JP7199583B2 - Hair recovery device stand - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fur collection device for collecting pet hair and a structure of a fur collection device stand.

Companion animals are familiar animals that have coexisted with humans for a long time. A companion animal is hereinafter referred to as a pet.
In recent years, pets have come to be recognized as members of the family, and the importance of pets is increasing. Representatives of pets include mammals such as cats, dogs, rabbits, squirrels, hamsters, guinea pigs and ferrets.

In the pet industry, efforts are being made in various fields to deal with coexistence between humans and pets, and to deal with the super-aging society of both humans and pets.
For example, regarding pet food, the provision of pet food considering additives corresponding to the age groups of pets is progressing, which leads to the aging of pets.
In addition, according to the national policy, the age at which elderly people maintain their health, the so-called healthy life expectancy, is targeted to be one year older than the current age. For this reason, it has been verified from the data of medical associations that coexistence between humans and pets is essential. It has also been confirmed that coexistence between humans and pets affects the life span of humans.

In the symbiosis between humans and pets, the handling of hair that has fallen off from pets has become an issue. In other words, it is troublesome to collect the pet hair that has been scattered in the air or dropped on the floor, and the collection work also requires labor. Conventionally, the hair that is about to come off and the hair that has already come off on the body surface of a pet are collected using a cleaning tool such as a vacuum cleaner or adhesive paper that is commonly used at home. was In addition, when the pet is brushed, the hair that is likely to come off and the hair that has already come off may scatter on the body surface of the pet. Therefore, there is a vacuum cleaner in which a pet brush is attached to the tip of the nozzle.

According to Patent Document 1, a brush body is provided at the front end, and a hose communicating with a suction device of a vacuum cleaner is provided at the rear end, thereby suppressing the scattering of the pet's hair that occurs when the pet is brushed. A brush is suggested.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-190174

The technique described in Patent Document 1 has a problem that the suction force is too strong because a vacuum cleaner is used to suck the fur. As a result, the hair of the pet is pulled more than necessary, which is equivalent to the act of forcibly pulling out even the hair that has not yet been shed, which causes stress to the pet.
Moreover, the technique described in Patent Document 1 has a problem that the operation noise is loud because a vacuum cleaner is used to suck the fur. This stresses the pet, which is sensitive to sound, and causes the pet to run away even if you try to brush it.
Furthermore, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, since the bristles are long, the bristles are likely to come into direct contact with the skin of short-haired pets, and the stimulation given to the skin is too strong. there were.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made against the background of the above-described problems, and provides a cover for placing a hair recovery device that enables efficient recovery of the pet's hair while suppressing the stress given to the pet. It is an object of the present invention to provide a hair collecting device stand.

The fur collecting device stand according to the present invention is installed on a suction air passage portion having an inlet formed at one end thereof, and on the other end of the suction air passage portion opposite to the suction port. a housing having an opening for inserting a hair collecting device, the housing including a fan section for generating a flow of air sucked from the suction port, and a power supply section for supplying power to the fan section; and a suction fan portion disposed inside the housing for generating an air flow in a direction from the opening toward the inside of the housing.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, there is provided a hair recovery device capable of efficiently sucking and recovering the hair that is likely to come off and the hair that has already come off from the body surface of the pet while suppressing the stress given to the pet. In this state, the hair collected by the hair collecting device can be moved to the hair collecting device placing table.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram schematically showing how the fur of a cat grows. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between the sound pressure level of a vacuum cleaner commonly used at home and the fur collection speed. 2 is a graph showing the relationship between the sound pressure level and the air volume of a vacuum cleaner commonly used at home. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a hair collecting device according to an embodiment; FIG. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the hair collecting device according to the embodiment; 1 is a front view of a hair collecting device according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a side view of a hair collecting device according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a top view of a hair collecting device according to an embodiment; FIG. It is an explanatory view of the cross-sectional structure of the hair collecting device according to the embodiment. It is an explanatory view of the cross-sectional structure of the hair collecting device according to the embodiment. It is an explanatory view of the cross-sectional structure of the hair collecting device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an enlarged schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of the fan section of the hair collecting device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a usage explanatory diagram schematically showing an example of usage of the hair collecting device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a usage explanatory diagram schematically showing an example of usage of the hair collecting device according to the embodiment. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the hair collecting device stand for mounting the hair collecting device according to the embodiment in use. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the hair collecting device stand for mounting the hair collecting device according to the embodiment in use.

Embodiment Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. In addition, in the following drawings including FIG. 1, the size relationship of each component may differ from the actual size. In addition, in the following drawings including FIG. 1, the same reference numerals denote the same or equivalent parts, and this is common throughout the specification. Furthermore, the forms of the components shown in the entire specification are merely examples, and are not limited to these descriptions.

In the embodiment, among pets, a cat is particularly targeted. First, the physical and ecological characteristics of cats will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram schematically showing how cat hair grows. FIG. 2 is a graph showing the relationship between the sound pressure level of a vacuum cleaner commonly used in the home and the fur collection speed. FIG. 3 is a graph showing the relationship between the sound pressure level and the air volume of vacuum cleaners commonly used at home.

Cats have an average of 600 hairs per square centimeter on their body surface. As shown in FIG. 1, cat hair includes guard hair, on-hair, and down-hair. The average length of a cat is approximately 40±α cm from neck to base of tail. Also, the average girth of a cat is 30±α cm. Therefore, the surface area of the cat's body is 40×30=1200 cm ² . Therefore, 1200×600=720000 since there are 600 in 1 cm square. However, since there are areas where the fur is dense depending on the part of the cat's body, it is thought that approximately 800,000 to 1,000,000 hairs are present on the body surface. For comparison, a human hair has about 100,000 hairs.

One human hair grows from one pore, but about six cat hairs grow from one pore, as shown in FIG. All of the cat's hair grows back in about three months. In other words, when a large number of cats are kept, the coats of the number of cats are scattered on a daily basis. For comparison, dogs also have a similar hair growth pattern.

A comparison of the thickness of the fur of dogs and cats shows that both are average, but the diameter of the fur of cats is 0.02 mm to 0.03 mm, while the diameter of the fur of dogs is 0.02 mm. 0.05 mm to 0.1 mm. The reason why the range between the minimum and maximum diameters of dog coats is wide is that the thickness of coats differs depending on the type of dog.
The average length of one coat of cat hair is 3 cm to 4 cm for short-haired cats and 5 cm to 8 cm for long-haired cats.

Hair is mainly composed of a protein called "keratin". At the base of the hair follicle is an organ that secretes sebum called a sebaceous gland. A hair follicle is a bag-like epithelial tissue that envelops a hair root.
However, the coat of a cat is soft, and the sebum secreted from the sebaceous glands is not sufficiently distributed in the coat, so the coat of the cat is always in a soft state. Dogs, on the other hand, have thicker coats than cats, so it is easier for the sebum to permeate the coat.

Since cats are solitary animals, they perform elaborate self-grooming to prevent their own body odor. On the other hand, since dogs are animals that behave in multiple ways, they need body odor from an ethological point of view, and since the presence of body odor is not a problem, they do not practice self-grooming very often.
In other words, cats spend more time grooming by licking their own body surfaces to remove odors and dirt to maintain cleanliness, and inevitably swallow their own fur. At the same time, self-grooming also causes hair scattering.

When a cat swallows its own fur and too many hairballs build up in its body, it develops "follicles." Cats vomit hair that cannot be processed in the body after swallowing, and symptoms such as nausea, anorexia, constipation, or diarrhea occur when the cat develops hairballs, and in severe cases, laparotomy is required.

Cat owners often brush their cats' bodies as part of their communication with their cats, along with keeping their cats' bodies clean and preventing their fur from being swallowed, in order to maintain their feline qualities. By this brushing, useless fur can be collected, and in addition, the cat's body can be stroked by the breeder, thereby improving the comfort of the cat itself. In other words, by brushing, hair collection and stress countermeasures can be realized at the same time.
In addition, recent research has revealed that brushing reduces the stress of the cat, and at the same time, produces a stress reduction effect due to the secretion of the hormone oxytocin in the brain of the breeder himself.

Conventionally, scattered fur has been collected using a cleaning tool such as a vacuum cleaner or adhesive paper that is generally used at home. Also, there were few brushes specialized for animal species, especially cats. Most of the commercially available pet brushes are basically used in combination with "dogs". In other words, there are very few brushes that claim to be dedicated to cats that are adapted to the constitution and character of cats. In extreme cases when using a brush that is also used as a "dog", the cat becomes stressed by brushing. As a result, the cat dislikes the act of brushing itself.

In addition, some breeders ignore the nature of cats and try to collect the fur by pressing adhesive paper against the cat's body surface. This act is equivalent to the act of forcibly pulling out the fur, which causes pain and is sometimes regarded as an abusive act to the cat.

Vacuum cleaners in common use also have a motor that spins at high speed to create the fluid needed to suck up the dirt, whose basic job is to collect dirt. Such a vacuum cleaner, which rotates at high speed and produces a strong suction force, generates a loud rotation noise as shown in FIGS. The noise generated by vacuum cleaners has become a social problem as noise. In addition, along with the rotation of the motor, various peak frequencies, such as sound due to electromagnetic components, sound due to rotational components of the motor, and fluctuating sounds when air passes through the blades, are also generated at the same time. Moreover, it is a well-known fact that the generated sound extends to a high frequency band, which is also an ultrasonic band of 20 kHz or higher.

Here, the results of an experimental verification of stress responses to hearing and sight in cats will be described. There are two types of cats: short-haired cats and long-haired cats, and unless there is a specific reason such as a tendency to be obese, domestic cats generally have approximately the same size and weight on average.
However, there are individual differences in "hearing" and "sight" that take age groups into consideration.

Although there are various opinions about the physical performance of cats, there is little certainty because there have not been as many studies as there have been on dogs. Since dogs have a strong obedience to humans, responses to various tests and studies can be reliably obtained, and since dogs are often used as research subjects, various results have been published. Cats, on the other hand, are less obedient to humans, and not only do not respond to tests similar to dogs, but they also exhibit avoidance behavior as a stress response to external factors in the test. For this reason, it is difficult to obtain test results for cats, and it is difficult to use them as research subjects.

Therefore, we conducted an experiment to confirm the stress state of cats to sounds, objects, colors, etc. from their physical reactions. In the case of a cat, the state of stress can be easily confirmed by physical appearance movements. For example, the stress state can be confirmed by physical appearance movements such as wagging the tail, bristling the fur, turning the ears sideways, and running away as soon as it sees an object. If you run away as soon as you see an object, you can judge that you have a high ability to learn about objects.
The number of cat samples in this experiment was 30, and there was no dependence on the sex, age, coat type, etc. of the cat, but the common point was that cats were kept indoors. .

Hair collection by any means causes the stress reaction of the cats as described above, and it has not been possible to collect the hair without all the cats feeling stress. These means are a vacuum cleaner, sticky paper, and a brush that doubles as a "dog".
It was also found that loud noise was a major stress factor.
In view of the above, none of the means are configured from the cat's point of view, and there is no means for recovering hair exclusively for cats.

The experimental results of hearing characteristics for cat sounds are as follows.
It was found that the sound pressure level must be less than 30 dB in the real space when using a device that emits sound in the vicinity of the cat, such as a vacuum cleaner here. In particular, it was found that 20 dB±3 dB or less is essential when using a vacuum cleaner in contact with a cat's body.
As for the frequency band, it was found that stress response tended to be small if the sound pressure level was 30 dB or less for the low frequency band of 1 kHz or less, particularly 800 Hz or less. In the case of 800 Hz or higher, the physical response to the sense of hearing could be confirmed visually from a sound pressure level of around 25 dB. In some cases, it was also confirmed that evasive behavior was started by seeking a distance or a place where the sound could not be heard.

In addition, when a specific frequency band, for example, a 1/3 octave sound is produced in a place close to the cat, it shows an operation that can be heard from around 20 dB in a band of 10 kHz or higher, and can hear up to around 80 kHz at the maximum. It was found to show behavior that seems to be.
Furthermore, it was found that the peak protrusion amount must be 10 dB or less from the base level at 1 kHz or less.
From this, it was found that it is necessary to consider the operating frequency for the power supply.

The results of experiments on visual characteristics of cats for objects are as follows.
It was found that cats are sensitive to the size of objects. It was found that when a breeder approached a cat with a 500 ml PET bottle, for example, the cat did not perform any avoidance behavior. This is thought to be because the cat determined that it would not harm itself.
However, when the size increased in increments of 5 cm, behavior to avoid objects began to be seen. In other words, it turns out that cats are highly wary of objects that are larger than themselves, especially those that move. For this reason, vacuum cleaners used in general households give stress to cats not only by the noise but also by the size of the vacuum cleaner. Vacuum cleaners used in general households include cordless handy cleaners.

The results of experiments on the visual characteristics of cats for colors are as follows.
Regarding the color, the reaction was also confirmed using a 500 ml PET bottle.
Cats are generally said to be colorblind, but when seven colors represented by the rainbow were used, it was found that they tended not to move with cold colors rather than warm colors. It also tended to be the slowest to react to white objects.
From this, it is thought that cats also recognize the color of objects.

From the above experimental results, it can be assumed that the following specifications are necessary for the equipment to be brought close to the cat.
The specifications for the sound generated from the equipment are that the operating sound has a frequency band up to 800 Hz and the sound pressure level is 25 dB or less.
The maximum size of the device is the size of a general 500 ml PET bottle.
The specifications for the color of the equipment shall be white or gray.

It is assumed that if the device configuration satisfies such specifications, the stress given to the cat will be reduced. By developing a device based on this result, it will be possible to develop a device that can efficiently collect the fur before it scatters in the air and can reduce the stress of pets and breeders. In other words, it is necessary to develop a device that relaxes the pet by a motion that is similar to a human stroking the pet, and at the same time effectively promotes the recovery of the pet's hair, and at the same time, the pet owner can also reduce stress by interacting with the pet. It becomes possible.

It is also known that cats have multiple pressure points on their bodies. It has been scientifically clarified that brushing and stimulating this acupuncture point at the same time contributes to improving the relaxation of the cat and improving the health of the cat. For example, see http://cat-guide.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/cat body pot.jpg.

When the frequency band is 800 Hz, the frequency of the power supply is involved, so it is necessary to pay close attention to the frequency of the power supply to operate, harmonic components, and the sound pressure level at that time. Considering this point, it is effective to use a DC power source such as a battery as the power source.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of the hair collecting device 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a rear view of the hair collecting device 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a front view of the hair collecting device 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a side view of the hair collecting device 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a top view of the hair collecting device 100 according to the embodiment. 9 to 11 are explanatory diagrams of the cross-sectional structure of the hair collecting device 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 corresponds to a cross section taken along line SS in FIGS. 5 and 6, and this cross section is called a first cross section. FIG. 10 corresponds to a cross section taken along line TT in FIG. FIG. 11 corresponds to a cross section taken along line U--U of FIG. The hair collection device 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 11. FIG.

The hair collecting device 100 is configured taking into account the physical and ecological characteristics of the cat. Therefore, a cat will be described here as an example of a target pet.
The hair collecting device 100 can relax the cat, reduce stress not only on the cat but also on the user by communicating with the user, and can reduce hair scattering by efficiently collecting the hair. It is designed to Specifically, the hair collecting device 100 is configured in a size that can be held in one hand by the user, and sucks and collects the hair that is likely to come off and the hair that has already come off attached to the body surface of the pet. be.

First, the premises for configuring the hair collecting device 100 will be described.
The hair collecting device 100 is a lightweight item with an overall weight of 250 g or less. Further, the hair collecting device 100 has a total length of 30 cm or less. The total length means the length from the lower end to the upper end of the hair collecting device 100 shown in FIGS.
The hair collecting device 100 has a width of 15 cm or less. The length in the width direction means the length of the longest portion in the plan view state shown in FIG.

The hair collecting device 100 sets the sound pressure level generated from itself to 30 dB or less and the peak protrusion amount to 5 dB or less.
In addition, it is desirable that the hair collection device 100 has a white or gray-based appearance. However, it is not necessary to use only one color. Also, at least one of patterns and characters may be used as a decoration. In addition, marks, characters, logos, etc. may be decorated by engraving or the like.

Based on these assumptions, a specific configuration of the hair collecting device 100 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 4 to 8 , the hair collecting device 100 has a suction air passage section 10 and a drive section 40 . The hair collecting device 100 is configured by integrally combining the suction air passage section 10 and the driving section 40 . The suction air passage portion 10 forms an air passage through which the air that has flowed in from the suction port 25 flows. The driving section 40 includes a fan section 50 (see FIG. 9) for sucking air from the suction port 25 and a power supply section 60 (see FIG. 9) for driving the fan section 50 . The fur collection device 100 is a device that collects hair by applying the suction port 25 to the body of a cat, sucking the hair together with the air from the suction port 25 .

The drive unit 40 includes a fur collecting unit 45 on the suction air passage unit 10 side of the fan unit 50 for sucking the fur together with the air from the suction port 25 . The hair collecting part 45 is configured so that the hair sucked into the suction air passage part 10 does not enter the fan part 50 .

The fur collecting part 45 is provided downstream of the suction air passage 10 so as to communicate with the suction air passage 10 and collects the hair that has passed through the suction air passage 10 . The hair collecting part 45 is provided with a filter part 42 , and the hair is collected by the filter part 42 . The filter part 42 collects the hair and circulates the air carrying the hair. In other words, the filter portion 42 serves to prevent fur from entering the fan portion 50 . If the filter part 42 is detachable, it can be removed and washed.

The filter unit 42 is composed of, for example, a mesh filter. The size of the mesh filter should be a square with 5 mm square to 7 mm square or a circle with a radius of 2 mm to 3 mm, and the open area should be 50% or more. The size of the filter portion 42 is not limited to the above-mentioned specific size, and it is sufficient that the collected hair can be easily removed without the hair getting entangled in the filter portion 42 . Since the length of the cat's hair is as described above, the size and opening area of the mesh filter allow the hair to be reliably collected, and the rotation of the fan section 50 on the downstream side does not cause pressure loss. The fan section 50 can be operated.

The constituent material of the mesh filter that constitutes the filter section 42 is not particularly limited, either, and may be made of metal, resin, paper, or the like.

The fan section 50 generates an air flow for sucking hair, and is composed of either a sirocco fan or an axial flow fan with a wind speed of 5 m/s or less. Conventionally, when the fan unit 50 is driven, the frequency due to the rotation component of the fan unit 50 appears as a prominent peak. However, by using a sirocco fan or an axial fan as the fan unit 50 , it is possible to suppress the frequency generated by the rotation component of the fan unit 50 among the frequencies of the sound emitted by the fan unit 50 . An exhaust port 55 is formed in the fan portion 50 . As a result, air flows from the intake port 25 to the exhaust port 55 . 4, details of the exhaust port 55 are omitted. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the exhaust port 55 is provided with a guard portion 51 to prevent a human finger or the like from entering. The fan section 50 will be described in detail later.

The power supply unit 60 is provided behind the fan unit 50 , that is, on the opposite side of the fan unit 50 to the hair collection unit 45 , and supplies driving power to the fan unit 50 . For example, a switch 61 and a volume for fan speed (not shown) may be connected to the power supply unit 60 . The switch 61 functions as an ON/OFF switch that starts or stops power supply to the fan section 50 by being operated. A maximum DC power supply of 24 V is required to drive the fan unit 50 at a wind speed of 5 m/s or less. When the switch 61 is operated, the power supply section 60 supplies DC power of maximum 24V to the fan section 50 .

The fan rotation speed volume is operated by the user when adjusting the rotation speed of the fan section 50 . If a volume for the number of fan revolutions is provided, when the volume for the number of fan revolutions is operated, the power supply unit 60 starts supplying power of about 9 V to the fan unit 50, and the voltage supplied to the fan unit 50 is increased. It becomes possible to adjust the strength of the rotation of the fan section 50 step by step. Depending on the state of the body surface of the cat, the wind speed may be increased or decreased. It should be possible. Specific examples of the volume for the fan rotation speed include a strength switch or a size switch. However, if the fan unit 50 rotates at a constant speed, there is no need to provide a volume for fan rotation speed.

A power source for operating the fan unit 50 is a DC power source. Therefore, considering the size and weight of the hair collecting device 100, the power supply unit 60 should preferably have a battery capacity of about 300 mA with DC24V as the maximum, considering the usage time of about 5 minutes at a time. Further, a contact portion (not shown) may be provided in the drive portion 40 to charge a rechargeable battery built in the power supply portion 60 . The contact portion is composed of a plus contact portion and a minus contact portion. By making the hair collecting device 100 rechargeable, the hair collecting device 100 does not require wiring to an external power source to supply power to the hair collecting device 100, and since there is no wiring to the external power source, the brushing operation is not hindered. The power may be supplied by a dry battery, or may be supplied by wiring although it interferes with the brushing operation.

In the case of a rechargeable type, only the hair collection device 100 or the power supply unit 60 may be attached and stored in a charging box (not shown) and charged during storage. Further, according to the hair collecting device 100, the operation time can be shortened and the rotational capacity of the fan section 50 can be reduced, so that the size of the rechargeable battery can also be reduced. By making the rechargeable battery smaller, the weight is also reduced. Furthermore, the rechargeable battery may be charged by the hair collection device stand 80 having a function as a charging device. The hair collecting device stand 80 will be described later.

Note that the hair collecting apparatus 100 does not particularly limit the installation positions of the switch 61 and the fan speed volume. For example, it may be provided on the back surface of the power supply unit 60 or may be provided so as to be aligned with the exhaust port 55 of the fan unit 50 . Also, the switch 61 and the volume for the number of rotations of the fan may be provided at separate positions. Further, the size and shape of the switch 61 and the volume for fan speed are not particularly limited.

FIG. 12 is a schematic enlarged schematic view of the internal configuration of the fan section 50 of the hair collecting device 100 according to the embodiment. Based on FIG. 12, the fan section 50 will be described in detail. The fan section 50 has an exterior case 50A forming an outer shell. A fan 50a, a bell mouth portion 50b, and a guard portion 51 are installed inside the exterior case 50A.

The fan 50a is composed of a sirocco fan or an axial fan.
When the fan 50a is a sirocco fan that rotates at about 2000 rpm, the peak component of the frequency of the sound accompanying the rotation occurs around 33 Hz. If the fan 50a has 30 blades, the frequency of the NZ sound accompanying the rotation of the fan 50a is 990 Hz, and the peak protrusion amount of the sound pressure is 5 dB or less.

When the fan 50a is an axial fan and rotates at about 2000 rpm, the peak component of the frequency of the sound accompanying the rotation occurs around 33 Hz. Assuming that the fan 50a has six blades, the frequency of the NZ sound accompanying the rotation of the fan 50a is approximately 200 Hz. The frequency of the NZ sound can be obtained by N×Z, where N is the rotation frequency of the fan 50a and Z is the number of blades.

In order to keep the wind speed at the suction port 25 at 5 m or less, the opening area of the suction port 25 is set to about 2 m ² . By doing so, the size of the inlet 25 and the size of the main body are determined. Once the specifications of the fan 50a and the opening area of the suction port 25 are determined, the size of the hair collecting device 100 can be made "palm-sized".

The bell mouth portion 50 b is installed in an intake passage 54 that is opened on the most upstream side of the fan portion 50 and serves to promote the intake of air into the fan portion 50 . The bell mouth portion 50 b is positioned downstream of the filter portion 42 of the hair collecting portion 45 in the driving portion 40 . The bell mouth portion 50b is attached to the exterior case 50A via the end portion 50c. Providing the inner wall of the exterior case 50A outside the end 50c poses no particular problem. A pressure loss will be given to the fan 50a that is present. Therefore, the exterior case 50A is configured such that the inner wall is positioned outside the end portion 50c of the bell mouth portion 50b.

The surface of the exterior case 50A facing the suction passage 54, that is, the surface on the power supply unit 60 side is closed. An exhaust port 55 is formed on the upper side of the exterior case 50A in FIG. Therefore, the air sucked from the suction port 25 by the driving of the fan part 50 is bent in a right angle direction by the outer case 50A and then discharged to the outside of the hair collecting apparatus 100 from the exhaust port 55. FIG. The exhaust port 55 is formed at a position not facing the cat when the hair collecting device 100 is in use. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, an exhaust port 55 may be formed on the upper surface of the paper. Further, the exhaust port 55 may be formed on the surface of the exterior case 50A on the power supply unit 60 side as long as it does not interfere with the power supply unit 60 .

The guard portion 51 prevents a human finger inserted into the exhaust port 55 from colliding with the fan 50a. However, if the exhaust port 55 is blocked, the air will not flow, so a mesh guard may be installed as the guard portion 51 . Although the configuration of the guard portion 51 is not particularly limited, it may be a mesh-like guard that does not allow human fingers to enter.

Next, the structure of the suction air passage portion 10 will be described.
The suction air passage portion 10 is a tubular body, and has an inlet 25 at one end and a driving portion 40 connected to the other end. The suction air passage portion 10 is formed so that the cross-sectional shape thereof decreases from the drive portion 40 side toward the suction port 25 side. Here, the cross-sectional shape refers to the shape of a cross section perpendicular to the central axis of the suction air passage 10, which is a cylindrical body. However, the cross-sectional shape of the suction air passage portion 10 is not limited to one that uniformly decreases from the drive portion 40 side toward the suction port 25 side. A part of the cross-sectional shape may be enlarged along the way. The central axis of the suction air passage 10 is parallel to the z-axis shown in the drawing. The x, y, and z directions shown in each figure are common to each figure.

As shown in FIG. 7 , the suction air passage 10 has a rear portion 31 and a front portion 32 . The rear portion 31 is a portion on the y-direction side when the suction air passage portion 10 is divided by the imaginary plane P. As shown in FIG. The front portion 32 is a portion on the opposite side in the y direction. The virtual plane P is a plane that includes the central axis of the suction air passage section 10 and is parallel to the xz plane.

When viewed from the side, the suction air passage 10 is preferably configured in a shape as shown in FIG. 7 . In particular, the front portion 32 has a curved shape that protrudes toward the imaginary plane P when viewed from the side. Therefore, when the suction port 25 is brought into contact with the cat's body, the front portion 32 is prevented from colliding with the cat's body. However, the shape of the front portion 32 in side view is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. In addition, in the embodiment, the rear portion 31 has a shape symmetrical to the front portion 32 with respect to the virtual plane P except for the vicinity of the suction port 25 .

When viewed from the side, the radius of the arcuate portion of the back portion 31 is in the range of 300 mm to 400 mm. By forming the back portion 31 in such a shape, the back portion 31 can easily fit along the cat's body, such as the back or abdomen.

A suction port 25 serving as an inlet for sucked air is formed at the end of the suction air passage 10 in the z direction, that is, the tip. The suction port 25 is formed on the central axis of the suction air passage portion 10 which is a cylindrical body. Further, the suction air passage 10 connects from the suction port 25 to the fan portion 50 installed inside the driving portion 40 to form an air passage through which air flows. By driving the fan section 50 , an air flow is generated from the suction port 25 toward the fan section 50 . In the cross section perpendicular to the central axis of the air passage formed inside the suction air passage 10, the air flow has the highest flow velocity in the central portion. Therefore, the suction port 25 is positioned on the central axis of the suction air passage 10, so that the fur can be easily sucked through the suction port 25. As shown in FIG. In addition, in the embodiment, the central axis of the air passage coincides with the central axis of the suction air passage portion 10 .

Moreover, in order to realize low noise, it is important to make it difficult for turbulence or the like due to the air flow to occur in areas other than the substantially central portion of the flow passage section of the suction air passage portion 10 . For this purpose, it is necessary to position the substantially central portion of the cross section of the intake port 25 and the substantially central portion of the cross section of the intake passage of the fan portion 50 on the same axis. From this point of view as well, it is desirable to form the suction port 25 on the shaft positioned substantially at the center of the cross section of the suction passage of the fan section 50 . In addition, the width of the suction port 25 is configured to be smaller than the width of the suction opening provided in the fur collecting section 45 of the drive section 40 and communicating with the fan section 50 . With this configuration, the wind speed distribution becomes substantially uniform at each point in the width direction of the suction port 25, and the hair collection efficiency is improved.

The suction port 25 is a region surrounded by the two protrusions 21, the back-side peripheral edge 22, and the front-side peripheral edge 23, and communicates the cavity 11 inside the suction air passage 10 with the outside space. ing. As shown in FIG. 8, the suction port 25 is a flat opening in plan view of the hair collecting device 100 . The longitudinal direction of the suction port 25 is parallel to the x-direction and on the virtual plane P. As shown in FIG. One protruding portion 21 is provided at each end of the suction port 25 in the longitudinal direction. The back-side peripheral edge portion 22 is located on the back side of the peripheral edge portion of the intake port 25 and connects the two protrusions 21 . The front peripheral edge portion 23 is located on the front side of the peripheral edge portion of the intake port 25 and connects the two protrusions 21 . In the cross section shown in FIG. 9 , the back-side peripheral edge portion 22 is located farther from the fan section 50 than the front-side peripheral edge portion 23 is.

The projections 21 are arranged at both ends of the suction port 25 in the x direction, and are provided with projection tips 26 directed in the z direction. In the embodiment, the projection tip 26 is positioned on the imaginary plane P. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, the protrusion 21 is formed so that the width on the suction port 25 side is wide when viewed from the side and the width is narrowed toward the tip of the protrusion 26, and has a substantially triangular shape when viewed from the side. there is In a side view, a rear ridgeline 27 positioned on the rear side of the protrusion 21 and a front ridgeline 28 positioned on the front side thereof extend obliquely from the protrusion tip 26 toward the suction port 25 side symmetrically with respect to the imaginary plane P. The rear edge line 27 is connected to the rear peripheral edge portion 22 at the end on the side of the suction port 25 . The front edge line 28 is connected to the front peripheral edge portion 23 at the end on the inlet port 25 side.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the protrusion 21 is formed so that the width on the suction port 25 side is wide and the width is narrowed toward the tip of the protrusion 26 when viewed from the front or rear. It has a substantially triangular shape when viewed from the back. As shown in FIG. 5 , there is a rear ridge line 27 inside the protrusion 21 when viewed from the rear side, and the rear ridge line 27 is connected to the rear peripheral edge portion 22 . There is a side edge line 29 on the outside of the projection 21 . The side ridgeline 29 is smoothly connected to the side ridgeline of the suction air passage portion 10 .

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the back-side peripheral edge 22 has a curved shape with the first peripheral edge 22A as the apex, and the central portion 22a is convex and gradually reverses in the z direction toward the protrusions 21 at both ends. It is shaped downwards. The front peripheral edge 23 is parallel to the x direction.

As shown in FIG. 8, when viewed from the top, that is, when the suction airflow path portion 10 is viewed from the central axis direction with the virtual plane P set to the horizontal direction, the center portion 22a of the rear peripheral edge portion 22 is the most in the y direction. , and gradually descends in the opposite direction in the y direction toward the protrusions 21 at both ends. The central portion 22a of the rear peripheral edge portion 22 may have a curved shape convex in the y direction, or may have a linear shape. 8, the central portion 23a of the front peripheral portion 23 projects in the opposite direction in the y direction, and gradually rises in the y direction toward the protrusions 21 at both ends. It has a shape. The central portion 23a of the front-side peripheral portion 23 may have a curved shape convex in the opposite direction in the y direction, or may have a linear shape.

As shown in FIG. 9, the suction port 25 surrounded by the back-side peripheral edge 22, the front-side peripheral edge 23, and the two protrusions 21 is opened obliquely and faces in the opposite direction in the y direction. . In other words, the suction port 25 is formed so that the back-side peripheral edge 22 is positioned in the z-direction relative to the front-side peripheral edge 23 . When a plane passing through the central first peripheral edge 22A of the back side peripheral edge 22 and the central second peripheral edge 23A of the front side peripheral edge 23 and parallel to the x-axis is defined as a suction inlet virtual plane Q, the protrusion 21 is , protrudes from the intake port imaginary plane Q. In the embodiment, the front ridgeline 28 of the protrusion 21 intersects the intake port imaginary plane Q at an angle that is nearly parallel. The rear ridgeline 27 of the protrusion 21 intersects the intake port imaginary plane Q at an angle closer to a right angle than the front ridgeline 28 does.

In the embodiment, the suction air passage portion 10 is configured by combining the suction port portion 20 and the air passage portion 30 . The suction port portion 20 and the air passage portion 30 are integrated to form a tubular body. The suction port portion 20 and the air passage portion 30 are configured to be detachable. Moreover, it is desirable that the suction port portion 20 can be attached to the air passage portion 30 even if it is turned in the opposite direction. That is, the connecting portion of the suction port portion 20 has a plane-symmetrical shape with respect to the virtual plane P, and the connecting portion of the air passage portion 30 has a plane-symmetrical shape with respect to the virtual plane P as well. With this configuration, the intake port 25, which opens obliquely in the opposite direction to the y direction in FIG. 9, can be oriented in the y direction. By attaching the suction port 25 in the opposite direction, it can be used in various situations such as the orientation of the cat's body and whether the hand holding the hair collecting device 100 is the right hand or the left hand of the user of the hair collecting device 100. , the drive unit 40 can be used in a predetermined direction.

FIGS. 13 and 14 are explanatory diagrams schematically showing usage examples of the hair collecting device 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 13 shows a cross section of the hair collecting device 100 in use, and, like FIG. 9, corresponds to the cross section taken along line S--S in FIGS. Based on FIGS. 13 and 14, an example of the state of use of the hair collecting device 100 will be described. 13 and 14, the movement of the hair collecting device 100 is indicated by arrow A1, and the flow of air is indicated by arrow A2.

The user of the hair collection device 100 operates the switch 61 of the hair collection device 100 to turn on the hair collection device 100 . The user holds the hair collecting device 100 with his/her own hand and brings the suction port 25 into contact with the body surface of the cat Ca. Then, the user moves the hair collection device 100 along the direction of the coat of the cat Ca. The direction of the arrow A1 is the movement direction of the hair collection device 100 during hair collection. By doing so, the hair is sucked into the suction air passage portion 10 from the suction port 25 of the hair collecting device 100 .

That is, at this time, the hair that is about to come off and the hair that has already come off attached to the body surface of the cat Ca with which the suction port 25 is in contact is sucked by the flow of air flowing into the suction port 25 from the outside. It is sucked inside the part 10 . The protrusion 21 is located closer to the tip side of the hair collection device 100 than the suction port 25, and is positioned closer to the body side of the cat Ca than the fur surface 90 with which the suction port 25 contacts during use. Therefore, the protruding portion 21 is embedded inside the coat of the cat Ca. The protruding portion 21 moves while parting the fur at both longitudinal ends of the suction port 25 . Therefore, among the fur that has been pushed aside by the two projections 21, the hair that has already peeled off from the body surface and the hair that is about to peel off from the body surface is the air that flows toward the suction port 25 between the two projections 21. is efficiently led to the suction port 25 together with the flow A2 of . Then, the fur is sucked into the suction air passage portion 10 from the suction port 25 . That is, since the projections 21 are formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the suction port 25 , the fur that is scraped out by the projections 21 and peeled off around the projections 21 is guided to the suction port 25 . .

As shown in FIG. 14, when the fur collecting device 100 is moved along the fur surface 90 of the cat Ca, the central portion 22a of the peripheral portion 22 on the back side of the suction port 25 is the most convex. there is Therefore, the central portion 22a of the rear peripheral portion 22 is closest to the body surface of the cat Ca, and the end region 22b near the projection 21 is located farther from the body surface of the cat Ca than the central portion 22a. The central portion 22a of the back-side peripheral edge portion 22 presses the fur to the body surface side most, but the edge regions 22b on both sides of the central portion 22a press the fur less than the central portion 22a. As a result, in the area near the projection 21, the hair is weakly pressed and the hair stands up, so not only the hair that directly hits the projection 21 but also the surrounding hair can be moved. can. Therefore, since the protrusion 21 separates the hair, the area where the hair that has already peeled off from the body surface and the hair that is likely to peel off from the body surface can be scraped out increases, so that the hair can be collected efficiently. be able to.

5 and the like, the center portion 22a of the back-side peripheral edge portion 22 is convex in the z-direction, but as shown in the plan view of FIG. A curve that descends in the opposite direction in the y direction from the portion 22a is drawn. Therefore, when the suction port 25 is in contact with the fur surface 90 as shown in FIG. It is designed to gradually decrease. The body of cat Ca generally has a three-dimensional curved surface that is curved in the direction along the spine and in the direction around the waist of the body. It is set so that it is easy to follow.

Further, in the embodiment, the shape of the protrusion 21 is formed in a substantially triangular shape when viewed from the front side, the back side, and the side side. However, it is not limited to the shape shown in the drawings, and in a state in which the suction port 25 is in contact with the fur surface 90 of the cat Ca, the front side surface of the protrusion 21 is on the fur surface 90. It suffices if they are configured so as to come into contact with each other at a gentle angle. With such a configuration, the protrusion 21 can give an appropriate stimulus to the cat Ca at the same time as the fur is collected, and the body of the cat Ca is not injured. In addition, since the protrusions 21 are provided at both ends of the suction port 25, the fur does not stay in the suction port 25, and thus hindering the suction and collection of the hair is suppressed. Furthermore, since the protrusions 21 have a substantially triangular shape, it is possible to prevent hair from entangling the protrusions 21 .

The fur sucked into the suction air passage portion 10 is collected by the filter portion 42 of the hair collection portion 45 . At this time, the air sucked together with the hair passes through the filter portion 42 of the hair recovery portion 45, passes through the fan portion 50, and is then discharged from the exhaust port 55 of the fan portion 50 to the outside of the hair recovery device 100. exhausted to By using the exhaust port 55 in a state where it does not face the cat Ca, the exhaust gas does not hit the cat and stress is not given to the cat. Further, as described above, the suction port portion 20 constituting the suction air passage portion 10 can be attached to the air passage portion 30 in a positional relationship in which the front side and the rear side are interchanged. Therefore, the exhaust port 55 can be used without facing the cat Ca, regardless of the direction the cat's body faces and whether the user holds the hair collecting device 100 with the right hand or the left hand.

In addition, when the user moves the hair collecting device 100, the protrusion 21 simultaneously stimulates the body of the cat Ca. In other words, the hair collecting device 100 makes it possible to collect the hair of the cat Ca without scattering the hair while performing the motion of stroking the cat Ca. In addition, at the same time as collecting the fur of the cat Ca, the protrusions 21 stimulate pressure points on the body of the cat, thereby improving the relaxation and health of the cat Ca.

Although the brushing time depends on the character of the cat, it is generally 10 minutes or less per time. In addition, the weight of the hair collected at one time is 2 g or less on average, including the moulting season when there is a lot of hair that regrows. Therefore, the width between the two protrusions 21 should be set between 40 mm and 50 mm, and the width of the suction port 25 in the y direction should be set between 15 mm and 20 mm. Further, the hair collecting device 100 preferably has a diameter of 15 cm or less, a total length of 30 cm or less, and a volume of 170 cm ³ or less. In other words, it is desirable that the hair collecting device 100 is constructed in such a size and weight that the user can hold it with one hand while collecting the hair. In addition, a recessed shape 33 extending in the circumferential direction, that is, around the central axis of the suction air passage portion 10 is provided on the outer surface of the air passage portion 30 constituting the suction air passage portion 10 . As a result, when the user grabs the suction air passage 10, it is less slippery and can be prevented from being dropped. In addition, by providing the concave shape 33 on the surface, it becomes easier for the user to hold it regardless of the size of the hand.

Also, the suction air passage 10 is preferably made of a metal material or a resin material containing an antistatic agent. The fur collecting device 100 collects the fur by moving the inlet portion 20 along the body of the cat. At that time, depending on the material forming the suction air passage portion 10, the material may be charged with static electricity. When the suction air passage 10 is charged, static electricity discharge not only stresses the cat, but also may make the user feel uncomfortable. Therefore, at least part of the suction air passage portion 10, for example, the suction port portion 20, is preferably made of a metal material or a resin material containing an antistatic material.

In addition, according to the hair collection device 100, the noise generated during hair collection is small, and the cat is not stressed by the sound. Therefore, even when the hair collecting device 100 is used, the cat can spend time interacting with the user without worry.

15 and 16 are schematic diagrams of the cross-sectional structure of the hair collecting device stand 80 on which the hair collecting device 100 according to the embodiment is placed, in the state of use. 15 shows the state before the hair collecting device 100 is placed on the hair collecting device stand 80, and FIG. 16 shows the state where the hair collecting device 100 is placed.

The hair collection device stand 80 includes a housing 81 having an opening 82 on the top surface, and a suction fan section 83 arranged inside the housing 81 . A filter unit 84 is arranged above the suction fan unit 83 inside the housing 81 . By arranging the filter part 84 , it is possible to prevent the collected fur from entering the inside of the suction fan part 83 .

The hair collecting device 100 is inserted into the opening 82 . The hair collecting device 100 is inserted with the suction port 25 side facing the suction fan portion 83 side. With this configuration, the hair collected in the suction air passage portion 10 of the hair collecting device 100 can be moved toward the suction port 25 side.

As shown in FIG. 16, when the hair collecting device 100 is placed on the hair collecting device stand 80, the suction air passage 10 is configured such that the suction port 25 has a large opening area. good. With this configuration, it is possible to efficiently collect the fur in the suction air passage 10 into the housing 81 . Further, the suction fan section 83 is arranged so as to face the fan section 50 of the placed hair collecting device 100, and is configured such that air flows from the opening 82 toward the suction fan section 83 side. . Therefore, the fur attached to the inside of the suction air passage portion 10 can be collected in the housing 81 so as to be sucked up. The suction air passage 10 is configured to be divisible, for example, on the virtual plane P, and is preferably configured to be divisible while placed on the hair collecting device stand 80 .

Even if the hair collecting device 100 does not have a configuration in which the suction air passage 10 is divided as shown in FIG. By increasing the number of hairs, the hair can be easily collected from the inside of the hair collecting device 100 . Alternatively, the air flow by the suction fan portion 83 of the hair collecting device stand 80 may be strengthened.

The hair collecting device stand 80 may be configured such that the suction fan section 83 is driven in conjunction with the hair collecting device 100 being placed thereon. With this configuration, the hair can be easily collected from the hair collection device 100 without the need to operate the power switch for driving the hair collection device stand 80 .

The hair collecting device placing table 80 has an electrode arranged in a portion that contacts the hair collecting device 100, and when the hair collecting device 100 is placed, power is supplied to the power supply unit 60, and a power supply structure is provided so that charging can be performed. may be provided.

A portion of the housing 81 of the hair collecting device stand 80 may be made of a translucent or transparent material. With such a configuration, the inside of the housing 81 can be seen through, so that the timing for removing accumulated hair can be confirmed without opening the housing 81 .

10 Suction air passage 11 Cavity 20 Suction port 21 Protrusion 22 Rear peripheral edge 22A First peripheral edge 22a Central part 22b End region 23 Front peripheral edge 23A Second peripheral edge 25 suction port, 26 projection tip, 27 rear ridge, 28 front ridge, 29 side ridge, 30 air passage portion, 31 rear portion, 32 front portion, 40 drive portion, 42 filter portion, 45 hair recovery portion, 50 fan portion , 50A exterior case, 50a fan, 50b bell mouth part, 50c end part, 51 guard part, 54 suction path, 55 exhaust port, 60 power supply part, 61 switch, 80 hair recovery device stand, 81 housing, 82 opening Part, 83 suction fan part, 84 filter part, 90 hair surface, 100 hair collection device, A1 arrow, A2 arrow, Ca cat, P virtual plane, Q inlet virtual plane.

Claims (5)

a suction air passage portion having an inlet formed at one end thereof; and a suction air passage portion disposed at the other end opposite to the suction port of the suction air passage portion to generate a flow of air sucked from the suction port. a housing formed with an opening for inserting a hair collection device having a fan unit and a power supply unit for supplying power to the fan unit;
and a suction fan portion arranged inside the housing for generating an air flow in a direction from the opening toward the inside of the housing. The hair collecting device comprises:
2. The hair collecting device stand according to claim 1, wherein projections are provided at both longitudinal ends of said suction port. The suction air passage portion of the hair collecting device includes:
3. The hair recovery device stand according to claim 1 or 2, which is a cylindrical body. The hair collecting device stand according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a power supply structure for supplying electricity to the hair collecting device. The housing is
5. The hair collecting device stand according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least a part of the base is made of a material that allows the inside to be seen through.

Images