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EP-4740814-A1 - VACUUM CLEANER COMPRISING SOFT SOIL DETECTION MEANS

EP4740814A1EP 4740814 A1EP4740814 A1EP 4740814A1EP-4740814-A1

Abstract

The vacuum cleaner includes a suction head (5) comprising a rotating brush (18); a brush drive motor (21) configured to rotate the rotating brush (18); a suction motor configured to generate an airflow through the suction head (5); and an electronic control unit configured to calculate a current variation parameter from current values measured by a current measuring device associated with the brush drive motor (21), and to adjust the suction power of the vacuum cleaner according to the result of a comparison of the calculated current variation parameter with at least one detection threshold value and adjust the rotational speed of the brush drive motor (21) according to the result of a comparison of the current intensity applied to the brush drive motor (21) with a current threshold value.

Inventors

  • MLIKI, Anaïs

Assignees

  • SEB S.A.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20251106

Claims (14)

  1. Vacuum cleaner (2) comprising: - a suction head (5) comprising a sole (14) having an underside (15) configured to be oriented towards a surface to be cleaned and a suction inlet (16) opening into the underside (15) of the sole (14) and through which outside air can be drawn in by the vacuum cleaner (2), the suction head (5) further comprising a rotating brush (18) movable in rotation around an axis of rotation (A), - a rotary drive mechanism (19) configured to drive the rotary brush (18) in rotation around the axis of rotation (A), the rotary drive mechanism (19) comprising a brush drive motor (21) rotationally coupled to the rotary brush (18), - a suction motor (12) configured to generate an airflow through the suction mouth (16) and into the suction head (5), - a current measurement device (22) configured to measure the current intensity (I) applied to the brush drive motor (21), and - an electronic control unit (25) configured to control the operation of the vacuum cleaner (2), the electronic control unit (25) being further configured to: • calculate an intensity variation parameter from intensity values measured by the intensity measuring device (22), • compare the calculated intensity variation parameter with at least one detection threshold value, and ∘ compare the intensity (I) of the electric current applied to the brush drive motor (21) with a threshold intensity value (Vsi), characterized in that the electronic control unit (25) is configured to adjust the suction power of the vacuum cleaner (2) according to the result of comparing the calculated intensity variation parameter with at least one detection threshold value, and to adjust the motor rotation speed brush drive (21) as a function of the result of comparing the intensity (I) of the electric current applied to the brush drive motor (21) with the intensity threshold value (Vsi).
  2. Vacuum cleaner (2) according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit (25) is configured to detect the type of soft floor on which the suction head (5) is moved as a function of the result of comparing the calculated intensity variation parameter with at least one detection threshold value and the result of comparing the intensity of the electric current applied to the brush drive motor (21) with the intensity threshold value (Vsi).
  3. Vacuum cleaner (2) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the electronic control unit (25) is configured to detect that the suction head (5) is moved on a soft floor when the calculated intensity variation parameter reaches or exceeds a first detection threshold value (Vsd1) and to adjust the suction power of the vacuum cleaner (2) to a first predetermined soft floor suction power, which has a non-zero value, when the electronic control unit (25) has detected that the suction head (5) is moved on a soft floor.
  4. Vacuum cleaner (2) according to claim 3, wherein the electronic control unit (25) is configured to adjust the rotation speed of the suction motor (12) to a first predetermined soft floor suction speed when the electronic control unit (25) has detected that the suction head (5) is being moved on a soft floor.
  5. Vacuum cleaner (2) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the electronic control unit (25) is configured to detect that the suction head (5) is moved on a thick soft floor when the calculated intensity variation parameter reaches or exceeds a second detection threshold value (Vsd2) which is greater than the first detection threshold value (Vsd1) and to adjust the suction power of the vacuum cleaner (2) has a second predetermined soft floor suction power, which has a non-zero value and is different from the first predetermined soft floor suction power, when the electronic control unit (25) has detected that the suction head (5) is moved on a thick soft floor.
  6. Vacuum cleaner (2) according to claim 5, wherein the electronic control unit (25) is configured to adjust the rotational speed of the suction motor (12) to a second predetermined soft floor suction speed when the electronic control unit (25) has detected that the suction head (5) is being moved on a thick soft floor.
  7. Vacuum cleaner (2) according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the electronic control unit (25) is configured to detect that the suction head (5) is moved on a hard floor when the calculated intensity variation parameter is less than the first detection threshold value (Vsd1) and that the intensity (I) of the electric current applied to the brush drive motor (21) is less than a predetermined threshold value (Vsp) which is less than the intensity threshold value (Vsi).
  8. Vacuum cleaner (2) according to claim 7, wherein the electronic control unit (25) is configured to adjust the suction power of the vacuum cleaner (2) to a predetermined hard floor suction power, which has a non-zero value, when the electronic control unit (25) has detected that the suction head (5) is moved on a hard floor.
  9. Vacuum cleaner (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the electronic control unit (25) is configured to reduce the rotational speed of the brush drive motor (21) to a predetermined motor protection speed when the electronic control unit (25) has previously detected that the suction head (5) is being moved on a soft floor and that the intensity (I) the electric current applied to the brush drive motor (21) is greater than or equal to the threshold intensity value (Vsi).
  10. Vacuum cleaner (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the electronic control unit (25) is configured to reduce the rotational speed of the brush drive motor (21) to a predetermined motor protection speed when the electronic control unit (25) has previously detected that the suction head (5) is being moved on a soft floor and that, during a predetermined period of time, each of the measured intensity values is greater than or equal to the intensity threshold value (Vsi) or an average of the measured intensity values is greater than or equal to the intensity threshold value (Vsi).
  11. Vacuum cleaner (2) according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined time period is greater than or equal to 1 second.
  12. Vacuum cleaner (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the calculated intensity variation parameter is a dispersion indicator (DI) of the intensity values measured by the intensity measuring device (22), or the amplitude of variation of the intensity values measured by the intensity measuring device (22).
  13. Vacuum cleaner (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein each value of the intensity variation parameter is calculated from a limited series of successive intensity values measured by the intensity measuring device (22).
  14. Method for controlling a vacuum cleaner (2), comprising the following steps: - provide a vacuum cleaner (2) including: • a suction head (5) comprising a rotating brush (18) movable in rotation around an axis of rotation (A) and a soleplate (14) provided with a face lower (15) configured to be oriented towards a surface to be cleaned and a suction opening (16) opening into the lower face (15) of the sole (14) and through which outside air can be drawn in by the vacuum cleaner (2), ∘ a rotary drive mechanism (19) configured to drive the rotary brush (18) in rotation around the axis of rotation (A), the rotary drive mechanism (19) comprising a brush drive motor (21) rotationally coupled to the rotary brush (18), ∘ a suction motor (12) configured to generate an airflow through the suction mouth (16) and into the suction head (5), • a current measurement device (22) configured to measure the current intensity (I) applied to the brush drive motor (21), and ∘ an electronic control unit (25) configured to control the operation of the vacuum cleaner (2), - measure the intensity (I) of the electric current applied to the brush drive motor (21), - calculate an intensity variation parameter from measured intensity values, - compare the calculated intensity variation parameter with at least one detection threshold value, and - compare the intensity (I) of the electric current applied to the brush drive motor (21) with a threshold intensity value (Vsi), characterized in that the process further comprises: - adjust the suction power of the vacuum cleaner (2) according to the result of comparing the calculated intensity variation parameter with at least one detection threshold value, and - adjust the rotation speed of the brush drive motor (21) according to the result of comparing the intensity (I) of the electric current applied to the brush drive motor (21) with the intensity threshold value (Vsi).

Description

technical field The present invention relates to the field of vacuum cleaners equipped with a suction head, also called a vacuum cleaner nozzle, allowing the suction of dust and waste present on a surface to be cleaned. State of the art Vacuum cleaners equipped with a suction head are well-known on the market; they allow for the cleaning of surfaces by suction, removing dust and debris. The surface to be vacuumed can be, for example, a hard floor, such as tile, parquet, or laminate flooring, or a soft floor, such as carpet or rugs. A suction head includes, as is known: a head body comprising a sole equipped with a lower face and a suction opening into the lower face of the sole, the lower face of the sole being intended to be positioned adjacent to the surface to be vacuumed during the use of the vacuum cleaner, a rotating brush housed in a receiving compartment defined by the head body and which rotates freely around an axis of rotation, and a rotary drive mechanism configured to drive the rotary brush in rotation around the axis of rotation, the rotary drive mechanism comprising a brush drive motor coupled in rotation to the rotary brush. In order to improve the cleaning performance of a vacuum cleaner of the aforementioned type, it is known to equip it with a measuring device configured to measure the intensity of the electrical current applied to the brush drive motor, to detect the type of floor encountered by the suction head according to the intensity values measured by the measuring device, and to adapt the suction power generated by the vacuum cleaner's suction motor according to the type of floor detected. In particular, the document FR3137557 discloses a vacuum cleaner comprising an electronic control unit configured to: calculate a dispersion indicator, such as the variance or standard deviation, of the intensity values measured by the measuring device, each dispersion indicator value being calculated from a limited series of successive intensity values measured by the measuring device, and detect that the suction head is moved on a soft floor, and for example from a hard floor to a soft floor, when the dispersion indicator exceeds the detection threshold value. Such a configuration of the vacuum cleaner makes it possible to detect a movement of the suction head on a soft floor without requiring the presence of a specific floor detection device, which reduces the manufacturing costs of the vacuum cleaner according to the present invention. However, this type of vacuum cleaner configuration does not allow for differentiation between the types of soft flooring encountered by the suction head, specifically whether the soft flooring is thin (e.g., carpet), thick (e.g., a rug with long pile), high-energy-consuming (e.g., a rug with long pile that could generate significant friction with the rotating brush), or impermeable or poorly permeable (i.e., a soft floor that could create a suction effect, causing the suction head to stick to the floor). Therefore, this type of vacuum cleaner cannot automatically adjust at least one operating parameter based on the type of soft flooring encountered by the suction head. In particular, prolonged cleaning of a carpet with long pile (i.e., a soft floor that consumes electricity) is likely to cause premature wear of the bearings of the rotating brush and also overheating of the brush drive motor, if the rotation speed of the latter, selected for cleaning a soft floor, is too high. To overcome this drawback, it could be considered to reduce the rotation speed of the brush drive motor, which is preset for cleaning soft floors. However, Such a speed reduction could impair the cleaning performance of a thin carpet or rug. Summary of the invention The present invention aims to remedy all or part of these drawbacks. The technical problem underlying the invention consists in particular of providing a vacuum cleaner with a simple and ergonomic structure, while offering increased cleaning performance. To this end, the present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner comprising: a suction head comprising a soleplate having an underside configured to be oriented towards a surface to be cleaned and a suction inlet opening into the underside of the soleplate through which outside air can be drawn in by the vacuum cleaner, the suction head further comprising a rotating brush that is movable and rotates around an axis of rotation, a rotary drive mechanism configured to drive the rotating brush in rotation around the axis of rotation, the rotary drive mechanism comprising a brush drive motor rotationally coupled to the rotating brush, a suction motor configured to generate an airflow through the suction inlet and into the suction head, a current measurement device configured to measure the intensity of the electric current applied to the brush drive motor, and an electronic control unit configured to control the operation of the vacuum cleaner, the electronic control unit being furt