Electric working machine and method for controlling motor of electric working machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11533841-B2
Application number	US-202016778276-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2020
Priority date	Feb 18, 2019
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

One aspect of the present disclosure provides an electric working machine. The electric working machine includes a driver, a motor, and a control circuit. Attached to the driver is a selected tool. The motor drives the selected tool attached to the driver. The control circuit sets a target rotational frequency based on the selected tool. The control circuit controls the motor to rotate at the target rotational frequency.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A grass cutter comprising:
a driver configured such that a metal blade and a nylon cord cutter are selectively attached thereto;
a motor configured to drive the metal blade or the nylon cord cutter attached to the driver; and
a control circuit configured to control the motor to rotate at a target rotational frequency, the control circuit being configured to identify which one of the metal blade and the nylon cord cutter is attached to the driver based on a value of an electric current flowing through the motor, the control circuit being configured to set the target rotational frequency to a first maximum rotational frequency in response to the metal blade being attached to the driver, the control circuit being configured to set the target rotational frequency to a second maximum rotational frequency in response to the nylon cord cutter being attached to the driver, and the first maximum rotational frequency being higher than the second maximum rotational frequency.

2. An electric working machine comprising:
a driver configured such that individual tools of a plurality of types of grass cutting tools can be selectively attached to the driver;
a motor configured to drive an individual tool of the plurality of types of grass cutting tools that is attached to the driver; and
a control circuit configured to:
identify a tool type of the individual tool from the plurality of types of grass cutting tools based on a load or a current of the motor when the driver is driven by the motor with the individual tool attached to the driver;
set a target rotational frequency based on an identification of the tool type; and
control the motor to rotate at the target rotational frequency.

3. The electric working machine according to claim 2 ,
wherein the target rotational frequency corresponds to a maximum rotational frequency of the motor for the tool type.

4. The electric working machine according to claim 2 ,
wherein the control circuit is configured to change the target rotational frequency in accordance with a load imposed on the motor.

5. The electric working machine according to claim 4 ,
wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
detect the load imposed on the motor; and
set the target rotational frequency upon detection of the load, the target rotational frequency being determined depending on the identification of the tool type.

6. The electric working machine according to claim 4 ,
wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
detect the load imposed on the motor; and
set the target rotational frequency prior to detection of the load, the target rotational frequency being determined depending on the identification of the tool type.

7. The electric working machine according to claim 4 ,
wherein the control circuit is configured to change the target rotational frequency in a stage-by-stage manner in accordance with the load imposed on the motor.

8. The electric working machine according to claim 7 ,
wherein a total number of stages to change the target rotational frequency varies depending on the tool type.

9. The electric working machine according to claim 8 ,
wherein the tool type can be a metal blade or a nylon cord cutter, and
wherein the total number of stages for the metal blade is larger than the total number of stages for the nylon cord cutter.

10. The electric working machine according to claim 4 ,
wherein the control circuit is configured to perform automatic shifting control and manual shifting control,
wherein the control circuit is configured to change the target rotational frequency in the automatic shifting control based on a magnitude of the load, and
wherein the control circuit is configured to change the target rotational frequency in the manual shifting control based on operation of the electric working machine by a user of the electric working machine.

11. The electric working machine according to claim 10 ,
wherein the automatic shifting control includes more stages to change the target rotational frequency than the manual shifting control.

12. The electric working machine according to claim 2 ,
wherein the control circuit is configured to identify the tool type based on an electric current flowing through the motor.

13. An electric working machine comprising:
a driver configured such that a tool can be attached to the driver;
a motor configured to drive the tool attached to the driver; and
a control circuit configured to (i) set a target rotational frequency based on an identification of the tool as a metal blade or a nylon cord cutter and (ii) control the motor to rotate at the target rotational frequency, wherein
the target rotational frequency corresponds to a maximum rotational frequency of the motor for the tool, and
the maximum rotational frequency for the metal blade is higher than the maximum rotational frequency for the nylon cord cutter.

14. An electric working machine comprising:
a driver configured such that individual tools of a plurality of types of grass cutting tools can be selectively attached to the driver;
a motor configured to drive an individual tool of the plurality of types of grass cutting tools that is attached to the driver; and
a control circuit configured to (i) set a target rotational frequency based on an identification of a tool type of the individual tool, (ii) control the motor to rotate at the target rotational frequency, (iii) change the target rotational frequency in accordance with a load imposed on the motor, and (iv) set at least one parameter based on the identification of the tool type, the at least one parameter being associated with a change of the target rotational frequency depending on a state of the load.

15. The electric working machine according to claim 14 , wherein
the tool type can be a metal blade or a nylon cord cutter,
the at least one parameter includes a load imposed threshold for determining whether the load is imposed on the motor, and
the load imposed threshold set when the nylon cord cutter is attached to the driver is larger than the load imposed threshold set when the metal blade is attached to the driver.

16. The electric working machine according to claim 14 , wherein
the tool type can be a metal blade or a nylon cord cutter,
the at least one parameter includes a change confirmation time,
the control circuit is configured to change the target rotational frequency in response to a condition for change continuing for the change confirmation time, the condition for change being set based on a magnitude of the load, and
the change confirmation time set when the metal blade is attached to the driver is longer than the change confirmation time set when the nylon cord cutter is attached to the driver.

17. The electric working machine according to claim 14 , wherein
the tool type can be a metal blade or a nylon cord cutter,
the at least one parameter includes a change disabled time,
the control circuit is configured to determine whether a condition for change is fulfilled in response to an elapse of the change disabled time, the condition for change being set based on a magnitude of the load, and
the change disabled time set when the metal blade is attached to the driver is longer than the change disabled time set when the nylon cord cutter is attached to the driver.

18. An electric working machine comprising:
a driver configured such that individual tools of a plurality of types of grass cutting tools can be selectively attached to the driver;
a motor configured to drive a

Assignees

• Makita Corp

Inventors

• Hata Tatsuya
• Nojiri Hiroshi
• Ichikawa Yoshitaka

Classifications

• H02P29/40

  Regulating or controlling the amount of current drawn or delivered by the motor for controlling the mechanical load · CPC title

• A01D34/78

  electric · CPC title

• A01D34/006 Primary

  Control or measuring arrangements · CPC title

• B25F5/00

  Details or components of portable power-driven tools not particularly related to the operations performed and not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• A01D34/412

  having rotating cutters · CPC title