Blower device and vacuum cleaner including the same

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner including a cleaner main body; a suction motor inside the cleaner main body; a battery; a blower device configured to be couplable to the cleaner main body, the blower device including: a blower motor, a blower fan configured to rotate based on driving force generated from the blower motor, and a connector configured to be couplable and electrically connectable to the cleaner main body; and a controller to control driving of the blower device, the controller configured to identify whether the blower device is coupled to the cleaner main body, and, in response to identifying that the blower device is coupled to the cleaner main body, control driving power from the battery to be supplied through the connector to the blower device.

1 . A vacuum cleaner comprising:
 a cleaner main body;   a suction motor inside the cleaner main body;   a battery;   a blower device configured to be couplable to the cleaner main body, the blower device including:
 a blower motor, 
 a blower fan configured to rotate based on driving force generated from the blower motor, and 
 a connector configured to be couplable and electrically connectable to the cleaner main body; and 
   a controller to control driving of the blower device, the controller configured to:
 identify whether the blower device is coupled to the cleaner main body, and 
 in response to identifying that the blower device is coupled to the cleaner main body, control driving power from the battery to be supplied through the connector to the blower device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein
 the controller is configured to, in response to an external device being coupled to the cleaner main body:
 transmit identification request information to the external device, 
 obtain identification information corresponding to the identification request information from the external device, and 
 based on the obtained identification information corresponding to the blower device, identify that the blower device is coupled to the cleaner main body. 
   
     
     
         3 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 2 , wherein
 the connector includes an identification resistor, and   the controller is configured to obtain the identification information corresponding to the blower device from the identification resistor.   
     
     
         4 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein
 the blower device includes:
 an intake port on a side surface of the blower device and through which external air is sucked, and 
 a discharge nozzle through which the sucked external air is discharged. 
   
     
     
         5 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 4 , wherein
 when the blower device is coupled to the cleaner main body:
 the intake port is spaced further from the cleaner main body than the connector, and positioned between the cleaner main body and the blower motor. 
   
     
     
         6 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 4 , wherein
 the blower device includes:
 an intake port filter under the intake port, and 
 a discharge port filter inside a path formed inside the discharge nozzle. 
   
     
     
         7 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 4 , wherein
 the blower device includes:
 a discharge port in the discharge nozzle, and 
 a filter sensor configured to detect clogging of the intake port or the discharge port, and 
   the filter sensor includes at least one of a position sensor, an infrared sensor, and a pressure sensor.   
     
     
         8 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a current sensor configured to sense a driving current applied to the blower motor,   wherein the controller is configured to:
 based on the sensed driving current applied to the blower motor that is sensed by the current sensor, obtain a current driving speed of the blower motor, and 
 when a difference between the obtained current driving speed of the blower motor and a target driving speed of the blower motor is larger than a threshold level, identify whether at least one of the intake port and the discharge port is clogged. 
   
     
     
         9 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 7 , wherein
 the controller is configured to identify whether the intake port or the discharge port is clogged based on information obtained from the filter sensor.   
     
     
         10 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein
 the cleaner main body includes a switching element configured to branch power supplied from the battery to either the suction motor or the blower device,   the switching element is connected to a signal line connecting the battery and the suction motor, and   wherein the switching element is connected to a signal line connecting the battery and the blower device.   
     
     
         11 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein
 the cleaner main body includes a control panel, and   the control panel includes an input button and a display.   
     
     
         12 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 11 , wherein
 the controller is configured to, in response to identifying that the blower device is coupled to the cleaner main body, display a user interface on the display indicating that the blower device is coupled to the cleaner main body.   
     
     
         13 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 11 , wherein
 the blower device includes a blower controller configured to control driving of a rotational speed of the blower motor, and   the controller is configured to, in response to receiving a user input through the input button:
 generate a control command for the blower device corresponding to the received user input, and 
 transmit the control command to the blower controller to control the driving of the rotational speed of the blower motor. 
   
     
     
         14 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 8 , wherein
 the cleaner main body includes a display,   the blower device includes:
 an intake port filter under the intake port, and 
 a discharge port filter inside a path formed inside the discharge nozzle, and 
   the controller is configured to, in response to identifying that at least one of the intake port and the discharge port is clogged:
 display a notification instructing management of the intake port filter or the discharge port filter on the display. 
   
     
     
         15 . A method of controlling a vacuum cleaner including a cleaner main body, a suction motor inside the cleaner main body, a battery, a blower device configured to be couplable to the cleaner main body, the blower device including a blower motor, a blower fan configured to rotate based on driving force generated from the blower motor, and a connector configured to be couplable and electrically connectable to the cleaner main body, the method comprising:
 identifying whether the blower device is coupled to the cleaner main body;   in response to identifying that the blower device is coupled to the cleaner main body, identifying whether the suction motor is driving;   when the suction motor is identified as driving, stopping driving of the suction motor; and   supplying driving power from the battery through the connector to the blower motor.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 in response to an external device being coupled to the cleaner main body:
 transmitting identification request information to the external device, 
 obtaining identification information corresponding to the identification request information from the external device, and 
 based on the obtained identification information corresponding to the blower device, identifying that the blower device is coupled to the cleaner main body. 
   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the connector includes an identification resistor, the method further comprising:
 obtaining the identification information corresponding to the blower device from the identification resistor.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the vacuum cleaner includes a current sensor configured to sense a driving current applied to the blower motor, and the blower device includes an intake port and a discharge port, the method further comprising:
 based on the sensed driving current applied to the blower motor that is sensed by the current sensor, obtaining a current driving speed of the blower motor;   comparing the obtained current driving speed of the blower motor with a target driving speed of the blower motor; and   when a difference between the obtained current driving speed of the blower motor and the target driving speed of the blower motor is larger than a threshold level, identifying whether at least one of the intake port or the discharge port is clogged.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the blower device includes an intake port filter under the intake port, a discharge port filter proximate the discharge port, and a filter sensor configured to detect clogging of the intake port filter or the discharge port filter, and the method further comprising:
 based on information obtained from the filter sensor, identifying whether at least one of the intake port and the discharge port is clogged.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the cleaner main body includes a display, the method further comprising:
 in response to identifying that the blower device is coupled to the cleaner main body, displaying a user interface indicating that the blower device is coupled to the cleaner main body.