Washing device

Abstract

In a washing device that cleanses the skin surface with a washing solution while applying suction to the skin surface, the suction force applied to the skin surface during washing can be adjusted. [Solution] The cleaning device comprises a cleaning device body 1 having a suction port 18 on its front surface that comes into contact with the skin surface, a cleaning liquid tank 2 for storing cleaning liquid supplied to the skin surface, a drainage tank 3 for storing drainage liquid after cleaning the skin surface, a chamber 17 defined in the cleaning device body 1 and communicating with the suction port 18, a pump 24 that generates a negative pressure in the chamber 17 to produce a suction force acting on the skin surface via the suction port 18, and a suction force adjusting means 109 that adjusts the suction force acting on the skin surface by changing the negative pressure generated in the chamber 17. The suction force adjusting means 109 is configured to change the negative pressure generated in the chamber 17 by adjusting the amount of air flowing into the chamber 17 from outside the cleaning device body 1 when the suction port 18 is blocked.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaner that cleans the skin surface with a cleaning liquid while applying a suction force to the skin surface.

Background Art

[0002] This type of cleaner is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1. The cleaner of Patent Document 1 includes a cleaning liquid tank (cleaning agent storage section) that stores the cleaning liquid supplied to the skin surface, a drainage tank (storage container) that stores the drained liquid recovered from the skin surface, a seal member that forms a chamber (closed space) between the skin surface, and a pump that generates a negative pressure in the chamber. The chamber is formed by bringing the seal member into contact with the skin surface, and the seal member has a supply port communicating with the cleaning liquid tank and a discharge port (suction port) communicating with the drainage tank opened therein. When the seal member is brought into contact with the skin surface and the chamber is formed while the pump is driven, a negative pressure is generated in the chamber by the pump and a suction force acts on the skin surface. Further, due to the negative pressure in the drainage tank, the chamber, and the cleaning liquid tank on the upstream side of the pump, the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank is sent from the supply port to the chamber and supplied to the skin surface, and the drained liquid after cleaning the skin surface is discharged from the discharge port and recovered to the drainage tank.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As with the cleaning device described in Patent Document 1, cleaning the skin surface with a cleaning solution while applying suction force to the skin surface allows for more effective cleaning by drawing out dirt from within the pores. It is desirable that the suction force applied to the skin surface during cleaning be adjustable according to the user's preference or depending on the area being cleaned. However, in the cleaning device described in Patent Document 1, the suction force applied to the skin surface is due to the negative pressure generated by a pump driven at a constant speed, so the suction force is always constant and cannot be adjusted, which leaves room for improvement.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a washing device that cleanses the skin surface with a washing solution while applying suction force to the skin surface, and to enable adjustment of the suction force applied to the skin surface during washing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The cleaning device according to the present invention comprises a cleaning device body 1 having a suction port 18 on its front surface that comes into contact with the skin surface, a cleaning liquid tank 2 for storing cleaning liquid supplied to the skin surface, a drainage tank 3 for storing drainage liquid after cleaning the skin surface, a chamber 17 defined in the cleaning device body 1 and communicating with the suction port 18, a pump 24 that generates a negative pressure in the chamber 17 to produce a suction force acting on the skin surface via the suction port 18, and a suction force adjusting means 109 that adjusts the suction force acting on the skin surface by changing the negative pressure generated in the chamber 17. The suction force adjusting means 109 is configured to change the negative pressure generated in the chamber 17 by adjusting the amount of air flowing into the chamber 17 from outside the cleaning device body 1.

[0007] Specifically, the cleaning device body 1 consists of a main body case 8 in which a chamber recess 16 having a front opening 15 is formed, and a suction unit 9 provided to close the front opening 15 and to define a chamber 17 together with the chamber recess 16. The suction unit 9 includes a skin contact body 89 attached to the front opening 15 and an adjustment piece 90 supported by the skin contact body 89. The skin contact body 89 comprises a cylindrical suction cylinder 92 whose front end is a suction port 18, and a base ring 93 formed to protrude outward from the rear end of the suction cylinder 92 and fixed to the edge of the front opening 15. The adjustment piece 90 is supported facing the base ring 93 and is movable relative to it. The suction force adjustment means 109 consists of one or more air inlet holes 110 formed through the base ring 93 and communicating with the chamber 17, and an opening / closing body 111 provided on the adjustment piece 90 that opens and closes each air inlet hole 110.

[0008] The suction unit 9 includes a cover body 91 that covers the outer surfaces of the base ring 93 and the adjustment piece 90.

[0009] The adjustment piece 90 includes a ring-shaped adjustment ring 96 facing the base ring 93, and the adjustment ring 96 is rotatably supported by a cylindrical suction cylinder 92. By rotating the adjustment piece 90 and changing the relative position of the adjustment ring 96 with respect to the base ring 93, the opening / closing body 111 opens and closes the air inlet holes 110. The base ring 93 has n air inlet holes 110 (where n is a natural number of 2 or more) formed at equal pitches on a reference circle C centered on the cylindrical axis of the suction cylinder 92. The adjustment ring 96 has n opening / closing bodies 111 formed on the reference circle C at the same pitch as the formation pitch of the air inlet holes 110.

[0010] The adjustment piece 90 is equipped with an adjustment lever 97 for operating the adjustment piece 90.

[0011] In a front view of the cleaning unit body 1, the tip of the adjustment lever 97 is located outside the suction section 9. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] As in the present invention, if the cleaning device is equipped with a suction force adjustment means 109 that adjusts the suction force acting on the skin surface by changing the negative pressure generated in the chamber 17 by the pump 24, the suction force acting on the skin surface can be adjusted by the suction force adjustment means 109 according to the user's preference or depending on the area being cleaned. In addition, if the suction force adjustment means 109 is configured to change the negative pressure generated in the chamber 17 by changing the amount of air flowing into the chamber 17 from outside the cleaning device body 1 when the suction port 18 is blocked, then by relatively increasing the amount of air flowing into the chamber 17, the pressure inside the chamber 17 can be brought closer to atmospheric pressure, and conversely, by relatively decreasing the amount of air flowing in, the pressure inside the chamber 17 can be brought closer to the negative pressure generated by the pump 24. Thus, according to the cleaning device of the present invention, it is possible to adjust the suction force acting on the skin surface during cleaning to the suction force desired by the user by changing the negative pressure generated in the chamber 17. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a longitudinal front view showing the main part of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 5. [Figure 2] This is a side view of the washing machine. [Figure 3] This is a front view of the washing machine. [Figure 4] This is a rear view of the washing machine. [Figure 5] A longitudinal cross-sectional side view showing the upper half of the washing machine. [Figure 6] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view showing the lower half of the washing machine. [Figure 7] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along line BB. [Figure 8] This is a perspective view of the cleaning solution tank with the main body detached. [Figure 9] This is a perspective view of the drainage tank body detached from its original form. [Figure 10] This diagram shows the tanks separated. [Figure 11]It is a figure showing a state where each tank is separated from the cleaner body. [Figure 12] It is a side view showing the mounting state of each tank with respect to the cleaner body. [Figure 13] It is an exploded perspective view of the suction part. [Figure 14] It is a longitudinal side view showing a state where the suction port is in contact with the skin surface. [Figure 15] It is a longitudinal side view showing a state where an attachment is mounted on the suction cylinder. [Figure 16] It is a longitudinal side view showing a state where a cap body is mounted on the suction part.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] (Embodiment) FIGS. 1 to 16 show an embodiment of a cleaner according to the present invention. In the front-back, left-right, and up-down directions in this embodiment, they follow the cross arrows shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and the front-back, left-right, and up-down indications written near each arrow. The cleaner in this embodiment is for use on the facial muscles for beauty purposes. In FIG. 2, it includes a cleaner body 1 serving as a base, a cleaning liquid tank 2 and a drainage tank 3 that are detachably mounted on the cleaner body 1. The cleaning liquid tank 2 stores a cleaning liquid for cleaning the skin surface, and the drainage tank 3 stores the drainage after skin surface cleaning. Examples of the cleaning liquid include tap water, lotion containing beauty ingredients, liquid cleansing agents for makeup removal or face washing, or liquids such as peeling agents for removing old cutin on the skin surface.

[0015] The cleaner body 1 is composed of a main body case 8 formed by joining a front case 6 and a rear case 7 that are divided front and back, and a suction part 9 disposed at the upper front side of the main body case 8. The upper half of the main body case 8 is formed in a hollow shape, and in the lower half of the case 8, a cleaning liquid tank mounting part 10 and a drainage tank mounting part 11 for mounting the respective tanks 2 and 3 are formed side by side front and back. Both tank mounting parts 10 and 11 are formed with a partition wall 12 made of a vertical wall in between. As shown in FIG. 2, the front side of the partition wall 12 is the drainage tank mounting part 11, and the rear side of the partition wall 12 is the cleaning liquid tank mounting part 10.

[0016] As shown in Figure 5, the upper half of the front case 6 has a chamber recess 16 that forms a roughly cylindrical space with a circular front opening 15. The suction unit 9 is provided to close the front opening 15, and the chamber recess 16 and the suction unit 9 define a hollow chamber 17. The suction unit 9 has a suction port 18 that comes into contact with the skin surface, and the suction port 18 communicates with the chamber 17. The chamber 17 is formed in the upper front part of the cleaning unit body 1, and a drainage tank mounting section 11 is formed on the lower part of the chamber 17, and the drainage tank 3 is mounted on the tank mounting section 11.

[0017] Chamber 17 has a supply port 19 for supplying cleaning fluid to the skin surface facing the suction port 18, and an outlet port 20 for discharging the wastewater after skin surface cleaning from Chamber 17. The supply port 19 opens at the upper end of the rear wall that partitions the chamber recess 16 and consists of a circular cross-section pipe that opens towards the rear. The outlet port 20 opens at the lower part of the peripheral wall that partitions the chamber recess 16 and consists of a pipe whose flow path cross-section gradually narrows downwards. The lower end of the outlet port 20 is formed in the shape of a circular cross-section pipe. The cleaning fluid tank 2 and the supply port 19 are connected by a supply conduit 21 made of flexible tubing, and the cleaning fluid stored in the cleaning fluid tank 2 flows through the supply conduit 21 to the supply port 19. In addition, the wastewater tank 3 and the outlet port 20 are directly connected, and the wastewater discharged from Chamber 17 is collected and stored in the wastewater tank 3 via the outlet port 20.

[0018] As shown in Figures 2 and 5, the upper half of the main body case 8 houses a pump 24 that generates negative pressure in the chamber 17, a vibrator 25 that vibrates the cleaning device, a control board 26 that controls the entire cleaning device, a battery 27 connected to the control board 26 to supply power to the pump 24 and vibrator 25, and a power receiving terminal 28 connected to the battery 27 with an outlet into which a charging cable is inserted. The pump 24 is an air pump that draws in air from its intake and discharges air from its exhaust. The vibrator 25 has an eccentric weight fixed to the rotating shaft of a motor, and the battery 27 is a package that includes a secondary battery and a protection board that controls the charging and discharging of the battery. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the intake of the pump 24 is connected to the drain tank 3 by an intake pipe 29, and the exhaust of the pump 24 is connected to the exhaust port 31 by an exhaust pipe 30. These devices 24-30 are supported by front and rear cases 6 and 7.

[0019] As shown in Figure 5, a momentary switch 32 for switching the on / off state of the cleaning device is mounted on the rear surface of the control board 26, and the switch 32 can be operated by pressing the switch button 33 located on the back of the cleaning device body 1. As shown in Figure 4, the switch button 33 is located approximately in the center of the upper half on the back of the cleaning device body 1. Below the switch button 33, the socket for the power receiving terminal 28 is exposed, and an exhaust port 31 is opened diagonally below the switch button 33. To prevent water from entering the exhaust pipe 30 from the exhaust port 31, a breathable waterproof membrane may be provided over the exhaust port 31.

[0020] When the switch button 33 of the cleaning device is pressed while it is in the OFF state, the cleaning device switches to the ON state and the pump 24 is driven. If the switch button 33 is pressed again from this state, the vibrator 25 is driven at a low speed while the pump 24 remains driven, and the cleaning device vibrates weakly. If the switch button 33 is pressed again, the vibrator 25 is driven at a high speed, and the cleaning device vibrates strongly. If the switch button 33 is pressed one more time, the driving of the pump 24 and vibrator 25 is stopped, and the cleaning device switches to the OFF state. In this way, the operation of the cleaning device can be selected by pressing the switch button 33.

[0021] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the cleaning fluid tank 2 consists of a cleaning fluid tank body 36 and a cleaning fluid tank cover 37 that houses the cleaning fluid tank body 36 inside. The cleaning fluid tank body 36 consists of a container portion 38 formed in the shape of a vertically elongated, roughly bottomed rectangular cylinder, a lid portion 39 that closes the opening of the container portion 38, and a packing 40 consisting of an O-ring that seals the joint between the container portion 38 and the lid portion 39 in a watertight manner. Of these, the cleaning fluid tank cover 37 and the container portion 38 of the cleaning fluid tank body 36 are made of a translucent material, and in this embodiment, they are made of transparent resin. The lid portion 39 is formed in the shape of a roughly rectangular box that opens downwards and is equipped with a discharge pipe 41 that protrudes upwards. The discharge pipe 41 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and its lower end extends down to the container portion 38. A suction tube 42 is connected to the lower end of the discharge pipe 41, and the lower end of the suction tube 42 is located near the bottom of the container portion 38. In Figure 6, etc., reference numeral 43 denotes a discharge packing consisting of an O-ring that is fitted to the discharge cylinder 41.

[0022] As shown in Figure 8, a cylindrical opening 44 is formed at the upper end of the container portion 38, to which the lid portion 39 is joined. The container portion 38 and the lid portion 39 are joined by a bayonet structure 45 consisting of a bayonet groove 45a and a bayonet claw 45b. The bayonet groove 45a is formed as a recess in two places on the upper part of the circumferential surface of the opening portion 44, and the bayonet claw 45b is formed to protrude inward from the inner circumferential surface of the circumferential wall of the lid portion 39 corresponding to the bayonet groove 45a. After aligning the bayonet groove 45a and the bayonet claw 45b, the lid portion 39 is placed over the opening portion 44, and the bayonet structure 45 is constructed by rotating the lid portion 39 counterclockwise in a plan view, thereby integrally joining the container portion 38 and the lid portion 39. The constructed bayonet structure 45 can be separated by rotating the lid portion 39 clockwise in a plan view, and the lid portion 39 can be removed from the container portion 38. The packing 40 is attached to the circumferential surface of the opening 44, sealing the joint between the container portion 38 and the lid portion 39 in a watertight manner.

[0023] As shown in Figures 7 and 10, the cleaning fluid tank cover 37 is formed in the shape of a vertically elongated rectangular box opening upwards and forwards, having a left cover wall 37a, a right cover wall 37b, a rear cover wall 37c, and a lower cover wall 37d. Two support ribs 46a and 46b are provided on the inner surfaces of the left and right cover walls 37a and 37b, respectively, projecting inward and extending in the front-rear direction. Two support ribs 46c are provided on the inner surface of the rear cover wall 37c, projecting inward and extending in the up-down direction. The cleaning fluid tank body 36 is housed inside the cleaning fluid tank cover 37, supported by the lower cover wall 37d and further supported by the respective support ribs 46a to 46c. In this state, a gap is provided between the outer circumferential surface of the cleaning fluid tank body 36 and the inner circumferential surface of the cleaning fluid tank cover 37. By providing such a gap, even if an external force such as a drop impact acts on the cleaning fluid tank cover 37, the gap prevents the external force from directly acting on the cleaning fluid tank body 36, thereby preventing damage to the cleaning fluid tank body 36. In the cleaning fluid tank 2, the vertical and flat front surface of the cleaning fluid tank body 36 and the front edges of the left and right cover walls 37a and 37b are arranged on the same plane.

[0024] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the drainage tank 3 consists of a drainage tank body 49 and a drainage tank cover 50 that houses the drainage tank body 49 inside. The drainage tank body 49 is composed of a container portion 51 formed in the shape of a vertically elongated, roughly bottomed rectangular tube, a lid portion 52 that closes the opening of the container portion 51, and a packing 53 made of an O-ring that seals the joint between the container portion 51 and the lid portion 52 in a watertight manner. Of these, the drainage tank cover 50 and the container portion 51 of the drainage tank body 49 are made of a translucent material, and in this embodiment, they are made of transparent resin. The lid portion 52 is formed in the shape of a roughly rectangular box that opens downwards and is equipped with a recovery tube 54 and an intake tube 55 that protrude upwards. Both tubes 54 and 55 are formed in a cylindrical shape and are arranged front to back, with the recovery tube 54 on the front side and the intake tube 55 on the rear side. In Figure 6, etc., reference numeral 56 denotes a recovery packing fitted to the recovery cylinder 54, and reference numeral 57 denotes an intake packing fitted to the intake cylinder 55. Both packings 56 and 57 consist of O-rings.

[0025] As shown in Figure 9, a cylindrical opening 58 is formed at the upper end of the container portion 51, to which the lid portion 52 is joined. The container portion 51 and the lid portion 52 are joined by a bayonet structure 59 consisting of a bayonet groove 59a and a bayonet claw 59b. The bayonet groove 59a is formed as a recess in two places on the upper part of the circumferential surface of the opening portion 58, and the bayonet claw 59b is formed to protrude inward from the inner circumferential surface of the circumferential wall of the lid portion 52 corresponding to the bayonet groove 59a. After aligning the bayonet groove 59a and the bayonet claw 59b, the lid portion 52 is placed over the opening portion 58, and the bayonet structure 59 is constructed by rotating the lid portion 52 counterclockwise in a plan view, thereby integrally joining the container portion 51 and the lid portion 52. The constructed bayonet structure 59 can be separated by rotating the lid portion 52 clockwise in a plan view, and the lid portion 52 can be removed from the container portion 51. The packing 53 is attached to the circumferential surface of the opening 58, sealing the joint between the container portion 51 and the lid portion 52 in a watertight manner.

[0026] As shown in Figures 7 and 10, the drain tank cover 50 is formed in the shape of a vertically elongated rectangular box opening upwards and backwards, having a left cover wall 50a, a right cover wall 50b, a front cover wall 50c, and a lower cover wall 50d. Two support ribs 60a and 60b are provided on the inner surfaces of the left and right cover walls 50a and 50b, respectively, projecting inward and extending in the front-to-back direction. Two support ribs 60c are provided on the inner surface of the front cover wall 50c, projecting inward and extending in the up-and-down direction. The drain tank body 49 is housed inside the drain tank cover 50, supported by the lower cover wall 50d and further supported by the respective support ribs 60a to 60c. In this state, a gap is provided between the outer circumferential surface of the drain tank body 49 and the inner circumferential surface of the drain tank cover 50. By providing such a gap, even if an external force such as a fall impact acts on the drain tank cover 50, the gap prevents the external force from directly acting on the drain tank body 49, thereby preventing damage to the drain tank body 49. In the drain tank 3, the vertical and flat rear surface of the drain tank body 49 and the rear edges of the left and right cover walls 50a and 50b are arranged on the same plane.

[0027] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the cleaning fluid tank mounting section 10 consists of recesses that open downward and backward, defined in the lower half of the rear case 7, and its left-right width is approximately the same as the left-right width of the cleaning fluid tank cover 37 (cleaning fluid tank 2). A discharge recess 63 for receiving the discharge pipe 41 is formed in the top surface of the cleaning fluid tank mounting section 10 (see Figure 11). When the cleaning fluid tank 2 is mounted on the cleaning fluid tank mounting section 10, the discharge pipe 41 is inserted into the discharge recess 63, and the discharge pipe 41 is further connected to the supply pipeline 21. Thus, the cleaning fluid stored in the cleaning fluid tank 2 (cleaning fluid tank body 36) is ready to be supplied to the supply port 19. In addition, the space between the discharge pipe 41 and the discharge recess 63 is sealed watertight with a discharge packing 43.

[0028] The cleaning fluid tank 2 is positioned relative to the cleaning fluid tank mounting section 10 in the front-rear direction by the engagement of a positioning rib 64 projecting upward from the upper end of the rear cover wall 37c with a positioning groove 65 recessed in the top surface of the cleaning fluid tank mounting section 10. In addition, the left and right cover walls 37a and 37b of the cleaning fluid tank cover 37 abut against the left and right inner surfaces of the cleaning fluid tank mounting section 10, thereby positioning the cleaning fluid tank 2 in the left-right direction relative to the cleaning fluid tank 1. With the cleaning fluid tank 2 positioned relative to the cleaning fluid tank 1 in both the front-rear and left-right directions in this way, changes in the relative position between the discharge pipe 41 and the discharge recess 63 are suppressed, ensuring reliable connection of the discharge pipe 41 to the supply pipeline 21 and sealing by the discharge packing 43.

[0029] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the drain tank mounting section 11 consists of a recess that opens downward and forward, defined in the lower half of the front case 6, and its left-right width is approximately the same as the left-right width of the drain tank cover 50 (drain tank 3). On the top surface of the drain tank mounting section 11, a recovery recess 66 for receiving the recovery cylinder 54 and an intake recess 67 for receiving the intake cylinder 55 are formed as recesses (see Figure 11). The recesses 66 and 67 are arranged front to back, with the recovery recess 66 on the front side and the intake recess 67 on the rear side. In the drain tank 3 mounted on the drain tank mounting section 11, the recovery cylinder 54 is inserted into the recovery recess 66 and connected to the discharge port 20, and the intake cylinder 55 is inserted into the intake recess 67 and connected to the intake line 29. As a result, the wastewater discharged to the outlet 20 can be recovered into the wastewater tank 3 (wastewater tank body 49), and air can be drawn from the intake pipe 55 into the wastewater tank body 49. In addition, the space between the recovery pipe 54 and the recovery recess 66 is sealed watertight with a recovery packing 56, and the space between the intake pipe 55 and the intake recess 67 is sealed watertight with an intake packing 57.

[0030] The drain tank 3 is positioned in the front-rear direction relative to the drain tank mounting section 11 by the engagement of a positioning rib 68 projecting upward from the upper end of the front cover wall 50c and a positioning groove 69 recessed in the top surface of the drain tank mounting section 11. In addition, the left and right cover walls 50a and 50b of the drain tank cover 50 abut against the left and right inner surfaces of the drain tank mounting section 11, thereby positioning the drain tank 3 in the left-right direction relative to the cleaning machine body 1. With the drain tank 3 positioned in the front-rear and left-right directions relative to the cleaning machine body 1 in this way, the connection of the recovery cylinder 54 to the discharge port 20 and sealing by the recovery packing 56 can be ensured, and the connection of the intake cylinder 55 to the intake pipe 29 and sealing by the intake packing 57 can be ensured.

[0031] To ensure accurate assembly of the separated tank bodies 36 and 49 and tank covers 37 and 50, each tank 2 and 3 is provided with a horizontal guide section 72 that guides the tank bodies 36 and 49 and the tank covers 37 and 50 to slide horizontally relative to each other and serves as an assembly reference. The horizontal guide section 72 provided in the cleaning fluid tank 2 and the horizontal guide section 72 provided in the drainage tank 3 have the same configuration, so the horizontal guide section 72 of the cleaning fluid tank 2 will be described, and the horizontal guide section 72 of the drainage tank 3 will be described separately, with the same reference numerals used for identical components.

[0032] As shown in Figures 7 and 10, the cleaning fluid tank 2 is provided with two sets of horizontal guide sections 72, one on the left and one on the right, and each horizontal guide section 72 consists of a horizontal rib 73 provided on the cleaning fluid tank body 36 and a horizontal groove 74 provided on the cleaning fluid tank cover 37. The horizontal ribs 73 are formed to protrude outward from the front and rear outer surfaces of the cleaning fluid tank body 36, with the upper horizontal rib 73 being located on the front and rear surfaces of the lid section 39 and the lower horizontal rib 73 being located on the front and rear surfaces of the lower end of the container section 38. The horizontal grooves 74 are formed to recess inward from the inner surfaces of the left and right cover walls 37a and 37b, and the upper and lower horizontal grooves 74 correspond to the horizontal ribs 73.

[0033] The cleaning fluid tank 2 is assembled by first aligning the upper and lower horizontal ribs 73-73 of the cleaning fluid tank body 36 with the upper and lower horizontal grooves 74-74 of the cleaning fluid tank cover 37, and then inserting the horizontal ribs 73 into the horizontal grooves 74. At this time, the cleaning fluid tank body 36 and the cleaning fluid tank cover 37 are assembled while being guided horizontally by the horizontal ribs 73 and horizontal grooves 74, and the assembly is completed when the cleaning fluid tank body 36 comes into contact with the support rib 46c. Alternatively, the horizontal ribs 73 may be provided on the cleaning fluid tank cover 37 and the horizontal grooves 74 on the cleaning fluid tank body 36.

[0034] The vertical formation positions of the lower horizontal guide sections 72 in both tanks 2 and 3 are the same, but the vertical formation positions of the upper horizontal guide sections 72 in both tanks 2 and 3 are different. Specifically, when the distance between the vertical centers of the upper and lower horizontal ribs 73 in the cleaning fluid tank 2 is defined as L1, and the distance between the vertical centers of the upper and lower horizontal ribs 73 in the drainage fluid tank 3 is defined as L2, the distance L1 is set to be relatively small, and the distance L2 is set to be relatively large.

[0035] When the separation distances L1 and L2 are different in this way, when attempting to assemble the drain tank cover 50 to the cleaning fluid tank body 36, the horizontal rib 73 and horizontal groove 74 will align in one of the upper or lower horizontal guide sections 72, but they will not align in the other horizontal guide section 72. Conversely, when attempting to assemble the cleaning fluid tank cover 37 to the drain tank body 49, the horizontal rib 73 and horizontal groove 74 will align in one of the upper or lower horizontal guide sections 72, but they will not align in the other horizontal guide section 72. Thus, the cleaning fluid tank body 36 and the drain tank cover 50 are prevented from being assembled, and the drain tank body 49 and the cleaning fluid tank cover 37 are also prevented from being assembled.

[0036] Each tank 2 and 3 is attached to the cleaning unit body 1 by inserting them from below into their respective tank mounting sections 10 and 11. To guide the insertion of each tank 2 and 3 into their respective tank mounting sections 10 and 11, a pair of left and right vertical guide sections 77 are provided between the cleaning fluid tank 2 and the cleaning fluid tank mounting section 10, and between the drainage tank 3 and the drainage tank mounting section 11. The vertical guide sections 77 provided on the cleaning fluid tank 2 and the vertical guide sections 77 provided on the drainage tank 3 have the same configuration, so the vertical guide section 77 of the cleaning fluid tank 2 will be described, and the vertical guide section 77 of the drainage tank 3 will be described separately, with the same reference numerals used for identical components.

[0037] As shown in Figures 7 and 11, a pair of left and right vertical guide sections 77 are provided between the cleaning fluid tank 2 and the cleaning fluid tank mounting section 10. Each vertical guide section 77 consists of a vertical rib 78 provided on the cleaning fluid tank 2 and a vertical groove 79 provided on the cleaning fluid tank mounting section 10. The vertical rib 78 is formed to protrude outward from the outer surfaces of the left and right cover walls 37a and 37b and consists of rib-shaped projections extending in the vertical direction. With respect to the cleaning fluid tank cover 37, the vertical rib 78 is formed only in the middle portion of the left and right cover walls 37a and 37b in the vertical direction. The vertical groove 79 is formed to recess inward from the left and right inner wall surfaces of the cleaning fluid tank mounting section 10 and consists of grooves arranged along the entire vertical length of the cleaning fluid tank mounting section 10. A guide groove 80 is formed at the lower end of the vertical groove 79, with the groove width widening downwards. By providing a guide groove 80 at the starting end of the vertical rib 78, the vertical rib 78 can be smoothly guided into the vertical groove 79.

[0038] To install the cleaning fluid tank 2, first, the top of the cleaning fluid tank 2 is inserted into the cleaning fluid tank mounting section 10 from below the cleaning machine body 1. At this time, since the vertical rib 78 is not formed on the top of the cleaning fluid tank 2, even if the top of the cleaning fluid tank 2 is inserted into the cleaning fluid tank mounting section 10, the cleaning machine body 1 and the cleaning fluid tank 2 can move relative to each other in the front-rear direction. From this state, the cleaning fluid tank 2 is moved forward to contact the partition wall 12, and while maintaining contact with the partition wall 12, the cleaning fluid tank 2 is moved upward to insert the vertical rib 78 into the vertical groove 79. As the cleaning fluid tank 2 is moved further upward, it is guided by the partition wall 12 and the vertical guide section 77 and inserted into the cleaning fluid tank mounting section 10, the discharge cylinder 41 is inserted into the discharge recess 63, and the positioning rib 64 is inserted into the positioning groove 65. The installation of the cleaning fluid tank 2 into the cleaning fluid tank mounting section 10 is completed when the upper surface of the lid 39 and the upper edge of the cleaning fluid tank cover 37 come into contact with the top surface of the cleaning fluid tank mounting section 10.

[0039] To install the drain tank 3, first, the top of the drain tank 3 is inserted into the drain tank mounting section 11 from below the cleaning unit body 1. At this time, since the vertical rib 78 is not formed on the top of the drain tank 3, even if the top of the drain tank 3 is inserted into the drain tank mounting section 11, the cleaning unit body 1 and the drain tank 3 can move relative to each other in the front-rear direction. From this state, the drain tank 3 is moved backward to contact the partition wall 12, and while maintaining contact with the partition wall 12, the drain tank 3 is moved upward to insert the vertical rib 78 into the vertical groove 79. As the drain tank 3 is moved further upward, it is guided by the partition wall 12 and the vertical guide section 77 and inserted into the drain tank mounting section 11, with each cylinder 54 and 55 being inserted into the respective recesses 66 and 67, and the positioning rib 68 being inserted into the positioning groove 69. The installation of the drain tank 3 into the drain tank mounting section 11 is completed when the upper surface of the lid 52 and the upper edge of the drain tank cover 50 come into contact with the top surface of the drain tank mounting section 11.

[0040] As described above, the vertical sliding guidance of each tank 2 and 3 relative to the cleaning machine body 1 by the vertical guide section 77 begins when each tank 2 and 3 is partially inserted into each tank mounting section 10 and 11 so as to be in contact with the partition wall 12. Alternatively, vertical ribs 78 may be provided on each tank mounting section 10 and 11, and vertical grooves 79 may be provided on each tank 2 and 3.

[0041] The formation position of the vertical guide portion 77 between the cleaning fluid tank 2 and the cleaning fluid tank mounting portion 10 is different from the formation position of the vertical guide portion 77 between the drainage tank 3 and the drainage tank mounting portion 11. Specifically, as shown in Figure 11, when the distance from the partition wall 12 (rear surface of the partition wall 12) that the cleaning fluid tank 2 is in contact with to the front-to-back center position of the vertical groove 79 of the cleaning fluid tank mounting portion 10 is defined as W1, and the distance from the partition wall 12 (front surface of the partition wall 12) that the drainage tank 3 is in contact with to the front-to-back center position of the vertical groove 79 of the drainage tank mounting portion 11 is defined as W2, the distance W1 is set to be relatively small, and the distance W2 is set to be relatively large.

[0042] As the distances W1 and W2 differ in this way, when attempting to install the cleaning fluid tank 2 into the drainage tank mounting section 11, the vertical groove 79 and vertical rib 78 will not align if the cleaning fluid tank 2 remains in contact with the partition wall 12. Conversely, when attempting to install the drainage tank 3 into the cleaning fluid tank mounting section 10, the vertical groove 79 and vertical rib 78 will not align if the drainage tank 3 remains in contact with the partition wall 12. Thus, this prevents the cleaning fluid tank 2 from being installed into the drainage tank mounting section 11, and also prevents the drainage tank 3 from being installed into the cleaning fluid tank mounting section 10.

[0043] As described above, in the cleaning device of this embodiment, the assembly direction (mounting direction) of each tank 2 and 3 is set to the horizontal direction, and the mounting direction of each tank 2 and 3 to each tank mounting section 10 and 11 is set to the vertical direction. In this way, by setting the mounting directions to different directions, it is possible to prevent each tank 2 and 3 from shifting vertically when they are mounted to each tank mounting section 10 and 11.

[0044] As shown in Figure 12, the cleaning fluid tank 2 mounted on the cleaning fluid tank mounting section 10 has its lower part protruding downward from the outer casing of the cleaning device body 1, and the drainage tank 3 mounted on the drainage tank mounting section 11 also has its lower part protruding downward from the outer casing of the cleaning device body 1. With each tank 2 and 3 protruding from the outer casing of the cleaning device body 1 in this way, when mounting each tank 2 and 3 to each tank mounting section 10 and 11, each tank 2 and 3 can be slid upward to the mounting position while holding its lower end. Also, when separating each tank 2 and 3 from each tank mounting section 10 and 11, each tank 2 and 3 can be slid downward while holding its lower end.

[0045] Furthermore, the cleaning fluid tank 2 mounted on the cleaning fluid tank mounting section 10 has its rear surface exposed to the rear outer surface of the cleaning device body 1, and the drainage tank 3 mounted on the drainage tank mounting section 11 has its front surface exposed to the front outer surface of the cleaning device body 1. Since the container portions 38-51 of each tank cover 37-50 and each tank body 36-49 in this embodiment are made of transparent resin, the user of the cleaning device can visually check the amount of drainage stored in the drainage tank 3 from the front of the cleaning device. On the other hand, the amount of cleaning fluid stored in the cleaning fluid tank 2 can be visually checked from the rear of the cleaning device.

[0046] Each of the tanks 2 and 3, which are attached to the respective tank mounting sections 10 and 11, is provided with a locking structure 82 to prevent them from being unintentionally separated. The locking structure 82 provided on the cleaning fluid tank 2 and the locking structure 82 provided on the drainage tank 3 have the same configuration, so the locking structure 82 of the cleaning fluid tank 2 will be described, and the locking structure 82 of the drainage tank 3 will be described by assigning the same reference numerals to the same components and omitting further explanation.

[0047] As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the locking structure 82 of the cleaning fluid tank 2 consists of locking claws 83 provided on the left and right cover walls 37a and 37b of the cleaning fluid tank cover 37, respectively, and locking recesses 84 formed as recesses on the left and right inner surfaces of the cleaning fluid tank mounting section 10, corresponding to each locking claw 83. The left and right cover walls 37a and 37b are provided with horizontally reclining U-shaped slits, and a cantilevered support-type elastic piece 85 is formed surrounded by these slits, with the locking claws 83 projecting outward from the outer surface of the tip of this elastic piece 85. When the cleaning fluid tank 2 is inserted all the way into the cleaning fluid tank mounting section 10, the locking claws 83 fall into and engage with the locking recesses 84, so that the cleaning fluid tank 2 is irremovably attached to the cleaning machine body 1. Alternatively, the locking recesses 84 may be provided on the elastic piece 85, and the locking claws 83 may be provided on the cleaning fluid tank mounting section 10.

[0048] When the cleaning fluid tank 2 is attached to the cleaning device body 1, the upper half of the elastic piece 85 is located inside the cleaning fluid tank mounting section 10 and is contained within the outer casing of the cleaning device body 1, while the lower half of the elastic piece 85 is located outside the cleaning fluid tank mounting section 10 and is exposed outside the outer casing of the cleaning device body 1. This exposed portion of the elastic piece 85 serves as the release operation section 86 of the locking structure 82, and by pushing this release operation section 86 inward, the engagement between the locking claw 83 and the locking recess 84 can be released. Each tank 2 attached to the cleaning device body 1 can be separated from the cleaning device body 1 by pushing in the left and right release operation sections 86 and pulling them downward. The release operation section 86 is provided with a non-slip ridge to facilitate the release operation of the locking structure 82 and the downward sliding operation of the cleaning fluid tank 2.

[0049] As shown in Figures 13 and 14, the suction unit 9, which together with the main body case 8 constitutes the cleaning unit body 1, is composed of a skin contact body 89 attached to the front opening 15, an adjustment piece 90 supported by the skin contact body 89, and a cover body 91 covering the outer surface of the adjustment piece 90. The skin contact body 89 comprises a cylindrical suction tube 92 that forms the suction port 18, and a ring-shaped base ring 93 that protrudes outward from the rear end of the suction tube 92. The front end of the suction tube 92 is the suction port 18, and the skin contact body 89 is integrally fixed to the main body case 8 (front case 6) by bonding or welding the base ring 93 to the edge of the front opening 15. The skin contact body 89 may be fixed to the main body case 8 by screws instead of bonding or welding. In this case, if a screw insertion hole is provided in the wall forming the chamber recess 16, the space between the screw and the insertion hole is sealed watertight with a packing.

[0050] A mounting wall 94 for connecting the cover body 91 is provided projecting forward from the front outer edge of the base ring 93. The mounting wall 94 is formed in a partially arc shape, and the mounting wall 94 is not formed on the lower part of the base ring 93. The adjustment piece 90 comprises a ring-shaped adjustment ring 96 with an L-shaped cross-section and an adjustment lever 97 extending radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the adjustment ring 96. The adjustment ring 96 is positioned to fit onto the suction cylinder 92, facing the base ring 93 inside the mounting wall 94. The inner diameter of the adjustment ring 96 matches the outer diameter of the suction cylinder 92, and the adjustment piece 90 is rotatably supported on the suction cylinder 92.

[0051] The cover body 91 consists of a ring body formed in an L-shape, slightly larger than the adjustment ring 96, and comprises a circular ring-shaped cover ring 98 and a cover peripheral wall 99 projecting rearward from the rear outer edge of the cover ring 98. The inner diameter of the cover ring 98 matches the inner diameter of the adjustment ring 96 and the outer diameter of the suction cylinder 92. The lower side of the cover peripheral wall 99 is partially cut out, and the extent of this cutout matches the unformed area of ​​the mounting wall 94. The cover peripheral wall 99 is provided with three connecting claws 100, and the cover body 91 is connected to the skin contact body 89 by engaging these connecting claws 100 with connecting grooves 101 recessed in the outer base of the mounting wall 94. The cover body 91 can also be separated from the skin contact body 89 by releasing the engagement of the connecting claws 100 with the connecting grooves 101.

[0052] The suction unit 9 is assembled by first aligning the suction cylinder 92 and the adjustment ring 96, then fitting the adjustment ring 96 onto the outside of the suction cylinder 92, and aligning the base ring 93 and the adjustment ring 96. Next, the suction cylinder 92 and the cover ring 98 are aligned, and the mounting wall 94 and the cover peripheral wall 99 are aligned, then the cover body 91 is fitted onto the outside of the suction cylinder 92 and the mounting wall 94, and the connecting claws 100 are locked into the connecting groove 101. With the above steps, the assembly of the suction unit 9 is completed. In the assembled state, the rear outer edge of the adjustment ring 96 is in contact with the base ring 93, and a gap is formed between the rear surface of the adjustment ring 96 inside this contact point and the front surface of the base ring 93.

[0053] As shown in Figures 1 and 14, the adjustment lever 97 of the adjustment piece 90 protrudes outward from a lever slit 102 formed by the unformed portion of the mounting wall 94 and the notched portion of the cover peripheral wall 99, and the tip of the adjustment lever 97 is located outside the suction portion 9 in a front view of the cleaning device body 1 (see Figure 3). When the adjustment lever 97 of the adjustment piece 90 is in lever position P1, shown by the dashed line in Figure 1, the right edge of the lever 97 abuts against the mounting wall 94, restricting counterclockwise rotation, and when it is in lever position P4, shown by the dashed line, the left edge of the lever 97 abuts against the mounting wall 94, restricting clockwise rotation. In other words, the adjustment piece 90 can be rotated between the state in which the adjustment lever 97 is in lever position P1 and the state in which it is in lever position P4.

[0054] When the pump 24 is running, if the suction port 18 is not in contact with the skin surface, that is, if the suction port 18 is open, the air circuit upstream of the pump 24, consisting of the intake line 29, the drain tank body 49, the outlet 20, and the chamber 17, is an open circuit that communicates with the outside at the suction port 18. The pump 24 draws in air through the open suction port 18 and discharges the air through the exhaust line 30 to the exhaust port 31. On the other hand, if the suction port 18 is in contact with the skin surface, that is, if the suction port 18 is closed by the skin surface, the air circuit upstream of the pump 24, consisting of the intake line 29, the drain tank body 49, the outlet 20, the chamber 17, the supply port 19, the supply line 21, and the cleaning fluid tank 2, is a closed circuit that does not communicate with the outside. The pump 24 generates negative pressure in the upstream air circuit, including the chamber 17.

[0055] The negative pressure generated by the pump 24 applies suction to the skin surface and simultaneously draws up the cleaning solution stored in the cleaning solution tank body 36 through the suction tube 42, discharge pipe 41, supply line 21, and supply port 19 to supply to the skin surface. In addition, the wastewater after skin surface cleaning is collected in the wastewater tank body 49 via the discharge port 20. Thus, in this embodiment, the cleaning device supplies cleaning solution from the cleaning solution tank 2 to the skin surface only when the suction port 18 is in contact with the skin surface, that is, only when suction is applied to the skin surface for cleaning. As a result, cleaning solution that does not contribute to skin surface cleaning is not discharged from the cleaning solution tank 2, and the wasteful consumption of cleaning solution can be prevented.

[0056] A current detection circuit can be provided on the control board 26 to detect the current value supplied to the pump 24 while the cleaning device is in use. This circuit monitors the load on the pump 24 while it is running, and if it detects a low load, i.e., a state where the suction port 18 is not in contact with the skin surface, for a predetermined period of time, it determines that cleaning is not taking place, such as when the cleaning device is placed on a table, and stops the pump 24. This helps to prevent unnecessary power consumption of the battery 27.

[0057] In Figure 14, etc., reference numeral 104 denotes a sponge that is mounted across the chamber 17 and the suction cylinder 92. In this embodiment, a sponge 104 made of a flexible porous material is used to efficiently supply cleaning liquid to the skin surface. A part of the sponge 104 protrudes from the suction port 18, and the suction port 18 is brought into contact with the skin surface by crushing this protruding part. When the suction port 18 comes into contact with the skin surface, the cleaning liquid that enters the chamber 17 from the supply port 19 is absorbed by the sponge 104 and reaches the skin surface, so that the skin surface can be cleaned while applying suction force along with the cleaning liquid. To prevent the cleaning liquid supplied from the supply port 19 to the chamber 17 from flowing down the rear wall of the chamber 17 to the discharge port 20, a damming rib 105 extending in the left-right direction is provided projecting forward from the rear wall of the chamber 17. This damming rib 105 dams the cleaning liquid flowing down the rear wall of the chamber 17, and the dammed cleaning liquid can be absorbed by the sponge 104. The sponge 104 is not essential, and the cleaning solution may be supplied directly to the skin surface from the supply port 19. In this case, a spray device is provided at the supply port 19 to supply the cleaning solution to the skin surface in a mist form.

[0058] After washing the skin surface, the drained liquid is drawn out from the sponge 104 by the negative pressure of the pump 24, flows down the chamber 17 to the outlet 20, and is stored in the drain tank body 49 via the recovery cylinder 54. In Figure 6, etc., reference numeral 106 denotes a baffle plate that prevents the drained liquid, immediately after being drawn from the recovery cylinder 54 into the drain tank body 49, from being drawn towards the intake cylinder 55. The drained liquid attempting to be drawn towards the intake cylinder 55 is made to collide with this baffle plate 106 and drip downwards. The same effect can be obtained by omitting the baffle plate 106 and extending the recovery cylinder 54 downwards.

[0059] The cleaning device of this embodiment is equipped with a suction force adjustment means 109 that changes the negative pressure generated in the chamber 17 in order to adjust the suction force acting on the skin surface according to the user's preference and the area of ​​skin to be cleaned. As shown in Figures 1 and 14, the suction force adjustment means 109 consists of three (one or more) air inlet holes 110 formed through the base ring 93 and communicating with the chamber 17, and three opening / closing bodies 111 provided on the adjustment piece 90 that open and close each air inlet hole 110. In the suction force adjustment means 109 of this embodiment, when the suction port 18 is blocked, the negative pressure generated in the chamber 17 is changed by changing the amount of air flowing into the chamber 17 from outside the cleaning device body 1.

[0060] Each of the three air inlet holes 110 is a round hole and is provided on the lower half of the base ring 93. Each of the three opening / closing bodies 111 is a cylindrical projection and is provided on the rear surface of the adjustment ring 96. These air inlet holes 110 and opening / closing bodies 111 are provided at equal pitches on a reference circle C centered on the cylindrical axis of the suction cylinder 92, and in this embodiment, they are provided at 30-degree intervals (30-degree pitches) around the reference circle C. In Figure 1, etc., reference numeral 112 denotes an elastic ring fitted onto the opening / closing body 111, and the elastic ring 112 is in close contact with the front surface of the base ring 93. The elastic ring 112 is provided to ensure that the opening / closing body 111 reliably closes the air inlet holes 110.

[0061] In Figure 1, when the adjustment lever 97 of the adjustment piece 90 is at lever position P1, indicated by the dashed line, the three opening / closing bodies 111 are positioned in front of each air inlet 110, and all three air inlets 110 are blocked by the opening / closing bodies 111. From this state, when the adjustment lever 97 is rotated 30 degrees clockwise from lever position P1 to lever position P2, indicated by the dashed line, the left opening / closing body 111 moves out of front of the right air inlet 110, and one air inlet 110 is opened. Subsequently, when the adjustment lever 97 is rotated 30 degrees clockwise from lever position P2 to lever position P3, indicated by the solid line, the two left opening / closing bodies 111 move out of front of the two right air inlets 110, and two air inlets 110 are opened. Next, when the adjustment lever 97 is rotated 30 degrees clockwise from lever position P3 to lever position P4 (shown by the dashed line), all the opening and closing bodies 111 move away from the front of the air inlet 110, and all three air inlet 110 are opened.

[0062] As described above, the number of open intake holes 110 can be changed by rotating the relative position of the adjustment piece 90 with respect to the base ring 93 around the cylindrical axis of the suction cylinder 92. By changing the number of intake holes 110 communicating with the chamber 17, the amount of air flowing from outside the cleaning device body 1 into the chamber 17 can be changed. As a result, the pressure inside the chamber 17 can be brought closer to atmospheric pressure, or closer to the negative pressure generated by the pump 24, and the suction force acting on the skin surface can be adjusted by changing the negative pressure generated in the chamber 17. In Figure 1, etc., reference numeral 113 denotes an adjustment hole for adjusting the maximum value of the suction force, and by opening and closing the adjustment hole 113, the suction force when all intake holes 110 are blocked by the opening / closing body 111 can be adjusted. The adjustment hole 113 can be blocked with adhesive tape or the like. Air flowing into the chamber 17 from the intake port 110 and the adjustment port 113 reaches the intake port 110 and the adjustment port 113 via the gap between the suction cylinder 92 and the covering ring 98, the gap between the suction cylinder 92 and the adjustment ring 96, and the gap between the adjustment ring 96 and the base ring 93.

[0063] A click mechanism is provided to hold the adjustment piece 90 in position at lever positions P1 to P4. As shown in Figure 13, the click mechanism consists of a click projection 116 projecting forward from the front base of the adjustment lever 97 and a click recess 117 formed as a recess on the rear surface of the covering ring 98. The click recess 117 is provided corresponding to each lever position P1 to P4, and the adjustment piece 90 is held in one of the lever positions P1 to P4 by the click projection 116 falling into and engaging with the click recess 117 at each lever position P1 to P4.

[0064] As shown in Figure 6, the partition wall 12 has an opening consisting of a square hole that penetrates in the front-to-back direction, and a heater 118 is fixed to fill this opening. The heater 118 is formed so that its thickness in the front-to-back direction is the same as the thickness of the partition wall 12, the front surface of the heater 118 is flush with the front surface of the partition wall 12, and the rear surface of the heater 118 is flush with the rear surface of the partition wall 12. The heater 118 is powered by the battery 27 and is energized while the pump 24 is running. By providing the heater 118 in the partition wall 12 in this way, the heat from the heater 118 can warm the cleaning solution stored in the cleaning solution tank body 36 that is in contact with the partition wall 12, so that the skin surface can be cleaned with the heated cleaning solution.

[0065] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the drain tank mounting section 11 is provided with water level sensors 119 on its left and right walls. The water level sensor 119 is a photoelectric sensor consisting of a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element, and is positioned at a location corresponding to the upper end of the container section 51 of the drain tank body 49. Since the drain tank cover 50 and the container section 51 are made of transparent resin, under normal conditions, the light emitted from the light-emitting element is detected by the light-receiving element at a constant intensity. When the drain tank 3 is filled with drain liquid up to the position of the water level sensor 119, the light emitted from the light-emitting element is diffused or shielded by the drain liquid, and the intensity of the light detected by the light-receiving element decreases. This change is detected to indicate that the drain tank 3 is nearly full. When the water level sensor 119 detects drain liquid, the control board 26 stops driving the pump 24. The water level sensor 119 can also be used to notify the user that the drain tank 3 is nearly full.

[0066] When using the cleaning device, first, the cleaning fluid tank 2 and the drainage tank 3 are removed from the cleaning device body 1, and each tank 2 and 3 is separated into its respective tank body 36 and 49 and its respective tank cover 37 and 50. For the separated cleaning fluid tank body 36, the lid 39 is removed from the container 38, and tap water, for example, is placed in the container 38 as the cleaning fluid. Then, the lid 39 is reattached to the container 38 to replenish the cleaning fluid tank body 36 with tap water. Meanwhile, for the separated drainage tank body 49, the lid 52 is removed from the container 51, the drainage collected in the container 51 is disposed of, and then the lid 52 is reattached to the container 51 to empty the drainage tank body 49. Next, the tank bodies 36 and 49 and the respective tank covers 37 and 50 are assembled according to the procedure described above, and then each tank 2 and 3 are attached to the respective tank mounting sections 10 and 11. This completes the preparation for cleaning.

[0067] After the cleaning preparation is complete, press the switch button 33 to turn the cleaning device ON, select the desired vibration intensity, and press the suction port 18 against the skin surface. The cleaning device can clean the skin surface with cleaning solution while applying suction force to the skin surface by rotating the suction port 18 slightly while pressing it against the skin surface, or by moving the suction port 18 along the skin surface. The suction force can be adjusted by rotating the adjustment lever 97 to one of the lever positions P1 to P4. The drained liquid generated during cleaning can be checked by removing the suction port 18 from the skin surface and visually inspecting the drain tank 3 from the front of the cleaning device. After cleaning is complete, press the switch button 33 to turn the cleaning device OFF. It is preferable for hygiene reasons to dispose of the drained liquid after cleaning is complete, and it is also preferable in that it prevents dirt from adhering to the inner surface of the drain tank body 49.

[0068] Figure 15 shows the suction tube 92 with the attachment 122 attached. The attachment 122 is for reducing the opening area of ​​the suction port 18. It is formed in a funnel shape consisting of a large diameter cylindrical section, a small diameter cylindrical section, and a constricted cylindrical section connecting these two sections. When the attachment 122 is attached, the tip of the attachment 122 becomes the suction port 18a (18), allowing for pinpoint cleaning of areas such as around the nostrils.

[0069] Figure 16 shows the state in which the cap body 123 is attached to the suction unit 9. The cap body 123 is used when cleaning the sponge 104 and the inside of the chamber 17, and is fitted onto the suction cylinder 92 after separating the cover body 91 and the adjustment piece 90 from the suction unit 9. The cap body 123 is formed in the shape of a flat container that opens to the rear, and when fitted onto the suction cylinder 92, the suction port 18, each air inlet hole 110, and the adjustment hole 113 are closed by the cap body 123. Water for cleaning the sponge 104 is stored in the cleaning liquid tank 2, the sponge 104 is pushed into the chamber 17, and then the cap body 123 is attached. By switching the cleaning device to the ON state in this state, the water stored in the cleaning liquid tank 2 can be supplied to the chamber 17 to clean the sponge 104. Alternatively, by switching the cleaning device to the ON state when the sponge 104 is not inside the chamber 17, the inside of the chamber 17 can be cleaned. The wastewater after cleaning the sponge 104 or the inside of the chamber 17 is collected and stored in the drainage tank 3.

[0070] As described above, the cleaning device of this embodiment is equipped with a suction force adjustment means 109 that adjusts the suction force acting on the skin surface by changing the negative pressure generated in the chamber 17 by the pump 24. Therefore, the suction force acting on the skin surface can be adjusted by the suction force adjustment means 109 according to the user's preference or depending on the area being cleaned. In addition, the suction force adjustment means 109 is configured to change the negative pressure generated in the chamber 17 by changing the amount of air flowing into the chamber 17 from outside the cleaning device body 1 when the suction port 18 is blocked. Therefore, by relatively increasing the amount of air flowing into the chamber 17, the pressure inside the chamber 17 can be brought closer to atmospheric pressure, and conversely, by relatively decreasing the amount of air flowing in, the pressure inside the chamber 17 can be brought closer to the negative pressure generated by the pump 24. Thus, according to the cleaning device of this embodiment, the suction force acting on the skin surface during cleaning can be adjusted to the suction force desired by the user by changing the negative pressure generated in the chamber 17.

[0071] Specifically, the suction force adjustment means 109 consists of three (one or more) air inlet holes 110 formed through the base ring 93 of the skin contact body 89 attached to the front opening 15 and communicating with the chamber 17, and an opening / closing body 111 provided on an adjustment piece 90 that faces the base ring 93 and is supported so as to be relatively movable, for opening and closing each air inlet hole 110. With this, the total opening area of ​​the air inlet holes 110 can be changed by changing the number of air inlet holes 110 that are opened, so that the amount of air flowing into the chamber 17 from outside the cleaning device body 1 can be changed, and the negative pressure generated in the chamber 17 can be changed.

[0072] The suction unit 9 is equipped with a cover body 91 that covers the outer surfaces of the base ring 93 and the adjustment piece 90. This protects the base ring 93, which has an air inlet hole 110, and the adjustment piece 90, which has an opening / closing body 111, from the suction force adjustment means 109, thus preventing damage to the suction force adjustment means 109. Furthermore, the cover body 91 prevents problems such as the air inlet hole 110 being blocked by foreign matter, allowing the suction force adjustment means 109 to function properly.

[0073] By rotating the adjustment piece 90 to change the relative position of the adjustment ring 96 with respect to the base ring 93, the opening / closing body 111 opens and closes the air inlet holes 110. Then, n air inlet holes 110 (where n is a natural number of 2 or more) are formed on the base ring 93 at equal pitches on a reference circle C centered on the cylindrical axis of the suction cylinder 92, and n opening / closing bodies 111 are formed on the adjustment ring 96 at the same pitch as the formation pitch of the air inlet holes 110 on the reference circle C. With this configuration, by rotating the adjustment piece 90 for each formation pitch of the opening / closing bodies 111 and the air inlet holes 110, the number of open air inlet holes 110 can be increased or decreased by one, so the suction force acting on the skin surface can be adjusted by gradually decreasing or gradually increasing it.

[0074] Since the adjustment piece 90 is equipped with an adjustment lever 97 for operating the piece 90, the adjustment piece 90 can be easily rotated by pinching the adjustment lever 97 with your fingers, and the suction force can be easily adjusted by the suction force adjustment means 109.

[0075] In a front view of the cleaning device body 1, the tip of the adjustment lever 97 is positioned outside the suction section 9, thereby improving the operability of the adjustment lever 97 by hand and making it easier to adjust the suction force acting on the skin surface.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the number of air inlet holes 110 and opening / closing bodies 111 is set to 3, but it may be 2 or less or 4 or more, and the more opening / closing bodies there are, the wider the range of suction force adjustment can be. The adjustment piece 90 may be configured to open and close the air inlet holes 110 with the opening / closing bodies 111 by linear sliding operation in addition to rotational operation. In this case, the air inlet holes 110 and opening / closing bodies 111 are arranged in a linear fashion. The cleaning device of the present invention can be used for purposes other than facial skin, and can be used, for example, for body washing in nursing care settings. In this case, a body washing solution is used to wash the body surface. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0077] 1. Washer unit 2 cleaning solution tanks 3. Drainage tank 8. Main unit case 9 Suction part 15 Front opening 16 Chamber recess 17 Chambers 18 Suction port 24 pumps 89 Skin contact object 90 Adjustment Pieces 91 Cover body 92 Suction tube 93 Base Ring 96 Adjustment Ring 97 Adjustment lever 109 Suction force adjustment means 110 Air inlet 111 Opening / closing mechanism C. Reference circle centered on the cylindrical axis of the suction cylinder.

Claims

1. A washing device body (1) has a suction port (18) on its front that comes into contact with the skin, A cleaning solution tank (2) for storing the cleaning solution supplied to the skin surface, A drainage tank (3) for storing the drainage fluid after washing the skin surface, A chamber (17) is defined in the main body of the cleaning device (1) and communicates with the suction port (18), A pump (24) generates negative pressure in the chamber (17) and produces a suction force that acts on the skin surface through the suction port (18), A suction force adjustment means (109) that changes the negative pressure generated in the chamber (17) to adjust the suction force acting on the skin surface, Equipped with, A cleaning device characterized in that the suction force adjustment means (109) is configured to change the negative pressure generated in the chamber (17) by changing the amount of air flowing into the chamber (17) from outside the cleaning device body (1) when the suction port (18) is blocked.

2. The cleaning device body (1) consists of a main body case (8) in which a chamber recess (16) having a front opening (15) is formed, and a suction part (9) provided to close the front opening (15) and together with the chamber recess (16) define a chamber (17). The suction section (9) includes a skin contact body (89) attached to the front opening (15) and an adjustment piece (90) supported by the skin contact body (89). The skin contact body (89) comprises a cylindrical suction tube (92) whose front end is a suction port (18), and a base ring (93) which is formed to protrude outward from the rear end of the suction tube (92) and is fixed to the edge of the front opening (15). The adjustment piece (90) is supported facing the base ring (93) and is movable relative to it. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the suction force adjustment means (109) is formed through the base ring (93) and comprises one or more air inlet holes (110) communicating with the chamber (17), and an opening / closing body (111) provided on the adjustment piece (90) for opening and closing each air inlet hole (110).

3. The cleaning device according to claim 2, wherein the suction section (9) is provided with a cover body (91) that covers the outer surfaces of the base ring (93) and the adjustment piece (90).

4. The adjustment piece (90) comprises a ring-shaped adjustment ring (96) facing the base ring (93), and the adjustment ring (96) is rotatably supported by a cylindrical suction tube (92). By rotating the adjustment piece (90) to change the relative position of the adjustment ring (96) with respect to the base ring (93), the opening / closing body (111) opens and closes the air inlet (110). The base ring (93) has n air inlet holes (110) (where n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2) formed at equal pitches on a reference circle (C) centered on the cylindrical axis of the suction cylinder (92). The cleaning device according to claim 2, wherein n opening / closing bodies (111) are formed on the adjustment ring (96) at the same pitch as the formation pitch of the air inlet holes (110) on the reference circle (C).

5. The cleaning device according to claim 2, wherein the adjustment piece (90) is provided with an adjustment lever (97) for operating the adjustment piece (90).

6. The cleaning device according to claim 5, wherein, in a front view of the cleaning device body (1), the tip of the adjustment lever (97) is located outside the suction part (9).

Images