Apparatus and method for controlling speed of suction motor in vacuum cleaner
First Claim
1. An apparatus for controlling speed of a suction motor in a vacuum cleaner, comprising:
- dust detecting means, disposed in a suction port of the vacuum cleaner, for detecting an amount of dust being sucked through said suction port and for outputting electrical output signals corresponding to the detected amount of the dust being sucked;
waveform shaping means for transforming the output signals from said dust detecting means into rectangular pulses proportional to the amount of dust; and
speed control means for calculating a duty cycle of the rectangular pulses outputted from the waveform shaping means during a sampling time, for calculating a desired speed value of the suction motor as a constant multiplied by the duty cycle, and for controlling the speed of the suction motor in accordance with the desired speed value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The speed of the suction motor in a vacuum cleaner can automatically be controlled according to the size and amount of the sucked dust on floors, carpets and the like to be cleaned. The amount of dust being sucked is detected, pulse signals corresponding to the detected amount of the sucked dust are output, a duty cycle of the output pulses is calculated for a predetermined period of time, the amount of dust according to the calculated duty cycle is calculated and a firing angle of the suction motor is controlled based on the calculated values of the amount of dust. Power consumption and noise in the vacuum cleaner are reduced and the user can exactly plan his or her cleaning schedule in consideration of the amount of dust. Further, the current speed of the suction motor is displayed on the display, thereby enabling the user to exactly recognize the current amount of dust.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. An apparatus for controlling speed of a suction motor in a vacuum cleaner, comprising:
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dust detecting means, disposed in a suction port of the vacuum cleaner, for detecting an amount of dust being sucked through said suction port and for outputting electrical output signals corresponding to the detected amount of the dust being sucked; waveform shaping means for transforming the output signals from said dust detecting means into rectangular pulses proportional to the amount of dust; and speed control means for calculating a duty cycle of the rectangular pulses outputted from the waveform shaping means during a sampling time, for calculating a desired speed value of the suction motor as a constant multiplied by the duty cycle, and for controlling the speed of the suction motor in accordance with the desired speed value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of controlling speed of a suction motor in a vacuum cleaner, comprising:
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a dust detecting step of detecting an amount of dust being sucked and outputting pulses corresponding to the detected amount of the dust being sucked; a sampling time counting step of counting a predetermined period of time; a duty cycle calculating step of calculating a duty cycle of the output pulses during the sampling time; and a suction motor speed controlling step of controlling the rotation speed of the suction motor as a function of only one variable, said variable being the duty cycle calculated at said duty cycle calculating step. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of controlling speed of a suction motor in a vacuum cleaner, comprising the steps of:
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(a) detecting an amount of dust being sucked and outputting pulse signals corresponding to the detected amount of the sucked dust; (b) calculating a duty cycle of the output pulses at said dust detecting step for a predetermined period of time corresponding to the amount of dust sucked during said predetermined period of time and calculating a desired speed of the suction motor as a function of only one variable, said variable being the duty cycle; (c) controlling the rotation speed of the suction motor to equal the calculated desired speed; and (d) performing steps (a), (b), and (c) repeatedly in the operation of the vacuum cleaner.
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12. A method of controlling speed of a suction motor in a vacuum cleaner, comprising the steps of:
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(a) detecting an amount of sucked dust and outputting pulse signals corresponding to the detected amount of the sucked dust; (b) counting a predetermined period of time; (c) accumulating high level holding intervals of the interval pulses at said dust detecting step for the predetermined period of time which is counted at said predetermined time counting step; (d) controlling the rotation speed of the suction motor to equal the product of the accumulated high level holding intervals multiplied by a constant; and (e) a step of performing steps (a), (b), (c), and (d) repeatedly in operation of the vacuum cleaner.
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13. A method for controlling the speed of a motor in a vacuum comprising the steps of:
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(a) detecting objects to be vacuumed; (b) creating electrical pulses having two states based upon the detected objects; (c) calculating a value representing a first length of time the electrical pulses have been in one of said two states during a second continuous length of time; and (d) controlling the speed of said motor as a function of only one variable, said variable being said calculated value. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An apparatus for controlling the speed of a motor in a vacuum comprising:
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sensors for sensing objects to be vacuumed; electrical pulse generating means for generating electrical pulses responsive to said sensors, said electrical pulses having two states; value calculating means for calculating a value representing a first length of time the electrical pulses have been in one of said two stats during a second continuous length of time; a controller for controlling the speed of said motor as a function of only one variable, said variable being said calculated value. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. An apparatus for controlling rotation speed of a suction motor in a vacuum cleaner, comprising:
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means for detecting dust being sucked through a suction port and generating an electrical signal corresponding to size and an amount of said dust; waveform shaping means for changing said electrical signal into a pulse signal in a rectangular waveform; a sampling time controller for controlling a predetermined sampling time; a duty cycle calculator for calculating a duty cycle for said sampling time by counting a time when said electrical signal is at high level during a predetermined sampling time and dividing a sum of said time by said sampling time; means for obtaining a desired rotation speed value for said suction motor in response to said duty cycle calculator; and means for controlling said rotation speed of said suction motor in accordance with said desired rotation speed value. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of controlling a rotation speed of a suction motor in a vacuum cleaner, comprising the steps of:
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a) detecting dust being sucked through a suction port and generating an electrical signal corresponding to a size and an amount of said dust; b) changing said electrical signal into a rectangular waveform pulse signal; c) counting a predetermined sampling time; d) counting a time when said pulse signal is at high level during said sampling time; e) calculating a duty cycle for said sampling time when said sampling time has lapsed, by dividing a sum of said time by said sampling time; (f) obtaining a desired rotation speed value for said suction motor based on said duty cycle calculated; and g) controlling said rotation speed of said suction motor in accordance with said desired rotation speed value. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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Specification