VACUUM CLEANER

• US 20150366425A1
• Filed: 05/26/2015
• Published: 12/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Changhoon, Ha, Gunho
• Granted Patent: US 10,694,911 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2868 Arrangements for power supply of vacuum cleaners or the accessories thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2873 Docking units or charging stations for autonomous or robotic vacuum cleaners A47L2201/02
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2884 Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation

Abstract

Provided is a vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner includes a cleaner body including a suction motor for generating a suction force, a suction part communicating with the cleaner body to suction air and dusts, at least one battery disposed in the cleaner body or suction part to supply a power to the suction motor, and a controller controlling an operation of the suction motor. The controller control an output of the suction motor according to a voltage of the at least one battery.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body comprising a suction motor to generate suction;

a suction part to communicate with the cleaner body to suction air and dust particles;

at least one battery disposed on the cleaner body or the suction part to supply power to the suction motor; and

a controller to control an operation of the suction motor,

wherein the controller controls an output of the suction motor according to an output voltage of the at least one battery.

2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the output of the suction motor so that the output of the suction motor is uniformly maintained for a predetermined time even though the output voltage of the at least one battery is reduced.

3. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the controller controls the output of the suction motor so that the suction motor operates at a first reference output when the output voltage of the at least one battery is above a first reference voltage.

4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 3, wherein the controller comprises:

a voltage detection part to detect the output voltage of the at least one battery; and

a current adjustment part to adjust an input current of the suction motor so that the suction motor operates at a first reference output when the output voltage of the at least one battery is above a first reference voltage.

5. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, wherein the current adjustment part increases the input current of the suction motor in response to a reduction of the output voltage of the at least one battery.

6. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, wherein, when the output voltage of the at least one battery is less than the first reference voltage before a first reference time has elapsed from an input current adjustment start time of the suction motor, the controller stops the current adjustment through the current adjustment part at a time when the output voltage of the at least one battery is less than the first reference voltage.

7. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, wherein the controller stops the current adjustment through the current adjustment part when a first reference time has elapsed from an input current adjustment start time of the suction motor.

8. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 3, wherein the controller determines whether the output of the suction motor reaches a second reference output that is less than the first reference output when the output voltage of the at least one battery is less than the first reference voltage, and

wherein the controller controls the output of the suction motor so that the output of the suction motor is maintained at the second reference output when the output of the suction motor reaches the second reference output.

9. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 8, wherein the controller comprises a current adjustment part to adjust an input current of the suction motor so that the output of the suction motor is maintained at the second reference output.

10. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 8, wherein, when the output voltage of the at least one battery reaches a limit voltage while the suction motor is maintained at the second reference output, the controller stops the operation of the suction motor.

11. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the at least one battery comprises:

a first battery having a first maximum charging voltage; and

a second battery having a second maximum charging voltage,

wherein the suction motor receives power from the first battery.

12. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 11, wherein the controller controls the output of the suction motor according to an output voltage of the first battery.

13. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 11, further comprising a driving part connected to the second battery and switched from an off state to an on state, or from the on state to the off state, while the suction motor operates.

14. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising:

a charger separably connected to the cleaner body or the suction part to charge the battery; and

a booster that increases a voltage outputted from the charger to supply the increased voltage to the at least one battery.

15. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising:

a power cord separably connected to the cleaner body or the suction part to supply power to the cleaner body or the suction part; and

a charger disposed on the cleaner body or the suction part to charge the at least one battery.

16. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body;

a suction part to communicate with the cleaner body to suction air and dust particles;

a first battery disposed on the cleaner body or the suction part, the first battery having a first maximum charging voltage;

a second battery disposed on the cleaner body or the suction part, the second battery having a second maximum charging voltage that is less than the first maximum charging voltage;

a first driving part to receive power from the first battery; and

a second driving part to receive power from the second battery.

17. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 16, wherein the second driving part is switched from an off state to an on state, or from the on state to the off state, while the first driving part operates.

18. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 16, wherein the first driving part comprises a suction motor to generate suction.

19. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 16, further comprising:

a charger separably connected to the cleaner body or the suction part to charge the first and second batteries; and

a booster that increases a voltage outputted from the charger to supply the increased voltage to the first battery.

20. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 19, wherein the booster comprises a boost converter.