Vacuum cleaner

• US 6,055,702 A
• Filed: 09/09/1998
• Issued: 05/02/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yashima Electric Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Yashima Electric Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoshikawa, Jun, Imamura, Nobuo
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, CHRISTOPHER K
• Application Number:
  US09/150,027
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 15/319, 15/339
• US Class Current: 15/339
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/19 Means for monitoring filtering operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2815 using optical detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner includes an optical dust sensor for detecting a quantity of dust which sensor is provided at a predetermined position of a suction path for sucking air by a suction force of the vacuum cleaner, whereby an output signal is supplied to a display device so that a display corresponding to the quantity of the sucked dust, which signal is output from the optical dust sensor and is varied in a stageless manner corresponding to the quantity of the dust.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising;

dust suction path means for passing dust and air therethrough by a sucking force;

dust sensor means for optically detecting a quantity of sucking dust and for outputting a detection signal, the dust sensor means being provided at a predetermined position of the dust suction path means;

display means for visually displaying the quantity of detected dust; and

display controlling means for receiving the detection signal from the dust sensor means, for outputting and supplying a driving signal to the display means, the driving signal being varied in stageless condition in correspondence to the quantity of dust.

2. A dust indicating system for a vacuum cleaner, comprising:

an optical dust sensor for detecting a quantity of dust suctioned through a suction path of a vacuum cleaner, and for outputting a detecting signal corresponding to an amount of detected dust;

a rectifying circuit for rectifying the detecting signal produced by the optical dust sensor;

a pulse width modulation circuit for producing a pulse width modulation signal in response to the rectified detecting signal;

a driver circuit for producing a driving signal in response to the pulse width modulation signal; and

an indicator responsive to the driving signal;

the optical dust sensor, the rectifying circuit, the pulse width modulation circuit, the driver circuit and the indicator operating together such that the driving signal varies continuously in correspondence to the quantity of dust detected by the optical dust sensor.

3. A dust indicating system as recited in claim 2, further including an amplifier for amplifying the detecting signal before rectification by the rectification circuit.

4. A dust indicating system as recited in claim 2, further including a correction circuit for stabilizing an amount of light emitted by the optical dust sensor.

5. A dust indicating system as recited in claim 2, further including an electrical generator for generating a voltage which corresponds to a suction force of a vacuum cleaner.

6. A dust indicating system for a vacuum cleaner, comprising:

an optical dust sensor for detecting a quantity of dust suctioned through a suction path of a vacuum cleaner, and for outputting a detecting signal corresponding to an amount of detected dust;

a rectifying circuit for rectifying the detecting signal produced by the optical dust sensor;

a voltage oscillation circuit for producing an oscillation signal in response to the rectified detecting signal;

a driver circuit for producing a driving signal in response to the oscillation signal; and

an indicator responsive to the driving signal;

the optical dust sensor, the rectifying circuit, the voltage oscillation circuit, the driver circuit and the indicator operating together such that the driving signal varies continuously in correspondence to the quantity of dust detected by the optical dust sensor.

7. A dust indicating system as recited in claim 6, further including an amplifier for amplifying the detecting signal before rectification by the rectification circuit.

8. A dust indicating system as recited in claim 6, further including a correction circuit for stabilizing an amount of light emitted by the optical dust sensor.

9. A dust indicating system as recited in claim 6, further including an electrical generator for generating a voltage which corresponds to a suction force of a vacuum cleaner.