BATTERY-POWERED CORDLESS CLEANING SYSTEM

• US 20140223688A1
• Filed: 02/07/2014
• Published: 08/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Techtronic Industries Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Reindle, Mark, Reed, Brett
• Granted Patent: US 9,877,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/339
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2847 Surface treating elements
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2884 Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners

Abstract

A cleaning system comprising a rotor; an agitator; a rechargeable battery having a housing and at least two cells within the housing; a suction motor receiving power from the rechargeable battery, the suction motor coupled to the rotor; a brush motor receiving power from the rechargeable battery, the brush motor coupled to the agitator; a user-controlled switch configured to generate a user-activated signal in response to user manipulation; and a controller. The controller configured to output a first pulse-width modulated signal at a first duty cycle to control the suction motor, output a second pulse-width modulated signal at a second duty cycle to control the brush motor at a first speed, receive the user-activated signal, and upon receiving the user-activated signal, output the second pulse-width modulated signal at a third duty cycle to control the brush motor at a second speed.

Claims

1. A cleaning system comprising:

a rotor;

an agitator;

a rechargeable battery;

a suction motor receiving power from the rechargeable battery, the suction motor coupled to the rotor;

a brush motor receiving power from the rechargeable battery, the brush motor coupled to the agitator;

a user-controlled switch configured to generate a user-activated signal in response to user manipulation; and

a controller configured to

output a first pulse-width modulated signal at a first duty cycle to control the suction motor,

output a second pulse-width modulated signal at a second duty cycle to control the brush motor at a first speed,

receive the user-activated signal, and

upon receiving the user-activated signal, output the second pulse-width modulated signal at a third duty cycle to control the brush motor at a second speed.

2. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein one of the first duty cycle, the second duty cycle, and the third duty cycle are modified based on a voltage of the rechargeable battery.

3. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the first speed and the second speed are equal.

4. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the rechargeable battery has a housing and at least two cells within the housing.

5. The cleaning system of claim 1, further including a fuel gauge, wherein the fuel gauge indicates a voltage of the rechargeable battery.

6. The cleaning system of claim 1, further including an indicator indicating that the brush motor is operating at least one of the first speed and second speed.

7. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the cleaning system is an upright vacuum.

8. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the suction motor and brush motor is a brushless direct-current motor.

9. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the rechargeable battery is selectively coupled to the cleaning system.

10. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured indicate to the user via an indicator that a fault has occurred.

11. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to output a first pulse-width modulated signal having a fourth duty cycle to the suction motor when the controller outputs the second pulse-width modulated signal at the third duty cycle to control the brush motor at the second speed.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein one of the first duty cycle, second duty cycle, and third duty cycle are based on the voltage of the rechargeable battery.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first speed and the second speed are equal.

15. The method of claim 11, further including indicating the voltage of the rechargeable battery to a user via a fuel gauge.

16. The method of claim 11, further including indicating a fault of the cleaning system to a user via an indicator.

17. The method of claim 11, further including indicating that the brush motor is operating at the first speed or the second speed to the user via an indicator.

18. The method of claim 11, further including outputting a first pulse-width modulated signal having a fourth duty cycle to the suction motor when outputting the second pulse-width modulated signal at the third duty cycle to control the brush motor at the second speed.

12. A method for operating a cleaning system, the cleaning system including a rotor, an agitator, a rechargeable battery, a suction motor coupled to the rotor, a brush motor coupled to the agitator, a user-controlled switch, and a controller, the method comprising:

calculating a voltage of the rechargeable battery;

outputting a first pulse-width modulated signal at a first duty cycle to control the suction motor;

outputting a second pulse-width modulated signal at a second duty cycle to control the brush motor at a first speed;

receiving a user-activated signal from the user-controlled switch; and

upon receiving the user-activated signal, outputting the second pulse-width modulated signal at a third duty cycle to control the brush motor at a second speed.