JPH0824644B2 - Vacuum cleaner dust collection display - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a dust collection amount display device for an electric vacuum cleaner.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a mechanical type display device of this type has been constructed as shown in FIG. That is, the display device 1
Is a pointer 2 and a pointer spring 3 that biases the pointer 2 backward,
From a pointer lid 5 which is located behind the pointer 2 and has a through hole 4, a transparent and cylindrical pointer tube 6 which holds these, and a communication tube 8 which connects the tip of the pointer tube 6 and the dust collection chamber 7 to each other. And covers the dust collection chamber 7 of the vacuum cleaner body 9 from above, and the recess of the front body 10.
Attached to 11, the communication pipe 8 communicates with the dust collection chamber 7, and the lid plate
The pointer 2 was configured so that it could be seen from the outside through a display window 13 provided on the display 12.

When dust is accumulated in the dust collecting bag 14 using the electric vacuum cleaner body 9, the pressure in the dust collecting chamber 7 gradually decreases from atmospheric pressure, and acts on the pointer 2 when the pressure falls further below a predetermined pressure. Due to the vacuum pressure, the pointer 2 moves toward the communication tube 8 side against the spring biasing force of the pointer spring 3. At this time, the position of the pointer 2 visible from the display window 13 changes, and the user can recognize when dust is discarded.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the display device 1 described above, when the pointer 2 is displaced to the side of the communication pipe 8 even a little, the atmosphere flows into the dust collection chamber 7 through the through hole 4, so that the main body of the vacuum cleaner is The suction force from the suction port decreases. Therefore, the displacement start pressure of the pointer 2 must be set so that the pointer 2 is displaced when the dust is accumulated almost completely in the dust bag 14, and the pointer 2 is displaced in proportion to the accumulated amount of dust. It had the drawback of not doing it. In particular, if the dust is mainly composed of fibers, even if the dust bag 14 is full, the pressure does not fall below the predetermined pressure in the dust collection chamber 7 and the pointer 2 does not displace, so that the dust is collected continuously. There are also problems that the dust bag 14 bursts and dust accumulates even inside the hose connected to the main body 9.

An object of the present invention is to solve this problem and to provide a dust collection amount display device for an electric vacuum cleaner, which is easy to use and excellent in durability, at low cost.

Means for Solving the Problem A first technical means of the present invention for solving the above problem is to shut off a vacuum pressure portion and an atmospheric pressure portion generated by the operation of an electric blower and to displace by the differential pressure. A valve body, a pointer that changes in response to the displacement of the valve body and has a substantially cap-shaped inner peripheral cylinder on the atmospheric pressure side, and a spring bias to the atmospheric pressure side so that the pointer starts to be displaced under a predetermined vacuum pressure. A pointer spring, a pointer cylinder of a substantially transparent cylindrical body having a pointer inside, a communication tube for airtightly connecting the vacuum pressure section and the pointer tube, and a hollow for airtightly attaching the valve element to the pointer tube. The valve body is provided in close contact with the atmospheric pressure side of the pointer.

As a second means, the valve body is integrally formed with the pointer lid.

Action The action of the first means is that the vacuum pressure part on the dust collecting chamber side and the atmospheric pressure part are shut off by the valve body, so that even if the pointer is displaced according to the displacement of the valve body, air leakage, that is, suction force. Therefore, the displacement start pressure of the valve body can be made closer to the atmospheric pressure than before, and the pointer can be displaced substantially in proportion to the accumulated amount of dust. In addition, by arranging the valve body closely to the atmospheric pressure side of the pointer, when the valve body and the pointer cylinder move due to pressure fluctuation, most of the valve body will always be in close contact with the pointer cylinder. Only is not subject to pressure fluctuations.

Further, the operation of the second means is that the valve body is integrally formed with the pointer lid, so that the number of parts is reduced and the dust collection amount display device can be provided at low cost.

Example Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

1 to 3, the main body 21 of the electric vacuum cleaner has a dust collecting chamber 23 in the front, which accommodates a paper bag 22 for collecting and collecting dust sucked through a floor suction tool, an extension pipe, and a hose. An electric blower 24, a cord winding device, etc. are built in the rear. An upper lid 25 is attached above the dust collection chamber 23 and the dust collection chamber
It covers 23 freely. The upper lid 25 has a rear main body 26
The front portion is attached to the main body 21 by the action of the buckle 27, and the recessed portion 28 is formed in the center of the upper portion, and the dust collection amount display device 29 is attached.

The dust collection amount display device 29 includes a transparent pointer cylinder 30,
A green pointer A31 and a red pointer B32 that slide together in the pointer cylinder 30, a communication tube 33 that connects the dust collection chamber 23 and the pointer cylinder 30, and a communication tube 33 and a pointer A31. A pointer spring 34 that biases B32 in the opposite direction to the communication tube 33 and a pointer tube 30
And a pointer valve 36 that is sandwiched between the pointer lid 35 and airtightly shuts off the pointer B 32 side and the pointer lid 35 side.

Inside the attachment side of the pointer cover 35 of the pointer cylinder 30, the inner wall has a double cylinder shape.
37 is formed, and the position of the pointer B32 is regulated by the tip of the inner wall 37 on the communication pipe 33 side. The pointer A31 and the pointer B32 are coupled to each other by a concave-convex fit. The pointer B32 is composed of a substantially cylindrical outer peripheral wall 38 and an inner peripheral cylinder 39, and a substantially hat-shaped pointer valve 36 made of a thin film having rubber elasticity covers the inner peripheral cylinder 39, and a pointer lid 35 covers the pointer valve 36 from the outer peripheral side. Covered. Since the center of the pointer lid 35 is open and communicates with the outside of the main body 21, one end of the communication tube 33 is inserted into a through hole 40 provided in the lower surface of the recess 28 and communicates with the dust collection chamber 23, The atmospheric pressure acts on the side of the pointer 36 of the valve 36, and the vacuum pressure generated by the operation of the electric blower 24 acts on the side of the pointer B 32.

The pointer valve 36 receives the suction force in the inward direction of the dust collection chamber 23 due to the pressure difference acting on the inner wall 37 of the pointer cylinder 30 and the spring biasing force of the pointer spring 34, and moves the pointer B32 inside the inner wall 37. With communication pipe 33
Displace to the side.

Reference numeral 41 denotes a cover plate having a display window hole 42 above the pointer cylinder 30, which is fitted in the recess 28, when the electric blower 24 is not in operation.
The pointer A31 can be seen through the display window hole 42.

Next, the operation and action of the above configuration will be described.
When dust accumulates in the paper bag 22 using the electric vacuum cleaner body 21, the flow rate of air flowing into the electric blower 24 decreases, and the pressure in the dust collection chamber 23 gradually decreases below atmospheric pressure. When the amount of accumulated dust increases and this vacuum pressure becomes lower than the predetermined pressure, the suction force that draws the pointer valve 36 toward the communication pipe 33 side due to the differential pressure from the atmospheric pressure that acts on the inner wall 37 of the pointer cylinder 30. It is larger than the spring bias of 34. At this time, in the pointer valve 36, the portion of the pointer B32 that touches the inner peripheral cylinder 39 is between the inner peripheral cylinder 39 and the inner wall 37, and the communication pipe 33
Side is inverted and deformed into a U-shaped cross section, and at the same time pointer A31, pointer B3
2 is slightly displaced to the communication pipe 33 side.

When the suction force increases as the accumulation of dust increases, the approximately U-shaped reverse deformation amount of the pointer valve 36 gradually increases, and the pointer A3
1. Gradually move the pointer B32 to the communication pipe 33 side. This time,
From the display window hole 42, the green pointer A31 and the red pointer B32 can be seen at the same time. If the amount of dust exceeds the specified amount, pointer A31 and pointer B
The displacement amount of 32 becomes the maximum, and the red pointer is displayed from the display window hole 42.
Only B32 can be seen, the user is notified of the dust disposal time, the paper bag 22 is replaced with a new one, and the bag is started to be reused with a strong suction state.

By the way, since the pointer valve 36 is sandwiched between the pointer cylinder 30 and the pointer lid 35 to completely shut off the vacuum pressure portion on the pointer B32 side and the atmospheric pressure portion on the pointer lid 35 side, the pointer valve 36 and the pointer A31 or Even if the pointer B32 is displaced, the atmosphere does not flow into the dust collecting chamber 23 through the pointer cylinder 30, and therefore, the unnecessary suction force is not reduced. Further, since the above-mentioned decrease in suction force does not occur, the spring biasing force of the pointer spring 34 in the initial state can be reduced, and the pointer valve 36 can be gradually displaced from the state where the vacuum pressure is low. The displacement movement of the pointers A31 and B32 can be gradually performed almost in proportion to the pressure drop, and the user can recognize the dust accumulation amount more accurately than before. As a result, even when the dust mainly composed of the fibrous dust is inhaled, the pointer A31 and the pointer B32 can be reliably displaced within the displacement range urging the user to replace the paper bag 22, and the dust becomes full. It is possible to prevent problems such as rupture due to continuous use of the paper bag 22.

Further, since the pointer valve 36 is located on the atmospheric pressure side with respect to the pointer B32, the finger finger valve 36 and the end surface of the inner cylinder 39 of the pointer B32 on the pointer valve 36 side are in close contact when the electric blower 24 is operating. . Therefore, the pointer valve 36 acts on the pointer valve 36 due to the vacuum pressure difference.
Most of the suction force that attracts the
Since it is supported by the end face (rigid body part) of the guide valve 36 side, only a slight force is applied to the reversing part of the guide valve 36,
It does not deteriorate the durability of 36.

In addition, since there is no air flow, dust is attracted to the inside of the pointer cylinder 30 and adheres to it, causing sliding failure of the pointers A31 and B32 within the pointer cylinder 30, or soiling the inside surface of the pointer cylinder 30 to cause the pointer A3.
1, It does not obscure the pointer B32 or damage the pointer valve 36. Furthermore, the displacement of pointer A31, pointer B32, pointer valve 36 is
Since it is determined only by the differential pressure acting on the inner wall 37 and the spring biasing force of the pointer spring 34, the spring load of the pointer spring 34 can be easily determined. Next, FIG. 4 shows an embodiment in which the pointer valve 36 is formed integrally with the pointer lid 35. The operation in this case is similar to that of the first invention, but since the pointer valve 36 is formed integrally with the pointer lid 35, the number of parts is reduced by one and the dust collection amount display device is cheaper. Can be provided to.

Further, since the pointer valve 36 is inserted into the pointer cylinder 30 to maintain the airtightness between the two, the airtightness can be easily obtained as compared with the case where the pointer lid 35 is used.

As described above, the present invention shuts off the vacuum pressure portion and the atmospheric pressure portion generated by the operation of the electric blower and displaces by the differential pressure, and the displacement caused by the displacement of the valve body. In addition, a pointer having a substantially hat-shaped inner peripheral cylinder on the atmospheric pressure side, a pointer spring for biasing the pointer toward the atmospheric pressure side so as to start displacing the pointer under a predetermined vacuum pressure, and a substantially transparent cylinder having the pointer inside The valve body includes a pointer cylinder of the body, a communication pipe that airtightly connects the vacuum pressure portion and the pointer cylinder, and a hollow, substantially frame-shaped pointer lid that airtightly attaches the valve body to the pointer cylinder. By closely arranging the pointer on the atmospheric pressure side of the pointer, even if the pointer is displaced according to the displacement of the valve body, air leakage, that is, the suction force is not reduced,
Therefore, the displacement starting pressure of the valve body can be moved closer to the atmospheric pressure than before, and the pointer can be displaced almost in proportion to the amount of accumulated dust. It is possible to maintain good durability.

Further, by forming the valve body integrally with the pointer lid, the number of parts can be reduced by one, and the dust collection amount display device can be provided at a lower cost, and at the same time, the pointer valve 36 can be inserted into the pointer cylinder 30. To keep the airtightness between them, the pointer cover 35
Airtightness can be easily obtained as compared with the case of using.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a dust collection amount display device showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a central cross-sectional view of the same vacuum cleaner, and FIG. 3 is a state of the dust collection amount display device in operation. FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view showing the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a central sectional view of an electric vacuum cleaner showing a conventional example. 23: Dust collection chamber, 29: Dust collection amount display device, 30: Pointer tube,
31 ... Pointer A, 32 ... Pointer B, 33 ... Communication pipe, 34 ... Pointer spring, 35 ... Pointer lid, 36 ... Pointer valve, 37 ... Inner wall.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A valve body which shuts off a vacuum pressure portion and an atmospheric pressure portion generated by the operation of an electric blower and is displaced by this differential pressure, and a valve body which is displaced by receiving the displacement of the valve body and is substantially at the atmospheric pressure side. A pointer having a hat-shaped inner peripheral cylinder, a pointer spring that biases the pointer toward the atmospheric pressure side so as to start displacing the pointer under a predetermined vacuum pressure, a pointer cylinder of a substantially transparent cylindrical body having the pointer inside, The valve body is provided with a communication pipe for airtightly connecting the vacuum pressure portion and the pointer cylinder, and a hollow, substantially frame-shaped pointer lid for airtightly attaching the valve body to the pointer cylinder. A dust collection amount display device for an electric vacuum cleaner that is placed in close contact with. 2. A dust collection amount display device for an electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the valve body is formed integrally with the pointer lid.