JP7083674B2 - Portable blower - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a portable blower.

Patent Document 1 discloses a portable blower. This portable blower includes a prime mover, a fan driven by the prime mover, and a nozzle for injecting air blown by the fan. This type of portable blower is a working machine mainly used in cleaning work, and is used to blow up, for example, fallen leaves by a strong air blown from a nozzle.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-36939

When collecting fallen leaves or the like with a portable blower, a skilled user skillfully blows up the fallen leaves or the like by repeatedly operating and stopping (or strong operation and weak operation) of the portable blower. It is difficult for inexperienced users to imitate such work. Therefore, in the work using the portable blower, the work efficiency changes relatively greatly according to the skill of the user. In this regard, the present specification provides a technique capable of improving the efficiency of work using a portable blower even for an inexperienced user.

This technology is embodied in a portable blower. This portable blower includes a motor, a fan driven by the motor, a nozzle for injecting air blown by the fan, a drive operating member operated by the user, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the motor. The control unit has a memory for storing a series of operations applied to the drive operation member over time, and can execute a regeneration operation mode in which the prime mover is controlled according to the series of operations stored in the memory.

According to the above configuration, even an inexperienced user can stably repeat periodic operations such as operation and stop (or strong operation and weak operation) of the portable blower. Further, even a skilled user does not need to repeatedly operate the drive operation member, so that the work using the portable blower can be easily performed. As a result, the efficiency of work using the portable blower is significantly improved regardless of the user's proficiency level.

The perspective view which shows the portable blower 10 of an Example. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the portable blower 10 of the embodiment. The block diagram which shows typically the electric structure of the portable blower 10 of an Example. The figure which shows the multiple operation modes executed by a control unit. The flowchart which shows the operation of the control unit in a normal operation mode. A flowchart showing the operation of the control unit in the operation storage mode. A chart illustrating a series of operations X stored in the memory 32 in the operation storage mode. The flowchart which shows the operation of the control unit in a reproduction operation mode. The chart which illustrates the operation of the motor 14 in the reproduction operation mode. The flowchart which shows the operation of the control unit in the automatic operation mode. The chart which illustrates the operation pattern of the motor 14 in the automatic operation mode.

In one embodiment, the series of operations stored in the memory may include the amount of operation applied to the drive operating member. According to such a configuration, the output of the prime mover can be controlled according to the amount of operation stored in the memory. This makes it possible to reproduce not only the operation and stop of the prime mover, but also the output of the prime mover intended in a series of operations. Although not particularly limited, the series of operations stored in the memory may include at least a set of speed increasing operation and deceleration operation. The speed-increasing operation is an operation of increasing the operation amount of the drive operation member, and the deceleration operation is an operation of reducing the operation amount of the drive operation member.

In one embodiment, the control unit may store a series of operations in memory for at least 3 seconds. With such a configuration, it is possible to store a series of operations desired by the user in various operations in which the portable blower is used.

In one embodiment, the control unit may further be capable of executing an automated operation mode that controls the prime mover so that the amount of air blown by the fan fluctuates periodically regardless of the amount of operation applied to the drive operating member. .. When the automatic operation mode is prepared, the user can stably repeat the periodic operation of the portable blower without performing an operation of storing a series of operations in the memory. As an example, in the automatic operation mode, the speed-up operation and the deceleration operation of the prime mover may be repeated in a cycle of 1 second or more and 5 seconds or less. Regarding the periodic operation of the portable blower in the automatic operation mode, for example, at least one of the period, the maximum output, and the minimum output may be adjustable by the user.

This technology is also embodied in other portable blowers. This portable blower includes a motor, a fan driven by the motor, a nozzle for injecting air blown by the fan, a drive operating member operated by the user, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the motor. The control unit can execute an automatic operation mode in which the prime mover is controlled so that the amount of air blown by the fan fluctuates periodically regardless of the amount of operation applied to the drive operation member.

Even with the above configuration, an inexperienced user can stably repeat periodic operations such as operation and stop (or strong operation and weak operation) of the portable blower. Further, even a skilled user does not need to repeatedly operate the drive operation member, so that the work using the portable blower can be easily performed. This significantly improves the efficiency of work with a portable blower.

In one embodiment, the control unit may be further capable of executing a normal operation mode in which the output of the prime mover is controlled according to the amount of operation applied to the drive operating member. Depending on the work content, a regenerative operation mode or an automatic operation mode may not always be required. In such a case, it is convenient to have a normal operation mode in which the prime mover can be freely controlled by a drive operating member.

In one embodiment, the prime mover may be a motor (electric motor). However, as another embodiment, the prime mover may be an engine that burns fuel.

The portable blower 10 of the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The portable blower 10 is a working machine mainly used in cleaning work, and is used for collecting, for example, fallen leaves. The portable blower 10 of this embodiment is a handheld blower that the operator holds with one or both hands. However, the technique described in this embodiment is not limited to the handheld blower, and can be adopted, for example, in a backpack type blower.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the portable blower 10 includes a housing 12, a motor 14 housed in the housing 12, a fan 16 driven by the motor 14, and a nozzle 18 for injecting air blown by the fan 16. To prepare for. The housing 12 has a grip 13 that the user grips. Two battery packs 20 are detachably attached to the housing 12. The two battery packs 20 are power sources for the motor 14 and supply electric power to the motor 14. The number of battery packs 20 is not limited to two. As an example, in the portable blower 10 of this embodiment, two battery packs 20 are connected in series, and a relatively large amount of electric power is supplied to the motor 14. The portable blower 10 of this embodiment is a cordless type power tool, but may be a cord type power tool connected to a commercial power source. Alternatively, the portable blower 10 may have an engine that drives the fan 16 in place of or in addition to the motor 14.

The portable blower 10 includes a trigger 22 operated by the user, a mode switching button 24 operated by the user, and a control unit 26 for controlling the motor 14. The trigger 22 is an example of a drive operation member operated by a user to drive the fan 16. When the user operates the trigger 22, the motor 14 drives the fan 16, and when the user cancels the operation of the trigger 22, the driving of the fan 16 by the motor 14 is stopped. The trigger 22 may be changed to another type of operating member. Although not particularly limited, the trigger 22 in this embodiment can output a signal according to the operation amount of the trigger 22 as well as the operation and cancellation of the operation of the trigger 22. The mode switching button 24 is operated by the user in order to change the operation mode of the portable blower 10. The mode switching button 24 may be changed to another type of operating member. The operation mode of the portable blower 10 will be described in detail later.

As shown in FIG. 3, the trigger 22 and the mode switching button 24 are connected to the control unit 26. The control unit 26 is configured to control the operation of the motor 14 in response to the operations applied to the trigger 22 and the mode switching button 24. The specific configuration of the control unit 26 is not particularly limited. As an example, the control unit 26 in this embodiment has an inverter circuit 28, a processor 30, and a memory 32. The inverter circuit 28 is inserted between the battery pack 20 and the motor 14, and controls the electric power supplied from the battery pack 20 to the motor 14 based on a command from the processor 30. The processor 30 gives a command to the inverter circuit 28 based on the operation applied to the trigger 22 and the mode switching button 24 and the program and data stored in the memory 32.

As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 26 can selectively execute a plurality of operation modes. The plurality of operation modes include a normal operation mode, a reproduction operation mode, an automatic operation mode, and an operation storage mode. The operation mode executed by the control unit 26 is changed according to the operation applied to the mode switching button 24. As an example, in the portable blower 10 of this embodiment, each time the user presses the mode switching button 24, the operation mode executed by the control unit 26 is the normal operation mode, the reproduction operation mode, and the automatic operation mode in this order. It changes repeatedly. Further, when the user presses and holds the mode switching button 24, the operation mode executed by the control unit 26 is changed to the operation storage mode, and when the user operates the mode switching button 24 again, the operation mode executed by the control unit 26 is the original. It is returned to the operation mode of.

The normal operation mode will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, in the normal operation mode, when the user operates the trigger 22 (YES in S12), the control unit 26 acquires the operation amount of the trigger 22 (S14), and the motor 14 is operated according to the operation amount. Control (S16). Specifically, the electric power supplied to the motor 14 is controlled so that the rotation speed of the motor 14 becomes faster as the operation amount of the trigger 22 is larger. Then, when the user releases the operation of the trigger 22, the control unit 26 stops driving the motor 14 (YES in S18). As described above, in the normal operation mode, the motor 14 is continuously driven while the user is operating the trigger 22, and the rotation speed of the motor 14 is adjusted according to the operation amount of the trigger 22.

Next, the operation storage mode will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. As shown in FIG. 6, in the operation storage mode, when the user operates the trigger 22 (YES in S22), the control unit 26 starts recording the operation applied to the trigger 22 (S24). After that, when the operation storage mode ends, the operation recording also ends (YES in S26). The operation record is written in the memory 32 of the control unit 26. As a result, the memory 32 stores a series of operations X applied to the trigger 22 over time as illustrated in FIG. 7. As described above, the operation storage mode is terminated by the operation of the mode switching button 24 by the user. Alternatively, when a predetermined time elapses after the user operates the trigger 22, the control unit 26 automatically terminates the operation storage mode.

As shown in FIG. 7, the series of operations stored in the memory 32 includes the operation amount applied to the trigger 22. This series of operations may include at least a set of speed-increasing and decelerating operations. The speed-increasing operation is an operation of increasing the operation amount of the trigger 22, and the deceleration operation is an operation of reducing the operation amount of the trigger 22. However, as another embodiment, the series of operations stored in the memory 32 may be binary data indicating only the operation applied to the trigger 22 and the operation release. That is, the trigger 22 may be canceled in a part of the operation X of one example. Further, the time of a series of operations stored in the memory 32 is not particularly limited. For example, the control unit 26 may store a series of operations in the memory 32 for at least 3 seconds. Alternatively, the control unit 26 may store a series of operations in the memory 32 for at least 5 seconds, 10 seconds or 20 seconds. The series of operations stored in the memory 32 is used in the reproduction operation mode described below.

Next, the reproduction operation mode will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. As shown in FIG. 8, in the reproduction operation mode, when the user operates the trigger 22 (YES in S32), the control unit 26 reads out a series of operations X (see FIG. 7) stored in the memory 32 (S34). The motor 14 is controlled according to the stored series of operations X (S36). That is, in the reproduction operation mode, the operation amount actually applied to the trigger 22 is ignored, and the motor 14 is controlled according to the series of operations X previously taught in the operation storage mode. This control is repeatedly executed while the user continues to operate the trigger 22 (NO in S38). As a result, as shown in FIG. 9, the user can periodically change the rotation speed of the motor 14 by simply continuing to operate the trigger 22. Then, when the user releases the operation of the trigger 22, the control unit 26 stops driving the motor 14 (YES in S38).

As described above, the control unit 26 of this embodiment can store a series of operations applied to the trigger 22 over time in the memory 32 by executing the operation storage mode. Then, the control unit 26 can control the motor 14 according to a series of operations stored in the memory 32 by executing the reproduction operation mode. According to such a configuration, even an inexperienced user can stabilize periodic operations such as operation and stop (or strong operation and weak operation) of the portable blower 10 in the same manner as an experienced user. Can be repeated. Further, even a skilled user does not need to repeatedly operate the trigger 22, so that the work using the portable blower 10 can be easily performed. As a result, the efficiency of work using the portable blower 10 is significantly improved regardless of the user's proficiency level.

Next, the automatic operation mode will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. As shown in FIG. 10, in the automatic operation mode, when the user operates the trigger 22 (YES in S42), the control unit 26 reads out the drive pattern stored in the memory 32 (S44), and responds to the stored drive pattern. And control the motor 14 (S46). As shown in FIG. 11, the drive pattern referred to here is data that describes the rotational speed of the motor 14 that fluctuates periodically over time, and is stored in advance in the memory 32, for example, in the manufacturing stage of the portable blower 10. It was done. That is, in the automatic operation mode, the operation amount actually applied to the trigger 22 is ignored, and the motor 14 is controlled according to the drive pattern stored in advance in the memory 32. As a result, the user can periodically change the rotation speed of the motor 14 by simply continuing to operate the trigger 22. Then, when the user releases the operation of the trigger 22, the control unit 26 stops driving the motor 14 (YES in S48).

As described above, the control unit 26 of the present embodiment can periodically change the amount of air blown by the fan 16 regardless of the amount of operation applied to the trigger 22 by executing the automatic operation mode. As a result, even an inexperienced user can stably repeat periodic operations such as operation and stop (or strong operation and weak operation) of the portable blower 10 in the same manner as an experienced user. can. Further, even a skilled user does not need to repeatedly operate the trigger 22, so that the work using the portable blower 10 can be easily performed. As a result, the efficiency of work using the portable blower 10 is significantly improved regardless of the user's proficiency level.

Regarding the automatic operation mode, the memory 32 may store, for example, a plurality of drive patterns in which at least one of the frequency and the maximum speed is different. In this case, the control unit 26 may be configured to selectively use one of the plurality of drive patterns, for example, based on a user's instruction. Further, the drive pattern stored in the memory 32 does not necessarily have to describe the rotation speed of the motor 14, but may be simply binary data that describes the drive and stop of the motor 14 over time. As an example, in the drive pattern stored in the memory 32, the speed-increasing operation and the decelerating operation of the motor 14 are, for example, in a cycle of 1 second or more and 5 seconds or less, or 1 second or more and 2 seconds. It may be repeated in the following cycle.

Although some specific examples have been described in detail above, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of claims. The techniques described in the claims include various modifications and modifications of the specific examples exemplified above. The technical elements described herein or in the drawings exhibit their technical usefulness alone or in various combinations.

10: Portable blower 12: Housing 13: Grip 14: Motor 16: Fan 18: Nozzle 20: Battery pack 22: Trigger 24: Mode switching button 26: Control unit 28: Inverter circuit 30: Processor 32: Memory

Claims (9)

It ’s a portable blower,
The prime mover and
With the fan driven by the prime mover,
A nozzle that injects air from the fan and
Drive operation members operated by the user,
A control unit that controls the operation of the prime mover and
Equipped with
The control unit has a memory for storing a series of operations applied to the drive operation member over time, and executes a reproduction operation mode for controlling the prime mover in response to the series of operations stored in the memory. It is possible,
Portable blower. The portable blower according to claim 1, wherein the series of operations stored in the memory includes an operation amount applied to the drive operation member. The portable blower according to claim 2, wherein the series of operations stored in the memory includes at least a set of speed increasing operation and deceleration operation. The portable blower according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit stores the series of operations in the memory for at least 3 seconds. 1. The control unit can further execute an automatic operation mode in which the prime mover is controlled so that the amount of air blown by the fan fluctuates periodically regardless of the amount of operation applied to the drive operation member. The portable blower according to any one of 4 to 4. The portable blower according to claim 5, wherein in the automatic operation mode, the speed-up operation and the deceleration operation of the prime mover are repeated in a cycle of 1 second or more and 5 seconds or less. It ’s a portable blower,
The prime mover and
With the fan driven by the prime mover,
A nozzle that injects air from the fan and
Drive operation members operated by the user,
A control unit that controls the operation of the prime mover and
Equipped with
The control unit has an automatic operation mode in which the prime mover is controlled so that the amount of air blown by the fan fluctuates periodically based on the data stored in advance , regardless of the amount of operation applied to the drive operation member. Feasible,
Portable blower. The portable type according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the control unit can further execute a normal operation mode in which the output of the prime mover is controlled according to an operation amount applied to the drive operation member. Blower. The portable blower according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the prime mover is a motor.

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