Electrical surface treatment device with an acoustic surface type detector

• US 6,076,227 A
• Filed: 08/17/1998
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Schallig, Michiel A., Tiesinga, Jan, Meijer, Albert J., Viet, Peter S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Snider, Theresa T.
• Application Number:
  US09/135,366
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 15/49.1, 15/98, 15/319, 15/339, 73/599, 73/584, 73/596, 73/573, 73/627
• US Class Current: 15/319
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/04 with driven brushes or agitators
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2847 Surface treating elements
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrical surface treatment device which is provided with an acoustic surface type detector with which a type of a surface to be treated can be detected during operation. According to the invention, the surface type detector delivers an output signal (u_FT) during operation which is characteristic of the type of surface to be treated and which is determined by a value of a physical quantity of air vibrations reflected by the surface to be treated, which value is measured by a vibration detector of the surface type detector. In a special embodiment, the physical quantity is an amplitude, and the surface type detector is a vibration generator for generating air vibrations having a predetermined amplitude. The generated air vibrations preferably have a frequency of at least 15,000 Hz which varies within a predetermined range. In a further embodiment, the vibration generator generates the air vibrations intermittently, and the surface type detector is a parallel circuit through which a portion of the generated air vibrations can be directly guided to the vibration detector.

Claims

1. An electrical surface treatment device provided with a surface type detector for detecting a type of surface to be treated, which surface type detector comprises a vibration detector which detects air vibrations reflected by the surface to be treated and delivers an output signal characteristic of the type of the surface to be treated during operation, wherein the output signal is determined by a value of a physical quantity of the air vibrations reflected by the surface to be treated, which value is measurable by means of the vibration detector.

2. An electrical surface treatment device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the physical quantity is an amplitude, while the surface type detector comprises a vibration generator for generating air vibrations having a predetermined amplitude.

3. An electrical surface treatment device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the vibration generator generates air vibrations with a frequency of at least 15,000 Hz during operation.

4. An electrical surface treatment device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the vibration generator generates air vibrations having a frequency which varies within a predetermined range during operation.

5. An electrical surface treatment device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the vibration generator comprises a piezoelectric vibration generator.

6. An electrical surface treatment device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the vibration generator generates the air vibrations intermittently during operation.

7. An electrical surface treatment device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vibration detector comprises a piezoelectric vibration detector.

8. An attachment suitable for use in an electrical surface treatment device as claimed in claim 1, which attachment comprises a suction nozzle, wherein the surface type detector is accommodated in the suction nozzle of the attachment.

10. An electrical surface treatment device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the parallel circuit has a dead end and is provided near this end with an end reflector for reflecting back the air vibrations conducted into the parallel circuit.

9. An electrical surface treatment device provided with a surface type detector which detects a type of surface to be treated, which surface type detector comprises (a) a vibration detector which detects air vibrations reflected by the surface to be treated and delivers an output signal characteristic of the type of the surface to be treated during operation and (b) a vibration generator which generates air vibrations having a predetermined amplitude,

wherein the output signal is determined by a value of an amplitude of the air vibrations reflected by the surface to be treated, which value is measurable by means of the vibration detector, and

wherein the vibration generator comprises the vibration detector, such that the vibration generator can be switched over to form the vibration detector.

11. An electrical surface treatment device provided with a surface type detector which detects a type of surface to be treated, which surface type detector comprises (a) a vibration detector which detects air vibrations reflected by the surface to be treated and delivers an output signal characteristic of the type of the surface to be treated during operation and (b) a vibration generator which generates air vibrations having a predetermined amplitude,

wherein the output signal is determined by a value of an amplitude of the air vibrations reflected by the surface to be treated, which value is measurable by means of the vibration detector, and

wherein the vibration generator and the vibration detector face one another at an angle of approximately 90°

.

12. An electrical surface treatment device provided with a surface type detector which detects a type of surface to be treated, which surface type detector comprises (a) a vibration detector which detects air vibrations reflected by the surface to be treated and delivers an output signal characteristic of the type of the surface to be treated during operation and (b) a vibration generator which generates air vibrations having a predetermined amplitude,

wherein the output signal is determined by a value of an amplitude of the air vibrations reflected by the surface to be treated, which value is measurable by means of the vibration detector, and

wherein the surface type detector is provided with a first reflector for reflecting the air vibrations generated by the vibration generator towards the surface to be treated and with a second reflector for reflecting the air vibrations reflected by the surface to be treated towards the vibration detector.

13. An electrical surface treatment device provided with a surface type detector which detects a type of surface to be treated, which surface type detector comprises (a) a vibration detector which detects air vibrations reflected by the surface to be treated and delivers an output signal characteristic of the type of the surface to be treated during operation and (b) a vibration generator which generates air vibrations having a predetermined amplitude,

wherein the output signal is determined by a value of an amplitude of the air vibrations reflected by the surface to be treated, which value is measurable by means of the vibration detector, and

wherein the vibration generator generates the air vibrations intermittently during operation, and the surface type detector comprises a parallel circuit through which part of the air vibrations generated by the vibration generator can be conducted directly to the vibration detector.

14. An attachment suitable for use in an electrical surface treatment device provided with a surface type detector which detects a type of surface to be treated, which surface type detector comprises (a) a vibration detector which detects air vibrations reflected by the surface to be treated and delivers an output signal characteristic of the type of the surface to be treated during operation and (b) a vibration generator which generates air vibrations having a predetermined amplitude,

wherein the output signal is determined by a value of an amplitude of the air vibrations reflected by the surface to be treated, which value is measurable by means of the vibration detector,

which attachment comprises a suction nozzle having the surface type detector accommodated therein, and wherein the vibration generator and the vibration detector of the surface type detector are positioned in a detection space which during operation is bounded by the surface to be treated and a lower side of the suction nozzle.

15. An attachment as claimed in claim 14, wherein the vibration generator and the vibration detector are positioned in a depression provided in the lower side of the suction nozzle.

16. An attachment as claimed in claim 14, wherein the vibration generator and the vibration detector are each accommodated in a separate channel-type cavity provided in the lower side of the suction nozzle.