Suction nozzle for a vacuum cleaner and a vacuum cleaner equipped with the suction nozzle

Abstract

To provide a suction nozzle improved to promote the removal of dust wound around scraper rollers.SOLUTION: A suction nozzle includes: a nozzle case for partitioning a suction space to suck dust; a communication part where a flow passage opening to the suction space is formed in the nozzle case and which can be connected to a dust pipeline; and a pair of scraper rollers which have distal ends oppositely arranged at an interval in a horizontal direction and feed wound dust toward the distal ends while scraping the dust during rotating inside the suction space. The distal ends of the pair of scraper rollers each include an inclination surface inclined with respect to the axes of the scraper rollers. While the pair of scraper rollers are rotated by a drive part, the width of a space between the inclination surfaces is permitted to be larger on the side of the opening of the flow passage and to be smaller on the opposite side of the opening.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a suction nozzle for a vacuum cleaner and a vacuum cleaner equipped with the suction nozzle.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vacuum cleaner 900 shown in FIG. 15. The vacuum cleaner 900 includes a vacuum cleaner body 910 having a suction source that generates a suction force for sucking dust, and a dust conduit 920 that extends from the vacuum cleaner body 910 and through which the dust sucked by the suction force of the suction source flows. At the tip of the dust conduit 920, a suction nozzle 930 that is wider than the dust conduit 920 is attached in order to suck dust on the floor surface over a wide range.

[0003] As shown in FIG. 16, the suction nozzle 930 includes a wide nozzle case 931 and a pair of scraping rollers 951 and 952 that are cantilever-supported by the nozzle case 931 and scrape dust on the floor surface.

[0004] The nozzle case 931 has a substantially C-shaped case body 932 that opens forward and a cover member 933 that closes the suction space 940 surrounded by the case body 932 from above and in front. The suction space 940 surrounded by the case body 932 and the cover member 933 is provided for sucking up dust on the floor surface, and a pair of left and right scraping rollers 951 and 952 for scraping dust on the floor surface are arranged opposite to each other in the suction space 940. A drive unit is provided in the case body 932 to rotationally drive the pair of scraping rollers 951 and 952.

[0005] The case body 932 has a central case portion 934 that is elongated in the width direction of the nozzle case 931, a left case portion 935 that protrudes forward from the left end of the central case portion 934, and a right case portion 936 that protrudes forward from the right end of the central case portion 934.

[0006] In the central portion in the width direction of the nozzle case 931 (i.e., the central portion of the central case portion 934), a communication portion 941 is provided that forms a flow path for connecting the dust pipeline 920 to the suction space 940. The communication portion 941 has a flow path portion 942 that extends in the front-rear direction within the central case portion 934, and a connecting pipe portion 943 that extends further rearward from the rear end of the flow path portion 942. The dust pipeline 920 is connected to the rear end of the connecting pipe portion 943.

[0007] A rotating shaft protruding from the scraping roller 951 is attached to the left case portion 935, and the proximal end portion of the rotating shaft is connected to the drive portion inside the left case portion 935. A rotating shaft protruding from the scraping roller 952 is also attached to the right case portion 936, and the proximal end portion of this rotating shaft is connected to the drive portion inside the right case portion 936.

[0008] The left scraping roller 951 extends rightward from the vicinity of the left case portion 935 within the suction space 940, and the tip of the scraping roller 951 is located near the central position of the suction space 940 in the width direction. The scraping roller 951 has a tapered cylindrical roller body 953 that becomes thinner toward the tip, and a plurality of brush bands 954 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the roller body 953.

[0009] The right scraping roller 952 has a structure that is symmetrical to the left scraping roller 951 with respect to left and right. A space 956 is formed between the front end surfaces 955 of the left and right scraping rollers 951 and 952. The space 956 is located on the front side with respect to the communication portion 941.

[0010] While the suction source of the vacuum cleaner body 910 is generating a suction force, the scraping rollers 951 and 952 rotate within the suction space 940 by the driving force of the drive portion. At this time, the brush bands 954 of the scraping rollers 951 and 952 scrape the dust on the floor surface. The scraped dust is sucked up within the suction space 940 and flows into the vacuum cleaner body 91 through the dust pipeline 920 connected to the connecting pipe portion 943 of the communication portion 941.

[0011] The scraping rollers 951 and 952 may have long dust such as hair wrapped around them. However, since the roller bodies 953 of the scraping rollers 951 and 952 have a tapered shape that narrows toward the tip surface 955, the long dust is sent out toward the tip surface 955. The dust sent out toward the tip surface 955 detaches from the scraping rollers 951 and 952 through the space 956 between the tip surfaces 955 of the scraping rollers 951 and 952. Thereafter, the dust flows into the cleaner main body 910 through the communication portion 941 and the dust pipeline 920.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0012]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0013] The suction nozzle 930 of Patent Document 1 enables the removal of the dust wrapped around these scraping rollers 951 and 952 through the space 956 between the tip surfaces 955 of the scraping rollers 951 and 952. However, the dust may be caught in the space 956. In this state, the removal of the dust wrapped around the scraping rollers 951 and 952 is not promoted, and the amount of dust wrapped around the scraping rollers 951 and 952 may increase with time.

[0014] An object of the present invention is to provide a suction nozzle improved to further promote the removal of dust wrapped around a scraping roller and a vacuum cleaner equipped with the suction nozzle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0015] The suction nozzle in the present disclosure is configured to be connectable to a dust pipeline that sucks dust by the suction force generated by the suction source of the vacuum cleaner body. The suction nozzle includes a nozzle case that defines a suction space for sucking dust, a communication portion that forms a flow path opening into the suction space in the nozzle case and is configured to be connectable to the dust pipeline, a drive portion that generates a driving force, and a pair of scraping rollers that have tips disposed opposite to each other at intervals in the left-right direction, and are configured to scrape dust while rotating in the suction space by the driving force of the drive portion and send the wound dust toward the tips. The tips of the pair of scraping rollers include inclined surfaces inclined with respect to the axes of the pair of scraping rollers, and when the pair of scraping rollers are rotated by the drive portion, the width of the space between the inclined surfaces is allowed to be wider on the opening side of the flow path and narrower on the side opposite to the opening.

[0016] The vacuum cleaner in the present disclosure includes the above-described suction nozzle, a vacuum cleaner body having a built-in suction source that generates a suction force for sucking dust, and a dust pipeline that extends from the vacuum cleaner body and through which the dust sucked by the suction force of the suction source flows. The dust pipeline is connected to the suction nozzle.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] Since the above-described suction nozzle and vacuum cleaner are configured to facilitate the removal of dust trapped in the space between the inclined surfaces at the tips of the pair of scraping rollers, the transfer of dust toward the tips of the scraping rollers is promoted.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, for the convenience of those skilled in the art, for example, detailed descriptions of already well-known matters or duplicate descriptions of substantially the same configurations may be omitted. It should be noted that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided for those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims thereby.

[0020] (Structure of the vacuum cleaner) As shown in FIG. 1, the vacuum cleaner 101 includes a vacuum cleaner main body 110, a dust pipeline 103 extending from the vacuum cleaner main body 110, and a suction nozzle 100 attached to the tip of the dust pipeline 103. The vacuum cleaner main body 110 incorporates a suction source 102 that generates a suction force for sucking dust, and the suction force of the suction source 102 acts on the suction nozzle 100 through the dust pipeline 103. The dust sucked by the suction force of the suction source 102 flows through the dust pipeline 103.

[0021] The dust duct 103 includes a flexible hose 105 connected to the cleaner main body 110, a tip pipe 106 connected to the suction nozzle 100, and a grip pipe 107 configured to be connectable to the hose 105 and the tip pipe 106. The grip pipe 107 includes a pipe portion 108 formed to be connectable to the tip of the hose 105 and the base end of the tip pipe 106, and a rod-shaped grip portion 109 branched from the pipe portion 108 and formed to be grippable by the user. An operation portion 104 for operating the cleaner main body 110 and the suction nozzle 100 is provided on the grip portion 109.

[0022] (Structure of the suction nozzle) The suction nozzle 100 is attached to the tip pipe 106 of the dust duct 103 in order to obtain a suction region wider in the left-right direction than the flow path formed by the dust duct 103. As shown in FIG. 2, the suction nozzle 100 includes a nozzle case 120 that is wide in the left-right direction, and a communication portion 130 having a connecting pipe 131 extending rearward from the nozzle case 120. The connecting pipe 131 of the communication portion 130 is configured to be connectable to the dust duct 103.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3, the nozzle case 120 includes a substantially C-shaped case body 121 that opens forward, and a cover member 122 attached to the case body 121 from above. The case body 121 includes a central case portion 123 that is long in the left-right direction, a left case portion 124 provided so as to protrude forward from the left end of the central case portion 123, and a right case portion 125 provided so as to protrude forward from the right end of the central case portion 123. The cover member 122 is formed to close the upper side and the front side of the space surrounded by the central case portion 123, the left case portion 124, and the right case portion 125. The space partitioned by the cover member 122, the central case portion 123, the left case portion 124, and the right case portion 125 is referred to as a "suction space 126" in the following description. The suction space 126 opens downward, and dust on the floor surface is sucked into the cleaner main body 110 through the suction space 126.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 4, the front wall 127 of the central case portion 123 partitions the rear end of the suction space 126. An opening 128 of the communication portion 130 is formed at the central position of the front wall 127 in the left - right direction. The communication portion 130 forms a flow path 132 that extends rearward from the opening 128 and connects to the connecting pipe 131 in the central case portion 123, putting the suction space 126 in communication with the internal space of the dust pipeline 103. The communication portion 130 is configured on the rear side of the suction space 126. When the suction source 102 of the cleaner main body 110 operates, a suction airflow that flows rearward toward the communication portion 130 is generated in the suction space 126 due to the suction force of the suction source 102.

[0025] In the suction space 126, a pair of scraping rollers 141 and 142 that are long in the left - right direction are arranged at intervals in the left - right direction. In order to pivotally support these scraping rollers 141 and 142, bearing portions are provided on the wall portions facing the suction space 126 in the left case portion 124 and the right case portion 125.

[0026] The left scraping roller 141 has a structure that is symmetric with the right scraping roller 142 in the left - right direction. Therefore, only the left scraping roller 141 will be described below.

[0027] <L As shown in Fig. 3, the scraping roller 141 has a roller body 143 and a plurality of brush bands 144 attached to the outer peripheral surface of the roller body 143. Also, as shown in Fig. 5, the scraping roller 141 has a tip member 145 attached to the tip of the roller body 143 to form the tip of the scraping roller 141.

[0028] The roller body 143 has a shaft length that is shorter than half of the length of the suction space 126 in the left - right direction. A rotating shaft 153 protrudes from the base end of the roller body 143, and the rotating shaft 153 is fitted into the above - mentioned bearing portion provided on the wall portion of the left case portion 124. As a result, the scraping roller 141 is cantilever - supported by the nozzle case 120 on the base - end side.

[0029] The roller body 143 has a tapered shape that becomes thinner from the base end toward the tip end. An attachment hole portion 146 for attaching the tip member 145 is formed in the tip end surface of the roller body 143.

[0030] A plurality of spiral grooves 147 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the roller body 143. These spiral grooves 147 are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction of the roller body 143. A brush band 144 is attached to these spiral grooves 147. The roller body 143 and the brush band 144 constitute the outer peripheral portion of the scraping roller 141. The spiral shape of the spiral groove 147 is set such that when the scraping roller 141 rotates in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 4, the dust that has come into contact with the brush band 144 attached to the spiral groove 147 is sent out toward the tip end side of the scraping roller 141.

[0031] The brush band 144 protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the roller body 143 when attached to the spiral groove 147, and rubs against the floor surface when the scraping roller 142 rotates. The brush band 144 has a softness such that it does not damage the floor surface when rubbing against the floor surface. Note that the amount of protrusion of the brush band 144 from the outer peripheral surface of the roller body 143 is substantially constant over the entire length of the roller body 143.

[0032] The tip member 145 includes a fitting portion 148 having a shape complementary to the attachment hole portion 146 of the roller body 143, and a tip piece 151 having a diameter larger than that of the fitting portion 148. When the fitting portion 148 is fitted into the attachment hole portion 146, the tip member 145 is fixed to the tip end of the roller body 143. The surface of the tip piece 151 on the side opposite to the fitting portion 148 forms the tip end of the scraping roller 141, and is an inclined surface 149 inclined with respect to the axis of the scraping roller 141.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 4, the space in front of the scraping roller 141 is farther from the opening 128 of the communication portion 130 than the space at the rear, and it is difficult for the suction force of the suction source 102 of the cleaner main body 110 to act. The wider the space in front of the scraping roller 141, the smaller the suction force acting on the front space. Therefore, the space in front of the scraping roller 141 is preferably narrow. In the present embodiment, since the roller main body 143 has a tapered shape, the scraping roller 141 is held in an inclined posture such that the outer peripheral portion of the scraping roller 141 follows the front portion of the nozzle case 120 (that is, the inner surface of the cover member 122). That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the scraping roller 141 is attached to the left case portion 124 in an inclined posture forward from the base end to the tip of the scraping roller 141 so as to obtain a uniform space width along the longitudinal direction of the roller main body 143 at the front side of the scraping roller 141. Further, the scraping roller 141 is held in an inclined posture downward in accordance with the tapered shape of the roller main body 143 so that the brush band 144 uniformly contacts the floor surface over the longitudinal direction of the roller main body 143.

[0034] The inclined surfaces 149 at the tips of the scraping rollers 141 and 142 face each other with a space therebetween in the left-right direction. A space 152 is formed between these inclined surfaces 149. The space 152 is formed in front of the opening 128 of the communication portion 130. The space 152 is used to remove the dust wrapped around the scraping roller 141.

[0035] In order to drive the scraping rollers 141 and 142, as shown in FIG. 7, a drive unit 160 is provided in the case main body 121. The drive unit 160 includes a drive mechanism 161 provided in the left side portion in the internal space of the case main body 121 and a drive mechanism 162 provided in the right side portion. The drive mechanism 161 is provided to drive the left scraping roller 141, and the drive mechanism 162 is provided to drive the right scraping roller 142. That is, the drive unit 160 is configured to individually rotationally drive the pair of scraping rollers 141 and 142 using the drive mechanisms 161 and 162. Since the left drive mechanism 161 has a structure symmetrical to the right drive mechanism 162, only the left drive mechanism 161 will be described.

[0036] The drive mechanism 161 includes a motor 163 that generates a driving force for rotating the scraping roller 141 and a drive belt 169 that transmits the driving force to the rotating shaft 153. The motor 163 includes a motor body 164 disposed in the central case portion 123 and a motor shaft 165 that protrudes from the motor body 164 toward the left case portion 124. Pulleys are attached to the motor shaft 165 and the rotating shaft 153 provided on the scraping roller 141, and the drive belt 169 is looped around these pulleys in the left case portion 124.

[0037] A control board 168 is disposed below the motor body 164. The control board 168 is electrically connected to the motor 163 and the operation unit 104 provided on the gripping tube 107. The control board 168 is configured to operate or stop the motor 163 in response to an operation on the operation unit 104.

[0038] The scraping rollers 141 and 142 are individually driven by the motors 163 of the drive mechanisms 161 and 162. The motor 163 is configured to reduce the rotational speed of the motor shaft 165 as the load on the scraping rollers 141 and 142 increases. Therefore, if the load on the scraping roller 141 is higher than the load on the scraping roller 142, the rotational speed of the scraping roller 141 will be lower than the rotational speed of the scraping roller 142.

[0039] (Operation of the vacuum cleaner) When the user operates the operation unit 104, the suction source 102 built into the vacuum cleaner main body 110 and the motor 163 provided in the suction nozzle 100 operate. When the suction source 102 operates, the suction force of the suction source 102 acts on the suction space 126 through the dust pipeline 103 and the communication part 130. As a result, the dust on the floor flows into the vacuum cleaner main body 110 through the suction space 126, the communication part 130, and the dust pipeline 103.

[0040] While the dust is being sucked in as described above, in the suction space 126, the scraping rollers 141 and 142 are rotationally driven in the suction space 126 by the driving force of the motor 163. As the scraping rollers 141 and 142 rotate, the brush band 144 rubs against the floor. As a result, the dust adhering to the floor is scraped off by the brush band 144.

[0041] When the scraping rollers 141 and 142 are scraping the dust on the floor, as shown in FIG. 8, long dust (for example, hair) may wind around the scraping rollers 141 and 142. Since the scraping rollers 141 and 142 have a tapered shape that becomes thinner toward the tip, the component force of the winding force of the long dust tends to be directed toward the tip side of the scraping rollers 141 and 142. Therefore, the long dust wound around the scraping rollers 141 and 142 can be moved toward the tips of the scraping rollers 141 and 142.

[0042] The dust that has moved toward the tips of the scraping rollers 141 and 142 can be separated from these scraping rollers 141 and 142 through the space 152 between the inclined surfaces 149 of the scraping rollers 141 and 142. The dust separated from the scraping rollers 141 and 142 is sucked into the communication portion 130 behind the space 152 by the suction force of the suction source 102.

[0043] The dust wound around the scraping rollers 141 and 142 can be removed from these scraping rollers 141 and 142 through the space 152 as described above, but a state where dust is pinched in the space 152 may occur. When the dust is pinched in the space 152, the transfer of the dust toward the tips of the scraping rollers 141 and 142 is hindered, and the amount of dust wound around the scraping rollers 141 and 142 increases. In such a state, the load on the scraping rollers 141 and 142 increases, or the scraping ability of the scraping rollers 141 and 142 decreases. Therefore, the inclined surfaces 149 of the scraping rollers 141 and 142 are inclined with respect to the axes of the scraping rollers 141 and 142 so as to promote the removal of the dust pinched in the space 152.

[0044] By providing the inclined surfaces 149 inclined with respect to the axes of the scraping rollers 141 and 142 at the tips of the scraping rollers 141 and 142, a wide portion where the width of the space 152 is large and a narrow portion where the width of the space 152 is small are formed in the space 152. The relative positions of the wide portion and the narrow portion with respect to the opening 128 of the communication portion 130 change due to the rotation of the scraping rollers 141 and 142.

[0045] For example, when the scraping rollers 141 and 142 are in the rotational position shown in FIG. 9, the width of the space 152 between the inclined surfaces 149 is narrow on the side of the opening 128 of the communication portion 130 and wide on the side opposite to the opening 128. That is, the width of the space 152 between the inclined surfaces 149 becomes narrow toward the rear (i.e., the direction of the suction air flow in the suction space 126). In this case, even if the dust pinched in the space 152 is sucked rearward by the suction force of the suction source 102, it is caught by the inclined surface 149 and is difficult to separate from the space 152.

[0046] If the scraping rollers 141 and 142 rotate by 180° from the rotational positions shown in Fig. 9, the state shown in Fig. 10 is obtained. In this state, the width of the space 152 is wide on the opening 128 side of the communication part 130 and narrow on the side opposite to the opening 128. That is, the width of the space 152 expands toward the rear (i.e., the direction of the suction air flow in the suction space 126). Therefore, when dust is subjected to the suction force of the suction source 102, it can move away rearward without being caught by the inclined surface 149. As a result, the state where dust is sandwiched in the space 152 can be eliminated in a short period, and the transfer of dust in the tip direction of the scraping rollers 141 and 142 is promoted.

[0047] The rotational speeds of the scraping rollers 141 and 142 can be individually changed according to the loads applied to these scraping rollers 141 and 142. Therefore, the relationship of the rotational phases of the scraping rollers 141 and 142 can be changed by the loads applied to these scraping rollers 141 and 142. For example, in Figs. 9 and 10, the rotational phases of the scraping rollers 141 and 142 are in a state of matching each other. However, if the scraping roller 141 receives a higher load than the scraping roller 142, the rotational phase of the scraping roller 141 can lag behind the rotational phase of the scraping roller 142.

[0048] For example, Fig. 11 shows a state where the rotational phase of the scraping roller 141 is shifted by 90° with respect to the rotational phase of the scraping roller 142 from the state shown in Fig. 9. In the state shown in Fig. 9, the point P at the most tip side on the inclined surface 149 of the scraping roller 141 is in a position facing the point Q at the most tip side on the inclined surface 149 of the scraping roller 142 in the left - right direction, and the width of the space 152 is the narrowest between the points P - Q. When the relative relationship of the rotational phases of the scraping rollers 141 and 142 changes from the state shown in Fig. 9 to the state shown in Fig. 11, the width between the spaces 152 at the positions corresponding to the point P or the point Q becomes larger than the width between the points P - Q shown in Fig. 9. As a result, the removal of dust from the space 152 is promoted.

[0049] In the above-described embodiment, the entire tip surfaces of the scraping rollers 141 and 142 are constituted by the inclined surfaces 149. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 12, a part of the tip surfaces of the scraping rollers 141 and 142 may be constituted by the inclined surfaces 149. In this case, the portions other than the inclined surfaces 149 on the tip surfaces may be surfaces 171 perpendicular to the axes of the scraping rollers 141 and 142. Although the dust sandwiched between these surfaces 171 is more difficult to remove than the dust sandwiched between the inclined surfaces 149, it can be removed by changing the relative relationship of the rotational phases between the scraping rollers 141 and 142.

[0050] In the above-described embodiment, the tip pieces 151 of the tip members 145 constituting the inclined surfaces 149 are plate-shaped, and the inclined surfaces 149 are flat. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 13, the tip pieces 151 may be formed in a weight shape. In this case, the inclined surfaces 149 are formed by the circumferential surfaces of the tip pieces 151.

[0051] The top of the weight-shaped tip piece 151 shown in FIG. 13 is formed on the axes of the scraping rollers 141 and 142. Preferably, as shown in FIG. 14, the top of the tip piece 151 is provided at a position eccentric with respect to the axes of the scraping rollers 141 and 142. When the top of the tip piece 151 is formed on the axes of the scraping rollers 141 and 142, the positional relationship between the tops of the tip pieces 151 of the scraping rollers 141 and 142 is constant regardless of the rotational phase of the scraping rollers 141 and 142. On the other hand, if the top of the tip piece 151 is eccentric from the axes of the scraping rollers 141 and 142, the positional relationship between the tops of the tip pieces 151 of the scraping rollers 141 and 142 changes due to the relative change in the rotational phase of the scraping rollers 141 and 142. Therefore, the position of the narrowest portion in the space 152 changes due to the change in the relative relationship of the rotational phases of the scraping rollers 141 and 142. As a result, the portion of the space 152 that was the narrowest before the change in the relative relationship of the rotational phases of the scraping rollers 141 and 142 becomes wider after the change in the relative relationship of the rotational phases of the scraping rollers 141 and 142, and the removal of the dust sandwiched in the portion is promoted.

[0052] As described above, by changing the shape of the tip piece 151, the space 152 can be made into various shapes. In the above-described embodiment, since the tip member 145 having the tip piece 151 is formed separately from the roller main body 143, by changing the design of the tip member 145, the space 152 can be made into a desired shape without changing the design of the roller main body 143. If it is not necessary to change the shape of the space 152, a structure in which the roller main body 143 and the tip member 145 are integrated as one member may be adopted.

[0053] In the above-described embodiment, the scraping rollers 141 and 142 are individually rotationally driven by the motors 163 of the drive mechanisms 161 and 162. Alternatively, the scraping rollers 141 and 142 may be driven by a common motor. In this case, they may be connected to the common motor in a state where the rotational phases of the scraping rollers 141 and 142 coincide with each other (that is, the state shown in FIG. 9 or FIG. 10). If the scraping rollers 141 and 142 rotate in such a state, a state where the width of the space 152 expands rearward can be obtained periodically.

[0054] In the above-described embodiment, the space 152 and the opening 128 of the communication portion 130 face each other in the front-rear direction. Alternatively, as long as the suction force from the suction source 102 acts to separate the dust trapped in the space 152 from the space 152, the space 152 may be formed at a position shifted to the left or right with respect to the opening 128.

[0055] In the above-described embodiment, the suction nozzle 100 is used in the canister-type vacuum cleaner 101. Alternatively, the suction nozzle 100 may be used in a stick-type vacuum cleaner or a handy-type vacuum cleaner.

[0056] (Effects, etc.) The suction nozzle 100 according to the above-described embodiment has the following features and exhibits the following effects.

[0057] The suction nozzle according to one aspect of the above-described embodiment is configured to be connectable to a dust conduit that sucks dust by the suction force generated by the suction source of the cleaner main body. The suction nozzle includes a nozzle case that defines a suction space for sucking dust, a communication portion that forms a flow path opening into the suction space in the nozzle case and is configured to be connectable to the dust conduit, a drive portion that generates a driving force, and a pair of scraping rollers that have tips disposed opposite to each other with a space therebetween in the left-right direction, and are configured to scrape dust while rotating in the suction space by the driving force of the drive portion and send the wound dust toward the tips. The tips of the pair of scraping rollers include inclined surfaces inclined with respect to the axes of the pair of scraping rollers, and when the pair of scraping rollers are rotating by the drive portion, the width of the space between the inclined surfaces is allowed to be wider on the opening side of the flow path and narrower on the side opposite to the opening.

[0058] In the above configuration, when the drive portion rotationally drives the pair of scraping rollers, these scraping rollers scrape dust. During this time, long dust may be wound around the scraping rollers, but the dust wound around the scraping rollers is sent toward the tips of the pair of scraping rollers. At this time, a lump of dust may be caught in the space between the tips of the pair of scraping rollers. The lump of dust caught in this space is sucked by the suction force of the suction source acting on the suction space through the communication portion. Due to this suction force, the tips of the pair of scraping rollers include inclined surfaces inclined with respect to the axes of the pair of scraping rollers so that the lump of dust can be detached from the space between the tips. The space between the inclined surfaces can be in a state of being narrower on the opening side of the flow path formed by the communication portion and wider on the side opposite to this opening during the rotation of the pair of scraping rollers, but if the pair of scraping rollers rotate by 180°, the width of the space between the inclined surfaces becomes wider on the opening side of the flow path. In this state, the lump of dust caught in the space between the inclined surfaces can be detached from the space without being obstructed by the inclined surfaces of the pair of scraping rollers and sucked into the cleaner main body through the communication portion and the dust conduit.

[0059] In the above configuration, the drive unit may be configured to individually rotationally drive a pair of scraping rollers and allow the rotational phase of one of the pair of scraping rollers to lag behind the rotational phase of the other scraping roller. The position where the space between the inclined surfaces is narrowest may change depending on the change in the relative relationship of the rotational phases of the pair of scraping rollers.

[0060] In the above configuration, since the inclined surfaces are inclined with respect to the axes of the scraping rollers, a narrow portion and a wide portion are formed in the space between the inclined surfaces. Dust trapped in the narrowest portion when the rotational phases of the pair of scraping rollers are in a predetermined relationship is difficult to be removed even when the suction force of the suction source acts. However, if the relative relationship of the rotational phases of the pair of scraping rollers changes, the position of the narrowest portion changes. That is, the space width of the portion that was the narrowest before the change in the relative relationship of the rotational phases becomes larger, and the dust trapped in that portion is more easily removed by the suction force of the suction source.

[0061] In the above configuration, the drive unit may be configured to allow the rotational phase of one of the scraping rollers to lag behind the rotational phase of the other scraping roller when the load on one of the scraping rollers becomes higher than the load on the other scraping roller.

[0062] In the above configuration, when the load on one of the scraping rollers becomes higher than the load on the other scraping roller, the rotational phase of one of the scraping rollers is allowed to lag behind the rotational phase of the other scraping roller, so that an excessive load is less likely to be applied to the scraping rollers and the drive unit.

[0063] In the above configuration, the pair of scraping rollers may be configured such that the space between the inclined surfaces faces the opening of the flow path.

[0064] In the above configuration, since the space between the inclined surfaces faces the opening of the flow path, when the space between the inclined surfaces is wide on the opening side of the flow path and narrow on the side opposite to the opening of the flow path, dust in the space is likely to be sucked into the flow path.

[0065] In the above configuration, each of the pair of scraping rollers may have a tapered shape that becomes thinner toward the tip. The nozzle case may be configured to hold the pair of scraping rollers in an inclined posture such that the outer peripheral portions of the pair of scraping rollers are along the inner surface of the nozzle case on the side opposite to the opening of the flow path.

[0066] In the above configuration, since each of the pair of scraping rollers has a tapered shape that becomes thinner toward the tip, it becomes possible to move the dust wound around these scraping rollers to the tip side. Even if the pair of scraping rollers has a tapered shape, by holding these scraping rollers in an inclined posture, the outer peripheral portions of these scraping rollers can be made to follow the inner surface of the nozzle case. Thereby, on the side opposite to the opening of the flow path, it is possible to prevent an excessively wide space from being formed between the outer peripheral portion of the scraping roller and the inner surface of the nozzle case, and it becomes possible to suppress the occurrence of a portion where the dust suction ability is excessively low in the longitudinal direction of the scraping roller.

[0067] When the scraping rollers are arranged in an inclined posture in this way, if the tip of the scraping roller is constituted by a surface perpendicular to the axis of the scraping roller, the space between the tips of the pair of scraping rollers has a shape that narrows toward the opening of the flow path. In this case, the dust sandwiched between the tips of these scraping rollers is caught by the tip surfaces of the scraping rollers and is difficult to be removed from the space between the tips of the scraping rollers. On the other hand, if the tips of the pair of scraping rollers include the above-described inclined surfaces, it becomes possible to obtain a state where the space between the inclined surfaces expands toward the opening of the flow path, and the removal of dust from between the inclined surfaces is promoted.

[0068] In the above configuration, each of the pair of scraping rollers may have a roller body extending in the left-right direction and a tip member provided separately from the roller body and configured to be attachable to the tip of the roller body. The inclined surface may be formed on the tip member.

[0069] In the above configuration, the inclined surface is formed not on the roller body but on a tip member provided separately from the roller body. If the tip member is attached to the roller body, an inclined surface can be provided at the tip of the scraping roller. In this way, by forming the inclined surface on a tip member provided separately from the roller body, it becomes possible to change the shape of the space between the inclined surfaces only by changing the shape of the tip member without changing the shape of the roller body itself. Therefore, the design change of the scraping roller becomes easy.

[0070] The vacuum cleaner according to one aspect of the above-described embodiment includes the above-described suction nozzle, a vacuum cleaner body incorporating a suction source that generates a suction force for sucking dust, and a dust conduit that extends from the vacuum cleaner body and through which the dust sucked by the suction force of the suction source flows. The dust conduit is connected to the suction nozzle.

Industrial Applicability

[0071] The principle of this embodiment is suitably used for devices used in cleaning operations.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0072] 100 ····· suction nozzle 101 ····· vacuum cleaner 102 ····· suction source 103 ····· dust conduit 110 ····· vacuum cleaner body 120 ····· nozzle case 126 ····· suction space 128 ····· opening 130 ····· communication part 132 ····· flow path 141 ····· scraping roller 142 ····· scraping roller 143 ······ Roller body 145 ······ Tip member 149 ······ Inclined surface 152 ······ Space 160 ······ Driving part

Claims

1. A suction nozzle configured to be connectable to a dust conduit that sucks dust by the suction force generated by a suction source of a vacuum cleaner body, a nozzle case that defines a suction space for sucking dust, a communication part that forms a flow path opening into the suction space in the nozzle case and is configured to be connectable to the dust conduit, a drive part that generates a driving force, a pair of scraping rollers having tips that are arranged opposite to each other with a space therebetween in the left - right direction, and configured to scrape dust while rotating in the suction space by the driving force of the drive part and send the wound - up dust toward the tips, the tips of the pair of scraping rollers include inclined surfaces that are inclined with respect to the axes of the pair of scraping rollers, and when the pair of scraping rollers are rotating by the drive part, the width of the space between the inclined surfaces is allowed to be wider on the opening side of the flow path and narrower on the side opposite to the opening, a suction nozzle.

2. The drive part is configured to individually rotationally drive the pair of scraping rollers and allow a rotational phase of one of the pair of scraping rollers to lag behind a rotational phase of the other scraping roller, the position where the width between the inclined surfaces is the narrowest changes depending on a change in the relative relationship of the rotational phases of the pair of scraping rollers, the suction nozzle according to claim 1.

3. The drive part is configured to allow a rotational phase of one of the scraping rollers to lag behind a rotational phase of the other scraping roller when the load on the one scraping roller becomes higher than the load on the other scraping roller, the suction nozzle according to claim 2.

4. The pair of scraping rollers are configured such that the space between the inclined surfaces faces the opening of the flow path, the suction nozzle according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. Each of the pair of scraping rollers has a tapered shape that becomes thinner toward the tip, the nozzle case is configured to hold the pair of scraping rollers in an inclined posture such that the outer peripheral portions of the pair of scraping rollers are along the inner surface of the nozzle case on the side opposite to the opening of the flow path, the suction nozzle according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. Each of the pair of scraping rollers has a roller body extending in the left-right direction and a tip member provided separately from the roller body and configured to be attachable to the tip of the roller body. The inclined surface is formed on the tip member, and the suction nozzle according to any one of claims 1 to 5. **Claim 7** The suction nozzle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, a cleaner body incorporating a suction source that generates a suction force for sucking dust, and a dust conduit extending from the cleaner body through which the dust sucked by the suction force of the suction source flows. The dust conduit is connected to the suction nozzle, and the cleaner.

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