U.S. patent application number 17/399280 was filed with the patent office on 2022-02-17 for system of a household appliance and an accumulator having an optical display means.
This patent application is currently assigned to Vorwerk & Co. Interholding GmbH. The applicant listed for this patent is Vorwerk & Co. Interholding GmbH. Invention is credited to Viktor BEZSONOV, Jan DELFS, Ingo EHRING, Gerhard ISENBERG.
Application Number | 20220047137 17/399280 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005828328 |
Filed Date | 2022-02-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220047137 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
ISENBERG; Gerhard ; et
al. |
February 17, 2022 |
SYSTEM OF A HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE AND AN ACCUMULATOR HAVING AN
OPTICAL DISPLAY MEANS
Abstract
A system of a household appliance has an appliance housing, an
accumulator having an accumulator housing and an integrated optical
display, and a display control for controlling a display of
information on the accumulator display. The appliance has a
detector for determining appliance states of the appliance, which
do not relate to the accumulator, wherein the detector is
configured to transmit the detected appliance state to the display
control, wherein the display control is configured to control the
accumulator display to display the received appliance state. The
display control is configured to control the display of a remaining
running time, which specifies how long a charging capacity, which
is still available in the accumulator, will last, to complete an
activity, which is currently performed, wherein the remaining
running time relates to a combination of an appliance parameter of
the appliance and of the current charging capacity of the
accumulator.
Inventors: |
ISENBERG; Gerhard; (Koeln,
DE) ; DELFS; Jan; (Bonn, DE) ; EHRING;
Ingo; (Bottrop, DE) ; BEZSONOV; Viktor;
(Duesseldorf, DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Vorwerk & Co. Interholding GmbH |
Wuppertal |
|
DE |
|
|
Assignee: |
Vorwerk & Co. Interholding
GmbH
Wuppertal
DE
|
Family ID: |
1000005828328 |
Appl. No.: |
17/399280 |
Filed: |
August 11, 2021 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 9/2857 20130101;
A47L 9/2884 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A47L 9/28 20060101
A47L009/28 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 12, 2020 |
DE |
10 2020 121 218.6 |
Claims
1. A system of a household appliance (1) having an appliance
housing (6), an accumulator (2) having an accumulator housing (5)
and an optical display means (3) integrated therein, and a display
control means (4) for controlling a display of information on the
display means (3) of the accumulator (2), wherein the household
appliance (1) has a detection means (7) for determining appliance
states of the household appliance (1), which do not relate to the
accumulator (2), wherein the detection means (7) is set up to
transmit the detected appliance state of the household appliance
(1) to the display control means (4), wherein the display control
means (4) is set up to control the display means (3) of the
accumulator (2) to display the received appliance state of the
household appliance (1), wherein the display control means (4) is
set up to control the display of a remaining running time, which
specifies how long a charging capacity, which is still available in
the accumulator (2), will last, in order to complete an activity,
which is currently performed, wherein the remaining running time
relates to a combination of an appliance parameter of the household
appliance (1) and of the current charging capacity of the
accumulator (2).
2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the optical display
means (3) of the accumulator (2) has a display (8) and/or at least
one light-emitting diode (9).
3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the display control
means (4) is a component of the accumulator (2).
4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the accumulator (2) is
accommodated in the appliance housing (6) of the household
appliance (1), wherein the display means (3) of the accumulator (2)
can be read through a housing recess (10) of the appliance housing
(6).
5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the accumulator (2) is
connected to the appliance housing (6) of the household appliance
(1) in a reversibly separable manner.
6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the display control
means (4) is furthermore set up to also display an accumulator
state, in particular a charging state or an aging state of the
accumulator (2), on the display means (3) of the accumulator
(2).
7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the display means (3)
of the accumulator (2) is formed to display an appliance state
and/or accumulator state as color signal, text and/or image.
8. The system according to claim 1, further comprising two
interchangeable accumulators (2), which, based on the displayable
appliance states and/or accumulator states, have display means (3),
which are formed so as to be different from one another.
9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the household appliance
(1) is a floor treating appliance, in particular a cleaning
appliance.
10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the appliance
parameter is selected from the quantity: cleaning power, suction
power, liquid delivery rate, fill level of a container (11) for a
liquid or a solid, temperature of a component, service requirement
of an appliance component, appliance error, collision status of the
household appliance (1) with an obstacle, remaining running time
until the completion of an activity, activity of a communication
interface, relative spatial orientation of a handle (12) that is
movably arranged on the appliance housing (6) of the household
appliance (1), handling parameters of the household appliance (1),
accessory parameters of an accessory (13) that is separably
connected to the household appliance (1), in particular of a
suction nozzle or of a cleaning element.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Applicant claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 119 of
German Application No. 10 2020 121 218.6 filed Aug. 12, 2020, the
disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates to a system of a household appliance
having an appliance housing, an accumulator having an accumulator
housing and an optical display means integrated therein, and a
display control means for controlling a display of information on
the display means of the accumulator, wherein the household
appliance has a detection means for determining appliance states of
the household appliance, which do not relate to the accumulator,
wherein the detection means is set up to transmit the detected
appliance state of the household appliance to the display control
means, wherein the display control means is set up to control the
display means of the accumulator to display the received appliance
state of the household appliance.
2. Description of the Related Art
[0003] Household appliances of the above-mentioned type are known
in the prior art. They can be, for example, floor treating
appliances, food processors, tools, or the like. It is known to use
an accumulator, which can be connected, in particular separably, to
the household appliance and which has an optical display means, for
example a display, for displaying information. The information
displayed on the optical display means relates to information about
the accumulator, for example the state of charge thereof.
[0004] The published application WO 2019/031273 A1 discloses, for
example, a printer comprising a battery pack, which has a display
for optically displaying information. The display includes a state
of charge display of the accumulator as well as error
notifications, by means of LEDs, which flash at a different
frequency.
[0005] The published application WO 2018/162057 A1 discloses a
battery-operated vacuum cleaner comprising a battery means, which
has its own display. The battery means can be plugged into a holder
of the vacuum cleaner from the outside, so that the display of the
battery means is readable for a user.
[0006] WO 2019/031273 A1 discloses an accumulator, on the display
of which an error state of the electrical appliance having the
accumulator is displayed, namely the exceeding of a maximally
permissible temperature at a measuring point of the electrical
appliance.
[0007] DE 10 2013 218 019 A1 discloses an accumulator, on the
display of which a speed of an electric motor is displayed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Based on the above-mentioned prior art, it is the object of
the invention to further develop a system of a household appliance
and an accumulator, in the case of which the user can be informed
about relevant parameters of the system with consistent size of the
appliance surface.
[0009] To solve this object, it is proposed that the display
control means is set up to control the display of a remaining
running time, which specifies how long a charging capacity, which
is still available in the accumulator, will last, in order to
complete an activity, which is currently performed, wherein the
remaining running time relates to a combination of an appliance
parameter of the household appliance and of the current charging
capacity of the accumulator.
[0010] The accumulator has an optical display means, on which
appliance parameters of the household appliance can be displayed.
For this purpose, the optical display means of the accumulator can
be controlled by means of the display control means of the system
in such a way that the appliance states of the household appliance,
which do not relate to the accumulator itself, are displayed on the
optical display means of the accumulator. The information relating
to the appliance states of the household appliance are transmitted
from the household appliance to the display control means by means
of a communication interface, and are then used for control
commands, which prompt the display of the information on the
optical display means of the accumulator. The outer surface of the
appliance housing of the household appliance, which is generally
only available to a limited extent, can thus be used optimally,
namely in that the optical display means of the accumulator does
not only display the accumulator's own states, but, on the
contrary, also appliance states of the household appliance, which
do not relate to the accumulator itself at all. The additional
accommodation of a further display means for the display of
appliance parameters of the household appliance can thus be
dispensed with. The space requirement on the appliance housing
required as a whole for optical display means is reduced and thus
also the resulting costs, in particular also because, for example,
the same components of the system can be used for several tasks,
for example housing parts, holders, electric cables, and others.
Moreover, it is advantageous for the user that all states of
interest, namely states of the household appliance on the one hand,
and optionally states of the accumulator itself on the other hand,
can be read on one and the same optical display means, and a
display of information does not take place distributed over the
appliance housing of the household appliance.
[0011] It is proposed that the optical display means of the
accumulator has a display and/or at least one light-emitting diode.
The display can be, for example, a TFT display or LCD display, in
particular also a so-called touchscreen, on which the user can make
inputs at the same time. In addition or in the alternative, one or
in particular several light-emitting diodes can also be provided as
indicators. It is advisable in particular that the household
appliance does not have any additional indicators spaced apart from
the optical display means, but that they are in fact locally
concentrated in the proposed integrated optical display means or,
in the case of separate light-emitting diodes, respectively, are
arranged in the immediate vicinity of a display of the optical
display means.
[0012] It is in particular proposed that the display control means
is a component of the accumulator. Even though the display control
means can generally also be formed separately from the accumulator
and then transmits control signals to the accumulator, for example
by means of an electrical supply line, it is advisable that the
display means controls is integrated in the accumulator housing of
the accumulator. In addition to a charging and discharging
interface, the accumulator or the display control means,
respectively, corresponding to the household appliance, is then
preferably also equipped with a communication interface, via which
the display control means can receive information about one or
several appliance states of the household appliance from the
household appliance. The household appliance therefore has a
corresponding communication interface as well as preferably
additionally also a charging and discharging interface. In the
alternative, it is possible that the display control means is a
component of the household appliance, and is thus installed in the
appliance housing of the household appliance. In this case, the
household appliance or the display control means thereof,
respectively, can control the optical display means of the
separately formed accumulator.
[0013] It is proposed that the accumulator is accommodated in the
appliance housing of the household appliance, wherein the display
means of the accumulator can be read through a housing recess of
the appliance housing. According to this embodiment, the
accumulator is integrated into the housing surface of the household
appliance with the surface having the optical display means, namely
preferably parallel to and in a plane therewith. A step to the
optical display means, to which, for example dust and dirt could
adhere, thus does not result on the outer side of the appliance
housing. Provided that the optical display means of the accumulator
is offset from the surface plane of the appliance housing of the
household appliance, however, a disc for compensating a height
difference, which is arranged on the outside above the optical
display means, can serve, for example, to compensate a height
difference.
[0014] It is proposed that the accumulator is connected to the
appliance housing of the household appliance in a reversibly
separable manner. The accumulator can thus be removed from the
household appliance, for example for charging purposes. The optical
display means is preferably separated from the appliance housing as
one piece, together with the accumulator. An alternative embodiment
can generally also provide, however, that the optical display means
is not an integrated part of the accumulator, and, when removing
the accumulator from the appliance housing of the household
appliance, thus remains therein. So that the accumulator can be
released easily from the appliance housing of the household
appliance, the household appliance preferably has a holder and/or a
shaft, which is molded within the appliance housing and into which
the accumulator can be inserted. The holder or the shaft,
respectively, is then arranged within the appliance housing so as
to correspond to the size and shape of the accumulator in such a
way that, in the assembled state of the accumulator, the optical
display means is visible from the outside through a material recess
of the appliance housing.
[0015] It can be provided that the display control means is
furthermore set up to also display an accumulator state on the
display means of the accumulator. The accumulator state can in
particular be a charging state or an aging state of the
accumulator. The display control means thus does not only display
information relating to the household appliance, but, on the
contrary, also information about the accumulator itself, for
example the charging state or aging state thereof. All relevant
information is thus available to the user on one and the same
optical display means. It is not required to install two separate
optical display means in the appliance housing. The display control
means assigned to the optical display means thus accesses external
appliance states of the household appliance, i.e. determined
outside of the accumulator, on the one hand, and internal
accumulator states of the accumulator, on the other hand. This
results in a combination of a display of externally input appliance
parameters and the accumulator's own accumulator parameters.
[0016] The display means of the accumulator can be formed to
display an appliance state and/or accumulator state as color
signal, text and/or image. The display means can thus display
information about appliance states and/or accumulator states in the
form of displayed colors or patterns as well as as text. In terms
of a color signal, for example states, which lie within or outside
of a tolerance range, respectively, can be displayed by means of a
green or red color signal, respectively. An image display can
include, for example, a successively increasing or decreasing
structure, respectively, for example a progress bar or a pyramid.
Based on an advancing service requirement of a component of the
household appliance, for example the fill level of a filter bag,
for example a displayed pyramid structure can increase more and
more completely, the higher the fill level of the filter bag
becomes. A text display on the optical display means can include,
for example, a series of numbers and/or a series of letters, in
particular words. A series of numbers can be, for example, a
percentage display, which specifies a percentage progress of an
activity, which is currently performed by the household
appliance.
[0017] It can be provided that the system does not only have one,
but two interchangeable accumulators, which, based on the
displayable appliance states and/or accumulator states, have
display means, which are formed so as to be different from one
another. According to this design, at least one second accumulator,
which has a different display range of the optical display means,
is kept ready within the system. The states or information
displayed by the optical display means of the two or more
accumulators, can thus differ. For example, an optical display
means of a first accumulator can be formed to display a fill level
of a dust container and a speed of a suction fan, while the optical
display means of a second accumulator is formed to display the fill
level of a liquid container and a liquid delivery rate from the
liquid container. Corresponding thereto, the display control means
of the system can preferably initially obtain information about
which accumulator is currently connected to the household
appliance, so as to then concretely only transmit those appliance
states, which can in fact also be displayed, i.e. for the display
of which the currently used accumulator is suitable, to the optical
display means or display them thereon, respectively. In the
alternative, however, it can also be possible that the display
control means generally processes and/or outputs all known
appliance states and optionally also accumulator states for a
display on the optical display means, and only those, for which the
actual options for a display are also created, are then in fact
displayed on the optical display means of the accumulator. This is
so, because if, for example, the optical display means does not
have any colored indicators or display elements, a related command,
which includes color information, cannot be implemented, so that
corresponding information is then not displayed at all, or is
transformed, for example, into information, which is not displayed
in color.
[0018] As already proposed, the household appliance can be a floor
treating appliance, in particular a cleaning appliance. In the
alternative, the household appliance, however, can also be a food
processor, such as, for example, a universal cooker-mixer.
Household appliances formed according to the invention can also be
tools, such as, for example, drills, sanders, polishers, or
others.
[0019] The appliance parameter of the household appliance displayed
on the optical display means of the accumulator is preferably
selected from the quantity: cleaning power, suction power, liquid
delivery rate, fill level of a container for a liquid or a solid,
temperature of a component, service requirement of an appliance
component. Appliance error, collision status of the household
appliance with an obstacle, remaining running time until the
completion of an activity, activity of a communication interface,
relative spatial orientation of a handle that is movably arranged
on the appliance housing of the household appliance, handling
parameters of the household appliance, accessory parameters of an
accessory that is separably connected to the household appliance,
in particular of a suction nozzle or of a cleaning element. A
cleaning power can, for example, be the intensity of a floor
treatment, which is characterized, e.g., by the speed of a rotating
cleaning element or the frequency of an oscillating cleaning
element. In addition, this can also be understood as a suction
power of a suction fan. A liquid delivery rate can be, for example,
the amount of liquid, which is delivered by a mopping appliance for
each time unit to a surface to be cleaned or a cleaning element.
The fill level of a container for a liquid or a solid can relate,
for example, to a cleaning agent container, a dirty liquid tank, a
container for cleaning additives, or the like. The temperature of a
component, such as in particular of an electrical consumer of the
household appliances, in particular of an electric motor, which
drives a rotating cleaning element, a running gear or the like, is
also particularly interesting. The appliance parameter can
furthermore also include a current or foreseeable service
requirement of an appliance component, for example that a liquid
container of the household appliance needs to be filled up shortly,
that a dirt container needs to be emptied, that consumable material
of the household appliance needs to be refilled, that a cleaning
element or other component of the household appliance needs to be
cleaned, and the like. In addition, the status of a communication
means can be displayed. The communication means can preferably be a
wirelessly communicating means, such as, in particular, a radio
module. The status can be an on status, off status, standby status,
error status. In addition, an appliance parameter can also be an
appliance error of the household appliance or of certain components
of the household appliance, respectively. A collision status of the
household appliance can also be displayed, i.e. a situation, in
which the household appliance has collided with an obstacle, and is
in particular also damaged, for example, i.e. is immovably stuck in
a room situation. The collision status can thereby display a
collision that has already taken place, or also an impending
collision that is expected to happen, if the household appliance
continues to move within the environment as before. A remaining
running time of the household appliance, until an activity
performed by the household appliance is expected to be completed,
is also particularly interesting as displayed appliance parameter.
According to the invention, a remaining running time displayed on
the optical display means indicates, how long a charging capacity,
which is still available in the accumulator, will last, in order to
complete a currently performed activity. In the case of this
remaining running time indication, appliance parameters on the one
hand, and also accumulator parameters on the other hand, are thus
considered, namely the current activity or appliance setting,
respectively, of the household appliance on the one hand, and the
state of charge of the accumulator on the other hand. In addition,
the activity of a communication interface can be specified, for
example an on state, off state, or a standby state. The display can
in particular take place in the form of a color display or as
display by means of an activated, i.e. luminous, or non-activated
light-emitting diode. Further appliance parameters can relate to
special structural states of the household appliance, for example,
in which position a movable handle of the household appliance is
located, or whether and which accessory is connected to the
household appliance. The accessory can be, for example, an
accessory, which is separably arranged on the appliance housing of
the household appliance, such as a suction nozzle or a cleaning
element. For example, the household appliance can be a floor
treating appliance, comprising a base appliance and attachments,
which can be separably connected thereto. It can be determined via
a detection means, whether and which accessory is currently located
at an appliance interface of the household appliance. Information
about this can subsequently be displayed on the display of the
accumulator by means of the display control means.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] Other objects and features of the invention will become
apparent from the following detailed description considered in
connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood,
however, that the drawings are designed as an illustration only and
not as a definition of the limits of the invention.
[0021] In the drawings,
[0022] FIG. 1 shows a system according to the invention of a
household appliance and an accumulator;
[0023] FIG. 2 shows the accumulator in isolation; and
[0024] FIG. 3 shows an optical display means of the
accumulator.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0025] FIG. 1 initially shows an exemplary household appliance 1,
which is formed here only in an exemplary manner as a floor
treating appliance, namely as vacuum cleaner, which is manually
guided by a user. However, the invention described below can also
be used in the case of any other form of household appliance 1, for
example in the case of tools, food processors, or the like.
Regardless on the type and form of the household appliance 1, the
invention works without being affected by this. The household
appliance 1 illustrated here has a handle 12, which can be
pivotably moved around a joint 14 and which the user can use during
a cleaning activity, in order to guide the household appliance 1
over a floor surface to be cleaned. He thereby usually guides the
household appliance 1 away from himself or towards himself,
respectively, in consecutive movements. To be able to additionally
also use the household appliance 1 as household appliance 1, which
is portable during the floor treatment, the handle 12 can be
pivoted around the joint 14 closer towards the appliance housing 6,
in particular so that the handle 12 is aligned anti-parallel to the
position illustrated in FIG. 1. This results in a compact, portable
appliance, the center of mass of which is located close to the hand
of a user. In addition, the household appliance 1 has an appliance
housing 6 as well as a connecting region 15 arranged or formed on
the appliance housing 6, respectively, for connecting an accessory
13. Here, the accessory 13 is, for example, a suction nozzle,
through which suction material can be sucked from a surface to be
cleaned into a container 11 of the household appliance 1. A
detection means 7, which detects whether an accessory 13 is
currently connected to the connecting region 15 of the appliance
housing 6, is located at the connecting region 15. In addition, a
detection means 7, which can detect a suction material fill level
inside the container 11, is also assigned to the container 11. The
detection means 7 for detecting the fill level can be, for example,
a pressure sensor, a light barrier, or the like. In addition, an
accumulator 2 comprising an integrated display means 3 is inserted
into the appliance housing 6 of the household appliance 1. The
display means 3 is visible from the outside through a housing
recess 10 of the appliance housing 6. For example, the optical
display means 3 of the accumulator 2 engages in a flush-mounted
manner through the housing recess 10 of the appliance housing 6, so
that a flat surface with the smallest possible gap size between the
appliance housing 6 and the optical display means 3 of the
accumulator 2 results from the outside. A display control means 4
of the household appliance 1 is assigned to the display means 3.
Here, the display control means 4 is, for example, a component of
the household appliance 1, and is connected to the display means 3
of the accumulator 2 in a wired or wireless manner. In addition,
the detection means 7 of the household appliance 1 are in
communication with the display control means 4.
[0026] As illustrated in more detail in FIG. 2, the accumulator 2
is formed separately from the household appliance 1 and the
appliance housing 6 thereof, so that the accumulator 2 can be
reversibly removed from the appliance housing 6. For this purpose,
the appliance housing 6 preferably has an insertion shaft, into
which the user of the system can insert the accumulator 2. The
insertion shaft can connect, for example, to the housing recess 10.
Connecting elements for connecting the accumulator 2 to
corresponding means of the household appliance 1, for example
electrical contacts of a charge interface or also an electrical
connection to the display control means 4 of the household
appliance 1, are then preferably located in this shaft. Here, the
optical display means 3 is inseparably connected to the accumulator
housing 5 preferably of the accumulator 2. In the alternative,
although not preferred, the optical display means 3, however, can
also be separable from the accumulator housing 5 or can only be in
communication with the accumulator 2 as separate display means 3.
However, a formation of the accumulator 2 with the display means 3
as one means is preferred, as illustrated here.
[0027] FIG. 3 shows an example for a possible formation of an
optical display means 3 of the accumulator 2 in detail. The display
means 3 initially has a display 8, which can be a TFT or LCD
display. It is in particular advisable to form the display means 3
as optical touchscreen, so that the user can also simultaneously
make manual user inputs via the display means 3. The display means
3 has a display 8, and information fields 9 displayed thereon. A
digitally illustrated name is assigned to each information field 9
on the display means 3, here, for example "stage 1", "stage 2",
"stage 3", which are, for example, suction power stages of a
motor-fan means of the household appliance 1. Depending on the
suction power stage, which is selected by a user or which is
automatically set, that information 9 of the display means 3 lights
up, which is arranged next to the name of the currently activated
stage. Under the listing of the suction power stages, the display
means 3 additionally displays a running time indication "07" in
numerical form, which is, for example, a minute indication here,
which specifies, how long an activity, which is currently performed
by the household appliance 1, will still be active until a complete
cessation. According to the invention, the illustrated running time
relates to a parameter of the system, which relates to a
combination of an appliance parameter of the household appliance 1
and an accumulator parameter of the accumulator 2, for example, a
current cleaning power of the household appliance 1, and a current
charging capacity of the accumulator 2. A combined computation is
made from these parameters, for how long the amount of energy,
which is currently available in the accumulator 2, will still last,
in order to use the household appliance 1 with the currently used
appliance parameters (cleaning power). The illustrated running time
indication of "07" minutes here thus specifies that the activity of
the household appliance 1 will likely be finished in seven minutes
if the user continues to operate the household appliance 1 with the
currently set appliance parameters.
[0028] Even though this is not illustrated here in the selected
example, the optical display means 3 of the household appliance 1
can also be formed in a different way. In addition to the display
8, the display means 3 can also have, for example, separate
light-emitting diodes.
[0029] In addition, the displayed parameters can be changed as a
function of an accessory 13, which is currently connected to the
appliance housing 6 of the household appliance 1. In this case, the
detection means 7 detects, for example, which accessory 13 is
currently connected to the appliance housing 6, and the display
control means 4 transmits this information, which then provides
corresponding fields for the appliance parameters of the household
appliance 1 or of the accessory 13, respectively, on the optical
display means 3. Provided that the accessory 13 is, for example, an
attachment comprising a rotating cleaning element, an information
field 9 for a speed indication can therefore be displayed on the
optical display means 3 of the accumulator 2. The parameters of the
household appliance 1 (or optionally also additionally of the
accumulator 2 itself, respectively) can be displayed on the display
8 as text and/or image. The display of a color signal is also
possible, wherein color signals can generally also be displayed
with the help of, for example, separate colored light-emitting
diodes. The displayed appliance states or also accumulator states
are not limited to the exemplary embodiment described here. On the
contrary, an appliance state can also be a cleaning power, suction
power, liquid delivery rate, fill level of the container 11,
temperature of a component, service requirement of an appliance
component, status of a communication means, appliance error,
collision status of the household appliance 1 with an obstacle,
activity of a communication interface, spatial orientation of the
handle 12, handling parameters of the household appliance 1, or
others.
[0030] A special embodiment provides a system comprising a
household appliance 1 and several accumulators 2, which can be
connected thereto, wherein the two accumulators 2 are embodied so
as to be different from one another, namely with respect to the
appliance states, which can be displayed on the display means 3 of
the respective accumulator 2. For example, only one of the
accumulators 2 has a display means 3 comprising colored information
fields 9, while the other accumulator 2 has a display 8, on which
states can only be displayed in the form of black/white text and/or
image. The display control means 4 of the household appliance 1 can
recognize, which accumulator 2 is currently inserted in the
appliance housing 6 of the household appliance 1, and can therefore
transmit control commands, which correspond to the options for
displaying states on the respective display means 3.
[0031] Although only a few embodiments of the present invention
have been shown and described, it is to be understood that many
changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
[0032] 1 household appliance [0033] 2 accumulator [0034] 3 display
means [0035] 4 display control means [0036] 5 accumulator housing
[0037] 6 appliance housing [0038] 7 detection means [0039] 8
display [0040] 9 information field [0041] 10 housing recess [0042]
11 container [0043] 12 handle [0044] 13 accessory [0045] 14 joint
[0046] 15 connecting region
* * * * *