Cleaner

Abstract

To provide a technique that facilitates removal of dust accumulated between two filters.SOLUTION: A cleaner according to the present disclosure comprises: a case formed therein with a driving chamber in which a suction source is housed, and a dust storage chamber into which air and dust sucked by a suction force of the suction source flow; and a filter part arranged in the case so as to vertically partition the driving chamber and the dust storage chamber. The filter part comprises: a primary filter constituted so as to retain a portion of the dust contained in the air, in the dust storage chamber; a secondary filter provided at a position separated upward from the primary filter so as to form a dust storage space for storing the dust passed through the primary filter, between itself and the primary filter, and having finer meshes than those of the primary filter; and a dust fall part comprising a dust discharge passage establishing communication between the dust storage space and the dust storage chamber so as to allow the dust accumulated in the dust storage space, to fall to the dust storage chamber when the suction source is stopped.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vacuum cleaner having two filters. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a stick-type vacuum cleaner 300 as shown in Figure 15. Vacuum cleaner 300 has a handle 310 that forms the base end of vacuum cleaner 300, and this handle 310 is formed so that it can be held by a user. In addition, the tip of vacuum cleaner 300 is provided with a suction nozzle 320 that can be moved on the floor surface by the user.

[0003] Between the grip part 310 and the suction nozzle 320, there are provided a vacuum cleaner main body 330 incorporating a suction source that generates a suction force for sucking dust on the floor surface through the suction nozzle 320, and a dust storage part 340 that stores the dust sucked by the suction force of the suction source. This dust storage part 340 is attached to the vacuum cleaner main body 330.

[0004] 16, dust storage unit 340 has dust storage container 341 that opens upward, and lid 342 for opening and closing the opening at the top end of dust storage container 341. In order to prevent dust in dust storage container 341 from flowing into vacuum cleaner body 330, filter unit 343 is disposed on top of dust storage container 341. Filter unit 343 has primary filter 344 and secondary filter 345 that has finer mesh than primary filter 344.

[0005] Primary filter 344 can retain most of the dust in dust storage container 341 within dust storage container 341, but some dust can pass through primary filter 344. However, the dust that passes through primary filter 344 is captured by secondary filter 345 and stored between primary filter 344 and secondary filter 345. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-42332 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In order to discard the dust between primary filter 344 and secondary filter 345, the user removes dust storage unit 340 from vacuum cleaner body 330. Then, the user operates lid 342 to open the opening at the top end of dust storage container 341 and removes filter unit 343 from dust storage container 341. The user then disassembles filter unit 343 into primary filter 344 and secondary filter 345 and discards the dust between them. In this way, in order to discard the dust between primary filter 344 and secondary filter 345, the user must perform various disassembly tasks.

[0008] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique that makes it easy to remove dust that has accumulated between two filters. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The vacuum cleaner of the present disclosure includes a housing that forms a drive chamber that houses a suction source that generates a suction force to suck in dust, a dust storage chamber that is provided below the drive chamber and into which air and dust sucked by the suction force of the suction source flow, and a filter unit that is arranged within the housing to separate the drive chamber and the dust storage chamber into upper and lower sections. The filter unit includes a primary filter that is configured to allow air flowing from the dust storage chamber toward the drive chamber due to the suction force of the suction source to pass through while retaining some of the dust contained in the air in the dust storage chamber, a secondary filter that is provided at a position above and spaced apart from the primary filter and has a finer mesh than the primary filter so as to form a dust storage space between the filter and the primary filter for storing dust that has passed through the primary filter, and a dust-falling section that has a dust discharge path that communicates between the dust storage space and the dust storage chamber so as to allow dust that has accumulated in the dust storage space to fall into the dust storage chamber when the suction source is stopped. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The present disclosure allows dust between the primary filter and the secondary filter to be easily removed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] Vertical cross-sectional view of a vacuum cleaner (first embodiment) [Figure 2] Vertical cross section of a vacuum cleaner [Figure 3] A longitudinal cross-sectional view of the filter section of the vacuum cleaner [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the filter section of another vacuum cleaner; [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the filter section of another vacuum cleaner; [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the filter section of another vacuum cleaner; [Figure 7] A perspective view of the secondary filter in the filter section [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the filter section of another vacuum cleaner; [Figure 9] Cross section of the filter [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a vacuum cleaner and a collection device (second embodiment); [Figure 11] Cross-sectional view of the recovery device [Figure 12] Rear view of the recovery device [Figure 13] 10 is a perspective view of another vacuum cleaner (third embodiment); [Figure 14] Vertical cross section of a vacuum cleaner [Figure 15] Perspective view of a conventional vacuum cleaner [Figure 16] A perspective view of a dust storage section of a conventional vacuum cleaner. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, first to third embodiments of the vacuum cleaner will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art, for example, detailed descriptions of well-known matters or redundant descriptions of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. Note that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter recited in the claims.

[0013] (First embodiment) Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a stick-type vacuum cleaner 100. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner 100. The vacuum cleaner 100 will be described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2.

[0014] (Overall structure of the vacuum cleaner) The vacuum cleaner 100 comprises a suction nozzle 130 that sucks in dust on the floor, a vacuum cleaner body 110 that stands upright relative to the suction nozzle 130, and a handle 140 that extends upward from the upper end 112 of the vacuum cleaner body 110. The vacuum cleaner body 110 and the handle 140 shown in Figures 1 and 2 are in an upright position relative to the suction nozzle 130. When using the vacuum cleaner 100, the vacuum cleaner body 110 and the handle 140 are held by the user in a position tilted backward relative to the suction nozzle 130. Note that the vacuum cleaner body 110 and the handle 140 may also be tilted forward relative to the suction nozzle 130.

[0015] Suction nozzle 130 is provided with nozzle case 132 that is wider than vacuum cleaner body 110 so as to form wide suction space 131 for sucking in dust. Suction space 131 opens toward the floor at the front portion of nozzle case 132. Behind this opening, suction space 131 is closed by bottom 134 of nozzle case 132. A rotary scraping brush 133 is disposed in suction space 131, and scraping brush 133 is exposed from nozzle case 132 so as to be able to come into contact with the floor surface through the opening of suction space 131.

[0016] The vacuum cleaner main body 110 has a housing 111 that is elongated in the vertical direction. The upper part of the housing 111 tapers toward an upper end 112 of the housing 111, and a grip part 140 extends upward from the upper end 112. The grip part 140 is a rod-shaped part that is thick enough to be gripped by a user. As shown in FIG. 2, the grip part 140 is provided with an operating part 141 that is operated by the user.

[0017] The housing 111 is configured to incorporate various components for sucking up dust on the floor surface and storing the sucked up dust. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1 , a suction pipe 113 extending in the vertical direction is disposed inside the lower portion of the housing 111. A dust storage chamber 152 into which dust and air flow through the suction nozzle 130 and the suction pipe 113 is disposed above the suction pipe 113. A drive chamber 153 is formed above the dust storage chamber 152, housing a suction source 116 that generates a suction force to suck up dust on the floor surface and generate an upward suction airflow, and a power storage unit 117 that stores power for operating the suction source 116. The drive chamber 153 and the dust storage chamber 152 are aligned vertically and adjacent to each other, and are partitioned vertically by a filter unit 115 disposed inside the housing 111. The filter unit 115 is configured to capture dust while allowing air to pass through.

[0018] A dust discharge port 124 for discharging dust accumulated in the dust storage chamber 152 is formed in the front wall of the housing 111. The dust discharge port 124 is a substantially rectangular opening that communicates with the dust storage chamber 152. In order to open and close the dust discharge port 124, a substantially rectangular lid 121 is attached to the housing 111 so as to be able to rotate up and down. The lid 121 shown in FIG. 2 is in an open position that opens the dust discharge port 124, and the lid 121 shown in FIG. 1 is in a closed position that closes the dust discharge port 124. The lid 121 is biased to the closed position so as to close the dust discharge port 124 when no external force is acting on the lid 121.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 1, filter unit 115 is a thin plate-like member extending obliquely upward from a position above cover 121 and dust discharge port 124. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, filter unit 115 has a primary filter 171 configured to allow air to flow between dust storage chamber 152 and drive chamber 153, and a secondary filter 172 provided at a position spaced apart above primary filter 171. Primary filter 171 has larger holes than secondary filter 172 and is configured to capture large dust particles contained in the suction airflow generated by suction source 116. The dust captured by primary filter 171 is stored in dust storage chamber 152.

[0020] Dust particles smaller than the mesh size of primary filter 171 can pass through primary filter 171, but this small dust particle can be captured by secondary filter 172 above primary filter 171. Dust captured by secondary filter 172 is stored in the space between primary filter 171 and secondary filter 172. In the following description, this space will be referred to as "dust storage space 173."

[0021] 1, the primary filter 171 is provided in an inclined position, extending obliquely upward from a position above the lid 121 and the dust discharge port 124. The secondary filter 172 is provided in an attitude substantially parallel to the primary filter 171. Therefore, the dust storage space 173 between the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 is also obliquely inclined. In this embodiment, the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 are sheet-shaped and have flat inner surfaces facing each other.

[0022] In order to discharge dust accumulated in the dust storage space 173 between the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172, a dust drop section 179 is attached to the lower ends of the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172, as shown in FIG. 3 . The dust drop section 179 is a cylindrical member located adjacent to the upper part of the dust discharge port 124 on the inner surface of the front wall portion of the housing 111, and forms a dust discharge path 180 that extends in the vertical direction so that dust falls when dust is discharged from the dust storage space 173. The dust discharge path 180 communicates with the dust storage space 173 at its lowest position in the dust storage space 173. The lower end of the dust discharge path 180 opens downward and faces the dust storage chamber 152. When the suction source 116 is stopped, the dust accumulated in the dust storage space 173 falls from the opening at the lower end of the dust discharge path 180 into the dust storage chamber 152. The opening at the bottom end of the dust discharge path 180 will be referred to as a "drop opening 189" in the following description.

[0023] To open and close the drop port 189, an on-off valve 181 is attached to the lower end of the dust collection unit 179 so as to be rotatable up and down, as shown in FIG. 3 . The on-off valve 181 shown in FIG. 3 is in an open position that opens the drop port 189. When the suction source 116 in the drive chamber 153 above the filter unit 115 generates an upward suction force, the on-off valve 181 is rotated upward from the position shown in FIG. 3 by this suction force and assumes a closed position that closes the drop port 189. When the suction source 116 stops and the suction force is eliminated, the on-off valve 181 rotates downward by its own weight and can open the drop port 189. Note that the on-off valve 181 may be configured to assume a position that opens the drop port 189 by the suction force of the collection device 200 shown in FIG. 10 , as described in a second embodiment. Alternatively, as described in the third embodiment, if the suction source 116 can generate a downward airflow, the on-off valve 181 may be configured to assume a position that opens the drop port 189 due to this downward airflow.

[0024] 1, the upper end of dust storage chamber 152 is defined by filter portion 115, while the lower end of dust storage chamber 152 is defined by check valve 114 attached to the upper end of suction pipe 113. Check valve 114 shown in FIG. 1 is in a closed position that closes the opening at the upper end of suction pipe 113. When suction source 116 generates an upward suction force, check valve 114 rotates upward from the position shown in FIG. 1 to an open position that opens the opening at the upper end of suction pipe 113.

[0025] Suction tube 113 extends in the vertical direction, and the lower end of suction tube 113 is attached to suction nozzle 130. The connection portion between suction tube 113 and suction nozzle 130 is configured to allow suction tube 113, housing 111, and grip portion 140 to tilt backward from the upright position shown in FIG.

[0026] When suction tube 113, housing 111, and grip portion 140 are in the upright position shown in Fig. 1, the lower end of suction tube 113 is in contact with bottom portion 134 of nozzle case 132. That is, when vacuum cleaner body 110 is in the upright position, the lower end of suction tube 113 is closed by bottom portion 134 of nozzle case 132. When vacuum cleaner body 110 is tilted backward from the upright position, the lower end of suction tube 113 moves in the direction shown by arrow A in Fig. 1. As a result, the flow path of suction tube 113 is in communication with suction space 131 of nozzle case 132.

[0027] (Explanation of how the vacuum cleaner works) During cleaning work, the user holds the vacuum cleaner 100 in a position where the vacuum cleaner body 110 and the grip part 140 are tilted backward relative to the suction nozzle 130. By tilting the vacuum cleaner body 110 and the grip part 140 backward relative to the suction nozzle 130, it becomes easier to move the suction nozzle 130 forward while pushing it. In this state, the flow path of the suction tube 113 communicates with the suction space 131 of the suction nozzle 130.

[0028] When the user then operates the operating unit 141 to activate the suction source 116, the suction source 116 generates an upward suction force. This suction force causes the check valve 114 to bend upward, opening the upper end of the suction tube 113. Meanwhile, this suction force causes the on-off valve 181 of the filter unit 115 to rotate upward from the position shown in FIG. 3 and assume a closed position that closes the drop port 189 of the dust dropping unit 179.

[0029] When the upper end of suction pipe 113 is opened, the suction force of suction source 116 generates a suction airflow that sucks in dust through suction space 131 of suction nozzle 130. The suction airflow passes through suction nozzle 130 and suction pipe 113 and flows into dust storage chamber 152. Dust on the floor surface is carried by this suction airflow and flows into dust storage chamber 152. Large dust particles among this dust are captured by primary filter 171 and retained in dust storage chamber 152. Meanwhile, small dust particles pass through primary filter 171 and flow into dust storage space 173 between primary filter 171 and secondary filter 172. This dust is then captured by secondary filter 172 and retained in dust storage space 173. At this time, the drop port 189 of the dust dropping section 179 is closed by the on-off valve 181, so that air and dust are prevented from flowing into the dust storage space 173 through the dust discharge path 180 without passing through the primary filter 171.

[0030] When the cleaning work is completed, the user operates the operating unit 141 to stop the suction source 116. As a result, the suction force of the suction source 116 disappears, and the check valve 114 returns to its original position and closes the upper end of the suction pipe 113. Therefore, the dust in the dust storage chamber 152 does not fall into the suction pipe 113.

[0031] When the suction force of suction source 116 is lost, the dust captured by secondary filter 172 falls onto the inner surface (upper surface) of primary filter 171, which defines the lower end of dust storage space 173. Then, this dust moves to the lowest position in dust storage space 173 according to the inclination of primary filter 171. At this time, because the inner surface of primary filter 171 is flat, the dust can move downward without getting caught on primary filter 171.

[0032] At the lowest position in dust storage space 173, dust discharge path 180 of dust falling section 179 communicates with dust storage space 173, so dust that has moved downward within dust storage space 173 enters dust discharge path 180 of dust falling section 179. At this time, on-off valve 181 attached to dust falling section 179 rotates downward due to its own weight, opening drop port 189 of dust falling section 179. Therefore, dust that has entered dust falling section 179 falls through drop port 189 into dust storage chamber 152. Dust falling section 179 is adjacent to the upper part of dust discharge port 124 on the inner surface of the front wall portion of housing 111, so the dust falls to a position near dust discharge port 124.

[0033] The dust that falls from dust storage space 173 to a position near dust discharge port 124 is smaller than the dust that is retained in dust storage chamber 152 by primary filter 171. For this reason, in dust storage chamber 152, a lot of small dust particles are present near dust discharge port 124, and a lot of large dust particles can be present at the back of dust storage chamber 152 with respect to dust discharge port 124 (i.e., near the rear wall portion of housing 111).

[0034] To dispose of the dust in dust storage chamber 152, the user may hold vacuum cleaner 100, for example, above a trash can with dust outlet 124 facing downward. If the user opens lid 121 in this state, the dust in dust storage chamber 152 will fall into the trash can. At this time, small dust particles near dust outlet 124 may be pushed out of dust outlet 124 by larger dust particles at the back of dust storage chamber 152. Even if small dust particles remain near dust outlet 124, the user can easily wipe the dust off with, for example, a damp cloth.

[0035] In the vacuum cleaner 100 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a user can remove dust from the dust storage space 173 between the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 without disassembling the filter unit 115.

[0036] 1 to 3, primary filter 171 and secondary filter 172 are inclined at an angle, so their areas are larger than when they are horizontally disposed in housing 111. This prevents primary filter 171 and secondary filter 172 from becoming clogged overall.

[0037] 1 to 3, the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 are substantially parallel to each other. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4, the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 may be disposed in an orientation in which the distance between the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 increases as the filter approaches the dust-falling section 179. In this case, dust moving downward in the dust storage space 173 toward the dust-falling section 179 is prevented from being pinched between the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 and stopping before reaching the dust-falling section 179. In other words, the dust in the dust storage space 173 can reach the dust-falling section 179 without being obstructed by the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172.

[0038] 1 to 3, the dust-falling section 179 is attached to the ends of the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172. However, the dust-falling section 179 may be provided in other positions. For example, if the primary filter 171 is curved so as to be convex toward the dust storage chamber 152 as shown in FIG. 5 and the dust storage space 173 is lowest at the center position in the front-to-rear direction, the dust-falling section 179 may be provided in the center position of the primary filter 171.

[0039] In the vacuum cleaner 100 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , the corner of the dust storage chamber 152 formed by the lower end portion of the primary filter 171 and the inner surface of the front wall of the housing 111 has an obtuse angle. On the other hand, the corner of the dust storage chamber 152 formed by the upper end portion of the primary filter 171 and the inner surface of the rear wall of the housing 111 has an acute angle. Even if large dust particles (cotton dust) reach the obtuse-angled corner, the dust particles can fall from the obtuse-angled corner when the suction source 116 is stopped. However, large dust particles that have entered the acute-angled corner are sandwiched between the upper end portion of the primary filter 171 and the inner surface of the rear wall of the housing 111, even when the suction source 116 is stopped, and are therefore less likely to fall from the acute-angled corner. To facilitate the dust particles from falling from the corner of the dust storage chamber 152, the primary filter 171 may be formed as shown in FIG. 6 .

[0040] 6 has an inclined portion 174 extending diagonally upward from the front wall portion of the housing 111 so that the corners of the dust storage chamber 152 have obtuse angles, and a bent portion 175 bent from the inclined portion 174 so that the corners are closer to horizontal than the inclined portion 174. The angle formed by the bent portion 175 and the inner surface of the rear wall portion of the housing 111 is larger than the angle formed by the upper end portion of the primary filter 171 and the inner surface of the rear wall portion of the housing 111 shown in FIG. 3. In this case, even if dust gets into the corner formed by the bent portion 175 and the inner surface of the rear wall portion of the housing 111, the dust will easily fall out from the corner once the suction source 116 is stopped.

[0041] The secondary filter 172 has finer mesh than the primary filter 171, and is therefore more susceptible to clogging than the primary filter 171. In order to prevent the secondary filter 172 from becoming clogged entirely, it is preferable that the secondary filter 172 have a larger area than the primary filter 171. For example, in order to increase the area of ​​the secondary filter 172, the secondary filter 172 may be formed as shown in FIG. 7.

[0042] The secondary filter 172 shown in Fig. 7 has a folded shape so as to form a plurality of ridges 178 extending in the front-rear direction. In this case, the area of ​​the ridges 178 can be larger than that of an unfolded sheet-like secondary filter 172. Although the ridges 178 shown in Fig. 7 extend in the front-rear direction, the secondary filter 172 may also be folded so as to form a plurality of ridges 178 extending in the left-right direction.

[0043] When fine dust becomes densely packed in the dust storage space 173, even if the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 are inclined as shown in FIG. 3, the dust is less likely to move downward in the dust storage space 173. For this reason, the filter unit 115 may be configured to provide a large dust storage space 173. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the secondary filter 172 may have a curved shape that convex toward the drive chamber 153. In this case, the dust storage space 173 between the secondary filter 172 and the primary filter 171 is larger than the dust storage space 173 shown in FIG. 3. The area of ​​the secondary filter 172 shown in FIG. 8 is larger than the area of ​​the secondary filter 172 shown in FIG. 3. Note that although the secondary filter 172 shown in FIG. 8 has a curved shape in a side view, the secondary filter 172 may have a cross section that is curved so as to convex toward the drive chamber 153 in a front view.

[0044] To increase the area of ​​the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172, the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 may be formed to be somewhat wide. In this case, the width (size in the left-right direction) of the dust storage space 173 also increases. If the drop port 189 of the dust falling section 179 is formed wide to match the width of the dust storage space 173, the on-off valve 181 needs to be large in the width direction. To prevent the on-off valve 181 from becoming large, the dust discharge path 180 of the dust falling section 179 may narrow toward the drop port 189, as shown in FIG. 9. In FIG. 9, the area of ​​the drop port 189 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the dust storage space 173, and the on-off valve 181 only needs to be large enough to close the drop port 189. Therefore, even if the dust storage space 173 is formed wide, the on-off valve 181 can have a small weight. Therefore, even if the suction force of the suction source 116 decreases, the on-off valve 181 can be maintained in the closed position.

[0045] If drop opening 189 has a small area, the position to which dust falling from drop opening 189 falls can be contained within a narrow range. For this reason, if drop opening 189 is located above the center position of dust discharge opening 124 in the width direction, dust in dust storage space 173 will fall near the center position of dust discharge opening 124. In this case, when lid 121 opens dust discharge opening 124, dust that has fallen from dust storage space 173 can be easily discharged from housing 111 through dust discharge opening 124.

[0046] (Second embodiment) The dust stored in the dust storage chamber 152 and the dust storage space 173 of the vacuum cleaner 100 of the first embodiment may be collected using a collection device 200 shown in FIG.

[0047] 10, collection device 200 is configured to be connectable to vacuum cleaner 100, and is configured to generate a suction force to suck dust from dust chamber 152 of vacuum cleaner 100 while connected to collection device 200, and collect the dust. In detail, collection device 200 has a base plate 220 on which vacuum cleaner 100 is placed, a support part 217 erected from base plate 220, and a housing 210 supported by support part 217 at a position spaced above base plate 220. Support part 217 is smaller than housing 210 and base plate 220 in the front-rear direction, and a recess is formed surrounded by base plate 220, support part 217, and housing 210. A front portion of suction nozzle 130 placed on base plate 220 is inserted into this recess.

[0048] Housing 210 is a generally rectangular box-shaped portion, and a recessed groove 215 into which vacuum cleaner body 110 is fitted is formed on the rear wall of housing 210, as shown in Fig. 11. Recessed groove 215 extends in the vertical direction, as shown in Fig. 12.

[0049] 12, a collection port 216 is formed in the recessed groove portion 215, through which dust in the dust storage chamber 152 of the vacuum cleaner 100 flows in. The collection port 216 is formed at a height position opposite the lid body 121 of the vacuum cleaner 100 placed on the base plate 220. The collection port 216 has a size that allows the lid body 121 of the vacuum cleaner 100 in the open position to enter.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 10 , a dust suction source 250 that generates a suction force for sucking dust out of dust storage chamber 152 of vacuum cleaner 100, and a dust storage box 240 that stores the dust sucked by dust suction source 250 are arranged within housing 210 of collection device 200. Dust storage box 240 is arranged above dust suction source 250, and a filter member 247 is arranged between dust storage box 240 and dust suction source 250. Filter member 247 is configured to capture dust while allowing air to pass through. Dust suction source 250 sucks air from dust storage box 240 downward through filter member 247. At this time, the dust in dust storage box 240 is retained within dust storage box 240 by filter member 247.

[0051] A collection duct 230 extends from the dust storage box 240, and the tip of the collection duct 230 is connected to the collection port 216. The collection duct 230 forms a flow path for dust to flow from the collection port 216 to the dust storage box 240.

[0052] The primary filter 171 of the vacuum cleaner 100 shown in Fig. 10 is the same as the primary filter 171 shown in Fig. 6. When collecting dust inside the vacuum cleaner 100 using the collection device 200, the secondary filter 172 may preferably have an inclined portion 176 and a bent portion 177, similar to the primary filter 171. The inclined portion 176 of the secondary filter 172 extends obliquely upward from a position above the dust outlet 124 and is oriented approximately parallel to the inclined portion 174 of the primary filter 171. The bent portion 177 of the secondary filter 172 is positioned farther from the dust outlet 124 than the inclined portion 176, and is bent relative to the inclined portion 174 so as to be oriented more horizontally than the inclined portion 174.

[0053] (Explanation of the operation of the collection device when collecting dust) The user attaches the vacuum cleaner 100 to the collection device 200 to collect dust accumulated in the dust storage chamber 152. More specifically, the user places the vacuum cleaner 100 on the base plate 220 of the collection device 200, and places the vacuum cleaner body 110 and the handle 140 in an upright position. When the upright vacuum cleaner body 110 is fitted into the recessed groove portion 215 of the collection device 200, the lid 121 of the vacuum cleaner 100 faces the collection port 216 of the collection device 200 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0054] When dust suction source 250 is activated in this state, the suction force of dust suction source 250 acts on lid body 121 facing collection port 216 through dust storage box 240 and collection duct 230. In response to the suction force of dust suction source 250, lid body 121 changes from a closed position in which dust discharge port 124 is closed to an open position in which dust discharge port 124 is opened.

[0055] When the dust discharge port 124 is opened, the dust storage chamber 152 of the vacuum cleaner 100 is in communication with the internal space of the dust storage box 240 through the recovery duct 230. In this state, the suction force of the dust suction source 250 of the collection device 200 acts on the dust in the dust storage chamber 152 of the vacuum cleaner 100 through the dust storage box 240 and the recovery duct 230. Then, the dust in the dust storage chamber 152 flows into the dust storage box 240 through the recovery duct 230.

[0056] At this time, the suction force of the dust suction source 250 of the collection device 200 is strong near the dust discharge port 124, but becomes weaker the further away from the dust discharge port 124. In particular, the suction force acting on the bent portion 177 of the secondary filter 172 can be weak for the following reason. That is, the dust suction force can act on the bent portion 177 of the secondary filter 172 through the meshes of the primary filter 171, but this dust suction force can be reduced by pressure loss in the primary filter 171. In addition, the dust suction force can also act on the bent portion 177 of the secondary filter 172 through the dust discharge path 180 of the dust falling portion 179, but the bent portion 177 at the rear end of the secondary filter 172 is distant from the dust falling portion 179 attached to the front end of the secondary filter 172. Therefore, the dust suction force acting through the dust discharge path 180 of the dust dropping portion 179 is also less likely to act on the bent portion 177 of the secondary filter 172.

[0057] To facilitate the removal of dust adhering to such bent portion 177, bent portion 177 is provided in an attitude closer to horizontal than inclined portion 176. That is, because dust discharge port 124 is provided below filter portion 115, the dust suction force of dust suction source 250 acts downward on bent portion 177. And because bent portion 177 is provided in an attitude close to horizontal, the component of the dust suction force of dust suction source 250 in the normal direction of bent portion 177 can be somewhat large. For this reason, dust adhering to bent portion 177 can be pulled off from bent portion 177 by the dust suction force of dust suction source 250.

[0058] The primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 of the vacuum cleaner 100 shown in Fig. 10 have inclined portions 174, 176 and bent portions 175, 177, respectively. Alternatively, even when collecting dust using the collection device 200, the vacuum cleaner 100 may have the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 shown in any of Figs. 3 to 8. If the dust suction source 250 of the collection device 200 can generate a strong dust suction force, dust can be pulled off the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 shown in any of Figs. 3 to 8 even if the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 shown in any of Figs. 3 to 8 are used.

[0059] (Third embodiment) In the second embodiment, dust is sucked out of the dust storage chamber 152 and the dust storage space 173 by the suction force of the collection device 200. Alternatively, the vacuum cleaner 100 itself may be configured to discharge dust from the dust storage chamber 152 and the dust storage space 173. In this case, as shown in FIG. 13 , the suction source 116 of the vacuum cleaner 100 is configured to generate not only an upward suction airflow from the dust storage chamber 152 through the filter unit 115 toward the drive chamber 153, but also a discharge airflow in the opposite direction to the suction airflow (i.e., downward). The suction airflow is generated when the vacuum cleaner 100 operates in a cleaning mode for sucking up dust on the floor surface into the dust storage chamber 152. The discharge airflow is generated when the vacuum cleaner 100 operates in a dust removal mode for removing dust adhering to the primary filter 171 and the secondary filter 172 of the filter unit 115. The generation of the discharge airflow in the dust removal mode can be instructed by operating the operating portion 142 provided on the grip portion 140 shown in FIG.

[0060] When the user operates operation unit 142, suction source 116 generates a downward discharge airflow. Part of this discharge airflow passes through secondary filter 172 and primary filter 171 of filter unit 115 in this order. At this time, dust adhering to the lower surface of secondary filter 172 falls onto the upper surface of primary filter 171. In addition, dust adhering to the lower surface of primary filter 171 falls to the bottom of dust storage chamber 152.

[0061] A portion of the discharge airflow that passes through secondary filter 172 passes through primary filter 171, but the remaining discharge airflow flows through dust storage space 173 between secondary filter 172 and primary filter 171 and flows out into dust storage chamber 152 through dust discharge path 180 of dust-falling section 179. Dust in dust storage space 173 is not only urged toward dust discharge path 180 shown in FIG. 3 according to the inclination of the upper surface of primary filter 171, but is also urged toward dust discharge path 180 by the discharge airflow flowing toward dust discharge path 180 within dust storage space 173. For this reason, dust in dust storage space 173 flows out into dust storage chamber 152 through dust discharge path 180 together with the discharge airflow flowing within dust storage space 173.

[0062] The discharged airflow that has flowed into dust storage chamber 152 pushes against lid 121, which is closing dust discharge outlet 124, causing lid 121 to assume an open position. As a result, dust discharge outlet 124 is opened, and dust in dust storage chamber 152 is discharged to the outside of housing 111 through dust discharge outlet 124. At this time, the user may place a breathable bag over dust discharge outlet 124. In this case, the dust discharged from dust discharge outlet 124 can be contained within this bag.

[0063] In the case where the suction source 116 is configured to generate a discharge airflow, the filter section 115 may have a primary filter 171 and a secondary filter 172 shown in FIGS.

[0064] In the vacuum cleaner 100 of the first to third embodiments, the vacuum cleaner body 110 and the grip part 140 can be tilted backward from an upright position. Note that the vacuum cleaner 100 may be configured so that the vacuum cleaner body 110 and the grip part 140 can be tilted forward from the upright position.

[0065] In the vacuum cleaner 100 of the first to third embodiments, the cover 121 is configured to be rotatable in the vertical direction relative to the housing 111. Alternatively, the cover 121 may be configured to be rotatable in the horizontal direction relative to the housing 111, or may be configured to slide on the housing 111 to open the dust outlet 124.

[0066] The vacuum cleaner 100 of the first to third embodiments is a stick type. Alternatively, as long as the drive chamber 153 and the dust storage chamber 152 are aligned vertically, the vacuum cleaner 100 may be an upright type vacuum cleaner, a canister type vacuum cleaner, a self-propelled robot vacuum cleaner, or a handheld type vacuum cleaner.

[0067] (Effects, etc.) The vacuum cleaner 100 according to the above embodiment has the following features and provides the following effects.

[0068] A vacuum cleaner according to one aspect of the above-described embodiment includes a housing that defines a drive chamber housing a suction source that generates a suction force to suck in dust, a dust storage chamber that is provided below the drive chamber and into which air and dust sucked by the suction force of the suction source flow, and a filter unit arranged within the housing to separate the drive chamber and the dust storage chamber into upper and lower sections. The filter unit includes a primary filter that allows air flowing from the dust storage chamber toward the drive chamber due to the suction force of the suction source to pass while retaining some of the dust contained in the air in the dust storage chamber, a secondary filter that is located above and spaced apart from the primary filter and has a finer mesh than the primary filter so as to form a dust storage space between the primary filter and the secondary filter for storing dust that has passed through the primary filter, and a dust-falling section that has a dust discharge path that communicates between the dust storage space and the dust storage chamber so as to allow dust that has accumulated in the dust storage space to fall into the dust storage chamber when the suction source is stopped.

[0069] In the above-described configuration, when the suction source of the vacuum cleaner is activated, the suction force of the suction source causes air and dust to flow into the dust storage chamber. The air passes through the primary filter, but large dust particles are captured by the primary filter and retained in the dust storage chamber. However, fine dust particles pass through the primary filter along with the air.

[0070] The air and dust that pass through the primary filter flow into the dust storage space formed between the primary and secondary filters. The secondary filter has finer mesh than the primary filter, allowing the air to pass through the secondary filter. Meanwhile, the fine dust that passes through the primary filter can be retained in the dust storage space by the secondary filter. As a result, the fine dust accumulates in the dust storage space.

[0071] When the suction source is stopped, the dust accumulated in the dust storage space falls through the dust discharge path of the dust-falling unit into the dust storage chamber, allowing the user to remove dust from the dust storage space between the primary and secondary filters without having to disassemble the filter unit.

[0072] In the above-described configuration, the filter unit may be disposed so that the dust storage space is in an obliquely inclined position. The dust-falling unit may be formed so that the dust discharge path communicates with the dust storage space at the lowest position in the dust storage space.

[0073] In the above-described configuration, when the suction source is stopped, the dust in the dust storage space moves along the slope of the dust storage space toward the lowest point in the dust storage space. At this point, the dust discharge path of the dust falling section is connected, so most of the dust in the dust storage space can fall into the dust storage chamber through the dust discharge path of the dust falling section.

[0074] In the above-described configuration, the primary filter and the secondary filter may be arranged so that the distance between the primary filter and the secondary filter increases toward the dust-falling portion.

[0075] In the above-described configuration, when the suction source is stopped, dust in the dust storage space moves toward the dust-falling section according to the slope of the dust storage space. As the dust approaches the dust-falling section, the gap between the primary filter and the secondary filter becomes wider, which prevents the dust from being pinched between the primary filter and the secondary filter and being prevented from approaching the dust-falling section.

[0076] In the above-described configuration, the primary filter may have a flat inner surface facing the secondary filter.

[0077] In the above-described configuration, when the suction source is stopped, the dust captured by the secondary filter may fall onto the inner surface of the primary filter. This dust moves on the inner surface of the primary filter toward the dust-falling section. The inner surface of the primary filter is formed flat so as not to hinder the movement of the dust to the dust-falling section.

[0078] In the above-described configuration, the primary filter or the secondary filter may be provided in an inclined position that is inclined obliquely from a horizontal position.

[0079] In the above-described configuration, the primary filter or the secondary filter is provided at an angle, so that the area of ​​the filter can be larger than when the filter is provided horizontally. As a result, the primary filter or the secondary filter is less likely to become clogged as a whole.

[0080] In the above-described configuration, the primary filter may have an inclined portion that is inclined obliquely from a horizontal position so that the corner formed between the primary filter and the housing on the dust storage chamber side is an obtuse angle, and a bent portion that is bent from the inclined portion so that the primary filter assumes an attitude closer to a horizontal position than the inclined portion.

[0081] In the above-described configuration, the primary filter has an inclined portion that is provided in an inclined position, so the area of ​​the primary filter can be relatively large. The corner formed between the inclined portion and the housing on the dust chamber side is an obtuse angle, so dust is prevented from getting trapped in this corner.

[0082] If the entire primary filter is tilted, an acute corner may be formed between the primary filter and the housing on the dust storage chamber side at the end opposite the end where an obtuse corner is formed between the primary filter and the housing on the dust storage chamber side. Dust that gets caught in this acute corner may be pinched with great force between the primary filter and the housing, making it difficult to remove the dust from the corner. To avoid this situation, the primary filter in the above-described configuration has a bent portion. Because the bent portion is positioned closer to a horizontal position than the inclined portion, the angle of the corner formed between the bent portion and the housing on the dust storage chamber side may be somewhat large. Therefore, even if dust gets caught in this corner, it can fall out when the suction source is stopped without being pinched between the bent portion and the housing.

[0083] In the above-described configuration, the filter unit may have an on-off valve that closes and opens the dust exhaust path. The on-off valve may be configured to be in a closed position to close the dust exhaust path by the suction force of the suction source, and to be in an open position to open the dust exhaust path by its own weight when the suction source is stopped.

[0084] In the above-described configuration, when the suction source is operating, the on-off valve is in a closed position that closes the dust discharge path due to the suction force of the suction source, preventing dust from flowing into the dust storage space through the dust discharge path without passing through the primary filter. When the suction source is stopped, the on-off valve is in an open position that opens the dust discharge path due to its own weight, allowing dust accumulated in the dust storage space to fall into the dust storage chamber through the dust discharge path.

[0085] In the above-described configuration, the filter unit may be disposed so that the dust storage space is inclined obliquely. The drop opening formed at the lower end of the dust discharge path may have an area smaller than the cross section of the dust storage space. The on-off valve may be attached to the dust drop unit so as to open and close the drop opening. The dust discharge path may communicate with the dust storage space at the lowest position in the dust storage space and may narrow from the dust storage space toward the drop opening.

[0086] In the above-described configuration, the dust discharge path narrows from the dust storage space toward the drop opening formed at the lower end of the dust discharge path, so even if the drop opening has a smaller cross-sectional area than the dust storage space, dust in the dust storage space can fall through the drop opening into the dust storage chamber. Because the drop opening can have a relatively small area, the on-off valve does not need to be excessively large.

[0087] In the above-described configuration, the housing may be formed with a dust discharge port for discharging dust from the dust storage chamber so as to communicate with the dust storage chamber. The dust drop section may be disposed adjacent to an upper portion of the dust discharge port on the inner surface of the housing.

[0088] In the above-described configuration, relatively fine dust accumulates in the dust storage space. If this fine dust falls toward the back of the dust storage chamber relative to the dust discharge port, it can be difficult to remove the dust from the dust storage chamber. For example, if a worker is removing dust from the dust storage chamber and finds fine dust at the back of the dust storage chamber, the user can insert a damp cloth deep into the dust storage chamber through the dust discharge port to wipe away the dust. On the other hand, if the dust in the dust storage space falls near the dust discharge port, the user can remove the dust without inserting a damp cloth deep into the dust storage chamber. To facilitate this operation, the dust drop section is located adjacent to the upper portion of the dust discharge port on the inner surface of the housing. In this case, the dust can fall from the dust storage space near the dust discharge port.

[0089] In the above-described configuration, the housing may be formed with a dust discharge port for discharging dust from the dust storage chamber so as to communicate with the dust storage chamber. The vacuum cleaner may have an operating unit that is operated to operate the suction source in a dust removal mode that removes dust adhering to the primary filter and the secondary filter. The suction source may be configured to generate a downward airflow in response to an operation of the operating unit.

[0090] In the above-described configuration, when a user operates the operating unit, the suction source generates a downward airflow. As this airflow passes through the secondary filter, dust adhering to the secondary filter can be removed from the secondary filter. A portion of the airflow that passes through the secondary filter can flow through the dust storage space and exit the dust storage space through the dust-falling section. The dust removed from the secondary filter is carried by this airflow and discharged into the dust storage chamber.

[0091] A portion of the airflow that has passed through the secondary filter may further pass through the primary filter. At this time, dust adhering to the primary filter may be torn off the primary filter by the airflow passing through the primary filter and fall to the bottom of the dust storage chamber.

[0092] The airflow that flows out of the dust storage space through the dust-falling section and the airflow that passes through the primary filter is exhausted to the outside of the housing through the dust outlet. Dust inside the dust storage chamber can also be exhausted to the outside of the housing by riding on this airflow.

[0093] In the above-described configuration, the secondary filter may be formed to have a larger area than the primary filter.

[0094] In the above-described configuration, the secondary filter has a finer mesh than the primary filter, and is therefore more susceptible to clogging than the primary filter. In consideration of this drawback of the secondary filter, the secondary filter has a larger surface area than the primary filter to prevent the entire secondary filter from becoming clogged.

[0095] In the above-described configuration, the secondary filter may have a bent shape so as to form ridges.

[0096] In the above-described configuration, the secondary filter is bent to form the ridges, so the area of ​​the secondary filter is larger than that of a filter with a flat surface by the amount of the ridges, making the secondary filter less likely to become clogged.

[0097] In the above-described configuration, the secondary filter may have a curved shape that is convex toward the drive chamber.

[0098] In the above-described configuration, the secondary filter has a curved shape, so the area of ​​the secondary filter is larger than that of a filter with a flat surface. Therefore, the secondary filter is less likely to become clogged. Furthermore, because the secondary filter is curved so as to convexly face the drive chamber, the dust storage space can be increased by the amount of the curvature of the secondary filter. [Industrial Applicability]

[0099] The vacuum cleaner of the above-described embodiment is suitably used as a device for cleaning work. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 100··········vacuum cleaner 111············Housing 115 Filter section 116...Suction source 124···························dust exhaust port 142･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 152···························dust storage room 153 Drive compartment 171·············First-order filter 172 Second-order filter 173...Dust storage space 174... Slope section 175 Bend 178･････････････････････････････････････････ 179...Dust falling part 180... Dust exhaust path 181...On-off valve 189 Drop-in

Claims

1. a housing that forms a drive chamber that houses a suction source that generates a suction force for sucking dust, and a dust storage chamber that is provided below the drive chamber and into which air and dust sucked by the suction force of the suction source flow; a filter unit disposed in the housing so as to separate the drive chamber and the dust storage chamber into upper and lower compartments, The filter unit includes: a primary filter configured to allow air flowing from the dust storage chamber toward the drive chamber by the suction force of the suction source to pass through while retaining a portion of dust contained in the air in the dust storage chamber; a secondary filter having finer mesh than the primary filter, the secondary filter being disposed above and spaced apart from the primary filter so as to form a dust storage space between the primary filter and the secondary filter for storing dust that has passed through the primary filter; The vacuum cleaner has a dust-falling section having a dust discharge path that communicates the dust storage space with the dust storage chamber so as to allow dust accumulated in the dust storage space to fall into the dust storage chamber when the suction source is stopped.

2. The filter unit is disposed so that the dust storage space is in an obliquely inclined position, The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein the dust-falling section is formed so that the dust discharge path communicates with the dust storage space at a lowest position within the dust storage space.

3. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2 , wherein the primary filter and the secondary filter are arranged such that a distance between the primary filter and the secondary filter increases toward the dust-falling portion.

4. 3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein the primary filter has a flat inner surface facing the secondary filter.

5. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein the primary filter or the secondary filter is provided in an inclined position that is inclined obliquely from a horizontal position.

6. The first-order filter is an inclined portion provided in an inclined position inclined obliquely from a horizontal position so that a corner portion formed between the housing and the dust storage chamber side has an obtuse angle; The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , further comprising: a bent portion bent from the inclined portion so as to assume a posture closer to the horizontal posture than the inclined portion.

7. The filter unit has an on-off valve that opens and closes the dust discharge path, The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the on-off valve is configured to assume a closed position that closes the dust discharge path due to the suction force of the suction source, and to assume an open position that opens the dust discharge path due to the weight of the on-off valve when the suction source is stopped.

8. The filter unit is disposed so that the dust storage space is in an obliquely inclined position, a drop opening formed at a lower end of the dust discharge path has an area smaller than a cross section of the dust storage space, the on-off valve is attached to the dust dropping section so as to close and open the drop port, The vacuum cleaner according to claim 7 , wherein the dust discharge path communicates with the dust storage space at a lowest position within the dust storage space, and narrows from the dust storage space toward the dust drop opening.

9. The housing is formed with a dust discharge port for discharging dust in the dust storage chamber so as to communicate with the dust storage chamber, The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein the dust-falling portion is disposed adjacent to an upper portion of the dust outlet on the inner surface of the housing.

10. The housing is formed with a dust discharge port for discharging dust in the dust storage chamber so as to communicate with the dust storage chamber, the vacuum cleaner has an operating unit that is operated to operate the suction source in a dust removal mode to remove dust adhering to the primary filter and the secondary filter, The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein the suction source is configured to generate a downward airflow in response to an operation on the operating unit.

11. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein the secondary filter is formed to have a larger area than the primary filter.

12. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein the secondary filter has a bent shape so that ridges are formed.

13. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein the secondary filter has a curved shape that is convex toward the drive chamber.

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