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Apparatus for regulating the power consumption of a vacuum cleaner

  • US 5,554,917 A
  • Filed: 08/11/1994
  • Issued: 09/10/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1993
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for regulating the power consumption of a vacuum cleaner of the type having a fan which is driven by an electric motor, comprising:

  • means for sensing a voltage across the electric motor;

    means for digitizing the sensed voltage to define a digitized and sensed voltage; and

    a microprocessor, the microprocessor including;

    means for processing the digitized and sensed voltage by relating the digitized and sensed voltage to an actual effective voltage that has been delivered to the electric motor using stored or table values to thereby determine the actual effective voltage;

    comparing means for comparing the determined actual effective voltage to a predetermined one of a plurality of operating modes;

    a phase-angle determining circuit for determining the phase angle of a current supplied to the electric motor at the moment the voltage across the electric motor is sensed; and

    regulating means for regulating the power consumption of the vacuum cleaner in response to the output value of the comparing means by activating the phase-angle circuit, whereby power consumption in the vacuum cleaner is maintained generally constant regardless of supply line voltage or frequency variations.

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