Suction port body and vacuum cleaner

Abstract

To provide a suction port body that can effectively press an attached cleaning sheet against a part to be cleaned, and has good operability, and a vacuum cleaner comprising the same.SOLUTION: A suction port body 1 comprises: a main body part 10 comprising a suction port 100, and longitudinal in a left-right direction; a connection pipe 11 communicating with the suction port 100; and a sheet support part 102 for bringing a cleaning sheet 2 into contact with a part F to be cleaned. The connection pipe 11 comprises a first pipe part 110 comprising a first rotation part 1100 capable of rotating with respect to the main body part 10 around a first axis A1 including a front-rear direction as a principal direction component, and a second pipe part 111 comprising a second rotation part 1110 capable of rotating with respect to the first pipe part 110 around a second axis A2 along a direction orthogonal to the first axis A1. The first rotation part 1100 and the second rotation part 1110 are located in an upper projection range Z of the sheet support part 102.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a suction port body to which a cleaning sheet can be attached and used, and a vacuum cleaner equipped with the same.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in the suction port body of a vacuum cleaner, there is known one that holds a cleaning sheet such as a non-woven fabric and simultaneously performs suction cleaning and wiping cleaning on a portion to be cleaned such as a floor surface. The suction port body includes a main body portion having a suction port and a sheet support portion for attaching the cleaning sheet, and a connection pipe rotatably connected to the main body portion. The connection pipe is composed of two pipe portions having shaft portions whose axes are orthogonal to each other. When the connection pipe is connected to an extension pipe or a cleaner main body, the cleaning operation of a user who holds a gripping portion continuous with the extension pipe or the cleaner main body is transmitted to the suction port body. For example, when at least one of the shaft portions of the connection pipe is located behind the sheet support portion, it is difficult to apply the pressing force of the user to the cleaning sheet, and it becomes difficult to press and operate the cleaning sheet against the portion to be cleaned. Further, when the upstream pipe portion of the connection pipe is connected to the main body portion having a longitudinal shape in the left-right direction with an axis in the left-right direction, the main body portion tilts left and right following the twisting operation of the left and right hands, and the side portions of the cleaning sheet are likely to float from the portion to be cleaned.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a suction port body that can effectively press the attached cleaning sheet against the portion to be cleaned and has good operability, and a vacuum cleaner equipped with the same.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0005] The suction port body of the embodiment includes a main body portion that is longitudinally long in the left-right direction and has a suction port, a connection pipe that communicates with the suction port, and a sheet support portion for bringing the cleaning sheet into contact with the portion to be cleaned. The connection pipe includes a first pipe portion having a first rotating portion that is rotatable with respect to the main body portion around a first axis whose main direction component is the front-rear direction, and a second pipe portion having a second rotating portion that is rotatable with respect to the first pipe portion around a second axis along a direction orthogonal to the first axis. The first rotating portion and the second rotating portion are located within the upper projection range of the sheet support portion.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0007] (First Embodiment) Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0008] In FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 5, reference numeral 1 denotes a suction port body. The suction port body 1 sweeps a cleaning target portion F which is a cleaning target surface such as a floor. In the present embodiment, a separate cleaning sheet 2 can be attached to the suction port body 1. With the cleaning sheet 2 attached, the user moves the suction port body 1 on the cleaning target portion F, so that suction cleaning and wiping cleaning can be performed simultaneously. That is, the suction port body 1 is a cleaning attachment capable of performing suction cleaning and wiping cleaning. Hereinafter, with reference to a state where the suction port body 1 is placed and used on a horizontal cleaning target portion F as a reference, the vertical up-and-down direction is defined as the up-and-down direction, the direction away from the user is defined as the front direction, the direction approaching the user is defined as the rear direction, and the left-and-right direction is defined when viewed from the front. In the drawings, the arrow FR direction is the front direction, the arrow RR direction is the rear direction, the arrow U direction is the up direction, the arrow D direction is the down direction, the arrow L direction is the left direction, and the arrow R direction is the right direction.

[0009] The suction port body 1 includes a main body portion 10 and a connecting pipe 11. The main body portion 10 has a longitudinal shape in the left-and-right direction which is the both-side direction. That is, the main body portion 10 has a horizontally long shape.

[0010] The main body part 10 has a suction port 100 for suction cleaning. The suction port 100 is located at the front part of the main body part 10. In the illustrated example, the suction port 100 is located at least at the front end or the foremost part of the main body part 10. That is, the suction port 100 is located at least on the front surface of the main body part 10. In the present embodiment, the suction port 100 is opened from the front end part to the lower part of the main body part 10. In the illustrated example, the suction port 100 is opened from the front surface to the lower surface of the main body part 10. The suction port 100 is longitudinally shaped along the longitudinal direction of the main body part 10. That is, the suction port 100 is longitudinally shaped in the left - right direction. Also, the left - right dimension of the suction port 100 is set to be considerably larger than the front - rear dimension. That is, the suction port 100 has an elongated horizontally - long shape. The suction port 100 extends continuously between the left and right side parts of the main body part 10. The left side part of the suction port 100 is located at the left side part of the lower part of the main body part 10, and the right side part of the suction port 100 is located at the right side part of the lower part of the main body part 10. In the present embodiment, the suction port 100 is located corresponding to substantially the entire width of the main body part 10. That is, the left - right dimension of the suction port 100 is set to be substantially equal to the left - right dimension of the main body part 10. Hereinafter, "substantially" shall include the meanings of "completely" and "substantially".

[0011] The suction port 100 communicates with an air passage part 101. The air passage part 101 is formed inside the main body part 10 above the suction port 100. The air passage part 101 communicates the suction port 100 with the front end part which is the upstream end part of the connection pipe 11 located behind it. The air passage part 101 is formed in a non - bent shape that inclines rearward and upward from the front end part of the suction port 100 toward the downstream side. "Non - bent shape" includes a straight line shape, or a gentle curve shape formed without a bent part at an angle of 90 degrees or less. In the present embodiment, the air passage part 101 is in a straight line shape from the front end part of the suction port 100 toward the front end part of the connection pipe 11.

[0012] In addition, the main body 10 has a sheet support portion 102 for wiping and cleaning. The sheet support portion 102 is a portion for bringing the cleaning sheet 2 into contact with the portion to be cleaned F by the self-weight of the suction port body 1 or the main body 10, or the pressure applied from above by the user, and preferably, it is a portion for pressing and closely adhering the cleaning sheet 2 to the portion to be cleaned F. That is, the sheet support portion 102 is a portion for sandwiching the cleaning sheet 2 between it and the portion to be cleaned F. The sheet support portion 102 is located behind the suction port 100, and in this embodiment, it is located near the rear end portion of the suction port 100 at the lower part of the main body 10. In the illustrated example, the sheet support portion 102 is close to the rear end portion of the suction port 100 along the longitudinal direction of the suction port 100 at the lower part of the main body 10. In this embodiment, the sheet support portion 102 is adjacent to the rear end portion of the suction port 100. Hereinafter, "adjacent" shall include not only the state of being adjacent without a gap but also the state of being adjacent with a slight gap.

[0013] At least a part of the sheet support portion 102 forms the entire portion extending across the rear end portion of the main body 10 behind the suction port 100 at the lower part of the main body 10. For example, the suction port 100 is located opposite to substantially the entire width of the front end portion of the sheet support portion 102. The sheet support portion 102 and the suction port 100 have substantially equal left and right dimensions, and the central portions in the left and right directions substantially coincide.

[0014] In this embodiment, the sheet support portion 102 has a sheet holding portion 1020 for detaching and attaching the cleaning sheet 2. The sheet holding portion 1020 is preferably a member that can hold the cleaning sheet 2 lightly to such an extent that the cleaning sheet 2 can be easily removed. For example, the sheet holding portion 1020 is a member that can adhere and hold the cleaning sheet 2, and a hook member of a surface fastener that holds the cleaning sheet 2 by hooking the fibers constituting the cleaning sheet 2 is preferably used. Not limited to this, as the sheet holding portion 1020, a hook member made of synthetic resin or the like integrally formed with the main body 10 may be used, or a reusable adhesive member, such as an adhesive pad, may be used.

[0015] The sheet holding part 1020 is at least partially disposed behind or on the side of the suction port 100 in the lower part and / or upper part of the main body part 10. In the present embodiment, the sheet holding part 1020 is disposed behind the suction port 100. In the illustrated example, a plurality of sheet holding parts 1020 are set in the front-rear direction. For example, the sheet holding part 1020 includes a front sheet holding part 10200 located along the rear part of the suction port 100 and a rear sheet holding part 10201 located along the rear end part of the lower part of the main body part 10. The rear sheet holding part 10201 is not limited to being disposed in the lower part of the main body part 10, and may be disposed in the upper part of the main body part 10, or may be disposed in the lower part and the upper part respectively. Further, the sheet holding part 1020 may extend in the front-rear direction, for example, or may be scattered at a plurality of locations.

[0016] In the present embodiment, the sheet holding part 1020 is disposed in the holding part mounting part 103 recessed in the lower part of the main body part 10, and is substantially flush with the lower surface of the main body part 10.

[0017] Further, the sheet support part 102 has a pressing part 1021 for making it possible to contact the part to be cleaned F without holding the cleaning sheet 2. The pressing part 1021 constitutes a part other than the sheet holding part 1020 in the sheet support part 102. For example, the pressing part 1021 constitutes an area wider than the sheet holding part 1020 in the sheet support part 102. In the present embodiment, the pressing part 1021 substantially occupies the whole between the front sheet holding part 10200 and the rear sheet holding part 10201 in the lower part of the main body part 10. That is, the pressing part 1021 is located adjacent to the rear end part of the front sheet holding part 10200 and the front end part of the rear sheet holding part 10201. The pressing part 1021 is in a strip shape that is longitudinally long and has a substantially constant width in the left-right direction, and is located substantially parallel to the suction port 100 and the sheet holding part 1020. Further, the pressing part 1021 extends continuously between the left and right side parts of the main body part 10. That is, the left side part of the pressing part 1021 is located at the left side part of the lower part of the main body part 10, and the right side part of the pressing part 1021 is located at the right side part of the lower part of the main body part 10.

[0018] For example, the pressing part 1021 is formed in a substantially flat plate shape by a soft material such as an elastomer or urethane. Note that the pressing part 1021 may be divided into a plurality of parts in the front - rear and / or left - right directions. Also, the pressing part 1021 may not be soft.

[0019] In the present embodiment, the pressing part 1021 is attached to a pressing - part mounting part 104 recessed in the lower part of the main body part 10, and is substantially flush with the lower part of the main body part 10.

[0020] Preferably, suction holes 105 for sucking and holding the cleaning sheet 2 are opened in the lower part of the main body part 10. The number and positions of the suction holes 105 may be set arbitrarily. For example, the suction holes 105 are located between the front - sheet holding parts 10200 behind the suction port 100. The suction holes 105 communicate with a suction source 4 (shown in FIG. 8) described later. In the present embodiment, the suction holes 105 communicate with the air passage part 101 and communicate with the suction source 4 (shown in FIG. 8) through the air passage part 101.

[0021] And preferably, in the use state of the suction port body 1, as the holding force for holding the cleaning sheet 2 to the suction port body 1, the front side is set stronger than the rear side. In the present embodiment, the holding force on the front side is the sum of the adhesion - holding force by the front - sheet holding part 10200 and the suction - holding force by the suction holes 105, while the holding force on the rear side is only the adhesion - holding force by the rear - sheet holding part 10201, so that the holding force on the front side is set stronger than the holding force on the rear side.

[0022] The main body part 10 is divided into a plurality of case members. In the present embodiment, the main body part 10 has a lower case 106 which is one case member, and an upper case 107 which is another case member covering a part of the upper side of the lower case 106. The lower case 106 and the upper case 107 may each be further divided into a plurality of members.

[0023] The lower case 106 constitutes a part of the suction port 100 and a part of the air duct portion 101. The lower case 106 is formed of, for example, a hard synthetic resin or the like. Further, the lower case 106 constitutes a majority of the lower part of the main body 10. In the present embodiment, a sheet support portion 102 is formed at the lower part of the lower case 106. In the illustrated example, the lower case 106 is formed in a longitudinally elongated shape in the left-right direction.

[0024] A raised portion 1060 is formed at the front part of the lower case 106. The front surface of the raised portion 1060 forms the guide surface 1012 at the rear part of the air duct portion 101. Due to the inclined shape of the guide surface 1012, the raised portion 1060 has a triangular shape in which the height gradually decreases toward the front side. Further, a lower case main body portion 1061 is formed at the rear part of the lower case 106. The lower case main body portion 1061 has a flat plate shape extending in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. The side portion of the lower case main body portion 1061 forms the side portion at the rear part of the main body 10. A sheet holding portion 1020 and a pressing portion 1021 are located at the lower part of the lower case 106. Further, a connecting pipe support portion 1062 for supporting the connecting pipe 11 is formed on the lower case 106. The connecting pipe support portion 1062 is located behind the raised portion 1060 or the guide surface 1012 and is formed at the upper part of the lower case main body portion 1061. The connecting pipe support portion 1062 is located at the central portion in the left-right direction. The connecting pipe support portion 1062 protrudes upward in a stepped manner with respect to the lower case main body portion 1061. The lower case 106 increases in height step by step in the order of the lower case main body portion 1061, the connecting pipe support portion 1062, and the raised portion 1060.

[0025] The upper case 107 constitutes the remaining other part of the suction port 100 and the remaining other part of the air duct portion 101. The upper case 107 is formed of, for example, a hard synthetic resin or the like. The upper case 107 is fixed to the upper part of the lower case 106 so as to cover the upper part of the front part of the lower case 106, and in the present embodiment, above the raised portion 1060 and the connecting pipe support portion 1062. In the present embodiment, the upper case 107 is formed in a longitudinally elongated shape in the left-right direction.

[0026] The upper case 107 has a front portion 1070, an upper surface portion 1071, side surface portions 1072, and a rear portion 1073.

[0027] The front portion 1070 has a back surface, that is, a rear surface, which forms the front surface of the air passage portion 101. The front portion 1070 is formed to be longitudinally long in the left - right direction, and the central portion in the left - right direction extends upward. When viewed from the front, the front portion 1070 has a convex - character shape. The lower part of the front portion 1070 is located above the lower part of the lower case 106.

[0028] The upper surface portion 1071 has a back surface, that is, a lower surface, which forms the ceiling surface of the air passage portion 101. The upper surface portion 1071 is continuous with the upper part of the front portion 1070 and is formed to be longitudinally long in the left - right direction. Also, the central portion of the upper surface portion 1071 in the left - right direction is curved so as to protrude upward according to the shape of the front portion 1070, extends rearward from the rear portion 1073, and becomes a connecting - pipe support portion 10710 that faces upward with respect to the connecting - pipe support portion 1062 of the lower case 106. The connecting - pipe support portion 10710 is curved in an arc shape.

[0029] The side surface portions 1072 form the side portions of the front part of the main body portion 10, and their back surfaces, that is, inner surfaces, form the side surfaces of the air passage portion 101. The side surface portions 1072 are continuous with both side portions of the front portion 1070 and the upper surface portion 1071 and extend in the front - rear direction and the up - down direction. In this embodiment, the lower part of the side surface portion 1072 extends below the lower part of the front portion 1070 and is substantially flush with the lower part of the lower case 106. The side surface portions 1072, 1072 and the lower part of the front portion 1070 define both side portions and the front end portion of the suction port 100. Each side surface portion 1072 is formed in a thin - plate shape so that the left - right dimension or width of the suction port 100 substantially matches the left - right dimension or width of the main body portion 10.

[0030] The rear portion 1073 is continuous with a portion excluding the central portion in the left - right direction at the rear of the upper surface portion 1071. The rear portion 1073 is formed to be longitudinally long in the left - right direction and extends in the up - down direction and the left - right direction. The rear portion 1073 is overlapped with the rear portion of the raised portion 1060 of the lower case 106 in the front - rear direction.

[0031] The upper case 107 is fixed to the lower case 106 via a case attachment portion 1074 (shown in FIGS. 3 and 5). The case attachment portion 1074 is formed, for example, in a cylindrical or boss shape having an axis in the vertical direction and is continuous with both side portions of the connecting pipe support portion 10710. A fixing member such as a screw is inserted into the case attachment portion 1074 from above and fixed to the upper portion of the lower case main body portion 1061 of the lower case 106, whereby the upper case 107 and the lower case 106 are fixed to each other, and the front end portion of the connecting pipe 11 is rotatably clamped between the connecting pipe support portions 10710 and 1062.

[0032] The connecting pipe 11 is a connecting portion that communicates the suction port 100 and the suction hole 105 with a suction source 4 (shown in FIG. 8) to be described later via the air passage portion 101. The connecting pipe 11 is rotatably connected to the main body portion 10. In the present embodiment, the connecting pipe 11 has a plurality of rotating portions whose rotation axis directions intersect each other, and the angle with respect to the main body portion 10 can be changed in any direction.

[0033] For example, the connecting pipe 11 has a first pipe portion 110 and a second pipe portion 111. The first pipe portion 110 constitutes the upstream side of the connecting pipe 11, and the second pipe portion 111 constitutes the downstream side of the connecting pipe 11. The first pipe portion 110 and the second pipe portion 111 are connected to communicate with each other.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the first pipe portion 110 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is supported via a first rotating portion 1100 that is rotatable with respect to the main body portion 10 about a first axis A1. The first axis A1 has the front-rear direction as the main direction component. That is, the axis A1 mainly has a vector component in the front-rear direction and extends along the front-rear direction. That is, the first pipe portion 110 is rotatable in its circumferential direction or axial rotation direction. Therefore, regardless of the rotation angle of the connecting pipe 11 or the first pipe portion 110, the relative positions of the first rotating portion 1100 with respect to the main body portion 10 in the front-rear direction, up-down direction, and left-right direction are unchanged. Note that the axis A1 may be horizontal or may be inclined upward toward the rear, for example. That is, having the front-rear direction as the main direction component means that the front-rear direction is the largest component, and it does not exclude the inclusion of components in the up-down direction and left-right direction in amounts smaller than the front-rear direction.

[0035] The front end portion 1101, which is the upstream end portion of the first pipe portion 110, forms the upstream end portion of the connecting pipe 11 and is formed in a short cylindrical shape in the axial direction, which is the front-rear direction, and is inserted between the connecting pipe support portions 10710 and 1062 of the main body portion 10, that is, inside the main body portion 10. In the present embodiment, the first rotating portion 1100 is located at the front end portion 1101. The outer peripheral surface of the front end portion 1101 is in sliding contact with the inner peripheral surfaces of the connecting pipe support portions 10710 and 1062 of the main body portion 10 when the first pipe portion 110 rotates with respect to the main body portion 10. Further, with respect to the lower portion of the front end portion 1101 of the first pipe portion 110, the rear end portion and the upper end portion of the guide surface 1012 of the air passage portion 101 of the main body portion 10 extend upward.

[0036] The rear end portion 1102, which is the downstream end portion of the first pipe portion 110, is formed in an enlarged cylindrical shape with respect to the front end portion 1101 and is exposed outside the main body portion 10. In the present embodiment, the rear end portion 1102 of the first pipe portion 110 is located away above the lower case main body portion 1061 of the lower case 106.

[0037] The first rotating part 1100 is formed along the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the front end part 1101 of the first pipe part 110. The first rotating part 1100 is rotatably supported by a first rotation receiving part 108 formed along the circumferential direction inside the connection pipe support parts 10710, 1062 of the main body part 10. At least a part of either the first rotating part 1100 or the first rotation receiving part 108 is a protruding part, and at least a part of the other is a groove part. In the present embodiment, the first rotating part 1100 is a groove part and the first rotation receiving part 108 is a protruding part, and they are fitted to each other. In the illustrated example, the first rotating part 1100 is located in front of the central part of the main body part 10 in the front-rear direction.

[0038] The second pipe part 111 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is supported via a second rotating part 1110 rotatable with respect to the first pipe part 110 around a second axis A2 along a direction substantially orthogonal to the first axis A1. Therefore, regardless of the rotation angle of the connection pipe 11 or the first pipe part 110 and the second pipe part 111, the relative position in the front-rear direction with respect to the main body part 10 is substantially unchanged. Note that the axial directions being "substantially orthogonal" means that the vectors of the axial directions are substantially orthogonal, and it is not essential that the axes A1 and A2 intersect on the same plane.

[0039] The front end part 1111, which is the upstream end part of the second pipe part 111, has an outer periphery formed in a cylindrical surface shape and is inserted into the rear part of the first pipe part 110. In the present embodiment, the second rotating part 1110 is located at the front end part 1111. The outer peripheral surface of the front end part 1111 is in sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface of the first pipe part 110 when the second pipe part 111 rotates with respect to the first pipe part 110.

[0040] The second rotating part 1110 is formed in a cylindrical shape protruding along the axial direction of the front end part 1111 on both left and right side surfaces of the front end part 1111 of the second pipe part 111. The second rotating part 1110 is rotatably supported by a second rotation receiving part formed inside the first pipe part 110. That is, the second rotating part 1110 is located rearward and away from the first rotating part 1100. Also, the second axis A2 is in a position overlapping in the vertical direction with respect to the first axis A1, and in this embodiment, the first axis A1 and the second axis A2 intersect. At least a part of either the second rotating part 1110 or the second rotation receiving part is a shaft part or a protruding part, and at least a part of the other is a hole part or a concave part. In this embodiment, the second rotating part 1110 is a cylindrical shaft part, and the second rotation receiving part is a cylindrical concave part and they are fitted to each other. In the illustrated example, the second rotating part 1110 is located rearward of the central part of the main body part 10 in the front-rear direction.

[0041] Further, the rear end part 1112, which is the downstream end part of the second pipe part 111, is formed in a tubular shape extending in a direction intersecting or orthogonal to the axial direction of the front end part 1111.

[0042] And the first rotating part 1100 and the second rotating part 1110 are located within the upper projection range Z of the seat support part 102 of the main body part 10. The upper projection range Z of the seat support part 102 is a range surrounded by a virtual plane obtained by extending the outer contour of the seat support part 102 vertically upward in a state where the suction port body 1 is installed on a horizontal installation position such as the part F to be cleaned. In this embodiment, it is a range extending between the left and right side parts of the main body part 10 from the rear end part of the suction port 100 to the rear end part of the main body part 10. Also, the inside of the upper projection range Z includes the boundary of the upper projection range Z. In the illustrated example, the first rotating part 1100 and the second rotating part 1110 are located within the upper projection range of the pressing part 1021 in the upper projection range Z of the seat support part 102, and are located between the front seat holding part 10200 and the rear seat holding part 10201 of the seat holding part 1020 in the front-rear direction.

[0043] In this embodiment, the first rotating part 1100, the second rotating part 1110, the connecting pipe 11 or the entire rotation range of the first pipe part 110 and the second pipe part 111 are located within the upper projection range Z of the seat support part 102 of the main body part 10. That is, regardless of the rotation angle of the connecting pipe 11 or the first pipe part 110 and the second pipe part 111, the first rotating part 1100 and the second rotating part 1110 are always located within the upper projection range Z of the seat support part 102 of the main body part 10.

[0044] In the illustrated example, for the connecting pipe 11, at least the entire first pipe part 110 is located within the upper projection range Z of the seat support part 102. For the second pipe part 111, at least the front end part 1111 where the first rotating part 1110 is formed is located within the upper projection range Z of the seat support part 102. In this embodiment, at least the part on the front end side of the rear end part 1112 reaches within the upper projection range Z of the seat support part 102. The part on the rear end side of the rear end part 1112 may always be entirely located within the upper projection range Z of the seat support part 102, or may be configured to be located outside the upper projection range Z depending on the rotation angle of the second pipe part 111 with respect to the first pipe part 110.

[0045] Furthermore, at least the second axis A2 is located behind the position of the center of gravity G of the main body part 10. In the illustrated example, the entire second rotating part 1110 is located behind the position of the center of gravity G of the main body part 10. In this embodiment, the position of the center of gravity G of the main body part 10 is, for example, near the connecting pipe supports 10710, 1062 in the front - rear direction. In the illustrated example, the center of gravity G of the main body part 10 is inside the first pipe part 110 of the connecting pipe 11. In the figure, the center of gravity G of the main body part 10 is located on the first axis A1 or at a height substantially equal to the first axis A1, but it is not limited to this. As long as it is in front of at least the second rotating part 1110, its position in the vertical and horizontal directions does not matter.

[0046] The cleaning sheet 2 is a soft sheet, such as a square sheet formed of non-woven fabric, cloth, etc. It may be a dedicated one or a general-purpose commercially available product. The cleaning sheet 2 preferably has a size or area that covers at least the sheet support portion 102 of the suction port body 1. For example, the cleaning sheet 2 is formed in a square shape having a left-right dimension equal to or greater than the left-right dimension of the sheet support portion 102 and a front-back dimension equal to or greater than the front-back dimension of the sheet support portion 102. The cleaning sheet 2 may be used in a state where it is appropriately folded or multiply folded according to the size of the sheet support portion 102, or may be used in a state of a single sheet without being folded. The cleaning sheet 2 may be a dry type or a wet type in which a cleaning liquid such as water or a chemical solution for the portion to be cleaned F has penetrated.

[0047] Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the suction port body 1 is used in the vacuum cleaner CL. In the present embodiment, the suction port body 1 is applied to a suction-type vacuum cleaner CL that sucks dust together with air into the separation unit 5 by the negative pressure generated by the drive of a suction source 4 such as an electric blower disposed in the cleaner body 3 of the vacuum cleaner CL. The vacuum cleaner CL may be any type such as a floor-running type, a canister type, a stick type, an upright type, or a handy type. In the present embodiment, the vacuum cleaner CL will be described by taking a stick-type vacuum cleaner as an example. Also, in the illustrated example, the suction port body 1 is mechanically and fluidly connected to the extension pipe 6, which is a pipe portion, or the cleaner body 3 via a connecting pipe 11. By connecting the connecting pipe 11, the air passage portion 101 and the suction port 100 of the suction port body 1, and further the suction holes 105 (each shown in FIG. 1) in the present embodiment are fluidly communicated with the suction source 4 via the separation unit 5, respectively. Further, in the present embodiment, the operation or on / off and switching of the suction force of the suction source 4 are set by the user by operating the switch 8 of the hand operation unit 7 for gripping operation. In the cleaner body 3, a main body control unit 9 for operating the suction source 4 according to the operation set by the switch 8 is disposed. The power supply unit B of the vacuum cleaner CL is disposed in the cleaner body 3, for example. In the present embodiment, the power supply unit B is a battery or a secondary battery, but is not limited thereto, and may be a cord reel device or the like that obtains power from an external power source such as a commercial power supply.

[0048] Next, the cleaning operation of the first embodiment will be described.

[0049] First, the suction port body 1 is connected to the extension pipe 6 or the cleaner main body 3 through the connection pipe 11, so that the user can perform a cleaning operation via the hand operation unit 7. Then, the cleaning sheet 2 is attached and used.

[0050] The cleaning sheet 2 may be used without being folded or may be folded according to its size.

[0051] Basically, the cleaning sheet 2 aligns the front end portion with the suction port 100 of the suction port body 1 and is attached to the sheet holding portion 1020.

[0052] For example, an example of the attachment method when the cleaning sheet 2 is small and used without being folded is shown in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 6(a), the cleaning sheet 2 is placed on a flat installation position such as the portion F to be cleaned, and the front end portion of the cleaning sheet 2 is aligned within the width in the front-rear direction of the suction port 100 of the suction port body 1. At this time, since the second axis A2 of the connection pipe 11 is behind the center of gravity G of the main body portion 10 of the suction port body 1, the front portion of the main body portion 10 rotates downward about the second axis A1 due to its own weight, and the front portion of the main body portion 10 inclines so as to approach the cleaning sheet 2. Therefore, the alignment between the suction port 100 at the front portion of the main body portion 10 and the front end portion of the cleaning sheet 2 becomes easy.

[0053] Then, as shown in FIG. 6(b), the suction port body 1 is pressed against the cleaning sheet 2 from above, that is, the cleaning sheet 2 is sandwiched between the suction port body 1 and the installation position, so that the cleaning sheet 2 is adhered and held by the sheet holding portion 1020. In the present embodiment, since at least a part of the sheet holding portion 1020 capable of adhering and holding the cleaning sheet 2 is arranged behind the suction port 100 at the lower part of the suction port body 1, the cleaning sheet 2 can be easily attached to the suction port body 1. Further, in the present embodiment, the front portion and the rear portion of the cleaning sheet 2 are adhered and held by the front sheet holding portion 10200 and the rear sheet holding portion 10201. Note that the mounting method is not limited to placing the cleaning sheet 2 on the installation position and pressing the suction port body 1 from above. For example, the suction port body 1 may be placed on the installation position with the lower part facing upward, and the cleaning sheet 2 with the front end aligned within the width in the front-rear direction of the suction port 100 may be pressed against the sheet holding portion 1020 to attach the cleaning sheet 2. That is, the sheet holding portion 1020 and the cleaning sheet 2 may be aligned in the front-rear and left-right directions with respect to each other, and either one may be pressed against the other for mounting. Further, when a large surplus portion is generated at the rear end portion of the cleaning sheet 2, this surplus portion may be folded back to the upper part of the main body portion 10 and inserted and held, for example, between the main body portion 10 and the connecting pipe 11.

[0054] In this state, by operating the suction source 4 (shown in FIG. 8) by operating the switch 8, as shown in FIG. 6(c), the front end portion of the cleaning sheet 2 is suction-held to the suction port 100 by the negative pressure acting from the suction port 100. The front end portion of the cleaning sheet 2 adsorbed to the suction port 100 covers, for example, the lower end portion of the guide surface 1012 of the air passage portion 101. Further, the intermediate portion in the front-rear direction of the cleaning sheet 2 is suction-held by the negative pressure acting from the suction holes 105.

[0055] On the one hand, when the cleaning sheet 2 is large and is to be used in a folded state, it is attached to the suction port body 1 in the same manner as when it is used without being folded, with the cleaning sheet 2 folded at a desired position. In the example shown in FIG. 7(a), the cleaning sheet 2 is folded in two at the folding portion 20. Taking the folding portion 20 as, for example, the rear end portion, one of the first sheet portion 21 and the second sheet portion 22, for example, the first sheet portion 21, is held by the sheet holding portion 1020 for holding, and the other of the first sheet portion 21 and the second sheet portion 22, for example, the second sheet portion 22, is used for cleaning by being sandwiched between the first sheet portion 21 and the portion to be cleaned F. In the figure, for the sake of clarity of description, a gap is shown between the first sheet portion 21 and the second sheet portion 22, but in the actual use state, the first sheet portion 21 and the second sheet portion 22 are substantially overlapped without a gap vertically. Also, although an example in which the cleaning sheet 2 is folded in two from the folding portion 20 is shown, depending on the size of the cleaning sheet 2, it is not limited to being folded in two.

[0056] Then, the user moves the suction port body 1 back and forth on the portion to be cleaned F shown in FIG. 1 by the hand operation portion 7 shown in FIG. 8, sucks dust from the suction port 100, and wipes and cleans the portion to be cleaned F with the held cleaning sheet 2. Since the first rotation portion 1100 and the second rotation portion 111, which are the rotation starting points of the connection pipe 11, are located within the upper projection range Z of the sheet support portion 102, the operating force applied to the hand operation portion 7 by the user acts as a force for pressing the sheet support portion 102 against the portion to be cleaned F, and the cleaning sheet 2 can be effectively pressed against the portion to be cleaned F by the sheet holding portion 1020 and the pressing portion 1021 of the sheet support portion 102 for wiping and cleaning.

[0057] For example, when the user moves the hand-operated part 7 back and forth to move the suction port body 1 back and forth, the angle formed by the hand-operated part 7 or the extension pipe 6 with respect to the part to be cleaned F changes. Also, when inserting the suction port body 1 into a part to be cleaned F with a low upper height, such as the part to be cleaned F under the bed, the hand-operated part 7 may be twisted left and right while being moved downward so as to approach the part to be cleaned F. At this time, regarding the back-and-forth and up-and-down movement of the hand-operated part 7, the second pipe part 111 of the connecting pipe 11 of the suction port body 1 rotates up and down with respect to the first pipe part 110 around the second axis A2 and follows the change in angle. Also, regarding the left-and-right twisting of the hand-operated part 7, the first pipe part 110 of the connecting pipe 11 of the suction port body 1 rotates left and right with respect to the main body part 10 around the first axis A1 and follows the twisting. In this embodiment, since the first rotating part 1100 and the second rotating part 1110 that are the rotation starting points of the connecting pipe 11 are located within the upper projection range Z of the seat support part 102, the operating force applied to the hand-operated part 7 by the user is transmitted to the first rotating part 1100 and the second rotating part 1110 while acting as a force for pressing the seat support part 102 against the part to be cleaned F, and the first pipe part 110 and the second pipe part 111 of the connecting pipe 11 rotate smoothly around the first axis A1 and the second axis A2. Therefore, even when the user moves the hand-operated part 7 in an arbitrary direction, the connecting pipe 11 follows by the rotation of these first pipe part 110 and second pipe part 111, and it becomes possible to maintain a state where the lower part of the suction port body 1, that is, the cleaning sheet 2, is entirely pressed against the part to be cleaned F by the seat support part 102. Also, the operability is good, such as the user being able to perform the twisting operation smoothly, and for example, it is also possible to slide left and right while pressing the front part of the main body part 10 of the suction port body 1 against the wall surface.

[0058] The cleaning sheet 2 is brought into contact with the area to be cleaned F by the self-weight of the suction port body 1 or the main body 10 and / or the pressing force applied by the user from the hand-operated part 7 via the sheet holding part 1020 and the pressing part 1021 of the sheet support part 102. In this way, dust is less likely to enter between the cleaning sheet 2 and the lower part of the suction port body 1, and the area to be cleaned F can be wiped and cleaned stably over a large area. Further, the front and rear parts of the cleaning sheet 2 are held by the sheet holding part 1020, the front end part of the cleaning sheet 2 is suction-held by the suction port 100 and also by the suction holes 105. Therefore, while the suction source 4 is operating, the cleaning sheet 2 is firmly held by the suction port body 1. In particular, when the user moves the suction port body 1 forward, a greater force is applied than when moving it backward. Thus, in the state of use of the suction port body 1, the holding force for holding the cleaning sheet 2 on the front side of the suction port body 1 is stronger than the holding force for holding the cleaning sheet 2 on the rear side. This makes it particularly difficult for the cleaning sheet 2 to curl when the suction port body 1 moves forward. Furthermore, since the front end part of the cleaning sheet 2 is suction-held inside the suction port 100, when the suction port body 1 is moved back and forth on the area to be cleaned F, the front end part of the cleaning sheet 2 is less likely to directly receive resistance from the area to be cleaned F, and curling of the cleaning sheet 2 starting from the front end part can be prevented.

[0059] In addition, since the suction port 100 is open from the front surface to the lower surface of the main body portion 10 of the suction port body 1, when the suction port body 1 is advanced on the surface to be cleaned F, even coarse dust such as cat litter or rice grains on the surface to be cleaned F can be sucked in without being pushed forward. Even when the front portion of the main body portion 10 of the suction port body 1 is brought into contact with the wall surface, the suction air passage can be secured, and dust along the wall can be sucked without being pinched between the suction port body 1 and the wall surface. Further, since cleaning is performed while moving the suction port body 1 back and forth on the surface to be cleaned F, although dust such as hair and coarse dust tends to concentrate and adhere to the front end portion of the cleaning sheet 2, the suction port 100 is longitudinally long in the left-right direction, and the sheet support portion 102, in this embodiment, the sheet holding portion 1020, is disposed close to the rear portion of the suction port 100 along the longitudinal direction of the suction port 100. Therefore, dust adhering to the front end portion of the cleaning sheet 2 close to the rear portion of the suction port 100 can also be sucked in, suppressing the progress of dirt on the front end portion of the cleaning sheet 2 over time and keeping this front end portion clean. Further, since the suction port 100 is formed corresponding to substantially the entire width of the sheet support portion 102 for bringing the cleaning sheet 2 into contact with the surface to be cleaned F, dust adhesion can be suppressed over substantially the entire width of the cleaning sheet 2. Thus, the front end portion of the cleaning sheet 2 maintained in a clean state can always wipe and clean up to the surface to be cleaned F along the wall. Also, it becomes unnecessary to replace the cleaning sheet 2 due to dirt on the front end portion before the rear portion of the cleaning sheet 2 has been fully utilized, enabling the entire cleaning sheet 2 to be effectively utilized and suppressing the frequency of replacement of the cleaning sheet 2. As a result, the number of replacement operations can be reduced, and wasteful use of resources can be suppressed. Further, even if the dust adhering to the front end portion of the cleaning sheet 2 is peeled off from the cleaning sheet 2 when the suction port body 1 is retracted, it is immediately sucked in from the suction port 100, making it difficult to leave the dust on the surface to be cleaned F.

[0060] The dust sucked in from the suction port 100 is sucked into the connection pipe 11 by the negative pressure of the suction source 4 acting on the air passage portion 101. The sucked dust is sucked from the connection pipe 11 into the separation portion 5 and separated and collected from the air.

[0061] When removing the dirty cleaning sheet 2 from the suction inlet body 1, when the user operates the switch 8 to stop the operation of the suction source 4, the negative pressure acting from the suction port 100 and the suction holes 105 disappears, so that the cleaning sheet 2 is only lightly attached and held by the sheet holding portion 1020. Therefore, the cleaning sheet 2 can be easily removed from the sheet holding portion 1020, and when removing it, it is not necessary to apply a large force to the cleaning sheet 2, so the dust attached to the cleaning sheet 2 is not easily peeled off. Further, when the suction holes 105 are arranged between the sheet holding portions 1020, when the negative pressure acting on the suction holes 105 disappears, a portion where the cleaning sheet 2 is not held by the suction inlet body 1 occurs between the sheet holding portions 1020 where the suction holes 105 are located. Therefore, the cleaning sheet 2 can be easily removed from the suction inlet body 1 starting from this portion.

[0062] Also, for the large cleaning sheet 2, by folding it for use, one of the first sheet portion 21 and the second sheet portion 22 can be used for holding and the other for cleaning. The holding portion basically does not come into contact with the portion to be cleaned F and does not get dirty. Therefore, when the cleaning portion gets dirty, the cleaning sheet 2 is once removed from the suction port body 1, turned over up and down, and then reattached to the suction port body 1. By doing so, the clean portion that was used for holding can be used for cleaning, and by further turning the front and back sides over and using it, the large area of the cleaning sheet 2 can be used without any waste. In this case, for example, when the first sheet portion 21 is used for holding and the second sheet portion 22 is used for cleaning, and the suction port body 1 is lifted from the portion to be cleaned F and moved, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the second sheet portion 22 that is not directly held by the sheet holding portion 1020 of the suction port body 1 hangs downwards from the folding portion 20 at the rear end. At this time, since the second axis A2 of the connecting pipe 11 is behind the center of gravity G of the main body portion 10 of the suction port body 1, the front portion of the main body portion 10 rotates downward about the first axis A1 due to its own weight, and the front portion of the main body portion 10 inclines so as to approach the cleaning sheet 2. Therefore, by moving the suction port body 1 as it is pressed against the portion to be cleaned F downward to the rear, the hanging second sheet portion 22 is folded from the desired position of the folding portion 20 and sandwiched between the first sheet portion 21 and the portion to be cleaned F in a folded state, achieving an appropriate use state. Also, the second sheet portion 22 of the cleaning sheet 2 can be separated from the portion to be cleaned F without lifting the suction port body 1 greatly upward from the portion to be cleaned F.

[0063] (Second Embodiment) Next, the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 9. Regarding the same configurations and operations as those in each embodiment, the same reference numerals are given and their descriptions are omitted.

[0064] In this embodiment, the sheet holding portion 1020 is located at the side portion of the suction port 100. In the illustrated example, the side portion of the suction port 100 is offset toward the central portion in the left - right direction with respect to the side portion of the main body portion 10, and each sheet holding portion 1020 is disposed in that space. That is, the sheet holding portions 1020 are respectively disposed on the left and right outer sides of the suction port 100. And at least a part of the sheet holding portion 1020 extends in the front - rear direction from the side portion of the suction port 100.

[0065] The front end portion of each sheet holding portion 1020 is in a position facing the side portion of the suction port 100 in the left - right direction. That is, the front end portion of each sheet holding portion 1020 is in a position overlapping the suction port 100 in the front - rear direction. Also, the rear end portion of the sheet holding portion 1020 extends to the vicinity of the rear end portion of the main body portion 10. In this embodiment, each sheet holding portion 1020 is located along the lower side portion of the main body portion 10. That is, each sheet holding portion 1020 is located to cover the portion between the side portion of the suction port 100 and the side portion of the main body portion 10 at the lower part of the main body portion 10 of the suction port body 1.

[0066] Then, similar to each embodiment, the cleaning sheet 2 is attached and held to the suction port body 1 by aligning the front end portion of the cleaning sheet 2 within the width in the front - rear direction of the suction port 100 of the suction port body 1 and attaching the cleaning sheet 2 to the sheet holding portion 1020.

[0067] Regarding the front end portion of the cleaning sheet 2, even if it temporarily covers the suction port 100 in a state of being attached and held to the sheet holding portion 1020, it is suction - held inside the suction port 100 by the negative pressure acting from the suction port 100, so the suction port 100 is not blocked by the cleaning sheet 2.

[0068] Thus, even with the configuration in which the sheet holding portion 1020 extends in the front - rear direction from both the left and right side portions of the suction port 100, the attached cleaning sheet 2 can be effectively pressed against the portion to be cleaned F, and the same operational effects as those of the first embodiment, such as good operability, can be achieved.

[0069] Note that in the second embodiment, the sheet holding portion 1020 is not limited to being continuous in the front-rear direction, and a plurality of them may be intermittently arranged in the front-rear direction.

[0070] Also, in each embodiment, the connecting pipe 11 may have, for example, a joint portion with a spherical outer peripheral surface on the upstream end side, and may be connected to the main body portion 10 so as to be rotatable in an arbitrary direction via this joint portion. In this case, by positioning the rotation center of the joint portion within the upper projection range Z of the sheet support portion 102, the attached cleaning sheet 2 can be effectively pressed against the portion to be cleaned F, and the same operational effects as those of the above-described embodiment, such as good operability, can be achieved.

[0071] Furthermore, regarding each embodiment, they may be arbitrarily combined within a range that does not deviate from the gist of the invention and does not conflict with each other.

[0072] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples, and it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to these embodiments. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes 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 also included in the invention described in the claims and its equivalent scope.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0073] A1 First axis A2 Second axis CL Vacuum cleaner F Portion to be cleaned G Center of gravity Z Upper projection range 1 Suction port body 2 Cleaning sheet 10 Main body portion 11 Connecting pipe 100 Suction port 102 Sheet support portion 110 First pipe portion 111 Second pipe portion 1020 Sheet holding part 1100 First rotating part 1110 Second rotating part

Claims

1. It has a suction port, a main body portion that is elongated in the left - right direction, a connecting pipe that communicates with the suction port, and a sheet support portion for bringing a cleaning sheet into contact with a portion to be cleaned, and is provided with: The connecting pipe includes a first pipe portion having a first rotating portion that is rotatable with respect to the main body portion about a first axis with the front - rear direction as the main direction component, and a second pipe portion having a second rotating portion that is rotatable with respect to the first pipe portion about a second axis along a direction orthogonal to the first axis. The first rotating portion and the second rotating portion are located within the upper projection range of the sheet support portion. A suction port body, characterized in that.

2. The sheet support portion is elongated in the left - right direction. The suction port is formed at the front portion of the main body portion corresponding to the longitudinal direction of the sheet support portion. The suction port body according to Claim 1, characterized in that.

3. The suction port is formed on the front surface of the main body portion. The suction port body according to Claim 2, characterized in that.

4. The suction port is opened from the front surface to the lower surface of the main body portion. The suction port body according to Claim 2, characterized in that.

5. It is provided with a sheet holding portion that is arranged at the rear portion or side portion of the suction port at the lower portion of the main body portion and is detachable for the cleaning sheet. The suction port body according to Claim 1, characterized in that.

6. The second axis is behind the center of gravity of the main body portion. The suction port body according to Claim 1, characterized in that.

7. Comprising the suction port body according to any one of Claims 1 to 6. A vacuum cleaner, characterized in that.

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