JP7633190B2 - Steam cleaning attachments and vacuum cleaners - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a steam cleaning attachment that uses steam to clean a surface to be cleaned, and a vacuum cleaner equipped with the same.

Conventionally, vacuum cleaners that use steam to clean dirt from surfaces to be cleaned are known. This type of vacuum cleaner is equipped with a cleaning head that blows out steam, a tank that stores cleaning liquid such as water, a steam generating unit that generates steam from the cleaning liquid stored in the tank, a power supply unit that serves as the power source for the steam generating unit, and other components, and is constructed by assembling the cleaning head and the vacuum cleaner body. In other words, the vacuum cleaner is constructed as a whole by the vacuum cleaner body and the cleaning head that are pre-configured exclusively for steam cleaning. Therefore, when performing normal suction cleaning, a separate vacuum cleaner for suction cleaning is required. Alternatively, in order to be able to perform steam cleaning and suction cleaning with the same vacuum cleaner, a complex switching mechanism such as an air passage is required, and the vacuum cleaner body must be equipped with both structures required only for steam cleaning and structures required only for suction cleaning, which makes the vacuum cleaner larger and more difficult to handle, making it less user-friendly.

JP 2021-49402 A

The problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide a steam cleaning attachment that is simple in configuration and easy to use, and a vacuum cleaner equipped with the same.

A steam cleaning attachment according to an embodiment includes a main body, a steam generating unit, an outlet, a wiping member mounting unit, an operating unit mounting unit, and a battery mounting unit . The steam generating unit is disposed in the main body and is driven by a battery as a power source to generate steam of cleaning liquid supplied from a liquid supply source. The outlet blows out the steam generated by the steam generating unit. The wiping member mounting unit is formed in the main body and is fitted with a wiping member that blows out from the outlet and wipes off the steam adhering to the surface to be cleaned. The operating unit mounting unit is formed in the main body and is capable of mounting the operating unit . The battery mounting unit is formed in the main body and is capable of detachably mounting a battery. The battery mounted in the battery mounting unit is located in the upper part of the main body, and the wiping member mounted in the wiping member mounting unit is located in the lower part of the main body .

1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a steam cleaning attachment according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the steam cleaning attachment from the side of the surface to be cleaned. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an electric vacuum cleaner equipped with the steam cleaning attachment. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the steam cleaning attachment of the second embodiment, viewed from the side of the surface to be cleaned.

First Embodiment
Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, AT denotes a steam cleaning attachment. The steam cleaning attachment AT uses steam ST to lift or remove dirt from a surface CS to be cleaned, such as a floor, and clean the surface CS. Hereinafter, the steam cleaning attachment AT may be simply referred to as the attachment AT. Note that steam ST generally refers to a gaseous state, such as high-temperature steam, but in this embodiment, it is not limited to this, and also includes steam or fine liquid particles that have cooled slightly from a gaseous state to a high-temperature liquid state by contact with the outside air or the surface CS to be cleaned. In addition, the up-down direction is defined based on the state in which the attachment AT is placed on the horizontal surface CS to be cleaned, and the direction in which cleaning proceeds as seen from the user during cleaning is defined as the forward direction, the opposite direction is defined as the rearward direction, and the direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the front-rear direction is defined as the left-right direction. In the diagram, the arrow FR indicates the forward direction, the arrow RR indicates the backward direction, the arrow L indicates the leftward direction, the arrow R indicates the rightward direction, the arrow U indicates the upward direction, and the arrow D indicates the downward direction.

The attachment AT has a main body 1. The main body 1 is larger in the left-right direction than in the front-to-back direction, i.e., it is formed in a horizontally elongated shape. The main body 1 is formed from synthetic resin or the like.

Water is basically used as the cleaning liquid W that serves as the steam source, but water with detergent added may also be used. The cleaning liquid W is supplied from a liquid supply source 2. In this embodiment, the liquid supply source 2 is a tank that stores the cleaning liquid W. In other words, the liquid supply source 2 has a case portion 20 that contains the cleaning liquid W inside. The case portion 20 is formed with a refill port for refilling the cleaning liquid W and a discharge port from which the cleaning liquid W is discharged. The refill port and the discharge port may be the same port or different ports. Without being limited to this, the liquid supply source 2 may be a container that can contain the cleaning liquid W, such as a commercially available plastic bottle.

In this embodiment, the liquid supply source 2 is attached to a liquid supply source attachment section 10 formed on the main body section 1. In the illustrated example, the liquid supply source attachment section 10 is located at the top of the main body section 1. In this embodiment, the liquid supply source attachment section 10 is located at the center of the main body section 1 in the front-rear direction. Preferably, the liquid supply source 2 is detachable from the liquid supply source attachment section 10. The liquid supply source 2 is held by a holding section relative to the liquid supply source attachment section 10. The holding by the holding section can be released by an attachment/detachment switch 22. In the illustrated example, the attachment/detachment switch 22 is located at the top of the case section 20 of the liquid supply source 2 and can be operated by the user. Not limited to this, the liquid supply source 2 may be configured not to be detachable from the main body section 1. In this case, it is preferable to place the refill port in a position that can be accessed by the user from the outside, such as the top of the case section 20.

The cleaning liquid W from the liquid supply source 2 is converted into steam ST by the steam generating unit 3. That is, the steam generating unit 3 generates steam ST of the cleaning liquid W supplied from the liquid supply source 2. The steam generating unit 3 has a pump 30 that sucks out the cleaning liquid W from the liquid supply source 2, a heater 31 that heats the cleaning liquid W, and a control unit 32 that controls the operation of the pump 30 and the heater 31. The pump 30 is connected to a piping unit 35 that sends the cleaning liquid W sucked out from the liquid supply source 2. The piping unit 35 is connected to the outlet of the liquid supply source 2. For example, the piping unit 35 is formed of a material such as a metal having good thermal conductivity. At least a part of the piping unit 35 is arranged in close proximity to the heater 31. Therefore, the cleaning liquid W sucked out from the liquid supply source 2 by the operation of the pump 30 and passing through the piping unit 35 is configured to be heated by the heater 31. If the steam ST is at 60°C or higher at the position where it adheres to the surface CS to be cleaned, it can remove general oily dirt from the surface CS to be cleaned, so the steam generating unit 3 generates the steam ST so that the steam ST is at 60°C or higher, preferably 80°C or higher, at the position where it adheres to the surface CS to be cleaned. It is preferable that the heater 31 is provided with a sensor or the like for detecting the temperature, and when the sensor detects that the heater 31 has reached a predetermined temperature sufficient to raise the temperature of the steam ST to the above temperature, the sensor can display this information using a display means such as an indicator or lamp.

The steam generating unit 3 is housed in a storage chamber 11 formed in the main body 1. The storage chamber 11 is located in the upper part of the main body 1. In this embodiment, the storage chamber 11 is formed to extend in the left-right direction. In the illustrated example, the storage chamber 11 is located in front of the liquid supply source attachment part 10. In other words, the steam generating unit 3 is located in front of the liquid supply source 2.

The steam generating unit 3 also operates using a battery 4 as a power source. In this embodiment, the battery 4 is a battery pack having a plurality of cells 40. The cells 40 are housed in a case body 41. The battery 4 may be a primary battery, a secondary battery, or a storage battery. If the battery 4 is a secondary battery or a storage battery, the attachment AT may be provided with a charging circuit for charging the battery 4.

Preferably, the battery 4 is detachably attached to the battery attachment section 12 formed in the main body 1. In this embodiment, the battery attachment section 12 is located behind the steam generating section 3 in the main body 1. In the illustrated example, the battery attachment section 12 is located behind the storage chamber 11 and the supply liquid source attachment section 10. In other words, the battery 4 is located behind the steam generating section 3 and the supply liquid source 2. In this embodiment, the steam generating section 3 is located in front of the supply liquid source 2, and the battery 4 is located behind it. However, the battery 4 may be located at any position in the main body 1, and may be built into the main body 1, for example.

The battery 4 is electrically connected to the steam generating unit 3 via the connection part 42. In this embodiment, the connection part 42 is electrically connected to the control unit 32. The connection part 42 is a connector or the like, and is located close to the battery attachment part 12.

The power supply from the battery 4 to the steam generating unit 3 is turned on and off by the power switch SW. In this embodiment, the power switch SW is a heater switch that turns on and off the operation of the heater 31 of the steam generating unit 3. The power switch SW can be operated by the user. The power switch SW is disposed on the main body 1. In this embodiment, the power switch SW is located at the top of the main body 1. In the illustrated example, the power switch SW is located at the top of the storage chamber 11 in the main body 1.

The steam ST generated by the steam generating unit 3 is blown out from the outlet 5. In this embodiment, the cleaning liquid W sucked out from the liquid supply source 2 by the pump 30 is vaporized by the heater 31, and the steam ST is blown out from the outlet 5 by the vaporization pressure.

The outlet 5 is formed in the main body 1. The outlet 5 is located at the downstream end of the piping section 35 of the steam generating section 3. In this embodiment, the outlet 5 is disposed in a partition wall 15 formed in the main body 1. The outlet 5 is formed in the partition wall 15 as a small opening so as to increase the pressure of the steam ST being blown out. In other words, the opening area of the outlet 5 is set according to the desired pressure of the steam ST.

The partition 15 is open at the bottom and constitutes the steam chamber 16 between the surface to be cleaned CS and the blowing outlet 5, where the steam ST is blown out and retained. The partition 15 is located at the bottom of the main body 1. In this embodiment, the partition 15 is located below the liquid supply source attachment part 10 and the storage chamber 11, and separates the storage chamber 11 from the steam chamber 16. In other words, the liquid supply source 2 and the steam generating unit 3 are located above the partition 15 and the blowing outlet 5 formed in the partition 15. In the illustrated example, at least a part of the liquid supply source 2 and at least a part of the steam generating unit 3 are located within the vertical projection of the partition 15 or the steam chamber 16. Therefore, the partition 15 is located in a position that directly supports the weight of the liquid supply source 2 and the steam generating unit 3.

The partition wall 15 is located from the front to the center of the main body 1. Therefore, the steam chamber 16 is defined in a position from the front to the center of the main body 1.

The partition wall 15 is also arc-shaped or arch-shaped, convex upward, in cross section. In the illustrated example, the partition wall 15 integrally includes an upper wall portion 150, a front wall portion 151 extending downward from the front of the upper wall portion 150, and a rear wall portion 152 extending downward from the rear of the upper wall portion 150. The upper wall portion 150 has a substantially constant height in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the upper wall portion 150 is curved so that it is highest at the center in the front-rear direction and gradually decreases in height toward the front and rear. The air outlet 5 is located in this upper wall portion 150. In the illustrated example, the air outlet 5 is located in the center of the upper wall portion 150 in the front-rear direction, that is, at the highest position of the upper wall portion 150. Therefore, the air outlet 5 is located at the top of the steam chamber 16.

The front wall 151 is located forward of the storage chamber 11 and forms the front of the main body 1. The upper wall 150 and the rear wall 152 separate the storage chamber 11 from the steam chamber 16. The lower ends of the front wall 151 and the rear wall 152 are located at the lower end of the main body 1 and are in contact with or close to the surface CS to be cleaned when the main body 1 of the attachment AT is placed on the surface CS to be cleaned. Therefore, when the main body 1 of the attachment AT is placed on the surface CS to be cleaned, the lower part of the steam chamber 16 is sealed or nearly sealed by the surface CS to be cleaned.

1 and 2, in this embodiment, the partition 15 is formed to extend in the left-right direction. Therefore, the steam chamber 16 is configured to be longitudinal in the left-right direction. In the illustrated example, the steam chamber 16 is configured to be rectangular in shape that is long in the left-right direction when viewed from the top-down direction. In this embodiment, multiple air outlets 5 are arranged in the left-right direction on the partition 15. These air outlets 5 are arranged apart from each other in the left-right direction. In the illustrated example, the air outlets 5 are arranged at equal or approximately equal intervals in the left-right direction. The air outlets 5 are arranged in the center of the left-right direction of the partition 15 or the steam chamber 16, and multiple air outlets 5 are arranged on both the left and right sides of the center. In other words, the air outlets 5 are arranged in a distributed manner throughout the entire left-right direction of the steam chamber 16. Therefore, the steam ST blown out from the air outlets 5 is configured to spread evenly or approximately evenly throughout the entire left-right direction of the steam chamber 16.

In this embodiment, the steam ST is blown out from the blowing port 5 by the steam button BT shown in FIG. 3. The steam button BT can be operated by the user. By turning on the steam button BT, the steam generating unit 3 is operated so that the steam ST is blown out from the blowing port 5 shown in FIG. 1. In this embodiment, the steam button BT shown in FIG. 3 is a pump switch that switches the operation of the pump 30 shown in FIG. 1 on and off. The pump 30 may be configured to operate continuously by turning on the steam button BT shown in FIG. 3 until the steam button BT is turned off, or may operate only while the user is operating the steam button BT by pressing it. In this embodiment, the steam button BT is located at the top of the main body 1. In the illustrated example, the steam button BT is located at the top of the storage chamber 11 in the main body 1 and is arranged side by side with the power switch SW. The steam button BT may be controlled so that it cannot be operated until the heater 31 of the steam generating unit 3 shown in FIG. 1 is heated to a predetermined temperature.

The steam ST blown out from the air outlet 5 and attached to the surface CS to be cleaned is wiped off together with dirt by the wiping member 6. The wiping member 6 is also called a wiping pad. The wiping member 6 is disposed outside the steam chamber 16. In other words, the wiping member 6 is located outside the partition wall 15. The wiping member 6 is preferably a cloth or the like made of a fibrous material such as microfiber that can adsorb and retain a certain amount of moisture. The wiping member 6 may be a dedicated one or a general-purpose cloth or the like.

In this embodiment, the wiping member 6 is attached to a wiping member attachment portion 18 formed on the main body 1. The wiping member attachment portion 18 is located at the bottom of the main body 1, and is positioned to face the surface CS to be cleaned when the main body 1 of the attachment AT is placed on the surface CS to be cleaned. In this embodiment, the wiping member attachment portion 18 is located behind the steam chamber 16, i.e., the partition 15. In the illustrated example, the wiping member attachment portion 18 is located adjacent to the rear of the partition 15, i.e., the rear wall portion 152. The wiping member attachment portion 18 is located below the battery 4. In other words, the wiping member 6 is located below the battery 4. The wiping member 6 attached to the wiping member attachment portion 18 is in a position to bear the weight of the liquid supply source 2, the battery 4, and the steam generating unit 3.

As shown in FIG. 2, preferably, the wiping member mounting portion 18 is formed longitudinally in the left-right direction. In the illustrated example, the wiping member mounting portion 18 is formed to have the same width or approximately the same width as the steam chamber 16. The wiping member 6 is mounted on the wiping member mounting portion 18 so that it is positioned in a continuous manner across the entire or approximately the entire left-right direction of the steam chamber 16.

Preferably, the wiping member 6 is detachable from the wiping member mounting part 18. The wiping member 6 may be formed in a flat shape and fixed so as not to move relative to the wiping member mounting part 18, or may be arranged on the wiping member mounting part 18 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction with an axial direction in the left-right direction.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the attachment AT is operated by a user on the surface CS to be cleaned by means of the operating unit 7. The operating unit 7 is attached to an operating unit mounting part 19 formed on the main body 1 with respect to the attachment AT. The operating unit mounting part 19 is located at the rear of the main body 1. In this embodiment, the operating unit mounting part 19 is located rearward of the battery mounting part 12. In other words, the operating unit mounting part 19 is located rearward of the battery 4. In the illustrated example, the operating unit mounting part 19 is located at the rearmost part of the main body 1 and protrudes rearward from the main body 1.

In this embodiment, the operation unit attachment part 19 is formed in an axial shape, and one end, the front end, is rotatably connected to the main body part 1 via a rotation connection part 190. In the illustrated example, the rotation connection part 190 has a multi-axis structure, and the operation unit attachment part 19 can be rotated back and forth and left and right relative to the main body part 1.

Preferably, the operation unit attachment section 19 is configured to allow the operation unit 7 to be detachably attached. In this embodiment, the operation unit attachment section 19 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and a locking mechanism such as a clamp that detachably locks the operation unit 7 is disposed inside the rear end, which is the other end. The locking mechanism locks and fixes the operation unit 7 to the operation unit attachment section 19 by inserting the operation unit 7 into the operation unit attachment section 19. The locking mechanism has an attachment/detachment operation section 191 such as an attachment/detachment button, and the user can release the lock by operating the attachment/detachment operation section 191.

In this embodiment, the operating unit 7 is formed in an elongated shape. One end of the operating unit 7, the front end, is attached to the operating unit attachment part 19. The operating unit 7 may be a simple rod or a tool, but in the illustrated example, it is an air duct used in an electric vacuum cleaner 8. In this embodiment, the operating unit 7 is a straight extension tube. Alternative to the attachment AT, other attachments such as a floor brush can be attached and detached to the front end of the operating unit 7.

The electric vacuum cleaner 8 is an electric vacuum cleaner for suction cleaning. In this embodiment, a cordless stick-type vacuum cleaner is taken as an example of the electric vacuum cleaner 8. The electric vacuum cleaner 8 has a vacuum cleaner body 80. The vacuum cleaner body 80 is provided with a suction source 81 such as an electric blower that generates negative pressure for suction, a separation unit 82 that separates and collects dust from the dust-containing air sucked by the suction source 81, a body control unit 83 that controls the operation of the suction source 81, etc. The suction source 81 and the body control unit 83 arranged in the vacuum cleaner body 80 are powered units that receive power from a battery that is a power source unit attached to the vacuum cleaner body 80. In this embodiment, the battery for powering the suction source 81 and the body control unit 83 can be used as the battery 4 for powering the steam generating unit 3 of the attachment AT. In the illustrated example, the battery 4 is detachable from the vacuum cleaner body 80, and is configured to be selectively attached to and detached from the vacuum cleaner body 80 of the electric vacuum cleaner 8 and the battery mounting section 12 of the attachment AT. This is not limiting, and a separate battery may be provided for the powered section of the vacuum cleaner body 80.

The vacuum cleaner body 80 is also provided with an operation switch 85 for controlling the operation of the suction source 81, i.e., turning the vacuum cleaner 8 on and off. The operation switch 85 is electrically connected to the body control unit 83. By operating the operation switch 85, the operation of the suction source 81 is set in the body control unit 83 to turn it on and off, etc., and the body control unit 83 controls the operation of the suction source 81 according to the setting.

The vacuum cleaner body 80 is formed with a grip part 800 that can be held by the user. In this embodiment, the vacuum cleaner body 80 is formed in a longitudinal shape, and the grip part 800 is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the vacuum cleaner body 80. Preferably, an operation switch 85 is arranged on the grip part 800, and the user can operate the operation switch 85 with the hand holding the grip part 800. In addition, the vacuum cleaner body 80 is formed with a main body suction port 801 that communicates with the upstream side of the separation part 82. The rear end, which is the other end of the operation part 7, is connected to the main body suction port 801. In the illustrated example, the main body suction port 801 is arranged at the front end, which is one end in the longitudinal direction of the vacuum cleaner body 80. In addition, the vacuum cleaner body 80 is formed with a main body exhaust port 802 that communicates with the downstream side of the suction source 81. Air from which dust has been separated by the separation part 82 is discharged from the main body exhaust port 802. In the illustrated example, the main body exhaust port 802 is located at the rear end, which is the other end in the longitudinal direction of the vacuum cleaner main body 80.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described.

When using the attachment AT, one end of the operating unit 7 is attached to the operating unit mounting portion 19. Then, the other end of the operating unit 7 is connected to the main body suction port 801 of the vacuum cleaner main body 80 of the electric vacuum cleaner 8, allowing the user to grasp the grip part 800 of the vacuum cleaner main body 80 and operate the attachment AT on the surface to be cleaned CS via the vacuum cleaner main body 80 and the operating unit 7.

The attachment AT, which is placed on the surface to be cleaned CS, has a liquid supply source 2 containing cleaning liquid W, a battery 4, and a wiping member 6 attached to the liquid supply source attachment section 10, the battery attachment section 12, and the wiping member attachment section 18.

When the power switch SW is operated, power is supplied to the steam generating unit 3 from the battery 4, and the heater 31 is operated by the control unit 32. When the user operates the steam button BT with the heater 31 warmed up to a temperature sufficient to generate steam ST, the pump 30 is operated by the control unit 32, and cleaning liquid W is sucked out from the liquid supply source 2 into the piping unit 35. The cleaning liquid W sucked out into the piping unit 35 is instantly vaporized by the heater 31, and the vaporization pressure causes high-temperature, high-pressure steam ST to be blown out from the outlet 5 at the end of the piping unit 35 into the steam chamber 16 formed between the partition wall 15 and the surface to be cleaned CS, filling it, and the steam ST hits the surface to be cleaned CS located at the bottom of the steam chamber 16 directly. Because steam ST is high pressure and in the form of gas or fine liquid particles, it easily penetrates dirt adhering to the surface CS to be cleaned, making it easier to lift or peel off the dirt from the surface CS to be cleaned compared to simply using hot water to remove the dirt.

When the attachment AT is advanced by the operating unit 7, the wiping member 6 located at the rear of the steam chamber 16 is rubbed against the surface CS to be cleaned, wiping away the cleaning liquid W that has adhered to the surface CS as steam ST, as well as the dirt that has been lifted or peeled off from the surface CS by the cleaning liquid W. Because only a small amount of steam ST is sprayed onto the surface CS to be cleaned, the wiping member 6 can clean a wide area without becoming submerged in water.

Thus, according to the first embodiment, the main body 1 is provided with the steam generating unit 3, the wiping member attachment section 18 to which the wiping member 6 is attached for wiping off the steam ST blown out from the air outlet 5 and adhering to the surface CS to be cleaned, and the operation unit attachment section 19 to which the operation unit 7 can be attached. By connecting the operation unit 7 to the operation unit attachment section 19, it becomes possible to perform steam cleaning with a simple configuration that basically consists of only the attachment AT, without using, for example, a vacuum cleaner body dedicated to steam cleaning, and since it is a cordless type powered by the battery 4, restrictions on the cleaning range can be reduced compared to, for example, when a power cord is used, making it easy to use.

The air duct of the vacuum cleaner 8 can be attached to the operation unit mounting portion 19 as the operation unit 7, so the attachment AT can be easily used with a general-purpose vacuum cleaner 8 without using a dedicated operation unit or a vacuum cleaner body dedicated to steam cleaning. In addition, the air duct of the vacuum cleaner 8 is suitable for operating the steam cleaning attachment AT because the operation method is similar to that of the steam cleaning attachment AT, such as moving the attachment back and forth over the surface CS to be cleaned when cleaning with a suction cleaning attachment.

By making the battery 4 detachable from the powered part of the vacuum cleaner main body 80 detachable from the battery mounting part 12 of the main body 1 as the power source for the steam generating part 3, the battery 4 can be shared between the attachment AT and the electric vacuum cleaner 8, eliminating the need for a battery dedicated to the attachment AT. In addition, since the battery 4 can be attached directly to the attachment AT, power can be supplied with a simpler structure than, for example, supplying power to the attachment AT from the vacuum cleaner main body 80.

Moreover, in the case of this embodiment, when the attachment AT is used, the vacuum cleaner body 80 basically only uses the grip portion 800 for operating the attachment AT on the surface CS to be cleaned, and there is no need to use the function of the powered part. Also, when the suction source 81 is used as the powered part of the vacuum cleaner body 80, the attachment AT is not used, so the attachment AT and the powered part of the vacuum cleaner body 80 for suction cleaning are only used alternatively to each other. Therefore, even if the battery 4 is configured to be used alternatively for the attachment AT and the vacuum cleaner 8, usability is not reduced.

By forming the liquid supply source attachment section 10 on the main body 1, to which the liquid supply source 2 can be detachably attached, the supply path of the cleaning liquid W from the liquid supply source 2 to the steam generating section 3 can be simplified, and by attaching the operating section 7 to the operating section attachment section 19 of the attachment AT, a configuration capable of steam cleaning can be completed using only the attachment AT.

By forming an outlet 5 in the partition 15 that constitutes the steam chamber 16, which is an airtight or nearly airtight space between the surface to be cleaned CS and the steam ST, and blowing the steam ST into the steam chamber 16 from the outlet 5, it is possible to suppress a drop in the temperature of the steam ST, and to fill the entire space of the steam chamber 16 with high-temperature steam ST, so that the high-temperature steam ST can be applied to a wide area of the surface to be cleaned CS. Therefore, since the effect of removing dirt from the surface to be cleaned CS can be achieved without excessively increasing the temperature of the steam ST in the steam generating unit 3, even the battery 4 can fully cover the power to the steam generating unit 3.

The partition wall 15 is formed to extend in the left-right direction, and a steam chamber 16 is formed longitudinally in the left-right direction between the partition wall 15 and the surface to be cleaned CS. In addition, multiple air outlets 5 are arranged in the left-right direction on the partition wall 15, so that the steam ST can be directed over a wide area of the surface to be cleaned CS.

By placing the steam generating unit 3 above the partition wall 15, the supply path of the steam ST from the steam generating unit 3 to the outlet 5 formed in the partition wall 15 below can be simplified, making it easier to supply the steam ST to the steam chamber 16. In addition, the weight of the steam generating unit 3 is added to the partition wall 15, improving the airtightness of the steam chamber 16, so that the temperature drop of the steam ST blown into the steam chamber 16 can be more reliably suppressed.

Since the wiping member mounting portion 18 is located at least below the battery 4, the weight of at least the battery 4 is added to the wiping member 6 mounted on the wiping member mounting portion 18. In this embodiment, the weight of the liquid supply source 2 containing the cleaning liquid W, the weight of the steam generating portion 3, and the weight of the battery 4 are added to the wiping member 6 mounted on the wiping member mounting portion 18. Therefore, since the wiping member 6 is pressed against the surface CS to be cleaned with a certain pressure applied from above, it becomes easier for the wiping member 6 to wipe off dirt on the surface CS to be cleaned.

In addition, because the liquid supply source 2, steam generating unit 3, and battery 4 are located on the upper side of the main body 1, the upper side of the main body 1 is heavier than the lower side. This prevents the attachment AT from lifting up from the surface CS to be cleaned when the attachment AT is operated on the surface CS to be cleaned.

By providing the steam cleaning attachment AT to the vacuum cleaner 8, i.e. by using the steam cleaning attachment AT as one of the attachments of the vacuum cleaner 8, it becomes possible to selectively attach the attachment AT or other attachments to the operating unit 7 of one vacuum cleaner 8, and thus to clean the surface CS to be cleaned not only with steam ST, but also with other attachments. Therefore, the user does not need to own a dedicated vacuum cleaner for each cleaning mode, so there is no need to take up a large storage space for the vacuum cleaner, and there is no need to take out and put away the vacuum cleaner for the required cleaning mode each time, and various cleaning modes can be easily performed by simply changing the attachment.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Note that the same components and functions as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

In this embodiment, the air outlet 5 is formed as a single long hole extending in the left-right direction, which is the longitudinal direction of the partition wall 15. The air outlet 5 extends from the center of the steam chamber 16 in the left-right direction to both the left and right sides. Both ends of the air outlet 5 are located near the left and right ends of the steam chamber 16.

Preferably, the air outlet 5 is slit-shaped with a narrow width in the front-to-rear direction, and has an opening area equal to or approximately equal to the total opening area of the multiple air outlets 5 in the first embodiment, for example.

In the attachment AT, high-temperature, high-pressure steam ST generated by the steam generating unit 3 powered by the battery 4 is blown out from the outlet 5 into the steam chamber 16 formed between the partition wall 15 and the surface to be cleaned CS, filling it, and when it hits the surface to be cleaned CS located at the bottom of the steam chamber 16, it lifts up or peels off any dirt adhering to the surface to be cleaned CS.

In this embodiment, the air outlet 5 is formed to extend in the left-right direction, which is the longitudinal direction of the partition wall 15 that divides the steam chamber 16, so that the steam ST can be directed over a wide area extending in the longitudinal direction of the surface CS to be cleaned.

In each of the above embodiments, the battery 4 of the attachment AT may be disposed above the steam chamber 16 or the partition wall 15. In this case, the weight of the battery 4 can be reliably applied to the partition wall 15, and the airtightness of the steam chamber 16 can be further improved.

In addition, instead of or in addition to the power switch SW and/or steam button BT of the attachment AT, the power of the attachment AT and/or the steam ST may be turned on and off by the operation switch 85 of the vacuum cleaner 8.

Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner 8 is not limited to a stick type, but may be a floor-traveling type, a canister type, a handheld type, or the like. In the case of a canister type vacuum cleaner 8, the end of an extension tube of an air duct consisting of an extension tube and a hose body is attached to the operation part mounting part 19 of the attachment AT, and the user can operate the attachment AT by gripping a grip part arranged on the hose body or the like. In the case of a handheld type vacuum cleaner 8, the operation part mounting part 19 of the attachment AT is attached to a vacuum cleaner body having a grip part, and the user can operate the attachment AT by gripping the grip part of the vacuum cleaner body. Even in these cases, the steam cleaning attachment AT can be easily used by using a general-purpose vacuum cleaner 8 suitable for operating the steam cleaning attachment AT.

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 to these embodiments. 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.

AT Steam cleaning attachment CS Surface to be cleaned ST Steam W Cleaning liquid 1 Main body 2 Liquid supply source 3 Steam generating section 4 Battery 5 Air outlet 6 Wiping member 7 Operation section 8 Vacuum cleaner 10 Liquid supply source mounting section 12 Battery mounting section 15 Partition 16 Steam chamber 18 Wiping member mounting section 19 Operation section mounting section 80 Vacuum cleaner main body 800 Grip section

Claims (9)

A main body portion,
a steam generating unit that is disposed in the main body and is driven by a battery as a power source to generate steam of the cleaning liquid supplied from a liquid supply source;
An outlet through which the steam generated in the steam generating unit is blown out;
A wiping member mounting portion is formed in the main body portion and is adapted to mount a wiping member that wipes off the steam blown out from the blowing port and attached to the surface to be cleaned;
an operation unit mounting portion formed on the main body portion and capable of mounting an operation unit;
a battery mounting portion formed in the main body portion and into which the battery can be detached ;
The battery mounted in the battery mounting portion is located at the upper portion of the main body portion, and the wiping member mounted in the wiping member mounting portion is located at the lower portion of the main body portion.
A steam cleaning attachment characterized by: 2. The steam cleaning attachment according to claim 1, wherein either a vacuum cleaner body having a grip portion or an air duct is attachable to the operation portion attachment portion as the operation portion. The battery mounted in the battery mounting section is a battery capable of supplying power to a power-receiving section of the vacuum cleaner body.
3. The steam cleaning attachment of claim 2. 3. The steam cleaning attachment according to claim 1, further comprising a liquid source mounting portion formed on the main body portion and to which the liquid source can be detachably attached. A partition wall is formed on the main body portion and forms a steam chamber between the main body portion and the surface to be cleaned,
5. The steam cleaning attachment according to claim 1, wherein the outlet is disposed in the partition so as to blow steam into the steam chamber. The partition wall extends in the left-right direction to define the steam chamber between the partition wall and the surface to be cleaned,
The steam cleaning attachment according to claim 5 , wherein a plurality of the air outlets are arranged in the partition wall in the left-right direction. The partition wall extends in the left-right direction to define the steam chamber between the partition wall and the surface to be cleaned,
The steam cleaning attachment according to claim 5, wherein the air outlet is formed in the partition wall and extends in the left-right direction. 8. The steam cleaning attachment according to claim 5, wherein the steam generating section is located above the partition wall. A vacuum cleaner comprising the steam cleaning attachment according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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