Suction port body and vacuum cleaner including the same

Abstract

To provide a suction port body capable of reducing the number of parts and improving operability by miniaturization and weight reduction, and a vacuum cleaner provided with the same.SOLUTION: A cleaning device comprising: a housing; a first surface portion of the housing capable of closely facing a surface to be cleaned; a lighting unit having a light source; a rotary cleaning body; a drive motor; and a circuit unit capable of electrically connecting the light source and the drive motor to a power supply, in a state where the circuit portion is electrically connected to the power source, the light source and the power source are always electrically connected to each other, and the circuit portion is configured to electrically connect the driving motor and the power source to each other when the first surface portion closely faces the surface to be cleaned, and not to electrically connect the driving motor and the power source to each other when the first surface portion does not closely face the surface to be cleaned.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a suction mouth body and an electric vacuum cleaner including the same. [Background technology]

[0002] FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1 discloses a conventional vacuum cleaner equipped with a suction tool with a rotating brush driven by a motor. The motor operates at a higher applied voltage on heavily loaded floors, such as carpets, and at a lower applied voltage on lightly loaded floors, such as wooden floors. This vacuum cleaner is said to be able to reduce motor noise and dust blowing by operating the motor at an applied voltage appropriate for the floor. This vacuum cleaner also includes a safety switch that turns off to stop the motor when the suction tool lifts off the floor, resistors r5 and r6 located before and after the safety switch, both of which are included in the circuitry within the suction tool. A microcomputer and resistors R2 and R3 are also included in the circuitry within the vacuum cleaner body. This vacuum cleaner is said to be able to determine whether the safety switch is on by detecting changes in the voltage divided between resistors r5 and r6 and resistors R2 and R3. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-054146 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, it has become common for vacuum cleaners to have LEDs installed in the suction nozzle to illuminate the floor, but there is still room for improvement, such as simplifying the structure in which the LED is installed.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a suction mouth body and an electric vacuum cleaner equipped with the same, which have been made in consideration of the above circumstances. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides an suction port body comprising a housing, an intake port provided on a first surface of the housing that can be brought into close proximity to the surface to be cleaned, an illumination unit having a light source and illuminating the surface to be cleaned, a rotating cleaning body that is rotatably provided near the intake port, a drive motor that rotates the rotating cleaning body, and a circuit unit that can electrically connect the light source and drive motor to a power source, wherein when the circuit unit is electrically connected to the power source, there is constant electrical continuity between the light source and the power source, and when the circuit unit is electrically connected to the power source, the circuit unit brings the drive motor and the power source into electrical continuity when the first surface is brought into close proximity to the surface to be cleaned, and does not bring the drive motor and the power source into electrical continuity when the first surface is not brought into close proximity to the surface to be cleaned.

[0007] The present invention also provides an electric vacuum cleaner comprising a vacuum cleaner main body having a suction section and a dust collection section, and a suction port body connected to the vacuum cleaner main body directly or via a connecting member, the vacuum cleaner main body having a main body side circuit section that can determine whether the vacuum cleaner main body and the suction port body are electrically connected and whether the first surface section is adjacent to and facing the surface to be cleaned, based on the amount of current flowing through the circuit section of the suction port body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a suction mouth body with a simplified structure for providing an LED, and an electric vacuum cleaner including the same. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of an electric vacuum cleaner provided with a suction mouth body of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the suction mouth body of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a left side cross-sectional view of the suction port body of the first embodiment. [Figure 4]FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view of a main part showing an illumination section of the suction port body of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a second case portion of the suction port body of the first embodiment has been removed. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the illumination section in the suction port body of the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the main part showing the back side of the illumination unit of the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 8 is a rear view of the main part of the illumination unit shown in FIG. 7 with the board removed. [Figure 9] 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of the illumination unit of the air inlet body of the first embodiment, viewed from the left side. FIG. [Figure 10] 5A and 5B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the light emission state of the illumination unit of the suction port body of the first embodiment. [Figure 11] 1 is a circuit diagram of an electric vacuum cleaner according to a first embodiment. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the light emission state of the illumination section of the suction port body of the second embodiment. [Figure 13] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the light emission state of the illumination section of the suction port body of the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following description is illustrative in all respects and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0011] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a vacuum cleaner 2 equipped with a suction port body 1 of the present invention. In FIG. 1, front, rear, left, right, and top and bottom directions are shown relative to a user using the vacuum cleaner 2, and the vacuum cleaner 2 will be described based on the front, rear, left, right, and top and bottom directions shown in FIG. 1. The vacuum cleaner 2 of the first embodiment is a stick-type cordless vacuum cleaner, and includes a vacuum cleaner main body 4 equipped with a battery 3 as a power source, and a suction port body 1 connected to the vacuum cleaner main body 4 via an extension tube 5 as a connecting member. Note that this vacuum cleaner 2 can also be used as a handheld type by connecting the suction port body 1 directly to the vacuum cleaner main body 4 without the extension tube 5. Note that the "connecting member" here includes the extension tube in a stick-type vacuum cleaner, and the extension tube and handle tube in a canister-type vacuum cleaner.

[0012] 1, the vacuum cleaner main body 4 includes a drive unit 6 as a suction unit, and a dust collector 7 as a dust collector that is detachably attached to the drive unit 6. The drive unit 6 includes an electric suction device 8, an electric component storage unit 10 that stores the main body circuit unit including a control unit 9, a handle unit 11, a battery mounting unit 12, and a pipe unit 13 that are connected to the electric component storage unit 10, and an operation unit 14 provided on the handle unit 11.

[0013] The operation unit 14 has a plurality of switches 14a, 14b, and 14c that the user uses to turn the power of the vacuum cleaner 2 on and off, switch the operation mode, and so on. The operation unit 14 can be connected to the control unit 9 via a signal line or the like. When the user presses any of the switch buttons, the control unit 9 detects that the button has been pressed and controls the vacuum cleaner 2. The control unit 9 can have a control module. The control module is, for example, a microcontroller having a calculation unit, a memory unit, a timer, input / output ports, etc.

[0014] The dust collector 7 is a cyclone type dust collector having a dust container 7a and a filter portion 7b that is detachable from the dust container 7a, and is detachably attached along the pipe portion 13 of the drive device 6.

[0015] The extension pipe 5 includes a pipe body 15 and a conductor (not shown) provided along the pipe body 15. When the suction port body 1 is connected to the extension pipe 5 which is connected to the vacuum cleaner body 4, the conductor of the extension pipe 5 can supply power from the battery 3 to the suction port body 1.

[0016] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the suction port body 1 of the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the suction port body 1 includes a housing (suction port main body) 21, a joint part 23 connected to the housing 21 so as to be rotatable about a first axis 22 in the front-rear direction, and a connecting pipe part 25 connected to the joint part 23 so as to be rotatable about a second axis 24 in the left-right direction.

[0017] 3 is a left-side cross-sectional view of the suction port body 1 of the first embodiment. The housing 21 includes a first surface 31 that can be positioned close to and face the surface to be cleaned (floor surface) 26, a second surface 32 that faces the first surface 31, an illumination unit 34 that is provided at a front end 33 between the first surface 31 and the second surface 32 and that illuminates the surface to be cleaned 26, and a bumper 35 that is provided along the lower edge of the front end 33 so as to protrude forward beyond the illumination unit 34. In this vacuum cleaner 2 (see FIG. 1), the illumination unit 34 lights up when the user operates the operation unit 14 to turn on the power of the drive unit 6 (when the vacuum cleaner 2 starts operating), and the illumination unit 34 goes out when the power of the drive unit 6 is turned off (when the vacuum cleaner 2 stops operating).

[0018] 2 and 3, the first surface 31 is formed by a lower case 37, and the second surface 32 is formed by an upper case 38. The lower case 37 has a suction port 36 that opens toward the surface 26 to be cleaned, and a rear wheel support portion 40 that rotatably supports a rear wheel 39. A notch is provided in the front end of the first surface 31 of the lower case 37, and this notch and the lower end of the bumper 35 form the suction port 36. The connecting pipe 25 has a front end opening 41 that opens into the interior of the housing 21, and a communication passage 42 that connects the suction port 36 and the front end opening 41 is provided between the lower case 37 and the upper case 38.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 3, a rotary cleaning body 44 is provided inside the housing 21 near the suction port 36, a drive motor 16 (see Fig. 1) that rotates and drives the rotary cleaning body 44 is provided behind and to the left of the rotary cleaning body 44, and a power transmission mechanism (not shown) is provided between the rotary cleaning body 44 and the drive motor 16. The power transmission mechanism may be, for example, a pulley-belt mechanism having a pair of pulleys provided on the left end of the rotary cleaning body 44 and the output shaft of the drive motor 16, and a timing belt connecting the pair of pulleys, or a gear mechanism consisting of multiple gears. The rotary cleaning body 44 has multiple cleaning members (e.g., brushes, blades, etc.) spirally arranged along its shaft (not shown).

[0020] A proximity / opposition detection unit 43 is provided behind the suction port 36 on the first surface 31 of the housing 21 to detect whether the first surface 31 is in proximity to the surface 26 to be cleaned. The proximity / opposition detection unit 43 has a changeover switch for switching between conduction and non-conduction of a circuit provided between the drive motor 16 (see FIG. 1) and the battery 3 serving as a power source. In this embodiment, the changeover switch functions as a safety switch and has a physical switch unit and a switching member for turning the physical switch unit on and off. Specifically, in this embodiment, a microswitch 43a is used as the physical switch unit, and a swinging wheel 43b is used as the switching member for turning the microswitch 43a on and off.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 3, the first surface 31 has an opening that allows the lower end of the oscillating wheel 43b to protrude outside the housing and retract into the housing. When the suction port body 1 is placed on the surface 26 to be cleaned, the wheel of the oscillating wheel 43b comes into contact with the surface 26 to be cleaned, and a portion of the wheel is retracted into the housing 21, causing the oscillating wheel 43b to turn on the microswitch 43a. When the microswitch 43a is turned on, it is detected that the first surface 31 is in close proximity to the surface 26 to be cleaned. When the suction port body 1 is moved upward from the state shown in FIG. 3 (when the suction port body 1 is moved away from the surface 26 to be cleaned), the wheel of the oscillating wheel 43b moves downward from inside the housing 21 to the outside. When the wheel moves away from the surface 26 to be cleaned, the microswitch 43a is turned off. When the microswitch 43a is turned off, it is detected that the first surface 31 is not in close proximity to the surface 26 to be cleaned. When the power supply to the drive device 6 is on and the proximity detector 43 is on, the circuit provided between the drive motor 16 of the rotating cleaning body 44 and the battery 3 becomes conductive, and the drive motor 16 is driven by power supplied from the battery 3. When the proximity detector 43 is turned off while the drive motor 16 is running, the circuit provided between the drive motor 16 and the battery 3 becomes non-conductive, power is no longer supplied to the drive motor 16, and the drive motor 16 stops. Control of the drive motor 16 will be described in detail later.

[0022] Fig. 4 is an enlarged front view of a main portion showing the lighting unit 34 of the suction port body 1 of the first embodiment. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the upper case 38 has a first case portion 38a having a communication passage 42 and a second case portion 38b provided on the first case portion 38a. The upper end of the bumper 35 is attached to the front end of the first case portion 38a, and the front ends of the first case portion 38a and the second case portion 38b sandwich the upper end of the bumper 35 between them. A notch 45 is provided in the middle of the front end of the second case portion 38b in the left-right direction, and the lighting unit 34 is provided rearward of this notch 45.

[0023] Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the suction port body 1 of the first embodiment with the second case portion removed. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, when the second case portion 38b is removed from the first case portion 38a, the top surface 52 of the first case portion 38a is exposed. A rib 53 for positioning the illumination portion 34 is provided at the middle of the front end of the top surface 52 of the first case portion 38a in the left-right direction.

[0024] 6 is an exploded view of the illumination section 34 in the suction port body 1 of the first embodiment. The illumination section 34 includes a board 62 on which LEDs 61 are mounted as light sources, a holder member 63 that holds the board 62, and a transparent cover 64 that is placed in front of the board 62 held by the holder member 63. The illumination section 34 is unitized by assembling the board 62, the holder member 63, and the transparent cover 64.

[0025] The LED 61 is a surface-emitting type having a flat light-emitting surface 61a, which is generally parallel to the mounting surface 62a of the substrate 62. In this embodiment, one LED 61 is mounted on one substrate 62, and the LED 61 is a high-brightness LED. The holder member 63 has a window 66 extending in the left-right direction in the center of the thin plate that forms the front surface 65, and ribs 67 are provided around the periphery of the front surface 65 for fitting the transparent cover 64 into the front surface 65 side.

[0026] The transparent cover 64 has a plate-shaped main body 64a that fits into the concave front surface 65 of the holder member 63, and a pair of legs 64b provided at the lower end of the main body 64a, and is made entirely of transparent resin or glass. Meanwhile, a pair of notches 68 are provided at the lower end of the rib 67 of the holder member 63 to sandwich the pair of legs 64b of the transparent cover 64 attached to the front surface 65 of the holder member 63 between the rib 67. The pair of legs 64b are inserted into the pair of notches 68, whereby the transparent cover 64 is attached to the holder member 63.

[0027] The main body 64a of the transparent cover 64 has a generally constant thickness except for the left and right ends, and the left and right ends of the main body 64a have a rearward protruding dimension (thickness) that increases from the upper end to the lower end (toward the leg 64b). The ribs 67 of the holder member 63 protrude forward so as to fit along the outer surfaces of the left and right ends of the main body 64a of the transparent cover 64. When the transparent cover 64 is attached to the holder member 63, the window 66 is located in the left-right central portion of the main body 64a, and the main body 64a is separated from the window 66. The transparent cover 64 may be a lens.

[0028] FIG. 7 is a rear view of the main part showing the back side of the illumination unit 34 of the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a rear view of the main part showing the illumination unit of FIG. 7 with the substrate removed. The holder member 63 has a rear surface 71 on the side opposite to the thin plate front surface 65 (see FIG. 6). An upper step 72 extending in the left-right direction is provided above a window portion 66 on the rear surface 71, and a pair of left and right lower step portions 73 are provided below the window portion 66 on the rear surface 71. Furthermore, the rear surface 71 of the holder member 63 is provided with a plurality of ribs for positioning the periphery of the substrate 62. The plurality of ribs include an L-shaped first rib 74 located above and on the left side near the upper step portion 72, a small piece-shaped second rib 75 located below and on the right side near the upper step portion 72, and a pair of third ribs 76 located below and near the pair of lower step portions 73. The first rib 74 has a pair of left and right abutment protrusions 77 on the underside of the upper portion, and a protruding piece 78 that protrudes to the right in a bent shape at the rear end of the left portion (the end facing away from the rear surface 71). The second rib 75 has a claw portion 75a that protrudes to the left at its rear end (the end facing away from the rear surface 71).

[0029] 6 to 8 , the substrate 62 is held by the holder member 63 by fitting the substrate 62 into the space surrounded by the first rib 74, the second rib 75, and the pair of third ribs 76 with the LEDs 61 facing the window portion 66. At this time, the left end of the substrate 62 is first inserted between the upper step portion 72 and the protruding piece portion 78, and then the right end of the substrate 62 is moved toward the second rib 75, causing the rib 75 to bend, and the substrate moves over the claw portions 75a toward the rear surface 71, and the substrate 62 can be attached to the holder member 63. When the substrate 62 is attached to the holder member 63, the mounting surface (front surface) 62a of the substrate 62 abuts against the upper step 72 and the pair of lower step portions 73, the upper end surface of the substrate 62 abuts against the pair of abutment protrusions 77, the left end surface of the substrate 62 abuts against the left portion of the first rib 74, the right end surface of the substrate 62 abuts against the second rib 75, the lower end surface of the substrate 62 abuts against the pair of third ribs 76, and the back surface 62c of the substrate 62 (the surface opposite the mounting surface 62a) abuts against the protruding piece 78 and the claw portion 75a. This restricts movement of the substrate 62 relative to the holder member 63 in the front-rear, left-right, up-down and up-down directions. When the substrate 62 is attached to the holder member 63, the LED 61 is positioned midway between the left and right sides of the window portion 66 when viewed from the front surface 65 of the holder member 63, and the lower part of the light-emitting surface 61a of the LED 61 is exposed to the outside and forward through the transparent cover 64 (see Figure 4).

[0030] 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of the illumination unit 34 of the suction port body 1 of the first embodiment, viewed from the left side. A pair of steps 64c are provided on the front upper and lower edges of the main body 64a of the transparent cover 64 of the illumination unit 34, and the transparent cover 64 is fixed by sandwiching the pair of steps 64c between the second case part 38b and the bumper 35.

[0031] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9 , when the board is attached, the mounting surface 62a of the board 62 contacts the upper step 72 and the pair of lower step portions 73 of the holder member 63, forming a gap S1 between the light-emitting surface 61a of the LED 61 and the rear surface 71 of the holder member 63 (the light diffusion suppressing member 81, described later), and a gap S2 between the mounting surface 62a of the board 62 and the rear surface 71 of the holder member 63. Furthermore, because a portion of the upper end surface of the board 62 contacts the pair of abutment protrusions 77, a gap S3 is formed between the other portion of the upper end surface of the board 62 and the upper portion of the first rib 74. Providing these gaps S1, S2, and S3 reduces direct transfer of heat from the LED 61 to the holder member 63 during light emission, allowing the heat from the LED 61 to dissipate into the internal space of the housing 21 via the gaps S1, S2, and S3 (see FIG. 3 ). Heat from the LED 61 can also be dissipated through the gap S2 below the board 62. The dimension L1 of the gap S1 between the light emitting surface 61a of the LED 61 and the rear surface 71 of the holder member 63 is not particularly limited, but can be set to about 0.4 mm to 0.6 mm.

[0032] When viewed from the front surface 65 side of the holder member 63 (see FIG. 4), the thin plate that forms the upper edge of the window portion 66 of the holder member 63 functions as a light diffusion suppressing member 81 and covers the upper portion 73 of the LED 61. In this case, the light diffusion suppressing member 81 covers 10% to 50% of the area of ​​the light emitting surface 61a of the LED 61. In other words, if the vertical dimension of the rectangular light emitting surface 61a of the LED 61 is A and the vertical dimension of the portion of the light diffusion suppressing member 81 that covers the LED 61 is B, then B is set to be (1 / 10)A to (1 / 2)A.

[0033] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the light-emitting state of the illumination unit 34 of the suction port body 1 of the first embodiment. Light 91 emitted from the LEDs 61 of the illumination unit 34 is diffused radially around an optical axis perpendicular to the light-emitting surface 61a. By providing the light diffusion suppressing member 81 to the illumination unit 34, the illumination unit 34 can illuminate the surface 26 to be cleaned in front of the suction port body 1 while suppressing the light 91 from being emitted diagonally upward in front of the suction port body 1. This reduces the discomfort of a person in front of the suction port body 1 feeling dazzled by the light 91 of the illumination unit 34 when the surface 26 to be cleaned is cleaned with the vacuum cleaner 2 (see FIG. 1). If the area of ​​the light-emitting surface 61a of the LEDs 61 covered by the light diffusion suppressing member 81 is less than 10%, a person in front of the suction port body 1 is likely to feel dazzled by the light 91 of the illumination unit 34. If the area of ​​the light-emitting surface 61a of the LEDs 61 covered by the light diffusion suppressing member 81 is more than 50%, the area illuminating the surface 26 to be cleaned is reduced, and the illumination range, particularly in the forward direction, is likely to be narrowed.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 9 , in the suction port body 1 of this embodiment, the angle θ of the light-emitting surface 61a of the LED 61 of the illumination unit 34 relative to the surface 26 to be cleaned is approximately 90°, and the distance L2 from the light-emitting surface 61a to the front end surface of the bumper 35 is short, at approximately 10 mm. This allows for a small area of ​​the shadow 29 (see FIG. 2 ) near the front end of the bumper 35 caused by the light 91 emitted forward from the light-emitting surface 61a of the LED 61. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2023-166025, which discloses prior art, describes a suction port body having an LED that illuminates the floor surface. This document describes a light-blocking upper shade disposed over the LED and lens of the suction port body, which prevents the user from directly viewing the LED light. In the suction port body of this embodiment, the light-emitting surface 61a is provided at the front end of the suction port body, and a light diffusion suppression member 81 is provided, eliminating the need for a long upper shade in the front-to-rear direction as in the prior art. Therefore, compared to suction port units of the prior art, the size of the housing 21 in the front-to-rear direction (increase in size of the housing 21) can be reduced in the suction port unit 1 of this embodiment. In addition, because the distance L2 is short, there is no need to provide the LED 61 in a high position in order to reduce the area of ​​the shadow 29 (see FIG. 2) near the front end of the bumper 35, and as a result, the height of the housing 21 (increase in size of the housing 21) can be reduced.

[0035] To further reduce the discomfort caused by the glare of light 91 from lighting unit 34 to people in front of suction port body 1, light-emitting surface 61a of LED 61 may be tilted such that the upper end of LED 61 moves forward and the lower end of LED 61 moves backward when housing 21 is placed on surface to be cleaned. That is, as shown in FIG. 3 , light-emitting surface 61a may be tilted at an angle θ of 5° or less (90° to 85°) with respect to a plane perpendicular to surface to be cleaned 26. In this case, when housing 21 is placed on surface to be cleaned 26, light diffusion suppressing member 81, which is a thin plate, may be tilted from first surface 31 toward second surface 32 toward front end 33 with respect to the plane perpendicular to surface to be cleaned 26, or may be parallel to the tilted light-emitting surface 61a.

[0036] FIG. 11 is a circuit diagram of the vacuum cleaner 2 of the first embodiment. The control unit 9 of the main body circuit unit 99 provided in the drive unit 6 and the circuit unit 100 provided in the suction port body 1 are electrically connected via the extension tube 5. In FIG. 10, 101 is a connection terminal. When the extension tube 5 is not used, the pair of connection terminals 101 of the drive unit 6 and the pair of connection terminals 101 of the suction port body 1 are electrically connected. The control unit 9 is electrically connected via a conductor to the battery 3 attached to the drive unit 6. Power from the battery 3 is supplied to the control unit 9 and the circuit unit 100. The circuit unit 100 includes a proximity detector 43, which, as described above, switches the circuit provided between the drive motor 16 and the battery 3 between conduction and non-conduction. As will be described later, the control unit 9 of the main body side circuit unit 99 can determine whether the drive unit 6 and the suction port body 1 are electrically connected and whether the first surface portion 31 (see Figure 3) is closely facing the surface 26 to be cleaned based on the amount of current flowing through the circuit unit 100 of the suction port body 1.

[0037] The circuit unit 100 has a series circuit unit 100a electrically connected to the positive connection terminal 101 and the negative connection terminal 101 of the suction port body 1. This series circuit unit 100a is provided with a fuse 102, a microswitch 43a of the proximity facing detector 43, and a drive motor 16, in this order from the positive connection terminal 101 side. That is, the microswitch 43a as a selector switch and the drive motor 16 are connected in series to the battery 3, which serves as a power source. Returning to FIGS. 1 and 5, a circuit board 100x constituting part of the series circuit unit 100a is provided on the right side (opposite the drive motor 16) of the first case portion 38 in the housing 21, and the fuse 102 and the microswitch 43a are provided on this circuit board 100x. The drive motor 16 is electrically connected to the circuit board 100x via a conductor.

[0038] Furthermore, the circuit unit 100 has a parallel circuit unit 100b that electrically connects the fuse 102 and microswitch 43a in the series circuit unit 100a and the drive motor 16 and negative connection terminal 101 in the series circuit unit 100a. The circuit board 100x also constitutes part of the parallel circuit unit 100b. In this parallel circuit unit 100b, an LED 61 is provided on the microswitch 43a side, and a resistor 103 is provided on the negative connection terminal 101 side. That is, the LED 61 and the drive motor 16 are connected in parallel to the battery 3, which is the power source, and the LED 61 is located closer to the battery 3 than the drive motor 16 and microswitch 43a. The resistor 103 is provided on the circuit board 100x, and the LED 61 is electrically connected to the circuit board 100x via a conductor.

[0039] 11, when the circuit unit 100 is electrically connected to the battery 3, the LED 61 and the battery 3 are always electrically connected. Here, "electrically connected" means a state in which electricity can flow. When the circuit unit 100 is electrically connected to the battery 3 and the power supply of the drive device 6 is on, and the first surface 31 (see FIG. 3) is closely facing the surface 26 to be cleaned (when the suction port body 1 is placed on the surface 26 to be cleaned), the proximity facing detector 43 turns on, the circuit provided between the drive motor 16 and the battery 3 is in an electrically connected state, and the drive motor 16 is driven by the power supplied from the battery 3. Furthermore, when the circuit unit 100 is electrically connected to the battery 3 and the drive unit 6 is powered on, and the first surface 31 is no longer in close proximity to the surface 26 to be cleaned (when the suction port body 1 lifts up from the surface 26 to be cleaned), the proximity detection unit 43 turns off, the circuit between the drive motor 16 and the battery 3 becomes non-conductive, and the drive motor 16 becomes non-powered. Note that when the first surface 31 is not in close proximity to the surface 26 to be cleaned (when the suction port body 1 lifts up from the surface 26 to be cleaned), the proximity detection unit 43 is off, and the circuit between the drive motor 16 and the battery 3 is non-conductive (the drive motor 16 is non-powered). The circuit unit 100 and the control unit 9 that operate in this manner will be described in more detail below.

[0040] According to the electrical circuit of the vacuum cleaner 2 shown in FIG. 11, the control unit 9 can determine the floor-mounted state, the floating state, and the detached state. The floor-mounted state is a state in which the suction port body 1 is electrically connected to the drive unit 6 with or without a connecting member (including the extension tube 5), and the suction port body 1 is placed on the surface 26 to be cleaned. The floating state is a state in which the suction port body 1 is electrically connected to the drive unit 6 with or without a connecting member (including the extension tube 5), and the suction port body 1 is somewhat lifted above the surface 26 to be cleaned. The detached state is a state in which the suction port body 1 is not electrically connected to the drive unit 6 with or without a connecting member (including the extension tube 5), i.e., the suction port body 1 is detached from the drive unit 6.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 11 , when the vacuum cleaner 2 is placed on the floor, the lower end of the oscillating wheel 43b of the proximity detector 43 is in contact with the surface 26 to be cleaned. At this time, the upper end of the oscillating wheel 43b presses the operating mechanism of the microswitch 43a, bringing the operating mechanism into contact with the contact portion, thereby turning on the microswitch 43a. In other words, the proximity detector 43 detects that the first surface 31 of the suction port body 1 is in close proximity to the surface 26 to be cleaned. When the power supply to the drive unit 6 is turned on while the microswitch 43a is on, electricity flows between the control unit 9 and the circuit unit 100, driving the drive motor 16 and lighting the LED 61. For example, if the current value of the LED 61 at this time is X and the current value of the drive motor 16 in the low operation mode is Y, the current value of the drive motor 16 increases to αY in the high operation mode to increase the rotation speed of the drive motor 16. At this time, the current value of the circuit section 100 is X+Y or X+αY, and the control section 9 can determine that the device is in the floor-mounted state based on the current value X+Y or X+αY.

[0042] When the vacuum cleaner 2 is in the floating state, the oscillating wheel 43b of the proximity / opposition detection unit 43 is floating above the surface 26 to be cleaned. At this time, the microswitch 43a at the top end of the oscillating wheel 43b is released from pressing against the operating mechanism, causing the operating mechanism to no longer contact the contacts, turning the microswitch 43a off. In other words, the proximity / opposition detection unit 43 detects that the first surface 31 of the suction port body 1 is not in close proximity to the surface 26 to be cleaned. When the microswitch 43a is off, there is electrical continuity between the control unit 9 and the LED 61 of the circuit unit 100, so that the LED 61 is illuminated. However, there is no electrical continuity between the control unit 9 and the drive motor 16, so that the drive motor 16 is not operating. At this time, the current value of the drive motor 16 in the circuit unit 100 is zero, so the only current value of the circuit unit 100 is the current value X of the LED 61. Based on this current value X, the control unit 9 can determine that the vacuum cleaner 2 is in the floating state. In this way, the circuit section 100 controls the conduction between the drive motor 16 and the battery 3 based on the detection by the proximity / opposition detector 43.

[0043] Furthermore, when the suction port body 1 is in a detached state, no current flows between the control unit 9 and the circuit unit 100, so the current value of the circuit unit 100 becomes 0, and based on this current value of 0, the control unit 9 can determine that the suction port body 1 is in a detached state.

[0044] In the case of a conventional suction port unit circuit equipped with a drive motor for a rotary cleaning body, as in JP 2007-054146 A (see paragraph 0022, Figure 1, etc.), a series circuit unit having an electric motor (drive motor) is provided with a first parallel circuit unit having a first resistor and a second parallel circuit unit having a second resistor at positions before and after the safety switch, so that a microcomputer on the main body (drive device side) can determine whether the safety switch is on by a change in the divided voltage between the two resistors built into the circuit on the main body side (drive device side). In contrast, in the circuit unit 100 of the suction port unit 1 of this embodiment shown in Figure 10, a parallel circuit unit 100b having an LED 61 is provided on the battery 3 side of the microswitch 43a in the series circuit unit 100a having the drive motor 16, so that the on / off state of the microswitch 43a can be determined as described above even if the second parallel circuit unit (the second resistor) after the microswitch 43a is omitted. This also makes it possible to reduce the number of resistor components and reduce the size and weight of the circuit board 100x that constitutes part of the circuit unit 100 while providing the LED 61 in the circuit unit 100. Note that the circuit board 100x may be further reduced in size by providing the resistor 103 on the board 62 (see FIG. 9).

[0045] In the suction mouth body 1 of this embodiment, the illumination section is provided with one LED 61 as an example, but the illumination section may be provided with multiple LEDs 61. In this case, one or more additional LEDs may be provided in place of the resistor 103 in the parallel circuit section 100b of this circuit section 100. The suction mouth body 1 of this embodiment is not limited to application to stick-type, handheld-type, cyclone-type, and other vacuum cleaners, but can also be applied to canister-type, upright-type, paper bag-type, and other vacuum cleaners.

[0046] (Modification 1 of the first embodiment) 1, 3, and 11, in the first embodiment, when the first surface 31 is adjacent to and facing the surface 26 to be cleaned, the switching member (oscillating wheel 43b) comes into contact with the surface 26 to turn on the physical switch unit (microswitch 43a), thereby establishing electrical continuity between the drive motor 16 and the power source (battery 3), and when the first surface 31 is not adjacent to and facing the surface 26 to be cleaned, the switching member (oscillating wheel 43b) does not come into contact with the surface 26 to turn off the physical switch unit (microswitch 43a), thereby establishing electrical continuity between the drive motor 16 and the power source (battery 3). The switching switch may have a configuration capable of performing such basic operations; for example, a momentary switch may be used as the physical switch, and a lifting wheel that can move up and down while in contact with the button portion of the momentary switch may be used as the switching member. In this case, when the suction port body 1 is placed on the surface 26 to be cleaned, the lower wheels of the lifting wheels come into contact with the surface 26 to be cleaned, and the upper ends of the lifting wheels press upward against the button portion of the momentary switch, turning the momentary switch on and energizing the drive motor. Also, when the suction port body 1 is moved upward away from the surface 26 to be cleaned, the wheels of the lifting wheels move away from the surface 26 to be cleaned, and the button portion of the momentary switch presses the upper ends of the lifting wheels downward, turning the momentary switch off and de-energizing the drive motor.

[0047] (Modification 2 of the first embodiment) In the first embodiment, the proximity detection unit 43 includes a changeover switch having a physical switch unit and a switching member for turning the physical switch unit on and off. However, the changeover switch may be as follows. That is, instead of a changeover switch combining a microswitch 43a and a swinging wheel 43b that mechanically turns the microswitch 43a on and off, a changeover switch combining a transistor and an optical sensor that turns the transistor on and off may be used. In this case, when the suction nozzle is placed on the surface to be cleaned, light emitted from the light-emitting unit of the optical sensor is reflected by the surface to be cleaned. The reflected light is received by the light-receiving unit of the optical sensor, and an electrical signal is sent from the light-receiving unit to the transistor, which turns on the transistor and energizes the drive motor. Furthermore, when the suction nozzle is separated from the surface to be cleaned and the light-receiving unit of the optical sensor does not receive the reflected light, no electrical signal is sent from the light-receiving unit to the transistor, so the transistor is turned off and the drive motor is de-energized.

[0048] (Second embodiment) Fig. 12 is an explanatory diagram of the light-emitting state of the illumination unit of the suction port body of the second embodiment. In Fig. 12, elements that are the same as those in Fig. 10 are given the same reference numerals. The suction port body of the second embodiment is configured in the same manner as the first embodiment, except that the shape of the lower end of light diffusion suppression member 113 of holder member 112 in illumination unit 111 is different from that of the first embodiment. Below, the differences between the second embodiment and the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[0049] In the second embodiment, the lower end of the thin plate that constitutes the light diffusion suppressing member 113, more specifically, the lower end surface 114 of the thin plate, is inclined from the second surface side toward the first surface side, from the surface side (rear surface 115 side) facing the LED light-emitting surface 61a of the thin plate (light diffusion suppressing member 113) toward the surface side (front surface 116 side) that does not face the light-emitting surface 61a. In this case, the light diffusion suppressing member 113 also covers 10% to 50% of the area of ​​the light-emitting surface 61a. This configuration allows a portion of the light 91 irradiated forward from the light-emitting surface 61a, which was blocked by the lower end of the light diffusion suppressing member 113 in the first embodiment, to be irradiated toward the floor surface. This allows the floor surface to be illuminated more brightly and reduces the discomfort that people in front of the air inlet body 1 may feel from the light 91 of the illumination unit 34.

[0050] (Third embodiment) Fig. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the light-emitting state of the illumination unit of the suction port body of the third embodiment. In Fig. 13, elements that are the same as those in Fig. 10 are given the same reference numerals. The suction port body of the third embodiment is also configured in the same manner as the first embodiment, except that the shape of the lower end of light diffusion suppression member 123 of holder member 122 in illumination unit 121 is different from that of the first embodiment. Below, the differences between the third embodiment and the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[0051] In the third embodiment, the lower end of the thin plate that is the light diffusion suppressing member 123 is inclined (bent) from the second surface side toward the first surface side, from the surface side (rear surface 125 side) facing the LED light-emitting surface 61a of the thin plate (light diffusion suppressing member 123) toward the surface side (front surface 126 side) that does not face the light-emitting surface 61a. In this case, the light diffusion suppressing member 123 also covers 10% to 50% of the area of ​​the light-emitting surface 61a. This configuration allows a portion of the light 91 irradiated forward from the light-emitting surface 61a, which was blocked by the lower end of the light diffusion suppressing member 113 in the first embodiment, to be irradiated toward the floor surface. This allows the floor surface to be illuminated more brightly and reduces the discomfort that people in front of the air inlet body 1 may feel from the light 91 from the lighting unit 34.

[0052] Preferred aspects of the present invention also include any combination of the above-described aspects. In addition to the above-described embodiments, various modifications of the present invention are possible. These modifications should not be interpreted as not falling within the scope of the present invention. The present invention should include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 1: suction port body, 2: electric vacuum cleaner, 3: battery, 4: vacuum cleaner body, 5: extension pipe, 6: drive unit (suction section), 7: dust collection device (dust collection section), 7a: dust collection container, 7b: filter section, 8: electric suction machine, 9: control section, 10: electrical component storage section, 11: handle section, 12: battery mounting section, 13: pipe section, 14: operation section, 14a, 14b, 14c: switch, 15: pipe body, 16: drive motor, 21: housing (suction port body), 22: first axis, 23: joint section, 24: second axis, 25: connecting pipe section, 26: surface to be cleaned (floor surface), 31: first surface section, 32: second surface section, 33: front end section, 34, 111, 121: lighting section, 35: bumper, 36: suction port, 37: lower case, 38: upper case, 38a: first case portion, 38b: second case portion, 39: rear wheel, 40: rear wheel support portion, 41: front end opening, 42: communication passage, 43: proximity facing detection portion, 43a: microswitch, 43b: oscillating wheel, 44: rotating cleaning body, 45: notch, 51: drive motor, 52: upper surface, 53: rib, 61: LED, 61a: light emitting surface, 62 board, 62a: mounting surface (front surface), 62b: outer circumferential surface, 62c: back surface, 63, 112, 122: holder member, 64: transparent cover, 64a: main body portion, 64b: legs, 64c: step portion, 65: front surface, 66: window portion, 67: rib, 68: notch, 71: rear surface, 72: upper step portion, 73: lower step portion, 74: first rib, 75: second rib, 75a: claw portion, 76: third rib, 77: abutting protrusion portion, 78: protruding piece portion, 81, 113, 123: light diffusion suppressing member, 91: light, 99: main body side circuit portion, 100: circuit portion, 100a: series circuit portion, 100b: parallel circuit portion, 100x: circuit board, 101: connection terminal, 102: fuse, 103: resistor, 114: bottom end surface, 115, 125: rear surface, 116, 126: front surface, A, B: vertical dimension, L1: dimension, L2: distance, S1, S2, S3: gap, θ: angle

Claims

1. The housing and a suction port provided on a first surface portion of the housing capable of closely facing a surface to be cleaned; an illumination unit having a light source and illuminating the surface to be cleaned; a rotating cleaning body rotatably provided near the suction port; a drive motor that rotates the rotary cleaning body; a circuit unit that can electrically connect the light source and the drive motor to a power source; When the circuit unit is electrically connected to the power supply, the light source and the power supply are always electrically connected to each other, When the circuit unit is electrically connected to the power source, the circuit unit is configured to electrically connect the drive motor and the power source when the first surface portion is in close proximity to the surface to be cleaned, and not electrically connect the drive motor and the power source when the first surface portion is not in close proximity to the surface to be cleaned.

2. a proximity detection unit for detecting whether the first surface is in proximity to a surface to be cleaned, The suction mouth unit according to claim 1 , wherein the circuit section controls conduction between the drive motor and the power source based on detection by the proximity opposing detector.

3. the proximity detection unit has a changeover switch for switching between electrical continuity and electrical discontinuity between the drive motor and the power source, The suction port body described in claim 2, wherein the changeover switch and the drive motor are connected in series to the power supply, the light source and the drive motor are connected in parallel to the power supply, and the light source is arranged closer to the power supply than the drive motor and the changeover switch.

4. The changeover switch has a physical switch unit and a switching member for turning on and off the physical switch unit, The suction mouth body described in claim 3, wherein when the first surface portion is in close proximity to the surface to be cleaned, the switching member turns on the physical switch portion by coming into contact with the surface to be cleaned, thereby connecting the drive motor and the power source, and when the first surface portion is not in close proximity to the surface to be cleaned, the switching member turns off the physical switch portion by not coming into contact with the surface to be cleaned, thereby disconnecting the drive motor and the power source.

5. The suction mouth body according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the light source is a high-brightness LED.

6. The air intake body according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the illumination section is provided with a plurality of the light sources.

7. The suction port body described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the lighting unit comprises a light source having a flat light-emitting surface, and a light diffusion suppression member that covers the upper part of the light-emitting surface when viewed from in front of the light-emitting surface and suppresses the diffusion of light irradiated from the light-emitting surface diagonally upward from the light-emitting surface.

8. The suction mouth body according to claim 7 , wherein the light diffusion suppressing member is a thin plate that covers an upper portion of the light emitting surface.

9. An intake body as described in claim 8, having a second surface portion opposite the first surface portion, and the lower end portion of the thin plate is inclined from the second surface portion side to the first surface portion side from the surface side facing the light-emitting surface of the thin plate to the surface side not facing the light-emitting surface.

10. The suction mouth body according to claim 7, wherein the light diffusion suppression member covers 10% to 50% of the area of ​​the light-emitting surface.

11. A vacuum cleaner comprising: a vacuum cleaner body having a suction section and a dust collecting section; and a suction mouth body according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is connected to the vacuum cleaner body directly or via a connecting member; The vacuum cleaner body has a main body side circuit section that can determine whether the vacuum cleaner body and the suction mouth body are electrically connected and whether the first surface section is in close proximity to the surface to be cleaned, based on the amount of current flowing through the circuit section of the suction mouth body.

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