Suction port part, suction port body, and vacuum cleaner

Abstract

To provide a suction port part capable of holding a rotary cleaning body with a simple configuration and having few restrictions on layout, a suction port body having the suction port part, and a vacuum cleaner including the suction port part and the suction port body.SOLUTION: The suction port part 1 includes an electric motor, a rotary cleaning body 11, a transmission part 12 that is disposed coaxially with the rotary cleaning body 11 and transmits power of the electric motor to the rotary cleaning body 11 to rotate the rotary cleaning body 11, and a locking mechanism 14 that locks the rotary cleaning body 11 and the transmission part 12 by rotating the rotary cleaning body 11 in a circumferential direction with respect to the transmission part 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a suction port part including a rotary cleaning body rotated by an electric motor, a suction port body having the same, and an electric vacuum cleaner including the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a rotary cleaning body used in an electric vacuum cleaner is held by having its end sandwiched between a case body and a cover body in a direction intersecting the axial direction. In this configuration, the cover body must be in contact with the rotary cleaning body, which places significant constraints on layout. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5241458 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a suction port section that can hold a rotating cleaning body with a simple configuration and that has few layout restrictions, a suction port body that has this, and an electric vacuum cleaner that is equipped with these. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The suction port portion of the embodiment includes an electric motor, a rotating cleaning body, a transmission part arranged coaxially with the rotating cleaning body and transmitting the power of the electric motor to the rotating cleaning body to rotate the rotating cleaning body, and a locking mechanism that locks the rotating cleaning body and the transmission part by rotating the rotating cleaning body circumferentially relative to the transmission part. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an exploded plan view showing the suction port of one embodiment. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an enlarged view of a portion of the suction port body having the same suction port portion. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are explanatory views schematically illustrating the engagement between the rotary cleaning body and the transmission part by the engagement mechanism at the suction port of the same. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a rotary cleaning body of the suction port portion of the same. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the same suction mouth body with a portion thereof omitted. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing the same suction port body with a portion thereof omitted. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of an electric vacuum cleaner equipped with the same suction mouth body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] An embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0008] In Fig. 5, 1 denotes a suction port. Suction port 1 includes an electric motor 10, a rotary cleaning body 11, and a transmission unit 12, and is configured so that the power of electric motor 10 is transmitted to rotary cleaning body 11 by transmission unit 12, thereby driving rotary cleaning body 11 to rotate. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which suction port 1 is applied to suction port body 2 shown in Fig. 7. Hereinafter, the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions are defined based on the state in which suction port body 2 is used on a horizontal object to be cleaned. In the figure, the direction of arrow FR is the forward direction, the direction of arrow RR is the rearward direction, the direction of arrow L is the leftward direction, the direction of arrow R is the rightward direction, the direction of arrow U is the upward direction, and the direction of arrow D is the downward direction.

[0009] The suction port body 2 is also referred to as a floor brush, a cleaning head, or the like. As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 , the suction port body 2 includes a case body 20. The case body 20 is formed of a synthetic resin or the like and is elongated in the left-right direction, i.e., horizontally elongated, in this embodiment. The case body 20 includes a motor chamber 200 that houses the motor 10 and a cleaning body chamber 201, which is a rotary cleaning body housing section that houses the rotary cleaning body 11. In this embodiment, the case body 20 also includes a control chamber 202 that houses a control unit 13 that controls the operation of the motor 10. The control unit 13 may have a function to switch between allowing and disallowing operation of the motor 10 depending on whether the suction port body 2 is grounded to the surface to be cleaned. In the illustrated example, the control chamber 202 and the motor chamber 200 are arranged side by side, and the cleaning body chamber 201 is arranged adjacent to them in front of them via a partition wall 203.

[0010] In this embodiment, the cleaning element chamber 201 is located at the front of the case body 20. An opening 2010 is formed in the bottom of the cleaning element chamber 201, and the entire bottom of the rotating cleaning element 11 is exposed through this opening 2010, making it possible to contact the part to be cleaned. In the example shown in the figure, a front opening 2011 is formed in the front of the cleaning element chamber 201, communicating with the opening 2010. The front opening 2011 is formed by cutting out the lower end of the front end of the cleaning element chamber 201, which is the front wall of the case body 20, and extends in the left-right direction.

[0011] Furthermore, the case body 20 is formed with a rotary cleaning element support part 204 that houses the transmission part 12 and supports the rotary cleaning element 11. The rotary cleaning element support part 204 is in communication with the motor chamber 200 and the cleaning element chamber 201. In this embodiment, the rotary cleaning element support part 204 protrudes forward from the partition wall 203 between the motor chamber 200 and the control chamber 202. Therefore, cleaning element chambers 201 are disposed on both the left and right sides of the rotary cleaning element support part 204, and both sides of the rotary cleaning element support part 204 are open facing these cleaning element chambers 201. In the illustrated example, the rotary cleaning element support part 204 is located between the cleaning element chambers 201, 201, and serves as a wall part that separates the cleaning element chambers 201, 201. However, the rotary cleaning element support part 204 may protrude into the interior of a single cleaning element chamber 201 that is connected in the left-right direction.

[0012] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the case body 20 is formed with a suction chamber 205, which is a dust collection groove. The suction chamber 205 is located below the control chamber 202 and the motor chamber 200, adjacent to the rear of the cleaning element chamber 201 via a partition wall 203, and communicates with the cleaning element chamber 201 via a communication opening 2030 formed in the lower part of the partition wall 203. An suction port 2050 is opened at the bottom of the suction chamber 205. The suction port 2050 is formed in the shape of a slit that extends in the left-right direction and has a small width in the front-to-rear direction. The suction port 2050 is continuous over the entire or substantially entire rear part of the cleaning element chamber 201. In this embodiment, the cleaning body chamber 201 and the suction chamber 205 are formed independently as separate chambers, but this is not limited to this. The cleaning body chamber 201 may also serve as the suction chamber, that is, the opening 2010 may also serve as the suction port, or the cleaning body chamber and the suction chamber 205 or the suction port 2050 may be partitioned within a single opening.

[0013] A wiping unit 206 is disposed at the rear of the suction chamber 205. The wiping unit 206 comes into contact with the surface to be cleaned, such as a wooden floor, to wipe off and polish the dust from the surface, and also functions as a sealing member to ensure a high degree of vacuum at the suction port 2050. The wiping unit 206 is disposed adjacent to or close to the rear of the suction port 2050, and is elongated in the left-right direction with a length equal to or greater than that of the suction port 2050. In this embodiment, the wiping unit 206 is positioned in the form of a wall extending between the ends of the rotating cleaning body 11 or across the ranges on both sides of the case body 20. For example, a raised cloth or the like is used as the wiping unit 206.

[0014] A connecting pipe 21 is connected to the case body 20. The connecting pipe 21 is also called a rotating pipe or the like, and is connected to the case body 20 so as to be rotatable relative to the case body 20. The connecting pipe 21 communicates between the suction source and the suction port 2050 of the case body 20. The connecting pipe 21 communicates with the suction chamber 205. The connecting pipe 21 protrudes from the upper rear side of the case body 20.

[0015] The electric motor 10 of the suction port portion 1 arranged in the suction port body 2 has an output shaft 101 protruding from an electric motor main body 100 that houses a rotor, a stator, etc. The output shaft 101 is the rotating shaft of the electric motor 10 that rotates integrally with the rotor, and outputs power to the rotary cleaning body 11. In this embodiment, the electric motor 10 is arranged in the electric motor chamber 200 with the output shaft 101 aligned in the left-right direction. A pulley 102 is attached to the output shaft 101. The pulley 102 is, for example, an output gear whose circumferential surface is formed in a gear-tooth shape, and rotates integrally with the output shaft 101.

[0016] The transmission unit 12 is located relative to the electric motor 10 in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the electric motor 10 or the output shaft 101. The transmission unit 12 is located forward of the electric motor 10 and disposed on the rotary cleaning body support part 204. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5, the transmission unit 12 has a transmission unit main body 120, which is an output part. The transmission unit main body 120 is rotatably supported on the case body 20 at the rotary cleaning body support part 204. The transmission unit main body 120 is, for example, a passive gear formed in a disk shape. An endless timing belt, which is a transmission member, is wound between the transmission unit main body 120 and the pulley 102 of the electric motor 10, and the transmission unit 12 rotates in synchronization with the rotation of the output shaft 101 of the electric motor 10. The transmission unit main body 120 is formed with a holding shaft part 122 for holding the rotary cleaning body 11. The holding shaft 122 is formed coaxially with the transmission unit main body 120 and protrudes in the axial direction of the holding shaft 122, extending into the cleaning body chamber 201. The axial direction of the holding shaft 122 is parallel or approximately parallel to the output shaft 101, and in this embodiment, is the left-right direction. The rotary cleaning body 11 is held by the holding shaft 122, and the transmission unit 12 or the transmission unit main body 120 and the rotary cleaning body 11 are arranged coaxially or approximately coaxially. In this embodiment, the holding shafts 122 protrude from both ends of the transmission unit main body 120, and the rotary cleaning bodies 11 are locked and held to each of these holding shafts 122 via a locking mechanism 14, which will be described later. That is, in the illustrated example, the rotary cleaning bodies 11 are arranged in pairs relative to one transmission unit 12, and one end of each of the two left and right rotary cleaning bodies 11 is supported in a cantilever support structure, and these rotary cleaning bodies 11 rotate integrally in the same direction.

[0017] Rotary cleaning body 11, driven by electric motor 10 via transmission unit 12, assists in suction cleaning by scraping and / or scraping out dust from the area to be cleaned as it rotates. Rotary cleaning body 11 has a main cleaning unit 110, which is a cleaning unit, and a sub-cleaning unit 111, which is a cleaning unit located at the end in the axial direction.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 4, the main cleaning unit 110 constitutes the main cleaning area, which constitutes the majority of the cleaning area of ​​the rotating cleaning body 11. The main cleaning unit 110 is provided on the cleaning body main body 112. The cleaning body main body 112 is a main cleaning unit support base on which the main cleaning unit 110 is attached. The cleaning body main body 112 is formed in an elongated cylindrical shape that is long in the axial direction, and is attached integrally to the holding shaft 122 of the transmission unit 12. The holding shaft 122 of the transmission unit 12 is inserted into the inner periphery of the cleaning body main body 112, and the rotary cleaning body 11 is locked and held to the transmission unit 12 by the locking mechanism 14. The axis of the cleaning body main body 112 coincides or nearly coincides with the axis A of the rotary cleaning body 11. The cleaning body main body 112 is attached in a position where its end on the transmission unit 12 side is close to or in contact with the transmission unit 12.

[0019] The main cleaning unit 110 is disposed in the axial direction of the cleaning element main body 112. The main cleaning unit 110 has a cleaning range that extends across the entire axial length between both ends of the cleaning element main body 112. In this embodiment, the main cleaning unit 110 is a separate body from the cleaning element main body 112 and includes a main cleaning unit base 1100 formed contiguous with the cleaning element main body 112, and a main cleaning member 1101 such as a brush or blade that protrudes from the main cleaning unit base 1100 and whose tip end is capable of contacting the surface to be cleaned. The main cleaning unit base 1100 is disposed axially on the outer peripheral surface of the cleaning element main body 112, so that the main cleaning member 1101 is disposed in a continuous wall-like manner between both ends of the cleaning element main body 112. In the illustrated example, the main cleaning unit 110 is disposed in a spiral shape twisted in the circumferential direction of the cleaning element main body 112. The main cleaning units 110 are disposed at multiple locations around the cleaning element main body 112 at intervals. The multiple main cleaning units 110 may be identical, or the main cleaning member 1101 of at least one of the main cleaning units 110 may be different from the main cleaning members 1101 of the remaining main cleaning units 110. Alternatively, the main cleaning unit base 1100 may be formed integrally with the cleaning element main body 112. Furthermore, the main cleaning unit 110 may be disposed so as to cover the entire outer circumferential surface of the cleaning element main body 112, for example.

[0020] The auxiliary cleaning unit 111 is attached to an end of the cleaning element main body 112 via an attachment portion 113. The attachment portion 113, together with the cleaning element main body 112, constitutes at least a part of the base portion B. The auxiliary cleaning unit 111 constitutes the end of the cleaning range of the rotating cleaning element 11, i.e., the corner cleaning range. The auxiliary cleaning unit 111 has a narrower cleaning range in the left-right direction than the main cleaning unit 110, and functions to mainly remove dust from areas to be cleaned, such as corners of a room. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5 , the auxiliary cleaning unit 111 is located at the end of the rotating cleaning element 11 that does not face the transmission unit 12, i.e., the free end, which is the other end of the rotating cleaning element 11. In the illustrated example, the auxiliary cleaning unit 111 is located at the left end of the left rotating cleaning element 11 and the right end of the right rotating cleaning element 11. Therefore, both auxiliary cleaning units 111 are located close to both left and right side edges of the case body 20 of the suction port body 2.

[0021] 4, the sub-cleaning unit 111 has a sub-cleaning unit base 1110 and a sub-cleaning member 1111, at least the tip of which can come into contact with the part to be cleaned. In this embodiment, the sub-cleaning unit 111 is arranged by attaching the sub-cleaning unit base 1110 to an attachment part 113 located at the end of the cleaning element main body 112. However, the sub-cleaning unit base 1110 may be integrally formed with the attachment part 113.

[0022] The auxiliary cleaning unit base 1110 is formed from a flexible material such as cloth. The auxiliary cleaning member 1111 is formed from an elastic material such as synthetic resin. The auxiliary cleaning member 1111 has a base that is integral with the auxiliary cleaning unit base 1110, and a tip that protrudes radially from the auxiliary cleaning unit base 1110. In this embodiment, the auxiliary cleaning member 1111 is a brush unit made of linear bristles implanted in the auxiliary cleaning unit base 1110. In the drawing, multiple bristles are arranged in cylindrical or truncated cone-shaped bristle bundles at equal or approximately equal intervals on the auxiliary cleaning unit base 1110.

[0023] When attached to the mounting part 113, the axes of the main cleaning part 110 and the sub-cleaning part 111 coincide or nearly coincide, and the sub-cleaning member 1111 is positioned in a circular ring shape surrounding the axis A of the rotary cleaning body 11. In this embodiment, the position of the sub-cleaning member 1111 in the axial direction of the rotary cleaning body 11 gradually or continuously changes so that at least the tip thereof traces a substantially reciprocating meandering or zigzag trajectory between one end and the other end of its arrangement width multiple times, for example four times, per rotation of the rotary cleaning body 11.

[0024] The attachment part 113 is a sub-cleaning part support base to which the sub-cleaning part 111 is attached, and in this embodiment also functions as a stopper that holds the main cleaning part base 1100 of the main cleaning part 110 in the axial direction relative to the cleaning element main body 112. The attachment part 113 may be formed integrally with the cleaning element main body 112, or may be formed separately from and attached integrally with the cleaning element main body 112. The attachment part 113 is formed in an annular shape coaxial with the cleaning element main body 112, and in this embodiment, in an annular shape. In other words, the axis of the cleaning element main body 112 and the axis of the attachment part 113 coincide or approximately coincide.

[0025] Preferably, the rotary cleaning body 11 has a cap portion 114. When the rotary cleaning body 11 has the cap portion 114 in this way, the cap portion 114 forms part of the base portion B. The cap portion 114 covers the mounting portion 113 in the axial direction to prevent dust from becoming entangled or entering, and in this embodiment, together with the mounting portion 113, holds at least a portion of the sub-cleaning unit base portion 1110 and / or the sub-cleaning member 1111 of the sub-cleaning unit 111 in a pressed state by sandwiching them in the axial direction between the mounting portion 113 and the cap portion 114. The cap portion 114 is arranged coaxially with the mounting portion 113. The cap portion 114 is engaged with the mounting portion 113 or the cleaning body main body 112 by claw engagement or the like.

[0026] 1 and 2, the locking mechanism 14 that locks the rotary cleaning body 11 and the transmission part 12 is configured to lock the rotary cleaning body 11 and the transmission part 12 together by rotating the rotary cleaning body 11 in the circumferential direction relative to the transmission part 12. In this embodiment, a pair of locking mechanisms 14 is provided for one transmission part 12. In the example shown in the figure, a locking mechanism 14 is provided for each holding shaft part 122 of the transmission part 12 and each corresponding rotary cleaning body 11. In this embodiment, one locking mechanism 14 and the other locking mechanism 14 have shapes and configurations that are reversed from left to right, so for clarity of explanation, only one locking mechanism 14 will be described.

[0027] The locking mechanism 14 has a guide portion 140 and locking portions 141 and 142. The guide portion 140 guides the rotary cleaning body 11 to rotate circumferentially relative to the transmission portion 12, thereby bringing the rotary cleaning body 11 closer to the transmission portion 12 in the axial direction. That is, the guide portion 140 guides the rotary cleaning body 11 to twist in a spiral shape in the circumferential direction. The guide portion 140 is arranged in a spiral shape with the axis A of the rotary cleaning body 11 as its central axis, and is located on either the rotary cleaning body 11 or the transmission portion 12. In this embodiment, the guide portion 140 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the holding shaft portion 122 of the transmission portion 12, and a guided portion guided by the guide portion 140 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cleaning body main body 112 of the rotary cleaning body 11. In the illustrated example, the guide portion 140 is formed as a continuous spiral groove extending axially, and the guided portion is formed as a protrusion that fits into the guide portion 140. However, one of the guide portion 140 and the guided portion may be convex and the other concave, or each may be convex. Furthermore, the guide portion 140 does not need to be continuous, but may be formed intermittently in a spiral direction. In the illustrated example, the guide portion 140 is located near the base end of the holding shaft portion 122, and multiple guide portions 140 are formed circumferentially on the outer circumferential surface of the holding shaft portion 122. In this embodiment, the guide portions 140 guide the rotary cleaning body 11 so that it is locked by rotating it 90 degrees in the circumferential direction. Preferably, the direction in which the rotary cleaning body 11 is rotated when locked by the locking mechanism 14 is opposite the direction in which the rotary cleaning body 11 is rotated by the electric motor 10. In this embodiment, the rotary cleaning body 11 is rotated backward as it approaches the transmission portion main body 120 of the transmission portion 12, and is guided by the guide portion 140 so that the rotary cleaning body 11 approaches the transmission portion 12.

[0028] The locking portions 141, 142 shown in FIGS. 2, 3(a), and 3(b) are formed as claws or stopper surfaces extending in the axial direction, i.e., parallel or substantially parallel to the axis A. The locking portion 141 formed on the rotary cleaning body 11 is formed on the inner periphery of the cleaning body main body 112. In this embodiment, the locking portion 141 is disposed near the end of the cleaning body main body 112 facing the transmission unit 12. The locking portion 142 formed on the transmission unit 12 is disposed inside a receiving portion 123 formed on the side of the transmission unit main body 120. The receiving portion 123 is formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape and protrudes from the side of the transmission unit main body 120 around the base end of the holding shaft 122. The same number of locking portions 141, 142 are formed. For example, in this embodiment, the locking portions 141, 142 are formed at 90° intervals in the circumferential direction. That is, the number or arrangement of the locking portions 141, 142 corresponds to the angle of rotation by which the rotary cleaning body 11 is locked. One end of the locking portion 141 and the other end of the locking portion 141 adjacent to the locking portion 141 in the circumferential direction are connected by a guide surface 143 inclined with respect to the circumferential direction, giving the rotary cleaning body 11 a sawtooth appearance. Similarly, one end of the locking portion 142 and the other end of the locking portion 142 adjacent to the locking portion 142 in the circumferential direction are connected by a guide surface 144 inclined with respect to the circumferential direction, giving the rotary cleaning body 11 and the transmission unit 12 a circumferentially locked state. The inclination directions of the guide surfaces 143, 144 are each inclined with respect to the guide direction of the guide unit 140. The locking portion 141, guided by the guide unit 140, comes into circumferential contact with the locking portion 142 at a position where it has climbed over the locking portion 142, thereby locking the rotary cleaning body 11 and the transmission unit 12 together. That is, locking mechanism 14 forms a sawtooth one-way clutch structure with locking portions 141, 142 and guide surfaces 143, 144. In this embodiment, since the direction of rotation of rotary cleaning body 11 caused by electric motor 10 is constant, as long as locking mechanism 14 can reliably lock and hold rotary cleaning body 11 to transmission part 12 against the rotation of rotary cleaning body 11 caused by electric motor 10, no problems will arise in use even if locking of rotary cleaning body 11 to transmission part 12 against the rotation of rotary cleaning body 11 in the opposite direction is not strong.The one-way clutch structure described above is a structure in which the locking force in the direction opposite to the rotational direction of the rotary cleaning body 11 by the electric motor 10 is stronger than the locking force in the direction opposite to the rotational direction.

[0029] The suction inlet body 2 is applied to a vacuum cleaner 3 shown in FIG. 7 . In this embodiment, the vacuum cleaner 3 is a suction-type vacuum cleaner 3 in which an electric blower 31, which serves as a suction source, is disposed in a vacuum cleaner body 30. Negative pressure generated by the operation of the electric blower 31 sucks dust and air from the suction inlet body 2 into a separation section 32. The vacuum cleaner 3 may be any type, such as a floor-traveling type, a canister type, a stick type, an upright type, a handheld type, or a self-propelled vacuum cleaner. In the illustrated example, the vacuum cleaner 3 is a stick-type vacuum cleaner. In the illustrated example, the suction inlet body 2 is mechanically and fluidically connected to the vacuum cleaner body 30 by a connecting pipe 21, either directly or indirectly via a tube 33 such as an extension pipe. The operation of the electric blower 3 and the operation of the rotary cleaning body 11 or the electric motor 10 are set by a user by operating an operation switch 34. Operation switch 34 is provided on vacuum cleaner body 30 or grip portion 35 for gripping operation. Also, vacuum cleaner body 30 is provided with a main body control unit 36 ​​that operates electric blower 31 in accordance with the operation set by operation switch 34. Main body control unit 36 ​​is electrically connected to control unit 13 of suction port 1. Note that some or all of the functions of control unit 13 may be integrated into main body control unit 36. Furthermore, vacuum cleaner 3 is provided with a power supply unit 37. In this embodiment, power supply unit 37 is a battery or a secondary battery, but is not limited to this and may also be an AC-DC adapter that draws power from an external power source such as a commercial power source, a cord reel device, or the like.

[0030] Next, the cleaning operation of the electric vacuum cleaner 3 of the embodiment will be described.

[0031] When cleaning, the user grips the grip portion 35 and operates the operation switch 34, causing the main body control unit 36 ​​to start the electric blower 31. At the same time, with the suction port body 2 placed on the area to be cleaned, the control unit 13 starts the rotary cleaning body 11 via the electric motor 10. In this embodiment, the rotary cleaning body 11 is rotated by the electric motor 12 in a forward direction, with the upper side facing forward and the lower side facing backward. Negative pressure generated by the operation of the electric blower 31 acts on the tubular body 33 and the suction port 2050 of the suction port body 2 via the separation portion 32. When the user uses the grip portion 35 to alternately move the suction port body 2 back and forth over the area to be cleaned, dust on the area to be cleaned is sucked sequentially through the suction port 2050, the connecting pipe 21, and the tubular body 33 into the separation portion 32. Furthermore, as the rotary cleaning body 11 rotates, the main cleaning members 1101 of the main cleaning unit 110 and the auxiliary cleaning members 1111 of the auxiliary cleaning unit 111 come into contact with the area to be cleaned, and the dust scraped off or scraped out from the area to be cleaned is sucked in through the suction port 2050 located behind them. Dust is separated and collected from the dust-containing air sucked into the separation unit 32. The air from which dust has been separated cools the electric blower 31 and is then discharged to the outside of the vacuum cleaner body 30.

[0032] To explain the operation of the rotary cleaning body 11 in more detail, the rotation of the electric motor 10 is transmitted via the transmission unit 12 to the rotary cleaning body 11, causing it to rotate integrally with the transmission unit 12. The main cleaning unit 110, which accounts for more than half of the axial length of the rotary cleaning body 11, is twisted spirally in the circumferential direction, so that the main cleaning members 1101 of the main cleaning unit 110, which contact the area to be cleaned, continuously come into contact with the area to be cleaned as the rotary cleaning body 11 rotates, removing dust from the area to be cleaned in the left-right range in which the main cleaning unit 110 is disposed. The auxiliary cleaning units 1111 are located close to both sides of the case body 20 of the suction port body 2. Therefore, for example, by bringing the side of the suction port body 2 to the area to be cleaned, which is located in a corner of a room, the auxiliary cleaning members 1111 of the auxiliary cleaning unit 111 come into contact with the area to be cleaned and remove dust from the area to be cleaned near the corner.

[0033] Regarding the attachment and detachment of the rotary cleaning body 11 in such an intake port body 2, for example, when attaching the rotary cleaning body 11 to the transmission part 12, the cleaning body main body part 112 of the rotary cleaning body 11 is positioned coaxially with the holding shaft part 122 of the transmission part 12, and when the rotary cleaning body 11 is rotated, the engagement between the guide part 140 and the guided part in the locking mechanism 14 guides the rotary cleaning body 11 in the axial direction so that it approaches the transmission part main body part 120 of the transmission part 12.

[0034] 3(a), when the rotating cleaning body 11 is guided to a position close to the transmission unit main body 120 of the transmission unit 12, the receiving portion 123 is inserted from the end of the cleaning unit main body 112 into the inner periphery of the cleaning unit main body 112, and the guide surface 143 on the rotating cleaning body 11 side interferes with the guide surface 144 on the transmission unit 12 side. In this state, the locking portion 141 on the rotating cleaning body 11 side and the locking portion 142 on the transmission unit 12 side are misaligned in the circumferential direction.

[0035] When rotary cleaning body 11 is further rotated from this state, guide surface 143 is pressed axially against guide surface 144 by the guide of guide portion 140, while locking portion 141 gradually moves circumferentially, and as shown in Figure 3(b), at a position where locking portion 141 climbs over locking portion 142, locking portion 141 moves axially and abuts locking portion 142, and guide surface 143 abuts guide surface 144, achieving a mechanically meshed fitted state, and rotary cleaning body 11 is circumferentially locked to transmission portion 12. In this state, rotary cleaning body 11 is in an attachment position close to or abutting transmission portion main body 120.

[0036] Note that Figures 3(a) and 3(b) show an example of the locking operation for locking the right-side rotating cleaning body 11 to the transmission part 12, but since the left-side rotating cleaning body 11 is symmetrical or approximately symmetrical to the right-side rotating cleaning body 11 and the basic locking operation is the same, illustrations and explanations are omitted.

[0037] On the other hand, when performing maintenance on the rotating cleaning body 11, the rotating cleaning body 11 can be rotated in the opposite direction to the above-mentioned locking operation, thereby releasing the locking mechanism 14 and allowing the rotating cleaning body 11 to be removed from the transmission part 12.

[0038] Thus, according to one embodiment, the rotary cleaning body 11 is rotated circumferentially relative to the transmission part 12, and the rotary cleaning body 11 and the transmission part 12 are locked by the locking mechanism 14. Therefore, compared to conventional examples, such as those in which the rotary cleaning body 11 is held by being sandwiched between the case body in a direction perpendicular to the axis, the rotary cleaning body 11 can be held with a simpler configuration and there are fewer layout restrictions.

[0039] Furthermore, for example, in the case of a locking mechanism that locks the rotary cleaning body 11 by riding on the transmission part 12 in the radial direction, the rotary cleaning body 11 will deform in the radial direction and become eccentric with respect to the transmission part 12. In contrast, in this embodiment, the locking mechanism 14 is configured with a guide part 140 that is spirally arranged on either the rotary cleaning body 11 or the transmission part 12, and locking parts 141, 142 that are arranged axially on the rotary cleaning body 11 and the transmission part 12, respectively. As one of the locking parts 141, 142 rides over the other according to the guidance of the guide part 140, the locking parts 141, 142 come into contact and lock the rotary cleaning body 11 and the transmission part 12 in the circumferential direction. Therefore, because the rotary cleaning body 11 is locked and held without being eccentric with respect to the transmission part 12, the rotational balance is less likely to be lost when the rotary cleaning body 11 is rotated at high speed by the electric motor 10.

[0040] By arranging the rotary cleaning bodies 11 in pairs with the transmission part 12 as the reference, the end of each rotary cleaning body 11 opposite the transmission part 12 can be made free, requiring no bearing part or the like, and it is therefore possible to provide a cleaning part, in this embodiment, an auxiliary cleaning part 111, at each of these ends. This makes it possible to position the auxiliary cleaning part 111 as close as possible to the side of the suction port body 2, and it becomes possible to have the auxiliary cleaning part 111 act on the part to be cleaned, such as a corner of a room where dust tends to accumulate, thereby improving dust removal.

[0041] By arranging a pair of locking mechanisms 14 on one transmission part 12, a configuration in which a pair of rotary cleaning bodies 11 are arranged on the transmission part 12 can be easily realized.

[0042] The locking mechanism 14 locks the rotary cleaning body 11 to the transmission part 12 by rotating the rotary cleaning body 11 relative to the transmission part 12 in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the rotary cleaning body 11 caused by the electric motor 10. Therefore, when the rotary cleaning body 11 rotated by the electric motor 10 comes into contact with the part to be cleaned and a load is generated in the opposite direction to the rotation direction, the locking mechanism 14 locks the rotary cleaning body 11 tighter, making it more difficult for the rotary cleaning body 11 to come off the transmission part 12.

[0043] Furthermore, by providing the above-mentioned suction port portion 1 in the suction port body 2, the rotating cleaning body 11 can be held with a simple configuration, and a suction port body 2 with fewer layout restrictions can be realized.By providing this suction port body 2 in an electric vacuum cleaner 3, an electric vacuum cleaner 3 with a simple configuration and good design can be realized.

[0044] In one embodiment, the locking mechanism 14 that locks one rotating cleaning body 11 to the transmission unit 12 and the locking mechanism 14 that locks the other rotating cleaning body 11 to the transmission unit 12 do not necessarily have to have the same structure, as long as they do not deviate from the spirit of this embodiment. For example, a guide portion 140 may be provided on one rotating cleaning body 11 and the other holding shaft portion 122 of the transmission unit 12, and a guided portion may be provided on one holding shaft portion 122 of the transmission unit 12 and the other rotating cleaning body 11.

[0045] Furthermore, the suction port portion 1 has been shown as an example in which a pair of rotating cleaning bodies 11 are each cantilevered by the transmission portion 12, but this is not limited to this, and the configuration may also be such that one axial end of one rotating cleaning body 11 is connected to the transmission portion 12 and the other end is held by a bearing portion on either side of the case body 20, etc.

[0046] Furthermore, the suction port 1 can also be applied to a self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner 3 that does not have a suction port body, such as a robot vacuum cleaner. In that case, the suction port 1 can be arranged on the vacuum cleaner body of the electric vacuum cleaner 3 instead of the case body 20.

[0047] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention to these embodiments. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1 Intake port 2. Suction port body 3. Vacuum cleaner 10 Electric motor 11 Rotating cleaning body 12 Transmission section 14 Locking mechanism 140 Guide section 141,142 Locking part

Claims

1. An electric motor, A rotating cleaning body; a transmission section that is arranged coaxially with the rotary cleaning body and transmits the power of the electric motor to the rotary cleaning body to rotate the rotary cleaning body; a locking mechanism that locks the rotary cleaning body and the transmission part by rotating the rotary cleaning body in a circumferential direction relative to the transmission part; An intake port portion comprising:

2. The locking mechanism includes: a guide portion that is spirally disposed on either the rotary cleaning body or the transmission portion and that guides the rotary cleaning body so as to approach the transmission portion in the axial direction by rotating the rotary cleaning body in the circumferential direction relative to the transmission portion; and a locking portion that is disposed on the rotary cleaning body and the transmission portion, respectively, extending in the axial direction, and that locks the rotary cleaning body and the transmission portion in the circumferential direction by one moving over the other in accordance with the guide of the guide portion. The suction mouth portion according to claim 1 .

3. The rotary cleaning bodies are arranged in pairs with the transmission part as a reference. The suction mouth portion according to claim 1 .

4. The locking mechanisms are arranged in pairs on one of the transmission parts. The suction mouth portion according to claim 3 .

5. The locking mechanism locks the rotary cleaning body with the transmission part by rotating the rotary cleaning body relative to the transmission part in a direction opposite to a direction of rotation of the rotary cleaning body by the electric motor. The suction mouth portion according to claim 1 .

6. The air intake portion according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is provided. A suction mouth body characterized by:

7. The suction mouth body according to claim 6 is provided. A vacuum cleaner characterized by:

8. The air intake portion according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is provided. A vacuum cleaner characterized by:

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