JP7778657B2 - vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electric vacuum cleaner.

Conventionally, there are two main types of dust collection methods: paper bag dust collectors, which compress the sucked-up dust into a paper bag, and cyclone dust collectors, which use a swirling air current to separate the dust and collect it inside the dust collector. Because the cyclone method generates a swirling air current, it tends to require more maintenance work for the dust collector than the paper bag method.

JP 2007-167450 A (Patent Document 1) describes a dust collection unit for an electric vacuum cleaner that includes a swirl chamber that separates sucked dust from suction air using centrifugal force, a filter chamber located between the swirl chamber and the electric blower that filters the suction air after it passes through the swirl chamber, and a dust chamber that accumulates the separated dust. The dust chamber side of the filter chamber or swirl chamber is generally flat, and the flat portion is equipped with a bypass passage that communicates with the dust chamber.

JP 2015-204925 A (Patent Document 2) describes a vacuum cleaner that includes a vacuum cleaner main body with a main body air intake and an electric blower that generates suction, and a dust collector that can be attached and detached between the main body air intake and the electric blower. The dust collector includes a substantially cylindrical outer tube that forms the outer shell, an inner tube that is approximately concentric with the outer tube within the outer tube, and an openable bottom lid at the bottom of the outer tube. The inner tube is a substantially cylindrical frame with a filter at the top and an umbrella section at the bottom that is open to the bottom. The umbrella section has an inner umbrella section that is approximately the same shape and fits inside the umbrella section. The inner umbrella section has a cylindrical body that extends to the bottom lid and is formed approximately concentric with the inner tube, and the inner umbrella section has a sliding mechanism that protrudes toward the opening when the bottom lid is opened.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-346141 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-204925

The vacuum cleaner described in Patent Document 1 compresses dust in the dust chamber, preventing dust accumulated in the dust chamber from flying up and flowing back through the swirl chamber into the filter chamber, while reducing the number of times dust needs to be discharged, thereby providing a user-friendly vacuum cleaner.

The electric vacuum cleaner described in Patent Document 2 aims to provide an easy-to-use electric vacuum cleaner that allows dust to be discharged from the dust collection container without touching it with the hands when disposing of garbage.

However, the vacuum cleaner described in Patent Document 1 has a fixed filter section, which means that dust adhering to the bypass filter is difficult to remove when disposing of the waste.

Furthermore, the electric vacuum cleaner described in Patent Document 2 has an issue in that the filter part remains fixed even when the trash is disposed of, making it difficult to remove dust that has adhered to the filter when disposing of the trash.

The present invention solves the above problem by providing a vacuum cleaner in which the filter slides when the waste is disposed of, thereby discharging the dust adhering to the filter along with the accumulated waste, thereby reducing the effort required to clean the filter.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an electric vacuum cleaner comprising an electric blower that generates suction force and a dust collecting device that collects dust sucked by the suction force, wherein the dust collecting device comprises an outer tube, an inner tube arranged within the outer tube, and a bottom cover that is rotatably supported to open and close a lower opening on the bottom side of the outer tube , wherein the inner tube comprises an upper inner tube arranged at the top, an umbrella portion arranged at the bottom of the upper inner tube and sliding in the vertical direction , a cylinder body that is provided on the umbrella portion and houses a compression spring that pushes the umbrella portion upward when the bottom cover is closed, and a filter arranged inside the umbrella portion and around the cylinder , wherein all fluid that leaves inside the umbrella portion flows directly into the inside of the upper inner tube via the filter, and when the bottom cover is opened, the umbrella portion is caused to pop out downward by the compression spring .

According to the present invention, dust is compressed inside the umbrella portion, which increases the amount of dust collected, and prevents dust from flying back from the dust collection accumulation portion to the dust separation portion, thereby improving dust separation performance and preventing hair and the like from getting tangled in the air intake portion. Furthermore, dust is compressed inside the umbrella portion, which prevents dust from flying up when the dust is discharged. Furthermore, dust adhering to the bypass filter ( second filter portion 85 ) is discharged at the same time as the dust is disposed of, thereby reducing the effort required to clean the filter, and it is possible to provide an electric vacuum cleaner that is easy to maintain.

1 is an external perspective view showing an electric vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing a state in which the dust collecting device and the suction hose are removed from the vacuum cleaner body. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the vacuum cleaner body with the upper case removed. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. 1A is an external view showing the dust collecting device, and FIG. 1B is an external view showing the state in which the upper part of the filter case of FIG. 1A is opened. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 5 with the bottom cover closed. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 5 with the bottom cover open. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 5 with the bottom cover closed. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 5 with the bottom cover open.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below, with reference to the accompanying drawings as appropriate.

Figure 1 shows an external perspective view of an electric vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 shows an external perspective view of the vacuum cleaner body 1 with the dust collection device 10 and suction hose 2 removed. Note that the up-down, left-right, and front-to-back directions refer to the directions shown in Figure 1. Note that the left-right direction is as seen from the side of the vacuum cleaner body 1.

The electric vacuum cleaner S comprises a vacuum cleaner main body 1 and a cyclone-type dust collecting device 10 that is detachably mounted on the vacuum cleaner main body 1.

The vacuum cleaner body 1 is connected to the handle 3 via a suction hose 2, and the handle 3 is connected to a suction body 7 that sucks in dust and other debris via an extension tube 6. The dust collector 10 collects dust and other debris sucked in through the suction body 7.

The vacuum cleaner body 1 is equipped with a pair of wheels 15a on the left and right sides, and one caster 15b at the front, allowing the vacuum cleaner body 1 to be moved freely.

The handle 3 is equipped with an operating unit 4 that controls the drive of the electric blower 14 (see Figure 4) built into the vacuum cleaner body 1 and the electric rotating brush (not shown) attached to the suction nozzle 7. The operating unit 4 is equipped with operating buttons 5, such as a button (strong, medium, weak) that is pressed to start operation and an (off) button that is pressed to stop operation.

<Vacuum cleaner body 1>
As shown in Figure 2, the vacuum cleaner body 1 is formed by combining an upper case 1a and a lower case 1b to form an outer shell. The upper case 1a and the lower case 1b are made of a lightweight resin material. A hose attachment port (main body air intake port) 11 is opened at the front of the lower case 1b, through which air containing dust is sucked in.

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner body 1 with the upper case 1a removed.

The hose attachment port 11 is connected to an intake pipe 20 (see Figures 3 and 4) through which dust-containing air passes inside the vacuum cleaner body 1.

As shown in Figure 3, inside the vacuum cleaner body 1, the motor case 16 houses the electric blower 14, which generates suction force at the suction nozzle 7 (see Figure 1). Furthermore, a pleated, high-dust-trapping filter 29 is placed in the airflow path after the electric blower 14 removes dust and other particles, purifying the exhaust air.

The front side of the vacuum cleaner main body 1 shown in Figure 2 is provided with a hose attachment port 11, and on the left side inside the vacuum cleaner main body 1 is provided an inlet pipe outlet 12 that is fluidly connected to allow gas to circulate inside via an inlet pipe 20. The inlet pipe outlet 12 is fluidly connected to a dust collector 10 that is set on the vacuum cleaner main body 1 so that gas can circulate therethrough. The dust collector 10 separates dust from the dust-containing air sucked in by the suction body 7 and collects the dust.

On the other hand, the upper front surface of the vacuum cleaner body 1 is provided with a duct inlet 13 to a duct 21 (see Figure 3) that communicates with the electric blower 14. The duct inlet 13 is an opening through which air is sucked in after dust has been removed by the dust collector 10. A protective filter is provided at the duct inlet 13 to prevent foreign matter from entering the electric blower 14. The protective filter is provided upstream of the lattice-shaped filter cover 17 (see Figure 3).

<Dust collecting device 10>
The dust collecting device 10 is detachably attached to the vacuum cleaner body 1 with the upper front portion tilted rearward, as shown by arrow α1 in Fig. 2 (see Fig. 1). When dust accumulates inside the outer cylinder 30, the dust collecting device 10 is removed from the vacuum cleaner body 1 by moving it in the direction opposite to arrow α1 shown in Fig. 2, and after the dust has been discharged (discarded), the dust collecting device 10 is attached to the vacuum cleaner body 1 by moving it in the direction of arrow α1.

The vacuum cleaner body 1 is equipped with a structure for positioning and fixing the dust collector 10 so that airtightness can be easily maintained when the dust collector 10 is attached to the vacuum cleaner body 1.

The handle 35 provided at the rear of the dust collector 10 is stored in the recessed handle storage section 22 in the vacuum cleaner body 1 shown in Figure 2 (see Figure 5). This structure is used to position the dust collector 10 when setting it on the vacuum cleaner body 1.

Furthermore, below the attachment point of the dust collecting device 10 on the vacuum cleaner body 1, there is provided a fitting portion 1a1 for fitting with the bottom surface of the bottom cover 31 (see Figure 2) of the dust collecting device 10, providing a structure for fixing the dust collecting device 10. The upper part of the dust collecting device 10 is fixed in place by a cover body 19 provided on the top of the vacuum cleaner body 1.

When the dust collector 10 is attached to the vacuum cleaner body 1, it is fluidly connected to the duct 21. The duct 21 is adjacent to the inlet pipe 20 adjacent to the hose attachment port 11 and the protective filter covered by the filter cover 17.

The electric blower 14 is fluidly connected to a duct 21 on the upstream side, through which air flows that has passed through a protective filter after dust removal, and to a high-dust-trapping filter 29 on the downstream side.

In the electric vacuum cleaner S, the dust collector 10 is located upstream of the electric blower 14, and in this embodiment, the dust collector 10, duct 21, and electric blower 14 are arranged in this order from upstream. Furthermore, the dust collector 10 and electric blower 14 are connected via the top of the dust collector 10 to the duct 21, and then via the duct 21 to the top of the electric blower 14.

When the dust collecting device 10 is attached to the vacuum cleaner body 1, the handle 55 on the filter case upper part 33a is covered with the lid 19 attached to the vacuum cleaner body 1. This is to prevent the handle 55 (see Figure 2) from being lifted instead of the body handle 18 (see Figure 1) when carrying the vacuum cleaner body 1.

<Cord reel 23 and lead-in tube 20>
3, the motor case 16 that houses the electric blower 14 is located at the rear right side of the vacuum cleaner body 1, and a cord reel 23 that houses a power cord 23a for supplying power from an outlet or the like to the electric blower 14 and other components is located at the rear left side. In this embodiment, due to the location of the motor case 16 and the cord reel 23, the inlet pipe 20 and the inlet pipe outlet 12 are located on the left side, but this is not a limitation and they may be located on the right side.

The reason why the inlet pipe 20 is positioned on either the left or right side of the vacuum cleaner body 1 rather than in the center is to facilitate the generation of a swirling flow by allowing air drawn in from the tangential direction of the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylinder 30 of the dust collector 10 (located on either the left or right side of the vacuum cleaner body 1), as will be described in detail later. Therefore, the direction of rotation of the swirling flow differs depending on the position of the inlet pipe 20, but the direction of rotation can be either clockwise or counterclockwise. For example, if the inlet pipe 20 is positioned on the left side, the swirling flow will be clockwise. In this embodiment, the inlet pipe 20 is positioned on the left side, resulting in a clockwise swirling flow.

Note that while it is acceptable to configure the inlet pipe with many bends, for example, by positioning the inlet pipe on the left side (or center) and the inlet pipe outlet on the right side, this would increase pressure loss. Therefore, the inlet pipe 20 is positioned as shown in Figure 3, and is shaped to connect the hose attachment port 11 to the inlet pipe outlet 12 at as large a radius as possible in order to minimize increases in pressure loss in the inlet pipe 20. Furthermore, the volume and cross-sectional area within the inlet pipe 20 are made as large as possible to minimize increases in pressure loss.

<Dust collecting device 10>
Next, the dust collecting device 10 will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 10. Figure 4 shows a front view of the dust collecting device 10, and Figure 5 shows a left side view of the dust collecting device 10. Figure 6 shows a rear view of the dust collecting device 10, and Figure 7 shows an exploded view of the dust collecting device 10. Figure 8 illustrates the attachment and detachment of a dust trapping filter 32 and a filter case 33 , which will be described later. Figure 9 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 5. When the dust collecting device 10 is described alone in Figures 5 and onwards, the bottom cover 31 side is referred to as the downward direction.

The dust collector 10 has the function of separating dust from the dust-containing air sucked in by the suction body 7 and collecting the dust.

The dust collector 10 is generally composed of an outer cylinder 30, an inner cylinder 40, a filter case 33 that houses a dust filter 32 (see Figure 8), and a bottom lid 31. The filter case 33 is located above the outer cylinder 30, and the bottom lid 31 is located below. The inner cylinder 40 is located concentrically with the outer cylinder 30 within the outer cylinder 30.

As will be described in more detail below, the dust collection device 10 has a space between the outer cylinder 30 and the inner cylinder 40 for separating and collecting dust. In other words, the space formed by the outer cylinder 30 and the inner cylinder 40 has a dust separation section 10A in the upper part and a dust collection section 10B in the lower part.

The dust separation section 10A is a space that separates dust from the air that carries it. The dust storage section 10B is a space that collects and stores dust.

<Outer cylinder 30>
As shown in FIG. 7 , the outer cylinder 30 has a generally cylindrical shape with an upper opening 30i and a lower opening 30j, which are open at the top and bottom. The outer cylinder 30 is provided with an inlet pipe 38 on its side, through which dust-laden air (gas) flows in from the inlet pipe outlet 12. The outer inner surface of the inlet pipe 38 (the inner surface located on the left side in FIG. 6 ) is formed to be connected to the inner circumferential surface 30n of the outer cylinder 30 in a generally tangential direction. The inlet pipe 38 is formed with an opening 38a, which serves as a connection to the inlet pipe outlet 12 and through which dust-laden air flows in from the inlet pipe outlet 12 (see FIG. 6 ). The inlet pipe 38 is provided with a throttle portion 38b opposite the opening 38a (the opening at the connection between the inlet pipe 38 and the outer cylinder 30), which has a smaller opening area than the opening 38a, thereby increasing the flow rate.

The throttle section 38b of the inlet pipe 38 is formed by a throttle wall 30b that follows the arc shape of the outer tube 30. It is a roughly trapezoidal opening formed by a first vertical side 38b1, a second vertical side 38b2 that slopes outward at the top and inward at the bottom from the vertical direction, and a first horizontal side 38b3 and a second horizontal side 38b4. As described above, the first vertical side 38b1 is formed in a direction roughly tangential to the inner circumferential surface 30n of the outer tube 30. Because the opening 38a is shaped along the tangent to the inner circumferential surface 30n of the outer tube 30, air containing dust and other particles forms a swirling airflow along the inner circumferential surface 30n of the outer tube 30.

In addition, by configuring the second vertical side 38b2 so that the upper part is inclined outward and the lower part is inward, and by making the aperture section 38b an opening that is wider at the bottom than at the top, it is possible to adjust the amount of air flowing into the dust collection section 10B.

Due to the shape of the constriction section 38b, the air flowing into the outer cylinder 30 of the dust collector 10 from the inlet pipe outlet 12 becomes an airflow around the central axis O of the outer cylinder 30 (the central axis of the dust collector 10) and swirls clockwise around the central axis O within the outer cylinder 30. This swirling airflow separates dust contained in the air by centrifugal force in the dust separation section 10A.

As shown in Figure 4, the outer cylinder 30 has a cylindrical dust separation section 10A at the top, and a stepped shape with overlapping cylindrical enlarged sections of different diameters at the bottom dust collection section 10B. The stepped shape at the bottom of the outer cylinder 30 has a larger diameter as it goes down. In this embodiment, the stepped shape has three enlarged sections. The enlarged sections (steps) are provided to prevent dust accumulated in the dust collection section 10B from flying back into the dust separation section 10A, but the enlarged sections (steps) are not necessarily required.

Furthermore, as in this embodiment, by making the lower part of the outer cylinder 30 into a stepped shape made up of overlapping cylindrical shapes of different diameters and leaving the bottom open, the dust discharge performance of the dust discharge mechanism described below can be improved.

As shown in FIG. 5, the dust collector 10 is also provided with a handle 35 for easy portability. The upper portion of the handle 35 is provided with a dust disposal button 35a that is pressed to discharge (dispose of) dust. A bottom cover 31 (described later) is rotatably supported on the lower front side of the outer tube 30 to open and close the lower opening 30j on the bottom surface of the outer tube 30. The handle 35 incorporates a rod 80 that transmits the force exerted when the dust disposal button 35a is pressed to a slide clamp 81 (described later) (see FIG. 9). To ensure smooth operation of the rod 80 and slide clamp 81, it is preferable that the side of the outer tube 30 on which the handle 35 is provided is substantially vertical (facing approximately vertically) rather than having a stepped or inclined surface. In other words, as in this embodiment, by providing a clamp mechanism (described later) in a position that forms a substantially D-shape (not shown) on the opening 38a side of the outer tube 30 when viewed from below, the rod 80 can move vertically, allowing the slide clamp 81 to operate smoothly and making dust discharge easier.

<Filter case 33>
The filter case 33 provided on the upper part of the outer cylinder 30 has a lid structure on the upper surface and is divided into an upper filter case (upper lid) 33a and a lower filter case 33b. The lower filter case 33b is formed integrally with the upper part of the outer cylinder 30 and houses a filter receiver 34 that receives the dust filter 32. The lower filter case 33b and upper filter case 33a are connected by an upper hinge mechanism 70 (see FIG. 8), which will be described in detail later.

<Dust filter>
The dust filter 32 is pleated (mountain-folded) to increase the ventilation area and is bonded to a circular frame 32a. The filter receiving portion 34 has an opening at the approximate center thereof, which is in fluid communication with an inner cylinder 40 (described later).

Figure 8 shows an external view of the dust collector 10 with the filter case upper part 33a closed (Figure 8(a)), and an external view of the dust collector 10 with the filter case upper part 33a open (Figure 8(b)).

As previously mentioned, the upper filter case 33a is connected to the lower filter case 33b by the upper hinge mechanism 70. The upper hinge mechanism 70 is configured by inserting the shaft 61 provided on the upper filter case 33a into a shaft hole (not shown) provided on the rear of the upper filter case 33a. The shaft hole and shaft 61 may be configured in the opposite way to this embodiment, with the shaft 61 provided on the lower filter case 33b. In addition, a locking mechanism 37 is provided on the front of the lower filter case 33b.

The locking mechanism 37 is composed of a claw 37a on the upper filter case 33a and a clamp 37b on the lower filter case 33b. The clamp 37b on the lower filter case 33b has a shaft 37c located approximately in the center of its side, and the claw 37a and spring shaft are located on the back side, hidden from view. The spring shaft is located approximately in the center of the shaft 37c and the bottom of the clamp 37b, and the claw 37a is located at the top of the clamp 37b. The lower filter case 33b has a spring shaft clamp holder that accommodates the clamp 37b. The spring shaft clamp holder has a spring holder at its bottom and bearings on the left and right sides of its top. When the spring and clamp 37b are attached to the spring shaft clamp holder, the spring is at nearly its natural length, with the top of the clamp 37b tilted backward. Therefore, pressing the bottom of the clamp 37b from the front tilts the top of the clamp 37b forward. When the filter case upper part 33a is closed from an open state, the claws 37a on the filter case upper part 33a come into contact with the claws 37a on the filter case lower part 33b. At this time, because the bottom surfaces of the claws 37a on the filter case upper part 33a are inclined, they climb over the claws 37a on the filter case lower part 33b and fit into the clamp part, thereby uniting the filter case upper part 33a and the filter case lower part 33b. This locking mechanism 37 makes it easy to attach the dust filter 32.

<Cover body 19>
The cover 19 is rotatably supported on a rotary shaft provided on the top of the vacuum cleaner body 1, and is provided with a torsion spring (not shown) that biases the rotary shaft in the direction in which the cover 19 opens.

When the lid 19 is tilted forward from the open state shown in Figure 2 (when the lid 19 is upright), a torsional force is applied by the elasticity of the torsion spring, causing the claws 19a on the front side of the bottom of the lid 19 to engage with the clamps 50 on the filter case upper part 33a, closing the lid 19. At this time, the lid 19 is subjected to an elastic force that causes the torsion spring to return to its original state, and as a reaction to this force, the dust collector 10 can be pressed against the vacuum cleaner body 1. This configuration maintains airtightness between the dust collector 10 and the vacuum cleaner body 1 while also securing the dust collector 10 to the vacuum cleaner body 1.

When the lid 19 is closed, pressing the button 60 (see Figure 1) on the filter case top 33a releases the clamp 50, causing the lid 19 to lift due to the elastic force of the torsion spring, revealing the handle 55. With the handle 55 revealed, the user can easily remove the dust collector 10 from the vacuum cleaner body 1 by pulling up on the handle 55 (see Figure 2).

In other words, when the lid 19 is open, the dust collecting device 10 can be removed from the vacuum cleaner body 1 by pulling up the handle 55. In this way, when the lid 19 is closed, the vacuum cleaner body 1 cannot be lifted by the handle 55, preventing malfunctions when lifting the vacuum cleaner body 1 or the dust collecting device 10.

<Inner cylinder 40>
Next, the inner cylinder 40 will be described.

As shown in Figure 9, the inner cylinder 40 is approximately cylindrical and, as described above, is provided in the dust collecting device 10 so as to be approximately concentric with the outer cylinder 30.

The inner cylinder 40 is composed of an upper inner cylinder 41 with an intake section 42 provided at the top, and an umbrella section 44 provided at the bottom.

<Upper inner cylinder 41>
As shown in FIG. 9 , the intake section (first filter section) 42 of the upper inner tube 41 is formed by a lattice-shaped frame (support frame). The intake section (first filter section) 42 is a generally cylindrical portion. In this embodiment, the frame (support frame) is vertical, but a lattice-shaped frame (support frame) with vertical and horizontal frames (support frame) may also be used. A mesh member 42a is placed across the outer periphery of the intake section 42. The mesh member 42a is held to the frame (support frame) by coating or insert molding, for example. By providing the mesh member 42a in the intake section 42, the upper inner tube 41 has a filtering function and prevents fine dust particles from entering the inner tube 40. The upper inner tube 41 has an opening 41b facing upward.

In this embodiment, the mesh member 42a is made of polyester, but it can also be made of metal (e.g., stainless steel), and the intake section 42 can be made of multiple small-diameter through-holes (holes with a diameter of approximately 2 mm that can be molded using a mold) rather than a frame (support). Unlike when the mesh member 42a is hung across a frame (support), through-holes have the advantage of being strong and resistant to tearing, and do not require secondary molding. However, if the diameter (opening area) of the through-holes is larger than the opening area of the mesh member 42a, it will be disadvantageous to prevent fine dust from entering the interior of the inner tube 40.

<Umbrella section 44>
The lower part of the inner cylinder 40 is provided with an umbrella part 44. The umbrella part 44 is provided concentrically and integrally with the upper inner cylinder 41 in a substantially cylindrical shape. The inside of the upper inner cylinder 41 and the umbrella part 44 are fluidly connected by a second filter part 85. The mesh member of the second filter part 85 is made of polyester, but may also be made of metal (for example, stainless steel).

<Sliding mechanism of umbrella portion 44>
The umbrella portion 44 has a mechanism that slides up and down to assist in discharging garbage when it is discarded.
Next, the sliding mechanism that assists in discharging the collected dust will be described.

As shown in Figure 9, the sliding mechanism of the umbrella portion 44 forms a spring seat in the convex portion on the underside of the upper inner tube 41, and the inside of the central cylindrical body (recess 44d) of the umbrella portion 44 serves as a support for the compression spring 47, transmitting the downward elastic force of the compression spring 47 to the umbrella portion 44. Therefore, the compression spring 47 is covered by the central cylindrical body (recess 44d) of the umbrella portion 44. The convex portion 49 on the underside of the upper inner tube 41 has a shape that is approximately similar to the shape of the cylindrical body (recess 44d) of the umbrella portion 44, offset from the shape of the recess 44d, and has a claw portion at the bottom of the convex portion 49 and also at the top of the recess 44d. The compression spring 47 is inserted into the recess 44d, and then the convex portion 49 on the underside of the upper inner tube 41 is inserted. At this time, the upper part of the compression spring 47 is covered by a spring seat provided on the underside of the convex part 49, and the claw part at the bottom of the convex part 49 also climbs over the claw part at the top of the concave part 44d, thereby integrating the upper inner cylinder 41 and the umbrella part 44. The inner cylinder 40 is configured in this manner. Therefore, the sliding distance of the umbrella part 44 depends on the depth of the concave part 44d of the umbrella part 44, and the sliding distance is the height of the convex part 49 of the upper inner cylinder 41. In this embodiment, the sliding distance is the height of the convex part 49, but this changes depending on the height of the dust collecting device 10 and the height of the inner cylinder 40 and the umbrella part 44, so it can be changed as appropriate.

In this type of sliding mechanism, the state in which the compression spring 47 is closest to its natural length is the state in which the umbrella portion 44 protrudes furthest from the outer tube 30 (see Figure 10), and as shown in Figure 9, the compression spring 47 enters a compressed state when the bottom cover 31 is closed. Therefore, when the lock on the bottom cover 31 (described below) is released for emptying the trash, as shown in Figure 10, the compression spring 47 enters an extended state close to its natural length, causing the umbrella portion 44 to protrude downward and pushing dust inside the umbrella portion 44 out into the external space. This makes it possible to provide a user-friendly vacuum cleaner that can easily evacuate dust from within the device.

<Bottom lid 31>
As shown in FIG. 10 , the bottom cover 31 is formed in a dish shape with a downwardly protruding central portion, and has a recessed recess 31b on the opposite side of the protruding central portion. The dish-shaped bottom cover 31 imparts curvature to the structure, improving its strength. Furthermore, the recess 31b of the bottom cover 31 is larger than the radius (curvature) of the sphere of the bottom surface 46t of the cylindrical body 46. The depth of the recess 31b is designed to prevent a horizontal surface from forming in the recess 31b when the bottom cover 31 is in the open state (open state perpendicular to the bottom surface of the outer cylinder 30) (see FIG. 10 ). In other words, the depth of the recess 31b is made as shallow as possible. This is to prevent dust from remaining in the recess 31b when waste is discharged.

In addition, in this embodiment, the recessed portion 31b is formed separately from the bottom cover 31, and is made of a material such as POM (polyoxymethylene: polyacetal) to reduce wear on the component due to friction with the cylindrical body 46 when the bottom cover 31 is opened and closed, but it may also be molded integrally with the bottom cover 31.

The bottom cover 31 has a rotation shaft 31a on its outer periphery and a clamp receiver 31d located opposite the rotation shaft 31a. The rotation shaft 31a is rotatably attached to the hinge cover 75 of the lower hinge mechanism 71. The lower hinge mechanism 71 is structured so that the rotation shaft 31a provided on the bottom cover 31 is attached to the hinge cover 75, and the hinge cover 75 is fixed to the hinge cover fixing portion 30f provided on the front lower side of the outer tube 30 with screws or the like. The opening and closing of the bottom cover 31 will be described later; the bottom cover 31 is equipped with a torsion spring on the rotation shaft 31a, which biases the bottom cover 31 to the open state (see Figure 10).

<Garbage accumulation in dust collecting device 10>
Next, the dust accumulation action within the dust collecting device 10 will be described.

When the user presses the operation button 5 on the operation unit 4 to start operation, the electric blower 14 is activated and draws air through the suction body 7 (see Figure 1). As described above, the air containing dust and other particles drawn into the suction body 7 (see Figure 1) flows from the hose attachment port 11 into the inlet pipe 20 inside the vacuum cleaner body 1, passes through the inlet pipe 20, and reaches the dust collector 10 via the inlet pipe outlet 12, as shown in Figure 3.

Air containing dust and other particles reaches the dust collector 10 and flows into the dust collector 10 through the opening 38a shown in Figure 7. At this time, the flow velocity is increased by the throttle wall 30b located downstream of the opening 38a, and the air flows tangentially toward the inner surface of the outer cylinder 30.

Figure 9 shows a cross-sectional view of the airflow within the dust collector 10 taken along line A-A in Figure 4.

Air containing dust and other particles that flows tangentially into the outer cylinder 30 of the dust collecting device 10 becomes a swirling flow as shown by arrow γ1 in Figure 12 and swirls around the upper inner cylinder 41 along the inner surface of the outer cylinder 30 within the outer cylinder 30. This causes centrifugal force to act on the dust, separating it from the air. Because dust and other particles are heavier than air, they fall along the inner surface of the outer cylinder 30 as shown by arrow γ2. In other words, dust is separated from the air in the dust separation section 10A, which is located at the top of the dust collection section 10. Most of the air from which dust has been separated flows into the inner cylinder 40 through the intake section 42 provided in the upper inner cylinder 41 (arrow γ3).

On the other hand, the dust separated by the centrifugal force passes through the inlet of the dust collection section 10B between the outer cylinder 30 and the umbrella section 44 and is transported into the dust collection section 10B by gravity and a part of the air flow.

Because the inside of the upper inner tube 41 and the umbrella portion 44 are fluidly connected by the second filter portion 85, light dust particles 86 such as cotton fluff and hair are carried by the flow (arrow γ5) from the inside of the umbrella portion 44 toward the upper inner tube 41. Because the downstream side of the second filter portion 85 (inside the upper inner tube 41) is under negative pressure (pressure lower than atmospheric pressure), the light dust particles 86 are compressed and deposited upstream of the second filter portion 85. Meanwhile, heavy dust particles such as pebbles remain near the bottom of the dust collection portion 10B. As the vacuum cleaner S continues to be used, even more light dust particles 86 are compressed, and the dust deposits in a doughnut shape.

This allows a larger amount of dust to be accumulated in the dust collection section 10B.

Furthermore, it is possible to prevent light dust that has accumulated in the dust collection section 10B from flying back to the dust separation section 10A.

Then, the flow (arrow γ3) that flows into the inside of the inner tube 40 from the intake section 42 and the flow (arrow γ5) that flows from the inside of the umbrella section 44 toward the upper inner tube 41 merge, pass through the dust trapping filter 32, and flow into the duct inlet section 13 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1 (see Figure 3).

Then, when the dust reaches the specified dust disposal reference line 90, the dust is disposed of.

<Operation when disposing of garbage>
9 shows a cross section taken along line AA in FIG. 4 with the bottom cover 31 closed, and FIG. 10 shows a cross section taken along line AA in FIG. 4 when dust is being discharged (with the bottom cover 31 open).

The operation when disposing of dust will now be explained. The bottom lid 31 is released by pressing the dust disposal button 35a located on the top of the handle 35 on the dust collector 10. The bottom lid 31 has a rotating shaft 31a on the opposite side of the handle 35 that is rotatably supported on the vacuum cleaner body 1, while the handle 35 side has an opening and closing mechanism for the bottom lid 31.

When the trash disposal button 35a located at the top of the handle 35 is pressed, the rod 80 inside the handle 35 moves downward, releasing the claw 83 of the slide clamp 81 and opening the bottom cover 31.

The rotation shaft 31a of the bottom cover 31 is equipped with a torsion spring that biases the bottom cover 31 in the opening direction, and when the claw 83 is released, the elastic force of the torsion spring opens the bottom cover 31. When the trash disposal button 35a is released, the spring (not shown) attached to the slide clamp 81 returns to its natural length, causing the rod 80 to return upward and the slide clamp 81 to return to the position it was in before the trash disposal button 35a was pressed.

At the same time that the bottom lid 31 opens, the umbrella portion 44 is caused to pop out downward by the compression spring 47. As a result, the umbrella portion 44, which is part of the inner tube 40, is positioned closer to the opening on the underside of the outer tube 30 when the bottom lid 31 is open than when the bottom lid 31 is closed (see Figure 10). As a result, the umbrella portion 44 pops out downward, expelling dust 86 accumulated inside the umbrella portion 44 to the outside space. At this time, the light dust 86 is compressed and accumulated in a doughnut shape, preventing the dust from flying up.

In addition, since the second filter part 85 also moves at the same time, any dust adhering to the second filter part 85 is also removed at the same time, making cleaning the second filter part 85 easier.

When closing the bottom cover 31 after emptying the trash, the bottom surface 46t of the downwardly protruding cylinder 46 comes into contact with the recessed portion 31b in the center of the bottom cover 31, pushing the umbrella portion 44 upward.

The bottom surface 46t of the cylindrical body 46 and the recessed portion 31b come into contact with each other with a spherical curvature, so even if the angle of the bottom cover 31 changes when the bottom cover 31 is closed, the contact area between the bottom surface 46t of the cylindrical body 46 and the recessed portion 31b can be kept constant, and since the curved surfaces come into contact with each other, a force is always applied in the vertical direction, so the umbrella portion 44 fits in smoothly.

When the bottom cover 31 is closed to a substantially horizontal position, the clamp receiver 31d comes into contact with the claw portion 83, and the slide clamp 81 moves in the direction in which the spring attached to the slide clamp 81 contracts. When the claw portion 83 clears the clamp receiver 31d, the spring returns to its original position, and the bottom cover 31 is locked in an airtight state.

Furthermore, as shown in the umbrella portion 88 in Figure 11, by making the umbrella portion have an inverted tapered shape with the lower side (bottom cover 31 side) wider, it is possible to make it easier for dust 86 accumulated inside the umbrella portion to be discharged to the outside space.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 12, by constructing the upper inner tube 41 and umbrella portion 44 as a single unit and configuring the second filter portion 85 and cylinder body 46 to pop out downward when disposing of trash, it is possible to more easily expel dust 86 accumulated inside the umbrella portion into the external space.

<Flow path of air containing dust sucked into vacuum cleaner body 1>
When the dust collecting device 10 is attached to the vacuum cleaner body 1, a continuous flow path is formed from the hose attachment port 11 to the high dust trapping filter 29.

In the vacuum cleaner body 1 of the electric vacuum cleaner S, air containing dust and other particles is sucked into the vacuum cleaner body 1 through the suction nozzle 7 and flows from the hose attachment port 11 into the inlet pipe 20 inside the vacuum cleaner body 1, passing through the inlet pipe 20 and through the inlet pipe outlet 12 to reach the dust collector 10. The air containing dust and other particles that enters the dust collector 10 becomes an airflow that circulates around the inner cylinder 40 (arrow γ1 in Figure 9). The centrifugal force generated by this airflow separates the air and dust, and the air is sucked into the inner cylinder 40, with some of the airflow (arrow γ2 in Figure 9) flowing toward the bottom of the dust collector 10. This airflow causes the dust to fall along the inner surface of the outer cylinder 30 and toward the bottom of the dust collector 10.

The airflow toward the bottom of the dust collector 10 (arrow γ2 in Figure 9) rises inside the cylindrical umbrella portion 44 (arrow γ4 in Figure 9), passes through the second filter portion 85, and is sucked into the inner tube 40. It merges with the air flowing inside the inner tube 40 (arrow γ3 in Figure 9), which contains fine dust particles that have not been completely centrifuged after passing through the mesh member 42a, and the fine dust particles are removed by the dust trapping filter 32 provided in the dust collector 10. The air from which the dust has been removed then passes through the duct 21 and is sucked into the electric blower 14. The air sucked into the electric blower 14 then passes through the high-performance dust trapping filter 29 to remove any remaining fine dust particles, and is then discharged to the outside through an outlet (not shown) at the rear bottom of the vacuum cleaner body 1.

Here, the high-performance dust filter 29 removes fine dust particles that could not be captured by the dust filter 32 and wear debris from the carbon brushes (not shown) of the electric blower 14 from the air after dust removal, turning it into clean air that is almost dust-free and discharges it outside the vacuum cleaner body 1.

Although details are omitted, packing (not shown) is provided at the connection points (contact points) of each component near the flow path of the air sucked into the vacuum cleaner body 1, to maintain airtightness during operation.

As described above, according to the present invention, dust is compressed inside the umbrella portion, which increases the amount of dust collected, and prevents dust from flying back from the dust collection accumulation portion to the dust separation portion, thereby improving dust separation performance and preventing hair and the like from getting tangled in the air intake portion. Furthermore, dust is compressed inside the umbrella portion, which prevents dust from flying up when the dust is discharged. Furthermore, dust adhering to the bypass filter ( second filter portion 85 ) is discharged at the same time as the dust is disposed of, thereby reducing the effort required to clean the filter, and it is possible to provide an electric vacuum cleaner that is easy to maintain.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes various other embodiments. For example, the above-described embodiment is an easy-to-understand explanation of the present invention, and is not necessarily limited to an embodiment that includes all of the described configurations. For example, an embodiment that includes only some of the described configurations may be used.

1 vacuum cleaner body, 1a upper case, 1b lower case, 10 dust collecting device, 10A dust separation section, 10B dust storage section, 11 hose attachment port (main body air intake), 12 inlet pipe outlet, 13 duct inlet section, 14 electric blower, 19 lid body, 20 inlet pipe, 21 duct, 30 outer cylinder, 31 bottom cover, 32 dust collection filter, 33 filter case, 34 filter receiving section, 35 handle, 37 locking mechanism, 38 inlet pipe, 39 opening, 40 inner cylinder, 41 upper inner cylinder (frame body), 42 intake section, 44 umbrella section, 46 cylinder body, 46t bottom surface, 55 handle, 75 hinge cover, 80 rod, 81 slide clamp, 83 claw section, γ1 to γ6 air flow, O central axis, S electric vacuum cleaner .

Claims (3)

An electric vacuum cleaner comprising an electric blower that generates suction force and a dust collecting device that collects dust sucked by the suction force,
The dust collecting device includes an outer cylinder, an inner cylinder disposed within the outer cylinder, and a bottom cover rotatably supported to open and close a lower opening on a bottom surface side of the outer cylinder ,
The inner cylinder comprises an upper inner cylinder disposed at an upper portion, an umbrella portion disposed at a lower portion of the upper inner cylinder and sliding in the up-and-down direction , a cylinder body provided in the umbrella portion and accommodating a compression spring that pushes the umbrella portion upward when the bottom cover is closed , and a filter disposed inside the umbrella portion and around the cylinder body ,
All fluid leaving the umbrella portion is configured to directly enter the upper inner cylinder through the filter,
The electric vacuum cleaner is characterized in that , when the bottom cover is opened, the umbrella portion is caused to pop out downward by the compression spring . 2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1,
The diameter of the umbrella portion is larger than the diameter of the upper inner cylinder. 2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1,
The electric vacuum cleaner is characterized in that the outer diameter of the filter is larger than the diameter of the upper inner cylinder.