Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

To provide a vacuum cleaner capable of reducing a load acting on a user when using the vacuum cleaner by gripping a handle part.SOLUTION: The vacuum cleaner includes a cleaner body 10 having an electric blower 30, and a dust collector 80 attachable to and detachable from the cleaner body 10, wherein the dust collector 80 is provided on the lower side of the electric blower 30. The cleaner body 10 has a handle part 40 including a grip part 42, and a battery 50 provided on the upper side of the electric blower 30. The handle part 40 forms a space part 44 for inserting a hand, and the grip part 42 is inclined so as to extend from the front side to the rear side as it goes from the lower side to the upper side. The second virtual line L2 extending along the extending direction of the grip portion 42 intersects the first virtual line L1 passing through the electric blower 30 and the dust collector 80 at a position above the battery 50.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been provided an electric vacuum cleaner that includes an electric blower and a vacuum cleaner body having a handle, as disclosed in the following Patent Document 1. In the electric vacuum cleaner of Patent Document 1, the handle is formed in a substantially arc shape along an arc centered on the center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner body, and is formed so that each position is substantially equidistant from the center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-15324 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional vacuum cleaner disclosed in Patent Document 1, the heavy items, the electric blower and the battery, are located below the dust collection unit, and the battery, one of the two heavy items, is located directly below the rear end of the handle, while the other heavy item, the electric blower, is located directly below the front end of the handle. Therefore, when gripping the front of the handle, the vacuum cleaner disclosed in Patent Document 1 is gripped far from the battery, and when gripping the rear end of the handle, the vacuum cleaner is gripped far from the electric blower. Therefore, the vacuum cleaner disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that when twisting the grip, for example to change the direction of the suction port, a large moment is generated by the heavy items, which places a large load on the user's hand.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an electric vacuum cleaner that can reduce the burden on the user when gripping the handle portion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The electric vacuum cleaner of the present invention, which is provided to solve the above-mentioned problems, comprises a vacuum cleaner body having a suction port and an electric blower that generates suction force, and a dust collecting device that is detachable from the vacuum cleaner body and collects dust sucked by the electric blower, wherein the dust collecting device is provided below the electric blower in the vertical direction, and the vacuum cleaner body has a handle portion including a grip, and a battery that is provided above the electric blower in the vertical direction and supplies power to the electric blower, the handle portion forms a space for inserting a hand, and the grip portion is inclined so as to extend from the front to the rear in a front-to-back direction perpendicular to the vertical direction as it moves from the bottom to the top in the vertical direction, and a second imaginary line that extends in the vertical direction and passes through the grip portion along the extension direction of the grip portion intersects with a first imaginary line that passes through the electric blower and the dust collecting device at a position above the battery in the vertical direction.

[0007] The vacuum cleaner of the present invention includes two heavy objects: a battery and an electric blower. The vacuum cleaner of the present invention has a handle that is inclined so that it extends from the front to the rear, making it easy for a user to grip the handle when using the vacuum cleaner.

[0008] In addition, in the vacuum cleaner of the present invention, the battery is located above the electric blower. Furthermore, in the vacuum cleaner of the present invention, a second imaginary line passing through the handle along the extension direction of the handle intersects with a first imaginary line passing through the electric blower and the dust collector at a position above the battery. This allows the center of gravity of the heavy object (the electric blower and battery) to be located close to the handle. Because the handle is located close to the center of gravity, the vacuum cleaner of the present invention reduces the moment generated when gripping the handle and tilting the vacuum cleaner body to change the direction of the suction port, etc., and prevents a large load from being applied to the user's hands. Therefore, the vacuum cleaner of the present invention reduces the load applied to the user when gripping the handle and using the vacuum cleaner, compared to conventional vacuum cleaners. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize an electric vacuum cleaner that can reduce the load acting on the user when using the vacuum cleaner by gripping the handle portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an electric vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 is a side view showing a vacuum cleaner main body that constitutes the electric vacuum cleaner shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a vacuum cleaner main body constituting the electric vacuum cleaner shown in FIG. 1 is viewed from the side opposite to that in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cleaner body shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the vacuum cleaner body is tilted backward until the grip portion is horizontal to the floor surface, in a first backward tilted position. FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the vacuum cleaner body tilted backward in a second backward tilted position. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the vacuum cleaner body tilted backward in a third rearward tilted position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, a vacuum cleaner 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the overall configuration of the vacuum cleaner 1 will be outlined first, followed by a more detailed description of the main parts. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, positional relationships in the up-down direction (the longitudinal direction of the vacuum cleaner 1 and the vacuum cleaner main body 10), width direction, front-rear direction, etc. will be described based on the state in which the vacuum cleaner 1 is set upright as shown in FIG.

[0012] <<Overall configuration of vacuum cleaner 1>> As shown in FIG. 1, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 is a vacuum cleaner with a stick-shaped (vertical) appearance. The electric vacuum cleaner 1 can be, for example, a rechargeable type, or one that obtains power from an external power source via a power cord. As shown in FIG. 1, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 includes a vacuum cleaner main body 10, a dust collecting device 80, an extension tube 100, and a suction port body 110. As shown in the example, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 can be supported on a base 2 or the like to form an electric vacuum cleaner system S.

[0013] The vacuum cleaner main body 10 forms the main body of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 and is the part that exerts suction power and performs the function of collecting dust. Specifically, as shown in Figures 4 to 7, the vacuum cleaner main body 10 includes, inside a housing 20 that forms a housing, an electric blower 30 for sucking air and generating an airflow, a battery 50, and other components.

[0014] The vacuum cleaner body 10 also includes a handle 40. The handle 40 is a portion provided for a user of the vacuum cleaner 1 to grip the vacuum cleaner body 10. That is, the vacuum cleaner 1 is configured so that the user can grip the vacuum cleaner body 10, for example, by passing their fingers, excluding the thumb, through a space 44 defined by the handle 40. The vacuum cleaner body 10 has an exhaust opening 25 on the handle 40 side through which air discharged from the electric blower 30 is exhausted. The lower end of the vacuum cleaner body 10 is provided with a suction port 76 for connecting an extension tube 100 or a suction port body 110. The vacuum cleaner body 10 has a configuration that is characteristic of the vacuum cleaner 1, and its specific structure will be described in detail later.

[0015] Dust collecting device 80 is a part that collects dust sucked by electric vacuum cleaner 1. Dust collecting device 80 is provided detachably to vacuum cleaner body 10. Dust collecting device 80 is provided below electric blower 30 in the up-down direction.

[0016] The extension tube 100 is a cylindrical member that detachably connects the vacuum cleaner body 10 and the suction port body 110. One end of the extension tube 100 is shaped so that it can be connected (inserted) into the suction port 76 provided in the vacuum cleaner body 10, and the other end is shaped so that it can be connected to the suction port body 110. By connecting the vacuum cleaner body 10 and the suction port body 110 via the extension tube 100, a continuous, communicating path (air passage) can be formed from the suction port body 110 to the vacuum cleaner body 10.

[0017] The suction port body 110 is connected directly to the suction port 76 of the vacuum cleaner body 10, or indirectly via the extension pipe 100. The suction port body 110 has a suction port 112 and a joint part 114. The suction port 112 opens toward the bottom. The joint part 114 can be connected to the suction port 76 or the extension pipe 100. The distinctive features of the suction port body 110 will be described in detail later.

[0018] The electric vacuum cleaner 1 is generally configured as described above. The electric vacuum cleaner 1 is characterized by the configuration of the vacuum cleaner main body 10 and the arrangement of each part in the vacuum cleaner main body 10. The configuration of the vacuum cleaner main body 10 and the arrangement of each part in the vacuum cleaner main body 10 will be described in more detail below.

[0019] <<Configuration of the vacuum cleaner body 10>> The configuration of the vacuum cleaner main body 10 will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The vacuum cleaner main body 10 is configured to house, inside a housing 20, an electric blower 30, which is a heavy object, and a battery 50. In addition to these, the vacuum cleaner main body 10 is configured to have components such as a base unit 60 and an operation unit 48 attached to the housing 20.

[0020] 4 to 7, the housing 20 is a hollow case that forms the outer shell of the vacuum cleaner body 10. The housing 20 has a battery housing section 24, a circuit board housing section 26, an electric blower housing section 28, and a pipe section 70.

[0021] The battery housing section 24 is a space in which the battery 50 is housed. When the vacuum cleaner 1 is placed upright (in the vertical direction), the battery housing section 24 is located above the electric blower 30 (electric blower housing section 28). In this embodiment, the battery housing section 24 is located at the upper end side of the housing 20. The battery housing section 24 is located in a position aligned rearward (back side) with respect to the handle section 40. The battery 50 can be made detachable by, for example, providing the battery housing section 24 with an openable and closable lid, but in this embodiment, the battery 50 is assembled in the battery housing section 24.

[0022] The board accommodating section 26 is a portion inside the vacuum cleaner body 10 that accommodates the board section 60. The board accommodating section 26 can be provided in an appropriate location inside the housing 20. In this embodiment, the board accommodating section 26 is provided forward of the battery accommodating section 24 (battery 50). The board accommodating section 26 is also provided above the electric blower accommodating section 28 (electric blower 30). The board section 60 has terminals and electronic components mounted on a board 62. The board section 60 is accommodated inside the housing 20. The board section 60 is electrically connected to the electric blower 30, the battery 50, and the operating section 48.

[0023] The electric blower housing 28 houses the electric blower 30. When the vacuum cleaner 1 is in an upright position, the electric blower housing 28 is located above the dust collecting device 80. The electric blower housing 28 is also located below the battery housing 24 and the board housing 26. Therefore, the electric blower 30 disposed in the electric blower housing 28 is located below the battery 50 and the board 60. The electric blower 30 includes an electric motor 32 and a blower 34. The electric blower 30 generates suction force by drawing air from the intake side toward the exhaust side. The electric blower 30 is housed in the electric blower housing 28 with the intake side facing the dust collecting device 80 (the downward side in the example shown in FIG. 4 ). In addition, a shielding member 64 is arranged between the board section 60 (board accommodating section 26) and the battery 50 (battery accommodating section 24) and the electric blower 30 (electric blower accommodating section 28) to prevent the exhaust air from the electric blower 30 from flowing into the board accommodating section 26 and the battery accommodating section 24, but the shielding member 64 may be eliminated to allow the exhaust air to flow into the board accommodating section 26 and the battery accommodating section 24.

[0024] The handle 40 is formed so as to extend from bottom to top as it moves from the front to the rear of the vacuum cleaner body 10. The handle 40 may have any suitable shape, such as a rod or cylinder, a curved shape, or a shape with projections and recesses that fit the user's fingers, as long as it can be gripped by a user. The handle 40 is provided with a grip 42. The grip 42 is the part that a user grips when the vacuum cleaner 1 is in normal use. In this embodiment, the grip 42 is cylindrical. The grip 42 is provided so as to extend in the front-to-rear direction of the vacuum cleaner body 10. The grip 42 is provided on the upper end side of the housing 20. The grip 42 is formed so as to extend from bottom to top as it moves from the front to the rear of the vacuum cleaner body 10. The inclination of the grip portion 42 can be set as appropriate, but in this embodiment, the grip portion 42 is arranged so that it slopes upward from the front to the rear of the vacuum cleaner body 10 at an angle of 40 to 60 degrees (preferably 45 to 55 degrees) from the horizontal.

[0025] The handle portion 40 forms a space 44 that is open so that a user can insert a hand. The space 44 may have any suitable shape, as long as it is open enough to allow a user to insert a hand. In this embodiment, the space 44 is open in the left-right direction of the vacuum cleaner body 10. The space 44 is also formed in a shape that extends along the inclination of the grip portion 42. In this embodiment, the space 44 has an oval opening shape. As a result, the space 44 extends linearly in the longitudinal middle portion of the grip portion 42, while being curved at both ends (front and rear sides) of the grip portion 42. Therefore, when a user inserts their hand into the space 44, the handle portion 40 can be firmly gripped in the middle portion, and can be smoothly rotated around positions on the front and rear sides that correspond to the fingers inserted into the space 44, making it easy to adjust the inclination of the vacuum cleaner body 10 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0026] The space 44 is an area formed by a space-forming portion (surface) including the inner circumferential surface 42a of the grip portion 42 and an opposing surface 46 that faces the grip portion 42 on the vacuum cleaner body 10 (housing 20). The space 44 does not necessarily have to be surrounded all around; for example, if the grip portion 42 is rod-shaped (if the rear end of the grip portion 42 is a free end), the space 44 may be open not only in the left-right directions but also at an upper and rear position. In this embodiment, the space 44 includes the inner circumferential surface 42a and the opposing surface 46, and is surrounded all around by a surface that is continuous with these surfaces.

[0027] The handle portion 40 is located above the upper end of the electric blower 30 (electric blower housing 28) in the vertical direction. The handle portion 40 is located forward of the battery 50 (battery housing 24) in the front-to-rear direction. The handle portion 40 extends to directly above the electric blower 30 (electric blower housing 28). The grip portion 42 extends close to a recessed area 22a provided in the housing 20 on the front side of the battery 50 (where the battery housing 24 is formed).

[0028] More specifically, in this embodiment, the handle portion 40 is connected to the front side of the battery 50 in the housing 20 (where the battery storage portion 24 is provided). However, if the handle portion 40 is rod-shaped (where the rear end of the handle portion 40 is a free end and is spaced apart from the recessed portion 22 in front of the battery 50), the rear side of the handle portion 40 (grip portion 42) only needs to extend so as to face the recessed area 22a in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the housing 20 has a recess 22 at the connection point with the handle portion 40. The recess 22 is provided directly above the electric blower 30 (electric blower storage portion 28) and in front of the battery 50 (battery storage portion 24). In other words, the recess 22 is provided in a position in front of the battery 50 (battery storage portion 24) so ​​as to overlap the projected range of the electric blower 30 in the vertical direction. The recess 22 is recessed radially toward the center (rearward in the front-to-rear direction) from the outer dimensions (outer dimensions in the radial direction) of the electric blower 30 to form the recessed region 22a. The space 44 extends to reach the recessed region 22a (recess 22). The recessed region 22a forms a joint between the handle 40 and the front side of the battery 50 (battery housing 24) of the housing 20. The recessed region 22a is formed in a shape that matches the shape of the handle 40. The recessed region 22a has a shape obtained by Boolean subtraction of the portion that forms the handle 40 from the cylindrical portion of the housing 20 that forms the electric blower housing 28. As a result, the recessed region 22a has a shape that matches the shapes of the handle 40 and the electric blower housing 28.

[0029] The handle portion 40 has an operating unit 48. The operating unit 48 is used to operate the electric blower 30 (electric vacuum cleaner 1). The operating unit 48 can be configured using, for example, a button-type switch, a trigger-type switch, or the like for operating the electric blower 30. In this embodiment, an operation receiving unit 48b, such as a button-type switch, and electronic components are mounted on an operating unit board 48a. The operating unit 48 can also be provided on the inner circumferential surface 42a of the grip portion 42 in the handle portion 40, but in this embodiment, it is provided on the outer circumferential surface 42b of the grip portion 42. The operating unit 48 is preferably disposed in an area including the center position of the grip portion 42 in the extension direction, or in an area forward of the center position. In this embodiment, the operating unit 48 is provided in an area including the center position of the grip portion 42 in the extension direction, and forward of this center position.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 4 and other figures, the pipe section 70 is a portion that constitutes an air passage 72 that communicates with the dust collecting device 80. The pipe section 70 is formed to extend in the vertical direction on the front side of the housing 20. That is, the battery housing section 24 (board housing section 26) and the electric blower housing section 28 are formed on the rear side of the housing 20 so as to be aligned in this order in the vertical direction, while the pipe section 70 is provided further in front of them. The pipe section 70 is formed to extend in the vertical direction along the dust collecting device 80 on the front side of the dust collecting device 80.

[0031] An air passage 72 is provided inside the pipe section 70. The air passage 72 is formed to extend in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the pipe section 70 is provided with an air passage discharge section 74 (discharge port) connected to a dust collection section inlet section 86 (inlet port) of the dust collecting device 80. By connecting the dust collecting device 80 to the vacuum cleaner body 10, the air passage discharge section 74 of the pipe section 70 is connected to the dust collection section inlet section 86, and the pipe section 70 is in a state of communication with the dust collecting device 80. The pipe section 70 also has a suction port 76 that functions as a connection port for connecting an extension pipe 100 or a suction port body 110. The suction port 76 is a portion that serves as an inlet for air sucked through the extension pipe 100 or the suction port body 110. The suction port 76 opens at the lower end side of the pipe section 70.

[0032] The pipe portion 70 is arranged to be aligned in the front-to-rear direction with respect to the dust collecting device 80. The pipe portion 70 is also located on the front side with respect to the dust collecting device 80. Furthermore, the pipe portion 70 is arranged at a position where a pipe axis passing through the axial center position intersects with the grip portion 42.

[0033] The dust collecting device 80 is detachably provided to the vacuum cleaner body 10. The dust collecting device 80 is a so-called cyclone type dust collecting device. That is, the dust collecting device 80 is capable of collecting dust in the process of introducing air from a dust collecting section inlet 86 provided in the dust collecting container 84, forming a swirling airflow inside the dust collecting container 84, and then discharging the air. The dust collecting device 80 can be of a so-called single-stage or multi-stage separation type, but in this embodiment, a single-stage separation type is adopted.

[0034] Dust collecting device 80 has a dust collecting container 84 and a structure 88, with a dust collecting space 90 formed between them. Dust collecting device 80 is capable of forming a swirling air current that swirls air introduced into dust collecting space 90 between structure 88 and dust collecting container 84. Dust collecting device 80 is detachably attached to a position below electric blower 30 (electric blower housing 28) in vacuum cleaner body 10.

[0035] <<Arrangement of each part in the vacuum cleaner body 10>> Next, the arrangement of each part in the vacuum cleaner body 10 will be described. In the following description, an imaginary line that extends in the up-down direction and passes through the electric blower 30 and the dust collecting device 80 will be referred to as a first imaginary line L1, and an imaginary line that passes through the grip part 42 along the extension direction of the grip part 42 will be referred to as a second imaginary line L2. Also, an imaginary line in the direction of gravity that passes through the center position of the extension direction of the grip part 42 will be referred to as a first gravity direction line G1, and an imaginary line in the direction of gravity that passes through the rear end of the grip part 42 will be referred to as a second gravity direction line G2.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 4 and other figures, the vacuum cleaner body 10 is arranged such that a second imaginary line L2 extending in the extension direction of the grip portion 42 intersects with a first imaginary line L1 passing through the electric blower 30 and the dust collecting device 80 at a position above the battery 50 in the up-down direction. Furthermore, when the vacuum cleaner body 10 is tilted backward until the grip portion 42 is horizontal to the floor (first backward tilted position), the vacuum cleaner body 10 is arranged such that a first gravity direction line G1 passing through the center of the extension direction of the grip portion 42 and extending in the direction of gravity passes closer to the electric motor 32 than the blower 34, or closer to the battery 50 than the center of gravity of the electric blower 30 (electric blower center of gravity P1). In this embodiment, when the vacuum cleaner body 10 is in the first backward tilted position, as shown in Fig. 5, the first gravity direction line G1 passes closer to the battery 50 than the electric blower center of gravity P1. In this state, the first gravity direction line G1 does not pass through the dust collecting device 80 (dust collecting container 84).

[0037] Furthermore, when the vacuum cleaner body 10 is in the first backward tilted position, the range between the first gravity direction line G1 and the second gravity direction line G2 includes the center of gravity position (composite center of gravity Px) on a line connecting the center of gravity P1 of the electric blower 30 (electric blower center of gravity P1) and the center of gravity of the battery 50 (battery center of gravity P2). Therefore, when the vacuum cleaner body 10 is in the first backward tilted position, it can be positioned near directly above the composite center of gravity Px of the electric blower 30 and the battery 50, which are heavy objects. This makes it easy to balance the vacuum cleaner body 10 in the first backward tilted position, and minimizes the force required to move or lift it. Therefore, the vacuum cleaner body 10 is highly maneuverable in the first backward tilted position.

[0038] When the vacuum cleaner body 10 is in a rearward tilted position such that the first imaginary line L1 is inclined relative to the direction of gravity, and the vacuum cleaner body 10 is tilted backward so that the angle between the first imaginary line L1 and the floor surface is within a range of 30 degrees to 60 degrees (second rearward tilted position), the electric blower 30, the battery 50, and the grip 42 are arranged as shown in FIG. 6. The second rearward tilted position is a position in which the vacuum cleaner body 10 is upright relative to the floor surface, compared to when the vacuum cleaner body 10 is used in the first rearward tilted position described above, i.e., a position in which the vacuum cleaner body 10 is used in a state in which the degree of rearward tilt is smaller than in the first rearward tilted position. As shown in FIG. 6, when the vacuum cleaner body 10 is in the second rearward tilted position, the portion of the grip 42 that overlaps with the line segment between the electric blower center of gravity P1 and the battery center of gravity P2 in the up-down direction is located behind the operation unit 48. Therefore, when the user holds the rear side of the grip portion 42 including the center position and places the vacuum cleaner body 10 in the second rearward tilting position, the vacuum cleaner body 10 is highly maneuverable even in the second rearward tilting position.

[0039] When the vacuum cleaner body 10 is tilted backward (third backward tilted position) so that the angle between the first imaginary line L1 and the floor surface is within a range of 3 degrees to 20 degrees, the electric blower 30, the battery 50, and the grip portion 42 are arranged as shown in FIG. 7 . The third backward tilted position is a position in which the vacuum cleaner body 10 is tilted back relative to the floor surface, i.e., a position in which the vacuum cleaner body 10 is used at a greater backward tilt than in the first backward tilted position, compared to when the vacuum cleaner body 10 is used in the first backward tilted position and the second backward tilted position described above. As shown in FIG. 7 , when the vacuum cleaner body 10 is in the third backward tilted position, a portion of the front side of the grip portion 42 overlaps with the line segment of the electric blower center of gravity P1 and the battery center of gravity P2 in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the vacuum cleaner body 10 is in the third backward tilted position while the user grips the front side including the center position of the grip portion 42 (preferably near the center position avoiding the operating unit 48), the vacuum cleaner body 10 is highly maneuverable even in the third backward tilted position.

[0040] In addition, in the vacuum cleaner body 10, the handle portion 40 is disposed so that its front end is located forward of the pipe axis of the pipe portion 70 and its rear end is located directly above the electric blower 30. In addition, in the vacuum cleaner body 10, the battery 50 is disposed within the projection range of the electric blower 30 when viewed from the direction of its rotation axis.

[0041] <<Effects obtained by the configuration of electric vacuum cleaner 1>> The effects and the like obtained by the configuration of the vacuum cleaner 1 described above will be described below for each aspect of the present invention.

[0042] [Regarding the electric vacuum cleaner according to the first aspect of the present invention] As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2018-15324, there has been provided an electric vacuum cleaner including an electric blower and a vacuum cleaner body having a handle. In the electric vacuum cleaner of the above patent document, the handle is formed in a substantially arc shape along an arc centered on the center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner body, and is formed so that each position is substantially equidistant from the center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner body.

[0043] In the conventional vacuum cleaner described in the above patent document, the heavy items, the electric blower and the battery, are located below the dust collection unit, and the battery, one of the two heavy items, is located directly below the rear end of the handle, while the other heavy item, the electric blower, is located directly below the front end of the handle. Therefore, when gripping the front of the handle, the vacuum cleaner described in the above patent document is gripped far from the battery, and when gripping the rear end of the handle, the vacuum cleaner is gripped far from the electric blower. Therefore, when twisting the grip, for example to change the direction of the suction port, the heavy items generate a large moment, which places a large load on the user's hand. Therefore, an object of a first aspect of the present invention is to provide an electric vacuum cleaner that can reduce the burden on the user when using the vacuum cleaner by gripping the handle. (1-1) The electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the first aspect comprises a vacuum cleaner body 10 having a suction port 76 and an electric blower 30 that generates suction force, and a dust collecting device 80 that is detachable from the vacuum cleaner body 10 and collects dust sucked by the electric blower 30, the dust collecting device 80 being provided below the electric blower 30 in the vertical direction, and the vacuum cleaner body 10 comprises a handle portion 40 including a grip portion 42, and a battery 50 that is provided above the electric blower 30 in the vertical direction and supplies power to the electric blower 30. The handle portion 40 forms a space 44 for inserting a hand, and the grip portion 42 is inclined so as to extend from the front to the rear in a front-to-rear direction perpendicular to the up-and-down direction as it moves from the bottom to the top in the up-and-down direction, and is characterized in that a second imaginary line L2 passing through the grip portion 42 in the extension direction of the grip portion 42 intersects with a first imaginary line L1 extending in the up-and-down direction and passing through the electric blower 30 and the dust collecting device 80 at a position above the battery 50 in the up-and-down direction.

[0044] The above-described electric vacuum cleaner 1 includes two heavy objects, namely, a battery 50 and an electric blower 30. The electric vacuum cleaner 1 has a grip portion 42 that is inclined so as to extend from the front side to the rear side, making it easy for a user to grip the grip portion 42 when using the vacuum cleaner 1.

[0045] Furthermore, in the vacuum cleaner 1, the battery 50 is located above the electric blower 30. Furthermore, in the vacuum cleaner 1, a second imaginary line L2 passing through the handle 42 along the extension direction of the handle 42 intersects with a first imaginary line L1 passing through the electric blower 30 and the dust collecting device 80 at a position above the battery 50. As a result, the center of gravity of the heavy object (the electric blower 30 and the battery 50) in the vacuum cleaner body 10 is located near the handle 40. In this way, because the handle 40 is located near the center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner 1, the moment generated when gripping the handle 40 and tilting the vacuum cleaner body 10 to change the direction of the suction port 76, for example, is reduced, thereby preventing a large load from being applied to the user's hand. Therefore, compared to conventional vacuum cleaners, the vacuum cleaner 1 reduces the load applied to the user when gripping the handle 40.

[0046] (1-2) In the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to (1-1) above, the electric blower 30 has an electric motor 32 and a blower 34, and when the vacuum cleaner body 10 is tilted so that the second imaginary line L2 is horizontal, it is preferable that a gravity direction line (first gravity direction line G1) that passes through the center position of the extension direction of the grip portion 42 and extends in the direction of gravity passes closer to the electric motor 32 than the blower 34 or closer to the battery 50 than the center of gravity of the electric blower 30 (electric blower center of gravity P1).

[0047] By configuring the electric vacuum cleaner 1 as described in (1-2) above, when the vacuum cleaner body 10 is tilted so that the second imaginary line L2 is horizontal (first backward tilted position), the electric vacuum cleaner 1 can be held near directly above the combined center of gravity Px of the electric blower 30 and the battery 50, which are heavy objects. This makes it easier to balance the vacuum cleaner body 10 in the first backward tilted position, and minimizes the force required to move or lift the vacuum cleaner 1. Therefore, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 is highly maneuverable in the first backward tilted position.

[0048] (1-3) In the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to (1-1) above, when the vacuum cleaner body 10 is in a backward tilted position so that the first imaginary line L1 is inclined relative to the direction of gravity, when the vacuum cleaner body 10 is in a backward tilted position so that the angle between the first imaginary line L1 and the floor surface is within a range of 30 to 60 degrees, a gravity direction line (second gravity direction line G2) passing through the center position of the extension direction of the handle 42 and extending in the direction of gravity passes through the center of gravity of the electric blower 30 (electric blower center of gravity P1), and when the vacuum cleaner body 10 is in a backward tilted position so that the angle between the first imaginary line L1 and the floor surface is within a range of 3 to 20 degrees, the gravity direction line (first gravity direction line G1) passes through the center of gravity of the battery 50 (battery center of gravity P2).

[0049] By configuring the electric vacuum cleaner 1 as described in (1-3) above, when the cleaner body 10 is tilted backward so that the angle between the first imaginary line L1 and the floor surface is within a range of 30 to 60 degrees (second backward tilted position), the user can grasp the vicinity of the center of the grip portion 42 and hold directly above the vicinity of the center of gravity of the electric blower 30 (electric blower center of gravity P1) and the battery center of gravity P2, which are heavy objects. Therefore, the vacuum cleaner body 10 is highly maneuverable even in the second backward tilted position.

[0050] (1-4) In the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to (1-1) above, when an imaginary line in the direction of gravity passing through the center position of the extension direction of the handle 42 is defined as a first gravity direction line G1, and an imaginary line in the direction of gravity passing through the rear end of the handle 42 is defined as a second gravity direction line G2, it is preferable that when the vacuum cleaner body 10 is tilted so that the second imaginary line L2 is horizontal, the center of gravity position on a straight line connecting the center of gravity of the electric blower 30 (electric blower center of gravity P1) and the center of gravity of the battery 50 (battery center of gravity P2) is included within the range between the first gravity direction line G1 and the second gravity direction line G2.

[0051] By configuring the electric vacuum cleaner 1 as described above in (1-4), when the electric vacuum cleaner 1 is in the first backward tilting position, it is possible to hold the area directly above the combined center of gravity Px of the heavy objects, the electric blower 30 and the battery 50. This makes it easier to balance the vacuum cleaner body 10 in the first backward tilting position, and minimizes the force required to move or lift the vacuum cleaner 1. Therefore, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 is highly maneuverable when in the first backward tilting position.

[0052] (1-5) In the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to (1-1) or (1-4) above, the handle portion 40 has an operating unit 48 for controlling the operation of the electric blower 30, and the operating unit 48 is arranged in an area including the center position of the extension direction of the grip portion 42 or in an area forward of the center position. If an imaginary line in the direction of gravity passing through the center position of the extension direction of the grip portion 42 is defined as a first gravity direction line G1, and an imaginary line in the direction of gravity passing through the rear end of the grip portion 42 is defined as a second gravity direction line G2, when the vacuum cleaner body 10 is tilted so that the second imaginary line L2 is horizontal, it is preferable that the range between the first gravity direction line G1 and the second gravity direction line G2 includes the center of gravity position on a straight line connecting the center of gravity of the electric blower 30 (electric blower center of gravity P1) and the center of gravity of the battery 50 (battery center of gravity P2).

[0053] By arranging the operating unit 48 in an area including the center position of the grip 42 in the extension direction or in an area forward of the center position as described above in (1-5), the user is more likely to avoid the operating unit 48 and grip the grip 42 in an area rearward of the center position, i.e., an area within the range of the first gravity direction line G1 and the second gravity direction line G2. Furthermore, when the vacuum cleaner 1 is configured as described above in (1-5), in the first backward tilted posture in which the second imaginary line L2 is horizontal, the center of gravity (composite center of gravity Px) on the line connecting the electric blower center of gravity P1 and the battery center of gravity P2 is within the range of the first gravity direction line G1 and the second gravity direction line G2. Therefore, by configuring the vacuum cleaner 1 as described above in (1-5), the user is more likely to grip and operate the grip 42 near directly above the composite center of gravity Px of the electric blower 30 and the battery 50. Therefore, by adopting the configuration described above in (1-5), the electric vacuum cleaner 1 makes it easier to balance the vacuum cleaner body 10 in the first tilted backward position, and the force required to move or lift the vacuum cleaner 1 can be minimized. Therefore, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 has high operability in the first tilted backward position.

[0054] (1-6) In the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to (1-1) above, the handle portion 40 has an operating portion 48 for controlling the operation of the electric blower 30, and the operating portion 48 is preferably arranged in an area including the center position in the extension direction of the grip portion 42, or in an area forward of the center position.

[0055] As described in (1-1) above, in the electric vacuum cleaner 1, the second imaginary line L2 extending in the extension direction of the grip portion 42 intersects with the first imaginary line L1 passing through the electric blower 30 and the dust collecting device 80 at a position above the battery 50. Therefore, in the vacuum cleaner body 10, the center of gravity of the heavy object (electric blower 30 and battery 50) is located near the handle portion 40. Furthermore, by configuring the electric vacuum cleaner 1 as described in (1-6) above, the user can easily grasp the area behind the operating unit 48 while avoiding the operating unit 48. Therefore, by configuring the electric vacuum cleaner 1 as described in (1-6) above, the vacuum cleaner body 10 can be easily grasped at a position close to the center of gravity. Therefore, by configuring the electric vacuum cleaner 1 as described in (1-6) above, the vacuum cleaner body 10 can be easily balanced when the grip portion 42 is grasped. As a result, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 can be made highly maneuverable, as the force required to grip the grip portion 42 and move or lift the vacuum cleaner body 10 can be minimized.

[0056] (1-7) In the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to (1-1) above, the space 44 is an area formed by a configuration including the inner surface 42a of the grip portion 42 and an opposing surface 46 of the vacuum cleaner body 10 that faces the grip portion 42, and the opposing surface 46 is preferably located forward of the battery 50 in the front-to-rear direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and extends along the second imaginary line L2 to directly above the electric blower 30.

[0057] By configuring the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to (1-7) above, when the electric vacuum cleaner 1 is used in a backward tilted position, the grip part 42 can be gripped near the top of the center of gravity of the heavy electric blower 30 (electric blower center of gravity P1) and the center of gravity of the battery 50 (battery center of gravity P2). This makes it possible to make the electric vacuum cleaner 1 highly maneuverable, as it does not require a large force to grip the grip part 42 and move or lift the vacuum cleaner body 10.

[0058] (1-8) In the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to (1-1) above, the vacuum cleaner body 10 has a handle portion 40 provided on a housing 20 that houses the electric blower 30 and the battery 50, and the housing 20 has a recess 22 that is recessed radially toward the center from the outer dimensions of the electric blower 30 so as to form a recessed area 22a above the electric blower 30 and in front of the battery 50, and the space portion 44 preferably extends along the second imaginary line L2 until it reaches the recessed area 22a.

[0059] By configuring the electric vacuum cleaner 1 as described above in (1-8), the vacuum cleaner body 10 (housing 20) can be made compact in the front-to-rear direction, and the space 44 of the handle portion 40 can be made large in the front-to-rear direction.

[0060] (1-9) In the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to (1-1) above, the vacuum cleaner body 10 has a housing 20 that houses the electric blower 30 and the battery 50 and has a handle portion 40 provided therein, and the housing 20 has a recess 22 above the electric blower 30 and in front of the battery 50, which is recessed so as to form a recessed area 22a formed in a shape that fits the shape of the handle portion 40, and the handle portion 40 is connected to the housing 20 in the recess 22, and the space portion 44 preferably extends along the second imaginary line L2 until it reaches the recessed area 22a.

[0061] By adopting the configuration according to (1-9) above, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 can make the vacuum cleaner body 10 (housing 20) more compact in the front-to-rear direction and can make the space 44 of the handle portion 40 larger in the front-to-rear direction.

[0062] (1-10) In the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to (1-1) above, the space 44 is preferably provided in an area above the upper end of the electric blower 30 and below the upper end of the battery 50 in the vertical direction.

[0063] By employing the configuration according to (1-10) above, when the electric vacuum cleaner 1 is used in a backward tilted position, the grip part 42 can be gripped near the top of the center of gravity of the heavy electric blower 30 (electric blower center of gravity P1) and the center of gravity of the battery 50 (battery center of gravity P2). This makes it possible to provide the electric vacuum cleaner 1 with high operability, as it does not require a large force to grip the grip part 42 and move or lift the cleaner body 10.

[0064] (1-11) In the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to (1-1) to (1-5) and (1-7) to (1-10) above, the vacuum cleaner body 10 has a tube section 70 having a suction port 76 at its end, the tube section 70 and the dust collecting device 80 are arranged side by side along a front-to-rear direction perpendicular to the up-down direction, the tube section 70 is located in front of the dust collecting device 80, and the tube axis passing through the axial center position of the tube section 70 intersects with the grip section 42.

[0065] When the electric vacuum cleaner 1 is configured as described above in (1-11), when the vacuum cleaner body 10 is used in a backward tilted position, it can be gripped near directly above the center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner body 10. Therefore, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 does not require a large force to grip the grip portion 42 and move or lift the vacuum cleaner body 10, making it easy to operate.

[0066] (1-12) In the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to (1-11) above, the front end of the handle portion 40 is preferably located forward of the pipe axis of the pipe portion 70, and the rear end of the handle portion 40 is preferably located directly above the electric blower 30.

[0067] By employing the configuration according to (1-12) above, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 can ensure a position where it can be held by the user.

[0068] [Regarding the electric vacuum cleaner according to the second aspect of the present invention] The electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to the second aspect of the present invention is configured as follows, which provides the effects described below.

[0069] As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2018-15324, there has been provided an electric vacuum cleaner including an electric blower and a vacuum cleaner body having a handle. In the electric vacuum cleaner of the above patent document, the handle is formed in a substantially arc shape along an arc centered on the center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner body, and is formed so that each position is substantially equidistant from the center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner body.

[0070] As described above, the electric vacuum cleaner according to the above-mentioned patent document has a problem in that although the handle can ensure a wide gripping area, the vacuum cleaner body is large.

[0071] Therefore, an object of a second aspect of the present invention is to provide an electric vacuum cleaner that allows the vacuum cleaner body to be made compact while ensuring a wide gripping range for the handle portion.

[0072] (2-1) An electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to a second aspect of the present invention comprises a vacuum cleaner body 10 having a suction port 76 and an electric blower 30 that generates suction force, and a dust collector 80 for collecting dust sucked by the electric blower 30, the dust collector 80 being provided below the electric blower 30 in the vertical direction, the vacuum cleaner body 10 having a handle portion 40 including a grip portion 42, and a battery 50 located above the electric blower 30 in the vertical direction for supplying power to the electric blower 30, The housing 20 having the battery 50 is provided with a handle portion 40 which forms a space 44 for inserting a hand, and the grip portion 42 is inclined so as to extend from the front to the rear in the front-to-rear direction perpendicular to the up-and-down direction as it moves from the bottom to the top in the up-and-down direction, and the housing 20 has a recess 22 which is recessed radially toward the center from the outer dimensions of the electric blower 30 so as to form a recessed area 22a above the electric blower 30 and in front of the battery 50, and the space 44 extends to reach the recessed area 22a.

[0073] The above-described electric vacuum cleaner 1 includes two heavy objects, namely, a battery 50 and an electric blower 30. The electric vacuum cleaner 1 has a grip portion 42 that is inclined so as to extend from the front side to the rear side, making it easy for a user to grip the grip portion 42 when using the vacuum cleaner 1.

[0074] Furthermore, in the electric vacuum cleaner 1, the space 44 extends to reach the recessed area 22a, ensuring a wide grippable range in the handle 40. Therefore, by adopting the configuration according to (2-1) above, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 can ensure a wide grippable range in the handle 40 and can also make the vacuum cleaner main body 10 (housing 20) more compact.

[0075] (2-2) In the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to (2-1) above, it is preferable that the battery 50 is disposed within a projection range of the electric blower 30 when viewed from the direction of the rotation axis of the electric blower 30.

[0076] By configuring the electric vacuum cleaner 1 in accordance with the above (2-2), the electric blower 30 and the battery 50 can be arranged so that the vacuum cleaner body 10 becomes compact.

[0077] (2-3) In the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to (2-1) above, the handle portion may be connected to the recess.

[0078] (2-4) In the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to (2-1) above, the rear end of the handle may be a free end.

[0079] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and other embodiments may be possible within the scope of the claims, based on the teachings and spirit of the invention. The components of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily selected and combined. Furthermore, any component of the embodiment may be arbitrarily combined with any component described in the Summary of the Invention or any component embodying any component described in the Summary of the Invention. The present invention intends to obtain rights to these as well through amendments to this application or divisional applications, etc. [Industrial Applicability]

[0080] The present invention can be suitably used in electric vacuum cleaners in general. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1: Vacuum cleaner 10: Vacuum cleaner body 20: Housing 22: Recess 22a: Concave area 30: Electric blower 32: Electric motor 34: Blower 40: Handle 42: Grip part 42a: Inner surface 44:Space part 46: Opposite surface 48:Operation section 50: Battery 70: Pipe part 76: Suction port 80: Dust collector G1: First gravity direction line G2: Second force direction line L1: First virtual line L2: Second virtual line

Claims

1. a vacuum cleaner body having a suction port and an electric blower that generates suction force; a dust collecting device that is detachable from the vacuum cleaner body and that collects dust sucked by the electric blower, the dust collecting device is provided below the electric blower in the up-down direction, the vacuum cleaner body has a handle portion including a grip portion, and a battery located above the electric blower in the up-down direction and for supplying power to the electric blower, The vacuum cleaner body is provided with a housing having the electric blower and the battery, and the handle portion forms a space for inserting a hand, The grip portion is inclined so as to extend from the front side to the rear side in a front-rear direction perpendicular to the up-down direction as it moves from the lower side to the upper side in the up-down direction, the housing has a recess that is recessed radially toward the center from an outer dimension of the electric blower so as to form a recessed area directly above the electric blower and in front of the battery, The vacuum cleaner is characterized in that the space portion extends to reach the recessed area.

2. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the recess is provided in front of the battery so as to overlap a projection area of ​​the electric blower in the vertical direction.

3. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the space extends along an imaginary line passing through the grip portion in the extension direction of the grip portion until it reaches the recessed area.

4. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the housing has the recess at a connection point with the handle portion.

5. 4. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the space is provided in a region above an upper end of the electric blower and below an upper end of the battery in the vertical direction.

6. the handle portion has an operating portion for operating the electric blower, The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the operation portion is arranged in a region including a center position in an extension direction of the grip portion, or in a region forward of the center position.

7. The vacuum cleaner body has a tube portion having the suction port at one end thereof, a front end of the handle portion is located forward of a pipe axis of the pipe portion; 7. The electric vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein a rear end of the handle is located directly above the electric blower.

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