US20160305438A1 - Fluid apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A fluid aparatus includes an apparatus main body that includes a motor and a fan driven by the motor, a frame on which the apparatus main body is mounted, a pipe that is detachably attached to the apparatus main body to discharge and introduce a fluid by rotation of the fan, an operation unit that is provided to the pipe to input an operation command for the apparatus main body by operation from outside, a cable that transmits a signal between the operation unit and the apparatus main body, and a connecting portion that is provided to the cable to separably couple the operation unit and the apparatus main body to each other.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
• This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-85921 filed Apr. 20, 2015 in the Japan Patent Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
• The present disclosure relates to a fluid apparatus including a motor as a power source for a fan.
• A backpack blower as an example of the fluid apparatus has been known that is configured to include a fan rotationally driven by a motor and a battery supplying electric power to the fan, both mounted on a backpack frame, and to be carried by a user on the user's back by means of the backpack frame for use (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,400).
• A backpack blower including an engine as a power source for a fan has also been known that includes a pipe for discharging air, attached to a blower main body mounted on a backpack frame, and a trigger for controlling the rotational speed of the engine, provided to a grip of the pipe (see, for example, JP2014-234610).
SUMMARY
• The backpack blower disclosed in JP2014-234610 mentioned above is easy to use because a user can hold the grip to direct a leading end (an air discharge outlet) of the pipe in a desired discharge direction and, moreover, can control the air discharge rate by manipulating the trigger with a hand holding the grip.
• According to the backpack blower disclosed in JP2014-234610, a cable for coupling the trigger and the blower main body to each other is directly secured to them, since the structure of a discharge rate control mechanism for controlling the air discharge rate does not allow for detachment of the cable.
• This causes a problem of reduced portability because the undetachable cable gets in the way when, for example, the pipe is detached from the blower main body and divided to carry the blower along.
• According to an aspect of the present disclosure, it is desired, in a motor-driven fluid apparatus including a pipe for introducing and discharging a fluid, the pipe being attached to an apparatus main body and provided with an operation unit, to help preventing a cable coupling the apparatus main body and the operation unit to each other from getting in the way.
• In a fluid apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus main body including a motor and a fan driven by the motor is mounted on a frame, and a pipe for discharging and introducing a fluid by rotation of the fan is detachably attached to the apparatus main body.
• The pipe is provided with an operation unit for inputting an operation command for the apparatus main body by operation from outside, the operation unit and the apparatus main body being coupled to each other by a cable for transmitting a signal.
• The cable is provided with a connecting portion for separably coupling the operation unit and the apparatus main body to each other.
• Thus, in the fluid apparatus according to the present disclosure, the operation unit and the apparatus main body can be separated from each other by decoupling a cable connection therebetween by means of the connecting portion. This helps preventing the cable from getting in the way to thereby provide improved portability when, for example, the pipe is detached from the apparatus main body and divided to carry the fluid apparatus along.
• The operation unit and the apparatus main body thus being separable from each other, it is possible to coupe a second operation unit that is different from the operation unit provided to the pipe to a cable or a cable connecting portion on the separated apparatus main body side, so as to run the fluid apparatus.
• The connecting portion may be provided to at least one of a connection between the cable and the operation unit or a connection between the cable and the apparatus main body, or may be provided to an intermediate portion of the cable.
• Providing the connecting portion to the connection between the cable and the operation unit or to the connection between the cable and the apparatus main body allows the connecting portion to be provided to an end of the cable, thereby allowing for provision of one cable.
• In such a case, a user can couple the cable to the operation unit or to the apparatus main body easily with one hand, since a connecting portion on the operation unit side or on the apparatus main body side, to be coupled to the cable, is secured to the operation unit or to the apparatus main body.
• Providing the connecting portion to an intermediate portion of the cable requires provision of two cables. It is, however, possible to set a cable extending from the apparatus main body and a cable extending from the operation unit each at any length. Thus, it is possible to set each cable to a length that does not cause the cable to get in the way when the pipe is detached from the apparatus main body.
• The operation unit may comprise a plurality of input elements for inputting a plurality of commands.
• The plurality of input elements includes, for example, a dial switch for setting a maximum rotational speed of the motor, a trigger switch for inputting a speed command for the motor according to an amount the trigger switch is operated, and a lock button for locking an operational position of the trigger switch.
• The operation unit may further comprise a main power switch for the apparatus main body as one of the plurality of input elements.
• Setting the main power switch thus provided to the operation unit to the OFF state, for example, can help preventing the motor from being driven to rotate the fan when an input element inputting a drive command for the motor (such as a trigger switch) is unintentionally operated. This leads to improved safety.
• The apparatus main body may be provided with a plurality of fans to increase fluid discharging and introducing capacity. In this case, it is conceivable to include a plurality of motors in the apparatus main body to drive each fan separately.
• In such a case as this where a plurality of motors are included in the apparatus main body, it is desired that the operation unit be configured to input a command value common to each motor as an operation command for the plurality of motors.
• Such a configuration eliminates the need for a user to input an operation command separately for each motor, thereby providing facilitated operation and improved usability. It also eliminates the need to provide an input element to each motor, resulting in an operation unit with a simpler configuration.
• The operation unit may be provided with a display for displaying conditions of the fluid apparatus. It is desired that the display be configured to display at least one of a run/stop state of the apparatus main body, remaining energy of a battery supplying electric power to the motor, or an abnormality in the apparatus main body, for example.
• The operation unit may be provided to the pipe position-adjustably along a central axis of the pipe. This allows the operation unit to be located in such a position easy for a user to operate it, thereby providing improved usability.
• The operation unit may be detachably attachable to the pipe. This allows the operation unit to be detached from the pipe for separate use, also thereby providing improved usability.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• The present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
• FIG. 1 shows an explanatory diagram illustrating an appearance of a backpack blower according to an embodiment;
• FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a blower main body seen from the same direction as in FIG,1; and
• FIG. 3 shows a block diagram illustrating a circuit configuration of the backpack blower.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
• As illustrated inFIG. 1, a backpack blower (hereinafter also referred to simply as a blower)2 according to an embodiment as an example of a fluid apparatus comprises a blowermain body6 mounted on abackpack frame4 and apipe8 guiding air discharged from the blowermain body6 to adischarge outlet9 located at a leading end of thepipe8 to discharge the air from thedischarge outlet9.
• As illustrated inFIG. 2, the blowermain body6 accommodatesfans10A and10B rotating around a common central axis A to thereby introduce external air from around both ends of the central axis A and send the air out in the same direction.
• The blowermain body6 is provided with apipe mount7 for discharging air collected from, thefans10A and10B to thepipe8.
• Thefans10A and10B respectively comprise outer rotor brushless motors (hereinafter referred to simply as motors)12A and12B, and corresponding blades of the fans are secured to corresponding rotors of themotors12A and12B.
• The blowermain body6 is secured, via aspring5 for absorbing vibration, to thebackpack frame4, which is provided with apad4aand abelt4bto be used by a user to shoulder thebackpack frame4.
• Thepipe mount7 is provided to the blowermain body6 so as to be located on the user's right when the blowermain body6 is carried on the user's back by means of thebackpack frame4.
• Thepipe8 is made ofpipes8ato8e,which are segments of thepipe8 divided along its central axis into five.
• Among these, thepipe8ais detachably attachable to thepipe mount7 and has an L shape such that the direction of air discharged from the blowermain body6 can be changed from laterally to forwardly relative to the user.
• Thepipe8bto be coupled to thepipe8ais shaped like an accordion such that thedischarge outlet9 can be directed to any direction.
• Thepipe8cto be coupled to the pipe Sb is a straight pipe provided, on its outer periphery, with ahandle20 to be gripped by a user to change the direction of thedischarge outlet9. Thehandle20 is slidable along a central axis of thepipe8cand can be secured in any position for use.
• Thepipe8cis configured to be coupled either to thestraight pipe8dor to thepipe8eincluding thedischarge outlet9 with a reduced diameter at its leading end. When thepipe8dis coupled to thepipe8c, thepipe8ecan be coupled to a leading end of thepipe8d.
• Thehandle20 is provided with a trigger switch (hereinafter, a switch is indicated as a SW)22, adial SW24, and alock button26, as an operation unit operable by a finger of a user when thehandle20 is gripped by the user.
• Among these, thetrigger SW22 controls the air discharge rate from the blower2 (more specifically, the rotational speed of themotors12A and12B), and thedial SW24 sets the maximum discharge rate (more specifically, the maximum rotational speed of themotors12A and12B), which is adjustable by operation of thetrigger SW22.
• Thelock button26 is an operation button allowing a locking mechanism to function that holds thetrigger SW22 at its maximum operational position or at any operational position.
• As illustrated inFIG. 3, thehandle20 is further provided with amain power SW28 and adisplay30 for displaying operating conditions.
• Thetrigger SW22, thedial SW24, themain power SW28, and thedisplay30 are coupled, via acable32 and aconnector34, to acentral controller40 secured, together with the blowermain body6, to thebackpack frame4.
• In this context, theconnector34 corresponds to an example of a connecting portion according to the present disclosure, which is a multicore connector for coupling a plurality of signal lines inside the cable (more specifically, the multicore cable)32 extending from the blowermain body6 to the above-described elements in thehandle20.
• As illustrated in an enlarged view X inFIG. 1, theconnector34 comprises afirst connector34asecured to an end of thecable32 and asecond connector34bsecured to thehandle20 and detachably couplable to thefirst connector34a.
• As illustrated inFIG. 3, thetrigger SW22 comprises a main switch22athat is turned into the ON state by operation by a user and avariable resistor22bthat varies its resistance according to the amount of operation by the user.
• Thecentral controller40 applies a power voltage Vd to thevariable resistor22band takes in a voltage divided using a sliding contact of thevariable resistor22bas a trigger command.
• Thedial SW24 comprises a variable resistor that varies its resistance according to the rotational position of the dial. Thecentral controller40 applies a power voltage Vd to the variable resistor and takes in a voltage divided using a sliding contact of the variable resistor as a dial command.
• When the main SW22aof thetrigger SW22 is turned into the ON state, thecentral controller40 sets the rotational speed of thefans10A and10B (i.e., of themotors12A and12B) at a ratio corresponding to the trigger command (i.e., the divided voltage) taken in from thevariable resistor22bof thetrigger SW22, with the maximum rotational speed being a rotational speed corresponding to the dial command taken in from thedial SW24.
• Themain power SW28 is a momentary (normally off) SW switching the ON/OFF state of an internal power circuit (i.e., the run/stop state of the central controller40) by operation by a user depressing and releasing the SW. If theSWs22,24, and28 are not operated for a given period of time, thecentral controller40 will automatically turn the internal power circuit into the OFF state.
• Thedisplay30 comprises light-emitting diodes DA1 and DB1, each lit up by electric power from thecentral controller40 when thecentral controller40 can drive the correspondingfans10A and10B.
• Thedisplay30 further comprises light-emitting diodes DA2 and DB2, each lit up by electric power from thecentral controller40 when corresponding DC power sources (batteries)50A and50B used to drive the correspondingmotors12A and12B of thefans10A and10B have low remaining energy.
• These light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are made of those with different emission colors, for example, green for the light-emitting diodes DA1 and DB1 and red for the light-emitting diodes DA2 and DB2.
• TheDC power sources50A and50B used to drive themotors12A and12B comprise two battery packs50A1,50A2 and two battery packs50B1,50B2, respectively.
• The two battery packs50A1,50A2 and the two battery packs50B1,50B2 are respectively coupled tocontrollers60A and60B for driving themotors12A and12B and are individually coupled in series in thecorresponding drive controllers60A and60B.
• When the blowermain body6 is seen from behind thebackpack frame4, the battery packs50A1,50A2,50B1, and50B2 are arranged, in sequence from left to right, along a lower portion of the blowermain body6.
• As shown inFIG. 2, thedrive controllers60A and60B (only thedrive controller60A is shown inFIG. 2) are provided in positions anterior, relative to thebackpack frame4, to mounts for the battery packs50A1 to50B2 (only the battery pack50A2 is shown inFIG. 2) and corresponding to the battery packs50A1,50A2,50B1, and50B2.
• Thecentral controller40 is provided to be located further right to thedrive controllers60A and60B when the blowermain body6 is seen from behind thebackpack frame4, since thecentral controller40 is required to be coupled, via thecable32, to theSWs22,24,28 and thedisplay30 in thehandle20 provided to thepipe8.
• Thecentral controller40 is coupled to thedrive controllers60A and60B viacables42A and42B andconnectors44A and44B.
• Thecentral controller40 outputs, via thecables42A and42B to thedrive controllers60A and60B, a main SW signal, a speed command for themotors12A and12B, and an F/R signal indicating the rotational direction of themotors12A and12B, taken in from thetrigger SW22 and thedial SW24.
• Thedrive controllers60A and60B respectively comprise drivingcircuits62A and62B driving the correspondingmotors12A and12B at a speed corresponding to the speed command according to the above-described signals inputted from thecentral controller40 andmonitoring circuits64A and64B for condition monitoring.
• Themonitoring circuits64A and64B monitor conditions (such as currents, voltages, temperatures) of theDC power sources50A and50B, themotors12A and12B, and thedrive controllers60A and60B themselves.
• When the monitoring results are normal, themonitoring circuits64A and64B output a drive permission signal to thecentral controller40 via thecables42A and42B. When the monitoring results are abnormal, themonitoring circuits64A and64B stop outputting a drive permission signal.
• Themonitoring circuits64A and64B detect the remaining energy of the battery packs50A1,50A2 and50B1,50B2, respectively, and display the remaining energy of the individual battery packs50A1,50A2,50B1, and50B2 on remainingenergy displays52A and52B provided to the blowermain body6.
• Themonitoring circuits64A and64B output a low remaining energy signal to thecentral controller40 via thecables42A and42B when the remaining energy of the corresponding battery packs50A1,50A2 and50B1,50B2 is lowered to thereby lower the output of themotors12A and12B to a given level.
• Thecentral controller40 drives themotors12A and12B by outputting, to thedrive controllers60A and60B outputting the drive permission signal, a rotational speed set based on the signals from thetrigger SW22 and thedial SW24 as a speed command.
• When thecentral controller40 receives an input of the drive permission signal from thedrive controllers60A and60B, thecentral controller40 illuminates the corresponding light-emitting diodes DA1 and DB1 to thereby notify that thecentral controller40 is in the ON state and can drive thefans10A and10B.
• When thecentral controller40 receives an input of the low remaining energy signal from thedrive controllers60A and60B, thecentral controller40 flashes the corresponding light-emitting diodes DA2 and DB2 to thereby notify that the output of themotors12A and12B has been lowered to the given level.
• When thecentral controller40 receives an input of the low remaining energy signal while it does not receive an input of the drive permission signal from thedrive controllers60A and60B, thecentral controller40 does not illuminate the corresponding light-emitting diodes DA1 and DB1 while it illuminates DA2 and DB2, to thereby notify that the corresponding battery packs50A1,50A2 and50B1,50B2 need to be charged.
• Thecables42A and42B include corresponding power lines for inputting corresponding power voltages (voltage between both ends of two batteries coupled in series) VbatA and VbatB of theDC power sources50A and50B from thecorresponding drive controllers60A and60B to thecentral controller40.
• The power lines each comprise a pair of a positive signal line and a negative signal line respectively coupled to the positive side and the negative side of the correspondingDC power sources50A and50B, in which the signal line on the negative side is coupled to ground lines of thecentral controller40 and thecorresponding drive controllers60A and60B.
• This allows thecentral controller40 to be supplied with operating power from theDC power sources50A and50B and moreover allows the negative sides of theDC power sources50A and50B and the ground lines of thecontrollers40,60A, and60B to have an identical potential.
• In other words, this can provide the control, system with a uniform reference potential when thecentral controller40 drives themotors12A and12B by means of thedrive controllers60A and60B, so as to facilitate the design work to build the control system.
• As described above, theblower2 according to the present embodiment has thehandle20 to be gripped by a user, thehandle20 being provided to thepipe8 detachably attached to the blowermain body6.
• Thehandle20 is provided with thetrigger SW22, thedial SW24, thelock button26, and themain power SW28 as an operation unit, as well as thedisplay30 including the light-emitting diodes DA1, DB1, DA2, and DB2.
• Thetrigger SW22, thedial SW24, themain power SW28, and the light-emitting diodes DA1, DB1, DA2, and DB2 are each coupled, via the single cable (more specifically, the multicore cable)32, to the blower main body6 (more specifically, to the central controller40).
• If thecable32 is secured to thehandle20 and the blowermain body6, it gets in the way, for example, when theentire pipe8 is detached from the blowermain body6 or when thepipe8c,together with a pipe leading end portion attached thereto, is detached from the blowermain body6.
• However, thecable32 according to the present embodiment is coupled, via theconnector34, to thehandle20, and it is thus possible to separate the handle20 (and eventually the pipe8) and the blowermain body6 from each other by decoupling the connection at theconnector34.
• This helps preventing thecable32 from getting in the way to thereby provide improved usability when thepipe8 or part thereof is detached from the blowermain body6 and subdivided.
• According to theblower2 of the present embodiment, thefirst connector34ais secured to an end of thecable32, and thus it is also possible to attach another operation unit, other than thehandle20, to the end of thecable32 via thefirst connector34a.
• This enables the usage where a user hangs the another operation unit from the waist by means of thecable32 in carrying the blowermain body6 on the user's back and manually operates the another operation unit when necessary. In such a case, another handle involving no switch operation may be attached to the attaching position of thehandle20 to replace thehandle20.
• Thehandle20 is provided to thepipe8cmovably along its central axis and is separable from thepipe8c.Thus, it is also possible for a user to hang thehandle20 itself from the waist for use.
• Thehandle20 is provided with themain power SW28 in addition to thetrigger SW22 for inputting a drive command for themotors12A and12B and thelock button26.
• When theblower2 is not intended for operation, setting themain power SW28 in thehandle20 to the OFF state helps preventing themotors12A and12B from being driven by accidental operation of thetrigger SW22 and thelock button26, thereby providing improved safety.
• Despite the fact that theblower2 according to the present embodiment has the plurality of motors, i.e., themotors12A and12B, provided in the blowermain body6, it has only onetrigger SW22 and onedial SW24 for inputting a drive command for the motors and setting the rotational speed therefor.
• Thecentral controller40 takes in inputs from thetrigger SW22 and thedial SW24 as a common command value for driving themotors12A and12B and sets the rotational speed of themotors12A and12B.
• Thus, according to theblower2 of the present embodiment, the user does not have to input a separate operation command for each of themotors12A and12B and can use theblower2 easily. Because there is no need to provide thetrigger SW22 and thedial SW24 to each of themotors12A and12B, it is also possible to provide an apparatus with a simpler configuration,
• The. handle20 is provided with thedisplay30 capable of displaying conditions of the blower2 (more specifically, the run/stop state of thecentral controller40, abnormal driving of themotors12A and12B, and low remaining battery energy), as well as with the operation unit.
• This allows the user to perceive the conditions of theblower2 by gripping thehandle20 and checking the conditions of the display30 (lighting state of the light-emitting diodes DA1 to DB2).
• An embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above, but the present invention should not be limited to the above-described embodiment and can take various forms within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure.
• For example, in the above embodiment, theconnector34 as a connecting portion has been described as one used to couple thecable32 and the handle20 (more specifically, the operation unit and the display in the handle20) to each other. However, it may be used to couple thecable32 and the blower main body6 (more specifically, the central controller40) to each other.
• In this case, theconnector34 may be provided to each of the ends of thecable32 to allow thecable32 to be detached both from thehandle20 and from the blowermain body6.
• As illustrated in an enlarged view Y inFIG. 1, thecable32 may be divided into two and provided, at cable ends on a dividing point in thecable32, with thefirst connector34aand thesecond connector34bfor mutual connection to thereby form a connecting portion.
• In such a case, it is possible, by aligning the dividing point in thecable32 with a dividing point in thepipe8, to help preventing the ends of thecable32 from protruding from the pipe and thus getting in the way when thepipe8 and thecable32 are divided at their respective dividing points.
• The above embodiment has described, as a backpack fluid apparatus, a blower that discharges air from a leading end of a pipe by rotation of a fan. However, the present disclosure may be a fluid apparatus that introduces air by rotation of a fan, or may be a fluid apparatus that introduces and discharges air by switching the rotational direction of a fan.
• The above embodiment has described the switches as an operation unit and the display, as being provided to thehandle20 secured to thepipe8. However, they may be provided directly to thepipe8.
• The blowermain body6 according to the above embodiment has been described as accommodating two sets of a motor and a fan. However, a set or three or more sets of a motor and a fan may be provided instead. The configuration may be such that a single motor drives a plurality of fans.
• The above embodiment has described a backpack fluid apparatus, but the present disclosure may be a portable fluid apparatus.

Claims (11)

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid apparatus comprising:

an apparatus main body that comprises a motor and a fan driven by the motor;

a frame on which the apparatus main body is mounted;

a pipe that is detachably attached to the apparatus main body to discharge and introduce a fluid by rotation of the fan;

an operation unit that is provided to the pipe to input an operation command for the apparatus main body by operation from outside;

a cable that transmits a signal between the operation unit and the apparatus main body; and

a connecting portion that is provided to the cable to separably couple the operation unit and the apparatus main body to each other.

2. The fluid apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein the connecting portion is provided to at least one of a connection between the cable and the operation unit or a connection between the cable and the apparatus main body.

3. The fluid apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein the connecting portion is provided to an intermediate portion of the cable.

4. The fluid apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein the operation unit comprises a plurality of input elements that inputs a plurality of commands.

5. The fluid apparatus according toclaim 4, wherein the operation unit comprises a dial switch that sets a maximum rotational speed of the motor, a trigger switch that inputs a speed command for the motor according to an amount the trigger switch is operated, and a lock button that locks an operational position of the trigger switch as the plurality of input elements.

6. The fluid apparatus according toclaim 4, wherein the operation unit comprises a main power switch for the apparatus main body as one of the plurality of input elements.7, The fluid apparatus according toclaim 1,

wherein the apparatus main body comprises a plurality of motors, and

wherein the operation unit is configured to input a command value common to each of the plurality of motors as an operation command for the plurality of motors.

8. The fluid apparatus according toclaim 1,

wherein the operation unit comprises a display that displays conditions of the apparatus main body.

9. The fluid apparatus according toclaim 8,

wherein the display is configured to display at least one of a run/stop state of the apparatus main body, remaining energy of a battery supplying electric power to the motor, or an abnormality in the apparatus main body.

10. The fluid apparatus according toclaim 1,

wherein the operation unit is provided to the pipe position-adjustably along a central axis of the pipe.

11. The fluid apparatus according to claim I,

wherein the operation unit is detachably attachable to the pipe.

12. The fluid apparatus according toclaim 1, comprising a backpack fluid apparatus.

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