Vacuum cleaner brush roll control device

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner including a brush roll, a motion sensor assembly that detects motion of the vacuum cleaner and that generates signals indicative of the detected motion, and a brush roll control unit that controls operation of the brush roll based on the signals generated by the motion sensor assembly.

1 . A vacuum cleaner comprising:
 a brush roll;   a motion sensor assembly that detects motion of the vacuum cleaner and that generates signals indicative of the detected motion; and   a brush roll control unit that controls operation of the brush roll based on the signals generated by the motion sensor assembly.   
   
   
       2 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one wheel disposed in contact with a surface to be cleaned, the motion sensor assembly detecting motion of the vacuum cleaner based on rotation of the at least one wheel. 
   
   
       3 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 2 , wherein the motion sensor assembly comprises:
 a plurality of detectable indexes disposed around a circumference of the at least one wheel; and   a sensor disposed adjacent to the at least one wheel, the sensor generating the signals based on location of the plurality of magnetic elements relative to the sensor.   
   
   
       4 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 3 , wherein the indexes are magnetic elements. 
   
   
       5 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 4 , wherein the sensor is a Hall-effect sensor. 
   
   
       6 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the vacuum cleaner further comprises a brush roll drive motor that drives the brush roll, and the control unit comprises circuitry that generates and sends control signals to the brush roll drive motor based on the signals generated by the motion sensor assembly to control operation of the brush roll. 
   
   
       7 . A method of automatically controlling operation of a brush roll of a vacuum cleaner, comprising:
 sensing whether the vacuum cleaner is in motion using a motion sensor assembly;   stopping operation of the brush roll when the vacuum cleaner is sensed as being stationary; and   starting or maintaining operation of the brush roll when the vacuum cleaner is sensed as being in motion.   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the vacuum cleaner further comprises a brush roll drive motor, and the step of stopping operation of the brush roll comprises stopping operation of the brush roll drive motor and the step of starting or maintaining operation of the brush roll comprises starting or maintaining operation of the brush roll drive motor. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 delaying the step of stopping operation of the brush roll for a predetermined period of time after the vacuum cleaner is sensed as being stationary.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 delaying the step of starting the operation of the brush roll for a predetermined period of time after the vacuum cleaner is sensed as being in motion.   
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the vacuum cleaner further comprises at least one wheel disposed in contact with a surface to be cleaned, and the step of sensing comprises determining whether the at least one wheel is in rotation.