Suction cleaner and operation method thereof

• US 9,055,848 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2011
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Liu, Chun-Hsien, Tsai, Ya-Hui, Wu, Chien-Feng, Wu, Jia-Hsing
• Primary Examiner(s): REDDING, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US13/195,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20120111367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,415 Days
• Field of Search: 153/19, 153/39
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/24 Hand-supported suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/281 the amount or condition of incoming dirt or dust
• 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 suction cleaner and an operation method thereof are provided. The suction cleaner includes a housing, a holding part, an impeller module, at least one sensing device, and a controller. An end of the housing has a dust-suction opening. The impeller module is located inside the housing, and a channel is located between the impeller module and the dust-suction opening. The controller is electrically connected to the sensing device to drive and adjust the rotation rate and the suction force of the impeller module, and thus the power consumption of the suction cleaner can be reduced.

Claims

1. A suction cleaner comprising:

a housing, an end of the housing having a dust-suction opening;

a holding part connected to the housing;

an impeller module located inside the housing, a channel being configured between the dust-suction opening and the impeller module;

a first sensing device configured on the holding part;

a second sensing device configured around the dust-suction opening;

a third sensing device configured in the channel; and

a controller electrically connected to the impeller module, the first sensing device, the second sensing device, and the third sensing device, wherein

the controller drives the impeller module to rotate at a first rotation rate based on the sensing condition of the first sensing device, and the suction cleaner is in a ready-to-work state when the holding part of the suction cleaner is being contacted;

the controller drives the impeller module to rotate at a second rotation rate based on the sensing condition of the second sensing device, and the suction cleaner is in a normal dust-suction state when the suction cleaner comes close to or in contact with a surface of an object;

the controller drives the impeller module to continuously rotate at the second rotation rate based on the sensing condition of the third sensing device, and the suction cleaner maintains the normal dust-suction state when the suction cleaner collects a relatively small quantity of dust particles or debris; and

the controller drives the impeller module to rotate at a third rotation rate based on the sensing condition of the third sensing device, and the suction cleaner is in a maximum dust-suction state when the suction cleaner collects a relatively large quantity of dust particles or debris.

2. The suction cleaner as recited in claim 1, wherein the impeller module comprises a motor and an impeller structure electrically connected to the motor.

3. The suction cleaner as recited in claim 1, wherein the first sensing device is configured inside or outside the holding part.

4. The suction cleaner as recited in claim 1, wherein the first sensing device is a contact sensing device or a non-contact sensing device, the contact sensing device is a button or a pressure sensor, and the non-contact sensing device is an infrared sensor, a light blocking sensor, or a photo sensor.

5. The suction cleaner as recited in claim 1, wherein the second sensing device is configured inside the dust-suction opening, outside the dust-suction opening, or on an edge of the dust-suction opening.

6. The suction cleaner as recited in claim 1, wherein the second sensing device is a contact sensing device or a non-contact sensing device, the contact sensing device is an elastic sensor or a pressure sensor, and the non-contact sensing device is an infrared sensor, a light blocking sensor, or a photo sensor.

7. The suction cleaner as recited in claim 1, wherein the third sensing device is a contact sensing device or a non-contact sensing device, the contact sensing device is a pressure sensor or a piezoelectric sensor, and the non-contact sensing device is an infrared sensor, a light blocking sensor, or a photo sensor.

8. The suction cleaner as recited in claim 1, further comprising a display device configured on the housing.

9. The suction cleaner as recited in claim 8, wherein the display device comprises a light emitting diode display panel, an organic light emitting display panel, or a liquid crystal display panel.

10. The suction cleaner as recited in claim 8, wherein the controller adjusts a display condition of the display device based on the sensing condition of the first, second, and third sensing devices.

11. The suction cleaner as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a rechargeable battery and a charge jack, configured inside the housing and located at a side of the impeller module; and

a power switch configured on the housing or the holding part.

12. The suction cleaner as recited in claim 1, further comprising a dust-collecting container located between the channel and the impeller module, the housing further comprising an air outlet configured corresponding to the impeller module.

13. An operation method of a suction cleaner, comprising:

providing the suction cleaner as recited in claim 1;

keeping the controller to be in a powered-on state and controlling the impeller module to be in a non-operating state after the suction cleaner is turned on, such that the suction cleaner is in a standby state;

driving the impeller module by the controller to rotate at a first rotation rate when the holding part of the suction cleaner is being contacted, such that the suction cleaner is in a ready-to-work state;

driving the impeller module by the controller to rotate at a second rotation rate when the suction cleaner comes close to or in contact with a surface of an object, such that the suction cleaner is in a normal dust-suction state;

driving the impeller module by the controller to continuously rotate at the second rotation rate when the suction cleaner collects a relatively small quantity of dust particles or debris; and

driving the impeller module by the controller to rotate at a third rotation rate when the suction cleaner collects a relatively large quantity of dust particles or debris, such that the suction cleaner is in a maximum dust-suction state.

14. The operation method as recited in claim 13, wherein when the suction cleaner is in the standby state, the controller simultaneously drives a display device to display a first signal.

15. The operation method as recited in claim 13, wherein when the suction cleaner is in the ready-to-work state, the controller further drives a display device to display a second signal, so as to indicate that the suction cleaner is being held.

16. The operation method as recited in claim 13, wherein when the suction cleaner is in the normal dust-suction state, the controller further drives a display device to display a third signal, so as to indicate that the suction cleaner is close to or in contact with the object.

17. The operation method as recited in claim 13, wherein when the suction cleaner collects the relatively small quantity of dust particles or debris, the controller further drives a display device to display a fourth signal, so as to indicate that the suction cleaner is in the normal dust-suction state.

18. The operation method as recited in claim 13, wherein when the suction cleaner collects the relatively large quantity of dust particles or debris, the controller further drives a display device to display a fifth signal, so as to indicate that the suction cleaner is in the maximum dust-suction state.

19. The operation method as recited in claim 13,

when the suction cleaner is in the standby state, the controller further driving a display device to display a first signal;

when the suction cleaner is in the ready-to-work state, the controller further driving the display device to display a second signal, so as to indicate that the suction cleaner is being held;

when the suction cleaner is in the normal dust-suction state, the controller further driving the display device to display a third signal, so as to indicate that the suction cleaner is close to or in contact with the object;

when the suction cleaner collects the relatively small quantity of dust particles or debris, the controller further driving the display device to display a fourth signal, so as to indicate that the suction cleaner is in the normal dust-suction state; and

when the suction cleaner collects the relatively large quantity of dust particles or debris, the controller further driving the display device to display a fifth signal, so as to indicate that the suction cleaner is in the maximum dust-suction state,

wherein the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth signals respectively correspond to certain number of light.

20. The operation method as recited in claim 19, wherein

the number of light corresponding to the second signal is greater than the number of light corresponding to the first signal,

the number of light corresponding to the third signal is greater than the number of light corresponding to the second signal,

the number of light corresponding to the fourth signal is greater than the number of light corresponding to the third signal, and

the number of light corresponding to the fifth signal is greater than the number of light corresponding to the fourth signal.