Steam cleaning attachments and vacuum cleaners

Abstract

To provide a steam cleaning attachment having a simple structure, capable of performing steam cleaning, and having good usability, and a vacuum cleaner comprising the same.SOLUTION: A steam cleaning attachment AT comprises a main body part 1, a steam generation part 3, a blowoff port 5, a wiping member fitting part 18, and an operation part fitting part 19. The steam generation part 3 is arranged in the main body part 1, and driven by using a battery 4 as a power source to generate steam ST of cleaning liquid W supplied from a liquid supply source 2. The blowoff port 5 blows off the steam ST generated by the steam generation part 3. The wiping member fitting part 18 is formed in the main body part 1, and fitted with a wiping member 6 for wiping the steam ST blown off from the blowoff port 5 and attached to a surface CS to be cleaned. The operation part fitting part 19 is formed in the main body part 1, and can be fitted with an operation part 7.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a steam cleaning attachment that cleans a surface to be cleaned using steam, and a vacuum cleaner having the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a vacuum cleaner that uses steam to clean dirt on a surface to be cleaned. This type of vacuum cleaner is equipped with a cleaning head that blows out steam, a tank that stores cleaning liquid such as water, a steam generating unit that generates steam from the cleaning liquid stored in the tank, a power supply unit that serves as a power source for the steam generating unit, and is configured by assembling the cleaning head and the vacuum cleaner body. In other words, the vacuum cleaner is configured as a whole by the vacuum cleaner body and the cleaning head that are configured in advance exclusively for steam cleaning. Therefore, when performing normal suction cleaning, a separate vacuum cleaner for suction cleaning is required. Alternatively, in order to perform steam cleaning and suction cleaning with the same vacuum cleaner, a complex switching mechanism such as an air passage is required, and it is necessary to provide both a structure required only for steam cleaning and a structure required only for suction cleaning in the vacuum cleaner body, etc., which makes the vacuum cleaner larger and more difficult to handle, and is not easy to use. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-49402 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a steam cleaning attachment that is simple in configuration and capable of steam cleaning, and is easy to use, and a vacuum cleaner equipped with the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The steam cleaning attachment of the embodiment includes a main body, a steam generating unit, an outlet, a wiping member mounting unit, and an operating unit mounting unit. A battery mounting section; The steam generating unit is disposed in the main body and is driven by a battery as a power source to generate steam of the cleaning liquid supplied from the liquid supply source. The outlet blows out the steam generated by the steam generating unit. The wiping member mounting unit is formed in the main body and is fitted with a wiping member that blows out from the outlet and wipes off the steam adhering to the surface to be cleaned. The operating unit mounting unit is formed in the main body and is capable of mounting the operating unit. The battery mounting section is formed on the main body section, and the battery can be attached and detached. The battery mounted in the battery mounting section is located at the upper part of the main body section, and the wiping member mounted in the wiping member mounting section is located at the lower part of the main body section. . [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a steam cleaning attachment according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the steam cleaning attachment from the side of the surface to be cleaned. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an electric vacuum cleaner equipped with the steam cleaning attachment. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the steam cleaning attachment of the second embodiment, viewed from the side of the surface to be cleaned. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] (First embodiment) Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0008] In FIG. 1, AT denotes a steam cleaning attachment. The steam cleaning attachment AT uses steam ST to lift or remove dirt from a surface CS to be cleaned, such as a floor, and clean the surface. Hereinafter, the steam cleaning attachment AT may be simply referred to as the attachment AT. Note that steam ST generally refers to a gaseous state, such as high-temperature steam, but in this embodiment, it is not limited to this, and also includes steam or fine liquid particles that have slightly cooled from a gaseous state by contact with the outside air or the surface CS to be cleaned and returned to a high-temperature liquid state. In addition, the up-down direction is defined based on the state in which the attachment AT is placed on a horizontal surface CS to be cleaned, and the direction in which cleaning proceeds as seen from the user during cleaning is defined as the forward direction, the opposite direction is defined as the rearward direction, and the direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the front-rear direction is defined as the left-right direction. In the figure, the direction of the arrow FR is the forward direction, the direction of the arrow RR is the backward direction, the direction of the arrow L is the leftward direction, the direction of the arrow R is the rightward direction, the direction of the arrow U is the upward direction, and the direction of the arrow D is the downward direction.

[0009] The attachment AT includes a main body 1. The main body 1 is formed to be larger in the left-right direction than in the front-rear direction, that is, to have a horizontally elongated shape. The main body 1 is formed from synthetic resin or the like.

[0010] Water is basically used as the cleaning liquid W serving as the steam source, but water with detergent added thereto may also be used. The cleaning liquid W is supplied from a liquid supply source 2. In this embodiment, the liquid supply source 2 is a tank that stores the cleaning liquid W. That is, the liquid supply source 2 has a case portion 20 that stores the cleaning liquid W therein. The case portion 20 is formed with a refill port for refilling the cleaning liquid W and a discharge port from which the cleaning liquid W is discharged. The refill port and the discharge port may be the same port or different ports. Not limited to this, the liquid supply source 2 may be a container capable of storing the cleaning liquid W, such as a commercially available plastic bottle.

[0011] In this embodiment, the liquid supply source 2 is attached to a liquid supply source attachment part 10 formed on the main body part 1. In the illustrated example, the liquid supply source attachment part 10 is located at the upper part of the main body part 1. In this embodiment, the liquid supply source attachment part 10 is arranged at the center part in the front-rear direction of the main body part 1. Preferably, the liquid supply source 2 is detachable from the liquid supply source attachment part 10. The liquid supply source 2 is held by a holding part with respect to the liquid supply source attachment part 10. The holding by the holding part can be released by an attachment / detachment switch 22. In the illustrated example, the attachment / detachment switch 22 is located at the upper part of the case part 20 of the liquid supply source 2 and can be operated by the user. Not limited to this, the liquid supply source 2 may be configured not to be detachable from the main body part 1. In this case, it is preferable to place the refill port at a position accessible from the outside by the user, such as the upper part of the case part 20.

[0012] The cleaning liquid W from the liquid supply source 2 is converted into steam ST by the steam generating unit 3. That is, the steam generating unit 3 generates steam ST of the cleaning liquid W supplied from the liquid supply source 2. The steam generating unit 3 has a pump 30 that sucks out the cleaning liquid W from the liquid supply source 2, a heater 31 that heats the cleaning liquid W, and a control unit 32 that controls the operation of the pump 30 and the heater 31. The pump 30 is connected to a piping unit 35 that sends the cleaning liquid W sucked out from the liquid supply source 2. The piping unit 35 is connected to the outlet of the liquid supply source 2. For example, the piping unit 35 is formed of a member such as a metal having good thermal conductivity. At least a part of the piping unit 35 is arranged close to the heater 31. Therefore, the cleaning liquid W sucked out from the liquid supply source 2 by the operation of the pump 30 and passing through the piping unit 35 is configured to be heated by the heater 31. Since the steam ST can remove general oily dirt from the surface CS to be cleaned if the steam ST is at 60°C or higher at the position where it adheres to the surface CS to be cleaned, the steam generating unit 3 generates the steam ST so that the steam ST is at 60°C or higher, preferably 80°C or higher, at the position where it adheres to the surface CS to be cleaned. It is preferable that the heater 31 is provided with a sensor or the like for detecting the temperature, so that when the sensor detects that the heater 31 has reached a predetermined temperature sufficient to raise the temperature of the steam ST to the above temperature, this can be displayed by a display means such as an indicator or lamp.

[0013] The steam generating unit 3 is accommodated in a storage chamber 11 formed in the main body 1. The storage chamber 11 is located in the upper part of the main body 1. In this embodiment, the storage chamber 11 is formed to extend in the left-right direction. In the illustrated example, the storage chamber 11 is located in front of the liquid supply source attachment part 10. In other words, the steam generating unit 3 is located in front of the liquid supply source 2.

[0014] The steam generating unit 3 operates using a battery 4 as a power source. In this embodiment, the battery 4 is a battery pack having a plurality of cells 40. The cells 40 are housed in a case body 41. The battery 4 may be a primary battery, a secondary battery, or a storage battery. When the battery 4 is a secondary battery or a storage battery, the attachment AT may include a charging circuit for charging the battery 4.

[0015] Preferably, the battery 4 is detachably attached to a battery attachment section 12 formed in the main body section 1. In this embodiment, the battery attachment section 12 is located behind the steam generating section 3 in the main body section 1. In the illustrated example, the battery attachment section 12 is located behind the storage chamber 11 and the supply liquid source attachment section 10. In other words, the battery 4 is located behind the steam generating section 3 and the supply liquid source 2. In this embodiment, the steam generating section 3 is located in front of the supply liquid source 2, and the battery 4 is located behind it. However, the battery 4 may be located in any position in the main body section 1, and may be built into the main body section 1, for example.

[0016] The battery 4 is electrically connected to the steam generating unit 3 via the connection unit 42. In this embodiment, the connection unit 42 is electrically connected to the control unit 32. The connection unit 42 is a connector or the like, and is located close to the battery attachment unit 12.

[0017] The power supply from the battery 4 to the steam generating unit 3 is turned on and off by a power switch SW. In this embodiment, the power switch SW is a heater switch that turns on and off the operation of the heater 31 of the steam generating unit 3. The power switch SW can be operated by the user. The power switch SW is disposed on the main body 1. In this embodiment, the power switch SW is located at the top of the main body 1. In the illustrated example, the power switch SW is located at the top of the storage chamber 11 in the main body 1.

[0018] The steam ST generated by the steam generating unit 3 is blown out from the blowing port 5. In this embodiment, the cleaning liquid W sucked out from the liquid supply source 2 by the pump 30 is vaporized by the heater 31, and the steam ST is blown out from the blowing port 5 by the vaporization pressure.

[0019] The outlet 5 is formed in the main body 1. The outlet 5 is located at the downstream end of the piping section 35 of the steam generating section 3. In this embodiment, the outlet 5 is disposed in a partition wall 15 formed in the main body 1. The outlet 5 is formed in the partition wall 15 as a small opening so as to increase the pressure of the steam ST to be blown out. That is, the opening area of ​​the outlet 5 is set according to the desired pressure of the steam ST.

[0020] The partition wall 15 is a part that configures a steam chamber 16 in which steam ST is blown out from the blowing port 5 and accumulates between the partition wall 15 and the surface to be cleaned CS. The partition wall 15 is located at the bottom of the main body 1. In this embodiment, the partition wall 15 is located below the liquid supply source mounting part 10 and the storage chamber 11, and separates the storage chamber 11 from the steam chamber 16. That is, the liquid supply source 2 and the steam generating unit 3 are located above the partition wall 15 and the blowing port 5 formed in the partition wall 15. In the illustrated example, at least a part of the liquid supply source 2 and at least a part of the steam generating unit 3 are located within the vertical projection of the partition wall 15 or the steam chamber 16. Therefore, the partition wall 15 is located in a position that directly supports the weight of the liquid supply source 2 and the steam generating unit 3.

[0021] Partition wall 15 is located from the front to the center of main body 1. Therefore, steam chamber 16 is defined in a position from the front to the center of main body 1.

[0022] In addition, the partition wall 15 is in an upwardly convex arc or arch shape in cross section. In the illustrated example, the partition wall 15 integrally includes an upper wall portion 150, a front wall portion 151 extending downward from the front of the upper wall portion 150, and a rear wall portion 152 extending downward from the rear of the upper wall portion 150. The upper wall portion 150 has a substantially constant height in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the upper wall portion 150 is curved so that it is highest at the center in the front-rear direction and gradually decreases in height toward the front and rear. The air outlet 5 is located in this upper wall portion 150. In the illustrated example, the air outlet 5 is located in the center of the upper wall portion 150 in the front-rear direction, that is, at the highest position of the upper wall portion 150. Therefore, the air outlet 5 is located at the top of the steam chamber 16.

[0023] The front wall 151 is located forward of the storage chamber 11 and forms the front part of the main body 1. The upper wall 150 and the rear wall 152 separate the storage chamber 11 and the steam chamber 16. The lower ends of the front wall 151 and the rear wall 152 are located at the lower end of the main body 1 and are in contact with or close to the surface CS to be cleaned when the main body 1 of the attachment AT is placed on the surface CS to be cleaned. Therefore, when the main body 1 of the attachment AT is placed on the surface CS to be cleaned, the lower part of the steam chamber 16 is sealed or nearly sealed by the surface CS to be cleaned.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the partition wall 15 is formed to extend in the left-right direction. Therefore, the steam chamber 16 is configured to be longitudinal in the left-right direction. In the illustrated example, the steam chamber 16 is configured to be rectangular in the left-right direction when viewed from the top-down direction. In this embodiment, a plurality of air outlets 5 are arranged in the left-right direction in the partition wall 15. These air outlets 5 are arranged apart from each other in the left-right direction. In the illustrated example, the air outlets 5 are arranged at equal or approximately equal intervals in the left-right direction. The air outlets 5 are arranged in the center of the left-right direction of the partition wall 15 or the steam chamber 16, and on both the left and right sides of the center. That is, the air outlets 5 are arranged in a distributed manner throughout the entire left-right direction of the steam chamber 16. Therefore, the steam ST blown out from the air outlets 5 is configured to spread evenly or approximately evenly throughout the entire left-right direction of the steam chamber 16.

[0025] In this embodiment, the blowing out of the steam ST from the blowing port 5 is operated by the steam button BT shown in FIG. 3. The steam button BT can be operated by the user. By turning on the steam button BT, the steam generating unit 3 is operated so that the steam ST is blown out from the blowing port 5 shown in FIG. 1. In this embodiment, the steam button BT shown in FIG. 3 is a pump switch that switches the operation of the pump 30 shown in FIG. 1 on and off. The pump 30 may be operated continuously by turning on the steam button BT shown in FIG. 3 until the steam button BT is turned off, or may be operated only while the user is operating the steam button BT by pressing it. In this embodiment, the steam button BT is located at the top of the main body 1. In the illustrated example, the steam button BT is located at the top of the storage chamber 11 in the main body 1, and is arranged side by side with the power switch SW. The steam button BT may be controlled so that it cannot be operated until the heater 31 of the steam generating unit 3 shown in FIG. 1 is heated to a predetermined temperature.

[0026] The steam ST blown out from the air outlet 5 and attached to the surface CS to be cleaned is wiped off together with dirt by the wiping member 6. The wiping member 6 is also called a wiping pad. The wiping member 6 is disposed outside the steam chamber 16. In other words, the wiping member 6 is located outside the partition wall 15. Preferably, the wiping member 6 is a cloth or the like formed from a fiber material such as microfiber capable of adsorbing and retaining a certain amount of moisture. The wiping member 6 may be a dedicated one or a general-purpose cloth or the like.

[0027] In this embodiment, the wiping member 6 is attached to a wiping member attachment portion 18 formed on the main body 1. The wiping member attachment portion 18 is located at the lower portion of the main body 1, and is located in a position facing the surface CS to be cleaned when the main body 1 of the attachment AT is placed on the surface CS to be cleaned. In this embodiment, the wiping member attachment portion 18 is located behind the steam chamber 16, i.e., the partition wall 15. In the illustrated example, the wiping member attachment portion 18 is located adjacent to the rear portion of the partition wall 15, i.e., the rear wall portion 152. The wiping member attachment portion 18 is located below the battery 4. That is, the wiping member 6 is located below the battery 4. The wiping member 6 attached to the wiping member attachment portion 18 is located in a position to receive the weight of the liquid supply source 2, the battery 4, and the steam generating unit 3.

[0028] Preferably, the wiping member mounting portion 18 is formed longitudinally in the left-right direction, as shown in Fig. 2. In the illustrated example, the wiping member mounting portion 18 is formed to have the same width or approximately the same width as the steam chamber 16. The wiping member 6 is mounted on the wiping member mounting portion 18 so as to be positioned in a continuous manner across the entire or approximately the entire steam chamber 16 in the left-right direction.

[0029] Preferably, the wiping member 6 is detachable from the wiping member mounting portion 18. The wiping member 6 may be formed in a flat shape and fixed so as not to move relative to the wiping member mounting portion 18, or may be disposed on the wiping member mounting portion 18 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction with an axial direction in the left-right direction.

[0030] 1 and 3, the attachment AT is operated by a user on a surface CS to be cleaned by means of the operating unit 7. The operating unit 7 is attached to an operating unit mounting part 19 formed on the main body 1 with respect to the attachment AT. The operating unit mounting part 19 is located at the rear of the main body 1. In this embodiment, the operating unit mounting part 19 is located rearward of the battery mounting part 12. In other words, the operating unit mounting part 19 is located rearward of the battery 4. In the illustrated example, the operating unit mounting part 19 is located at the rearmost part of the main body 1 and protrudes rearward from the main body 1.

[0031] In this embodiment, the operation unit attachment part 19 is formed in an axial shape, and one end, i.e., the front end, is rotatably connected to the main body part 1 via a rotational connection part 190. In the illustrated example, the rotational connection part 190 has a multi-axis structure, and allows the operation unit attachment part 19 to be rotated back and forth and left and right with respect to the main body part 1.

[0032] Preferably, the operation unit mounting part 19 is configured to allow the operation unit 7 to be detachably attached. In this embodiment, the operation unit mounting part 19 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and a locking mechanism such as a clamp that detachably locks the operation unit 7 is disposed inside the rear end, which is the other end. The locking mechanism locks and fixes the operation unit 7 to the operation unit mounting part 19 by inserting the operation unit 7 into the operation unit mounting part 19. The locking mechanism has an attachment / detachment operation part 191 such as an attachment / detachment button, and the user can release the lock by operating the attachment / detachment operation part 191.

[0033] In this embodiment, the operation unit 7 is formed in an elongated shape. One end of the operation unit 7, that is, the front end, is attached to the operation unit attachment part 19. The operation unit 7 may be a simple rod or a tool, and in the illustrated example, is an air duct used in a vacuum cleaner 8. In this embodiment, the operation unit 7 is a straight extension tube. Alternative to the attachment AT, other attachments such as a floor brush can be attached and detached to the front end of the operation unit 7.

[0034] The electric vacuum cleaner 8 is an electric vacuum cleaner for suction cleaning. In this embodiment, a cordless stick-type vacuum cleaner is taken as an example of the electric vacuum cleaner 8. The electric vacuum cleaner 8 has a vacuum cleaner body 80. The vacuum cleaner body 80 is provided with a suction source 81 such as an electric blower that generates negative pressure for suction, a separation unit 82 that separates and collects dust from the dust-containing air sucked by the suction source 81, a body control unit 83 that controls the operation of the suction source 81, and the like. The suction source 81 and the body control unit 83 arranged in the vacuum cleaner body 80 are powered units that receive power from a battery that is a power source unit attached to the vacuum cleaner body 80. In this embodiment, the battery for powering the suction source 81 and the body control unit 83 can be used as the battery 4 for powering the steam generating unit 3 of the attachment AT. In the illustrated example, the battery 4 is detachable from the vacuum cleaner body 80, and is configured to be selectively attached and detached to the vacuum cleaner body 80 of the electric vacuum cleaner 8 and the battery mounting unit 12 of the attachment AT. The present invention is not limited to this, and a battery for the powered parts of the cleaner body 80 may be provided separately.

[0035] Further, an operation switch 85 is disposed on the vacuum cleaner body 80 for controlling the operation of the suction source 81, i.e., for turning the operation of the vacuum cleaner 8 on and off, etc. The operation switch 85 is electrically connected to the body control unit 83. By operating the operation switch 85, the on / off and other settings of the operation of the suction source 81 are set in the body control unit 83, and the body control unit 83 controls the operation of the suction source 81 according to the settings.

[0036] The vacuum cleaner body 80 is formed with a grip part 800 that can be gripped by a user. In this embodiment, the vacuum cleaner body 80 is formed in a longitudinal shape, and the grip part 800 is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the vacuum cleaner body 80. Preferably, an operation switch 85 is arranged on the grip part 800, and the user can operate the operation switch 85 with the hand holding the grip part 800. The vacuum cleaner body 80 is also formed with a main body suction port 801 that communicates with the upstream side of the separation part 82. The rear end, which is the other end of the operation part 7, is connected to the main body suction port 801. In the illustrated example, the main body suction port 801 is arranged at the front end, which is one end in the longitudinal direction of the vacuum cleaner body 80. The vacuum cleaner body 80 is also formed with a main body exhaust port 802 that communicates with the downstream side of the suction source 81. Air from which dust has been separated by the separation part 82 is discharged from the main body exhaust port 802. In the illustrated example, the main body exhaust port 802 is disposed on the rear end side, which is the other end in the longitudinal direction of the cleaner main body 80 .

[0037] Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described.

[0038] When using the attachment AT, one end of the operating unit 7 is attached to the operating unit mounting portion 19. Then, the other end of the operating unit 7 is connected to the main body suction port 801 of the vacuum cleaner main body 80 of the electric vacuum cleaner 8, so that the user can hold the grip part 800 of the vacuum cleaner main body 80 and operate the attachment AT on the surface to be cleaned CS via the vacuum cleaner main body 80 and the operating unit 7.

[0039] The attachment AT to be placed on the surface to be cleaned CS has a liquid supply source 2 storing cleaning liquid W, a battery 4, and a wiping member 6 attached to a liquid supply source mounting portion 10, a battery mounting portion 12, and a wiping member mounting portion 18.

[0040] When the power switch SW is operated, power is supplied from the battery 4 to the steam generating unit 3, and the heater 31 is operated by the control unit 32. When the user operates the steam button BT in a state where the heater 31 has warmed up to a temperature sufficient for generating steam ST, the pump 30 is operated by the control unit 32, and the cleaning liquid W is sucked from the liquid supply source 2 into the piping unit 35. The cleaning liquid W sucked into the piping unit 35 is instantly vaporized by the heater 31, and the vaporization pressure causes the steam ST to be blown out as high-temperature, high-pressure steam ST from the outlet 5 at the end of the piping unit 35 into the steam chamber 16 formed between the partition wall 15 and the surface to be cleaned CS, filling the steam chamber 16, and the steam ST directly hits the surface to be cleaned CS located at the bottom of the steam chamber 16. Since the steam ST is high-pressure and in the form of gas or fine liquid particles, it easily penetrates dirt attached to the surface to be cleaned CS, and makes it easier to lift or peel off the dirt from the surface to be cleaned CS compared to when simply removing dirt with hot water or the like.

[0041] When the attachment AT is advanced by the operating unit 7, the wiping member 6 located at the rear of the steam chamber 16 is rubbed against the surface CS to be cleaned, wiping away the cleaning liquid W that has adhered to the surface CS as steam ST, as well as dirt that has been lifted or peeled off from the surface CS by the cleaning liquid W. Because only a small amount of steam ST is sprayed onto the surface CS to be cleaned, the wiping member 6 can clean a wide area without becoming soaked in water.

[0042] Thus, according to the first embodiment, the main body 1 is provided with the steam generating unit 3, the wiping member attachment unit 18 to which the wiping member 6 is attached for wiping off the steam ST blown out from the air outlet 5 and adhering to the surface to be cleaned CS, and the operation unit attachment unit 19 to which the operation unit 7 can be attached. By connecting the operation unit 7 to the operation unit attachment unit 19, steam cleaning can be performed with a simple configuration basically consisting of only the attachment AT, without using, for example, a vacuum cleaner body dedicated to steam cleaning, and because it is a cordless type powered by the battery 4, restrictions on the cleaning range can be reduced compared to, for example, when a power cord is used, making it easy to use.

[0043] Because the air duct of the vacuum cleaner 8 can be attached to the operation unit mounting part 19 as the operation unit 7, the attachment AT can be easily used using a general-purpose vacuum cleaner 8 without using a dedicated operation unit or a vacuum cleaner body dedicated to steam cleaning. Also, the air duct of the vacuum cleaner 8 is suitable for operating the steam cleaning attachment AT because the operation method is similar to that of the steam cleaning attachment AT when cleaning with a suction cleaning attachment, such as moving the attachment back and forth over the surface CS to be cleaned.

[0044] By making the battery 4, which is detachable from the powered part of the vacuum cleaner main body 80, detachable from the battery mounting part 12 of the main body 1 as the power source for the steam generating part 3, the battery 4 can be shared between the attachment AT and the vacuum cleaner 8, eliminating the need for a battery dedicated to the attachment AT. Also, since the battery 4 can be attached directly to the attachment AT, power can be supplied with a simpler structure than, for example, supplying power to the attachment AT from the vacuum cleaner main body 80 side.

[0045] Moreover, in the case of this embodiment, when the attachment AT is used, the cleaner body 80 basically only uses the grip part 800 for operating the attachment AT on the surface CS to be cleaned, and there is no need to use the function of the powered part, and when the suction source 81 is used as the powered part of the cleaner body 80, the attachment AT is not used, so the attachment AT and the powered part of the cleaner body 80 for suction cleaning are only used alternatively. Therefore, even if the battery 4 is configured to be used alternatively for the attachment AT and the vacuum cleaner 8, usability is not reduced.

[0046] By forming a liquid supply source attachment section 10 on the main body section 1 to which the liquid supply source 2 can be detachably attached, the supply path of the cleaning liquid W from the liquid supply source 2 to the steam generating section 3 can be simplified, and by attaching the operating section 7 to the operating section attachment section 19 of the attachment AT, a configuration capable of steam cleaning can be completed using only the attachment AT.

[0047] An outlet 5 is formed in the partition 15 that constitutes the steam chamber 16, which is an enclosed or nearly enclosed space between the surface to be cleaned CS, and the steam ST is blown out from the outlet 5 into the steam chamber 16, thereby suppressing a drop in the temperature of the steam ST and filling the entire space of the steam chamber 16 with high-temperature steam ST, so that the high-temperature steam ST can be applied to a wide area of ​​the surface to be cleaned CS. Therefore, since the steam generating unit 3 can effectively remove dirt from the surface to be cleaned CS without excessively increasing the temperature of the steam ST, even the battery 4 can fully cover the power required for the steam generating unit 3.

[0048] The partition 15 is formed to extend in the left-right direction, and a steam chamber 16 is configured longitudinally in the left-right direction between the partition 15 and the surface CS to be cleaned, and multiple air outlets 5 are arranged in the left-right direction on the partition 15, so that the steam ST can be directed over a wide area of ​​the surface CS to be cleaned.

[0049] By arranging the steam generating unit 3 above the partition 15, the supply path of the steam ST from the steam generating unit 3 to the outlet 5 formed in the partition 15 below it can be simplified, making it easier to supply the steam ST to the steam chamber 16. In addition, since the weight of the steam generating unit 3 is added to the partition 15, the degree of airtightness of the steam chamber 16 can be improved, so that the drop in temperature of the steam ST blown into the steam chamber 16 can be more reliably suppressed.

[0050] Since the wiping member attachment part 18 is located at least below the battery 4, the weight of at least the battery 4 is added to the wiping member 6 attached to the wiping member attachment part 18. In this embodiment, the weight of the liquid supply source 2 containing the cleaning liquid W, the weight of the steam generating part 3, and the weight of the battery 4 are added to the wiping member 6 attached to the wiping member attachment part 18. Therefore, since the wiping member 6 is pressed against the surface CS to be cleaned with a certain pressure applied from above, dirt on the surface CS to be cleaned can be easily wiped off by the wiping member 6.

[0051] Moreover, since the liquid source 2, the steam generating unit 3, and the battery 4 are located on the upper side of the main body 1, the upper side of the main body 1 is heavier than the lower side. Therefore, when the attachment AT is operated on the surface CS to be cleaned, the attachment AT can be prevented from lifting up from the surface CS to be cleaned.

[0052] By providing the steam cleaning attachment AT to the vacuum cleaner 8, that is, by using the steam cleaning attachment AT as one of the attachments for the vacuum cleaner 8, it becomes possible to selectively attach the attachment AT or other attachments to the operation unit 7 of one vacuum cleaner 8, not only to clean the surface CS to be cleaned with steam ST, but also to clean the surface CS to be cleaned with other attachments. Therefore, since the user does not need to own a dedicated vacuum cleaner for each cleaning mode, there is no need to take up a large storage space for the vacuum cleaner, and there is no need to take out and put away the vacuum cleaner for the required cleaning mode each time, and various cleaning modes can be easily performed by simply changing the attachment.

[0053] Second embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Note that the same configurations and operations as those of the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0054] In this embodiment, the air outlet 5 is formed as a single long hole continuing in the left-right direction, which is the longitudinal direction of the partition wall 15. The air outlet 5 extends from the center of the steam chamber 16 in the left-right direction to both the left and right sides. Both ends of the air outlet 5 are located near both the left and right ends of the steam chamber 16.

[0055] Preferably, the air outlet 5 is in the form of a slit having a narrow width in the front-rear direction, and has an opening area equal or approximately equal to the total opening area of ​​the multiple air outlets 5 in the first embodiment, for example.

[0056] In the attachment AT, high-temperature, high-pressure steam ST generated by the steam generating unit 3 powered by the battery 4 is blown out from the outlet 5 into the steam chamber 16 formed between the partition wall 15 and the surface to be cleaned CS, filling the steam chamber 16, and when it hits the surface to be cleaned CS located at the bottom of the steam chamber 16, it lifts up or peels off dirt adhering to the surface to be cleaned CS.

[0057] In this embodiment, the air outlet 5 is formed to extend in the left-right direction, which is the longitudinal direction of the partition 15 that divides the steam chamber 16, so that the steam ST can be directed over a wide area extending in the longitudinal direction of the surface CS to be cleaned.

[0058] In each of the above embodiments, the battery 4 of the attachment AT may be disposed above the steam chamber 16 or the partition wall 15. In this case, the weight of the battery 4 can be reliably applied to the partition wall 15, and the airtightness of the steam chamber 16 can be further improved.

[0059] In addition, instead of or in addition to the power switch SW and / or steam button BT of the attachment AT, the power of the attachment AT may be turned on and off and / or the steam ST may be turned on and off using the operating switch 85 of the vacuum cleaner 8.

[0060] Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner 8 is not limited to a stick type, but may be a floor-traveling type, a canister type, a handheld type, or the like. In the case of a canister type vacuum cleaner 8, the end of an extension tube of an air duct tube consisting of an extension tube and a hose body is attached to the operation part mounting part 19 of the attachment AT, and a user can operate the attachment AT by gripping a grip part arranged on the hose body or the like. In the case of a handheld type vacuum cleaner 8, a vacuum cleaner body having a grip part is attached to the operation part mounting part 19 of the attachment AT, and a user can operate the attachment AT by gripping the grip part of the vacuum cleaner body. Even in these cases, the steam cleaning attachment AT can be easily used by utilizing a general-purpose vacuum cleaner 8 suitable for operating the steam cleaning attachment AT.

[0061] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples, and it is not intended that the scope of the invention be limited to these embodiments. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] AT Steam Cleaning Attachment CS Surface to be cleaned ST Steam W cleaning solution 1 Main unit 2 Fluid supply source 3. Steam generating section 4 batteries 5 Air outlet 6 Wiping material 7 Control section 8. Vacuum Cleaner 10 Liquid supply source installation part 12 Battery compartment 15 Bulkhead 16 Steam Room 18 Wiping material attachment part 19 Operation unit mounting part 80 Vacuum cleaner body 800 Grip

Claims

1. A main body portion, a steam generating unit that is disposed in the main body and is driven by a battery as a power source to generate steam of the cleaning liquid supplied from a liquid supply source; An outlet through which the steam generated in the steam generating unit is blown out; A wiping member mounting portion is formed in the main body portion and is adapted to mount a wiping member that wipes off the steam blown out from the blowing port and attached to the surface to be cleaned; an operation unit mounting portion formed on the main body portion and capable of mounting an operation unit; a battery mounting portion formed in the main body portion and into which the battery can be detached; The battery mounted in the battery mounting portion is located at the upper portion of the main body portion, and the wiping member mounted in the wiping member mounting portion is located at the lower portion of the main body portion. A steam cleaning attachment comprising:

2. Either a vacuum cleaner body having a grip portion or an air duct can be attached to the operation portion attachment portion as the operation portion.

2. The steam cleaning attachment of claim 1.

3. The battery attached to the battery attachment section is a battery capable of supplying power to a power-receiving section of the vacuum cleaner body.

3. The steam cleaning attachment of claim 2.

4. The liquid supply source mounting portion is formed on the main body portion, and the liquid supply source can be detachably attached to the liquid supply source mounting portion.

3. The steam cleaning attachment according to claim 1 or 2.

5. A partition wall is formed on the main body portion and forms a steam chamber between the main body portion and the surface to be cleaned, The blowout port is disposed in the partition wall so as to blow out steam into the steam chamber.

5. A steam cleaning attachment according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The partition wall extends in the left-right direction to define the steam chamber between the partition wall and the surface to be cleaned, The air outlet is arranged in a plurality of outlets in the left-right direction of the partition wall.

6. The steam cleaning attachment of claim 5.

7. The partition wall extends in the left-right direction to define the steam chamber between the partition wall and the surface to be cleaned, The air outlet is formed in the partition wall so as to extend in the left-right direction.

6. The steam cleaning attachment of claim 5.

8. The steam generating section is located above the partition wall.

8. A steam cleaning attachment according to any one of claims 5 to 7.

9. Equipped with a steam cleaning attachment according to any one of claims 1 to 8. A vacuum cleaner characterized by:

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