Remote control for controlling an operation status of a suction device

Abstract

The invention refers to a remote control (50) for controlling an operation status of a suction device (2). The remote control (50) comprises a radio transmitter (88) for transmitting a first radio signal (30) to the suction device (2) for turning on or off the suction device (2). It is suggested that the remote control (50) further comprises a radio receiver (90) for receiving a second radio signal (54) from a communication device (32) located at a second end (16) of a suction hose (12), which is connected to a suction opening (10) of the suction device (2) with its first end (14) and to an air outlet (18) of a hand-held electric or pneumatic power tool (20) with its opposite second end (16). The communication device (32) detects a current operation status of the hand-held electric or pneumatic power tool (20) and emits the second radio signal (54) indicative of the current operation status of the hand-held electric or pneumatic power tool (20). The remote control (50) derives from the received second radio signal (54) the current operation status of the hand-held electric or pneumatic power tool (20) and transmits a respective first radio signal (30) in order to automatically turn on or off the suction device (2) depending on the derived current operation status of the hand-held electric or pneumatic power tool (20).

1 . A remote control ( 50 ) adapted for controlling an operation status of a suction device ( 2 ), including a vacuum cleaner or a dust extraction system, the remote control ( 50 ) comprising a radio transmitter ( 88 ) for transmitting a first radio signal ( 30 ) to the suction device ( 2 ) for turning on or off the suction device ( 2 ), wherein
 the remote control ( 50 ) further comprises a radio receiver ( 90 ) for receiving a second radio signal ( 54 ) from a communication device ( 32 ) located at or near a second end ( 16 ) of a suction hose ( 12 ), which is connected to a suction opening ( 10 ) of the suction device ( 2 ) at a first end ( 14 ) and to an air outlet ( 18 ) of a hand-held electric or pneumatic power tool ( 20 ) at the second end ( 16 ), or located at the hand-held electric or pneumatic power tool ( 20 ) itself,   the communication device ( 32 ) is adapted for detecting a current operation status of the hand-held electric or pneumatic power tool ( 20 ) and for emitting the second radio signal ( 54 ) indicative of the current operation status of the hand-held electric or pneumatic power tool ( 20 ), and   the remote control ( 50 ) is adapted for deriving from the second radio signal ( 54 ) received the current operation status of the hand-held electric or pneumatic power tool ( 20 ) and transmitting a respective first radio signal ( 30 ) in order to automatically turn on or off the suction device ( 2 ) depending on the current operation status detected of the hand-held electric or pneumatic power tool ( 20 ).   
     
     
         2 . The remote control ( 50 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the remote control ( 50 ) further comprises actuating means ( 94 ;  102 ) for manually turning on or off the suction device ( 2 ) based on a manual actuation of the actuating means ( 94 ;  102 ) by an operator or user of the hand-held electric or pneumatic power tool ( 20 ), and   actuation of the actuating means ( 94 ;  102 ) provokes the transmission of the respective first radio signal ( 30 ) to the suction device ( 2 ) through the radio transmitter ( 88 ) thereby turning on or off the suction device ( 2 ).   
     
     
         3 . The remote control ( 50 ) according to  claim 2 , wherein the remote control ( 50 ) is designed such that manually turning on or off the suction device ( 2 ) based on a manual actuation of the actuating means ( 94 ;  102 ) by an operator or user of the hand-held electric or pneumatic power tool ( 20 ) overrules automatically turning on or off the suction device ( 2 ) depending on the current operation status detected of the hand-held electric or pneumatic power tool ( 20 ). 
     
     
         4 . The remote control ( 50 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the remote control ( 50 ) comprises control means ( 96 ;  104 ) for manually controlling specific functions of the suction device ( 2 ) based on a manual actuation of the control means ( 96 ;  104 ) by an operator or user of the hand-held electric or pneumatic power tool ( 20 ). 
     
     
         5 . The remote control ( 50 ) according to  claim 4 , wherein the specific functions of the suction device ( 2 ) comprise one or more of the following:
 setting a speed of a motor ( 68 ) of the suction device ( 2 ),   if the suction device ( 2 ) has a plurality of motors ( 68 ), then activating or deactivating one or more of the plurality of motors ( 68 ),   if the suction device ( 2 ) has the plurality of motors ( 68 ), then switching from at least one motor ( 68 ) to at least another motor ( 68 ), and   temporarily switching into a filter cleaning mode for cleaning one or more air filter elements ( 22 ) of the suction device ( 2 ).   
     
     
         6 . The remote control ( 50 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the remote control ( 50 ) further comprises selecting means ( 106 ) for manually selecting an operation mode of the remote control ( 50 ) based on a manual actuation of the selecting means ( 106 ) by an operator or user of the hand-held electric or pneumatic power tool ( 20 ). 
     
     
         7 . The remote control ( 50 ) according to  claim 6 , wherein the operation mode of the remote control ( 50 ) comprises one or more of the following:
 an automatic operation mode (“A”) during which the suction device ( 2 ) is automatically turned on or off based on the current operation status detected of the hand-held electric or pneumatic power tool ( 20 ),   a manual operation mode (“M”) during which the suction device ( 2 ) is manually turned on or off depending on a manual actuation of the actuating means ( 94 ;  102 ) by the operator or user of the hand-held electric or pneumatic power tool ( 20 ) or during which specific functions of the suction device ( 2 ) are manually controlled depending on a manual actuation of the control means ( 96 ;  104 ) by the operator or user of the hand-held electric or pneumatic power tool ( 20 ), and   an inactive operation mode (“O”) in which the remote control ( 50 ) is turned off.   
     
     
         8 . The remote control ( 50 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the remote control ( 50 ) has a microprocessor ( 92 ) with a computer programme application ( 108 ) executable on the microprocessor ( 92 ) for realizing remote control functionality. 
     
     
         9 . The remote control ( 50 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the remote control ( 50 ) is realized in the form of a smartphone. 
     
     
         10 . The remote control according to  claim 9 , wherein actuating means ( 102 ) for manually turning on or off the suction device ( 2 ) and/or control means ( 104 ) for manually controlling specific functions of the suction device ( 2 ) and/or selecting means ( 106 ) for selecting an operation mode of the remote control ( 50 ) are realized in the form of virtual buttons or controls that are displayed on a screen ( 100 ) of the smartphone when a computer programme application ( 108 ) is executed on a microprocessor ( 92 ) of the smartphone. 
     
     
         11 . The remote control ( 50 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the respective first radio signal ( 30 ) and/or the second radio signal ( 54 ) is realized according to a Bluetooth-standard, to a ZigBee-standard, to a WiFi-standard, to an NFC-standard, or a telecommunication standard, like GSM, GPRS, EDGE, LTE, UMTS. 
     
     
         12 . The remote control ( 50 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the remote control ( 50 ) comprises a radio receiver ( 90 ) is-adapted for receiving a third radio signal ( 110 ) from the suction device ( 2 ) indicative of a current operation status of the suction device ( 2 ). 
     
     
         13 . The remote control according to  claim 12 , wherein the current operation status of the suction device ( 2 ) comprises one or more of the following:
 a current fill level of a dust collection chamber ( 4 ) of the suction device ( 2 ),   a current flow rate through one or more air filter elements ( 22 ) of the suction device ( 2 ),   if the suction device ( 2 ) has a plurality of motors ( 68 ), then the number of and/or information on which motor ( 68 ) is currently activated,   a current speed of the motor ( 68 ) of the suction device ( 2 ), and   a current temperature of the motor ( 68 ) of the suction device ( 2 ).   
     
     
         14 . A suction device ( 2 ), comprising the remote control ( 50 ) according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         15 . A computer programme application ( 108 ) executable on a microprocessor ( 92 ) of a smartphone having a built-in radio transmitter ( 88 ) and a built-in radio receiver ( 90 ), the computer programme application ( 108 ) being programmed in order to turn the smartphone into the remote control ( 50 ) according to  claim 1 , including using the built-in radio transmitter ( 88 ) and the built-in radio receiver ( 90 ) of the smartphone. 
     
     
         16 . The remote control ( 50 ) according to  claim 2 , wherein the remote control ( 50 ) comprises control means ( 96 ;  104 ) for manually controlling specific functions of the suction device ( 2 ) based on a manual actuation of the control means ( 96 ;  104 ) by an operator or user of the hand-held electric or pneumatic power tool ( 20 ). 
     
     
         17 . The remote control ( 50 ) according to  claim 2 , wherein the remote control ( 50 ) further comprises selecting means ( 106 ) for manually selecting an operation mode of the remote control ( 50 ) based on a manual actuation of the selecting means ( 106 ) by an operator or user of the hand-held electric or pneumatic power tool ( 20 ). 
     
     
         18 . The remote control ( 50 ) according to  claim 2 , wherein the remote control ( 50 ) has a microprocessor ( 92 ) with a computer programme application ( 108 ) executable on the microprocessor ( 92 ) for realizing remote control functionality. 
     
     
         19 . The remote control ( 50 ) according to  claim 2 , wherein the remote control ( 50 ) is realized in the form of a smartphone. 
     
     
         20 . The remote control ( 50 ) according to  claim 2 , wherein the respective first radio signal ( 30 ) and/or the second radio signal ( 54 ) is realized according to a Bluetooth-standard, to a ZigBee-standard, to a WiFi-standard, to a NFC-standard, or a telecommunication standard, like GSM, GPRS, EDGE, LTE, UMTS.