Motor control for a vacuum cleaner

• US 7,823,249 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2006
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kirby OPCO LLC
• Original Assignee: The Scott Fetzer Company (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Zahuranec, Terry L., Lambert, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Redding; David A
• Application Number:
  US11/325,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20070151068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,762 Days
• Field of Search: 153/19, 153/39
• US Class Current: 15/319
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/19 Means for monitoring filtering operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• 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

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner includes a nozzle, an air-filtering dirt receptacle, and a motor. A fan is configured to be driven by the motor to drive a flow of air that carries dirt from a surface through the nozzle and into the receptacle to clean the surface. A controller is configured to provide a notification to a user when the speed of the motor exceeds a threshold value.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a nozzle;

an air-filtering dirt receptacle;

a motor;

a fan configured to be driven by the motor to drive a flow of air that carries dirt from a surface through the nozzle and into the receptacle to clean the surface; and

a controller configured to provide a notification to a user when the speed of the motor exceeds a threshold value;

wherein the notification is indicative of an excessive amount of dirt in the receptacle.

4. The cleaner of claim 1 wherein the controller powers the motor with a constant voltage.

5. The cleaner of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to control the motor to draw a constant current.

7. The cleaner of claim 1 wherein the controller powers the motor to rotate at different user selectable speed settings, and the threshold value is different for each speed setting.

2. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a nozzle;

an air-filtering dirt receptacle;

a motor;

a fan configured to be driven by the motor to drive a flow of air that carries dirt from a surface through the nozzle and into the receptacle to clean the surface; and

a controller configured to provide a notification to a user when the speed of the motor exceeds a threshold value;

wherein the notification directs the user to empty the receptacle.

3. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a nozzle;

an air-filtering dirt receptacle;

a motor;

a fan configured to be driven by the motor to drive a flow of air that carries dirt from a surface through the nozzle and into the receptacle to clean the surface; and

a controller configured to provide a notification to a user when the speed of the motor exceeds a threshold value;

wherein the notification directs the user to replace the receptacle.

6. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a nozzle;

an air-filtering dirt receptacle;

a motor;

a fan configured to be driven by the motor to drive a flow of air that carries dirt from a surface through the nozzle and into the receptacle to clean the surface; and

a controller configured to provide a notification to a user when the speed of the motor exceeds a threshold value;

wherein the controller is configured to control the motor to maintain a constant motor temperature.

8. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a nozzle;

an air-filtering dirt receptacle;

a motor;

a fan configured to be driven by the motor to drive a flow of air that carries dirt from a surface through the nozzle and into the receptacle to clean the surface; and

a controller configured to control the motor to maintain a constant motor temperature.

9. The cleaner of claim 8 wherein the controller varies a pulse width modulation ratio to maintain the constant motor temperature.

10. The cleaner of claim 8 wherein the controller is configured provide a notification to a user when the voltage powering the motor exceeds a threshold value.