Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

To provide a vacuum cleaner in which attachment of dust to the inside of a dust case is suppressed and an increase in cost is suppressed.SOLUTION: A vacuum cleaner 100 of the present invention includes: an electric blower 40 that is stored in a vacuum cleaner body 1 and generates a suction force; and a dust collection part 2 that stores dust sucked by a suction force of the electric blower 40. The dust collection part 2 includes: a dust collection case 2a forming a contour; a dust separation part 20 arranged in the inside of the dust collection case 2a; and an inflow port 2b formed in the dust collection case 2a and allowing dust sucked by the suction force of the electric blower 40 to flow in. The dust separation part 20 is formed of a material having a surface specific resistance smaller than that of the dust collection case 2a and smaller than 1013 Ω.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 16

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner.

Background Art

[0002] Some vacuum cleaners directly collect the sucked dust in a dust collection case. The dust collected in the dust collection case can be discarded by rotating and opening a filter that closes the opening of the dust collection case. A part of the outer wall component constituting the dust collection case is formed of an antistatic material to prevent dust from adhering. Such a technique is described in Patent Document 1.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In Patent Document 1, since a part of the dust collection case is formed of an antistatic material, there is a problem that the range of use of the antistatic material increases and the cost increases.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and provide a vacuum cleaner that suppresses dust from adhering to the inside of the dust collection case and suppresses an increase in cost.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an electric vacuum cleaner including an electric blower housed in a cleaner main body for generating a suction force, and a dust collecting unit for collecting dust sucked by the suction force of the electric blower. In the electric vacuum cleaner, the dust collecting unit includes a dust collecting case forming an outer shell, a dust separating unit disposed inside the dust collecting case, and an inlet formed in the dust collecting case for allowing dust sucked by the suction force of the electric blower to flow in. The dust separating unit is made of a material having a surface resistivity lower than the surface resistivity of the dust collecting case and smaller than 10 13 Ω, which is characterized in that

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electric vacuum cleaner that suppresses the adhesion of dust in the dust collecting case and suppresses an increase in cost.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9A

Figure 9B

Figure 9C

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15A

Figure 15B

Figure 15C

Figure 16

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. For the same elements, the same reference numerals are generally given in all the drawings. Also, the description of parts having the same function will be omitted. Note that the configurations described below are merely examples, and the embodiments of the present invention are not intended to be limited to the following specific forms.

Examples

[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention is stored in a support base. As shown in FIG. 1, the vacuum cleaner 100 can be used in various forms such as a handy state and a stick state for cleaning. The support base 70 in which the vacuum cleaner 100 is stored stores the vacuum cleaner 100 in a stick state in which an extension pipe 300 (accessory) and a standard suction nozzle 400 (accessory) are connected to the vacuum cleaner 100, and includes a base portion 71 and a stand portion 72. Further, the vacuum cleaner 100 can be used by connecting a small suction nozzle (accessory), a broom-shaped suction nozzle (accessory), an extension hose (accessory), etc., which are not shown in the drawings. Note that the standard suction nozzle 400 is a power brush type in which a brush rotates by a motor.

[0011] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the vacuum cleaner according to the embodiment of the present invention. In the drawings below FIG. 2, the state seen from the perspective of the user operating the cleaner body 1 is shown as front, rear, left, right, up, and down.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 2, the vacuum cleaner 100 includes a cleaner body 1, a dust collection unit 2, a storage battery 3, and an airtight holding member 90. The cleaner body 1 includes a main body portion 10, a motor case portion 11, and a handle portion 12.

[0013] The main body portion 10 is formed with a connection port 10a (suction port) to which an extension pipe 300, a standard suction nozzle 400 (see FIG. 1), etc. are connected. This connection port 10a is formed of the same resin as the main body portion 10, the motor case portion 11, the handle portion 12, etc. Further, the connection port 10a has a substantially circular opening and is formed facing forward. Also, various accessories such as the above-mentioned extension pipe 300, standard suction nozzle 400, small suction nozzle (not shown), broom-shaped suction nozzle (not shown), etc. (hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as attachments) can be connected to the connection port 10a. The connection port 10a incorporates terminals (not shown) that are electrically connected to a circuit board 50 (see FIG. 6). When an accessory driven by a motor such as the standard suction nozzle 400 is connected, it is electrically connected and the brush rotates by the motor.

[0014] In addition, a dust collecting unit 2 is detachably attached to the main body 10, and an introduction pipe 14 (see FIG. 3) is provided to send air containing dust sucked from the connection port 10a into the dust collecting unit 2.

[0015] The motor case portion 11 houses an electric blower 40 (see FIG. 6) and a circuit board 50 (see FIG. 6). Further, a circular suction port (not shown) through which clean air after dust collection by the dust collecting unit 2 is sucked is formed on the front surface of the motor case portion 11.

[0016] The handle portion 12 is provided on the rear side of the main body portion 10 and has a grip portion 12a formed in a substantially L shape. The grip portion 12a has a first grip portion 12a1 that linearly extends so as to gradually increase in height toward the rear side in the front-rear direction, and a second grip portion 12a2 that linearly extends in a substantially vertical direction. Further, in the grip portion 12a, the second grip portion 12a2 extends substantially downward from the rear end of the first grip portion 12a1. The first grip portion 12a1 is located on the front side of the second grip portion 12a2.

[0017] The second grip portion 12a2 is slightly inclined so that the upper part faces forward with respect to the vertical direction. Also, the first grip portion 12a1 and the second grip portion 12a2 are formed in a substantially rod shape and continuously. In this way, by configuring both the first grip portion 12a1 and the second grip portion 12a2 linearly, it becomes easier for the user to recognize the position of the handle. Further, since the first grip portion 12a1 and the second grip portion 12a2 are connected so as to bend at an angle close to a right angle, it is difficult for the hand to slip toward the second grip portion 12a2 when gripping the first grip portion 12a1, and conversely, it is difficult for the hand to slip toward the first grip portion 12a1 when gripping the second grip portion 12a2.

[0018] The first grip portion 12a1 extends so as to gradually increase in height toward the rear side in the front-rear direction. Therefore, it is easier to put the hand into the gap 12c (see FIG. 6).

[0019] In addition, an operation button 12b is provided on the upper surface of the first gripping portion 12a1 of the handle portion 12. The operation button 12b is composed of, for example, three buttons: "strong", "standard", and "off".

[0020] Release buttons 18a and 18b that are operated when removing accessories such as the extension tube 300 are provided at the upper front end and the upper rear end of the main body portion 10. By pressing these release buttons 18a and 18b, the lock between the main body portion 10 and the accessory is released, and the accessory can be removed from the main body portion 10. The mechanism of the release buttons 18a and 18b will be described later.

[0021] Also, an airtight holding member 90 can be attached to the front end of the main body portion 10. This airtight holding member 90 has a substantially circular cylindrical body 91. This cylindrical body 91 has an elastic portion 91a formed in a circular shape from a soft resin on the tip side. The cylindrical body 91 is formed from a material harder than the elastic portion 91a on the base end side and has a connection portion 91b that can be connected to the main body portion 10. The cylindrical body 91 is configured by integrally molding two different members, the elastic portion 91a and the connection portion 91b. Note that the elastic portion 91a is made of a material that can be elastically deformed (flexibly deformed), such as an elastomer. By attaching such an airtight holding member 90 to the connection port 10a of the vacuum cleaner main body 1, the entire tip of the airtight holding member 90 can be brought into close contact with the floor surface, and the suction force can be improved compared to the case where there is no close contact. Also, by forming the connection portion 91b from a hard material, the airtight holding member 90 can be attached to the main body portion 10 in a stable state without falling off.

[0022] In this embodiment, the case where the elastic portion 91a is formed from an elastic material such as an elastomer has been described as an example, but it is not limited to this. For example, substantially the entire cylindrical body 91 may be formed from the same material as the connection portion 91b, and the tip of the cylindrical body 91 may be provided with short electrostatically flocked hairs in a circular shape. Even in the case of having such electrostatic flocking, similar to the elastomer, the tip of the airtight holding member 90 can be brought into close contact with the floor surface, and the suction force can be improved.

[0023] On the outer surface of the connection port 10a of the main body 10, there is formed a fitting groove 10b that is elongated in the vertical direction. One such fitting groove 10b is formed on each of the left and right sides. At the proximal end of the connection part 91b, there is formed a protrusion (not shown) that engages with the fitting groove 10b by means of a concave-convex fit and is locked in place.

[0024] Further, a light-emitting element may be provided on the main body 10 above the connection port 10a.

[0025] The storage battery 3 supplies power to the motor 40a (see FIG. 6) of the electric blower 40 that generates an attracting force, and is composed of a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery or a nickel metal hydride battery. Further, the storage battery 3 has a substantially semi-cylindrical case 3a made of synthetic resin, and can be attached to and detached from the main body 10 by sliding the case 3a in the front-rear direction.

[0026] FIG. 3 is a side view of the vacuum cleaner 100 in the state shown in FIG. 2 as seen from the left side. As shown in FIG. 3, the dust collection part 2 is of the cyclone type and has the function of separating the air containing dust sucked in from the introduction pipe 14 into dust and air, and collecting and storing the dust. Further, the dust collection part 2 is arranged in front of the motor case part 11 with its axial direction in the front-rear direction and has a substantially cylindrical housing part 2a. Further, on the upper surface (side surface) of the dust collection part 2, there is formed a substantially rectangular inflow port 2b (see FIG. 2) that is connected to the introduction pipe 14. The air containing dust that has flowed into this inflow port 2b forms a swirling flow, and centrifugal force acts on the dust. After the dust and air are separated inside the dust collection part 2, the air from which the dust has been separated is discharged from the rear part (rear surface) of the dust collection part 2.

[0027] In addition, on the front surface of the dust collection case 2a that forms the outer shell of the dust collection unit 2, a lid 2c that opens and closes when discarding the dust accumulated in the dust collection unit 2 is rotatably supported via a hinge portion 2d. The dust collection case 2a is configured to be divided into a dust storage chamber 2a1 located in the front for storing dust and a filter storage chamber 2a2 located in the rear. Further, on the upper part of the lid 2c, a lid lock mechanism 2e for releasing the lock of the lid 2c is provided. The lid lock mechanism 2e has a claw portion, and by hooking this claw portion on the fixing protrusion 2c1 (see FIG. 7) of the lid 2c, the lid 2c is held in a closed state.

[0028] In addition, the dust collection case 2a is provided with an insertion portion 2h into which a claw portion 10c protruding from below the main body portion 10 is inserted, and a lock member 2k fixed to a case fixing portion 19 protruding from below the motor case portion 11. The lock member 2k is formed with a lock claw portion 2k1 that is inserted into the insertion opening 19a of the case fixing portion 19. By moving the lock claw portion 2k1 forward and retracting it from the insertion opening 19a, the dust collection unit 2 can be removed from the vacuum cleaner main body 1.

[0029] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, in the vacuum cleaner 100, the dust collection unit 2 is attached below the main body portion 10 and in front of the motor case portion 11. In this case, when the dust collection unit 2 is attached to the vacuum cleaner main body 1, the lid lock mechanism 2e is hidden on the side of the vacuum cleaner main body 1. This is because if the lid lock mechanism 2e is provided on the opposite side (outer side), there is a risk that the lid lock mechanism 2e will be released during cleaning. However, by making the lid lock mechanism 2e hidden on the side of the vacuum cleaner main body 1, malfunction can be prevented. For example, when cleaning under a sofa or a bed in a stick state, the vacuum cleaner main body 1 may be brought close to the floor surface horizontally. At this time, if the lid lock mechanism 2e is provided on the front side, there is a possibility that the lid lock mechanism 2e will be released by coming into contact with the floor surface. The positions of the lid lock mechanism 2e and the hinge portion 2d are not limited to this, and they may be provided on the left and right with respect to the vacuum cleaner main body 1.

[0030] In addition, a cleaning brush 2s (see FIGS. 2 and 3) is detachably provided in the dust collection unit 2. This cleaning brush 2s is disposed at a position that is difficult to be seen from the outside when the dust collection unit 2 is attached to the vacuum cleaner main body 1. For this reason, it is difficult to come off during operation, and there is no need to store the cleaning brush 2s in a place separate from the vacuum cleaner 100.

[0031] FIG. 5 is a plan view of a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, in the connection portion 91b of the airtight holding member 90, extending portions 91b1, 91b1 extending rearward are formed on both the left and right sides. A concave portion 91b2 is formed between the left extending portion 91b1 and the right extending portion 91b1 in a plan view. This concave portion 91b2 fits with the front end portion 10d1 of the protruding portion 10d formed on the upper surface of the tip of the main body portion 10. Thereby, the positioning of the airtight holding member 90 in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction with respect to the connection port 10a (see FIG. 2) is performed.

[0032] The introduction pipe 14 formed in the main body portion 10 extends obliquely rearward to the right once and then extends downward, and is connected to the inlet 2b (see FIG. 2) of the dust collection unit 2. Thereby, a swirling flow can be generated in the housing portion 2a of the dust collection unit 2, and the separation of dust by centrifugal force can be effectively performed.

[0033] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 6, an electric blower 40 is housed in the motor case portion 11 of the main body portion 10. The electric blower 40 is driven by a motor 40a. Further, a circuit board 50 (circuit board) for controlling the vacuum cleaner main body 1 is housed above the electric blower 40 in the motor case portion 11.

[0034] In addition, the electric blower 40 and the circuit board 50 are arranged so as to overlap in the vertical direction. For this reason, the dimension of the vacuum cleaner main body 1 in the front-rear direction can be shortened. Further, the electric blower 40 can shorten the dimension of the main body portion 10 in the front-rear direction (overall length) by the motor case portion 11 bulging toward the handle portion 12 side.

[0035] Further, the electric blower 40 and the circuit board 50 are located below the first grip portion 12a1 of the handle portion 12. Thereby, when the user holds and operates the first grip portion 12a1, the center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner 100 is near the lower side of the first grip portion 12a1. Therefore, when using the vacuum cleaner 100 with its tip facing upward, the vacuum cleaner 100 can be stably held.

[0036] Also, a gap 12c for inserting a hand is formed between the first grip portion 12a1 and the upper surface 11c of the motor case portion 11. Also, a gap 12d is formed between the second grip portion 12a2 and the rear surface 11d of the motor case portion 11.

[0037] Also, the thickness T1 of the first grip portion 12a1 is formed thin, and the thickness T2 of the second grip portion 12a2 is formed thicker than the thickness T1. That is, the first grip portion 12a1 is thin and the second grip portion 12a2 is thick. In this way, when cleaning by holding the second grip portion 12a2, by increasing the thickness T2 of the second grip portion 12a2, it becomes easier to hold deeply and the strength of the second grip portion 12a2 can be increased.

[0038] The storage battery 3 can be configured by, for example, a highly energy-efficient lithium-ion battery. Also, the storage battery 3 is disposed below the second grip portion 12a2 of the handle portion 12. In this way, by providing the storage battery 3 at the rear end of the vacuum cleaner 100, the center of gravity of the handle portion 12 comes closer to the second grip portion 12a2, so when using the vacuum cleaner 100 with its tip facing upward, the operating feeling can be made lighter.

[0039] Inside the dust collection portion 2, a filter 5 is accommodated at the axial rear end of the accommodation portion 2a. This filter 5 is configured by being folded in a pleated shape, and can increase the filter area and reduce the pressure loss due to the filter 5.

[0040] Further, the filter 5 is composed of, for example, a high-density HEPA filter (High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter). A HEPA filter is an air filter that has a particle collection rate of 99.97% or more for particles with a particle size of 0.3 μm at the rated air volume and has a performance with an initial pressure loss of 245 Pa or less.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 6, the dust collection unit 2, the motor 40a, and the storage battery 3 are arranged in a straight line in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) of the vacuum cleaner main body 1. In particular, the dust collection unit 2 and the motor 40a are coaxially arranged in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) of the electric vacuum cleaner 100. The motor 40a and the storage battery 3 require a large space for their installation. However, since the motor 40a and the storage battery 3 are arranged in a straight line with the dust collection unit 2, the vertical width of the electric vacuum cleaner 100 can be narrowed, and the electric vacuum cleaner 100 can be made compact.

[0042] In FIG. 6, the arrow F indicates the flow of air sucked into the electric vacuum cleaner 100. The air sucked into the dust collection unit 2 enters the electric blower 40. The air passes around the motor 40a and cools the motor 40a. Also, a part of the air that has passed through the motor 40a flows through the storage battery 3 and cools the storage battery 3. The remaining part of the air that has passed around the motor 40a and the air that has passed through the storage battery 3 merge at the circuit board 50, cool the circuit board 50, and then are discharged outside the system of the electric vacuum cleaner 100.

[0043] In this case, since the storage battery 3 is arranged immediately behind the motor 40a, it is easy to let the cooling air flow into the storage battery 3. Thereby, it is possible to efficiently cool the storage battery 3 easily.

[0044] Behind the introduction pipe 14, inside the upper housing of the motor 40a, there is a circuit board accommodation space 50a for accommodating the circuit board 50. Since the introduction pipe 14 must be formed at the front of the vacuum cleaner 100 to generate a swirling flow inside the dust collection part 2, it has a certain thickness in the vertical direction. Therefore, even if the housing of the vacuum cleaner 100 is given a certain thickness in the vertical direction to form the circuit board accommodation space 50a behind it, the overall vertical thickness of the vacuum cleaner 100 will not increase. Thus, by accommodating the circuit board 50 in the circuit board accommodation space 50a, there is no need to separately provide another space for accommodating the circuit board 50, so an increase in the vertical thickness of the vacuum cleaner 100 can be suppressed.

[0045] Also, in this case, since the placement position of the circuit board 50 becomes higher, the connection wires between the circuit board 50 and the connection port 10a provided with connection terminals for accessories as well as the operation button 12b can be shortened. Therefore, by shortening the connection wires and improving the workability during manufacturing, the manufacturing cost of the vacuum cleaner 100 can be reduced.

[0046] The dust collection part (dust collection case) is generally formed in a cylindrical shape as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-93340. For this reason, the dust collection part tends to become larger. When the cylindrical dust collection part is attached to the cleaner main body, the vacuum cleaner becomes larger and its operability decreases. In particular, in the case where a cylindrical dust collection part is attached to a stick-type vacuum cleaner, when the stick-type vacuum cleaner is brought close to the surface to be cleaned to clean under furniture such as a bed, the dust collection part may come into contact with the surface to be cleaned or the furniture, resulting in poor operability. The means for solving this problem will be described below.

[0047] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the dust collection unit 2 with the dust separation unit 20 and the lid 2c removed from the dust collection case 2a. FIG. 8 is an external perspective view of the dust collection unit 2 with the dust separation unit 20 and the lid 2c attached to the dust collection case 2a. In FIG. 8, the dust collection case 2a is shown in a state of being transparent. FIG. 9A is a perspective view of the dust separation unit 20 viewed from the left rear. FIG. 9B is a perspective view of the dust separation unit 20 viewed from the left front. FIG. 9C is a front view of the dust separation unit 20 viewed from the front. FIG. 10 is a front view of the dust collection case 2a viewed from the front.

[0048] A filter 5 is housed in a filter housing chamber 2a2 located behind the dust collection case 2a. The filter 5 is composed of a HEPA filter 5a (High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter) and a sponge filter 5b disposed upstream of the HEPA filter 5a. The HEPA filter 5a is configured by being folded in a pleated shape, which can increase the filter area and reduce the pressure loss. The HEPA filter 5a has a particle collection rate of 99.97% or more for particles with a particle size of 0.3 μm at the rated air volume and has a performance with an initial pressure loss of 245 Pa or less.

[0049] The HEPA filter 5a is rotatably attached in a hinge shape to a shaft portion 2g provided on the upper side of the filter housing chamber 2a2 and is fixedly attached in an openable and closable manner by a claw portion 2n provided at the position of the axis. When the user wants to discard the dust collected by the HEPA filter 5a or clean the HEPA filter 5a itself, it can be released by moving the claw portion 2n side outward. In this embodiment, the claw portion 2n is described in a form of being fixed by utilizing the elasticity of a plastic molded product, but a mechanism using a clamp-shaped separate part and a coil spring may be used, or it may be fixed by utilizing magnetic force with a magnet or the like.

[0050] Here, since the HEPA filter 5a is held by the above-described structure, when the dust collection unit 2 is attached to the cleaner main body 1, it can be firmly fixed to ensure airtightness. However, if the fixing force on the claw portion 2n side is too large, the release operation becomes difficult. On the other hand, if the fixing force is small, when the dust collection unit 2 is removed, the HEPA filter 5a may unexpectedly open, and there is a risk of spilling the internal dust. To prevent this, a locking claw portion 2k1 is provided on the HEPA filter 5a side of the locking member 2k. That is, when the locking member 2k is slid forward to remove the dust collection unit 2, the locking claw portion 2k1 moves to a position where it contacts the HEPA filter 5a, so that the HEPA filter 5a cannot be opened.

[0051] The dust collection case 2a of the present embodiment has an oval shape in which the upper and lower surfaces of a cylindrical shape are linearly cut out. That is, the dust collection case 2a includes an arc-shaped first arc portion 2w1 formed on the left side of the dust collection case 2a, an arc-shaped second arc portion 2w2 formed on the right side of the dust collection case 2a, a first flat portion 2t1 that linearly connects the upper end portions of the first arc portion 2w1 and the second arc portion 2w2, and a second flat portion 2t2 that linearly connects the lower end portions of the first arc portion 2w1 and the second arc portion 2w2.

[0052] Further, a dust separation unit 20 is accommodated in a dust storage chamber 2a1 located in front of the dust collection case 2a. The dust separation unit 20 includes a cylindrical inner cylinder 21 located on the filter 5 side (rear side), and an umbrella portion 22 connected to the inner cylinder 21 and located in front of the inner cylinder 21. The front end of the cylindrical portion 222 of the umbrella portion 22 is in contact with a cylindrical receiving portion 2c2 on the back surface of the lid 2c.

[0053] The inner cylinder 21 includes a first annular portion 211 that faces the umbrella portion 22 and is connected via a compression spring 23 (see FIGS. 11 and 12), a second annular portion 212 disposed on the filter 5 side (rear side), a plurality of struts 213 extending in the front-rear direction so as to connect the first annular portion 211 and the second annular portion 212, and a fixed groove portion 214 provided in the second annular portion 212 and recessed from the outer peripheral surface of the second annular portion 212. A notch portion 212a with a part cut out is formed in the second annular portion 212. In this embodiment, the notch portions 212a are formed at two locations on the second annular portion 212, and these notch portions 212a are connected to the fixed groove portion 214. A mesh-shaped first filter 215 is disposed between the plurality of struts 213.

[0054] The umbrella portion 22 disposed in front of the inner cylinder 21 includes a flat plate portion 221 disposed along a direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction (longitudinal direction) of the dust collection case 2a, a wall 224 extending in the front-rear direction of the dust collection case 2a from the outer periphery of the flat plate portion 221, a cylindrical portion 222 extending in the front-rear direction (longitudinal direction) of the dust collection case 2a from the flat plate portion 221, and two (a pair) of shielding portions 222a, 222b protruding from the cylindrical portion 222 in the outer peripheral direction (radial direction outward) and extending in the front-rear direction of the dust collection case 2a. The shielding portions 222a, 222b are formed such that the amount of protrusion from the cylindrical portion 222 in the outer peripheral direction (radial direction outward) decreases as they go from the rear to the front (from the flat plate portion 221 to the side opposite the flat plate portion).

[0055] The flat plate portion 221 has a shape in which the circular upper and lower surfaces are linearly cut out according to the shape of the dust collection case 2a. That is, on the wall 224 of the flat plate portion 221, there are formed a first curved portion 224a facing the first arc portion 2w1 of the dust collection case 2a, a second curved portion 224b facing the second arc portion 2w2 of the dust collection case 2a, a first straight portion 224c facing the first flat portion 2t1 of the dust collection case 2a, and a second straight portion 224d facing the second flat portion 2t2 of the dust collection case 2a. When the dimension (height) in the front-rear direction of the dust collection case 2a is about 100 mm, the dimension (height) in the front-rear direction of the wall 224 (the first curved portion 224a, the second curved portion 224b, the first straight portion 224c, the second straight portion 224d) is preferably about 3 to 6 mm.

[0056] In addition, on the flat surface portion of the flat plate portion 221, beam portions 221a and 221b extending in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction are respectively provided, and openings are respectively formed between adjacent beam portions 221a and 221b. In this embodiment, four openings are formed, and mesh-shaped second filters 223a, 223b, 223c, and 223d are respectively provided in these openings.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 10, a partition wall 2m is provided inside the dust collection case 2a, and the dust collection case 2a is partitioned into a dust storage chamber 2a1 and a filter storage chamber 2a2 by this partition wall 2m. The central portion of the partition wall 2m is opened so as to communicate the dust storage chamber 2a1 and the filter storage chamber 2a2. Inside the opening, an inner cylinder receiving rib 2r that is divided and located vertically and contacts the rear end portion of the inner cylinder 21, and a fixing rib 2q that is located left and right between the vertically divided inner cylinder receiving ribs 2r and fixes the inner cylinder 21 are provided. The fixing rib 2q is located on the front side of the inner cylinder receiving rib 2r. That is, the fixing rib 2q and the inner cylinder receiving rib 2r are arranged with their positions shifted in the front-rear direction.

[0058] When attaching the dust separation portion 20 inside the dust collection case 2a, first, align the position of the fixing rib 2q and the notch portion 212a of the second annular portion 212, and bring the inner cylinder receiving rib 2r into contact with the rear end portion of the inner cylinder 21. Then, when the inner cylinder 21 is rotated clockwise along the inner cylinder receiving rib 2r, the fixing rib 2q enters the fixing groove portion 214 of the inner cylinder 21, and the dust separation portion 20 (inner cylinder 21) is fixed to the dust collection case 2a. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to remove the dust separation portion 20 from the dust collection case 2a, which is useful when cleaning (maintaining) the dust separation portion 20.

[0059] When removing the dust separation unit 20 from the dust collection case 2a, rotate the dust separation unit 20 (inner cylinder 21) counterclockwise. With the position of the fixed rib 2q aligned with the notch 212a of the second annular portion 212, pull out the dust separation unit 20 (inner cylinder 21) to remove the dust separation unit 20 from the dust collection case 2a. Also, the second annular portion 212 of the inner cylinder 21 has an outer diameter that is approximately the same as or less than that of the inner cylinder 21. This has the effect that when the sucked dust adheres to the inner cylinder 21 (such as when hair is wrapped around it), the second annular portion 212 does not get in the way when removing the dust, and it is easy to remove the dust.

[0060] Next, the flow of the air that has flowed into the dust collection case 2a will be described. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI of FIG. 8. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XII-XII of FIG. 8. FIG. 13 is a view showing the state where dust has accumulated in FIG. 12. FIG. 14 is a view showing the state of discharging dust from the state of FIG. 13.

[0061] The front opening of the dust collection case 2a is covered by a lid 2c. The lid 2c is fixed so as to close the front opening of the dust collection case 2a when the fixing protrusion 2c1 of the lid 2c catches on the lid locking mechanism 2e. When trying to close the front opening of the dust collection case 2a with the lid 2c, the inner side of the lid 2c comes into contact with the tip of the umbrella portion 22, and the umbrella portion 22 moves to the rear side. When the umbrella portion 22 moves to the rear side, the compression spring 23 is pressed. In the state where the front opening of the dust collection case 2a is closed with the lid 2c, the tip of the cylindrical portion 222 of the umbrella portion 22 contacts the lid 2c by the biasing force of the compression spring 23, and the umbrella portion 22 is held in a state of pressing the lid 2c in the opening direction.

[0062] As described above, the dust collection case 2a of this embodiment has a shape in which two opposing cylindrical surfaces in a cross-section perpendicular to the front-rear direction are linearly notched. When the dust collection unit 2 is attached to the cleaner main body 1, it is arranged such that the first arc portion 2w1 is located on the left side of the dust collection case 2a and the second arc portion 2w2 is located on the right side of the dust collection case 2a, and the first flat portion 2t1, which is one of the notched surfaces of the dust collection case 2a, is arranged to be located upward, and the second flat portion 2t2, which is the other notched surface of the dust collection case 2a, is arranged to be located downward.

[0063] The umbrella portion 22 provided inside the dust collection case 2a is arranged such that the first curved portion 224a of the wall 224 of the flat plate portion 221 faces the first arc portion 2w1 of the dust collection case 2a, the second curved portion 224b faces the second arc portion 2w2 of the dust collection case 2a, the first straight portion 224c faces the first flat portion 2t1 of the dust collection case 2a, and the second straight portion 224d faces the second flat portion 2t2 of the dust collection case 2a. And a predetermined gap G is formed between the inner circumference of the dust collection case 2a and the outer circumference of the flat plate portion 221. The gap G is preferably about 5 to 10 mm.

[0064] The first flat portion 2t1 located above the dust collection case 2a is provided with an inlet 2b that communicates with the outlet 14a of the introduction pipe 14 formed in the main body portion 10. The connection portion of the inlet 2b connected to the outlet 14a of the introduction pipe 14 is located closer to the right side in the left-right direction of the dust collection case 2a. And the inlet 2b is provided along the second arc portion 2w2 of the dust collection case 2a (FIGS. 10 and 11).

[0065] When the operation button 12b of the cleaner main body 1 is operated, the electric blower 40 is driven to generate a suction force. The dust on the surface to be cleaned is sucked by the suction force of the electric blower 40, passes through the introduction pipe 14 of the main body portion 10, is discharged from the outlet 14a, and flows into the dust collection case 2a from the inlet 2b. Since the inlet 2b is provided outside (right side) of the dust collection case 2a, the air containing the dust that has flowed into the dust collection case 2a from the inlet 2b forms a swirling flow.

[0066] In this embodiment, as described above, since the inlet 2b is arranged close to the outside (right side) of the dust collection case 2a, the swirling speed of the swirling flow can be increased to improve the swirling force, and the peeling phenomenon in which the swirling flow hits the inner cylinder 21 and flows in the direction opposite to the swirling direction can be suppressed.

[0067] The swirling flow that has flowed into the dust collection case 2a flows along the second arc portion 2w2, the second flat portion 2t2, the first arc portion 2w1, and the first flat portion 2t1 of the dust collection case 2a. The light dust contained in the swirling flow is separated from the air by centrifugal force and moves toward the lid 2c side through the gap G while swirling. The dust that has not been separated from the swirling flow is captured by the first filter 215 of the inner cylinder 21, and the fine dust that has passed through the first filter 215 is captured by the sponge filter 5b and the HEPA filter 5a.

[0068] The dust that has moved toward the lid 2c side while swirling through the gap G is prevented from swirling by the shielding portions 222a and 222b and accumulates on the lid 2c. In addition to the swirling flow that has moved toward the lid 2c side being prevented from swirling by the shielding portions 222a and 222b, the swirling force is also suppressed by the inner surfaces of the second flat portion 2t2 and the first flat portion 2t1 of the dust collection case 2a. Then, the air whose swirling force has been suppressed moves toward the flat plate portion 221, and the dust that has not been separated from the swirling flow is captured by the four second filters 223a, 223b, 223c, and 223d provided on the flat plate portion 221. The fine dust that has passed through the second filters 223a, 223b, 223c, and 223d is captured by the sponge filter 5b and the HEPA filter 5a. The dust D captured by the second filters 223a, 223b, 223c, and 223d is compressed by the suction force of the electric blower 40 as shown in FIG. 13, so that the dust collection amount of the dust collection case 2a can be ensured.

[0069] When discarding the dust collected in the dust collection case 2a, when the lid locking mechanism 2e is operated to release the locked state of the lid 2c, the umbrella portion 22 biased by the compression spring 23 pushes the lid 2c in the opening direction and pops out from the dust collection case 2a. Then, together with the dust accumulated on the lid 2c, the dust D captured by the second filters 223a, 223b, 223c, and 223d is discharged.

[0070] In order to smoothly discharge dust from the dust collection case 2a, it is preferable that the dust collected in the dust collection case 2a be made uniform within the dust collection case 2a. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a pair of two shielding portions 222a and 222b are provided which protrude from the cylindrical portion 222 of the umbrella portion 22 in the outer peripheral direction (radially outward) and extend in the front-rear direction of the dust collection case 2a. These shielding portions 222a and 222b are respectively arranged at positions facing the first flat portion 2t1 and the second flat portion 2t2. The operation of the shielding portions 222a and 222b will be described.

[0071] FIG. 15A is a cross-sectional view of the dust collection case 2a of Comparative Example 1 cut along the vertical direction. FIG. 15B is a cross-sectional view of the dust collection case 2a of Comparative Example 2 cut along the vertical direction. FIG. 15C is a cross-sectional view of the dust collection case 2a of the present embodiment cut along the vertical direction.

[0072] In the configuration shown in FIG. 15A, the cylindrical portion 222 of the umbrella portion 22 is provided with four shielding portions 222a, 222b, 222c, and 222d. The four shielding portions 222a, 222b, 222c, and 222d are arranged at 90-degree intervals on the circumference of the cylindrical portion 222. The dust D flowing in from the inlet 2b accumulates in the dust storage chamber 2a1 while swirling within the dust collection case 2a. However, when the interval between the shielding portions 222a, 222b, 222c, and 222d is relatively narrow at 90 degrees, the swirling dust D is difficult to approach the cylindrical portion 222 side, and a gap is generated on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 222. As a result, there is a problem that it is difficult for the dust D to accumulate evenly in the dust storage chamber 2a1.

[0073] Next, in the configuration shown in FIG. 15B, the cylindrical portion 222 of the umbrella portion 22 is provided with two shielding portions 222c and 222d. The two shielding portions 222c and 222d are arranged orthogonally to the inflow direction of the inflow port 2b and face the first arc portion 2w1 and the second arc portion 2w2. Further, the two shielding portions 222c and 222d are arranged at 180-degree intervals in a direction parallel to the first flat portion 2t1 and the second flat portion 2t2. The dust D flowing in from the inflow port 2b swirls in the dust collection case 2a and accumulates in the dust storage chamber 2a1. However, the swirling of the dust D that collides with the shielding portion 222d occurs at the first arc portion 2w1 on the side opposite to the second arc portion 2w2 provided with the inflow port 2b. As a result, there is a problem that it is difficult for the dust D to accumulate evenly in the dust storage chamber 2a1.

[0074] Next, in the configuration of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 15C, the cylindrical portion 222 of the umbrella portion 22 is provided with two shielding portions 222a and 222b. The two shielding portions 222a and 222b are arranged in a direction parallel to the inflow direction of the inflow port 2b and face the first flat portion 2t1 and the second flat portion 2t2. Further, the two shielding portions 222a and 222b are arranged at 180-degree intervals. In the present embodiment, the swirling of the dust D flowing in from the inflow port 2b at the first arc portion 2w1 can be suppressed, and the dust D can be evenly stored in the dust storage chamber 2a1.

[0075] The dust D flowing in from the inflow port 2b swirls in the dust collection case 2a and moves through the gap G to the dust storage chamber 2a1, and swirls in the dust storage chamber 2a1. The swirling of the dust D swirling in the dust storage chamber 2a1 is suppressed by the shielding portions 222a and 222b, but the swirling suppression force of the dust D by the shielding portions 222a and 222b weakens in the vicinity of the lid 2c. Further, the dust D flowing in from the inflow port 2b swirls in the dust collection case 2a and collides with the lid 2c on the second flat portion 2t2 side (hinge 2d side) through the gap G, and then tries to return to the side opposite to the lid.

[0076] Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7, 8, 12, 13, and 14, the lid 2c is provided with lid ribs 2z. The lid ribs 2z are arranged only on the side of the second flat portion 2t2 (hinge 2d side) of the dust collecting case 2a, which is opposite to the opening of the inlet 2b. As a result, in this embodiment, the swirling force of the dust D near the lid 2c can be suppressed.

[0077] In order to suppress the swirling force of the dust D near the lid 2c, for example, it is also conceivable to arrange a plurality of lid ribs on the lid 2c at intervals of 90 degrees. However, in this case, since the interval between the lid ribs is relatively narrow, the swirling dust D is likely to overcome the lid ribs. On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the lid ribs 2z are arranged only on the side of the second flat portion 2t2 (hinge 2d side) of the dust collecting case 2a, which is opposite to the opening of the inlet 2b, the swirling force of the dust D near the lid 2c can be effectively suppressed.

Embodiment

[0078] Next, with reference to FIG. 16, Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described. In a vacuum cleaner, when discharging the dust collected in the dust collecting part, an antistatic treatment is performed to reduce the remaining dust in the dust collecting part. For example, a part of the outer wall surface component constituting the dust collecting case is formed of an antistatic material to prevent the adhesion of dust. In such a configuration, there is a problem that the range of use of the antistatic material becomes large and the cost increases. The means for solving this will be described below.

[0079] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI of FIG. 8 according to Embodiment 2. In order to suppress the adhesion of dust, it is preferable to reduce the surface resistivity of the material constituting the dust collecting part.

[0080] The dust separation part 20 (inner cylinder 21, umbrella part 22) of this embodiment has a lower surface resistivity than that of the dust collecting case 2a and is 10 13It is configured with a material having a surface resistivity value smaller than Ω. As an example, the dust separation unit 20 (inner cylinder 21, umbrella part 22) is made of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene resin (ABS: Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), and the dust collection case 2a is made of polymethylpentene resin (PMP: Polymethylpentene). Generally, the surface resistivity value of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene resin is 10 8 ~10 10 Ω, and the surface resistivity value of polymethylpentene resin is 10 16 Ω.

[0081] Also, in order to reduce the surface resistivity value of the dust separation unit 20, an antistatic agent may be blended into the resin constituting the dust separation unit 20 and then molded. Furthermore, an antistatic agent may be blended into both the dust separation unit 20 and the dust collection case 2a, and the blending ratio of the antistatic agent in the dust collection case 2a may be made smaller than the blending ratio of the antistatic agent in the dust separation unit 20. As the antistatic agent, for example, a surfactant is used.

[0082] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in a state where the opening of the dust collection case 2a is closed by the lid 2c, the dust separation unit 20 is made to contact the lid 2c. The static electricity se in the dust collection part 2 generated by the collision of dust by the swirling flow passes through the dust separation unit 20 (inner cylinder 21, umbrella part 22) and flows to the lid 2c in contact with the dust separation unit 20, and then discharges into the air. Thereby, the dust adhering to the dust separation unit 20 can be suppressed. And when discarding the dust compressed by the suction force of the electric blower 40, the separation of dust from the dust separation unit 20 is also good, and the workability of dust discharge can be improved.

[0083] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Also, a part of the configuration of one embodiment can be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment, and the configuration of another embodiment can also be added to the configuration of one embodiment. Further, for a part of the configuration of each embodiment, addition, deletion, or replacement with other configurations is possible.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0084] 1... Vacuum cleaner body, 2... Dust collection part, 2a... Dust collection case, 2a1... Dust storage chamber, 2a2... Filter storage chamber, 2b... Inlet, 2c... Lid, 2c1... Fixed projection part, 2c2... Cylindrical receiving part, 2d... Hinge part, 2e... Lid lock mechanism, 2f... Hinge receiving part, 2g... Shaft part, 2h... Insertion part, 2k... Locking member, 2k1... Locking claw part, 2m... Partition wall, 2n... Claw part, 2q... Fixed rib, 2r... Inner cylinder receiving rib, 2s... Cleaning brush, 2t1... First flat part, 2t2... Second flat part, 2w1... First arc part, 2w2... Second arc part, 2z... Lid rib, 3... Battery, 3a... Case, 5... Filter, 5a... HEPA filter, 5b... Sponge filter, 10... Main body part, 10a... Connection port, 10b... Fitting groove, 10c... Claw part, 11... Motor case part, 12... Handle part, 12a... Gripping part, 12a1... First gripping part, 12a2... Second gripping part, 112b... Operation button, 14... Introduction pipe, 14a... Outlet, 18... Release button, 19... Case fixing part, 19a... Insertion opening, 20... Dust separation part, 21... Inner cylinder, 22... Umbrella part, 23... Compression spring, 40... Electric blower, 40a... Motor, 40b... Drive circuit board, 50... Circuit board, 90... Airtight holding member, 91... Cylindrical body, 91a... Elastic part, 91b... Connection part, 100... Vacuum cleaner, 211... First annular part, 212... Second annular part, 213... Support column, 214... Fixed groove part, 215... First filter, 221... Flat plate part, 221a... Beam part, 222... Cylindrical part, 222a... Shielding part, 222b... Shielding part, 222c... Shielding part, 223a... Second filter, 223b... Second filter, 223c... Second filter, 224... Wall, 224a... First curved part, 224b... Second curved part, 224c... First straight part, 224d... Second straight part, 300... Extension pipe, 400... Standard suction nozzle

Claims

1. An electric vacuum cleaner comprising an electric blower housed in a cleaner body for generating a suction force, and a dust collection unit for collecting dust sucked by the suction force of the electric blower. The dust collection unit includes a dust collection case forming an outer shell, a dust separation unit disposed inside the dust collection case, and an inlet formed in the dust collection case for allowing dust sucked by the suction force of the electric blower to flow in. The dust separation unit is made of a material having a surface resistivity lower than the surface resistivity of the dust collection case and less than 10 13 Ω, and an electric vacuum cleaner characterized by this.

2. The electric vacuum cleaner according to Claim 1, characterized in that an antistatic agent is incorporated into the dust separation unit.

3. The electric vacuum cleaner according to Claim 1, characterized in that an antistatic agent is incorporated into the dust collection case and the dust separation unit, and the blending ratio of the antistatic agent in the dust collection case is made smaller than the blending ratio of the antistatic agent in the dust separation unit.

4. The electric vacuum cleaner according to Claim 1, comprising a lid for opening and closing the dust collection case, characterized in that the dust separation unit contacts the lid when the lid is closed.

5. The electric vacuum cleaner according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the dust separation unit includes an inner cylinder having a first filter, and an umbrella portion connected to the inner cylinder, the umbrella portion including a flat plate portion formed along a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the dust collection case, and a cylindrical portion extending from the flat plate portion in the longitudinal direction of the dust collection case, characterized in that the flat plate portion is provided with a second filter communicating with the inner cylinder.

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