JP4986946B2 - Electric vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner having a function capable of simultaneously sucking dust floating in the air around a cleaner body during a cleaning operation of a surface to be cleaned such as a floor surface or a carpet.

  Conventionally, an electric vacuum cleaner is required to efficiently remove dust such as pollen, allergen, and dust present on a surface to be cleaned such as a floor surface or a carpet. On the other hand, little consideration has been given to the removal of dust present in the air on the surface to be cleaned. Such dust is the dust on the surface to be re-scattered into the air by the walking operation of the person who operates the vacuum cleaner when using the vacuum cleaner or the cleaning operation such as exhaust from the vacuum cleaner. Often derived from. And such dust was supposed to continue floating in the air on the surface to be cleaned for a long time without being collected by the vacuum cleaner.

  Dust floating in the air is one factor that adversely affects the health of occupants existing on the surface to be cleaned. It is known that inhaling such dust into the body causes allergic symptoms such as hay fever and atopic dermatitis. It has also been found that much dust continues to float in the air close to the surface to be cleaned. Therefore, in particular, infants and the like whose body organs are not developed and whose mouth and nose are lower than adults have more opportunities to inhale dust, and are susceptible to health effects. As one of measures for preventing such a situation, there exists a vacuum cleaner that can remove dust simultaneously with the cleaning operation of the surface to be cleaned.

  As such, “separate the dust from the cleaning electric blower in the main body of the vacuum cleaner connected to the suction port, the dust collecting chamber that separates the dust sucked from the suction port by the suction force of this cleaning electric blower. The main body exhaust port for exhausting the air after cleaning to the outside of the cleaner body, the cleaning fan installed with the cleaning electric fan in the cleaner body, and the outside air provided in the cleaner body by the suction force of this cleaning fan It has an outside air filter that removes dust sucked from the air intake and an outside air exhaust port that exhausts air after dust is removed by the outside air filter, and the electric blower for cleaning and the blower for cleaning can be driven simultaneously An electric vacuum cleaner ”has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-113468 (5th page, FIG. 2)

  Since the electric vacuum cleaner described in the cited document 1 is equipped with two powers, a cleaning electric blower and a cleaning blower, it has a small diffusion coefficient and is easily affected by gravity settling and inertial force. It is possible to exhibit sufficient performance against coarse dust with a large warp. However, such a vacuum cleaner has a large diffusion coefficient, a high electric mobility, and can not exhibit sufficient performance with respect to fine dust with a small particle size, and the dust collection effect is insufficient. There was a problem.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and can efficiently perform cleaning of a surface to be cleaned and removal of dust floating in the air at the same time, and can suppress adverse effects on the human body. The purpose is to provide an easy-to-use vacuum cleaner.

Vacuum cleaner according to the present invention, a first intake port for sucking the floor near the air by the suction power section, and a second intake port for sucking the air of the air of dust floating by the suction power section, said first Part of both the air that is sucked from one air inlet and collects dust, the air that passes through the suction power unit, and the dust that is sucked from the second air inlet and collects dust, and that passes through the suction power unit a first exhaust port for discharging to the outside, in order to facilitate the suction at said second inlet, a particle agglomerator for generating particles coalescing element for aggregating fine dust particles in the air, the particles agglomerate And a second exhaust port for discharging the particle agglomeration element generated from the apparatus to the outside together with a part of the air passing through the suction power unit .

Vacuum cleaner according to the present invention comprises a first air inlet for sucking air around the intake inclusive device, the cleaner main body, and a second intake port for sucking the vacuum cleaner surrounding body air, the a suction power section for sucking external air from the first intake port and the second intake port, the dust collecting dust contained in air sucked from the first inlet port and the second intake port by the suction power section A part of both the dust collecting part and the air sucked from the first air inlet and passed through the suction power part and the air sucked from the second air inlet and passed through the suction power part are discharged to the outside. a first outlet for the particle agglomeration apparatus for generating a particle agglomeration element for aggregating the fine dust particles of the cleaner around the body in the air, the generated particles coalescing elements from the particle aggregation device, the suction power the outside together with part of the air through the parts Characterized in that it comprises a second exhaust port for discharging.

  According to the vacuum cleaner according to the present invention, by providing the particle aggregating device, it is possible to agglomerate fine dust that is included in the air present around the cleaner body and floats around the cleaner body. Can be promoted. Therefore, the fine dust floating around the cleaner body can be coarsened, the collection efficiency of the cleaner body can be improved, and the air around the cleaner can be efficiently cleaned. .

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration of a vacuum cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state in which the sectional configuration of the cleaner body 3 is viewed from the side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of the cleaner body 3. Based on FIGS. 1-3, the structure and operation | movement of the vacuum cleaner 100 are demonstrated. In addition, in the following drawings including FIG. 1, the relationship of the size of each component may be different from the actual one. 2 and 3 also show the flow of air sucked into the cleaner body 3 (solid arrow A and broken arrow B).

  The vacuum cleaner 100 according to this embodiment is capable of sucking dust such as pollen, allergens, and dust existing on the surface to be cleaned such as a floor surface and a carpet, and simultaneously sucking dust floating in the air. It is. As shown in FIG. 1, the electric vacuum cleaner 100 sucks dust on the surface to be cleaned 3 into the cleaner main body 3 in which a dust collecting unit 8 and a suction power unit 9 described later are accommodated. A suction tool 2 having a first air inlet 1, a pipe 4 detachably connected to the suction tool 2, and for sending dust and air sucked from the first air inlet 1 to the cleaner body 3, A bellows-like hose 5 that removably connects the vacuum cleaner body 3, a hand handle 6 that is provided at one end of the pipe 4 and that is operated by the user to operate the suction tool 2, and a part of the hand handle 6 And an operation unit 7 for operating a power source of the vacuum cleaner 100 and the like.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the vacuum cleaner body 3 includes a hose connection port 21 for detachably connecting the hose 5, a dust collecting unit 8 that collects dust sucked through the hose 5, and sucks air. A suction power unit 9 that generates a suction force to perform the operation, a first exhaust port 10 that discharges air sucked by the suction power unit 9 to the outside of the cleaner body 3 as exhaust gas, and a part of the exhaust gas. The second exhaust port 11, the particle aggregating device 12 for generating a particle aggregating element (for example, a particle aggregating medium such as an electric charge or a liquid or an ultrasonic wave) that is discharged from the second exhaust port 11 together with the exhaust, A lid 14 provided in a part of the upper part through a hinge 13 so as to be openable and closable, a second air inlet 15 provided in the lid 14, and an air passage 16 communicating the second air inlet 15 and the dust collecting portion 8. And the amount of air flowing from the second air inlet 15 can be adjusted. Has a closing 17, the.

  The hose connection port 21 is formed in front of the cleaner body 3, communicates with the first intake port 1 of the suction tool 2 through the hose 5 and the pipe 4, and removes dust and air sucked by the suction tool 2. It is conducted inside the main body 3. In the following description, the first intake port 1 includes the hose connection port 21. The dust collecting unit 8 is detachably accommodated in the cleaner body 3 and communicates with the hose 5 to collect coarse dust having a relatively large particle size among the dust sent from the hose 5. A dust collection chamber 8a for collecting dust, a dust collection filter 8b for collecting fine dust, and a dust collection filter case 8c that covers and holds the dust collection filter 8b. The suction power unit 9 is configured by an electric blower or the like, and is disposed on the downstream side of the dust collecting unit 8 and is for sucking air from the first air inlet 1 and the second air inlet 15.

  The first exhaust port 10 is formed downstream of the suction power unit 9 and behind the cleaner body 3, and discharges most of the air sucked by the suction power unit 9 to the outside of the cleaner body 3. It is. The second exhaust port 11 is formed by opening a part of the rear side of the lid 14 facing upward, and a part of the air sucked by the suction power unit 9 through the particle aggregation element generated by the particle aggregation device 12. At the same time, it is discharged to the outside of the cleaner body 3. The particle aggregating apparatus 12 has a function of generating a particle aggregating element for agglomerating fine dust (a fine dust having a large diffusion coefficient, a high electric mobility, and a small dust having a particle size of less than 0.5 μm, for example). (It will be described in detail in FIG. 7). The lid 14 covers the upper part of the cleaner body 3 so as to be openable and closable, and the second exhaust port 11 and the second intake port 15 are opened.

  The second air inlet 15 is formed by opening a part of the front of the lid 14 upward and forward, and sucks dust floating above the cleaner body 3 to the cleaner body 3. It is. The air passage 16 is formed along the shape of the lid 14 inside the cleaner body 3 as indicated by a broken line in FIG. 3, and the second air inlet 15 and the dust collecting portion 8 (specifically, the dust collecting portion 8). It communicates with the dust filter case 8c). The air passage 16 is formed so that the air passage cross-sectional area 16a gradually decreases from the opening area 15a side of the second intake port 15 corresponding to the entrance toward the open / close door 17. By forming the air passage 16 in such a shape, not only a wider range of outside air can be sucked, but also the generation of fluid noise when passing through the second intake port 15 can be reduced. The open / close door 17 is provided in a part of the air passage 16 and communicates or blocks the air passage 16 manually or automatically.

Here, the operation of the electric vacuum cleaner 100 will be described.
In the vacuum cleaner 100, a power cord (not shown) provided in the vacuum cleaner body 3 is connected to a commercial power source, a power switch (not shown) provided in the operation unit 7 of the hand handle 6 is turned on, and suction power The cleaning operation is started when the unit 9 is driven. When the suction power unit 9 is driven, suction force for sucking dust is generated in the cleaner body 3 (solid arrow A and broken arrow B). Thereby, dust on the surface to be cleaned is sucked together with air from the first air inlet 1 of the suction tool 2 (solid arrow A). Dust and air sucked from the first air inlet 1 are sucked into the cleaner body 3 via the pipe 4 and the hose 5.

  In the vacuum cleaner body 3, coarse dust having a relatively large particle size out of the dust sucked into the vacuum cleaner body 3 together with air is separated from the air and collected in the dust collection chamber 8a provided on the upstream side. Fine dust that has passed through the dust collection chamber 8a is further separated from the air and collected by the dust collection filter 8b provided on the downstream side. The air that has passed through the dust collection chamber 8a and the dust collection filter 8b is free of dust, becomes clean air, passes through the suction power unit 9, and is opened at the rear side of the cleaner body 3. The gas is discharged from the exhaust port 10.

  On the other hand, when the open / close door 17 is opened, dust floating around the cleaner body 3 is also sucked together with air from the second air inlet 15 (broken line arrow B). Dust and air sucked from the second intake port 15 are sucked into the dust collection filter case 8c via the air passage 16 and the open / close door 17. In the dust collection filter case 8c, the dust sucked into the dust collection filter case 8c together with air is separated and collected by the dust collection filter 8b. The air that has passed through the dust collection filter 8b is cleaned of dust, becomes clean air, and is discharged from the first exhaust port 10 that is formed in the rear side of the cleaner body 3 through the suction power unit 9. It has come to be.

  By the way, the fine dust including the fine dust on the surface to be cleaned that has been re-scattered in the air by the walking operation of the user of the vacuum cleaner 100 or the cleaning operation such as the exhaust from the vacuum cleaner 100 remains floating in the air. It has become. Therefore, in the vacuum cleaner 100, the particle aggregating element is discharged from the second exhaust port 11 toward the upper side of the cleaner body 3, so that fine dust, particularly dust, is aggregated. Then, the agglomerated dust is sucked into the cleaner body 3 from the second air inlet 15 formed in the upper part of the lid 14 and in front, and is collected by the dust collecting filter 8b (broken arrows). B).

Next, the effect of fine dust floating in the air on the human body will be described.
FIG. 4 is a graph showing the average height of infants (reference: “2000 Infant Body Growth Survey”, Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Employment Equal and Child and Family Bureau, 2000, p82). FIG. 5 is a graph showing the time it takes for an infant to stand and walk (reference: “2000 Infant Body Growth Survey”, Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Employment Equal and Child and Family Bureau, 2000, p89). Based on FIG.4 and FIG.5, the influence which a fine dust has on an infant is demonstrated with the growth process of the infant first.

  In general, mite allergens and pollen contained in fine dust of 2 μm or more are known to cause congenital diseases such as atopic dermatitis, hay fever and dust allergy. Yes. There is a report that such fine dust easily re-scatters due to the surrounding convection, and the scattering concentration is larger in the vicinity of the height of 30 cm and in the vicinity of the height of 30 cm. Reference: Environmental management "Study on the behavior of house dust particles in the air by indoor activities" Naori Yamamoto, Kazuyoshi Kumagai, Yukio Yanagisawa, 2004 (pp. 240-243).

  From FIG. 5, it can be seen that the majority of infants younger than one year old are still standing up and down. For this reason, the high-infant infant is breathing at a position of about 10 to 40 cm in height from the surface to be cleaned. In other words, there is a high concentration of fine dust that causes congenital diseases at heights near the infant's mouth and nose, and re-dispersing fine dust during cleaning may adversely affect the infant. It will be expensive. Therefore, in the vacuum cleaner 100, the fine dust that is re-scattered near the surface to be cleaned is provided by providing the second air inlet 15 near the position of 10 cm to 40 cm where the concentration of fine dust increases during the cleaning operation. Can be removed efficiently. Therefore, the vacuum cleaner 100 can effectively improve the surrounding environment of the cleaner body 3 during cleaning.

  One of the major factors that cause fine dust to be scattered most during cleaning is a walking operation by the user. Therefore, in the vacuum cleaner 100, by forming the second intake port 15 toward the user, it is possible to effectively suck even fine dust that should actually have re-scattered to a high position. . By the way, in reality, fine dust of 2 μm or less contained in fine dust floating in the air has a larger number concentration, and the diffusion coefficient becomes higher as the particle size becomes smaller. It is known that the floating time is long because it is difficult to be affected.

  FIG. 6 is a graph showing the change over time in the number density of dust soared during cleaning, according to particle size. Based on FIG. 6, the influence which the particle size of dust has on the time of floating in the air will be described. In FIG. 6, the vertical axis represents the dust number concentration (pieces / L), and the horizontal axis represents time (min). In addition, FIG. 6 shows the dust particle size in five stages, that is, (a) dust having a particle size of about 0.3 to 0.5 μm, and (b) having a particle size of about 0.5 to 1.0 μm. (C) Dust having a particle size of about 1.0 to 2.0 μm, (D) Dust having a particle size of about 2.0 to 5.0 μm, (v) 5.0 μm or more Each of the dusts with a particle size of. Among these, (a) represents fine dust, (b) to (d) represent fine dust, and (v) represents relatively large coarse dust.

  FIG. 6 shows that the number density increases as the particle size of dust decreases in any time zone (room air before cleaning: time zone A, room air during cleaning: time zone B, room air after cleaning: time zone C). It can be seen that it takes time to settle on the surface to be cleaned. Fine dust including fine dust as shown in (a) to (d) is small in mass, but if it enters the human body, it can easily reach the depths of the lungs, and as with relatively large dust, It will harm your health. In particular, fine dust as shown in (a) has a high diffusion coefficient, and is therefore difficult to be affected by wind suction and difficult to remove.

  Therefore, the vacuum cleaner 100 coarsens fine dust by the particle aggregation element generated from the particle aggregation device 12 with respect to the fine dust floating around the vacuum cleaner body 3. The dust coarsened by the particle aggregating element is sucked into the cleaner body 3 from the second air inlet 15 and collected by the dust collecting filter 8b. That is, when the particles are coarsened, the dust collection efficiency by the dust collection filter 8b is improved. Moreover, since the coarsened dust tends to settle on the surface to be cleaned, the dust suction rate sucked through the first air inlet 1 is also improved.

  FIG. 7 is a graph showing the influence of the presence / absence of particle agglomeration elements as a function of time-dependent changes in the number of dust particles around the cleaner body 3 when cleaning is started. Based on FIG. 7, it will be described how the number concentration of dust having a particle diameter of about 0.3 to 0.5 μm changes with time depending on the presence / absence of a particle aggregation element. In FIG. 7, the vertical time represents the dust number concentration, and the horizontal axis represents time (s). In FIG. 7, the line (A) represents the change in the number of dust particles when there is a particle aggregation element, and the line (B) represents the change in the number concentration of dust when there is no particle aggregation element. In FIG. 7, an experimental result when a discharge electrode is used as the particle aggregating device 12 is shown as an example.

  When a discharge electrode is used, dust having a negative charge is generated by the emission of electrons due to discharge, and aggregates with surrounding dust having a positive charge. Therefore, dust having a particle size of about 0.3 to 0.5 μm can be aggregated to form dust having a particle size of 0.5 μm or more. If the dust has a particle diameter of 0.5 μm or more, it becomes easy to be affected by suction force and gravity, and the removal by the cleaner body 3 is promoted. As a result, it was confirmed that the dust removal performance was improved by 70% when there was a particle aggregating element compared to when there was no particle aggregating element. That is, the dust aggregation due to the particle aggregation element greatly contributes to the improvement of the removal performance of the dust that re-scatters in the air around the cleaner body 3.

  FIG. 8 is a graph showing a change in the floor suction air volume (suction air volume from the first air inlet 1) with respect to the outside air suction air volume (suction air volume from the second air inlet 15). Based on FIG. 8, the relationship between the outside air suction air volume and the floor surface air suction air volume will be described. In FIG. 8, the vertical axis represents the floor suction air volume, and the horizontal axis represents the outside air suction air volume. From FIG. 8, when simultaneously cleaning the surface to be cleaned and cleaning the air around the cleaner body 3 with only one suction power unit 9 as in the vacuum cleaner 100, if one suction air volume increases, the other It can be seen that the amount of suction air decreases.

  In the vacuum cleaner 100 according to this embodiment, the cleaning surface is cleaned and the air around the cleaner body 3 is cleaned by only one suction power unit 9. Therefore, the device which improves the efficiency of the air cleaning around the cleaner body 3 without reducing the cleaning efficiency of the surface to be cleaned is required. Therefore, in the vacuum cleaner 100, the particle aggregating device 12 is provided inside the vacuum cleaner main body 3, and the fine particle is aggregated by the particle aggregating element, thereby assisting the dust removing ability only by the suction power unit 9 and being cleaned. The air cleaning around the cleaner body 3 can be efficiently performed only by the suction force from the second air inlet 15 without reducing the cleaning ability of the surface cleaning.

Next, the optimal installation positions of the second intake port 15 and the second exhaust port 11 will be described.
FIG. 9 is a graph showing the results of measuring the amount of dust scattered around the cleaner body 3 at each site during the cleaning operation. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a positional relationship between the vacuum cleaner 100 and the user 18 when the vacuum cleaner 100 is actually used. Based on FIGS. 9 and 10, the second air inlet 15 for sucking dust floating around the cleaner body 3 and the particle aggregating element generated from the particle aggregating device 12 are released together with a part of the exhaust gas. The optimum installation position of the second exhaust port 11 will be described.

  In FIG. 9, the vertical axis represents the dust concentration, and the horizontal axis represents the positional relationship of the entire vacuum cleaner 100. From FIG. 9, when the vacuum cleaner 100 is not moving ((a) shown in the figure), the case where it is moving ((b) shown in the figure) floats around the vacuum cleaner body 3. It can be seen that the amount of dust is increasing. In addition, when the cleaner body 3 is moving, the vicinity of the user (in the figure (b3)) and the vicinity of the user (in the figure (b3)) and the vicinity of the cleaner head 3 (in the figure (b3)). It can be seen that (b2)) shows the largest amount of dust. This is because the user who operates the vacuum cleaner 100 moves best, so that dust is often re-scattered from the surface to be cleaned, and the clothes are rubbed to generate new dust. Therefore, it is desirable that the second intake port 15 is formed to open toward the user.

  As shown in FIG. 10, when using the vacuum cleaner 100, the user 18 usually performs cleaning with the hand handle 6. Further, since the front portion of the cleaner body 3 and the hand handle 6 are connected via the hose 5, the cleaner body 3 faces the hand handle 6. That is, when actually cleaning using the electric vacuum cleaner 100, the suction tool 2 is usually located at the top (vacuum cleaner head), the cleaner body 3 is located at the rear, and the user 18 is located therebetween. It becomes like this arrangement. Note that b1 to b3 illustrated in FIG. 10 correspond to b1 to b3 illustrated in FIG. 9.

  Therefore, from FIG. 10, it is desirable that the second intake port 15 be installed toward the hand handle 6 (first intake port 1) during the operation of the electric vacuum cleaner 100, that is, toward the front of the cleaner body 3. I understand that. This is because if the second intake port 15 is installed at such a position, the second intake port 15 can always be opened toward the user 18. And the dust which resprays to the user 18 vicinity where the quantity increases among the dust respattered during operation | movement of the vacuum cleaner 100 can be effectively sucked from the 2nd inlet port 15, and comfortable cleaning environment Can be kept.

  About the 2nd exhaust port 11, if it installs toward the front direction of the cleaner body 3, a part of exhaust will be discharged | emitted directly toward a user. For this reason, it is desirable that the exhaust from the second exhaust port 11 be released upward. That is, it is desirable that the second exhaust port 11 be formed to open upward in the cleaner body 3. By doing so, the second intake port 15 cannot be affected by the suction force, and cannot be completely removed, so that the fine dust rising to a high position above the cleaner body 3 can be aggregated and settled. become. Usually, the height of the user 18 of the vacuum cleaner 100 is higher than that of the main body 3 of the vacuum cleaner 100, and therefore a large amount of dust soars from the upper body. For this reason as well, it is desirable that the second exhaust port 11 is installed to open upward from the second intake port 15.

  In this embodiment, the preferred installation positions of the second intake port 15 and the second exhaust port 11 have been described. However, the present invention is limited to the description of the installation positions and opening directions of the second intake port 15 and the second exhaust port 11. It is not a thing. For example, the function of adjusting the heights of the second intake port 15 and the second exhaust port 11 according to the user's request, and the suction angles of the second intake port 15 and the second exhaust port 11 by a louver or the like according to the application. You may make it have the function which can be changed. In addition, it senses the unevenness of dust around the vacuum cleaner main body 3, and has a function of automatically adjusting the direction and height of the second intake port 15 and the second exhaust port 11 in places where the amount of dust is large. You may do it.

Next, the particle aggregating element generated from the particle aggregating apparatus 12 and the generation method thereof will be described.
FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram showing one configuration example of the particle aggregating apparatus 12. One example of the configuration of the particle aggregating apparatus 12 will be described together with the operation based on FIG. As shown in FIG. 11, the particle aggregating apparatus 12 is composed of an electrode that applies a high voltage, and is characterized by generating negative ions that are one of the particle aggregating elements by electric discharge. That is, the particle aggregating device 12 is composed of a discharge electrode portion 19 and a counter electrode portion 20, and a high voltage is applied between these electrodes to generate corona discharge, and negative ions are generated by this discharge energy. It is supposed to let you.

Specifically, in the particle aggregating device 12, a negative high voltage is applied to the discharge electrode unit 19, the counter electrode unit 20 is grounded, and corona discharge is generated between the electrodes, thereby generating electrons and air. Collide to generate negative ions such as O ⁻ , OH ⁻ , NO ₃ ⁻ and CO ₃ ⁻ . These negative ions will act as particle aggregating elements. As these negative ions collide with floating dust, the dust is negatively charged. In general, many dust floating in the room is positively charged. For this reason, the dust negatively charged by the generated negative ions and the positively charged dust existing in the air cause aggregation due to electrostatic force.

  It is preferable that the particle aggregating device 12 be interlocked with the operation of the opening / closing door 17 of the second air inlet 15. As shown in FIG. 11, when discharge is used for the particle aggregating device 12, the discharge electrode portion 19 is worn with the operation time, and the amount of negative ions generated gradually decreases. In addition, when a liquid is used for the particle aggregating device 12, the user must replenish the liquid when the liquid runs out. In other words, if a discharge or liquid is used for the particle aggregating device 12, if the operation time of the particle aggregating device 12 is long, the labor of the user increases. Therefore, it is preferable to set the operation time of the particle aggregating apparatus 12 as short as possible. For example, when the dust around the cleaner body 3 is not sucked, the operation of the particle aggregating device 12 may be stopped.

  Here, the case where negative ions are generated using corona discharge as an example of the particle aggregating device 12 has been described as an example, but the discharge method for generating negative ions is not particularly limited. For example, barrier discharge, creeping Negative ions may be generated using discharge, microplasma, or the like, and the electrode shape may be an optimum shape in accordance with the discharge method. Further, the voltage to be applied is not limited to the negative polarity, and for example, a positive voltage may be applied, or both positive and negative may be alternately applied in the form of a sine wave, a rectangular wave, a square wave, or the like.

  As described above, there are many situations where dust floating in the room is positively charged, but the charged state of the dust depends on the environment in which the dust is present. For example, there is a situation where the dust is not charged. If so, it is possible that the dust is negatively charged. Therefore, it is desirable to sense the charged state of the surrounding dust and to change the applied voltage in accordance with the charged state. For example, it is preferable to apply a negative voltage if there is a lot of positively charged dust, and alternately apply both charges if the dust is not charged.

  Examples of the material of the discharge electrode 19 include Au (gold), Pt (platinum), Sn (tin), Cu (copper), Pd (palladium), Al (aluminum), alloys containing these, or It is suitable to use those plated. A Peltier device or a hygroscopic material may be used for the counter electrode unit 20 to crush water and discharge charged water particles, and the charged water particles may be used as a particle aggregation element. Thereby, the particle aggregating element can be scattered farther and the removal effect is further improved.

  Further, a liquid such as water or alcohol may be generated as a mist from the particle aggregating device 12 and used as a particle aggregating element. In this case, the particle aggregating device 12 may be an ultrasonic atomizing device, a heating device such as a heater, or a pressure spraying device such as an atomizer or a piston, and mist may be generated as a particle aggregating element. Mist has proven to be very effective because the mist itself aggregates with the dust and grows. However, when mist is used as a particle aggregation element, contact with dust is not influenced by electrostatic force like ions and depends only on the probability of contact, so that high concentration release is required.

  Furthermore, ultrasonic waves may be generated from the particle aggregating device 12 and used as a particle aggregating element. In this case, an ultrasonic generator may be employed as the particle aggregating device 12, and ultrasonic waves may be generated as the particle aggregating elements. Ultrasound is a dense wave in the “dense” part of the ultrasonic wave, due to strong sound pressure radiation, friction between air causes an electrostatic effect, and dust in the “sparse” part of the dense wave is “ The dust can be aggregated by moving to the “dense” part (ultrasonic aggregation). However, in order to generate ultrasonic aggregation, it is required that strong ultrasonic waves (for example, 140 dB or more) be emitted into the air.

Here, the effect regarding the dust collection filter 8b is demonstrated.
The dust collection filter 8 b collects fine dust sucked from both the first air inlet 1 and the second air inlet 15. Therefore, it is preferable to use the dust collection filter 8b having a particularly high dust collection performance. For example, a dust collection filter 8b having a dust collection efficiency of 99.99% or more with respect to a particle diameter of 0.3 μm, such as a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter) filter or an ULPA (Ultra Low Penetration Air Filter) filter may be used.

  Or you may make it improve collection performance by static electricity by using the filter using electret fiber for the dust collection filter 8b. When such a filter is used for the dust collection filter 8b, by combining it with the particle aggregating device 12 that generates negative ions as particle aggregating elements, dust that has only been charged without being aggregated is collected. It can be collected by the electrostatic force of the filter 8b, and the dust removal performance is further improved.

  However, a filter with high dust collection performance will be clogged with the collected dust if it continues to be used, resulting in an increase in pressure loss and a decrease in the suction power of the outside air of the suction power unit 9 and the suction force of the surface to be cleaned. End up. Therefore, in order to maintain the performance of the vacuum cleaner 100, maintenance such as replacement / cleaning of the dust collection filter 8b may be performed periodically. Specifically, it is preferable to perform maintenance by removing the dust collection filter 8b or by driving a mechanism that automatically drops dust. In consideration of user convenience, a mechanism that automatically removes dust, such as a mechanism that vibrates the dust collection filter 8b or a dust collection filter 8b that rotates and rotates the dust collection filter 8b to remove dust by centrifugal force. It is preferable to provide a mechanism for dropping, a mechanism for blowing the dust to the dust collecting filter 8b, and the like.

  Moreover, the dust collected by the dust collection filter 8b contains bacteria and has an odor. Such bacteria and odors cannot be completely removed even if the dust collection filter 8b is automatically cleaned, and remain in the dust collection filter 8b. Therefore, it is preferable that the user does not feel uncomfortable when the user removes the dust collecting filter 8b for maintenance. Specifically, a deodorizing material or an antibacterial agent may be added to the dust collection filter 8b so that the dust collection filter 8b has a performance to suppress the release of odors and bacterial growth on the dust collection filter 8b. .

  As the deodorizing material, for example, an adsorbing material such as a chemical additive, activated carbon, zeolite, or silica gel, or a catalyst such as a metal oxide or a noble metal can be used. As the antibacterial agent, for example, an inorganic substance such as silver or zeolite, a naturally derived substance such as ginkgo biloba or tea leaf, or a chemical such as PHMG (polyhexamethylene phosphate guanidine) can be used. A combination of such deodorizing materials and antibacterial materials may be applied to the dust collection filter 8b.

  An ozone generating part and an ion generating part are provided in the vacuum cleaner main body 3, ozone and ions are generated from the ozone generating part and the ion generating part, and ozone and ions are guided to the dust collecting filter 8b for deodorization and sterilization. May be. In addition, a photocatalyst is applied to the dust collection filter 8b, a lamp radiating portion is provided on the dust collection filter case 8c or the lid 14, and ultraviolet light or visible light is radiated. The photocatalyst of the dust collection filter 8b causes the dust collection filter 8b to Deodorization and sterilization may be performed. You may make it apply to the dust collection filter 8b combining arbitrarily the deodorizing and disinfection (antibacterial) mentioned above. In addition, although embodiment was demonstrated to the illustrated vacuum cleaner 100 as an example, it is applicable also to the vacuum cleaner of another structure.

It is the schematic which shows the whole structure of the vacuum cleaner which concerns on embodiment. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state which looked at the cross-sectional structure of the cleaner body from the side surface. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance structure of a cleaner body. It is a graph which shows the average value of the infant's height. It is a graph which shows the time taken until an infant stands and walks. It is a graph which shows the time change of the dust number density | concentration raised at the time of cleaning according to a particle size. It is a graph which shows the influence of the presence or absence of a particle agglomeration element by the time-dependent change of the dust number density | concentration around the cleaner body when cleaning is started. It is a graph which shows the change of the floor surface suction | inhalation air volume with respect to external air suction | inhalation air volume. It is a graph which shows the result of having measured the quantity of the dust scattered around the cleaner body in the case of cleaning operation in each part. It is a schematic diagram which shows the positional relationship of the vacuum cleaner and user at the time of actually using a vacuum cleaner. It is a schematic block diagram which shows one of the structural examples of a particle aggregation apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 1st inlet port, 2 suction tool, 3 vacuum cleaner main body, 4 pipe, 5 hose, 6 hand handle, 7 operation part, 8 dust collection part, 8a dust collection chamber, 8b dust collection filter, 8c dust collection filter case, 9 suction power unit, 10 first exhaust port, 11 second exhaust port, 12 particle aggregating device, 13 hinge, 14 lid, 15 second intake port, 15a opening area, 16 air passage, 16a air passage cross-sectional area, 17 opening and closing Door, 18 user, 19 discharge electrode part, 20 counter electrode part, 21 hose connection port, 100 vacuum cleaner.

Claims (8)

A first air inlet that sucks air near the floor surface by a suction power unit ;
A second air inlet that sucks air in the air in which dust floats by the suction power unit ;
Dust is sucked from the first air inlet and dust is collected, and both air that has passed through the suction power unit and air that has been sucked in from the second air inlet and collected through the suction power unit, and air that has passed through the suction power unit. A first exhaust port for exhausting a part to the outside;
A particle aggregating device for generating a particle aggregating element that agglomerates fine dust particles in the air in order to facilitate suction at the second air inlet;
A vacuum cleaner, comprising: a second exhaust port that discharges the particle agglomeration element generated from the particle aggregating device to the outside together with part of the air that has passed through the suction power unit . The particle aggregating apparatus comprises:
The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein at least one of ions, mist, and ultrasonic waves is generated as the particle aggregating element. The particle aggregating apparatus comprises:
3. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the particle aggregating element is controlled to be interlocked when the opening / closing door of the second air inlet is opened. 4. In a vacuum cleaner comprising a vacuum cleaner body and a suction tool connected to the vacuum cleaner body via a hose,
The suction tool is
A first air inlet for inhaling air around the inhaler;
The vacuum cleaner body is
A second air inlet for sucking air around the vacuum cleaner body;
A suction power unit for sucking outside air from the first air inlet and the second air inlet;
A dust collector that collects dust contained in the air sucked from the first air inlet and the second air inlet by the suction power unit;
A first exhaust port for discharging a part of both air sucked from the first air inlet and passed through the suction power unit and air sucked from the second air inlet and passed through the suction power unit ; ,
A particle aggregating device for generating a particle aggregating element that agglomerates fine dust particles in the air around the vacuum cleaner body; and
A vacuum cleaner, comprising: a second exhaust port that discharges the particle agglomeration element generated from the particle aggregating device to the outside together with part of the air that has passed through the suction power unit . The second air inlet is
The vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, wherein an opening is formed above the vacuum cleaner body and toward the first air inlet. The particle aggregating apparatus comprises:
The vacuum cleaner according to claim 4 or 5, wherein at least one of ions, mist, and ultrasonic waves is generated as the particle aggregating element. The particle aggregating apparatus comprises:
The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the particle aggregating element is controlled to be interlocked when the opening / closing door of the second air inlet is opened. . The second exhaust port is
The vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein an opening is formed upward of the vacuum cleaner body.

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