Wet vacuum cleaner with automatic drain valve

Abstract

To provide a wet vacuum cleaner capable of automatically draining sucked water.SOLUTION: A wet vacuum cleaner 1 includes a suction port 7, a tank part 2 for holding water to be sucked from the suction port 7, a suction part 14 for generating suction force in a suction path passing through the inside of the tank part 2 from the suction port 7, and a float valve 24 vertically movable depending on a level of the water held in the tank part 1 and blocking the suction path when the water level reaches a prescribed level. A drain port 8 is provided at a bottom of the tank part 2, and a flat hose 4 is provided at the drain port 8, the flat hose being closed when the pressure in the tank part 2 decreases and opened when the pressure in the tank part 2 increases.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wet-type vacuum cleaner with an automatic drain valve that can automatically drain dirty water when the vacuum cleaner is full without manually separating the tank part from the suction part. [Background technology]

[0002] Various proposals have been made for wet vacuum cleaners that can suck up wet dirt and water. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a wet vacuum cleaner in which water sucked into a container pushes up a float valve, and when the liquid level reaches a predetermined level, the vacuum cleaner seals the intake port of the suction unit that has a suction motor. Patent Document 2 describes a wet vacuum cleaner in which a flexible connection is provided in the suction path of the suction motor, so that the float valve operates normally even if the container that holds the sucked water is tilted.

[0003] However, with conventional wet vacuum cleaners, whenever the tank section filled up with dirty water, the operator had to manually separate the tank section from the suction section containing the suction motor, turn the tank section over, and then drain the water. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-84029 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-93780 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In conventional wet vacuum cleaners, when the vacuum cleaner becomes full of sewage, even if a long suction hose is used, the operator must return to the installation location of the vacuum cleaner body, remove the suction unit and tank, and physically drain the water from the tank by hand. Therefore, when sucking in a large amount of water, the tank capacity is limited, so it is necessary to return to the installation location of the vacuum cleaner body several times and manually drain the water.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a wet-type vacuum cleaner that can automatically drain the sucked water. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The means for solving the above problems are as follows. (1) a suction port; a tank portion for holding water sucked through the suction port; a suction unit that generates a suction force in a suction path that runs from the suction port through the inside of the tank unit; a float valve that is movable up and down according to the water level held in the tank portion and that blocks the suction path when the water level reaches a predetermined level; In a wet vacuum cleaner comprising: A drain outlet is provided at the bottom of the tank portion, The drain port is provided with a drain valve that closes when the pressure in the tank portion decreases and opens when the pressure in the tank portion increases.

[0008] In Method 1, when the pressure inside the tank is reduced by the suction unit to a negative pressure, the drain valve closes, closing the drain outlet, and the water sucked in through the suction port accumulates inside the tank. When the water in the tank reaches a predetermined level, the float valve closes the suction path, stopping suction by the suction unit. When the pressure inside the tank increases, the drain valve opens, opening the drain outlet, and water is automatically drained through the drain outlet under its own weight. Once drainage is complete, suction by the suction unit can be resumed. In this way, water can be sucked in and drained continuously.

[0009] (2) The drain valve is a flat hose having one end connected to the drain outlet and the other end open. In the second embodiment, the flat hose can serve as both a valve and a drain hose. In addition, by adjusting the length of the flat hose, the wastewater can be transported and released to any desired location. When negative pressure is generated again inside the tank and the flat hose begins to suck in water, the negative pressure inside the tank and the external atmospheric pressure completely close the gap in the flat hose, which acts as a valve and generates negative pressure inside the tank. The external atmospheric pressure only has the force to crush the flat hose, and the combined effect of the negative pressure inside the tank and the atmospheric pressure prevents the flat hose from opening. This allows the wet vacuum cleaner to absorb dirty water as intended.

[0010] (3) The drain valve may be a flexible plate-shaped valve element that can open and close the drain outlet. In means 3, when the pressure inside the tank section decreases, the valve body closes, generating negative pressure inside the tank section, and when the pressure inside the tank section increases, the valve body opens, allowing the water inside the tank section to be drained.

[0011] (4) A suction hose is attached to the suction port, A switch for turning on and off the power supply to the suction unit is located near the holding portion of the suction hose. In the fourth method, by extending the switch to the end of the suction hose or to the holder at any position, the power supply to the suction unit can be turned on and off at hand, and there is no need to return to the vacuum cleaner body to operate the switch.

[0012] (5) The drain outlet is provided on the lower side surface of the tank portion, and the lower part of the inner surface of the drain outlet is located higher than the bottom of the tank portion. (6) The drain outlet is provided at the bottom of the tank portion, and the upper end of the drain outlet is located higher than the inner bottom surface of the tank portion. In means 5 and 6, the lower part of the inner surface of the drain outlet is located higher than the bottom, so while water is being drained from the tank part, solid matter such as rubbish, pebbles, etc. can be collected at the bottom of the tank part and can be removed from the tank part 2 when work is completed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, the worker performing the draining work does not need to remove the vacuum cleaner body even once to drain the water inside, and as a result, even a large volume of water can be sucked in and discharged continuously. Water is drawn into the tank, and when the tank is full, the power is turned off, and after confirming that all the water in the tank has been drained, the power is turned on again and water is drawn in again, and the same process can be repeated forever. It can also suck up small debris and pebbles that cannot be sucked up by ordinary impeller pumps, and these can be drained together with the wastewater. Furthermore, without using mechanical parts such as springs or hinges for generating negative pressure, the drain valve can be opened and closed by atmospheric pressure to generate negative pressure within the tank portion. In addition, the drain valve opens and closes depending on the negative pressure inside the tank and the atmospheric pressure outside the tank, allowing wastewater to flow, so it will not clog and will not require repairs. Compared to a normal impeller-type drainage pump, the sewage passage is much wider, so it can suck in and discharge even fairly large particles, and its structure is simple and it can be manufactured cheaply. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall perspective view of a wet vacuum cleaner according to the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a wet vacuum cleaner according to the present invention. [Figure 3A] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the wet-type vacuum cleaner of the present invention in a powered state in which negative pressure is generated in the tank and the flat hose is compressed by atmospheric pressure to block the drain outlet. FIG. [Figure 3B] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which dirty water is being sucked in through a suction port in the wet-type vacuum cleaner of the present invention; [Figure 3C] 1 is a cross-sectional view of the wet-type vacuum cleaner of the present invention, showing a blocked state in which the tank is filled with water and the float valve blocks the lower air intake port due to its buoyancy. FIG. [Figure 3D] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a drainage state in which the negative pressure in the tank unit becomes zero and dirty water is discharged by its own weight in the wet-type vacuum cleaner of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 4] Partial cross section of a wet vacuum cleaner showing a pebble left in the flat hose. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of a wet-type vacuum cleaner showing a modified example in which a flexible valve body is used as a drain valve. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of a wet-type vacuum cleaner showing a modified example in which a drain outlet is provided at the bottom of the tank portion. [Figure 7] 1A is a cross-sectional view showing the tank of a conventional wet vacuum cleaner filled with dirty water, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing the dirty water being drained from the tank. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A wet-type vacuum cleaner with an automatic drain valve according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0016] Figure 1 shows a wet-type vacuum cleaner 1 with an automatic drain valve according to an embodiment of the present invention. The wet-type vacuum cleaner 1 comprises a tank section 2, a lid section 3, a flat hose 4, and a suction hose 5. The tank section 2 and the lid section 3 constitute the vacuum cleaner body 6. The flat hose 4 constitutes the drain valve of the present invention.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 2, the tank part 2 is cylindrical with an open top and a closed bottom, and has a suction port 7 at the top of the side and a drain port 8 at the bottom of the side. The lower inner surface of the drain port 8 is preferably located higher than the bottom of the tank part 2. Casters 9 are provided at the bottom of the tank part 2.

[0018] The lid 3 is attached to the open upper end of the tank 2 via a packing 10 and is removably attached to the tank 2 by a clamp 11. A suction unit 14 consisting of a suction motor 12 and a fan 13 is provided on the outside of the lid 3, and air is sucked in through an upper air intake 15 formed in the center of the lid 3 and discharged through an exhaust port 16 formed on the side of the lid 3. The suction motor 12 is powered via a power cord 17, and the power can be turned on and off using a power switch 18. An auxiliary power cord 19 branches off from the power cord 17 and extends to the tip of the suction hose 5, and is provided with an auxiliary power switch 20. The auxiliary power cord 19 may be built into the suction hose 5, and the auxiliary power switch 20 may be provided near the suction hose holder.

[0019] A filter section 22 incorporating a filter 21 is provided inside the lid section 3. A lower air intake 23 is formed at the bottom of the filter section 22. A suction path is formed from the suction port 7 through the lower air intake 23, the filter 21, and the upper air intake 15 to the fan 15. A float support section 25 that supports a float valve 24 so that it can move up and down is provided below the filter section 22. The float valve 24 is capable of floating on the wastewater stored in the tank section 2. It moves downward due to gravity, opening the lower air intake 23, and is pushed up and moves upward as the wastewater stored in the tank section 2 rises, closing the lower air intake 23 via a gasket 26 and blocking the suction path.

[0020] The flat hose 4 constitutes the drain valve of the present invention and is connected to the drain outlet 8 of the tank portion 2. The flat hose 4 is a resin-made water supply / drainage hose made from chemical fibers and soft polyvinyl chloride, and is designed to close when the pressure inside the tank portion 2 decreases and open when the pressure inside the tank portion 2 increases. A SunnyHose (registered trademark) or fire hose with an inner diameter of 50 to 100 mm can be used as the flat hose 4. If the flat hose 4 is too short, the drain outlet 8 cannot be closed even when the pressure inside the tank portion 2 decreases, and if it is too long, the drain outlet cannot be opened even when the pressure inside the tank portion 2 increases, so the length of the flat hose 4 is preferably 200 to 500 mm.

[0021] One end of the suction hose 5 is connected to the suction port 7 of the tank part 2, and the other end is adapted to have a nozzle (not shown) attached thereto.

[0022] Next, the operation of the wet vacuum cleaner 1 will be described.

[0023] As shown in Figure 3A, when an operator turns on the power switch 18, the suction motor 12 starts operating, and air inside the tank 2 is sucked into the fan 13 via the lower air intake 23, filter 21, and upper air intake 15, and then exhausted from the exhaust port 16. As a result, negative pressure is generated inside the tank 2, and the suction port 7 and drain port 8 try to suck in outside air, but the flat hose 4 of the drain port 8 is crushed by atmospheric pressure, closing the drain port 8, so that the only port that connects to the tank 2 is the suction port 7, to which the suction hose 5 is connected. As a result, the suction motor 12 continues to operate, the pressure inside the tank 2 is reduced, and sewage begins to be sucked in through the suction hose 5.

[0024] As shown in Figure 3B, of the air, dirt, pebbles, and wastewater sucked into the tank 2 from the suction hose 5 through the suction port 7, the dirt, pebbles, and wastewater fall to the bottom of the tank 2 by gravity, and the air passes through the lower air intake 23, filter 21, and upper air intake 15, is sucked into the fan 13 of the suction unit 14, and is exhausted from the exhaust port 16. Since the flat hose 4 is closed in the tank 2, the dirt, pebbles, and wastewater are collected in the tank 21.

[0025] 3C, when the tank 2 is filled with wastewater and the wastewater level reaches a predetermined level, the pre-installed float valve 24 floats up and blocks the lower air intake port 23. As a result, the air intake path is blocked, the suction force weakens, and the load on the suction motor 12 increases, causing louder noise. Therefore, the operator turns off the power supply using the auxiliary power switch 20 to stop the suction motor 12.

[0026] As a result, atmospheric air enters the tank 2 through the exhaust port 16 of the fan 13 and the suction hose 5, increasing the pressure in the tank 2, causing the float valve 24 to drop downward as shown in Figure 3D, and the negative pressure inside the tank 2 returns to the same atmospheric pressure as the outside air. As a result, the flat hose 4 is released by the pressure inside the tank 2, and the wastewater passes through the flat hose 4 under its own weight and is discharged outside the tank 2. Solid matter such as garbage and pebbles can collect at the bottom of the tank because the lower part of the inner surface of the drain outlet is higher than the bottom, and can be removed from the tank 2 when work is finished.

[0027] When the wastewater inside the tank 2 has been completely drained, the worker holding the suction hose 5 turns on the power using the nearby auxiliary power switch 20. This allows suction by the suction hose 5 to resume.

[0028] As shown in FIGS. 3A to 3D, by repeating the steps of powering on, supplying water, shutting off, and draining, the worker can suck up and discharge dirty water forever without touching the cleaner body 6 even once.

[0029] As shown in Figure 7, conventional wet-type vacuum cleaners have a natural limit to the size of the tank, and when the tank becomes full of sewage, the operator must physically separate the lid from the tank and manually drain the sewage from the tank. However, in the wet-type vacuum cleaner of the present invention, by providing a flat hose 4 on the tank 2, when the negative pressure inside the tank 2 becomes zero, the sewage is discharged out of the tank 2 through the flat hose 4 under its own weight, eliminating the need for the operator to return to the vacuum cleaner body 6 and manually drain the water.

[0030] In the wet vacuum cleaner of the present invention, even if the worker uses a long suction hose 5 and works at a position away from the vacuum cleaner main body 6, the auxiliary power switch 20 is positioned close to the worker, so the worker can work without ever touching the vacuum cleaner main body 6. Furthermore, since the drain outlet 8 uses a flat hose 4 rather than a valve, the length of the drain hose can be adjusted by extending the flat hose 4 or by connecting a drain hose (not shown) to the flat hose 4, and the drain hose can be extended to the location where the wastewater is to be disposed of. Because the drain outlet 8 is provided with a flat hose 4 rather than a valve, even if small stones or the like remain inside the flat hose 4 as shown in Figure 4, when the flat hose becomes flat due to negative pressure, the inner surface of the flat hose will adhere tightly around the small stones, maintaining the negative pressure, so the opening and closing operation is not hindered and there is no risk of malfunction, and the simple structure keeps manufacturing costs low. [Example]

[0031] A task of sucking up and draining a predetermined amount of water was performed using a wet vacuum cleaner of the present invention, which has a 1200W suction motor, a tank with a capacity of 27L, a suction hose with a diameter of 38mm, and a flat hose with a diameter of 50mm and a length of 200mm.As a comparative example, the same task was performed using a conventional wet vacuum cleaner with the same power consumption, tank capacity, and suction hose as the present invention, but without a drain outlet.

[0032] As shown in Table 1, in the present invention, Example 1 took 7.72 seconds to absorb 4 liters of water and 10.30 seconds to drain it; Example 2 took 8.27 seconds to absorb 5 liters of water and 11.10 seconds to drain it; and Example 3 took 11.23 seconds to absorb 6 liters of water and 12.88 seconds to drain it (these figures are the averages of 10 trials). The drainage time is not the time until not a single drop of absorbed water is drained, but the time until approximately 90-95% of the water in the tank is drained. Because the water in the tank is drained by its own weight, the time required for water absorption and drainage are not proportional. [Table 1]

[0033] With conventional wet vacuum cleaners, it takes an average of about one minute to disassemble the vacuum cleaner body and manually drain the water. Furthermore, depending on the conditions of the work site, returning to the vacuum cleaner body and starting work can take more than one minute and a half, and at least two minutes and a half, just to go back and forth between the vacuum cleaner body and the work site with the suction hose, which is a 4-5 meter drop using a ladder or stepladder. In contrast, with the present invention, the time required for the work from powering on to draining is significantly reduced, making it simple and efficient.

[0034] When using a conventional wet-type vacuum cleaner, the worker had to travel back and forth between the area to be cleaned and the vacuum cleaner body, disassemble the vacuum cleaner body, hold the tank and drain the dirty water into a ditch, reassemble the vacuum cleaner body, and start the job again. Furthermore, depending on the amount of water absorbed, the same steps had to be repeated multiple times. When using the wet-type vacuum cleaner of the present invention, the time required for traveling back and forth to the vacuum cleaner body, disassembly, draining, and reassembly, as with conventional wet-type vacuum cleaners, is eliminated, significantly reducing work time.

[0035] In addition, muddy water that has entered homes due to tsunamis, river flooding, liquefaction caused by earthquakes, etc. has traditionally been removed using shovels, dustpans, brooms, etc., but ultimately mud and sand remain, making it impossible to completely remove. Furthermore, even when attempting to drain using a conventional pump with an impeller, mud gets into the impeller, preventing operation and resulting in breakdowns. When using the wet vacuum cleaner of the present invention, even if muddy water or foreign objects that have gotten between pillars and alcoves, or between joists and dirt floors, have hardened, they can be softened and liquefied by pouring water over them, and then the muddy water can be sucked up and removed completely.

[0036] In the above embodiment, a flat hose 4 is provided at the drain outlet 8 as a drain valve, but instead of this flat hose 4, as shown in Figure 5, a flexible disc-shaped valve body 27 made of rubber or resin that can open and close the drain outlet may be attached to the upper edge of the drain outlet 8 so that it closes when the pressure in the tank section 2 decreases and opens when the pressure in the tank section 2 increases.

[0037] In addition, in the above embodiment, the drain outlet 8 is provided on the lower side of the tank portion 2, but as shown in Figure 6, the drain outlet 8 may also be provided on the bottom of the tank portion 2, with the upper end being located at a higher position than the bottom of the tank portion 2.

[0038] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the power supply is turned on and off manually using the auxiliary electron microscope switch 20 when the tank is full or when draining is complete. However, a switch may be provided to detect when the float valve 24 closes the lower air intake 23, and the power supply is automatically turned off. Alternatively, a switch may be provided to detect when the water level in the tank 2 has dropped below a predetermined level after being drained, and the power supply may be automatically turned on. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 1…Wet vacuum cleaner 2...Tank section 3…Lid part 4...Flat hose (drain valve) 5...Suction hose 6...Vacuum cleaner body 7…Suction port 8…Suction port 9...Caster 10...Gasket 11...Clamp 12...Suction motor 13...Fan 14...Suction part 15...Upper air intake 16...Exhaust port 17...Power cord 18...Power switch 19...Auxiliary power cord 20...Auxiliary power switch 21...Filter 22...Filter section 23...Lower air intake 24...Float valve 25...Float support 26...Gasket 27...Valve body

Claims

1. A suction port; a tank portion for holding water sucked through the suction port; a suction unit that generates a suction force in a suction path that runs from the suction port through the inside of the tank unit; a float valve that is movable up and down according to the water level held in the tank portion and that blocks the suction path when the water level reaches a predetermined level; In a wet vacuum cleaner comprising: A drain outlet is provided at the bottom of the tank portion, The wet vacuum cleaner with an automatic drain valve is provided at the drain outlet with a drain valve that closes when the pressure in the tank portion decreases and opens when the pressure in the tank portion increases.

2. 2. The wet vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the drain valve is a flat hose having one end connected to the drain outlet and the other end open.

3. The wet-type vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein the drain valve has a flexible plate-shaped valve body that can open and close the drain outlet.

4. A suction hose is attached to the suction port, The wet vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein a switch for turning on and off the power supply to the suction unit is disposed near the holding portion of the suction hose.

5. The wet-type vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein the drain outlet is provided on a lower side surface of the tank portion, and a lower portion of the inner surface of the drain outlet is located higher than a bottom of the tank portion.

6. The wet-type vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein the drain outlet is provided in the bottom of the tank portion, and an upper end of the drain outlet is located higher than the inner bottom surface of the tank portion.

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