Vacuum cleaner with brushroll control

Abstract

A method of using an upright vacuum cleaner includes positioning a floor nozzle on a surface to be cleaned, measuring a first characteristic of a brushroll motor with a first sensor, and communicating the first characteristic with a controller. The method also includes comparing the first characteristic with a first threshold value stored by the controller, which is associated with determining if the floor nozzle is on a first cleaning surface or a second cleaning surface. The method further includes changing a suction motor between a first mode when feedback received by the first sensor is greater than the first threshold value, and a second mode when feedback received by the first sensor is less than the first threshold value. The method also includes operating the suction motor at a first speed while in the first mode, and at a second speed while in the second mode.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of using an upright vacuum cleaner comprising:
 positioning a floor nozzle on a surface to be cleaned;   measuring a first characteristic of a brushroll motor with a first sensor; and   communicating the first characteristic with a controller,   comparing the first characteristic with a first threshold value stored by the controller, the first threshold associated with determining if the floor nozzle is on a first cleaning surface or a second cleaning surface;   changing a suction motor between a first mode associated with the first cleaning surface when feedback received by the first sensor is greater than the first threshold value, and a second mode associated with the second cleaning surface when feedback received by the first sensor is less than the first threshold value;   operating the suction motor at a first operating speed while in the first mode; and   operating the suction motor at a second operating speed while in the second mode.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising measuring an internal pressure within the vacuum cleaner with a pressure sensor, wherein feedback from both the pressure sensor and the first sensor are used to change the mode between the first mode and the second mode. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising actuating a switch to change between a speed control mode and an on/off mode, wherein in the speed control mode the first speed is a first non-zero speed and the second speed is a second non-zero speed, and in the on/off mode the first speed is zero and the second speed is greater than zero. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising changing a brushroll motor between a first brushroll speed in the first mode and a second brushroll speed in the second mode. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising measuring an internal pressure within the vacuum cleaner with a pressure sensor, wherein feedback from both the pressure sensor and the first sensor are used to change the mode between the first mode and the second mode. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising changing the bushroll motor from the second brushroll speed to the first brushroll speed when the measured internal pressure is less than a second threshold associated with determining if the floor nozzle is on a first cleaning surface or a second cleaning surface, wherein the second brushroll speed is zero. 
     
     
         7 . An upright vacuum cleaner comprising:
 a base including a floor nozzle, the floor nozzle defining a suction chamber, a suction motor providing a source of suction through the suction chamber;   a brushroll driven by a brushroll motor;   a first sensor configured to measure a first characteristic of the brushroll motor; and   a controller in communication with the first sensor, wherein the controller stores a first threshold value associated with determining if the floor nozzle is on a first cleaning surface or a second cleaning surface;   wherein the controller is operable to switch the suction motor between a first mode associated with the first cleaning surface when feedback received by the first sensor is greater than the first threshold value, and a second mode associated with the second cleaning surface when feedback received by the first sensor is less than the first threshold value, and   the suction motor operates at a first operating speed in the first mode, and the suction motor operates at a second operating speed in the second mode.   
     
     
         8 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 7 , wherein the first sensor is a brushroll motor sensor configured to measure an electrical current used by the brushroll motor. 
     
     
         9 . The upright vacuum of  claim 8 , further comprising a pressure sensor configured to measure an internal pressure within the vacuum cleaner, wherein feedback from both the pressure sensor and the brushroll motor sensor are used to change the mode between the first mode and the second mode. 
     
     
         10 . The upright vacuum of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is operable to switch the suction motor between the first mode when the internal pressure received by the pressure sensor is less than the second threshold value, and the second mode when the internal pressure received by the pressure sensor is greater than the second threshold value. 
     
     
         11 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 7 , wherein the first sensor is a tachometer configured to measure a speed of the brushroll motor. 
     
     
         12 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 7 , wherein the suction motor and the brushroll motor are the same motor. 
     
     
         13 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 7 , wherein the first speed is a first non-zero speed, and the second speed is a second non-zero speed. 
     
     
         14 . The upright vacuum clearer of  claim 13 , wherein the first floor surface is a hard floor and the second floor surface is carpet, the first non-zero speed being less than the second non-zero speed. 
     
     
         15 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 7 , wherein the brushroll motor operates at a first non-zero speed in the first mode and operates at a second non-zero speed in the second mode. 
     
     
         16 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 7 , further comprising a second sensor configured to measure a second characteristic of the upright vacuum cleaner, feedback from the first sensor and feedback from the second sensor are used to change the mode between the first mode and the mode. 
     
     
         17 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 16 , wherein feedback from the second sensor is compared to a second threshold stored by the controller that is different than the first threshold. 
     
     
         18 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 16 , further comprising a third sensor configured to measure a third characteristic of the upright vacuum cleaner, feedback from the first sensor, feedback from the second sensor, and feedback from the third sensor are used to change the mode between the first mode and the mode. 
     
     
         19 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 18 , wherein feedback from the second sensor is compared to a second threshold stored by the controller that is different than the first threshold, and feedback from the third sensor is compared to a third threshold stored by the controller that is different than the first threshold and the second threshold. 
     
     
         20 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 18 , wherein the first sensor is a brushroll motor sensor configured to measure an electrical current used by the brushroll motor, the second sensor is a pressure sensor configured to measure an internal pressure within the vacuum cleaner, and the third sensor is a tachometer configured to measure a speed of the brushroll motor. 
     
     
         21 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 7 , further comprising a switch operable to change between a speed control mode and an on/off mode, wherein in the speed control mode the first speed is a first non-zero speed and the second speed is a second non-zero, and in the on/off mode the first speed is zero and the second speed is greater than zero.