means arranged at a hose hand portion of the hose for inputting operation information for controlling operation of the cleaner body, and the operation information input by the switch means is transmitted by infrared rays . Infrared to send
Light emitting means, the infrared transmitting to the control means receives a signal from being disposed on the cleaner body wherein the infrared light emitting <br/> means
In the electric vacuum cleaner; and a line receiving device, said infrared light emitting means, a signal transmitted from said infrared light emitting means is transmitted to the cleaner body side is reflected by the ceiling and walls of the room from the hose grip part An electric vacuum cleaner characterized by being arranged in such a manner as to be provided. 3. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the infrared light emitting means is provided on the extension pipe side relative to the switch means. 4. The electric cleaning according to claim 1, 2 or 3.
The directional angle of the infrared light emitting means is 25 ° or less.
An electric vacuum cleaner characterized in that: 5. The electric cleaning according to claim 1, 2 or 3.
In the vacuum cleaner, the infrared receiving means is provided in the main body of the cleaner.
The optical axis is arranged on the upper surface side so as to face substantially vertically upward, and
An electric sweeping device characterized in that the light receiving angle is 40 ° or more.
Remover.