JP7629792B2 - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner.

There is known an electric vacuum cleaner that includes a vacuum cleaner body, a dust case, and a storage battery that can be attached to and detached from the vacuum cleaner body.

JP 2020-171515 A

The position of the center of gravity of a conventional vacuum cleaner changes significantly when the storage battery is attached to the vacuum cleaner body and when the storage battery is removed from the vacuum cleaner body.

However, when a storage battery is attached to the vacuum cleaner body, or when the vacuum cleaner body is provided with a storage battery that is non-detachably fixed thereto, there are examples in which the vacuum cleaner is provided with legs that can stably support the vacuum cleaner on a horizontal surface without tipping over.

However, when the battery is removed from the main body of the vacuum cleaner, conventional vacuum cleaners are unable to stand stably on their legs and there is a risk of them falling over.

If the vacuum cleaner falls over, dust accumulated in the dust case may leak out and the vacuum cleaner may be damaged.

The present invention aims to provide a vacuum cleaner that can stand stably and independently without tipping over on a horizontal surface such as a floor or workbench when the center of gravity changes due to the attachment or removal of the battery.

In order to solve the above problems, the electric vacuum cleaner according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a vacuum cleaner body having a long body case, an electric blower housed in the body case, a dust collecting device connected to the suction side of the electric blower, a battery unit detachably attached to the body case and storing power consumed for driving the electric blower, and three or more legs arranged in the longitudinal direction of the body case . At least one of the legs is disposed in the dust collecting device. When the battery unit is attached to the body case, the electric vacuum cleaner stands on its own in a first position on a horizontal surface with a first leg group including at least two legs out of the three or more legs grounded and at least one leg not grounded, and when the battery unit is detached from the body case, the vacuum cleaner stands on its own in a second position on a horizontal surface with a second leg group including at least two legs out of the three or more legs grounded and at least one leg not grounded.

1 is a perspective view of a handheld vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a side view of the vacuum cleaner body of the electric vacuum cleaner according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of the vacuum cleaner body of the electric vacuum cleaner according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the vacuum cleaner body of the electric vacuum cleaner according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a schematic side view of another example of the cleaner body according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a schematic side view of another example of the cleaner body according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a handheld vacuum cleaner according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. Note that the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals in the various drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a handheld vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to this embodiment is, for example, a stick type or a handheld type. The electric vacuum cleaner 1 includes a handheld vacuum cleaner main body 2, an extension tube 3 that can be attached and detached to the vacuum cleaner main body 2, and a suction port body 5 that can be attached and detached to the extension tube 3.

When the user is holding the vacuum cleaner 1 in his/her hand, FIG. 1 corresponds to a view of the vacuum cleaner 1 seen from diagonally forward and to the left of the user.

The vacuum cleaner 1 can also be used as a handheld vacuum cleaner with only the vacuum cleaner body 2, with the extension tube 3 and suction mouth body 5 removed. In other words, the vacuum cleaner body 2 can be used alone as a handheld vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner 1 can also be used with a nozzle that is much shorter than the extension tube 3, instead of the extension tube 3 and suction mouth body 5.

The vacuum cleaner body 2 includes a body case 12 having a handle portion 11, an electric blower 13 housed in the body case 12 and generating a negative suction pressure, a suction pipe 15 fluidly connected to the suction side of the electric blower 13, a dust separation and collection unit 16 (dust collection device) removably attached to the body case 12, a body control unit 17 that mainly controls the electric blower 13, a secondary battery 18 (battery unit) removably attached to the body case 12, and a holding mechanism (not shown) that removably holds the dust separation and collection unit 16 to the body case 12.

The vacuum cleaner body 2 drives the electric blower 13 using power stored in the secondary battery 18, generates negative pressure by driving the electric blower 13, and applies the generated negative suction pressure to the separation dust collection section 16. The negative suction pressure acting on the separation dust collection section 16 acts sequentially on the suction pipe 15, the extension pipe 3, and the suction port body 5. The negative suction pressure that reaches the suction port body 5 acts on the suction port 19 of the suction port body 5. The negative suction pressure acting on the suction port 19 sucks air containing dust (hereinafter referred to as "dust-containing air") from the floor surface into the suction port 19. The dust-containing air sucked into the suction port 19 flows into the separation dust collection section 16 through the suction port body 5, the extension pipe 3, and the suction pipe 15. The dust separation and collection unit 16 separates dust from the dust-containing air sucked in by the negative suction pressure, collects and accumulates the dust after separation, and sends the air from which the dust has been separated to the electric blower 13. The electric blower 13 exhausts the air from which the dust has been separated out of the main body case 12.

The vacuum cleaner 1 and vacuum cleaner body 2 are used in various positions depending on the user holding the vacuum cleaner body 2 in their hand. In FIG. 1, the view in the direction of solid arrow P is the plan view (top view), and the view in the opposite direction of solid arrow P is the bottom view. In FIG. 1, the view in the direction of solid arrow F is the front view (front view), and the view in the opposite direction of solid arrow F is the rear view. In FIG. 1, the view in the direction of solid arrow L is the left side view, and the view in the opposite direction of solid arrow L is the right side view. In other words, when a user holds the vacuum cleaner 1 with the extension tube 3 protruding horizontally in front of the user, the front-to-back, up-down, and left-to-right directions of the vacuum cleaner 1 correspond to those of the user.

The main body case 12 houses the electric blower 13 and the control circuit board 21 on which the main body control unit 17 is mounted.

The main body case 12 is disposed on the extension line of the extension tube 3 and has a columnar front portion 12a extending along the extension line of the extension tube 3, a central portion 12b hanging diagonally downward and rearward from the front portion 12a, a cylindrical rear portion 12c extending rearward from the lower half of the back surface of the central portion 12b, and a handle portion 11 extending rearward from the upper half of the back surface of the central portion 12b, curving in an arc shape and connecting to the rear end of the upper surface of the rear portion 12c.

The main body case 12 also has a charging socket that directs charging power to the secondary battery 18. The charging socket is connected to the secondary battery 18 via a charging circuit.

The main body case 12 also includes an input section 22 that is positioned within the range in which a user holding the handle 11 can move their fingers.

The front portion 12a and the central portion 12b cooperate to detachably hold the separation dust collecting section 16. The separation dust collecting section 16 has a cylindrical appearance overall. The front portion 12a and the central portion 12b hold the separation dust collecting section 16 with the center line C of the separation dust collecting section 16, in other words, the longitudinal direction, parallel to the extension line of the center line of the extension tube 3. When the extension tube 3 and the separation dust collecting section 16 are attached to the main body case 12, the extension line of the center line of the extension tube 3 and the center line C of the separation dust collecting section 16 are located on a central longitudinal section that divides the main body case 12 substantially equally into left and right. In other words, the longitudinal front portion 12a and the cylindrical separation dust collecting section 16 are arranged side by side so that their center lines are parallel.

The front part 12a of the main body case 12 houses the suction pipe 15, which is arranged on the extension of the longitudinal direction of the extension pipe 3, i.e., the extension direction, and extends in a tubular shape.

The rear portion 12c of the main body case 12 houses the electric blower 13 and the control circuit board 21. The rear portion 12c has an exhaust port 25 that discharges exhaust air from the electric blower 13 out of the main body case 12.

The central portion 12b of the main body case 12 covers and holds a portion of the rear end of the dust separation and collection unit 16 attached to the front portion 12a, and houses an air passage (not shown) connecting the dust separation and collection unit 16 and the electric blower 13. The central portion 12b is connected to the rear end of the front portion 12a, which extends in a substantially straight line, and bulges diagonally downward and toward the rear of the main body case 12. The central portion 12b has an appearance that slopes downward toward the rear of the main body case 12.

The suction pipe 15 is housed in the front part 12a of the main body case 12 and is supported by the main body case 12. When the separation dust collection unit 16 is attached to the main body case 12, the suction pipe 15 is aligned parallel to the separation dust collection unit 16. The suction pipe 15 is a straight pipe that extends substantially straight without bending. The direction along the center line of the suction pipe 15, the extension direction of the suction pipe 15, and the longitudinal direction of the suction pipe 15 are substantially the same and substantially coincide with the front-to-rear direction of the main body case 12.

The suction pipe 15 has a joint structure to which the extension pipe 3 can be attached and detached. This joint structure is provided at the open end of the suction pipe 15. The suction pipe 15 is the fluid inlet of the vacuum cleaner body 2 and is also a joint that fluidly connects the extension pipe 3 and the separation dust collection section 16. By removing the extension pipe 3 from the vacuum cleaner body 2, the suction pipe 15 functions as a suction port when the vacuum cleaner body 2 is used alone as a handheld vacuum cleaner. The tip of the suction pipe 15 is open to the front of the vacuum cleaner body 2.

The rear end of the suction pipe 15 has a second opening connected to the separation dust collecting section 16. The second opening opens radially outward of the suction pipe 15 toward the separation dust collecting section 16. The second opening opens downwardly of the main body case 12. The second opening is provided on the bottom surface of the front part 12a of the main body case 12. When the separation dust collecting section 16 is attached to the main body case 12, the bottom surface of the front part 12a closely follows the separation dust collecting section 16. In this state, the second opening is fluidly connected to the separation dust collecting section 16.

The dust separation section 16 is disposed in an L-shaped storage space formed by the front part 12a and the center part 12b of the main body case 12. The dust separation section 16 separates, captures, and accumulates dust from the dust-laden air flowing into the vacuum cleaner body 2, while sending clean air from which the dust has been removed to the electric blower 13. The dust separation section 16 is a centrifugal separation type that centrifuges the dust and air by utilizing the difference in mass between the dust and the air. A filtration separation type filter that filters out dust from the dust-laden air may be provided downstream of the dust separation section 16.

In addition, the separation dust collecting section 16 extends in a cylindrical shape along the front-rear direction of the main body case 12. In other words, the separation dust collecting section 16 is a cylindrical container having a center line C extending in the front-rear direction of the main body case 12. The direction along the center line C of the separation dust collecting section 16, the extension direction of the separation dust collecting section 16, and the longitudinal direction of the separation dust collecting section 16 are substantially the same and substantially coincide with the front-rear direction of the main body case 12. Therefore, the center line C of the separation dust collecting section 16 is substantially parallel to the center line of the suction pipe 15. In addition, the separation dust collecting section 16 is provided next to the suction pipe 15. In other words, the longitudinal direction of the separation dust collecting section 16 follows the longitudinal direction of the suction pipe 15. The diameter of the separation dust collecting section 16 is larger than the diameter of the suction pipe 15, and the separation dust collecting section 16 protrudes in the left-right direction (width direction) of the vacuum cleaner main body 2 beyond the suction pipe 15 and the front part 12a of the main body case 12. The left-right direction (width direction) of the vacuum cleaner body 2 corresponds to the normal direction of an imaginary plane that substantially includes the center line C of the cylindrical separation dust collection unit 16 and the center line of the suction pipe 15, or the normal direction of an imaginary plane that substantially passes through the center line C of the cylindrical separation dust collection unit 16 and the center line of the suction pipe 15. This imaginary plane also corresponds to the central vertical cross section of the vacuum cleaner body 2.

The holding mechanism includes a first mechanism that detachably connects one end of the separation dust collecting unit 16 to the main body case 12, and a second mechanism that detachably connects the other end of the separation dust collecting unit 16 to the main body case 12.

The first mechanism is a locking mechanism that connects the dust separation unit 16 and the main body case 12 by hooking a protrusion on the main body case 12 into a recess on the dust separation unit 16. The recess and protrusion of the first mechanism become hooked or disengaged depending on the change in the relative positions of the dust separation unit 16 and the main body case 12.

The convex portion of the first mechanism is provided at the front end of the bottom surface of the front portion 12a of the main body case 12. The concave portion of the first mechanism is located at one end of the dust separation and collection unit 16, in a position that fits the convex portion.

The second mechanism is a locking mechanism that connects the separation dust collecting unit 16 and the main body case 12 by hooking a convex portion provided on the separation dust collecting unit 16 with a concave portion provided on the main body case 12. Unlike the first mechanism, the second mechanism has an operating piece that can remove the convex portion from the concave portion while maintaining the relative positions of the separation dust collecting unit 16 and the main body case 12. The operating piece is provided on the separation dust collecting unit 16, and the convex portion of the second mechanism is integrated with the operating piece.

The recess of the second mechanism is provided at the bottom of the central portion 12b of the main body case 12, that is, at the portion furthest from the suction pipe 15 in the radial direction of the suction pipe 15. The protrusion of the second mechanism is located at the other end of the separation dust collecting section 16, in a position that fits the recess. The recess of the first mechanism and the protrusion of the second mechanism are both provided in the separation dust collecting section 16, and are disposed substantially symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal center and the lateral center of the separation dust collecting section 16. In addition, the protrusion of the second mechanism is disposed at the portion furthest from the recess of the first mechanism within the separation dust collecting section 16.

The operating piece is capable of performing operations involving mechanical movement, including sliding and swinging, and is part of various mechanisms that convert the movement associated with this operation into a movement that disengages the convex portion from the concave portion. For example, the user can slide the operating piece to disengage the convex portion of the second mechanism from the concave portion. Furthermore, when the operating piece is not being operated by the user, it moves the convex portion of the second mechanism to a position where it hooks into the concave portion.

When the dust separation unit 16 is attached to the main body case 12, the first mechanism hooks the convex part on the concave part to connect the dust separation unit 16 to the main body case 12, and the second mechanism hooks the convex part on the concave part to connect the dust separation unit 16 to the main body case 12. When the operating piece is operated and the convex part of the second mechanism comes out of the concave part of the second mechanism, the second mechanism is unlocked. At this time, the convex part of the first mechanism remains hooked on the concave part. Then, with the second mechanism unlocked, the user uses the first mechanism as a fulcrum to move the other end of the dust separation unit 16 away from the main body case 12. Then, the dust separation unit 16 moves away from the main body case 12, and eventually the convex part of the first mechanism comes out of the concave part and the first mechanism is unlocked.

When the dust separation unit 16 is detached from the main body case 12, first the convex part of the first mechanism is hooked into the concave part. With the first mechanism locked, the user uses the first mechanism as a fulcrum to bring the other end of the dust separation unit 16 closer to the main body case 12. Then, the dust separation unit 16 is attached to the main body case 12, and eventually the convex part of the second mechanism is hooked into the concave part, and the second mechanism is also locked.

In this embodiment, the dust collector 16 is attached to and detached from the main case 12 while moving along an arcuate path, but may be attached and detached while moving along a straight path in the radial direction of the suction pipe 15. In this case, it is preferable that the first mechanism and the second mechanism are locked and unlocked substantially simultaneously. The direction of movement of the dust collector 16 when the dust collector 16 is attached to and detached from the main case 12 may be a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the suction pipe 15. Therefore, when the dust collector 16 is attached to the main case 12, the dust collector 16 moves toward the suction pipe 15 in the radial direction of the suction pipe 15, and when the dust collector 16 is detached from the main case 12, the dust collector 16 moves away from the suction pipe 15 in the radial direction of the suction pipe 15.

The central portion 12b of the main body case 12 is provided with a connection port that is fluidly connected to the exhaust side of the separation dust collection unit 16, and a separation unit downstream air duct that fluidly connects the connection port to the electric blower 13. The central portion 12b includes a portion that is sandwiched between the separation dust collection unit 16 and the rear portion 12c of the main body case 12. The connection port and the separation unit downstream air duct are located in this portion.

The connecting port is located at a position facing the front of the central portion 12b. The connecting port faces directly at the rear end face of the separation dust collecting unit 16 when the separation dust collecting unit 16 is attached to the main body case 12. Therefore, the connecting port is located on an extension of the center line C of the separation dust collecting unit 16 when the separation dust collecting unit 16 is attached to the main body case 12.

The suction side of the electric blower 13 is connected to the separation dust collection section 16 via a connecting port and a separation section downstream air duct. The electric blower 13 draws in air from the separation dust collection section 16 to generate suction negative pressure. The electric blower 13 includes an impeller, an electric motor that generates a rotational driving force for the impeller, and a rotating shaft that transmits the rotational driving force from the electric motor to the impeller.

The impeller is, for example, a turbofan, and is equipped with multiple blades. Each blade has a twisted shape that gradually rises in the radial direction of the hub from the center of the conical hub toward the outer edge of the hub. In other words, each blade is a so-called three-dimensional blade, in which the airfoil or wing section changes from the leading edge to the trailing edge. The impeller is covered by a case that has an intake port.

The electric blower 13 has a cylindrical or columnar shape with the rotation axis at its center. It is housed in the main body case 12 with the center line of the rotation axis facing the front-to-rear direction of the main body case 12 and the suction port facing forward. In addition, the center line of the rotation axis of the electric blower 13 is substantially positioned on an extension line of the separation dust collection section 16C.

The rear portion 12c of the main body case 12 houses the control circuit board 21 on which the main body control unit 17 is mounted. The control circuit board 21 is located directly behind the electric blower 13.

The main body control unit 17 includes a microprocessor and a storage device that stores various calculation programs executed by the microprocessor, parameters, and the like. The storage device stores various settings, i.e., arguments, related to a number of pre-set operating modes. The multiple operating modes are associated with the output of the electric blower 13. Each operating mode is set with a different input value, i.e., an input value for the electric blower 13, which is a target value of the current flowing through the electric blower 13. Each operating mode is associated with an operation input received by the input unit 22. The main body control unit 17 selects an arbitrary operating mode corresponding to the operation input to the input unit 22 from a number of pre-set operating modes, reads out the setting of the selected operating mode from the storage device, and operates the electric blower 13 according to the setting of the read operating mode.

The rear portion 12c of the main body case 12 is positioned on an extension of the center line C of the separation dust collection unit 16 when the separation dust collection unit 16 is attached to the main body case 12.

The secondary battery 18 is also called a storage battery, a rechargeable battery, and a rechargeable battery. The secondary battery 18 stores the power consumed by the electric blower 13 and the main body control unit 17. The secondary battery 18 is removably attached to the bottom of the rear part 12c of the main body case 12. The secondary battery 18 may be fixed so that it cannot be removed. By preparing multiple secondary batteries 18, the removable secondary battery 18 can be replaced as needed. If the charge rate of the secondary battery 18 attached to the vacuum cleaner 1 decreases, the secondary battery 18 can be replaced with a charged secondary battery 18, allowing the vacuum cleaner 1 to continue operating.

The vacuum cleaner 1 may also use a primary battery as a power source instead of the secondary battery 18.

The handle portion 11 is integrally provided on the main body case 12. The handle portion 11 is the part that the user holds with his/her hand in order to clean the floor surface with the vacuum cleaner 1. Therefore, it is preferable that the handle portion 11 has an appropriate shape that is easy to hold with human fingers.

The handle 11 is installed between the front 12a and rear 12c of the main case 12. The handle 11 extends from the rear end of the front 12a in the extension direction of the extension tube 3 and is curved in an arc to connect to the rear end of the rear 12c. A continuous space runs through the main case 12 in the left-right direction (width direction) between the handle 11 and the back surface of the central portion 12b of the main case 12, and between the handle 11 and the top surface of the rear 12c of the main case 12. The fingers of the user gripping the handle 11, primarily the index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger, are positioned in this space.

The input unit 22 is provided on the top surface of the front end of the handle 11 so that a user holding the handle 11 can easily operate it with their thumb.

The input unit 22 includes an operation start switch 22a that accepts an operation to start the electric blower 13, and an operation stop switch 22b that accepts an operation to stop the electric blower 13. The operation start switch 22a and the operation stop switch 22b are electrically connected to the main body control unit 17. The user of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 can select one of the operation modes of the electric blower 13 by operating the input unit 22. The operation start switch 22a also functions as a changeover switch for the operation mode while the electric blower 13 is in operation. In this case, the main body control unit 17 switches the operation mode in the following order each time it receives an operation signal from the operation start switch 22a. Note that the input unit 22 may include a strong operation switch (not shown), a medium operation switch (not shown), and a weak operation switch (not shown) separately instead of the operation start switch 22a.

Figures 2 and 3 are side views of the vacuum cleaner body of an electric vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a bottom view of the vacuum cleaner body of an electric vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side view of the vacuum cleaner body 2 with the secondary battery 18 attached, and Figure 3 is a side view of the vacuum cleaner body 2 with the secondary battery 18 removed.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the vacuum cleaner body 2 of this embodiment functions alone as a handheld vacuum cleaner.

When the vacuum cleaner body 2 is used alone as a handheld vacuum cleaner, the vacuum cleaner body 2 may be placed on a horizontal surface HS.

When the secondary battery 18 is attached to the main body case 12, the vacuum cleaner main body 2 according to this embodiment stands on the horizontal surface HS in a first position with two of the three legs 31 grounded and one leg 31 not grounded (Fig. 2). When the secondary battery 18 is detached from the main body case 12, the vacuum cleaner main body 2 stands on the horizontal surface HS in a second position with two of the three legs 31 grounded, including the leg 31 not grounded in the first position, and one of the two legs 31 grounded in the first position not grounded (Fig. 3).

Specifically, the vacuum cleaner body 2 according to this embodiment has three legs 41, 42, and 43. The three legs 41, 42, and 43 are arranged in order from the front to the rear of the vacuum cleaner body 2. In other words, the three legs 41, 42, and 43 are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the vacuum cleaner body 2, which is long in the front-rear direction. The three legs 41, 42, and 43 are convex strips and protrusions that extend in the left-right direction of the vacuum cleaner body 2, penetrating the central longitudinal section of the vacuum cleaner body 2. Each of the legs 41, 42, and 43 has a contact portion that is convex downward in a semicircular arc shape as a whole or at the most protruding portion. Therefore, the legs 41, 42, and 43 are in line contact with the horizontal plane HS. The legs 41 and 43 may be in surface contact with the horizontal plane HS. The legs 41 and 43 in surface contact make the vacuum cleaner body 2 more stable in its free-standing position.

The legs 41, 42, and 43 may have elastic members 51 that contact the horizontal surface HS. The elastic members 51 are sandwiched between the respective legs 41, 42, and 43 and the horizontal surface HS to prevent damage to the horizontal surface HS and to prevent slippage between the horizontal surface HS and the respective legs 41, 42, and 43.

The legs 41, 42, 43 do not have to be continuous. For example, they may be separated and scattered on the right and left sides of the vacuum cleaner body 2. When the vacuum cleaner body 2 is placed on a hard horizontal surface HS, the three legs 41, 42, 43 contact the horizontal surface HS in a straight line extending in the left-right direction of the vacuum cleaner body 2. As long as each leg 41, 42, 43 is capable of standing on its own in the first position and is capable of standing on its own in the second position, it does not have to protrude from the surroundings, and may be, for example, a part such as the edge of a surface.

The frontmost leg 41 is provided on the dust separation and collection section 16, but may be provided on the main body case 12. The rearmost leg 43 is provided on the secondary battery 18, but may be provided on the main body case 12. The leg 42 is provided on the main body case 12, between the two legs 41, 43 in the front-to-rear direction of the vacuum cleaner body 2. Two or more legs 31 may be provided on the secondary battery 18. It is preferable that the secondary battery 18 has at least one leg 43.

When the secondary battery 18 is attached to the main body case 12 (Figure 2), the vacuum cleaner main body 2 according to this embodiment can stand on its own on the horizontal surface HS with the center leg 42 and the rear leg 43 touching the ground.

To simplify the explanation, the first position in which the central leg 42 and the rear leg 43 are grounded and the vacuum cleaner body 2 stands on the horizontal plane HS as shown in FIG. 2 is called the "battery attachment self-supporting position". The vacuum cleaner body 2 in the battery attachment self-supporting position stands on the horizontal plane HS by the first leg group 48, which includes two legs 42 and 43 of the three legs 41, 42, and 43 and excludes one leg 41. In other words, the vacuum cleaner body 2 in the battery attachment self-supporting position stands on a horizontal plane by having two legs 42 and 43 of the three legs 41, 42, and 43 grounded and one leg 41 not grounded.

The center of gravity G1 of the vacuum cleaner body 2, in which the secondary battery 18 is installed, is located between the central leg 42 and the rear leg 43.

In addition, when the secondary battery 18 is detached from the main body case 12, the vacuum cleaner body 2 according to this embodiment can stand on its own on the horizontal surface HS with the front leg 41 and the center leg 42 touching the ground.

To simplify the explanation, the second position in which the front leg 41 and the center leg 42 are grounded and the vacuum cleaner body 2 stands on the horizontal plane HS as shown in FIG. 3 is called the "battery detached independent position". The vacuum cleaner body 2 in the battery detached independent position stands on the horizontal plane HS by a second leg group 49 including two legs 41, 42 of the three legs 41, 42, 43 and excluding one leg 43. In other words, the vacuum cleaner body 2 in the battery detached independent position stands on the horizontal plane by grounding two legs 41, 42 of the three legs 41, 42, 43 including the leg 41 that is not grounded in the battery attached independent position, and by not grounding one leg 43 of the two legs 42, 43 that are grounded in the battery attached independent position.

The center of gravity G2 of the vacuum cleaner body 2 with the secondary battery 18 detached is located between the front leg 41 and the central leg 42.

Therefore, the vacuum cleaner body 2 can stand stably and independently without tipping over on the horizontal surface HS, even when the secondary battery 18 is attached to the body case 12 or when the secondary battery 18 is detached from the body case 12.

Note that "capable of standing stably" means that the vacuum cleaner can stand on its own with only the parts of the vacuum cleaner body 2 that are designed to be in contact with the horizontal surface HS, such as the legs 31 in this embodiment, in contact with the horizontal surface HS, and not that any part of the exterior surface of the vacuum cleaner body 2 is in contact with the horizontal surface HS in a suitable manner, so that its position can be easily changed by a minor external force.

The three legs 31 also have legs 42 that belong to both the first leg group 48 and the second leg group 49. In this way, the legs 42 that belong to both the first leg group 48 and the second leg group 49 are called shared legs. The shared legs are the legs 31 that come into contact with the horizontal surface HS in both the battery attachment self-supporting position and the battery removal self-supporting position.

Figures 5 and 6 are schematic side views of another example of a vacuum cleaner body according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a side view of the vacuum cleaner body 2A with the secondary battery 18 attached, and Figure 3 is a side view of the vacuum cleaner body 2A with the secondary battery 18 removed.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, when the secondary battery 18 is attached to the main body case 12, the vacuum cleaner main body 2A according to this embodiment stands on a horizontal surface in a first position with two of the four legs 31 grounded and two legs 31 not grounded (Figure 5). When the secondary battery 18 is detached from the main body case 12, the vacuum cleaner main body 2A stands on a horizontal surface in a second position with two of the four legs 31 not grounded in the first position grounded and two legs 31 not grounded in the first position (Figure 6).

Specifically, the vacuum cleaner body 2A according to this embodiment has four legs 41, 42, 43, and 44. The four legs 41, 42, 43, and 44 are arranged in order from the front to the rear of the vacuum cleaner body 2A. The four legs 41, 42, 43, and 44 are convex strips that extend in the left-right direction of the vacuum cleaner body 2A through the central vertical section of the vacuum cleaner body 2A, and are protrusions. Each of the legs 41, 42, 43, and 44 has a contact portion that is convex downward in a semicircular arc shape as a whole or at the most protruding portion. Therefore, the legs 41, 42, 43, and 44 are in line contact with the horizontal plane HS. The legs 41, 42, 43, and 44 may be in surface contact with the horizontal plane HS. The legs 41, 42, 43, and 44 that are in surface contact make the self-supporting posture of the vacuum cleaner body 2A more stable.

The legs 41, 42, 43, and 44 may have elastic members 51 that contact the horizontal surface HS. The elastic members 51 are sandwiched between the respective legs 41, 42, 43, and 44 and the horizontal surface HS to prevent damage to the horizontal surface HS and to prevent slippage between the horizontal surface HS and the respective legs 41, 42, 43, and 44.

Each of the legs 41, 42, 43, and 44 does not have to be a continuous strip. For example, they may be separated and scattered on the right and left sides of the vacuum cleaner body 2. When the vacuum cleaner body 2 is placed on a hard horizontal surface HS, the four legs 41, 42, 43, and 44 contact the horizontal surface HS in a straight line extending in the left-right direction of the vacuum cleaner body 2.

When the secondary battery 18 is attached to the main body case 12 (FIG. 5), the vacuum cleaner main body 2A according to this embodiment can stand on its own on the horizontal surface HS by placing the third leg 42 and the rearmost leg 44 on the ground.

To simplify the explanation, the first position in which the third leg 43 from the front and the rearmost leg 44 are grounded and stand on the horizontal plane HS as shown in FIG. 5 is called the "battery attachment position". The vacuum cleaner body 2A in the battery attachment position stands on the horizontal plane HS by the first leg group 48A, which includes two legs 43 and 44 out of the four legs 41, 42, 43, and 44 and excludes the two legs 41 and 42. In other words, the vacuum cleaner body 2A in the battery attachment position stands on the horizontal plane by having two legs 43 and 44 out of the four legs 41, 42, 43, and 44 grounded and two legs 41 and 42 not grounded.

The center of gravity G1 of the vacuum cleaner body 2A in which the secondary battery 18 is installed is located between the third leg 43 from the front and the rearmost leg 44.

In addition, when the secondary battery 18 is detached from the main body case 12, the vacuum cleaner main body 2A according to this embodiment can stand on its own on the horizontal surface HS with the front leg 41 and the second leg 42 in contact with the ground.

To simplify the explanation, the second position in which the front leg 41 and the second leg 42 from the front are grounded and stand on the horizontal plane HS as shown in FIG. 6 is called the "battery detached independent position". The vacuum cleaner body 2A in the battery detached independent position stands on the horizontal plane HS by the second leg group 49A, which includes two legs 41 and 42 of the four legs 41, 42, 43, and 44 and excludes the two legs 43 and 44. In other words, the vacuum cleaner body 2 in the battery detached independent position stands on the horizontal plane by grounding the legs 41 and 42 of the four legs 41, 42, 43, and 44 that are not grounded in the battery attached independent position and by not grounding the two legs 43 and 44 that are grounded in the battery attached independent position.

The center of gravity G2 of the vacuum cleaner body 2A with the secondary battery 18 detached is located between the front leg 41 and the second leg 42 from the front.

Therefore, the vacuum cleaner body 2A can stand stably and independently without tipping over on the horizontal surface HS, even when the secondary battery 18 is attached to the body case 12 or when the secondary battery 18 is detached from the body case 12.

The vacuum cleaner body 2, which has three legs 41, 42, 43, can stand upright stably in the battery-attached self-supporting position even if there are multiple legs 31 between the two central and rear legs 42, 43, and can stand upright stably in the battery-detached self-supporting position even if there are multiple legs 31 between the two front and central legs 41, 42.

The vacuum cleaner body 2A, which has four legs 41, 42, 43, 44, can stand upright stably in the battery-attached self-supporting position even if there are multiple legs 31 between the third leg from the front and the rearmost two legs 43, 44, and can stand upright stably in the battery-detached self-supporting position even if there are multiple legs 31 between the front and second-most two legs 41, 42.

In other words, as shown in Fig. 3 to Fig. 6, the vacuum cleaner main body 2, 2A according to this embodiment stands on a horizontal surface in a battery-attached independent posture with the first leg group 48, 48A including at least two legs 31 out of the three or more legs 31 grounded and at least one leg 31 not grounded (Fig. 2, Fig. 5). Also, when the battery unit 18 is detached from the main body case 12, the vacuum cleaner main body 2 stands on a horizontal surface in a battery-detached independent posture with the second leg group 49, 49A including at least two legs 31 out of the three or more legs 31 including the leg 31 not grounded in the battery-attached independent posture grounded and at least one leg 31 out of the first leg group 48, 48A not grounded (Fig. 3, Fig. 6).

Note that the first leg group 48 and the second leg group 49 in Figures 2 to 4 include a shared leg (leg 42) that belongs to both leg groups 48, 49, while the first leg group 48A and the second leg group 49A in Figures 5 to 6 do not have a shared leg that belongs to both leg groups 48A, 49A. In other words, the first leg group 48, 48A and the second leg group 49, 49A may or may not have overlaps (shared legs).

The vacuum cleaner main body 2, 2A in the battery-attached self-standing position can stand on its own stably and reliably if its weight is distributed so that the center of gravity G1 is located between the pair of legs 31 that are located farthest from the first leg group 48. In other words, the vacuum cleaner main body 2 in the battery-attached self-standing position can stand on its own stably and reliably if its weight is distributed so that the center of gravity G1 is located between the pair of legs 42, 43 that are located farthest from the first leg group 48. The vacuum cleaner main body 2A in the battery-attached self-standing position can stand on its own stably and reliably if its weight is distributed so that the center of gravity G1 is located between the pair of legs 43, 44 that are located farthest from the first leg group 48.

The vacuum cleaner body 2, 2A in the battery detachment self-standing position can stand on its own stably and reliably if the weight is distributed so that the center of gravity G2 is located between the pair of legs 31 that are located farthest from the second leg group 49. In other words, the vacuum cleaner body 2 in the battery detachment self-standing position can stand on its own stably and reliably if the weight is distributed so that the center of gravity G2 is located between the pair of legs 41, 42 that are located farthest from the second leg group 49. The vacuum cleaner body 2A in the battery detachment self-standing position can stand on its own stably and reliably if the weight is distributed so that the center of gravity G2 is located between the pair of legs 41, 42 that are located farthest from the second leg group 49.

The position of the center of gravity when the secondary battery 18 is attached to the main body case 12 is the position of the center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner main body 2, 2A in the battery attached self-standing position. The position of the center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner main body 2, 2A in the battery attached self-standing position is substantially determined by the position of the center of gravity of the main body case 12, the position of the center of gravity of the electric blower 13, the position of the center of gravity of the dust separation and collection section 16, and the position of the center of gravity of the secondary battery 18.

In addition, the position of the center of gravity when the secondary battery 18 is detached from the main body case 12 is the position of the center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner main body 2, 2A in the battery detached independent posture. The position of the center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner main body 2, 2A in the battery detached independent posture is substantially determined by the position of the center of gravity of the main body case 12, the position of the center of gravity of the electric blower 13, and the position of the center of gravity of the separation dust collection section 16.

Therefore, by determining the relationship between the position of the center of gravity of the main body case 12, the position of the center of gravity of the electric blower 13, the position of the center of gravity of the dust separation and collection section 16, and the position of the center of gravity of the secondary battery 18, the position of the center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner main body 2, 2A in the battery-attached self-standing position can be easily positioned to a position where the vacuum cleaner main body 2, 2A can stably stand on its own on the first leg group 48, and the position of the center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner main body 2, 2A in the battery-detached self-standing position can be easily positioned to a position where the vacuum cleaner main body 2, 2A can stably stand on its own on the second leg group 49.

The mass of the separation dust collecting section 16 is heavier than the mass of the electric blower 13, and the mass of the secondary battery 18 is heavier than the mass of the separation dust collecting section 16. In the vacuum cleaner body 2 according to this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the separation dust collecting section 16 is disposed in the front half of the body case 12, and the electric blower 13 and the secondary battery 18 are disposed in the rear half of the body case 12. Such a relationship between the mass of the devices and the arrangement of the devices shortens the length of the air passage in the vacuum cleaner body 2, 2A, improving suction efficiency, contributing to the miniaturization of the vacuum cleaner body 2, and improving the stability of the vacuum cleaner body 2, 2A in the battery-attached and battery-detached self-supporting positions.

The position of the center of gravity when the secondary battery 18 is attached to the main body case 12 does not have to be between the pair of legs 31, 31 located farthest from the first leg group 48, 48A, as long as the free-standing vacuum cleaner main body 2, 2A does not change its posture due to a slight external force. Also, the position of the center of gravity when the secondary battery 18 is detached from the main body case 12 does not have to be between the pair of legs 31, 31 located farthest from the second leg group 49, 49A, as long as the free-standing vacuum cleaner main body 2, 2A does not change its posture due to a slight external force.

As described above, when the secondary battery 18 is attached to the main body case 12, the vacuum cleaner body 2, 2A as a handheld vacuum cleaner according to this embodiment stands on the horizontal surface in a first position (battery attached self-supporting position) with the first leg group 48, 48A grounded and at least one leg 31 not grounded, and when the secondary battery 18 is detached from the main body case 12, the vacuum cleaner body 2, 2A stands on the horizontal surface in a second position (battery detached self-supporting position) with the second leg group 49, 49A grounded and at least one leg 31 of the first leg group 48, 48A not grounded. Therefore, the vacuum cleaner body 2, 2A can maintain a stable self-supporting position by following the change in the center of gravity accompanying the attachment and detachment of the secondary battery 18.

The vacuum cleaner body 2 according to this embodiment also includes a leg 42 that is a common leg that belongs to both the first leg group 48 and the second leg group 49. Therefore, as long as the vacuum cleaner body 2 includes at least three legs 41, 42, and 43, it can stand independently and stably in either the first or second position.

Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner main body 2, 2A according to this embodiment is weight-distributed so that when the secondary battery 18 is attached to the main body case 12, the center of gravity is located between the pair of legs 31 located farthest from the first leg group 48, and when the secondary battery 18 is detached from the main body case 12, the center of gravity is located between the pair of legs 31 located farthest from the second leg group 49. Therefore, the vacuum cleaner main body 2, 2A can stand independently stably in either the first or second position.

The vacuum cleaner main body 2, 2A according to this embodiment has a first position where the position of the center of gravity is substantially determined by the positions of the main body case 12, the electric blower 13, the dust separation section 16, and the secondary battery 18, and a second position where the position of the center of gravity is substantially determined by the positions of the main body case 12, the electric blower 13, and the dust separation section 16. Therefore, the vacuum cleaner main body 2, 2A can easily set the positions of the center of gravity in the first position and the second position so that it can stand independently in a stable manner in either the first position or the second position.

Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner main body 2, 2A according to this embodiment is equipped with a dust separation section 16 that is heavier than the electric blower 13, and a secondary battery 18 that is heavier than the dust separation section 16. The dust separation section 16 is disposed in the front half of the main body case 12, and the electric blower 13 and the secondary battery 18 are disposed in the rear half of the main body case 12. As a result, the vacuum cleaner main body 2, 2A can improve suction efficiency by shortening the air passage length, reduce the size of the vacuum cleaner main body 2, 2A, and improve the stability of the vacuum cleaner main body 2, 2A when standing on its own in the first position and the second position.

The vacuum cleaner body 2, 2A according to this embodiment also includes legs 31 that make line or surface contact with the horizontal surface HS. Therefore, the vacuum cleaner body 2, 2A can easily stand on its own by placing the legs 31 on the horizontal surface HS.

Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner body 2, 2A according to this embodiment is provided with an elastic member 51 that contacts the horizontal surface. Therefore, the vacuum cleaner body 2, 2A can prevent damage to the horizontal surface HS and can reliably stand and stand still on the horizontal surface HS without slipping.

Therefore, the vacuum cleaner body 2, 2A according to the present invention can stand stably and independently on a horizontal surface HS such as a floor or workbench in response to changes in the position of the center of gravity caused by the attachment or detachment of the secondary battery 18.

Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims.

1... electric vacuum cleaner, 2, 2A... vacuum cleaner body, 3... extension tube, 5... suction port body, 11... handle, 12... body case, 12a... front part, 12b... center part, 12c... rear part, 13... electric blower, 15... suction pipe, 16... dust separation and collection part, 17... body control part, 18... secondary battery, 19... suction port, 21... control circuit board, 22... input part, 22a... operation start switch, 22b... operation stop switch, 25... exhaust port, 31, 41, 42, 43, 44... legs, 48, 48A... first leg group, 49, 49A... second leg group, 51... elastic member.

Claims (5)

A long main body case,
an electric blower housed in the main body case;
A dust collecting device connected to the suction side of the electric blower;
a battery unit that is detachably attached to the main body case and stores power consumed to drive the electric blower;
A vacuum cleaner body having three or more legs arranged in a longitudinal direction of the main body case,
At least one of the legs is disposed on the dust collecting device,
When the battery unit is attached to the main body case, the vacuum cleaner stands on its own in a first position on a horizontal surface with a first leg group including at least two of the three or more legs grounded and at least one leg not grounded, and when the battery unit is detached from the main body case, the vacuum cleaner stands on its own in a second position on a horizontal surface with a second leg group including at least two of the three or more legs including the leg not grounded in the first position grounded and at least one leg of the first leg group not grounded. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the three or more legs include a common leg that belongs to both the first leg group and the second leg group. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein the leg portion makes line contact or surface contact with the horizontal surface. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein the leg portion has an elastic member that contacts the horizontal surface. The electric vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein at least one of the legs is disposed in the battery section.

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