Suction port body and vacuum cleaner including the same

Abstract

To provide a suction port body including an illumination part capable of forming a large illumination region, and a vacuum cleaner including the suction port body.SOLUTION: A suction port body includes: a housing including a front wall, a rear wall, a right wall, a left wall, an upper wall, a bottom wall facing the upper wall, a suction port provided in the bottom wall, and a translucent window; a light source provided in the housing so as to project light upward; and a reflection member that reflects light from the light source toward the translucent window. The reflection member is located above the light source.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a suction port body and a vacuum cleaner including the same.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in order to make it easier to visually observe dust on the floor during cleaning with a vacuum cleaner (especially during cleaning in a dark place), the number of vacuum cleaners equipped with LEDs for illuminating the floor has been increasing. In Patent Document 1, a vacuum cleaner is disclosed in which an LED is provided inside a suction port body, a reflector is provided in the internal space of the suction port body in front of the LED, and transparent windows are provided on the front wall, left and right walls, and rear wall of the suction port body surrounding the internal space. In the vacuum cleaner of Patent Document 1, the light of the LED irradiated into the internal space of the suction port body can be reflected by the reflector and irradiated to the outside from a plurality of transparent windows to illuminate the floor around the suction port body.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the vacuum cleaner of Patent Document 1, the light of the LED provided near the center of the suction port body is reflected and dispersed in multiple directions by the reflector provided in the internal space of the suction port body and irradiated to the outside from a plurality of transparent windows. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a large space for the LED in the suction port body, and the suction port body becomes large.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a suction port body and a vacuum cleaner including the same, which are made in consideration of the above circumstances.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention relates to a housing including a front wall, a rear wall, a right wall, a left wall, an upper wall, a bottom wall facing the upper wall, a suction port provided on the bottom wall, and a light-transmitting window, a light source provided in the housing so as to project light upward, and a reflecting member that reflects the light from the light source toward the light-transmitting window. The reflecting member provides a suction port body positioned above the light source.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a suction port body provided with an illuminating portion capable of forming a wide illumination area and a vacuum cleaner including the same.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in further detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the following description is illustrative in all respects and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0010] (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner 1 including a suction port body 3 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This vacuum cleaner 1 is a stick-type cordless vacuum cleaner including a cleaner main body 2, a suction port body 3, and an extension pipe 4 detachably connecting the cleaner main body 2 and the suction port body 3. This vacuum cleaner 1 can also be used as a handy type by directly connecting the suction port body 3 to the cleaner main body 2. The cleaner main body 2 has an electric suction machine (electric blower) and a dust collection unit (not shown). By driving the electric suction machine, air containing dust is sucked from the suction port body 3, the dust is separated (filtered) in the dust collection unit, and the air from which the dust has been separated is exhausted, having a well-known structure.

[0011] Since this vacuum cleaner 1 has features in the suction port body 3, the configuration of the suction port body 3 will be described below, and the description of the cleaner main body 2 and the extension pipe 4 will be omitted. For the sake of convenience in explaining the configuration of the suction port body 3, the direction seen from the user when performing floor cleaning using the suction port body 3 is indicated by arrows in FIG. 1 as the front, rear, left, right, up, and down directions of the suction port body 3.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the suction port body 3 includes a housing 5 that constitutes the suction port main body and travels on the floor surface 10, a joint portion 6 connected to the housing 5 so as to be rotatable in the left-right direction about an axis in the front-rear direction, and a connection pipe portion 7 connected to the joint portion 6 so as to be rotatable in the up-down direction about an axis in the left-right direction.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a view of the suction port body 3 of the vacuum cleaner according to the first embodiment as seen from the front. FIG. 3 is a view of the suction port body 3 of the first embodiment as seen from the right side. The housing 5 has a front wall 21, a right wall 22, a left wall 23, an upper wall 24, a rear wall 25, a bottom wall 26 facing the upper wall 24, and a suction port (not shown) provided in the bottom wall 26. Further, a rotary brush 27 is provided at the position of the suction port inside the housing 5, and an electric motor (not shown) for rotationally driving the rotary brush 27 via a power transmission mechanism (for example, a pulley-belt mechanism) is provided behind the rotary brush 27 inside the housing 5, and a rear wheel 28 is provided at the rear end of the bottom wall 26. Further, bumpers 29 are continuously provided at the lower outer surfaces of the front wall 21, the lower outer surface of the right wall 22, and the lower outer surface of the left wall 23.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the housing 5 is provided with a lighting unit 30. In the case of this embodiment, the lighting unit 30 is provided at the right corner 9 (see FIG. 1) between the front wall 21 and the right wall 22 of the housing 5. In FIGS. 2 and 3, reference numeral 31 denotes the irradiation light (including reflected light) irradiated from the lighting unit 30. This lighting unit 30 forms one lighting area 8 in a fan shape (a fan shape with a central angle of 180 degrees or more) centered on the right corner 9 of the housing 5. In the case of this embodiment, the lighting unit 30 is provided at the right corner 9 (see FIG. 1) between the front wall 21 and the right wall 22 of the housing 5, but the lighting unit 30 may be provided at the left corner between the front wall 21 and the left wall 23 of the housing 5. In this case, a lighting unit having the same configuration as the lighting unit provided near the right corner of the housing in this embodiment may be provided near the left corner.

[0015] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the lighting unit 30 in the suction port body 3 of the first embodiment as viewed obliquely from the front right side. In other words, FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the right corner 9 as viewed obliquely from the front right side. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the lighting unit 30 in the suction port body 3 of the first embodiment as viewed from above. In FIG. 5, it can be seen that a fan-shaped illumination area 8 with a central angle greater than 180 degrees is formed. The housing 5 is provided with a slit-shaped recess 32 having an opening continuously connected to the front wall 21 and the right wall 22 inside the right corner 9 of the housing 5 and within the right corner 9. The slit-shaped recess 32 is provided between the upper wall 24 and the bottom wall 26 and above the position of the bumper 29 (see FIG. 3). When viewed from above, the right corner 9 of the housing 5 is rounded (see FIG. 5), and the opening of the slit-shaped recess 32 has a curved portion along the right corner 9, a straight portion along the front wall 21, and a straight portion along the right wall 22.

[0016] In the case of this embodiment, the slit-shaped recess 32 is a substantially isosceles triangular cutout recess formed at the right corner of the housing 5 when viewed from above. In the slit-shaped recess 32, the inner vertical wall surface at the back (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the inner vertical surface) is rectangular, and the upper and lower inner wall surfaces (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the inner upper surface and the inner bottom surface) are isosceles triangles with rounded corners. The vertical inner wall surface is at a position corresponding to the base of the upper and lower isosceles triangular inner wall surfaces (see FIG. 5). In the case of this embodiment, the inner upper surface of the inner wall surface of the slit-shaped recess 32 is constituted by the lower surface of the upper wall 24.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the lighting unit 30 includes a light source 33 that projects light upward with respect to the floor surface 10 (see FIG. 3) in a state where the housing 5 is placed on the floor surface 10, a reflecting member 34 that reflects the light from the light source 33 downward, and a light-transmitting window 35 that transmits the irradiation light 31 including the light from the light source 33 and the reflected light from the reflecting member 34 to the outside. In the case of this embodiment, the light-transmitting window 35 is formed by integrating the light-transmitting window provided at the right corner 9, the light-transmitting window provided on the right wall 22, and the light-transmitting window provided on the front wall 21.

[0018] The light-transmitting window 35 is made of transparent resin or glass, is formed in the same shape and size as the opening of the slit-shaped recess 32, and is fitted and fixed into the opening. A lens may be provided on a part or the whole of the light-transmitting window 35 so that the irradiation light 31 transmitted through the light-transmitting window 35 is diffused in the left-right direction by the lens.

[0019] In the case of this embodiment, the light source 33 is one LED (one LED package) having one or more light-emitting elements. As the LED, either a chip LED (surface-mount type) or a lamp LED (bullet type) may be used, and a chip LED is used in this embodiment. As the chip LED, either a mold type or a reflector type may be used. In the case of a chip LED, white light can be obtained by combining a blue light-emitting element and a yellow phosphor, or by combining a red light-emitting element, a green light-emitting element, and a blue light-emitting element. Also, the reflector type can more easily condense the light of the light source 33 onto the reflecting member 34 than the mold type.

[0020] If a chip LED is used for the light source 33, white light can be emitted by the chip LED alone, and since it is white light, it becomes easier to visually observe dust on the floor surface. Note that as the light source 33, it is also possible to use a small incandescent bulb (so-called "pea bulb"), but an LED with low power consumption and long life is preferable. The light source 33 is provided on the inner bottom surface of the inner wall surface of the slit-shaped recess 32, and the light-emitting surface 33a faces upward so that light can be irradiated toward the upper reflecting member 34 (see FIG. 4).

[0021] The reflecting member 34 is a member made of metal (for example, stainless steel, aluminum, etc.) having a conical shape, a pyramid shape, or a curved surface shape (having a reflecting surface 34a) with a vertex 34b at the lower part. Examples of the curved surface shape include a hemispherical shape, a substantially 1 / 4 spherical surface shape, etc. In this embodiment, a reflecting member 34 having an inverted conical reflecting surface 34a is used. Note that the reflecting member 34 may be a metal or resin component formed with a highly reflective metal plating film (for example, silver, aluminum, etc.) on the reflecting surface 34a. The reflecting member 34 is provided on the inner upper surface facing the inner bottom surface of the inner wall surface of the slit-shaped recess 32.

[0022] When viewed from above, the light emission center position of the light source 33 substantially coincides with the apex 34b of the reflecting member 34. Therefore, the reflecting member 34 can reflect the light from the light source 33 radially over a range of 360 degrees centered on the apex 34b when viewed from above (see FIG. 5). At this time, when viewed from the horizontal direction, the reflecting surface 34a of the reflecting member 34 is inclined so as to reflect the light from the light source 33 downward rather than in the horizontal direction (see FIG. 4). In the case of the present embodiment, the reflecting surface 34a has a conical shape in which the angle of the apex 34b when the reflecting member 34 is cut in the vertical direction passing through the apex 34b exceeds 90 degrees and is an obtuse angle.

[0023] On the inner wall surface of the slit-shaped recess 32, a second reflecting member 41a is provided on the entire surface of the inner vertical surface, a second reflecting member 41b is provided around the light source 33 on the inner bottom surface, and a second reflecting member 41c is provided around the reflecting member 34 on the inner upper surface (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The second reflecting members 41a, 41b, and 41c can be, for example, plate pieces made of stainless steel or aluminum, aluminum sheets attached to the inner wall surface of the slit-shaped recess 32, or aluminum plating films provided on the inner wall surface of the slit-shaped recess 32.

[0024] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the illumination area 8 by the illumination unit 30 of the suction port body 3 of the first embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when viewed from above, most of the light from the light source 33 first hits the reflecting member 34 and is reflected by the reflecting member 34 around the apex 34b to form radial irradiation light 31. A part of the reflected light reflected by the reflecting member 34 passes through the light-transmitting window 35 and irradiates the floor surface around the right corner 9 of the housing 5. Also, a part of the reflected light reflected by the reflecting member 34 is reflected by one or more of the second reflecting members 41a, 41b, 41c at the rear, lower, and upper (three places), passes through the light-transmitting window 35, and irradiates the floor surface around the right corner 9 of the housing 5. Also, a part of the light from the light source 33 hits and is reflected by the rear second reflecting member 41a or the upper second reflecting member 41c first, and the reflected light is further reflected by at least one of the reflecting member 34 and the second reflecting member 41a or passes through the light-transmitting window 35 without being reflected and irradiates the floor surface around the right corner 9 of the housing 5. When the irradiation light 31 is irradiated in this way, the irradiation lights 31x, 31y passing through the left end and the rear end of the light-transmitting window 35 have a fan-shaped illumination area 8 with a central angle θ larger than 180 degrees. In the case of this embodiment, the central angle θ of the illumination area 8 is 220 degrees to 230 degrees. In this embodiment, in the slit-shaped recess 32, when the light-emitting center position of the light source 33 and the apex 34b of the reflecting member 34 are substantially coincident and the light-emitting center position of the light source 33 and the apex 34b of the reflecting member 34 are brought closer to the right corner 9 side, the central angle θ becomes larger, and when brought closer to the second reflecting member 41a side (inner vertical surface side), the central angle θ becomes smaller.

[0025] Thus, according to the suction port body 3 of the present embodiment, the lighting unit 30 can form a fan-shaped lighting area 8 (see FIG. 6) in a wide range including the front direction of the front wall 21 of the housing 5 (the horizontal direction perpendicular to the front wall 21 and the front direction in FIG. 6) and the front direction of the right wall 22 (the horizontal direction perpendicular to the right wall 22 and the right direction in FIG. 6). Therefore, even in a dark cleaning place, it is possible to illuminate a wide range of the floor surface from the front to the right rear of the suction port body 3, making it easy to visually check for the presence or absence of dust on the floor surface. Moreover, if there is one light source 33 in the lighting unit 30, the cost, weight, and power consumption can be reduced compared to the case where a plurality of light sources are used. In addition, by providing a light source at the front corner (right corner or left corner) of the suction port body 3, the internal space of the suction port body can be made smaller compared to Patent Document 1, and it is easy to suppress the enlargement of the suction port body. Further, when the rotary brush 27 (see FIG. 2) has a brush protruding portion that protrudes to the right of the right wall 22 of the housing 5, the right wall 22 of the housing 5 is brought close to the wall surface, and the dust at the wall edge is scraped out and cleaned by the brush protruding portion, and the fact that the dust has been removed from the wall edge can be illuminated and visually checked by the lighting unit 30. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, since the bumper 29 protrudes most forward in the left-right direction of the suction port body, the bumper 29 of the suction port body 3 abuts against the wall surface during cleaning of the wall edge. Therefore, it is possible to protect the light-transmitting window 35 of the lighting unit 30 so as not to abut against the wall surface and be damaged.

[0026] (Modification Example 1 of the First Embodiment) FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the lighting unit 70 of Modification Example 1 of the first embodiment as viewed from above. In FIG. 7, the same reference numerals are given to the same elements as those in FIG. 6. In the first embodiment (see FIG. 5), the second reflecting member 41a at the back of the lighting unit 30 was flat, but as shown in FIG. 7, when viewed from above, the second reflecting member 71 at the back of the lighting unit 70 may be a convex curved surface that bulges outward.

[0027] According to the configuration of this first modification example, since the left end of the slit-shaped recess 72 that houses the lighting unit 70 extends leftward and the rear end of the slit-shaped recess 72 extends rearward, the left end of the light-transmitting window 73 extends leftward and the rear end of the light-transmitting window 73 extends rearward. Therefore, the irradiation lights 31x and 31y can pass through the left end and the rear end of the light-transmitting window 73, and a larger fan-shaped illumination area 8 can be formed.

[0028] (Second modification example of the first embodiment) FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the lighting unit 80 of the second modification example of the first embodiment as viewed from above. In FIG. 8, the same elements as those in FIG. 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the case of the second modification example of the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, when viewed from above, the second reflecting member 81 at the back of the lighting unit 80 may have a convex curved surface shape that bends convexly outward.

[0029] Also according to the configuration of this second modification example, since the left end of the slit-shaped recess 82 that houses the lighting unit 80 extends leftward and the rear end of the slit-shaped recess 82 extends rearward, the left end of the light-transmitting window 83 extends leftward and the rear end of the light-transmitting window 83 extends rearward. Therefore, the irradiation lights 31x and 31y can pass through the left end and the rear end of the light-transmitting window 83, and a larger fan-shaped illumination area 8 can be formed.

[0030] (Second embodiment) FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the illumination area 90 by the lighting unit 92 of the suction port body 91 of the second embodiment. In FIG. 9, the same elements as those in FIG. 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals. The suction port body 91 of the second embodiment is configured in the same manner as the first embodiment except that the configuration of the lighting unit 92 is different from that of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the differences from the first embodiment in the second embodiment will be mainly described.

[0031] In the case of the second embodiment, a light source 33 and a reflecting member 34 are provided near the right corner portion 9 of the housing 5, the left end portion of the front translucent window 93 extends to the left wall 23, and the rear end of the right translucent window 94 extends to the rear wall 25. In this case, the slit-shaped recess 99 of the housing 5 extends from the right corner portion 9 to the left wall 23 and also extends from the right corner portion 9 to the rear wall 25, and the opening of the slit-shaped recess 99 is provided in the front wall, the right wall, the left wall 23, and the rear wall 25 of the housing 5. Further, in the slit-shaped recess 99, the width in the front-rear direction of the portion extending from the right corner portion 9 to the left wall 23 gradually decreases as it approaches the left wall 23, and the width in the left-right direction of the portion extending from the right corner portion 9 to the rear wall 25 gradually decreases as it approaches the rear wall 25. Note that, in the slit-shaped recess 99, the width in the front-rear direction of the portion extending from the right corner portion 9 to the left wall 23 may gradually increase as it approaches the left wall 23, the width in the left-right direction of the portion extending from the right corner portion 9 to the rear wall 25 may gradually increase as it approaches the rear wall 25, or the width may be constant.

[0032] The lighting unit 92 includes a translucent window 93 provided at the opening of the front wall of the slit-shaped recess 99, a translucent window 94 provided on the right wall, a translucent window 95 provided on the left wall 23, and a translucent window 96 provided on the rear wall 25, and these translucent windows 93 to 96 are continuous. The portions of the translucent windows 93 and 94 corresponding to the right corner portion 9 have a rounded shape. Further, on the inner wall surface of the slit-shaped recess 99, a second reflecting member 97 is provided on the entire surface of the inner vertical surface at the back, a second reflecting member 98 is provided on the portion of the inner bottom surface where the light source 33 is not located, and a second reflecting member (not shown) is provided on the portion of the inner upper surface where the reflecting member 34 is not located.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 9, according to the lighting unit 92 of the second embodiment, the light from the light source 33 is reflected by one or more of the reflecting member 34, the rear second reflecting member 97, the lower second reflecting member 98, and the upper second reflecting member (not shown), and the irradiation light including the reflected light passes through the four light-transmitting windows 93 to 96 and illuminates the floor surface around the housing 5. More specifically, a part of the irradiation light passes through the front light-transmitting window 93 in the forward direction of the front wall (the horizontal direction perpendicular to the front wall and the front direction in Fig. 9), another part of the irradiation light passes through the right light-transmitting window 94 in the forward direction of the right wall (the horizontal direction perpendicular to the right wall and the right direction in Fig. 9), still another part of the irradiation light passes through the left light-transmitting window 95 in the forward direction of the left wall 23 (the horizontal direction perpendicular to the left wall 23 and the left direction in Fig. 9), and the remaining part of the irradiation light passes through the rear light-transmitting window 96 in the forward direction of the rear wall (the direction toward the virtual outer opposing surface of the rear wall 25 and the rear direction in Fig. 9).

[0034] According to the lighting unit 92 provided with the reflecting member 34 and the second reflecting members 97, 98, etc. in this way, even if there is only one light source 33, the lighting area 90 can be formed in a wide range including the floor surface near the left light-transmitting window 95, the floor surface near the front light-transmitting window 93, the floor surface near the light-transmitting window at the right corner 9, the floor surface near the right light-transmitting window 94, and the floor surface near the rear light-transmitting window 96. Further, by providing the light source 33 at the front corner (right corner 9) of the suction port body 91, the internal space of the suction port body 91 can be made smaller compared to Patent Document 1, and it is easy to suppress the enlargement of the suction port body 91.

[0035] (Third Embodiment) Fig. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the lighting area by the lighting unit 102 of the suction port body 101 of the third embodiment. In Fig. 10, the same elements as those in Fig. 9 are denoted by the same reference numerals. The suction port body 101 of the third embodiment is configured in the same manner as the second embodiment except that the configuration of the lighting unit 102 is different from that of the second embodiment. Hereinafter, the differences from the second embodiment in the third embodiment will be mainly described.

[0036] In the case of the third embodiment, a light source 33 and a reflecting member 34 are provided near the left corner portion 11 of the housing 5. The right end portion of the front translucent window 103 extends to the right wall 22, and the rear end of the left translucent window 104 extends to the rear wall 25. In this case, the slit-shaped recess 109 of the housing 5 extends from the left corner portion 11 to the right wall 22 and also extends from the left corner portion 11 to the rear wall 25. The opening of the slit-shaped recess 109 is provided in the front wall, the right wall 22, the left wall, and the rear wall 25 of the housing 5. Further, in the slit-shaped recess 109, the longitudinal width of the portion extending from the left corner portion 11 to the right wall 22 gradually decreases as it approaches the right wall 22, and the lateral width of the portion extending from the left corner portion 11 to the rear wall 25 gradually decreases as it approaches the rear wall 25. Note that, in the slit-shaped recess 109, the longitudinal width of the portion extending from the left corner portion 11 to the right wall 22 may gradually increase as it approaches the right wall 22, the lateral width of the portion extending from the left corner portion 11 to the rear wall 25 may gradually increase as it approaches the rear wall 25, or the width may be constant.

[0037] The lighting unit 102 includes a translucent window 103 provided at the opening of the front wall of the slit-shaped recess 109, a translucent window 104 provided on the left wall, a translucent window 105 provided on the right wall 22, and a translucent window 106 provided on the rear wall 25, and these translucent windows 103 to 106 are continuous. The portions corresponding to the left corner portion 11 of the translucent windows 103 and 104 are rounded. Further, on the inner wall surface of the slit-shaped recess 109, a second reflecting member 107 is provided on the entire surface of the inner vertical surface at the back, a second reflecting member 108 is provided on the portion of the inner bottom surface where the light source 33 is not located, and a second reflecting member (not shown) is provided on the portion of the inner upper surface where the reflecting member 34 is not located.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 10, according to the lighting unit 102 of the third embodiment, the light from the light source 33 is reflected by one or more of the reflecting member 34, the rear second reflecting member 107, the lower second reflecting member 108, and the upper second reflecting member (not shown), and the irradiation light including the reflected light passes through the four translucent windows 103 to 106 to illuminate the floor surface around the housing 5. More specifically, a part of the irradiation light passes through the front translucent window 103 toward the front direction of the front wall (the horizontal direction perpendicular to the front wall and the front direction in FIG. 10), and another part of the irradiation light passes through the left translucent window 104 toward the front direction of the left wall (the horizontal direction perpendicular to the left wall and the left direction in FIG. 10), and still another part of the irradiation light passes through the right translucent window 105 toward the front direction of the right wall 22 (the horizontal direction perpendicular to the right wall 22 and the right direction in FIG. 10), and the remaining part of the irradiation light passes through the rear translucent window 106 toward the front direction of the rear wall (the direction toward the virtual outer facing surface of the rear wall 25 and the rear direction in FIG. 10).

[0039] According to the lighting unit 102 provided with the reflecting member 34 and the second reflecting members 107, 108, etc. in this way, even if there is only one light source 33, a wide illumination area 100 can be formed including the floor surface near the right translucent window 105, the floor surface near the front translucent window 103, the floor surface near the translucent window at the left corner 11, the floor surface near the left translucent window 104, and the floor surface near the rear translucent window 106. Further, by providing the light source 33 at the front corner (left corner 11) of the suction port body 101, the internal space of the suction port body 101 can be made smaller compared to Patent Document 1, and it is easy to suppress the enlargement of the suction port body 101.

[0040] (Fourth Embodiment) FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the illumination area by the lighting unit 112 of the suction port body 111 of the fourth embodiment. In FIG. 11, the same elements as those in FIG. 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals. The suction port body 111 of the fourth embodiment is configured in the same manner as the first embodiment except that the configuration of the lighting unit 112 is different from that of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the differences from the first embodiment in the fourth embodiment will be mainly described.

[0041] In the case of the fourth embodiment, a light source 33 and a reflecting member 34 are provided at the middle in the left - right direction near the front wall of the housing 5. The right end of the front - side light - transmitting window 113 extends to the right wall 22, and the left end of the front - side light - transmitting window 113 extends to the left wall 23. In this case, the slit - shaped recess 119 of the housing 5 extends from the right - hand corner 9 to the left - hand corner 11, and the opening of the slit - shaped recess 119 is provided on the front wall, the right wall 22, and the left wall 23 of the housing 5. Further, in the slit - shaped recess 119, the width in the front - rear direction of the portion extending from the middle in the left - right direction to the right wall 22 gradually increases as it approaches the right wall 22, and the width in the front - rear direction of the portion extending from the middle in the left - right direction to the left wall 23 gradually increases as it approaches the left wall 23. Note that, in the slit - shaped recess 119, the width in the front - rear direction of the portion extending from the middle in the left - right direction to the right wall 22 may gradually decrease as it approaches the right wall 22, and the width in the front - rear direction of the portion extending from the middle in the left - right direction to the left wall 23 may gradually decrease as it approaches the left wall 23, or the width may be constant.

[0042] The lighting unit 112 has a light - transmitting window 113 provided at the opening of the front wall of the slit - shaped recess 119, a light - transmitting window 114 provided on the right wall 22, and a light - transmitting window 115 provided on the left wall 23, and these light - transmitting windows 113 to 115 are continuous. Further, on the inner wall surface of the slit - shaped recess 119, a second reflecting member 117 is provided on the entire surface of the inner vertical surface at the back, a second reflecting member 118 is provided on the portion of the inner bottom surface where the light source 33 is not located, and a second reflecting member (not shown) is provided on the portion of the inner upper surface where the reflecting member 34 is not located.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 11, according to the lighting unit 112 of the fourth embodiment, the light from the light source 33 is reflected by one or more of the reflecting member 34, the rear second reflecting member 117, the lower second reflecting member 118, and the upper second reflecting member (not shown), and the irradiation light including the reflected light passes through the three translucent windows 113 to 115 to illuminate the floor surface around the housing 5. More specifically, a part of the irradiation light passes through the front translucent window 113 in the forward direction of the front wall (the horizontal direction perpendicular to the front wall and the front direction in FIG. 11), another part of the irradiation light passes through the right translucent window 114 in the forward direction of the right wall 22 (the horizontal direction perpendicular to the right wall and the right direction in FIG. 11), and the remaining part of the irradiation light passes through the left translucent window 115 in the forward direction of the left wall 23 (the horizontal direction perpendicular to the left wall 23 and the left direction in FIG. 11).

[0044] According to the lighting unit 112 that irradiates the irradiation light provided with the reflecting member 34 and the second reflecting members 117, 118, etc. in this way, even if there is one light source 33, the floor surface near the right translucent window 114, the floor surface near the translucent window at the right corner 9, the floor surface near the front translucent window 113, the floor surface near the translucent window at the left corner 11, and the floor surface near the left translucent window 115 can form the illumination area 110 in a wide range. Further, by providing the light source 33 at the front center of the suction port body 111, compared with Patent Document 1, the internal space of the suction port body 111 can be reduced, and it is easy to suppress the enlargement of the suction port body 111.

[0045] (Fifth Embodiment) FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner 120 provided with the suction port body 121 of the fifth embodiment. FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of the lighting unit 122 in the suction port body 121 of the fifth embodiment as viewed obliquely from the front right side. In FIG. 12, the same elements as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals. The suction port body 121 of the fifth embodiment is configured in the same manner as the first embodiment except that the configuration of the lighting unit 122 is different from that of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the differences from the first embodiment in the fifth embodiment will be mainly described.

[0046] In the first to fourth embodiments (including Modifications 1 and 2 of the first embodiment), the case where the lighting unit is provided in the housing of the suction port body has been exemplified. However, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, in the fifth embodiment, the lighting unit 122 is provided outside the housing 123. In the case of this embodiment, a protrusion 130 is provided on the upper wall 24 near the right corner 9 of the housing 123, and the lighting unit 122 is provided on this protrusion 130.

[0047] FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the lighting unit 122 of the fifth embodiment as viewed from above. In FIG. 14, the same reference numerals are given to the elements similar to those in FIG. 5. As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the protrusion 130 is made of a transparent hollow cylindrical material, and the outer bottom surface of the protrusion 130 is fixed to the upper surface of the upper wall 24 near the right corner 9 of the housing 123.

[0048] The lighting unit 122 includes a light source 33 fixed to the inner bottom surface inside the protrusion 130, a reflection member 34 fixed to the inner upper surface inside the protrusion 130, and a third reflection member 131 made of a metal sheet provided on a part of the outer surface of the peripheral wall of the protrusion 130. The portion of the peripheral wall of the protrusion 130 without the third reflection member 131 serves as a light transmission window 132. In the case of this embodiment, the diameter of the upper surface of the reflection member 34 and the diameter of the inner upper surface of the protrusion 130 are approximately equal. Further, when viewed from above, the third reflection member 131 is provided in a range of less than 180 degrees of the central angle centered on the apex 34b of the lower end of the reflection member 34 and on the side opposite to the right corner 9 (see FIG. 12). Note that the third reflection member 131 corresponds to the second reflection member 41a (see FIG. 5) in the first embodiment and may be provided on the inner surface of the peripheral wall of the protrusion 130.

[0049] According to this lighting unit 122, the light from the light source 33 with the light emitting surface 33a directed upward hits the conical reflecting surface 34a of the reflecting member 34 and is reflected radially centered on the apex 34b at the lower end of the reflecting member 34 when viewed from above. A part of the reflected light passes through the light transmitting window 132 and irradiates the floor surface near the right corner 9. Another part of the reflected light is further reflected by the third reflecting member 131 and passes through the light transmitting window 132 to irradiate the floor surface near the right corner 9. Thus, when the irradiation light 31 including the reflected light is irradiated, the irradiation lights 31x and 31y pass through the left end portion and the rear end portion of the light transmitting window 132. As a result, a large fan-shaped illumination area 125 with a central angle of 180 degrees or more centered on the apex 34b of the reflecting member 34 is formed when viewed from above (see FIG. 12).

[0050] (Modification Example 1 of the Fifth Embodiment) In the fifth embodiment, the case where the protrusion 130 and the lighting unit 122 are provided on the upper surface of the upper wall 24 near the right corner 9 of the housing 123 is illustrated. However, the positions where the protrusion 130 and the lighting unit 122 are provided are not limited to the vicinity of the right corner 9. For example, it may be near the left corner 9 of the housing 123, may be at the lateral center near the front wall 21, or may be closer to the right or left than the lateral center near the front wall 21.

[0051] (Modification Example 2 of the Fifth Embodiment) In the fifth embodiment, the case where the third reflecting member 131 is provided is illustrated. However, the third reflecting member 131 may not be provided. Thereby, the illumination area 125 can be formed with a central angle of 360 degrees centered on the apex 34b of the reflecting member 34.

[0052] (Sixth Embodiment) In the first to fifth embodiments, the case where one lighting unit is provided in the housing of the suction port body has been exemplified, but two (a plurality of) lighting units may be provided in the housing. In this case, another lighting unit having the same configuration as the lighting unit provided near the right corner of the housing may be provided near the left corner. Alternatively, another lighting unit having a configuration different from that of the lighting unit provided near the right corner of the housing may be provided near the left corner. In this case, the lighting units shown in FIGS. 15A to 19B may be used as the other lighting unit. Further, the lighting units shown in FIGS. 15A to 19B may be provided, for example, at one location in the middle in the left-right direction near the right corner, near the left corner, or near the front wall of the housing.

[0053] FIG. 15A is an explanatory view of a first lighting unit 151 in the sixth embodiment as viewed from the front. FIG. 16A is an explanatory view of a cross-sectional structure of the first lighting unit 151 in FIG. 15A as viewed from the right side. The first lighting unit 151 includes a light source 33 whose light emitting surface 33a is directed upward and irradiates light 154 upward, a reflection member 153 having an opening 152 in the front and covering the light source 33, and a light transmissive window (not shown) provided in the opening 152 of the reflection member 153. The first lighting unit 151 may be provided near the left corner in the housing as in the first to fourth embodiments, or may be provided on the upper surface of the upper wall near the left corner of the housing as in the fifth embodiment.

[0054] The reflection member 153 of the first lighting unit 151 has a surrounding wall 153a that surrounds a part (excluding the opening 152) around the light source 33 and an upper wall 153b that covers the upper part of the light source 33, and is formed by bending, for example, a plate material made of metal (for example, stainless steel, aluminum, etc.). The inner surface of the reflection member 153 serves as a reflection surface for reflecting the light 154 from the light source 33. The upper wall 153b has a one-way sloping roof shape that slopes downward from the opening 152 side toward the side opposite to the opening 152 (see FIG. 16A). In the first lighting unit 151, the light 154 emitted from the light source 33 is condensed toward the opening 152 by the surrounding wall 153a and the upper wall 153b, passes through the light transmissive window (not shown), and is irradiated to the outside. A part of the light 154 is reflected obliquely downward from the upper wall 153b to illuminate the floor surface on the front side.

[0055] FIG. 15B is an explanatory view of the second lighting unit 155 in the sixth embodiment as viewed from the front. In the case of the second lighting unit 155, only the configuration of the reflecting member 156 is different from that of the first lighting unit 151. The reflecting member 156 has a surrounding wall 156a that surrounds a part of the periphery of the light source 33 (excluding the opening 152) and an upper wall 156b that covers the upper side of the light source 33. The upper wall 156b has a gable roof shape when the second lighting unit 155 is viewed from the front, and is inclined downward as it goes from the opening 152 side to the side opposite to the opening 152 when viewed from the side (see FIG. 16A). Also in the second lighting unit 155, the light 154 emitted from the light source 33 is condensed toward the opening 152 by the surrounding wall 156a and the upper wall 156b, transmitted through a light-transmitting window (not shown), and irradiated to the outside. A part of the light 154 is reflected obliquely downward from the upper wall 156b to illuminate the floor surface on the front side.

[0056] FIG. 15C is an explanatory view of the third lighting unit 161 in the sixth embodiment as viewed from the front. FIG. 16B is an explanatory view of the cross-sectional structure of the third lighting unit 161 of FIG. 15C as viewed from the right side. Also in the case of the third lighting unit 161, only the configuration of the reflecting member 162 is different from that of the first lighting unit 151. The reflecting member 162 has a surrounding wall 162a that surrounds a part of the periphery of the light source 33 (excluding the opening 163) and an upper wall 162b that covers the upper side of the light source 33. The upper wall 162b has a kamaboko roof shape (or dome shape) when the third lighting unit 161 is viewed from the front, and is inclined downward as it goes from the opening 163 side to the side opposite to the opening 163 when viewed from the side (see FIG. 16B). Also in the third lighting unit 161, the light 154 emitted from the light source 33 is condensed toward the opening 163 by the surrounding wall 162a and the upper wall 162b, transmitted through a light-transmitting window (not shown), and irradiated to the outside. A part of the light 154 is reflected obliquely downward from the upper wall 162b to illuminate the floor surface on the front side.

[0057] FIG. 17A is an explanatory view showing a cross-sectional structure of a fourth lighting unit 165 in the sixth embodiment as viewed from the right side. In the case of the fourth lighting unit 165, the reflecting member 166 has an enclosing wall 166a that surrounds a part (excluding the opening 167) around the light source 33, and an upper wall 166b that covers the upper side of the light source 33. The upper wall 166b has a gable roof shape. The light source 33 is installed in an inclined state leaning against the inner surface on the back side of the enclosing wall 166a, and the light emitting surface 33a is directed obliquely upward toward the opening 167 side. Therefore, the light source 33 can irradiate the light 154 obliquely upward toward the opening 167 side. A light transmitting window (not shown) is provided in the opening 167. Also in the fourth lighting unit 165, the light 154 emitted from the light source 33 is reflected toward the opening 167 by the enclosing wall 166a and the upper wall 166b, transmitted through the light transmitting window (not shown), and irradiated to the outside. A part of the light 154 is reflected obliquely downward from the upper wall 166b to illuminate the floor surface on the front side.

[0058] FIG. 17B is an explanatory view showing a cross-sectional structure of a fifth lighting unit 171 in the sixth embodiment as viewed from the right side. In the case of the fifth lighting unit 171, the reflecting member 172 has an enclosing wall 172a that surrounds a part (excluding the opening 173) around the light source 33, and an upper wall 172b that covers the upper side of the light source 33. The upper wall 172b has a gable roof shape. The light source 33 is installed in an upright state standing along the inner surface on the back side of the enclosing wall 172a, and the light emitting surface 33a is directed toward the opening 173. Therefore, the light source 33 can irradiate the light 154 toward the opening 173. A light transmitting window (not shown) is provided in the opening 173. Also in the fifth lighting unit 171, the light 154 emitted from the light source 33 is reflected toward the opening 173 by the enclosing wall 172a and the upper wall 172b, transmitted through the light transmitting window (not shown), and irradiated to the outside. A part of the light 154 is reflected obliquely downward from the upper wall 172b to illuminate the floor surface on the front side. In the case of the fifth lighting unit 171 shown in FIG. 17B, a lens is provided in the vicinity of the light receiving surface 33a in order to direct the light from the light source 33 toward the upper wall 172b, or a molded type chip LED capable of irradiating scattered light is used as the light source 33.

[0059] FIG. 18A is an explanatory view of a cross-sectional structure of a sixth lighting unit 175 in the sixth embodiment as viewed from the right side. In the case of the sixth lighting unit 175, the reflecting member 176 has a surrounding wall 176a that surrounds a part (excluding the opening 177) around the light source 33, and an upper wall 176b that covers the upper side of the light source 33. The upper wall 176b is dome-shaped. The light source 33 is installed in an inclined state leaning against the inner surface on the back side of the surrounding wall 176a, and the light emitting surface 33a is directed obliquely upward toward the opening 177 side. Therefore, the light source 33 can irradiate the light 154 obliquely upward toward the opening 177 side. A light-transmitting window (not shown) is provided in the opening 177. Also in the sixth lighting unit 175, the light 154 irradiated from the light source 33 is reflected toward the opening 177 by the surrounding wall 176a and the upper wall 176b, transmitted through the light-transmitting window (not shown), and irradiated to the outside. A part of the light 154 is reflected obliquely downward from the upper wall 176b to illuminate the floor surface on the front side.

[0060] FIG. 18B is an explanatory view of a cross-sectional structure of a seventh lighting unit 181 in the sixth embodiment as viewed from the right side. In the case of the seventh lighting unit 181, the reflecting member 182 has a surrounding wall 182a that surrounds a part (excluding the opening 183) around the light source 33, and an upper wall 182b that covers the upper side of the light source 33. The upper wall 182b is dome-shaped with a lower height compared to the sixth lighting unit 175. The light source 33 is installed in an upright state leaned along the inner surface on the back side of the surrounding wall 182a, and the light emitting surface 33a is directed toward the opening 183. Therefore, the light source 33 can irradiate the light 154 to the opening 183. A light-transmitting window (not shown) is provided in the opening 183. Also in the seventh lighting unit 181, the light 154 irradiated from the light source 33 is reflected toward the opening 183 by the surrounding wall 182a and the upper wall 182b, transmitted through the light-transmitting window (not shown), and irradiated to the outside. A part of the light 154 is reflected obliquely downward from the upper wall 182b to illuminate the floor surface on the front side. In the case of the seventh lighting unit 181 shown in FIG. 18B, a lens is provided in the vicinity of the light receiving surface 33a in order to direct the light from the light source 33 toward the upper wall 182b, or a molded type chip LED that can irradiate scattered light is used as the light source 33.

[0061] FIG. 19A is an explanatory view of the eighth lighting unit 185 in the sixth embodiment as seen from the front. FIG. 19B is an explanatory view of the cross-sectional structure of the eighth lighting unit 185 in FIG. 19A as seen from above. In the case of the eighth lighting unit 185, a molded type chip LED capable of irradiating scattered light is used as the light source 33. Further, the reflecting member 186 has, when viewed from the front, a vertical side wall 186a and an upper wall 186b that is bent and connected at a substantially right angle to the upper end of the side wall 186a. The upper wall 186b has a gabled roof shape. The light source 33 stands upright with the light emitting surface 33a facing the front side of the eighth lighting unit 185. The side wall 186a is disposed on one side surface side of the standing light source 33, the upper wall 186b is disposed on the upper surface side of the standing light source 33, and the front ends of the side wall 186a and the upper wall 186b protrude forward from the light emitting surface 33a of the light source 33.

[0062] In the case of this eighth lighting unit 185, the front side and the side opposite to the side wall 186a are the opening 187. A light-transmitting window (not shown) is provided in the opening 187. In the eighth lighting unit 185, the light 154 irradiated from the light source 33 is reflected by the side wall 186a and the upper wall 186b toward the opening 187, passes through the light-transmitting window (not shown), and is irradiated to the outside. At this time, a part of the light 154 is reflected obliquely downward from the upper wall 182b to illuminate the floor surface, and not only the floor surface on the front side but also the floor surface on the side opposite to the side wall 186a can be illuminated.

[0063] (Seventh Embodiment) In the first to fifth embodiments, an example is shown in which the lighting unit has a light-transmitting window provided on at least one of the right wall and the left wall of the housing and a light-transmitting window provided on the front wall, and the light-transmitting window provided on at least one of the right wall and the left wall is continuous with the light-transmitting window provided on the front wall. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the light-transmitting window may be provided on at least any one of the right wall, the left wall, and the front wall.

[0064] For example, when it is desired to illuminate mainly the front floor surface of the suction port body, a light-transmitting window may be provided only on the front wall. When it is desired to illuminate mainly the right floor surface of the suction port body, a light-transmitting window may be provided only on the right wall. When it is desired to illuminate mainly the left floor surface of the suction port body, a light-transmitting window may be provided only on the left wall. Further, when a light-transmitting window is provided only on the front wall, a light-transmitting window that is long in the left-right direction may be provided, and the light source 33 and the reflecting member 34 may be arranged at the middle in the left-right direction near the front wall (see FIG. 11), to the right of the middle in the left-right direction, or to the left of the middle in the left-right direction.

[0065] Preferred embodiments of the present invention include those in which any combination of the above-described embodiments is combined. In addition to the above-described embodiments, various modifications of the present invention are possible. These modifications should not be construed as not belonging to the scope of the present invention. The present invention should include meanings equivalent to the claims and all modifications within the scope.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0066] 1,120: Vacuum cleaner, 2: Cleaner main body, 3, 91, 101, 111, 121: Suction port body, 4: Extension pipe, 5, 123: Housing (suction port main body), 6: Joint part, 7: Connection pipe part, 8, 90, 100, 110, 125: Lighting area, 9: Right corner, 10: Floor surface, 11: Left corner, 21: Front wall, 22: Right wall, 23: Left wall, 24: Upper wall, 25: Rear wall, 26: Bottom wall, 27: Rotating brush, 28: Rear wheel, 29: Bumper, 30, 70, 80, 92, 102, 112, 122: Lighting part, 31, 31x, 31y: Irradiating light, 32, 72, 81, 82, 99, 109, 119: Slit-shaped recess, 33: Light source, 33a: Light emitting surface, 34, 153, 156, 162, 166, 172, 176, 182, 186: Reflecting member, 34a: Reflecting surface, 34b: Vertex, 35, 73, 83, 93, 94, 95, 96, 103, 104, 105, 106, 113, 114, 115, 132: Translucent window, 41a, 41b, 41c, 71, 81, 97, 98, 99, 107, 108, 117, 118: Second reflecting member, 130: Protrusion, 131: Third reflecting member, 151: First lighting part, 152, 157, 163, 167, 173, 177, 183, 187: Opening, 153a, 156a, 162a, 166a, 172a, 176a, 182a: Surrounding wall, 153b, 156b, 162b, 166b, 172b, 176b, 182b, 186b: Upper wall, 154: Light, 155: Second lighting part, 161: Third lighting part, 165: Fourth lighting part, 171: Fifth lighting part, 175: Sixth lighting part, 181: Seventh lighting part, 185: Eighth lighting part, 186a: Side wall, θ: Central angle

Claims

1. A housing comprising a front wall, a rear wall, a right wall, a left wall, an upper wall, a bottom wall facing the upper wall, a suction port provided on the bottom wall, and a light-transmitting window; A light source provided on the housing so as to project light upward; A reflecting member for reflecting the light from the light source toward the light-transmitting window; and The reflecting member is a suction port body located above the light source.

2. The suction port body according to claim 1, wherein the reflecting member has a conical, pyramidal, or curved reflecting surface.

3. The suction port body according to claim 2, wherein the light source is provided between the upper wall and the bottom wall.

4. The suction port body according to claim 3, wherein the light-transmitting window is provided on at least one of the right wall, the left wall, and the front wall.

5. The suction port body according to claim 4, having a light-transmitting window provided on at least one of the right wall and the left wall and a light-transmitting window provided on the front wall, and the light-transmitting window provided on at least one of the right wall and the left wall and the light-transmitting window provided on the front wall are continuous.

6. The suction port body according to claim 5, further provided with a second reflecting member for reflecting the reflected light reflected by the reflecting member.

7. The suction port body according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the light source and the reflecting member are provided near the right corner between the front wall and the right wall or near the left corner between the front wall and the left wall.

8. A protrusion is provided on the upper surface of the upper wall, The suction port body according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the reflecting member is provided on the protrusion of the upper wall and reflects the light from the light source toward the light-transmitting window provided on the protrusion of the upper wall.

9. The suction port body according to claim 8, wherein the light-transmitting window is provided so that the reflected light is transmitted in the frontward direction of the front wall and the right wall or in the frontward direction of the front wall and the left wall.

10. The suction port body according to claim 8, further provided with a third reflecting member for reflecting the reflected light reflected by the reflecting member on the protrusion.

11. The suction port body according to claim 4, wherein the light-transmitting window is further provided on the rear wall.

12. The suction port body according to claim 11, wherein the light-transmitting window provided on at least one of the right wall and the left wall, the light-transmitting window provided on the front wall, and the light-transmitting window provided on the rear wall are continuous.

13. The suction port body according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and 12, further provided with a second reflecting member that reflects the reflected light reflected by the reflecting member.

14. An electric vacuum cleaner comprising the suction port body according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and 12, and a vacuum cleaner main body directly or connected to the suction port body via an extension pipe.

Images