Suction port body and vacuum cleaner

Abstract

To provide a suction port body that can smoothly suck dust, and has good operability on a part to be cleaned, and a vacuum cleaner comprising the same.SOLUTION: A suction port body 1 comprises: a suction port 100 opened in at least a front part; a sheet support part 102 for bringing a cleaning sheet 2 into contact with a part F to be cleaned; a connection pipe 11 of which an upstream end part is located behind the suction port 100, and communicating with a suction source; and an air passage part 101 formed in an unbent shape toward the upstream end part of the connection pipe 11 from the suction port 100.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. Regarding the air passage portion from the suction port for suction cleaning to the connection pipe, when it is shaped to suck dust vertically upward once and then convey it to the connection pipe, it is difficult to suck up coarse dust such as sand with mass. Further, when sucking up such coarse dust, a large negative pressure is required, so there is also a concern about a decrease in operability due to suction to the portion to be cleaned by the negative pressure.

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 smoothly suck dust and has good operability on the portion to be cleaned, and a vacuum cleaner equipped with the same.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The suction port body of the embodiment includes a suction port that is opened at least at the front part, a sheet support part for bringing the cleaning sheet into contact with the portion to be cleaned, a connection pipe whose upstream end is located behind the suction port and communicates with a suction source, and an air passage part that is formed in a non-bending shape from the suction port toward the upstream end of the connection pipe.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0007] Hereinafter, one embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0008] In FIGS. 1 to 5, reference numeral 1 denotes a suction port body. The suction port body 1 sweeps a portion to be cleaned F which is a surface to be cleaned such as a floor. In the present embodiment, a separate cleaning sheet 2 can be attached to the suction port body 1, and in a state where the cleaning sheet 2 is attached, the user moves the suction port body 1 on the portion to be cleaned 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, based on the state where the suction port body 1 is placed on a horizontal portion to be cleaned F and used, the vertically upward and downward 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 directions are defined when viewed from the front. In the figure, 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 has a main body portion 10 and a connecting pipe 11. The main body portion 10 is elongated in the left and right directions which are both side directions. 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 at least the front end part or the foremost part of the main body part 10. That is, the suction port 100 is located at at least 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 longitudinal along the longitudinal direction of the main body part 10. That is, the suction port 100 is longitudinal 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 a front end part which is an upstream end part of a connection pipe 11 located behind it. In the present embodiment, the air passage part 101 has a general air passage part 1010 that extends continuously over the entire longitudinal direction of the suction port 100, and a connection air passage part 1011 that connects the suction port 100 and the connection pipe 11. The connection air passage part 1011 extends continuously from the center part in the left - right direction of the general air passage part 1010, and extends upward and rearward from the general air passage part 1010.

[0012] The air passage portion 101 is formed in a non-bending shape that slopes upward to the rear from the front end of the suction port 100 in the left-right direction of the suction port 100, that is, the entire width direction. Particularly, in the connection air passage portion 1011 at the center in the left-right direction, which is a position facing the front end of the connection pipe 11, it is formed in a non-bending shape so as to slope upward to the rear from the front end of the suction port 100 toward the front end of the connection pipe 11. The "non-bending shape" includes a straight line shape or a gentle curved shape formed without a bent portion at an angle of 90 degrees or less. In this embodiment, the air passage portion 101 is in a straight line shape from the front end of the suction port 100 toward the front end of the connection pipe 11.

[0013] The air passage portion 101 is a chamber portion or a duct portion surrounded by a guide surface 1012 forming the lower rear side, a partition surface 1013 forming the upper front side, a ceiling surface 1014 forming the upper portion, and side surfaces 1015 forming both side portions, and is opened by the suction port 100 from the lower front side to the lower portion.

[0014] The guide surface 1012 has its lower portion forming the rear end of the suction port 100 and rises in an inclined manner toward the upper rear side. The guide surface 1012 is substantially flat without irregularities and guides the dust sucked in from the suction port 100 to the connection pipe 11. The guide surface 1012 extends longitudinally in the left-right direction in the general air passage portion 1010 and extends so as to protrude upward with respect to other portions in the connection air passage portion 1011. Preferably, the guide surface 1012 is formed in a flat shape or a curved shape. For example, the inclination angle of the guide surface 1012 with respect to the horizontal plane or the inclination angle of the tangent plane of the guide surface 1012 is set to 45° or less.

[0015] The sectional surface 1013 forms the front end of the suction port 100 at the lower part, is located above and separated from the guide surface 1012, and faces the guide surface 1012 in the vertical and front-rear directions. Similar to the guide surface 1012, the sectional surface 1013 is formed in an inclined shape toward the upper rear. The sectional surface 1013 is in a planar shape with substantially no unevenness. The sectional surface 1013 extends longitudinally in the left-right direction in the general air passage portion 1010 and extends upward so as to protrude upward with respect to other portions in the connecting air passage portion 1011. Preferably, the sectional surface 1013 is formed in a planar shape or a curved surface shape. In the present embodiment, the sectional surface 1013 has a larger inclination angle than the guide surface 1012 with respect to the horizontal direction. Therefore, the air passage portion 101 is formed so as to gradually widen in the front-rear direction from the suction port 100 toward the downstream side.

[0016] The ceiling surface 1014 is located above and behind the suction port 100. The ceiling surface 1014 is continuous with the upper part of the sectional surface 1013. The ceiling surface 1014 extends horizontally in the left-right direction in the general air passage portion 1010 and is curved so as to protrude upward along the shape of the sectional surface 1013 in the connecting air passage portion 1011.

[0017] The side surface 1015 is a surface that is continuous with both side portions of the sectional surface 1013 and the ceiling surface 1014 and extends in the vertical and front-rear directions. The side surface 1015 forms both side portions of the general air passage portion 1010 and both side portions of the suction port 100. In the present embodiment, the side surface 1015 extends below the sectional surface 1013.

[0018] Preferably, a guide portion 1016 shown in FIG. 3 is formed in the air passage portion 101. The guide portion 1016 guides dust sucked into the air passage portion 101 from both left and right sides of the suction port 100 to the front end portion, which is the upstream end portion of the connection pipe 11 at the center in the left - right direction. The guide portion 1016 is formed in a non - bent shape across both left and right sides of the suction port 100 and the front end portion of the connection pipe 11. In the present embodiment, the guide portion 1016 is formed in a straight - line shape inclined in the left - right direction across both left and right sides of the suction port 100 and the front end portion of the connection pipe 11. The guide portion 1016 is rib - shaped with respect to the guide surface 1012. That is, the guide portion 1016 is located at the rear end portion of the suction port 100 and the rear portion of the air passage portion 101. The guide portion 1016 extends from the front end portions on both left and right sides of the guide surface 1012 to the upper rear side of the central portion in the left - right direction. In the illustrated example, the guide portion 1016 extends from the general air passage portion 1010 to positions on both left and right sides of the connection air passage portion 1011.

[0019] Also, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the main body portion 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 weight of the suction port body 1 or the main body portion 10, or by pressing from above by the user, and preferably, it is a portion for pressing and closely attaching 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. In the present embodiment, it is located near the rear end portion of the suction port 100 at the lower part of the main body portion 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 portion 10. In the present embodiment, the sheet support portion 102 is adjacent to the rear end portion of the suction port 100. Hereinafter, the term "adjacent" shall include not only the state of being adjacent without a gap but also the state of being adjacent with a slight gap.

[0020] At least a part of the sheet support portion 102 forms the entire portion extending across the rear end portion of the main body portion 10 behind the suction port 100 at the lower part of the main body portion 10. For example, the suction port 100 is positioned to face substantially across 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 - right dimensions and the central portions in the left - right direction substantially coincide with each other.

[0021] In the present embodiment, the sheet support portion 102 has a sheet holding portion 1020 for detachable attachment of the cleaning sheet 2. The sheet holding portion 1020 is preferably a member that can hold the cleaning sheet 2 lightly to the extent that the cleaning sheet 2 can be easily removed. For example, the sheet holding portion 1020 is a member that can adhesively hold the cleaning sheet 2, and a hook member of a hook - and - loop 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 integrally formed with the main body portion 10 or the like may be used, or a reusable adhesive member such as an adhesive pad may be used.

[0022] At least a part of the sheet holding portion 1020 is disposed behind or on the side of the suction port 100 at the lower part and / or upper part of the main body portion 10. In the present embodiment, the sheet holding portion 1020 is disposed behind the suction port 100. In the illustrated example, the sheet holding portion 1020 is longitudinally long in the left - right direction and a plurality of them are set in the front - rear direction. For example, the sheet holding portion 1020 has a front - side front - part sheet holding portion 10200 and a rear - side rear - part sheet holding portion 10201. Not limited to this, the sheet holding portion 1020 may extend, for example, in the front - rear direction or may be scattered at a plurality of locations.

[0023] In this embodiment, the front sheet holding portion 10200 is disposed along the longitudinal direction of the suction port 100 at the lower part of the main body portion 10 and is close to the rear portion of the suction port 100. A plurality of front sheet holding portions 10200 are set on the left and right, and each is adjacent to the rear end portion of the suction port 100. For example, a pair of front sheet holding portions 10200 are set on the left and right and are separated from each other in the left - right direction. In the illustrated example, the left side portion of the left - hand front sheet holding portion 10200 is located at the left side portion of the lower part of the main body portion 10 and is arranged in the front - rear direction with the left side portion of the suction port 100, and the right side portion of the front sheet holding portion 10200 located at the right side portion of the lower part of the right - hand main body portion 10 is arranged in the front - rear direction with the right side portion of the suction port 100. Also, each front sheet holding portion 10200 is in a strip shape that is longitudinally long in the left - right direction and has a substantially constant width, and is arranged substantially parallel to the suction port 100. Not limited to this, each front sheet holding portion 10200 may be divided into a plurality in the front - rear and / or left - right directions.

[0024] The rear sheet holding portion 10201 is located at a distance rearward from the front sheet holding portion 10200. The rear sheet holding portion 10201 may be at the lower part of the main body portion 10, may be at the upper part of the main body portion 10, or may be respectively at the upper and lower parts. In the illustrated example, the rear sheet holding portion 10201 is arranged along the rear end portion of the lower part of the main body portion 10. The rear sheet holding portion 10201 is in a strip shape that is longitudinally long in the left - right direction and has a substantially constant width, and is arranged continuously in the left - right direction across from the left side portion to the right side portion of the main body portion 10. That is, the left side portion of the rear sheet holding portion 10201 is located at the left side portion of the lower part of the main body portion 10, and the right side portion of the rear sheet holding portion 10201 is located at the right side portion of the lower part of the main body portion 10. Not limited to this, the rear sheet holding portion 10201 may be divided into a plurality in the front - rear and / or left - right directions.

[0025] In this embodiment, the sheet holding portion 1020 is disposed in the holding portion mounting portion 103 recessed in the lower part of the main body portion 10 and is substantially flush with the lower surface of the main body portion 10.

[0026] Further, the sheet support portion 102 has a pressing portion 1021 for enabling contact with the portion to be cleaned F without holding the cleaning sheet 2. The pressing portion 1021 constitutes a portion other than the sheet holding portion 1020 in the sheet support portion 102. For example, the pressing portion 1021 constitutes an area wider than the sheet holding portion 1020 in the sheet support portion 102. In the present embodiment, the pressing portion 1021 substantially occupies the entire area between the front sheet holding portion 10200 and the rear sheet holding portion 10201 at the lower portion of the main body portion 10. That is, the pressing portion 1021 is positioned adjacent to the rear end portion of the front sheet holding portion 10200 and the front end portion of the rear sheet holding portion 10201. The pressing portion 1021 is in the shape of a strip that is longitudinally long in the left-right direction and has a substantially constant width, and is positioned substantially parallel to the suction port 100 and the sheet holding portion 1020. Further, the pressing portion 1021 extends continuously between the left and right side portions of the main body portion 10. That is, the left side portion of the pressing portion 1021 is positioned at the left side portion of the lower portion of the main body portion 10, and the right side portion of the pressing portion 1021 is positioned at the right side portion of the lower portion of the main body portion 10.

[0027] For example, the pressing portion 1021 is formed in a substantially flat plate shape by a soft material such as an elastomer or urethane. Note that the pressing portion 1021 may be divided into a plurality of parts in the front-rear and / or left-right directions. Further, the pressing portion 1021 does not have to be soft.

[0028] In the present embodiment, the pressing portion 1021 is attached to a pressing portion attachment portion 104 recessed in the lower portion of the main body portion 10, and is substantially flush with the lower portion of the main body portion 10.

[0029] Preferably, a suction hole 105 for sucking and holding the cleaning sheet 2 is opened at the lower part of the main body 10. For example, the suction hole 105 is located behind the suction port 100. In the present embodiment, the suction hole 105 is located in the sheet support portion 102. The suction hole 105 is set to be single or plural. For example, the suction hole 105 is provided between a plurality of sheet holding portions 1020. In the present embodiment, one suction hole 105 is set at the center in the left - right direction at the lower part of the main body 10. In the illustrated example, the suction hole 105 is arranged between the left and right front sheet holding portions 10200. That is, the suction hole 105 and the front sheet holding portion 10200 of the sheet holding portion 102 are alternately arranged in the left - right direction, that is, the longitudinal direction of the suction port 100. Therefore, the suction hole 105 is located in front of the center in the front - rear direction of the main body 10. In the present embodiment, the suction hole 105 is located at a distance in the left - right direction from the left and right front sheet holding portions 10200 respectively.

[0030] The suction hole 105 communicates with a suction source 4 (shown in FIG. 6) described later. In the present embodiment, the suction hole 105 communicates with the air passage portion 101 and communicates with the suction source 4 (shown in FIG. 6) through the air passage portion 101. For example, the suction hole 105 is formed by penetrating the guide surface 1012 of the air passage portion 101. The suction hole 105 is formed in a longitudinal shape in the left - right direction. The suction hole 105 has a smaller opening area than the suction port 100. For example, the suction hole 105 is opened in a slit shape with smaller left - right dimensions and front - rear dimensions than the suction port 100.

[0031] And preferably, in the use state of the suction port body 1, as the holding force for holding the cleaning sheet 2 on the suction port body 1, the front side is set to be 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 portion 10200 and the suction holding force by the suction hole 105, while the holding force on the rear side is only the adhesion holding force by the rear sheet holding portion 10201, so that the holding force on the front side is set to be stronger than the holding force on the rear side.

[0032] The main body 10 is divided into a plurality of case members. In the present embodiment, the main body 10 includes a lower case 106 which is one case member, and an upper case 107 which is another case member that covers an upper part of a part of the lower case 106. The lower case 106 and the upper case 107 may each be further divided into a plurality of members.

[0033] The lower case 106 constitutes a part of the suction port 100 and a part of the air passage portion 101. The lower case 106 is formed of, for example, a hard synthetic resin or the like. Also, the lower case 106 constitutes a majority of the lower part of the main body 10. In the present embodiment, a seat support portion 102 is formed at the lower part of the lower case 106. In the illustrated example, the lower case 106 is formed to be longitudinally long in the left - right direction.

[0034] 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 of the air passage 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. Also, 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 portions of the lower case main body portion 1061 form the side portions of the rear part of the main body 10. A seat holding portion 1020 and a pressing portion 1021 are located at the lower part of the lower case 106. Further, a connection pipe support portion 1062 for supporting the connection pipe 11 is formed on the lower case 106. The connection pipe support portion 1062 is located behind the raised portion 1060 or the guide surface 1012 and is formed on the upper part of the lower case main body portion 1061. The connection pipe support portion 1062 is located at the central portion in the left - right direction. The connection pipe support portion 1062 protrudes upward in a stepped manner with respect to the lower case main body portion 1061. The lower case 106 has a gradually increasing height in the order of the lower case main body portion 1061, the connection pipe support portion 1062, and the raised portion 1060.

[0035] The upper case 107 constitutes the remaining other part of the suction port 100 and the remaining other part of the air passage part 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 by covering the upper part of the front part of the lower case 106, in this embodiment, above the raised part 1060 and the connection pipe support part 1062. In this embodiment, the upper case 107 is formed to be longitudinally long in the left - right direction.

[0036] The upper case 107 has a front surface part 1070, an upper surface part 1071, side surface parts 1072, and a rear surface part 1073. The front surface part 1070 has a back surface, that is, the rear surface forms the partition surface 1012 of the air passage part 101. The front surface part 1070 is formed to be longitudinally long in the left - right direction, and the central part in the left - right direction extends upward. The front surface part 1070 has a convex - letter shape when viewed from the front. The lower part of the front surface part 1070 is located above the lower part of the lower case 106.

[0037] The upper surface part 1071 has a back surface, that is, the lower surface forms the ceiling surface 1014 of the air passage part 101. The upper surface part 1071 is continuous with the upper part of the front surface part 1070 and is formed to be longitudinally long in the left - right direction. Also, the central part of the upper surface part 1071 in the left - right direction is curved so as to protrude upward according to the shape of the front surface part 1070, extends rearward from the rear surface part 1073, and becomes a connection pipe support part 10710 that faces above the connection pipe support part 1062 of the lower case 106. The connection pipe support part 10710 is curved in an arc shape. Also, a guide part 1016 is integrally formed at the lower part of the upper surface part 1071. The guide part 1016 extends downward from the upper surface part 1071, and its lower end portion is in substantial airtight contact with the guide surface 1012. Also, the rear end portion of the guide part 1016 is continuous with the rear surface part 1073.

[0038] The side surface portion 1072 forms the side portion of the front part of the main body portion 10, and its back surface, that is, the inner surface, forms the side surface 1015 of the air passage portion 101. The side surface portion 1072 is continuous with both side portions of the front surface portion 1070 and the upper surface portion 1071, and extends in the front-rear direction and the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the lower portion of the side surface portion 1072 extends downward more than the lower portion of the front surface portion 1070, and is substantially flush with the lower portion of the lower case 106. The side surface portions 1072, 1072 and the lower portion of the front surface 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 coincides with the left-right dimension or width of the main body portion 10.

[0039] The rear surface portion 1073 is continuous with a portion excluding the central portion in the left-right direction at the rear portion of the upper surface portion 1071. The rear surface portion 1073 is formed in a longitudinal shape in the left-right direction and extends in the vertical direction and the left-right direction. The rear surface portion 1073 is superposed on the rear portion of the raised portion 1060 of the lower case 106 in the front-rear direction.

[0040] Then, the upper case 107 is fixed to the lower case 106 via the case attachment portion 1074. The case attachment portion 1074 is formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape or a boss shape having an axis in the vertical direction, and is continuous with both side portions of the connection 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 connection pipe 11 is rotatably clamped between the connection pipe support portions 10710, 1062.

[0041] 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. 6) described later via the air passage portion 101. Preferably, 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 shaft 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. In the illustrated example, the connecting pipe 11 includes a first pipe portion 110 that is an upstream pipe portion rotatable in the axial direction, and a second pipe portion 111 that is a downstream pipe portion having a rotation axis in a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis of the first pipe portion 110. The first pipe portion 110 and the second pipe portion 111 are communicatively connected to each other.

[0042] The cleaning sheet 2 is a soft sheet having a square shape or the like formed of, for example, a non-woven fabric or cloth, and 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 stacked multiple times according to the size of the sheet support portion 102, or may be used as 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.

[0043] Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the suction inlet body 1 is used in the vacuum cleaner CL. In the present embodiment, the suction inlet 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 main body 3 of the vacuum cleaner CL. The vacuum cleaner CL may be of 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 inlet body 1 is mechanically and fluidly connected to the extension pipe 6, which is a pipe portion, or the cleaner main body 3 via a connection pipe 11. By connecting the connection pipe 11, the air passage portion 101 and the suction inlet 100 of the suction inlet body 1, and in the present embodiment, further the suction holes 105 (each shown in FIG. 3) 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 main body 3, a main body control unit 9 that operates 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 main 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 that obtains power from an external power source such as a commercial power supply.

[0044] Next, the cleaning operation of one embodiment will be described.

[0045] First, the suction inlet body 1 is connected to the extension pipe 6 or the cleaner main body 3 by the connection pipe 11 so that the user can perform a cleaning operation via the hand operation unit 7.

[0046] Next, align 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 attach it to the sheet holding portion 1020. As an example, place the cleaning sheet 2 on a flat installation position such as the portion F to be cleaned, and align 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. At this time, if the axis of the second pipe portion 111 of the connection pipe 11 is configured to be behind the center of gravity of the main body portion 10 of the suction port body 1, the front portion of the main body portion 10 rotates downward 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, it becomes easy to align the suction port 100 at the front portion of the main body portion 10 and the front end portion of the cleaning sheet 2. Then, press the suction port body 1 against the cleaning sheet 2 from above, that is, sandwich the cleaning sheet 2 between the suction port body 1 and the installation position, thereby attaching and holding the cleaning sheet 2 to the sheet holding portion 1020. In the present embodiment, since at least a part of the sheet holding portion 1020 capable of attaching and holding the cleaning sheet 2 is arranged behind the suction port 100 at the lower portion 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 attached and held by the front portion sheet holding portion 10200 and the rear portion 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 portion facing upward, and the cleaning sheet 2 with the front end portion 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 portion of the main body portion 10 and inserted and held, for example, between the lower case 106 of the main body portion 10 and the connection pipe 11.

[0047] In this state, by operating the suction source 4 (shown in FIG. 6) through the operation of the switch 8, the front end portion of the cleaning sheet 2 is sucked and held at 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. Further, the intermediate portion in the front-rear direction of the cleaning sheet 2 is sucked and held by the negative pressure acting from the suction holes 105.

[0048] 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 unit 7 shown in FIG. 6, sucks dust from the suction port 100, and wipes and cleans the portion to be cleaned F with the held cleaning sheet 2.

[0049] The cleaning sheet 2 is brought into contact with the area to be cleaned F by the self-weight of the suction inlet 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. As a result, dust hardly enters between the cleaning sheet 2 and the lower part of the suction inlet body 1, and the area to be cleaned F can be wiped and cleaned stably over a wide area. Further, the front part and the rear part 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 is also suction-held by the suction holes 105. Therefore, while the suction source 4 is operating, the cleaning sheet 2 is firmly held by the suction inlet body 1. In particular, when the user applies a greater force when moving the suction inlet body 1 forward than when moving it backward, the holding force of the cleaning sheet 2 on the front side of the suction inlet body 1 is stronger than the holding force of the cleaning sheet 2 on the rear side in the usage state of the suction inlet body 1. As a result, the cleaning sheet 2 is less likely to be rolled up particularly when the suction inlet body 1 moves forward. Further, since the front end part of the cleaning sheet 2 is suction-held inside the suction port 100, when the suction inlet 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 it is possible to prevent the cleaning sheet 2 from being rolled up starting from the front end part. In the present embodiment, in the left-right direction, the suction holes 105 are arranged between the sheet holding parts 1020. Therefore, even without strengthening the adhesion holding by the sheet holding part 1020, the cleaning sheet 2 can be firmly held by the addition of the suction holding by the suction holes 105. In particular, even when the cleaning sheet 2 is a wet type or a general-purpose type, the cleaning sheet 2 can be surely held. Therefore, even when the suction inlet body 1 is moved back and forth on the area to be cleaned F, the cleaning sheet 2 is less likely to be rolled up due to the resistance with the area to be cleaned F. Further, since the suction holes 105 are located at the center in the left-right direction of the main body 10 of the suction inlet body 1, it is possible to hold the cleaning sheet 2 in a well-balanced manner.

[0050] 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 in this embodiment, the sheet support portion 102, specifically the sheet holding portion 1020, is 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, before the rear portion of the cleaning sheet 2 has been fully utilized, the need to replace the cleaning sheet 2 due to dirt on the front end portion is eliminated, enabling the entire cleaning sheet 2 to be effectively utilized. At the same time, the frequency of replacing the cleaning sheet 2 can be suppressed, reducing the number of replacement operations and suppressing wasteful use of resources. 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 through the suction port 100, making it difficult to leave dust on the surface to be cleaned F.

[0051] 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. At this time, since the air passage portion 101 communicating the suction port 100 and the front end portion of the connection pipe 11 is formed in a non-bent shape, compared with the case where there is a portion that sucks up the dust in the directly upward direction, even dust with a relatively large weight can be smoothly sucked into the connection pipe 11 without generating a strong negative pressure at the suction port 100. In addition, the suction of the suction port 100 to the portion to be cleaned F due to the negative pressure is suppressed, so the operability of the suction port body 1 on the portion to be cleaned F becomes lighter and the operability becomes good. Further, the guide surface 1012 formed in a planar or curved shape across the rear end portion of the suction port 100 and the front end portion of the connection pipe 11 guides the dust from the suction port 100 to the front end portion of the connection pipe 11. As the suction port body 1 moves forward, the guide surface 1012 acts in a sled-like manner to impart an upward component to the dust. Thus, even for relatively large solid-like dust such as cat litter or rice grains, the dust can be smoothly and efficiently sucked into the connection pipe 11 by rising along the inclined air passage portion 101 along the guide surface 1012. Furthermore, even for the dust sucked at positions on the left and right side portions of the suction port 100, that is, positions that do not directly face the front end portion of the connection pipe 11 in the front-rear direction, since the guide portions 1016 are formed in a non-bent shape across the left and right side portions of the suction port 100 and the front end portion of the connection pipe 11, the dust is guided to the rear side of the central portion in the left-right direction by these guide portions 1016, and at the same time, the air passage portion 101 can be smoothly and efficiently sucked into the connection pipe 11 by rising along the guide surface 1012. The sucked dust is sucked from the connection pipe 11 into the separation portion 5 and separated and collected from the air.

[0052] 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, and the cleaning sheet 2 is only slightly 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, since it is not necessary to apply a large force to the cleaning sheet 2, the dust attached to the cleaning sheet 2 is not easily peeled off. Further, when the suction holes 105 are alternately arranged with 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 is generated 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.

[0053] Although several 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 included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0054] CL Vacuum cleaner F Portion to be cleaned 1 Suction inlet body 2 Cleaning sheet 4 Suction source 11 Connecting pipe 100 Suction port 101 Air passage portion 102 Sheet support portion 1012 Guide surface 1016 Guide portion 1020 Sheet holding portion

Claims

1. a suction port that is opened at least at the front; a sheet support portion for bringing a cleaning sheet into contact with a portion to be cleaned; a connecting pipe having an upstream end located behind the suction port and communicating with a suction source; an air passage portion formed in a non-bending shape from the suction port toward the upstream end of the connecting pipe; A suction port body, characterized by comprising the above.

2. The air passage portion is formed across the rear end portion of the suction port and the upstream end portion of the connecting pipe, and has a planar or curved guide surface for guiding dust. The suction port body according to Claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. The suction port is disposed close to the front portion of the sheet support portion along the longitudinal direction of the sheet support portion. The sheet support portion is disposed at the front along the suction port and has a sheet holding portion for detaching and attaching the cleaning sheet. The suction port body according to Claim 1, characterized by the above.

4. The suction port is opened from the front surface to the lower surface. The suction port body according to Claim 1, characterized by the above.

5. The air passage portion has a guide portion formed in a non-bending shape across the left and right side portions of the suction port and the upstream end portion of the connecting pipe. The suction port body according to Claim 1, characterized by the above.

6. Comprising the suction port body according to any one of Claims 1 to 5. A vacuum cleaner, characterized by the above.

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