Suction port body and vacuum cleaner

Abstract

To provide a suction port body which enables the easy removal of dust entangled in a wheel provided on a bottom surface of a case and dust intruding into a space for housing the wheel, that is, a tire house and which has a structure for supporting the robust wheel hardly subject to wear damage, and a vacuum cleaner.SOLUTION: A suction port body 6 comprises: a case 34 having a suction port 19; a first wheel 65 rotatably provided for the case 34; a wheel holding body 69 which has a front side 69f directed in the same direction as that of a bottom surface of the case 34, a back side 69b facing the bottom surface of the case 34 and a wheel arrangement opening 68 penetrating the front and back sides, and which is attached to the bottom of the case 34; and a second wheel 66 which is arranged in the wheel arrangement opening 68 toward the front side 69f of the wheel holding body 69 from the back side 69b thereof, and which has an axle 76 held in the state of being pinched between the case 34 and the wheel holding body 69.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a suction mouth unit and a vacuum cleaner. [Background technology]

[0002] A suction body is known that includes a suction body main body, a swivel wheel rotatably mounted on the suction body main body, and a roller mounted on the bottom surface of the suction body main body. The roller is disposed in a recess that is recessed upward in the suction body, and protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the case. The recess corresponds to a wheel house (a tire house) in a vehicle. The roller is disposed forward of the swivel wheel. Such an arrangement of the roller stabilizes the movement of the suction body main body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-167313 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The recess of a conventional suction mouth body is open downward from the bottom surface of the suction mouth body, and is closed on the front, back, left, right, and top sides of the recess.

[0005] In general, each of the left and right walls of the recess has a narrow recess, and the roller has a shaft that fits into the recess of the recess. The roller is fixed to the suction mouth body by the shaft ends of the shaft that are firmly pressed into the narrow recess.

[0006] However, there are cases where linear dust, such as lint or hair, gets wrapped around the roller, or where cotton-like dust gets caught in the roller and gets into the back of the recess, i.e., near the top surface. In such cases, the user tries to remove the lint-like dust wrapped around the roller by gouging the roller with scissors or a tool, or tries to remove the dust that has gotten into the back of the recess. At this time, the scissors or tool that gougs the roller may cause the shaft supporting the roller to escape from the narrow recess. If the shaft escapes from the recess, there is a risk that the roller will fall off from the suction mouth body main body and be lost. Furthermore, if the shaft escapes repeatedly, the width of the recess will be worn down and widened. If the width of the recess is widened, the roller will easily fall off from the suction mouth body, and the risk of losing the roller will increase.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention proposes a suction port body and a vacuum cleaner that can easily remove dust entangled on the wheels attached to the bottom of the case and dust that has entered the space that houses the wheels, known as the wheel house, and that has a robust wheel support structure that is less susceptible to wear. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, an intake body according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a case having an intake, a first wheel rotatably mounted on the case, a wheel holder having a front side facing the same direction as the bottom side of the case, a back side facing the bottom side of the case, and a wheel arrangement port penetrating from the front to the back and attached to the bottom of the case, and a second wheel having an axle that is arranged in the wheel arrangement port from the back side to the front side of the wheel holder and is held by being sandwiched between the case and the wheel holder, a holding mechanism that holds the wheel holder on the case so that the wheel holder can be removed from the case without using tools; It is equipped with:

[0009] Moreover, an intake body according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a case having an intake, a first wheel rotatably supported by the case, a wheel holder having a front side facing the same direction as the bottom side of the case, a back side facing the bottom side of the case, and a wheel arrangement port penetrating from the front to the back and attached to the bottom of the case, an intermediate member disposed between the case and the wheel holder, and a second wheel having an axle disposed in the wheel arrangement port from the back side to the front side of the wheel holder and held by being sandwiched between the intermediate member and the wheel holder, a holding mechanism that holds the wheel holder on the case so that the wheel holder can be removed from the case without using tools; It is equipped with:

[0010] In addition, an electric vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a vacuum cleaner body, an electric blower housed in the vacuum cleaner body and generating negative pressure, and the suction port body that sucks in air using the negative pressure generated by the electric blower. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bottom side of the suction port body according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the suction port body according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a suction port body according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the front side of the wheel holding mechanism of the suction port body according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a first exploded perspective view of the rear side of the wheel holding mechanism of the suction port body according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a second exploded perspective view of the rear side of the wheel holding mechanism of the suction port body according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a suction mouth body according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of a suction mouth body according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of a suction mouth body according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11]FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a suction mouth body according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a bottom view of another example of a suction port body according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a rotating cleaning body according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a plan view of a shaft end portion of a rotary cleaning body according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a side view of a rotating cleaning body according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a suction mouth body according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is a side view of another example of a rotating cleaning body according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of another example of the support structure for the second wheel of the suction port body according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of another example of a support structure for a second wheel of the suction port body according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] FIG. 11 is an enlarged bottom view of another example of a suction port body according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a suction mouth body and an electric vacuum cleaner according to the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 20. Note that the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals in the various drawings.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] 1, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 according to this embodiment is, for example, a stick type or a handheld type, and is powered by a secondary battery 2. The electric vacuum cleaner 1 includes a handheld vacuum cleaner main body 3, an extension tube 5 detachable from the vacuum cleaner main body 3, and a suction port body 6 detachable from the extension tube 5.

[0015] FIG. 1 corresponds to a view of the vacuum cleaner 1 as seen from diagonally forward and to the left of a user operating the vacuum cleaner 1 while holding it in his / her hand.

[0016] The vacuum cleaner 1 can be used as a handheld vacuum cleaner with only the vacuum cleaner body 3 removed from the extension tube 5 and the suction mouth body 6. In other words, the vacuum cleaner body 3 can be used alone as a handheld vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner 1 can also be used with a nozzle that is much shorter than the extension tube 5 attached instead of the extension tube 5 and the suction mouth body 6.

[0017] Furthermore, the electric vacuum cleaner 1 may be a canister type or an upright type. The electric vacuum cleaner 1 may be powered by a commercial AC power source instead of the secondary battery 2.

[0018] The vacuum cleaner main body 3 comprises a main body case 12 having a handle portion 11, an electric blower 13 housed in the main body case 12 and generating a negative suction pressure, a suction pipe 15 fluidly connected to the suction side of the electric blower 13, a separation dust collecting unit 16 removably attached to the main body case 12, a main body control unit 17 that mainly controls the electric blower 13, a secondary battery 2 removably attached to the main body case 12, and a holding mechanism that removably holds the separation dust collecting unit 16 to the main body case 12.

[0019] The vacuum cleaner body 3 drives the electric blower 13 using the power stored in the secondary battery 2, generates negative pressure by driving the electric blower 13, and applies the generated negative suction pressure to the separation dust collecting section 16. The negative suction pressure acting on the separation dust collecting section 16 acts on the suction pipe 15, the extension pipe 5, and the suction port body 6 in that order. The negative suction pressure that reaches the suction port body 6 acts on the suction port 19 of the suction port body 6. The negative suction pressure acting on the suction port 19 sucks air containing dust from the floor surface into the suction port 19. Hereinafter, the air containing dust will be referred to as "dust-containing air." The dust-containing air sucked into the suction port 19 flows into the separation dust collecting section 16 through the suction port body 6, the extension pipe 5, and the suction pipe 15. Dust separation and collection unit 16 separates dust from the dust-containing air sucked in by the suction negative pressure, collects and accumulates the separated dust, and sends the air from which the dust has been separated to electric blower 13. Electric blower 13 exhausts the air from which the dust has been separated out of main body case 12.

[0020] The vacuum cleaner 1 and vacuum cleaner main body 3 are used in various positions depending on the user holding the vacuum cleaner main body 3 in their hands. Thus, in Fig. 1, the view in the direction of solid arrow P is the plan view (top view), and the view in the opposite direction of solid arrow P is the bottom view. In Fig. 1, the view in the direction of solid arrow F is the front view (front view), and the view in the opposite direction of solid arrow F is the rear view. In Fig. 1, the view in the direction of solid arrow L is the left side view, and the view in the opposite direction of solid arrow L is the right side view. When the user points the extension tube 5 horizontally in front of the user, the front-to-back, up-down, and left-to-right directions of the vacuum cleaner 1 correspond to those of the user.

[0021] The main body case 12 accommodates the electric blower 13 and a control circuit board 21 on which the main body control unit 17 is mounted.

[0022] The main body case 12 is arranged on the extension line of the extension tube 5 and comprises a columnar front portion 12a extending along the extension line of the extension tube 5, a central portion 12b hanging diagonally downward and rearward from the front portion 12a, a cylindrical rear portion 12c extending rearward from the lower half of the back surface of the central portion 12b, and a handle portion 11 extending rearward from the upper half of the back surface of the central portion 12b, curving in an arc shape, and connecting to the rear end of the upper surface of the rear portion 12c.

[0023] Furthermore, the main body case 12 is provided with a charging socket that introduces charging power to the secondary battery 2. The charging socket is connected to the secondary battery 2 via a charging circuit.

[0024] Furthermore, the main body case 12 is provided with an input section 22 that is arranged within a range where a user gripping the handle 11 can move his / her fingers to operate it.

[0025] The front part 12a and the central part 12b cooperate to detachably hold the separation dust collecting part 16. The separation dust collecting part 16 has a cylindrical appearance as a whole. The front part 12a and the central part 12b hold the separation dust collecting part 16 with the center line C of the separation dust collecting part 16, in other words, the longitudinal direction parallel to the extension line of the center line of the extension tube 5. When the extension tube 5 and the separation dust collecting part 16 are attached to the main body case 12, the extension line of the center line of the extension tube 5 and the center line C of the separation dust collecting part 16 are arranged on a central vertical cross section that divides the main body case 12 substantially equally into left and right. The longitudinal front part 12a and the cylindrical separation dust collecting part 16 are arranged side by side so that their respective center lines are parallel to each other.

[0026] The front portion 12a of the main body case 12 accommodates a suction pipe 15 that is disposed on the extension of the longitudinal direction of the extension pipe 5, that is, the extension direction, and extends in a tubular shape.

[0027] The rear portion 12c of the main body case 12 houses the electric blower 13 and the control circuit board 21. The rear portion 12c has an exhaust port 25 through which exhaust air from the electric blower 13 is discharged from inside the main body case 12.

[0028] The central portion 12b of the main body case 12 holds and covers part of the rear end of the separation dust collecting unit 16 provided next to the front portion 12a, and houses an air passage (not shown) connecting the separation dust collecting unit 16 and the electric blower 13. The central portion 12b is connected to the rear end of the front portion 12a, which extends substantially linearly, and bulges downward and diagonally toward the rear of the main body case 12. The central portion 12b has an appearance that slopes downward toward the rear of the main body case 12.

[0029] The suction pipe 15 is housed in the front part 12a of the main body case 12 and is supported by the main body case 12. When the separation dust collecting unit 16 is attached to the main body case 12, the suction pipe 15 is aligned parallel to the separation dust collecting unit 16. The suction pipe 15 is a straight pipe that extends substantially straight without bending. The direction along the center line of the suction pipe 15, the extension direction of the suction pipe 15, and the longitudinal direction of the suction pipe 15 are substantially the same and substantially coincide with the front-rear direction of the main body case 12.

[0030] The suction pipe 15 has a joint structure to which the extension pipe 5 can be detachably attached. This joint structure is provided at the open end of the suction pipe 15. The suction pipe 15 is a fluid inlet of the vacuum cleaner body 3, and is also a joint that fluidly connects the extension pipe 5 and the separation dust collecting section 16. By removing the extension pipe 5 from the vacuum cleaner body 3, the suction pipe 15 functions as a suction port when the vacuum cleaner body 3 is used alone as a handheld vacuum cleaner. The tip of the suction pipe 15 is open toward the front of the vacuum cleaner body 3.

[0031] The rear end of the suction pipe 15 has a second opening connected to the separation dust collecting section 16. The second opening opens radially outward of the suction pipe 15 toward the separation dust collecting section 16. The second opening opens downward of the main body case 12. The second opening is provided on the bottom surface of the front part 12a of the main body case 12. When the separation dust collecting section 16 is attached to the main body case 12, the bottom surface of the front part 12a closely follows the separation dust collecting section 16. In this state, the second opening is fluidly connected to the separation dust collecting section 16.

[0032] The separation dust collecting unit 16 is disposed in an L-shaped storage space formed by the front part 12a and the center part 12b of the main body case 12. The separation dust collecting unit 16 separates, collects and accumulates dust from the dust-containing air flowing into the vacuum cleaner body 3, while sending clean air from which the dust has been removed to the electric blower 13. The separation dust collecting unit 16 is of a centrifugal separation type that centrifuges the dust and the air by utilizing the difference in mass between the dust and the air. A filtration separation type filter that filters out dust from the dust-containing air may be provided downstream of the separation dust collecting unit 16.

[0033] Further, the separation dust collecting part 16 extends in a cylindrical shape along the front-rear direction of the main body case 12. In other words, the separation dust collecting part 16 is a cylindrical container having a center line C extending in the front-rear direction of the main body case 12. The direction along the center line C of the separation dust collecting part 16, the extension direction of the separation dust collecting part 16, and the longitudinal direction of the separation dust collecting part 16 are substantially the same and substantially coincide with the front-rear direction of the main body case 12. Therefore, the center line C of the separation dust collecting part 16 is substantially parallel to the center line of the suction pipe 15. Further, the separation dust collecting part 16 is provided next to the suction pipe 15. That is, the longitudinal direction of the separation dust collecting part 16 follows the longitudinal direction of the suction pipe 15. The diameter of the separation dust collecting part 16 is larger than the diameter of the suction pipe 15, and the separation dust collecting part 16 protrudes in the left-right direction (width direction) of the vacuum cleaner main body 3 beyond the suction pipe 15 and the front part 12a of the main body case 12. The left-right direction (width direction) of the vacuum cleaner body 3 corresponds to the normal direction of an imaginary plane that substantially includes the center line C of the cylindrical separation dust collecting unit 16 and the center line of the suction pipe 15, or the normal direction of an imaginary plane that substantially passes through the center line C of the cylindrical separation dust collecting unit 16 and the center line of the suction pipe 15. This imaginary plane corresponds to the central vertical cross section of the vacuum cleaner body 3.

[0034] The holding mechanism includes a first mechanism that detachably connects one end of the separation dust collecting unit 16 to the main body case 12, and a second mechanism that detachably connects the other end of the separation dust collecting unit 16 to the main body case 12.

[0035] The first mechanism is a locking mechanism that connects the separation dust collecting unit 16 and the main body case 12 by hooking a protrusion provided on the main body case 12 into a recess provided on the separation dust collecting unit 16. The recess and protrusion of the first mechanism become engaged or disengaged depending on a change in the relative positions of the separation dust collecting unit 16 and the main body case 12.

[0036] The protrusion of the first mechanism is provided at the front end of the bottom surface of the front part 12a of the main body case 12. The recess of the first mechanism is disposed at one end of the separation / collection part 16 in a position that fits the protrusion.

[0037] The second mechanism is a locking mechanism that connects the separation dust collecting unit 16 and the main body case 12 by hooking a convex portion provided on the separation dust collecting unit 16 with a concave portion provided on the main body case 12. Unlike the first mechanism, the second mechanism has an operating piece that can remove the convex portion from the concave portion while maintaining the relative positions of the separation dust collecting unit 16 and the main body case 12. The operating piece is provided on the separation dust collecting unit 16, and the convex portion of the second mechanism is integrated with the operating piece.

[0038] The recess of the second mechanism is provided at the bottom of the central portion 12b of the main body case 12, that is, at the portion furthest from the suction pipe 15 in the radial direction of the suction pipe 15. The protrusion of the second mechanism is located at the other end of the separation dust collecting section 16, at a position that fits the recess. The recess of the first mechanism and the protrusion of the second mechanism are both provided in the separation dust collecting section 16, and are disposed substantially symmetrically with respect to the center of the separation dust collecting section 16 in the longitudinal direction and the center of the separation dust collecting section 16 in the lateral direction. The protrusion of the second mechanism is disposed at the portion furthest from the recess of the first mechanism within the separation dust collecting section 16.

[0039] The operating piece is capable of performing an operation involving mechanical movement, including sliding and swinging, and is a part of various mechanisms that convert the movement associated with this operation into a movement to remove the convex portion from the concave portion. For example, the user can slide the operating piece to remove the convex portion of the second mechanism from the concave portion. Furthermore, when the operating piece is not operated by the user, it moves the convex portion of the second mechanism to a position where it is caught in the concave portion. It is preferable that the operating piece does not protrude from the bottom surface 33b of the suction port main body 33.

[0040] When the dust separation unit 16 is attached to the main body case 12, the first mechanism hooks the convex part on the concave part to connect the dust separation unit 16 and the main body case 12, and the second mechanism hooks the convex part on the concave part to connect the dust separation unit 16 and the main body case 12. When the operating piece is operated and the convex part of the second mechanism comes out of the concave part of the second mechanism, the second mechanism is unlocked. At this time, the convex part of the first mechanism maintains the state of being hooked on the concave part. Then, in the state where the second mechanism is unlocked, the user moves the other end part of the dust separation unit 16 away from the main body case 12 using the first mechanism as a fulcrum. Then, the dust separation unit 16 moves away from the main body case 12, and the convex part of the first mechanism eventually comes out of the concave part, and the first mechanism is also unlocked.

[0041] When the separation dust collecting unit 16 is detached from the main body case 12, first, the convex portion of the first mechanism is caught in the concave portion. With the first mechanism locked, the user uses the first mechanism as a fulcrum to bring the other end of the separation dust collecting unit 16 closer to the main body case 12. Then, the separation dust collecting unit 16 is attached to the main body case 12, and eventually the convex portion of the second mechanism is caught in the concave portion, and the second mechanism is also locked.

[0042] The dust collecting unit 16 according to the present embodiment is attached to and detached from the main body case 12 while moving along an arcuate path, but may be attached and detached while moving along a straight path in the radial direction of the suction pipe 15. In this case, it is preferable that the first mechanism and the second mechanism are locked and unlocked substantially simultaneously. The direction of movement of the dust collecting unit 16 when the dust collecting unit 16 is attached to and detached from the main body case 12 may be a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the suction pipe 15. Therefore, when the dust collecting unit 16 is attached to the main body case 12, the dust collecting unit 16 moves in the radial direction of the suction pipe 15 toward the suction pipe 15, and when the dust collecting unit 16 is detached from the main body case 12, the dust collecting unit 16 moves in the radial direction of the suction pipe 15 away from the suction pipe 15.

[0043] The central portion 12b of the main body case 12 includes a connection port that is fluidly connected to the exhaust side of the separation dust collecting unit 16, and a separation unit downstream air duct that fluidly connects the connection port and the electric blower 13. The central portion 12b includes a portion that is sandwiched between the separation dust collecting unit 16 and the rear portion 12c of the main body case 12. The connection port and the separation unit downstream air duct are disposed in this portion.

[0044] The connecting port is disposed at a portion facing the front of the central portion 12b. The connecting port faces directly at the rear end face of the separation dust collecting unit 16 when the separation dust collecting unit 16 is attached to the main body case 12. Therefore, the connecting port is disposed on an extension of the center line C of the separation dust collecting unit 16 when the separation dust collecting unit 16 is attached to the main body case 12.

[0045] The suction side of electric blower 13 is connected to separation dust collecting section 16 via a connecting port and a separation section downstream air duct pipe. Electric blower 13 draws in air from separation dust collecting section 16 to generate suction negative pressure. Electric blower 13 includes an impeller, an electric motor that generates a rotational driving force for the impeller, and a rotating shaft that transmits the rotational driving force from the electric motor to the impeller.

[0046] The impeller is, for example, a turbofan, and is equipped with a number of blades. Each blade has a twisted shape that gradually rises in the radial direction of the hub from the center of the conical hub toward the outer edge of the hub. In other words, each blade is a so-called three-dimensional blade in which the airfoil or wing section changes from the leading edge to the trailing edge. The impeller is covered by a case having an intake port.

[0047] Electric blower 13 has a cylindrical or columnar shape with a rotation shaft as its center. It is housed in main body case 12 with the center line of the rotation shaft facing the front-rear direction of main body case 12 and the suction port facing forward. In addition, the center line of the rotation shaft of electric blower 13 is substantially located on an extension line of separation / collection unit 16.

[0048] Rear portion 12c of main body case 12 accommodates control circuit board 21 on which main body control unit 17 is mounted. Control circuit board 21 is disposed directly behind electric blower 13.

[0049] The main body control unit 17 includes a microprocessor and a storage device that stores various calculation programs executed by the microprocessor, parameters, and the like. The storage device stores various settings, i.e., arguments, related to a plurality of pre-set operation modes. The plurality of operation modes are associated with the output of the electric blower 13. A mutually different input value, i.e., an input value of the electric blower 13, which is a target value of the current flowing through the electric blower 13, is set for each operation mode. Each operation mode is associated with an operation input received by the input unit 22. The main body control unit 17 selects an arbitrary operation mode corresponding to the operation input to the input unit 22 from a plurality of pre-set operation modes, reads out the setting of the selected operation mode from the storage device, and operates the electric blower 13 according to the setting of the read operation mode.

[0050] When the separation / collection unit 16 is attached to the main body case 12, the rear portion 12c of the main body case 12 is disposed on an extension line of the center line C of the separation / collection unit 16.

[0051] The secondary battery 2 is also called a storage battery, a rechargeable battery, and a rechargeable battery. The secondary battery 2 stores power consumed by the electric blower 13 and the main body control unit 17. The secondary battery 2 is detachably attached to the bottom of the rear part 12c of the main body case 12. The secondary battery 2 may be fixed so as not to be detachable. By preparing a plurality of secondary batteries 2, the detachable secondary battery 2 can be replaced as needed. When the charging rate of the secondary battery 2 attached to the vacuum cleaner 1 decreases, the secondary battery 2 can be replaced with a charged secondary battery 2, allowing the vacuum cleaner 1 to continue operating.

[0052] The vacuum cleaner 1 may use a primary battery as a power source instead of the secondary battery 2, or may use a commercial AC power source.

[0053] Handle portion 11 is provided integrally with main body case 12. Handle portion 11 is a portion that a user holds with his / her hand in order to clean a floor surface with vacuum cleaner 1. For this reason, handle portion 11 preferably has an appropriate shape that allows it to be easily held with human fingers.

[0054] The handle portion 11 is installed between the front portion 12a and the rear portion 12c of the main body case 12. The handle portion 11 extends from the rear end of the front portion 12a in the extension direction of the extension tube 5, and is curved in an arc shape to connect to the rear end of the rear portion 12c. Between the handle portion 11 and the back surface of the central portion 12b of the main body case 12, and between the handle portion 11 and the top surface of the rear portion 12c of the main body case 12, a continuous space penetrates in the left-right direction (width direction) of the main body case 12. In this space, the fingers of the user who grips the handle portion 11, mainly the index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger, are placed. By placing the four fingers in this space, the user can easily hold and operate the electric vacuum cleaner 1 and the vacuum cleaner main body 3.

[0055] The input unit 22 is provided on the top surface of the front end of the grip portion 11 so that a user holding the grip portion 11 can easily operate it with his or her thumb.

[0056] The input unit 22 includes an operation start switch 22a that receives an operation to start the electric blower 13, and an operation stop switch 22b that receives an operation to stop the electric blower 13. The operation start switch 22a and the operation stop switch 22b are electrically connected to the main body control unit 17. The user of the electric vacuum cleaner 1 can select one of the operation modes of the electric blower 13 by operating the input unit 22. The operation start switch 22a also functions as a changeover switch for the operation mode while the electric blower 13 is in operation. In this case, the main body control unit 17 switches the operation mode in the following order every time it receives an operation signal from the operation start switch 22a. Note that the input unit 22 may include a strong operation switch (not shown), a medium operation switch (not shown), and a weak operation switch (not shown) separately instead of the operation start switch 22a.

[0057] The suction port body 6 can run or slide on the surface to be cleaned such as a wooden floor or a carpet, and has a suction port 19 on the bottom surface facing the surface to be cleaned in the running or sliding state. The suction port body 6 also includes a rotatable rotary cleaning body 31 disposed at the suction port 19, and an electric motor 32 for driving the rotary cleaning body 31. One end (here, the rear end) of the suction port body 6 is provided with a joint structure that can be detached from the other end (here, the front end) of the extension tube 5. The suction port body 6 is fluidly connected to the separation dust collecting section 16 through the extension tube 5. In other words, the suction port body 6, the extension tube 5, and the separation dust collecting section 16 are a suction air passage that leads from the electric blower 13 to the suction port 19.

[0058] When the operation start switch 22a is operated, the vacuum cleaner 1 starts the electric blower 13. For example, when the operation start switch 22a is operated while the electric blower 13 is stopped, the vacuum cleaner 1 first operates the electric blower 13 in the strong operation mode, and when the operation start switch 22a is operated again, the electric blower 13 operates in the medium operation mode, and when the operation start switch 22a is operated a third time, the electric blower 13 operates in the weak operation mode, and so on. The strong operation mode, the medium operation mode, and the weak operation mode are a plurality of operation modes that are set in advance. The input value to the electric blower 13 is the largest in the strong operation mode and the smallest in the weak operation mode. Next, the suction port body 6 will be described in detail.

[0059] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bottom side of the suction port body according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the suction port body according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the suction port body according to the embodiment of the present invention taken along line IV-IV in FIG.

[0062] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the suction port body 6 of this embodiment comprises a flat suction port main body 33 that is short in the front-to-rear direction, which is the direction of travel, and wide in the left-to-right direction, and a connecting pipe portion 35 provided at the rear central portion of the suction port main body 33.

[0063] Here, the forward direction of the suction port body 6 (solid arrow Fo in Figs. 2 to 4) is defined as the front, and the opposite direction is defined as the rear.

[0064] The suction port body 33 has a case 34 having an inner surface that defines a suction chamber 41 having the suction port 19 that opens to the bottom surface 33b of the suction port body 33. The case 34 may have an electric motor chamber 42 that houses the electric motor 32, and a control circuit board chamber that houses a motor control circuit board that controls the drive of the electric motor 32. The suction port body 33 includes a lower case 36 having the suction port 19, an upper case 37 that covers the rear half of the lower case 36 from above, an upper cover 38 adjacent to the front of the upper case 37, and a front cover 39 that hangs down from the front edge of the upper cover 38.

[0065] In addition, case 34 has at least suction port 19 opening on bottom surface 33b and includes a member that defines an air passage connecting suction port 19 and extension tube 5, and the locations at which it is divided into components and the number of components that it is divided into are not important.

[0066] The lower case 36 defines a lower half 41 a of a suction chamber 41 having the suction port 19 , a lower half of a motor chamber 42 adjacent to the suction chamber 41 , and a lower half of a control circuit board chamber adjacent to the suction chamber 41 .

[0067] The bottom and front of the suction chamber 41 are open. The open portion on the bottom side of the suction chamber 41 corresponds to the suction port 19. The open area on the front side of the suction chamber 41 is called the front suction port 43. The suction port 19 and the front suction port 43 are continuous. Most of the upper part of the front suction port 43 is blocked by the front cover 39.

[0068] Moreover, the suction chamber 41 is disposed in the front half of the suction port main body 33 and extends to the left and right. The suction chamber 41 is fluidly connected to the connecting pipe portion 35. In other words, the suction chamber 41 is fluidly connected to the vacuum cleaner main body 3 through the connecting pipe portion 35 and the extension pipe 5.

[0069] The rear half of the suction port body 33 has a pair of left and right portions adjacent to the rear of the suction chamber 41 and adjacent to the side of the connecting pipe portion 35. One of these portions, the left side in this embodiment, defines an electric motor chamber 42, and the other, the right side in this embodiment, defines a control circuit board chamber.

[0070] The motor chamber 42 is disposed in the rear half of the suction port body 33, adjacent to the rear of the suction chamber 41, and adjacent to one side of the connecting pipe portion 35. The control circuit board chamber is disposed in the rear half of the suction port body 33, adjacent to the rear of the suction chamber 41, and adjacent to the other side of the connecting pipe portion 35.

[0071] The connection pipe 35 is a joint that can be attached and detached to the extension pipe 5 of the vacuum cleaner 1. The connection pipe 35 also serves as a universal joint that connects the suction port body 33 to the extension pipe 5 so that it can swing up and down and rotate freely. While the suction port body 6 is moving on the surface to be cleaned, the angle between the extension pipe 5 and the surface to be cleaned changes from moment to moment. The connection pipe 35 follows the angle between the extension pipe 5 and the surface to be cleaned to smoothly face the bottom surface 33b of the suction port body 33 to the surface to be cleaned. The connection pipe 35 is sandwiched between the motor chamber 42 and the control circuit board in the left-right direction (width direction) of the suction port body 33. The connection pipe 35 applies negative pressure to the suction chamber 41. The connection pipe 35 includes a fixed pipe 45 connected to the suction chamber 41 and a universal joint 46 that rotates and swings relative to the fixed pipe 45.

[0072] The rotary cleaning body 31 is disposed in the suction chamber 41 and rotatably supported by the suction port main body 33. A portion of the rotary cleaning body 31 protrudes to the outside of the suction port 19. The rotary cleaning body 31 includes a rotary shaft 51 extending across the suction chamber 41, and a plurality of cleaning bodies 52 provided around the rotary shaft 51 and extending in a spiral shape substantially across the entire width of the suction chamber 41. The plurality of cleaning bodies 52 are formed by combining soft resin blades and band-shaped brush bristles, either alone or in an alternating manner.

[0073] The electric motor 32 is housed in the electric motor chamber 42. The electric motor 32 generates a driving force to rotate the rotary cleaning body 31. The output shaft of the electric motor 32 is oriented in the left-right direction (width direction) of the suction port body 33. The output shaft of the electric motor 32 protrudes toward either the left or right side wall of the suction port body 33 that is closer to the electric motor 32. This side wall is the side wall of the electric motor chamber and is the side wall farthest from the connection pipe portion 35. The electric motor 32 and the rotary cleaning body 31 are connected via a power transmission mechanism 55. The power transmission mechanism 55 transmits the rotational driving force output by the electric motor 32 to the rotary cleaning body 31. The power transmission mechanism 55 includes a drive side pulley 56 provided on the output shaft of the electric motor 32, a driven side pulley 57 connected to the shaft end of the rotary cleaning body 31, and a belt 58 wound between the drive side pulley 56 and the driven side pulley 57.

[0074] The upper case 37 is combined with the lower case 36 to define an upper half of a motor chamber 42 and an upper half of a control circuit board chamber.

[0075] The upper case 37 is bridged between the motor chamber 42 and the control circuit board chamber. The fixed pipe 45 of the connection pipe portion 35 is sandwiched and held between the bridge portion of the upper case 37 and the lower case 36.

[0076] The upper cover 38 is molded integrally with the lower case 36 and closes the upper half 41 b of the suction chamber 41 .

[0077] The upper edge of the front cover 39 is adjacent to the front edge of the upper cover 38. The front cover 39 is supported by the upper cover 38 via a hinge mechanism 61. The hinge mechanism 61 supports the front cover 39 so that it can swing freely in the front-rear direction of the front suction port 43. The hinge mechanism 61 includes a torsion spring. The torsion spring generates a spring force that pushes the front cover 39 toward the front end side of its swing range. When the front surface of the suction port body 6 is pressed against the wall, the front cover 39 swings backward against the spring force of the torsion spring, that is, swings in a direction approaching the rotating cleaning body 31 and approaches the floor surface. This movement of the front cover 39 narrows the opening area of ​​the front suction port 43, increases the air flow rate, and more reliably sucks dust from the wall into the suction chamber 41.

[0078] In addition, the suction port body 6 in this embodiment is equipped with a plurality of wheels 62 that are provided on the bottom surface 33b of the suction port body 33 and support the suction port body 33 on the surface to be cleaned, and sealing portions 63, 64 that extend along the edge of the suction port 19 and protrude from the bottom surface 33b of the suction port body 33.

[0079] The multiple wheels 62 include a first wheel 65 provided on the rear side of the suction port body 33, and multiple second wheels 66 provided in the middle of the suction port body 33 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0080] The first wheel 65 is rotatably provided on the suction port body 33 .

[0081] The plurality of second wheels 66, for example two in number, are arranged on each of the left and right sides of the suction port body 33. The rotation axes of the two second wheels 66 are arranged on the same axis line.

[0082] In the front-rear direction of the suction port body 6, it is preferable that a joint portion of the connecting pipe portion 35 is disposed between the rotation axis of the first wheel 65 and the rotation axis of the plurality of second wheels 66. Such an arrangement relationship between the joint portion and the plurality of wheels 62 stabilizes the posture of the suction port body 33 that comes into contact with the surface to be cleaned, and stabilizes the positional relationship between the bottom surface 33b of the suction port body 33 and the surface to be cleaned, which face each other.

[0083] The seal portion 63 extends along the rear edge of the suction port 19. The seal portion 63 functions as an air passage resistance that obstructs the flow of air between the bottom surface 33b of the suction port body 33 and the surface to be cleaned and behind the suction chamber 41, thereby increasing the static pressure of the suction chamber 41. It is preferable that the rotation axes of the seal portion 63 and the two second wheels 66 are aligned in a straight line when viewed from the bottom of the suction port body 33. Such an arrangement relationship between the seal portion 63 and the multiple second wheels 66 stabilizes the relative positional relationship between the seal portion 63 and the surface to be cleaned, i.e., the distance between the two, and thus stabilizes the sealing function of the seal portion 63.

[0084] In addition, the multiple second wheels 66 may include a second wheel 66 having a rotation axis that is positioned away from the extension line of the seal portion 63.

[0085] The second seal portion 64 extends along each of the left and right sides of the suction port 19 and along each of the left and right edges of the bottom surface 33b of the suction port body 33. The second seal portion 64 functions as an air passage resistance that obstructs the flow of air between the bottom surface 33b of the suction port body 33 and the surface to be cleaned and on the left and right sides of the suction chamber 41, thereby increasing the static pressure of the suction chamber 41.

[0086] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the front side of the wheel holding mechanism of the suction port body according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0087] FIG. 6 is a first exploded perspective view of the back side of the wheel holding mechanism of the suction port body according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0088] FIG. 7 is a second exploded perspective view of the rear side of the wheel holding mechanism of the suction port body according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0089] FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of the suction port body according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0090] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a cross section passing through the rotation center line of second wheel 66 and perpendicular to bottom surface 33b of suction port body 33. FIG.

[0091] As shown in Figures 5 to 8, the suction port body 6 of this embodiment has a front side 69f facing the same direction as the bottom surface of the case 34, a back side 69b facing the bottom surface of the case 34, and a wheel arrangement port 68 that penetrates from the front to the back, and is equipped with multiple wheel holders 69 that are attached to the bottom of the case 34.

[0092] Each wheel retaining body 69 is attached to the lower case 36, covering a portion of the bottom surface 36b of the lower case 36. The bottom surface 36b of the lower case 36 includes a concealed portion 36h that is covered by the wheel retaining body 69, and an exposed portion 36e that is exposed without being covered by the wheel retaining body 69. The front side 69f of the wheel retaining body 69 attached to the case 34 and the exposed portion 36e of the bottom surface 36b of the lower case 36 correspond to the bottom surface 33b of the suction port main body 33.

[0093] The wheel retaining bodies 69 include a right retaining body 71 disposed on the right side of the suction port body 33 and a left retaining body 72 disposed on the left side of the suction port body 33. The right retaining body 71 spans from the front edge to the rear edge of the right end of the suction port body 33. The left retaining body 72 is limited to the rear half of the left end of the suction port body 33. The wheel retaining bodies 69 are disposed so as not to overlap the suction port 19 and the front suction port 43 and not to obstruct them. The left second seal portion 64 is provided on the left retaining body 72, while the right second seal portion 64 is provided on the lower case 36.

[0094] When the right holder 71 is removed from the suction port body 33, one shaft end of the rotary cleaning body 31, in this case the right shaft end 75, is exposed. When the left shaft end of the rotary cleaning body 31 is disconnected from the driven-side pulley 57 of the power transmission mechanism 55 while the right shaft end 75 of the rotary cleaning body 31 is exposed, the rotary cleaning body 31 is separated from the suction port body 33. In other words, when the right holder 71 is attached to the suction port body 33, the rotary cleaning body 31 is prevented from being removed from the suction port body 33, and when the right holder 71 is removed from the suction port body 33, the rotary cleaning body 31 can be removed from the suction port body 33.

[0095] 6 and 7, the second wheels 66 are arranged in the wheel arrangement openings 68 from the back side 69b to the front side 69f of each wheel holder 69. The second wheels 66 also have axles 76 that are sandwiched and held between the case 34 and each wheel holder 69. The second wheels 66 are firmly held to the suction port main body 33 by the axles 76 that are sandwiched between the wheel holder 69 combined with the case 34 and the case 34.

[0096] The second wheel 66 may include a roller 77 rotatably supported by the axle 76, or the axle 76 may include a roller 77 that rotates integrally with the axle 76, and the axle 76 may be rotatably supported by the wheel holder 69. When the axle 76 is rotatably held by the wheel holder 69, it is preferable that the wheel holder 69 has wear resistance at a bearing portion of the axle 76. This bearing portion may be a separate member from the wheel holder 69, or the wheel holder 69 itself may be manufactured from a material that is wear resistant. In a mode in which the axle 76 is rotatably supported by the wheel holder 69, thread-like dust is less likely to become entangled in the second wheel 66 than in a mode in which the roller 77 is rotatably supported by the axle 76.

[0097] Each wheel holder 69 is provided with an axle dropout prevention portion 79 that prevents the axle 76 from falling out of the wheel holder 69 and the second wheel 66 from falling out of the wheel holder 69 when the wheel holder 69 is removed from the suction port main body 33. The axle dropout prevention portion 79 is, for example, a recess 81 that opens in a direction away from the back side 69b of the wheel holder 69. The opening of the recess 81 is narrower than the bottom of the recess 81, and holds the axle 76 so that it does not easily fall out of the recess 81. The holding force of the axle 76 by the recess 81 may be such that the axle 76 does not fall out of the recess 81 due to the weight of the second wheel 66, for example, about several tens of grams to several hundred grams, and may be such that the axle 76 easily falls out of the recess 81 when the force of an adult woman's finger, for example, a force in the kilogram unit, is applied. The axle fall prevention portion 79 is intended to prevent the second wheel 66 from being lost when the wheel holder 69 is removed from the suction port main body 33, and does not necessarily have the function of firmly holding the second wheel 66 to the wheel holder 69.

[0098] The suction port body 6 may include an intermediate member 83 disposed between the case 34 and the wheel holder 69. In this case, the second wheel 66 preferably has an axle 76 that is sandwiched and held between the intermediate member 83 and the wheel holder 69. The wheel holder 69 preferably includes a fall-off prevention portion that prevents the intermediate member 83 from coming off and falling off the wheel holder 69 when the wheel holder 69 is removed from the case 34. The fall-off prevention portion is, for example, a fitting structure that includes a convex portion provided on one of the wheel holder 69 and the intermediate member 83, and a concave portion provided on the other of the wheel holder 69 and the intermediate member 83 into which the convex portion is fitted. The holding force of the fitting structure may be such that the intermediate member 83 does not fall off the wheel holder 69 under its own weight, for example, about several tens of grams to a hundred and several tens of grams, and may be such that the intermediate member 83 is easily separated from the wheel holder 69 when the force of an adult female's finger, for example, a force in the kilogram unit, is applied. The anti-fall-off portion is intended to prevent the intermediate member 83 from being lost when the wheel holder 69 is removed from the case 34, and does not necessarily have the function of firmly holding the intermediate member 83 to the wheel holder 69.

[0099] The suction port main body 33 is provided with a second holding mechanism 8585 that detachably holds the wheel holding body 69 to the lower case 36. The second holding mechanism 85 is provided in each wheel holding body 69. In other words, the right holding body 71 and the left holding body 72 are each provided with a second holding mechanism 85.

[0100] The second holding mechanism 85 includes a first recess provided in either the wheel holder 69 or the lower case 36, a fixed convex portion provided in the other of the wheel holder 69 or the lower case 36 and hooked onto the first recess, a second recess provided in either the wheel holder 69 or the lower case 36, and a movable convex portion provided in the other of the wheel holder 69 or the lower case 36 and hooked onto the second recess. The movable convex portion is moved to be insertable into and removable from the second recess by, for example, a slide mechanism 87 provided in the wheel holder 69. The second holding mechanism 85 connects the wheel holder 69 and the lower case 36 by the fixed convex portion hooked onto the first recess and the movable convex portion hooked onto the second recess. In addition, the second holding mechanism 85 allows the fixed convex portion to be detached from the first recess by operating the slide mechanism 87 to detach the movable convex portion from the second recess, thereby allowing the wheel holder 69 and the lower case 36 to be separated. It is preferable that the slide mechanism 87 slides in the left-right direction of the suction port body 6. The suction port body 6 mainly travels in the front-rear direction. Therefore, a slide mechanism that slides in the front-rear direction may suddenly get caught on an obstacle while the suction port body 6 is traveling, which may result in the second holding mechanism 85 being released. A slide mechanism 87 that slides in the left-right direction is less likely to suddenly get caught on an obstacle while the suction port body 6 is traveling, which reduces the possibility that the second holding mechanism 85 will be released.

[0101] The suction port body 33 also includes a recessed portion 88 that cooperates with the wheel arrangement opening 68 of the wheel holder 69 to accommodate a portion of the second wheel 66. When the wheel holder 69 is connected to the case 34, the wheel arrangement opening 68 of the wheel holder 69 and the recessed portion 88 of the case 34 define a space that accommodates a portion of the second wheel 66, a so-called tire house.

[0102] However, linear dust, such as lint or hair, may get wrapped around the second wheel 66, and cotton-like dust may get caught in the second wheel 66 and get into the back of the recess 88, that is, the back of the tire housing of the second wheel 66.

[0103] In such a case, in the suction port body 6 according to this embodiment, the recessed portion 88 of the case 34 can be easily opened by releasing the second holding mechanism 85 and removing the wheel holding body 69 from the case 34. When the second wheel 66 is separated from the case 34 together with the wheel holding body 69, the dust that has entered the back side of the recessed portion 88 is exposed to the concealed portion 36h of the bottom surface 36b of the lower case 36 without being hidden by the second wheel 66, and can be easily removed, or is easily removed from the recessed portion 88 while remaining attached to the second wheel 66.

[0104] In addition, when the wheel holder 69 is removed from the case 34, the user can clean the second wheel 66 from both the back side 69b and the front side 69f of the wheel holder 69. Therefore, the user can easily remove dust attached to the second wheel 66, and can easily remove dust wrapped around the axle 76 or roller 77 of the second wheel 66 by pulling the end exposed on the back side 69b or the front side 69f of the wheel holder 69. When linear dust is entangled in the second wheel 66, the user can cut the part exposed on the back side 69b or the front side 69f of the wheel holder 69 with a tool such as scissors, or temporarily remove the second wheel 66 from the wheel holder 69 to untangle and remove the entangled dust.

[0105] FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view of the suction port body according to the embodiment of the present invention with the wheel holder removed.

[0106] FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view of the suction port body according to the embodiment of the present invention with the wheel holder attached.

[0107] FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view of the suction port body according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0108] As shown in Figures 9 to 11, the suction port body 6 of this embodiment has a linear seal portion 63 that is fixed to the suction port body 33 when the wheel holder 69 is attached to the suction port body 33 (Figures 2 and 10), and is detachable from the suction port body 33 when the wheel holder 69 is detached from the suction port body 33 (Figure 9).

[0109] The sealing portion 63 includes a brush 91 that extends linearly in the left-right direction of the suction port body 33, and a C-channel shaped holding frame 92 that holds a base of the brush 91. The base of the brush 91 is a flat piece of fabric that is narrow in the front-to-rear direction of the suction port body 33, and the brush 91 is a collection of many bristles that extend in the normal direction of this base. The holding frame 92 firmly holds the base of the brush 91, and causes the many bristles, i.e., the brush 91, to protrude from the open portion of the C-channel shape.

[0110] The suction port body 33 is provided with a seal arrangement portion 93 that extends along the edge of the suction port 19 and onto which the seal portion 63 can be slidably arranged.

[0111] The seal arrangement portion 93 includes a groove portion 95 that opens to the bottom surface 33b of the suction port main body 33, and a plurality of claw portions 96 that are provided on the opening edge of the groove portion 95 and hooked onto the seal portion 63. One end of the groove portion 95, the left end portion 95L in this embodiment, is open at the concealed portion 36h of the bottom surface 36b of the lower case 36. In other words, the left end portion 95L of the groove portion 95 is blocked by the left retaining body 72 when the left retaining body 72 is attached to the suction port main body 33. The plurality of claw portions 96 include a plurality of pairs that face each other at the opening edge of the groove portion 95. The pairs of the plurality of claw portions 96 are arranged at intervals in the extension direction of the groove portion 95. There are four pairs of claw portions 96 in this embodiment, and they are arranged at equal intervals in the extension direction of the groove portion 95.

[0112] The seal arrangement portion 93 presses the retaining frame 92 of the seal portion 63 arranged in the groove portion 95 with a claw portion 96, thereby preventing the seal portion 63 from falling out of the groove portion 95 in the direction facing the bottom surface 33b of the suction port main body 33.

[0113] Furthermore, the wheel holder 69 prevents the seal portion 63, which fits into the seal arrangement portion 93, from sliding, thereby fixing the seal portion 63 to the suction port body 33. In other words, the left holder 72 blocks the opening of the end portion 95L of the groove portion 95, thereby preventing the seal portion 63 from slipping out in the longitudinal direction of the groove portion 95.

[0114] That is, in the suction port body 6 according to this embodiment, when the left holder 72 is removed from the suction port body 33, the seal portion 63 can be pulled out from the left end 95L of the groove portion 95 exposed on the bottom surface 33b of the suction port body 33. Since the suction port body 6 houses the electric motor 32 and the motor control circuit board, it is difficult to wash the seal portion 63 with water while it is attached to the suction port body 33. Therefore, the suction port body 6 according to this embodiment includes the seal portion 63 that can be easily removed from the seal arrangement portion 93 and can be easily washed with water independently. After cleaning, the seal portion 63 can be easily returned to the seal arrangement portion 93 by inserting it into the groove portion 95 from the opening of the end 95L of the groove portion 95.

[0115] The wheel holder 69 may have either a function of preventing the seal portion 63 from coming off (FIGS. 9 to 11) or a function of holding the second wheel 66 (FIGS. 5 to 7). In other words, the holder 99 may have a function of preventing the seal portion 63 from coming off, but does not have a function of holding the second wheel 66, and only serves the function of preventing the seal portion 63 from coming off.

[0116] FIG. 12 is a bottom view of another example of the suction port body according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0117] As shown in FIG. 12, the suction port body 6A according to this embodiment may include a seal portion 63A that extends significantly beyond the suction port 19 to the left and right.

[0118] In other words, seal portion 63A has a first portion held by seal arrangement portion 93 of suction port main body 33 and a second portion held by second seal arrangement portion 101 of holder 99A. The first portion of seal portion 63A is along the edge of suction port 19, and the second portion of seal portion 63A extends from the first portion to protrude from front side 99f of holder 99A. In a bottom view of suction port body 6A, seal portion 63A extends from exposed portion 36e on the bottom surface of case 34 to front side 99f of holder 99A.

[0119] The holder 99A holds at least one end of the seal portion 63A, and the suction port body 33 holds the other portion of the seal portion 63A. The right holder 71A holds the right end of the seal portion 63A, and the left holder 72A holds the left end of the seal portion 63A. The holder 99A has a second seal arrangement portion 101 having a structure similar to that of the seal arrangement portion 93 of the suction port body 33. In other words, the holder 99A has the second seal arrangement portion 101 that can be arranged by sliding the second portion.

[0120] The seal portion 63A may extend only to one of the right holding body 71A and the left holding body 72A.

[0121] Furthermore, the seal portion 63A may be divided into a first portion and a second portion. In other words, the seal portion 63A may include a seal portion 63 held in the seal arrangement portion 93 of the suction port main body 33, and a second seal portion 102 aligned in the extension direction of the seal portion 63 and protruding from the front side 99f of the holder 99A. In this case, the second seal arrangement portion 101 of the holder 99A holds the second seal portion 102 independently so that it can be inserted and removed, and when the holder 99A is attached to the case 34, the seal portion 63A and the second seal portion 102 press against each other at their end faces to prevent each other from coming off.

[0122] The second wheel 66 may be disposed in front of the second portion of the seal portion 63A, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 12, or may be disposed behind the second portion of the seal portion 63A. The second wheel 66 may also be disposed in a straight line on the extension line of the seal portion 63A, as in FIG. 3. When the second wheel 66 is disposed in front of or behind the second portion of the seal portion 63A, it is easier to reduce the width dimension of the suction port main body 33 compared to when the second wheel 66 is disposed on the extension line of the seal portion 63A. When the second wheel 66 is disposed in front of the second portion of the seal portion 63A, the axial distance between the center of the rotation axis of the first wheel 65 and the center of the rotation axis of the second wheel 66 is extended compared to when the second wheel 66 is disposed at another position, and the stability of the posture of the suction port main body 33 that comes into contact with the surface to be cleaned and the margin of arrangement of the joint portion of the connection pipe portion 35 are improved.

[0123] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the rotary cleaning element according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0124] FIG. 14 is a plan view of the shaft end portion of the rotary cleaning body according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0125] FIG. 15 is a side view of the rotary cleaning element according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0126] FIG. 16 is a partial cross-sectional view of the suction port body according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0127] 15 corresponds to a view of rotary cleaning body 31 as seen from its axial direction. FIG.

[0128] As shown in Figures 13 to 16, the rotating cleaning body 31 of this embodiment comprises a pair of shaft end portions 75, a long cleaning body portion 112 rotatably supported by the pair of shaft end portions 75, and a bobbin portion 113 provided on at least one end of the cleaning body portion 112 and fixed to the cleaning body portion 112 so as to rotate integrally therewith.

[0129] One shaft end 75a is adjacent to the bobbin portion 113 of the cleaning body portion 112, and the other shaft end 75b rotatably supports the driven side pulley 57 of the power transmission mechanism 55. The driven side pulley 57 is detachably connected to the cleaning body portion 112 and rotatably connected thereto. In other words, the other shaft end 75b is fixed to the suction port main body 33 and rotatably supports the driven side pulley 57.

[0130] Each shaft end 75 includes a bearing holder 115 fixed to the suction port body 33 and a bearing 116 held by the bearing holder 115. The bearing holder 115 has a shape whose diameter changes with respect to the center of rotation of the rotary cleaning body 31, for example, a square shape when viewed from a direction along the center line of rotation of the rotary cleaning body 31. The bearing holder 115 having such a shape is held in the suction port body 33 so as not to be easily rotatable. The bearing 116 rotatably supports the shaft portion 117 protruding from the bobbin portion 113 which is integral with the cleaning body portion 112, or the shaft portion 117 protruding from the driven side pulley 57 which is integral with the cleaning body portion 112. Each shaft end 75 also has an appropriate stop mechanism to prevent the shaft portion 117 from coming off the bearing 116.

[0131] The cleaning body part 112 has a rotating shaft 51 extending across the suction chamber 41, and a plurality of cleaning bodies 52 arranged around the rotating shaft 51 and extending in a spiral shape substantially across the entire width of the suction chamber 41. The rotating shaft 51 is preferably a hollow shaft. One end of the cleaning body part 112 is fixed to the bobbin part 113, and the other end of the cleaning body part 112 has a fitting structure that connects the driven side pulley 57 and the cleaning body part 112. This fitting structure is, for example, a coupling. The fitting structure has a plurality of recesses arranged in the radial direction of the cleaning body part 112 and provided on either the cleaning body part 112 or the driven side pulley 57, and a plurality of protrusions arranged on the other of the cleaning body part 112 and the driven side pulley 57, into which the plurality of recesses can be fitted. The rotating cleaning body 31 can be easily removed from the suction port body 33 by removing the wheel holder 69 (left holder 72, 72A) from the suction port body 33 to expose one of the shaft ends 75a, taking one of the shaft ends 75a out of the suction port body 33, and releasing the engagement of this engagement structure.

[0132] The rotating cleaning body 31 may not have a fitting structure, and the driven-side pulley 57 and the cleaning body part 112 may be fixed to rotate integrally. In this case, the rotating cleaning body 31 can be easily removed from the suction port body 33 by removing the other shaft end part 75b from the suction port body 33 and removing the belt 58 from the driven-side pulley 57.

[0133] The bobbin portion 113 includes a first flange portion 121 , a second flange portion 122 that is closer to the cleaning body portion 112 than the first flange portion 121 , and a tube portion 123 provided between the first flange portion 121 and the second flange portion 122 .

[0134] It is preferable that first flange 121, second flange 122, and tube portion 123 are all circular or regular polygonal when viewed from a direction along the rotation center line of rotary cleaning body 31. It is preferable that the maximum outer diameter of tube portion 123 is smaller than the maximum outer diameter of first flange 121 and the maximum outer diameter of second flange 122, and that the maximum outer diameter of first flange 121 is larger than the maximum outer diameter of second flange 122. With such a dimensional relationship, bobbin portion 113 can easily capture thread-like dust that tries to wind around the axial end of cleaning body portion 112.

[0135] The first flange portion 121 is closer to one shaft end portion 75a than the second flange portion 122. The first flange portion 121 has a notch portion 125 that is connected to the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 123.

[0136] Further, the bobbin part 113 has a recess 126 that is continuous with the cutout part 125 and recesses a part of the tube part 123 toward the rotation center line of the cleaning body part 112. The recess 126 is open toward the shaft end part 75 side close to the bobbin part 113 and can be seen through.

[0137] The width of the notch 125 and the width of the recess 126 in the rotation direction of the cleaning body 112, i.e., in the circumferential direction of the cleaning body 112, have a predetermined width dimension larger than the plate thickness of the first flange 121. The width of the notch 125 and the width of the recess 126 are, for example, 3 to 6 millimeters, and are set to a dimension that allows commercially available scissors to be moved in the axial direction of the rotating cleaning body 31 and easily inserted into the notch 125 and the recess 126.

[0138] In the rotary cleaning body 31 having such a structure, a user can easily insert a commercially available pair of scissors or a blade into the notch 125 and the recess 126 by moving them in the axial direction of the rotary cleaning body 31 to cut off the dust wrapped around the bobbin part 113. In the conventional rotary cleaning body, the scissors or a blade is inserted from the radially outer side of the rotary cleaning body 31 toward the center line of the rotary cleaning body 31. Therefore, there is little space to use the scissors or a blade, and it may be difficult to handle the scissors or a blade. In the rotary cleaning body 31 of this embodiment, a user can handle the scissors or a blade inserted into the notch 125 and the recess 126 in a direction away from the center line of the rotary cleaning body 31 to the radially outer side. The radially outer side of the notch 125 and the recess 126, i.e., the radially outer side of the bobbin part 113, is an open space without any obstacles. Therefore, the user can handle the scissors or blade inserted into the cutout 125 and the recess 126 extremely easily and as intended. Also, the axial length of the bobbin part 113 is not affected by the ease of handling the scissors or blade inserted into the cutout 125 and the recess 126, and may be a length necessary and sufficient to entangle thread-like dust. In other words, the overall length of the rotating cleaning body 31 can be shortened without being affected by the ease of handling the scissors or blade inserted into the cutout 125 and the recess 126.

[0139] Of the cutout portion 125 and the recess 126, it is sufficient that the bobbin portion 113 has at least the cutout portion 125. The bobbin portion 113 may be provided at an end of the cleaning portion 112 having a fitting structure, that is, at an end of the cleaning portion 112 adjacent to the driven-side pulley 57, or at both ends of the cleaning portion 112.

[0140] The suction port main body 33 has a second rib 128 sandwiched between the first flange 121 and the second flange 122 of the bobbin portion 113. The second rib 128 is also provided on the wheel holder 69 (left holder 72, 72A). The second rib 128 is preferably close to the tube portion 123 of the bobbin portion 113 to the extent that it does not interfere with the rotation of the rotating cleaning body 31. The protruding end of the second rib 128 preferably follows the shape of the tube portion 123 of the bobbin portion 113. The second rib 128 easily prevents thread-like dust wound around the cleaning body portion 112 or the bobbin portion 113 from entering the boundary between the rotating portion and the fixed portion of the rotating cleaning body 31.

[0141] FIG. 17 is a side view of another example of the rotating cleaning element according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0142] As shown in FIG. 17, the bobbin portion 113A according to this embodiment may include a third rib 131 extending between the first flange portion 121 and the second flange portion 122.

[0143] When viewed from a direction along the rotational centerline of the rotating cleaning body 31, it is preferable that the third rib 131 is positioned so that the shorter of a straight line L virtually drawn between the protruding ends of adjacent third ribs 131 and a tangent T virtually drawn from the protruding end of the third rib 131 to the outer peripheral surface of the tubular portion 123 crosses the cutout portion 125.

[0144] The third rib 131 enlarges the gap between the outer circumferential surface of the tube portion 123 of the bobbin portion 113A and the thread-like dust wound around the bobbin portion 113A, improving the ease of cutting the thread-like dust.

[0145] FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view of another example of the support structure for the second wheel of the suction port body according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0146] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of another example of the support structure for the second wheel of the suction port body according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0147] 5 to 7, the suction port body 6 is provided with a second wheel 66 having an axle 76 that is attached by moving in a direction approaching from the back side of the bottom surface 33b of the suction port body 33 to the front side of the bottom surface 33b of the suction port body 33. The "back side of the bottom surface 33b of the suction port body 33" referred to here corresponds to the back side 69b of the wheel holder 69, and the "front side of the bottom surface 33b of the suction port body 33" corresponds to the front side 69f of the wheel holder 69.

[0148] In contrast, as shown in Figs. 18 and 19, an suction port body 6B according to this embodiment includes a second wheel 66B having an axle 76 attached in a direction parallel to the bottom surface 33b of the suction port main body 33B.

[0149] Case 34B of suction port body 33B has a recessed portion 88B that cooperates with wheel placement opening 68 of holder 99B to accommodate a portion of second wheel 66B. When holder 99B is connected to case 34B, wheel placement opening 68 of holder 99B and recessed portion 88B of suction port body 33B define a space that accommodates a portion of second wheel 66B, a so-called tire house.

[0150] The recessed portion 88B is different from the recessed portion 88 of the case 34 shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 in that it supports the axle 76 of the second wheel 66B.

[0151] The second wheel 66B includes a roller 77 rotatably supported by an axle 76. The roller 77 of the second wheel 66B is disposed in the recessed portion 88B from a position far from the concealed portion 36h of the bottom surface of the case 34B toward the concealed portion 36h, as shown by the two-dot chain arrow in FIG. 18. The axle 76 of the second wheel 66B is disposed in the recessed portion 88B from a direction parallel to the bottom surface 33b of the suction port body 33B. That is, one of the left and right walls of the recessed portion 88B has a through hole for supporting the axle 76, and the other of the left and right walls of the recessed portion 88B has a non-through blind hole. Of the left and right walls of the recessed portion 88B, the wall closer to the outer edge of the suction port body 6, which is the right wall in this embodiment, has a through hole, and the wall farther from the outer edge of the suction port body 6, which is the left wall in this embodiment, has a blind hole.

[0152] The blind hole is preferably a tapered hole whose diameter becomes smaller toward the bottom of the hole. Such a blind hole functions as an axle dropout prevention portion that prevents the axle 76 from falling out of the case 34B and the second wheel 66B from falling out of the case 34B. The holding force of the axle 76 by the blind hole may be such that the axle 76 does not fall out of the blind hole under its own weight, for example, about several tens of grams to several hundred grams, and may be such that the axle 76 easily falls out of the blind hole when the force of an adult female's finger, for example, a force in the kilogram unit, is applied.

[0153] The axle drop prevention portion may be provided at the open end of the through hole. Such an axle drop prevention portion may be a protrusion that partially reduces the diameter of the through hole to prevent the axle 76 from falling out of the through hole. The holding force of the axle 76 by this protrusion may be sufficient to prevent the axle 76 from falling out of the through hole under the weight of the axle 76, for example, about several tens of grams to several hundred grams, and may be sufficient to allow the axle 76 to easily come out of the through hole when the force of an adult female's finger, for example, a force in the kilogram unit, is applied.

[0154] Both the axle fall-out prevention portion provided in the blind hole and the axle fall-out prevention portion provided in the through hole are intended to prevent loss of the second wheel 66B when the retaining body 99B is removed from the case 34B, and do not need to have the function of firmly holding the second wheel 66B in the recess portion 88B.

[0155] The holder 99B has a front side 99f facing the same direction as the bottom surface of the case 34B, a back side 99b facing the bottom surface of the case 34B, and a wheel arrangement opening 68 penetrating from the front to the back, and is attached to the bottom of the case 34B.

[0156] The holder 99B is attached to the lower case 36B, covering a portion of the bottom surface 36b of the lower case 36B. In other words, the bottom surface 36b of the lower case 36B includes a concealed portion 36h that is covered by the holder 99B and an exposed portion 36e that is exposed without being covered by the wheel holder 69. The front side 69f of the holder 99B attached to the case 34B and the exposed portion 36e of the bottom surface 36b of the lower case 36B correspond to the bottom surface 33b of the suction port main body 33B.

[0157] The suction port bodies 6, 6A, and 6B are not limited to the mode in which the axle 76 of the second wheel 66B moves in the radial direction of the axle 76 and from the back side 69b to the front side 69f of the wheel holder 69 to be disposed in the wheel holder 69 as shown in Fig. 5 to Fig. 7, and the mode in which the axle 76 of the second wheel 66B moves in the axial direction of the axle 76 and in a direction parallel to the bottom surface 33b of the suction port body 33B to be disposed in the recessed portion 88B as shown in Fig. 18. The suction port bodies 6 and 6A include a mode in which the axle 76 of the second wheel 66 moves in the axial direction of the axle 76 and in a direction parallel to the bottom surface of the wheel holder 69 to be disposed in the wheel disposition port 68 as shown in Fig. 18. 5 to 7, the suction port body 6B includes a mode in which the axle 76 of the second wheel 66B moves in the radial direction of the axle 76 from above to below the suction port body 33B and is disposed in the recessed portion 88B. Specifically, the mode in which the axle 76 of the second wheel 66B moves in the radial direction of the axle 76 from the front upper to the rear lower of the suction port body 33B while facing the bottom surface 33b of the suction port body 33B and is disposed in the recessed portion 88B is included.

[0158] That is, as in the case of Fig. 18, when the axle 76 is first attached to the suction port body 33, 33B, the wheel holder 69 (or holder 99, 99A, 99B) functions as a blocking part that blocks the path along which the axle 76 moves when the axle 76 is attached to the suction port body 33, 33B, and prevents the movement of the axle 76. Also, as in the cases of Figs. 5 to 7, when the axle 76 is first attached to the wheel holder 69 (or holder 99, 99A, 99B), the suction port body 33, 33B functions as a blocking part that blocks the path along which the axle 76 moves when the axle 76 is attached to the wheel holder 69 (or holder 99, 99A, 99B), and prevents the movement of the axle 76.

[0159] The suction port body 6B may include an intermediate member disposed between the case 34B and the holder 99B. In this case, the intermediate member functions as a blocking portion that blocks the path along which the axle 76 moves when the axle 76 is attached to the case 34B or the holder 99B, thereby preventing the movement of the axle 76. It is preferable that the case 34B or the holder 99B includes a drop-out prevention portion that prevents the intermediate member from coming off the case 34B or the holder 99B and dropping off when the holder 99B is removed from the case 34B. The drop-out prevention portion is, for example, a fitting structure that includes a convex portion provided on either the case 34B or the intermediate member, and a recessed portion provided on the other of the case 34B or the intermediate member into which the convex portion is fitted. The drop-out prevention portion may also be, for example, a fitting structure that includes a convex portion provided on either the holder 99B or the intermediate member, and a recessed portion provided on the other of the holder 99B or the intermediate member into which the convex portion is fitted. The holding force of the fitting structure needs to be strong enough to prevent the intermediate member from falling off from case 34B or holder 99B under its own weight, for example, a holding force of several tens of grams to a hundred and several tens of grams, and needs to be strong enough that the intermediate member can be easily separated from case 34B or holder 99B when subjected to the force of an adult female's finger, for example, a force in the kilogram range. The falling-off prevention portion is intended to prevent the intermediate member from being lost when holder 99B is removed from case 34B, and does not need to have the function of firmly holding the intermediate member to case 34B or holder 99B.

[0160] In the suction port body 6B according to this embodiment, by releasing the second holding mechanism 85 and removing the holding body 99B from the case 34B, the axle 76 of the second wheel 66B can be easily removed from the suction port body 33B, and the roller 77 of the second wheel 66B can be easily removed from the recessed portion 88B of the case 34B by taking out the roller 77 of the second wheel 66B from the recessed portion 88B. Dust that has entered the back side of the recessed portion 88B is exposed to the concealed portion 36h of the bottom surface 36b of the lower case 36B without being hidden by the second wheel 66B, and can be easily removed, or is easily removed from the recessed portion 88B while remaining attached to the roller of the second wheel 66B.

[0161] Furthermore, in a state in which the axle 76 is detached from the suction port main body 33B, the user can easily clean the roller 77 of the second wheel 66. Therefore, the user can easily remove dust adhering to the second wheel 66B and dust wrapped around the axle 76 and roller 77.

[0162] FIG. 20 is an enlarged bottom view of another example of a suction port body according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0163] As shown in Figures 2 to 17, the vacuum cleaner 1 and suction port body 6, 6A of this embodiment are equipped with a second holding mechanism 85 that holds the wheel holder 69 and the second wheel 66 together so that they can be removed from the suction port body 33 without the need for tools.

[0164] Also, the vacuum cleaner 1 and the suction port body 6, 6A according to this embodiment may include a second holding mechanism 85A that holds the wheel holder 69 and the second wheel 66 together so that they can be detached from the suction port body 33 by using a tool, as shown in FIG. 20. In this case, the second holding mechanism 85A is a fastener, such as a screw 141, that can be fastened by using a tool, such as a screwdriver. The suction port body 33 has a female thread portion that fastens the screw 141, and the wheel holder 69 has an opening through which the screw 141 is inserted. It is preferable that the head of the screw 141 does not protrude from the bottom surface 33b of the suction port body 33. Therefore, the wheel holder 69 has a recess 142 that accommodates the head of the screw 141. It is preferable that the recess 142 is open toward the rear of the suction port body 33 so as not to be clogged with dust.

[0165] Similarly, in the case of holding bodies 99, 99A, 99B which do not have the function of holding the second wheel 66, the suction port bodies 6, 6A, 6B may be provided with a second holding mechanism 85 which holds the second wheel 66 so as to be detachable from the suction port body 33 without the need for tools, or may be provided with a second holding mechanism 85A which holds the second wheel 66 so as to be detachable from the suction port body 33 by using tools.

[0166] As described above, the vacuum cleaner 1 and the suction port body 6, 6A according to this embodiment include a wheel holder 69 having a front side 69f facing the same direction as the bottom surface of the case 34, a back side 69b facing the bottom surface of the case 34, and a wheel arrangement port 68 penetrating from the front to the back, and attached to the bottom of the case 34, and a second wheel 66 having an axle 76 arranged in the wheel arrangement port 68 from the back side 69b toward the front side 69f of the wheel holder 69 and held by being sandwiched between the case 34 and the wheel holder 69. Therefore, a user can remove the wheel holder 69 from the case 34 and easily clean the second wheel 66 from both the back side 69b and the front side 69f of the wheel holder 69. The user can easily remove dust adhering to the second wheel 66, and can easily remove dust wound around the axle 76 or roller 77 of the second wheel 66 by pulling the end exposed on the back side 69b or front side 69f of the wheel holder 69. When linear dust is entangled in the second wheel 66, the user can cut the part exposed on the back side 69b or front side 69f of the wheel holder 69 with a tool such as scissors, or temporarily remove the second wheel 66 from the wheel holder 69 to untangle and remove the dust entangled in the second wheel 66. In addition, the user can easily clean the second wheel 66 from both the back side 69b and front side 69f of the wheel holder 69 without gouging the second wheel 66 with scissors or a tool. In other words, the user does not need to frequently remove and attach the axle 76 of the second wheel 66 to and from the wheel holder 69. Therefore, the vacuum cleaner 1 and the suction port body 6, 6A can be provided with a robust support structure for the second wheel 66 that is less susceptible to wear. The vacuum cleaner 1 and the suction port body 6, 6A can also reduce the risk of losing the second wheel 66. The vacuum cleaner 1 and the suction port body 6, 6A that include the intermediate member 83 disposed between the case 34 and the wheel holder 69 can also achieve these effects.

[0167] Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner 1 and suction port bodies 6, 6A according to this embodiment have an axle fall-off prevention part 79 that prevents the second wheel 66 from falling off the wheel holder 69 when the wheel holder 69 is detached from the suction port main body 33. Therefore, the vacuum cleaner 1 and the suction port bodies 6, 6A can significantly reduce the risk of losing the second wheel 66.

[0168] Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner 1 and suction port bodies 6, 6A according to this embodiment include rollers 77 that rotate integrally with the axle 76. The aspect in which the axle 76 is rotatably supported by the wheel holder 69 can prevent thread-like dust from becoming entangled in the second wheel 66 more effectively than the aspect in which the rollers 77 are rotatably supported by the axle 76.

[0169] Moreover, the vacuum cleaner 1 and suction port bodies 6, 6A according to this embodiment include the rotating cleaning body 31 which is rotatably and detachably held by the suction port body 33, arranged at the suction port 19, and which is prevented from being removed from the suction port body 33 when the wheel holder 69 is attached to the suction port body 33. Therefore, when maintaining the second wheel 66, the user can remove the rotating cleaning body 31 from the suction port body 33 and maintain the second wheel 66 and the rotating cleaning body 31 together.

[0170] Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner 1 and the suction port body 6, 6A according to this embodiment are provided with elongated seal parts 63, 63A that can be separated from the case 34 when the wheel holder 69 is removed from the case 34. The seal parts 63, 63A are close to the surface to be cleaned and have a chance to come into contact with the surface to be cleaned together with the multiple wheels 62 of the suction port body 6, 6A, so that dirt is likely to adhere to them. The vacuum cleaner 1 and the suction port body 6, 6A can firmly fix the seal parts 63, 63A to the suction port body 33 by the wheel holder 69 attached to the case 34, while the seal parts 63, 63A can be removed from the suction port body 33 by removing the wheel holder 69 from the case 34. The user can easily clean the seal parts 63, 63A removed from the case 34 by themselves, for example by washing them with water.

[0171] Moreover, the vacuum cleaner 1 and suction port body 6, 6A according to this embodiment include the axle 76 and the seal part 63 that are arranged in a straight line when viewed from the bottom of the suction port body 33. This stabilizes the distance between the seal part 63 and the surface to be cleaned, and thus stabilizes the sealing function of the seal part 63.

[0172] Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner 1 and suction port bodies 6, 6A according to this embodiment include a second holding mechanism 85 that holds the wheel holder 69 to the case 34 so that the wheel holder 69 and the second wheel 66 can be detached together from the case 34 without the need for tools. This allows the user to maintain the second wheel 66 extremely easily.

[0173] Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner 1 and suction port bodies 6, 6A according to this embodiment may include a second holding mechanism 85A that holds the wheel holder 69 to the case 34 so that the wheel holder 69 and the second wheel 66 can be detached together from the case 34 by using a tool. Therefore, the second holding mechanism 85A and the second wheel 66 will not easily fall off.

[0174] Therefore, with the electric vacuum cleaner 1 and suction port bodies 6, 6A of this embodiment, dust entangled on the second wheel 66 provided on the bottom surface 33b of the suction port body 33 and dust that has entered the space that houses this second wheel 66, the so-called wheel house, can be easily removed, and a robust support structure for the second wheel 66 with little wear can be provided.

[0175] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 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]

[0176] 1...electric vacuum cleaner, 2...secondary battery, 3...vacuum cleaner body, 5...extension tube, 6, 6A, 6B...suction port body, 11...handle portion, 12...main body case, 12a...front portion, 12b...center portion, 12c...rear portion, 13...electric blower, 15...suction tube, 16...separating dust collecting portion, 17...main body control portion, 19...suction port, 21...control circuit board, 22...input portion, 22a...operation start switch, 22b...operation stop switch, 25...exhaust port, 31...rotating cleaning body, 32...electric motor, 33, 33B...suction port body, 33 b...bottom, 34, 34B...case, 35...connecting pipe section, 36, 36B...lower case, 36b...bottom, 36h...concealed section, 36e...exposed section, 37...upper case, 38...upper cover, 39...front cover, 41...suction chamber, 41a...lower half, 41b...upper half, 42...motor chamber, 43...front suction port, 45...fixed pipe, 46...universal joint, 51...rotating shaft, 52...cleaning body, 55...power transmission mechanism, 56...drive side pulley, 57...driven side pulley, 58...belt, 61...hi slidable mechanism, 62...wheel, 63, 63A...sealing portion, 65...first wheel, 66, 66B...second wheel, 68...wheel arrangement hole, 69...wheel holder, 69f...front side, 69b...rear side, 71, 71A...right holder, 72, 72A...left holder, 75, 75a, 75b...shaft end, 76...axle, 77...roller, 79...axle fall prevention portion, 81...recess, 83...intermediate member, 85, 85A...second holder, 87...slide mechanism, 88, 88B...recessed portion, 91...brush, 92...holder frame , 93...seal arrangement portion, 95...groove portion, 95L...end portion, 96...claw portion, 99, 99A, 99B...retaining body, 99f...front side, 99b...back side, 101...second seal arrangement portion, 102...second seal portion, 112...cleaning body portion, 113, 113A...bobbin portion, 115...bearing retaining body, 116...bearing, 117...shaft portion, 121...first flange portion, 122...second flange portion, 123...tubular portion, 125...notch portion, 126...recess, 128...second rib, 131...third rib, 141...screw, 142...recess.

Claims

1. a case having a suction port; A first wheel rotatably mounted on the case; a wheel holder that is attached to the bottom of the case and has a front side facing the same direction as the bottom of the case, a back side facing the bottom of the case, and a wheel placement opening that penetrates from the front to the back; a second wheel having an axle that is disposed in the wheel placement opening from the back side to the front side of the wheel holder and is sandwiched and held between the case and the wheel holder; A suction mouth body comprising: a holding mechanism that holds the wheel holder to the case so that the wheel holder can be removed from the case without the need for tools.

2. a case having a suction port; A first wheel rotatably supported on the case; a wheel holder that is attached to the bottom of the case and has a front side facing the same direction as the bottom of the case, a back side facing the bottom of the case, and a wheel placement opening that penetrates from the front to the back; an intermediate member disposed between the case and the wheel retainer; a second wheel having an axle that is disposed in the wheel placement opening from the back side to the front side of the wheel holder and is sandwiched and held between the intermediate member and the wheel holder; A suction mouth body comprising: a holding mechanism that holds the wheel holder to the case so that the wheel holder can be removed from the case without the need for tools.

3. The suction mouth body according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the wheel holder has an axle fall-off prevention portion that prevents the axle from coming out of the wheel holder and the second wheel from falling off from the wheel holder when the wheel holder is removed from the case.

4. The suction mouth body according to claim 1 , wherein the second wheel includes the axle and a roller that rotates integrally with the axle.

5. An intake body as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising a rotating cleaning body that is rotatably and removably held to the case and arranged at the intake, and that is prevented from being removed from the case when the wheel holder is attached to the case.

6. An intake body as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising a longitudinal seal portion that extends along the edge of the intake port, protrudes from the bottom surface of the case, and is fixed to the case together with the wheel holder when the wheel holder is attached to the case, and is detachable from the case when the wheel holder is removed from the case.

7. The suction port body according to claim 6 , wherein the axle and the seal portion are arranged in a straight line.

8. The vacuum cleaner body, an electric blower housed in the vacuum cleaner body to generate negative pressure; A vacuum cleaner comprising: a suction port body according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which sucks in air by a negative pressure generated by the electric blower.

Images